Tag: dishonesty

Watch Your Mouth!

Neal Pollard

When a people are described with “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (17:6), they are apt to say whatever comes out of such a heart and mind. We cannot be surprised to see the hero as well as the villains in this account getting in trouble through their words. Back at the very beginning of Judges eleven, the Gileadites foolishly speak words rejecting Jephthah because of his unseemly origins (11:2). They would eventually have to eat those impetuous words (11:7-8). The events involved in turning back the Ammonite oppression would lead to words with deadly consequences!

Jephthah spoke reckless and rash words (11:30-31). On the one hand, his vow demonstrates a faith in God that made him throw all caution to the wind. He so desperately wanted victory over God’s enemy that he vowed to sacrifice the first living thing that passed through the door to meet him. While many ancient cultures, including Israel, frequently kept livestock in their houses (cf. 2 Sam. 12:3), Jephthah at least ran the risk that it would be a loved one or at least a servant who met him upon his return. Yet, in apparent passion, he vowed to offer whatever it was as a burnt offering to the Lord. God did not ask for or expect human sacrifice; in fact, His strongest words of condemnation were reserved for false worship that included it (Deut. 12:31; 2 Ki. 17:17; Jer. 7:31). God granted this deliverer victory and upon his return home, his only child, a daughter, came out to greet him celebrating his great victory (34). Both the daughter and her father understood the absolute seriousness of his vow (Num. 30:2; Ecc. 5:4-5). There was no breaking it, so Scripture says he “did with her according to his vow that he had made” (39). How many words have been spoken in the heat of passion, anger, or zeal that were not carefully thought through and went on to hurt God, ourselves, and others? How many promises have been made that proved costly to keep? We ought to taste our words, chewing on them before we say them, to make sure they are words thoughtfully and wisely spoken. Otherwise, they may prove to be bitter! 

The Ephraimite spoke words that betrayed them (12:5-6). This started with their threatening and taunting speech, viciously (and apparently dishonestly, 12:2-3) accusing Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire” (12:1). They also insulted the Gileadites, whom Jephthah led, calling them “fugitives” rather than brethren (12:4). The Gileadites took control of the Jordan River, monitoring all who sought to cross it. Any Ephraimite who tried to cross, they killed. In the end, they killed 42,000 Ephraimites. How could they distinguish them from everyone else? Their speech. The Ephraimites’ speech led to their downfall. They could not pronounce “Shibboleth.” They said “Sibboleth.” It was literally a dead giveaway! What about our speech, on the job, at school, at home, or out with our friends? Do those words proclaim to others that we are followers of Christ, or do we sound just like the world? We are wise to listen to Jesus’ words of warning about our words: “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mat. 12:34-37). We don’t need anybody’s affirmation or approval so badly that we would neglect this warning!

Those of us who are prone to think out loud or practice “ready, fire, aim” with our speech do well to remember Jephthah and the Ephraimites. Let’s watch our words. Let’s make sure they are pure and profitable, not poor and pitiful! 

Examine Yourself

Carl Pollard

We usually lie to ourselves more than we do to others. However, repentance in and of itself is being open and honest with God. It’s recognizing sin, and turning from it. 

The prodigal son took his inheritance, left home and blew all his money. He waisted his money fulfilling his every desire. But after a while, the money ran out and he was forced to get a job working with pigs. He was so hungry the pig slop looked appetizing. 

Jesus tells us this parable in Luke 15:17-24, 

“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.” ’” So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.”

Notice that the son said to himself, “I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight.” Do we really want to know ourselves? Be honest. Not a single human on earth is without sin. When the son was honest, the Father was forgiving. 

If you’re a Christian and there’s sin in your life, the worst thing you can do is ignore it. 

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God is READY and FAITHFUL to forgive…but we MUST confess! God doesn’t want you to bury them deep down; confess and get it over with! He’s waiting. He already knows what you’ve done, but we act like we can hide it from Him. 

You owe it to yourself to be honest, not just to others but in the conversations you have in your head. Be honest in the decisions you make, the sins in your life and you’ll be closer to knowing who you REALLY are. 

We are sinful, we are human, but God gives grace to those who come to Him. Let’s be honest, and a truthful examination will show us that we need God in our lives. 

Purloining

Thursday’s Column: Captain’s Blog

Carl Pollard

Today I walked in on someone purloining. I told them that I would think of some ways that they could recompense the situation, but the only way I could think to forgive them was if they were willing to give me some money as a propitiation. 

Did that sentence confuse you? Then you’re in luck because in this article we are going to be covering a very confusing word. The Bible is the most valuable possession we can have here on earth. So our goal should be to understand what it says. If I’m honest there have been times that I’ll read verses that use some confusing words, and instead of trying to understand what it means, I just skip over it and keep reading. 

There are some valuable insights that we can gain from looking more in depth at these words. 

Let’s define this biblical term “purloining” using scripture. Titus 2:10 says, “not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.” 

The Greek word “nosphivo” is only found 3 times in New Testament and only translated as purloining in one verse. It’s defined as, “to put aside for oneself, to keep back, to steal.” It was actually a term used as a description of what Roman soldiers would do when they were looting. They would be tempted to hold back treasure for themselves. And that’s exactly what this word means. 

Going back to this verse, what does it mean in context? Verse 10 is the launching point for the rest of Paul’s point in chapter one. When he says purloining, he’s referring to bondservants and their attitude towards their masters. Rather than pilfering and stealing, they should show faith in God to take care of them. 

In essence this verse is an appeal to live in accordance with the teachings of God in everything. 

Servants who were not Christians would steal and cheat their masters at any chance they could get. Paul’s appeal for these servants to keep from purloining is still relevant today. We can be tempted to slack off and do as little work as possible. This mentality is the same as stealing since our employers pay us to do a job. If we are lazy and avoid working, that is a form of stealing. As Christians we are to have a faith in God to provide for us, not stealing and being dishonest.

In summary, if you were to use this in everyday conversation, you could say…

“I have never purloined in my life,” “Purloining is wrong,” and “I’m going to teach my kids to be honest and not run around purloining.” 

P.S. Or you could just say “steal” or “withhold.” 

The Bible And The College Cheating Scandal

Neal Pollard

One of the nation’s biggest news stories last week involved a college admissions scam that included several high-profile people, including at least two Hollywood actresses. A California man, Rick Singer, spearheaded a scheme to bribe coaches and administrators at such colleges as Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, USC, and other prestigious universities. The bribes bought these privileged High School students extra time to take the SAT and ACT, make fake athletic profiles, and substitutes to take their entrance exams for them. This has proven embarrassing for both the colleges and those breaching this most basic of ethical codes (via Foxnews.com, Madeline Farber). 

Someone observed that there is a bit of irony and hypocrisy in all of this. We feel outraged at this glaring lack of honesty and ethics, but students who attend these (and other) universities have been taught for decades that there is no such thing as absolute truth and an objective standard of right and wrong. Are we surprised when people live out the consequences of such world views? Remove a measurable, immutable standard, and anything goes! It disgusts us to see such values in action, but people of influence in our society have been pushing such values for a long time. 

In addition to its answers to all of life’s crucial questions, the Bible lays down an ethical code that is universal and logical. Its rules are blind to nationality, economic status, gender, age, or any other category one falls into he or she might appeal to as an exception. In fact, those who have more have greater expectations made of them (see Luke 12:48).  The Judgment Day will be eminently impartial. No one will manipulate the results. No one can sidestep heaven’s requirements for salvation without an eternal consequence. Just because one is religious leader does not mean that they are above the law of Christ. Again, there are higher standards for those who are in positions of leadership (Jas. 3:1; Heb. 13:17; 1 Tim. 4:16; etc.). 

It’s not at all surprising that a society which rejects God’s guidelines finds itself sinking into a moral and ethical abyss (cf. Prov. 14:34). But, it does go to show that no one wants to reap the harvest from sowing the seeds of sin. However, there is no way to avoid it (Hos. 8:7; Gal. 6:7-8). Our challenge is to live lives of consistency, exemplifying the benefits of respecting and adhering to God’s standards. Jesus calls such modeling “salt” and “light”which highlights God’s existence and relevance in our world (Mat. 5:13-16). 

We cannot keep others from being cheaters and liars, but we can show them a powerful alternative!

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Allergic To Church?

Neal Pollard

A Christian lady asked her neighbor to attend a gospel meeting with her. The neighbor said neither “yes” nor “no.” He said that he and his wife could not attend church because of her allergies! Apparently, the perfumes of those attending so bothered her that she could not go to a house of worship. He conceded the awfulness of her situation, but he was confident God would overlook their lack of attendance.

This same sister, who knows and loves that couple, had bumped into her sneezy neighbor countless times in the grocery and department stores. The couple celebrated their 50th anniversary with a party they hosted in their home. Many guests attended, most of whom presumably “attended church” somewhere. The sister attended, too, and sorrowfully reported that almost every guest wore perfume. Fortunately, the neighbor survived the party.

Few excuses will outdo getting sick from church. Yet, some of the excuses we give are equally flimsy, if more trite. Truly, God will judge each individual for only He knows the heart and the circumstances (cf. Rom. 8:33-34; Heb. 4:12). As that is so, how often is He snubbed and insulted by Christians who willfully intend to miss the assemblies? What does He think of the chronic excuser, who attempts to justify “skipping church” with horribly poor rationale?

True Christians truly seek the Kingdom of God first (Mat. 6:33). Spiritually living Christians hunger for each opportunity to worship God and fellowship with other Christians (cf. Psa. 95:6; Mat. 5:6; Acts 12:12; etc.). Cross-centered saints do not look for “reasons” to miss worship and Bible study with other saints! It is incongruous to think of a spiritual-minded person (cf. 1 Pet. 2:5) battling with the decision (?) of whether or not to attend. May each of us develop the yearning of David and say, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psa. 122:1).

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