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E-pistle

                              Dr. Curt Scarborough, President                FreeWay Foundation                   July 13, 2007

 

Altars We Need To Visit Regularly

(I Samuel 17:1-17)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration and Meditation on the contents of this chapter

        1.   The ark was brought to Abinadab's house, and his son, Eleazar, was

      placed in charge of it; the Ark remained there 20 years, vv. 1-2.

2.      Samuel gathered Israel to Mizpah where he sacrificed and prayed for

the nation, which was being threatened by the Philistines, vv. 3-9.

3.      God sent thunder to confuse the enemy; Israel won a victory and

Samuel erected a memorial stone which he named "Ebenezer"

(Stone of Help) saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us," vv. 10-14.

4.      Samuel judged Israel, annually making a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal,

Mizpah, and Ramah, vv. 15-17.

II.  Revelation and Application:  on the altars Samuel visited (vv. 15-17)

1.      Ramah:  the altar of beginnings.  Ramah was "home" for Samuel,

his place of abode and rest.  Ramah is identified with Bethlehem,

the birthplace of Jesus and where Herod slaughtered the children,

Matthew 2:17-18.  Annually, we need to travel (at least in our mind)

to the place where Christ was born in us . . . where He came in to

abide and give us rest.

2.      Bethel:  the altar of vision.  Bethel was the "House of God" place

where Jacob saw the angels going up and down on a ladder

between heaven and earth, Genesis 28:18-19.  This ladder is Jesus

Christ, our link between the physical realm and the spiritual realm,

John 1:51 . . . He is the One through Whom our prayers ascend

into heaven and through Whom the Father's blessings are

channeled to us.

Annually, or more often we need to travel to the place where Christ

revealed Himself to us . . . where He gave us our "vision of destiny."

3.      Gilgal:  the altar of miracles.  Gilgal was the place where Joshua led

God's people through the Jordan River into the Promised Land,

Joshua 4:20.  It was the place where an altar was erected to celebrate

the Lord's miraculous deliverance and provision, and where vows

were renewed and preparations were made for the coming warfare.

Annually, at least, we need to travel to the place where Christ has

performed miracles for us . . . where, remembering His salvation and

providential care, we renew our vows and prepare for spiritual conquest.

4.      Mizpah:  the altar of intercession.  Mizpah was the place where Jacob

and Laban built a watchtower when they parted, Genesis 31:49.  In this

chapter (I Samuel 7), Mizpah was the site where Samuel called the

people to repentance and where he prayed for them.

Annually, in fact daily, we need to travel to the place of personal

repentance, confession, and intercession for others . . . to that place

where Christ's sacrifice empowers us to engage in spiritual warfare

(that's intercession) and emerge victorious.  Ebenezer!

Jonah Protests God's Call

(Jonah 1:1-17)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration:  on the events of this chapter

        1.   God called Jonah to preach repentance in Nineveh, but Jonah

      "protested" that call by rebelliously boarding a ship for

      Tarshish, vv. 1-3.

2.      The Lord sent a storm, and the sailors asked Jonah to pray

for their deliverance, vv. 4-9.

3.      Realizing that the storm had been sent because of his rebellion

against God, Jonah told the sailors to throw him into the sea,

vv. 10-16.

4.      The Lord prepared a great fish who swallowed Jonah, and Jonah

lived in the belly of the fish for three days, v. 17.

II.  Meditation:  on the spiritual truths revealed here

1.      The Lord is a God of mercy, not willing that any should perish . . .

not even the wicked nation of Assyria, which had taken Israel

into captivity in 722 B.C.; God gave Nineveh (Assyria's capital)

a chance to repent, II Peter 3:9.

        2.   The Lord is "God of heaven" . . . all creation, including heaven and

              earth; He is not limited by national boundaries; neither Jonah, nor

              any other person, can flee from the presence of God, v. 9;

      Psalm 139:7-12.

3.      In times of trouble, unbelievers often turn to the people of God,

asking them to pray and to tell them what they can do to escape

destruction, vv. 6, 11; Acts 2:37; 16:30.

4.      The Lord God "works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform"

. . . God did not send an available whale, He "prepared" (created)

a great fish, v. 17; this was certified by Jesus, Matthew 12:40;

Luke 11:30.

III.  Revelation:  on the spiritual implications of these truths

1.      Since God loves everyone, so should I; God's mercy and grace

should be proclaimed to all persons everywhere.

2.      God is the Creator of the universe, yet He also literally is present

among us  . . . He is "omnipresent;" therefore, we should behave

accordingly because He sees and knows our thoughts, words,

and deeds.

3.      God's people should be ready always and immediately to pray for

and witness to the lost, I Peter 3:15.

4.      Before we even realize that we have a need, God already has made

provision to supply that need, Philippians 4:19.

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

1.      Be a faithful witness for Jesus Christ to the lost.
2.      Live in the continuing awareness of God's spiritual presence.
3.      Pray for those who are in trouble and who need the Lord.
4.      Thank the Lord for His providential care for me.

Words of Wisdom That Work

By:  Harvey Mackay

        I recently had a story about the lessons you aren't taught in college by Harvey

Mackay.  Here is another story taught by Harvey Mackay:   

The lessons shared in that story also apply to those who have just entered

the workforce.  Develop relationships and keep net-working; find advisers and

mentors; build your reputation; set goals; get along with people; have a sense of humor;

be yourself and volunteer.  But once you are on the job, you need to keep developing

your skills.  Here are some lessons I think are especially important:

·       Work hard and work smart.  Hard work pays off better.  There is a reason why

we were born with both muscles and a brain.  Use everything you've got.

·       Be enthusiastic.  If you aren't betting excited about hitting the pavement every

day, it will show.  There is no off switch on a tiger.  If your switch is off more

than on, it's time to examine what's making you less than motivated.

·       Work on YOU!  I'm a big believer in lifelong learning.  I've said many times: 

You don't go to school once for a lifetime; you're in school all of your life.

Mackay's Morals:  Keep an open mind.  Your first job may not be your dream job,

but it doesn't have to be a nightmare.

 

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