๐Ÿ Times of Training ๐Ÿ


Tests and trials are times of training. Jesus was in no way exempt from tests and trials. The Israelites on the way to the Promised Land failed miserably in the wilderness. But Jesus emerged successfully in the wilderness. Adam and Eve missed their mark while alone in the Garden of Eden. But Jesus came out with flying colours while alone in the desert.

Jesus was in the wilderness for forty long days totally isolated from human contact. Though Jesus was alone, in no way was He exempted from trials, troubles and tests. Actually it was all the more intense in His lockdown situation. Interestingly only the Gospel of Mark narrates that three were with Him in the wilderness. They were Satan, the wild animals and the angels.

๐Ÿ“– and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him (Mark 1:13).

Satan who tempted Adam and Eve when they were alone also extended his testing to Jesus. But Jesus overcame each test with the Word of God. The presence of wild animals indicates that Jesus was really far in the depth of the wilderness. He was without any human contact but in the terrain of the wild animals safe and secure.

Angels were there to serve Jesus in the wilderness as He fasted. Did they provide Him as they provided Elijah in the desert? Wonder whether the angels who tied the lions mouth when Daniel was thrown in the lions den, protected Jesus also from the wild animals.

Dear ones in Christ, desert experience is not exempt from trials. Someone said that loneliness is the mother of a multitude of evil desires. So loneliness is ensnaring all the more. The secret for Jesus’ victory was His times of fasting. He began His public ministry after fasting. If Jesus had fasted, we also need to fast to be overcomers. He is our role model to follow. May we follow Him faithfully to tide over tests and trials.

God bless us to be channels of blessings.

Mrs Sheela Jebakumar โœ๏ธ
February 14, 2021

Mark 1 – 2 Questions and Answers

Q. What subject is emphasized a lot in the Book of Mark?
A. (From Mark notes, Praise and Worship Bible)
Jesus’ royalty, strength and energy.

Q. How do demons sometimes manifest?
A. Mark 1:23โ€“25 = A demon may possess an unbeliever.

Q. Do unsaved people attend worship services?
A. Mark 1:23 = Yes.

Q. Did the demons know Jesus’ identity?
A. Mark 1:23โ€“24 = Yes, but they didn’t know Jesus’ mission. One demon asked Jesus why He came.

Q. What did the demon think Jesus’ reason for coming was?
A. Mark 1:24 = To destroy demons.

Q. Who is Jesus?
A. Mark 1:24 = The Holy One sent from God.

Q. Do evil spirits scream?
A. Mark 1:26 = Yes.

Q. What should we remember about evil spirits?
A. Mark 1:23โ€“27 = Evil spirits may taunt us, mock us, show us nothing but contempt, but they absolutely have to obey us when we tell them to leave in Jesus’ name.

Q. Why didn’t the demons reveal to the world who Jesus was?
A. Mark 1:34 = Because Jesus refused to allow them to.

Q. What did Jesus do when he woke up long before daybreak?
A. Mark 1:35 = He prayed.
๐Ÿ‘‰ Does God wake you in the wee hours? Pray! Pray for everything and anything, or whatever specific thing comes to mind.

Q. Why did Jesus come?
A. Mark 1:38 = To preach to all His people, the Israelites.

Q. Where did Jesus preach? A. Mark 1:39 = In synagogues at first, then all over Galilee.

Q. If you want something bad enough and you seek God’s healing touch, even to extremes, will God answer you?
A. Mark 2:1โ€“5 = Ys. To seek God intensely shows great faith. God loves that!

Q. What was a major sin of the religious leaders in Jesus’ time?
A. Mark 2:27 = Manipulating people to benefit the Temple. Yet the Temple’s purpose was to benefit people. The Temple, after all, was where God was.

โœ๏ธ๐ŸŒนMrs. Kalaiselvi Balakrishnan in Jesus Christ ๐ŸŒนโœ๏ธ