Author: preacherpollard

preacher,Cumberland Trace church of Christ, Bowling Green, Kentucky

HE WAS THEIR CAPTAIN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal Pollard

It has been suggested that the Psalms where David appears most anxious were written from the Cave of Adullam. His time there represented one of the deepest valleys of his life. Yet, one of the many contrasts between the man who would be the most beloved king of Israel and his predecessor was the great drawing power he possessed. The drawing power was not his military prowess, though he possessed it. It was his righteous and godly way of life. His brothers and members of his family came to him there, but so did another group. About 400 men crowded into this cave. It is what is said about the non-relatives in the cave that catches my eye. Consider what is said in 1 Samuel 22:2.

Those in distress came to him. It is not said why they were distressed, but in their distress they gravitated to David. Maybe he soothed them by his faith or through his songs. But the distressed knew David would be a source of comfort.

Those in debt came to him. It is not clear how they had gotten into debt, whether of their own poor choices or through some unfair tactic of Saul or someone else. The Bible elsewhere condemns folly which leads to debt, but there is no such judgment here. The endebted knew David would be a source of relief and protection.

Those in discontent came to him. There is no reason to believe that these were discontent in the way their grumbling and complaining forefathers had been. It could well have been that they were discontent with the dangerous spiritual direction the nation was headed under Saul’s leadership. The discontent knew David would be a source of optimism and leadership.

There are people like these around you today. Some of them are your spiritual brothers and sisters. Others could be, if you were able to lend them the comfort, relief, and leadership that Christ promises (cf. Matt. 11:28-30). Are you the kind of Christian that others come to for help and guidance? Learn from David’s example and be an oasis to a world in a desert of sorrow and sin.

 

GOD LOVES FRUIT


Neal Pollard
Those sugar bananas that grow in tropical and equatorial climates are unbelievably tasty. How about a sweet watermelon (especially seedless) on a hot, summer day? The best peaches probably grow in Fort Valley, Georgia, Chilton County, Alabama, or Palisade, Colorado. It is amazing how sweet a mango or red grape can taste. Surely, one of the crowns of creation had to be the blackberry which, in a cobbler, shows man’s intellectual capacity at its finest. Genesis 1:11 records that third day when God began making fruit, and it was fruit that was meant to sustain Adam and Eve (3:2-3). The diversity of fruit on this earth shows God’s desire for man to experience the enjoyment of something conjured by His perfect hand.
However, man is not the only one who loves fruit. The Bible makes it clear that God has a “taste” for fruit, too. He loves singing to Him done in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:24), which He calls “the fruit of lips” (Heb. 13:15). He calls the discipline of suffering which He allows for our growth and development “the fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:11). He enumerates the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, a whole range of thoughts and actions that prove we are Christ’s. Often, however, God’s Word speaks of the fruits of involved, committed Christian living, evidence of our conversion to Him. These fruits are tangible works that prove our gratitude for redemption, our desire to grow closer to God, our sense of debt and duty, our love for the One who is love, and our understanding of how important each of us fulfills our purpose as Christians on this earth.
Jesus made spiritual application through a fruitless fig tree on at least two occasions, the parable of Luke 13:6-9 and his encounter with a barren fig tree between Bethany and Jerusalem (Matt. 21:18ff; cf. Mark 11:12-14). Yet, His most famous analogies using the “fruit concept” are found in Luke eight and John fifteen. In Luke eight, the seed (8:11-the Word of God) planted in a good heart is fruitful while that strewn on the other types of hearts is not productive. In John fifteen, Jesus uses this fruit metaphor in an extended way. He is the vine. We are the branches. The Father is the farmer, the cultivator and fruit inspector. Jesus alludes to the idea that fruitless disciples are cut off from God and thus punished. However, when God looks at you and me and sees “much fruit,” He “is glorified by this” (John 15:5,8). In fact, it is by bearing fruit that we prove ourselves disciples of Christ (John 15:8). The key is abiding in Him. If you are truly in a relationship with the Lord, cultivated by prayer, study, and faithful living, you are abiding in Him. Fruit is visible, tangible, and discernible. Are you bearing or barren?

Three Results Of Healthy Churches (Acts 9:31)

Neal Pollard

The churches in all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria were hearing challenging, accurate preaching and were actively getting the truth into their communities (Acts 9:26-30).  They walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31).  This led to three wonderful results, the very things we should want in our congregation today.

They were unified.  Luke records that these churches had “peace.”  This word has a literal and figurative application.  While there no doubt seems to be an allusion to the absence of external pressures that were in place previously (cf. Acts 8-9).  Yet, they were preaching the word (Act 8:4) even during these hard times, and the members were drawn together by faithful service in these circumstances.  Consequently, they had peace internally even while they were debates and threats (Acts 9:29).

They were edified.  In this great, working, and spiritually healthy atmosphere, the church was uplifted.  They were building up each other and reaching out to one another.  Though it is unstated, they were no doubt making decisions and acting in such a way as to think of others before themselves.  They were acting in the best interest of one another.  What an atmosphere this produces!

They were multiplied.  Essentially, they were experiencing numerical growth because of the spiritual atmosphere.    Because the church was obeying, serving, and honoring Jesus as Lord, they grew.  So, it will ever be.  Genuine, sustainable growth does not come through the bells and whistles of fads and fashions taken from society or the religious world.  Live out the word in your life, and you will see growth.

The Holy Spirit gives us good and bad examples of churches and individuals throughout the Bible.  The purpose of this is to help us know how we ought to conduct ourselves in the household of God (cf. 1 Timothy 3:15).  Thank God for the example found in Acts 9:31.

“Without The Venom This Time”

Neal Pollard

In Bill Whitehead’s comic strip, “Free Range,” a marriage counselor is mediating an obviously angry dispute between two poisonous snakes.  She exhorts them, “Okay…both of you take a deep breath and try to talk to each other without the venom this time.”  That is hard for snakes to do, but it is important for husbands and wives to heed such advice.

Stress, exhaustion, undisciplined emotion, hurt, mistrust, and fear can all be toxic ingredients in communication between marriage partners.  Rivalry can rout relationship.

The Bible stresses both that the husband love his wife (Eph. 5:25, 28; Col. 3:19) and that the wife love her husband (Tit. 2:4).  Discussing the husband’s relationship to his wife, the Bible urges an attempt to understand her (1 Pet. 3:7), nourish and cherish her (Eph. 5:29), please her (1 Cor. 7:33), and be joined to her (Gen. 2:24).  Discussing her relationship to him, God’s Word uses ideas like respect (Eph. 5:33), be subject (Eph. 5:22; Tit. 2:5), be submissive (1 Pet. 3:1), display chaste and respectful behavior (1 Pet. 3:2), and be kind (Tit. 2:5).  There is not much wiggle room in these passages for verbal venom.

Next time you feel your rattler rising, remember who you are and what God expects of you.  Then, take a moment to see your spouse for who they are and all they mean to you.  You are friends (and lovers), not foes.  You are heirs together of the grace of life (1 Pet. 3:7).  That is enough to de-fang our discussions!  Disagreements are inevitable.  Destructiveness is iniquity.

“Without The Venom This Time”


Neal Pollard

In Bill Whitehead’s comic strip, “Free Range,” a marriage counselor is mediating an obviously angry dispute between two poisonous snakes.  She exhorts them, “Okay…both of you take a deep breath and try to talk to each other without the venom this time.”  That is hard for snakes to do, but it is important for husbands and wives to heed such advice.

Stress, exhaustion, undisciplined emotion, hurt, mistrust, and fear can all be toxic ingredients in communication between marriage partners.  Rivalry can rout relationship.  Heaping hurts can hinder hearth and home.  

The Bible stresses both that the husband love his wife (Eph. 5:25, 28; Col. 3:19) and that the wife love her husband (Tit. 2:4).  Discussing the husband’s relationship to his wife, the Bible urges an attempt to understand her (1 Pet. 3:7), nourish and cherish her (Eph. 5:29), please her (1 Cor. 7:33), and be joined to her (Gen. 2:24).  Discussing her relationship to him, God’s Word uses ideas like respect (Eph. 5:33), be subject (Eph. 5:22; Tit. 2:5), be submissive (1 Pet. 3:1), display chaste and respectful behavior (1 Pet. 3:2), and be kind (Tit. 2:5).  There is not much wiggle room in these passages for verbal venom.

Next time you feel your rattler rising, remember who you are and what God expects of you.  Then, take a moment to see your spouse for who they are and all they mean to you.  You are friends (and lovers), not foes.  You are heirs together of the grace of life (1 Pet. 3:7).  That is enough to de-fang our discussions!  Disagreements are inevitable.  Destructiveness is iniquity.

ARE YOU “OVERTHINKING”?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal Pollard
USA Today ran a front page story about a brain study related to Alzheimer’s Disease. The caption reads, “Overthinking can be good for us.” The subheading continues, “Dementia appears less likely to creep into thought-filled brains.” The brain is extremely complex, so much so that conditions like Alzheimer’s remain largely a mystery as to cause and predisposition. The focus of this study, more than 9,000 middle-aged men, were asked to rate the degree to which they “ruminate” over family and work difficulties. Those who tended to “overthink” or “ruminate” were 40% less likely to suffer dementia than their more carefree counterparts.

It seems that “overthink” or “ruminate” is a sophisticated way of saying “worrying.” While worrying might be thought to be good for the brain, it’s not good for the soul. It may be awfully tempting to worry about health, finance, relationships, family, occupation, enemies, friends, time, and the future, but it can also be sinful (cf. Matt. 6:24-33). A repeated principle of scripture is to “trust in the Lord and do not lean on your own understanding” (cf. Prov. 3:5-6). When our hearts fully trust and believe that God is in control of our lives and will ultimately save our souls, where is there room left there for worry? If you want a healthy brain, read more, do crossword puzzles, drink green tea, and, best of all, fill your mind with God’s Word! Don’t worry.

DO THEY KNOW IT’S GOOD NEWS?

Neal Pollard

Local and cable stations’ headlines are perpetually bad news, school shootings, raising gas prices, war and instability in the Middle East or elsewhere, and the list continues.  Hollywood perpetuates the peddling of salacious, titillating, and perverse ideas through its various outlets, both teaching and reflecting an increasingly immoral society.  The moral, ethical, and doctrinal state of society and the world seems at an all-time low.

Preaching needs to reflect an understanding of that, for sure.  Sin must be called by name and addressed. We cannot hold hands with the devil and walk with God.  There is no place for compromising God’s truth.

Jeremiah warned against those who cried “peace” when there was no peace (Jer. 6:14; 8:11).  His message was “negative”–that his nation was destined for punishment by the Babylonian Empire.  But, Jeremiah’s message included the hope and promise of a new, glorious covenant (31:31-34) and Jeremiah’s last word from God concerned the future salvation of his people and destruction of their enemy (ch. 51).

Joel starts his message with a message of doom and judgment for Judah (1:1-2:17), but he ends the book by showing the hope of God’s people experiencing His pardon (3:17-21).  Amos is a book about divine judgment and retribution, illustrated with graphic, horrific visions, but it is a book that ends focused on the glorious future of Israel (9:11-15).  Micah bounces back between a message of scathing rebuke of sin and hope in God.  Zephaniah’s message begins saturated with words about God’s judgment on His erring brethren as well as on other nations, but he ends by singing redemption’s sweet song (3:9ff).  Even Malachi, a book filled with warnings about empty, half-hearted religion ends with a word about “the sun of righteousness with healing in its wings”(4:2).

New Testament writers fill their message, however saturated with warning or rebuke, with hope and the possibility of salvation.  God’s consistent message is that He wants relationship with man, has proven that desire, and eagerly awaits that from each of us.  He wants all men saved (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9).  Surely we know that, but do we possibly forget that at times?  Those of us who preach and teach, in such a responsible position, need to remind people that we can overcome–John says that at least four times in his first epistle (1 Jn. 2:13-14; 4:4; 5:4).

One day hope will run out for the disobedient.  There will be no chance for restoration or conversion at the judgment.  It will be too late then, but it is not too late now!  May our teaching and preaching reflect this optimism, remembering that the powerful Word still softens hearts and changes lives (cf. Heb. 4:12).  Some day all hope will be gone, but that day is not today!

IF THOMAS EDISON DIDN’T INVENT THE LIGHT BULB, WHAT DID HE DO?

Neal Pollard

According to Joey Green, author of Contrary to Popular Belief, Edison did not invent the lightbulb. Predating Edison’s work was that of English chemist Sir Humphrey Davy (1802), French physicist Jean Foucault (1844), American inventor J.W. Starr (1845), Russian electrical engineer Paul Jablochkov (1867), and English physicist Sir Joseph Wilson Swann (1878), each with inventions that were a type of lightbulb.  Edison’s famed work occurred in 1879, when he patented his carbon-filament lamp.  Green suggests Edison became known as the “father of the light bulb by building local power plants to generate and distribute electricity” (199).

Edison did more than invent something, he provided a means to make its use more possible.  He took something that was already available and found a way to make it beneficial to more people.  Obviously, Edison’s work was invaluable!

You and I can do the same thing.  We did not invent the Word, but we do have the power to spread its light far and wide (Mt. 5:14,16).  Many are content to leave it in the church building or under a bushel (cf. Mt. 5:15), but God needs men and women who are ready and willing to distribute it far and wide.  Nothing is more beneficial to people’s lives, and nothing is more necessary for eternal preparation (Jn. 12:48).  God is relying upon our finding whatever ways we can to spread the gospel to as many people as possible.  We do not need to (and must not) invent or change the message.  We just need to get the Word out there!

Was Uzzah’s Death Unfair?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal Pollard
If you Google the phrase “Uzzah Death Unfair,” you will find at least 1380 hits most of which addresses that idea. In case you are having a momentary brain cramp over exactly who Uzzah was, he was the man who died when he tried to steady the Ark of the Covenant as David arranged for it to return to Jerusalem. Since the last day of Eli’s life, the Philistines had assumed possession of the Ark (1 Sam. 5:1). That idolatrous nation, given the trouble they received from God for keeping it, returned it to Israel, to Kiriath-Jearim, where Eleazer was consecrated to keep it at Abinadab’s house on the hill (1 Sam. 7:1). Then, following Saul’s reign, David wanted to bring the ark back to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:1ff). Abinadab’s sons, Uzzah and Ahio, set the ark on a new cart and began the journey toward Jerusalem. At Nachon’s threshing floor, the oxen stumbled and Uzzah took hold of the ark (2 Sam. 6:6). Then, “God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God” (2 Sam. 6:7). David became angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, even calling the site of Nashon’s threshing floor that name (Perez-Uzzah).

One might ask why God reacted in what the modern mind sees as a harsh way “simply” for steadying the ark after the oxen stumbled. In 1 Chronicles 15, several inspired answers are given. First, David said it was “because we did not consult Him (God) about the proper order” (13). In other words, Israel took it on themselves to move the ark-which they knew as the residing place of the glory of the Lord (1 Sam. 4:22; cf. 2 Sam. 6:2)-without regard to how God commanded it to be done. Jeremiah says that it is not in man to direct his own steps (10:23). Second, they had gotten away from their spiritual roots. In this case, their spiritual roots were what “Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord” (1 Chron. 15:15). God had an established, authorized way to carry the ark which the writer reviews in this verse. On this occasion, they did as Moses revealed. “The Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles” (15a). Finally, they tried to get by on self-reliance (26). Their newly rediscovered reverence following Uzzah’s death led David, the Levites, and all Israel to see that “God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant.” This spirit of dependency apparently did not exist when Uzzah walked behind the oxcart.

Is it unfair for God to want people to consult Him, to be true to their spiritual roots, to properly regard and revere Him, and to rely upon Him? Certainly not. Uzzah certainly shows us the grave spiritual danger we face by trying to go out on our own, without reverence toward, reliance upon, and recognition of God and His power and authority in our lives.

The Listeria Outbreak

Neal Pollard

The CDC reports that 30 people died and one miscarriage was attributed to an outbreak of listeria, a bacteria causing food poisoning, traced to cantaloupe raised and processed at Jensen Farms near Holly, Colorado.  An attorney representing several who died in this outbreak has the count at 34 victims, including a 68-year-old man who succumbed to listeriosis yesterday.  Those who have either become ill or died hail from 19 states, and the FDA traced the outbreak to dirty equipment.  The dead in most, if not all cases, already had compromised immune systems or underlying health issues that allowed the bacteria to be lethal (cf. Denver Post, 2/22/12, Michael Booth).

It is useless to become paranoid about listeria and cantaloupe, but it does point out how “little” or “minor” things can easily become significant.  If the “right” (i.e., “wrong”) person is exposed to something that may not hurt most people, it can be toxic and even deadly.  If one is “careless” about how they handle even the seemingly routine things, he or she can have a devastating impact.  Even without evil intentions, harm is done!

Perhaps the most common way we contaminate and poison others is through our words.  On the surface, they are seemingly insignificant.  But they can quickly injure or contribute to the spiritual death of the weak, vulnerable, and otherwise susceptible.  James warns of the volatile potential of the tongue (Js. 3:2ff).  Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

We also must watch our example.  Others are watching how we react to life, they see our attitudes, and they examine our choices.  We may brush something off as “no big deal,” but it might be deadly for them.  Jesus warns, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble” (Lk. 17:1-2).

May our lives bring spiritual health and life to others!  May we disdain what is otherwise!  Eternal lives are at stake.

 

Where Are You From?

Neal Pollard

I’ve been asked that most of my adult life.  Being raised in Georgia and receiving my college education in Alabama and Tennessee, I was asked that from the time my family and I moved to Virginia in 1994 and am constantly asked that since we moved here to Colorado in 2006.  My accent gives away my geographical heritage.  While I was a student at Faulkner University, my parents moved up to a community informally known as Mud Puppy, Georgia–several houses off Gold Mine Road north of Blairsville.  People always got a kick out of my answer when they asked, “Where are you from?”

New Orleans is “the big easy.”  Las Vegas is “sin city.”  New York City is “the big apple.”  Chicago is “the windy city.”  Miami is “vice city.”  Boston is “Beantown.” Tagline Guru has the names of some lesser known towns, too.  Did you know that Cape Hatteras, NC, is known as “the graveyard of the Atlantic”?  Forestville, CA, is “the poison oak capital of the world.”  Nashville, TN, is called “the protestant vatican.”  Gallup, NM, is “the drunk driving capital of America.”  My favorite is Algona, IA–“The world’s largest Chee-to” (www.taglineguru.com/monikerlist.html).

The final paragraph of Ezekiel describes the twelve gates of the new city.  The prophet said the city would no longer be called Jerusalem but rather “Yahweh-shammah.”  “The Lord is there” (48:35).

Would you not love to live in a place whose citizens and characteristics were truly such that the town’s name or nickname would be, “the Lord is there.”  The Hebrews writer describes the church as “the city of the living God, the new Jerusalem” (12:22-23).  We should so conduct ourselves as a congregation that all who come among us and visit with us come to identify us as “Yahweh-shammah.”  The Lord is there!

Chicken Wings


Tony Johnson

At work one day we were having a potluck and one of guys had
brought his special recipe hot wings. His special recipe was to blend
the habanero chili peppers into a paste, mix it into a little Tabasco
sauce, and bake it into the chicken wings.

Before we got ready to eat this guy called one of his buddies over
saying “You’ve got to try my hot wings and tell me what you think!”
So his buddy went over, grabbed a wing. Stuck the whole thing in his
mouth and got about half way through pulling the bone out when the
realization that his mouth was on fire hit him.

Anyway, after lots of water and stuffing anything other than those
chicken wings into his mouth to try and put out the fire, he dried the
tears in his eyes and finally got himself composed. Then you know
what he did? He went looking for someone else to offer a chicken
wing to!

After the first couple of guys were fooled into eating one of these
chicken wings with the same predictable results, enough people had
gathered so that they weren’t going to be able to fool anyone else.
But then the strangest thing happened.

Guys who had seen the results of the first couple of guys went and
tried the wings for themselves! They were a little more cautious, not
sticking the whole thing in their mouths, but kind of nibbling around
the edges, but the results were still pretty much the same. And it
went on until all the chicken wings were gone!

So you might think the moral of this story is “guys are stupid”, and
given the facts, I would have a hard time arguing with you. But as all
this was going on I started thinking how what was happening was just
like the way sin spreads.

► It seemed to me that the one who made the sauce and knew how
hot it was and what would probably happen, but still called out to
his friend “Come on and try my chicken wings!” – He is like the false
prophet seeking to mislead.

Matthew 24:11,12 says “Many false prophets will arise and will
mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s
love will grow cold.”

There are many people who will mislead you if you let them.

► The one who tried them, and burned his mouth, but still called
out to his buddy to come and try them to – He is like the one who
has fallen, and rather than pick himself up and put up warning signs
to keep others from the same fate, he calls out to see if he can get
others to join him in his misery.

Proverbs 4:16 says there are some people who … cannot sleep
unless they do evil; and they are robbed of sleep unless they make
someone stumble.

► And what about the ones who saw what was going on, but just
had to try it for themselves? They are the ones who blindly follow the
masses, even when they know they are going to suffer.

Most of the religious word is just following along whatever is
comfortable or convenient! And the result? Matthew 7:13 says that
“… the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction,
and there are many who enter through it.”

On that particular day I was one of the few who didn’t eat the chicken
wings. But in my life, in the things that truly matter, that hasn’t always
been the case. What about you?


GOD’S FEET

Neal Pollard

When the Bible speaks of God in anatomical terms, His eyes, His finger, His hand, His heart, and His feet, it does so accommodatively. We possess those body parts, and we know how they function.  So, to speak of God having them helps us see certain characteristics He possesses.  God is spirit (John 4:24).  A spirit is not associated with flesh and bones (Luke 24:39).  Yet, these are mentioned in Scripture to help paint a mental picture for us.

This is true when it speaks of God’s “feet.”  Consider what the Bible says in this regard:

  • He treads our iniquities under them (Micah 7:19).
  • He puts all things in subjection under them (Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 2:8).
  • He walks on the wind and the heaven (Job 22:14; Psalm 104:3).
  • He treads on the high places of the earth (Amos 4:13).
  • His steps are safe to follow (1 Peter 2:21).
  • He walks with the righteous (Genesis 5:22; 6:9).
  • He stands at the right hand of the needy (Psalm 109:31).
  • He runs to meet the penitent (cf. Luke 15:20).
  • He sets us in the way of His steps (Psalm 85:13).

Taken together, references like these point to God’s power, His purity, and His position.  He can do whatever He pleases, but He will always do what is right.  He will always stand for what is right and good.  Therefore, we can and must follow in His footsteps.  They lead us to the only place of safety!

THINKING SOULS IN THE ASSEMBLY


Neal Pollard

Towns and Porter deliver a slap to the face of most of us when they write, “Most churches consider themselves a friendly church because church members feel the warmth and friendship of others in the church family. It is not uncommon to see groups of people gathered throughout the church facility before and after services laughing and talking together. But often the warmth of Christian fellowship is turned inward to others in the church family and seldom experienced by outsiders who visit the congregation” (Churches That Multiply, 108).  The painful question for us to ask is, “Does that describe us?”  Where do we direct the bulk of our attention?  How often do we reach out to non-Christians, visitors, new Christians, and Christians who are not “regulars”?  Does it matter to God if we are making the effort?
This is not about what kind of personality I possess, be it introverted or extroverted.  It is not about what I feel to be the most comfortable or easy path.  It is about thinking souls at every assembly.  Every person who comes in through our doors is telling us, “OK, I am here.  I need to know if I matter to you as I try to decide whether or not God, Christ, and the Bible matter to me.  Ignore me and I will not return.  Love me and I may never leave.”  See the power for good or ill this places into our hands?
Church leaders must take the lead here.  If the ministers, their wives, elders, their wives, deacons, their wives, and other, recognized leaders and their wives would seek out and try to connect with our visitors and struggling members, it would make a monumental difference.  Yet, it also points out that not everyone is doing that at present.  Barna, the consummate church researcher, contends, “Theology matters, but in the minds of the unchurched (and, quite frankly, most of the churched), the friendly and caring nature of the people matters more” (Grow Your Church From The Outside In, 91).  We may bristle at the idea that our visitors value friendliness over a “thus saith the Lord,” but Jesus warned us it was so.  “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). “One another” undoubtedly includes fellow Christians, but does it exclude these others that come among us?
How we need to be reaching out, day by day, to friends, family, co-workers, and others that we may bring with us to the assemblies and to study God’s Word.  But, what are we doing with those golden opportunities, those who are walking right through our doors?  Will you rise to the challenge and think about them, and share the love of Jesus with them!  They may be eternally grateful to you!

Don’t Take A Dog By The Ears

Neal Pollard

I was shocked to hear this morning that local NBC morning news anchor, Kyle Dyer, was bitten on the lip by an Argentine Mastiff in a “feel good story” about the dog, who was rescued by a local fireman from a frozen pond in Lakewood.  The segment was a reunion between the dog and its owner and the rescuer.  The dog showed no signs of aggression, but Dyer leaned in way too close as if to kiss or snuggle with “Gladiator Maximus.”  Though certainly showing that she is a dog lover, Dyer would no doubt, in hindsight, have done things differently.  Considering the size, the breed, and even the trauma through which the dog had just undergone, this was not a wise move.  Dyer had reconstructive surgery and may be off the job for as much as a month.

In Proverbs 26:17, the writer says, “Like one who takes a dog by the ears is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him.”  The inspired writer is referring to one “sticking his nose” in someone else’s “business.”  I have not ever taken a dog by the ears, but when I was four I tried to throw a house cat into a 50 gallon barrel on our carport.  The insides of my forearms did not fare well, as I bore skid marks from biceps to wrists.  That cat was minding its own business when I foolishly made it (the cat) my own.

Maybe you have never been so foolish with a dog or cat, but have you ever made someone else’s business your own?  It could have been unsolicited advice, taking sides in a conflict between two parties, being a busybody, or the like.  Avoid such a habit!  Sooner or later, you will receive a painful lesson that might hurt badly!  Your interference may hurt others, but you may will inevitably injure yourself–your feelings, reputation, or even character.  Maybe, meddlers should get a sign that reminds them, “Beware of the dog.”  Save yourself!  Let others’ business be just that.

Tourette’s, Tics, And Transference

Neal Pollard

Recently, a bizarre incidence due east of Buffalo, New York, in the small town of Le Roy (birthplace of Jell-O, by the way) has caught national attention.  Twelve girls in Le Roy Junior-Senior High have all developed an involuntary tic. It behaves similarly to Tourette’s Syndrome, a disorder that affects the nervous system leading to movements and vocalizations the patient cannot control–most commonly uncontrollable eye-blinking, throat clearing, and humming (cdc.gov).  An environmental agency was brought in to test for chemical, biological, or environmental factors that might be causing this outbreak.  They found nothing.  The girls have all seen a neurologist from the University of Buffalo, and he, Dr. David Lichter, has diagnosed them with “conversion disorder,” also known as “mass hysteria.”  Lichter also says that social media can cause this to spread, and young people with their own stress and anxiety can see a friend or someone they identify with suffering from a tic and develop their own.  “Conversion Disorder” is a physical health problem that is rooted in an emotional or mental crisis.  The students all know one another, and that has led those who have actually sat down with the girls to draw this conclusion.

If this is something these girls have “caught” from one another by observation and influence, how powerfully it illustrates a spiritual truth.  We influence one another!  Paul wrote Corinth, “Do not be deceived. Evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Cor. 15:33).  The word “company” is from a Greek word from which we get our English word “homily.”   While that word means a sermon today, the original idea carried with it the idea of “companionship.”  Yet, we preach a powerful sermon to all those who see, know, and are influenced by us.  We will persuade them to think, speak, and act a certain way, and they will have the same effect on us!  The potential impact of that, be it for evil or good, is tremendous!  It is enough to cause us to be careful of our example, but also to be careful about who is influencing us!  We cannot be subjected to influence without being, well, influenced!

The American Chicken In Chittagong

 

Neal Pollard

Almost five years ago, I was sitting in an unlocked car with Ralph Williams on the streets of Chittagong, Bangladesh.  Our driver and a native preacher had gone into an alley to find some breakfast for us.  It was about 7:00 AM, and all at once hundreds of men in full Muslim attire, white caps and white cloaks or brightly-colored hats and basic-colored cloaks, began streaming past us.  As I saw them, and among them undoubtedly some clerics and an imam or two, I confess to having had an elevated heart rate.  I felt vulnerable and a bit unsafe, knowing I stood out with my comparatively pale skin and American clothes.  My Bangladeshi vocabulary is very sketchy.  I kept thinking that I could not do much to protect myself or my more elderly companion.

Have you ever felt vulnerable, alone, helpless, and afraid?  Perhaps it takes more than a vivid imagination and a throng of Islamic pedestrian commuters to invoke such feelings from you, but most all of us experience feelings of being susceptible, anxious, and even alarm.  David certainly did!

He wrote, “Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow And my years with sighing; My strength has failed because of my iniquity, And my body has wasted away. Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach, Especially to my neighbors, And an object of dread to my acquaintances; Those who see me in the street flee from me. I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. For I have heard the slander of many, Terror is on every side; While they took counsel together against me, They schemed to take away my life ” (Psalm 31:9-13).  Distress. Grief. Sorrow. Sighing. Failing strength. Wasted body. Reproach. Dread. Forgotten. Broken. Terror.

Perhaps you relate to that. A job loss. A failed relationship. Financial stress.  A fearful diagnosis. An accident. What do you do in the face of threats, trouble, and trials?  The rest of Psalm 31 answers that.  Trust in God (14), put your “times” in His hand (15), call upon Him (17), trust His provision (19-22), love Him (23), be strong, take courage, and hope in Him (24).  In a word, “God” is the answer.  But we must reach out to Him for that help.  When we do, we see our concerns in the clearer light of His power!

Psalm 15

Neal Pollard

Who may permanently pitch his tent on the holy hill of the Lord?
Who is the one that may stay, content, without harm or hurt or discord?
The one who with godliness walks and works, with truth upon his heart
A trustworthy person who wickedness shirks, who in evil takes no part
His tongue he watches and reins, his friends do not fear he’ll betray
From slanderous, evil speech he refrains, he avoids every disloyal way
His sense of right and wrong is clear, his word is ironclad,
His fear of the Lord his actions steer, he despises all men who are bad.
The innocent he carefully protects, he’s compassionate if he lends.
The hurting he never neglects, the downtrodden are his friends.
What happens to such a man, the one up on God’s holy hill?
Move him? No one can! He is entrenched in God’s  unchanging will!

“Beauty On The Outside Never Makes Up For Ugliness On The Inside”

Neal Pollard

The late Harvey Porter wrote the words that make up the title of this article.  He was commenting on Peter’s words to women in 1 Peter 3:3-4, where the apostle urges them, “Your adornment must not be merely external -braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.”  While there are matters here that would seem to more naturally pertain to women–braids, jewelry, and dresses–there are principles in these verses needed by everyone.

First, your adornment must not be merely external.  Whatever you are doing to fight the “Battle of Time,” you are losing.  Even if you are aging gracefully, you are aging!  Eventually, there is nothing you can do about it.  How foolish to only pay attention to skin, hair, body, and wardrobe.  As the title suggests, we all know some handsome and pretty people who are repulsive beneath that shaky surface.

Second, your must properly adorn your heart.  We are not left to wonder how.  Peter suggests to Christian ladies the “imperishable” (that means it will last) quality of a gentle and quiet spirit.  That precludes boisterous, coarse, gossipy, bitter, hateful, vengeful, arrogant, cutting, and petty.  People of that variety are a dime a dozen, commonplace in a world of the externally-obsessed and internally-negligent.

Third, properly adorning the heart is precious in God’s sight.  I have only been in one beauty contest in my life.  The same is true for most of you.  If you have been in more than one, the one we are all contestants in is the most important of all.  How do you look in the sight of God?  He judges beauty at its deepest, truest level.  He is evaluating that “hidden person of the heart.”  There is no talent, evening wear, or other, similar segment.  He is simply looking at your heart and your spirit.  Adorn that well, and Peter says God deems that “precious.”  How do we look to God?  Isn’t that what matters?  Care about that, and we will win the only beauty contest that will matter in eternity.

The Family That Distributes Cocaine Together…

Neal Pollard

Family togetherness can be a good thing, but, obviously, not always.  The Lerma family in Grand Junction, Colorado, were not playing Scrabble, hiking, or watching Disney Movies together.  They were working together to bring two pounds of cocaine into this “western slope” community about every ten days or so.  They were arrested on Sunday, coming back from Denver.   Federico, wife Dolores, 19-year-old daughter Blanca, and a 16-year-old son were all implicated in the drug ring.  Blanca even took her 7-month-old child along for the car rides to transport the drugs (via Grand Junction Sentinel, 1/31/12).

It is unfathomable, unwholesome, unthinkable.  How parents could not influence, but encourage, sinful behavior is baffling to consider!  What were they thinking?

Extreme as it is, this family’s example should cause us to pause and consider what we do as a family when we are together.  Are we ever encouraging our children to miss worship and other regular assembly times in order to pursue other activities?  Do we watch things with them on TV or at the movies that are spiritually harmful?  What do we find humorous and entertaining?  Is it ever that which is not spiritually lawful?

We would never contemplate taking our young ones on a drug run, but where are we taking them?  Where will where we take them cause them to eventually go?  Fathers, as the spiritual leaders of the family (cf. Eph. 5:22-23; 6:1ff), God makes us accountable for our wives and children.  Let us rally them around only “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute” (cf. Phil. 4:8).