SPECIAL PRÉCIS ON MAKING THE MOST OF THE PRECIOUS TIME LEFT TO US: A SELF-REFLECTION ON FINDING NEVERLAND IN THE LAST DAYS (WITH VIDEO)

BULLETIN. The day of this presentation is Saturday October 18, 2025, the occasion of “No Kings Rallies” taking place around the Nation in 2,500 cities. The Trump Administration has falsely attached the name, “Antifa” to all participants in these Rallies, defining them as “terrorist” gatherings, threatening the deployment of Federal Agents to suppress such ‘terrorism.’ Up to and possibly including the imposition of the Insurrection Act of 1807.

We must therefore earnestly PRAY for the safety of citizens attending these otherwise peaceful assemblies. DK

THEOLOGY

SCRIPTURE. “Lord, make me to know my end and [to appreciate] the measure of my days—what it is; let me know and realize how frail I am [how transient is my stay here].” – PSALM 39:4, AMPC

KEY TERM: “MEASURE.” ‘Middah’ [וּמִדַּ֣ת]: “The extension, height or breadth [of a life]; also, a vestment or tribute; stature or size.” NOTE: “מִדָּה (‘mid-dah’) appears roughly fifty-five times in the Old Testament and consistently speaks of a ‘measure’ in either the literal sense of size, quantity, or weight, or the figurative sense of a determined portion, standard, or rule. Whether used for Tabernacle curtains, city borders, fair commerce, or the moral boundaries set by God, מִדָּה underscores that: ‘Every part of life is meant to conform to an objective, Divinely Sanctioned Scale.’”

QUOTATION. “That’s what I mean about Forever, too. For any one of us our Forever could end in an hour, or a hundred years from now. ‘You can never know for sure, so you’d better make every second count. What you have to decide, is how you want your life to be.’ If your Forever was ending tomorrow, would this be how you’d want to have spent it? Listen, the truth is, nothing is guaranteed. You know that more than anybody. ‘So don’t be afraid. BE ALIVE!’” ― SARAH DESSEN, The Truth About Forever, 2004; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘Lord, make me to know mine end’ — The end of my life, as is evident from the following words; ‘and the measure of my days, what it is’ — How short it is; or, how near is the period of the days of my life; ‘that I may know how frail I am’ —Hebrew, מה חדל אני, meh-chadeel ani, quam desinens sire, quam cito desinam esse, quam parum durem, ‘what a transient, momentary being I am, how soon I shall cease to be, how little a while I shall continue,’ namely, on Earth.

‘He does not mean, Lord, let me know exactly how long I shall live, and when I shall die.’ He could not in faith ask this, God having nowhere promised His people such knowledge, but having in wisdom locked it up among the secret things which belong not to us, and which it would not be good for us to know; but his meaning is,

‘[Rather], Give me Wisdom and Grace to consider my End, and how short the measure of my days will be, and to improve what I know concerning it.’ The living know they shall die,but few so reflect on this as to make a right use of this knowledge. Bishop Patrick thus paraphrases his words: ‘Lord, I do not murmur nor repine at my sufferings; but that I may be able to bear them still patiently, make me sensible, I humbly beseech thee, how short this frail life is, and how soon it will have an End; that, duly considering this, I may be the less concerned about the miseries I endure, which will end together with it. Thus, wearied with the contradiction of sinners, and sickening at the prospect of so much wretchedness in the valley of weeping, the soul of the Pious Christian looks forward to her Departure from hence, praying for such a sense of the shortness of human life as may enable her to bear the sorrows of this world, and excite her to PREPARE for the Joys of a Better.’” – JOSEPH BENSON, Notes on the Holy Bible, 5 vols., 1811-1818; edited

TEACHING

REFLECTION. All of this takes me back to a day in 1964 or so on the campus of Long Beach State College (CA) when I had just performed the role of Sigmund Freud from the play, A Far Country (1961) by Henry Denker. The performance had won the accolades of the entire class and professor and left me a bit exhilarated at the prospect of becoming an actor as a career path.

Then something of what could only have been a ‘Divine Intervention’ took place.

Bear in mind that I am no more than a 19-year-old ‘raw pagan,’ and had no concourse with Almighty God whatsoever. But I distinctly recall stopping in my heady tracks outside the theater building, and blurting out:

“No, I don’t want to be an actor! I want to do something significant in life.”

DESTINY. “State or Condition appointed or predetermined; ultimate fate; as, men are solicitous to know their ‘Future Destiny’ which is however happily concealed from them. Invincible necessity; fate; a necessity or fixed order of things established by a Divine Decree.” – NOAH WEBSTER, American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828; edited

While the use of the term, “Predetermined” would not suit my personal theology (though the good Mr. Webster may have been a Calvinist, but I do not know), we can still glean a good deal of Biblical Wisdom from his definition – and the Scripture with which we opened this discussion.

In any event, The Great Prophet promises all human beings the following:

“‘For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you. Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you SEARCH FOR ME with all your heart.’” – JEREMIAH 29:11-13, AMP

‘THE ZONE.’ Inarguably, the most important part of a human life is to first find out what GOD’S PLAN is for it, and then both Search for it with all your heart and Trusting the Holy Spirit to show it to you.

‘Though it may take an entire lifetime to find it!’

So today we are going to take some steps toward finding out how to indeed, make the best of our time in these perilous times, in order to fulfill our ‘DIVINE DESTINY IN CHRIST.’

FINDING NEVERLAND

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.” ― J. M. BARRIE, Peter Pan, 1904

THE CALL. In case you were wondering why I used the ‘Finding Neverland’ subtitle, I meant it as METAPHOR for the crucial human discovery what Dr. Os Guiness presented as ‘THE CALL’ in his 1998 book of that name. His Subtitle: ‘Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose in Your Life.’

The Sad Reality is that many if not most people ever discover that ‘Divine Call,’ settling all their lives for “a job,” or employment that is necessary for paying the bills and supporting our everyday needs.

An AI Overview (ret. Oct. 16, 2025; edited) summarizing a large number of research studies reported this: “The percentage of people who find their True Calling varies by survey and definition, but many sources suggest it is a small fraction of the population, with some surveys showing that only 5% to 10% of people feel they have found their Life’s Purpose. A significant number of people may spend their lives without identifying their ‘Calling,’ resulting in unfulfilled potential.”

Yet again, there is honor and courage in this ‘Utilitarian View’ of work. The Great Apostle even wrote this related to the importance of hard work:

“For even while we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.

Indeed, we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined and inappropriate life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies [meddling in other people’s business]. Now such people we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work quietly and earn their own food and other necessities [supporting themselves instead of depending on the hospitality of others].” – 2 THESSALONIANS 3:10-12, AMP

MY THESIS: Working in order to provide for oneself and others as with our families is honored by God, but for countless millions of people, often deeply unsatisfying. However, and it is a massive “However” indeed, when we find and begin to work in ‘The Zone,’ or ‘Our Lane,’ that is, the specific ‘Calling’ that Jehovah has designed for us, work literally become an exhilarating pleasure.

Regardless of its station or prowess in the general culture!

DR. JOHN PIPER. Once again, I turn to one of my favorite teachers who so evenly blends excellent Biblical scholarship with the Practical Wisdom we need to navigate today’s treacherously confused theological waters. His analysis is titled, appropriately:

“How Do I Know God’s Calling for My Life?,” It was published as a transcripted Audio Sermon podcast on December 7, 2015 for his Desiring God online journal. Which specific Date and Year made me chuckle for several reasons.

ONE. June 16, 2015 was the very date the entire, largely sleeping Nation and World were about to undergo the most devastating changes ever in the wake of the Rise of Donald Trump on the Political and Religious scene.

TWO. It was also the year when my own Personal Awakening was to commence as I began in earnest to study and write very critically about Mr. Trump. For which I was to lose three professorships in a row in the wake of that initial event beginning in 2016.

THREE. Finally, December 7, 1941, was the ‘Date of Infamy’ 84 years ago when the Japanese Navy launched their sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, devastating an also sleeping diplomatic corp and military command that didn’t see it coming. Nineteen ships were damaged or sunk, and 2,403 individuals were killed (similar to the number killed on September 11, 2001 (2977) at New York’s Twin Towers).

MAIN POINTS. Believing that there are no “coincidences” in the Economy or Timeframe of Almighty God, we proceed to uncover very wise counsel on how we can best use “The Time Left to Us” in these very Last Days of the Church Age.

Author Note: Though Dr. Piper wrote these TEN STEPS for all those formally called to the Mission Field, I borrow from the Reform Tradition Proposal: ‘We are all Missionaries’ (Apostolos,’ or “Sent ones”). Christ’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) was not just for Shepherds and Elders, but for ALL true followers of the Messiah.

DECIPHERING HIS CALL. “Regularly, God called His Prophets, not the other way around … Rather, He sets up [Biblical] Patterns of Assessment [cf. 1 Peter 3:1-13; 1 Timothy 3: 1-7; James 3;1; Titus 1:7] and assumes that: Relatively FEW — just the needed number — will be led into the office of Pastor, Teacher, Elder, or Shepherd’ [or any other Gifting or Office].”

RENEWED MIND. “Let’s start with Romans 12:2: ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.’ Discerning the Will of God assumes a Renewed Mind. I am assuming that the Will of God here refers not to Commandments of Scripture, which you don’t need a Renewed Mind to read and know — Commandments like ‘You shall not murder’ (Exodus 20:13) … When He says to ‘Be renewed in your mind,’ I think he means to: ‘Soak your mind, Marinate your mind, Saturate your mind with the Word of God!’”

GRACE-WROUGHT GIFTS. “‘The Renewed Mind takes seriously your Spiritual Gifts.’ What are they? God is not Calling you to do something He has not Gifted you to do. What is The Gifting?’ I think the Gifting that Paul and Peter have in mind is summed up in 1 Peter 4:10: ‘As each has received a gift, use it to SERVE one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.’ That is what Gifts are: Varied Grace Incarnate in human personalities, which we steward: ‘For the good of OTHERS.’”
MOVING NEEDS. “‘The Renewed Mind takes seriously the needs that you see in the world and the ones that move you most deeply.’ I wonder if we have thought enough about the implications of what Paul says in Romans 12:6-8: when he is talking about gifts. He says, ‘The one who exhorts, [let him do it] in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness’ … So, take seriously not just the real, objective needs that you are looking at in the world — in the lostness and the hurt of people — but also how they affect you.”

PRACTICAL KNACKS. “‘The Renewed Mind takes seriously its skills.’ By this I am not thinking mainly of Spiritual Gifts — and they may overlap — but of ‘Practical Skills that God may put to use in a special way in some context.’ Take, for example, finances or carpentry or organization or dozens of possible abilities that may flourish in an especially helpful way on the mission field.”

RECURRENT INTERESTS. “‘The Renewed Mind takes seriously recurrent and growing interest and awareness of a place or a people.’ When God is moving someone into Missions, he is ordinarily giving them a recurring — not just a flash in the pan — and growing interest and awareness of ‘a Need’ He is leading them to. So, my question for people is this: What are you reading about? What are you investigating? What do you return to again and again? What are you finding compelling as you ponder the needs of the world?

MISSIONAL DESIRE. “‘The Renewed Mind takes seriously the growing desire of the heart for the Work of Missions’ — in other words, ‘DESIRE!’ [i.e., ‘The Fire’ for Mission]. First Timothy 3:1 says that Elders are to ‘Aspire’ to and ‘Desire’ the work of the ministry. I take that as a Principle that God uses to Draw us into His Work: Do you find this work Desirable? Is your Desire growing? ‘Is it reaching the point of Irresistibility [MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION]?’ That is what happened for me on October 14, 1979, when I was struggling with whether to stay a Professor at a college or to be a Pastor. All I know is that at about midnight that night, it became irresistible, after years of brewing.” DK: And for me that Irresistibility, that ‘Obsession with Christ’ came late, after being fired by Christian leaders for the first of three times in March 2016 for refusing to follow Donald Trump. It was, quite simply: ‘Sink on my own, or Swim into The Deeps of Jesus once and for all.’

LOCAL CONFIRMATION. “‘The Renewed Mind takes seriously the affirmation and confirmation of the local church [sic]. It is essential that you be part of a local church. This is the normal way of being a Christian, and it is the only way I know how anybody can go to the mission field and know what to do once he gets there. It is churches that we want to come into being, so that believers have a way to be discipled there. Part of the experience of the local church is to confirm our gifts and to confirm our desires and to confirm our skills and to confirm our compassion. Without that confirmation, we will tend to be loners who very easily mistake God’s leading.” DK: In my first ever serious disagreement with Dr. Piper, I do hereby Amend his counsel to shift from participation in a local church to ‘True Christian Community.’ Given the current corrupted state of the majority of White American Churches, you can gain fellowship online by starting or attending a House Church, or by informal but regular conversations with time tested friends of Christ in your local community.

GOD’S GLORY! “‘The Last Thing I would say is the Renewed Mind wants to Glorify God above everything!’ We want to see the Glory of God celebrated in the world. Ask yourself: ‘In all these things, are we pursuing the Glory of God? Do we see what I am being led to as what would Glorify God most?’ So, IMMERSE YOURSELF in the Word and Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Take these Ten Factors seriously, and the Effect will be that ‘You will Know — and Soon!’”

IN SUM. The most important thing you will have ever done on the Earth is Renew Your Commitment to Jesus Christ in these Last Times, when the Spirit of Lawlessness has been unleashed everywhere.

But especially here in America, beloved: ‘Babylon the Great.’ Selah.

LAST THOUGHTS

I close our conversation with the incandescent Words of God through the pen of JOHN THE APOSTLE (‘whom Jesus loved’) to us all: ‘The Church of the Last Battle.’

“Little children, IT IS THE LAST HOUR, and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.” – 1 JOHN 2:18-28, NKJV

CODA. These are, beloved, the very Words of our King as Marching Orders for the Final Days we shall spend on the Earth. ‘Do them, therefore!’ To Glorify the Master of All and be welcomed by Him with this Eternal Greeting:

“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” – MATTHEW 25:21, NKJV

Selah. Ponder these sayings more deeply than you ever have before, because the Days grow short, and greatly needful indeed.

MEDIA

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/YiHVia4IwYE