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[Talking about his second coming, Jesus continued,] "I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for [the Son of Man]!" —Mark 13:37 NLT Key Thought As Jesus tells this story about his second coming (Mark 13:34-36), he is in effect saying, "Watch for my return!" Throughout his ministry, he...

[Jesus continued,] "The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. You, too, must keep watch! For you don't...

[Talking about his second coming, Jesus continued,] "And since you don't know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!" —Mark 13:33 NLT Key Thought Since we cannot know for sure the exact time of the Lord's return, our approach should be clear and without distraction. We are to...

[Talking about his second coming, Jesus continued,] "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows." —Mark 13:32 NLT Key Thought The greatest secret of all time is the exact day and hour of the...

[Talking about his second coming, Jesus continued,] "Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear." —Mark 13:31 NLT Key Thought While heaven and earth will pass away, Jesus' words — his promise to return along with all of his other promises — will be fulfilled. We can...

[Jesus continued,] "I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene before all these things take place." —Mark 13:30 NLT Key Thought There are many ways this statement has been interpreted: Some understand this verse to mean that all of Mark 13 is referring to the...

[Jesus continued,] "Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that [the Son of Man's] return is very near, right at the door." —Mark 13:28-29...

[Jesus continued,] "And [the Son of Man] will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world — from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven." —Mark 13:27 NLT Key Thought Those who belong to the Lord will be gathered to meet him. Those who belong to the Lord will join...

[Jesus continued,] "At that time, after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory."...

[Jesus continued,] "Then if anyone tells you, 'Look, here is the Messiah,' or 'There he is,' don't believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of...

[Jesus continued,] "The day is coming when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing where he should not be." (Reader, pay attention!) "Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out...

[Jesus continued,] "And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." —Mark 13:13 NLT Key Thought Even when our situation makes us feel like everyone is against us, we can endure ... we must endure ... we will endure. When we are...

[Jesus continued,] "But when you are arrested and stand trial, don't worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit." —Mark 13:11 NLT Key Thought Our witness will not be our wisdom, but our courage...

[Jesus continued,] "For the Good News must first be preached to all nations." —Mark 13:10 NLT Key Thought Before the return of Jesus, the Gospel — the Good News about Jesus and his Kingdom — will be preached to every nation. We can do that better today than ever before. So let's make sure we...

[Jesus continued,] "When [wars, earthquakes, and famines] begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about...

[Jesus continued,] "Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come." —Mark 13:8 NLT Key Thought The sad reality of our fallen world...

[Jesus continued,] "And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately." —Mark 13:7 NLT Key Thought When war occurs, people panic. That has always been true, and it was certainly true in Jesus' day. However...

Jesus also taught: "Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets." —Mark 12:38-39 NLT Key...

[Jesus continued talking about hypocritical religious teachers:] "Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished." —Mark 12:40 NLT Key Thought In the previous verses...

Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more...