Epistle for November 7, 2003

#1 · November 6, 2003, 4:59 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on November 6, 2003, 4:59 pm
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E-pistle

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Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation November 7, 2003

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This fourth quarter of 2003, I shall be sharing with you my "Personal & Practical" notes and applications
on two important Books in the Bible. From the Old Testament, we'll be studying all 14 chapters
of Hosea, and from the New Testament, we'll be studying all 13 chapters of II Corinthians.
In This Issue:
Hosea 6:1-11
II Corinthians 6:1-18
Spiritual Mentoring
Hosea's "New Testament" Insights
(Hosea 6:1-11)
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Hosea called the nation to repentance, offering the hope that God would heal
and restore them, and promising the Lord's refreshing, abundant blessing, vv. 1-3.
2. Hosea mourned in his spirit because the nation's faithfulness to the Lord was so
temporary; he pointed out that God requires true spiritual commitment which produces
lives characterized by mercy and loyalty, not mere empty religious ritual, vv. 4-6.
3. Hosea mentioned two particularly wicked cities (Gilead and Shechem) which exemplified
the nation's blood-lust and lewdness, vv. 7-9.
4. Hosea cried out against the spiritual adultery of Israel, and he predicted that God's wrath and
judgment ("harvest") also would come upon the nation of Judah, vv. 10-11. (See also verse 4.)

II. Meditation: on some interesting verses in this chapter
1. "On the third day He will raise us up," v. 2.
2. "He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain
to the earth," v. 3.
3. "O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? . . . For your faithfulness is like a
morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away," v. 4.
4. "For I desire mercy not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than
burnt offerings," v. 6.

III. Revelation: on Hosea's "New Testament" Insights
1. God's promise to "raise up" Israel on the third day (like Jonah's rescue from the belly
of the fish after three days) foreshadowed Christ's resurrection from the tomb,
Jonah 1:17; Matthew 12:40; Luke 12:46.
2. Hosea's prophecy of God's coming "like the latter and former rain" (the "latter" is the spring
rain just before harvest, and the "former" is the autumn rain at planting time) pictures God's
pouring out of His Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, Joel 2:23, 28-32; Acts 2:16-21.
3. God's heart-cry, "O Ephraim," is reflected in the words of Jesus as He wept over the city of
Jerusalem, Matthew 23:27; Luke 13:34.
4. Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6 to prove that God requires a true spiritual relationship and
commitment from man, not just "lip service."

IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Live a resurrected life of faith . . . as a faithful disciple of Christ.
2. By continually being filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. Intercede with a broken heart over the sins of my city, state, and nation, earnestly
praying for the Lord's mercy and grace.
4. Offer myself as a "living sacrifice" to God, Romans 12:1-2.

Commended as Ministers of God
(II Corinthians 6:1-18)

I. Concentration: on a Minister's perseverance through persecutions ("in" - vv.4-5)
1. In much patience
2. In tribulations
3. In needs.
4. In distresses.
5. In stripes.
6. In imprisonments.
7. In tumults.
8. In labors.
9. In sleeplessness.
10. In fastings.

II Meditation: on a minister's principles and priorities ("By" - vv. 6-8)
1. By purity.
2. By knowledge.
3. By long-suffering.
4. By kindness.
5. By the Holy Spirit.
6. By sincere love.
7. By the word of truth.
8. By the power of God.
9. By the armor of righteousness.
10. By honor and dishonor.
11. By evil and good reports.

III. Revelation: on a minister's perspectives and paradoxes ("as" - vv. 8-10)
1. As deceivers, yet true.
2. As unknown, yet well known.
3. As dying, and behold we live.
4. As chastened, yet not killed.
5. As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
6. As poor, yet making many rich.
7. As having nothing, yet possessing all things.
"O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open," v. 11.

IV. Applications: as a Christian minister I should commend myself to others . . .
1. In perseverance through persecutions: by what I DO.
2. By prioritizing Godly principles: by what I THINK.
3. As perceiving spiritual paradoxes: by what I SEE.
4. Through speaking with a wide open heart: by what I SAY.

Spiritual Mentoring by Private Tutoring

Dr. Curt Scarborough, president and founder of Pillsbury Institute, is available to mentor a limited number of mid-career Christian ministers on a one-on-one basis. He will personally tutor mature graduate-level students one day per month . . . any day of the week except Sunday.

Here's how this Spiritual Mentoring program works:
1. A minister enrolls in the Spiritual Mentoring track, agreeing to spend a minimum of 10 hours
per week in disciplined private devotions under the guidance of Dr. Curt Scarborough.
2. The goal is to develop personal and practical notes on selected portions of Scripture within
one year (on all 260 chapters in the New Testament, for example). The mentoring partner
will write on at least five chapters each week, focusing on a few chosen verses in each
chapter using a suggested simple outline:
(1) Concentration
(2) Meditation
(3) Revelation
(4) Applications
3. Every four to six weeks, the mentoring partner will meet with Dr. Scarborough personally
(or by telephone or computer) to review the work, to compare spiritual insights, to discuss
revealed truths, and to sharpen each other's ministry skills. (See Romans 1:11-12). At
each monthly meeting, the previous month's work will be reviewed and discussed, new
assignments will be made, and the next appointment will be scheduled.
4. At the end of one year, the mentoring partner in this example would have produced a 260
page personal and practical devotional commentary on the entire New Testament . . . to
use in his preaching and teaching, to publish as a book, to preserve and pass along to his
family, and to serve as a resource for mentoring others.

Degrees Available at Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity

Associate of Applied Christianity in Biblical Studies
Associate of Applied Christianity in Biblical Counseling

Bachelor of Applied Christianity in Biblical Studies
Bachelor of Applied Christianity in Biblical Counseling

Master of Ministry in Spiritual Mentoring
Master of Arts in Christian Counseling Psychology

Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Mentoring
Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Counseling Psychology
Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Christian Counseling

For more information visit our web site
www.pillsburyinstitute.org or
call Dr. Scarborough toll-free
1-888-737-3392

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

Henry James said: "Three things in the human life are important:
The first is to be kind.
The second is to be kind.
And the third is to be kind.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by: info <info@...>

E-pistle

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

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation November 7, 2003

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

This fourth quarter of 2003, I shall be sharing with you my "Personal & Practical" notes and applications
on two important Books in the Bible. From the Old Testament, we'll be studying all 14 chapters
of Hosea, and from the New Testament, we'll be studying all 13 chapters of II Corinthians.
In This Issue:
Hosea 6:1-11
II Corinthians 6:1-18
Spiritual Mentoring
Hosea's "New Testament" Insights
(Hosea 6:1-11)
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Hosea called the nation to repentance, offering the hope that God would heal
and restore them, and promising the Lord's refreshing, abundant blessing, vv. 1-3.
2. Hosea mourned in his spirit because the nation's faithfulness to the Lord was so
temporary; he pointed out that God requires true spiritual commitment which produces
lives characterized by mercy and loyalty, not mere empty religious ritual, vv. 4-6.
3. Hosea mentioned two particularly wicked cities (Gilead and Shechem) which exemplified
the nation's blood-lust and lewdness, vv. 7-9.
4. Hosea cried out against the spiritual adultery of Israel, and he predicted that God's wrath and
judgment ("harvest") also would come upon the nation of Judah, vv. 10-11. (See also verse 4.)

II. Meditation: on some interesting verses in this chapter
1. "On the third day He will raise us up," v. 2.
2. "He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain
to the earth," v. 3.
3. "O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? . . . For your faithfulness is like a
morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away," v. 4.
4. "For I desire mercy not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than
burnt offerings," v. 6.

III. Revelation: on Hosea's "New Testament" Insights
1. God's promise to "raise up" Israel on the third day (like Jonah's rescue from the belly
of the fish after three days) foreshadowed Christ's resurrection from the tomb,
Jonah 1:17; Matthew 12:40; Luke 12:46.
2. Hosea's prophecy of God's coming "like the latter and former rain" (the "latter" is the spring
rain just before harvest, and the "former" is the autumn rain at planting time) pictures God's
pouring out of His Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, Joel 2:23, 28-32; Acts 2:16-21.
3. God's heart-cry, "O Ephraim," is reflected in the words of Jesus as He wept over the city of
Jerusalem, Matthew 23:27; Luke 13:34.
4. Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6 to prove that God requires a true spiritual relationship and
commitment from man, not just "lip service."

IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Live a resurrected life of faith . . . as a faithful disciple of Christ.
2. By continually being filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. Intercede with a broken heart over the sins of my city, state, and nation, earnestly
praying for the Lord's mercy and grace.
4. Offer myself as a "living sacrifice" to God, Romans 12:1-2.

Commended as Ministers of God
(II Corinthians 6:1-18)

I. Concentration: on a Minister's perseverance through persecutions ("in" - vv.4-5)
1. In much patience
2. In tribulations
3. In needs.
4. In distresses.
5. In stripes.
6. In imprisonments.
7. In tumults.
8. In labors.
9. In sleeplessness.
10. In fastings.

II Meditation: on a minister's principles and priorities ("By" - vv. 6-8)
1. By purity.
2. By knowledge.
3. By long-suffering.
4. By kindness.
5. By the Holy Spirit.
6. By sincere love.
7. By the word of truth.
8. By the power of God.
9. By the armor of righteousness.
10. By honor and dishonor.
11. By evil and good reports.

III. Revelation: on a minister's perspectives and paradoxes ("as" - vv. 8-10)
1. As deceivers, yet true.
2. As unknown, yet well known.
3. As dying, and behold we live.
4. As chastened, yet not killed.
5. As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
6. As poor, yet making many rich.
7. As having nothing, yet possessing all things.
"O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open," v. 11.

IV. Applications: as a Christian minister I should commend myself to others . . .
1. In perseverance through persecutions: by what I DO.
2. By prioritizing Godly principles: by what I THINK.
3. As perceiving spiritual paradoxes: by what I SEE.
4. Through speaking with a wide open heart: by what I SAY.

Spiritual Mentoring by Private Tutoring

Dr. Curt Scarborough, president and founder of Pillsbury Institute, is available to mentor a limited number of mid-career Christian ministers on a one-on-one basis. He will personally tutor mature graduate-level students one day per month . . . any day of the week except Sunday.

Here's how this Spiritual Mentoring program works:
1. A minister enrolls in the Spiritual Mentoring track, agreeing to spend a minimum of 10 hours
per week in disciplined private devotions under the guidance of Dr. Curt Scarborough.
2. The goal is to develop personal and practical notes on selected portions of Scripture within
one year (on all 260 chapters in the New Testament, for example). The mentoring partner
will write on at least five chapters each week, focusing on a few chosen verses in each
chapter using a suggested simple outline:
(1) Concentration
(2) Meditation
(3) Revelation
(4) Applications
3. Every four to six weeks, the mentoring partner will meet with Dr. Scarborough personally
(or by telephone or computer) to review the work, to compare spiritual insights, to discuss
revealed truths, and to sharpen each other's ministry skills. (See Romans 1:11-12). At
each monthly meeting, the previous month's work will be reviewed and discussed, new
assignments will be made, and the next appointment will be scheduled.
4. At the end of one year, the mentoring partner in this example would have produced a 260
page personal and practical devotional commentary on the entire New Testament . . . to
use in his preaching and teaching, to publish as a book, to preserve and pass along to his
family, and to serve as a resource for mentoring others.

Degrees Available at Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity

Associate of Applied Christianity in Biblical Studies
Associate of Applied Christianity in Biblical Counseling

Bachelor of Applied Christianity in Biblical Studies
Bachelor of Applied Christianity in Biblical Counseling

Master of Ministry in Spiritual Mentoring
Master of Arts in Christian Counseling Psychology

Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Mentoring
Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Counseling Psychology
Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Christian Counseling

For more information visit our web site
http://www.pillsburyinstitute.org or
call Dr. Scarborough toll-free
1-888-737-3392

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

Henry James said: "Three things in the human life are important:
The first is to be kind.
The second is to be kind.
And the third is to be kind.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------