GREENE STREET LETTERS: The Foolish Things Of The World

Monday, August 21, 2017

The Foolish Things Of The World

I Corinthians 1:26-28
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

We read the verses from I Corinthians and we say, "Yes, Lord!". But sometimes it is hard to wrap you mind around the ways and directions God takes to bring about His kingdom plans for this time and space, especially when God raises up someone for His purposes that no one else would have ever chosen.

She has been coming to Saturday night for over a month now. She has shared her story with me, and it is the story of a life that no person deserves to have lived through. Some of the darkness is from her own choices, but a lot of what she has suffered through has been from the hands of those she thought she could trust. Still in spite of her circumstances, she shows up ready to worship....ready to hear the word...ready to receive prayer.

This past Saturday she came a little early, wanting to talk and share something that had happened to her. She told me that she had been sitting on the front porch of where she was staying, studying her Bible and praying when something unusual happened. She slowly shared how a "face" suddenly appeared in front of her. I asked her if she was afraid when this happened and she told me "NO" that in fact the opposite had happened. She became very peaceful. Then a voice began to explain what she needed to do. The instructions involved traveling to another town....becoming a part of a group who deals in helping others who are coming out of addiction. She asked if I thought she was crazy, and I assured her that I did not. She was very adamant that she believed God had spoken to her, and given her the next part of her life journey. She wanted to know if I thought what she had experienced was really God speaking to her. I explained that the way she would find out if it was indeed God or not was to simply walk out the instructions. If God was really telling her to pursue this course, then she would succeed as the doors opened for her to accomplish this task. If it wasn't from God, then no matter how hard she tried, she would not succeed.

I asked her to share what had happened with the group at the end of our meeting. The whole time she is talking, there is a battle going on in my mind. One side is telling me that this is crazy....she has too much going against her to ever consider that she could reach a place of being able to minister to others. But you know what? These thoughts that were coming to me are the same kind the world uses to measure anything God is bringing forth. I had a million reasons why she would never fulfill this so called "Leading" God had given to her. My thoughts were suddenly changed when the Spirit spoke to me and reminded me that those who God calls, He equip's. The only thing required to follow God is a broken and contrite spirit, and a willingness to simply say yes to what God tells us to do.

So the world would look upon this young woman who God has spoken to, and reject her at every turn as not being qualified or equipped to carry out such a task. Isn't that going to be a hoot when she does reach the point God is leading her to occupy? That this young girl will be able to point to God and give Him all the glory for what He has accomplished in her life. The world gave up on her. The world cast her aside as having no value or worth. But looked down and saw a vessel ready to be raised up, filled with His Spirit, and sent forth with a kingdom message.

Pray for this young lady....
Pray that God would empower her to move through every obstacle that the world and the devil places in her path.
Pray that God would provide the means necessary to reach this next level in her life journey with Jesus.

Oh yeah....one last thing....
God reminded me that I was one of those "Foolish things" that He chose to carry out His Kingdom will.

God on you...
mbb

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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.

Monday, August 21, 2017

The Foolish Things Of The World

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD