Lesson 917

(Lesson 917)(03-15-14) Mark 14:1-9

"After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."

Today's quote relates the story of the "alabaster box". This lesson demonstrates the departure of today's "Christian ministry" from the commandments Jesus gave directly to His followers.

After the woman had anointed Jesus' feet with the very expensive oil, some of His Apostles complained that the oil should have been sold for money and given to the poor. Jesus quickly told them that what the woman had done was the right thing under those extreme circumstances. She had come to prepare Him for His upcoming death. The death, by the way, that saves the souls of all who place their faith in Him.

There is a direct commandment in today's quote that is, for the most part, ignored by many "Christian" preachers. Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."

When was the last time you heard a preacher relate the story of the "alabaster box" and give the woman the credit for what she did? I can only remember that story being told from any pulpit maybe twice in my entire life.

This, very obvious, command is another one of many that are broadly ignored by today's "preachers". There are more, and we will cover them all as these lessons progress.~

Lesson 916

(Lesson 916)(03-14-14) Mark 12:7-37

"And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. 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. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But 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. Now 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. And 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. But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."

Today's lesson includes almost the entire 13th chapter of Mark and foretells the signs that will appear before the glorious return of our Savior.

Jesus again, herein, warned of false teachers and those who would come proclaiming themselves to be Christ. Some of these impostors will fool many "religious" people, that is happening even today.

This lesson gives all of us, whom have trusted Jesus with our eternal salvation, the guarantee of Christ's redeeming return and establishes signs to watch for that signal the time of His return, "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors."

My advice to everyone is to read these prophesies over and over, and to be ever wathcful for that glorious day of Jesus' return.

Most importantly, we should place our faith in Jesus Christ and prepare our souls for that coming.~

Lesson 915

(Lesson 915)(03-13-14) Mark 13:1-6

"And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

In today's lesson, Jesus prophesies the complete destruction of the temple and begins relating the many things that must take place before His triumphant return.

After Peter, James and John asked when these things would occur, Jesus gave them a warning. He said, "Take heed lest any man deceive you: For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

If we simply observe, what is today called "Christianity", we can easily see that the prophesy of Jesus is being fulfilled more and more every day. The vast majority of isms that make up today's "Christianity" have grossly warped and distorted The gospel of Christ in an attempt to make it accommodate the many different agendas to which they aspire.

To meet that challenge, we should thoroughly study God's word to verify its intent and NEVER accept the meaning of scripture from any other source than God's word with the guidance of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ.

What Jesus said concerning the coming of false teachers eventually compelled Timothy to say, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

That last sentence of the quote from Timothy tells us how we are to deal with false teachers, we are to "rightly" divide the word of truth. We are to question every aspect of the gospel as presented by mankind while making sure that all we see and hear coincides exactly with the intent of the gospel as Jesus preached it.

Although Satan will do everything in his power to hide the truth from those who seek salvation, the word of God will always hold the answer and will NEVER contradict itself! If there appears to be a contradiction, study and pray harder, the truth WILL surface.

Therefore, as Jesus said, "beware" of those who would mislead and distort, they are here today and there are many. Arm yourself with the Holy Spirit and full knowledge of the divine word of our living God. Study, Study, Study!~

Lesson 914

(Lesson 914)(03-14-14) Mark 12:41-44

"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."

Today's lesson is a very short one, and, as it applies to Christianity today, one of the most important.

The quote relates the story of the "widow's mites". For that woman, although the amount she gave in real money was insignificant, the real value of her contribution was enormous.

As I'm sure it was in the days of Jesus' ministry, it is easy for many of us today to drop five, ten, twenty or even one hundred dollar bill into a collection receptacle. But for many, letting go of even one dollar without absolute faith that God will replace it, is a struggle and works a hardship on their budget.

Giving is a very subjective thing, we give in proportion to the strength of our faith. If we truly believe God will refill our coffers tenfold, as He promised He would, we should always be willing to put all that we have in the box. Just as the widow did.

If on the other hand, our faith is so weak that we are afraid to give it all, we should give nothing, get out our bibles and start studying the gospel of Christ, and praying for a greater faith.
"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." (Matthew 19:21)~

Lesson 913

(Lesson 913)(03-11-14) Mark 12:35-44

"And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly. And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation."

In today's lesson Jesus explains how He could not possibly be the "son of David", or descendant of David in the literal since, seeing that He was the same "Lord" to David as He is to us.

Read todays lesson carefully and determine in your own mind whether Jesus when describing the scribes if Hein fact was also describing the entire Catholic clergy and most of today's other "Christian" leadership.

Jesus warned His own about the hypocrisy of the elite, "Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation."

We, as Christians today, should also "beware" of those who seem to be more dedicated to their own egos than they are to the spreading of the Gospel of Christ.

Today there are all manner of "ministries", preachers who allow (some prefer) themselves to be called "reverend" (That word means to be revered, or held in high esteem).

Many preachers dress in long adorned robes and hats so as to set themselves apart, they also stand among their congregations and pray long prayers which serve no purpose other than to draw attention to themselves, AND in direct contrast with how Jesus taught His disciples to pray.

Jesus condemned all those things and told us to "beware" of those who practice them.

He also warned us of those who greedily take advantage of the weak to enhance their own personal wealth.

There is, however, GOOD news in all this, it is not too late to turn away from all that and do the will of God the way we were told to do it, "GO ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing" (Securing) "them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."(Matthew 28:19-20) This is the commission that Jesus gave to His Church.~

Lesson 912

(Lesson 912)(03-10-14) Mark 12:26-34

"And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err. 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? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And 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. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And 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. And 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."

In today's lesson, Jesus clarifies that the spirits of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have risen when He recalled that God had said to Moses, "I 'AM' the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, instead of I 'WAS' their God. That phrasing made it clear that the three were still with Him in the spirit.

Later in the lesson, Jesus was asked which of the commandments was the greatest to which He answered, "The Lord our God is one Lord: And 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. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

As Jesus said in Matthew 22:40, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." This means that unless we love God completely and unless we love our neighbors as we love ourselves, none of the other things we do matter.

Every "Christian" will profess that they indeed love God beyond all else, However, in my opinion, the greatest failing of today's "Christianity" is the blatant lack of concern for the weakest among us.

The poor and the weak in our society are generally castigated as outcasts, or leeches, who steal from our wealth. I believe to ignore the needs of those who cannot fend for themselves demonstrates a total lack of true Christian compassion is a slap to the face of the gospel of Jesus Christ.~

Lesson 911

(Lesson 911)(03-09-14) Mark 12:18-25

"Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed. And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise. And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also. In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven."

In this quote, the Jewish hierarchy continue trying to trap Jesus with questions concerning the Law of Moses. After being asked what would happen in heaven if a person had multiple marriages here on earth, Jesus makes it very clear that earthly marriages will not be acknowledged in heaven. Jesus said, "For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven."

This means that the sexes will no longer be separately recognized after the return of Christ, we will all be considered one gender. Therefore, the idea of marriage will be nullified since there will be no procreation in heaven.

The author of the book of Galatians confirms that after we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, we become the individual unit that makes up the kingdom of God. Therefore we are no longer bound by the rules of the law, the traditions of mankind, or the physical characteristics that separate us as we occupy our earthly bodies. Galatians 3:28 says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

When we get to heaven, we will no longer occupy these same sinful bodies, we will be in glorified bodies, or in the spirit "as the angels", and no longer will there be a need for the separation of the sexes and therefore, no "marriage" in heaven.~