GREENE STREET LETTERS: Day 2....where does the year go?

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Day 2....where does the year go?

January 2nd.
Cold and breezy.
Visitation here at Rapha.
Camp meeting tonight.

New Year's Eve service was really good. We focused on Psalm 51 which was King David's Psalm of repentance for his sins with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband.
Cool part was that David was uncovered by his right hand man, Nathan.
Being the King, David could have pulled out all kind of royal "do overs" that would have gotten him off the hook. If things got to bad, he could have pulled rank on everyone and simply said, "Dude, I'm the king. Get over it!"
But David chose none of those. He knew that he might be king but that there was a king over him. Someone we refer to as "King of kings". Hmmmm.

I love the fact that David even realizes that looking religious and posing doesn't accomplish anything except make you look good in the eyes of your fellow sinners.
V.16-17
You would not be pleased with sacrifices, or I would bring them. If I brought you a burnt offering, you would not accept it. The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.

David knew that God is always looking at the heart not the actions. The actions of an individual do not show the motive behind why a person does a certain thing. David said, "You know what? I could have brought you a bazillion sheep and cows to offer as burnt offerings at the Temple. But it would not have made right the motive I had in my heart when I sinned against you, O Lord."

Even back in Verse 4 David writes, "Against you and you alone, have I sinned. I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just."

Recognizing your own guilt and then accepting responsibility for it is huge.
Recognizing your own guilt and that you have sinned against God is huge.
Seeking forgiveness for this sin is the only way to break the power of sin and then move on with your life.
Let this be the year we accept responsibility for our sin, but at the same time recognize that only God has the power to forgive and free us from our sin.
2010....let's go out and live it!

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, January 2, 2010

Day 2....where does the year go?

No comments:

THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD