PT-1 “A Christian Messenger Exercises Discernment” (Luke 9:5-9)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/10/2026 9:07 AM

My Worship Time                         Focus:  PT-1 “A Christian Messenger Exercises Discernment”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 9:5-9

            Message of the verses:  “And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”  Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.  Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that Joh had risen from the dead, and by some that  Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again.  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.”

            This is the last sub-section in the 25^th chapter of MacArthur’s commentary of his second book on the gospel of Luke.  This section will take a fairly long time to get through as it has been my practice lately to quote much from MacArthur’s commentary and also quote most of the verse references that he references in his commentary. 

            “The Lord’s last word of instruction covered the very important issue of how the Twelve should deal with those who would not receive them.  In keeping with Jewish custom, Jesus told them that as they went out from the receiving city, they were to shake the dust off their feet as a testimony against them.  Underscoring the apostles’ importance as His messengers, Jesus solemnly warned that ‘it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment’  than for those who reject them and their message )Matt. 10:15).  The Lord’s command reflects the serious consequences of rejecting the gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 16:22; 2 Thess. 1:6-9).”

(cf. 1 Cor. 16:22; 2 Thess. 1:6-9)

“22  If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!”

“6  since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 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,”

            “To shake the dust off one’s feet was a traditional Jewish gesture.  When a Jew returned from traveling in a Gentile country, he would shake the dirt from the land off his clothes and sandals as a symbolic gesture of shaking off the pagan influences that could contaminate the Jewish people’s lives and land.  That act became an expression of disdain and rejection (cf. Acts 13:50-51; 18:6).  The apostles were to treat the Jews who rejected their message as if they were no better than pagan, unclean Gentiles.”

(cf. Acts 13:50-51; 18:6)

“50  But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51  But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium.”

“6  And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

            “Turning away from hard-hearted rejecters was not only an issue of judgment, but also a question of priority.  There is only so much time and opportunity available to evangelize, and that time is too precious to waste on those who have hardened themselves against the truth.

            “Jesus affirmed that principle in a shocking statement to His followers:  ‘Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces’ (Matt. 7:6).  ‘Dogs’ in first-century Palestine were usually not domesticated pets but wild, dirty, and potentially dangerous scavengers.  The thought of giving ‘what is holy,’ that is, a sacrifice offered to God, to a dog was shocking and unimaginable to the Jewish people.  Throwing meat offered on the altar at the temple to dogs would have been an unspeakably blasphemous act of desecration.  Throwing valuable pearls to pigs—the epitome of unclean animals—was equally unthinkable.  Both would also be acts of supreme folly, since dogs have no appreciation of what is holy and pigs have no appreciation for what is precious.

            “In Christ’s analogy, the dogs and swine represent those who permanently reject the gospel and treat it with utter disdain.  What must have been even more surprising to the Twelve was the identity of the dogs and swine of whom the Lord warned them.  Since, as noted above, the apostles were sent on this mission to the Jewish people, the dogs and swine were not unclean pagan Gentiles, but ultra-religious Jews.  When faced with hard-hearted rejection of the truth, the apostles were to give them a warning of judgment they faced and move on.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  When I witness to people for the cause of Christ I must be ready to tell them the truth of the gospel, and if it seems that they are not willing to listen to the truth then perhaps it is time to move on to talk to others who will listen.  Now what Jesus’ disciples were doing is talking to people that they probably will not see again, and if you have a friend that you are witnessing to that changes things as you then can continue giving out the gospel message to them when the time is right to do so.

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to show me when to give witness to those around me so that I will be ready to tell them the good news of the gospel. 

10/10/2026 9:50 AM

 

“A Christian Messenger Demonstrates Contentment” (Luke 9:4)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/9/2026 11:20 PM

My Worship Time                          Focus:  “A Christian Messenger Demonstrates Contentment”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                        Reference:  Luke 9:4

            Message of the verse: “Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city”

            The first thing I want to say is that this evening’s SD will be very short, but I will just quote from John MacArthur’s commentary so that I don’t miss anything that he has written to help us understand this verse.

            “In that day travelers stayed in people’s homes.  Hotels did not exist, and inns were dangerous and often little more than brothels.  Wherever they traveled, what house they happened to be invited to stay in, the apostles were to stay there until they left that city.  That would distinguish them from traveling false teachers, who moved from house to house collecting money from everyone they could.  The apostles, and by extension all Christians, are to be content with their circumstances (cf. 1 Timothy 6:6-10).”

(cf. 1 Timothy 6:6-10)

“6 ¶  But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

“As the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians,

“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” (Phil. 4:11-12

10/9/2026 11:32 PM

“A Christian Messenger Maintains Trust” (Luke 9:3)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/9/2026 9:09 AM

My Worship Time                                             Focus:  “A Christian Messenger Maintains Trust”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 9:3

            Message of the verses:  “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 apiece.”

            It is known that these disciples of Jesus would have power in order to alleviate virtually all suffering, there was the potential that they abuse that power for their own personal gain.  Desperate people would have paid anything to have them heal diseases, to cast out demons, and raise the dead—just as they do today to unscrupulous, fake healers, who cannot heal anyone.

            MacArthur writes “The apostles, however, were not to enrich themselves at the expense of suffering people.  Matthew records that Jesus commanded them, ‘Freely you received, freely give’ (Matt. 10:8).  Instead, they were to operate on faith and trust God to meet their needs.  They were to take nothing for their journey other than the clothes on their backs; they were not to encumber themselves with extra baggage.

            “Specifically, the apostles were not to take a staff or a walking stick.  Such staffs were helpful in negotiating the dirt roads of Israel, and could also be used in self-defense against robbers.  Mark 6:8 records that the Lord ‘instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff.’  Taken together, the two passages indicate that the Lord was forbidding them to take an extra staff.  Nor were they to take a bag (perhaps a reference to a bag carried by beggars and itinerant teachers to hold the money they collected), since they were not to accumulate material things.  There was no need for them to take bread or money, and they were not to ‘acquire gold, or silver, or copper for [their] money belts’ (Matt. 10:9). Just as they were not to take an extra walking stick, they were not even to have two tunics apiece or an extra pair of sandals (Matt. 10:10).  They were to trust dependently on the Lord’s provision for their needs (cf. Matt. 6:25-32; Phil. 4:19).”

(cf. Matt. 6:25-32; Phil. 4:19)

“25 ¶  "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”

“19  And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

            “That this austerity was temporary, for the purpose of the Twelve’s training an not the norm, is clear from the Lord’s reference to this event in the upper room.  Reminding the apostles of His charge to them in this passage Jesus ‘said to them, ‘When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?’’ ‘They said, ‘No, nothing’’ (Luke 22:35).  Then, establishing the pattern for their future ministry, the Lord ‘said to them, ‘But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one’’’ (v.36).  The stringent rules the Lord enforced during this first training mission taught the apostles to trust and see the Lord provide.”

10/9/2026 9:40 AM

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

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/8/2026 8:11PM

My Worship Time                        Focus: PT--2 “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.”

            I will try and finish this section this evening, but may not be able to.  John MacArthur writes: “In contrast to the compassionate, true servants of God, false teachers are portrayed in Scripture as merciless, abusive, and quick to take advantage of people (Isa. 56:10-12; Jer. 23:1-2; 50:6; Lam. 4:13; Ezek. 22:25; Mic. 3:5, 11; Matt. 7:15; 23:2-4; Mark 12:38-40; John 10:8, 10; Acts 20:29; 2 Cor. 2:17; Rev. 2:20).”

(Isa. 56:10-12; Jer. 23:1-2; 50:6; Lam. 4:13; Ezek. 22:25; Mic. 3:5, 11; Matt. 7:15; 23:2-4; Mark 12:38-40; John 10:8, 10; Acts 20:29; 2 Cor. 2:17; Rev. 2:20)

“1 ¶  Thus says the LORD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed. 2  Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."

“1 ¶  "Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD. 2  Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: "You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD.”

“6  "My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold.”

“13 ¶  This was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous.”

“25  The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst.”

“5  Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry "Peace" when they have something to eat, but declare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths.”

“11  Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us."

“15 ¶  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

“2  "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3  so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4  They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.”

“38  And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39  and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40  who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."

“8  All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.”

“10  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

“29  I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;”

“17  For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.”

“20  But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.”

“They lack the mercy, compassion, and kindness that marks a true messenger of Jesus Christ.  They know nothing of Paul’s passionate concern for the lost, which he expressed so eloquently in Romans 9:1-5).

(Romans 9:1-5)

“1 ¶  I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2  that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3  For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4  They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5  To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.”

            “That compelling concern drove Paul to literally beg sinners to literally beg sinners to be reconciled to Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:20).”

(2 Cor. 5:20)

“20  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

10/8/2026 9:04 PM

 

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