Hard-Pressed for New Oil
Greetings in the Lord, Today's word come from Mark 13. It is a chapter where Jesus talks about the End Times -- what to expect, and what to be watchful for, as in particular signs. He compares the whole progression to a birthing process, with each stage being like "birthing pains." It's interesting that He uses that allegory, as it will culminate in His Second Coming, like a second birth into the world. Only this time, it will be to establish His order on the earth, to "send out His angels to gather His chosen ones from all over the world -- from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven." While the "and heaven" part is worthy of exploration, I'm getting ahead of myself. Today's word really focuses on verses 9-13, a short section dealing with the coming persecutions that the Church will undergo. Now, we know historically that the Church has been under fire many times throughout the ages and more so in various parts of the world. But