SAVED BY LOVE

Say a prayer for me, my neurologist is back in town and wants to see me tomorrow; expecting an adjustment.

I may have overworked the word "very" in this poem, so I threw in a definition link at the very end. Enjoy! Jeff

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.
Ephesians 2:8,9 NAS

 

SAVED BY LOVE
 
I am a sinner saved by grace
Grace from God's own hand
From His very hand to my heart
The One in whom I stand
 
I am a cynic saved by mercy
Mercy from Heaven's very throne
From His sovereignty to my humanity
Came the Truth that can be known
 
I am a coward saved by courage
The very Courage of the Son of God
He suffered death to gain my purchase
I was bought and paid for at the Cross
 
I am a sinner saved by love
Love from God's own heart
From His very heart to my soul
In Jesus Christ I am forever whole
 ________

 

JEFFREE

 101210  

 

 

    Grace: a worn-out and tired word that people tend to avoid or, worse yet, bounce around flippantly.  But the reality is rich, vivid, powerful.  Grace: that overexposed and underexperienced gift from beyond, to help us struggle through the dailyness of our time, and perhaps lighten our step and point the way.  A glimpse, not just of what life can be, but of what life really is.  Grace: a gentle wedge that separates the shadows amidst our crowded and exhausting days.  Grace: it is not of reason, but experience---this holy, wonderful, wild, and crazy-beyond-us-yet-within-us life of God.
   We can't possess it but, paradoxically, it possesses us.  When we begin to let go, to release our brakes, we can taste its transcendence, even though we can't  own it and, oftentimes, cannot fully understand it.
   What but grace could "turn your sorrow into . . . a joy that no one can take from you."  (John 16: 20, 22)
   Our limitations can become the very invitation to discover fully the dimensions of grace, the improbable path to God's otherwise hidden blessing.  God does his good work within us and wants to continue to expand it, not because of who we are, but because of who he is.
   That which appears to us to be limitation can actually become our unexpected advantage and asset.  As we're forced to our knees once again, we discover the holy and wonder-full gift of life.
 

CHOOSING JOY [IN THE MIDST OF LIFE'S PAIN . . . YOU GOTTA KEEP DANCIN']  BY AUTHOR TIM HANSEL

 

Grace + Faith = the Key to Life

 

Grace-Filled Holiness   We often speak of God's Word as the absolute truth by which we are to live.  We encourage one another to live without compromise and not to be pulled by the temptations of the world.  But this type of discussion always implies a standard for Christian living; and, as much as we hate to admit it, a standard implies rules.  Oh, how these words make some uncomfortable - some even angry! Much of the Christian teaching we receive today is focused on the free gift of God's grace; "For it is by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:8), and this grace seems to be in conflict with the presence of rules.  Since our sins have already been forgiven, and "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1), how can we talk about rules or standards or expectations? It is absolutely clear in the Word of God that we are saved by grace and can do nothing to earn or improve upon our Salvation - we live and breathe under God's grace.  However, it's also perfectly clear in His Word that there exists a standard of holiness for which we must strive.  Sin is defined against a standard and the precious gift of God's grace never gives permission for sin! Romans 6:1-2 "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may abound? By no means!" As children of God, we now have complete freedom; "the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).  But the freedom we have been given is the freedom to claim victory over sin and live a pure and holy life; "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do" (1 Peter 1:15).  We will never attain perfect holiness, never live in perfect compliance with God's standard.  And though we who belong to Jesus are no longer under condemnation, we are called to live free of sin. So why do we strive?  First, holiness is honoring to God because God hates sin.  Sin kills those our Father loves - those He loves so much that He sent Jesus to die as a sacrifice for the penalty of sin.  God hates sin and we ought to hate what God hates.  And next, as we strive for holiness (while remembering that our striving plays no part in our Salvation) we will see even more clearly how far we fall from God's required perfection.  As we strive, our sin will become even more apparent and we will see with ever increasing thankfulness how much grace and forgiveness we have been given through faith in Jesus. Salvation is ALL grace!!  We live under His grace and have been set free from the law of sin and death.  So now, let's truly learn of His grace by seeking to follow in His steps and striving for a thankful heart through a life of grace-filled holiness. Have a Christ Centered Day! Steve Troxel God's Daily Word Ministries   *****************************************************  Archive  |  Blog  |  Support   Subscribe  |  Invite  |  Feedback and Prayer    Verses of Encouragement      Find us on Facebook        Mail from GDWM is only sent to those who subscribe (free of cost) or by invitation from friends.  Please unsubscribe if these messages are no longer desired.  We absolutely do not support unsolicited E-mail. Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. *****************************************************

 

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/very

 

THE HEART OF GOD (expanded)

THE HEART OF GOD

  

The love of God is faithful
The love of God is spirit and truth
The love of God is Jesus Christ

Dying on a cross for you

 

The heart of God is holily perfect

The heart of God is mercy and grace
The heart of God is quiet confidence
The heart of God is holy and just

  

The heart of God is full of life
The heart of God is peace and light
The heart of God is full of joy
The heart of God is love

 

The love of God is gentle

The love of God is wholly true

The love of God is Jesus Christ

Rising from death to rescue you

 

J  E  P

091910

GOD

Forced as I was to endure the women of The View on the TV set
in my optometrist's waiting room this morning, I listened to each
of the four state their views of God as absolute truth, and thought
I'd share my view, too, in something I read the other day; you can
choose to view the attached original if you're interested.  Jeff

 

Titus 3:5 NLT

He saved us, not because of the good things we did,
but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins
and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit.

 

GOD

 

It is God who saves us
God who has mercy on us
It is God who is our Savior and Lord
God who washes away our sins

 

It is God who carries us
God who makes us new
It is God who gives us Life
God who gave us The Truth

 

It is God who taught us how to love
God who gives good gifts from Above
It is God who testifies of His Word
God who wrote The Faith we've heard

 

It is God who washes away our sins
God who is our Lord and Savior
It is God who has mercy on us
God who saves us

 

J E Pollock
09 22 2010

 

He saved us, not because of the good things we did,
but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins
and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit.
Titus 3:5 NLT

 

 

 

I WILL LIFT MY EYES-BEBO NORMAN

MEASURE OF FAITH / Jeff has sent you an eCard from FunUtilities.com!

Hello family/friends, this is something I wrote some time ago (last month). It came back to mind (mine) this morning as I was reading the book I borrowed from the Occoquan Bible Church in West Virginia last June. I included part of what I was reading in a card I sent myself from the computer I was using - so I could add it to this poem; hope you'll check it out. Peace, Jeffrey

_______________________________

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself 

more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, 

in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you"  (Romans 12:3) 

MEASURE OF FAITH

With eyes wide open 

See the waking world

Held in the loving embrace

Of its Creator and Savior

With hands held high

Surrender your heart

Desperate for true life 

To its Maker and Redeemer

 

With heart bowed down

Search God's Word

Awakened by holy faith

By its Author and Shepherd 

 

With joy renewed

Share the blessed hope you have

Fully aware that the mercy you share

Is God's perfect Gift of Salvation to man

 

Jeffrey Pollock

August 2010

 

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies 

as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. 

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by 

the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what 

God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12: 1-2).

_______________________________

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THE GATE

---------- Original Message ----------
From: "Jeff n Ev"
Date: 17 Aug 2006
---------- Original Message ----------

JOHN 10:11
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
lays down his life for the sheep. 

PSALM 23:2
The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want.
He makes us lie down in green pastures. 
He leads us beside quiet waters.

HE IS THE GATE

The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not be lost;
The Lord is my Shepherd,
I will remember His cost.

The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not be thirsty;
The Lord is my Shepherd,
I will remember His mercy.

The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not be afraid;
The Lord is my Shepherd,
I will remember He is the Gate.

The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not settle for less;
The Lord is my Shepherd,
I will remember His faithfulness.

The Lord is my Shepherd,
I shall not follow the herd;
The Lord is my Shepherd,
I will obey His Word.

JEFFree!!
8.16.2006

"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen
by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a
robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his
sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep
listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads
them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on
ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his
voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run
away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand
what he was telling them.
    Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate
for the sheep.  All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.  I am the gate; whoever enters
through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find
pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have
come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
JOHN 10:1-10

RENEWED AND REDEEMED

EPHESIANS 6:10-12

PUT IT ON!

In an old pile of forgotten books,
I found a dull and rusty Sword;
It once was used to fight a war,
When I was a newborn in the Lord.

As I pieced it together page by page,
I began to see the picture of my Shield of faith;
Though bent and scarred from spiritual battles,
It was still solid and strong in my hand.

A broken breastplate stained with Blood,
Made my heart leap as I remembered God's love;
Beneath that I found the Belt of Truth I wore,
I could see in my mind the time when it tore.

A crushed helmet sat under The Cross in a corner by itself,
Filled with memories of His Warfare which saved me from Hell;
Finally, I uncovered the sandals that once covered my feet,
Redeemed and resoled to bring me back to His resolute peace.
_________

In the sixth chapter from the Letter to the Ephesians,
My soul found what I was missing in the Lord Jesus;
The Armor of God I'd laid down so many years ago,
Was still there waiting for me to put it on and grow!

JeffreyPollock
September 2010

EPHESIANS 6:13-18

RENEWED AND REDEEMED

EPHESIANS 6:10-12

The Whole Armor of God

 A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that
you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not
fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities
of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and
against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

PUT IT ON!

In an old pile of forgotten books,
I found a dull and rusty Sword;
It once was used to fight a war,
When I was a newborn in the Lord.

As I pieced it together page by page,
I began to see the picture of my Shield of faith;
Though bent and scarred from spiritual battles,
It was still solid and strong in my hand.

A broken breastplate stained with Blood,
Made my heart leap as I remembered God's love;
Beneath that I found the Belt of Truth I wore,
I could see in my mind the time when it tore.

A crushed helmet sat under The Cross in a corner by itself,
Filled with memories of His Warfare which saved me from Hell;
Finally, I uncovered the sandals that once covered my feet,
Redeemed and resoled to bring me back to His resolute peace.
_________

In the sixth chapter from the Letter to the Ephesians,
My soul found what I was missing in the Lord Jesus;
The Armor of God I'd laid down so many years ago,
Was still there waiting for me to put it on and grow!

Jeffrey E Pollock
September 2010

  Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that
after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the
sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put
on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.
In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at
you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power
of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians
everywhere.

EPHESIANS 6:13-18