Mark 13

Scripture Mark 13
Keep Watch blueletterbible.org
A sensed a theme and so I went back to underline the ideas. Here is what I found, also note that in all of these verses it is Jesus speaking.

verse 5 don't be mislead
verse 7 don't panic
verse 9 watch out
verse 11 don't worry
verse 13 those who endure to the end will be saved
verse 21 don't pay any attention
verse 22 Watch out! I have warned you
Verse 34 Stay alert and keep watch
verse 35 keep a sharp lookout
verse 37 Watch for his return

Observation

Verse 32 tells us that only God knows when Jesus will return. I believe that we are seeing many of the signs that He will return soon. Verse 33 pulled it all together for me. No matter what - we are to stay alert and keep watch. How do we do this? By growing in our relationship with the Lord.

To stay alert we must be in the Word, the Bible is our guide and it tells us how to live. I think that keeping watch means we are to be prepared. Firstly in knowing the Bible and gaining wisdom but also in our lives. But secondly so that we can use this wisdom to tell others about Jesus.

Application

Verse 13 tells us that if we endure to the end we will be saved. Endure what? How bad will it have to get before we see the end? I have heard from more than a couple pastors that the Western world is not part of the Biblical prophecies as they relate to the end times. I also heard a speaker talk about how every democracy will eventually fail. So what happens to the most powerful nation in the world? Perhaps there will be a mass destruction like the TV show Jericho, or maybe a disasterous plague of some kind, or maybe economic and social failure. Did you know that a grocery store only has 3 days worth of food on its shelves and that there is only about a week's worth of food in trucks on the road for delivery. The country is basically 72 hours away from mass hysteria!

So just maybe the US has to be brought down in some way from being a powerful nation because the US is not a player in the end times events. So will this need to happen before Jesus returns? Whether or not you believe in the concept of rapture, I think that we will all have to endure some serious trials before the end times events begin. And this is why I have started to feel so strongly about being prepared through a food storage program. I have just started this program in our home and will continure to write about the steps I am taking. This chapter simply tells me that the Holy Spirit is leading me in this direction and that I need to continue developing purplepreps!

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank for continuing to make yourself known to me through your Word. Please help me to be alert and to keep watch so that I will be able to endure to the end.