Mark 13:14-37

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@Shield> okay, let's get started:)
@Shield> thank you, everyone, for coming to tonight's Bible study and server meeting
@Shield> Glad you could make it
@Shield> A lot is going on here at CCNet, so I want to give you just a taste of what is on the horizon
@Shield> If you were here last week, you got to see the Marriage and Family chat which we had.
@Shield> It was a great time of asking questions and learning from a few people who have lived it out for many years.
@Shield> So, we are grateful to them, all of whom are here right now, for helping us out!
@Shield> thanks seekHm1st, Tink, Kathe and Bethel!
@Shield> great job!
@Shield> Now, in a few weeks, we are holding another special chat
@Shield> On August 7, Thursday, at 9 pm cst, we are holding a Bible Question and Answer chat.
@Shield> Email your questions to shield@christian-chat.net
@Shield> already, a few people have done so
@Shield> and they are awesome questions
@Shield> so keep em coming!
@Shield> Corky, seekHm1st and I are going to serve as the panel for that session
@Shield> it looks to be a lot of fun
@Shield> and
@Shield> looking ahead
@Shield> I spoke on the phone today with a very dear friend of mine, who also is great resource
@Shield> We are planning another special chat specifically focusing on issues of singleness
@Shield> So, let your friends know and plan on being there yourselves.
@Shield> More info to come very soon!
@Shield> Behind the scenes at CCNet there are some amazing developments underway
@Shield> it will affect your user experience in chat and the forums in some very cool ways
@Shield> While we are not yet ready to unveil them, rest assured, a lot is being done on the technical side of things which will make for a cool user experience
@Shield> and will enhance the ministry of CCNet
@Shield> and don’t forget!
@Shield> already, we have blogs which you can create, plus forums, and social networking, all on CCNet
@Shield> check it out at christian-chat.net and click on forums
@Shield> or go directly to forums.christian-chat.net
@Shield> All of these studies are posted on the forums
@Shield> you can continue to interact with current and past content there
@Shield> so if you wake up at three o' clock in the morning and think of a question to ask seekHm1st....
@Shield> go to the forums!
@Shield> :D
@Shield> at this time, we are going to open in prayer
seekHm1st> O.O
@Shield> oh
@Shield> this just in
@Shield> Kathe has a great idea
@Shield waits for Kathe to share it
seekHm1st> ahem....
@Shield> :D
Kathe> I will let seek :)
@Shield> well, maybe that should wait for another time
@Shield> hehe
@Shield> let's open in prayer
@Shield> would someone like to pray?
@Shield> I will then:)
@Shield> Father thank you for this great day which you have given us.
@Shield> I ask that you will minister in a special way to each one here.
@Shield> May we have ears to hear and eyes to see what you are showing us through your Word.
@Shield> In Jesus name amen
@Shield> seekHm1st?
Nanci> amen
thetownmouse> amen
@seekHm1st> Thanks Shield
@seekHm1st> We are moving our way through the book of Mark......
@seekHm1st> and I am glad to see those here who have been faithful throughout these studies, and some new faces tonight as well.
@seekHm1st> Welcome
@seekHm1st> Two weeks ago, we moved with Jesus and his disciples to The Mount of Olives, just west and above the temple grounds.
@seekHm1st> Jesus has been telling Andrew, James, John and Peter about future events.
@seekHm1st> He spoke specifically to those men, and with His word, to future generations, and when we left off, He was not done talking.
@seekHm1st> He spoke to them about the signs of those times to come, and enduring to the "end".
@seekHm1st> We believe in Jesus.
@seekHm1st> We trust in Him, not only to save us from our sins,
@seekHm1st> but to grow us in the faith, and to carry us through this life and into an eternity with Him.
@seekHm1st> If we go through trials, and if we "endure", it is by His Spirit that it will be accomplished.
@seekHm1st> If we go through extreme trials, and if we are "sifted like wheat" the way Peter was....
@seekHm1st> let's just put it this way, those who truly believe and those who just say they do will be exposed in the course of things.
@seekHm1st> We cannot in any way earn our salvation, and that includes enduring to the end.
@seekHm1st> Bear with me on this and I think you will see where I am going...
@seekHm1st> Enduring to the end only exposes the fact that we were already saved, that God already had worked in our hearts and lives.
@seekHm1st> What keeps us going, what allows us to endure through very hard things,
@seekHm1st> is the goodness of God and the fact that He has given us an assurance of our salvation through His Son.
@seekHm1st> I'm going to be posting a fair amount of Scripture tonight.
@seekHm1st> so let's pick up the passage where we last left off, in verse 14.
@seekHm1st> 14 "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
@seekHm1st> We're in Chapter 13 btw for those of you who are just joining us.
@seekHm1st> 15 Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.
@seekHm1st> 16 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 17 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!
@seekHm1st> 18 And pray that your flight may not be in winter. 19 For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.
@seekHm1st> 20 And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. 21 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.
@seekHm1st> 22 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.
@seekHm1st> Let's look at verse 22 more closely before we move on.
@seekHm1st> If you wish to answer a question, please raise your hand like so o/, and I will call on you.
@seekHm1st> Who does Jesus say will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive?
@seekHm1st> Anyone?
GentleDove> o/
@seekHm1st> GentleDove?
GentleDove> false prophets
wonderbird> o/
@seekHm1st> Yes.
@seekHm1st> wonderbird?
wonderbird> what chapter?
wonderbird> done
@seekHm1st> Chapter 13 Mark, vs 22
@seekHm1st> Who else is identified as doing this in that verse?
poprocks> o/
@seekHm1st> poprocks?
poprocks> the elect umm meaning government?
hidden-in-his-love> o/
@seekHm1st> No, actually the elect are who would be deceived, had not the Lord done something about this
poprocks> ohh
@seekHm1st> hidden-in-his-love?
hidden-in-his-love> false messiahs
poprocks> :)
@seekHm1st> Yes, thank you.
@seekHm1st> And has anybody ever seen either a false prophet or a false Christ in the news?
hidden-in-his-love> o/
@seekHm1st> hidden-in-his-love?
hidden-in-his-love> many times cult leaders are such
hidden-in-his-love> Texas is a recent example
hidden-in-his-love> I forgot the name but where they took all those kids from last winter
@seekHm1st> Yes, over the years I have seen many people claiming to be prophets of God, or the Messiah Himself.
@seekHm1st> Tends to end badly.
@seekHm1st> Jesus is warning us here to keep our eyes fixed on Him.
@seekHm1st> Our hearts and our minds.
@seekHm1st> On Him.
@seekHm1st> 24 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in 25 the heavens will be shaken. Then they
@seekHm1st> will see the Son of Man coming 26 in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His
@seekHm1st> 27 angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.
@seekHm1st> So as I mentioned in one of our earlier studies,
@seekHm1st> We are told by the Lord that the next time He visits this earth, He will be seen coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
@seekHm1st> It is not something that we should in any way have to worry about being deceived.
@seekHm1st> The entire planet will know when He comes again.
@seekHm1st> 28 And learn the parable of the fig-tree: when her branch is still tender and puts out leaves, you know that summer is near.
@seekHm1st> 29 So you also, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, at the doors.
@seekHm1st> 30 Truly I say to you that this generation shall not pass away until all these things occur.
@seekHm1st> 31 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away.
@seekHm1st> 32 But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.
@seekHm1st> 33 Take heed, watch and pray, for you do not know when the time is.
@seekHm1st> Look closely at verse 33
@seekHm1st> What is Jesus telling us, His followers to be doing?
poprocks> o/
@seekHm1st> poprocks?
poprocks> watch and pray
@seekHm1st> Yes
@seekHm1st> He was warning believers to be on their guard.
@seekHm1st> And He went about doing it with two practical applications.
@seekHm1st> When He said "watch" what do you suppose He meant?
@seekHm1st> Anyone?
poprocks> o/
@seekHm1st> poprocks?
poprocks> maybe look for signs like things it says in the bible that will happen before he comes?
@seekHm1st> Okay.
@seekHm1st> And to do that, one has to be awake and alert.
@seekHm1st> And to be able to look out for dangers
@seekHm1st> When He said "pray", this also had more than just a surface significance.
@seekHm1st> Jesus prayed, and He prayed often.
@seekHm1st> When He could, He went off by Himself to have real uninterrupted time to pray.
@seekHm1st> In telling us to watch a "pray", He telling us to stay alert, watching out against deception, and to stay focused on Him.....
@seekHm1st> but also He is putting an emphasis on the fact that we all have a constant need
@seekHm1st> and that is for His divine guidance and assistance in whatever we do.......
@seekHm1st> whatever we go through.
@seekHm1st> 34 As a man going away, leaving his house, and giving authority to his servants, and each man's work to him, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.
@seekHm1st> This was to be Jesus' last few days before He was crucified.
@seekHm1st> He knew He was going to be leaving
@seekHm1st> In those days, a "doorkeeper" stood guard at the outer door, or gate, of a house.
@seekHm1st> His purpose was to be ready for the return of the master of the house.
@seekHm1st> We are to be His servants
@seekHm1st> We all have work to do for Him.
@seekHm1st> And as believers, we are all to be like His "gate keepers"
@seekHm1st> His doorkeepers if you will....
@seekHm1st> We are always to be watchful, alert and awaiting our Master's return.
@seekHm1st> 35 Then you watch, for you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, at evening, or at midnight, or at ****crowing, or early;
@seekHm1st> 36 lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping.
@seekHm1st> 37 And what I say to you, I say to all. Watch.
@seekHm1st> Jesus at this moment was speaking to four men, as clearly as the Scriptures state.
@seekHm1st> But He emphasized that these words were of significance to every believer.
@seekHm1st> "to all"
@seekHm1st> Watch.
@seekHm1st> Jesus is coming back.
@seekHm1st> He is coming.
@seekHm1st> And compared with eternity, our time here is very short.
@seekHm1st> We ought not to waste it.
@seekHm1st> He calls us to be vigilant
@seekHm1st> As His servants, to be about His work, and in prayer and in an attitude of prayer until He comes.
@seekHm1st> Let's pray.
@seekHm1st> Father, we want to serve You.
@seekHm1st> We want to be like Your Son
@seekHm1st> to follow His example.
@seekHm1st> His commands
@seekHm1st> we want to "watch" and to "pray"
@seekHm1st> Grow us Father in His ways so that as we await His return that we would only be about whatever it is that You would have us do for His name.
@seekHm1st> Help us to have on our minds and our hearts what He did for us.
@seekHm1st> To act as a barrier against the deceptions, and the dangers of this world.
@seekHm1st> We will walk in Your shadow, and You will be our strength.
@seekHm1st> In Jesus' name,
@seekHm1st> Amen
poprocks> amen
Deacon> Amen
hidden-in-his-love> amen
GentleDove> amen