Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / April 1 - Mark 13

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April 1 - Mark 13 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Welcome to another edition of Bird Life Extravaganza, your
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  weekly dose of the lovely lives of birdies.
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  I am your host and dear old buddy Arthur, and it's my
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  absolute delight that this week we shall be investigating the
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  airspeed velocity of unladen sparrows.
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  That's right. Oh, I see.
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  I have a listener question here. You're wondering African or are
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  you European? Swallow.
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  Well, I'm not exactly quite sure who do you know?
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  See how much bits swallows? Well, you have to know these
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  things when you're a king, you know.
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  Hello friends, Yes indeed, these are things you need to know when
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  you're king. I am Sean.
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  It is the 1st of April, Happy April Fools.
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  That is just a little bit of silliness.
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  If you're wondering what on earth is going on, that is just
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  a little bit of love from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
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  You should definitely look that up if you haven't seen it.
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  Today is indeed a Wednesday and it is the day of silliness.
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  But more than a day of silliness, it is this day in
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  Holy Week when we continue far more reverently than the start
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  of this podcast as we with Jesus move through Jerusalem toward
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  the end of the week. Which of course, on Friday will
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  be Good Friday, when our hearts will break at what happened to
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  our Lord. But boy, oh boy, will that all
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  change when the glory, the glory and the victory of Easter Sunday
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  are upon us. So, friends, today we'll
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  continue reading this account in the book of Mark.
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  And in this chapter, Jesus speaks about the future.
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  Jesus speaks about what will happen at that time and deep
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  into the future. And it is a chapter that has
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  caused many, many scholars to spend many long nights and days
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  trying to work out exactly what it is that Jesus is talking
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  about. But as we read it today,
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  friends, we are going to rest in the knowledge that it is God who
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  holds all of these events in his hands.
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  Our God who loves us, is sovereign and calls us to trust
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  in him. So Holy Spirit, draw our hearts
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  closer to you to understand you, but more importantly, to know
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  you intimately and to trust in you.
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  Alright friends, all that is said and done, let us now leave
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  the world of sparrows behind and read together Mark Chapter 13.
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  As Jesus was leaving the temple that day, one of his disciples
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  said, Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings.
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  Look at the impressive stones in the walls.
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  Jesus replied, yes, look at these great buildings, but they
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  will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on
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  top of another. Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of
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  Olives across the valley from the temple.
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  Peter, James, John and Andrew came to him privately and asked
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  him, tell us when will all this happen?
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  What sign will show us that these things are about to be
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  fulfilled? Jesus replied, Don't let anyone
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  mislead you, for many will come in my name claiming I am the
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  Messiah. They will deceive many, and you
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  will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic.
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  Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow
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  immediately. Nation will go to war against
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  nation and Kingdom against Kingdom.
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  There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world as well
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  as famines. But this is only the first of
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  the birth pains with more to come when these things begin to
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  happen. Watch out.
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  He will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the
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  synagogues. You will stand trial before
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  governors and kings because you are my followers, but this will
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  be your opportunity to tell them about me.
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  For the good news must first be preached to all nations.
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  And when you are arrested and stand trial, don't worry in
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  advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at
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  that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy
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  Spirit. A brother will betray his
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  brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and
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  children will rebel against their parents and cause them to
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  be killed. And everyone will hate you,
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  because you are my followers. But the one who endures to the
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  end will be saved. The day is coming when you will
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  see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing
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  where he should not be. Reader, pay attention.
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  Then those in Judah must flee to the hills.
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  A person out on the deck of a roof must not go back into the
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  house to pack. A person out in the field must
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  not return even to get a coat. How terrible it will be for
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  pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days.
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  And pray that your flight will not be in winter, for there will
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  be greater anguish in those days than any time since.
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  God created the world, and it will never be so great again.
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  In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity,
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  not a single person will survive.
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  But for the sake of His chosen ones, He has shortened those
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  days. Then if anyone tells you, look,
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  here is the Messiah, or there He is, don't believe it.
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  For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and
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  perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even
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  God's chosen ones. Watch out.
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  I have warned you about this ahead of time.
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  At that time, after the anguish of those days, the sun will be
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  darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from
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  the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
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  Then everyone will see the sun of man coming on the clouds with
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  great power and glory, and he will send out his angels to
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  gather his chosen ones from all over the world, from the
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  farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
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  Now learn a lesson from the fig tree.
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  When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know
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  that summer is near. In the same way, when you see
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  all these things taking place, you can know that his return is
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  very near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this
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  generation will not pass from the scene.
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  Before all these things take place, heaven and earth will
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  disappear, but my words will never disappear.
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  However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will
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  happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.
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  Only the Father knows. And since you don't know when
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  that time will come, be on guard.
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  Stay alert. The coming of the Son of Man can
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  be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip.
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  When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about
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  the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for
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  his return. You too must keep watch, for you
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  don't know when the master of the household will return.
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  In the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at Daybreak.
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  Don't let him find you sleeping. When he arrives without warning,
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  I say to you what I say to everyone.
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  Watch for him. Oh, Jesus, you are indeed that
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  master. You are indeed the sovereign God
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  of all and all the things that will come, that will be revealed
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  in time. These things are all within your
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  grasp, your power, and your plan.
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  So, Lord, I pray that you give us your Spirit, your spirit of
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  boldness, your spirit of faith and of readiness, so that our
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  whole lives can be lived as though on the precipice of your
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  nearness, of your return. Well, that gives us a real sense
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  of immediacy, doesn't it? That that each day could be our
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  last. Each day could be the day that
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  you come back and I can really focus our priorities for the
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  day. To just live for you, to share
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  your love with the world that desperately needs it, and to
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  hold tightly clinging to you Your grace and your provision
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  for us. You are sovereign, You are
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  wonderful, and your love for us knows no bounds.
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  You're incredible and we love you back and we praise you and
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  we pray. All of this and your wonderful
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  name, Jesus. Amen.