WONDERFUL LORD

A NEW DAY

2012-02-04T10:38:00.001-07:00

A NEW DAY

Today is a new day

Yes, yesterday is gone

Live life today in the grace

Of Jesus Christ, God's Son

Today is a new day

The past has passed away

Trust the Lord with all your heart

Let go of grief and pain

Have faith, hope, and love

The greatest of being love

Live, as long as you are living

Surrender your heart to Jesus

Today is a new day

Peace and Strength are in the Lord

Let courage be the captain of your heart

As you search His Word and discover

Who it is you're living for

________________________________________

LOVE

WELCOME

2012-01-23T19:01:00.017-07:00

COME TO THE WELL

Come to the well
Cast your cares
Upon the water

Come to the well
Bring your prayers
To the Father

Come to the well
Ask what you will

Expecting

Come to the well
Bring your hopes
And dreams

Come to the LordFind grace and joy
Peace and Love

Come to the Cross
Lay down your burdens
Come to The Well

Please come

HE DIED FOR YOU

GUARD YOUR HEART

2012-01-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

First and foremost guard your heart,

Always remember it is your life;

Be perfect today and be set apart,

Love God and obey Him in Christ.

Above everything keep your focus pure,

Let no petty pursuits disturb your peace;

Be ready and willing to wholly surrender,

Lift your hands to the heavens and release.

Above all else take your stand on TRUTH,

Give no dirty demons access to your mind;

Be courageous when sin wants to rule over you,

Jesus Christ must reign on the throne of your life.

From start to finish faith is Life Blood,

That keeps the sanctified heart loving God;

Bought and secured by His Son on The Cross,

Nothing ever can move you from His Love.

J E Pollock

Sept242011

Jan 21 2012

Day 300

You may have to force yourself to concentrate on God's words and instructions.

Disciplining yourself to read the Bible daily is not easy when
your emotions are interfering with your thoughts.

The Bible addresses this struggle:

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and
if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look
for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will under-
stand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives
wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds
victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path.
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul"

(Proverbs 2:1-10).

My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them
out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find
them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart,

for it is the wellspring of life."

(Proverbs 4:20-23)

Grant me discipline, Lord God. Amen.

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ONE GOD

2011-11-22T21:08:00.001-07:00

ONE GOD

One God, One Savior
One hope for true living

One Shield, One Sword
One perfect Holy Spirit

One Truth, One Light
One Way to The Father

One Shepherd, One Life
One King like no other

One God, One Creator

One Love that won't cease

One Heart, One Mind

One Perfect Peace

JEP

BEAUTIFUL

2011-11-21T17:10:00.048-07:00

BEAUTIFUL

Beautiful

The God we serve

Faithful

His way with man

Powerful

The Spirit of God

Knowable

His will for us

Findable
The peace we pray

Wonderful

His purpose and plan

Believable

The God of Love

Lovable

His Son Jesus

Beautiful

_____

_______

_____

(July 4, 2011)
The True and the Beautiful

What if it was all true? The sudden suspicion that God might be who he said he was seized me like a thought from another world. Was it possible that a religion was worth following not because of whatever good it might afford me or for moralistic obligation, but simply because it was true? The thought meant entertaining a new starting point; it meant admitting that I might not have been seeing with all the facts in the first place. It meant considering that God was there all along.

Of course, it did not mean that my angered questions gracefully bowed out at the thought that they might be premature or even nonsensical. Reason has very little to say to the child who wants to know why his father left; words are not what he is looking for. My initial discovery of truth had to give way to something beyond ideas and logic, and it did not take long for this to become apparent. If Jesus is who he said he is then Christianity is indeed not a matter of preference or pedigree; but this hardly suggests that the pilgrimage is void of questions that cannot be answered or existential struggles wholly unsatisfied by human thought.

As someone who suddenly wanted to know and tell the truth, I discovered that truth is not simply something passive that we intercept, like the outcome of a CSI episode that leaves us entirely certain of "what really happened." Truth certainly has this definitive element, to be sure; the Logos which became flesh is God's definitive account of truth. But this is something far deeper and more dimensional than hard, unresponsive facts and verses, as further evidenced in John's description of Christ as one full of grace and truth in himself. There is a corresponding, interactive quality to truth, which cannot be merely argued in words, but is best understood by engaging its depth and character within a world of impersonal, simplistic alternatives. For if truth is personal—indeed, a Person—it demands a lifetime of shared engagement with the one who is truth and the Spirit who actively leads us into its discovery. Evidences of the heights and depths of this divine truth can indeed be received as factual, definitive fingerprints. But so they are clues that point to a multi-dimensional, inexhaustible Person full of grace and truth—and beauty.
Such an idea is set to narrative in the characters of The Idiot, in whom Fyodor Dostoevsky sets forth the bold assertion that "beauty will save the world." The sheer number of ways in which this quote has been taken from the prince who uttered it and handed to less-discerning philosophers attests to the risk inherent in the idea, and perhaps inherent in beauty itself. Even in the story, the prince's grand pronouncement is immediately the subject of interrogation—"What sort of beauty?" But prince Myshkin affirms in response it is who will save the world. Dostoevsky, too, entertains the proclamation in a person, in Myshkin himself, who lives the quality of beauty as if distinctive of his very soul. It is Myshkin who chooses again and again to help rather than to harm, to give mercy rather than malice; he forgives tirelessly, though surrounded by people who do not. In fact, it is this group that labels Myshkin the "idiot" because he refuses to participate in the withering ugliness of their own ways. In Dostoevsky's analysis, if Beauty will save the world, it will indeed be a person.
For those waking to the light of truth, for those speaking to the light of truth, there is a temptation to overlook the personal in the midst of the philosophical. When Plato said that beauty is the splendor of truth, he had in mind the Forms, literally Ideas. Comforting though it is to those who instinctively sense we were not meant for the darkness of caves, the truth he had in mind is inherently different in substance and character than the God-Man who looked his troubled friends in the eyes and said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Here we find not words, but the Word enfleshed, the transcendent in person. He is goodness, truth, and beauty incarnate, beckoning us out of the darkness to follow, to die, to become as he is. As it turns out, my old desire not merely to be good, but to somehow become united with it was not my own thought after all.
If the story of Christ is a call to participate in the glory of God as persons who imbibe that glory, then there is most certainly in beauty the potential to save, for God is both the Source and Subject. And it is therefore quite possible that God can reach out to the world in beauty, mystery, or transcendence, in goodness or kindness, in truth, logic, or reason. For He is all three in person—the Good, the True, and the Beautiful.
=========

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at RZIM in Atlanta, Georgia.

Welcome to Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) - To reach and challenge those that shape the ideas of culture with the credibility of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

SOLDIER OF LOVE

2011-11-04T21:41:00.005-06:00

SOLDIER OF LOVE

Hold your head up
Keep your helmet on
Remember Jesus
He is your salvation

You are a soldier of love
Marching in a world war
Remember Jesus
His Word is your sword

Guard your frail human heart
Keep your shield out in front
Remember Jesus
He taught us how to love

Wrap yourself in perfect truth
Remember to trust Jesus

Let God's armor remind you
You are a soldier of love

JEFF

2011

Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that

after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand yourground, putting on the
sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put
on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.
In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at
you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power
of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians
everywhere. A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all
of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and
tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and
blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against
those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world... EPHESIANS 6:10-12

ARMOR OF GOD

On a shelf of forgotten books I found a rusted Sword that

once was used to fight a war when I was newborn in the Lord.

Pieced together page by page I began to see my old Shield of Faith

Bent and scarred from spiritual battle still it was solid in my hand.

Broken breastplate stained by Blood caused my heart to skip as I

recalled God's unfailing love! I discovered the Belt of Truth I'd

proudly worn and remembered the day I took it off to pursue

something more. A bruised helmet lay near Jesus' Cross in a

corner by itself, still full of aweful memories of His horrible

death which saved my soul from Hell - and when I'd put

on the leather boots designed to guard my feet I turned

and faced the darkness again with a resolute peace.

In the 6th chapter of the Book of Ephesians I found

what it was missing in my service for the Lord. The

Armor of God I lay aside so many years ago was

still waiting for me to put it on and start to grow.

PURE & SIMPLE

2011-10-15T13:11:00.008-06:00

PURE AND SIMPLE

Pure and simple

God's Word reached me
His Truth has set me free

Pure and simple
Her love changed my heart
His Love made it start

Pure and simple

God's Light reaches me
Grace by faith lets me see

Truth is easy to understand

Love God, love people

Pure and simple

Pure and simple
God's Son reached me
His Truth has set me free

Pure and simple
Jesus changed my heart
God's Love made it start

Pure and simple

God's Light reaches me
Grace by faith let me see

Truth is easy to comprehend

Love God, love people

Pure and simple

___________________

Posted By J E Pollock

NEW DAY at 10/15/11

WORK OF ART

2011-07-18T23:07:00.002-06:00

"What he's been creating, since the first beat of your heart,
is a living, breathing, priceless work of art."
Stephen Curtis Chapman

WORK OF ART

These rhymes, these simple poems;

How do they prove my love for You?

The songs I sing, the worship I bring;

Do they really move Your Heart?

A sinner's heart and trembling hands,

I surrender them to You. All I am is

Yours to shape into a work of art.

J E POLLOCK / JULY 2011

Dear children, let us not love with words

or tongue but with actions and in truth.

1 John 3:18

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down
His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our
brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his
brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of
God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or
tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:16-18

--

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

Date: Sun, 19 Oct 2008

From: jeffree7@elp.rr.com

To: jeffree7@myway.com

Subject: WORK OF ART

What he's been creating, since the first beat of your heart, is a

living, breathing, priceless work of art. ---Stephen C. Chapman

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue
but with actions and in truth." ---1 John 3:18

WORK OF ART

These words,

This empty dialogue,

what good do they do?

These rhymes, these clever poems,

How does it prove my love for You?

The songs I sing, The worship I bring,

Does it really move Your Heart?

This is all I have

for You to shape into a work of art;

These bloodstained hands, this sinner's heart;

I surrender them to You.

JEFFREYPOLLOCK

OCTOBER 20, 2008

OCTOBER 15, 2011

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down

His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our

brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his

brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of

God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or

tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:16-18

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST -- http://www.heartlight.org/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

RECONCILIATION

For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;

that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

2Corinthians 5:21Sin is a fundamental relationship; it is not wrong doing, it is

wrong being, deliberate and emphatic independence of God.

The Christian religion bases everything on the positive, radi-

cal nature of sin. Other religions deal with sins; the Bible alone

deals with sin. The first thing Jesus Christ faced in men was

the heredity of sin, and it is because we have ignored this in

our presentation of the Gospel that the message of the Gospel

has lost its sting and its blasting power.

The revelation of the Bible is not that Jesus Christ took upon

Himself our fleshly sins, but that He took upon Himself the

heredity of sin which no man can touch. God made His own

Son to be sin that He might make the sinner a saint. All through

the Bible it is revealed that Our Lord bore the sin of the world

by identification, not by sympathy. He deliberately took upon

His own shoulders, and bore in His own Person, the whole

massed sin of the human race - "He hath made Him to be sin

for us, who knew no sin," and by so doing He put the whole

human race on the basis of Redemption. Jesus Christ rehabili-

tated the human race; He put it back to where God designed it

to be, and anyone can enter into union with God on the ground

of what Our Lord has done on the Cross.

A man cannot redeem himself; Redemption is God's "bit," it is

absolutely finished and complete; its reference to individual men

is a question of their individual action. A distinction must always

be made between the revelation of Redemption and the conscious

experience of salvation in a man's life.

MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST - by Oswald Chambers

=========================================

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

TREE OF LIFE

2011-07-17T16:54:00.008-06:00

TREE OF LIFE

LORD

Grow me deeper

Let my roots run

down

Into the ground

Help me stand

LORD
Help me stand

Let Your strength fill me up

Make me strong
LORD
Make me strong

So I can weather any storm

Grow me deeper

LORD

JEFF

2011

THE LIFTER UP

2011-06-30T11:38:00.011-06:00

New American Standard Bible

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,

my glory, and the One who lifts my head.

GOD'S WORD

________________________________________________

American King James Version
But you, O LORD, are a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head.

American Standard Version
But thou, O Jehovah, art a shield about me; My glory and the lifter up of my head.

King James Bible
But thou, O LORD, [art] a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

________________________________________________

ONE VOICE

2011-06-23T19:45:00.003-06:00

God has not given us a spirit of fear - but of power and love and a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

ONE VOICE

One voice says:

"Don't do it!"

One voice says:

"You'll be glad you did."

One voice sounds like faith,
The other sounds like fear.

Which voice will you follow

This year?

J E F F
2 0 1 1

Behold! I Make All Things New

Posted on January 3, 2011
Filed Under God and Man | 12 Comments
"Behold, I am making all things new." Revelation 21:5

I don't know what it is within the heart of man that loves a new beginning, but we do. Yes, there are times when a new beginning carries some fear because of the unknown that lies ahead or because we don't like change and are just very comfortable with the old. But, in most cases, we like the fresh beginning.
The new year often stirs within us a motivation to start anew with goals and objectives that, in many cases, have gone unmet in years past. It almost gives us the privilege of "closing the book" on the failures and disappointments of the past and setting out with no bricks in our backpack. We almost feel lighter!
Of course, the reality is that just because the second hand sweeps past the 12 at midnight on December 31st, there isn't some magical wand that brings fairy dust down upon your life. No genie appears to undo your past or miraculously change your circumstances. If you have a boatload of debt on New Year's Eve, you will wake up to that same debt on January 1st.
Ugh! The reality of reality!
Wouldn't it be grand if all things bad went away when the clock struck midnight at the end of the year? Can you imagine what your sleep would be like that night? Can you imagine what it would be like waking up the next morning, knowing that all the debt was gone, all the regrets and failures of the past were gone, all the ugliness and pain and grief and misery…gone!
Wow! Wouldn't that be something!
But, alas, there are no magic wands and there are no genies.
But there is One who is in the business of making things "new". For those who are His, there will come a day when we will go to sleep and awake to a true New Beginning.
But even in this life, He makes things new.
Millions have experienced the joy of a new creation, when the sins of the past are truly forgiven.

He creates us anew.
He gives us a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26)
…a new birth (1 Peter 1:3)
…a new spirit (Ezekiel 11:19)
…a new song (Psalm 40:3)
…a new name (Isaiah 62:2; Revelation 2:17)
…a new life (Acts 5:20)
…a new self (Ephesians 4:24)
…a new way into the holy place (Hebrews 10:20)
…a new covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)
…and He creates a new heaven and earth (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13)
The Scriptures close out with the great declaration from Jesus, "Behold, I am making all things new."
That is a New Years Day that will make all our new years pale in comparison!

But there is a continual "newness" that God gives to us:
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Every day, there is a newness for those who are in Christ. If that reality were understood by our faint hearts, we would arise each morning with the joy and "freshness" that befits the child of the King who is in the business of taking old things and making them new.
May your New Year truly be a New Day every day.

THE VOICE OF TRUTH

CASTING CROWNS

UP

2011-06-16T07:41:00.003-06:00

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

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

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

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

Eternal Perspective

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://griefshare.org/

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Shadow of the Almighty

Elisabeth Elliot

HOLD ON

2011-06-13T11:09:00.006-06:00

Hold on, there's mercy in the morning light,
Hold on, there's peace in doing what's right;
Hold on, there's joy in living for the Lord,
Hold on to Jesus

JEFF POLLOCK
NOV 27, 2009

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God,
you will receive what He has promised. Hebrews 10:36

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

Matthew Henry's Concise

Chapter 1

GOD CREATES HEAVEN AND EARTH. 1:1,2

The first verse of the Bible gives us a satisfying and useful account of the origin of the earth and the heavens. The faith of humble Christians understands this better than the fancy of the most learned men. From what we see of heaven and earth, we learn the power of the great Creator. And let our make and place as men, remind us of our duty as Christians, always to keep heaven in our eye, and the earth under our feet. The Son of God, one with the Father, was with him when he made the world; nay, we are often told that the world was made by him, and nothing was made without him. Oh, what high thoughts should there be in our minds, of that great God whom we worship, and of that great Mediator in whose name we pray! And here, at the beginning of the sacred volume, we read of that Divine Spirit, whose work upon the heart of man is so often mentioned in other parts of the Bible. Observe, that at first there was nothing desirable to be seen, for the world was without form, and void; it was confusion, and emptiness. In like manner the work of grace in the soul is a new creation: and in a graceless soul, one that is not born again, there is disorder, confusion, and every evil work: it is empty of all good, for it is without God; it is dark, it is darkness itself: this is our condition by nature, till Almighty grace works a change in us.

THE CREATION OF LIGHT. 1:3-5

God said, Let there be light; he willed it, and at once there was light. Oh, the power of the word of God! And in the new creation, the first thing that is wrought in the soul is light: the blessed Spirit works upon the will and affections by enlightening the understanding. Those who by sin were darkness, by grace become light in the Lord. Darkness would have been always upon fallen man, if the Son of God had not come and given us understanding, 1Jn 5:20. The light which God willed, he approved of. God divided the light from the darkness; for what fellowship has light with darkness? In heaven there is perfect light, and no darkness at all; in hell, utter darkness, and no gleam of light. The day and the night are the Lord's; let us use both to his honour, by working for him every day, and resting in him every night, meditating in his law both day and night.

GOD SEPARATES THE EARTH FROM THE WATERS, AND MAKES IT FRUITFUL. 1:6-13

The earth was emptiness, but by a word spoken, it became full of God's riches, and his they are still. Though the use of them is allowed to man, they are from God, and to his service and honour they must be used. The earth, at his command, brings forth grass, herbs, and fruits. God must have the glory of all the benefit we receive from the produce of the earth. If we have, through grace, an interest in Him who is the Fountain, we may rejoice in him when the streams of temporal mercies are dried up.

GOD FORMS THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS. 1:14-19

In the fourth day's work, the creation of the sun, moon, and stars is accounted for. All these are the works of God. The stars are spoken of as they appear to our eyes, without telling their number, nature, place, size, or motions; for the Scriptures were written, not to gratify curiosity, or make us astronomers, but to lead us to God, and make us saints. The lights of heaven are made to serve him; they do it faithfully, and shine in their season without fail. We are set as lights in this world to serve God; but do we in like manner answer the end of our creation? We do not: our light does not shine before God, as his lights shine before us. We burn our Master's candles, but do not mind our Master's work.

ANIMALS CREATED. 1:20-25

God commanded the fish and fowl to be produced. This command he himself executed. Insects, which are more numerous than the birds and beasts, and as curious, seem to have been part of this day's work. The Creator's wisdom and power are to be admired as much in an ant as in an elephant. The power of God's providence preserves all things, and fruitfulness is the effect of his blessing.

MAN CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. 1:26-28

Man was made last of all the creatures: this was both an honour and a favour to him. Yet man was made the same day that the beasts were; his body was made of the same earth with theirs; and while he is in the body, he inhabits the same earth with them. God forbid that by indulging the body, and the desires of it, we should make ourselves like the beasts that perish! Man was to be a creature different from all that had been hitherto made. Flesh and spirit, heaven and earth, must be put together in him. God said, "Let us make man." Man, when he was made, was to glorify the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Into that great name we are baptized, for to that great name we owe our being. It is the soul of man that especially bears God's image. Man was made upright, Eccl 7:29. His understanding saw Divine things clearly and truly; there were no errors or mistakes in his knowledge; his will consented at once, and in all things, to the will of God. His affections were all regular, and he had no bad appetites or passions. His thoughts were easily brought and fixed to the best subjects. Thus holy, thus happy, were our first parents in having the image of God upon them. But how is this image of God upon man defaced! May the Lord renew it upon our souls by his grace!

FOOD APPOINTED. 1:29,30
Herbs and fruits must be man's food, including corn, and all the products of the earth. Let God's people cast their care upon him, and not be troubled about what they shall eat, and what they shall drink. He that feeds his birds will not starve his babes.

THE WORK OF CREATION ENDED AND APPROVED. 1:31

When we come to think about our works, we find, to our shame, that much has been very bad; but when God saw his work, all was very good. Good, for it was all just as the Creator would have it to be. All his works, in all places of his dominion, bless him; and therefore, bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Let us bless God for the gospel of Christ, and when we consider his almighty power, let us sinners flee from the wrath to come. If new-created unto the image of God in holiness, we shall at length enter the "new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

STAND ON TRUTH

2011-06-02T22:11:00.006-06:00

Prov 4:23
"Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life."

STAND ON TRUTH

First and foremost guard your heart,
Always and forever it is your life;
Be perfect today and set it apart,
To love God and obey Him in Christ.

Above all else keep your focus pure,
Let no petty pursuit disturb your peace;
Be ready and willing to wholly surrender,
Lift you hands to the heavens and release.

From beginning to end faith is lifeblood
That keeps a sanctified heart loving God
Nothing can ever move you from His love
Bought and secured by His Son at the Cross

Above all else take your stand on TRUTH
Give no dirty demon access to your mind
Be holy and ruthless when sin wants you
Let Jesus reign on the throne of your life

Jeff Pollock

Jun 2, 2011

Discipline Yourself
Day 300

You may have to force yourself to concentrate on God's words and instructions.

Disciplining yourself to read the Bible daily is not easy when your emotions are interfering with your thoughts. The Bible addresses this struggle: My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul" (Proverbs 2:1-10).

My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:20-23)

Grant me discipline, Lord God. Amen.

--------------------------------------

http://griefshare.org/

ONE DAY

2011-06-01T15:28:00.008-06:00

"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own
things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matt. 6:34). Although it
might be easier to ignore that truth, Jesus said it so it must be true! Last
week Tuesday I started this simple poem after listening to an ODB.

ONE DAY

One day at a time
One hour, one minute

Each second is alive
Because God is in it

One day at a time
New sunrise, new light
For as long as God wills
Every moment is life

One day at a time
One purpose, One plan
Don't read between the lines

God's Word is for every man

One man, One woman

Two lives are one in Christ
With Jesus at the center
One day at a time

JEFF

http://odb.org/201105/24/simplify/

FREE

2011-05-30T16:01:00.007-06:00

Dear Joe & Deb,
Thanks for the link to your new church; WOW!
Looks like a great place for the girls and you too.
Fellowship, what a great concept; I hope (and pray)
I start missing it again soon, I doubt I'll ever feel free
again without it. Too many eyes in that sentence!
I love you, Jeff

FREE

I am in Christ,
Rather Jesus is in me;
Standing firm in Christ,
God keeps my heart free.

JEFF

A PLACE FOR YOU

2011-05-27T13:26:00.002-06:00

A PLACE FOR YOU

Don't forget Me when I'm gone
Life would be a sadder song

Don't lose your faith when I leave
Your flesh will want to run

Don't forget my love when I'm go

Keep me in your heart My love

I've gone to make a place for you
That you may be with Me
Before too long

___ JEFF ___

2011

PRAYER

2011-05-19T11:54:00.002-06:00

PRAYER

Anything you need
for those you love and care
whatever you might plead
Do everything by prayer

Whatever you think
everything you fret about
if anything causes you worry
Choose by faith to trust in God

Talk to Him about your life

Let your Father calm your heart

You brought nothing into the world
Most surely you'll take nothing out

All you've ever hoped
whatever you've desired

Every overarching dream
Leave it all at Jesus' feet

JEFF
2011

UP...UP...UP

2011-05-19T09:34:00.033-06:00

UP

When the going gets tough
The faithful look UP
Up to where the eagles fly
Up to the Lord on high

When the road gets hard
The faithful keep climbing
Up to where the Spirit lives
Up to where the angels sing

When the future looks bleak
The faithful press on
Up to the Cross that promises life
Up to where the Savior died

When heaven's skies are dark
The faithful trust in God's love
Assured in their redeemed heart
The only way to look is UP

JEFF

2011

Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2011 21:29:47 -0700
From: jeffreypollock@yahoo.com
Subject: UP

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

When the road gets steep
The faithful keep climbing
Up to where the Spirit lives
Up to where the angels sing

When the future looks bleak
The faithful follower presses on
Up to the Cross that promises life
Up to where the Savior died

When heaven's skies are dark
The faithful trust in God's love
Assured in their redeemed heart
The only way to look is UP

JEFF

2011

UP

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

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

When the future looks bleak
Hopeful servants presses on
Up to the Cross that promises life
Up to where the Savior died

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

MAY 2011JEFFREE

http://www.griefshare.org/dailyemails/my/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shadow of the Almighty
Elisabeth Elliot

HE IS RISEN

2011-05-03T15:06:00.001-06:00

HE IS RISEN

In this land of mountain and valley

He is risen
In this land of abundant provision
He is risen indeed
In this heart of love and grief
He is risen
In this heart of trust in Jesus

He is risen indeed
In this faith of crucifixion and death
He is risen
In this faith of resurrection and life

He is risen indeed

In this world of the lost and found

He is risen
In His Kingdom of the chosen and redeemed
He is risen, He is risen indeed

Jeffreee!

APR2011

--
WONDERFUL LORD JESUS

TRUTH=LIGHT

2011-04-27T17:18:00.007-06:00

"The Lord is my light and my salvation ... wait patiently for the Lord."

Watching for dawn,

The Lord is my light;

Waiting for heaven,

The Lord is my light.

Encircled by enemies,

The Lord is my light;

Praying for peace,

The Lord is my light.

Seeking redemption,

The Lord is my light;

Finding God's Son,

The Lord is my light.

Watching the night,

The Lord is my light;

Waiting for morning,

The Lord is my light.

*******

JEFFREE!

09.03.2006

04.29.2011

Psalm 27
A psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation,
so why should I be afraid?
The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
4 The one thing I ask of the LORD,
the thing I seek most
is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
delighting in the LORD's perfections
and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 Then I will hold my head high
above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the LORD with music.
7 Hear me as I pray, O LORD.
Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me."
And my heart responds, "LORD, I am coming."
9 Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don't leave me now; don't abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the LORD will hold me close.
11 Teach me how to live, O LORD.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I've never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the LORD's goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the LORD.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ch. Spurgeon's MORNING and EVENING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wait on the Lord."
-- Psalms 27:14

It may seem an easy thing to wait, but it is one of the postures which a Christian soldier learns not without years of teaching. Marching andquick-marching are much easier to God's warriors than standing still. There are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously desirous to serve the Lord, knows not what part to take. Then what shall it do? Vex itself by despair? Fly back in cowardice, turn to the right hand in fear, or rush forward in presumption? No, but simply wait. Wait in prayer, however. Call upon God, and spread the case before him; tell him your difficulty, and plead his promise of aid. In dilemmas between one duty and another, it is sweet to be humble as a child, and wait with simplicity of soul upon the Lord. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know our own folly, and are heartily willing to be guided by the will of God. But wait in faith. Express your unstaggering confidence in him; for unfaithful, untrusting waiting, is but an insult to the Lord. Believe that if he keep you tarrying even till midnight, yet he will come at the right time; the vision shall come and
shall not tarry. Wait in quiet patience, no rebelling because you are under the affliction, but blessing your God for it. Never murmur against the second cause, as the children of Israel did against Moses; never wish you could go back to the world again, but accept the case as it is, and put it as it stands, simply and with your whole heart, without any self-will, into the hand of your covenant God, saying, "Now, Lord, not my will, but thine be done. I know not what to do; I am brought to extremities, but I will wait until thou shalt cleave the floods, or drive back my foes. I will wait, if thou keep me many a day, for my heart is fixed upon thee alone, O God, and my spirit waiteth for thee in the full conviction that thou wilt yet be my joy and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower."

HE IS RISEN

2011-04-23T16:44:00.005-06:00

RISEN INDEED

In the heart of love and grief
He is risen
In this heart of trust in Jesus
He is risen indeed

In the faith of crucifixion and death
He is risen
In this faith of resurrection and life
He is risen indeed

In this land of sunrise and sunset

He is risen
In the place of abundant provision
He is risen indeed
In this world of the lost and found

He is risen
In His kingdom of the chosen
and redeemed
He is risen - He is risen indeed

JEFFREE

APR2011

1 Corinthians 15

The Resurrection of Christ

    1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
   3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
   9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

HOPE

2011-04-22T16:43:00.001-06:00

HOPE

When crisis comes

And there's no place else to run
Trust in Jesus
Eternal life is hope you can turn to
Rest in His Love

JEFF
2011

He saved us through the washing of
rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he poured out on us generously
through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that,
having been justified by his grace, we
might become heirs having the hope
of eternal life. TITUS 3:5-7

ALIVE IN ME

2011-04-22T11:35:00.003-06:00

Monday, April 18, 2011

Read: Luke 15

There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. - Luke 15:10

After a not-quite-as-lonely-as-I-expected birthday breakfast at Denny's this morning,
then going back to my house and reading today's Today in the Word I thought I'd send out something I wrote earlier this month. Today I am grateful I bumped into two precious friends (Ernie and Linda) who sang worship to Jesus at our wedding back some years ago in 1990; interestingly enough, Holy and Annointed One was written the same year Ev' and I met, 1988, and is a song we sang together often. Well, now I've gone and made myself feel lonely again! Fortunately, God is still working in my heart - I do tend to think my heart needs a lot of work - I'm trusting God knows exactly how much -- Romans 8:28.

By the way, I turned 50 today! Praise the Lord!!! Love you all, Jeff

Jeff Pollock • Apr 3, 2011 (edited Apr 3, 2011) • Buzz

http://jeffree7.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/1004/

GOD IN ME

God in me always moves forward

God in me knows the way is Himself

He won't stop until He's Lord of my life

God in me will press on to tomorrow

God in me proves the truth is Himself

God always does what is best for my soul

God in me is strength to meet the new day

The Lord Jesus Christ is Himself my peace

He is the righteousness and joy of my heart

God will fulfill His wonderful purpose

God in heaven is faithful to His promise

He will complete the work He began

JEFF

http://jefffree.wordpress.com

The word of God is alive and powerful.

Hebrews 4:12

GOD IS ALIVE

God is in this heart of mine

God is there all the time

God is a living-moving being

Living Word inside of me

God is new every morning to me

As real as the sun and the moon

God is love that sets men free

Wonderful, powerful truth

God is life to my eternal soul

God in Christ is trustworthy hope

God is maker and breaker of nations

Living Strength that has no weakness

God is new every evening to me

As real as the stars in the sky

God is joy that makes my heart smile

True Peace in Christ will never die

Jeffrey Pollock

http://jeffree7.wordpress.com

Today in the WORD

Monday, April 18, 2011

Read: Luke 15

There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. - Luke 15:10

TODAY IN THE WORD

Preoccupied with plans for upcoming concerts and tours, classical violinist Gidon Kremer accidentally left his $3 million violin behind on a train. Once he realized the situation, he urgently called Amtrak officials to see what could be done. A baggage handler found the violin, undisturbed in its blue cloth case, and the valuable instrument was quickly returned to its owner. As a thank-you, Kremer invited the Amtrak employee who had located the violin to one of his concerts.

As eagerly as Kremer searched for his lost violin, God is even more passionate in searching for spiritually lost individuals. Up to this point in our month's study, we have divided Luke's Gospel into three main parts: Jesus' birth (Luke 1-2), the start of His public ministry (chap. 3-7), and His main teachings (chap. 8-14). Today we begin a fourth section on the theme of God's kingdom in Jesus' teaching (chap. 15-19:27), to be followed by a final section on Passion Week, that is, Jesus' death and resurrection (19:28-24:53).
The three parables in today's reading reveal the joy God takes in saving the lost. The Pharisees thought it was improper for a rabbi to fraternize with "tax collectors and sinners," but Jesus wanted everyone to know that this is what the kingdom of God is all about! His first story involved a lost sheep (vv. 3-7), the second a lost coin (vv. 8-10), and the third a lost son (vv. 11-32). The first two begin with an item that gets lost, and then a careful effort is made to find it, upon which great rejoicing follows. From a spiritual perspective, sin is lostness and redemption is "foundness," so finding the lost item represents a sinner who by the grace of God repents.
The third parable is similar but more complex. The lost item in this story is a person who makes a series of choices. These choices include extreme disrespect to his father, selfishness, pleasure-seeking, wastefulness, and pride. By contrast, the father's choices include grace, mercy, compassion, unconditional love, and finally a celebration of "life out of death" when his son returned.

APPLY THE WORD
While the shepherd and the housewife in the parables searched diligently for their lost items, the third story doesn't mention the father searching at all. He let the son make his choices and walk his wayward road—what he did do was watch and pray. When the prodigal returned, he ran to meet him and threw a celebratory banquet. Sometimes our vigilant concern for the salvation of those we love means we must watch and pray, trusting that God is working in their hearts.

HOPE FOR LIFE

2011-02-19T16:06:00.001-07:00

LIFE DOWN HERE

A meteor from Heaven

brought Living Hope to Earth

First found in a livery stable

After Mary’s virgin birth

She bore her first Son

Our Father’s very own

and before His Life was done

Jesus made His Father known

Light split the darkness

Bringing truth to broken hearts

and healed all who would believe

Believing in Him is our only vital part

A Living Rock from outer space

Crash-landed on this dying planet

And because of God’s great mercy and grace

Life down here has never been the same

JEFFREYEPOLLOCK

FEBRUARY 18, 2011

If Tomorrow Starts Without Me

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Matthew 11:25-30 (NIV)

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will

give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for

I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your

souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

LIGHT

Let there be light

When darkness invades

Let there be peace

In the presence light makes

Let there be hope

When fear rushes in

Let there be confidence

In God who hates sin

Let there be faith

When panic ensues

Let there be freedom

To believe Holy Truth

Let there be love

To lessen heavy weights

Let there be Jesus

In your heart just the same

JEFFFREE

Matthew 11:25-30 (NIV)

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will

give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for

I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your

souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

COME TO JESUS

Come to Jesus

Sent from above

Come to Jesus

Don't fear His love

Come to Jesus

Lay down your burdens

Come to Jesus

Before despair worsens

Come to Jesus

Trust Him today

Come to Jesus

Be healed by faith

Come to Jesus

Take up His yoke

Come to Jesus

Find peace and hope

J. E. Pollock

April 2, 2009

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me.

Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how

to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how

I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything

heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn

to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

Posted by JEFF at 2:34 PM

NEW STRENGTH

2010-08-11T12:11:00.003-06:00

PSALM 40:31
They will walk and not faint.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
_________________________________________

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 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 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 by His Name not mine.
__________________________________
__________________________

NEW STRENGTH

Grieved by the reality of death in this place
Weary but saved by God's sovereign grace
Hope with assurance
Love without end

Encourages my heart to rise up again

Strength like an eagle soaring above
Strength as an athelete training to run
Strength as a Christian trusting in God
Strength of Our Savior dying on a cross

Under the hardships of life as it is
Burdened but aware in Christ I am His
Peace unimagined
Joy beyond sense
Awakens my faith to new strength

JEFFREE
08-11-10

Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
PSALM 40:31

COME BACK TO JESUS

2010-06-02T15:54:00.010-06:00

John 3:16

COME BACK

Come back to Jesus
Where you belong
And your old heart found
New strength and glad song

Come back to fellowship
That's where you fit in
Where your lonely heart
Is surrounded by friends

Come back to God's Word
Where you were renewed
When you heard and believed
Eternal life was given you

Come back to the Cross
Where lost souls are found
And you were amazed to learn
God has a plan for you now

Come back to forgiveness
Where God gave you peace
Don't worry about tomorrow
Trust Him for your needs

Come back to Jesus
God has not forsaken you
He gave all of Himself
To guarantee your rescue

JEFFREE!
06/02/10

Dayenu - Jesus is Enough

In the message "Paid in Full" we considered the sacrifice of
Jesus as the payment for our sin. His sacrifice on the cross
occurred during the Jewish Passover, a yearly time of cele-
bration and remembrance ever since God led the nation of
Israel out of Egypt.

The traditional Jewish Passover meal, or Seder, is designed
todirect one's heart back to the praise and honor of God.
One ofthe traditional Passover songs is called Dayenu, a
Hebrew word meaning "it would have been enough." Each
verse of this song recounts one of God's blessings and states
if this was all God had done, it would have been enough -
Dayenu!

If God had only led His people out of Egypt - Dayenu! But
He did more! If He had only parted the sea - Dayenu! But
He did more! If He had only fed them in the wilderness -
Dayenu! But He did more! If He had only given His Holy
Word - Dayenu! The Christian Jews add a final verse to
this song which reminds them of how God saw a sinful
people and yet loved them enough to give His Son.

Romans 5:6
"At just the right time, when we were still powerless,
Christ died for the ungodly."

I'm often grieved by the lack of thankfulness in the world...
and inmy own heart. I'm saddened by those who do not
know God and fail to see His loving hand in all creation. I'm
saddened by the Jewish people who have all the history of
God's love but, as agroup, have lost their deep reverence
and worship. But mostly I'm saddened by Christians who
place their trust in the sacrifice of Jesus, and yet live their
life with an attitude which says: What have You done for
me lately? God, You must not care about me because my
job no longer satisfies, or my finances are a mess, or I'm
unhappy in my relationship.

Can we even begin to understand how this must sound
to God? When we were still powerless - when we were
dead in our sin - God sent His Son to die so we could live!
We live because of His love, yet we complain and grumble
because of trivial fluff. Shame on us! Shame on me!! If
everything were stripped away and all we had was Jesus,
would He really be enough? And if He is enough, don't we
then already have ALL we need?

Through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, we are given the
ability to stand and live in the presence of a Holy God -
His death and resurrection is completely sufficient! But
He did even more! He gave us His Spirit to strengthen
us and guide us in His truth, and He gave us His peace
which surpasses all human understanding. Let's remem-
ber the blessings we've already been given. God looked
down and sent His One and Only Son - Dayenu!

Jesus is Enough!!

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

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A psalm of David.

1Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge.
2I said to the LORD, "You are my Master! All the good
things I have are from you." 3The godly people in the land
are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them! 4Those who
chase after other gods will be filled with sorrow. I will not
take part in their sacrifices or even speak the names of
their gods. 5LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup
of blessing. You guard all that is mine. 6The land you have
given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance!
7I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my
heart instructs me. 8I know the LORD is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. 9No wonder
my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises!
My body rests in safety. 10For you will not leave my soul
among the dead or allow your godly one to rot in the grave.
11You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of
your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

Psalms 16: 1-11 NLT

HOLY FIRE

2010-04-20T21:11:00.004-06:00

Jesus said, "I am the Light of the World." (John 8:12)

HOLY FIRE

Father, teach us how to walk,

Tell us how to think and talk;

Show us how to be like Jesus,

Make of us a man like he was.

Give us a new spirit,

Grant us health to do our part;

Let us know Your beloved Son,

So we'll believe what he has done.

Ignite in us a holy fire,

Filled with passion and desire;

Steady us, perfect our aim,

Let our hearts be Yours today.

Hold us faithful,

Give us wisdom as temptation pulls;

Lead us through this darkening valley,

In the only LIGHT in whom we're free.

J. E. POLLOCK

APRIL 21 2010

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
Read Entire Chapter | Read In Parallel

BE STILL

2010-03-28T19:52:00.000-06:00

BE STILL

Be still my soul
Look up in faith
Be still my soul
Remember the Way

Be still my heart
Look up to Jesus
Be still my heart
Remember His

Love Be still my mind
Look up to God
Be still my mind
Remember the Cross

Be still my child
Look up to Me
Be still My child
Remember to believe

Be still my spirit
Look up to Heaven
Be still my spirit
Remember Evelyn

JEFFREY POLLOCK
MARCH 28, 2010

BE STILL

Be still my soul / Look up in faith / Be still my soul / Remember the Way

Be still my heart / Look up to Jesus / Be still my heart / Remember His Love

Be still my mind / Look up to God / Be still my mind / Remember the Cross

Be still my child / Look up to Me / Be still my child / Remember you're Free

Be still my spirit / Look up to Heaven / Be still my spirit / Remember Evelyn

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN / April 30, 2003

--
Posted By FROGGY to Fully Rely On God!!! at 3/28/2010 01:05:00 PM

WISDOM FOR THE WAY

2010-03-03T10:43:00.001-07:00

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us
with all wisdom and understanding." -- Ephesians 1:7-8

Wisdom is, and starts with, the humility to accept the fact that
you don't have all the right answers, and the courage to learn
to ask the right questions. -- Author Unknown

WISDOM

Wisdom my friend is free for the asking,
If you're lost with no purpose for living;
Search every sage for the meaning of life,
Dabble in the darkness or dance in the light;
Only when you're willing to admit your doubt,
Might the questions you're asking help you out.

J E POLLOCK / MARCH 2010

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.

James 1:5

WISDOM FOR THE WAY

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%201:5&version=TNIV

We have not even begun to live if we lack the wisdom God wants to give
to us, That wisdom is ours simply for the asking, and it brings us
into a whole new and exciting world! Like birth, it will take time and
it may be a painful process. But when it comes you'll be amazed how
clearly things will come into focus. You'll begin to feel like a new
creation. No wonder Jesus referred to it as being "born again."

When we operate in the sphere of the wisdom of God, when it is at work
in our minds and in our lives, we look at life through lenses of
perception and we respond to it in calm confidence. There's a
remarkable absence of fear. We are not seized with panic. We can
either lose our jobs or we can be promoted in our work, and neither
will derail us. Why? Because we see it with God-given objectivity. And
we handle it in His wisdom.

We can dip into an unexpected valley or we can soar to the pinnacle of
prosperity, and we can cope with both extremes. His wisdom provides us
the necessary objectivity and stability. This is not some dreamland
fantasy. It is reality. It is the ability to live above the drag of
human opinion and horizontal perspective. It is what happens within us
when wisdom goes to work.

The wisdom of God gives us balance, strength, and insight. Non of
these is a natural trait, each is a by-product of wisdom. We don't get
these things just because we're human beings. They must come from God.

But the more we glean God's wisdom, the more strength we gain to live
with questions and tension. He doesn't issue rules and regulations for
every moment. He provides some overall guidelines and principle, then
He allows us to make the decisions. Why? By doing this the wisdom of
God goes to work, and we begin to learn how to walk through
life---which is often full of subtle and unseen "land mines." His
wisdom provides the sixth sense we need. It matures us so that we can
press on in spite of the unanswered questions.

The good news is that such wisdom if ours to claim through an intimate
relationship with God's Son, Jesus. He is the channel through which
wisdom comes to us. In coming by faith to the Lord Jesus Christ, we
are given open access to the wisdom of God. With the Son of God comes
the wisdom of God. It's all part of the package.

BY CHARLES R. SWINDOLL

2010-02-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

FAITHFUL GOD

2010-01-09T07:41:00.003-07:00

Lord, I'm waiting
Come and heal
Take this pain away
Lord, I'm praying
Come and answer
Fill me with new strength

FAITHFUL GOD by Shannon Wexelberg

SILENCE / INSIGHT

2009-12-18T22:05:00.002-07:00

All through our married life together Evee and I were encouraged
in Christ through the ministry and laughter of Chuck Swindoll
and Insight For Living. I rewrote a poem I thought went well
with something Chuck wrote years before we met. Grateful for
your love and prayers, Have a Merry Christmas!!!

Psalm 62:1

For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him.

SILENCE

In this place of quiet rest
I listen to God, I hear Him best
I sense the Spirit speaking still
Part of me - part of God
His eternal will

In this place of silent prayer
I speak to God, I meet Him here
I walk with Jesus my Lord and Shepherd
Guiding me - gently carrying me
On the narrow road of His Word

In this place of tears and pain
I cry to God, I trust His Name
I try to remember He's still in control
Alive in me - the holy part of me

That makes me whole
In this place of joy and peace
I sing to God, I sound the best
I hear my Savior singing too
Loving me - Keeping me
Always in tune
___________

J E POLLOCK
DEC 14, 2009

For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is
from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress;
I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my
honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in him at
all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is
a refuge for us. [Selah] -Psalm 62:5-8 (NRSV)

Quietness
by Charles R. Swindoll
Psalm 46, 131; Isaiah 30:15-18; Mark 6:30-32
It is almost 10:00, Monday night. The children are snoozing and snoring upstairs (or they should be!). Aside from a few outside noises---a passing car . . . a barking dog . . . a few, faint voices in the distance---all's quiet on the home front. That wonderful, much-needed presence has again come for a visit---quietness. Oh, how I love it . . . how I need it.
One of my most poignant memories of quietness occurred in California when I was walking with a friend along the sandy shores at Carmel. The silence of that early dawn was broken only by the rhythmic roar of the rolling surf and the cry of a few gulls floating overhead. The same thought I had then I have now: I cannot be the man I should be without times of quietness. Stillness is an essential part of our growing deeper as we grow older. Or---in the words of a man who helped shape my life perhaps more than any other:
We will not become men of God without the presence of solitude.
Those words haunt me when I get caught in the treadmill of time schedules . . . when I make my turn toward the homestretch of the week and try to meet the deadline of demands, just like you. Alas, we are simply geared too high. Thanks to Alka-Seltzer, Excedrin, Sleep-eze, and Compoz, we repeat our nonproductive haste with monotonous regularity. As Peter Marshall put it:
We are in such a hurry, we hate to miss one panel of a revolving door.
Talk about pollution! I want you to think about what our nervous systems undergo just to stay afloat: Noise (music, news, talk, laughter, machinery, appliances, phones, and traffic) from 6:00 a.m. 'til midnight. Speed (bumper-to-bumper at 65 mph, on-ramps and off-ramps, deadlines and appointments) that makes us frown rather than smile . . . that causes us to check our watches more often than checking in with our Lord. Activities (meetings, services, suppers, luncheons, breakfasts, rallies, and clubs---all "necessary" and "nice") that have a way of dismissing quietness like an unwanted guest. Sure---some things are important---super, in fact---but not everything. Listen, if you and I really treasure quietness, we will have to make time for it. When you feed it only the "leftovers" from the schedule, it always goes hungry.
Now, believe me, I'm not bitter. I'm just being direct and honest with you about an ingredient that cannot be ignored much longer in our lives without our paying a dear, dear price. I am jealous that we: "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10 NIV). I am desperately concerned that we slow down and quiet down and gear down our lives so that intermittently each week we carve out time for quietness, solitude, thought, prayer, meditation, and soul searching. Oh, how much agitation will begin to fade away . . . how insignificant petty differences will seem . . . how big God will become and how small our troubles will appear! Security, peace, and confidence will move right on in.
This is what Isaiah, the prophet, meant when he wrote:
And the work of righteousness will be peace,
And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.
Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation,
And in secure dwellings and in undisturbed resting places (32:17-18).
You know something? That still, small voice will never shout. God's methods don't change because we are so noisy and busy. He is longing for your attention, your undivided and full attention. He wants to talk with you in times of quietness (with the TV off) about your need for understanding, love, compassion, patience, self-control, a calm spirit, genuine humility . . . and wisdom. But He won't run to catch up. He will wait and wait until you finally sit in silence and listen.

Excerpted from Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, Copyright © 1983 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by arrangement with Zondervan Publishing House.

Reflections of Bethlehem

Listen Now

www.insight.org

Christmas Sale
IFL Bookstore

PRINCE OF PEACE

2009-12-06T23:03:00.003-07:00

PRINCE OF PEACE

The Prince of Peace

The Son of God

Come to Earth

To bear Our Cross

The Prince of Peace

The Son of Man

A virgin Birth

To fulfill God’s Plan

The Prince of Peace

The Lamb of God

The perfect Sacrifice

To become Our Peace

The Prince of Peace

The Risen Lord

The Giver of Life

Is our Final Reward

Peace like a pillow

Comforts the Redeemed

Who in life have known God

The Prince of Peace

JEFFREE

NOV2009

“Everything about God reminds me of Jesus.” -- Author Unknown

______________________________________________________

WONDERFUL LORD JESUS

LIGHT

2009-11-28T20:34:00.008-07:00

strengthened with all power
according to his glorious might
for all endurance and patience
with joy

giving thanks to the Father
who has qualified you
to share in the inheritance
of the saints
__________

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his
glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to
share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
COLOSSIANS 1:11-12

HOLD ON

2009-11-24T17:42:00.001-07:00

HOLD ON

Hold on, there's mercy in the morning light,

Hold on, there's peace in doing what's right;

Hold on, there's joy in living for the Lord,

Hold on to Jesus.

JEFF POLLOCK

NOV. 24, 2009

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

Hebrews 10:36

Humpty-Dumpty Days

2009-11-22T20:58:00.001-07:00

Dear Barbara. thank you and Rob for your encouragement and love; I enjoyed our conversation at Manny and Margarite's and also the wonderful memories Rob spoke of at Evee's "viewing." Ev's birthday was special to me for the reason, well, 1. she was born and 2. her birthday in 1961 was exactly 6 mos to the day after mine. It was fun every year for Ev to remind me how I was older than she was.

On Fri, Nov 13, 2009 at 1:36 AM, Jeff Pollock <jeffree7@gmail.com> wrote:

Daily Strength with Joe Stowell

Friday, November 13, 2009

Listen Now | Download | Podcast

Today's Text: Psalm 13:5

Humpty-Dumpty Days

"I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation." Psalm 13:5

Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that children's nursery rhymes are a little bizarre? Take, for instance, the depressing tale of Humpty Dumpty.

       Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
      Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
     All the king's horses and all the king's men,
    Couldn't put Humpty together again.

While I wonder about the wisdom of entertaining little kids with such a grim tale, I have to admit that I am a little confused as to why an egg would ever sit on a wall in the first place! And what exactly would we expect the horses to do about it? So, why are we pinning our hopes on them? A great bumper sticker expresses the convictions of a conspiracy theorist, stating, "Humpty Dumpty was pushed!"

But, as silly as all of that is, we have to admit that there are days when you and I feel a lot like Humpty Dumpty. The broken pieces of life seem hopelessly shattered, and for the life of us we don't have a clue about how to put them back together again.

So, what do we do when life has us in pieces at the bottom of the wall? Read and embrace the truth of Psalm 13!

David starts the psalm with refreshing honesty—the kind of candor we unfortunately don't often encounter in church world. In his despair, he complains, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?" (Psalm 13:1). He feels hopeless and, worse yet, abandoned by God. So, in desperation he throws himself on the mercy of God, pleading, "Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death" (v.3). But even as he expresses his hurt and anguish, the tone of David's prayer changes. In verse 5, David's attention shifts from his broken life to the solid, unchanging character of God. Of course, intense prayer always does that. When you're with God, you can't help but shift your attention from yourself to Him. Seeing God afresh, David's heart is finding new strength as he affirms, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation" (v.5).

The English language can't possibly do justice to the original word used here. Translated as "unfailing love," the Hebrew word hesed means the kind of faithful, eternal love for us that is rooted in God's very nature. It is never based on our circumstances, moods, or actions. It is a love that acts on our behalf in spite of anything, and thankfully it is a love that is backed, as the psalmist says, by the full power of God to save us in the midst of trouble.

David came to realize that if he knew the "who" in his situation, he didn't need to understand the "why." In fact, he didn't even need answers about the "how" of the situation, such as: How was he going to get out of it? How God would put him back together again? His Father would take care of him and somehow, even in his shattered state, he could rest in that.

When your life is splattered at the bottom of the wall, turn your heart to Him and you will see afresh that we have a King who knows how to put broken lives back together again. With the assurance of God's unfailing love for us, regardless of our circumstances, we can rest assured that He ultimately will do for us what no one could do for poor Humpty Dumpty.

YOUR JOURNEY…

Are you experiencing, or have you experienced, a season of feeling broken and shattered?

How do those seasons impact your relationship with God? Are you able to be honest and transparent in your prayers, even if that means pouring out your frustration and grief to Him?

How does it encourage you to know that God's love—no matter what—is unfailing and constant?

Check out this week's Strength for the Journey message!

Submit comments on this article.

For similar resources, search these topics:

Basics Of Faith > God > Existence
Basics Of Faith > God > Faithfulness
Basics Of Faith > God > His Will

Bible in One Year: Lamentations 1-2; Hebrews 10:1-18

Psalm 13

For the director of music. A psalm of David.
¹ How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
       How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
       and every day have sorrow in my heart?
       How long will my enemy triumph over me?

³ Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
       Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

⁴ my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
       and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love;
       my heart rejoices in your salvation.

⁶ I will sing to the LORD,
       for he has been good to me.

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

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

FAITH: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."

2009-11-04T23:22:00.004-07:00

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."

Thought I'd take a turn at discerning faith
before Old Chambers made sense of it.
HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY, JEFF

FAITH

FAITH
AIMS
INWARD
TOWARD

HOPE

J7

DISCERNMENT OF FAITH

Faith as a grain of mustard seed...
Matthew 17:20

We have the idea that God rewards us for our faith, it may he so in the initial stages; but we do not earn anything by faith, faith brings us into right relationship with God and gives God His opportunity. God has frequently to knock the bottom board out of your experience if you are a saint in order to get you into contact with Himself. God wants you to understand that it is a life of faith, not a life of sentimental enjoyment of His blessings. Your earlier life of faith was narrow and intense, settled around a little sun-spot of experience that had as much of sense as of faith in it, full of light and sweetness; then God withdrew His conscious blessings in order to teach you to walk by faith. You are worth far more to Him now than you were in your days of conscious delight and thrilling testimony.

Faith by its very nature must be tried, and the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God's character has to be cleared in our own minds. Faith in its actual working out has to go through spells of unsyllabled isolation. Never confound the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life, much that we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive. Faith in the Bible is faith in God against everything that contradicts Him - I will remain true to God's character whatever He may do. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" - this is the most sublime utterance of faith in the whole of the Bible.

FAITH: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him"

2009-11-04T23:21:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd take a turn at discerning faith
before Old Chambers made sense of it.
HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY, JEFF

FAITH

FAITH
AIMS
INWARD
TOWARD

HOPE

J7

DISCERNMENT OF FAITH

Faith as a grain of mustard seed...
Matthew 17:20

We have the idea that God rewards us for our faith, it may he so in the initial stages; but we do not earn anything by faith, faith brings us into right relationship with God and gives God His opportunity. God has frequently to knock the bottom board out of your experience if you are a saint in order to get you into contact with Himself. God wants you to understand that it is a life of faith, not a life of sentimental enjoyment of His blessings. Your earlier life of faith was narrow and intense, settled around a little sun-spot of experience that had as much of sense as of faith in it, full of light and sweetness; then God withdrew His conscious blessings in order to teach you to walk by faith. You are worth far more to Him now than you were in your days of conscious delight and thrilling testimony.

Faith by its very nature must be tried, and the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God's character has to be cleared in our own minds. Faith in its actual working out has to go through spells of unsyllabled isolation. Never confound the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life, much that we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive. Faith in the Bible is faith in God against everything that contradicts Him - I will remain true to God's character whatever He may do. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" - this is the most sublime utterance of faith in the whole of the Bible.

CLOSER TO JESUS

2009-10-26T13:34:00.001-06:00

Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed

to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn
among many brethren. — Romans 8:29

CLOSER TO JESUS

Long, long before this world knew my name,

My Father God in Heaven already chose my frame;

He fitted me and worked out how I'd come to know His Son,

And watched me as I learned to walk in the Finished work He'd done.

Everyday a little closer, everyday a little bit more,
My Father God in Heaven brought His purpose to the fore;
Like a potter He would mold me, as a shepherd He would lead,

And guide me with His Spirit to a pasture-land of Truth that set me free.

Nearer Lord I feel You, in this holy faith I see Your face,
My Father God in Heaven bring me Home to be with You today;

Jesus, You're my Master, You're my Brother, my Redeemer and my Lord,
You are the only worthy reason for living and only living cause worth dying for.

Long, long after this old world falls apart,
My Father UP in Heaven will be creating new joys in my heart;
Life on earth will end my friend so put away your senseless reasons,
Take your step of faith into a new and living way and come closer to Jesus.
______________

J. E. POLLOCK
OCTOBER 2009

Is That Jesus?
ODB: Listen Now | Download
READ: Romans 8:26-29

As I walked into church one Sunday morning, a little boy looked at me and said to his mother, "Mom, is that Jesus?" Needless to say, I was curious to hear her response. "No," she said, "that's our pastor."

I knew she would say no, of course, but I still wished she could have added something like, "No, that's our pastor, but he reminds us a lot of Jesus."

Being like Jesus is the purpose of life for those of us who are called to follow Him. In fact, as John Stott notes, it is the all-consuming goal of our past, our present, and our future. Romans 8:29 tells us that in the past we were "predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son." In the present, we "are being transformed into the same image" (the likeness of Christ), as we grow from "glory to glory" (2 Cor. 3:18). And, in the future, "we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).

Being like Jesus is not about keeping the rules, going to church, and tithing. It's about knowing His forgiveness, and committing acts of grace and mercy on a consistent basis. It's about living a life that values all people. And it's about having a heart of full surrender to the will of our Father.

Be like Jesus. You were saved for it! — Joe Stowell

Be like Jesus—this my song—
In the home and in the throng;
Be like Jesus all day long!
I would be like Jesus. —Rowe

Live in such a way that others see Jesus in you.

For similar resources, search these topics:

Basics Of Faith > Jesus Christ > Life Example
Christian Life > Character > Christlikeness
Christian Life > Character > Purit

BE STILL AND KNOW

2009-10-16T01:01:00.001-06:00

BE STILL AND KNOW

Be still and know the God we love,
Be still and learn His purpose;
Be still and know the God of truth,
Be still and taste His goodness.

Be still and know the God of man,
Be still and trust His plan;
Be still and love the God of hope,
Be still and know
He knows.

Jefffree!
10.16.09

Be Still And Know

The presence of God is a wonderful gift which is available to every believer. No longer is His presence confined to a specific location or available to only a few; "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). But the gift of His presence requires discipline in order to receive and maintain. We don't earn this gift, but we live in such a noisy and hectic world that we simply miss His blessing unless we are willing to actively order our time and priorities - and this takes effort!

We are all given the same 24 hours in every day. Yet most of us generally try to put far too much into this precious time. We become frustrated with the constant busyness, but when given the opportunity we add even more to our schedule. Each of our activities may be good, but the result is often a frantic pace void of the true blessings from God. As our activity level increases, it becomes more and more difficult to hear God and nearly impossible to ponder the meaning of His truth. The contentment of walking in His presence is most often missed. For this reason, God gives us a gentle reminder - actually, He gives us a firm command.

Psalm 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God."

There are many things in life which are good - many good people and good activities that require, or at least desire, our time. While God definitely calls us to serve and minister to one another, we must understand that constant busyness hinders our ability to hear God. To maintain effective communication with God and nurture a sense of His peace, we must make time, and put forth the "effort," to simply stop and rest in His strength.

Perhaps the Psalm writer knew we needed a great assurance and trust in God in order to be still: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging" (Psalm 46:1-3). God will always be at our side as a source of strength. We need not fear being still!

We must never forget that what our Heavenly Father desires more than anything else is for us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). We must not forget what Jesus says is most important: "...only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42).

As we see our pace beginning to increase, let's draw near to God by quietly worshipping Him and giving thanks for the awesome gift of His Son. Let's protect our schedule such that we have time for God's very best. Let's receive and enjoy His true blessings as we make time every day to simply be still and know.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

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GIFT OF FAITH

2009-10-14T23:24:00.001-06:00

This venture into simple rhyme was started on the 6th after reading a certain "Slice" finished on the 10th and rewritten today. I liked the first one well enough but my dizzy brain needed the exercise. I bumped into the verse from Acts eye was looking for in an UpWords devotional from Max Lucado. Praise Jesus!! Hope this finds you well and full of faith in Him. I thank God for you! Encouraged in Christ's love, Jeff

Christ brings "the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

GIFT OF FAITH

Try as you might,

Pray as you may;
Vision for your life
Is God's gift of faith.

Faith to believe,
Faith to repent;

Faith to receive,
The Gift Father sent.

Try as you may,
Fight as you might;
Our purpose for living,
Is to use the gift right.

Faith to encourage,
Faith to let flourish;
Faith to know best,
The Gift Jesus left.

J. E. Pollock
Oct. 10, 2009

³⁸Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

SLICE OF INFINITY

The Gift of Faith

What is the nature of faith? Is faith simply a prescribed rational content? Or is faith an irrational leap into the dark? So often our understanding of the nature of faith swings widely between these two extremes; either faith is solely an assent to certain beliefs or it is ultimately devoid of intellectual content and consists exclusively of feelings of total dependence.

The author of Hebrews grounds faith in the "assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen."(1) The early Christians who received this letter were undergoing tremendous suffering and persecution, and the author reminds them that faith is assurance even in the midst of trouble.

The "assurance of things hoped for" is not merely wishful thinking about a yet to be determined future. Rather, it is a description of what true faith already has: the possession in the present of what God has promised for the future. In other words, faith is the response to the trustworthiness of God for what God has already promised and has brought to pass. So faith is confidence in God's saving work done in the past, and hence a hopeful assurance that God will act in the future. To illustrate this point, the author recounts those who by faith believed God in the past in order to encourage the beleaguered recipients of this letter. Just like those who walked in faith before, we too may not see every promise fulfilled. The content of faith is in remembering God's faithfulness in the past, so that we might trust in God's goodness for our present, and in the future that is yet to come.

The writer of Hebrews even chose a particular word to illustrate this point. The Greek word that is used for "assurance" is hypostasis. This is the same word that is used to describe how Christ is the hypostasis, "the very being" of God. In the same way, faith is the "very being" of things hoped for; it is the reality that God's promises will be fulfilled ultimately, and they are being fulfilled already, in the present time! While we often focus on the bad things that are happening around us, faith opens our eyes to see God's work going forward in our world.

Ultimately, the "assurance of things hoped for" is an assurance that comes only in Jesus Christ. For Jesus is the promise fulfilled and the very substance of faith. It is to Jesus Christ and to him alone that the writer of Hebrews directs us as we look for the content of faith. We have faith because we look to Jesus "the pioneer and perfecter of our faith." We look to Jesus, who endured in faith on our behalf, so that we might not grow fainthearted. Assurance doesn't come in well-ordered circumstances or trouble-free living. Nor is assurance found in having a rational answer for every question. Assurance comes in relationship with a trustworthy God who fulfilled promises in the past and who will fulfill them in the future. Faith is grounded on God's work accomplished in Jesus Christ.

Margaret Manning is a member of the speaking and writing team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Seattle, Georgia.

(1) Hebrews 11:1.

THE GIFT

Try as you might,

Pray as you may;
New vision for your life,
Is God's gift of true faith.

Faith to believe,
Faith to repent;
Faith to receive,
The Gift Father sent.

Try as you will,

Fight as you might;
Our purpose for living,

Is to use the gift right.

Faith to encourage,

Faith to know best;
Faith to let flourish,

The Gift Jesus left.

Pray as you may,
Try as you might;
Without God's Sprit in your day,

Darkness always rules the night.

Let God open your eyes,

So you see with your heart;

As you focus through faith,

What you see is pure art.

Try as you might,
Pray as you may;

New vision for your life,

Is God's gift of true faith.

Jeffrey E. Pollock

October 14, 2009

The One from Whom We Ask

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
LUKE 17:11-13

The story of the blind man who cried out for mercy comes at the end of Luke's Gospel. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. He knows that the cross is waiting for him there. Only one chapter before, Luke told us the story of the ten lepers. Their cry was almost the same as the blind man's: "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

Jesus told the ten to go and show themselves to the priests. While they were on the way, they discovered they were healed. Only one of them, a Samaritan, turned and ran back to Jesus, "praising God in a loud voice" (Luke 17:15). In his humility, Jesus told the lone leper exactly what he told the blind man: "Your faith has made you well." It was the faith to ask for something you know you do not deserve, believing in the nature of the One from whom you are asking.

PRAY: Have you received blessings from God and neglected to thank him? Take time to thank him now.

The writing is taken from the devotional book, "Joy in the Journey Through the Year", by Michael Card.

Don't Miss This:
http://sufficientgrace-kelly.blogspot.com/2009/02/author-and-finisher-of-our-faith.html

FALL

2009-10-06T00:47:00.002-06:00

FALL

Stars fall from the heavens,

Leaves fall from the trees;

Rocks fall off mountains,

And splash in the seas.

We "fall" in love,

We "fall" into sin;

We "fall" for Jesus,

And live to RISE AGAIN!
________

JEFFREE!

10.6.2009

Days of Awe

Fall comes quickly in the Pacific Northwest where I live. Even though it is the prelude to winter's sleep-like death, one cannot help but marvel in the final vibrancy of nature's yellows, oranges, and reds. The wind has a colder sheen that sends a chilly reminder of summer's demise. One cannot help paying attention to these signs from nature and pausing to stand in awe of fall's glory.

While colorful leaves and a colder wind signal for many the beginning of the new school year, the buying of school clothes and supplies, and the beginning of fall, for Jews September is a very important month. It doesn't simply signal the beginning of autumn; it is the signal to worship and to reflect on one's life in the coming year. September contains two of the Jewish high, holy days: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. In the original language, Rosh Hashanah means "new year" and Yom Kippur means "day of atonement." What do these days entail for Jews? This is a time for serious introspection, a time to consider the sins of the previous year, and repent before Yom Kippur. The ten days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur are commonly known as the Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim) or the Days of Repentance.(1) These "Days of Awe" are filled with wonder and worship, days of reflection, fasting, and prayer, days of solemnity and solace. These are days meant to set the tone for the beginning of the Jewish New Year even as they remind Jews to reflect on what has gone before. Among the customs of this time, it is common to seek reconciliation with people you may have wronged during the course of the year.

Reflecting upon these holidays of faiths outside my own, I realize that September is not a particularly "holy" month for Christians. Yet examining the practices of our Jewish neighbors reminds us to consider each day a day of awe and devotion for followers of Jesus. Indeed, Jesus gave strong instruction to his listeners during the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew's Gospel. Jesus expected that his followers would engage in on-going acts of devotion like fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. In giving instruction about how his disciples would fast he says, "and whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men" (Matthew 6:16). In this same series of instructions, Jesus also assumes his followers will pray and give offerings for the poor (Matthew 6:2, 5). The issue is not if we will do these devotional acts, but when we do them.

While we may have very different reasons, beliefs, and expectations from our Jewish neighbors, there is something to learn from their special seasons of devotion, which can enrich and even challenge our own Christian practices. So often we neglect or altogether forget that our own acts of devotion should arise out of a loving response to what God has done on our behalves in Jesus. It is not insignificant that Jesus warned those listening to him: "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees (the religious leaders of his day), you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). Jesus warns that the very intention of our hearts should be drawn to worship and awe, and not simply by performing ritualistic acts of devotion. We may perform various rituals in worship, but these rituals flow out of devotion to God and lead to gracious acts of love and mercy each and every day of the year.

While September is not filled with Christian holy days, shouldn't we, too, see September as an opportunity for days of devotion and awe? The turning of the leaves and the chilly fall air can point us to worship just as they signal the beginning of days of awe for the Jews. Even so, September need not be the only time we turn our hearts to worship. As followers of Jesus, we have the opportunity for perpetual "days of awe" rather than settling for ordinary time.

Margaret Manning is a member of the speaking and writing team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Seattle, Washington.

(1) Details referenced from www.jewfaq.org

THE PRIZE

2009-09-24T14:46:00.004-06:00

Our life is like a contest for a prize

24 Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain. 25 And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown;
but we an incorruptible.

THE PRIZE

In grace I run my race,
To reach a heavenly prize;
In His love I am embraced,
As I'm brought close to Christ.

Run with me, my God, my Savior,
Ahead of me that I might follow;
In Your strength I wear the Armor,
That keeps me safe where'er we go.

Through God's grace I accept my place,
And strive to make Christ Jesus known;
In His strength and joy I give Him praise,
And preach Christ's glory not my own.

Run with me, my Redeemer, my Lord,
Close to me so I will always remember;
In Your righteousness I've won this war,
I already have the Prize I'm fighting for!

J. E. POLLOCK
September 2009

26 I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air: 27 but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected. 1 Cor 9:24-27 (ASV)

http://www.crossbooks.net/CommunityLibrary/doc2958.html

WONDERFUL LORD

A NEW DAY

WELCOME

GUARD YOUR HEART

ONE GOD

﻿BEAUTIFUL

SOLDIER OF LOVE

PURE & SIMPLE

WORK OF ART

TREE OF LIFE

THE LIFTER UP

ONE VOICE

Behold! I Make All Things New

UP

HOLD ON

STAND ON TRUTH

ONE DAY

FREE

FREE

A PLACE FOR YOU

PRAYER

UP...UP...UP

HE IS RISEN

TRUTH=LIGHT

HE IS RISEN

HOPE

ALIVE IN ME

HOPE FOR LIFE

NEW STRENGTH

COME BACK TO JESUS

HOLY FIRE

BE STILL

WISDOM FOR THE WAY

FAITHFUL GOD

SILENCE / INSIGHT

PRINCE OF PEACE

LIGHT

HOLD ON

Humpty-Dumpty Days

Friday, November 13, 2009

Humpty-Dumpty Days

Bible in One Year: Lamentations 1-2; Hebrews 10:1-18

Psalm 13

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

FAITH: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."

FAITH: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him"

CLOSER TO JESUS

BE STILL AND KNOW

GIFT OF FAITH

FALL

THE PRIZE

BEAUTIFUL