GREENE STREET LETTERS: What Do They Read In You?

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

What Do They Read In You?

Psalm 107:43

Those who are wise will take all this to heart. They will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.

Lives today are so rushed and self-centered that many never stop to take stock of the journey they have been on, or think of the people they may have come in contact with and the impact they may have had on their lives. Yet, in the scripture from Psalm, we read that our history, our journey will reveal a lot about what we believed and who we believed. King David wrote that those who take the word of God to heart will see the love of God woven all throughout the history of Israel. In the good times as well as the bad, God was there. The people may have thought that God had deserted them, but the truth was he had not.

So what do people come away with when they look at your story or your "history?" Do they see the faithful love of God in every day and event that you have faced? Do they see the promises and protection that God may have extended to you when you were going through trials and tribulations? Or do they see you making decisions and carrying them out in your own strength, ignorant of God and his desire to guide you. Our past speaks volumes and reveals where our allegiance lies. I love what the apostle Paul writes in II Timothy 1:12 ----And this is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know whom I have believed, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. Did you catch that? Paul said that he knew "Who" he believed in and relied upon................he didn't write, "I know WHAT I have believed."

Our history, our journey through this life should reflect the love of God as we grow in him daily. How is His love reflected? Through my interaction with others and the way I treat them. God loves me so I can love others. Not the syrupy, mushy, goofy kind of love the world has to offer, but real, dynamic AGAPE-unconditional love that covers a multitude of sins (At least that is what the Bible says). God-love that changes my corner of this planet one heart at a time.

That is what life is all about. Letting people see and read your history so that they can see the faithful love of God. Remember.............your life may be the only Bible that others may see.

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.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

What Do They Read In You?

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD