Epistle for October 17, 2003

#1 · October 15, 2003, 3:21 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on October 15, 2003, 3:21 pm
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E-pistle

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

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation October 17, 2003

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

This fourth quarter of 2003, I shall be sharing with you my "Personal & Practical" notes and applications
on two important books of 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 chapter of II Corinthians.
In This Issue:
Hosea 3:1-5
II Corinthians 3:1-18
"SPIRITUAL MENTORING"
Forgiveness Is Fast; Restoration Is Slow
(Hosea 3:1-5)
I. Concentration: on the five verses of this brief chapter
1. The Lord commanded Hosea to "Go again, love a woman who . . . is
committing adultery," v. 1 . . . apparently Gomer had returned to her
former career of prostitution.
2. Hosea purchased Gomer for the price of a slave (Exodus 21:32), paying half
the 30 shekel price in silver and the balance in barley, v. 2 . . . she had sold
herself into slavery (or perhaps one of her lovers had done so).
3. Hosea brought Gomer back to their home, but he required her to go through
a period of discipline, v. 3 . . . during this testing or proving time, she was
prohibited from having sexual relations with any man, including her own husband.
4. The Lord used Gomer's adultery to illustrate Israel's unfaithfulness (v. 1), and
the Lord foretold the Exile, when the nation would be taken into captivity and
deprived of all spiritual privileges and resources, v. 4.
5. This chapter closes with a note of hope and promise: Israel shall return, seek
the Lord, seek the Messiah (David), fear (or reverence) the Lord, and marvel
at His gracious goodness in the "latter days," v. 5.
II. Meditation: on the truths seen in these verses
1. The Lord loves His people, in spite of their sin and unworthiness.
2. Persons who sin soon become enslaved in bondage to that sin, Romans 6:16.
3. Forgiveness is immediate (upon repentance and confession), but the process
of restoration to the level of complete trust and full fellowship takes time.
4. Unfaithfulness to the Lord brings spiritual separation, isolation, slavery,
devastation, and poverty.
5. God is merciful and gracious; He disciplines His people, but He also restores
them to intimate spiritual relationship when they repent and seek Him.
III. Revelation and Applications:
1. God loves me, even though my sins may be as wicked as Gomer's
2. I need to obey God's command to love the unlovely and unworthy persons in
my life. (Love is not an option; it's an order!)
3. I need to forgive others freely and immediately, while realizing that a period of
discipline before restoration to a place of responsibility or leadership is God's plan.
4. Recognizing the heavy costs of spiritual adultery, I need to serve the Lord God
with absolute faithfulness.
5. I need to reverence the Lord Jesus, my Messiah, and thank Him for His bountiful
goodness and blessings, including His firm but loving hand of discipline upon my life.

Transformed From Glory to Glory
(II Corinthians 3:1-18)

I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Paul stated that the Corinthians were his epistle of commendation,
written by the Spirit on tablets of the heart, vv. 1-3.
2. Paul taught that the letter of the law kills, but the Spirit gives life, vv. 4-6.
3. Paul wrote about the glorious ministry of the Holy Spirit, vv. 7-11.
4. Paul used the veil which Moses put over his face to illustrate the
blindness of the Jews to the truth about Christ; he wrote that
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" and that believers
are being transformed "from glory to glory," vv. 12-18.
II. Meditation: on the key words in verse 18
"We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of
the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory
to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
1. Veiled - blindness to the truths of God; dullness of mind; inability
to discern spiritual concepts, v. 14.
2. Mirror - no human being can look directly at God's face and live; only
at His back or at His reflection, as in a mirror, Exodus 33:18-23.
3. Glory - weighty importance and shining majesty which accompany God's
presence, and which inspires man's praise and worship.
4. Transformed - "transfigured" (changed) as in Romans 12:1-2 and Matthew 17:2.
III. Revelation: on what happens when the "veil is removed"
1. The believer receives liberty (spiritual freedom) by the Holy Spirit, v. 17.
2. The believer begins to radiate God's glory (light); see II Corinthians 4:6.
3. The believer begins to be transformed (transfigured) into the Lord's
likeness; see II Corinthians 4:6.
4. The believer daily increases in brightness . . . from glory to glory;
see II Corinthians 4:6.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Ask Christ to remove the spiritual veil from my eyes, removing my dullness
of mind and my blindness of heart . . . giving me divine ability to discern
and apply spiritual concepts.
2. In every person and circumstance of life, gaze intently there to see God's
glory and His hand at work.
3. Present myself as a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1-2), allowing God to
"transfigure" me into the likeness of Christ.
4. Daily spend quality time with God . . . reading and studying His word,
meditating and listening for His revelation, and praying (and fasting)
. . . so that I may grow into a spiritually mature Christian, "to the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," Ephesians 4:13.

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 a week in disciplined private devotions under the guidance of Dr. Curt
Scarborogh.
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 and 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

Associate of Applied Christianity in Biblical Studies
Associate in 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 information visit our web-site
www.pillsburyinstitute.org
or call Dr. Curt Scarborough toll-free at
1-888-737-3392

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

"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 October 17, 2003

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

This fourth quarter of 2003, I shall be sharing with you my "Personal & Practical" notes and applications
on two important books of 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 chapter of II Corinthians.
In This Issue:
Hosea 3:1-5
II Corinthians 3:1-18
"SPIRITUAL MENTORING"
Forgiveness Is Fast; Restoration Is Slow
(Hosea 3:1-5)
I. Concentration: on the five verses of this brief chapter
1. The Lord commanded Hosea to "Go again, love a woman who . . . is
committing adultery," v. 1 . . . apparently Gomer had returned to her
former career of prostitution.
2. Hosea purchased Gomer for the price of a slave (Exodus 21:32), paying half
the 30 shekel price in silver and the balance in barley, v. 2 . . . she had sold
herself into slavery (or perhaps one of her lovers had done so).
3. Hosea brought Gomer back to their home, but he required her to go through
a period of discipline, v. 3 . . . during this testing or proving time, she was
prohibited from having sexual relations with any man, including her own husband.
4. The Lord used Gomer's adultery to illustrate Israel's unfaithfulness (v. 1), and
the Lord foretold the Exile, when the nation would be taken into captivity and
deprived of all spiritual privileges and resources, v. 4.
5. This chapter closes with a note of hope and promise: Israel shall return, seek
the Lord, seek the Messiah (David), fear (or reverence) the Lord, and marvel
at His gracious goodness in the "latter days," v. 5.
II. Meditation: on the truths seen in these verses
1. The Lord loves His people, in spite of their sin and unworthiness.
2. Persons who sin soon become enslaved in bondage to that sin, Romans 6:16.
3. Forgiveness is immediate (upon repentance and confession), but the process
of restoration to the level of complete trust and full fellowship takes time.
4. Unfaithfulness to the Lord brings spiritual separation, isolation, slavery,
devastation, and poverty.
5. God is merciful and gracious; He disciplines His people, but He also restores
them to intimate spiritual relationship when they repent and seek Him.
III. Revelation and Applications:
1. God loves me, even though my sins may be as wicked as Gomer's
2. I need to obey God's command to love the unlovely and unworthy persons in
my life. (Love is not an option; it's an order!)
3. I need to forgive others freely and immediately, while realizing that a period of
discipline before restoration to a place of responsibility or leadership is God's plan.
4. Recognizing the heavy costs of spiritual adultery, I need to serve the Lord God
with absolute faithfulness.
5. I need to reverence the Lord Jesus, my Messiah, and thank Him for His bountiful
goodness and blessings, including His firm but loving hand of discipline upon my life.

Transformed From Glory to Glory
(II Corinthians 3:1-18)

I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Paul stated that the Corinthians were his epistle of commendation,
written by the Spirit on tablets of the heart, vv. 1-3.
2. Paul taught that the letter of the law kills, but the Spirit gives life, vv. 4-6.
3. Paul wrote about the glorious ministry of the Holy Spirit, vv. 7-11.
4. Paul used the veil which Moses put over his face to illustrate the
blindness of the Jews to the truth about Christ; he wrote that
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" and that believers
are being transformed "from glory to glory," vv. 12-18.
II. Meditation: on the key words in verse 18
"We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of
the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory
to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
1. Veiled - blindness to the truths of God; dullness of mind; inability
to discern spiritual concepts, v. 14.
2. Mirror - no human being can look directly at God's face and live; only
at His back or at His reflection, as in a mirror, Exodus 33:18-23.
3. Glory - weighty importance and shining majesty which accompany God's
presence, and which inspires man's praise and worship.
4. Transformed - "transfigured" (changed) as in Romans 12:1-2 and Matthew 17:2.
III. Revelation: on what happens when the "veil is removed"
1. The believer receives liberty (spiritual freedom) by the Holy Spirit, v. 17.
2. The believer begins to radiate God's glory (light); see II Corinthians 4:6.
3. The believer begins to be transformed (transfigured) into the Lord's
likeness; see II Corinthians 4:6.
4. The believer daily increases in brightness . . . from glory to glory;
see II Corinthians 4:6.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Ask Christ to remove the spiritual veil from my eyes, removing my dullness
of mind and my blindness of heart . . . giving me divine ability to discern
and apply spiritual concepts.
2. In every person and circumstance of life, gaze intently there to see God's
glory and His hand at work.
3. Present myself as a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1-2), allowing God to
"transfigure" me into the likeness of Christ.
4. Daily spend quality time with God . . . reading and studying His word,
meditating and listening for His revelation, and praying (and fasting)
. . . so that I may grow into a spiritually mature Christian, "to the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," Ephesians 4:13.

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 a week in disciplined private devotions under the guidance of Dr. Curt
Scarborogh.
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 and 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

Associate of Applied Christianity in Biblical Studies
Associate in 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 information visit our web-site
http://www.pillsburyinstitute.org
or call Dr. Curt Scarborough toll-free at
1-888-737-3392

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

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