PT-1 "A Christian Messenger Manifests Compassion” (Luke 9:1b, 2b)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/8/2026 11:37AM

My Worship Time                                 Focus:  “A Christian Messenger Manifests Compassion”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 9:1b, 2b

            Message of the verses:  “and gave them over and authority over all the demons and to heal  diseases…and to perform healing.”

            Now as I look at all of the verse references that John MacArthur has in this section I think that it will take more than one SD to finish looking at these verses.

            The Twelve were granted power and authority the likes of which only Jesus (and also briefly the seventy) ever possessed.  Now if their message was to be validated and believed, there needed to be a way to attest its divine origin.  Since the completion of the New Testament, a preacher’s message can be measured against its inspired, infallible, inerrant standard.  The Twelve’s authenticity was verified by their God-granted ability to perform the same kind of miraculous signs that Jesus performed (cf. 4:36; 40-41; 6:17-18; 8:1-2).

(cf. 4:36; 40-41; 6:17-18; 8:1-2)

“36  And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”

“40  Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41  And demons also came out of many, crying,, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.”

“17  And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18  who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.”

“1 ¶  Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2  and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,”

            MacArthur writes “Specifically, the Lord delegated to the apostles His power and authority over all the demons, giving them complete dominance over the supernatural realm of evil, fallen angels.  They also received power to perform healing, and even to raise the dead (Matt. 10:8)

“8  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.”

“The divine power they manifested proved that the apostles were preaching divine truth (cf. Rom. 15:18-19; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3-4).”

cf. Rom. 15:18-19; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3-4)

“18  For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19  by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;”

“12  The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.”

“3  how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4  while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”

“Such miraculous confirmation was no longer needed after the completion of the New Testament.  Even by the end of the book of Acts, miracles were fading from the scene as the apostles disappeared.  Paul healed people early in his ministry (cf. Acts 14:9-10; 19:11-12; 28:8), but toward the end of his life, he did not heal Trophimus (2 Tim. 4:20) and advised Timothy not to find a healer, but to treat his recurring stomach ailment with wine (1 Tim. 5:23).”

(cf. Acts 14:9-10; 19:11-12; 28:8)

“9  He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10  said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.”

“11  And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12  so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.”

“8  It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him.”

(2 Tim. 4:20)

“20  Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus.”

(1 Tim. 5:23)

“23  (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)

            I think that I will do one more paragraph, and then save the rest of this section for this evening’s SD.

            “But of the many ways the Lord could have shown His power through His messengers, He chose to have them, as He Himself did (cf. the discussion of 8:42 in the previous chapter of this volume), perform healing miracles that relieved human suffering.  Those miracles reflect God’s compassionate care for the needy and afflicted (Job 36:5-6; Pss. 9:18; 12:5; 35:10; 69:33; 140:12; Isa. 41:17), demonstrating that He is by nature a savior and deliverer, even on a temporal, physical level (cf. 1 Tim. 4:10).”

(Job 36:5-6; Pss. 9:18; 12:5; 35:10; 69:33; 140:12; Isa. 41:17)

“5 ¶  "Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise any; he is mighty in strength of understanding. 6  He does not keep the wicked alive, but gives the afflicted their right.”

“18  For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.”

“5  "Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise," says the LORD; "I will place him in the safety for which he longs."

“10  All my bones shall say, "O LORD, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?"

“33  For the LORD hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.”

“12  I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy.”

“17  When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the LORD will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them.”

            Now if you are interested in looking at the discussion found in Luke 8:42 as is noted above, then you can go to my evening Spiritual Diary dated 10-01-2026).

10/8/2026 12:12 PM

 

 

“A Christian Messenger Proclaims Salvation” (Luke 9:2b)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/7/2026 9:30 PM

My Worship Time                                      Focus:  “A Christian Messenger Proclaims Salvation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 9:2b

            Message of the verse:  “And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God”

            As we look at this partial verse we can see what the mission had, a single purpose: they were to proclaim the kingdom of God.  The Greek word for proclaim is kerusso, which refers to a herald’s formal, authoritative, public announcement of important truth.  In an era before mass media, that was how important messages were communicated to the public, that is they had town criers who would do it in later times.  In town after town, the apostles publicly were proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand because the Lord, Savior, and King had arrived.  That message never gets old.  They also announced that entrance to the kingdom was through repentance (Mark 6:12), with confession of sin, and faith in the Messiah (John 1:12-13).”

(Mark 6:12)

“12  So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.”

(John 1:12-13)

“12  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

            MacArthur writes “The preaching of the Twelve followed the pattern set by Jesus.  In Luke 4:43 He announced, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for the purpose.’  One of the proofs of His messiahship that He offered to the messengers from John the Baptist was that the ‘poor have the gospel preached to them’ (p7:22).  At the beginning of chapter 8, Luke recorded that ‘He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God’ (8:1).  As Luke noted in that same verse, ‘the twelve were with Him,’ learning from His example.  When He sent them out, the Twelve preached the same message that Jesus did.  The church today has that same responsibility to preach exactly what Jesus did without altering it.  The church’s message is not a social, political, philanthropic, or moral one.  It is a message of sin, salvation, and forgiveness, which without being changed has been explained and enriched in the New Testament epistles.

            “The Lord narrowed the scope of the apostles’ first preaching assignment by commanding them, ‘Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ (Matt. 10:5-6; cf. Rom. 1:16).”

(Rom. 1:16)

“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.”

“The Jewish people, heirs of God’s covenants, law, and promises (Rom. 9:4), were to have the gospel preached to them before it was widely proclaimed to the Gentiles and Samaritans.  It would also be helpful for the Twelve if their first preaching assignment was to people of their own culture and not to the pagan Gentiles and half-breed Samaritans.”

(Rom. 9:4)

“4  They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.”

“But eventually, the gospel would be preached to the entire world (Matt. 28:19-20).”

(Matt. 28:19-20)

“19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’’

“Israel was never intended to be a cul-de-sac for the message of salvation, but rather a conduit through which it would flow to the world.  Chosen to be God’s witness nation, Israel’s stubborn unbelief caused it to be temporarily set aside.  The Lord chose a new people, the church, composed of believers from every people and nation. God has not permanently rejected Israel (Rom. 11:1-2, 25-26), and in the future the believing remanent will once again be His Witnesses (Rev. 7:1-8).”

(Rom. 11:1-2, 25-26)

“1 ¶  I ask, then,, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2  God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?”

“25  Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26  And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”

(Rev. 7:1-8)

“1 ¶  After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. 2  Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, 3  saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4  And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5  12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, 6  12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, 7  12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, 8  12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.”

10/7/2026 10:01 PM

 

 

PT-4 “A Profile of a Christian Messenger” (Luke 9:1-9)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/7/2026 9:38 AM

My Worship Time                                           Focus:  PT-4 “A Profile of a Christian Messenger”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 9:1-9

            Message of the verses:  “9 Now He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and the power to heal diseases. ² And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. ³ And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics. ⁴ And whatever house you enter, stay there ^[until you leave that city. ⁵ And as for all who do not receive you, when you leave that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” ⁶ And as they were leaving, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

⁷ Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, ⁸ and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. ⁹ Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this Man about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.”

            Last night I left of quoting John MacArthur’s introduction in the middle of a paragraph, and so I will begin where I left of in this morning’s SD;

“They, however, were not apostles.  Their ministry, though powerful (cf. vv.9, 17), was temporary, a special one-time expansive mission to preach the gospel yet again to the hard-hearted Galileans.”

(Luke 10: vv.9, 17)

“9  Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

17 ¶  The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

“The apostles’ ministry on the other hand, was permanent.  They were the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20).”

(Eph. 2:20)

“20  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,”

“Their teaching was authoritative (Acts 2:42) and they and their close associates were the human authors of the New Testament.”

(Acts 2:42)

“42 ¶  And they devoted themselves to the apostles ’teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

            “The reason the Lord chose twelve men to be His apostles instead of some other number was that twelve was symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel.  The number twelve’s importance was reinforced by the addition of Matthias to take Judas’s place (Acts 1:23-26), thus ensuring that the apostles would continue to be a twelve-man unit.”

(Acts 1:23-26)

“23  And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24  And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25  to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." 26  And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”

“Jesus’ choice of these twelve men, none of them members of any part of the religious establishment, was an act of judgment, emphasizing the reality that Israel and its spiritual leadership were apostate.

            “One of the earliest official acts of Christ’s ministry was His first cleansing of the temple (John 2:13-22), which highlighted the corruption, apostasy, and spiritual bankruptcy of the Jewish religious leaders and all who followed them.”

(John 2:13-22)

“13  The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14  In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15  And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16  And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17  His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18  So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19  Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20  The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21  But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22  When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”

“Their hostility toward Him had intensified over the intervening eighteen months.  When the time came to choose His apostles, the Lord ignored the religious establishment.  Instead, He chose twelve common, ordinary men to be the leaders of the new, true Israel of God—the redeemed, believing remnant.  Jesus made that connection clear in Luke 22:29-30 when He told the Twelve that they would reign over Israel in the millennial kingdom:  ‘Just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  Their names will also be emblazoned on the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem for all eternity (Rev. 21:14).”

(Luke 22:29-30)

“29  and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30  that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

(Rev. 21:14)

“14  And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

            “From Luke’s inspired account of our Lord’s commissioning of the Twelve, a profile of a messenger of Jesus Christ emerges.  A Christian messenger proclaims salvation, manifests compassion, maintains trust, demonstrates contentment, and exercises discernment.”

            This last paragraph shows the outline to which we will follow as we begin to study these verses, and Lord willing that will be in this evening’s SD.

10/7/2026 10:07 AM

 

 

 

 

PT-3 “A Profile of a Christian Messenger” (Luke 9:1-9)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/6/2026 9:20 PM

My Worship Time                                           Focus:  PT-3 “A Profile of a Christian Messenger”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 9:1-9

            Message of the verses:  “9 Now He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and the power to heal diseases. ² And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. ³ And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics. ⁴ And whatever house you enter, stay there ^[until you leave that city. ⁵ And as for all who do not receive you, when you leave that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” ⁶ And as they were leaving, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

⁷ Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, ⁸ and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. ⁹ Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this Man about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.”

            I will begin where I left of in copying MacArthur’s introduction to the verses above.

            “This was the penultimate stage of the Lord’s calling of the apostles.  The first phase was when He called them to saving faith (cf. 5:27-28; John 1:35-51).”

(cf. 5:27-28; John 1:35-51)

“27 ¶  After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28  And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.”

“31  I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." 32  And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33  I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34  And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." 35  The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36  and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 ¶  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38  Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39  He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40  One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41  He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42  He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). 43 ¶  The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46  Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48  Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49  Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50  Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51  And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

“The second phase was their call to permanent, full-time discipleship (5:1-11).”

(Luke 5:1-11)

“1 ¶  On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2  and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3  Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4  And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5  And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6  And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7  They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8  But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10  and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11  And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.”

“The third phase was their call to apostleship, as noted above.  The short-term mission assignment described in this passage was the fourth phase.  The final phase was the Great Commission when Jesus, just before His ascension, commanded them to ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age’ (Matt. 28:19-20).”

            “In a further act of grace and mercy, Jesus later sent seventy of His other disciples throughout Galilee on another preaching tour (Luke 10:1-20).”

(Luke 10:1-20)

“1 ¶  After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2  And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3  Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4  Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5  Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6  And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8  Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10  But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11  ’Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12  I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 13  "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14  But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15  And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. 16  “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” 17 ¶  The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18  And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19  Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20  Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’”

            I usually do not stop in the middle of a paragraph, but because of so many verses I have quoted I think it best to stop here and then continue working on this in the morning.

10/6/2026 9:47 PM

 

 

PT-2 “A Profile of a Christian Messenger” (Luke 9:1-9)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/6/2026 9:15 AM

My Worship Time                                           Focus:  PT-2 “A Profile of a Christian Messenger”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 9:1-9

            Message of the verses:  “9 Now He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and the power to heal diseases. ² And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. ³ And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a ^[a]bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two ^[b]tunics. ⁴ And whatever house you enter, stay there ^[c]until you leave that city. ⁵ And as for all who do not receive you, when you leave that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” ⁶ And as they were leaving, they began going ^[d]throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

⁷ Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, ⁸ and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. ⁹ Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this Man about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.”

            I will begin where I left of in copying MacArthur’s introduction to the verses above.

            “Here as he occasionally did, Luke omitted events recorded elsewhere in the Gospels.  He ended chapter 8 with the account of two miracles: the healing of a woman with an issue of blood, and the raising of Jairus’s daughter.  But in between those healings and the sending of the Twelve, Jesus made the second and final recorded trip to His hometown of Nazareth (Mark 6:1-6).”

(Mark 6:1-6)

“1 ¶  He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2  And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4  And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5  And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6  And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.”

“Sadly, the people there rejected Him again, as they had the first time He ministered there (Luke 4:16-30).”

(Luke 4:16-30)

“16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17  And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." 20  And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21  And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22  And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23  And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” 24  And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25  But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26  and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27  And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." 28  When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29  And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30  But passing through their midst, he went away.”

“Though they could not deny His miraculous power over demons, disease, death, and the natural world, being consumed with self-righteous pride, they indignantly rejected His diagnosis of them as spiritually poor, prisoners, blind, and oppressed (4:18).”

(Luke 4:18)

18  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,”

            “After leaving Nazareth, Jesus continued to travel around Galilee teaching in the villages (Mark 6:6) until He commissioned the Twelve.”

(Mark 6:6)

“6  And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.”

“It is at that point that Luke picks up the narrative.  Although they had already been named apostles, the Twelve had not yet been set apart from the larger group of Christ’s followers and disciples.  The Lord now called the twelve together  to send them out, in keeping with His pledge to make them fishers of men (Matt. 4:19).”

(Matt. 4:19)

“19  And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

            Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  Looking back at the demon possessed man from chapter eight as Jesus sent him out to tell others what the Lord had done for him I can also tell others what the Lord has done for me in order to call me to Himself when He saved me. 

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to work in my heart in order to show me what He has for me as far as any kind of relationship, whether or not to get my house ready to sell, whether I should build a place in my daughter’s back yard to live there.  I certainly need a great deal of peace to make any type of move like that.  10/6/2026 9:40 AM

 

 

 

 

 

PT-1 “A Profile of a Christian Messenger” (Luke 9:1-9)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/5/2026 8:25 PM

My Worship Time                                           Focus:  PT-1 “A Profile of a Christian Messenger”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 9:1-9

            Message of the verses:  “9 Now He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and the power to heal diseases. ² And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. ³ And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a ^[a]bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two ^[b]tunics. ⁴ And whatever house you enter, stay there ^[c]until you leave that city. ⁵ And as for all who do not receive you, when you leave that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” ⁶ And as they were leaving, they began going ^[d]throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

⁷ Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, ⁸ and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. ⁹ Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this Man about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.”

            Every once in a while I have trouble saving my SD’s and loose what ever I had written, and that happened this morning and so to be honest it upsets me and so I had to walk away and will do it this evening.

            My recent practice is to quote all the introduction from John MacArthur’s introduction.

            “This passage marks a significant transition for the Lord Jesus Christ.  Approximately half of His three-year ministry is over, and His death on the cross is about eighteen months away.  Up to this point, Jesus had ministered by Himself.  He alone performed miracles, preached the gospel, answered questions, and handled conflicts with those who opposed Him.  His ministry was isolated to wherever He was, since He was the only preacher, teacher, and healer.  As a result, the crowds that followed Him all over Galilee grew larger and larger.  In addition, the Lord’s Galilean ministry was rapidly drawing to a close.  As Luke 9:51 indicates, He was about to leave Galilee for Judea, adding time pressure to that from the increasing crowds.

            “Obviously, the one who created the universe in six days could have continued to minister effectively on His own.  Instead, Jesus chose to multiply His ministry by using the twelve men whom He had called to be apostles (6:12-16).”

(Luke 6:12-16)

“12 ¶  In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13  And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14  Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15  and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16  and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”

“In an internship that would prepare them to minister later on their own without Him, the Lord sent the Twelve throughout Galilee to preach His kingdom.  Up to this point they had been hearers and learners; now they needed to begin the transition to becoming preachers and messengers.  The apostles needed to be trained to carry on Jesus’ ministry after His death. They were ordinary, common men (cf. 1Cor. 1:26), with no human credentials to qualify them for the most monumental task in human history.”

(cf. 1Cor. 1:26)

“26  For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.”

“Even after three years of following Jesus and eighteen months of intensive training by Him, they all abandoned Him in His hour of need (Matt. 26:56) and cowered in hiding from the Jewish authorities after His death (John 20:19).”

(Matt. 26:56)

“56  But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him and fled.”

(John 20:19)

“19 ¶  On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

“It was not until the Holy Spirit filled them on the Day of Pentecost, empowering them for service (Acts 1:8) and bringing to mind all they had learned from Jesus (John 14:26), that they became the men who turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6).”

(Acts 1:8)

“8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

(John 14:26)

“26  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

(Acts 17:6)

“6  And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.”

            Lord willing I will pick up where I just left off, and I suppose it will take a few more SD’s in order to finish this introduction.

10/5/2026 9:19 PM

 

 

 

“His Priority” (Luke 8:56)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/4/2026 8:45 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                         Focus:  “His Priority”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                               (                        Reference:  Luke 8:56

            Message of the verse:  “Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.”

            Sometimes when one reads different stories in the Bible like raising someone from the dead, the more you read it, it seems to lose some of its greatness, but it should not do that.  Now in the case of the girl’s parents they were in addition to being overjoyed that their daughter was restored to live, her parents were amazed.  Amazed, writes John MacArthur translates a form of the verb existemi, which literally means “to stand outside oneself,” and is translated “He has lost His senses” in Mark 3:21.

(Mark 3:21)

“21  And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

MacArthur writes “It signifies that the girl’s parents were extremely astonished to the point of being terrified, as were the disciples (v. 25), the people of Gadara (v. 37), and the woman healed of the hemorrhage (v. 47) earlier in this  chapter.”

(v. 25)

“25  He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

(v. 37)

“37  Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.”

(v. 47)

“47  And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.”

            “That the Lord instructed them to tell no one what had happened does not mean that He did not want people to know about the miracle.  The news was impossible to keep secret (cf. Matt. 9:26), since everyone would see the resurrected girl.”

(cf. Matt. 9:26)

“26  And the report of this went through all that district.”

“There were times when Jesus did not want the news of a miracle to be spread, because the resulting crowds of curiosity seekers would hinder His ministry (cf. Mark 1:40-45) or seek to make Him king by force (John 6:14-15), or as an act of judgment, hiding the truth from those confirmed in their rejection of Him (Luke 9:21).”

(cf. Mark 1:40-45)

40 ¶  And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41  Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42  And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43  And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44  and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45  But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.”

(John 6:14-15)

“14  When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 15 ¶  then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”

(Luke 9:21)

“21  And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one,”

“As noted above, the news would spread on its own.  The parents could enjoy being reunited with their daughter, and rejoice in Christ’s goodness, grace, and mercy to them.

            “All of those matters could play a part in the restriction of silence Jesus put on them—but they are not the main reason.  Our Lord frequently called for this kind of silence (Matt. 8:4; 9:30; 12:16; 17:9; Mark 1:25, 34, 44; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26; 9:9; Luke 4:41; 9:21).

(Matt. 8:4; 9:30; 12:16; 17:9; Mark 1:25, 34, 44; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26; 9:9; Luke 4:41; 9:21).

“4  And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”

“30  And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.”

“16  and ordered them not to make him known.”

“19  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

“25  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”

“34  And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.”

“44  and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”

“12  And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.”

“43  And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.”

“36  And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.”

“26  And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

“9  And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”

“41  And demons also came out of many, crying,, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.”

“21  And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one,”

“The real reason is given in Mark 8:30-31 “30  And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. 31  And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” “He did not want to be known as a healer or miracle worker—or even only as the Christ—those were true but incomplete.  When He is proclaimed, it must be as the crucified and risen Savior.  There is no gospel of Jesus Christ without the cross in all its meaning and the resurrection with all that it accomplished.  Paul summed it up when he said he would only preach ‘Christ, and Him crucified’ (1 Cor. 2:2) and proclaimed that salvation is for those who believe that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9-10).”

(Rom. 10:9-10)

“9  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

            “This account of two of the countless miracles the Lord Jesus Christ performed reveals His personal, compassionate concern for hurting people.  To the oppressed and burdened He offers rest (Matt. 11:28-30); for the troubled He provides peace (John 14:27; 16:33); and most important of all, to those enslaved by sin He offers salvation (Luke 4:16-21; 19:10) through the cross and resurrection to come.”

rest (Matt. 11:28-30)

“28  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

peace (John 14:27; 16:33)

“27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

“33  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

salvation (Luke 4:16-21; 19:10)

“16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17  And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." 20  And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21  And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

“10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’”

10/4/2026 9:43 PM