THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD

THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD

By Dwight Cunkle

Our inner world may be cluttered with competing spirits, thoughts and feelings, like athletes on a field striving against one another. Bring every thought captive to obey Christ by removing altars to everything else and building a fresh altar in prayer with God.

The power of the blood of Jesus on the city of my self: (R)

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Its walls shall fall, its bars of iron shall be cut and its gates shall be broken to pieces. (Is 45: 2)

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Its altars shall be destroyed, the carved images of its gods shall be cut down, its sacred pillars and wooden images shall be broken. (Deuteronomy 7: 5, 12: 3)

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The name of the enemy shall be destroyed from every place in it  (Deuteronomy 12: 3) and his high places shall be removed. (Ezekiel 20: 29, 2 Chronicles 17: 6, 2 Chronicles 20: 33)

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Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth. (Isaiah 40: 4, Luke 3: 5)

The power of the blood of Jesus on the city of my self: (R)

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The altar of God shall be built, the walls shall be built

and the doors hung. (Ez 3, Neh 3 & 7: 1 - 3)

The ruined and desolate places shall be built and the

desert shall blossom. (Is 35: 1 – 2, Ez 36: 34 - 36)

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And Christ shall be formed in me. (Galatians 4: 19) (R)

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And the city of my self, Jerusalem, shall be the city

of the great King. (Matthew 5: 35)

The power of the blood of Jesus on my inner Jerusalem: (R)

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It shall put on her strength, her beautiful garments; a holy city, the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to it. (Isaiah 52: 1)

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But it shall be a dwelling place of God in the spirit (Ephesians 2: 22), a home for the Trinity (John 14: 23), a place for the Holy one and my heart a throne for the high. (Isaiah 57: 15)

The Road from Lostness

The Road from Lostness

By Richard Lineberry

We’re probably all familiar with the parallel of the lost sheep from Luke 15. The one sheep strays away from the flock and the shepherd leaves the 99 others long enough to search and find it and bring it home.

Jesus, of course, is the Good Shepherd who not only knows each of us by name but loves us. A good shepherd has great time and energy invested in the flock and certainly doesn't want any losses.

In Ezekiel 34, the prophet rebukes the “shepherds” of God’s people who were negligent in their leadership duties. They let their sheep (God’s people) wander around and be vulnerable to predators. They were poorly led and abused. God spoke harshly against them. They certainly were bad shepherds.

Jesus, praise the Lord, is the Good Shepherd. He lays down His life for us, not just once, but continually. When He finds us initially (our spiritual rebirth), He starts the long trip of taking us home. He places us with the rest of the flock (other believers) and heals the wounds we received from the kingdom of darkness.

Of course the former lost sheep has to cooperate with the program and not run away anymore. The Good Shepherd knows where to lead and the good sheep is traveling on the road out of lostness.

As we come into God’s Presence this morning, let’s expose our thanks for the skill of the Good Shepherd and ask for new grace to follow and know Him.

GLAD TO BE ONE OF THE RAG-TAGS

GLAD TO BE ONE OF THE RAG-TAGS

By Pastor Dwight

Paul wrote to the Corinthians that not many wise, noble, rich or powerful were chosen by God but rather He chose the weak and foolish to prove His great victory and grace and love.

One evening while we were praying I saw us as privileged to be chosen by God though we would not impress the world. This poem was my response.

“Here come the rag-tags, the weak, the poor, the hungry for more; 

The frail,  the alone, who’ve suffered but grown;

Here come the rag-tags, but in glad rags.

Here come the trodden-down, left alone, and undone,

having died now reborn; 

Broken souls, now made whole. who’ve surrendered

control; 

Here come the trodden-down overcoming the world.

Here come the emptied ones, poured out, and worn,

forsaken and scorned;

Helpless and hapless, their false hopes long gone; 

Here come the emptied ones in His beauty adorned.

Here come the present ones, content to be last they’ve

repurposed their past;

Living by grace in this moment and place,  

Here come the present ones whose constant vision is His face.”

Pastor Dwight

Glad to be one of Christ's "Rag-Tags"

The Power of Disagreement: Union with God is Disunion with Evil

The Power of Disagreement: 

        Union with God is Disunion with Evil

By Dwight Cunkle

Olympic runner Eric Liddle refused to run in a qualifying heat on Sunday but turned around and won a different race and medal the next day. He put God first.  Jesus said that we cannot serve God and stuff, not even "good stuff."

"He who honors Me, the Father also will honor."  How am I honoring God, so that his name is hallowed, made holy, as He taught us to pray, "Hallowed be (or make holy and bring honor to) your name.

Last week Pastor Richard preached his third message in a row on Union with God. He said that during this our "engagement and betrothal period as the future bride of Christ, we prove our fidelity, our faithfulness and love to him. Our flesh, the world and the devil compete with Jesus and his kingdom. Why are our hearts prone to wander in selfishness and disobedience to his commands? Union with God is disunion with sin. What choices from moment to moment hinder our union with God?

"Love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves."

Practical ways to grow toward perfect union with God in his divine love:
1. Give thanks to God all day. Try thinking of God and acknowledging Him over and over.
2. Talk with him and ask for him to show you his love and holy angels at work in you and in those around you.
3. Ask his grace to open His word to you in the Scripture and give you his thoughts in your mind and heart.
4. Serve Him by serving others.
5. Ask for help from His Holy Spirit and the good angelic spirits to strengthen you and others through the day.
6. Sit quietly to contemplate God. "Be still and know that I AM GOD."
7. Ask his help to detach from the things (especially good things) that hinder his thoughts and peace and love and joy in you, so that you can embrace suffering, hardship, misunderstanding, deprivation, hunger and thirst, etc… in order to share in the sufferings of Christ for his Beloved and for the salvation of the world.

Growing in these daily practices until they become habits and part of our character will bring us into more union with God and more victory over the world.
 Remember that all is a gift from God. All is by His grace, rather than by our effort and ability. Embrace suffering as a gift of His love because He suffered for us.

And approach each momentary duty with self-abandonment to God. Grace in each moment and each thing. God grant us faith, hope and love to detach from our demands and expectations and seek to simply walk with Jesus, through each moment of the day. This is the path of holiness and union in the divine love of God. Beloved, let us love God and love one another.