GREENE STREET LETTERS: Hard Morning...

Monday, August 30, 2010

Hard Morning...

Something about Sunday night sleep that just isn't as good as Saturday night sleep.
Maybe it because you know that Monday starts the routine all over again.
Maybe there is a Sunday night "blue funk" that settle over the domain and you are grateful for the weekend, just sad to see that it is over.
No matter...
We get another chance to get it right this week. For that, I am grateful.
Listening to James Ryles yesterday at the Church on Greene Street, he taught from Psalm 19:7-11.

V.7 - The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
           A.) Instructions? His Word...the Bible. More than a book it's God-breathed words are empowered by God and contain the capability of reviving, bringing back to life......raising from the spiritual dead...me!

V.8 - The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living.
         A.) Seems to be (here we go again)....a lot of JESUS "+" theology out there. "Oh, yeah, get saved but then you can attain this level and you can have God pour this on you and you can do this or that."
         B.) God's commandments bring JOY to the heart. Hearing them........doing them..........thinking on them.....talking about them.......studying them.

I still feel as though Scripture is viewed as something that is needed (kind of like taking a dose of Castor oil) but not desired. I hear several people make the comment......"well, you know....I just don't like to read." Well, you know.....read anyway. Maybe we should pray that God would give us a hunger and desire to read His word and then begin whether we want to or not.

Psalm 119:18 - Open my eyes to see the wonderful truth in your instructions.

Psalm 119:130 - The teaching (or unfolding ) of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.

The Bible is the greatest gatherings of words, thoughts and instructions ever put together in one book. Penned by the hand of men moved by the Spirit of God.
Fall in love with this book today!

God on you.....
mb

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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.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Hard Morning...

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD