Category: Uncategorized

Mark 13:37
   This is what we like to call a fair warning. This world will be going along as if nothing devastating is about to happen, when something devastating will indeed occur. The world system steams on, largely oblivious to the warnings of Scripture. And, that is a dangerous course. This old Book is nothing to be ignored. It is the very fabric of life, for it is the treatise of the Life-Maker.

Heavenly Father, we can never stop thanking you! May our lives honor you and bring glory to your name! You are worthy of every praise and we love you very much. You alone are holy, just, and pure. You alone are good, kind, and gracious. Your mercy is wonderful, and your grace is indeed amazing! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 13:36
   What would be the implication of finding a person sleeping? Well, though we do all individually need to be aware and alert, I think he is speaking of the nation of Israel, and the world as a whole. Jesus will very likely catch most people off guard. This is a warning not to be a part of that sleeping majority.

Heavenly Father, you always want the best for all of us. So, we want what you want. We bow now in praise seeing that you are the God of All. You see what we could never know or understand. Please allow us to honor you with our every breath. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 13:35
   It seems from Scripture and early Christian literature that the early believers thought the Lord Jesus would be returning fairly quickly. Were they wong to have that perspective? Absolutely not! What Jesus is saying here is that we, as they, should expect him to come just any time now. But, unlike them, we understand his words experientially as well. We have seen over two thousand years of history since that time. So we clearly see that he meant it might be a longer time. But again, like the early Christians, we should live expecting it to be very soon.

Heavenly Father, you are glorious, wonderful and mighty. We cannot conceive of your greatness. Yet you allow us to praise you. How can we understand you? If you did not reveal yourself there would be no hope of knowing you as you are. Thank you for your goodness in showing yourself to us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 13:34
  Jesus is giving us an idea of what we should do in this age. We should be prepared for his coming, and be busy about the work he has given us to do. And, we see here something that we tend to forget. By the power of the Spirit, Jesus has given us all that we need to get the job done. In other words, we want to get the gospel out, but we tend to shoot each other while we are at it. The truth is that the Lord has put into us as the body of Christ the authority to carry out the command.

Heavenly Father, thank you for taking care of us even when life seems to be against us. You know your plan for us. Thank you for your love! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Not feeling well today, no post.

Mark 13:33
   Watch the signs of the times. Though the exact timing will not be known, we can see events lining up for that time yet future. So much of what is going on in our world today fits with the prophecies concerning the end times. Pray that you may stay in communication with Almighty God. During the time of the end things will be very difficult. At that time, as well as in this current time, prayer is of utmost importance.

Heavenly Father, you give us the chance to follow after Christ. We have truth and grace in this gospel age. We praise you as you are working to bring people to yourself through Christ. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 13:32
   Once again we must differentiate. That day occurs at the end of ‘those days’ and is not connected with ‘these things.’ So, this refers to the exact day and hour of the Second Coming. Many have wondered how that the Trinity could be true, and yet, that there could be a piece of knowledge that God the Son does not have? We know that Jesus emptied himself of much when he came to earth. His will is submitted to the Father’s will, but is not the same. He derives his knowledge from the Father, but the Father may choose to withhold this information. The balance to understand here is that this could only happen if the Godhead pre-determined that it would. And that is exactly how it happened. The Godhead decided all of this beforehand. Thus, the knowledge of Christ was already chosen before he was incarnated.
   As Jesus has already made clear, the general time of his Second Coming is predictable. But the exact time he tells us here is not.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your many blessings! You always work things out for our good. We cannot help but overflow with praise for you and your greatness. We thank you for your knowledge, and how it guides us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 13:31
   By the time that all which Jesus has told us about has come to pass, this present world will be totally different. The heaven and earth will be transformed, and life will be much different. This is in the future state after the restoration of all things. There will be no sin in this future time. And, the Word of Christ will still be absolute.

Heavenly Father, I am thankful for the promise of the future time. It gives us hope in this present age. But, more than that, it reminds us that you are the Common Denominator, not this creation. You are the Measrue of All Things, and not us. It is to you that we must look for a true understanding of existence. Thank you for enabling us to have this kind of perspective. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 13:30
   To the question in all minds we immediately go. What does Jesus mean by saying that this generation would not pass before all of these things would be fulfilled? Well, it would be quite accurate to say that that current generation of Jews would not perish before the destruction of the temple.
   So, it is good to keep Jesus’ words concerning ‘these things’ and ‘these days’ separate. However, as we have seen, there is some overlap in that there is duality in the fulfillment of this prophecy. The same could be true here because the term ‘generation’ could refer to the existence of the Jews as a whole. We would also have to agree with the truth of that.
   As a result, it is best to see this as referring both to that current generation, and the existence of the Jews as a people. We know that there will still be Jews during the time of the end. We know that the Temple Mount will exist. We know that the Mount of Olives will exist. We know a lot becuase of what Jesus has told us in his Word.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the prophecy in your Word! It is a great comfort to my heart. You are truly great and powerful to know and plan the future. You are there already! Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 13:29
   Jesus is saying that his words should be taken as a guide as we make our way into the future. Just as being aware of his words provided a warning for those fleeing from the Roman attack on the Jews in 70 AD, it will warn those alive during the time of the great tribulation.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your marvellous Word! It gives us truth to find forgiveness for our past. It gives us peace and joy for our life today. And, it supplies hope and assurance for our future. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.