The Devotional - 121- Temptation

Thought for the Day – 121 – Temptation

 

Proverbs 26:17 - When people are quarreling, I always want to step in and help. The problem is that I might not know who the victim is! Even so; victim or culprit both can attack like a mad dog.

 

Comments and challenges

 

There are many people who read these devotionals who do not believe that Satan exists; just let me say that when I think of how to deal with this I just want to cry. Since denying the existence of Satan would seem to be clever it is actually - stupid; since those who do, deny a large percentage of the Holy Bible. These folks in their clever thoughts also deny the One who they say does exist and in doing so call Him a liar. 1 John 2:3-11 and note Luke 22:31-34.

 

In Matthew 4:1-17 and in Luke 4:1-13 we have an account of Satan’s plan to defeat God on earth, but let’s not make a mistake; this is not Satan’s first attempt. At the beginning and throughout the Patriarchal Dispensation; the Jewish Dispensation and the Church Age Dispensation; Satan has led the way of sin and death. His army of devils and his unbelieving community of humans are on a violent rampage of evil, thus Satan and his war against God is visible in every moment of time.

 

We should not believe that Mark is any less concerned about the effects of Satan in the world or of the temptation that was placed upon the LORD Jesus Christ. Mark as we know is seeking to cover a lot of information quickly; sort of a topical view, much like an evangelist might. In fact; Mark is referred to by some commentators as an evangelist. It is not recorded anywhere in scripture that he was and we need to be careful and not seek to identify him other than a man who came to believing faith just as you or I might; that is, by the study of convicting Truth and observation. Also, he is seen in the book of Acts as a spiritual aide, assistant or servant. Acts 13:4-12. Even to say that Mark was an apostle would also present a false truth; scripture does not provide that information even though one of the prerequisites for being an apostle was to have seen the LORD Jesus in person; as Mark did, but note; that Mark was not chosen with the twelve disciples. Luke 6:12-16.

 

So Mark a servant has studied the scriptures and He has at least one and possibly two New Testament writings to study; the Gospel of Matthew and the Epistle of James as many believe that James the half-brother of Jesus wrote before the Pauline Epistles since there is no reference to grace in the epistle of James. Thus Mark is qualifying the deity of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the three major events in the life of Jesus Christ to begin the ministry that will place Jesus Christ on the Cross three years and a few months from the statement of Jesus Christ that Mark records in Mark 1:15

 

These events are (1) John the Baptizer comes on the scene preaching water baptism because of remission of sin (2) Jesus is baptized by John; Matthew 3:1-17 and John 1:29-34 (3) Jesus is tempted by Satan Matthew 4:1-17 and Luke 4:1-13 and (4) we see in Mark 1:14-15 what Luke’s gospel records in Luke 4:16-27; especially verse 21.

 

There is a lot of reading for you here today so I think I will move on for another day.