For someone who doesn’t listen to modern country much, one of my favorites is Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw. The tune is lovely, but I mainly appreciate the reminder.
I’d like to believe that I don’t really need the reminder because this isn’t a problem for me. I think I’m a very kind person! I don’t think I’m prideful, so I’m already humble? As much as I hate to admit it, I am humbled very often. It mainly shows me that it’s my attitude and my mindset that is flawed. Now, it’s just up to me to learn from it.
The most recent event happened while I was at work. I run a small cafe in a medical building and normally, I close at 4 pm but I decided I wanted to leave just a few minutes early. I figured I could have everything finished and…
Most people will admit to you that marriage is hard. If someone has told you marriage is easy, they’ve probably never been married. Many married couples will also readily admit that they are still learning after 15, 20, even 30 years of practice. That’s because marriage is just plain hard sometimes. Think about what you’re called to do as a spouse…
*Become one with another person
*Love your spouse unconditionally and selflessly
*Help your spouse grow spiritually
*Submit (as the wife) or lead the family (as the husband)
These responsibilities can be daunting but, aside from our own relationship with the Savior, I can’t think of a more rewarding and God-glorifying relationship than a godly marriage. My husband, Carl, and I have only been married for 4 months. So, I am by no means an expert on marriage, but there are 4 marriage-altering lessons that I have…
The topic of truth has been on my mind a lot lately. Seeing where the world is, the confusion and how divided we are, it’s unsettling to me. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s because – to a large number of people – there’s no objective truth. Did you know there’s a word for this? I learned this word from Hiram Kemp and it is “post-truth”.
Oxford’s definition of post-truth: “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”
Basically, feelings over fact. That’s your truth but it’s not my truth. I’ve got to speak my truth. We’ve all heard a variation of this and it’s troubling because we know the truth.
“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the…
“I would (fill in the blank with some kind of social activity or event you’ve been invited to attend), but I’ve got to get some sleep.“
Do any of the above phrases sound familiar? (I’m sure Dale would respond with a resounding “yes,” if I asked him.) I rarely get enough sleep and all too often complain of being tired. Thankfully, this is something I can easily change with a little intention and discipline.
In our day and age, there is so much going on and are so many distractions to fill our minds and time that we rarely get enough (good) rest. But we need rest! Not only do we need quality sleep to be able to function and be happy, but we also need rest. If there is any evidence of how badly we…
Some things just don’t mix. Milk and orange juice, Auburn and Alabama fans, Coca Cola and Mentos. There is one particular mix that can sometimes be fatal. Blood pressure medicine can be a great thing, but when mixed with Advil/Ibuprofen it can harm your body and even give you a brain hemorrhage.If you mix two common household items, rubbing alcohol and bleach, you can create chloroform.
It’s safe to say that some things in life just don’t mix. Twenty to thirty years after the ascension of Jesus, Paul wrote to a group of Christians in Galatia warning them of the dangers of mixing two teachings. In Galatians 1:6, Paul says, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.” He goes on to say in verse 7, “not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”
Paul is writing to the Galatians to answer a simple question: “What is required for a person to be saved?” Forget circumcision (Acts 15:1), forget additional teachings, what does GOD say? His answer can be summed up as this: “We need nothing other than what is found in scripture to walk in the Light.”
Paul addresses the problem in verse six, and he uses the word “amazed” (“thaumazo”) (cf. Acts 4:13; Mark 5:20). He was amazed because these Christians should’ve known better than to listen to these false teachers. Paul’s point is that if there is anything added to that which is necessary for the maintaining of your walk in the light, it is not necessary for salvation.
These Christians should’ve known better, but sadly we are sometimes the same way. We know what’s right and wrong, yet still choose poorly. We know how our speech should be as Christians, we know how we should act and how we should think, but more often than not we make the wrong decision.
The message that these Christians were to accept was that of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and the correct way to be saved. Any requirement outside of the plan of salvation was to be condemned. If that other requirement is the sinner’s prayer, it must be condemned. If that other requirement is a “new wave of salvation,” as some denominations teach, it is to be condemned. If that other requirement is a tradition not necessary for salvation yet enforced as such, it is to be condemned. We are only compelled to follow what is contained in God’s Word.
We do this because there is only one source of truth, as Paul goes on to say in Galatians 1:7-9. No one else (not even an angel) has the authority to add to what God has already completed. Scripture is our objective standard, the one source of truth that we can count on no matter what.
Every year there are new medical breakthroughs that may change how a doctor treats his/her patient. For example, doctors used to bleed their patients because they thought there was such thing as “bleeding out bad blood.” We know this isn’t the case today and that’s because as humans our knowledge is fallible and subject to change. This is not the case for Christians.
Our methods may change as time goes on, but our message and teachings will never change. Their author is our perfect, unchangeable, all-knowing, infallible God.
We need nothing other than what is contained in scripture to walk in the light. Paul tells them what is required for salvation. There is only one Gospel that helps to walk in the light. There is only one source that the gospel has come from. We have to decide which gospel we will listen to. Will we let man ruin what God has deemed perfect? Will we let someone else tell us how to be saved? Man, on his own, doesn’t know how to be saved.
God gave us one gospel through One source, now it is up to us to make the right decision.
In Mark 11:12-14, we read a short and slightly strange account of Christ and his disciples, “On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.” Why did he curse the tree?
It seems to me that it would make more sense if he cursed the tree because it was in season and failed to bear fruit, but it wasn’t in season. So why curse the tree? It wasn’t supposed to have fruit. Many people say that what Jesus did was a little extreme. It appears that the only reason Jesus cursed the tree was because He was hungry and was upset that it had no fruit. At first glance His actions seem harsh and unwarranted, but Christ is illustrating a very important lesson.
This tree illustrated hypocrisy. Jesus cursed the fig tree because it had the appearance of being fruitful, but it was a lie. It lacked fruit. It was this lie that caused Jesus to curse the tree. It clearly states that this tree was not in season, but it still had leaves. So from far off it seemed to have the appearance of fruit, but it offered nothing but leaves. Jesus doesn’t want us to have the appearance of holiness; He wants us to bear fruit.
It’s not about looking like a Christian, but living like one.
Emily told me a story from when she was younger and literally had a run in with a peach tree. She was driving a golf cart at a friend’s house and ran over a young peach tree. The golf cart stripped off the bark and flattened the small tree. The owners had to spray fake bark onto the tree just to keep it alive and healthy, and to this day it’s an ugly tree. But, despite being deformed and mangled, this tree, according to Emily and all her friends, makes the best peaches out of all the peach trees on the property.
What’s the point? It’s not about how you look. It’s about what you produce. Jesus doesn’t care about our appearance and if we look like a Christian. The ONLY thing that matters is if we are bearing fruit.
This tree was an illustration of the hypocrisy that was found in the Pharisees in Matthew 23:27-28. Like the whitewashed tombs which Jesus references in these verses, the fig tree looked beautiful on the outside. It looked like it was ripe with fruit! But upon closer examination, it was a lie.
It had nothing. It made itself out to be something it wasn’t. Christ had no tolerance for hypocrisy. If we claim to be Christians and that we have a relationship with God, and yet fail to dwell on His word and spend time in prayer, we are living a life of hypocrisy. Jesus uses this tree to show us how he feels about those who claim to be one thing, when in reality it is all a lie.
After Jesus curses the fig tree, they immediately enter the temple and what do they see but a living example of the fig tree? In verse 15 Jesus sees people using the temple as a place to rip off others. They had turned the temple into a den of thieves. The fig tree had the appearance of having fruit to offer, but it gave none. The temple, Jerusalem, and the Pharisees had the appearance of having holiness and offering salvation, but had none.
We must use this account as motivation to practice what we preach and be who say we are to those around us.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that I love notebooks. I’ve always had a slight obsession with notepads, journals, and anything colorful and pretty to use for note-taking, to-do lists, and doodling. I probably definitely have more notebooks than I will need for the next few years (but this comes in handy when giving gifts!). Not too long ago, I bought a notebook because it had three sections, separated by the prettiest pastel-colored pages. This would be perfect for an all-purpose notebook. I could use one section for sermon & class notes at church, one for grocery/shopping lists, and one for miscellaneous/to-do lists. It was a done deal. There was only one problem. The phrase on the cover said, “Do What Makes You Happy.” While, of course, there is nothing wrong with being happy, it seems like this mentality is all about ME.
My husband, Neal, and I have this strange habit of turning people’s names into parts of speech and using them in our conversations with each other. For instance, the other day we were discussing a couple of friends who are facing a stressful situation. I said, “We need to Russell them.” Russell is one of our elders at church and also one of the greatest encouragers we know. We’ve only known him for a couple of years but have received countless texts from him filled with positive vibes. He will send reminders about God’s power and goodness, or thoughtful compliments, or simply tell us he loves us. Neal and I want to follow his example. We appreciate how Russell makes us feel and want to do the same thing for our friends.
Over 20 years ago we stayed in the home of Bill and JoAnn Sharbine in…
I love the poetry and melody of the William Tappan hymn, “‘Tis Midnight, and on Olive’s Brow.” It is also so rich with meaning, but inasmuch as it was written 191 years ago it is possible that its wording gives younger worshippers, new Christians, non-Christian visitors, and a good many of the rest of us difficulty with comprehension. Good worship requires not only proper actions, but mental engagement and a heart-connection with the lyrics.
The first verse begins, “‘Tis midnight, and on Olive’s brow.” Some may have no idea what that means. The song is about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the night He was arrested and ultimately led to the cross. Tappan seems particularly influenced by Luke’s account of the events. While scripture does not single out the hour of midnight, it does indicate Jesus was there at night (see Lk. 22:56, 66; cf. Jn. 18:3; Mt. 26:31, 34; etc.). Luke 22:39 indicates the garden’s location as the Mount of Olives. “Brow” would be a poetic, late Middle English word for the top of a hill. The phrase, “The star is dimmed that lately shown” would simply reinforce the idea of darkness and the anxiety such would add to Jesus’ suffering.
The second verse is pretty self-explanatory, though it might help some to remember that the phrase, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20) appears to be a humble term the apostle John uses to describe himself in his gospel. “Heeds not” simply means “does not hear”; he had fallen asleep with the rest of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples (Mk. 14:37).
The third verse is also straightforward, though we have another allusion to Luke’s gospel, with “the Man of Sorrows weeps in blood.” Luke 22:44 tells us that Jesus, “being in agony” was “praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood….” The second line of this verse speaks of Jesus’ kneeling in anguish, which Luke cites in the last part of Luke 22:44, saying Christ’s sweat was “falling down upon the ground.”
The last verse might cause some trouble, especially without consulting the footnote found under the song in the “Praise for the Lord” songbook. “‘Tis midnight, and from ether plains is borne the song that angels know,” is, for many, incomprehensible. “Ether plains,” as explained in the book, is a poetic way to reference “upper regions” or “heaven.” The song seems to allude to that part of the garden experience where “an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him” (Lk. 22:43). While this verse of the song seems to strain the meaning of Luke’s words, it is a beautiful thought that angels or even the Father sang to comfort the suffering Son (cf. Heb. 5:7).
We should take the time to understand the words of the songs we sing in worship to God. This keeps worship from being merely external, without heart, and a disconnection. Perhaps, too, it serves as a notice that we should explain the meaning of older songs, especially those couched in language we do not use today. It should also awaken the awareness that we need to incorporate songs in worship that are more contemporary in language and melody along with these beautiful, older songs.
On September 18, 1895, Booker T. Washington addressed a crowd at the Cotton
States and International Exposition in Atlanta concerning racial progress in the South. In
what has been named one of the most influential speeches in American history, Booker
T. Washington talks to white and African Americans about how equality and progress
can be achieved peaceably. His proposed solution is summarized in one phrase, “Cast
down your bucket where you are.”
This statement comes from an illustration Washington recited in his speech, “A
ship lost at sea for many days suddenly sighted a friendly vessel. From the mast of the
unfortunate vessel was seen a signal, ‘Water, water; we die of thirst!’ The answer from
the friendly vessel at once came back, ‘Cast down your bucket where you are.’ A
second time the signal, ‘Water, water; send us water!’ ran up from the distressed vessel, and was answered, ‘Cast…
One of my favorite things about my husband is how much he loves his brothers, how close they have always been (even when living states apart), and how much they value each other. In today’s day and age, it’s not the most common thing, sadly. Dale and his brothers have always been very close, and I love how much they mean to each other. I hope and pray that if we have a few boys one day, they will share that same kind of bond. For a close-knit family like his, loving your own family that much doesn’t take much effort.
Recently, I studied the topic of “brotherly kindness” for a ladies’ Bible class. I began to realize that I had never actually spent much time on this topic on my own time. I already knew that as Christians, it is important to love our brothers and…
May was kind of a difficult month for us. We attended my first cousin’s memorial. Our youngest son was in a serious motorcycle accident. And my brother-in-law was admitted to Trauma ICU. It seemed like every week I was asking for prayers on behalf of our family. May has always been my favorite month of the year. Spring is in full force and we celebrate Mother’s Day, my birthday, and our anniversary. I usually want the month to go by slowly so I can enjoy it to the fullest. This year, though, I couldn’t help but feel a little relieved when it was time to turn the calendar page.
May also contained reasons for rejoicing. My sister came for a visit. Neal and I celebrated 29 years together. And our youngest son got married. Sometimes God’s blessings shine brighter during times of trouble. I hadn’t seen my…
The Preacher Pollard Blog 