“If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, who he has chosen, he has shortened them.”
~ Mark 13:20
Hi James and Ellen,
What day each year do you look forward to the most? Do you look forward the most to your next birthday? Do you look forward the most to Christmas Day? What day do you think that you will be looking forward to the most in the years that are ahead of you? Do you think that you will be looking forward to the day each year when you are finished with school for the year? Do you think that you will be looking forward to the day that you get married? Why do you think that kids like you look forward the most each year to their next birthday? Do you think that it is because of all the attention that kids like you get from all the other kids at their birthday party? Why do you think that kids like you look forward the most each year to Christmas Day? Do you think that it is because kids like you like getting lots of presents? Why do you think that kids like you would look forward the most to the day when they are finished with another school year? Some kids – like your grandpaa when he was a kid, really did not enjoy going to school that much. Why do you think that kids like you would look forward the most to the day when they get married? Your grandpaa thinks that the day that your grandmaa married your grandpaa was the best day of his life. Your grandmaa and grandpaa – when they were kids like you are now, never thought about what life would be like having to go to work each day, about what life would be like having to raise a couple of kids and about what life would be like being given the privilege and blessing of being missionaries. Looking forward to your next birthday or to the next Christmas Day is a good thing to do. Birthdays and Christmas Days are very special days which are to be remembered and enjoyed. It is easy to plan for birthdays and Christmas Days because they are days when guys, gals and kids everywhere know exactly when they will happen each year. Birthdays and Christmas days are usually fun days. Birthdays and Christmas Days are days when kids like you get gifts such as toys, clothes and/or money which makes these days happy days for kids. As a kid like you grows up, the feelings that the kid will have each year as he or she is looking forward to his or her birthdays and Christmas Days will change. Birthdays and Christmas Days are days which God uses to remind guys, gals and kids about life. Your birthdays are the anniversary days when you physically made your first appearance on planet Earth. Your family and friends are happy to help you celebrate your first physical appearance on planet Earth. Christmas Days are when another birth is joyously remembered by guys, gals and kids everywhere on planet Earth. God the Son – Jesus, over 2000 years ago was born as an incarnate baby in a place – probably a grotto, where animals were kept at night. Guys, gals and kids all over planet Earth want to remember each year Jesus’ birth. God had Himself born as God the Son – Jesus, so that He could give Himself as a physical atoning gift to the guys, gals and kids who He specially elected before He created planet Earth.
Mark in his Mark Book – in Mark 13, writes about another day. Your grandpaa does not know from whom your grandpaa calls the midnight reporter got his info but . . . Mark quotes in his book what Jesus told Peter, James, John and Andrew – who were four of Jesus’ disciples. Because Mark got to know Peter, Mark may be quoting what Peter told him what Jesus said one day while they were leaving the temple that was in the city of Jerusalem. As they were leaving the temple one day, one of Jesus’ disciples said something about the massive white stones that made up the temple. Some of these massive white stones were 37 feet long, 12 feet high and 18 feet wide. When one of Jesus’ disciples said something to Jesus about these impressive, massive stones, Jesus began a discourse. This discourse is now called the Olivet discourse. A discourse is a dialogue or conversation. It was a teaching moment for Jesus to tell His disciples about a day that was ahead of them. Jesus did not tell His four disciples who were with Him when this day would take place; Jesus just told His four disciples who were with Him to be ready for that day. There has been a series of books written called ‘The Left Behind Series’ that has made a lot of money off what Jesus told Peter, James, John and Andrew as they were over 1975 years ago leaving the temple that was in the city of Jerusalem.
When Jesus told the four disciples about a day that was ahead of them, Jesus warned these four guys that that day was not going to be a fun day at all. Mark wrote in verse 20 what he was told what Jesus said, “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, who he has chosen, he has shortened them.” The he Who Jesus is referring to in this verse is God the Father. Jesus began by telling the four disciples who were with Him that the massive white stones that they were admiring would all one day be thrown off each other. Jesus told His four disciples who were with Him to look for signs that would precede the day when He and His angels would suddenly appear in the clouds. Jesus told His four disciples who were with Him that He would return with great power and glory. Jesus told His four disciples who were with Him that the angels with Him would gather all His specially elected guys, gals and kids from wherever they were living on planet Earth. The different signs that Jesus told His four disciples who were with Him that would foretell His impending return to planet Earth includes a noticeable uptick in liars and deceivers on planet Earth, a noticeable uptick in warring taking place on planet Earth and a noticeable uptick in earthquakes on planet Earth. The characteristic that stands out the most for your grandpaa in the just ended fearful generation is that lying is this generation’s core norm. Are you ready to meet Jesus today if these are now the days that Jesus was talking about to His four disciples who were with Him over 1975 years ago?
Mark 13 (472)