GREENE STREET LETTERS: I'm Just Crazy Enough To Believe It

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

I'm Just Crazy Enough To Believe It

John 17:16
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

John 16:33
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

John 15:18-19
If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

The world?
The system and influence that permeates the way society does business.
It is run by the Kingdom of darkness. We are no longer a part such. We are like the slaves Moses brought out of Egypt. God took them into the wilderness to teach them a new way of living.

So why should we surprised when we are attacked for who we believe in?
Why should it take us back when we are slandered and treated badly because of the choice we have made to follow Jesus.

There is a price to pay when one makes this decision to turn will and life over to His care.
Sometimes even family doesn't understand why we made this decision. They will look at us like we are some kind of freak show oddity.
"Oh, you went got religion!" Heaven help me should I ever "Get" religion. NO! I got Jesus and He got me. Simple as that. I'm not referring, when I say He got me and I got Him, to a casual, go-to-church, do nothing else form of believer. I'm talking about that person who has been turned inside out for Jesus. Their entire world has been rocked and re-rocked and they have Jesus on the brain. They think about Him all the time. They can't wait to go and hang out with others who have also been rocked by Him.

Such people usually have the moniker of "Holy Joe" or "Holy Roller" attached to their behavior. Attached by those who are clueless to who this Jesus is. How are suppose to respond to such behavior? We love 'em! We bless 'em! We pray for them! We don't let is stop us. We keep on keepin' on with Jesus.
May you find that kind of fire this morning.
May you have a burning desire to simply be with Him this day.

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.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

I'm Just Crazy Enough To Believe It

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD