Tag: guilt

A Dangerous Lie We All Believe

Neal Pollard

We tell it in different ways. It may be, “Nobody is as bad, broken, or beaten as I am.” Or, “nobody understands what it’s like.” Or, “if anyone knew the ‘real’ me, they wouldn’t want anything to do with me.” Really, there are an infinite combination of ways we say it, but all of them boil down to some equivalent of “I am beyond the reach of God’s acceptance.”

Why is this lie so dangerous? It actually keeps us away from Him and His blessings. Our belief in our unworthiness is so deep that we keep ourselves from trying to get close to Him. Our guilt drives us to darkness, isolation, and despair. In this state, we actually feed sinfulness and encase ourselves in lethal isolation. We cannot be at our best in relationships with others and we put greater focus on self, leading to further misery and emptiness.

Perhaps the common and caustic nature of this lie is why the Bible stresses the transforming and truthful rebuttal to this devilish deception. How does the Bible respond to the idea that I am not good enough for God’s love? Consider these biblical answers.

  • God’s love is unconditional. “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).
  • God IS love. “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8).
  • God’s love is unconquerable and indomitable by any force or power. “Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
    • God wants us to overcome. “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
    • God doesn’t want anyone lost. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
    • God’s forgiveness is faithfully and fully applied. “But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7-9).
    • God’s love is universal and proven. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Who is it that wants us to shun these beautiful truths? What do we gain by ignoring and rejecting them? What do we lose? None of us is perfect (Roman 3:10,23; 5:12). All of us struggle, with temptation (James 1:13-15; 1 Corinthians 10:13), with worldliness (1 John 2:15-17), with fear, and with weakness (Psalm 103:14). God has given us the resources we need to combat this terrible lie. We must see our intrinsic value in His eyes, fueled by His nature and proven by His actions. When we reject the lie, we choose the path of purpose and productivity. We can become what He intended for us to be and desires us to be. Our problems and struggles won’t disappear, but our resources to address them will become inexhaustible. Reject the lie!

The Tragedy of Judas: When a Heart Hardens Against Grace

Let us search our hearts with ruthless honesty, bringing every hidden sin, every cherished idol, every secret compromise into the light of Christ’s presence. Let us choose Peter’s path of humble repentance over Judas’s path of proud despair.

Brent Pollard

 The Humanity of Christ in the Face of Betrayal

In John 13:21-30, Christ reveals a profound insight into His humanity. Jesus, with a troubled spirit, revealed the identity of His betrayer through an act of fellowship—the sharing of bread. Jesus’ action was not a casual disclosure. The text reveals a Savior who experienced the weight of impending betrayal with genuine human anguish. He had chosen someone He knew to be a devil (John 6.70), and now the hour had arrived for that devil to execute his dark purpose.

Even in this moment of revelation, we witness Christ’s unwavering mercy. His acknowledgment of what Judas was about to do served as a final lifeline extended to the infamous traitor—one last opportunity to turn back from the precipice. This enduring mercy is a beacon of hope for all of us, reminding us that no matter how far we may have strayed, Christ’s grace is always within reach.

The Hardening Power of Unrepentant Sin

Sadly, Judas’s love of money and his own twisted ambitions had calcified his heart against both the deeds and words of Jesus. He had already negotiated his treachery, his mind fixed on the thirty pieces of silver promised by the chief priests (Matthew 26.14-16). Here we see a sobering truth: sustained exposure to Christ does not guarantee transformation. One can walk in the very presence of the Son of God and yet remain unmoved, unchanged, unredeemed.

The text tells us that “Satan entered” Judas (John 13.27). But what does this mean? We must resist the temptation to absolve Judas of responsibility by imagining some irresistible demonic possession. No, Satan did not override the will of a helpless man. Instead, he exploited the foothold Judas had already granted through his unrepentant sin, his corrosive greed, and his fundamental lack of faith. The phrase “Satan entered” signifies Judas’s complete surrender to the evil influence he had been cultivating in his own heart. It marked a decisive point of no return, the final rejection of Jesus’s appeals to repentance.

The Reality of Moral Agency Even in Darkness

Here we encounter a mystery that the shallow mind cannot fathom: even after Satan entered Judas, he retained sufficient moral agency to feel guilt, to return the blood money to the chief priests, and ultimately to take his own life (Matthew 27.3-5). This remorse, though powerful, was not genuine repentance. True repentance would have driven him to God for forgiveness, as Peter’s denial later drove him to weeping restoration. Instead, Judas’s guilt led only to despair—a worldly sorrow that produces death rather than the godly sorrow that leads to salvation.

James illuminates the progression: a person becomes enslaved to sin by yielding to their own lust. When that lust conceives, it gives birth to sin. When sin reaches full maturity, it brings forth death (James 1.13-15). Judas walked this path to its bitter end, each step a choice, each choice hardening the next.

The Contrast of Two Betrayers: Judas and Peter

The story of Judas serves as a stark warning about the human capacity to reject grace, even when confronted with overwhelming love and unmistakable conviction. While God’s offer of salvation extends to everyone, it requires a willing and humble heart to receive it. Judas’s ultimate fate—despair and suicide—stands in sharp contrast to Peter, who, despite his own devastating denial, turned to Jesus in repentance and received complete forgiveness.

Both men betrayed Christ. Both felt crushing guilt. Yet their responses diverged at the crucial point: Peter ran toward mercy; Judas ran from it. Peter believed forgiveness was possible; Judas believed his sin was unforgivable. This stark contrast serves as a powerful reminder of the impact our choices can have on our lives.

Practical Warning: The Danger of Walking with Jesus Without Surrender

Judas serves as a tragic example of someone who allowed his lust for money and power to lead him toward betrayal and destruction. His story reveals an uncomfortable truth: even people who walk closely with Jesus, witness His miracles, hear His teachings, and participate in His ministry can fall prey to the temptations of this world if they do not genuinely surrender their hearts.

What distinguished Judas from the other disciples was not the absence of sin—they all sinned—but the presence of unrepentant, cherished sin that he refused to bring into the light.

Closing: A Call to Self-Examination

The question Judas’s life poses to each of us is searingly personal: Are we cultivating hardness in our hearts through unconfessed sin? Are we, like Judas, close to Jesus in proximity but distant in devotion? Do we serve Him with our hands while withholding our hearts? The grace that could have saved Judas is the same grace offered to us today. But grace must be received, not merely observed. You should embrace it rather than acknowledge it.

Let us search our hearts with ruthless honesty, bringing every hidden sin, every cherished idol, every secret compromise into the light of Christ’s presence. Let us choose Peter’s path of humble repentance over Judas’s path of proud despair. The same Christ who extended mercy to His betrayer still extends it to us—but we must reach out and take hold of it before our hearts grow too hard to feel His touch. The time to respond is now, while the Spirit still speaks, while grace still calls, while the door of repentance remains open. Tomorrow may find us, like Judas, having crossed a point of no return that we never saw coming.

What Is Truth? When We Know But Won’t Act

It wasn’t a philosophical question. It was the exhausted sigh of a man who had compromised so often that truth had become meaningless. He had traded integrity for security so many times that he no longer recognized the currency.

Brent Pollard

The Man Who Couldn’t Afford Truth

Pontius Pilate governed Judea the way most of us manage our lives—by compromise. A mid-level Roman official ruling a resentful province, he had learned that survival meant bending to political winds. Truth, in his world, was whatever kept Caesar pleased and mobs quiet.

Then Truth walked into his courtroom.

“Are You the King of the Jews?” Pilate asked. Jesus answered, “For this I was born—to bear witness to the truth.”

Pilate’s response exposes every human heart: “What is truth?”

It wasn’t a philosophical question. It was the exhausted sigh of a man who had compromised so often that truth had become meaningless. He had traded integrity for security so many times that he no longer recognized the currency.

The Coward Who Saw Clearly

Here’s what haunts Pilate’s story: he knew.

Three times he declared Jesus innocent. His wife warned him in a dream. His conscience screamed. Yet when the priests threatened—”If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar”—Pilate’s courage evaporated. He chose career over conscience, comfort over conviction.

Then came his famous gesture: washing his hands before the crowd, announcing, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.”

One cannot wash away guilt if one will not confess. Water cleanses skin, not souls. Pilate’s basin was as empty as his heart.

The Sovereignty in the Surrender

But here’s where God’s purposes shine through human failure: Pilate couldn’t escape his role in redemption. When he ordered the sign above Jesus’ cross—”Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”—the priests demanded he change it. Pilate refused: “What I have written, I have written.”

It was petty revenge, yes—one last jab at those who had cornered him. But beyond Pilate’s passive-aggressive defiance, God was writing truth in permanent ink. The placard that Pilate meant as mockery became prophecy. The “criminal” was indeed the King—not just of Jews, but of Pilate, Rome, and all creation.

God doesn’t need our righteousness to accomplish His purposes. Even our failures serve His sovereign plan.

The Mirror We’d Rather Not See

Pilate is us.

We know what’s right but fear what it costs. We recognize truth but won’t stand for it when the crowd turns hostile. We wash our hands of responsibility while blood stains our souls.

You and I don’t drift into heaven. Neutrality before Christ is impossible—by doing nothing, Pilate crucified Him. Every day we face the same choice: Will we crown Christ as Lord, or dismiss Him when it’s inconvenient?

What Must We Do?

Stop washing your hands. Moral evasion solves nothing. Confession begins where excuses end.

Count the cost, then pay it. Following Christ may cost you approval, comfort, or even advancement. But what profit is there in gaining the world while losing your soul?

Remember who stands before you. Jesus didn’t stand before Pilate—Pilate stood before Jesus. We don’t judge truth; truth judges us.

Act while conscience speaks. Every ignored conviction hardens the heart. Pilate’s tragedy began long before that Friday morning—it started the first time he silenced what he knew was right.

The Final Word

History remembers Pilate not for his power but for his weakness. His name endures not as a hero, but as the coward who asked, “What is truth?” while Truth stood before him.

You and I won’t face Jesus in a Roman court. But we face Him daily in every choice between comfort and courage, between what people think and what God commands.

Pilate’s question remains: What is truth?

Jesus answers: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

The question isn’t whether truth exists. The question is whether we’ll bow to it—or spend our lives washing our hands.

What To Say To God When You’re In Trouble

Neal Pollard

Have you ever found yourself in over your head, when you had to ask for help? We never like to get to that point, financially, emotionally, physically, or spiritually. But, unless we callous our hearts to the truth, we need God constantly–especially spiritually. In Psalm 38, David comes before the Lord pleading with Him to help in a dire situation. While it involves the opposition of earthly enemies (12,19), the main concern is his own opposition to God’s will. The main problem on David’s mind is his sin problem. David gives us an example of how to pray to God in time of trouble, especially the self-induced kind. 

ACKNOWLEDGE HOW YOUR SIN MAKES HIM FEEL (1-3)

David knows that God hates sin and is displeased by its presence in our lives. Meaningful repentance and change is not possible until we can see our sin through His perfect eyes. This honest assessment will keep us from being defensive or from rationalizing.

SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THE SERIOUSNESS OF YOUR SIN (4-8)

Look at all the descriptive terms and synonyms David uses regarding his sin. His “iniquities” are heavy burdens, foul and festering wounds, that which causes him to be bent over and bowed down, the cause of constant mourning, a debilitating sickness, and a numbing, crushing, agitating thing. See your sin that way and there is no way to hang onto it, much less embrace and defend it. 

CONFESS YOUR INABILITY TO RESOLVE THIS ALONE (9-14)

Pride is such a destructive thing! David shows no sign of it in this psalm. He feels isolated from friends and tormented by foes. He feels incapable of solving this problem himself. Resolution must be preceded by recognition of how daunting our circumstance is without God. 

TELL GOD OF YOUR HOPE THAT HE WILL HELP YOU (15-22) 

The state of mind David has expressed inevitably leads to divine dependency. He hopes in God. He’s confident that God will answer him. Though he knows he’s close to falling, he pleads with God to intercede. His final plea as he speaks to God? “Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.” 

We must resist the devil and our own fleshly desires. God has equipped us with the ability to be disciplined and to deny self. But, the battle cannot be won without leaning on the Everlasting Arms. Don’t just know that. Express it to God daily, throughout the day. It will help you see your problems more clearly and to see God as the solution. 

The Fight Going On Inside

Clint Raymer

An old Cherokee grandfather is teaching his grandson about life: “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. ”It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is Evil. He is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.” The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?” The grandfather simply replied, “The one you feed.” 

This proverb reminds me of something Paul said in Romans 7:19-25. First I would like to share vs 19-23. “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Good and Evil is a battle that can be fought and seen externally in this world. However this fight is one that is both without and within. Inside each of us is a fight, a struggle, between that of the flesh and Spirit. A battle between that which is baser, and that which is better. To become more adept in both wisdom and skill when it comes to mastering this struggle requires time, effort, and self-control. There is a quote I like which says, “Self-Discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don’t control what you think, you cannot control what you do.” 

The power and discipline of our thoughts, our mind, is paramount in controlling our actions. Henry Ford has a quote which goes, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.” We must also face a hard truth in this fight to master the flesh versus the Spirit. As Paul himself said, at times we will fail. The things that we will not to do will become the things we have done, and we will fall short of the glory of God. It always seems that in these moments of failure or mistake that we are our own harshest critic. We tend to bring about our own discouragement by focusing on our shortcomings and failures again and again like a broken record until it seems hopeless to try. Yet this is not the way. 

When the walls come crashing in, nothing you do works or is good enough, and this struggle against the flesh seems hopeless. I am reminded of a simple message we all know. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). While everyone is equally guilty of having succumbed to sin, fallen prey to sin, we are also equally united by one single fact. Love. God’s love, Christ’s love which was freely given so that though we were chained by sin, condemned by sin, we might be set free for a brighter future. I am often reminded of Christs words in John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” These were not just Jesus’s words, they were His actions. He freely and willingly gave His life for our sakes because He knew that in our struggle between flesh and Spirit. Sometimes we would give in to the flesh. So we would not have to suffer eternal separation from God, Christ paid the debt for those and all transgressions. All we need do to benefit from this is to submit, repent, dust ourselves off, and try again. Paul confirms this in Romans 7:24-25, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” From this message I can draw but one conclusion. We are truly completely known and completely loved by God. 

I want to share one final thought with you, a line from one of Shakespeare’s plays, Henry the V. This line is part of what is known as the St. Crispins Day speech. It goes “We few, We happy few, We band of brothers.” This is what we are. A band of brothers and sisters in Christ, united by Christ’s love and empowered by His sacrifice to daily fight the battle of flesh versus Spirit. Firm in the knowledge that though sometimes the battle may be lost, ultimately the war is won.  

From Hostility to Harmony:

Exploring the true meaning of “peace on earth”

Brent Pollard

During the holiday season, we often focus on the concept of peace. It’s an important theme in holiday music, especially in a world where conflict is all too common. Indeed, such songs oft remind us about Christ as the “Prince of Peace” and the promise of peace on earth (see Isaiah 9.6; Luke 2.8-14). However, Christ’s peace is more than just the absence of conflict. It is a complex concept with many facets deeply entwined with man’s greatest need: salvation from sin.

Christianity holds that real peace requires reconciliation with God through Christ. This true peace is the primary reason Christ put on the robes of flesh. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to achieve peace with God, according to Paul in Romans 5:1. As explained in Romans 5.8 and 5.10, this peace aids in the resolution of the inner conflict of guilt caused by sin. Humanity became estranged from God in the Garden of Eden, but we can return to divine harmony through Christ’s incarnation. Upon Christ’s birth, the angels declared to mankind that He was extending an olive branch to humanity. Note: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2,14 KJV).

Beyond reconciling with God, Christ’s peace, once received, permeates our inner being. In Philippians 4.6-7, Paul describes this peace as “beyond all understanding,” a calm that guards our hearts and minds regardless of life’s ups and downs. This inner peace is more than just a temporary state of calm; it is a profound sense of stability and contentment that stems from a close relationship with God. To achieve this peace, we must engage in consistent prayer and gratitude and live according to Christ’s teachings and examples.

As we embody Christ’s teachings, our relationship with others will change. Jesus tells us to love our enemies (Matthew 5.43–48) and to live by the Golden Rule (Luke 6.31). These teachings challenge us to work for peace in our communities by actively showing love and empathy to others, not just tolerating them. His teachings remind us to live peaceably among men (Romans 12.18). Although the world is far from perfect, Christians can help to create a more peaceful society by living these principles. The message is clear: peace between men starts with each of us.

Christ is the source of the all-encompassing peace that Isaiah foretold, which the New Testament made manifest. It encompasses achieving a state of reconciliation with God, experiencing inner serenity, and fostering harmonious relationships within society. As followers of the Prince of Peace, let us embrace and share this multi-faceted peace this holiday season and beyond.

Handling Hardship

Bobby Gilbert

(Bobby delivered this as a devotional talk at Lehman Avenue on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. He served for several years as a shepherd, until recently. He lost Brenda almost nine months ago. They had been married for 46 years)

Hardship can be defined as severe suffering. Just take a minute and look up and down your pew; I would say, these are the ones that are very near and dear to you! My plead is don’t take these individuals or even tomorrow for granted; We know that every day people are diagnosed with some dreaded disease, and every day, people die. Disease and death are real, just like divorce, addiction, and suicide. Hardships are going to happen; you and I are not the first to suffer from hardship, and we certainly won’t be the last.

Now we know that hardships are going to happen, but what does this look and feel like? Classic examples are feelings of emptiness, loneliness, fear, anger, abandonment, and guilt.

So, if and when hardships come, how to move forward? 

I have 6 suggestions: 

  1. Make a choice and decide that you don’t have to go through this life counting the months, days, and minutes consumed with these feelings. 
  2. Realize that God is not the source of our hardships, Satan is!   However, after you blame God (and Christians sometimes do), keep moving through, and realize that we serve a God who cares, a God who loves! He is the ultimate source of healing.
  3. Listen to God; get into His Word, absorb His word, Seek after God’s heart.
  4. Now Believe and trust it, God knows what’s best.
  5. Pray to God and petition for specifics: like healing, comfort, and deliverance.
  6. Get to work. Turn all that energy into action; channel it for God’s work and glory. Realize there are so many others hurting from hardships. Hear their stories and allow them to hear your stories; this will help the healing process.

In summary, hardship will come to you, me, and others. But What an example we have of the Suffering Servant, Jesus Christ our Lord, Savior, and King. So, stay focus on Jesus and continue to point others to Jesus! 

Remember Hebrews 12:2: “fixing your eyes on Jesus” … and Matthew 11:28, where Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is…The Lord

Friday’s Column: Brent’s Bent

Brent Pollard

Following the arc featuring the “story” of Lady Wisdom and Ms. Folly, we notice a stylistic change in the book of wisdom, ostensibly collected by King Solomon. Beginning in chapter ten, King Solomon wields a shotgun and pelts us with wisdom’s birdshot. Manufacturers make birdshot by packing numerous steel or tungsten balls into a cartridge. The steel balls scatter when fired. This design increases the likelihood of striking a flying bird and keeps game fowl from being completely obliterated by the shot.  

So, beginning with Proverbs 10, the reader is confronted with numerous truths that do not form a cohesive narrative like Lady Wisdom and Miss Folly but are practical words of wisdom that enrich life. As a result, it is often best to approach the rest of Proverbs as a topical study. “The fear of the Lord” is an excellent place to start our topical overview of Proverbs. Solomon defined fear of the Lord as the beginning of knowledge and wisdom (Proverbs 1.7; 9.10). 

As with the word “fool,” the Biblical definition of “fear” is not what one typically associates with the term. I oft tout Webster’s original 1828 dictionary since it often frames words within a Biblical context. Here is Webster’s subentry for the word “fear.” 

“In scripture, fear is used to express a filial or a slavish passion. In good men, the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun every thing that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience. This is filial fear 

I will put my fear in their hearts. Jeremiah 32.39. 

Slavish fear is the effect or consequence of guilt; it is the painful apprehension of merited punishment. Romans 8.15. 

The love of God casteth out fear 1 John 4.1.”  

(https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/Fear)  

Regarding the beginning of knowledge and wisdom, we understand that this is because we respect and revere God. We acknowledge His authority and thus trust His knowledge and judgment. Beyond its role in enlightening us, the fear of the Lord will accomplish other positive things as well. 

We will hate evil. (Proverbs 8.13). 

One cannot truly despise evil without also cherishing good, and just as an aversion to wrongdoing motivates people to turn away from it, so does a desire to do what is right in God’s eyes. In this context, “fear of the Lord” refers to the essence of religious practice. 

We will prolong life. (Proverbs 10.27) 

Mature individuals can recall numerous cases of the wicked whose lives were cut short and ended due to their evil actions—fatalities caused by drunk drivers, robbers who police have shot, adulterers killed by cuckolded husbands, etc.            

We have strong confidence and a fountain of life. (Proverbs 14.26-27) 

The traps of death include not only the pitfalls and dangers of our current lives on Earth but also the unfathomable terrors of the “second death.” James Moffat translated the Scriptures in 1929 and rendered the passage: “Reverence for the Eternal is a fount of life; it shows how to avoid the nets of Death.” He capitalized the “d” in “death” to show that it was eternal condemnation. 

The fear of the Lord will prompt us to depart from evil. (Proverbs 16.6) 

No matter how well done, mercy and truth cannot save people from sin unless genuine repentance and a change of heart toward God’s will accompany them. People refrain from doing bad things because they are afraid of the Lord, and this fear affects them. Those with holy fear and reverence for God in their hearts will not sin against him. 

We will have a satisfying life, spared from much evil. (Proverbs 19.23) 

According to this verse, the only way to be “satisfied” is to fear and serve God. On the tomb of William Rockefeller in New York’s Tarrytown Cemetery, there is a quote from Augustine that reads, “Our souls, O God, were made for Thee, and never shall they rest until they rest in Thee.” Men will never find happiness elsewhere, no matter how hard they try. Only in Jesus Christ can we find the fullness of life that God provides. 

We will enjoy riches, honor, and life! (Proverbs 22.4) 

This verse, which discusses humility and reverence for God, sums up several of the principal lessons of Proverbs. In addition, it provides a concise overview of the fundamental requirements for human survival on this planet. 

True religion, as demonstrated by “the fear of the Lord.” is synonymous with humility. The signs of humility are being dependent on God, having a low opinion of oneself, surrendering one’s will, and convincing ourselves of sin. They are all summed up in the phrase “the fear of God,” which is the source of all virtues and blessings: riches, honor, and life. 

We deprive ourselves of God’s wisdom and knowledge treasures when we do not fear the Lord. We will tempt fate and let ourselves get corrupted by mingling with evil. Our refusal to listen to God’s word will likely shorten our lives (e.g., suffering sexually transmitted diseases if we do not heed His Word on sexual relationships). We will not come to know God’s love, which provides assurance and confidence in salvation. We are not motivated to repent or turn to God when we sin! We will not be inspired to “work out our salvation.” This outcome from lacking the fear of the Lord sounds dreadful.  

To be truly wise, we must first learn to fear the Lord. Let us understand this fear, appreciate it, and incorporate it into our lives as God’s children! 

God> Our Hearts (1 John: Part 9)

Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

Gary Pollard

I’ll be repeating the book of I John in present-day terminology. It’s not a true translation of the
book, as I am not qualified to do so. It will be based on an exegetical study of the book and will
lean heavily on the SBL and UBS Greek New Testaments, as well as comparisons with other
translations (ESV, NASB, NIV, ERV, NLT). My goal is to reflect the text accurately, and to
highlight the intent of the author using concepts and vocabulary in common use today.
This is not an “essentially literal” translation, and should be read as something of a
commentary.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus gave up his own life for everyone. We owe each other
our lives, too. Let’s say one of you is living life to the fullest, financially comfortable and stress-
free. If you notice that one of your brothers or sisters needs basic necessities and you
suppress your feelings of compassion, can God’s love exist in you at all? Children, don’t just
say you love each other – prove it by how you treat each other.

This is how we know we exist in the truth: we can pacify our guilty consciences in front of God
whenever our hearts condemn us. God is more powerful than our hearts and he knows
everything! Loved ones, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we can be completely confident when
we pray to God. If we ask him for something, he’ll give it to us. This is because we do what
he’s asked and we listen to his commands.

These are his commands: believe in his son (Jesus, the king), and selflessly love each other.
Everyone who carefully practices those commands is with God, and God is with them.

The Glue Of Guilt

Tuesday’s Column: Dale Mail

blond man with goatee smiling at camera with blazer on
Dale Pollard

Samuel is nearing the end of his life by the time you read 1 Samuel 12. He gives a speech to all of Israel and there are several chilling statements that force us to consider our own spiritual standing. Samuel seeks the counsel of the Lord and asks Him on behalf of the people for an earthly king. God had established the Judges to rule them rather than a king which was typical for the time period. God grants their request, even though this kind of leadership was bound for failure. He handed Israel their shovel, and they began to dig. Here are some of Samuel’s final words. 

“Then Samuel called on the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel. The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish” (18-25).

Here are five quick observations and practical truths based on Samuel’s speech. 

  1. We should never let our previous sins hold us back from pressing forward. Samuel tells the children of Israel not to let the evil in their recent past keep them down— but he doesn’t pretend as if they hadn’t sinned against God. 
  2. Samuel reminds the people that God is quick to forgive. 
  3. It’s interesting that Samuel says that his failure to pray for God’s people would be a sinful thing for him to do. 
  4. Samuel tells the people to fear the Lord AND remember what He’s done for them. God could have wiped them out. He clearly had the ability as he demonstrated His power over nature in the beginning of this section. 
  5. It was true for the children of Israel and it’s true for us today. If we persist in doing evil, we will perish. 

The Old Testament is filled with relevant applications for us today. Let’s learn from the past, and like Samuel said— let’s not let our past failures keep us from moving forward. 

Guilt Can Be a Positive

 

While feeding the cats this morning, two males got into a kerfuffle. I stuck my foot between the two moggie pugilists and gently but firmly sent them to their mutual corners.  One of the participants, the victim, decided to make himself scarce for a time. Meanwhile, the instigator continued chowing down. Enter my father. My siblings can attest that my dad can cut quite the intimidating figure. It seems apparent that even cats can appreciate this. Dad sternly stated the aggressor’s name and walked towards him. The feline perpetrator may be the alpha among the cats, but he slinked away from my father. The guilty glances he returned to my father said, “Yes, I did something I should not have done.” Even so, the guilty cat lacks the intellect to grow from having been caught in his transgression. 

Despite being human, there may be many persons able to identify with our mischievous cat. They may feel guilty when confronted with their sin, but they will not allow that discomfort to prompt restoration. Eventually, they will sufficiently recover to resume their everyday life. Hence, wrongdoers may view guilt as a wholly negative emotion, a pesky nuisance. Sadly, they might find validation from a few pop psychologists. I recall one Christian telling me that her therapist assured her that she would feel better if she would discard her pesky religious convictions. Despite what such pop psychologists have said in the past, this guilt can be a positive. The apostle Paul addresses this subject in his second epistle to the Corinthians. 

“For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7.10 NASB1995) 

So, if you will permit me to anthropomorphize my cats further, my cat experienced worldly sorrow. This lack of godly sorrow means that the next time a similar situation confronts this male cat, he will fall back into the same behavior that earned his initial rebuke. 

Fortunately, God gave humans the propensity to experience sorrow according to His will. This sorrow can lead to repentance (2 Corinthians 7.8-9). No one enjoys being like Nathan, pointing the accusatory finger at a friend (cf. 2 Samuel 12.1-15), not even Paul.  Paul said that he initially regretted his role (2 Corinthians 7.8). However, such finger-pointers realize, like Paul, that inflicting momentary guilt leads to a restoration of another’s relationship with God. The only prerequisite for imposing godly sorrow upon another is to ensure your eye is free of beams while spotting specks in your brother’s eye (Matthew 7.3-5). 

We feel guilt for a reason. Guilt helps us understand that our actions have strained our relationship with God and others. As such, guilt causes us to preserve our connective bonds. When acknowledging we have wronged someone, we make amends to them. We will not allow the rift to continue or grow. Research also suggests that you may be more trustworthy if you are more prone to feel guilt (Emamzadeh). Such guilt-prone people are more reliable because they want to avoid the guilt that comes from strained relationships entirely.  Therefore, they will avoid situations imperiling a relationship. Just as a quick aside, we should not confuse shame with guilt either. Shame causes a person to see themselves as a failure rather than seeing a mistake that they can rectify with another. We all sin and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3.23). So, we all have flaws. However, we can make sure that we do not purposely do anything disrupting our relationship with God and others. To that end, guilt can be a positive thing that though uncomfortable, leads to our refining in the fire. 

Work Cited 

Emamzadeh, Arash. “New Research Determines Who You Can Trust the Most.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 20 Sept. 2018, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-new-home/201809/new-research-determines-who-you-can-trust-the-most. 

 

David’s Year Away From God

Thursday’s Column: Carlnormous Comments

carl-pic

Carl Pollard

 
“You’re the man” is what we say when someone comes through for us. It’s used as a compliment that helps us convey our gratitude. “You’re the man” means that the person you’re saying it to deserves to be praised for what they’ve done or will do. We find this same phrase in scripture, but it’s used in a completely different manner.
 
David was a man after God’s own heart, but he was still a man. He made mistakes and sometimes failed to live the way he should. There’s one instance in his life that we are all familiar with. 2 Samuel 11 records for us the time David committed adultery with Bathsheba and got her pregnant. In order to cover his tracks he had her husband killed. Chapter 11 ends with Bathsheba crying over her husband’s death, while David waits for her to get over it so he can move her into his house.
 
This chain of sins committed by David creates a rift in his relationship with God. The last phrase we read in chapter 11 is that “the things that David had done displeased the Lord.”
 
What I find interesting is that God doesn’t immediately punish David. He didn’t do anything when David first slept with her, He didn’t do anything when David killed her husband, and God didn’t punish him when he bore a son with Bathsheba. For what appears to be about a year, David seems to live without any consequences for his sins. But this lack of immediate punishment didn’t mean that God was overlooking David’s sin. Rather, God had a plan that we read of in chapter 12.
 
David found himself in a place that he wasn’t normally in. For a year he wasn’t a man after God’s own heart, but his own heart. For 12 months David didn’t walk with God, rather, he walked away. For 365 days David was no longer a friend of God, he was an enemy. Think about what was going through his head. He had sinned, and he knew it. After David spends a year living with the sin he had committed, God comes to him with a message. It is a message that is summarized with only four words: “YOU ARE THE MAN.”
 
From 2 Sam. 11:27-12:1, there seems to be a gap of about 12 months, a time where nothing is said about the sin David just committed. Just because nothing was said doesn’t mean everything was normal. After the awful sins David committed, God was silent. Why? I believe it was for two reasons:
 
  1. So that David could think on his sinful actions. Think about what was going on in his head. He had to live with the guilt of sleeping with another man’s wife and then killing her husband in secret. Every time David looked into the eyes of Bathsheba he was reminded. No one knew except David and Joab (the one David used to get Uriah killed in battle). After the sins were committed, David was left to think about his sin and David knew that God knew. He lived for a year knowing that God didn’t approve and was angry with him. God was silent so that the noise in David’s head could be heard.
  2. So that David would truly feel and experience the burden of his actions. Psalm 32 and 51 were both written after David had confessed his sin, but he writes about what his life was like (Psa. 32:3-4; 51:12). David was eaten up with guilt. He carried a weight that was destroying him and his life was void of hope and joy. God was silent so that David could think about what he had done and so that he could feel the weight of his sinful actions.
 
David chose to ignore his sin for a year, but that year was a time filled with stress and guilt. We can either fix the sin, or ignore it and face the consequences. If we ignore it and take God’s silence as a lack of punishment we WILL face the punishment that is promised on those who live in sin. We must choose the first course of action. 

The Prodigal Cat 

Friday’s Column: Brent’s Biblical Bytes

81121814_2462862270639428_5746232403106463744_n

Brent Pollard

Our beloved cat, June-bug, returned home recently. He had been absent for over a year. We assumed he was dead. Yet, the “power of love” drew him back to the house. Oh, no, it was not his love for us. He could sense a female that has entered estrus. And that is why he is back. Will he stick around? We shall see. However, I cannot help but notice the toll his “prodigal living” has had on him in the interim. Before his departure, he began having irritation in his left eye. It wept a lot. It would sometimes seal his eye shut. He now looks like a human with ptosis (i.e., drooping eyelid). Frankly, that is how I was able to identify him since his coat is darker and matted.  

Otherwise, he seems as if he has eaten well. He was always a good hunter. The earlier generations of cats that took up with us were better hunters. These newer cats have become so accustomed to humans providing food that I wonder how well they would fare if on their own. The saddest part of June-bug’s return is noting how feral he has become. Previously, June-bug liked when we pet him. Now, he will not come near us, despite acting as if he still faintly recalls us. 

Have you ever encountered a brother or sister now living prodigally? It can be heartbreaking, correct? Sometimes the toll sin has had upon them is obvious. Hard-living might make them look haggard and aged beyond their years. The Bible paints this picture as well. What happened to the “original” prodigal? Given his hunger, we might infer he had become gaunt. He was so desperate that he was willing to eat pig slop (Luke 15.14-16). His poverty likely reduced his apparel to rags. What sight must he have presented to the awaiting father?  

And what does Solomon elsewhere say of the drunkard?  

“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine.” (Proverbs 23.29-30 NASB1995) 

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.” (Proverbs 20.1 NASB1995) 

Yes, sin can often devastate on this side of eternity as well. Things like substance abuse will alter a person’s demeanor, cause them to injure themselves while in a stupor, or pick fights with others.  

Beyond the physical difficulties encountered because of sin, we must likewise consider the psychological toll, particularly guilt. The psalmist refers to a sinner’s inability to stand within the assembly of the righteous (Psalm 1.5). While their lifestyle would strip them of their desire to be within the Christian community, their guilt would not permit them to endure such association for long. Seeing others striving to walk in the Light(1 John 1.7) would remind them from whence they had fallen.  

Yes, a prodigal can be a sad sight to beyond, whether a cat or especially a human being. The Father shows us how to treat those humans who have strayed. Once they have repented, we show them love and acceptance (Luke 15.20-24). It is the extension of the same grace we would all hope to receive under similar circumstances. It is not our place to punish the erring brother or sister for the time they have wasted in the far country of sin. We need to create a pleasant home environment in which they will desire to remain. Then we can all enter into the joys of our Master.  

The Angels’ Struggle (And Ours)

Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

Gary III

Gary Pollard

We sometimes have a tendency to give up when we mess up spiritually. We’ll think, “Guess I blew it, there’s no point in trying now.” Guilt or frustration over the difficulty of living for God and falling short is a powerful Achilles Heel of ours. Paul describes our struggle with sin as combat with self (Romans 7). 

A Christian who is fighting to follow God is still going to sin at some point. We sometimes allow the loss of that battle to drag us into a pattern of sinning solely because we’ve become discouraged that we even allowed that sin to happen. 

I’d like to point out that we aren’t alone in that struggle. Consider Job 38.7: angels – who do not need faith because they live in the presence of God – were up close and personal to the creation of our incredible universe. They watched in awe as God fabricated the stars. They heard those stars sing, which means that they were amazed by the sheer power and majesty of what we can only hear as obscure signals. They were right there! 

Some of those same angels were caught up in sin (II Peter 2.4ff; Jude 6-9). Satan currently has followers who were at one time up close and personal to the Power behind our existence (Romans 12.7ff; Matthew 25:41). 

If an angel, a being who does not serve God based on a mere belief in His existence, but because they were originally created for the sole purpose of carrying out His will, and who are eyewitnesses to His existence and unlimited power, can be tempted to the extent that they are willing to abandon the presence of God and forfeit ever seeing His face again, who are we to think that our struggle is that defeating? 

God does not have a salvation plan for angelic beings (II Peter 2.4). When they breach their boundaries, that’s it. The moment they act outside of God’s will is the moment they forfeit the presence of God for eternity. 

We are lower than angels on the creation totem pole (Psalm 8.5), yet we have Jesus as a mediator defending us before God (I John 2.1) and constantly making us sinless in God’s eyes when we’re doing our best to live for Him (I John 1.7). We have a gift that angels do not enjoy: we get extra chances. As long as we are willing to wage war with our sinful desires, as long as we are striving to be like Him, and as long as we are trying to incorporate the word of God into our lives, we have grace. 

We’re stepping out of the concrete and into conjecture, but there is at least some evidence that lust (Genesis 6; II Peter 2; Jude 6-9) and perhaps tragedy (Matthew 18.10) are enough to make an angel forfeit their home. Again, this is pure conjecture but it has, at the very least, some scriptural evidence to suggest legitimacy. 

When we sin, we need to take a step back and get some perspective. We must not brush off sin as being inconsequential, but we also must avoid allowing a mistake to send us into a dysfunctional pattern just because we think, “I’ve blown it, there’s no point in trying now” or, “This struggle is too great for me.” If angels aren’t immune, why on earth would we think that we are supposed to be? 

The beauty of Christianity is found in God’s grace. It is understandable, seeing how some have abused the subject, to want to avoid the topic altogether. How many, though, have found themselves trapped in sin because they did not understand or believe in the power of God’s continual forgiveness?

Understanding what we have when we make a concerted effort to follow God is of the highest importance. We will sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are liar and there is no truth in us (I John 1.8). When we do sin, let’s remember that not only can we have forgiveness if we’re walking in light, we’re not especially awful just because we find ourselves falling short. If even God’s angels can be tempted to the point of leaving His presence forever, so can we who have not seen His face. And let that cause us to seek His face with even more enthusiasm than before! 

I Corinthians 10.13

II Peter 3.9

573a4f4881b5ac289f8fd610e9755dcb

When You Need To Let Go

Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

Gary III

Gary Pollard

Today was a momentous and somber day for me: I am now bald. After removing my hat – a constant companion – I saw that the battle was lost and shaved my head. ‘Twas a truly humbling moment; I now understand what the greatest youth minister of all time – Brett Petrillo – felt when he, too, bid a final farewell to his hair. We never know what we have until it is but a wishful yearning for yesteryear.
Being a minister in a family of ministers, I must allegorize this milestone before the tombstone. I fought to keep something that was not only lost, but that should have been let go long before now. Instead of seeing the writing on the wall I thought, “Maybe I can keep it.” Or, “Maybe no one will notice.” Or, “Maybe I can make it seem like something it isn’t.”
We do this a lot in our spiritual lives, too. We might hold onto grudges, bad attitudes, sin problems, past hurts, pet peeves, or guilt. Holding onto these is hopeless and counterproductive.
Are we holding onto a grudge? Jesus said in Matthew 5.23, 24, that we shouldn’t even worship if we have something against a brother/sister or if they have something against us. Matthew six tells us that forgiving others is a condition of receiving forgiveness.
Are we nursing a bad attitude? Paul, writing to Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians 4, addressed their attitude problem bluntly. The first part of chapter two commands them to embody traits such as encouragement, consolation, affection, and compassion. He gives an example of the selflessness of Jesus – something driven by His attitude. He put others above Himself, even though He didn’t have to. In Philippians 2.12, Paul even states that attitude can determine where we will spend eternity! If we have a bad attitude, we need to shave it.
What about guilt? Perhaps nothing is so tragically difficult to let go of as guilt. Sometimes guilt is necessary to help us see our faults and seek forgiveness. Just as often, if not more so, guilt is a weight that holds us back from spiritual growth. We must understand, internalize, and have gratitude for the gift of grace. The whole purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice was to give us grace and access to God. I John makes it very clear that a forgiven Christian who continues to live his/her imperfect life in pursuit of God is perfect in His eyes. If guilt while under grace is present and weighing us down, we need to shave it. It is one of Satan’s most powerful weapons against the Christian. It will hamstring any effort we make to grow spiritually, as our minds focus more on our past than on our infinitely more important future.
Certainly more could be said on the subject but while we have some time on our hands, we might do a little introspection and see what we can let go of. It will be uncomfortable, it will be uncertain, and it will be worth the effort. Shaving what we needn’t hold onto will not only bring greater joy, it will also bring a healthier relationship with God and our Christian family.
94671940_265784144601282_8304130777881247744_n

The Greatest Longing Of The Soul

Neal Pollard

Quick. Name the top three accomplishments of Grover Cleveland’s presidency. I’ll wait. 

Nothing? Don’t feel dense or unpatriotic. He’s not in most historians’ top 10 (25?) of American presidents. But on yesterday’s date, 132 years ago, he was at the helm and dedicated the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.  This, if you don’t recall, was the proposed gift of French historian Edouard de Laboulaye in honor of America’s alliance with France during the Revolutionary War, sculpted by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, designed by Viollet-le-Duc and Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel), completed in France in 1884, and delivered to America the next year with the last rivet fitted on October 28, 1886 (via Instagram). The pedestal of the statue contains a sonnet by poet Emma Lazarus, well-known to most of us, that reads, 

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door” (ibid.).

With all the debate about immigration–a Reuters story revealed that immigration tops the economy and healthcare as the top issue for voters (Read here)–there is no denying why so many people around the world want to come to the United States. We have long been regarded as the haven for poor masses yearning to breathe free and wanting a home inside “the golden door.” Many have come and achieved incredible success in our country. Many more than that have come to find that immigrating here did not solve their problems or make their dreams come true.

There is a greater longing of the soul, a desire for something even more than prosperity.  Jesus teaches us that material things won’t last (Mat. 6:19-20). Peter tells us what comes of such ultimately (2 Pet. 3:10). 

There is a greater longing of the soul than even freedoms afforded by nations and governments. Many will abuse those freedoms through immoral choices.  Proverbs 14:34 strongly applies.

The most noble, highest longing of a soul is for the freedom only Christ can provide. To be free from the slavery of sin (John 8:31-36), from guilt of sin (Psa. 51:1-14), and from the power of sin (Heb. 2:14) is man’s wisest quest. A person with an abundance of money, liberty, and other earthly advantages may still be buried by the influence of sin. To know there’s a solution right now–who wouldn’t want that?

Don’t forget what Jesus tells people everywhere: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Mat. 11:28). 

23905208_10155150150870922_199173094846852320_n

“I Don’t Feel Good Enough”

Neal Pollard

How many times have you said that? You may project an air of confidence that would make it hard for anyone to think you felt that way or you may wear it on your sleeves. But, if honesty prevails, we’d all confess to wrestling with that thought. Daily! With Paul, facing the scope of our challenge, we exclaim, “And who is adequate for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:16). BDAG informs us that “adequate” means “sufficient in degree…large enough; pertaining to meeting a standard, fit…competent, qualified, able” (472). As Paul’s words are in the context of ministry, conscientious preachers who read that statement really get it. We’re fragile pottery entrusted with a perfect, eternal, and divine message (2 Cor. 4:7).  Oh, how we feel our own humanity as we preach the mind of God to others struggling with their humanity. We know our every weakness better than anyone else does.

Yet, the struggle I mention is not just the preacher’s burden. The best Christians I know live each day fully aware of their inadequacies and insecurities. No matter how many good works they do, how faithful in attendance and duty they are, or how actively they seek opportunities to serve God, they struggle at times. May I suggest that this is one of the biggest blessings of living the Christian life. No, we don’t want to live in a shroud of guilt. Not at all! But, consider what happens when we acknowledge our glaring insufficiencies.  We can see our utter dependency on God that much better.

Could Moses have really led the Israelites for 40 years on his own ingenuity and oratory? Could Jeremiah have really faced his audience on his own temerity? Could a renewed Peter have really preached that Pentecost sermon to Jesus’ killers on the merits of his own homiletic greatness? Could Paul have really transformed the first-century world on the foundation of his cosmopolitan experience and top-notch education from Gamaliel University?

Repeatedly, throughout His ministry, Jesus decries the Pharisaical tendency of trusting in self (Luke 16:5; 18:9). Ultimately, it’s a farce anyway. I may struggle with different weaknesses than you, but I still struggle. While that is never an excuse to give up and indulge in sin (cf. Rom. 6:1-2), it is a great, daily starting place to appreciate our need of God’s favor and friendship. We are not going to make it through this world on our own merits. As the beautiful old song suggests, “I need Thee, oh, I need Thee, every hour I need Thee….”

Here’s the beautiful thing that happens when we recognize our shortcomings and inabilities. We become an empty vessel that God can fill to accomplish His work. God will open doors of opportunity for us to do, by His might, what we could never have hoped to do without Him. Whether doors of service (teacher, elder, preacher, deacon, etc.), lives of holiness, or works of obedience, we will live in amazement of His power. Or, as Paul put it, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever” (Eph. 3:20-21). Take heart, Christian! You’re not doing this alone. You can’t! But, what can God not do? That thought is exciting and thrilling. With that in mind, no mountain is too formidable. He’s got this!

pexels-photo-208151

“Satan Wants You”

Neal Pollard

Mike Vestal was speaking to preachers at this year’s Polishing The Pulpit in Sevierville, Tennessee, on the subject of discouragement. One of his many poignant points was that Satan would dearly love to get to the preacher. He made the striking statement, “Satan wants you!”  This is true of more than the preacher. He is ever after every faithful Christian.  Do you remember that shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus warned an overconfident Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat” (Luke 22:31)? It is sobering to contemplate his ravenous yearning for us (cf. 1 Pet. 5:8)!

Consider that Satan wants your:

  • Soul
  • Influence
  • Effectiveness
  • Energy
  • Money
  • Stages of life (youth, prime, golden years)
  • Heart
  • Family (spouse, children, parents)
  • Passion
  • Time
  • Worship
  • Body
  • Speech
  • Confidence
  • Assurance
  • Attention

When we break down the totality of his voracious appetite for each of us individually, we can see just how viciously and actively he is pursuing us. He can work through the more obvious avenues like sexual immorality, unrighteous conduct, and overt worldliness. He is as content with more subtle channels like attitude, strife, grudge bearing, dishonesty, greed, and gossip. The Bible makes it clear that as long as he can make headway into the heart and life, he’ll take it.

The thrilling news is that he cannot make us or take us without our permission. Furthermore, Jesus empowers us to prevail through His sacrifice and resources. Hebrews 2:14 shows us that Jesus rendered him powerless against the children of God.

The greatest news of all is that God wants you! He has gone to the greatest lengths to prove it. If we will give our lives to Him, it does not matter what the Devil attempts. He will fail!  Resist him with the power of God (1 Pet. 5:9; Jas. 4:7-8) and he will flee from you! Just don’t let your guard down! Keep your faith up!

5602666514_64b59ec5c1_m

 

WHEN YOU FEEL WEIGHED DOWN

Neal Pollard

Mark and Derek Noel have an incredible story.  Mark, the dad, thinks he weighed 460 pounds at his heaviest, though he couldn’t find scales that could weigh him. He talks about the depression, the shame, even the claustrophobia of being that size. He learned that he had a food addiction.  Today, he weighs 220 pounds and his son has also lost an incredible amount of weight. There’s still a mental struggle there, but through food journaling, exercise, and, above all, a desire to live, Mark is winning that battle (Megan Messerly, Las Vegas Sun, 10/19/15).

There are a great many people who can relate to the struggle and some who know the success of a story like theirs. A lot of people have eaten themselves into such a state of being, and most people struggle with self-control and wise decisions concerning food especially where it is abundant and easily accessible. I imagine few of those who get themselves into such a state are happy with the results.

There is something weighing on people in a far greater way than this, though.  It can happen in the midst of drought and famine. It is not exclusively a “first-world problem.”  Sin is a universal burden (Rom. 3:23).  The writer of Hebrews even describes it this way. He says, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Heb. 12:1). David wrote, “For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me” (Psa. 38:4).

Sometimes, when people are discussing the sin struggles they are coping with, they say, “I just feel weighed down.”  They are describing the effects of guilt and unhappiness, a disappointment and self-loathing produced by a conscience all too aware of the persistent reality of sin.  But, instead of addressing the problem, too many try to work it out on their own and never leave the vicious cycle of serving sin. Paul says the ultimate outcome of this approach is death (Rom. 6:23; cf. Jas. 1:15). What can you do when you feel weighed down?

  • Be Determined. One older song begins, “I am resolved no longer to linger.” The Prodigal Son said, “I will arise and go to my father and will say” (Luke 15:18). The journey home begins with making up your mind that you need to go.
  • Be Dependent. The Prodigal Son looked at the conditions at home and saw his need of the father. He says “my father’s” (Luke 15:17), “my father” (18), “Father” (18), “his father” (20), “Father” (21). The father was able to solve the problem and lift the burden.  The son simply had to swallow his pride and go to his father.
  • Be Decisive. The boy took action.  His resolve led to his return. He went from wanting to walking. As the rest of the parable reveals, the boy didn’t regret his decision.  There was celebration and reward in coming home.  Contrast that with the burden of staying in sin.

It’s very possible that you find yourself weighed down.  What good reason can you give for staying in that condition? Wouldn’t you rather lose the weight? I know you’ll feel better if you do!

“Redemption Is Tailor-Made For The Wretched”

Neal Pollard

If you did not know the source of this quote already, you might be hard-pressed to guess it.  This was said by Stanley “Tookie” Williams, two weeks before he was executed in California in 2005 for four 1979 murders he committed while the apparent leader of The Crips gang in Los Angeles.  Though he vehemently proclaimed his innocence in these deaths to the very end, he freely admitted that drugs, robbery, gang- violence and other crimes were very much a part of his life before prison.  Redemption, as he understood it, “is not predicated on color or race or social stratum or one’s religious background.  It’s accessible for everybody. That’s the beauty about it” (interview with Amy Goodman, WBAI). Williams, who became a prolific author of anti-gang books while on death row, has left behind enough writing to indicate he did not have a biblical understanding of redemption, which is truly tragic because the ideas quoted are certainly biblical.

The word “wretched” is used “of a person in a very unhappy or unfortunate state” (New Oxford American Dictionary, online).  The New Testament uses the word twice.  Interestingly, the first time it is used by one who was all-too-aware of his wretchedness, but who rejoiced at the possibility of redemption (Rom. 7:24-25).  The second time it is used by a church, Laodicea, who didn’t know they were wretched but were told by Christ they were (Rev. 3:17). A form of the word is also used in another place, where Christians struggling with worldliness are told to be wretched over their sinful lifestyle (Jas. 4:9, see ESV).  The common thread between these verses is that wretchedness is related to redemption.  One must recognize their unfortunate state if they hope to be redeemed.

One of the great ironies of life is that so many are racked with guilt but are also skilled in justifying and defending the very behavior that produces it.  Many others rest in their confident belief that they are, overall, good and moral people who don’t really need redemption.  To deny or rationalize the sin in our life will cause our most imposing problem to remain unresolved.  To humble ourselves and admit our wretchedness apart from Christ can lead us to redemption. It doesn’t matter your race, color, income level, or background.  Redemption is tailor-made for the wretched!