AN ANGUISH SO GREAT

MISSING - November 30, 2018

AN ANGUISH SO GREAT

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Mark 14:12-17
Killing the Passover lamb was customary on the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The disciples asked Jesus, "Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?" He sent two of his disciples and told them, "Go into the city. You will meet a man carrying a jug of water. Follow him. When he goes into a house, tell the owner that the teacher asks, 'Where is my room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?' He will take you upstairs and show you a large room. The room will be completely furnished. Get everything ready for us there." The disciples left. They went into the city and found everything as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus arrived with the twelve apostles.

"You will meet a man carrying a jug of water." With these words Jesus sent two of his disciples into the city to find a place to prepare the Passover feast. A man carrying water would most likely be a servant bringing water to ritually clean the space in which the feast could be prepared. At this late day for preparation it would most likely be a room for rent to the many coming to Jerusalem for the holy days.

Several questions come to my mind here. First among them is, why go to a stranger's house for the feast of unleavened bread? He had friends and followers in Jerusalem (Mark 11:8-10*) why not feast with them? Perhaps it was because he knew that his enemies would be watching those places and didn't want to further endanger them. Maybe it was because he desired to spend this holy day with his closest friends.

We just recently celebrated Thanksgiving and most of us gathered with those closest to us. It is a very human thing to do. And Jesus was very human at this point in time. He knew that very shortly he would be beaten nearly too death an then would be publicly executed in a horrendous manner. In Matthew 26:38-39 we read as he confessed to his friends, "My anguish is so great that I feel as if I'm dying. Wait here, and stay awake with me." After walking a little farther, he quickly bowed with his face to the ground and prayed, "Father, if it's possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. But let your will be done rather than mine." Is it any wonder that he desired to eat this meal with them? He said in Luke 22:15, "I've had a deep desire to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." And he then instituted what we now call Holy Communion.

Remember the next time you partake of the grape and the grain how much this meal meant to him want was about to die for us.

*Mark 11:8-10
Many spread their coats on the road. Others cut leafy branches in the fields and spread them on the road. Those who went ahead and those who followed him were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is our ancestor David's kingdom that is coming! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

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All content (except quotations) © 2018 Thomas E. Williams

THE LONG ANSWER - PART 6

MUSINGS - November 27, 2018

THE LONG ANSWER - PART 6

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Mark 13:3b-4
Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him (Jesus) privately, "Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign when all this will come to an end?"

Mark 13:24-27
"Now, after the misery of those days, the sun will turn dark, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the universe will be shaken. "Then people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. He will send out his angels, and from every direction under the sky, they will gather those whom God has chosen.

Matter, antimatter, dark matter, quantum mechanics, string theory, unified theory, gravity, light, and all the physical properties that humans have worked so hard to understand will be shaken. Everything that we think we know about our world and universy will become null and void. The One True Power, God, while intervene as he hasn't since creation. people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power. This is when Jesus will call his own from everywhere and everywhen. This is not the beginning of the end. This is the end of the beginning.

Jesus said in Mark 13:23
Be on your guard! I have told you everything before it happens. Be prepared for that transformational moment when history ceases and everything is made new. By "be prepared" I don't mean have food and water stored in an underground bunker. I mean prepare your soul. Do your best to present yourself to God as a tried-and-true worker who isn't ashamed to teach the word of truth correctly. (2 Timothy 2:15)

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And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1

All content (except quotations) © 2018 Thomas E. Williams

THE LONG ANSWER - PART 5

MUSINGS - November 26, 2018

THE LONG ANSWER - PART 5

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Mark 13:3b-4
Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him (Jesus) privately, "Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign when all this will come to an end?"

Mark 13:21-23
"At that time don't believe anyone who tells you, 'Here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!' False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will work miraculous signs and do wonderful things to deceive, if possible, those whom God has chosen. Be on your guard! I have told you everything before it happens.

Jesus cautions his followers to Be on your guard! The false messiahs that I know of in my time on this Earth seem to me to be easier to spot than the false prophets. Jim Jones , David Koresh, Charles Manson, Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, L. Ron Hubbard, and Sun Myung Moon. Are just a few that come to mind. I'm sure there are many more lesser known "messiahs" out there it seems a quick way to gain power and wealth. As a matter of fact the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard is wired as saying, “If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.” Though these other cut leaders never said it publicly, I'm sure it was a big motivatingq factor.

As I said I think that modern day prophets are harder to spot. The bookshelves in any bookstore are filled with Prophets. And the only true way to judge a prophet it's after their predictions come true. And if there predictions are for the end time, well at the true end time the predictions no l longer matter.

Again I say, immerse yourself in the Bible and be on guard. Those who deceive the people of God will receive a terrible punishment ... but so will those who are lead astray.

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And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1

All content (except quotations) © 2018 Thomas E. Williams

THE LONG ANSWER- PART 4

MUSINGS - November 25, 2018

THE LONG ANSWER - PART 4

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Mark 13:3b-4
Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him (Jesus) privately, "Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign when all this will come to an end?"

Mark 13:14-20
"When you see the disgusting thing that will cause destruction standing where it should not (let the reader take note), those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. Those who are on the roof should not come down to get anything out of their houses. Those who are in the field should not turn back to get their coats. "How horrible it will be for the women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days. Pray that it will not be in winter. It will be a time of misery that has not happened from the beginning of God's creation until now, and will certainly never happen again. If the Lord does not reduce that time, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.

These now are signs of the end times. When you see the disgusting thing that will cause destruction standing where it should not. I'm not a prophet nor a great theologian but I see that where stood the Temple in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site Al-Aqsa Mosque, that to me could be fulfillment of this prophesy. The final Temple was destroyed by the Romans within forty some years s after Christmas predicted it. That effectively destroyed the Jewish nation until 14 May 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, declared "the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz-Israel, to be known as the State of Israel. By then the mosque, which was built between 1168 and 1174, had been on the site of the Temple for 774 years.

As I said many others have tried to understand this prophesy and interpreted it many different ways. However, whatever else is true we have Christ's word that those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen. We read in Ephesians 1:4-6
Before the creation of the world, he chose us through Christ to be holy and perfect in his presence. Because of his love he had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this so that the kindness he had given us in his dear Son would be praised and given glory.

We know that the end will not come until the Gosple has reached everyone (Mark 13:10) so it is our duty, as those chosen by God, to shorten the time by sharing it with everyone.

Visit my daily blog. https://RVingFulltimeWithTomAndElla.com/

And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1

All content (except quotations) © 2018 Thomas E. Williams

THE LONG ANSWER - PART 3

MUSINGS - November 23, 2018

THE LONG ANSWER - PART 3

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Mark 13:3b-4
Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him (Jesus) privately, "Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign when all this will come to an end?"

Mark 13:11-13
When they take you away to hand you over to the authorities, don't worry ahead of time about what you will say. Instead, say whatever is given to you to say when the time comes. Indeed, you are not the one who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit will. "Brother will hand over brother to death; a father will hand over his child. Children will rebel against their parents and kill them. Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me. But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

Some of what Jesus foresees sounds like the nightly news. And yet it isn't new news. These horrible things have gone on since Cane killed Able. Christ's followers have been persecuted since he called the twelve apostles to follow him. In some parts of our world people are literally dieing for processing their faith. In America the mistreatment of Christians is more subtle but our rights to express our Christian beliefs are slowly eroding. The good news is But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

The apostle Paul wrote to the
Put on all the armor that God supplies. In this way you can take a stand against the devil's strategies. This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world. For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground. (Ephesians 6:11-13) as a matter of fact, read all of chapter 6 as a lesson in how to ensure until the end.

Immerse yourself in the word.

Visit my daily blog. https://RVingFulltimeWithTomAndElla.com/

And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1

All content (except quotations) © 2018 Thomas E. Williams

THE LONG ANSWER - PART 2

MUSINGS - November 23, 2018

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THE LONG ANSWER - PART 2
Mark 13:4
"Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign when all this will come to an end?"

Mark 13:7-10
"When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don't be alarmed! These things must happen, but they don't mean that the end has come. Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes and famines in various places. These are only the beginning pains of the end. "Be on your guard! People will hand you over to the Jewish courts and whip you in their synagogues. You will stand in front of governors and kings to testify to them because of me. But first, the Good News must be spread to all nations.

Jesus said, wars, earthquakes, and famines are not signs of end times. They have been happening nearly from the beginning of time. Christ's followers have been and will continue to be persecuted. These again are not signs of the end times but part of the human condition since the fall from Grace in the garden of Eden.

The good news is that the Gosple will be spread to every nation before the end comes. By God's continuing grace everyone will have the opportunity to hear the Good News.
As of October 2017 the full Bible has been translated into 670 languages, the New Testament alone into 1,521 languages and Bible portions or stories into 1,121 other languages. And we still have not reached the entirety of humanity.

Are you doing your part in spreading the Good news to those to those around you?

Visit my daily blog. https://RVingFulltimeWithTomAndElla.com/

And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1

All content (except quotations) © 2018 Thomas E. Williams

THE LONG ANSWER - PART 1

MUSINGS - November 22, 2018

THE LONG ANSWER - PART 1

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Mark 13:1-6
As Jesus was going out of the temple courtyard, one of his disciples said to him, "Teacher, look at these huge stones and these beautiful buildings!" Jesus said to him, "Do you see these large buildings? Not one of these stones will be left on top of another. Each one will be torn down." As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives facing the temple buildings, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will this happen? What will be the sign when all this will come to an end?" Jesus answered them, "Be careful not to let anyone deceive you. Many will come using my name. They will say, 'I am he,' and they will deceive many people.

Mark behind this narrative with Jesus prophesying the destruction of the temple. The disciples then asked, "When?" The answer is not a simple date And time. His answer goes on from Mark 13:5 to 13:37. Today we are going to address the destruction of the temple.

The Romans Destroy the Temple

at Jerusalem, 70 AD

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In the year 66 AD the Jews of Judea rebelled against their Roman masters. In response, the Emperor Nero dispatched an army under the generalship of Vespasian to restore order. By the year 68, resistance in the northern part of the province had been eradicated and the Romans turned their full attention to the subjugation of Jerusalem. stronghold. By the year 70, the attackers had breached Jerusalem's outer walls and began a systematic ransacking of the city. The assault culminated in the burning and destruction of the Temple approximately 35 years after Jesus predicted it. This is confirmation of his ability to foresee the future. His word is true.

Tune in tomorrow for part two of the Long Answer.

Visit my daily blog. https://RVingFulltimeWithTomAndElla.com/

And my sermons blog http://ThomasEWilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1

All content (except quotations) © 2018 Thomas E. Williams