Fw: the wilderness

Mark 1:

11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

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As the gospel of Mark begins we see the unfolding of Jesus' ministry.  Initial observations from the text tell us that (1) it was foretold that He would come by plan, (2) Jesus illustrates the importance of spiritual transition in baptism and (3) The Holy Spirit is both with Jesus and also leads Him into difficult trials for His own good.

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We need to come by faith and hear, in our inner voice, that the Father is pleased that we have trusted in Him.  We need to mark that transition publicly to proclaim to others and personalize the new birth for ourselves.  Then we will experience the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  We live in a fallen world and the Lord first rescues us from the consequences of that corruption when we believe.  Then He comes to live within and lead us in ways that temper and forge us to cope as we live out our days in the midst of the creation that has chosen to go its own way since the Garden of Eden.  And we are encouraged that, just as angels ministered to Jesus in the wilderness, so God will lead us in ultimate victory both in our days on earth and with Him in the forever place by His side.

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blessings!

Rob Smith

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"Death is inevitable.  Life is a choice!"

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live."