No Time For "Woe Is Me!"

There has to be a moment in each generation, where a realization takes place. Call it a "Coming to our senses". A moment where every thing gets crystal clear and you see life for what it truly is. Your suddenly aware of the society you live in and the ways and attitudes that have become acceptable and considered to be the norm. It is of my opinion that only the Spirit of God can bring such moments to the generations. It is only God's Spirit who can remove the blinders from our vision and allow us to see the state of affairs in our cities and towns.

Without such moments of clarity, we will continue to sink into a pit of profanity and uncleanness that will drive us farther and farther away from God. Without such clarity, we will raise another generation who does not know God and does not know of his deeds and love for mankind. As a people we will devolve into a group who is driven not by the Spirit of God, but by their own carnal base desires. In other words, we will live by our flesh and for our flesh.

I have been wanting to write this for some time, but didn't feel like I had permission to by God. Now, I have such permission. Sunday night, I sat and watched a well respected news show glorify and approve of two men who have pushed the boundaries of profane. In fact the one who was doing the interview said the following statement concerning this new work these two men have completed....."They are blasphemous, profane......but uplifting."  I felt shame and my heart broke as clips were played that mocked and made fun of Jesus. Blasphemous...profane....but uplifting? How could such things be played over the airways as being acceptable and right. What happened to the moral compass of this nation? Have we truly cast aside God so far that all rules have been negated and anything goes?

I know that from time to time, people have stood up to turn to God to right the wrongs that are guiding our nation. I know that good people have called for prayer groups and rally's to take back out nation for God. Such things appear to be good and proper........but are they effective? Do they accomplish anything, or are they simply a way to soothe our conscience concerning this spiritual darkness that has settled over our land?
Whenever such groups do gather, they usually use II Chronicles 7:14 as the basis for their meetings.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

What I see in these verses is the basis for a revival to beat all revivals.
Very first thing......God refers to them as "HIS PEOPLE" who are called by His name.
In other words...He is talking about those who aren't about the business of playing at being a follower of Jesus. He is referring to those who truly belong to the body of Christ.
Such people are called to humble themselves. Are we truly willing to do that? Humble ourselves? To agree with God who God says we are? To place ourselves in a position where we simply follow His instructions, no questions asked? Are we willing to shake off all our own wants, desires.....to lay down our agendas and plans to once and for all time take up the real cross that Jesus commands us to in Luke 9:23?

Then and only then can we fall to our knees and pray and seek His face. From such a place, the things of this old world seem to disappear and you can see Him like at no other time. I don't think this part of the passage is referring to short, flowery prayers that we sometimes pray. This is a prayer that has to come up from being broken before God. I know that this isn't a very popular part of being a follower of Jesus. Today it seems to be about being positive and upbeat....smiles and great music. Well, there are times when we should venture into the dark place of the holy of holies, such as was with the Tabernacle Moses built. Only the high priest could venture into such a area. Since we have been called "Priests" by God in I Peter 2:9, it is in this place that we meet the real God. So much of my service and life to God is merely what I refer to as "Surface Stuff" that I am ashamed at my actions and shallowness of my faith. The place of humbling myself, praying and seeking God's face does not take place in the bright light of man's approval. It takes place in the dark hard places of my own heart. The places I have tried to hide from the view of others. You see, I think we all stand naked at the cross. I'm not talking about not having any clothes on, I speaking of the uncovering love and healing that takes place when we get honest before Jesus. When we quit playing a religious game of "Look at me! Ain't I spiritual?" and wake up to reality that such posturing serves no purpose other than to feed our sinful flesh, then all the praying in the world isn't going to move God one way or another.

Malachi 1:10 refers to this facade of appearing religious.
"Oh that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," Says the the Lord Almighty.
Would we even hear God's message if he told us to shut the doors of our churches, silence the music of our worship and not to come back until we are ready to repent and turn again to Him? Or would we bow our backs and say, "You don't appreciate all the things we have done in your name!"

The next part of II Chronicles 7:14 speaks of "turning from our wicked ways." Now there isn't a believer a live who truly sees themselves as being wicked. After all..........We're Saved! But let me ask you this? How wicked do you have to be, to be wicked? Is there any hate, bitterness or unforgiveness in your heart? That would be considered wickedness, wouldn't it? To me, I want to be about the business of learning to love. I've not very good at it. I find myself being confronted with people that I just have a hard time loving. Maybe not something you want to hear from me............but I'm just trying to be real. I do spend a great deal of time praying asking God to help me to learn to love. To not let my love be tainted by skepticism or a critical tongue. I want the pure, undefiled kind of love that comes from the Father heart of God.

I know this has been a long posting today and I thank you for stopping by the Greene Street Letters. This posting was written for me, first of all. God is stirring me to adopt this II Chronicles 7:14 attitude. If this has spoken to you, then lets join together in seeking God's face for our nation. When I say nation...I mean which ever one you may live in. It isn't all about the USA you know. God loves......Canada, Great Britain, Egypt, Iran and Iraq, France, Spain, China, Russia, The Ukraine, Brazil, and so on and so on....
Last time I checked, my Bible said that "God so loved the world................."
God on you....
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Audio Message: Seth Barber Shares on The Heart Of Jesus To Change Us!

Caught In The Cross-Hairs---

Spending some time parked in the book of Job.
Not exactly pleasurable reading, unless you try and see it through the lens of God's Spirit.
What do I mean by that?
Well, we don't really see much fairness in the book of Job. We tend to shy away from being caught in such shenanigans as what took place in the book of Job.
Seems to me that old Job was minding his own business, doing the things that pleased God, when he suddenly became the target of a divine war. Like I said, it seemed that old Job was caught in the cross hairs, so to speak.

There are several things that I like in the first chapter of Job.
Verse 6 - One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.
Dude! The big, bad, nasty one himself, had to come before the Lord and explain what he had been doing with his time. Sometimes people read this and get the impression that Satan somehow snuck in the back door of heaven and was trying to upset the heavenly apple cart by being there. No way! He was there because God said, "Dude..you be here. Got it?"

Verse 7 - The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
Did you catch that? Do you think for one moment that God is unaware of the goings on of Satan? Do you think that the chief sneaky-snuck could put one over on God? No way! To me, what's even more hilarious is the fact that Satan had to answer. Not only that, he had to tell the truth. I think God operates like this so that we'll understand that there is nothing we can do that is hidden from his sight.

Then came the kicker. God seemingly targets Job for a kind of spiritual Tug-o-war. In verse 8, we read: The the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him. He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." It almost sounds like God is bragging. Like He is telling Satan, "Looky here - I've got me a man down there on earth who is one of a kind. What do you think about that? Huh?" But that isn't what is happening. As seen by Satan's response, he already was well acquainted with Job and in fact, had probably tried to destroy him in times past.

Job's name means Hated one.
Hated by whom?
Why was he hated?
Who would name their kid "Hated One?"
Might as well named him Pontius Pilate or Adolph Hitler. Hated One?
Job was not hated by God, but by Satan.
God loved Job.
The troubles and situations Job faced are very disturbing to us, especially in our society where a persons worth is measured by his wealth, material possession and social status. When we have more, we also have more to lose in times of attack and trials.
I guess we all could ask the question....."How could God love Job, if He let all those things happen to him/"It was because of the love that God had for Job that God allowed the attacks to come.
As we walk in our relationship with Jesus, in this present evil age, the question we have to ask ourselves is "Can my love for God be turned by circumstances?"

I pray that it can't, and to be honest with you, the very thought terrifies me.
What about you?

One last thing....
While Job is not a popular book to read, it should be required reading for every follower of Jesus. This book offers to us a new reality when studying good and evil.

Marantha! Lord Jesus
God on you....
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We Came...We Praised....We Loved

My family......
Probably the most talented bunch of individuals you'd ever want to be around. Each time we get together, I am flooded with memories of times past. Throw in an overwhelming sense of love for these guys and it makes for a great evening.

Nori, Barbie, Lizzie and Cynthia Kelley came to Rapha last night to play and worship. Eugene Bates joined them on Bass and or course, the lovely and talented Joe Pfau kept everything flowing with his drumming.
I know that we are all a year older since our last meeting, but the fire still burns for Jesus and the worship gets sweeter and more fuller each time we meet.  So many stories that we have in common....times spent together......playing and worshipping.....our struggles and our victories. All a part of our shared history.
Standing there in the chapel last night, trying to take everything in, I was very much aware of what an incredible blessing God has given to me........friends.....real friends...

I thought back to different seasons of our lives. First meeting Nori, back in 1980 and first learning what an incredible talent he was. His first album, Spring Rain, was and continues to be one of my favorites. Being a part of Christian Brothers Organization, and all the Fall Festivals we put on. Pat Terry, and Paul Clark, Don and Jennie Rakestraw, The group-Joel, David and Brook Finlayson...all of these folks laid the groundwork in my life for what God wanted to do next. Teach me how to worship. This is where Nori came in. He and Debbie Handy gave me a love for worship. I could write for hours about time spent playing and worshipping together with these people......my friends.

Funny part about this "friend" thing, is that if you took Jesus out of the mix, I don't know that we'd have anything in common. We'd probably speak out of courtesy if we met somewhere, but I don't think we'd classify ourselves as friends. To me, this is the power of the Holy Spirit. He takes us above our differences and unites us in His love. I think the words of Ephesians 4:2-3 ring truer this morning than ever before in my life---Be completely humble and gentle; be patient bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. I don't think God was suggesting this as something we might want to think about. I think He was dead serious about us ,as believers, working to keep the unity of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit's very nature is to bring together those who the flesh would seek to keep apart.

So last night brought a deep satisfaction to my soul.
Oh, I'd heard the songs before...but this was more than just songs....
This was about giving an offering....
An offering of gratitude and love to God for the people He has placed in my life.
I thought to myself, "This is one of those times that I need to store away and draw life from it." To be thankful for these brief encounters where we are brought together under the covering of worship to Love our God and love one another.

God on you.....
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Changing Horses In The MIddle Of The Stream Isn't Always Bad



Psalm 84:10

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

Funny thing I have noticed about life. As you grow, mature....you develop a value system. You place a value on the things that are important to you. You value those around you whom you most love. You place a value on your time and what you do with it. We all have a value system. I've heard it said that if you took a person's check register or credit card statement, you could tell where their heart lies, or what is important to them.

As people in recovery, we are in the process of changing value systems. No two belief systems, or world views, could be farther apart than these two.

One seeks to feed our sinful desires and wants and cravings....the other seeks to please God.

One lusts for the temporary, while the other has found an eternal satisfaction.

One value system exists in chaos and anxiety....the other in quiet peace no matter what the circumstance or situation is that surrounds it.

For me, I find tremendous pleasure in reading the Bible. Not in my old value system. In that one, the Bible was nothing more than a book to carry around to make people think I was spiritual. How sad was that? Now I read all the time. What time I'm not reading, I am listening to a teaching on my mp3 players. I get really tickled when someone asks, "Hey--what song are you listening to?" I'll reply....."Oh, it's Carter Conlon, or J. Vernon McGee or maybe Ronald L. Dart." Their brow will furrow with a look of puzzlement and reply..."I'm not familiar with their music. In my old value system, such things as Bible study and teachings from other men were not important.

The idea of sustaining your recovery becomes a part of your new value system as you enter into a relationship with Jesus. It isn't about staying free from using, it becomes more about simply living. Life takes on new values. Family and friends become the commodity of love as you seek to do for them, not because you have to, but because you want to.

When faced with the riches and pleasures of the world, the Psalmist in Psalm 84 wrote that he'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord. He'd rather be the one who stands just inside the door, never mind sitting on the front row. His value system had changed and he simply wanted to be in the presence of God. There is an old song that reflects this idea.

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold

I'd rather be his than have riches untold.

I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land

I'd rather be led by his nail pierced hands.
Than to be the king of a vast domain

or be held in sins dread sway

I'd rather have Jesus than anything

this world affords today.

God on you......

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WIND in concert at the Church@ Rapha

Nori, Barbie, Lizzie and Cynthia Kelley will be playing at our Saturday night meeting here at Rapha.
That would be "tomorrow night" /  7 p.m.
I've known the Kelley's for mucho time-o and am always jazzed when they get to come to Rapha.
Looking and praying for God to show up and do what He does so well. 
See you then...
God on you.....
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A True Love Story......With A Happy Ending

As a pastor, I get to participate in some pretty neat events. I have baptized a lot of folks, and I never tire of climbing down to the creek at Rapha and wading out into the water to perform this ceremony. Standing there in the water, watching as the ones coming to be baptize make their way out to the middle. Praying over them and then lowering them under the water. For that brief moment, they truly do symbolize someone who had died and has been lowered into a grave. Under the water, they are cut off from everything, just as our old sin nature cuts us off from true life with God. Then you bring them up out of the water, and they take that first gasp of air....It is like being resurrected from the dead. They couldn't bring themselves up on their own....they trusted you to do so. Just as I cannot save myself, I have to trust Jesus because he is the only one who holds the key to eternal life. The words of John 14:6 ring with eternal truth..."I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

I have christened babies. Lot of people don't understand what a christening is, and that's o.k., I didn't either.To christen a child is not a baptism into life as a believer, to me when a baby is christened, the parents are bringing that child before God, declaring their intention that their child will be raised in a home where the tenants of the Bible will be taught. In other words, these parents will raise their child according to the instruction of God. I had the honor and privilege of christening my two grand children, Tyler and Ashley. It was a special moment for me, as I looked down into those eyes that were filled with innocence and purity. My son and his wife have honored that christening by raising their children in a godly home.

Yesterday was a first for me. I performed a wedding ceremony where the couple wanted to renew their vows. This past year had been a tumultuous one that has seen God bring victory to their lives and to their family. In fact the ceremony coincided with the one year anniversary of clean time for the groom. This time last year, life was hard and there was much destruction around this young couple. The wife had reached the end of her rope and had declared to her husband, either you change or I'm leaving you and taking the children. Of course the young man wanted to change. But before that could happen, he needed the assurance that his wife wouldn't leave him. She refused to give it, saying, "It's up to you whether I stay or go. Get yourself clean. The man I'm married to today is not  the man I fell in love with." Hard words to hear, and it totally unsettled the young man. He kept wanting to "FIX" her and the relationship before he started on the road to recovery. I kept telling him, "You've got to take care of you first or there won't be any family to go home to." Slowly but surely he began to work on himself. Each step was painful and tedious but he continued and did not waver from his commitment to see this all the way through.

The young man completed the program and returned home. He took a job that he really didn't want to take because in his eyes, it was beneath him. This young man was full of pride and vanity. But there on that job, God began to teach him something that he truly needed.........how to be humble. This simple act of working in a place that he thought he'd never be in, doing it because it was the right thing to do, was the fuel that kept him going. He wanted to quit, but he didn't. He wanted to run away and get high, but he didn't. He stuck it out and it yesterday was the reward. This young man now owns the business that he really didn't want to work at. That came about because he did all the little things God asked of him. He did them with a good attitude. He did them when he didn't want to do them. But he did them. This young man has not taken any short cuts on the road to his sobriety. He has followed God at every turn, even when he didn't understand the "whys" of what God was asking of him.

So last night, in the chapel at Rapha, I stood before this couple and helped them to renew their wedding vows. I saw love in the eyes of the bride as she has gotten back the man she fell in love with. I saw peace and gratitude in the eyes of the groom as he spoke his vows to his wife. A year later, after all the chaos in the life of this couple, God was blessing them with a new life. How cool was that?

Such times and events are payday to me.
Thank you God for your faithfulness.

God on you.....
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