“Internal Peace” (2 Peter 3:14a)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/29/2026 10:09 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                     Focus:  “Internal Peace”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                  Reference:  2 Peter 3:14a

            Message of the verse: “Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace,”

            This is a rather short section in John MacArthur’s commentary on 2 Peter but looking at it in his commentary there are many verses to look up to help us better understand this section.

            “As those who look for these things—the day of God, the new heavens and earth, the eternal state, and the glorious everlasting kingdom—faithful believers are motivated to live in a way that reflects their eternal perspective.  This requires them to be diligent (Ps. 34:14; 2 Cor. 13:11; 2 Tim. 2:22; James 3:18) so that when Christ returns they will be found by Him in peace.”

(Ps. 34:14; 2 Cor. 13:11; 2 Tim. 2:22; James 3:18)

“14  Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

“11 ¶  Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

“22 ¶  So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

“18  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in of them peace by those who make peace.”

“The phrase to be found is a sobering reminder that no one will be able to hide from Christ when He returns.  He will overlook nothing, but ‘will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts’ (1 Cor. 4:5; cf. 2 Cor 5:9-10)”

(2 Cor 5:9-10)

“9  So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

            “Peace (Eirene) could refer to a saving relationship with God and becoming at peace with Him (cf. Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14).”

(cf. Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14)

“1 ¶  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“14 ¶  For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility”

“But the apostle addressed his readers as beloved, indicating that they were already Christians (cf. Rom. 1:7; 12:19; 1 Cor. 4:14; 15:58; Eph. 5:1; Col. 3:12; 2 Thess. 2:13; James 2:5; 1 John 3:2; Jude 1).”

(cf. Rom. 1:7; 12:19; 1 Cor. 4:14; 15:58; Eph. 5:1; Col. 3:12; 2 Thess. 2:13; James 2:5; 1 John 3:2; Jude 1)

“7  To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

“19  Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

“14 ¶  I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.”

“58 ¶  Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

“1 ¶  Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

“12 ¶  Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,”

“13 ¶  But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.”

“5  Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?”

“2  Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

“1 ¶  Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,  To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:”

“Peace could also apply to unsaved but professing people in the church.  Perhaps Peter was exhorting them to be diligent to pursue true salvation’s peace, so that when Christ appears, He will find them genuinely saved.  But that is probably just a secondary understanding of the expression, as is the idea of being at peace with other believer.

            “In this context, peace primarily refers to the true peace of mind that accompanies a confident faith in the Lord.  It is an echo of Paul’s admonition to the Philippians:  ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanks giving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 4:6-7; cf. John 16:33; Rom. 14:17; 15:13; Col. 3:15; 1 Peter 5:14).”

(cf. John 16:33; Rom. 14:17; 15:13; Col. 3:15; 1 Peter 5:14)

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

17  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

“13 ¶  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

“15  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

“14  Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”

“Peter is speaking about the kind of peace that banishes both earthly worries and cosmic fears—a peace that comes from knowing for certain that one’s sins are forgiven.  No matter how terrible things become as human history moves toward final destruction, believers who live in hope have the settled peace sustained by what the Lord has planned for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9).”

(1 Cor. 2:9)

9  But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”

1/29/2026 10:43 PM

 

PT-2 “Intro to Nahum 2:8-13”

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/29/2026 8:55 AM

My Worship Time                                                                Focus: PT-2 “Intro to Nahum 2:8-13”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Nahum 2:8-13

Message of the verses:  “8  Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away. "Halt! Halt!" they cry, but none turns back. 9  Plunder the silver, plunder the gold! There is no end of the treasure or of the wealth of all precious things. 10  Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale!

    11 ¶  Where is the lions’ den, the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and lioness went, where his cubs were, with none to disturb? 12  The lion tore enough for his cubs and strangled prey for his lionesses; he filled his caves with prey and his dens with torn flesh. 13  Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.”

            This morning I will continue to quote from the introduction to these verses from John MacArthur’s commentary and will also quote from the verses that he includes in his commentary.

            “Nahum proclaimed that God would judge Nineveh with that kind of power.  As the greatest military power of the ancient Near East, Assyria assumed itself to be invincible even from the wrath of Yahweh.  When the Assyrian commander Rabshakeh came against Jerusalem in the time of Hezekiah, he defied God and claimed the Lord was powerless to defend Jerusalem.  Rabshakeh’s message was:

“Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the and of the king of Assyria.’  Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands, devoting them to destruction.  So will you be delivered?  Did the gods of those nations which my fathers brought to ruin deliver them, even Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the sons of Eden who were in Telassar?  Where is the ding of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, and of Hena and Ivvah?” (2 Kings 19:10-13; cf. 18:32-35).”

(2 Kings 19:10-13; cf. 18:32-35)  (I will just look at 18:32-35)

“32  until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, "The LORD will deliver us." 33  Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34  Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 35  Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’"

“The Assyrians not only declared their king superior to Yahweh, but they also mocked God and likened Him to false and impotent idols.  While this taunt was meant to intimidate God’s people (18:26, 37; cf. 19:1-3), the Lord encouraged them with the simple words, ‘Do not be afraid’ (19:6).”

(18:26, 37; cf. 19:1-3)

“26  Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.’”

“37  Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.”

“1 ¶  As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD. 2  And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. 3  They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.”

“To show that the Assyrians could not oppose Him and that He would defend Jerusalem, God sent the Angel of Yahweh to single-handedly put to death 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night (19:35).  Because Nineveh set itself against the Lord, He set Himself against Nineveh and declared to them through Nahum:  “Whatever you devise against Yahweh, He will make a complete destruction of it’ (Nah. 1:9; cf. 1:10-13).

(cf. 1:10-13).

“10  For they are like entangled thorns, like drunkards as they drink; they are consumed like stubble fully dried. 11  From you came one who plotted evil against the LORD, a worthless counselor. 12  Thus says the LORD, "Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. 13  And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart.’”

            “Through Nahum, God prophesied that He would destroy Nineveh’s pride (2:8), prosperity (2:9), power (2:10, and preeminence (2:11-12), which were all decreed by His divine prosecution of the city (2:13).  The Lord’s comprehensive judgment would devastate the city and the surrounding empire, so that Assyria would never again wreak havoc against Israel.  By destroying the mightiest nation in the ancient Near East, God demonstrated His power to judge His enemies, protect His own, and keep every promise He made to His people.”

            The verses mentioned in this paragraph above are all at the beginning of this SD, and so I will not quote them again.

            This is the end of John MacArthur’s introduction to these verses and so in my next SD I will begin looking at “Destruction of Pride” from Nahum 2:8).

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  One of the things that is mentioned in this story of Nineveh has to do with pride, and we could also see that when the men of Assyria came to Jerusalem to tell God’s people there that they were going to destroy them, so they might as well give up.  God hates pride and in an earlier SD I went over things from both Isaiah and Ezekiel which included some verses in each letter about who Satan is, and one can see a great deal of pride in Satan, and I suppose that is the main reason that he fell from being an archangel to becoming the enemy of God.  Pride is a deadly sin!

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Give all glory to the Lord for what is happening in my life and certainly not be prideful.

From Dr. David Jeremiah I read “The wise man is he who has given himself to Jesus Christ, and who by the help of The Holy Spirit, keeps his intellect in submission to the will of God.” (Spiros Zodiates) 

Give Instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser; teach a just man and he will increase in learning.” (Proverbs 9:9).

1/29/2026 9:29 AM

 

 

PT-3 “Eternal Perspective” (2 Peter 3:12-13)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/28/2026 9:47 PM

My Worship Time                                                                    Focus:  PT-3 “Eternal Perspective”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                              Reference:  2 Peter 3:12-13

            Message of the verses:  “12  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13  But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (ESV)

            I continue to work on these verses from above, and it is my hope to finish this section this evening.

            John MacArthur writes “The word rendered new (kainos) means ‘new in quality,’ ‘different,’ or ‘unlike anything previously known.’  Thus the new heavens and earth will be far more than merely new in time or chronology; they will also be new in character—a realm in which righteousness dwells.  Dwells (katoikeo) means ‘to settle down and be at home,’ or ‘to take up permanent, comfortable residence.’  In God’s new order, righteousness will enjoy a permanent, perfect existence.  The apostle John further described the wonder of that new universe:

1 ¶  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 

            “22  And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25  and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26  They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27  But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”  (Rev. 21:1-4; 22-27).

“On the basis of all that God has in store for them, believers ought to live in constant expectation—always looking for Christ’s return and continually viewing everything in this life in light of their eternal destiny.”

            Now this is the end of this section we have been looking at for three days now, and to me this is a very important section in the Word of God, as when you study it those who are true believers in Jesus Christ know what will happen to them.  It will start with coming to know Christ as Savior and Lord while in the Church age here on planet earth, next the Rapture of the Church will happen as seen in a few different places in the New Testament, best seen in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 where we read “13 ¶  But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15  For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18  Therefore encourage one another with these words.”  This highlighted verse 18 is what I desire to do this evening.

            Next while the Church is in heaven The Judgment Seat of Christ will take place where believers will be rewarded for what they have done while alive on planet earth during the church age.  My belief is that God has given each member of the Church Spiritual Gifts and how they use them will be how they are rewarded. 

            Next in Revelation chapter 19 towards the middle of that chapter we will return with Jesus Christ to planet earth to stop the war of Armageddon, which Christ will stop with the sword that is in His mouth. 

            Then I believe that Christ will set up the earth in a very similar way that it was when the earth was first created as described in the first two chapters of Genesis. 

            Next Christ will separate the sheep from the goats, as the sheep, (true believers) will go into the Millennial Kingdom, and the goats will go into hell.

            At the end of the Millennial Kingdom Satan will be let out of his captivity and begin a rebellion as he will gather the unbelievers from the earth and then he will be destroyed and go back into the lake of fire.

            Next all unbelievers will be judged by the Lord, and it is my belief after studying this that they will have a chance to show any good works, but none will be enough to cause them to be saved, as they had that chance while on earth.

            Next what we have been studying will happen as this earth and all the universe will be destroyed as I explained in an earlier post. 

            There will be a new heaven and a new earth which God has created, as the heaven where He has resided as because of the sinfulness of Satan and his demons were allowed to go into it, thus a new one will be created.

            Eternity will begin after the New heaven, New Earth and New Jerusalem is created.

            I hope that this has been informative for all who read it.

1/28/2026 9:48 PM

 

PT-1 "Intro to Nahum 2:8-13)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/28/2026 9:55 AM

My Worship Time                                                                        Focus:  “Intro to Nahum 2:8-13”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Nahum 2:8-13

Message of the verses:  “8  Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away. "Halt! Halt!" they cry, but none turns back. 9  Plunder the silver, plunder the gold! There is no end of the treasure or of the wealth of all precious things. 10  Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale!

    11 ¶  Where is the lions’ den, the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and lioness went, where his cubs were, with none to disturb? 12  The lion tore enough for his cubs and strangled prey for his lionesses; he filled his caves with prey and his dens with torn flesh. 13  Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.”

            John MacArthur writes the following as he introduces his thoughts on the verses above: “The enemies of God may presume they can oppose Him, but the Lord promises to obliterate them.  Psalm 2 captures the arrogance of the wicked with these words:  “The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against Yahweh and against His Anointed” (Ps. 2:2).  In response, God declares their destruction, saying to Messiah:  “You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like a potter’s vessel” (vs. 9).

            “Throughout human history, wicked rulers have challenged the supremacy of God, only to be crushed by Him.  When Moses announced to Pharoah that Yahweh commanded the Israelites to leave Egypt, Pharoah responded ‘Who is Yahweh that I should listen to His voice to let Israel go?’  (Ex. 5:2).  The Lord answered Pharaoh’s question by decimating Egypt with severe plagues and drowning the Egyptian army in the sea.  When Goliath came against the Israelites and ‘reproached’ the God of Israel, the Lord sent David to kill him (cf. 1Samuel 17:25-26, 36, 45).”

(cf. 1Samuel 17:25-26, 36, 45)

“25  And the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel." 26  And David said to the men who stood by him, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?’”

36  Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.’”

“45  Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

“The king of Tyre said of himself, ‘I will make myself like the Most High’ (Isa. 14:14), and even declared, I am god’ (Ezek. 28:2).  But Yahweh replied, ‘You are a man and not God….You will die the death of the uncircumcised…And you will cease to be forever’ (28:2, 10, 19).  God’s chief enemy Satan will rise up against God in the final battle of Gog and Magog, but God will cast the devil into the lake of fire and brimstone (Rev. 20:7-10).”

(Rev. 20:7-10)

“7  And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8  and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9  And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10  and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

            Now let me just say that in the books of Isaiah, chapter 14 and also Ezekiel 28, that in these verses we see that the dialogue is speaking of Satan.  Let me just search for those verses and then post them. 12  "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13  You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ (Isaiah 14:12-14).”  Notice the five “I will’s” that Satan is saying, and none of them will come to pass. 

            Now I want to look at Ezekiel 28 to see the other place where Satan is bragging. I have remembered these two places where the Old Testament speaks of Satan’s bragging by remembering that in Isaiah it is in chapter 14, and Ezekiel it is chapter 28, (14 times 2 is 28).

“12  "Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13  You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. 14  You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15  You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16  In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17  Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. 18  By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. 19  All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.’” (Ezekiel 28:12-19).

“Yahweh’s victory over His enemies will be so definitive that He will destroy even death itself.  As Paul explained, The last enemy to be abolished is death’ (1 Cor 15:26; cf. Heb. 2:14-15; Rev. 20:14). Any adversary who dares to oppose God will be irrevocably vanquished by Him.”

(1 Cor 15:26; cf. Heb. 2:14-15; Rev. 20:14)

“26  The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

“14 ¶  Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15  and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong subject to slavery.”

“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.”

            Looks like I will try and finish this introduction in tomorrow morning’s SD.  Sorry about the length of this but I had to find a good place to stop.

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  As I look at the verses in both Isaiah and Ezekiel which speak of Satan, one thing is clear and that is that God does not like bragging.  God wants and deserve glory for what He does in my heart, and in the hearts of all believers and in the end as I follow the things that God has called me to do He will receive all the glory.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I continue to pray for my wife as she deals with cancer and also another problem which I will not write about, pray that God will give victory to her over both of these issues.

From Dr. David Jeremiahs “Turning Points Wisdom.” “Soul surgery transpires as serenity replaces anxiety.” (Charles Swindoll.)

“Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10 NIV)

1/28/2026 10:54 AM

 

 

PT-2 “Eternal Perspective” (2 Peter 3:12-13)

 EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/27/2026 7:35 PM

My Worship Time    Focus:  PT-2 “Eternal Perspective”

Bible Reading & Meditation   Reference:  2 Peter 3:12-13

Message of the verses:  “12  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13  But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (ESV)

This evening I continue to look at “Eternal Perspective” which is the title to this  section from John MacArthur’s Commentary on 2 Peter 3:12-13.  I can say that I am running out of verses to look at in 2 Peter, and so I have ordered a commentary on the book of Luke.  I have done every other of the gospels but Luke, and I have to say that it took John MacArthur 10 years to preach through the gospel of Luke, and it took me 5 years to go through the Gospel of Matthew.  I have just ordered one of these commentaries to get me started on Luke’s gospel and I am not sure how many more it will take to get through it, but Lord willing I will continue to do it until it is done, Lord willing.  Now I begin to quote from MacArthur’s commentary on these verses from above.

“Because of which, referring to the day of God, indicates that certain other events must first take place in order for it to occur.  In preparation for that day, Peter reiterated that God will destroy the present, sin-cursed universe:  the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!” We have gone over this in an earlier SD from verses 7, and 10 of 2 Peter 3.  “There are several passages in the book of Revelation which, although describing tribulation events one thousand years earlier, offer vivid previews of the kind of power God will display at the final destruction:

“7 ¶  The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. 8  The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9  A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 10  The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11  The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter (Rev. 8:7-11).

“17 ¶  The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18  And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 19  The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20  And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 21  And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.” (Rev. 16:17-21)

“8  For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her." 9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10  They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.’” (Rev. 18:8-10)

“Following the final destruction of the universe, the day of God will arrive, and this corrupted world system will be forever abolished (Rom.8: 18-23; 1 John 2:16)”

(Rom. 8:18-23; 1 John 2:16)

“18  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

“16  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

“According to His promise, that new day will showcase a new heavens and a new earth, meaning that God will create an entirely new universe (cf. Ps. 102:25-26; Isa. 65:17; 66:22).”

(cf. Ps. 102:25-26; Isa. 65:17; 66:22)

“25  Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26  They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,’

“17 ¶  "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”

“22  "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain.”

As you can see this section contains many verses which are included in MacArthur’s commentary, and so please just take your time to read over these verses as I believe you will see that they all have something to do with end times prophecy.  I have mentioned that 52 years from yesterday’s date was the date that the Lord saved me, and after that I became extremely drawn to what will happen in the future and have spent untold hours studying it, with I’m sure will continue to study it, and although not all of 2 Peter is about end times this last chapter certainly is and that is why I enjoy studying it so much.

1/27/2026 8:00 PM

PT-4 “The Plight of Those Under Judgment” (Nahum 2:7)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/27/2026 10:10 AM

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  PT-4 “The Plight of Those Under Judgment”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Nahum 2:7

            Message of the verse:  “So it stands fixed: She is exiled, she is carried away, And her maidservants are moaning like the sound of doves, Beating on their hearts.

“7  its mistress is stripped; she is carried off, her slave girls lamenting, moaning like doves and beating their breasts.” (ESV)

            I will continue looking at this verse by quoting from John Macarthur’s commentary along with quoting the verses he has in it, and adding some commentary of my own.

            “Third, in describing the Ninevites’ captivity, Nahum explained that her maidservants would be moaning like the sound of doves, beating on their hearts.  A maidservant identified any female servant or slave.  At the time of Nineveh’s defeat, all the military warriors and common men would be either killed or deported as slaves, and all the nobility would also be carried away (cf. 2 Kings 24:14).”

(cf. 2 Kings 24:14)

“14  He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor,  10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land.”

“So, any remaining individuals in the city would include the maidservants, who, in the face of such distress, would be overcome by moaning and weeping.  Shocked by the devastations of war, these women would respond with a shuddering wail, one like the sound of doves.  They would not only shed tears, but also beat on their hearts.  This term beating is used one other time in the Old Testament, but in reference to beating on tambourines with joy (Ps. 68:25).”

(Ps. 68:25)

“25  the singers in front, the musicians last, between them virgins playing tambourines”

“The opposite emotions conveyed by the term beating in these two instances is insightful.  While the beating of tambourines signified heartfelt celebration, the beating on their hearts reflected heartbroken agony.  In the days of Jonay, the city heard a message of destruction but was spared (Jonah 3:4-10).”

(Jonah 3:4-10)

“4  Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" 5 ¶  And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. 6  The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7  And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8  but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9  Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish." 10  When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”

“But in Nahum’s prophecy, divine wrath was unleashed on Nineveh, resulting in a city reduced to the wailing of weeping women.  Unlike in Jonah’s time, the Lord would not relent from His judgment.

            “Given Nahum’s deliberate parallels with Jonah, that this passage concludes with women moaning like doves is the very name of the prophet Jonah.  The city that experienced mercy at the preaching of the prophet Jonah would experience a different jonah as the maidservants mourned like doves (jonah) in response to divine judgment.  While God sent Jonah to Nineveh to give them comfort (nahum, Jonah 3:10), He later sent Nahum to condemn the city and cause them to mourn like doves (jonah, Nahum 2:7).

(nahum, Jonah 3:10)

“10  When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.”

(jonah, Nahum 2:7)

““So it stands fixed: She is exiled, she is carried away, And her maidservants are moaning like the sound of doves, Beating on their hearts.

“The symmetry presents two vastly different outcomes.  Either the sinner repents in light of God’s

Rom. 2:3-6).”

(cf. Rom. 2:3-6)

“3  Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4  Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5  But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6  He will render to each one according to his works:”

“While God may extend mercy after mercy for a period, He will ultimately execute judgment against the unrepentant.  Because of such sure judgment, sinners must neve presume on God’s grace (cf. 2 Peter 2:3-4). Conversely, God calls His people to wait on Him patiently, knowing He will avenge them in due time (cf. James 5:7-9; 2 Peter 3:9).”

(cf. 2 Peter 2:3-4)

3 ¶  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 4  For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;”

(cf. James 5:7-9; 2 Peter 3:9)

“7  Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8  You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9  Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”

“9 ¶  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

            I have to say that what MacArthur points out in this section is very interesting and informative, showing to me some things about God that are remarkable. 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  This section of MacArthur’s commentary shows me that I need to continue to write Spiritual Diaries and to post them onto the internet by using my two blogs, so that people who read them around the world can hear the gospel message, along with believers to grow in the Lord.  I am thankful for this ministry that God has given to me and it is my prayer that after the rapture of the church I will meet those who have come to know Christ through these Spiritual Diaries, and also meet those who have been aided by them to grow in the Lord.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to trust the Lord to cause me to grow in the Lord and to centime to trust Him for being with my wife in a special way as she deals with cancer.

From David Jeremiah’s Turning Point Ministry:  “If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.  (Dwight L. Moody).

“Don’t lose your grip on love and loyalty.  Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.  Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of people.” (Proverbs 3:3-4 The Message).

1/27/2026 10:51 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

PT-1 “Eternal Perspective” (2 Peter 3:12-13)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/26/2026 11:11 PM

My Worship Time                                                                    Focus:  PT-1 “Eternal Perspective”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                             Reference:  2 Peter 3:12-13

            Message of the verses:  “12  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13  But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (ESV)

            This evening I begin a new section from John MacArthur’s commentary on 2 Peter, as we will be spending a lot of time looking at these two verses.  I will quote from MacArthur’s commentary, and then add the verses that he references, along with some of my comments.

            “If believers are looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, such eager anticipation precludes being worried about it or afraid of it.  Instead, as Paul wrote to Titus, they will be joyfully looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus’ (Titus 2:13; cf. 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:20).”

(Titus 2:13; cf. 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:20)

13  waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”

“8  Henceforth 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.”

“20 ¶  He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

            “Looking for expresses an attitude of expectancy, an outlook on life that watchfully waits for the Lord’s arrival.  Peter’s use of hastening only strengthens that concept.  Rather than fearing the world’s impending demise, Christians long for it, knowing they have everything to hope for and noting to fear from the Father who loves them (1 John 4:18).  Thus, like Paul, they can readily say maranatha, “Lord come!’ (1 Cor. 16:22; cf. 1 John 2:28; Rev. 22:20).

(1 Cor. 16:22; cf. 1 John 2:28; Rev. 22:20)

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

“28 ¶  And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.”

““20 ¶  He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

            “The coming translates the familiar term parousia, which literally means ‘the presence.’  In the New Testament it does not primarily describe a place or event.  Instead, the term emphasizes the personal, bodily arrival of Jesus Christ.

            “Some commentators equate the day of God with the ‘day of the Lord,’ but they are not synonymous expressions.  The day of God refers to the eternal state when God will have permanently subdued all of His enemies (Cf. Ps. 110:1; Acts 2:33-35; 1 Cor. 15:28; Phil. 2:10-11; 3:21; Heb. 10:13).”

(Cf. Ps. 110:1; Acts 2:33-35; 1 Cor. 15:28; Phil. 2:10-11; 3:21; Heb. 10:13)

“1 ¶  «A Psalm of David.» The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’”

“33  Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34  For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, ”Sit at my right hand, 35  until I make your enemies your footstool."’

“28  When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.”

“10  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

“21  who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

“13  waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.”

“However, the ‘day of the Lord,’ as discussed in the previous chapter of this volume, refers to the final, tumultuous events accompanying the last judgment of unbelievers.  While Christians are certainly eager for the day of God, their attitude toward the turmoil that precedes it is more sober.  The apostle John’s vision experience, in which he ate the little book and found it sweet to taste but bitter to swallow (Rev. 10:9-10), dramatically illustrates those dual feelings.  The little book represents the coming judgment—sweet to believers because of the day of God, but bitter because of the ‘day of the Lord.”

            I have mentioned in earlier SD’s that this section of 2 Peter, the one that we have begun this evening is a very important section of the Word of God, for in it we will see that the heavens we see in the night sky and the sun we see each day, along with the mood, and the earth that we now live on will all be done away with in what can be described as a giant atomic explosion which will be very loud.  Lord willing I will continue to look at this very long section in tomorrow evening’s SD.

1/26/2026 11:58 PM

 

 

PT-3 “The Plight of Those Under Judgment” (Nahum 2:7)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/26/2026 10:33 AM

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  PT-3 “The Plight of Those Under Judgment”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Nahum 2:7

            Message of the verse:  “So it stands fixed: She is exiled, she is carried away, And her maidservants are moaning like the sound of doves, Beating on their hearts.

“7  its mistress is stripped; she is carried off, her slave girls lamenting, moaning like doves and beating their breasts.” (ESV)

            John MacArthur writes:  “Second, in addition to experiencing shame, Nineveh would also be made desolate, as she carried away, meaning that both the city’s population and its possessions were taken into captivity.  Carried away means to ‘go up,’ and can refer to going up to a city and even to being offered up as a sacrifice (Judges 6:28; cf. Genesis 8:20; 22:2, 13; Exodus 24:5).”

(Judges 6:28; cf. Genesis 8:20; 22:2, 13; Exodus 24:5)

28  When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built.”

“20 ¶  Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”

“2  He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’”

13  And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.”

“5  And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD.”

“Those who had ‘gone up’ to take Israel into exile (cf. 2 Kings 17:3, 5) and to besiege Jerusalem (cf. 8:13) would themselves experience the same.”

(cf. 2 Kings 17:3, 5)

3  Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria. And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.”

5  Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.”

(cf. 8:13)

13  And Hazael said, "What is your servant, who is but a dog, that he should do this great thing?" Elisha answered, "The LORD has shown me that you are to be king over Syria.’”

“As the smoke of Nineveh’s ruins rose into the sky and her citizens were deported, Nahum called Israel to recognize that Nineveh was like a sacrifice to satisfy God’s wrath (cf. Zeph. 1:7-13). The Ninevites would be carried away never to return again, while their former home became a place of permanent desolation (cf. 2:13).”

(cf. Zeph. 1:7-13).

7 ¶  Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests. 8  And on the day of the LORD’s sacrifice— "I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all who array themselves in foreign attire. 9  On that day I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold, and those who fill their master’s house with violence and fraud. 10  "On that day," declares the LORD, "a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, a loud crash from the hills. 11  Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar! For all the traders are no more; all who weigh out silver are cut off. 12  At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’ 13  Their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.’”

(cf. 2:13)

13  Behold, I am against you, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard.”

            Now there is one more part to look at, pt. 3, and I think it best to wait until tomorrow to look at it, and the reason is that there are still many verses to look up and to post on my Spiritual Diary, and as mentioned before I try not to make these Spiritual Diary’s too long, but sometimes it seems that I have to do that.

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I realize that it is very hard to understand everything that God is doing, or has done in the Old Testament, but it seems to me that God setting the stage for bringing His Son into the earth in order to take care of the sin problem.  15  I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." (Gen. 3:15) This is a very key verse that God spoke to Adam and Eve after they had sinned, a sin that would lead all humanity down the road to become sinful the moment they were born, and so we see in this verse from Genesis that God had a plan to redeem sinners from their sinfulness, and it was fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ the day that He was put onto a cross to pay for my sin and to all of those who would come to Him in humility asking to be saved.  This happened to me 52 years ago today as the Spirit of God convicted me of my sinful condition and came into my life in order to led and guide me through this sinful world.  I am ever thankful for the salvation that God gave to me through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust that the Lord will continue to led and guide me to do the things that He has given me to do for the cause of Christ until Jesus comes to the clouds above the earth in order to take His Church home to be with Him where we will serve Him throughout eternity.

From David Jeremiah’s “Words of Wisdom” series:  “The Holy Scriptures were not given to us that we should enclose them in books, but that we should engrave them upon our hearts.” (St. Jonh Chrysostom)

Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11).

1/26/2026 11:09 AM