Tag: Jesus

Blown By Storms

Neal Pollard

Yesterday, several of us traveled from Siem Reap out to Tonle Sap Lake to visit two of the graduates from the first class at the International Bible Institute of Siem Reap, one of our Bear Valley extensions.  They live on a raft and operate a water filtration system capable of servicing dozens of locals each day.  The lake is over an hour from Siem Reap, and they have yet to establish a congregation so our visit was to encourage them.  After visiting, we were having a devotional—singing songs and having a short lesson.  During the lesson, the winds started to blow and the raft started to pull against the ropes tied to the dock.  Suddenly, hard and heavy tropical rains had replaced sunny skies and we were in a storm.  The dock was damaged by the raft tugging against it, and quickly we were tethered by only one rope.  Currents were moving downstream in this, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, and the surge flow produced fast-moving water intensified by the rains.  In short, the visit could have ended much more dramatically and dangerously.

There were things that struck me about that storm—it was sudden, powerful, and intense.  It is hard to think of disciples in a boat during a storm without thinking of the events recorded in Matthew 8:23-27.  A storm arose, the boat was covered with waves, the seasoned fishermen and boatmen were frightened, and Jesus was asleep onboard.  They awake Him, He rebuked the wind and the water, and then He rebuked them.  Their faith was not as firm as the fracas.  After yesterday, I am even less critical of their reaction.  It’s easy to feel small and helpless when such a storm arises.

The Bible compares our trials and difficulties to storms.  Job and David, among others, call them “tempests” (Job 9:17; Psa. 55:8). Jesus calls them floods and torrents (Luke 6:47-49). Solomon likens them to storms (Pro. 1:27).  We appreciate the imagery!

These storms can blow us off course and can even make us drift. We can find ourselves barely hanging on and wondering how much more we can take.  Let us remember that Jesus is still with us (Mat. 28:20), so no matter how fierce the storm we will ultimately survive.  “Ultimately” may not mean being spared from physical death, but it does mean that we will preserve our spiritual lives.  May our faith be strong enough to remember that as long as our Lord is near, we are more than conquerors (cf. Rom. 8:31).

We were “fodder” for makeshift foreigners’ photography. Here’s how I’m getting even. 🙂

 

Saran is one of the men in the water trying to set poles to help tie down the raft.
Our ultimate “rescue.”

Five Reasons God’s Law Of Marriage, Divorce, And Remarriage Applies To All

Neal Pollard

People approach the very sensitive subject of marriage, divorce, and remarriage in several ways. Some, ignorant of what Jesus says about it, are a law to themselves and come up with any number of “alternatives” including living together without marriage, homosexuality, adultery, and the like. Some have become stricter than Jesus, saying that divorce for any reason is a sin. This is making a law where God has not (Prov. 30:6; Rev. 22:18-19). Some have become less strict than Jesus, making allowance where He has not. One of the most common allowances is the idea this law does not apply to everyone. Also, some have tried to make the sin of adultery something other than what context shows it to be. Here are five reasons why God’s law of marriage, divorce, and remarriage applies to all.

(1) Jesus Goes Back To The Beginning Of Creation (19:4,8). Jesus is not teaching something that was limited to His own time and it certainly was not an articulation of the Law of Moses (see 19:7-8). Instead, Jesus goes back to the dawn of time to Adam and Eve in the Garden. Jesus, in giving His command, reaches behind Moses to “the beginning.” This shows a timelessness to the command. God designed it a certain way, man distorted it, and Jesus dictates a new way that is universal in nature. He points ahead by pointing back to the beginning.

(2) What God Has Joined Should Not Be Separated (19:6). When two people have a right to be married, whether or not a preacher or religious person performs the ceremony, God is joining those two together. Verse nine gives God’s only exception for allowing the marriage bond to be severed and only then for the one against whom fornication is committed (the “innocent party”)(see the last phrase in verse nine). There is no qualifying phrase beyond that one exception to justify ending one marriage and forming another.

(3) Jesus’ Teaching Is Explicitly Clear (19:9). It truly takes “expert help” to misunderstand what Jesus teaches here. Take out the exception and here is how the “rule” reads: “Whoever divorce his wife and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” That could not be clearer! The exception is also perfectly clear.

(4) The Disciples’ Reaction (19:10). Their reaction is actually extreme. They conclude that it is better not to get married. Jesus does not validate such thinking, but it gives us insight in to what they understood. Jesus’ law for marriage, divorce, and remarriage is stringent! If “adultery” merely meant “covenant breaking,” would the disciples react so? One would simply need to “repent” of having broken their marriage vows, and then enter another marriage. If Jesus meant that, the disciples would hardly have reacted at all.

(5) Christ’s Final Response About Eunuchs (19:11-12). Jesus clears up any doubt by how He ends this discussion. He speaks of three classes of eunuchs-those born that way, those made that way by men, and those who make themselves that way “for the kingdom of heaven’s sake.” Being delicate here, we understand what it means to be a “eunuch.” That cuts to the heart of what our Lord is saying and one of the blessings accompanying the marriage relationship. Those who divorce for reasons other than the exception Jesus gives in verse nine would have to be in that third category of person discussed in verse 12.
This is not a truth that can be delivered with cold stare, pounding fist, and judgmental heart. It is one that more likely will be accompanied with breaking heart, blinding tears, and extreme hesitation. Probably nothing is more unpleasant to teach, but as part of the “whole counsel” (Acts 20:27) it must be taught. Culture cannot be the authority on this matter. Neither can emotion. Instead, as always, we must let Jesus be the authority (cf. Col. 1:18; 3:17; Matt. 28:18).

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!

Are There Diamonds In Antarctica?

Neal Pollard

With the recent discovery of kimberlite on the east coast of Antarctica around Mount Meredith in the Prince Charles Mountains, there is considerable talk that much more may lay beneath the ice and cold at the south pole.  Kimberlite is a type of rock known to contain diamonds, named for Kimberly, South Africa, which lays not far to the north.  It is a rare rock, and the discovery of it in Kimberly led to a 19th-century diamond rush.

Despite the promise and prospect of diamonds in Antarctica, there will not likely be an onslaught of prospectors there.  There is the forbidding cold, isolation, and winter darkness, the meticulous restrictions forged by environmentalists, and how difficult it is to travel there.  For now, it is an interesting discovery.  Whether or not there will be diamond mining there in the future, time will tell (Alister Doyle, Reuters, 12/18/13).

Is it possible that an even bigger treasure is buried, not beneath ice or international treaties, but rather mounds of fear, indifference, and the like?  Paul says “we have this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Co. 4:7).  The treasure is the message of salvation through Christ (cf. 2 Co. 4:2-6) and we are the earthen vessels.  God gets this treasure to the world through us.  But, far too many of us are burying this treasure like one man did in the parable of the talents (Mat. 25:25).  In a similar parable in Luke, a man hides his mina in a handkerchief (19:20).  In both parables, the application is the same.  God does not want us to keep this treasure hidden and inaccessible.

The soul-saving message of grace should not be buried.  We should not keep it in isolation, be cold or forbidding in any way.  God wants every person to have access to this treasure (1 Ti. 2:4), and He is counting on us to share it!

TIPS FROM JESUS

Neal Pollard

These are far from comprehensive, but they form a sample of Jesus’ vast wisdom:

  • “Come to Me and I will give you rest” (Mat. 11:28-30)
  • “Give and it will be given to You” (Luke 6:38)
  • “Seek the Kingdom first and all these things will be added to you” (Mat. 6:33)
  • “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself” (Mark 8:34)
  • “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16)
  • “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35)
  • “The greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matt. 23:11)
  • “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15)
  • “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Mat. 6:14) “Do not worry” (Luke 12:22)
  • “All men will know you are My disciples if you love one another” (John 13:35)
  • “Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:26)
  • “Take heed; keep on the alert!” (Mark 13:33)
  • “Be on your guard against every form of greed” (Luke 12:16)
  • “Unless you repent, you will perish” (Luke 13:3)
  • “First take the log out of your own eye” (Mat. 7:5)
  • “Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27)
  • “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Mat. 6:19)
  • “All things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Mat. 21:22)
  • “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all” (Mark 10:15)

This is truly just the “hem of the garment.” Spend some time with the gospels and the life of Christ. It will enrich you with infinitely more than money. It will allow you to bless others, but none will be more blessed than you if you take these to heart and live them out in your life!

Better Than The 9-Year-Old Stowaway

Neal Pollard

In a post-9/11 world, how does a 9-year-old boy slip through TSA, a gate agent, and the flight attendants to board a flight from Minneapolis all the way to Las Vegas before being discovered?  That’s what everyone wants to know, but that is what the “street smart” minor did.  Only well into the flight did flight attendants have sufficient suspicion to take action, having him delivered into protective custody once in McCarran Airport in Nevada.  Back in Minnesota, surveillance video showed the boy talking to a gate agent and when she got busy doing something else, he walked down the jet bridge and boarded the plane (some info via http://www.aviationpros.com).  While that might shake our confidence in airport security, we have to be pretty impressed with the savvy and moxie of the little boy to get as far as he did.  He outsmarted a pretty sophisticated series of security measures into which the U.S. Government has poured billions of dollars since 2001.

Can you imagine what the reaction was in Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago, when Jesus stayed behind instead of returning with His family’s caravan back to Nazareth.  It took everyone a full day’s journey before detecting that Jesus was not in the group. After three days they found Him in the temple.  Here was Jesus, “sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.  And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers” (Luke 2:46b-47).  Of course, the sinless Christ had committed no crime or sin.  His answer to His questioning parents was both respectful and logical (Luke 2:49). “He continued in subjection to them” (Luke 2:51).  How many 12-year-olds would have thought to do what Jesus did, much less in the masterful way in which He did it.  Looking back, we know this was but one of an endless list of things Jesus did which points to His Deity.  In fact, thanks to it being preserved in Scripture, we still talk about this 2,000 years later.

It is remarkable to see what young people can do. It shows how we can underestimate them and sell them short, though we should not. What the boy on a plane did was incredible, but illegal.  What Jesus did in New Testament times was unsurpassed, but not unlawful.  May we hold up the latter as a role model to spur our youth on to dream bigger dreams and do greater things to the glory of God, “wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil” (Rom. 16:19; cf. 1 Cor. 14:20).

What Makes “In Jesus’ Name” So Offensive?

Neal Pollard

At Planet Fitness this morning I caught a glimpse of an old “Fresh Prince” episode, where Will Smith’s character was getting married.  During the ceremony, the preacher prayed, beginning “Dear Heavenly Father” but ending “in Your Name, Amen.”  With the recent controversy about the omission of Jesus’ name in prayers by the Robertsons on the very popular “Duck Dynasty” series, I was surprised that this trend goes back at least a few years.  In an interview on YouTube, Phil Robertson talked to producers who surmised that editors in Hollywood thought the name of Jesus, in prayer, would offend some viewers.  Certainly, judging from court cases, from the ACLU’s lawsuit against government bodies in North Carolina praying in Jesus’ name at their meetings to Freedom From Religion’s bullying Kanawha County, West Virginia, into ceasing prayer in Jesus’ name before its High School football games.  As Annie Laurie Gaynor, co-president of FFR, contended, “We are not a Christian nation, this is not a Christian school district, football games…are not Christian football games” (Dave Boucher, Charleston Daily-Mail, 9/24/12).

Certainly, we understand that we live in a climate of political correctness.  That seems to mean that any attempt to honor and glorify Christ in any public way is offensive.  Yet, why is such so offensive in certain circles?

  • In His name is salvation (Mt. 1:21; Ac. 4:10-12).
  • In His name is life (Jn. 20:31).
  • In His name is remission of sins (Ac. 2:38).
  • In His name is healing (Ac. 3:6).
  • In His name is true unity (1 Co. 1:10).
  • In His name is justification from sins (1 Co. 6:11).
  • In His name is supremacy (Ph. 2:10).
  • In His name is authority (Co. 3:17).

Truly, as the songwriter says, “Jesus, name above all names. Beautiful Savior, glorious Lord. Emmanuel, God is with us, blessed Redeemer, living word.”  There is something about that name!  It is the sweetest name on the tongues of those who know Him.  It symbolizes judgment, unwanted accountability, objective standards, and exclusivity for those who refuse to know Him.  Rebellion is as old as mankind, but what they are missing who reject His name in life.  Some day, at that very name, everyone will be compelled to bow (Ph. 2:10-11).  To do so then will be too late.  To do so now opens the door to joy here and eternally.

How Julio Diaz Lived Out Matthew 5

Neal Pollard

Steve Moore writes about Julio Diaz, a New York city social worker who would take the subway to the Bronx each night to eat dinner at his favorite diner. One evening, a teenager brandished a knife and attempted to rob him.  Diaz handed over his wallet, but as the thief walked away he said to him, “Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you’re going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm.” This baffled the teen, and from there Diaz was able to talk him into eating dinner with him in the diner. The teen was struck by how so many knew him and greeted him. The bill came at the end of the dinner, and Diaz offered to buy if he could get his wallet back. Without thinking, the teen handed it back to him. Diaz gave him a $20 and asked only for the knife in return (Who Is My Neighbor?, 44-45).  We would hope that this prompted the teen to reform his life and make something nobler of himself, but if he does not it will not be Diaz’s fault.

What would you do if you were in a predicament like that?  Maybe you would fight back, and who knows how that would end.  Maybe you would compliantly give the wallet and watch in silence as the thief left.  Yet, notice how profoundly Julio Diaz impacted this young man by doing more than was expected.  His victim was willing to give even more than was asked of him.  The world cannot produce that kind of wisdom and street smarts.

Diaz took a page right out of the Divine playbook.  Jesus taught, “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you” (Mat. 5:38-42).  What incredible wisdom!  Such action melts hearts and gives people a glimpse of Divine thinking.

It’s not likely you’ll be robbed at gun or knife point today.  However, somebody will mistreat you, speak evil about you, or otherwise hurt you–soon!  What will you do in response?  Why not pull a Diaz? Why not follow the guidance of the greatest sermon ever preached?

Someone Is Always Listening

Neal Pollard

If you are a college football fan, you have likely heard your fill of coverage about Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini.  Two years ago, before giving a post-game interview following a victory over Ohio State, he had a very frank, foul discussion with the Nebraska play-by-play man.  Somehow, someone recorded the whole thing. In the candid, clandestine rant, laced with profanity, Pelini denounced Cornhusker fans who roundly criticized him for the team’s blowout loss the previous week.  A sport’s website released the raunchy rant earlier this week.  Words like “alienation,” “irreparable damage,” and “classless” easily come to mind, describing the coach’s mini-meltdown.

Yet, if it had not been recorded, nobody would have known, right?  Wrong!  The three other men in the room would have known, but that is not who I mean.  What we can often forget, as we lose our grip on self-control and sin with our tongues, is that there is One who is always listening.  “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mat. 12:36-37).  Jesus does not specify the type words, except to call them “careless.”  He speaks in terms of totality (“every”), the ultimate test of our words (“they shall give an accounting…”), and the temper of those words–either justifying or condemning us.

We may seek to project something publicly about the type and temper of our words only to reveal something else when we think only one or a few can hear them.  The tongue is fiery (Js. 3:6) and tameless (Js. 3:8), whether the ignition and wreckage is public or private knowledge in this life.  Jesus warns that we cannot get away with a lifestyle of loose, lewd lips.  It will catch up with us.  It may not cost us a high profile job, as it probably will Pelini.  But, as Jesus says, it may cost us infinitely and eternally more!

 

BELLIGERENCE

Neal Pollard

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

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

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

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

His Name Meant “Comfort”


Neal Pollard

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

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

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

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

Why Ridgedale church of Christ Is Getting Slammed

NOTE: SOME TIME AFTER THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN, THE RIDGEDALE CHURCH OF CHRIST FACEBOOK PAGE WAS HACKED.  THE CONTENT THERE NOW CONSTITUTES AN 180-DEGREE TURN FROM WHAT THAT GOOD CONGREGATION BELIEVES.  DON’T BE DUPED BY THIS PERSON WHO, IN EFFECT, IS COMPOUNDING THE PERSECUTION UPON RIDGEDALE FOR SIMPLY TRYING TO FOLLOW GOD’S WORD.  –NEAL

 

Neal Pollard

In the greatest sermon ever preached, Jesus wrote, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Mat. 5:12-13).  Persecution takes many forms, but if you want to see one form of it simply go to Ridgedale’s Facebook page and look at the dozens of examples of tolerance from broad-minded people as they help that congregation face what the world thinks of them.

An article by Kevin Hardy in today’s Times Free Press online (http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/aug/21/repent-or-leave/), which reflects some basic ignorance of what the Bible teaches about church discipline, unleashed a firestorm of hateful response by readers who are on Facebook and who in turn posted their remarks on the aforementioned page.  My prediction is that things will get worse before they get better for the good people at Ridgedale.  Understanding that we do not have all the facts of the case and would not expect a person in the world to give them to us, what we should do is focus on what is alleged.  A professed lesbian’s family that attended Ridgedale was approached by church leaders after the woman’s mother publicly supported her daughter as she sought same-sex benefits from the city of Collegedale.  As the family’s support of their daughter was public, the church felt compelled by scriptural mandate to ask the family to repent or be subject to church discipline.  The family publicly made their exit and a congregational matter is now being splashed across news outlets.  But, why is this congregation facing such an outcry and disapproval?  The answer will differ from individual to individual, but here are some broad reasons evidenced from people’s responses.

Ridgedale is getting slammed because of the cultural sickness of subjectivity.   One woman writes, “I think the decision makers of this church will one day pay for their sins…” Another woman writes, “I think the Cooper’s will be far better off without a church who punish’s them for not turning their back on their child….” Another puts it, “In my world, my God accepts, doesn’t judge and loves all his children!” Still another says, “Wow! I guess we know different Gods. My God offers unconditional love and tells me not to judge others….” (misspellings and grammatical errors made by the original writers). Others’ subjectivity is more subtly expressed, but here is the common thread.  People think they get to co-opt God and make Him over in their image.

Ridgedale is getting slammed because of society’s warped view of tolerance.  Certainly, so many who commented on that page are not tolerant of anyone who interprets Scripture literally.  They are not tolerant of this congregation’s autonomy. They are not tolerant of the view that homosexuality is a sin.  It is abundantly clear from the comments.  You will read such slurs as “bigot,” “hoping the church burns in hell,” “Scumbag Church,” “group of horrible people,” and more.  This is dripping with irony.

Ridgedale is getting slammed because the average person does not know the Bible.   People speak of God loving unconditionally, Jesus accepting everyone, and that one’s sexuality does not matter.  There is a famine of hearing the words of the Lord in our land (cf. Amos 8:11). Such lack of knowledge will destroy a people (Hosea 4:6).  God’s unconditional love does not mean unconditional acceptance if someone lives in rebellion to His will.  Jesus will not accept everyone.  To the majority, He will say, “Depart from Me” (see Mat. 7:13-14, 21-23).  Apparently, one’s sexuality does matter (see 1 Cor. 6:9-11). But people are grossly uninformed about the only book that reveals the heart and mind of God.

Please pray for Ridgedale.  Encourage them and show them love.  The detractors are popular and validated by a world separated from God.  Let us have the courage to stand by God’s people who are willing to stand up for His will.

What If He Wanted YOU Hung There?

Neal Pollard

What would happen if God changed the “plan of salvation” in this dramatic way? What if the voice of God parted the skies and spoke a new revelation to us, saying, “If you are crucified on a cross for your sins, you will be eternally saved!” Would you do it? Assuming that every human living heard and understood His mighty voice, don’t you suppose countless millions would line up to fulfill this requirement?

The Bible says with Divine credibility that death on the cross was absolutely necessary for the saving of mankind. Many may scoff at that, but that truth must be believed. Yet, no one could save himself by dying on a cross for his own sins. God would reject that sacrifice! Such a sacrifice is blemished and flawed by the filth and disease of sin. The only spotless and unblemished sacrifice that could ever be offered was Jesus (1 Pet. 1:18), who condemned sin in the flesh (Rom. 8:3) and “put away sin by the sacrificing of himself” (Heb. 9:26). He was “once offered to bear the sins of many” (Heb. 9:28) upon the cross.

If Christ had taken the mockers’ challenge to come down from the cross to prove His deity (Mk. 15:32), all mankind would have lost all hope of heaven. He endured the shame and pain of Calvary (Heb. 12:2) to make heaven possible for all who obey Him (Heb. 5:9).

Now, consider this. Through the Bible, the voice of God rings out, demanding that we figuratively crucify our desires and lives on Jesus’ cross through sincere obedience (Gal. 2:20). He tells us to obey the Sacrificial Lamb, Jesus, in order to have sins forgiven (Rom. 6:17). No one has to die the death of a thousand deaths, nailed to a literal cross, to be saved. No one could! But if we come to the One who did so die, we can avoid the only fate that is worse than crucifixion (see Rev. 14:10-11)!

God does not call you to get up on a cross for your sins. He calls you to take up the cross of self-denial, following Him (Mt. 16:24). In this way, may we crucify ourselves!

The Man Attached To That Hand

Neal Pollard

Something occurred to me that I never stopped to consider as I read about Jesus’ mistreatment in John 18.  An officer for the Sanhedrin, forever anonymous, is memorialized with only these words: “One of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand…” (22).  Was it sheer irreverence?  Was it misguided religious fervor?  Was it hotheaded impetuosity? No matter how one might rationalize it, this man slapped the Savior!  While Roman soldiers struck Him with their hands, no less an offense to Almighty God, the man in John 18 was presumably a religious man.  He expressed indignation on behalf of the High Priest, though Jesus said nothing at all offensive to Him.

What a terrible and difficult thing it is to read and consider, with an open heart, the physical pain and mistreatment Jesus suffered en route to the cross.  But how much worse would it be to be able to understand that you had a hand in it.  Several have conjectured that some of those who heard Peter preached on Pentecost may well have lent their voice to the fracas, clamoring and yelling for Jesus’ crucifixion.  What a burden of guilt to bear!  But, to be the man who slapped his own Creator in apparent contempt?  What a stigma to own!

While it would be impossible for you and me to be a part of that specific physical brutality, it is possible, as the writer of Hebrews later states, to crucify Jesus again and put Him to an open shame (6:6).  To know that my conduct, speech, attitudes, and interactions in this world might not only bring shame but outright assault on my Lord humbles and challenges me.  At the very least, it ought to make us careful about what choices we make, habits we form, entities we support, and causes we champion.  How helpful it would be if I take the time to examine my circumstances of the moment and ask, “Is this a slap in the face of my Savior?” If I know it is, I will flee it.  If I am not sure, I will think long and hard before I do it!  I don’t want to be co-immortalized with that unnamed officer!  I want those who see me to say that I am carefully, lovingly handling Christ!

Curing Gray Hair?

Neal Pollard

As one who has been possessed of gray hair since college, I was particularly intrigued by the article I ran across from Popular Science.  A cream developed for a skin condition called “vitiligo” helped to restore lost pigment in the skin of some of those suffering from it.  Researchers believe it might do the same thing for those with gray hair. The theory is that those with gray hair have too much hydrogen peroxide in their hair follicles and shafts. They believe this cream could reduce that and restore a person’s natural hair color (via FASEB Journal, http://www.fasebj.org).

Reversing gray hair, restoring bald hair, shedding those extra, stubborn pounds, and similar ambitions appeal to our vanity, but they are not necessary for our souls.  Millions try product after product to address such perceived needs, willing to spend money and make sacrifices in such pursuits.  After all, we want to do what we can to look our best.

Yet, the greatest need of every generation has a 100% success rate for every one who has ever obtained it.  It goes beyond skin deep.  It reaches to the soul.  It may not change the outward appearance, but it renews the inner person (2 Cor. 4:16ff).

It is baffling that so many more do not move heaven and earth to address this true need.  Many are unaware they suffer from it.  So many more are in denial.  Still others are not dedicated to doing what it takes to have it.  The reasons are varied, but the majority do not want this cure.

Jesus’ blood.  It cost Him His life to make it available (John 19:34).  But, it is the unfailing cure (Eph. 2:13; Heb. 13:12; 1 Jn. 1:7; etc.).  Long after these bodies have decayed and disappeared in the ground, it will be working for us.  It has an eternal guarantee.  You cannot beat that, but you definitely must have it!  If you would like to know how to obtain this cure, read more about it here.

SINGING WITH THE UNDERSTANDING: “IVORY PALACES”

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Neal Pollard

A little less than a century ago, Henry Barraclough wrote one of the most unique, lyrically-rich songs in our songbook.  The musical arrangement is soothing in a way that matches the meaning of the words.  However, its poetry has caused some problems.

The first verse begins, “My Lord has garments so wondrous fine, and myrrh their texture fills; Its fragrance reached to this heart of mine, with joy my being thrills.”  This and the following verses must be understood in light of the chorus, which essentially tells us that Jesus left the perfect splendor of heaven to come to this sinful earth because of His unmatched love.  With that background, we understand Barraclough’s meaning to be figurative.  Jesus did not wear the clothes of a king while on earth.  Thus, the writer seems to speak of the qualities of Jesus’ character, the power and influence of it.  Myrrh  is a perfume, a theme the writer uses through the various stanzas of the song.  So, this first verse speaks of the attractiveness of Jesus’ character.

The second verse talks about the sorrow and pain He allowed Himself to endure.  While we think of aloe as a healing plant, the writer speaks of it in the sense of its bitter root (see the footnote at the bottom of the song in Praise For The Lord). While Jesus was a king, He was also the man of sorrows, acquainted with grief (cf. Isa. 53:3).

The third verse shifts the focus to Jesus as the Great Physician.  He’s an attractive king, He’s a suffering Savior, but He’s also the able healer.  The word “cassia,” as once again a footnote supplies, is a “medicinal herb.”  The idea is that He rescues us from our sin problem.

The final verse refers to Jesus’ second coming.  He will bring the faithful Christian to heaven.  Taken together, we see Jesus in the “garb” (clothes) of King, Savior, Physician, and Judge.  Driving it all is “only His great eternal love.”  Understanding the underlying theme of the songwriter helps us to better worship and better appreciate the perfect Son of God.