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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…

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…

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.…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

Neal Pollard It has been six years since the Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma. This film warns of the dire warning 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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

RESTORING OUR PASSION FOR GOD

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”…

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…

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…