GREENE STREET LETTERS: To JOICE again!

Monday, January 16, 2012

To JOICE again!

I Thessalonians 5:16 -- "Always be joyful."Or "rejoice in the Lord.....Always!!! And again I say rejoice.
The word "rejoice" is defined in Strong's Concordance as being "Calmly Happy."
A sense of well being that radiates from within no matter what the situation or circumstance may be.

I see far too many people in religious circles trying to whip up happiness and rejoicing. The thought seems to be that if I act like I'm happy or if I say the right religious sounding words and phrases then somehow I will attain that level of self-perceived happiness or joy. I have been guilty of playing that game. I have found myself among a group of people that all seem to have found spiritual nirvana so to speak. I didn't. I looked around and asked God, "What is wrong with me? Am I so broken that I have excluded myself from this experience?" At the same time, I never assume that I am right or that I have all the answers to any particular situation or experience. I am always searching my heart for the motive or reason I find myself in such places. I never want to use my own experiences as the rule of thumb for others as to how they should conduct themselves. At the same time, I do not want to give credence to something that seems to not be from God.

Paul writes that when we find our satisfaction in Christ, everything else pales in comparison. Nothing this world has to offer can ever replace the inner workings and emotion that is brought on by the Holy Spirit. I am called to look to Christ as the sole source of everything I need. He is my all sufficiency in this life and the next. He is the provider of every good thing. He is my strength and hiding place. In these thoughts I will take comfort and rejoice. When I truly realize that I am dead to the world and the world is dead to me, then I will not look to the world for answers or provision. I want to see the hand of God in everything around me. I want to be aware of His voice daily and follow only His direction.
I want Him.
I want Jesus.
If that doesn't cause rejoicing to rise up in your spirit............I just don't know what to say.
Look beyond the traps and snares the world has set against you today and see the hand of God clearing a path for you to walk.
Be encouraged.
Rejoice.
And again I say.....
Rejoice.

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.

Monday, January 16, 2012

To JOICE again!

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD