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Not “Inwardly Obsessed!”

Neal Pollard

A very good, longtime preacher friend of mine shared an blog article on his Facebook wall.  The blog’s author, Thom Ranier (of “Surprising Insights of the Formerly Unchurched”), is not a member of the church. Yet, he captures a mentality that knows no religious boundaries.  Wherever there is a community of people, especially one that has existed for any length of time, you have the potential for the specific issues he identifies.  He calls the article, “The 10 Warning Signs Of An Inwardly Obsessed Church.”  Here are the ten:

1) Worship Wars.
2) Prolonged Minutia Meetings.
3) Facility Focus.
4) Program Driven.
5) Inwardly Focused Budget.
6) Inordinate Demand For Pastoral Care.
7) Attitudes Of Entitlement.
8) Greater Concern About Change Than The Gospel.
9) Anger And Hostility.
10) Evangelistic Apathy.
(http://www.thomrainer.com/2012/05/the-inwardly-obsessed-church-10-warning-signs.php)

He begins by saying that there is a degree of need for inward focus–teaching, counseling, healing, fellowshiping, and the like.  Yet, a church can cease thinking souls and too often it starts thinking primarily and even solely about itself.  This is spiritually unhealthy.

As we look at Ranier’s list, especially with the description he gives each one in the article, we may be able to strike off a couple of them out of hand.  These, we think, are not troubling us.  Yet, few of us could say that we are immune from all ten warning signs.  Maybe we attend a church that shows hostility toward one another.  Maybe we attend a church where the church building is almost of “iconic status.”  Maybe we attend a church where the meetings are predominantly about brick, mortar, and the otherwise material, but seldom, if ever, about soul-winning and, well, souls.

Because humanity in every time and place has always fought the battle of self, we should not be surprised that the redeemed of earth today should struggle with putting the needs of self above others.  Oh, and “churches” do not become “internally obsessed” unless “church members” wrestle with that same thing.  What I must do is discipline myself to keep my focus outward, while striving to show others the way by example.

No church wants to be labeled “inwardly-obsessed.”  It sounds unspiritual, unsound, and unsavory.  Yet, in the final analysis, the Lord does the analysis.  Like He did for the seven churches of Asia in Revelation two and three, He knows our works.  He knows who and what we are.  That said, His very message is that change is possible.  Wherever any of us is “inwardly obsessed,” may we have the humility, courage, and resolve to change!  Scripture repeatedly demonstrates that such is God’s desire.

Snapshots

Neal Pollard

We are going through photos of Gary for a collage to be used at Sunday’s church graduation party.  It has been quite an exercise in nostalgia and reminiscence.  I have seen everything from his baby pictures to his senior pictures, with every stage in between the two.  My how he has changed and grown!  Since he was born at the end of 1993, his first several years in photo were captured the more “old-fashioned” way–pre-digital, 35-mm prints.  Those pictures symbolize so many memories of what was going on in life, in general, as well as what was going on specifically in his life. 

When you look in the New Testament, you see snapshots, if you will, of churches.  There is Jerusalem church of Christ in multiple stages, from a flourishing beginning (Acts 2) through internal issues (Acts 5), perceived prejudice (Acts 6), persecution and scattering (Acts 6-8), and financial hardship ().  The Bible doesn’t really show us what ultimately happens to this congregation, though at some point in history it seems to have ceased to exist.  Ephesus church of Christ has the longest, most dramatic history of any church in the New Testament. The church was established in probably the early to mid-50s A.D. on Paul’s second missionary journey.  The epistle to the Ephesians would have been written around 62 A.D.  Paul wrote Timothy, the preacher at Ephesus, before he was beheaded in the late 60s.  John addressed the church in Revelation, which would have been a generation later in the 90s.  What a transformation occurs and not all of the changes were positive.  As they went from a newborn congregation to being mature in age, somewhere they lost their relationship with God (Rev. 2:4-5).

When we look at our own lives, spiritually, we can the changes that come with “aging.”  The question is whether or not this is a graceful process.  Spiritually, are we growing more lovely and attractive, or are we gnarled and callused with the unchecked presence of sin in our lives.  A Heavenly Father has privy to what we have been and what we have become.  He loves us perfectly, but are we making Him proud?  Are we making progress?

No Time To Count $160 In Coins?

Neal Pollard

Wayne Roberts forwarded an article to me about a bizarre incident that recently occurred in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Colorado State University student Ted Nischan, who has a lead foot and limited income, went to the Fort Collins municipal court to pay a speeding ticket.  What makes that newsworthy is that his form of payment was not cash, check, or credit.  It was coins!  $160 worth of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.  The court workers apparently does not accept that much money in that form of payment.  His personal bank would not convert the money without charging him, a fee that would leave him short of what he owes the government.  Court supervisor Fran Seaworth says that it would be a colossal waste of taxpayer money for a clerk to count out that much change.  It is a refreshing, if unusual, example of prudence in a world of red-tape-filled bureaucracy (http://www.9news.com/news/local/article/260797/346/Fort-Collins-rejects-coins-as-payment-for-ticket).

In many areas of life, we risk bogging down in the minutia and majoring in the minor.  Men’s business meetings or even elders’ meetings which regularly, predominantly deal with finance and material matters to the neglect of what our main mission is risks doing the equivalent of counting a bucket full of change (cf. Acts 6:3-4; 20:28).  In our own personal, spiritual lives, when we are consumed with the here and now with little regard to eternal matters, are we frittering away time counting our bucket of change?  That’s what the rich farmer did (Lk. 12:15-21).  How easily we can lose sight of the important which poring over the ultimately inconsequential!

 

SUBDIVISIONS

Neal Pollard

One of my favorite bands (Tony Raburn’s definite favorite) is Rush.  One of their songs, “Subdivisions,” talks about how much peer pressure is a part of life.  Conform and be cool or be cast out, they sing.  The world certainly works that way.  I went to high school in coastal Georgia, a very large school in a military town.  Did we ever have “groups.”  We had goths, headbangers, preps, jocks, rednecks, geeks, and a large number of ethnic groups.  While some were harder to pigeon hole and felt at home in multiple groups, there was much “subdivision” in the high school halls and shopping malls.  The worldly way of thinking is to divide, group, alienate, and pit one against another.

Through the cross, Jesus died to eliminate enmity and division. Jews and Gentiles were divided, but the cross was God’s tool of reconciling them back together.  This place of unity is called the “one body” (Eph. 2:16).  That “one body” is identified as the church (Eph. 1:22-23).  This means that God designated a place where subdivisions do not belong.  The church is to be a people who are united (Eph. 4:1ff).  We come into Christ from so many different places.  Perhaps we were goths, headbangers, preps, et al, but when we come into Christ we are one body.  This can be uncomfortable and unnatural, but it is what sets apart God’s “set apart” from those who conform to the world.  In Christ, we are transformed (cf. Rom. 12:2).  Our effort is to be toward oneness.  It must be to eliminate all barriers, race, education, income, background, and whatever other distinctions the world is prone to make.

It is one of the great blessings of Christianity!  Let the world prejudge, make distinctions, and isolate.  The church is to be a welcoming, loving, and uniting group!  May this ever be our focus and desire.  Jesus was willing to die for that ideal (cf. John 17:20-21).

AVOIDING ACID SPILLS

Neal Pollard

 Before we started school one fall, my parents took my sister, brother, and I to the heart of Atlanta to go school shopping at a Belk’s Department Store Outlet.  This was at a time when you could really find good bargains and quality items for cheap prices at outlets.  They had plenty of clothes, but also hardware, tools, housewares, and more.  As I wandered through the store, I remember coming up to a big serving spoon and picking it up only to see that the round part was gone.  It was sitting in a small pool of acid and the acid was eating away the spoon.  My parents duly warned me to avoid it unless I wanted my hand to look like that.  Visualizing my appendage looking like that spoon, I had zero difficulty obeying.

 It happens when we frequently complain, criticize, grumble, and grouse about our work, duty, circumstances, and life.  It happens when we making someone the butt of our joke through cruelty.  It happens when we cannot tell others how we are doing without spouting off a laundry list of woes and agonies.  It happens when we become characterized by negative rather than positive speech.  We may not realize it, but such speech negatively effects those around us.  It demoralizes and discourages.  It can even cause spiritual stumbling.  This is destructive, but it can be avoided.  How?

 Get to the “heart” of the problem.  Jesus says that the “acid spills” come from a reservoir–the heart (Mark 7:21).  It is stored within and then comes pouring out when those contents are under pressure.

Think before you speak.  Ask whether or not the words will be positive, constructive, and helpful. If in doubt, think some more. If there is any doubt, leave it unsaid.  You have to give advance consideration to “let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person” (Col. 4:6).

Focus harder on the blessings.  At any given time, on any day, we have difficulties and disadvantages.  We are still on earth and not yet in heaven.  Why not “count your many blessings, name them one by one.”  I am convinced that a person truly filled with gratitude will not be an acid-spiller (cf. Col. 2:7).

Practice positive speech.  Habits are formed through a process. Conscious, repeated effort will more nearly produce the needed result than to keep the bridle off the tongue (cf. Jas. 3:2).  Yet, every determined effort to praise, compliment, verbally encourage, cheer, and edify another builds the habit.

 Among the little I recall from chemistry is that the opposite of acidic is basic.  Certainly, this is a spiritual basic.  Positive, wholesome, and helpful speech is a building block  that has the opposite effect of acidic speech.  May we all strive to get back to “basics.”

 

 

THE MASTER MERITS MORE THAN MEDIOCRITY

Neal Pollard

  • In our giving–not grudgingly, stingily, just the leftovers and the afterthoughts; sacrifice.
  • In our living–be a light, be salt, make a difference for Christ in the world each day. Know that morality and example matter.
  • In our attending–not just Sunday morning or if nothing else is going on; come evenings and during special events like lectureships, seminars, and gospel meetings.
  • In our serving–whether in the sunlight or the shade, white-collar or blue-collar tasks, whether thanked or thankless the task.
  • In our praying–unselfishly, faithfully, constantly, praising and thanking along with the requesting.
  • In our speaking–take courage, keep it pure and wholesome, unite with your words.
  • In our loving–sincerely, fervently, without favor, following the example of Christ.
  • In our forgiving–from the heart, permanently, without digging it back up, humbly.
  • In our studying–dig, use word-study tools, pen and paper, perspiration, zeal.
  • In our evangelizing–pray about it, work up the nerve, and do it, consistently.
  • In our leading–be it elders and the church, parents and children, saints and sinners. 
  • In our teaching–pray, prepare, and present with passion; avoid laziness and volunteer
  • In our feeling–be joyful, be positive even in discouraging circumstances, be gentle always.
  • In our uniting–-lead others to come together in Christ; avoid and discourage cliques, build up His body, remember it is His (Eph. 4:16).
  • In our worshiping—put your heart in it; be enthusiastic; pay attention; yearn to co-participate with other saints in glorifying God wholeheartedly

 

He is the Great I Am.  He gave the most precious gift.  He loves us infinitely more than anyone else.  He will ultimately judge us. He is Awesome and worthy!  He is the source of every spiritual blessing.  He will never forsake us or leave us. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift.  He deserves our best!

Was It “A Sobering Judgment On Human Endeavors”?

Neal Pollard

I am currently enjoying the book, “What Hath God Wrought?”–a book that covers a period in America commonly called “manifest destiny” or Jacksonian America, when America’s borders, resources, and prominence expanded in unprecedented fashion.  Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Walker Howe does an excellent job covering every facet of life in the United States from 1815-1848.  One facet to which he devotes a surprising amount of time is the first and second religious “awakening” movements on the frontier.  I was very surprised that he devoted nearly an entire page to the Restoration Movement led by men he notes such as Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell.  He accurately writes, “These leaders reached the conclusion that all theological and creedal formulations must be wrong.  Christians should confine themselves to the language of the New Testament and affirm or deny no religious doctrines beyond that” (181-182).   As Howe astutely observes, this movement was about the “rebirth of the primitive church” with ‘no creed but the Bible’ (182).  However, Howe found the restoration process itself flawed, writing, “The eventual outcome of the movement, however, renders a sobering judgment on human endeavors. The scriptures require interpretation, and restricting religious assertions to those of scripture proved no solution to the scandal of disagreement and division.  In the end, the antidenominational Christian movement added to the number of denominations” (ibid.).

What Howe sees is the ultimate division, but his purpose is not to look more deeply into the “why.”  Consider the premise of the movement, which he rightly portrays as rejecting creeds and following only what is found in Scripture.  While humans choose to engage in that endeavor, it is an endeavor to honor and follow what God desires and commands.  On what grounds would a professed believer in God and the Bible have for choosing something more, less, or different than the Word of God?

 Where did this movement encounter difficulties?  Howe would not reject the imperative of interpretation.  Interpretation is necessary in any field of human existence. Was it restricting religious assertions to those of scripture that was the problem and flaw? Or was it the imposition of man’s will and desires as on a par with and, more accurately, set above Scripture?  

Was it attempting to restrict religious assertions to those of scripture that led Addison Clark to say to the organist, Mrs. Mason, “Play on, Miss Bertha,” or was it not rather a compromise made to clamoring students at Add-Ran college (cf. Roy Deaver, Firm Foundation, 10/9/73)?  Was it a desire to follow scripture that led L.L. Pinkerton to add the melodeon to the worship of the church in Midway, Kentucky, or not instead his estimation that the singing there was so bad that it would “scare even the rats from worship?” (Earl West, Search For The Ancient Order, I, 311).

Because the church will ever be filled with human beings, it will ever be subject to the carnal practice of division (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10-13).  That in no way undermines the rightness of our desire to follow only scripture, adding or subtracting nothing.  It further proves how valiantly we must subject our will to His will, and focus solely on what pleases Him!


HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE LONESOME LEADER?

Neal Pollard

He feels displeasure. An event usually triggers this. He reacts to the behavior or problems of another through negative emotion. An element of disbelief or disappointment may be the catalyst for his displeasure.

He feels disfavored. He may feel that God is against him, since he is going through the crisis. He will repeatedly ask, “Why?!”

He feels resentful. In these “lowlight” moments, he can resent the people who rely on his leadership. He may even feel like a surrogate, though stressed-out, parent. He may wonder why God put him into this caregiver role.

He feels helpless. He may feel unequal to the challenge before him. He may not know where to turn or how to resolve whatever the matter or issue is.

He feels overwhelmed. This is where the lonesomeness can feel greatest. He feels burdened down and incapable of carrying such a load. There may even be panic or at least severe dismay.

He feelsdepressed. He may even want “out of the job.” In severe cases, the depression can give him a distaste for life itself.

It is easy to see that problems leaders confront can seem like a snowball. Often, the reason the problem grows is because the leader is trying to do the work alone. The scenario painted above is not from my expertise or experience. It is an analysis of Moses’ problem in Numbers 11. the displeasure (11:10) and feelings of disfavor (11:11), resentment (11:12), helplessness (11:13), being overwhelmed (11:14) and depression (11:15) had brought this amazing leader to the brink. Moses apparently had a problem with letting go and getting others’ help (see Exodus 18).  The answer to both leadership dilemmas was identical. “Let others help!”  This time, instead of Jethro, God gave the answer to the “lonesome leader” syndrome. The solution came in the form of 70 men, helpers who would ease Moses’ burdens.

Many other Bible examples show the wisdom of delegation and letting others help shoulder the load. It was God’s idea, so we would expect it to work.  It worked for Old Testament Israel. It will help those who lead in spiritual Israel today. Elders and other church leaders who “get” it show wisdom and insight while finding relief and peace of mind in serving God.  You can break out of the “lonesome leader” syndrome!

Coming Up Big In The Presence Of Your Friend

Neal Pollard

They had already announced that Denver’s new biggest celebrity, Peyton Manning, was at the game.  It was the bottom of the eighth with two outs and the bases loaded.  Todd Helton was announced as a pinch-hitter.  The count was two balls and two strikes when Helton, who has made so many big plays in his long career, promptly deposited Tim Byrdak’s slider into the second deck of the right-field bleachers.  Manning, who replaced Helton as University of Tennessee’s quarterback when both were in college, was obviously impressed.  Though the Rockies eventually lost that game in extra innings, there is no doubt Helton felt some satisfaction for rising to the occasion before so august a VIP.

I do not have many such moments of my own, with my sports “career” being very brief and played out before much smaller audiences.  I will never forget playing defensive end in a Spring, Junior Varsity football game and sacking the quarterback twice.  My dad was in the stands, and it felt good to do good with him watching.

One of my favorite hymns, though not in most songbooks, is entitled, “Since Jesus Is My Friend.”  Paul Gerhardt’s hymn reads,

Since Jesus is my friend, and I to him belong,
it matters not what foes intend, however fierce and strong.
He whispers in my breast, sweet words of holy cheer;
How they who seek in God their rest shall ever find Him near.
My heart for gladness springs; It cannot more be sad;
For very joy it laughs and sings, sees naught but sunshine glad.
The Sun that lights mine eyes is Christ, the Lord I love;
I sing for joy of that which lies stored up for me above.

Is there a thought more thrilling and comforting than that Jesus is our friend?  Jesus acknowledges the possibility that we can be in a friendship with Him (John 15:14).  It is conditional, but possible.  We “come up big” before this friend when we do what He commands us to do.  He is gentle, compassionate, loving, and caring while at the same time being powerful, limitless Deity.  No thought drives me harder than of impressing and delighting my friend.  What about you?

25 WAYS TO KEEP CHRIST IN THE CENTER OF MY LIFE…

 

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Neal Pollard

1) I will absorb myself in the practice of prayer

2) I will actively practice kindness

3) I will find someone each day with whom to share Him

4) I will watch what I allow to grow in my heart

5) I will consider carefully how what I do effects my influence

6) I will actively encourage the people I daily encounter

7) I will assume and look for the best in others

8) I will nurture a hatred of sin and a love of sinners

9) I will treat Scripture as daily nourishment for my soul

10) I will keep a spiritual song in my heart

11) I will reflect meaningfully on the price He paid at Calvary

12) I will guard my tongue

13) I will think longingly about heaven

14) I will contemplate ways to be involved in the church’s work

15) I will love His church with a passion (that means the people, too)

16) I will cut out the tendency to rationalize or defend wrongdoing

17) I will be discerning about what is spiritual and what is worldly

18) I will grow in my understanding of what true love is

19) I will humbly acknowledge the greatness and power of God

20) I will do all within my power to help answer His prayer for unity

21) I will pursue souls with the same vigor that He did

22) I will look for ways to turn the conversation to the spiritual

23) I will long for times of worship and devotion

24) I will care less and less about my rights, feelings, and desires

25) I will think, speak, act, and look more like Him every day

SPLINTERS HURT

Neal Pollard

It was late summer, 1980, about a mile south of the thriving metropolis of Glenn, Georgia.  Our family had just bought some land and brought in a Jim Walters home, and with this there was some minor construction work to be done.  That is why there was some rough sewn lumber laying in the backyard.  Coupled with a sturdy sawhorse, the board was irresistible for two young boys.  My brother and I were blissfully seesawing for several seconds when he decided to make a sudden departure.  The shift in weight was enough to make me shift on our makeshift playground toy.  The end result for the soft inner part of my left leg was a sliver of wood that seemed twelve feet long. An initial reaction of disbelief was quickly followed by involuntary hopping, hollering, and howling.  I didn’t want the splinter to stay there, but I dreaded pulling it out of me.  Finally, after a seeming eternity, we were able to extricate the small tree from my chubby gam.  For a few days, the leg stayed tender to the touch–a reminder of the last time I ever got on a homemade teeter totter.

Paul wrote the Corinth church, a body that was hurt by splinters.  Paul gives a vivid description of the wound in 1 Corinthians 1:10-13.  Members were splintering into different groups, lining up behind men rather than THE Man.  Paul pleaded with them not to let that occur.  The basic reason was that these splinters hurt.

Division hurts the church.  Feelings are hurt.  Spirituality is hurt.  The promotion of truth is hurt.  The church’s purpose is hurt.  Babes and weak Christians in the church are hurt.  The innocent as well as the guilty are hurt.

Division hurts the world.  They are offended. Or they feel vindicated in staying in the world.  They are repelled and repulsed.  They are confused.  They lose interest.

Division hurts the Christ.  The church is His body, and splinters bring Him pain.  The Christ that once hung on a rugged piece of wood is more wounded when that for which He died is splintered.  Read John 17:20-21, and see how strong Christ’s feelings about unity are.

Truth must be defended to honor the Christ, even if those in error fight and resist.  Beyond that, though, what is so precious and dear as to make us prone to splinter His body?  The answer is in the question.

Shakespeare And Jesus

Neal Pollard

On April 23, 1564, William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon, England.  While we do not know all the details of his life, it is clear that he is one of the most famous figures of history.  There are 38 plays and 152 sonnets attributed to him that survive, but not much of his personal life is known.  It is known that he married Anne Hathaway when he was 18, and she was already pregnant with their first child.  His son, Hamnet, died at age 11. He had two other daughters.  He died at the age of 52.  His contemporary, the poet Ben Johnson, said, “He was not of an age, but for all time.”

Jesus’ birth was a millennium and a half before Shakespeare’s.  We have some glimpses into His personal life through the inspired gospel writers.  We read an account of His lowly birth, His circumcision and first trip to the temple, His trip to the temple at age twelve, and the last three years of His life.  He did not marry.  The only writing we know that He did was on the ground, and its content is unknown (John 8:6,8).  He died a young man in His 30s, and that was by execution.  He was poor (2 Cor. 8:9).  So far as Scripture tells, He never traveled–during His public ministry–more than a total of 500 miles. Yet, Johnson’s word more aptly describe Jesus than any other person to ever live.

Jesus is not of an age, but for all time because as the Son of God He is deity and, as such, timeless (John 1:1).  Jesus is not of an age, but for all time because His teaching is timeless and relevant to all people of all places and times (Mat. 24:35).  Jesus is not of an age, but for all time because what He offers all humanity in history needs (1 John 2:2).

Whatever great contributions men continue to make in this world, the best one can hope to do is finish second to Christ.  He, more than all, influenced, changed, and improved this sinful world.  His words and will must be placed above all else!

JAMIE MOYER AND PERRY COTHAM

Neal Pollard

Kathy and I went with Wes and Teri Autrey to the baseball stadium Tuesday night to watch the Colorado Rockies take on the San Diego Padres.  Not only did I know the potential history on the table, I was hoping I had not been getting my hopes too high.  The Rockies starting pitcher that evening was Jamie Moyer.  The significance of this fact is known, especially now, to even a great many non-baseball fans.  For the rest of you, Moyer was 49 years and 151 days old when he took the mound.  When Rafael Betencourt finally recorded the third out of the ninth inning for the save, Mr. Moyer became the oldest pitcher in the storied annals of baseball history to earn a victory.  At this point early in the season, he is the most effective pitcher on the Rockies’ roster.  According to statisticians, his slowest pitch was a 67 mile per hour curve ball and his fastest was a 79 mile per hour “fast” ball.  For non-baseball fans, that is s-l-o-w.  He has always pitched that way.  Steady.  Crafty.  Consistent.  Patient.  Successful.

I remember when Tillit S. Teddlie turned 100 in 1985, a song writer in the Lord’s church whose songs included “Don’t Wait Too Long,” “Heaven Holds All To Me,” “In Heaven They’re Singing,” “What Will Your Answer Be?,” and many, many others we have sung in worship.  As a teenager, I was awed and thought of him as the epitome of longevity.  Brother Teddlie lived to be 102.

But as a preacher, my picture of an enduring “legend” among preachers is Perry Cotham.  About the time I remember the birthday celebration for brother Teddlie, the church where my dad preached had brother Cotham for a gospel meeting.  The Texas evangelist had to be in his early 70s, and as such already ancient in my young mind.  I heard tales of his mission trips to India, Malaysia, and Thailand.  He told of his debates with Pentecostals and others.  His lessons were filled with Bible and interesting stories.  I have maintained contact with him through the years and have spoken with him on several programs.  In 2008, we were together in Calaveras County, California, preaching at a campground (the late William Woodson was also there; we roomed together at the same house).  He was 96 at the time, and after hearing his preaching all weekend two adult women responded to be baptized.  My last information is that brother Cotham is still preaching, though his health has declined.  He is 100 years old!

As much as I enjoy baseball, I love preaching.  As great as Moyer’s feat was, brother Cotham’s eclipses it.  What a reminder to us that it is not our age, but our willingness to keep on going however long we have serving the Lord with all of our might!

Oh, If We Miss It!


Neal Pollard
I was out with the early rays of sunlight
Roaming the hills and dales
Seeing verdant fields and purple skies
And small animals scurry o’er vales
The clouds moved across the heavenly background
Painting a trail of delight
The cool Spring breeze made a soft, wistful sound
As the water rushed by, enveloping the sight
The hues and the noise of the morning
The feel of the air on the skin
Upon my soul was richly adorning
What a way for my day to begin.
I might have missed these blessings
If in seclusion I had kept myself pinned
But by being outside I remembered the joy it brings
And I thanked Him for being my Friend.
How life is like earth’s stunning daybreak
We might shut ourselves in from His grace
And miss the spiritual blessings, what heartache
To be blind and deaf to our exalted place.
Break out of the darkness of spiritual night,
See the Dayspring and cling to His hand.
Awake to the wonders of spiritual sight
Train your eyes on that bright, better Land!

Not far from the kingdom

Neal Pollard

Jesus’ teaching was intensifying opposition from the Jewish religious community. In Mark 12:12, they sought to lay hands on Him. In Mark 12:13, they sought to catch Him in His words. The Pharisees and the Herodians started it, the Sadducees tried their hand, and then a scribe approached Him. In Elihu-fashion, he had been listening to the others interrogate Jesus and He decided to ask a plain, simple question. “Which is the first commandment of all?” (Mark 12:28). That was it. No silly scenarios. No disingenuous flattery belying sullied motives. It was a solid, serious, and substantial question. Jesus masterfully, straightforwardly answers the man, then he responds, “Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:32-33). Jesus’ evaluation of the man is captured by the inspired Luke: “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). What does that last statement suggest?

Improvement. It was a definite improvement over the other religionists represented on this occasion. It may have been an improvement over his attitude before he saw and heard Jesus handle these critics. That he was not far from the kingdom of God suggests progress. He was going the right direction.

Integrity. He had used no cunning and did not try to justify himself. The words hypocrisy and greatly mistaken tell Jesus’ attitude toward those others, but this exchange with the scribe seems marked by honesty and openness. He could see that true love was more crucial than the entire Old Testament sacrificial system. Jesus would prove that at the cross (cf. Gal. 2:20).

Insufficiency. As hopeful as this encounter was for the scribe, it closes with the man not far from the kingdom, yet not a part of it either. This is not to suggest that the man’s circumstance was hopeless. Certainly, with a heart like that, he could easily be imagined as one who obeyed the gospel when the apostles soon began preaching it. Yet, we must be reminded that “not far from the kingdom” is not enough for anyone today. The religiously sincere, the moral, the ethical, the honest, and the charitable have much to commend them, but none of those things alone suffice. Be grateful for those you meet who demonstrate these character traits, but let it propel you to try and persuade them of the gospel. If they are so honest-hearted, they will submit to Jesus’ will.

1962

Neal Pollard

The Beatles first album was released. The first Kmart and the first Wal-Mart opened their doors for business. West Side Story wins for best motion picture at the Academy Awards. Mandatory public prayer in schools are ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.  Wilt Chamberlin scores 100 points in a single basketball game. Marilyn Monroe dies from an overdose.  Spider-Man appears in comic books for the first time. Johnny Carson takes over as permanent host of the Tonight Show, where he would remain for 30 years. The Cuban Missile Crisis occurs (facts via Wikipedia, Infoplease, Timelines, et al).

Depending on your perspective, the facts above either make the date seem ancient or almost like yesterday.  The records of what was happening in the church in 1962 are harder to obtain, especially as that was nearly a decade before I was even born.  I know that my dad enrolled in Freed-Hardeman College that year as a Bible Major.  The anti-cooperation movement was growing stronger and more prominent within our brotherhood.  Most congregations, especially in the deep south, were racially segregated.  Widely-known preachers included Gus Nichols, B.C. Goodpasture, Marshal Keeble, Joe Malone, Batsell Barrett Baxter, George Bailey, George Benson, and Roy H. Lanier.

In the growing western city of Denver, at the behest and with the help of some area churches, the Bear Valley church of Christ began meeting.  Though a building would not be erected until March, 1964, and the school of preaching would not begin operation until September, 1965, the body of Christ began meeting together.  Most of the charter members have passed away, but who among them would have believed that one congregation would be involved in a work touching so many lives around the globe as we look back, look around, and look ahead here in 2012.  Graduates who have gone to be missionaries in Australia, New Zealand, China, Russia, Ukraine, Japan, Italy, Poland, Scotland, Brazil, Peru, Canada, Germany, Philippines, Guatemala, Bolivia, Ghana, Tanzania, Slovakia, Vanuatu, and no doubt other countries.  They have also gone to preach in all 50 United States.  We have started extension schools in a total of more than 20 locations, with 15 currently in operation and others soon to begin.  Then, there are the sheer number of our former members who are spread out all over this country serving the Lord and helping the kingdom grow.  There are the countless fruitful labors that have gone on here that have resulted in hundreds of baptisms since 1962.

Did the Bakers, Hughes, Denewilers, Wrights, Milams, Whartons, Tharps, Laniers, and others know where this would lead?  Probably not, and that is not to their shame.  But the God of 1962 is still the God of 2012.  What will He do with this church, and His church universal, in the next 50 years?  It will be just as unpredictable, and it can just as grand if we keep looking for greater ways to serve Him!

THE PRICE PETRINO PAID

Neal Pollard

Thanks to a morality clause in their contract, the University of Arkansas was able to fire head football coach Bobby Petrino and save nearly $18 million dollars.  That will be money, no doubt, that can be used toward finding and signing his replacement.  Though the fan base openly stated they could not care less about his sexually immoral ways (after all, he had led the Razorbacks to a stellar 21-5 record as coach), the university fired him for a series of indiscretions at the bottom of which was the married man’s affair with a 25-year-old, engaged former volley ball star from the school.  It is yet to be seen what impact his actions will have on his marriage or his relationship with his four children.  How hard will it be for another university to trust him enough to hire him?  He has embarrassed himself and damaged his reputation.  And, for what?

There was another man, a man who by every indication was a much more spiritual man, who centuries ago gave up so much for comparatively little.  He had it all, power, wealth, reputation, respect, and a healthy relationship with God.  But one trip to the roof of his house began a downward spiral fueled by his own lust for a married woman.  By the time the dust settled, the man would experience the loss of four children, death threats, displacement, wholesale embarrassment, and his own spiritual compromise.  Though David was forgiven and restored in his relationship with God, look at the carnage that came of his tragic decision.

One of the biggest lies men and women swallow is that sexual immorality and deviance from God’s pattern for sexuality is relatively harmless.  They know there is risk, and sometimes risk is part of the thrill for the guilty.  Perhaps one sees all that is at stake, but driven by sinful passion are too intoxicated with such to care.  But as sad as this week’s newest scandal is and as lastingly tragic as David’s decision was, it serves as a reminder and a warning for us today.  What does the “after” picture look like?  Let David have the last words:  “For I know my transgression, and my sin is ever before me” (Psa. 51:3).  What a price!

GOD’S RELATIONSHIP TO ME

Neal Pollard

The prophet Jeremiah was concerned about the task before him. He felt he was unqualified and unseasoned (1:6).  He was wrestling with fears (1:8).  Whether or not we preach the gospel, as Christians living in this world we can relate to how hard it can be to stand up for Jesus.

The “omniscient” (all-knowing) God makes three statements about the as yet unborn Jeremiah. The God who sees the future as though looking at the past (cf. Isa. 46:10) says some things about Jeremiah before he was placed in his parents’ arms.  Consider three things God tells Jeremiah to reassure him and that bear relevance to us today.

God knew him. This seems to be specific and personal. How exciting to think that God sees us, as our hair, organs, bones and features develop, and knows who we are.

God set him apart.  He says, “I consecrated you.”  Some in religious error have made too much of this, teaching that God chooses us against our will and arbitrarily decides whether we are saved or lost.  God is simply saying, “I had you in mind to work for me.”  Isn’t it incredible to think that God thinks so much of us as to give us work to do.  The Great Commission confirms that God thinks that way about you and me, too (cf. Mark 16:15).

God gave him a job.  He says, “I appointed you.”  Does God determine your occupation, location, and station in life?  I cannot answer for Him, but He says that Jeremiah was appointed a prophet.  Jeremiah could have exercised free will and rejected the assignment, but that does not negate what God saw for him.  I know that Paul says we have differing abilities (cf. Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:4ff).  Observation says that we have different personalities, temperaments, and characteristics.  Whatever that is, we are all well-suited to serve some way in God’s kingdom.  The question then only remains, “Will we do our job?”

God is not detached and unconcerned about this world or the seven-plus billion people currently inhabiting it.  We can deduce that from the way He spoke of just one man who died over 2,500 years ago.  It is another proof of God’s desire to “relate” to us.  It should move us to want to “relate” to Him.

The Difference Between Love And Lust

Neal Pollard

Some years ago, Elvis Huffard discussed some fundamental differences between love and lust. In chart form, he drew them out for consideration. Here they are:

Love                                                                Lust                                                              

Flows both ways                                         Flows toward self

Is learned                                                      Known naturally

Requires attention                                    Takes little effort

An art, not feelings-based                      Act of will, you feel like it

Interested in others’ reputation          Has no such concern

“Greatest…” (1 Cor. 13:13)                     Part of sinful man to be put off (Eph. 4:22)

The world and worldly thinking are continually confused between these two entities. One has the potential to destroy lives, condemn souls, and ruin futures. The other has the ability to transform the object of it, to encourage, and to improve. One has the chafing strings of guilt, shame, fear, and corruption attached. The other is a component part of the fruit of the Spirit, against which “there is no law” (Gal. 5:23b). One is synonymous with spiritual dirtiness, darkness, and deceit. The other is akin to spiritual purity, pleasure, and peace. One caused embarrassment and repercussion for Amnon, Tamar, David, Bathsheba, the men of Sodom, Lot’s family, Noah’s neighbors, the Corinthian man and his father’s wife. The other had its highest expression at a hill called Calvary. One is the path of least resistance, but ends at Destruction Drive. The other road is often narrow, uphill, and bumpy, but the payoff is Paradise Place. One teaches self-absorption, but the other is imminently selfless though self is often rewarded as a byproduct rather than the intention of its execution. The one is base and leads one lower and lower. The other is the polar opposite of this.

So, why do the majority choose lust over love? It’s easier. It gratifies immediate, impulsive desires. It’s enticing in prospect. That it is also destructive to homes and families, churches, and societies is often obscured by those short-term attributes. It requires continued effort and conscious determination to “do” love rather than “feel” lust. The pay off is not flashy or dramatic. It is steady and subtle. Its effects are best seen in the rearview mirror after a long journey, but it is a rare and beautiful view. It is up on the mountain top in the direction of heaven rather than low and frightful in the valley of despair and regret. Choose love over lust, in view of the warning: “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience” (Col. 3:5-6). Better still, choose love over lust because of the warming: “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:14-19).

THE CONDITION OF THE PEWS

Neal Pollard

Since I was a little boy, I’ve heard the frets and tsks

Of spilled juice and food stains, and other soiling risks

End caps have threatened to come off, legs seemed near collapse

Faithfully we’ve scrubbed and hammered, to avoid “what ifs” and “perhaps”

The fabric fades with time and use, the joints are loosed with sitting

And many the lady and the man have saved them by nails and knitting

Let’s get a few more years from them, the cost to replace is too great

We’ll bolt them down and prop them up, and save them from an awful fate

But what is the condition of the pews, when speaking metaphorically.

By that I mean the people on them, as we’ve used the phrase historically.

If too many are old and dying, and no efforts are made to reach others.

Those pews will look sparse and scattered from lack of sisters and brothers.

If those who use them think of Christian living as only time spent on them

They will not take their faith into a daily walk spent with Him.

I love the pews, the people that are striving to be more useful

Who love the Lord, who live that love, and refuse to be “excuse-full.”

They come and worship, with eyes all bright, and voices blending gladly

They help the sick, they reach the lost, they want to serve God badly.

What are you doing for the pews, for those who through Christ you’re related?

Is your love for those upon the pew growing stronger or has it abated?

The next time you go to take your seat and settle in for the worship time

Reflect a moment on these words set in this simple rhyme,

“What will I do to save the pew?  How much can I afford?

When I show care for every pew, I’m saying I love the Lord.”