NO ONE KNOWS WHEN CHRIST IS COMING BACK

Proclamation:

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor The Son, but only The Father.  Be on guard!  Be alert!  You do not know when that time will come.”  Mark 13:32-33 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Mark as he received it from the apostle Peter.  In this chapter Mark records the words of Jesus, The Christ, as He tells Peter, James, John and Andrew about the signs of His coming and the end of the world. (Mark 13:1-37)  Jesus said that many will come claiming to be Him. (Mark 13:5-6)  He said that they will hear of wars and rumors of wars, nations will rise against nations, and there will be earthquakes in various places at the beginning of the end. (Mark 13:7-8)  He said that brothers will betray brothers, fathers will betray their children, and children will rebel against their parents. (Mark 13:12)  False messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform sign and wonders to attempt deceive the elect. (Mark 13:22)  Then people will see The Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory and He will gather His elect from the ends of the earth. (Mark 13:26-27)  Then Jesus tells them that no one knows the exact day or time when this will occur so they should be ready.

Application:

We know that Jesus, The Christ, is coming to earth again.  We need to prepare for Him now because if we wait until then it will be too late.  Since no one knows the hour or the day, (Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32) we need to be ready so that when He comes to gather His own we will not be left behind. (Mark 13:26-27 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF

Proclamation:

“One of the teachers of the law … asked Him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’ ‘The most important one’, answered Jesus, ‘is this: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God, The Lord is one.  Love The Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no commandment greater than these.’”  Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Mark as he received it from the apostle Peter.  He began this chapter with Jesus, The Christ, teaching the parable of the Tenants. (Mark 12:1-12)  He followed this with the answer that Jesus gave the Pharisees regarding paying the imperial tax to Caesar. (Mark 12:13-17)  Then one of the Sadducees asked Jesus a question regarding marriage of a woman sequentially to each of seven brothers and the resurrection, which they did not believe in, and Mark recorded the answer that Jesus gave him. (Mark 12:18-27)   After noticing the good answers that Jesus gave to the other questions, one of the scribes asked Him a question regarding which was the most important of the commandments.  Jesus answered him immediately by quoting The Word of God to him. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

Application:

This was not one of the Ten Commandments given to Moses. (Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21)  This is the commandment spoken by Jesus, The Christ, to the multitude which followed Him. (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27)  Jesus said that all of the commandments are based upon these two commandments. (Matthew 22:40)  In truth, all of us fall short when it comes to keeping these two commandments.  If we could keep both of them, then we would be perfect.  Although perfection is not humanly attainable, it is still a goal that is well worth striving for.  The Lord God also spoke to Moses and told him to tell the people to love their neighbor as they love themselves. (Leviticus 19:1-2 and 19:18)  If we could just do this, we would be doing very well. (James 2:8)

ASK FOR IT BELIEVE IT AND RECEIVE IT

Proclamation:

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”  Mark 11:24-25 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Mark as he received it from the apostle Peter.  He began this chapter presenting the events which surrounded the entrance Jesus made into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11) including the cursing of the fig tree which did not bear any fruit, (Mark 11:12-14 and 19-21) and the overturning of the tables of the money changers in the temple. (Mark 11:15-18)  Jesus told His disciples to have faith in God.  He said that they could move mountains if they believed in their heart that they could. (Mark 11:22-23)  Then He told them that whatever they asked for in prayer would be theirs, if they believed that they would receive it.  He also told them to forgive others who had wronged them so that God in heaven would forgive them of their sins.

Application:

First of all, if we do not have faith in God, then praying is useless.  “Without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)  Secondly, we must truly believe in our heart and not doubt that we will receive that which we ask for in prayer.  When we pray we must believe that it is already done.  However, we need to make sure that what we ask for is consistent with the will of God and that it will give Him glory.  Thirdly, we must forgive those who have done us wrong before we can be forgiven for the wrong that we have done. (Matthew 6:15, Mark 11:26, and Luke 6:37)  We need to pray for the inner strength to move the mountains of problems that we face daily, or pray for the strength to climb them. (Ephesians 3:16)  We must all do our part in kingdom building for The Lord.  Those of us who are nonproductive and not fruitful will soon wither away and be removed. (John 15:1-2 and 15:6)

YOUR MONEY SHOULD NOT BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHRIST

Proclamation:

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”  Mark 10:25 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Mark who was the nephew of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10) and not one of the apostles.  This is part of the gospel as he received it from the apostle Peter.  After recording what Jesus had to say about divorce, (Mark 10:2-12) Mark presents the encounter and the conversation that occurred between Jesus and the young rich man who asked Him, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17-25)  Jesus told him to keep the commandments and he said that he had done that since he was a boy. (Mark 10:19-20)  Then Jesus told him that there was one thing that he lacked, and that he should go sell everything that he had, give the proceeds to the poor, and then follow Him.  The young man went away grieved because he was very wealthy. (Mark 10:21-22)  The treasures of this life were more important to him than the treasures in heaven that Jesus promised him. (Mark 10:21)

Application:

This is the only recorded incident in The Bible where someone came to Jesus, The Christ, asking what he must do to be saved and went away disappointed. (Mark 10:22)  There is nothing wrong with being rich and wealthy.  Having a lot of money is not the problem.  The problem is our love for money, (1 Timothy 6:10) the importance that we place on money or possessions, and the fact that we value them more than we value The Lord God. (Exodus 20:3)  We are to put God first in our lives.  If we put Him first, everything else will be taken care of. (Matthew 6:33)  We are not to trust in the riches of this world; we are to trust in The Lord God. (1 Timothy 6:17) 

DO NOT CAUSE A BELIEVER TO SIN

Proclamation:

“If anyone causes one of these little ones, those who believe in me, to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.”  Mark 9:42 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Mark who was not one of the apostles.  This is part of the gospel as he received it from the apostle Peter.  After presenting the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain, (Mark 9: 2-9) and the healing of the possessed deaf and mute boy, (Mark 9:17-29) Mark records that Jesus predicts His own death. (Mark 9:31)  Then Jesus warns them not to cause a believer to stumble and fall into sin.  Jesus also warned His disciples not to stumble and fall into sin themselves. (Mark 9:43-50)  Here Mark records Jesus talking about people going to hell for their sins. (Mark 9: 43, 45, and 47) 

Application:

It is not good for us to lead a believer astray and cause them to sin.  It would be better for a person to be drowned by being thrown into the sea with a heavy weight tied around their neck, than the punishment they will face from The Lord for causing one of His believers to fall into sin.  The Lord God will avenge His own and it would be better to suffer anything else than to suffer His anger.  It is not good for anyone to sin, but it is much worse for a person to pull someone else, especially a believer, down into sin with them.  Don't be a stumbling block.

WHO IS JESUS TO YOU

Proclamation:

“Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Cesarea Philippi.  On the way He asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’  They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’  ‘But what about you?’ He asked.  ‘Who do you say I am?’  Peter answered, ‘You are The Messiah.’”  Mark 8:27-29 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Mark.  This is part of the gospel as he received it from the apostle Peter.  Mark begins this chapter by recounting the events related to Jesus, The Christ, and His feeding of the four thousand people. (Mark 8:1-13)  Afterwards, Jesus questioned His disciples regarding what they had just witnessed, and what they had previously witnessed. (Mark 8:14-21)  After He healed the blind man in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26) Jesus asked His disciples who do the people say that He is, and who do they say that He is.  Peter said, “Thou art The Christ, The Son of the living God.”  Jesus responded to Peter by saying that flesh and blood did not reveal that to him.  His answer was revealed to him from heaven by God, The Father. (Matthew 16:16-17) 

Application:

People have said all kinds of things about Jesus, The Christ, and who He is, and how He does the things that He did.  There are those people who deny His very existence.  Even today, some people have said that He was just a man; others have said that He was a good man; and still others have said that He was a prophet.  However, who the people say that He is does not change who He really is.  The most important question is: “Who is Jesus to you?”  Your answer to that question will speak volumes regarding your relationship with Him, and will identify where you will spend eternity.

WE ARE DEFILED BY WHAT WE SAY NOT BY WHAT WE EAT

Proclamation:

“Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them.  Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”  Mark 7:15 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Mark.  This is the gospel as he received it from the apostle Peter.  He begins this chapter by relaying the discussion which Jesus, The Christ, had with the scribes and Pharisees regarding His disciples eating food with unwashed hands. (Mark 7:1-23)  Jesus made the point to them that it was not that which entered the mouth which defiled a person but rather it was that which comes out of the mouth that defiles them.  For the evil which is within a person’s heart becomes his thoughts, words, and behavior and that defiles him. (Matthew 15:11 and Mark 7:20-23)

Application:

People have claimed that eating certain foods and breaking certain traditions is sinful.  Unfortunately, man has created a number of traditions, even religious traditions, which have nothing to do with The Word of God.  Some people get so caught up in the little things, focusing on the details, until they miss the big picture, the overall purpose.  Not eating pork, meat, or dairy products does not make one a better person.  One can even eat too much of the “right” foods and make one’s self sick.  While most of our diets need improvement, we have a bigger problem with the words that we speak, and the manner in which we speak them.  Out of the mouth come the issues of the heart. (Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 15:18, and Luke 6:45)  Our evil and sinful thoughts lead to spoken words which are hurtful, not helpful, deceptive, untruthful, and not very nice. (Colossians 3:8)  Our words can defile us and we will have to give an account for them one day. (Matthew 12:36)  We need to pray that The Lord God will create within us a clean heart and mind, and that He will guide our thoughts, words, and behavior.