SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/16/2020
7:28 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2 “Intro
to Matthew 4:12-17)
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
4:12-17
Message of the verses: “12 Now when Jesus
heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; 13 and
leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the
region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This was to fulfill what was spoken
through Isaiah the prophet: 15 “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI,
BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES- 16 “THE
PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE
SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED." 17 From
that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.’”
We
are talking about light in this introduction as John MacArthur entitles this
chapter in his commentary “The Light Dawns.”
He makes a statement in his commentary that after the fall that man had
two “candles” and these two candles continued to give light to a dark
world. The candle of creation and the
candle of conscience are what he is speaking of and both of these candles are
not giving much light in our world today and in previous centuries. I am reading a very difficult book about the orgins
of man that was put together by the “Master’s College” which is the college
that is near the church that John MacArthur is pastor over. He mentioned this book in one of his question
and answer services and so I ordered it and am trying my best to understand
what is in it. As mentioned above
creation is a candle of light, but in our world today the majority of people do
not believe what the Bible teaches about creation in the first two chapters of
Genesis. Even worse there are many
so-called Christians who do not believe in what Genesis has to say about
creation and that makes them weak believers at best.
One
only needs to go over Romans 1:18-21 to see how man prefers darkness rather than
light. “18 For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress
the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is
evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly
seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without
excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give
thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart
was darkened.” This is a very powerful
passage as it tells how men and or nations will come under the judgment of God.
In
his commentary MacArthur writes about how the disease of leprosy, which is not
called “Hansen’s disease does not cause all of the troubles that one use to
think that it caused. The problem is
caused by abrasion, infection, external heat, and other secondary causes. People will stick their hand on hot things
and not feel the burning that the heat gives and thus cause those problems
listed above. This disease of sin has a
similar effect writes MacArthur, and we will close with that quote in today’s
SD “It desensitizes man’s spiritual and moral nature, destroying even the
limited natural protection he has against evil, snuffing out the residual light
that remains after the Fall. And Satan
endeavors to shut out the light of the saving good news (2 Cor. 4:3-4).
2/16/2020 7:48 AM
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