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Epistle for June 7, 2002

#1 · June 6, 2002, 6:38 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on June 6, 2002, 6:38 pm
Posted by: freewayfoundation <freewayfoundation@...>

e-pistle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation June 7, 2002

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In This Issue:
Sermon: Numbers 16
Bible Study: II Timothy 1:6-7, 11-14
Personal Growth of the Minister
Letter from Dr. Curt Scarborough

Plague Busters

"Black Death . . . "

-------- the Bubonic Plague of the 1300's -------- killed one-fourth of the entire population of Europe. Although this was not history's most deadly pestilence, it is the most infamous. The deadliest plague since time began occurred in India at the turn of the Twentieth Century. This plague lasted 20 years and killed 10 million people . . . an average of 500,000 annually.

(Although this is not a sermon on alcohol and other drugs, it is revealing to note that alcohol and other drugs have killed an average of 600,000 Americans every year . . . for the last 30 years. This is one-fourth of all United States deaths from all causes.)

Numbers 16 records a deadly plague which swept Israel because of their disobedience:

"So Moses said to Aaron, 'Take an censer and put fire
in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly
to the congregation and make atonement for them; for
wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun.'
Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the
midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun
among the people. So he put in the incense and made
atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead
and the living; so the plague was stopped," verses 46-48 (NKJV).

This text lists three essentials for stopping a plague.

I. Censer (Vessel)

The first essential is a censer. The censer was a metal container with a handle, but it represents you and me in the midst of people dying from the plague of sin. Paul was spoken of as a "chosen vessel," Acts 9:15. Timothy was characterized as a "vessel for honor,:" II Timothy 2:21.

This Timothy passage describes three attributes of an honorable vessel. First, "sanctified" . . . set aside for a holy purpose. Second, vessels of honor are "useful" to the Master . . . useable, yielded, serviceable, and profitable. Third, they are vessels, "prepared" for every good work . . . equipped, ready, and fitted.

II. Fire (Holy Spirit)

The second essential is fire. Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1) paid with their lives because they offered "unholy fire." Isaiah describes his life-changing experience in the temple, where fire took away his iniquity, purged his sin, and cleansed his lips, (Isaiah 6:6, 7). The Old Testament closes with a picture of the refiner's fire being used to purify God's chosen spiritual leaders, Malachi 3:2, 3.

Jesus fulfilled all these foreshadows, these prophetic pictures. He came to "baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire," Matthew 3:11.

III. Incense (Prayer)

The third essential for stopping a plague is incense. David wrote, "Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice," Psalm 141:2. John's vision on the Isle of Patmos included " . . . golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints," Revelation 5:8. Exodus 17 contains a beautiful picture of intercessory prayer as Moses, assisted by Aaron and Hur, kept his hands raised unto God until Joshua defeated the Amalekites.

Exodus 30:34, 35 describes the preparation of the incense to be burned before the Lord God. The incense was to be salted: useful to the Master . . . powerfully and personally applied. It was to be pure: prepared for every good work . . . sincere and without any hidden motive. It also was to be holy: sanctified . . . from a chosen vessel: a separated life committed and dedicated to the service of Almighty God.

IV. A Censer Filled with Fire
and Incense Brings LIfe

Notice these results as recorded in Numbers 16:47-49: Aaron, the High Priest, acted with urgency . . . he ran! In fact, he ran into the midst of the sinning congregation. There he made atonement (as our Great High Priest does), bringing man and God back together (Leviticus 16:12, 13). It is written that he "stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped."

The application to those of us who are ministers of the Gospel is obvious. We are to become and remain "vessels of honor." We are to be sanctified (holy), useful to the Master (salted), and prepared for every good work. A chosen vessel, filled with the Holy Spirit, offering up effective, fervent intercessory prayer . . . "avails much," James 5:16. In the hand of Jesus, our High Priest, we become "Plague Busters!

The old gospel song "Rescue the Perishing" challenges us to be "Plague Busters!

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o're the erring one, lift up the fallen
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Stir Up the Gift of God
(II Timothy 1:6-7, 11-14)

I. Concentration: on "the gift of God" (v. 6)

1. The gift is an undeserved favor . . . a present for which man has not worked;
not a wage. (See Acts 2.38; II Timothy 1:14.)
2. It is a blessing from God and "of" God . . . meaning that the gift is God,
the Holy Spirit. (For example: a "gift of money" does not mean that the
gift is from money, but that it is money.)
3. It is possible for the gift to be "stirred up" . . . encouraged, revived, rekindled . . .
implying that it is also possible for the Holy Spirit's work within a believer to fade
and become practically dormant.
4. It is possible for one Christian to bestow the filling (baptism) of the Holy Spirit
upon another believer . . . "through the laying on of my (Paul's) hands," v.6,
or "by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership," II Timothy 4:14.

II. Meditation: on the characteristics of God's gift (v. 7)

1. Not a spirit of fear . . . but of courage and faith.
2. Not a spirit of weakness . . . but of almighty, resurection power.
3. Not of indifference or hatred . . . but of love for God and man.
4. Not atheistic foolishness of intellectual pride . . . but a "sound mind" . . .
one enlightened to perceive God and to understand His destined
purposes for a believer's life.

III. Revelation: on the "Blessed Assurances" of this gift of God (vv. 11-14)

1. The assurance that God has a definite purpose to accomplish through my life, v. 11.
2. The assurance that God will sustain His saints through suffering and persecution, v. 12.
3. The assurance of intimately and personally knowing and experiencing God, v. 12.
4. The assurance of eternal security of the believer's soul, which Christ is able to keep
until that (judgment) day, v. 12.

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

1. Praise and thank God for His gift of Himself to me.
2. "Stir up" my spiritual life in the Holy Spirit by Bible study, prayer, meditation, and
unselfish, God-honoring service.
3. Exercise my "Holy Spirit gift" with courage, power, love, and spiritual perception.
4. Live with the blessed assurance that God holds me and my future in His almight hand.

Personal Growth of the Minister
by: Dr. David Claybrook, Pastor, Christ Church-St. Louis

Dear J.D. (Jesus' Disciple)

We are beginning to see signs of revival in our church. It has been prayed for but not planned for. What I mean is that though we have been asking God to send revival, we did not set aside a special period of time for a special series of services. Those are good, but we have just not gotten around to that yet. But God may have started without our planning!

For example, one of my leading men called me and two other men out of Sunday School and said he needed to see me in the office. He seemed quite disturbed and as we walked, no one spoke but, I recalled thinking, "Its been a long time since I have been called to the office." My mind didn't have to reach all the way back to school days for images of unpleasant exchanges in "the office." Scenes from various offices of churches I had pastored passed through my mind. My blood pressure elevated a point with every step.

When we arrived I noticed another man was already present and he was on his knees praying. The first man quickly turned to me and said, "Pastor, I know this is unusual, but I have to preach today." Believe it or not, J.D., my anxiety level dropped, nearly back to normal. This gentleman is one of my most faithful men and I knew that whatever was troubling him was serious and it was real. I said, "OK, tell me more." He explained that the Lord had been dealing with him for about a year and a half regarding a call on his life for a particular ministry. He had put God off saying that he could not possibly do that, but that God had confirmed it to him that week and he had to explain it to the congregation. After a little more discussion, I gave him my blessing and we all joined together to pray that God would use him mightily. He did! After a brief but powerful testimony and message, the man gave an invitation. Many came forward to be prayed for and it seemed that the Holy Spirit moved about, convicting some, encouraging others. I stood at the front and marvelled as some from all ages received ministry.

The next week another man said that God had been speaking to him about our church and he needed to speak briefly. He challenged us to allow God to purify our lives, to make Jesus Lord of all areas of our lives. At the same service a shy teenage girl handed me a note. On it she described a picture she had seen of our church and of an approaching fork in the road we are traveling. After discussing the picture with our leadership, we agreed that she has described well a major issue that we are going to face in the near future. The decision we make will determine the direciton of the church for many years. I was astounded. It was obvious to all of us that the insight this young lady had was beyond her own.

As I said, J.D., we prayed for revival but didn't plan on these events or others that have been occurring. Another picture given to one of our adult ladies was of a person standing before God with hands stretched skyward. The lady felt the person represented our church as a whole. At first she thought the person was praying and then she realized that the person was holding something in his hands. It was a shield or rather a barrier. It is a picture of a person saying "No, God, I will not receive from you." In praying about this we felt God was saying to us that by the two strong arms of pride and fear we were keeping God from having His way in our lives. Observation bears this out. Some seem so bound up by their ideas of how God acts and how they should act, they seem to have God boxed in. And I am the leader of that pack. I have been very concerned about my image before the church. God has been trying to get me (us) to be more concerned about pleasing Him than pleasing each other. In my time alone with God I read John 5:44. Jesus is asking the Pharisees, "How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" I wrote in my notebook, "Seeking man's praise is a hindrance to faith." This will go right up there with, "God resists the proud." Lord set me free. Pray for me; I need it!
D.M. (Disciple Maker)

An Open Letter to Pastors from Dr. Curt Scarborough

Dear Pastor - Friend,

You are one of several hundred ministers in Missouri and other states who receive "E-pistle" each week. Literally dozens of you have made it a point to thank me for the blessings and benefits you've received since we began publishing this "iron sharpens iron" newsletter in September, 2001.

If you are one of those who have been blessed by the FreeWay Foundation's ministry, I am asking you to express that appreciation by becoming a blessing to us in our time of need! I'm asking you to lead your church to make a one-time gift of $125.00 to support our drug and violence prevention programs in the public schools. You're $125 gift will support one of our "missionaries to the public schools" for one day . . . teaching in a half-dozen classes and impacting approximately 150 students.

We need extra help as we plan for the opening of schools in the fall because our income has fallen off dramatically in the last few months . . . and we need to add an additional prevention specialist to serve our increasing requests from the schools. We have a long waiting list of schools wanting us to come, but we simply do not have the necessary resources to respond.

Please consider earmarking a $125 gift from your missions budget to our work this month. Or perhaps you could take a special offering at the close of Sunday morning service?

As a reader of "E-pistle" (and its predecessor, "The Whetstone"), you know that this is the first appeal I've made to you in several years. Frankly, I had not planned to ask for help through this newsletter, and only a real emergency today could cause me to ask for a special gift from your church now. But the fact is, without scores of churches giving a one-time gift of $125 this summer, FreeWay Foundation will not be able to serve all the students in all the schools that have invited us to help do something about the rising tide of drugs and violence in our schools.

Thank you for ministering to our needs (if the Lord so leads), as we have ministered to your needs during these past months and years,

Blessings upon you!

Dr. Curt

P.S. As an expression of your appreciation for FreeWay Foundation's ministry to you through "e-pistle" . . . will you lead your church to help us in our need by sending a one-time gift of $125 to support a "missoinary to the public schools" for one day? Thank You.

Posted by: freewayfoundation <freewayfoundation@...>

e-pistle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation June 7, 2002

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In This Issue:
Sermon: Numbers 16
Bible Study: II Timothy 1:6-7, 11-14
Personal Growth of the Minister
Letter from Dr. Curt Scarborough

Plague Busters

"Black Death . . . "

-------- the Bubonic Plague of the 1300's -------- killed one-fourth of the entire population of Europe. Although this was not history's most deadly pestilence, it is the most infamous. The deadliest plague since time began occurred in India at the turn of the Twentieth Century. This plague lasted 20 years and killed 10 million people . . . an average of 500,000 annually.

(Although this is not a sermon on alcohol and other drugs, it is revealing to note that alcohol and other drugs have killed an average of 600,000 Americans every year . . . for the last 30 years. This is one-fourth of all United States deaths from all causes.)

Numbers 16 records a deadly plague which swept Israel because of their disobedience:

"So Moses said to Aaron, 'Take an censer and put fire
in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly
to the congregation and make atonement for them; for
wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun.'
Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the
midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun
among the people. So he put in the incense and made
atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead
and the living; so the plague was stopped," verses 46-48 (NKJV).

This text lists three essentials for stopping a plague.

I. Censer (Vessel)

The first essential is a censer. The censer was a metal container with a handle, but it represents you and me in the midst of people dying from the plague of sin. Paul was spoken of as a "chosen vessel," Acts 9:15. Timothy was characterized as a "vessel for honor,:" II Timothy 2:21.

This Timothy passage describes three attributes of an honorable vessel. First, "sanctified" . . . set aside for a holy purpose. Second, vessels of honor are "useful" to the Master . . . useable, yielded, serviceable, and profitable. Third, they are vessels, "prepared" for every good work . . . equipped, ready, and fitted.

II. Fire (Holy Spirit)

The second essential is fire. Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1) paid with their lives because they offered "unholy fire." Isaiah describes his life-changing experience in the temple, where fire took away his iniquity, purged his sin, and cleansed his lips, (Isaiah 6:6, 7). The Old Testament closes with a picture of the refiner's fire being used to purify God's chosen spiritual leaders, Malachi 3:2, 3.

Jesus fulfilled all these foreshadows, these prophetic pictures. He came to "baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire," Matthew 3:11.

III. Incense (Prayer)

The third essential for stopping a plague is incense. David wrote, "Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice," Psalm 141:2. John's vision on the Isle of Patmos included " . . . golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints," Revelation 5:8. Exodus 17 contains a beautiful picture of intercessory prayer as Moses, assisted by Aaron and Hur, kept his hands raised unto God until Joshua defeated the Amalekites.

Exodus 30:34, 35 describes the preparation of the incense to be burned before the Lord God. The incense was to be salted: useful to the Master . . . powerfully and personally applied. It was to be pure: prepared for every good work . . . sincere and without any hidden motive. It also was to be holy: sanctified . . . from a chosen vessel: a separated life committed and dedicated to the service of Almighty God.

IV. A Censer Filled with Fire
and Incense Brings LIfe

Notice these results as recorded in Numbers 16:47-49: Aaron, the High Priest, acted with urgency . . . he ran! In fact, he ran into the midst of the sinning congregation. There he made atonement (as our Great High Priest does), bringing man and God back together (Leviticus 16:12, 13). It is written that he "stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped."

The application to those of us who are ministers of the Gospel is obvious. We are to become and remain "vessels of honor." We are to be sanctified (holy), useful to the Master (salted), and prepared for every good work. A chosen vessel, filled with the Holy Spirit, offering up effective, fervent intercessory prayer . . . "avails much," James 5:16. In the hand of Jesus, our High Priest, we become "Plague Busters!

The old gospel song "Rescue the Perishing" challenges us to be "Plague Busters!

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o're the erring one, lift up the fallen
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Stir Up the Gift of God
(II Timothy 1:6-7, 11-14)

I. Concentration: on "the gift of God" (v. 6)

1. The gift is an undeserved favor . . . a present for which man has not worked;
not a wage. (See Acts 2.38; II Timothy 1:14.)
2. It is a blessing from God and "of" God . . . meaning that the gift is God,
the Holy Spirit. (For example: a "gift of money" does not mean that the
gift is from money, but that it is money.)
3. It is possible for the gift to be "stirred up" . . . encouraged, revived, rekindled . . .
implying that it is also possible for the Holy Spirit's work within a believer to fade
and become practically dormant.
4. It is possible for one Christian to bestow the filling (baptism) of the Holy Spirit
upon another believer . . . "through the laying on of my (Paul's) hands," v.6,
or "by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership," II Timothy 4:14.

II. Meditation: on the characteristics of God's gift (v. 7)

1. Not a spirit of fear . . . but of courage and faith.
2. Not a spirit of weakness . . . but of almighty, resurection power.
3. Not of indifference or hatred . . . but of love for God and man.
4. Not atheistic foolishness of intellectual pride . . . but a "sound mind" . . .
one enlightened to perceive God and to understand His destined
purposes for a believer's life.

III. Revelation: on the "Blessed Assurances" of this gift of God (vv. 11-14)

1. The assurance that God has a definite purpose to accomplish through my life, v. 11.
2. The assurance that God will sustain His saints through suffering and persecution, v. 12.
3. The assurance of intimately and personally knowing and experiencing God, v. 12.
4. The assurance of eternal security of the believer's soul, which Christ is able to keep
until that (judgment) day, v. 12.

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

1. Praise and thank God for His gift of Himself to me.
2. "Stir up" my spiritual life in the Holy Spirit by Bible study, prayer, meditation, and
unselfish, God-honoring service.
3. Exercise my "Holy Spirit gift" with courage, power, love, and spiritual perception.
4. Live with the blessed assurance that God holds me and my future in His almight hand.

Personal Growth of the Minister
by: Dr. David Claybrook, Pastor, Christ Church-St. Louis

Dear J.D. (Jesus' Disciple)

We are beginning to see signs of revival in our church. It has been prayed for but not planned for. What I mean is that though we have been asking God to send revival, we did not set aside a special period of time for a special series of services. Those are good, but we have just not gotten around to that yet. But God may have started without our planning!

For example, one of my leading men called me and two other men out of Sunday School and said he needed to see me in the office. He seemed quite disturbed and as we walked, no one spoke but, I recalled thinking, "Its been a long time since I have been called to the office." My mind didn't have to reach all the way back to school days for images of unpleasant exchanges in "the office." Scenes from various offices of churches I had pastored passed through my mind. My blood pressure elevated a point with every step.

When we arrived I noticed another man was already present and he was on his knees praying. The first man quickly turned to me and said, "Pastor, I know this is unusual, but I have to preach today." Believe it or not, J.D., my anxiety level dropped, nearly back to normal. This gentleman is one of my most faithful men and I knew that whatever was troubling him was serious and it was real. I said, "OK, tell me more." He explained that the Lord had been dealing with him for about a year and a half regarding a call on his life for a particular ministry. He had put God off saying that he could not possibly do that, but that God had confirmed it to him that week and he had to explain it to the congregation. After a little more discussion, I gave him my blessing and we all joined together to pray that God would use him mightily. He did! After a brief but powerful testimony and message, the man gave an invitation. Many came forward to be prayed for and it seemed that the Holy Spirit moved about, convicting some, encouraging others. I stood at the front and marvelled as some from all ages received ministry.

The next week another man said that God had been speaking to him about our church and he needed to speak briefly. He challenged us to allow God to purify our lives, to make Jesus Lord of all areas of our lives. At the same service a shy teenage girl handed me a note. On it she described a picture she had seen of our church and of an approaching fork in the road we are traveling. After discussing the picture with our leadership, we agreed that she has described well a major issue that we are going to face in the near future. The decision we make will determine the direciton of the church for many years. I was astounded. It was obvious to all of us that the insight this young lady had was beyond her own.

As I said, J.D., we prayed for revival but didn't plan on these events or others that have been occurring. Another picture given to one of our adult ladies was of a person standing before God with hands stretched skyward. The lady felt the person represented our church as a whole. At first she thought the person was praying and then she realized that the person was holding something in his hands. It was a shield or rather a barrier. It is a picture of a person saying "No, God, I will not receive from you." In praying about this we felt God was saying to us that by the two strong arms of pride and fear we were keeping God from having His way in our lives. Observation bears this out. Some seem so bound up by their ideas of how God acts and how they should act, they seem to have God boxed in. And I am the leader of that pack. I have been very concerned about my image before the church. God has been trying to get me (us) to be more concerned about pleasing Him than pleasing each other. In my time alone with God I read John 5:44. Jesus is asking the Pharisees, "How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" I wrote in my notebook, "Seeking man's praise is a hindrance to faith." This will go right up there with, "God resists the proud." Lord set me free. Pray for me; I need it!
D.M. (Disciple Maker)

An Open Letter to Pastors from Dr. Curt Scarborough

Dear Pastor - Friend,

You are one of several hundred ministers in Missouri and other states who receive "E-pistle" each week. Literally dozens of you have made it a point to thank me for the blessings and benefits you've received since we began publishing this "iron sharpens iron" newsletter in September, 2001.

If you are one of those who have been blessed by the FreeWay Foundation's ministry, I am asking you to express that appreciation by becoming a blessing to us in our time of need! I'm asking you to lead your church to make a one-time gift of $125.00 to support our drug and violence prevention programs in the public schools. You're $125 gift will support one of our "missionaries to the public schools" for one day . . . teaching in a half-dozen classes and impacting approximately 150 students.

We need extra help as we plan for the opening of schools in the fall because our income has fallen off dramatically in the last few months . . . and we need to add an additional prevention specialist to serve our increasing requests from the schools. We have a long waiting list of schools wanting us to come, but we simply do not have the necessary resources to respond.

Please consider earmarking a $125 gift from your missions budget to our work this month. Or perhaps you could take a special offering at the close of Sunday morning service?

As a reader of "E-pistle" (and its predecessor, "The Whetstone"), you know that this is the first appeal I've made to you in several years. Frankly, I had not planned to ask for help through this newsletter, and only a real emergency today could cause me to ask for a special gift from your church now. But the fact is, without scores of churches giving a one-time gift of $125 this summer, FreeWay Foundation will not be able to serve all the students in all the schools that have invited us to help do something about the rising tide of drugs and violence in our schools.

Thank you for ministering to our needs (if the Lord so leads), as we have ministered to your needs during these past months and years,

Blessings upon you!

Dr. Curt

P.S. As an expression of your appreciation for FreeWay Foundation's ministry to you through "e-pistle" . . . will you lead your church to help us in our need by sending a one-time gift of $125 to support a "missoinary to the public schools" for one day? Thank You.