Thu, Nov 29th - 6:45PM

Mark 14:37,38

Mark 14:37 And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38“Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (NASB)

It is in the Holy Spirit of God that we have the strength to live the Christian life.  It is through the Holy Spirit we have the strength and ability to do the ministry of God.  It is when we try to live life outside the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we fall into sin.  It is when we try to do ministry through own abilities instead of through the Holy Spirit that we fail.  If you are trying to live the Christian life and you are not in tune with the Holy Spirit you will fail.  This is the reasons Christians fall into sin, this is the reason Christians fall for false teaching, and this is the reason ministers fail.  The Holy Spirit was given to us to be our guide in the Christian so that we may know and follow the will of God.  How do we get in tune with the Holy Spirit.  Through prayer, Bible study, worship, spending time with God.  Many Christians don’t know how to walk according to the Spirit because they neglect these very things.  Being a Christian is just like any relationship, if you want to grow closer together you have to spend time together and for the Christian that means spending time with God in prayer, and Bible study, and worship through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

Wed, Nov 28th - 9:23PM

Mark 14:32-36

Mark 14:32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” 35Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36“Abba,Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (NIV)

What was Jesus prayer?  Not my will but yours.  Not His will be done but God’s will be done.  Remember the Lord’s Prayer? 

Matthew 6:9 This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven (NIV)

Jesus prayed that God’s will be done.  If we are Disciples of Christ, and if you are a Christian you should consider yourself a Disciple of Christ, then we should be following the examples of Christ including how to pray and if He prayed that God’s will be done than shouldn’t that be our prayer to?  But to many times we pray that God give us our will to be done.  The biggest problem I have with the whole name it and claim it theology is that it turns God into some kind of magical genie that just sits when heaven waiting to grant all of our wishes or a weaker God that has to give us what we asked for because we claimed it.  Well I worship an almighty God that is all powerful and knows all things and knows what I need.  Prayer is for our benefit not God’s.  Prayer draws us into a personal relationship with God and invites us into His ministry to do His will not ours.

Mon, Nov 26th - 7:52PM

Mark 14:22-26

Mark 14:22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

23Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it.

24“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. 25“I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”

26When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives (NIV)

The death of Christ on the cross established a new covenant with all of God’s children.  John 1:12 says all that accept Christ and believe in Him are the children of God.

John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

No longer was one nation, the Jews, the children of God but all who believe in Christ and accept Him as their Savior are the children of God.  This was a covenant established in Christ’s own blood which He shed on the cross as a sin sacrifice for the world that whosoever accepts Him as Lord and Savior can have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life through Him. 

Thu, Nov 22nd - 11:16PM

Mark 13:32,33

Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

33Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

Every once a while a false teacher comes along and claims he knows when Christ is coming back.  This happen just a couple of years ago here in the U.S. when a well-known radio preacher claimed he knew the date that Christ was coming back.  For some reason people believed him and of course they all made fools of themselves and Christians all together because those on the outside of Christianity lump all Christians together.  Well if people would know the Bible they would realize right away the false teaching that this was.  These verses say very clearly no one knows when Christ is coming back except for God Himself.  Think about it, why would God tell us?  Because you know what would happen.  You have people that would party it up until the last day then “get right with God” before He comes back.  We might not know when Christ will return but we know He is returning to claim His church and to judge the world of its sins.  The most important thing to do until then is to reach as many as the lost we can before He does return.  Because one of the things that is for certain is that with each passing day we are one day closer to His return. 

Thu, Nov 22nd - 12:08AM

Mark 13:30,31

Mark 13:30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. 31Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

The Word of God is eternal and is not going anywhere no matter how hard the enemies of God try.  There are a lot of people and groups that want to silence the Word of God but they can’t, God will not be silence.  No one has the power to silence God.  The Jews tried and fail, the Romans tried and failed, the Communists have tried and failed, the Muslims have tried and failed, the Atheists and the Liberals keep trying and keep failing.

Many more try to change the Word of God to fit their own beliefs or their own vision of who God should be.  Many try to change God into their own image of who God should be and how God should act.  God doesn’t change and neither does His Word.  The same God of the Old Testament and the New Testament is the same God of today.  The same God who wrote the Old Testament and the New Testament through His faithful followers is the same God of today.  The same God who said homosexuality is a sin in the Bible is the same God of today.  The same God who said do not divorce in the Bible is the same God of today.  God doesn’t care about the changing social viewpoints of society.  What was sin 2000 years ago is still sin today.  The moral views of man changes but God never changes and neither does His Word. 

Tue, Nov 20th - 8:28PM

Mark 13:28,29

Mark 13:28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: 29So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

Jesus said no one knows when the end will come but there are signs to let us know the end is near.  The Bible gives several prophecies to allow Christians to know the end is near. 

Most people probably would be surprised that some of the signs are already have come true or are becoming true now.  The re-birth of the nation of Israel in 1948 was prophecy fulfilled. 

Ezekiel 37:10-14
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army. Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”

Matthew 24 and Mark 13 are full of signs of the end times including increase in earthquakes, wars, increase in false teachings, increase in famine, disease, and other natural disasters, increase in persecution of Christians and many falling away from the faith, and the Gospel being preached to the ends of the earth.  Granted you can argue rather there is an increase in earthquakes and other natural disasters but some signs can’t be denied like the fact today the Gospel is being preached to the ends of the earth at the same time that in the traditional home of Christianity many people are falling away from the faith and for the first time in centuries Christians in the West are starting to feel hatred for their faith.  2 Thessalonians speaks of a great falling away before the man of sin (the Antichrist) is revealed.

2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

I am no expert on end times prophecy I myself prefer to concentrate on reaching the lost instead of figuring out end time prophecies but a few things I can say for certain because they are in the Bible and everything in the Bible will come to pass is that Christ will come back to claim his people and judge the world of its sin and that with each passing day we are one day closer to that becoming a reality. 

Fri, Nov 16th - 11:24PM

Mark 13:9-13

Mark 13:9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10And the gospel must first be published among all nations. 11But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 12Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. 13And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Jesus didn’t promise the easy life to His disciples.  He didn’t promise them prosperity and blessings on earth.  He promised them a life on earth filled with trials and persecution if they continued the mission of spreading the Gospel.  Satan wasn’t going to give up his hold on the souls of mankind without a fight.  For the first couple hundred years of the Christian church’s history it knew persecution.  First at the hands of the Jews then at the hands of the Romans but it was a church that was strong because it had a mission and a focus.  It wasn’t until the church became part of the system when Constantine made Christianity the official religion of Rome that the church really started to drift off of its true path.  The church became involved in politics and control instead of preaching the Gospel.  It was because of this corrupted state of the church that the Reformation was launched and the Protestant church was born but once again once these Protestant churches also became part of the system such as the Lutheran Church in Germany, the Reformed Church in Switzerland, the Church of England they lost focus on the Gospel and try to control people through political means.  It wasn’t until the Evangelical Awakening with the birth of the Baptists, the Methodists, and the other churches that would be born out of the Great Awakenings such as the Holiness and Pentecostal movements that you really see a true separation of the church from the state.  These early Evangelicals knew true religious freedom came only when they separated themselves from government control.  Don’t get me wrong I aint saying Christians should stay out of politics our completely give up on the government but somewhere along the way we have forgotten the only true way to change society is through the Gospel and not the government.  The U.S. is now known as a post-Christian nation and that is probably a true statement and the Christian church of the U.S. is to blame.  We have fallen asleep at the wheel and lost our focus.  While we have been preaching about prosperity and trying to change society through the political arena we have forgot to preach the Gospel the only true agent of change.

Wed, Nov 14th - 6:08PM

Mark 13:1,2

Mark 13:1 As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” 2“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” (NIV)

This came true in 70 A.D. during the Jewish rebellion against the Romans.  The Romans sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple.  But several end times prophecy centers around the temple in Jerusalem so we know sometime in the future it will be rebuilt.  In fact plans are already in place to re-build the temple the only thing holding up construction is the Muslim Dome of the Rock which was built on the grounds of the destroyed temple.  Many believe the when the Antichrist comes to power he will back a deal between Israel and the Muslims which will allow the Jews to have the temple re-built.    

Mon, Nov 12th - 8:23PM

Mark 12:38-40

Mark 12:38 Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. 39And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. 40Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.” (NLT)

The teachers of the law were supposed to lead the people into understanding the law but instead they were using the people’s trust in them to manipulate them especially widows who were extremely vulnerable to their tactics.  Jesus warned they will more severely punished for their hypocrisy.  Throughout the Bible there are special warnings to false teachers.  Preachers and teachers have been entrusted by God to lead the people to Him when they use their position of trust and authority for their own benefit God will judge this sin more harshly than others especially when they are claiming to be speaking for God.  We see this a lot in the Charismatic Movement, don’t get me wrong I believe there are a lot of good faithful Christians and leaders in the Charismatic Movement but I also believe there a lot of false teachers in the movement to.  When a leader gets up and claims God spoke to them in a vision or gave them a word of prophecy people are often reluctant to question them out of fear they might be questioning God and these people take advantage of this.  Don’t be fooled no prophecy or vision if it is from God will contradict the Word of God that is why it is important to know the Word of God.  These false teachers prey on the vulnerable including those who don’t know the Bible.  Read the Bible.  Read what the Bible says about divorce.  How many of our religious leaders have been divorced some of them more than once?  Read what the Bible says about wealth and giving.  The Bible never promises to make you rich for following God.  In fact God promised hardship and persecution for those who follow Him.  Read the Bible.

Sat, Nov 10th - 11:47PM

Mark 12:28-34

Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: 33And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Jesus just summed up all the commandments of the Bible into two.  If you truly love God you will put Him first in your life.  You will have no idols in your life rather it be money, time, or whatever it is that becomes between you and God.  If you truly love your neighbor you will care for his needs including his need to know Christ and be saved.  If you truly love your neighbor you will do him no harm.  You won’t steal for him, cheat him or do him harm.  If you truly love your neighbor you won’t lust after her and you will recognize her value as a child of God and not desire her to be treated as a sex symbol or to be trapped in slavery to the sex industry.  If you truly love your neighbor you will see them as God sees them, not as the competition, not as a threat, and not as just someone in your way.  If you truly love your neighbor than you will tell them about the free gift of salvation in Christ so they can escape the path to hell they are on.  If you truly love your neighbor you want to see the free from the bondage of sin, free from the bondage of addiction rather it be alcohol, drugs, or pornography. 

Sat, Nov 10th - 12:52AM

Mark 12:24

Mark 12:24 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God (NLT)

So many people fall into this category.  One of the reasons there is such much false teaching today is because people don’t know what the Bible says.  They become easy prey for false teachers who want their money or their support.  The Biblical literacy among Christians is sad and it is all because we don’t take the time to learn and study the Bible.  I mean really study the Bible not just read along on Sunday morning with your pastor.  If you really want to learn about God and the power of God than read the Bible.  If you want to grow close to God the Bible will reveal God to you through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

Tue, Nov 6th - 10:14PM

Mark 12:1-12

Mark 12:1 He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 2At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. 6“He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7“But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9“What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10Haven’t you read this scripture:

“‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the capstone;

11the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away. (NIV)

This is a parable about the nation of Israel more specifically their religious leaders.  A man (God) planted a vineyard (Israel) He left the vineyard in the charge of some farmers (the religious leaders) at harvest He sent a servant (prophet) to collect the fruit but He beat him and sent him away.  He continued to send servants but they beat them and killed them to at last He sent His Son (Jesus) who they also killed.

The story of Israel is a story of rebellion toward God.  God led the Hebrews out of slavery and they whined and rebelled against God until He forced them to wander the desert for 40 years until the generation that came out of Egypt was all died and He led their descendants into the Promise Land.  But once in the Promise Land it was a repeated story of rebellion against God.  They would rebel, God would send a prophet to warn them of His coming judgment and often the prophet was rejected, beaten, and many were killed.  God would punish Israel and they would repent and God would forgive them but within a few years the process would start over again.

The religious leaders of Jesus day claimed to be waiting for the Messiah but when He came they refuse to recognize them.  They saw Jesus as a threat to their hold on the people so they wanted Him dead but the stone they rejected became the cornerstone, the foundation for a new nation of believers composed of all who accept Christ as their Savior.  They are the true children of God.

Sun, Nov 4th - 10:09PM

Mark 11:20-25

Mark 11:20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” 22“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (NIV)

Now when Jesus told His disciples that whatever they prayed for if they have faith they will receive it did He actually mean anything?  No of course not.  If I pray for God to strike down my neighbor do you think He will actually do that?  No of course not.  If I ask for God to give me a million dollars just because I want to be rich do you think He would do that?  No of course not, I am being greedy.  God isn’t going to go against His nature to answer our prayers.  People often forget a key phrase that Jesus used in the Lord’s Prayer and in His prayer in the garden, “your will be done.”  Jesus always prayed according to the will of God.  Way too often we pray according to our will and not God’s and then wonder why God doesn’t answer our prayer.  If you want to pray according to God’s will then you have to be in tune with the Holy Spirit. 

Sat, Nov 3rd - 11:47PM

Mark 11:15-19

Mark 11:15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:

“‘My house will be called

a house of prayer for all nations?

But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.

18The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. 19When evening came, they went out of the city. (NIV)

The Temple was supposed to be a holy place of worship but the Jews had turned it into a place of business and not only were they conducting business in the Temple area but they were exhorting those who had to do business with them be jacking up the prices.

Our churches today should be a place where believers come together to worship and honor God.  They should be a place of learning about God.  A place where Sunday School and Bible Study is conducted.  They should be a base of evangelism and charity for the local community.  They should be a place where the future leaders of the church are developed. 

They definitely shouldn’t be a place of business.  They should be more than a social gathering and place to make business contacts.  They shouldn’t be an amusement center all though so many churches today are nothing more than an amusement centers.

They should be a place where the Word of God is preached and souls are fed and the lost are found.  It is pretty unfulfilling to go to a church expected to have your soul fed with the Word of God but instead all you are given is a drama and a watered down sermonette.