E-pistle for October 31, 2009
Posted by: info <info@...>
E-pistle
Dr. Dan Hite, President FreeWay Foundation October 31, 2009
O My City, My City!
(Matthew 23:1-39)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus pronounced eight harsh woes upon the hypocritical scribes
and Pharisees, vv. 1-36.
2. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of its unwillingness to receive
His loving care, vv. 37-39.
II. Meditation: on Jesus' lamentation over the city of Jerusalem
1. Jesus approached Jerusalem; too many of us flee from the city rather
than approaching it.
2. Jesus saw the city; too many of us deliberately close our eyes to the
city rather than seeing its needs.
3. Jesus wept over the city; too many of us despise (or ignore) our city
rather than weeping in prayer over it.
4. Jesus loved the city's people; too many of us do not love lost people.
III. Observations: on the reasons Jesus wept over Jerusalem
(Note parallel accounts: Matthew 23:37 and Luke 19:41-44)
1. Because of its ignorance (spiritual blindness), Luke 19:42, 44.
2. Because Satanic influences were besieging the city, Luke 19:43.
3. Because it rejected God's mercy, Matthew 23:37.
4. Because these things inevitably lead to doom, Luke 19:44;
Matthew 23:38, 39.
IV. Revelation: on Jesus' immediate action to cleanse the temple (Luke 19:45, 46)
1. He drove out the ungodly religious merchants.
2. He quoted pertinent Scripture.
3. He emphasized God's standard of holiness.
4. He prioritized the call to prayer (not to praise or to preachings).
V. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Draw near and really "see" my city, state, nation, and world.
2. Genuinely love the people of my city with "agape" love.
3. Weep because of their:
§ Spiritual blindness
§ Demonic oppression
§ Rejection of God's mercy
§ Pending doom
4. Take these actions:
§ Make sure my life and motives are pure, according to God's word.
§ Confront ungodly religious profiteers.
§ Emphasize Biblical holiness.
§ Engage in intercessory prayer (spiritual warfare) for my city.
In The Days Of Noah
(Matthew 24:1-51)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple; He spoke of the signs
of the times and the end of the age, vv. 1-14.
2. Jesus taught about the great tribulation and the coming of the Son
of Man, vv. 15-31.
3. Jesus told the parable of the fig tree; He taught that no one knows the
day or hour of His return, illustrating His teaching by referencing the
days of Noah, vv. 32-44.
4. Jesus told the story of the faithful servant and the evil servant, vv. 45-51.
II. Observations: on how it was in the days of Noah (Genesis 6:1-12)
1. Satanism: "Nephilim," translated "Sons of God" refers to fallen dark
Satanic angels, Genesis 6:2.
2. Wickedness: People had "twisted" good into evil and vice versa; they
were addicted to depravity, not discerning right from wrong, Genesis 6:5.
3. Total corruption of society: "Every intent . . . only evil continually . . . all
flesh had corrupted their way." Genesis 6:5, 12.
4. Full of violence: Noah's day was notorious for its cruelty and disregard
for human life, Genesis 6:12.
III. Meditation: on the character of Noah, whose name means "Comfort"
1. He found grace in God's eyes, Genesis 6:8.
2. He was just (fair, true, honest) and perfect (blameless, having maturity
and integrity), Genesis 6:9.
3. He was pronounced righteous by God, Genesis 7:1.
4. He walked with God, listened and heard God's voice, and obeyed God's
Commands, Genesis 6:9; 7:1, 7.
IV. Revelation: on Noah's place in Faith's Hall of Fame (Hebrews 11:7)
1. Noah lived by faith.
2. Noah saw the future.
3. Noah responded out of reverent awe.
4. Noah obeyed and built and ark.
5. Noah "saved" his family.
6. Noah "condemned" . . . "showed up" the world. (See II Peter 2:5)
7. Noah inherited righteousness.
V. Applications: as a Christian, I need (like Noah) to . . .
1. Build an "altar" and worship God with my whole family, Genesis 8:20.
2. Train my children to walk with God and to hear His voice, Genesis 9:8.
3. Live as a person of faithful integrity . . . with God-endowed righteousness
bringing honor and glory to the Father.
4. See God's rainbow-type blessings and promises, lead my family to
truly understand the spiritual significance of the signs of God's eternal
covenant with man, I Corinthians 2:9-10.
"The nice part of living in a small town is that when I don't know
what I am doing, someone else does."
- Source Unknown
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: epistle2equip-unsubscribe@welovegod.org