The Touch of The Master's Hand

At a young age I was given a poem which I have kept with me, I was not a Christian at the time, but it was one of those things that stuck with me as I went through life. In the dark times I would pull it out and read it and gain a type of hope that there was a God somewhere who had more for me than the mess I was in. I thought I might share it with you in hopes that it may touch you in the same way that it did me.

The Touch of The Master’s Hand
By Myra Brooks Welch

“T’was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile:
“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried,
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?”
“A dollar, a dollar”;then, “Two!” “Only two?
Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three ---“ But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: “What am I bid for the old violin?”
And he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,
And going , and gone,” said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
“We do not quite understand
What changed its worth?” Swift came the reply:
“The touch of a master’s hand.”

And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin,
A “loaf of bread,” a glass of wine,
A game-and he travels on.
He is “going” once, and “going” twice,
He’s “going” and almost “gone.”
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.

You are never to far gone, never to far from Him who loves you, never to lost to be saved. There are no lost causes, no throw away lives, no worthless souls. Life is cheap to the world, but every moment is precious to our Savior. He is the God of hope and he is so close that you only need to speak his name.

God bless, Brian Dodson

Is It Scripture?

This too shall pass.

We all know that nothing on this earth is forever; people pass away, plants wither and manmade structures will weaken over time, as do our bodies, but is it scripture? The Bible states in 2 Peter 3:10-11, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives” (NIV).

So, the phrase “this too shall pass” is not in the Bible verbatim. When we think of something tragic in our life, our first mindset could be this too shall pass, and “even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death,”it will pass, but what about the good? When referencing, “this too shall pass”, we have to remember that everything, the good as much as the bad--will pass.

Let me end with a brighter note, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reads “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (NIV). So, in those moments we hold dear, please do not be brokenhearted, but rejoice in what we have while we have it because that too will pass away.  

Christina Lynn-Valencia

It's Always Something

The other day, one of my favorite professors said to me, “…. it’s always something.” It struck me as funny, because it’s totally true! We’ve all met someone in our lives that always seems to be facing the end of the world; who constantly appears defeated and seems to have lost their backbone.

            As children of God, we are called to be humble and meek. However, there is a difference between being meek and being a human doormat. Jesus didn’t kowtow (a former Chinese custom for slaves bound to their master) and walk away with his tail tucked between his legs whenever the Pharisees and Sadducees harassed him.  He humbly and meekly stood his ground, because he knew his backbone was found in his Father, and not in the opinions of others or his life circumstances.

            I mean, Jesus came to this earth knowing full well that he was coming to die for us. His own father was sacrificing him so that WE could spend eternity with him. If Jesus was able to get past that, how can we allow harsh times to defeat us?

            2 Timothy 1:7 states “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. “ (NASB) life is always going to have a seemingly endless supply of lemons to throw at us; however we are not given “spirit of timidity” but one of strength. As someone who has had more than her fair share of challenging times, I myself have at times felt defeated. However, God has always cleverly reminded me of the strength I can find in Christ.

Like Jesus, our backbone is to be found in Christ. We are children of the highest God, not a welcome mat. We need to walk in the knowledge, and stop allowing Satan’s’ schemes, or consequences of our own foolishness to defeat us! Rise up, dust off your sandals and keep going—holding your head up high knowing that God is our strength—and after all, if he is for us, who can stand against us?

By: Lacey Slifkoff

No Disclaimers

Without ever intending to, I learned a very valuable lesson last semester that had nothing to do with academic work. It was about God-confidence.  I am not speaking of egoistical self-confidence, but rather of the confidence that comes only from knowing who you are in God’s eyes and being sure of the gifts and talents He has bestowed upon you.  At times these God given traits can be dormant or even elusive, and at other times they get buried under self-condemnation or battered self-esteem.  Personally, I have been dealing with the last two mentioned and God has been taking me on a “recovery journey.”  

Having recently returned to college, I was under the delusion that I would not be able to write at a college level and that it was too late to learn.  The professor of the College Writing Skills class that I took showed a vested interest in changing this erroneous thinking and encouraging my mental awareness of choosing to walk and speak with God-confidence.  With eloquence and compassion, this wonderful and humane woman of God said to me “No Disclaimers!”  Those two words were used to enlighten and empower me, to enable me to proceed with renewed courage.  

As Paul says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (HCSB).  So, I too can do all things through the strength that God gives me!  I will be continuing my education (and graduating from college!) knowing that God has given me the ability to communicate and write at a college level, and the determination to prosper at whatever challenge may come my way.

Michelle McDermott

The Joy of the Lord

We are told in Scripture that the joy of the lord is our strength and also that God desires that we may be full of joy (John 16:24). So, putting these two things together, we could say that the Lord wants our joy to be full so that we may be strong in him. So, how does our life become one which is full of joy? I think that many of us go through life something less than joyful. More in survival mode than thriving in Christ.

I must confess that for some time now, the joy in my life has come in fleeting glimpses, just enough to keep me pushing through, but not enough to give me strength. I have often paused to wonder why. Every once in a while I would stop to consider what I needed to do in order to obtain the elusive, ‘joy of the Lord’ that I wanted so desperately. I have searched high and low, only to fall at the end exhausted from trying so hard. It seemed like the more I became a living sacrifice, the further away from any resemblance of joy I felt.

Over the past few months, the Lord has been at work in my heart and he has shown me something that I used to know very well.

There is a subtle deception that takes place in our lives, one where we start out to please the Lord with sincerity of heart, simply because it’s an honor to serve him. However, over the course of time, somehow it gets turned into our thinking that our fellowship with God is based on what we do. If we ever stop doing those good things that he asks of us: if we ever stop sacrificing, stop giving, stop going, then we feel separated from him (and heaven forbid if we ever sin). We become caught in a trap, where we think that we must continue to do, to submit, to push through, or that feeling of fellowship goes away, and with it any chance of finding joy (or peace for that matter).

The joy of the lord cannot be obtained by doing, it can only be found in being. If the joy tanks are low, then he is ready to fill them, he is not withholding his joy from our lives, it is us who build religious walls and then hide behind them wondering why we feel separated.

The wall is of our own making. We built it in his name, but he never asked for it, in fact, what he wants is just the opposite. If you would like to know what the joy of the Lord is like, then, in the words of Jesus, come and see… you will not be left disappointed.

Brian Dodson

Your "Greater Things"

          Jesus had a way of making a profound truth simple! His words in John 14:12 are no different. The red-words of Jesus read, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12) (NIV).

          The simple truth of this passage is that Jesus was speaking to the individuals of His future Church (the disciples) about the coming of the Holy Spirit. He was declaring that His church would begin by the power of the Spirit and operate under the power of the Spirit. Because Jesus was “going to the Father,” He would send His Spirit to lead, empower, and comfort the Church. He (God) would establish His church using broken individuals who would willingly submit to the Lordship of the Holy Spirit. He was establishing the outcast!

           You can almost picture Jesus saying, “I am giving you the ability to do great things, and I have made you with the potential for even greater things.” Yes… We have the power (because of the Holy Spirit) to work miracles, signs, and wonders. However, “greater things” does not always mean bigger things! Perhaps before we focus on doing greater, bigger things with the Lord, we should focus on the little things of life. Besides, do not the many small things accumulate to become one great thing? Let us do great the little things so as to ensure the greatness of the whole. What can you change for the greater?

- Dusty

Is it scripture?

“God will never give us more than we can handle”

Do you ever get the feeling that you have bitten off more than you can chew? Do you feel there is too much on your metaphorical plate? Never fear, God can handle your plate--if you trust fully in Him to do so. While this statement is true and a big reminder to those of us who have very busy lives, it is not scripture. However, God still promises he will never give us a trial we cannot overcome, but it is not us that overcome trials, it is the Lord.

While researching, I came across another blogger whom I thought was one hundred percent against this statement. I continued reading, hoping I would find some evidence that this man was not a heretic, and I found it. His answer was enlightening and condemning. His answer was, “Beneath Achan’s rubble and Job’s brokenness is a crucified and risen Jesus….God, you always give me more than I can handle; therefore, I am thankful you have given me your Son.”(Crisler)

That is where I had to stop and ponder the truth in “God will never give us more than we can handle. It is us who overcome only by the blood of Jesus, and His sacrifice, not our strength alone.”

The closest scripture that resonates with this statement is 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (NIV). God will never give you any more than you can handle with His help.

Christina Lynn-Valencia 

Our Old Righteousness

The Law was always God’s standard of righteousness, but it was never to be ours.
      The Sacred Scriptures show, “For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation [the Law], the ministry of righteousness [the law of the Spirit] must far exceed it in glory” (2 Cor. 3:9) (ESV). Rather, it is through the law that one gains knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20). The Law demonstrates that ALL are guilty of meeting God’s standard of righteousness. Yes, the law contains great ethical and medical guidance, but it was God’s way of pointing to the coming of the Messiah – Jesus (Gal. 3:24). Perhaps this means that the Law, with all its regulations and requirements, was never intended to be our standard of righteousness.

      It was not until Christ came that our real standard of righteousness was revealed. Faith, alone, justifies the sinner. This is why the Bible says, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Rom. 3:28). It is solely by faith in Jesus Christ that one is justified and made righteous before God, and it is through the sincere efforts of trying to become like Jesus that one pursues the righteousness of God. Jesus is our standard of Righteousness (Phil. 2:5). We can use the Law as a code of moral conduct, today, but we will not be able to keep the whole standard perfectly. Then it is in this reality, we understand that only in Christ Jesus is righteousness obtained!
The Law was always God’s standard of righteousness, but it was never to be ours.

- Dusty

An EPIC Grand Opening

How many of you were able to attend the Grand Opening ceremonies of EPIC Bible College last week? It was a wonderful evening.  Pastor Ron wants me to pass along his thanks to everyone who attended and all who put in such hard work preparing for the evening of celebration.

I also want to share a wonderful testimony that a friend of EPIC posted on FaceBook, Daphne R.:

"A must share! I saw a friend who is working for a caterer. She told me she worked the event at Epic on October 12th. She asked if I knew of this college and I replied that yes, I do know of Epic Bible College as my daughter went to school there for a semester. My friend then told me that she was blown away by the caliber of people at the Epic event. She said that she had done an event at a local high end import car dealership the night before. One of her assignments was to pick up trash. She said that the dealership event had about 100 people and she picked up a TON of trash. The Epic Bible College event had about 300 people and she said there was NO trash. She was blown away!! I think this is a wonderful testimony and I want you all to know how important it is that our lifestyles reflect Jesus accurately. Congratulations to you all for this wonderful report!"

Keep up the good work!

Tana Colburn
Professor of Journalism

From Raisins to Grapes

From Raisins to Grapes.

                As I was trimming my grapevines the other day I noticed a cluster of grapes that I had missed during the picking season. This single group had been left to hang in the hot September sun, untended and forgotten. The top of the cluster was still filled with nice plump fruit, but out toward the edges and farther down the grapes were withered and had dried on the vine, producing raisins. I trimmed off the cluster and held it in my hand and immediately I thought about the church.

                We are all grapes, whether plump and juicy or shriveled and dried, all of us are partakers of the same vine and all of us have value as we share in fellowship with one another. We are a unit of individuals who, when seen from the outside world, may look like a dysfunctional array of squandered opportunities. However, this is only so because they are looking through a lens that does not come from God and therefore value is given based on appearance and the ability to perform. Why waste time on a raisin, when a grape is so much more tasty?

When you go into a grocery store in search of grapes, they are not hard to find. They are out in front in the produce section next to the other more desirable, “fresh fruit.” They are specially displayed so that all can see, inspect and purchase. However, if you went in search of the raisins, they would found somewhere in the middle of the store, crammed into a box and set on a shelf between the prunes and the strawberry jam. In the world of supply and demand where value is placed solely on potential earning power, it is essential that top earners are seen.

But what happens when the church buys into this philosophy? Are we not all grapes (even though some are less desirable than others)? Does the Word tell us to put the weaker brethren on a shelf, out of the way where they won’t be noticed?

1 Corinthians 12:22-23 tells us, “…those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:  And those members, which we think are less honorable, upon those we give more abundant honor…”

In other words, the raisins are just as necessary to the body as the grapes, they both have value in the kingdom, in fact, it is the grapes job to take a back seat in order to build up and restore the raisins to a place of honor. Not only that, but in the church, there are none greater than any other. All of us come in as dried raisins, empty and shriveled but God takes what the world sees as weak, fills it for his own glory and turns it into a grape.  

Brian Dodson

Is it scripture?

"We are debtors to every man to give him the gospel in the same measure in which we have received it."

Powerful words, yes, in the Bible, no. The statement is quoted from Phineas Bresee, founder of the Church of The Nazarene (SNU). These are wise words from the heart of a missionary, to the hearts of believers everywhere.

            We are being called to share the gospel with every person we meet, and to be an example of Christ. Just like someone did for us. Whether you were raised in church or not, someone prayed with you that you would be saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. Wouldn’t you like to do that for someone else? Be a leader in sharing the gospel with those you meet.

In Mark 16:15 Jesus says to his disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation (NIV). Don’t we owe it to our God to do His will, to be indebted to those who need the gospel and to reach out to them? After all, we are all called to do something to advance the kingdom of God. Being an example and sharing the gospel is the easiest thing we can do in our day to day lives.  

Christina Lynn-Valencia