100:00:00,660 –> 00:00:03,660…200:00:03,680 –> 00:00:08,960Leaders who rise up within the church claiming that they have the real message300:00:08,960 –> 00:00:11,920that everyone else has lost and calling people to follow them.400:00:13,200 –> 00:00:20,559By the way keep this in mind that the mark of the true teacher is that he opens the Bible500:00:21,360 –> 00:00:25,280and shows the teaching of Jesus calling people to follow him.600:00:26,000 –> 00:00:30,799Welcome to Open The Bible with pastor Colin Smith and as we open the Word of God and see700:00:30,799 –> 00:00:36,080what he has to say to us. Colin frequently we hear from listeners to the programme or the podcast800:00:36,080 –> 00:00:40,320and they’ll ask us for advice if they’re looking for a good church in their area900:00:40,320 –> 00:00:45,439and they often say how would I know when I found a good church. I think you’ve just said1000:00:45,439 –> 00:00:50,959that one of those key things to look for is whether the pastor opens up the Word of God1100:00:51,040 –> 00:00:56,320and shows you the teaching of Jesus. Yeah that’s exactly right and we live in the world of the1200:00:56,320 –> 00:01:01,599pundit. The sports pundit is going to tell us what he thinks or what she thinks about the1300:01:01,599 –> 00:01:07,199sporting event and the economic person and their views as to which way the markets are going so1400:01:07,199 –> 00:01:11,760the last thing in the world that we need or want is to turn up in church and have the religious1500:01:11,760 –> 00:01:17,760pundit who tells us what he or she thinks is of spiritual significance. We come into a place of1600:01:17,760 –> 00:01:22,800worship, we want to hear what God has to say and that is found in one place. It’s found in the1700:01:22,800 –> 00:01:27,680bible there is such a thing as the word of God and the great privilege of someone who stands1800:01:27,680 –> 00:01:32,480in a pulpit is to read the word of God and then to explain the word of God. That’s what Ezra did1900:01:32,480 –> 00:01:39,360in the old testament and that’s the calling and the immense privilege of a Christian leader and2000:01:39,360 –> 00:01:45,040that’s why day by day we come back to the word of God, what does Jesus have to say and particularly2100:01:45,040 –> 00:01:51,040today, we’re looking at what does Jesus have to say about the future. He knows it and we want to2200:01:51,040 –> 00:01:56,959listen to him and that’s why we often say grab your Bible if you can and join us today in Mark2300:01:56,959 –> 00:02:02,639chapter 13 as we begin the message, Jesus is coming for his people. Here’s Collin.2400:02:02,639 –> 00:02:06,879We come to probably the toughest chapter in Mark’s gospel so I hope you’re braced and2500:02:06,879 –> 00:02:14,160ready. Let me promise you this, it is full of glorious truth that will lift our hearts2600:02:14,160 –> 00:02:19,600and lift our lives but I do hope you’ll have your Bible open in front of you. There’s much to learn2700:02:19,600 –> 00:02:24,800here and I want us to follow closely in the Bible together particularly as this is not the2800:02:24,800 –> 00:02:31,600most familiar nor the easiest chapter in Mark’s gospel for us to grasp together. So Mark Gospel2900:02:31,600 –> 00:02:37,919chapter 13 and a quick reminder of where we are in the story. We come to the Tuesday of Holy Week.3000:02:38,880 –> 00:02:45,039Sunday our Lord Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Monday he goes into the temple,3100:02:45,039 –> 00:02:49,839overturns the tables of the money changers and the benches of those who are selling doves.3200:02:50,639 –> 00:02:57,679Tuesday he comes back into the temple again and the lawyers turn up along with other leaders3300:02:58,240 –> 00:03:04,479and it’s a time of questions and answers. By what right and by what authority did you do what you3400:03:04,479 –> 00:03:08,800did in the temple yesterday throwing over these tables and causing all this trouble. That was one3500:03:08,800 –> 00:03:14,000question. What do you have to say about paying taxes to Caesar? That’s another question. How3600:03:14,000 –> 00:03:18,800can a person possibly believe in the resurrection of the body? That was a third question and we3700:03:18,800 –> 00:03:24,639looked at these together last week and Jesus answered clearly and wonderfully and we were3800:03:24,639 –> 00:03:31,119reminded of the antagonism that is often felt by many people towards the gospel and was shown here3900:03:31,199 –> 00:03:36,800towards our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So, Tuesday had been a tough day in the temple4000:03:36,800 –> 00:03:43,360of intense questions and answering and of antagonism towards our Lord and Savior Jesus4100:03:43,360 –> 00:03:50,240Christ. Now we take up the story in Mark’s Gospel chapter 13 and verse 1, and you notice there that4200:03:50,240 –> 00:03:57,839at the end of Tuesday they are leaving the temple. And, it is reasonable to assume that on the nights4300:03:57,839 –> 00:04:03,119up until the Thursday when Jesus was betrayed and arrested that Our Lord and the disciples4400:04:03,119 –> 00:04:08,240were staying in Bethany, which would have been just over the Mount of Olives. And so, returning4500:04:08,240 –> 00:04:13,119home from the temple at the end of the day they would have left Jerusalem they would have climbed4600:04:13,119 –> 00:04:19,679the very beautiful Mount of Olives, and then would have had to go down further on the other side4700:04:19,679 –> 00:04:25,519to Bethany where they would have stayed the night. Looking back over Jerusalem from the top4800:04:25,519 –> 00:04:31,440of the Mount of Olives is still a magnificent view today and would have been a magnificent view in4900:04:31,440 –> 00:04:38,160those days too. Looking in those days over the temple of the Lord. And so I want you to picture5000:04:38,160 –> 00:04:42,799the scene in verse 3 where we’re told that Jesus and the disciples, they’re on the journey home5100:04:42,799 –> 00:04:50,000Tuesday night, they’re sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple. It’s been a tough5200:04:50,000 –> 00:04:54,559climb up the big hill and now they’re resting, they’re getting their breath back and they’re5300:04:54,559 –> 00:05:02,399enjoying the view. But the disciples have something on their minds because as Jesus and5400:05:02,399 –> 00:05:08,000the disciples had been coming out from the temple, Mark tells us that someone had pointed out what a5500:05:08,000 –> 00:05:15,760magnificent building the temple and its surrounding area was. And Jesus said in Mark 13 in verse 2,5600:05:16,640 –> 00:05:24,399do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on top of another.5700:05:25,519 –> 00:05:32,160Everyone will be thrown down. Now, if you can try as it were in your mind to get inside5800:05:32,160 –> 00:05:36,880the skin of the disciples at this point, that must have been devastating and disturbing to them5900:05:37,839 –> 00:05:43,600because the temple was really the symbol of national unity and strength rather like the6000:05:43,600 –> 00:05:51,600White House or the U.S. Capitol would be for us today. Now you imagine if you were walking out6100:05:51,600 –> 00:05:58,480of the center of Washington, D.C. in the company of the Son of God and He said to you, do you6200:05:58,480 –> 00:06:04,160see these magnificent buildings? I tell you not one stone will be left on top of the other.6300:06:05,359 –> 00:06:10,720Well now, if that happened you would be deeply disturbed and as soon as you had the opportunity6400:06:10,720 –> 00:06:16,480you would want to ask Him privately, well when are these things going to happen and what will6500:06:16,480 –> 00:06:21,920be the sign that they are going to be fulfilled. And that is exactly what happens at the top of6600:06:21,920 –> 00:06:27,279the Mount of Olives when the disciples sit down with Jesus for a breather as it were after climbing6700:06:27,279 –> 00:06:33,279the hill they’re looking over and the disciples now want more information, verse 4, about this6800:06:33,279 –> 00:06:40,880disturbing Word that Jesus has spoken about the destruction of the temple. Now Mark Chapter 136900:06:40,880 –> 00:06:48,559contains Jesus answer to this question but much more because Jesus answer expands well beyond7000:06:48,559 –> 00:06:53,920the range of their question they ask about the Temple, Jesus answers them for sure but7100:06:53,920 –> 00:07:01,600He also tells them much more relating to His own coming in power and in glory and so we’re7200:07:01,600 –> 00:07:08,079getting to listen in on a very private conversation in which Jesus brings disciples folks who believe7300:07:08,079 –> 00:07:16,959us into the picture of what the future holds so that we may be prepared and ready for it and this7400:07:16,959 –> 00:07:23,040is in fact the longest section of teaching that Jesus gives to His disciples in one place that’s7500:07:23,040 –> 00:07:28,720recorded in the whole of Mark’s Gospel and so it is very significant for us today.7600:07:28,880 –> 00:07:37,200Now the difficulty that we have with this chapter is that it is not always easy to know what relates7700:07:37,200 –> 00:07:41,839to the destruction of the temple that was their question and it happened in the year7800:07:41,839 –> 00:07:47,359A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed the temple and the whole of Jerusalem not easy to know7900:07:47,359 –> 00:07:53,040what relates to that and what relates to the day of the Lord’s return in power and glory8000:07:54,000 –> 00:07:57,839and just to give you a feel of how complex this is look at verse 30 which8100:07:57,839 –> 00:08:03,519is perhaps one of the most difficult verses of all where Jesus says, I tell you the truth8200:08:04,799 –> 00:08:13,279this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Now what is8300:08:13,839 –> 00:08:17,279the generation is talking about and what are the things he’s talking about?8400:08:18,799 –> 00:08:24,000Does he mean the disciple’s generation will not pass away until the temple in Jerusalem has8500:08:24,000 –> 00:08:31,279been destroyed. Or does he mean that the generation that sees the events of verse 24,8600:08:31,279 –> 00:08:35,840the sun darkened and the moon no longer shining that that generation won’t pass away until the8700:08:35,840 –> 00:08:42,880son of man returns in power and glory. Or are we to understand the word generation figuratively8800:08:42,880 –> 00:08:47,520as a reference to the Jewish race? The Jewish race won’t pass away until all of these things8900:08:47,599 –> 00:08:56,000are fulfilled? It frankly isn’t easy to be sure. These things are kind of mixed up together.9000:08:57,119 –> 00:09:03,039Thinking about this it struck me, it’s rather like a plate of pasta in tomato sauce.9100:09:04,239 –> 00:09:08,799Separating the pasta from the sauce would be an exceedingly difficult thing to do.9200:09:09,520 –> 00:09:13,359I suppose you might be able to do it at some point, wipe every piece of pasta clean,9300:09:13,359 –> 00:09:17,919but then you think, what would be the point of doing that? Because the pasta is in the sauce,9400:09:17,919 –> 00:09:26,000because these two things belong together. Now think of it, Jesus as it were put the pasta9500:09:26,719 –> 00:09:33,679of His teaching about the destruction of the temple in the sauce of His teaching about what9600:09:33,679 –> 00:09:40,080believers experience in every generation, and what we look forward to on the day of the return9700:09:40,080 –> 00:09:46,559of our Lord Jesus Christ. And if Jesus chose to mix these things together, as clearly He did9800:09:46,559 –> 00:09:52,159in His teaching recorded in Mark’s gospel in Chapter 13, why should we be so concerned9900:09:52,159 –> 00:09:59,280about teasing these things apart? In fact when you think about it, Our Lord Jesus had good reason10000:09:59,840 –> 00:10:07,919for blending these things together. If He had spoken only about what would happen in Jerusalem10100:10:08,000 –> 00:10:15,280in the eighth year AD 70, then His teaching would be relevant only to the disciple’s generation10200:10:15,280 –> 00:10:22,080and not to any generation afterwards. And if Jesus had spoken only about the events that10300:10:22,080 –> 00:10:26,640would take place at the time of His coming, then His teaching would be relevant only to the10400:10:26,640 –> 00:10:32,159generation alive at that time and not to any past generations before us who have already lived and10500:10:32,159 –> 00:10:38,400died and gone into the presence of the Lord, before His coming. So if it is all about yesterday10600:10:38,400 –> 00:10:44,320or if it’s all about tomorrow, it’s not really speaking to today. And we are convinced that all10700:10:44,320 –> 00:10:51,599of the scripture is for all of God’s people. So when Jesus answers a very specific question that10800:10:51,599 –> 00:10:56,559they ask about the destruction of the temple, because clearly that’s what the disciples have10900:10:56,559 –> 00:11:03,840on their mind in verse four, what He does is He broadens it out and gives to us wonderful teaching11000:11:03,840 –> 00:11:11,280that speaks to us today with regards to what we can expect to face in this world in any generation11100:11:11,280 –> 00:11:18,000and also what we can look forward to when Jesus Christ comes again in power and glory.11200:11:18,880 –> 00:11:22,640You’re listening to Open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith on a message called11300:11:22,640 –> 00:11:27,919Jesus is coming for his people. When we talk about the coming of Jesus both the first and11400:11:27,919 –> 00:11:34,239second coming the church has a word for it Advent as we soon enter into the Christmas season11500:11:34,239 –> 00:11:39,440many of us are thinking about Advent and we’d love to send you a book that Colin has picked out11600:11:39,440 –> 00:11:45,520it’s called the Advent of glory as a way of saying thank you for your financial support this month11700:11:46,080 –> 00:11:51,760find out more or give online at our websiteopenthebible.org.uk11800:11:52,960 –> 00:11:56,799Don’t forget if you ever miss one of our messages you can catch up online11900:11:56,799 –> 00:12:02,159go back and listen again or as a podcast go to your favorite podcast site search for12000:12:02,159 –> 00:12:08,880open the Bible UK and subscribe to receive regular updates back to the message now here’s Colin.12100:12:08,880 –> 00:12:16,000I want us to approach this passage in two parts first for us to look together at some things12200:12:16,000 –> 00:12:21,039that are happening now and then we’re going to look at some things that are still to come12300:12:21,599 –> 00:12:27,440things that are happening now verses 5 to 13 and then things that are still to come verse 1412400:12:28,080 –> 00:12:31,280through the end things that are happening now12500:12:33,359 –> 00:12:39,280i want you to notice that Jesus uses a picture here that’s wonderfully helpful it’s the picture12600:12:39,280 –> 00:12:48,080of childbirth the pain that a woman goes through in the process of giving birth to a child12700:12:49,039 –> 00:12:54,719and jesus speaks about this in verse 8 he says what i’m talking about here is the beginning12800:12:55,599 –> 00:13:06,880of birth pains birth pains what you’ve got to go through in order to get to something wonderful12900:13:08,000 –> 00:13:15,039and Jesus describes to the disciples what they want we have to go through in order to get to13000:13:15,039 –> 00:13:22,400something wonderful in fact thinking about this whole message in this whole chapter let me assure13100:13:22,400 –> 00:13:26,960you as we go through some things that are pretty hard and pretty painful in the message this13200:13:26,960 –> 00:13:32,719morning hang in there because we are going to get to some things that are genuinely wonderful13300:13:32,719 –> 00:13:40,400but Jesus says let’s take a look first at the beginning of birth pains it’s interesting that13400:13:41,119 –> 00:13:47,359Paul uses the same picture in Romans 8 he says Romans 8 22 that the whole creation13500:13:48,479 –> 00:13:57,280has been groaning as in the pains of child birth right up to the present time so this is a long13600:13:57,280 –> 00:14:02,080labour now all the mums are thinking about how long their labour was with one child or13700:14:02,080 –> 00:14:08,000with another and which was the longest and how painful it was and Paul’s using that picture and13800:14:08,000 –> 00:14:14,479he’s saying this is a labour it goes on a long time we know now it has been continuing for 200013900:14:14,479 –> 00:14:24,799years and still continuing think about the analogy of labor pains Jesus says verse 7 such things must14000:14:24,799 –> 00:14:31,919happen but the end is still to come the labor pains at the end of the story they’re part of14100:14:31,919 –> 00:14:39,679the process leading to something wonderful and we all know that labor pains increase in frequency14200:14:41,039 –> 00:14:50,320and in intensity as the time for the birth draws near now the Bible speaks about a future time14300:14:50,320 –> 00:14:57,039the great tribulation a period of intense suffering greater suffering than ever before14400:14:57,039 –> 00:15:03,599that will come at the end times and clearly when Jesus speaks about the birth pains and14500:15:03,599 –> 00:15:10,000we think of them increasing in intensity and in frequency that points us into things that14600:15:10,000 –> 00:15:14,559will be happening during the great tribulation. But I want you to see that we cannot limit it14700:15:14,559 –> 00:15:19,520to the great tribulation. It’s not only that because Jesus is speaking to the disciples14800:15:19,520 –> 00:15:24,320about their experience of the beginning of these troubles and we’re going to see as we14900:15:24,320 –> 00:15:29,599look at what these birth pains are, that we also experience the beginning of them as well.15000:15:30,880 –> 00:15:34,960So what are these birth pains that have been with us from the beginning of the church and15100:15:34,960 –> 00:15:42,320with us now and will increase in frequency and intensity during the time of great trouble15200:15:42,880 –> 00:15:51,840that is still ahead. Well, here’s number one. Widespread deception, verses five and six.15300:15:52,719 –> 00:16:00,479The first birth pain. Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name,15400:16:00,479 –> 00:16:08,559claiming I am he and will deceive many. Now, notice that this deception in the first15500:16:08,559 –> 00:16:14,719place has aimed at the disciples themselves. Watch out, Jesus says to Peter, James and John15600:16:14,719 –> 00:16:19,039and Andrew, the four of them who ask the question. He says watch out that no one deceives you,15700:16:19,440 –> 00:16:27,039the disciples, it’s an important reminder for us that deception is always aimed15800:16:28,159 –> 00:16:35,119at Christian believers. Jesus is talking about leaders who rise up within the church,15900:16:35,919 –> 00:16:40,239claiming that they have the real message that everyone else has lost and calling people to16000:16:40,799 –> 00:16:48,880follow them. By the way, keep this in mind that the mark of the true teacher is that he opens16100:16:48,880 –> 00:16:57,200the Bible and shows the teaching of Jesus calling people to follow him. The mark of the false16200:16:57,200 –> 00:17:02,960teacher is that he quickly proclaims that he has a special message, a unique message, a message16300:17:02,960 –> 00:17:07,520that everyone else has lost that nobody else really has, and therefore by default you either16400:17:07,520 –> 00:17:11,520have to follow that leader, that speaker, or at the very least you have to join his movement.16500:17:11,520 –> 00:17:14,400That is the nature of every cult and of every16600:17:14,400 –> 00:17:20,079false teacher arising in every generation within the church of Jesus Christ.16700:17:22,959 –> 00:17:30,000The deceivers pitch their books and their seminars to believers,16800:17:30,000 –> 00:17:37,680to folks within the church who tend to be gullible and are quick to believe16900:17:37,680 –> 00:17:43,079well presented stuff that claims to be original and nobody else has anything17000:17:43,079 –> 00:17:50,859quite like this. And jesus says such folks come in my name and Jesus says17100:17:50,859 –> 00:17:54,819when we hear claims like this, verse 21 we’re just not to believe them. Pay17200:17:54,819 –> 00:17:59,459no attention and be distracted don’t be deceived.17300:17:59,459 –> 00:18:04,180See it really is important to be as clear about what you do not believe as17400:18:04,180 –> 00:18:09,920you are clear about what you do believe and Jesus warns his own followers here17500:18:09,920 –> 00:18:14,479about the great danger of being gullible to those who rise up within the church17600:18:14,479 –> 00:18:18,300world proclaiming something new that everyone else has lost and now we’ve17700:18:18,300 –> 00:18:26,099found the way as your pay any attention to. They’ll try and deceive you now the17800:18:26,099 –> 00:18:29,819Apostles experienced that throughout the New Testament you read the letters of17900:18:29,819 –> 00:18:33,260the New Testament Galatians and so forth you Colossians you find that they are18000:18:33,260 –> 00:18:38,219full of struggles that the Apostles faced with false teachers arising in the18100:18:38,219 –> 00:18:43,979church deceiving many and we experience the same today it has been so with18200:18:43,979 –> 00:18:48,140throughout the history of the church cults and other movements that arise18300:18:48,579 –> 00:18:52,540every generation claiming somehow to have truth that nobody else has really18400:18:52,540 –> 00:18:58,300discovered and as the coming of the Lord draws near this labor pain will increase18500:18:58,300 –> 00:19:04,939in its frequency and in its intensity so Jesus says you watch out that no one18600:19:04,939 –> 00:19:07,880deceived you really is speaking to us18700:19:08,839 –> 00:19:16,540second birth pain international conflict verses 7 and 8a when you18800:19:16,540 –> 00:19:22,660hear wars and rumors of wars do not be alarmed such things must happen but the18900:19:22,660 –> 00:19:30,359end is still to come nation will rise against nation and kingdom against19000:19:30,520 –> 00:19:40,000kingdom now this issue of war and rumor of war would have been very alarming to19100:19:40,000 –> 00:19:48,079the disciples because remember that they were living during the Pax Romana the19200:19:48,079 –> 00:19:53,640Roman peace that was a pretty miserable thing to be under the iron rule of Rome19300:19:53,640 –> 00:19:58,520but at least under the dictatorship and power of the Roman Empire there wasn’t a19400:19:58,540 –> 00:20:02,839lot of international conflict no one had the power to rise up against Rome so19500:20:02,839 –> 00:20:08,699there was the Pax Romana there was the Roman peace but a time came of course19600:20:08,699 –> 00:20:14,060when that broke up as every empire eventually breaks up and when the great19700:20:14,060 –> 00:20:19,680power begins to break up what do you find wars and rumors of wars and Jesus19800:20:19,680 –> 00:20:23,839is speaking to the disciples here because it would have been natural for19900:20:23,839 –> 00:20:29,119them to think all this must be the end of all things the breakup of the Roman20000:20:29,119 –> 00:20:33,660Empire and Jesus says no it’s not the end the end is still to come what he’s20100:20:33,660 –> 00:20:39,260teaching us here is that this dreadful business of international conflict will20200:20:39,260 –> 00:20:44,180be a recurring pattern throughout human history and as the coming of the Lord20300:20:44,180 –> 00:20:48,859Jesus draws near we should expect this labor pain to become more intense and20400:20:49,040 –> 00:20:57,680for it to become more frequent third labor pain natural disasters verse 8 b20500:20:57,680 –> 00:21:03,640there will be earthquakes in various places and famines and these are the20600:21:03,640 –> 00:21:11,180beginning of birth pains now again you can chart historically how in the time20700:21:11,180 –> 00:21:14,020of the disciples the first generation of Christians there were a number of20800:21:14,500 –> 00:21:19,739earthquakes and indeed famines is that still with us today of course it is20900:21:19,739 –> 00:21:24,459should we expect it to increase in intensity and in frequency as the coming21000:21:24,459 –> 00:21:31,719of the Lord draws near yes we should fourth Mark fourth birth pain21100:21:31,719 –> 00:21:37,319religious persecution verses 9 and 11 you must be on your guard21200:21:37,319 –> 00:21:41,140notice Jesus is speaking to four disciples here privately he says you21300:21:41,579 –> 00:21:46,099You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues21400:21:46,099 –> 00:21:50,219and on account of me you will stand before governors and Kings as witnesses21500:21:50,219 –> 00:21:55,180to them. Verse 11, whenever you are arrested and brought to trial do not21600:21:55,180 –> 00:21:59,579worry beforehand about what to say just say whatever is given to you at the time21700:21:59,579 –> 00:22:05,540for it is not you speaking but the Holy Spirit. Did the disciples experience21800:22:05,540 –> 00:22:10,619these things yes they did they were flogged, handed over, face trial you read21900:22:10,939 –> 00:22:14,219many times. Does the church in the 21st century22000:22:14,219 –> 00:22:20,099experience persecution like this today absolutely. Should we expect across the22100:22:20,099 –> 00:22:23,579world that will increase in its frequency and its intensities the time22200:22:23,579 –> 00:22:28,180of the Lord Jesus return draws near yes we should.22300:22:28,180 –> 00:22:32,260You’ve been listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and the first22400:22:32,260 –> 00:22:36,699part of our message Jesus is coming for his people and we’ll come back and22500:22:36,699 –> 00:22:41,020listen to the next part of the message tomorrow. If you live within traveling22600:22:41,020 –> 00:22:44,819distance of Cheltenham the heart of the Cotswolds you might want to book a22700:22:44,819 –> 00:22:50,780ticket for Cotswald Bible Festival. It takes place on November the 23rd 202422800:22:50,780 –> 00:22:55,579and it features Pastor Colin Smith as the main speaker. Cotwsald Bible Festival22900:22:55,579 –> 00:23:01,380aims to encourage and equip those of all ages to follow Jesus. The event takes23000:23:01,380 –> 00:23:05,680place at Cheltenham Ladies’ College and you can obtain tickets at Cotswald23100:23:06,060 –> 00:23:12,280Bible Festival dot-com that’s Cotswald Bible Festival dot-com. Open the Bible23200:23:12,280 –> 00:23:16,819is able to stay on this station and on the internet because of the financial23300:23:16,819 –> 00:23:20,680support of our listeners so if you already give thank you for your support.23400:23:20,680 –> 00:23:24,920If you don’t already give but that’s something you’re thinking about doing23500:23:24,920 –> 00:23:29,839then this month we have a special offer for you. If you’re able to set up a23600:23:29,839 –> 00:23:34,979direct debit in the amount of five pounds per month or more or make a one23700:23:35,160 –> 00:23:40,359off donation of 50 pounds or more to the work of Open the Bible, this month we can23800:23:40,359 –> 00:23:47,280offer you a book by R. C. Sproul called The Advent of Glory. It’s 24 devotions23900:23:47,280 –> 00:23:52,020for Christmas. Colin, what makes this book so special?24000:23:52,020 –> 00:23:53,099Well first that24100:23:53,099 –> 00:23:57,359it is telling the story of Christmas the Son of God coming into the world. What24200:23:57,359 –> 00:24:02,579could be more wonderful than that? And second it’s by R. C. Sproul. You know the24300:24:02,660 –> 00:24:07,819most important thing about any book is who wrote it and here is a godly man24400:24:07,819 –> 00:24:14,359with a wonderful mind and a warm heart and great insight. He’s with the Lord now24500:24:14,359 –> 00:24:19,780but the writings that R.C. Sproul have left behind really are a treasure and24600:24:19,780 –> 00:24:26,839this one’s just out it’s a new devotional for Advent 24 words that are24700:24:26,839 –> 00:24:31,660at the heart of the Christmas story. It’s just about four pages for each day. Very24800:24:31,920 –> 00:24:39,160easy to read, full of insight I’m very excited about it. The Advent of Glory 2424900:24:39,160 –> 00:24:43,380devotionals for Christmas by R.C. Sproul. Well we’d love to send you a copy of25000:24:43,380 –> 00:24:48,680R.C. Sproul’s book The Advent of Glory 24 devotions for Christmas as a way of25100:24:48,680 –> 00:24:52,979saying thank you for setting up a new direct debit to the work of Open the25200:24:52,979 –> 00:24:58,099Bible in the amount of five pounds per month or more or a one-off gift of fifty25300:24:58,500 –> 00:25:02,540pounds. Further information and full terms and conditions are available on25400:25:02,540 –> 00:25:08,760our website, that’s at openthebible.org.uk. For Open the Bible and25500:25:08,760 –> 00:25:18,060Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll join us again next time.25600:25:19,339 –> 00:25:25,979What does the future hold? Jesus spoke about this to his disciples. Find out25700:25:25,979 –> 00:25:30,800what he said next time on Open the Bible!