GREENE STREET LETTERS

Thursday, March 3, 2011

STEP # 12
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Studying in John 21 this morning.
The encounter between Jesus and Peter there on a beach, days after Jesus' resurrection.
Jesus asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?"
Peter responds with "You know I do, Lord."
Jesus then gives Peter a command....."Tend my Lambs."
Lambs....
The babes..the ones that are new to relationship with the higher Power we call Jesus.
Take care of them and lead them. Tell them about this new life you have found and are now living.
As Jesus said......"Tend to them."

This is the heart of Step #12---Having had a spiritual awakening.....
Now our hearts and minds and spirits are alive and awake. Ready to take in whatever God would send our way...today.
More than just taking it in, we want to give away what has been poured out on us.
We want to comfort those who are afflicted with the comfort that has been given to us.

A friend of mine told me about his first AA meeting.
He went drunk.
He was desperate and did not know what to do.
He was at the end of his rope and knew that he needed help to stop drinking.
As my friend told his story to me, he smiled. "You know, I can't tell you what was said at that first meeting I attended. I don't remember who spoke or who chaired the meeting. All I remember was someone met me at the door and got me a cup of coffee and some cookies and invited me to come and sit with them.
They showed me love before they told me anything about how to quit drinking."
Carrying the message of AA is more than just telling your story. IT is living your story in front of someone who is still trapped in the bondage of alcoholism or drug addiction. It is physically giving them an example that it can be done. A person need not be weighed down by all the toxic emotions that addiction places on them.

Jesus basically told Peter....."Hey Pete...if you love me, then show it by taking care and teaching others."
We seek to take the message to others.......

God on you....
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.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD