Epistle for December 26, 2007
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E-pistle
Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation December 26, 2007
From Nazareth To Bethlehem
Luke 1 & 2
Dr. Curt Scarborough
Written in January 1998
Lately, the headlines have been full of the story of the woman who gave
birth to seven children at one time. Imagine the feeding and changing of 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 2:5-6 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 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." "Delivery" means "to set free; to bring forth." The
process of giving birth to a child and giving birth to a God-given vision of destiny are
similar. Both involve four stages.
1. 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.
2. PREGNANCY -
Gestation takes a period of time . . . nine months for human beings. Vision,
also, take 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.
3. 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. One word of caution: beware
of "false labor." Before giving birth to a God-conceived idea, make certain that
it has gone full term . . . achieved the development necessary for its life to be
sustained in the "real world."
4. 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 a tiny seed into a fully-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.
"Like Your Mother Is Watching"
by: Harvey Mackay
I had the great honor several months ago of being inducted into my high
school Hall of Fame at St. Paul Central in St. Paul, MN. Previous honorees include
Charles Schulz, creator of the Peanuts cartoon strip; Richard Schulze, founder and
chairman of Best Buy; and Dave Winfield, a member of Major League Baseball's
Hall of Fame. About 500 selected students were invited to the auditorium for the
ceremony and to hear a few remarks from this year's recipients. I shared four ideas
with students:
1) Believe in yourself – even when no one else does.
2) Don't quit.
3) There is no "I" in team.
4) Act like your mother is watching.
Unfortunately, the business community does not get stellar grades for ethics the past
few years. Too many companies have tried to fool the public.
Ethics and integrity must be the cornerstone of your existence. If you want your
employees to tell the truth, a company better start by being truthful with its employees.
Our mission statement at MackayMitchell Envelope Co. is: "To be in business forever."
What does that mean? It stands for no hidden liabilities; no cutting corners; no small
print; no red flags. We in the business community need to set a good example for our
young people.
Mackays Morals: Never lie to your mother - - or anyone else.
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