GREENE STREET LETTERS: I Want To Be a Clone

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

I Want To Be a Clone

Back in the 80's Steve Taylor showed up and upset the church world.
His voice sang of churches that had become like an assembly line where the only thing that mattered was the number of people that were brought in. Once inside they could be changed to conform.

Rather than dealing with the heart.
Rather than teaching on repentence.
Rather than even preaching and teaching the Word of God/ Gospel of Jesus....the church adopted a "felt needs" approach to dealing with people.
They were going to entertain the people into heaven.
If you can find any of Steve Taylor's early work like MELTDOWN or STEEPLE CHASE get it.
Thanks Steve for shaking things up.
mb

2 comments:

A.J. said...: I give this post a big fat MAYONAISE!

(for those who might see this and not know... mayo is another word used at Rapha for 'amen')

I believe that in an effort to reach more people we have distorted the truth. Without true repentance there is no change. And without holiness nobody will see God. Give me truth till it hurts... I want to make it to heaven no matter how bad I have to hurt while on earth. If Jesus learned obedience by suffering, how much more will I have to. Also, I didn't see Jesus or John the Baptist being "seeker sensitive" very much. When he spoke of eating his flesh and drinking his blood even some of his disciples got up and left. it is his way, or the highway... the highway to Hell that is. No thanks, I choose to walk the straight and narrow... no matter what it costs.

It will be worth it. Of this I am sure.

Great post Mike, thanks for sharing.

I love you.; October 12, 2008 at 3:08 PM
Anonymous said...: Great!
Ever'body mus git cloned.....; October 14, 2008 at 9:49 AM

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, October 8, 2008

I Want To Be a Clone

2 comments:

THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD