Student Responsibility
The university exists to serve the students, developing and enriching their lives. Therefore, we do everything possible to help each student succeed in school and in life.
One of the most important qualities that a person can have in life is initiative—being able to see what needs to be done, start doing it, and finish it. This is one of the qualities most lacking in people today and is a cause of many of the problems plaguing society.
At Harvest Bible University, we seek to help students develop inner character which will enable them see what needs to be done in the world today through the loving eyes of Christ, and then to initiate and complete important projects for Him. As part of this thrust, it is important that each student realize that he or she is ultimately responsible for his or her own work in the university. We will do everything to help, but each person must provide the effort to succeed in beginning and completing their own education: From studying this catalog, class schedules and other information, to attending class, doing the work, taking examinations, paying tuition, arranging work and time schedules, and doing whatever else is necessary to bring the good work to fruition.
Consequently we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well (2 Cor. 8:6).
Christian Life
Learning The Bible
This is a Bible university. We have all come to learn the Word of God. We are here to sit underanointed teachers who can open the depths of the revelation of God to us (Luke 24:32). But nothing can compare with knowing the Bible for yourself, firsthand.
Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts (Jer. 15:16).
I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food (Job 23:12).
Reading the Bible over and over, at least twice a year, will give you an overall understanding of God’s Word that you simply can’t get reading it once a year or less. Your mind will remember and connect things together in a way that will amaze you.
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers (Psalm 1:1–3).
At Harvest, we all share in the great adventure of getting to know Jesus, the Word of God, through His written word as the Holy Spirit teaches us.
Every student reads the Bible through twice a year, and prays daily. This is required in order to receive credit for classes taken.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16–17).
Pick up a free “Bible Reading Chart” each week, and turn in the previous week’s chart. The university office keeps track of these, and the results are listed on your report card. The charts will be returned to you after the end of the quarter.
Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so (Acts 17:11).
Each day read the Scriptures listed by one check box (e.g., Matthew 1–7). Also read the chapter of Proverbs that goes with the day of the month and pray for at least ten minutes (see explanations on following pages). When you’ve done this for the day, check the box. By the end of the week you should have seven boxes checked. Turn in the chart and get another.
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success (Josh. 1:8).
You will be thrilled as God’s Word washes, cleanses, and transforms you.
. . . just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word (Eph. 5:25–26).
Proverbs: The Book About Christlike Character
All around the world today Christians are following a plan which is helping them be conformed to the image of God’s dear Son, Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29). This plan builds upon the fact that there are 31 chapters in the Book of Proverbs, just as there are 31 days in a typical month.
Here’s the plan: Each day of the month you read the chapter of Proverbs that corresponds to the date for that day. For example, on September 20 you read Proverbs chapter 20; on September 25 you read chapter 25; on May 7 you read chapter 7; and so on.
By doing this, you begin to find yourself making decisions in your daily life according to verses that God brings to your mind, rather than from the world’s perspective. As a result, your life begins to prosper more and more. Therefore, along with your regular daily through-the-Bible reading, you will also read the chapter of Proverbs for the day of the month.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind . . . (Rom. 12:2a).
For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).
For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding . . . . For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you . . . . So you will walk in the way of good men, and keep to the paths of the righteous (Prov. 2:6, 10–11, 20).
There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (Prov. 16:25).
Building Your Prayer Life
God loves us and wants our fellowship in prayer, both for His own enjoyment and honor, and also for our benefit that we might be refreshed, strengthened, and guided in our daily lives. Yet we often have a hard time setting aside enough time every day to really get to know God in a deep, intimate way.
Jesus said, Could you not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying, that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Mark 14:37b–38).
And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5:8).
We can all fall into the trap of being so busy working for God that we do not have time for God Himself; and God wants our hearts and our time with Him even more than what we can produce for Him. It’s just like many marriages: A man marries a girl because he loves her and wants her to be with him. Yet after being married awhile, she may be so busy being a wife (cleaning, washing, cooking, taking care of the children) that she does not have time for her husband when he wants her to be with him. In other words, she is so busy being a wife that she does not have time to really be his wife! Jesus is the bridegroom, we are His bride; and His greatest desire is that we be available to be with Him, to spend time with Him ever day.
Now as they were traveling along, He entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him, and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38–42).
Every one of us really wants to sit at the Lord’s feet, yet we get our priorities mixed up and do everything else instead (like Martha!). So in the university we’ve developed a plan that helps us get started. Every day we each spend at least ten minutes alone with the Lord in prayer, along with our Bible reading assignment. Having it as an assignment helps us overcome our flesh and do what we most want to do anyway—be with the Lord. Now, as to the quality of the prayer time, that is up to each person individually. We can really seek the Lord, or we can do it in a dry, legalistic way; we can do it to please and honor God or merely to fulfill an assignment. It’s up to us. But the fact that it is required helps us get going and keep going, even when it seems dry, until the days of rich blessings come. It is a very profitable spiritual discipline.
O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have beheld You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches (Psalm 63:1–6).
Social Life
And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer . . . . And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved (Acts 4:42, 46–47).
Fellowship is an important part of the Christian life. God loves for His family to be together, especially in these last days. Therefore, you’ll find a rich love and warmth among the students at Harvest, a real caring and concern for one another.
There are a limited number of specific “social events” during the year, but most “social life” takes place right in the fellowship of the Body of Christ, as well as the fellowship of the local churches represented.
But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7).
Join in; seek to minister to others’ needs for love and fellowship; and you’ll find your own social needs abundantly met. To find JOY, approach life in this order: Jesus, Others, You.
Discipline
The goal of Harvest Bible University is to produce men and women of God, who love Him with all their heart, and who live effective lives that show Christ to the world.
. . . being manifested that you are a letter of Christ (2 Cor. 3:3).
Therefore, it is important that each student keep his or her conduct pure, holy, and loving to fulfill the higher purposes to which God has called us beyond mere educational requirements. It is the quality of a person’s life that witnesses best to the world and gives the most power for service.
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Rom. 12:1–2).
Each student must abstain at all times from illegal drugs, alcohol abuse, gossip, sexual activity outside of marriage, things needlessly offensive to others, and whatever else the Bible says a Christian should not do.
Abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5: 22). It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles (Rom. 14:21).
The law of love is our guideline; the Holy Spirit our Guide. While it is not possible to define spirituality by rules, God does give basic principles of honesty, morality, and love within which spirituality will occur. A student who insists on living an unChristlike life will be admonished by the Dean or the board, and may, if he or she insists on living contrary to the standards of the Bible, be suspended from the university.
The student may later be reinstated if he or she shows evidence of repentance and rectifying the offense, and if the faculty and administration elect to reinstate him or her to the university.
Here are some representative Scriptures on the subject:
Jesus said, For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts,
murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride
and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man (Mark 7:21–23).
But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves (1 Cor. 5:11-13).
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Gal. 5:19-23).
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 3:1-7).
See also the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapters 5–7, for a good summary of Jesus’ main teachings.
