The Scriptures of Mark 1...
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The Scriptures of Mark 1 are frequently used to describe the three steps of ministry: baptism, or anointing or ordination; the temptation, or preparation of mind, body, and spirit; and finally, preaching the gospel of repentance, or obeying the call to God's service.
A missionary, forced out of Kenya by the vicious Mau Mau uprising in the 1950s, addressed a conference of American ministers shortly before he was to return to Africa. "Too many ministers take step number one, baptism; go on to step number three, preaching the gospel; while bypassing step number two, preparation in the wilderness. They assume that seminary is a synonym for temptation in the wilderness, and it isn't! Preparation is more than theological arguments, good grades, and sermon manuscripts, as important as they might be. But the real preparation comes through the long hours of prayer, the wrestling of the spirit with the temptations of the world, and a direct confrontation with your spiritual self."
- Byrd
A missionary, forced out of Kenya by the vicious Mau Mau uprising in the 1950s, addressed a conference of American ministers shortly before he was to return to Africa. "Too many ministers take step number one, baptism; go on to step number three, preaching the gospel; while bypassing step number two, preparation in the wilderness. They assume that seminary is a synonym for temptation in the wilderness, and it isn't! Preparation is more than theological arguments, good grades, and sermon manuscripts, as important as they might be. But the real preparation comes through the long hours of prayer, the wrestling of the spirit with the temptations of the world, and a direct confrontation with your spiritual self."
- Byrd
