YIELDED INSTRUMENTS

Because music goes down deep into my soul, I wanted to share this short writing of my father's posted on his webpage: www.nuggetsoftruth.com.  My father has been deceased now for just over 5 years.  His writings and sermons reach into many lives all across the world.

Roman 6:13-23,"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourself unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

Instruments: A means whereby something is achieved or performed.

Members: Every part of yourself.

Psalms 89:15, "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound, they shall walk Oh Lord in the light of thy countenance."

I Corinthians 13:1, "Though I speak with tongues of men and angels and have not love, I become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." (I am out of tune, noisy, confusion.)

When Christ lays His hands upon the keyboard of our lives and we yield to His control, then we will bring forth harmony and music of heaven. Such harmony will bless others.

A true story is told concerning the great musician, Mendelssohn. He was always eager to play the great organs of the cathedrals of Germany. However, he had not had the opportunity to play the organ at the cathedral at Freilburg. With humility, he wandered into this beautiful cathedral with the thought that he would get the opportunity to play the organ.

Mendelssohn asked permission of the caretaker. The caretaker, not knowing the identity of this stranger, refused him permission. It happened that on this particular day, there was nothing in Mendelssohn's appearance that would suggest his true identity. When this unknown stranger pressed the caretaker for an opportunity to play just one tune, the caretaker protested that this organ was so priceless that no one but master musicians were allowed to lay a hand upon its console. Therefore, it was unthinkable that this wandering musician should be granted such a right.

With a polite patience, however, Mendelssohn persisted in his request until he had overcome the resistance of the caretaker and won him at least to a reluctant permission."Very well then, you may play just one small tune on the organ and no more." To enforce his limited permission the caretaker went up and stood beside the stranger as he played.

Mendelssohn began moving his long slender hands upon the keyboard slowly and mildly, feeling out the quality of the notes on the great organ, until he himself was overcome with its richness and let himself go in a burst of glorious symphony. The old caretaker stood aghast and lifted up his eyes to the arches resounding with the cadences of heavenly music; he could hear the whir of angels' wings and the whirling seraphim. The pillars and foundations of the cathedral shook with the thunders of the diapason.

Tears began to trickle down the cheeks of the old caretaker as he placed a hand upon the shoulder of the stranger. He turned his tear-stained face to Mendelssohn and asked, "Sir tell me your name."

"My name, replied the master musician, "is Felix Mendelssohn."

Trembling and faint, the caretaker said, "Ah, sir, how can you forgive me? Only to think that I refused you, the greatest musician of Germany, the right to play on this organ. I never dreamed it was such a wonderful organ until I heard you play. Sir, you have brought music out of this instrument that no one has ever dreamed was here before."

Just as it is with Christ and our souls, in the souls of every one of us there is music waiting to be released or brought to expression. This music will never be until we allow Christ to lay His hands upon the keyboard of our lives and we yield to His control. Christ in our hearts will bring forth eternal possibilities  and the harmony of heaven in our lives.   We will know the joyful sounds and our countenance will light up with beams of His presence.

THAT COMMUNITY FEEL

For the last two years, my husband and I have been entering 5K races.  We both agreed it was time to step it up in the exercise department, since we are not getting any younger.

We've always exercised, but not consistently.  Now, we are on a regular schedule to keep ourselves healthy and our muscles strong.

One aspect of joining these races we both enjoy and look forward to is the community feeling that seeps out everywhere. We have found:

• Laughter
• A sense of belonging
• Conversations with people we would never have met
• Opportunities to volunteer 
• A "we're in this together" attitude
• "See you at the next race" feeling

All sizes and ages participate. We encourage each other along the course right up to the finish line. The timers who are stationed at intervals on the course, call out our time as we pass by - most will always say "you're almost there, good job, keep going".  

Christian Community should be this and so much more.

Community in the Christian sense was well depicted in the New Testament in Acts 2:42-47. This community was known for its devotion to Christ's teachings and its love for each other.

In this view, the Christian community is simply those who love Jesus and live in relationship with Him and fellowship with each other. But their community didn't end there.  It reached into towns, cities and globally - this love for Christ and love for others.

We, above all, should be people who encourage community, not just in our churches or with other believers but with people of all walks of life in the cities, towns and neighborhoods we live in.

Our community-feeling is supposed to reach across boundaries and build bridges.

When our cities, towns and neighborhoods see this action in us, maybe it will cause them to see the true love of Christ.

Just as the races my husband and I run each year bring out the best of community in all participants, so should the race we run in Christ bring out the best in us as a community of Christians.

Let's build bridges......

"In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father". Matthew 5:16 

BUT GOD......

For many weeks, I've been looking at two very significant words in the pages of scripture - "But God." These two words make their appearance at many critical junctures. It seems to be the perfect phrase that highlights God's grace and God's intervention at the darkest times possible.

"But God"....two words that indicate a change is coming.  It is intended to challenge our faith, to help us see a contrast that will change our mindset.  When God is brought into the picture, He makes all the difference.

Each of us have encountered situations in our lives where we just feel like giving up, walking away, saying "what's the use?"  Maybe we're thinking things won't change or our hope is hanging on a thin thread.

Think about this verse: "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:26

Again: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Genesis 50:20

Look at Ephesians 2:3-5 "among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy........made us alive together in Christ......

The "But God" in scripture marks the relentless and merciful intervention of our God.  To the left of "but God" is sometimes hopelessness, but to the right of the "but God" is our hope.  It describes God's activity - working through hopeless situations.

When my daughter Haylee went through ankle surgery in 2009 and then a fibroid surgery in 2011, we didn't know what the outcome would be.  Would she be able to dance again?  My mind created all kinds of scenarios. Then I went to scripture and found some "but God" statements. The enemy intended to harm Haylee, to bring discouragement to her soul, but God is going to use this for good, some how, some way, and He did. She prospered through it all.

These two words communicate a powerful message.  It is God's response to any challenge.  You could even say that it's His last word.   

God's intentions are to rescue, restore, reassure, redeem, resurrect and bring righteousness.

We also see this phrase used in yet another way "I planted, Apollos watered, But God gave the increase". I Corinthians 3:6.

Every "But God" reveals to us fantastic news.  As we read through the Bible, we constantly come up against things that could have happened, then that little phrase pops up "but God", and the situation changes dramatically. 

• Once we were dead in sin, but God made us alive!
• We may fail, but God is our strength and has everything we need!
• The enemy intends to harm us, but God intends good towards us!
• We do the work of God, but God gives the increase!

I encourage you to recall this phrase anytime you are lacking confidence, feeling weak in your situation, wanting to give up or can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.  It will transform your view and change your mindset.

Definition

But/conjunction/(but): 1) used to introduce something contrasting with what has already been mentioned. 2) nevertheless; however. 3) on the contrary; in contrast.

God/noun/ the supreme or ultimate reality: as: the Being perfect in power, wisdom and goodness who is worshiped as creator and ruler of the universe (and so much more).

Your Turn
Find your "go to" scriptures when life challenges your faith and hope in God.  No matter what situation comes knocking at our "door" or what challenges we encounter in this life, there are two little words that can change everything....

BUT GOD!

REPLACE FEATURE

If you are familiar at all with the Word program on a PC, you will notice in the top right hand corner under "home", an icon called "replace".  This little handy dandy feature allows you to locate an existing word in your document and exchange it for a more suitable word or phrase.  Pretty cool right?

What would the result be if we used this feature in our own personal Christian life?

There are times when I veer off towards negative thinking, especially when life isn't going as I had expected.  I have a vivid imagination that can drive my mind furiously like Jehu (see 2 Kings 9:20 if you don't get the reference) - an accident waiting to happen. 

I find at these times there are words/phrases that creep into my thoughts, permeating every aspect of my living and conversation. It's as if I have pressed the default button of my mind to automatically go there. My negative thinking distorts my perception - distorts the truth.  I begin to act out of my fears and assumptions. I have no real evidence in front of me to make me believe what I am imaging, but I go there anyway.

Phrases like:

• "This is going to end badly"....
• "What if".......
• "I can't handle this"..... 
• "I don't want to think about it"....
• "Everything is going wrong"....
• "I'm going to fail completely".....
• "I can't see the end of this"....
• "When will it end?"....
• "Where is God in this?"....
• "But I prayed".....
• "How could this happen?"....
• "I'm not young anymore"....
• "I can't think".....

I had to get into the habit of putting the brakes on and saying "wait a minute here, slow down Jehu" and come to a screeching halt.   

In my thinking, I had to accentuate the positive.  Even if it was only one or two positives. It's not easy when you are in the middle of your emotions, but it can be done.  Trust me on this.

I had to stop thinking in extremes, stop locking myself into no way out, stop assuming what might happen when it hasn't even happened yet, which negative thinking can do. 

I had to learn to replace those phrases with courageous ones. Many times, I have just replaced it with "Stop it...that's not true", suspending the function of the imagination to go where no man has gone before.  

I can replace my negative phrases with:

• "No....that's not true"
• "But God says"
• "I can do this"
• "What's done is done, let's just move on"
• "I'm going into fighting prayer"
• "Everything will be okay"
• "I will see the light at the end of this"
• "God has this"
• "I will not fear"
• "Something good is going to come out of this"
• "I may be getting older, but I have a lot of experience to add"

Questions to ask Ourselves

Do we veer off into the negative when life is difficult, or even when things are going well?  Do we have a tendency to be a negative person in general?  What steps can we take to replace some words and phrases in our vocabulary that tend towards the negative?

What Can We Do?

A habit can be broken.  It's not impossible, but we have to do it on purpose.  It doesn't change overnight.  We must refuse to live with those negative thoughts and expectations.  It is a choice.  God longs for us to live in hope and with faith expectations.

So.....let's click on that "replace" feature and start the process.

OUR DANCE

When Haylee, my youngest, was about four years old, my husband and I noticed something very special about her...she loved to twirl and dance about.  Music wasn't always necessary. She was in her own little world.

Her favorite show on Saturday night was The Lawrence Welk Show.  Why? Because Bobby and Sissy would be dancing and Arthur would be showing off his tap steps.  Each Saturday evening after dinner Haylee would ask "when is Lawrence Welk coming on?"  During the show we would hear this "when is Bobby and Thissy (saying sissy with a lisp) coming on?"  You get the picture.

During Bobby and Sissy's dance, Haylee would stand up and begin to imitate their moves.  She did the same when Arthur would tap dance. We were amazed at how well she imitated their foot movements and steps.  Our conclusion?  This girl needs to be in dance classes.  So we enrolled her into a dance studio where she danced for 13 years. In college, she continued to dance for four more years making it her major. Haylee now lives in Houston dancing for a professional dance company and teaching dance.

Psophonia Dance Company - Haylee at the front

I enjoyed the process of watching Haylee turn into a confident, expressive dancer. The steps she took to arrive where she is today was not without sacrifice. When I watch her dance now, all the practices, drama, crying that she wanted to quit in Junior High, times not spent with friends or school activities, was worth it all.

In the beginning, Haylee had to learn the basic foundational steps and their names for ballet, tap and jazz. This foundation is continuing to be built upon today even in the professional field. All she has learned and continues to learn becomes this beautifully expressed choreographic dance.

It is much the same with our dance with Christ.

The Bible says "we live and move and have our being" in Christ. (Acts 17:28a)

Haylee learning those rudimentary steps is like us learning what we believe and why. Understanding these two directives will help us gain confidence and a steady footing in not only the answers we give to unbelievers but also in our living.

With this understanding under our belt, we then begin to move out onto the dance floor of life. The moving is what I call applying what we have learned. We can study the steps all we want, but if we never get out on the dance floor, then it's just facts.  Our aim is growth, progression, maturity, moving in the Spirit, since we are now spirit beings.  Our moving in Him requires faith, knowledge, self-control, steadiness, virtue, love, Godliness, having a brotherly affection. We desire to emulate Him and to learn, act and behave as he did. What a beautiful dance we are choreographing.

I recently asked Haylee what she felt after learning the steps to a dance and then beginning the process of practicing the movements for a performance. This is what she sent to me:

The concept of embodying your movements is used so many times in dance.  The director or teacher will give you choreography to learn, but in the end, you have to make the movement yours. This is where the term "embody" comes in to play.  How does the movement feel to you? What different things can you do with your body that others cannot that will make this movement your own? I cannot count the times I have learned a dance trying to copy every move my director does, only to have her turn around and say 'now embody this, make this your own.' She is so right.  I am not her.  In order to truly feel comfortable in a dance I have to be me!

Another way dancers embody movement is through our muscle memory.  We practice so much to train our bodies so our muscles will automatically know what to do when we need them to do it. Growing up, I danced almost every day, up to three or four hours. It could be tough, but it certainly paid off.  Now when I walk into class, and the teacher says 'plies', I don't have to think, my mind and body automatically know what to do.  My muscles have embodied the movement and made them their own once again."

Doesn't this sound like "have our being" in Christ? 

This choreography we are dancing, all the steps and movements, now find their existence in Christ. We begin to embody and breath this dance of Christian life.

So....let's dance.