Tag: truth

The Liar Everyone Believes and the Savior Everyone Doubts

Brent Pollard

Two men stand in the background of a single verse. One wrote a proverb about liars. The other rose from the dead. Guess which one the world finds easier to believe.

The Apostle Paul quotes a man often regarded as semi-mythical, believed to have lived roughly 650 years before Paul’s letter to Titus. In Titus 1.12-13, Paul mentions that this man, Epimenides, gave a truthful statement when he said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” (NASB95). The irony is that, although considered semi-legendary, most people accept Epimenides’ existence without question. In contrast, the historical Jesus of Nazareth, whom Paul urged Titus to teach about faithfully, is often doubted despite the wealth of textual evidence supporting His existence.

Why? The reason for this is likely the difference in the moral implications of Epimenides’ and Jesus Christ’s existence. The former makes no spiritual demands of the one accepting his existence. The latter, of course, purports to be the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. In other words, the reality of Jesus has a far greater impact on the life of the individual than the reality of Epimenides.

Historical Evidence for Jesus Is Not the Real Obstacle

No scholar loses sleep over Epimenides. He costs nothing. A Cretan poet who called his own countrymen liars demands neither repentance nor worship; he asks only for a footnote. Jesus asks for everything. Paul understood this. Standing before Agrippa, he could insist that “this has not been done in a corner” (Acts 26.26). Luke opened his Gospel by anchoring the story to named emperors, governors, and a census (Luke 2.1-2; 3.1), because he wrote for a man who wanted certainty, not myth. Why, then, does a person weigh the same kind of evidence, accept the poet, and refuse the Lord? Jesus told us. “Men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3.19). Unbelief rarely arrives as an intellectual conclusion. It usually arrives as a moral preference wearing a scholar’s gown.

Cost of Believing in Christ

Consider the mechanics of the heart. Admit Epimenides existed, and you may go on eating, sleeping, and sinning exactly as before. Admit that Jesus existed—truly existed, did what the Gospels record, rose as the apostles swore He did—and the floor tilts. Every appetite must answer to Him. Every ambition must kneel. Peter’s hearers felt that tilt on Pentecost when the word “pierced” them, and they cried, “Brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2.37). Note the sequence: the fact came first, then the demand. Peter offered no philosophy to admire; he preached a Lord to obey, and three thousand submitted to baptism that day (Acts 2.38, 41). Belief that costs nothing changes nothing. James reminds us that even the demons believe and shudder (James 2.19). The demons hold better theology than the skeptic and worse obedience than a child.

Why the Demands of Jesus Are Good News

Here, the Cretan proverb turns a corner. Paul agreed with Epimenides: the Cretans lied and gorged themselves. Then he told Titus to reprove them “so that they may be sound in the faith” (Titus 1.13). Diagnosis served as a cure. The demands of Christ do not tax the reluctant; they trace the shape of the life He died to give. “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2.11-12). Grace instructs. Grace does not merely excuse the glutton; it feeds him on something better until the old husks lose their savor. The man who fears Jesus’ claims has the matter backward. He guards his little kingdom of appetites as though God came to rob him, when God came to enlarge him. Every demand of Christ invites us into a joy the Cretan never tasted: “In Your presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16.11).

Faithful Christian Living Begins with Honest Belief

So examine what you actually believe. Not what you affirm on a Sunday morning, but what governs you when you’re not assembled with the church. If Jesus remains a historical curiosity to you, you have received Him as the world receives Epimenides: acknowledged, cataloged, ignored. If He is the risen Son of God, then Paul’s charge to Titus becomes your charge: teach sound doctrine, adorn it with sound living (Titus 2.1, 10), and let no appetite call itself master. The evidence was never the problem. The throne was the problem. Surrender the throne, and the gluttons of Crete—and of your own heart—become “a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2.14). Believe Him. Then obey Him. The world may keep its comfortable poets. We will keep our costly Christ.

Ephraim’s Man-Eating Forest

Dale Pollard

“The forest devoured more people that day than the sword” (2 Samuel 18.8).

David’s son, Absalom, rebelled. He’s amassed an army and David’s been on the run. Finally, it all comes to a head and the battle spread over the face of all the country. In total, twenty thousand of Absalom’s followers are killed—but the bulk of the casualties fell in the forest of Ephraim. Wait, no, they didn’t fall. The text says that they were devoured.

Is it possible that thousands of men were eaten by trees?

Some of the oldest legends of man-eating trees come from Central and South America. According to local legends, the tree would lie perfectly still until an unsuspecting person walked over its roots. The tendrils would snap upward, wrap around the victim, and squeeze them to death. The tree’s leaves were said to be lined with sharp, tooth-like spines that pierced the skin to drain the victim’s blood

Similarly, British explorers returning from central Africa told tales of giant trees that produced a super-adhesive sap that coated their low-hanging branches. If a human brushed against the branch, they became completely glued to it. They would become helplessly stuck, and the tree would eventually absorb them.

The Greeks and Romans had several myths of trees being cut, bleeding real human blood, and screaming in agony. Specifically, the association of ancient oaks and terebinths with human sacrifice is deeply documented. The premier Roman historian Tacitus wrote extensively in the 1st century AD about how the Germanic tribes viewed some of these oak groves. In his work Germania, he describes the Semnones tribe, who spoke of a forest that nobody could enter unless bound with chains.

“At a stated period, all the tribes of the same blood gather by their delegations in a wood consecrated by the auguries of their forefathers and by ancient awe. There they publicly sacrifice a human being, celebrating the horrific opening of their barbarous worship” (Tacitus, Germania, Chapter 39).

Lucan describes a sacred grove near Massilia that Julius Caesar ordered his men to chop down. The Romans were paralyzed with fear because of the rumors of human blood feeding the ancient oaks

“There was a grove which from earliest times had never been violated… No woodland nymphs or Pan resided here, instead there were savage rites and barbarous worship, massive upright stones used as horrible altars; every tree was made sacred with human blood… Crude effigies of gods fashioned from fallen trunks were all around” (Lucan, Pharsalia, Book III, line 399ff).

Josephus records that the tree that Abraham met the three angels by (Gen. 18.1-2) was a terebinth that had stood there since the creation of the world. He noted that locals venerated it. The exact location of this encounter was identified as Ramat El-Khalil, just north of modern-day Hebron. For thousands of years, a single massive tree stood at this site drawing millions of pilgrims. Well, then came Constantine.

By the Roman era, Jews, Christians, and Pagans were all holding joint festivals at the tree, offering sacrifices, and pouring drinks down Abraham’s well. The Emperor Constantine was disturbed by these pagan rituals that he ordered the altars destroyed and built a massive Christian Basilica directly over the roots of the tree to claim it.

None of this proves that trees ate thousands of soldiers in the forest of Ephriam, but it does prove that the concept isn’t a new one. Trees were considered dark, holy, hungry, and special for some reason or another. However, at least one tree played a part in the death of a man, though. Following the verse describing a forest devouring people we read:

“…Absalom was riding his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on” (2 Sam. 18.9).

Joab and ten others would stab him and beat him to death while he hung from the tree. 

The Observations About Self-Righteousness

Neal Pollard

The word “self-righteous” does not appear in scripture.  The dictionary defines the word as “filled with a conviction of being morally superior to others; smugly virtuous.”  That attitude is certainly found and discussed in scripture.  Jesus told a parable “to some who  trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt” (Luke 18:9; the NIV has “confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else”).  In Luke 16, Jesus tells the Pharisees, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men” (15).  Much of what Jesus says in Matthew 23 is devoted to confronting the scribes and Pharisees’ feelings of moral superiority.

There are some common traits among the self-righteous.  It is not a question of one’s sincerity or conviction, but of how one behaves under the guise of either.  None of us should want to fall into the category of the self-righteous.

First, the self-righteous often see others’ failings, but not their own.  Such a one could fill a book with what the other one is doing wrong, but spend very little time in meaningful self-examination (cf. 2 Cor. 13:5).  Self-righteousness can display itself in constant criticism or hypercriticism of others.  It is easier to pick apart the actions of others than to be self-aware.  Yet, reminding ourselves that all sin will add humility to the way we handle their perceived faults and flaws.

Also, self-righteousness is not true righteousness.  There is a big difference.  True righteousness can be classified with goodness and truth (Eph. 5:9), but self-righteousness is neither good nor true.  True righteousness is coupled with peace and joy, but self-righteousness works against both (Rom. 14:17).  True righteousness can be mentioned in the same breath with self-control (Acts 24:25), but self-righteousness is often devoid of it.  That is the irony of self-righteousness.  It really is not righteous at all.

Further, self-righteousness is often  a product of pride.  It is often a byproduct of one elevating his or her judgments, opinions, and feelings to the level of law.  One’s own preference can become what all should do.  One’s conviction can become the best or the only way.  If we are not careful, conviction and preference can become self-righteousness.

God wants His people righteous.  There is too much worldliness and embracing of sin among even children of God.  This is unrighteousness and no one should aspire to that.  Yet, let us be careful to place our trust in God’s rather than our own righteousness.

Two Faces

Neal Pollard

Recently, I witnessed something I have seen before but that never gets easier to watch.  A person who on several occasions has had something negative and disparaging to say about another person when he was not around was speaking to him, using sweet, flattering and complimentary words.  The same person has used similar words in speaking to me.  It left me cold, certain that I cannot trust the kind words this person directs my way.

By definition, one is two-faced who is “marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another” (Princeton University, Wordnet).  One etymology source says the first recorded use of “two face” was in 1619, though nothing more is said of that record (www.etymonline.com).  But, many scholars see the origin of the concept in Roman mythology and the god Janus for whom the month January is named.  He is said, as a symbol of change, to see into the past with one face and into the future with another face.  His faces pointed in the opposite direction (en.academic.ru).  Apparently, the concept morphed from looking two directions to showing two sets of feelings, being duplicitous, deceitful, and hypocritical.

When you do a New Testament word study, the word most closely akin to “two faced” is “hypocrisy.”  In fact, the word itself is simply a transliteration (writing or printing out a letter or word using the closest corresponding letters of a different alphabet or language) of the Greek word.  The original word first was theatrical language meaning “playacting.”  Thus, the verb form of the word, found in Luke 20:20, is used to describe how the scribes and high priests pretended to be sincere in order to trap Jesus.

Such a practice is dishonest, for it makes the subject of the hypocrisy think you feel or believe one way when in reality you do not (cf. Mt. 23:28).  Such a practice is harmful to influence, because in showing others your “second face” you reveal yourself as not genuine, trustworthy, or honorable (cf. Gal. 2:13).  Such a practice is sinful and, thus spiritual darkness.  Peter says to “put it aside” (1 Pet. 2:1).

Let us be careful that we do not confuse attempted tact and diplomacy with dishonesty, evil influence, and sin.  Let us keep our ethics aboveboard and our integrity intact.  Let us have one face, the same face, for everyone wherever we are and to whomever we speak.

Turn The Other Cheek

Carl Pollard

Few statements of Jesus have been misunderstood more than Matthew 5:39, “But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” 

Some have tried to soften Jesus’ words until they mean almost the opposite of what He said. But we need to allow the context to determine the meaning.

Jesus is addressing personal retaliation. Just before this, He quotes the Old Testament principle, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Matthew 5:38). That command was originally given as a standard of justice (Exodus 21:23–25). The punishment was to fit the crime. It wasn’t permission for an individual to take revenge.

By Jesus’ day, however, people could use that principle to justify getting even, “You hurt me, so I have the right to hurt you.”

Jesus says His followers must live differently. The slap on the right cheek is important. For a right-handed person to strike someone on the right cheek would most naturally involve a backhanded slap. In that culture, this could function as an insult and humiliation. Jesus describes someone attacking your dignity and says essentially, you don’t have to answer every insult with another insult.

That doesn’t mean Christians can never protect themselves, protect their families or flee from danger. Scripture recognizes the legitimate role of civil authorities in punishing wrongdoing (Romans 13:1–4). Jesus Himself sometimes withdrew from those seeking to harm Him (John 8:59). Paul appealed to his legal rights when he was mistreated (Acts 22:25).

Matthew 5:39 is about revenge, retaliation, and the heart that demands payback.

Peter explains it perfectly. When Jesus, “was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten” (1 Peter 2:23).

Jesus isn’t teaching cowardice. He’s teaching extraordinary self-control. Anybody can return insult for insult. Anybody can strike back when their pride has been wounded. Anybody can demand the last word.

Jesus calls His followers to something harder. When someone insults you, you don’t have to destroy them. When someone embarrasses you, you don’t have to embarrass them. When someone wrongs you, vengeance doesn’t belong to you.

Turning the other cheek doesn’t mean pretending evil is good. It means refusing to become evil because someone was evil to you.

THE ALTAR OF NOAH AND GOBEKLI TEPE

Dale Pollard

 There’s a theory that Göbekli Tepe—said to be the world’s oldest known megalithic site—is the altar built by Noah immediately after exiting the Ark.

Located in southeastern Turkey, the site aligns very well with the geographical and cultural transition that’s described in Genesis. Here’s some of the best supporting evidence. 

Evidence Supporting the Altar Theory

Perfect Proximity: Genesis states that the Ark came to rest on the “mountains of Ararat” in ancient Armenia/eastern Anatolia. Göbekli Tepe is situated in southeastern Turkey, directly down-mountain from the Ararat and Judi massifs. It sits at the exact gateway where a descending population would first enter the fertile plains of Mesopotamia.

Cool Carvings: The limestone pillars of Göbekli Tepe are famous for their high-relief carvings of animals, including foxes, boars, cranes, ducks, leopards, snakes, and scorpions. Proponents argue this serves as a permanent, stone-carved catalog of the diverse fauna released from the Ark, explicitly commemorating the beasts.

Suspected Sacrifice: Archaeologists have unearthed hundreds of thousands of butchered animal bones (primarily wild gazelle, aurochs, and birds) mixed into the soil filling the stone enclosures. This aligns with Genesis 8:20, which states that Noah “took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.”

From Ark to Agriculture: DNA sequencing traces the origin of all modern cultivated wheat directly to the Karacadağ mountains which are located just twenty miles from Göbekli Tepe. Genesis notes that immediately after the flood, Noah became a “man of the soil” and planted a vineyard—putting the agricultural rebirth of humanity at this exact geographical ground zero.

Funny Lookin’ Figures: The massive, T-shaped pillars are abstract, stylized human forms with carved arms and belts. These pillars might represent the patriarchal figures or the specific families of Noah’s sons establishing a monumental place of worship. The first altar mentioned after the flood is Noah’s, and the significance that the site would hold for future generations makes sense.

Caged Creatures: The circular, high-walled enclosures could have been constructed to temporarily keep, sort, or protect the vast multitudes of animals immediately after they descend from the Ark. Even among the secular opinions, this seems to be a popular position to hold. We’ll touch on that more.

The towering T-shaped pillars inside the circles are heavily carved with specific animals—foxes, boars, birds, and snakes. Under this theory, each circular enclosure may have been dedicated to holding a specific class or category of beast, with the stone reliefs serving as a permanent signpost of what was penned inside.

Fury Funnels: The sunken design and narrow entrances could have functioned logistically to funnel animals down into the center for Noah’s post-flood sacrifices.

The secular view claims that Göbekli Tepe’s round, stone structures were not built to save or domesticate animals, but to trap, corral, and slaughter massive quantities of wild animals. This still aligns with the Bible. In Genesis 7.2 we read that God told Noah to, “Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals… and a pair of the unclean.” After Noah left the ark, he built an altar and sacrificed some of every clean animal and bird and offered them as a sacrifice to the Lord (Gen. 8.20).

The extra clean animals were provided so Noah would have enough for food, survival, and the large sacrifice after leaving the ark.

One writer claimed, “Recent studies estimate the total number of living and extinct kinds of land animals and flying creatures to be 1,398. With our “worst-case” scenario approach to calculating the number of animals on the ark, this would mean that Noah cared for 6,744 animals” (arkencounter.com/HowManyAnimalsontheArk).

This would make the ark’s cargo feasible for its size described in scripture but also provides an idea of the scale of sacrifice made by Noah after landing in the post-flood world.

Gobekli Tepe and its theoretical connection to Noah’s altar is a fun hypothesis. Maybe something from the site will be excavated in the future, and more conclusive evidence will be found. 

Note: The author has no strong opinions about this site and any possible Biblical connections.  

Wounds Without a Cause

Brent Pollard

Solomon buries a strange phrase inside a warning about strong drink, and most readers hurry past it.

“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…” (Proverbs 23.29–30 NASB95)

Wounds without cause. The phrase arrests me.

Recently, I found myself thinking about those words after developing a painful hematoma. There had been no fall, no bump into a table, no memorable injury. It simply appeared. As someone taking blood thinners, I know there is a medical explanation, even if I cannot point to a particular moment and say, “That is when it happened.” Even so, Solomon’s phrase echoed in my mind for days. Somewhere in my body, a small vessel failed. I never felt it. I only saw the aftermath.

That experience sent me back to the proverb, and the proverb sent me somewhere I did not expect to go.

What Proverbs 23.29–30 Actually Describes

Solomon was not writing about medication or fragile capillaries. He was sketching a portrait of the drunkard who wakes bruised, battered, and unable to account for his injuries. The wounds are not genuinely causeless. The man cannot trace them, because the wine that battered him also stole his judgment, his awareness, and his memory.

Read the end of the chapter, and you hear him speak for himself: “They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink” (Proverbs 23.35). There is the horror of it. Sin anesthetizes the very faculty that would identify sin as the culprit. It leaves scars and then erases the fingerprints.

Every generation invents new anesthetics. The substance changes; the mechanism does not. Whatever dulls conscience will eventually dull the ability to name what has gone wrong. That is why the wise man begs us to stay awake.

When Suffering Has No Explanation: Job and the Man Born Blind

But the phrase carries a second freight, and Scripture will not let us set it down.

Sometimes life wounds us in ways we cannot explain, and no moral arithmetic will balance the ledger.

Job’s friends tried the arithmetic. They reasoned that extraordinary suffering must indicate extraordinary sin, and they pressed that logic on a shattered man for chapter after chapter. God’s verdict on their theology was withering: “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has” (Job 42.7). They defended God with arguments God rejected. Zeal did not excuse them.

Centuries later, the disciples made the same mistake with a beggar’s face before them. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9.2–3). He refused the question as framed. He did not assign blame; He gave sight.

Jesus dismantled the same reasoning again when men brought Him news of Galileans slaughtered at their sacrifices and eighteen crushed beneath a falling tower. Were they worse offenders than everyone else in Jerusalem? “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13.5). Tragedy is not a scoreboard. Tragedy is a summons.

Why Christians Must Not Invent Reasons for Pain

Here is the practical discipline this demands of us.

Christians should be careful not to invent explanations where God has revealed none. A diagnosis is not necessarily divine punishment. An accident is not always the consequence of poor decisions. A chronic illness is not proof of weak faith. We live in a fallen creation where bodies weaken, diseases develop, blood vessels rupture, bones break, and hearts fail. These realities are not always traceable to a specific personal failing.

When we manufacture a reason for another believer’s affliction, we are not comforting them. We are prosecuting them. And we do it, usually, because their unexplained pain unsettles our tidy assumptions about how God runs the world. Silence feels like weakness, so we fill it with explanation.

Note what Job’s friends did right before they did everything wrong. They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, “and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great” (Job 2.13). That week was ministry. The speeches were not.

Sit down. Bring food. Say less. Weep with those who weep (Romans 12.15). You are not required to explain the wound to bind it.

A Groaning Creation and the Redemption of the Body

That does not mean God is absent.

Paul teaches that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now, and that we ourselves groan within, “waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8.22–23). Every unexplained ache, every mysterious diagnosis, every wound that seems to appear from nowhere testifies that this world is not the one God originally intended and not the one He will finally leave us in. Groaning is not faithlessness. Groaning is the sound of hope straining forward.

So Paul can look straight at a wasting body and call the affliction momentary and light, because he weighs it against an eternal weight of glory and fixes his eyes on what cannot be seen (2 Corinthians 4.16–18). That is not denial. That is accurate accounting. He also carried a thorn he never had explained to him, only answered: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12.9). God gave him Himself instead of information, and Paul counted it the better bargain.

We are pilgrims desiring a better country (Hebrews 11.16). Pilgrims do not demand that the road make sense. They keep walking because they trust the One who mapped it.

Trusting the Great Physician Until Every Wound Is Healed

One day the Great Physician will complete His work. There will be no unexplained bruises, mysterious illnesses, failing lungs, aching joints, or wounded hearts. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain” (Revelation 21.4). Every effect of sin and death will finally be undone, and the undoing will be thorough.

Until then, entrust your soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right (1 Peter 4.19). Not in understanding what is right. In doing it. Worship on Sunday with a body that hurts. Serve someone whose suffering makes less sense than yours. Refuse bitterness the way you would refuse a drink that promised to make you forget.

Some wounds will still seem to come without a cause. They may puzzle us, inconvenience us, or frighten us. They are never outside the knowledge of our heavenly Father.

We may not always understand our wounds, but we can always trust the One who does.

Why Doesn’t God Just Kill The Devil?

Carl Pollard

This is a question that has been asked for centuries. If God is all powerful, why doesn’t He just kill Satan? In order to adequately answer this question we will need to look at a few different aspects of the Devil himself, as well as the attributes of God.

It’s not hard to find evidence of a world filled with sin, and logically it would make sense for God to just destroy the source of the problem…or would it? Let’s notice a few things about Satan.

Where did he come from? In Genesis 1:31, God sees His creation and it says, “everything was very good.” All of God’s work was perfect. From this we can conclude that Satan started off as good and became evil. While Scripture doesn’t reveal his exact origin, it says enough for us to draw a logical conclusion. For example, 2 Peter 2:4, Matthew 12:24, and 25:41 point to Satan as the leader of a groups of angels that have abandoned heaven. So we have to ask, why was Satan cast out of Heaven?

Based on the previous verses and what we read in Jude 6, the angels were created with free choice. And Peter explains that the angels sinned (2 Peter 2:4). We read the phrase “The Devil and HIS angels” so Satan was most likely the leader and instigator of this rebellion in heaven. Satan tried to rebel against God and failed miserably and will face the consequences of his actions (Revelation 20:1-3). Since Satan cannot win against God, he now wants to get payback by taking his anger out on God’s creation.

So why doesn’t God destroy Satan? Aside from the fact that he’s an angel and killing him would be different from killing a human, we run into another issue.

Even if Satan were destroyed, man would still sin. James 1:14 tells us that as humans we are carried away by our OWN desires, and these desires lead to spiritual death. Satan doesn’t cause everyone to sin, at every location on earth, because he doesn’t have this kind of power. Even if God destroyed Satan, there would still be sin on earth.

There is one other aspect we must look at in order to answer this question; What is the definition of good? Without evil, how can good exist? If God is good, then evil must exist. Without darkness, how can we recognize light? There is balance and perfection in everything.

We are given free will, and if there were no other choice except faith in God, we would not have faith by choice. We would have faith by force. I think about when I was younger and got in a fight with my siblings. Mom would force us to hug each other. That hug was not done out of love, but by mom telling us to get it done. Do you prefer to be loved by choice or by force?

Satan will get what he deserves, but God is defined as a God of love. If God took away our free choice (either to serve Him or sin) then He would be a God of Force. God has the power to destroy Satan, but in doing so we would still be in a fallen world filled with sin. God loves us enough that He wants us to come to Him by choice. This is something each one of us should strive to do.

Never Assume Someone Is Beyond Saving

Brent Pollard

Never assume someone is beyond saving.

The Deadliest Single-Aircraft Accident in History

On August 12, 1985, on the eve of Japan’s Obon holiday—when millions travel to their hometowns to honor departed loved ones—524 people, many of them families, boarded Japan Airlines Flight 123 from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport bound for Osaka. Seven years earlier, an improper structural repair to the aircraft’s rear pressure bulkhead had unknowingly planted the seeds of disaster. After more than 12,000 pressurization cycles, the weakened bulkhead failed just 12 minutes into the flight at an altitude of 24,000 feet. The aircraft’s vertical stabilizer tore away, all four hydraulic systems were destroyed, and the pilots had almost no means of controlling the airplane.

For the next 32 minutes, the crew fought to keep Flight 123 airborne as it oscillated in a violent Dutch roll while repeatedly climbing and diving in what aviators call a phugoid cycle. The aircraft lurched through the sky in a terrifying, three-dimensional motion that made it nearly impossible to maintain a steady heading. At 6:56 PM, it slammed into Mount Osutaka in Gunma Prefecture. Only four people survived. To this day, Flight 123 remains the deadliest single-aircraft accident in aviation history.

At first glance, this sounds like nothing more than another aviation disaster. It wasn’t. It is also a story about what can happen when people conclude there is no one left to rescue.

A Tragedy That Hits Close to Home

This tragedy also strikes an oddly personal note for me. Mount Osutaka lies in Gunma Prefecture, the birthplace of my late Aunt Maki Mitchell (née Iishi). Her hometown is only about sixty-six miles from the crash site. Since she married a U.S. Air Force airman stationed in Japan, other parts of this story resonate personally as well.

When Rescuers Concluded No One Was Left to Rescue

Survivors of the Flight 123 crash were seated in the back, as the front absorbed most of the impact with the mountain, acting as a crumple zone that reduced G-forces at the rear. One survivor was off-duty stewardess Yumi Ochiai, who noted that there were more survivors initially. Some believe that additional lives were lost because the JSDF helicopter reported seeing no signs of life from the air, reducing the perceived urgency of the rescue. The principal rescue force spent the night approximately thirty-nine miles from the crash site and did not reach the wreckage until daylight.

The tragedy worsened as the U.S. Air Force, based in Western Tokyo’s Tama Area, monitored the doomed flight on radar. Unaware of the damage, they offered their 11,000-foot runway for a landing. After the crash, a C-130 located the wreckage in 20 minutes and, at 7:17 PM, informed Japanese authorities and Yokota, triggering the deployment of a rescue helicopter. By 8:30 PM, a Marine helicopter arrived to lower two pararescuemen. The crew searched for a drop site with searchlights. At 9:15 PM, Japanese authorities claimed full jurisdiction over the incident, and at 9:20 PM, U.S. personnel were ordered to leave despite their willingness to assist.

Spiritually, we can make the same mistake by looking at someone’s life and concluding there is no one left to rescue.

Waving in the Darkness

Meanwhile, Yumi Ochiai lay on the ground. She had heard the helicopters and could see the probing lights. Yet she was too pained to yell loudly, so she waved her hand, hoping to attract their attention. Other survivors called out to the lights in the sky above, all in vain. The helicopter hovered over the canopy, and the engine noise kept U.S. personnel from hearing their cries. Personally, I cannot imagine what the poor souls lying on the mountain below must have thought when they were suddenly left in darkness again.

Imagine waving with what little strength you have left while those sent to help cannot see you. There are people around us who are doing the spiritual equivalent every day.

As Long as There Is Breath, There Is Hope

Eight-year-old survivor Mikiko Yoshizaki and her mother, 34-year-old Hiroko Yoshizaki, took turns yelling at each other to stay awake during the 14 hours they waited for rescuers. Sadly, Hiroko’s husband and two other children seated beside them had perished in the crash. Twelve-year-old Keiko Kawakami spoke to her father and sister in the wreckage before they finally grew cold and quiet in the early morning.

As long as there was breath in their lungs, there was hope. As long as a sinner is alive, there is hope.

The Great Physician Never Gives Up on a Soul

Jesus never assumed anyone was beyond saving. He sought tax collectors, prostitutes, Samaritans, thieves, and even the persecutor Saul of Tarsus. While others saw hopeless cases, our Lord saw souls worth rescuing. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19.10).

The heartbreaking part is that this may not have been inevitable. A Japanese physician whose identity remained anonymous said that dozens of victims did not suffer fatal internal trauma from the impact itself. They died from hypovolemic shock (severe blood loss) and extreme hypothermia caused by the cold, damp mountain air at 5,135 feet. He said that if rescuers had arrived only ten hours earlier, they could have saved more lives.

Let us not end with the thoughts of one physician, but the teachings of the Great Physician.

Seek the Lost and Leave the Results to God

Every congregation has someone others have quietly given up on.

Every family has someone everyone assumes will never change.

Every community has people whose lives appear beyond repair.

Yet as long as there is breath, there is hope. As long as a sinner lives, the gospel still has work to do.

Christians have never been commissioned to decide who is salvageable. We have been commanded to seek the lost (Luke 15.4ff), proclaim the gospel (Matthew 28.19–20), and leave the results to God (1 Corinthians 3.6; Isaiah 55.11).

Never assume someone is beyond saving.

Many Will Say to Me, “Lord, Lord”

Carl Pollard

Few passages in Scripture are as sobering as Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21–23. Throughout the Bible we find warnings like, “Depart from Me,” “The door was shut,” and “You fool! This night your soul is required of you.” But perhaps the most unsettling is Jesus describing people who fully expected to enter paradise only to hear, “I never knew you; depart from Me.”

These weren’t atheists or people who openly rejected Christ. They called Him “Lord.” They believed they belonged to Him and even pointed to a lifetime of religious accomplishments. Their confidence was real, but it was misplaced.

Jesus spoke these words at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. After teaching about anger, purity, prayer, generosity, worry, and judgment, He ends with a series of contrasts: two gates, two roads, two trees, two builders, and ultimately two kinds of disciples. His message is that appearances can be deceiving. The road to destruction can look remarkably religious.

From Matthew 7:21-23 we learn first that saying the right words isn’t enough. Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Calling Jesus “Lord” means recognizing His authority. But many want the comfort of calling Him Savior without submitting to Him as Master. As Jesus asked in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” Genuine faith is demonstrated when we surrender our will to His, especially when obedience is difficult.

Second, religious activity isn’t enough. Those standing before Jesus had an impressive spiritual résumé. They prophesied, cast out demons, and performed mighty works in His name. Today, someone might point to years of church attendance, teaching Bible classes, preaching sermons, or serving in leadership. None of those things are wrong, but none of them save us. Religion becomes dangerous when our confidence rests in what we’ve done rather than in Christ. It’s possible to preach about prayer without praying or teach God’s Word while neglecting to obey it! As a preacher, this scripture is a needed reminder to me. 

Jesus’ statement, “I never knew you,” reveals the heart of the issue. Scripture often uses the word “know” to describe a relationship. These people knew about Jesus, but they never truly belonged to Him. Outward religion had hidden lives that were never genuinely surrendered to God’s will. On the Day of Judgment, appearances will disappear, and only reality will remain.

Jesus tells us what separates the true disciple from the false one, “The one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Obedience doesn’t earn salvation, but it reveals genuine faith. Christians aren’t perfect. We stumble, repent, and depend daily on God’s grace. The difference is between a heart that struggles to obey and a heart that refuses to obey.

This truth is reinforced immediately afterward in the parable of the wise and foolish builders. Both heard Jesus’ words, but only one obeyed them. Before the storm, both houses looked secure. Only when the storm came was the foundation revealed. Judgment Day will expose what our confidence has truly been built upon.

Matthew 7 challenges every one of us to examine the foundation of our assurance. Our confidence can’t rest on feelings, family heritage, years in the church, or even a list of good works. It has got to rest on Christ alone as we walk in obedient faith. The question Jesus leaves us with is simple but essential. Does my life match my confession? If I call Him Lord, does He truly have authority over my life? Genuine assurance doesn’t belong to the ones with the most impressive résumé, but to those who trust Christ, submit to His rule, and faithfully follow Him.

Sharing The Filling Fulness Of Christ

Gary Pollard

Some phrases in the Bible are simple to read, but very difficult to comprehend. In this article, I’d like to walk through a process together in an attempt to make sense of a difficult phrase (thanks, Paul). One of those is in Ephesians 1.23: “…the fullness of him who fills all in all.” This is a description of Jesus, specifically as it relates to His being the head of the church. But what does that phrase mean? 

I will not pretend to have the answer, but I would like to make a couple of suggestions. Firstly, “fullness” appears to describe the church. In my limited knowledge of Greek, it seems to be grammatically tied to “body.” The church – His body – is His fullness. Both are nominative, both are the subject of the sentence. 

Secondly, Jesus fills all in all. It’s that last phrase that’s so hard for me to comprehend. What does it mean, that “He fills all in all?” Based on the fact that some form of “fullness” is used three times in a single phrase, it appears to have reference to his nature. He is not confined by time or space and is present everywhere. 

If the church is His fullness (the word is possessive in Greek), and He is omnipresent (or, creation is full of Him), then the church must be extremely important. Again, I am not a scholar, I may be mistaken. 

I would, though, like to attempt to make application from this difficult phrase. If the church is, ideally, representative of the very nature of Christ, are we living up to it? Is our passion for the lost like His was/is? Is our love for each other as strong as His is for the church? Do we treat the church as if it were the body of Christ (because it is)? Do we keep in mind, as we interact with each other, that we all answer to Him? Are we trying to mold culture to His image, or are we being molded to culture? 

We really have to think about this one to try to make sense of it. Comprehending this phrase is anything but easy (at least for me!). But the church – which is one distinct unit, not a series of denominations – is supposed to represent Jesus. Our values, our demeanor, our goals, our mission, our attitudes, our behavior, and our purpose should scream to others, “We are not of this world.” If these do not, we are not representing Jesus. No one will do this perfectly, but the standard is high. 

When we begin to understand this phrase a little more, it shifts from being hard to understand to being hard to hear. We have a huge responsibility, but we also have a global family to support us. The standard is high, but our Head is also our Savior. We’re not just Christians to be good people, we’re Christians to show the world who Jesus is.

Serving The Living God

Carl Pollard

I know I’m not old enough to say this, but when I was younger I used to lay in bed at night and try to imagine what God looked like. I would try to put a face to Him, I’d wonder what He was doing, and I would ask myself if God knew that I was thinking about Him. I still ask those same questions to this day. I’m sure that most if not all of you who are reading this believe that there is a God, and that He does see and hear all that we say. So the question I’d like to ask is, “since there is a God that has all power, why do we sometimes have difficulty following the commands that we find in the Bible?” I’d like to look at a verse that may help us realize the importance of following what God has told us to do as Christians.

Jeremiah 10:12 says, “It is He who made the earth by His power, who established the world by His wisdom; and by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.”

God has ALL power. There isn’t an area that He is lacking power in. He controls the weather, He created us, and, as Jeremiah 10:12 said, He made this earth that we live on. I believe that we sometimes forget just how powerful God truly is. Since God has all power, shouldn’t we be following what the Creator of everything has told us to do? In seven days He thought of everything we see around us. Think of it this way. We’ve never had an original thought. For example, I could say that I’m the only person to have ever thought about a pink Aardvark. But before I thought of pink Aardvarks, there was such thing as the color pink, and there were Aardvarks before I thought of them. So what I’m actually doing is taking two things that God created and putting them together. God has given us specific commands to do as Christians. Since God has given us rules on how to live, we shouldn’t have a problem following them. They may be difficult, but God knows how to take care of His creation. The thought of the God of the universe watching out and guiding me through life is a great comfort to me!

But what if we aren’t following what God has told us to do? There’s a saying that we all have heard that says, “Actions speak louder than words.” Our actions are a direct window to how we truly feel. If I don’t do what God has commanded, then that’s like us saying to God, “I don’t truly believe that there are consequences to my actions.” But that is a deadly place for us to be, because God IS real and there ARE consequences to our actions. God is real and the consequences of our actions are very real! In the end, it comes down to this: Not obeying what God has said is a reflection of how real we make God out to be. If we truly believe He is real, then we shouldn’t have a problem doing what He tells us to do. As Christians, we serve the one true God, and He is very real. I pray that this fact will push us to obey the commands He has given us because our God is alive and we all have an eternity with Him if we do what He tells us to do.

Looking back at when I was younger, I’ve realized that I asked the right question, but the most important part of those questions is how I answer them. Will I show through my actions that I truly believe He is alive? Or do I doubt the reality of God by not taking His commands seriously? Let’s try to always prove God is alive by following what He has told us to do!

The Sanhedrin

Neal Pollard

Did they trace their origin to the time of the wilderness wandering, where God tells Moses to appoint 70 elders to help in a specific situation (Num. 11:16-25)? Throughout the Old Testament, we find elders in Israel gathered for specific purposes, but the formal body of administrators, civic and religious instructors, arbitrators, and rulers are not found until less than a century before the birth of Christ. Josephus records friction and hostility between Herod and the Sanhedrin (Antiq. 14:167-180; see more information in the Mishnah, Mishnah). They are a fully-formed authoritative body during the ministry of Jesus. Most English translations do not have the word “Sanhedrin,” but translate the word “Council” (the Greek word is SYNEDRION). 

After Jesus begins His public ministry, teaching and performing miracles and clashing with the religious rulers throughout the nation, they convene to determine how to handle His mounting influence and popularity. In John 11:47-53, they enumerate their concerns: (1) This man is performing many signs, (2) If we let Him go on, all men will believe in Him, and (3) the Romans will take away their place and their nation. Their solution was destined to be unjust, since their conclusion was that “from that day on they planned together to kill Him” (53). Sure enough, they arrest and try Jesus (Matthew 26:47,57-27:2), actively try to pin guilt on Him (Mark 14:55), and bring Him to Pilate (Luke 22:66). Their hands are stained with the guilt of His blood! Later, they will use their influence to try and stop His church from growing (Acts 4-5). They are kindred spirits with all the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, lawyers, chief priests, and elders, and they certainly work together with a single purpose to try to discredit and destroy Jesus. Ironically, it was all in the name of pious religion.

While they were Jewish, practitioners of the Old Law, and first century contemporaries, human nature is not restricted to one race, religion, or realm. Their spirit lives on today. What lessons do they teach us? What warnings do they give us?

  • If you have to do wrong to “do right,” you have missed it somewhere. Whether it was false witnesses, deceitfulness, entrapment, lying, or any other sin, they broke their beloved law in their blind hatred of Jesus. 
  • Bible knowledge does not equate to true faithfulness. These men were considered experts, caretakers of God’s Word. Yet, Jesus lays out their wickedness in great detail (Matthew 23). 
  • Pride can blind us to the truth. Pride can’t be corrected, taught, reasoned with, open-minded, fair, or circumspect. All of these dispositions are necessary for the discovery of truth.
  • Religious position and status can become more important than honest character and humble study. The end of John 11 shows that their overriding concern was losing their influence and sway. This mindset was infectious (John 12:42-43). 
  • Never let your love of tradition outweigh your reverence for God and proper treatment of your brethren. Jesus’ answer about the greatest commandments, applauded even by one of their law experts (Mark 12:28-34), is contrasted with their own conduct and character. 
  • Envy yields ironic, yet destructive, results. Even a profane pagan like Pilate could see this (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10)
  • Don’t choose the superficial (appearances, men’s praise, etc.) over godly ethics and righteousness. Jesus warned against the shallow righteousness of these men (Matthew 5:18) and even illustrated it (Matthew 6:1-18) in teaching like the Sermon on the Mount. He will condemn it later, in Matthew 23. 
  • Do not begin with a desired outcome and look for evidence to support it. It is a tendency, in and out of the church, to arrive at a position and then hunt down, manipulate, twist, and dishonestly handle Scripture to defend it (cf. 2 Peter 3:16). That is not only backward; it is immoral!
  • We can back ourselves into a corner. How hardhearted were these men? They ignored Jesus’ teaching, His miracles, and the empty tomb. Despite overwhelming evidence, they tried to suppress incontrovertible evidence (Matthew 28:11-15). 

Substituting A Pound Of Arsenic For A Pinch Of Salt

Neal Pollard

You go into a hardware store, walk down an aisle, and walk up to a bin, looking for a 1/2″ X 6″ zinc-plated hex lag bolt or a 1/2″ sheet of birch plywood or a 3/4″ galvanized malleable iron tee coupling. Each of these is in a different department, serves a different purpose, has a different look and feel, and has a different value. For each, the size, material, and thickness matters. If you know about home improvement projects, you don’t even think about these things. You know that you wouldn’t build a cabinet with CDX plywood or use a tee coupling as a brake caliper or use a lag bolt as a paint brush. Why? We live in a world of order, with rules, physics, logic, and common sense. 

The same principles apply to aerodynamics, the medical field, architecture, and truly every discipline there is. We expect precision, pattern, and predictable outcomes. This is true in every walk of life, but, somehow, regarding the only part of us that is not material and mortal, we are sometimes told to throw rules, logic, and common sense out the window! 

  • Acts 2:38 says repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, but it means you can be saved by faith without doing either of these.
  • Ephesians 5:19 specifies singing, but you can “do” church music however you prefer.
  • 1 Timothy 2:11-12 forbids a woman to teach or have authority over a man in God’s household, the church (3:15), but if the culture or church leadership permits she can preach, serve as an elder, or teach a Bible class.
  • Matthew 19:9 restricts divorce and remarriage to the exception of fornication (sexual immorality), but we can reinterpret or rationalize away Jesus’ plain teaching on the matter.
  • 1 Corinthians 5 (among other passages) calls for church discipline in the case of unrepentant sins like fornication, abuse, drunkenness, and financial impropriety, but we can handle things a different way (or, more commonly, not handle it at all).
  • 1 Timothy 3:1-7 (Titus 1:5-11) call for specific men to serve as shepherds and overseers of a local church, but people reject that plan for some alternative form of church leadership.
  • Ephesians 5:22-6:4 tell us how the home is to function, with the roles of husband/father, wife/mother, and children, but we can let culture, preference, or self-will replace or alter it.

Truly, as many commands as can be found in scripture, man has the capacity and audacity to twist, change, and pervert it. To do so is to act without divine permission and authority. It is to supplant and replace the ultimate authority with a fatal alternative. God has given us a myriad of illustrations from every corner of our world, to see that where something must be done a specific way we are not at liberty to change that. As truly as three inches does not equal a thousand yards, “x” will not suffice when God’s Word calls for “y.” 

The Eleventh Commandment

Carl Pollard

One of the most misquoted verses in the Bible has to be Matthew 7:1, “Judge not.” Those two words have become the universal conversation stopper. Mention that drunkenness is sinful? “Judge not.” Say that living together outside of marriage isn’t God’s design? “Judge not.” Teach that Jesus is the only way to the Father? “Judge not.”

In our culture, those words have been turned into an eleventh commandment that supposedly means, “Never tell anyone they’re wrong.” But if that’s what Jesus meant, He constantly violated His own teaching. He called people hypocrites. He exposed false teachers. He rebuked cities that refused to repent. Clearly, Jesus wasn’t forbidding every kind of judgment.

The context explains what He meant. In Matthew 7, Jesus is wrapping up the Sermon on the Mount. He’s been exposing the shallow righteousness of the Pharisees, people who looked holy on the outside while their hearts were filled with pride. Then He gives one of the most memorable illustrations in Scripture, a man trying to remove a speck of sawdust from his brother’s eye while a massive plank is sticking out of his own.

The problem isn’t that the brother has a speck. Jesus acknowledges that he does. The problem is the man trying to help while refusing to deal with his own sin. Jesus isn’t condemning correction, He’s condemning correction without self-examination! 

Notice what Jesus says, “First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” He doesn’t say, “Ignore the speck.” He says, “Deal with your own heart first.” The goal is to remove both! 

The rest of the New Testament makes this even clearer. Jesus tells us to beware of false prophets (Matt. 7). Paul commands the church to confront open, unrepentant sin (1 Cor. 5). John tells Christians to test the spirits (1 John 4). None of that is possible without discernment. In fact, Jesus Himself later says, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24).

Our culture has redefined love as unconditional approval. Scripture doesn’t. If your child wandered into traffic, love wouldn’t stay silent. Love warns because love cares. In the same way confronting someone living in sin isn’t hateful when it’s done with humility and compassion. Sometimes the most loving conversation is also the hardest one.

Before we correct someone else, though, we need to ask ourselves some honest questions. Am I trying to help this person, or prove I’m right? Have I dealt with my own sin first? Do I genuinely love them enough to seek restoration?

Galatians 6:1 captures Jesus’ point perfectly: restore those caught in sin “in a spirit of gentleness.” The goal is never humiliation, but restoration.

Matthew 7 wasn’t written to keep Christians from speaking the truth. It was written to keep us from speaking the truth with pride. Healthy Christians aren’t blind to sin. They’re aware that they need God’s grace just as much as everyone else. When we remember that, we’ll speak the truth with humility, compassion, and love, the same way Jesus did.

Jonah’s Monster: A Historical and Biological Investigation 

Dale Pollard

The biblical account of Jonah being swallowed by a “great fish” (often called a whale) has long been under scrutiny by biblical skeptics. This short investigation hits a few  different areas that may give the reader some more food for thought. 

We’ll cook up a theory using— 

  1. Some historical maritime context of ancient seafaring practices
  2. A sprinkle of marine biology
  3. A pinch of paleontology
  4. A tad of textual linguistics
  5. A ladle of literary evidence

With all that we’ll explore some plausible candidates for the big fish.

Potential Location of the Storm and Jonah’s Route

The Mediterranean stretch between Rhodes and Cyprus was notoriously treacherous. Jonah sailed from Joppa (modern Jaffa, Israel) toward Tarshish (likely Spain), covering approximately 430 oceanic miles from Rhodes to Joppa or a neighboring Phoenician port. The route passed close by Rhodes and Cyprus, exposing vessels to sudden violent storms. 

This seems to be a decent area to focus on. While other parts of the Mediterranean are known to be more dangerous, they’re closer to Spain. No marine animal capable of swallowing a human could make that swim in just three days. While it could have been a specialized super-swimmer designed by God— for the purpose of this article we’re going to stick with candidates that were currently aware of. 

Candidate Creatures

1. Sperm Whale 

Probably the most common theory, for good reason. Sperm whales have

•  Large sinus air chamber and integrated blowhole allowed any gobbled prophets to breathe. 

•  Massive throat capable of swallowing large prey whole instead of crushing or suffocating 

2. Fin Whale (Detailed Physiology)

From the Christian Research Journal (Vol. 48, No. 03, 2025), the fin whale’s lunge-feeding allows it to engulf enormous volumes of water (60–82 m³). Its forestomach can hold ~500 L of fluid, but the narrow esophagus (~10 cm) suggests Jonah was likely held in the expandable oropharynx (“belly”). Survival challenges include trauma, hypothermia, slippery surfaces, and air supply (mitigated by frequent surfacing every 5–15 minutes). 

3. Basilosaurus (extinct) 

•  Fits biblical themes of large serpentine sea monster (Amos 9.3) 

•  Fluid-filled bones for near-surface swimming

•  Elbow-like fins for shallow-water maneuverability, ideal for expelling prey onto beaches.

•  Ancient artwork in the region resembles it. This is perhaps the coolest point that we’ll revisit. 

4. Megalodon (Otodus megalodon)

•  Largest known shark in the ancient Mediterranean, up to 50 feet long.

Was It a Whale, a Fish, or a “Ketos”?

Hebrew dag gadol (“great fish”) and Greek ketos (used in the Septuagint and Matthew 12:40) are general terms for a large sea creature or monster, not precise biological categories. Historian Bill Cooper and others note that ketos consistently referred to a dog-headed sea-dragon or serpent in ancient Mediterranean mind. Dr. Henry Morris notes its “mega-sized” connotations. 

Ancient writers used specific terms for such creatures, while New Testament authors employed broader language.

Ancient Literary and Artistic Evidence for the “Ketos”

Historical evidence from authors and historians who best knew the Mediterranean Sea consistently used ketos to mean “a sea serpent.”

 This is supported by:

•  Literary sources (from ca. 700 B.C. onward): Homer (9th–8th century B.C.), Euripides, Aristophanes, Lycophron, Aristophanes (various dates), Manilius, Marcus Terentius Varro, Diodorus Siculus, Claudius Aelianus, Oppian of Apamea, Pausanias, Eustathius, Hesychius, and Johannes Moschus, among others.

Artistic depictions: 

First-century paintings from a Roman catacomb show Jonah being thrown into the sea monster with a dog-like head, flexible neck, and often coiled body. Numerous artifacts (carvings, coins, ivory, wood, stone) depict the ketos with a dog-like head, prominent teeth, plume-like flaps or frills above the head and neck, and a slender, coiled form. These consistent renderings across Rome, Africa, Turkey, and elsewhere strongly identify the ketos as a sea serpent.

The visual and textual tradition closely resembles creatures like Basilosaurus and supports a naturalistic but still divinely orchestrated interpretation of the biblical “monster.”

BONUS: 

Interesting Historical Sighting 

Strabo records Poseidonius’ eyewitness account (ca. 130–51 BC) of a massive “fallen dragon” (~30 m / 100 ft long) on the northern Levant coast with enormous jaws. It was so big that two riders on horse back couldn’t see each other if they were on either side of its belly. 

Bonus Notes: 

Clues from Jonah’s Prayer (Jonah 2) 

•  Repeated references to depth and deep water.

•  “Moors or roots of the mountains” — possibly the Eratosthenes Seamount near Cyprus.

•  Calypso Deep is the deepest point, Jonah might be referring to it. 

Travel Feasibility

A blue whale’s comfortable speed of ~5 mph could cover ~360 miles in the relevant Rhodes-area voyage, making that in distance in 72 hours (three days). 

References: 

•  Christian Research Journal, Vol. 48, No. 03 (2025).

•  Brian Thomas, Ph.D., Institute for Creation Research.

•  Bill Cooper, The Authenticity of the Book of Jonah (2012/2013).

•  Dr. Henry Morris on ketos.

•  Strabo, Poseidonius, and the extensive list of classical authors cited.

“Google Doesn’t…Know What Truth Is”

Neal Pollard

It has been six years since the Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma. This film warns of the effects of social media, social networks, algorithms, and surveillance capitalism. It is what might be described as an alarmist or even a conspiracy theory piece if not for the fact that those who are featured throughout are some of the pioneers, engineers, executive, and early contributors of such platforms as Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Apple, Google, Twitter, Instagram, and developers of AI.

I was most struck by a quote from someone with whom I would have little in common with ideologically. Her name is Dr. Cathy O’Neil, graduate of UC-Berkeley and Harvard, a mathematician and data scientist who understands algorithms at a level few of us do. She suggests that the data plugged into algorithms are subjective. In a TED talk, she warned of “data laundering” and “weapons of math destruction.” She warns that much is driven by money and personal bias rather than objective truth.

In The Social Dilemma, she said, “Google doesn’t have the option of saying, ‘Oh, is this conspiracy? Is this truth?’ Because they don’t know what truth is. They don’t have a… They don’t have a proxy for truth that’s better than a click. If we don’t agree on what is true or that there is such a thing as truth, we’re toast. This is the problem beneath other problems because if we can’t agree on what’s true, then we can’t navigate out of any of our problems.”

Others in the documentary echoed this existential concern that objective truth is elusive and disappearing in the world of technology and, therefore, the world as a whole. While none of them appealed to God or the Bible, I would suggest that it alone holds the key to providing what they crave and clamor for. Like modern day Pilates, growing numbers flippantly ask with a wave of the hand, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). They don’t know and don’t seem to care. Meanwhile, Jesus urges, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). He affirms Himself as the moderator, definer, and revealer of truth (John 14:6). It is not bullying or destructive. It is comforting and protecting.

A world falling apart without objective truth–which is being noticed even by those with no interest or sympathy for Christianity–longs for an emotional and spiritual anchor they can trust. They want truth. Through His Word, Scripture, Jesus offers us the only solid rock that will hold the weight of the world. If these documentarians are anywhere close to right, we are falling deeper into a hole that offers the destruction of objective truth. As a countermeasure, Jesus offers His truth. It will navigate us out of all our problems, most of all our greatest problem (John 1:29; 8:24,34).

Books by the Pollards

A Tiny Spark Snail Mail Club (Kathy Pollard)

Why Christians Are Losing Confidence In The Bible

Carl Pollard

I’ve noticed something troubling over the last few years, and maybe you have too. More and more Christians seem uncertain about the Bible. They’re not confused about difficult passages, but genuinely unsure whether scripture is fully trustworthy, relevant, or even understandable anymore. 

There was a time when people opened the Bible looking for answers. Now many open social media first. Instead of asking, “What does God say?” people often ask, “What feels right to me?” or “What’s culturally acceptable?” Slowly, confidence in God’s Word gets replaced with confidence in personal opinion.

One of the biggest reasons Christians are losing confidence in the Bible is simple, many Christians no longer know the Bible deeply. We live in a generation surrounded by biblical content, but are starving for biblical understanding. People hear short clips, motivational verses, and catchy sermons, but they rarely spend serious time studying scripture in context.

People will quote verses they’ve never really studied. And I’ve watched Christians panic when someone online brings up a difficult question because they’ve never been taught how to think through scripture carefully. A shallow understanding of the Bible creates shallow confidence in the Bible.

Hosea 4:6 is still true today: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Another reason is cultural pressure. Modern culture constantly challenges biblical teaching. Whether the topic is morality, sexuality, judgment, gender, or salvation, Christians feel pressure to soften what scripture says so they won’t appear narrow minded or outdated. And when people love acceptance from culture more than truth from God, compromise usually follows.

Paul warned about this in 2 Timothy 4:3–4 when he said people would gather teachers who tell them what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear. How true is that for us today?

Social media has also played a major role. It seems like doubt spreads faster than truth. A thirty second TikTok clip mocking Christianity can shake someone who’s spent almost no time seriously studying the Bible for themselves. Emotional arguments are treated as stronger than actual evidence. And unfortunately, many Christians spend far more time scrolling than studying.

At the same time, some churches haven’t helped. In many places, deep teaching has been replaced with entertainment and surface-level encouragement. People leave services feeling inspired for a moment, but spiritually unprepared for real questions. A faith built entirely on emotion usually struggles when trials or doubts come.

But here’s what encourages me. The Bible has survived every attack thrown at it for centuries. Critics have tried to bury it, mock it, outlaw it, and discredit it. Yet scripture remains. Why? Because it’s God’s Word.

The answer to doubt isn’t abandoning scripture. It’s opening it again! Reading it carefully. Studying it honestly. Wrestling with difficult questions instead of running from them.

God’s Word doesn’t fear investigation. In fact, the deeper you study it, the stronger your confidence becomes.

And in a culture drowning in confusion, Christians desperately need that confidence again.

Books by the Pollards

A Tiny Spark Snail Mail Club (Kathy Pollard)

When Pity Becomes Partiality:

The Difference Between True Mercy and False Compassion

Brent Pollard

Of the two kinds of compassion, only one heals.

That statement may seem harsh. We treat empathy as an absolute good; questioning it feels wrong. Surely, to feel another’s pain and consider his burdens is right. Yes, since if we lack compassion, we miss the heart of Christ. Our Lord, seeing the crowds, “felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9.36). But to heal, compassion must be joined with truth.

Scripture does not let us rest in sentimentality; instead, it warns us: even pity can be corrupted. Unless compassion is anchored in truth, it can fail to bring healing. It may even harm those it aims to help. Thus, true compassion requires moral clarity.

The Surprising Command of Exodus 23.3

If we wrote the Law, we might warn against favoring the powerful. God does warn about that, but He also says: “Nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute” (Exodus 23.3). The scales tip both ways. Leviticus puts it even more clearly: “You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly” (Leviticus 19.15).

There is a steel beneath the velvet of biblical mercy. Justice does not consult feelings for either party. Instead, justice seeks what is true, what is right, who has been wronged, and what must be done. These considerations stem from love that refuses to be sentimental.

The Modern Confusion

Consider a story from the news. A young woman did not cooperate in prosecuting her attacker because she believed his ethnicity and background already disadvantaged him. By today’s standards, this instinct looked like mercy. Yet the man was later accused of another attack, one that left a teacher dead.

The second victim now has a story. So does his family. So does the community that lost a teacher. Compassion that loses sight of the innocent has not become more loving. It has become morally disordered.

Modern empathy bends toward the offender. It explores his wounds and childhood, seeking causes for violence. These questions have value. But understanding does not absolve. Explanation does not exonerate. A painful past may explain wounds, but it does not permit wounding others.

The Abomination God Cannot Tolerate

Proverbs gives the verdict with thunder: “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 17.15). The symmetry matters. Excusing the guilty is, to God, the moral twin of accusing the innocent. Both invert the universe. Both call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5.20). Both grieve God’s heart.

What we excuse, we multiply. “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8.11). When consequences vanish, the heart interprets silence as license. Any honest parent knows: a child never corrected grows entitled, not grateful. Discipline is not love’s enemy. It is love bearing responsibility for tomorrow.

The Mercy That Is Not Sentimental

Look at Jesus. No one loved sinners as He did. He ate with tax collectors. He touched lepers. He received the broken, whom respectable people threw away. Yet His mercy never treated sin as harmless. To the woman caught in adultery, He said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more” (John 8.11).

There is the mercy: “I do not condemn you.”

There is the truth: “Sin no more.”

We dare not unstitch what Christ wove together.

Zacchaeus is the same picture from another angle. Grace entered his house and stayed, overlooking his past. In response, Zacchaeus stood and said, “If I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much” (Luke 19.8). True mercy does not erase responsibility. It awakens it.

False Mercy in Daily Life

We practice false mercy often. We let loved ones keep lying, raging, neglecting, or harming because they have suffered. We call our silence patience, but it is fear. We call avoidance compassion, but it is cowardice. We tell ourselves love means never confronting or naming what is wrong.

But suffering gives no man moral immunity. The wounded can become wounders. Pretending otherwise does no kindness to him or those he may harm.

This is true in the church, too. That is not cruelty. That is wisdom, walking in the fear of the Lord.

The God Who Holds Mercy and Justice Together

We worship a God who declares Himself “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness” (Exodus 34.6). In the next breath, He says He “will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34.7). Mercy and justice are not strangers in heaven. They meet at Calvary, where God proved Himself “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3.26).

To behold that cross is to learn how mercy looks on earth. There, sin was named with terrible honesty and forgiven with infinite love: at the same moment, by the same act, in the same Savior. We will never craft a mercy that surpasses this.

A Mercy Worth Practicing

The question is not about being compassionate; we must be. The real test is whether our compassion remains disciplined by righteousness: caring for the offender without neglecting the victim, forgiving without dismissing consequences, and being tenderhearted without succumbing to naïveté.

A Christian heart should be soft, but never spineless. Merciful, but never morally confused. Willing to weep over the sinner, and yet willing to stand between him and the people he would harm.

Mercy does not call evil good. Mercy does not abandon the innocent. Mercy does not flatter the sinner into destruction.

True mercy tells the truth, protects the vulnerable, calls the sinner to repentance, and leaves room for grace to do what sentimentality never can.

Books by the Pollards

A Tiny Spark Snail Mail Club (Kathy Pollard)

It’s A Miracle!

Gary Pollard

It is tempting to believe that an incredible recovery, acquisition of a needed job or asset, or escape from a major life issue is an example of the miraculous. In the religious world, a miracle is something a few believe can be invoked with prayer, a special religious service, or even a social media post (“pray that ______ will be healed by a miracle from God”).

Despite living in an age where notions of the supernatural are considered unscientific or are chalked up to circumstances we simply don’t understand yet, there is still much confusion surrounding the miraculous.

Miracles served a specific purpose both in the Old and New Testaments: they were designed to glorify God. Parting the Red Sea, striking a rock to get water, a talking donkey, an endless supply of oil and flour, the sun standing still, and all of the other miracles were – by design – impossible to perform without divine help. The Hebrew word for miracle meant “a sign or wonder” (Hebrew & Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament). Its purpose was to prove to the recipient that God was in control, was all powerful, was perfect, righteous, to be feared, and to be obeyed. Miracles were also used to prove that someone’s message was actually from God or that God was with them.

In the New Testament, miracles served to prove that Jesus was the Son of God and that the Apostles’ message was certainly from God. Water was turned into wine, the dead were raised, sicknesses were healed, people who were uneducated could suddenly speak multiple languages, predict the future, read someone’s mind, etc. The Greek word for miracle meant “a deed that exhibits the ability to function powerfully” (BDAG 263). These deeds were impossible to perform without God’s help, and they served a specific purpose: to prove that a message came from God, or to prove that a purpose originated with God.

While it certainly is a nice sentiment that an otherwise unlikely recovery or escape is an example of the miraculous, it’s important to remember that miracles served a specific purpose no longer relevant to our time. We no longer need miracles to prove our message comes from God because we have His complete and perfect word in scripture (I Corinthians 13).

Not having miracles in our world may be a downer to some, but we have this to look forward to: a place without sin for those who die faithful (II Peter 3.13). A place without death for those who die in Christ (Revelation 20.14). A place without sorrow for those who sleep in God after a lifelong battle in this sinful world (Revelation 21.4).

Miracles existed because this world is fallen (Romans 8). Their purpose was to demonstrate God’s power over Satan and sin in a world characterized by all that cannot coexist with goodness. Those who are living life in view of the next find hope and comfort in the miracle of Scripture, the miracle that will bring us home if we follow it.

Books by the Pollards

A Tiny Spark Snail Mail Club (Kathy Pollard)