Quote from Forum Archives on October 1, 2003, 5:52 pm

Posted by: info <info@...>

E-pistle

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

Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation October 3. 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 we studying all 13 chapter of II Corinthians.
In this Issue:
Hosea 1:1-11
II Corinthians 1:1-24
"Spiritual Mentoring"
Hosea, Gomer, and Their Three Children
(Hosea 1:1-11)
I. Concentration: on the author and background of this book
1. Hosea was called by God to prophesy to the ten northern tribes of Israel; his name
means "Salvation" or "Deliverer."
2. Historically, Hosea preached during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah
in the southern kingdom of Judah, while Jeroboam II ruled in the northern kingdom of
Israel; this sets the dates of Hosea's ministry from about 755 to 715 BC.
3. Hosea was chosen by God to become a living parable of his message by marrying a
woman who would be unfaithful to her covenant vows.
4. The Book of Hosea is about a nation which God dearly loved; about a nation which was
unfaithful to Him, pursuing other gods (lovers); and about God's unfailing love and His
attempts to bring His unfaithful people back to Himself.
II. Meditation: on the contents of this chapter
1. Hosea identified himself and the historical period in which he lived, v. 1.
2. The Lord called Hosea to "take a wife of harlotry" . . . to marry a prostitute . . . because
Israel had committed spiritual adultery by departing from God, v. 2.
3. In obedience, Hosea married Gomer and the couple had three children: "Jezreel" meaning
"God Scatters"'; "Lo-Ruhamah" meaning "No Mercy"; and "Lo-Ammi" meaning
"Not My People" vv. 3-9.
4. These names prophesied God's coming judgment upon Israel, but Hosea also foresaw a
day of restoration when the nations of Israel and Judah would be reunited (under "One Head,"
the Messiah), vv. 10-11.
III. Revelation: on the spiritual truths seen in this chapter
1. God calls persons into the ministry; sometimes God's ways are mysterious and beyond
human understanding.
2. God's righteousness and justice demand that there always will be divine judgment upon sinful people.
3. The Lord's mercy and love is exhibited by His patient, long-suffering efforts to bring His
sinful people to repentance, and restoration.
4. The promised Messiah shall change sinners into "sons of the living God," v. 10 . . .
"But as many as received Him (Jesus Christ), to them He (God the Father) gave the right
to become children of God, to those who believe in His name," John 1:12.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Reaffirm the validity of the Lord's divine call upon my life.
2. Worship and obey the Holy God, "high and lifted up," Isaiah 6:1-3.
3. Thank the Lord for His love, mercy, and grace.
4. Tell the Good News that: "JESUS SAVES!"

The God of All Comfort
(II Corinthians 1:1-24)

I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. Paul wrote a cordial greeting to the church of God at Corinth and to
the saints in Achaia (a region of Greece), vv. 1-2.
2. Paul taught the believers about the God of comfort, Who had delivered
him from death, vv. 3-11.
3. Paul emphasized his sincerity and hope that his words to the church
would be understood, vv. 12-14.
4. Paul explained truths about the promises of God (which "in Him are Yes,
and in Him Amen"); he revealed his desire to spare the church any
additional chastisement, as he had done in his first letter, vv. 15-24.
II. Meditation: on God's blessings upon His people
1. God is the Father of mercies and the God of all COMFORTS, v. 3.
2. He COMFORTS us in our tribulations, v. 4.
3. He does this so we may be able to COMFORT others who are in trouble, v. 4.
4. We are to COMFORT others with the COMFORT by which God has
COMFORTED us, vv. 4, 6.
III. Observations: on the comfort which the Lord provides
1. Comfort = to lighten grief or to alleviate pain.
2. The Holy Spirit is our "Comforter," John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7 (KJV).
3. Paul's suffering allowed him to exhibit to other believers God's comfort in
times of persecution, vv. 5-6.
4. Paul encouraged fellow persecuted believers with the sure and certain promise
of God's consolation (comfort) for them, v. 7.
IV. Revelation: on God's continuing deliverance
1. In the past, God has delivered us from death, v. 10.
2. In the present, God continues to deliver us, v. 10.
3. In the future, God will still deliver us, v. 10.
4. Christians, through intercessory prayer for others, may participate
in God's program of comfort and deliverance, v. 11.
V. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Worship (praise and thank) God for His comfort and encouragement.
2. Invite the Holy Spirit's comforting presence to sustain me in times of
persecution and suffering.
3. Be an example to others of God's power to comfort in troubled times.
4. Joyfully live in the assurance of God's comforting deliverance, praying
that others also may be blessed through their difficulties.

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 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 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 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 Counseling
For information, check our web-site
www.pillsburyinstitute.org
or call Dr. Curt Scarborough toll-free at:
1-888-737-3392

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

"Age brings wisdom . . . or age shows up alone. You never know."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------