“The Saints Association” (Luke 9:30-31)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/28/2026 5:19 PM

My Worship Time                                                                      Focus:  “The Saints Association”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 9:30-31

            Message of the verse: “And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”

            First of all let us take at the phrase and behold, as this introduces another startling aspect of this amazing scene.  Now as we look at this section we can see that Jesus was not the only person from the eternal kingdom who was present; two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, who, were also appearing in glory; that is, in the splendor of their glorified bodies (cf. Phil. 3:20-21).

(cf. Phil. 3:20-21)

“20  But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21  who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

That the two were recognizable shows that people in heaven retain their identities.  Now the choice of two men once again was in keeping with the law’s standard for witnesses which is noted above.  The topic of their conversation was Christ’s departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem, shows that His death was the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan, not a breach of it.  Perhaps it is a good time to think about these two men in what could be another role that they may have later on in the tribulation period where John writes about two witnesses that God will use for half of the tribulation period, and many believe that it is these same two men, Moses and Elijah. Now back to this section above.  What was hard for the apostles to accept, Jesus’ death, was in the divine plan and these Old Testament representatives understood that fact in their perfect knowledge, perfect because they came from heaven.  Moses and Elijah had been in the presence of God since their departures from this world, where they had known and worshiped Jesus and understood the plan of redemption.

            MacArthur writes “Moses and Elijah were chosen to appear for at least three reasons.  First, they both had unusual exits from the world.  After Moses’ death Michael the archangel and Satan fought over the body (Jude 9) and God buried him so that his body would never be found (Deut. 34:6).”

(Jude 9)

“9  But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

(Deut. 34:6)

“6  and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day.”

“Elijah did not die, but as he and Elisha ‘were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them.  And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven’ (2 Kings 2:11).

            “Further, Moses and Elijah were two witnesses who would be trusted implicitly by Israel.  Moses was the greatest and most revered leader in the nation’s history, the one who led them out of slavery in Egypt.  Elijah was one of the greatest and most respected of the prophets.  He also was one of only two men in the Old Testament, along with Enoch (Gen. 5:22-24) not to experience death but to be taken directly to heaven.”

(Gen. 5:22-24)

“22  Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23  Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24  Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.”

            “Finally, they represented the two great divisions of the Old Testament.  Moses is identified with the law, which is commonly referred to as the law of Moses (e.g., Josh. 8:31; 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:25; 2 Chron. 23:18; Heb. 10:28).”

(e.g., Josh. 8:31; 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:25; 2 Chron. 23:18; Heb. 10:28)

“31  just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, "an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool." And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.”

“3  and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,”

“25 ¶  Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.”

“18  And Jehoiada posted watchmen for the house of the LORD under the direction of the Levitical priests and the Levites whom David had organized to be in charge of the house of the LORD, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David.”

“28  Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.”

“While Moses gave the law, Elijah guarded it.  His strong sand against Israel’s idolatrous rejection of the law culminated in his dramatic victory over hundreds of false prophets on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:19-40).”

(1 Kings 18:19-40)

“19  Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table." 20  So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 ¶  And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word. 22  Then Elijah said to the people, "I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23  Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. 24  And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God." And all the people answered, "It is well spoken." 25  Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it." 26  And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made. 27  And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened." 28  And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29  And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention. 30  Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down. 31  Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, "Israel shall be your name," 32  and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed. 33  And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, "Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood." 34  And he said, "Do it a second time." And they did it a second time. And he said, "Do it a third time." And they did it a third time. 35  And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water. 36  And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. 37  Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back." 38  Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39  And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, "The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God." 40  And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape." And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.”

            “The question arises as to why the two men had visible bodies since the Old Testament saints are described in Hebrews 12:23 as ‘the spirits of the righteous mad perfect’ and do not receive their glorified bodies until after the tribulation (Dan. 12:1-2).”

(Dan. 12:1-2)

“  1 ¶  "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2  And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

“Evidently they either received the bodies they appeared in temporarily for that occasion, or God gave them their permanent resurrection bodies early.” 

10/28/2026 6:03 PM

 

 

“The Son’s Transformation” (Luke 9:29)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/28/2026 9:59 AM

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus:  “The Son’s Transformation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 9:29

            Message of the verse:  “And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.”

            Unlike the last few SD’s on the introduction to the series of verses that we were looking at that took a few days to go over this SD will be much shorter.

            Now as verse 32 indicates, Jesus along was praying; the apostles were asleep.  Then suddenly, while they slept, the appearance of His face became different than it had ever been.  Matthew described it, “He was transfigured [metamorphoo, the source of the English word “metamorphosis”] before them; and His face shone like the sun” (Matt. 17:2).  This word was used in my earlier SD that I copied and put on my other blog site this morning.  Now He who had been “found in appearance as a man” (Phil. 2:8) pulled back the veil of His flesh to reveal a brief glimpse of His divine glory—the shekinah glory of God that was manifested repeatedly in the Old Testament, as we saw earlier in this chapter of Luke.  The glory of Christ’s divine shining mature radiated through His body so that even His clothing became white and gleaming.  Now the Greek word translated gleaming means “emitting light,” and it describes a brilliant, flashing light like lightning.  Jesus will manifest that same blazing glory in its fulness at His second coming (Matt. 16:27; 25:31).

(Matt. 16:27; 25:31)

“27  For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.”

“31 ¶  "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.”

It was Christ’s divine glory that the three apostles would see whenever they woke up, along with two other glorious beings whom the narrative now introduces.

10/28/2026 10:30 AM

PT-3 “Previewing the Second Coming” (Luke 9:27-36)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/27/2026 8:35 PM

My Worship Time                                                 Focus: PT-3 “Previewing the Second Coming”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 9:27-36

            Message of the verses:  “²⁷ But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” ²⁸ About eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter, John, and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹ And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. ³⁰ And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, ³¹ who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ³² Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who were standing with Him. ³³ And as these two men were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; and let’s make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying. ³⁴ But while he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ And then a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” ³⁶ And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.”

            “Still, scoffers question why anyone should believe Jesus’ promise to return.  After all, nearly two thousand years have elapsed since His death. ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’ they demand, ‘For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation’’ (2 Peter 3:4).  The same skepticism faced the Old Testament prophets when they predicted events in the distant future.  But they also predicted near events, which dispelled skepticism when they came to pass, giving evidence that their future prophecies would also be fulfilled.

            “In this section Jesus followed the pattern of the Old Testament prophets.  Having promised His glorious return in v. 26, which would not come in their day, He promises an event to happen immediately to verify His believability.  He told His hearers, ‘But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here (identified in the next verse as Peter, John, and James) who will not taste death (a Hebrew colloquial expression for dying) until they see the kingdom of God.’  The preview glimpse they would receive of His divine nature to be fully  revealed at His return was a gift to encourage their weak faith.  Thus some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.  (Matthew (17:1) and (Mark 9:2) place the transfiguration six days after the Lord spoke these words.  There is no contradiction between their accounts and Luke’s; the latter merely bookended the six days by adding the day Jesus made this statement the actual day of the transfiguration.”

(Matthew (17:1)

“1 ¶  And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.”

(Mark 9:2)

“2  And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,”

            “Jesus took along Peter and John and James since those three men, along with Andrew, made up the innermost circle of the apostles (8:51; Mark 14:33).”

(8:51; Mark 14:33)

“51  And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child.”

“33  And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled.”

“Jesus’ choice of three men reflects the law’s requirement that ‘on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed’ (Deut. 19:15; cf. Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1; 1 Tim. 5:19; Heb. 10:28).”

(Deut. 19:15; cf. Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1; 1 Tim. 5:19; Heb. 10:28)

“15  "A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.”

“16  But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”

“1 ¶  This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”

“19  Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.”

“28  Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.”

“The apostles had been devastated by Jesus’ prediction of His death (9:21-22) and the possibility of their own martyrdoms (vv. 23-24).”

(9:21-22)

“21  And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22  saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

(vv. 23-24)

“23  And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

“Matthew (16:22-23) and Mark (8:32-33) tell us Peter rebuked Jesus for even suggesting such plans, for which he was severely rebuked by his Lord.”

(Matt.16:22-23)

“22  And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23  But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Mark (8:32-33)

“32  And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33  But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

“It was extremely difficult to reconcile those unexpected and undesired predictions with their messianic views and the Lord’s promised glory (v. 26).”

(v. 26)

“26  For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

“The amazing event that Peter, John, and James were about to witness was designed as a help to reinforce their faith in Jesus’ glory and kingdom promises.

            “They had been waiting and hoping for the coming of the promised kingdom since they first began to follow Jesus.  They had seen the power of the kingdom every time the King cast out demons, demonstrated control over nature, healed the sick, or raised the dead.  They had also experienced divine power operating through them (9:1).”

(9:1)

“1 ¶  And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,”

“But what Peter, James, and John were about to experience would go beyond merely observing the signs that point to the kingdom; they would actually briefly enter the kingdom itself.

            “In preparation for this glorious event, Jesus took the three apostles with Him and went up on the mountain to pray.  On that unnamed mountain in Galilee, in the greatest revelation in His lifetime of who He truly is, Jesus’ glory was manifested in four ways:  the Son’s transformation, the saint’s association, the sleepers’ suggestion, and the Sovereign God’s revelation.”

10/27/2026 9:17 PM

 

 

 

           

 

PT-2 “Previewing the Second Coming” (Luke 9:27-36)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/27/2026 9:08 AM

My Worship Time                                                 Focus: PT-2 “Previewing the Second Coming”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 9:27-36

            Message of the verses:  “²⁷ But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” ²⁸ About eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter, John, and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹ And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. ³⁰ And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, ³¹ who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ³² Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who were standing with Him. ³³ And as these two men were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; and let’s make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying. ³⁴ But while he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ And then a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” ³⁶ And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.”

            It was yesterday morning as I sat down to do my morning devotions on the gospel of Luke that the power in my neighborhood went out and I did not finish this last evening, and so I will pick up where I left off from Sunday evening copying from MacArthur’s commentary and also adding all the verse references so that no one who reads this has to look them up.

            “The Old Testament manifestations of God were shrouded in mystery.  ‘Behold, these are the fringes of His ways,’ Job declared, and how faint a word we hear of Him!  But His mighty thunder, who can understand’ (Job. 26:14).  Moses cried out to God, ‘I pray You show me Your glory!’ (Ex. 33:18).  But God replied, ‘You cannot see my face, for no man can see Me and live!’  (v. 20) and then told Moses, ‘And it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I passed by.  Then I will take my hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen’ (vv. 22-23).  The blazing fullness of God’s glory would incinerate anyone who encountered it.

            “It is in the Lord Jesus Christ that the glory of God is most fully and clearly manifested.  The writer of Hebrews began his book with a description of Christ’s glory:

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.  And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature (Heb. 1:1-3)

“The apostle Paul called Him the ‘Lord of glory’ (1 Cor. 2:8), and in 2 Corinthians 3:3-6 states,

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.  For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

Now let me stop here with MacArthur’s quotation and quote 1 Cor. 2:8 which he referenced above.

(1 Cor. 2:8)

“8  None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

“James referred to Him as ‘our glorious Lord Jesus Christ’ (James 2:1).  But the event that most powerfully and dramatically proved Jesus Christ to be the true glory of God, though veiled while He walked on earth, is the one recorded in this passage.  The transfiguration is a preview of Christ’s unveiled second coming, when He returns in full visible glory (Matt. 24:29-30; 25:31).”

(Matt. 24:29-30; 25:31)

“29  "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30  Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

“31 ¶  "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.”

           “The last vision the world had of Jesus was of Him hanging on a cross; only His followers saw Him after the resurrection and witnessed His ascension.  Crucifixion was from the Gentile standpoint the ultimate act of disdain toward society’s most wretched people, while to the Jewish people it symbolized being cursed by God (cf. Gal. 3:13).”

(cf. Gal. 3:13)

“13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”

            “But that is not the final view the world will have of Jesus.  While the world sees only His first coming, Jesus spoke often of His return (cf. Luke 9:26; 12:40; 17:24-30; 18:8; 21:27, 36).  The two comings of Christ, the first in humility and the second in glory, are the two great themes of biblical prophecy.”

(cf. Luke 9:26; 12:40; 17:24-30; 18:8; 21:27, 36)

“26  For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

“40  You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’”

“24  For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.  25  But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26  Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27  They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28  Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29  but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30  so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”

“8  I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

“27  And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

“36  But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

10/27/2026 9:52 AM

 

PT-1 “Previewing the Second Coming” (Luke 9:26-37)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/25/2026 7:27 PM

My Worship Time                                                 Focus: PT-1 “Previewing the Second Coming”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 9:27-36

            Message of the verses:  “²⁷ But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” ²⁸ About eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter, John, and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹ And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. ³⁰ And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, ³¹ who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ³² Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who were standing with Him. ³³ And as these two men were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; and let’s make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying. ³⁴ But while he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ And then a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” ³⁶ And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.”

            As has been my custom for a while I will quote from John MacArthur’s commentary this introduction that he has for these verses.  “One of the most glorious sections of Handel’s masterpiece Messiah is the chorus ‘And the Glory of the Lord,’ which draws its text from Isaiah’s prophecy.  Speaking of the coming Messiah, Isiah wrote, ‘Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken’ (Isa. 40:5).  That text reveals that the Lord Jesus Christ is the glory of God manifest in the incarnation.

            “The Old Testament records many occasions when God revealed His attributes in visible, light-like glory.  Glory appeared in the wilderness, in response to Israel’s complaints about lack of food (Ex. 16:7, 10); in Sinai at the giving of the law (Ex. 24:15-18); at the completion of the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34-35); in the wilderness in response to the nation’s rebellion (Num 16:19, 42); when the people complained about the lack of water at Meribah (Num. 20:6); at the completion of the temple (1 Kings 8:10-11); and to Ezekiel (Ezek. 1:28; 3:23; 10:4, 18; 11:23).  Whenever the glory of the Lord appeared, it manifested the presence of God Himself.”  I will now quote these verses mentioned in this paragraph.

(Ex. 16:7, 10)

“7  and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us?"“10  And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

 

(Ex. 24:15-18)

“15  Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16  The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17  Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18  Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.”

(Ex. 40:34-35)

“34 ¶  Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35  And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”

(Num 16:19, 42)

“19  Then Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.”

“42  And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. And behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.”

(Num. 20:6)

“6  Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them,”

(1 Kings 8:10-11)

“10  And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11  so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.”

(Ezek. 1:28; 3:23; 10:4, 18; 11:23)

“28  Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”

“23  So I arose and went out into the valley, and behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, like the glory that I had seen by the Chebar canal, and I fell on my face.”

“4  And the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD.”

“18  Then the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.”

“23  And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city.”

            This is where I will stop this evening and as I look ahead into MacArthur’s commentary I can see that with the copying of the many verses that it will take a few more SD’s to finish it.

10/25/2026 8:00 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The Punishment of False Discipleship” (Luke 9:26)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/25/2026 10:37 AM

My Worship Time                                               Focus:  “The Punishment of False Discipleship”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 9:26

            Message of the verse:  “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Many will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

            This morning’s SD will be very short as this SD will end chapter 28 of John MacArthur’s commentary, and I have to say that this total section that we have been looking at is very challenging.

            MacArthur writes “Jesus identifies those who will not repent and believe in Him as those who are ashamed of Him and His words (cf. Matt. 10:32-33).”

(cf. Matt. 10:32-33)

“32  So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33  but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

“To be ashamed in this context means to reject, despise, and find unacceptable.  Such people are proud of what they should be ashamed of; their ‘glory is in their shame’ (Phil. 3:19).”  I think it would be best to look at all of this verse:  “19  Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” “God said of sinful, unrepentant Israelites, ‘Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done?  They were not even ashamed at all; they did not even know how to blush’ (Jer. 6:15).  Despite the fact that He manifested the glory of God (John 1:14; Rev. 5:12), sinners reject Jesus (John 1:10-11).”

(John 1:14; Rev. 5:12)

“14  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

“12  saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

(John 1:10-11)

“10  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11  He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”

“The message of the cross is foolish and offensive to those who want to hold on to their sin (1 Cor. 1:18, 23), who love the approval of men rather than the approval of God (John 12:43).”

(1 Cor. 1:18, 23)

“18  For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

“23  but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,”

(John 12:43)

“43  for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

            “Those who are ashamed of Him will in turn find that the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels (cf. 2 Thess. 1:7-9).

(cf. 2 Thess. 1:7-9)

“7  and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8  in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9  They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,”

“Christ’s words here reflect an Old Testament text with which His hearers would have been familiar.  Daniel 7:9-10 describes the judgment also recorded in Revelation 20:11-15.”

(Daniel 7:9-10)

“9 ¶  "As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. 10  A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.”

(Revelation 20:11-15)

“11 ¶  Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14  Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

“Then verses 13 and 14 in Daniel describe the appearance of the Son of Man, who will render judgment (cf. John 5:22, 27) and receive His eternal kingdom.”

(Daniel 7:13-14)

“13  "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14  And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

(cf. John 5:22, 27)

“22  The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,”

“27  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.”

“At that time all who were ashamed of Him and rejected Him will be sentenced to eternal hell.

            “On the other hand, Christians are not ashamed of Christ or His word (Rom. 1:16; Phil 1:20; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Peter 4:16).”

(Rom. 1:16; Phil 1:20; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Peter 4:16)

“16 ¶  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

“12  which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.”

“16  Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”

“The promise to those who are ashamed of themselves and their sin, who boast only in the cross (Gal. 6:14; cf. Heb 12:2), is that God will redeem them and grant them forgiveness and eternal life.  The wonderful truth is that Jesus is not ashamed to call them brethren’ (Heb. 2:11) and ‘God is not ashamed to be called their God’ (Heb. 11:16).

(Gal. 6:14; cf. Heb 12:2)

“14  But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

“16  But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”

10/25/2026 11:23 AM

 

 

 

 

“The Paradox of True Discipleship” (Luke 9:24-25)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/24/2026 6:47 PM

My Worship Time                                                     Focus:  “The Paradox of True Discipleship”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                              Reference:  “Luke 9:24-25”

            Message of the verses:  “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.  For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?”

            John MacArthur explains “Jesus further elaborated on the principle He had just given by noting paradoxically that whoever wishes to save his life will in fact lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.  The only way for lost sinners to be saved from eternal punishment in hell is to experience the abandonment of everything for Christ.

            “This clear call must have been a regular part of our Lord’s preaching.  Later in His ministry, He declared, ‘Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it’ (Luke 17:33).  Earlier, as recorded in Matthew 10:39, He said, ‘He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.’ John 12:25 states that during Passion Week He repeated this call:  ‘He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.’  Clearly, the message is that those who focus on self-love, self-esteem, and fulfilling all their desires, dreams, and ambitions in this life, even with a superficial interest in Jesus, will lose their eternal soul (cf. Matt. 7:21-23).”

(cf. Matt. 7:21-23)

“21 ¶  "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23  And then will I declare to them,, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

“But those who abandon their self0interests, deny themselves, hate their sinful condition, and give themselves wholly to Jesus Christ will be saved.

            “An important point to note is that Jesus was not investing all forms of self-denial with any inherent nobility.  He was not saying that those who give their lives for social, political, or even religious causes will benefit spiritually from doing so.  The self-denial the Lord called for was specifically, He said, for My sake.

            “Elaborating on his point, Jesus asked the rhetorical question, For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?  Expressing the ultimate hyperbole, the Lord said in effect, ‘Assume for the sake of argument that you could possess the whole world—all that your passions hunger for, your eyes covet, and your pride demands (cf. 1 John 2:16).”

(cf. 1 John 2:16)

“16  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

“What would that profit you if you forfeited your eternal soul?’ The obvious answer is ‘nothing.’  Nothing in the world is of comparable value to a person’s eternal soul.”

10/24/2026 7:10 PM