GREENE STREET LETTERS: Simple Things

Monday, May 3, 2010

Simple Things

Peace and contentment are found in God.
God is found in the little things.
Knowing.......
Not a gathering of information or head knowledge, but a truth that resonates deep inside your spirit.

Psalm 100:3
KNOW that the LORD, He is God.
It is He who has made us and now we (ourselves).
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

How many times have we come across this verse? Many I suppose.
As we read it, it conjures up images of bright blue skies and green, green grass with fluffy white sheep as far as the eye can see.

We forget the first words of this verse.....KNOW.
God desires us to understand who He is and who we are and the relationship between the two.
God desires us to understand the extent of power that He has.
We read Genesis 1 where "In the beginning God".....but we don't really think much about what transpires next.
That God spoke....get it......words.....speaking.....forming a language that was not only heard, but when spoken brought forth out of the nothingness, everything we take for granted today.
Power beyond our comprehension.
That same God, with that same power.....
created us.
And not only created us, but provided a place for us to live. His pasture. How big is His pasture?
Let's just say it is roomy enough for all of us sheep.
If God lays claim to us as "His sheep," then He will take care of us.
That is a simple truth.
I stay close to Him, listen for His voice and follow where He says to go.
Simple things....
Peace comes from knowing God.
Knowing God brings contentment to my life.
This morning I am blessed beyond measure. How do I know this? Because I look around at my life..............my wife.........my sons..............my precious daughters-in-law and my grandchildren.
I look at what God has called me to do here at Rapha.
Thank you LORD!
God on you..........
mb

2 comments:

Bobby said...: Jesus is a good Shepard. You sure do look content in that picture with your grandson on facebook!; May 3, 2010 at 8:30 PM
Greene Street Letters said...: Oooops! That's my grand daughter, Ashley....I was content.; May 4, 2010 at 10:12 AM

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 3, 2010

Simple Things

2 comments:

THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD