GREENE STREET LETTERS: Hope Does Not Disappoint

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Hope Does Not Disappoint

When we choose to "Step #3" our recovery.....
Turning will and life over to the care of God as we understand Him....
We begin to experience some gifts that are give to us.
Sounds strange, I know it..but it is a simple truth from God.
He begins to change us and equip us at the same time so that we can face what ever comes our way in this new direction we have chosen to take.

These gifts show us that recovery doesn't merely provide escape from our destructive ways, but they point us toward the possibility of a new and exceptional life.
So what are these incredible gifts that God give us?
The first one is HOPE.

Romans 5:3-5
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.

We are given a hope that is divine in origin.
A hope that has purpose.
A hope that fills us with the resolve to understand and know that God is who He claims to be, and will keep the things He has promised He would do.
All of this applied to a life that previously had been out of control, with no hope at all of ever changing.
Not a small fire begins to burn inside that lets us know that truly with God, "All things are possible". Even recovery.

Maybe your reading this posting and you want to believe that what I've written is true. Maybe that thought is running through your brain and your heart right now..."I want to believe it!". Well my friend, that is the beginning of hope. God has laid hold of you, right where you are, and is drawing you into this new life I've written about. All you have to do is accept Him. Talk to Him...I know it sounds crazy, but it isn't as crazy as it seems. He's real...He's listening...and He will answer you. Tell Him what you truly want...that you've tried everything else and nothing has worked. Tell Him that you want Him and this new life He has promised.

Hope has begun and good work in you, in the form of God's Holy Spirit.
My Bible tells me that once God has started this new work, He won't stop until it's finished. How cool is that?
Way cool.

God on you...
michael b

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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.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Hope Does Not Disappoint

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD