The Red Hot Chili Peppers Had It Right

Be a hoarder.....
Be Tight.....
Be stingy.....
Be selfish......
It really is all about you and your needs....
"I'm not selfish...I'm just looking out for number #1".
A life outside of Jesus is one of utter selfishness.
Evidenced by the number one character defect that all people in addiction possess...."It's all about me!"

The one thing I have come to see is that when we have been saved, our outlook on life changes. We become more "outward" focused, intent on helping others.
I see so many men and women who have become vessels of God's goodness as they reach out to those who haven't heard or experienced the good news of the gospel.
Starting recovery meetings.....
Opening up their home for someone to who doesn't have a place to stay can get back on their feet.
Buying food and clothing for people.

Paul the apostle, in II Corinthians 9, refers to this as sowing or planting seeds. If I plant a seed, I have expectations as to what will happen. If I plant watermelon seeds, I don't look for cucumbers to shoot up...I  know that I will receive back a number of melons from that one seed. It's the same with this "STEP #12-giving back" attitude and behavior. We plant the seeds of Jesus into the hearts of those who are still stuck in addiction. They want to believer...but you remember how it was....There was a voice that kept telling you over and over..."You Ain't Never Going To Change..This Jesus Stuff Is A Lie!" So this message that we carry to others, coupled with our generous actions will be covered and attended to by God's Holy Spirit. He will bring this person to a place where a decision will be made. A decision to either accept this new life and move on in the healing God affords...or stay in the darkness and grow colder and harder to the truth.

I guess the one thing I saw this morning is that I am to sow abundantly. I am to be an over giving, over flowing, over loving seed planter. I do not want to dole out my Jesus seeds one at a time. I want to fling handfuls out in every direction. I want to see a harvest of souls when it's time to reap.

I guess the Red Hot Chili Peppers had it right in their song when they said..."Give it away, Give it away, Give it away!!!"
Think on this....

God on you...
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Marching Orders

So here we are....
Moving from an old life of addiction and darkness....
An old life of sin and destruction....
Into this new way of seeing, breathing, moving and interacting with the world.
The Steps tell me that JESUS is the Higher Power I've been looking for.
JESUS is the missing piece that will take me into this new dimension of living.
My surrender of will and live over to Him.....
My commitment to follow and obey Him......
My love for Him and His word  (Bible).....
Will be the foundation for this new life in recovery.

I'm recovering from drugs....
I'm recovering from alcohol...
I'm recovering from failed relationships...
I'm recovering from the fall of humanity back in the Garden of Eden.
How can I recover from such?
JESUS.
Sounds too simple doesn't it?

Part of this new life involves the idea that I don't let life drive me...
In other words, I don't spend my time reacting and making choices because of the things that happen to me. My bank account is at zero...I have no money....Gee! I think I'll get high. My boss calls me in for a drug test at work....I know I'm going to fail....I quit my job and go get high....
You see in our old way of thinking, we automatically resorted to old behaviors in order to deal, or in this case..not deal, with circumstances. In this new way of living, I have the Spirit of God at work inside me....As I grow in Him...as I mature in Him....I develop an ability to discern and hear what I should do. I know it sounds kind of strange and out there but trust me...it really does happen and work this way. To put it another way....when "life" happens, I allow God to show me the best way to interact with it. I listen for God to direct me in what I should do...where I should go.

I always like it when I find Scripture that reflects what I'm trying to write about here in this blog. Yep! I found some yesterday as I was rolling around what today's posting would be. Paul, the Apostle.....He wrote some good stuff.
He knew about how hard life is and could be.
He knew what it was like to suffer for the name of Jesus.
*Little secret here...when you begin this new journey with Jesus as your Lord and Savior...the world won't have much to do with you. You become a square peg in a dodecahedron hole."

So Paul gives us some good advice in I Corinthians 16:13-14 ----
Watch -- Keep your guard up at all times. Be aware of others around you and know that they may not have your best interest at heart.

Stand fast in the faith -- "In the faith" refers to my trust in God. That he has made certain promises about this relationship I now have with His Son, JESUS, and that He will carry through with those promises. My faith is not in my own ability to stay sober. My faith does not rest in my intellectual prowess to not drink or drug...My faith rests on the person of Jesus Christ and the finished work of the cross of Calvary.

Be brave -- It's a big ol' scary world out there. This recovery stuff...this relationship with JESUS requires a certain amount of courage. Fear was one of the ol' allies of our past life. It was the switch that was thrown when we had to face something that was too hard...too tough...too painful...the fear switch would be thrown and we'd run to the comfort of drug of choice. No so any more....I stand in the power of the Lord.

Be strong -- Here's the weird part. In order for me to be strong...I have to stay in touch with exactly how weak I am. I remind myself daily of Step #1--- I admit that I am powerless...I am weak....the evidence of such is found in the simple fact that my life had become unmanageable. Scripture says that "In my weakness...His (God's) strength is made perfect."

Let all that you do be done with love -- What falls under the word "ALL?" Everything! In everything I do....I must let it come from a place of love. Not the love that the world has taught us, but the unconditional, agape love of God. I choose to love! This is something that I'm still working on.....

I hope that you found something in today's posting that would encourage you to keep on in this journey of recovery.
Come back and visit GREENE STREET anytime.
We try to be here 7 days a week with tidbits and snippets of words and thoughts that would encourage you in your daily life.

God on you....
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Audio Message: The Gift Of Desperation

New Audio Message posted over in the Sermon Archive Section: THE GIFT OF DESPERATION
Enjoy!
God on you...
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Essentials For The New Life ---- Part 3

We continue on in our reading of the things needed to strengthen ourselves in this new relationship we have begun with Jesus.

On Monday we talked about the need to get under authority. How we need to learn how to submit to God and to follow his directions in our daily lives. This involves study of His word and applying it to our daily lives.Learning how to pray and, more important, learning how to listen for His voice.

On Tuesday, we stressed the need to "get on fire for the cause". Apathy and complacency are two by products of our old life style. The devil will use these against us to keep us from moving forward in our recovery.

This brings us to today's topic:

#3 - Be prepared for warfare ---discipline

We read Ephesians 6:13 the idea behind today's posting.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand when the day of evil comes, and having done all, to stand.

Notice that it says "When" the day of evil comes....

Not "if" the day of evil comes.

Warfare....
Attacks from our enemy the devil is certain. He is going to use every means at his disposal to stop your progress in your recovery and in this relationship you now have with Jesus.

Such knowledge of this leads us to one thing....
We must become disciplined in our lives.

God himself will instruct you and train you, but you've got to become disciplined in your efforts.

We have been given the right armor (see Ephesians 6) and the right instructions (See the Bible). Now it it important that we connect with another community of believers. A community of like minded people who are hungry to chase this God. For it is here within the community that you will be trained and equipped for the battle against spiritual darkness.

Psalm 18:28 reads: For You will light my lamp. The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

As we become more mature and grow in Christ, our spiritual "seeing" will become better...God will bring illumination to our understanding and we will be more aware of the traps and snares that the enemy will place in front of us.

So what is the ultimate goal of belonging to a church family? We find that in Ephesians 5:13-15: Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, but the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things unto Him who is the head...Christ.

It is about becoming wise in our daily dealing with the world.

To not fall for the quick fix or the easy way.

To stay the course and follow our elder brother, Jesus, not turning to the right or the left but keeping on.

It is about learning how to be disciplined in our daily lives.

Think on these things.....

God on you.....

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Essentials For The New Life ---Part 2

We began yesterday with the idea that entering into this new life...this relationship with Jesus, is like going to boot camp in the military. Why? Because you are entering into what the church refers to as "Spiritual Warfare."
In your old lifestyle of addiction, you belonged to the kingdom of the Devil. You were under his influence and control. You obeyed his directives and served him through the actions brought about by your sin/addictive nature.

Working Step #1 - #3 has broken his power and control, and has now brought you into the family and kingdom of Jesus Christ. We are learning to live a new way......by faith (II Corinthians 5:7). Being brought into this new life makes us a target of Satan. He wants to destroy us, to steal from us and to kill the things that God is growing inside of us through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Yesterday we talked about learning how to submit to authority. That is the heart of the 12 steps........learning how to get out of the way and follow. To learn how to "hear" God and follow his directives. We learn how to hear God by getting into the Bible. More than just reading it, we must study, digest, and get the truth inside of ourselves. A lot of people have a hard time in keeping a daily appointment to read scripture. One of the things I tell them is to pray and ask God to give you a hunger for His word.

  Essential For The New Life # 2 -  Get on fire for the cause....(Passion)
The second goal of being in the military, and being trained for battle is to become inspired to have a passion for the cause of the nation. Love of country and the things we have been blessed with such as freedom and liberty and the pursuit of happiness is the basic thought behind our standing military forces. Such ideas as these are the target of our enemies. They want to see our freedom destroyed. It is no different with the kingdom of the Devil. He wants to see the grace of God, the mercy of God, the love of God and the salvation of God destroyed. Now the Devil knows he can't touch God...so he attacks humanity which is God's creation.

We must become passionate for this new life of freedom in Christ we have been given. We must become passionate for our recovery. I have found that unless you own and protect your recovery, you will loose it. All things being equal, the person who has the most passion for the fight will win. In other words, this new life with Christ and our recovery is not for wimps. It isn't for half-hearted attempts....What does the big book of A.A. say? "Half-measures avail us nothing."

It is about being set on fire by this new life and the Spirit of God inside us. You will find that you will look around as ask yourself, "Why doesn't every one want what has been given to me? Why doesn't every one want recovery?" The going and giving...the sharing and telling of Step #12 will become your code of living. You will want to share your story. You will want to help those who are still struggling in their addiction. You will want them to be saved into this relationship you have with Jesus Christ.

Oh God! Set us on fire for your Kingdom.
You know, I'm just crazy enough to believe this stuff!

Psalm 18:28-29
For You will light my lamp.
The LORD God will enlighten my darkness.
For by  You I can run against a troop.
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way (Or His Steps) are perfect.
The word of the LORD is proven.
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

See you tomorrow with Part 3 of Essentials for the new life.

God on you....
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Essentials For The New Life Part 1

Addiction....
Recovery.....
Cravings....
Clean and Sober.....
It's all a battle.
At one time, the mind and body was being pumped full of mood-altering substances which broke down any moral barrier that may have been present.
Lying became the norm for our old life style.
Cheating and stealing became the means of survival.
Spiritual darkness totally engulfed us, even though we didn't realize it or even acknowledge it. We were doing o.k. in our own estimation.
The addiction caused us to minimize what was happening to us....
"I don't have that big of a problem."
"I just use on weekends".
"What's happening to me is just a bump in the road...I'll be alright."
Do those sound familiar?

So now you've worked Steps #1-3 and you have established this new relationship with Jesus. What now?
You have to view this new life as kind of like joining the army.
There are certain things that you will need to address as you learn this new way to live.

We are going to take a look at some of the essentials needed to fight this battle as you move away from your addiction.

#1 - Get under authority ----learning to submit
Psalm 18:27 -  For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks.

Anyone who joins a branch of military service must begin the day knowing how to obey orders. From day 1 of their arrival to basic training, nothing belongs to the soldier anymore---
His hair is cut...
New clothing is issued to him.
His schedule is determined by leadership.
For a period of time, freedom is lost and submission is taught.

It is important to understand that putting the devil to flight will require submission to God. James 4:7 tells us, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

We find our new orders for living in Hebrews 12:1-2:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

If you read Step#3 carefully, you'll see that it involves turning over, or submitting, will and life to the care of God. We become followers of Christ.
Think on this today and ask yourself, "Have I made the commitment to submit to the authority of Jesus?"

God on you.....
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Wha's Zup?

It's the last day of my "Stay-cation" and what a wonderful week it has been. I think that I shall take off this week next year (if the good Lord gives me another year). I got to spend it with my very bestest friend in the entire known universe and beyond...my wife, Vicki.

Lot's of rest.....
Lot's of work....although it was a different kind of work, we enjoyed every moment of it.
Lot's of family and plans for Christmas and our vacation next summer.
Lot's of food, but not too much..I did keep my sugar under control and exercised while I was off. I really don't want a repeat performance of another heart attack like last year.

Tonight I will go to Celebrate Recovery North Glencoe to speak. Speak on what? Well, that is the $64,000 question isn't it? Truth be known, the message never changes. The Scripture might. The examples and illustrations used might change. The length of time I speak will vary. But the message never changes. It has remained the same ever since I stood for the first time to speak. Jesus is the "everything" we have been looking for. We just didn't want to admit it. We tried to fill up every empty place inside of ourselves with drugs / alcohol / sex / money / power / relationships / material possessions.......and nothing worked. Oh, they satisfied for a moment but there was no lasting satisfaction. Only an eternal God can bring an eternal satisfaction to one who is broken.

Romans 10:1-15 and 17 gives us an insight into the power of THE Message.
How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written......How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things?
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

People need to hear that they no longer have to live a life of desperation and insanity. They need to hear that there is a solution to their insanity. They need to hear that no matter what they may think they need, God is truly the answer to what they've been looking for.

We need to quit looking for the fast fix to our problems.
We need to abandon our quest for the easier, softer way.
We need to wake up and look beyond our own ability to one who possesses everything we are in need of to leave not just our addiction, but our old way of life behind. God would not call us to do this if he didn't have a different, better way of life waiting for us.

Hopefully I'll see you tonight...
North Glencoe Baptist Church / Celebrate Recovery.
Meal starts at 5:30 p.m.
Big Group at 6:30 p.m.
Come on out...
What do you have to loose?
Just your old way of living and doing business with this world.

God on you....
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Thanksgiving 2012

A uniquely American Holiday.....Thanksgiving.
Born out of a time of testing and survival, it originally had nothing to do with lifestyle. It had everything to do with being grateful for not being dead or having starved to death.
Those first immigrants to this shore were met with extreme hardship in their attempt to establish a colony here in this "new country."

Today families across this nation will gather around tables of food and give thanks. But who is the thanks directed to? Are we giving thanks for our own efforts and strength, that we have made it another year? Is it just a token Holiday, or do we truly have grateful hearts for what the real-deal-God-of-the-heavens has done in us, through us and for us?

Let true thanks rule in your home this day.
Stop and look beyond the material to that realm of the spiritual and see the true measure of what it means to be thankful.

"For this reason I bow my knee to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-----to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. That you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Happy Thanksgiving from the Bynum Household....
God on you....
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Separated From....Or Separated To?

God bless the Apostle Paul (as I'm sure He has already and continues to do so).
Paul put into words the thoughts and ideas that run through my mind, in such a way as to bring clarity and comfort concerning my salvation.
Paul's writings to the Romans shows me that without a change of heart produced by the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to have a right relationship with God.

Paul lets us know that a life of righteousness could now be actuality through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. He enters the hearts of those who have embraced this salvation offered by God, to supply us with the life of Christ.

We now can live in the sphere or boundaries of the Spirit of God because we have been freed from the law of death. The Holy Spirit is now ever present to supply us with the POWER and determination to say no. You see, living a life of overcoming through Christ is more than a matter of self-will---it is living by an entirely new way ----it is life in the Spirit of God.

Paul states in Romans 1:1 that: He is "Separated to the gospel of God." Usually when you think of separation, you think of moving away from something...not to something. Yet Paul makes it perfectly clear that he was taken from one way of living to embrace another. Have you been separated to the good news of Christ?

I run into a lot of people who are intent on running away from their addiction. Intent on running away from that old life style. Intent on changing the way they live. Yet, with all this intention, they are clueless as to what to do. They know what they want to be separated from, but have no clue as to what they want to separated to. Here in Romans we see the truth. I give myself to God and commit to being bound to follow Him. Simple as that. I give will and life (Step # 3) over to His care. Now that I've done this, the best thing for me to do is get out of the way and follow. That means that I don't make any decisions without first praying, waiting for an answer and seeking council from others before I do anything. That sounds like a lot of hard work. Well, it is and it isn''t. By the way, how did you old way of making decisions work out? Not too good, huh?
Why not check out Jesus....He's got all the answers you've been looking for.

God on you....
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Goopty Gunk

Day two of "Stay-cation."
Took time out to re-caulk the tub yesterday....
We're looking at major bathroom renovation after the first of the year, but needed to spruce up the "out house" for now.
Did you ever hear the saying..."He has two thumbs" or "He's all thumbs" ?
Well, multiply that saying by a brazillion and you have me.
I'm not the best handy man there is, but I am willing to make the effort and I usually learn how to after messing it up.

The caulking exercise went fairly well (after an initial attempt), and the bathroom looks better.
Today is "Clean up the house" and "work in the yard" kind of day.
I like not having a hurried pace to complete things.
Kind of setting a pace that is some what laid back yet completes the task.

I drove down to Lincoln last night to watch Chad's basketball team dismantle B.B.Comer....Lincoln won 65-32. That was a good win for my son's team. My grand kids were there so it was a double pleasure...to be with them AND the game.

As Thanksgiving day approaches, I am very much aware of how blessed I am, and I could draw up a list that would reach to infinity and beyond (Thanks Buzz Lightyear). I guess that is part of having God's Holy Spirit in me. An over whelming awareness of what God has given to me.

I hope you stop and take stock of your own life and find gratitude.
Give thanks to the Lord.....

God on you....
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Slippered Feet

Well into my third cup of coffee.....
I guess that's what you do when you're on "Stay-cation".
City of Attalla work crews are laboring in my front yard with a huge vacuum attachment, sucking up the leaves that have assembled at the edge of the yard. Bless 'em for all they do.

I spoke yesterday at Grace Covenant Church in Hokes Bluff. Good group of folks. Lot's of Agape in the room.....guy's from Fellowship House...guys from Rapha.....members of the regular congregation. It is a place that you can belong to. Be a part of. Learn how to be a part of the body of Christ. I will be speaking there again on December 30. Looking forward to it.

Well, it's official.
I'm tired...all this typing wears a body out.
I'll quit for now.
I'll see you tomorrow on day 2 of "Stay-cation".
Or maybe I won't...
We'll see.

God on you.....
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BORN TO BE FREE Part 5

Here is Part 5 of the video series BORN TO BE FREE.
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New Audio Message Available

Added another message to the podcast section. Click on "Sermon Archive and you can listen to the latest message by Seth Barber.
More encouragement to not quit this journey of recovery....
God on you...
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Rolling Like Nobody's Bit-ness !

I'm off to see the Wizard!!!
This is day # 1 of my "Stay-cation".
If you will...extend some forgiveness my way this coming week.
I may or may not be posting here on the Greene Street Letters, due to being lazy.
Actually lazy won't be a part of next week...it will just be a different breed of work. Work around the house...Thanksgiving...ect...ect...
Looking forward to it though.
Vicki and I haven't taken a vacation this year so we are going to shut down for a bit.

Spoke at Celebrate Recovery at the Gathering last night. It was their first CR in their new location (Formerly 1st Presbyterian Church Downtown Gadsden). Good group of folks and I predict good things for this CR.

I saw a lot of familiar faces last night. Some I had not seen in a long time.
The Elrod's..Robbie, Irene and Carrie, along with Carrie's boy friend..Jeremiah. Or as I like to refer to him..Grizzly Adams...
Jeremiah is a neat fellow. He's a kind of "What you see is what you get" type of guy.
The Elrod's use came to the Vineyard while I was still pastor there,and we spent a great deal of time ministering and helping people. They still burn with a desire to extend the Kingdom of God. As a friend of mine likes to say...."They's Good folk."

James Crain, Taylor Morris and Mark Alexander---The Three Musketeers...(not he candy bar).  All three should be dead..but God had different plans. Now they are active and sharing their recovery with others still out there in the darkness of addiction.

Becky Vineyard--- Always good to see her. She makes me laugh...
She is kind of a "Super-ball in a concrete room" person. Full of life...full of God..full of love. I love to watch her worship...she goes full tilt.

Steve Brewster heads up CR at the Gathering.
The man loves God and is grateful for this period of time in his life. He is a GOD-chaser, and it shows. If you're looking for a great meeting to go to...then check out Celebrate Recovery at THE GATHERING...Friday nights..supper at 5:30 p.m. and main meeting at 6:30 p.m. Small groups follow after the main meeting.

Well, I think I'll go have my 2nd cup of coffee...and maybe even a 3rd.

God on you.....
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p.s.
We will be having service at Rapha tonight...

Prayer...What A Concept

Psalm 5:3
Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.....

Psalm 18:4-6
The ropes of death surrounded me. The floods of destruction swept over me. The grave wrapped its ropes around me. Death itself stared me in the face. But in my distress I cried out to the LORD. Yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary. My cry reached his ears.

All those voices you hear telling you....."Don't pray! It won't work! God isn't going to answer your feeble prayer! You've tried this before and God let you down!"
Don't listen to them....
Cry out!
Cry out now!
Don't wait.
What I share today is real, pure, unadulterated, divine truth that has weathered time and everything society has thrown at it to discredit God and what He can do.

He will listen to you!
He will act on your behalf when you pray.
If you've never prayed before or you kind of haphazardly threw up some words, hoping that they would stick...you need to understand something.
God does want to help you...
But he also wants to save you out of the darkness and life you have been dying in.
You may not see much value in yourself...
You may feel as though you are some kind of damaged goods....
God sees you differently.
He is not willing to sacrifice you and give you up to the darkness.
His love for you is as real as anything you have ever encountered in your entire life.

You may feel trapped and out of control as to your ability to live life.
It may seem to you that the faster you go, the farther behind you are falling.
But my GOD stands ready to take you out of the mess that sin/addiction has birthed you your life.
My GOD is bigger than any drug....
My GOD is able to heal you from all the self-inflicted damage you have done to yourself.

As Mark Heard sings in the song, "He Will Listen To You."
But you have to talk....
You have to cry out...."Oh God! Save me!"
And He will.


God on you....
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Die To Live......or Live To Die...Your Choice

Paul, the Apostle talking.....er...writing.
"I beseech you, therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Isn't it odd that Paul would use images of pagan worship and human sacrifice to demonstrate the power of serving and living for the God of the Bible? 
Paul is trying to keep everything relevant and open when it comes to embracing this new life with Christ. That is exactly what it is...a new life. A new way of seeing things. A new way of doing business with the world. Paul addresses the practical, day-to-day living and interaction that we each have with other believers and with those who haven't come to this relationship we now have.

I think maybe the crux of the whole Romans 12:1-2 thing, is that we present ourselves to God to receive His Holy Spirit. We don't do this on our own accord. It's like trying to embrace the 12 Steps by doing it the way you want to. Most people in addiction have what is commonly referred to as a 2-step program...."Step # 1 - I've got a problem..and Step # 12--- Now go give it away. We don't like all the "Stuff" found in Steps #2-11." 

Here in the opening verses of Romans 12, we see that we are not to serve the individual (my own selfish needs, wants and desires), but rather, serve God. He directs our steps as we seek Him daily. 
We are not to give in to peer-pressure or influence from those we use to run with in our old life. Nor are we to allow ourselves to be conformed to the morals and dictates of what society says is appropriate.

I like how the Message Bible states Romans 12:1-2

 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Giving myself....body,soul and spirit to God so that, through me, he can reach others who need to hear my story. I become God's 12-stepper, filled with His Spirit, not the spirit of this world. My message is clear---Jesus is the Higher Power you've been looking for.

So in this Romans 12:1-2 attitude, I become a living, breathing, walking around individual, that daily gives myself to God. That doesn't mean that I get saved every day, but it does mean that I die to "self" every day.
Food for thought....
Have you "died" for Him today so He can live in you?

God on you....
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Fruit No.# 2 --- JOY

.....But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy.......

One of the by products of God's Holy Spirit at work in me, is joy.
Truth be known, joy is simply another shade or hue of love.
Joy is love that is excited...
Joy is love that has an exuberance for life.
Joy is a deep love and appreciation for what Christ has done for us.
An appreciation for this new way of living that we now are walking out.
We may not know all the answers.
We may not know what is out there in our future....
But there is a joy inside me because I don't have to live the same old way I was living.
Joy.....

Joy comes from knowing Christ...
Knowing who He truly is in my life....
Joy

Psalm 5:11 - But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You...let them ever shout for JOY, because you defend them. Let those also who love Your name be JOYful in You.

Psalm 16:11 - You will show me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of JOY. At Your right hand are pleasures forever more.

Acts 2:28 - You have made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of JOY in Your presence.

Romans 15:13 - Now may the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

James 1:2 - My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

So, I don't look for joy in this world. By that, I mean that I do not look to society or culture to provide me with joy. The joy this world offers is fleeting, false and brings no stability to our lives. It merely teases us with false promises and feeds our old nature, seeking to draw us back into a lifestyle of destruction.

The joy I chase after was forged and birthed from the foundation of this world. Real joy is found in an individual.....Jesus Christ.
God on you.....
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New Audio Message In The Sermon Archieve

Listen up! Ears....this way! I've down loaded a new message in the sermon Archives. "Living In The Here And Now!"...Psalm 24.
Check it out!
Thanks...
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Fruit Of The Spirit ~~~ LOVE

Thanksgiving is a week from Thursday. It is actually 10 days away, so from now until next Thursday I want to take a look at something that I am very thankful for. The work that the Holy Spirit is doing inside me that is changing me more and more to look like, talk like, walk like, think like and live like my elder brother, Jesus.
So for the next 9 days, I want to look at the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. The evidence that an apple tree is healthy is by the fruit it produces. Proof that God is at work in our lives is evidenced by the change of our nature and character. These changes can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit at work in me and you. The physical, tangible proof of such work, we call "Fruit."

We begin in Galatians 5:22 with these opening words:
But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE.
That is the number one by product of this relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus himself said that the entire Ten Commandments could be summed up in two things. Love God with everything in you, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Must be pretty important if Jesus framed the commandments with his love.

Learning to love.
Not as the world loves, not as society loves...
But the pure, heavenly love that comes from God himself.
He wants this to be the fuel that drives everything I do.
Love Him.
Love myself.
Love others as I love myself.
Love is not an emotion.
Love is a choice. I choose to love as God wants me to.
I choose to extend this to those around me that my flesh wants to with hold it from.
How can I truly receive the unconditional love from God and not, in turn, extend to others? I can't.
I have been called to love.
When I open myself up to love others.....
I give God an open door in my life to love them also.
I am merely a conduit for His love to flow to those around me.

The love that a mother or father has for their children is to give us an inkling of understanding of exactly how much God loves us.
The love that a man has for a woman is to show us how much love and desire God has to have a relationship with us.

So here today...
I am thankful for God's love.
I am thankful that God did not give up on me, but pursued me and saved me for His own.
I am thankful that God is teaching me how to love in the way that He does.
I am thankful for the love of family.
My wife, Vicki...
My sons, Chad and Josh...
My daughters-in-law, Robin and Heather...
My grand kids....Tyler and Ashley...
My mother-in-law, Betty.
I could go on and on, but I won't.

I think that maybe I have only begun to scratch the surface of what it means to love as God loves.
But we've got to start some where....
Don't we?

God on you....
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Drink Up Buddies!

Water....
Not the H20 kind of drink....
But something that transcends our understanding and intellect.
It does more than quench a physical thirst.
It does more than simple "wet our whistle."
It brings a level of satisfaction and contentment to a person that cannot be explained.
If it can't be explained, then why am I writing about it?
Because you have to experience it, and the experience comes only through Christ.

No.#1---
You can't buy this water. You can't manipulate anyone or anything to get this water.
It is given out to those who are spiritually thirsty. I use a phrase when describing the desperation felt by those in addiction when coming to Christ. The phrase is the frame for the prayers that are offered up by someone who is bone tired and ready to change....
Either heal me or kill me, but I can't go on like this." This is the point at which a person is ready to receive the "living water" that Jesus gives.

No.#2---
There is a process involved in this exchange between Jesus and the one who is ready to receive. Jesus states in the John 4 verse that this living water "will become" a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. Did you ever notice that when it comes to Jesus and relationship with him, every thing moves "upward"? Jesus said in John 12:32 - "If I am lifted UP from the earth, will draw all peoples to  Myself." In other words, for the soul that is ready and willing to receive this message and the one who said it, there is a moving, if you will, from a life of spiritual darkness to one that is open and illuminated by the Holy Spirit living in us.

Let these words and this posting today encourage you.
Don't let that voice in your head keep you from checking out Jesus.
Don't let the cravings and the pain drive you away from real life.
Don't let the fear of the unknown dictate your actions, making you choose to remain in this old lifestyle.

My soul reason for writing this blog daily is that the message of what Jesus can do for you may become truth to someone who reads this.
I am not some kind of religious superman.
I am not a college graduate or hold degrees from universities....
I am simply a man who has found peace and the Power to live out my life.
I found it in an individual............this Jesus that a lot of you have been running from.
I'm sure that you can give me a million / billion reasons why you don't want to believe that what I am writing is true and real.....
But I can give you one as to why it is....my own personal life.
So I'll get up every morning and peck away at this blog.
I will continue to share the good news that you don't have to live the way you do.
I will continue to tell you that God himself has found you to be of great value, and desires to save you from yourself and your sin.
Desires to save you, restore you, redeem you and spend eternity with Him.
Now, I'd buy that for a dollar? Wouldn't you?

God on you....
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Are You In, Or Are You Out?

Genesis 7:1
Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation."

Society had fallen to such a state that there was only one man that God would deal with. If this one man was lost to the ways and dictates of his culture, God would have to destroy everything and begin again. But there was Noah. He was surrounded by sin and evil every which way he turned. Every relative, every friend, every acquaintance that Noah knew was sullied by the filthy hand of sin in their lives.

It must have been a lonely time for Noah. He still had his family and God was pouring grace on them because of Noah. Still, it must have been lonely. Noah saw the impending disaster that was headed their way. Nothing was going to stop it. Nothing was going to stand against it. It was as sure as the sun coming up. With this thought, Noah went about the business of building an Ark, per God's instructions. In other words, God said, "Do it my way!" No short cuts, not alterations....build as I have told you."

Then came that fateful day. Noah heard God say, "Come into the ark." He could have balked and told God, "Not yet, I'm not sure this is going to work." But he knew better. It didn't matter what his thoughts were........it didn't matter how he felt......nothing mattered except the one thought of "I either get in this ark and live, or I can stay outside and die with everyone else." Noah followed God and got into the ark. Inside was safety and peace. Outside was death and destruction.

Recovery is like that.
Through working the 12 steps and this new relationship you develop with Christ, you are building an "ark" that will serve you well. It will be a haven and a place of safety from the storms of life. Just like Noah, you can either decide to get with a program, or you can continue in your old ways, knowing that the end is not going to be good. Inside this "ark", in the person of Jesus Christ, there is safety and the opportunity for a fresh start. To have a new life and a new way of seeing life. Staying outside of this relationship only insures you of greater pain and misery wrought by your own hand and your own doings. I think I'd get with Jesus.



What you see above is the declaration that we say every day at the end of classes. It is just words. Anyone can say it. Anyone can read it. But to those who have made Jesus their Lord and Savior, it is a declaration of the Ark they have chosen to find safety in. Every thing is made possible because of the opening line.........Because of Christ's redemption....His desire to save us. His desire to see us brought into the safety of relationship was so strong that He paid the sin debt that I had accrued. He is the Ark. All I have to do is follow some simple instructions and a life that had eluded me would be mine to embrace.

I pray that this day becomes the day that you enter into this JESUS-ark. That you allow Him to raise you up, just as Noah's ark was done as the flood waters rose. Raise you up over your past as it is drowned under the tidal wave of forgiveness and His love.

Think on these things today!

God on you...

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Born To Be Free Part IV

Part 4 of the BORN TO BE FREE video series from Bible Discovery TV.
Hope you have the time to watch.
God on you...
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Leave It All Behind

You've lived a certain lifestyle for a number of years.
It might be one that is centered around addiction.
That lifestyle has created habits and patterns of behavior as you have succumbed to it. As you have given yourself to it.
Some good....
Mostly bad....
It has dictated to you, how you act, where you go, who you hang out with, for so long that it just seems normal.
You may not like what it has done to you, but you continue on.
You just can't see any way out.

The thought invades your world on a periodical basis...."I need to stop."
It pushes past the cravings and the moments of lucid thought.
"I need to quit."
But the addiction only screams louder..."You can't."
So you continue on down that path of destruction.
With each use, you add to the fantasy world your addiction is creating.
It lies to you.
It tells you it loves you and will comfort you...
All empty promises.
You become someone you never thought you be.
You become that person you swore you'd never be.
But here you are.
Still that other voice continues to stir your heart.....
"Why don't you quit?"
You don't reply verbally, but the words roll around in your brain..."I can't."
Your mind is filled with the images and faces of those you have hurt.
Children who don't understand why Daddy is like he is.
Wives or husbands who have had enough.
A boss who tells you that you're fired.
And the list goes on and on......
"Why don't you quit? Why don't you stop?"
We may not want to think of it this way....but could that voice urging us to quit be the voice of God?

I think maybe it could be.
God is always calling us out of sin into a new way of living.
We become so use to our lifestyle that we can't see any other way.
But God does.
Imagine being 75 years old and God telling you that it's time for you leave everyone you know and everything that you've grown comfortable with.
That would be hard to do, wouldn't it?
That's what happened to Abram.

Genesis 12:1 -  Now the LORD had said to Abram, "Get out of your country, From your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you."

In our case, it begins with a simple thought. "It's time to stop this madness."
The thought didn't sound religious.
There weren't any angels accompanying this thought.
It was just those words forming in our minds.
It was God talking to us.
It was God telling us to draw a line in the sand, and then cross over into a new way of living.
All it takes is obedience.
Take the first step, and you will enter into a new life of faith.
Faith that God is who he claims to be and will do what he has promised to do.
What are the benefits?

God told Abram:
"I will bless you and make your name great."
God basically said, "Hey..I'm going to clean up your reputation by cleaning you up." As our character changes, through God's Holy Spirit at work in us, we become men and women of integrity. This can only happen through the blessing that God pours over us as we follow the simple path of relationship and recovery with Christ Jesus.

Then comes something really wonderful.
God tells Abram that He has got his back. God is watching out for Abram.
He tell Abram, "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you." In other words, if I leave my old way of doing business with the world, and give myself, life and will, to God, he has got my back. All I have to do is follow Him and work my steps.

Don't let the lie and deceit of your addiction keep you in darkness.
Reach down, right where you are, and draw a line...be it in sand or dirt, or even an imaginary one in your living room. Draw it! Then tell God that you're ready to start this journey out of darkness.
Then...........
Step over that line.....
You will find that you still don't have all the answers, but you are now on your way.
Sounds too simple, doesn't it?
Sometimes the simple ways are the best.

God on you....
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"I Smell Smoke!"

Proverbs 17:3
The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold.
But the Lord test the hearts.

Life is a series of "smelting", if you will.
We are tried and tested through each situation and circumstance we face.
Now some of those "testing" are what I like to refer to as "Self-inflicted" tests.
In other words, we do stupid things and place ourselves, by our own free will, in dumb circumstances.
Others come to us from outside our own influence and ability.
No matter which it may be, God uses them to refine us.....or, to put it another way, to bring to our attention character defects and wrong thinking. He does this in order to show us the truth about ourselves so that we can surrender these defects of character, and allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to change us for the better.

Let's take a look at what our character looked like before we took Step #3 and turned our will and life over the care of God as we understood Him.

Galatians 5:19-21
Adultery, fornication (or sexual immorality), uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry (we did worship at the temple of "ME" did we not?), sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy murders (Jesus stated that if we had hatred in our hearts against someone, then it's the same thing as murder), drunkenness, revelries.

Sounds like a who's who of addictive personality doesn't it.
Paul states that this is clear cut evidence of a heart that has not turned will and live over to God. In other words, someone who stands outside the will of God and is living by their own will. Paul goes on to say, "Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
No heaven...in their future.
No being with Jesus for eternity.
No abundant life here and now, or eternal life afterwards....
Just hell.

But Paul goes on to say that for the life that has surrendered to God, a funny thing happens. The Holy Spirit takes up residence in that life and begins to turn things around in the character.
Paul writes in Verses 22 through 23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Quite a difference in those two lists, isn't there?
Which list do you find working in your life?
The first one?
or the second?

That first list, which Paul refers to as "The works of the flesh" is central to the reason we use. The character defects we possess keep us from seeing truth and turning more to our own sinful desires. Those desires can only be overpowered by the saving grace of Jesus Christ. He brings healing for all the brokenness in our lives. He gives up purpose, hope and a future.
Sounds like a good deal to me.
How about you?
Paul goes on to write in Galatians 5:25 -  "IF we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Living and walking in the Spirit of God is the recognition that there is a Power greater than myself who can restore me to sanity. Such recognition, and surrender of will and life to the care of this Power, let's me be free to simply follow Him through my daily activity.

That, my friend, is recovery!
God on you...
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ECARG ----- Don't Get It Backwards

Amazing?
Yes!
The ability to save someone lost?
Yes!
The Power and Thunder that can break the bondage of addiction?
Yes!
We need GRACE now more than ever.
I don't need to recognize GRACE after the fact.
I need to recognize GRACE in the moment.
My attitude becomes too loose and I am swayed by a moment or a voice.
I find my mind wandering to places it should not go.
I loose focus and my recovery suffers.
I let down my guard and the things of this world draw close to destroy me.
I need God's amazing GRACE.

I Peter 5:8-10
Be sober (wow! imagine that. God calls us to be sober. Must be something to this recovery thing.)

Be a vigilant (Pay attention to what is happening in your thought world and around you in the natural world).

Because your adversary, the devil (Yep! You've got an enemy who does not want to see you succeed. He wants to steal everything from you. Kill you and destroy your name and reputation.)

Walks about (Dude! He isn't God. He can't be everywhere at once. He is not omniscient or omnipotent. He is only blowing smoke at you trying to hoo-do you into believing he is some  kind of all powerful being who is going to win in the end.)

Like a roaring lion (excuse me? The devil has a God complex. He wants to be God. How do I know this? Because Jesus is the Lion of The Tribe of Judah. He, the devil, is trying to imitate Jesus....He appears as an angel of light with soothing words that are coverings for the lies that are a part of his arsenal.)

Seeking whom he may devour (He looks for the non-believers. Those who are rebellious. Those who have a form of religion but deny the Power of God.

That is why I need the GRACE of God.
That is why I need the Empowering presence of God in my life that enables me to be who I was created to be.......and do what God is calling me to do.

Grace....
If you go on down in I Peter 5, you'll run across this verse.

But may the God of all GRACE, who calls us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

That is a promise....
May you find the truth of it today.....
God on you.....
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And I'm Crying Again

Music has been and will always be an important part of my life.
I make no boast or pretensions about my ability as a guitarist. i am a hack guitarist. I enjoy playing, I enjoying playing with other guitarist,and I have been blessed and fortunate over these past 30 years to have been given the privilege of playing with some pretty good people.

To me, the greatest blessing was coming to Jesus when I did. It was in the early days of what we now call Contemporary Christian Music. I've always hated that term for some reason. I tend to agree with Stephen Chapman, formally of the group DOGWOOD, who named the music..."Journey Music."
The people who were writing and recording back in the day had an edge to their music. The message was pointed and struck the heart. It made you think and consider your own life. Maybe this was a by product of the 1960's and the uncertainty in our country. Big changes were taking place and it would less than a decade when we entered the "ME" years. That period of time where we, as a  nation, move toward a life of being self centered. As with many things, being self-centered leaves little or no room for Jesus. When this takes place, you have the recipe for disaster.

This song that I have loaded into today's posting is from Mark Heard.
Mark was one of those gifted songwriters whose beliefs and vision poured out in the music he wrote and sang. He saw the destruction that was headed our way if we continued on the same course the nation seemed to be on. One of the great lines from this song, says, "The masses ride their passions with the throttle in their hands. Nobody knows....what is waiting around the bend."

I am grateful for the men and women who are still out there writing songs from their heart. Putting down in line and note, the hard things that need to be said for us to hear.
I find myself crying a lot.
Crying for this generation, lost and adrift on a sea of addiction.
I cry for those who have simply given up and have grown deaf and cold to the gospel.
I cry.
But I don't give up.
I will share what Christ has done for me.
I will love those who reject Him and His message.
I will play songs in the key of "E".
And I will sing my prayers unto the Lord.
God is good.
Every day.
Every way.

God on you...
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I Will Awaken The Dawn

Psalm 57:7
..........."I will awaken the dawn."

Very unusual Psalm.
David is on the run from King Saul. Saul wants him dead. Fueled by jealousy, fear, and hatred, Saul is seeking to hold on to that which God has told him already he would loose. Saul's disobedience has removed the Kingdom from him by God. Now Saul has targeted David because he knows that David is God's handpicked replacement to take the seat and rule as King.

David is living and hiding in a cave.
There in the darkness, David worships.
He gives God glory...
He declares the greatness of God....
Things haven't changed for David, but that doesn't matter.
David worships.
The way the Psalm reads, David must have worshipped all night, because David states that he will "Awaken The Dawn" with his worship.
David had faith in God.
David didn't know what the outcome might be, but he knew that God was in control. He didn't know whether he would live or die, but he knew that God had spoken promises over him, and God doesn't break his word or promises.
Armed with this heart knowledge, David, there in that spiritual darkness and despair, declared that his worship to the living God would wake up the dawn.
That is the heart attitude I want!!!

Sometimes we try and validate our life based on how many good things happen to us as opposed to how many bad things come our way.
If we seem to be followed by the "bad", then we believe we are being punished. We believe that God has it out for us. We feel as though life isn't worth living. Such feelings usually come from our flesh...our self-centeredness...our old sin nature which is seeking to exert its control once again.
Rather, as the Bible says in II Corinthians 5:7, I am to live by faith.
I walk by faith.
I sleep by faith.
I eat by faith.
I breath by faith.
I think by faith.....
I am lead by faith.
I lay hold of God, and I do not let go for any rhyme or reason.
When I cannot understand the why of what's happening to me, I hold tighter.
When life doesn't make sense, I cling to him with everything in me.
In other words, faith in God becomes my central focus.

As the apostle Paul wrote....(Paraphrase)
No matter what state I find myself in...
Whether with a full stomach, or empty and starving...
No matter whether I possess a lot, or I have nothing...
No matter if I'm in a crowd, or alone with no one around...
I am content.
Because I can do all things....(and what fall's under all?)
Through Christ who gives me strength.To write such things could only come from someone who has faith in God.
Those words aren't just cleaver, religious sounding phrasings and platitudes....
NO! They are the proclaimed declaration from someone who has found and laid hold of truth.

The Bible says that a measure of faith has been given to each individual.
If that be the case, then take yours, this day....and begin to exercise it.
Ask God to show you the truth of who he is.
Read your Bible and see with your heart and not just your eyes.
You might be surprised as to what happens....

God on you....
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