Tag: Christ

Work At It With All Your Heart

Neal Pollard

That command was given to the Christian slave in the first-century world. It is a convicting call for an approach to life that would have been as unusual then as it is today.

Paul writes, “Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality” (Colossians 3:22-25, NKJ).

Paul returns to the overriding thought he preceded this section with, saying, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (17). Every group he addresses–wives (18), husbands (19), children (20), parents (21), slaves (22-25), and masters (4:1)–is given a command that would have gone against inclination, preference, emotion, and desire. Yet, since this is divinely-given instruction, we must submit to God’s authority and do it.

Do you notice the how of the command for the slave to obey his master? Do it thoroughly–“in all things.” Do it sincerely. Do it fearfully (obeying them, but fearing God). Do it heartily. Do it purposefully–“as to the Lord and not to men.” Do it prospectively, in view of the heavenly reward. Do it fearfully, acting with an eye toward God’s eternal justice.

In the middle of this instruction, Paul instructs them to do it “heartily.” The NIV has “all your heart.” The word is psuche, found over 100 times in the New Testament. Depending on context and translation, it may be rendered “life,” “mind,” “heart,” or, most usually, “soul.” In the greatest command (Matthew 22:37), it is “soul.” It is the inner self. What is Paul saying to do?

From the essence of your being, work with all your might and with everything you have. Beyond just your emotions or feelings, empty yourself out in accomplishing your tasks. Engage your strength and strain, wringing yourself out to get the work done.

So often, it has been observed that the parallel to the slave addressed in Colossians 3:23 is the employee of today’s world. Contrast what Paul calls for with the lazy, lackadaisical, lethargic way so many approach their work. Whether the one who feels entitled to a paycheck but not engaged in purpose or prefers to get by with as little effort as possible, such a work ethic won’t work with the ultimate Supervisor. He tells us HE is the One we ultimately work for. How does that realization change our approach to the daily grind?

What’s on your to do list today? Whatever it is, “Work at it with all of your heart!”

Books by the Pollards

A Tiny Spark Snail Mail Club (Kathy Pollard)

Wasting Away

Carl Pollard

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day…as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.” 2 Cor. 4:16-18

That opening line says a lot, “we do not lose heart.” Paul isn’t writing from an easy place. Earlier in the chapter he talks about being afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, struck down. He has suffered constantly for Christ. 

Then he says something honest: “our outer self is wasting away.” That’s real life. Bodies wear down. Energy fades. Life gets heavy. Ministry gets exhausting. We don’t have to pretend everything’s fine. 

But he doesn’t stop there: “our inner self is being renewed day by day.” While one part of you is declining, another part can be growing stronger. But this renewal isn’t automatic, it’s tied to where your focus is and who you’re trusting. You can be physically worn out and spiritually stable at the same time.

Paul calls his suffering “light momentary affliction.” That sounds almost out of place until you remember what he went through, beatings, prison, constant pressure. So why call it “light”? Because he’s comparing it to “an eternal weight of glory.” When eternity is in view, even heavy things take on a different scale.

Then he explains the key, “as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.” That’s a shift in perspective. Most people live anchored to what they can see, their circumstances, problems, and outcomes. Paul says you’ve got to train your focus somewhere else.

The seen things are temporary. That job stress, that health issue, that tension at home, it’s real, but it’s not lasting. The unseen things, God’s promises, His presence, eternity, those are what endure! 

That’s what keeps us from losing heart. Not pretending life’s easy, but remembering it’s not ultimate.

And so, we don’t quit just because it’s heavy. You don’t measure everything by what’s right in front of you. You keep going because you know there’s more than what you can see. The question is simply what we are fixing our eyes on. Because whatever we focus on will shape whether we give up or keep going.


Books by the Pollards

A Tiny Spark Snail Mail Club (Kathy Pollard)

Esther: The Divine Play of Providence

Brent Pollard

The Spirit of God, who breathed out Scripture, did not confine Himself to one literary mode. He gave us the measured march of Kings and Chronicles, the soaring verse of Psalms, the pointed brevity of Proverbs, the prophetic thunder of Isaiah, and apostolic letters from a Roman prison. So perhaps we should not be surprised—though we so often are—when we open Esther. There, we find something that reads like a stage play.

Consider Esther 7.7–8. The king storms from the banquet hall into the palace garden. Rage bleeds out of him with every step. Meanwhile, Haman, sensing the ground give way beneath his feet, throws himself upon the couch where Esther is reclining to beg for his life. At that precise moment—not a second earlier, not a second later—the king returns. No narrator interrupts to explain the irony; instead, the characters’ movement tells the whole story. This is not formal stagecraft, but it functions as such. The invisible Hand that arranges such timing is no less present for being unnamed.

A Drama Without a Divine Speaking Role

Here is why Esther is such a curious book among Scripture: God’s name never appears. No “Thus says the Lord.” No smoking altar. No prayer naming the Almighty. And yet, no other book shows providence more plainly.

Think of it this way. When a small child walks through a field at noon, he sees his shadow and pays it little mind. But let him step into a cathedral at dusk, where light filters through colored glass and falls in long slanting columns across the stone floor. Suddenly, he understands that there is a sun. Esther is the cathedral at dusk. God’s name is not shouted from the walls. It is seen in shafts of light falling across every coincidence, every sleepless night, every delayed decree, every gallows built a little too tall for the wrong man.

This is providence working, as it so often does in our own lives, through the timing of ordinary events. Proverbs 16.33 tells us plainly, “The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD” (NASB95). Again, Proverbs 21.1 says, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.” The book of Esther is the working out of those two proverbs across ten chapters of court intrigue.

Purim: The Feast the Book Was Written to Explain

We must remember that Esther’s ultimate purpose is to account for the origin of Purim, the annual celebration commemorating the providential deliverance of the Jewish people during the Persian Empire. Esther 9.20–32 records how the book’s events became an annual observance. By the intertestamental period, a “Mordecai Day” is mentioned in the non-canonical 2 Maccabees 15.36. Some translations place the reference in the following verse. Purim was therefore an established observance long before Jesus walked the dusty roads of Galilee.

Purim was never one of the three pilgrimage feasts required under the Law (Deuteronomy 16.16). It was a voluntary celebration—what Paul might have called a day one man esteems above another (Romans 14.5–6a). The New Testament itself acknowledges that Jewish feasts existed beyond the three required by Moses. John 5.1 speaks generically of “a feast of the Jews” (NASB95) without naming which one. John 10.22 places Jesus in Jerusalem during the Feast of the Dedication (Hanukkah), which is likewise not a Mosaic requirement. Purim fits within this broader Jewish religious calendar of observances commemorating great acts of divine deliverance.

The public reading of Esther on Purim is attested in the Mishnah around A.D. 200. The verbal cursing of Haman—and here cursing means the expression of ill-will, not profanity—is attested in early rabbinic sources from roughly the third and fourth centuries. An interesting custom crept into the practice during the Middle Ages: audience participation. Every time the reader arrived at Haman’s name, the congregation would boo, hiss, stomp their feet, or employ noisemakers to blot out his name as it was spoken. This practice is well documented in medieval Europe—from France, Provence, Germany, and Italy—beginning in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It continues in public Megillah readings today. All of which only serves to demonstrate that Esther is not your typical book of the Bible.

The Three Marks of the Drama

If one approaches Esther with a trained literary eye, three features stand out, marking it as something like inspired theater. The events are no less historical for being dramatically presented; this is not fiction dressed up as fact. The Spirit who moved the writer permitted him to employ his considerable storytelling gifts. The result is unmistakable.

Dramatic Irony and Reversal. The plot hinges on reversals a playwright would admire. Most famously, Haman is hanged on the very gallows he built for Mordecai (Esther 7.9–10). It is the oldest dramatic device—and the oldest law of the moral universe. The Psalmist captured it before Haman ever drew a blueprint: “He has dug a pit…and has fallen into the hole which he made. His mischief will return…upon his own head” (Psalm 7.15–16, NASB95). The man who builds a gallows for the righteous measures his own neck.

Symmetry and Scene Design. The text follows a chiastic or concentric structure, in which events in the first half of the book are mirrored and undone in the second half. Banquets answer banquets. Decrees answer decrees. Honors intended for Haman fall instead upon Mordecai. This is not an accidental arrangement. The same chiastic structure appears in the inspired poetry of the Psalms. Psalm 1, for instance, pivots on a central contrast between the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. What Hebrew poetry accomplishes in a few lines, Esther accomplishes across ten chapters.

Caricatured Characters. The cast of Esther behaves like figures drawn from classical theater. Ahasuerus is the buffoon king, easily swayed by whichever counselor happens to be nearest his ear. Haman is the villain. His pride is painted in strokes so broad that we almost laugh at him before we shudder at him. Esther and Mordecai are the heroic underdogs—Jewish exiles whose courage and wisdom topple an empire’s most powerful man. These are not flat portraits but intentionally strong ones. A story meant to be performed year after year needs characters that an audience can recognize at a glance.

A Liturgical Architect, Not Merely a Historian

Traditional Jewish sources suggest that the original author—likely Mordecai himself—had his work finalized under the direction of figures such as Ezra and Nehemiah. If that is so, then the unique literary shape of the book is not incidental but purposeful. The author was not merely a historian. He was a liturgical architect. He composed a narrative that could be “acted out” by every generation. In this way, the origin of Purim would never be forgotten, and the Jewish people would never fail to remember the God whose name the writer seems almost too reverent to put to ink.

And here we reach perhaps the strangest and most wonderful feature of the book. Esther does not name God, but trains us to see Him. It urges us to seek the Divine Hand in places where the Divine Name is unwritten. It prompts us to notice the king’s sleepless night, the delayed sentence of a queen, the long memory of a royal chronicle, and the villain’s fall at precisely the wrong moment. These are heaven’s brushstrokes on the canvas of human history.

The Book We Are Living In

We live, most of us, in books whose pages resemble Esther more than Exodus. No burning bush blazes in our backyard. No pillar of cloud guides us to work. No voice thunders from Sinai over our Mondays. God’s name is not written across the sky above our cubicles or over the nursery where we rock a sleepless child. Decisions go against us. Promotions reward the undeserving. Haman of our age seems, for a season, to prosper. Faith—if we are honest—is often the harder task of trusting an unseen Hand to arrange a plot we cannot follow. Yet the God who arranged the king’s return to a banquet hall in Susa orders each moment of our lives with the same quiet care. The God who toppled Haman has not lost the ability to overturn the proud. Esther is not just an ancient drama preserved by chance. It is a script the Spirit wrote to teach us to read our lives. When the curtain finally falls, and every hidden thing is revealed (Luke 8.17), we will not be surprised to find that the unnamed God of Esther was the Author all along.

A King Like The Nations

Dale Pollard

A King Like the Nations — The Warning 1 Samuel 8:20

In the First Book of Samuel, the people of Israel approached Samuel with a mighty bold demand— they wanted a king. Their exact words were, “Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:20).

Up to that point, Israel was led directly under God through the judges and prophets. But the people craved something a little more familiar. You know the classics— political power, military leadership, and a visible human ruler. God warned them through Samuel that earthly kings would tax them, take their boys to war, and rule over them in ways they’d regret. Still, they insisted.

Israel’s monarchy began with Saul, followed by the famous (mostly awesome) reign of David and then the wisdom of Solomon. After this, things really fall apart. Literally. The kingdom didn’t remain united. After Solomon, the nation split into two rival kingdoms—the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah. Sadly, what follows are even more of the “classics.” Corruption, idolatry, and political struggles would all eventually lead to their downfall.

The rise, division, and fall of Israel’s kings leaves us with this humbling truth— human rulers are flawed and temporary. No king, no government, and no political system can fully deliver the justice and peace that people ultimately long for.

The story of Israel’s kings points to the big need of a perfectly righteous and eternal king. We aren’t going to get that from anybody in the (oval-shaped) office— but heaven? Name a higher seat of power than the one Jesus sits on. We’ve got our perfect King and we can’t forget that. 


Books by the Pollards

A Tiny Spark Snail Mail Club (Kathy Pollard)

Watching A Model Giver

Neal Pollard

There he sat on the pew, then on the floor, then back on the pew again. One of our grandsons and his parents were seated next to us in worship yesterday. After the Lord’s Supper, I watched him. He had some change in the coin pocket of his pants, and I could tell they were meant for the collection plate. He taught me some good lessons about giving in those few moments.

Anticipation. Jude was fingering that money, checking and rechecking to make sure he had his hands on it. I watched him watching for the man who would be handing the tray down the row. His expressive eyes spoke volumes. “Will it ever get here?” “Am I going to miss out on giving?”

Emotion. There was feeling which accompanied this act. You could truly read the joy on his face. When the tray got to him and he suddenly struggled to get everything out of the coin pocket, I witnessed a different emotion. He was visibly disappointed that he didn’t give all of what he intended. Adulation turned to agitation. You could tell this was not a heartless exercise for him.

Conviction. With the aid of his father, he made things right. Within a minute, Dale was carrying Jude back to catch up with the men who had served on the table. However, the collection had already been put into the safe. When Dale explained why they were there, it was explained to them that it was no problem to open it back up so the “young man” could give. In his heart, Jude knew he needed to do this to make right his intentions. He had not accomplished his mission until he gave what he intended.

I was reminded of the children who praised Jesus as He entered Jerusalem in Matthew 21. Jesus quotes Psalm 8 to defend their worship of Him: “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself” (21:16; Ps. 8:2). Jude reminded me of some important aspects of giving which the Bible outlines. Giving should be planned and deliberate (1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 9:2). It should involve our best emotions (2 Cor. 9:7). We should not be content to do less than the best we can (2 Cor. 8:3-5; 9:6).

Jude was such a good example to me regarding my own giving. Putting a check into the plate takes a mere moment, but it should be preceded by and participated in with the same exemplary characteristics displayed by that eager toddler. How he must have made God smile. That’s what I want my giving to do!

Books by the Pollards

A Tiny Spark Snail Mail Club (Kathy Pollard)

What Is Vision?

Neal Pollard

It is the ability to see what a thing could be. A carpenter, looking at a tree, sees with a trained eye much more than others can see. With his expert shaping, appropriate tools, and seasoned patience, he can make out of that tree what was once only in his mind. The Lord needs people, from the leadership down, who look at the community, each other, their income, and their abilities and see what could be done. It takes no effort, emotion, or education to say, “It can’t be done!” That’s what is expected. Vision sees what could be.

It is the ability to not obsess over what a thing has been. Due respect is owed to the labors of the past, and due recognition is owed both its successes and failures. The past, however glorious, will have ample samples of both. Yet, the people, plans, and programs of today and tomorrow should not be shackled and chained exclusively to was has been. Vision is not always settling for being “has beens.” “Will be” is what Paul seemed more focused on pursuing (cf. Phil. 3:10-12). Biblical vision recognizes that doctrine cannot change, but methods, technology, tools, and people invariably do. Vision asks how people living in the present time can best reach people living in the present time and prepare them for an endless eternity.

It is the ability to trust in what God can make it be. No plan would succeed without God’s hand in it. I love the prayers where brethren plead, “Help us in the things that are right and defeat us in the things that are wrong.” Among the Bible’s heroes are those who factor God into the plans and say, “We are well able” (Caleb, Num. 13:30). “I can do all things” (Paul, Phil. 4:13), “There is nothing too hard…” (Jeremiah, Jer. 32:17), and “No good thing does He withhold” (the sons of Korah, Psa. 84:11). Our vision can be bold when “our” is God and us! Since God made the sky, the limit exceeds even that! Our giving, our ambitions, our goals, and our sights should be set to reflect our belief in that fact.

Where will we be this time next year? In five or ten years? Vision plays a role in that. Vision attempts to see the unseen, forget the past, and trust the One who holds past, present, and future in His all-powerful hand. With those truths factored in, let us dream big dreams!

Books by the Pollards

A Tiny Spark Snail Mail Club (Kathy Pollard)

Be Fearlessly Fervent

Dale Pollard


It takes a special individual of both breed and brand to truly impact the world. The fact is, many will live their lives comfortable and content to never break any molds or “step outside the box,” as they say. Most believers understand that God has called us out of this world to be lights and to be different, but that means being uncomfortable (James 1:2-4). We don’t like that aspect of faithful walking and at times the fire inside us and the will to go on is at the verge of being snuffed out. On every side we are surrounded by a raging current of mainstream ideologies and beliefs that drown the masses sweeping them closer towards eternity—unprepared. That familiar and depressing reality can discourage and frustrate us to the point of tears. Preachers, elders, and leaders are constantly fighting these feelings as they huff and puff under the weight of it all.

Christian fathers and mothers anxiously worry about that painfully uncertain future their children will battle. Young people are plagued with convincing thoughts that a faithful life is all but impossible today. How can we make an impact? You may wonder what difference you could possibly make as you observe such a powerful and evil force.

Here is the bad news, it’s hard. But here is the wonderful news, it’s worth it! God has given us an instruction manual on how to become mighty misfits in a culture that rejects righteousness. There are permanent footprints left by the feet of godly men throughout history, and their tracks lead to victory for those that choose to follow them.

For example, there is the trail blazer and zealous disciple, Paul. He serves as an inspiring nonconformist when he abandons his previous life of riches, respect, and comfort. His courage, faith, and determination can produce a powerful stirring in our spirits. If that man with the thorn can overcome fear and defeat the devil’s endeavors, despite his own weakness, then by the grace of God we can too. Our lives can leave an impact and they can serve as beacon of light for generations to come.

Notice how Jabez demonstrates this point in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. Within a lengthy list of family lines that make up the sons of Judah, Jabez breaks the mold. While numerous names are given, there is something more to be said of Jabez. He stands out as one who was “more honorable” than those who were before him in verse nine. Though his name means “son of my sorrow,” a label associated with affliction, he refuses to let this name define his future. The key to his success is given in the following verse which says, “Jabez called upon the Lord saying, ‘oh that you would bless me, your hand be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not give me pain!’ And God granted what he asked.” That verse is loaded with valuable lessons for this age and every age to follow.

Lesson one, don’t interpret your future by looking at your past. It doesn’t matter what family you were born into or how you were raised. We all have been given at least three common blessings. If you are made in the image of God, and you are, then that means you have talent, opportunity, and a life. The amount of talent, number of opportunities, and quality of that life is irrelevant. You have everything you need to succeed which is precisely what our Father desires.

Lesson number two, only God can grant you gainful glory. Jabez established his lasting legacy and was victorious because he understood one thing. God is the God of impartiality. He offers a heavenly hand to help the stereotypically weak and sinful human break the stereotype. The cards of life you hold in your hand mean little to the God who owns the deck. Jabez, Paul, and many faithful others understood the weakness of humanity. Their lives are a statement and a confession— God can help anyone rise above the crowd. He can help you achieve the only recognition that counts and give you the precious gift of a future with certainty.

The path to victory is a narrow one according to Matthew 7:14. Few have found it and few have finished it, but with the right Guide it can definitely be done. Are you unsure of your current location? Look down at the tracks you are following, and the guide walking with you. If you are holding the hand of the Savior— you can be sure you’re going in the right direction. Allow that comfort to strengthen you and break out of whatever mold you are in. Let God use your weakness and failures to leave an eternal mark on a world that needs it. There is no congregation that can’t grow, no Christian that can’t improve, and no unsaved person that doesn’t deserve the chance to hear that life changing message of the cross. There’s a great day coming, and that should provoke some excitement as well as motivate us all to diligently and fearlessly work until then.

So Old, It’s New

Neal Pollard

In the ’70s, they were bell-bottoms. Now, they call them flares. Suede jackets, shoulder-pad blazers, leather jackets, and track suits are a few wardrobe options that keep coming back around. In fashion, it could be fascination with the past. In religion, the tendencies of mankind tend to pull us back into mindsets the Bible addressed 2,000 years ago. We may think we’ve come up with it, but we are often reflections of these old philosophies.

A Claim Of Special Knowledge Only Known To A Few. While full-blown gnosticism would not start to emerge until the mid-second century when Marcion attached to Christianity the Middle Platonism from classic Greek philosophy (see what he did there), the Hellenists, Jews, and Christians all drank from these worldly waters in New Testament times. There are too many types and tenets to unpack here, but one strong tendency in gnosticism was the claim of special knowledge available only to the elite and initiated. Paul admonishes Corinth, “Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies” (1 Cor. 8:1). To Timothy, he warns of the one who “is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth…” (1 Tim. 6:4-5). The elitist spirit claims only those with a certain level of religious education or an education from a particular college or school can truly understand the Scriptures.

Helping God With His Commands And Rules.  “The ancient sources variously describe the Pharisees as a political party, a philosophical school and scholarly class, or a sect or voluntary association devoted to ritual purity” (Myers, 823). They were a movement within Judaism that emerged in the time between the Old and New Testaments. They were known for devotion to the exact observance of Judaism, accurate handling of Scripture, and extensive handing down of “extrabiblical customs and traditions” (ibid.). While the New Testament shows how Jesus (Mat. 22:22-33; 23:2-3) and Paul, raised a Pharisee, highlighted some good things taught and shown by these religious leaders, Jesus frequently clashed with them over their putting their rules on a par with the Old Law. They made their ritual cleanliness (Mark 7:1), their Sabbath rules (Mark 3:4ff), and their fasting rules (Mark 2:18) “gospel truth.” They seem to have felt their rules made improvements to God’s law. No wonder Jesus reserved His greatest anger for such audacity (see Mat. 12 and 23). We must be so careful about making our preferences, proclivities, conscience, and convictions the standard others must follow. Otherwise, we’re in dubious company!

Confusing Religion And Politics. The Sadducees and Herodians were two Jewish groups in Jesus’ lifetime that were allies and more alike than different. Where they really intersected was that their “religion” (such as it was) was a means to their real end–politics. They conflated and confused the two. Keeping the Herodian dynasty intact was the chief aim of the latter group, and religion was conveniently called upon when it helped this goal. Some have thought that many of the Herodians were also Sadducees (see Mat. 16:12 and Mark 8:15). Both were inflamed by the apolitical message of Jesus. The gospel was not meant to prop up or empower any earthly, political institution. Jesus did not push for Pharisee Christians or Sadducee Christians. The very idea is repulsive to God (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10-13). Beware of Christian nationalism or Christian patriotism that puts politics or nation before submitted to Jesus as the only Lord and Master.

All of us have our interests and leanings. We can slip into some ancient mindsets, but each of these were schools of thought at odds with Christ. Let us be learners, but also lovers of people and God who practice humility, grace, and patience with others. Let us be convicted and conscientious followers of Christ, but also content to let Him be the sole authority in faith and practice. Let us be lovers of home and heritage, but also cognizant of the fact that our citizenship is in heaven! Otherwise, we could bring some dangerous ideas back in style.

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Sorry, Chase (Part 5)!

Gary Pollard

This week’s article will be the last in the series. It seemed good to me to do one pillar a week for this series, but this one makes five articles. That’s a bit much for one video, and takes on the spirit of something I cannot stand: debunking. That’s not my intent with this series. As has hopefully been clear, my goal is not to debunk the video (The ancients decoded reality) in its entirety, but to correct the observations where Christianity is concerned, and the implication that Christianity is no better or worse than any other world religion. I’ve stated (ad nauseam) that the overall content is excellent, there is much to be gained from his observations. But without a sound framework, it would be very easy for a believer or seeker to conclude that Christianity is just one entree on the menu. We briefly looked at the problem of Christianity’s historical approach to the symbolism and esoterism in scripture, and the need for a framework that doesn’t merely reduce the symbolism to a prosaic or literalist or unidimensional interpretation. Today we will look at the remaining pillars in Mr. Hughes’ video. 

The third universal observation is: Your mind is not a camera, it is a projector. To support this, he cites many of the same ancient texts. 

  1. What you think, you become (Dhammapada) 
  2. The all is mind (Hermetic texts)
  3. The world you perceive is shaped by the mind’s illusions (Hindu Vedanta) 
  4. The universe arises from consciousness (Upanishads)
  5. Reality is the moving image of eternity (Plato)

He looks to quantum physics, relying on the assumptions we’ve made concerning this poorly-understood field. He notes that observation changes the behavior of physical particles. The essence of his argument is that “two people can look at the exact same moment and come away with something different.” And, “We think they’re interpretations, but what they are is filters that reshape reality before reality reaches you.” He has some good observations here — “…the moment we stop letting fear hijack the projector, we start seeing reality pretty clearly for the first time.” His point being that fear robs us of our peace and willingness to surrender control. The problem is that there’s not really any way to confirm or deny this one, so it must be placed in the category of speculation. In my personal opinion, evidence seems to point to consciousness as being non-local. God gives each person the level of consciousness he deems appropriate, that consciousness returns to him at death, and will be “installed” in whatever kind of body we’ll enjoy at the resurrection. But this is difficult to definitively prove, and I defer again to John: Loved ones, we are children of God now, but what we will be has not yet been made clear to us. We know that when he is revealed we will be just like him, and that we will see him just as he is now. Even the inspired writers didn’t exactly understand the nature of the new body, only that our new bodies would necessarily have expanded consciousness. We cannot see him now, but we will see him when he is revealed to the world. 

The fourth observation is one we will partially disagree with: The enemy is not the world, the enemy is the ego. He says, “The only real enemy is the ego. Not demons, not bad luck, not other people, not the world.” This conclusion is a false dichotomy, and does not require much refutation for most Christians. “Friendship with the world is enmity towards God.” “Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and powers of darkness.” To support one aspect of his point, though, we can point to James. He says that our tendency to sin comes from within ourselves — we fall prey to our own desires and become trapped in sin. So yes, our ego is an enemy, but not to the exclusion of the world and its influence or the unseen powers and their influences. The rest of his point is a discussion of the ego and its role in the psychological and social pathologies we deal with, and seems to be helpful overall.

The fifth and final observation: Everything is connected. “We see this in ancient temples and modern physics laboratories. Everything’s connected, everything’s one system, everything influences everything, that’s how everything it gets.” 

He points to the famous observation from the Hermetic texts, “As above, so below.” The Kabbalah, “All creation emerges from a single tree of life.” Again, quantum physics, “No particle is truly separate, every particle has some entanglement,” and many others. His point seems to be summarized by the following: “Nothing stands alone, so every action ripples, every emotion radiates, every intention vibrates through the whole. You are not some separate node in the universe, you’re a node in the cosmic brain firing inside of infinity. And your life is not happening to you, it is happening with you, through you, and as you.” 

The only aspect of this that we can confidently correct is the phrase, “You are not some separate node in the universe…” Scripture does teach that all things (and all consciousness) come from one Source. But this point is incompatible with Christianity in that each person faces their own judgment. Since he points to the Egyptian Pyramid Texts, we must point out that they also believed in individual judgment. Yes, we all come from one source and exist within one framework sustained by one All-Father. But this does not diminish the individuality each person has — why else would murder be considered wrong? If we’re all just “nodes in a cosmic brain”, what makes individual life special if consciousness is not anchored to unique identities within individual bodies? I would also point out that “as above so below” and other similar sentiments have more to do with the fact that things happening in the heavens have their counterparts on the earth. This does not necessarily support his supposition. 

In summary, most of his observations and conclusions are excellent overall, and would be beneficial to implement for anyone looking self-improvement in this life. However, many of his conclusions where Christianity is concerned are flawed. If this is implemented as a self-improvement tool, excellent. But to be adopted as an overall worldview or system of religion (which is functionally what this becomes) is not something a Christian can do and still be called “Christian.”

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Touching Generosity

Neal Pollard

It seems there are endless stories out there that are very similar in nature. 88-year-old Army veteran Ed Bombas lost his pension and healthcare when General Motors went bankrupt and his wife was sick. He was having to work 40 hours a week to meet his expenses. An Australian TikTok influencer helped raise $1.5 million so he could retire. What about Richard, the elderly DoorDash driver who had to go back to work to pay for expensive mediation for his wife. A woman who saw him slowly negotiating her steps via her Ring doorbell set up a GoFundMe for him, and it has nearly reached $1 million. Or Betty, the 81-year-old waitress at an Eat’n Park in Pittsburgh, whose plight touched a customer who raised $300,000 to help the woman who lived on less than $1,000 in social security to retire. Perhaps you focus on the sad sagas of these senior citizens, forced to work despite limitations. But, the sheer outpouring from people touched by the adverse circumstances of sympathetic strugglers should restore at least some of our faith in humanity. Ed, Richard, and Betty all seem endearing, but so are those who have given.

What words do you use to describe generosity that was exhibited to people far less sympathetic and deserving? Paul writes, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). Words like “helpless,” “righteous,” and “good” might describe some, but words like “ungodly” and “sinners” describe “us.” It takes in those three elderly folks, as well as the rest of the world including you and me. Paul has already summoned other descriptive terms, like “ungodliness” and “unrighteousness” (1:18; 3:5), “without excuse” (1:20), “foolish heart was darkened” (1:21), “fools” (1:22), “lusts” and “impurity” (1:24), “degrading passions” (1:26), “shameless deeds” and “error” (1:27), “depraved minds” and “not proper” (1:28), a litany of wicked behaviors (1:29-32), “without excuse” and “condemned” (2:1), “stubbornness” and “unrepentant hearts” (2:5), “selfish ambitions” and “disobedient” (2:8), “evil” (2:9), and “condemned” (3:9). This is not even exhaustive. Paul sums up by saying there is none righteous (3:10), that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (3:23), and that all sinned (5:12). 

But look at the generosity of God to such undeserving people as we all are. Christ gave His life for us (5:6). God loved us enough to enable it to happen (5:8). He reconciles and saves us (5:9). He gives us the gift of grace (5:15-17) and justification (5:18). He makes us righteous (5:19). He gives us eternal life (5:21), infinitely more than $1.5 million and more enduring than a few years at the end of our lives. The One who owns it all gave the very best for totally undeserving people who weren’t victims of undeserved circumstances. We got ourselves into a mess by choice, and God gets us out of it by His choice! 

The recipients of monetary help in those stories and videos shed tears and expressed unbelief. How should we respond, in view of God’s unparalleled generosity? 

https://www.lifeandfavor.org/faq

Continue reading “Touching Generosity”

How To Handle Anxiety

Carl Pollard

Anxiety is one of the most common struggles people face today. Worry about finances, family, health, and the future can weigh heavily on our minds. While modern culture often treats anxiety purely as a psychological problem, Scripture addresses it as a spiritual battle of trust and perspective. The Bible doesn’t ignore anxiety, it provides a clear path for confronting it through faith.

One of the most direct teachings on anxiety comes from Philippians 4:6–7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The Command: Reject Anxiety

Sounds pretty straight forward, but Paul begins with a clear instruction: “Do not be anxious about anything.” The Greek word for anxious (merimnao) literally means “to be pulled in different directions.” Anxiety divides the mind between trust in God and fear of circumstances.

This command doesn’t deny that life contains real problems. Instead, it teaches that Christian’s aren’t meant to carry those burdens alone. Anxiety often grows when we try to control what only God can control. And we feed it constantly by trying to be in control! 

The Exchange: Prayer Instead of Worry

Paul replaces anxiety with a specific practice, prayer. Notice the progression in the verse:

  • Prayer, general communication with God.
  • Supplication, specific requests for help.
  • Thanksgiving, gratitude for what God has already done.

Thanksgiving is especially important. Gratitude shifts the focus from what might go wrong to what God has already proven faithful to do. When we intentionally bring our concerns to God, anxiety is exchanged for dependence.

The Result: God’s Guarding Peace

Paul promises that when we practice this pattern, “the peace of God… will guard your hearts and minds.” The word guard is a military term describing soldiers protecting a city. God’s peace stands guard over our inner life, protecting the heart (emotions) and the mind (thoughts).

Notice Paul says, this peace “surpasses understanding.” This doesn’t mean every problem disappears. Instead, God gives a calm confidence even when circumstances remain uncertain.

Jesus addressed anxiety in Matthew 6:25–34. Three times He tells His listeners “do not worry.” His reasoning centers on God’s care. God feeds the birds of the air. God clothes the lilies of the field. Humans are far more valuable than either! 

Jesus concludes in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” The biblical solution to anxiety isnt control of circumstances but proper priority. When life is centered on God’s kingdom, daily needs fall into their proper place.

Scripture gives several practical steps for dealing with anxiety. 

1. Identify the source of worry. Anxiety often grows from fear of the future or loss of control.

2. Replace worry with prayer immediately.

Instead of rehearsing problems mentally, bring them to God. If you’re already thinking about them, think about it with God. 

3. Practice intentional gratitude. Remembering God’s past faithfulness strengthens trust for the present.

4. Focus on today.

Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34). A lot of anxiety comes from imagining problems that haven’t happened yet. 

The Bible doesn’t promise a life free from stressful circumstances, but it promises something better, the peace of God. Anxiety shrinks when we remember who God is, trust His care, and continually bring our concerns to Him in prayer.

When the heart learns to surrender control to God, worry gives way to confidence, and fear is replaced with peace.

Let’s Be Preoccupied

Neal Pollard

Being engrossed in thought or distracted can be a bad thing, when you are driving, operating heavy equipment, or conversing with your spouse. But if you are preoccupied with those tasks, you should be commended. There is a word found a handful of times in the New Testament which conveys a powerful thought. The word is προσκαρτερέω (prostartereo). Depending on context and whether it is connected with a person or an object, it is translated “stand ready” (Mark 3:9), “devoting” (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 6:4; Rom. 12:12; 13:6; Col. 4:2), “continuing” (Acts 2:46; 8:13), and “personal attendants” (Acts 10:7, noun form). Two of the passages speak of physical laborers who were focused on a task for one who had the right or power to command them (Mark 3:9; Acts 10:7; the Greek Old Testament uses this word in Numbers 13:21 when Moses tells the spies to “make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land”). One speaks of how earthly rulers are servants of God, devoted to their rule). The other passages refer to actions Christians took the initiative to do.

What preoccupied the time, thoughts, and energies of the early saints?

  • Prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 6:4; Col. 4:2).
  • The Apostles’ Teaching (Acts 2:42).
  • Fellowship (Acts 2:42).
  • The Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:42).
  • The Ministry Of The Word (Acts 6:4).

It’s not a long and complicated list. They were engrossed in the public and private practice of prayer. They were riveted on studying and knowing and sharing the Word. They were dialed in to spending time with each other (and welcoming others to become part of them). They were obsessed with coming together to praise and adore God in worship. It affected their whole lives all the time.

The word carries the idea “of decisive or unflinching perseverance” and “emphasizes the persistent and submissive perseverance and tenaciousness of a self-enclosed group collectively oriented toward specific goals” (EDNT, 172). As you evaluate your life, what are your preoccupations? Your obsessions? What are you constantly driven to think, say, and do? Does it reflect the undivided attention of the early Christians, who by such preoccupation took the gospel to the whole world (Col. 1:23) and turned it upside down (Acts 17:6)? Devoutness to exclusively the things that will be destroyed when Christ returns is a tragic distraction! Let’s boil life down to the irreducible imperatives, “the good part, which shall not be taken away from…” us (Luke 10:42).

The Invitation

Carl Pollard

Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

This verse is one of the most well known invitations in Scripture, but it is often misunderstood. Many assume Jesus is speaking to unbelievers about initial salvation. While the principle certainly applies, the context shows that Jesus is actually speaking to Christians who have grown spiritually indifferent.

Revelation 3:20 is part of Jesus’ message to the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14–22). The Laodiceans believed they were spiritually healthy. They said, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing” (Revelation 3:17). Yet Jesus exposed their reality they were, “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”

Their problem was lukewarm faith (Revelation 3:16). They were not openly hostile to Christ, but they were not passionately devoted either. They had allowed comfort and self sufficiency to push Jesus to the margins of their lives.

Jesus uses a powerful image, He is standing outside the door knocking. The church belonged to Him, and yet He was outside.

This idea is one of patient persistence. Jesus isn’t breaking the door down. He’s knocking and calling. The responsibility rests on the individual, “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door.” Faith is personal. Each person must respond.

Jesus promises something beautiful, “I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” In the first century, sharing a meal represented fellowship, acceptance, and relationship. Jesus is offering restored intimacy.

The Laodiceans had religion without love. Christ was offering them the very thing they lacked, true communion with Him!

This verse forces an uncomfortable question, Is Jesus really at the center of our lives, or have we pushed Him outside? It’s possible to attend church, know the Bible, and still live spiritually distant from Christ. Like the Laodiceans, we may feel self sufficient while our relationship with Him grows cold.

But the good news is that Jesus still knocks. He calls us back through His Word, through conviction, and through moments that soften our hearts. When we respond, He doesn’t reject us, He restores us.

Christ doesn’t want our attendance or routine. He wants our fellowship! The door only has one handle, and it’s on the inside. The question is simple, Will we open it?

The Power Of A Name

Dale Pollard

An angel appeared to Gideon while he was threshing wheat in winepress to hide from the Midianites, calling him a “mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12).

Gideon initially doubted his ability, noting how his clan was the weakest in Manasseh and he was the least in his family.

God instructed Gideon to reduce his army from 32,000 to only 300 men to ensure the glory was given to God, not human strength.

So, using only trumpets, jars, and torches, Gideon’s small force caused the Midianite army to panic and flee.

To this day he’s remembered as the judge who brought 40 years of peace to Israel, overcoming his own fear to act with God’s strength. 

Rachel was dying during childbirth on the way to Ephrath (A.K.A. Bethlehem).

Before she dies, she names her son Ben-oni, which means “son of my sorrow” or “son of my pain.” A boy would struggle in many ways if he was forced to grow with a name that marked him as a bringer of pain and served as a constant reminder of grief.

Thankfully, his father, Jacob, changes his name to Benjamin; meaning “son of my right hand.” A name change that no doubt shaped his life growing up for the better.

It’s interesting how names or nicknames can shape our identities from a young age. When children are trying to find out who they are or what their place is in the world, they often internalize observations about themselves given by those they’re closest to. 

God has allowed us to wear the Name of Christ (Romans 13.14)– an unbelievable honor. Anybody carrying His name has a future brighter than the rest. 

When Good Things Become God

Carl Pollard

Tradition is not the enemy. In fact, Scripture speaks positively about certain traditions. Paul wrote, “Stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us” (2 Thess. 2:15). The early church passed down apostolic teaching, patterns of worship, and faithful practices. In that sense, tradition can be a gift, a guardrail that keeps us rooted in truth. Tradition in this sense was truth handed down by Christ to the apostles (John 16:13).

But there is a difference between biblical tradition and traditionalism. I once heard it described as, “tradition is the living faith of the dead. Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.”

The clearest warning comes from Jesus Himself. In Mark 7:8–9, He rebuked the religious leaders: “You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” They weren’t condemned for having traditions but for elevating them above God’s Word.

The Pharisees believed they were preserving holiness. In reality, they were nullifying Scripture. Their traditions became filters that distorted God’s intent. Whenever our customs carry more authority than the Bible, we step into dangerous territory.

Traditionalism says, “We’ve always done it this way.” “That’s just how church is supposed to be.” And, “If it changes, it must be wrong.” Scripture tells us, “Test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).

Traditionalism often confuses preference with principle. Worship location, order of service, dress expectations, building designs may be wise or meaningful. But when we bind them where Scripture does not, we risk adding to God’s Word.

In Colossians 2:23, Paul warned about man-made regulations that “have indeed an appearance of wisdom” but lack true spiritual power. Human systems can look holy while missing the heart. Traditionalism tends to resist biblical correction. It fears cultural engagement. It can prioritize comfort over mission. Ironically, many traditions that feel “ancient” are only decades old.

Traditionalism becomes especially harmful when it alienates younger Christians. When faith is presented as a rigid preservation of forms rather than a relationship with Christ, it breeds either rebellion or apathy.

The church is called to guard the gospel, not freeze cultural expressions in time. The message must not change. The methods often must.

At the same time, we should guard against the opposite end of the spectrum, novelty for novelty’s sake. Not all change is healthy. Scripture calls us to contend for “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Stability matters. The accumulated wisdom of the church matters.

The solution isn’t to abandon tradition but to submit every tradition to Scripture. Does this practice clearly flow from the Bible? Does it help us glorify God and reach people? Or are we defending it simply because it’s familiar?

Traditionalism becomes sin when it binds where God has not bound. It divides over matters of preference (or conscience). It replaces obedience with ritual. It protects comfort over Gods mission.

Jesus didn’t die to preserve our customs. He died to redeem people. Faithfulness isn’t measured by how tightly we cling to the past, but by how fully we submit to Christ in the present. May we cherish biblical tradition, reject human traditionalism, and build churches shaped not by nostalgia, but by the Word of God.

The Seven “I AM” Declarations: Jesus Reveals Himself (Part 2 of 2)

Brent Pollard

In Part 1, we examined the first four “I AM” declarations: Jesus as the Bread of Life who satisfies our deepest hunger, the Light of the World who dispels our darkness, the Door through whom we enter salvation, and the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. Now we turn to the final three declarations, where Jesus addresses our mortality, our confusion about reaching God, and our need for spiritual vitality.

The Resurrection and the Life (John 11.25)

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”

Standing before Lazarus’s tomb, Jesus did not say, “I will give you resurrection” or “I believe in resurrection.” He said, “I AM the resurrection and the life.” He is not merely its provider, but its embodiment.

Death seems so final. It is the great enemy that takes everyone we love and awaits us all. But Jesus declares that death has met its match. For those who believe in Him, physical death becomes a doorway, not a dead end. The body may sleep, but the person lives. One day, even the body will be raised.

This is not wishful thinking. John saw Lazarus leave the tomb. The early church witnessed Jesus’ rise. This hope transforms how we face mortality. Death is real, but Christ is ultimate.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14.6)

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

In an age of religious pluralism and moral relativism, this verse stands as either supreme arrogance or saving truth. There is no middle ground. Jesus does not claim to show us a way—He claims to be the way. He does not point us toward truth—He is truth incarnate. He does not offer us a program for better living—He is life itself.

The claim is total. He is the Way to God. He is the Truth—God’s final revelation. He is the Life—now and always. Not one of many. Not one voice among teachers. Jesus is the only bridge to God.

This exclusivity may offend modern sensibilities, but it should thrill our seeking souls. For it means salvation is not a maze of a thousand dead ends. It is a straight path. It is Jesus Christ.

The True Vine (John 15.1, 5)

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Throughout the Old Testament, Israel was depicted as God’s vine—a recurring metaphor found in passages such as Isaiah 5.1-7 and Psalm 80.8-16, where the nation is described as a vineyard planted and tended by God, intended to produce righteousness and justice as its fruit. However, the prophets repeatedly lamented that Israel failed in this calling, becoming like a wild or unproductive vine and thus disappointing its divine caretaker. Against this rich literary and historical background, Jesus now declares Himself to be the true Vine in John 15; He positions Himself as the faithful and fruitful source of spiritual life that Israel, despite its privileged status, could never fully realize. The “Vine” metaphor here thus carries deeper theological significance: Jesus alone enables true spiritual growth and fruitfulness, succeeding where Israel, as God’s original vine, fell short.

This image teaches us a vital truth: Christianity is an organic connection to Jesus Himself, not simply a matter of performing religious works. The branch does not strain and sweat to produce grapes; it simply remains attached to the vine, which supplies everything needed. Our job is not to manufacture spiritual fruit through sheer willpower, but to abide—to stay connected, remain in fellowship, and continually draw life from Him. The “branch and vine” metaphor shows our dependence on Christ for spiritual growth.

Apart from Him, we can do nothing of eternal value. Connected to Him, we become channels of His life and love to the world around us. This is the secret of the Christian life: not self-improvement, but abiding in Christ.

The Pattern of Grace

Do you see the pattern woven through these seven declarations? Jesus meets us at every point of our deepest need.

We hunger—He is the Bread of Life.

We stumble in darkness—He is the Light of the World.

We need safety—He is the Door.

We are lost and scattered—He is the Good Shepherd.

We face death—He is the Resurrection and the Life.

We are confused about the path to God—He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

We are weak and fruitless—He is the Vine from whom all fruit flows.

But notice something more profound: In every statement, Jesus does not merely give something—He is something. He does not distribute bread; He is Bread. He does not shine a light; He is Light. He does not offer life; He is Life.

This is the great truth that transforms everything: The Christian faith is not primarily about principles to follow or rules to keep. It is about a Person to know. That Person is Christ Himself, offered freely to all who will come, believe, and receive.

The great “I AM” who spoke from the burning bush has spoken again—this time from Galilee, from Golgotha, and from the empty tomb. And He still speaks today to every soul who will listen:

“Come to Me. Follow Me. Enter through Me. Trust Me. Believe in Me. Abide in Me. For I AM.”

A Few Less Considered Benefits Of Baptism

Gary Pollard

According to Romans 5-6 and Galatians, baptism frees us from the standard of the old law. Without grace, which we receive at baptism, our only hope for eternal life is perfectly keeping every single command. No one can do that. The law existed to show us how sinful we are, according to Romans, and we become aware of our own inadequacy compared to God’s standard. Baptism releases us from that standard. We become part of a new and far more lenient system. And no person who has genuinely been convicted by their own guilt would see that as license to sin. But it does mean that God’s forgiveness is abundant and powerful. This is yet another benefit of baptism. 

In Colossians 2, baptism gives us access to the divine and to a perfect new body. John likely wrote I John at the end of the first or beginning of the second century, some decades after the church was established. Despite probably tens or hundreds of thousands of people who had divine insight through miraculous gifts, by John’s day the nature of this new body was still unknown (I John 3.1-3). That hasn’t changed. We can make inferences from how Jesus interacted with reality and with his disciples after his resurrection. There’re some interesting and compelling aspects to what Jesus could do with this new body, but that’s a study for another time. All we know is that baptism gives us access, through Christ, to a greatly expanded range of intellectual and physical motion after the death of this body. 

Equality is something of a loaded term in this era. For most people, it’s an activism word. But scripture presents a divine equality that has nothing to do what race or sex or culture a person is: I Corinthians 12.12-13, A person has only one body, but many parts. Yes, there are many parts, but all those parts are still just one body. Christ is like that, too. Some of us are Jews and some of us are not; some of us are slaves and some of us are free. But we were all baptized to become one body through one spirit, and we all drink from the same spirit. 

Activism has tried and repeatedly failed to “level the playing field” because humans are flawed. One extreme imposes draconian overreaction, the other extreme denies its value entirely. Only God offers true unity and equality. When we’re baptized, we join a body unified by the same power responsible for creating everything we see, and everything we can’t yet see. 

Peter’s Confession (And Ours)

Neal Pollard

Caesarea Philippi makes such a dramatic backdrop for the discussion that occurs in Matthew 16. Even today, as ruins 2,000 years later, the place is imposing. Caesarea Philippi, also known in Christ’s day as Paneas because of the mythological god Pan and known today as Banias, had the cave of Pan carved out of the towering rock. It was associated with multiple cultures for multiplied centuries as a center of idolatry. How dramatic it must have been for the disciples to walk among the temples, sanctuary, grottos, and courtyards erected by Herod the Great with the natural, bedrock setting, discussing matters of such importance with their amazing teacher. On this occasion, Jesus initiates the discussion with a profound question. It was a question of identity. He asks them, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (13).

The phrase, “Son of Man,” found 29 times in the gospel of Matthew and used every time by Jesus to refer to Himself, identifies Him in a very significant way. With this phrase, Jesus references His humanity—His implicit need of sleep (8:20), His eating and drinking (11:19), His physical death (12:40), His physical suffering (17:12), His bodily deliverance to the Jews (17:22; 20:18), and His humble service (20:28). However, it implies His Deity, because with as many references Jesus speaks of His miraculous power, His reign, His atonement, His judgment, and His second coming. For the discerning disciple, Jesus had already given them the answer. Peter, who this gospel has already demonstrated to be quick to answer (14:28; 15:15) and who would continue to be so (17:4;18:21; 19:27; 26:33,35), is the one who answers Jesus’ query. The answer is the most important confession a person could make in this life. It is the confession in yielding obedience to the Lordship of Jesus many men and women have made since the first century. 

Let us examine the confession made by Peter in Matthew 16:13-19 and observe its significance to us today. 

It was a relevant confession (13-14). The identity of Jesus was a topic of discussion at the time. People were obviously pondering the identity of Jesus. The disciples tell Jesus that public opinion held Him to either be John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. What is especially interesting about this is that all of those men would have been dead by this time (cf. 14:1ff), and that means the people believed Him to be a man resurrected from the dead. That would be incredible, but would also seem to imply He was endorsed and even sent by God. In their puzzlement, Jesus was still the focal point of apparently significant debate at this time.

Two millennia of time have done nothing to diminish the relevance of Jesus. He is misunderstood, misrepresented, misinterpreted, and certainly misidentified, but He is still pertinent to the lives of mankind all over the globe. The fact that most miss Who He really is, as they did when He walked the earth, does not negate His relevancy. Skeptics and agnostics try to dismiss Him, yet still discuss Him. The wicked may blaspheme and profane Him, in anger and jest, yet still discuss Him. Those in religious error, with spiritual blinders on, discuss Him. Faithful disciples build their lives completely around Him.  To ascertain His identity marks the height of relevancy.

It was a personal confession (15). Despite the common misperception of Him, Jesus gives His disciples the chance to get it right. Notice that He does so by asking, ““But who do you say that I am?” (15). Regardless of what the Jews said, the pagans said, or the multitude said, Jesus wants these men to answer this. The “you” is plural, but it seems restricted to only His disciples walking with and listening to Him. From Peter’s answer, we can see that the answer is even more specific. Peter, the individual disciple, had to give an answer to the question. 

Jesus wants the world to be won over to Him. But, His Word reveals the individual accountability each of us has to Him as we live our lives on the earth. Earlier in the gospel, He says, ““Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (10:32-33). The “everyone” and the “whoever” suggests the personal nature of the confession each one must have to be eternally accepted by the Father. The church is made up of individuals who wrestled with and came to a proper conclusion about who Jesus is.

It was an accurate confession (16).  When Peter gives his answer, it is the right one. Peter confesses, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Satan knew that this is who Jesus is (4:3,6). The demons knew it, too (8:29). The high priest at His arrest and the passers by at His crucifixion demonstrated their unbelief in this fact (26:63; 27:40), while the Gentile soldiers confessed it (27:54). This confession was a confession of the complete Deity of Jesus. It also contained the idea that Jesus is the Messiah, as He is called in Matthew’s genealogical record (1:1,16-17) . Messiah is the Hebrew designation (Daniel 9:25-26) for Christ, from a Greek word meaning, generally, “one who has been anointed” (Louw-Nida 542), and, specifically, “Fulfiller of Israelite expectation of a deliverer, the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ” (BDAG  1091).  In this sense, other Old Testament passages foretold of His coming (see Psalm 2:2). Peter is saying, in essence, “I believe You are the One prophesied of in the Old Testament as the Divine Deliverer.” While He and the others did not fully grasp the truth Peter spoke, it could not have been more accurate. 

It was a blessed confession (17-19). After Peter’s confession, Jesus responds. He says that Peter is “blessed,” a word Matthew records Jesus using 16 times in this gospel. Each time, the word seems to be used in the sense of something more than mere happiness or joy, though those no doubt are the result of being deemed blessed by God. In fact, everywhere in this gospel that someone is called blessed, there is some blessing or privilege that follows.

  • Receiving the kingdom of heaven (5:3).
  • Being comforted (5:4).
  • Inheriting the earth (5:5).
  • Being filled (5:6).
  • Obtaining mercy (5:7).
  • Seeing God (5:8).
  • Being called sons of God (5:9).
  • Being healed (11:7). 
  • Seeing and hearing (13:16).
  • Being rewarded (24:46; 25:34). 

What are the blessings for Peter?  First, there is heavenly knowledge (17). He understands a truth that did not originate with men, but with God. Second, there was delightful revelation (18). He learns that because Jesus is the anointed One and the Son of God, Jesus would build the church on the foundation of His identity. Third, there is tremendous responsibility (19). Peter is told he will have the task of using the keys—the fact of Jesus’ identity and authority—to unlock the door to let Jews (Acts 2) and Gentiles (Acts 10) into the church of Christ. 

   Whenever anyone follows the instructions first preached by Peter on how to get into the church, they benefit from the same blessings. They accept this heavenly knowledge of who Jesus is. They get to be a part of the unique church that belongs to Jesus. Then, they accept the responsibility to share with others the things Jesus has already bound and loosed in heaven. A life of confessing Christ is the cornerstone to a life with God’s approval, a blessedness unmatched by anything else. 

That even Peter did not grasp the profundity of his confession is clear from His rebuke of the Christ, the Son of the living God shortly after his confession (16:22). Yet, eventually, Peter comes to understand the powerful implications of the confession he makes in Matthew 16:18. He spreads it to thousands of others, who helped to populate and grow that church. As we read his confession today, Peter continues to influence us to imitate his great faith and make the good confession with our lives. May we never be ashamed to own our Lord or defend His cause!

Works Cited

Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, et al. A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature 2000 : 1091. Print.

 Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains 1996 : 542. Print.

The Seven “I AM” Declarations: Jesus Reveals Himself (Part 1 of 2)

Brent Pollard

When Jesus said “I AM,” He opened a door into divinity. God had told Moses His name: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3.14). That name—stark, eternal—declared self-existence and sovereign being. Centuries later, a carpenter from Nazareth used the same formula seven times in John’s Gospel.

John recorded these statements with a clear and deliberate purpose: to demonstrate that each “I AM” declaration is a signpost affirming both the divine identity and mission of Christ. Rather than serving as random metaphors, these statements specifically articulate how Jesus meets fundamental human needs and discloses what He offers to believers. Together, they form the thesis of John’s Gospel by answering the central question about Jesus’ true identity.

Let us walk through these seven declarations, not as scholars cataloguing data but as souls hungry for the Bread of Life, stumbling in darkness and desperate for Light.

The Bread of Life (John 6.35, 48, 51)

“I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

The multitudes had just eaten their fill of fish and barley loaves. They wanted Jesus as a permanent meal ticket, another Moses who would give daily manna. But Jesus refused to be seen as a mere provider of bread that perishes. He called Himself the true bread from heaven—the source that fills not the stomach but the soul, meeting our deepest need.

We are born hungry for purpose, acceptance, and to fill a God-shaped void. We try to satisfy this hunger with achievements and pleasures. Yet earthly bread leaves us hungry again. Christ alone satisfies because He is life. To come to Him ends our soul’s restlessness.

The Light of the World (John 8.12; 9.5)

“I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

Picture Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles, its massive golden lamps blazing in the temple courts, commemorating the pillar of fire that led Israel through the wilderness. Against that backdrop, Jesus makes His audacious claim: I am the true Light.

Darkness in Scripture is never neutral. It represents sin’s blindness, ignorance’s confusion, and the deep despair that comes from separation from God. To walk in darkness means to lack moral direction, to be unable to see or know God, and to experience the guilt and shame that result from this separation.

But Jesus does not merely illuminate the path—He is the path. He does not simply reveal truth—He is truth embodied. When we follow Him, we step out of the shadow of death into the light of life. We see clearly, perhaps for the first time, who God is, who we are, and what life is meant to be.

The Door (John 10.7, 9)

“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”

In the ancient world, a shepherd led his flock into a walled enclosure each night. There was a single opening—no gate, just an entrance. The shepherd would lie across it, making his body the door, a living barrier. No wolf could enter without facing him, and no sheep could slip out unseen. The shepherd as “door” meant protection and the only path to safety.

Jesus claims to be the only true entrance into God’s safety. No one climbs over by achievement. No one sneaks in with rituals. There is no other entrance called “good intentions” or “sincere beliefs.”

The exclusivity of the Door troubles our pluralistic age, but it ought to comfort our souls. For if Jesus is the Door, we know exactly where to enter. We are not left to guess which of a thousand paths might lead to God. We need not wonder whether our efforts are enough. The Door stands open. The Shepherd calls. When we enter through Him, we are saved.

The Good Shepherd (John 10.11, 14)

“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

Israel had sung of the Lord as their Shepherd in Psalm 23. The prophets had condemned Israel’s leaders as faithless shepherds who scattered the flock. Now Jesus claims the title for Himself—and defines it by the cross.

A hired hand flees danger. A false shepherd uses sheep. The Good Shepherd knows His sheep, calls them by name, and lays down His life. The cross was not a tragedy; it was the Shepherd’s choice for His flock.

This is love without parallel. This is commitment beyond measure. And this is why we can trust Him even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Our Shepherd has already been there—and He has conquered it.

In our next article, we will explore the final three “I AM” declarations, where Jesus reveals Himself as the answer to our deepest fears, our greatest confusion, and our spiritual fruitlessness.

Be Reconciled

Carl Pollard

Some things are hard to put back together once they’re broken. A cracked phone screen never feels the same. A bent fishing hook won’t hold like it once did. And a fractured relationship, especially one hurt by betrayal or deep pain, can feel impossible to restore. We live in a world where “cutting people off” is often celebrated as self-care. But Scripture introduces us to a word that runs against our instincts: reconciliation.

Reconciliation is not the same as avoidance, denial, or pretending nothing happened. Biblically, reconciliation is the restoration of what was broken. And like many things in life, reconciliation only works when the right elements are brought together. Mix pride with reconciliation, and it fails. Mix bitterness with reconciliation, and it becomes poisonous. But when reconciliation is mixed with humility, repentance, and grace, something powerful happens.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:18–19 that “all things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ.” Notice the direction. We did not reconcile ourselves to God; God took the initiative. While we were still sinners (Romans 5:10), Christ died for us. That truth sets the standard for how reconciliation works among people. It always begins with grace, not merit.

In the first century, reconciliation was not theoretical for Christians, it was costly. Jews and Gentiles, divided by centuries of hostility, were now being called “one body” in Christ (Ephesians 2:14–16). Paul says that Christ “destroyed the barrier” and made peace through the cross. The cross didn’t ignore sin; it dealt with it fully. True reconciliation never minimizes wrong, it addresses it through truth and sacrifice. 

This is where we often struggle. We want peace without repentance, unity without humility, and forgiveness without discomfort. But biblical reconciliation requires a change of heart. Jesus teaches that if your brother sins, there must be confrontation (Matthew 18:15). Reconciliation doesn’t mean enabling sin; it means pursuing restoration God’s way.

As Christians, we are not only reconciled people, we are entrusted with the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). That means our words, attitudes, and actions should reflect the God who restored us. Harboring resentment while claiming fellowship with God is a contradiction (1 John 4:20).

Reconciliation is not easy. It costs pride. It demands forgiveness. Sometimes it requires patience and boundaries. But it is always worth it, because it mirrors the gospel itself. Let us be careful to practice reconciliation the way God designed it, rooted in truth, powered by grace, and aimed at restoration.