GREENE STREET LETTERS: Overcomers

Monday, October 1, 2012

Overcomers

John 16:33

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

The word, overcome, means to subdue or bring into submission. Imagine if that were true....to be able to overcome the world. This society that surrounds us and influences us. To be able to overcome the system that dictates morals and attitudes and draws people deeper into sin. Imagine if the verse from John were true. Now, more than imagine, believe! It is true.

Through Jesus' death and resurrection, in Him I can overcome. No matter what may come my way, I can overcome. I can, through the POWER of the Holy Spirit in me, subdue and overcome...any threat to my salvation and relationship with Christ. Notice what Jesus says in the verse above..."Take heart." Why would he tell us to "take heart", or not be discouraged unless he knew that there were going to be times when we will want to quit following him, and return to our old ways. My friends, life is a battle. But don't look now, I've read the end of the book and we win. Jesus plainly states that in this life, on this planet, we will have many trials and sorrows. They are going to come. Hollywood and Madison Avenue would want you to believe that when you see things their way........when you buy their soap and brush your teeth with their toothpaste, it's all sunshine and roses, puppy dogs and lollipops.

Overcoming does not entail simply "holding on." We're not holding on to anything here in this world. We are living and moving daily despite the trials and sorrows. We are overcomers! Addiction has taken its best shot at you and you are still standing. Now, imagine what it is like to stand, to live, to walk and breath filled with your Higher Power. Not given to the whims and wind of this world, being blown and tossed about like some piece of garbage on the street, but standing firm in Christ.

Let Jesus be the very air you breathe...
Let Him be your daily bread.....
God on you....

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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, October 1, 2012

Overcomers

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD