Tag: faithfulness

Flight 370 And Falling Away

Neal Pollard

We are now several days into an unspeakable tragedy that is equally mysterious.  Despite sophisticated tracking methods and multi-national radar, a Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared without warning or a trace on Saturday, March 8, 2014. The disappearance of Flight 370 is an enigma because “there are only a handful of scenarios that could explain how a usually reliable wide-body jet could seemingly vanish from a clear sky with no distress call and no obvious debris field” (Tracy Connor, NBC News online).  At this point, all experts have are theories—mechanical malfunction, bomb or explosion, hijacking, pilot error or sabotage (ibid.).  None of the theories is entirely satisfactory, however, and friends and family from 14 nations find no consolation or closure from this heretofore unsolved mystery.

Though it fails to make the news or be as dramatic, there are mysterious disappearances continuously occurring.  It is usually possible to physically find the missing, but it can be just as hard to understand exactly why they came to be “missing” all the same.  There are multiple causes, but that does little to bring consolation or satisfaction.  I am referring to Christians who fall away from faithfulness.

Some fall away because of structural problems, a failure on the part of the congregation or some negative influence within it (cf. Mat. 18:6).  Bad example, being a stumbling block, and thoughtless speech are ways we can contribute to a Christian falling.  Some fall away because of something that “explodes” or “blows up” in their lives—financially, relationally, emotionally, or the like (Luke 8:13).  Some fall away because their faith is hijacked, maybe by a false teacher or even a well-meaning family member who is bothered by their “changing religions” (cf. Gal. 1:6-9; 3:1).  Some simply fall away because of “pilot error”—their own failure to successfully navigate the difficulties of living the Christian life (Luke 8:14; Heb. 6:4-6).  No matter how it happens, it should be a source of sadness and concern to those of us still striving to walk in the light. More than that, we must become part of the search and rescue team.  Galatians 6:1-2 and James 5:19-20 are just two of the passages that should convict and challenge us in this work.  Not even the loss of a single person should be considered acceptable loss.  Not with so much at stake and not given the high price Jesus paid for each and every soul!

“DO NOT DIMINISH A WORD”

Neal Pollard

These are the “matter-of-fact” words of the Lord to Jeremiah concerning a sermon He wanted him to preach in the temple court of Jerusalem (Jer. 26:2).  God shows optimism that the people might repent, but they would have to “listen to” Him through Jeremiah’s message (Jer. 26:3-4).  If they would not “heed” the words of His servants the prophets, they would suffer severely for it (Jer. 26:5).

The priests and the prophets heard what Jeremiah spoke (Jer. 26:7-8), but it made them so mad they grabbed him and threatened to kill him (Jer. 26:8ff).  If not for the princes and the people (Jer. 26:16), they might have done to him what Jehoiakim once did to the prophet Urijah (Jer. 26:23).  But, despite the threats he received, Jeremiah obeyed the Lord’s command and did not change his message to soothe his angry hearers.  Instead, he told them, “Amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent concerning the doom that He has prophesied against you” (Jer. 26:13).

Today, we are not yet at the point of facing physical persecution and death for preaching exactly what God’s Word says, but it is still not always easy.  Offending the guilty, “stepping on toes,” and “goin’ to meddlin'” can exact a price from the proclaimer.  The pressure and temptation exists to adapt the message to the audience’s lifestyle.  Paul warned of this possibility, telling Timothy, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).  That describes the environment in many places, including some places among God’s people.  We must predetermine that, whether the winds blow for good or ill, we will not diminish a word of what God commands (2 Tim. 4:1-2).  Not warning people does not change the danger.  It just makes us subject to it, too!  As Micaiah famously said, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, that will I speak” (1 Kings 22:14).