Monthly Archives: September 2020

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – THE LESSON OF THE FIG TREE

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THE LESSON OF THE FIG TREE

28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Mark 13:28-31

Awareness is a key thought throughout Scripture. Being aware enables a person to be alert and discerning in this war zone we live in. The enemy is relentless in his desire to deceive and the only protection we have is awareness of truth which the Holy Spirit constantly brings to our attention as the antidote to the devil’s lies.

Jesus called His disciples’ attention to the fig tree as an illustration of awareness. Just as the tiny green shoots on a fig tree are the sign of summer’s return, so there are signs of the nearness of Jesus’ return. Since He was responding to their two-layered question, i.e., the destruction of the temple – to which He had referred – and the end of time, His reply would take in both situations even though they would be separated by many centuries. As with many prophecies, there would be two-layered fulfillment, the latter being a mirror of the former.

Just as Jerusalem and the temple would be razed to the ground, so everything that does not belong to the truth will be destroyed at His coming. Jesus came to His own people, but they rejected Him and judgment finally fell on them and the city as a result. His message went out to the world but the world also refused Him and, consequently, judgement will fall on the world as well.

There is nothing one can do about natural disasters and wars between nations. One may be caught up in them; one may be able, to a certain extent, to escape them, but one can do nothing to stop them. However, there is something we can do about deception. If we fall for the lies, it is because we have not known the truth. We have the responsibility of soaking our minds in God’s Word which Jesus said is not perishable like the world around us. Knowing the truth is the only protection we have against deception because the truth in us is the Holy Spirit’s fuel that lights the way.

In this situation, I,e, the certainty of coming judgment, the truth we need to cling to is the promise of eternal life for those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead.

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life John 5:24

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – IN A FLASH

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IN A FLASH

24 “But in those days, following that distress,
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. Mark 13:24-27

Contrary to current teaching about the end times, Jesus’ arrival on earth will be visible and noisy, not secret and silent. This will be preceded by cataclysmic events in the sky, according to Jesus. The natural universe will react violently to the Creator’s return to earth. Whatever seems permanent and unshakeable will be shaken.

When God appeared on the mountain in the wilderness, His voice shook the earth and the people shook with terror. When Jesus returns to the earth to establish His reign forever, His voice will shake the heavens and everything that is temporary will be shaken and consumed according to Hebrews 12, and only that which is eternal will remain.

What are the things that are eternal and what is temporary and shakeable? According to Hebrews 12:27, what is temporary, shakeable and passing away are created things or, according to Paul, the things that are seen – 2 Corinthians 4:18. That which is not seen is eternal. Jesus said, “My words will never pass away.” The word of the Lord endures forever.  God’s kingdom is unshakeable and remains forever, and the man who does the will of God will live forever ‑ 1 John 2:17.

In the midst of the mayhem of the destruction of everything temporary and perishable, Jesus will return to claim His elect. He will dispatch His angels to the ends of the earth to gather those in whom His Spirit dwells, who fear and know God, who live for Him, in whose hearts the kingdom of God has been growing. They will be confident and unafraid in the midst of the destruction, protected from the consuming fire of God’s holiness, purified by the blood of the Lamb from all sin and fully alive in Christ through the purifying fire of God’s Spirit at work in them.

If people are foolish enough to think that they can put off the day of their repentance until that moment, they will have missed it. It will happen faster than the speed of light. There will be neither time nor opportunity to rethink. The day of grace will be over forever.

51.Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 5 1 Corinthians 15:51-53

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – FALSE MESSIAHS AND FALSE PROPHETS ABOUND

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FALSE MESSIAHS AND FALSE PROPHETS ABOUND

21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. Mark 13:21-23

Once again Jesus clearly illustrates the difference between Himself and the false messiahs that will abound in the last days. He drew attention to His character as the evidence of who He was. “I am gentle and humble in heart.” He is the true shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. The false shepherd is a hireling who is in it for what he can get out of it. When danger threatens, he is the first to get out, abandoning the sheep to the wolves.

False messiahs will come in droves, calling attention to their impressive credentials and mighty acts as proof of their identity. Jesus warned, “This is Satan’s most potent and dangerous weapon; deception coats lies with enough truth to appear authentic but enough lies to draw people away from the truth.” What does deception play on?

  1. Leaders’ performance puts them on a pedestal so that anything they say or do is believed without being tested. They will often allow themselves to be hero-worshipped and accept glory without giving it back to God.
  2. Although their preaching may sound like the truth, there is a subtle shift away from God‑centred to man‑centred so that there is a pandering to man’s old nature e.g. the prosperity/faith message that subtly manipulates God through His word or the desire to be reverenced for our “holy” lives and powerful ministry.

These people may not necessarily claim messiahship but they accept a following and use it for their own ends. They often offer outstanding benefits for coming to their meetings as though God were obliged to reciprocate because He is advertised as doing certain things, e.g., healing, solving financial problems, marriage problems, family problems, business problems, without reference to the conditions which He clearly states in His word.

Jesus said, “Don’t be fooled. This is part of the end‑time strategy for Satan to lure as many people as possible away from the truth. If you want to be secure, stick with me and my way.”

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – GOD’S DIVINE “LOCKDOWN”

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GOD’S DIVINE “LOCKDOWN”

14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.

20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. Mark 13:14-20

Although Jesus’ predictions are difficult to pin down to a time‑line, it seems that He began with general statements and then narrowed them down to specifics. The disciples had asked Him about the destruction of the temple. How would they know when this phase would begin and what were they to do? Because of Jesus’ prediction and warning, believers who remembered His words escaped the slaughter in Jerusalem when the Roman army sacked and destroyed the city in AD 70. Jesus said that the tip‑off would be the desecration of the temple and they were to escape to the hills without stopping to retrieve any of their belongings.

The words that the religious leaders and people had spoken irresponsibly at Jesus’ trial were about to be fulfilled ‑ terrible carnage in the city because they took responsibility for His death   “His blood be upon us and upon our children.” A generation after they had condemned Him to shed His blood, theirs ran in the streets of Jerusalem.  Even at a time like this and a situation of just retribution, God’s mercy was extended towards His elect. For their sake He would cut short the terrible times so that some would escape the trouble.

There can be little doubt that this part of Jesus’ prophecy referred to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The Jews had largely rejected their Messiah, unjustly condemned Him to death and forfeited their place in the New Covenant that He had come to establish. They were out in the cold, outside of God’s family and God’s protection and vulnerable to the oppressor’s actions against them.

Although God has reserved His judgment of the nations for the end times when Jesus returns to vindicate His name and His kingdom, there are consequences to our choices now which we cannot escape. Our only security is to stay within the boundaries of God’s Word where His presence and protection secure us from what befalls those who are disobedient.

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – SAFE FOR ALL ETERNITY!

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SAFE FOR ALL ETERNITY!

9 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Mark 13:9-13

Jesus warned that allegiance to Him would obliterate even the very closest family and friendship ties. Unfortunately, it would be religion that would attack faith. Jesus is “the stumbling stone and rock of offence.” People can be as religious as they like and it will not offend anyone, but to have a faith‑allegiance to Jesus calls down the wrath of the religious types on such people.

The name of Jesus represents His disposition and His yoke. To wear His name is to be an imitator of Jesus. Just as He offended the religious people of His day because who He was showed up their wickedness and greed, so it is at any time and anywhere. The animosity will run so deep that even the closest family ties will not be strong enough to sustain loyalty.

This warning must be seen against the backdrop of the Roman world where the Caesars made all the claims that applied to Jesus Christ alone. For believers to acknowledge Jesus as Lord, to be the only Saviour and peacemaker, undermined loyalty to Caesar and was treasonable and punishable by death. To acknowledge Jesus publicly was suicidal unless one was convinced of the truth. There was no such thing as “accepting Jesus as one’s personal Saviour”, signing a decision card or answering an altar call. The question was “Who is Lord and who do I worship?”

Jesus assured them that they would not be abandoned in such a situation. The Holy Spirit in them would provide them with irrefutable wisdom to bear witness to the truth. Even family members would turn traitor to save their own skins. How would they endure such betrayal?  Once again, He reminded them that there is a bond that runs deeper and stronger than blood ties. To be connected to Jesus in a love relationship that will take us into eternity, will sustain us through the fiercest and most fiery tests in this life if we keep trusting and stay loyal to Him and to the truth. According to Paul and his experience, there is nothing anywhere, in any circumstances and at any time that can drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us. We are safe.