GREENE STREET LETTERS: Outta Here!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Outta Here!

Matthew 4:11
Then the devil left him and angels came and attended him.

Jesus' temptation in the wilderness.
Not some religious exercise but one that would serve him later on in a garden outside the city of Jerusalem.
We are forged and strengthened when we have encounters with the devil.
We are.........
if we let God fight for us.
Too many times I try to fight in my own strength and reasoning. It's not that I fail every time, but I waste my energy and more than that......
I do not turn to the one who truly defeated the devil on a hillside called Calvary.

If you read the Matthew 4 passages, Jesus did not work up power and go head to head with the devil.
He countered every move with Scripture.
Wow! Do you think maybe Scripture might be more powerful than we first believed.
Do you think that within, what some conceive to be a dead, dry book, there might be the truth that stops the devil at every turn.
Jesus' encounter in the wilderness was not an encounter of power. It was an encounter with truth.
Jesus simply "out-truthed" the devil.
That is why I love this chapter....
Time after time,even as the devil quoted half-truth from the Scriptures, Jesus countered with the whole truth.
Maybe that is what I need in my life.
The whole truth!
In Verse 11 we see where "the devil left him."
A person with the truth will defeat the plans of one who is cloaked in half-truth and deception every time.
I think the thing I really like is what happens after Jesus' encounter with the devil.
Angels came and attended him.

Reckon what they did to Jesus?
Did they fill him with food and water, bringing provision from his Father in heaven?
Did they rub his tired, aching muscles and soothe his weary brow?
I'm not sure and we're not told.
Part of me wants to believe that they had a time of praise and worship, giving glory to God the Father for his faithfulness. Praising his kingdom and his power!

Bottom line, every time Jesus' encountered the devil, Jesus came away stronger and full of grace.
Nothing could stop Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and the cross.
Jesus' knew who he was...
He knew and understand the dictates of his father who had sent him.
He knew that no power, no government........nothing was going to stop him from finishing his mission here on earth.
I am overwhelmed sometimes when I stop and consider the resolve that filled Jesus. I pray that for myself. That I not allow myself to be detained or turned aside from what God has called me to.
Praise God! What a Savior.

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, January 27, 2011

Outta Here!

No comments:

THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD