Epistle for February 13, 2004

#1 · February 12, 2004, 4:12 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on February 12, 2004, 4:12 pm
Posted by: info <info@...>

E-pistle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation February 13, 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This first quarter of 2004, I shall be sharing with you my "Personal & Practical" notes and applications on Genesis
13-24 and Matthew 1-13. (I used the first 12 chapters of Genesis in the "E-pistle" during December, 2001.)
I plan to continue these book studies in the Old and New Testaments for the next several months.
In This Issue:
Genesis 19:1-38
Matthew 7:1-29
Tuition at PIAC
Fire And Brimstone
(Genesis 19:1-38)
I. Concentration: on the sins of Sodom which deserved divine punishment
1. The two angels were sent to confirm the wickedness of Sodom, which the Lord already
had seen, Genesis 18:20-22; 19:1.
2. The angels stayed overnight at Lot's house and were attacked by the homosexual men of
the city, who were stricken blind, vv. 1-11.
3. The angels told Lot to gather his family to flee the doomed city, but his two sons-in-law
thought Lot was joking, vv. 12-16.
4. Lot continued to delay, and succeeded in bringing about a compromise: rather than fleeing
into the mountains, they were permitted to go into a little city named Zoar, vv. 17-23.
II. Meditation: on God's law of cause and effect
1. Sodom's wickedness ("Sodomy" = sexual intercourse between male human beings or with
animals) brought the burning fires of hell falling from heaven, vv. 24-25.
2. Lot's compromise with the citizens of Sodom cost him his influence with his family . . . both
sons-in-law scornfully laughed at him and refused to leave the city with their wives,
(See II Peter 2:6-8.)
3. Lot's wife "looked back" . . . (held back and/or turned back), and was overtaken and covered by
the burning pitch and sulfur, v. 26; Lot's wife actually lived, according to Jesus, Luke 17:28-29, 32.
4. Lot's daughters, who had grown up in a notorious sex-crazed society, got their father drunk, had
incestuous relations with him, and bore illegitimate children . . . whose descendants (Moab and
Ammon) were enemies of Israel for many centuries.
III. Revelation: on God's mercy and grace
1. The two angels could have annihilated the attacking Sodomites, but they only blinded them, v. 11.
2. In response to Abraham's intercession (Genesis 18:22-33), God had determined not to send
punishment on "righteous" Lot, v. 22.
3. The Lord continued to withhold sending judgment upon Sodom while Lot and his family delayed
their departure . . . finally the two angels had to literally drag Lot, his wife, and their two daughters
to safety, v. 16.
4. God allowed Lot to flee for safety to a small city, which probably had been originally marked for
destruction, vv. 21-22.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Avoid compromising my Christian convictions for the sake of economic gain, political power, or
worldly prestige.
2. Realize that God will surely bring about "payday someday".
3. Know that intercessory prayer does bring God's mercy and grace.
4. Advocate abstinence from alcohol . . . this is the second incident of a family-damaging
sin caused by drunkenness (Genesis 9:21; 19:32-35).

The Golden Rule in Proper Perspective
(Matthew 7:1-29)
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus taught His disciples the necessity of striking a balance between criticism,
perception, and discrimination/discernment, vv. 1-6.
2. Jesus taught His disciples to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking in prayer;
He taught them "The Golden Rule", vv. 7-12.
3. Jesus taught that only a minority of persons will travel on the road to spiritual life,
that persons can be known by their fruits, and that some persons will be false
disciples (hypocrites), vv. 13-23.
4. Jesus taught that persons who hear and obey His teachings are building their lives
on a solid rock, rather than building on sand; the people were astonished at Jesus'
teaching, because He taught with personal authority rather than citing other non-
biblical sources, vv. 24-29.
II. Meditation: on why His disciples should live the "THE GOLDEN RULE" (v. 12)
1. The Golden Rule begins with the word "THEREFORE," referring to the eleven verses
preceding; our actions (judging others, etc) will result in other persons treating us in
the same way we treated them.
2. We are blinded by our short-comings . . . therefore, we are incapable of discerning
fault in others . . . of correctly pronouncing judgment upon them as a judge passes
sentence upon a condemned felon.
3. God blesses us, not because we deserve it, but because He loves us; we are to
treat other undeserving people the same way God treats us.
4. Old Testament Law and Prophecy demand that we live this way.
III. Revelation: on the spiritual implications seen here
1. There is a spiritual law about action and reaction, cause and effect, v. 2.
2. Hypocrisy is a major sin; God demands sincerity and integrity.
3. Witnessing the gospel to contemptuous blasphemers cheapens the gospel, and
also is dangerous to us, v. 6; we must cultivate spiritual discernment as we
inspect the fruit of others.
4. The GOLDEN RULE applies to all people and situations which we encounter.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Avoid a fault-finding, judgmental spirit . . . it is un-Christian.
2. Remove the "plank" from my own eye by repentance and confession.
3. Exercise spiritual discernment, even in my witnessing and efforts to others.
4. Always, and in all ways, live by the GOLDEN RULE.

Earn Your M.A. or Ph.D. at Pillsbury Institute;
Become a Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor
M.A. in Christian Counseling Psychology (40 credits - $750 down)
Ph.D. in Christian Counseling Psychology (54 credits - $810 down)
Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity, St. Louis, offers pastoral counseling training at only $90 per credit hour. National Christian Counselors Association distance learning format allows completion within 12-16 months. Program includes basic and advanced curriculum, clinical supervision, practicums, thesis, NCCA licensure and board certification in your choice of eight counseling specializations.
For additional information, see www.pillsburyinstitute.org or phone toll-free: 1-888-737-3392.
Tuition Fees for 2004
The Board of Directors of the Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity has established the following tuition rates, effective January 1, 2004:
Undergraduate tuition: $60 per credit hour
Graduate-level tuition: $90 per credit hour
Ph.D. in Christian Counseling Psychology (54 credit hours) - $4,860
$810 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 27 months
M.A. in Christian Counseling Psychology (40 credit hours) - $3,600
$750 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 19 months
Psy.D. in Clinical Christian Counseling (42 credit hours) - $3,780
$780 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 20 months (SECOND DOCTORATE ONLY)
D.Min. in Biblical Counseling or Spiritual Mentoring (48 credit hours) - $4,320
$720 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 24 months
M.Min. in Biblical Counseling or Spiritual Mentoring (32 credit hours) - $2,880
$630 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 15 months
Bachelor of Biblical Counseling or Biblical Studies (final year: 32 credit hours) - $1,920
$570 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 9 months
Iron-clad Money-back Guarantee
* $50 registration fee will be refunded if the applicant is not accepted as a student
* Initial payment will be refunded - no questions asked - if the student decides to withdraw
for any reason within 30 days of registration.
* $50 graduation fee will be waived for students who complete their regular tuition
payments ahead of schedule.
NOTICE: 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.
These tuition fee increases are the first to be implemented since the Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity was founded in 1992. However, the costs still remain substantially lower than all other comparable distance learning graduate schools because Pillsbury Institute is owned, controlled, and operated by the FreeWay Foundation.
The FreeWay Foundation is a non-profit ministry which provides "practical teaching and training for successful living." The Foundation pays the salaries and benefits of Pillsbury Institute's administration, staff, and faculty members. The Institute 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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done
because he wants to do it."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by: info <info@...>

E-pistle

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation February 13, 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This first quarter of 2004, I shall be sharing with you my "Personal & Practical" notes and applications on Genesis
13-24 and Matthew 1-13. (I used the first 12 chapters of Genesis in the "E-pistle" during December, 2001.)
I plan to continue these book studies in the Old and New Testaments for the next several months.
In This Issue:
Genesis 19:1-38
Matthew 7:1-29
Tuition at PIAC
Fire And Brimstone
(Genesis 19:1-38)
I. Concentration: on the sins of Sodom which deserved divine punishment
1. The two angels were sent to confirm the wickedness of Sodom, which the Lord already
had seen, Genesis 18:20-22; 19:1.
2. The angels stayed overnight at Lot's house and were attacked by the homosexual men of
the city, who were stricken blind, vv. 1-11.
3. The angels told Lot to gather his family to flee the doomed city, but his two sons-in-law
thought Lot was joking, vv. 12-16.
4. Lot continued to delay, and succeeded in bringing about a compromise: rather than fleeing
into the mountains, they were permitted to go into a little city named Zoar, vv. 17-23.
II. Meditation: on God's law of cause and effect
1. Sodom's wickedness ("Sodomy" = sexual intercourse between male human beings or with
animals) brought the burning fires of hell falling from heaven, vv. 24-25.
2. Lot's compromise with the citizens of Sodom cost him his influence with his family . . . both
sons-in-law scornfully laughed at him and refused to leave the city with their wives,
(See II Peter 2:6-8.)
3. Lot's wife "looked back" . . . (held back and/or turned back), and was overtaken and covered by
the burning pitch and sulfur, v. 26; Lot's wife actually lived, according to Jesus, Luke 17:28-29, 32.
4. Lot's daughters, who had grown up in a notorious sex-crazed society, got their father drunk, had
incestuous relations with him, and bore illegitimate children . . . whose descendants (Moab and
Ammon) were enemies of Israel for many centuries.
III. Revelation: on God's mercy and grace
1. The two angels could have annihilated the attacking Sodomites, but they only blinded them, v. 11.
2. In response to Abraham's intercession (Genesis 18:22-33), God had determined not to send
punishment on "righteous" Lot, v. 22.
3. The Lord continued to withhold sending judgment upon Sodom while Lot and his family delayed
their departure . . . finally the two angels had to literally drag Lot, his wife, and their two daughters
to safety, v. 16.
4. God allowed Lot to flee for safety to a small city, which probably had been originally marked for
destruction, vv. 21-22.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Avoid compromising my Christian convictions for the sake of economic gain, political power, or
worldly prestige.
2. Realize that God will surely bring about "payday someday".
3. Know that intercessory prayer does bring God's mercy and grace.
4. Advocate abstinence from alcohol . . . this is the second incident of a family-damaging
sin caused by drunkenness (Genesis 9:21; 19:32-35).

The Golden Rule in Proper Perspective
(Matthew 7:1-29)
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus taught His disciples the necessity of striking a balance between criticism,
perception, and discrimination/discernment, vv. 1-6.
2. Jesus taught His disciples to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking in prayer;
He taught them "The Golden Rule", vv. 7-12.
3. Jesus taught that only a minority of persons will travel on the road to spiritual life,
that persons can be known by their fruits, and that some persons will be false
disciples (hypocrites), vv. 13-23.
4. Jesus taught that persons who hear and obey His teachings are building their lives
on a solid rock, rather than building on sand; the people were astonished at Jesus'
teaching, because He taught with personal authority rather than citing other non-
biblical sources, vv. 24-29.
II. Meditation: on why His disciples should live the "THE GOLDEN RULE" (v. 12)
1. The Golden Rule begins with the word "THEREFORE," referring to the eleven verses
preceding; our actions (judging others, etc) will result in other persons treating us in
the same way we treated them.
2. We are blinded by our short-comings . . . therefore, we are incapable of discerning
fault in others . . . of correctly pronouncing judgment upon them as a judge passes
sentence upon a condemned felon.
3. God blesses us, not because we deserve it, but because He loves us; we are to
treat other undeserving people the same way God treats us.
4. Old Testament Law and Prophecy demand that we live this way.
III. Revelation: on the spiritual implications seen here
1. There is a spiritual law about action and reaction, cause and effect, v. 2.
2. Hypocrisy is a major sin; God demands sincerity and integrity.
3. Witnessing the gospel to contemptuous blasphemers cheapens the gospel, and
also is dangerous to us, v. 6; we must cultivate spiritual discernment as we
inspect the fruit of others.
4. The GOLDEN RULE applies to all people and situations which we encounter.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Avoid a fault-finding, judgmental spirit . . . it is un-Christian.
2. Remove the "plank" from my own eye by repentance and confession.
3. Exercise spiritual discernment, even in my witnessing and efforts to others.
4. Always, and in all ways, live by the GOLDEN RULE.

Earn Your M.A. or Ph.D. at Pillsbury Institute;
Become a Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor
M.A. in Christian Counseling Psychology (40 credits - $750 down)
Ph.D. in Christian Counseling Psychology (54 credits - $810 down)
Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity, St. Louis, offers pastoral counseling training at only $90 per credit hour. National Christian Counselors Association distance learning format allows completion within 12-16 months. Program includes basic and advanced curriculum, clinical supervision, practicums, thesis, NCCA licensure and board certification in your choice of eight counseling specializations.
For additional information, see http://www.pillsburyinstitute.org or phone toll-free: 1-888-737-3392.
Tuition Fees for 2004
The Board of Directors of the Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity has established the following tuition rates, effective January 1, 2004:
Undergraduate tuition: $60 per credit hour
Graduate-level tuition: $90 per credit hour
Ph.D. in Christian Counseling Psychology (54 credit hours) - $4,860
$810 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 27 months
M.A. in Christian Counseling Psychology (40 credit hours) - $3,600
$750 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 19 months
Psy.D. in Clinical Christian Counseling (42 credit hours) - $3,780
$780 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 20 months (SECOND DOCTORATE ONLY)
D.Min. in Biblical Counseling or Spiritual Mentoring (48 credit hours) - $4,320
$720 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 24 months
M.Min. in Biblical Counseling or Spiritual Mentoring (32 credit hours) - $2,880
$630 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 15 months
Bachelor of Biblical Counseling or Biblical Studies (final year: 32 credit hours) - $1,920
$570 initial payment plus $150 monthly for 9 months
Iron-clad Money-back Guarantee
* $50 registration fee will be refunded if the applicant is not accepted as a student
* Initial payment will be refunded - no questions asked - if the student decides to withdraw
for any reason within 30 days of registration.
* $50 graduation fee will be waived for students who complete their regular tuition
payments ahead of schedule.
NOTICE: 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.
These tuition fee increases are the first to be implemented since the Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity was founded in 1992. However, the costs still remain substantially lower than all other comparable distance learning graduate schools because Pillsbury Institute is owned, controlled, and operated by the FreeWay Foundation.
The FreeWay Foundation is a non-profit ministry which provides "practical teaching and training for successful living." The Foundation pays the salaries and benefits of Pillsbury Institute's administration, staff, and faculty members. The Institute 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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done
because he wants to do it."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------