Stay Aboard
In 1934, the United States Army Air Force opened a competition for a design of a new heavy bomber. The Boeing Company of Seattle had been founded only 18 years before (1916), yet they pooled 1⁄2 of their resources for the entry into the contest. The plane they submitted became known as the B-17 Flying Fortress.
Boeing’s big risk paid off, as the first B-17 was introduced into service in 1938. Before the close of WWII, nearly 13,000 of these big four engine bombers would fly against the enemy.
In a recent book on the most decorated airplane of WWII, called Lucky 666, much praise is directed towards the B17 Pilot, Captain Jay Zeamer.
Captain Zeamer taught his men that sticking together and with the ship meant everything: Bailing out was the last resort.
Captain Zeamer learned that lesson from the experience of another B-17 pilot, Paul Lindsey. One of every Airman’s greatest fears was that his plane would fall into an uncontrolled spin. Early in the war, Paul Lindsey was piloting his shot-up B-17 home from an attack off the Philippine islands. He ducked into a thunderstorm over the Java Sea in order to evade some pursuing Japanese planes.
The force of the storm was so strong that it threw Lindsey’s plane into a vertical dive so frightening that his copilot and navigator panicked and jumped at 7,000 feet. Lindsey continued to wrestle the yoke, and after another 3,000 feet of free fall, he was able to stabilize the ship and fly it home. The crewmen who bailed were never heard from again. (Drury, Bob & Clavin, Tom. Lucky 666: The Impossible Mission. New York: Simon & Schuster. 2016. p. 40-46, 222)
I sometimes think of individuals, whom when faced with adversity, spiritually bail out. I have seen folks bail out of church, bail out of Christian service, and some bail out totally on God.
Don’t let events in 2024 rattle you. Stay in the ship with the Lord. Have Faith. He will bring you to the appointed destination.
The Day the Sparrows Died
Christ spoke about a trivial bird in Luke when He said: Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6,7)
What is the value of a sparrow?
Sixty-five years ago, the world began to realize the value of this small bird.
Mao ZeDong came to power in China in 1949 and ruled until 1976. During his administration, he created many programs, promoting the communist agenda.
In 1958, Chairman Mao proposed the “Four Pests Campaign” to rid the country of all the rats, flies, mosquitos, and sparrows. Mao singled out sparrows, because he believed that each sparrow ate up to 4 lbs. of grain from their fields every year.
And so under a national directive, the killing of sparrows began. Millions of the small little, “worthless” birds and their nests were quickly destroyed. It is estimated that 1 billion sparrows were killed.
Only too late did Mao’s Communist regime realize that without sparrows, the locust and other crop destroying insects could thrive. With the sparrow population decimated, locust populations soared uncontrollably, leading to devastating crop losses. The resulting agricultural failures, compounded by misguided Communist policies, triggered a severe famine from 1958 to 1962. The death toll from starvation during this period reached a staggering 20 to 30 million Chinese.
Wonderful Christmas Offering
In a unsettled economy, the staff and students at Heritage Baptist College are so appreciative of all those who took part in the Christmas offering. The need for training the next generation in the Word of God is great, and it takes resources to give a quality education. The kindness of many folks is needed to help in the completion of this goal.
We are happy to report that the Christmas giving reached just over $7,000. The Christmas project this year was directed toward the reduction of our mortgage debt. Our goal in 2024 is to be debt free...and we are getting close!
Thank you so much for all those who took part in this special offering!
Second semester classes begin on Wednesday, January 24, 2024. We want to invite those interested in taking classes to sign up for the Spring term. A full listing of both day and evening classes, along with a special student registration form is available on our website (www.hbcindiana.com), or by contacting the office.
We look forward to a fine schedule of chapel preachers and other special events planned for this year.
The speaker for our first chapel on January 24th at 11:30 a.m. is Dr. Wayne Scott from Faith Baptist Church, Morristown, IN.
Please mark it on your calendar to attend the 2nd semester opening chapel & lunch. You are cordially invited.
