Tag: worship

Give Like Jesus

Give Like Jesus

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Neal Pollard

When we think about Jesus and material possessions, perhaps we think of passages like Luke 8:3 that tell us He lived from the financial support of Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others. Or His own words: “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Luke 9:58). Jesus lived humbly. Despite this, how often do we reflect on Jesus’ giving?

  • He gave Himself. Scripture says this explicitly in several places. He gave Himself “for our sins” (Gal. 1:4;). He gave Himself “for me” (Gal. 2:20). He gave Himself “for us” (Eph. 5:2; Ti. 2:14). He gave Himself for the church (Eph. 5:25). He gave Himself “for all” (1 Tim. 2:6). No matter how you look at the cross, it must be described in terms of His giving. This gift was the most significant act of all history. The writer of Hebrews says “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (10:10). Isn’t it interesting that Paul praises the unexpected generosity of the Macedonian givers, in part, by saying “they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God” (2 Cor. 8:5). Gracious, generous giving is impossible without our first giving ourselves to God. Submitting ourselves to Him in utter dependency, yielding our will and desires, is a prerequisite for Christlike giving.
  • He found it more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35). This was His mentality and outlook. His default position was doing for others, not having others do for Him (Mat. 20:28). Paul, speaking with the Ephesian elders, reflects back on this character trait of Jesus, saying, “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” What is Paul talking about? In the context, he is talking about material things like gold, silver, and clothing (33), material needs (34), and helping the weak by working hard (35). He’s not referring to the Sunday collection (cf. 1 Cor. 16:1-2), but an attitude of heart instead. Again, the Macedonians embodied this attitude. Paul is still speaking of them when he writes, “Each one must do as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). We should grow to the point where it brings us joy to give to God. Isn’t that how Jesus gave Himself for us? Study Hebrews 12:1-3 closely!
  • He gave with grace (2 Cor. 8:9). Most lexical definitions of “grace” include the word “gift,” “favor,” and “benefit.” These are undoubtedly giving terms and, when Paul uses it in 2 Corinthians 8:9, a financial term. Paul says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” He ties Christ’s gracious giving to his admonition that Corinth be gracious givers, too. He urges them to complete this gracious work (6), to abound in this gracious work (7), and co-participate in this gracious work (19-20). For Jesus, grace meant giving up something to meet the needs of others. For us, gracious giving means giving up something to supply the needs of others. Like with Jesus, we prove the sincerity of our love by gracious giving (8).

Should we give out of duty and obligation? Not entirely and certainly not primarily. Should we give out of gratitude? That’s certainly better than guilt. How about giving out of an effort to imitate our Savior? When we are giving, it is not merely “to the church.” It is giving to the head of the church, the one who gave everything to purchase it (Acts 20:28). Remarkably, sacrificial giving is a tangible, explicit way for us to give like Jesus. Could there be a stronger motivation?

Healthy Relationships

Healthy Relationships

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Gary Pollard

In Phil 2.2 Paul uses an imperative — make my joy complete. Because of this imperative, we know that something was still missing with that church. How were they to complete his joy? By having one mind, possessing one love, working closely with each other, by avoiding selfishness or pride, by practicing humility, by considering others to be more valuable than self,  and by investing in the lives of others. 

Look at the language used in 2.1 — if you’re encouraged by Christ, if you’re encouraged by love, if you share a common mindset, if you’re capable of compassion and pity, then make my joy complete by being unified and putting others above self. 

When we think of issues in a church, our minds usually go straight to false teaching. We want to make sure nothing inaccurate makes its way into our doctrine. That’s definitely an important part of our spiritual health, but it isn’t the only issue we face. 

This entire letter is all about how critical it is that we keep our relationships with each other healthy. And this isn’t the only time God communicates that message with us — I Jn 4.20 says, “If you hate anyone in your Christian family, God’s love doesn’t exist in you.” Mt 5.23 tells us that we shouldn’t even worship if there’s bad blood between us and someone else. Mt 18 tells us how important it is to resolve conflicts when they come up. 

God has made it very clear that it’s just as important to be on good terms with our Christian family as it is to avoid false teaching. 

The Man From Meroe

The Man From Meroe

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Friday’s Column: Brent’s Bent

We know little about the treasurer from “Ethiopia,” introduced in Acts 8. How did he come to believe in Judaism? What was his given name? What happened to him after Phillip baptized him into Christ? A study of this enigmatic figure is fascinating.

Did you know that the treasurer’s homeland was known as the “Kingdom of Meroe”? The remnant of the once-powerful Kingdom of Kush ruled over even their Egyptian neighbors for a time. If you recognize the name “Kush,” it is because Noah had a grandson named “Cush” (cf. Genesis 10.6-8; Daniel 11.43). The “Ethiopians” are Cush’s descendants.

The “Kandake” line of queens ruled over Meroe. It is known as “Candace” in English Bible translations. The sequence of queens is likely named Candace, a famous empress who ruled the Kushites during Alexander the Great’s conquest. She was a well-known military general and tactician. According to legend, Alexander refused to invade “Nubia” for fear of being defeated by her.

The Ethiopian eunuch, as treasurer, would overlook an impressive treasury. Meroe was a prosperous kingdom due to her trade with the Romans and African tribes from Africa’s western grasslands. They traded with the Romans for gold and other sub-Saharan products until the third century AD. Meroe maintained prominence after their trade with the Romans declined in the early third century due to her ability to smelt iron. Meroe’s workers’ tools and weapons were sought after by her neighbors. Meroe eventually fell from grace and was conquered by her southern neighbor, Axum. This formerly independent state is now an integral part of Sudan.

Meroe’s inhabitants worshiped Egyptian gods and a few gods of their creation. Someone proselytized people in the region at an unknown point in antiquity. According to the Old Testament book of Jeremiah, Jews were living in lower Egypt just before Judah and Benjamin’s Babylonian captivity (cf. Jeremiah 44.1ff). God foresaw those fleeing south to avoid the Babylonians and warned them against their actions (cf. Jeremiah 42.19ff). The treasurer is an example of someone who converted to Judaism. There remain adherents to Judaism in the region today. 

What distance did the treasurer go to worship God? Meroe to Jerusalem was about 3,000 miles round trip. So, the treasurer was devout. And consider that once in Jerusalem, the Old Law prohibited his entry into the Temple proper because he was a eunuch and forbade entry. Thus, his desire to be close to God was strong!

Though we do not know the treasurer’s name, we know some of the Meroitic men’s surnames. Arkinidad, Amanislo, Pakheme, Shorkaror, Teritegas, and Yesbokheamani were some of their names. Such names are foreign to the English-speaking ear. It’s possible that the treasurer’s name sounded strange to Philip as well. 

What happened to the Ethiopian treasurer after he became a Christian? The treasurer returned to Meroe and converted Queen Candace and many of his fellow Meroites, according to Irenaeus and Eusebius, two Christian writers of the second century AD. They also stated that the treasurer was a martyr dying in Ceylon after preaching the Gospel throughout Arabia Felix (i.e., Yemen). Though we cannot verify the information of Irenaeus and Eusebius, it is consistent with the character introduced on the sacred page.

Brent Pollard
Motivation For Attending Church Services

Motivation For Attending Church Services

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Neal Pollard

“An Italian newspaper recently carried an interesting story about a young couple in Milan who had a wonderful attendance record at a particular cathedral. The priest assumed they were very devoted to their faith because they regularly spent an hour before one of the statues in the church’s worship area.  He thought they were doing some intense praying.  Only later did he discover the couple simply came to re-charge their cell phone from the electrical outlet behind the statue” (King Duncan, via Waterview, Richardson, TX, 3/16/14).

My first reaction to that was to chuckle, then be a little indignant, and then become introspective.  The thought that someone may come to church services for apparent honorable intentions but be serving some baser motive may be shocking, but it is not unheard of.  Jesus taught, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me” (Mat. 15:9).  Jesus is quoting Isaiah, and it was a problem in that prophet’s day, too.  Think of what another prophet wrote.  Ezekiel said, “They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain” (Ezek. 33:31).

When I come before the Great I Am, not only must I keep from distractions.  Deeper than that, I must examine my overall motivation for being at worship or serving the Lord.  Why am I a Christian?  Self-examination is as important as any spiritual exercise there is (2 Cor. 13:5).  Nobody else may know why we are before the Lord in worship, but He does.  May He see our motivation as transparent and true, honest and sincere!  

The Little Boy With The Front Row Seat

The Little Boy With The Front Row Seat

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Monday’s Column: Neal At The Cross

Neal Pollard

It was a great Sunday night crowd. Why not? Between the monthly Q&A sermon, the monthly singing night, and the ice cream fellowship, there were several additional drawing forces. It was so enticing for one grade-school boy that he made the unusual decision to sit on the front row, dead center. If you were there, you probably saw him. If you weren’t, you can see him on YouTube.

This young man had an unobstructed, undistracted view to some significant events. First, he was literally a couple of feet from Hiram as he preached. On multiple occasions, when he posed a question to the audience in his sermon, this young man nodded in silent answer. He was “locked in.” If he moved or squirmed, I didn’t see it.

Second, he witnessed the love, care, and support of the church family during the invitation song. One of our new Christians responded, asking for prayers and expressing a desire to live a more faithful life. Joe not only had the preacher on one side and an elder on the other, but the little boy had to move down to make room for several men who came down front to show their love and support for Joe. This great young man watched the emotion, joy, and concern of a church obeying the command, “confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed” (Jas. 5:16).

Third, he sat there and sang several songs after the response. Each time I looked, he was enthusiastically trying to sing even songs he probably did not know. He has an expressive face, and the prevailing emotions I could see–including when I led–appeared to be all positive and interested.

After services, he was in the multipurpose room (MPR) indulging in some ice cream and having as much fun as a little boy could hope to. He was visiting and playing, and he was eating. Then, he went home.

I did not get the chance to ask him if he enjoyed being at church last night, but I think I know the answer. Children don’t do the best job of pretending, if they do or don’t like something. He appeared to have enjoyed himself. But he did more than that. He served as a great example to me. Not only did he come to the worship, but he came to worship. As he gave, he also received. I’d like to think his experience last night will be something he never forgets, something that serves as a foundation for his spiritual future. His mom brought him last night. Pray for him, that as he grows up, he will develop a faith that brings him to worship and carries him through life (cf. 2 Tim. 1:5).

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me…” (Mat. 18:1-5).

Kevin praying for Joe, with our little fella on the front row (far left next to Bryce)
1 Peter–Part VIII

1 Peter–Part VIII

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Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

Gary Pollard

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

This is not an essentially literal translation, and should be read as something of a commentary. 

I Peter – Part VIII

Our lifestyles were hostile to God, but he died for us anyway! Moral perfection died to save morally imperfect people. He wanted to bring us to God! He was killed physically, but his spirit was brought back to life. This is the form he had back in Noah’s day. Even then he wanted to save people who were about to face total destruction! God waited patiently for them to change, giving them chance after chance while Noah was building the ark. They died; in fact, only eight people survived that flood. 

Water saved Noah and his family from those evil people, and water saves us from evil, too. We don’t bury ourselves in water to take a bath. We bury ourselves in water to ask God for a clean slate. We can only do that because Jesus was brought back to life, sat next to God, and was given total control of every supernatural force. 

Mentally prepare yourself to suffer. Jesus suffered while he was human! When we suffer physically, it’s because we stopped doing bad things. As long as we’re alive, we’re not chasing the unhealthy passions humans have. We do what God wants. You used to chase those unhealthy passions! You craved all things bad, got drunk, partied without restraint, and practiced horrible things while worshipping fake gods. 

Since you used to do this, your old friends are shocked that you don’t anymore. They hate you and mistreat you now, but they’ll have to answer to God. He’s going to judge everyone who’s ever lived. Remember, the hope for rescue that Jesus gave us was offered to people who aren’t alive anymore. Since everyone’s going to face God, everyone is given the chance to live like God wants. 

via Flickr (Scott1346)
The Fruits Of Restoration

The Fruits Of Restoration

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Monday’s Column: Neal At The Cross

Neal Pollard

There is nothing like the satisfaction of completing a task that was especially hard-fought and challenging. But, there was Judah in Ezra’s day in Ezra six after Haggai and Zechariah’s message propels them to the finish line concerning the temple (14). After earlier opposition from their neighbors, Judah is assisted by the most powerful nation on earth “with all diligence” (13). It was not nearly as glorious as the original temple (3:12; Hag. 2:3), but it was rebuilt and available for Judah to use to worship God as before the captivity.

Consider some of the fruits of their obedient, faithful efforts from Ezra 6:13-22. These are the some of the fruits of restoration.

Joy (16,22).

In a world where everybody just wants to be happy, few know genuine joy. The happiness for the people here is so intense and deep-seated because God is the source and reason for it. They celebrated the dedication (16) and Ezra says “the Lord had caused them to rejoice” (22). There is a unique, genuine joy available to those who are seeking to build their lives and religion according to the Lord’s pattern (Rom. 15:13). 

Faithful Worship (17-20).

Following the revealed instructions from God through His leaders, the people were now enabled to dedicate the temple (17), appoint the priests (18), and observe the Passover (19-20). They have returned to the proper place, people, and practice of worship. That is the epitome of restoration. When we submit to the instructions of the New Testament regarding who leads (1 Tim. 2:8,11-12), where we participate (Heb. 10:24-25), and how we worship (cf. Col. 3:16-17), faithful worship, when done in proper spirit, follows (John 4:24). 

Purity (20-21).

The ones who could participate in the Passover were those who had purified themselves. That started with the leadership (19) and extended to the rest of the participants (19-20). It mandated separating from “the impurity of the nations of the land” (20). They could come before God with pure and holy hands (cf. 1 Tim. 2:8). Think about what Peter tells believers: “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Pet. 1:22-23). 

Divine Aid (22).

Do your best and try your hardest, but you will fall terribly short without this factor. God’s providence paved the road and opened the door to restoration. The Lord “…had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to encourage them in the work of the house of God.” “The Lord had caused them to rejoice.” One of the fruits of seeking to restore God’s will and ways in our public and private lives today is this assurance. Jesus promises, “I am with you always” (Mat. 28:20). “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you so that we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper…” (Heb. 13:5-6). 

Be body builders, building the Lord’s church the Lord’s way. Let’s go all the way back to the Bible. The end result is a multitude of blessings (Eph. 1:3) like those mentioned in Ezra 6:13-22. 

Knowledgeable Worship

Knowledgeable Worship

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Thursday’s Column: Captain’s Blog

Carl Pollard

Each Sunday, Christians come together to worship our Creator. But before we can properly worship God, we need to know what He wants from us. We can’t just come together and do what we think God would want. There is no guesswork required because God has plainly told us. This isn’t an article on our singing, taking the Lord’s supper, or reading scripture. But worship requires knowledge, and this knowledge will help us to properly prepare when we come together. 

If our knowledge is lacking, what happens? In Leviticus 10, Nadab and Abihu offered God something He did not ask for. “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord” (1-2).

“Strange fire?”

Depending on your translation there are several different interpretations of what they offered. 

  • ESV “Unauthorized” 
  • NKJV “Profane” 
  • RSV “unholy” 

None of these translations speak well of their actions, and we read the consequences of their actions. They offered God a sacrifice without proper knowledge. Some would say that how God responded was uncalled for, and while His actions may seem extreme, there are several facts we learn about Worship. 

We learn that when God tells us how to do something, we better listen. We learn that proper knowledge of how to worship is essential. We learn that God takes worship seriously. 

I’m thankful that God doesn’t deal with us today in the same way. The times that I’ve caught my mind wandering in the songs we sing, or when I loose my train of thought during the Lord’s supper, I’m sure that God has had plenty of opportunities to strike me down. 

Leviticus 10 is a sobering reminder. And we need to ask ourselves, “Are we offering strange fire to God?” 

We can avoid doing this by having the proper knowledge of what God has commanded. 

It’s not about what we think sounds good, or what we think God would like. 

It’s about our Creator. We don’t need to guess; He has clearly told us. In John 4:23-24, Jesus in speaking with the Samaritan woman says, “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews, But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”

What does God want us to know about worship? The people God seeks to be His are the ones who worship in Spirit and Truth. 

The word Spirit literally means, “As the source and seat of insight, feeling, and will.” 

Basically what Jesus is trying to convey is that:

  • When we sing, we sing with feeling
  • When we pray, we pray with feeling
  • When we remember Christ, we feel the weight of the sacrifice. 
  • When we read God’s word, we do it with feeling. 

God wants our hearts to be in worship. 

A knowledge of God helps us accomplish this command. Which is exactly why Jesus says to worship in spirit, but also in Truth. Our emotions and feelings are based on the truth that God has revealed. The truth that comes from divine inspiration. If we worship in spirit and neglect the truth, we are offering strange fire. If we worship in truth alone without emotion, we are offering strange fire to God. 

In order to worship, we must have a knowledge of what God wants from us.

Bring Your Thinking Cap

Bring Your Thinking Cap

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Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Word

Gary Pollard

Today’s article may be a little chaotic. It’s about something not well-defined or understood, and its solution is unknown to me. This article will hopefully serve as a target; it’d be good to have lots of Christian minds brainstorming solutions to this issue.

Just about everyone’s had THE virus. I’ve had it once for sure, maybe twice. It don’t mess around. I started developing symptoms after recovery that, apparently, quite a few people have developed. It’s commonly called Long Covid or PASC. Symptoms include fatigue, cognitive difficulties, decreased mobility, respiratory and cardiological issues, pain, malaise, and many others (psu.edu). You probably either know someone dealing with this now, or are dealing with it yourself.

Research is not super easy to get ahold of, and what I could find was either low-quality or not peer reviewed. Its existence isn’t really contested, but little is known about its prevalence. Best I could find was that about 43% of those who recover will experience Long Covid. Many haven’t recovered after almost two years!

My concern with this is its potential effect on faith. Things like driving at night, interacting with lots of people, spending time together outside of worship, church events, service projects, teaching/preaching/song leading, evangelism, etc. are part of our Christian life. While some of these can be difficult on a good day, they’re now practically impossible (or significantly more difficult) for people with Long Covid.

The church has always had members with chronic, debilitating diseases. Normally, our shut-ins are a very small percentage of overall membership. With Long Covid often compared to the effects of chemotherapy, this number is likely to grow significantly. If roughly half of our recovered members end up with these long-term effects, how do we address this?

Since it affects both young adults and senior citizens, how do we navigate its impact? What can members who now have Long Covid do to stay active in their churches? While living with a chronic health condition is no cake walk, those of us who do are at least mentally equipped to accept it. Members who enjoyed good health before Long Covid are struggling to adapt to this change.

At some point in the near-ish future, I hope to write an article with potential solutions. It will be geared toward those who’re experiencing major health issues for the first time. In the meantime, it wouldn’t hurt to do a lot of praying, planning, brainstorming, and creative problem solving. Nothing’s too big for God, and we’ll find a solution with his help.

Praise The Lord!

Praise The Lord!

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Neal Pollard

Your version may use the word “hallelujah” to begin Psalm 135. Hallelujah means “praise the Lord.” While it is synonymous with giving thanks, it means to laud a superior quality or act, to acclaim and express joy in doing so. What is so noteworthy is that the psalmist does this in very specific ways, recounting times in history when God demonstrates His power and glory on behalf of His people. As we walk through the psalm, we see this. Why is He to be praised?

  • HIS CHOOSING OF HIS PEOPLE (4)
  • HIS NATURE (5)–Great, Above All
  • HIS WORK IN CREATION (6-7)–Heaven, Earth, Seas, All Deep, Vapors, Lightning, Wind, Rain
  • HIS DEFEATING OF THEIR ENEMIES (8-11)–Egypt, Amorites, Canaanites
  • HIS BLESSINGS (12)–Gave His People A Heritage (Possession)
  • HIS POWER (13)–His Name And Remembrance
  • HIS PROMISES (14)–Compassionate Judgment
  • HIS SUPERIORITY OVER HIS RIVALS (15-18)–Deaf, Dumb, And Blind Idols, Just Like Humans

The writer calls on God’s people to praise and worship Him in song, expressing their adoration (1-3). He ends with a threefold call to “bless the Lord” (19-21). May I suggest that you work through something both in your daily life and in your preparation before every time you assemble to worship? Call it setting the table for fellowship with the Divine. Either meditate on the specific works and ways of God that are worthy of admiration, praise and honor or pray to Him, expressing these matters in specific terms. Focus on how He’s demonstrated greatness in blessing your life and the lives of those around you. Perhaps it’s answered prayer, providence, deliverance, or relief. Focus on His power and might in the affairs of our nation, in the activities of our congregation, and the occurrences within your family and personal life. Let the worship flow as you look around at all you see in nature, from the universe to right out your window. Think about the gift of Jesus for your sins. All of this will surely cause you to echo the writer in Psalm 135 and call out to others, “Praise the Lord!”

Photo credit: Kathy Pollard