8-26-19 Today in the Word

Servant Discipleship: The Gospel of Mark
PREPARING FOR THE END
Monday, August 26, 2019 | Mark 13:1-23

Herod’s Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD with an incredible amount of violent bloodshed. In The Jewish War, historian Flavius Josephus describes the destruction with horrific and vivid words: “Crowded together around the entrances many were trampled by their friends, many fell among the still hot and smoking ruins of the colonnades and died as miserably as the defeated. Everywhere was slaughter and flight.” So great was the bloodshed, one very well might have mistaken those days for the last days.
Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple, even while it still stood in magnificent splendor. Incredulous, the disciples pressed Him for more details wanting to know where and when it would happen so they could be prepared. The “end” Jesus speaks of here refers both to the destruction of Herod’s Temple in the time of the disciples as well as the end described in Revelation. Those living in the first century were to remain on their guard; those believers who are alive and the time of the rebuilding of the temple should be on their guard for persecution and attempts at deception.
Jesus’ explanation of events associated with the complete destruction of the Temple calls the reader to be watchful for deceivers in order to endure to that final end. Today, many try to take advantage of people’s fears, pointing to the chaos in our world, as we near the time of the return of Christ.
Yet our response to the hope of Christ’s return is to be watchful, guarding ourselves against deceiving words about His return and preparing without anxiety for the world’s hatred toward us to increase. We know that our Lord will be victorious, He will destroy His enemies. And we will be with Him in joy forever.
APPLY THE WORD
We are not to be anxious and fearful, but to be firm in our faith. The Lord promises salvation to “the one who stands firm” (v. 13). Losing salvation is not possible for the believer. But those who turn forever away from a profession of Christ reveal themselves as never having truly accepted Him. Those belonging to God will never lose their hope.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-17-23 Not in a Billion Years

Not In A Million Billion Years :: By Dave Hubley Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.) Several years ago, I had a conversation with a guy in a waiting room while getting an oil change (in the car, not me). I don’t recall exactly how the conversation originated or how it progressed, but I have never forgotten it. As I recall, it had something to do with evolution and an article that was contained in a “waiting room magazine” that was available there. He made the observation that God was “something that man had made up.” I can’t recall the exact reason he used to justify his opinion, but it had something to do with the usual reasons people give: Weak-willed people needing a crutch, and blah, blah, blah. I engaged him in a “witness,
Read more

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th
Read more