THINK

1 JOHN 4:18 There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear. THINK Think of Jesus on the Cross, The Cross that ended his life; His Life a ransom for the lost, Lost and afraid to live or die. Die we must but not just now, Now that we know of God's love; Love will decide just when and how, How life is ordained and how much. Too much life is wasted on death and fear, Fear that what we believe isn't true; Be true to yourself and don't let others near, And your life won't produce lasting fruit. Fruit topped with love and perfect peace, Peace Jesus left behind as an eternal link; A link in the Truth that sets sinners free, Free to trust God no matter what people think. JEPollock 10-17-09 On Thu, Oct 1, 2009 at 6:21 AM, God's Daily Word <closerwalk@gdwm.org> wrote: We Will Not Fear      In these times of great uncertainty - with concern about things like war, terrorism, and the economy - let's always remember, our Heavenly Father is the Creator of the Universe.  He formed the Heavens and the Earth out of nothing, and, as we place our trust in Him, He has given a basic promise: "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).  His desire is for us to draw nearer in our love and worship, and allow His Spirit to remove all fear. Psalm 46:1-3 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." Although we are uncertain what tomorrow may bring, we ought to have confidence in the One who really controls tomorrow.  If we believe Jesus died for our sin, rose again in victory over death, and is seated at the right hand of the Father - if we surrender our life to who He is and what He has done - our eternal home has been firmly established; "Our citizenship is in Heaven" (Philippians 3:20).  As a child of the Sovereign King, as one who believes in our eternal future, we no longer have reason to fear; "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship" (Romans 8:15). We no longer have a reason, but still we fear.  The unknown is scary and makes us feel out of control.  But as we pray for an end to violence, and as we strive to make this world safer, better educated, and more prosperous, we must understand there is only one true solution to our fear. Our fear will only be removed as we love the Lord with ALL our heart, soul, mind and strength.  When we understand that our life is not our own, we will love with a complete abandonment to His desire.  We will pray and live each day with the surrender demonstrated by Christ; "Father...not My will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42).  As we live each day to bring Him glory and honor, fear WILL begin to fade: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18). Yes, these days contain some uncertainty.  If we continue to focus on what we can see, there will always be uncertainties.  But our faith, hope, and joy are in His eternal glory, not in this world which will one day pass away.  Let's refuse to allow our fear of the unknown cripple our service for God.  There is still much work He has for us to do.  Let's pray that our love will increase, that our worship will intensify, and that we will boldly stand up and proclaim, "We will not fear!" Have a Christ Centered Day! Steve Troxel God's Daily Word Ministries      ***************************************************** Blog: http://www.gdwm-blog.org Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. *****************************************************   This email was sent by http://closerwalk@gdwm.org.

SIMPLE TRUTH

 "The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple."— Psalm 119:130

 SIMPLE TRUTH

 God has a purpose for all things
Truth prevails as light conquers dark
Joy perseveres despite death's grievous sting
Love never dies when God plants it in the heart

God creates a specific direction for every saint
The weaker we are the more we gain new strength
The simple truth is eternal life is a gift from above
Christ rises in the hearts of those whom He loves

 God knows the plans He has for you
His sovereign purposes never fail

The promises He made are truth
Every living person can avail

 Take your focus off the world
Spinning madly like a top
Put your faith in Jesus
Christ and trust
your Father
God

JEP

 "The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple."— Psalm 119:130 (NIV)

I see purpose staring back at me in God's eternal promise of love. --- JEFFFREE

[LEAP OF FAITH] UP

UP

When the going gets tough
Tender hearts look UP
Up to where the eagles fly
Up to the Lord on high

When the road gets hard
Humble hearts keep climbing
Up to where the Spirit lives
Up to where the angels sing

When the future seems hopeless
Hopeful servants press on
Up to the Cross that promises life
Up to where our Savior died

When heaven's skies are dark
Faithful saints rest in God's love
Assured in our redeemed heart
The only way to look is UP

JEFF
2011

Eternal Perspective

When you begin to see heaven as your true home, you can develop an eternal perspective that sees all sorrows as passing.

"It is possible to trust God in all things," says Dr. Joseph Stowell. "You may have a hard time getting there, but you won't get there unless you believe in the world to come. If this is all you have, if it's just this world, then bitterness is your only option.

"But if you believe that there is a God who is higher than you are and wiser than you are, and He has a world prepared for you where all Christians will be together again and be with Him in absolute joy and bliss, then that brings strength to your sorrow."

Place your trust in God and in His preparations and plans for you.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:1-3).

Lord and Savior, I trust that You will someday bring me home to live in heaven with You. For now, I need to try and look at my sorrows in light of eternity. The things of this world are much clearer when I have a higher perspective. Amen.

--------------------------------------------------------
Recommended reading:
Shadow of the Almighty
Elisabeth Elliot

--
Posted By Blogger to LEAP OF FAITH at 6/16/2011 07:41:00 AM

GRACE (1 John 4:10)

 

Romans 5:8
God demonstrates his own love for us in
this: While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us. 

GRACE

I do not deserve God
Who would stoop so far
And lift me up so high

I do not deserve God
Who would break His heart
To purify one like mine

I do not deserve God
Who would open His arms
And willingly die 

 

I do not deserve God
Who would win my heart's war
To sanctify my mind

I do not deserve God
Who would revive my dying star
And be my reason for new life

JEFFREE !
06/11/2011

This is real love—not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son as
a sacrifice to take away our sins.
1 John 4:10

-----Original Message-----

Subject: GRACE (1 John 4:10)
Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2006 23:20:28

Romans 5:8
God demonstrates his own love for us in
this: While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us. 

GRACE

I do not deserve God
Who would stoop so far
And lift me up so high

I do not deserve God
Who would break His heart
To purify one like mine

I do not deserve God
Who would open His arms
And willingly die 

 

I do not deserve God
Who would win my heart's war
To sanctify my mind

I do not deserve God
Who would revive my dying star
And be my reason for new life

JEFFREE!
12/20/06

This is real love—not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son as
a sacrifice to take away our sins.
1 John 4:10

REST IN CHRIST

REST IN CHRIST

 

Your faith was perfect
His resurrection hope

Now rest in Christ
Your life was not your own

 

Your journey is over
The pain was intense

Now rest my love
My heart will not forget

 

Your race is run
It is finished on this earth

Now dance my beloved

Dance into forever

 

Your part was played
The curtain has come down

Now rest in peace
My joy, my friend, my crown

I'll always love you Ev'!

 

JEFF
2011

FREEDOM

Thought I'd rewrite something from some years ago (riginal also included)

 

Galatians 5:13
For you have been called to live in freedom,
my brothers and sisters. But don't use your
freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead,
use your freedom to serve one another in love. 

FREEDOM

One day at a time,
you try or you fail;
But if you don't try,
faith will not avail.

If you live in freedom,
one thought at a time;
You'll live a life of love,

that'll purify your mind.

If you walk in the light,

As the Lord Jesus is in it;
Your time will be used right,

in God the Holy Spirit.

One choice at a time,

Either you will stand or fall;
So if temptation is ringing,

Let faith in Jesus take the call

 

JEFFREE

05/11/2011

 

From: jepollock77@juno.comDate: Thu, 7 Apr 2011 04:40:44 +0000To: jeffreypollock@yahoo.com; jeffpollock@live.com; jeffpollock@elp.rr.comSubject: Fw: RE: IN FREEDOM

p.24
 
"Be killing sin or it will be killing you."
 
John Owen, The Works of John Owen, ed. William H. Goold, 24 vols.
(Edinburgh: Johnstone & Hunter, 1850-1855; reprint by Banner of
Truth Trust, 1965, 1991) (hereafter cited as Works), 6:9.
 
I sometimes think of Dr. John Owen as a perceptive physician who delivers both a terrifiying diagnosis and the means of a miraculous cure.  
Kelly M. Kapic (Editor)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
25
 
In 1656 Owen first published Of Mortification of Sin in Believers. In 1658 that volume was slightly revised and another short treatise, Of Temptation: The Nature and Powe of It, was also printed.
Although written a decade later, Owen's explorations on  these practical subjects are further unpacked in his book, The Nature, Power, Deceit, and Prevalency of Indwelling Sin (1667).
 
25-26
 
[For] Owen, circumstances---wheter amiable or painful---were not an excuse to stop resisting sin.  The call of holiness was a call from God himself, and thus not contingent upon the state of affairs in which one finds oneself.
     Christians are called to war against sin. According to Owen, this means they are called to learn the art of battle, which includes understanding the nature of sin, the complexity of the human heart, and the goodness and provision of God.  Following a classic stream of orthosdox theology, Wern arues that humility is crucial to growth in the Christian life, and proper humility comes from " a due consideration" both of God and of oneself. Only from this perspective can one be in a rith position to approach the call to holiness.
 
KNOWING YOURSELF
 
Owen's varied  experiences, such as working with students (not to mention faculty) and providing pastoral care, gave him abple opportunity for reflection on the way that sin weaves its way into every aspect of people's lives. Two particulare challenges about human nature that appear in these volumes dererve brief comment: his attempt to present a holistic view of the human person, and his belief that personality differences must be considered when dealing with sin.
 
Engaging the Whole Person
 
Contempory readers may at first glance struggle with Owen's detailed parsing of human nature and sin, believing that his reflections are dated and irrelevant.  However, upon closer examination the reader may begin to recognize that although Owen does not use current labels, he is dealing with very contemporary issues, such as depression, addiction, apathy, and lust.
     One of Owen's concerns was that some people reduced the struggle with sin to a problem  centered on the physical body.  They had taken the biblical language of the "body of sin" (Rom 6:6, ESV) and inappropritely treated it as a literal reference to physicality.  This misunderstanding leads to what Owen consider the monastic "mistake": beliveing that rigid regiments that yield greater physiological control will eventually diminish the sin that lies in a person.  For Owen, while his body is important, it is but the instrument for the real problem.
 
27
 
Originally humanity was created without sin, and thus their mind rightly reflected on the Creator and his creation, their affections properly loved God, and their will followed after the good. However, with the fall these faculties became disordered. Even after believers are redeemed by God they will continue to struggle with the abiding vestiges of sin that disorient the faculties, a condition that remains throughout their erthly life.
 
     Sin moves by drawing the mind  away from God, enticing the affections and twisting desires and paralyzing the willl, thus stunting any real Christian growth. One of the most frightening truths that Owen wants the believer to recognize is that "Your enemy is not only upon you . . . but is in you also."
Part of understanding the battle against sin is seeing that the enemy, so to speak, is not only external, but internal, which s why Christians often have conflictiong desires within them. Most Christians seem unaware of or apathetic about the sin that remains in them, but whether they recognize it or not there is a "living coal continually in their houses," which, if not properly attended to, will catch their home on fire.
     
28
 
Healthy affections are crucial to the life of faith, and numbing them cannot be the answer.  In Owen's estimation, because the affections are so important to faithful obedience, Scripture often interchanges the language of heart and  affections, for here is "the principal thing which God requires in our walking before him. . . . Save all other things and lose the heart and all is lost---lost unto all eternity." 
     The goal of the Christian life is not external conformity of mindless actin, but a passinate love for God informed by the mind and embraced by the will. So the path forward is not to decrease on's affectins but rather to enlarge them and fill them with "heavenly things." Here one is not trying to escape the painfu realities of this life but rather endeavoring to reframe on's perspective of life around a much larger canvas that encompasses all of reality. To respond to the distorting nature of sin you must set your affections on the beauty and glory of God, the loveliness of Christ, and the wonder of the gospel: "We're our affectins filled, taken up, and possessed with these things . . . what access could sin, with its painted pleasures, with its sugared poisons, with  its envenomed baits, have unto our souls?"  Resisting sin, according to this Puritan divine, comes not by deadening your affections but by awakening them to God himself.  Do not seek to empty your cup as a way to avoid sin, but rather seek to fill it up with the Spirit of life, so there is no longer room for sin.
 
29
    
While it is true that all humans are made in God's image, and that everyone is called to resist sin and seek righteousness, these commonalities do not cancel out undeniable particularities. In other words, what does righteousness look like in the lives of concrete individuals? How does sin tempt people in different ways? In many respects Owen's three treatises can be read as early modern attempts to explore human psychology as affected by sin and renewed by the Spirit.
 
[O] ne reason that Owen consistently call his readers to understand their own temperaments is because this will help them better appreciate how sin  and temptation arise in their own lives.  He recognizes that some people are by birth and experience "earthy," while others are "naturally gentle," and still others tend to have "passionate" dispositions. The challenge for all is to learn about their own constitution: "He who watches not this thoroughly, who is not exactly skilled in the knowledge of himself, will never be disentangled from one temptation or another all his days."
 
30-31
 
     According to the Puritan pastor, there is no temperament that is free from temptation, and the trick is to be aware of the threats that are easily overlooked.  for example, those who are naturally gentle and pleasant may be surprised to find themselves far down a path that they should have courageously departed from long ago.  ... Others who tend toward the "eathy" may rightly uphold what is now commonly called authenticity, but in the process they foster "selfishness" and "harsh thoughts of  others."
 
Past faithfulness is not a protection against present dangers.
 
In this life there is no escaping the challenges of temptation, and thus all---young and old, pastor and parishioner, poor and rich, wise and simple---must commit themselves to battle against sin.  "Be acquainted, then, with thine own heart: though it be deep, search it; though it be dark, inquire into it; though it give all its distempers other names than what are their due, believe it not."    Do not justify your own particular sin, but seek to recognize it so that you might fight against it with all you strength.  Although sin and temptation affect everyone differently, none can escape the constant onslaught.  Christians are called to wage war against this enemy, knowing that there are only two options: "Be killing sin or it will be killing you."  While battlefield language may sound extreme to our ears, that is how Owen---following the Bible---conceives of this  struggle. With this in mind, the only hope Owen can promise comes not through further self-examination but by embracing the love and provision of God.
 
31-32
 
KNOWING YOUR GOD
 
Owen's goal is not to have people remain focused on their sin but rather to embrace the redemption accomplished in Christ.  The aim is not despair but freedom for what Owen often calls "gospel obedience." Obedience rightly understood is always a response to God's love.
     A cricial work of the mind in the process of sanctification is the consistent consideration of God and his amazing grace.  This does not mean considering God as an abstract metaphysical principle.  Rather, the Christian meditates upon him and with him.  this distinction makes all the difference, placing the discussion within the framework of relationality; rather than mere rationality.  Owen's challenge is most instructive: "when we would undertake thoughts and meditations of God, his  excellencies, his properties, his glory, his majesty, his love, his goodness, let it be done in a way of speaking unto God, in a deep humiliation . . . in a way of prayer and praise --- speaking unto God.  the invitation here is not to impersonal theological studies but rathr to life-changing encounters with Yahweh.
 
     One of the great promises of God is that he will preserve his people.  In fact, the idea of the "perseverance of the saints" is frequently misunderstood, according to Owen, for so often discussion about remaining in the faith focuses on human efforts, as if it is up to us to avoid losing our salvation.  In truth, the Christian hope rests not ultimately upon our own diligence, but on God's faithfulness.   It is God, not us, who will ultimately persevere, and that is why he is able to promise us eternal life: "where the promise is, there is all this assistance.  The faithfulness of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the power  of the Spirit, all are engaged in our preservation."  Christians can be confident about their growth in sancification and eternal security because they are confident in the God who promises it.
 
32
 
Ever deepening communion with God occurs as the Spirit draws us to the Father through the Son.  The Father will allow none to be snatched from his hand, the Son incarnate is a truly sympathetic high priest who is the love of our souls, and the Spirit applies the atoning work of Christ to us. Thus, Owen rminds believers to keep these truths in mind as they face tmptation, bringing their "lust to the gospel," lest they lose sight of the sufficient sacrifice and restorative grace found in God's work.  "What love, what mercy, what blood, what grace have I despised and trampled on! Is this the return I make to the Father for his love, to the Son for his blood, to the Holy Ghost for his grace?"  Notice that the love is preexistent, the blood shed,  and the grace extended.  The beliver is not working to secure these realities, but seeking to live in light of them.  Christians stand in the shadow of the cross, having experienced the tender mercy of God.  They aim not to convice God that they are worthy of his love, but to grow in their knowledge and fellowwship with him.  It is through this ever-growing communion with the Father, Son, and Spirit that the believer is most able to resist sin and temptation.  "Let a soul exercise itself to a communion with Christ in the good things of the gospel--- pardon of sin, fruits of holiness, hope of glory, peace with God, joy in the Holy Ghost, dominion over sin---and he shall have a mighty preservative against all temptations."
 
33
 
     True and lasting resistance to sin comes not through willpower and self-improvement but through the Spirit who empowers belivers with a knowledge and love of God.  Throughout his writings Owen is always quick to  highlight the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.  Not only does the Spirit of God bring life to those who are dead in sin, thus causing a new birth, but he also continues the work of God in the renewing of that person in the image of Christ.  The fundamental difference between Owen's proposal and self-help programs is that he believes that only as the Spirit communicates the grace and love of the Father to us can we experience genuine relief.  Mortification of sin is "the  gift of Christ" to believers, and this is given by the Spirit of the Son.  Efforts apart from the Spirit do not bring sanctification, even if they do produce changed behavior.  Although the Spirit oftern uses beneficial activities such as "fasting and watching," rituals and huan effort without the Spirit cannot ultimately brint liberation form sin and temptation.
 
34
 
Building on the language and imagery of Colossians 3:9-10, the idea of  mortification was understood as a putting off of the "old man," and vivification was conceived as the reality of being made alive by the Spirit.  Although the actual language of "vivification" is found less often in Owen than in earlier theologians like John Calvin or the renowned Puritan Thomas Goodwin, the idea is clealy present.  These twin ideas of sanctification require not only the shedding of sin but also renewal in grace. 
 
35
 
[S]anctification involves both putting sin to death and becoming free to love and obey.
 
CONCLUSION
 
We have briefly exploed a few themes from Owen's thought that might help prepare readers for what they are about to encounter in his writing on sin, mortification, and temptation.  
   The goal is not to create romantic views of the past, hoping to usher Christians back to some sort of "pure" seventeenth-century setting.  Owen makes it perfectly clear that the  power of sin and Satan were just as real then as now.  Believers should read Owen not ro return to the past but to gain insight into how they might more faithfully live in the present and prepare for the future.
 
Culture has changed, but sinful human nature has not.  For centures Owen's works have challenged Christians to think afresh about how they face the reality of sin and temptation.  Now Owen serves yet another generation of believers, calling us to wake from sleepy and apathetic attitudes toward holiness, demanding that we engage in honest self-reflection.  But he doesn't stop there, for he intends to excite in us a renewed sense of the tender mercy of God who delights to commune with his people.  Owen's thoughts are before you.  You stand at the threshold of Dr. John Owen's office.  Will you enter and receive the diagnosis, and stay to hear your cure?
 
http://www.gnpcb.org/product/1581346492/browse/23#browse
 
 
-- "Joe and Deb Pollock" <jfdjp7@cox.net> wrote:
 
Hi Jeff,
 
I really like your "In Freedom" poem.  Good stuff!  How goes it in El Paso land?
 
Love ya' bro.  Joe
 
From: Jeffrey E. Pollock [mailto:jepollock77@juno.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2006 12:14 AM
To: eveepollock@aol.com
Subject: IN FREEDOM
 
Galatians 5:13 
For you have been called to live in freedom, 
my brothers and sisters. But don't use your 
freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, 
use your freedom to serve one another in love. 
 
IN FREEDOM
 
One day at a time; you try or you fail,
But if you don't try, faith will not avail.
If you live in freedom, one thought at a time,
You'll live a life of love, that'll purify your mind.
 
If  you walk in the light, as the Lord Jesus is in it,
Your time will be used right, in God the Holy Spirit.
One choice at a time; you will either stand or you fall, 
So if temptation is ringing, let your faith take the call.
 
JEFFREE!
12/04/06
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION
 
     Not as though I had already attained, either were
     already perfect... .
 
     Philippians 3:1 
     http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=php+3:1&sr=1
 
It is a snare to imagine that God wants to make us perfect 
specimens of what He can do; God's purpose is to make us 
one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements is apt 
to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His 
museum. If you go off on this idea of personal holiness, the 
dead-set of your lift will not be for God, but for what you  call the
manifestation of God in your life. "It can never be God's that I 
should be sick." If it was God's will to bruise His own Son, why 
should He not bruise you? The thing that tells for God is not
your relevant consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, 
but your real vital relation to Jesus Christ, and your abandonment 
to Him whether you are well or ill.
 
Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection.
Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship to God 
which shows itself amid the irrelevancies of human life. When 
you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that strikes you 
is the irrelevancy of the things you have to do, and the next thing
that strikes you is the fact that other people seem to be living 
perfectly consistent lives.
 
Such lives are apt to leave you with the idea that God is unnec-
essary, by human effort and devotion we can reach  the standard
God wants. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called 
to live in perfect relation to God son that my life produces a 
longing after God in other lives, not admiration for myself. 
Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God is 
not after perfecting me to be a specimen in His show-room; He 
is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do 
what He likes.   
 
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - Oswald Chambers
 
 
 
Please note: forwarded message attached
 
From: "Jeffrey E. Pollock" <jepollock77@juno.com>
To: jfdjp7@cox.net
Cc: jepollock77@juno.com
Subject: RE: IN FREEDOM
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2006 07:17:54 GMT
 

--Forwarded Message Attachment--From: jepollock77@juno.comDate: Fri, 8 Dec 2006 07:17:54 +0000To: jfdjp7@cox.netCC: jepollock77@juno.comSubject: RE: IN FREEDOMHi Joe,  thanks bro'!  God our Father is so good to us! I'm going to try to write somethingorother for Christmas pretty soon, probably from Luke 2 first chance I get.  Well, Ev and I are doing okay...honestly, I know Ev would love to be doing better physically and I'm gettin' a little bitt tired of the same old same old, but we're holdin' on and keepin' it together. I'm excited about a project I began yesterday. I'm reading a classic book (actually three books) by the 17th century puritan preacher John Owen (a contemporary of Jonathan Edwards).  I took a few notes I'll send along.  The subject of these books intrigued me and after reading the Foreward written by John Piper, I dived into the Introduction; and started taking notes. I'm going to try to read at least 30 pgs or a more each day until I'm done with it. So far I'm doing okay. Something I read the other day by Chambers---"He is getting me to the place where He can use me."---encouraged me to dig deeper, pray harder (fervently) and trust Jesus more. Please pray for me as I undertake this endeavor. I don't expect to start spouting Puritan platitudes anytime soon, but I do hope to become better aware of the sin nature that lurks within.  What did our Lord Jesus say?  "The pure in heart will see God."  I've generally discerned those words to mean that the impure in heart wouldn't. I suspect faithful service to (and worship of) God has everything to do with understanding and practicing purity in Christ (who through the cross has imparted His righteousness to believers).  The following are a few notes I skimmed from what I read yesterday. Also included at the end is a link to the site.  I love you, Joe. Big kisses to my nieces!  And more love to Debi!  Jeffp.24"Be killing sin or it will be killing you."John Owen, The Works of John Owen, ed. William H. Goold, 24 vols.(Edinburgh: Johnstone & Hunter, 1850-1855; reprint by Banner ofTruth Trust, 1965, 1991) (hereafter cited as Works), 6:9.I sometimes think of Dr. John Owen as a perceptive physician who delivers both a terrifiying diagnosis and the means of a miraculous cure.  Kelly M. Kapic (Editor)INTRODUCTION25In 1656 Owen first published Of Mortification of Sin in Believers. In 1658 that volume was slightly revised and another short treatise, Of Temptation: The Nature and Powe of It, was also printed.Although written a decade later, Owen's explorations on these practical subjects are further unpacked in his book, The Nature, Power, Deceit, and Prevalency of Indwelling Sin (1667).25-26[For] Owen, circumstances---wheter amiable or painful---were not an excuse to stop resisting sin.  The call of holiness was a call from God himself, and thus not contingent upon the state of affairs in which one finds oneself.     Christians are called to war against sin. According to Owen, this means they are called to learn the art of battle, which includes understanding the nature of sin, the complexity of the human heart, and the goodness and provision of God.  Following a classic stream of orthosdox theology, Wern arues that humility is crucial to growth in the Christian life, and proper humility comes from " a due consideration" both of God and of oneself. Only from this perspective can one be in a rith position to approach the call to holiness.KNOWING YOURSELFOwen's varied experiences, such as working with students (not to mention faculty) and providing pastoral care, gave him abple opportunity for reflection on the way that sin weaves its way into every aspect of people's lives. Two particulare challenges about human nature that appear in these volumes dererve brief comment: his attempt to present a holistic view of the human person, and his belief that personality differences must be considered when dealing with sin.Engaging the Whole PersonContempory readers may at first glance struggle with Owen's detailed parsing of human nature and sin, believing that his reflections are dated and irrelevant.  However, upon closer examination the reader may begin to recognize that although Owen does not use current labels, he is dealing with very contemporary issues, such as depression, addiction, apathy, and lust.     One of Owen's concerns was that some people reduced the struggle with sin to a problem centered on the physical body.  They had taken the biblical language of the "body of sin" (Rom 6:6, ESV) and inappropritely treated it as a literal reference to physicality.  This misunderstanding leads to what Owen consider the monastic "mistake": beliveing that rigid regiments that yield greater physiological control will eventually diminish the sin that lies in a person.  For Owen, while his body is important, it is but the instrument for the real problem.27Originally humanity was created without sin, and thus their mind rightly reflected on the Creator and his creation, their affections properly loved God, and their will followed after the good. However, with the fall these faculties became disordered. Even after believers are redeemed by God they will continue to struggle with the abiding vestiges of sin that disorient the faculties, a condition that remains throughout their erthly life.     Sin moves by drawing the mind away from God, enticing the affections and twisting desires and paralyzing the willl, thus stunting any real Christian growth. One of the most frightening truths that Owen wants the believer to recognize is that "Your enemy is not only upon you . . . but is in you also."Part of understanding the battle against sin is seeing that the enemy, so to speak, is not only external, but internal, which s why Christians often have conflictiong desires within them. Most Christians seem unaware of or apathetic about the sin that remains in them, but whether they recognize it or not there is a "living coal continually in their houses," which, if not properly attended to, will catch their home on fire.     28Healthy affections are crucial to the life of faith, and numbing them cannot be the answer.  In Owen's estimation, because the affections are so important to faithful obedience, Scripture often interchanges the language of heart and affections, for here is "the principal thing which God requires in our walking before him. . . . Save all other things and lose the heart and all is lost---lost unto all eternity."      The goal of the Christian life is not external conformity of mindless actin, but a passinate love for God informed by the mind and embraced by the will. So the path forward is not to decrease on's affectins but rather to enlarge them and fill them with "heavenly things." Here one is not trying to escape the painfu realities of this life but rather endeavoring to reframe on's perspective of life around a much larger canvas that encompasses all of reality. To respond to the distorting nature of sin you must set your affections on the beauty and glory of God, the loveliness of Christ, and the wonder of the gospel: "We're our affectins filled, taken up, and possessed with these things . . . what access could sin, with its painted pleasures, with its sugared poisons, with its envenomed baits, have unto our souls?"  Resisting sin, according to this Puritan divine, comes not by deadening your affections but by awakening them to God himself.  Do not seek to empty your cup as a way to avoid sin, but rather seek to fill it up with the Spirit of life, so there is no longer room for sin.29    While it is true that all humans are made in God's image, and that everyone is called to resist sin and seek righteousness, these commonalities do not cancel out undeniable particularities. In other words, what does righteousness look like in the lives of concrete individuals? How does sin tempt people in different ways? In many respects Owen's three treatises can be read as early modern attempts to explore human psychology as affected by sin and renewed by the Spirit.[O] ne reason that Owen consistently call his readers to understand their own temperaments is because this will help them better appreciate how sin and temptation arise in their own lives.  He recognizes that some people are by birth and experience "earthy," while others are "naturally gentle," and still others tend to have "passionate" dispositions. The challenge for all is to learn about their own constitution: "He who watches not this thoroughly, who is not exactly skilled in the knowledge of himself, will never be disentangled from one temptation or another all his days."30-31     According to the Puritan pastor, there is no temperament that is free from temptation, and the trick is to be aware of the threats that are easily overlooked.  for example, those who are naturally gentle and pleasant may be surprised to find themselves far down a path that they should have courageously departed from long ago.  ... Others who tend toward the "eathy" may rightly uphold what is now commonly called authenticity, but in the process they foster "selfishness" and "harsh thoughts of others." Past faithfulness is not a protection against present dangers.In this life there is no escaping the challenges of temptation, and thus all---young and old, pastor and parishioner, poor and rich, wise and simple---must commit themselves to battle against sin.  "Be acquainted, then, with thine own heart: though it be deep, search it; though it be dark, inquire into it; though it give all its distempers other names than what are their due, believe it not."    Do not justify your own particular sin, but seek to recognize it so that you might fight against it with all you strength.  Although sin and temptation affect everyone differently, none can escape the constant onslaught.  Christians are called to wage war against this enemy, knowing that there are only two options: "Be killing sin or it will be killing you."  While battlefield language may sound extreme to our ears, that is how Owen---following the Bible---conceives of this struggle. With this in mind, the only hope Owen can promise comes not through further self-examination but by embracing the love and provision of God.31-32KNOWING YOUR GODOwen's goal is not to have people remain focused on their sin but rather to embrace the redemption accomplished in Christ.  The aim is not despair but freedom for what Owen often calls "gospel obedience." Obedience rightly understood is always a response to God's love.     A cricial work of the mind in the process of sanctification is the consistent consideration of God and his amazing grace.  This does not mean considering God as an abstract metaphysical principle.  Rather, the Christian meditates upon him and with him.  this distinction makes all the difference, placing the discussion within the framework of relationality; rather than mere rationality.  Owen's challenge is most instructive: "when we would undertake thoughts and meditations of God, his excellencies, his properties, his glory, his majesty, his love, his goodness, let it be done in a way of speaking unto God, in a deep humiliation . . . in a way of prayer and praise --- speaking unto God.  the invitation here is not to impersonal theological studies but rathr to life-changing encounters with Yahweh.     One of the great promises of God is that he will preserve his people.  In fact, the idea of the "perseverance of the saints" is frequently misunderstood, according to Owen, for so often discussion about remaining in the faith focuses on human efforts, as if it is up to us to avoid losing our salvation.  In truth, the Christian hope rests not ultimately upon our own diligence, but on God's faithfulness.   It is God, not us, who will ultimately persevere, and that is why he is able to promise us eternal life: "where the promise is, there is all this assistance.  The faithfulness of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the power of the Spirit, all are engaged in our preservation."  Christians can be confident about their growth in sancification and eternal security because they are confident in the God who promises it.32Ever deepening communion with God occurs as the Spirit draws us to the Father through the Son.  The Father will allow none to be snatched from his hand, the Son incarnate is a truly sympathetic high priest who is the love of our souls, and the Spirit applies the atoning work of Christ to us. Thus, Owen rminds believers to keep these truths in mind as they face tmptation, bringing their "lust to the gospel," lest they lose sight of the sufficient sacrifice and restorative grace found in God's work.  "What love, what mercy, what blood, what grace have I despised and trampled on! Is this the return I make to the Father for his love, to the Son for his blood, to the Holy Ghost for his grace?"  Notice that the love is preexistent, the blood shed, and the grace extended.  The beliver is not working to secure these realities, but seeking to live in light of them.  Christians stand in the shadow of the cross, having experienced the tender mercy of God.  They aim not to convice God that they are worthy of his love, but to grow in their knowledge and fellowwship with him.  It is through this ever-growing communion with the Father, Son, and Spirit that the believer is most able to resist sin and temptation.  "Let a soul exercise itself to a communion with Christ in the good things of the gospel--- pardon of sin, fruits of holiness, hope of glory, peace with God, joy in the Holy Ghost, dominion over sin---and he shall have a mighty preservative against all temptations."33     True and lasting resistance to sin comes not through willpower and self-improvement but through the Spirit who empowers belivers with a knowledge and love of God.  Throughout his writings Owen is always quick to highlight the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.  Not only does the Spirit of God bring life to those who are dead in sin, thus causing a new birth, but he also continues the work of God in the renewing of that person in the image of Christ.  The fundamental difference between Owen's proposal and self-help programs is that he believes that only as the Spirit communicates the grace and love of the Father to us can we experience genuine relief.  Mortification of sin is "the  gift of Christ" to believers, and this is given by the Spirit of the Son.  Efforts apart from the Spirit do not bring sanctification, even if they do produce changed behavior.  Although the Spirit oftern uses beneficial activities such as "fasting and watching," rituals and huan effort without the Spirit cannot ultimately brint liberation form sin and temptation.34Building on the language and imagery of Colossians 3:9-10, the idea of mortification was understood as a putting off of the "old man," and vivification was conceived as the reality of being made alive by the Spirit.  Although the actual language of "vivification" is found less often in Owen than in earlier theologians like John Calvin or the renowned Puritan Thomas Goodwin, the idea is clealy present.  These twin ideas of sanctification require not only the shedding of sin but also renewal in grace.  35[S]anctification involves both putting sin to death and becoming free to love and obey.CONCLUSIONWe have briefly exploed a few themes from Owen's thought that might help prepare readers for what they are about to encounter in his writing on sin, mortification, and temptation.     The goal is not to create romantic views of the past, hoping to usher Christians back to some sort of "pure" seventeenth-century setting.  Owen makes it perfectly clear that the power of sin and Satan were just as real then as now.  Believers should read Owen not ro return to the past but to gain insight into how they might more faithfully live in the present and prepare for the future.Culture has changed, but sinful human nature has not.  For centures Owen's works have challenged Christians to think afresh about how they face the reality of sin and temptation.  Now Owen serves yet another generation of believers, calling us to wake from sleepy and apathetic attitudes toward holiness, demanding that we engage in honest self-reflection.  But he doesn't stop there, for he intends to excite in us a renewed sense of the tender mercy of God who delights to commune with his people.  Owen's thoughts are before you.  You stand at the threshold of Dr. John Owen's office.  Will you enter and receive the diagnosis, and stay to hear your cure?http://www.gnpcb.org/product/1581346492/browse/23#browse-- "Joe and Deb Pollock" <jfdjp7@cox.net> wrote:

Hi Jeff,

 

I really like your "In Freedom" poem.  Good stuff!  How goes it in El Paso land?

 

Love ya' bro.  Joe

From: Jeffrey E. Pollock [mailto:jepollock77@juno.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2006 12:14 AM
To: eveepollock@aol.com
Subject: IN FREEDOM

Galatians 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.  IN FREEDOMOne day at a time; you try or you fail, But if you don't try, faith will not avail. If you live in freedom, one thought at a time, You'll live a life of love, that'll purify your mind. If you walk in the light, as the Lord Jesus is in it, Your time will be used right, in God the Holy Spirit. One choice at a time; you will either stand or you fall, So if temptation is ringing, let your faith take the call. JEFFREE! 12/04/06 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION      Not as though I had already attained, either were      already perfect... .      Philippians 3:1       http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=php+3:1&sr=1It is a snare to imagine that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do; God's purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements is apt to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you go off on this idea of personal holiness, the dead-set of your lift will not be for God, but for what you call the manifestation of God in your life. "It can never be God's that I should be sick." If it was God's will to bruise His own Son, why should He not bruise you? The thing that tells for God is not your relevant consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your real vital relation to Jesus Christ, and your abandonment to Him whether you are well or ill. Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship to God which shows itself amid the irrelevancies of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that strikes you is the irrelevancy of the things you have to do, and the next thing that strikes you is the fact that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives are apt to leave you with the idea that God is unnec- essary, by human effort and devotion we can reach the standard God wants. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in perfect relation to God son that my life produces a longing after God in other lives, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God is not after perfecting me to be a specimen in His show-room; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He likes.   MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - Oswald Chambers

View in context

Perspective: UP

UP

When the going gets tough
Tender hearts look UP
Up to where the eagles fly
Up to the Lord on high

When the road gets hard
Humble hearts keep climbing
Up to where the Spirit lives
Up to where the angels sing

When the future looks bleak
Hopeful hearts press on
Up to the Cross that promises life
Up to where our Savior died

When heaven's skies are dark
Faithful saints rest in God's love
Assured in their redeemed hearts
The only way to look is UP

JEFF
2011

Eternal Perspective

When you begin to see heaven as your true home, you can develop an eternal perspective that sees all sorrows as passing.

"It is possible to trust God in all things," says Dr. Joseph Stowell. "You may have a hard time getting there, but you won't get there unless you believe in the world to come. If this is all you have, if it's just this world, then bitterness is your only option.

"But if you believe that there is a God who is higher than you are and wiser than you are, and He has a world prepared for you where all Christians will be together again and be with Him in absolute joy and bliss, then that brings strength to your sorrow."

Place your trust in God and in His preparations and plans for you.

 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:1-3).

 Lord and Savior, I trust that You will someday bring me home to live in heaven with You. For now, I need to try and look at my sorrows in light of eternity. The things of this world are much clearer when I have a higher perspective. Amen.

--------------------------------------------------------
Suggested reading from the GriefShare

Shadow of the Almighty
Elisabeth Elliot  

_____________________________________________________________________________________

UP

When the going gets tough
The tender heart looks UP
Up to where the eagles fly
Up to the Lord on high

When the road is hard
The humble keep climbing
Up to where the Spirit lives
Up to where the angels sing

When the future looks bleak
The hopeful heart presses on
Up to the Cross that promises life
Up to where our Savior died

When heaven's skies are dark
Believers trust in God's love
Assured in their born-again hearts
The only one to look is JESUS

JEFF
2011

May 20, 2011
Shortcuts to Futility
by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Exodus 6:2–29

So many times you and I miss the opportunity to watch the Lord work in mighty and miraculous ways. Why? Because instead of "standing still" and watching Him pull off our deliverance, we seek out the carnal alternative. We look for the back-door escape, a fleshly shortcut.

Notice how God handled His man, Moses. Without rebuke, the Lord gave Moses two pieces of counsel. One related to His person; the other related to His work. He told Moses who He was, and then He told him what He was going to do. And the order in the Lord's response is as important as the facts themselves.

Right off the top, He repeated the message from the burning bush, saying, "I am" five different times in Exodus chapter 6.

"I am the LORD . . . " (v. 2)
"I am the LORD . . . " (v. 6)
"I am the LORD . . . " (v. 7)
"I am the LORD . . . " (v. 8)
"I am the LORD . . . " (v. 29)

Time after time He punctuated His message to Moses by saying, "Look, Moses, your eyes are in the wrong place (again). Get your eyes back on Me (again). Remember who I am (again)."

Who is the Lord? Ask the prophet Isaiah. Troubled and sick at heart over the moral condition of his nation, Isaiah glanced toward the sky one day and "saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up" (Isaiah 6:1 NKJV). That's all he needed to see. He fixed his eyes on the Lord, and, suddenly, his whole perspective changed.

If you have been a believer for any length of time, you will have heard these words over and over. But that's all right; here they are again. Until your eyes are fixed on the Lord, you will not be able to endure those days that go from bad to worse.

___________________________________________________________

HFTW Church
From Dale's Message: "God doesn't want you to any longer be "pick-pocketed" by your past. Jesus wants
to flood your past with peace and your future with hope"  Find out how here: http://bit.ly/kw1Vqs