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.

PAIN ALSO SERVES A PURPOSE

PAIN ALSO SERVES A PURPOSE

By Dwight Cunkle

Part ten based on The Anger Trap by Dr. Les Carter

Last week we looked at “myths” that can cause unhealthy and anger-either hidden and passive or openly
aggressive.

Believing and demanding wrong ideals leads to disillusionment, vows like “I will never…” and bitter-root judgments which poison our interpretation of others.

“I need people to treat me fairly,” needs replaced with,“I can manage my anger despite others’ flaws.”
“Being forceful is a sign of strength,” can be replaced with “Gentleness and listening humbly show strength.”
“Accepting or showing weakness means defeat,” Can be replaced with, “Accepting mine and others’ weaknesses the maturity and emotional health I want.”

A key is to not build my self-esteem on what I think I deserve or what privileges to which I feel entitled. As we saw in this past election that always leads to anger and poor decisions. It is healthier to focus on my responsibilities which means I also need to face and accept pain. People who are often hurting others have probably not come to terms with their own inner agony.

Pain can have a redemptive purpose-protecting us from worse injury to ourselves and others.

The cross is the place for our pain since Jesus bore it. The cross is the place of exchange of our rights for his good.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Let pain bring you to Christ’s wounds. Come to Jesus’ side and ask healing from deep wounds. Ask grace to give and receive forgiveness.  Exchange life with Jesus.

SHIFTING OUR PARADIGM OF ANGER

SHIFTING OUR PARADIGM OF ANGER

By Dwight Cunkle

Part nine based on The Anger Trap by Dr. Les Carter

Anger has a positive purpose when not “hijacked” by fear, pride, denial or blame-shifting. This week we look at the power of choosing to face Reality that the world often is not what we want and is always beyond our ability to control. But we can choose how we respond, beginning with letting go of our illusions and shock when life and people are hard. As we accept pain and disappointment we can respond with truth and love. When we abide in God’s love we can choose to love others while speaking the truth to them.

Eph 4:25-27 ...each of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Signs of unrealistic expectations and demands of others:

I can’t believe….
Why cant you just…
I don’t understand why….

When statements like these are followed by a tendency to brood or act out in ways that are hurtful to those around us we can recognize that we have unrealistic demands on life

Two sources of anger from our past:
1. Chronic mistreatment or unresolved friction in our childhood. May influence us to look to the future with vows and illusions, “One of these days….”.
2. Some adults look back on childhood as almost perfect. Anxiety and frustration grow as they are unable to reproduce such perfection in their own home and lives.

Assertive anger uses firmness with calmness and gentleness. Facing reality and facing other people with respect means we choose to not keep score and not keep hold of an unrealistic sense of entitlement about how others and life should treat us.

Bottom line: we need to bring everything to the cross of Jesus Christ. Who is never shocked and sees the end from the beginning. His faithful love never fails.

From Rebecca Petrie's Journal

God of Covenant, we ask for greater awareness of the daily grace you 

bring to us—especially in suffering and in the mysteries of daily life.

From Rebecca Petrie’s journal on the tenth anniversary of 

her accident becoming a paraplegic, Oct 6, 2001

In Paul's own weakness he cried out to the Lord, the Lord said, "My grace is sufficient... My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12:9). I wonder if I have allowed His strength to be made perfect in me. I don't really think so, but I leave that with Father. I don't think I really know what it means. At times I get a glimmer and then it fades. I do understand though that His grace is the under-girding of His Person enabling me when there is nothing I have to give. 

In my Bible, the commentary on chapter 12:9 says this, "God's grace becomes His enablement or empowerment to achieve His plan, endure hardship, or access Him".  

In our need "God gives us grace, the supernatural ability or miraculous facility to sustain, endure, or maintain our call. If there is strength out of this weakness it is surely a work of His grace.      

Father, I pray that today You would enable me to access Your grace to allow You to be Yourself in me, and love through me. 

I can respond to grace    

Are you aware today of weakness, are you in pain, are you lonely? Run to Him, oh, run to Him! Sometimes we are tempted to be angry with the very One who loves  us and will turn our pain and weakness into His strength and purpose.

This week is Thanksgiving. Give thanks and pray for our   nation—for a great awakening resulting in us rising up in courage and love and God’s power as REFORMERS.

Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent (the four weeks of reverent worship of Jesus, The Word made flesh to dwell among us.

God reveals himself and restores us through covenant:

T       Worship God who is Transcendent (above all)
H      Follow Christ and his representative-Heirarchy
E       Build fellowship-Ethics-love one another  
O      Be good stewards-Oaths-agree with God’s consequences
S       Join him in Co-Mission-Succession for the future


-PD