GREENE STREET LETTERS: Early Tuesday

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Early Tuesday

I don't know what is happening but it seems that I keep getting up earlier and earlier.
Pretty soon I'll be getting up before I actually go to bed.
Not complaining.
I like getting up extra early.
Getting the coffe ready....
House is quiet X 10.
Feeling refreshed and read to go.

Taught at North Glencoe Singles meeting last night.
What an incredible group of people.
They truly do love each other and people at large.
How would I define them?
Prayer warriors who intecede for others.
Worshippers who do so in Spirit and in Truth.
God was gracious to come and move about the room with healing and encouragement.
Great grace and mercy were there last night for everyone.

John 15:8
This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Am I fruit tree for God?
What is "fruit"?
I use to think it was me winning souls for the Kingdom, but found out that the "soul winning" part comes because of the fruit God produces in me.
Fruit is the evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in me.
The change in character.
The transistion from a life of self-centeredness to a life of transparency of motive and an outlook to serve others.
When my thoughts and heart on others more than myself, that is change.
Galatians 5:22
But the fruit (not fruit's) of the Spirit (a by product of God at work in us) is....
Love - in this first fruit is the heart of change. An outward turning from myself to others. Love cannot be kept but must be demonstrated. Hence the need to serve.

Joy - Here is love expressed. Vocally and through behavior. Joy is a by product of the love that God gives us. Oh yeah, one last thing. Love is a choice not an emotion.

Peace - This is love at rest. Love that is confident and needs not to always be proving itself.

Patience - Love that waits. I am so thankful that God is patient with me.

Kindness - Love that is expressed to others in acts and deeds.

Goodness - Love that seeks out the best to give away.

Faithfulness - Love that is never late and expresses the Father's heart in every situation it meets.

Gentleness - Love that is tender and looks to the other person's needs. A soft voice, a touch, a prayer all done with a heart of love.

Self-control - Love that is restrained and directed by God's Holy Spirit. Loosed when God says be free and held close when God whispers "Be still and Know I am God!"

........And the greatest of these three......faith.....hope ....and love.......is Love!

God on you today....
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.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Early Tuesday

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD