E-pistle for October 7, 2005
Posted by: info <info@...>
Dr. Curt Scarborough, President
Freeway Foundation October 7. 2005
God Does Nothing Except In Answer To Prayer
Dr. Curt Scarborough
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit."
Ephesians 6:18
I. Concentration: on Matthew 6:10
"Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
1. Jesus taught us to pray for His rule to be established here and now
. . . on
earth (in a specific situation) in the immediate present.
2. God's will now is being done immediately in heaven . . . and
ultimately His
will shall be done on earth; however, here Jesus is teaching us to pray for
Father's divine kingdom rule to be established in a localized, personalized
setting today.
3. Jesus taught us to pray for things within the Father's will; and,
He
promised we will receive them. This promise includes the establishment
of kingdom rule here and now on earth (overcoming Satan's present
dominion through Christ's victory).
4. The implication is that when we pray for God's kingdom to come into
a
situation, it will come . . . and if we do not pray, it won't come.
(Otherwise
why pray?)
II. Meditation: on Romans 8:26-29
"The spirit also helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what
we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches
the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes
intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know
that all thing work together for good to those who love God, to those
who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew,
He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son."
1. Note that the precious promise (v. 28) is connected to Holy
Spirit-assisted
prayer (vv. 26-27).
2. All things do not work together for good in this world . . . not
automatically!
But intercession, energized by the Holy Spirit, and brought to bear on
situations that we don't understand, can and does bring the entry of God's
purpose . . . and "all things work together for good."
3. Intercessory prayer is not the pivotal point, determining whether
God's
"good" shall penetrate "all things" or not.
4. As intercession occurs, and as we partner with the Holy Spirit in
our prayer
role, we allow the likeness of God's Son to be developed in us (v. 29).
III. Revelation: on Ezekiel 22:30
"I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in
the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it;
but I found none."
1. Ezekiel described Israel's sins in verses 23-29, then quoted God as
looking
for a man who would pray. This clearly is intercessory prayer: standing
before God on behalf of others.
2. The implication is that if God had found only one person who would
pray,
He would not have destroyed the land.
3. However, the passage concludes: "But I found no one. Therefore, I
have
poured out My indignation on them . . . " (vv. 30-31).
4. Here the merciful God looked for someone to pray for Him to spare
the
nation, but without such intercession, God could not (would not) save them.
IV. Applications: on Amos 3:7
"Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to
His servants the prophets."
1. It is God's will for His kingdom rule to be established here and
now (in our
local, personal setting) . . . if we pray for it according to the Model
Prayer
(Matthew 6:10).
2. As we pray, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, God's will and
purpose
are fulfilled (His kingdom comes) . . . "all things work together for good"
. . . and we as intercessors become conformed to the image of Jesus
Romans 8:26-29).
3. God has ordained this intended order: The Lord has all power and
authority to make things happen, but in His grace He invites us to
participate in fulfilling His will. If we choose not to become involved,
His purpose is not accomplished . . . or He enlists someone else to pray
and be blessed. We can not make things happen (God does!), but through
our prayers of faith, we are privileged to release what God has desired
(willed) to be accomplished (Ezekiel 22:30).
4. In many cases, you and I are the only people ("servants") whom God
has
on the scene who have sufficient sensitivity/perception ("prophets") to
know what He wants to do in a specific situation (Amos 3:7). Then when
we pray according to the Lord's will and purpose, it is accomplished
by His power and for His glory.
"Applause! Applause!"
Dr. Curt Scarborough
As a music major in a large seminary in Texas, I was required to perform on
stage
from time to time. I'll never forget (although God knows, I've tried) my
first attempt to play
that concert grand piano before a captive audience of fellow students,
faculty members,
friends and family.
About three bars into my memorized Bach piece, my mind went
totally blank.
After a few vain attempts at starting over, I went into my Victor Borge
routine, which I had
practiced and polished far more than J.S. Bach. I did about five minutes,
rose and bowed,
and left the stage amid thunderous . . . undeserved . . . applause!
Paul wrote, "Whatever things are praiseworthy . . . meditate on
these things."
(Philippians 4:8) Obviously, praiseworthy means "meritorious; deserving of
commendation, approval, or admiration." That's applause, just plain
applause . . . the
kind I received that fateful day in Fort Worth. (Incidentally, I never was
invited back for
an encore piano performance . . . something about dignity and decorum, I
think!)
But the Apostle included far more than mere applause here. He
soared high
above the earthly realm into the heavenly plane, to include the idea of
glorification and
worship, due only to Almighty God.
"Praiseworthy" occurs only twice in the New International
Version of the Bible:
in Philippians 4 and in Psalm 78. All 72 verses of the 78th Psalm deserve
attention, but
space allows only this brief quote from verse 4: "We will tell the next
generation the
praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done."
Paul encouraged the Philippian Christians to meditate on eight
worthwhile things.
Last but not least of the group, he mentions "praiseworthy" things . . .
those powerful,
wonderful deeds of the Lord. Just think about what God has done for us!
Believers also may be praised for their commendable, meritorious
service, as
Peter suggests in I Peter 1:7. However, anything praiseworthy which we may
have
accomplished is due entirely to God's grace and gifting. Only through
Christ can we
"do all things" . . . for He strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13) In fact,
whatever success
we may have achieved in our chosen profession, it was God who gave us the
power
to do it. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
PRAYER FOR THE DAY: Lord, you are worthy of my praise! Empower me, through
the
Holy Spirit, so that someday I may
hear Your words of praise:
"Well done, good and faithful
servant."
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.
"Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with
each other, so we can have some conversation."
-Judith Martin (Miss Manners)
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