Handmaiden Music: Handmaiden Music

• MP3 play whole song, hi-fi (broadband)
• MP3 play whole song, lo-fi (modem)

Sermonette 1

If you will forgive men
their trespasses against you,
Your heavenly Father
will also forgive you...

But if you forgive not
their trespasses against you...
neither will the Father,
forgive your trespasses...

Sermonette 2

Whosoever BREAKS one of these my least commandments,
and teaches men to do so
will be called The LEAST
in the kingdom of heaven.

But whosoever DOES THEM and teaches men to do so...
he shall be called GREAT
in the kingdom of heaven.
Shall be called GREAT
in the kingdom of heav'n.

Sermonette 3

All things that you'd like
for men to do to you,
and for you..
DO IT UNTO THEM.

All things that you'd like
for men to do to you,
and for you..
DO IT UNTO THEM.

Sermonette 4

Let your light so shine
before men that they may
see your good works,
and GLORIFY--your Father in heaven.

Let your light so shine
before men that they may
see your good works,
and GLORIFY--
your Father in heav'n.

(Repeat Song, and sing along with me!)


MUSIC TEACHER LESSON - FOUR SERMONETTES

Most of us have heard the popular song on radio that declares “we need to get back to the basics of life”… and these four teachings ARE basics of life spoken directly to us from Christ’s lips. I say with enthusiasm, if we all take a moment to really “hear” Christ in this lesson, our lives will truly take on a radiance!…Our light shining… reflecting him…and glorifying Him.

These truths are easily forgotten or dismissed in the midst of compromise with the world’s philosophies… and the simplicity of what Christ teaches in his Sermon on the Mount is easily overshadowed by the other voices we hear bombarding us. Christ Jesus IS the Son of God…and is Himself God. I think we’d better tune in and listen, don’t you? I believe you’ve tuned in to the right frequency. Listen…

Sometimes, it’s becoming MINDFUL of Christ’s WILL that WAKES US UP from our spiritual slumber. Let’s awaken and consider how closely we are “following” Him. Ok?




FORGIVE, OR YOU WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN

Is it simple? No. We sometimes need practical help in overcoming the strong urge to hold onto our unforgiveness. It’s “our right” to be mad or offended…we reason. YET, when we stop to realize that we were forgiven much by Christ ourselves, it helps us to forgive much. AND, when we realize we won’t be forgiven by Christ if we don’t forgive someone else, it definitely gives incentive to examine this area of our lives. As far as I’m concerned, it is an ongoing process each day of our lives. Not just a one-time thing usually, but a change in vantage point for our entire life…to be a forgiving person. Much of today’s sickness and disease is directly related to unforgiveness. It affects our body’s health, our mind’s peace, and our spirit’s ability to hear from The Holy Spirit. Today’s broken homes are directly related to unforgiveness. It’s a serious matter.

I viewed these principles of forgiveness on a friend’s church website. They are so practical…I desire to pass them on. My suggestion is that you write them down on an index card along with the verse Matthew 6:14-15, and carry them in your pocket or purse. You may need to remind yourself “daily” to walk in this, and I’m certain the Holy Spirit within you will give insight into what each step means to you personally.

1. Accept that life is not fair

2. Stop blaming others

3. Know that you can't change the person who hurt you

4. Acknowledge your anger

5. Refrain from the story of hurt (i.e. don’t keep rehearsing the wrong!)

6. Recognize forgiveness is needed

7. Shift your view and empathize (i.e. identify with and understand someone else’s perspective; if you can’t see theirs, ask for God’s)

8. Move from discontent to contentment (this change in heart “attitude” will be a sign of forgiveness taking place; discontentment may be a big sign of unforgiveness present)

9. Know that forgiveness sometimes takes time

10. Take responsibility for your life

Here is a “mental picture” God gave me to help others SEE forgiveness:

For those who know what it is, imagine an Etch-a-sketch. If you forgive someone, it is like a marred picture having been drawn by them that is shaken away by the silver stuff, so that it can no longer be seen, judged, spoken evil of, or condemned for. If you can still see bits of the picture (i.e. the grievance is still being viewed by you, it isn’t fully erased, and you still tell what it was) THEN KEEP ON going to God with the CHOICE to forgive. It will be as another shake of the Etch-a-sketch, until through this process… it is fully wiped away…to be held against that person no more. Forgiveness can be done or Christ wouldn’t have instructed us to forgive. Imagine the silver stuff in the Etch-a-sketch being as the blood of Christ. If it is sufficient to wipe away YOUR sin and make it disappear from God’s sight, then it certainly is sufficient enough to wipe away the other person’s sin against you and remove it from your sight. Then one day, as you hold the etch-a-sketch, no visible marred picture upon it, you’ll say aloud, as God does to us: “What Sin?” Amen?!

What is the difference between those who are true Disciples of Christ, and those who are of other religions or just religious? Anyone can be taught hate, murder, unforgiveness, superiority, and treat others unlike them with unkindness, evil, anger, and even vileness. True followers of Christ are taught to forgive and to love, for HE is able to, and HE dwells within those who have accepted Him as their Savior and Lord. Christ in us – The Hope of Glory…is WHO is offered that no other religion offers. The “ability” to forgive is CHRIST within. Amen!



COMMANDS: KEEP AND TEACH…. NOT…. BREAK AND TEACH

This “message” from Christ seems to be one LESS STRESSED in today’s society, among today’s church, and within individual hearts…Yet it’s just as important to Christ as the other messages in his Sermon on the Mount.

ATTENTION: Christ is NOT talking here to UNBELIEVERS. They can be expected to be disobedient. They haven’t received rebirth of their spirit and don’t have the Holy Spirit within them to help them. Christ is talking here to BELIEVERS.

Now, do you see a particular connection in what is being taught?

You keep His commands? Okay great! Then teach others to follow them too! A reward awaits you. Jesus says you’ll be classified as “Great” in the Kingdom of Heaven. Why, because you are advancing the Kingdom.

You break His commands? Not good… and you’ll be in double jeopardy if you teach others to break them with you. Consider it double “do-do” being stepped in… (Yes, you go ahead and imagine that figuratively! For maybe it will help you to stay out of it!!) Modern society is stepping into this kind of “do-do” all the time…and it isn’t pretty. Believers are not aware it will affect their place in heaven: what they do here on earth.

I asked God to give me an example for you to see this in His Light:

Christ gives the commandment in Luke 14:11 “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” So this is His Commandment. Agreed?

Now look at the two categories:

1. Those who keep this command will humble themselves, on purpose, and believe that it is God who gives promotion or visibility or exaltation, and they’ll be careful not to think of themselves more highly than they ought. Then, being in obedience to this command themselves, they teach their children and others within their realm of influence to follow this commandment also…encouraging them to follow this principle of Christ too. They may give testimony, use stories, share the Word directly, counter the Enemy’s messages heard within with a declaration of faith, or whatever else they can do to get the message out.

2. On the other hand, the “do- do” person, though he claims to BE Christ’s, has accepted the world’s philosophy over Christ’s in this matter. He has bought into the whole campaign of “I’m worth it”, “Got to look out for number one!”, “If I don’t push myself forward, who will?” “We each make our own destiny”; “I’m the best!”… (You know the phrases). It’s all about getting ahead on your own…doing whatever you can to project the “image” of success and greatness. Christ isn’t even in the picture. And THEN, this person begins to walk in “do-do”, teaching his kids and others this same philosophy. Totally ignoring Christ’s command themselves, they make things worse by getting all those in their realm of influence to ignore the idea of humbling themselves too, or trusting God for promotion.

Why do you think they’ll be LEAST in the kingdom of heaven?
They aren’t losing their salvation so they’ll be IN the Kingdom, but they certainly aren’t advancing the kingdom, are they?

We ARE taking sides in about everything we do, brothers and sisters. We are either for OR against Christ. If we are FOR Him, we will obey and teach; if we are against Him, we will break the command…and maybe even teach others to break it along with us. We need to become AWARE of which of these two categories our actions fall under. I am confident as we become aware, we will have all the grace we need to change… and please our Lord. As we are all “in process”, if you know you are breaking a command, then first just be mindful NOT to teach others to break it too. Sometimes, their seeing us break one IS teaching them to break it though… sorry to say. That’s why we need to take this seriously. We need to know The Word to be able to Keep and Teach. It is ignorance of the Word, or outright disobedience that causes us to Break and Teach.


DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU

All things that you'd like
for men to do to you,
and for you...
DO IT UNTO THEM…

Same teaching as the words you may be more familiar with: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Most of us are familiar with this command. It is actually a law as true as the law of gravity. With the law of gravity, what goes up must come down. Right? Well the law of “do unto others” is just as sure, from God’s perspective. He desires to change how we approach relationships in particular. Our tendency is to be “reactive” rather than “proactive” in our dealings with others. In other words, if someone is unkind we just are unkind back. But according to Christ, if someone is continually being unkind to us, the best way to handle it is to start being kind to them until we’d receive kindness back (for it is sure to happen). Instead of “reacting”, as believers we can let Christ take charge of the situation, believing that Christ’s words are true. That A+B=C….i.e. kindness toward them + believing this law to work = them eventually being kind to us. Husbands and wives are wise to put this teaching into practice. If you want loving, be loving. If you want privacy and peace, go out of your way to give your partner some privacy and peace. If you want better communications, go out of your way to communicate the way your partner can receive.


LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

Letting your light shine simply means Let Your Life BE your witness.
Let your words, your works, give Christ glory….each day…in whatever you are led to do. Why would we have to be commanded to do this?

Some of us old-timers remember the song: This little light of mine….Hide it under a bushel, NO! I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine til Jesus comes… I’m gonna let it shine…
Don’t let Satan blow it out… I’m gonna let it shine.

Well, we have to be instructed to LET our LIGHT SHINE, for some believers want to be “secret Christians”… not letting anyone know who they are, what they truly believe, never confessing Christ, never being seen doing anything to advance the kingdom of God, hiding, and silent. Satan INTIMIDATES them to think, I’m not perfect so I’d better not declare Christ at all yet. Nonsense! It is a lie to keep you silent, and your works undone or incomplete.

How does that glorify the Lord? He wants us to SHINE… yet its not us but He shining through us, right? (smile) STILL, he wants our good works seen by people, not for our glory but for HIS GLORY. It’s different than his command to give in secret or pray in secret…our works, which are born of LOVE, are to be seen.

I was told the story of Dorcas, from the bible, when I was a little girl. She helped the poor by sewing them garments, I believe. Did she have to declare her own praises? NO! Her actions were humble, most likely done in secret, but OTHERS TOLD, and God was given glory through her GOOD WORKS. This is what this means.

DO… THE GOOD WORKS… AND GOD WILL BECOME “VISIBLE” (smile) and He will be given glory through your life. You don’t let Satan keep you from doing them.
You don’t hide them under a covering, NO! YOU LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE! (Smile)

Let's glorify the Lord together! And bring him joy!