MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/14/2026
9:14 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2
Intro to “The Character of a True Christian”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Luke 6:20-26
Message of the verses: “20 And turning His
gaze toward His disciples, He began to
say, “Blessed are [a]you who
are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are [b]you who hunger
now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now,
for you shall laugh. 22 Blessed are you when men hate you,
and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the
sake of the Son of Man. 23 Be glad in that day
and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.
For in the same way their fathers used to [c]treat the
prophets. 24 But woe to you who are rich,
for you are receiving your comfort in full. 25 Woe to
you who [d]are well-fed now,
for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you
shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when
all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to [e]treat
the false prophets in the same way.”
I continue in what may be a very long section in John
MacArthur’s introduction to the verses above.
“In His teaching concerning Himself,
Jesus clearly, unequivocally, and emphatically declared His deity and absolute
equality with the Father. The apostle
John wrote that ‘the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not
only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself
equal with God’ (John 5:18). Jesus
declared to the hostile Jewish leaders, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you before
Abraham was born, I am’ (John 8:58), taking for Himself the name “I AM’ by
which God revealed Himself in the Old Testament (Ex. 3:14).” “14
God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say
this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’" 14
God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say
this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’" “He again affirmed His deity in John 10:30
when He said to the Jews ‘I and the Father are one.’ Unlike modern cultists, the unbelieving Jews
understood clearly that Jesus was claiming to be God; that was why they sought
to kill Him (John 5:18; 8:59; 10:31-33).”
(John 5:18; 8:59; 10:31-33)
“18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the
more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even
calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”
“59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but
Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”
“31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown
you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone
me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is
not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because
you, being a man, make yourself God.’’
“If, as
some skeptics say, they had misunderstood Him, Jesus’ failure to clarify what
He really meant is inexplicable—particularly when failing to do so cost Him His
life (John 19:7).”
(John 19:7)
“7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and
according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of
God.’’
“Reinforcing His claim to deity,
Jesus taught that He had come from heaven (John 3:13; 6:38, 51, 62; 13:3;
16:28), sent by the Father (John 5:36-37) to do His will (John 6:38).”
He had come from heaven (John 3:13;
6:38, 51, 62; 13:3; 16:28)
“13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who
descended from heaven, the Son of Man.”
“38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do
my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
“51 I am the living bread that came down from
heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that
I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’’
“62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man
ascending to where he was before?”
“3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all
things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,”
“28 ¶ I came from the Father and have come into the
world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.’’
sent by the Father (John 5:36-37)
“36 But the testimony that I have is greater than
that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the
very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.
37 And the Father who sent me has
himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you
have never seen,”
to do His will (John 6:38)
“38 and you do not have his word abiding in you,
for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.”
“He also
claimed authority to forgive sins, a prerogative that belongs to God alone (Luke
5:20-24), and that He in fact Possessed ‘all authority…in heaven and on earth’
(Matt. 28:18).”
(Luke 5:20-24)
“20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man,
your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the
scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks
blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he
answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are
forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to
forgive sins"—he said to the man who was paralyzed—" I say to you,
rise, pick up your bed and go home.’’
“Jesus predicted his death and
resurrection (Matt. 17:22-23; 20:18-19; Mark 8:31; John 2:19-21), and taught
that His death would be the atoning sacrifice for sin (Matt. 26:28; John 10:11,
15), that would provide salvation (Luke 19:10; cf. 5:31-32; Matt. 20:28) for
all who believe in Him (John 3:14-18).
Jesus predicted his death and
resurrection (Matt. 17:22-23; 20:18-19; Mark 8:31; John 2:19-21)
“22 ¶ As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said
to them, "The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men,
23 and they will kill him, and he will
be raised on the third day." And they were greatly distressed.”
“18 "See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And
the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and
they will condemn him to death 19 and
deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he
will be raised on the third day."
“31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man
must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and
the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
“19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple,
and in three days I will raise it up.” 20
The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,
and will you raise it up in three days?” 21
But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture
and the word that Jesus had spoken.”
taught that His death would be the
atoning sacrifice for sin (Matt. 26:28; John 10:11, 15),
“28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which
is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
“11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays
down his life for the sheep.”
“15 just as the Father knows me and I know the
Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
that would provide salvation (Luke
19:10; cf. 5:31-32; Matt. 20:28)
“10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save
the lost.’”
31 And Jesus answered them, "Those who are
well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but
sinners to repentance.’”
28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served
but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”
for all who believe in Him (John 3:14-18)
“14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal
life. 16 "For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
perish but have eternal life. 17 For God
did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the
world might be saved through him. 18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe
is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son
of God.”
“Jesus
also taught that He will one day return in glory (Matt. 24:27) to judge the
wicked and establish His kingdom (Matt. 16:27; 25:31-46).”
He will one day return in glory (Matt.
24:27)
“27 For as the lightning comes from the east and
shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”
to judge the wicked and establish His
kingdom (Matt. 16:27; 25:31-46)
“27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his
angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according
to what he has done.”
“ 31 ¶
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with
him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations,
and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats. 33 And he will place the
sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world. 35 For
I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a
stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was
naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and
you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous
will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when
did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and
visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer
them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my
brothers, you did it to me.’ 41
"Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you
cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I
was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43
I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not
clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord,
when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in
prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45
Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not
do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal
punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’”
Spiritual
Meaning for my Life Today: Given the circumstances that my wife is going
through at this time, as without a miracle from the Lord, she will soon be with
the Lord in glory, I am thankful for all of the promises that I have seen in
these verses that I have quoted today.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: “Continue to trust the Lord to give my wife
and myself strength to go through the great circumstances we are going through
at this time, and that it will bring glory to the Lord.
7/14/2026
10:01 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment