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E-pistle

                          Dr. Curt Scarborough, President                   FreeWay Foundation                     December 22, 2006

From Nazareth To Bethlehem

Luke 1:31 & 2:6-7

        Do you remember the headlines of the story of the woman who gave birth

to seven children at one time?  Imagine feeding and changing seven infants!  Not

to mention the future trials of having seven teenagers in the same house . . . or

sending seven students to college the same year!

        Luke 1:31 and 2:6-7 tell us of the most significant birth in human history:

                "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth

                a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus . . . So it was,

                that while they were there, the days were completed for

                her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn

                Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him

                in a manger,"  (NKJV)

        Conception and delivery are key words associated both with having a baby

and with having a vision . . . a divinely-inspired idea; a spiritual revelation.  The

word "conceive" means "to take in."  Both involve four stages.

Conception –

In Mary's case, she was willing (Luke 1:38) for the Holy Spirit to "come upon"

her and the power of the Highest to "overshadow" her (Luke 1:35).

        Conception of a child (or of a vision) requires an outside-of-self agent . . . "to

take in."  Just as a woman cannot impregnate herself, neither can a person produce

a true "vision" without God's creative activity.

Pregnancy –

        Gestation takes a period of time . . .nine months for human beings.  Vision, also,

takes time to develop before it sees the light of day.

        That period is a time of growth, of discomfort, of stretching.  In the spiritual

realm, as well as in the physical pregnancy changes the way a person eats, looks, feels,

and walks.

Travail –

        Birth pains signal that the time is near for the child to be born.  Similarly, inner

turmoil usually precedes the birth of a vision.

Delivery –

        At birth, a child is "brought forth"  . . . "set free."  No longer does it remain safe

and secure within the mother's womb.

        With every God-inspired idea, there comes the "fullness of time" (Galatians 4:4)

when the concept has grown from tiny seed into a full-formed vision of destiny. 

According to God's timetable, it is then ready to be brought forth and set free . . .

publicly presented and introduced.

        A final word:  Both a newborn infant and a God-inspired vision must have

a healthy environment, adequate nourishment, and continual intensive care. 

Without these, rather than developing into full maturity and fruitful productivity,

such "children" will starve and die.

Jesus' First Words on His "Birthday"

(Hebrews 10:1-39)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration:  on the contents of this chapter

        1.   Animal sacrifices are insufficient to obtain forgiveness of sin, vv. 1-4.

        2.   Christ's sacrificial death fulfills the will of God and perfects those

              being sanctified, vv. 5-18.

3.      Therefore, draw near to God, hold fast to your confession, and encourage

one another toward good works, vv. 19-25.

4.      Judgment is coming and vengeance is the Lord's; believers must endure

with confidence, vv. 26-39.

II.  Meditation:  on "When He came into the world, He said:"  (v. 5)

1.      "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire . . . or take pleasure in," vv. 5-6.
2.      "A body You have prepared for Me," v. 5.
3.      "In the volume of the book (Old Testament prophesy) it is written of Me," v. 7.
4.      "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God," v. 7.

III.  Observations:  on the Son's doing the Father's will

1.      The Son cannot do anything of Himself; He only does what He sees the

Father do, John 5:19.

2.      The Son does not speak His own will, but the Father's; the Son hears and

judges rightly because He listens to the Father, John 5:30.

3.      The Son's purpose in coming from heaven was to do the will of the Father

Who sent Him, John 6:38.

4.      The Son does nothing of Himself, but He does and speaks what the Father

taught Him; the Father is present with him because the Son always does

the things that please the Father, John 8:28-29.

IV.  Revelation:  therefore, the church's response ("let us") is . . .

1.      Let us draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith, v. 22.
2.      Let us hold fast to the hope we profess, v. 23.
3.      Let us stir up (encourage) one another to love and good works, v. 24.
4.      Let us continue meeting together regularly, exhorting one another to expect

Christ's return, v. 25.

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

        1.   See beyond the physical realm to perceive God's hand at work in the spiritual

              realm . . . and participate to accomplish His purposes.

2.      Listen carefully to the Father's revelation; find and do His will.
3.      Realize that my ultimate purpose and destiny is to do God's will.
4.      Recognize that anything good I may accomplish is due to the Spirit of God

working within me.

Prayer:  "Lord, help me to grow toward being able to say truthfully, with you,

          'I always do those things that please God,'"  John 8:29

"Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl.  But

it warmed more than your body.  It warmed your heart . . . Filled it, too, with melody

that would last forever."  Bess Streeter Aldrich

"From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another.  The warmth

and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other."  Emily Matthews

All the staff at FreeWay Foundation

and Pillsbury College & Seminary

wish you and your family a

"Merry Christmas"

and

"A Happy and Blessed

New Year"

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