Don't Be Discouraged (Mark 13:9-13)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/16/2012 9:50:29 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                          Focus:  Don’t Be Discouraged

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                             Reference:  Mark 13:9-13

 

            Message of the verses:  In Today’s SD we will pick up on the second sub-point from the outline that Dr. Wiersbe has in his commentary on Mark.  The main point is entitled “The First Half of the Tribulation.”  We understand that this chapter is speaking of the period called the tribulation from verse nineteen, “19  "For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will.”  When reading this 19^th verse and thinking of the advanced technology that man has developed, especially in regards to making war we can understand what this verse means.  Now there are some who believe that all of the judgments that will take place on planet earth come directly from God by using mankind to fulfill them, and there are some who believe that the judgments come directly from God without the aid of man.  John writes the following in Revelations, “Re 11:18  ‘And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.’”   I suppose that man is perfectly capable of destroying the earth were it not for the restraint of the Holy Spirit, but we believe that the Holy Spirit gives up that role in the tribulation period.  Paul writes, “3 ¶  Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4  who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5  Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6  And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8  Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9  that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10  and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11  For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12  in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”  Paul writes these words as he describes the person the Bible calls the antichrist, and the reason that he writes them is because the Thessalonians believed that they had a letter sent to them stating that they were in the tribulation period and so Paul writes and tells them that this is not the case because the antichrist has not been revealed, and when he is revealed there will be someone whose restraint is removed.  Now many people, including me, believe that this will happen after the rapture of the Church.  The entire 12^th chapter of Daniel also gives wonderful insight concerning the tribulation period.  Daniel was an old man who was nearing the end of his life, and he had seen things that probably now other human had seen, things that frightened him greatly and as he neared the end which is described in the 12^th chapter he wants to know what will happen and when it will happen, and there were angels speaking to him and one of the angels stated, “"But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.’”  At the end of this chapter the angel describes the length of the tribulation period, “11  "From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12  "How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! 13  "But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.’”  I have read that the reason the last number is larger is because when the Lord returns to planet earth with His bride, (the Church), that it will take some time to separate the sheep from the goats and this is why the angel states that those would be blessed who keep waiting and attains to the 1335 days.

 

            I guess it is time to get back to the verses in Mark.  “9  "But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10  "The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11  "When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12  "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13  "You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”

            We can see from this section that the persecution would begin at the local Jewish courts, but then it would move to the higher courts, and it was during this time that believers would have opportunity to witness for the Lord.  This pattern is seen in the book of acts (Acts 4-5; 7; 12; 16; 21-28).  Remember that Jesus is telling His disciples that these events would begin after He goes back to heaven and would escalate until the tribulation period where they would be the most severe in intensity.  Dr. Wiersbe writes, “But persecution would only result in proclamation!  The believers would suffer for His sake and in that way declare His Gospel.  ‘We multiply whenever we are mown down by you,’ said Tertullian to his persecutors.  ‘The blood of Christians is seed!’  While I do not think that taking the Gospel to all nations (Mark 13:10) is a condition for our Lord’s return, it is certainly Christ’s commission to His people (Matt. 28:19-20).  The ‘end’ here means ‘the end of the age,’ the Tribulation period.”

            Some take this passage to mean that the Holy Spirit will help a poorly prepared sermon to receive aid from the Holy Spirit, but that is not the case, but this is an encouragement to all believers who are walking with the Spirit to give a witness to those whom the Lord brings their way. 

            We see in verse twelve that family members will betray family members when one of the family members becomes believers in Christ.  This is happening around the world, especially in the Muslin world, and it is in that world that many believers are being martyred for the cause of Christ.  I have read about that there are some 1000 people in the world today who are martyred for the cause of Christ, and that there have been more martyred in this time period than all others combined.  Why is it that believers are martyred?  Verse 13 gives us the answer, “You will be hated by all because of My name.”

            Dr. Wiersbe states, “Do not interpret Mark 13:13 as a condition for salvation, for it applies primarily to witnesses during the Tribulation.  In any period a person lives, if he is truly born again, God will love him and keep him.”  “During the Tribulation, the true believers will prove their faith by their faithfulness.  They will not give in to the godless pressures of false religion (Rev. 13).”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life:  I think that is because I was brought to the Lord through the message of the end times, along with the gospel as the messages that brought me to the Lord were end time messages with the gospel included, that I have believed that we are close to the time of the end.  I want to be faithful to the Lord in giving witness to those who don’t know Him so that they too can be in heaven when the horrible time of the Tribulation period comes upon the earth.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to learn contentment, to continue to witness for the Lord, and to continue to be transformed by the Word of God.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 130:1-4

 

            1Out of the debts I cried to You, O LORD.  2 Lord, hear my voice!  Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.  3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?  4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.

 

11/16/2012 10:58:15 AM