E-pistle for October 21, 2005
Posted by: info <info@...>
Dr. Curt Scarborough, President
FreeWay Foundation October 21, 2005
Satan's Thorn . . . God's Grace
II Corinthians 12:1-13
Dr. Curt Scarborough (7-25-05)
I. Concentration: on the context of Paul's "thorn in the
flesh" statement
1. False apostles had impressed the Corinthian Christians with their
boasts of being superior to Paul, II Corinthians 11:3-5, 13-18.
2. Paul admitted that his boasting actually could be seen as foolish
and unprofitable, II Corinthians 11:21, 30; 12:1.
3. In addition to Paul's Hebrew pedigree and his years of experience
as a Christian missionary (II Corinthians 11:22-28, 32-33), Paul wrote
about being caught up into the third heaven (Paradise) and receiving
secret words of revelation (II Corinthians 12:1-4).
4. Paul spoke with careful reserve about his vision and revelation
from
the Lord, cautiously trying to avoid any prideful boasting,
II Corinthians 12:5-6.
II. Meditation: on why Paul carefully avoided any personal
boasting
1. Paul knew that boasting is the outward expression of the inward sin
of pride.
2. Paul knew, as a Pharisee and Old Testament scholar, that " pride
goes
before a fall" (Proverbs 16:19) AND THAT God hates "a proud look"
(Proverbs 6:16-17).
3. Paul knew that Satan's basic sin was pride (Isaiah 14:12-15;
Ezekiel 28:13-17).
4. Paul knew that Satan tempts man to become proud (I Timothy 3:6;
I John 2:16).
III. Revelation: on the divine purpose of Paul's "thorn in the
flesh"
1. The thorn is identified as an "infirmity" (II Corinthians 11:30;
12:9-10)
2. "Infirmity" literally means "no strength" or absence of strength .
. . a
physical weakness (". . . in the flesh").
3. The "thorn in the flesh" WAS GIVEN to Paul by a messenger (fallen
angel) of Satan, acting against Paul's physical body (under God's control
and with His permission).
4. Satan and his angels always are seeking to "steal, kill, and
destroy"
(John 10:10), but what Satan intended for Paul's harm (the "thorn" or
infirmity), God used as a protective measure to prevent Paul from
committing the sin of pride. The "thorn in the flesh" was a blessing, not
a curse; it was God's "way of escape" from temptation, Romans 8:28-29;
I Corinthians 10:13.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Avoid the deadly sin of spiritual pride: boasting about my visions
and
revelations from God. (See I Corinthians 4:7)
2. Realize that Satan's attacks on my physical body and/or upon my
soul
(my mind, emotions, and will) are strictly limited and under the control
of God; God promises that these attacks will not overwhelm me.
3. Recognize that Satan's bad things (curses) always are turned into
God's
good things (blessings); each and every event, situation, and circumstance
of my life is associated with both a spiritual lesson and a divine benefit.
The wonderful promise of God's wisdom is directly linked to receiving
an understanding regarding the divine purposes behind our trial and
testing experiences, James 1:2-5; I need to ask for such discernment,
expecting enlightenment through the Holy Spirit.
4. Discern the difference between indigestion and travail; rather than
my
extreme pain being a Satanic attack, it may be due to God's birthing of
something new and exciting in or through my life.
"For The Love Of Legs"
Dr. Curt Scarborough
You couldn't honestly call her beautiful. She's six feet
tall, weighs only 55 pounds.
That's not slender, or even painfully thin! She's downright bean-pole
skinny. But then,
greyhounds are supposed to look like that! Pointy nose, massive chest, and
long legs . . .
she'll run at a top speed of 45 miles per hour. For about two minutes, then
spend the rest
of the day lolly-gagging on the couch.
Her racing name was "Star Destiny," when we adopted her from a
dog track in
Florida, but one look assured us she had been misnamed. With those long
shapely gams,
I wanted to re-christen her "Betty Grable" but my wife nixed the idea. So
she became
"Legs" . . . short for her new AKC moniker "Lady Long Legs."
She's five years old now, this youngest member of our family.
We've had her
three years, or rather, she's had us! It was love at first sight . . . that
sleek white and fawn-
colored hound dog and the Scarboroughs. They say that dogs and owners tend
to
resemble each other, but so far that's not happening! Legs is long and
lanky, but my
wife and I . . . well, we're not!
Legs' love for me (you can see it in those huge brown eyes) is
unconditional . . .
whether I'm having a good day or a bad one, whether I'm totally ignoring her
or taking
her out for a long walk. And, if I'm not being blasphemous, her selfless
devotion reminds
me of God's love. Imagine! God loves me, for better or for worse! AGAPE
love, the
God-kind, always seeks the highest good of the other person, no matter what
he does. It
is self-sacrificing love that gives freely without asking anything in
return, and it does not
consider the worth of its object.
Paul wrote: "The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE . . .
" (Galatians 5:22)
Every individual who confesses faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord
belongs to
Christ and receives His Spirit, according to Romans 8:9, "If anyone does not
have the
Spirit of Christ, he is not His." In I Corinthians 12:2 we read: "No one
can say that
Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit." So, it is the indwelling Christ
who produces
the fruit of the Spirit. If we allow the Lord to grow and develop within
us, He reproduces
His wonderful character traits in our lives . . . His fruit of love, joy,
peace, and all the rest
listed in the Epistle to the Galatians.
Prayer for the Day: Lord, help me to yield my life to the indwelling Christ
so that His love may flow through my life to
bless
others around me today.
Pillsbury College & Seminary
Tuition Fees for 2005
The Board of Regents of the Pillsbury College & Seminary has established the
following
Tuition rates effective, January 1, 2005: Undergraduate tuition: $60 per
credit hour
Graduate-level tuition: $90 per credit hour
Christian Doctor of Philosophy (C.Ph.D.) or Doctor of Christian Counseling
(D.C.C.)
NCCA: 60 credit hours - $5,400
Terms: $900 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 30 months
Christian Master of Arts (C.M.A.) or Master of Christian Counseling (M.C.C.)
or Master of Christian Psychology (C.Psy.M.)
NCCA: 45 credit hours - $4,050
Terms: $750 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 22 months
Doctor of Christian Psychology (C.Psy.D.) (Second Doctorate Only)
NCCA: 48 credit hours - $4,320
Terms: $870 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 23 months
Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) in Biblical Counseling, Expository Studies, or
Christian Theology
48 credit hours - $4,320
Terms: $870 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 23 months
Master of Ministry (M.Min.) in Biblical Counseling, Expository Studies, or
Christian Theology
36 credit hours - $3,240
Terms: $690 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 17 months
Bachelor of Biblical Counseling (B.B.C.) or Bachelor of Biblical Studies
(B.B.S.)
Final Year: 32 credit hours - $1,920
Terms: $570 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 9 months
The $50 registration fee will be refunded if the applicant is not accepted
as a student.
Entering students who submit a registration form for a degree program will
have 60
days in which to complete the process, including the payment of the initial
fee. After
60 days, the entering student who has not completed the process will be
placed on
inactive status, the registration form will become invalid, and the $50
registration fee
will be forfeited.
Pillsbury College & Seminary is owned, controlled and operated by Freeway
Foundation,
a non-profit ministry which provides "practical teaching and training for
successful living."
The Foundation pays the salaries and benefits of Pillsbury's administration,
staff, and
faculty members. The College & Seminary is housed at no charge in Freeway
Foundation's spacious modern building on a beautiful 2-acre campus in
northwest
St. Louis County. Since the overhead costs of the school are minimal, these
substantial savings are passed along to the student in the form of lower
tuition rates.
--
To unsubscribe, send ANY messag