E-pistle for July 8, 2005
Posted by: info <info@...>
Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay
Foundation July 8, 2005
----------------------Today's Interview: THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH
Four questions you should ask about Pillsbury
Curt Scarborough's HOLY GROUND INTERVIEWS
Featuring today's special guest:
THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH
CS Both Jeremiah, the author of First and Second Kings,
and the Lord
Jesus referred to you merely as "The Widow of
Zarephath." What
was your given name, and why wasn't it used?
Widow It's not recorded in Scripture, but my name is Zena, a
Persian word
meaning "woman."
CS Zena of Zarephath?
Widow As an insignificant woman and as a heathen Gentile, my
name wasn't
as important to the story as the fact that I was a
widow from a city in
Phoenicia, located on the Mediterranean Sea.
CS You were acquainted with the prophet, Elijah, I
remember!
Widow Elijah the Tishbite, we called him . . . from his
hometown, Tishbe,
located in Gilead. He was the man of God who
denounced the
wickedness of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of Israel.
CS Elijah lived in your home during the three years of
drought, before
his contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount
Carmel.
Widow That's right! Did you known that the God of Israel
appeared to me in
a vision even before I met Elijah?
CS I heard about that.
Widow The Lord commanded me to take care of one of His prophets,
who
would be moving into the region of Tyre and Sidon to
avoid capture
by the Israelite troops.
CS Did the Lord reveal to you the prophet's name?
Widow No, but when I met Elijah, I knew he was the one.
CS Tell us about that.
Widow I was near the gate of the city, gathering sticks for a
fire, when I first
saw this strange, unkempt, bearded man coming down
the road. He
asked me for a cup of water, and as I was going to
get it, he also
requested some bread. At that instant, I knew he
was the prophet
whom I was told to expect.
CS What did you say to him?
Widow Recognizing him as a man of God, I said: "As the Lord
your God lives,
I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a
bin, and a little oil in a
jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that
I may go in and
prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat
it, and die!"
CS So Elijah asked you for something you couldn't give
him.
Widow I wondered about it, because God had commanded me to
provide for
Elijah, but I didn't even have enough to provide for
my son and me.
CS But Elijah insisted.
Widow He told me not to fear, but to do what he said.
CS That sounds a little selfish.
Widow Not really. Elijah was testing my faith by my willingness
to obey. He
prophesied, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'The
bin of flour shall
not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry,
until the day the Lord
sends rain on the earth.'"
CS That was quite a miracle!
Widow Like Jesus the Messiah feeding the five thousand! My one
meager
meal fed Elijah, my son, and me for more than three
years!
CS So would you say this was the highest "holy ground"
experience of
your life?
Widow Oh, no! There was another event much more remarkable!
CS Tell us about it, Zena.
Widow Several months after Elijah came to live with us, my son,
Jasper, came
down with a raging fever. I did all I could do, but
in less than twenty-
four hours he died in my arms. I was crushed with
grief.
CS But Elijah, the miracle-worker, was in the house!
Widow I blamed him for Jasper's death!
CS I don't get the connection.
Widow In my mourning, I cried out: "What have I to do with you,
O man of
God? Have you come to bring my sin to remembrance,
and to kill
my son?" I blamed myself, and I blamed God's
servant.
CS Because he could have kept your son from dying? It
reminds me of
the reaction of Mary and Martha when Jesus didn't
come in time to
keep their brother, Lazarus, from dying.
Widow Elijah picked up my son and carried him upstairs to his
room. He
laid him on his bed and cried out to the Lord.
CS Elijah couldn't understand the purpose of this tragedy
either?
Widow He cried out: "O Lord my God, I pray, let this child's
soul come back to
him." Then God heard Elijah, and . . . Praise the
Lord! . . . my son
was raised back to life! God is the resurrection
and the life!
CS That's quite a testimony.
Widow I said to Elijah: "Now by this I know that you are a man
of God, and
that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the
truth."
CS This evidence of the power of God on Elijah's life
must have been a
great encouragement as he faced Ahab and Jezebel
soon afterward.
Widow Did you know that the Lord Jesus himself mentioned my son
and me
in one of his sermons in Nazareth? He used us to
illustrate that the
grace and mercy of God is extended to all races and
nations.
CS I recall that from Luke 4:26. The prejudiced people
of His hometown
tried to stone Him for saying that God loves
everyone in the world
equally, not merely the Jews. Zena, do you have any
words for us?
Widow Several things. First, trust the Lord and obey Him, even
if you can't
understand His ways. When you obey, He replaces
fear with faith.
CS Good advice!
Widow Finally, know that God has the power to transform death
into life.
When He does, we must witness, testify, and praise
His holy name!
(References in italics are found in First Kings 17)
Four Questions You Should Ask
About Pillsbury College & Seminary
1. Why should I choose Pillsbury instead of some on-campus college or
seminary?
Because most mid-career ministers have personal and church
obligations that prevent them from moving their family to become resident
students. At Pillsbury, you'll get a first class education without having
to quit
your job or leave your church field.
2. How is it possible for Pillsbury to offer a top quality education
through distance
learning, yet at such affordable cost? ($90 per graduate credit hour)
Pillsbury has established official connections with three of the
most
recognized and reputable suppliers of Christian graduate-level curriculum
in the nation . . . AACC: American Association of Christian Counselors;
NCCA: National Christian Counselors Association; and ITS: Institute of
Theological Studies. In addition, FreeWay Foundation has published the
president's complete 5-volume Bible Study Series ("Personal & Practical")
as the core curriculum for the school's Expository Studies track. Pillsbury
College & Seminary is owned and operated by FreeWay Foundation, which
pays the salaries and benefits of all school personnel. The school occupies
a part of the Foundation's building in the St. Louis area without charge.
The
tuition costs therefore remain low because overhead costs of the school are
minimal.
3. How long does it take to earn a master's or doctoral degree?
Pillsbury offers two master's degrees. The 36 credit hour
program can
be completed within one year, and the 45 credit hour master's takes 15
months.
We also offer two basic doctoral degree programs. The 48 credit hour
doctorate
can be completed within 16 months, and the 60 credit hour doctorate takes 20
months. Students take only one 3-hour course at a time, and most 3-hour
courses
can be completed within 30 days.
4. What's the one thing that makes Pillsbury stand out from all other
schools?
Although we are a distance learning institute, Pillsbury truly
makes every
effort to provide up close and personal service. When you telephone,
chances are
you'll talk directly with Dr. Sharon Bartlett, the Academic Dean. Or, if
you are
working on licensure and board certification as a Christian counselor, you
may confer
with your clinical supervisor, Dr. Mary Jo Schneller. Also, if you need to
discuss school
policy (or whatever), just ask to talk to the president. You'll see how
true it is! We
really are: "THE DISTANCE LEARNING SCHOOL, WITH THE PERSONAL TOUCH!"
For more information contact us at 314-739-1121 or email
[email protected]
and we will be glad to answer any questions to help you decide if Pillsbury
College
& Seminary is right for you.
"My father didn't tell me how to live: he
lived, and let me watch him do it."
- Clarence B. Kelland
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