GREENE STREET LETTERS: Step # 10 Of The 12 Steps

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Step # 10 Of The 12 Steps

Step # 10
We continue to take a personal inventory, and when we are wrong, promptly admit it.

Proverbs 10:17
He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, but he who forsakes reproof goes astray.

Even after we've trusted Christ and are freed from eternal condemnation, we still sin. We miss the mark; we make mistakes; we turn from God's ways. What happens at that point? Should we then feel guilty about what we've done?

Scripture indicates that God intends for us to feel something when we sin, and we don't stop feeling that something just because we accept Christ. God doesn't intend that jut because we accept Christ, we can go on sinning without our sins ever bothering us.

Here's what happens:
When we sin, the Holy Spirit urges us to confess those sins. We confess sin by admitting ourselves guilty of what we are accused of. This comes through conviction (the act of convincing a person of error --Websters). The Holy Spirit works in our lives to get us to agree with God about the wrong we've done. Our sense that something is wrong occurs because the Holy Spirit is convicting us of sin.

God wants us to feel a godly sorrow, or grief for our sins. He does not want us to experience guilt that eats away at us. Once we confess our sin, repent, and accept Christ's forgiveness, we may continue to have regret and remorse, but we can be assured that Christ has forgiven us completely. Forgiveness enables us to overcome the fear of condemnation.

John 8:31-32 reads: Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed, and You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

John 8:36 - Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Learning how to live and walk daily in this new relationship with have with Jesus frees us from the harmful, toxic emotions that the world wants to put on us. Emotions such as guilt and shame are not a part of the Kingdom of God. They are replaced with conviction which leads to repentance and forgiveness. I'll take the Kingdom! I'll take this new life with Jesus.

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.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Step # 10 Of The 12 Steps

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD