Podcasts about Judea

The West Bank — what many Jews call Judea and Samaria — is another sector of this war that is boiling over with tension and violence. While Israeli forces arrest thousands of Hamas terrorists, fanatical Jewish settlers attack Palestinian civilians. What is going on and how did we get here?

Support the Front Lines of Judea Click the link below to help: https://secured.israelgives.org/en/pay/Help_Build_The_Arugot_Farms Vayishlach: The ceasefire has ended and the war in Gaza is continuing. It's not a war we asked for. What happens next? Join Ari Abramowitz, Jeremy Gimpel and Tehila Gimpel as they talk about what's been happening in Israel, the war and this weeks Torah portion. Get updates and learn the truth in this powerful Land of Israel Fellowship live session from Judea. Enjoy this week's session 162 of the Land of Israel Fellowship recorded live on December 3, 2023. Join The Land of Israel Fellowship and gain access to all the Bible teachings from Judea and receive your personal invitation to join the exclusive live online gatherings with families around the world every week. To join go to: https://secured.israelgives.org/pay/Fellowship

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________The First Week of AdventThe glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.Isaiah 40:5 ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. In AdventOur King and Savior now draws near: Come let us adore him. Venite Psalm 95:1-7Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Psalm 1 - Beatus vir qui non abiit1Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *nor lingered in the way of sinners,nor sat in the seats of the scornful!2Their delight is in the law of the Lord, *and they meditate on his law day and night.3They are like trees planted by streams of water,bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *everything they do shall prosper.4It is not so with the wicked; *they are like chaff which the wind blows away.5Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.6For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, *but the way of the wicked is doomed. Psalm 3 - Domine, quid multiplicati1Lord, how many adversaries I have! *how many there are who rise up against me!2How many there are who say of me, *“There is no help for him in his God.”3But you, O Lord, are a shield about me; *you are my glory, the one who lifts up my head.4I call aloud upon the Lord, *and he answers me from his holy hill;5I lie down and go to sleep; *I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.6I do not fear the multitudes of people *who set themselves against me all around.7Rise up, O Lord; set me free, O my God; *surely, you will strike all my enemies across the face,you will break the teeth of the wicked.8Deliverance belongs to the Lord. *Your blessing be upon your people! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsIsaiah 1:1-9 - English Standard VersionThe vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;    for the Lord has spoken:“Children have I reared and brought up,    but they have rebelled against me.The ox knows its owner,    and the donkey its master's crib,but Israel does not know,    my people do not understand.”Ah, sinful nation,    a people laden with iniquity,offspring of evildoers,    children who deal corruptly!They have forsaken the Lord,    they have despised the Holy One of Israel,    they are utterly estranged.Why will you still be struck down?    Why will you continue to rebel?The whole head is sick,    and the whole heart faint.From the sole of the foot even to the head,    there is no soundness in it,but bruises and sores    and raw wounds;they are not pressed out or bound up    or softened with oil.Your country lies desolate;    your cities are burned with fire;in your very presence    foreigners devour your land;    it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.And the daughter of Zion is left    like a booth in a vineyard,like a lodge in a cucumber field,    like a besieged city.If the Lord of hosts    had not left us a few survivors,we should have been like Sodom,    and become like Gomorrah.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. You are God(Te Deum laudamus)You are God: we praise you;You are the Lord: we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting. Mark 1:1-13 - English Standard VersionThe beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,    who will prepare your way,the voice of one crying in the wilderness:    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,    make his paths straight,'”John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. A Song of Praise(Benedictus es, Domine Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34)Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; * you are worthy of praise; glory to you.Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; * on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you, beholding the depths; * in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. The First Week of AdventAlmighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.For MissionAlmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14

2 Corinthians 1–4 2 Corinthians 1–4 (Listen) Greeting 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. God of All Comfort 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.1 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. 8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers,2 of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. Paul's Change of Plans 12 For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity3 and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. 13 For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand—14 just as you did partially understand us—that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you. 15 Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. 16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. 20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.4 23 But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. 2 For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? 3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. Forgive the Sinner 5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. Triumph in Christ 12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. Ministers of the New Covenant 3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our5 hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.6 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. 12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one7 turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord8 is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,9 are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.10 For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. The Light of the Gospel 4 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God,11 we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice12 cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants13 for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Treasure in Jars of Clay 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self14 is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Footnotes [1] 1:5 Or For as the sufferings of Christ abound for us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ [2] 1:8 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters [3] 1:12 Some manuscripts holiness [4] 1:22 Or down payment [5] 3:2 Some manuscripts your [6] 3:3 Greek fleshly hearts [7] 3:16 Greek he [8] 3:17 Or this Lord [9] 3:18 Or reflecting the glory of the Lord [10] 3:18 Greek from glory to glory [11] 4:1 Greek having this ministry as we have received mercy [12] 4:2 Greek to walk in [13] 4:5 Or slaves (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface) [14] 4:16 Greek man (ESV)

Luke 1:5-25 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the command-ments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. 8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying out-side at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” 18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. 24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Jesus, the glory of God and the glory of Israel, is also the ultimate prophet who proclaimed God’s judgment on the nation for its sins and rejection of Him. - SERMON TRANSCRIPT - Turn in your Bibles to Mark 13. You can also refer to Matthew 24. I'm going to be leaning on both of the chapters but mostly walking through Mark 13, as we begin to look at a topic that theologians call eschatology or the study of end times or last things. In 1925, the American poet TS Eliot wrote his masterpiece entitled The Hollow Men. It was a reflection of his generally gloomy outlook on the direction of human history after the devastation of World War I. That terrible so-called “War to End All Wars” left permanent scars in the minds and hearts of many. Pictures of bleak battlefields that were stripped of all trees, all vegetation, all life, looking more like a moonscape which had been pounded by artillery for years. Deep craters, mud and death everywhere. TS Eliot looked at that, he looked at human history and he wondered bleakly where it was all heading. In the poem he spoke of men with heads filled with straw, men without eyes groping through a valley with dying stars, in which little by little all energy just seems to leak out or drain out slowly from the universe until nothing is left. The poem ended famously with these words, “this is the way the world ends.” “This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a whimper.” That's TS Eliot's opinion or poetic prophecy. But it's just, in my opinion, another example of the fascination that human beings have with where this is all heading. Where are we going in all of this and more specifically with the conceptions of the end of the world? Doomsday scenarios, apocalyptic visions, dystopian societies clawing out some existence on a dying planet after World War III has wiped out most of the human race or some other such thing. It says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “God has set eternity in the hearts of men, but they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” We have a sense of a movement towards something but we don't know what it is. We can't figure out where we've come from. We don't really understand the history that leads up to this, and we don't know ... even James says, what's going to happen tomorrow? But we have a fascination in it. We're interested in it. In our culture, especially movie makers cash in on this kind of thing. They depict earth in its final stage after some thermonuclear holocaust, like in the movie “Planet of the Apes” or “Dr. Strangelove” or others. Or perhaps a pandemic which wipes out all of earth's population, such as in the movie “I Am Legend.” Or some kind of ecological disaster, climate change, global warming, or some kind of solar flares like in “2012” or “The Day After Tomorrow.” Or a blight that kills all vegetation except corn, that’s “Interstellar.” Or even alien invasions, that's “The War of the Worlds”, or conquest by artificial intelligence robots, “The Matrix." I'm sure I've missed a few of the ways that the world ends. How exactly will the world end and how will we know when it's coming? Is there anything we can do about it? These are questions that burn in the hearts of normal people, and they burned in the hearts of the disciples of Jesus as well. These are the questions that Jesus Christ seeks to answer in Mark 13 and also Matthew 24 and 25. One of the key issues He brings up is, what are the signs by which we can see the impending end of the world as it approaches? Jesus amazingly begins, in the account we're going to look at today, Mark 13: 1-13, by talking about things that will happen commonplace in every generation and are no certain signs of the immediate end of the world. But in the midst of it ... as we're going to talk about next week more especially, is the central purpose of history, the unfolding of history, and that is the proclamation of the gospel to the ends of the earth. The unfolding of uncertain signs that are true in every generation is a matrix or a canvas on which the painting, the masterpiece of the spread of the Gospel ... or what we call the external journey, goes on. Today we begin a fascinating and vital journey into true prophecy, not the prophecy of movie makers or of American poets, but the prophecy that flows from the mind of God. The only one who really knows the future is the sovereign God who decrees it. God is sovereign and therefore when He tells us what's going to happen, we need to listen. I. Christ’s Shocking Prediction It begins with Christ's shocking prediction there in Jerusalem, in Mark 13:2; "Not one stone here will be left on another. Every one will be thrown down." We need to understand the significance of this moment. We get it more clearly in the Gospel of Matthew, at the end of Matthew 23 and on into 24. As Jesus has finished his words of judgment, his seven woes on the scribes and Pharisees and condemns them, then the glory leaves the temple. In the Old Covenant, the glory cloud represented the presence of God, the special presence of the omnipresent God with his people, the Jews. God's glory cloud entered the tabernacle when Moses had finished constructing it. The glory cloud entered the tabernacle and filled it, symbolizing the special presence of God there in the tabernacle. So also, centuries later when Solomon completed the construction of his temple, the glory cloud entered the temple and filled it. But sadly, tragically, when the Jews forsook the true God, the only God, for idols and did this over centuries, the glory cloud departed from the temple. Ezekiel saw it in Ezekiel chapter 10, "He beheld the glory," called sometimes the “Shekhinah” glory. You're not going to see that word but it just means the dwelling glory of God. The dwelling glory departing the temple because of Israel's great wickedness and idolatry, the glory leaving the temple. That rendered the temple really nothing more than a empty or desolate pile of stones, which then the Gentiles were about to flood in and destroy, the Gentiles being the Babylonians at that point. In the kindness of God, a remnant of Jews ... a very small remnant compared to the original population that entered the Promised Land, 42,000 came back and were given permission by their Gentile overlords to rebuild a smaller version of the temple, which they did. The story is told in Haggai and also in Ezra and Nehemiah. But now in Matthew 23 and 24 the true glory of God, the dwelling glory, the incarnate glory of God leaves the temple. He walks out because the Jews have officially rejected him from being their Messiah. In Matthew 23, seven times He says, "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites." He condemns them. They are spiritual leaders and representatives of the Jewish nation. Jesus said in Matthew 23, "They sit in Moses's seat so you must obey them." They do represent the law of God, but they were deeply corrupted men. They were whitewashed tombs that looked beautiful on the outside, but inside full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. As Jesus says in Mark 12, "They devour widows' houses and for show make lengthy prayers." That's who they were. It culminates with these devastating words in Matthew 23:37-39, "Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who killed the prophets and stoned those sent to you, how often I've longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling. Behold, your house is left to you desolate." This is an incredibly important statement. Behold, look, your house is left to you desolate ... an important word. "I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” In Matthew 24:1 and also in Mark 13, Jesus then left the temple, He walks out. It's not just the actions, it's the words and what He says, "Your house is left desolate. It's empty because I'm walking out. I'm not coming back until you say, 'Blessed is he comes in the name of the Lord.'" So out He goes, it's a hugely significant moment in redemptive history. Jesus is the ultimate prophet from God. He is the one who has been sent. After all these other servants have been sent and have been mistreated and killed, then the the absentee owner of the vineyard sends His son. But they reject him and they are conspiring to kill him, so therefore Jesus is leaving. He's departing and Israel's house, the temple is going to be left desolate. That is vacant, empty, stripped of glory. Why? Because He is leaving and He is the incarnate glory of God. Hebrews 1:3, “the Son is the radiance of God's glory in the exact representation of His being.” The glory cloud symbolizes Jesus. Jesus is the glory of Israel. He's the glory of God, and He's leaving because of Israel's wicked unbelief. They had rejected Jesus. They would officially do it at his trial. But they had already made the decision that if anyone declared that Jesus was the Messiah, they'd be cast out of the synagogue [John 9]. They've rejected him and out He goes. The glory departed the temple. Indeed, Jerusalem itself will be nothing more spiritually than an empty, vacant set of piles of stone, ready again for the Gentiles to come in and destroy. That's what's going on. At this moment the disciples who frequently weren't on message ... Do you get that sense? They're frequently just missing what's happening. They represent us. They come up at that moment, and one of them in particular just can't get over how beautiful the temple is. Look at verse 1, “As Jesus was leaving the temple one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, teacher, what massive stones, what magnificent buildings.’" This is really remarkably poor timing but it’s significant as well. Herod's temple was indeed an impressive temple. Some of those stones were truly massive. Josephus, the contemporary Jewish historian a generation later from Jesus, tells us that some of the stones were as large as 45 feet long, 12 feet high and 18 feet in width. That's a single stone. Approximately 1.5 million pounds, astonishing. Furthermore, the building itself was lavishly beautiful. King Herod was a vicious, wicked tyrant. He was the one that ordered the slaughter of the newborns in order to kill Jesus after He was born. He's just a terribly wicked man. But he thought to ingratiate himself to his people by adorning the temple with stones of marble and with a lot of gold and other glitter. It was rather a very impressive building. Human beings in general marvel at human achievement. We get blown away by what humans can do and humans can do amazing things, created in the image of God. But from the Tower of Babel, then through Nebuchadnezzar gloating over Babylon ... “this great Babylon that I've built for my own glory and display of my splendor”, et cetera, we are drawn in and amazed at human achievements. God is not. Stephen says in Acts 7, quoting the scripture, “God says, ‘Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things and so they came into being?’" God's not impressed. God instead yearns for a people characterized by brokenhearted humility and faith and repentance. That's what He's yearning for, and the Jews did not have it. So Jesus makes this shocking prediction, verses 1-2, “As Jesus was leaving the temple one of his disciples said to him, “'Look teacher, what massive stones, what magnificent buildings.’ ‘Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus, ‘Not one stone here will be left on another. Every one will be thrown down.’" "God …yearns for a people characterized by brokenhearted humility and faith and repentance." Jesus frequently used object lessons, pointing to things, “Look at it”. But this is very much the topic. They were the ones calling his attention to the stones, to the temple, that's what they're talking about. “Do you see them? Look at all these great buildings.” I don't know whether his hand swept over the temple complex itself or the entire city. As you know historically, the whole thing was going to be destroyed, not just the temple. So it could be He was talking about the entire city of Jerusalem, as He wept over Jerusalem, as He lamented over Jerusalem, but specifically the topic there was the temple. Either way, these words would have been shocking to these Jewish disciples. Every stone placed on top of another will be toppled down. This entire place will be leveled. It's going to be raised. Humanity in pride builds upward and goes lofty and high. Like in Isaiah 2, these lofty towers and these cedars of Lebanon and all this rising up, it's just a symbol of human pride. Like the Tower of Babel, God casts it downward. This is nothing less than the prediction of the total destruction, not just of the temple I believe but of the entire city of Jerusalem. That prediction would be fulfilled a generation later in 70 AD. Josephus, a contemporary at that time, a Jewish historian, tells the story of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD. It was the decisive event of the first Jewish-Roman war. It was followed by the fall of Masada three years later in 73 AD. The Roman Army was led by the future Emperor Titus. It besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem, which had been occupied by zealous Jewish defenders, zealots, since the year 66 AD. For four years they had held out. Jerusalem is notoriously difficult to conquer, very difficult, it was easy to defend. Therefore frequently what would happen is, when the Gentiles like the Babylonians or the Romans would finally topple the city, they would be so filled with rage at how difficult it had been that they took it out on the defenders and on the city and that's what they did. Despite the fact that Titus wanted the temple preserved, they didn't. They burned it to the ground and they were determined, the Romans were, filled with rage, to remove even foundation stones so that it couldn't even be seen that there'd ever been a city there. The Romans did this kind of thing. It's the fulfillment of Jesus's words, just vindicating him as an accurate and faithful prophet of God. The spiritual significance is this, Israel had rejected God, so God had rejected Israel. Ezekiel 16 poignantly portrays a spiritual marriage between God and Jerusalem, his love relationship with Jerusalem and through Jerusalem, the people of Israel. But they had betrayed that love and had been spiritually unfaithful to God, spiritually adulterous through idolatry and wickedness. Despite his incredible patience, He swore that He would level it by means of a Gentile nation. This is his regular pattern. He said it in the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32, before Israel even entered the Promised Land, "I'm going to make you angry by those who are not a nation. I'll make you envious by a nation without understanding." He's clearly predicting Gentile destruction of the Jews if they do not keep the laws of God. Again and again, that's what God did. He would raise up Gentile armies who would come in and trample his people. In this case it was the Romans. He would pour out wrath on the Jewish nation and it began what Jesus called “the times of the Gentiles.” Luke 21:24, “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” We're in those times now, “the times of the Gentiles.” What does that mean? It's a shift in the focus of God. First, God would give up the Jewish nation to Gentile armies to be trampled by the Romans. Then He would pour out his grace and mercy on the elect among the Gentiles all over the world to the ends of the earth, and rescue them from every tribe and language and people and nation. He would graft them into a cultivated olive tree, a Jewish olive tree, deriving nourishing spiritual sap from the patriarchs from the Jewish heritage, so we become sons and daughters of Abraham. Meanwhile, Israel would be experiencing a hardening in part; in every generation, some Jews believing in Jesus, but for the most part not. Until we're told a mystery at the end of time when God will turn the Jews back to himself through faith in Christ and be saved, so all Israel will be saved. That's the whole story of “the times of the Gentiles”, and part of it includes Gentile domination of the city of Jerusalem. This is the prediction of “the times of the Gentiles”, the destruction of the temple. It is also spiritually significant because it signals absolutely the end of animal sacrifice and the end of the Jews' ability to perform the Old Covenant. It's physically impossible for them to do. The destruction of the temple clearly means an end to animal sacrifice. The Old Covenant has come to an end, and now Jesus's death on the cross fulfilled the animal sacrificial system. Once He died on the cross, Hebrews 8:13 says that that old system, that Old Covenantal system was obsolete and aging and would soon disappear. The writer, writing clearly before the destruction of the temple is predicting, I believe there and in Hebrews 8:13, the destruction of the temple, It would disappear, you wouldn't see it at all. The moment Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, signaling the end of animal sacrifice. The Jews should have known at that point, the priests should have all repented and come to Christ. There would have been no need for the temple to be destroyed. It would have been a Christian church. It would have been a symbol of the Old Covenant animal sacrificial system that has now been fulfilled in Jesus. But they had, through unbelief and hardness of heart, reestablished animal sacrifice, sewed up the curtain that was torn in two from top to bottom, reestablished all that. So God had to shut it down, and He did it by the Romans. "The destruction of the temple clearly means an end to animal sacrifice. The Old Covenant has come to an end, and now Jesus's death on the cross fulfilled the animal sacrificial system." The Jews cannot obey the law of Moses. Please do not say there is a spiritualized Judaism in which the animal sacrifice is not important. How could anyone ever say that? Read the first five books of Moses. There's an entire book, Leviticus, devoted to animal sacrifice from beginning to end. It is essential to the Jewish religion and it cannot be done. Even more later when the Muslims built the Dome of the Rock there, one of their sacred pilgrimage sites at the end of the 7th century. So Jesus makes the prediction, "Not one stone here will be left on another. Every one will be thrown down." [Mark 13:3-4] II. The Stunned Questions We have this stunned questions by the disciples in private. As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will these things happen and what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?" That's a simpler version of the more extended question he asks in Matthew 24:3, "When will this happen?" This being, not one stone left on another. "What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" It's asked in private on the Mount of Olives, across the Kidron Valley. They're up on the mountain, they can look down over the temple. I'm sure they could look down over the city of Jerusalem when they're sitting there privately. The disciples must have certainly been stunned and troubled by Jesus's prediction. They still fully expected that Jesus, the son of David, would just be another David, and that He would reign on a physical throne in Jerusalem and that animal sacrifice would continue, because they really didn't understand the need for his own blood to be shed for their sins—that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin that was waiting for the incarnate son of God to die. It was essential for their salvation. They didn't understand that. They were picturing Jesus in a palace of cedar, on a throne of gold, ruling over the Gentile nations. The idea that those Gentile nations would gain military ascendancy over Jerusalem and destroy it, would have been anathema to them. They would have hated it. They didn't understand any of these things. The key inner circle, Peter, John, James and Andrew, approached Jesus privately while He's sitting on the Mount of Olives. This probably was very wise. If the population in general had heard what Jesus was teaching here, they would not have taken it well. They're coming privately and they're asking for an explanation. Undoubtedly they could look down over the temple and over Jerusalem while this is going on. Because it's on the Mount of Olives, some scholars call this the Olivet Discourse, especially the longer version in Matthew 24 and 25, or sometimes the Little Apocalypse. In Matthew's Gospel, these three questions and Jesus's answer to them are woven together in a rather complex tapestry. What are the three questions? Question number one, "When will this happen?" Namely, the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple. Number two, "What will be the sign of your coming?" The word “coming” is “parousia,” meaning the Second Coming of Christ, which they could not have fully understood. But certainly the parables Jesus tells in Matthew 24 and 25 will prepare them for the parousia, the coming. He also must have already been teaching, though I'm sure they didn't understand, "What will be the sign of your coming?" Then of the end of the age, the question of the end of the world. These are the three questions in Matthew 24:3. It's not as clear in Mark 13, but they're woven together. The complexity of Mark 13 and of Matthew 24 and 25 is to try to figure out what He's talking about at any moment. Is He talking about the destruction of Jerusalem? Is He talking about the end of the age? Is He talking about the Second Coming? What is He talking about and how do we understand that? As they go on, the questions go much bigger than just the destruction of the temple. They're thinking about everything. "Where is all this heading? If the temple gets destroyed, what's next? Where are we heading?" Jesus's answer I do believe does include the events connected with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD by the Romans. But it goes beyond and extends to the entire age, right to the end of the world. So therefore I believe aspects of what Jesus says in Matthew 24 and in Mark 13 have yet to be fulfilled. They're still in front of us. For me an interpretive key on eschatology from Matthew 24:37 is, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the son of man.” If I could just keep it simple; as it was, so it will be. We get recurring themes. You get the theme of the holy place like the tabernacle, the temple destroyed, rebuilt, and then this recurring theme, the abomination of desolation, which we'll talk about in the new year. On the teaching on the Antichrist, in 1 John 2:18 it says, “You have heard the Antichrist is coming and even now many Antichrists have come.” What that means is, there's lots of lesser Antichrists that come that do dress rehearsals of the final Antichrist. But there is an Antichrist coming, so that's what I would say. Also the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD is a foretaste of a final and full destruction that is yet to come. III. The Warning Against Spiritual Deception Jesus begins his answer in verses 5-6. He begins with a warning against spiritual deception. In verses 5-6 Jesus answered, "Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name claiming I am he and will deceive many." The danger in every era is false teachers and false Christs. It's the single greatest threat to the church, greater than worldliness, greater than persecution, is false doctrine. So false teachers are going to come in every generation. One of the great hallmarks of many ... not all but many cult leaders is eschatological focus, a sense of the imminent end of the world and that they themselves are the key leader that God has sent for the people at this end of the world time. It's happened again and again and again. It's a fascinating study of these kinds of cult leaders that claim themselves the key leader and that the end is imminent. The Zwickau Prophets during the Reformation were like that. The Millerites in the 19th century, they led into the Jehovah's Witnesses that made predictions of the end of the world that did not come true. The Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas and all that, making all of these kinds of ... It happens again and again and Jesus warns. He doubles down in verses 21 and 22, "At that time if anyone says to you, look, here is the Christ, or look, there he is, do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible." We'll talk more about that in time. I'm not getting to that today. I am mentioning it because it connects with this idea of false teachers that come and give false doctrine, and that culminates in the Antichrist himself who will be able to work great signs and wonders. He’s called the “man of lawlessness” in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11. The Antichrist was coming, the final one. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie. He allows the Antichrist to work miracles. Jesus says, "To deceive even the elect, if that were possible." But it's not possible because you are forewarned in the scripture. You're told ahead of time this is going to happen, so you're ready. You should take this seriously, this idea of a world leader who can do signs and wonders and miracles. Get ready and tell your children and tell your grandchildren ... and if you live long enough, tell your great-grandchildren so they'll be ready. Because there will be a generation whose eternal salvation depends on knowing these truths. Forewarned is forearmed, Mark 13:23, “So be on your guard, I've told you everything ahead of time. Now we have the convulsions of a hate-filled dying world in verses seven and eight. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.” IV. The Convulsions of a Hate-Filled, Dying World Here we have the wickedness of humanity continuing and unfolding, wars and rumors of wars, empires rising and falling. Human beings, with no love for God and no love for each other, violating overtly the two Great Commandments, will continue to hate and plunder and kill each other. That's human history and to some degree you could argue it's one of the reasons for history. We wanted an education at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This is what evil looks like. God is drawing it out and showing it to us, so we can see how awful it is. Then He mentions the physical convulsions of planet Earth, ecological disasters. He calls it famines and earthquakes. After Adam's sin, God cursed the ground because of him. It would produce thorns and thistles for him. We know from Romans 8 and from personal experience that the curse went beyond just the harvest of thorns and thistles from the ground. It extends to every area of physical life here on earth. Romans 8:20-22 makes it plain that God has cursed planet Earth because of human sin. Earth's ecology, God subjected the Earth's ecology to cycles of death and destruction and vanity. Earthquakes and famines that Jesus mentions, are just evidences of God's curse on the Earth. In every generation earthquakes and famines ... and other natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, mudslides, plagues, et cetera, display that the natural order has been cursed because of human sin. It's going to continue and Jesus says vaguely, "In various places." It's just going to happen in various places. He's not trying to be specific. He's saying, this is what life's going to be like. It's going to continue like this. These are what I would call non-specific signs. Is there any generation since Jesus in which there weren't famines and earthquakes and nations rising against nation and wars and rumors of wars? Every generation, there's no specificity to it. It's just general, but that's what life's going to be like. Jesus calls them the beginning of birth pains. He uses this language in John 16, also Romans 8:22 says, “The creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” Jesus talked about the anguish of his own disciples. The anguish they would have when they would see him arrested, beaten and crucified but then on the third day raised to life, He likens it to birth pains. In John 16:21-22, "A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So it is with you. Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you'll rejoice and no one will take away your joy." That's talking about his own resurrection, which is a foretaste of the New Heaven and New Earth that's coming, but the process before is birth pains. Jesus says this, "All of the rending and convulsion of planet earth is the beginning of birth pains but the end is yet to come," He's saying. Now, that is very hopeful, isn't it? If you look at John 16, Jesus says, "It's going to be painful for a while, but after that you're going to have joy and no one will take away your joy.” Lasting eternal undimmed joy will never happen in this world but it will happen in the world to come, where there'll be no more death, mourning, crying in pain. That's what Jesus's resurrection is pointing toward. In the meantime, there is the convulsions and the pain of labor, giving birth to something joyful afterwards. "Lasting eternal undimmed joy will never happen in this world but it will happen in the world to come, where there'll be no more death, mourning, crying in pain. That's what Jesus's resurrection is pointing toward." V. The Costly Growth of a Living Kingdom In the middle of all of this is, the real point of it all, and that is the costly growth of the kingdom of God. History has a purpose and the purpose is the salvation of sinners out of every tribe and language and people and nation. That's the reason for all of it. Wars, rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes, that's just the matrix of it or the blank canvas on which the real masterpiece is being painted. What is that real masterpiece? It is the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth, saving people for all eternity. Look what He says about that costly growth of a living kingdom. Mark 13: 10 is the thesis verse. We're going to spend a whole week on it, God willing, next week, verse 10, “And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” It's amazing this word “gospel", right in the midst of all this darkness and sorrow and misery, is good news. The good news is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the gospel. Jesus is the good news. Salvation through faith in Christ is the gospel. It is the good news. This good news must be preached to all nations in the midst of all these convulsions. The entire Gospel of Mark has been about understanding that gospel, that good news. Mark 1:1, “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ or about Jesus Christ, the son of God.” These prophecies that Christ gives here in Mark 13 are incredibly sad and heavy and dark. "Not one stone left on another. Every one of them thrown down. Wars, rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes in various places, sorrow, destruction and death." Yet, Jesus hopefully calls them birth pains and what's being birthed is a perfect people of God redeemed from every tribe, language and people and nation through the blood of Christ, through faith in Christ, and a new heaven and new earth, which will be drawn out of this present cosmos through fire ... Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3, into perfection. That's what we're heading toward. Mark 13:10 is the centerpiece of all this, the kingdom of Christ is going to spread through the world through the proclamation of a verbal gospel, the Gospel. It's not random suffering for no purpose, rather, God is orchestrating these birth pains to end in eternal joy and glory. The suffering of the messengers of that gospel is clearly predicted. The suffering of the messengers, it's a laborious, a painful journey that the church has to go on. Look at Verse 9-13, “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me, you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them, and the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Wherever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say, just say whatever is given to you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Jesus warns us, his followers, again and again, as the world hated him, it's going to hate us. It's going to hate Christians as well, and that hatred is actually going to increase. It's going to be greatly ramped up into the world. The persecution on the messengers of the gospel will be both informal and formal. Informally, family members and friends will betray and hate Christians. Verse 12, “Brother will betray brother to death and a father, his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.” This is utterly heartbreaking. You look at Verse 12 and you're like, what would that actually mean for those people, to have those closest to you hate you and turn you over to death because they hate Jesus? That's how bad it's going to get, the betrayal. But the persecution will also be formal. It will involve synagogues, religious tribunals, governmental agencies, governors and kings and emperors and presidents and supreme courts, and all these formal tribunals that the messengers of the gospel are going to get hauled in front of. This has been a repeated scene in twenty centuries: the messenger hauled up in front of the authorities giving an account. It happens again and again and again. The Apostle Paul, the last third of the book of Acts is that; Paul on trial, Paul on trial, Paul on trial. They're standing before either religious tribunals or governmental inquiries, etc. Bottom line, all of that is going to culminate in the hatred of the Antichrist, when he controls the government of the entire world and uses his supernatural powers to seek to eradicate the church of Jesus Christ, precipitating the Second Coming of Christ I believe. So that tribunal aspect is going to keep coming and the persecution is going to get worse and worse. Summed up in Verse 13, “everyone will hate you.” It seems to me like American evangelicals need to understand, we're not going to win a popularity contest. We need to understand the truth. The more that our surrounding culture digresses from biblical Christianity, the more they're going to hate us. We need to be aware of that. That doesn't mean every single person will hate. There will be unconverted elects who will eventually cross over from death to life. But in general, the world's evaluation of Christians will be fiercely negative. In the middle of all of that persecution and tribunals and all of that, will be the powerful equipping by the Holy Spirit. The promise of the Spirit as power to witnesses. Acts 1:8 says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth.” We need the Spirit's power. The tribunals will be terrifying. The synagogues and the religious councils and the governors' courts and all of that, it's going to be terrifying. We're going to in our flesh, quake and melt in front of it. But we'll be positioned to be witnesses to them [verse 9], to preach the gospel [verse 10]. Jesus speaks of the violence of the persecutions. It says that they'll be betrayed by family members to death, to execution. But before that execution happens, the martyrs die, they speak words of witness. The blood of martyrs is seed for the church. They powerfully speak words of witness empowered by the Spirit of God. He says, "Don't worry ahead of time what to say, for the spirit will tell you what to say at that time." Some of the greatest statements in church history have been made by martyrs on trial. They could never have written that material ahead of time. The Holy Spirit knew what to say through them. A very good example of this is in Acts 4 when Peter and John were arrested for doing a miracle and they're brought before the Sanhedrin, and they are so filled with the Holy Spirit and they are absolutely fearless. They say, "If we are hauled in front of this tribunal and asked to give an account for a miracle done to a cripple, then know this, you and all the people of Israel, it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified, by whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Wow, where did that come from? The Holy Spirit came on them. It says, when they saw the courage, the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled ordinary men, they're just regular people, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus. Stephen's whole speech was saturated with the Spirit of God. Also, Polycarp's courageous message when they burned him at the stake in Smyrna at the end of the first century. Felicitas, the Roman noble woman said, "While I live, I shall defeat you and if you kill me, I shall defeat you even more." It's one of my favorite statements ever in church history, “you can't win,” something like that. “There's no way you can win. If you let me go, I'm going to keep preaching the gospel. I'm going to keep winning disciples. If you kill me, then things really take off.” Awesome. Jan Hus said, "What I proclaim with my lips, I now seal with my blood." Martin Luther, though he was not martyred, he thought he was going to be martyred just like Jan Hus. He said, "Here I stand; I can do no other.” Courageous, bold. Do not worry ahead of time, the Holy Spirit will come on you at that trial of faith. The increase of persecution will be a severe test of nominal Christians, people who aren't serious. They're in the habit of going to church but they're not really Christians. The fires of persecution will weed those people out. In Matthew 24:10 it says, “At that time, many will turn away from the faith and betray and hate each other.” So they're apostates. The increase of wickedness, it says, will cause people's hearts to grow cold. Natural affections will be replaced by animal-like instincts. The survival of the fittest [Matthew 24:12] because the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. True Christians can never fall away from Christ. But in the Parable of the Seed and the Soils, there is that stony ground that springs up. But when heat comes, when trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, they quickly fall away. Jesus gives a warning to all of his true followers, he who stands firm to the end will be saved. You have to stand firm in your faith through all that persecution. That's Mark 1-13. VI. Applications Let's take some applications now. First and foremost, it's simple, come to Christ. Come to Christ. There is macro-eschatology, the big story of the world. But then there's your eschatology, do you know how much longer you have to be alive? Do you know when you're going to die? That's the end of your time here on earth. Do you know when that is? No one knows. All of this wickedness and convulsions and famines and earthquakes and wars and rumors of wars, all of that is caused, the Bible says, by sin. There is one and only one remedy, and that is the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross. Flee to Christ while you can. You don't know how long you have. You've heard the Gospel here this morning. All you need to do is repent of your sins, turn away from your sin and trust in Christ and you'll be forgiven. You'll be forgiven. So come to Christ, come to Christ for salvation. If you're a Christian, come to Christ for wisdom. I love what Peter, John, James and Andrew do. They didn't understand and they came to Jesus privately and said, "Explain it." Just like with the parables, Jesus gives them the secrets. The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you but not the outsiders. He'll tell you what you need to know. If you want to know things about the future, come to Christ and ask and He'll tell you the Scripture by the Spirit. He's not going to tell you more than the Scripture but the Scripture says everything you need. So come to Christ for wisdom and expect it in the Scriptures by the Spirit. Then, understand the direction of history. History has a direction. It has a purpose. This is not random sorrow and destruction like there's no purpose at all. No, there's a purpose to everything. History has a direction. Revelation 21, the second to last chapter of the Bible, in verses 6 and 7 Jesus said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end." History has a journey. It's a story being unfolded and Jesus is that story. “I am the Alpha, I am the first letter and I'm the Omega, I'm the last letter. The beginning and the end.” Then He says, "To him who is thirsty, I'll give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this. I will be his God and he will be my son." That's the purpose of history, salvation. Come to Christ and drink. Come to Christ and drink, and never think that history is spinning out of control. God is sovereign. He is on his throne. When the so-called eternal city Rome fell to the vandals in the 5th century, many Christians thought it was the end of the world but it wasn't. When the Muslims swept across North Africa, destroying lots of good churches ... and then swept across the Strait of Gibraltar and conquered all of Spain. Then when they swept up into France in the 8th century, many thought it was the end of the world, but it wasn't. When the Vikings were pillaging and ravaging monasteries and churches all throughout the Northern part of Europe and then on into Russia and even down into the Mediterranean and all that, people begged God, deliver us from the fear of the Norsemen. They thought it was the end of the world, but it wasn't. When Mongol warriors extended the largest contiguous empire that had ever been ... coming in from the Asian steppes and no band of Christian knights could defeat them, and they just won battle after battle after battle, many thought it was the end of the world, but it wasn't. When the Black Death swept across Europe and killed a third of the population ... and all of their good luck charms and all of their incantations and all of that stuff could not drive it away. They really thought everyone's going to die of this disease. The end of the world is imminent, but it wasn't. When the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople, finally fell in the 15th century because of a new invention, cannons with gunpowder ... and the Muslim banners fluttered over Eastern Orthodoxy, over the most significant site of Eastern Orthodoxy. The backdoor to Europe was finally thrown open it seemed to Turkish invasion, many thought the end of the world was imminent, Martin Luther did, but it wasn't. The 20th century dawned with a war to end all wars and millions died in that senseless conflict. When European poets said, “I see the lights of humanity extinguished all over Europe and we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.” Then twenty years later, an even worse war came with an even more terrifying scourge, Nazism, subjugating one nation after another. It seemed they could never be defeated. Many thought the end of the world was imminent, but it wasn't. So also Communism when it spread from one country to the next, the dominoes were toppling in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and all kinds of places ... and it was godless atheism and openly hostile to the church, many thought the end of the world was imminent, but it wasn't. Now there will come a time, the end of the world will come but God is sovereign over all these things. In every one of these cases, the church continued and even flourished. Nothing can stop the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So let's rest assured in that and realize what our calling is. Our calling is to be holy and to spread the gospel. Close with me in prayer. Father, we thank you for the time we've had to begin this study in eschatology, in Mark 13. I thank you for the themes that Jesus lays out and He tells us very clearly ahead of time what's going to happen. Lord, continue to strengthen us for our mission in this world, that we'll be courageous and clear and bold, and unafraid of what's happening with governments, unafraid what's happening with natural disasters, knowing that we will suffer. It's not going to be painless but we know also all of it has a glorious purpose. We thank you in Jesus's name. Amen.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________The First Week of AdventThe glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.Isaiah 40:5 ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. In AdventOur King and Savior now draws near: Come let us adore him. Venite Psalm 95:1-7Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Psalm 50 - Deus deorum1The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken; *he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.2Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, *God reveals himself in glory.3Our God will come and will not keep silence; *before him there is a consuming flame,and round about him a raging storm.4He calls the heavens and the earth from above *to witness the judgment of his people.5“Gather before me my loyal followers, *those who have made a covenant with meand sealed it with sacrifice.”6Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; *for God himself is judge.7Hear, O my people, and I will speak:“O Israel, I will bear witness against you; *for I am God, your God.8I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices; *your offerings are always before me.9I will take no bull-calf from your stalls, *nor he-goats out of your pens;10For all the beasts of the forest are mine, *the herds in their thousands upon the hills.11I know every bird in the sky, *and the creatures of the fields are in my sight.12If I were hungry, I would not tell you, *for the whole world is mine and all that is in it.13Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls, *or drink the blood of goats?14Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving *and make good your vows to the Most High.15Call upon me in the day of trouble; *I will deliver you, and you shall honor me.”16But to the wicked God says: *“Why do you recite my statutes,and take my covenant upon your lips;17Since you refuse discipline, *and toss my words behind your back?18When you see a thief, you make him your friend, *and you cast in your lot with adulterers.19You have loosed your lips for evil, *and harnessed your tongue to a lie.20You are always speaking evil of your brother *and slandering your own mother's son.21These things you have done, and I kept still, *and you thought that I am like you.”22“I have made my accusation; *I have put my case in order before your eyes.23Consider this well, you who forget God, *lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you.24Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me; *but to those who keep in my way will I show the salvation of God.” Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsMalachi 3:1-6 - English Standard Version“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.Malachi 4:4-6 - English Standard Version“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. You are God(Te Deum laudamus)You are God: we praise you;You are the Lord: we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting. Luke 1:5-25 - English Standard VersionIn the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. A Song of Praise(Benedictus es, Domine Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34)Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; * you are worthy of praise; glory to you.Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; * on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you, beholding the depths; * in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. The First Week of AdventAlmighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.For MissionAlmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14

He prophesied in the time of Joachim, just before the Jewish people were taken into captivity in Babylon. He himself escaped captivity, and after Jerusalem was destroyed, returned to his homeland. Once he was taking some food to his harvesters when an Angel transported him to Babylon to feed the Prophet Daniel in the lions' den, then bore him back to Judea (this is told in the full version of the book of Daniel, ch. 6 LXX). The third chapter of his prophecy is used as the Fourth Ode of the Matins Canon(the Ode is usually sung in full only in monasteries during Lent, but the eirmos of the Fourth Ode, sung in many parishes, usually refers to the Prophet). His holy relics were found through a revelation in Palestine during the reign of Theodosius the Great, and a chapel built there. His name means "Father of the Resurrection."

Acts 19:23–20:1 Acts 19:23–20:1 (Listen) 23 About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. 24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. 25 These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. 26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. 27 And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.” 28 When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel. 30 But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. 31 And even some of the Asiarchs,1 who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. 32 Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35 And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky?2 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything further,3 it shall be settled in the regular assembly. 40 For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” 41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. Paul in Macedonia and Greece 20 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. Footnotes [1] 19:31 That is, high-ranking officers of the province of Asia [2] 19:35 The meaning of the Greek is uncertain [3] 19:39 Some manuscripts seek about other matters (ESV) 2 Corinthians 1–4 2 Corinthians 1–4 (Listen) Greeting 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. God of All Comfort 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.1 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. 8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers,2 of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. Paul's Change of Plans 12 For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity3 and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. 13 For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand—14 just as you did partially understand us—that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you. 15 Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. 16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. 20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.4 23 But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. 2 For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? 3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. 4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. Forgive the Sinner 5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. Triumph in Christ 12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. Ministers of the New Covenant 3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our5 hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.6 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. 12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one7 turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord8 is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,9 are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.10 For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. The Light of the Gospel 4 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God,11 we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice12 cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants13 for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Treasure in Jars of Clay 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self14 is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Footnotes [1] 1:5 Or For as the sufferings of Christ abound for us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ [2] 1:8 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters [3] 1:12 Some manuscripts holiness [4] 1:22 Or down payment [5] 3:2 Some manuscripts your [6] 3:3 Greek fleshly hearts [7] 3:16 Greek he [8] 3:17 Or this Lord [9] 3:18 Or reflecting the glory of the Lord [10] 3:18 Greek from glory to glory [11] 4:1 Greek having this ministry as we have received mercy [12] 4:2 Greek to walk in [13] 4:5 Or slaves (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface) [14] 4:16 Greek man (ESV)

I used all of these aspects of Christianity to help me overcome organized crime: “Religion is a range of social-cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural, transcendental, and spiritual elements[1]—although there is no scholarly consensus over what precisely constitutes a religion.[2][3] Different religions may or may not contain various elements ranging from the divine,[4] sacredness,[5] faith,[6] and a supernatural being or beings.[7] Religious practices may include rituals, sermons, commemoration or veneration (of deities or saints), sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trances, initiations, matrimonial and funerary services, meditation, prayer, music, art, dance, or public service. Religions have sacred histories and narratives, which may be preserved in sacred texts, symbols, and holy places, that primarily aim to give life meaning. Religions may contain symbolic tales that may attempt to explain the origin of life, the universe, and other phenomena.” “Jesus[d] (c. 6 to 4 BC – AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ,[e] Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader.[10] He is the central figure of Christianity, the world's largest religion. Most Christians worship Jesus as the incarnation of God the Son and the awaited Messiah (the Christ), that is prophesied in the Hebrew Bible. Jesus was a Galilean Jew who was circumcised, was baptized by John the Baptist, began his own ministry, and was often referred to as "rabbi".[23] Jesus often debated with fellow Jews on how to best follow God, engaged in healings, taught in parables, and gathered followers. He was arrested in Jerusalem and tried by the Jewish authorities,[24] turned over to the Roman government, and crucified on the order of Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judea. After his death, his followers believed he rose from the dead, and the community they formed eventually became the early Christian Church.[25] Accounts of his teachings and life were initially conserved by oral transmission, which was the source of the written Gospels.[26].” I don't have a problem with adult language. Imagine as a child, balancing Jesus with adult language. I had to balance Jesus with verbal abuse and nonverbal abuse as a child. Lastly, as a child, I was forced to balance Jesus with each and every kind of crime that exists. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/antonio-myers4/support

But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved.  14 And this gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come.  15 When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand.  16 Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains:  17 And he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house:  18 And he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat.  19 And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days.  20 But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the sabbath.  21 For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be.  22 And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.  23 Then if any man shall say to you: Lo here is Christ, or there, do not believe him.  24 For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect.  25 Behold I have told it to you, beforehand.  26 If therefore they shall say to you: Behold he is in the desert, go ye not out: Behold he is in the closets, believe it not.  27 For as lightning cometh out of the east, and appeareth even into the west: so shall the coming of the Son of man be.  28 Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.  29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved:  30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. [28] "Wheresoever": The coming of Christ shall be sudden, and manifest to all the world, like lightning: and wheresoever he shall come, thither shall all mankind be gathered to him, as eagles are gathered about a dead body. [29] "The stars": Or flaming meteors resembling stars. [30] "The sign": The cross of Christ.  31 And he shall send his angels with a trumpet, and a great voice: and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them.  32 And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh.  33 So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors.  34 Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.  35 Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass. [35] "Shall pass": Because they shall be changed at the end of the world into a new heaven and new earth.

Episode Sponsor: Bulletproof IsraelWebsite: www.bulletproofisrael.orgBulletproof Israel stands as a beacon of truth and unwavering support for the nation in its times of crisis. Our non-profit organization is committed to cultivating a global community that is well-informed and empowered to stand by Israel, cutting through the waves of misinformation and ill intentions. We channel our resources directly to IDF special units, provide crucial mental health support to survivors and families of victims, and aid in the reconstruction of affected towns, all through verified channels. By centralizing accurate information and fostering transparent aid, we aim to strengthen Israel's resilience. We build collaborative relationships with reputable entities, including government officials and trusted news organizations, to ensure transparency, education, and actionable solidarity. Our vision is a safer, more robust Israel, equipped with a strong IDF and supported by a globally informed network united in purpose and action.Episode Guest: Yishai FleisherYishai Fleisher is the International Spokesperson for the Jewish Community of Hebron –  home of the Biblical Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs – and a Middle East hotspot. Yishai works closely with US, Israeli, and global legislators and influencers on issues such as fighting BDS, recognizing Israeli indigeneity, fighting historical appropriation, and strengthening the Jewish people's presence in Judea and Samaria.  Website: www.yishaifleisher.comInstagram: @yishaifleisher

Sunday Service (11/26/23) // Mark 10:1-12 // Visit our website: https://mbchicago.org Follow us to remain connected: Facebook:   / mbc.chicago   Instagram:   / mbc.chicago   TikTok:   / mbc.chicago   Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & others To support this ministry, you can donate via: Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Website: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch PayPal: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but... Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago #DanielBatarseh | #mbchicago | #mbcchicago | #Bible | #BibleStudy | #versebyverse | #chicago | #church | #livechurch | #churchlive | #chicagochurch | #chicagochurches | #MarkMark 10:1-12 (ESV) Teaching About Divorce 1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. 2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.' 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,[a] 8 and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” Footnotes a. Mark 10:7 Some manuscripts omit and hold fast to his wife

David Rubin is a former mayor of Shiloh Israel, also known as Samaria and Judea or the west bank. He is founder of Shiloh Israel Children's Fund and is the author of The Islamic Tsunami: Israel and America in the Age of Obama, Peace for Peace, and Trump and the Jews. We'll discuss Iran, John Kerry, protests plus changes in the middle east. www.DavidRubinIsrael.com

But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved.  14 And this gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come.  15 When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand.  16 Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains:  17 And he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house:  18 And he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat.  19 And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days.  20 But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the sabbath.  21 For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be.  22 And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.  23 Then if any man shall say to you: Lo here is Christ, or there, do not believe him.  24 For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect.  25 Behold I have told it to you, beforehand.  26 If therefore they shall say to you: Behold he is in the desert, go ye not out: Behold he is in the closets, believe it not.  27 For as lightning cometh out of the east, and appeareth even into the west: so shall the coming of the Son of man be.  28 Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.  29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved:  30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. [28] "Wheresoever": The coming of Christ shall be sudden, and manifest to all the world, like lightning: and wheresoever he shall come, thither shall all mankind be gathered to him, as eagles are gathered about a dead body. [29] "The stars": Or flaming meteors resembling stars. [30] "The sign": The cross of Christ.  31 And he shall send his angels with a trumpet, and a great voice: and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them.  32 And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh.  33 So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors.  34 Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.  35 Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass. [35] "Shall pass": Because they shall be changed at the end of the world into a new heaven and new earth.

In this Bible Story, Jesus displays his compassionate power over sickness and death. He heals a woman who is afflicted with chronic bleeding. He takes a little girl that has passed and restores her life. Jesus did these things to show the whole world that sickness and death does not rule over him the same way it does for humanity. This story is inspired by Mark 5:21-43 & Matthew 9:18-26 & Luke 8:40-56. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Luke 8:47 from the King James Version.Episode 190: As Jesus was walking around Judea teaching the people, a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, came to Him. He begged Jesus with tears to heal his daughter before she dies. Jesus, rich in mercy, followed the man to his house. While on the way a woman who had been in pain, bleeding for twelve years, made her way to Jesus. At the touch of His cloak, she was made well. When they finally arrived at Jarius' house, it was too late…or so they thought. Jesus had the group of mourners leave and made His way to the girl's room, and at His word brings life back into her lifeless body!Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support the Front Lines of Judea Click the link below to help: https://secured.israelgives.org/en/pay/Help_Build_The_Arugot_Farms Vayeitzei: This week with Jeremy Gimpel, we went deep into what's happening in Israel and the war, layer after layer. And we hit the heart of what's happening in Israel and around the world. Get updates and learn the truth in this powerful Land of Israel Fellowship live session from Judea. Enjoy this week's session 161 of the Land of Israel Fellowship recorded live on November 26, 2023. Join The Land of Israel Fellowship and gain access to all the Bible teachings from Judea and receive your personal invitation to join the exclusive live online gatherings with families around the world every week. To join go to: https://secured.israelgives.org/pay/Fellowship

Matthew 4:18-25   18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.19 And He *said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and He called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. 23 Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. 24 And the news about Him spread throughout Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and severe pain, demon-possessed, people with epilepsy, and people who were paralyzed; and He healed them. 25 Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and theDecapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.     BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com     GIVE -  The Listener's Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the generosity of people like you. Thank you! Give here:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com/give     STUDY HUB - Want more than the audio? Join the study hub to access articles, maps, charts, pictures, and links to other resources to help you study the Bible for yourself. https://www.listenerscommentary.com/members-sign-up   MORE TEACHING - For more resources and Bible teaching from John visit https://www.johnwhittaker.net

But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved.  14 And this gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come.  15 When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand.  16 Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains:  17 And he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house:  18 And he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat.  19 And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days.  20 But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the sabbath.  21 For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be.  22 And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.  23 Then if any man shall say to you: Lo here is Christ, or there, do not believe him.  24 For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect.  25 Behold I have told it to you, beforehand.  26 If therefore they shall say to you: Behold he is in the desert, go ye not out: Behold he is in the closets, believe it not.  27 For as lightning cometh out of the east, and appeareth even into the west: so shall the coming of the Son of man be.  28 Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.  29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved:  30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. [28] "Wheresoever": The coming of Christ shall be sudden, and manifest to all the world, like lightning: and wheresoever he shall come, thither shall all mankind be gathered to him, as eagles are gathered about a dead body. [29] "The stars": Or flaming meteors resembling stars. [30] "The sign": The cross of Christ.  31 And he shall send his angels with a trumpet, and a great voice: and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them.  32 And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh.  33 So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors.  34 Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.  35 Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass. [35] "Shall pass": Because they shall be changed at the end of the world into a new heaven and new earth.

Romans 14–16 Romans 14–16 (Listen) Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another 14 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master1 that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,   “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,    and every tongue shall confess2 to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Do Not Cause Another to Stumble 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.3 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.4 The Example of Christ 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles 8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,   “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,    and sing to your name.” 10 And again it is said,   “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again,   “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,    and let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again Isaiah says,   “The root of Jesse will come,    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;  in him will the Gentiles hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Paul the Minister to the Gentiles 14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,5 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,   “Those who have never been told of him will see,    and those who have never heard will understand.” Paul's Plan to Visit Rome 22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27 For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. 28 When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,6 I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing7 of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Personal Greetings 16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant8 of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert9 to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,10 my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,11 and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers12 who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. Final Instructions and Greetings 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,13 and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.14 Doxology 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. Footnotes [1] 14:4 Or lord [2] 14:11 Or shall give praise [3] 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened [4] 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27 [5] 15:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 30 [6] 15:28 Greek sealed to them this fruit [7] 15:29 Some manuscripts insert of the gospel [8] 16:1 Or deaconess [9] 16:5 Greek firstfruit [10] 16:7 Or Junias [11] 16:7 Or messengers [12] 16:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17 [13] 16:18 Greek their own belly [14] 16:23 Some manuscripts insert verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (ESV)

But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved.  14 And this gospel of the kingdom, shall be preached in the whole world, for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come.  15 When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand.  16 Then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains:  17 And he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house:  18 And he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat.  19 And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days.  20 But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the sabbath.  21 For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be.  22 And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved: but for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened.  23 Then if any man shall say to you: Lo here is Christ, or there, do not believe him.  24 For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect.  25 Behold I have told it to you, beforehand.  26 If therefore they shall say to you: Behold he is in the desert, go ye not out: Behold he is in the closets, believe it not.  27 For as lightning cometh out of the east, and appeareth even into the west: so shall the coming of the Son of man be.  28 Wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.  29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved:  30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all tribes of the earth mourn: and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with much power and majesty. [28] "Wheresoever": The coming of Christ shall be sudden, and manifest to all the world, like lightning: and wheresoever he shall come, thither shall all mankind be gathered to him, as eagles are gathered about a dead body. [29] "The stars": Or flaming meteors resembling stars. [30] "The sign": The cross of Christ.  31 And he shall send his angels with a trumpet, and a great voice: and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them.  32 And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh.  33 So you also, when you shall see all these things, know ye that it is nigh, even at the doors.  34 Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.  35 Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass. [35] "Shall pass": Because they shall be changed at the end of the world into a new heaven and new earth.

In last week's episode, we reviewed the essential understanding of the red beast, Esau (Edom is from adom, red), or The Red One, as he came to be called within Jewish literature. The Red One holds a place of special concern during the Chanukkah season because of the Seven Shepherds and Eighth Prince prophesied to deliver Israel from invading enemies. In The Seven Shepherds: Hanukkah in Prophecy, I demonstrated how we can use Yeshua's template concerning celebrations like Chanukkah and even learn prophecy, especially expectations concerning The Red One. What helps as well is to understand the history of Israel and the Temple that lends insight to the First Century Jewish mindset. In this case, the month of Kislev, or the Ninth Month, is one in which the Greeks installed an abomination that causes desolation idol on the 15th of Kislev and offered sacrifices to the abomination on the 25th of Kislev. Once the Greeks were driven off, the Temple precincts were purified from the abomination, the Temple was rededicated to holy worship on the 25th of Kislev in an eight-day celebration. The eight days of celebration and re-dedication commemorated a missed festival of Sukkot due to the abomination. In effect, it became a "Sukkot sheni," or second Sukkot, a "makeup" permission established in the Torah when a festival was missed due to uncleanness or being absent from the place of celebration. By the time of Yeshua, the Greeks, who were the third beast kingdom, had been replaced by Rome, the fourth beast kingdom. Rome was thought to be descended from Esau, and was called Edom, The Red One. First Century Jerusalem and the Temple Mount were controlled by the Romans politically and militarily. Jews of the First Century were looking for the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Seven Shepherds and Eight Princes who would be raised up to defeat Edom. This is why at the Feast of Dedication (Chanukkah) in winter, Yeshua was asked whether he was the Messiah or not. If so, then they wanted him to declare himself, raise up his kingdom, and overthrow The Red One. When Yeshua answers by talking about sheep, it is not a rambling, random answer. It is rooted in the Jewish expectation of The Seven Shepherds, and very precise. The problem was that no one wanted to hear the answer, which was that there were many other sheep who would have to be gathered first. The gathering would take a long time, and the scarlet beast would not be completely overthrown until Yeshua gathered them. Like most of us, the listeners didn't want to hear that answer. Our mindset is: Destroy all evil right now! What follows is an additional section of The Seven Shepherds: In the New Testament, there is only one other mention of “winter” other than the mention of Yeshua walking in the Temple at the Feast of Dedication, Chanukkah. Words means things, and so does their placement. The winter celebration of Chanukkah was significant in its placement in the Book of John, not random. Likewise, the other mention of winter in Matthew adds more context to the apocalyptic Jewish expectations of Messiah. Therefore, when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains…But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. There are two times that Yeshua doesn't want his sheep to take flight: winter or Shabbat. The Jewish liturgy gives the rationale. Every Shabbat, the Torah, the covenant Word of God, is removed from the ark and held up for the congregation to see. The congregation responds with these words initiated by Moses: Arise, O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered; and let them who hate You flee from You. From for Zion will forth the Torah, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Blessed be He, Who in His holiness gave His Torah to His people Israel.

(Luke 1:5-7) 5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. (Numbers 6:8) All the days of his separation he is holy to the Lord. (Luke 1:60-64) 60but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John." 61And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by this name." 63And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote,  "His name is John." And they all wondered. 64And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. (Luke 1:68) “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his peopleand has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, (Luke 1:76-77) And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, (Luke 1:78-79) because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (Psalm 77:10-12) Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High."  I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

Old Testament: Ezekiel 23 Ezekiel 23 (Listen) Oholah and Oholibah 23 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. 3 They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms1 handled. 4 Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. 5 “Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors 6 clothed in purple, governors and commanders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. 7 She bestowed her whoring upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them, and she defiled herself with all the idols of everyone after whom she lusted. 8 She did not give up her whoring that she had begun in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her and handled her virgin bosom and poured out their whoring lust upon her. 9 Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted. 10 These uncovered her nakedness; they seized her sons and her daughters; and as for her, they killed her with the sword; and she became a byword among women, when judgment had been executed on her. 11 “Her sister Oholibah saw this, and she became more corrupt than her sister2 in her lust and in her whoring, which was worse than that of her sister. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and commanders, warriors clothed in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. 13 And I saw that she was defiled; they both took the same way. 14 But she carried her whoring further. She saw men portrayed on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion, 15 wearing belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them having the appearance of officers, a likeness of Babylonians whose native land was Chaldea. 16 When she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 17 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, she turned from them in disgust. 18 When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. 19 Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt 20 and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. 21 Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed3 your young breasts.” 22 Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I will stir up against you your lovers from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side: 23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and commanders all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. 24 And they shall come against you from the north4 with chariots and wagons and a host of peoples. They shall set themselves against you on every side with buckler, shield, and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they shall judge you according to their judgments. 25 And I will direct my jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and your survivors shall fall by the sword. They shall seize your sons and your daughters, and your survivors shall be devoured by fire. 26 They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. 27 Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your whoring begun in the land of Egypt, so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore. 28 “For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned in disgust, 29 and they shall deal with you in hatred and take away all the fruit of your labor and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your whoring shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your whoring 30 have brought this upon you, because you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. 31 You have gone the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand. 32 Thus says the Lord GOD:   “You shall drink your sister's cup    that is deep and large;  you shall be laughed at and held in derision,    for it contains much;33   you will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow.  A cup of horror and desolation,    the cup of your sister Samaria;34   you shall drink it and drain it out,    and gnaw its shards,    and tear your breasts; for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD. 35 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences of your lewdness and whoring.” 36 The LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations. 37 For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up5 to them for food the children whom they had borne to me. 38 Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. 39 For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house. 40 They even sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came. For them you bathed yourself, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. 41 You sat on a stately couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed my incense and my oil. 42 The sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and with men of the common sort, drunkards6 were brought from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on the hands of the women, and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 “Then I said of her who was worn out by adultery, ‘Now they will continue to use her for a whore, even her!'7 44 For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, lewd women! 45 But righteous men shall pass judgment on them with the sentence of adulteresses, and with the sentence of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.” 46 For thus says the Lord GOD: “Bring up a vast host against them, and make them an object of terror and a plunder. 47 And the host shall stone them and cut them down with their swords. They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses. 48 Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done. 49 And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.” Footnotes [1] 23:3 Hebrew nipples; also verses 8, 21 [2] 23:11 Hebrew than she [3] 23:21 Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew bosom for the sake of [4] 23:24 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown [5] 23:37 Or have even made pass through the fire [6] 23:42 Or Sabeans [7] 23:43 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 119:153–160 Psalm 119:153–160 (Listen) Resh 153   Look on my affliction and deliver me,    for I do not forget your law.154   Plead my cause and redeem me;    give me life according to your promise!155   Salvation is far from the wicked,    for they do not seek your statutes.156   Great is your mercy, O LORD;    give me life according to your rules.157   Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,    but I do not swerve from your testimonies.158   I look at the faithless with disgust,    because they do not keep your commands.159   Consider how I love your precepts!    Give me life according to your steadfast love.160   The sum of your word is truth,    and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. (ESV) New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 1–2 1 Thessalonians 1–2 (Listen) Greeting 1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. The Thessalonians' Faith and Example 2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly1 mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers2 loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Paul's Ministry to the Thessalonians 2 For you yourselves know, brothers,3 that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery,4 as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle5 among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. 9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. 13 And we also thank God constantly6 for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men7 but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,8 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!9 Paul's Longing to See Them Again 17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy. Footnotes [1] 1:2 Or without ceasing [2] 1:4 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters [3] 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 9, 14, 17 [4] 2:5 Or with a flattering speech [5] 2:7 Some manuscripts infants [6] 2:13 Or without ceasing [7] 2:13 The Greek word anthropoi can refer to both men and women [8] 2:14 The Greek word Ioudaioi can refer to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, who opposed the Christian faith in that time [9] 2:16 Or completely, or forever (ESV)

Proper 29 First Psalm: Psalm 106:1–18 Psalm 106:1–18 (Listen) Give Thanks to the Lord, for He Is Good 106   Praise the LORD!  Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,    for his steadfast love endures forever!2   Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD,    or declare all his praise?3   Blessed are they who observe justice,    who do righteousness at all times! 4   Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;    help me when you save them,15   that I may look upon the prosperity of your chosen ones,    that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,    that I may glory with your inheritance. 6   Both we and our fathers have sinned;    we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.7   Our fathers, when they were in Egypt,    did not consider your wondrous works;  they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,    but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.8   Yet he saved them for his name's sake,    that he might make known his mighty power.9   He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry,    and he led them through the deep as through a desert.10   So he saved them from the hand of the foe    and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.11   And the waters covered their adversaries;    not one of them was left.12   Then they believed his words;    they sang his praise. 13   But they soon forgot his works;    they did not wait for his counsel.14   But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,    and put God to the test in the desert;15   he gave them what they asked,    but sent a wasting disease among them. 16   When men in the camp were jealous of Moses    and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD,17   the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,    and covered the company of Abiram.18   Fire also broke out in their company;    the flame burned up the wicked. Footnotes [1] 106:4 Or Remember me, O Lord, with the favor you show to your people; help me with your salvation (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 106:19–48 Psalm 106:19–48 (Listen) 19   They made a calf in Horeb    and worshiped a metal image.20   They exchanged the glory of God1    for the image of an ox that eats grass.21   They forgot God, their Savior,    who had done great things in Egypt,22   wondrous works in the land of Ham,    and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.23   Therefore he said he would destroy them—    had not Moses, his chosen one,  stood in the breach before him,    to turn away his wrath from destroying them. 24   Then they despised the pleasant land,    having no faith in his promise.25   They murmured in their tents,    and did not obey the voice of the LORD.26   Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them    that he would make them fall in the wilderness,27   and would make their offspring fall among the nations,    scattering them among the lands. 28   Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor,    and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;29   they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds,    and a plague broke out among them.30   Then Phinehas stood up and intervened,    and the plague was stayed.31   And that was counted to him as righteousness    from generation to generation forever. 32   They angered him at the waters of Meribah,    and it went ill with Moses on their account,33   for they made his spirit bitter,2    and he spoke rashly with his lips. 34   They did not destroy the peoples,    as the LORD commanded them,35   but they mixed with the nations    and learned to do as they did.36   They served their idols,    which became a snare to them.37   They sacrificed their sons    and their daughters to the demons;38   they poured out innocent blood,    the blood of their sons and daughters,  whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,    and the land was polluted with blood.39   Thus they became unclean by their acts,    and played the whore in their deeds. 40   Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people,    and he abhorred his heritage;41   he gave them into the hand of the nations,    so that those who hated them ruled over them.42   Their enemies oppressed them,    and they were brought into subjection under their power.43   Many times he delivered them,    but they were rebellious in their purposes    and were brought low through their iniquity. 44   Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress,    when he heard their cry.45   For their sake he remembered his covenant,    and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love.46   He caused them to be pitied    by all those who held them captive. 47   Save us, O LORD our God,    and gather us from among the nations,  that we may give thanks to your holy name    and glory in your praise. 48   Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,    from everlasting to everlasting!  And let all the people say, “Amen!”    Praise the LORD! Footnotes [1] 106:20 Hebrew exchanged their glory [2] 106:33 Or they rebelled against God's Spirit (ESV) Old Testament: Joel 3:1–2; Joel 3:9–17 Joel 3:1–2 (Listen) The Lord Judges the Nations 3 “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, (ESV) Joel 3:9–17 (Listen) 9   Proclaim this among the nations:  Consecrate for war;1    stir up the mighty men.  Let all the men of war draw near;    let them come up.10   Beat your plowshares into swords,    and your pruning hooks into spears;    let the weak say, “I am a warrior.” 11   Hasten and come,    all you surrounding nations,    and gather yourselves there.  Bring down your warriors, O LORD.12   Let the nations stir themselves up    and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;  for there I will sit to judge    all the surrounding nations. 13   Put in the sickle,    for the harvest is ripe.  Go in, tread,    for the winepress is full.  The vats overflow,    for their evil is great. 14   Multitudes, multitudes,    in the valley of decision!  For the day of the LORD is near    in the valley of decision.15   The sun and the moon are darkened,    and the stars withdraw their shining. 16   The LORD roars from Zion,    and utters his voice from Jerusalem,    and the heavens and the earth quake.  But the LORD is a refuge to his people,    a stronghold to the people of Israel. The Glorious Future of Judah 17   “So you shall know that I am the LORD your God,    who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain.  And Jerusalem shall be holy,    and strangers shall never again pass through it. Footnotes [1] 3:9 Or Consecrate a war (ESV) New Testament: 1 Peter 1:1–12 1 Peter 1:1–12 (Listen) Greeting 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Born Again to a Living Hope 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time1 the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Footnotes [1] 1:11 Or what time or circumstances (ESV) Gospel: Matthew 19:1–12 Matthew 19:1–12 (Listen) Teaching About Divorce 19 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. 3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”1 10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” Footnotes [1] 19:9 Some manuscripts add and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery; other manuscripts except for sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery (ESV)