The Classroom Nobody Asks To Enter

Brent Pollard

No one ever really wants to come to this school. They never looked at a promotional pamphlet about it. They didn’t circle the first day of school on their calendars with excitement. Yet, God keeps a watchful eye on this ancient classroom. Even after thousands of years, its curriculum hasn’t changed. One of the earliest lessons it teaches is want.

Attendance at this school would never be something we would choose. Left to our own devices, we would design a curriculum brimming with abundance: every prayer answered swiftly, every door welcoming us at the first knock. However, that is not a school; it is a nursery. God doesn’t want to coddle individuals who stay stuck in their growth (see Hebrews 5.11-14).

In the tough times we face, there’s a unique gentleness to be found: the pauses, the imperfections, and the obstacles, which resemble the desks in a classroom, representing our journeys. At these desks, we uncover unique insights that you won’t find anywhere else. Comfort allows us to see the blessings we receive from God, but difficulty is the teacher who helps us grasp our profound need for God Himself. When all comforts are stripped away, the only lesson that endures is the one learned at the desk of deprivation.

Paul’s Diploma from the School of Want

Paul didn’t simply earn his diploma from this “school of want” by focusing solely on theory. He earned it through real struggles: scars, shipwrecks, feelings of emptiness, and even time spent in a prison cell (see 2 Corinthians 11.23-28). From one such cell, he wrote, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” (Philippians 4.11). The term “learned” carries weight and meaning. Finding contentment wasn’t a simple task; it required patience and nurturing, much like mastering a new language. Initially, it was a bit uncomfortable and uncertain, but over time, with patience and practice, it became more natural and easier for Paul. Paul’s journey shows how facing challenges can lead to genuine happiness.

This isn’t a blend of stoicism and faith. Stoicism dulls its desires; Paul acknowledges his. He expresses, “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” (Philippians 4.12). He experienced hunger. He experienced a deep sense of humiliation. He just wouldn’t allow either of them to have the last say over his spirit.

Then Paul shares a little secret, almost casually: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4.13). This line, situated between hunger and abundance, highlights that genuine strength comes not from ambition but from Christ’s support. Here, the “strength” isn’t about conquering the world; it’s about remaining authentic and steadfast as you journey through the tough lessons that accompany desire. The metaphor emphasizes a profound faith in God that transcends the world’s temporary victories.

This is the central idea that the message of contentment centers on. Contentment isn’t just about having all our wishes fulfilled; it’s about understanding that even when we face shortages, the goodness of God is always present and unwavering. Paul didn’t just experiment with this while among the safety of his brethren; he put it into practice in a Roman cell, and it really worked.

The Lie That Wealth Whispers

Examine Paul’s testimony alongside his warning to reveal a distinct difference. He shares with Timothy about those “who want to get rich” and who find themselves “in temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires” (1 Timothy 6.9). Money itself isn’t the enemy, but the obsession with it—the idea that adding another zero will somehow bring happiness—definitely is.

Wealth brings dreams that can sometimes feel just out of reach. It’s often said that security is something we accumulate, that we’re always just one transaction away from feeling safe. It’s the enduring charm of attraction, now presented in a portfolio instead of a serpent’s skin. The impact extends far beyond mere financial loss. Paul notes that some people have wandered away from their beliefs, chasing after them and bringing upon themselves “many griefs” (1 Timothy 6.10). You cannot devote yourself to a deity that does not reciprocate your affection.

This is the reason the well-known verse is positioned exactly where it is. It is supported on both sides by the reminder: “Godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment” (1 Timothy 6.6). Seeking gain has always been a valid ambition. We simply searched for it in the wrong field. True gain isn’t about accumulating more possessions. It reflects the soul’s deepening ability to find peace in God, regardless of circumstances.

Christ, the Believer’s Undiminishable Portion

What should you do when a lesson feels like it’s holding on to you? What happens if the job doesn’t materialize, the diagnosis remains unchanged, and our prayers seem to fall silent? Even in those moments, remember that you are not alone—hope awaits you beyond the pain. Don’t force a smile and pretend that pain feels good. Scripture doesn’t make that request. Instead, look beyond your empty hand to the Hand that has always held on.

This is the gentle reassurance found in Scripture: God is the refuge for those who have nothing else. “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup,” the psalmist sang, long before Paul came along (Psalm 16.5). Not divine blessings. God Himself. God. Even without any blessings, the believer still possesses the one true Blessing.

There’s an incredible tenderness in this moment. A divine being, enveloped in radiant light, humbles themself to become the treasure for those who possess nothing. We were created, in the innermost part of our hearts, for nothing less than Him. Every desire He permits is an act of love, purging that space and making room for only Him to occupy it. It isn’t joy that we seek, but rather the joy that ultimately reveals itself—much like a famine that shows us that bread was never the true goal. He was the center of it all. He was always the center of attention.

Living in the Classroom Today

How do you handle a no in the moment of truth?

Begin with small steps. Communicate honestly and express your desires openly in the presence of God. Do not pretend to have the peace you do not possess. Rely on Philippians 4.13 not just for lofty ambitions but also to find strength when facing challenges. Keep in mind the lesson from 1 Timothy 6: the things you pursue often fall short of what they promise. Finally, return to the intended portion. Whisper it softly until it resonates within you, just as it did for Paul: Lord, I may not have what I desired, but I have You. That is not insignificant. It’s a huge gain.

No one actively seeks to enter this school, yet everyone finds themselves walking its halls and eventually graduating—some with a sense of bitterness, others with a feeling of blessing, some with clenched fists, and others with contented hearts. Christ stands as the enduring guide in this ongoing journey of desire, sharing the essential truth that mere comfort cannot provide: He is, and has always been, enough.

God Shall Wipe Away All Tears

Carl Pollard

Tears are a very interesting and important part of the human anatomy. Tears are produced by the tear gland, which are small glands that are in our upper eyelid. Tears keep the surface of your eyeball clean, and help protect your eye from damage. But there’s another function of tears. They appear when we experience heartache and sadness. They form when we encounter joy, heartbreak, and sometimes for no reason with some people.

When we cry because of something emotionally painful, most of the time we wish that the problem never would’ve happened In the first place. Tears are a natural part of life. It’s going to happen, no matter how tough we claim to be. At some point we are going to break under the pressure of this world. That’s why I’d like to spend a few moments in one of the most encouraging passages of scripture in the Bible, Isaiah 25:8-9. In these two verses we will notice three painful types of tears that will be wiped away.

It reads, “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

The first type of tears that will be wiped away are tears of death (v. 8). Every human on earth will experience death. Our lives will end in death, and scattered all throughout our days on earth we will lose those we love. Death is terrible. It tears us apart– we feel like we are drowning in heartbreak– that this pain will never end. We have to watch as mothers and fathers lose their children, children lose their parents, and spouses lose each other. Death is inevitable and something none of us ever want to go through. But there will come a day when we will never have to shed a tear over a loved one. We will never stand at a graveside again. God will make sure that his children never have to experience this heartache ever again. I long for heaven because the tears of death will be wiped away.

He will wipe away the tears of disgrace (8b). We can all agree that this world is full of evil. There is murder, rape, liars, gossip, and broken homes. This world is a place full of tears over the pain that comes from evil. Homes are torn apart and hearts are broken over the sin of others. A day will come when Christ will wipe away all tears (Rev. 21:4).  A day will come when Christ will mend the hearts of the broken. David spoke of his Joy in God. He says, “Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!” You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness” (Psa. 30:10-11). As Christians we can turn to God with hope, knowing that He is our helper and strength. We don’t have to face the evil of this world on our own. God can turn our heartache into Joy. He can wipe away the tears that sin has placed in our eyes. A time will come when the tears of disgrace will be wiped away.

God will wipe away the tears of distance and discouragement (9). It is common after a tragedy has occurred to hear someone pray, “Jesus come quickly.” We say this because we know that Christ is our way of escape from this world. Christ is our hope. We want Him to come back, to help us escape the sin that is around us. Sometimes this distance from God can cause us to become discouraged and to think that He isn’t coming back to save us. God will wipe away the tears of discouragement.

And on that day we will say, “This is OUR God.” The God that we have placed all hope and faith in. “This is OUR God that we have waited on to save us.” “This is OUR God that has brought us salvation.” The day will come when God will wipe away the tears that have been formed by the distance and discouragement we encounter on earth.

The day will also come when we will be judged for how we lived on earth. Can we say that we have waited on God? Can we rejoice in His return? Can we truthfully say that we have placed our faith and hope in God? On that day our tears will either be wiped away, or they will continue on into eternity. The question we must ask ourselves is this:  “Will God wipe away my tears?”

Stones Of Barad

Gary Pollard

Of the plagues in Exodus, the one most interesting to me is the hailstorm. According to that account, hail mixed with fire and thunder was responsible for the deaths of cattle, servants, and the total destruction of fields (c.f. The Ipuwer Papyrus 9.2-3 for the Egyptian perspective of this event. Orthodox scholars consider this papyrus to be simple propaganda, not an eyewitness account of the events of Exodus. I’ve read it many times over, and it’s not very good propaganda [if that’s what it’s supposed to be], and its events mirror those leading up to Israel’s escape quite nicely. E.g. “grain has perished on every side” in Ipuwer is “every living thing in the field was destroyed, even the trees” in Exodus 9.25).  . This hail was said to have been mixed with fire (Ex 9.24; The LXX may suggest that the “hailstones” themselves were on fire — …και το πυρ φλογιζον εν τη χαλαζη) and accompanied by “thunderings”. Ice does not usually mix well with fire, and the word used here for “thunder” would be better understood to mean “loud noise”. 

So what were these avney habarad (stones of barad) that brought great destruction in a desert land, that were mixed with fire, that caused frighteningly loud booming throughout Egypt, that slaughtered 1,000+ pound bulls, killed humans, leveled buildings, and obliterated fields? This was no ordinary hail. Joshua 10.11 says that these meteorites killed more of the enemy than their own swords did. Exodus 9.25 begins with, “It left all of Egypt in ruins…” I wonder if the destruction at Tanis was caused by this event? Can hail — even massive hail — level extremely heavy, granite-cased limestone structures? 

God did some pretty incredible things all over the planet around this same time. Egypt was not the only land to have water turned to blood, extended periods of darkness (on the other side of the world, the sun wouldn’t go down), flaming stones from heaven, plagues, and severe flooding. Records from all over the world claim that the length of the day changed, the length of the month changed, the positions of some of the constellations changed, and many other catastrophes that point to a divine source.

So what did God use to cause the destruction this plague brought? What it did, how it sounded, and its fiery nature all point to a source higher than the troposphere. More than likely, these “hailstones” were actually meteorites. The Exodus, contrary to how many in the secular world view it, was not a fanciful origin story or poetic propaganda to establish Moses’s leadership. Exodus was an eyewitness account of the events that lead both to the demise of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom and the securing of Israel’s freedom. We look with wonder at the great destruction all over Egypt, massive statues broken as if they were toys, buildings that look like they were put in a blender, huge single-piece granite pillars broken and strewn across courtyards, and Moses has likely held the answer to this mystery for 3,500 years.  

A Story You Don’t Hear In Vacation Bible School

Dale Pollard

Civil war has broken out in the kingdom after Saul’s death. David is a patriot who loves his people so he offers to treat Saul’s followers well after Judah crowns him as king. However, a man named, Abner, takes matters into his own hands and he defies God’s chosen king. He sets up Saul’s son, Ish-bosheth, as their new ruler instead. Abner, who was the general of Saul’s army, along with the servants of Ish-bosheth, make their way to the pool of Gibeon. This was a large pool carved out of rock by Saul’s father. Once they arrive they sit down. On the opposite side of the pool, Joab, David’s nephew, and his servants meet them and sit as well. Behind them, two armies stand in formation, ready for war— brother against brother. Abner, perhaps to prevent the death toll that a larger battle would bring, suggests that their servants fight for them. Joab agrees, but this idea quickly leads to a slaughter. Each servant grabs the other by the head, clinching hair in a tight fist, and cuts each other down simultaneously. This short altercation doesn’t provide a victor, so both armies charge each other. It’s a battle that is fought with so much passion, but God grants David’s army with the win. I imagine the Man After God’s Own Heart did not take joy in this victory. The chaos of war has already taken so much from him, including the life of his best friend, Jonathan.

After the battle of Gibeon has ended, David’s nephew, Asahel, takes off after the fleeing Abner. Asahel was known for his speed and agility, with it being likened to that of a gazelle. This speed allowed him to pass the others that were also in pursuit and he finds himself on the heels of Abner in no time. His swiftness will bring him a swift death. While Abner is not as quick, he is older with more experience. Twice Abner asks Asahel to stop this foolish attempt to take his life, but Asahel doesn’t take this advice. This is when Abner thrusts his spear behind him and the butt end of the spear goes through Asahel’s stomach and out the other side, killing the young warrior. 

This is probably an account you never heard in Vacation Bible School, but there is so much we can learn from this event found in 2 Samuel 2:12-24. We notice how deadly pride can be. First, there is the pride of Abner in rejecting David as king, and then there’s the pride of Asahel. He was famous for being quick on his feet, but clearly slow in thought. Preachers and teachers can become well known for their ability to speak and proclaim God’s word. This fame can also be their own spiritual downfall if they begin to think more of themselves than they should. When we post scriptures, baptisms, or other good deeds on social media for our own praise and admiration, God may be the only One that sees your heart. Those are the only eyes that matter since they belong to the One that will be our final Judge.

We also learn from this story that serving a dead king is futile. As Christians we serve the King of Kings, God’s anointed son. Those standing with Him will always win. Those that chose to take matters into their own hands are fighting a losing battle.

When we read about events like this in the Bible it should also make us thankful for the day when we will enjoy a place where there is no heartache, bloodshed, or wickedness. Even David had to endure his share of trials, but now he’s with the God he modeled his heart after— and, we can assume, Jonathan. No matter what struggle we may find ourselves tangled up in, let’s place our focus on that heavenly reunion. 

Learning To Fight Stress From Jesus

Neal Pollard

Christ was busy while on earth, even to the point of depriving Himself (Mat. 8:20). He lost friends and followers (John 6:66-67; Mat. 26:31). He was constantly hounded and threatened (Mat. 22:15; John 5:18).  He was rejected by family and neighbors (Mark 6:4-5).  Jesus knew something about stress.

Luke four records the stressors that came with the beginning of His public ministry. News about Him spread all over the place (14). He taught with authority and was praised by all (15). People spoke well of this powerful preacher (22). His teaching brought angry opposition and an assassination attempt (28-30)!  Then He came to Capernaum, teaching (31), exorcising (35), and healing (39).

Luke four summarizes what life must have been like for Jesus. He was tending to many people’s needs (40), facing people making demands on His time (42), and enduring people trying to interfere with His schedule (42). To a degree, we can relate with the same issues today–people need us, drain our time, and interfere with our schedule.  All of this creates stress.  So, how did Jesus cope with this?

HE TOOK TIME TO HELP EVERYONE (40). That may not sound stress relieving, but it was.  He came to serve (Mat. 20:28). Rather than fret, wring His hands, or succumb to feelings of being overwhelmed, Jesus put His nose to the grindstone. He expended His energy to help “each one of them.”

Sometimes, we compound our pressures not by doing something about them but by wasting time worrying over them.  Such an exercise can quickly turn into self-pity. Give yourself wholeheartedly to your tasks and you will find it fulfilling and even therapeutic.

HE TOOK TIME FOR SOLITUDE AND PRAYER (42; Mark 1:35). Jesus knew the value of taking a break. He got away from the crowds, the work, the requests, and the problems. In His humanity Jesus had to have been emotionally drained and physically exhausted. To keep up the most productive life ever lived, Jesus needed retreat. Notice how He spent that “down time,” in solitude and supplication!

Idleness is not a viable stress reducer. On the other hand, solitary meditation and devotion are key to winning over stress.  Communicating with God can calm the most raging sea in the vast ocean of the mind. It reinforces one for the new stress that inevitably comes.

HE WOULD NOT BE DISTRACTED OR DETERRED FROM HIS PURPOSE (43). When He reconnected with public life, the demands continued. But, Jesus never lost sight of the bigger picture. His life was not solely about helping the needy folks in that one place. It encompassed infinitely more. He helped these folks, but He needed to go further.

Most of us face circular and cyclical tasks, responsibilities and routines that are repeated on a regular basis. Even in that repetitious work, we can be distracted from the big picture by bogging down in the details. We can consume all our energy putting out little fires while our purpose and opportunities go up in smoke.  We must stay focused on why we are here (Ecc. 12:13), letting that impact every area of our lives.

HE RESUMED HIS TASKS (44). Jesus kept on preaching in the country of the Jews (44).  He kept on doing what He was here to do.

It can seem impossible to get everything done, but determination and organization can help us do great, multiplied good. Jesus “kept on” doing what He was here to do. That will help you, when life casts long shadows over you. Just keep going! At the end of the day, you will feel satisfaction for a job well done!

Her Own Tent, or His Dwelling Place?

Brent Pollard

Why Ezekiel 23 Is Still Relevant Today

Some Scripture, like Ezekiel 23, is similar to opening a furnace door. You are met with scorching heat and flame, not pleasantries. The pictures God paints are fierce and even shocking. God calls Samaria and Jerusalem “two sisters” who are “unfaithful,” revealing the spiritual adultery of Israel and Judah. This chapter is full of judgment, sorrow, betrayal, and holy indignation. We need to fully understand and feel the depth of God’s anger and heartbreak.

God doesn’t give just a symbol. He tells a tragic story about spiritual infidelity. Those whom He loved and nurtured turned their backs on Him to chase after paramours. There is a sobering revelation in the sisters’ names that you cannot ignore: even as Jerusalem played the harlot, her very name served as a reminder that God’s dwelling place was supposed to be within her.

The names of the two sisters are Oholah and Oholibah.

Samaria, the northern kingdom, is called Oholah, or “her own tent.” Jerusalem is Oholibah, meaning “My tent is in her.” The linguistic shift is critical because it exposes the root of their sins: while Samaria operated under self-governed worship, Jerusalem betrayed an actual divine indwelling.

Israel strayed from the path God had chosen, establishing rival shrines at Dan and Bethel to forge a separate religious identity under the rival king, Jeroboam. Oholah chose her own way, yet this separation did not exempt her from wrath. Conversely, Judah stuck with the kingly lineage of the man after God’s own heart, maintained the temple and the ordinances of God’s presence. Thus, Oholibah could rightly claim that the divine Council dwelt directly within her borders, rather than remaining at a distance.

The privilege of hosting God’s presence sharpened the distinction. But for Oholibah, that very honor made her unfaithfulness worse than her sister’s. The contrast is not simply about privilege but about the growing burden of responsibility and guilt.

When Holy Privileges Become Heavy Guilt

Ezekiel 23 demonstrates that proximity to holy things is not the same as true holiness. You can live by a river and die of thirst. Judah had God’s altar and name, but her heart pined for idols. The most dangerous place sometimes is an empty pew with a wandering heart.

You can be devoted to all kinds of things and not be in agreement with God. Everyone puts up a tent, but it matters whose tent it is and who lives in it.

The Temple of God Is Not of Stone

This truth deeply informs the New Testament. In this new covenant, God’s presence is no longer confined to a stone temple in Jerusalem but now dwells within His people. He underlines this by reminding the church, “Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). He also asserts, “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you” (1 Corinthians 6.19).

Think about that for a moment: the God whom even heaven itself cannot contain (1 Kings 8.27) chooses to live in redeemed people. We were made to carry His presence and to rejoice in Him alone, not just to know about God. God still separates the outwardly religious from those in whom He truly dwells.

How Do You Enter God’s Presence? The answer from Acts 2:38.

This difference is not based on emotions, background, sincerity, or spiritual claims. The line is drawn in the New Testament by entrance into Christ. On Pentecost, the convicted asked, “What shall we do?” Peter did not send them off on private religious quests. He said, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for forgiveness. And you will receive the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2.38). The promise is simple: forgiveness and Spirit.

Baptism is not an empty rite. It’s the transition from the old life to the new life in Christ. Through baptism we are joined with His death, buried with Him, and raised to live anew (Romans 6.3–4). “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3.27). God’s presence dwells in us only in Christ.

The Holy Spirit: God’s Pledge, Seal, and Guarantee

Paul uses marketplace language for a treasure in heaven. God “sealed us and put the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge” (2 Corinthians 1.22). Jesus’ followers are “marked with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is the pledge of our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:13–14). The Spirit is our guarantee, an indication of what God still has for us. Earnest money guarantees a sale; the Spirit guarantees our inheritance. God has put heaven into us, as His bond, promising to bring us home.

Being a Christian isn’t just choosing a religion like choosing a hobby or neighborhood. Rather, a Christian is one in whom God dwells. There is no greater honor and joy on earth than to be the home of the Almighty.

Living Like the Temple You Were Born

Ezekiel reminds us that we must not make light of this truth. Oholibah kept the house of God, but lived for another. This is a warning to us. God’s presence is not an invitation to complacency, but to holiness. The Spirit comforts us and guarantees our inheritance, but He is also the Holy Spirit who leads us into holy living through Providence and the Word.

We have to face this truth every day. We cannot say “God dwells in me” and make peace with idols at the same time. We cannot take the old tent and re-arrange it to follow Christ. Simply rearranging things is not repentance. Sin cannot be a welcome guest in the temple of God. A temple is only for one thing: to honor the One Who fills it.

Leave Your Own Tent.

The question Ezekiel 23 asks is not just, “Which sister are you?” Its message questions us: Is God really dwelling in you, or are you still clinging to your own tent, the confines of your self-made faith? If you have His Spirit dwelling in you, are you living in all things as the temple of God? This is the ongoing problem and main point of Ezekiel 23.

The gospel does not call us to set up our own tents and ask God’s blessing. Rather, it calls us out of our own tent, into Christ. In baptism, sins are washed away, the old self dies, new life starts, and the Spirit is given. The Christian life is not a life of self-will, but of becoming a proper vessel for the Lord.

Oholah tells us not to make religion in our image. Oholibah is an example of how enjoying sacred privileges cannot excuse unholy living. Christ calls us higher. To be wholly His. Washed. Sealed. Indwelt. Sanctified. God has not been distant; He has placed His Spirit in us as a guarantee.

Let us not retreat into our tents, but live as those in whom God dwells, carrying His presence with intentionality, showing His holiness in all we do, and showing the world what it means to be truly His. Let our lives be temples, not only honored by His presence but changed by it, boldly announcing: God lives here.

Solomon’s Temple

Carl Pollard

When most people read the description of Solomon’s Temple, they get bogged down in the measurements. There are cubits, side chambers, cherubim, gold, cedar, and enough building details to make your head spin. But those details are there for a reason. They help us see the magnitude of what was built for the Lord. 

The Temple itself was about 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high (1 Kings 6:2). That’s not as large as many modern church buildings. What made it extraordinary wasn’t its size, but what covered it! 

The interior walls were lined with cedar from Lebanon and overlaid with pure gold. The floor was covered with gold. The altar was covered with gold. Even the Most Holy Place was overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:20-22, 30). Everywhere you looked, there was beauty, craftsmanship, and immense value.

Some estimates place the value of the gold and precious materials in the billions of dollars by today’s standards. Solomon gave the very best because this was the house dedicated to the worship of God. Nothing was cheap or ordinary, and he spared no expense! And even David set aside materials and precious metals for the construction of the temple. 

However, the most impressive part of the Temple wasn’t the gold. When Solomon dedicated the Temple, the glory of the Lord filled the house so completely that the priests couldn’t continue ministering (1 Kings 8:10-11). The building was magnificent, but the presence of God is what made it special.

It’s possible to be impressed by the structure of a building, and miss the purpose. The Temple wasn’t built so people could admire the architecture. It was built to remind Israel of the holiness, greatness, and presence of God.

Today, God’s people are His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). We don’t gather in a building covered with gold, but we do serve the same God who filled Solomon’s Temple with His glory. So our main concern shouldn’t be if our walls shine with gold, but that our lives reflect the presence of God.

The Temple was worth an incredible amount of money. Its true value was never found in the gold, but in the God who dwelt there. And our value is found in the Creator! 

Books by the Pollards

A Tiny Spark Snail Mail Club (Kathy Pollard)

How Can I Be Happy?

Gary Pollard

Short answer — that’s up to us. God never promised happiness for those of us who opt into the Christian lifestyle. By default, we have lots of enemies. We’re still on the same planet satan runs, so we have to deal with his garbage too. 

We find happiness through anticipation. We have to find excitement for the new life we’ll have, and hang onto that with everything in us. 

We find happiness through selflessness. Doing good things for other people is a tried-and-true way to be happy. Once we’re more focused on others than we are on ourselves, we’ll understand genuine happiness. 

We sometimes conflate happiness with euphoria. As Newton famously said, “What goes up must come down.” Euphoria is temporary and often accompanied by a rebound slump. But it’s a feeling of profound well-being that tends to be addictive, and is often above a natural baseline sense of well-being. Most people who want to be happy are really just chasing euphoria. We’re seeing now that it’s making everyone miserable. 

Happiness is not guaranteed, but we can experience it with the right mindset. Help people. Pray for your enemies. Love people who hate you. Designate at least a couple of minutes every  day to think about the next life. Look at the stars, planets, galaxies, and nebulae at night. You can’t help but be blown away by how intense and beautiful the universe is. This is God’s home (cf. Ps 115.16; Job 38.7; Deut 10.14; Neh 9.6; Ps 68.33; Mt 18.10), and the most tangible display of his power that we can experience with our senses (Rom 1.20). It puts our existence into perspective and reassures us that God actually is in control. 

This life isn’t about being happy — the next one will be nothing but happiness, because entropy and dysfunction will no longer exist (Rom 8.20-25). 

Season 6 Finale

The Bible & The Pyramids (PT. 1)

Dale Pollard

Spoilers! The Bible never mentions the pyramids by name. This seems a little odd since many important events took place in Egypt. Abraham visits, Joseph rose to power, and later the Israelites are enslaved there (Gen. 12, 41). Because of Egypt’s prominence in scripture, I’m sure the author isn’t the only reader that’s wondered about the pyramids and the biblical record.

The foundational Hebrew term for Egypt in the Old Testament is Mizraim, and it’s mentioned 639 times (Strong’s H4714, BLB). According to the old McClintock & Strong, the name Mizraim could be connected to a term meaning “two mounds or fortresses.” The encyclopedia notes that the name is in a dual form and came to signify the two regions—Upper and Lower Egypt.

That reference to the two mounds/fortresses is intriguing as Egypt is famous for its huge pyramids—two of them. The Great Pyramid (481 feet) sits next to the Khafre pyramid (448 feet) and both dwarf the other sand triangles in the area. Amazingly, they also happen to be the oldest.

While McClintock & Strong doesn’t make the claim that Mizraim literally means “pyramids,” the association with Egypt with its great monumental structures has led some to find the wording at least worth noting. Maybe it’s not too much of a stretch to say that the Hebrew name for Egypt was based on the two mound-like fortresses that Egypt is still known for today.

BONUS NUGGET

Pre-Flood Builders & Mizraim

In medieval-Islamic and Near Eastern historical chronicles by writers like al-Tabari and Ibn ‘Abd al-Hakam, a tradition is recorded multiple times. According to ancient legend, the Great Pyramids were built before the Great Flood by an ancient king warned of a coming global cataclysm. Based on those accounts, the pyramids survived the Deluge and Mizraim (or Masar/Mesr) was led to occupy the region once again. He reclaimed the pyramids and used the antediluvian architecture and astronomical knowledge stored inside. Even though none of that can be taken as inspired fact– it gets cool points. 

Books by the Pollards

A Tiny Spark Snail Mail Club (Kathy Pollard)

“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)

Held Together by the Cross: A Devotional Reflection on Laminin and Christ

Brent Pollard

A Providential Conversation Beside a Ventilator

Circumstances recently brought another respiratory technician into my home to check my ventilator and oxygen equipment. Since he may be assuming my case permanently, he took time not only to inspect the machinery but also to understand the man attached to it. He offered practical advice—small adjustments that might improve life with a ventilator, supplemental oxygen, tubing, alarms, and all the quiet burdens that come with depending on breath delivered through machines.

As we finished the adjustments, our conversation moved from technical matters to deeper themes, gradually shifting from respiration to faith.

Learning that I was a Christian, he asked, “Have you ever heard of laminin?”

I had not.

He told me to look it up on the tablet beside me. What I found was fascinating. Laminins are proteins that help hold the body together. Like an internal glue, they bind cells to the basement membrane, interact with collagen and other extracellular matrix components, provide strength and elasticity to tissues, and even help guide cell growth, migration, differentiation, and repair. When laminins malfunction, serious disorders can result. When they function properly, they serve quietly and faithfully, supporting the body’s structure from within, much like hidden scaffolding holding up a house.

As I read, I noticed what had prompted my technician’s smile.

Laminin has a cruciform shape.

The “molecular glue” that holds the body together resembles a cross.

Christ the One Who Holds All Things Together

The mind naturally runs to Paul’s words: “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1.17, NASB95).

That verse is not a sentimental caption for a science poster but a thunderclap—a realization of Christ’s active role. He is not merely a comforting figure outside creation. He is the eternal Son through whom all things came into being (John 1.3), and in whom atoms, stars, cells, breath, memory, mercy, and meaning find their coherence and unity.

The world is not a machine Christ occasionally repairs; it is a creation upheld by Him. Scripture says He sustains all by His word. Creation is held at each moment by divine command.

That does not mean laminin proves Christianity. Faith does not rest on the shape of a protein. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not dependent upon molecular diagrams. Yet creation is full of hints, echoes, and parables for those with eyes to see. The heavens declare God’s glory (Psalm 19.1), and apparently, even the microscopic world may whisper of His wisdom.

The Cross Beneath the Surface

There is something fitting—almost too fitting—that a cross-shaped protein should be associated with bodily cohesion. For the cross is where the brokenness of all things meets the reconciling love of God.

Sin tears apart. It separates man from God, neighbor from neighbor, soul from body, desire from holiness, and creation from its intended harmony. We feel that tearing in hospitals and homes, in grief and guilt, in strained relationships, in bodies that refuse to work as they should. Mutation, decay, disease, and death all testify that creation groans (Romans 8.22).

But Christ does not merely observe the groaning. He enters it.

The Creator stepped into His creation. The One through whom the world was made became a man within that world (John 1.10, 14). He breathed our air, felt our fatigue, touched diseased skin, wept at a tomb, and allowed Roman nails to fasten Him to wood. The One holding all things together permitted Himself to be torn apart.

There is the wonder: the sustaining Lord became the suffering Lamb.

When Weakness Becomes a Window

Living with illness and machines can make the body feel less like a temple than a frail tent. Paul described this as groaning under mortality, longing for life (2 Corinthians 5.1–4). He also learned that weakness allows grace to shine: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12.9, NASB95).

That does not make suffering pleasant. Christianity is not the art of pretending pain is beautiful. A ventilator alarm at three in the morning is not romantic. Shortness of breath does not become poetic because one can attach a theological lesson to it.

But suffering can become holy ground when it brings us face to face with our dependence. By “holy ground,” I mean a place where God’s presence and our need meet. Every breath has always been borrowed. Every heartbeat has always been mercy. Health can disguise this truth; weakness reveals it. The man on oxygen is not uniquely dependent on God. He is merely less able to pretend otherwise.

God’s Glory in the Hidden Places

We often look for God in the dramatic—in parted seas, burning bushes, opened tombs, and thunder from Sinai. He is there, surely. But He is also present in the hidden architecture of ordinary life—in proteins, tissues, lungs, cells, and breath. By “architecture,” I mean the underlying structure that supports everything. He is no less glorious because He also works quietly. A whisper may reveal majesty as surely as a storm.

The lesson of laminin is not that we should build doctrine from biology, but that we should receive creation as a theater of divine glory. The microscope does not replace Scripture. It kneels beside it. Scripture tells us who holds all things together. Science lets us glimpse some of the means by which that holding appears in the created order.

And if one of those means happens to bear the form of a cross, perhaps we may be forgiven for pausing in worship.

The Practical Faith of Being Held

So what do we do with such a reflection?

First, we remember that our lives are not held together by our strength. That is good news, because our strength often fails.

Second, we entrust our bodies to the Lord without making health an idol. We seek treatment, listen to technicians, take medicine, use machines, and thank God for every skillful hand. Practical care is not a lack of faith. It is one of the ordinary channels through which God shows mercy.

Third, we let the cross interpret our weakness. The cross tells us that God’s love is not proven by the absence of suffering but by His willingness to enter it and redeem it. Calvary does not answer every question we ask in pain, but it answers the deepest one: “Is God for me?” In Christ, the answer is yes (Romans 8.31–32).

Resting in the One Who Holds Us

Long before microscopes revealed the body’s hidden structures, the apostles proclaimed a greater mystery: Christ created, sustains, reconciles, and will one day renew all things (Colossians 1.16–20; Revelation 21.5). Laminin may hold cells in place, but Christ is the true support, holding together the soul, the body, the church, the cosmos, and the future.

I do not know what early Christians would have thought had they seen a cross-shaped protein through a microscope. Perhaps they would have smiled. Perhaps they would have bowed their heads. Perhaps they would have said what faith has always said when creation gives up one more secret of its Maker: “This, too, belongs to Him.”

And so do we.

Whether breathing freely or with assistance, whether strong or frail, whether standing in sunlight or lying beside humming machines, the believer is not held by accident, biology, or willpower alone. We are held by the crucified and risen Christ. Beneath us are the everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33.27). Before us is resurrection. Within us is His Spirit. Above us is His glory.

And at the center of it all stands the cross—not merely as a shape hidden in the body, but as the saving truth by which God holds together everything sin tried to tear apart.

What About People Who Never Hear the Gospel?

Carl Pollard

One of the most common questions people have is, what about those who never hear the gospel? What about the person born in a remote village? What about someone who never had access to a Bible? Could God condemn someone who never had an opportunity to hear about Christ?

Many people appeal to a concept often called invincible ignorance. The idea is that if a person is genuinely ignorant of the gospel through no fault of their own, God will save them anyway. While that view may sound compassionate, the real question isn’t what seems fair to us. It’s, what has God revealed?

The New Testament repeatedly teaches that salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. Peter said, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus Himself said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Scripture also teaches that faith comes through hearing God’s Word. Paul wrote, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). In the same chapter, Paul asks, “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?” (Romans 10:14). His answer isn’t that people can be saved apart from hearing. His answer is that the gospel must be preached.

Some point to Romans one and argue that creation itself can save those who have never heard the gospel. But Romans one says the opposite. God’s creation reveals His power and divine nature, leaving humanity “without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Creation reveals that God exists. It doesn’t reveal the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

At the same time, Scripture gives us reason to trust God’s providence. Jesus promised, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). Those words reveal the truth about the character of God. God doesn’t hide Himself from sincere seekers.

We see this principle throughout Scripture. The Ethiopian eunuch was searching the Scriptures, and God sent Philip to teach him the gospel (Acts 8:26-39). Cornelius was a devout man who feared God, and God sent Peter to tell him words by which he would be saved (Acts 10-11). Lydia was seeking God, and the Lord opened the door for her to hear the gospel (Acts 16:14). The Bible never portrays God as turning away someone who genuinely desires to know Him. Instead, we repeatedly see God working through His providence to bring the message of salvation to those who are seeking truth.

The Bible never presents ignorance as a means of salvation. Ignorance is a problem that must be overcome through the preaching of the gospel. That’s why Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20), and why Paul devoted his life to taking the gospel where Christ had not been named (Romans 15:20).

Scripture teaches two truths that must be held together. First, salvation is found only in Christ. Second, God is perfectly just and faithfully provides opportunities for those who seek Him. Abraham asked, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25). The answer is yes.

Nowhere does the Bible reveal a separate plan of salvation for those who never hear. Instead, it reveals one Savior, one gospel, and one mission: take the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. Rather than speculating about exceptions God hasn’t revealed, our focus should be on proclaiming the message He has revealed and trusting the justice and goodness of the God who revealed it.

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE?

Gary Pollard

I believe that God exists. I believe that He communicated with His creation by direct contact, messengers, and a series of ancient texts. I believe that He wants His human creation to be with Him after they die. I believe that He expects those who claim to be His to act within the guidelines He set in those ancient texts. I believe that there is life after death and that where we go depends on whether or not we follow this God.

Why do I believe this, though? What reason do I have to believe in something I cannot experience with my senses? I was not there thousands of years ago when the prophets and Hebrews talked to God. I was not there when God came among men and taught. I was not there when the Spirit-inspired authors of the original texts delivered their writings to the early church. The ancient texts translated into English sometimes do not effectively communicate the emotion of the words and concepts in the original language. So why do I believe these things? Why do you believe these things?

Think about this carefully.  From Genesis to Revelation the message is clear; God wants His people to exist with Him after time is destroyed. This message was communicated to an impossible variety of people, sometimes separated by hundreds of years, thousands of miles, culture, kingdom, race, and language. There are tens of thousands of manuscripts of these ancient texts in many, many different languages. There are some 25,000 New Testament manuscripts or fragments that are separated by about a thousand years, at least 8 different languages, hundreds (if not thousands) of miles of geography, and many different cultures. Yet, they are at least 95% accurate to each other. The remaining 5% do not contain a single contradiction; rather, they are spelling errors, slips of the pen, writing on the wrong line, or minor variances (“God said” vs. “He said” or “and” vs. “but”).

Of the rich libraries we have of ancient literature, none can hold even the dimmest candle to the profound accuracy and unity of the scriptures. They could not have been produced by man alone. There had to be Someone not confined by time supervising each person as they wrote. Keep in mind, these ancient cultures did not have the advantage of modern communication. They were almost totally isolated from each other and would have known little of the others’ existence, much less what they experienced or wrote from God. Our Bible has supernatural origins and its contents reveal the nature of our Creator. What I believe comes from this book because I know it is God’s message to mankind. I encourage those who have not already done so to do an in-depth study of the origin of scripture. It is one of the most faith-building studies anyone could undertake. When you know with certainty that what you are reading contains the actual thoughts and desires of God, it bolsters your faith in ways I could not begin to adequately describe.

BIG LESSONS FROM EGLON

Dale Pollard

 “Now Eglon was a very fat man” (Judges 3.17). 

 King Eglon of Moab shows up in Judges three as, perhaps, the biggest enemy of God’s people. After Israel turns away from the Lord, God allows Eglon to oppress them for eighteen long years. Though Eglon was a huge ruler, his story teaches us several bigger lessons. 

 First, Eglon reminds us that earthly power is temporary. He was a king with wealth, influence, and military strength, but his reign ended suddenly. No matter how powerful a person may seem, all human authority is ultimately subject to God’s will (Daniel 4:35). 

 Second, Eglon’s account shows the consequences of sin. Israel’s oppression under Moab was the result of their disobedience. While Eglon chose to act wickedly, his rise to power was also a reminder that turning away from God brings painful consequences. Sometimes those consequences are big. Very big. 

 Third, Eglon’s demise proves that God can and will deliver His people in unexpected ways. God raised up Ehud, an unlikely hero, to free Israel from that Moabite oppression. Never underestimate what God can accomplish through ordinary people who simply trust Him. You probably won’t stab an obese man, but God has a job for you all the same.

 Finally, Eglon’s story reminds us that pride and self-confidence offer no real security. He likely felt fat and happy in his private chamber, protected by servants and royal status, yet none of these could save him when God’s judgment came.  

Moabite sarcophagus in Jordan Archaeological Museum in Amman, Jordan

This Week’s “Light Of The World” (Season 6, Episode 24)

RESTORING OUR PASSION FOR GOD

Dissensions

Neal Pollard

In the middle of a list of desires of the flesh which cost one an eternity with God is an interesting word. It is only found here in Galatians 5:20 and Romans 16:17 (some manuscripts contain it in 1 Corinthians 3:3). Every major translation renders it “dissensions.” Lexicons give us some insight into what this compound Greek word means: “the state of being in factious opposition” (BDAG, 252-253). But I appreciate the explanation of Louw-Nida the best: “In some languages the equivalent of ‘causing division’ is literally ‘to cause two groups in place of one group,’ but more frequently the equivalent is expressed in terms of attitudes, for example, ‘to cause people to be angry at one another’ or ‘to cause people not to like one another’ or ‘to cause people to think of one another as enemies'” (493).  The word was often used of politics in the ancient world, where those passionate about it would use it to divide people (sound familiar?). The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament shows how early church writings, like 1 Clement and especially The Shepherd of Hermes speak of how destructive it was to the early church (Vol. 1, 514).

Practically speaking, the group dynamics of even the body of Christ reveal this tendency. Scripture warns that this comes from fleshly rather than spiritual desires and motives. Paul tells Rome that it comes from people who are slaves of their appetites and are deceptive manipulators of naive hearts (16:18). He tells Corinth (3:3) and Galatia (5:16) that it is driven by fleshly desires. 

With dissensions, the one causing them seeks to gain something out of the actions. They “win” by dividing people.  What do they win? In 1 Corinthians, it’s implied that they win the loyalty and following of brethren. In Romans, they win allegiances that benefit them–think preachers who stand to gain by making their own disciples or church leaders who want their will and wishes to be the guiding influence in the congregation. It can even be individual Christians who are jealous of friendships and relationships and try to alienate and marginalize those they perceive as threats. 

Jesus wants His disciples united (John 17:20-21). Anything that undermines that would necessarily be fleshly rather than spiritual. Nowhere does God want His people united in error, but that’s a far cry from the principle of those who drives wedges between people based on petty, subjective, or self-serving reasons. Whatever prompts the temptation toward this lust of the flesh, whether pride, vanity, arrogance, or something else, it must be rooted out and supplanted by the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). We must “keep an eye on it…and turn away from them” (Romans 16:17). Be someone who brings people together, that strengthens the bond of all the members of God’s family! 

Books by the Pollards

A Tiny Spark Snail Mail Club (Kathy Pollard)

Does God Hear the Sinner?

Brent Pollard

A man who had never seen the color of morning once silenced the scholars of his nation with a single sentence. Blind from birth, he had been sent by Jesus to wash in the pool of Siloam, and he came back seeing (John 9.7). When the Pharisees pressed him to denounce his Healer as a sinner, the former beggar answered with a logic so clean it drew blood: “We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him” (John 9.31).

We are quick to file this away as first-century prejudice—the man’s “we know” a borrowed scrap of rabbinic opinion. Did not God hear Cornelius, who stood outside the covenant (Acts 10)? The objection looks tidy on paper. But it mistakes the ground beneath his feet. The healed man was not parroting tradition. He was standing on bedrock that runs the entire length of Scripture, and we would do well to stand there with him.

What Kind of God Hears Prayer?

Begin with the kind of God we are dealing with. He is not a celestial clerk filing every petition with bland impartiality, nor a doting grandfather too sentimental to distinguish worship from rebellion. He is holy—“a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12.29)—and there is a moral grain to His universe as real as the grain in oak. Prayer is not a coin dropped into a machine; it is a creature speaking to its Maker, and the Maker is not deaf, but neither is He indifferent to the heart from which the words come.

What the Old Testament Says About God Hearing Sinners

Hear how plainly the prophets say it. To a Judah whose worship had grown lavish and whose hands had grown bloody, God thundered, “even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of bloodshed” (Isaiah 1.15). The psalmist turned the same truth inward, holding it like a lamp to his own chest: “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66.18). Solomon set it in two clean lines of a proverb: “The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15.29). And lest we think the matter is about volume rather than the heart, he added the sharpest word of all: “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination” (Proverbs 28.9).

There is a terrible symmetry in that last verse. Stop your ears against God’s voice, and you have already chosen the silence you will one day cry into. The man who will not listen has, by that refusal, asked God not to listen either. This is not divine sulking. It is the moral architecture of a universe where reality answers to its Author—where a soul cannot spend its days shutting the door on heaven and then expect heaven to fling its windows open the moment trouble comes.

The Blind Man’s Argument in John 9.31

So, the once-blind man’s argument is not the dusty bias of his age. It is razor-edged Scripture: You call my Healer a sinner. Yet God has just done through Him what has never been done since the world began—opened eyes that never saw. “If this man were not from God, He could do nothing” (John 9.33). God does not hand such credentials to a rebel. Your verdict collapses under the weight of the very miracle you cannot deny.

Does God Ever Hear a Sinner’s Prayer?

But here we must not overshoot the runway, for the verse has a second half, and it is full of mercy: “but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.” The former blind man is not declaring God metaphysically deaf to every syllable a sinner speaks. He is drawing a line—not between the religiously credentialed and the outsider, but between the defiant and the seeking, between the man who uses God while spurning Him and the man who, however dim his knowledge, turns his face toward the light.

Why Cornelius Is Not an Exception

Which is precisely why Cornelius is no contradiction at all. Luke does not paint him as a brazen sinner gaming the system. He paints him as devout, generous, one who “prayed to God continually” (Acts 10.2). And the angel’s word to him is tender: “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God” (Acts 10.4). Here is a man outside the covenant whose heart was already bent Godward, and God did not despise that hunger—He fed it. He sent Peter with the gospel, and Cornelius heard, believed, and was baptized (Acts 10.48). That is not God winking at rebellion. That is God meeting a seeker on the road and walking him the rest of the way home. “In every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (Acts 10.35).

Set the two together and the supposed contradiction dissolves like morning mist. God does not grant a favorable hearing to the stubborn, impenitent sinner who clutches his sin with one hand and reaches for blessing with the other. But the humble, penitent, God-fearing seeker—even one who has not yet entered the fullness of covenant—He will hear, and will providentially draw nearer than that seeker dared hope. Isaiah and Acts are not at war. They are two notes of one chord.

When Your Prayers Feel Unanswered

What, then, do we do with this on a random Tuesday afternoon, when the bills are due, and our prayer feels like it bounces off the ceiling? We examine our hearts before we accuse the heavens. Scripture’s diagnosis is rarely that God has gone deaf; far more often, it is that we have cherished something we will not surrender. “If I regard wickedness in my heart”—there is the hinge. Unanswered prayer is sometimes God’s mercy refusing to subsidize our self-destruction, His way of saying that He loves us too much to bless a path that leads off a cliff.

The Door God Always Opens

So, the door stands open, and it has always opened from within a willing heart. The God who would not listen to bloodstained hands is the same God who heard a centurion’s quiet, continual prayers and sent a preacher across the sea to find him. He is never reluctant to receive the one who comes on His terms—broken, hungry, ready to obey. The question John 9 leaves ringing is not whether God can hear. It is whether we have made ourselves the kind of people He delights to answer. Turn your ear toward His law, and you will find He has been listening for your voice all along.

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)

I Learned Something Crazy

Dale Pollard

There’s a process in which cells from a developing baby cross the placenta into the mother’s body during pregnancy. These baby cells can migrate into the mothers’ tissues and organs like the brain, heart, liver, skin, and bone marrow. This can stay in the mother for decades or even for a lifetime (FFM,cordblood.com). The different effects this has on the mom aren’t entirely understood– but there’s some interesting theories. Some studies seem to show that the DNA of a mother’s children can help fight off the growth of tumors or integrate into her tissue and help repair damages. It goes deeper than that, so feel free to chase the rabbit on your own.

Here’s what words came to my mind:

Intimate & Formation

“You create my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139.13-16).

We don’t understand how true that passage is but the more we discover, the louder it becomes.

Pain, Protection, & Connection

With painful labor, the mother of all living (and every mother since then) gave birth to children (Gen. 3.16, Gen. 3.20). Motherhood is a God-ordained role of sacrifice and protection. The modern understanding of microchimerism shows that she will literally carry living remnants of her children and afterwards she’s biologically “programmed” for lifelong connection and care.

Mystery & Image

“That’s why man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Gen. 2.24).

Paul would describe this as a “profound mystery” (Eph. 5.31-32).

While this is primarily about marriage, the “one flesh” language elucidates that fancy cellular mixing that occurs by design. Why would God make us like this? Probably for many reasons that aren’t understood yet, but it shows us how the image of one can be transferred and mixed with another.

A husband and a wife are mysteriously intertwined. A child’s DNA integrates with its mother. Those two things help us wrap our minds around Genesis 1.26-27 where God states that His creation is made in His image. What does that mean? It likely means more than we understand, but it seems to be illustrated in the overall design of mankind. Its complexity is another reminder of our immortality, purpose, and connection to our Creator.