Hated for Christ (Part B)

When will these things be and what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled.

I should pause here to say you don't really have an end times perspective and be getting one. Don't worry about what you're not getting from the first session we got several gumball waves to the end of this chapter. Several weeks of going over the end times.

I would encourage you to try to build a timeline if you don't know where things are. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio.

Specifically, you can get a free copy of this teaching. Today we join Pastor Rick for part two of his study called hated for Christ as he teaches through Mark chapter 13. We are all human humanistic in the sense we look out for. We have this human experience together and we don't want to harm others, but secular humanism has blocked God out of that and tends to want to manage humanity.

According to their own ways their own knowledge as the prophet said is not in man to govern himself. He can and cannot do a good job well who is ready to believe that the skyscrapers of the world now, and they're all over the world. I mean in China and Southeast Asia. Indonesia Arab world and the Middle East. Skyscrapers are everywhere these giant cities that got these large swimming pools in a way up there. They even have roller coaster world amusement rides on them like who is ready to believe that the bulk of them, if not all of them going to end in rubble Revelation 18 verse 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, alas, alas, that great city, Babylon, that mighty city for in one hour your judgment has come.

I lean more and more to believing that such a verse is not only to deal with the city of Babylon. But the great centers of humanity against God. The point is if you take this to say this was is going to be this tremendous city on earth that God is going to flatten in an hour. The weather you take it literally or with the symbols. Either way, you end up with the hand of God saying to man if I don't want to stand and there's a reason why it's not random.

Nothing is random with God.

God executes judgments.

He is totally justified in man is not. We are hated by God to find demons and humans for daring to share and to repeat the prophecies and the teachings of Jesus Christ. What I like about this section. When Jesus says you see these buildings.

These large stones and they were enormous how they got them, and there's a incredible and have a lot of talk trying to bring these things and how they got them in place is incredible. Anyway, when they said when he when they hear him say, then I can remain, they don't scoff, they believe him. They just want to know more information you have to be impressed with that because so often prohibited.

Missed you know they were unpleasant smartest guys around it, but in earlier stages with addictive developing that there they know that he he knows what he's talking about and so today there are any undisturbed stones from this original work are foundational stones. One of them 40' x 12' x 12', 40 feet long 12 feet high 12 feet wide. What's the tonnage on that and how they can quarry this thing in and move it from the quarry to Jerusalem uphill is just quite remarkable. As I've mentioned, and all of this to be in piles of verse three now now as he sat on the Mount of olives opposite the Temple Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, so the disciples moved to the Mount of olives just outside the city, and he is going to turn it into his pulpit. This, here are two sets of brothers Peter and and Andrew brothers and John and James are brothers. The other disciples are part of the initial conversation but Matthew gives us more information than men.

Mark and Luke as an eyewitness, and you have to believe at some point the others came in wasn't Jesus wouldn't say get away.

Does this leave for guys that would expand so Zechariah this Mount of olives that he is now sitting on.

Zechariah says that this is going to be the sandals on the ground for Christ when he returns when he returns with the armies of heaven, and will be with him. Here's where he is going to touch down I believe is going to dispatch us to different places. Maui is where I've already submitted my application so only if the restaurants are still operating. Other than that, this is kind of the speech is out, and everywhere else anyway.

This good theology lap it up verse Zechariah 14 for and in that day his feet will stand on the Mount of olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of olives shall be split in two, from east to west making a very large valley half of the mountain shall move forward move toward the north and half of it toward the south. So that's going to be quite a dramatic return for everyone. Verse four. Tell us, when will these things be and what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled. I should pause here to say if you don't really have an end times perspective and in you going to be getting one. Don't worry about what you're not getting from the first session we got several folk.

We got up always to the end of this chapter. Several weeks of going over the end times. I would encourage you to try to build a timeline if you don't know where things are. Most of what Christ is going to tell them has to do with after the rapture of the church and for good reason.

There was no such thing as the church at this point the church was not yet Bert there were synagogues, assembly places, but it was not the churches. As we understand it, that will come later and so will the teachings on that from the apostle Paul would get to one and little bit but tell us, when will these things be that you have to applaud that they want to know they didn't just say wow that that's going to be something. This is a crossed the Kidron Valley their wheels were turning and what what is he talking about this place is going to be wiped out so they did. Asked how could they not, not one stone left thrown down.

Glad as they said they asked in the asked when and what, what, when is it going to happen.

One of them to be the signs is good question.

These lessons that come from him will come with warnings take heed, watch out. And you can't miss it when you read this if you are one. The highlight in your Bible, and especially if you now with with tablets and electronic devices you can highlight very without making a mess. You just highlight take heed, watch and you you you understand the Holy Spirit is saying to you.

I am emphasizing this and he does not waste an emphasis verse five and Jesus answering them began to say, take heed that no one deceive you. So he begins his lesson on the end time with a warning about being deceived and tricked the Satan is working you know if you have a problem with someone.

Another Christian particular and you know you you can maybe feel resentment coming up maybe would help us is helped me. Maybe it will help to recognize the Satan is messing with the situation that Heather he is getting the upper hand on the other one was getting it on. You will both certainly trying on both and when you begin to see it that way then some of the maybe the resentment and the hurt feelings begin to to to move down to the bottom and the spirit gets gets up over the flesh. Why do Christians do some of the stuff they do. Satan is targeting them and now I can look at them and with love and say you know that their victim see no matter what they've done to me. It's a something I again practice and I found it helpful otherwise.

After years of serving you can become jaded and and just, you know better, confusing, and that's not that's not what God wants anyway. He begins with a warning that will automatically make them pay attention. Watch out, take heed that sound so you know academic reading it in the English take heed what really if I translated it. It would've been something like you better watch out. Anyway, that no one deceives you.

So foremost again. There is Paul will write to the church about the end times and he says desolate second Thessalonians chapter 2, speaking about when Antichrist there is coming a central figure that unlike all the other people who have been against Jesus Christ. This one's going to be just an exaggerated figure against Christ and he will be empowered by Satan unlike any other human being we've ever heard of. And when the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming will I like that Paula single before you panic understand he loses, but before he loses there going to be other losers. Those who side with him and he continues, Paul doesn't second Thessalonians chapter 2 verse nine the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan with all power signs and lying wonders this up. John when John sees him in the revelation he doesn't call him the lawless one. He says his guys up beast is a monster that is and is not a compliment and we can say that about somebody who may be very strong by the guise of peace. Well that's flattering. This is not. Humans are not supposed to behave as creatures of the beast. Animals in the presence of God or humanity not like this, and he continues, he says, and with all unrighteous deception. That's how they'll know this is the antichrist you be doing dirt will not be clean like Jesus was. He says among those who perish. Glad they like it a lot bring this up because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be. Say which is the constant part of our theology to lost souls today and for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe in the lie that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness when when you, the believer you commit some act of sin some act of unrighteousness. Your flesh has pleasure and that what your spirit hates it.

That is a distinction between a lost soul. One was happily lost for now and and the one who is saved and so Paul is saying when he gets the power deception is going to characterize his work, and Christ is saying here.

Don't let anybody deceive you. Nice speaking beyond his disciples because they're not going to be alive when these things start to really take place for some of it a small part of the persecution will be a four but not for what's really coming and they have extra signs and he's going to give it to them now just recently.

Well before I get to that. I think it's important we remember we we are not obligated to identify with the deceived culture. The lineup with them will not have to apologize for abstaining from the deception that they are gobbling up. I we don't identify with the Christ hating culture.

We stand outside of it not as better people, but certainly is better off people and we choose to defy the culture by disagreeing with it and that's how they take it. Now the trying of course to silence any opposition. You can even disagree with them.

There determine to force themselves on us and call us rude for not being violated is you just want to say Lord can I just have just a few minutes alone with them my way. We can settle this and of course the answer is no, not at all.

Anyhow, we are here to offer them.

God and the love of Christ with truth in love, don't let that become old to you. We are being persecuted with this coven outbreak has come. Not only listen, there's a bad virus out there that can kill you. That part is true, but what about all the falsities that came with it lies okay.

I expect that from a world that has an agenda and and those who have power.

Now the upper hand. They they are just they lie every time the talk. They say anything can never tell when they're telling the truth well one thing that has been revealed is how easy Bible believing Christians can be deceived. I mean deceived into a cave into a panic as the facts begin to come out and not letting it go.

This church is lost people because we wouldn't mandate mask and these just to say I you know okay find you nervous about a new you know good reason then then watch online. Why turn on the pastor why turn on the church. Why not give the benefit of the doubt to the righteous.

I mean you listening to the news media.

One of the ever been honest about anything.

I am for me in early stages I for a while at the something to this all there was a dissident deadly disease or virus that's out there. But then I saw all the left is really pushing is nice of you know what any team Satan roots for. I'm against any time, Satan gets the ball. Now you gotta watch out, and is just as troubling to see that Christians were turning on the church for not sharing the level of fear they had. That's not a reason to turn your brothers and sisters. So what is my point and my point is this. This was a dress rehearsal for what's coming. It was global.

I don't know of any time in human history with the Globe was put under a mandate and it was pulled off everybody everywhere. I mean fish were wearing mask 10 Army Alexander the great, could not do it. The Caesars could not do. Napoleon could. No one could bring Genghis con none of the people were Congress could get the entire world what they wanted. Until now were in the global agent that fits into the end time scenario.

So beware, take heed. Don't be gullible. Don't give in so quickly. When you see the fear meter in your heart going up that does not give you the right to collapse the panic fear is fear is going to do what is going to do and we are we. We are we going to fight it with faith you can't fault anyone for being afraid she can begin to raise an eyebrow when they give into that fear and logic is gone, that becomes panic and anyway I hope my point in bringing that up is to say, don't think the warnings Jesus is giving about deception is for some far-off group of believers in the future. It's right now and we should be telling people this verse six for many will come in my name, saying, I am he, and will deceive many interesting is he is presupposing is taught disciples know that that I am he means they're saying the Messiah is admitting he is the Messiah and all that goes with it. From the Old Testament prophets and what he is expounded on this is particularly for the Jews. Once the church is gone.

This is what is really going to happen for them and a lot of them will be converted. A lot of them will be slaughtered the Jews never had a false Messiah until they rejected the true Messiah is amazing all the false Messiah came after Calvary and the resurrection. You think that alone would waken them to say hey something spiritual going on here that I'm missing after Christ.

They've had a rash of them even had a woman the evil Frank claimed to be the Messiah and some of the Jews in those circles accepted that second Timothy chapter 3, all putting it to the church, evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived everywhere.

Paul says men will be lovers of themselves, and he goes on to itemize with the going to be well they've always been this way, what during the end times the end of the end times is all going to be amplified greatly, so the apostate churches are false churches. They will increase. That means there will be no gospel coming from churches because the true church will be enraptured taken out of here and Christians will not be able to form assemblies because they will be killed for their belief. How will they be found will labeled now they can track if you get a vaccination track if you get the chip will not and if you do not have it you going to get it, not the chip death.

This is promised and elaborated on in Revelation and so when he says for many will come in my name, saying, I am he, and will deceive many. This is mainly for the Jews, the church, of course. It applies, but we continue.

Verse seven but when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled for such things must happen, but the end is not yet man cannot have lasting peace on earth he's going to mess it war alone is not a signal that the end of human rule on earth is about to stop and that's what is telling them is going to be wars that doesn't mean the end is coming. They asked when will it be what is the size limit is starting off as a will watch out and hear some things it's not going to be assigned. The end is near. Yes, with all of these earthquakes and pestilence in the horror that's coming and what has already been as a matter of fact, why does God permit this stuff more, among other reasons, he's providing believers with an opportunity to act out what we profess.

We say that we going to believe God no matter what, even to the point of death. What about to the point of being fired. What about to the point of being divorce.

What about the point of being sick. What about to the point of being betrayed. Are you still going to believe it.

If you say yes I am well you may get a chance to act that out to prove it. God is not a statistician or just a standard will ease the statistic you know this game going to be played. Truth must be expressed and when we think when the world thinks about the end of the world they think about annihilation of the planet. All that will get to God will get to that would not first the first phases. The ending of human rule 4000 years there about and then not too long after it would seem, then, comes the annihilation of the created universe as we know it and are the beginning of a new universe of planets that have not even been formed yet by God well and verse eight for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be earthquakes in various places and there will be famines and troubles.

These are the beginning of sorrows is just warming up. All of this stuff isn't is our but these are birth pangs. I'll get to that in a minute. But such as human history for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom second Timothy chapter 3 know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. That's emphatically says no. This Timothy perilous times will come. Still answering the scientists this verse eight is an expansion of Isaiah 19 verse two and they are in Isaiah 19 it had local application is sent mainly to Egypt hear the Lord picks up the verse and he expands it and gives it end time significantly saying that was just sort of a dress rehearsal what's coming is going to match that prophecy in Isaiah that was local. This one's going to be global going to the same thing when we get to verse 12 with a verse from Michael is going to take a prophecy from Micah that was applicable to the time Micah lived in the prophet, and he's going to say just like it was in Micah's day is going to be worse in the end, and we get to verse 12 point that out and there will be earthquakes in various places so natural occurrences will continue to be natural. Luke adds this says pestilences fearful sites and great signs from heaven.

That's as you begin to enter deeper into this, and there will be famines and there will be troubles which are always the outcome of wars and earthquakes. On some level there are these are the beginning of sorrows.

Not a good start but sorrows here in the Greek that word sorrows in the Greek is birth pangs sudden pains from the contractions going on woman experiences in childbirth. It actually it actually is signaling that the the pregnancy phase is ending that the birth is coming, and then that is what it is here to what Jesus means this is the beginning of sorrows and singling to you that the end is coming.

It begins infrequent and it intensifies. Now I know ladies that I my understanding is Lotta.

Ladies don't want to hear men talk about pregnancy and birth is like were what we know right well I was happy. I happen to be there when I was born and and I was not impressed with what my mother had, so I am a bit of an expert to there you go you will have someone else start my truck at the service because I know you women are that serious about that stuff. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast.

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