Getting Ready for This Fall
The plans for Heritage Baptist College are for classes to begin again on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. We thank the Lord that during all of the last school year that He protected our students and faculty from serious Covid sickness. Even though some of us have experienced Covid twice so far, we will continue with common sense health protocols for this next year.
Our teachers are looking forward to fulfilling the mission of training young people to serve the Lord.
If you know of students that may be hesitant or unable to continue in their Biblical Studies, please let them know of the opportunities at Heritage Baptist College.
Boundaries are not Bad
The name Grand Canyon, says it all. There is no natural wonder that compares to it. The Grand Canyon spans over 270 miles and at some places it is 18 miles across, changing elevation over 6,000 feet.
With so much area, the National Parks Service cannot put barriers at every cliff. At some areas that are heavily visited there are protective railings, but in many places you must use common sense.
Three months ago my son, Philip, and I traveled out to the Grand Canyon and spent a day and a half. The first half day we just scouted along the South rim in readiness for our one day hike down to the Colorado River and back. It was a chilly, windy day as we walked along the ridge, and I was taken back at the number of “thrill seekers” that would venture out to the edge of the cliffs. I heard one nearby woman, tell her young daughter to stand up on a rock that was mere feet from the brink. At that moment I turned away - I could not watch.
It is estimated that 12 individuals die every year while visiting the Grand Canyon. Some lose their life from heat exhaustion, some drown in the raging Colorado River, and others die by taking chances. Four people have died this year, a couple of them on the very trails that we hiked.
At the second most visited national park in the United States, the National Park Service issues guidelines: there are places not to swim, there are boundaries not to cross, and there are temperature extremes to avoid. Warning signs are abundant throughout the park. Yet people chose to overlook them to their destruction.
Boundaries are not bad, they protect us. The Bible is filled with protective counsel and rules that can save you from a terrible fall. Your perspective on God’s instruction often gauges your response. Do you see His rules as protective, or are they just stifling?
Dr. Lee Roberson’s Story
Dr. Lee Roberson (1909-2007) was a great preacher and a masterful illustrator. He was born in English, Indiana.
A close friend of Dr. Lee Roberson, Dr. Bobby Brown, once related to me this little known story from Dr. Roberson.
An old mature pastor was teaching a young preacher, the value & wisdom of being a success in the ministry.
He said to the young man, "This is the hardest lesson you will have to learn in the work of the Lord.” He then added, “Did you know a certain man?”
“Yes sir,” was the reply of the young preacher.
“Did you know him well?” continued the teacher.
“Yes sir,” the young man answered again.
“Do you know where he is buried?” asked the old preacher.
“Yes sir, I attended his funeral and the burial,” replied the younger man.
“Go to his grave and say all the good things he did,” instructed the mature preacher.
The young preacher obeyed and when he returned, the old pastor stated, “you have completed half of the lesson. Now, go back and say all the bad things he did that you can recall.”
Reluctantly, the young man followed the orders of the teacher.
When he returned the old preacher asked, "What did he say?"
The young man, slightly startled, answered, "Why nothing."
"Then sir,” said the old preacher, “you have the lesson. You must die to praise and criticism in the work of the Lord."
I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. I Cor.15:31
60 Years Ago a Smile Won the Day
Harvey R. Ball was born on July 10, 1921 in Massachusetts. He was a veteran of WWII, received the Bronze Star for heroism in the Battle of Okinawa, and after 27 years in the military, he retired as a Brigadier General. Yet for all of those patriotic actions, he is little remembered.
Harvey Ball was also a trained artist.
Almost two decades after WWII, employee bickering and lack of warmth plagued the State Mutual Life Assurance Company in Massachusetts. The Vice President asked freelance artist Harvey Ball to come up with a graphic for a “Friendship Campaign.” His $45 design on that day in 1963 quickly grew into an international icon, the “Smiley Face.”
The original order for 100 buttons was within weeks selling in the thousands, and soon into the millions.
Yet Harvey Ball never copyrighted his logo, and only received the original artwork fee. In his obituary (April 12, 2001), he was quoted as stating concerning the copyright fees - that he had no regrets. As he liked to put it: “Hey, I can only eat one steak at a time, drive one car at a time."
Harvey Ball’s philosophy of the Smiley was more than just a “feel good” symbol. The Smiley was an inspiration to help others. His phrase was: "Do an act of kindness – help one person smile!"
Why not put a smile on someone’s face for eternity, and point them to Jesus.