Category: Uncategorized

Neal Pollard

As one of our United States legalizes same-sex marriage and one of our state’s openly gay politicians announces his upcoming plans to become a parent with his partner, homosexuality makes an often-traveled trip to center stage in American politics and sociology.  It brought to mind Paul’s writing to the church at Rome.  After discussing the sin of women committing homosexuality, Paul says that “men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion” (1:27).  To read Edward Gibbons and others’ writings on the rampant practice of homosexuality of an empire that eventually fell certainly calls to mind the ancient writer’s axiom that “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Prov. 14:34).  The prophets repeatedly foretold the doom of heathen nations due to their immorality.  Thus, nations pay the price for the immorality of its citizens.  But, there is something more specific seemingly intended by Paul in the words afore-quoted.

What is the due penalty for the perversion described by Paul?  Some have pondered whether or not, at least in modern times, AIDS is such a penalty.  Yet, though F. LaGard Smith acknowledged it might be (Sodom’s Second Coming 12), he also notes, “thousands of drug-using adults, as well as innocent children, are dying of the disease as well; and, of course, lesbians are hardly touched by it” (ibid.).  Certainly, promiscuous sexuality, whether homosexual or heterosexual, exposes one to the risk of disease and sickness.  However, Paul’s focus seems on the spiritual consequences of practicing this sin.  First, it is perversion.  It changes God’s natural design for sexuality and the family structure.  Second, it is punishable.  Paul says that those who practice this behavior subject themselves to a “due penalty.”  Contextually, that penalty extends to the eternal (32).  Third, it is prurient.  Paul’s exact wording is “indecent acts,” a word which in literal usage meant “deformed,” “unattractive,” and “unpresentable” (cf. 1 Cor. 12:23).  So, acts modified by such a word present God’s view concerning their immoral nature.

The bottom line is that there is a spiritual price to pay for sin, and this extends to homosexuality!  It is a due penalty, exacted because the acts are indecent and perverse.

Mounce calls these verses the clearest New Testament teaching on homosexuality, adding that Paul herein describes it “‘shameful,’ ‘unnatural,’ ‘indecent,’ and as a ‘perversion.’ By contrast, the Greco-Roman society of Paul’s day tolerated homosexuality with considerable ease. Among some advocates it was viewed as superior to heterosexuality. Barclay notes that “fourteen out of the first fifteen Roman Emperors were homosexuals” (Vol 27: Romans 82).  No matter how accepting of sin a society is, God’s immutable law of sowing and reaping will come to fruition.  May we respect that and revere Him.

 

Neal Pollard

Mike Ripperton passed along an excellent article out of the Wall Street Journal, an interview Brian Bolduc had with my favorite secular author, David McCullough.  Mr. McCullough has long bemoaned the state of historical illiteracy in our society.  That is, so many of our children are fed so much political correctness while receiving little to no education on important historical facts and their significance in the development of our nation.  The latest release from the Department of Education’s 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress estimates “only 12% of high school seniors have a firm grip on our nation’s history.”  McCullough lists the culprits.  One is a personnel problem, with history teachers often not in possession of a specific degree in history and not lovers of history themselves.  As he put it, “You can’t love something you don’t know anymore than you can love someone you don’t know.”  Another is a method problem, as history is often taught categorically rather than chronologically.  Another is an agenda problem, where political correctness trumps historical accuracy.  The last problem he specifies is a curriculum problem.  In essence, the history books are boring!  It is of no small concern to me how ignorant we are of our own national history! (cf. http://online.wsj.com, 6/18/11).

The spiritual parallel is striking, at least to me.  The home is the frontline of defense and offense in the spiritual equipping of our children.  Their knowledge, or lack thereof, is foremost the responsibility of the home.  The church’s Bible School program is to be a dependable supplement and reinforcement of the home’s biblical education of its children.  How are we doing?  Are we giving our children what they need to function in today’s world.  Knowledge and application are both vital.  As teachers, we need to know the Book.  As we do, we will come to love it and the One it proclaims.  We need to be wise when it comes to the methods we use, not relying solely on topical studies to the neglect of covering all the Bible’s material.  Certainly, we should avoid an eisegetical approach to scripture, reading into the Scripture what we already believe.  Any agenda must be checked at the door when teaching God’s Word, with an honest desire to glean from it God intended to say.

Biblical ignorance could not be more costly (Hos. 4:6)!  Let us return to placing such a premium on knowing God’s Word that we once again earn the reputation of being people of the book, those who know and cite “book, chapter, and verse.”  McCullough’s reaction to historical ignorance was to simply say, “It’s shocking.”  To fail to know the Bible is more than that.  It’s tragic!  Let us be like the blessed man, whose “delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Ps. 1:2).

Neal Pollard

Charles Mercer’s short book, The Way of Alexander the Great, chronicles the path of this great king of Asia to world domination.  He had led his Macedonian army of less than 50,000 men from Iran to Uzbekistan, then on to Afghanistan and now headed to India.  By this time, they had covered almost 9,000 miles, including arduous treks over mountains and snow and unbearable heat.  As they approached the Khyber Pass to enter India, Alexander noticed how slowly his troops were moving.  While the terrain was partially to blame, the bigger culprit was “the staggering weight of the booty they had with them” (98).  They were about to face “fierce mountain warriors” who would contest “nearly ever mile of their progress” (99).  Early one morning, Alexander did what must have been considered unthinkable.  Mercer writes,

Alexander set fire to his own baggage wagon and then commanded that his soldiers’ wagons be burned too.  Surprisingly few men protested this action.  Plutarch says that ‘most of the soldiers, as if they had been inspired, uttering loud outcries and warlike shoutings, supplied one another with what was absolutely necessary and burnt and destroyed all that was superfluous’ (ibid.).

While Alexander was no doubt driven by conquering the world, he understood that anything that hindered that goal must be discarded, no matter how seemingly valuable it was.  His men eagerly followed his leadership, regarding the battle more important than the bounty.  With the benefit of hindsight, we know that such decision-making led Alexander to indeed overcome all enemies.

Alexander, though far from a moral bastion, nonetheless illustrates the spiritual challenge confronting Christians living in this world.  Paul teaches that God’s people are in a spiritual battle with Satan and his dark forces (Eph. 6:10ff).  It is a battle against forces equipped with “flaming arrows” (Eph. 6:16), “roaring lions” (1 Pet. 5:8) and formidable “schemes” (Eph. 6:11; 2 Cor. 2:11).  In addition, we can be beset by our own lusts (cf. Js. 1:13-15).  The writer of Hebrews adds that we can get burdened with encumbrances and entanglements (12:2).  God has given us impenetrable spiritual armor to face the enemy’s offensive, but we also may have to burn our baggage wagons.  Whatever holds us back and keeps us from successfully navigating the narrow way is an ever-present hazard that may be everlastingly costly!

If only we will see what we stand to gain by shedding the weight of the world!  We are not attempting world domination, like Alexander was.  We are trying to overcome this world (1 John 5:4)!  Are you prepared to keep only what is “absolutely necessary and burn and” destroy all that is superfluous?  Do we need to burn some baggage wagons?

Neal Pollard

I passed her in the hall, 
and she frowned as clear as could be,
I thought, “What utter gall 
that she would so look at me,
I’ve always thought her haughty, 
old Sister So N So,
She’s mean and cold and naughty, 
and snooty from head to toe.”
But I didn’t know the rest of the story, 
as I looked her up and down,
I assumed she was full of vainglory 
and that was the cause of her frown,
But at home was a non-Christian spouse,
 they had bills and much infirmity,
They were close to losing their house, 
and they suffered so incredibly.
“He did a poor job on his class, 
his song leading, his presiding over the table,
It’s a surprise what the elders let pass, 
someone so ill-equipped and unable.
He doesn’t even want to serve, 
he just likes all the notice and glory,
He soaks up the spotlight with such nerve, 
yep, it’s that same old sad story!”
“She’s so prejudiced.” “He doesn’t like me.” 
“What is it she has so against me?”
“They’re cliquish, self-righteous, persnickety, 
a standoffish, uncouth family.”
Why do we indulge in such conjecture, 
assuming a bad motivation?
Guilty ’til proven innocent, in need of a lecture! 
We are bloated with insinuation!
Let’s err on the side of charity, 
assume that they’re trying their best,
Give up conjecture, seek verity, 
and not put them to such an austere test.
For such harsh and judgmental rating 
says more about us than of them,
It says we’re not loving, we’re hating, 
when so quickly we rush to condemn.
Were we to put the very best construction 
on the words, deeds, and hearts of another,
We’d avoid the broad path of destruction, 
as we look for the best in our brother!

Neal Pollard

A Massachusetts mother of two middle-school daughters filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education against Memorial Middle School for a sex survey that included questions of a nature too graphic to repeat here.  The school principal asserts that the questions administered to the seventh graders were mandatory to receive a federal grant though the Center for Disease Control (CDC) denies the requirement, saying only seven states have school districts that even ask the question.  What is worse, the test was administered without parental consent.  These questions were part of a national “youth risk behavior study” that includes more matters than just sexual behavior (information via Foxnews.com).

While it is admirable for agencies to identify and seek to help children who are at risk of harm through drug use, abuse, and other legitimate risks, it seems rather risky and not a little risque to expose young minds to concepts and ideas much too mature for their comprehension and which creates an unnatural interest in sexual terminology and concepts.  Those who love God and His Word realize that such exercises as these can create thoughts and stimulate curiosities that were not already there.  Such understand the powerful truth taught by Solomon:  “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23).  What shows up in the life begins in the heart.  How reckless for adults to pollute the hearts of children, potentially contributing to a pathway toward degeneracy and sexual immorality through such volatile questions.  It seems that the survey itself has real potential to create risky behavior in youths.

In an age that seems intent on prematurely exposing children to sexual content, whether in provocative advertising, entertainment venues, video games, music, web sites, and even agencies with a decided, unrighteous moral agenda, we need to go the second mile to protect the hearts, minds, and lives of our youth!  They must know that the things, like fornication, adultery, wickedness, sensuality, and similar evil things “proceed from within and defile the man” (cf. Prov. 7:21-23).  We need young and old minds set on pure thoughts (Ph. 4:8; Mt. 5:8).  Let us not put them at risk, but rather protect them!

Neal Pollard

What does evil and depravity look like?  As the prosecution rests in the Casey Anthony case in Florida, one may have a difficult time looking at Anthony, a well-dressed, attractive young woman, and concluding that she could be capable of vicious, premeditated murder.  None of us are intimately familiar with the case, but the circumstantial evidence is said to be overwhelming that Anthony brutally murdered her innocent, beautiful two-year-old daughter, Caylee.

It may be difficult to look at frail, elderly people and see that these individuals have lived contrary to the law of Christ and are readying to enter eternity without His blood applied to their sins.  They seem gentle and meek.  They certainly do not appear to be “lost.”

The sick and infirm, those in third-world nations racked with disease and malnutrition, the poor, and the victims of disaster and privation all should draw our sincere concern and pity.  Yet, their outward condition, however horrible, is secondary to their inward condition.  Just as goodness and good works cannot merit our salvation, appearances, whether young and fresh, elderly and fragile, or poor and needy, cannot offset the sin problem all mankind has (Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Ec. 7:20).

When we look at the people who cross our paths each day, we must look “soul deep.”  The physical counts for nothing.  The question of greatest consequence is, “Are they redeemed by the blood of Christ?”  The old adage is true, that “looks can be deceiving.”  Our optimistic nature does not like to look at anyone, especially those described above, as lost.  Yet, the sober reality is that the majority is lost (Mat. 7:13-14).  Throughout human history, that reality has persisted.  Noah learned this.  So did Abraham and Lot.  It was true in the annals of Israel’s and Judah’s history, as captivity demonstrated in both cases.  It was true in Christ’s day.  May we renew that sense of urgency that looks beyond skin deep and reaches out to meet the inner, spiritual needs of the people we encounter each day!

Neal Pollard

Bear Valley reminds me of a characteristic of Israel present in the fundraising for the tabernacle in Exodus 35-36.  Many times throughout the year, this congregation proves it is filled with people longing to show their generosity even beyond the “regular contribution.”  Whereas elders and preachers in most places often find themselves berating, cajoling, and otherwise pleading with members to give more, this congregation continually humbles and amazes by their inclination toward sacrificial giving.  Future Preachers Training Camp has once again reminded me of the blessing of preaching among a people so prone to give from the heart.  How the Lord loves such an unselfish disposition.

How heartening it must have been for Moses, Aaron, and the elders of Israel to witness such an outpouring among them.  Stirred hearts and spirits filled the camp, and contributions began to flow like water from a bursted dam (cf. Ex. 35:20ff).  Their hearts moved and their pursestrings opened wide (cf. Ex. 35:26,29).  People put their talents to work with their treasures, too, using their abilities to do the Lord’s work. The climax of this account comes when the skilled men came each from their work stations with a similar report, that “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the LORD commanded us to perform” (Ex. 36:5).  Moses had to command the people to stop giving, saying, “Let no man or woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary” (Ex. 36:6).  The Bible actually says, “Thus the people were restrained from bringing any more” (Ex. 36:7).  Incredible!

Too many times, churches may have heard their leaders and ministers try to restrain them from moral, attitudinal, or doctrinal sins.  Israel was restrained from giving any more.  Imagine what could be done in evangelism, missions, benevolence, advertising, audio-visual technology, and general church growth if the church caught this spirit of relentless giving!  So, how does that start?  Doesn’t it begin with each of us having our hearts and minds stirred by a conviction about how important the Lord’s work is and how tangibly we can play a part through our giving?

Thanks to this church’s boundless generosity, many young men have had their hearts turned to full-time missions and preaching.  Churches around this country and the world have been blessed by their efforts and eternity will no doubt be filled with people reached by these men who were encouraged by the heartfelt, unrestrained giving of brothers and sisters in Christ!   It is amazing to see what God can do with the open hearts, hands, and wallets of generous Christians!

Neal Pollard

She might call it “Thessa ‘Moany,'” the chagrined German girl who accidentally invited 15,000 to her private birthday party via Facebook.  She certainly will have quite a story to tell her children and grandchildren.  Thessa intended to mark the invitation as private, but nearly 1,500 showed up at her Hamburg-Bramfeld home.  In fact, she had to leave her own party.  Revelers lit a few fires and alcohol flowed freely, as it so often does even among minors in western Europe.  Police described the spontaneous event as mostly peaceful.

To me, it is amazing that a social media tool announcing such a relatively insignificant event could have such an impact and draw such a crowd.  Certainly, there may be factors at play, not publicly known, that prompted such a showing, but it demonstrates how quickly “the word” can spread.

This amazing technology is a tool we must use to spread the best news and biggest event the world will ever know!  Whether social media like Facebook or Twitter, the internet as a whole to stream audio and video, podcasts, blogs, or any other technological tool, God’s people need to utilize the very frontier where Satan is active and busily working.  Should pornographic, violent, hateful, false, and harmful messages be the only ones to which people are exposed?

No doubt, it can be done!  We can get the Word before everyone in this world and there is no sin in taking shortcuts that move so much quicker than horseback or even ocean liners and steam ships.  Though the world population was so much smaller in the first century, there means of spreading the gospel was also, proportionately slower.  Yet, they took the gospel, at least representatively, to “every creature under heaven” (Col. 1:23).  They went “everywhere” preaching the word (Acts 8:4).

How hungry are people for the gospel in Namibia? Nepal? Chile? Cambodia?  What about Stumptown, West Virginia? Honey, Pennsylvania? Cuba, Alabama? There are honest hearts all over the world and in the communities where we live.  Let us use every legitimate means to get the word to them, extending them the opportunity to accept the Lord’s invitation and celebrate something better than a 16th birthday–their “new birth” day!

(photo of Warren’s last sermon, 6/17/09)

Neal Pollard

A great many people know that our late, beloved Warren Wilcox, “Mr. Preacher Training,” delivered his last sermon at our 2009 Future Preachers Training Camp that June Wednesday night.  He was already rapidly succumbing to the disease that would take his life before Labor Day.  What you may not know about the man who stood and preached only with great difficulty had made an entry in his day-timer for that June 17, 2009.  He wrote, “Speak no matter what it costs.”  Anyone who happened to be present that night has some idea that it cost him, physically and emotionally, to stand there and speak.  I imagine none of us knows the full extent.

Warren epitomizes the attitude of the faithful preacher and teacher.  “In season” preaching is easy to do, in the fair weather of friends and favorable response.  “Out of season” preaching is a differently-colored horse.  There are a great many Bible subjects one should feel great joy and enthusiasm for speaking–grace, hope, peace, heaven, salvation, fellowship, love, and forgiveness.  Others do not elicit such a happy emotion.  They are “hard to hear” and “hard to speak.”  They challenge one’s courage and conviction to the core.  One, facing the need to present such lessons, can easily count the cost and feel unwilling to pay.  Yet, such a one cannot be counted or considered faithful.  The faithful proclaimer says, “I will ‘speak no matter what it costs.'”  Our biblical examples, men like Nathan, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, Paul, and Christ, were of that ilk.  Those who populate heaven, in response to Christ’s Great Commission, are those who adopt this philosophy.  Those who edify, reprove, and rebuke the people of God are the ones who take this mindset to heart.  May you and I be so dedicated as Warren and “speak no matter what it costs.”

Neal Pollard

Some people believe that work is a curse, drawing from the punishment meted out by God to Adam in Genesis 3:17-19.  Others, missing Solomon’s bigger point, call work “vain” and useless (cf. Ecc. 2).  Instead, in this fallen world, work is a tremendous blessing as it lends to our purpose and influence.  Several passages extol the value of work.  “In all labor there is profit” (Prov. 14:23). Elders who “work hard” at preaching and teaching are due “double honor” (1 Tim. 5:17).  Like the virtuous woman, our works “praise” us (Prov. 31:31).  In the context of the church, “proper working…causes the growth of the body” (Eph. 4:16).

It has been my experience that the idle and uninvolved within the body of Christ seem generally less happy and fulfilled in their Christian walk.  That is perfectly logical because spiritual inactivity seems to cut against the grain of what it means to be a Christian.  Consider what Paul says in Romans 12:11 about the Christian being “fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”  That word “fervent” means to boil or seethe, and is used to describe the great preacher, Apollos (Acts 18:25).  Here, Paul urges us to put our heart and soul into what we do (cf. Col. 3:23).  When you have that kind of disposition toward the church’s work, your happiness is guaranteed!

Watch the workers!  Not always, but ordinarily you see a lift in their step, a gleam in their eye, and a deep-settled contentment in their deportment.  You see it in the guys who use their hands to build, repair, and install.  You see it in the women busily cooking and cleaning in the kitchen.  You see it in the men and women buckled down and teaching in the Bible classes.  You see it on the faces of the brothers and sisters at the workday, the door-knocking, the yard-raking, the nursing-home singing, the communion-preparing, the pew Bible and songbook repairing, and the like.  They’re moving too fast and working too hard to engage in gossip, back-biting, and self-pity.  They’re too engaged in the Lord’s business to be in everybody else’s business!

Do you want to get happy?  Get busy!  It’s heaven’s way to a happy heart!

Neal Pollard

The word is maligned by some, especially by those to the right of biblical truth who believe any attempt at it is “soft.”  The word is misunderstood by others, especially by those who believe avoiding difficult, hard truths constitutes the concept.  Yet, in this age of extremism, the need for it has never been greater.  While balance takes in a great many things regarding both one’s life and teaching, many seem to have forgotten the importance of pursuing it in following Christ.

Balance is threatened when we equate our opinions, judgment, proclivities, and personal beliefs with divine truth.  This is especially of great concern when those with heightened influence among us press these matters to the point that they are portrayed as matters of faith and fellowship.  Several issues of late have emerged as such tests–that dating is sinful, that homeschooling is the only biblical means of educating our children, that having a special program or even Bible classes for youth in a congregation is wrong, and the list seems to keep growing.  Often, the old “anti” argument is made: “Where is your authority for that?”  Yet, like our non-cooperation brethren, there is a glaring lack of understanding about how God authorizes (especially as regards “generic” and “specific” authority).  Can we be opposed to dating, public schooling, homeschooling, and the like?  Certainly.  Can we be in favor of those matters?  Certainly.  Can we be divisive or draw lines over them in the Lord’s body?  Never!  God is as condemning of law-making as law-breaking (Rev. 22:18-19; Mat. 23:2ff).

Balance is threatened through compromise with the world.  Balance is not blending in with the world, as a chameleon in its environment.  Balance is certainly not conformity (cf. Rom. 12:2).  Some preachers never touch hot-button-issues like modesty, marriage, divorce, and remarriage, instrumental music, the sinfulness of denominationalism, and more through a misguided sense that such avoidance is balance.  While one must avoid making any of these subjects “hobby horses” that are ridden endlessly and exclusively, these are all biblical matters part of the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).  Often, they are avoided out of fear or favor.  Such is not balance!

Extremism, especially noised angrily and vociferously, looks more like the culture than the Christ.  Let those of us who teach, write, and otherwise publicly communicate beware of the higher standard to which the Lord holds us (Js. 3:1ff).  Let us stand firmly and courageously upon the foundation of Christ while being careful not to press what He has not taught or suppress what He has.

Neal Pollard

To me, it is encouraging to know that there are several organizations, both local and national, calling themselves “People Helping People.”  One is a denominational organization that coordinates relief efforts all over the country.  Another is a community food pantry program.  Another organization by that name is dedicated to helping people conquer debt and financial mismanagement.  It seems that whatever need an individual may have, there are people ready to help.  In a day and age where everything is portrayed as dim and dismal, it is encouraging to see so many groups trying to help others.

The same phenomenon can be seen in response to natural disasters like the tornados in the southeast and, more recently, the midwest.  My sister-in-law, Kristy Woodall, has made several trips to Joplin, Missouri, to help in the aftermath of the nation’s single worst tornado in terms of fatalities.  She joins thousands of people, including many members of the church, whose hearts go out to those in need and are moved to help.  There is a chord in the heart of most people touched by the hardship and need of others that motivates this spirit of volunteerism.

It is that heartstring the Lord needs struck deep down in the hearts of His people with regard to the work of His church.  Whether it be the benevolent, educational, or evangelistic works necessary for the church to reach the world, God needs us to have open hearts.  It is incredible to watch what God’s people will do when they first give themselves to the Lord (2 Cor. 8:1-5).  And, what blessings follow those whose hearts are so inclined–he “will be prosperous” (Pr. 11:25), “will be sought after” (Pr. 19:6), and “will be blessed” (Pr. 22:9).  As that is true concerning helping the needy, certainly it follows those who roll up their sleeves and get involved in the church’s work.  In nearly every congregation, terms like “teacher shortage,” “need for personal workers,” “help in following up,” and more point out the need for God’s people to stand alongside Nehemiah’s neighbors and have “a mind to work” (Neh. 4:6).

(article in today’s Bear Valley church bulletin)

Neal Pollard

In Lynn Montross’ epic book, War Through the Ages, the former Denver resident wrote, “From the time of Alexander it had been an axiom that a commander could not hold the respect of his men without sharing to a reasonable extent their perils and hardships” (729).  Montross contrasts generals like Grant, who wore a private’s uniform and made personal reconnaissance and Moltke, whose headquarters were “far back in the rear” (ibid.).  Think of the difference these two philosophies must have had on those they led, the difference of empathy and commiseration and heartless ignorance.  We respect those we feel know that through which we ourselves go.

While this is an incredibly important principle to consider in leadership, it is most important in the matter of our Great Shepherd, Jesus.  The writer of Hebrews says, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16).  God did not consider our sin problem from some aloof and distant position, as deists would say.  He came down to us, dwelling among us (Jn. 1:14).  Hebrews 2:18 adds, “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”

Memorial Day started out as “Decoration Day,” a day from the beginning meant to reconcile the division resulting from the Civil War.  Flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington Cemetery.  It has become a day to remember those who gave their lives to preserve our liberty and freedoms.  This should be a time to show gratitude and remembrance for those who were “in the trenches” for us.  Louetta Smith and several ladies at Bear Valley participate each year in a remarkable tribute each Memorial Day.  They and so many here appreciate the price paid for us by these soldiers.

Even more than we do these men, let us appreciate the Son of Man who is also the “Captain of our salvation” (Heb. 2:10, NKJ).  As we remember Him each Sunday, let us remember Him not only as One who was willing to die for us but who voluntarily left His home to share our human experience (cf. Phil. 2:5ff).  He is our Commander (Josh. 5:14-15), but He is not tucked back way to the rear away from us.  He did His reconciling work among us, doing more than reconciling man to man but more importantly reconciling man to God (Rom. 5:9ff). Let us never forget the kind of Savior we serve, One who dwelt among us!

 

 Montross, Lynn.  War Through the Ages (New York: Harper & Row, 1960).

 www.usmemorialday.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal Pollard

On May 10, 1869, a telegraph operator who had watched a golden spike driven into the last, connecting track on the Transcontinental Railroad, sent a one-word message from Promontory, Utah, that simply read, “Done!”  The Government-induced race between two railroad companies was filled with suspense and drama, keeping a spellbound nation captive through daily newspaper headlines.  One of the most dramatic subplots involved Central Pacific’s desperate decision to employ Chinese immigrants to lay track. Central and Union were paid for every mile of track laid.  It was very interesting to notice something about these unsung, Asian heroes of this grand expedition.  First, they were distinct from all the other workers, in looks, habits, and diet.  Second, they were willing to risk their lives to complete a variety of difficult tasks and life-threatening hazzards.  Third, they were diligent, relentless workers whose ethic astounded their bosses and bystanders.  Finally, they did their work without benefit of automated, hydraulic, or powered tools of any kind.  A pickaxe, hammer, wheelbarrow, and nitroglycerin were all they had to build tunnels and roadbeds through the highest, fiercest mountain ranges of the continental United States.
There is much in this fascinating story to remind us of the more important, spiritual achievements of the early church.  They labored for something of eternal consequence.   They faced greater risks.  As a direct result of following the doctrine of Christ, they stood out distinctly from others around them (1 Pt. 1:15-16; 4:4; Acts 4:13;  .  The difference was not ethnic or necessarily dietetic.  They lived holy lives, abstaining from fleshly lusts that would war against their souls (1 Pt. 2:11).  They were also relentless in taking the gospel to the world (cf. Col. 1:23).  They faced imprisonment, persecution and death (Acts 8:3; 2 Cor. 11; Rev. 2:10a).

Yet, they had a profound influence on the entire world and that without benefit of modern transporation or technology (Acts 6:7; 8:4; 17:6).  Ordinarily, they were not the biggest, wealthiest, or most prominent citizens of their respective communities.  What they had going for them was God’s power, God’s precepts, and God’s plan!  They planted and watered, and God gave the increase (1 Cor. 3:6).

Can we do such amazing things in today’s world?  We can, but we must be willing to imitate the dedication, work ethic, faith, and commitment of our ancient and primitive counterparts.  Only then can we, like them, “Turn the world upside down.”

Much of this information gleaned from:  Greenberg, Morrie.  American Adventures: True Stories From America’s Past, 1770-1870 (Northridge, CA: Brooke-Richards Press, 2002). 

Neal Pollard

As a youth intern in Alabama while a student at Faulkner University, I heard the local preacher tell me something that time has proven correct.  He said, “Most church problems could be avoided if people were willing to say two things: ‘I was wrong’ and ‘I’m sorry.'”  That seems an utterly simple thing to do, but many people struggle with that.  Why?  Some apparently feel they have done nothing wrong, despite evidence to the contrary.  Others are quick to rationalize their actions, choosing the path of self-justification rather than the path of humility.  There are those who think that admitting wrong displays weakness.  Still others refrain, stating that those on “the other side” did wrong, too, and “the other side” should go first.  Frankly, the reasons why people struggle with saying those two simple statements are as numerous as there are people unwilling to say them.  Yet, if there is a common denominator in all of them, that factor would be pride.

The frightening thing about pride is not just how prevalent and engrained in us it is, but how God responds to it.  Pride is as worldly a trait as there is, significant enough to be mentioned by John as one of three main areas proving we love the world.  He calls it “the boastful pride of life” (1 Jn. 2:16).  In His earthly ministry, Jesus calls pride an evil thing that proceeds from within and defiles the man (Mk. 7:22-23).  Twice in the New Testament, inspired writers quote from the poetry section of the Old Testament, saying, “God is opposed to the proud” (Js. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5).  In fact, the Old Testament roundly condemns pride, over and over again (see Job 40:11-12; Ps. 31:23; 94:2; Pr. 15:25; Pr. 21:4,24; etc.).  Citing one sample from this section should suffice. Proverbs 16:25 says, “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.”  That should arrest the attention of everyone!  God could not speak in clearer language about how detestable pride is to Him!

Individual sin struggles, church problems, and brotherhood issues too often have pride underlying them!  People get so concerned with winning, being right, carrying the day, and showing up others that their pride leads them to do great harm to the cause of Christ and His precious bride.  It takes uncommon spiritual strength and maturity to swallow pride, soften the heart, and speak those infinitely profound and universally healing words:  “I was wrong” and “I’m sorry.”  May each of us resolve to let nothing, especially self-interest and self-preservation, keep us from saying those words when they are needful!

Neal Pollard

The unusually high tornadic activity this Spring effected the midwest this time, especially the small southwest Missouri city of Joplin.  The Monday afternoon tally of 116 fatalities will almost certainly rise. The American Cross reports that “75% of the town is virtually gone” (Accuweather.com).  This tornado was powerful enough that X-rays from a Joplin hospital turned up 70 miles away in someone’s driveway (ibid.)!  The Joplin Globe reported that “teams with body bags were being dispatched to Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Sonic and other businesses between 15th and 20th streets along Range Line Road, one of the hardest hit areas in the city” (via Tribune-Democrat online).  Among the other stores devastated by the tornado was a Fastrip Convenience Store on 32nd Street.  According to a YouTube video, about 20 people were in the store about the time the storm hit the area.  They retreated into a storage freezer as the tornado passed through the front of the store.  Many of you have “heard” the video (there is no perceptible visual) and it is chilling to eavesdrop on people who are thinking they may be about to die.  What do they say?  I have only seen the edited version on CNN, but various news outlets carry the warning that there is profanity to be heard in some portions of the clip.  However, for a solid two minutes or more there is a cry being made to “Jesus” and the “Heavenly Father.”  At the moment of impact, there are no curse words but rather only pleas, screams, and appeals to God.

One thinks of the psalmist’s plaintive words in Psalm 130:1, where he says, “Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord.”  Most credit the saying, “There are no atheists in foxholes,” to colorful journalist Ernie Pyle who covered both World Wars in the 20th Century.  Atheists, particularly, mock that quote, even saying, “You’ll never find a dead Christian in a foxhole who didn’t pray.”  Such is an attempt to discredit the idea of God’s existence, pointing to the problem of human suffering.  Yet, it is easier to be smug when not in the throes of terror and fear as life hangs in the balance.  Situations like these are a litmus test and often awaken a feeling, even among the hardened, that there One greater than ourselves upon whom we must rely.  Truly, though, as David wrote, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God…'” (Ps. 14:1a).

Neal Pollard

One of the most important lessons we teach our kids is that life is not always fair.  We need them to know that not everybody plays by the rules or even knows the rules.  More and more do not believe in an ultimate rule-maker.  We have got to teach them to follow the rules when other do not.  We tell our kids this, but it is amazing how easily we forget this truth in our own lives.  We are not wiser than Job, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, and David–a few of the godly individuals whose recorded struggle with this dilemma are preserved in the sacred text.

In Psalm 10, David seems to be in the middle of struggling with this lesson.  He begins by asking where God is when the wicked are running amuck.  Is He afar off or hiding?  Perhaps you have wrestled with that before, wondering why God does not seem to be hearing your prayer request, seeing your struggle or punishing evil doers.  After asking where God is, David focuses on why he wants divine intervention.  He makes no fewer than six observations about the actions and attitudes of the wicked: (1) they persecute the poor (1,8-10), (2) they boast of their heart’s desire (2), (3) they bless evil and denounce God (3), (4) they do not seek God (4), (5) they do not have God in any of their thoughts (4), and (5) they sin greatly with their tongues (7).  Scour the newspaper, stand at the water cooler at work, stare at the TV, or survey the school student body, and you will hear and see an abundance of what David describes in Psalm 10.

But, David goes beyond just their actions and attitudes. Led by the Holy Spirit, David points to three things the wicked say in their hearts.  Could these be the same things most of mankind says today?  Consider what the wicked say in their heart.

“I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity” (6).  This is true for the righteous (Ps. 1:3).  But even the righteous know they face adversity.  Ultimately, though, the righteous shall not be moved.  Sin deceives the heart and causes one to trust in self and believe oneself to be invincible and unconquerable.  Sadly, though, the wicked build on the sinking sand (Mt. 7:24-27) and, without repentance, face eternal adversity.

“God has forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see it” (11). The wicked say this in light of their unrighteous treatment of others.  Sin will deceive and harden the heart to the fact that an omniscient God watches and keeps an unflawed record of such.  Tragically, this emboldens the sinner to be set in sinfulness.

“You will not require it” (13).  The wicked rejects God and His commands, believing obedience to be unnecessary.  He convinces himself that he can live like he wants to live and God will not call him into account.

David ends this psalm confident that God knows and helps those who trust in Him.  One may be poor and helpless by earthly standards, but he is heard, strengthened, and vindicated by the Lord (17-18).  The reassuring news for the righteous amidst such wicked people is one of David’s final assertions, that “the Lord is King forever and ever” (16).  Faith in such facts will keep us from the thoughts of the wicked.

Neal Pollard

Jesus and His disciples had worshipped together in the city of Jerusalem in the upper room, observing the Passover and ending the service with a song.  They went from there to the Mount of Olives, where Jesus warned them that all of them, even Peter, would fall away from Him that very night, scattering like sheep without a shepherd.  Christ had now come to the threshold of the task He had come to accomplish on this earth.  He who is from everlasting to everlasting (cf. Jn. 1:1), had come by way of the virgin (Mt. 1:25), had grown to maturity obedient to Joseph and Mary (Lk. 2:51), had powerfully taught and debated, healed and comforted, and had triumphantly entered Jerusalem earlier that week said, in John 17:1, “the hour has come.”  After praying, He and His disciples crossed over the Brook Kidron into a garden called Gethsemane.  From that moment until He is pulled down from the cross, our Lord goes through a series of events that caused Him suffering and pain.  Will you remember these words?

• Intensity (Mk. 14:32-42).  We see the textual evidence of the intensity–in His demeanor (33-34), His posture (35), and His prayer (36).  We notice the reason for the intense emotions–the drowsiness of the disciples, the solitude of the situation, and the content of the cup.  Jesus understood the importance of His death but also the pain of the cross.
• Incarceration (Mk. 14:43-52).  It was facilitated by depraved betrayal, signified by Judas’ kiss.  Eleven times in the gospels he is identified simply as “the traitor” or “betrayer.”  It was impeded for a moment by blind zeal (cf. Jn. 18:10; Lk. 22:49).  It was accomplished, however, by Divine permission (Mk. 15:49; Ac. 2:23).
• Injustice (Mk. 14:53-65). He faced injustice from the Sanhedrin (53-55), false witnesses (56-60), and the officers (65).  How else could a mob of wicked men have seized a perfectly innocent man?  No mistrial can compare to the travesty of justice in the case of Jesus of Nazareth!
• Infidelity (Mk. 14:66-72).  Peter quickly broke his vow in verse 29.  He was running with the others who fled (50).  His infidelity started with his position (54), was fueled by his fear, was prompted by the questions, and was confirmed by the rooster.
• Interview (Mk. 15:1-5).  It was brief, consisting, according to Mark, of only two questions.  “Are you the king of the Jews?” and “Aren’t you going to answer all these charges?”  Jesus was not panicked or defensive.  He was only silent.  Pilate was amazed, led to two conclusions: (1) He was not guilty (Lk. 23:4) and (2) He should not be crucified (Mk. 15:14).
• Inhumanity (Mk. 15:6-23).  Petty jealousy and and fear of exposure had mushroomed into unmixed hatred.  Civility was replaced with brutality.  Remember that their bitterness was being unleashed on a perfect and innocent One.  Oh, how He suffered!

What do we learn from these events, from Gethsemane to the cross?  We see the last day of Christ from His perspective:  apprehension and dread (He. 5:7; 12:2).  We see it from His disciples’ perspective: confusion and fear.  We see it from His accusers’ perspective: blind rage and perverted satisfaction.  We see it from His judge’s perspective: amazement and belief, but ultimate cowardice.  We see it from the soldiers’ perspective: indifference, unbelief, and depraved ungodliness.  As you look back at these events, remember the six “I’s” that hopefully help you see more clearly what your Lord endured for you.

Neal Pollard

Yesterday, USA Today led with the story of a major finding by the military that many of the illnesses associated with the first Gulf War in 1991 and the current war being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan is about the dust that flies in the air there.  The dust inhaled by soldiers and others there contains 37 metals, 147 different kinds of bacteria, and potentially harmful fungi.  All of these have been linked in studies by the EPA to “neurological disorders, cancer, respiratory ailments, depression and heart disease” (Kelly Kennedy, 1A, 5/12/11).  “Up to 1,000 [dust particles] can sit on the head of a pin” (ibid.), but though undetectable without scrutiny they still do damage.

Sometimes, hardly noticeable, “little” things can be in the air that combine to create a dangerous atmosphere!  Particles of discontent, complaining, disputing, judging, gossip, or slander may not, in individual incidents, seem like much.  Yet, put together, they can quickly grow into a problem that can seem suffocating, toxic, and dangerous.  The Israelites, when wandering in the wilderness, typified this “dirty air.”  Some of them grumbled and were destroyed of the destroyer (1 Cor. 10:10).  They grumbled at Moses following God’s punishment of certain rebellious ones among their number (Num. 16:41). They grumbled against God (Num. 14:26).  They moaned and wept in faithlessness and greed (Num. 11:14ff).  The Hebrews writer comments on the “toxic air” produced by that generation, saying, “And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?” (3:17).

God calls for gratitude and disdains grumbling and disputing (cf. Phil. 2:14).  Paul warns against “contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults” (2 Cor. 12:20), particles of attitude that pollute the air.  Let us avoid creating and being part of an atmosphere that throws a cloud covering over the good news.  The person, message, and mission of Jesus get hidden by such deadly matters that so easily fly in the air.  So Paul says, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Col. 4:6).

Neal Pollard

Have you ever found yourself in a deluge?  As many of us are facing drought right now, that may not sound bad.  But, I am talking about a fierce thunderstorm where waters rise and floods are a threat.  Thunder strikes fear and lightning could strike you.  Visibility is poor and the ground is giving way.  Does there come a point where you resign yourself to the storm?

Ask Rita Chretien.  She is a literal expert on the matter.  Her situation was a bit different, in that the storm was not still raging.  She and her husband, Albert, were taking a scenic drive down from Penticon, British Columbia, and had made their way as far as the rugged, remote Elko Mountains on the Idaho-Nevada border.  Their van got stuck on a national forest road.  That was in late March.  She was found seven weeks later, 20 to 30 pounds lighter, weak, having rationed their snacks and using melted snow for water.  She also had to face the anguish that her husband is probably dead.  He set off by foot in this forbidding terrain and remains missing.  She remained there in a place so remote she was only found when hunters in early May stumbled upon the area.  There she was with her thoughts, her loneliness, her fears and concerns, and her doubts.  How did she do it?  She got out of the van and walked every day.  She had books to read.  She kept hope that she would survive (via Keith Ridler, Denver Post, A-2, 5/9/11).

I cannot imagine her ordeal and hope I never have to face anything resembling it.  However, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, I may find myself in a similar, perilous place.  The trials and troubles of life may leave me stranded in a seemingly remote locale somewhere along the narrow way.  I may be suffering and deprived, feeling uncertain about the future.  What will I do if faced with the temptation to give up hope?

I need to make sure I walk every day–walk in Him (Col. 2:6), walk in a manner worthy of God (1 Th. 2:12), walk in the light (1 Jn. 1:7), walk in the newness of light (Rom. 6:4), walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7), walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), and so forth.  I also need to read and re-read The Book every day. It will do more than while away the time.  It will shape and direct how I use my time.  It will give me the strength for the storm and faith to know it cannot last forever.  I also must maintain my hope and not surrender it.

What a trial Mrs. Chretien has endured, and it does not seem finished.  Yet, she was rescued!  She will survive this ordeal.  May we bolster ourselves with the confidence that God will rescue us from our trials!