GREENE STREET LETTERS: It Was A Good Day

Sunday, June 7, 2009

It Was A Good Day

What a wonderful day. God is and continues to be gracious in more ways than I can count. Yesterday we baptized 10 in the creek at Rapha. Families gathered on the banks to watch something they thought never could happen. They never thought they'd see their sons, fathers and husbands come to relationship with Jesus. I have been baptizing in that creek for 11 years now and I never tire of climbing down that bank to the water. I love standing in that water and looking into the faces of those men who make there way out to where we are. I love to see them when they are lowered under and then pulled up. There is always a release of emotion when they come up.
Yesterday was a first in my 11 years at Rapha. Part of our leadership in the church is made up of two former clients: Barry Hooks and John Arrington. Yesterday they assisted me in the baptisms. These two are living proof of what God can do, and it was only fitting that they help in the baptisms of these new converts. Like I said, it was a wonderful day.
Thank you, Lord!

mb

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: Hey mike awesome update it made my day. I will be back in Alabama next week and would love to come see you.

Jeremy Zwiernikowski

email me so i can get your schedule i have a couple addresses for you and am not sure which one your using.

Zman29301@hotmail.com; June 7, 2009 at 10:25 PM

Looking At The World Through Cracked Lens

As ol' Paul wrote in his Corinthian letters.."We see in part and we know in part." Now what piece of this bit of wisdom do we not get? I wish to not run around acting and trying to be some sort of Biblical G00-Ru (I meant to spell it wrong). Or a sage of sages.

I simply want to be able to communicate some of what God has given to me. Why? Do I think what I get is better than what you may have received from Him? Nope. But I do think encouragement comes when we share our daily story of struggle and victory in an effort to encourage each other.

Thanks for letting me share.

Time to soldier on..

mbb

Our Statement of Faith

We believe that God is the eternal king. He is an infinite, unchangeable Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, goodness, justice, power and love. From all eternity He exists as the One Living and True God in three persons of one substance, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit equal in power and glory. we believe that God created mankind in His image, male and female, for relationship with Himself and to govern the earth. Under the temptation of Satan, our original parents fell from grace, bringing sin, sickness and God's judgment of death to the earth. Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God's good creation. Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of Adam's original sin. Human beings are born into sin, subject to God's judgment of death and captive to Satan's kingdom of darkness. We believe that Jesus, God's Son, was sent to this world, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary, fully God and fully man in one person. He is humanity as God intended us to be. Jesus was anointed as God's Messiah and empowered by the Holy Spirit, ushering in God's kingdom reign on earth, overpowering the reign of Satan by resisting temptation, preaching the good news of salvation, healing the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. Jesus' atoning death on the cross took God's judgment for sin which we deserved as law-breakers. Jesus' resurrection and ascent back to heaven opened the door for those who received salvation to begin a relationship with God.

Little Nets Into Deep Waters

Fishing nets were designed for one purpose only. To catch fish. Nets are no good if they stay on the boat. Nets serve no purpose if they are never used. I think maybe God sees us this way. We are all created for a purpose (by the way, the creator gets to define what our purpose is). Any other use besides the one we were created for does us no good. But when the creator places His hands upon us, casting us out into those scary, dark places with deep waters, it is then we can see the reality of our purpose. He knew there would be a catch waiting for us. I think I will be the net God has called me to be.

The Twelve Steps

As a community of people in recovery, we affirm that our higher power is Jesus Christ. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Just as God told the children of Israel He was going to give them a promised land, He has revealed to us that He desires to give us a "Promised Life." When Israel got to the promised land, God instructed them to go and in a possess it, fight for it and claim it. In recovery, the 12 Steps are the directions given to us on how to fight, possess and claim this promised life.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

It Was A Good Day

1 comment:

THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD