6/11/13

From Gary... Food


For Kathy..

When my Great-Aunt Elizabeth died, the family went to a restaurant outside of Boston that served sandwiches like the top picture.  I had one.  I have never had a triple hamburger like the second one and now that I am not eating as much meat, have no desire for it.  Both are a waste of time.  In case you are wondering, Kathy is our leader at weight-watchers and very good at what she does.  I hit my lowest weight in a decade last night- 77 lbs lower than went I started; and things have changed.  I eat more vegetables and fruit and actually track what I consume and it does make a difference.  Only about 120 lbs. to go.  But, no matter how much I discipline myself, I know that there is always the possibility of gaining weight again- so I have to be careful.  This post could easily turn into something about Gluttony- but I really don't want to go there.  Instead, its focus will be on what we do in order to get to heaven (Gluttony, like all sin, is an obstacle to that), or rather what is required to get there.  The following passage from Colossians will give some insight as to where I am headed...

Colossians, Chapter 2

13 You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,  14 wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;  15 having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 

  16  Let no one therefore judge you in eating, or in drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day, 17 which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.  18 Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,  19 and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth.  20 If you died with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,  21 “Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch”  22 (all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?  23 Which things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh. 


Don't let people tell you what to do.  Read what the Scriptures tell you and then let your conscience be your guide.  Rules and regulations that are man-made are of no value; but the ones from heaven are.  Eat, don't eat, its up to you.  At this point the following comes to mind...

Colossians, Chapter 3
  17  Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him. 

Enough said, I have to go- time for second breakfast!!!

From Jim McGuiggan... Heaven's Warfare


Heaven's Warfare

Do you remember the poem that starts with "I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day"? It was another one of those attacks on doctrine that said, "What really counts is what you do and not what you think." Like so many other reactions it's a miserable half-truth. Take that fellow Paul who worked so hard and so consistently that he was able to say without bragging (as if he was simply stating the facts), "I worked harder than them all" (1 Corinthians 15:10). He saw his life for God as a non-stop war and what is it he fought against without giving an inch? Well, listen to him for yourself (2 Corinthians 10:3-5), "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
What do you make of that? What does he war against with divine weapons? "Arguments...every pretension...against the knowledge of God...every thought..." There it is, arguments, thoughts and anything that interferes with the knowledge of God. If you had asked Paul if he was opposed to evil deeds he would have glared at you--of course! What a silly question. But he believed what he learned from his Master: truth frees and error enslaves. To say it doesn't matter what one believes is nonsense for when people act, they act on what they believe. The gifts God gave to the world when Jesus ascended on high leading captivity captive included ministers of the word who saw to it that the believers were stabilised by truth. By God's grace they saw to it that the church was carried about by every wind and wave of doctrine, of error. God is diametrically opposed to error and every false argument. To reduce life under God to nothing but correct views is more nonsense but life is shaped by the size and nature of the truths we pay homage to. And because that's true not only would Paul not apologise for his ceaseless pursuit of truth he sees a central part of his warfare as tearing down false arguments and destructive errors. We would do well to remember that it was in the middle of a doctrinal discussion about the resurrection of the dead that he gave this warning (1 Corinthians 15:33), "Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character." False teachers, false views corrupt the mind and consequently corrupt the conduct.
It becomes those who profess to be called to minister God's word to spend prayerful time and energy listening to that word and to set themselves to rescue sinners by tearing down forts of error.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... The Olivet Discourse - II (Mk 13:24-37)


                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                  The Olivet Discourse - II (13:24-37)

INTRODUCTION

1. In our previous lesson, we covered the first half of Mark 13...
   a. Commonly called "The Olivet Discourse", delivered by Jesus on the
      Mount of Olives
   b. A challenging passage of scripture, believed to discussing
      either...
      1) The destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred in 70 A.D.
      2) The second coming of Christ, which is yet to occur
      3) Or both events, described either in turn or intertwined

2. I’ve proposed that the discourse foretells the destruction of
   Jerusalem, based first upon the setting...
   a. Jesus’ words spoken previously in the temple
      1) His parables about Israel’s rejection of Him - cf. 
         Mt 21:28-32,33-46; 22:1-14
      2) His condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees - cf. Mt 23:27-36
      3) His lamentation over Jerusalem - cf. Mt 23:37-39
   b. Jesus’ prophecy regarding about the temple - Mk 13:1-2
   c. The disciples’ questions, which when Mark and Luke’s account is
      considered, appear to be:
      1) "When will these things be?"
      2) "What will be the sign when all these things will be
         fulfilled?"
      -- Cf. Mt 24:3; Mk 13:4; Lk 21:7

3. We then saw that in vs. 5-23, Jesus describes...
   a. What will not be the sign (other than the gospel preached to all
      nations) - Mk 13:5-13
   b. What will be the sign - Mk 13:14
      1) The abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel- Dan 9:26-27; 12:11
      2) Which Luke explains to be Jerusalem surrounded by armies - Lk 21:20
   c. What to do when they saw the sign - Mk 13:15-23
      1) Those in Judea were to flee to the mountains to avoid a great
         tribulation
      2) They were not to be misled by false christs or false prophets

[Up to vs. 24, Jesus described a local, escapable judgment to befall
Jerusalem.  He does not describe the worldwide, inescapable judgment
taught elsewhere in the Scriptures.  But with vs. 24, many believe Jesus
now addresses His second coming (cf. J. W. McGarvey’s Fourfold Gospel).
As we continue with our study, I propose that the destruction of
Jerusalem is still under consideration...]

II. THE OLIVET DISCOURSE (continued)

   D. WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT...
      1. Events to occur "after the tribulation of those days"...
         a. Cosmic disturbances - Mk 13:24-25
            1) The sun will be darkened
            2) The moon will not give its light
            3) The stars of heaven will fall
            4) The powers in the heavens will be shaken
         b. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven
            with power and great glory - Mk 13:26
            1) The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven - cf. Mt 24:30
            2) All the tribes of the earth will mourn - cf. Mt 24:30
         c. The elect will be gathered - Mk 13:27
            1) For with a great sound of the trumpet, angels will be
               sent - cf. Mt 24:31
            2) They shall gather the elect from the four winds, from the
               farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven
      2. Such events certainly sound like the second coming of Christ,
         but consider two reasons why they may not be referring to Jesus’
         coming at the Last Day...
         a. The events were to occur "immediately after the tribulation
            of those days" ("in those days, after that tribulation")
            - Mt 24:29; Mk 13:24
            1) They are connected in time to the tribulation described
               in Mk 13:15-28
            2) This "coming" of Jesus was to occur at the conclusion of
               the siege of Jerusalem
         b. The events are similar to those used to foretell God’s
            judgment of other nations
            1) Babylon - Isa 13:1,6-13
            2) Egypt - Isa 19:1-2; cf. Eze 32:2,7-9
            2) Tyre - Isa 23:1; 24:21-23
            3) Edom - Isa 34:4-6
            4) Nineveh - Nah 1:1-5
            5) Israel - Am 8:9
            6) Judah - Jer 4:5-6,23-28
      3. Jewish prophets foretold God’s judgment upon such nations...
         a. Using figures of worldwide destruction, even though the
            judgment was local
         b. Perhaps because such judgments foreshadow God’s Final
            Judgment to come upon the entire world at the Last Day
      4. Like other Jewish prophets, Jesus used figurative language to
         depict:
         a. The judgment to befall the religious leaders of Israel (in
            terms of worldwide destruction)
         b. The provision made for faithful disciples of Christ (in
            terms of the gathering by angels)
      5. Therefore I suggest that even in Mk 13:24-27 Jesus refers to
         the destruction of Jerusalem

   E. ADMONITIONS TO BE PREPARED...
      1. The parable of the fig tree - Mk 13:28-29
         a. New branches and leaves indicate summer is near
         b. When you see these things (Jerusalem surrounded by armies),
            the time is near
      2. It would happen before "this generation" passed away - Mk 13:30
         a. Some define "generation" as a race of people (i.e., the
            Jews) - cf. McGarvey, B. W. Johnson
         b. But note its use by Jesus just prior to this discourse - cf.
            Mt 23:33-36 (esp. 36)
         c. The destruction of Jerusalem came to pass within forty
            years!
      3. The words of Jesus will come to pass - Mk 13:31
         a. Heaven and earth shall pass away one day - cf. 2Pe 3:7,10
         b. But Jesus’ words will by no means pass away
      4. Of that day and hour, only the Father knows - Mk 13:32
         a. Many believe at this point Jesus begins to talk about the
            second coming - e.g., France, NIGTC; Short, NIBC
         b. The disciples might discern the general timing with the
            advance of armies toward Jerusalem
         c. But the day and hour when the siege would begin, only the
            Father knew
      5. Therefore, take heed, watch and pray! - Mk 13:33-37
         a. You don’t know when the time is - e.g., Ac 1:7
         b. Don’t be caught off guard, like a servant caught sleeping
            when his master returns
         c. Be ready, for the Son of Man will come when you not expect
            Him
         d. The siege of Jerusalem might begin promptly, so flee Judea
            promptly when you see the armies surrounding Jerusalem!

CONCLUSION

1. Admittedly, there is much in "The Olivet Discourse" that alludes to
   our Lord’s second coming at the Last Day...
   a. But it no different than prophecies by other Jewish prophets who
      foretold God’s judgment upon nations and cities
   b. Such figurative language was a common motif used by Jewish
      prophets
   c. We should not be surprised to see Jesus using the same motif in
      this context
   -- And rightly so, for God’s judgments upon nations in the past are
      types and shadows of the Final Judgment to befall the entire world
      when Jesus comes again

2. In addition to the setting leading up to the discourse, there is the
   natural flow of the discourse itself that leads me to conclude it is
   entirely about the destruction of Jerusalem...
   a. Jesus’ disciples are told what will not be the sign - Mk 13:1-13
   b. They are told will be the sign that His coming is near - Mk 13:14
   c. They are told what to do when they see the sign - Mk 13:14-23
   d. His coming in judgment (the fall of Jerusalem) is described in
      terms reminiscent of other Jewish prophets who foretold of God’s
      judgments upon various nations - Mk 13:24-27
   e. Admonitions are given for them to be prepared and watchful, for
      all these things will happen before the current generation passed
      away, though the exact time was unknown - Mk 13:28-37

So I view "The Olivet Discourse" to describe a local, escapable judgment
which occurred as Jesus foretold in 70 A. D.

However, there is still the worldwide, inescapable judgment at the Last
Day.  Are you ready for that Day?  The admonitions to be prepared and
productive are very similar:

   "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in
   which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the
   elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the
   works that are in it will be burned up."

   "Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner
   of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking
   for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which
   the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements
   will melt with fervent heat?"

   "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens
   and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  Therefore, beloved,
   looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in
   peace, without spot and blameless;"
                                                       - 2Pe 3:10-14


Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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