Tag: mark

  • As in the days of Noah

    As in the days of Noah

    Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Luke 17:26-27

    While our lives and attentions become entangled in worldly affairs: politics, news, entertainment, sports, gossip, shopping, empty relationships with thankless individuals, online social contact, cell phone texting and numerous other distractions awayfrom God Almighty, our Creator and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: God IS.

    Yet do we bow down for even a moment in our hurried days of this futile flesh?

    2013, in the year of our Lord, may be a time for Christians to look forward to a time that will not be and years no longer numbered…

    This could be a time like any other when our time will end as do the mortal lives of all men.  You MAY have seventy (or perhaps a hundred years) OR perhaps the Lord will call for your death tomorrow.

    Are you ready to be awakened NEXT to the trumpet of the calling up for Judgment?

    Twenty centuries ago Christians were ready. Twenty centuries ago persecution of the church and the imminent fall of Rome would have seemed like a world near to Judgment. (And throw in some disasters of God like the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. and a case for preparedness could well be made.)

    NOW, in the year of our Lord 2013, would it not be more prudent to hear the voice of Christ Jesus in our attitude toward preparedness for the Judgment and the end of the old earth?

    It doesn’t look like the end of the world is near.  It doesn’t seem like God is doing anything about the pervasive evil of this world and the lack of worship (even respect) of God Almighty and the Sacrifice of his only Son, Christ Jesus, for our sins.

    So it is and as in the days of Noah the world did not listen to God. Will you worship the Lord? (Don’t miss the boat.) 🙂

    2 Peter 2

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    False Prophets and Teachers

    2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

    4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.

    Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord.

     Thus says the Lord: Beware.

    Beware of the days of much false teaching that would lead the elect astray.

    In these last days you will need no other ark than the Spirit of the Living God and the Cross of Christ Jesus our Savior.

    Mark 13

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Signs of the Close of the Age

    3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet.8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

    19 For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. 21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.

    The Coming of the Son of Man

    24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

    The trumpets of Heaven will then sound; but first, much tribulation, many false signs and false prophets, as were Muhammad and others.

    JESUS CHRIST IS. JESUS CHRIST is Lord. Worship Him. He IS God. Receive the Holy Spirit through Him. Receive life eternal and grace – the mercy, forgiveness and peace of God our Father in Heaven.

    For as in the days of Noah, so it shall be. Are you bowed down to the Lord our God and the Cross of our Savior?

  • My Blessing

    My Blessing

    The Choice of Life or Death

    Deuteronomy 30:11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.

    Psalm 34:18

    The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.

    A woman has put off her dreaded appointment – the one with the cancer doctor.

    Finally after some urging she makes the call and goes into the hospital for those tests. Now all there is to do is wait for the results – the call from the doctor.

    A hopeful call the same afternoon is unsuccessful. No word. We must wait until tomorrow.

    Morning. No call. (How could these medical people be so unfeeling for one waiting for an answer that seems like a choice of life or death? How can they take so long?)

    Finally late in the afternoon the doctor calls.

    Conversation. Sounds good. (He asks her some questions about what she eats.) NO cancer.

    What a blessing had been given to her just six years ago in answer to her prayer.

    She did have cancer, then. She had treatments and love and patience for the patient. She had the answer of blessing to her prayer. The Lord healed her brokenness. The Lord healed her cancer. The Lord blessed her.

    Now… after receiving the freeing news once more, the Lord has once more kept her from cancer.

    It is the Lord who has kept her, though she did not witness His power and love.. though she never mentioned her Great Healer… though she rejected His blessing.

     

    Deuteronomy 30 

    New King James Version (NKJV) excerpt

    The Blessing of Returning to God

    “Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you…

    and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today…

    And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

    For the Lord will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, 10 if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

     Mark 1:

    32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door.

    34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

    35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

    Jesus likely thanked our Heavenly Father for healing these who were sick and for His casting out the demons from their tormented souls.

    Do you pray?

    What is your prayer?

    Do you ask for blessing and not curse? Do you ask for casting out of your demons or do you rely on those who have brought curse into your house? Are you friend of the world? OR Do you really pray to God for the blessing and healing and grace to free you from your cancer of sin?

    And what, therefore, do you do when the Lord answers your prayer?

     

    Matthew 12

    For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

    Return of an Unclean Spirit

    43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

    Luke 17

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Temptations to Sin

    And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

    Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

    11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?

    18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

    I was once a blessing to one with cancer. The Lord sent me.

    Then the Lord also sent cancer to me. (Surely it was a curse.)

    But then the doctors removed my tumor. For this I thank the Lord for healing.

    Thank you, Lord. (It is small offering for the great blessing from your love and mercy, the blessing of your healing grace.)

    I am witness to Christ Jesus and praise Him for His great mercy.

    Yet what of my Blessing? (For I am greatly grieved.) We do love her.

  • Our Sin

    Our Sin

    Psalm 51

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

    To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

    Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight,
    so that you may be justified in your words
    and blameless in your judgment.

    Mark 8:

    34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them,

    “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it…

    38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

    Titus 1:16  They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

    2 Timothy 2:

    If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
    12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
    if we deny him, he also will deny us;
    13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

    God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

     

    John 13

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

    Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end…

    17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

    18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’

    If you know our Lord’s commands, ‘blessed are you if you do them.’

    And if not blessed for obedience to our Lord who died for our sins on the cross…

    IF not blessed, then cursed. (May God have mercy on your soul.)

    One of You Will Betray Me

    21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you,one of you will betray me.”

    22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke.23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?”

    You believe your sin is against me; but your sin is the adultery of Judas.JudasBetrayal

    I gave her time to repent, but she refuses… – Revelation 2

     John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

     

    Ephesians 5

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    Walk in Love

    Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

    2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,

    a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

    Walk as children of light

    9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

    11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

     

    Wives and Husbands

    22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

    23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.

    24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

    25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

    31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

    32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

    33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

    Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight…

    Forgive us, Lord

    by the fragrant offering of the Blood of Your Cross.

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