Epistle for January 30, 2004

#1 · January 30, 2004, 6:32 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on January 30, 2004, 6:32 pm
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E-pistle

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

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation January 30, 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:
Genesis17:1-27
Matthew 5:1-48
New Tuition for PIAC
Circumcision: God's Covenant Sign
(Genesis 17:1-27)
I. Concentration: on the drastic changes initiated by God in this chapter
1. God changed Abram (Father is exalted) to Abraham (Father of a multitude) v. 5.
Sarai was changed to Sarah (Princess), v. 15.
2. God re-established His everlasting covenant with Abraham, vv. 2, 6-9.
3. The Lord put into place the covenant sign: circumcision, vv. 10-14, 23-27.
4. The Lord named the coming son of promise Isaac ("Laughter"), vv. 17-21.
II. Meditation: on the spiritual significance of these events
1. Both Abram and Sarai underwent a spiritual change by the power of God . . .
characterized by an "h" being added to their original names. (Abraham and Sarah).
The "H" sound in Hebrew represents the wind or breath of God, so perhaps these
name changes signified the entry of the Holy Spirit into their beings?
2. God's continual repetition and expansion of His covenant promises to Abraham
(Genesis 12, 13, 15, and 17) signified the Lord's determination to encourage Abraham's
faith and hope that His promises surely would be fulfilled.
3. Circumcision became the sign of God's covenant with Abraham's descendants; Abraham
and his family all were circumcised on the same day, vv. 24-27.
4. Isaac, Abraham's second son, was chosen to receive God's covenant blessings, rather
than his first son, Ishmael. (See Galatians 4:22-31.)
III. Revelation: on the lessons of circumcision
1. It involves shedding of blood - a ceremony of initiation into the Hebrew nation, sealed with
blood . . . the life of the flesh, Leviticus 17:11.
2. It involves cutting away flesh - signifying the removal of a physical part to allow the
magnification of the spiritual part of man.
3. It involves pain and suffering - the rite always includes a sacrifice through which a person
can move into a healing, joyful relationship with God.
4. It involves the reproductive organ - the act of surgically removing the foreskin of the male
genital organ is connected to the process of human procreation.
Note this spiritual picture: Abraham was circumcised (entered God's community of faith)
BEFORE he fathered Isaac, vv. 21, 26. Spiritual relationship precedes productivity!
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Allow God's indwelling Spirit to totally transform my life, II Corinthians 5:17.
2. Conform to God's sovereign plan, not insisting on my own will and way.
3. Base my faith and hope on the sure foundation of God's word.
4. Identify the Old Testament covenant sign (circumcision) with the New Testament covenant
sign (baptism) . . . being spiritually "circumcised" in ears, eyes, lips, and heart.
Deuteronomy 10:16; Exodus 6:12; Jeremiah 4:4; 6:10; Romans 2:27-28; I Peter 3:21

How To Treat Your Enemies
(Matthew 5:1-48

I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus taught His disciples the characteristics of citizens of the kingdom of
God . . . "THE BEATITUDES", vv. 1-12.
2. Jesus characterized His followers as "SALT OF THE EARTH" and "LIGHT OF THE
WORLD," vv.13-20.
3. Jesus stated that He had come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets; He taught that
murder and adultery begin in the heart, and He taught the deeper meaning of
divorce and oath-taking, vv. 21-27.
4. Jesus taught "TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK" . . . "GOING THE SECOND MILE"
. . . "LOVING ONE'S ENEMIES"; He challenged His disciples to be perfect as
God is perfect, vv. 38-48.
II. Observations: on what Jesus taught about dealing with one's enemies
1. He contradicted "an eye for an eye" reactions, vv. 38-39; see Exodus 21:24
2. He taught peaceful non-resistance toward persecutors, v. 39.
3. Further, He taught His disciples to return good for evil, vv. 39-44.
4. He taught them to love, not hate, their enemies, v. 43.
III. Meditation: on what Jesus commanded specifically in verse 44
1. LOVE your enemies.
2. BLESS those who curse you.
3. DO GOOD to those who hate you.
4. PRAY for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
IV. Revelation: on why Christians should treat their enemies this way?
1. Because Jesus commanded this behavior, 39.
2. Because this makes us more like God the Father, 45.
3. Because it makes us different from unbelievers, 46-47.
4. Because it is the pathway to spiritual maturity (perfection), 48.
V. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Love my enemies because Jesus commanded it, and because He
modeled it toward His enemies. (Luke 23:34)
2. Bless those who curse me, for there is miraculous power in the words
we speak. (See James 3:9-10.)
3. Actively do good deeds to all those who hate me, because prayer
(intercession) is the way to spiritual maturity . . . "Be perfect, just as
your Father in heaven is perfect," v. 48.

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, visit 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 (32 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

* 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 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 students in the form of lower tuition rates.

Posted by: info <info@...>

E-pistle

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

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation January 30, 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:
Genesis17:1-27
Matthew 5:1-48
New Tuition for PIAC
Circumcision: God's Covenant Sign
(Genesis 17:1-27)
I. Concentration: on the drastic changes initiated by God in this chapter
1. God changed Abram (Father is exalted) to Abraham (Father of a multitude) v. 5.
Sarai was changed to Sarah (Princess), v. 15.
2. God re-established His everlasting covenant with Abraham, vv. 2, 6-9.
3. The Lord put into place the covenant sign: circumcision, vv. 10-14, 23-27.
4. The Lord named the coming son of promise Isaac ("Laughter"), vv. 17-21.
II. Meditation: on the spiritual significance of these events
1. Both Abram and Sarai underwent a spiritual change by the power of God . . .
characterized by an "h" being added to their original names. (Abraham and Sarah).
The "H" sound in Hebrew represents the wind or breath of God, so perhaps these
name changes signified the entry of the Holy Spirit into their beings?
2. God's continual repetition and expansion of His covenant promises to Abraham
(Genesis 12, 13, 15, and 17) signified the Lord's determination to encourage Abraham's
faith and hope that His promises surely would be fulfilled.
3. Circumcision became the sign of God's covenant with Abraham's descendants; Abraham
and his family all were circumcised on the same day, vv. 24-27.
4. Isaac, Abraham's second son, was chosen to receive God's covenant blessings, rather
than his first son, Ishmael. (See Galatians 4:22-31.)
III. Revelation: on the lessons of circumcision
1. It involves shedding of blood - a ceremony of initiation into the Hebrew nation, sealed with
blood . . . the life of the flesh, Leviticus 17:11.
2. It involves cutting away flesh - signifying the removal of a physical part to allow the
magnification of the spiritual part of man.
3. It involves pain and suffering - the rite always includes a sacrifice through which a person
can move into a healing, joyful relationship with God.
4. It involves the reproductive organ - the act of surgically removing the foreskin of the male
genital organ is connected to the process of human procreation.
Note this spiritual picture: Abraham was circumcised (entered God's community of faith)
BEFORE he fathered Isaac, vv. 21, 26. Spiritual relationship precedes productivity!
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Allow God's indwelling Spirit to totally transform my life, II Corinthians 5:17.
2. Conform to God's sovereign plan, not insisting on my own will and way.
3. Base my faith and hope on the sure foundation of God's word.
4. Identify the Old Testament covenant sign (circumcision) with the New Testament covenant
sign (baptism) . . . being spiritually "circumcised" in ears, eyes, lips, and heart.
Deuteronomy 10:16; Exodus 6:12; Jeremiah 4:4; 6:10; Romans 2:27-28; I Peter 3:21

How To Treat Your Enemies
(Matthew 5:1-48

I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Jesus taught His disciples the characteristics of citizens of the kingdom of
God . . . "THE BEATITUDES", vv. 1-12.
2. Jesus characterized His followers as "SALT OF THE EARTH" and "LIGHT OF THE
WORLD," vv.13-20.
3. Jesus stated that He had come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets; He taught that
murder and adultery begin in the heart, and He taught the deeper meaning of
divorce and oath-taking, vv. 21-27.
4. Jesus taught "TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK" . . . "GOING THE SECOND MILE"
. . . "LOVING ONE'S ENEMIES"; He challenged His disciples to be perfect as
God is perfect, vv. 38-48.
II. Observations: on what Jesus taught about dealing with one's enemies
1. He contradicted "an eye for an eye" reactions, vv. 38-39; see Exodus 21:24
2. He taught peaceful non-resistance toward persecutors, v. 39.
3. Further, He taught His disciples to return good for evil, vv. 39-44.
4. He taught them to love, not hate, their enemies, v. 43.
III. Meditation: on what Jesus commanded specifically in verse 44
1. LOVE your enemies.
2. BLESS those who curse you.
3. DO GOOD to those who hate you.
4. PRAY for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
IV. Revelation: on why Christians should treat their enemies this way?
1. Because Jesus commanded this behavior, 39.
2. Because this makes us more like God the Father, 45.
3. Because it makes us different from unbelievers, 46-47.
4. Because it is the pathway to spiritual maturity (perfection), 48.
V. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Love my enemies because Jesus commanded it, and because He
modeled it toward His enemies. (Luke 23:34)
2. Bless those who curse me, for there is miraculous power in the words
we speak. (See James 3:9-10.)
3. Actively do good deeds to all those who hate me, because prayer
(intercession) is the way to spiritual maturity . . . "Be perfect, just as
your Father in heaven is perfect," v. 48.

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, visit 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 (32 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

* 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 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 students in the form of lower tuition rates.