Quote from Forum Archives on March 22, 2006, 12:33 pm

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E-pistle

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President
FreeWay Foundation March 17, 2006

"I Saw the Lord . . . High and Lifted Up"

(Isaiah 6:1-13)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I. Meditation: on the contents of this chapter

1. In the year King Uzziah died (740 BC), Isaiah visited the temple
where he

had a vision of the Lord, sitting on the throne, being worshipped by

angels; the temple shook and was filled with smoke, vv. 1-4.

2. Isaiah confessed his sin, and an angel touched his lips with a coal
from

the altar, symbolizing his forgiveness and cleansing, vv. 5-7.

3. The Lord asked, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for US?" and
Isaiah

volunteered, "Here am I, send me"; the Lord told him to preach, although

the people would not listen, vv. 8-10.

4. Isaiah asked, "How long?" and the Lord told him that the nation
would be

defeated and taken away into captivity, but that a small remnant (a tenth)

of the "holy seed" would return, vv. 11-13.

II. Meditation: on Isaiah's divine vision and call to
service

1. Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, being worshipped as holy
and

glorious by angels; although no man ever saw Almighty God, he did see

the Son of God, Jesus Christ, John 1:18; 12:37-41.

2. Isaiah saw himself as an unclean sinner among a nation of unclean

sinners, standing unworthy and condemned before Almighty God.

(A true shepherd must realize that, in the eyes of God, he is not
spiritually

superior to his wayward flock.)

3. Isaiah's repentant confession resulted in his receiving God's mercy
and

grace . . . forgiveness and cleansing.

4. It was not until after Isaiah had seen the Lord, had confessed his
own sin

and the sin of the nation, and had received salvation and deliverance, that

then he heard God's voice stirring his heart about the need for a man to

accomplish a divine task . . . and he volunteered.

III. Revelation: on the spiritual implications seen here

1. The closer a man comes to the glorious presence of the holy God,
the more

aware he becomes of his own sinful condition.

2. Before the Lord issues a divine call to a minister, He first
burdens that

chosen man's heart with the needs of the people he will be serving.

3. God always takes the initiative to provide atonement and cleansing
for a

repentant, contrite heart; a sinner cannot save himself!

4. God's divine call to preach His message does not guarantee that the

people (congregation; church) will hear or follow.

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

1. Cultivate a spiritual awareness in order to be able to "see" God.

2. Avoid pride and arrogance; I am merely a sinner saved by grace!

3. Live in an attitude of perpetual repentance, always sensitive to
the Holy

Spirit's promptings.

4. Refuse to become discouraged; spiritual results are in God's hands.

"Eternity in Our Hearts"

Dr. Curt Scarborough

"When we've been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun;

We've no less days to sing God's praise,

Than when we first begun."

As a boy in old East Benton church, I used to puzzle over the
meaning of those

"Amazing Grace" lyrics. If I'd been singing the same song 10,000 years,
surely I'd be

just a little bit closer to the time for stopping and getting a drink, than
100 centuries

earlier! I didn't get it then, and now 60 years later, I still can't fully
explain it!

The definition of "eternity" in Webster's reads: "time without
beginning

or ending!" That really doesn't help much either, does it? So, when King
Solomon

wrote: "He has put eternity in their hearts," (Ecclesiastes 3:11), what was
he driving

at? It's a mystery worth meditating on!

Isaiah described Almighty God as "The High and Lofty One Who
inhabits

eternity, whose name is Holy." (Isaiah 57:15) Here the prophet defines
eternity as

the place where God dwells . . . a timeless place without beginning or end.
Both

Solomon and Isaiah were speaking of a real spiritual existence beyond this

physical life on earth. They perceived, through the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit,

that there is an unseen dimension of existence . . . inhabited by God and
longed

for by man. Man was created to live eternally, they understood, and God

"put eternity" into each human heart.

Eternity was in Moses' heart: "He endured as seeing Him who is
invisible."

(Hebrews 11:27) Eternity was in David's heart when he wrote: "Surely
goodness

and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the
house of

the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:6) Eternity was in Job's heart: "I will know
that my

Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin
is

destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God." (Job 19:25-26)

Eternity was in Paul's heart: "I know whom I have believed and
am

persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that
day."

(II Timothy 1:12) Eternity was in Peter's heart: "Christ, whom having not
seen you

love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy

inexpressible and full of glory." (I Peter 1:8) Eternity was in John's
heart:

"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what
we

shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we
shall

see Him as He is." (I John 3:2)

PRAYER FOR THE DAY: Lord, give us "eternity eyes" of spiritual discernment,

"not to look at the things which are
seen, but at the

things which are not seen. For the
things which are

seen are temporary, but the things
which are not seen

are eternal." (II Corinthians 4:18)

Pillsbury College & Seminary

Pillsbury College & Seminary is offering full tuition scholarships to the

first 100 Bi-Vocational pastors who register in 2006.

Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Simply fill out the

Registration Form that you can find at www.pillsburycs.org
<www.pillsburycs.org/> and mail it

along with a $50 registration fee and you will receive your first textbooks,

instructions, and an examination within approximately one week. You will

also be contacted by your personal mentor . . . an ordained minister who

has been assigned by Pillsbury College & Seminary to assist you in

earning your Bachelor of Biblical Studies Degree.

If your have questions, please contact drcurt@pillsburycs.org or telephone

us at (314) 739-1121.

"A woman is like a tea bag - - you never know how

strong she is until she gets into hot water."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

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