NEIL TELLS IT LIKE IT IS

 

I wanted to post this testimony of what God has done in the life of my brother and friend, Neil Thoney. I'll let him tell it in his own words.

"Ain't God good" started for me as a funny meme about a guy getting to speak first at his Ex's funeral. It makes me laugh now thinking about it. However, over the past month it has turned into a three-word phase I use to bring Glory to God.

A police escort brought me to Gadsden three years ago this February, and after providing me with around the clock security and a place to stay so secure it even had a fence around it, I walked out in early March. Unlike some secure buildings that have been designed to keep people safe from outside dangers this one was designed to keep me safe from myself. "Ain't God good"

While there I found out about Elmo's Place, a faith-based halfway house. I went there because I didn't have anywhere else to go, not anywhere safe anyway. While there I had a Damascus road experience with the Lord, I wasn't looking for or even believe in Him. "Ain't God good."

Over the last three years I have had some challenges. I can look back now and see every one of those challenges was God "knocking my rough edges off", as my sponsor likes to say. I can say with conviction, that I know that's the truth because over the past six months or so I've grown more than I have since I got saved." Ain't God good."

Most of those challenges revolved around losing job, after job ...after job. Most of the time for reasons I didn't have any control over. God in His infinite wisdom, helped me see how to own my part of it, and it would knock off one of those edges I wrote about earlier. "Ain't God good."

After losing those jobs I would move on to the next one. God would provide me with something bigger and better. He would show me that if I stayed faithful He would elevate me beyond anything I could ever imagine. Then I would lose that job. He would provide another great job and elevate me, then forces mostly beyond my control would take it away. During this time God revealed character defects I didn't realize I had. More importantly He showed me that where I work isn't what defines me, but the work I do for Him in the name of Christ Jesus is. "Ain't God good."

The point of me writing all of this is to bring Glory to God, and to thank Him for His grace and mercy. To also thank Him for putting people in my life that love and support me enough to hold me accountable and to keep me pointed to the cross. To also Thank Him for those same people teaching me that it doesn't matter what other people do to me that I have a testimony to protect and to always show them my Jesus. "Ain't God good.'

" But God" another quote I love. After going through all those challenges, and having my "rough edges" reveled and my character defects worked on. Even after losing all those good jobs, not just jobs but careers I wanted and would have been happy to retire from. The key phrase being I wanted. But God said, no my son. I have so much more for you. "Ain't God good."

Every single one of those jobs was giving to me so I could grow and work on my faith, my walk and myself.God had something bigger than I could ever imagine. So with all Glory going to God i'd like to take this time to announce that I've accepted a job at Volkswagen, and i'm moving to Chattanooga. He not only gave me the job I wanted but the department as well. "Ain't God good"

Thanks to everyone who have supported me and helped me grow as a Christian. Thank you to my church family at First United Methodist of Rainbow City for showing God's love to me. Thanks to my Catalyst Recovery family for just existing keep doing what y'all are doing it makes a difference. A big shout out to

Steven Brewster

at Downtown Celebrate Recovery for allowing me to serve with you. And last but not least a big, BIG thank you to

Andrea Jolley Marbut

for being one of my biggest and earliest supporters, and for revealing to me that God gave me the gift of working with kids. It changed me and showed me what I've been called to do. I love my Brats.

So, Ain't God good? Yes, yes He is.

IT IS TIME TO GET ALL WET

 Rivers....Always moving....always flowing. It can be a gentle ripple that lulls one to sleep, or it can unleashed power that comes with flooding. It can transport a person with a gentleness or it can sweep away entire towns from the face of the earth, leaving no evidence that such even existed.

There are many different streams and rivers that come and go in our lives. We may only touch them for a moment, but their impact is forever.
In a world and life that is ever changing, there is one river that does not end.
One river that is not tainted by the thief of this world or the society that seeks to alter its course. That is the River that flows from God....the River of Love. The River that is God Himself. A river that proclaims loudly..."FOR GOD SO LOVED"....

Voices cry out in anger, "Let's dam it up! Let's stop it from flowing! It will ruin everything we are trying to build!" So blind eyes and crippled hearts move as one to stop God's river, boasting of the will of man and the intellect that he possesses. But all attempts will fail and be swept aside by this love. God's River of Love.

You can stand on the banks and be satisfied to simply be near it......
Or you can dive into the depths and come up screaming, "Thank you, Lord!"
Don't be content and buy the lie that to be near God's River is enough.
Don't be stopped by the notion that, "I can't swim!".....
Dive in....
Be swept along by the strong currents of His love.
Be refreshed by the waves and splashes as His love washes over you.
You are swimming in the pure, living water of Jesus Christ.

Don't be fooled by this world's voices and throw away this time when you can experience this River of Love from God.
Today is your day!

Revelation 22:1
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

God on you...
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HE WAS AHEAD OF HIS TIME

 

That Jesus.....Who would have ever thought that he was on the cutting edge of society?

Who would have ever guessed that the son of Mary and Joseph would be light years ahead of us today?

He had one long before I did.

He was posting in his over a period of 1500 years.
What?
What am I talking about?
Did you ever realize that Jesus had his own "Facebook"?

The Bible.
When you read the Bible you are brought face to face with Jesus.
He is on every page. Sometimes you can see him clearly and sometimes there are symbols and types and shadows. But he is there.

Funny part is he truly wants to be your friend (not to mention Lord/ Savior/ etc....etc.)

"But that book is so old and out of date," you may be saying to yourself.

Not true....

..

Jesus has no need for a 2.0 Bible or a "new and improved faster running" version.
Faster does not always equate with better.
According to Jesus' Facebook, the winner is the one who does not give up but perseveres until the end.

Jesus even sends out "Friend" request in his Facebook.

Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Wow! What an invite.
I guess Larry Norman was right. "Why don't you check into Jesus....He's got the answer!"

God on you....

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COMFORT

 

The title of today's posting comes from the commercial about the Capital One Credit Card. The catch phrase is "What's in your wallet?" The inference is that your wallet has no use or purpose without the Capital One Credit Card in it.
What's in your mouth? What is it that you speak daily? Does your words give value to what you believe or are you simply imitating what you hear on the daily news.

Paul writes in I Thessalonians 4:18: Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The word "therefore" is a connecting word. Paul is tying two thoughts together, so for us to understand what the verse is referring to, we have to look back at the context given in the preceding verses.
Paul is referring to the rapture.

The rapture has fallen out of favor with a lot of churches today, and with a lot of pastor/teachers.
Some would lead you to believe that he rapture is old hat. antiquated and out dated.
My friend, be careful about what you allow to roll around in your brain. Be careful about the subtle voices that you listen to that don't disallow for the rapture. They simply don't teach it or speak on it.
They speak on the fact that we should be focused on what needs to be done now.
They promote a social gospel of doing good works and helping people.
This kind of teaching, while not evil, carries with it a trap that snares us. What trap? The trap of feeding our flesh. Inflating our ego. Putting our will at the center of God's will and not God himself. Instead of coming to the realization that we are created in the image of God....we create a god in our own image.

I am not here to debate or discuss the position of the rapture in relation to God's plan. I am simply here to say that if Paul says we should comfort one another concerning the calling up by the Lord Jesus Christ of his church, then we should be speaking on the subject.
In fact the word "Comfort" used in the verse carries with it the idea of teaching or exhorting each other. Why? Why speak out on the Rapture?
Because it builds hope within us. It tells us that no matter how hard or bad things get here on earth, at some point the Lord Himself. Do you see that? The Lord Himself will descend. He isn't going to send angels after us. He will come.

The custom in Jewish Weddings was for the husband, during the betrothal period, to work and prepare a place for the couple to reside in. Did Jesus not say that he was going away to prepare a place for us and that it he was going away, would he not come back and get us? I think the answer is yes. This brings comfort to us on so many levels. It soothes my spirit and lets me know that what I am going through here on planet earth is temporary.

Some say the rapture is pie-in-sky-theology.
My friend, I say it is Jesus-in-the-sky-truth.
Read the words of I Thessalonians 4:13-18 for yourself.
Take heart!
Jesus is coming back to call his bride unto himself.......and thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Maranatha, Lord Jesus!
God on you..........
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THINKING? OR KNOWING?

 

"There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path."

I see this all to often in the lives of people who are trying to work a program of recovery. This knowing comes too often from having "Tried" to live clean and sober. The idea of living life becomes a mental concept that is played out and carried out under the direction and guidance of the one caught in addiction. I'll inventory my wisdom and see exactly how much I know. I'll make sure that every step is covered............I just won't exert the energy or decide to surrender and turn over will and life to God.  Sometimes people don't want to enter into a path to recovery.....they just like being near the path. They like hanging out with others who have committed themselves to the program of discipline that leads to recovery. Sometimes such thoughts only serve to deceive. 

Underlying problem with any addictive behavior is a broken relationship. Because of our sin, we have a broken relationship with God. The very one who gives us life and has the power to enable to walk in freedom, is reject because of our stinking thinking (sin nature). Our sin commands us to live outside the influence and control of this God. The sin belittles us into believing that we know what is best, not God. Wasn't that the promise of the serpent in the garden of Eden? "God has kept from you information. God doesn't want you to see and understand as he does!" The serpent beguiled Eve with the greatest promise ever......."Eat this fruit and your eyes will be opened and you will be like God." If I am like God..........I don't need God. That is the curse we carry today.....We have convinced ourselves, through out sin, that we are like God. Able to discern the difference between good and evil. Just because one can discern the difference doesn't mean one can make the right choice. As Charlie Daniels said in his song, "When I had to choose between good and bad, I'd pick bad two out of three."

Don't just know the path. Walk it.

God on you......

FOLLOW ME

 

Luke 5:11 / When they had brought their boats to land.....they left everything and followed Him.

John 21:19  /  And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."

As I sat there last night soaking in the teaching at ReCovery Church, Todd Bagley's teaching on the life Peter was boiled down to two words. Two words that were full of the unknown, but had a clear directive to them. You know the two words, and you know the individual who spoke them. 
The two words...."Follow Me."   The one who spoke them...."Jesus."

The divine calling out to the finite...The immortal calling out to the mortal. Two simple words..."Follow Me." Yet within these two words we find the mystery to life here, now...and the life after this one, the eternal. They both hinge on our answer to Jesus' call to "Follow Him".

Peter's life was bound on both sides, beginning and end, with this call to follow. It would define him as he stumbled through the events of his life. Sometimes he was a great man of faith. Sometimes just a man. But the call never wavered, and neither did Peter's resolve. When Peter failed, he fell upon the one who'd extended the call to follow. He confessed his weakness and moral failure, got up and headed out once more to lay hold of this call. Shouldn't I live my life like this?

To not let this world, the system, the societal influence detract me from the call that Christ has extended to me to "Follow Him." That same call has been extended to you, if you lay claim to being a believer. The call is to not give up and not let this world beat you into submission. The call isn't about conforming to the standards and belief's of this world, but rather being transformed (on the inside) by the renewing of our mind....our heart......our soul to shake off the dust of this life and "Follow Him" into the new one.

Needless to say that after Todd's teaching last night, I'll have "Peter" on my brain in the coming week. And that isn't a bad thing. Thanks for stopping by the Greene Street Letters. Come back anytime.

God on you.....

MBB

THE POWER OF A PAST THAT HAS NOT BEEN DEALT WITH

 

Three things we have to face everyday....
Our past....
Today....
Tomorrow....
Unless we have a change of heart, that can only come through the work of the Holy Spirit, We will keep repeating the same mistakes, even if we don't want to.
How can I say that?
Because unless we deal with our past....take our Step #4 inventories....we will always be governed by shame and guilt. These two toxic emotions are the very thing that holds us in the grip of our addiction. We allow the past to define us. We allow our past to color and tint everything that happens today. And when today is filled with failure and "what's the use!" then there isn't any future. We don't want to look at tomorrow because we know how it will turn out.

The apostle Paul kind of nailed all this "past / present / future" thing when he wrote Philippians. He begins in Chapter 3, verse 12 addressing the need for taking care of today.
"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected (His behavior or performance) but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me."

Paul has a healthy inventory of himself. He admits that He has not reach the pinnacle or summit of life yet. He knows that his actions and behavior are still a work in progress, because his heart is being transformed daily as he allows the Holy Spirit to change his heart, his nature, and his character. How can Paul have such a view with the past he carried around?  Easy. We find out his secret in Verse 13.
"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind (past) and reaching forward to those things which are already...."
Think about Paul's past....
He was a hot-shot in the Jewish Temple circles. He was a Pharisee...big time enforcer of the rule-keeping bunch. Paul had a mad-on for anyone connected with Jesus, so he went about locking up people in jail for following Jesus' teaching. He had people killed. Families were destroyed because of Paul, and now here he is following Jesus himself. Do you think maybe Paul had nightmares about the people he had killed? Do you think the devil and his bunch used Paul's past to derail his efforts to tell of what Jesus had done to him?

When we read in this Philippians passage that Paul "Forgot About His Past", what he is really saying is, "I have dealt with my past!" Paul confessed, repented and received forgiveness for what he'd done. It was no longer a point of contention in his life. Paul was just crazy enough to believe that if you confess your sins.....then God is faithful and just to forgive you....and as a bonus, cleanse you from all (an what falls under "all"?") your unrighteousness. Paul was no longer moving forward trapped in the prison of his past.

Then in verse 14 Paul sets his sights on his future. We read "I press toward the goal for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Paul is saying, "There will be obstacles and days when the effort to move forward will be hard, but I am pressing on...I am moving forward....I have a goal to reach....I want to run the race before me and be able to stand before Jesus upon my death...and hear Him say, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

That Paul was pretty slick, was he not?
So, bottom line, don't let your past define who you are today.
Don't let your today keep you from who God desires you to be tomorrow.
Think on this...

God on you...
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CHOOSE THIS DAY

 

Matthew 6:33   /  But Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you......

In the verse above there is some divine addition going on. It really is a cause and effect kind of thought that we read about. If I do this......then God will do this. Of course, with anything concerning God it is all contingent on the state of the heart and the motive behind the action.

So the first thing is to seek God's Kingdom. I did not know what the Kingdom was for a number of years. To me it was the church. Which meant I was to follow the norm when it came to being a member of an assembly. Attend every week (Or at least as much as I could)....read my Bible (never mind if I actually gleaned anything from it.....and give my money  as a tithe  (Don't give to much, or be a miserly penny pincher). There I had sought the Kingdom of God and found it in a building with a bunch of other like minded people.

It was until I heard John Wimber teach on the Kingdom that my world was rocked. What did Wimber teach me? That the Kingdom of God was the dynamic rule and reign of God here in our time and space. Where ever people were obeying God...chasing Him...and carrying out His commands, there He would be also. The Kingdom.

Seeking the Kingdom was not a part time affair. It wasn't something you did as an after thought. It was to be the number one thing and focus of our daily lives. I know that during my years at Rapha (treatment center) the guys thought that I was trying to implement a bit of religion into the recovery process. Truth be known, recovery and the Kingdom go hand in hand. If I pursue the rule and reign of God in my life first....and along with it, His righteousness (or His character and nature) I would have the life that addiction had robbed me of. As a friend of mine use to say on more than one occasion.."You can't work those 12 steps and not bump your head on the cross."

So when pursuing the Kingdom becomes the focus of my daily life, what happens? Well in the verse, God said that "These things will be added unto you." What things? If you back up a few verses from the Matthew 33 portion, you'll see that He was talking about our needs. Food, shelter, clothing etc....

You may think me crazy, but I do believe that this is still the way God operates. Notice is did not say our wants and desires, but our needs. Once again, I am just crazy enough to believe what God says. If God is who He claims to be, and will do what He has promised He would do, would it not make sense to go after Him? To shake off the darkness of a life that has become unmanageable and seek His order and stability. To recognize Him as being not just a Higher Power, but the Highest Power above all who claim to have power? I think maybe yes is the answer.

Think on this today and choose for yourself who or what you are going to chase after.

God on you...

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NOW THAT WAS SOME KIND OF CRUNCHY PICKLE

 

Acts 2:2
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.........

Pentecost!
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Just as it was when Jesus died.....
Just as it was when Jesus rose from the dead.....
Just as it was when Jesus ascended back to heaven.....
After the day of Pentecost, the world would never be the same.
Life would never be the same for those who were alive on that day.
Life would never be, even for us, the same as it was before the day of Pentecost.

Prior to this day, God dispensed His Holy Spirit according to what individual He (God) was working through. He only gave His Spirit to those He called to do His bidding.
People such as John the Baptizer, King David, Deborah, Elijah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and so on.
But in the book of Joel a word is prophesied that there was coming a time when the Spirit of God would be poured out on all flesh. What falls under the word "ALL"? Everyone. Saved and unsaved. We need to remember just because something is poured out doesn't mean everyone is going to receive it gladly. Some will reject this pouring out of God's Spirit. But the bottom line is that we live in a time where the Holy Spirit of God is offered to all who are saved.

I like the way Luke describes the coming of the Holy Spirit. He likened it to a mighty rushing wind that filled the place where they were sitting. To me it's kind of like a new jar of pickles.
What happens when you first open it? There is that whooshing sound as air rushes into the jar and fill the vacuum that was inside. Prior to the Holy Spirit coming, mankind existed in this kind of vacuum. God was speaking. Jesus had been here and had ministered and completed his calling by dying and then being resurrected from the dead. But not until the lid was opened and the promised comforter was sent by the Father did everything began to expand and grow. The church grew by 3000 the very first day the Holy Spirit was poured out. Missionaries were raised up and went forth to take the word out of Jerusalem to the utter most parts of the earth. How would you like your town or village to be labeled "THE UTTER MOST PARTS OF THE EARTH?" I don't know, sometimes I feel as though Attalla is part of that label. But even here in Attalla, we are privilege to be under the guidance and moving of God's Holy Spirit.

Sometimes I think we discount this incredible gift that has been poured out on us and filled within us. Think about it. We have access to God 24/7 / 365 days a year. It wasn't like when Jesus walked the earth. Even though that would have been an incredible time to be alive, the disciples did not always have access to him. He would go off to be by himself (How do you think the disciples felt when this happened?) He would be taken up by crowds and have to devote his full attention to them. But now........with the Holy Spirit inside me, I am never away from Jesus. He is my mediator that sits at the right hand of God the Father and lives to intercede on my behalf. That is beyond cool...that is just downright out there. The one thing I do not want to do is take all of this for granted. I want to learn to listen and interact with the Holy Spirit as he guides me into all truth (John 16:13). I want to learn to live and obey under the power of the Holy Spirit as he cover me ( Acts 1:8).

We read in John 14:28 concerning the Holy Spirit:
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
This pouring out of God's Holy Spirit gives me a compass, a guide that (if I listen to and obey) will lead me into all truth. Truth about myself. Truth about God's plan and how I fit into it. Truth about every facet of my life. That is a true gift beyond price of any kind and God has seen fit to equip all His children with the Holy Spirit.

Ask God to help you to be receptive to the leading of His Holy Spirit today.
Spend some time thanking God for such a wonderful gift that has been placed inside of you.

God on you today!
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TUESDAY RAMBLINGS FROM A COFFEE FUELED BRAIN

 Spent this morning in Exodus 10 - 13. Most of you probably know the events that took place as God brought plagues on the nation of Egypt because the head honcho (Pharaoh) refused to let the Hebrews leave.  After all, they were the fuel that ran the economy of the nation. Slaves upon whose backs cities were built...monuments erected to the various gods that were worshiped there in Egypt.

Now let's look to this man, Pharaoh. King....divine leader tasked with lifting his nation above all the others, and to rule as he saw fit. One big problem. The people looked to this office as one that a god would occupy. In other words, ol' Pharaoh was not one of the boys so to speak. He didn't hang out with the blue collar guys. He was too busy doing the stuff that god's did back them. You know....dress up in get-up's that no one else would be caught dead wearing. Riding around in a tricked out chariot to view the masses and throw a trinket or two to satisfy those who were unruly. Typical "I am god" stuff. But all the while, in his heart and in his mind, Pharaoh probably thought himself to be elevated above the rest of humanity. As such, from this position his word was law, and no one better cross or doubt his word.

You know if you spent your day looking at statues that were erected to all the other gods of Egypt....you'd probably think that you were pretty special. After all, these other gods never showed their face or came around to challenge you and your office. You would conclude that you were the walking-around-real-deal-flesh-god who had the nation in the palm of his hand. Would anyone dare rise up to challenge you?

Well, enter one sheepherder from Median, formally from Egypt. A guy named Moses. Oh what a thorn in the side of Pharaoh was this low life named Moses. He comes in with demands to release all the slaves and let them go into the wilderness to worship their god. Why leave home to worship god, when you got one right there who is ruling over you?

You know how the story ends...God runs a series of plagues through Egypt. Every time this happens, Pharaoh's heart grows harder and colder to the idea of releasing the slaves. Until the final plague which kills all the first born of Egypt. Pharaoh relinquishes his demands and tells Moses and Aaron they had better get out of dodge. Which they do post-haste. 

Do you think we might have some of the same shenanigans going on in our government? That there are some folks who view themselves as being better, more intelligent, of a higher caliber of class than the ones they've been elected to serve. Now before you go all whoosy-toed on me, I am not lumping all politicians in one big collective soup pot. But we do have those who think themselves knowing best what you and I need. Do they see themselves as being some sort of god? I'm not qualified to answer that question. But I do know this.

We no longer have a two party political system. We have two groups who serve a god they would never admit to. The god of "SELF". Driven by their own base nature, desires, and dark hearts, they have spurned the Lord Almighty as not being relevant in our day and age. Oh my......kind of sounds like Pharaoh doesn't it. They stand and twist words, calling good evil and evil good. They create lies and then execute them against each other. Yet they are so blind they cannot see the one who is behind all of this. The god of this age. Satan, Lucifer, the dragon, the serpent, the devil. 

The devil's only intention in our nation and this world is to steal, kill and destroy. Yet the ones he stirs to carry out his agenda don't see this as something that would happen to them. After all , they are serving the greater good for a nation of people to ignorant to rule themselves. God have mercy on us!

So with all the craziness going on....remember who really is behind the madness. Remember the one who is pulling the strings of those who reject God by the very words that come from their mouth, and the actions that are evident that come from their heart.......all carried out in the name of "I know what is best for the people." God help us all....

I will close with this. No matter what you see, or read, or hear......things are not falling apart........they are falling into place, as God is carrying out His kingdom will here on this planet. I rest in this knowledge.

God on you...

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I LOVE DUCKS.......AND I LOVE JESUS

 

John 14:23
Jesus answered and said unto him, "If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him. And we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."

Seems to me that we are all born with a capacity to love. After all, we go about our live loving different people, places and things. I chose the "duck" picture simply because I do love me some ducks. Little ducks. Baby ducks. Don't care much for 'em when they grow up. Don't hate grown up ducks...their just cuter when they are babies. But I have the capacity to love outside myself.

Trouble is, if we grow up with this capacity to love, which is God-given by the way, then we find ourselves being drawn to love the things of the world. We wind up focusing on things that have no eternal value. They only temporarily fill a need or void inside of us. We buy stuff, and it makes us feel better....for a little while. We tell someone that we love them, in hopes that they will return the love so we can enter into a relationship with them. But bottom line is that we are looking to them to fill a need in our life. That's a pretty heady thing to do, if you want to know the truth. That is a lot of weight to carry around if someone who said they loved you is looking to you to make them happy and complete. That job is reserved for God.

Anyway, here we are....
Running around with the need to love and be loved....
As ol' Mickey Gilley use to sing..."Looking for love in all the wrong places."
That was me.
What's even more remarkable in all of this, is that the answer was right in front of me all this time....
God, the Father...
God, the Son...
God, the Holy Spirit....
God...the creator of love...
Actually I'm not sure I would call God the creator of love, simply because HE IS LOVE!!!
It's His nature to love...
He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us....
You may be thinking...."I didn't know I needed someone to die for me? What's up with this?"
Well, we are all born with a debt we owe.
It doesn't sound to fair to come into the world this way, but it is what it is.
We are born with a nature to do the wrong thing. We are born to be rebellious and a desire to live our life in the way we see fit. We may not say it in so many words, but we have an inborn nature that telegraphs messages to our brain and heart that we don't need God. We can do quiet well without Him.

Trouble is, when we follow this old nature we are born with...
Our choices are made based on what we want, not what God wants.
So humanity falls into different categories based on the extent of our rebelliousness.
We have those who cheat others...
We have those who lie...
We have those who become addicts...
We have those who become alcoholics..
We have those who become serial killers...
There are others who are pedophiles and rapists....
Then the weird thing is that there are others who appear to be really good people, but they too possess this sin/nature. They never run afoul of the law. They pay their taxes, and even go to church.
But each one of these categories of people all have one thing in common.

Romans 3:23
For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
Who falls under "ALL"?
Everyone of us.
We live our lives working to feed this nature. It is a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week job that demands we obey. So what is the end result?

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This is what we earn for our love that is for the things of this world.
This is the end result of loving the world, yet rejecting Christ.
We earn wages....
Sin wages....
Which leads to a death beyond our physical death.
Eternal separation from God....
A place of suffering and misery on a scale that the human mind cannot conceive of such.
A place that we choose to go to.
That's right....we choose through our actions and love for this world.
We choose because of our rejection of God's gift of eternal life.
A gift God has offered to each of us because He loves us with a love that is not of this world.

Step # 1 --- I am powerless to love as God loves. My love has drawn me into behaviors and attitudes that are totally outside the will of God. Because of this, I have sought comfort and meaning in drugs and alcohol. My life is unmanageable.

Step # 2 -- After trying to live my life in what I thought was my own control, I discovered that my life has devolved to such a degree that I can no longer decide what is best for me. I need a POWER greater than myself who could restore me to a life of making sound decisions. I have come to conclusion that such a power has a name, and that name is Jesus.

Step # 3 -- Because of me taking inventory of my life, seeing the mess and destruction I have created, I have made a decision to turn will and life over to the care of God. I will no longer follow the desires or dictates of my old nature which led me into the darkness of addiction. I will learn to follow the path Christ has laid out for me. I will rely on His Power and not my own.

I will learn to love myself, as He loves me.
I will learn to love others, as He has asked me to.
I will learn to love Him.
Why?
Simply because He is worthy to be loved..

God on you....
Mbb

GOD CALLS US TO SHINE!!

 

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

Recovered....Restored....And Revealed.
Buried under the grit and grim of life, pressure from every side

trying to shape and form you.
At the same time, keeping you hidden from the truth.
You never could see the "real" you, therefore, you never knew

your true value.

Not knowing what your value was, you thought yourself to be worthless....

No use to anyone....
With no value came the thought that you were unlovable....
After all, you were nothing more than a lump of coal hidden under 
tons of dirt and debris....

Deserving to be hidden and forgotten....

But then a hand reached down through the muck and mire that sought to

destroy you...
The muck and mire that sought to conform you to their image.
A hand that was the epitome and definition of Power and Purity.
A hand that searched through the grime with a mission to find and

restore you.
A hand that wasn't afraid to get dirty in order to save you.
A hand that knew what it was like to be rejected....
This hand was driven by a love that could not be defined
 The hand continued the search.

Finally touching you...it knew your shape and form more than you knew yourself.

And even though the dirt lay claim to you....
The hand began to pull you....
And even though the mud and grime fought hard to hold you in place...
The hand would not be defied...

Suddenly you were free of the darkness...
You were free from the pressure...
You were free....

The hand held you close and poured the water of His Spirit over you

in order to clean you up....

It was a feeling unlike anything you'd ever experienced before...this cleansing.

Free from the past...
Free from the grim...
Free from the pressure....
The hand held you up and for the first time, you sparkled and shone as you 

were created to.

It wasn't any light you possessed....
You merely reflected the light given off by the hand that had laid claim to you.
Pure light...
Light with power...
Light with purpose...

And that is who you are you crazy diamond...

So shine...
Shine and reflect the goodness of God.
Shine on....

Matthew 5:16 -----"Let your light so shine in such a way that others may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

God on you....

mbb