MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/6/2026
9:45 AM
My
Worship Time
Focus: “The Purpose of the Good News”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference:
Luke
2:13-14
Message of the verses: “And suddenly there appeared with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (NASB)
MacArthur writes: “While the angel was speaking to the
shepherds something even more amazing took place. Suddenly (cf. v:9; Mal. 3:1; Mark
13:36; Acts 2:2; 9:3; 1 Thess. 5:3) there appeared with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host.”
(cf. v:9; Mal. 3:1; Mark 13:36; Acts
2:2; 9:3; 1 Thess. 5:3)
“9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and
the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.”
“1 ¶ "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will
prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his
temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is
coming, says the LORD of hosts.”
“36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.”
“2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound
like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were
sitting.”
“3 Now as he went on his way, he approached
Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.”
“5 For you are all children of light, children of
the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.”
“How many
of the millions of holy angels (‘myriad’ is the Greek word for 10,000, the highest
number for which there was a word, hence the use of the expression ‘myriads of
myriads’ to indicate more [Rev. 5:11]) appeared is not revealed, but the term multitude
signifies a large group. The
appearance of so many angels at once is unprecedent in Scripture.”
[Rev. 5:11]
“11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne
and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering
myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,”
“These angels were doing what angels
constantly do, praising God (cf. Rev. 5:11-12; 7:11-12).”
(cf. Rev. 5:11-12; 7:11-12)
“11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne
and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering
myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb
who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and
glory and blessing!”
“11 And all the angels were standing around the
throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on
their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!
Amen.’”
“All
heaven broke loose with rejoicing at the birth of the Son of God. The angels knew Him as the second person of
the Trinity before His incarnation, where they saw His ineffable glory. They understood that the fall had transformed
the human race into sinful rebels against God, but they also knew that God had
provided a way of salvation for man.
Their deep concern for the salvation of sinners causes there to be ‘joy
in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents’ (Luke
15:10). The angelic chorus of praise
reflects the transcendent pinnacle of all thought and action; the highest of
all truths; the supreme reason for all that exists—the glory of God. The ultimate purpose of the good news of salvation is to save sinners
so they can join the angels in glorifying God.
“The angels ascribed glory to God
in the highest; that is, heaven. On
earth, the lowest place in comparison with heaven, they proclaimed peace
among men with whom He is pleased. The
peace of which the angels spoke is the peace with God that results from
salvation (Rom. 5:1; cf. Acts 10:36).”
(Rom. 5:1; cf. Acts 10:36)
“1 ¶ Therefore, since we have been justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“36 As for the word that he sent to Israel,
preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),”
“Through
faith in the Messiah, the ‘prince of Peace,’ God and sinners are
reconciled (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18-19; Eph. 2:16; Col. 1:20-22).”
(Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18-19; Eph. 2:16;
Col. 1:20-22)
“10 For if while we were enemies we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are
reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
“18 All this is from God, who through Christ
reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the
world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to
us the message of reconciliation.”
“16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body
through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”
“20 and through him to reconcile to himself all
things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21
And you, who once were alienated and
hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he
has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you
holy and blameless and above reproach before him,”
The peace of which the angels spoke is only for men
with whom God is pleased. That
does not, of course, mean that He gives salvation to those who please Him by
their good works, since salvation is ‘not as a result of works, so that no
one may boast’ (Eph. 2:9). The Greek
text literally reads, ‘men of His good pleasure.’ As Marshall explains, ‘The
phrase means ‘those upon whom God’s will/favor rests’, and expresses the thought
of God’s free choice of those whom he wills to favour and save’ (The Gospel
of Luke, The New International Greek Testament Commentary [Grand Rapids;
Eerdmans, 1978], 112). Salvation peace belongs to those
to whom God is pleased to give it; it is not a reward for those who have good
will, but a gracious gift to those who are the objects of God’s good will.”
Spiritual
Meaning for my life Today: I am so very thankful for what is written in
the highlighted portion above, for I know that I could never earn salvation, so
that makes me very thankful for what God has done for me in giving me the gift
of salvation through what Christ did for me on the cross.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to trust the Lord in
giving His mercy to my wife as she goes through these cancer treatments,
knowing that He is in control. Grace for
both of us as we go through this difficult time in our lives.
4/6/2026
10:24 AM
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