E-pistle for June 24, 2005
Posted by: info <info@...>
Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay
Foundation June 24, 2005
Today's Special Guest: Naaman
Questions about Pillsbury
Curt Scarborough's HOLY GROUND INTERVIEWS
Featuring Today's Special Guest: Naaman
CS Sir, may I speak freely?
Naaman As you were! Stand at ease, and ask me anything you wish.
CS Thank you, General Naaman. As the commander of the
army of
Syria, wasn't it a rather humiliating experience for
you to have to
go down into the nation of Israel and meekly ask for
a favor, like a
beggar pleading for alms?
Naaman You don't pull any punches, do you, soldier? To answer
your blunt
question: "Beggars can't be choosers!" Don't
forget, I had somehow
become afflicted with the dreaded, terminal disease
of leprosy . . .
probably on one of my military campaigns. This
meant I had to live
in isolation from everyone . . . officers, enlisted
men, even my family.
CS Quarantined!
Naaman Affirmative. No one wanted to come near me. My wife's
maid, a slave
girl I had captured in a raid into Israel, told my
wife that there was a
prophet in her homeland who could cure my leprosy.
CS That must have been good news.
Naaman Our intelligence service could not confirm the report, but
I was
desperate to try anything.
CS What did you do?
Naaman I reported the possibility to the king of Syria, and he
dispatched me to
deliver a message to the king of Israel. As
sometimes happens, a
garbled translation caused the king of Israel to go
into panic-mode.
Cs Why? What did the message say?
Naaman It came through as a message ordering the king of Israel to
heal my
leprosy. He interpreted it as Syria's seeking an
excuse to declare war.
CS What happened?
Naaman Looking back, I can see the irony of the situation. The
king of Israel
was confronted personally by the commanding general
of the Syrian
army, ordering him to cure his fatal disease!
CS No wonder he tore his clothes and went into mourning!
So how did
the prophet Elisha get involved?
Naaman He heard that his king was in mourning, and when he
discovered the
reason, he sent a message for me to come to his
house. My troops and
I marched out to his home . . .
CS You had men with you? Weren't they afraid to come
near a leper?
Naaman They were under my command. Syrian soldiers do not fear
death!
CS I'm sorry, General Naaman. Please continue!
Naaman Elisha didn't even pay me the courtesy of coming out to
meet me. He
just sent a messenger to tell me to dip seven times
in the Jordan River.
CS According to my sources, you flew into a rage!
Naaman I expected him at least to come out and stand before me,
praying to
his God . . . maybe waving his hand over my sores to
heal me . . .
something like that. I didn't need a bath! And if
I did, I surely
wouldn't go to the Jordan! We've got better rivers
in Syria!
CS What changed your mind?
Naaman My sergeant-major reasoned with me. We had been on
military
campaigns together for more than twenty years, and I
trusted his
judgment explicitly. He persuaded me that merely
taking a dip in the
Jordan River was a simple thing. He pointed out
that I would have
performed a much more difficult task in order to be
healed.
CS So you did it! . . . Were you still skeptical?
Naaman I checked my wounds after every submersion. By the time
I'd dipped
six times with no results, I was starting to lose my
temper again.
CS Then number seven?
Naaman When I came up after the seventh dip, my wounds were
completely
healed . . . my skin was as good as new . . . like a
baby's!
CS Then what did you do?
Naaman I jumped back into my chariot and wheeled over to Elisha's
house
again. I offered him a reward worth a king's
ransom, but he refused.
CS Why?
Naaman I think he was a genuine holy man, and his services were
not for sale.
He just didn't want to be obligated to a foreigner,
I suspect. But I was
convinced that the God of Israel was both powerful
and merciful.
CS Did you convert to Judaism?
Naaman I did. I'd already been "baptized," so to speak, so I
testified before
Elisha and all my men: "Indeed, now I know that
there is no God in all
the earth, except in Israel." (II Kings 5:15) I
also asked permission to
take two mule-loads of Israeli soil back to my home
in Syria. I spread
that dirt in a "holy ground" area in the courtyard
of my house, and
there I sacrificed and worshipped Jehovah, the
Almighty God of Israel.
CS What about the Hebrew's Ten Commandment prohibition
against
serving any other gods?
Naaman I asked permission from the prophet Elisha to be excused
from that
law. As I performed my official duties,
accompanying the king of
Syria in matters of state, it was customary to bow
in the temple of the
Syrian god, Rimmon. Elisha pardoned that technical
violation as I
absolutely refused to pay homage to Rimmon or any
other false god.
CS Elisha's servant, Gehazi, tricked you into giving him
a reward?
Naaman But he didn't fool Elisha. I heard Gehazi ended up with my
leprosy!
CS General Naaman, do you have any final "orders"?
Naaman I'm under divine authority, just as you are, soldier! I
obey the orders
of the Supreme Commander, Jesus, who spoke about me
in one of His
sermons, (Luke 4:27) You know, I used to lean on
the arm of the
Syrian king (II Kings 5:18) . . . but now I lean on
the everlasting arm
of the King of Kings! And someday, every knee shall
bow to Him!
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 successful marriage requires falling in love many
times, always with the same person!"
- Mignon McLaughlin
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