Matthew 18:12 If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? MY SHEPHERD'S LOVE In the arms of Jesus God's eternal peace Carries me to safety In the gentle embrace of His grace In the strength of Jesus God's eternal power Protects my soul from every danger Behind the shield of His righteousness In the worship of Jesus God's eternal presence Directs me out of darkness Into the glorious praise of His holiness In the tender heart of Jesus God's eternal pulse Reminds me of my Shepherd's love As He carries me home again J. E. Pollock NOV 3, 2009 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. Isaiah 40:11a NLT Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Ps 23:4 Dark Valleys Life in general is filled with highs and lows, but it can especially be apparent for those in Christian ministry leadership positions. Just look at how many pastors, youth ministers, and worship directors eventually leave ministry. The work wears on a person. The constant complaints of doing too little of this or too much of that can drain anyone. As a leader, you are expected to be there for everyone at every moment of the day. No one is able to be there at all times. Still, guilt fills the mind and causes you to doubt your ministry and your effectiveness. Yet, we are not left alone in this world. Through the darkest valleys of life, through the most difficult times of ministry, God is with us. As we lead his people, we can rest knowing that God leads us. When things get tight, the problems don't seem to go away, and we struggle with guilt—the false guilt of not being able to be there for everyone—God will comfort us. He shields us even during the assaults of bitter people and harsh words. He will always lead us in a path meant to protect us and keep us strong. When the road is dark and tough, God will guide and protect you. When you feel overwhelmed with loneliness, the Lord is close beside you. When your heart is asking hard questions and you feel beaten down, God will sustain you. We don't need to live in fear, for God is always with you. He is willing to comfort and protect you. He guides you through every mountain and valley of life. He is your true Leader/Shepherd. And the more you trust him as Lord, the more you will experience the wonder of having a Shepherd. The Oneplace.com Team http://www.oneplace.com Listen for Life

2 Corinthians 9:15
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:14-15 (in Context) 2 Corinthians 9 (Whole Chapter)

THANKS BE TO GOD!

Thanks be to God,
For all of life and hope;
Peace to calm our restless souls,
And joy that lifts us to the heights again.

Thanks be to God,
For all of heaven and the earth;
Faith to conceive the Miracle of New Birth,
And love that binds new hearts to true friends.

Thanks be to God,
For all of truth and light;
Freedom to choose to fight the good fight,
And strength that endures to the end.

Thanks be to God,
For all of Jesus and the Way;
Contentment to carry our cross as we pray,
And grace upon grace in Christ our forgiveness. Amen!

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Jeffrey E. Pollock
November 1, 2009

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¹¹ You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
¹² that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

Psalm 30:11-12 (NLT)

"Blessed be God for the unspeakable gift of His grace..."

Matthew 5:48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." PERFECT IN JESUS Perfect in Jesus Christ - I am Perfected in Jesus my Savior, Perfect in Jesus Christ - I am Made perfect in Christ my Lord. Perfect in my Lord Jesus - I am Perfected in His Righteousness, Perfect in Jesus Christ - I am Made perfect in Christ my King. Perfect in King Jesus - I am Perfected in His Holiness, Perfect in Jesus Christ - I am Made perfect in His Promise. Perfect in His Word - I am Perfected through The Truth; Perfect in Our Father I AM, I am safe in His perfect refuge. Perfected through Christ's finished work, Made perfect in His Cross-borne love; Perfect through His Resurrection - I am Perfected through His precious Blood. J7 October 6, 2009 When it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me . . . —Galatians 1:15-16 If Jesus Christ is going to regenerate me, what is the problem He faces? It is simply this— I have a heredity in which I had no say or decision; I am not holy, nor am I likely to be; and if all Jesus Christ can do is tell me that I must be holy, His teaching only causes me to despair. But if Jesus Christ is truly a regenerator, someone who can put His own heredity of holiness into me, then I can begin to see what He means when He says that I have to be holy. Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into anyone the hereditary nature that was in Himself, and all the standards He gives us are based on that nature— His teaching is meant to be applied to the life which He puts within us. The proper action on my part is simply to agree with God's verdict on sin as judged on the Cross of Christ. The New Testament teaching about regeneration is that when a person is hit by his own sense of need, God will put the Holy Spirit into his spirit, and his personal spirit will be energized by the Spirit of the Son of God— ". . . until Christ is formed in you" (Galatians 4:19 ). The moral miracle of redemption is that God can put a new nature into me through which I can live a totally new life. When I finally reach the edge of my need and know my own limitations, then Jesus says, "Blessed are you . . ." ( Matthew 5:11 ). But I must get to that point. God cannot put into me, the responsible moral person that I am, the nature that was in Jesus Christ unless I am aware of my need for it. Just as the nature of sin entered into the human race through one man, the Holy Spirit entered into the human race through another Man (see Romans 5:12-19 ). And redemption means that I can be delivered from the heredity of sin, and that through Jesus Christ I can receive a pure and spotless heredity, namely, the Holy Spirit. ______________________________

Morning Verse (January 31)

"The Lord our Righteousness." Jeremiah 23:6

It will always give a Christian the greatest calm, quiet, ease, and peace, to think of the perfect righteousness of Christ. How often are the saints of God downcast and sad! I do not think they ought to be. I do not think they would if they could always see their perfection in Christ. There are some who are always talking about corruption, and the depravity of the heart, and the innate evil of the soul. This is quite true, but why not go a little further, and remember that we are "perfect in Christ Jesus." It is no wonder that those who are dwelling upon their own corruption should wear such downcast looks; but surely if we call to mind that "Christ is made unto us righteousness," we shall be of good cheer. What though distresses afflict me, though Satan assault me, though there may be many things to be experienced before I get to heaven, those are done for me in the covenant of divine grace; there is nothing wanting in my Lord, Christ hath done it all. On the cross He said, "It is finished!" and if it be finished, then am I complete in Him, and can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, "Not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." You will not find on this side heaven a holier people than those who receive into their hearts the doctrine of Christ's righteousness. When the believer says, "I live on Christ alone; I rest on Him solely for salvation; and I believe that, however unworthy, I am still saved in Jesus;" then there rises up as a motive of gratitude this thought-- "Shall I not live to Christ? Shall I not love Him and serve Him, seeing that I am saved by His merits?" "The love of Christ constraineth us," "that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto Him which died for them." If saved by imputed righteousness, we shall greatly value imparted righteousness.

—Morning and Evening

HIS STORY: HISTORY

I think this little poem can best be summed up in the first line of the piece written by Stuart McAllister which follows: "I must confess to a certain curiosity with why things turn out as they do." which also affords me the opportunity to share a web-link to the talk Stuart McAllister presented here in El Paso two days ago, 2 splendid messages with downloadable outlines: 

http://www.horizonelp.org/virtual_service.asp?P_ID=114&SL=99 

HIS STORY: HISTORY

Promises, Promises,
From beginning to end;
The Salvation of God
Began with First Light, 
And finished as a Friend. 

 

AMEN 

J7 

 

   The Struggle with Perspective

 

I must confess to a certain curiosity with why things turn out as they do.  I read a lot of history, biographies, and stories of human successes and failures.  Being a child of a particular age, I was raised with a certain degree of optimism.  The bad times—World War II, the Korean War—were behind us, and once again we could get back to the normal business of pursuing happiness and success, which I was led to believe were easily within my reach.

Optimism is not hope, yet it is a recurring feature of life in good times.  It is also a feature that all too quickly vanishes and reveals itself for what it is when bad times return.  As a European, I lived through one of history's great turning points, a turning point powerfully demonstrated in the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.  The wall was not simply a physical reality, which had divided families, a nation, and a continent for decades; it was a symbol of the clash of visions and worldviews that

 battled for a se ason, not only for Europe, but for global dominance.

I can well remember the astonished newscasters as Germans embraced each other on top of the despised symbol of separation.  Europe and the world seethed with the euphoria of change.  The brave new world was being born, and optimism was the mood of the day (1989-1991).  I heard breathless gurus of the age proclaim the dawn of unfettered freedom, and one, even wrote shortly thereafter about "the end of history and the last man" in the sincere belief of the triumph of free market capitalism and liberal democracy.

Yet wisdom bids us to stop, look, and listen.  In the first decade of the twenty-first century, we have witnessed 9/11, bombings in Spain, Bali, and London.  We have seen the debacles of Enron, WorldCom, and the fiascos of "Bear Stearns" (USA) and "Northern Rock" (UK).  Optimism has met its match.  Perhaps for some, they are seeing the collapse of hopes and the fulfillment of fears.  The movie scene is
 reflectively filled with apocalyptic and nihilistic visions.

When hope fades, cynicism is often waiting in the wings.  And this is indeed one of the great challenges of our time.  Skepticism (there is nothing good and I know it) and cynicism (I can't trust anybody or anything and I know this) seem reasonable choices.  But is this a necessary outcome or orientation for us?  I think not.  Yet, if we have bought into a rationalist vision, if we have embraced the vision and values of our age uncritically, if the Christian faith is merely a part-time investment in an over cluttered life, then we don't have the necessary orientation or resolve to face the issues and challenges of our time.

The Scriptures open up for us a view of the world that is very different.  There is a God.  This God is the creator, and He is personal, loving, willful, and particular.  We see that despite being a good creation, a disruption and disorder has occurred and the drama of redemption unfolds.  But
 the central character here is God!  It is what God does, whom God appoints, and what God decides that makes the difference.  Now please don't go rushing to theological dictionaries or well-entrenched beliefs to determine "whose" side I'm on in terms of God's purpose and human will.  I'll tell you.  I believe in both.

I have seen too much, experienced too much, read too much, and pondered too much to believe that my choices are determined, socially conditioned, or illusory.  I believe they are real.  However, I have also seen too much, experienced too much, read too much, and pondered too much to believe that they are, as Lewis would say, "the whole show."  History is not a fatalist's game.  Humans do act, and often with serious and sad outcomes.  The good news is that we are not alone!  Writing to the Romans, the apostle Paul reminded them that hope is real because it is anchored in one who is able to carr y it, sustain it, and fulfill it (Romans 8:24-25; 28-30).  History is moving to an end, and the Bible offers a good end.  Thus, the difference between optimism (short term and easily overcome) and hope (eternal and anchored) is where they are rooted.  One leans on human effort; the other rests in God and God's promises.

Stuart McAllister is vice president of training and special projects at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years. -- Charles H. Spurgeon

--
http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php

OUTSIDE THE BOX

Dear friend, After last night's heavy lesson on philosophy and world view I thought I'd work some thoughts into a new poem; I'm still contemplating the question from "Tour One", a good question: Do I really believe what I believe? and haven't finished that one yet. This truth stuff can be rather heady, but there's no better addiction on earth to be found! Encouraged in Christ (or am I?), Jeff

The Truth Project  Tour Two - Session 2

OUTSIDE THE BOX

Here on the inside,
Searching for the truth;
We must sort through lies,
Which bear no lasting fruit.

Here on the inside,
Working with all the answers;
We cannot forget JESUS CHRIST,
Who came to bring what really matters.

Here on the inside,
Learning how to really live;
We must stay in the Only Light,
That leads our souls to holy discipline.

Here on the inside,
Thirsting after hope and love;
We mustn't lay The Lord aside,
Who is grace and truth from Above.

Here on the inside,
Worshiping men and rocks and calling them gods;

We must surrender our hearts and return to what is right,
The One and Only Source of eternal wisdom outside the box.

JEPollock
09282009

WISDOM

_____________
_________________
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THE TRUTH PROJECT
http://thetruthproject.org
______________________
______________________

The Book of JOHN from All About GOD:
http://AllAboutGod.com/book-of-john.htm

_______________
________________
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"Sin is not an unfortunate slip or a regrettable act;
it is a posture of defiance against a holy God." -- ML

HOLY FOR YOU

Father, Abba Father,

Give me holy strength;

Help me fight harder,

Against sin and hate.

Jesus, Savior Jesus,

Let me know your grace;

Hold me when I try to run,

And make my getaway.

Spirit, Holy Spirit,

Stay me to Your course;

Please hear me when cry for mercy,

But don't forget to consider the source.

Perfect God, Three in One,

Thank You for Your wondrous Love;

Heal my heart and make it new,

Only then will I live wholly for You.

JEFFREYEPOLLOCK

September2009

The Examined Life We've heard it said, and it proves to be true, the unexamined life is not worth living. If we flow through life without evaluating who we are and what we believe, we have not really lived. Deep down, we all desire to take a stand and live according to a consistent set of beliefs. This requires a boldness to explore beneath the surface of our beliefs, into our very soul! Without this boldness we may give the appearance of living, and may even fool ourselves for a number of years, but there will always be an emptiness until we look deep within and deal with what we find. God knows every detail of our heart; "Everything is uncoveredand laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give ac-count" (Hebrews 4:13). But our Heavenly Father desires for us to know our own heart as we are being transformed; "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves" (2 Corinthians 13:5). As we seek to understand who we are - with all our hidden motives, pride, and selfishness - we find we're somewhat difficult to understand. Without the spiritual help which God freely gives, there will be parts of our life which remain covered and dark. There may also be portions of our heart we would rather not face. Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and l ead me in the way everlasting." It's foolish to think we can hide anything from God! It's equally foolish to intentionally close areas of our heart from examination when we know those areas are keeping us separated from God. What do we really believe? And are we living consistent with that belief? We have been given God's Word as a guide, "a lamp to my feet" (Psalm 119:105). And as we dig deeper into His Word, we find the same lamp which guides our steps also reveals our heart: "The lamp of the Lord searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being" (Proverbs 20:27). Using God's Word to truly examine our heart can be painful. It seems we strip back one layer only to expose additional layers of sin we didn't even know we had; but this process must continue without fear! If we desire to live in His presence and bring Him glory and honor in all we do, we must determine today to know ourselves. We must know what we believe, with all our strengths and weaknesses, and know our level of resolve to follow where He leads. Let's open our heart and allow His Spirit to search and wash us with His Word. Let's follow according to a consistent belief and commit to living the examined life. Have a Christ Centered Day! Steve Troxel God's Daily Word Ministries ***************************************************** Send Invitation: http://www.gdwm.org/invite.htm Encouragement: http://www.gdwm.org/verses/ Blog: http://www.gdwm-blog.org *****************************************************

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Tuesday, September 1, 2009 Destined To Be Holy . . . it is written, ’Be holy, for I am holy’ -1 Peter 1:16 We must continually remind ourselves of the purpose of life. We are not destined to happiness, nor to health, but to holiness. Today we have far too many desires and interests, and our lives are being consumed and wasted by them. Many of them may be right, noble, and good, and may later be fulfilled, but in the mean- time God must cause their importance to us to decrease. The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy. At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God. Do I believe I need to be holy? Do I believe that God can come into me and make me holy? If through your preaching you convince me that I am unholy, I then resent your preaching. The preaching of the gospel awakens an intense resentment because it is designed to reveal my unholiness, but it also awakens an intense yearning and desire within me. God has only one intended destiny for mankind— holiness. His only goal is to produce saints. God is not some eternal blessing-machine for people to use, and He did not come to save us out of pity— He came to save us because He created us to be holy. Atone- ment through the Cross of Christ means that God can put me back into perfect oneness with Himself through the death of Jesus Christ, without a trace of anything coming between us any longer. Never tolerate, because of sympathy for yourself or for others, any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God. Holiness means absolute purity of your walk before God, the words coming from your mouth, and every thought in your mind— placing every detail of your life under the scrutiny of God Himself. Holiness is not simply what God gives me, but what God has given me that is being exhibited in my life.

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