Tag: Christianity

The “Moral Compass” Of The Modern Culture

Neal Pollard

If a nation or people will move back toward the Bible, it must overcome three philosophical barriers.  I mentioned these in an earlier blog (read here).  Here are the three barriers:

  • The Cultural Sickness Of Subjectivity.  Subjectivism, in its final form, makes the individual “god” and their views supreme. Thoughts and feelings trump a rational look at an individual matter, and even searching for an objective viewpoint is disdained.
  • Society’s Warped View Of Tolerance.  Rather than “hate the sin, love the sinner,” the mantra is “there is no sin and no sinner.”  Though everyone has a line in the sand somewhere, no one wants anyone putting their behaviors on the other side of the line.
  • The Average Person’s Ignorance Of The Bible.  Of course, we are getting past the point where the average person believes the Bible or has a favorable view of it.  The fruit of the seeds of biblical illiteracy is more than immorality.  It includes prejudice against the Bible and contempt for those who seek to upheld it in most any forum.

Certainly, those professing to follow the Bible and its guidelines have hurt their own cause through ungodly attitudes, hypocrisy, isolation, and prejudices of their own.  Christians must be willing to make the first (and even second and third) steps (cf. Mat. 5:41).  We must model biblical teaching with righteous lives (Mat. 5:14-16; 1 Pet. 2:9).  We cannot expect the world to act Christlike, but we must expect that Christians will not be worldly.  We can effect the change we want to see, and, in time, align the culture’s moral compass with the Creator’s.

Eliot’s Motto

Neal Pollard

The president of Harvard University in the last part of the 19th Century, Charles Eliot, had for his motto the words of Edward Everett Hale. Hale had said, “Look up and not down; look out and not in; look forward and not back, and lend a hand” (McCullough, Mornings on Horseback, 197).  While Eliot was renowned for being in his own world and not being very observant of students or others, his motto was extraordinary!

The practice of that motto would do wonders for our world.  If all of us, as Christians, could translate the sentiment of those words into daily practice, we would keep the waters of baptism stirring.  These words, properly understand, call for divine dependency, unselfishness, vision, and service.  If I understand the help God gives me, I will reach out in faith.  If I understand my need to be concerned for the other person before I worry about myself, I will reach out in love.  If I understand the importance of forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I will reach out in hope.  If I understand the importance of my being useful and cooperative, I will reach out in service.

Hale did not invent these ideas.  He commandeered them from the greatest source of inspiration and motivation possible—the Bible.  In fact, consider these same profound concepts just from the Philippian epistle. Paul says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (4:13).  He says, “With lowliness of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves” (2:3b; cf. 2:4).  He says that forgetting the past and reaching for the future, he could “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (3:13-14).  Throughout the letter, he urges these Christians to think about others and help them.

Taking on the challenge of that motto is not easy, but how rewarding it is!  How it rewards us is incidental; that is, we will receive joy in looking up, out, and forward. Yet, it will be rewarding for the many who will be touched and blessed because we had such a large view of life.  What is your motto?

An Aggressive Agenda

Neal Pollard

They use every opportunity to make it a part of the conversation.  It is as if they have a one-track mind.  However they can promote their cause, they do.  They will not quit until they convince you that what they believe is right and that you should accept it, too.  They are bold and willing to risk and sacrifice to get their point of view not only heard but accepted.  That there are still several places in the world where what they are preaching is unacceptable does not daunt or deter them.  Say what you will, they believe in their conviction and will continue to spread it.  They are purpose-driven.

Can you imagine Jews and those of the Roman Empire saying this about the Christians in the first century?  Armed with a living hope (1 Pet. 1:3), they, even in the worst times, “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).  They were accused of having “turned the world upside down” with their teaching (Acts 17:6). They had the reputation as “the sect…that [was] spoken against everywhere” (Acts 28:22). Yet, they would not stop until they had shared the good news everywhere (Col. 1:23).  They were not interested in popularity or even acceptance.  They were trying to get their point of view not only heard but accepted because it originated from the very mind of God.

Aren’t there people in this world who seem to have such a singular obsession? They are in special interest groups, and they have the cooperation and acceptance of rich and powerful people in the media, politics, education, and even athletics.  They are indefatigable, tirelessly and relentlessly pursuing their agenda.

What about the church of the 21st Century?  Do we have an aggressive agenda? Are we willing to share the Word of God, whatever it costs to whomever we can?  It necessitates this question. Do we truly believe it is both right and essential?  If it captures our minds, hearts and souls, we will not be able to keep quiet about it.  May we develop the reputation for steadfast single-mindedness!

BELLIGERENCE

Neal Pollard

Occasionally, I run across someone whose sincerity and earnestness I do not doubt but whose manner and tack are incredibly brusque, confrontational, and antagonistic.  These same ones seem to frame questions disingenuously, almost as if to entrap you with the information they think they already know or pin you to positions they already believe you take.  They may be quick to want to ascertain whose side you are on or what your stand is, even in matters that can be terribly complex and not so easy to answer.  Their seeming attitude toward others is that they are guilty until proven innocent or that the ones they are examining are innately unwilling to stand up for what they, the “examiner,” believe is the truth.

This same belligerent approach was often taken by the Jewish leaders during Jesus’ ministry.  They would come up with a scenario for Him simply to entrap Him or try and use His words against Him.  Even though Jesus always answered correctly and never sinned or took a “wrong position,” they eventually twisted His words as part of their ploy to have Him crucified.

Ironically, these would deem themselves God’s staunchest defenders of the faith.  Yet, through deceit, manipulation, unrighteous judgment, and the like, they reflect worldliness and fleshly works which God addresses in scripture.  In Galatians five, Paul calls such things as “contentions,” “outbursts of wrath,” “selfish ambitions,” and “dissensions” works of the flesh (20).  In instructions on dealing with one another, Paul tells Ephesus that such things as “bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (4:31-32).

There are brethren in Christ who have compromised God’s truth, and this has sadly occurred in every part of the country.  That is not what is under consideration here.  There are also some who are intent on redrawing smaller and smaller circles of fellowship all the time.  They are using as criteria laws they have made and standards that are from themselves.  No one can very easily or for very long stay inside their circle.  But let us not be bullied or intimidated into thinking that something is wrong with us if we do not walk lockstep with the belligerent.  Let us pray for them and continue to have the courage to speak what is truly truth in a way that is truly loving!

His Name Meant “Comfort”


Neal Pollard

Whose name meant “comfort”?  Noah’s! Lamech says as much.  When Noah was born, Lamech proclaimed, “This one shall give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the Lord has cursed” (Gen. 5:29). The NIV and KJV, among others, puts the word “comfort” for “rest,” Lamech was optimistic that Noah, would help alleviate the labor pains of farming in cursed ground.

Have you stopped to think about the meaning of Noah’s name and the mission of Noah’s life? What was his task? He was to build the ark, but he also preached (cf. 2 Pet. 2:5). Now, as to how many people Noah preached to, the Bible is silent. One might assume that he preached as far and as widely as a man engaged in such an enormous building project could. Or, one might say that he preached by the example of his righteous life (cf. Gen. 6:9).  The best understanding of 1 Peter 3:18-21 may be that Christ preached to the disobedient ones through Noah’s efforts prior to the flood.

If Noah did preach to the disobedient, and/or admonished and exhorted onlookers and scornful neighbors to get on board the ark, he still was seeking to provide comfort. The thing to understand about giving comfort is that it does not always mean speaking soothing words, placating people, or telling them what they want to hear. That is, at times, a very appropriate and needed response–especially when people are suffering or trying to stay faithful. Yet, comfort can also be the fruit that only comes after a warning or rebuke. When a person is on a self-destructive course, they are destined for something inconceivably awful! What can a compassionate Christian do but try with tremendous effort to steer them back on course? That may be the only way that wayward sinner comes to the place where eternal comfort is once more a possibility.

Remember Jude’s teaching. He said, “And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh” (Jude 22-23). Sometimes, comfort is in the product and not in the raw material or the manufacturing. Always being loving, let us risk offending now so that eternal comfort can be had later! The Christian’s name, nature, and business centers around that real, spiritual comfort, both for the Christian and those whose lives he or she touches (cf. 1 Tim. 4:16).

IN THE GRIP OF A PYTHON

Neal Pollard

What a sad story emerged from Campbellton, New Brunswick, last week.  Two little boys were spending the night at a friend’s house. The friend’s father, Jean-Claude Savoie, owns an exotic pet store and was apparently keeping a 14-foot-long African rock python in his home. During the night, while the boys slept, the python got loose from his glass enclosure, crawled through the ventilation system, and landed in the living room where the boys slept. It was then that, incredibly, he took the lives of the boys.  Reports indicate the children had been to Savoie’s farm earlier in the day and had played with llamas, goats, horses and dogs, but had not bathed.  Officials speculate that the python probably mistook the boys for prey, thanks to their scent.  The parents must be grief-stricken and the snake-owner devastated (via http://www.cbsnews.com).

Perhaps what makes this so tragic is that it involves something physical, that can be seen or at least visualized.  Yet, an infinite number of times over daily, a greater tragedy is occurring. Children are being assaulted by “that serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9).  But because his deadly work is done upon souls and not bodies, it is so easy to ignore.  Children are placed by their parents into circumstances that expose them to this dangerous predator with seemingly little thought to the consequences.  Parents allow the “scent” of the world to be left upon their children, allowing them to see and hear worldliness, become comfortable with it, and do nothing to be cleansed from it.  God has made moms and dads the guardians of their children’s lives, whether it is their entertainment, friends and associations, activities, education, or the like.  We are responsible for guiding them toward truth and away from error.

Do we ever, rather than taking that stewardship seriously, become lax and careless?  We sing, “This world is not my home,” but are we helping to make our precious heritage cozy in its arms?  May we all resolve to protect our children from the “evil one,” appreciating the gravity of what is at stake.

GLORIFYING THE PERVERSE WHILE REJECTING THE PROPER

Neal Pollard

On the front page of today’s Section C (Colorado Style) in the Denver Post, there is what is undoubtedly meant to be a heartwarming story of love between Ned and Sara.  Except that Ned is now Koko, a man who contends he identifies himself as a woman.  Ned also is attracted to women, so he considers himself a lesbian.  The piece subtly contains the barb that if he had an operation, he and Sara could “only have a civil union.” As it is, they can be legally married and all because of anatomy.  The clear implication is that our current laws unfairly exclude homosexuals and discriminate against them.  With complete sympathy, writer Claire Martin gushes at this “unconventional trip to the altar” that will culminate in their July wedding–both of whom will be brides wearing bridal gowns (C1,C8).

Speaking against such thinking and behavior as this is increasingly unpopular.  In a “live and let live” world, whose inhabits decry and detest judging behavior as right or wrong, calling scenarios like the one presented in the article perverse is considered unacceptable. An agenda-driven media, as well as other, like-minded institutions, continue to foist homosexuality and perversity upon the “consumer.”  Not only is it promoted, it is normalized, dignified, and even glamorized.  Through such relentless publicity, so many are becoming desensitized and callused to what is advocated.  Interestingly, people get more comfortable with perversion but get quite uncomfortable with any denouncement or disapproval of perversion.

Consider Paul’s warning to the church at Ephesus (Eph. 4:17-24).  Nonbelievers can be found “walking” (manner of life) with a mind set on valueless and useless things.  The result of such thinking and living is moral darkness, spiritual death, ignorance, hardness of heart, shamelessness, an insatiable desire for pleasure, and a craving for what is wicked and lewd.  Paul contrasts the thinking of the world with those who have “learned Christ.” We are not to be corrupted by deceptive desires.  We are taught the truth, which leads to a new mind, a new man, and a new morality.

That means we should be able to distinguish between the normal and the perverse, the proper and the improper.  This will be more important as the world continues to lose its grip on such distinctions. We must keep our bearings!

WHAT REPUTATION DO CHRISTIANS HAVE WHERE YOU ARE?

Neal Pollard

Reputations.  Cities have them.  Pamplona, Spain.  Amsterdam, Netherlands.  Las Vegas, Nevada.  Cancun, Mexico.  Paris, France.  Mecca, Saudi Arabia.  They are associated with behavior, activities, or events.

Individuals have them.  Consider names like Hitler, Dahmer, Darwin, Einstein, Princess Diana, Madonna, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Stalin, Marx, Gandhi, and Jesus.  They are all names ripe with connotation, whether positive or negative.

Corporations and countries earn their reputation, and professions and products do, too.  The reputation may exceed the quality of what it represents, and occasionally one’s reputation does not do them justice.  But, reputations, once received, are hard to change.

Consider the name “Christian.”  It is a word with a definite connotation for just about everyone.  For some, it is positive.  For others, it is negative.  Sometimes, the problem lies with the prejudice of the beholder.  Other times, a person claiming to be a Christian behaves in such a way as to sully the reputation of the name.

What reputation do “Christians” have where you work or go to school?  Does the very mention of the name cause the rank and file to cringe, roll their eyes, or fly into a raging tirade?  What reputation do “Christians” have in your extended family or circle of non-Christian friends?  Does it conjure for them synonyms like “hypocrite,” “self-righteous,” “holier-than-thou,” or “ignorant”?

Remember, some of this may be due to the prejudice of these individuals.  It could be that they had a negative experience with one person claiming to wear that name.  Hopefully, it will never be because we have done anything to lower the beauty and dignity of the name that shows our Savior’s ownership.  But, right now and from this day forward, we can raise people’s estimation of Christianity by representing Christ at all times by our speech, attitude, choices, and loving compassion.  Mahatma Gandhi once famously said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”  May we never give anyone cause to say that about Christians due to our influence!  Build Christ’s reputation where you are.  Show Him to others.

25 WAYS TO KEEP CHRIST IN THE CENTER OF MY LIFE…

 

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Neal Pollard

1) I will absorb myself in the practice of prayer

2) I will actively practice kindness

3) I will find someone each day with whom to share Him

4) I will watch what I allow to grow in my heart

5) I will consider carefully how what I do effects my influence

6) I will actively encourage the people I daily encounter

7) I will assume and look for the best in others

8) I will nurture a hatred of sin and a love of sinners

9) I will treat Scripture as daily nourishment for my soul

10) I will keep a spiritual song in my heart

11) I will reflect meaningfully on the price He paid at Calvary

12) I will guard my tongue

13) I will think longingly about heaven

14) I will contemplate ways to be involved in the church’s work

15) I will love His church with a passion (that means the people, too)

16) I will cut out the tendency to rationalize or defend wrongdoing

17) I will be discerning about what is spiritual and what is worldly

18) I will grow in my understanding of what true love is

19) I will humbly acknowledge the greatness and power of God

20) I will do all within my power to help answer His prayer for unity

21) I will pursue souls with the same vigor that He did

22) I will look for ways to turn the conversation to the spiritual

23) I will long for times of worship and devotion

24) I will care less and less about my rights, feelings, and desires

25) I will think, speak, act, and look more like Him every day

Blackout Christianity?

Neal Pollard

It is going to be harder today to find a quick answer to such questions as, “How did William Henry Harrison die?” or “What is the history of the easter bunny?”  For both questions, the top search engine result is the Wikipedia website.  Most know that they have chosen today, January 18, 2012, to protest some anti-piracy legislation better known as SOPA and PIPA.  The list of sites participating in what they call the “blackout” is very long, but none have more star power than the familiar, free information Wiki-sites.  Were I better informed about the particulars, I might articulate an educated opinion.  I will defer to others for that service.  My interest is in the way they have chosen to protest.  They are calling it “blackout Wikipedia.”  They have shut down their site and no one can use it for “research.”  As my friend Keith Kasarjian wrote earlier today, “With Wikipedia down, students all over the world are scrambling to figure out how to do real research.”

In John 8:12, Jesus called Himself the light of the world.  Matthew 5:14 says that we, as Christians, are the light of the world. But, Jesus, in Matthew five, says that we black out those lights (cf. 5:15).  Paul demonstrates how important it is for that light to be seen.  He says that in a dark, crooked and perverse world, Christians “appear as lights” (Phil. 2:15).  But, when we black out that light through compromise and conformation, no one will be able to find out the answers to the most important questions of all time and eternity.  We ourselves were called out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). Paul says, “Walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).  How can we do that if nobody knows we have the light and are the light?

None of us would arbitrary chose a day to blackout our Christianity, but if we are not careful we can make such a decision our way of life.  God give us strength and courage to “put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12)!

 

CUES FROM A CANDLE

Neal Pollard

My mother-in-law makes them.  There are usually a few in my office.  They have been used to light the way for centuries.  They are such simple devices, still a staple amid our technologically advanced age.

A candle requires a functioning wick.  This is the catalyst for the candle to burn.  That wick must be sufficiently long to hold and carry the flame.  If the wick is too short, the flame dies.  No wick and it’s useless.  Likewise, I need to be sure that my “wick” is fully functional, too.  Too many have a “short wick” or seemingly none at all.  They are quick-tempered, flying off the handle and into a rage (cf. Pro. 12:16; 29:11) .

A candle requires wax.  It is pretty hard before it is heated, but then is softens and melts.  Scented candles emit an aroma, too.  From this, I am reminded of the need I have to let God’s Word, which is like a fire (cf. Jer. 23:29), soften my heart and melt it.  As a child of God, as that Word works on my life it should cause me to emit an aroma pleasing to God (cf. 2 Cor. 2:14). It should also work to draw others to Him.

A candle is molded.  Even if it does not have a glass or other container, it is preformed and shaped by the candle maker.  That candle is designed to keep the shape given it by its creator.  Just so, I remember that God wishes to mold and shape my life.  If I let Him, He can change and transform me into something useful (cf. Rom. 12:2).  I must be true to His design for my life, pursuing a higher purpose than just earthly matters (Col. 3:1).

A candle’s color does not effect its ability.  If you have been by a candle display, you have seen how diverse the color spectrum is.  The color of the wax does not determine whether or not the candle works.  What a reminder for man, so prone to prejudice.  God, who created us all, gives no preference or priority to one race over another.  Thanks to Christ, such distinctions have been erased (Gal. 3:28).

A candle eventually is spent.  Manufacturers tout long-life candles, slow-burning candles, and the like.  Yet, if used, the candle will come to an end.  May I never forget that this body is not engineered for eternity, that this physical life will come to an end (Heb. 9:27).  May that come after a long and productive life used for His purpose.