PT-2 “The Calm Before the Storm” (Luke 8:22-23a)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/21/2026 8:49 PM

My Worship Time                                                     Focus:  PT-2  “The Calm Before the Storm”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Luke 8:22-23a

            Message of the verses:  “Now on one of those days Jesus and His  disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side of the lake.’  So they launched out.  But as they were sailing along He fell asleep;”

            I will continue to quote from John MacArthur’s commentary for this section and also quoting the verse references that he puts into his commentary.

            “The lake is about thirty miles east of the Mediterranean Sea, situated in a bowl-shaped section of the Jordan Valley running from Syria in the north to Mozambique on the African continent in the south.  The lake is surrounded by steep hills on all sides, which are a major factor in the development of the sudden, violent, sometimes life-threating storms that the lake is known for.  Cooler air from the higher elevations flows down the slopes and collides with the warmer air nearer the lake’s surface.  In addition, as the air flows through the ravines and canyons it is compressed, and its speed intensifies.  Most powerful of all are the winds that flow from the eastern desert Heights.  In 1992 the winds from one such storm generated waves ten feet high that crashed into the city of Tiberias on the western shore, inflicting considerable damage.

            “After dark (cf. Matt. 8:16) Jesus and the disciples launched out onto the lake.”

(cf. Matt. 8:16)

“16  That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.”

“As they were sailing along Jesus, exhausted from a long day of crowds and preaching, fell asleep.  Mark adds the details that the Lord was asleep in the stern of the boat, His head pillowed on a cushion (Mark 4:38).”

(Mark 4:38)

“38  But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

“Along with being fully God, Jesus was fully human, therefore subject to hunger (Matt. 4:2; 21:18), thirst (John 4:7; 19:28), and fatigue (cf. John 4:6).”

(Matt. 4:2; 21:18)

“2  And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.”  Ok let me explain something that I learned about fasting a long time ago, and I have put this info on different SD’s.  When you begin a fast you can be hungry for three days, and then after that you are not hungry.  The next time you are hungry is when you must eat or starve.  Jesus was a perfect human being along with being the second person of the Godhead.  I realize that it does not say that he drank water, but when you fast you must drink water or die, so in my opinion Jesus drank water.

18 ¶  In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry.”

  (John 4:7; 19:28)

“7  A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”

“28  After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”

(cf. John 4:6)

“6  Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.”

“This incident is the only place in Scripture that pictures Jesus sleeping.  He was calmly, peacefully resting, despite knowing that the storm was coming.  Trusting in His Father’s plan, He was secure in the knowledge of His sovereign power and ability to calm the wind and waves.

            “It should be noted that the reference to the Lord’s disciples encompasses more than merely the twelve apostles.  Mathetes (disciple) refers to learner, student, or follower, someone who had some interest in Jesus, but does not necessarily indicate a high level of commitment to Him.  In fact, at this point some of the Lord’s disciples were not saved; John 6:66 notes that ‘many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.’  When a would-be disciple said to Him, ‘I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home’ (Luke 9:61) Jesus replied, ‘No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God (v. 62). 
Along with a man who professed willingness to follow Jesus wherever He went (v. 57) and one who when challenged to follow the Lord chose instead to wait for his inheritance (59), this man chose earthly things over a full, saving commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.

            “The people illustrated by the rocky and  thorny soils in the parable of the soils were also professed disciples of Christ who received His word, yet were never truly redeemed (see the exposition of 8:4-15 in chapter 20 of this volume.”  I will now quote Luke 8:4-15.

(Luke 8:4-15)

“4 ¶  And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, 5  "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6  And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8  And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 9  And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10  he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ 11  Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12  The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13  And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14  And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15  As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.”

“Genuine disciples will manifest not only repentance, confession, and obedience, but also perseverance.  Jesus was about to put on a display of His divine power designed to move those who witnessed it to genuine faith in Him.”

9/21/2026 9:37 PM

 

 

 

 

PT-1“The Calm Before the Storm” (Luke 8:22-23a)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/21/2026 9:34 AM

My Worship Time                                                       Focus:  PT-1“The Calm Before the Storm”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Luke 8:22-23a

            Message of the verses:  “Now on one of those days Jesus and His  disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side of the lake.’  So they launched out.  But as they were sailing along He fell asleep;”

            Now as we look at the phrase “on one of those days, this indicates that his chronology is purposely vague and indefinite.  MacArthur writes “As noted in the previous chapter of this volume, he was not following a strict time sequence in this section of his gospel, but was arranging his material thematically.  Mark’s account reveals that this incident took place on the evening of the same day that Jesus taught several parables, including that of the soils (Mark 4:35).  Most likely after eating a meal in nearby Capernaum (cf. Matt. 8:5), Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, probably a fishing vessel owned by Peter, Andrew, James, or John.”

(Mark 4:35)

35 ¶  On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”

“(Although they had already become full-time followers of Jesus [Luke 5:11], they apparently still had their boats [cf. John 21:3]).”

[Luke 5:11]

“11  And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.”

[cf. John 21:3])

“3  Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.”

“Mark’s account records that there were other small boats accompanying the one the Lord was in (Mark. 4:36).”

            “Seeking to escape the ever-present crowds for a time of rest, Jesus Said to the disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side of the lake.’  Leaving the vicinity of Capernaum on the northwest tip of the Sea of Galilee, they headed for the region known as Gerasa, on the eastern shore.  There Jesus had a diving appointment with a demon-possessed maniac, whom He would heal (Luke 8:26-39).”

(Luke 8:26-39)

“26  Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27  When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 28  When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” 29  For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) 30  Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31  And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32  Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33  Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. 34  When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35  Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36  And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37  Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38  The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39  “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.”

            “Known today as Yam Kinneret and variously called in Scripture the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1), the Sea of Chinnereth (Numbers 34:11; Josh. 13:27) or Chinnereth (Josh 12:3), and the sea of Tiberias (John 6:1; 21:1), the Sea of Galilee is a large (approximately thirteen miles wade by seven miles long) freshwater lake that is the most significant geographical feature of Galilee.”

(Luke 5:1)

“1 ¶  On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret,”

(Numbers 34:11; Josh. 13:27)

“11  And the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain. And the border shall go down and reach to the shoulder of the Sea of Chinnereth on the east.”

27  and in the valley Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, having the Jordan as a boundary, to the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth, eastward beyond the Jordan.”

(Josh 12:3)

“3  and the Arabah to the Sea of Chinneroth eastward, and in the direction of Beth-jeshimoth, to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, southward to the foot of the slopes of Pisgah;”

(John 6:1; 21:1)

“1 ¶  After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.”

“  1 ¶  After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way.”

“The Jordan River, which arises from several sources near Mt. Hermon and flows into the lake from the north, is the main source of water.  At about 680 feet below sea level, the Sea of Galilee is the lowest freshwater lake on the planet.  The Jordan exits the southern end of the lake, and flows south into the Dead Sea, which is 1,300 feet below sea level.”

9/21/2026 10:09 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

PT-5 Intro to “Calm in the Storm” (Luke 8:22-25)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/20/2026 12:54 PM

My Worship Time                                      Focus:  PT-5 Intro to “Calm in the Storm”

Bible Reading and Meditation                                                  Reference:  Luke 8:22-25

            Message of the verses:  “Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the land.”  So they launched out.  But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they beg an to be swamped and to be in danger. They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”  And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.  And He said to them, “Where is your faith?”  They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obeyed Him?”

            I will continue quoting from MacArthur’s introduction: His supernatural power over disease, death, Satan, demons, and the forces of nature shows that He alone has the power to reverse the curse and user in the kingdom.  That power awed and terrified those who witnessed it in action, as they realize that they were sinners in the presence of God (5:8; 8:25, 37, 47, 56).”

(5:8; 8:25, 37, 47, 56)

“8  But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

“25  He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

“37  Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.”

“47  And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed.”

“56  And her parents were “amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.”

            “The Lord Jesus Christ had displayed His power over the natural realm in an earlier incident recorded by Luke (5:4-9).”

Luke (5:4-9)

“4  And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5  And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6  And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7  They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8  But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,”

“In this far more dramatic demonstration of that power, Jesus calmed a raging storm on the Sea of Galilee.  The story may be divided into three parts; the calm before the storm, the calm during the storm, and the calm after the storm.  The epilogue, relating the disciples’ terror and the display of divine power they had witnessed, might be titled the storm after the calm.”

9/20/2026 1:50 PM

PT-4 Intro to “Calm in the Storm” (Luke 8:22-25)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/19/2026 5:23 AM

My Worship Time                                      Focus:  PT-4 Intro to “Calm in the Storm”

Bible Reading&Meditation                                                  Reference:  Luke 8:22-25

            Message of the verses:  “Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the land.”  So they launched out.  But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they beg an to be swamped and to be in danger. They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”  And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.  And He said to them, “Where is your faith?”  They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obeyed Him?”

          I mentioned at the end of this morning’s SD that I ended in the middle of a paragraph which I don’t usually do, and so this evening I will pick up where I left off this morning.

“At His baptism the Father affirmed that Jesus was His beloved Son (3:21-22).”

(Luke 3:21-22)

“21 ¶  Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22  and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

“The account of His temptation revealed His absolute authority over Satan (4:1-13), and He also exercised that same authority over the demons (4:33-35, 41).”      

(4:1-13)

“1 ¶  And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2  for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3  The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4  And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5  And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6  and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7  If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." 8  And Jesus answered him, "It is written, "’You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’" 9  And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10  for it is written, "’He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ 11  and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 12  And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13  And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.”

(4:33-35, 41)

“33  And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34  “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 35  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.”

“41  And demons also came out of many, crying,, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.”

“Jesus also demonstrated power over disease (4:40; 5:15, 17; 6:17-19; 7:1-10) and death (7:11-15).”

(4:40; 5:15, 17; 6:17-19; 7:1-10)

“40  Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.’

“15  But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities.”

“17 ¶  On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.”

“17  And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18  who came to hear him and to be healed of their

diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19  And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.”

“1 ¶  After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2  Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3  When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4  And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5  for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue." 6  And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7  Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8  For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it." 9  When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10  And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.”

(Luke 7:11-15)

“11 ¶  Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12  As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14  Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”

          Look’s like one more SD will finish this introduction.

9/19/2026 5:45 PM

 

 

 

PT-3 Intro to “Calm in the Storm” (Luke 8:22-25)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/19/2026 11:35 AM

My Worship Time                                      Focus:  PT-3 Intro to “Calm in the Storm”

Bible Reading&Meditation                                                  Reference:  Luke 8:22-25

            Message of the verses:  “Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the land.”  So they launched out.  But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they beg an to be swamped and to be in danger. They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”  And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.  And He said to them, “Where is your faith?”  They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obeyed Him?”

          John MacArthur writes:  “Creation itself reveals God’s might power (Jer. 10:12).

(Jer. 10:12).

“12  It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.”

“The earth is twenty-five thousands miles in circumference, eight thousand miles in diameter and weights approximately six sextillion tons.  It spins on its axis about one thousand miles per hour and travels in its approximately one hundred fifty million-mile orbit around the sun at about one thousand miles a minute.  The sun itself makes a vast orbit around the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

            “At the other end of the size spectrum, a teaspoon full of water contains trillions of atoms, while the material in an atom accounts for only about one trillionth of its volume.  If the empty space were to be squeezed out of a human body, it would be reduced in size to a tiny fraction of a cubic inch.  From the vastness of space to the infinitesimally small realm of the atom, God upholds all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3).”

(Heb. 1:3)

“3  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

            “In his inspired record of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, Luke makes His identity unmistakably clear.  He is the Messiah, God the Son, the second person of the Trinity incarnate.  His genealogy reveals that Jesus was a descendant of David and thus Israel’s rightful king (3:23-38).”

(3:23-38)

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

“He had a unique virgin birth (1:26-35; 2:1-7; cf. Isa. 7:14).”

(1:26-35; 2:1-7; cf. Isa. 7:14)

“26 ¶  In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28  And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29  But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30  And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34  And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35  And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”

“1 ¶  In days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2  This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3  And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5  to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

“14  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

            I usually do not stop my SD in the middle of a paragraph, but as I look at this second to last paragraph in MacArthur’s commentary I see that there are many more verses to look up, and so I will try and finish this introduction in this evening’s SD.

9/19/2026 12:02 PM

 

 

 

PT-2 Intro to “Calm in the Storm” (Luke 8:22-25)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/18/2026 6:45 PM

My Worship Time                                                         Focus:  PT-2 Intro to “Calm in the Storm”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 8:22-25

            Message of the verses:  “Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the land.”  So they launched out.  But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they beg an to be swamped and to be in danger. They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”  And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.  And He said to them, “Where is your faith?”  They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obeyed Him?”

            I did not get my morning SD done, and so I will pick up from where I left of last night by quoting from MacArthur’s commentary and also quoting the many verses he makes reference to, and so this will take longer this way.

            “Even nature will change.  Natural enemies will live together in peace; ‘the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and they young lion and the fatling together; and the little boy will lead them….The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den’(Isa. 11:6, 8).  Carnivorous animals will eat straw like oxen (Isa. 11:7).  Crops will flourish (Isa. 30:23-25; Joel 2:21-27), even in what is now barren desert (Isa. 35:1-2; 35:6-7).  In short, paradise lost will become paradise regained.”

(Isa. 11:6, 8)

“6  The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.”

“8  The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.”

(Isa. 11:7)

“7  The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.”

(Isa. 30:23-25; Joel 2:21-27)

“23  And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures, 24  and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. 25  And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.”

“21  "Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things! 22  Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield. 23  "Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. 24  "The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. 25  I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. 26  "You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. 27  You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.”

(Isa. 35:1-2; 35:6-7)

“1 ¶  The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; 2  it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.”

“6  then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7  the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.”

            “The power required to redeem lost sinners and restore the cursed earth is beyond human ability or comprehension; it belongs only to God.  In Psalm 62:11David said, ‘Power belongs to God.’  Job expressed that same truth poetically when he exclaimed, ‘The thunder of His power who can understand?’  (Job 26:14 MKJV; cf. 36:22).”

(Job 36:22)

“22  Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him?”

“Psalm 79:11 and Nahum 1:3 speak of the greatness of God’s power, while Psalms 29:1-10 and 68:32-35 describe it.”

(Psalm 79:11)

“11  Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!”

(Nahum 1:3)

“3  The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.”

(Psalm 29:1-10)

“1 ¶  «A Psalm of David.» Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. 3  The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 5  The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. 6  He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. 7  The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. 8  The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 9  The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, "Glory!" 10  The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.”

(Ps. 68:32-35)

“32 ¶  O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, Selah 33  to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice. 34  Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies. 35  Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel— he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!”

“So clear is the evidence of God’s power that it leaves unrepentant sinners without excuse for their rejection of Him (Rom. 1:20).”

(Rom. 1:20)

“20  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

“God’s power is revealed in His sovereign rule over all things (Ps.66:7), raising Christ (2 Cor. 13:4) and believers (1 Cor. 6:14) from the dead, saving lost sinners (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18), rescuing the righteous (Neh. 1:10; Ps. 106:8), and destroying the wicked (Rom. 9:22).”

(Ps.66:7)

“7  who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah”

(2 Cor. 13:4)

“4  For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.”

(1 Cor. 6:14)

“14  And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.”

(Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18)

“16 ¶  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

“18  For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

(Neh. 1:10; Ps. 106:8)

“10  They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.”

“8  Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power.”

 

(Rom. 9:22)

“22  What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,”

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  I am thankful that the Lord is in control of all things, and that He loves me with the best kind of Love, and that I can trust Him as I go through the most difficult time of my life, and that He will see me through the grieving process of the loss of my wife.

My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to trust the Lord to teach me things from His Word that will bring glory to Him and be helpful for those who read these Spiritual Diaries.

9/18/2026 7:55 PM

 

 

 

 

 

PT-1 Intro to “Calm in the Storm” (Luke 8:22-25)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/17/2026 8:31 PM

My Worship Time                                                         Focus:  PT-1 Intro to “Calm in the Storm”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 8:22-25

            Message of the verses:  “Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the land.”  So they launched out.  But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they beg an to be swamped and to be in danger. They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”  And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.  And He said to them, “Where is your faith?”  They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obeyed Him?”

            This evening I begin my first section, the introduction to chapter 22 in John MacArthurs commentary “Calm in the Storm.  I will do like I have been doing when I come into a new chapter and that is to quote the entire introduction, but in his introductions there are many verse references, which I will quote them as well, and that is why it will take a while to get through this introduction.

            “God has a plan to redeem both His people and His planet.  That plan began to unfold immediately after the fall, when God promised that a redeemer would come who would destroy Satan (Gen. 3:15; cf. 1 John 3:8).”

(Gen. 3:15; cf. 1 John 3:8)

“15  I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

“8  Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

“The redeemer, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, came to offer Himself as a sacrifice and ‘save His people from their sins’ (Matt. 1:21).  He will come again in glory and majesty to destroy the wicked (Rev. 19:11-16) and rule the earth (Rev. 11:15; 20:4, 6).”

(Rev. 19:11-16)

“11 ¶  Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15  From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16  On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

(Rev. 11:15; 20:4, 6)

“15  Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

4  Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

“6  Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

“He will restore peace, justice, truth, righteousness, and joy to the renewed planet.

            “Obviously, to reverse the curse on both fallen mankind and the earth will require immense, incomprehensible, inconceivable power.  In the kingdom of Satan and his demon hosts will be bound (Rev. 20:1-3) and the saints will reign with Christ (vv. 4-6; Dan. 7:18, 27; 1 Cor. 6:2).”

(Rev. 20:1-3)

“1 ¶  Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2  And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3  and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.”

(vv. 4-6; Dan. 7:18, 27; 1 Cor. 6:2)

“4  Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5  The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6  Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

“18  But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’”

“27  And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’”

“2  Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?”

“Sin will be instantaneously punished (Ps. 2:9; Isa. 11:3-4), and peace (Isa. 2:4; 9:6-7; Mic. 4:3), joy (Isa. 12:3-4), and the knowledge of God (Isa. 11:9) will dominate the earth.  Health and healing will replace disease and death (Isa. 29:18; 33:24; 35:5-6).”

(Ps. 2:9; Isa. 11:3-4)

“9  You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel."

“3  And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4  but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.”

(Isa. 2:4; 9:6-7; Mic. 4:3)

“4  He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

“6  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7  Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”

“3  He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore;”

(Isa. 12:3-4)

“3  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.  4 ¶  And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.”

(Isa. 11:9)

“9  They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”

(Isa. 29:18; 33:24; 35:5-6)

“18  In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.”

“24  And no inhabitant will say, "I am sick"; the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.”

“5 ¶  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6  then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;”

9/17/2026 9:22 PM