PT-1 “Be Careful How You Listen” (Luke 8:16-21)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/14/2026 9:44 AM

My Worship Time                                                      Focus: PT-1 “Be Careful How You Listen”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 8:16-21

            Message of the verses:  “16“Now no one lights a lamp and covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see the light. 17For nothing is concealed that will not become evident, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. 18So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

19Now His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. 20And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.” 21But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

            John MacArthur writes this in his introduction to these verses: “Listening is an important and often neglected skill.  Good listeners are good friends and make for good company.  They make good teachers and counselors.  Poor, on the other hand, want only to hear themselves talk, and even when they appear to be listening they often are only planning what they are going to say next.  Solomon described poor listeners as those who bring folly and shame to themselves by giving an answer without fully listening to the question (Prov. 18:13).  They cheat themselves out of the best in life’s relationships.”

(Prov. 18:13)

“13 ¶  If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.”

            “But while listening to other people has temporal value, listening to God has eternal significance.  Christ’s warning in verse 18, ‘Take care how you listen,’ is a constant theme in Scripture.  The command, ‘Hear the word of the Lord’ appears about thirty times in the Old Testament (e.g. 2Kings 20:1 7 ¶  "Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.6; Ps. 50:7; Isa. 1:10; 28:14; 48:1; Jer. 2:4; Ezek. 18:25).”

(e.g. 2Kings 20:16; Ps. 50:7; Isa. 1:10; 28:14; 48:1; Jer. 2:4; Ezek. 18:25)

“Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD:”

“7 ¶  "Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.”

“10 ¶  Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!”

“14 ¶  Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem!”

“1 ¶  Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right.”

“4  Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel.”

“25  "Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?”

“In such passages as Psalm 81:8; Isaiah 41:1; 46:3, 12; 49: 1, 51:1, 7: 55:2-3, and Jeremiah 11:4, 7; 17:20; 42:15 God exhorted His people to listen to Him.

(Psalm 81:8; Isaiah 41:1; 46:3,12; 49:1, 51:1, 7; 55:2-3, and Jeremiah 11:4, 7; 17:20; 42:15)

“8 ¶  Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me!”

“1 ¶  Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment.”

“3  "Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb;”

“12  "Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness:”

“1 ¶  Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.”

“7 ¶  Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

“2  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3  Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.”

“4  that I commanded your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God,”

“7  For I solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, Obey my voice.”

“20  and say: ‘Hear the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates.”

“15  then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there,”

“At the transfiguration God commanded, ‘This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!’ (Mark 9:7).  The repeated phrase, ‘Today if you hear His voice’ (Ps. 95:7; Heb. 3:7, 15; 4:7) further emphasizes the importance of listening to God.”

Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  To be a better listener!

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to trust the Lord as I and my family are going through some very rough seas currently.  Still grieving over the death of my dear wife, and then having my grand son almost loose his life in a motorcycle crash which did take part of his left arm and right leg.  He has had two surgeries with one more to go, and then a very long rehab to follow where he will have to learn to walk with prosthesis.  We all love the Lord and know that He cannot make any mistakes and can lean on Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

9/14/2026 10:59 AM

 

 

 

 

The Good Soil (Luke 8:15)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/13/2026 8:11 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                         Focus: The Good Soil

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 8:15

            Message of the verses:  “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”

            Well we finally get to the good soil, which is the only one that produces any grain.  This is in contrast to the first three soils, the seed in the good soil produces genuine salvation.  This last soil represents the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, one that is genuinely and truly good without duplicity.  They are those who understand the word (Matt. 13:23), accept it (Mark 4:20), and hold it fast in ongoing obedience (cf. Luke 11:28; John 14:15, 21; 15:10).

(Matt. 13:23)

“23  As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

(Mark 4:20)

“20  But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.’”

(cf. Luke 11:28; John 14:15, 21; 15:10)

“28  But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

“15 ¶  "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

“21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."

“10  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”

“Unlike the roadside soil, where the seed never penetrates, the rocky soil where it sprouts briefly and withers, and the thorny soil where it is choked out, the good soil is properly prepared.  The seed will grow into mature plants that bear fruit with the perseverance that marks genuine faith (see the discussion of perseverance above).  As noted above, those who abandon their profession of faith prove that it was never real.

            “Fruit encompasses the good works that accompany salvation (Matt. 3:8; John 15:16), including both attitudes (Gal. 5:22-23) and actions (Col. 1:10; Phil. 1:11).”

(Matt. 3:8; John 15:16)

“8  Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”

“16  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

(Gal. 5:22-23)

“22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

(Col. 1:10; Phil. 1:11)

“10  so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

“11  filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

“Attitude fruit produces action fruit, and to attempt to generate action fruit apart from it results in legalism, such as that which the Lord condemned in the scribes and Pharisees.  As both Matthew’s (13:23) and (Mark 4:20) accounts reveal, there are varying degrees of fruitfulness.”

Matthew (13:23)

“23  As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’”

(Mark 4:20)

“20  But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."

“All believers, however, will bear some genuine fruit (Eph. 2:10); fruitlessness is a mark of false, non-saving faith (John 15:2; cf. Matt. 3:10).”

(Eph. 2:10)

“10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

(John 15:2; cf. Matt. 3:10)

“2  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

“10  Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

            “A proper understanding of this masterful parable should have a profound influence on how the church does evangelism.  Jesus taught that the variable is not the method or skill of the one presenting the gospel, or the message itself—the things that are frequently the focus of contemporary evangelistic methodology.  The variable is the heart.  More specifically, it is not the nature of the heart; in the Lord’s analogy all four soils are made up of the same dirt.  The determining factor in how people respond to the gospel is the influences that prevail upon and dominate their hearts.

            “Conviction, which prepares the heart to receive the gospel, is the work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8), and salvation itself is the work of God.”

(John 16:8)

8  And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:”

“But the Spirit’s work of conviction does not take place in a vacuum.  He uses the proclamation of the gospel message of sin and the need for salvation to do His convicting work in the human heart. ‘How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?’  Paul asked rhetorically. ‘How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?  And how will they hear without a preacher?’ (Rom. 10:14), since ‘faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ’ (v. 17)

            “Believers must present the full message of salvation and not merely focus on its blessings.  Before people can experience those blessings they must come to grips with the reality that they are sinners, facing God’s wrath and eternal judgment.  They must acknowledge that their only hope lies in the salvation He has provided through the sacrificial death of His Son.  Therefore Christians must explain sin to the lost before presenting God’s gracious offer of forgiveness.  As the Puritan pastor and theologian John Owen noted, those who would have their sous justified by grace must have their sins judged by the law (The Forgiveness of Sin [Reprint; Grand Rapids: Baker 1977], 60).  Only then will the hard soil be plowed, the rock bed broken up, and the weeds removed, preparing the good soil to produce the fruit of salvation.” (All enclosed quotes come from John MacArthur’s commentary on the gospel of Luke.)

9/13/2026 9:03 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The Thorny Soil” (Luke 8:14)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/13/2026 7:56 AM

My Worship Time                                                                                 Focus:  “The Thorny Soil”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 8:14

            Message of the verses:  “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.”

            The seed which fell among the thorns pictures another group of those who have heard the gospel and initially accepted it.  However the truth is soon crowded out not by suffering, but by pleasure.  The soil appears good; it is not hard-packed, it is deep and has no underlying rock bed.  However there are impurities in it, other life that is native to it.  On the other hand the seed, the word of God, is not natural in the hearts of sinners.  As a result though the seeds sprout, what happens is they are chocked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life (cf. Matt. 13:22) which, as they did with the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-25), keep the people pictured by the thorny soil from receiving eternal life.

(cf. Matt. 13:22)

“22  As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”

(Luke 18:18-25)

“18 ¶  And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19  And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20  You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’" 21  And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23  But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24  Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, "How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25  For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

            MacArthur writes “Those double-minded people (James 1:8) illustrate the truth that a person ‘cannot serve God and wealth’ (Matt. 6:24).”

(James 1:8)

“8  he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

“They are consumed with temporal things—sinful pleasures, longings and desires, ambition, career, homes, cars, prestige, relationships, fame—all of which choke the seed of the gospel so that they bring no fruit to maturity.  The seed of the gospel will not produce the fruit of righteousness unless the heart is purged.

            “This is the preoccupied worldly heart, swept away by the deceitfulness of riches.  Paul wrote of such people, ‘Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction’ (1 Tim. 6:9).  The apostle John warned his readers,

“15  Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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. 17  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

“There is nothing wrong in enjoying the things that God graciously provides (1 Tim. 6:17).”

(1 Tim. 6:17)

“17  As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”

“The priority, however, is to ‘seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you’ (Matt. 6:33).  “Those who understand the true value of the gospel would willingly give up all to possess it if that was what the Lord asked (Matt. 13:44-46).”

(Matt. 13:44-46)

“44 ¶  "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45  "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46  who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he and bought it.”

Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  Trusting the Lord to help me to first His kingdom first, and not hold tightly to the things of this world.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to trust the Lord in the healing of my grandson Jagger who underwent another surgery last night.

9/13/2026 8:32 AM

 

PT-2 “The Rocky Soil” (Luke 8:13)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/12/2026 7:30 PM

My Worship Time                                                                           Focus: PT-2 “The Rocky Soil”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 8:13

            Message of the verse:  “Those on the rocky soil are those who when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.”

            John MacArthur writes:  “What makes it evident that the faith of those symbolized by the rocky soil is superficial and non-saving is that in time of temptation they fall away.  The scorching heat of the sun reveals that plants in the rocky soil lack a deep root structure.  Because of that they are unable to draw the nutrients and moisture from the soil that they need to survive.  In the same way temptation (peirasmos; ‘temptation.’ ‘trial’ ‘testing’), affliction, and persecution (Matt. 13:21) cause false believers to fall away from their profession of faith.

(Matt. 13:21)

“21  yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

            “Right after experiencing the miracle that had the greatest impact numerically of any the Lord performed, the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:1-13), many would-be disciples ‘withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore (v.66).

(John 6:1-13)

“1 ¶  After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2  And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3  Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4  Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5  Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6  He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7  Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8  One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9  “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10  Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11  Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12  And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13  So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.”

“They were fervently hoping that Jesus would be the conquering king who would oust the hated Romans and usher in a glorious kingdom for Israel.  But they found Christ’s teaching on the true nature of salvation and His call for total commitment to Him (vv. 26-65) unacceptable, and permanently abandoned Him.  As the apostle John would later write, ‘They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us’ (1 John 2:19).

            “The faith of true believers, in contrast, is not crushed by trials, but strengthened by them.  James encouraged believers, ‘Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing’ (James 1:2-4).  When faced with a painful trial that the Lord chose not to remove (2 Cor. 12:7-9) Paul responded, ‘Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong’ (vv. 9-10).  The writer of Hebrews exhorted believers undergoing trials to remember that ‘all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness’ (Heb. 12:11).  Peter wrote, ‘After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you’ (1 Peter 5:10).

            “When tests and trials come, they reveal whether faith is real or superficial.  The same trials that perfect righteousness in believers harden unbelievers in their sin.”

            What I can say about trials is that I am in the midst of them as my dear wife passed away on the 29^th of July at 9:36 AM, and then this past Tuesday my grandson was in a devastating motorcycle accident where he lost his right leg, and left arm and if it were not for the grace of God he would have lost his life, but God had other plans as he was rescued shortly after he dialed 911 and was taken to the hospital where he is still there today awaiting more surgery.  Praise the Lord that everything else functions and once he is fitted with a new leg and a new arm then he will be able to life out his life in a good way.  I’m praying that God will use him for His glory after that.

9/12/2026 7:57 PM

 

PT-1 “The Rocky Soil” (Luke 8:13)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/12/2026 10:05 AM

My Worship Time                                                                           Focus: PT-1 “The Rocky Soil”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 8:13

            Message of the verse:  “Those on the rocky soil are those who when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.”

            I suppose that all believers have come into contact with people that are identified in this section, people who say that they are believers and then later on will say things like “Oh we’re not into that anymore,” like a person can get in and out of Christianity.  Now these people seem at first to be the opposite of the hard-hearted ones represented by the roadside soil.  Far from rejecting the truth when they hear it proclaimed, they initially receive the word with joy.  Their euphoria may convince many that their conversion is real.  They are not only interested and receptive, but also exuberant and exhilarated—but not for long.  The problem is that since these have no firm root they only believe for a while.

            MacArthur writes “Perseverance marks genuine saving faith.  ‘If you continue in My word,’ Jesus told some who professed faith in Him, ‘then you are truly disciples of Mine’ (John 831).  Paul wrote to the Colossians that those who have been reconciled to God will ‘continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not m oved away from the hope of the gospel’ (Col. 1:23).  The writer of the Hebrews reminded his readers “We have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end’ (Heb. 3:14; cf. v.6; 4:14; Matt. 24:13).”

(cf. v.6; 4:14; Matt. 24:13)

“6  but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.”

“14  Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”

“13  But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

            “Joy, on the other hand, is not the distinguishing mark of true salvation. In fact, a truer indication of genuine conversion is mourning (Matt. 5:4; cf. James 4:9).”

(Matt. 5:4; cf. James 4:9)

4  "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

“9  Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

“Joy is sometimes characteristic of genuine salvation, but sometimes of false salvation.  People often respond to the gospel for the wrong reasons.  They may have experienced a broken relationship, a divorce, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or been diagnosed with a serious disease.  The expectation that Jesus will fix everything for them on their terms is exciting, and fills them with a false joy.  But these people are like the man in the Lord’s parable who crashed a wedding party without having the proper attire and was thrown out (Matt. 22:11-13).  Since their faith is not genuine, they lace the robe of righteousness that clothes the redeemed” (Isa. 61:10).

(Matt. 22:11-13)

“11  "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12  And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13  Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

(Isa. 61:10)

“10 ¶  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

            “Nor is the absence of joy a distinguishing mark of a false conversion.  Emotion is not a definitive indicator of spiritual reality.  Salvation is a work of God, a divine transaction that may or may not produce an immediate emotional reaction.  The saving faith will stand the test of time and assurance, peace, and joy are wrought by the Holy Spirit in the heart of the redeemed.”

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have a close friend who I grew up with who was having some problems, difficult problems and was because of these problems alienated with his foster parents.  He came to seem me and at that time was supposably a true believer, but did not tell me about it.  Later on I went to visit him in Florida and he told me about his conversion and gave me some tapes to listen to, and God used those tapes to lead me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Later on when he and his wife were visiting me he told a friend of ours that they were not into that any more.  This situation has bothered me for many years.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to lean on the Lord for his peace to help me through the loss of my wife, and also the horrible motorcycle accident that my grandson had where he lost a leg and an arm.

9/12/2026 10:42 AM

 

 

“The Roadside Soil” (Luke 8:12)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/11/2026 9:09 PM

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  “The Roadside Soil”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 8:12

            Message of the verse:  “Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.”

            Now we must remember that this parable that Jesus is saying represents something, and also remember that only those who are believers will understand it, as that is the way Jesus’ parables worked.  We have talked a bit about this verse earlier, but now we want to talk about its meaning.  Now the hard-packed, impenetrable soil beside the road, which is the pathway through the fields that people walked on.  This symbolizes those who have heard the gospel but reject it outright.  Like that soil, the hearts of such people are hardened against the truth.  MacArthur writes “The Old Testament refers to them as hard-hearted (Ps. 95:8; Proverbs 28:14)and stiff-necked (Deut. 10:16; 2 Kings 17:14; Neh. 9:29; Jer. 7:26).”

(Ps. 95:8; Proverbs 28:14)

“8  do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,”

“14 ¶  Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”

(Deut. 10:16; 2 Kings 17:14; Neh. 9:29; Jer. 7:26)

“16  Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.”

14  But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.”

“29  And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey.”

“26  Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.”

“They are stubbornly resolute and rigid in their indifference and hostility to the gospel, motivated by their love of sin.  The heart of such people is a thoroughfare, constantly trampled and packed down by the sins that traverse it.  It is never plowed by conviction, self-examination, honest assessment of guilt, and repentance.  It is as callous to the sweet reasonings of grace as it is to the fearful terrors of judgment.

            “Interestingly, such hard-hearted people are often not atheists, but highly and seriously religious.  A prime example was the Jewish religious leaders of Christ’s day.  So firmly shut were their minds to the truth of God that they hated, opposed, and ultimately killed His Son, the very Messiah they had longed for (cf. Matthew 21:33-46).”

 

(cf. Matthew 21:33-46)

“33 ¶  "Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34  When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35  And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36  Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37  Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38  But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39  And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40  When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41  They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 42  Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ’”The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43  Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44  And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." 45  When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46  And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.”

            “Because the sin-hardened hearts of those who permanently reject the gospel are impervious to God’s truth, their father (John 8:44) the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.”

(John 8:44)

“44  You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

“Satan does that through false teachers (Matt. 7:15-20), fear of man (John 12:42), embarrassment at identifying with Jesus Christ (Matt. 10:33), pride (James 4:6), doubt that causes them not to believe and be saved, and mot of all, through the love of sin (John 3:19).”

(Matt. 7:15-20)

“15 ¶  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

(John 12:42)

42 ¶  Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;”

(Matt. 10:33)

33  but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

(James 4:6)

6  But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

(John 3:19)

19  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

9/11/2026 9:54 PM

 

 

 

 

 

“The Interpretation” (Luke 9:8b-15)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/11/2026 9:20 AM

My Worship Time                                                                               Focus:  “The Interpretation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 8:8b-15

            Message of the verses:  “As He said these things, He would call out, “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

⁹ Now His disciples began asking Him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are told in parables, so that while seeing they may not see, and while hearing they may not understand.

¹¹ “Now this is the parable: the seed is the word of God. ¹² And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rocky soil are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and yet these do not have a firm root; they believe for a while, and in a time of temptation they fall away. ¹⁴ And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word with a good and virtuous heart, and hold it firmly, and produce fruit with perseverance.”

            Looking at John MacArthur’s commentary it seems to me that this is just an introduction to these verses as we will go into more detail about them beginning in this evening’s SD, and so I think it is wise for me to just quote what he wrote in this mornings SD.

            “As He told this story, Jesus would call out, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (cf. 14:35; Matt. 11:15; 13:43; Mark 4:23).

(cf. 14:35; Matt. 11:15; 13:43; Mark 4:23).

“35  It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

“15  He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

“43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

“23  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

“That challenge distinguished between those who desired to understand what He was teaching, and those who did not.  Unsurprisingly only His disciples were interested, and they began questioning Him as to what this parable meant.  Jesus’ response revealed the incredible privilege that was theirs:  ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.’  The mysteries of which the Lord spoke are spiritual truths hidden through the Old Testament era and revealed in the New. (See the discussion of the New Testament mysteries in chapter 16 of this volume).  The kingdom of God, as noted in chapter 19 of this volume, refers to the sphere of salvation where God reigns over His people.  But as noted above, to the rest who reject the truth, parables are and act of judgment, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand (Matt. 13:12-13).”

(Matt. 13:12-13)

“12  For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13  This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”

“Matthew records that Jesus elaborated on that statement of judgment by quoting from Isaiah’s familiar prophecy:

“In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; you will keep on seeing but not perceive; for the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.’ (Matt. 13:14-15; cf. Isa. 6:9-10)”

(Isa. 6:9-10)

“9 ¶  And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "’Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10  Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."

“Because they willfully hardened their hearts against the truth, God judicially hardened them, just as He did with Pharaoh (cf. Ex. 8:15; 14:8).  While such people cannot understand spiritual truth (1 Cor. 2:14), believers can (v. 16; cf. Matt. 13:16-17, 51).

            Having made it clear that the truth contained in the parable was for His disciples only, Jesus identified its key elements.  Significantly, He did not name the sower (as He so identified Himself in His explanation of the parable of the wheat and the tares [Matt. 13:37]), since the sower is not the issue.  Anyone who proclaims the gospel is a sower.  Jesus identified the issue.  Anyone who proclaims the gospel is a sower.  Jesus identified the seed as the Word of God, specifically in the context the gospel message of salvation.  Peter used that same analogy when he wrote, ‘You have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God’ (1 Peter 1:23; cf. Rom 10:17).  No artificial, synthetic seed can replace the divine seed and produce better results; attempting to alter the gospel message to make it more palatable to unbelievers brings judgment (Gal. 1:8-9) and can only result in false conversions.  The soil represents the heart (vv. 12, 15), and the four types of soil describe the various conditions of the souls of those who hear the gospel.”

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  That the Holy Spirit of God will use the blogs that I write to give out the gospel message so that souls will be saved, and believers will grow in grace.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am trusting the Lord to give the surgeons who will be operating on my grandson to have great wisdom so that it will be successful.  9/11/2026 10:08 AM