GREENE STREET LETTERS: The Ultimate Author and Finisher.......Jesus

Sunday, August 24, 2014

The Ultimate Author and Finisher.......Jesus

Hebrew 12:2
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus....
The author...
The creator of....
The one who defined the boundaries and limits to what faith is and how it is played out in the lives of those who occupy this planet. Faith is not parceled out in dribbles and drabs to those who beg and cry for it. My Bible states that every person is given a measure of faith. Those who have recognized this simple fact, are now followers of Jesus.

I can't come to God without faith.
I can't ever please God without faith.
Faith is activated and empowered within me through my hearing, according to Romans 10:17.
Hearing the word of God. Hearing the voice of God. Hearing the invitation of God to quit believing that my salvation is found in the things of this world. Realizing that my salvation exploded on a hill outside the city of Jerusalem over 2000 years ago. It unleashed a crimson flow of blood that has lost neither purpose or power. That flow has moved through the ages claiming lives and changing destinies once defined by the penalty of sin.

Hebrews 2 also lays the title on Jesus as the finisher of our faith.
He finishes a lot of things.
Sin....
Darkness...
Anger...
Bitterness...
Jealousy....
Doubt..
Unbelief....
All of these, no matter how powerful we think they may be, all crumble and fall at the name of Jesus.
When are hearts are turned to hear the voice of God, the things that once held us captive are suddenly no longer as powerful as they once were.

So Jesus is the one who can break whatever chain or shackle is holding us in spiritual bondage.
Jesus breaks the power of the pill, the pipe, the line or the bottle.
Jesus breaks the stranglehold such have over the life of someone who is addicted.
Jesus is the Power greater than ourselves who can restore us to sanity.
Jesus....
Just Jesus....

God on you....
mb

(I apologize for the commercial at the first of this video. It was the only version of the song that I felt carried the weight of the message that Jesus has already paid the price for our freedom).

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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.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

The Ultimate Author and Finisher.......Jesus

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD