Epistle for August 22, 2014
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E-pistle
FreeWay Foundation August 22, 2014
The imponderables of life!
(Job 24:1-25)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Job asks why Almighty God, Who knows everything, delays punishing the
wicked . . . why God's people don't see His "DAY" of judgment, v. 1.
2. Job wonders why God allows violence to continue: oppression, robbery,
murder, and adultery . . . "yet God does not charge them with wrong,"
(v. 12) although they deserve swift punishment, vv. 2-21.
3. Job ponders the questions: How can a loving God allow bad things to
happen to good people, and how can a just God allow wicked people to
"get away with it," vv. 22-24.
4. Job challenges his friends to prove that he is a liar and that his arguments
are worthless, v. 25.
II. Meditation: on the imponderable "WHY'S" of life
1. IF GOD IS GOOD, why did He allow evil to enter the world in the first place?
2. IF GOD IS OMNIPOTENT, why doesn't He stop crime, injustice, war, famine,
disease, and death?
3. IF GOD IS LOVING, why does He allow the innocent and defenseless to
suffer?
4. IF GOD IS JUST, why doesn't He take immediate vengeance upon notoriously
wicked men, like Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin?
III. Revelation: on the revealed "BECAUSE'S" of God
1. GOD IS GOOD; evil entered the world because of the temptations of Satan
and the choice of man to sin by disobeying God's command.
2. GOD IS OMNIPOTENT; curses such as crime, injustice, war, famine, disease,
and death are the natural consequences of man's sin, but someday God will
bring all these curses to an end.
3. GOD IS LOVING; He loved fallen mankind so much that He gave His Son to
die to bring salvation and eternal life . . . meanwhile, the innocent and
defenseless are safe and secure in the hands of God who protects their souls
and spirits by His mercy and grace.
4. GOD IS JUST; someday He will judge every individual, executing everlasting
punishment upon the wicked, and bestowing eternal blessings upon those
who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Cultivate a Biblical world view, based upon God as the Creator of the universe
and Christ as the Savior of the world, John 3:16.
2. Trust in the power and promise of God, for someday He will return to create
a new heaven and a new earth, Revelation 21:1.
3. Respond to God's measureless love by loving Him and by loving others . . .
exhibiting this love by compassionately caring for those who are in physical,
emotional, and spiritual need, Matthew 22:37-39.
4. Serve God with an eye on eternity, expecting to hear His, "WELL DONE, GOOD
AND FAITHFUL SERVANT," Matthew 25:21.
Take heed to your ministry
(Colossians 4:1-6, 17)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on "TAKING HEED" . . . paying attention
"Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may
fulfill it," Colossians 4:17.
1. Treat others justly and fairly, v. 1.
2. Continue in earnest prayer, with vigilance and thanksgiving, v. 2:
(1) For us to have an open door for witnessing, v. 3.
(2) For us to be able to reveal clearly the message of Christ, vv. 3-4.
3. Walk in wisdom in the sight of those who are lost . . . making the best
possible use of your time, v. 5.
4. Answer spiritual questions with grace (God's gifting) and with the preserving
properties of salt in a decaying society, v. 6.
II. Meditation: on these major things that we should "HEED"
1. Inter-personal relationships – Live by the "GOLDEN RULE,"
Matthew 7:12.
2. Prayer life – "Pray without ceasing,"
I Thessalonians 5:17.
3. Daily walk and influence – Produce the "FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT,"
Galatians 5:22-23.
4. Spoken testimony and witness – "Be witnesses to Me,"
Acts 1:8.
III. Revelation: on the major things that we should "heed"
1. Living the Christian life is not "pie in the sky by-and-by"; rather, it involves
down-to-earth, practical day-by-day living in the "NOW."
2. Prayer for effective ministry is two-fold:
(1) For an open door to opportunity for service.
(2) For power and guidance to reveal Christ's message clearly
when we should go through that open door.
3. Spiritual matters should be given the major portion of our "free" time.
(The apostles gave themselves "continually to prayer and to the
ministry of the word," Acts 6:4. So should we! How much valuable
time do we Christians waste watching television or surfing the internet!)
4. A believer cannot adequately answer spiritual inquiries unless he:
(1) Treats others with love,
(2) fellowships with God in prayer,
(3) uses his time wisely . . . with the proper priorities and with
spiritual discipline.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Be friendly and courteous to all persons, exhibiting the sweet spirit of
Christ in all I do and say.
2. Pray for my church and other worthy Christian ministries . . . that God
will prosper and use them mightily to accomplish His purposes.
3. Discipline myself to give clear priority of time to spiritual things, such as
Bible study, meditation, and prayer.
4. Be open to God's revelation about His truths and purposes . . . so that I
may share this God-given wisdom and knowledge with those who want to
know Him better.
"Pride is tasteless, colorless, and sizeless.
Yet it is the hardest thing to swallow!"
--August B. Black
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