E-pistle for June 10, 2005
Posted by: info <info@...>
Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay
Foundation June 10, 2005
HOLY GROUND INTERVIEW: PHILIP THE DEACON
Why Pillsbury College & Seminary?
Curt Scarborough's HOLY GROUND INTERVIEW:
Featuring Today's Special Guest PHILIP THE DEACON
CS Philip, you are not the same man who introduced his
friend,
Nathaniel, to Jesus, are you?
Philip Same name; different fellow. However, I was well
acquainted
with my namesake, who was one of the original Twelve
Disciples
of the Lord. In fact, we had more in common than
merely the
same name.
CS What was that?
Philip Philip the Apostle is first introduced in John's gospel
as a man who
brings someone to Jesus. And, as an evangelist, I
also brought many
persons to know the Lord.
CS But you were chosen as a deacon, not an evangelist.
Philip In the first place, every deacon . . . in fact, every
believer . . . should be
a soul-winner. That's a given! I was one of the
servant-leaders chosen
by the Jerusalem church to give the Apostles
practical assistance.
CS So how did you end up as an evangelist living in
Caesarea?
Philip It's a long story, but an interesting one.
CS Fill us in on the details.
Philip My family originally lived in Caesarea, where I was
raised as a boy in
the Hebrew faith. When my father passed away, I
inherited his business,
and as a faithful Jewish man, I made annual
pilgrimages to the Holy
City of Jerusalem.
CS There you came into contact with Jesus, the Messiah?
Philip No, I never had that privilege. I was converted later,
after He already
had ascended into heaven. I was one of those 3,000
men who were
saved on the Day of Pentecost. Not long afterward,
I was elected by
the church as one of the original seven deacons.
CS So, you settled down in Jerusalem?
Philip I really had no family ties anywhere else, so I stayed
in the city until
most of us "people of The Way" had to flee for our
lives.
CS I notice you referred to the believers in Christ as
"people of The Way."
Why were Christians called that?
Philip Jesus is the Way! Believers weren't called
"Christians" until quite a
bit later, when the non-believers in the city of
Antioch started calling
them derisively: "Little Messiah" . . . and the
name stuck.
CS When King Herod beheaded the Apostle James, and cruel
and violent
persecution arose, you and most of the believers
scattered throughout
the whole Roman Empire. Where did you go?
Philip Jesus had given orders: "Be witnesses of Me in
Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria . . . " (Acts 1:8) so, I went
to preach in Samaria.
CS The Holy Spirit certainly empowered you to accomplish
marvelous
things! Dr. Luke wrote about multitudes hearing
your sermons and
seeing the miracles you did.
Philip Miracles the Lord did! Many who were paralyzed and
lame were
healed. Unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice,
came out of those
who were demon possessed. There was great joy in
that city!
CS What a tremendous harvest of souls! Simon Peter came
to inspect
your work, I remember.
Philip Before Samaria, only orthodox Jews had embraced the new
faith. So
Peter came to observe whether God had extended His
grace to the
half-breed Samaritans as well.
CS There Peter had a confrontation with a sorcerer named
Simon.
Philip He had made a profession, but he offered to pay to
receive the power
to lay hands on people so they could receive the
Holy Spirit.
CS His sin was trying to purchase spiritual power.
Philip Precisely!
CS Continue your story.
Philip Right in the midst of that great spiritual awakening,
an angel of the
Lord spoke to me, telling me to leave Samaria and go
60 miles south
into the desert called Gaza.
CS It must have been an important mission.
Philip Important or unimportant, I obeyed. Soon a large
entourage came
along the road, and inside the main chariot sat a
government official
from Ethiopia. I noticed he was reading an Isaiah
scroll, so I asked if
he understood what he was reading.
CS Where did he get a copy of the Holy Scripture?
Philip He had come to Jerusalem to worship God, and, since he
was a rich
and powerful man, he had purchased the scroll to
take back with him
to Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians.
CS He was reading chapter 53, about Messiah's suffering
and death?
Philip He asked me what the prophet was talking about. I
immediately
preached the gospel message of Jesus to him.
CS His heart was ready.
Philip As we passed a tiny oasis, he asked whether he could be
baptized. We
stopped the chariot, and I baptized him as he
confessed: "I believe that
Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8:37)
CS Then, according to Dr. Luke, the Holy Spirit caught
you away.
Philip That was quite a trip! One second I was in Gaza; the
next instant I
found myself 25 miles north in Azotus. I followed
the coast line back
to my home in Caesarea, where soon afterward, I
married my
betrothed sweetheart, Patience. There I preached
for many years,
spreading the good news throughout that entire
region.
CS You had four daughters, all of whom prophesied.
Philip The girls shared in my evangelistic ministry. We gave
them very
significant names: Grace, Faith, Hope, and the
youngest, Joy!
CS Any final words, Philip, for modern day believers?
Philip Yield yourself to the Holy Spirit, even when His
instructions seem
totally weird. He'll take you on an exciting trip
that you'll never forget!
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
info@freewayfoundation.org
and we will be glad to answer any questions to help you decide if Pillsbury
College
& Seminary is right for you.
A police officer stopped a motorist who was speeding. "I can explain."
"Just be quiet," snapped the officer. "I'm going to let you cool your
heels in jail until the chief get back." The officer cut short all of
the man's attempts to explain. Later the officer looked in on
the man and said, "Lucky for you the chief's at his daughter's
wedding. He'll be in a good mood when he gets back."
"Don't count on it," said the man. "I'm the groom!"
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