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E-pistle for February 10, 2006

#1 · February 10, 2006, 12:27 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on February 10, 2006, 12:27 pm
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E-pistle

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President
FreeWay Foundation February 10, 2006

The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon!

(Judges 7:1-25)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter

1. Gideon followed the Lord's instructions for raising an army,

reducing his recruits from 32,000 to 300 by eliminating those

soldiers who were fearful or careless, vv, 1-8.

2. On a reconnaissance mission, Gideon and several overheard

one Midianite telling another about his dream and interpreting

it to forecast the Israel would defeat Midian; returning to his

camp, Gideon worshipped God and prophesied victory to his

band, vv. 9-15.

3. Gideon organized, equipped, and trained his soldiers, ordering

them to: "Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come

to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do," vv. 16-18.

4. The 300 soldiers surrounded the Midianite camp at night, blew

trumpets, broke pitchers to expose their torches, and shouted:

"The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" . . . then every man

stood in his place and watched as the Midianites panicked and

ran, vv. 19-25.

II. Meditation: on words of wisdom for spiritual leaders

1. Do not make decisions based on human reasoning or tremble at

over-whelming odds; God's 300 defeated an army of 135,000,

Judges 8:10.

2. Listen to what your enemies say about you; you may gain valuable

insight or even spiritual encouragement.

3. Out of your private worship experiences, which have worked to

produce spiritual transformation in you, speak prophetic words

of promised victory to your followers.

4. Prepare your followers for spiritual warfare:

(1) Trumpet - a clarion call, sounding the "charge" into battle.

(2) Torch - a light of personal testimony, no longer hidden under

a pitcher, shining in a dark and perverse world, Philippians 2:15.

(3) Shout - a single message of God's deliverance,
spoken loudly

and clearly in unity.

(4) Example - an acceptance of the leadership responsibility to

serve as a role model: "Watch me; do as I do."

III. Revelation and Applications: as a follower (as well as
a leader), I need to . . .

1. Be courageous, alert, and teachable . . . following instructions
even if the

plan seems strange (based on my confidence that our leader had heard

from the Lord).

2. Watch and follow my spiritual leader's example, doing my part on
signal

as a good team-player.

3. Exalt the name of the Lord and honor the name of my earthly leader:
"The

sword of the Lord and of Gideon!"

4. Stand in my assigned place, faithfully carrying out my assigned
task . . .

watching with joy and thanksgiving as God wins the victory.

"The Hand-Made Valentine"

Dr. Curt Scarborough

It was a labor of love, that hand-crafted valentine card I made
for

Sara Lou in February of 1947. The red heart cut out of cheap construction

paper and pasted on a white doily actually looked more like a lop-sided
football.

But, it's the thought that counts, they say, and my thoughts were consumed
with

secret love for Miss SL. I carved the cryptic message "CS + SL" on my
school desk,

on one of Grandpa's oaks, and inside our out-house! Last time I looked, my

proclamation of undying love was still there . . . on the tree, I mean.

The desk and the privy and long-gone.

"Puppy love!" scoffed my mother, but Dad reminded her that
puppy love

is real to the puppy. "It was fatuation," crooned Nat King Cole, (or was
that

"fascination"?) Either way, the melody of that love ballad kept swirling
around

and around in my head whenever I laid eyes on Sara Lou. Curly hair! Rosy
cheeks!

Deep dimples! WOW!

It's a funny thing! I can't remember Sara Lou's last name. I
reckon it wasn't

that important, because I fully intended to give her mine! She never knew
that,

because I couldn't screw up enough courage to even say hello, much less give
her

my valentine! I discovered that undelivered 50-year-old card in a battered
schoolbook

recently. The poem printed on the red heart could have made me a fortune on

Madison Avenue, if only I'd had guts enough to put that jingle into
circulation!

My love-poem read:

"Everybody doesn't like somebody;

But nobody doesn't like Sara Lou!"

Paul warned against infatuation . . . literally, "foolish love."
He wrote:

"Perilous times will come; for men will be lovers of themselves . . . lovers
of money . . .

lovers of pleasure." (II Timothy 3:1-2, 4) All three of these "loves" are
idolatry,

because they replace God, who is to be the object of man's affection.
Christ

said it like this in His Sermon on the Mount: "You cannot serve God and
mammon

(material riches)." (Matthew 6:24) He warned, Take heed and beware of

covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things
he

posses." (Luke 12:15) Paul reminded Timothy, "The love of money if the
root of

evil." (I Timothy 6:10)

Quoting the Old Testament, Jesus taught, "You shall love the
Lord your

God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."
(Matthew 22:37)

He expanded on the law of Moses: "A new commandment I give to you, that you

love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another,"
(John 13:34)

Prayer for the day: Lord, help me to get my priorities straight by loving

You above everything and everyone . . . remembering

John's words: "We love Him (God) because He first loved

us." (I John 4:19)

Pillsbury College & Seminary

Pillsbury College & Seminary is offering full tuition scholarships to the
first 100

Bi-Vocational pastors who register in 2006.

Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Simply fill out the
Registration

Form that you can find at www.pillsburycs.org <www.pillsburycs.org/>
and mail it along with a $50

registration fee and you will receive your first textbooks, instructions,
and an

examination within approximately one week. You will also be contacted by

your personal mentor . . . an ordained minister who has been assigned by

Pillsbury College & Seminary to assist you in earning your Bachelor of
Biblical

Studies Degree.

If your have questions, please contact drcurt@pillsburycs.org or telephone

us at (314) 739-1121.

"Success is to be measured not so much by the

position that one has reached in life as by

the obstacles which he has overcome."

- Booker T. Washington

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To unsubscribe, send ANY messag

Posted by: info <info@...>

E-pistle

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President
FreeWay Foundation February 10, 2006

The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon!

(Judges 7:1-25)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter

1. Gideon followed the Lord's instructions for raising an army,

reducing his recruits from 32,000 to 300 by eliminating those

soldiers who were fearful or careless, vv, 1-8.

2. On a reconnaissance mission, Gideon and several overheard

one Midianite telling another about his dream and interpreting

it to forecast the Israel would defeat Midian; returning to his

camp, Gideon worshipped God and prophesied victory to his

band, vv. 9-15.

3. Gideon organized, equipped, and trained his soldiers, ordering

them to: "Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come

to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do," vv. 16-18.

4. The 300 soldiers surrounded the Midianite camp at night, blew

trumpets, broke pitchers to expose their torches, and shouted:

"The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" . . . then every man

stood in his place and watched as the Midianites panicked and

ran, vv. 19-25.

II. Meditation: on words of wisdom for spiritual leaders

1. Do not make decisions based on human reasoning or tremble at

over-whelming odds; God's 300 defeated an army of 135,000,

Judges 8:10.

2. Listen to what your enemies say about you; you may gain valuable

insight or even spiritual encouragement.

3. Out of your private worship experiences, which have worked to

produce spiritual transformation in you, speak prophetic words

of promised victory to your followers.

4. Prepare your followers for spiritual warfare:

(1) Trumpet - a clarion call, sounding the "charge" into battle.

(2) Torch - a light of personal testimony, no longer hidden under

a pitcher, shining in a dark and perverse world, Philippians 2:15.

(3) Shout - a single message of God's deliverance,
spoken loudly

and clearly in unity.

(4) Example - an acceptance of the leadership responsibility to

serve as a role model: "Watch me; do as I do."

III. Revelation and Applications: as a follower (as well as
a leader), I need to . . .

1. Be courageous, alert, and teachable . . . following instructions
even if the

plan seems strange (based on my confidence that our leader had heard

from the Lord).

2. Watch and follow my spiritual leader's example, doing my part on
signal

as a good team-player.

3. Exalt the name of the Lord and honor the name of my earthly leader:
"The

sword of the Lord and of Gideon!"

4. Stand in my assigned place, faithfully carrying out my assigned
task . . .

watching with joy and thanksgiving as God wins the victory.

"The Hand-Made Valentine"

Dr. Curt Scarborough

It was a labor of love, that hand-crafted valentine card I made
for

Sara Lou in February of 1947. The red heart cut out of cheap construction

paper and pasted on a white doily actually looked more like a lop-sided
football.

But, it's the thought that counts, they say, and my thoughts were consumed
with

secret love for Miss SL. I carved the cryptic message "CS + SL" on my
school desk,

on one of Grandpa's oaks, and inside our out-house! Last time I looked, my

proclamation of undying love was still there . . . on the tree, I mean.

The desk and the privy and long-gone.

"Puppy love!" scoffed my mother, but Dad reminded her that
puppy love

is real to the puppy. "It was fatuation," crooned Nat King Cole, (or was
that

"fascination"?) Either way, the melody of that love ballad kept swirling
around

and around in my head whenever I laid eyes on Sara Lou. Curly hair! Rosy
cheeks!

Deep dimples! WOW!

It's a funny thing! I can't remember Sara Lou's last name. I
reckon it wasn't

that important, because I fully intended to give her mine! She never knew
that,

because I couldn't screw up enough courage to even say hello, much less give
her

my valentine! I discovered that undelivered 50-year-old card in a battered
schoolbook

recently. The poem printed on the red heart could have made me a fortune on

Madison Avenue, if only I'd had guts enough to put that jingle into
circulation!

My love-poem read:

"Everybody doesn't like somebody;

But nobody doesn't like Sara Lou!"

Paul warned against infatuation . . . literally, "foolish love."
He wrote:

"Perilous times will come; for men will be lovers of themselves . . . lovers
of money . . .

lovers of pleasure." (II Timothy 3:1-2, 4) All three of these "loves" are
idolatry,

because they replace God, who is to be the object of man's affection.
Christ

said it like this in His Sermon on the Mount: "You cannot serve God and
mammon

(material riches)." (Matthew 6:24) He warned, Take heed and beware of

covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things
he

posses." (Luke 12:15) Paul reminded Timothy, "The love of money if the
root of

evil." (I Timothy 6:10)

Quoting the Old Testament, Jesus taught, "You shall love the
Lord your

God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."
(Matthew 22:37)

He expanded on the law of Moses: "A new commandment I give to you, that you

love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another,"
(John 13:34)

Prayer for the day: Lord, help me to get my priorities straight by loving

You above everything and everyone . . . remembering

John's words: "We love Him (God) because He first loved

us." (I John 4:19)

Pillsbury College & Seminary

Pillsbury College & Seminary is offering full tuition scholarships to the
first 100

Bi-Vocational pastors who register in 2006.

Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Simply fill out the
Registration

Form that you can find at http://www.pillsburycs.org <http://www.pillsburycs.org/>
and mail it along with a $50

registration fee and you will receive your first textbooks, instructions,
and an

examination within approximately one week. You will also be contacted by

your personal mentor . . . an ordained minister who has been assigned by

Pillsbury College & Seminary to assist you in earning your Bachelor of
Biblical

Studies Degree.

If your have questions, please contact drcurt@pillsburycs.org or telephone

us at (314) 739-1121.

"Success is to be measured not so much by the

position that one has reached in life as by

the obstacles which he has overcome."

- Booker T. Washington

--
To unsubscribe, send ANY messag