GREENE STREET LETTERS: Free-dumb.....or Freedom?

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Free-dumb.....or Freedom?

Galatians 5:1
Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

He shows up at my door. So thin, his back pockets are touching. Eyes sunken in. His skin covered in sores. Yet, to his estimation, "I'm doing o.k."
He spoke of all the rejection he has experienced from family and friends. Yet turns around and begins to share about all these new friends he has. Friends who share his same experience. "They really care about me", he told me.

The words said one thing, his very physical appearance said another. The two did not match up. He went on to tell me about the number of arrests he had experienced and how the judges and police have it in for him. Bottom line in this conversation was "I just want to be free and left alone." Now to this man, "being free" meant that he should be allowed to do what he wanted to do. To make all the wrong choices, even though he didn't see it this way, and not be hasseled by anyone. That was real freedom to his mind. He had even gone as far as bringing in that tired old argument, "I'm not hurting anyone." Well, he might not have been hurting anyone, but he sure had become the center of attention and was taking up everyone's time. As a friend of mine put it, when referring to the mindset of someone in addiction, "They become little black holes of endless need." Truth is, they really aren't hurting anyone.....they are hurting everyone. And when they say, "I don't need no on",what they really mean is "I need everyone to enable me to continue in this old lifestyle."

From my understanding of addiction, and what the Bible has to say on the subject of freedom, it is clear to me that we all are under bondage. Since that little "fruit" incident in the garden of Eden, there has been no "natural" freedom. It is only through the Grace of God's intervention in our lives, that we can detach ourselves and receive true freedom from the behavior and consequences of our old, addictive, lifestyle.

Think on these things today......
Are you truly free? Or are you still bound up in bondage to sin?
God does love you and desires for you to experience true freedom.

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.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Free-dumb.....or Freedom?

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD