GREENE STREET LETTERS: Church Is A Verb.....Action!

Friday, March 1, 2013

Church Is A Verb.....Action!

Isaiah 35:3-6
Strengthen the feeble hands. Steady the weak knees. Say to the fearful of heart, "God will come......He will come to save you. Open the eyes of the blind. Unstop the ears of the deaf. Cause the lame to leap like a dear. Cause the tongue of the mute to be shout for joy.

Isaiah 61:1-3
Preach the good news to the poor. Bind up the broken-hearted. Bring freedom to the captives. Release the prisoners from darkness. Proclaim this time as God's mercy and favor. Proclaim this time as God's vengeance on and defeat of evil. Comfort all who mourn.

Ezekiel 34:1-4, 11-12
Care for the sheep (the shepherds cared only for themselves) Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Strengthen the weak. Heal the sick. Bind up the injured. Bring back the stray (Backsliders) Search for the lost.

Luke 4:18 (this is the fulfillment of Isaiah 61 - the 'mandate of Messiah')
Preach good news to the poor. Bind up the broken-hearted. proclaim freedom for the prisoners. Bring recovery of sight to the blind. Release the oppressed. Proclaim the year of God's favor.

Matthew 25:35-40
Feed the hungry with food. Give the thirsty something to drink. Invite the strangers in. Clothe the naked. Look after the sick. Visit the prisoners.

The Great Commission Scriptures: Matthew 28:19-20 - Mark 16:15-21
Luke 24:46-49, John 20:21, Acts 1:8
G0 - as the Father sent Jesus, even so He has sent you.

PREACH - or proclaim this message of freedom to all creation.

MAKE- disciples of all nations.

BAPTIZE - them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

TEACHING -them to obey all that Jesus commanded.

BE WITNESSES- of Jesus. Where you currently live and then progressively farther out.

DRIVE OUT DEMONS-

SPEAK IN NEW TONGUES-

IF YOU PICK UP SNAKES OR DRINK ANY POISONOUS THING IT WILL NOT HURT YOU.

LAY HANDS - on the sick and they will be healed.

Quite a list isn't it? Does this leave you inspired to pursue the Kingdom of God? Or does it leave you kind of over whelmed? The central thought or idea in these verses is that God truly did so love the world And in this love He has poured out on us, is a call for the Church (People) to remember it's has been birthed to be God's arms, legs, hands, and voice to those who don't yet know Him or have relationship with Him. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so God gives His Church to world in love.

We should always remember that the "DOING", stirred by compassion, flows out of "BEING" (our worship and seeking God). It all rests on faith in God that He is who He claims to be and will do what He claims He will do. Faith.....not performance, and a long lists of things to do.

(This Scripture and concept of today's posting come from John Wimber's DOING CHURCH)
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.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Church Is A Verb.....Action!

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD