GREENE STREET LETTERS: Cloudy Thoughts

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Cloudy Thoughts

Genesis 1:2
The earth was without form, and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Here we read where God confronts chaos. The unruly, disorganized behavior and functions that identified His creation. God did not intend for it to be this way, and He is not about to let it remain in this state.

What do we know from Genesis 1:2?
The face of the deep was present.
The face of darkness was present?
But the Spirit of God was there confronting the chaos.
The word "VOID" from the Hebrew, also means "meaningless" or with out meaning. God not only creates life but it is His good pleasure to give purpose and meaning to life.

God is the creator, not the inventor.
Inventor's make machines and then stand back to watch them run.
God has poured Himself into his creation.
Just as today, for those who receive Jesus as Lord over their very lives, have the Holy Spirit of God poured into them.
This presence of God's Holy Spirit creates a new life and a new dynamic that runs contrary to the dictates and demands of this world.
No longer am I tied to my sin nature.
I have been set free from the penalty, the power and the presence of sin.
Does this mean the battle is over between my flesh (sin nature) and my spirit?
No, the two will battle till I draw my last breath or Jesus comes to take me home.
But I am no longer a slave to the sin.
I no longer must act on its behalf to do its bidding.
The chaos of sin in my life has been replaced with a sense of peace.
Not the peace that comes when all my circumstances and situations around me have been stilled, but peace that lives deep within that centers me even when everything is shaking and up in the air. When I think to myself, "I should be worried and upset over this situation, but I'm not." A peace from God that bypasses my brain and goes deep within my heart.

As I look around at our country and our government, I see more and more chaos.
I see darkness (spiritual) covering towns and cities.
But even in all of this, I know that the Spirit of God is hovering and moving to work the plans and purposes of God so that His Kingdom will be brought in.
I rest in the assurance that no matter what happens, God is in control and that all things that are happening are working for the good of the Kingdom.
I can rest in this thought.

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.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Cloudy Thoughts

No comments:

THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD