But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.

Mark 13:1-23

But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. Mark 13:23

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 13:1-23.  Excerpts from the commentary's third (of three) division (vv14-23):

• The title of the third division per the commentary is "Tribulation Will Be Intense, so Be on Guard." 
• "Verse 14 introduces us to one of the most cryptic and difficult phrases in the Bible: “the abomination that causes desolation.” The phrase occurs three times in the book of Daniel[:] Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11." 
• "First, the initial fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy (particularly 11:31-32) was the desecration of the temple in 167 BC by the Syrian Antiochus Epiphanes when he sacrificed a pig on the altar of burnt offerings and set up an altar to Zeus. This act of idolatry and insult so incensed the Jewish people they would soon rise up in what history calls the Maccabean Revolt."  
• "Second, given the context of the passage and Jesus’ instructions, it appears He has in mind another fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. When the abomination of desolation is “standing where it should not”—perhaps a reference to the Roman General Titus entering the temple in September AD 70—then “those in Judea must flee to the mountains” (v. 14). Further, everyone was to act with a sense of urgency."  
• "Third, the tragic events of 167 BC and AD 70 anticipate a climactic event of horrible destruction and desecration just prior to our Lord’s second coming. Jesus is speaking of the eschatological end through the eyes of the imminent destruction of the temple."  
• An additional text reference from this third event is provided by James Edwards: 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.  Edwards shares: "Both texts depict a blasphemous Antichrist who will do a scandalous deed that will trigger the return of the Lord. Both texts also warn disciples against mistaken eschatological assumptions, especially against being deceived by signs and wonders. . . .Mark relates this abominable event only cryptically and suggestively to the destruction of the temple. In so doing he imputes both historical and eschatological value to the same event."
• We can be comforted knowing in advance of these events and that the victory over sin and death is already won, and per Sinclair Ferguson, we should "realize that when Jesus talks about the future, “his words are meant to change the way we live in the present."  We are encouraged to read Titus 2:13 and Revelation 22:20 and "look for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ....[and] pray, 'Come Lord Jesus,' [a]nd as you watch and pray, be on your guard and don’t worry. Jesus already told you all about what to expect!"

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  You give us Your Word and tells about what to expect and that You are saving a place in Heaven for us!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my salvation.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

Zechariah 9:9-13

As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Zechariah 9:11

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT (complete: Zephaniah, Haggai; to complete: Zechariah, Malachi) - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zechariah 9:9-13, which the commentary outlines as the second of three divisions for the text 9:1-9:17 (9:1-8, 9-13, 14-17). The commentary of course discusses the messianic prophecy in v9, and it describes in detail the peace that Jesus will bring.  Of course we know this to be the "peace which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:6-7).  Vv11-13 is also emphasized in how with Christ we have a new covenant (vs OT covenant based on recurring animal sacrifices) based on the shedding of His blood on the cross - see also Hebrews 12:24.  V11 in particular is highlighted for how Jesus provides hope for those in bondage due to our fallen state.  Jesus saves!  This hope calls to mind the interaction Jesus has with the Samaritan woman at the well and for those who drink the water Jesus offers they will never thirst again (see John 4).  

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My Prayer: Father God, Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves, saves and is full of amazing grace.  Thank You Jesus.  I know that I have the living water and I will never thirst again...thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings nor my salvation.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

Hebrews 6

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. Hebrews 6:17-18

Today I pause both my study of 1 Corinthians and my study that accompanies participation in a men's discipleship group (d-group) at my church.  Instead, I lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at Hebrews 6:17-18 and why the author of Hebrews encourages us to "hold fast." Piper answers this question by sharing:

• "What Christ bought for us when he died was not the freedom from having to hold fast, but the enabling power to hold fast."
• "What he bought was not the nullification of our wills as though we didn’t have to hold fast, but the empowering transformation of our wills so that we want to hold fast."
• "What he bought was not the canceling of the commandment to hold fast, but the fulfillment of the commandment to hold fast."
• "What he bought was not the end of exhortation, but the triumph of exhortation."

Piper than points us to Philippians 3:12 where Paul describes how he is able to "press on" because Christ made him one of His own.  He is the source of our power to press on and hold fast!  Remain in Him, hold fast, and press on!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are so faithful - I can rest in Your promises because You never lie and You give me everything I need to hold fast and press on.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and faithfulness.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to accept You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.”

Hebrews 6

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” Hebrews 6:13-14

Today I pause both my study of 1 Corinthians and my study that accompanies participation in a men's discipleship group (d-group) at my church.  Instead, I lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, which today looks at Hebrews 6:13-14, and how (and the implications of) God makes a promise, takes an oath, and swears "by himself."  The author of Hebrews is describing God's promise to Abraham (see Genesis 22) to "bless and multiply" him and how he swore and guaranteed this promise "by himself".  John Piper shares that "[t]here is one Person whose worth and honor and dignity and preciousness and greatness and beauty and reputation is more than all other values combined — ten thousand times more — namely, God himself. So, when God takes an oath, he swears by himself. If he could have gone higher, he would have gone higher. Why? To give you strong encouragement in your hope. What God is saying in swearing by himself is that it is as impossible that he will break his word of promise to bless us as it is that he will ever despise himself. God is the greatest value in the universe. There is nothing more valuable or wonderful than God. So, God swears by God....Now this is our God, the God who is reaching as high as he can reach to inspire your unshakable hope in him."  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me a peace that surpasses all understanding, and a blessed hope - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God...my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ[.]

Titus 2

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ[.] Titus 2:11-13 (ESV)

I maintain my pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I participate in a men's discipleship group (d-group) at my church.  This morning, on week 4-day 5, the focus is Titus 2:11-13 and scripture memorization for this text.

• For the grace of God has appeared: God is real and His presence manifests through God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and the Word...and in all things (Colossians 1:16-17).  This is of course true for believers but it is also true for non-believers as Romans 1:20 states that even for those who deny God, they clearly perceive Him "[and] his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature...ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."
• God brings salvation for all people: Believers must profess and share God's Word with everyone per the command in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:20).  John Piper shares that Christ's sacrifice on the cross was perfect except it lacked a public presentation of the gospel to all nations - this is the role of believers - to go into the all corners of the world and to share.  God brings salvation through His people - the saints. 
  
• This grace also trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives as we battle the dark forces of sin in this world and seek to bring the Good News into this world.
• While believers seek to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives, we are waiting for our blessed hope - the second coming of Jesus Christ as He promises to return at the end of times. This blessed hope helps us endure through whatever is thrown at us - we know that this life is temporary and God is saving a place for us in Heaven.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God and You give me my salvation that trains me and You give me a blessed hope - thank You!  I am not deserving of these blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus, and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.   

[We are] waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ[.]

Titus 2

[We are] waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ[.] Titus 2:13

I continue my pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I participate in a men's discipleship group (d-group) at my church.  This morning, on week 3-day-6, my focus is the memory verse for this week Titus 2:13. As I posted on October 24th, Titus is similar to Timothy in that Paul has taken both under his wing to grow them into church leaders.  Paul has left Titus in Crete to establish Godly order and practices in the churches - see Titus 1:5. In Titus 2 more broadly (vv1-10), Paul is pouring into Titus to help him teach sound doctrine, and Paul gives Titus commands and expectations for those within the church at Crete, including older men, older women, young women, young men, and bondservants (common at that time).  Paul also provides commands and expectations for Titus as a leader.  In vv11-12, Paul reminds Titus how God's grace brings not only salvation, but His Word, the Holy Spirit, etc. train us to live Godly lives.  In v13 God is training and equipping us to endure whatever circumstances we find ourselves in as we wait for the return of Jesus Christ.  We have not just any hope but a blessed hope.  

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good - You are my salvation and my blessed hope! Thank You Jesus, I am not deserving however of such grace.  My sin is great and it is daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.