Simple Words.......Great Truth

Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

God gave my wife this verse in the middle of the night to remind me of a simple truth that had evaded by mind. You cannot separate the truth of God from any situation that you face. You can't compartmentalize or pigeon hole the promises of God and pull them out at your convenience. You see, I was allowing a situation and decision that I have to make to pull me away from the truth of God. Oh, it's not that the choices and opportunities facing me are bad ones. But they do have the potential to move me from what God has called me to, into other areas that I know I'm not suppose to be in. I know that what I have written is probably clear as mud, and I apologize for the vagueness of this morning's posting.

I guess what I am trying to say is that the verse from Psalm 23 is more powerful that we can think or imagine. It involves me knowing who I am in this relationship with Jesus. It involves me understanding exactly who Christ is and what His call and obligation to me is. In that verse, Christ and I have very clear defined roles to occupy. These roles are a result of the Salvation that was brought and given to me by Jesus. 

It is very simple.
He is THE shepherd.
I am one of His sheep.
There, I said it.
I've heard people refer to Jesus as "Lord of Lord's and King of King's". I'd like to add to that list that Jesus is the "Shepherd of shepherd's". 
His love and care for the flock entrusted to Him goes beyond anything we could think or imagine. Jesus is not a hireling paid to guard someone else's flock. No, He was given His sheep by His Father. He proved His faithfulness when He gave up His very own life so that His Father's flock could increase in number. 

Now with the "position" problem solved; Jesus=Shepherd.....Me=sheep. Let's move to the heart of the matter. 
"I shall not want".
How could such a statement like this be said?
Because of who my Shepherd is.
He provides for me, but the provision comes when I follow Him. He knows where the greener pastures are. He knows where the places to water are. He knows where the greatest dangers lurk and stirs clear of them. He is the great shepherd. What's my job and role as a sheep? To simply follow. Don't take any side trips away from His care. Don't wander off. Always listen for Him and His call. Heed what He says. And in the end, simply do it.

In the situation that is facing me, I got caught up in looking at a side trip away from the flock, and away from Jesus' care. That is a dangerous way to live. I would be placing myself, my family and my future at risk. The one thing I have discovered lo these past 20 years. Jesus is faithful. That no matter what our circumstances may be....no matter what things may look like, He will always provide what is needed for His sheep. I think maybe you could take that to the bank.

God on you...
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It Really Is A War

Ephesians 6:10-13
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all, to stand.

Paul, the author of Ephesians, uses a lot of military terms in his writing. OF course, Rome was the major military force during his day, so naturally Paul would draw from this example. But why military? Why so many references to war and fighting? Why a listing of a spiritual hierarchy as our enemy? Well, he answers that question when he wrote...."For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood." You see, we really are in a battle. There are only two sides to the conflict and you are in one or the other. You either march under the covering of Jesus, or you march under the covering of Satan. There aren't any conscientious objectors in this battle. You are a major participant simply because you were born into this world. 

The funny part in all of this, is the way people are oblivious to the casualties and deaths that are a result of the warfare. I know many who fill the pews of churches every Sunday, who hide their heads in the sand not wanting to believe in this battle. You start mentioning warfare, attacks by the devil and his kingdom, and they look at you like you have three heads. Never mind if you talk about deliverance. Now you've regressed to the dark ages. Deliverance? You mean the casting out and breaking off of demonic spirits? Yeppers! That what I mean. "Surely you are misguided...this is the 21st century!"Oh, I see...we have technology and smart phones....we've been to the moon and have raised up great institutions of learning. Therefore let's put all the religious talk of spiritual warfare in the category of fables and fairy tales". I don't think so. 

I am surrounded by the darkness every day. I see it in the lives of those in addiction. I see it in the dead, lifeless eyes of those who have surrendered to the darkness and are simply waiting to die. But I have also seen the power and hand of God who possesses the ability to give life. I've seen lives snatched from the very edge of death and restored to wholeness. It is a battle and a war.

 There are some well meaning folks  so paranoid about demons and the devil that they see one behind every bush. God called us to have a balance to our lives and that includes spiritual warfare. If you are a believer........a follower of Jesus, then you do have an enemy who wants to see you destroyed. In fact according to John 10:10, that's all our enemy is  good for. Stealing, killing and destroying things. Standing against our enemy, the devil, is Jesus who, in that same passage, states that "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." If ever battle lines were drawn, it could not be any more clearer than these two statements found in John 10:10.

The devil = stealing, killing and destroying.
Jesus= life, and life abundant.
That is why I'm so stoked about making sure people are aware of this warfare that is going on all around us, and is happening to us. Now don't go all paranoid about these attacks....I've read the end of the book and we win. But while we occupy these bodies and are walking around here on planet earth, we should expect to run into our enemy from time to time. We should expect to be attacked either physically, emotionally, even spiritually, but when the attack does come, don't panic and don't fear. Jesus is there to take you through it. During such times when you feel that you are under attack, draw near to your church family and share what is going on. Surround yourself with those who you know are intercessors and people of prayer. This is where we stand against the wiles of the devil. We don't retreat and we never, never, never give up.

Like I said earlier, I've read the end of the book.
We win!

God on you.....
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Fire Then.....Fire Now!

Acts 2:1
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Debbie Handy spoke Saturday night at Vineyard Recovery Church on "community".
She explained the power and purpose of being connected to a group of like-minded people. That such was the place where there was safety and growth.

Being a part means more than showing up and taking up space. It means an investment on our part. To join in with. To catch the vision of the group and give yourself to it. I know that in the case of recovery, there are many reasons to go to a meeting, whether it be A.A. or Celebrate Recovery. Some go to get their court card stamped. Some go to appease family members. Some go because they enjoy it. No matter what the reason, the ultimate purpose is to help change the perception that "I don't need anyone to remain sober." Not so. We were created to fellowship. We were born with a desire to be a part of something larger than ourselves.

I love the verse from Acts 2.....they (the disciples of Jesus, along with others).....were all in one accord (in agreement) and in one place.  Put these things together and you got the making of something special. In the case of Acts 2...One accord + One place = Power of the Holy Spirit.  The group, because of the Spirit of God, becomes something greater. 

What if next Saturday night, we came together at V.R.C. and were all in one accord? What if we truly were like minded and focused on one thing, meeting with God? What do you think might happen? I'm not talking about a verbal nod to "Yes, Lord come and be with us." I'm talking about a hunger....a desperation.....a burning desire to be with God. For God to come and walk among us. Now what if we took that with us on a daily basis, staying in contact with others who were also carrying around this hunger? I think maybe we might see a move of God among addiction/recovery that the world could not handle.

One of the reasons I love our Bible studies at Rapha on Tuesdays and Thursdays is because it is voluntary. Those who attend do so because they want to. We usually have between 5 and 10 men show up, and they are hungry to meet with God. They come ready to connect and respond to God's presence. They have found the value of being with God. Not the God of the professing church, or the God of the denomination...but the God of the Bible. 

I have watched over the last 16 years as God has poured out great favor and healing on those in addiction who are hungry for Him.  I have seen Him do some pretty incredible healing to some people who were so broken that you thought they were beyond help. I have seen others squander this gift of new life given to them by God, only to return to the darkness. Such is the way of the world. But I know that I know that we stand at the edge of something that is greater than what we have previously seen. I can't explain it. I just know it to be true. I really believe that we are in the preparation stages for a visitation by the Spirit of God to those trapped in addiction. I believe that, as is says in Scripture, the fields are white for harvest. 

We are going to see God move in ways that will lay us all low to the ground. We talk about Power and we talk about the presence of God. He is coming! I wish not to clothe or couch this next move with religious jargon or trappings. This move will be for a people who have lived in darkness like no other before. That is why we need to provide places where we can gather in one accord. We need places where the need for God is greater than our need to simply play church. Sometimes this need may manifest itself in a time of silence....no message being taught...no music being played....just a collective of hearts and souls lifting a prayer to heaven, "Come, Holy Spirit." There will be no place for the organization of man, but only for the directive of the Spirit. There will be those who scoff at such meetings. There will be detractors and nay sayer's as to the validity and the character of those who are being saved and changed. But like the blind man in Scripture who was healed by Jesus, and was being questioned by the religious rulers....we too will proclaim...."All we know is we were blind but now we see."

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!
God on you...
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The Heart Of A Mother

John 19:25
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother................

What must it have been like to watch your son die. The son you gave birth to. The son you carried in your womb for nine months. Seeing him not just hanging from a cross, but nailed to it for all the world to see. Oh, you remembered the words of the angel Gabriel when he came to you years ago. Those words had brought you comfort and peace during times of great struggle and pain. But on this day the pain seemed greater than ever, and there seemed to be no way that you would ever be able to move beyond it.

You prayed that it could be you hanging there instead of your son. Those around you tried to get you to leave. "You don't need to be here....You don't need to view this." But this was your own son."Yes I do.I will not leave my son." In your heart of hearts you knew this was God in flesh. You knew that. You fully understood the miracle that had taken place in your own body years ago when the Holy Spirit had come upon you with such power. In that instant, all the laws of nature and genetics were suspended and God invaded your time and space. You knew this. But you also knew that you and Jesus were connected in a way that no one ever could or ever would understand. 
You gave birth to Messiah....the Christ, but no matter what title may be attached to him, he would always be your son.

You had raised him to not be selfish.
Here on this day, He was carrying out the ultimate act of unselfishness.
He was giving his own life and blood as payment for the sin of the world. Sin that was birthed in the past...sin that was active and alive in the present...and sin yet to be birthed. Your son took it all upon himself and became the perfect lamb to be sacrificed as payment so that the debt would be cancelled.

You remembered the times you washed him and dressed him, singing his favorite songs. He loved music and the way it lifted the heart during dark times. He loved to sing songs to God, his father. You taught him this. But on this day, there were no songs. In three days there would be the ultimate victory song of resurrection. But that was 72 hours away, and 72 hours were an eternity.

You watched over him while he slept. Your prayers covered him. Yes, he was the Son of God.....but he was your son, and you were his mother.

In an age where people are measured by their accomplishments, Mary would simply pass as a nice woman who never achieved much with her life. How wrong could we ever be if we hold to that assumption. Today is a day to celebrate the one who gave us life. Our mothers. Mary was given one task to fulfill. Allow herself to be the one who birthed the Son of God. OF all the women in the world, God looked down on her as being the only one who could give him something he did not possess. A human body. 

She gave her very life to raise her son. Nothing else was more important. She saw his first steps. Heard his first words. Nursed him. Bandaged his cuts and dried his tears. Why? Because he may have been the Son of God....but he was her son also.  She kissed his face and laughed with him, and how he loved to laugh. She was his mother. You see, to me, that is the funny part in all of this. You can call Mary whatever you want. You can regal her and lift her to the heights.....but she was and always will be what some assume is the simplest of tasks. A mother. 

Peter, a lowly fisherman, went on to become a mighty man of God, eventually crucified on a cross also.

Paul wrote most of the New Testament and planted churches every where he went.

John, exiled to the isle of Patmos, was transported into the very throne room of heaven where he was shown wonders and visions of what was to take place.

James, the half brother of Jesus, was to become the father of the church in Jerusalem.

And the list goes on and on of the great people who gave their lives for the gospel of Jesus.

But Mary! That young virgin whose life was being mapped out through the engagement to Joseph. She gave up her life and body to become the vessel through which Messiah would come. And with those incredible words she spoke upon learning of her being chose by God, forever placed her name among the heroes of the faith. "Behold the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word."

Happy Mother's Day...
Vicki...
Betty....
Mom.....

I honor you on this day for the sacrifices that you have made and the lives you have lived out in front of us all.

God on you....
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Ginormous, Stullosal, Copendace, Radical FAITH!

Hebrews 11:1
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.

I'm really not crazy about the term "Radical Faith". I understand why it is used, when reading Hebrews 11. Some refer to this chapter as the Hall of Faith. Choices and deeds done because the people listed put their faith and trust in God. But to be honest with you, there should be nothing radical about this. This should be the way we live everyday. If it appears radical to me, then I must be living below the measurement of what real faith is.  It's kind of like the way we view God. If God acts in someones life, or answers a prayer that seemed impossible, we would refer to that as "Supernatural". Truth is, to God , it was very natural. 

I'm not lumping everyone in one basket and saying that all believers are living a sub-standard life of faith. I am saying that what passes for faith in most of our lives, could use a bit of exercising. It's one thing to claim to have faith...it's another to exercise it in every area of your life. 

Faith is the spiritual glue that binds me to Jesus. It is applied to my heart and I know, sometimes beyond reason, that God truly who He claims to be, and will do what He has promised He would. No matter what my five senses tell me. No matter what my rational thinking (and sometimes irrational thinking)  may say. No matter what the majority may agree on, I am called to live in a different way on a different plane. I am called to live by faith. 

So, what do I know to be truth this morning?
1.) Scripture tells me that every person is given a "Measure" of faith.

2.) It isn't the size of the faith, or the impression you have of how much faith you do or do not possess  that is important.

3.) You've got to exercise it. You've got to apply your belief in God and what He is capable of doing to every situation in your life. Now you can't read into your situations what you think He might do. You can't read into your situations what you think He should do. You have to believe that He has your best interest at heart and will act on that. II Corinthians 5:7 reads For we walk by FAITH, not by sight.

What this means to someone coming into recovery is that you have to begin to allow God to bring discipline to your heart and your life. Everything you do becomes accountable to Him. "Well, that sounds like a lot of work." At first, it will be a lot of work. You'll won't to quit. You'll want to go back to your old life and old ways. But don't. Sometimes I think we only want a God who'll save us, get us out of hell and clean up all our messes. Well, it doesn't work that way. Such is the reason the big book of A.A. says that "we look for the easier, softer way."

I like the way the Message Bible stated what faith is.
The fundamental fact of existence. It is the foundation under everything that makes life worth living. Faith is directed toward a person. That person is the very foundation of our existence. That person has defined what real life is, and has been given the pleasure of bringing real life, abundant life to those who choose to live by faith in Him. That foundation has a name, and that name is Jesus.

What foundation are you living upon today?
Is it the Federal Government? Sorry, they will let you down.
Is it family or friends? They too will let your down.
Is it your own ability and wisdom? How's that working out?
There is only one foundation that has stood the test of time. Jesus.
Throw a faith line to Him. Lay hold of His offer of real life and then hang on for the ride.
You won't be sorry.

God on you...
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It's The Last Friday Of The Week!

Yes it is, and we've made it another week.
We're still clean and sober, above ground and ventilating. 
In the old life, Friday was "party hearty" time. Time to cut loose, as we use to say. A time to shuck off the work week and go for the pleasure. Bars....music...the river....friends....and the list went on and on. But the only thing that held it all together.....the only thing that brought the so called "friends" was the alcohol and/or the drugs. Stop and think about this. The only thing that kept that group together and functioning on any level was a substance. Take the substance out of the picture and you all probably would not have hung out together.

Time goes by and you and your friends go through changes. Instead of gatherings and parties, you find that isolation has become your closest friend. You become your own best friend. And Friday? Well, your entire week becomes a blur to the point that you don't concern yourself with what day or time it is.
Sound's like fun, doesn't it? It is the truth of addiction.

Addiction is an equal opportunity destroyer. It takes no pity on anyone. Of course you know these things, but it doesn't really register with you, does it? You continue to make that long slide down into oblivion, jail, the legal system and eventually death. You even rationalize that death would be welcomed. It would stop the pain, the guilt and the shame, death might be a good friend. But here is where it gets crazy. Such thoughts of embracing death is birthed in darkness. Darkness will not let you see what lies beyond death. You think to yourself, "There's  nothing after death. No heaven or hell. No Jesus or the devil. Nothing. You just die. Really? Do you really believe that? Or are you just trying to convince yourself that such is the reality of this world.

Don't be a chump.
You may be asking me, "Well, prove to me that God is real and heaven and hell are there! Prove to me that this Jesus you claim to know and follow is for real. Prove it!"
I can prove it, but you're not going to like the proof. You'll even claim that it isn't proof at all.
How can I prove it? By my own personal life.See, I told you. But here's the rub. I know how my life use to be. I know what darkness filled my heart and my life, and touched everyone I came in contact with. I was miserable, my wife was miserable and we didn't know how to get out of the mess that had covered us and was choking the very life from us. 

But God sent a young man and a record album. Yes, you heard me...a record. The young man gave it to me and told me to listen to it, that he thought I might enjoy it. So there in the living room of our apartment, one Friday afternoon, I put the record on my turntable. He was right! It was the funniest thing I'd heard in a long time. No one home, but I was laughing and crying at the same time. Side one finished and I hurriedly flipped it over to listen to the second side. But something happened. The humor slowly waned and I found myself hearing the Gospel of Christ again. I'd heard it years before but such had been shelved and then covered up by the sin I had let into my heart and life. With each word that came out of my speakers, I felt conviction like I hadn't felt in a long time. It was God talking directly to my heart. I knew it. It was scary and comforting at the same time. The tears came harder and quicker. I was broken. I remember sliding out of my chair, to my knees and praying over and over...."Oh God! Forgive me...Oh God! Forgive me." I don't know how long I was down there......the record had long since stopped. But the one thing I do know, is that when I stood up I was changed. I couldn't explain it. I didn't have language for it. I just knew it. I also knew that I had to play this for my wife. I did. She too was changed. That was 1979 and we have been on this Jesus journey of change ever since then. 

We have had things happen to us over the years since 1979 that could not be explained any other way than God intervening in our lives. I could write you stories about His faithfulness that came in real physical, tangible ways. I could tell you about healing's and deliverance's from demonic spirits. I could go on and on about the love that God re-birthed in my wife and me.
You see, all your doubt about the reality of God and all this "stuff" I write about daily here on the Greene Street Letters...doesn't negate the truth about who God is and what He has promised He would do for anyone who cries out to Him.

Because of God, I can get up every morning and post something here on this blog.
I can do so and rest in the knowledge that someone some where is given a seed of encouragement to not give up today. It really has nothing to do with me, but has everything to do with God.
Why not find out for yourself.
He is waiting.

God on you....
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I Am A Mess

Romans 7 (Message Bible)
Yes, I'm full of myself----after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it. It becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.

I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it. I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

All addiction begins as a spiritual matter.
We make a choice.
We have the ability to hear God....
We know right from wrong....
But we choose to simply "try it", not thinking of the consequences that will follow, sometimes for years.
With that simple choice, we unlock a Pandora's box of misery.
We chase a temporary feeling that produces long term misery.

We have given ourselves to a level of spiritual darkness that puts us under the control of the devil and his kingdom. We become his subjects.
We are slaves to an authority that only seeks to destroy not only the body, but the soul and spirit as well. His chief aim is to keep us from every having any semblance of relationship with Jesus. If he can accomplish this, then that is one more victory he can relish in.

Addiction, as is all sin, is nothing more than a form of worship.
It's the focus of the worship that most people miss.
Addictive worship isn't about the drugs, or the alcohol......
It isn't about sex or money.....
Power or greed.......
Addictive worship is about "Self".
You become the center of your own worship. 
The sin nature that demands complete surrender and satisfaction rules the life of one trapped in addiction.
You bend your knee at the great altar of "YOU!"
Think back to Genesis 3 when the woman had the conversation with the serpent.

The serpent fed the woman a line that has brought misery ever since then.
"God knows you won't die if you eat the fruit! God know that if you do, your eyes will be opened and YOU will become LIKE God!."
If I am like God....
I don't need God....
Our minds and hearts are stamped with the desire to be our own "GOD".
Except we lack the moral compass or ability to break free from the sin/nature that came with that mishap that took place in the garden.

So when the real "YOU" demands drugs, you go and get them to use.
When the real "YOU" demands alcohol, you go and get some.
To break this cycle of destruction and sin, it takes someone with more authority and Power than the one who is controlling you. That would be Jesus.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus broke the power of sin.
Cancelled the penalty of sin......
And defeated the presence of sin in us....
The first three steps of the Twelve Steps leads us out of the old life and into a new one under the guidance and love of Jesus. WE slowly begin to see the change and benefits that come with our new way of living....

If you're looking for a place to connect and grow, come and join us every Saturday night at Vineyard Recovery Church. We are here for you!

God on you...
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