E-pistle for November 5, 2010
Posted by: info <info@...>
E-pistle
Dr. Dan Hite, President FreeWay Foundation November 3, 2010
When I awake in your likeness
(Psalm 17:3-8, 15)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on God’s initiatives toward David
1. God tested David’s heart, v. 3.
2. God visited David in the night, v. 3.
3. God tried David’s speech, but found no fault in it, v. 3.
4. God guided David into safety by the word of His lips, v. 4-5.
II. Meditation: on David’s requests of God
Incline Your ear and hear my prayer, v. 6.
Show Your marvelous loving kindness by Your saving and
protecting power, v. 7.
3. Keep me as the apple of Your eye (choice and chosen), v. 8.
4. Hide me under the shadow of Your Wing (assurance; peace), v. 8.
III. Revelation: on David’s faith in the future (v. 15)
David’s faith was intensely personal . . . "I" is used here three times.
David believed that he would see God face-to-face in His righteousness
some day.
3. David knew that such future fellowship and communion with God
would be deeply satisfying to his heart and soul.
4. David foresaw himself being transformed into the likeness of God in
that great day, I John 3:2.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
Have a personal (new birth) experience with the Lord, and have a
continuing fellowship and communion with Him.
2. Live righteously in this life, because in the future I shall be evaluated
face-to-face by Almighty God.
3. Enjoy spiritual rest and peace in this life . . . as a foretaste of the everlasting
satisfaction I shall enjoy in the world to come.
4. Spend much time in the presence of the Lord, allowing Him to make me
into His own image, II Corinthians 3:18.
God’s character reflected in man
(Psalm 18:19-29)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the definitions of the characteristics listed in verses 25-26
1. Merciful = full of compassion, forbearance, clemency, and leniency.
2. Blameless = without fault; innocent.
3. Pure = untainted, spotless, and free from contamination.
4. Devious = not direct, circuitous, and "sneaky" . . . with a hidden agenda.
5. Shrewd = intelligent, discerning, and knowing.
6. Humble = meek, lowly, modest, and free from pride.
7. Haughty = proud and arrogant.
II. Meditation: on Man’s actions which determine God’s revelation to him
A merciful man is shown God’s mercy, Matthew 5:7.
A blameless man is shown God’s righteousness, Luke 1:6.
A pure man is shown God’s holiness, Matthew 5:8.
A shrewd man is shown God’s judgment (intelligence, wisdom,
discernment, and knowledge), Matthew 10:16.
III. Revelation: on the implications of these truths
God reveals His character traits to us to the extent that we exhibit those
same "good" traits . . . as we "grow in grace."
2. God shows us His positive character traits in contrast to our negative
ones (man’s devious or sneaky ways vs. God’s discernment of truth).
3. Mercy, righteousness, holiness, and judgment are basic concepts of the
Scriptural revelation of God.
4. God not only shows us these traits, He bestows them upon us: mercy,
righteousness, purity, and discernment through Christ.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to receive God’s blessings . . .
Guidance, v. 19.
Deliverance, v. 19.
Enlightenment, v. 28.
Strength, v. 29.
"Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy
is now. The place to be happy is here. The
way to be happy is to make others so."
- Robert G. Ingersoll
--
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: epistle2equip-unsubscribe@welovegod.org