The New

Jos 3:2  After three days, leaders went through the camp 
Jos 3:3  and gave out orders to the people: "When you see the Covenant-Chest of GOD, 
your God, carried by the Levitical priests, start moving. Follow it. 
Jos 3:4  Make sure you keep a proper distance between you and it, about half a mile--be 
sure now to keep your distance!--and you'll see clearly the route to take. You've never 
been on this road before." 
Jos 3:5  Then Joshua addressed the people: "Sanctify yourselves. Tomorrow GOD will 
work miracle-wonders among you." 

	When I began learning to play classical guitar, there was a great passion and drive 
to do whatever it took to master the instrument and really play the incredible sounds and 
music it could produce. While there was a degree of success in learning pieces and 
progressing through the method books, there was also a deficiency in my instruction that 
began to produce many bad habits. Just because I was capable of doing a few things, I 
developed a resistance to correction and a tendency to believe that the way I was already 
doing things was sufficient. I didn't realize it at the time, but this was a very critical 
hindrance to the ultimate realization of my dream. The way I approached the instrument, 
not only with physical position and technique, but also with my mental attitude and 
perspective began to form a barrier and wall of resistance to my true music producing 
abilities. 	
There was enough apparent development to gain entrance to the school of music 
at the university, but I was soon to find that there would be no entrance to that place I'd 
dreamed about without first experiencing a death to many already engrained thoughts and 
methods. I might have had a positive performance here and there, but at this new level 
there could be no survival of the old debilitating ways if there was to be any hope for 
really mastering the instrument. While many of these things began to be pointed out, 
there wasn't a full acceptance of my need for change until performing in my freshman 
year for a visiting virtuoso. I attempted to play my piece, he immediately detected the old 
"keepers-from-perfection", and, completely ignoring anything positive, let me know that 
I would need to go back to square one with technique and learn the correct way without 
compromise. While I had approached the meeting with this great player as possibly my 
entrance into broader recognition and confirmation of my musical abilities, I was instead 
made to turn around and occupy the great wilderness where the old had to be put to death 
in order to prepare for the place of victory and fulfillment in my performance. I had to lay 
down any perception of already knowing anything and receive the correction and 
instruction given without any holding on to the old if there was to be any hope for 
obtaining that prize. 
	There are many wonderful things to be realized and produced in us. God desires 
to perform incredible works of miracles, signs and wonders. Quite often, though, walls of 
resistance to His free flow through our lives have arisen through doing things our own 
way and somehow developing the idea that this was enough, that our old ways would 
work as well as anything else. There may be a few victories as there is a glimpse into the 
world of His glory, but the place where His power is manifested completely known 
cannot accept compromise, sloppiness or the slightest amount of pride or 
unrighteousness. Until we are confronted with, and accept our need to put to death these 
old ways, until we let them completely die and go back to square one where the right 
ways may be born once again, and until we embrace the simplest instruction in 
righteousness, there can be no entrance whatsoever into the world of wonder where 
things of incredible beauty, majesty and wonder are seen, heard, and performed.
	God desires so much to take us there, to show us the full magnitude of His power 
and glory. He wants to show us the way to go and be the One who leads us victoriously 
into the new way of life in Him. Our holding on to the old and keeping alive the ways 
that have bound for so long, though, only hinders His desires. In the smallest of 
instructions there must be not only observance, but whole heart acceptance that embraces 
His ways with passion and conviction. Though it may not make total sense, the old 
questioning ways must find no breath and no pulse before the instruction of the Master as 
His thoughts and ways are given life and make way for the wonderland ahead.  Though 
painful to pride and initially a bit awkward, complete acceptance of His every directive 
opens up the door to eternal purpose, possibility and potential in Him. The dream doesn't 
have to die with the old ways, but it can be given new life and expanded vision in the 
heart felt embrace of His every word. 

2Co 5:17  Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah 
gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! 


9/13/05