Epistle for June 6, 2003
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Dr. Curt Scarborough. President FreeWay Foundation June 6, 2003
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During this quarter (April - June) Dr. Scarborough will be giving notes on
the entire books of Nehemiah and Hebrews.
In This Issue:
Nehemiah 10:1-39
Hebrews 10:1-39
M.A., Ph.D., & Psy.D. Degrees
The Biblical Principle of the Tithe
(Nehemiah 10:1-39)
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. The names of the leaders of Israel who sealed the covenant with the
Lord are recorded, vv. 1-27.
2. The rest of the people affirmed with a sacred oath their vows to walk
in obedience to God's law, vv. 28-31.
3. They organized the supplying of the necessary materials and offerings to
the priests to re-establish the sacrificial worship system which had been
long neglected, vv. 32-37.
4. The Levites were instructed to give the Lord a tithe of the tithes which were
given to them by the people, vv. 38-39.
II. Meditation. on the Biblical principle of the tithe
1. The tithe (one-tenth of one's income) is the Lord's, Leviticus 27:30.
2. The principle of the tithe preceded the Mosiac Law: hundreds of years before
Moses, Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18-20), and Jacob
pledged to give God a tithe of his increase (Genesis 28:22).
3. Jesus taught that, although spiritual matters (love of God, justice, mercy,
and faith) are "weightier matters of the law," a true follower also must tithe
as a spiritual discipline, Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42.
4. Just as the common people of Israel were commanded to pay tithes to the Lord
by giving that sacred ten-percent to the Levites (Malachi 3:8-12), so also the
Levites were commanded to tithe their income to the Aaronic priesthood,
Numbers 18:25-32; this spiritual principle was reaffirmed in Nehemiah 10:38.
III. Revelation and Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Faithfully pay a tithe of my income to the work of the Lord through my local
church, plus give free-will love offerings to other Christian missionary and
charitable enterprises as the Holy Spirit leads.
2. Encourage my church to follow this Biblical principle by setting aside at least
ten-percent of its income to support worthy causes outside my local community.
3. Apply this tithe principle also to para-church ministry operations (such as FreeWay
Foundation) by investing at least ten-percent of the budget to support non-administrative,
outreach activities (such as the free-of-charge teaching drug-free living to students
in Missouri's public schools).
4. Be careful always to prioritize spiritual concerns above material matters; love,
justice, mercy, and truth are much more important to a life or to a ministry than money!
Jesus' First Words on His "Birthday"
(Hebrews 10:1-39)
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Animal sacrifices are insufficient to obtain forgiveness of sin, vv. 1-4.
2. Christ's sacrificial death fulfills the will of God and perfects those being sanctified, vv. 5-18.
3. Therefore, draw near to God, hold fast to your confession, and encourage one another
toward good works, vv. 19-25.
4. Judgment is coming and vengeance is the Lord's; believers must endure with confidence, vv. 26-39.
II. Meditation: on "When He came into the world, He said:" (v. 5)
1. "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire . . . or take pleasure in," vv. 5-6.
2. "A body You have prepared for Me," v. 5.
3. "In the volume of the book (Old Testament prophesy) it is written of Me," v. 7.
4. "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God," v. 7.
III. Observations: on the Son's doing the Father's will
1. The Son cannot do anything of Himself; He only does what He sees the Father do, John 5:19.
2. The Son does not speak His own will, but the Father's; the Son hears and judges rightly
because He listens to the Father, John 5:30.
3. The Son's purpose in coming from heaven was to do the will of the Father Who sent Him, John 6:38.
4. The Son does nothing of Himself, but He does and speaks what the Father taught Him; the Father
is present with Him because the Son always does the things that please the Father, John 8:28-29.
IV. Revelation: therefore, the church's response ("let us") is . . .
1. Let us draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith, v. 22.
2. Let us hold fast to the hope we profess, v. 23.
3. Let us stir up (encourage) one another to love and good works, v. 24.
4. Let us continue meeting together regularly, exhorting one another to expect Christ's return, v. 25.
V. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. See beyond the physical realm to perceive God's hand at work in the spiritual realm . . . and
participate to accomplish His purposes.
2. Listen carefully to the Father's revelations; find and do His will.
3. Realize that my ultimate purpose and destiny is to do God's will.
4. Recognize that anything good I may accomplish is due to the Spirit of God working within me.
Prayer: "Lord, help me to grow toward being able to say truthfully, with You,
'I always do those things that please God,' John 8:29"
Pillsbury Institute Introduces New
M.A., Ph.D., & Psy. D. Degree Programs
M.A. in Christian Counseling Psychology (40 credit hours - $3,000)
Ph.D. in Christian Counseling Psychology (54 credit hours - $4,000)
Psy. D. in Clinical Christian Counseling *(42 credit hours - $3,150)
*(Only available for persons who already hold an earned doctoral degree)
Students at Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity (PIAC) now many receive pastoral counseling training using the curriculum and distance learning format developed by the National Christian Counselors Association (NCCA) of Sarasota, Florida. These high quality materials consist of 41 courses in ten academic tracks, and also include advanced studies, clinical supervision (internship), practicum, thesis and examination, plus licensing and certification in eight possible specialty areas.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The successful completion of all academic requirements using NCCA curriculum and the conferring of the MA, PhD, or PsyD degrees by PIAC does not include membership in NCCA, nor does it qualify the graduate to receive any certification or licensing from NCCA.
Upon graduation, the student will be issued a degree diploma (MA, PhD, or PsyD) and a complete transcript of the NCCA studies completed at PIAC. The student has the option of presenting this official transcript to NCCA to show the courses completed at PIAC. The student then may choose to apply for membership in NCCA and to apply for acceptance into an advanced program of study designed to qualify him or her for NCCA certification and licensing as a Christian Pastoral counselor. Small fees are charged by NCCA for both of these options.
NCCA has several additional requirements for the licensing process, including:
(1) a supervised practicum plus thesis for MA graduates (dissertation for PhD and PsyD graduates),
(2) the obtaining of ministerial credentials (if the applicant does not have such documentation already,
and
(3) an ethical examination posed by NCCA's National Licensing Board of Examiners.
Each successful candidate receives NCCA Board Certification as a Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor (LCPC) or as a Licensed Clinical Christian Counselor (LCCC). More than 1,700 persons in the United States have been trained and certified by NCCA as licensed Christian counselors, making it the largest such credentialing agency in the nation.
(Over 4,000 counselors have been licensed world-wide by NCCA.)
The NCCA Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor (LCPC) certification is not the same as a State's Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) designation.