GREENE STREET LETTERS: Picking Up The Pieces

Friday, May 6, 2011

Picking Up The Pieces

Psalm 51:16-17
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it. You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are (1.) A broken spirit (2) a broken and contrite heart. O God, you will not despise.

I spent a great deal of time in these verses yesterday.
If you are familiar with Keith Green, you know that one of his songs is titled To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice. The truth of that song is that God truly does receive the acknowledgement of "I give up" quicker than he does the deeds of a person who is not ready to submit.To obey comes from a place where we surrender each day (Luke 9:23) and follow, or live by, the Spirit of God that lives in us. It isn't about doing for God as much as it is "being" for God. Letting God change me as I submit to His desire for me and the life He has called me to.

Reckon how many fill the pews and chairs of church each week, singing at the top of their lungs. Giving when the offering plate is passed...and signing up for every church function there is, but yet have never come to the point of being broken before the Lord.

Being broken is not a place of pleasure, but a place of release. Having the things, behaviors and attitudes that are all contrary to God and His will, poured out for you to see. All placed under the pure, piercing presence of God himself. You are suddenly aware of how sinful you are, and how Holy God is.

King David also wrote in Psalm 51, "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only have i sinned and done what is evil in your sight..." These are the words of a man who has just committed adultery with another man's wife. These aren't flowery words meant to move us emotionally. They are the open wounds of someone who is painfully aware of who he truly is and what he is truly capable of doing. It is from this place that we can receive healing and restoration.

Praise God that He doesn't leave us in such places but takes our brokenness and restores us. Makes us new and fills us with His Holy Spirit. That is the promise of God! Don't allow the devil to steal your joy today by keeping you from being broken. Brokenness is but a season.....Healing from God is forever.
What a Savior we have!

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.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Picking Up The Pieces

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD