GREENE STREET LETTERS: Alabama Power Can't Hold A Candle

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Alabama Power Can't Hold A Candle

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Matthew 6:13
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever....Amen

Matthew 28:18
Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth."

Acts 1;8
But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere-----in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

We begin with a God who holds the power to literally speak into existence worlds and universes. And not just speak them into existence, but to place them in an orderly fashion, start their movements and keep everything aligned. Done so by the power of His word.
More than just possessing the ability to be a world creator.....He has the power and ability to create life. Do you understand what I have just typed? The ability to create life? It was His idea and concept to create mankind. It was His thoughts and plans that would place them in a garden to oversee this new created world.. All of this was not something beyond the reach of His capability. He is God.

We see that He has created a dimension in which His rule and reign can be carried out among His creation. A rule and reign that always has the best interest of the creation. Sadly to say, His creation has rebelled against Him and His good plans. How blind. We, as humans, are here on this planet for only a brief moment. Yet He is eternal. We bow our backs and become stiff -necked against Him, declaring our puny lives to something that we control. In an essence, we see ourselves as little gods who have no need for the real God. yet who among us can truly say that our kingdom will last forever? No one. Who could stand in the face of God and declare that we possess eternal power and glory? No one. Yet Scripture blazes and shines with the eternal attributes of God.

We understand that the first part of the Godhead, God the Father, is a loving and giving being. He gave His Son, Jesus complete authority and rule over this planet. Jesus, in turn, gave His Kingdom to the His disciples. There is a sharing of power and authority to carry out the mandates and plans of God here on earth. The main mandate is to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to turn their hearts and lives over to the care of God as they understand Him to be. We see in the Acts 8:1 passage that Jesus did not leave such a task to the ability and power of broken, sinful humans. No! He said, "I am going to clothe you in power!" That power being the Holy Spirit of God, the third part of the trinity. It was more than just the Kingdom of God being present in this world, now God himself would take up residence in the hearts and lives of those who were committed to Him. God's Holy Spirit would become a guide, a teacher, a moral compass, and a library of remembrance to those who surrendered will and life over to His care.

With all of this in mind, God's power and ability...the authority of Jesus and the giving of power through the Holy Spirit, why is it we continue to think that we have power to run our lives even when addiction is the real god we follow? Compare your power and ability to that of God. Doesn't measure up does it? No, I didn't think so. Every time I do so, I end up on the "Fuzzy end of the lollipop." So if I can't defeat such things as my own inabilities, how can I ever think I can successfully defeat my addiction? That is why we read in Step #2....We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. That is the measurement we all must take if we want to have a life. Measure our ability and power against the power of God. Measure ourselves against His track record of changing lives and restoring sound thinking and judgement to minds now free and clear of the power of addiction. When I measure myself against God's ability....well, lets just say that there not much to measure.

I am grateful times 10 for every man who has come through the program at Rapha, who comes to this conclusion of being powerless. I am grateful for every man who has surrendered will and live over to God. I continue to be amazed at how liberal God is in pouring out power, peace and His presence to those who receive this good news gladly.
If your not plugged into God today.....
Why not consider changing powers sources.

God on you......
mb

No comments:

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.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Alabama Power Can't Hold A Candle

No comments:

THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD