Category: Pollard blog

IN THE GRIP OF A PYTHON

Neal Pollard

What a sad story emerged from Campbellton, New Brunswick, last week.  Two little boys were spending the night at a friend’s house. The friend’s father, Jean-Claude Savoie, owns an exotic pet store and was apparently keeping a 14-foot-long African rock python in his home. During the night, while the boys slept, the python got loose from his glass enclosure, crawled through the ventilation system, and landed in the living room where the boys slept. It was then that, incredibly, he took the lives of the boys.  Reports indicate the children had been to Savoie’s farm earlier in the day and had played with llamas, goats, horses and dogs, but had not bathed.  Officials speculate that the python probably mistook the boys for prey, thanks to their scent.  The parents must be grief-stricken and the snake-owner devastated (via http://www.cbsnews.com).

Perhaps what makes this so tragic is that it involves something physical, that can be seen or at least visualized.  Yet, an infinite number of times over daily, a greater tragedy is occurring. Children are being assaulted by “that serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9).  But because his deadly work is done upon souls and not bodies, it is so easy to ignore.  Children are placed by their parents into circumstances that expose them to this dangerous predator with seemingly little thought to the consequences.  Parents allow the “scent” of the world to be left upon their children, allowing them to see and hear worldliness, become comfortable with it, and do nothing to be cleansed from it.  God has made moms and dads the guardians of their children’s lives, whether it is their entertainment, friends and associations, activities, education, or the like.  We are responsible for guiding them toward truth and away from error.

Do we ever, rather than taking that stewardship seriously, become lax and careless?  We sing, “This world is not my home,” but are we helping to make our precious heritage cozy in its arms?  May we all resolve to protect our children from the “evil one,” appreciating the gravity of what is at stake.

Staying On The Rails

Neal Pollard

Without A Belief In The Bible’s Inspiration…

  • Why would I read, meditate upon, or study it daily (or at all) to guide my life?
  • What will be the paradigm for directing and shaping my life?
  • From where will I draw my understanding of Who Jesus is, what He did, and how I must relate to Him?
  • How do I form my understanding of where I came from, why I am here, or where I am going?
  • Why would I trust or follow what it says to do in even a single case, circumstance, or verse?
  • What logical, ultimate constraint do I have from any behavior or act I desire to do, no matter how aberrant or outlandish society finds it?
  • How do we evaluate the content of any word, attitude, or action for rightness or wrongness?
  • On what basis would I accept absolutes, which I must (even if I absolutely deny the existence of absolute truth)?
  • Who or what will be my standard of authority?

One of the most famous movie scenes of all time depicts Dr. Richard Kimble, played by Harrison Ford, desperately running, orange prison jump suit, shackles, and all, as a derailed train caroms out of control, rapidly gaining on him, and threatening his life. The videography is spectacular, cutting quite an imposing figure.  A multi-ton mass of metal off the rail and out of control promises nothing but damage and destruction.  As long as the train is on the track, its weight and speed do not pose a threat.  If it is not, the prospects are frightening.

The premise that the Bible is the Word of God from the mind of God through men provides an answer to all the above, weighty questions.  If one refuses to accept the Bible is what it claims to be (1 Cor. 2:11-12; Gal. 1:6-9; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; Jude 3; etc.), then of necessity he or she must choose an alternate guide for life.  It is fair to evaluate that alternative with equal criticism and scrutiny.  Wisdom would seem to suggest choosing what best explains the whole picture–our complex design, moral compass, appreciation for beauty, universe’s order, and more.  What we are talking about are the very biggest issues of life! They deserve our deepest thought and wisest choice.

 

Protecting Restoration

Neal Pollard

Jesus taught that moth, rust and robbers do their irresistible work upon our things (Mat. 6:19-21).  Anyone who has restored automobiles or houses knows the persistent challenge they face in keeping up with decay and loss in those projects.  In weather-torn Colorado, the elements can speed up the deterioration and destruction of items and especially those which are not protecting whether through painting, sealing, or whatever is needed to preserve them.

On a trip to the Lexington, Kentucky, area on this day in 2013, I visited a part of the world rife with restoration sites.  While I was there to speak on the Cane Ridge Lectureship, the Friday of that program is devoted to going to various sites associated with church history connected with the “Restoration Movement.”  Stephen Besson, a physician and a skillful church historian who has led these tours since the death of author Everett Donaldson, led us up to Mays Lick, Kentucky, to the site of the Campbell-McCalla debate and the graveyard of restoration leader Walter Scott.  The first time I was there, we went to the site of the Cane Ridge meeting house as well as the Lexington Cemetery.  That day, we saw the graves of Barton Stone, Raccoon John Smith, J.W. McGarvey, and others.  There is so much church history in that area that tourers can fill their day for many years with different restoration sites.  Once, when driving through Lexington, I found the house of Moses Lard.

The men I mention were intellectual and spiritual giants, men whose plea was not to be denominational or to form their own sect but to get people back to the Bible.  Their efforts paved the way for thousands to leave religious division and manmade doctrine in favor of New Testament Christianity.  That goal is ever-worthy of pursuit!  It is the only viable basis of religious unity, getting back to the Bible for faith and practice.

Dr. Besson pointed out something while we were at Mays Lick.  The church in that area is numerically weak.  Back in the division between churches of Christ and the Christian Church at the beginning of the twentieth century, most of the congregations went with the digression.  Thus, though there are some very strong congregations in the area, there are relatively few.  There are nine counties in Kentucky without a church of Christ.

The church is either sparse or non-existent in many of the cities we read about in the New Testament–Jerusalem, Ephesus, Thessalonica, Corinth, Rome, and others.  That seems unfathomable when we think of their august beginnings, yet it is not that unusual.  In our repeated trips to Israel, Kathy and I marvel at the fact that there is one known congregation, relatively small and in Nazareth. It is difficult to keep passing along to new generations the faith, reverence, and respect for the inspiration of Scripture.  Whether prosperity, education, worldliness, or another factor, people can begin to put their trust in something else while losing faith in God’s Word. When that happens, the restoration ideal is endangered.

Our job is to keep the idea of simple, New Testament Christianity not only in our hearts but instill it into the minds of the next generation.  We must take that plea into our communities and workplaces.  When we do, we will be placing our trust in the only source of power there is–God and His Word!

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Mulkey Meeting House in Tompkinsville, KY, visited by Neal and Kathy in May, 2019 (about an hour from our new home in Bowling Green)

 

From Bellbottoms To Skinny Jeans And Beyond

From Bellbottoms To Skinny Jeans And Beyond.

REMEMBERING THE IMPORTANCE OF POLITICS

REMEMBERING THE IMPORTANCE OF POLITICS.

WHAT REPUTATION DO CHRISTIANS HAVE WHERE YOU ARE?

Neal Pollard

Reputations.  Cities have them.  Pamplona, Spain.  Amsterdam, Netherlands.  Las Vegas, Nevada.  Cancun, Mexico.  Paris, France.  Mecca, Saudi Arabia.  They are associated with behavior, activities, or events.

Individuals have them.  Consider names like Hitler, Dahmer, Darwin, Einstein, Princess Diana, Madonna, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Stalin, Marx, Gandhi, and Jesus.  They are all names ripe with connotation, whether positive or negative.

Corporations and countries earn their reputation, and professions and products do, too.  The reputation may exceed the quality of what it represents, and occasionally one’s reputation does not do them justice.  But, reputations, once received, are hard to change.

Consider the name “Christian.”  It is a word with a definite connotation for just about everyone.  For some, it is positive.  For others, it is negative.  Sometimes, the problem lies with the prejudice of the beholder.  Other times, a person claiming to be a Christian behaves in such a way as to sully the reputation of the name.

What reputation do “Christians” have where you work or go to school?  Does the very mention of the name cause the rank and file to cringe, roll their eyes, or fly into a raging tirade?  What reputation do “Christians” have in your extended family or circle of non-Christian friends?  Does it conjure for them synonyms like “hypocrite,” “self-righteous,” “holier-than-thou,” or “ignorant”?

Remember, some of this may be due to the prejudice of these individuals.  It could be that they had a negative experience with one person claiming to wear that name.  Hopefully, it will never be because we have done anything to lower the beauty and dignity of the name that shows our Savior’s ownership.  But, right now and from this day forward, we can raise people’s estimation of Christianity by representing Christ at all times by our speech, attitude, choices, and loving compassion.  Mahatma Gandhi once famously said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”  May we never give anyone cause to say that about Christians due to our influence!  Build Christ’s reputation where you are.  Show Him to others.

BANES AND BLESSINGS

Neal Pollard

I have not had the heart or stomach to watch the viral video of Karen Klein, who achieved infamy at the hands of the proverbial children left to themselves (cf. Prov. 29:15) who hopefully brought shame to their mothers.  But, I saw snippets of her being poked and prodded, and I have read that she was called fat, ugly, a troll, and much worse by the middle school students she was assigned to monitor on a Greece, New York, school bus.  She was treated cruelly and unfair, shown disrespect by children who without reformation of character appear destined for the penal system and eternal punishment.  It was truly heartbreaking, and no doubt a day that will live with Klein for the rest of her life.  But, she never raised her voice or left her seat choosing instead to remain calm.  She did shed tears.

Out of this social embarrassment, however, has come something very positive.  Various online groups have raised over $140,000 to send Karen on “a vacation of a lifetime.” In addition, she has received encouraging and sympathetic emails, letters, and Facebook messages from people across the nation (information gleaned from Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 6/21/12).

Most of us will not have our problems and mistreatments captured on a YouTube video.  Neither will the kindnesses and good deeds of others toward us be similarly immortalized.  Yet, all of us will be hurt and helped by others.  We will know suffering and strength.  Upon what will we choose to focus?  The good or the grime?

Karen Klein is my newfound hero because of how she handled her “banes” and how she focused on her “blessings.”  There is no indication she is a Christian, but she lives out what Peter tells Christians to do.  Concerning mistreatment by cruel masters, Peter tell slaves, “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God” (1 Pet. 2:19-20).  Jesus, whom Peter holds up as an example (1 Pet. 2:21), says, “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Mat. 5:39).  You will be assaulted, at least verbally, by people of the character of these sadistic adolescents. Don’t let it embitter you.  Instead, choose the high road and see the good in life.

“DO NOT DIMINISH A WORD”

Neal Pollard

These are the “matter-of-fact” words of the Lord to Jeremiah concerning a sermon He wanted him to preach in the temple court of Jerusalem (Jer. 26:2).  God shows optimism that the people might repent, but they would have to “listen to” Him through Jeremiah’s message (Jer. 26:3-4).  If they would not “heed” the words of His servants the prophets, they would suffer severely for it (Jer. 26:5).

The priests and the prophets heard what Jeremiah spoke (Jer. 26:7-8), but it made them so mad they grabbed him and threatened to kill him (Jer. 26:8ff).  If not for the princes and the people (Jer. 26:16), they might have done to him what Jehoiakim once did to the prophet Urijah (Jer. 26:23).  But, despite the threats he received, Jeremiah obeyed the Lord’s command and did not change his message to soothe his angry hearers.  Instead, he told them, “Amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent concerning the doom that He has prophesied against you” (Jer. 26:13).

Today, we are not yet at the point of facing physical persecution and death for preaching exactly what God’s Word says, but it is still not always easy.  Offending the guilty, “stepping on toes,” and “goin’ to meddlin'” can exact a price from the proclaimer.  The pressure and temptation exists to adapt the message to the audience’s lifestyle.  Paul warned of this possibility, telling Timothy, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).  That describes the environment in many places, including some places among God’s people.  We must predetermine that, whether the winds blow for good or ill, we will not diminish a word of what God commands (2 Tim. 4:1-2).  Not warning people does not change the danger.  It just makes us subject to it, too!  As Micaiah famously said, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, that will I speak” (1 Kings 22:14).

King Solomon’s Deadly Mistake

Neal Pollard

Laura Elliott, first grade Bible class teacher at the Cold Harbor Road congregation, was teaching my son Dale’s class about king Solomon’s three hundred wives and seven hundred concubines, about how not only was it wrong to have so many wives but how difficult it must have been for Solomon to keep up with all of their names. Laura tells me that Dale’s solution was simple: “Couldn’t he just call them all ‘honey’?” If only keeping up with their names was Solomon’s most serious task with regard to these women!

Reading 1 Kings 11, right off the heels of Solomon’s hosting of the Queen of Sheba and the extremely opulent exchange of gifts between them, we are impressed with an incredible flaw in Solomon’s character. Perhaps Ecclesiastes was written later enough in his life after 1 Kings 11 that he realized, with regret, the folly of such a lifestyle. Consider some things about Solomon’s deadly mistake.

First, his mistake was in whom he had such great affection (1 Kings 11:1-2). They were foreign women from nations with whom God explicitly forbad such fraternization! God knew that such worldly yoking would lead men to fall away from Him (cf. 2 Cor. 6:14; 1 Cor. 15:33). Be careful as to who is the object of your affection – choosing wrong is a deadly mistake!

Second, his mistake was in how he held them in affection (1 Kings 11:1-2). These women of the world were apparently beautiful and seductive. The word for “love” in these two verses speaks more to physical attraction and very little, if at all, to pure, spiritual love. It might be said that Solomon pursued these women from lust. From his own pen, he wrote of how dangerous such pursuit is (Prov. 5; 6:24-35; 7:5-27; etc.). To follow his example today is a deadly mistake!

Third, his mistake was in what his affection for them led him to do (1 Kings 11:3-10). It led him to worship the idols revered by these pagan women. It also led him to ignore God’s commands and even outright rebel against them! The natural consequence of following in his footsteps is the same today – a choice must be made. Choosing the path of sensuality prevents one from obeying God. Obeying God makes it impossible to, at the same time, pursue such a sinful path. Choose like he did, and you make a deadly mistake!

Finally, his mistake was in what his affection for them cost him (1 Kings 11:11). His pursuit of these women cost him the kingdom! God took it from him through the rebellion of Jeroboam and the folly of Rehoboam, his son.

Following Solomon’s example is costly! It will often cost one dearly – financially, socially, and physically. Lacking repentance, it will surely cost one eternally! Yet, so many are imitating Solomon’s deadly mistake!

May we take a page from inspiration and learn from Solomon’s deadly mistake.


SEE PEOPLE THROUGH YOUR EYES

Neal Pollard

Have you ever had someone you trusted and admired tell you about a speaker of whom he or she either thought highly or poorly?  Perhaps it colored your thinking of that one’s lesson, even if only subconsciously.  Have you ever had someone speak ill of a person, castigating their character or maligning their motives?  Maybe, whether it was apparent to you or not, it influenced your view of that person.  We human beings can have such an influence on one another.  Our view and estimation of someone or something can be an overlay over another person’s point of view.  That has powerful potential for good or evil.

Each of us has an obligation to think for ourselves, to evaluate people, preaching, programs, positions, problems, and the like.  It is intellectual laziness to let another do our thinking for us.  All individuals deserve to be evaluated by us based on what we observe first-hand.

It seems the Jews who dogged Paul’s missionary steps were trying to “poison the water” in every place Paul went (Acts 14:2,19;17:5). Demetrius did this to Paul in Macedonia (Acts 19:24ff). Paul wrote 2 Corinthians, in part, to dispel the untrue reports made against him that tainted some of the brethren’s view of him.  What drove these men to try so hard to destroy Paul’s work and influence?  It does not matter.  It was indefensible behavior.

It is a mark of spiritual maturity for one to ignore the gossip, slander, and smearing of another.  Each person is owed the charity of our unprejudiced acceptance before we draw our own conclusions.  It is an exercise in which we would wish others to engage when considering us.  May we have the grace to return the kindness (Luke 6:31).