"Vous Avez Travaille Pour Rien"

Neal Pollard

Neriah LeBlanc related an interesting story regarding the history of an island nearby his native home.  He says, 

  In 1715 the French established their rule on a small island state called

Dominica. One of the cultures the French brought to that island was that

when one died, their life would be evaluated by the leaders of the 

community. If that person was seen as one who was an ungodly person, 

an inscription would be placed on their tomb which read, 'vous avez

travaille pour rien.' Translated into English, this means, 'You have worked

for nothing.'

Most people are very concerned about their legacy, what impression and memory they will leave on this world.  Presidents, facing the end of their last term, often think about what their legacy will be. The wealthy may donate millions of dollars to a university to have a building or even the school named after them, a legacy to their generosity.  Actors, athletes, and entertainers may wish to be remembered for something groundbreaking they did in their field.  Average, everyday folks like you and me wish to be remembered as having fulfilled a deeper purpose, too.

How will we know that we have not worked for nothing, that we have not misspent our time, talents, and thoughts?  In His teaching that repelled many of His disciples, Jesus urged, "Do not work for the food which perishes, but the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal" (John 6:27).  In this short statement, Jesus speaks profoundly about living with purpose.

Whether your occupation is in the secular or the spiritual realm, this principle is immovable.  Make sure you leave a measurable, spiritual footprint in all the pathways of your life--job, community, church, family, and wherever else you walk.  Did your example, influence, and words lead people to see and know Jesus? Would people say that when you were around, it was easier for them to be and do good?  

The Judgment itself will be a testimony to this principle.  In essence, when we stand before Christ, He will say either "you have worked for nothing" or "you have worked for Me" (cf. Mat. 25:34-45).  Each day, we are building our spiritual legacy. May we labor for that "which endures to eternal life."

Smog and Pollution

For years Beijing has been dealing with massive amounts of smog.  Last year, the air was so bad that 700 flights were cancelled.  At times, the pollution levels have been so high people have reported respiratory problems and school children have not been allowed to play outside.  Sometimes major companies like the Beijing Hyundai Motor Company and many construction companies have halted construction to help bring the smog levels down.  There have even been days where the air is so polluted that one can barely see the sun (CNN).

Cities and towns aren’t the only places that become polluted.  Sometimes our lives can get polluted.  When we fall into temptation and sin, our lives start getting smoggy.  The more corruption we allow, the more spiritually polluted we become.  As the spiritual smog increases, it becomes more and more difficult to keep our eyes on the Lord.  If the spiritual pollution is not cleansed away, soon we will not even be able to see the Son.

So, what can we do about this?  1 John 1:7 provides the answer: “But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Instead of walking in spiritual smog, let’s walk where we can clearly see the Light.  When we do so, Jesus the Son will cleanse all of the spiritual pollution away.  Best of all, when living a life in the Light, we can breath easy.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO RECEIVE DIVINE REVELATION TODAY

Neal Pollard

A letter dated January 17, 2013, and addressed to me at the church's address arrived a few days ago.  It was from a woman pastor who works with a "charismatic" church just east of Denver. It purported to be a message dictated to her from Jesus.  The message was for His "servants throughout this city" and it said, "All you who cry out for revival, All you who are waiting for the move of God; I have prepared my servant, I have prepared my holy warriors, I have released them to bring revival to this city, open the doors of your church to my chosen ones, so that I may bless you through them, and grant you the revival you have been crying for." She assured me (and the other recipients?) that at this revival there would be "Open heavens, deliverance, healings, opening of spiritual eyes, baptism of Holy Spirit and fire, outpouring of spiritual gifts and much more."  As I do not receive many letters like this, I found this correspondence quite noteworthy.

The question is, "Could this be true?"  Could this very ardent and sincere woman have received such a revelation?  If so, I am troubled by the implications.  Going to their website, I saw teaching about salvation ("sinner's prayer"), the end of time (premillennialism), worship ("holy dance"), women's role (multiple women prechers) and demon possession that contradict revealed Scripture.  If Jesus was behind what she and her church claims He is, then the situation exists that He would be contradicting through people like these what He taught through the apostles and prophets who wrote the New Testament.  Ironically, the web site prominently features a passage from near the end of the Bible which says, "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints" (Jude 3).  Jude declared "the faith" (objective, not subjective) handed down "once for all." What does that mean? The faith was handed down once, not continuously or progressively.  The faith was handed down for all, not just the saints of the first-century.  

When people claim receiving direct messages and revelation from Christ, they face two insurmountable problems.  The first is confirming the message with miracles, wonders, and signs, since the miraculous age ceased.  The second is pitting God against Himself, by having Him tell us in the Bible that it (the Bible) is His complete guide for man (cf. 2 Peter 1:3; Gal. 1:6-9) and then sending messages in addition to it.  Not doubting the lady's sincerity, I still dispute her claim.  May we be content to faithfully receive God's Word and actively live it.  Alleged additional revelations today are impossible in light of the fact that God chose to limit Himself to that message "once for all handed down to the saints."

Messages in the Bathroom Stalls

The walls inside a bathroom stall can be quite interesting.  Everything from jokes and philosophical statements to gang signs and crude remarks can be found on these walls.  If you have ever been in a bathroom stall at an old, run down gas station, chances are pretty good you have seen some unique messages.

Normally bathroom stalls are not the place to learn spiritual lessons, but it seems there are exceptions.  A college student went into the bathroom stalls at the university she attends.  She began reading the messages written on the walls and noticed many sad comments.  Girls had written about their experiences with rape, eating disorders, dealing with an alcoholic father, and even the death of one girl’s dad.  As strange as it seems, this bathroom stall had become a place where several girls confessed and revealed the most horrifying parts of their lives.

The college student was touched by these statements and decided to write something in response.  She wrote a letter of encouragement addressing each girl specifically and taped it up in the bathroom stall (Read Her Letter Here).  It’s uncertain if any of the troubled girls read this letter, but at the bottom of college student’s letter someone else penned, “To the person who wrote this, thank you.”

Even though a bathroom stall may not be the most effective way to encourage someone, this girl demonstrated an attitude of encouragement; an attitude which should be found in Christians much more than it is.  Despite the fact this was put in a bathroom, this girl demonstrated what good encouragement is all about.  Her encouragement was sincere and personal.  She gave it freely and generously, even to people who many never read it.  No one forcer her to do this, she did it out of kindness and good intentions.

Hebrews 3:13 says, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

Adopting the college student’s method is not the point; adopting her attitude is.  There is no telling how many lives could be touched, changed, and improved if we just encouraged more. 

Let’s give encouragement freely and generously.  Let’s make our encouragement sincere, specific, and personal.  But above all, let’s make encouragement a constant fixture in our lives and speech.

WHO WAS IN OUR GARBAGE AT 3:45 AM?

Neal Pollard

I knew something was wrong when Kathy was rustling the blinds in our bedroom, holding our new puppy whose "needs" I thought she had helped address.  In my fog, I asked her what was wrong.  In the hushed tone of concern, she said, "I think somebody is going through our trash cans."  She explained that when she opened the door to let Chipper out, she heard a clanging noise on the side of the house.  She heard it again, and it sounded too methodical and rhythmic to be an animal (we get the occasional skunk and opossum like anybody else). She stealthily peeked out our front bay window and thinks she saw a dark figure going through the neighbor's trash cans.  

In my groggy state, without the sense to be more afraid than angry, I headed downstairs and then outside with a big stick in hand.  The pilferer was gone, but his handiwork was apparent.  A bag of garbage had been methodically opened and the contents rifled. Perhaps he sought unshredded documents.  Maybe he was hungry.  No one knows, but it makes one feel violated to have a stranger secretly sifting through one's refuse.  

Really, no matter why he was there, his actions were audacious, self-serving, and potentially harmful.  I cannot see the justification.  He chose an hour when he thought he would not be discovered.  He trespassed on our property, thus being an uninvited guest.  He was trying to take possession of that was not rightfully his.

How different was this "refuse rifler" from the gossip and the backbiter?  They both do their work clandestinely, under the cover of "darkness."  They both enjoy going through other people's garbage.  They both are trying to get a hold of what does not belong to them.

Like the one enamored with a "different doctrine," the gossip is afflicted with a "morbid interest" (cf. 1 Tim. 6:4).  Maybe it is in secrets (Prov. 20:19), separating friendships or strife (Prov. 16:28), smudging character (1 Pet. 2:12), or something else, but backbiting is about as noble as rummaging through another person's rubbish. Peter warned against being a "troublesome meddler" (1 Pet. 4:15; KJV--"a busybody in other men's matters").  The next time we are tempted to gossip, let us remember that such makes us the spiritual equivalent of the "dumpster diver."  Let us all endeavor to mind our own business!