A Discerning Eye
March 8, 1864 was a cold, crisp day in Washington, D.C., as a middle aged man and a young boy stepped off of the train at the busy Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Station. The father and son took a carriage to the Willard Hotel, which stood only two blocks from the White House.
The man, forty-two years old and wearing a travel-stained duster, asked for a room. The clerk looked startled; did not the visitor know that in wartime Washington few rooms were available, especially at Willards – the finest hotel in the nation’s capital?
After a moment, the clerked offered the travelers a small room on the top floor. The man stated that the little room would be fine, and signed the hotel guest register.
When the clerk turned the register around and read the signature – “U.S. Grant and son, Galena, Illinois” – he turned pale. He gasped, “General Grant, why didn’t you tell me who you were?”
The clerk had seen posters of the Union’s “Hero of the West” everywhere around Washington. Looking closely under the worn coat he could see the blue uniform of an officer. Quickly, the clerk reassigned his lodging to Parlor Suite 6, the best room in the hotel. (White, Ronald. American Ulysses. New York: Random House. 2016 p. XXI)
Many a time we fail to distinguish that which stands right in front of us - that which the Lord has brought into our path as a blessing, or sometimes as a test of our faith.
On Your Own
During WWII, as the Allies moved across France, they retook the French town of Chartres. Towering over the houses was the centuries old cathedral, with spires rising 350 ft. into the air. When the soldiers arrived at Chartres, they found the cathedral at risk of being destroyed by twenty-two sets of explosives placed nearby by the retreating Nazis.
Demolitions expert Stewart Leonard went in, and helped defuse the bombs and save the cathedral. Although the work was stressful and dangerous, Leonard liked to say, “There’s one good thing about being in the bomb disposal unit: No superior officer is ever looking over your shoulder.” (Edsel, Robert. The Monuments Men. New York: Center Street. 2009. p. 107)
Sometimes in our service for the Lord, we may seem to be by ourselves. A number of years ago, when the Communist dictatorship of Russia was overturned, I had a friend and Heritage alumnus take his family as missionaries to Siberia. Years later, he spoke at the college. I will never forget him smiling and saying, “It was wonderful being way out in Siberia as missionaries, because there was no one there to tell you that you are doing it wrong.”
Alone with the Lord can be one of the greatest places for the Christian to find themselves.
Trained for God’s Ministry
B.H. Carroll was a famous preacher of a hundred years ago. In his youth he fought with the Confederate Army, and he was not saved until after the war. He became a great Baptist preacher in Texas, and he went on to lead in the founding of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1908. He persuaded many young men to become soldiers of Christ with “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel.” B.H. Carroll stated: “We think that it is awful to have to go to college for four years. This man’s preparation (Moses’) extended over eighty years, for forty years’ work. I repeat to you again, that only prepared men ever do great things. It is simply impossible for unprepared men to do really great things.” (Carroll, B.H. An Interpretation of the Bible Vol. Exodus/Leviticus. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1947 p. 31)
Preacher Carroll’s 17 volume An Interpretation of the Bible was donated to the Heritage Library.
Gary Beatty to Speak at Banquet
Every year, one of the special events of Graduation Week is the Alumni/Graduation Banquet. Dr. Gary Beatty of Boca Grande, FL is scheduled to speak at the Tuesday night, May 5th event. Also that evening, we will enjoy a mini concert by Evangelist Carroll Roberson. Brother Roberson is a song writer, author, Bible Land guide, and preacher from Ripley, MS. His ministry will bless you.
This year, we will host the Alumni/Graduation Banquet on the Hopewell Campus, and the food will be catered by Gray Brother’s Cafeteria.
Come and enjoy Dr. Beatty’s message, along with a night of good food, Christian music, and great fellowship. Please call Heritage Baptist College to make a reservation. (317) 738-3791 or (317) 246-8915.
Gary Beatty to Speak at Banquet
On May 5 - 7 we will hold the Graduation Week activities for Heritage Baptist College. A great line up of 12 preachers is planned, and one of the week’s highlights will be the combined meeting of local churches on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. Dr. Garvan Walls is the pastor of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Oliver Springs, TN, and he will be speaking that night. We will have special singing, and numbers of churches will be in attendance.
Dr. Walls has pastored Mt. Pisgah for 37 years, the church where he grew up as a boy. His work has a worldwide vision with a printing ministry that prints Bibles and sends them around the globe. Brother Walls’ messages are relevant and helpful.
This is our fourteenth year to host this combined service, and we look forward to a special evening filled with great enthusiasm, kindness, and Christian unity among the churches.