GREENE STREET LETTERS

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

"RAPHA---If you are ready to change......we are here to help!

Some think that we do some kind of Christian Voo-doo out here. People bring their sons, fathers, husbands and brothers to Rapha thinking that we are miracle workers. We aren't.

We are called to point, show the way, direct and guide to the only one who can bring change to a life that is trapped in the misery that is addiction.

Recovery is found in a person not a program. That person being Jesus Christ.The program is merely a defining set of boundaries to walk out a new life. Principals and directions that bring definition to a life that has been spent in unfettered abandonment to sin and the destruction that accompanies that lifestyle.

Part of my call, as staff pastor, is to introduce the men to Jesus. Not the Jesus that our culture and society has knowledge of, but the real-deal Jesus of Scripture. I do this through afternoon and evening Bible Studies and our Saturday night meeting.

I am constantly asked by men to pray for them that they may know God's will.
That is what Rapha is about.......leading me to the truth of God, His word, and His expectations.

What is God's will?
John 17:3 - Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Simple, yes? YES! The will of God is for us to KNOW Him. Not with information and head knowledge, but a knowing with our hearts. Western society thinks knowlege about God is the same as knowlege of God. It's not!

We are called to a life of pursuit of God under the direction and leading of the Holy Spirit.

Anything that gets in the way is ignored and passed by.

Worship has been the hot "buzzword" in the church for sometime. Of course when we hear the word "worship" we automatically think music, bands, choirs, overheads and PowerPoint's. Wonder what the church (the real church) did before all of this was in Vogue? Well, truth be known, worship is a lifestyle. A life that is pleasing to God. 24/7 - 365. You don't do it because you have to, you do it because you want to, you have to, there is nothing else you could think of that would be better.

Changing addictive behavior is not simply getting off drugs and alcohol, it is changing a lifestyle. Changing a belief system that has lied to you all these years that you were trapped in your addiction. Change that only comes from being born again.

See you Saturday night, 7 p.m.

Come prayed up and ready to meet with God!

God on you......

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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.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD