GREENE STREET LETTERS: TO ALL

Monday, September 19, 2022

TO ALL

John 1:12
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

God alone holds the power to either accept or reject those who claim to be his.
He isn't mean spirited and spiteful in this selection. The problem lies with the mindset that the world has adopted toward God. The world (our society) has created God in its image rather than becoming born again into the image of God. We (humanity) declare that God is a god of love and that he would never reject anyone. The world loves the idea that there are many path's to God. One only needs to find what works and then follow it. How so not true is that belief. God does not reject.... We reject and based on our actions we declare our loyalty to someone other than him. We choose to go against what is right and what is holy, to embrace what we have wrongly declared to be "fair." I think that is what some people want...a god who is fair. The last time I told God something wasn't fair, He agreed with me. In fact He told me, "Your right, what you are going through isn't fair, but it also isn't fair that I had to send my Son to die in your place." I quickly understood the concept of fair and I have never played that card again.

I have been accused of being close minded for believing that Jesus is the only way to the Father. I have been called intolerant and even bigoted for believing that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. My reply to such is that I did not make the rules up. I did not decide this truth. It is found in the Bible and as such I either believe or I don't. For me, I'm just crazy enough to think, "Hey! It must be true because I know my own personal track record of following Jesus and the power of this book we call the Bible."

The thing that catches my eye in the John verse is the first three words.........But to all.......
Here we see the love of God manifested in those three words. There are no exclusions to the invitation. There isn't any intolerance to the gift. God has extended it freely. The intolerance comes from those who reject it and try to formulate intent because of their rebellion...."God is a mean god." Or "God is not a god of love". How far from the truth.

But to all who believed him and accepted him. IN order to accept something, you have to reject something. In this case one who believes and accepts is trading one lifestyle for another. We are rejecting a way of life that the world system tells us to live...........in order to obtain a life in the Kingdom of God. A life of relationship with Him. Now that is cool x 10!

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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, September 19, 2022

TO ALL

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD