PT-2 "Practical Purity" (2 Peter 3:14b)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/30/2026 9:52 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                   Focus:  “Practical Purity”

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

            Message of the verse:  “spotless and blameless”

            I mentioned in last evenings SD that I thought it best to do this short section in two Spiritual Diaries because there are many verses to look at from John MacArthur’s commentary.

            “In contrast, Peter exhorted his readers to be both spotless and blameless. As genuine believers, he commanded them to manifest the highest levels of integrity and personal holiness (Ps. 15:1-5; 24:3-4; 37:18; 119:1; Prov. 11:3, 5; Mic. 6:8; John 14:23; Act 24:16; Eph. 1:4; Phil. 2:15; 4:8; 1 Tim. 3:9; 1 John 2:3-6; 3:1-3; Jude 24; cf. Gen. 6:9; Num. 14:24; Ezra 7:10; Job 1:1)  When the watching world observes their godly behavior, the blameless reputation of such Christians serves as an essential testimony to the transforming hope in the gospel.”

(Ps. 15:1-5; 24:3-4; 37:18; 119:1; Prov. 11:3, 5; Mic. 6:8; John 14:23; Act 24:16; Eph. 1:4; Phil. 2:15; 4:8; 1 Tim. 3:9; 1 John 2:3-6; 3:1-3; Jude 24; cf. Gen. 6:9; Num. 14:24; Ezra 7:10; Job 1:1)

“1 ¶  «A Psalm of David.» O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? 2  He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; 3  who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4  in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5  who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”

“3 ¶  Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.”

“18  The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever;”

“1 ¶  Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!”

“3 ¶  The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.”

“5 ¶  The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.”

“8  He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

“23  Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

“16  So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”

“4  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”

“15  that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,”

“8  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

“9  They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.”

“3 ¶  And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4  Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5  but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6  whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

“1 ¶  See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know 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. 3  And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”

“24  Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,”

“9  These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.”

“24  But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.”

“10  that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons.”

“1 ¶  There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.”

            “For believers, then, the promise of Christ’s return serves as a powerful incentive for holy living.  After all, future accountability and heavenly reward are compelling motivations, encouraging believers to continually forsake sin and diligently practice the means of grace (such as prayer and praise—Phil. 4:6, Scripture intake—James 1:21-23; 1 Peter 2:2, worship—John 4:23-24, the Lord’s Table—1 Cor. 11:23-28, and fellowship—Heb. 10:25).”

            Ok I did finish this section with its many verses and now the copying and pasting of the verses above will be just a little different than before as I will copy and paste beginning with Philippians 4:6 to the end of the paragraph.

(such as prayer and praise—Phil. 4:6, Scripture intake—James 1:21-23; 1 Peter 2:2, worship—John 4:23-24, the Lord’s Table—1 Cor. 11:23-28, and fellowship—Heb. 10:25).”

“6  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

“21  Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.”

“2  Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—”

“23  But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’”

“23 ¶  For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24  and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25  In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27  Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28  Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”

“25  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

            I hope that as you read this section that you look at and read all of the many verses which helps to understand what Peter is writing.

1/31/2026 10:02 PM

 

 

 

PT-1 “Destruction of Prosperity” (Nahum 2:9)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/31/2026 8:39 AM

My Worship Time                                                           Focus:  PT-1 “Destruction of Prosperity”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                    Reference:  Nahum 2:9

            Message of the verse:  “Plunder the silver!  Plunder the gold! And there is no limit to the treasure—Wealth from every kind of desirable objects.”

            I begin to quote from John MacArthur’s commentary on this verse, and as I have been doing lately will add my comments, along with quoting all of the verses that he has in his commentary on this section.

            “While the Ninevites fled the flood and the foe, the Babylonians invaded the city, celebrating with shouts, ‘Plunder the silver!  Plunder the gold!’ Silver and gold, when used in parallel, represent the sum total of one’s precious possessions.  Having won the battle, Babylon would plunder and loot the city, not resting until every treasure was taken.  As Assyria’s adversaries gleefully stripped Nineveh of it wealth, the Ninevites experienced what they had done for 200 years to other nations, including Israel (cf. Amos 3:11).”

(cf. Amos 3:11)

“11  Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "An adversary shall surround the land and bring down your defenses from you, and your strongholds shall be plundered.’”

“Nahum’s prophecy assured God’s people that He had not forgotten their affliction but that He would soon require an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth from Nineveh (cf. Exodus 21:24; Lev. 24:20).

(cf. Exodus 21:24; Lev. 24:20)

“24  eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25  burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”

“20  fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.”

            “As Babylonian forces ransacked the city, they cheerfully exclaimed, ‘And there is no limit to the treasure.’  Because Assyria was a superpower in the ancient world, Nineveh amassed a vast treasure as the Assyrian army overcome city after city.  Their riches increased further as conquered nations paid tribute to Assyria.  As a  result, there was no limit to Nineveh’s wealth, since treasure from various lands filled its storehouses to the brim.  But when the city fell, the invaders collected all this wealth for themselves.

            “Assyria’s enemies observed that the Ninevites obtained wealth from every kind of desirable object.  Wealth is the same Hebrew word for ‘glory’ or ‘honor,’  conveying the idea of weightiness.  The items Assyria possessed and Babylon plundered were genuine riches of magnificent quality, and Assyria had accumulated valuable treasures of all types, representing every kind of desirable object.  Revealing in their success, Assyria kept a record of its treasures, including chariots, precious metals, copper, iron, brightly colored fabrics, exotic animals, finely crafted furniture, and jewels.” (This last sentence came from “Roberson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah, 93).”  This list contained essentially any object that was desirable, a word sometimes translated as ‘covet’ (cf. Gen. 3:6; Deut. 5:21).

(cf. Gen. 3:6; Deut. 5:21)

6 ¶  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”

“21  "’And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’”

“The treasures people longed for Assyria possessed in abundance.  Yet under devastating divine judgment, Nineveh  lost all it had acquired.  The richest city in the world was reduced to poverty.”

            Now as I read over what happened to Nineveh as the Babylonians came in and plundered their city it makes me think of a passage that is found in the book of Revelation which I will now find and quote in this SD:

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.” 11  And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12  cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13  cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. 14  “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!” 15  The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, 16  "Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! 17  For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste." And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18  and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?” 19  And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. 20  Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!" 21  Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; 22  and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, 23  and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24  And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth." (Rev. 18:9-24)

            Notice that Babylon is mentioned in this section and what John is writing here is the destruction of the final empire in the world before the Lord Jesus Christ returns from heaven with His saints to end the final battle on planet earth before the Millennial Kingdom begins.  (There will be one more battle at the end of the Millennial Kingdom, but it will only last for a very short time, and then after that the Lord will destroy the earth and all of the universe that He created, something I have mentioned in earlier SD’s.)  As I read over this section from Revelation it certainly reminds me of what happened to Nineveh, especially all of the great plunder that Babylon takes from this city, and one day as seen in the fifth chapter of the book of Daniel it will all be taken from Babylon in one night.  I won’t quote the first thirty verses of the fifth chapter of Daniel, but I will quote the very last verse, and if you want to take the time to read over this chapter it will be well worth it to do so.  “30 ¶  That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31  And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.”

Spiritual Meaning for my Life today:  As I look at what I have just written as far as kingdoms falling quickly it shows me that God is in control of the kingdoms.  It also shows me that God is in control of the lives of all people, both those who are saved and those who are lost.  It makes me think of the word “pride,” as pride is what caused Satan to become Satan after God created him as a perfect angel, and because of pride he fell and because he fell he causes people today to become prideful.

            I remember a song sung by a man named Roger Miller and although it is not a “Christian Song,” it makes a lot of sense:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4lW77X0ltc You can listen to it from the web address above.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust the Lord to use the things that happened yesterday to bring glory to Him.

“There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still.”  (Corrie Ten Boom)

“Thes things I have spoke to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have over come the world.” (John 16:33) 

1/31/2026 9:29 AM

 

 

“Practical Purity” (2 Peter 3:14)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/30/2026 9:52 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                   Focus:  “Practical Purity”

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

            Message of the verse:  “spotless and blameless”

            I am wrapping up my study in 2 Peter, and I have ordered a commentary on the gospel of Luke from Grace To You, which is the ministry that John MacArthur founded and the commentary was written by John MacArthur, and I think that there are four commentaries on the gospel of Luke that he wrote.  I do remember that this was the second to last Gospel that he preached through, with the gospel of Mark being the last.  This will be the last gospel that I am doing and I realize that it will take a very long time to go through it as it took MacArthur ten years to preach through it.  Now I will treat this SD the same as I have been treating the Spiritual Diaries that I have been doing this month and that is quote from MacArthur’s commentary, put in some of my thoughts, and also add most if not all of his Biblical references.

            “In sharp contrast to the false teachers, who were ‘stains and blemishes’ (2:13), Peter exhorted his readers to be spotless and blameless.  Spotless can denote Christian character, the kind of people believers really are; and blameless denotes Christian reputation, the kind of righteous and virtuous people others perceive them to be—because they are.

            “Obviously, within the church there are those whose lives are neither blameless nor spotless.  Such people, characterized by sinful lifestyles, may or may not be Christians (Matt. 13:20-22; Gal.  5:19-21; Eph. 5:5; 1 John 1:6, 8, 10; 2:9-11; 3:10-12; cf. John 8:34; Rom. 6:16).

(Matt. 13:20-22; Gal.  5:19-21; Eph. 5:5; 1 John 1:6, 8, 10; 2:9-11; 3:10-12; cf. John 8:34; Rom. 6:16).

“20  As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21  yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22  As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”

“19  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21  envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

“5  For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”

“6  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

“8 ¶  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

“10  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

“10  By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.  11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12  We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.”

“34  Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”

“16  Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

            “There are some who are neither, and others who publicly appear blameless, but whose private lives are actually far from spotless.  Like modern-day Pharisees, they work hard on looking good, but fail to truly cultivate a heart of righteousness (cf. Matt. 15:7-8; 23:25, 27).  Although outwardly them maintain an honorable reputation, they do so only by hypocritically hiding  their unrepented sin.”

(cf. Matt. 15:7-8; 23:25, 27)

“7  You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8  "’This people honors me with their lips, their heart is far from me;”

“25  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”

“27  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.”

            I really thought that I would get through this short section this evening, but as I look at the last two paragraphs from MacArthur’s commentary I see a great deal of verses that I will have to copy and paste.  I’ll try and finish this tomorrow evening.

1/30/2026 10:18 PM 

 

“Destruction of Pride” (Nahum 2:8)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/30/2026 10:29 AM

My Worship Time                                                                           Focus:  “Destruction of Pride”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Nahum 2:8

            Message of the verse:  “Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days, Now they are fleeing:  Stand! Stand! But no one turns back (2:8).”

“8  Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away. "Halt! Halt!" they cry, but none turns back.” (ESV)

            John MacArthur writes:  “Before describing Nineveh’s downfall, Nahum recognized the city’s pride of place in the ancient world.  Nineveh was one of the largest and most magnificent cities in the ancient Near East.  It enjoyed thriving trade and abundant agriculture.  A literal oasis in the desert, Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days.  The prophet depicted Nineveh as a pool of water, like a reservoir or lake created by a spring (cf. 2 Sam. 2:13; 4:12; 1 Kings 22:38; 2 Kings 18:17; Isa. 22:11).”

(cf. 2 Sam. 2:13; 4:12; 1 Kings 22:38; 2 Kings 18:17; Isa. 22:11).”

“13  And he said, "Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.’”

“12  And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.”

“38  And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken.”

“17 ¶  And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer’s Field.”

“11  You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it, or see him who planned it long ago.”

“For a city to survive and prosper, it needed water nearby.  Nineveh not only enjoyed such a benefit, being located near various rivers (Tigris, Khosr, and Tebiltu), but it was even considered self-sustaining because it was so well supplied with water.  Nineveh was known for its riches and abundant natural resources throughout her days, starting from the dawn of civilization (cf. Gen. 10:11).”

(cf. Gen. 10:11).”

“11  From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,”

“Because of its prime location, the Assyrians made the city their capital (cf. 2 Kings19:36; Isa. 37:37), and established it as a center for culture (with libraries of Ashurbanipal), agriculture, and trade (see ‘Historical Setting’ in the Introduction.

(cf. 2 Kings19:36; Isa. 37:37).”

“36  Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh.”

“37  Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh.”

“That Nineveh was like a pool of water explained its prosperity and self-sufficiency.

            “But God would turn Nineveh’s strength into weakness—the water that sustained its life would become the force of its destruction, as floodwaters collapsed the city’s defenses.  Depicting the response of the people, Nahum stated, ‘Now they are fleeing.’  Though people had flocked to Nineveh to escape the desert, at Nineveh’s fall, they would flee from the city to escape destruction.  As prophesied in Nahum 2:6 ‘the gates of the rivers’ would open and a torrent of water would flood the city destroying key defenses and allowing the enemy to pour in.  While the people would flee, shouts would be heard, ‘Stand! Stand!’ as military leaders barked out orders for their soldiers to hold their position (cf. 2 Kings 3:21; Neh. 13:19; Hab. 2:1).”

(cf. 2 Kings 3:21; Neh. 13:19; Hab. 2:1)

“21  When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to put on armor, from the youngest to the oldest, were called out and were drawn up at the border.”

“19  As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day.”

“1 ¶  I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.”

“But such a summons to bravery would have no effect.  Despite the calls to stop running, no one turns back.  In full retreat, both the common people and the military forces would seek a way of escape.  Nineveh’s pride would be brought low.  As the Lord illustrated in Assyria’s destruction, pride come before a fall (Prov. 16:18; 20:23).”

(Prov. 16:18; 29:23).

“18 ¶  Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

“23 ¶  One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.”

Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  I want to remember these two verses from Proverbs.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I do not want to be prideful, for I know that does not please the Lord.

Dr. David Jeremiah writes “All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because the reckoned on His being with them. (J. Hudson Taylor)

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26)

1/30/2026 11:06 AM

 

 

 

“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