Tag: God

KNOWING GOD THROUGH THE BIBLE

Neal Pollard

The tendency to try and make subjective experience as more meaningful and valuable than objective truth is age old. We would rather feel something than learn or obey something. Yet, notice how thoroughly the Bible shows that adequate knowledge of God relies upon studying and knowing the Bible.

• GENESIS (24:12-14)–God’s KINDNESS is knowable.
• EXODUS (14:4-18)–God’s MATCHLESS HONOR is knowable.
• LEVITICUS (23:43)–God’s PROTECTING NATURE is knowable.
• NUMBERS (16:28)–God’s SPOKESMEN are knowable.
• DEUTERONOMY (4:35)–God’s PREEMINENCE is knowable.
• JOSHUA (23:13)–God’s CONDITIONS are knowable.
• JUDGES (6:37)–God’s INTERVENTION is knowable.
• RUTH (2:12)–God’s REWARD is knowable.
• 1 SAMUEL (17:46-47)–God’s MEANS OF SALVATION is knowable.
• 2 SAMUEL (7:18-29)–God’s PROMISES are knowable.
• 1 KINGS (20:28)–God’s SUPREMACY is knowable.
• 2 KINGS (19:19)–God’s UNIVERSAL AUTHORITY is knowable.
• 1 CHRONICLES (28:9)–God’s DIVINE QUALITIES are knowable.
• 2 CHRONICLES (25:16)–God’s DISAPPROVAL is knowable.
• EZRA (7:25)–God’s LAWS are knowable.
• NEHEMIAH (9:14)–God’s REVELATION is knowable.
• ESTHER (4:14 + rest of book)–God’s USE OF PROVIDENCE is knowable (even if we don’t know what is or isn’t providence).
• JOB (19:25)–God’s REDEMPTIVE WORK is knowable.
• PSALMS (100:3)–God’s CREATIVE POWER is knowable.
• PROVERBS (24:12)–God’s LIMITLESS ABILITY is knowable.
• ECCLESIASTES (3:14)–God’s PERFECTION is knowable.
• SONG OF SOLOMON–God’s DEVOTION TO MARRIAGE is knowable.
• ISAIAH (60:16)–God’s SALVATION & REDEMPTION are knowable.
• JEREMIAH (16:21)–God’s NAME & MIGHT are knowable.
• LAMENTATIONS–God’s STANDARD FOR PUNISHMENT is knowable.
• EZEKIEL (5:13)–God’s ZEALOUS WORD is knowable.
• DANIEL (11:32)–God’s STRENGTHENING is knowable.
• HOSEA (13:4)–God’s WORSHIP REQUIREMENTS are knowable.
• JOEL (2:27)–God’s PRESENCE is knowable.
• AMOS (3:2)–God’s HATRED OF INIQUITY is knowable.
• OBADIAH–God’s FEELINGS TOWARD PRIDE are knowable.
• JONAH (4:2)–God’s GRACIOUSNESS is knowable.
• MICAH (6:5)–God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS is knowable.
• NAHUM (1)–God’s PROTECTIVE CARE is knowable.
• HABAKKUK (2:14)–God’s GLORY is knowable.
• ZEPHANIAH (2:3)–God’s DESIRE TO BE SOUGHT is knowable.
• HAGGAI–God’s MISSION is knowable.
• ZECHARIAH (2:9-13)-God’s PLAN OF SALVATION is knowable.
• MALACHI (2:4-5)–God’s COVENANT is knowable.
• MATTHEW (22:16)–God’s TEACHINGS are knowable.
• MARK (1:24)–God’s HOLINESS is knowable.
• LUKE (11:13)–God’s BENEVOLENCE is knowable.
• JOHN (17:3)–God’s UNIQUENESS is knowable.
• ACTS (2:36-47)–God’s REQUIREMENTS FOR SALVATION are knowable.
• ROMANS (8:28)–God’s ASSURANCE TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM is knowable.
• 1 CORINTHIANS (2:12)–God’s SPIRITUAL BLESSING OF REVELATION is knowable.
• 2 CORINTHIANS (8:9)–God’s GRACE is knowable.
• GALATIANS (3:7)–God’s HEIRS are knowable.
• EPHESIANS (1:17-19)–God’s BESTOWED WISDOM & HOPE are knowable.
• PHILIPPIANS (3:8-11)–God’s SON is knowable.
• COLOSSIANS (4:1)–God’s MASTERFUL ROLE is knowable.
• 1 THESSALONIANS (1:4)–God’s MEANS OF ELECTION is knowable.
• 2 THESSALONIANS (3:7)–God’s GOOD EXAMPLES are knowable.
• 1 TIMOTHY (3:15)–God’s CODE OF CONDUCT IN THE HIS HOUSEHOLD is knowable.
• 2 TIMOTHY (3:15-17)–God’s HOLY SCRIPTURES are knowable.
• TITUS (1:9-16)–God’s SOUND DOCTRINE is knowable.
• PHILEMON–God’s FREEDOM FROM SIN & CALL FOR SERVICE IN CHRIST is knowable.
• HEBREWS (8:11-13)–God’s SUPERIOR SALVATION is knowable.
• JAMES (2:20)–God’s DEMAND FOR ACTIVE FAITH is knowable.
• 1 PETER (1:18-19)–God’s INCORRUPTIBLE MEANS OF SALVATION is knowable.
• 2 PETER (3:17)–God’s FOREWARNINGS are knowable.
• 1 JOHN (4:2)–God’s SPIRIT is knowable.
• 2 JOHN 1–God’s TRUTH is knowable.
• 3 JOHN 12–God’s INSPIRED WRITERS’ TRUTHFUL RECORD is knowable.
• JUDE (4-23)–God’s ENEMIES are knowable.
• REVELATION (2:10,17)–God’s REWARD is knowable.

This does not begin to exhaust the list of things which the Bible tells us we can know! God has not left us to grope in the dark. Neither has He left it up to us to decide to live however we want to live.

Little Things?

 

Neal Pollard

Look what one look at a woman bathing on her rooftop cost a man, his home, and his country.  The pronunciation of one word spelled the difference between life and death for a nation of people.  One word inserted by a serpent changed the course of human history forever.

One visit to a website, one indiscreet email or phone call, one moment of anger and fury, one rash and foolish decision made before a new Christian, or one “white lie” can create unbearable consequences to the heart, destiny, and influence of a person.  Rationalization that it’s only once or only a little can be fatal, both to self and others.

But this “little thing” principle applies to attitude, too.  A brief, gossiping conversation may seem harmless, but discourage or devastate the subject of it.   Small, snide comments about the elders, Bible class teachers, deacons, or others may divide friends for a long time.  A grudge-bearer may help divide a church over a single, relatively minor incident having long since occurred.  “Little,” too often, is in the eye of the beholder.

A dear preacher friend of mine, David Sain, once illustrated this point very well.  He wrote:

I once read a statement that really got my attention.  It declared that a
tiny gnat can wreck an automobile.  Of  course, I wondered, “How?”
The article then explained that a tiny gnat had wrecked a car by flying
into the eye of the driver at a critical time, causing him to lose control.
So often in life, little things can do great harm.  It is easy for us to be
like that gnat.  Our petty criticisms, murmuring, complaints, and fault-
finding can “wreck” the most ambitious person or program.  Friend,
what our world needs is builders-not “wreckers.” (via Eastern Meadows Church
Bulletin, Montgomery, AL).

Let’s be careful with our influence, not minimizing our impact on others by our words, acts, and attitudes.  We want to do the little things that make a church great, through those same mediums.  As David says, let us build rather than wreck!

GOD HATES SHORTS!



Neal Pollard

 You may be thinking that the title is presumptuous, opinionated, and even out of line.  Let me disclaim what follows by asserting that God does not hate all shorts.  He does, however, hate the following types of shorts.

But not these. 🙂



GOD HATES SHORTCUTS.  At least, He hates humanly devised shortcuts for which He has given no authorization.  Man has devised shortcuts to salvation that cut out divine commands.  He has made shortcuts in ethics and morality to justify and rationalize behavior God condemns.  We should examine such “shortcuts” carefully to make sure they are not detours off of the narrow way.

GOD HATES SHORTCHANGES.  In Malachi 3:8-10, God condemns His people for “robbing Him” in their giving.  They did not give with appropriate gratitude and generosity.  Those who fail to put Him first (cf. Matt. 6:33) are shortchanging God of the time, talents, resources, and service He deserves.  

GOD HATES SHORTSIGHTEDNESS.  When we make decisions based on instant gratification or immediate benefits without giving thought to longterm implications, we often make a mess of our lives.  This is true of church plans, the person we choose to marry, unbiblical changes to the church and teaching to attract the unchurched, and the like.  Certainly, one can be too deliberate and methodical to the point of lethargy and apathy.  Yet, neither is it proper to leap before adequately looking.

GOD HATES SHORTCOMINGS.  God’s hatred for sin is so great that He sent Christ to the cross as payment for it.  Sin is falling short of God’s mark.  The sobering thing is that all of us come short of God’s glory as the result of our sin (Rom. 3:23).  The great news is that while God hates shortcomings, He deeply loves shortcomers.  That’s also why He sent Jesus to die for us.

God hates these shorts, but He has provided an alternative regarding all of them.  By full and trusting obedience, we avoid shortcuts.  By recognizing our debt and feeling heartfelt gratitude to God for paying it, we avoid shortchanging Him.  By growing in wisdom and Christlikeness, we avoid shortsightedness.  By walking in the light as children of God, we avoid the eternal ramifications of our shortcomings.  That’s because God loves us!

Heaven Really IS For Real

Neal Pollard
While so many in religion and even the media latch onto sensational tales of traveling to the “other side” and coming back with stories about heaven (they do not ordinarily wind up going the other direction), these individuals often claim (necessarily without proof) to have seen or heard things from God, Christ, and other heavenly inhabitants. Sadly, much of what they claim to have experienced is at odds with or even contradicts what God communicated to us through His Word. Despite the high-drama and mystical tales, these undoubtedly sincere folks are right about something incredibly important. Heaven IS for real!

The Bible describes it (Rev. 21-22). Jesus is preparing it (John 14:1-4). The Father lives there (Mat. 5:16; etc.). Those who travel the “narrow road” (Mat. 7:13-14) and are faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10) are going to be allowed to dwell there forever (cf. Ps. 23:6; Mat. 25:46; 1 Th. 4:13ff). The Bible communicates that it is a place reserved for those who believe and obey the will of God (2 Th. 1:5ff). It is not for those who refuse to submit to His authority (Gal. 5:19-21; etc.).

Heaven is described as a place where treasure is (Luke 18:22). It is described as a place where our citizenship can be (Phi. 3:20). It is a place where our hope can be laid up (Col. 1:5). It is a place where our name can be reserved (Heb. 12:23). It is a place where we can have an inheritance (1 Pe. 1:4). It is a place described as that which will be new (Rev. 21:1).

I suppose it is human nature for us to want to have blanks filled in and details more fully supplied. That’s why claims of going to heaven and back have long captivated people. Perhaps it strikes the chords of our hearts and imagination more than words, howbeit Divine words, on a page. Yet, those words produce living hope to those who are staking everything on the truth of those words (1 Pe. 1:3). They are neither fairy tales nor wisps of wishes. God has given us enough to know, as we measure the claims alongside His providence and answered prayers, that His Word can be trusted. We don’t have the full picture yet, but we know it will be more glorious and joyous than we are able to understand in this body confined by time. Thank God that Heaven really is for real!

God Knows Where They Are

 

Neal Pollard

At a preachers’ meeting I attended today, a brother led us in prayer specifically about the men, women, and children who were onboard the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 as well as their families.  While there have certainly been many other prayers for these folks, this brother said something that should have struck me before today.  He prayed, “God, we know that you already know exactly where they are, but please help those searching for them to find them.”  Has that thought truly struck us?  Our omniscient God knows the precise point on this globe where those 239 passengers are.  If we let that sink in, it reminds us of a much further-reaching point.  God knows everything about everyone of us, where we go and what we do.

Scripture teaches this many times over, in both testaments.  2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth.  “He sees all the sons of men…all the inhabitants of the earth” (Ps. 33:13-14).  “His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men” (Ps. 11:4). Hebrews 4:13 affirms that “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”  The mysteries of the ages that have long confounded our greatest minds could not be more plainly known to Him.  Whether or not the massive coordinated efforts of nations, militaries, technology, and resources solve this enigma is yet to be seen, but God knows the answer to this as readily as He does the greatest conundrums with which man has ever been confronted.

One day, God will cleave the skies and bring all unsolved mysteries to an end, with every secret, cloak and dagger, and clandestine activity which may have perplexed men for centuries.  He will bring these secrets into the judgment (Rom. 2:16).  While there is so much that we may not know, let us rest assured that we stand beneath the gaze of the All-Seeing eyes of God.

Take Not The Day For Granted (POEM)

Neal Pollard
Take not the day for granted,
Who knows what the morrow brings,
What present joy be recanted,
What shut the mouth that now sings.
Too often we long for tomorrow,
Assuring ourselves it will be perfect,
Dissatisfied with present perceived sorrow
Viewing only today’s every defect.
But right now, this moment, is precious
It holds a bright and unique treasure
For the one with wisdom who confesses
Trust in Him who blesses without measure
Yes, God gave us this day in His kindness
To use for His glory and pleasure
How tragic to be struck with a blindness
To how rare and how useful that treasure.
So many have not been gifted these hours
They’ve ceased their ability to live them
Who long for what now exceeds their powers
Whose light is put out, not just dim.
What are we doing with the present
To build a spectacular time ahead
To make others’ lives blessed, not just pleasant
To bring life to the spiritually dead
Take not the day for granted,
It was given to be managed astutely
Embrace it, don’t be disenchanted
Do your best with it, strive resolutely!

72 Hours And 100 Feet

Neal Pollard

By now, many have heard the incredible story of Harrison Odjegba Okene, the Nigerian cook whose incredible survival and rescue from the tugboat where he served as cook has been made public. He was actually rescued near the end of May, 2013, but video of the rescue has just recently hit the internet.  Okene rose early on the morning of May 26 at about 4:30 A.M. and was in the toilet when the tugboat keeled over and sank, eventually drowning the 10 Nigerian crew members and Ukrainian captain.  Okene groped in the dark until he found a cabin where there was an air pocket.  He spent the next three days, certain no one would look for or could find the small boat but still praying, reciting psalms his wife sent to him each day, and reflecting on his entire life.  His rescue, by a Dutch diving crew who happened to be working at an oil rig 75 miles away, was as much a shock to divers—considering this strictly a recovery effort— as it was to him, but disbelief quickly gave way to joy.  In a space of about four square feet, 100 feet from the surface of the vast Atlantic Ocean, Harrison Odjegba Okene, lived to tell this incredible tale (http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/12/04/man-survives-60-hours-at-bottom-atlantic-rescued-after-finding-air-pocket-in/).

There will likely never be a story of rescue more incredible than this unless we are thinking in spiritual terms.  From that perspective, each person who is saved by God is an incredible, unlikely rescue.  In a world of darkness, each of us finds ourselves groping along and heading toward almost certain spiritual death.  Most will not make it through “alive” (Eph. 2:1).  Yet, Paul speaks of (Col. 1:13) and Peter implies (2 Pe. 2:7) a heavenly rescue mission.  The difference between our story and that of Okene is that we can choose to be rescued or, as most do, elect to perish.  It should humble us and strike us with awe that we have had access to His saving plan and that we can submit to it and be saved.  Most incredible is the length to which God was willing to go and the price He was willing to pay to find us and save us.  May I suggest that salvation from sin is a bigger story than surviving in a capsized, tiny boat for 72 hours 100 feet deep? One forestalls physical death for a time, but the other eliminates spiritual death for eternity!

 

SOME GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GOD

 

Neal Pollard

• He Is Omniscient, Yet Optimistic (Jer. 26:3).

• He Knows Us Better Than We Know Ourselves And Still Is Not Willing That Any Should Perish (2 Pet. 3:9).

• He Sees Our Stingy Tendencies, But He Still Gives Freely(Rom. 8:32; Eph 1:6).

• He Knows We Can Be Faithless, But He Is Still Faithful (2 Cor. 1:18; 2 Tim 2:13).

• We Keep Track Of Others’ Wrongs, But God Can Forget (Heb. 10:17).

• We Procrastinate And Delay, But God’s Patience Still Waits (So Far) (1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 3:15).

• In A World With Too Much Impersonal Care, He Personally Cares (1 Pet 5:7).

• When We Feel Ignored By Others, He Sees Even Minute Details (Matt 10:29-31).

• In A World Of Fickle, Fading Love, His Lovingkindnesses Never Cease (Lam. 3:22).

• People Forget The Help, Favors, And Gifts We Give Them, But God Is Not Unjust To Forget Your Work And The Love You Have Shown In His Name (Heb. 6:10).

• Though Others May Abandon You, He’s Coming Back To Claim His Own (John 14:3; 1 Thess. 4:16-18).

Can He Accept Me As I Am?


Neal Pollard

Can God accept me as I am?  I know me better than I know anyone else—my thoughts, feelings, motives, intentions, desires, temptations, and attitudes.  I know I have sin in my life, and I have for many years.  I know I struggle today and I will continue to struggle until He takes me home or He comes again.  Can He accept me as I am?

No!  Not without a heart of resolve or an attempt to please and serve Him.  Not without obedience to the best of my ability.  Not without submitting to His Word and His plan.  Not if I am defiant and self-ruled.  Not if I continue to serve sin in order to get more grace.  Not if I am trying to write the rules or make it on the basis of my righteousness.  Not if I feel I can somehow earn His acceptance or do enough good or avoid enough bad to force His hand and make Him accept me.  Can He accept me as I am?

Yes!  He made the plan.  He set the promises and defined the conditions.  His Son offered the sacrifice.  He has the power and ability to cleanse my sins as I walk in the light.  After I have lived the way He wants me to, to the best of my ability, He provides the grace that bridges the gap between my best and perfection.  He refers me to Zaccheus, the woman at the well, the Prodigal Son, the woman who was a sinner, Peter, Saul of Tarsus, prostitutes, and sinners, the tax collector praying in the temple, the rabble, and the rest, and He says this is what is possible for you!

Can I accept that He can accept me?  Perhaps that is the question that needs addressing first.  His grace and my obedient faith is the roadway to divine acceptance.  Heaven depends on my accepting that!

Only In God Is Rest

The governing hand of God

Traversing the universe wide

Can calm the wildest storms abroad

While standing by my side!

The discerning Eye in heavenly portals

Who watches all by day and night

Can see the trials of us mere mortals

Viewing His creatures with encompassing sight

The swelling heart of our Heavenly Monarch

Reigning with His powerful Arm

Will lead His children from the dark

And protect us from the threat of harm

Why would one search for any safety

In another port or fortress?

The Heavenly Father faithfully

Makes and offers and gives us rest!

THIS SATURDAY’S DOOR-KNOCKING

Neal Pollard

Two wonderful upcoming events should have us excited! Vacation Bible School is a prime opportunity for us to be evangelistic with our neighbors, friends, and co-workers.  It showcases the many talented people we have in our education program for children and it is always pulled off in an impressive way.  Our seminar/gospel meeting will be conducted by one of the most engaging, genuine preachers among us.  Steve Higginbotham will do an outstanding job.  There are several things we can do, but this Saturday’s door-knocking can accomplish so much to try and draw our nearest community neighbors to both these events.  May I make a personal appeal to you to be at our building this Saturday at 1 P.M.  To encourage you, consider three brief and true statements.

  • It Is Easy.  We are not setting up Bible studies.  We are simply inviting (or leaving fliers at the door if they are not home).  A quick, pleasant “hello” and statement of what we are inviting them to attend is all you need to know.  If you have access to small children, they always serve as an excellent buffer.  But, no matter your age or degree of cuteness, you will find this the easiest evangelizing you will ever do.
  • It Is For You.  Door-knocking is not just for the students, preachers, elders, or teens.  Parents, deacons, men, women, middle-aged folks, young adults, professionals, unprofessionals, blue-collar, white-collar, tall, short, fat, skinny, and if there be any other category, your presence is vital to the success of this.  So often, we assume others will do the work.  Please do not make this assumption.  If you are tempted to feel that way, know that others share that struggle.  Encourage somebody else.  Call or email them and tell them you are coming and ask them to come, too.
  • It Is Important.  You may be helping somebody take their first step toward heaven.  You might find somebody who has been searching for truth.  You may knock the door of somebody who has been struggling and looking for answers.  God may use you this Saturday to save a soul!  How wonderful to be able to face our dear Savior some day having taken opportunities like this Saturday to expose people to the Lord’s church.

I feel pretty confident that you will not regret participating in this Saturday’s mass inviting. It will require a little time, gas, and energy, but it is also one of those things that just leaves you feeling like you have helped the Lord a little in His mission of reaching the lost.  My highest hope is that I will see you this Saturday at 1 P.M. as we try to take greater Bear Valley for Christ!

FACTS ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

Image

Neal Pollard

  • The Holy Spirit is one of three everlasting personalities of the Godhead, and as such He possesses all attributes of Deity (cf. Gen. 1:2,26; 1 Cor. 2:11).
  • The Holy Spirit moved the approximately forty men to write the Bible, breathing out God’s Word so that each writer, though equipped with free will and distinct personality, was guided completely, word for word, in the written message of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:21).
  • The Holy Spirit has never directly operated upon the heart of man to bring about conversion, and thus He does not do so today (cf. Acts 2:40; 11:14).
  • The Holy Spirit has never overtaken an individual’s will or overrode one’s free choice, and that is true today, too (Rev. 22:17).
  • The Holy Spirit does not communicate Divine Revelation apart from Scripture today, as such would either be contradictory or superfluous in light of the written Word (2 Tim. 3:17; Jude 3).
  • The Holy Spirit provided miraculous gifts to the apostles to confirm the men and the message (Heb. 2:4).  Once that message had been faithfully delivered, there was no longer a need for miraculous evidence (John 20:30-21; Jude 3).
  • The Holy Spirit empowered first-century Christians with miraculous gifts, but these were to pass with the completion of the written Word.  Having thus the completed Word, there are no longer miraculous gifts (1 Cor. 13:8-13; Eph. 4:11-13).
  • The Holy Spirit indwells the Christian.  Faithful Christians may be divided as to how, with some saying He does so representatively (through the Word only) and others saying He does so personally and non-miraculously, but either view can be harmonized with Bible truth (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 3:16; etc.).
  • The only instances of Holy Spirit baptism were of the apostles (Acts 1:5) and Cornelius’ household (Acts 10:47).  The one baptism of Ephesians 4:5 is water baptism, of which there are many examples in the New Testament (Acts 8:38; 1 Pet. 3:21).

 

 

AN EXCITING THING ABOUT SERVING GOD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal Pollard

We live in a time of unparalleled excitement when it comes to how fast words travel.  The internet, though a reservoir of danger and evil, is also the fastest conduit for spreading God’s Word we have ever known.  Consider blogs, like this one. Not only is every “hit” on my blog counted by WordPress, they are now able to tell me what country each reader calls home.  In the last 30 days, my articles have been read by people from such places as Lebanon, Pakistan, North Korea, Argentina, Serbia, Malta, Finland, Iceland, and Indonesia.  In fact, in addition to the United States, people from nearly 60 nations have read the blog.  That is humbling and frightening, in the light of James 3:1.  Please pray that I may always accurately handle God’s truth and teach it correctly!

But, this also points up something exciting for all of us as we think about each of our lives.  In most activities or actions we undertake, there is not a “counter” or “meter” that measures how many lives we effect.  Whether it is our example or a kind word or deed, whether it is an effort, however feeble or valiant, to teach someone the truth, or whether it is someone in whose life we invest, we cannot know the full impact we are having upon them and those whose lives they subsequently touch.  Certainly, the opposite of that is also true.  A bad example or deed that undermines Christ’s cause can have far-reaching, rippling effects, too.  Yet, think about the power that is in your hand.

Imagine walking the street of gold and meeting people who are there, in part, because of something you said or did!  Given the leavening effect of our lives, I believe we will be surprised at how many lives we touched for the good.  Keep that in mind as you leave your footprints on this day!

GOD LOVES FRUIT


Neal Pollard
Those sugar bananas that grow in tropical and equatorial climates are unbelievably tasty. How about a sweet watermelon (especially seedless) on a hot, summer day? The best peaches probably grow in Fort Valley, Georgia, Chilton County, Alabama, or Palisade, Colorado. It is amazing how sweet a mango or red grape can taste. Surely, one of the crowns of creation had to be the blackberry which, in a cobbler, shows man’s intellectual capacity at its finest. Genesis 1:11 records that third day when God began making fruit, and it was fruit that was meant to sustain Adam and Eve (3:2-3). The diversity of fruit on this earth shows God’s desire for man to experience the enjoyment of something conjured by His perfect hand.
However, man is not the only one who loves fruit. The Bible makes it clear that God has a “taste” for fruit, too. He loves singing to Him done in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:24), which He calls “the fruit of lips” (Heb. 13:15). He calls the discipline of suffering which He allows for our growth and development “the fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:11). He enumerates the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, a whole range of thoughts and actions that prove we are Christ’s. Often, however, God’s Word speaks of the fruits of involved, committed Christian living, evidence of our conversion to Him. These fruits are tangible works that prove our gratitude for redemption, our desire to grow closer to God, our sense of debt and duty, our love for the One who is love, and our understanding of how important each of us fulfills our purpose as Christians on this earth.
Jesus made spiritual application through a fruitless fig tree on at least two occasions, the parable of Luke 13:6-9 and his encounter with a barren fig tree between Bethany and Jerusalem (Matt. 21:18ff; cf. Mark 11:12-14). Yet, His most famous analogies using the “fruit concept” are found in Luke eight and John fifteen. In Luke eight, the seed (8:11-the Word of God) planted in a good heart is fruitful while that strewn on the other types of hearts is not productive. In John fifteen, Jesus uses this fruit metaphor in an extended way. He is the vine. We are the branches. The Father is the farmer, the cultivator and fruit inspector. Jesus alludes to the idea that fruitless disciples are cut off from God and thus punished. However, when God looks at you and me and sees “much fruit,” He “is glorified by this” (John 15:5,8). In fact, it is by bearing fruit that we prove ourselves disciples of Christ (John 15:8). The key is abiding in Him. If you are truly in a relationship with the Lord, cultivated by prayer, study, and faithful living, you are abiding in Him. Fruit is visible, tangible, and discernible. Are you bearing or barren?

Where Are You From?

Neal Pollard

I’ve been asked that most of my adult life.  Being raised in Georgia and receiving my college education in Alabama and Tennessee, I was asked that from the time my family and I moved to Virginia in 1994 and am constantly asked that since we moved here to Colorado in 2006.  My accent gives away my geographical heritage.  While I was a student at Faulkner University, my parents moved up to a community informally known as Mud Puppy, Georgia–several houses off Gold Mine Road north of Blairsville.  People always got a kick out of my answer when they asked, “Where are you from?”

New Orleans is “the big easy.”  Las Vegas is “sin city.”  New York City is “the big apple.”  Chicago is “the windy city.”  Miami is “vice city.”  Boston is “Beantown.” Tagline Guru has the names of some lesser known towns, too.  Did you know that Cape Hatteras, NC, is known as “the graveyard of the Atlantic”?  Forestville, CA, is “the poison oak capital of the world.”  Nashville, TN, is called “the protestant vatican.”  Gallup, NM, is “the drunk driving capital of America.”  My favorite is Algona, IA–“The world’s largest Chee-to” (www.taglineguru.com/monikerlist.html).

The final paragraph of Ezekiel describes the twelve gates of the new city.  The prophet said the city would no longer be called Jerusalem but rather “Yahweh-shammah.”  “The Lord is there” (48:35).

Would you not love to live in a place whose citizens and characteristics were truly such that the town’s name or nickname would be, “the Lord is there.”  The Hebrews writer describes the church as “the city of the living God, the new Jerusalem” (12:22-23).  We should so conduct ourselves as a congregation that all who come among us and visit with us come to identify us as “Yahweh-shammah.”  The Lord is there!

GOD’S FEET

Neal Pollard

When the Bible speaks of God in anatomical terms, His eyes, His finger, His hand, His heart, and His feet, it does so accommodatively. We possess those body parts, and we know how they function.  So, to speak of God having them helps us see certain characteristics He possesses.  God is spirit (John 4:24).  A spirit is not associated with flesh and bones (Luke 24:39).  Yet, these are mentioned in Scripture to help paint a mental picture for us.

This is true when it speaks of God’s “feet.”  Consider what the Bible says in this regard:

  • He treads our iniquities under them (Micah 7:19).
  • He puts all things in subjection under them (Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 2:8).
  • He walks on the wind and the heaven (Job 22:14; Psalm 104:3).
  • He treads on the high places of the earth (Amos 4:13).
  • His steps are safe to follow (1 Peter 2:21).
  • He walks with the righteous (Genesis 5:22; 6:9).
  • He stands at the right hand of the needy (Psalm 109:31).
  • He runs to meet the penitent (cf. Luke 15:20).
  • He sets us in the way of His steps (Psalm 85:13).

Taken together, references like these point to God’s power, His purity, and His position.  He can do whatever He pleases, but He will always do what is right.  He will always stand for what is right and good.  Therefore, we can and must follow in His footsteps.  They lead us to the only place of safety!

What Is God’s View Toward Homosexuality In 2012?

Neal Pollard

In 1998, Lisa Bennett, then a fellow at Harvard University’s Center on Press, Politics, and Public Policy in the John F. Kennedy School of Government, wrote a research paper on perceived prejudice in the press toward homosexuality.  She noted that immediately following World War II, “all the major religions condemned it as a sin against God and nature. Psychiatrists treated it as a serious mental disorder. Almost every state in the nation had a law against it, with many calling for a prison term for convicted homosexuals” (Bennett 2).  She credited Alfred Kinsey’s reports for revealing how much of what the Bible calls sexual immorality was being clandestinely practiced by Americans (though it has been widely noted that Kinsey skewed and manipulated his results to match his own, private agenda; opponents include the American Legislative Exchange Council, Margaret Mead, Karl Menninger, Eric Fromm, and a who’s who of Kinsey’s contemporaries in science and psychology).

Even in the last 30 years, attitudes toward homosexuality have changed dramatically. Gallup indicates that in 1977, Americans were evenly divided over whether or not homosexuality should even be legal (43% for and against).  In 1983, only 34% thought homosexuality should be considered an acceptable alternative lifestyle. In 1996, only 27% favored homosexual marriage (www.gallup.com/poll/108115/Americans-Evenly-Divided-Morality-Homosexuality.aspx).  These and similar findings are radically different in 2012.

Whatever the exact numbers are now, it is safe to say that many, many more Americans accept, if not embrace, homosexuality in our society than in the years immediately following World War II.  This cannot all be laid at the feet of one man, but at a few elite institutions.  One is higher education, where professors in academic isolation surrounded only by like-minded peers can pursue carnal theory and philosophy with seeming earthly impunity (i.e., free from consequences).  Incidentally, many of these professors have taken their places in seminaries and other religious graduate schools, softening and changing the positions of religious teachers and preachers across the religious spectrum.  Another is the media, whose message has long been an influencer and molder of thought rather than a reflection of it.  Its story-lines, role models, and biases continue to push the moral envelope.  Yet another is politics, where legislators, judges, and others pander to activists and special interest groups who pressure with money and power.

All of this is presented, not to argue for changing our positions on homosexuality or any other moral issue, but to help us take a look at the moral slide so many are riding.  No matter what percentage of Americans, academicians, politicians, or media types, call homosexuality or other sin natural, normal, and acceptable, God’s Word stands firm.  It will not change, for it is the expressed will of God.  In short, though God loves every sinner, homosexuality is, and forever will be, a sin (Rom. 1:24-27; 1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Tim. 1:10).

What Does God Want From Us?

Neal Pollard

The words might be bewilderingly spoken in frustration, through a voice broken by the tears of trial or temptation, or from a puzzlement borne of a lack of adequate information.  But, many times over, men have asked the question posed by Moses in Deuteronomy 10:12.  “What does the Lord your God require of you?”  What does He want from us anyway?

Micah knew what the answer was not.  Rhetorically, he asks, “Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (Mic. 6:7).  The obvious answer is “no.”  The first idea is finally and logistically prohibitive.  The second idea, though the greatest sacrifice a human could make, is spiritually repulsive to God.  So, if we cannot pay our own debt, what does God want from us?

He wants an AWE (Dt. 10:12–“Fear the Lord your God”).  He rejects flippant, heartless, lackadaisical, bored, and faithless approaches, but He praises the one who falls before Him in godly fear (Heb. 12:28).  God calls such “blessed” (Ps. 128:1), “life-giving” (Pr. 10:27; 14:27), “preserving” (Pr. 16:6), “growth-inducing” (Ac. 9:31), and “persuasive” (2 Cor. 5:11).

He wants an ACT (Dt. 10:12–“Walk in all His ways”).  Lip-service (cf. Isa. 29:13) apart from living sacrifice (Rm. 12:1) sickens God!  Notice, He does not want partial obedience.  He expects us to walk in all His ways!  We do not get to follow God on our own terms.  He wants full obedience!

He wants an AFFECTION (Dt. 10:12–“love Him”).  This is the first, greatest command (Mt. 22:37).  God modeled the kind of love He wants reciprocated (1 Jn. 4:19).  He is not satisfied with a cold, aloof “relationship.”  Jesus is proof positive that He wants intimacy and closeness.

He wants an ATTITUDE (Dt. 10:12–“Serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul”).  Man wants to receive.  He wants to be “king of the mountain.”  He wants happiness and fulfillment at the price of another.  God wants us to give, humble self, and consider what others need (Ph. 2:4).  In fact, He calls this “great” (Mt. 20:26-28).

He wants an APPLICATION (Dt. 10:13–“Keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes”).  Intellectual assent, alone, is insufficient.  He wants His truth to live in our lives!  He wants His will to play out in our thoughts, words, and deeds (Lk. 6:46; Mt. 7:21ff).

Why does God want all of this from us?  The answer is simple, profound, but not surprising, the better we understand God.  Moses says all of these divine expectations are “for your good” (Dt. 10:13).  God wants from us only what will help us be the very best individuals we can be.  That is not possible unless we are spiritually OK.  More than anything, that is what God wants for us!

In The Beginning? God!

Neal Pollard

Origins intrigue many of us.  We want to know who, how, and where.  Did you know that Chevron Oil Company began in the remote Pico Canyon area of the Santa Susana Mountains of California in 1876 when driller Alex Mentry struck “black gold”?  American baseball came from the English game of rounders, with the modern baseball diamond and formalized rules of the game rendered by Alexander Cartwright in the 1840s.  The Chinese, around 900 B.C. during the Tang Dynasty, are said to have invented gunpowder by mixing saltpeter with sulfur and carbon.  The Mayans, developers of astrology, calendars, and hieroglyphics, are thought to have originated as a civilization about 2600 B.C. in the Yucatan.

Think of the impact Chevron, American baseball, gunpowder, and Mayan civilization have had upon the world, socially, economically, and nationally.  Yet, they all emerged from existent materials, ideas, and manpower.  Each of these randomly selected examples can be given because of the beginning of beginnings.

Genesis one and two introduce mankind to the Uncaused Cause of everything.  Every inch of soil and all resources buried beneath it, every space, place, creature, and particle of matter came from His willing act of Creation.  Yet, who He is one only glimpses here.  The rest of Genesis and the next sixty-five books are needed to produce a clearer picture of the God whose work in creating our world is recorded here.  Still, the power-packed information about these six days of creation lays the groundwork for everything else, socially, scientifically, physically, and especially spiritually.

WHERE WERE YOU?

Neal Pollard

When I constructed this ball whereupon you now stand,

When its measures were drawn by My hand,

When the stars and the angels all rejoiced in one band,

When I gave heaven its face, where were you?

When the seas reached their ends and were covered by clouds,

When the darkness over it was as billowing shrouds,

When the oceans had gone as far as I would allow,

When they stood in their place, where were you?

Do you summon the morning or direct the dawn?

To you do the gates of death yawn?

If you know the dimensions of earth, make it known!

When I invented its light, where were you?

Are you eternal by reason of birth or by years?

From where comes snow, hail, ice or dew that appears?

Tell me all of the future, the crux of man’s fears!

Or explain wind with its might.  Where were you?

Waves and thunder and lightning or rain

How and why do they work, please explain!

How they make the earth lush and satisfy its terrain

When I made wonders of the sky, where were you?

What of morals and laws with when men I have bound

Or have put in him intellect and knowledge with renown

Could you even explain dust and dirt on the ground?

When I made beasts instincts so sly, where were you?

Fair design of the earth, wonders of all that’s above,

Great mysteries and secrets, time or man can’t remove,

Held in check by My might, which you can’t fully know of,

When I was, always was, where were you?

Dear child, who in darkness or trials, often wonder

When you’re blinded by tears, crushed by weights you are under

Though you can’t see it now, through doubt’s loudest thunder

Someday you’ll know every cause when I’m with you.