ary 1, 2009)
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Thu, Jan 01, 2009 07:44 AM
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Think on These Things
One of the tragic casualties of our age has been that of the contemplative life--a life that thinks, a life thinks things through, and more particularly, thinks God’s thoughts after Him. A person sitting at his or her desk staring out the window would never be assumed to be working. No! Thinking is not equated with work. Yet, had Newton under his tree, or Archimedes in his bathtub, bought into that prejudice, some natural laws would still be up in the air or buried under an immovable rock. Pascal’s Pensees, or Thoughts, a work that has inspired millions, would have never been penned. What is even more destructive is the assumption that silence is inimical to life. The radio in the car, Muzak in the elevator, and the symphony entertaining callers "on hold" all add up as grave impediments to personal reflection. In effect, the mind is denied the privilege of living with itself even briefly and is crowded with outside impulses to cope with aloneness. Aldous Huxley’s indictment, “Most of one’s life... is one prolonged effort to prevent thinking,” seems frightfully true. Moreover, the price paid for this scenario has been devastating. As T.S. Eliot questioned: Where is the life we have lost in the living?Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?The cycles of heaven in twenty centuriesbring us farther from God and nearer to dust. Is there a remedy? May I make some suggestions for personal and corporate benefit? Nothing ranks higher for mental discipline than a planned and systematic study of God’s Word, from whence life’s parameters and values are planted in the mind. Paul, who loved his books and parchments, affirmed the priority of Scripture: “Do not go beyond what is Written” (1 Corinthians 4:6). And Psalm 119 promises that God’s statutes keep us from being double-minded. The church as a whole and the pulpit in particular must challenge the mind of this generation. The average young person today actually surrenders the intellect to the world, presuming Christianity to be bereft of intelligence. Many a pulpit has succumbed to the lie that anything intellectual cannot be spiritual or exciting. Thankfully there are exceptions. When living in England, our family attended a church where preaching was taken quite seriously and one-hour sermons to packed auditoriums were the norm. Cambridge, being rife with skepticism, demanded a meticulous defense of each sermon text. I mention this to say one thing. When we were leaving Cambridge, our youngest child, who was nine years old, declared the preaching of this church to be one of his fondest memories. Even as a little boy he had learned that when the mind is rightly approached, it filters down to the heart. The matter I share here has far-reaching implications. We do a disservice to our youth by not crediting them with the capacity to think. We cannot leave this uncorrected. The Bible places supreme value on the thought-life as that which shapes all of life. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he,” Solomon wrote. Jesus asserted that sin’s gravity lay at the level of the idea itself, not just the act. Paul admonished the church at Philippi to have the mind of Christ, and to the same people he wrote: “[W]hatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8). The follower of Christ must demonstrate to the world what it means not just to think, but to think justly. That is, in the words of aging David to his son Solomon, to “acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever" (1 Chronicles 28:9). Let us serve the God of creation with both hearts and minds. After all, it is not that I think, therefore, I am, but rather, the great I Am has asked us to think, and therefore, we must.
Ravi Zacharias is founder and president of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11).
“THEREFORE, I THINK” by Jeffrey E. Pollock
Today to the best of my ability I write this introduction to what I pray God will soon become a published work of poetry. It was yesterday, yes, yesterday (10/15/08) that an idea to call it “Therefore, I Think” came to mind. This is a collection of E-mails that have accumulated during the past 4 years; interspersed with many devotional readings that have encouraged me and personal notes to friends this is also somewhat of a spiritual life journal…. This book is dedicated to my wonderfully complicated wife and partner in poetry Evelyn without whom I truly doubt I’d have taken up writing poetry at all…. In fact, the first poem I ever wrote was for Jesus to her entitled “In Your Eyes” which I consider to be the best poem ever written. Praise God! Years ago our pastor Dale Walker looked at me after I apparently encouraged him and told me I have the gift of encouragement. There is so much more about how God birthed The Gift and the poetry lovebug in my soul…. For now I think that’s enough. My poems are simple and imperfect but I believe by God’s grace and His promise that His Word will always make contact (hitting the mark and changing the heart) and bring Him all glory. I do hope you ENJOY reading through this collection. If you’d prefer to read this from past to present please start at the end and read toward the beginning. W/Love in Christ Jesus, Jeffree!
What he's been creating, since the first beat of your
heart, is a living, breathing, priceless work of art.
-- Stephen Curtis Chapman
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue
but with actions and in truth." -- 1 John 3:18
WORK OF ART
These words,
This empty dialogue,
what good does it really do?
These rhymes, these clever poems,
How does it prove my love for You?
The songs I sing, The worship I bring,
Does it really ever move Your Heart?
This sinner's life,
These empty hands, are all I have for You,
To shape into a holy, righteous work of art.
Jeffrey E Pollock
OCTOBER 2OO8
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ
laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay
down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has
material possessions and sees his brother in need
but has no pity on him, how can the love of God
be in him? Dear children, let us not love with
words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:16-18
What he's been creating, since the first beat of your
heart, is a living, breathing, priceless work of art.
-- Stephen Curtis Chapman
-----------------------------
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST
-----------------------------
October 7, 2008
RECONCILIATION
For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew
no sin; that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. --2 Corinthians 5:21
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=2co+5:21&sr=1
Sin is a fundamental relationship; it is not wrong
doing, it is wrong being, deliberate and emphatic
independence of God. The Christian religion bases
everything on the positive, radical nature of sin.
Other religions deal with sins; the Bible alone
deals with sin. The first thing Jesus Christ faced
in men was the heredity of sin, and it is because
we have ignored this in our presentation of the
Gospel that the message of the Gospel has lost its
sting and its blasting power.
The revelation of the Bible is not that Jesus Christ
took upon Himself our fleshly sins, but that He took
upon Himself the heredity of sin which no man can
touch. God made His own Son to be sin that He might
make the sinner a saint. All through the Bible it is
revealed that Our Lord bore the sin of the world by
identification, not by sympathy. He deliberately took
upon His own shoulders, and bore in His own Person,
the whole massed sin of the human race - "He hath
made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin," and by
so doing He put the whole human race on the basis of
Redemption. Jesus Christ rehabilitated the human race;
He put it back to where God designed it to be, and
anyone can enter into union with God on the ground of
what Our Lord has done on the Cross.
A man cannot redeem himself; Redemption is God's "bit,"
it is absolutely finished and complete; its reference
to individual men is a question of their individual
action. A distinction must always be made between the
revelation of Redemption and the conscious experience
of salvation in a man's life.
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - by Oswald Chambers
===========================================
http://www.heartlight.org/devotionals/my_utmost
Here's something for Easter this year; I pray you'll find the Lord. ENJOY!Romans 5:6When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. HIGHER GROUNDCalling all rebellious sinners,Who never followed God's voice;Be rid of all your man-made fears,And choose instead to rejoice.Calling all hardened liars,Who will not tell the truth;Quench not the Spirit's fire,Chasing the sins of your youth.Calling all homesick Christians,Who hear the Shepherd's sound;Repent of your unholy sins,And come up to higher ground.Calling all adopted saints,Who believe the Lord is true;Come back to the foot of the Cross,Where Jesus died to make a way for you.jeffrey E pollockMarch 10, 2008 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 Romans 5 (Whole Chapter)
COME HOME MY CHILD COME HOME
I've held the hand that gave me life,
I walked in the Light who healed my eyes;
I've surrendered my all just to get back up and fall,
And still I hear my Father call:
COME HOME MY CHILD COME HOME
Come home My child come home,
Don't close your eyes and fall the dark;
You can't shun Me if you want to be free,
From the loneliness gripping your heart.
I have felt the love of being held,
After I've tried so hard to get away;
He suffered death to save my soul from hell,
And shed on me His holy blood and grace.
I have felt the hope of being redeemed,
After selling my soul to serve myself;
I've known the Truth who set me free,
And still my soul refuses to be well.
I have felt the joy of being alive,
After I turned my back and denied God;
I felt hot tears fall from my eyes,
When He took my place on The Cross.
Come home My child come home,
Don't close your eyes and run in the dark;
You can't escape Me if you want to be free,
Of the lies which imprison your heart.
Come home My child come home.
Jeffrey E. Pollock
October 18, 2008
God's Poetry, everyday@maxlucado.com
Yesterday, August 26, 2008
Grace for the Moment: Volume 2 by Max Lucado
"We are his workmanship."
Ephesians 2:10 NKJV
Scripture calls the church a poem. "We are His workmanship" (Eph. 2:10). Workmanship descends from the Greek word poeo or poetry. We are God's poetry! What Longfellow did with pen and paper, our Maker does with us. We express his creativity best.
You aren't God's poetry. I'm not God's poetry. We are God's poetry. Poetry demands variety. "God works through different men in different ways, but it is the same God who achieves his purposes through them all" (I Cor. 12:6 Phillips). God uses all types to type his message. Logical thinkers. Emotional worshipers. Dynamic leaders. Docile followers. The visionaries who lead, the studious who ponder, the generous who pay the bills…Alone, we are meaningless symbols on a page. But collectively, we inspire.
from
Cure for the Common Life
-=- by Max Lucado -=-
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Dear friends, I was working on this planning to send it out on my birthday, the 18th -- but I sent it to you yesterday ( before or after this depending on which way you’re reading ) by mistake, or could that have been Providence, I hope so. This time I added a LINK (at the end) to The Pocket Testament League -- a wonderful ministry that distributes Gospels of John FREE to all who have a heart to OBEY Christ's com-mand to share His truth with EVERYONE; this is a great way to get it done. It may only be available in the USA, but check it out and see what you think. God bless you, Jeff (It may be available overseas by now)FOCUS: TRUE LIFE
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. HEBREWS 12:2-3
FOCUS: TRUE LIFE LET US FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, AS WE TURN OUR EYES OFF SIN; AS WE WALK IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, LET US KEEP IN STEP WITH HIM. LET US CARRY OUR CROSS UNTO DEATH, AS WE REMEMBER CHRIST DIED FOR US; AS WE ENDURE THE STRUGGLES AHEAD, LET US RELY ON GOD WHOM WE TRUST. LET US HUNGER AND THIRST FOR TRUE LIFE, AS WE RECALL CHRIST JESUS LIVES TODAY; AS WE PERSERVERE AGAINST EMPTY LIES, LET US FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH. LET US EXERCISE OUR HEARTS IN LOVE, AS WE GROW IN GRACE FROM MILK TO MEAT; AS WE BECOME WISER IN THE WISDOM OF JESUS, LET US FOCUS OUR ENERGY ON REMAINING FREE.
Jeffree E. Pollock April 18, 2005
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. GALATIANS 5:1
http://www.pocketpower.org/
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. HEBREWS 12:2-3 NIV FOCUS: TRUE LIFE LET US FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, AS WE TURN OUR EYES OFF SIN; AS WE WALK IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, LET US KEEP IN STEP WITH HIM. LET US CARRY OUR CROSS UNTO DEATH, AS WE RECALL CHRIST DIED FOR US; AS WE ENDURE THE STRUGGLES AHEAD, LET US RELY ON GOD WHOM WE TRUST. LET US HUNGER AND THIRST FOR TRUE LIFE, AS WE REMEMBER JESUS LIVES TODAY; AS WE PERSERVERE AGAINST EMPTY LIES, LET US FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH. LET US EXERCISE OUR HEARTS IN LOVE, AS WE GROW IN GRACE FROM MILK TO MEAT; AS WE BECOME WISER IN THE WISDOM OF JESUS, LET US FOCUS OUR ENERGY ON REMAINING FREE. Jeffrey Edward Pollock April 18, 2005 (My BD, 1961)It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. GALATIANS 5:1
Main Entry: [1]faith·ful 1 : full of faith 2 : steadfast in affection or allegiance : LOYAL 3 : firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty : CONSCIENTIOUS 4 : given with strong assurance : BINDING
Subject: THIS LIFE OF MINE
THIS LIFE OF MINE In one lucid moment in the middle of my night, I realized this life I'm living, is not of faith, but sight. In that moment, the twinkling of an eye, The scales fell from mine, and I was no longer blind. In that moment, God made Himself known, His light of truth filled my soul, and I was brought by force under His control. In that moment God made crystal-clear, the joy of living without strife or fear; I comprehended as I surrendered to faith, this life of mine would never be same! JEFFREEPOLLOCK APRIL 10, 2005
Acts 9 Saul's Conversion Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord–-Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here-–has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.
I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclessiates 3:10-11 NIV Ecclessiates 3:10-11 NIV BEAUTIFULBEAUTIFULBEAUTIFULBreak it down Make it rhyme Watch it change In perfect time Do it right Do it wrong Leave it to God To write the song Sunrise, sunset From dusk to dawn Time used best Will count when you're gone In God's time... Everything is beautiful! JEFFREE! E. POLLOCK JEFFREE! E. POLLOCK JEFFREE! E. POLLOCK November 2002 November 2002 November 2002
JEFFREE! 04/09/05
Art was his life. He had plenty of money and circled the globe to collect the very best. His more than adequate house was filled with Monets, Picassos, and many of the world's finest treasures. But after years of having it all, he found his world shattered when cancer took his wife. To memorialize his love for her, he decided to gather an even better collection in her honor. The collector's love became focused on his son. They did everything together, and he took pride in all that his son accomplished. It was a sad day when his son went off to fight in the Vietnam War. But not as sad as the day when the news came that his son had been killed in battle. He was crushed. He lost all interest in collecting. His life was reduced to lonely memories of days gone by with those he loved. Years later, a knock at his door found him standing face-to-face with a rather common, slightly tattered person who was holding a picture under his arm. The visitor told the collector that he had been his son's friend in Vietnam and now made a living as a street painter. He explained that while he was in Vietnam he had painted a picture of his friend and wanted to know if the father might be interested in it. The old man took the picture in his hands and immediately noticed the clear resemblance. The sparkle in his son's eyes brought back a flood of memories. No one would have said that it was great art, but he took the picture tearfully and gratefully. He immediately hung it above the mantel where his favorite picture had hung since before his wife had died. When the old man passed away, his entire collection went to the most prestigious auction house in London. Needless to say, this created quite a stir among museum curators and wealthy people from around the world. On the day of the auction the room was crowded with the who's who of collecting. The gavel sounded as the hushed crowd that jammed the auction house watched the first picture being unveiled. To everyone's astonishment, it was the picture that the street painter had given to the old collector. The auctioneer waited for a bid. No one moved. He explained that this was a picture of the collector's son who was killed in Vietnam. As the crowd grew restless, the auctioneer explained that the instructions in the will required that this picture be auctioned first. Finally, to get the bidding started, the auctioneer offered the painting for fifty dollars. Still no one responded---until a voice came from the back of the room from a man who said he was the soldier's friend and, in fact, the painter of the picture. He said he would bid the fifty dollars to get the picture back. The auctioneer called for other bids and, hearing none, gaveled the bids closed as the crowd settled in for the real action. But to everyone's surprise, the auctioneer gaveled the auction closed. The crowd protested in disbelief. The crowd protested in disbelief. to which the auctioneer replied, "It's in the old man's will: 'Whoever takes the son gets it all!'" We can say the same thing: "Whoever takes the Son gets it all." When we take Jesus, God's Son, as Savior, it is the Father's will that we receive all the spiritual riches of our inheritance in Him. Grace provides everything we need for life and eternity. Once we are touched with the undeserved love of Christ, life ceases to be about collecting the masterpieces of our own accomplishments. It is about the Son and a grateful devotion to Him. The apostle Paul expressed it this way, that he counted all things loss and his very best achievements like waste so that he could know the unsurpassed grace of Christ in his life (Phil. 3:7-8). For Christ-lovers, life is not about us and our accomplishments, but about living to adore Him. ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- My humble testimony ... if I can really call it that, Is the love I have for Jesus... a branch upon His vine; My greatest accomplishment ... if I can even call it mine, Is the faith I have in Jesus Christ ... the way, the truth, the life. JEFFREE! 04/08/05
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MANY ROADS TO HELL Step by step from faith to faith, We search our hearts to assure our selves; We are still traversing the narrow way, Sure we're not on our way to Hell. Mile by mile from signpost to sign, We sanctify our souls to satisfy our God; We are still pursuing His shining Light, Choosing the way that clings to the Cross. Death to life, from grace to grace, We come to Jesus for mercy upon mercy; Life to death there are many roads to Hell, But only one, One Way to get to Heaven. JEFFREEE! APRIL 2, ‘05 "I am the way, the truth, and the life." - Jesus Christ
The shadow of the Cross Is Light, He is Love. SHADE OF THE CROSS Can you see God's own Son, Crucified to rescue man; Can you see the Face of God, Streaked with tears and blood? Can you see the Shepherd, Sacrificed to save the sheep; Can you see the Heart of God, Broken by our pride and greed? Can you feel the earth tremble? Can you see the sky grow black? The pouring rain, the driving nails, The sword that pierced His back? Can you remember His final words; Spoken just before our Savior died; Can you hear Him asking His Father, To forgive us all for taking His life? Have you come into the shade of this Cross? The blood Christ shed will cleanse you of sin. Believe in your heart you are reconciled to God, And rest assured in His promise of resurrection. Jeffrey E. Pollock March 31, 2005 HE CHOSE THE NAILS
BOUND FOR GLORY Hold me down and tie me up, Be certain the knot is sure; Lay me down on the track to Heaven, Change my HEART and make it pure. Give my body a break today, Bust every pride-filled bone; Empty my flesh of all that is evil, Heal me as my faith in You grows. Release these heavy chains of doubt, I want to soar, I want my spirit to sing; All my soul-senses are alive and on guard, Aware that the Spirit Train is coming! I'm so tired of living only for myself, Side-tracked on a train bound for Hell; Seal me Holy Spirit in Your holiness, Lift me up from this pit to Your level. I surrender every thing I have, And discover everything I find is Yours; In humility I acknowledge Your mercy & grace, In submission, I am still before You, O Lord, my Lord. Leave all your baggage back at the station, Drop all your worries and by faith get on board; Hold on tight to The Conductor for the ride of your life, You will be headed for Heaven with the Lord! O God, my Father, use me to tell others Your truth, Your Son Jesus Christ is the only ticket we need; This will be the first day of your eternal salvation, If you jump, jump on this train bound for Glory! Jeffree E. Pollock Rewrite: 03/31/05 PSALM 61:1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. PSALM 61:2
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This is a little after Easter poem. I love not knowing what isgoing to come out of my brain next. It generally depends onwhat I'm reading that day. This morn I was concentrating on this passage out of 2 Corinthians and felt compelled to write. Pray for me; I'm studying through the Psalms and working on a 15-part poem I hope to have finished sometime next month. Speaking of prayer, I want to remind you that I pray for you;I know some of you already do, but please feel free to send Ev and I any prayer requests you may have that we can bring before God on your behalf. God bless you with His JOY, Jeff_____________________2 Cor. 5:1-5For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long for the day when we will put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will not be spirits without bodies, but we will put on new heavenly bodies. Our dying bodies make us groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and have no bodies at all. We want to slip into our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by everlasting life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. MY DAILY CROSSI get up to view the rising Sun,and start the day exercising my faith;And when I free my mind from sleep’s full nelson,I say a prayer: Lord, help me love you more today.I wake up each morning day,not looking forward to seeing the mirror;After I curse the scare and fix my hair,I say a prayer: God, today, let me see the Lord.I get up to find my daily cross,Waiting where I left it the day before;I remember the one Christ Jesus died to save my soul on,And I praise Him: Lord God, thank You for being my Savior!I wake up with the Risen Son,and look forward to my Home in heaven;And with His Word written on my heart,I greet the world as my friend.JEFFREE!03/28/05 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. That is why we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies. It is because we know this solemn fear of the Lord that we work so hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we trying to pat ourselves on the back again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart before God. If it seems that we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit (2 Corinthians 5:6-13 NLT).
The cross symbolizes a cosmic as well as historic truth. Love conquers the world, but its victory is not an easy one. -- Reinhold Niebuhr Here's a little poem for Easter. Enjoy! God bless you with His love, Jeff and Evelyn JOHN 16:5-16 "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?" Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin, and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me." ONE WAY TO HEAVEN A little alliteration is all it takes to start a poemBefore we know it once againa twisted trail leads us HomeLies we have listened to for too long have divided our minds in twoFilled our ears with hopeless fearsand warped our attitudesBut the truth we have taken to heartthat have united our spirits with God'sHave opened our eyes to see what is wisebegins and ends at Jesus’ crossFaith in His death and resurrectionis all it takes to become a ChristianSo before you turn your back on Him againSTOP! Choose the path that leads to Heaven Jeffrey E Pollock March 27, 2005 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” JOHN 15:15-21
2 Corinthians 5:14-16 -- NLTWhatever we do, it is because Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them. Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, as though he were merely a human being. How differently I think about him now! RENEWEDWe who are infusedWith the presence of Christ's own Spirit,Are being changed through and throughBy faith in the grace of God we're living.We who are imbuedIn the power of Life's own blood,Have been dyed eternally newBy faith in the joy of Jesus love.We who are imbruedBy the purpose and plan of Almighty God,Have been baptized into this Body of TruthBy faith in Christ who died on The Cross.We who are renewedAre now ambassadors of God's own reconciliation,Our Father sent His Son to die because He loves youBut don't forget He lives today to rescue us from sin. Jeffrey E PollockMarch 17, 2005What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, "Be reconciled to God!" For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.2 Corinthians 5:17-21 -- NLTIf you'd like to sample the book "The Purpose-Driven Life" by RickWarren, go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/alt/purpose/
Major NAMES of God.doc (26KB)
REVELATION 4:11 (NLT)"You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created."THIS GOD WE WORSHIPWho is this God we worship?This Man of sorrow and misery,This One conceived of the Spirit,Who is our strength and victory!Who is this God we love?This itinerant Truth-teller,This firstborn/Firstborn Son,Who is now our intercessor!Who is this God whom we adore?This Man of action and compassion,This Savior, this Sovereign Lord,Who is the Author of our faith and the Anchor of our freedom!Who is this who calls us to follow?This Shepherd of wandering souls,This Great Fisher of fallen men,In whose blood we are forgiven!Who is this who built a bridge from here to Heaven? This carpenter from Nazareth;Who is the God we worship, our Master, Redeemer, Blood-Brother and Best Friend!Who is this One who promised that He would never leave us? This Crucifixion? This empty tomb? This Resurrection Life? This Jesus?Who is this God of Heaven and Earth; this Creator of the Universe? This God we worship; because He lived He gaveour life; because He died He saved our souls. Because He lives, we have eternal life! This precious Jesus, this Living Word, this Lamb of God whose final sacrifice paved the way for His Spirit to come lead us Home to our Father in heaven.AMEN!JEFFree!03/15/05Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. And I command you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, that you obey his commands with all purity. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. For at the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No one has ever seen him, nor ever will. To him be honor and power forever. Amen. 1 TIMOTHY 6:12-16 (New Living)
MATTHEW 6:9-10Our Father in heaven,Hallowed be Your name.Your kingdom come.Your will be doneOn earth as it is in heaven.THERE MUST BE SOME ONEThere must be someone we can trust,Outside this spinning world of slippery slopes;A sovereign God whose heart is love,Who is not swayed by frail human hopes.There must be something we can believe,Above the oppressive walls of cultural conclusions;An omniscient God whose goal is life and peace,Who is not surprised by faulty human indecision.There must be somewhere we can stand,Amidst this swirling storm of lies and doubt;An omnipresent God whose comfort is constant,Who is not repulsed when human weakness is found.There must be some One we can turn to,Beyond these crumbling kingdoms we call ours;An ALMIGHTY GOD whose Word alone is Truth,Who would rather die than leave us lost forever.There is One whose promise is certain,There is One who's proved God's love;There is One who is our dearest friend,His Name is Savior, His name is JESUS.Jeffree E PollockMarch 10, 2005"I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will,but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38).
EPHESIANS 1:2 NIVGrace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.ADOPTED BY HIS GRACEThe Hope that is within me,Is alive and growing strong;I'm not worried about dying,Because my life is from God.The Peace that reigns in me,Is righteous and eternally stable;I'm not anxious about tomorrow,Because my God is forever able.The Light in my heart,Is holy and shining with pure love;I am not afraid of the devil's lies,Because I am seated with God above.The Joy in my soul,Is freely given and found only at Jesus' cross;I'm born again through Christ's death and resurrection,Adopted by His grace into the family of God.Jeffree E. PollockFebruary 28, 2005Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessedus in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will---to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemp-tion through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfill- ment---to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. EPHESIANS 1:3-10 NIV03/1/05When Spirit Is a PersonDale FincherAll day long we are surrounded by "the spirit of the age." We see it,hearit, and even believe it in bits and pieces. We know people in it and werear our children in it. There is rarely a time when we can actuallyremove ourselves from it. It is, in some ways, even in our blood.But how odd would it be to think that this "spirit of the age" is anactual person. We do not think there is an actual being called "TheSpirit of the Age" that marches through time and takes on differentshapes and sizes. "The spirit of the age" is no more than an attitude stemmed from certain beliefs of a conglomerate of people in the midst of a culture.That is not the only way we use the word "spirit" today. If someone hasa good attitude, we say, "That's the right spirit." If someone uses energyand gusto, we say, "She sang her song with spirit." If we're talkingabout the mindset or idea of a person, we say something like, "The spirit of the Wright Brothers is alive and strong at Boeing." When we say a person has the Spirit of Christ, what do we mean? In onesense, we could be speaking of someone who shares the passion of Christto help the poor and suffering. If we meant it in this way, "spirit" wouldbe used similarly to the way Gandhi used it. The "Spirit of Jesus" issimply a man to emulate—merely an example for everyone.But when the Bible talks the Spirit of Christ, it is referring to it in avery different way. This is what makes following Jesus unique tofollowing anyone else. Romans 8:9 says this:You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact theSpirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit ofChrist does not belong to him.What is the Apostle Paul saying to the Christians in Rome? He is sayingthat "Spirit" is not an idea or an attitude. "Spirit" is a living person. In fact, Paul is saying that if we are not rightly related to this person, if this person is not part of our lives, then we do not belong to God. We are still a longway off.When Christ came into the world he didn't come merely to give us anexample in suffering, a good attitude in oppression, nor a way to helpthe poor and needy, though an example he did give. Rather, he came to reconnect us with God, to birth a relationship with our maker that has no end, to love us who are unlovely, understand us who are easilymisunderstood, and to quell our fear of death and suffering because he identified with us in both and conquered their treacherous stings.The Spirit of Christ is a Person who walks with all who choose to join ascitizens of his Kingdom.He's real, not simply an idea; he's a person ready to meet us in themoment, not merely an example of bygone years.Malcolm Muggeridge talked about his filming a documentary of the HolyLand. He walked with his friend along the road to Emmaus. The same onementioned in Luke 24. He said, "Shortly after the Crucifixion, Cleopas and a friend were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus and inevitably talking as they went along about the Crucifixion, which had happened so recently. They were joined by a third man who … shared in their conversation. As my friend and I walked along like Cleopas and his friend, we recalled the events of the Crucifixion and its aftermath in the light of our utterly different and yet similar world. Nor was it a fancy that we, too, were joined by a third presence. And I tell you that wherever the walk, and whoever the wayfarers, there is always this third presence ready to emerge from the shadows and fall in step along the dusty, stony way."When the Spirit is a person, and not just an attitude, then a relationshipis not only important, but imperative. It is this Person who promises,if we allow Him, to dwell in us and we in Him. It is this Person whopromises to be with us to the very end of the age. Let us think afreshthat relating with this Person is the central reason of why we were made.-------------------------------------------------------------------Copyright (c) 2004 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM)Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of "ASlice of Infinity" must set forth the following credit line, in full, atthe conclusion of the portion of A Slice of Infinity that is used:Copyright(c) 2004 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM).Reprinted with permission. A Slice of Infinity is a ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries Ravi Zacharias International Ministries may withdraw or modify this grant of permission at any time http://www.rzim.org/.---------------------------------------------------------------------To subscribe, send an empty email to:http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=slice-text-subscribe@lists.rzim.org>
THE FAMILY OF GODThe Hope I have within me,Is alive and growing strong;I'm not worried about dying,Because my life is from God.The Peace I have inside me,Is holy and eternally stable;I'm not anxious about tomorrow,Because our God is forever able.The Light I have in my heart,Is pure and shining with love;I am not afraid of the devil's lies,Because I am seated with God above.The Joy I have in my soul,Is freely given and found only at Jesus' cross;I am born again through Christ's resurection,Adopted by His grace into the family of God.Jeffree E. PollockFebruary 28, 2005--------- Forwarded message ----------
THE FAMILY OF GODThe Hope I have within me,Is alive and growing strong;I'm not worried about dying,Because my life is from God.The Peace I have inside me,Is holy and eternally stable;I'm not anxious about tomorrow,Because our God is forever able.The Light I have in my heart,Is pure and shining with love;I am not afraid of the devil's lies,Because I am seated with God above.The Joy I have in my soul,Is freely given and found only at Jesus' cross;I am born again through Christ's resurection,Adopted by His grace into the family of God.Jeffree E. PollockFebruary 27, 2005--------- Forwarded message ----------From: J E Pollock <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jepollock77@juno.com>To: http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=JEPollock77@juno.comDate: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 22:40:17 -0600Subject: LIFE IS FROM GOD < title="Click to download attachment" href="http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/showMessage?fid=POETREEMAIL&nextMid=1_367475_ACOzSdEAAKUMQiKtJgv%2F1Rtq%2BoY&sort=date&order=down&startMid=650&.rand=1353083692&da=0&m=1_365161_ACOzSdEAAKUMQiU7%2BQwBRQ5HKxU%2C1_365733_ACOzSdEAAKUMQiONOQwAtXkY3wg%2C1_366272_ACOzSdEAAKUMQiOCJAwAbXZiBZU%2C1_366876_ACOzSdEAAKUMQiN8KgwAIAyb4Gc%2C1_367475_ACOzSdEAAKUMQiKtJgv%2F1Rtq%2BoY%2C1_368053_ACOzSdEAAKUMQh5afwv%2FjDDqgYM%2C1_368614_ACOzSdEAAKUMQh2HXwv%2B7kSesls%2C1_369188_ACOzSdEAAKUMQhfrqwv%2BIRcz5V4%2C1_369769_ACOzSdEAAK">Fw: acumen: M-W's Word of the Day.eml (4KB)
The acumen I once enjoyed
Has faded with the joy I had
Now all I have is day to day
But I'm not really all that sad
Forwarded Message: Fw: acumen: M-W's Word of the Day
Fw: acumen: M-W's Word of the Day
Friday, November 5, 2004 2:14 AM
From:
"Jeffree E Pollock"
To:
JEPOLLOCK777@AOL.COM
--------- Forwarded message ----------From: http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=word@m-w.comTo: http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=JEPOLLOCK77@juno.comDate: Wed, 03 Nov 2004 23:59:00 -0600Subject: acumen: M-W's Word of the DayMessage-ID:
More Than ThisJill Carattinihttp://www.rzim.org/Bertrand Russell, the devout atheistic thinker, is often remembered as one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century. In his auto-biography, Russell reflected on his own death, pointedly referring to that moment as the "night of nothingness." He notes, "There is darkness without, and when I die there will be darkness within. There is no splendor, no vastness anywhere; only triviality for a moment, and then nothing."(1) In dramatic contrast are the equally pointed words of another great mind who spoke centuries earlier. As the Apostle Paul looked with anticipation toward his own death, he explained, "To me, to live is Christ, to die is gain… I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far" (Philippians 1:21,23). The distinction is striking. And yet, their words seem to express acommon and underlying sense of alienation, though clearly interpreted in two different ways. For Russell, alienation is expressed through his grim vision of nothingness as he looks at the fleetingness of life and the finality of death. The Apostle Paul, on the other hand, seems to give voice to a deep, abiding awareness of alienation that comes from sensing himself a stranger in this world, wholly anticipating another. In fact, across cultures and throughout history this sense of alienationhas been expressed by many and interpreted in a myriad of ways. For some, a deep sense of isolation and estrangement becomes a thief of meaning and hope. Why am I here? Does my life hold any purpose? The lines of a popular music group give voice to such sentiments as the chorus resonates over and over: "You and I, we live and die. The world's still spinning round and we don't know why. We don't know why. Don't know why…" Still for others, it is a simple sense that we are not quite at home, anawareness of life as a journey toward something else, a longing to bereunited with something from which we now feel cut off. A walk through the woods, a glimpse of something beautiful, or a haunting melody can trigger a pang of longing, the awareness of something more. For me it seems most logical that this common sense of alien-ation and pining for more in this world points to the conclusion that we were indeed made for another. The eloquent reasoning of C.S. Lewis furthers this thought. He writes:We want something else which can hardly be put into words—to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it… to become part of it… At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendors we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in.(2) Our sense of alienation is a rumor we do well to explore. It is a herald of another world, a hint toward an ultimate destiny: You were made for more than this. And Christ's words resound in the deep corridors of longing: "I am going to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2). (1) Bertrand Russell, Autobiography, vol. 2 (London: George Allen and Unwin, 1968) 159.(2) C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory.-------------------------------------------------------------------Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of "A Slice of Infinity" must set forth the following credit line, in full, at the conclusion of the portion of A Slice of Infinity that is used:Copyright(c) 2004 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). http://www.rzim.org/.---------------------------------------------------------------------To subscribe, send an empty email to:http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=slice-text-subscribe@lists.rzim.org>To unsubscribe, send an empty e-mail to:slice-text-unsubscribe@lists.rzim.org>
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LUKE 9:23 NLTThen he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me.DYING FOR JESUSAlive in Christ,Abounding in His love;I will abandon my life,And die for Jesus.Alive in Christ,Celebrating God’s Son;I will dance in the Light,And die for Jesus.Alive in Christ,Cleansed by His blood;I will stand for what is right,And die for Jesus.Alive in Christ,Thankful for all that He has done;I will live by faith and not by sight,Dying only for Jesus.Alive in Christ,Serving the Holy and Righteous One;I will carry my cross and follow The Life,Dying for Jesus.JEFFree E POLLOCKFEBRUARY 24, 2005Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as Godin Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walkin love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us,an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.EPHESIANS 4:31--5:2 NKJV___________________________________Then he asked them, "Who do you say I am?"Peter replied, "You are the Messiah sent from God!"Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about this. "For I, the Son of Man, must suffer many terrible things," he said. "I will be rejected by the leaders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. I will be killed, but three days later I will be raised from the dead." Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process? If a person is ashamed of me and my message, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in my glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.And I assure you that some of you standing here right now will not die before you see the Kingdom of God."LUKE 9:20-27 NLThttp://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/m/tmlalib.htm
Dear friends, here's a poem that popped into my head when I read the psalm below. That's really the way most of these poems get started. From there I tried to fashion it as clearly as I could to thank God through Christ for all that is good in life. Then just before I was going tosend it I thought I'd go through it and change it some.And presto: a whole new poem. Enjoy! Love, Jeff PSALM 16:1-2Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge.I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apartfrom You I have no good thing." ALL MY GOODNESSI find my joy in Jesus,I take my stand in Christ;He fills me with God's love,And gives me hope for life.I find my peace in Jesus,I make up my mind in Christ;He is the One I lean on when,The world distorts His light.I find my freedom in Jesus,All my chains break in Christ;He is my Rock and my righteousness,In a quicksand land of death and lies.I find my song in Jesus,All of my faith is in the Lord Christ;He is my perfect standard of holiness, And He is the reason for all my rhymes.I find all my goodness in Jesus,I have nothing outside of Christ;He is the answer to all of God's promises,And protects those who fight the good fight.I find true joy in Jesus,I take my stand in Christ;He prospers me with true love that blesses,And has given me His grace unto eternal life.JEFFree E PollockFebruary 19, 2005Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in You. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in You. PSALM 25:20-21_______________________________PSALM 16:1-2Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge.I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apartfrom You I have no good thing." ALL OUR GOODNESSWe find our joy in Jesus,We take our stand in Christ;He fills us with God's love,And gives us hope for life.We find our peace in Jesus,We make up our mind in Christ;He is the One we lean on when,The world distorts His light.We find our freedom in Jesus,All our chains break loose in Christ;He is our Rock and our righteousness,In a quicksand lands of death and lies.We find our song in Jesus,All of our faith is in the Lord Christ;He is our golden standard of holiness, And He's the reason for all these rhymes.We find all our goodness in Jesus,We have nothing to boast of outside of Christ;He is the perfect conclusion to all of God's promises,And He guards all His own who are in the good fight.We find true joy in Jesus,We take our stand in Christ;He prospers us with a true love that blesses,Gives us His grace and leads us in eternal life.Jeffreee E PollockFebruary 19, 2005Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in You. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in You. PSALM 25:20-21
I rewrote this and included something I read this morning plus two or three links especially for us of the Jewish persuasion. Enjoy! Love, Jeff_________________________________Philippians 4:6"In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." EVERYTHING YOU DO (2)In all that you do,For every step you take;With all that makes life true,Look to God for your strength.In all that you know,For every thought you think;With all that tries to reshape your soul,Remember Christ's cross and be forgivenIn all that you may say,For every word that you speak;With all of your strength, look up and pray,And give God thanks for all that you need.In all of your life,For every single breath of your being;With each moment your spirit is given light,Worship Yeshua, worship Him for everything!JEFFree E. PollockFebruary 12, 2005God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.JOHN 4:24 http://www.godsclay.com/truth.htmhttp://www.godsclay.com/yeshua.htmIT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no onecomes to the Father but through Me.’” John 14:6Have you noticed that many people, and surprisingly some Christians, wantto reconstruct the road to heaven? Some propose, “Let’s broaden thisthing out to four lanes so more people could get on. The road is toonarrow as it is.”Jesus spoke to that issue in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrowgate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads todestruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate issmall and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few whofind it.”That kind of singularity is like fingernails on a chalkboard to ourculture. “One way? Let’s offer many paths to God . . . Jesus,Mohammed—pick the one that’s best for you.” Man’s way: broad. God’s way:narrow and only through Christ.This week on the air we’re in the series, Iraq, Islam, and the MiddleEast: Insights and Answers from God’s Word. The series is intended toanswer people’s questions about the similarities and differences betweenChristianity and Islam. Today I want to focus on the bull’s eye of thatissue: Jesus is the only way to eternal salvation and that to deny Him isto choose eternal death and separation from God. Whoa! That’s hard to hear . Does the Bible really teach this? You can besure that it does:“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not believein the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains onhim.” (John 3:36)“Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other nameunder heaven given to men, by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)“God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who hasthe Son has life; and he who does not have the Son of God does not havelife.” (1 John 5:11-12)And of course the well-known, pivotal verse, John 14:6, where Jesus saidcategorically, “I am the way, the truth, the life; no one comes to theFather, but by Me.” Now, don’t picture Jesus in John 14:6 as some brutal heavenly gatekeeperand says Nobody gets to the Father except through Me. Instead He’ssaying, “Over hear! Come this way. Jesus welcomes every single person whocomes to Him. He doesn’t block the path; He is the path! It all comes down to this. “But as many as received [Jesus], to them Hegave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe inHis name” (John 1:12). Salvation, forgiveness, the gift of eternal lifeall come through Jesus Christ. To whom? To all who believe. Your eternityrests on what you believe about Jesus Christ. Is Jesus your Savior? Can you look to a specific time in your life whenyou turned from your sin and embraced Christ by faith as God’s onlyprovision for your forgiveness? It all comes down to this. You could knowright now, if you would pray this from your heart. Tell Him: “God, I am a sinner. I acknowledge that I have broken Your law; I havemissed the mark. I have failed You in many ways. But I believe that Jesusdied for me. He paid the price of my sin. He purchased my forgiveness. Ibelieve that. I embrace You as my own Lord and Savior. I choose You. Ichoose life.” If you pray that from your heart God will hear you. And He promises, “Hewho comes to Me, I will under no circumstances send away” (John 6:37).Isn’t that good news?All of life comes down to what road you’re on . . . and where it’s going.I proclaim to you the incomparable, unfailing, surpassing supremacy ofJesus Christ in all things. He is the only way to God. WEEKLY WALK ARCHIVES RECEIVE WEEKLY WALK VIA EMAIL http://www.walkintheword.com/weeklywalk.aspx
Hi ya'll, here's a poem I came across that I started back in September and finished this evening. Evelyn and I are well and we pray you are assured of your safety in Christ Jesus. I was (and am) inspired by the following passage as I thought of the Apostle Paul and his "unwavering obedience" to his call to preach Jesus. God bless you as you do too. Love, Jeff & Ev'And I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including all the soldiers in the palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, many of the Christians here have gained confidence and become more bold in telling others about Christ. Some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. They preach because they love me, for they know the Lord brought me here to defend the Good News. Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. But whether or not their motives are pure, the fact remains that the message about Christ is being preached, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. For I know that as you pray for me and as the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will all turn out for my deliverance.For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I will always be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past, and that my life will always honor Christ, whether I live or I die. For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. --- Below this line is a copy of the message.To: http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=JeffreyEvelyn@Yahoo.comDate: Sat, 5 Feb 2005 23:52:30 -0600Subject: IN FAITHPhilippians chapter 1:12-21STEP OUT (IN FAITH)I have an aching desire to answer God's call,To step out and believe He won't let me fall;The hope of my heart is to lift Jesus higher,Teaching the love of Christ with His words.I have an overwhelming need to feel God's love,To stand out and shine in the power of His Son;The strength of my heart is to share Jesus more,Telling the truth of Christ to the spiritually unborn.I have an overarching vision to see my Savior's face,To stare out and find His eyes filled with holy grace;The light of my heart is to know my Lord Jesus better,Preaching the peace of Christ to those who will learn. I have an obligation to be accountable to holiness,To look within and know the One who is my rest;The joy of my heart is to sing of His righteousness,Living my life in Christ with unwavering obedience.JEFFREE E POLLOCKFEBRUARY 06, 2005--------- Forwarded message ----------From: God's Daily Word <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=devotions@gdwm.org>To: http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=dev@gdwm.orgDate: Wed, 22 Sep 2004 10:10:42 -0500Subject: GDW 9-22-04 [Answer The Challenge]Answer The ChallengeWhy are so many "believers" content to live a life of mediocrity in Christ - a life partially devoted to following God and partially devoted to following the ways of the world? Without question, some have only put on the face of a Christian and have never given their heart to God through a saving faith in Jesus, but others are true believers in desperate need of a Spiritual kick in the pants!Paul's letters comprise much of the New Testament. They were written to give instruction on the Christian faith and to encourage perseverance through times of testing. Paul often wrote of the simplicity of the gospel message; "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). But he also wrote to encourage those who truly put their faith in Jesus, to live a life of service, holiness, and unity.When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we begin a new life. We are set free from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:22) and are called to follow Christ as we are conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). But Paul saw many believers sitting on the sidelines of the Christian life; "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received" (Ephesians 4:1).Paul gives encouragement by "urging" a life worthy of Salvation. This has nothing to do with earning our way to Heaven; rather, it's a life lived in holy thankfulness for the gift we have received. The word Paul used for urge can also be translated as beseech, beg, implore, exhort, or challenge. He's not giving a gentle pat on the back which says, "You're doing well, keep running a good race," rather, he's presenting a firm challenge to draw nearer to God and give our lives more fully to Him. Paul used the same word in his letter to the Romans.Romans 12:1"Therefore, I urge {beg, implore, exhort, and even challenge} 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 ofworship."We have been set free and made new! We are a new creation and CANNOT continue to walk with one foot on God's path and the other being allowed to tiptoe along worldly temptations and desires. These simply have no place in the life of a worshipper of the One True God!Today, we are being challenged to trust God more; to talk with Him moreand seek His presence more diligently; to not get pulled away by the liesof the world! We are being challenged to love Him with ALL our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). As we face this day with its multitude of struggles, let's live a life worthy of the calling we have received and forevermore answer the challenge!Steve TroxelGod's Daily Word Ministries*****************************************************Subscribe/Unsubscribe by email to http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=devotions@gdwm.org
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.(Isaiah 55:10-11)As heaven rains on hardened hearts the hope that is our life,May God’s love find you broken and start to make yours right;With all the detours in the world its not surprising we get lost,But turn your focus back to Jesus and find peace at the cross.
HOSEA 10:12I said, 'Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of My love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that He may come and shower righteousness upon you.' TEARS FALL DOWNFather, I bow before Your awesome strengthAnd with trembling hands I present my heartHard and callused, worn out and full of doubtI give it all to You Lord, with its inadequaciesBroken in two, I fall down and cry before YouIn Your presence GodI kneel before Heaven's throneAnd pour out my soul before YouOverwhelmed, my tears fall downAs I worship You in spirit and truthMy King, in Your gloryI kneel before Your splendorBeaten and bruised, divided and confusedMy mortal tears fall downAs I watch for You God, in my weakness I bow to Your strengthAnd with trembling hands I lift this sacrificeHard and callused, worn out and full of doubtI give You my heart with all its inadequaciesBroken, I fall down and cry before YouI give You this heartAn offering of my worshipAnd as You heal its brokenessInvoluntarily, ardent tears fall downAs I remember what You went throughFather God, as a gift of praiseI give You my willing obedienceAnd in Your mercy, because of Your love In true gratitude for Your dear grace my tears fallWhen I think, oh Lord, how much I am loved by YouJeffree PollockEl Paso, TexasJesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." MATTHEW 9:35-38
STANDTake up a shield and defend yourselfTake up a shield and take your Bible off the shelfTake up a shield and give Take up a sword and fight the good fightTake up a sword and walk in Jesus' lightTake up a sword and liveTake up a shofar and stand up for truthTake up a shofar and give God all of youTake up a shofar and as loud as you canLet the world know just where you stand
JEFFREE++++++++++++++++++++The Word of the Day for September 18 is: probity \PROH-buh-tee\ noun : adherence to the highest principles and ideals : uprightness Example sentence: The tale of young George Washington's refusal to tell a lie after cutting down his father's cherry tree is often told to grade schoolers to illustrate his probity.Did you know? "Probity" and its synonyms "honesty," "honor," and "integrity" all mean uprightness of character or action, with some slight differences in emphasis. "Honesty" implies a refusal to lie, steal, or deceive in any way. "Honor" suggests an active or anxious regard for the standards of one's profession, calling, or position. "Integrity" implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge. "Probity," which descends from Latin "probus," meaning "honest," implies tried and proven honesty or integrity.++++++++++++++++++++The Word of the Day for September 20 is: edify \ED-uh-fye\ verb : to instruct and improve especially in moral and religious knowledge; also : enlighten, inform Example sentence: Jesse told the congregation, "The inspiring sermons of our new minister will edify you and propel you to greater spirituality."Did you know? The Latin noun "aedes," meaning "house" or "temple," is the root of "aedificare," a verb meaning "to erect a house." Generations of speakers built on that meaning, and by the Late Latin period, the verb had gained the figurative sense of "to instruct or improve spiritually." The word eventually passed through Anglo-French before Middle English speakers adopted it as "edify" during the 14th century. Two of its early meanings, "to build" and "to establish," are now considered archaic; the only current sense of "edify" is essentially the same as that figurative meaning in Late Latin, "to instruct and improve in moral and religious matters." --------- Forwarded message ----------From: Jeffree E Pollock <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jepollock77@juno.com>To: http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jepollock77@juno.comDate: Tue, 14 Sep 2004 02:51:19 -0500Subject: MY REDEEMER LIVES! (Job 25-27--1 John 3:2)Message-ID: <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=20040914.025128.-125877.0.jepollock77@juno.com>It’s hard to match the exalted words of Job 19:25–27. They have inspiredseveral beautiful hymns, including the beautiful soprano aria in Handel’sMessiah. Notice the emphasis on seeing in these verses. Although he may not haveunderstood his words fully, Job reveals a firm conviction that he willsee the Lord in his own flesh after his death. These words anticipate thebeliever’s hope in the resurrection, when we will behold the risen LordJesus. What we see partially now, we will see fully then (1 John 3:2).
On October 25, 2002 at 6:24pm EDT, http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Jeffree4ever@aol.com wrote:PEACE, BE STILLWITH THESE WORDS I HOPE TO SOOTHE YOU,I PRAY THE LORD WOULD STOP YOUR PAIN;WITH THESE WORDS I WANT TO CHEER YOU,I PRAY THE LORD WOULD BRIGHTEN YOUR WAY.WITH THESE TEARS I HOPE TO ENCOURAGE,I PRAY THE SPIRIT MIGHT COMFORT YOUR SOUL;WITH THESE TEARS I WANT TO GET CLOSER,I PRAY THE SPIRIT MIGHT COMPEL YOU TO FOLLOW.WITH THIS CROSS I LONG TO LOVE YOU,I PRAY GOD THAT HE WILL MAKE YOU NEW;WITH THIS CROSS I DESIRE TO SAVE YOU,I PRAY GOD WILL OPEN YOUR HEART TO TRUTH.WITH THIS BLOOD YOUR FREEDOM IS ETERNAL,I PRAY IN JESUS YOU HAVE LASTING PEACE;WITH THIS BLOOD YOUR RANSOM HAS BEEN PAID,I PRAY IN JESUS YOU FIND MERCY AND RELEASE.--JeffreY E. PollockOctober 25, 2002He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. MARK 4:39
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Philippians chapter 1:12-21IN FAITHI have an aching desire to answer God's call,To step out and believe He won't let me fall;The hope of my heart is to lift Jesus higher,Teaching the love of Christ with my words.I have an overwhelming need to feel God's love,To stand out and shine in the power of His Son;The strength of my heart is to share Jesus more,Telling the truth of Christ to the spiritually unborn.I have an overarching vision to see my Savior's face,To stare out and find His eyes filled with holy grace;The light of my heart is to know the Lord Jesus better,Preaching the peace of Christ to all who will learn. ?????
J. E. P. Answer The ChallengeWhy are so many "believers" content to live a life of mediocrity in Christ - a life partially devoted to following God and partially devoted to following the ways of the world? Without question, some have only put on the face of a Christian and have never given their heart to God through a saving faith in Jesus, but others are true believers in desperate need of a Spiritual kick in the pants!Paul's letters comprise much of the New Testament. They were written to give instruction on the Christian faith and to encourage perseverance through times of testing. Paul often wrote of the simplicity of the gospel message; "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). But he also wrote to encourage those who truly put their faith in Jesus, to live a life of service, holiness, and unity.When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we begin a new life. We are set free from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:22) and are called to follow Christ as we are conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). But Paul saw many believers sitting on the sidelines of the Christian life; "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received" (Ephesians 4:1).Paul gives encouragement by "urging" a life worthy of Salvation. This has nothing to do with earning our way to Heaven; rather, it's a life lived in holy thankfulness for the gift we have received. The word Paul used for urge can also be translated as beseech, beg, implore, exhort, or challenge. He's not giving a gentle pat on the back which says, "You're doing well, keep running a good race," rather, he's presenting a firm challenge to draw nearer to God and give our lives more fully to Him. Paul used the same word in his letter to the Romans.Romans 12:1"Therefore, I urge {beg, implore, exhort, and even challenge} 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 ofworship."We have been set free and made new! We are a new creation and CANNOT continue to walk with one foot on God's path and the other being allowed to tiptoe along worldly temptations and desires. These simply have no place in the life of a worshipper of the One True God!Today, we are being challenged to trust God more; to talk with Him more and seek His presence more diligently; to not get pulled away by the lies of the world! We are being challenged to love Him with ALL our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). As we face this day with its multitude of struggles, let's live a life worthy of the calling we have received and forevermore answer the challenge!Steve TroxelGod's Daily Word Ministries*****************************************************Subscribe/Unsubscribe by email to http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=devotions@gdwm.orgSubscribe via web: http://www.gdwm.org/add.htmFeedback and Prayer: http://www.gdwmboard.org/Send Invitation: http://www.gdwm.org/invite.htmVerses and Psalms: http://www.gdwm.org/versesSpanish Devotions: http://www.gdwm.org/spanishMail from GDWM is only sent to those who subscribe (free of cost) orby invitation from friends. Please unsubscribe if these messages are nolonger desired. We absolutely do not support unsolicited SPAM.Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.God's Daily Word MinistriesP.O. Box 700113San Antonio, TX 78270*****************************************************
PRAYER QUOTE FOR THE WEEKWorship and intercession must go together, the one is impossible without the other. Intercession means that we rouse ourselves up to get the mind of Christ about the one for whom we pray. Too often instead of worship-ping God, we construct statements as to how prayer works. Are we worshipping or are we in dispute with God- 'I don't see how You are going to do it.' This is a sure sign that we are not worshipping. --Oswald ChambersA sacred regard to the authority of God ought to lead us toreject an error, however old, sanctioned by whatever authority,or however generally practiced. -- C. H. Spurgeon
There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity. -- Tom PetersRUN FOR THE HILLSFlee youthful lustsIn the day when its greyAnd follow Christ JesusIn the truth of His graceYou can't always be stillGod's grace is your wayRun for the hills Of His unending grace--------- Forwarded message ----------From: http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jepollock77@juno.comTo: http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=JEPollock777@AOL.com,http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=JEPollock77@JUNO.comCc: http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=JeffrEYEvelyn@yahoo.com,http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Jeffree_Pollock@hotmail.comDate: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 23:30:29 -0500Subject: FLEE YOUTHFUL LUSTSMessage-ID: <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=20040818.233037.-80441.0.jepollock77@juno.com>1TI 6:11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appear-ing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unap-proachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.2 TIMOTHY 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - innothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in exceptto convictions of honor and good sense. -- Winston Churchill
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ALL ABOUT JESUS!
Saturday, February 5, 2005 9:33 PM
From: "Jeffree Pollock"
To: JeffreyEvelyn@Yahoo.com
In this world where we live,We grow in grace and learn to give;The focus of the heart is love and freedom,When the life you live is ALL ABOUT JESUS.In this race which we run,Our victories belong to God's Son;The truth of our Savior will certainly free us,When the way you take is ALL ABOUT JESUS.In this war we all must fight,We stand firm by faith and not by sight;Your light is knowledge and reason,When the battles you wage are ALL ABOUT JESUS.In His grace we take root and grow,Serving Jesus who called us to follow;You will find peace and joy in His righteousness,When the choices you make areALL ABOUT JESUS!Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.-- 2 PETER 3:18We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. -- A. W. Tozer
hasEML = false;
Philippians 2:5-11Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:Who being in very nature God, did not consider equalitywith God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,taking the very nature of a servant, being made in humanlikeness. And being found in appearance as a man hehumbled himself and became obedient to death--even deathon a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest placeand gave him the name that is above every name, that atthe name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven andon earth and under the earth, and every tongue confessthat Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.FRUIT OF THE SPIRITIn this world that drives us to depression,the sky still sparkles above the dying earth; and stars sing their praises in the heavens, to the God of love, peace and joyful mirth.In this land overripe with unrepentant sin, the light still shines forth in holiness and truth; true spiritual worship begins in our hearts, to the God of patience, kindness and good fruit.On this planet that spins us 'round the Sun,the night in part still claims the right to rule;although twelve hours each day the eyes are blind,prayers rise to the Lord who gives all meaning to life.In this kingdom of God we are lifted up to be with theSon Jesus, at the right hand of His glorious Father; all accolades go to Christ alone, who gave Himself to save us, full of faith, gentleness and under His control.JEFFREEE11-13-2004But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Thosewho belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinfulnature with its passions and desires. Since we live bythe Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us notbecome conceited, provoking and envying each other.GALATIANS 5:22,23
THIS PRIDE
This heart inside mescreams and cries for freedomAs if it knows the difference between the truth and slaveryThis pain within metears and fights for reliefAs if it knows a better wayto get out of the tomb of self-pityThis flesh without meturns back and seeks to escapeAs it works to find any way but death at JESUS' CROSS TO BE SET FREEThis sin within mecurses and spits upon the truthAs it believes it can still surviveInspite of He who died and Rose for me
JEFFREE
He died for me. Therefore, I will live for Him.I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. --GALATIANS 2:20ALL ABOUT JESUSIn this dying world where we must live,We grow in God's grace and learn to give;The focus of your heart is truth and freedom,When the life you live is ALL ABOUT JESUS.In this mortal race that we each must run,We know our victories belong to God's Son;The Cross of our Savior most certainly frees us,When the way that we take is ALL ABOUT JESUS.In this spiritual war that we all must fight,We stand firm by faith in God and not by sight;The light of your mind will be knowledge and reason,When the battles you wage are ALL ABOUT JESUS.In this place where we must choose to love and grow,We serve our Lord and Savior who calls us to follow;Your spirit will find peace and joy in His righteousness,When the choices you make are ALL ABOUT JESUS.JEFF POLLOCKNOV-29-2004Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. --2 PETER 3:18Bearing the Reproach of Christ http://www.gty.org/devotions/devotions.phpMoses considered "the reproach of Christ greater riches than thetreasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he leftEgypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Himwho is unseen" (Heb. 11:26-27). How could Moses, who lived 1,500 years before Christ, bear His reproach?Christ is the Greek form of the Hebrew title Messiah, the Anointed One.Many Old Testament personalities were spoken of as being anointed forspecial service to the Lord. Some have suggested that Moses was thinkingof himself as a type of messiah, for he delivered his people from theEgyptian bondage. They would translate verse 26 as, "Considering thereproach of his own messiahship as God's deliverer." However, it seems best to see this verse as a reference to Jesus Himself,the future great Deliverer. We don't know how much knowledge Moses had ofJesus, but certainly it was more than Abraham, of whom Jesus said,"Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad" (John 8:56).The Messiah has always been identified with His people. When they sufferfor righteousness' sake, they suffer in His place. That's why David said,"The reproaches of those who reproach Thee have fallen on me" (Ps. 69:9).Speaking from a New Testament perspective, Paul made a similar statement:"I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus" (Gal. 6:17). There's also a sense in which Christ suffers with His people. When Jesusconfronted Paul, who was heavily persecuting the church, He said, "Saul,Saul, why are you persecuting Me? . . . I am Jesus whom you arepersecuting" (Acts 9:4-5). Moses chose to turn his back on Pharaoh's household and identify withGod's people because he knew that suffering for Christ was far betterthan enjoying the riches of Egypt. At some point in time you too will bepersecuted for Christ's sake (2 Tim. 3:12), so be prepared. When thattime comes, follow Moses' example of faith and courage, knowing that Godwill be your shield and your reward (cf. Gen. 15:1). Suggestions for Prayer: Follow the examples of the apostles by thanking God for the privilege ofbearing a small portion of the reproach that the world aims at Christ(Acts 5:27-41). For Further Study: Memorize Psalm 27:1 as a source of encouragement when facing difficulty.
JOHN 1:1-5In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.THE WORD BECAME FLESHOpen the eyes of your heart,And see the Lord calling you out of the dark;The Star shining forth the glory of heaven,Is inviting you to believe and be born again.Listen, and hear His first cry,After eons of time and space passed by;A humble child gave birth to the Word,Who would die on a Cross to save the earth.Watch, and see His first steps,After waiting so long to humble Himself;Heaven's King who for the love of sinners,Would give up His life to save the worst.Touch, and hold on to your first love,After coming to His knowledge is it really enough;A Shepherd who would be sheered by His sheep,A Savior pierced in His hands and His feet.After lifting you out of the pit you were in by His grace,Believe, and you'll know He must remain in first place;Our Father, who is in heaven, how holy is Your name,Your will be done on earth and in heaven the same.Give us bread for this day and forgive all our sins,As we forgive those who would also sin against us;Let us follow you in safety and keep us close to You,As we seek to worship you Lord in spirit and in truth.Taste, and swallow (if you will) His first blood,After giving so much He is still able to love;A sacrificial Lamb whose death gave us life,Would soon rise again and return to the light.Open the ears of your heart,And hear the Lord calling you out of the dark;The Gospel shining forth the grace and truth of heaven,Is inviting you to die to yourself and be born again.JEFFree E. POLLOCKDecember 27, 2004He was in the world, and the world was made through Him,and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, andHis own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him,to them He gave the right to become children of God, to thosewho believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.JOHN 1:10-13And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.JOHN 1:14 (NKJV)
FOR THE GLORY OF GODWe have a connectionWhere the heart of Jesus feels our painOur hearts beat as one for the glory of GodAs we worship His only true SonOnly Jesus told it like it isOnly Jesus knew creation was HisOnly Jesus truly let go (and let God win)Only Jesus is worthy of our worshipOnly Jesus gave all He could giveOnly Jesus lived all He could liveOnly Jesus was never a slaveto life and limb, discard or saveOnly Jesus knew what He was doingOnly Jesus spoke truth as it isOnly Jesus came to save us from sinOnly Jesus really loved (and showed us)Only Jesus is worthy of our worshipNo doubt we have a connectionWhere the cross of Christ intersectsOur voices sing as one for the glory of GodAs we worship Jesus Christ again and again!______________________Written by: Jeffree PollockStarted: February 10, 1999Finished: January 10, 2005
PSALM 146:2Praise the LORD, O my soul!While I live I will praise the LORD; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.SING TO JESUS Sing to Jesus a song of loveLift your voice to God aboveSing to Jesus a hymn of praiseResound the holiness of His perfect waysSing to Jesus a worshipful songPraise Him for giving His life on a crossSing to Jesus a New Song of hopeCrowned with His righteousnessEncompassed by His graceSing to Jesus a sweet song of surrenderRaise your eyes and look into His faceSing to Jesus with His joy in your heartThank Him for choosing to finish what He startsJEFFree E POLLOCKJANUARY 15, 2005And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predes-tined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. ROMANS 8:28-30 NKJV
PSALM 139:16 TLBYou saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Everyday was recorded in your Book!UNTIL THE END In the beginning,When God was forming me;Like a poet the Potter made me.Into His very own masterpiece.In the heart of God the Father,He chose to love me and give me His peace;And when the Creator finished His work on me,He wrote my name in His book of eternity.In the mind of God the Son,When Christ was conforming me;Like a poet the Redeemer saved me,Causing me to understand and believe.In the soul of God the Holy Spirit,When He agreed I would be His friend;Like a poet the Comforter held me,And holds me close until the end.Jeffree E. PollockJanuary 21, 2005Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms—all because we are one with Christ Jesus. And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus. God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.EPHESIANS 2:1-10 NLT
Philippians 4:6"In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." EVERYTHING YOU DOIn all you do,In every action you take;With all that makes life true,Look to God for your strength.In all you know,In every thought you think;With all that tries to shape your soul,Turn to Christ's cross to be forgivenIn all you say,In every word you speak;With all of your heart bow down and pray,And give thanks to God for all that you need.In all of your life,In every ounce of your being;With each moment God grants you His light,Worship Him in spirit and in truth for everything!JEFFree E PollockFebruary 5, 2005Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, an time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor inJerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know;we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true wor-shippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for theyare the kind or worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit,and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.JOHN 4:21-24
On October 25, 2002 at 6:24pm EDT, http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Jeffree4ever@aol.com wrote:PEACE, BE STILLWITH THESE WORDS I HOPE TO SOOTHE YOU,I PRAY THE LORD WOULD STOP YOUR PAIN;WITH THESE WORDS I WANT TO CHEER YOU,I PRAY THE LORD WOULD BRIGHTEN YOUR WAY.WITH THESE TEARS I HOPE TO ENCOURAGE,I PRAY THE SPIRIT MIGHT COMFORT YOUR SOUL;WITH THESE TEARS I WANT TO GET CLOSER,I PRAY THE SPIRIT MIGHT COMPEL YOU TO FOLLOW.WITH THIS CROSS I LONG TO LOVE YOU,I PRAY GOD THAT HE WILL MAKE YOU NEW;WITH THIS CROSS I DESIRE TO SAVE YOU,I PRAY GOD WILL OPEN YOUR HEART TO TRUTH.WITH THIS BLOOD YOUR FREEDOM IS ETERNAL,I PRAY IN JESUS YOU MAY HAVE LASTING PEACE;WITH THIS BLOOD YOUR RANSOM HAS BEEN PAID,I PRAY IN JESUS YOU MAY FIND MERCY AND RELEASE.--Jeffree E. PollockOctober 25, 2002He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. MARK 4:39
PSALM 139:16 TLBYou saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Everyday was recorded in your Book!UNTIL THE ENDIn the beginning,When God was forming me;Like a poet the Potter made me.Into His very own masterpiece.In the heart of God the Father,He chose to love me and give me His peace;And when the Creator finished His work on me,He wrote my name in His book of eternity.In the mind of God the Son,When Christ was conforming me;Like a poet the Redeemer saved me,Causing me to understand and believe.In the soul of God the Holy Spirit,When He agreed I would be His friend;Like a poet the Comforter held me,And holds me close until the end.Jeffrey E. PollockFebruary 2, 2005Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms—all because we are one with Christ Jesus. And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us through Christ Jesus. God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.EPHESIANS 2:1-10 NLT
Here's another poem I've been putting together this week. As you can tell if you read through this - it was a process, but aren't we all. I finally wrote the poem yesterday... ENJOY! LOVE, Jeff--------- Forwarded message ----------Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005Subject: THE ETERNAL TEMPLATE Romans 8:28-29 KJVAnd we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.Romans 8:28 NKJVAnd we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.Romans 8:28-29 NLTAnd we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. --------- Forwarded message ----------Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005Subject: THE ETERNAL TEMPLATE (One At A Time)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgivenessof sins, according to the riches of His grace which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His goodpleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensationof the fullness of the times He might gather together in oneall things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are onearth---in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance,being predestined according to the counsel of His will, that wewho first trusted in Christ should be to the praise or His glory.In Him you also truste, after you heard the word of truth, thegospel of your salvation; in who also, having believed, youwere sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guaran-tee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchasedpossession, to the praise of His glory.EPHESIANS 1:2-14 NKJVThough you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled withan inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goalof your faith, the salvation of you souls. 1 PETER 1:8-9 NIV--------- Forwarded message ----------Date: Thur, 27 Jan 2005 Subject: Fw: THE ETERNAL TEMPLATE (One At A Time)John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, " This washe of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed mebecause he was before me.'" From the fullness of his grace wehave all received one blessing after another. For the law wasgiven to Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, whois at the Father's side, has made him known (JOHN 1:15-18).And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers (ROMANS 8:29 NIV).THE ETERNAL TEMPLATEOne at a timeWe are eternally designedOne at a timeWe are born to live... and dieOne at a timeWe are pressed into His moldOne life at a timeWe are brought like sheep as a child to His foldWe are brought as a child like sheep in His fold (optional)One at a timeWe were reborn to be alikeOne mind at a timeWe are conformed to the Lord Jesus ChristOne at a timeWe are transformed in the beautiful light of His faceOne heart at a timeWe are held in the strong arms of His unbending graceOne at a timeWe are sealed, changed from old to newOne spirit at a timeWe are sanctified through and throughOne at a timeWe are ushered into heavenOne soul at a timeWe bow down in His presenceJEFFree E. PollockJanuary 27, 2005He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. PHILLIPIANS 1:6You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. PSALM 16:11____________________The psalmist writes of God, "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand"(Psalm 16:11). There is no doubt a connection between our capacity for happiness and our understanding of life. When life is rooted in the reality of God, it is filled with the joy of knowing the transforming love of a person. He stands and calls you nearer, that your joy may be complete. http://www.rzim.org/--------- Forwarded message ----------Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 Subject: THE ETERNAL TEMPLATE Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good foranything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:11-16)_________________________Striving According to God's Power "These are in accordance with the working of the strength of [God's]might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead" (Eph. 1:19-20).The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the great hope of believers. Because He lives, we will live also (John 14:19). Peter said we have been "born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away" (1 Pet. 1:3-4). We and what we have are protected by God's power (v. 5).In Ephesians 1:19-20 Paul draws two comparisons. The first is between the power God demonstrated in the resurrection and ascension of Christ, and the power He demonstrates on behalf of every believer. That power is described as God's "working," "strength," and "might." Together those synonyms emphasize the greatness of God's power, which not only secures our salvation, but also enables us to live godly lives.The second comparison is between our Lord's resurrection and ascension, and ours. The grave couldn't hold Him, nor can it hold us (1 Cor. 15:54-57). Satan himself couldn't prevent Christ's exaltation, nor can he prevent us from gaining our eternal inheritance.In Christ you have all the power you will ever need. For evangelism you have the gospel itself, which "is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Rom. 1:16). For difficult times you have the assurance that the surpassing greatness of God's power is at work in you (2 Cor. 4:7). For holy living you have God Himself at work in you "both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).No matter how weak or ill-equipped you may at times feel, realize God "is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that [you] ask or think,according to the power that works within [you]" (Eph. 3:20). So keepstriving according to that power (Col. 1:29), but do so with theconfidence that ultimately God will accomplish His good in your life.Suggestions for Prayer:Thank God that He can and will accomplish His purposes in your life(Phil. 1:6; 1 Thess. 5:24). Pray for wisdom in how you might best serve Him today. For Further Study:Read Psalm 145, noting every mention of God's power David makes. Allowthose examples to fill your heart with confidence and praise. http://www.gty.org/devotions/devotions.php
TRAP
For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler. - Psalm 91:3HE WILL SAVE YOUThere is freedom at The Cross / In the blood of Christ our God / Shed by The Shepherd who carried our sins on His back / His blood is our refuge when the Enemy attacks!There is peace at the feet of Jesus / In the scars of Christ we know God's love / Borne by The Savior who coveredour disgrace with His righteousness / He is our strongtower of hope and refreshing forgiveness!There is joy in the heart of the obedient / Where holinessshines forth against the darkness / Redeemed by The Lordwho cancelled our debt / His glorious resurrection has overpowered sin's gruesome consequence of death!There is salvation for the soul of the Believer / Freed from the captivating lies of the Deceiver / Emancipated by divine decree from The King who our The Light of our liberty / We have an everlasting relationship with The Living God of eternity!
JEFFree E. PollockJanuary 25, 2005Death has been swallowed up in victory. -- 1 Corinthians 15:54_____________________________Read morehttp://cctfl.convio.net/site/R?i=WhxF16cBmwfttKfUvVRsdQ..
For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler. - Psalm 91:3HE WILL SAVE YOUThere is freedom at The Cross / In the blood of Christ our God / Shed by The Shepherd who carried our sins on His back / His blood is our refuge when the Enemy attacks!There is peace at the feet of Jesus / In the scars of Christ we know God's love / Borne by The Savior who coveredour disgrace with His righteousness / He is the strongtower of hope and refreshing forgiveness!There is joy in the heart of the obedient / Where holinessshines forth against the darkness / Redeemed by The Lordwho cancelled our debt / His glorious resurrection has overpowered sin's gruesome consequence of death!There is salvation in the soul of the Believer / Free from the captivating lies of the Deceiver / Emancipated by the divine decree of The King who is the Light of Liberty / We have an everlasting relationship with The Living God of eternity!JEFFree E. PollockJanuary 25, 2005Death has been swallowed up in victory. -- 1 Corinthians 15:54_____________________________FOR HE WILL DELIVER YOU FROM THE SNARE OF THE FOWLER PSALM 91:3God delivers His people from the snare of the fowler in two senses. From and out of. First, He delivers them from the snare—He does not let them enter it; and secondly, if they should be caught in it, He delivers them out of it. The first promise is the most precious to some; the second is the best to others. “He will deliver you from the snare.” How? Trouble is often the means God uses to deliver us. God knows that our backsliding will soon end in our destruction, and He in mercy sends the rod. We say, “Lord, why is this?” not knowing that our trouble has been the means of delivering us from far greater evil. In this way many have been saved from ruin by their sorrows and their crosses. At other times God keeps His people from the snare of the fowler by giving them great spiritual strength, so that when they are tempted to do evil they say, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”1 But what a blessed thing it is that if the believer shall, in an evil hour, come into thenet, yet God will bring him out of it! O backslider, be cast down, but do not despair. Wanderer though you have been, hear what your Redeemer says: “Return, O backsliding children; I will have mercy upon you.” But you say you cannot return, for you are a captive. Then listen to the promise—“For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler.” You shall yet be brought out of all evil into which you have fallen, and though you shall never cease to repent of your ways, yet He who has loved you will not cast you away. He will receive you and give you joy and gladness, that the bones that He has broken may rejoice. No bird of paradise shall die in the fowler’s net. Copyright 2003 Truth for Life
Hi, how are you? I trust you're out there. I read something this morning (included below) that reminded me of one or two poems I wrote and buried last year. So I dug them out, brushed them off a little and sent them. I'm not sure they really fit together except for the tears theme, but I had fun. Enjoy! Jeffree___________________________I said, 'Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of My love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that He may come and shower righteousness upon you.' --HOSEA 10:12MY TEARS FALLFather, I bow before Your awesome strengthAnd with trembling hands I present my heartHard and callused, worn out and full of doubtI give it all to You Lord, with its inadequaciesBroken in two, I fall down and cry before YouIn Your presence GodI kneel before Heaven's throneAnd pour out my soul before YouOverwhelmed, my tears fall downAs I worship You in spirit and truthMy King, in Your gloryI kneel before Your splendorBeaten and bruised, divided and confusedMy mortal tears fall downAs I watch for You God, in my weakness I bow to Your strengthAnd with trembling hands I lift this sacrificeHard and callused, worn out and full of doubtI give You my heart with all its inadequaciesShattered before you, I fall down and cry I give You this heartAn offering of my worshipAnd as You heal my brokennessInvoluntarily, ardent tears fall downAs I remember what You went throughFather God, as a gift of praiseI give You my willing obedienceAnd in Your mercy, because of Your love In gratitude for Your wonderful grace my tears fallWhen I think, oh Lord, how much I am loved by YouJeffree PollockEl Paso, TexasJesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." --MATTHEW 9:35-38 ___________________________REVELATION 7:13-17 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."NO MORE TEARSThrough the centuries, throughout the agesConsider your choices, consider their wagesHow many broken bones lie under groundKept for eternity in terrible noiseless soundCrying, churning, remembering, burning …Over and over demons rise to haunt and stingOver and over the sins that bring you downRemind you in Hades your soul won’t be foundThrough the light, throughout the hours of dayConsider your choices, consider your final stayHow many joyful noises rise up to honor GodKept for eternity in the blood at Jesus’ CrossLoving, laughing, rejoicing, serving …Forever and always you live to praise and singForever and ever the faith that brought you upReminds you in glory your soul rests in Jesus!JEFFREE 4 EVER!SEPTEMBER 2004Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." REVELATION 21:1-4___________________________01/21/05Every TearJill CarattiniA small article towards the back of a People magazine told the story of a little girl named Ashlyn. She was described as an incredibly happy child, eager and energetic. According to her mother, Ashlyn has the best laugh in the world, and according to her kindergarten teacher, she fearlessly goes headfirst into everything. In many ways she is a typical, lovable five-year-old. But Ashlyn is one of only 50 people in the world with a genetic condition that leaves her unable to feel pain. She can feel touchand be tickled, but she cannot sense pain or extreme temperatures. Ashlyn's parents are used to being asked why such a condition is daunting news at all. Their reply is one racked with the sting of experience: "Pain is there for a reason." When she was a toddler, they had to wrap her with athletic tape because of all the damage she was causing to limbs that knew no fear. She's knocked eight teeth out and dug a hole in her eye without shedding a tear. She once came in from outside proclaiming she couldn't get the dirt off her skin. But it wasn't dirt; Ashlyn was covered with hundreds of biting fire ants. It is hard to read such a story without coming away with a difficultconclusion: pain is necessary. Imagine not knowing when you've scalded your mouth on a hot meal or bit your tongue so badly that it bled. Imagine your child reaching out for the flickering light of a candle and not having the pain of burned fingers to reinforce your scolding plea not to play with fire. The great majority of our philosophical frustration about pain is aimed at asking why a loving God would allow it in the first place. And yet, the closing lines of Ashlyn's story were the words of a heartbroken parent: "I would give anything, absolutely anything, for Ashlyn to feel pain."(1) Pain is the body's signal for danger, however severe or slight. It is a navigating force through unknown corridors of life, without which we find ourselves numb to reality, robbed of caution, and disoriented to life. Pain is God's megaphone, said C.S. Lewis, to rouse a deaf world. There is something wonderful about the thought of pain removed and eyes wiped dry. We are rightly comforted by the image of heaven as the place where God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. There is much hope in the promise that there will one day "be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Rev. 21:4). But there is a line uttered by the psalmist that has been equallycomforting to my grandmother through many years. "You have kept count of my tossings, put my tears in your bottle" (Psalm 56:8, ESV). Tear-bottles were small urns of glass or pottery, created to collect the tears of mourners at the funeral of a loved one and placed in the sepulchers at Rome and in Palestine. In some ancient tombs these bottles are found in great numbers, collecting tears that were shed with great meaning. The one in heaven does not see our pain here as a pointless or emptyoccurrence. As our tears will be tended to in eternity, the psalmistreminds us that so our tears on earth do not go unnoticed. Our pain is not haphazardly viewed by the one who made tear ducts that spill over with grief and anguish. He has kept count of our sorrowful struggling; each tear is recorded as pain steeped with meaning. Like a parent grieving at his child's wound, God reaches out to us in—and perhaps even through—our pain, speaking gently into our heightened sense of awareness. And with his Son who wept at the grave of Lazarus, He collects your tears in his bottle until the day tears will be no more.(1) As quoted in People magazine, (Jan. 24, 2005) 100.-------------------------------------------------------------------Copyright (c) 2004 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM)"A Slice of Infinity" is aimed at reaching into the culture with words of challenge, words of truth, and words of hope. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of "A Slice of Infinity" must set forth the following credit line, in full,atthe conclusion of the portion of A Slice of Infinity that is used:Copyright(c) 2004 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM).Reprinted with permission.http://www.rzim.org/.---------------------------------------------------------------------To subscribe, send an empty email to:slice-text-subscribe@lists.rzim.org>
ROMANS 8:28-30 NKJVAnd we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predes-tined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. PSALM 146:2 NKJVPraise the LORD, O my soul! While I live I will praise the LORD; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.SING TO JESUSSing to Jesus a song of loveLift your voices to God aboveSing to Jesus a hymn of praiseResound the holiness of His perfect waysSing to Jesus a worshipful songPraise Him for giving His life on a crossSing to Jesus a new song of hopeCrowned with His righteousnessEncompassed by His graceSing to Jesus a song of surrenderRaise your eyes and look into His faceSing to Jesus with His joy in your heartsThank Him for choosing to finish what He startsJEFFree E POLLOCKJANUARY 16, 2005And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called accord-ing to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory. ROMANS 8:28-30 NLTI will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath.PSALM 146:2 NLT
I believe God is pleased as we keep trying and don't give up on growing (no matter the difficulties). I know we all struggle with sin, it’s the human condition, but I trust tomorrow is already in full view of our Father andwe have His promise that no temptation comes our way without a way of escape (never further than a prayer away). I take comfort in Scripture that reminds to hold fast our faith in Jesus. Enjoy His Light! Love, JeffHEBREWS 10:31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.DEAD TO THE WORLDDon't look back at yesterday,If you hope to conquer your sin;Marching forward as you pray,Is the only way you'll ever win.Keep your focus straight ahead,And don't stop looking up;Standing still may get you dead,So stay on the move with Jesus.Don't fall down or drift away,If you want to be a true disciple;Be strong and don't be afraid,To wield the Sword of the Bible.Your victory is in the gospel you've heard,Keep your heart and your soul will be sterile;Remain in the Light of God's holy Word,And count yourself dead to the world.Jeffree E. PollockJanuary 10, 2005The LORD is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life -- of whom shall I be afraid?PSALM 27:1___________________________Here's another one I found and finished UP this morning. ENJOY!___________________________He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the begin-ning and the first born from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through hisblood, shed on the cross. COLOSSIANS 1:17-20 NIVFOR THE GLORY OF GODWe have a connectionWhere the heart of Jesus feels our painOur hearts beat as one for the glory of GodAs we worship His only true SonOnly Jesus told it like it isOnly Jesus knew creation was HisOnly Jesus truly let go (and let God win)Only Jesus is worthy of our worshipOnly Jesus gave all He could giveOnly Jesus lived all He could liveOnly Jesus was never a slaveto life and limb, discard or saveOnly Jesus knew what He was doingOnly Jesus spoke truth as it isOnly Jesus came to save us from sinOnly Jesus really loved (and showed us)Only Jesus is worthy of our worshipNo doubt we have a connectionWhere the cross of Christ intersectsOur voices sing as one for the glory of GodAs we worship Jesus Christ again and again!______________________Written by: Jeffree PollockStarted: February 10, 1999Finished: January 10, 2005Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. HEBREWS 12:2-3
Looking through some stuff I sent out last year I came across this poemand thought I'd revise it some and send it again. God bless you all. Jeff
Hi James and Sarah. How's things going in Corpus Christi? Are yousettled in and fixing the guest room for us yet? Love to all, Jeff n Ev'______________________________This started out as a study in contrast; at least that's what I tried tomake it. It amazes me to think how the grace of God covers even those who killed The Lord, and how Christ died so that His blood might even save His executioners from eternal damnation [had they come to believe in Him and The Gospel of resurrection to eternal life]. Perhaps they did; one can only hope. The real contrast in this life is in those who believe and those who will not. While you are still living, it is not too late to look up and be saved. ___________________JOHN 3:14-15"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life." THE OTHER SIDEJust as lost and sinful men,Hung the Lord Jesus on a cross;So must every mind be enlightened,To understand the love of God.Just as hard and brutal men,Drove nails into His hands and feet;So must every heart be opened,To know it is Christ whom we need.Just as hurt and broken men,Pressed a crown of thorns into His brow;So must we who claim to be born again,Love each other and serve Jesus now.Just as foolish and hopeless men,Sold their souls to save their skin;So must saints who long for Heaven,Believe in Christ and repent of all sin.Just as discouraged fallen snake-bit men,Obeyed and looked up to save their lives;So must Jesus' finished work be our eternal health,And our God is looking out for us on the other side.JEFFree!January 2005For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. JOHN 3:16
Happy New Year to YOU! Here's another bunch of rhymes that were pressing against my brain during the Christmas season, and finally reached paper. ENJOY! I also forwarded the monthly newsletter I get from my friend Jerry at Crossway Publications (ChristianPoetry.org), where I have posted many poems since 2000. GOD BLESS YOU with LOVE, Jeff & Evelyn_______________________________________________________GENESIS 1:3 Then God said, " Let there be light" ; and there was light.2 SAMUEL 22:29 (NIV)You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light.ISAIAH 9:2 (NKJV)The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.INTO MY LIFEInto my darkness comes the light of The Father's truthInto my selfishness comes The Cross of Christ His SonInto my thanklessness comes the loving Spirit's holy fruitTurning my heart toward Jesus I give Him all my loveInto my sinfulness comes the hope of God's forgivenessInto my brokenness comes the healing of Jesus' bloodInto my worldliness comes the Spirit of perfect holinessTrusting my soul to Jesus Christ I give Him all my loveInto my filthiness comes the purity of God our FatherInto my anxiousness comes the peace of His only SonInto my unworthiness comes the promise of adoption Turning my mind toward Jesus I give my love to GodInto my fearfulness comes the sovereignty of Jehovah Into my doubtfulness comes the proof of Christ our LordInto my forgetfulness comes the the Holy Spirit's counselTrusting in God's power I am redeemed by my SaviorInto my pride comes the sovereign will of God our FatherInto my poverty Jesus the giver of every good gift comesInto my prejudice comes the Spirit of the perfect LoverWith all my strength in love I turn to the Righteous JudgeInto my life comes death by crucifixionInto my pain comes purpose for this sufferingInto my confused way comes God's faithful direction By faith I follow Jesus into the joy that His love bringsJEFFree E POLLOCKJANUARY 01, 2005Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolator--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no onedeceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in allgoodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine upon you." Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, befilled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns andspiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the nameof our Lord Jesus Christ. EPHESIANS 5: 1:21 (NIV)For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his lightshine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of theglory of God in the face of Christ. 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6 (NIV)That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us--that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in thelight, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 JOHN 1-7 (NKJV) These are some pictures taken with Ev’s camera-phone, might have been 2007.
Philippians 2:5-11Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who beingin very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.OF THE SPIRITIn this world which drives us to depression,the sky still sparkles above the dying earth; and stars sing their praises in the heavens, to the God of love, peace and joyful mirth.In this land overripe with unrepentant sin, the light still shines forth in holiness and truth; true spiritual worship begins in our hearts, to the God of patience, kindness and good fruit.On this planet spinning us routinely 'round the Sun,night breaks the day and still claims the right to rule;for 8 hours every day bright eyes are mostly blind, but prayers rise to the Father who watches over our lives.In this Kingdom we are lifted up to be with the Lord, at the right hand of His glorious Father our Creator; all accolades are to Christ, who gave Himself aloneto save us -- full of faith, gentleness and self-control.Jeffree PollockJanuary 2004But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.GALATIANS 5:22, 23
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. GALATIANS 2:20 (NIV)God's Found Jesus Totally Christ Perpetually Morning's Riches Always Espouses Resets Raised Enjoyed Early Are Inside Sinners Us Our And Richness Christ's The Unto Toward Spiritual Certain Covers Earnings Heart Salvation Heaven Senses Eternally You
JOHN 1:1-5In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).THE WORD BECAME FLESHOpen the eyes of your heart,And see the Lord calling you out of the dark;The Star shining forth the glory of heaven,Is inviting you to believe and be born again.Listen, and hear His first cry,After eons of time and space passed by;A humble child gave birth to the Word,Who would die on a Cross to save the earth.Watch, and see His first steps,After waiting so long to humble Himself;Heaven's King who for the love of sinners,Would give up His life to save the worst.Touch, and hold on to your first love,After coming to His knowledge is it really enough;A Shepherd who would be sheered by His sheep,A Savior pierced in His hands and His feet.After lifting you out of the pit you were in by His grace,Believe, and you'll know He must remain in first place;Our Father, who is in heaven, how holy is Your name,Your will be done on earth and in heaven the same.Give us bread for this day and forgive all our sins,As we forgive those who would also sin against us;Let us follow you in safety and keep us close to You,As we seek to worship you Lord in spirit and in truth.Taste, and swallow (if you will) His first blood,After giving so much He is still able to love;A sacrificial Lamb whose death gave us life,Would soon rise again and return to the light.Open the ears of your heart,And hear the Lord calling you out of the dark;The Gospel shining forth the grace and truth of heaven,Is inviting you to die to yourself and be born again.JEFFree E. POLLOCKDecember 27, 2004He was in the world, and the world was made through Him,and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, andHis own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him,to them He gave the right to become children of God, to thosewho believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.JOHN 1:10-13And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.JOHN 1:14 (NKJV)
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John1:14).Listen, and hear if you can His first cryAfter eons of time and space passed byA humble child gave birth to the WordWould die on a Cross to save the earthWatch, and see if you can His first stepsAfter waiting so long to humble HimselfA divine King whose love for us sinnersWould give up His life to save the worstTaste, and swallow if you will His first bloodAfter giving so much He's still able to loveA sacrificial Lamb whose death gave us lifeWould soon rise again and return to the lightTouch, and hold on to if you will your first loveAfter coming to the knowledge is it really enoughA Shepherd who would be sheered by His sheepA Savior who is pierced in His hands and His feetBelieve, and you'll know He must remain in first placeAfter lifting you out of the pit you were in by His graceOur Father, who is in heaven, how holy is Your nameYour will be done on earth and in heaven the sameGive us bread for this day and forgive our trespassesAs we forgive those who would trespass against usLet us follow you in safety and keep us close to YouAs we seek to worship you Lord in spirit and in truth
Dear friends and Family, "The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity - hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory - because at the Father's will Jesus Christ became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on a cross." --J. I. PackerI don't know about you, but that sort of puts Christmas in a nutshell for me. God's perfect plan is underway to save fallen man from eternal damnation. Our Savior's perfectlife was and is God's perfect gift to each of us who will by faith accepting Him believe that He is our ONLY hope of salvation. I started this little poem the other night while thinking of and praying for people I know who don't have a relationship, or better said, a real relationship with JESUS. My prayer for us all (especially me) is that our knowledgeof His grace and love towards us will be borne in our daily walk with others (especially those dearest to us).Enjoy, Jeff____________ISAIAH 9:6For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given;And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor,Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.BEFORE CHRISTMAS COMES AGAIN This year as Christmas comes again,My prayer for you is love and then;My hope for you is that you'll see,Only Jesus is worthy of worshiping.This year with your Christmas traditions,My prayer for you all is peace and then;My hope for you too is that you'll know,The birth of Jesus happened to save you.This year while you open all the gifts you got,Remember to thank the only begotten Son of God;This year as Christmas comes before New Year's,My prayer is that America will get a holy fear.This year as Christmas color & festive cheer cover the daily grind,My prayer for you is that Christ's joy stays in your heart and mind;And before another Christmas becomes just another one forgotten,I hope the Lord comes back for you before Christmas comes again.JEFFree E POLLOCKDecember 20 20049:6 Child...Son. Immanuel, the child to be born to the virgin, will be the Son of David, with the rights to the Davidic throne (see Matthew 1:21). government. He will rule the nations (Revelation 2:27). Won-derful, Counselor. This King will reign with supernatural wisdom, unlike Ahaz (2 Samuel 16:23). Mighty God. The Messiah will be a powerful warrior (see Deuteronomy 10:17). Everlasting Father.He will be a Father to His people, caring for them and discipliningthem (Psalm 68:5,6). Prince of Peace. His government will bringpeace to the nations (Micah 4:3). {The MacArthur student Bible}
1 JOHN 4:9"This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him."HIS LOVE AMONG USFor God so loved the worldHe gave His one, His only Son To show He cared enough to dieTo save us from the Devil’s lieIf I could write a poem for youAnd share my joy in rhymeThe poem would be for Jesus firstWho taught love must precede worksIf I could share my heart with youAnd bear my soul to God our FatherThe testimony I would gladly chooseIs the hope His Son our Lord made sureIf I could write a song for youAnd share my heart in verseThe song would be for our God firstWho chose to show what love is worthIf I could shine my faith for youAnd bring to light eternal truthThe glorious event I would surely tellIs the one that saves our souls from HellWords can never fully expressThe joy we have in JesusGod loves so much He gave His very bestAnd brought His Light into our darkness Since Jesus gave His life for youAnd shed His blood to forgive your sinsWill you receive God’s gift of truthAnd choose to die -- and live for Him?Jeffree E. PollockDecember 17, '04"For God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."JOHN 3:16"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift."2 CORINTHIANS 9:15
LUKE 1:31-33"You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."BORN AGAIN … IN MEBehold the BabeBorn in a feeding troughCome to light the wayCradled in a mother’s loveBehold the BoyTeaching in the templeWith authoritative voiceTrue hope for the simpleBehold the ManBaptized in the JordanWitness to our Father’s planTo give everlasting joy to manBehold the Lamb, our TeacherExplaining for us the Gospel wayOur great Shepherd and only HealerMust be crucified, die, and be raisedBehold our Father's Son, the Life, the TruthWho is unwilling that one of His own be lostCome into the light and yourself be made newIn the blood of Jesus Christ -- shed at the CrossBehold, Christ Jesus the Lord is GodAlive in us by His grace through our faith in His SpiritHe is the Light of the World, the bright Morning StarResurrected, born again... in the center of our heartsJeffree E. PollockDecember 13, '04Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoilor fade --- kept in heaven for you, who through faith areshielded by God's power until the coming of the salvationthat is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 PETER 1: 3-5
Hello friends, I'm feeling much better, praise God! Thank you... your prayers and encouragement while my brain "took a vacation" truly helped us get through. I am praying and believing God will heal my head so I won't have to take anymore "experimental" drugs. I think the last stuff I tookis finally out of my system. For the last six months I was nearly incapacitated, and I don't want to be there again. Please lift this up in prayer for me. Thank you. Here's a couple poems that have been rattling around in my head for a while. I took the quotes from two of my favorite daily devotionals. I'm still working on the one for Christmas, but thought I'd go ahead and send it as is. Don't worry Gilbert, I'll have it done by next Friday.And I included this weeks UpWords from Lucado. Enjoy! We hope your Christmastime is wonderful. In His Love, JEff and EvEE_____________________________
Do you have people around you who would pray for you? Who could you lift before "the throne of grace, so that you might receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16)? http://www.walkintheword.com/CLOSER TO HIS HEARTMy heart is full, overflowing...Thanksgiving spills from my lipsin this prayer of joy to my King,He draws me closer to His heart.My mind is whole, undivided...Grace and peace are my new friendsin this life where Christ conquered death,He lifts me up again to be more like Himself.My soul is purified, undefiled...Jesus has set me free from guiltand released me from religion's pull,He holds me securely in God's love.My life is renewed, born again...God crowns my prayers with hopeand reminds me Jesus calls me friend,He answers me with His loving kindness.JEFFREE POLLOCKDecember 9, 2004Let's "approach the throne of grace with confidence" (Hebrews 4:16) and live our lives as firstborn sons. Let's inherit all He has promised, and glorify His name as we boldly ask to be blessed with a double portion!http://www.godsdailyword.org/__________________________________________________________And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God didnot send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but thatthe world through Him might be saved. (JOHN 3:14-17 NKJV)
MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS...My favorite Christmas momentIs the one that happened in my heartWhen the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sentFound me falling in the darkMy favorite Christmas storyIs the one told to a virgin, MaryWhen an angel came to announceShe was chosen to give birth to GodMy favorite rhyme at ChristmastimeReminds me nothing moves God’s loveWhen by faith in Christ His promise became mineHis grace settled into my soul like a hand in a gloveMy favorite Christmas poemIs the one that happened in my heartWhen Jesus came to repair His homeAnd swept away every shadow in the darkMy favorite Christmas memoryIs the one that gives me hope todayWhen Christ gave me life for eternityI knew my Father's love was here to stayJEFFREE E POLLOCKDECEMBER 10, 2004Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. (Colossians 3:12 NLT)__________________________________________________________________________________________The UpWords Weekly Email DevotionalMaxLucado.com/newsletter12/7/04______________________________JUST A MOMENT -----by Max LucadoIt all happened in a moment, a most remarkable moment.As moments go, that one appeared no different than any other. But in reality, that particular moment was like none other. For through that segment of time a spectacular thing occurred. God became a man. While the creatures of earth walked unaware, Divinity arrived. Heavenopened herself and placed her most precious one in a human womb.God as a fetus. Holiness sleeping in a womb. The creator of life being created.God was given eyebrows, elbows, two kidneys, and a spleen. He stretched against the walls and floated in the amniotic fluids of his mother.God had come near.He came, not as a flash of light or as an unapproachable conqueror, but as one whose first cries were heard by a peasant girl and a sleepy carpenter. The hands that first held him were unmanicured, calloused, and dirty.No silk. No ivory. No hype.Were it not for the shepherds, there would have been no reception. And were it not for a group of star-gazers, there would have been no gifts.To think of Jesus in such a light is-well, it seems almost irreverent, doesn't it? It's not something we like to do; it's uncomfortable. It is much easier to keep the humanity out of the incarnation. Clean the manure from around the manger. Wipe the sweat out of his eyes. Pretend he never snored or blew his nose or hit his thumb with a hammer.But don't do it. For heaven's sake, don't. Let him be as human as he intended to be. Let him into the mire and muck of our world. For only if we let him in can he pull us out.______________________________from God Came NearCopyright © 2004 UpWords, Inc. _________________________________CHRISTMAS MESSAGES FROM MAX ---As thoughts turn toward the Christmas season, UpWords wants to encourage you with holiday inspiration. Visit MaxLucado.com now through the end of the year to download video and MP3 messagescelebrating the birth of Jesus. http://maxlucado.com/christmas____________________________________________________________________________________________
JOHN 14:6a Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." ONE TRUE GODOne true God,One pure Light,One holy Spirit,One way to Life.JEFFREE!12/O2/04"No one can come to the Father except through me."JOHN 14:6b (NLT)
Epilepsy Update / YOUR FAITH IN ME
Saturday, November 20, 2004 10:42 PM
From: "J E Pollock"
Dear Friends and Family, This is an update on our struggle with my epilepsy. Please keep praying for us -- trusting God's purpose and plan will prevail. We've learned a lot over the last months; including how much I’d like to drive again (which isn’t even in the near future as far as I can tell). I'm not doing too well and have succumbed to a terrible feeling of hopelessness, even depression. Medication adjustments go on and on and the emotional upheaval is sometimes frightening. It doesn't look as though the holidays are going to be easy-going this year, but we are determined to trust God through them -- praying for His healing. I've been exercising my brainwaves (and my body) as much as I can. Our dog (Sophie) loves to take me for long walks whenever she can. I still try to write as much as possible. Please pray for us; God's plan is perfect. "The Lord is at hand; be anxious for nothing." That said, my level of anxiety is alarming! The Lord is my hope; He is my contentment... but even remembering that sometimes slips away. I thank God that relief is coming! I pray we will cast all our cares on Him... for I know He cares for us. Please pray that holy thinking, not necessarily positive thinking, butdwelling on those things which are above will keep me free of negative thoughts. Thank you too for sharing your prayer-needs; we really do appreciate knowing how to pray for you. I wrote this little poem todayand eventually found time to send it. Enjoy! Love, Jeff & EveeYOUR FAITH IN ME I drag myself to You... So low, so cast down; Holy Spirit, I need You, Lift me off this barren ground.I pull my heart to You... So heavy, so scarred; Lord Jesus, I need You, Carry me to where You are.I turn my mind to You... So fearful, so stressed; Abba-Father, I need You, Remind me how much I'm blessed. Gracious, compassionate God, I surrender all I am, And all I ever hope to be; Permeate my soul, Lord,Ignite Your faith in me! _________________________Jeffrey Edward Pollock November 20, 2004For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. –2 Timothy 1:7
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Dear James & Sarah, Hannah, Rebekah, and Abigail; we love you. --Jeff & EvelynGrow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. --2 PETER 3:18ALL ABOUT JESUSIn this real world where we must live,We grow in God's grace and learn to give;The focus of the heart is truth and freedom,When the life you live is ALL ABOUT JESUS.In this mortal race which we must run,We know our victories belong to God's Son;The Cross of our Savior most certainly frees us,When the way you take is ALL ABOUT JESUS.In this spiritual war that we must fight,We stand firm by faith in God and not by sight;The light of the mind is knowledge and reason,When the battles you wage are ALL ABOUT JESUS.In this garden where we must choose to love and grow,As we serve our Lord and Savior who calls us to follow;Your spirit will find peace and joy in His righteousness,When the choices you make are ALL ABOUT JESUS.Jeffree E PollockNovember/2004El Paso, Texas We pursue God because, and only because, He first puts and urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. --A. W. TozerI have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. --GALATIANS 2:20
JOHN 14:6-7I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really knew Me, you would know My Father...JOHN 14:22-23"If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come tohim and make Our home with him. He who doesnot love Me will not obey My teaching. Thesewords you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father who sent Me."YOU DON'T KNOW MEIf you won't follow Jesus My Son,And look to Him for your liberty;You will never know eternal love,Because you don't know Me.If you will not accept My salvation plan,By grace through faith in Christ alone;You will not be wholly freed from sin,Because it is not Me you know.If you love Me you will obey My commands,And you will know Me as you ought to know;Love each other and in purity take a stand,In the Life of My Son Jesus I will be known.If you talk the Walk but won't walk the Talk,You have not learned to trust and obey Me;But when you walk the Talk and talk the Walk,It will be seen The Truth has set you free.If you won't believe Jesus is Lord,Turn from sin and bow your knee;You will never know what life is for,Because you do not know Me.Jeffree E PollockNovember 2004See how the Father has loved us--we are called God's children, and that's what we are. The world doesn't know us because it didn't get to know Him. Dear friends, we are now God's children, but it hasn't yet been shown what we're going to be. We know that when it will be shown we will be like Him because we'll see Him as He is. And everyone who trusts Him for this purifies himself as He is pure .1 JOHN 3:1-3The New Testament (In the Language of Today) -- William F. Beck _________________________________________HUMILITY AND GRACELet your forbearing spirit be known to all men.PHILIPPIANS 4:5. NASB It is difficult to find one English word that captures the diverse meaning of the word translated as "forbearing" in today's verse. Some say it speaks of contentment, gentleness, generosity, or goodwill toward others. Others believe it refers to mercy or len-iency toward the faults or failures of others. Still others claim itdescribes patience, referring to someone who submits to injust-ice or mistreatment but doesn't retaliate with hatred or bitterness.I believe the best translation is "graciousness," because in theChristian sense that word embodies all the other meaning. Forbearance also includes another important element: humility. The humble Christian doesn't hold a grudge but trusts God when-ever he is mistreated, misjudged, or misrepresented. A personlike that doesn't demand his rights. God manifested His grace tous the same way---mankind abused and maligned Jesus Christthough He deserved none of it, yet he still reached out to us inlove (cf. Rom. 5:10). Humility and graciousness will help you be stable in spite of the circumstances. Truth For Today -- John MacArthur The Essential SecondA well-known Peanuts cartoon shows Lucy accusing her little brother, Linus, of not loving his fellow man. "I love mankind," was his indignant response, "it's people I can't stand!" It is very easy to love the whole wide world, and it is easy to love the church. However, it may be very difficult to love one particular person. But the love our Lord calls you to exercise is a practical, personal kind of love that is expressed primarily to individuals. Read more about what John has to say. http://www.gty.org/
2 CORINTHIANS 9:15"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift."1 JOHN 4:9"This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him."HIS LOVE AMONG USFor God so loved the worldHe gave His one, His only Son To show He cared enough to dieTo save us from the Devil’s lieIf I could write a poem for youAnd share my joy in rhymeThe poem would be for Jesus firstWho taught how love must precede worksIf I could share my heart with youAnd bear my soul to God our FatherThe testimony I would gladly chooseIs the hope His Son our Lord made sureIf I could write a song for youAnd share my heart in verseThe song would be for our God firstWho chose to show what love is worthIf I could shine my faith for youAnd bring to light eternal truthThe glorious event I would surely tellIs the one that saves our souls from hellWords can never fully expressThe joy we have in JesusWhen God loved us He gave His very bestAnd sent His Holy Light into our darkness Since Jesus gave His life for youAnd shed His blood to forgive your sinsWill you receive God’s gift of truthAnd choose to live for Him?Jeffree E. PollockOctober 10, 2004"For God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."JOHN 3:16"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift."2 CORINTHIANS 9:15
Hello all, I rewrote this. Have you ever thought of God as a sieve before? (PS 1:4, MT 3:12) I included my own version of JOHN 3:16, just in case you might wonder which translation this is from. ENJOY! JEFF _________________________JOHN 3:16God loves US so much He sent HIS Son to us, so that whoever believes in HIM would not die, but have everlasting life in HIM.YOU ARE THE SENDERThank YOU Father for sending JESUS to show us YOUR love,YOU are The WAY, we are here amongst the broken and lost;We are the needy, YOU are our Redeemer, only YOU are HOLY,YOU give us each New Day, in the healing mercy of the cross.YOU are the Potter, the ALMIGHTY Creator, we are the clay,YOU are our Light, our Master and Friend, we are YOUR servants;YOU are our Teacher, our Wisdom, we are YOUR students,GOD, YOU ARE THE SENDER, we desire to be sent.We are thirsty, YOU are the Living Water! We are hungry, YOU are the TRUE Bread!YOU are the LIFE, we are amongst the dead and dying, YOU are the TRUTH, we are prone to compromising.GOD, YOU are The Sieve, we are the sifted.YOU are our Shepherd, we are YOUR sheep.YOU are The Gift, we are the gifted, Father God, YOU are The Sender, our heart's cry is: "LORD, SEND ME!"_____________________________________Step out in true faith, and set sail into God's awesome grace,Cast away temptation, and persevere through stormy seas; The Lord is your PEACE, your KEEPER, trust yourself to HIM,He would not call you to conquer, if He did not already win!JEFFREE!11.1.2004Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?"And I said, "Lord, I'll go! Send me." ISAIAH 6:8 (New Living Translation)
1 JOHN 4:16 (NCV)We know the love that god has for us, and we trust that love.THE LOVE HE HAS (FOR US)Thank You Father for showing us how to win:We do not have to acquiesce to compromising,Peace for us is knowing we have all Your love;Our foundation in eternity is victory in Jesus.Thank You Lord for sacrificing Yourself for us:We are no longer slaves to Satan's temptations,Freedom for us is being cleansed by Your blood;Our stronghold in heaven is the truth of Jesus.Thank You Holy Spirit for coming to live within:We don't pretend to lean on our strength to make it,Life for us was crucified and was raised to live again;Our joy on earth is in helping others get to heaven.Thank You God for making Yourself known to us:We are no longer slaves to sin, we desire only Jesus,Hope for us is knowing Jesus intercedes on our behalf;Our faith is built on grace, believing in the love He has.JeffreeEPollockNovember 2004"For God so loved the world that he have his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to con-demn it, but to save it. There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not beliving in the only Son of God. Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished. But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants."JOHN 3:16-21 (NLT)
This started out as a study in contrast; at least that's what I tried to make it. It amazes me to think how the grace of God covered even those who crucified our Lord, and how Christ died so that His blood might even save His executioners, were they to believe by faith in Him. The real contrast in life is in those who believe and those who wont. Enjoy! Love, Jeff___________John 3:14-15"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that every-one who believes in Him may have eternal life" ON THE OTHER SIDEJust as lost and sinful menHung the Lord Jesus on a crossSo must every mind be enlightenedTo understand the love of GodJust as hard and brutal menDrove nails into His hands and feetSo must every heart be openedTo know it is Christ whom we needJust as hurt and broken menPressed a crown of thorns into His browSo must we who claim we're Born AgainLove each other and serve Jesus nowJust as fooled and hopeless menSold their souls to save their skinSo must saints who long for heavenBelieve in Christ and repent of sinJust as discouraged fallen snake-bit men Obeyed and looked up to save their livesSo must we conclude that Jesus' Cross leads to heavenAnd our Father will be waiting for us on the other sideJEFFree!OCTOberEL PaSOTX, 2004For God so loved the world that He gave His oneand only Son, that whoever believes in Him shallnot perish but have eternal life. (JOHN 3:16)
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. GALATIANS 2:20 (NIV)God's Found Jesus Totally Christ Perpetually Morning's Riches Always Espouses Resets Raised Enjoyed Early Are Inside Sinners Us Our And Richness Christ's The Unto Toward Spiritual Certain CoversEarnings Heart Salvation Heaven Senses Eternally You MATTHEW 24:12-14 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10"`My grace is enough for you. Wen you are weak, my power is made perfect in you.' So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses.Then Christ's power can live in me. For this reason I am happy whenI have weaknesses, insults, hard times, sufferings, and all kinds of troubles for Christ. Because when I am weak, then I am truly strong.My Testimony To OthersMY TESTIMONY TO OTHERSIS MY SAVIOR'S LOVE FOR METHROUGH HIS FINISHED WORKAS HE OBEYED HIS FATHER FIRSTMY TESTIMONY TO OTHERS IS MY FATHER'S LOVE IN MEALIVE IN THESE CHOSEN WORDSSPEAKING THE TRUTH OF JESUS FIRSTI TRUST GOD WILL QUENCH OUR THIRSTAND FILL US WITH HIS RIGHTEOUSNESSAS HE CONDESCENDS TO SAVE THE WORSTWHEN THEY TESTIFY OF HIM TO OTHERSMY TESTIMONY TO OTHERSIS THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING IN MEOVERCOMING ALL MY WEAKNESSESAND FILLING ME WITH JESUS FIRSTWHAT BROUGHT ME TO OUR FATHERIS MY LOVE FOR HIS SON JESUS FIRSTTHE CHANGES HE HAS MADE IN MEIS MY TESTIMONY TO HELP OTHERSJeffreee in Jesus!October 15, 2004El Paso, TX USAPhilippians 2:1-15Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose. Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.Dearest friends, you were always so careful to follow my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to put into action God's saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him. In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them. ____________________________A Life of DiscipleshipWhen Jesus told His closest followers, "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19), He wasn't just talking about the one-time event of Salvation; He was referring to the life-long process of "teaching them to obey everything I have commanded" (Matthew 28:20). This process of discipleship begins prior to Salvation and continues as we are "conformed to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8:29). This need is made clear as Jesus explains the parable of thesoils.Mark 4:14-20"The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop."Praise God for those who are sowing seed! The Word of God will never be received if there are not those willing to sow into the lives of others. However, receiving the word, or even its initial growth, is not Salvation! Receiving and being initially excited about the Word can occur without conviction and certainly without a change of heart. Without proper nourishment and protection - without some form of discipleship - the received word will die and never produce fruit.Discipleship prepares the soil and leads those who receive the Word to a true understanding of words like, "Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Discipleship then helps our roots go deep and provides water for sustained growth; it teaches how to recognize and eliminate the thorns which choke and kill; it provides the necessary nutrients to produce a crop.We must commit to being discipled through reading God's Word, seeking Him in prayer, receiving biblical teaching, and being in fellowship with other believers. We must also search for other "seeds" which are beginning to grow and disciple them as they "come to a knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4).A true relationship with the Living and Holy God is not a one-time event or prayer - it's a lifetime commitment. Let's reach up to our Heavenly Father and reach out to those He places in our path. The world is searching and the precious life-giving seed is being sown. Let's nurture and encourage at every opportunity. The planted seed will only produce fruit and live to bring Him glory and honor as each of us commits to a life of discipleship.Steve TroxelGod's Daily Word Ministries*****************************************************Subscribe/Unsubscribe by email to http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=devotions@gdwm.orgSubscribe via web: http://www.gdwm.org/add.htmFeedback and Prayer: http://www.gdwmboard.org/Send Invitation: http://www.gdwm.org/invite.htmVerses and Psalms: http://www.gdwm.org/versesSpanish Devotions: http://www.gdwm.org/spanish*****************************************************
The following is the dictionary "word of the day" I got via email this morning, and I thought about just how well this one word,chicanery, describes Kerry and Edward's presidential campaign.Especially the second definition. You may or may not agree. Jesus said, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By theirfruit you will recognize them... A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit." (Matthew 7:15,18) That reminded me of something I wrote earlier on this yearcalled, TWO TREES. I didn't realize then how well it would fit ourchoices for President in November. I also sent something my Unclepassed on to me this morning about the man I pray is re-elected.____________The Word of the Day for October 15 is:chicanery \shih-KAY-nuh-ree\ noun *1 : deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry : trickery 2 : a piece of sharp practice (as at law) : trickExample sentence: The mayor's spokeswoman quickly denied the charges of nepotism, financial indiscretions, and political chicanery.*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. To subscribe to the html version of Merriam-Webster's Word ofthe Day, featuring audio pronunciations, interactive surveys, and more:http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml__________Genesis 2:9And the LORD God planted all sorts of trees in the garden—beautiful trees that produced delicious fruit. At the center of the garden He placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.TWO TREESTwo paths to take,Two ways to walk;One leads to death, The other is calledWisdom.Two roads to travel,Only two to choose from;One pursues the flesh,The other follows Jesus.One Book of Light,One bed of filthy lies;One leads to true life,The other denies Christ.Heaven and Hell,Two kingdoms, One King;One righteousness, peace and joy in The Spirit,One deceitfulness, confusion and every evil thing.Two paths to take,Two ways to walk;One leads to death, The other is called...Freedom!You... were called to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulgethe sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).Jeffree E PollockJanuary 4, 2004"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and nar-row the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14____________> > Subject: Bush in church, Very interesting [very reassuring]> Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 11:40:54 -0500> > > This is for real. I called Laura Lefler in Sen. Alexander's office and > she confirmed that she wrote it and is now overwhelmed with it and > is spreading via the internet. She sent it to several friends and they> then put it on its journey.> Larry Hone> > Subject: Bush in church, Very interesting> > The media won't say a word about this.> > I'm at the 8:00 am service at my church, St. John's Episcopal, at> Lafayette Square, across from the White House. (I wanted to go> early because I was going with Alice and Brent for breakfast at the> Cracker Barrel in Manassas).> > Much of the service was uneventful--nice, but uneventful--until it> comes to the part of the service when the priest says, "Greet one> another in the name of the Lord."> > I turn to my right to exchange the peace with my friend, Amy Fox> Smythe, who was on the other end of my pew. I then shake hands> with the person in front of me, and turn around to say hello to the> person behind me.> > The person behind me was our 43rd President George W. Bush. I am> not kidding.> > A small crowd was forming around him, and not wanting to delay the> church service or bother him by waiting to shake his hand, I turned> back around and sat down and talked to Amy.> > About 30 seconds later I felt a hand on my left shoulder and turn> around to see President Bush with his hand extended.> > "Peace of the Lord," he said and held my hand with both of his.> > "Peace of the Lord," I replied, and held both his hands and smiled> at him.> > I turned back around and was remarkably calm about the fact that> the most powerful person in the world was sitting two feet behind> me. I could hear him flipping through his bulletin as the priest> made the announcements. I loved the idea of him thinking, "Oh,> there's a covered dish next Sunday."> > We perched and when I stood up to go to the communion rail, he got> up and walked down the aisle behind me.> > We passed a little old lady who said, "Mr. President, I pray for> you every day."> > To which he said, "That's a very special gift. Thank you so much."> > We got to the communion rail and there were two spaces, one in> front of us and one around the side of the altar. We both surmised> for ten seconds and then I started off around the corner.> > He stopped me and whispered, "No, no. I'll go around" and motioned> for me to take the closer spot. The only exception made in the> entire service was that the President was allowed to leave first> and then the rest of the congregation followed.> > With all sincerity, and partisanship aside I tell you: This is a> special man! There is a peace and Godliness about him. It> radiates from him. It is the only reason that I was able to remain> calm. It was more than the adrenaline I've felt when I've met> other famous people.> > A goodness flows through this man. He has more than my vote in> November. He has my respect, my prayers, and my gratitude.> > Whatever your political affiliation, and whether or not you agree> with his decisions, you should take comfort in the fact> that--despite recent press attacks--this is a man of integrity who> makes decisions because he believes they are RIGHT, not popular.> He makes these decisions with a heavy heart and through prayer.> > I don't mean to go on, and on, but I truly believe this was a> blessing from God that should be passed on.> > Laura Lefler> Office of Senator Lamar Alexander> 302 Hart Senate Office Building> 202-224-4944> Fax: 202-228-3398
Dear friends, here's something a bit different. It began one way and ended up... well, different. Some time ago, I loved reading John Bunyan's analogy of our journey from Earth to Heaven, “The Pilgrim's Progress" and always wanted to write something along those lines. This is my simple rendition of a pilgrim's progress and although it is a work in progress (so to speak), I thought I'd share it with you. I also included the process to the finished poem for your enjoyment. I began this poetic journey in August dissecting a couple sections out of 1st and 2nd Timothy originally entitled Run For The Hills (Ps 24), but changed it as I focused on God's grace and perfect plan for our lives... Psalm 1:1-3 and Psalm 23. Praying for you in Christ, Jeff and Ev' -- Please pray for us too."There are three stages in the work of God: Impossible; Difficult; Done." -- Hudson TaylorPSALM 1:1-3Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers. But they delight in doing everything the LORD wants; day and night they think about his law. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper.SAFE ON THE PATHStraight ahead, just beyond the foothills of Life As It Was,A place of joy and peace is known to us who follow Jesus;Further on, just a little farther up is Life As It Should Be,Every step you take In Truth is designed to set you free.On this arduous journey, where snakes and scorpions abound,No hope remains for the wanderer who strays off holy ground.Trudge forward, around the quicksand of Comparing Peak,Holding firm the Holy Guard that surely spares your life,Enter The King's Court where you'll find The One You Seek.Past the valley of What's Mine Is Mine lies Everything Is His,As you pass through Heaven's Gate to Love The One Your With;Time will turn to Eternity Lane and we will know Eternal Life,He has carried us over Danger's Threshold as His Perfect Bride.Jeffreee in JESUS!OCTOBER 9, 2004The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet water, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever (PSALM 23)._________________> Trudge forward, around the quicksand of Comparing Peak,> Holding firm the Holy Guard that surely spares your life,> Enter Confidence Court where sits the One whom you seek.> > Pass the valley of What's Mine Is Mine lies Everything Is His,> And you will enter Heaven's Gate to Love The One Your With;> Time will turn to Eternity Lane and we will know Eternal Life,> Has carried us over Danger's Threshold to be His Perfect Bride.> > RUN FOR THE HILLS> > > > Straight ahead, just beyond the foothills of Life As It Was,> > A place of joy and peace is known to us who follow Jesus;> > Further on, just a little farther up is Life As It Should Be,> > Every step you take in Truth is designed to set you free.> > > > On this arduous journey, where snakes and scorpions abound,> > No hope remains for the wanderer who strays off holy ground.> > > > Trust forever, > > > > > "There are three stages in the work of God: Impossible;> > > Difficult; Done." > > > -- Hudson Taylor> > > > > > arduous \AHR-juh-wus\ adjective > > > 1 a : hard to accomplish or achieve : difficult *b: marked > > > > by great labor or effort > > > : strenuous > > > 2 : hard to climb : steep> > > > > > Example sentence:> > > In the wake of the hurricane, residents face the arduous > > > task of rebuilding.> > > > > > Did you know?> > > "To forgive is the most arduous pitch human nature can > > > arrive at." When Richard Steele published that line in _The > > > Guardian_ in 1709, he was using "arduous" in what was apparently > > > > a fairly new way for English writers in his day: to imply that > > > something was steep or lofty as well as difficult. Steele's use > > > is one of the earliest documented in English for that meaning, > > > but he didn't commit it to paper until almost 200 years after > > > the first uses of the word in its "hard to accomplish" sense. > > > Although the "difficult" sense is older, the "steep" sense is > > > very true to the word's origins; "arduous" derives from the > > > Latin "arduus," which means "high" or "steep."> > > > > > RUN FOR THE HILLS> > > > > > Straight ahead, just beyond the foothills of Life As It Was,> > > A place of joy and peace known to those who follow Jesus;> > > > > > > > > On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 23:30:29 -0500 http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jepollock77@juno.com writes:> > > > > > > > 1TI 6:11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue > > > > righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and > gentleness. > > > > > > 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal > > > > life > > > > to which you were called when you made your good confession > > > > in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who > > > > > gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while > > > testifying > > > > before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you > > > > 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the > appear-> > > > ing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in > > > his > > > > > > > own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings > and > > > > > > Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unap-> > > > proachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be > > > > honor and might forever. Amen.> > > > > > > > 2 TIMOTHY 2:22 > > > > Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, > faith, > > > > > > love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of > > > > a pure heart. 23 Don't have anything to do with foolish and > > > > stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. > > > > 24 And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must > > > > be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those > > > > who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that > > > > God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge > > > > of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and > > > > escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive > > > > to do his will.> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
SHOW ME (Written especially for ALL OF YOU from Missouri)
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Hello all y'all, here's another poem I had hibernating, until I got back to it. It began as a personal peom to my family whose roots are in the Show-Me-State (Missouri) and that includes most of them. But as I worked on it I began to see how faith in Jesus was truly a show-me endeavor. Our Lord showed us His faithfulness as He persevered all the way to The Cross and gaurenteed by His resurrection our only hope of salvation. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life! In the book of Hebrews, just before the "faith chapter" (11) we are reminded not to "throw away our confidence" and to "persevere in doing the will of God" for it won't be long before He who is coming returns, and "you will receive what He has promised." That'll be the greatest "show me" ever. ENJOY!!James 2:22His faith was made complete by what he did. (SHOW ME) YOUR FAITH> Show me your faith in the words that you say,> and tell the world God is good news if obeyed;> Give generously to others wherever you may,> and help someone see God in a practical way.> > Show me your faith in the way that you love,> > and show the world you care with your faith;> > Offer assistance to a stranger in Jesus' name,> > and help someone find God in a personal way.> > > Show me your faith in the stand that you take,> > > and teach the world commitment doesn't fade;> > > Be nice to the people who you will meet today, > > > and help someone know God in a practical way.> > > > Show me faith that filters into each and every moment,> > > > and preach that Jesus' grace permeates heart and soul;> > > > ONLY Jesus' blood will save everyone from eternal flames,> > > > and the cross of Jesus is the focal point of personal faith.jeffree e pollockOctober 6, 2004Psalm 17:7-8, "Show the wonder of Your great love, You who save by Your right hand those who take refuge in You from their foes. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.">> >> > >> > > > Show the wonder of Your great love> > > > > > > > Keep me as the apple of Your true eye> > > > > > > > Hide me in the shadow of Your wings> > > > > > > > Carry me with You into the evening sky> > > > > > What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith buthas no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but doesnothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the sameway, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead....Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for whathe did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see thathis faith and his actions were working together, and his faithwas made complete by what he did. JAMES 2:14-17; 21-22
1 JOHN 4:16 (NCV)We know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love.THE LOVE HE HASThank You Father for showing us how to win:I do not have to acquiesce to compromising,Peace for me is knowing I have all Your love;My foundation in eternity is victory in Jesus.Thank You Lord for sacrificing Yourself for us: I am no longer a slave to Satan’s temptations,Freedom for me is being cleansed in Your blood;My stronghold in heaven is the truth of Jesus.Thank You Holy Spirit for coming to live within: I won't pretend to lean on my strength to make it,Life for me was crucified and rose to live again;My joy on earth is helping others reach heaven.Thank You God for making Yourself known to us:I am no longer a slave to sin, I desire only Jesus,Hope for me is Jesus interceding on my behalf;My faith is built on believing in the love He has.Jeffree E. PollockSept. / Oct 1 , 2004"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. "There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God. Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished. But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants." --JOHN 3:16-21 (NLT)________________________________Hi all, Jeff here. Thought I'd drop you a note and thankyou for adding us (Ev' and I) to your prayers. We aredoing good (thank God!) and trust God is leading you in His wonderful will also. Granted, sometimes it is hard to un-derstand His marvelous plan, but His light never fades and His faithfulness endures forever! My constant prayer is that He would increase my faith and shine through me, especiallyin my weaknesses. What is it Paul says in 2 Corinthians?"Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God."What a great truth! God isn't glorified in our phoniness;only through His love (alive in us by faith in His Son) canwe live a life by faith in Jesus' Name and Resurrection power.Well, I've rambled enough... but I wanted to share somethingwith you that I read today. I found it went along quite wellwith the poem. Enjoy, and again, thanks for your prayers!As far as I can tell these med adjustments are working andI'm feeling better. Still, above all, God's grace is sufficient.ATTRIBUTES OF GODLoveSomeone has said that love is a verb. That may be true, but before it was a verb, it was an attribut of God. Ac-cording to 1 John 4:8, God is love. He is the source of love and love is the distinguishing mark of all that He does (1 John 4:7). God's love is the divine attribute that helps us to keep many of the other attributes of God in perspective. God's moral attributes of goodness and holiness, for ex-ample, would create an impenetrable barrier for us if it were not for the attribute of love. God's goodness and holiness are reflected in divine justice. God's justice, however, has been tempered by the fact that He is love. Love motivated God tosend His Son as a sacrifice for our sin (Eph. 2:4). He is re-peatedly described as God of "unfailing" love (Ps. 6:4; 13:5; 21:7). Our experience of God's love motivates us to show loveto others. God's love is not shallow sentimentalism. It is an attributein harmony with all His other attributes. It is active and shows itself in the way that God deals with those He has created. Itis His love that causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall(Matt. 5:43-45). Why Theology MattersGod's love is the ultimate foundation for the love we show to others. We love others because God has loved us. Only thosewho have been born of God through faith in Jesus Christ canlove in the way that God intended. Like God who has loved us,our love should be sacrificial. We must be willing to lay downour lives on behalf of those for whom Christ died (1 John 4:11).___________________For Further ReadingTo discover more about the way God shows His love, read The Five Love Languages of Godby Gary Chapman (Moody Publishers).
Forwarded Message: PAPER ARMOR (Release in October)
PAPER ARMOR (Release in October)
Monday, September 27, 2004 6:28 PM
From:
"J E Pollock"
To:
jeffreyevelyn@yahoo.com
MATTHEW 15:1-9Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, `Honor your father and mother' and `Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, `Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' he is not to `honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:" `These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain;their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"PAPER ARMOR Dressed in the righteousness of tradition,The world works out its phony salvation;Impassioned by every passing fad, It is nowonder so many so-called Christians are sad.Dressed in the righteousness of religion,The naked hide in the shadows of delusion;Confounded by Satan's pretty little lies,It's not surprising so many give up the Fight.Dressed in the armor of righteous works,The fallen keep rising to fake another day;Lost in a world turning on an axis of evil,They miss the chance to follow God's Way.Dressed in the self-righteousness of Pop Psychology & Positive Thinking, beauty and brains reign supreme;Deceived into believing money can buy everything, the Creed of most people is, "It is all about me!!!"Dressed to the nines just to turn someone's head,The rich and famous have no place for Jesus' Sword;The battle is already lost for those who choose death,And don't guard their lives with God's Spiritual Armor.If you hope to get to Heaven dressed in paper armor,I will tell you now - you are never going to get there;Unless you are clothed in the righteousness of Christ,You're just going to burn in Hell with what you wear!Confess & Repent, change and get dressed in the Armor of God, Turn from your sin and walk by faith in the power of the Spirit; Believe in Jesus Christ and attain salvation through His Cross, Receive grace and be found holy and righteous because of Him.______Jeffree PollockOctober 1, 2004MATTHEW 10:32-42"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven."Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn " `a man against his father,a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daugh-ter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."EPHESIANS 6:10-18Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can ex-tinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.Paul, who had so much going for himself, would say something like this: "Whatever things were gain to me"--and there would be a long list ofthat--"those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Morethan that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing valueof knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of allthings, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may befound in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law,but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comesfrom God on the basis of faith, that I may"--and you have to feel thelonging, the passion here. He writes, "That I may know Him and the powerof His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being [made]conformed to [the image of] His death; in order that I may attain to theresurrection from the dead."
FAITH IS THE KEYFaith is the detergentthat breaks up the sinwhich clouds the conscienceand closes the mind to JesusFaith is the living waterwhich carries our prayersto the throne of our FatherWho answers all our caresFaith is the healing balmwhich opens blind eyesand makes every storm calmin the peace of JesusFaith is the living fruitwhich empowers peopleto believe Jesus is the truththat will save them from hell Faith is the foundationwhich gives heaven its heightand the bedrock of revelationon which we stand throughout lifeFaith is what pleases our Fatherwhen the Holy Spirit changes usFaith is at the center of our servicenow that we know our Lord is JesusFaith is the key that turns the cold heart's lockAnd sets us free in Jesusto live and serve GodJeffreee!!!9/27/2004____________________It's the Whole Thing"Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to Godmust believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."Hebrews 11:6I don't know about you, but as a believer in Jesus Christ and as apastor, I run into a lot of people who tell me they've "lost" theirfaith. They just don't believe like they used to. Do you meet peoplelike this? What do you tell them?I start by getting right to the heart of their question. I ask them,“what do you think faith is?” and “Who do you have faith in?” Thatusually clears things up real fast.When you share grace and truth with people you must first get thedefinition page. We’ll get to what God's Book says about faith in aminute, but let's first rid ourselves of faulty notions about faith: Faith is not an ostrich, head-in-the-sand denial of the obvious orinevitable. It’s not pretending that something is real when deep downyou don’t believe it. That’s fear, not faith. Faith is not anti-intellectual either. Faith is not a warm feeling thatrequires you to check your mind at the door. That’s feeling, not faith. Faith is not a stained-glass, dreamy escapism. I cannot live at church,hiding from the real world. That’s fluff, not faith. Faith is not a motivational seminar, with some high-powered guru callingfor self-realization, telling you to picture a better future. That’sfad, not faith. Faith is not some stupid positive mental attitude, ayou-have-to-keep-believing thing. It’s not ignoring pain by embracingoptimism. That’s foolishness, not faith. Now hear this: Faith is so integral to the Christian life that it can beboiled down to a very practical definition: Faith is believing the Wordof God and acting upon it, no matter how I feel, because God promises agood result.Let’s break that definition down so you can see how it will work inpractical ways in your life. Faith is believing the Word of God. That word believing is not “wouldn’tit be nice if . . .” Believing is a lot more than just shallow hope. Believing is, “I’ve got all my eggs in one basket. I’m 100% in.” That’sfaith. But faith is not believing in a vacuum; it’s belief based on the Word ofGod. That’s the key. I’m not trusting the newspaper, the television, myneighbor, or my boss. I believe in a God who wrote a trustworthy Book.“Faith,” Romans 10 says, “comes by hearing the Word of God” so the more Iget in God’s Book the greater will be my faith. . . . And acting upon it. Genuine faith always downloads into life. Wesay we believe in all kinds of stuff—but we really don’t unless it showsup in our lives. In family matters, an active faith means we will trustGod to work through a wayward child or even an unbelieving spouse. Infinances, we will trust God to meet our daily needs, while giving tithesand offerings; we believe the Scripture that says, “God is able to makeall grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency ineverything, you may have an abundance for every good deed” (2 Corinthians9:8). Maybe you’re reading this with an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Maybe you’re just discouraged about your life and your direction. You’renot sure where to turn and you’re not sure what to pursue. As a followerof Jesus Christ, you can turn to Him to meet your deepest life needs. When you believe the answers to life’s deepest perplexities are found inChrist, then you are believing the Word of God and acting upon it. No matter how I feel. This is critical. Faith discounts how we feel andboldly acts upon the Word of God. I know a woman who wants like anything to talk to her husband aboutChrist. She’s having a hard time believing that she can’t be a big partof the solution! She feels she must say something or he will neverchange. But faith discounts how we feel and boldly acts upon the Word ofGod.Maybe you’re at a place of real financial hardship, and you feel giving aconsistent tithe or offering to your church is unrealistic. I understandthe fear that comes with limited funds. When Kathy and I were in Biblecollege, we didn’t have two dimes to rub together. We had $180--$200 perweek of expenses, and I was making $150 a week as a youth pastor. I canremember writing that little tithing check for $15 and thinking to myself“Why am I doing this?” Those were real fears and frustrations, but they were nonsense comparedto God’s faithfulness. God was teaching us some very important lessonsabout life. I learned that God is true to His Word and can be trusted tomeet all of our needs if, by faith, we choose obedience and refuse to beguided by emotion. Here’s the best part of faith: We can act upon ourfaith, no matter how we feel, because . . . God promises a good result. Here are four questions I’ve heard fromthose struggling with faith: “Why would I do what God tells me?” “Why would I wait on God to bring my husband to Christ?” “Why would I give of my finances when I have so many debts?” “Why would I invest my energies in following hard after the Lord when Ifeel like my life is so empty and meaningless? The answer to each question is the same: Because God promises a goodresult. This message of faith permeates the Bible; it’s somewhere on every page.Every step with God is a step of faith. Every lesson learned is a lessonof faith. Every victory won is a victory by faith. That’s theprominence of faith in God’s book. It’s on that basis that I say this:Faith is not a part of the Christian life. Say what? That’s right; faith is not a part of the Christian life. It’snot like patience, kindness or other character traits. It’s not liketeaching or ministering. It’s not like worship or prayer or otheractions that we take toward God. Those are parts.Faith is not a part of the Christian life; it’s the whole thing. At the end of the day the Christian is only and entirely about faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for hewho comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder ofthose who seek Him.” Genuine believers trust God and His Word and actupon it no matter how they feel, because God promises a good result. The next time you meet someone who has lost their way, teach them whatGod is teaching you about faith. That it’s real and relevant andabundantly rewarded by God Himself. Faith is not a part of the Christianlife . . . it’s the whole thing! Check this out:http://www.walkintheword.com/ww20040927.html
Hello, this is something that's been sitting in my Draft Filesince the end of April. I've been editing and reediting it . . .and finally decided to send it out. Enjoy! And if you will...please keep my epilepsy medication adjustments in your prayers we would greatly appreciate it. Hope all is well.Thank you for praying for us. Love, Jeff and Ev1 JOHN 4:7-11My dear friends, we must love each other. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows that we have been given new life. We are now God's children and we know Him. God is love, and anyone who doesn't love others has never known Him. God showed His love for us when He sent His only Son into the world to give us life. Real love isn't our love for God, but His love for us. God sent His Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other. GALATIANS 5:13For you have been called to live in freedom--not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. GOD IS LOVE (Spiritual Fruit)GOD by any other name is not love because God is love. JOY gained by means of selfish pride is only a diminishing happiness. PEACE if pursued and accomplished by pushing down others is a lie. PATIENCE if not leaning on the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ will not stand. KINDNESS if not practiced in your daily walk makes no difference. GOODNESS that does notdesire Godliness will not withstand the test of time. FAITHFULNESS that pleases God fortifies and encourages more spiritual fruit. GENTLENESS without intercessory discernment falls short of true compassion. SELF-CONTROL without true compassion becomes a springboard to more self-ishness. LOVE by any other name is not God…. because God is Love (1 John 4:8).Jeffree PollockApril 28, 2004 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. GALATIANS 5:19-25______________________________THE SPONTANEITY OF LOVE Love suffereth long, and is kind ... 1 Corinthians 13:4-8Love is not premeditated, it is spontaneous, i.e., it bursts upin extraordinary ways. There is nothing of mathematical certainty in Paul's category of love. We cannot say - "Now I am going to think no evil; I am going to believe all things." The characteristic of love is spontaneity. We do not set the statements of Jesus in front of us as a standard; but when His Spirit is having His way with us, we live according to His standard with out knowing it, and on looking back we are amazed at the disinterestedness of a particular emotion, which is the evidence that the spontaneity of real love was there. In everything to do with the life of God in us, its nature is only discerned when it is past.The springs of love are in God, not in us. It is absurd to look for the love of God in our hearts naturally, it is only there when it has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.If we try to prove to God how much we love Him, it is a sure sign that we do not love Him. The evidence of our love for Him is the absolute spontaneity of our love, it comes naturally. In looking back we cannot tell why we did certain things, we did them according to the spontaneous nature of His love in us. The life of God manifests itself in this spontaneous way be-cause the springs of love are in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 5:5)MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - by Oswald Chambers
Dear friends, my favorite Uncle Jack (johnpollock@earthlink)sent me his edited version of the piece I sent out yesterday. I think it is so accurately Christ-centered it had to be shared.GOD IS LOVE (RE EDITED).Jack wrote:Could I try my hand at editing?______________________________GOD...by any other name is still love, because God is love. JOY gained by means of selfish pride becomes diminishing happiness. PEACE, if pursued and accomplished by pushing down others, is really persecution. PATIENCE, if not built upon the solid Rock of Jesus Christ, creates anxiety. KINDNESS, if not practiced in your daily walk, will eventually make you mean-spirited. FAITHFULNESS that is not God-centered is simply selfishness. GENTLENESS, without proper motivation, is not compassion; it is manipulation. SELF-CONTROL, without love, is just stubbornness. LOVE...by any other name...is still God, because God is love.______________________________Thank you for helping me think and pray. Your epilepsy medication adjustments are in my prayers.
"Now fear the LORD and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for your-selves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. JOSHUA 24:14-15CARPE DIEM!Carpe diem!Seize the day!Come to Jesus,CHOOSE God’s only way.Carpe diem!Choose this day!FOLLOW after Jesus,And you will change.Worship God!Praise His holy Name!COME to the Cross of Jesus,for freedom from the grave.Carpe diem!Choose this day!SERVE the Lord Jesus,And give your life by faith.Carpe diem!Seize the day!Every step you take with Jesus,Will teach you to LOVE His way.Jeffree E. PollockSeptember 21, 2004Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11
JAMES 1:2-3
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
TEST PATTERN
This is a test
Don't give up
This is only a test
Don't forget God's love
This is a test
Don't change your dial
This is only a test
We grow stronger in the trial
This is a test
Remember you're redeemed
This is only a test
God knows what you need
This is a test
Always praise His name
This is only a test
We are held in His grace
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JEFFREE in JESUS!
September 14, 2004
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Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
JAMES 1:4-5
GALATIANS 2:20-21I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!__________________________________________________But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. --Galatians 6:14ONLY JESUS IS WORTHYIf I were to choose a favorite verse,I think Galatians 6:14 would be it;Nothing is more worthwhile on earth,Than my Lord and Savior's relationship.Only Jesus is worthy of our worship,He alone is responsible for our lives;His Life can free us to choose to live,For we are made righteous in Christ.If I were to choose God's greatest truth,I would dare say it is Galatians 5:1;Nothing is better than being made new,In the grace and freedom of God's only Son.Only Jesus is worthy of my worship,He alone is responsible for my life;His blood has freed me from all sin,For I am crucified with Jesus Christ.You can safely say Galatians is my favorite Bible letter,Far too much of my life has been enslaved to serving me;I am now God’s friend, free to serve my Lord and Master,JESUS, Who is worthy of my worship and always will be!Jeffreee! E PollockSeptember 10, 2004Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. --Galatians 5:1__________________________________________________What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17