Category: Uncategorized

Neal Pollard

Saturday’s Denver Post carried the bizarre story of Billie Jean James, a Las Vegas woman who with her husband, Bill, carried hoarding and pack-ratting to unheard of lengths.  The 67-year-old woman had been missing for four months and dogs with experience at ground zero on 9-11 and searching for victims during Hurricane Katrina could not find her in her home.  But, that’s exactly where her husband found her–buried beneath a pile of junk!  Though the husband is not a suspect in her death, you have to wonder how close they were for her to be lying in their small, one-bedroom home for so long without him knowing where she was.

“Whatever happened to brother or sister So N So?”  “Do you remember that family that used to attend here? Did they move?”  “What?! When did he die?  Three years ago?!”  These statements have been made far too often in churches large and small.  They are symptoms of a church that, at least in individual cases, lacks closeness as a spiritual family.  Our world has conditioned us to be individual units living in isolation from one another.  Too often, we live that way in our neighborhoods.  On the job, we pretty much stay to ourselves and lack connections with any real depth.  We may have a bunch of virtual friends through social networks or online connections, but those alone and in isolation lack the depth and breadth of actual, face to face friendships.  The same thing can happen in our church relationships.  We can become units of isolated believers.

The church is described as family in 1 Timothy 3:15, depicted in its various forms in 1 Timothy 5:1-2.  We are to be apart of each other’s lives (Titus 2:1ff).  We are to share life together, a trait which characterized the church from the very beginning (Acts 2:42-47).  The church is to be a loving group, known to be disciples of Jesus by a visible, active love for one another (John 13:34-35).  Something is not right, is even dysfunctional, when we do not know each other and are virtually strangers who meet together looking at the back of heads we stare at during worship before we quickly scurry out the door.  Such disconnection where we maintain merely a drive-by philosophy of church, devoid of relationships, sets us up for tragedies that go beyond that of Mrs. James.  For, if we slip away from faithfulness and are buried beneath the rubble of sin or broken faith, we make it harder for brothers and sisters to find us.  To die in that state is eternally devastating.  Let’s be more than a unit of isolated believers.  Let’s be family!

Neal Pollard

Tiger Woods just had his best round of golf since coming back from a leave of absence!  Isn’t that nice?  Woods can focus on his game without any unnecessary distractions–the divorce settlement is complete and he can move on to concentrating better on golf.

Perhaps the sarcasm is a bit harsh and the analysis may be flawed, but so often that is the world’s mentality.  I need to focus on me, my needs, and my interests.  What if Tiger had left the game of golf behind and given adequate time and attention to a fractured, hurting marriage relationship?  Many were surprised at how quickly his hiatus ended. Perhaps, we are not so surprised that, consequently, his marriage ended so quickly after his return.

Whatever the full details of the Woods’ story is, let us be careful.  The repeated admonition of scripture is for us to put others’ needs before our own (Phil. 2:3-4).  Husbands are to sacrificially love, nourish and cherish their wives (Eph. 5:23-25).  Doesn’t that mean going to whatever lengths necessary to protect and provide for her, even at great personal expense?  Before we look too harshly at Tiger, let us ask how well we are putting the needs of others and especially our spouse and children above our own wants and interests.  It makes all the difference in how we finish!

(Monroe Tharp is on the front row, far left)

Neal Pollard

Denny Petrillo just delivered one of the best chapel sermons I have ever heard.  He spoke about the advice he received from the late, beloved Bear Valley instructor, Monroe Tharp (hear Denny’s lesson here: bvchapel.blogspot.com).  In the midst of discussing the importance of loving the brethren, Denny referenced 2 Timothy 2:24.  There, Paul says that the servant of the Lord must be “patient when wronged.”  Denny masterfully analyzed the implications of that.  Consider that powerful admonition.

“Be Patient When Wronged.”  How do you handle mistreatment?  Do you fly off the handle? Do you get revenge? Do you turn bitter? Do you gossip? Do you rail or have outbursts of anger? Paul says to be patient.  That involves being slow to react, watching your words and attitude, and choosing your course of action deliberately!

“Be Patient When Wronged.”  He did not say “if.”  Accept the reality that service to Christ will produce times when people will hurt, malign, undermine, or slander you.  Do not take it personally.  Realize that it goes with the service territory. It will not happen every time you work for the Lord.  Often, people will show profound gratitude and offer encouragement.  But, there will be times when you are wronged.

“Be Patient When Wronged.”  Be aware that sometimes others, including Christians, will do what is wrong.  So often, your brothers and sister will be so kind, thoughtful, generous, and helpful.  But, the reality is that you will be mistreated in some way.  God anticipated these times and tells you how to react.

This admonition is extremely helpful for preachers, but also for any who have decided to follow Jesus and serve Him and His people. It is the how, when, and what of responding to mistreatment.  As Denny said, you will not be more mistreated than either Christ or Paul.  But, when you are mistreated, you have the instructions for handling it.  “Be patient when wronged.”

Neal Pollard

How much are you aware of the current crisis involving the miners trapped in Chile?  There are 33 men trapped under millions of tons of collapsed rock 700 meters (nearly half a mile) beneath the surface.  They are having to ration food to the degree that all of them will sport less than a 26 inch waist line when they are finally rescued (the drill bit that will bore through the rock will be 26 inches in circumference). They could be trapped for months.  Former hostage Brian Keenan, held for four and a half years in Beirut in the 1980s, wrote about the psychological effect this could have on the miners who could be trapped there in the dark, confined emergency shelter for months (www.telegraph.co.uk).  He reports the words of the most senior minor, Mario Gomez, who has the best possible perspective despite a grim, terrifying position. Gomez said, “I want to tell everyone that I’m good and we’ll surely come out okay. Patience and faith. God is great and the help of my God is going to make it possible to leave this mine alive” (ibid.).

I have known a great many people who were trapped alive.  They were buried under tons of the rubble of bad habits and addictions, from pernicious pornography to abominable alcohol.  They hate those behaviors, but they have not left that hole for safety. Some have painted themselves into a corner that they feel they cannot leave due to pride, grudge-bearing, or hurt.  They will not say “I am sorry” or “I am wrong,” and they are keeping themselves in a deep, dark hole.  Some are stuck in a bad, unhealthy, and spiritually detrimental relationship, and they lie buried underneath their guilt, fear, or anticipated loneliness.  So many have allowed themselves to be buried.  They are miserable, they hate where they are, and they feel trapped!

The Chilean miners are dependent upon help from above.  They cannot save themselves. Oh, that those trapped beneath the wreckage of wickedness could appreciate that fact in their situation.  The great news is that God can rescue immediately.  But we must turn loose of the debris and come to the light.  If those miners could leave that hole today, you know they would!  To stay would be insensible.  So it is with the pit of spiritual despair I’ve described.  To stay in darkness, hopelessness, and the fear of the judgment is folly!  God is waiting to rescue you.

Neal Pollard

Michael Sharp, being a “sharp” accountant in more than one sense of the word, forwarded an article to me from his “daily tax readings.”  It was about a recent court decision involving a purported “church,” Foundation of Human Understanding (FHU), who failed to qualify for 501(c)(3) status for tax exemption as a church.  They were an internet church, having “virtual assemblies” and generating written publications but not actually meeting together.  They failed the “associational test” to qualify as a church.  How refreshing, as Michael points out, that there is still some sanity in our tech-hungry world regarding face to face, people to people contact.

Apparently, the IRS has a 14 criteria standard, but FHU (a “Christian” group whose leader developed a form of meditation used by FHU followers) failed to meet enough of them to lose their non-profit, religious organization status.  To be a church, the court said, the organization had to provide “fellowship through communal worship.”  They also ruled that a “virtual congregation” or “electronic ministry” was an inadequate substitute.

A few significant observations seem pretty obvious.  First, virtual assembling and actual assembling to worship are obviously different enough for a secular court system to see it.  I do not wonder when the day will come when people stay home and “watch church” on the internet in lieu of being physically present.  It is not the same!

Second, the courts said there is an objective, measurable standard for determining whether or not a group of people are truly a church.  If people do not assemble and meet to fellowship, they cannot call themselves a church.  So, what about those who habitually stay away from the worship services?  Will the Lord recognize them as being a faithful part of the church?  Do we pass or fail the “associational test” on an individual basis?

Finally, people can know whether or not we are genuinely a church of our Lord.  John 13:34-35 points out that by showing love one for another, we show the unbeliever who a true disciple is.  The Bible says that we prove discipleship through bearing much fruit (John 15:8) and continuing in His Word (John 8:31).  If a people do not conform in worship and doctrine to what the New Testament lays down as identifying traits of Christ’s church, how can they be part of His church?

It is important that we pass the Lord’s test and that our friends and family not in Christ can see the difference He makes in us.  We are tried in the court of “public opinion,” but we will some day stand before the perfect Judge (cf. 2 Tim. 4:8).  We want to be known and judged by Him to be the church of Christ.

Neal Pollard

Mark Hanstein told me this week about a bizarre baseball incident from earlier this season involving a Major League baseball player who also happens to be a member of the Lord’s church.  Jeff Baker, playing third base for the Chicago Cubs, was set and apparently ready to field his position when Dodger catcher Russell Martin hit a searing line drive past him that missed him by only a few feet.  Baker never reacted until after the ball went past him, when he apparently heard it.  Jeff was suffering from an ocular migraine.  Carrie Muskat, who has covered the Cubs since 1981, spoke with him after the incident.  He said, “Instead of getting pain and a headache, it just knocked out the vision in my right eye.” Then he said, “I heard it, I saw it for a second barely.  I didn’t move. I don’t know why, to be honest. I didn’t see it very well. I didn’t pick it up. I looked in the dugout at [athletic trainer] Ed [Halbur] and he asked me if I was OK, and I said, ‘It’s not getting better'” (muskat.mlblogs.com).  Martin was hitting a little, round missile that could have given Baker more than a migraine.

Sometimes we cannot see the future consequences of present actions.  Teens, when dating and pressed by hormones and confused by talk of love, can go too far and reap physical, emotional, or spiritual consequences they never saw coming.  Parents can improperly prioritize the goals they have for their children, and inadvertently teach them that something else is more important than God.  Husbands or wives can allow seemingly “innocent” relationships with the opposite sex to blossom into something unwholesome and sinful.  What you don’t see can hurt you!

Sometimes we cannot see the power of our influence upon others.  Our words are overheard and they can have a deeper impact on the hearer than we know.  Be they negative, gossiping, biting, hypercritical, suggestive, or profane words, those words can be permanently etched in the memory of the receiver.  Our actions and habits are picked up by the impressionable, the young person, the new Christian, or the newcomer.  What we do or do not do can lead them away from the Lord, though we never saw it coming.  What you don’t see can hurt you!

Do not let what you cannot see be your undoing.  There’s more than your literal noggin at stake.  There is more than yourself at stake.  Let’s make sure we can see clearly the power of all we say and do!

Neal Pollard

It is indeed tragic that D.S. Burnet would eventually be most associated with the American Christian Missionary Society, presiding over and drafting its constitution (McCoy 215).  At one time, he published “a revised edition of (Alexander) Campbell’s first journal, the Christian Baptist” (Foster, et al, 103), a publication dedicated to the promotion of pure New Testament Christianity and to the opposition of unauthorized, man-made innovations.  Though Campbell backed the idea of a national organization to engage in mission work, many quickly opposed it on scriptural grounds.  Dabney Phillips summarizes these concisely, as follows:  “First, the society became a substitute for the church.  Second, the society caused division. Third, it was felt that the society would, and in fact did, dictate to the congregations. Fourth, the society made for a poor investment financially (nearly half of contributions going to operations and bureaucracy, NP)” (158-159).

However far off track, doctrinally, Burnet would become, his beginning was admirable.  The subject of a biographical sketch in a December 10, 1859, edition of the Philadelphia Press, the Cincinatti man identified in the article as a member of the “Disciples of Christ”  and who preferred to be called “Elder” rather than “Reverend” was a well-educated and successful man.  Though born to a Presbyterian family, he rejected the idea of original sin, infant baptism, and sprinkling taught by that denomination.  According to the article, he found greater theological kinship among the Baptists.  The teenager was asked by the Baptist denomination whether or not he believed certain of their articles of faith, told that his acceptance into the group hinged on such acceptance.  Not knowing what the Bible said about those matters, the young Burnet “said that he must therefore refuse to profess his unqualified belief in anything else than the naked Bible” (2).  What could they say?  Though their union would be short-lived, his argument was hard to overcome.

People like to study what the scholars and Bible critics say, what other preachers and professors think, what commentaries have written about things, and what contemporary human thought is about religious matters.  These are fine as subordinate aids.  However, too often they clothe the Bible with erroneous ensembles, layers of lies, and anti-biblical accessories.  It is then that one must cling to the philosophy of the young Burnet, wanting only “the naked Bible.”  If only Burnet had held fast to that view all of his life.  What a warning for us, constantly exposed to humanistic philosophy and worldly wisdom as long as we live.  We can start to dress up our Bibles with the devil’s doctrines, not even knowing we are doing it.  May we always long for plain, simple, and unadulterated, Bible truth!

Neal Pollard

What’s small and blunt and often overran?

The sharpest weapon known to man.

It cuts so sharp, like nothing else can

The sharpest weapon known to man.

It stabs the back, oh who can stand

The sharpest weapon known to man?

It wounds its victims through a devilish plan,

The sharpest weapon known to man.

So hard to control and it can’t be outran,

The sharpest weapon known to man!

It’s widely used on “friends” and on clan,

The sharpest weapon known to man.

So many misuses yet impossible to ban,

The sharpest weapon known to man.

It will cost so many a home in that heavenly land,

The sharpest weapon known to man.

More damage has been done by it through history’s span,

The sharpest weapon known to man.

Please handle with care, for naught’s deadlier than

The sharpest weapon known to man.

The tongue, the tongue, when not firmly in hand

Is the sharpest, deadliest weapon known to man.

Neal Pollard

On November 16, 1992, retired gardener Eric Hawes was asked to help his neighbor, a farmer, find his hammer.  Using his metal detector, Hawes found something else instead.  He found “15,000 gold and silver coins, gold jewellery and numerous small items of silver tableware, including pepper pots, ladles and spoons” (www.britishmuseum.org).  It is estimated that this Roman treasure, better known as the Hoxne Hoard, was buried around 407-408 A.D. as Roman rule in Britain was deteriorating.  The coins represent eight different emperors and all were in excellent condition.  The British Museum purchased the treasure and a reward was paid to Hawes.  Hawes gave the hammerless farmer, Peter Whatling, a cut of the 1.75 million British pounds paid him.

A Military Police officer once found “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Christ” (cf. Col. 2:1-3) when he pulled over a preacher that was driving one mile per hour over the speed limit on a military base.  The MP agreed to study with the preacher and obeyed the gospel.  People have been given or bought for nearly nothing a Bible containing a Searching For Truth or a Jule Miller video and through that found something much more precious than fine gold (cf. Ps. 19:10). Co-workers have humored Christian co-workers, accepting an invitation to come to a seminar, gospel meeting, or other worship service, and by that have found this eternal treasure (cf. 1 Tim. 6:19; Mat. 13:44).  People searching for something of meaning and value in their lives may not realize what a great treasure there is to be found, buried among so many rivaling things.  Yet, we know the great value of living the Christian life.  Let us put ourselves in a position to help people uncover the heavenly hoard we ourselves, by His grace, have found.  Treasure is not meant to be hoarded.  Eternal reward is meant to be shared.

Neal Pollard

Most have heard about the “very small meltdown” (his mom’s words) Steve Slater had aboard a JetBlue flight in New York City after an extended run-in he had with a foul-mouthed, rude female passenger with a lethal roller bag.  He is an instant celebrity, hailed by large numbers of people as a folk hero and gutsy.  News stories about the incident have included background music by Johnny Paycheck, playing the line, “Take this job and shove it, I ain’t working here no more.”  By all accounts, Slater got on the plane’s intercom, used profanity, grabbed two cans of beer, deployed the emergency slide, and thereby exited the plane in reaction to the inflamed woman passenger.  He was arrested at his home and faces a potential jail sentence of seven years.  Most pundits agree no jury would convict Slater because too many are empathetic to him and enthusiastic approve of how he handled himself.

I have seen many rude passengers on airplanes.  Even frequent fliers act entitled and behave badly in pursuit of their perceived rights.  It sounds like Slater had a bad case scenario on his hands, but he has galvanized an image for himself that is not conducive for good in our society.  Slater symbolizes a growing attitude toward such fundamental landmarks like authority, law and order, civility, and responsibility.  He jeopardized the safety of people on the ground, broke clearly stated industry rules, used profanity over the loudspeaker, and has remained to this point mostly unapologetic.

People have said they wish they could pull a “Steve Slater” and walk away from their job so flamboyantly.  Only the economy and related economic realities keep them in check.  Is he the working man’s hero?  Or is he the latest symptom that betrays a societal, spiritual sickness?

If everyone were to behave like Mr. Slater did yesterday, society would be on the brink of collapse.  Blatant disregard for others already characterizes a great many people in our world.  Outbursts of anger, clearly condemned in scripture (Gal. 5:20), certainly do not characterize “those who belong to Christ Jesus” and “have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24).  Can you imagine a world where everybody did what they felt without regard for the other person?  New Testament writers urge self-control and deference to others, even if it means going a second-mile and turning the other cheek (Matt. 5:39, 41).  We are to repay evil with good (1 Th. 5:15).  We are not to return evil for evil or insult for insult (1 Pet. 3:9).  Mr. Slater did not accomplish those things with his little meltdown, and he should not be hailed as a hero.  What a wonderful day it will be when the cult heroes are those who are renowned for their civility, dignity, and selflessness!

Neal Pollard

A national restaurant chain has for its latest advertisement slogan, “Eat, drink, and be yourself.”  As some slogans can be, that one is pretty harmless sounding.  I wonder if the executives have taken the time to look into the background of the saying.  Without doubt, it makes many people think of the saying, “Eat, drink, and be merry.”  This was the counsel the rich farmer gave himself in a parable Jesus tells.  Luke records it, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:15-21).   This is the same attitude of life briefly adopted by Solomon in his experiment to find life’s meaning (cf. Ecc. 8:15).  He found it was not, “Eat, drink, and be merry.”  The rich farmer, through God’s extreme measures, learned the same truth.  Paul quoted the Epicurean philosophy, “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die” (1 Cor. 15:32), to show the futility of life if Christ is not raised but the futility of such a philosophy since He did.

So many today have a self-absorbed philosophy that preaches, “Eat, drink, and be yourself.”  “Be merry.”  “Tomorrow, we may die, so get all of what you can while you can.”  Just remember that such an outlook on life does not have a promising outcome!  We are not here to party.  We are here to prepare what is to come.

Neal Pollard

There’s an interesting parallel between the creation of man in Eden and the recreation of man in the early church.  Unity characterized both (Gen. 2:23; Acts 4:32).  At first, both fulfilled their God-given tasks (Gen. 2:15,20; Acts 2:42-46; 4:1). Yet, in both Eden and the Jerusalem church of Christ, Satan didn’t stay away too long (Gen. 3:1-5; Acts 5:3).  Ananias and Sapphira, like too many, had not prepared their hearts to fight the sin to which they were susceptible.

Ananias and Sapphira were too wedded to their wealth. Sometime after the sell of their property and before their offering, they conspired to keep back part of the money for themselves but indicated they were giving all of the proceeds for the church to use for benevolent needs.  Today, some are married to their money rather than their Master.  This obtains when one’s giving to God is anemic, when one’s pursuit of material things is rabid, and when children are sacrificed on the altar of parents’ yearning for money.

Ananias and Sapphira were too sensitive to their status. This couple’s sin came on the heels of Barnabas’ incredibly charitable giving. What a contrast between him and them. He would go on to be one of the heroes of the early church.  They were its first spiritual goats. Peter calls their act a “lie” (Acts 5:3-4) and a “tempting” of God (Acts 5:9).  They were guilty of willful sin, and Peter says Satan “filled” (finding a place there, Satan dominated) his heart.  Satan can only get in our hearts by permission (Eph. 4:27). Apparently, they wanted to look good in the eyes of the brethren.  We must check any desire or motive that is impure. Even in doing right, we must be sure we are acting to please God rather than men (Eph. 6:6-7).

Ananias and Sapphira were too careless about their character.  They were liars, and for this they were rewarded with physical death (Acts 5:5,10). How many give into their weakness or sin problem, only to hurt their church family, their physical family, and destroy themselves?

In all of these deadly mistakes, Ananias and Sapphira had allowed Satan to fill their hearts. That made them, through willful choices, empty vessels for Satan to occupy and break God’s law.  How easily Satan can take advantage of us (cf. 2 Co. 2:10-11).  Though the church will ultimately prevail, let us not allow Satan to win any individual victories among us.  Let us learn from Ananias and Sapphira.

Neal Pollard

You may have heard about the mauling death of Kevin Kammer, a 48-year-old man camping at the Soda Butte Campground outside of Cooke City, Montana, on July 27th.  Grizzly bears are noted for their aggressive behavior, but concerns are growing that the culprit responsible for Kammer’s death was a photographer baiting wildlife in the area.  Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Department officials are looking into allegations.  There was no food in Kammer’s tent, and officials called the attack “highly unusual and predatory.”  They were mauled as they slept, which is anomalous, unusual behavior.  Experts cannot shake baiting as the likely cause of the attacks.

Whether or not officials are ever able to conclusive prove the currently prevailing theory, one thing is certain.  It is not smart to bait a grizzly bear.  Courting danger is foolish, but not uncommon.  Most of us, to one degree or another, have a sense of adventure; however, there is a point in which the word “sense” is not appropriate to describe the situation.  At some point, behavior is risky, dangerous, and foolhardy.

Temptation is a common problem (cf. Heb. 4:15; 1 Cor. 10:13).  To encounter it, all you have to do is live and breathe.  What is foolhardy is a mindset or philosophy that courts temptation, that puts oneself in places with people doing things that are highly likely to produce sinful, destructive outcomes.  Grizzlies have size, claws, and demeanors that make them obvious threats.  Sin, while more deadly, comes in more subtle and oftentimes very attractive packages.
Let us be Joseph’s, ready to literally flee at the dangers of temptation (Gen. 39:12).  “Flee” is a watchword repeatedly uttered in the New Testament, regarding sin (1 Cor. 6:18; 10:14; 1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:22).  Baiting ourselves or flirting with spiritual danger is not the behavior of born-again, heaven-bound people.  Let us recognize the schemes of the devil (2 Cor. 2:11) and go out of our way to avoid him.  Any other approach to life does not make good, spiritual sense.

Neal Pollard

You might think that is a “loaded question.”  Well, take a load off and consider.  Being “loaded” means different things.  The term is used to describe the intoxicated and the income of the wealthy.  It can refer to something with ulterior motive or meaning.  Yet, if you are a Christian you are loaded.  Such is the thought of the inspired Psalmist who said, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! (Ps. 68:19a).

Dan Wheeler, fine gospel preacher in Orlando, Florida, says, “When a grocery cashier asked me how I was, I said, ‘I’m loaded.  With benefits.’  Now, when I ask her, she says, ‘I’m loaded.  With benefits.’  Maybe it will get someone thinking about God.”  Human nature is so prone to see our liabilities rather than our “loads.”  Helen Steiner Rice, in her famous poem “Count Your Gains, Not Your Losses,” says in part,

As we travel down life’s busy road, complaining of our heavy load,
We often think God’s been unfair and gave us much more than our share
Of little daily irritations and disappointing tribulations.
We’re discontented with our lot and all the “bad breaks” that we got;
We count our losses, not our gain, and remember only tears and pain.
The good things we forget completely when God looked down and blessed us sweetly.

The overall point of her poem is that we can lose sight of our own woes if we will lose ourselves in service to others.  However, a secondary emphasis she makes is that God has given us so much.  It is a matter of the heart and one’s character whether we see ourselves as “winners” or “losers” in life.

Today, Mike Hite and I went to visit the McCullums.  Steve is to begin school next week.  He and his sweet wife Jerri made an unexpected detour to the hospital.  Steve has a mass in his abdomen and no clear diagnosis yet.  Doctors have told him to include as a possibility that this is very serious.  Yet, though he was in discomfort and facing the unknown, he was faith-filled and positive.  This remarkable young man, after citing James 1:2-4, says, “I’m excited to see what God is going to do through this.  This is going to make me a better, more understanding, preacher and Christian.”  Steve is loaded and he knows it.  For those of us not laying in a hospital bed awaiting test results, we are loaded, too!

Other versions put for “loads us with benefits” that he “bears us up” or “carries us in His arms.”  Same difference!  With divine support and aid, I am “loaded with benefits” more than this world could match or exceed.  Let us focus on what we have with God and not what we do not have.  Thank you, Steve and Jerri!

Neal Pollard

One of the biggest news stories of the summer broke on July 29th with the temporary injunction set down by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, stopping several measures in an immigration bill signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer and set to go into effect  Thursday.  Effectively, this injunction prohibits law enforcement from more easily detecting those who are in this country illegally.

For many, this is an issue they cannot divorce from politics or race.  But, how should a Christian view the matter of illegal immigration?  That is a different question than whether or not we should embrace those who seek to lawfully enter our nation from other nations around the world.  Bible truth is truth, recognizing no political party of skin color.  To ask how a Christian views any matter is also to ask what the Bible may have to say about it or issues involved with it.  While there is no verse that explicitly deals with illegal immigration, there are biblical principles to consider.

Lying is sinful.  There are no situations that make lying OK.  Paul urged the Ephesians to lay aside falsehood and speak truth (Eph. 4:25). The end for liars is most undesirable (Rev. 21:8).  If one claims something to an employer, landlord, or law enforcement officer that is not true, that one is lying.  How often do those hiring and harboring illegal immigrants knowingly lie or deceive?

Disobeying a nation’s laws is disobeying God.  Romans 13:1-4 says, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”  Many people go through the proper channels for applying for citizenship.  Even if a nation is lax in enforcing its laws, a Christian will not knowingly subvert the governing authorities in either harboring illegal immigrants or attempting to be in a nation illegally.  A Christian should be averse to being a party to anything rightly labeled “illegal.”

One is to submit to every human, governmental institution (1 Pet. 2:13ff).  Obviously, the only exception is if that entity seeks to get us to disobey the Lord’s commands (cf. Acts 5:27-29).  Otherwise, we must submit to them and in so doing we are “doing right” (1 Pet. 2:14-15).

I would never want to defend or advocate something that, objectively viewed, is termed “illegal.”  Perhaps the desire of some to rationalize on this issue is a product of a greater problem our culture has with law and authority.  The child of God, however, will be reminded “to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men” (Titus 3:1-2).

Neal Pollard

Dave Allen has been all around the world with his military career.  He has taken assignments, particular in time of war, that carried him into and out of several time zones often in a 24 to 48 hour period.  He once had a six month period where he never slept in the same time zone two nights in a row.  He was constantly on a C-130, going from place to place.  That is so far beyond “jet lag” that it is hard to comprehend for one who has never attempted it.

He said that after a month or so of that schedule and being exhausted from lack of sleep due to the time changes, his body began to adapt to this short-circuiting by sleeping whenever it was time to sleep where they were that night.  Basically, circumstances caused his “body clock” to be rewired!  It was in this context that Dave spoke of the “circadian rhythm.” The American Heritage Science Dictionary defines it as “A daily cycle of biological activity based on a 24-hour period and influenced by regular variations in the environment, such as the alternation of night and day. Circadian rhythms include sleeping and waking in animals, flower closing and opening in angiosperms, and tissue growth and differentiation in fungi.”  Normally, in one time zone, darkness is the cue for sleep and daylight is the cue for being awake.  But that can become skewed. Apparently, as Dave proved, the body can adapt even in the most extreme circumstances and give one the “body clock” needed for whatever circumstance.

What is your spiritual “circadian rhythm”?  God has equipped us with His Word, with a conscience, and external examples and influences that should supply us with a healthy view of right and wrong.  So long as we do not violate the conscience by ignoring and disobeying God’s Word or choosing improper influences, we keep the right perspective.  However, the conscience can become seared (1 Tim. 4:2)  We can get past feeling (Eph. 4:19).  We can turn our ears from the truth and be turned to fables (2 Tim. 4:3).  We can even believe what is false (2 Th. 2:11).  When this happens, we adapt our sense of right and wrong to what we come to believe or practice.  Isaiah’s peers did that, famously calling good “evil” and “evil” good.  A society’s value system can get turned upside down, and so can an individual’s.  This adaptation goes against God’s intended order, but the consequences of such an adaptation could not be more negative.  Let us be careful not to allow ourselves down a road where we “exchange the truth of God for a lie” (Rom. 1:25).  In the spiritual realm, this is not a matter of indifference.

Neal Pollard

Have you ever had a spirited disagreement with anyone?  Have you been filled with indignation over what you were convinced was their wrong view?  If you have lived for any length of time, you have been incensed over the views and philosophies of others.

But, you have not carried it as far as the Shammaites did around 66 AD.  There were two great teachers in the time right before the incarnation of Christ, Hillel and Shammai. They frequently found themselves on the opposite sides of a doctrine or Jewish tradition, and it is said they often took a position just to oppose the view the other took.  Perhaps the most famous disagreement occurred over what cause(s) one could divorce his wife under the old law.  Hillel took the broader, more liberal view, while Shammai’s view of Deuteronomy 24:1 restricted the grounds to unchastity. In fact, Hillelites were often viewed as the faction taking the moral liberal view, though that was not always the case.

Alfred Edersheim relates the debated obscure account of a particular dispute between these two groups over a number of questions.  The more nationalistic Shammaites pushed hard for a particularly anti-Gentile interpretation of 18 questions.  Edersheim writes, “In general, the tendency of these eighteen decrees was of the most violently anti-Gentile, intolerant, and exclusive character” (484).  The meeting to decide these 18 questions was held in the home of a Shammaite, and supposedly the Shammaites waited for the Hillelites in a lower room, murdering many of them (ibid., 166).  This gave the Shammaites the majority needed to have their views carried, and Edersheim builds a compelling case that these strongly anti-Gentile decrees led to war with Rome and the siege and destruction of Jerusalem prophesied by Jesus in Matthew 24.

The Shammaites would have considered themselves the purists and the conservatives, but they compromised biblical commands and principles in order to promote and defend their views.  This is a tendency against which we must ever guard ourselves.  We might be tempted to “stretch the truth,” exaggerate the facts, or outright lie in order to “defeat” someone whose beliefs or teaching loose what God has bound.  We may gossip about someone whose immoral behavior we disapprove.  We might sin with our tongue or behavior in our indignation concerning a behavior or person we believe sinful.  The haunting reality, though, is that sin is sin.  Sinning to defeat sin is completely contradictory and futile.  The Shammaites illustrate this.  In fighting sin and immorality, we must keep our integrity and moral scruples intact.  Otherwise, we are the same as the very ones we seek to condemn.

Edersheim, Alfed.  The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1993).

Neal Pollard

Frank Haven was born August 1, 1924.  This is an interesting fact, one canoeing enthusiasts are more apt to know than others.  Yet, it is interesting to to note circumstances surrounding his birth.  His father, Bill Havens, was a member of the Yale rowing crew selected to compete in the 1924 Olympics in Paris, France.  But, Bill’s wife was pregnant and out of loyalty and concern for her he decided not to travel over and compete.  It turns out that Frank was born after the closing ceremonies.

Somewhere along the line, Frank decided to become a competitive canoeist.  In 1952, Frank won the Gold Medal in canoeing at the Helsinki, Finland, Olympics.  He also won the national canoeing championship seven out of 12 years between 1950 and 1961, and he also won Silver at the 1948 Olympics (info taken from Hickoksports.com).

Bill was committed to his wife. He had a proper understanding of priorities and in what order they should be placed.  Priorities are a tricky thing.  We tend to place them in the order we convince ourselves they belong.  Often, we simply give in to our tendencies, desires, and preferences, then rationalize that we have chosen what is truly most important.  While we might make the right choice if put into a “big” situation like Frank Haven faced, but what about “little” situations that pop up every day?  Maybe we convince ourselves our kids really need our encouragement and support as they play a sport, so we choose to take them there on a Sunday morning.  Maybe we let an opportunity to evangelize go by the boards because we are concerned we will sacrifice good rapport with someone.  Maybe we are tired after a long day at work, so we choose to watch TV rather than call, write, or visit that struggling Christian who crosses our minds.

Sometimes, it is hard to know if our choice is a winning or losing choice.  It may take some time (or even eternity) before we know for sure.  Jesus teaches that sometimes we must lose to win (Matt. 16:25).  It is a matter of determining what we are choosing to lose and what we stand to win!

Neal Pollard

I will confess to having heard that more times than I can count, especially in my younger days and probably always from those of the female persuasion.  It was, without exception, a statement dripping in sarcasm meant to point out the immaturity of what I said or did.

The Christian life should be marked by continual growth and development.  That upward line is not strictly linear.  We will take backward steps as we go forward.  Yet, I have observed a pattern of spiritual immaturity from those capable of doing far better.  Perhaps others have seen it in me, and the thought makes me cringe.  There is a season in the Christian life to be a spiritual babe (1 Pet. 2:2), but eventually babes are supposed to grow up (1 Cor. 14:20; Eph. 4:13; Heb. 5:14; 6:1).  I could not give an exhaustive list, but consider a few ways in which we fail to show spiritual maturity.

Hypersensitivity. Certainly, we all have different personalities, but is hypersensitivity to be explained solely as a fate of personality?  If so, then that would make one unaccountable for bad behavior done as part of personality.  Could it not instead be a matter of free will and choice, where people choose to respond to ill-treatment or perceived slights by overreacting, sulking, pouting, and withdrawing?  When someone pushing our button keeps us from serving our crucified Lord, doing our Christian duty, or reflecting the image of Christ to others, we had better consider growing up spiritually!  Jesus, “While being reviled (i.e., “criticized and insulted in an abusive manner”), He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats” (1 Pet. 2:23).  In the same context, Peter says, “Follow in His steps” (1 Pet. 2:21).  Jesus also taught that the religion of the spiritually mature was to turn the other cheek (Matt. 5:39).

Pressing Our Rights. A preacher, trying to make the point that scripture nowhere dictates that the preacher should wear a coat and tie, shows up to evening services in a Hawaiian shirt, bermuda shorts, and flip-flops.  He really showed those uptight members!  He really showed more than he intended.  By running roughshod over the sensitivity of older or conservative members, he was a model of spiritual infancy.  It is ironic that many who respond like this common senseless minister would boast of themselves as spiritually advanced, but they have missed a basic Christian principle about interacting with others and especially fellow-Christians.  What about 1 Corinthians 8:13, 1 Corinthians 10:28, or Romans 14:21?

A Careless Example. We know nothing of the temperament of Thaddeus or even Philip, but we get clear impressions that the apostle Peter was impetuous and sometimes lacking in discretion (Mark 9:5-6; Matt. 14:28; Matt. 26:33-35 and Matt. 26:69ff; Gal. 2:11ff).  Whether or not Peter realized the power of his example, he illustrates the harm done by one poorly representing the Lord.  The same can happen today.  We may sorely underestimate the influence we have on the spiritually weak or babes in Christ.  A careless word or deed may not only cause another to stumble (cf. Luke 17:1-2), it reveals our spiritual immaturity.

In all things, from biblical comprehension to Christian behavior, “let us press on to maturity” (Heb. 6:1).  It is the natural progression that should occur in our Christian lives!  The alternative is neither pretty nor admirable.

Neal Pollard

It seems that some people don’t know what true commitment is.  For some, “dedication” is something you do for new babies and buildings.  “Loyalty” is reserved for ball teams, shampoos, and car makes. When some people think “permanent,” they think curly hair.  “Promise” is a low calorie butter substitute.  The word “contract” is now associated with arranging murders and getting diseases.  “Pledge” has more to do with college fraternities and sororities or furniture polish.  What about the word “committed”? People associate it with asylums!

My point is, true, biblical commitment is not just unpopular.  For too many, it’s almost unheard of!  The Bible instructs Christians to be committed people. We are under obligation (Rom. 8:12).  Our whole duty is to fear God and keep His commands (Ecc. 12:13).  We are unworthy slaves simply doing what we ought to do (Lk. 17:10).

Commitment is something learned, thus it is something taught. A true New Testament Christian is one who is totally committed to Christ and His will.  But that impacts every area of a Christian’s life and effects every relationship.  Commitment is a decision, not a feeling. It’s a promise you keep regardless of the emotions of the moment.  It isn’t affected by circumstances. It involves character. “It’s doing what you said you’d do even when you don’t feel like it” (Greg Cummings). Commitment sent Jesus to earth.  It kept Jesus on the cross.  It started the church.  It was what introduced you to Christ.

Do you need to be committed? Totally!