PT-1 "Settled in Understanding"

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/28/2017 12:14 PM

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus: PT-1Settled in Understanding

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Colossians 2:2c-5

            Message of the verses:  “and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.   4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.”

            I just had a thought that I have had before on many different occasions but have never written down.  Think for a moment of the problems that the church of Colossae was experiencing which caused the apostle Paul to write this letter to, and then for a moment think if they had not had these problems, then we would not have this letter in the Word of God.  My point is that many of the letters that are contained in the Word of God are results of problems that the different churches or persons were having and if they had not had these problems then we, today would not know how to solve them if we faced the same situations today.  Paul writes to the Corinthians “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Cor. 1:3-4).” I realize that Paul is talking about some of the afflictions that he was going through, but the same holds true with the difficulties and even the wrong doctrinal problems churches like the Colossian church was going through.  God, through Paul would help them to solve their doctrinal issues and He will also use Paul’s writing to solve similar things that goes on in churches today, that is if they are willing to admit their problems and ask God to forgive them and then heal their churches.

            Now we want to look at our subject for today, but probably will not get through it in one SD.  Now when we look at the words “wealth that comes from the full assurance” we can be sure that Paul is not talking about physical or financial benefits, but spiritual benefits that will last for all eternity.  We have to rely on these assurances in order to enjoy on all of the blessings that are ours in Christ.  MacArthur writes “For example, no one can look forward with hope to the blessings of heaven who doubts whether he is going there.”  Now there are some who believe that God gives them salvation and that after giving it to them He takes it away from them because of the way that they are living.  John writes in John 3:36 “"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."”  John is saying, and in this case it is John the Baptist, that you are either saved or your not.  John writes the following in 1 John 2:19  “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.”  Here John is saying that the ones, who went out from us, never were really a part of us.  Good example of this is Judas who spent three years with Jesus but was never a true believer and so he went out from them.  Bottom line is that if we are a believer we have that hope of going to heaven, it is part of what Christ promises to believers.  Now there are a few places in the Scriptures where we read that we are to make certain of our salvation, and one of them is found in 2 Peter 1:10 where we read “Be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you.”  Paul writes in the last chapter of 2 Corinthians the following “5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-unless indeed you fail the test?”  Now how do we make sure that our calling is sure?  Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:5-8:

“5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

            Now in our next SD on these verses we will begin to look at the meaning of the word “understanding.
2/28/2017 12:41 PM

             

PT-3 "Intro to John 17:6-10

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/28/2017 9:35 AM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  PT-3 “Intro to John 17:6-10)

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  John 17:6-10

            Message of the verses:  “6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7  "Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8  for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9  "I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10  and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.”

            I have to say that this has become quite a chore for me to continue to write this introduction to these verses, and as I go over them in my mind each morning I continue to see things in them that I have not seen before, things that are very important for all of us to understand.

            Now as we continue to look at this introduction we have been talking about salvation, which is the eternal saving purpose of God and it has always been the major primary concern of Jesus Christ when He was on planet earth, for this is why He came.  Now we see that the cross is very near, just hours away from the time when Jesus was praying to the Father in this magnificent prayer and it is believed that this prayer is voiced audibly in order for His disciples can hear it, and as I think about it I believe that this prayer was indeed prayed before Jesus’ prayer at Gethsemane.  I know that some believe that everything that happened from chapters 13-17 happened in the upper room and why some call this “The Tabletop Ministry,” and I suppose that this does make sense to understand it that way as after this prayer they would sing a song and then go to the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus would ask some of His disciples to watch and pray with Him, which they failed to do and after that Jesus would be arrested and given a unjust trial, a fake trial, and then the crucifixion of Christ would take place.  I needed to get these things straight in my mind to better understand when and where Jesus prayed this prayer.

            MacArthur writes “The Lord knew that what had been planned in eternity past would be fulfilled in the next few hours of time (cf. vv. 1-5).  He also knew that His disciples would abandon Him at the critical moment (John 13:36-38; 16:32), that their faith would be shaken (cf. Luke 22a:31-32), and that their hearts would be deeply grieved (John 16:22).  Though His own suffering would far outweigh theirs, Jesus sacrifice served them (as He had done throughout His entire ministry [cf. Mark 10:44-45] including that evening [John 13:1, 12], and would ultimately do on the cross [15:13] by praying for them.  In fact, of the twenty-six verses that comprise Jesus’ prayer in John 17, fourteen center specifically on the disciples (vv. 6-19) which an additional seven (vv. 20-26) focusing on those who would believe in Christ in the future through their extended ministries.”

            We have learned that in the first five verses of this prayer that Jesus prayed that the Father would receive glory with the Son and now we see in verses 6-19 that Jesus is praying for His disciples.  We have also mentioned that this is Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer” and have stated that once He returned to heaven that this would be His ministry, interceding for those who are His, praying for them, and this can also be seen in the book of Hebrews as some of the chapters in Hebrews are parallels to this chapter as they describe His High Priestly ministry.  Now John MacArthur writes that His prayer for the disciples may be discussed under two headings:  “His prayer for them as those whom the Father had given Him (vv. 6-10); and His specific requests for them in light of His imminent departure (vv. 11-19).  The first of those headings will be discussed below, with the second being addressed in the following chapter.” 

            Now it is mentioned that much of this prayer is for the disciples of Jesus and once again we must put ourselves into the sandals of those eleven men who had been with Jesus for three years learning from Him seeing the mighty miracles that He did.  Jesus took care of them and as mentioned before the disciples thought that Jesus was going to usher in the Kingdom of God and that they would be the ones who would be a large part of this kingdom, and now He tells them that He is going to leave them.  MacArthur writes the following statement and then quotes from a man named Merrill C. Tenney.  MacArthur writes “Jesus prayed that the Father would ensure those promises.  As one commentator explains:

‘By far the largest part of Jesus’ prayer relates to the disciples.  He was much more concerned about them than about himself.  He was sure of the suffering that was inevitable and the victory that was certain.  The disciples, however, were a variable quantity; in themselves they were likely to fail…Nevertheless, he prayed for them with confidence that they would be kept by the Father’s power and presented for a future ministry.’

Jesus’ confidence was founded, not in the resolve of the eleven, but in the will and power of the Father.  But before launching into His specific requests for the disciples (in vv. 11-19), the Lord explained why He knew the Father would honor His requests (in vv. 6-10).”

            I am not sure how many more days we will be looking at this introduction, but I have been thinking that perhaps I would quote the introduction from the recent sermon after we finish the introduction that we are now working on.  I am thinking that because this chapter, chapter 17 has been said that it is the most important chapter in the Word of God that we want to learn as much as the Spirit of God teaches us as we look at this chapter.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am greatly encouraged with the words that Merrill C. Tenney wrote that I highlighted as there are many times when I feel just like the disciples did that I am a failure, and yet as I read this prayer and his short commentary on this prayer I am encouraged that the Lord will empower me through His Spirit to accomplish things for the cause of Christ. 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust the Lord to use me while I am on planet earth, and that He will empower me to fulfill the things that He has planned for me to do (Eph. 2:10).

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Hebron” (2 Samuel 2:11).

Today’s Bible question:  “Who advised the Jewish council to leave the apostles along?”

Answer in our next SD.

2/28/2017 10:22 AM

 

Special SD (Col.1:11)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/27/2017 12:18 PM

            We are going to look at a special Spiritual Diary that comes from my “Drawing Near Devotional Bible” which the devotionals are written by John MacArthur.  This subject for today’s date (2-27) is entitled “Attaining Spiritual Stability.”  The verse that he used at the beginning of it is Colossians 1:11 “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience.”  Now since we have been looking at obtaining spiritual strength in our recent SD’s from Colossians I thought we should look at this devotion.

“God always empowers you to do what He commands you to do.

            “An alarming number of Christians seem to lack spiritual stability. Many are ‘tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes’ (Eph. 4:14).  Others lace moral purity.  Many are driven by their emotions rather than sound thinking.  Increasingly, therapists, and psychologists are replacing pastors and biblical teachers as the heroes of the faith.  While we still proclaim a sovereign, all-powerful God, our conduct often belies our creed.

            “Despite our inconsistencies, the power for spiritual stability is ours in Christ as we allow the knowledge of His will to control our lives.  Paul describes the working of the power in Colossians 1:11.  There the Greek word translated ‘strengthened’ and ‘power’ speak of inherent power that gives one the ability to do something.

            “The phrase ‘according to’ indicates that the power for spiritual stability is proportional to God’s abundant supply—and that supply is inexhaustible!  The literal Greek says you are being ‘empowered with all power according to the might of His glory.’  That though is akin to Philippians 2:12-13, where Paul says that the power for working out your salvation comes from God, ‘who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.’

            “In Colossians 1:11 the result of God’s enabling is the attaining of ‘all endurance and patience.’  ‘Endurance’ speaks of perseverance regarding people; ‘patience’ speaks of perseverance regarding things or circumstances.  When you endure and are patient, you are spiritual stable.  Your responses are biblical, thoughtful, and calculated—not worldly, emotional, or uncontrolled.  You bear up under trials because you understand God’s purposes and trust His promises.

            “Paul said, ‘Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might’ (Eph. 6:10).  That is possible when you trust God and rely on the infinite power that is yours in Christ.

            “SUGGESTIONS FOR PRAYER:   Perhaps you know someone who is struggling with spiritual instability.  Pray for him or her, and ask God to use you as a source of encouragement.

            FOR FURTHER STUDY:  Psalm 18, is a psalm of victory that David wrote after God delivered him from Saul.  Read it, then answer these questions:--What characteristics of God did David mention? – How might those characteristics apply to situations you are facing?”

2/27/2017 12:43 PM

 

PT-2 Intro to John 17:6-10

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/27/2017 10:49 AM

My Worship Time                                                                     Focus:  PT-2 Intro to John 17:6-10

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  John 17:6-10

            Message of the verses:  “6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7  "Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8  for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9  "I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10  and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.”

            In our last SD we looked at different passages which showed that the Lord chose those who will become believers before the foundation of the world, but there are also verses in the Word of God which contain numerous entreaties to all unsaved people to believe in the Lord.  I say this because one, it is in this introduction in MacArthur’s commentary and two because it needs to be said so we can understand that God loves the unsaved people of this world and desires for them to come to know Him and so there are included in the Word of God verses which the Holy Spirit can use to draw people to Himself in a saving relationship.  And as we look at both truths in the Word of God I keep going back to the sermon “Two Truths” as MacArthur explained it so very well in that sermon.

            I think that one of the things that I personally have trouble with and that God is dealing with me is that I need to be praising the Lord for this wonderful gift that He has given to me, I truly do not want to act like the Pharisees did in Jesus’ day when they thought that they were so good because they thought that God had chosen them because of their good works.  Ok I don’t want to get away from the verses that I am trying to introduce here.

            Let us look at a quote from a 17^th century English Puritan named Richard Baxter whom John MacArthur quotes in his introductory comments for these verses.  The quote has to do with believers praising God for all eternity because He graciously chose them and also redeemed them through the work of His Son, and that is a big part of what Jesus is praying for in this “Lord’s Prayer.” 

            “[Salvation] was dear to Christ, but free to us…Here is all free; if the Father freely give the Son, and the Son freely pay the debt; and if God freely accept that way of payment, when He might have required it of the principal; and if both Father and Son freely offer us the purchased life on our cordial acceptance; and if they freely send the Spirit to enable us to accept; what is here, then, that is not free?  O the everlasting admiration that must surprise the saints to think of this freeness! ...What an astonishing though it will be [in heaven] to think of the immeasurable difference between our deserving and receivings!  Between the state we should have been in, and the state we are in!  To look down upon hell, and see the vast difference from that to which we are adopted!  What pangs of love will it cause within us to think, ‘Yonder was the place that sin would have brought me to; but this is it that Christ hath brought me to!  Yonder death was the wages of my sin, but this eternal life is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ my Lord…But no thanks to us, nor to any of our duties and labors, much less to our neglects and laziness; we know to whom the praise is due and must be given for ever…So then let DESERVED be written on the door of hell; but on the door of heaven and life, THE FREE GIFT. (In The practical Works of Richard Baxter).”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  To praise the Lord for His inexpressible gift of salvation.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Jesus” (Luke 20:8).

Today’s Bible question:  “In what city did David first become King?”

Answer in our next SD.

2/27/2017 11:29 AM

PT-2 "United in Love" (Col. 2:2b)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/26/2017 9:57 PM

My Worship Time                                                                           Focus:  PT-2 “United in Love”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Colossians 2:2b

            Message of the verse:  “having been knit together in love;”

            The display of unity in practice by those who are believers in the church was a constant concern by the apostle Paul, for as believers we are to not only tell a world in need about Jesus Christ, but we are also to represent Him while here on earth and love and unity are a large part of that.  Paul writes to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 1:10 “10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.”  A similar statement is made at the end of 2 Corinthians 13:11 “be like-minded, live in peace.”  These types of exhortations are rather common in Paul’s letters.

            If we are looking for a key to practical unity we need to look at Ephesians 4:3 “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  MacArthur writes “Preserving the unity the Spirit has created is accomplished by being peacemakers.  Peacemakers love each other.  Such love is evident when believers ‘put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you’ (Col. 3:12-13).”

            MacArthur offers this wise statement:  “Love is always linked with humility, because only humble people can love.  After urging the Philippians to pursue unity in Philippians 2:2, Paul went on to show them how in verse 3-8:

            “3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

            Now as we think of these verses, which speak of the humility of Jesus Christ, we can see that the key that opens the door of love and unity is humility, for there has never been a more humble person than the Lord Jesus Christ, for to leave the “Ivory Palaces” of heaven to come to planet earth, Jesus had to demonstrate humility in doing that. 

            John writes in 1 John 3:16-18 “16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”

            MacArthur concludes “Loving someone is not defined by having warm feelings toward them, but by meeting their needs.  The last time you made a sacrifice for someone was the last time you loved him or her.  Love is first action, then the emotions follow.  So the strengthened heart is a heart that has learned to love.”

2/26/2017 10:19 PM

PT-1 "Intro to John 17:6-10

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/26/2017 7:56 AM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  PT-1 Intro to John 17:6-10

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  John 17:6-10

            Message of the verses:  “6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7  "Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 "I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10  and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.”

            In past Spiritual Diaries we have talked about the doctrines of divine sovereignty (“that God elected sinners for salvation in eternity past”) and we have also talked about human responsibility (“that sinners are held accountable for how they respond to the gospel”).  These two doctrines are seen in verses 6-10 of John 17.  John MacArthur entitles this chapter in his commentary which discusses these verses “Jesus Prays for His Disciples—Part 1: As Those Whom The Father Had Given Him.”  Another thing I want to say is that as we go through this introduction to these verses it may take a prolonged period of time before we finish it.  I also want to remind you of the truth of a sermon that MacArthur preached entitled “Two Truths” which we looked at in the past which has to do with these two doctrines.

            It is because it is Sunday that I will not have as much time to do a lot with this SD, which is usually the case on Sundays, and so I want to review these doctrines as I quote from a paragraph in MacArthur’s commentary:

            “Without apology or excuse, the Bible teaches that the Father ‘chose [believers] in Him [Jesus Christ] before the foundation of the world’ (Eph. 1:4; cf. Col. 3:12; Titus 1:1-2; 2 John 1).  In eternity past, they were ‘predestined’ for justification (Rom. 8:29), adoption (Eph. 1:5), and a heavenly inheritance (Eph. 1:11).  Based on no merit or work of their own (Eph. 2:8; Titus 3:5).  God ‘saved [believers] and called [them] with a holy calling, not according to [their] works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted [them] in Christ Jesus from all eternity’ (2 Tim. 1:9).  Thus, they are ‘beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen [them] from the beginning for salvation’ (2Thess. 2:13).  Credit for their salvation is wholly based on the Father’s gracious electing choice, made possible through the Son’s sacrificial death.  The reality is that they would have remained ‘dead in [their] trespasses and sins’ (Eph. 2:1), if God had not imparted spiritual life to them (V. 4).  The Lord Himself declared that ‘No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him’ (John 6:44), underscoring the sinner’s utter inability to come to saving faith unless God sovereignty initiates that work in his or her heart.  Salvation is never the result of human morality, wisdom, or willpower, but of God’s gracious purposes.  As Paul told the Romans, salvation ‘does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy…[And] He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires’ (Rom. 9:16, 19).  Though Paul preached the gospel to thousands, only ‘as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed’ (Acts 13:48).  No one outside of those whom God has preselected for salvation will ever embrace Jesus Christ as Savior (cf. Rom. 3:10-12; 9:11; 1 Thess. 1:3-4; 1 Peter 1:2).”

            Now we will take these verses in order that are mentioned above to look more closely at them:

            “10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one’ (NKJV).”

            “11  for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,”

            “3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4  knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;”

            “2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Judas Iscariot” (Mark 3:7, 19).

Today’s Bible question:  “Who said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things?”

Answer in our next SD.

2/26/2017 08:22 AM

 

PT-1 "United in Love" (Col. 2:2b)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/25/2017 6:45 PM

My Worship Time                                                                           Focus:  PT-1 “United in Love”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Colossians 2:2b

            Message of the verse:  “having been knit together in love”

            We will begin with the first part of what is commonly called “The Love Chapter,” which is the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians and look at the first three verses:

“1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”

            I count six times the word “if” is used in these three verses sensing that the author is really asking a lot of questions that he will answer as he continues in this chapter.  The chapter is about love and “Fervent love is the necessary balance to a strong mind,” writes John MacArthur.  We have been discussing having a strong mind in our last few Spiritual Diaries as we work our way through this second chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossians.  MacArthur then adds “Christianity is not mindless enthusiasm, but neither is it lifeless intellectual orthodoxy.”  So what we see here is that the Bible is a book of balance and the balance we are talking about here is love along with intellectual orthodoxy.  I have to say that I am reading a novel written by Jerry Jenkins entitled “I Saul,” and not to give too much of the plot away it is about the parchments mentioned in Paul’s letter to Timothy in the last recorded letter that is found in the Bible written by Paul.  The author uses those parchments to be kind of an autobiography of Paul’s life from the time he is a young man until, I suppose to the time right before he will be killed for his faith, as I really don’t know as I have not finished it yet, but the chapter I am reading now speaks of the intelligence that Paul shows in the school that he is in there in Jerusalem.  Now we know his name is also Saul and that he sat at the feet of Gamaliel from the Scriptures and according to the story Gamaliel was a man who truly wanted to know God personally, something Paul wanted to do too, but Paul was letting his intellect get in the way of knowing God in a personal way and as we know he turned into a very strict Pharisee, and a strict Pharisee had no room for love in his heart.  I think that is what MacArthur is referring to when he writes about the balance between love and a strong mind.  I also think that Paul learned his lesson as can be seen in that 13^th chapter of 1 Corinthians.

            Paul uses the word “sumbibazo” which is the Greek word translated “knit together,” and MacArthur states that this “means to unite, or bring together.  This aorist participle explains the main verb (‘may be encouraged’) by further defining the strengthened heart as one filled with love.  It refers in Ephesians 4:16 and Colossians 2:119 to the various parts that unite to form the human body.  Believers share a common life with love as its basis.  All believers possess the same eternal life, all come to Christ in the same way, and all were placed into the Body of Christ by the same Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 12:11-13).  The church’s unity is not organizational, but organic.  Believers are ‘all one in Christ Jesus’ (Gal. 3:28; cf. Rom. 10:12).”

            It just so happens that we will quote from the very chapter that I am studying in my morning devotions which is John 17, and we will look at verses 20-23 to show the prayer that Jesus prayed shortly before He went to the cross, and we will see in these verses that He prayed for unity.

“20 "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

            MacArthur quotes the late Francis Schaeffer in his commentary where Schaeffer stated “the final apologetic” to the world is the unity of the church:

            “In John 13 the point was that, if an individual Christian does not show love toward other true Christians, the world has a right to judge that he is not a Christian.  Here [in John 17:21] Jesus is stating something else which is much more cutting, much more profound:  We cannot expect the world to believe that the Father sent the Son, that Jesus’ claims are true, and that Christianity is true, unless the world sees some reality of the oneness of true Christians. 

            Now that is frightening.  Should we not feel some emotion at this point?”

My answer to that question is that yes we should!

2/25/2017 7:20 PM

     

The Reverence He Deserves (John 17:5)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/25/2017 9:37 AM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  The Reverence He Deserves

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  John 17:5

            Message of the verse:  “5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

            I think that it is best if we first go back to John 1:1-2 “1 In the beginning was the Word,[Jesus} and the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.”  The reason we need to look at these verses is because in them we can see what it was like before the world was created, what it was like for Jesus and the Father, and what it was like is described in verse five “the glory which I had with You before the world was.”  Jesus was looking forward to this as He was praying this prayer to the Father. 

            Now by no means was this request a selfish request of Jesus as He asks the Father to return to the glory that He had before the world was, for Jesus had fulfilled the plan that God had for Him to fulfill, which certainly He deserves glory, not to mention that Jesus is the second person of the godhead, and for that alone He deserves glory.  John MacArthur writes the following in a recent sermon on this section dealing with whether or not Jesus was selfish in praying this to the Father:  This isn’t a selfish request.  ‘Glorify Me, that You may be glorified.  Glorify Me with Yourself.’’  Namely, ‘Give Me back the glory I had with You before the world was’ –the eternal glory that belonged to Him as God, the second person.”

            Now we cannot look at this passage without looking at the cross as Jesus knows that it is on the cross that He will be the One who will die for those who will receive Him, and those who had already received the forgiveness in the Old Testament time.  Jesus knew what was before Him, and yet He is actually looking past that as if it had already happened as He prays this prayer to the Father.  The cross is the most significant event to have ever happened on planet earth, and yet many people today think little if anything about it, and yet the cross and what happened there, if not accepted will be what condemns those who receive to accept what Jesus did on that cross for them.  Remember what John wrote as he quoted John the Baptist in John 3:35-36 “35 “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. 36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."”  There will be no excuse accepted at the white throne judgment where all who have not accepted Christ offer of forgiveness will be one day as described in the Revelation 20: 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”  (No excuses will be tolerated here.)

            Now I want to go back to talk a bit more about the glory of Christ that is spoken in this verse and quote from the apostle Paul in Philippians 2:9-11

“9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

            In the preceding verses in Philippians we see that Jesus was looking beyond the humiliation and suffering in obedience to what would take place at the cross

            “5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6  who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philip 5  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6  who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7  but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil.2:5-8).”

            John MacArthur writes “AS those on the other side of the cross, removed from it by nearly two thousand years, believers must never lose sight of the glory and honor Christ deserves because of His redemptive work.  What He endured on the cross is now the anthem of Christians praise and worship.  And it will be for all of eternity, as believers forever praise the Lamb who was slain (Rev. 5:9).  Though the Gospels record His earthly life and ministry—including the agony and suffering of His passion—it must always be remembered that He is no longer on the cross or in the tomb.  He is even now the glorified Son of God, seated at His Father’s right hand in power and glory (Rev. 1:13-20; cf. Dan. 7:13-14).  The joy of seeing and praising Him in triumph awaits all those who love Him, while all who reject Him will be rejected by Him (Matt. 7:23; 25:41).”

            As we pounder these wonderful truths of what Christ has done for us on the cross and also what He is doing for us at this time, which is interceding for us at the right hand of the Father, which this prayer is actually an example of, we should praise the Lord for what He has done for us, loving us enough to do what the Father sent Him to do.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Christ in them” (Colossians 1:27).

Today’s Bible question:  Who betrayed Jesus?”

Answer in our next SD.

2/25/2017 10:25 AM

PT-3 "Strong in Heart" (Col. 2:2a)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/24/2017 10:55 PM

My Worship Time                                                                           Focus:  PT-3 “Strong in Heart”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Colossians 2:2a

            Message of the verses:  “that their hearts may be encouraged,”

            We begin this evening by looking at Ephesians 3:16 which says “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,” and this verse shows us what is the means of having a strong mind. MacArthur that “The Spirit strengthens the hearts of those who yield their lives to His control.  One of His names is Helper (cf. John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7).  Helper in the Greek is the noun form of parakaleo and could be translated ‘Strengthener’ in those passages.  True inner strength comes only from being filled with the Spirit.”

            Saul experienced this strengthening after his conversion as we read in Acts 9:22 “But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.”  As Paul continued in living the Christians life after becoming a believer he continued to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, and eventually he could say in 2 Cor. 4:8-9 “8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” and so as we look at these two verses we can see that Paul had been strengthened by the Spirit enough to be able to endure those things that are written here.

            We have mentioned that it is the Spirit who is the divine strengthener, but the Spirit can use people to help strengthen other believers who are in need of being strengthened.  Jesus told Peter in Luke 22:32 “but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."”  Jesus had just told Peter that he was going to deny that he even knew Him, and yet even though this would probably be the lowest part of Peter’s walk with the Lord, the Lord tells him that He was praying for him and after he had turned back to the Lord, the Lord wanted him to strengthen his brothers.

            MacArthur concludes this section by writing “Strong hearts result in a powerful Christian life.  When believers are strengthened by the Spirit, Christ will dwell in their hearts, they will be rooted and grounded in love, they will know the love of Christ and be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:16-19).  The Christ, through them, will do ‘exceeding abundantly beyond all [they can] ask or think’ (Eph. 3:20).”

2/24/2017 11:16 PM  

PT-2 "The Requirements He Meets" (John 17:4)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/24/2017 10:41 AM

My Worship Time                                                         Focus:  PT-2 The Requirements He Meets

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                         Reference:  John 17:4

            Message of the verse:  “4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”

            This verse also speaks of Christ’s impeccability (sinlessness), and Jesus also spoke of this in 8:46 “"Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?”  Of course the answer to that question is that no one could every prove that He sinned because it is impossible for Christ to sin, it could not happen even though they accused Him of blasphemy in his trumped up trial, He could not blaspheme for is God come in the flesh, but they did not recognize this and therefore they were the ones who sinned.  Paul, in 2 Corinthians picks up on this where he wrote “Him who knew no sin.”  The writer to the Hebrews states that Jesus was “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.”  Peter writes the following in 1 Peter 1:19 and 2:22 “as of a lamb unblemished and spotless,”  “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.”  We will quote one more verse that actually comes from the voice of the Father who stated more than once “"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased’ (Matthew 3:17).”  “"This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!"(Matthew 17:5).” 

            We read in Matthew 3:15 that John the Baptist did not want to baptize Jesus, but Jesus said to Him “But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him (Matthew 3:15).”  This is very important to know for it was imperative for Jesus to live a life of perfect obedience, which fulfilled all of God’s righteous requirements.  “Only the One who was perfectly holy (Lev. 19:2), could be the final sacrifice for sin (cf. Heb. 10:1-18).  Through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered death and provided eternal life to all who believe in Him.  But in addition, His perfect life of obedience, the fullest expression of which was His willingness to die on the cross (Luke 22:42), is imputed to believers at justification (cf. Rom. 5:18-21).  Though Jesus was sinless, God treated Him as if He had committed the sins of everyone who would believe in Him, so that believers, through unrighteous, could be treated as if they had lived Christ’s perfect life, as John MacArthur writes.  Once again we must look at 2 Cor. 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  Now we mentioned the death of Christ which happened on the cross and when we go back to the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane we see that Jesus was actually sweating great drops of blood, not because He did not want to die, but I think that it was for two reasons, and they are that Jesus would be separated from the Father, and also that He would become sin.  As we look at this verse in 2 Corinthians we see that God made Jesus sin, He did not make Him a sinner, which is important to note, but those darkened hours which Jesus hung on the cross God was separated from Him as He was made sin and took the penalty for all who would believe in Him for salvation.  Jesus paid the price of all the sins of those who would believe in Him on the cross, and when you think about that He had to satisfy God’s justice for what it would be as if all who believe in Him spent eternity in hell, so it is no wonder that Jesus asked the Father if there is another way to do this, but then said not my will but Your will be done.  His death was then different than the death of a believer in that when a believer dies it is said to be sleep and our spirit goes to be with God in heaven awaiting our resurrected body which will happen at the Rapture, but we are not separated from God at death like Jesus was, however when we were born we were separated from God until the Holy Spirit gave us an effectual call for salvation which we accepted, and then we were saved from our sins and are adopted into God’s family.  Some of these are hard things to understand and we may not know all about this until we get to heaven.

            MacArthur adds “Christ’s willingness to be a sin-bearing sacrifice on the cross was the ultimate demonstration of His complete commitment to obey the Father, as well as the ultimate expression of His love for sinners (cf. John 15:13).”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Knowing what it cost for my salvation I desire to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Before” (1 Kings 1:39-40).

Today’s Bible question:  “What is the glorious mystery among the Gentiles?”

Answer in our next SD.

2/24/2017 11:14 AM   

 

PT-2 "Strong in Heart" (Col. 2:2a)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/23/2017 10:58 PM

My Worship Time                                                                           Focus:  PT-2 “Strong in Heart”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Colossians 2:2a

            Message of the verse:  “that their hearts may be encouraged,”

            We have been talking about the strengthening of the hearts of those in the Colossian church as Paul desires that to happen to them.  We have also talked about the word encouraged which can actually is the word used in our verse and that word is similar to the word used of the Holy Spirit’s ministry and actually His name.

            I now want to move onto looking at the word heart by quoting John MacArthur from his commentary:  “When used figuratively in the Bible, the word heart is usually more general and refers broadly to the inner person, the center of life.  It often equates specifically to the mind.  In Revelation 2:23 the Lord describes Himself as ‘He who searches the minds and hearts; and…will give to each one of you according to your deeds.’  The heart here is a synonym for the mind.  Using the term heart as the general term for the thinking faculty, Jeremiah 17:9 says, ‘The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?’  Revelation 18:7 says of Babylon, ‘For she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.’’  ‘The fool,’ Psalm 53:1 says ‘has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’’  As those verses indicate, the heart refers to the mind, where thinking takes place (cf. Isa. 47:8; Zeph. 2:15; Matt. 24:48).”  Now we have a better understand of what the meaning of the word “heart” is when seen in the Word of God.

            So if the heart is not the seat of emotions we need to learn that the emotions respond to what is going on in the heart, to what the mind perceives.  So the way to control the emotions is through the mind which we have learn is seen by the use of the word “heart.”  Let’s look at Romans 12:1-2 “1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”  Actually all we need to look at is verse two but these verses go so well together it is hard to quote one without the other.  Ok we see how we can control our emotions in verse two when we read that we need to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  The word transformed is the word we get metamorphous from like a worm being turned into a butterfly.  So what is the key to controlling our emotions?  By having our minds renewed through the Word of God, which we could say having our hearts transformed by the Word of God.  We need the Holy Spirit to do this as we read, study, memorize, and meditate upon the Word of God and as we do this in different areas of our life that we find in the Word of God then we will actually begin to live a life that is holy to the Lord.

            We will conclude this SD with another quote from John MacArthur:  “What fills the heart will inevitably issue in behavior.  ‘For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.  The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil’ (Matt. 12:34-5).”

2/23/2017 11:21 PM  

PT-1 "The Requirement He Meets" (John 17:4)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/23/2017 9:21 AM

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  The Requirement He Meets

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  John 17:4

            Message of the verse:  “4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”

            We look today at the third facet of the saving purpose of God, which is as stated “The Requirement He Meets,” and as we look at this verse we can see that the Lord looked past the cross as if it had already happened.  I think that we could say that this verse is in what some have called “the prophetic tense.”

            As we take a look back in eternity past we see that it was the plan of God the Father to get a bride for God the Son and in eternity past God chose those who would be the Son’s bride, and the Son would come to earth to pay the price for their redemption, which is what verse four is talking about would happen.  This is God’s perfect plan and in this perfect plan we see His perfect justice take place as the Son pays for the sins of those whom God has chosen in eternity past.  I know that in writing this that many will not believe this is all true, and yet as I study the Scriptures I certainly can see this taught.  Early in our study of John I quoted extensively from a sermon John MacArthur preached called “Two Truths” and in that sermon he spoke of God’s choice in salvation and mans responsibility of receiving the gift of salvation that Christ has provided.  Both the choosing and the receiving are involved in salvation.

            Jesus came to earth to fulfill the Father’s plan “10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost’ (Luke 19:10).”  MacArthur adds “The Father’s gift was so precious to the Son that He was willing to do whatever was necessary to receive it (cf. Phil. 2:1-11.)  I won’t quote that passage as we have looked at it before, but it is worth taking the time to go over it once again as there are many great truths in it.

            We know that Jesus did as He states in verse four and that is that He glorified the Father during His time on earth and He did this by having perfectly accomplishing the work which the Father gave Him to do.  Let us look at a few verses to help us with this point.  “34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work (John 4:34).” “30 “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me (John 5:30).”  “38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me (John 6:38).”  “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 (John 15:10).”  Now we know that that work culminated in the cross which Jesus views here in an anticipatory way, none the less will happen just as it had been planned from eternity past.  MacArthur writes about this “Jesus was certain that the eternal promise of God would be perfectly accomplished, and that nothing could prevent the Father’s purposes from being realized.  But His statement did more than merely reveal His own confidence in the plans of the Father.  It also served as an example to the disciples—reminding them to trust in God’s sovereign working and take comfort in knowing that He was in control.”

We will continue with this subject in our next SD.

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  To gain from knowing that God is in control of what goes on in my life whatever that may be, and to trust Him to see me through what His plans are for my life no matter what those are.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord who is in complete control of all things.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “40.”

Today’s Bible question:  “Was Solomon made king before or after David died?”

Answer in our next SD.

2/23/2017 9:53 AM