Day 65: Turn Your Life Around (Psalm 30:8-12, Mark 13:1-31, Leviticus 14:1-57)

Introduction

‘Big John’ had been living on the streets of London for almost ten years. Before that he had spent over nine years in prison. Most of his teeth were missing. He was addicted to methadone. His nickname on the streets of London was ‘Big John’ because he was a big guy who had once boxed for the Army.

‘Big John’ walked into our night shelter for the homeless at HTB. He came with his friend ‘Little John’. ‘Big John’ loved it and appreciated all the young people who cared for him. He started coming to church. He came on Alpha. He encountered Jesus. He was filled with the Holy Spirit on the Alpha Weekend. He came off the drugs. God turned his life right around – from despair to joy.

He started telling his friends on the streets about Jesus. Each week he would turn up at church with more friends. His nickname, on the streets, changed from ‘Big John’ to ‘John the Baptist’!

One of the guys he had met on the Alpha weekend was in the property business and found him accommodation. A dentist in our congregation volunteered to replace all his missing teeth. He reconciled with his mother and his daughter and built a relationship with his grandchildren, whom he had never met before.

Following Jesus is life-changing. He constantly turns people’s lives around. He turns despair into joy (Psalm 30:11).

Psalm 30:8-12

⁸ To you, Lord, I called;
   to the Lord I cried for mercy:
⁹ “What is gained if I am silenced,
   if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
   Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
¹⁰ Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
   Lord, be my help. ”

¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
¹² that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Psalm Commentary

Call out to God who turns lives around

God can turn your life right around. God turns ‘wailing into dancing’ (v.11a). He removes our ‘sackcloth’ and replaces it with ‘joy’ (v.11b). All this happens when you cry ‘mercy’ (vv.8,10).

David called out to God, ‘Help me out of this!’ (v.10, MSG). God did: ‘You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy’ (v.11, NLT)

It is amazing and wonderful to hear story after story of Jesus turning people’s lives around, bringing them out of despair, setting them free from drugs, restoring marriages and changing lives – turning ‘mourning into dancing’ and sackcloth into ‘gladness’.

No wonder David ends this psalm by saying, ‘I can’t thank you enough’ (v.12, MSG).

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, that when I cried out to you for help you answered me. Thank you for turning my life right around!

Mark 13:1-31

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times

13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

² “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

⁵ Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁶ Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. ⁷ When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁸ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. ¹⁰ And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. ¹¹ Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

¹² “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ¹³ Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

¹⁴ “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. ¹⁶ Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. ¹⁷ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! ¹⁸ Pray that this will not take place in winter, ¹⁹ because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.

²⁰ “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. ²¹ At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. ²² For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²³ So be on your guard; I have told you everything in advance.

²⁴ “But in those days, following that distress,

“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
²⁵ the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

²⁶ “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

²⁸ “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. ³⁰ Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

New Testament Commentary

Watch out for God’s great turnaround

Everything you experience now in terms of God turning things around is only a foretaste of the great turnaround that will occur when Jesus returns.

The Jerusalem temple at the time of Jesus was one of the most impressive sights in the ancient world. Yet Jesus saw beyond the earthly splendour of the buildings and knew that its glory was momentary. He points the disciples beyond the architectural splendour and makes a series of prophecies about the future.

Turnaround of the temple

As they leave the temple, one of the disciples says to Jesus, ‘Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’ (v.1). Jesus says all this is going to be turned right around. He says, ‘You’re impressed by this grandiose architecture? There’s not a stone in the whole works that is not going to end up in a heap of rubble’ (v.2, MSG).

Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple, which occurred in AD 70. This may be what he is referring to when he says, ‘Don’t take this lightly. I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too – these things will happen’ (v.30, MSG).
Turnaround when Jesus returns

Jesus’ prophecies about the destruction of the temple are not just about an isolated event. They are also indicative of the whole period until Jesus’ second coming and they foreshadow what will happen at the end. He therefore doesn’t limit his words to the immediate future but continues on with prophecies about the end itself.

Jesus prophesies about the events surrounding his return. Jesus warns us that as we approach the end times, things are going to get about as bad as they can get. There will be ‘wars and rumours of wars’ (v.7), ‘earthquakes’ and ‘famines’ (v.8b). And these are only the ‘beginning of birth-pains’ (v.8c). Worse is to come: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken’ (vv.24–25).

Just before the dawn is the darkest hour. But after the darkest hour comes the new dawn. God is going to turn things right around with the return of Jesus: ‘And then they’ll see the Son of Man enter in grand style, his Arrival filling the sky – no one will miss it! He’ll dispatch the angels; they will pull in the chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole’ (vv.26–27, MSG).

As Jesus speaks of the great turnaround that will take place in the events of the future, he also urges his followers to make a turnaround now in their own lives. Three times he encourages his disciples to ‘watch out’ and ‘be on your guard’ (vv.5,9,23). Jesus wants us to turn around from focusing on the wrong things, and to watch out for three things:

Deception

He warns his disciples to watch out for false messiahs who will be particularly active during times of war, earthquake and famine (v.5).
Persecution

Jesus says that there will be an intensification of persecution (v.9) where ‘everyone will hate you because of me’ (v.13).
Distress

As well as deception and persecution, the last days ‘will be days of distress unequalled from the beginning’ (v.19).

In the face of all this, Jesus says ‘do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking but the Holy Spirit’ (v.11). Jesus’ people are encouraged to watch out and be assured that God is in control of these events and Jesus is coming back to turn things right around.

Prayer

Thank you, Jesus, that you are coming back. Thank you that although you came the first time in weakness and dishonour, you will return ‘with great power and glory’ (v.26).

Leviticus 14:1-57

Cleansing From Defiling Skin Diseases

14 The Lord said to Moses, ² “These are the regulations for any diseased person at the time of their ceremonial cleansing, when they are brought to the priest: ³ The priest is to go outside the camp and examine them. If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease, ⁴ the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the person to be cleansed. ⁵ Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. ⁶ He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. ⁷ Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the defiling disease, and then pronounce them clean. After that, he is to release the live bird in the open fields.

⁸ “The person to be cleansed must wash their clothes, shave off all their hair and bathe with water; then they will be ceremonially clean. After this they may come into the camp, but they must stay outside their tent for seven days. ⁹ On the seventh day they must shave off all their hair; they must shave their head, their beard, their eyebrows and the rest of their hair. They must wash their clothes and bathe themselves with water, and they will be clean.

¹⁰ “On the eighth day they must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil. ¹¹ The priest who pronounces them clean shall present both the one to be cleansed and their offerings before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

¹² “Then the priest is to take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, along with the log of oil; he shall wave them before the Lord as a wave offering. ¹³ He is to slaughter the lamb in the sanctuary area where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy. ¹⁴ The priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. ¹⁵ The priest shall then take some of the log of oil, pour it in the palm of his own left hand, ¹⁶ dip his right forefinger into the oil in his palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of it before the Lord seven times. ¹⁷ The priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. ¹⁸ The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed and make atonement for them before the Lord.

¹⁹ “Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from their uncleanness. After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering ²⁰ and offer it on the altar, together with the grain offering, and make atonement for them, and they will be clean.

²¹ “If, however, they are poor and cannot afford these, they must take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for them, together with a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, a log of oil, ²² and two doves or two young pigeons, such as they can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

²³ “On the eighth day they must bring them for their cleansing to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting, before the Lord. ²⁴ The priest is to take the lamb for the guilt offering, together with the log of oil, and wave them before the Lord as a wave offering. ²⁵ He shall slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. ²⁶ The priest is to pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, ²⁷ and with his right forefinger sprinkle some of the oil from his palm seven times before the Lord. ²⁸ Some of the oil in his palm he is to put on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering—on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. ²⁹ The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for them before the Lord. ³⁰ Then he shall sacrifice the doves or the young pigeons, such as the person can afford, ³¹ one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the one to be cleansed. ”

³² These are the regulations for anyone who has a defiling skin disease and who cannot afford the regular offerings for their cleansing.

Cleansing From Defiling Molds

³³ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ³⁴ “When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a spreading mold in a house in that land, ³⁵ the owner of the house must go and tell the priest, ‘I have seen something that looks like a defiling mold in my house.’ ³⁶ The priest is to order the house to be emptied before he goes in to examine the mold, so that nothing in the house will be pronounced unclean. After this the priest is to go in and inspect the house. ³⁷ He is to examine the mold on the walls, and if it has greenish or reddish depressions that appear to be deeper than the surface of the wall, ³⁸ the priest shall go out the doorway of the house and close it up for seven days. ³⁹ On the seventh day the priest shall return to inspect the house. If the mold has spread on the walls, ⁴⁰ he is to order that the contaminated stones be torn out and thrown into an unclean place outside the town. ⁴¹ He must have all the inside walls of the house scraped and the material that is scraped off dumped into an unclean place outside the town. ⁴² Then they are to take other stones to replace these and take new clay and plaster the house.

⁴³ “If the defiling mold reappears in the house after the stones have been torn out and the house scraped and plastered, ⁴⁴ the priest is to go and examine it and, if the mold has spread in the house, it is a persistent defiling mold; the house is unclean. ⁴⁵ It must be torn down—its stones, timbers and all the plaster—and taken out of the town to an unclean place.

⁴⁶ “Anyone who goes into the house while it is closed up will be unclean till evening. ⁴⁷ Anyone who sleeps or eats in the house must wash their clothes.

⁴⁸ “But if the priest comes to examine it and the mold has not spread after the house has been plastered, he shall pronounce the house clean, because the defiling mold is gone. ⁴⁹ To purify the house he is to take two birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop. ⁵⁰ He shall kill one of the birds over fresh water in a clay pot. ⁵¹ Then he is to take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet yarn and the live bird, dip them into the blood of the dead bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times. ⁵² He shall purify the house with the bird’s blood, the fresh water, the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop and the scarlet yarn. ⁵³ Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields outside the town. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean. ”

⁵⁴ These are the regulations for any defiling skin disease, for a sore, ⁵⁵ for defiling molds in fabric or in a house, ⁵⁶ and for a swelling, a rash or a shiny spot, ⁵⁷ to determine when something is clean or unclean.

These are the regulations for defiling skin diseases and defiling molds.

Old Testament Commentary

Thank God for the greatest turnaround in history

Can God revitalise the church? Can he transform a nation? Can he reduce the crime rate and empty the prisons? Can he turn around the state of marriage and family life?

The greatest turnaround in history took place on the cross through the blood of Jesus that was shed for us. What looked like an utter defeat, God turned around into the greatest victory of all time. In doing so he made it possible for you and me to be part of God’s ‘turning the world around’ today in our communities.

All this is foreshadowed in the Old Testament passage for today. Again and again in the book of Leviticus we read of the need for cleansing because of sin and guilt. Sacrifice is required (14:19). Atonement is necessary (vv.18,19,31). The blood (vv.14,25,28) of a lamb (vv.10,12,23–24) without defect (v.10) that brings atonement and cleansing from sin (vv.11,19,20,23,29,31).

The apostle Paul explains how this all points to Jesus’ great turnaround ‘to which the Law and the Prophets testify’ (Romans 3:21). Everything we read about in Leviticus today is designed to ‘testify’ about Jesus. Paul continues, ‘This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe... by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus’ (vv.22–24).

As a result, you can approach God today with confidence. In this passage in Leviticus, we read of cleansing taking place through water (Leviticus 14:7,8) as well as blood (vv.14,25,28). This is picked up in the New Testament as a foreshadowing of how Jesus cleanses us. So, the writer of Hebrews says, ‘Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water’ (Hebrews 10:22; see also 1 John 5:6).

He then finishes his explanation by explicitly drawing on the sacrificial imagery we see in today’s passage to explain how this is all achieved: ‘God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood’ (Romans 3:25).

This is how history is turned around. This is how ‘Big John’s’ life was turned around. This is how my life was turned around. This is how your life is turned around. This is how despair is turned to joy. Thank God for Jesus.

Prayer

Lord, thank you that you have already turned history around. I pray that you will turn our nation around. Pour out your Spirit. Revive your church. Turn around the state of marriage and family life. May the crime rate fall. May the prisons begin to empty. May our cities, towns and villages be transformed. May your kingdom come.

Pippa adds

Mildew seems to have been a big problem in the Old Testament. The treatment for it was very complicated and it involved the priest. We have damp in our house, which might be similar. I’m glad church members don’t ring Nicky each time they have mildew in their home. He isn’t very practical!

Verse of the Day

Psalm 30:10

‘Lord, be my help.’

References

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.

Scripture quotations (marked NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.