The invisibility of God is a great problem. It was already a problem to God’s people in Old Testament days. Their pagan neighbors would taunt them, saying, “Where Is now your God?” Their gods were visible and tangible, but Israel’s God was neither. Today in our scientific culture young people are taught not to believe in anything which is not open to empirical investigation. How then has God solved the problem of His own invisibility? The first answer is of course “in Christ.” Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. John 1:18: “No one has ever seen God, but God the only Son has made him known.” “That’s wonderful,” people say, “but it was 2,000 years ago. Is there no way by which the invisible God makes Himself visible today?” There is. We return to 1 John 4:12: “No one has ever seen God.” It is precisely the same introductory statement. But instead of continuing with reference to the Son of God, it continues: “If we love one another, God dwells in us.” In other words, the invisible God, who once made Himself visible in Christ, now makes Himself visible in Christians, if we love one another. It is a breathtaking claim. The local church cannot evangelize, proclaiming the gospel of love, if it is not itself a community of love.
John Stott

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E-pistle for November 25, 2015

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#1 · November 24, 2015, 12:10 pm

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e-pistle

FreeWay Foundation            November 25, 2015

 

when an anointed leader fails

(I Samuel 15:1-35)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

 

I.  Concentration:  on the contents of this chapter

            1.  Samuel sent Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites, but Saul saved

                King Agag and the best of the animals, vv. 1-9.

            2.  The Lord regretted making Saul the King, and Samuel confronted him

                 about his disobedience; Saul lied and blamed the people, vv. 10-22.

            3.  Samuel announced that God had rejected Saul's dynasty; Saul begged

                 Samuel to pardon him and to remain with him publicly before the people;

                 Samuel reluctantly agreed to accompany Saul during this victory

                 celebration, vv. 23-31.

            4.  Samuel personally executed King Agag; then he returned to his home in

                 Ramah where he mourned over Saul's failure; although Saul resided in

                 Gibeah, just 10 miles from Ramah, Samuel refused to see Saul until he

                 was killed in battle 15 years later, vv. 32-35.

II.  Meditation:  on why the kingdom was taken from Saul

            1.  Saul disobeyed God's direct orders, vv. 8-9.  (Note his willful, impatient

                 nature in I Samuel 13:8-14; 14:19.)

            2.  Saul was consumed with pride and arrogance . . . setting up a monument

                 for himself, v. 12.  (Note his stupidity and egotism in I Samuel 14:24.)

            3.  Saul lied, denying his personal sin and guilt, vv. 13-14, 20.

            4.  Saul shifted the blame from himself to the people, vv. 15, 21, 24.

III.  Revelation:  on how Saul's spiritual relationship with God deteriorated

            1.  God had chosen and anointed Saul to be king of Israel, v. 1.

            2.  God regretted making Saul king, because of his disobedience, v. 11.

            3.  God rejected Saul from being king, because of his failure to accept

                 responsibility and his lack of repentance, vv. 23, 26.

            4.  God ignored Saul's plea for forgiveness and restoration, because it was

                 motivated solely by pride, vv. 25, 30.

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian leader, I need to understand that . . .

            1.  Even Spirit-anointed leaders can slip into sin and failure . . . losing their

                 anointing little by little.

            2.  Obedience is better than sacrifice . . . (If man had obeyed in the Garden

                 of Eden, no sacrifice would have been needed on Calvary.) . . . in God's

                 sight, "rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is an

                iniquity and idolatry," vv. 22-23.

            3.  When I sin, I immediately must repent, confess, forsake it, and ask for

                 forgiveness and cleansing; when another anointed leader sins, I should

                 confront that person Scripturally and redemptively with boldness,

                 compassion, and humility, vv. 16-19, 22-23; Galatians 6:1.

            4.  God's river of divine purpose flows on in spite of a fallen leader; I should

                 "GET OVER IT" as God chooses another person to fill that vacant position

                 and lead His people, I Samuel 16:1.

 

 

 

 

god shall supple all your needs

(Philippians 4:8-19)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

 

I.  Concentration:  meditating on these "things" of God (v. 8)

            1.  True = genuine, real, authentic           5.  Lovely = most beautiful, I Corinthians 13:4-7

            2.  Noble = honorable, respectable         6.  Good report = gracious, a blessing

            3.  Just = fair, proper, equitable             7.  Virtue = moral excellency

            4.  Pure = holy, clean, unblemished        8.  Praiseworthy = commendable

II.  Meditation:  on how the Philistines responded to Paul's teachings (v. 9)

            1.  Which you HEARD from me (listened to; heeded).

            2.  Which you SAW in me (observed).

            3.  Which you LEARNED from me (gained knowledge of).

            4.  Which you RECEIVED from me (accepted, acquired, grasped).

                        Do these eight things, Paul said and "the God of peace will

                        be with you, plus you'll have the assurance that you CAN

                        DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENTHENS

                        . . . (YOU) vv. 9, 13.

III.  Revelation:  on Paul's discussion of how God supplied his personal needs

            1.  Paul said the Philippian church's care for him and for his needs had

                 flourished, v. 10.

            2.  He commended them:  "WELL DONE" for sharing in his distress, v. 14.

            3.  He commended them for being the ONLY church to support him, v. 15.

            4.  He recognized that they had sent aid to him AGAIN AND AGAIN, vv. 10, 16.

                        "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that bounds to

                        your account.  Indeed I have all and abound.  I am full,

                        having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from

                        you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well

                        pleasing to God, vv. 17-18.

                                                            (THEREFORE)

                        My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches

                        in glory in Christ Jesus." v. 19.

IV.  Applications: 

                        God's promise to supply all our needs is conditional upon our

                        response to supplying the needs of others:

            1.  By abundant caring (flourish = generosity).

            2.  By sharing in another's distress (compassion; empathy).

            3.  By giving, even if no one else gives.

            4.  By sending aid for necessities repeatedly ("AGAIN").

                        "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and

                        all these things shall be added to you,"   Matthew 6:33

 

 

From all of the staff at FreeWay Foundation

Pillsbury-Scarborough Bible College & Seminary

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

pilgrims_praying[1]

 

 

 

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