PT-1 “Prophetic Confirmation” (Luke 1:41b-43, 45)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/11/2026 10:21 AM

My Worship Time                                                             Focus:  PT-1 “Prophetic Confirmation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                          Reference: Luke 1:141b-43, 45

            Message of the verses:  “and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?...And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

            In yesterday’s SD we learned that John the Baptist, the son of Elizabeth who was in her womb was filled with the Holy Spirit and now we see that Elizabeth is also filled with the Holy Spirit.  MacArthur writes, “As mentioned earlier, such filling was often connected to speaking a message from God.  In 2 Samuel 23A:2, David declared, ‘The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue.’  After John’s birth ‘Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied’ (1:67; cf. vv. 68-69).  ‘Simeon

27  And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28  he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29  "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30  for my eyes have seen your salvation 31  that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32  a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’”

“Acts 2:4 records that on the day of Pentecost the believers ‘were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues [recognized foreign languages; vv. 8-11], as the Spirit was giving them utterance.’ Later in Acts,

“8  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, 9  if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10  let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11  This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’’ (Acts 4:8-12) ESV

After Peter and John were threatened and released by the Sanhedrin, the believers ‘were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness’ (Acts 4:31).  The writers of Scripture were ‘men moved by the Holy Spirit [who] spoke from God’ (2 Peter 1:21).

            MacArthur then goes on “After being filled with the Spirit Elizabeth cried out with a loud (a term associated with the speaking of divine truth in such passages as John 1:15; 7:28; 37; Rom. 9:27) voice.” 

(John 1:15; 7:28; 37; Rom. 9:27)

“15 ¶  (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)

“28  So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.”

“  37 ¶  On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”

“27  And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,”

“She literally shouted out the message  God gave her, both from excitement over its content, and to emphasize its authority.  What followed was a hymn of praise, the first of five associated with Christ’s birth that Luke records (cf. 1:46-55, 67-79; 2:14, 25-32).  This hymn of praise pronounced blessing on Mary, her child, Elizabeth herself, and ultimately everyone who believes God’s word.”

(cf. 1:46-55, 67-79; 2:14, 25-32)

46  And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48  for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49  for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50  And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51  He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52  he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53  he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54  He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55  as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.’”

“67 ¶  And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, 68  "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69  and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70  as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71  that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72  to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73  the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us 74  that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75  in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76  And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77  to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78  because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79  to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’”

“14  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

“25 ¶  Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27  And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28  he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29  "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30  for my eyes have seen your salvation 31  that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32  a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’”

Spiritual Meaning for My Life Today:  The more that I study the gospel of Luke the more I understand the importance of the things that he puts into his writing about the life of Christ, how it began, which is seen in this first long chapter.  He weaves the story so that one can understand how important every detail that God planned for His Son in order to be born on planet earth, including the mention of the forerunner, John the Baptist.  It is easy to overlook these details, but that is not what I am doing as I look once again about the early stages of Christ before He was even born, and then while He was actually in the womb of His mother Mary.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to learn more of the early life of Jesus Christ and how it was that God the Father, and the Holy Spirit were involved in the birth of Jesus Christ.  I know that there is still some mystery about it, but what I know I certainly can praise the Lord for.

3/11/2026 11:29 AM

 

“Personal Confirmation” (Luke 1:41a,44)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/10/2026 8:40 PM

My Worship Time                                                                       Focus:  “Personal Confirmation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                      Focus:  Luke 1:41a,44

 Message of the verses:  “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb;…For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.” (NASB)

            We begin this evening’s SD by talking about the confirmation that Mary received from talking with Elizabeth was reinforced in a wondrous manner.  It was at some point in the lengthy conversation that comprised the greeting (no doubt after Mary recounted Gabriel’s words to her), that Elizabeth’s baby leaped in her womb.  We can be assured that this was not merely the normal movement of the baby in her womb that she felt frequently.  Elizabeth then said to Mary, “When the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy” and this clearly reveals that her baby’s movement was not the familiar kind, but one she identified with joy at Messiah’s anticipated coming.

            John MacArthur writes “This life would be born to be the forerunner (1:17) and herald (3:4-6) of the Messiah, and this silent prophecy was His first announcement.” 

(1:17)

“17  and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.’”

(3:4-6)

“4  As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, 6  and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’’’

“It was to enable Him to make this involuntary supernatural prophecy that John was ‘filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb’ (v. 15).  As will be seen later, the filling of the Spirit (an expression describing the power of the Holy Spirit taking control and effecting service to God by word or deed) is often connected with prophecy.

            “This was not the first time that movement in a pregnant woman’s womb had prophetic significance.  Centuries earlier during Rebekah’s pregnancy, there was an incident with far-reaching implications:

“21  And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22  The children struggled together within her, and she said, "If it is thus, why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. 23  And the LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.’” (Gen. 25:21-24 ESV)

“The children were Jacob and Esau, whose descendants, Israel and the Arabs, have been in conflict for millennia.

            “The joy that began in his mother’s womb would set the tone for John’s entire life and ministry.  In John 3:29, he declared, ‘He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.  So this joy of mine has been made full.’

            “The baby’s leap for joy provided the fulfillment of the promised confirmation to Mary.  But unlike her unborn son, Elizabeth could speak, and she added her voice to the unspoken prophecy.”

3/10/2026 9:00 PM

 

 

“Personal Confirmation” (Luke 1:39-40)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/10/2026 10:24 AM

My Worship Time                                                                       Focus:  “Personal Confirmation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                        Focus:  Luke 1:39-40

            Message of the verses:  “Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.”

            I can see that Mary seems to be in a hurry as the verse states, and the reason was she wanted to find out more information, and the Angel had told her that Elizabeth was pregnant in her old age.  It looks like that as Mary would stay with Elizabeth for three months and that would mean that Mary must have left right before the birth of John the Baptist.

            Mary did not have the modern convenience of driving to Jerusalem so she had to walk which probably would have taken three to four days.  MacArthur adds “Such a journey by a girl of Mary’s age was highly unusual in the culture where young girls were carefully shielded and protected.  In addition, though the Bible nowhere mentions the exact moment of her conception, Mary no doubt was already pregnant when she made the trip.  Some have even suggested that the reason show went was to hide her pregnancy.  But her pregnancy would not have been evident that soon after conception.  And if that were Mary’s intent, she would hardly have returned home  three months later when her condition would have been obvious to all. It is doubtful that Joeseph was aware that Mary was pregnant.  The account of Joseph’s awareness of Mary’s pregnancy, his response, the next angelic visit is given by Matthew (1:18-25).”

            MacArthur goes on to write about the city where Elizabeth and her husband were living.  “The exact location of the city (village) of Judah where Zacharias and Elizabeth lived is unknown, although a sixth-century tradition places it about five miles from Jerusalem.  After arriving there Mary entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth (cf. vv. 41, 44).  Unlike the brief, casual even flippant greetings common today, a greeting in the Ancient Near East was an extended social event, involving a lengthy dialogue.  Moses’ encounter with his father-in-law, Jethro, illustrates such a greeting:

“7 ¶  Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8  Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. 9  And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. (Exodus 18:7-9) ESV)

            I think that I would have liked to have been around when Mary first entered Zacharias and Elizabeth’s home and listened to the conversation.  Imagine who would have been living in the wombs of Mary and Elizebeth, and as one fast forward about thirty years John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ would be seen together as John would be baptizing Jesus so that He could begin His ministry. 

            MacArthur concludes this section by writing “Mary would share her wonderful news with Elizabeth, confident that she was the one person Mary could count on to believe her story.  Others might have viewed her account as far-fetched attempt to cover up her sexual immorality and resulting pregnancy.  Even Joseph, who knew her well, did not believe Mary’s account, and intended to divorce her (Matt. 1:19).  It was not until he heard the truth from an angel (vv. 20-21, 24-25) that he accepted what had really happened.  Therefore, the text does not reveal what, if anything Mary said to him, her family, or her friends; it says only that she told Ezlisabeth, since she too had experienced a miraculous conception.  Hearing Elizabeth’s account, and even more seeing her condition, also confirmed to Mary that God would keep His word to her.”

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  I want to go back to look at what may have happened when Mary walked into the house of Elizabeth and Zacharias.  In the grand Skeem of things this was a very, very big deal, but if you don’t stop and think about it you may miss that.  In that house in the wombs of these two women began the greatest miracle ever to happen on the face of this earth.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I desire to trust the Lord to show me what could be called “little things” as I go about my day today, to not miss anything that the Lord desires me to see.

3/10/2026 11:22 AM

 

PT-2 “Mary and Elizabeth: Confirming Angelic Prophecy” (Luke 1:39-45)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/9/2026 7:25 PM

My Worship Time                   Focus PT-2 “Mary and Elizabeth: Confirming Angelic Prophecy”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 1:39-45

            Message of the verses:    39 ¶  In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40  and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41  And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42  and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’” (ESV)

            “Afflicted with a terminal illness, the godly king Hezekiah ‘prayed to the Lord, saying, ‘Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight’’ (2 Kings 20:2-3).  In answer to Hezekiah’s prayer, God sent Isaiah the prophet to him with the good news that his prayer had been answered, ‘Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord the third day?’’ (V-8).  As He had with Moses and Gideon, God granted Hezekiah a sign that what He had promised would come to pass:

“9  And Isaiah said, "This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he has promised: shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or go back ten steps?" 10  And Hezekiah answered, "It is an easy thing for the shadow to lengthen ten steps. Rather let the shadow go back ten steps." 11  And Isaiah the prophet called to the LORD, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz.” (2 Kings 20:9-11) (ESV)

“Even John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah and the greatest man who had ever lived up to that time (Matt. 11:11), struggled with doubt:

“2  Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3  and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4  And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5  the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6  And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’” (Matt. 11:2-6) (ESV)

            MacArthur goes on to write:  “As this passage opens, Mary had just received from the angel Gabriel the most astonishing, unimaginable, incomprehensible announcement any human has ever heard.  Incredibly, his message to her was that she was to be the mother of the Messiah; the Son of God incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Mary had responded in humble, obedient, submissive faith (1:38), trusting that God would do as He had said.

            “Although Mary did not ask for a sign, God, knowing how startling and unsetting His message to her was, gave her one anyway.  The sign, involving her older relative, Elizabeth.  Luke’s  gospel record opens with the stories of these two miracles, one involving a barren, older woman past childbearing age, and the other a young, unmarried virgin in her early teens.  The child of the first would be the forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist; the second would be the Messiah Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ.

            “Until this point, the two narratives had been separate. Elizabeth lived in the hill country of Judah, in the vicinity of Jerusalem, while Mary lived in the small Galilean village of Nazareth, approximately sixty miles to the north.  But in this passage the two stories come together, as Mary visits Elizabeth.  The two incidents, though separate in time and location, nonetheless contain many striking parallels.

            “For example, both accounts began by introducing the parents, or in Mary’s case, parent (1:5-6, 26-27).  Second, both accounts stated the obstacles to childbearing (Elizabeth’s barrenness [1:7]; Mary’s virginity [1:34]).  Third, Gabriel arrived (1:11, 26), and his appearing frightened the one to whom he appeared (1:12, 29).  Fourth, Gabriel reassured the one to whom he appeared (1:13, 30).  Fifth, Gabriel promised a son (1:13, 31).  Sixth Gabriel gave the son’s name (1:13, 31), and described his greatness (1:15-17, 32-33).  Seventh, there was an objection (Zachariahs’s unbelief [1:18]; Mary’ lack of understanding [1:34]).  Finally, Gabriel gave a sign that what he had spoken would come true (1:19-20, 35-36).

            “Luke’s brief description of Mary’s meeting with Elizbeth emphasizes God’s confirmation of His promise to Mary that she would conceive a Son while still a virgin.  The account reveals three aspects of that confirmation:  personal confirmation, physical confirmation, and prophetic confirmation.”

3/9/2026 7:51 PM

 

PT-1 “Mary and Elizabeth: Confirming Angelic Prophecy” (Luke 1:39-45)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/9/2026 8:09 AM

My Worship Time                   Focus PT-1 “Mary and Elizabeth: Confirming Angelic Prophecy”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 1:39-45

            Message of the verses:    39 ¶  In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40  and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41  And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42  and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’” (ESV)

            This morning I will begin to quote from John MacArthur’s introduction to the sixth chapter in his first commentary on the gospel of Luke the title of this chapter is written above in the focus part of this SD.

            “Faith is the essence of the Christian life.  At the outset, believers are ‘Justified by faith apart from works of the Law’ (Rom. 3:28); cf. 5:1; Gal. 2:16) and thus are ‘sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus’ (Gal. 3:26).  Paul wrote of living the Christian life, ‘the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God’ (Gal. 2:20).  In John 20:29 Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed’ (cf. 1 Peter 1:8). ‘Faith,” notes the writer of Hebrews ‘is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen’ (Heb. 11:1; cf. 2 Cor. 4:18; Rom. 8:25), apart from which it is impossible to please God (v.6).

            “But as still fallen people, though ‘we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), even those whose faith is strongest experience doubts and discouragement.  The Bible makes it clear that all through redemptive history God has been the encourager of His people, confirming and strengthening their faith.

            “Tasked with the daunting responsibility of leading the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, ‘Moses said to God, ‘Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?’’(Ex. 3:11).  God encouraged him: ‘Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you:  when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain’ (v. 12).  Despite God’s reassurance, Moses’s faith still wavered.  ‘What if they [the Israelites] will not believe me or listen to what I say?’  he demanded, ‘For they may say ‘The Lord has not appeared to you’’(Ex. 4:1).  Again God reassured His struggling servant:

“2  The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff." 3  And he said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4  But the LORD said to Moses, "Put out your hand and catch it by the tail"— so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5  "that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." 6  Again, the LORD said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7  Then God said, "Put your hand back inside your cloak." So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8  "If they will not believe you," God said, "or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9  If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.’” (Ex. 4:2-9) ESV

            Gideon, the Judge who delivered Israel from the oppression of the Midianites, also found his faith was not up to task.  Judges 6:16-23 relates Gideon’s encounter with the Angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Christ), who charged him to deliver Israel:

16  And the LORD said to him, "But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man." 17  And he said to him, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 18  Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you." And he said, "I will stay till you return." 19  So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them. 20  And the angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them." And he did so. 21  Then the angel of the LORD reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight. 22  Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD. And Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face." 23  But the LORD said to him, "Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die. (Judges 6:16-23) ESV

            “As the Midianite army approached, Gideon sought further reassurance that God would do as He promised.  Seeking to bolster his sagging faith, Gideon made the request for which he is most famous:

“36  Then Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, 37  behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said." 38  And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. 39  Then Gideon said to God, "Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew." 40  And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.” (Judges 6:36-40) ESV

Spiritual Meaning for my Life today:  These are difficult times that I am living in, difficult because of what is going on with my wife as she continues to struggle with cancer, although we have gotten some better reports lately.  Difficult because of how our country is handling the war going on in Iran, one that had to be fought or risk Israel and US to see Iran’s Nuclear bombs.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  “16  Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16)

3/9/2026 8:53 AM

 

PT-2 “Mary’s Submission” (Luke 1:38)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/8/2026 07:53 PM

My Worship Time                                                                    Focus:  PT-2 “Mary’s Submission”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 1:38

            Message of the verse:  “And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”  And the angel departed from her.

            Now this evening I will pick up where I left off from this morning’s SD, and I begin with a quotation from John MacArthur’s commentary along with verses from the book of Jeremiah.

            “Later, God once again used Jeremiah to confront His rebellious people over this issue.  Defiantly, they replied,

“16  "As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you. 17  But we will do everything that we have vowed, make offerings to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our officials, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster. 18  But since we left off making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine." 19  And the women said, "When we made offerings to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands’ approval that we made cakes for her bearing her image and poured out drink offerings to her?’” (Jer. 44:16-19 ESV)

“In response, the prophet solemnly warned them of God’s impending judgment:

“24  Jeremiah said to all the people and all the women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. 25  Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: You and your wives have declared with your mouths, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying, ‘We will surely perform our vows that we have made, to make offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.’ Then confirm your vows and perform your vows! 26  Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the LORD, that my name shall no more be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, ‘As the Lord GOD lives.’ 27  Behold, I am watching over them for disaster and not for good. All the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end of them. 28  And those who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, who came to the land of Egypt to live, shall know whose word will stand, mine or theirs.”

            MacArthur goes on with these important words “To worship Mary as if she were the queen of heaven is to mix paganism with biblical truth and to blaspheme the true King of heaven.  To proclaim that Mary is co-redemptrix and mediatrix of saving grace, only compounds its false, syncretistic view of her.

            “Mary’s dramatic encounter with the angel Gabriel ended with this short, simple postscript: And the angel departed from her.  His mission accomplished, Gabriel returned to the presence of God.  The God-man was going to be born; the only begotten Son of God, Jesus, who would save His people from their sins, the divine Redeemer, the holy offspring, the divine King who will reign over a kingdom that will last forever.

            “This account demonstrates that God’s promises will be fulfilled, as they were in Mary’s life.  It also reveals that the sovereign God accomplishes His purposes through His willing and obedient slaves, as He did through Mary.  Without regard for the implications and potential risks, Mary faithfully rested in the sovereign purpose of her Savior and God.  That is her true magnificence. 

            “God is still doing His work today, if not through visible miracles, then spiritually through His people who trust Him (Isa. 26:3; cf. Prov. 29:25), obey His Word (Ps. 119:17, 67, 101; Matt. 7:24; Luke 11:28; James 1:25), and humbly submit as obedient slaves to His will (Josh. 24:24; Ps. 119:35; Eccles. 12:13; Phil. 2:12-13).”

(Isa. 26:3; cf. Prov. 29:25)

“3  You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

“25 ¶  The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.”

(Ps. 119:17, 67, 101; Matt. 7:24; Luke 11:28; James 1:25)

“17 ¶  Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.”

“67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.”

“101 ¶  I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word.”

“24  "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

“28  But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’”

“25  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

(Josh. 24:24; Ps. 119:35; Eccles. 12:13; Phil. 2:12-13)

“24  And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.’”

“35 ¶  Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.”

“13 ¶  The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

“12 ¶  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

3/8/2026 8:23 PM

 

 

PT-1 “Mary’s Submission” (Luke 1:38)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/8/2026 10:19 AM

My Worship Time                                                                    Focus:  PT-1 “Mary’s Submission”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 1:38

            Message of the verses:  “And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”  And the angel departed from her.

            We can be assured that Mary not only knew the story of Abraham and Sarah, as both were in their 90’s and Sarah gave birth to Isaac.  But there is another story we also can be assured of that that story is seen in 1 Samuel 1:1-2:10, which of course is the birth of Samuel.  Hannah, the mother of Samuel had no children and so she prayed for a child as seen in 1 Samuel 1:10-11.  “10  She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. 11  And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.’”

Like Hannah, who called herself God’s “maidservant,” Mary also saw herself as the bondslave of the Lord (cf. v. 48).  “48  for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;”  John MacArthur writes “The Greek word rendered bondslave (doule, which always should be accurately translated ‘slave’) is the same on used in the Septuagint version of 1 Samuel 1:11, thus linking Mary’s submissive attitude to Hannah’s.  Her humble response demonstrated Mary’s willing submission to God’s unfolding purpose.  She saw herself as nothing more than His willing, humble slave, and responded by saying, “May it be done to me according to your word.”  She did not ask about Joseph, who obviously would know that the baby was not his.  Mary would thus have to face the stigma of unwed motherhood and the appearance of having committed adultery—the punishment for which was death by stoning [Deut. 22:13-21; Lev. 20:10; cf. John 8:3-5].)  But in humble, obedient faith Mary willingly trusted God to vindicate her (cf. Matt. 1:19-25).”

(cf. Matt. 1:19-25)

“19  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23  “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24  When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25  but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

            John MacArthur writes the following “One of the Roman Catholic Church’s most egregious errors is its turning of this self-proclaimed humble slave of God into the exalted queen of heaven.  Such worship of Mary, which would have appalled and horrified her, is nothing less than idolatry.  There is no queen of heaven, only the true and eternal King (Pss. 29:10; 47:8; Dan. 4:37; cf. Matt. 11:25; Acts 17:24), the triune God.”

(Pss. 29:10; 47:8; Dan. 4:37; cf. Matt. 11:25; Acts 17:24)

“10  The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. 11  May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!”

“8  God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.”

“37  Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”

25 ¶  At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;”

“24  The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,”

            MacArthur goes on:  “Catholicism’s elevation of Mary finds no support in Scripture; the concept of the ‘queen of heaven’ does appear in the Old Testament in connection with ancient pagan religion.  The idea derives from Assyrian and Babylonian beliefs and practices prevalent during Jeremiah’s time in apostate Judah.  Their idolatry caused God through the prophet to pronounce judgment on His people:

“16 ¶  "As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you. 17  Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18  The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. 19  Is it I whom they provoke? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves, to their own shame? 20  Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched.’”

“The ‘queen of heaven’ (v. 18) was the pagan goddess Ishtar (also called Ashtoreth and Astarte), the wife of Baal or Molech.  Because those false deities symbolized fertility, worship of them also involved prostitution.”

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  I have learned one thing for sure as I continue to study the Bible each day, and that is to continue to study the Bible each day so that you don’t fall into traps like worshiping Mary.  It’s not in the Bible to do that.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am praying that the Lord will give a season of revival in my heart  so that I can get out of this spiritual funk that I am in, and I suppose that it has to do with all that is going on with my wife’s cancer.

3/8/2026 11:02 AM

 

“God’s Sovereignty” (Luke 1:37)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/7/2026 8:25 AM

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  “God’s Sovereignty”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                        Reference: Luke 1:37

            Message of the verse:  “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

            It is one thing to say something is going to happen, but quite another to make it happen, unless it is God speaking.  What Mary heard was, she realized, humanly impossible.  Therefore, Gabriel reminded her that because God’s unlimited power, then nothing will be impossible with Him.  The proof Gabriel offered, as noted above, in the last SD, was Elizabeth’s conception of John.

            However there was another older couple that God miraculously allowed to conceive a child.  Mary would have been familiar with the Old Testament account of Isaac’s birth to Abraham and Sarah seen in Genesis 18:1-15.  “1 ¶  And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2  He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3  and said, "O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4  Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5  while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on— since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." 6  And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes." 7  And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8  Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.   9 ¶  They said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "She is in the tent." 10  The LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11  Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12  So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?" 13  The LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14  Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son." 15  But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. He said, "No, but you did laugh.’”  Like Zacharias and Elizabeth, Abraham and Sarah were well beyond their childbearing years.  Genesis 18:12-14 is the key passage of that account which is highlighted above in yellow.

            Gabriel’s emphatic declaration that nothing is impossible for God answered God’s rhetorical question in verse 14. (highlighted above) If nothing is too hard for God’s omnipotence, then everything is possible with Him (Psalm 115:3; Daniel 4:35).”

(Psalm 115:3; Daniel 4:35)

3  Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”

“35  all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?’”

God, whose power knows no limits (Deut. 3:24; Job 9:4; Psalm 89:13), and who is not bound by the laws of nature that He created can accomplish anything consistent with His holy nature and purposes.  Gabriel’s reminder of what God had done in the past reassured Mary of His power to keep His word to her now.

(Deut. 3:24; Job 9:4; Psalm 89:13)

“24  ’O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours?”

“4  He is wise in heart and mighty in strength— who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?”

“13  You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand. 14  Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.’

3/7/2026 8:41 PM

 

 

“God’s Sign” (Luke 1:36)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/7/2026 9:21 AM

My Worship Time                                                                                         Focus:  “God’s Sign”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                        Reference: Luke 1:36

            Message of the verse:  And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.

            This morning’s SD, like yesterday morning’s SD will be short as this section in MacArthur’s commentary is a short one.

            Gabriel, in this verse is giving a sign to Mary, for I have to believe that Mary knew the situation that Elizabeth and Zachariah went through because they could not have any children.  I have mentioned in an earlier SD that for a Jewish girl they wanted to have children of their own, and if they could not then it was like a curse to them. 

            Now speaking of signs we really don’t see that Mary was asking for one, but Gabriel gave her one anyway and if there was any doubt in Mary’s heart then this sign will help her get rid of it for Mary probably knew that Elizabeth was too old to have children, as she was past childbearing age.

            John MacArthur writes about the Greek word relative, “Sungenis (relative) is a non-specific term for a kinswoman or female relative, and the exact relationship between Mary and Elizabeth is not spelled out.  According to Luke’s record of her genealogy (3:23-38), Mary was a descendant of David (v-31) and through him of Judah (v-33).  Elizabeth, on the other hand was a descendant of Aaron (Luke 1:5), and through him Levi (Numbers 26:59).”

(Luke 3:23-38)

“23  Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24  the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25  the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26  the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27  the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28  the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29  the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30  the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31  the son of, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32  the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33  the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34  the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35  the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36  the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37  the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38  the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.”

(Luke 1:5)

“5 ¶  In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.”

(Numbers 26:59)

59  The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister.”

            “The shocking news (introduced by the exclamation, behold), which Mary was undoubtedly hearing for the first time, was that her kinswoman had conceived a son in her old age.  Mary was well aware that Elizabeth was barren,” (something I was asking about earlier), “and past childbearing age.  She must have been amazed and overjoyed to hear that she who was scornfully, derisively called barren (cf. 1:25; Gen. 30:22-23; 1 Sam. 1:6) was now in her sixth month of pregnancy.”  Now the verse list above speaks of those women who could not but then did have children. 

            “The miracle that occurred for Elizabeth was one of conception in old age, not the virgin conception that Mary would experience.  Nevertheless, Elizabeth’s conception was a sign for God to Mary that He was still able to perform miracles, that He could do the humanly impossible (cf. Jer. 32:17, 27; Matt. 19:26).  God gave the sign, not because Mary doubted the angel’s words, but to provide an anchor (cf. Heb. 6:19) for her faith.”

(cf. Jer. 32:17, 27; Matt. 19:26)

“17  ’Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”

“27  "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?”

“26  But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

(cf. Heb. 6:19)

“19  We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,”

Spiritual Meaning for My Life Today:  I remember years ago on the day before we had to take our 18 month son to the hospital to get an operation on his heart, a serious operation.  The day before I was watching a baseball game in which our home team was losing very badly.  It seemed to me that the Lord began to speak in my heart that He was going to give me a sign, to which I said that I really did not need a sign because I was trusting Him for the outcome.  In an amazing way our team came back in an unbelievable way to win.  That was a long time ago as our son is now 57 years old and has three children of his own, one in college.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  To trust the Lord in a difficult situation that my wife is going through, trusting that the Lord’s will, will be done, and the grace to be given to us as we go through this very difficult situation.

3/7/2026 9:59 AM