GREENE STREET LETTERS: New Day...New Way...

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

New Day...New Way...

Funny how a day can change your perspective when you are following hard (sometimes) after Jesus. You know, the whole "take up your cross and follow". Some days I am very aware of that cross. It weighs heavy on me. Usually when this is the case, I am being drawn to things of this world. Stuff and situations that would only feed my worldly appetite. O. k. lets call it what it is....my old sin nature. When I find myself wrestling with these things, it is then I feel the weight of the cross. A reminder of who has called me. What He has called me to, and the price that was paid so that I might have the wonderful privilege to carry my own cross and not hang upon it.

The weight of the cross is felt through the conviction the Holy Spirit brings to me. As terrible as I feel sometimes when conviction comes, the very fact that God brings it to me is such an incredible token of His love for me. All of these thoughts combined strengthen me and in this strengthening, the cross grows lighter. I move on in my journey with Jesus.

I am reminded of the tremendous benediction given by Jude:
Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.....
To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.
Amen.

That pretty much sums it up!
I am called to follow Jesus.
Every time something seeks to draw my attention away from the journey, He lovingly reminds me of the call.
I still have a choice in the matter....
but I choose daily to surrender my will or as the Bible puts it...."Deny myself!"

SO...
I am grateful for this new day.
I pray that I get it right today and that I don't embarrass my heavenly Father.

Think on these things...
God on you............
mb

1 comment:

Bobby said...: We are all like sheep prone to wander away. I'm glad he comes after us!; May 25, 2010 at 9:37 PM

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, May 25, 2010

New Day...New Way...

1 comment:

THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD