Mark 13: 24-37 At that time, after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, The stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard. Stay alert. The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. You, too, must keep watch. For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him.” 13: 31 The truth that heaven and earth will disappear is all that much more believable in our age of nuclear power and terrorism. Jesus tells us, however, that even though the earth will pass away, the truth of his words will never be changed or abolished. God and His Word provide the only stability in oru unstable world How shortsighted people are who spend all their time and energy learning about this temporary world and accumulating its possessions, while neglecting the Bible and its eternal truths. 13: 32 When Jesus said that even he did not know the time of the end, he was affirming his humanity. Of course, God the Father knows the time, and Jesus and the Father are one. But when Jesus became a man, he voluntarily gave up the unlimited use of his divine attributes. The emphasis of this verse is not on Jesus’ lack of knowledge but rather on the fact that no one knows. It is God the Father’s secret to be revealed when he wills. No one can predict by Scripture or science that exact day of Jesus’ return. Jesus is teaching that preparation, not calculation is needed. 13: 33-34 Months of planning go into a wedding, the birth of a baby, a career change, a speaking engagement, the purchase of a home,. Do you place the same importance on preparing for Christ’s return, the most important event in your life? Its results will last for eternity . You dare not postpone your preparations because you do not know when his return will occur. The way to prepare is to study God’s Word and live by its instructions each day. Only then will you be ready. 13: 35-37 Mark 13 tells us how to live while we wait for Christ’s return; (1) We are not to be misled by confusing claims or speculative interpretations of what will happen. (13: 5-6). (2) We should not be afraid to tell people about Christ , despite what they might say or do to us. (13: 9-11). (3) We must stand firm by faith and not be surprised by persecution (13:13). (4) We must be morally alert, obedient to the commands for living found in God’s Word. This chapter was not given to promote discussions on prophetic timetables but to stimulate right living for God in a world where he is largely ignored.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 23:59:55 +0000
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