GREENE STREET LETTERS: Me?

Monday, May 17, 2010

Me?

Me?
I'm not an intellectual. Not dumb either. I try to be informed but realize that information is not the key to power.
Me?
I'm not a theologian. My theology is very simple. Jesus is who He says He is. I use present tense because He exist in present tense. He is here, He is now. Don't have to prove it, I believe it and know, via the change in my own life and the way He has directed me and my wife over the years, that this is real truth. Nothing has made more sense and been backed up more times during my lifetime than Jesus and His Word (some call it the Bible).
Me?
I'm not a power broker to our society. I don't aspire to hold a political office nor do I see much good in it. There are those who argue that the call of the church is a social call. They expend vast amounts of energy and money to right social ills in this country. They do good work but I don't know that I would focus solely on that. Yes, Jesus called us to feed the poor, visit the sick and the ones in jail. To clothe those who have no clothes, but He also commanded (not suggested) that we make disciples. I don't know how good the church has been at that. Truth be known, in 12 years of being here at Rapha, with disciple making as a focus, I have probably only seen a handful of men who actually could be classified as disciples. Does that mean I'm a failure? I do accept responsibility, but to carry around this idea that everyone will be a disciple is not very valid.
Just because you attend a 10 week teaching on discipleship doesn't make you a disciple. To be a disciple is a commitment that never ends. There are times I want to quit and run away (to the circus if I thought it would help) but the call to follow Jesus won't let me. A disciple is someone who has taken the call of Jesus to heart and lives it out daily where ever they may be. It does more than consume their thoughts, it invades their very heart so that a "divine" restlessness is always just below the surface. This restlessness keeps one from becoming apathetic or complacent. These two are the enemies of anyone who is a disciple of Jesus.

Find out the truth for yourself today.
Let us pray for each other that we may grow today a little more like Jesus.
God on you......
mb

The message from last Saturday night is not ready for download.
I will try to get it up before the week is out.
Thanks....
mb

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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.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Me?

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD