GREENE STREET LETTERS: II Peter 3:9

Sunday, July 28, 2013

II Peter 3:9

The verse above from II Peter Chapter 3, was the core of our teaching last night at Vineyard Recovery.
We have been tracking the book of Romans over the past 6 weeks and we're still in chapter 1. Lots of meat there on them "verse bones" to chew on.
Everything was upbeat and positive for the first 17 verses. Lot's of encouragement and "hang in there, you'll make it" kind of words. But then beginning in verse 18, things started to turn dark. Dark as in spiritually dark. Paul began to write about the lifestyle and consequences of a people who rejected God. Rejected His word...refused to give Him His rightful place in their lives.

Because of their choice to live life on their terms rather than receive from God, their ability to think and reason became clouded, but they didn't even notice this. V21 says "And their foolish hearts were darkened." Their reasoning started to be driven and influenced by their sinful nature. Choices were made based on fleshly appetites not on the truth of God. Believe you me, it was a downward spiral at the point and the destination was DE-struction.

But the one thing that I had never seen before in these verses, was the incredible love God has for humanity. Love is not mentioned at all in the verses, but it drips and hangs over the entire passage. God didn't have to put these verses in His word. He could have left them out. We would never have known it or given any thought to it. But He did include them. Why? Because of God's love for His creation, He wanted us to see the reality of what happens to a person who rejects Him. He wanted us to understand the terrible implications of being the ruler of our life rather than turning to Him for real life.
God truly did (and continues to) so love this world.

I don't think the words of II Peter 3:9 are merely window decoration to make us feel good.
I think they cut right to the heart of the Kingdom of God. It is God's desire than no one should perish and be locked away under the rule and reign of Satan. His desire is that all come to repentance and, as such, God goes the extra in His Word and action to reveal this to everyone. His heart is that everyone receive His gift of eternal life.

Sometimes we have to see the results of dark choices that run contrary to God's will in order to appreciate the life we have been given. God chose to put those verses there in Romans to serve as a warning. A loving Father who wants only the best for His children, God is ready to move us on in this thing we call life. Move us on and watch over us as we grow and mature in Him. How cool is that? Way cool!

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.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

II Peter 3:9

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD