Pray for those impacted by the tragic shooting of five Army soldiers at Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq, asking God to comfort and strengthen them as they mourn their loss. Pray for chaplains, counselors and all who work with traumatized troops, to have wisdom and strength to serve troubled troops well.
Pray also for Sgt. John M. Russell, who is being held for the crime and who was being treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, that he will find relief and help. Pray for all our troops�particularly those who suffer from PTSD�as studies show how deeply impacted they are following extended deployments and multiple forms of stress.
1-2 God, for your sake, help me! Use your influence to clear me.
Listen, God�I'm desperate.
Don't be too busy to hear me.
3 Outlaws are out to get me,
hit men are trying to kill me.
Nothing will stop them;
God means nothing to them.
4-5 Oh, look! God's right here helping!
God's on my side,
Evil is looping back on my enemies.
Don't let up! Finish them off!
6-7 I'm ready now to worship, so ready.
I thank you, God�you're so good.
You got me out of every scrape,
and I saw my enemies get it.
"David did not direct his prayers at random into the air, but offered them in the exercise of a lively faith. He points, as it were, with the finger to that God who stood at his side to defend him; and was not this an amazing illustration of the power with which faith can surmount all obstacles, and glance, in a moment, from the depths of despair to the very throne of God?"
(Commentary from Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms)
Mark 13-16, Psalm 20
Mark 13, like Matthew 24, is a very difficult passage. I don't pretend to understand it all. However, there is a key verse in verse 12, that ends thusly: "But the one who endures to the end will be saved." A promise from our Lord that we will not be forsaken.
As for when any of these things will happen, we are simply told to be on our guard, for even Jesus, himself, does not know the day or the hour of these events.
In chapter 14, the much told story of Jesus being anointed by the woman at Simon's house occurs. I still think this woman might have been Mary Magdalene.
Shortly after, Judas makes his deal with the chief priests to betray Jesus. Then, at the "last supper," Jesus points out the total hopelessness of Judas's circumstance. "It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." Why? Because, believe it or not, Judas was destined to this role. He was simply a pawn in the plan of God. He was born for this day.
I read one theory on Peter's denials of Jesus that said maybe Peter was trying to sneak in and rescue Jesus, and denied knowing him so that he wouldn't be identified as one of his disciples. Could be, but that is never stated in any of the gospel writings. But there had to be a reason he was hanging around outside the trial area. He was the only one there, at least. Everybody else ran scared, including the writer of this gospel, who ran off naked because they grabbed his cloak.
In chapter 15, Jesus is tortured, beaten, battered beyond recognition, humiliated, scorned, and any other adjective you can think of, none of which do justice to the atrocities that our Savior endured for our sake during the next few hours. His back was completely raw when they put that purple cloak on him to mock him. And just as it had had time to stick to all the wounds on his back, they ripped it off again to put his own clothes back on him. I've read accounts of this torture that he received. It's absolutely horrible. And then, if that weren't enough, he was forced to carry the heavy crossbar for his crucifixion instrument. At the crucifixion, he was mocked and reviled even more, yet he said nothing (very little, at least, and none of it was in response to the mocking). When he breathed his last, the curtain of the holy of holies was ripped in two, from top to bottom. There was a nameless Roman centurion watching the crucifixion who said, at the end, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"
The morning after, the women headed to the tomb to finish the burial preparations. They were concerned about how they would get the stone rolled away. Turns out, they didn't have to worry about that. It was already rolled away. However, there was no Jesus. He wasn't there! There was a "young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe." They were afraid. YOU THINK?? But he comforted them, giving them the glorious truth, "He is not here, he is risen!" So they left to tell the disciples, still quite a bit afraid.
Lessons from this reading:
1. Those of us who endure to the end will be saved. I'm not sure what the exact meaning of this is. I only know that it is meant to be comforting and encouraging to us to not give up the fight.
2. We need to always be on the alert, because we really don't know when the end will come. Could be any time. We don't want to be caught napping.
3. The atrocities that Jesus endured for our sakes were unspeakable. The Bible only scratches the surface of them. But the glorious truth that we focus on in the end is the last words of that "young man dressed in a white robe," "He is risen, he is not here!"
Hallelujah!
I pray for the strength to endure to then end. Times are going to get worse. I never know how I am going to react, but I pray for the faith and strength to never let you down. I have watched over the years as friends have faded away, and, in some cases, even come to a place where they deny you altogether. I will never do that, Lord! Help me to be on the alert, on my guard for when that day comes, should I still be occupying this flesh. I look forward to that day, though, even though I know that, for most people, it will be a horrible day. My desire is to be with you in "paradise."
I humbly thank you for the atrocities that Jesus endured for us. I have not much else to say about that. My gratitude can never be sufficient.
I pray that our worship service this morning will be good.
Grace and peace, friends.