Patient Urgency

Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Mark 13:33-34

To each his work, Jesus has gone for a time and left to each of us his or her work. But didn't He just tell in the preceding verses about these big events and those persecutions? In our verses for today, Jesus tells of an 'until then' time. We live in that watching time when some are persecuted, some are affected by a war, and others by earthquakes. Most of us reading this will not be facing any of that today. But then there is the doorkeeper whose job of watching is by nature passive, dull, and stuck in the same place. It is not what many young persons just graduated from school want to do. Even some older folks want to be on the move, going forward, working toward, and staying active. The doorkeeper may not get to do all of that. It is on his or her watch though that the other servants are able to go about their duties. Any day the master may return, and so with patient urgency the doorkeeper maintains the watch. It is not the most exciting or glamorous job, but it is important. 

And just think how much prayer that watcher can do while waiting there on watch!

Bucky

After That Tribulation

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 the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.  Mark 13:24-27

After those verses today, there isn't much left to say. Of course we all then want to know the when - day, date, even a month and year. But in verse 32, Jesus lets us know that none of us knows. Occasionally a cult will step up and name a date, and we all immediately know the foolishness of that. It is always amusing to see a representative show up the next morning and try to explain why the cult is still here with the rest of us. But, the rest of us, no matter how far away we may be on the earth or in heaven, will not miss this gathering. Our Lord's angels will be thorough in their gathering, the Son of Man oversees them from the clouds with great power and glory! 

So, we anticipate with great yearning a date we cannot know? Yes, have faith and wait on the Lord Jesus!

Bucky

Out In The Desert

Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.  Mark 13:21-23

The recently completed Burning Man 2026 shows us that large gatherings in the desert are not unknown. The gathering runs about 72,000 persons in a place without food or water, well, most of the time it is without water. The past few years have provided evidence of the dry lake bed occasionally attempting a return to lake status. Of course the warning of our Lord in this prophecy today is not against gathering together in the desert, but what will happen when a claimant to His title takes a gathering and sends them forth to spread the word. Actually, in our day the pretender wouldn't have to send anyone; social media would take care of the spreading of the news. All the false messiah would need is a decent cellular data connection out there in the desert. So be warned, the time may be near for a viral message we must refuse to believe. 

Praise unto the Lord our God on this Labor Day,

Bucky

Even Us Weirdos Glorify Him

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. 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. Mark 13:19-20

Sometimes those end times prophecies can be real downers, but they are also so open to imagining. What I want to see are those sixteen-hour days when the days are shortened, as Jesus said. You think a three-day weekend seems short now, just you wait! This is one where we start to wonder about the translation of those old Greek words from the New Testament. Shorten the days? Is that what it really means? Our pastor always said it meant less of the days, as in the tribulation wouldn't go on until everyone was dead. But if you look at the words from the NKJV literally, yeah, it means less than a 24-hour day. How weird! Perhaps it's only me, weirdest of the weird, ya know.

Have a God-glorifying weekend this Labor Day as you rejoice in Him!

Bucky

The Older Face

Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  Mark 13:15-18

Now here in our passage today comes a horrifying list. And it doesn't even tell what the old folks are not to do. I suppose with a cataclysm such as would cause these things the old folks are just done for. Can you imagine a disaster coming so swiftly that a person up one set of stairs on the roof must not go inside for anything? How many of us have some sort of 'go' bag ready? Right, me neither, but I move so slowly these days that I figure it won't matter. I might as well stand and face the danger trusting in Jesus my Lord. Now the grammar/speller checker wants to add an 'of' in between those two words, danger and trusting. So, maybe the most horrifying thing today isn't the list at all.

Face the danger, trust in Jesus always,

Bucky

First, A Temple

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. Mark 13:14

Scary times are foretold, especially for the people of Judea. But, Judea was a Roman province and they are long gone. This calls for further research as Jesus referenced Daniel the prophet by name and title. In Daniel 11, the prophet is told of a time when the daily sacrifices would be taken away and the abomination of desolation placed in the sanctuary fortress. I condensed the prophecy a bit, and therein comes the opportunity for debate. What Jesus said is tough for us to understand, and the Lord references a prophecy from hundreds of years further back that is even tougher for us to understand...understand? Me neither! However, there is an order that may be easier for us to understand. First, a temple. And there wasn't one there the last time I checked. Then the sacrifices can be taken away, and finally that abomination where it ought not to be. It might even help if Rome rose again and called Israel, Judea, once again.

So, now that we are all baffled, befuddled, and confused, have a joyous day in Christ our Lord! (He ain't confused!)

Bucky

Hated By All?

Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Mark 13:12-13

We have read in history texts of times such as these in our verses today, and we have read of nations even now where this happens. Dictators just love family squealers, especially if the family head is a political opponent. But what Jesus foretells here is not just politics but the case of being hated by all for His name's sake. It seems ironic that the man who commanded us to love one another would foretell a universal hatred for those who do so. Irony does not make it untrue though, and a time will come when to love the name of Jesus is to incite hatred from apparently everyone. But, we are not there yet.

For now, we can still love Jesus and not be hated by all. Let us use the time well.

Bucky