Do I Go Or Do I Stay?

Good Morning to you from Greene Street.
Yes, there is an actual "Greene Street".
Vicki and I have lived here for 29 years.
We raised our kids on Greene Street.
They learned to ride their bikes on Greene Street.
They shot fireworks and bottle rockets on Greene Street.
And it was here on this street that my wife and I came back to God in an earnest way.
We were what I would refer to as "casual" believers. In other words, we acknowledged God with as little effort as we could and still qualify to get into heaven. Kind of sad ain't it?
Here, years latter, God has taken us into areas that we never could have seen ourselves occupying. He has done for us, those things we could not do for ourselves. For that I am grateful. That is one reason I write this blog. Not to point to Vicki or myself, but acknowledge the greatness of God. That He is a right here, right now God and that his desire is to have relationship with his creation.
My prayer is that you may find some encouragement in something you read here at the Greene Street Letters.
Thanks and have a great day!
Michael Bynum



John 6:66
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

We would never verbally say, "Yes, that could happen to me. No longer following Jesus."
But the truth is, I believe that Jesus uses situations and circumstances that come into our lives to test our loyalty and determination to follow him.

I believe that each day, we make a decision to live for Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
It is hard to read that verse in John 6 and not place ourselves in it.
Would we have turned back?
What was going through their minds that caused them to abandon Jesus?

One thing that we need to keep in mind is that there were those who laid claim to being a disciple of Jesus. In Verse 70 of that same chapter we are given some insight. Jesus makes the statement, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve?" It all begins with us being chosen, not us choosing. You see, in those days if you wanted to be a disciple of a rabbi, you would go to him and tell him of your intentions. He would then allow you to follow him around as he taught and instructed. Jesus turned the tables of that custom. With Jesus, you don't get to pick him..........he picks you.

All we can do is answer in the affirmative that we surrender our lives and will over to his care.
Then we follow.
No matter what comes our way, we follow.
Turning back is not an option, yet the enemy uses it against us.
He takes our focus off of Jesus and places it on our daily life. Our problems are magnified when we take our eyes off of Jesus.
That is why we set our minds on the things above.
That is why we focus ourselves daily on Jesus. So that we will not turn back and go back into spiritual darkness.
Today, press on no matter what you see in front of you.
Ask God for grace, strength, mercy and wisdom to walk out your day.
Whatever you do.....
Don't quit...
Don't turn back....

God on you...
mb