GREENE STREET LETTERS

Thursday, April 2, 2009

"There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path."

I see this all to often in the lives of people who are trying to work a program of recovery. This knowing comes too often from having "Tried" to live clean and sober. The idea of living life becomes a mental concept that is played out and carried out under the direction and guidance of the one caught in addiction.

Underlying problem with any addictive behavior is a broken relationship. Because of our sin, we have a broken relationship with God. The very one who gives us life and has the power to enable to walk in freedom, we reject because of sin. Our sin commands us to live outside the influence and control of this God. The sin belittles us into believing that we know what is best, not God. Wasn't that the promise of the serpent in the garden of Eden? "God has kept from you information. God doesn't want you to see and understand as he does!" The serpent beguiled Eve with the greatest promise ever......."Eat this fruit and your eyes will be opened and you will be like God." If I am like God..........I don't need God. That is the curse we carry today.....We have convinced ourselves, through out sin, that we are like God. Able to discern the difference between good and evil. Just because one can discern the difference doesn't mean one can make the right choice. As Charlie Daniels said in his song, "When I had to choose between good and bad, I'd pick bad two out of three."

Don't just know the path. Walk it.

God on you......

1 comment:

Bobby said...: We all lean towards idolatry. Without grace we are powerless to change.; April 3, 2009 at 9:25 PM

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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.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD