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REV. LARRY POLLOCK AT HOME WITH THE LORD

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POLLOCK
  Pastor Blue – Pastor Pollock

By Ken Blue

 

It was approximately 1962 when Joyce and I were invited to join Pastor Larry Pollock in Tukwila, WA. where he founded the Tukwila Baptist Church. Joyce and I lived in Kent at that time. Later we moved into the house next door to the Pollocks, I’m sure that was a nightmare to them. You see, I was about age 20 and already knew everything.

 

However, the Pollocks were very patient with us and understood how green we were. Pastor Pollock loved me, encouraged me, used me in God’s service and it was from his church I left for Bible College.

I am sad, because I miss my dear friend already. But, I rejoice that Pastor Pollock is no longer in pain and is with the Lord. I know that his wonderful family feels the same way.

I can say with certainty that any fruit in the ministry, I may have had, Pastor Pollock is responsible for it, and no doubt will receive the greater reward. Pastor Pollock was promoted to heaven at around 11:14 AM Friday, December 14, 2010. I look forward to seeing him soon.

Thank you, my friend.

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT SHARIA LAW IN YOUR CITY

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By Ken Blue
Dictionary of Sharia law: “sha•ri•’a or sha•ri•a also sha•ri•’ah (shä-r¶“ä) n. Islam. The code of law based on the Koran. [Arabic šarõºya, lawfulness, from šarõº, lawful, from aš-šarõ, Revelation, Islamic law.”
*This information is from Time Magazine.*

Disfigured: Aisha, 20, who was mutilated by her in-laws after fleeing the Taliban village she was living in.
Under orders from a Taliban commander acting as a judge, she was disfigured last year as punishment for fleeing her husband’s home.Just 18 years old at the time, Aisha said she ran away from the small village to escape her in-laws’ beatings and abuse.

A child bride, Aisha was captured and returned to the village, where her husband, father-in-law and brother-in-law carried out the mutilation, after approval by the local Taliban mullah.
Under orders from a Taliban commander acting as a judge, she was disfigured last year as punishment for fleeing her husband’s home. Left for dead, she said, she then fled to the safety of a women’s shelter in Kabul run by Women for Afghan Women, which publicized her plight a year later.

Thanks to support from aid groups and the American Embassy in Kabul, and the charity of a hospital in Southern California, Aisha was whisked off to the United States for reconstructive surgery – though there was little hope of finding the perpetrators.
It is rare for the police in Afghanistan to intervene when local villagers impose punishments for social crimes, even severe ones such as flogging and stoning, which are allowed under Sharia law, the legal code of Islam based on the Koran.

So far, Aisha has been given a prosthetic nose as a temporary measure. ‘She’s not coming back to Afghanistan to testify,’ Mrs. Naderi said. ‘We won’t put Aisha in danger like this. ‘Nobody will guarantee her security in Afghanistan if she comes back.’

Note: I know of nothing that motivates demonic men to act out scenes of wickedness like that above, except the thinking that God is leading and approving their acts of cruelty. You would have to be demon possessed to be that cruel to another person, or to an animal. That includes all religions and atheist.

TWO TRUTHS YOU MUST GET RIGHT

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By Ken Blue

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.”Isaiah 64:6.

 “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Romans 4:5.

Men and women make two mistakes that are poles apart. However, the end results are the same. These two fatal mistakes are: 1. “I am good enough to get to heaven,” and 2. “I am so wicked I can’t be saved.” I want to ask you to read the above verses and consider what they say.

The first one gets to the very heart of the matter; and the matter is with the heart. God is very clear that our best efforts are like filthy rags. If you want the full impact of this, look up the word “filthy” in Strong’s Concordance.

You cannot be saved by any religious act you perform. This is the difference between Bible Christianity and all other religions. They all say “do” in order to be saved. Some think if they keep the Ten Commandments, they will be saved. First of all, you probably can’t name the Commandments, and if you can, you have not kept them, nor can you. Others think some form of water baptism or confirmation will open heaven for them; it will not.

Occasionally you will hear someone say, “keep the golden rule,” or “judge not.” Again, you have not kept the golden rule, nor has anyone else. Secondly, what people mean by “judge not” is, don’t judge me. Well, my friend, we are not judging you, there is One who will do that, and He will be just and make no mistakes. Our sins are not “mistakes” they are choices that we have made and are accountable for.

You would never think of showing up at a formal banquet dressed in filthy rages. Don’t assume God will let you in His heaven, when He says your own righteousness is filthy rags. It won’t work. Since your own attire is filthy, you must be clothed and made clean by someone else.

That brings us to the second matter where some assume they are such great sinners God cannot save them. Well, I have great news for you! Christ died for sinners. If you really believe down in your heart that there is no hope for you, unless it comes from outside yourself, you are on the road to salvation. You see, since you cannot possibly save yourself, God Himself does it for you. Look at the text again. “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Romans 4:5.

Notice that it is to him that worketh not.” That means you stop all effort and activity to justify yourself. Therefore, there are no works you can do that will save you. That includes all Baptist, Catholics, Buddhist, Moslem, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventist, New Ager, and every one in between.

Notice also, that it is God who justifies those who believe or trust the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as their payment for sin, that are justified. Since God was incarnate in Christ so He could die for your sins and be resurrected, He is the only One qualified to justify those who accept by faith, His payment. Thus, He is just; sins are paid for, and He is the justifier of all who believe.

So, you see, all your works for salvation are rejected because they are like filthy rags. However, if you see yourself in need of God’s mercy, He can be justifying you freely. There’s nothing you can do, it’s been done!

HOG WALLOW AND DOG PUKE

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The foolishness of man

Foolishness of manBy Ken Blue
“But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” 2 Peter 2:22.

Human nature is a fragile thing and God warns us to guard it and not to tamper with it. It can be altered, twisted, bound, and distorted until we become slaves. One’s unwillingness to obey the truth is justified by questioning or scoffing at truth. “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Psalms 1:1.

The tampering process progresses one small act or thought at a time until the one who believes he is free becomes a slave to the flesh. Once I illustrated the foolishness of man in a sermon at Open Door. I ask Jerry Lundquist, one of the strongest men in our church to come to the platform. I took a spool of thread from my pocket and wrapped one strand around Jerry’s two wrists. Jerry broke it with ease.

Next, I wrapped his wrists with four strands, and again he broke them, but with greater difficulty. Finally, I wrapped about a dozen strands of sewing thread around his wrists and ask him to break them. He could not. This is the way our habits hold us and keep pulling us back to wallow and puke.

I spent my early years on a farm in Arkansas. We had several hogs and dogs. There were other animals, but these two illustrate the point. The hog pen reeked with their excretions. The wetter the mixture, the better and the more attractive it was to them. However, hogs do not have reasoning ability and they wallow in the mire to keep cool. The wallow is disgusting, but we don’t fault the hog. He is a brute beast.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Like the hog loves his wallow and the dog loves his vomit, so the sinner LOVES HIS SIN.[/pullquote]

Then there is the disgusting behavior of dogs. Many times I have seen dogs vomit and return and eat it. They do more disgusting things, but I won’t mention them. Of the two animals on earth, what two could God uses to better illustrate the foolishness of man; man who was made in God’s image and given reasoning power?

I know people who have been to detox over twenty times, only to return to their vomit each time. Men and women spend long years in prison, and most return within a year because they return to run with the pigs. I’ve watched men and women remove the oxygen tubes from their face so they can light up another cigarette. I personally spoke to a woman who ran a rehab facility. She confided in me that they were unable to do anything for any patient who did not want to clean up; and most do not.

Like the hog loves his wallow and the dog loves his vomit, so the sinner LOVES HIS SIN. He or she could get free if they really wanted to. All of them want their sin; they simply don’t want the misery that goes with it. But, you can’t have one without the other. When you really get serious about giving up the wallow and the puke, God will deliver you.

It doesn’t take long for the wicked heart to open wide for sin. Remember, it only took a few strands of thread to bind the strong man, and you are no match for the wiles of the Devil. Flee sin and you can avoid the dogs vomit and the hog pen.

HOW TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS BETWEEN CHURCH MEMBERS

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CONFLICTS ARE INEVITABLE
Conflicts

By Ken Blue

“He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.” Proverbs 26:17.

If we spend much time with people, we will find that conflicts are inevitable. This was true of the Lord’s Disciples, of Paul and Barnabas and the early church. Since we are vulnerable, we must do all we can to avoid conflict, and seek to help others whenever possible.

The best thing to do is to avoid conflicts that do not concern you; read the above verse again. A good rule to remember is; advice unsolicited is usually unheeded, and unappreciated. Also, if you take sides in a church conflict, expect to lose those involved.

A young pastor came to me some years ago and related the following story. Some families were arguing among themselves. One family came to the pastor and laid out their side of the story. Afterwards, the pastor said, “It sounds silly to me, and the other family is wrong.” That was all the family needed. They went immediately to the other family and told them word for word what the pastor said. The other family never came back to church and in time the other left also.

Another situation involved young people and drugs. The pastor warned a father that he would be wise to keep his teen from the others. The father told his teen, the teen told the teens in question and they told their parents what the pastor had said about them. You guessed it; the pastor now had all the parents to deal with just to avoid a stoning. Remember, even a police officer warns a criminal that what he says can and will be used against him in a court of law. I am telling you, what you say will be used against YOU. So, be careful that you never say anything that can be turned against you, no matter who you are talking with.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Many problems will heal themselves, if the pastor remains un-involved.[/perfectpullquote]

When people come to you, hear them out. Sometimes that and a little advice is all it will take. Many conflicts are over a misunderstanding between believers. Sometimes you can clear things up after hearing both parties. Don’t hesitate to point out the error of the person you are talking to, if needed. However, don’t say anything negative about the other persons unless you have no problem with them relaying your comments.

Pray for wisdom and seek advice from another pastor. Don’t mention names. Sometimes it is wise to meet with each family separately first, then bring them together when you have the facts and a plan for reconciliation.

You will find, in many cases, by the time you are brought into the counseling session the damage has already gone beyond reconciliation, and nothing you do will heal the bitterness and hurt. All you can do then is pray for those involved and be available if needed.

One last thought. Many problems will heal themselves, if the pastor remains un-involved. A major mistake pastors make, is thinking they must get involved and resolve every conflict. In many cases, the best thing you can do is stay out of it! Warren Wiersbe said, “Little frogs look big is small ponds; stop fighting frogs and make the pond bigger.”