PT-3 "Worship" (Matt. 28:17-18a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/31/2024 9:09 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                      Focus:  PT-3 “Worship”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                             Reference:  Matthew 28:17-18a

 

            Message of the verses:  “And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.  And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying,”

 

            I ended up talking about the “doubters” in my last SD, and I want to continue by saying that the identity of the ones who were doubters is not given by Matthew.  MacArthur adds “Because the eleven disciples are the only ones specifically mentioned in this passage, some interpreters insist that those who were doubtful were of that group.  But as already noted, it is probable that hundreds of other believers were also present.”  I have to say that before I read MacArthur’s commentary I thought that the only ones who were there were the disciples, but it makes perfect sense to me now that there were many, many, other believers there and so it was probably one of those as the disciples had by this time already seen the risen Lord on different occasions.

 

            Another thing that is not really explained and that is exactly what was doubted.  Now if the fact that Jesus’ resurrection was what is in question, then the doubters could not have included any of the eleven, as mentioned they had already seen the risen Lord and several occasions.  MacArthur writes “It seems most likely that the doubt concerned whether or not the person who appeared to them was actually the physically risen Christ or some form of imposter.  Out of that large group, only the eleven disciples and some of the women who had come to the tomb had seen the risen Christ.  Perhaps some of those in the back of the crowd could not see Jesus clearly and, like Thomas, were reluctant to believe such an amazing truth without firm evidence.”

 

            I have to say that sometimes the Word of God does not answer all the questions like this one, but it does answer all the questions about sin and salvation, so all you have to do in a case like this is to go to one of my favorite verses:  Deuteronomy 29:29 which says “"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.”  I like to say that this verse says that God does not have to tell us everything, but what He does tell us we had better listen and obey.

 

            MacArthur goes on “As if to alleviate that doubt, Jesus graciously came up and spoke to them.  Whatever the doubt was and whoever the doubters were, as the Lord came nearer and as His familiar voice sounded in their ears once again, all uncertainty was erased.  Now those who had doubted fell down and joined the others in worship.”

 

            Now let me say at this point that I teach a very small Sunday school class and I have told them that I learned, (from whom I don’t remember now) that when I am speaking to them and am not sure that what I am teaching is true, (perhaps giving an example or something like that), that I am to stand on the side of the “pulpit” because I don’t actually know that what I am saying is truth.  Perhaps this last paragraph from MacArthur’s commentary could be one of the times when he was standing beside the pulpit, I don’t know for sure.

 

            He goes on to write “Nothing else now mattered.  It made no difference where they lived, what their heritage was, what their economic or social position was, or what their nationality was.  They were now in the presence of the living God.”  To that I say AMEN!

 

            One more important quote:  “The complete focus was on Christ.  That is the essence of true worship—single-minded, unhindered, and unqualified concentration on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Not simply to the Corinthians, but to every person to whom he spoke and in every place he ministered, Paul ‘determined to know nothing among [them] except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified’ (1 Cor. 2:2).  In his own life the apostle was determined to ‘know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death’ (Phil. 3:20). Paul’s life was so totally Christ-centered that he could say with perfect sincerity, ‘For to me, to life is Christ, and to die is gain’ (Phil. 1:21).”

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I trust that the Lord will give me victory over temptations that I am going through and that I would have a totally Christ-centered life in Christ.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust that the Holy Spirit of God will give me victory over all temptations that I face.

 

10/31/2024 9:44 AM

 

PT-1 "The Command Not to Love the World" (1 John 2:15a)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/30/2024 10:22 PM

 

My Worship Time                                      Focus:  PT-1 “The Command Not to Love the World”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                        Reference:  1 John 2:15a

 

            Message of the verse: “Do not love the world or the things in the world.”

 

            The first thing we want to do is to talk about the word “world.”  I will not quote from my Online Bible dictionary on the word “world.”

 

2889 κόσμος kosmos kos’-mos

 

probably from the base of 2865; n m; TDNT-3:868,459;  {See TDNT 407 }

 

AV-world 186, adorning 1; 187

 

1) an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government

2) ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e. the arrangement of the stars, ‘the heavenly hosts’, as the ornament of the heavens. 1Pe 3:3

3) the world, the universe

4) the circle of the earth, the earth

5) the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family

6) the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ

7) world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly

7a) the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ

8) any aggregate or general collection of particulars of any sort

8a) the Gentiles as contrasted to the Jews {Ro 11:12 etc }

8b) of believers only, {Joh 1:29; 3:16; 3:17; 6:33; 12:47 1Co 4:9; 2Co 5:19 } {See Pink_Sovereignity Appendix D, John 3:16 21 }

 

            Now I will quote from John MacArthur’s commentary on what he has to say about this word world.

 

            “By examining the use in a particular biblical context, and properly comparing Scripture with Scripture, one can understand the various meanings of the term world.  In this verse it is clear what John is not referring to.  First, he is not speaking of the physical world, or the created order. John would not have commanded his readers to hate something that God in Genesis 1:31 pronounced was originally ‘very good.’  Even through creation is marred by the fall (cf. Genesis 3), nature’s physical beauties still reflect God’s glory and demand praise.  The psalmist expressed this principle eloquently:

 

            The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6  Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. (Ps. 19:1-6; cf. 104:1-32; Acts 14:15-17; 17:23-28; Rom. 1:20)”

 

            Lord willing, we will look at the second point from MacArthur’s commentary, and try and finish up this section then too.

 

10/30/2024 10:41 PM

PT-2 "Worship" (Matt. 28:17-18a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/30/2024 8:59 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                      Focus:  PT-2 “Worship”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                             Reference:  Matthew 28:17-18a

 

            Message of the verses:  “And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.  And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying,”

 

            I will attempt to begin to write about these verses as yesterday I used another very important topic from the book of Ezra and did not write about these verses.

 

            Today we begin the second element implied here for effective fulfillment of the church’s mission and that is the altitude of genuine worship.  “When God is not truly worshiped, He cannot be truly served, no matter how talented, gifted, or well-intentioned His servants may be” writes John MacArthur.

 

            Dr. Warren Wiersbe wrote a book about worship that a long time ago when we had a small men’s Bible Study we went over it, and also went over the same book in our Sunday school class as the same person was teaching both the Bible study and the Sunday school class.  I can say that worshiping the Lord is not play time but something very serious to learn and do.

 

            We can look at our verses for today and see that the moment that Jesus appeared, and the moment the disciples saw Him, they worshiped Him, actually prostrating themselves in humble adoration before their divine Lord and Savior.  The disciples of Jesus were not actually acting like the women who saw Jesus as the women were taking care of His body after His death, while the disciples were hiding from the Jewish leaders.  Now when they saw the risen Jesus on the hillside, their confusion disappeared and their shattered dreams were restored just as the site of the risen Lord.  The disciples sorrow turned into unbelievable joy and their disillusionment into unwavering hope. 

 

            MacArthur writes “The believers gathered there were not given homage to a human dignitary or mere earthly ruler but were worshiping God’s own Son, the Lord of heaven and earth.  Though no spoken words are recorded, in their hearts they must have been saying with Thomas after his last doubts were assuaged, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).”

 

            We have to go back and look at a passage from Matthew 14:33 to see the only other time that the eleven worshiped the Lord Jesus Christ.  “And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God’s Son!’”  This seems a bit different as their awe and their certainty of His divinity were now immeasurably greater, because He was now risen from the dead.  So it is probable that the worship of Christ on that day in the Galilean hills has been equaled few other times in all of human history, as this was a very special time indeed.

 

            Now we have to talk about what to me is kind of a downer as some were still doubtful.  MacArthur writes “That simple phrase inserted by Matthew is but one of the countless small and indirect testimonies to the integrity of Scripture.  In transparent honesty, the gospel writer sets forth the incident as in actually happened, with no attempt to make it more dramatic or convincing than it was.  As he portrayed Jesus in His divine perfection, he also portrayed Jesus’ followers, including himself, in their human imperfection.

 

            “Those who attempt to write history to their own liking are inclined to magnify that which is favorable and omit that which is not.  Had Matthew and the other writers contrived Jesus’ resurrection, they would have made every effort to exclude any fact or incident that would have tarnished their case.  Nor would they have hesitated to falsify evidence and distort the truth.  A person who lies about something of major importance has no scruples about telling lesser lies to support his primary deceit.  Matthew’s simple honesty testifies both to his own honesty and to the integrity of God’s Word.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my Life Today:  Living in this sinful body that came from Adam makes it hard to do the right thing all of the time, even though I have been born-again through the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ.  Worship can be difficult when my life is not what I want it to be.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today: “23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”

 

10/30/2024 9:26 AM

 

 

 

PT-4 "Intro to 1 John 2:15-16"

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/29/2024 8:27 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                   Focus:  PT-4 “Introduction to 1 John 2:15-17”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  1 John 2:15-17

 

            Message of the verses:  “15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

 

            John MacArthur entitles this eighth chapter in his commentary on 1 John “The Love God Hates,” and after reading these verses one will be able to understand why he used that title for these verses.

 

            At the end of yesterday’s SD on 1 John I promised to finish up quoting from MacArthur’s commentary on the introduction to these verses with a very short final SD.

 

            “The absolutely perfect love of God likewise demands that those who love Him share His hatred of all that is opposed to Him.  The psalmist exhorted, ‘Hate evil, you who love the Lord’ (97:10; cf. Prov. 8:13); and, ‘From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way’ (119:104; cf. vv. 128, 163, 139:21-22).  Solomon outlined more specifically some of those false and evil ways:

 

16 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.  (Prov. 6:16-19; cf. Amos 5:21; Mal. 2:16; Rev. 2:6).

 

God hates all those things because they are utterly inconsistent with His holy nature and glory.

 

            “The short but familiar passage in John’s first letter describes a major object of God’s hatred—the world and those who love it.  In the midst of John’s series of doctrinal and moral tests regarding the assurance of salvation (4:13), the apostle inserted a command not to love the world.  His admonition, which is part of the moral test, divides into two main elements:  the command not to love the world, and reasons believers are not to love the world.”

 

            I will say that these two main points have sub-points that go along with them and this section of verses as we dive into what they mean will take us a fairly long time to finish.

 

10/29/2024 8:42 PM

PT-1 "Worship" (Matt. 28:17-18a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/29/2024 8:52 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                      Focus:  PT-1 “Worship”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                             Reference:  Matthew 28:17-18a

 

            Message of the verse:  “And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.  And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying,”

 

            I just posted on my other blog a SD that came from July of 2011 from the book of Ezra, and what went on in the ninth chapter of Ezra is the opposite of worship, as seen in this section of Matthew.  It is part of three great prayers that is found in the Old Testament, prayers that have to do with repentance.  Repentance is what our country needs at this very fragile time in its history, repentance for all of the terrible things that are going on in our country, repentance as seen in the three prayers from Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel are what we as a people need in our country now.  Look at Ezra chapter nine, Nehemiah 1:4-11, and Daniel chapter nine.  I have to say that I am most familiar with Daniel chapter nine as that chapter has one of the, if not the greatest prophecies in all of the Bible in it, so if one reads over these three prayers of repentance and applies them to what is going on in not just the United States but all over the world then perhaps the Lord will hear our prayers and bring mercy instead of judgment on us.

 

            I am coming to the end of my study in the book of Matthew, and it is my belief that the Lord desires for me to begin to study 2 Timothy, which is the very last letter that the Apostle Paul wrote and he wrote it from prison where very soon afterwards they would take him out of the awful place where he was and cut off his head, and then immediately he would be taken to heaven to be with his Lord and Savior.  I believe that this will be a very profitable study for me and for those who will read my Spiritual Diaries on that book which will be posted on my blog.  Please pray for me as I end this study in Matthew, and then begin the study on 2 Timothy.

 

            Now the subject today is worship and I want to look at that word’s meaning from my online Bible dictionary:

 

4352 προσκυνέω proskuneo pros-koo-neh’-o

 

from 4314 and a probable derivative of 2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand); v; TDNT-6:758,948; { See TDNT 670 }

 

AV-worship 60; 60

 

1) to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence

2) among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence

3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication

3a) used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank

3a1) to the Jewish high priests

3a2) to God

3a3) to Christ

3a4) to heavenly beings

3a5) to demons

 

            Now that we have a meaning of this word, which is used 107 times in the Bible and it is interesting to me that the first time that we see this word is in the following verse from Genesis 22:5 “Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.’”  Allow me to talk about this verse for a moment.  This is the story of Abraham taking his son, his only son to place him on an altar and sacrifice him to the Lord.  Now I believe that the Lord was testing Abraham, and when He saw that he would obey Him the Lord stopped him and sacrificed a ram caught in the thicket that the Lord provided.  Abraham knew that if he was to sacrifice his son, his only son that God would bring him back to life because it was through him and his family that the Lord would bring the promised Messiah into the world.  Now the place where Abraham was is called Mt. Moriah which is where Solomon would build the temple of the Lord.  There is more to this story as one fast forwards towards the end of King David’s life we see that the text says that David sinned greatly as he numbered the people.  David’s two major sins found in the Word of God was to kill one of his mighty men in order to steal his wife after David got her pregnant.  And in that case we see that the Lord said that David sinned, but in the case of numbering the people God said that David sinned greatly.  The place where the killing of the children of Israel stopped was the same place where Abraham was about to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice to the Lord. I have to think about Romans 8:28 for a moment “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” God used both sins in David’s life in a special way, and I am not saying that a person should knowingly sin in order for God to do something special, but the truth is that sinners are all that God has to work with for “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  God used the sins of David to bring about a son to him and Bathsheba, Solomon who would build the temple of God on the exact spot where Abraham was about to offer Isaac, and on that spot where God stopped the killing of the children of Israel because of David’s sin as David would buy that piece of property and offer a sacrifice in order to stop the killing.

 

            Ok I did not get too far in writing about our verse and a half in the gospel of Matthew, but sometimes I have to follow what I believe the Lord is prompting me to write about even if it is not about the verses I sought out to comment on.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  To worship the Lord is a privilege that I have because of what the Lord Jesus Christ did for me in dying in my place on the cross.  It is my desire to worship the Lord in a way that would be pleasing to Him as I owe Him everything.

 

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  To worship the Lord in a way that is pleasing to Him, and then to trust Him to use the Spiritual Diaries that I write for His glory.

 

10/29/2024 9:36 AM

 

 

PT-3 "Introduction to 1 John 2:15-17"

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/28/2024 9:27 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                   Focus:  PT-3 “Introduction to 1 John 2:15-17”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  1 John 2:15-17

 

            Message of the verses:  “15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

 

            John MacArthur entitles this eighth chapter in his commentary on 1 John “The Love God Hates,” and after reading these verses one will be able to understand why he used that title for these verses.

 

            I want to continue to quote from John MacArthur’s commentary, and as stated in my last SD on 1 John, it seems that I stopped in a place where it needs to be that I start right where I left off yesterday.

 

            “Second Timothy 4:10 plainly states the reason for Demas’s defection: he ‘loved this present world.’  He loved the world system, with its sin, human wisdom, and satanic deceptions, more than he loved God’s kingdom.  Demas’s life exhibited characteristics of both the shallow, rocky soil, in which the seed of the Word flourished briefly but withered and died in the face of tribulation and persecution; and the thorny soil, in which the seed was smothered under the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth (see Jesus’ parable in Matt. 13:3-23).  While Paul willingly anticipated martyrdom for his faith, Demas decided that he was unwilling to pay a similar price.  Therefore he forsook his co-laborers and went ‘to Thessalonica,’ a large, cosmopolitan city on the main east-west philosophical allurements of the world he loved.  In so doing, Demas proved he was never a lover of God.

 

            “Demas was guilty of spiritual harlotry, the kind of sin against which James strongly warned some of his readers:  ‘You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? enemy of God’ (James 4:4).  James’s figurative language recalled the familiar Old Testament imagery of Israel’s spiritual adultery (cf. 2 Chron. 21:11-15; Jer. 2:20-25; 3:1-14; Hos. 1:2: 4:15; 9:1). 

 

            By committing spiritual harlotry, Demas made himself ‘and enemy of God,’ another familiar Old Testament concept (cf. Deut. 32:41; Pss. 21:8-9; 68:21; 72:9; Nah. 1:2).  He did so by returning to the life he had hypocritically suppressed for a few years while traveling with Paul and the others.

 

            “Demas’s tragic example provides and unambiguous biblical illustration of the love of God hates.  The perfect love of God is a theme that runs throughout Scripture (Deut. 7:7-8; 10:15; Pss. 25:6; 26:3; 36:7, 10; 40:11; 63:3; 69:16; 92:2; 103:4; 119:88; 138:2; 143:8; Isa. 63:7; Jer. 31:3; Hos. 2:19; Zeph. 3:17) and appears with particular emphasis in the New Testament (Rom. 5:5, 8; 8:39; 2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 2:4-5; 2 Thess. 2:16; Titus 3:4; Jude 21), especially in this epistle (2:5: 1:1; 4:7-21) and elsewhere in John’s writings (John 3:16; 5:42; 11:5, 36; 13:1-2; 14:21, 23; 15:9-10, 12; 16:27; hates perfectly.  As the Holy One (cf. 2 Kings 19:22; Ps. 71:22; Prov. 30:3; Isa. 1:4; 40:25), He loves all that is righteous, holy, and in line with His will and glorious purpose (cf. Ex. 15:11; 1 Sam. 2:2; Pss. 22:3; 47:8; 99:3, 5; 145:17; Isa. 6:3; 57:15; Rev. 4:8; 15:4).  What this means, of course, is that He simultaneously hates whatever threatens or opposes those things (Deut. 29:20, 27:28; 32:19-22; Pss. 2:2-5; 7:11; 21:8-9; Nah. 1:2-3; Zeph. 1:14-18; Rom. 1:18; Col. 3:6; Rev. 11:18; cf. Matt. 13:41; 25:41; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 2 Thess. 1:8; Rev. 21:27).”

 

            There is only a little bit to this introduction, but because of all of the verses that are in this section of the introduction I will stop and Lord willing, will finish this quotation in my next SD.

 

10/28/2024 9:57 PM   

 

PT-2 "Availability" (Matthew 28:16)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/28/2024 8:42 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                 Focus:  PT-2 “Availability”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  Matthew 28:16

 

            Message of the verses:  “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.”

 

            I want to begin with talking about what the last recorded appearance of Jesus in Jerusalem, which was eight days after the resurrection, and this was when Thomas saw the resurrected Lord for the first time:  “26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you.’”  Now the journey from Jerusalem to Galilee would have taken a week, and then after they arrived there in Galilee some of the disciples went fishing, during which time the Lord again appeared to them, as He provided a large catch of fish for them which were too heavy to haul into the boat.  Then, after having breakfast with His disciples Jesus would ask Peter three about his love for Him, and then gave the commission to feed the sheep.  This can be found in John 21:1-17, and this is a very important passage.  Now that event would have occurred at least fifteen days after the resurrection and perhaps even twenty days after the resurrection.  Now we know that Jesus would ascended from the Mount of Olives in the presence of His disciples, which means that they had to take another week to travel back to Jerusalem.  I remember seeing a movie that I thought was fairly accurate about the soldier who was at the crucifixion of Jesus and was asked by Pilate to find the body of Jesus.  The story shows that this soldier would become a believer in Jesus and run away from his job at the end, but the part that I did not like was that he and the disciples saw Jesus go back into heaven from Galilee. 

           

            Now because Jesus’ postresurrection appearances covered a total of forty days, “To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God, (Acts 1:30), His giving of the Great commission on the Galilean mountainside would have had to occur sometime between twenty and thirty-five days after His resurrection.

 

            MacArthur writes “We are not told who was present when Jesus gave the Great Commission, but it seems probable that it was the group of more than five hundred that Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 15:6.  That has been the view of many biblical scholars throughout church history.”  Now this is something new to me as I thought it was only given to His disciples, but it makes more sense to have been given to the 500+ people Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians 15:6 which states “6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep.”

 

            MacArthur then goes on to write:  “The fact that Matthew specifically mentions only the eleven disciples does not limit the gathering to them.  The angel’s message for the women to give to the disciples seems to imply that the women would also see Jesus in Galilee (see Matt. 28:7).  There would have been no reason for Jesus to send the eleven to Galilee, only to have them return a few days later to the Mount of Olives for His ascension.  It seems more reasonable that the Lord assembled a large group of believers and that He chose Galilee for the meeting place because most of His followers were from that region.

 

            “Because the Great Commission applies to all of His church, Jesus would surely have wanted to deliver it to the largest possible group of His faithful followers.  Not only were most of Jesus’ followers from Galilee, but that region was secluded and was a safe distance from Jerusalem, where most of Jesus’ enemies were.  And because the commission extends to all the world, Galilee, often referred to as Galilee of the Gentiles, also was appropriate for that reason.”

 

            Again I have to say that all of these things MacArthur is writing about are new to me, but I believe they make a lot of sense in the timeline of what happened after the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

 

            He goes on to write “Wherever the mountain was, it became a place of great sacredness, where more than five hundred of Jesus’ disciples came with their weaknesses, confusion, doubts, misgivings, and fears.  They were not the most humanly capable people in the world, nor the most intelligent or powerful or influential.  But they were where the Lord wanted them to be, and that obedience gave evidence of their willingness to be used in His service.  Like Isaiah after his vision in the Temple, they said, in effect, ‘Here am I.  Send me’ (Isa. 6:8).”

 

            The truth is that it was because they were there, they met Christ.  Also because they were there, they were commissioned, commissioned to go and tell the truth of Jesus’ resurrection, which is the greatest thing that has ever been witnessed on this earth.  Also because they were there they received the Lord’s promise of His continual presence and power as they ministered to the world in His name.  Now here is a great point as MacArthur writes “It all started with being available.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life:  Being available means not to be involved in the things of the world, but making sure as the story of the young mountain climber told in an earlier SD, that I have to drop the things of the world and make my way to the top of the mountain in order to serve the Lord, to be available to serve the Lord.

 

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust that the Holy Spirit will fill me in order to serve the Lord in the ways that He has called me to serve Him.

 

10/28/2024 9:19 AM

 

PT-2 "Introduction to 1 John 2:15-17"

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/27/2024 9:27 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                   Focus:  PT-2 “Introduction to 1 John 2:15-17”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  1 John 2:15-17

 

            Message of the verses:  “15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

 

            John MacArthur entitles this eighth chapter in his commentary on 1 John “The Love God Hates,” and after reading these verses one will be able to understand why he used that title for these verses. 

 

            I want to quote from Paul’s letter to Timothy, the second letter that he wrote to Timothy which was written very close to the end of Paul’s life, and in that letter Paul reflected on his many years of faithful ministry.

 

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8  in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

 

 

MacArthur writes “Having ministered boldly and obediently, Paul was eager to see his Savior and receive his eternal reward.  Yet at the same time Paul was acutely concerned about those whom he would leave behind (cf. Phil. 1:21-24).  One such individual Timothy, Paul’s close ministry companion and son in the faith (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 2:1).  And while Paul was confident in the spiritual integrity of his disciple (2 Tim. 1:5), he also knew that Timothy, as a young man (cf. 1 Tim. 4:12), was vulnerable to certain temptations.  For that reason, in his final epistle, the apostle exhorted his young protégé to remain strong and courageous: 

 

I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.  Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God…Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.  Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you. (2 Tim. 1:6-8,  13-14).”

 

            MacArthur continues to talk about “Paul continued by reminding Timothy of the astonishing and sobering reality that many had already deserted him:  ‘You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among those are Phygelus and Hermogenes’ (2 Tim. 1:15).  But perhaps the most notorious defector among Paul’s associates appears in 2 Timothy 4:10 ‘Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.’ Demas had likely been a coworker with Paul for many years and had ministered with such noble colleagues as Crescens, Titus, Luke, Mark, Tychicus (vv. 10-12).  Epaphras, and Aristarchus (Col. 4:13-14; Philem. 23-24).  Yet despite having long been in the presence of such formidable men of God—preachers of the Word, authors of Scriptures, church planters, faithful servants, men of prayer, and men who suffered for the gospel—Demas utterly abandoned Paul and the members of his team.”

 

            This may not be the best spot to finish this SD, but Lord willing I will pick up where I left off in the next SD. 

 

10/27/2024 9:49 PM

PT-1 "Availability" (Matt. 28:16)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/27/2024 7:54 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                 Focus:  PT-1 “Availability”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  Matthew 28:16

 

            Message of the verses:  “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.”

 

            I want to repeat what I wrote at the end of my last SD to help us to see where we will be going:         “In the final message of Christ reported by Matthew, Jesus gives five explicit or implicit elements that are necessary for His followers to fulfil their supreme mission on earth—to reach the mountain peak of their calling, as it were.  These essential elements may be summarized as availability, worship, submission, obedience, and power.”

 

            I want to talk about what the first three elements for effectively fulfilling the church’s mission and they are attitudes, and the first one implied in the fact that the eleven disciples were where the Lord had told them to be.

 

            The following is a statement that someone astutely observed many years ago, which has to do with service to the Lord:  “The greatest ability is availability.”  The most talented and gifted Christian is useless to God if he is not available to be used by God, just as God’s greatest blessings are not available to those who are not present to receive them.

 

            MacArthur writes “Faithful discipleship does not begin with knowing where you will be serving the Lord or in what capacity.  It does not start with having a clear call to a certain ministry, or occupation, or place of service.  It always begins with simply being available to God, putting all reservations and preconceptions aside.”

 

            Now think about this as it is important for us to understand and it has to do with what happened in the garden as the eleven disciples had not received the blessing of seeing the resurrected Jesus because, unlike the faithful women, they were not there.  However no, the eleven were where Jesus wanted them to be, and so consequently they received His Great Commission and His great promise.

 

            MacArthur then writes:  “Both before and after the resurrection Jesus said He would meet His disciples in Galilee (see Matt. 26:32; 28:7, 10).  He had called a great conclave of His followers for the purpose of commissioning them to reach the world in His name, and now they were gathered at the appointed place.

 

            “We are not told when or how the Lord specified the exact time and place in Galilee where they were to gather, but they were now at the particular mountain which Jesus had designated on some previous occasion.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I really like the term availability as it has great meaning to me, to be available to do what the Lord wants me to do for the cause of Christ when He desires me to be there.  My passion is to be available to write my Spiritual Diaries each and every day in order to put them onto the internet on my blogs for people to read.  I pray each day after putting these SD’s on my blogs that God would use them to bring people to Christ in order for them to be saved.  Next to cause believers to grow in their walk with the Lord, and then for revival to come upon believers, and then, and this is important, that the Holy Spirit will send these Spiritual Diaries around the world to bring glory to the Lord.  Finally, and I always mention if it is God’s will on this last one, and that is that the Holy Spirit would use one of these Spiritual Diaries to bring salvation to the last person in the Church age in order for the rapture to take place.  I am very much looking forward to that event.

 

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust that the Lord will use these SD’s to accomplish His will, and I trust that our time in Sunday school this morning will be profitable.

 

10/27/2024 8:23 AM

             

PT-1 "Introduction to 1 John 2:15-17"

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/26/2024 6:53 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                   Focus:  PT-1 “Introduction to 1 John 2:15-17”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  1 John 2:15-17

 

            Message of the verses:  “15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

 

            John MacArthur entitles this eighth chapter in his commentary on 1 John “The Love God Hates,” and after reading these verses one will be able to understand why he used that name for these verses. 

 

            In my morning Spiritual Diary on the gospel of Matthew I came across something interesting to me that I think fits very well in this section, I hope you will too.

 

            “In his devotional book Quiet Talks with World Winners, S. D. Gordon recounted the story of a group of amateur climbers who planned to accent Mount Blanc in the French Alps.  On the evening before the climb, the guides started the basic requirement for success.  Because it was an exceedingly difficult climb, one could reach the top by taking only the necessary equipment for climbing, leaving all unnecessary accessories behind.

 

            “One athletic young man discounted the guides’ advice, thinking it could not possibly apply to him.  He showed up for the climb with a blanket, a small case of wine, a camera, a set of notebooks, and a pocketful of snacks.  Although warned again by the guides, the strong-willed young man nevertheless started out ahead of the rest to prove his superior skill and endurance.

 

            “But as the other climbers proceeded up the mountainside, they began to notice various articles left on the path.  First, they noticed the young’s man food and wine, a short while later the notebooks and camera, and finally the blanket.  The young man managed to reach the peak, but, just as the guides had predicted, he did so only after discarding all his unnecessary paraphernalia.

 

            “Apply that illustration to the church, Mr. Gordon comments that, unlike that young climber, who eventually paid the price for success, many Christians, when they discover they cannot reach the top with their loads, simply stop climbing and settle down on the mountainside.”

 

            My thoughts that what happens to believers who do not make it to the top is that they perhaps fall out of love for the Lord Jesus Christ and the work that He wants all believers do accomplish in His name.  The believers who stop part way up the mountain, as illustrated in this story, are the ones who fall in love with the world system, and therefore they do not fulfill the things of the Lord as they walk with Him.  My advice to myself and to believers who read this is to continue to the top of the “mountain” in order to have rewards at the Judgment seat of Christ.

 

            Lord willing I will begin to work on this introduction more in the next SD.  Just focus on this story I have quoted and allow the Spirit of God to do a work in your heart and I will try to do the same thing.

 

10/26/2024 7:06 PM