Fw: Epistle for January 4, 2002

#1 · January 3, 2002, 10:28 am

Quote from Forum Archives on January 3, 2002, 10:28 am
Posted by: ccfmo <ccfmo@...>

-----Original Message-----
From: ccfmo <[email protected]>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, January 03, 2002 2:20 PM
Subject: Epistle for January 4, 2002

e-pistle

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

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President January 4, 2002

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

In this issue:
Sermon: Jeremiah 29:11
Bible Study: Ruth 1
Prayer: a Spiritual Warfare
CCF merges with DATE to form "FreeWay Foundation"

"I Know the Plans I Have For You"
Jeremiah 29:11

The new millennium is here! We are in the 21st Century! What will these next years hold? What's ahead in 2002 ? God once made this promise to His people:

" For I know the plans I have for you,"
declares the Lord, "plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to
give your hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

I. God's plan includes PROVISION . . . "to prosper you"
These past few months have been lean and skinny ones financially for our ministry. But as income as decreased, intimacy with the Lord has increased because we have been driven to our knees in fervent prayer. No doubt, you have had similar experiences in your own life and work.
Through difficult days, we come to experience more deeply the faithfulness of God's providential care. Matthew 6:33 reminds us to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things (basic necessities) shall be added unto you." And Philippians 4:19 has proven to be absolutely trustworthy: "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Therefore, we enter 2002 confident that God will continue His provision for us and our ministries.

II. God's plan includes PROTECTION . . . "not to harm you"
Not only does God promise not to do us harm, He also promises to protect us from Satan and his followers who want to "steal, kill, and destroy" . . . steal our joy, kill our witness, and destroy our ministry.
Isn't it wonderful how Scriptures which are extremely familiar sometimes take on new vitality and meaning when difficulty arises? Psalm 23, for example, has brought me new faith to replace fear recently. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff comfort me." And Hebrews 13:5, 6 also spoke a fresh word: He Himself has said, ' I will never leave you nor forsake you,' so we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'"
Therefore, we may confidently enter 2002 knowing that God's hand is upon us to do us good!

III. God's plan includes PERSPECTIVE . . . "to give you hope"
Paul talks about being "hard-pressed . . . perplexed . . . persecuted . . . struck down," (II Corinthians 4:8,9). Such emotional, mental, spiritual and physical attacks tend to throw us into doubt, depression, and despondency. BUT GOD . . . doesn't that phrase thrill your heart? . . . But God gives His children a different outlook . . . and a new perspective.
His work affirms that "His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," I Peter 1:3. Paul in Romans 8:24, 25 writes, "For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope . . . but if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perservance."
Therefore, we enter 2002 with renewed hope; not yet seeing clearly, but persevering because we know God wants us to see and to know His plan for us. (See James 1:5). I'm praying that God's enlightenment may give all of us an ever brightening hope.

IV. God's plan includes PURPOSE . . . "to give you . . . a future"
Recently I heard someone say, "A man of God is invincible until God is finished accomplishing His purpose through him." I believe that's true of God-called people and of God-ordained ministries. Our future is as bright as the purposes of God.
Psalm 138:8 proclaims: " The Lord will perfect (fulfill) that which concerns me." And Philippians 1:6 also witnesses that God's plan includes a set purpose which shall be accomplished: "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
Therefore, we enter 2002 as people of destiny, with an assurance based not on knowing what the future holds, but on knowing Who holds our future. Come, let's walk with faith into the exciting unknown new year, into a new century and a new millennium!

NOW A FINAL AND PERSONAL WORD: God has a plan for YOUR life! A plan that includes His provision and His protection . . . a plan through which He brings you a new perspective and a renewed purpose. Find that plan . . . follow it . . . and true fulfillment will be yours in 2002 and all the years that follow.

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

Dr. James Hamlett, a pastor friend who serves on our Board of Directors, suggested that I include a bit of humor in the e-pistle. As many of you know, one of my hobbies is Mark Twain, so I plan to share some of his wit and wisecracks from week to week.

Twain said: "Adam was but human - this explains it all.
He did not want the apple for the apple's sake,
he wanted it only because it was forbidden.
The mistake was in not forbidding the serpent;
then he would have eaten the serpent.

Your People Shall Be My People
(Ruth 1:1-22)

I. Concentration: on the characters introduced in this chapter
1. Elimelech - a man of the tribe of Judah whose name means
"My God Is King," vv. 1-2.
2. Naomi - wife of Elimelech; her name means "Pleasant,
Delightful, and Lovely," v. 2.
3. Mahlon and Chilion - sons of Elimelech and Naomi; their names
mean "Weak, Sickly" and "Failing, Pining," v. 2.
4. Orpah and Ruth - Moabite women who married Mahlon and Chilion;
their names mean "Fawn" and "Friend," v. 4.

II. Meditation: on the background and circumstances of this book
1. The events described here occurred between the death of Joshua and the
birth of Samuel, about 1100 B.C. during the period of the Judges, v. 1.
2. Elimelech and his family were natives of Bethlehem in Judah, but due to a
famine they moved east of the Dead Sea into Moab, where Lot's descendants
had settled, v. 1; Genesis 19:30-38.
3. Within a ten year period in Moab, all three men died leaving Naomi, Orpah,
and Ruth widows, vv. 3-5.
4. Naomi heard that the famine in Judah was over, so she decided to return
to her homeland, v. 6.

III. Revelation: on the words of Naomi and Ruth
1. Naomi instructed her daughters-in-law to remain in Moab to find new
husbands there, vv. 7-13.
2. Orpah remained in Moab, but Ruth insisted on going to Judah with her
mother-in-law, Naomi, vv. 14-15.
3. Ruth's oft-quoted poem of commitment (vv. 16-17) reached beyond mere
emotion, family ties, and friendship; she expressed her personal faith in
the living Lord, invoking His name with an oath.
4. In contrast to Ruth, Naomi blamed God for the destructive and painful things
she had experienced, vv. 13, 19-22.

IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Deal kindly in the gentle Spirit of Christ with all persons, especially with
family members, such as in-laws, v. 8.
2. Choose to associate with persons who know and serve God.
3. Witness to non-believing family members; no doubt Ruth came to an
understanding of the Lord through the testimony of Naomi.
4. Do not blame God for the tragedies which occur in life; these occurrences
(famine, death, etc.) are a result of sin's presence on the earth as a
consequence of man's deliberate decision to rebel and disobey God, thus
removing himself from the protective canopy of God's blessings.

Prayer: a Spiritual Warfare
by: Dr. Edward A. Collins

George Barna, one of today's most astute observers of trends in churches and society, has identified a number of churches that stand out from the others because of the extraordinary vitality of the congregation and its positive impact on the surrounding community. He listed the features that these churches have in common. Prayer, he found, was foundational. "The call to prayer," Barna says, "was the battle cry of the congregation: it rallied the troops. These people understood the power of prayer."

It is vitally important for pastors to pray and to continue to increase in prayer. It is vitally important for pastors to discover and enlist Prayer Warriors to encircle them. But it is also vitally important for pastors to lead their church to pray. Pastors can delegate a great deal of the ministry of the church to staff and laymen, but the prayer ministry must be led by him.

The components of a dynamic prayer ministry will vary from church to church, but one ingredient is for the pastor to teach his congregation how to pray effectively. This will require personal experience not just head knowledge. Other components of an excellent prayer ministry can include: 1) a 24 hour prayer ministry; 2) a prayer room; 3) prayer chains; 4) prayer retreats; and specialized prayer teams in the areas of evangelism, missions, healing, and worship services.

A truly effective prayer ministry will include prayer events inside and outside the church building. God desires us to move our prayers into the community in which we live. Today there are some exciting and innovative ways to do this. Let me focus on four:
1. "Praise Marches" This event focuses on bringing the whole
Body of Christ together in agreement in public praise to God.
2. "Prayerwalks" These events can be done in a group or alone.
This event focuses primarily on neighborhoods.
3. "Prayer Expedition" This form of prayer focuses on a region:
metro area, county, state, or nation.
4. "Prayer Journey" This event focuses on a specific stronghold in
a community. A stronghold is a set of circumstances in the context
of human life that furnish demonic principalities and powers a legal
base on which to establish a center of operation. Adult bookstores,
high drug traffic areas, and etc. are such areas.

I encourage all pastors to lead their church to pray!

Christian Civic Foundation merges with
D.A.T.E. to form "FreeWay Foundation"

FreeWay Foundation was officially chartered in October, 2001 as a result of a merger aproved by the Trustees of the Boards of Directors of two established prevention organizations in Missouri: Christian Civic Foundation and Drug Alcohol Tobacco Education (D.A.T.E.) doing business as The FreeWay Project.

Christian Civic Foundation has roots which reach back into the 19th century. CCF's predecessor, Missouri Anti-Liquor League, was established in 1890 as the first such statewide organization to be chartered in the United States. The name changed to Missouri Anti-Saloon League in 1908, then to Missouri Temperance League in 1948. A group of concerned Christian people in St. Louis revitalized the organization in 1955 and changed its name to Christian Civic Foundation.

In 1975, DATE was incorporated as a separate and independent agency to continue CCF's pioneering educational programs designed to prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs by Missouri public school students. Then in 1996, DATE added violence prevention to its mission statement and began servicing public schools under a new name, The FreeWay Project.

During its 27 years of existence, DATE (FreeWay) has serviced more than 350 of Missouri's 525 public school districts, providing free classroom teachers, curriculum, and other materials for grades K-12. In little more than a quarter of a century, FreeWay has taught face-to-face almost 1.7 million students . . . an average of 170 pupils every day of the year for 27 years!

"This merger is not a weakening of our Christian roots or commitment or identity," said Dr. Curt Scarborough. "In fact, it is just the opposite! We will continue to function as a charitable Christian ministry, and our primary goal will remain unchanged: character building, for the glory of God."

Dr. Scarborough, chief executive officer of Christian Civic Foundation, will serve as president and chief executive officer of the new FreeWay Foundation. Dr. Sharon J. Bartlett, chief executive officer of D.A.T.E., will serve as senior vice president and chief financial officer of the new non-profit corporation. The mission statement of FreeWay Foundation is: "To enrich persons through character building and lifeskill development to make drug-free, addiction-free, violence-free choices for successful living."

FreeWay Foundation, with a unified board and budget, will continue CCF's same 111-year old mission and message. The structure of the merged organization simply will emphasize clearly and plainly that the new foundation exists to serve two major target audiences: the Christian community and the public sector.

"FreeWay Ministries" is the name of the group of services and products designed for use in the Christian community (in churches and homes). These resources include: Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity, "Personal & Practical" Bible study materials, Fellowship of Christian Educators, Family Enrichment Workshops, drug and violence Prevention Specialists to teach in Sunday School classes, VBS, and church camps (grades K-12), and "epistle" - the weekly e-mail newsletter for pastors, counselors, and other ministers.

"FreeWay Projects" is the name of the group of services and products designed for use in the public sector (in schools and secular orgaizations). These resources include: drug and violence Prevention Specialists to teach in public school classrooms (grades K-12), FreeWay K-12 drug prevention curriculum. Peacemakers K-12 violence prevention curriculum, public school faculty in-service workshops, community awareness seminars, the weekly e-mail newsletter, "e-quipper", for teachers counselors, and school administrators.

The mirror-image initials (FF) form the handle of FreeWay Foundation's burning torch logomark. It symbolizes the torch of freedom and the light of truth. ("The truth shall make you free!" John 8:32.) The logo also symbolizes the fire of God's presence and the altar of sacrificial service. The eight tongues of flame arising from the torch represent the eight Bible-based lifeskills which are the basis of all the programs, services, curriculum, and prevention materials offered by FreeWay Foundation.

Posted by: ccfmo <ccfmo@...>

-----Original Message-----
From: ccfmo <[email protected]>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, January 03, 2002 2:20 PM
Subject: Epistle for January 4, 2002

e-pistle

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

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President January 4, 2002

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

In this issue:
Sermon: Jeremiah 29:11
Bible Study: Ruth 1
Prayer: a Spiritual Warfare
CCF merges with DATE to form "FreeWay Foundation"

"I Know the Plans I Have For You"
Jeremiah 29:11

The new millennium is here! We are in the 21st Century! What will these next years hold? What's ahead in 2002 ? God once made this promise to His people:

" For I know the plans I have for you,"
declares the Lord, "plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to
give your hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

I. God's plan includes PROVISION . . . "to prosper you"
These past few months have been lean and skinny ones financially for our ministry. But as income as decreased, intimacy with the Lord has increased because we have been driven to our knees in fervent prayer. No doubt, you have had similar experiences in your own life and work.
Through difficult days, we come to experience more deeply the faithfulness of God's providential care. Matthew 6:33 reminds us to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things (basic necessities) shall be added unto you." And Philippians 4:19 has proven to be absolutely trustworthy: "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Therefore, we enter 2002 confident that God will continue His provision for us and our ministries.

II. God's plan includes PROTECTION . . . "not to harm you"
Not only does God promise not to do us harm, He also promises to protect us from Satan and his followers who want to "steal, kill, and destroy" . . . steal our joy, kill our witness, and destroy our ministry.
Isn't it wonderful how Scriptures which are extremely familiar sometimes take on new vitality and meaning when difficulty arises? Psalm 23, for example, has brought me new faith to replace fear recently. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff comfort me." And Hebrews 13:5, 6 also spoke a fresh word: He Himself has said, ' I will never leave you nor forsake you,' so we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'"
Therefore, we may confidently enter 2002 knowing that God's hand is upon us to do us good!

III. God's plan includes PERSPECTIVE . . . "to give you hope"
Paul talks about being "hard-pressed . . . perplexed . . . persecuted . . . struck down," (II Corinthians 4:8,9). Such emotional, mental, spiritual and physical attacks tend to throw us into doubt, depression, and despondency. BUT GOD . . . doesn't that phrase thrill your heart? . . . But God gives His children a different outlook . . . and a new perspective.
His work affirms that "His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," I Peter 1:3. Paul in Romans 8:24, 25 writes, "For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope . . . but if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perservance."
Therefore, we enter 2002 with renewed hope; not yet seeing clearly, but persevering because we know God wants us to see and to know His plan for us. (See James 1:5). I'm praying that God's enlightenment may give all of us an ever brightening hope.

IV. God's plan includes PURPOSE . . . "to give you . . . a future"
Recently I heard someone say, "A man of God is invincible until God is finished accomplishing His purpose through him." I believe that's true of God-called people and of God-ordained ministries. Our future is as bright as the purposes of God.
Psalm 138:8 proclaims: " The Lord will perfect (fulfill) that which concerns me." And Philippians 1:6 also witnesses that God's plan includes a set purpose which shall be accomplished: "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
Therefore, we enter 2002 as people of destiny, with an assurance based not on knowing what the future holds, but on knowing Who holds our future. Come, let's walk with faith into the exciting unknown new year, into a new century and a new millennium!

NOW A FINAL AND PERSONAL WORD: God has a plan for YOUR life! A plan that includes His provision and His protection . . . a plan through which He brings you a new perspective and a renewed purpose. Find that plan . . . follow it . . . and true fulfillment will be yours in 2002 and all the years that follow.

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

Dr. James Hamlett, a pastor friend who serves on our Board of Directors, suggested that I include a bit of humor in the e-pistle. As many of you know, one of my hobbies is Mark Twain, so I plan to share some of his wit and wisecracks from week to week.

Twain said: "Adam was but human - this explains it all.
He did not want the apple for the apple's sake,
he wanted it only because it was forbidden.
The mistake was in not forbidding the serpent;
then he would have eaten the serpent.

Your People Shall Be My People
(Ruth 1:1-22)

I. Concentration: on the characters introduced in this chapter
1. Elimelech - a man of the tribe of Judah whose name means
"My God Is King," vv. 1-2.
2. Naomi - wife of Elimelech; her name means "Pleasant,
Delightful, and Lovely," v. 2.
3. Mahlon and Chilion - sons of Elimelech and Naomi; their names
mean "Weak, Sickly" and "Failing, Pining," v. 2.
4. Orpah and Ruth - Moabite women who married Mahlon and Chilion;
their names mean "Fawn" and "Friend," v. 4.

II. Meditation: on the background and circumstances of this book
1. The events described here occurred between the death of Joshua and the
birth of Samuel, about 1100 B.C. during the period of the Judges, v. 1.
2. Elimelech and his family were natives of Bethlehem in Judah, but due to a
famine they moved east of the Dead Sea into Moab, where Lot's descendants
had settled, v. 1; Genesis 19:30-38.
3. Within a ten year period in Moab, all three men died leaving Naomi, Orpah,
and Ruth widows, vv. 3-5.
4. Naomi heard that the famine in Judah was over, so she decided to return
to her homeland, v. 6.

III. Revelation: on the words of Naomi and Ruth
1. Naomi instructed her daughters-in-law to remain in Moab to find new
husbands there, vv. 7-13.
2. Orpah remained in Moab, but Ruth insisted on going to Judah with her
mother-in-law, Naomi, vv. 14-15.
3. Ruth's oft-quoted poem of commitment (vv. 16-17) reached beyond mere
emotion, family ties, and friendship; she expressed her personal faith in
the living Lord, invoking His name with an oath.
4. In contrast to Ruth, Naomi blamed God for the destructive and painful things
she had experienced, vv. 13, 19-22.

IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Deal kindly in the gentle Spirit of Christ with all persons, especially with
family members, such as in-laws, v. 8.
2. Choose to associate with persons who know and serve God.
3. Witness to non-believing family members; no doubt Ruth came to an
understanding of the Lord through the testimony of Naomi.
4. Do not blame God for the tragedies which occur in life; these occurrences
(famine, death, etc.) are a result of sin's presence on the earth as a
consequence of man's deliberate decision to rebel and disobey God, thus
removing himself from the protective canopy of God's blessings.

Prayer: a Spiritual Warfare
by: Dr. Edward A. Collins

George Barna, one of today's most astute observers of trends in churches and society, has identified a number of churches that stand out from the others because of the extraordinary vitality of the congregation and its positive impact on the surrounding community. He listed the features that these churches have in common. Prayer, he found, was foundational. "The call to prayer," Barna says, "was the battle cry of the congregation: it rallied the troops. These people understood the power of prayer."

It is vitally important for pastors to pray and to continue to increase in prayer. It is vitally important for pastors to discover and enlist Prayer Warriors to encircle them. But it is also vitally important for pastors to lead their church to pray. Pastors can delegate a great deal of the ministry of the church to staff and laymen, but the prayer ministry must be led by him.

The components of a dynamic prayer ministry will vary from church to church, but one ingredient is for the pastor to teach his congregation how to pray effectively. This will require personal experience not just head knowledge. Other components of an excellent prayer ministry can include: 1) a 24 hour prayer ministry; 2) a prayer room; 3) prayer chains; 4) prayer retreats; and specialized prayer teams in the areas of evangelism, missions, healing, and worship services.

A truly effective prayer ministry will include prayer events inside and outside the church building. God desires us to move our prayers into the community in which we live. Today there are some exciting and innovative ways to do this. Let me focus on four:
1. "Praise Marches" This event focuses on bringing the whole
Body of Christ together in agreement in public praise to God.
2. "Prayerwalks" These events can be done in a group or alone.
This event focuses primarily on neighborhoods.
3. "Prayer Expedition" This form of prayer focuses on a region:
metro area, county, state, or nation.
4. "Prayer Journey" This event focuses on a specific stronghold in
a community. A stronghold is a set of circumstances in the context
of human life that furnish demonic principalities and powers a legal
base on which to establish a center of operation. Adult bookstores,
high drug traffic areas, and etc. are such areas.

I encourage all pastors to lead their church to pray!

Christian Civic Foundation merges with
D.A.T.E. to form "FreeWay Foundation"

FreeWay Foundation was officially chartered in October, 2001 as a result of a merger aproved by the Trustees of the Boards of Directors of two established prevention organizations in Missouri: Christian Civic Foundation and Drug Alcohol Tobacco Education (D.A.T.E.) doing business as The FreeWay Project.

Christian Civic Foundation has roots which reach back into the 19th century. CCF's predecessor, Missouri Anti-Liquor League, was established in 1890 as the first such statewide organization to be chartered in the United States. The name changed to Missouri Anti-Saloon League in 1908, then to Missouri Temperance League in 1948. A group of concerned Christian people in St. Louis revitalized the organization in 1955 and changed its name to Christian Civic Foundation.

In 1975, DATE was incorporated as a separate and independent agency to continue CCF's pioneering educational programs designed to prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs by Missouri public school students. Then in 1996, DATE added violence prevention to its mission statement and began servicing public schools under a new name, The FreeWay Project.

During its 27 years of existence, DATE (FreeWay) has serviced more than 350 of Missouri's 525 public school districts, providing free classroom teachers, curriculum, and other materials for grades K-12. In little more than a quarter of a century, FreeWay has taught face-to-face almost 1.7 million students . . . an average of 170 pupils every day of the year for 27 years!

"This merger is not a weakening of our Christian roots or commitment or identity," said Dr. Curt Scarborough. "In fact, it is just the opposite! We will continue to function as a charitable Christian ministry, and our primary goal will remain unchanged: character building, for the glory of God."

Dr. Scarborough, chief executive officer of Christian Civic Foundation, will serve as president and chief executive officer of the new FreeWay Foundation. Dr. Sharon J. Bartlett, chief executive officer of D.A.T.E., will serve as senior vice president and chief financial officer of the new non-profit corporation. The mission statement of FreeWay Foundation is: "To enrich persons through character building and lifeskill development to make drug-free, addiction-free, violence-free choices for successful living."

FreeWay Foundation, with a unified board and budget, will continue CCF's same 111-year old mission and message. The structure of the merged organization simply will emphasize clearly and plainly that the new foundation exists to serve two major target audiences: the Christian community and the public sector.

"FreeWay Ministries" is the name of the group of services and products designed for use in the Christian community (in churches and homes). These resources include: Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity, "Personal & Practical" Bible study materials, Fellowship of Christian Educators, Family Enrichment Workshops, drug and violence Prevention Specialists to teach in Sunday School classes, VBS, and church camps (grades K-12), and "epistle" - the weekly e-mail newsletter for pastors, counselors, and other ministers.

"FreeWay Projects" is the name of the group of services and products designed for use in the public sector (in schools and secular orgaizations). These resources include: drug and violence Prevention Specialists to teach in public school classrooms (grades K-12), FreeWay K-12 drug prevention curriculum. Peacemakers K-12 violence prevention curriculum, public school faculty in-service workshops, community awareness seminars, the weekly e-mail newsletter, "e-quipper", for teachers counselors, and school administrators.

The mirror-image initials (FF) form the handle of FreeWay Foundation's burning torch logomark. It symbolizes the torch of freedom and the light of truth. ("The truth shall make you free!" John 8:32.) The logo also symbolizes the fire of God's presence and the altar of sacrificial service. The eight tongues of flame arising from the torch represent the eight Bible-based lifeskills which are the basis of all the programs, services, curriculum, and prevention materials offered by FreeWay Foundation.