Epistle for July 12, 2002
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Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation July 12, 2002
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In This Issue
Sermon: II Kings 6:1-33
Bible Study: Jonah 2:1-10
The Quiet Patriots
AACC Biblical Counseling Training
A Preacher Who Lost His "Cutting Edge"
(II Kings 6:1-33)
I. Concentration: on the Contents of this chapter
1. Elisha accompanied the sons of the prophets to the banks of the Jordan
River where they were building a "seminary"; one of the men lost his
borrowed axhead in the river while chopping trees; Elisha made the
iron axhead float so it could be recovered, vv. 1-7.
2. The King of Syria, Ben-Hadad, was disturbed because Jehoram, the king of
Israel, seemed to have inside intelligence about Syria's battle plans; a
servant told Ben-Hadad that there was not a spy in the camp, but that
Elisha the prophet was revealing Syrian secrets to Jehoram; Ben-Hadab
sent a large army to surround and capture Elisha, and his servant
became terrified; Elisha prayed that God would open the servant's eyes,
and the servant saw the mountain full of God's horses and chariots of fire, vv. 8-17.
3. Elisha prayed and God struck the Syrian army with blindness; Elisha led
the army troops into the city of Samaria, where their sight was restored;
Elisha told Jehoram not to kill the Syrians, but to give them food and water;
the Syrian troops then were released, vv. 18-23.
4. Later, Ben-Hadad besieged Samaria, causing a famine so severe that the
inhabitants resorted to cannibalism; King Jehoram blamed Elisha, and
came to his house to arrest him, vv. 24-33.
II. Meditation: on the servant's "spiritual perception"
1. Fear and doubt are at the root of spiritual blindness.
2. God reveals secrets to His faithful servants; Elisha knew the
Syrian's plans, and he saw God's guardian angels around him.
3. Hear these true words of encouragement: "Do not fear, for those
who are with us are more than those who are with them," v. 16.
4. Faith in God can open "blind" eyes and give spiritual discernment.
III. Revelation: on lost axheads (vv. 5-7)
1. Lost axheads cause grief to the borrower and the owner alike.
2. Lost axheads serve no useful purpose; they miss their divine destiny,
and because "lost axheads" are out of service, an assigned task
remains undone.
3. Lost axheads are in danger of being permanently damaged by rust
and corrosion caused by inactivity and/or being trapped in a harmful
element, such as water.
4. Lost axheads require immediate, miraculous attention or the loss may
be permanent: the current may carry the lost axhead away; it may
become buried in the mud; or the place where it was lost may be forgotten.
IV. Applications: as a christian leader, have I lost my "cutting edge"? if so . . .
1. I need to realize that the "axhead" does not belong to me; it is borrowed,
v. 5. Spiritual power (a cutting edge) belongs to God.
2. I need to immediately (with Godly sorrow leading to repentance) call upon
the Master for help when I lose my "cutting edge," v. 5.
3. I need to truthfully tell the Lord exactly where the axhead was lost, v. 6. I
must confess that particular act of sin or carelessness.
4. I need to hear and obey God's word telling me what I must do to recover
the "lost axhead," v.7. Spiritual recovery and restoration always
involves an act of human obedience combined with a divine miracle.
"Son, You Are my stick!"
It was noon, August 8, 1991, and I was stretched out on my bed in a room at Windermere Baptist Assembly on Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks. I was meditating on my devotional reading for the day, while wrestling with the possibility of moving to New England to pastor a church adjoining the campus of one of the world's premier universities. I really desired to return to a local church ministry . . . to serve as senior pastor of that great church with so much potential for impacting the lives of America's future "movers and shakers."
The verse which the Holy Spirit quickened to me that day was II Kings 6:6, "Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, amd made the iron axhead float."
As I pondered God's will for my life, I began to sense in my spirit that He was speaking to me personally. I had received "words" and "impressions" from the Holy Spirit before, but this was different: longer and more detailed. I moved to the kitchen table and wrote down these words, which were vividly clear to me:
"Son, you are My stick. I did not make you to be a beam or a pillar;
I did not make you to be a part of the floor, wall, or roof; I did not
even make you to be an ax handle.
"My purpose for you is to bring axheads to the surface; to focus eyes
upon the place where My miraculous power is about to operate; to be
a catalyst to enable some of My other sevants to regain their cutting
edge so that they, through My power, may harvest timber, shape beams
and planks, and build My kingdom house.
"Son, your shape and function in My kingdom is unique; be content with
the role I have given you to play. Your destiny is not to be the builder,
nor a part of the main building. Yet without you, the kingdom construction
work could be delayed for a time or stopped altogether.
"So, be My stick, Son, and I will use you to bring glory to My name. There
is no more important task; there is no role in life more significant than this
one I have assigned to you and designed you for. Be content."
As a "stick" in God's hand, I already have seen a portion of God's divine purpose fulfilled in my life. The Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity, founded in 1992, is a result of my personal encounter with God at Windermere in 1991.
Jonah Prays for God's Help
( Jonah 2:1-10 )
I. Concentration: on the elements of Jonah's prayer
1. Jonah acknowledged that his predicament (being in the belly of the
great fish) was caused by his own sin, which had brought God's
judgment upon him, vv. 1-3.
2. Jonah, even though he had been "cast out of God's sight," looked
toward God's holy temple . . . turned toward the only possible source
of help, vv. 4,7.
3. Jonah recognized his hopeless and desparate situation of certain death,
doom, and destruction without divine help, vv. 5-6.
4. Jonah renounced "worthless idols" and vowed to serve God ("sacrifice
to You") in obedience, realizing that he had only one hope: "Salvation
is of the Lord," vv. 8-9.
II. Meditation: on the theological truths of this chapter
1. God always hears when His people cry out to Him, and He always answers
their prayers . . . yes, no, wait, vv. 2.
2. There is life after death . . . Sheol (the grave or the place where the soul
abides after death away from the presence of God) is mentioned by Jesus
as the tomb where He was buried for three days before His resurrection,
vv. 2, 6; Matthew 12:40.
3. God brings His people through times of trouble and danger; He keeps and
preserves them so that they may acomplish His purposed destiny in their
lives, v. 10.
4. The Lord is a God of mercy, Who deserves our thanksgiving, praise,
obedience, and service, v. 9.
III. Revelation: on the spiritual implications seen here
1. God's people should pray; often "we do not have because we do not ask,"
James 4:2.
2. Every individual lives eternally . . . either in heaven or in hell; each person
makes that personal choice by either accepting or rejecting God's offer
of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.
3. God may not remove the obstacles or troubles from our lives, but He always
gives us grace and strength to sustain us through those difficulties.
4. God is worthy of our worship and sacrificial service.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Pray without ceasing, I Thessalonians 5:17.
2. Live daily in the light of eternity, Ecclesiastes 3:11.
3. Trust in the Lord with all my heart, Proverbs 3:5.
4. Worship the Lord and serve Him only, Matthew 4:10.
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Samuel Jackson said: "Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks."
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The Quiet Patriots
by: Rev. John M. Gibson
It was the lst day of the month and I was standing in a line that went on forever. The room had no air conditioning, only a pedestal fan stirring the hot humid odors of procrastinators like me who had waited this late to renew their license tags. It was the classic "government at work!"
Personal experience had taught me to prepare for a wait, so I had grabbed the only book in my car and entered the bureau office with a diversion in hand. It was a copy of Craig Hunt's TCP/IP Network Administration - a real exciting read for less than 0.001% of the population - and was soon used as a portable table to get my paperwork ready for my turn at the counter. With my prep work done, I promptly struck up a conversation with the fellow in front of me in line.
As we talked, I mentioned that our situation was a unique glimpse into what makes our country great. With so many opportunities to lodge complaints - the temperature, the long wait, the standing, the drab decor, the cramped quarters, etc. - it donned on me that there was no complaining, pushing or shoving, criticism, foul language, yelling, or general chaos. Instead, here was a room packed with a variety of people who methodically advanced to the counter completed their business and departed.
Each one was passing the time in conversation joking about the cliche of "being in a government office", assisting one another in order to speed the process, or busy filling out paperwork to minimize the time at the counter. It was a busy but normal slice of America.
Reflecting on the day's events got me wondering - "How often do we let the bad behavior of a few individuals taint our perspective on a whole society?" Broadcast media in their hast to capture the attention of viewers, frequently leave us with the notion that there is more bad than good, elevate the cause of a few individuals as though it were a large contingent in our society, or distort the impact of a minority of miscreants. In the business of reporting "facts and figures" on "social ills in America" it is common to overlook the vast numbers of individuals whose lives form the basis of our harmonious society.
I am thankful that there is a vast majority of well-behaved citizens. If this were not true the drive to work
would be an extreme danger not an everyday convenience. The truth is that our heritage is great and our
nation is strong because of her people. There are far more instances of Americans who: "Make it (their)
ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind (their) own business and to work with (their) hands, . . . so that (their)
daily (lives) may win the respect of outsiders and so that (they) will not be dependent on anybody."
(I Thessalonians 4:11-12 NIV).
In this season when we celebrate the making of our nation, let me encourage you to look around for this quiet majority - in the parks, at the fireworks display, in the swimming pools, and in the churches across our nation - these who are your fellow patriots. These are the patriots whom Francis Scott Key so adaptly described as:
" . . . (one) who feels himself in the service of God, who
acknowledges Him in all his ways, has the promise of
Almighty direction, and will find His word in his greatest
darkness 'a light to his feet and a lamp unto His paths.'
He will therfore seek to establish for his country in the
eyes of the world, such a character as shall make her not
unworthy of the name of a Christian nation."
AACC Biblical Counseling Training
Sponsored by FreeWay Foundation
FreeWay Foundation, in cooperation with American Association of Christian Counselors, is offering a complete 5-unit, 30-lesson training program designed to educate and equip pastors and counselors within the church. Two options are available for this five day seminar: five consecutive days beginning September 9, or five consecutive Thursdays beginning September 19. Sessions run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
The seminar features 30 engaging videotaped lectures by some of the best Christian counseling leaders and Bible teachers in the world. The workshop comes complete with course lectures, outlines, study notes, and exams . . . all designed to increase a minister's knowledge and people skills.
This training course is endorsed by the 50,000 member American Association of Christian Counselors. Recognized as the world's largest organization of Christian counselors, AACC works to provide clinically excellent and distinctively Christian resources, services, and training to counselors everywhere. In addition to receiving a certificate of completion, persons who enroll in this seminar will receive a one-year free membership in AACC (an $89 value).
The Curriculum
Unit One: Introduction to Biblical Counseling
101 Becoming a Christian Counselor - Dr. Timothy Clinton
102 Using Your Spiritual Gifts in Counseling - Dr. Ed Hinson
103 Helping Others Find Significance in LIfe - Dr. Ed Hinson
104 The Power of Truth - Dr. Chris Thurman
105 Overcoming Depression - Dr. Chris Thurman
106 Surviving Sexual Abuse - Dr. Diane Langberg
Unit Two: Faith and Life
201 The Effective Helper - Dr. Sandra Wilson
202 Bringing People into God's Presence - Dr. Ron Hawkins
203 How to Help People Change - Dr. Ron Hawkins
204 Heart Matters: Repentance and Godly Sorrow - Dr. Ed Hinson
205 Forgiveness: Letting Go of the Past & Pain - Dr. Everett Worthington
206 Freedom in Christ: Life in Abba's Arms - Dr. Sandra Wilson
Unit Three: Marriage and Family
301 Marriage: Keeping the Love Alive - Dr. Timothy Clinton
302 Guilt: Love's Unseen Enemy - Dr. Les Parrott
303 Great Sex: A Biblical Perspective - Dr. Doug Rosenau
304 Hope-Focused Marriage Counseling - Dr. Everett Worthington
305 Divorce Recovery: Starting Over Again - Dr. Tom Whiteman
306 Caught in the Middle: Children and Divorce - Dr. Tom Whiteman
Unit Four: Challenging Issues in Biblical Counseling
401 What Would Jesus Think and Do?
Understanding the Way of Christ - Dr. Ron Hawkins
402 Ethical and Legal Issues - George Ohlschlager, Atty.
403 Family Systems: Breaking Unhealthy Patterns - Dr. David Stoop
404 Sexual Issues: Affairs, Homosexuality,
Intimacy Roadblocks, Dysfunctions - Dr. Doug Rosenau
405 Pain and Suffering:
Helping People in a Hurting World - Dr. Freda Crews
406 Breaking the Bonds of Sexual Addiction - Dr. Mark Laaser
Unit Five: Emerging Issues in Biblical Counseling
501 Managing Stress and Anxiety - Dr. Archibald Hart
502 Grief and Loss - Dr. Freda Crews
503 Psychiatric Care and Medication - Dr. Michael Lyles, MD
504 The Helper's Chair: Special Skills and Practice - Dr. Diane Langberg
505 Financial Bondage: Strategies for Freedom - Scott Titus, CPA
506 Anger Mangement - Dr. Timothy Clinton
Enrollment form on following page.
Detach Here
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AACC Biblical Counseling Training Enrollment Form
Name_________________________________________________Phone______________________________
Address_______________________________________________Email_______________________________
City__________________________________________State_______Zip______________________________
Church___________________________________________________________________________________
Position__________________________________________________________________________________
____Enroll me in the 5 consecutive days seminar (Sept. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 2002)
____Enroll me in the 5 Thursdays seminar (Sept. 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17, 2002)
____Enclosed is a $225 check made out to FreeWay Foundation. (Fee includes all
AACC materials, certification, annual membership, and daily lunches.)
Send checks to FreeWay Foundation, 3426 Bridgeland Dr., Bridgeton, MO 63044
*Persons may request 3.0 CEU's for completing this seminar
*Students at Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity may receive graduate credit
for this seminar for an additional fee
*If space is available, individuals may attend any one day's seminar at a charge of
$50 (including lunch); please make arrangements in advance
*Make-up sessions, in case of unavoidable absences, may be arranged
*For further information, telephone Dr. Curt Scarborough at 314-739-1121, or
email info@freewayfoundation.org
Deadline for enrolling in either seminar is August 15, 2002
This will allow us approximately 2 weeks to order and receive
the materials needed for the classes.