Heb 12:6-9
6. ‘For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."
7. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8. If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
Eph 3:20
‘Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,’
Eph 4:4-13
4. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call--
5. One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6. One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.
8. Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men."
9. (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10. He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11. And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,
12. To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
13. Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
Years ago an elderly church organist sat on his bench and played for the last time. He was a good organist and had served his church faithfully and well over the past several years. But a new organist had moved to town, and the elderly man wanted to step aside with dignity. Though he knew he’d miss playing each Sunday, he was excited to be blessed by the new young man and the gift of music he would give the congregation.
The elderly man struck the last chord, closed the organ, locked it, and carried the key to the back of the church. And in the foyer, the new young organist was waiting for him anxiously. He asked for the key, and then he literally ran through the aisles in the sanctuary to get to the organ. He excitedly unlocked and opened the great instrument and began to play.
Though the old organist had played each note with precision, this new musician played with more intensity, more depth, and more passion. His music brought tears to the elderly man’s eyes as he stood in the back of the sanctuary watching the young man’s hands glide gracefully over the keys.
Within just a few months, the new organist’s reputation spread, and people began coming to church from miles around just to hear him play. The new organist was definitely a master of his craft; it was obvious he had more skill than anyone in that area had ever heard. The young man’s name? Johann Sebastian Bach. As the elderly man left the sanctuary one day, he thought to himself, ‘my! What a shame if I had never given him the key!’
Your Master – Jesus Christ - wants the key to your life. He has special gifts, talents, and skills he wants to bless you with. His desire is that you’ll use those gifts to glorify the Giver. But He needs the key. When you place control of your gifts in the hand of the Master, He can do extraordinary things through you!
(Susie Shellenberger)
God Bless!
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