Cunneda

Sunday, October 31, 2010

The Secret of the Walk

When He calls,
We come;
For we know to come;
When He feeds,
We pray;
For we know to pray;
When He speaks,
We listen;
For we have learned
To know His voice.
The secret of the walk,
Comes in the doing
Of the things we know:
Yet, in His wisdom,
Only as we are willing to do;
Shall we truly come to know.

Friday, October 29, 2010

His Light of Life

His Light of Life;
Beautiful, and full of joy,
Shines, with all power,
Into the bossom of a man;
And lights it afire
For His work of grace.
The Holy Fire gathers,
To give birth to Light;
As the inner vision
Breaks swiftly through:
Keen as a flash of lightning,
It soars from the soul,
Into the heart and mind;
Like a raging wildfire of love,
Pure, and all-embracing;
With the power of His passion,
And the sublime satisfaction
Of His infinite peace.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

New Podcast is Up---Finally

My throat has healed enough for me to post a new podcast.
It's now up at
http://cunneda.podomatic.com/
Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Thanks

It Is Life!

His righteousness, his justice, is better than anything
scholars or theologians could offer. It is something
absolutely different, and it does not depend on moral
intentions and good ideas. The righteousness of the
law can be fulfilled only through a new, organic way of
living, through a life from God that flares up like light
and sears and purifies like salt. It is like a flame that
shines, like the sap that pulses through a tree. It is life!

Eberhard Arnold

Monday, October 25, 2010

A Firm Kick In The Pants

Sometimes we don't need another chance to express how we feel or to ask someone to understand our situation. Sometimes we just need a firm kick in the pants. An unsmiling expectation that if we mean all these wonderful things we talk about and sing about, then lets see something to prove it.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Costly Grace

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 'Ye were bought at a price', and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.


Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The Key

Faith in the Risen One;
Is forevermore the key,
To the doors of the night,
That so encompass thee;
Opening thy soul,
To the glorious
Light of dawn;
Shining forth from
The Living Heart of God:
Bearing His righteousness,
As the Light;
And His judgment,
As the noonday.

Friday, October 22, 2010

The Dispenser Of Life

In Yeshua, came the flames
Of judgment and of life;
He came to enkindle a fire,
Into the Firestorm of Light;
For He is the Holy Flame,
Beating in the Divine Heart;
Pouring out His burning love
Over all who will.
In Him; In Him alone;
Has the torch of wrath,
Become the Dispenser of Life.

Salt and Light

The Sermon on the Mount is the first step on the way
of discipleship, and it is of decisive importance to me
that our church consider this deeply. If we fully grasp
the Sermon on the Mount and believe it, then nothing
can frighten us – neither our own self-recognition, nor
financial threats, nor our personal weakness.
The dedication demanded in the Sermon on the
Mount is not a new law or moral teaching. Instead it
is forgiveness. Its vital element is the light and warmth
of the Holy Spirit. Here is Christ: the essence of salt,
and the strength of the tree that bears good fruit.
The Sermon on the Mount shows us the character of
a community, which shines like a light for the whole
world.
The Sermon on the Mount is not a high-tension
moralism, but we must grasp it as the revelation
of God’s real power in human life. If we take our
surrender to God seriously and allow him to enter our
lives as light, as the only energy which makes new life
possible, then we will be able to live the new life.

Eberhard Arnold

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Thoughts from Innerland by Arnold

God gives himself in the certainty of direct contact. In him alone
the heart’s need for security finds the firm ground of the here and
now, for which it must long continually. The presence of Christ is a
wonderful gift of God. In it we receive perfect unity with God in
love and faith. Through this experience, however, the stark difference
between his purity and our guilt dawns on us just as powerfully.
We stand in the midst of disunity between people, classes,
and nations, while he is and remains one. It is in this oneness that
we become aware of the abysmal difference that separates our
nature from his.


Eberhard Arnold

He Knows

God knows of the inner fight:
How it goes on,
With deep, deep pain
In the hidden recesses
Of the soul;
He sees thy conscience:
Bringing its witness,
Again ....... and again,
To thy hearts awareness;
He hears the hidden thoughts:
How they accuse, and excuse;
He knows of the wrestlings,
With inner ties that bind
To all that is base;
And He knows .......
That the ravaging beast of prey
Confuses the mind,
In the guise of an angel of light;
And so-called liberation.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Will the Federal Reserve Cause a Civil War?


Bernanke critics are on the attack (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
What is the most likely cause today of civil unrest? Immigration. Gay Marriage. Abortion. The Results of Election Day. The Mosque at Ground Zero. Nope.
Try the Federal Reserve. November 3rd is when the Federal Reserve's next policy committee meeting ends, and if you thought this was just another boring money meeting you would be wrong. It could be the most important meeting in Fed history, maybe. The US central bank is expected to announce its next move to boost the faltering economic recovery. To say there has been considerable debate and anxiety among Fed watchers about what the central bank should do would be an understatement. Chairman Ben Bernanke has indicated in recent speeches that the central bank plans to try to drive down already low-interest rates by buying up long-term bonds. A number of people both inside the Fed and out believe this is the wrong move. But one website seems to believe that Ben's plan might actually lead to armed conflict. Last week, the blog, Zerohedge wrote, paraphrasing a top economic forecaster David Rosenberg, that it believed the Fed's plan is not only moronic, but "positions US society one step closer to civil war if not worse." (See photos inside the world of Ben Bernanke)
I'm not sure what "if not worse," is supposed to mean. But, with the Tea Party gaining followers, the idea of civil war over economic issues doesn't seem that far-fetched these days. And Ron Paul definitely thinks the Fed should be ended. In TIME's recently cover story on the militia movement many said these groups are powder kegs looking for a catalyst. So why not a Fed policy committee meeting. Still, I'm not convinced we are headed for Fedamageddon. That being said, the Fed's early November meeting is an important one. Here's why:
Usually, there is generally a consensus about what the Federal Reserve should do. When the economy is weak, the Fed cuts short-term interest rates to spur borrowing and economic activity. When the economy is strong and inflation is rising, it does the opposite. But nearly two years after the Fed cut short-term interest rates to basically zero, more and more economists are questioning whether the US central bank is making the right moves. The economy is still very weak and unemployment seems stubbornly stuck near 10%.
The problem is the Fed only directly sets short-term interest rates. And they are already about as close to zero as you can go. That's why Ben Bernanke has been recently talking about something called "quantitative easing." That's when the Fed basically creates money to buy the long-term bonds that it doesn't directly control, and drive down those interest rates as well. That should further reduce the cost of borrowing for large companies and homeowners. Some people are calling this "QE2" because the Fed made a similar move during the height of the financial crisis when it bought mortgage bonds. (See photos of the Tea Party movement)
Not everyone agrees this is a good move. In fact, a number of presidents of regional Fed banks, not all of which get to vote at Fed policy meetings, have recently come out against Bernanke's plans. Some say it sets bad policy. Others think it will stock inflation, which might be the point. Few, though, have warned of armed conflict. Here's how Zerohedge justifies its prediction of why the Fed's Nov. 3rd meeting will lead to violence:
In a very real sense, Bernanke is throwing Granny and Grandpa down the stairs - on purpose. He is literally threatening those at the lower end of the economic strata, along with all who are retired, with starvation and death, and in a just nation where the rule of law controlled instead of being abused by the kleptocrats he would be facing charges of Seditious Conspiracy, as his policies will inevitably lead to the destruction of our republic.
OK. The idea that Bernanke might kill large swaths of low-income neighborhoods or Florida by his plan to further lower interest rates is a little ridiculous. But there is a point in Zerohedge's crazy. Lower rates do tend to favor borrowers over savers. And the largest borrowers in the country are banks, speculators and large corporations. The largest spenders in our country though tend to be individuals. Consumer spending makes up 70% of the economy. And the vast majority of consumers are on the low-end of the income scale. So I think it is a valid question to ask whether the Fed's desire to drive down interest rates at all costs policy is working. Companies are already borrowing at low rates. They are just not spending. (Read a special report on the financial crisis blame game)
That being said, civil war, probably not. "It is a gross exaggeration," says Allan Meltzer, who is a top Fed historian at Carnegie Mellon. "I cannot recall ever learning about riots or civil war even when the Fed made other mistakes." When I called, David Rosenberg was traveling and couldn't talk, but he did send me a quick e-mail to stress that he has never, ever suggested that any moves the Fed makes will lead to a militia uprising.
Some smart people, though, including Meltzer, it appears, and Rosenberg do think the path of quantitative easing that the Fed looks likely to embark on is the wrong move. John Taylor, a top Fed scholar at Stanford, says eventually you will have to pull the support out, and when you do a year from now when the economy is recovering he thinks it could be quite disruptive. So even if you don't double dip now, you might double dip then. And even if you don't it would make for a slow recovery. Others, such as Raghuram Rajan, who has became famous for warning about the possibility of a financial crisis back in 2005, believe low-interest rates could be creating new bubbles in say gold or commodities.
So it seems clear what the Fed is likely to do. How the economy, the militias and the rest of us react is up in the air. The count down is on. T minus 15 days to Fedamageddon. See you there, hopefully.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Come Swiftly

Come swiftly my love,
Whispers the Spirit of my Lord;
Away, into our secret place,
And draw nigh the veil,
That I may know thee;
And delight in thee,
Amidst the Living Spring
Of timeless Life:
For in this place does
Heaven stand open to thee.
Rejoice, and glory
In the Source of the Light
That guides thy life;
And learn the secrets,
Of the sacred music,
That has ever sounded
Along thy pathways:
As the lyrical euphony
Of the golden bells of Aaron,
As he passed expectantly
Into the Holy Place.
"Until the day break,
And the shadows flee away,
I will take thee
To the mountain of myrrh,
And to the hill of frankincense.
Thou art all fair, my love;
There is no spot in thee."

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Overtures

Over every patch of blue sky,
The thundercloud has rolled;
Every peaceful little valley,
Has its desparate scenes
Of tempest and agony;
Every day has its night;
Every life, its death:
Pain and sorrow,
Are as deeply embedded
In His natural order of life,
As are love, and joy;
For God hath set one
Over against the other,
To draw all men unto Him.

The Viands Of Life

The viands of Life;
And of His love,
That are spread out
Upon the table,
Yeshua has prepared
For His beloved;
Come not without
The bitter herbs;
They are both parts
Of the Sacrifice,
That reconciles to God:
For the Christ who feeds;
Must first have been,
The Lamb who is slain.

Fallen

I downloaded and watched the mini-series Fallen, mentioned by Zeph in his interview with Bro. T. yesterday, and quite frankly I was blown away. There is much that is new age here,it shows Lucifer and the fallen angels in in far too good a light, and their theology is wacked, but I think everyone should see this film, if only to understand that there is so much more to God's creation than we can imagine.

So, keeping your Bible close, and God even closer, watch this film. You will not soon forget it, I think.

Cunneda

p.s. It was a great interview yesterday and the chat was outstanding as usual. I do so look forward to these Saturdey chats for the fellowship with my spiritual family. Thank you all, with much love in His name.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The Name

The Name of the Lord,
Is a gentle caress,
When it comes from
Loving lips, a willing heart,
And a believing mind:
'Jehovah'  'Jah'  'Lord';
There is wonder in His Name,
For It expresses in full,
The timeless; unlimited;
Changeless Being of God.
Here, we gaze gently upon
Upon that majestic, glorious,
Thought of Infinite Being:
Self-derived; Self-motivated;
And awesomely self-ruled;
The Being of Him,
Whose Name can only be,
'I Am That I Am".

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Still

Thy lovingkindness of old lives still:
Still, as of old,
The hosts of the Lord
Encamp around them
That love and serve Him;
Still, as of old,
The Voice of Guidance,
Comes from between the cherubim;
Still, as of old,
Does the pillar of cloud and fire,
Move before us;
Still, as of old,
Do angels walk among men;
Still, as of old,
Is His hand stretched forth,
To bless; to feed; and to guard.
The Light, which was so magical
In the morning beauty,
Has lost none of its Luster;
The River which flowed
Through past ages,
Has not dried-up
In the sands of time;
The Fire which blazed so clear,
Has not died down to ashes;
The God of Jacob is still our refuge;
As Thou has spoken it;
So it will be.

His Certain Sunrise

Trust in the Lord;
And reckon on His goodness:
The outward deliverance
May seem to tarry;
But ever there comes before it,
As heralds of its approach,
The feel of a lightened burden,
And the infinite calmness
Of a strengthened heart.
It may, after all, seem long
Before the morning breaks;
Yet even while the darkness looms,
Comes the promise of the dawn:
A faint aire begins to stir
Among the sleeping leaves;
And the first joyful notes
Of the morning dove,
Are but a prelude,
To the full chorus of Light,
That will hail-in
His certain sunrise.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Coils Of Fragrant Sacrifice

The prayers of the righteous,
Come before Him as incense:
Wreathing and wafting,
In coils of fragrant sacrifice,
Up to the heavenlies;
Propelled by the fires
Of unutterable love,
Alight in the soul
Of the redeemed;
Tended, and stirred,
To an impassioned blaze,
By the Spirit of God;
And fed commonly,
Morning and evening,
By fresh coals
From the altar of Golgatha.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Chattel

Whatsoever
We make necessary
For our contentment;
We make lord
Of our happiness.
By our thoughtless desires,
We give chattel and goods
Supreme power over us;
And thereby intertwine
Our being with theirs:
That the blow,
Which destroys them,
Lets out our life blood.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Effluence Of Love

Creation is the effluence
Of the loving heart of God;
Authenticated in symbol and type,
Through His creative hand;
On the infinitely great,
And the immeasurably small;
On the near, and the far off;
With but one inscription:
God is love.
As in nature, so in providence:
Origination, support, and direction,
Are the works and heralds
Of that same majestic love.
A love emblazoned in light,
Across the evening sky;
Engraved in the smallest stone;
And silently wispered
Through every crocus,
Working its way upward
Through the winter's snow.
"Praise Him for His mighty acts:
Praise Him according to
His excellent greatness .......
Let everything that hath breath
Praise the Lord."
For His love and mercy
Endureth forever.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Chords

Wherever His grace is seen,
And His love is made welcome;
There shall the heart be warmed,
And praise break forth;
As surely as streams flow
From the cave of the glacier,
When the summer sun is high;
And the land responds,
With a glowing cascade of life.

Consider

Stop, and consider;
Hear the testimony
In the widow's reserve
Of meal and oil:
Yesterday's supply,
Does not diminish
Tomorrow's store.
"Oh taste and see,
That the Lord is good."

Echoes

On the Way of Yeshua;
Intervals of time
Lose their meaning;
Brothers and sisters
Of earlier days,
Speak clearly to us,
Of the love of God,
And of His mercies;
Almost as if they were here;
Present with us today;
Which, in fact, they are:
If we listen to them,
And through their words;
Hear the voice of our Lord.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Prayer

Prayer is more than petition;
Oftentimes, it is not cast
Into words at all:
In its widest, truest form,
Prayer is the posture
Of devout contemplation of God,
And intercourse with Him,
In the heart, the mind, and the will;
A communion which unites,
Asparation and attainment;
Longing and fruition;
Seeking and finding;
A communion .......
Often lost for words;
Seemingly, actually,
 Transcending all thought.
Selah.

Friday, October 1, 2010

His Life

His Life, is the Light;
And the Light, is His Life:
The two are One;
Both in their source,
And in their deepest nature;
For Jah so loved the world,
That His Light, became Life;
That He might restore life, to life.
This one gift: Light and Life;
Is imparted freely,
As we draw near Him:
Even poured out over us,
As a warming spring shower,
While we dance in the grass;
Cleansing the outer vessel,
And purifying the inner parts,
As we gently, deeply breathe in
The fragrant, inspired mists
Of His presence.