GREENE STREET LETTERS: VOICES

Friday, April 22, 2022

VOICES

4:17 a.m....First cup of coffee. House is quiet as Vicki is asleep down the hall. I love the mornings. I love the sense of newness as we get another day here on this ol' earth. I love it when my thoughts are few, and have yet to be highjacked by all the stuff that I know will come today. I love the mornings.

I know that we live in an age and time where image and visual rule the roost, but I am more of an auditory person. I listen. Early on, when I first came to the Vineyard, the passing of teaching tapes (yes, I said tapes) was the heart of learning how to hear, follow, and obey God. These tapes opened us to new songs of worship, how to hear God, and how to minister to others. I can't tell you the number of tapes that circulated within our church. Usually on Sunday, the topic of conversation among the people was about the latest tape that had been passed around.

The Vineyard has been blessed with some pretty incredible pastor/teachers. Men like John Wimber, whose no-hype -common-sense messages showed us all that we have been called to participate in the Kingdom work of God. As John would say, "Everyone gets to play."

James Ryles played a very important part in our life personally. I remember when Vicki and I sat and listened to James teaching on "How To Hear God." No one had ever explained it like he did. No one had ever showed us how to hear God. Now couple that series of teachings with his messages on Grace and you've got yourself a life changing view of how God works through His Kingdom plans.

Why am I writing this? I'm not sure. I just know that Romans 10:17 reads, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." I'm not against the visual presentations or teaching of God's word. But we need to remember that it's what goes through the "ear gate" and not the "eye gate" that impacts us the most.

There are a lot of incredible teachers out there. If you desire to grow then pray and ask God to lead you to the "Voices" that truly speak on His behalf. Those who allow the Holy Spirit to move in them and through them as they unfold the Word of God.

Well, my coffee is gone. I guess it's time for that 2nd cup. Make it a good weekend.

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.

Friday, April 22, 2022

VOICES

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD