GREENE STREET LETTERS: The Innkeeper By John Piper

Friday, December 2, 2011

The Innkeeper By John Piper

In this life, the Kingdom of God moves and affects us in various ways. Life almost seems like a paradox.
When thinking of Jesus, you cannot take one aspect of his time here on earth without unraveling and finding something else.

You cannot have the manger in Bethlehem without a cross outside of Jerusalem.
You cannot have Christmas without Good Friday.
You cannot celebrate the birth of Jesus without remembering that He came to die.
You cannot have the resurrection of Jesus without first going into the tomb.

If you look at these events with human eyes and understanding, you might be dismayed or discouraged.
Life only to die....
Death only to be resurrected....
Why couldn't we just skip the hard part, after all He is God.
Because the Kingdom of God is about taking the very things, the hard things....those dark things that were brought to this world through sin and destroying them.
God lays hold to the things of the devil and by His authority and power, puts an end to them.
That is why we see the Kingdom here but the Kingdom not complete in it's fullness.
God is at work and His plans move ever forward until we will see a complete restoration of His creation.
Maranatha! Lord Jesus....

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.

Friday, December 2, 2011

The Innkeeper By John Piper

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD