I BELIEVE
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 and we
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, Jeff
HEBREWS 10:31
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
DEAD TO THE WORLD
Don'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 do not be afraid,
To wield God’s 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. Pollock
January 10, 2005
Revised 07/10/09
The 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 his
blood, shed on the cross. COLOSSIANS 1:17-20 NIV
FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
We have a connection
Where the heart of Jesus feels our pain
Our hearts beat as one for the glory of God
As we worship His only true Son
Only Jesus told it like it is
Only Jesus knew creation was His
Only Jesus truly let go (and let God win)
Only Jesus is worthy of our worship
Only Jesus gave all He could give
Only Jesus lived all He could live
Only Jesus was never a slave
to life and limb, discard or save
Only Jesus knew what He was doing
Only Jesus spoke truth as it is
Only Jesus came to save us from sin
Only Jesus really loved (and showed us)
Only Jesus is worthy of our worship
No doubt we have a connection
Where the cross of Christ intersects
Our voices sing as one for the glory of God
As we worship Jesus Christ again and again!
______________________
Written by: Jeffrey Pollock
Started: February 10, 1999
Finished: January 10, 2005
Revised: July 10, 2009
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
Looking through some stuff I sent out last year I came across this poem
and 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 you
settled 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 to
make 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 SIDE
Just 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 2005
For 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 LIFE
Into my darkness comes the light of The Father's truth
Into my selfishness comes The Cross of Christ His Son
Into my thanklessness comes the loving Spirit's holy fruit
Turning my heart toward Jesus I give Him all my love
Into my sinfulness comes the hope of God's forgiveness
Into my brokenness comes the healing of Jesus' blood
Into my worldliness comes the Spirit of perfect holiness
Trusting my soul to Jesus Christ I give Him all my love
Into my filthiness comes the purity of God our Father
Into my anxiousness comes the peace of His only Son
Into my unworthiness comes the promise of adoption
Turning my mind toward Jesus I give my love to God
Into my fearfulness comes the sovereignty of Jehovah
Into my doubtfulness comes the proof of Christ our Lord
Into my forgetfulness comes the the Holy Spirit's counsel
Trusting in God's power I am redeemed by my Savior
Into my pride comes the sovereign will of God our Father
Into my poverty Jesus the giver of every good gift comes
Into my prejudice comes the Spirit of the perfect Lover
With all my strength in love I turn to the Righteous Judge
Into my life comes death by crucifixion
Into my pain comes purpose for this suffering
Into my confused way comes God's faithful direction
By faith I follow Jesus into the joy that His love brings
JEFFree E POLLOCK
JANUARY 01, 2005
Be 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 one deceive 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 all goodness, 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, be
filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ. EPHESIANS 5: 1:21 (NIV)
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light
shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the
glory 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 the light,
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 2:5-11
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being
in 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 SPIRIT
In 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 alone
to save us -- full of faith, gentleness and self-control.
Jeffree Pollock
January 2004
But 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)
_____________________________________________________________
JOHN 1:1-5
In 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 FLESH
Open 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.
J. E. POLLOCK
Dec. 27, 2004
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him,
and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and
His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him,
to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those
who 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 1:10-13
And 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 cry
After eons of time and space passed by
A humble child gave birth to the Word
Would die on a Cross to save the earth
Watch, and see if you can His first steps
After waiting so long to humble Himself
A divine King whose love for us sinners
Would give up His life to save the worst
Taste, and swallow if you will His first blood
After giving so much He's still able to love
A sacrificial Lamb whose death gave us life
Would soon rise again and return to the light
Touch, and hold on to if you will your first love
After coming to the knowledge is it really enough
A Shepherd who would be sheered by His sheep
A Savior who is pierced in His hands and His feet
Believe, and you'll know He must remain in first place
After lifting you out of the pit you were in by His grace
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 our trespasses
As we forgive those who would trespass 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
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. Packer
I 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 perfect
life 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 knowledge
of His grace and love towards us will be borne in our
daily walk with others (especially those dearest to us).
Enjoy, Jeff
____________
ISAIAH 9:6
For 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 POLLOCK
December 20 2004
9:6 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 disciplining
them (Psalm 68:5,6). Prince of Peace. His government will bring
peace 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 US
For God so loved the world
He gave His one, His only Son
To show He cared enough to die
To save us from the Devil’s lie
If I could write a poem for you
And share my joy in rhyme
The poem would be for Jesus first
Who taught love must precede works
If I could share my heart with you
And bear my soul to God our Father
The testimony I would gladly choose
Is the hope His Son our Lord made sure
If I could write a song for you
And share my heart in verse
The song would be for our God first
Who chose to show what love is worth
If I could shine my faith for you
And bring to light eternal truth
The glorious event I would surely tell
Is the one that saves our souls from Hell
Words can never fully express
The joy we have in Jesus
God loves so much He gave His very best
And brought His Light into our darkness
Since Jesus gave His life for you
And shed His blood to forgive your sins
Will you receive God’s gift of truth
And choose to die -- and live for Him?
Jeffree E. Pollock
December 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 ME
Behold the Babe
Born in a feeding trough
Come to light the way
Cradled in a mother’s love
Behold the Boy
Teaching in the temple
With authoritative voice
True hope for the simple
Behold the Man
Baptized in the Jordan
Witness to our Father’s plan
To give everlasting joy to man
Behold the Lamb, our Teacher
Explaining for us the Gospel way
Our great Shepherd and only Healer
Must be crucified, die, and be raised
Behold our Father's Son, the Life, the Truth
Who is unwilling that one of His own be lost
Come into the light and yourself be made new
In the blood of Jesus Christ -- shed at the Cross
Behold, Christ Jesus the Lord is God
Alive in us by His grace through our faith in His Spirit
He is the Light of the World, the bright Morning Star
Resurrected, born again... in the center of our hearts
Jeffree E. Pollock
December 13, '04
Praise 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, spoil
or fade --- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are
shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation
that 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 took
is 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 HEART
My heart is full, overflowing...
Thanksgiving spills from my lips
in 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 friends
in 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 guilt
and 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 hope
and reminds me Jesus calls me friend,
He answers me with His loving kindness.
JEFFREE POLLOCK
December 9, 2004
Let'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 did
not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that
the world through Him might be saved. (JOHN 3:14-17 NKJV)
MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS...
My favorite Christmas moment
Is the one that happened in my heart
When the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent
Found me falling in the dark
My favorite Christmas story
Is the one told to a virgin, Mary
When an angel came to announce
She was chosen to give birth to God
My favorite rhyme at Christmastime
Reminds me nothing moves God’s love
When by faith in Christ His promise became mine
His grace settled into my soul like a hand in a glove
My favorite Christmas poem
Is the one that happened in my heart
When Jesus came to repair His home
And swept away every shadow in the dark
My favorite Christmas memory
Is the one that gives me hope today
When Christ gave me life for eternity
I knew my Father's love was here to stay
JEFFREE E POLLOCK
DECEMBER 10, 2004
Since 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 Devotional
MaxLucado.com/newsletter
12/7/04
______________________________
JUST A MOMENT -----
by Max Lucado
It 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. Heaven
opened 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 Near
Copyright © 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 messages
celebrating 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 GOD
One 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, but
dwelling 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 today
and eventually found time to send it. Enjoy! Love, Jeff & Evee
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, 2004
For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind. –2 Timothy 1:7
==================================================================================
Dear James & Sarah, Hannah, Rebekah, and Abigail;
we love you. --Jeff & Evelyn
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. --2 PETER 3:18
ALL ABOUT JESUS
In 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 Pollock
November/2004
El Paso, Texas
We pursue God because, and only because, He first
puts and urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit.
--A. W. Tozer
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
JOHN 14:6-7
I 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 to
him and make Our home with him. He who does
not love Me will not obey My teaching. These
words you hear are not My own; they belong to
the Father who sent Me."
YOU DON'T KNOW ME
If 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 Pollock
November 2004
See 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 3:1-3
The New Testament (In the Language of Today)
-- William F. Beck
_________________________________________
HUMILITY AND GRACE
Let 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 it
describes 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 the
Christian 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 person
like that doesn't demand his rights. God manifested His grace to
us the same way---mankind abused and maligned Jesus Christ
though He deserved none of it, yet he still reached out to us in
love (cf. Rom. 5:10). Humility and graciousness will help you be
stable in spite of the circumstances.
Truth For Today -- John MacArthur
The Essential Second
A 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 US
For God so loved the world
He gave His one, His only Son
To show He cared enough to die
To save us from the Devil’s lie
If I could write a poem for you
And share my joy in rhyme
The poem would be for Jesus first
Who taught how love must precede works
If I could share my heart with you
And bear my soul to God our Father
The testimony I would gladly choose
Is the hope His Son our Lord made sure
If I could write a song for you
And share my heart in verse
The song would be for our God first
Who chose to show what love is worth
If I could shine my faith for you
And bring to light eternal truth
The glorious event I would surely tell
Is the one that saves our souls from hell
Words can never fully express
The joy we have in Jesus
When God loved us He gave His very best
And sent His Holy Light into our darkness
Since Jesus gave His life for you
And shed His blood to forgive your sins
Will you receive God’s gift of truth
And choose to live for Him?
Jeffree E. Pollock
October 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 3:16
God 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 SENDER
Thank 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!
11.1.2004
Then 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.
JeffreeEPollock
November 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 SIDE
Just 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 we're Born Again
Love each other and serve Jesus now
Just as fooled and hopeless men
Sold their souls to save their skin
So must saints who long for heaven
Believe in Christ and repent of sin
Just as discouraged fallen snake-bit men
Obeyed and looked up to save their lives
So must we conclude that Jesus' Cross leads to heaven
And our Father will be waiting for us on the other side
JEFFree!
OCTOber
EL PaSO
TX, 2004
For 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)
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
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 when
I 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 Others
MY TESTIMONY TO OTHERS
IS MY SAVIOR'S LOVE FOR ME
THROUGH HIS FINISHED WORK
AS HE OBEYED HIS FATHER FIRST
MY TESTIMONY TO OTHERS
IS MY FATHER'S LOVE IN ME
ALIVE IN THESE CHOSEN WORDS
SPEAKING THE TRUTH OF JESUS FIRST
I TRUST GOD WILL QUENCH OUR THIRST
AND FILL US WITH HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
AS HE CONDESCENDS TO SAVE THE WORST
WHEN THEY TESTIFY OF HIM TO OTHERS
MY TESTIMONY TO OTHERS
IS THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING IN ME
OVERCOMING ALL MY WEAKNESSES
AND FILLING ME WITH JESUS FIRST
WHAT BROUGHT ME TO OUR FATHER
IS MY LOVE FOR HIS SON JESUS FIRST
THE CHANGES HE HAS MADE IN ME
IS MY TESTIMONY TO HELP OTHERS
Jeffreee in Jesus!
October 15, 2004
El Paso, TX USA
Philippians 2:1-15
Is 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 Discipleship
When 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 the
soils.
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 Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
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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 their
fruit 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 year
called, TWO TREES. I didn't realize then how well it would fit our
choices for President in November. I also sent something my Uncle
passed 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) : trick
Example 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 of
the Day, featuring audio pronunciations, interactive surveys, and more:
http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml
__________
Genesis 2:9
And 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 TREES
Two paths to take,
Two ways to walk;
One leads to death,
The other is called
Wisdom.
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 indulge
the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).
Jeffree E Pollock
January 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 Taylor
PSALM 1:1-3
Oh, 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 PATH
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.
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, 2004
The 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 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 appearing 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 unapproachable 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)
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 2:22
His 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 pollock
October 6, 2004
Psalm 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 but
has 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 does
nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same
way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
...Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what
he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that
his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith
was 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 HAS
Thank 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. Pollock
Sept. / 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 thank
you for adding us (Ev' and I) to your prayers. We are
doing 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, especially
in 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) can
we live a life by faith in Jesus' Name and Resurrection power.
Well, I've rambled enough... but I wanted to share something
with you that I read today. I found it went along quite well
with the poem. Enjoy, and again, thanks for your prayers!
As far as I can tell these med adjustments are working and
I'm feeling better. Still, above all, God's grace is sufficient.
ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
Love
Someone 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 to
send 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 love
to others.
God's love is not shallow sentimentalism. It is an attribute
in harmony with all His other attributes. It is active and shows
itself in the way that God deals with those He has created. It
is His love that causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall
(Matt. 5:43-45).
Why Theology Matters
God's love is the ultimate foundation for the love we show to
others. We love others because God has loved us. Only those
who have been born of God through faith in Jesus Christ can
love in the way that God intended. Like God who has loved us,
our love should be sacrificial. We must be willing to lay down
our lives on behalf of those for whom Christ died (1 John 4:11).
___________________
For Further Reading
To discover more about the way God shows His love,
read The Five Love Languages of God
by 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 15:1-9
Then 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 no
wonder 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 Pollock
October 1, 2004
MATTHEW 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 6:10-18
Finally, 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 of
that--"those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More
than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be
found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law,
but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes
from God on the basis of faith, that I may"--and you have to feel the
longing, the passion here. He writes, "That I may know Him and the power
of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being [made]
conformed to [the image of] His death; in order that I may attain to the
resurrection from the dead."
FAITH IS THE KEY
Faith is the detergent
that breaks up the sin
which clouds the conscience
and closes the mind to Jesus
Faith is the living water
which carries our prayers
to the throne of our Father
Who answers all our cares
Faith is the healing balm
which opens blind eyes
and makes every storm calm
in the peace of Jesus
Faith is the living fruit
which empowers people
to believe Jesus is the truth
that will save them from hell
Faith is the foundation
which gives heaven its height
and the bedrock of revelation
on which we stand throughout life
Faith is what pleases our Father
when the Holy Spirit changes us
Faith is at the center of our service
now that we know our Lord is Jesus
Faith is the key that
turns the cold heart's lock
And sets us free in Jesus
to live and serve God
Jeffreee!!!
9/27/2004
____________________
It's the Whole Thing
"Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God
must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
Hebrews 11:6
I don't know about you, but as a believer in Jesus Christ and as a
pastor, I run into a lot of people who tell me they've "lost" their
faith. They just don't believe like they used to. Do you meet people
like 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?” That
usually clears things up real fast.
When you share grace and truth with people you must first get the
definition page. We’ll get to what God's Book says about faith in a
minute, but let's first rid ourselves of faulty notions about faith:
Faith is not an ostrich, head-in-the-sand denial of the obvious or
inevitable. It’s not pretending that something is real when deep down
you don’t believe it. That’s fear, not faith.
Faith is not anti-intellectual either. Faith is not a warm feeling that
requires 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 calling
for self-realization, telling you to picture a better future. That’s
fad, not faith.
Faith is not some stupid positive mental attitude, a
you-have-to-keep-believing thing. It’s not ignoring pain by embracing
optimism. That’s foolishness, not faith.
Now hear this: Faith is so integral to the Christian life that it can be
boiled down to a very practical definition: Faith is believing the Word
of God and acting upon it, no matter how I feel, because God promises a
good result.
Let’s break that definition down so you can see how it will work in
practical ways in your life.
Faith is believing the Word of God. That word believing is not “wouldn’t
it 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’s
faith.
But faith is not believing in a vacuum; it’s belief based on the Word of
God. That’s the key. I’m not trusting the newspaper, the television, my
neighbor, 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 I
get in God’s Book the greater will be my faith.
. . . And acting upon it. Genuine faith always downloads into life. We
say we believe in all kinds of stuff—but we really don’t unless it shows
up in our lives. In family matters, an active faith means we will trust
God to work through a wayward child or even an unbelieving spouse. In
finances, we will trust God to meet our daily needs, while giving tithes
and offerings; we believe the Scripture that says, “God is able to make
all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in
everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed” (2 Corinthians
9:8).
Maybe you’re reading this with an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
Maybe you’re just discouraged about your life and your direction. You’re
not sure where to turn and you’re not sure what to pursue. As a follower
of 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 in
Christ, 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 and
boldly acts upon the Word of God.
I know a woman who wants like anything to talk to her husband about
Christ. She’s having a hard time believing that she can’t be a big part
of the solution! She feels she must say something or he will never
change. But faith discounts how we feel and boldly acts upon the Word of
God.
Maybe you’re at a place of real financial hardship, and you feel giving a
consistent tithe or offering to your church is unrealistic. I understand
the fear that comes with limited funds. When Kathy and I were in Bible
college, we didn’t have two dimes to rub together. We had $180--$200 per
week of expenses, and I was making $150 a week as a youth pastor. I can
remember 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 compared
to God’s faithfulness. God was teaching us some very important lessons
about life. I learned that God is true to His Word and can be trusted to
meet all of our needs if, by faith, we choose obedience and refuse to be
guided by emotion. Here’s the best part of faith: We can act upon our
faith, no matter how we feel, because . . .
God promises a good result. Here are four questions I’ve heard from
those 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 I
feel like my life is so empty and meaningless?
The answer to each question is the same: Because God promises a good
result.
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 lesson
of faith. Every victory won is a victory by faith. That’s the
prominence 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’s
not like patience, kindness or other character traits. It’s not like
teaching or ministering. It’s not like worship or prayer or other
actions 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 he
who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of
those who seek Him.” Genuine believers trust God and His Word and act
upon 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 what
God is teaching you about faith. That it’s real and relevant and
abundantly rewarded by God Himself. Faith is not a part of the Christian
life . . . 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 File
since 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 Ev
1 JOHN 4:7-11
My 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 5:13
For 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 not desire 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 selfishness. LOVE by any other name is not God…. because God is Love (1 John 4:8).
Jeffree Pollock
April 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 13:4-8
Love is not premeditated, it is spontaneous, i.e., it bursts up
in 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 24:14-15
CARPE 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. Pollock
September 21, 2004
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 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
---------------------
JEFFREE in JESUS!
September 14, 2004
--------------------
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 2:20-21
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. 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 6:14
ONLY JESUS IS WORTHY
If 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 Pollock
September 10, 2004
Stand 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
http://jeffree7.wordpress.com
Dear friends, family, and fellow poets: Hi! This is something I wrote
last week AND forgot BUT after I read Max Lucado (included below) I
tracked it down. Also, after Max I tacked on a BreakPoint message from
Colson about a book I hope to read soon: THE FAITH. Have you read it
yet? Don't miss Reality TV in the Daily Audio section on Max Lucado's
site; good stuff. Oh, almost forgot... I've also posted a new poem or 2
on a new friends poetry website @ http://propheticpoetry.net/poems/;
it should be up by now in the Guest Poems section. Hope this isn't too
confusing for you, I'm getting a little dizzy just writing it. Looks
like I'll get this out before September after all, its 11:51 PM here.
Love, Jeff
John 14:6
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no
one comes to the Father except through me.
PERFECT ENOUGH
This fear, this quaking fear,
Shoved aside but always near;
Close enough to take my breath,
Evil enough to cause my death.
This denial, this closet denial,
Stored away but always on trial;
Light enough to barely annoy,
Heavy enough to steal my joy.
This faith,
This true repentance;
Easy enough to simply say,
Real enough to change my way.
This hope, this living hope,
Alive inside and always near;
Close enough to comfort my soul,
Holy enough to calm my fear.
This love, this precious love,
Given through pain and Jesus' blood;
Human enough to suffer and die on a cross,
Perfect enough to give everyone access to God.
J. E. Pollock
08/25/2008
"I hold you by your right hand,
I, the LORD your God. And I
say to you, 'Don't be afraid.
I am here to help you.'"
Isaiah 41:13, NLT
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Perfect Love
by Max Lucado
Isn’t it good to know that even when we don’t love with a perfect love, he does? God always nourishes what is right. He always applauds what is right. He has never done wrong, led one person to do wrong, or rejoiced when anyone did wrong. For he is love, and love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6 NASB).
God passes the test of 1 Corinthians 13:6. Well, he should; he drafted it.
So where does this leave us? Perhaps with a trio of reminders. When it comes to love:
Be careful.
Until love is stirred, let God’s love be enough for you. There are seasons when God allows us to feel the frailty of human love so we’ll appreciate the strength of his love. Didn’t he do this with David? Saul turned on him. Michal, his wife, betrayed him. Jonathan and Samuel were David’s friends, but they couldn’t follow him into the wilderness. Betrayal and circumstances left David alone. Alone with God. And, as David discovered, God was enough. David wrote these words in a desert: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.… My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods” (Ps. 63:3, 5 NIV).
Be prayerful.
What if it’s too late? Specifically, what if you’re married to someone you don’t love—or who doesn’t love you? Many choose to leave. That may be the step you take. But if it is, take at least a thousand others first. And bathe every one of those steps in prayer. Love is a fruit of the Spirit. Ask God to help you love as he loves. “God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love” (Rom. 5:5 CEV). Ask everyone you know to pray for you. Your friends. Your family. Your church leaders. Get your name on every prayer list available. And, most of all, pray for and, if possible, with your spouse. Ask the same God who raised the dead to resurrect the embers of your love.
Be grateful.
Be grateful for those who love you. Be grateful for those who have encouraged you to do what is right and applauded when you did. Do you have people like that in your world? If so, you are doubly blessed. Be grateful for them. And be grateful for your Father in heaven.
From
A Love Worth Giving
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004) Max Lucado
NOW IN PAPERBACK
With a Reader's Guide focusing on:
1. Love Remembered: gleans crucial quotes from the chapter and invites you to reexamine them by answering some probing questions.
2. Love Deepened: uses parallel Scriptures to reinforce and clarify the thrust of the chapter.
3. Love Given: application questions to help you integrate the main focus of each chapter into your life of faith.
• Subscribe to the Video Podcast and watch Max's newest messages. Max's most recent speaking series, "Fear LESS."
http://jeffree7.wordpress.com
While sorting through some 800 poems I've saved at Yahoo!Mail in the last
4 or 5 years I found this one from January 2004 and thought I'd send it again;
it is followed by a Breakpoint or two that you'll enjoy reading - especially if
you like us enjoy the Lord of the Rings movies. Pray for us, LOVE, Jeff & Ev'
-- On Mon, 1/12/04, Jeffree4ever@aol.comwrote:
From: Jeffree4ever@aol.com
Subject: LIKE JESUS DID
To: ladybug7@mailbug.com
Date: Monday, January 12, 2004, 7:03 PM
This is a poem starring our Lord Jesus and
a half a dozen other Bible favorites. Enjoy!
LIKE JESUS DID
Believe in God,
Like Abraham did;
Give Him your Isaac,
And surrender to Him.
Show your heart,
Like King David did;
Give God due glory,
As you dance & sing.
Ask God for the best,
Like Solomon did;
Don't hide your talents,
If you have some to give.
Lift up Jesus,
Like John the Baptist did;
Warn people of their peril,
If they don't turn from sin.
Be first to step out,
Like Saint Peter did;
Your faith in Jesus,
Won't let you sink.
Speak out for Jesus,
Like Saint Paul did;
Teach unbelievers about
Purpose and discipline.
Walk and talk in love,
Like Saint John did;
Encourage one another,
Everyday that you live.
Pray to your Father,
Like Jesus our Lord did;
Humble yourself,
And glorify Him.
JEFFREE!
JANUARY
2004
Myth Meets Real Life
Lord of the Rings and the Present Crisis
BreakPoint with Charles Colson
Commentary December 16, 2003
Tomorrow, The Return of the King, the final chapter in J. R. R.
Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, opens in theaters across the
country. At the press event earlier this month in Los Angeles,
the cast and crew reflected on the experience of making the
films: the friendships, camaraderie, and hardships.
The film, of course, has a great message, but one cast member
added a powerful-if politically incorrect-perspective of his own.
He talked about how the crises and challenges depicted in Tolkien's
mythical world might help us cope with those we confront in our
world today.
John Rhys-Davies, who plays Gimli the dwarf, told writers that
"the older I get, the more certain I am of the presence of evil in
the world. Such a declaration by itself sets Rhys-Davies apart from
many in the entertainment industry. But the British actor didn't stop
there. He said that Tolkien was basically saying that there are times
when a generation may be challenged. And if that generation does
not rise to meet that challenge, you could lose an entire civilization.
According to Rhys-Davies, this message has a huge resonance for
today. For someone who, as he put it, believes in Judeo-Greek-
Christian-Western civilization, recent developments, especially in
Europe, are a catastrophe.
The civilization that has given us democracy, the equality of women,
the abolition of slavery . . . and the right to true intellectual dissent is
under assault specifically, Rhys-Davies noted, under assault by radical
Islam. Instead of resisting that assault, parts of the Western world
and here, he's referring to Europe are committing cultural suicide.
Rhys-Davies pointed to demographic trends in Europe here, in some
cases, the majority of children being born are the children of Muslim
immigrants. While it's politically incorrect to notice this fact, it's folly
to ignore the cultural implications.
The actor also expressed his support for the war in Iraq. He called it
"extraordinary" and called Americans "the most optimistic people in
the whole . . . world." He noted that no one believed that you could
democratize Germany and Japan after World War II. Now, we're
trying to do the same in the Middle East .
Now, views like these don't exactly endear Rhys-Davies to many of
his fellow actors. As he put it, he takes a "lot of stick" for his views.
Still, the benefits of Western civilization are so great that the alterna-
tive isn't some multicultural paradise. It's darkness. In Tolkien's
language, it's the Orcs, Uruk-hai, and Sauron.
These are strong, but necessary words. Our culture is hesitant to
use the word evil, refusing even to recognize what's at stake in
places likeIraq. Nowhere is this refusal more adamant than in the
industry of which Rhys-Davies is a part. Yet, not a single one of
Rhys-Davies's critics (those giving him stick) would dream of giving
up the benefits of Western civilization. They're not willing to pay
the price for its defense, beginning with the acknowledgment that
it's under attack.
But that price must be paid. As the trailer for The Return of the King
tells us, "there is no freedom without sacrifice." Tolkien understood
that, and so does the man who brought his heroic dwarf to life on the
big screen.
BreakPoint with Charles Colson
Commentary 12/17/2003
Escape into Reality
The Gospel According to Tolkien
The Return of the King, the final installment of the Lord of the Rings
movie trilogy, opens today, and like its predecessors, it shows every
sign of becoming a record-breaking success. The worldwide popularity
of these movies, like the continuing popularity of J. R. R. Tolkien's
original masterpiece, reminds us once again of the captivating power
of a well-told story. And the response to this particular story is
especially encouraging. It shows us that even in a world steeped in
moral relativism people still hunger for tales of the absolutes: the
triumph of good over evil.
Of course, when some people look at Tolkien's tale of wizards, hobbits,
and elves, they believe that fans of his work are merely science fiction
fans fleeing from reality. And that may be the case for some. But in his
new book, The Gospel According to Tolkien, Ralph Wood argues that
the Lord of the Rings helps us to "escape into reality."
Wood points out that, far from being a shiny, happy escape fantasy,
the Lord of the Rings deals effectively and movingly with subjects like
death, war, hopelessness, tyranny, temptation, and the sinfulness of
human nature. In short, it clearly reflects the turbulent twentieth
century that Tolkien experienced, a time not very different from our
own. As Wood writes, "Far from encouraging us to turn away from
such evils, Tolkien's book forces us to confront them. Rather than
grinding our faces in these horrors, however, it suggests a cure for
the ills of our age."
That's because Tolkien's work, though not explicitly Christian, is
grounded in his Christian understanding of the world. Unlike the pagan
epics from which Tolkien drew in writing his book—or the modernist
novels of many of his contemporaries—the Lord of the Rings conveys
a profound sense of hope. For although the story shows evil as horrify-
ingly real and destructive, it also shows the power and strength of
goodness. The heroic actions of small, ordinary creatures against an
overwhelming threat echo the biblical themes of God's strength being
made perfect in weakness and the last becoming first. As Tolkien
wrote elsewhere, a crucial theme in his work is "the ennoblement (or
sanctification) of the humble." At the same time, as characters struggle
against their own personal temptations, they show the weakness and
fallibility of the human heart and our need for guidance and grace. As
C. S. Lewis wrote in his review of the Lord of the Rings, "As we read
we find ourselves sharing [the characters'] burden; when we have
finished, we return to our own life not relaxed but fortified." Lewis
and Tolkien knew, and Ralph Wood reminds us in his book, that there
is a kind of escapism that Christians ought to encourage—that is, the
escape from a narrow, earthbound view of our own circumstances.
This kind of escapism helps us to look at the bigger picture and
understand the eternal moral truths governing our lives.
So why not take a skeptical friend to the movie? Engage the issues
afterwards over coffee. Tolkien's books, and now the movies, are
giving people a whole new perspective on reality—a perspective that
prepares them for a better understanding of the God who is ultimate
reality.
Copyright (c) 2003 Prison Fellowship
http://christianitytoday.com/history/special/tolkien.html
Come Behind the Scenes of J. R. R. Tolkien's Life
=============================================
Saturday, August 23, 2008 3:31 PM
...see it for yourself.
From:
"Jeffrey and Evelyn"
View contact details
To: jpollock1@elp.rr.com, jfdjp7@comcast.net, bigsarge6@yahoo.com, brooks_eli@yahoo.com, craigmarilyn@myfastmail.com, c4sunshines@hotmail.com, dalewalker7@aol.com, darthdug1@aol.com, eglswngs21@sbcglobal.net, eveepollock@aol.com, glennanne2000@yahoo.com, hwhoyt@yahoo.com, jatague@msn.com, jeffreyevelyn@yahoo.com, jnavandy@sbcglobal.net, joeinsr@aol.com, johnpollock@earthlink.net, joycon9@gmail.com, letsWorship@aol.com, npoll14775@aol.com, karen@widgetsinc.com, pollockdm@gmail.com, robertggable@aol.com, rsroger5121@aol.com, rtague@msn.com, servant_85@yahoo.com, shellydock@verizon.net, sisko@bellsouth.net, sukwahlin@earthlink.net, susanwpollock@hotmail.com, ttyyjob@netzero.net, two960@yahoo.com, wchapman@parkhillschurch.org... more
-----Inline Attachment Follows-----
Dear friends of Jesus, thought I'd rework the poem I sent
out yesterday and add it to my poetry page at Cross Way;
if you're interested or have nothing better to do click here
or there to see it for yourself. God bless you today, Jeff
http://www.christianpoetry.org/newpoem.php?aid=30008
"Do not sit down to sigh and lament; while the beloved Physician lives
there is hope, nay there is a certainty of recovery for the worst cases." ______________________________
HELLO, this is something I sat down and
wrote after reading that quote up there; it
is supposed to be encouraging so I hope
you will enjoy. WITH LOVE in Christ, Jeff
______________________________
John 3:3
"I tell you the truth, no one can see the
kingdom of God unless he is born again."
THERE IS HOPE
How much further must we fly?
How much farther must we run?
How many rote prayers will we say,
Till we trust the God to whom we pray?
How much higher must we climb?
How much holier must we become?
How many wasted tears will we cry,
Till we learn why Jesus came to die?
How much braver must we really be?
How much brighter must our light become?
How many more souls will we watch perish,
Till we choose to obey the Lord we cherish?
How much deeper must we sink?
How much darker must the world get,?
How many needless deaths will we mourn,
Till we believe there is hope if we are reborn?
Jeffrey E Pollock
August 22, 2008
John 3:7
You should not be surprised at my saying,
'You must be born again.'
1 Peter 1:23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but
of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
"Oh that I were as in months past." -- Job 29:2
Numbers of Christians can view the past with pleasure, but regard the present with dissatisfaction; they look back upon the days which they have passed in communing with the Lord as being the sweetest and the best they have ever known, but as to the present, it is clad in a sable garb of gloom and dreariness. Once they lived near to Jesus, but now they feel that they have wandered from him, and they say, "O that I were as in months past!" They complain that they have lost their evidences, or that they have not present peace of mind, or that they have no enjoyment in the means of grace, or that conscience is not so tender, or that they have not to much zeal for God's glory. The causes of this mournful state of things are manifold. It may arise through a comparative neglect of prayer, for a neglected closet is the beginning of all spiritual decline. Or it may be the result of idolatry. The heart has been occupied with something else, more than with God; the affections have been set on the things of earth, instead of the things of heaven. A jealous God will not be content with a divided heart; he must be loved first and best. He will withdraw the sunshine of his presence from a cold, wandering heart. Or the cause may be found in self-confidence and self-righteousness. Pride is busy in the heart, and self is exalted instead of lying low at the foot of the cross. Christian, if you are not now as you "were in months past," do not rest satisfied with wishing for a return of former happiness, but go at once to seek your Master, and tell him your sad state. Ask his grace and strength to help you to walk more closely with him; humble yourself before him, and he will lift you up, and give you yet again to enjoy the light of his countenance. Do not sit down to sigh and lament; while the beloved Physician lives there is hope, nay there is a certainty of recovery for the worst cases.
ALL OF MY FAITH
The Anchor of my peace, my conscience, my love,
Is found in the CENTER of my Redeemer, my Jesus;
Deeper than the deepest ocean filled by His hand,
Every ounce of my faith is by His Blood not mans.
The Victory of my life, my humility, my surrender,
Is found in the CALL of my Creator, my Shepherd;
More dependable than the brightest star in the sky,
Every word of my faith will always live and never die.
The Soul of my gift, my light, my holy offering,
Is found in the CRADLE of my Creator, my King;
Much greater than any sacrifice of my humanity,
Every work of my faith I pray is an eternal thing .
The Source of my strength, my hope, my joy,
Is found in the CROSS of my Savior, my Lord;
Higher than any mountain raised over time,
All of my faith is in His Name and not mine.
JEFFREE.POLLOCK
AUGUST 21, 2008
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1
Listen to this passage
JESUS.gif
Here's a quick rhyme to remind us how easy it is
to get God's help in any situation. Enjoy! Jeffrey
THAT EASY
Truly, it's wonderful to me,
How wisdom for life is free;
Asking God is all it takes,
To receive His perfect grace.
Each and every day I live,
Awesome love cleanses sin;
Sold at birth, I was lost to God,
You purchased me at the Cross.
Praise The Lord!
--
James 1:5 TNIV Chapter
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Today's New International Version
--
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NIV
-----Original Message-----
From: jpollock1@elp.rr.com
To: jepollock777@aol.com
Cc: jepollock77@juno.com
Sent: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 7:23 pm
Subject: THE CROSS
The Cross is the exhibition of the nature of God, the gateway
whereby any individual of the human race can enter into
union with God. -- Chambers (My Utmost for His Highest)
JOHN 12:32
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Romans 6:6
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with
Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
that henceforth we should not serve sin.
ON THE CROSS
Eye, see the light of God,
Look upon His holy life;
Dying for you on the cross,
That you may gain new sight.
Ear, hear the voice of God,
Listen to His eternal love;
Praying for you on the cross,
To His Father in Heaven above.
Heart, touch the healing of God,
Reach for the Truth that sets us free;
Worship the One who died on the Cross,
To give you liberty through His Victory.
Mind, think the thoughts of God,
Dwell on those things with lasting worth;
But remember He is no longer on the Cross,
He lives to satisfy those who hunger and thirst.
Soul, sing the praises of God,
Find your joy by faith in Christ;
He rose from His death, so as you carry your cross,
You would know for certain your destination is Life.
Jeffree Pollock
April 12, 2008
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said,
"I am the light of the world. If you follow me,
you won't have to walk in darkness, because
you will have the light that leads to life."
John 8:12
________________________________________
My Utmost for His Highest
Moral Decision About Sin
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth
we should not serve sin.”
Romans 6:6
Co-Crucifixion. Have I made this decision about sin - that it must be killed
right out in me? It takes a long time to come to a moral decision about sin, but
it is the great moment in my life when I do decide that just as Jesus Christ
died for the sin of the world, so sin must die out in me, not be curbed or
suppressed or counteracted, but crucified. No one can bring anyone else to this
decision. We may be earnestly convinced, and religiously convinced, but what we
need to do is to come to the decision which Paul forces here.
Haul yourself up, take a time alone with God, make the moral decision and say -
"Lord, identify me with Thy death until I know that sin is dead in me." Make the
moral decision that sin in you must be put to death.
It was not a divine anticipation on the part of Paul, but a very radical and
definite experience. Am I prepared to let the Spirit of God search me until I
know what the disposition of sin is - the thing that lusts against the Spirit of
God in me? Then if so, will I agree with God's verdict on that disposition of
sin - that it should be identified with the death of Jesus? I cannot reckon
myself "dead indeed unto sin" unless I have been through this radical issue of
will before God.
Have I entered into the glorious privilege of being crucified with Christ until
all that is left is the life of Christ in my flesh and blood? "I am crucified
with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."
Taken from My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers.
http://www.oswaldchambers.co.uk/index.html
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by
the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by his life. ROMANS 5:12
The atonement means that God can put me back into perfect
union with Himself, without a shadow between, through the
Death of Jesus Christ. -- Chambers (My Utmost for His Highest)
This is a poem I wrote last month on a Sunday after church. Its title is something our Pastor said regarding the law of liberty "the perfect law that sets you free" mentioned in JAMES 1:25. It has become my custom when I'm able to stop at a nice city park or someplace and review what I learned and maybe write a poem or two (or 3). And considering how the main point of the passage we studied was/is to "be doers and not just hearers of the Word" I thought it'd be wise to take a second look at what I heard. AND the "Utmost" for THAT Sunday was on obedience too! Makes me wonder if God might have been trying to get through to me; thank goodness He never stops. Hope you will enjoy, and thanks for your prayers, Jeff & Ev'
James 1:25 NLT
But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you
free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you
heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
FREEDOM TO OBEY
Called to FREEDOM,
To stay in The Light;
Following JESUS,
I will do what is right.
Called to FREEDOM,
To walk in The Way;
Believing JESUS,
I am saved by grace.
Called to FREEDOM,
To speak The Truth;
Sharing JESUS,
Is what I want to do.
Called to FREEDOM,
To celebrate The Life;
Living for JESUS,
I will be free of strife.
J. E. Pollock
July 27, 2008
http://www.gnpcb.org/
Proverbs 10:12
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST
July 27, 2008
THE WAY TO KNOW
If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine ...
John 7:17
The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect,
but obedience. If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual
curiosity is his guide; but if he wants insight into what Jesus
Christ teaches, he can only get it by obedience. If things are
dark to me, then I may be sure there is something I will not do.
Intellectual darkness comes through ignorance; spiritual darkness
comes because of something I do not intend to obey. No man ever
receives a word from God without instantly being put to the test
over it. We disobey and then wonder why we don't go on spiritually.
'If when you come to the altar,' said Jesus, 'there you remember
your brother hath ought against you...don't say another word to Me,
but first go and put that thing right.' The teaching of Jesus hits us
where we live. We cannot stand as humbugs before Him for one
second. He educates us down to the scruple. The Spirit of God
unearths the spirit of self-vindication; He makes us sensitive to
things we never thought of before.
When Jesus brings a thing home by His word, don't shirk it. If you
do, you will become a religious humbug. Watch the things you shrug
your shoulders over, and you will know why you do not go on
spiritually. First go - at the risk of being thought fanatical you must
obey what God tells you.
JAMES 1:22-25 NIV
Do not merely listen to the word, and so
deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Any-
one who listens to the word but does not
do what it says is like a man who looks at
his face in a mirror and, after looking at
himself, goes away and immediately forgets
what he looks like. But the man who looks
intently into the perfect law that gives free-
dom, and continues to do this, not forgetting
what he has heard, but doing it--he will be
blessed in what he does.
Cross references:
A. : 1 Pet 4:8; James 5:20
PS Also linked this to Poetry Heaven. Why not take a look?
PS 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. http://jeffree7.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/freedom-to-obey/
UNDER GRACE.jpg
Here's a little something I started writing after reading an "Utmost"
the other day. I like to think I wrote the whole thing in approximately
2 minutes, it couldn't have been much more than that. Spend half a
minute on each stanza and think only about God. By the end of the
poem I guarantee you'll be ready for more. Hope you will enjoy, Jeff
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Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. John 11:41
MOMENT BY MOMENT
For only a minute or two
I will concentrate on God
Shut out the noise of life
And sit beneath the Cross
For just a single minute
I will meditate on Jesus
Shut off all distractions
And lie down in the Blood.
For maybe half a minute
I will focus on my Savior
Shut up the devil's lies
And worship the Lord
For a few seconds more
I will forget all my cares
Shut down every sound
Be still and know God
JEFFREE
"Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world."
Psalm 46:10
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
PRAYER IN THE FATHER'S HEARING
Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me.
John 11:41
When the Son of God prays, He has only one consciousness, and that
consciousness is of His Father. God always hears the prayers of His
Son, and if the Son of God is formed in me the Father will always
hear my prayers. I have to see that the Son of God is manifested in
my mortal flesh. "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost," i.e.,
the Bethlehem of the Son of God. Is the Son of God getting His chance
in me? Is the direct simplicity of the life of God's Son being worked
out exactly as it was worked out in His historic life? When I come in
contact with the occurrences of life as an ordinary human being, is
the prayer of God's Eternal Son to His Father being prayed in me? "In
that day ye shall ask in My name. . . ." What day? The day when the
Holy Ghost has come to me and made me effectually one with my Lord.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ being abundantly satisfied in your life or
have you got a spiritual strut on? Never let common sense obtrude and
push the Son of God on one side. Common sense is a gift which God
gave to human nature; but common sense is not the gift of His Son.
Supernatural sense is the gift of His Son; never enthrone common
sense. The Son detects the Father; common sense never yet detected
the Father and never will. Our ordinary wits never worship God unless
they are transfigured by the indwelling Son of God. We have to see that
this mortal flesh is kept in perfect subjection to Him and that He works
through it moment by moment. Are we living in such human dependence
upon Jesus Christ that His life is being manifested moment by moment?
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - by Oswald Chambers
http://www.heartlight.org/devotionals/my_utmost
This devotional is copyright Oswald Chambers Publications,
< http://www.oswaldchambers.co.uk >.
CHILD OF GOD
Growing all the time
Reaching for the eternal rhyme
Ours is but to live and die
Won by Jesus
Walking in the light
Asking our Father for wisdom
Love is alive with Heavenly insight
Kept in Jesus
Holding on by faith
Encouraging others with a smile
Learning to discern good and bad
Discipled in Jesus
Dying in this world
Everyday we're come closer
All for God with none left over
Death in Jesus
Heaven is our real Home
O Holy Place built by Grace
Made with Love from God Above
Entered only through Christ Jesus
JEFFREE
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MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST
--------------------------------------------------------------------
THE DISCIPLINE OF DIFFICULTY
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33
An average view of the Christian life is that it means deliverance
from trouble. It is deliverance in trouble, which is very different.
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High...there shall
no evil befall thee" - no plague can come nigh the place where you
are at one with God.
If you are a child of God, there certainly will be troubles to meet,
but Jesus says do not be surprised when they come. "In the world yet
shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the
world, there is nothing for you to fear." Men who before they were
saved would scorn to talk about troubles, often become "fushionless"
after being born again because they have a wrong idea of a saint.
God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life as we
overcome. The strain is the strength. If there is no strain, there is
no strength. Are you asking God to give you life and liberty and joy?
He cannot, unless you will accept the strain. Immediately you face
the strain, you will get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and
take the step, and God will give you to eat of the tree of life and
you will get nourishment. If you spend yourself out physically, you
become exhausted; but spend yourself spiritually, and you get more
strength. God never gives strength for to-morrow, or for the next
hour, but only for the strain of the minute. The temptation is to
face difficulties from a common-sense standpoint. The saint is
hilarious when he is crushed with difficulties because the thing is
so ludicrously impossible to anyone but God.
--
Revelation 1:7
In the Bible clouds are always connected with
God. Clouds are those sorrows or sufferings or
providences, within or without our personal lives,
which seem to dispute the rule of God. It is by
those very clouds that the Spirit of God is teach-
ing us how to walk by faith. If there were no clouds,
we should have no faith. "The clouds are but the
dust of our Father's feet." The clouds are a sign
that He is there.
http://www.heartlight.org/devotionals/my_utmost
UNDER GRACE.jpg
Here is a little poem for your reading pleasure; hope you will enjoy!
Special thoughts and prayers for our friends James & Sarah and their family
who are preparing to weather the storm this week down in Corpus Christi, TX.
The cover of Max's book Come Thirsty got me thinking of "Dolly", go figure...
so I thought I'd check on you at the same time. Are you ready? Hold on.
We love you, Jeff & Evelyn
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God loves the world so much He gave us His Son,
so that whoever believes in Him would never perish.
see John 3:16
IN CHRIST
Have you ever walked to clear your head
And exercise your heart and mind
Of daily news and broken dreams
And all the things you think aren't right?
Have you ever stopped to think about
How much you really do not know
About life, and death, and love, and joy
And peace, and faith, and hope?
Have you ever stood and stared into the night
And felt how small you really are?
Have you ever paused to think just how much
God loves your human heart?
Have you ever knelt and prayed
Just to thank the One who gave you life
With all its ups and downs, good and bad, beautiful (and ugly);
Do you know the truth that all things work out right in Christ?
jeffreepollock
July 23, 2008
[B]eing confident of this, that he who began a good work in
you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
When Death Becomes Birth
by Max Lucado
You live one final breath from your own funeral.
Which, from God’s perspective, is nothing to grieve. He responds to these grave facts with this great news: “The day you die is better than the day you are born” (Eccles. 7:1). Now there is a twist. Heaven enjoys a maternity-ward reaction to funerals. Angels watch body burials the same way grandparents monitor delivery-room doors. “He’ll be coming through any minute!” They can’t wait to see the new arrival. While we’re driving hearses and wearing black, they’re hanging pink and blue streamers and passing out cigars. We don’t grieve when babies enter the world. The hosts of heaven don’t weep when we leave it.
Oh, but many of us weep at the thought of death. Do you? Do you dread your death? And is your dread of death robbing your joy of life?
Jesus came to “deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying” (Heb. 2:15).
Your death may surprise you and sadden others, but heaven knows no untimely death: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Ps. 139:16).
Dread of death ends when you know heaven is your true home. In all my air travels I’ve never seen one passenger weep when the plane landed. Never. No one clings to the armrests and begs, “Don’t make me leave. Don’t make me leave. Let me stay and eat more peanuts.” We’re willing to exit because the plane has no permanent mailing address. Nor does this world. “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior” (Phil. 3:20).
Why don’t you do this: give God your death. Imagine your last breath, envision your final minutes, and offer them to him. Deliberately. Regularly. “Lord, I receive your work on the cross and in your resurrection. I entrust you with my departure from earth.” With Christ as your friend and heaven as your home, the day of death becomes sweeter than the day of birth.
From
Come Thirsty
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004) Max Lucado
Hello folks, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to send out something on 08/08/08 and since its the opening day of the Olympics in Beijing I thought this one would work nicely. Enjoy, Jeff
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1 CORINTHIANS 9:24, 25
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,
but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to
get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games
goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown
that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that
will last forever.”
FOR THE PRIZE
One at a time,
We start this race;
On the same starting line,
We receive God’s grace.
Won by Christ,
We choose His reward;
We follow our Prize,
And crown Him Lord.
Throughout our lives,
We seek our Savior’s face;
Reaching for His smile,
We break the final tape.
One at a time we bow the knee,
And lay our lives at Jesus’ feet;
We finish this race the way we began;
Saved by grace in God’s sovereign hand.
08.08.08
“Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly;
I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my
body and make it my slave so that after I have preached
to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
1 CORINTHIANS 4:26, 27
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http://jeffree7.wordpress.com/
Hello friends and neighbors, family and fugitives, hope you are well. This poem's been kicking around in my brain since its conception some weeks ago. You'll notice the uniform (or universal) resource locator, URL, to a blog I started on Live Spaces that you may click open if you want to. I'm not sure this poem is there or not.
Dave, thanks for suggesting I start up a blog, though I'm not sure I know how to stop them, I think I have four now! but its fun and I have already met a few interesting if not always encouraging folks out there in the blogosphere who have been prompted to leave a comment or two (deleted).
Oh, and I discovered (an) URL on my favorite Christian Poetry outlet that I know some of you (you know who you are) will enjoy taking a looksee at @ http://www.christianpoetry.org/missions/browse_a_miss.php?letter=A. It's a
webpage cataloging alphabetically missionaries who are serving the Lord
around the world who apparently also subscribe to Cross Way. Seems poetry
travels nicely, praise the Lord!
God bless you now. Please remember Ev and I in your prayers and please
continue to let us know how we can pray for you. With love,
http://spaces.live.com/api.aspx?wx_action=IdentityRedir&wxp_targetsite=PersonalSpace&wxp_type=default&wxp_cid=-4796993373891864831&wx_partner=Live.Spaces&mkt=en-US
http://spaces.live.com/api.aspx?wx_action=IdentityRedir&wxp_targetsite=PersonalSpace&wxp_type=default&wxp_cid=-4796993373891864831&wx_partner=Live.Spaces&mkt=en-US
Jeffrey
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August 03 7:43 PM
(http://Jeffree1961.spaces.live.com/)
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The Island Of And
Somewhere in-between regret and worry,
Rests a tranquil land called the Island of And;
Nothing is in tow and there's no reason to hurry,
Life remains constant obeying God's commands.
Someplace in-between practical and crazy,
Lies the Island of And where freedom is true;
No body is in charge and no one is ever lazy,
Love stays faithful because every heart is new.
Somewhere in-between religion and relationship,
A merciful King is enthroned on the Island of And;
He loved His subjects so He died to end their sin,
He rose again to prove His love would always last.
Someplace in-between Planet Earth and Heaven,
Live God's servant-children on the Island of And;
They give their lives for the Gospel of Salvation,
Telling would-be-saints where its safe to stand.
JEFFFREE
08-03-08
God loves the world so much He sent His only Son so all who
believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
____________________________________________________________________
"A continual looking forward to the eternal world
is not a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but
one of the things a Christian is meant to do."
-- C. S. Lewis
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Jesus Comforts His Disciples
JOHN 14:1-4
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would
have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to
be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way
to the place where I am going."
IN THE DISTANCE...
I see
A home
Built for me
I hear
A choir
Singing holy
I know
An eternity
Saved by grace
I have
A Savur-Redeemer
And will one day touch His face
JEFFREE
07.29.08
Jesus the Way to the Father
Thomas said to him,
"Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know
my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
JOHN 14:5-7
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"A continual looking forward to the eternal world
is not a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but
one of the things a Christian is meant to do."
C. S. Lewis
Ecclesiastes 1 -- “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (v. 1)
TIME TRAVEL
As you travel on the road you've taken
Not knowing when the end might come
Be careful where your foot may step
If you would live your life for Jesus
There is a time for everything
And everything has a proper time
Don't rush ahead if you would live
Your life by faith in Jesus Christ
Ah, let patience do its perfect work
As Father teaches you to walk upright
Rest in the plan He has for your future
If you would live your life for Christ
There is a time for everything
And everything must have its time
Leave your past behind if you would live
By faith today in Jesus Christ
J E F F R E E
03/10--07/24 2008
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The Time Tunnel
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."(v. 1)
For reading & meditation:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Solomon turns his attention to the consideration of time. Who can define time?
Longfellow asked, "What is time?", and then went on to say that although time
could be measured, it could not be clearly defined. One of the best definitions of
discipleship I have ever heard is: "Discipleship is what a person does with his
time." Imagine someone who loves you puts into your personal bank account
every day the sum of 1,440, with the stipulation that you have to use it all every
day, and anything left over will be cancelled by the bank. Sounds too good to
be true, doesn't it? However, Someone who loves you puts into your life every
day 1,440 minutes - the gift of time. The same condition applies - you have to use
it all, and anything left over is forfeited. Ask yourself: How do I manage my time?
Do I squander it, or see it as a sacred trust? Solomon's point is to show how life
on this earth breaks down into measurable spans. Take a look at how things
happen, he seems to be saying, and you will see a controlling schedule behind
all things. Does not this in itself suggest that a loving God presided over the
circumstances of life? Kierkegaard said: "Life has to be lived forwards but it
can only be understood backwards." Pause now for a moment and reflect on
how the things you worried about a year ago look so different with hindsight.
Aren't you aware that an eternal God has been marshaling your progress
in this tunnel of time?
O Father, help me to see the issue of time not as a burden,
but as a blessing. I want to use my time wisely, but not to
become so obsessed by it that I can't stop and smell the roses.
Keep me sanely balanced in all this. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
www.everydaylight.com
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THE FOG IS LIFTING
by Charles R. Swindoll
Read Esther 7:1--2
Imagine swimming in a vast lake and getting three or four hundred yards offshore when suddenly a freak fog rolls in and surrounds you. You're trapped in this tiny circle of diffused light, but you can't see beyond your arm's reach.
You and I are locked in a tiny space on this foggy lake of life called the present. Because our entire perspective is based on this moment in which we find ourselves, we speak of the present, the past, and the future. If we want to know the hour or minute or second, we merely look at our watches. If we want to know the day or the month, the year or the century, we look at the calendar. Time. Easily marked, carefully measured. It is all very objective: measurable, understandable, and conscious.
God is not like that at all. As a matter of fact, He lives and moves outside the realm of earthly time. In His time and only in His time, He begins to move in subtle ways until, suddenly, as His surprising sovereignty unfolds, a change occurs. It's God's way of lifting the fog, which always happens when He decides and when He pleases!
"What is your petition?" the king asks Esther. "What is your request?"
He's already asked that two other times: when she first approached him and he held out his scepter, and then at the first banquet. But Esther never answered him, because the time wasn't right. Esther had a sensitive ear, a wise heart; she sensed something wasn't quite right. So, she didn't push it. She knew when to act---and she knew when to wait.
Are you as sensitive as that? Do you know when to listen? Do you know when to speak up and when to keep quiet? Do you know how much to say and when to say it? Do you have the wisdom to hold back until exactly the right moment in order to achieve maximum results? Those things make a difference, you know. The question is: Are you sufficiently in tune with God to read His subtle signals? It's easy to jump at the first sighting of the fog's lifting.
As Solomon once wrote,
"There is a time for every event under heaven . . .
a time to be silent and a time to speak"
(Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7).
T I M E
(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 and we
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, Jeff
HEBREWS 10:31
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
DEAD TO THE WORLD
Don'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 do not be afraid,
To wield God’s 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. Pollock
January 10, 2005
Revised 07/10/09
The 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
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Here's another one I found and finished UP this morning. ENJOY!
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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 his
blood, shed on the cross. COLOSSIANS 1:17-20 NIV
FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
We have a connection
Where the heart of Jesus feels our pain
Our hearts beat as one for the glory of God
As we worship His only true Son
Only Jesus told it like it is
Only Jesus knew creation was His
Only Jesus truly let go (and let God win)
Only Jesus is worthy of our worship
Only Jesus gave all He could give
Only Jesus lived all He could live
Only Jesus was never a slave
to life and limb, discard or save
Only Jesus knew what He was doing
Only Jesus spoke truth as it is
Only Jesus came to save us from sin
Only Jesus really loved (and showed us)
Only Jesus is worthy of our worship
No doubt we have a connection
Where the cross of Christ intersects
Our voices sing as one for the glory of God
As we worship Jesus Christ again and again!
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Written by: Jeffrey Pollock
Started: February 10, 1999
Finished: January 10, 2005
Revised: July 10, 2009
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
Looking through some stuff I sent out last year I came across this poem
and 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 you
settled in and fixing the guest room for us yet? Love to all, Jeff n Ev'
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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 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.
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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 SIDE
Just 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 2005
For 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
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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 LIFE
Into my darkness comes the light of The Father's truth
Into my selfishness comes The Cross of Christ His Son
Into my thanklessness comes the loving Spirit's holy fruit
Turning my heart toward Jesus I give Him all my love
Into my sinfulness comes the hope of God's forgiveness
Into my brokenness comes the healing of Jesus' blood
Into my worldliness comes the Spirit of perfect holiness
Trusting my soul to Jesus Christ I give Him all my love
Into my filthiness comes the purity of God our Father
Into my anxiousness comes the peace of His only Son
Into my unworthiness comes the promise of adoption
Turning my mind toward Jesus I give my love to God
Into my fearfulness comes the sovereignty of Jehovah
Into my doubtfulness comes the proof of Christ our Lord
Into my forgetfulness comes the the Holy Spirit's counsel
Trusting in God's power I am redeemed by my Savior
Into my pride comes the sovereign will of God our Father
Into my poverty Jesus the giver of every good gift comes
Into my prejudice comes the Spirit of the perfect Lover
With all my strength in love I turn to the Righteous Judge
Into my life comes death by crucifixion
Into my pain comes purpose for this suffering
Into my confused way comes God's faithful direction
By faith I follow Jesus into the joy that His love brings
JEFFree E POLLOCK
JANUARY 01, 2005
Be 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 one deceive 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 all goodness, 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, be
filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ. EPHESIANS 5: 1:21 (NIV)
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light
shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the
glory 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 the light,
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 2:5-11
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being
in 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 SPIRIT
In 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 alone
to save us -- full of faith, gentleness and self-control.
Jeffree Pollock
January 2004
But 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)
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JOHN 1:1-5
In 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 FLESH
Open 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.
J. E. POLLOCK
Dec. 27, 2004
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him,
and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and
His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him,
to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those
who 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 1:10-13
And 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 cry
After eons of time and space passed by
A humble child gave birth to the Word
Would die on a Cross to save the earth
Watch, and see if you can His first steps
After waiting so long to humble Himself
A divine King whose love for us sinners
Would give up His life to save the worst
Taste, and swallow if you will His first blood
After giving so much He's still able to love
A sacrificial Lamb whose death gave us life
Would soon rise again and return to the light
Touch, and hold on to if you will your first love
After coming to the knowledge is it really enough
A Shepherd who would be sheered by His sheep
A Savior who is pierced in His hands and His feet
Believe, and you'll know He must remain in first place
After lifting you out of the pit you were in by His grace
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 our trespasses
As we forgive those who would trespass 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
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. Packer
I 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 perfect
life 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 knowledge
of His grace and love towards us will be borne in our
daily walk with others (especially those dearest to us).
Enjoy, Jeff
____________
ISAIAH 9:6
For 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 POLLOCK
December 20 2004
9:6 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 disciplining
them (Psalm 68:5,6). Prince of Peace. His government will bring
peace 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 US
For God so loved the world
He gave His one, His only Son
To show He cared enough to die
To save us from the Devil’s lie
If I could write a poem for you
And share my joy in rhyme
The poem would be for Jesus first
Who taught love must precede works
If I could share my heart with you
And bear my soul to God our Father
The testimony I would gladly choose
Is the hope His Son our Lord made sure
If I could write a song for you
And share my heart in verse
The song would be for our God first
Who chose to show what love is worth
If I could shine my faith for you
And bring to light eternal truth
The glorious event I would surely tell
Is the one that saves our souls from Hell
Words can never fully express
The joy we have in Jesus
God loves so much He gave His very best
And brought His Light into our darkness
Since Jesus gave His life for you
And shed His blood to forgive your sins
Will you receive God’s gift of truth
And choose to die -- and live for Him?
Jeffree E. Pollock
December 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
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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 ME
Behold the Babe
Born in a feeding trough
Come to light the way
Cradled in a mother’s love
Behold the Boy
Teaching in the temple
With authoritative voice
True hope for the simple
Behold the Man
Baptized in the Jordan
Witness to our Father’s plan
To give everlasting joy to man
Behold the Lamb, our Teacher
Explaining for us the Gospel way
Our great Shepherd and only Healer
Must be crucified, die, and be raised
Behold our Father's Son, the Life, the Truth
Who is unwilling that one of His own be lost
Come into the light and yourself be made new
In the blood of Jesus Christ -- shed at the Cross
Behold, Christ Jesus the Lord is God
Alive in us by His grace through our faith in His Spirit
He is the Light of the World, the bright Morning Star
Resurrected, born again... in the center of our hearts
Jeffree E. Pollock
December 13, '04
Praise 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, spoil
or fade --- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are
shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation
that 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 took
is 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 HEART
My heart is full, overflowing...
Thanksgiving spills from my lips
in 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 friends
in 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 guilt
and 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 hope
and reminds me Jesus calls me friend,
He answers me with His loving kindness.
JEFFREE POLLOCK
December 9, 2004
Let'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 did
not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that
the world through Him might be saved. (JOHN 3:14-17 NKJV)
MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS...
My favorite Christmas moment
Is the one that happened in my heart
When the Holy Spirit whom Jesus sent
Found me falling in the dark
My favorite Christmas story
Is the one told to a virgin, Mary
When an angel came to announce
She was chosen to give birth to God
My favorite rhyme at Christmastime
Reminds me nothing moves God’s love
When by faith in Christ His promise became mine
His grace settled into my soul like a hand in a glove
My favorite Christmas poem
Is the one that happened in my heart
When Jesus came to repair His home
And swept away every shadow in the dark
My favorite Christmas memory
Is the one that gives me hope today
When Christ gave me life for eternity
I knew my Father's love was here to stay
JEFFREE E POLLOCK
DECEMBER 10, 2004
Since 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)
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______________________________
______________________________
The UpWords Weekly Email Devotional
MaxLucado.com/newsletter
12/7/04
______________________________
JUST A MOMENT -----
by Max Lucado
It 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. Heaven
opened 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 Near
Copyright © 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 messages
celebrating 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 GOD
One 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, but
dwelling 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 today
and eventually found time to send it. Enjoy! Love, Jeff & Evee
- YOUR FAITH IN ME
- I drag myself to You...
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, 2004
For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind. –2 Timothy 1:7
==================================================================================
Dear James & Sarah, Hannah, Rebekah, and Abigail;
we love you. --Jeff & Evelyn
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. --2 PETER 3:18
ALL ABOUT JESUS
In 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 Pollock
November/2004
El Paso, Texas
We pursue God because, and only because, He first
puts and urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit.
--A. W. Tozer
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
JOHN 14:6-7
I 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 to
him and make Our home with him. He who does
not love Me will not obey My teaching. These
words you hear are not My own; they belong to
the Father who sent Me."
YOU DON'T KNOW ME
If 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 Pollock
November 2004
See 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 3:1-3
The New Testament (In the Language of Today)
-- William F. Beck
_________________________________________
HUMILITY AND GRACE
Let 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 it
describes 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 the
Christian 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 person
like that doesn't demand his rights. God manifested His grace to
us the same way---mankind abused and maligned Jesus Christ
though He deserved none of it, yet he still reached out to us in
love (cf. Rom. 5:10). Humility and graciousness will help you be
stable in spite of the circumstances.
Truth For Today -- John MacArthur
The Essential Second
A 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 US
For God so loved the world
He gave His one, His only Son
To show He cared enough to die
To save us from the Devil’s lie
If I could write a poem for you
And share my joy in rhyme
The poem would be for Jesus first
Who taught how love must precede works
If I could share my heart with you
And bear my soul to God our Father
The testimony I would gladly choose
Is the hope His Son our Lord made sure
If I could write a song for you
And share my heart in verse
The song would be for our God first
Who chose to show what love is worth
If I could shine my faith for you
And bring to light eternal truth
The glorious event I would surely tell
Is the one that saves our souls from hell
Words can never fully express
The joy we have in Jesus
When God loved us He gave His very best
And sent His Holy Light into our darkness
Since Jesus gave His life for you
And shed His blood to forgive your sins
Will you receive God’s gift of truth
And choose to live for Him?
Jeffree E. Pollock
October 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
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JOHN 3:16
God 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 SENDER
Thank 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!
11.1.2004
Then 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.
JeffreeEPollock
November 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 SIDE
Just 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 we're Born Again
Love each other and serve Jesus now
Just as fooled and hopeless men
Sold their souls to save their skin
So must saints who long for heaven
Believe in Christ and repent of sin
Just as discouraged fallen snake-bit men
Obeyed and looked up to save their lives
So must we conclude that Jesus' Cross leads to heaven
And our Father will be waiting for us on the other side
JEFFree!
OCTOber
EL PaSO
TX, 2004
For 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)
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
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 when
I 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 Others
MY TESTIMONY TO OTHERS
IS MY SAVIOR'S LOVE FOR ME
THROUGH HIS FINISHED WORK
AS HE OBEYED HIS FATHER FIRST
MY TESTIMONY TO OTHERS
IS MY FATHER'S LOVE IN ME
ALIVE IN THESE CHOSEN WORDS
SPEAKING THE TRUTH OF JESUS FIRST
I TRUST GOD WILL QUENCH OUR THIRST
AND FILL US WITH HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
AS HE CONDESCENDS TO SAVE THE WORST
WHEN THEY TESTIFY OF HIM TO OTHERS
MY TESTIMONY TO OTHERS
IS THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING IN ME
OVERCOMING ALL MY WEAKNESSES
AND FILLING ME WITH JESUS FIRST
WHAT BROUGHT ME TO OUR FATHER
IS MY LOVE FOR HIS SON JESUS FIRST
THE CHANGES HE HAS MADE IN ME
IS MY TESTIMONY TO HELP OTHERS
Jeffreee in Jesus!
October 15, 2004
El Paso, TX USA
Philippians 2:1-15
Is 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 Discipleship
When 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 the
soils.
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 Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
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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 their
fruit 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 year
called, TWO TREES. I didn't realize then how well it would fit our
choices for President in November. I also sent something my Uncle
passed 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) : trick
Example 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 of
the Day, featuring audio pronunciations, interactive surveys, and more:
http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml
__________
Genesis 2:9
And 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 TREES
Two paths to take,
Two ways to walk;
One leads to death,
The other is called
Wisdom.
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 indulge
the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13).
Jeffree E Pollock
January 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 Taylor
PSALM 1:1-3
Oh, 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 PATH
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.
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, 2004
The 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 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 appearing 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 unapproachable 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)
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 2:22
His 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 pollock
October 6, 2004
Psalm 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 but
has 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 does
nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same
way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
...Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what
he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that
his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith
was 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 HAS
Thank 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. Pollock
Sept. / 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 thank
you for adding us (Ev' and I) to your prayers. We are
doing 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, especially
in 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) can
we live a life by faith in Jesus' Name and Resurrection power.
Well, I've rambled enough... but I wanted to share something
with you that I read today. I found it went along quite well
with the poem. Enjoy, and again, thanks for your prayers!
As far as I can tell these med adjustments are working and
I'm feeling better. Still, above all, God's grace is sufficient.
ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
Love
Someone 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 to
send 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 love
to others.
God's love is not shallow sentimentalism. It is an attribute
in harmony with all His other attributes. It is active and shows
itself in the way that God deals with those He has created. It
is His love that causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall
(Matt. 5:43-45).
Why Theology Matters
God's love is the ultimate foundation for the love we show to
others. We love others because God has loved us. Only those
who have been born of God through faith in Jesus Christ can
love in the way that God intended. Like God who has loved us,
our love should be sacrificial. We must be willing to lay down
our lives on behalf of those for whom Christ died (1 John 4:11).
___________________
For Further Reading
To discover more about the way God shows His love,
read The Five Love Languages of God
by 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 15:1-9
Then 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 no
wonder 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 Pollock
October 1, 2004
MATTHEW 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 6:10-18
Finally, 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 of
that--"those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More
than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be
found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law,
but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes
from God on the basis of faith, that I may"--and you have to feel the
longing, the passion here. He writes, "That I may know Him and the power
of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being [made]
conformed to [the image of] His death; in order that I may attain to the
resurrection from the dead."
FAITH IS THE KEY
Faith is the detergent
that breaks up the sin
which clouds the conscience
and closes the mind to Jesus
Faith is the living water
which carries our prayers
to the throne of our Father
Who answers all our cares
Faith is the healing balm
which opens blind eyes
and makes every storm calm
in the peace of Jesus
Faith is the living fruit
which empowers people
to believe Jesus is the truth
that will save them from hell
Faith is the foundation
which gives heaven its height
and the bedrock of revelation
on which we stand throughout life
Faith is what pleases our Father
when the Holy Spirit changes us
Faith is at the center of our service
now that we know our Lord is Jesus
Faith is the key that
turns the cold heart's lock
And sets us free in Jesus
to live and serve God
Jeffreee!!!
9/27/2004
____________________
It's the Whole Thing
"Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God
must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."
Hebrews 11:6
I don't know about you, but as a believer in Jesus Christ and as a
pastor, I run into a lot of people who tell me they've "lost" their
faith. They just don't believe like they used to. Do you meet people
like 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?” That
usually clears things up real fast.
When you share grace and truth with people you must first get the
definition page. We’ll get to what God's Book says about faith in a
minute, but let's first rid ourselves of faulty notions about faith:
Faith is not an ostrich, head-in-the-sand denial of the obvious or
inevitable. It’s not pretending that something is real when deep down
you don’t believe it. That’s fear, not faith.
Faith is not anti-intellectual either. Faith is not a warm feeling that
requires 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 calling
for self-realization, telling you to picture a better future. That’s
fad, not faith.
Faith is not some stupid positive mental attitude, a
you-have-to-keep-believing thing. It’s not ignoring pain by embracing
optimism. That’s foolishness, not faith.
Now hear this: Faith is so integral to the Christian life that it can be
boiled down to a very practical definition: Faith is believing the Word
of God and acting upon it, no matter how I feel, because God promises a
good result.
Let’s break that definition down so you can see how it will work in
practical ways in your life.
Faith is believing the Word of God. That word believing is not “wouldn’t
it 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’s
faith.
But faith is not believing in a vacuum; it’s belief based on the Word of
God. That’s the key. I’m not trusting the newspaper, the television, my
neighbor, 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 I
get in God’s Book the greater will be my faith.
. . . And acting upon it. Genuine faith always downloads into life. We
say we believe in all kinds of stuff—but we really don’t unless it shows
up in our lives. In family matters, an active faith means we will trust
God to work through a wayward child or even an unbelieving spouse. In
finances, we will trust God to meet our daily needs, while giving tithes
and offerings; we believe the Scripture that says, “God is able to make
all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in
everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed” (2 Corinthians
9:8).
Maybe you’re reading this with an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
Maybe you’re just discouraged about your life and your direction. You’re
not sure where to turn and you’re not sure what to pursue. As a follower
of 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 in
Christ, 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 and
boldly acts upon the Word of God.
I know a woman who wants like anything to talk to her husband about
Christ. She’s having a hard time believing that she can’t be a big part
of the solution! She feels she must say something or he will never
change. But faith discounts how we feel and boldly acts upon the Word of
God.
Maybe you’re at a place of real financial hardship, and you feel giving a
consistent tithe or offering to your church is unrealistic. I understand
the fear that comes with limited funds. When Kathy and I were in Bible
college, we didn’t have two dimes to rub together. We had $180--$200 per
week of expenses, and I was making $150 a week as a youth pastor. I can
remember 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 compared
to God’s faithfulness. God was teaching us some very important lessons
about life. I learned that God is true to His Word and can be trusted to
meet all of our needs if, by faith, we choose obedience and refuse to be
guided by emotion. Here’s the best part of faith: We can act upon our
faith, no matter how we feel, because . . .
God promises a good result. Here are four questions I’ve heard from
those 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 I
feel like my life is so empty and meaningless?
The answer to each question is the same: Because God promises a good
result.
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 lesson
of faith. Every victory won is a victory by faith. That’s the
prominence 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’s
not like patience, kindness or other character traits. It’s not like
teaching or ministering. It’s not like worship or prayer or other
actions 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 he
who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of
those who seek Him.” Genuine believers trust God and His Word and act
upon 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 what
God is teaching you about faith. That it’s real and relevant and
abundantly rewarded by God Himself. Faith is not a part of the Christian
life . . . 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 File
since 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 Ev
1 JOHN 4:7-11
My 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 5:13
For 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 not desire 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 selfishness. LOVE by any other name is not God…. because God is Love (1 John 4:8).
Jeffree Pollock
April 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 13:4-8
Love is not premeditated, it is spontaneous, i.e., it bursts up
in 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 24:14-15
CARPE 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. Pollock
September 21, 2004
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 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
---------------------
JEFFREE in JESUS!
September 14, 2004
--------------------
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 2:20-21
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. 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 6:14
ONLY JESUS IS WORTHY
If 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 Pollock
September 10, 2004
Stand 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
http://jeffree7.wordpress.com
Dear friends, family, and fellow poets: Hi! This is something I wrote
last week AND forgot BUT after I read Max Lucado (included below) I
tracked it down. Also, after Max I tacked on a BreakPoint message from
Colson about a book I hope to read soon: THE FAITH. Have you read it
yet? Don't miss Reality TV in the Daily Audio section on Max Lucado's
site; good stuff. Oh, almost forgot... I've also posted a new poem or 2
on a new friends poetry website @ http://propheticpoetry.net/poems/;
it should be up by now in the Guest Poems section. Hope this isn't too
confusing for you, I'm getting a little dizzy just writing it. Looks
like I'll get this out before September after all, its 11:51 PM here.
Love, Jeff
John 14:6
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no
one comes to the Father except through me.
PERFECT ENOUGH
This fear, this quaking fear,
Shoved aside but always near;
Close enough to take my breath,
Evil enough to cause my death.
This denial, this closet denial,
Stored away but always on trial;
Light enough to barely annoy,
Heavy enough to steal my joy.
This faith,
This true repentance;
Easy enough to simply say,
Real enough to change my way.
This hope, this living hope,
Alive inside and always near;
Close enough to comfort my soul,
Holy enough to calm my fear.
This love, this precious love,
Given through pain and Jesus' blood;
Human enough to suffer and die on a cross,
Perfect enough to give everyone access to God.
J. E. Pollock
08/25/2008
"I hold you by your right hand,
I, the LORD your God. And I
say to you, 'Don't be afraid.
I am here to help you.'"
Isaiah 41:13, NLT
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Perfect Love
by Max Lucado
Isn’t it good to know that even when we don’t love with a perfect love, he does? God always nourishes what is right. He always applauds what is right. He has never done wrong, led one person to do wrong, or rejoiced when anyone did wrong. For he is love, and love “does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6 NASB).
God passes the test of 1 Corinthians 13:6. Well, he should; he drafted it.
So where does this leave us? Perhaps with a trio of reminders. When it comes to love:
Be careful.
Until love is stirred, let God’s love be enough for you. There are seasons when God allows us to feel the frailty of human love so we’ll appreciate the strength of his love. Didn’t he do this with David? Saul turned on him. Michal, his wife, betrayed him. Jonathan and Samuel were David’s friends, but they couldn’t follow him into the wilderness. Betrayal and circumstances left David alone. Alone with God. And, as David discovered, God was enough. David wrote these words in a desert: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.… My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods” (Ps. 63:3, 5 NIV).
Be prayerful.
What if it’s too late? Specifically, what if you’re married to someone you don’t love—or who doesn’t love you? Many choose to leave. That may be the step you take. But if it is, take at least a thousand others first. And bathe every one of those steps in prayer. Love is a fruit of the Spirit. Ask God to help you love as he loves. “God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love” (Rom. 5:5 CEV). Ask everyone you know to pray for you. Your friends. Your family. Your church leaders. Get your name on every prayer list available. And, most of all, pray for and, if possible, with your spouse. Ask the same God who raised the dead to resurrect the embers of your love.
Be grateful.
Be grateful for those who love you. Be grateful for those who have encouraged you to do what is right and applauded when you did. Do you have people like that in your world? If so, you are doubly blessed. Be grateful for them. And be grateful for your Father in heaven.
From
A Love Worth Giving
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004) Max Lucado
NOW IN PAPERBACK
With a Reader's Guide focusing on:
1. Love Remembered: gleans crucial quotes from the chapter and invites you to reexamine them by answering some probing questions.
2. Love Deepened: uses parallel Scriptures to reinforce and clarify the thrust of the chapter.
3. Love Given: application questions to help you integrate the main focus of each chapter into your life of faith.
• Subscribe to the Video Podcast and watch Max's newest messages. Max's most recent speaking series, "Fear LESS."
http://jeffree7.wordpress.com
While sorting through some 800 poems I've saved at Yahoo!Mail in the last
4 or 5 years I found this one from January 2004 and thought I'd send it again;
it is followed by a Breakpoint or two that you'll enjoy reading - especially if
you like us enjoy the Lord of the Rings movies. Pray for us, LOVE, Jeff & Ev'
-- On Mon, 1/12/04, Jeffree4ever@aol.com
From: Jeffree4ever@aol.com
Subject: LIKE JESUS DID
To: ladybug7@mailbug.com
Date: Monday, January 12, 2004, 7:03 PM
This is a poem starring our Lord Jesus and
a half a dozen other Bible favorites. Enjoy!
LIKE JESUS DID
Believe in God,
Like Abraham did;
Give Him your Isaac,
And surrender to Him.
Show your heart,
Like King David did;
Give God due glory,
As you dance & sing.
Ask God for the best,
Like Solomon did;
Don't hide your talents,
If you have some to give.
Lift up Jesus,
Like John the Baptist did;
Warn people of their peril,
If they don't turn from sin.
Be first to step out,
Like Saint Peter did;
Your faith in Jesus,
Won't let you sink.
Speak out for Jesus,
Like Saint Paul did;
Teach unbelievers about
Purpose and discipline.
Walk and talk in love,
Like Saint John did;
Encourage one another,
Everyday that you live.
Pray to your Father,
Like Jesus our Lord did;
Humble yourself,
And glorify Him.
JEFFREE!
JANUARY
2004
Myth Meets Real Life
Lord of the Rings and the Present Crisis
BreakPoint with Charles Colson
Commentary December 16, 2003
Tomorrow, The Return of the King, the final chapter in J. R. R.
Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, opens in theaters across the
country. At the press event earlier this month in Los Angeles,
the cast and crew reflected on the experience of making the
films: the friendships, camaraderie, and hardships.
The film, of course, has a great message, but one cast member
added a powerful-if politically incorrect-perspective of his own.
He talked about how the crises and challenges depicted in Tolkien's
mythical world might help us cope with those we confront in our
world today.
John Rhys-Davies, who plays Gimli the dwarf, told writers that
"the older I get, the more certain I am of the presence of evil in
the world. Such a declaration by itself sets Rhys-Davies apart from
many in the entertainment industry. But the British actor didn't stop
there. He said that Tolkien was basically saying that there are times
when a generation may be challenged. And if that generation does
not rise to meet that challenge, you could lose an entire civilization.
According to Rhys-Davies, this message has a huge resonance for
today. For someone who, as he put it, believes in Judeo-Greek-
Christian-Western civilization, recent developments, especially in
Europe, are a catastrophe.
The civilization that has given us democracy, the equality of women,
the abolition of slavery . . . and the right to true intellectual dissent is
under assault specifically, Rhys-Davies noted, under assault by radical
Islam. Instead of resisting that assault, parts of the Western world
and here, he's referring to Europe are committing cultural suicide.
Rhys-Davies pointed to demographic trends in Europe here, in some
cases, the majority of children being born are the children of Muslim
immigrants. While it's politically incorrect to notice this fact, it's folly
to ignore the cultural implications.
The actor also expressed his support for the war in Iraq. He called it
"extraordinary" and called Americans "the most optimistic people in
the whole . . . world." He noted that no one believed that you could
democratize Germany and Japan after World War II. Now, we're
trying to do the same in the Middle East .
Now, views like these don't exactly endear Rhys-Davies to many of
his fellow actors. As he put it, he takes a "lot of stick" for his views.
Still, the benefits of Western civilization are so great that the alterna-
tive isn't some multicultural paradise. It's darkness. In Tolkien's
language, it's the Orcs, Uruk-hai, and Sauron.
These are strong, but necessary words. Our culture is hesitant to
use the word evil, refusing even to recognize what's at stake in
places likeIraq. Nowhere is this refusal more adamant than in the
industry of which Rhys-Davies is a part. Yet, not a single one of
Rhys-Davies's critics (those giving him stick) would dream of giving
up the benefits of Western civilization. They're not willing to pay
the price for its defense, beginning with the acknowledgment that
it's under attack.
But that price must be paid. As the trailer for The Return of the King
tells us, "there is no freedom without sacrifice." Tolkien understood
that, and so does the man who brought his heroic dwarf to life on the
big screen.
BreakPoint with Charles Colson
Commentary 12/17/2003
Escape into Reality
The Gospel According to Tolkien
The Return of the King, the final installment of the Lord of the Rings
movie trilogy, opens today, and like its predecessors, it shows every
sign of becoming a record-breaking success. The worldwide popularity
of these movies, like the continuing popularity of J. R. R. Tolkien's
original masterpiece, reminds us once again of the captivating power
of a well-told story. And the response to this particular story is
especially encouraging. It shows us that even in a world steeped in
moral relativism people still hunger for tales of the absolutes: the
triumph of good over evil.
Of course, when some people look at Tolkien's tale of wizards, hobbits,
and elves, they believe that fans of his work are merely science fiction
fans fleeing from reality. And that may be the case for some. But in his
new book, The Gospel According to Tolkien, Ralph Wood argues that
the Lord of the Rings helps us to "escape into reality."
Wood points out that, far from being a shiny, happy escape fantasy,
the Lord of the Rings deals effectively and movingly with subjects like
death, war, hopelessness, tyranny, temptation, and the sinfulness of
human nature. In short, it clearly reflects the turbulent twentieth
century that Tolkien experienced, a time not very different from our
own. As Wood writes, "Far from encouraging us to turn away from
such evils, Tolkien's book forces us to confront them. Rather than
grinding our faces in these horrors, however, it suggests a cure for
the ills of our age."
That's because Tolkien's work, though not explicitly Christian, is
grounded in his Christian understanding of the world. Unlike the pagan
epics from which Tolkien drew in writing his book—or the modernist
novels of many of his contemporaries—the Lord of the Rings conveys
a profound sense of hope. For although the story shows evil as horrify-
ingly real and destructive, it also shows the power and strength of
goodness. The heroic actions of small, ordinary creatures against an
overwhelming threat echo the biblical themes of God's strength being
made perfect in weakness and the last becoming first. As Tolkien
wrote elsewhere, a crucial theme in his work is "the ennoblement (or
sanctification) of the humble." At the same time, as characters struggle
against their own personal temptations, they show the weakness and
fallibility of the human heart and our need for guidance and grace. As
C. S. Lewis wrote in his review of the Lord of the Rings, "As we read
we find ourselves sharing [the characters'] burden; when we have
finished, we return to our own life not relaxed but fortified." Lewis
and Tolkien knew, and Ralph Wood reminds us in his book, that there
is a kind of escapism that Christians ought to encourage—that is, the
escape from a narrow, earthbound view of our own circumstances.
This kind of escapism helps us to look at the bigger picture and
understand the eternal moral truths governing our lives.
So why not take a skeptical friend to the movie? Engage the issues
afterwards over coffee. Tolkien's books, and now the movies, are
giving people a whole new perspective on reality—a perspective that
prepares them for a better understanding of the God who is ultimate
reality.
Copyright (c) 2003 Prison Fellowship
http://christianitytoday.com/history/special/tolkien.html
Come Behind the Scenes of J. R. R. Tolkien's Life
=============================================
Saturday, August 23, 2008 3:31 PM
...see it for yourself.
From:
"Jeffrey and Evelyn"
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-----Inline Attachment Follows-----
Dear friends of Jesus, thought I'd rework the poem I sent
out yesterday and add it to my poetry page at Cross Way;
if you're interested or have nothing better to do click here
or there to see it for yourself. God bless you today, Jeff
http://www.christianpoetry.org/newpoem.php?aid=30008
"Do not sit down to sigh and lament; while the beloved Physician lives
there is hope, nay there is a certainty of recovery for the worst cases." ______________________________
HELLO, this is something I sat down and
wrote after reading that quote up there; it
is supposed to be encouraging so I hope
you will enjoy. WITH LOVE in Christ, Jeff
______________________________
John 3:3
"I tell you the truth, no one can see the
kingdom of God unless he is born again."
THERE IS HOPE
How much further must we fly?
How much farther must we run?
How many rote prayers will we say,
Till we trust the God to whom we pray?
How much higher must we climb?
How much holier must we become?
How many wasted tears will we cry,
Till we learn why Jesus came to die?
How much braver must we really be?
How much brighter must our light become?
How many more souls will we watch perish,
Till we choose to obey the Lord we cherish?
How much deeper must we sink?
How much darker must the world get,?
How many needless deaths will we mourn,
Till we believe there is hope if we are reborn?
Jeffrey E Pollock
August 22, 2008
John 3:7
You should not be surprised at my saying,
'You must be born again.'
1 Peter 1:23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but
of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
"Oh that I were as in months past." -- Job 29:2
Numbers of Christians can view the past with pleasure, but regard the present with dissatisfaction; they look back upon the days which they have passed in communing with the Lord as being the sweetest and the best they have ever known, but as to the present, it is clad in a sable garb of gloom and dreariness. Once they lived near to Jesus, but now they feel that they have wandered from him, and they say, "O that I were as in months past!" They complain that they have lost their evidences, or that they have not present peace of mind, or that they have no enjoyment in the means of grace, or that conscience is not so tender, or that they have not to much zeal for God's glory. The causes of this mournful state of things are manifold. It may arise through a comparative neglect of prayer, for a neglected closet is the beginning of all spiritual decline. Or it may be the result of idolatry. The heart has been occupied with something else, more than with God; the affections have been set on the things of earth, instead of the things of heaven. A jealous God will not be content with a divided heart; he must be loved first and best. He will withdraw the sunshine of his presence from a cold, wandering heart. Or the cause may be found in self-confidence and self-righteousness. Pride is busy in the heart, and self is exalted instead of lying low at the foot of the cross. Christian, if you are not now as you "were in months past," do not rest satisfied with wishing for a return of former happiness, but go at once to seek your Master, and tell him your sad state. Ask his grace and strength to help you to walk more closely with him; humble yourself before him, and he will lift you up, and give you yet again to enjoy the light of his countenance. Do not sit down to sigh and lament; while the beloved Physician lives there is hope, nay there is a certainty of recovery for the worst cases.
ALL OF MY FAITH
The Anchor of my peace, my conscience, my love,
Is found in the CENTER of my Redeemer, my Jesus;
Deeper than the deepest ocean filled by His hand,
Every ounce of my faith is by His Blood not mans.
The Victory of my life, my humility, my surrender,
Is found in the CALL of my Creator, my Shepherd;
More dependable than the brightest star in the sky,
Every word of my faith will always live and never die.
The Soul of my gift, my light, my holy offering,
Is found in the CRADLE of my Creator, my King;
Much greater than any sacrifice of my humanity,
Every work of my faith I pray is an eternal thing .
The Source of my strength, my hope, my joy,
Is found in the CROSS of my Savior, my Lord;
Higher than any mountain raised over time,
All of my faith is in His Name and not mine.
JEFFREE.POLLOCK
AUGUST 21, 2008
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1
Listen to this passage
JESUS.gif
Here's a quick rhyme to remind us how easy it is
to get God's help in any situation. Enjoy! Jeffrey
THAT EASY
Truly, it's wonderful to me,
How wisdom for life is free;
Asking God is all it takes,
To receive His perfect grace.
Each and every day I live,
Awesome love cleanses sin;
Sold at birth, I was lost to God,
You purchased me at the Cross.
Praise The Lord!
--
James 1:5 TNIV Chapter
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Today's New International Version
--
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NIV
-----Original Message-----
From: jpollock1@elp.rr.com
To: jepollock777@aol.com
Cc: jepollock77@juno.com
Sent: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 7:23 pm
Subject: THE CROSS
The Cross is the exhibition of the nature of God, the gateway
whereby any individual of the human race can enter into
union with God. -- Chambers (My Utmost for His Highest)
JOHN 12:32
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Romans 6:6
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with
Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
that henceforth we should not serve sin.
ON THE CROSS
Eye, see the light of God,
Look upon His holy life;
Dying for you on the cross,
That you may gain new sight.
Ear, hear the voice of God,
Listen to His eternal love;
Praying for you on the cross,
To His Father in Heaven above.
Heart, touch the healing of God,
Reach for the Truth that sets us free;
Worship the One who died on the Cross,
To give you liberty through His Victory.
Mind, think the thoughts of God,
Dwell on those things with lasting worth;
But remember He is no longer on the Cross,
He lives to satisfy those who hunger and thirst.
Soul, sing the praises of God,
Find your joy by faith in Christ;
He rose from His death, so as you carry your cross,
You would know for certain your destination is Life.
Jeffree Pollock
April 12, 2008
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said,
"I am the light of the world. If you follow me,
you won't have to walk in darkness, because
you will have the light that leads to life."
John 8:12
________________________________________
My Utmost for His Highest
Moral Decision About Sin
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth
we should not serve sin.”
Romans 6:6
Co-Crucifixion. Have I made this decision about sin - that it must be killed
right out in me? It takes a long time to come to a moral decision about sin, but
it is the great moment in my life when I do decide that just as Jesus Christ
died for the sin of the world, so sin must die out in me, not be curbed or
suppressed or counteracted, but crucified. No one can bring anyone else to this
decision. We may be earnestly convinced, and religiously convinced, but what we
need to do is to come to the decision which Paul forces here.
Haul yourself up, take a time alone with God, make the moral decision and say -
"Lord, identify me with Thy death until I know that sin is dead in me." Make the
moral decision that sin in you must be put to death.
It was not a divine anticipation on the part of Paul, but a very radical and
definite experience. Am I prepared to let the Spirit of God search me until I
know what the disposition of sin is - the thing that lusts against the Spirit of
God in me? Then if so, will I agree with God's verdict on that disposition of
sin - that it should be identified with the death of Jesus? I cannot reckon
myself "dead indeed unto sin" unless I have been through this radical issue of
will before God.
Have I entered into the glorious privilege of being crucified with Christ until
all that is left is the life of Christ in my flesh and blood? "I am crucified
with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."
Taken from My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers.
http://www.oswaldchambers.co.uk/index.html
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by
the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved by his life. ROMANS 5:12
The atonement means that God can put me back into perfect
union with Himself, without a shadow between, through the
Death of Jesus Christ. -- Chambers (My Utmost for His Highest)
This is a poem I wrote last month on a Sunday after church. Its title is something our Pastor said regarding the law of liberty "the perfect law that sets you free" mentioned in JAMES 1:25. It has become my custom when I'm able to stop at a nice city park or someplace and review what I learned and maybe write a poem or two (or 3). And considering how the main point of the passage we studied was/is to "be doers and not just hearers of the Word" I thought it'd be wise to take a second look at what I heard. AND the "Utmost" for THAT Sunday was on obedience too! Makes me wonder if God might have been trying to get through to me; thank goodness He never stops. Hope you will enjoy, and thanks for your prayers, Jeff & Ev'
James 1:25 NLT
But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you
free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you
heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
FREEDOM TO OBEY
Called to FREEDOM,
To stay in The Light;
Following JESUS,
I will do what is right.
Called to FREEDOM,
To walk in The Way;
Believing JESUS,
I am saved by grace.
Called to FREEDOM,
To speak The Truth;
Sharing JESUS,
Is what I want to do.
Called to FREEDOM,
To celebrate The Life;
Living for JESUS,
I will be free of strife.
J. E. Pollock
July 27, 2008
http://www.gnpcb.org/
Proverbs 10:12
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST
July 27, 2008
THE WAY TO KNOW
If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine ...
John 7:17
The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect,
but obedience. If a man wants scientific knowledge, intellectual
curiosity is his guide; but if he wants insight into what Jesus
Christ teaches, he can only get it by obedience. If things are
dark to me, then I may be sure there is something I will not do.
Intellectual darkness comes through ignorance; spiritual darkness
comes because of something I do not intend to obey. No man ever
receives a word from God without instantly being put to the test
over it. We disobey and then wonder why we don't go on spiritually.
'If when you come to the altar,' said Jesus, 'there you remember
your brother hath ought against you...don't say another word to Me,
but first go and put that thing right.' The teaching of Jesus hits us
where we live. We cannot stand as humbugs before Him for one
second. He educates us down to the scruple. The Spirit of God
unearths the spirit of self-vindication; He makes us sensitive to
things we never thought of before.
When Jesus brings a thing home by His word, don't shirk it. If you
do, you will become a religious humbug. Watch the things you shrug
your shoulders over, and you will know why you do not go on
spiritually. First go - at the risk of being thought fanatical you must
obey what God tells you.
JAMES 1:22-25 NIV
Do not merely listen to the word, and so
deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Any-
one who listens to the word but does not
do what it says is like a man who looks at
his face in a mirror and, after looking at
himself, goes away and immediately forgets
what he looks like. But the man who looks
intently into the perfect law that gives free-
dom, and continues to do this, not forgetting
what he has heard, but doing it--he will be
blessed in what he does.
Cross references:
A. : 1 Pet 4:8; James 5:20
PS Also linked this to Poetry Heaven. Why not take a look?
PS 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. http://jeffree7.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/freedom-to-obey/
UNDER GRACE.jpg
Here's a little something I started writing after reading an "Utmost"
the other day. I like to think I wrote the whole thing in approximately
2 minutes, it couldn't have been much more than that. Spend half a
minute on each stanza and think only about God. By the end of the
poem I guarantee you'll be ready for more. Hope you will enjoy, Jeff
__________________________________________________________________
Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. John 11:41
MOMENT BY MOMENT
For only a minute or two
I will concentrate on God
Shut out the noise of life
And sit beneath the Cross
For just a single minute
I will meditate on Jesus
Shut off all distractions
And lie down in the Blood.
For maybe half a minute
I will focus on my Savior
Shut up the devil's lies
And worship the Lord
For a few seconds more
I will forget all my cares
Shut down every sound
Be still and know God
JEFFREE
"Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world."
Psalm 46:10
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
PRAYER IN THE FATHER'S HEARING
Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me.
John 11:41
When the Son of God prays, He has only one consciousness, and that
consciousness is of His Father. God always hears the prayers of His
Son, and if the Son of God is formed in me the Father will always
hear my prayers. I have to see that the Son of God is manifested in
my mortal flesh. "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost," i.e.,
the Bethlehem of the Son of God. Is the Son of God getting His chance
in me? Is the direct simplicity of the life of God's Son being worked
out exactly as it was worked out in His historic life? When I come in
contact with the occurrences of life as an ordinary human being, is
the prayer of God's Eternal Son to His Father being prayed in me? "In
that day ye shall ask in My name. . . ." What day? The day when the
Holy Ghost has come to me and made me effectually one with my Lord.
Is the Lord Jesus Christ being abundantly satisfied in your life or
have you got a spiritual strut on? Never let common sense obtrude and
push the Son of God on one side. Common sense is a gift which God
gave to human nature; but common sense is not the gift of His Son.
Supernatural sense is the gift of His Son; never enthrone common
sense. The Son detects the Father; common sense never yet detected
the Father and never will. Our ordinary wits never worship God unless
they are transfigured by the indwelling Son of God. We have to see that
this mortal flesh is kept in perfect subjection to Him and that He works
through it moment by moment. Are we living in such human dependence
upon Jesus Christ that His life is being manifested moment by moment?
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - by Oswald Chambers
http://www.heartlight.org/devotionals/my_utmost
This devotional is copyright Oswald Chambers Publications,
< http://www.oswaldchambers.co.uk >.
CHILD OF GOD
Growing all the time
Reaching for the eternal rhyme
Ours is but to live and die
Won by Jesus
Walking in the light
Asking our Father for wisdom
Love is alive with Heavenly insight
Kept in Jesus
Holding on by faith
Encouraging others with a smile
Learning to discern good and bad
Discipled in Jesus
Dying in this world
Everyday we're come closer
All for God with none left over
Death in Jesus
Heaven is our real Home
O Holy Place built by Grace
Made with Love from God Above
Entered only through Christ Jesus
JEFFREE
--------------------------------------------------------------------
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST
--------------------------------------------------------------------
THE DISCIPLINE OF DIFFICULTY
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good
cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33
An average view of the Christian life is that it means deliverance
from trouble. It is deliverance in trouble, which is very different.
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High...there shall
no evil befall thee" - no plague can come nigh the place where you
are at one with God.
If you are a child of God, there certainly will be troubles to meet,
but Jesus says do not be surprised when they come. "In the world yet
shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the
world, there is nothing for you to fear." Men who before they were
saved would scorn to talk about troubles, often become "fushionless"
after being born again because they have a wrong idea of a saint.
God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life as we
overcome. The strain is the strength. If there is no strain, there is
no strength. Are you asking God to give you life and liberty and joy?
He cannot, unless you will accept the strain. Immediately you face
the strain, you will get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and
take the step, and God will give you to eat of the tree of life and
you will get nourishment. If you spend yourself out physically, you
become exhausted; but spend yourself spiritually, and you get more
strength. God never gives strength for to-morrow, or for the next
hour, but only for the strain of the minute. The temptation is to
face difficulties from a common-sense standpoint. The saint is
hilarious when he is crushed with difficulties because the thing is
so ludicrously impossible to anyone but God.
--
Revelation 1:7
In the Bible clouds are always connected with
God. Clouds are those sorrows or sufferings or
providences, within or without our personal lives,
which seem to dispute the rule of God. It is by
those very clouds that the Spirit of God is teach-
ing us how to walk by faith. If there were no clouds,
we should have no faith. "The clouds are but the
dust of our Father's feet." The clouds are a sign
that He is there.
http://www.heartlight.org/devotionals/my_utmost
UNDER GRACE.jpg
Here is a little poem for your reading pleasure; hope you will enjoy!
Special thoughts and prayers for our friends James & Sarah and their family
who are preparing to weather the storm this week down in Corpus Christi, TX.
The cover of Max's book Come Thirsty got me thinking of "Dolly", go figure...
so I thought I'd check on you at the same time. Are you ready? Hold on.
We love you, Jeff & Evelyn
_____________________________________________________________
God loves the world so much He gave us His Son,
so that whoever believes in Him would never perish.
see John 3:16
IN CHRIST
Have you ever walked to clear your head
And exercise your heart and mind
Of daily news and broken dreams
And all the things you think aren't right?
Have you ever stopped to think about
How much you really do not know
About life, and death, and love, and joy
And peace, and faith, and hope?
Have you ever stood and stared into the night
And felt how small you really are?
Have you ever paused to think just how much
God loves your human heart?
Have you ever knelt and prayed
Just to thank the One who gave you life
With all its ups and downs, good and bad, beautiful (and ugly);
Do you know the truth that all things work out right in Christ?
jeffreepollock
July 23, 2008
[B]eing confident of this, that he who began a good work in
you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
When Death Becomes Birth
by Max Lucado
You live one final breath from your own funeral.
Which, from God’s perspective, is nothing to grieve. He responds to these grave facts with this great news: “The day you die is better than the day you are born” (Eccles. 7:1). Now there is a twist. Heaven enjoys a maternity-ward reaction to funerals. Angels watch body burials the same way grandparents monitor delivery-room doors. “He’ll be coming through any minute!” They can’t wait to see the new arrival. While we’re driving hearses and wearing black, they’re hanging pink and blue streamers and passing out cigars. We don’t grieve when babies enter the world. The hosts of heaven don’t weep when we leave it.
Oh, but many of us weep at the thought of death. Do you? Do you dread your death? And is your dread of death robbing your joy of life?
Jesus came to “deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying” (Heb. 2:15).
Your death may surprise you and sadden others, but heaven knows no untimely death: “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Ps. 139:16).
Dread of death ends when you know heaven is your true home. In all my air travels I’ve never seen one passenger weep when the plane landed. Never. No one clings to the armrests and begs, “Don’t make me leave. Don’t make me leave. Let me stay and eat more peanuts.” We’re willing to exit because the plane has no permanent mailing address. Nor does this world. “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior” (Phil. 3:20).
Why don’t you do this: give God your death. Imagine your last breath, envision your final minutes, and offer them to him. Deliberately. Regularly. “Lord, I receive your work on the cross and in your resurrection. I entrust you with my departure from earth.” With Christ as your friend and heaven as your home, the day of death becomes sweeter than the day of birth.
From
Come Thirsty
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2004) Max Lucado
Hello folks, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to send out something on 08/08/08 and since its the opening day of the Olympics in Beijing I thought this one would work nicely. Enjoy, Jeff
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
1 CORINTHIANS 9:24, 25
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,
but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to
get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games
goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown
that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that
will last forever.”
FOR THE PRIZE
One at a time,
We start this race;
On the same starting line,
We receive God’s grace.
Won by Christ,
We choose His reward;
We follow our Prize,
And crown Him Lord.
Throughout our lives,
We seek our Savior’s face;
Reaching for His smile,
We break the final tape.
One at a time we bow the knee,
And lay our lives at Jesus’ feet;
We finish this race the way we began;
Saved by grace in God’s sovereign hand.
08.08.08
“Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly;
I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my
body and make it my slave so that after I have preached
to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
1 CORINTHIANS 4:26, 27
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http://jeffree7.wordpress.com/
Hello friends and neighbors, family and fugitives, hope you are well. This poem's been kicking around in my brain since its conception some weeks ago. You'll notice the uniform (or universal) resource locator, URL, to a blog I started on Live Spaces that you may click open if you want to. I'm not sure this poem is there or not.
Dave, thanks for suggesting I start up a blog, though I'm not sure I know how to stop them, I think I have four now! but its fun and I have already met a few interesting if not always encouraging folks out there in the blogosphere who have been prompted to leave a comment or two (deleted).
Oh, and I discovered (an) URL on my favorite Christian Poetry outlet that I know some of you (you know who you are) will enjoy taking a looksee at @ http://www.christianpoetry.org/missions/browse_a_miss.php?letter=A. It's a
webpage cataloging alphabetically missionaries who are serving the Lord
around the world who apparently also subscribe to Cross Way. Seems poetry
travels nicely, praise the Lord!
God bless you now. Please remember Ev and I in your prayers and please
continue to let us know how we can pray for you. With love,
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Jeffrey
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August 03 7:43 PM
(http://Jeffree1961.spaces.live.com/)
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The Island Of And
Somewhere in-between regret and worry,
Rests a tranquil land called the Island of And;
Nothing is in tow and there's no reason to hurry,
Life remains constant obeying God's commands.
Someplace in-between practical and crazy,
Lies the Island of And where freedom is true;
No body is in charge and no one is ever lazy,
Love stays faithful because every heart is new.
Somewhere in-between religion and relationship,
A merciful King is enthroned on the Island of And;
He loved His subjects so He died to end their sin,
He rose again to prove His love would always last.
Someplace in-between Planet Earth and Heaven,
Live God's servant-children on the Island of And;
They give their lives for the Gospel of Salvation,
Telling would-be-saints where its safe to stand.
JEFFFREE
08-03-08
God loves the world so much He sent His only Son so all who
believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
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"A continual looking forward to the eternal world
is not a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but
one of the things a Christian is meant to do."
-- C. S. Lewis
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Jesus Comforts His Disciples
JOHN 14:1-4
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would
have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to
be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way
to the place where I am going."
IN THE DISTANCE...
I see
A home
Built for me
I hear
A choir
Singing holy
I know
An eternity
Saved by grace
I have
A Savur-Redeemer
And will one day touch His face
JEFFREE
07.29.08
Jesus the Way to the Father
Thomas said to him,
"Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know
my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
JOHN 14:5-7
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"A continual looking forward to the eternal world
is not a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but
one of the things a Christian is meant to do."
C. S. Lewis
Ecclesiastes 1 -- “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (v. 1)
TIME TRAVEL
As you travel on the road you've taken
Not knowing when the end might come
Be careful where your foot may step
If you would live your life for Jesus
There is a time for everything
And everything has a proper time
Don't rush ahead if you would live
Your life by faith in Jesus Christ
Ah, let patience do its perfect work
As Father teaches you to walk upright
Rest in the plan He has for your future
If you would live your life for Christ
There is a time for everything
And everything must have its time
Leave your past behind if you would live
By faith today in Jesus Christ
J E F F R E E
03/10--07/24 2008
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The Time Tunnel
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven."(v. 1)
For reading & meditation:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Solomon turns his attention to the consideration of time. Who can define time?
Longfellow asked, "What is time?", and then went on to say that although time
could be measured, it could not be clearly defined. One of the best definitions of
discipleship I have ever heard is: "Discipleship is what a person does with his
time." Imagine someone who loves you puts into your personal bank account
every day the sum of 1,440, with the stipulation that you have to use it all every
day, and anything left over will be cancelled by the bank. Sounds too good to
be true, doesn't it? However, Someone who loves you puts into your life every
day 1,440 minutes - the gift of time. The same condition applies - you have to use
it all, and anything left over is forfeited. Ask yourself: How do I manage my time?
Do I squander it, or see it as a sacred trust? Solomon's point is to show how life
on this earth breaks down into measurable spans. Take a look at how things
happen, he seems to be saying, and you will see a controlling schedule behind
all things. Does not this in itself suggest that a loving God presided over the
circumstances of life? Kierkegaard said: "Life has to be lived forwards but it
can only be understood backwards." Pause now for a moment and reflect on
how the things you worried about a year ago look so different with hindsight.
Aren't you aware that an eternal God has been marshaling your progress
in this tunnel of time?
O Father, help me to see the issue of time not as a burden,
but as a blessing. I want to use my time wisely, but not to
become so obsessed by it that I can't stop and smell the roses.
Keep me sanely balanced in all this. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
www.everydaylight.com
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THE FOG IS LIFTING
by Charles R. Swindoll
Read Esther 7:1--2
Imagine swimming in a vast lake and getting three or four hundred yards offshore when suddenly a freak fog rolls in and surrounds you. You're trapped in this tiny circle of diffused light, but you can't see beyond your arm's reach.
You and I are locked in a tiny space on this foggy lake of life called the present. Because our entire perspective is based on this moment in which we find ourselves, we speak of the present, the past, and the future. If we want to know the hour or minute or second, we merely look at our watches. If we want to know the day or the month, the year or the century, we look at the calendar. Time. Easily marked, carefully measured. It is all very objective: measurable, understandable, and conscious.
God is not like that at all. As a matter of fact, He lives and moves outside the realm of earthly time. In His time and only in His time, He begins to move in subtle ways until, suddenly, as His surprising sovereignty unfolds, a change occurs. It's God's way of lifting the fog, which always happens when He decides and when He pleases!
"What is your petition?" the king asks Esther. "What is your request?"
He's already asked that two other times: when she first approached him and he held out his scepter, and then at the first banquet. But Esther never answered him, because the time wasn't right. Esther had a sensitive ear, a wise heart; she sensed something wasn't quite right. So, she didn't push it. She knew when to act---and she knew when to wait.
Are you as sensitive as that? Do you know when to listen? Do you know when to speak up and when to keep quiet? Do you know how much to say and when to say it? Do you have the wisdom to hold back until exactly the right moment in order to achieve maximum results? Those things make a difference, you know. The question is: Are you sufficiently in tune with God to read His subtle signals? It's easy to jump at the first sighting of the fog's lifting.
As Solomon once wrote,
"There is a time for every event under heaven . . .
a time to be silent and a time to speak"
(Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7).
T I M E
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