PT-1 “Judgment Affirms God’s Prophecies” (Nahum 1:15)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/9/2026 9:34 AM

My Worship Time                                         Focus:  PT-1 “Judgment Affirms God’s Prophecies”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                   Reference:  Nahum 1:15

            Message of the verse:  “15 Behold, upon the mountains  The feet of him who brings good news,  Who proclaims peace!  Oh Judah, keep your feasts,  Perform your vows.  For no more  Will the wicked man pass through you;  He is utterly cut off.”

“Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who proclaims good news, Who announce peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; Pay your vows.  For never again will the vile one pass through you;  He is cut off completely.”

            “In addition to prophesying about the judgment against Nineveh and its king, Nahum also foretold the comfort Israel would receive over the news of this judgment.  He exclaimed:  Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who proclaims good news, who announces peace!’  Nahum called all of God’s people to turn their focus (behold) to the mountains that surrounded Jerusalem over which messengers would travel to bring news to the city (cf. Isa. 40:9; Judges 9:7).”

 (cf. Isa. 40:9; Judges 9:7)

“9    [Oh] Zion, [you who] bring good news;  Get up into [the] high mountain,  Lift up your voice with strength,  [Oh] Jerusalem, [you who] bring good news,  Lift [it] up, do not be afraid;  Say to [the] cities of Judah,   Behold your God!”

“7 ¶  And they told Jotham, and he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice and cried out. And he said to them:   “Listen to me, you men of Shechem,  That God may listen to you.”

“  Nahum was urging the people to watch for the first glimpse of these bearers of good news, the appearance of the feet of those running to report Nineveh’s defeat.  While in the past Israel had received bad news on these hills (cf. Judges 9:25, 36; Zech. 11:1-3; Rev. 16:16 ), this time the report would be triumphant.”

(cf. Judges 9:25, 36; Zech. 11:1-3; Rev. 16:16 )

“25  And the men of Shechem set an ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way, and it was told to Abimelech.”

“36  And Gaal saw the men, and he said to Zebul, “Behold, people come down from the tops of the mountains!” But Zebul said to him, “You see the shadows of the mountains as if they were men.’”

“1 ¶  Open your doors, oh Lebanon,  That fire may devour among your cedars. 2  Wail, oh cypress, for the cedar has fallen,  Because the mighty trees are ruined.  Wail, oh oaks of Bashan,  For the thick forest has come down. 3  There is a sound of the wailing of the shepherds!  For their glory is ruined.  There is a sound of the roaring of young lions!  For the pride of Jordan is ruined.”

“16  And he gathered them together to a place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.”

“Israel would receive the messenger who proclaims the good news of Assyria’s defeat and who announces peace because the oppressor was removed.”

            Now I am going to quote from what I found on a sight from the internet to give more information about the defeat of the Assyrians.

“Topical Encyclopedia

The defeat of the Assyrians is a significant event in biblical history, showcasing God's sovereignty and protection over His people. This event is primarily recorded in the books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah, where the Assyrian army, led by King Sennacherib, threatens the kingdom of Judah during the reign of King Hezekiah.

Historical Context

The Assyrian Empire, known for its military prowess and expansionist policies, had become a dominant force in the ancient Near East. By the late 8th century BC, the Assyrians had already conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and exiled its people. Their sights were now set on Judah, with Jerusalem as the ultimate prize.

Biblical Account

The narrative of the Assyrian defeat unfolds in 2 Kings 18-19, 2 Chronicles 32, and Isaiah 36-37. Sennacherib, after capturing several fortified cities of Judah, sends his officials to Jerusalem to demand its surrender. The Assyrian field commander, the Rabshakeh, delivers a message of intimidation, questioning Hezekiah's reliance on God and urging the people to surrender to avoid destruction.

Hezekiah, in response, seeks the counsel of the prophet Isaiah and turns to God in prayer. Hezekiah's prayer, recorded in 2 Kings 19:15-19, is a heartfelt plea for divine intervention: "O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth" (2 Kings 19:15).

Divine Intervention

God's response to Hezekiah's prayer is swift and decisive. Through the prophet Isaiah, God assures Hezekiah that the Assyrians will not enter Jerusalem. Isaiah 37:33-35 records God's promise: "Therefore this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria: 'He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with a shield or build up a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came, he will return; he will not enter this city,' declares the LORD. 'I will defend this city and save it for My own sake and for the sake of My servant David.'"

That very night, the angel of the LORD strikes down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, leading to a miraculous deliverance for Jerusalem. The Assyrian king, Sennacherib, retreats to Nineveh, where he is later assassinated by his own sons (2 Kings 19:35-37).

Theological Significance

The defeat of the Assyrians is a powerful testament to God's faithfulness and His ability to protect His covenant people against overwhelming odds. It underscores the importance of faith and reliance on God, as demonstrated by Hezekiah's prayerful dependence on divine intervention. This event also serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty over the nations and His ultimate control over the course of history.

Prophetic Implications

The defeat of the Assyrians is not only a historical event but also carries prophetic significance. It foreshadows the ultimate deliverance and salvation that God promises to His people. The event is a precursor to the messianic hope found throughout the prophetic writings, where God promises to establish His kingdom and bring peace and justice to the earth.

Legacy

The miraculous deliverance from the Assyrians left a lasting impact on the people of Judah and their understanding of God's power and protection. It reinforced the centrality of Jerusalem as the city of God and the importance of the Davidic covenant. The event is celebrated in the Psalms and serves as a source of encouragement and hope for future generations facing trials and adversities.”

            This came from a program entitled “Bible Hub,” and so if anyone of you want to look at it there you can search the internet for it.

Spiritual Meaning for My Life Today:  This is just another case of showing that what God says will happen will happen.  I suppose that if I were living during those times that it would not be so easy to believe that God would do what He did to the Assyrians, but by reading stories like this I can gain confidence that God will do the things that He says He will do when troubles come my way. 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to give my wife and me peace over the cancer that she is dealing with, trusting that He is in control and that all of this will bring glory to His name.

“Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves.” (Thomas Caryle).

“In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15).  This comes from my series of cards written by Dr. David Jeremiah, and I missed doing this one yesterday, but it seems that it really fits well in today’s SD.

1/9/2026 10:22 AM

PT-3 "Scripture" (2 Peter 3:1-2)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/8/2026 6:37 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                    Focus:  PT-3“Scripture”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                  Reference:  2 Peter 3:1-2

            Message of the verses:  “This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.”

            I continue to look at these verses, and so many of you know that I have changed my format a little bit as to how I do these Spiritual Diaries.  I know quote much of my Spiritual Diaries from the writings of John MacArthur, but I am then adding more to it along with quoting the different verses that he has in his commentary, and sometimes it takes me much longer to finish but I believe that in the end with the verses that are now put onto these Spiritual Diaries, that it will be much easier to understand, which in the end I believe will bring glory to the Lord which is my first reason for doing these Spiritual Diaries.

            “The commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by the apostles refers to the New Testament (cf. a similar use of entole [commandment] in 1 Timothy 6:14) and its subject, Jesus Christ.”

 1 Timothy 6:14

“14  that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

“(Peter calls them your apostles in order to denote the special relationship they had with the church.)  Twenty-three of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament explicitly refer to the Lord’s return.  Of those four that do not (Galatians, Philemon, 2 John, and 3 John).  Galatians 5:5 does allude to it:  ‘For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.’ And 2 John 8 speaks of the believers’ future reward, a doctrine that finds its ultimate fulfillment after the second coming.”

2 John 8

“8  Look to yourselves, that we may not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.”

“In reality, then, only Philemon and 3 John are completely silent on the subject.”  Now take a moment to think about this and then realize how important this subject is, and because this subject of the 2^nd coming is in all but really one book of the New Testament, then one can figure out exactly who the enemies of the gospel want to make fun of it, and try to have people not look at or “po-po” what this subject is all about.  I have mentioned that a series of tapes spoken by Hal Lindsey back in 1974 was used by the Holy Spirit of God to bring me to the Lord, and that is another reason why this is so important, important to me.

“In the two hundred sixty chapters of the New Testament, there are about three hundred instances in which Christ’s apostles make reference to His second coming.”

            “In proclaiming their great hope, the apostles were merely reflecting the promise of their Savior, ‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds’ (Matt. 16:27; cf. 25:31; 26:64; Mark 13:3-27; Luke 12:40).”  I am about to quote these verses below, but will not quote the one from Mark 13:3-27 as it is very long, so please take the time to look that one up for yourself.

(cf. 25:31; 26:64;  Luke 12:40)

“31 ¶  And when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.”

“64  Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.’”

“40  Therefore be ready also, for the Son of man comes at what hour you do not think.’”

“The apostle Paul, for example, repeatedly confirmed his belief in Christ’s glorious return (1 Cor. 4:5; 14:23-28; 1 Thess. 3:13; 2 Thess. 1:7-8, 10; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13; cf. Heb. 9:27-28)—an event that the apostle John described like this:” I will first quote the verses from above, and then quote from Revelation 19:11-16 which is what John wrote.

(1 Cor. 4:5; 14:23-28; 1 Thess. 3:13; 2 Thess. 1:7-8, 10; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13; cf. Heb. 9:27-28)

“5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. And then the praise of every man will be from God.”

23  If, therefore, the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and those who are unlearned or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24  But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or unlearned man comes in, he is convinced by all, he is judged by all, 25  and thus the secrets of his heart are revealed. And so, falling down on his face, he will worship God, and declare “Truly God is among you.”

    26 ¶  How is it then, brethren? When you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. 27  If any man speaks in an unknown tongue, let it be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and let one interpret. 28  But if there is no interpreter, let him be silent in the church, and let him speak to himself and “

“13  For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.to God.”

“7  and to give you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8  in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“10  when he comes, in that day, to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.”

“1 ¶  I charge you, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom:”

“8  Finally, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not to me only but also to all who love his appearing.”

“13  looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ,”

“27  And as it is appointed for men once to die, but after this the judgment, 28  so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. And to those who look for him, he will appear the second time, without sin, for salvation.”

            Now I will quote from Revelation 19:11-16 as stated above.

“11 ¶  And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12  His eyes are as a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns; and he had a name written which no man knows except himself. 13  And he was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. 14  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. 15  And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations. And he will rule them with a rod of iron. And he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16  And he has on his robe and his thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

“From Matthew to Revelation, Jesus’ return is reiterated time and time again.  Peter understood the weight of this inspired apostolic testimony.  As a result, he affirmed the second coming with wavering confidence.”

1/8/2026 7:14 PM

 

 

PT-3“Judgement Affirms God’s Promises” (Nahum 1:14)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 01-08-2026

My Worship Time                                           Focus:  PT-3“Judgement Affirms God’s Promises”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                   Reference:  Nahum 1:14

            Message of the verses:  “14  And the LORD has given a command concerning you,  “Your name will be perpetuated no more.  Out of the house of your gods, I shall cut off  The carved image and the moulded image.  I shall make your grave, for you are vile.”

            This morning we continue to look at a new section from John MacArthur’s commentary on chapter one and verse fourteen from the book of Nahum.

            I have to say that I believe that this will be a very short SD, as there is not much left in MacArthur’s commentary, but as usual I will quote the verses that he has listed in his commentary and then make some comments on what we are looking at this morning.  Nahum has been a book that I certainly am learning from, especially from my favorite subject in God’s Word, which has to do with end times events as that was what the Lord used to bring me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ on the 26^th of January in 1974.  I am also thankful to the Lord for never giving up with my walk with Him even though the road has certainly not been paved with gold, but God is always faithful, and for that I am thankful.

            “Moreover, Yahweh’s punishment of Nineveh would uphold His promises in the Abrahamic Covenant.  As the Lord had declared that He would curse those who oppressed Israel (cf. Gen. 12:3), so Yahweh proclaimed to the king of Nineveh, ‘I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible.’”  Now I am going to quote Genesis 12:1-3 even though in MacArthur’s commentary he only mentioned 12:3, but I just can’t do one of these very, very important verses.

“1 ¶  Now the LORD had said to Abram, “Get out of your country, and from your family, and from your father’s household to a land that I shall show you. 2  And I shall make you a great nation, and I shall bless you and I shall make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3  And I shall bless those who bless you, and I shall curse him who curses you, and in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed.” 

“Well known for its magnificent place, the royal city magnified the power and splendor of its king.”

(cf. Nahum 2:6)

“6  (2:7) The gates of the rivers are opened,  And the palace is dissolved.”

“But in His wrath and destruction of Nineveh, God would prepare the city to become your (the king’s) grave.  The king would be perpetually enshrined in shame.  Such desecration would occur because God viewed the king as contemptible, which describes an object that is worthless, detestable, and even cursed.  The same root appeared in God’s promise to Abraham, in which God decreed, ‘I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you [or, treats you as contemptible] I will curse’ (Gen. 12:3).  Since Assyria cursed Israel, treating them with contemptible, God declared that He would curse the king with unceasing shame, thereby upholding the Abrahamic covenant.  The prophesied death of Assyria’s king displayed God’s unfailing commitment to the promises He had made to His people.”

            Now as we read the Word of God we can see that there are still more blessings that will come upon the people of Israel, but before these great blessings to come about there will be in the Tribulation period some great troubles, and the word great does not come near to describe what will come upon Israel in the last three and a half years of the tribulation.  That period has been called “The Great Tribulation,” and if the Lord will not come back to earth at that time then there would be no earth left to come back to.  Let me share a few verses from the 19^th chapter of the book of Revelation which speaks of the Lord’s return to planet earth.

11 ¶  And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12  His eyes are as a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns; and he had a name written which no man knows except himself. 13  And he was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. 14  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. 15  And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations. And he will rule them with a rod of iron. And he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16  And he has on his robe and his thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 17  And I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18  that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse, and against his army. 20  And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed miracles before him, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21  And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded out of the mouth of him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh (Rev. 19:11-21).

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Knowing that the Lord can come back for His Church at any time, it is my desire to get the word out that those only who are born-again believers will go in that event called the rapture, and if they miss that then they will be involved in the tribulation period where three out of four people on planet earth will die.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to use the Spiritual Diaries that I write and put onto the internet that the Spirit of God will use them to bring glory to the Lord.

1/8/2026 10:58 AM

 

PT-2 “Scripture” (2 Peter 3:1-2)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/7/2026 8:37 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                    Focus:  PT-2 “Scripture”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                  Reference:  2 Peter 3:1-2

            Message of the verses:  “This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.”

            Just a reminder that most of yesterday’s SD was from these verses as I began a new main section so I had to write some things about that before I got into the first sub-section which is where I am picking up this evening.

            “Peter’s first reminder concerns the truth of Old Testament Scripture, the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets (cf. 1:20-21).”

(cf. 1:20-21)

“20  knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21  for prophecy never came in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke who were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

“(Peter’s use of the adjective holy provided a sharp contrast between the unrighteousness of the false prophets and the righteousness of the true ones [cf. Jude 14-15].)”

[cf. Jude 14-15])

“14  And Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his saints,

15 ¶ to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’”

            “Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets continually predict God’s eschatological judgment.  For example, Isaiah proclaims:

“For behold, the Lord will come in fire and His chariots like the whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire.  For the Lord will execute judgment by fire and by His sword on all flesh, and those slain by the Lord will be many. (Isa. 66:15-16; cf. 13:10; 23:19;19-23; 34:1-4; 51:6).”

“And the prophet Malachi echoes this theme, announcing:

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,’ saying the Lord of hosts, ‘so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.  But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like caves from the stall.  You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,’ says the Lord of hosts. (Mal. 4:1-3).

“Thus, from Isaiah to Malachi—from the beginning of the Old Testament prophets to the end—the theme of God’s final wrath (often called ‘the day of the Lord’) is clearly heralded (cf. Ezek. 30:3; Joel 2:31; Mic. 1:3-4; Zeph. 1:14-18; 3:8; Mal. 4:5).”

(cf. Ezek. 30:3; Joel 2:31; Mic. 1:3-4; Zeph. 1:14-18; 3:8; Mal. 4:5).”

“3  For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near;  It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.”

“31   (3:4) The sun will be turned into darkness,  And the moon into blood,  Before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.”

“3  For behold, the LORD comes out of his place;  And will come down and tread  Upon the high places of the earth. 4  And the mountains will melt under him,  And the valleys will be split  Like wax before the fire,  And like waters poured down a steep place.”

14 ¶  The great day of the LORD is near;  It is near and comes very quickly.  The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter;  There the mighty man will cry out. 15  That day is a day of wrath,  A day of trouble and distress,  A day of devastation and desolation,  A day of darkness and gloominess,  A day of clouds and thick darkness, 16  A day of trumpet and alarm  Against the fortified cities  And against the high towers. 17  And I shall bring distress upon men,  And they will walk like the blind,  Because they have sinned against the LORD;  Their blood will be poured out like dust,  And their flesh like dung. 18  Neither their silver nor their gold  Will be able to deliver them  In the day of the LORD’s wrath;  But the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy,  For he will even make a sudden end  Of all the inhabitants of the land.”

“8 ¶  Therefore wait for me,”  says the LORD,  “Until the day I rise up for the plunder;  For my determination is to gather the nations  To assemble kingdoms,  To pour out upon them my indignation,  Even all my fierce anger;  All the earth will be devoured.  With the fire of my jealousy.”

“5   Behold, I shall send you Elijah the prophet  Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.”

            Ok I will stop for now and perhaps will finish this section in tomorrow evening’s SD.  Just a reminder that I have kind of changed a few things in my Spiritual Diaries, and that is I am copying from John MacArthur’s commentary, and adding things of my own, but the main thing that is different is that I am including most of the verse references that he adds in his commentary, making it easier for those who read these to keep up with those verses.  I believe it adds to these Spiritual Diaries.

1/7/2026 9:04 PM

 

 

PT-2“Judgement Affirms God’s Promises” (Nahum 1:14)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 01-07-2026

My Worship Time                                           Focus:  PT-2“Judgement Affirms God’s Promises”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                   Reference:  Nahum 1:14

            Message of the verses:  “14  And the LORD has given a command concerning you,  “Your name will be perpetuated no more.  Out of the house of your gods, I shall cut off  The carved image and the moulded image.  I shall make your grave, for you are vile.”

            This morning we continue to look at a new section from John MacArthur’s commentary on chapter one and verse fourteen from the book of Nahum.

            “The death of Nineveh’s ruler also confirmed God’s promise to judge idolatry, for the Lord declared, ‘From the house of your gods, I will cut off graven image and molten image.’  Just as the lofty reputation of the Ninevites would not continue, neither would their false religion survive.  The house of your gods refers to the pagan temple, which would have been filled with many images of the deities that the Ninevites worshiped.  Ashur was the patron god, and Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, was the patron goddess.  Nabu was the god of scribes and writing.  Nergal was the god of the underworld.  Tiamat was the sea goddess.  There were also Marduk, Enlil, Ninlil, Nisroh, and other deities.  The king’s life revolved around these many pagan deities which he worshiped as his (your) gods (cf. 2 Kings19:36-37; Isa. 37:37-38).”

(cf. 2 Kings19:36-37; Isa. 37:37-38).

“36  So Sennacherib the king of Assyria departed and went and returned and lived at Nineveh. 37  And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him with the sword, and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.”

“37  So Sennacherib the king of Assyria departed and went and returned and stayed at Nineveh. 38  And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons struck him with the sword, and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.”

But they would all be eliminated, for as the Lord decreed, I will cut off graven image and molten image.’  A molten image described an idol cast in metal (cf. Exodus 32:4; 2 Kings 17:16; Isaiah 42:17).”

(cf. Exodus 32:4; 2 Kings 17:16; Isaiah 42:17)

“4  And he received the gold from their hand, and fashioned it with an engraving tool, and he made it into a moulded calf. And they said, “This is your god, oh Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’”

“16  And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves a moulded image of two calves, and made a sacred grove and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.”

“17  They will be turned back,  They will be ashamed with shame,  Who trust in carved images,  Who say to the moulded images,  ‘You are our gods.’”

“In His judgment of Nineveh and the king of Nineveh, God would cut off and hew to pieces every expression of idolatry in the city (cf. Deut. 7:5; 12:3; 27:15).”

(cf. Deut. 7:5; 12:3; 27:15)

“5  But thus you shall surely deal with them: you shall destroy their altars and break in pieces their sacred pillars and cut down their sacred groves and burn their carved images with fire.”

“3  And you shall break down their altars, and break their sacred pillars, and burn their sacred groves with fire, and cut down the carved images of their gods and shall destroy their names from that place.”

“15  ‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved or moulded image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in a secret place.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’”

“Nineveh’s coming destruction was a powerful expression of God’s wrath against idolatry.”

            Now as I think of Idolatry in the life of the children of Israel they did not have a problem with it after the Lord brought them back into the land of Israel, for because of living in the land of Babylon for those 70 years they were taught that bowing down to idols was not something that was pleasing to the Lord.  Now what about today?  Well as believers in Jesus Christ we can still have idols in our lives, not the kind like is mentioned in this Spiritual Diary, but things like work can be an idol as it can keep you from truly worshiping the Lord.  So anything that can be put ahead of worshiping the Lord can be considered an idol, so we have to check ourselves, allowing the Holy Spirit of God to search our hearts in order to confess anything that comes before our worship of the Lord.

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  Make sure that there are no idols in my life that can keep me from my worship of the Lord.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Earlier this morning I went over the last verse in Psalm 133 which I wrote in late 2012 and I want to add what I wrote in that SD, as it was meaningful to me this morning.  “Is it not just like God to bring me to a passage that I was in great need to study because of things that have been going on in my life.  I certainly need the refreshment of the Holy Spirit like the plants need the refreshment from the dew and the Spirit of God is the Person in the trinity to bring that about in my life.  I praise the Lord for this.”

From Dr. Jeremiah’s “Turning Point’s Wisdom”  “WORDS ARE THINGS; AND A SMALL DROP OF INK FALLING LIKE DEW UPON A THOUGHT, PRODUCES THAT WHICH MAKES THOUSANDS, PERHAPS MILLIONS, THINK.  Lord Byron.

 

“A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is! (Proverbs 15:23).”

 

1/7/2026 8:42 AM

 

 

 

 

 

“The Arguments for the Second Coming” (2 Peter 3:1-2, 5-9)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/6/2026 9:06 PM

My Worship Time                                             Focus: “The Arguments for the Second Coming”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                           Reference:  2 Peter 3:1-2, 5-9

            Message of the verses:  Now before I quote these verses I want to write about a couple of things so that readers will be able to understand where I am going with this SD, because it will be a bit different.  The focus title is actually the heading of some sub-points which we will begin to look at this evening after quoting a brief section after quoting these verses.  Also for those who have read many of my Spiritual Diaries you would know that the end times teaching in the Scriptures is really one of my favorite portions of the Bible.

“1 ¶  Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle, in which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, 2  to be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Saviour… 5  For this, they are willingly ignorant: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water, 6  by which the world that then was, perished, being flooded with water. 7  But the heavens and the earth, which now are kept by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.  8 But, beloved, do not be ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all men should come to repentance.”

            “In refuting the blasphemous allegations presented by the false teachers, Peter relied on four primary sources—Scripture, history, eternity, and the character of God.”

SCRIPTURE

 “1 ¶  Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle, in which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, 2  to be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Saviour.”

            “Peter’s opening words of this section, This is now, beloved, the second letter, indicate that the apostle also wrote another letter to this same audience.  In fact, this expression is probably an implicit reference to 1 Peter, his other canonical letter.  The apostle’s pastoral heart and genuine concern for his readers is expressed in the term beloved (cf. 3:8), used so frequently by the apostles Paul and John in their New Testament writings.

            “Peter wrote both of his inspired letters in part to remind his readers of certain basic doctrinal and spiritual truths (1:12-15; 1 Peter 1:13-16, 22-25).”

(1:12-15; 1 Peter 1:13-16, 22-25)

“12  To whom it was revealed that they were ministering not to themselves, but to us the things which were now reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.  13 Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace which is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14  as obedient children, do not conform yourselves to the former lusts as in your ignorance; 15  but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”

“  13 ¶  Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace which is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14  as obedient children, do not conform yourselves to the former lusts as in your ignorance; 15  but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16  because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

“22  Though you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly love, love each other fervently with a pure heart, 23  being born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, by the word of God which lives and abides for ever, 24 for  All flesh is as grass,  And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.  The grass withers,  And its flower falls away, 25  But the word of the Lord endures for ever.  And this is the word by which the gospel was preached to you.”

“The expression stirring up indicates his effort to disturb any complacency and make clear the spiritual urgency with which he warned his audience about false teachers.  The apostle actively and aggressively opposed the heretics, hoping to protect his flock from menacing wolves.  To do that he had to alert the sensibilities of those to whom he wrote, revealing the truth to their sincere mind by way of reminder.  At salvation, the Holy spirit gives each believers a sincere mind, a new understanding that is purified and uncontaminated by the seductive influences of the world and the flesh (Rom. 8:9, 11, 13-16; cf. 1 Cor. 2:12; 3:16; 6:11; Eph. 1:12-14; 2 Tim. 1:7, 14).

(Rom. 8:9, 11, 13-16; cf. 1 Cor. 2:12; 3:16; 6:11; Eph. 1:12-14; 2 Tim. 1:7, 14)

“9  For this is the word of promise: “At this time I shall come and Sarah will have a son.’”

“11  (for the children being not yet born, nor having done any good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of him who calls),

“13  As it is written, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May this never be! 15  For he says to Moses, “I shall have mercy on whomever I shall have mercy, and I shall have compassion on whomever I shall have compassion.” 16  So then, it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”

“12  Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may know the things freely given to us by God.”

“16 ¶  Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

“11  And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

“12  for we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. 13  In him you also trusted, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14  who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory.”

“7  For God did not give to us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.”

“14  Guard that good thing committed to you by the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us.”

“By reiterating spiritual truths that his readers already knew, the apostle armed them with renewed conviction and rebuttal against false teaching.”

Lord willing I will continue to look at this section in tomorrow’s SD as there is much more to go over.

1/6/2026 7:43 PM

 

 

 

 

PT-1“Judgement Affirms God’s Promises” (Nahum 1:14)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 01-06-2026

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  PT-1“Judgement Affirms God’s Promises”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                   Reference:  Nahum 1:14

            Message of the verses:  “14  And the LORD has given a command concerning you,  “Your name will be perpetuated no more.  Out of the house of your gods, I shall cut off  The carved image and the moulded image.  I shall make your grave, for you are vile.”

            This morning we begin a new section from John MacArthur’s commentary on chapter one and verse fourteen from the book of Nahum.

            “Having prophesied Nineveh’s demise, Nahum then described specifically the death of its king, saying, ‘Yahweh has commanded concerning you.’  While the prophet had earlier addressed the city (Using a feminine pronoun; cf. v. 11), here he addressed the city’s ruler (using a masculine pronoun.”

“11  Out of you comes  One who plots evil against the LORD,  A wicked counsellor” (Nahum 1:11).

The king may have given many commands during his reign, but it was Yahweh who gave the final command concerning the king.  As the King of kings and Israel’s covenant God, Yahweh issued this decree against the king of Nineveh to demonstrate that He would keep His promises to His own.

            “The Lord condemned the Assyrian king with the judgment that there will no longer be seed from your name, indicating that he would not have a descendant to sit on his throne.  Destroying the ruler’s seed and name, directly contrasted with God’s promise to establish Abraham’s seed and name (cf. Gen. 12:3; 12:7; 22:18) as well as to sustain the messianic Seed of the woman (cf. Gen. 3:15; Gal. 3:16).”

(cf. Gen. 12:3; 12:7; 22:18)

“3  And I shall bless those who bless you, and I shall curse him who curses you, and in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed.’”

“7  And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants, I shall give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD, who appeared to him.”

18  and in your Seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed because you have obeyed my voice.’”

(cf. Gen. 3:15; Gal. 3:16)

“15  And I shall put enmity  Between you and the woman,  And between your seed  And her seed;  He will bruise your head,  And you will bruise his heel.’”

“16  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises spoken. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.”

“By eradicating the king’s seed and name, the Lord demonstrated that the seed of evildoers will perish (cf. Isa. 14:20; Jer. 22:30; 29:32; 49:10), that Israel’s seed and name will endure forever (cf. Isa. 6:13; 66:22), and that the messianic Seed will triumph (cf. Gen. 3:15; Rom. 16:20; Rev. 12)”

(cf. Isa. 14:20; Jer. 22:30; 29:32; 49:10)

“20  You will not be joined with them in burial,  Because you have destroyed your land  And have slain your people.  The brood of evildoers will not be renowned.”

“30  Thus says the LORD,  ‘Write down this man as childless,  A man who will not prosper in his days;  For no man of his descendants will prosper,  Sitting on the throne of David,  And ruling in Judah any more.’”

“32   Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold, I shall punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants: he will have no man to live among this people, nor will he see the good that I shall do for my people," says the LORD, "because he has taught rebellion against the LORD."’”

10  But I have made Esau bare;  I have uncovered his secret places,  And he will not be able to hide himself. His descendants are plundered, and his brethren  And his neighbors, and he is no more.”

(cf. Isa. 6:13; 66:22)

“13  But yet a tenth will be in it,  And it will return and be for consuming,  As an oak tree and as an oak,  Whose stump remains when it is cut down.  So the holy seed will be its stump.’”

“22  “For as the new heavens  And the new earth which I shall make  Will remain before me,” says the LORD,  “So will your descendants and your name remain.”

(cf. Gen. 3:15; Rom. 16:20; Rev. 12)

“15  And I shall put enmity  Between you and the woman,  And between your seed  And her seed;  He will bruise your head,  And you will bruise his heel.’”

“20  And the God of peace will bruise Satan under your feet shortly. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

I will leave it up to those who read this SD to look the 12^th chapter of Revelation.

“Though the seed and the name of Nineveh’s king will perish, Israel could rejoice in knowing that God was upholding His promises to His people.”

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I think of the word promise and then think that there have been countless numbers of promises not kept in this world, but then think of the promises that God has made in His Word, and knowing that all of them will be fulfilled, then that makes me to continue to read and study the Word of God.  The promise of salvation to all who have or will believe in the Word of God is probably the most precious promise found in His Word.  This happened to me on January 22, 1974, and this has changed my life in the direction and purpose of it forever, and I am looking forward to another promise found in God’s Word: “13 ¶  But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are fallen asleep, lest you be sorrowful as others who have no hope. 14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. 15  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord: that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who are asleep. 16  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17  Then we, who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18  Therefore, comfort each other with these words (1 Thes. 4:13-18).”

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I desire to continue to use my Spiritual Diaries to allow the Holy Spirit of God to continue to send them around the world praying that they will be used to draw people to Christ, so that when the trumpet is sounded that they too will be a part of the rapture.

I am using Dr. David Jeremiah’s stories and verses as a part of my Spiritual Diaries.

“Success is never final; failure is never fatal; it is courage that counts.” (Winston Churchill)

“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed…But with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” (2 Chronicles 32:7a-8b)

1/6/2026 11:03 AM