The Preacher Pollard Blog

Neal Pollard

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

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

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

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

Neal Pollard

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

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

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

(article in today’s Bear Valley church bulletin)

Neal Pollard

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

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

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

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

 

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

 www.usmemorialday.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal Pollard

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

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

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

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

Neal Pollard

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

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

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

Neal Pollard

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

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

Neal Pollard

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Neal Pollard

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

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

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

Neal Pollard

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

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

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

Neal Pollard

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

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

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

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

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

Neal Pollard

Imagine a soft drink company that spent the majority of its resources, its work force, its focus, its advertising, and its research and development on what type of material of which its container will be or what color to make its label.  That company would likely fail to sell nearly as many soft drinks as the company who properly prioritized the goal of getting the drink onto the taste buds of as many people as possible.  It would be foolhardy and fatal to misplace one’s mission so thoroughly as the first company in this example.

However, too many congregations of God’s people have lost sight of its prime objective.  The number one goal of the church should be what it was for Jesus, who said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).  The church is not primarily tasked with building huge church buildings, providing a thousand and one social programs, serving as the brotherhood’s heretic detectors, or similar comparatively esoteric and superficial endeavors.  Yet, too many congregations have devolved, in terms of time, money, and talent, into committees obsessed with container types and label colors—so to speak!  All the while, soul after soul passes from time and earth to eternity and Hades, destined to some day stand on the Lord’s left hand.  Christians, armed with the knowledge and the resources to reach the honest among these, have too often lost sight of the prime objective.

Instead of pessimistic resignation, the church’s response, everywhere and often, must be to do what it can to help retrain the collective and individual focus.  The makeup of man’s mind is such that he needs constantly to be reminded of things.  Thus, God instituted the Lord’s Supper (cf. Acts 20:7), like the Passover meal of old, to be done regularly.  The same subjects in the New Testament are addressed repeatedly, to reinforce and remind us of their importance.  For that reason, it is good for God’s people to persistently emphasize soul-winning.  It has been anecdotally reported that churches of Christ in the United States have averaged one baptism per congregation per year for the last twenty-plus years.  Since some churches do much, much better than that over the course of a year, a good many must not be baptizing people at all.  How many people, not including members’ children, are we teaching and baptizing?

Whatever we can do to encourage a reversal of that trend, let us do!  Let us stay committed to keeping the main thing the main thing!

Neal Pollard

Three miles west of Blanchard, North Dakota, stands what for decades was the tallest man-made structure in the world and to this day remains third-tallest.  The lattice tower is over 2,000 feet high, weighs 392 tons, and, with guy wires, takes up 160 acres of land.  It is an incredible view, jutting out of the ground in the middle of the flat northern plains (some info from emporis.com).

In Psalm 61:3, David says, “For you have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy.”  We see many mentions of towers in the Old Testament, starting with the audacious building project after the flood at Babel.  Towers show up in scripture as places where people hid out and counterattacked their enemies (cf. Judges 9:50-57). Korah cites the many towers near Jerusalem (Psalm 48:12).  But, none of these towers are impervious to attack or decay.  Where are the towers of Babel, Thebez, and Zion today?  They are crumbled into oblivion and discoverable only through archaeological digs.  Even a modern tower that overtook the North Dakota mast for height, a radio tower in Warsaw, Poland, collapsed and lost its ranking.

There are many places people turn for refuge, comfort, and protection today.  It may be home security systems, money, alcohol, illicit sex, the nation or the military, or any number of other things.  None of those are an adequate substitute for the hope only found in God.  He is the Rock higher than I (Psalm 61:2).  He is the unfailing help of all who turn to Him and trust in Him.  We live in a world where things break down, get replaced, stop working, become obsolete, or fail when tested (cf. Matthew 6:19-20).  Only God will remain the strong tower in which we can entrust our earthly lives and depend upon for eternal life!  Are you in God’s strong tower?

Neal Pollard

Where can you turn today without seeing this predominant headline:  “Bin Laden Is Dead!”  So much emotion churns at the declaration.  Military families, spouses and parents and siblings who have lost sons and daughters in this pursuit and the war surrounding it, find it a bittersweet moment.  Preachers and others, waxing not a little political, call it divine justice in Twitter and Facebook posts.  Crowds patriotically gathered in Washington, D.C., Ground Zero, and cities around this nation, waving flags and exulting in the news and what it represents.  It would probably be hard to find too many people neutral and unaffected by the news, especially here in our nation.  This man, one-time Taliban leader and the mastermind behind the attacks of September 11, 2001, was killed by Navy seals.  Again, the outpouring of emotion in response has been incredible!

While so much time has transpired since it occurred, another event eclipses the aforementioned headline into utter oblivion.  It transcends nations and politics.  Its occurrence is the transforming moment of all human history.  The truthfulness of it affects all time and eternity.  The headline reads: “Jesus Christ Is Alive!”  Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Matthew records, “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.  He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.  Come, see the place where He was lying.  Go quickly and tell the disciples that He has risen from the dead'” (Matt. 28:6-7a).  Thus spread the greatest news that ever passed through the lips of a man or woman.  This moment has changed not just the course of human history, but the individual course plotted by men and women for over 20 centuries of time.  It is this “living hope” (1 Pet. 1:3) that spurs us to persevere on the brightest days and the darkest hours.

Bin Laden’s death is no doubt momentous.  But, his death will not get a single person to heaven.  Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection is the only way any of us will get to heaven.  I am not telling anyone how to react to a terrorist’s death.  I am reminding all of us how to react to a Savior’s resurrection.  Let that be more on your lips today than that other headline news!

Neal Pollard

What an occasion the inauguration of the temple must have been.  The priests could not minister on that occasion because the cloud and the Lord’s glory filled it (1 Kings 8:11).  Solomon dedicated it most ceremoniously, including his beautiful prayer preserved in that same chapter.  One of Israel’s greatest, most powerful kings, at the material and geographical apex of the nation’s existence, uttered that petition before the people down on his knees with his hands spread toward heaven before the altar (1 Kings 8:54).  Then, he stood, blessing the nation, and proclaimed, “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant” (1 Kings 8:56).  So many rich truths can be mined from this powerful proclamation.

The promises of God are helpful.  They enjoyed rest at the time of the building of the temple.  David had subdued their enemies through war.  Now, Israel enjoyed peace.  It was just as God promised.  Think of the promises God makes to us about the rest we find in Christ (Matt. 11:28-30).

The promises of God are faithful.  Solomon could say in his time what has always been true concerning the divine promises.  “Not one word has failed.”  We serve a God who always delivers on His promises.  That excites and comforts us in our obedient submission.  It should fill us with dread if we are rebellious and disobedient.  Either way, His promises will come to pass.  We can count on it (cf. 2 Cor. 1:20)!

The promises of God are hopeful.  The nature of God giving His word is “good.”  What a profoundly simple way to characterize them!  James, a New Testament writer famed for his wisdom, echoes Solomon, saying, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (Js. 1:17).  Those are promises in which you can stake your all!

The promises of God are timeless.  As we have already seen, what was true in Solomon’s time was true back to the beginning and will hold true to the end.  Both covenants promise His promises will be fulfilled.  This has buoyed up the struggling, hurting, otherworldly-minded children of God time immemorial.

The promises of God are limitless.  Consider that word “all.”  How many promises does God make in Scripture?  Some count as many as 3,000, but it is difficult to find an exact figure.  Yet, here is what we do know.  He has kept, is keeping, and will keep every one of them.

The promises of God are flawless.  They are unfailing, according to Solomon.  Man will frequently disappoint us, but God exceeds our expectations!  Heaven will prove that once and for all, but earth has sufficient proof!  The blessings in Christ (cf. Eph. 1:3) grow sweeter and more meaningful with each passing day!

You and I have failed too often regarding promises we make!  Contrast that with God’s promises.  They help us reconcile our past, reinforce our present, and revel in our future!

Neal Pollard

Please forgive the second “Stuart story” for those of you who heard about Stuart’s unlikely recovery from “death’s door” Sunday before last.  This little squirrel has really burrowed his way into our lives (yes, I know that is a rabbit metaphor).  Early Tuesday morning, Carl was cleaning out Stuart’s cage, aka our dog’s old travel kennel.  Somehow, Stuart made his way onto our tallest tree and shimmied up onto a branch about twenty feet high.  Having spent most of his life inside our nice, warm house, Stuart had no idea how to get down from there.  So, he stayed in one spot.  This went from minutes to hours.  Finally, in the late afternoon, we borrowed a tall ladder to rescue Stuart.  The process took a couple of hours, but finally, after prodding him with a stick and tossing a tennis ball over and over near him and having a blanket as a makeshift trampoline just in case, I was able to reach up and grab the scared tree rodent and bring him back to ground level.

Perhaps because that evening I was going to be speaking on a podcast with Kyle Massengale about evangelism, I saw a compelling analogy.  While never wanting to trivialize the eternally important task of soul-winning, several things occurred to me in the rescue of that squirrel necessary to our work of winning the lost.  This occurred to me, as I thought about our memorable episode with Stuart.

It took effort.  From hauling and setting up the ladder, to getting up high enough to reach the critter, to coaxing, pleading, and the like, we had to exert effort to save the squirrel.

It took emotion.  It was because especially certain members of my family have a fond affection for Stuart that we stuck with this to the end.  Care preceded intervention.

It took persistence.  The whole process took hours to complete.  There were times when giving up seemed the best choice and especially the most convenient choice, but everyone stayed on the task.

It took teamwork.  Some held the blanket, some held the ladder, some climbed the ladder (or the tree), and one held the camera.  Together, we did it.

It was not initially appreciated.  At first, Stuart did not understand and certainly did not appreciate what we were doing.  It seems that he is happy with the outcome, but when I pulled him, claws and all, from his branch, he squeaked and squealed for the first few seconds.

As we think souls every day, we should be reminded that it takes effort, emotion, persistence, and teamwork.  The preacher or a small minority cannot fulfill the church’s mission alone.  It will require sacrifices of time and resources.  It will require personal study to prepare to study with others.  It will necessarily involve our emotions, from the love that prompts us to share the good news to the potential heartache and joy that occurs in teaching the lost.  It will exact a persevering, tenacious attitude.  Oh, and sometimes the lost will not initially appreciate our desire to help–at least as far as we can tell–but how it will be worth it, for them and for others, if we make the effort!  Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10)!  May we join Him in doing the same, no matter what!

Neal Pollard

Famed explorer and adventurer Freya Stark said, “There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do.”  Beyond happiness, can it not be said that it is difficult to find lasting peace or genuine righteousness in the absence of integrity?  In the 15th Psalm, David explores the qualities of a man with integrity, one who, in the words of the early church fathers, “Walketh without stain, and worketh righteousness” (Schaff, 47).  What is at stake is being God’s guest, “dwelling” and “abiding” with Him.  What is required for that to happen is a love for truth at the deepest level, a hatred for running down the name and reputation of another, one who follows the golden rule, hates error and upholds truth lovers, keeps his word no matter what, and flees from materialism (2-5).  “Here is the holiness without which no one sees God (Heb. 12:14), covering conduct, conversation and relationships (2–3), values, integrity and financial contentment (4–5)” (Carson, New Bible Commentary, Logos).

Think about that.  Integrity covers your observable actions, your speech, your interaction with others, what you believe in and hold dear, and your relationship to the material things of this world.  Failures in integrity usually come in one or more of these areas.  Hypocrisy, dishonesty and deceit, conforming to worldliness, ethical iffiness, and the like reveal perilous cracks in the foundation of one’s integrity.  Much of that is a matter of being what we claim to be and what we portray to others that we are.  It is having one face, the same for our closer friends and peers that we show to everyone else.  It is not just being on Monday through Saturday what we display on Sunday.  It is being in private the public image we project.

Let us believe the inspired psalmist, that nurturing a close relationship with God depends on how we treat others and how consistently we practice what we preach.  Beware the person who says he is all about Jesus, but who is willing to violate Jesus’ teaching about holiness and true godliness.  Such lack the integrity necessary to dwell in the house of the Lord!

Neal Pollard

It has been said, “Remember to taste your words before you spit them out!”  Too many times in my life, I have regretted my failure to heed that wisdom.  Our words have meaning and we too often minimize the impact our speech and rhetoric has on our hearers.  As a preacher, I must face that fact every time I preach or teach.  But, it is an ironclad truth for us all.  What we say really matters!

Adolf Hitler was quoted in the October 6, 1930, edition of time as saying, “All epoch-making revolutionary events have been produced not by the written but by the spoken word.”  That is frightening, given what evil Hitler perpetrated through his words.  He is a prime example of the power of our words.  Solomon informs us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21).  Jesus ties our tongue to our eternal destiny, saying, “Every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.  For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:36-37).

Think about how widely that impacts our lives and their influence.  What about when we engage in gossip, idle speculation, surmising, and innuendo with our words?  What about conniving and manipulating words?  What about those words we speak that give false comfort to those engaged in sin and immorality?  What about dogmatic words we speak, equating our preferences, proclivities, and personal judgments with Bible truth and passing them off to others as divine law?  What about those angry words, spit out without filter or forethought?  What about vindictive, bitter, or arrogant speech?

It is sobering to think about how often our tongues can trip up our travels down the road of life!  Proverbs 4:24 says to put away a deceitful mouth and devious speech.  Paul says to put aside “anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth” (Col. 3:8).  What are these and so many other passages admonishing us to do?  In essence, we are urged to bite our tongues when they are prone to produce their poisons.  How we all need to measure our words before they take shape and fly away!  There is an African proverb that apparently goes, “Quarrels end, but words once spoken never die.”  The Russians say, “A spoken word is not a sparrow. Once it flies out, you can’t catch it.”  Oh, that all of us will say, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Ps. 141:3).

Neal Pollard

When Paul talks to Titus about salvation, it is no surprise that he deals with the work of Christ.  He gave Himself for us.  This so firmly implies the cross that one who has cursory knowledge of the New Testament knows what Paul means.  There are four beautiful qualities of God’s grace revealed by Paul here.

GOD’S GRACE IS EVIDENT (11).  It has appeared to all men.  Through the Bible, people of every land and language have heard the message of grace!  It is an unprejudiced, impartial gift, in that it is for all men!

GOD’S GRACE IS EDUCATIONAL (12).  Grace is not cheap!  It has a definite purpose, to teach us!  What it teaches us is sacrifice and self-denial.  To enjoy the benefits of grace, I must deny sin and live righteously.  I cannot go my own way, doing my own thing.  Grace teaches me differently.

GOD’S GRACE IS EXPECTANT (13).  That is its effect upon me.  G.W. Knight writes that “our expectant waiting for the blessed hope is spoken of as the appearing of ‘our Savior'” (The Pastoral Epistles, 326).  What He did at the cross leads us to look ahead to what He is going to do at the second coming.  I am looking for the fruition of grace, the future impact of grace upon my soul!

GOD’S GRACE IS EMANCIPATING (14).  It redeems us, meaning it set us free and paid the ransom for our captivity to sin.  It purifies us, meaning we are free from the stain and filth of sin.  Appreciating this wonderful freedom, we will be His and His workers in this world!  We are freed to serve Him, but what wonderful freedom!

God’s grace is sufficient because He is the one offering it.  It is so wonderful, but it does so much for our good.  It should move us to give ourselves totally to His service!  Thank God for His grace.

Neal Pollard

It was a special, feel good story whose cast of characters included men with names like “Pops,” “Candy Man,” “Mad Dog,” “Cobra,” “Crazy Horse,” “Matt The Scatt,” “The Frying Dutchman,” “The Hammer,” “Scrap Iron,” and “The Caveman.”  They had several feel good stories among their number. One of them had overcome a childhood disease, osteomyelitis, and wore a brace until he was 12.  One of them co-authored a book with a U.S. poet laureate.  One of them is said to have hit a home run while in the minors that went out of the stadium, landed in a coal car of a passing train, and was picked up in another state several hundred miles later.  They even had a theme song that captured the fact that even though they were quirky and not without a few colorful characters, they were a tight-knit bunch.  The Sisters Sledge hit, “We Are Family,” perfectly described the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team that won the World Series.  It had only one Hall of Fame player, Willie Stargell, but most of the rest of the team came together to have the best season of their career in 1979.  It is still one of the most memorable teams in all of sports history.

“Family” is a word with definite, strong connotations.  For many, the word evokes feelings of warmth and sweet memories of bygone days.  For some, it includes the presence of small and growing children who seem to enter a new phase of development weekly, if not daily.  For others, that brings back to mind a stage of life now long past.  The very name, “family,” brings sights, smells, and sounds into play to help us conjure up our personal pictures.  Uttering the word “family” may make eyes roll or light up with joy or both.

The New Testament, in several places, teaches the idea that the church is the family of God.  Paul tells Timothy we can can how to behave in God’s house (1 Tim. 3:15).  That extends to how we treat each other in our various age groups and both genders (1 Tim. 5:1-2).  Paul instructs Titus on how the older men and women and younger men and women are to act, emphasizing how the older are to teach the younger (Ti. 2:1ff).  Peter tells younger members how to treat the older members (1 Pet. 5:5).  The Ephesian epistle reveals how this spiritual family loves and is loved (1:4,15; 2:4; 3:17-21; 4:2,15; 5:2), accepts (1:6 + 4:2), supports and unites (note the use of the word “together” throughout the epistle; 1:10, 2:5, 2:6; 2:21; 2:22; 4:16), and unites (1:22; 4:1-3; 4:24; 4:32).

The ’79 Pirates have nothing on us, the church.  We are family!  This is not an organization with a paid, professional speaker, a board of directors, and a fraternity, club, or party bound by ideas and ideals.  Is that how you would describe your physical family?  No, it is how Lanny Wolfe described it.

We’re part of the family that’s been born again,
Part of the family whose love knows no end;
For Jesus has saved us, and made us His own,
Now we’re part of the family that’s on its way home.
And sometimes we laugh together, sometimes we cry;
Sometimes we share together, heartaches and sighs;
Sometimes we dream together of how it will be
When we all get to heaven, God’s family.

Neal Pollard

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”  Emerson was talking about integrity and fortitude.  Your past and future are not nearly as key to what happens to you as your character.

The history of humanity, of the family, of the church, and of the individual has always been filled with challenges of adversity, trials, threats, and fears.  It will continue to be that way until our Lord returns.  Life is about loss as much as it is about gain!  Pain and hurt are tenured professors in the classroom of experience, as surely as are joy and success.

How will we handle the hardships and disappointments of life?  It depends on what is within us.  More than that, it is determined by Who is in us.  Paul could say, “Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20; cf. Col. 1:27; Rom. 8:10).  He is also emphatic that the Holy Spirit is in each of us as Christians (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 3:16; etc.).  As we fill our hearts with His Word, we are shaping and molding our character to overcome our past and prepare for our future (Ps. 119:11). We are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:1-2).  As we are “renewed in the spirit of [our] mind” (Eph. 4:23), we better equip ourselves to face what we have to face in life.

That does not mean we become infallible or perfect.  The fact of our humanity ensures that, unfortunately, we will continue to sin and fall short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23).  But, churches, homes, and individuals have character.  The question always is, “What kind of character?”  That is determined by what (and Who) lies within us!