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(Photo of J.A. Harding)

Neal Pollard

I am reading with interest a book I purchased from the library of Leathal Roberts, retired minister residing in San Marcos, Texas.  The book carries a copyright date of 1889.  The debate was began May 27, 1889, and continued 16 nights in the Central Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee.  The disputants were J.B. Moody, a prominent Baptist preacher, and James A. Harding, referred to simply as a disciple from Winchester, Kentucky.

In Harding’s first reply, he did several things worthy of note.  He began his speech with an extremely kind, gentle, and complimentary tone for both the audience and his opponent.  He also revealed himself to be an erudite (i.e., very knowledgeable) scholar, regarding both the writings of contemporaries but also the ancient writers.  He spoke at great lengths about the writings of the early church fathers concerning the subject of baptism.  He was also intimately familiar with the theology of the denominations, including that of the Baptists.  Yet, another thing that impressed me about Harding’s first reply was the firm, forthright way in which he set forth the biblical position and responded to the alternative view of Moody.

One charge Harding answered had to do with the supposed idea that members of the church of Christ are guilty of “ignoring both faith and repentance, and with making baptism the all in all, the only act of conversion” (27).  If one affiliated with the Lord’s church has ever believed that, it has been through either a lack of proper teaching or proper understanding.  Indeed, the Bible goes to great lengths to establish the necessity of faith, without which we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6).  Without faith, there is no salvation (Eph. 2:8).  Faith is essential to prevent one from perishing (John 3:16).  Regarding repentance, a change of mind and heart, there are no prospects for salvation.  One must have a godly sorrow that leads one to eliminate sinful actions and embrace righteousness (2 Cor. 7:9-11).  This repentance involves a turning, a change of course (Acts 3:19).  Repentance is plainly tied to salvation (Acts 2:38).  God is not fooled by an outward act devoid of inward change, and He will not accept such!

Yet, those who teach that salvation occurs at the point of faith and is by faith alone have a quandary.  Their position stands in opposition to plain, biblical teaching.

Answering Moody’s charge that the church of Christ is basically “Romanist” (Catholic), Harding replied, “According to the Romanist the commission (Mark 16:15-16, NP) should read, ‘He that is baptized shall be saved.’  According to our postion it should read as it does, viz., ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.’ But according to my opponent it should read, ‘He that believeth and is saved should be baptized'” (26).

In beginning to summarize his first reply, Harding concisely said,

And then we express our views thus: He who can obey the gospel and will, shall be saved; he who can obey and won’t, shall be damned; he who would obey but can’t (if there be any such), God will take care of, as a being infinite in love, mercy and justice should do.  We are quite willing to leave all such irresponsible people with him who doeth all thing all things well; but in the meantime we will not cease to teach with all earnestness that when Jesus comes again he will come to take vengeance on them ‘that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (See 2 Thess. i.8) (37).

Well said.

Neal Pollard

 

On August 30, 1868, Charles H. Spurgeon delivered a sermon entitled, “Prayer Meetings.”  It contains a lot of good information and ideas, as he begins with the “apostolic history” of such meetings.  He shows at least six purposes of prayer meetings in the New Testament: (1) Encourage the discouraged (Acts 1), (2) Receive power (Acts 2), (3) A Resource for the persecuted (Acts 4:35ff), (4) Individual deliverance (Acts 12:4ff), (5) Guidance regarding mission work (Acts 13:2-3), and (6) The First Step of a new work for Christ (Acts 16).  He follows that up by citing three important results of such a meeting: (1) Draws us closer in a special kind of fellowship, (2) It generates devotion, and (3) God has promised extraordinary and special blessings to those who do it.  He goes on to say some other useful things, but he makes the powerful case that prayer meetings were a fixture of the New Testament church (Prayer-Meetings, Capoccia, 1-2).

 

In more modern times, especially following the “Great Awakening” in this country back in the 19th Century, most religious groups met regularly as a church to pray.  During this same period of time, there were men and women dedicated to restoring the New Testament church and eradicating denominationalism whose custom it was to meet frequently to pray.  And, they believed in prayer.  Alexander Campbell called it “the holy of holies, the inmost temple of religion” and Barton Stone said it was “the offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to his will” (Enclyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement, Foster, et al, ed., 600-601).

 

While “prayer meetings” are not frequent or common anymore, and that may reveal a lot about the church-wide challenge to evangelize and grow, they still will serve the purposes and produce the benefits asserted by Spurgeon 150 years ago.  When we meet in the sweet communion of prayer, as a church, we will be closer, more devoted to God and one another, and blessed by answered prayer.  A former elder, very funny man, and dear friend of mine in Mississippi, upon reading of our Saturday Night Prayer Session for “Think Souls,” wrote, “Well, first of all, who would ever have thought of having a prayer meeting on Saturday evening at 6:00 P.M. to pray for opportunities to reach souls? Who would have thunk it? We’re still working on getting folks to attend worship.”  Well, we are, too, brother.  But, I cannot wait to see a house full of saints, drawn together to petition “The Great I Am” to help us think, find, reach, and teach the souls all around us!  Oh, the thrill of summoning the One with unlimited power, resources, and knowledge to help us do the thing His Son left for us to do right before He stepped on that cloud (cf. Acts 1:9).  Before we “go” (Matt. 28:19), let us “come” boldly before His throne as a church and ask His help (cf. Heb. 4:16).

 

Neal Pollard

Yesterday was a great day, with excitement, energy, and passion talking about thinking souls.  Now, today, we are in the daily grind, routines, deadlines, and pressures to boot.  What can we do to translate a great idea into a great work?  How can you and I think souls today?

• Have you prayed about it? For opportunities, courage, perception, and attitude?
• Are you clearing your Saturday schedule at 6 P.M. to be here for the prayer meeting?
• Are you making a list of “prospects” or focusing on someone with whom to share the gospel?
• Have you grabbed some “tools” from our tool box?
• Have you jotted down the website for our podcasts, which include the lessons on “Identifying The New Testament Church”? bvccsermoncast.blogspot.com/
• Are you prepared to talk to somebody at church you don’t recognize and who may not already be a member?
• Is there a family member you might encourage?
• Have you thought about forwarding Daily Bread, Bob Turner’s “Leadership Fund,” or some other devotional email that might open a door? http://leadershipfund.wordpress.com/; http://www.forthright.net/; http://bpsfuelforthought.wordpress.com/; http://www.faughnfamily.com/
• If you are paying your bills today and do not pay them online, what about sticking a tract or church bulletin inside?
• Is there someone you might email, Facebook inbox, or otherwise write and encourage, thus maybe opening a door for the gospel at some point?
• Have you tried that proven question, “Would you like to study the Bible with me?”

What kind of “soul harvest” can we have this year to the glory of God?  I don’t know.  God is the limit, so that’s exciting!  Yet, also, we must realize that we cannot hope for a harvest if we are not planting seeds, day by day, “as we are going” (cf. Matt. 28:19).  Think souls today, tomorrow, and every day!  This requires breaking old, bad habits–silence, fear, conformity, or whatever else keeps us from spreading the greatest news ever told!  I am praying for you, that you will think about and reach out to souls today.  Please do the same for me.

Neal Pollard

For all of recorded history, Estonians have lived along the Baltic Sea. They were an independent nation until a series of foreign invaders conquered and subjugated them–Denmark, Germany’s Teutonic Knights, Sweden, Russia, and the Soviet Union.  For over 770 years off and mostly on, someone else “owned” this ancient, European people.    To throw off oppression, many nations have resorted to revolutions.  So often, these are filled with violence, bloodshed, and death.  Estonia’s path to independence was different.  They resorted to song!

The roots of this revolution were found in the rich history of song in Estonia.  At the first song festival following Soviet occupation, in 1947, a tune was set to the lyrics of a 19th Century nationalistic poem, “Land of my Fathers, Land that I Love.”  Somehow, it got past the censors and quickly became the anthem of freedom that Estonians sang throughout the country.  The song was banned by the USSR in the 1950s, but Estonians defiantly sung it until Soviet leadership acquiesced and allowed the song officially back into the program in the 1960s.  By the time Mikhail Gorbachev came to power, with his progressive programs like perestroika (economic restructuring) and glasnost (free speech), all the elements were in place for Estonia to intensify their protests and push for independence.  Organizers were wise enough to keep protests peaceful, and thus singing became the focal point of the revolution.

One incident symbolizes the power of song.  In 1969, at the 100th anniversary of the song festival, the Estonian choir started to sing the national hymn a second time despite Soviet orders to leave the stage.  When no one did, a military band was ordered to play to drown out the singers. Over 100,000 singers began to sing defiantly until the band was muted under the din of song.  Estonia literally sang themselves to sovereignty (Some of this information via http://www.singingrevolution.com)

God started a singing revolution in His church.  Under the Old Law, worship by the Jews involved the ornate, the outward, and the ostentatious from the colorful priestly garments, the opulent temple, the animal sacrifice, and the musical instruments, the harps, the lyres, and the loud-sounding cymbals (1 Chron. 16:5).  These physical, tactile  things were characteristic of the first covenant.  Yet, starting with God the everlasting Son coming by most humble means in the flesh, God instituted a religious revolution.  Priests were not set apart by special garments, but spiritual qualities.  Worship was held in homes and catacombs rather than an ornate building.  The blood of Christ meant the silencing of lambs, bulls, and rams, with the holy of holies and mercy seat now located in heaven (Heb. 9:1ff).  Oh, and in the place of flutes and trumpets Christ instituted a “singing revolution” unmatched in history.  His people, in worship, were instructed to communicate to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19).  No musical instrument, whole band, or entire symphony can reach into the heart and teach like “the fruit of the lips.”  Those of us who have been freed from oppression (cf. 2 Tim. 2:24-26) have reason to sing!  We keep singing because we are longing for the day when we are finally freed from the pain, trouble, and temptation of life (2 Cor. 4:16-5:4).  Time marches on, but the “revolution” is in full swing.  It is still reaching and touching hearts today.  Nothing more or less than Scripture specifies is called for or necessary, for God knows the heart of man and what best speaks to it.

 

 

Neal Pollard

For many years, “Safe Sex” has been a term synonymous with an education program targeting youth and purporting to teach them about contraception, avoiding disease and violence, and similar concepts.  The assumption is that teenagers and late preteens are unable to exert self-control and will inevitably fall prey to their desire to commit sexual immorality.  The term itself seems so benign and is misleading to young people.

In his book Moral Choices: an Introduction to Ethics, Scott B. Rae includes a very profound statement made by writer Kari Jenson Gold.  She says,

Consider the notion of ‘safe sex.’ Surely, the two words are ludicrously contradictory.  Sex can be many things: dark, mysterious, passionate,                               wild, gentle, even reassuring, but it is not safe.  If it is, it is not very likely to be sexy.  How to abandon oneself to another, how to give your body                         into someone else’s care and control, and remain safe? Sex is dangerous. It’s supposed to be (211).

The lie in this misnamed term and slogan, whether an intentional or unintentional lie, has scarred and damaged an infinite number of people since time began.  When people change any of God’s rules and make their own, there will be devastation and destruction.  That is certainly true of God’s plan for sexuality.

Most in this world are more concerned about disease than doctrine and feelings over faith.  But, the Bible makes clear what, spiritually, safe sex is.  It is sexual relations between a man and woman in a marriage recognized, ordained, and approved by God (cf. Matt. 19:1-9; 5:27-32). When it comes to our souls, sex is not safe between the unmarried, between those of the same sex, or between a married person and one not his or her marriage partner.

That which is safe is only that which is within the bounds of God’s will.  It does not matter if society gives a pass to those who are “in love” or who “intend” to some day marry.  It does not matter if the culture gives the nod to those whose marriage is deemed “loveless,” “boring,” or “strained.”  On any subject, the only safe ground is that which is built upon the foundation of Christ (cf. Matt. 7:24-27).  The world’s view of sexuality is built upon the shifting sand.  Let us be safe in the arms of Christ, and we will be safe in every relationship.

 

Neal Pollard

It was Christmas Eve, 2007, when 77-year-old Robert Schoff decided to find the source of a clog in his septic system.  He dug a hole, lost his balance, and became stuck in the opening of his septic tank. The Des Moines, Iowa, man was sure that he was going to die.  He yelled for his wife for an hour, but she did not hear him.  However, she did walk by a window and see his feet sticking up in the air.  Two Polk County sheriff’s deputies pulled him out of the mire.  It will not be a top ten holiday fond memory, for sure (AP report via Fox News, 12/26/07).

Probably none of us have fallen headfirst into the same bad situation that Schoff did, but all of us have moments in life that just stink!  Job, the great sufferer, said that life was “full of turmoil” (Job 14:1).  James, by inspiration, dubbed them “various trials” (Jas. 1:2).  These tumultuous trials range from irritations and inconveniences to full-blown, five alarm burdens.  It may be mistreatment.  It could be physical or financial.  It might be emotional or spiritual.  Eventually, it will be all of these for most of us.  What do you do when you fall head first into the unpleasant?

Watch your attitude and speech!  Trials and troubles can turn you bitter.  This will boil over into your speech.  You will sound negative and you will become focused, even obsessed, with complaining about your problems.  You do not want others to associate you with bitter complaints and angry tirades.  Paul writes, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice” (Eph. 4:31).  This is a sin-problem that otherwise, basically good people fight, grumbling and growling about those septic tank situations of their lives.

Use it as an opportunity to glorify God!  Such runs contrary to worldly wisdom.  The world preaches that we cry foul, that we howl long and loud for everyone else to hear, that we play the victim, or that we obsess about the matter.  The Christian, realizing the vastness of his or her influence, instead follows the great examples of the faithful in scripture like Job (Job 1:21), Paul (Phil. 4:10-12), and the prophets (Jas. 5:10).  Peter tells us to glorify God if we suffer in our Christian lives (1 Pet. 4:16).  How hard that might be, yet how much more effective that makes us as His light and salt in this dark, unsavory world!

Count your blessings, not your crosses!  Really, isn’t it a matter of upon what we choose to focus?  In every life, rainstorms fall.  In every life!  So, why are some cloud-watchers and others silver-lining-finders?  We decide how trials effect us.  That is somewhat frightening.  Habits are formed by repetitious decisions!  Each trial that comes, we react.  The way we reacted to the last trial sets the trend for how we are more likely to react the next time.  The old poem, in part, goes, “Count your blessings, not your crosses; count your gains and not your losses; count your joys and not your woes; count your friends and not your foes.”  No matter who we are, our negatives cannot outweigh our positives–especially if we are “in Christ” (cf. Eph. 1:3).

I am not minimizing the presence, pain, and perplexity of your problems or mine.  I am suggesting a proper perspective.  Cast an eye to Calvary, whereupon the perfect Man hung.  Peer into the prison, where Paul sat waiting for Nero to behead him.  Watch, listen, and learn!  You will find yourself in some foul places in life.  Don’t let them infect you.  Let them improve you!

 

Neal Pollard

Peter and John had been through quite the transformation over the past few years.  They were, by all evidence, average, ordinary fishermen when Jesus called them to be fishers of men (Mt. 4:19).  The renowned impetuosity of Peter and irascibility of John were tamed and gradually these two great gospel teachers and preachers began to emerge.  Peter had preached the first and second recorded gospel sermons (Acts 2-3), and now they had enjoyed remarkable success as 5,000 people became Christians as the result of their proclamation (Acts 4:4).  This drew pressure from the opposition, who wanted Peter and John to be quiet and disappear.  But these were changed men!  They could not help themselves.  Peter and John spoke up and told them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).  True, they had literally walked with the Lord for three years.  They were witnesses of His resurrection.  They saw, spoke with, and touched the risen Christ.  Certainly, this influenced their passion and conviction, but what sustained them?  It was faith that this Lord that changed them would continue to be with them.

Baptism constitutes a change for those of us who have submitted to it.  It is a change of condition (from lost to saved), of relationship (from stranger to child of God), of state (from out of Christ to in Christ), of direction (from the broad way to the narrow way), and so much more.  Coming into Christ means continual, if gradual, transformation (cf. Rom. 12:1-2).  Part of this transformation should show itself in a bold, passionate conviction that makes it hard to keep quiet about the difference Christ has made in us.  There will always be opposition, forces at work to keep us quiet.  What will we do?  Will we be bullied and intimidated into silence?  Or will we say with those great apostles, “We cannot stop speaking about” Jesus?

 

(picture of Tawn Lork, taken earlier this year)

Neal Pollard

 

On December 24, Vantawn Lork died in a motorcyle accident en route to evangelize the lost in Preah Vihear province, Cambodia.  He had turned 31 back in June and was preaching in Phnom Penh.  His two brothers, Chann and Sokchea, are gospel preachers we at Bear Valley fully support as they work in the Siem Reap area.  I only met Tawn once, but his brothers are full of life, jokesters, and mischievous until it is time to talk the gospel.  Then, they could not be more serious!  But, they and their fellow Cambodians, as well as other third-world inhabitants I have met in places like Thailand, Tanzania, Kenya, and Bangladesh, remind me of how many blessings I routinely take for granted.

 

Many of them do not have drinking water in their homes, but must go elsewhere to fetch it.  They eat one meal a day, and sometimes they are not that blessed.  They must travel in countries where there are many hazards, and some are thrilled just to have a bicycle.  They are susceptible to diseases that, with cheap, proper medication, are most benign, but many of them do not have access to the medicine.  They often must save for several years to earn enough money for a dowry and thereby enter into marriage.  They face fierce social, religious, familial, and sometimes physical persecution.  Their life expectancy is low.  They understand what David meant when he spoke of walking through the valley of the shadow of death.  They make very little money, and the idea of social security, retirement plans, or even property and house ownership is so foreign to them as to be unknown.

 

Today, you may be having a great day or you could be having a bad day.  You may be going through the biggest trial of your life so far.  You may be facing a fearful future.  Whatever life is handing you right now, take a few minutes to reflect on the many ways God has blessed your life particularly in a material way.  When was the last time you thanked Him for running tap water, antibiotics for only a couple of dollars a bottle, clean hospitals with competent personnel, heating and cooling, real windows, doors, and walls on your house, dependable transportation, paved roads, and religious freedom?  This is not an attempt to make you feel guilty for your prosperity, only a reminder that God in His sovereignty has allowed you to have such blessings.  Be grateful, and use what He gives for His cause and His glory!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal Pollard

A study that has always fascinated me is the “minor” characters whose names appear in sacred writ.  The Holy Spirit saw fit to include these individuals in written revelation, and in some instances we know little or nothing about them.  Some of those with brief mention were enemies of Christ, while others were contributors to His cause.  Tychicus, who appears in five New Testament books, is one of the latter.  A combined study of the verses about this brother yields the facts that he was a beloved brother, faithful servant, and fellow bond-servant of Paul (Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7).  He was trustworthy enough for Paul to send him to perform spiritual tasks (2 Tim. 4:12; Ti. 3:12).  Consider three important qualities that, albeit brief, reveal the character of Tychicus.

He was beloved. What is required of one to be regarded as beloved?  Consider the kind of attitude, type of speech, and specific actions necessary to be loved by other people.  All of us know those we consider easy to love.  Others we know are prickly and standoffish. How will you be remembered by those who knew you best or by those with whom you worked and worshipped?  Much of what else we see of Tychicus no doubt contributed to how beloved a brother he was, but with the emphasis the New Testament gives to proper attitude surely that must have shone through in his life.

He was faithful. Along with being a beloved brother, Tychicus was a faithful servant.  Barclay surmises from Acts 20 that Tychicus was likely the representative to carry the contribution to the poor saints in Jerusalem, and he goes so far as to call Tychicus the personal envoy of Paul (169). Given the timeline of Tychicus’ appearances, nearer the end of Paul’s life, this disciple played a prominent and visible role at a time that many abandoned him (cf. 2 Tim. 4:6).  Some, as Curtis Vaughan points out, translate “faithful servant” as “trusted assistant” (Gaebelein, ed., 223).  Clearly, Tychicus appears to have been supremely trustworthy, one that could be entrusted with tasks however great or small.  What a great legacy for us, if we can leave behind the memory of a Christian who could be counted on to help in the cause of Christ!

He was a servant. Paul uses the word “doulos” (According to Zodhiates, “A slave, one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will being altogether consumed in the will of the other”; The complete word study dictionary, elec. ed.) to describe Tychicus.  He was one who served the Lord along with Paul and the others.  “Church work,” whatever it was at the moment, was never beneath this brother.  He saw it as his duty and place, to spend himself serving the Lord.  Is that how others think of us?

Melick gives a great summary of Paul’s description of Tychicus in Colossians 4:7, writing, “These qualities represent the best in Christian growth. All three descriptions occur with one article before them all, and they are joined by ‘and.’ This is an emphatic way to indicate that all belong together in this one man” (Vol. 32, elec. ed.).  Oh, to be thought of as beloved, faithful, and servant-minded!  When we see our place in the body of Christ as an active rather than a passive one, we are well down the road to being a Christian like Tychicus.

 

 

Neal Pollard

Many of you have doubtless heard about the tragedy in Casper, Wyoming, on Christmas Eve.  A 22-year-old snowboarder collided with a woman and her five-year-old daughter on a black diamond resort slope.  The snowboarder and the little girl perished in the accident, and the mother is, as of this writing, in critical condition in a Casper hospital.  Exactly how and why it happened may never be known, but there may be blame enough for both.  Why did the mother and the little girl stop in the middle of the slope rather than at the side of the trail?  Was the snowboarder going too fast, if he could not stop in time to avoid people stopped in the middle of the trail?  In accord with human tendency, different people are assessing blame to each party involved.

When you consider the tragic elements involved, that it was on a holiday so special to many people, that it snuffed out the lives of two young people with so much life ahead of them, that it involved a comparatively frivolous activity, and that there are two pairs of parents left to grieve the loss of their children, we are moved to wonder why.  There will likely be guilt, anguish, and anger for the survivors of this sad event.

Tragic events happen many times over on a daily basis.  They are reminders of the fallen world in which we live.  They point out the heavy consequences that follow the choices that we make, especially ones deemed unwise.  They emphasize the unpredictable, fragile nature of life and the fact of the inevitable appointment all of us will make with death.

How do Christians face tragedies?  Our faith in the Great I Am trusts that He can work in the most tragic events of life and bring about good, though He is never responsible for sin or evil.  Our trust in His power leads us to find comfort and hope, both of which shine brightest in the darkest days.  Our perspective concerning life and spiritual things causes us to cast our focus on “things above” and the eternal facet of our being, knowing that this life is not all there is.  There is a “heaven to gain” and a “hell to shun.”  Knowing these things, we can be God’s gentle, guiding force to help and encourage those without benefit of these blessings of Christianity.  Through them, we may be able to open a door that leads to the salvation of souls.  Let us keep that heavenly perspective in tragic times!

 

Neal Pollard

Epicurus and Aristippus were both Greek philosophers interested in the value of pleasure.  According to Everett Ferguson, Aristippus’ philosophy tilted more toward sensual pleasure while Epicurus “promoted the placid pleasures of the mind, friendship, and contentment” (Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 370).  Epicurean philosophy is summed up as a fourfold thought process: “Nothing to fear in God; nothing to feel in death; good (pleasure) can be attained; evil (pain) can be endured” (ibid., 377).  The most obvious difference between the philosophers was that Aristippus glorified bodily pleasure and Epicurus glorified intellectual pleasures (ibid., 329).  Yet, while Aristippus may have been the forefather of the sexual revolution, Epicurus was dangerous in his attitude that deity (he believed in the Greek mythological gods, but his view would be applied by his disciples to any deity) could not render punishment or reward after death (Bell, A.A., Exploring the O.T. World, 170).  Both men seemed to have a view of life that emphasized getting all the enjoyment you can in this life because there is no afterlife.

That materialistic view has been adopted by many in the modern, western culture.  While charity and good deeds may have some place, it is primarily to enhance one’s own position or pleasure.  Many show through what they value, how they spend their time, and what captures their passion that they are living only for this life.  The Christian must live differently from that.

The apostle Paul speaks of the past resurrection of Christ and the future resurrection of His followers in 1 Corinthians 15.  His view of life, shaped by his Savior, was dramatically different.  In 1 Corinthians 15:32, in proving the resurrection of Christ, he says, “If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”  This seems to be a quotation of Isaiah 22:13, but Paul also seems to be addressing contemporary philosophies throughout the chapter (cf. 15:29, 33).  Thiselton quotes Anders Eriksson in his now out of print volume, Traditions as Rhetorical Proof, to suggest that “both Isaiah 22:13 and contemporary anti-Epicurean polemic equally designate the libertinist life.  Paul uses it to point to the utter futility of a life without the motivation given by the resurrection of Christ” (Thiselton, A.C. The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A commentary on the Greek text, 1253).

Paul taught a future judgment where there would be reward and punishment (2 Cor. 5:10).  He also taught of the hope that fuels the individual to live beyond the moment, based on the fact that Christ arose (1 Cor. 15:54-58).  Ancient and modern philosophers encourage man to look within and to a lesser degree to look around himself.  Christians, encouraged by Bible writers like Paul, begin by looking up to God.  Everything else, past, present, and future, is filtered through that worldview.  As time has tested all the philosophies of man, nothing compares to the Christian worldview.  While there may be a certain degree of wholesome pleasure that follows obedience to Christ, Christianity does not make pleasure the top priority.  At least, it does not focus primarily on bodily pleasure on earth.  It points to eternity and the everlasting pleasure the faithful will enjoy in heaven.  The individual must decide which has the clarion ring of truth, but that choice has everlasting consequences and it will influence how one lives on this earth.

 

 

Neal Pollard

One of the pillars of the U.S. Constitution is the “First Amendment” in the “Bill of Rights.”  In brief, it states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”  When one reads the prolific writings of our early leaders of government, he or she cannot fail to be struck by the fiercely religious tone that filled those writings.  The early, government documents are riddled with statements of faith and Bible quotations.

They certainly could not have envisioned all that their national progeny would have attempted to promote, defend, and embrace in the name of the First Amendment.  Legal eagles, even if they have religious leanings, feel their hands are tied by the language of that amendment even if reprehensible, perverse ideas are peddled through free speech.  What proof that no system of government is inherently righteous or incapable of spiritual and moral corruption.

A man in Pueblo whose name I refuse to share has published a manifesto the title of which I will not say.  To say this man promotes wickedness is to woefully understate the matter.  Yet, he is allowed to advocate without punishment such shameless sin because of a moral erosion that is the product of removing God and His Word from the marketplace.  We cannot avoid an immutable truth, that “righteousness exalts a nation, and sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov. 14:34).  God surely will not forever bless and uphold a nation who so thoroughly dismantles His precepts and principles.  Please pray for America!

 

Neal Pollard

The 21-year-old woman driver who lost control making the turn at the corner of Utica and Mineral is devastated that her car struck and killed a 47-year-old Baltimore, Maryland, resident who was in Denver attending the Colorado Center for the Blind.  David Nanney and two other students were struck by the woman’s vehicle while waiting for a bus to take them to the center.  The accident occurred on Friday morning, just a day before he was scheduled to fly back to be with his family for Christmas.  Apparently, as the blind man heard the approaching automobile skidding onto the sidewalk where the three stood, he “pushed the two women out of the way and took the brunt of the hit” (9News.com).  He was a carpenter in Maryland and was here to learn how to use, in his sightless condition, the tools of his trade.  He is remembered as thoughtful, charitable, and a natural leader.  He was well-liked by all who met him (www.denverpost.com, Howard Pankratz and Carlos Illescas, “Denver And The West”, 10-18-10).

Thinking about the individuals making up this story, some things come to mind.  First, the young woman driving the car feels she’s done the unthinkable.  Reports indicate she will be charged with some traffic violation, but nothing will likely penalize her like her own conscience in the time to come.  Then, the two women saved by Nanney will likely feel gratitude for as long as they live that someone did something to save their lives and wound up losing his to do it.  Finally, there’s Nanney.  He apparently was a man full of good deeds in life who gave his life doing good.  In fact, he made the ultimate sacrifice.

Occasionally, life’s tragedies yield powerful illustrations of vicarious sacrifice and incomparable love.  Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).  Scripture says that Jesus, the ultimate sacrificer, “died for us” (Rom. 5:8; 1 Th. 5:10), “died for all” (2 Cor. 5:14), and “died for sins” (1 Pet. 3:18).  He was perfectly sinless (2 Cor. 5:21), but was purposely sent for our sins (Gal. 4:4-5).  Nanney is an unqualified hero because he shoved two friends out of harm’s way.  Jesus is the unparalleled hero of Calvary because His death saves us from eternal condemnation.  May we appreciate the great price paid which gives us life!

 

Neal Pollard

It is my view that every member who can should always be there when the doors are open.  That has nothing to do with Hebrews 10:25.  It has more to do with the idea that the shepherds are charged with feeding the flock (Acts 20:28), that each service we assemble helps accomplish that, and none of us should feel free to miss feeding time.  It also has something to do with an easy, logical way we can encourage and build up one another (1 Th. 5:11) and stir up each other to love and good works (Heb. 10:24).  It further has to do with how since kingdom matters have first place in my heart and life (Matt. 6:33) the meeting times of His saints should be at the top of my priorities.

 

But, my sentiments at the moment have less to do with that and more to do with selfish reasons.  As I look back on the life God has blessed me with to this point, I have collected so many wonderful memories.  A significant number of them have occurred on Wednesday nights.  As I survey my Wednesday nights, in the recent and long distant pasts, I call to mind:

• An 11 year old Christian brother lighting my fire with his motivational devotional talk.
• A father and husband putting Christ on in baptism.
• Bible class lessons that built my faith and flared my passion for further study.
• Seeing and hearing my own sons speak, lead singing, and pray.
• Seeing and hearing our teens do those same things.
• Being met at just the right time by a brother or sister who lifted my spirits with a timely word “fitly spoken.”
• Seeing a man confined to a wheel chair who will let nearly nothing keep him from being here, despite personal pain, discomfort, and sacrifice (and seeing others like him through the years).
• Many other public responses made by Christians confessing sins or asking for prayers or others who chose on Wednesday night to become Christians.
• Enjoying a weekly family reunion with my spiritual siblings, a lift above the mundane matters of life.
• Seeing brethren from other congregations, whether I had never met them or have known them well in the past, who “popped in” on Wednesday nights.
• Spiritual uplifts from congregational singing or heartfelt prayers on Wednesday nights.
• New Christians, taking their first spiritual steps which include coming to Wednesday night Bible study.
• Week after week that helped build a closeness and relationship with the Lord that is built not just on my personal feelings and estimation but on study and worship.

Though those may be mostly or entirely selfish reasons, I am thankful for the good Wednesday nights have done and are doing my family and me.  The church is my spiritual family.  How else would I want to spend my Wednesday nights?

 

(My Dad and Mom, taken around their tenth anniversary)

Neal Pollard

William Doherty, in Take Back Your Marriage, writes about “Resisting Consumer Marriage.”  He goes a long way in defining that concept with his good, thorough discussion of it.  He writes, “Consumer culture has always been based on individuals pursuing their personal desires. But in the late twentieth century, advertisers began to emphasize desire for desire’s sake…Consumer culture has always been one of self-gratification, but the entitlement dimension is more prominent now” (30-31).  He later says that certain “jingles” or tunes, to borrow ad speak, play in our minds, things like “I am not getting my needs met!”, “I deserve better!”, “If only I were married to that one!”, “My marriage is not as good as you’re marriage!”, “My spouse is a flawed person!”, or “I’m the good guy here!”  (ibid., 44-46).  He ends by urging, “The best way to keep the consumer culture from dominating your marriage is to see yourself as a citizen of your marriage…Being a citizen of a marriage means taking responsibility to make things better and not just be passive, to value the marriage itself and not just your own interest in it” and several other wise, valuable pieces of advice (47).  Doherty seems to have identified a major threat to marriage in the modern world.  He gives it a new and catchy name, but its true identity is “selfishness.”

Marriage with selfish participants is doomed.  That seems harsh and pessimistic, but I have seen it too many times.  Me-first marriages meltdown.  Interestingly, Peter encourages a different model upon which to build a marriage.  In 1 Peter 3:1-7, he addresses husbands and wives.  It is a passage that speaks to unity and security.  Focus particularly on the central phrase, “Being heirs together of the grace of life.”  In marriage, you have a singular identity because you are “fellow-heirs.”  You have a singular goal since you are fellow-heirs “of the grace of life.”  You have a singular approach as you are heirs “together”–not mine, not yours, but ours and us!  This model, the biblical model, calls for husband and wife to be cooperators.  We are teammates, pulling the same direction and encouraging each other.  That will never be done in a sin-free, perfect environment because each participant cannot qualify for that (cf. Rom. 3:23).   At the beginning, God saw marriage as the lifelong opportunity of each to suitable help for the other (Gen. 2:18).  May we have the grace and wisdom to do the same.

–Doherty, William J.  Take Back Your Marriage: Sticking Together in a World that Pulls us Apart (New York: The Guilford Press, 2001).

Neal Pollard

While delivering and having the invitation is an expedient rather than obedience to a specific command, it seems a very wise and judicial custom.  If someone has heard the gospel preached and the plan of salvation delivered, they may never be more inclined to obey than in the moments directly following the invitation delivered.  Whether we are talking about members responding to ask for prayers or confessing sin struggles or a lost sinner expressing a desire to be baptized, the invitation is a vital moment of decision for several at any given service.  Perhaps because it is such a “fixture” in our services, occurring at the end of each lesson, it can make us, individually and as a whole congregation, lax about how we should behave leading up to and during the invitation and the “invitation song.”  Consider some suggested advice for “invitation etiquette.”

• Select an invitation song that convicts, persuades, and admonishes.  Some songs do this much better than others, as evidenced by indexers efforts to list certain songs as “invitation songs.”
• Avoid the pregnant pause. The song leader who is ready to begin leading the song as soon as the preacher stops speaking helps prevents that dramatic time lapse that may be enough to break one’s train of thought who is mentally wrestling with the decision to respond.
• Avoid the rack rattle.  As listeners who are thoughtful of one another (including those deliberating over whether or not to respond), let us be careful not to drown out one’s thoughts by pulling out our songbooks as we anticipate the preacher “winding down” his sermon.  Most of us know most of the songs well enough that we probably don’t need the songbook for the first line anyway.  It is a courtesy to the preacher and potential responders when we refrain from the racket of pulling out the songbook as the invitation is offered.  If you must get the songbook ready while the preaching is still going, go the extra mile to remove it without making any noise!
• Moving lips should be singing.  The invitation or the song that follows it is not the most ideal to handle logistics, further worship planning, and similar discussions.  Who knows but that we may be carrying on some conversation in such a way as completely distracts one who might have been readying to respond?  If a dialogue with someone is necessary, why not discreetly excuse yourself and the other person to some place outside the auditorium, if possible?
• Be prayerful. How powerful would it be if all present not intending or needing to respond were in prayer for anyone who might be wrestling with that decision?  Satan is looking for any obstacle or scheme (cf. 2 Co. 2:11) that will keep someone away from Jesus.  By silently praying for these ones as we sing, who knows what impact will be made in this matter?

Perhaps there are other “etiquette tips” that could be added.  Certainly, the preacher should give thought and preparation to that final part of his sermon, emphasizing urgency and eternity.  He should not make false promises of concluding a sermon without “keeping his word.”  With that, let the rest of us consider how we can partner together with him to make each invitation as impacting and effective as possible.

 

Neal Pollard

Too many congregations have forgotten the reason they exist.  Maybe you have heard Thomas Wedel’s parable of the crude lifesaving station that was just a hut and one small boat with a few dedicated members who constantly looked for shipwreck victims lost on the storm-tossed sea.  In time, their success attracted new members, and they were able to buy several new boats and train large crews.  Eventually, as they swelled in numbers and affluence, they became a social club that talked about the value and importance of lifesaving.  Yet, gradually, they had stopped saving those in actual danger (Heaven Bound Living, 99-101).

Are there churches filled with people who study about, preach about, and talk about our mission, but are not saving many?  Perhaps, in too many cases, we are not being true to our reason for existence.  It is like the story about a man who sees a sign in a store window in a small European town.  The sign said, “Pants Pressed Here.” The man goes in and starts to remove his trousers, but he is stopped by a clerk who asks him what he’s doing.  The man said, “I saw your sign and want my pants pressed.”  The clerk replies, “We don’t press pants here.  We just paint signs” (source unknown).  It says “church of Christ” on our buildings.  Are we serving Him and the lost, or have we just painted a sign?

Forgetting or betraying our reason for existing may be a matter of failing to realize why we are here.  The age in which we live has given us astounding opportunities and tools to grow, but a failure to realize the need to grow may be behind the fact that the church is not growing throughout the brotherhood.  A lot of congregations and individual Christians have forgotten that the world is really lost.  Second, our pluralistic culture has caused many to lose a clear picture of who is saved and who is lost, and as a result many hesitate to talk to others about their lost condition.  Third, we have become too internally focused on felt needs and personal satisfaction rather than on the eternal salvation of souls around us.  Finally, too many churches question the absolute authority and truth of scripture, seeing it as spiritual suggestions and not Divine directives.  In essence, Jesus says, “Look around you and take off the blinders.  People are dying eternally lost and need the gospel!”

We must remain true to our original purpose.  We must remain true to what the sign in front of the building says.  Only then will we keep reminded of exactly what we are doing here!

 

Neal Pollard

A Republican and a Democrat came up with opposing bills.  That’s hardly news, except the issue does not seem politically charged or motivated.  Both bills have to do with changing “how Coloradans set their clocks” (Colorado Springs Gazette, 12/8/10).  Greg Brophy, the Republican, wants us to keep daylight savings time year round to take advantage of  longer daylight to engage in outdoor activities, for which our fair citizens are so well-known.  Ed Vigil, the Democrat, wants us to be like Hawaii and Arizona and stay on standard time year round.  He says that would give farmers, ranchers, and school kids an advantage over the current format.  Neither knew of the other’s bill proposal, but both wanted to change how we reckon time.

Who knows if either of these proposed pieces of legislation stand a chance of becoming law?  We can change the time on our clocks, but what we cannot change is how much time we are allotted.  There are still but 24 hours in a day.  No piece of legislation can give or take time from us.  No bill can lengthen or shorten how much time we will have lived.  Each of us, individually, are stewards of our time, no matter what time it is when the sun rises and sets.  The admonition of scripture is to make “the most of your time” (Eph. 5:16), “inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27).

Harvey MacKay, owner of MacKayMitchell Envelopes for more than 45 years, once said, “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.” What wisdom!  What a challenge for us to spend that priceless commodity in view of eternity and the unique influence we wield.  A constituent told Brophy, “If we could shorten Monday to Thursday by an hour we could extend Saturday and Sunday each by two hours” (Lynn Bartels, Denver Post, 12/8/10).  Don’t hold your breath for that.  But make the most of your Mondays, Saturdays, and the rest of your days!

 

Neal Pollard

Dean Derrow was one of 1,178 listed as wounded during the attack on Pearl Harbor, which happened on this date in 1941.  He was a fire control man who served about the USS West Virginia.  That ship was blasted by five torpedoes and two bombs, and Darrow was blown into the water by the blast.  There, unconscious, he was rescued by personnel from the USS Solace, a navy hospital ship.  As he was being transported by motor launch to the Solace, a Japanese plane started strafing the boat.  Finally, the servicemen made it to the hospital ship where Derrow was examined and judged fit to return to duty.  He set out with others on the USS Porter, which set out for Midway and Christmas Islands. Derrow passed out while swimming and slept for ten days in sick bay.  He went back to the Solace and had his appendix removed on February 24th.  But it was what was discovered in March, 1942, that almost defies belief.  Herb Louden, a Navy corpsman on the Solace, wrote, “Then finally, March 7th, 1942, an X-ray technician by the name of Robert Rule found a 7.7 MM 1 1/2″ long bullet lodged in Derrow’s heart, three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It became obvious that when he was pulled into the rescue boat a bullet from the strafing Japanese fighter plane had struck his back, penetrated his lung and the back muscle of his heart, stopping before popping out the front” (http://pearlharborsurvivorsonline.org/html/WoundedHeart.htm).

What an incredible story of survival.  How blessed Derrow was for the fortuitous outcome.  So many other amazing things happened in this story.  Alice, the nurse who took care of him, married him and they enjoyed 50 years of married life in California. Louden, who told the story and helped pull him out of the water, conducted his funeral on January 4, 1992.

As we honor these heroes who faced such terrifying odds as teenagers and young men, I find something significant about this incident.  Derrow went 132 days with a bullet lodged in his heart.  He apparently did not know it or feel it, but that did not make it any less serious and life-threatening.  If that object had not been removed, Derrow would likely have died.

Satan shoots his fiery darts at us, trying to destroy us!  The stakes are eternally high.  He aims at the heart, which controls and influences all we do and who we are.  If we are not careful, we can allow him to hit us there and wound us.  We will show symptoms, but we may be able to function despite the serious danger to our hearts.  We must allow the Great Physician to help us remove any object from our hearts that threatens our spiritual lives!