GREENE STREET LETTERS: Psalm 119:1-11

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Psalm 119:1-11

Step # 11
We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contacts with God, praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out.

There are a heap of nay-sayers out there who love to hate on the Twelve Steps.
They have every reason why it doesn't work.
Why it's supposedly a bunch of hooey-balooey.
But how can you argue with someone whose life reflects the goodness of God through the salvation they received from following these 12 steps?
Seems to me that a person with an experience will beat a person with an argument every time.

Psalms 119:3 reads: They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.
Imagine that.
Someone who was once trapped in sin that manifested itself through addiction now is not compromising with evil. Has nothing to do with evil. Shuns evil. Lives for God not just through words, but deeds. Deeds steeped in faith. Deeds that come because of a heart change and not an intellectual decision.

I like Step # 11 in that we are asking God for direction and, when it is shown to us, the power to walk it out to the fullest. Not half-steppers here. It is all in for this new way of doing business with the world.

In Verse 11 we read: I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
How can I hide the word unless I know the word?
It is important that we read the Bible....Study the Bible.....Get it all down in us. Memorize verses.
Let the Bible become as much a part of our recovery (if not more) as the steps are.
The Bible is truth, and I have found that I flourish when I am surrounded by it rather than the darkness addiction brought.
If you read in Matthew 4, the story of Jesus' wilderness temptation, you'll read where the devil came to tempt Jesus. With each temptation, Jesus countered with Scripture. It wasn't a big "who-is-the-most-powerful" type of fight. Jesus simply "out-truthed" the devil. Amazing how powerful the truth is, especially when it is the truth of God.

Think on these things........
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.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Psalm 119:1-11

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD