GREENE STREET LETTERS: The $64,000.00 Question

Friday, September 3, 2010

The $64,000.00 Question

Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked the, "Who do people say I am?"

Age old question that is still being asked by Jesus daily to those who claim to be his disciples.
Each morning as I rise, I am faced with this question in my own personal relationship with him.
It isn't a question that gives rise to a verbal answer, although that is part of it.
It is a question that gives rise to the reflection of my life seen by others (and Jesus) as to what I do, what I say, how I conduct myself in the affairs of the day.
In other words, do others see Jesus in me?
In other words, when Jesus looks at me, does he see himself?

My life either reveals the goodness of God, or the falseness of what I claim.
I either reflect Jesus.....
or I reflect the world.
That is why Jesus stayed on the Pharisees and other religious rulers of his day.
He knew that they were all about the show and had no go in their lives, when it came to religion.
They were part of the old covenant of "do"...
Offer animals for forgiveness of sin.....
Wash yourselves in appropriate manner so as not to sin.....
Repeat the Scripture with no heed as to what it truly meant....
An entire system of "Do as I say........not as I do."
Now here before everyone was the Messiah they had been looking for.
Trouble was, Jesus did not fit the mold that had been created in the mind of man.
Even today, Jesus does not fit that mold, because he came not into the world to place himself within the mind of man, but in the hearts of mankind.
It is in the heart that the truth of God is revealed.
It is from the heart that lives are changed.

He is Lord...
He is God...
He is Master...
He is Savior....
He is Yahweh....
He is Jehovah....
He is Messiah....
He is Christ....
He is the hope of mankind...
He is the enemy to the kingdom of darkness...
He is the power to save....
He is judge...
He is Father...
He is Son....
He is Holy Spirit.....
He is the LORD!

I'm telling you right now if that doesn't set you on fire, then your woods wet!
Ask Him to fill you up!
Ask Him to talk to you today!
Give your heart and life over to Him.....

God on you today!
mb

2 comments:

Bobby said...: Fill me up LORD!; September 6, 2010 at 3:25 PM
Greene Street Letters said...: Above and beyond what we can hold....
Double amens and triple blessings to you Bobby!; September 7, 2010 at 9:13 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.

Friday, September 3, 2010

The $64,000.00 Question

2 comments:

THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD