A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Daily
Encouragement on
Thursday, June
27, 2019
Last
night's sunset over the Susquehanna River at the Breezy
Point Overlook.
Click to
enlarge
"New"
Message
summary:
What
miracles result from
the touch of the
Master's Hand! Are
you one of them?
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
This
week I visited
Audrey's, a
wholesale
distributor of home
decor items where we
serve as chaplains.
I visited with a
lady who had a roll
of small stickers
that merely stated
"NEW" that she used
for identifying new
products.
I asked if I might have a sticker and I placed it on my forehead before resuming visits throughout the company. Reactions included a quick stare but then silence, I suppose not wanting to embarrass me. Others said, "Hey did you know you have sticker on your head?" and one lady said "You're not new!"
However I went on to use the sticker as a witnessing aid, informing them that based on Scripture I was indeed new, a new creation.
Later I visited two locations of another company that due to a vacillating work load hires a lot of temps. These souls come from a variety of backgrounds, many with a sad story. Tuesday quite a few were from a transitional house having just been released from prison. What an opportunity I had to share with them they could be made new.
Aren't you glad God can make new what appears to be a lost cause or a hopeless mess in those He redeems?
In
preparing for this
message I consider
an old song by Wayne
Watson that was
popular when we were
just young
Christians in the
early eighties.
Recently Brooksyne
found a framed print
of it at our local
thrift shop and hung
it in our office.
The song tells the
story of an old,
decrepit violin that
looked worthless at
an auction and
nobody showed
interest until an
old man walked to
the front and began
to play it. At the
touch of the
master's hand the
old violin's value
increased
remarkably.
We know many people who have tremendous stories of overcoming life's hardships and sin's devastation, experiencing the wonderful truth expressed in the daily verse. Now they are serving the Lord and experiencing the process of transformation. I am always delighted to hear testimonies of how God, in His mercy, is bringing newness and restoration to broken lives.
In ministry we cooperate with the Lord in His work in the spiritual rehabilitation process. He ultimately makes new but we have a cooperative part in teaching the Scriptures, encouraging, being an example, serving in a host of ministries and in many other ways.
The Apostle Paul describes this wonderful change, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul experienced that change in his own life and he rejoiced in the transforming power of God in the people he ministered to.
The list of changed, "new" lives goes on and on and is being added to every day. What miracles result from the touch of the Master's Hand! Are you one of them?
Be encouraged today,
Stephen and Brooksyne Weber
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
This
week I visited
Audrey's, a
wholesale
distributor of home
decor items where we
serve as chaplains.
I visited with a
lady who had a roll
of small stickers
that merely stated
"NEW" that she used
for identifying new
products.I asked if I might have a sticker and I placed it on my forehead before resuming visits throughout the company. Reactions included a quick stare but then silence, I suppose not wanting to embarrass me. Others said, "Hey did you know you have sticker on your head?" and one lady said "You're not new!"
However I went on to use the sticker as a witnessing aid, informing them that based on Scripture I was indeed new, a new creation.
Later I visited two locations of another company that due to a vacillating work load hires a lot of temps. These souls come from a variety of backgrounds, many with a sad story. Tuesday quite a few were from a transitional house having just been released from prison. What an opportunity I had to share with them they could be made new.
Aren't you glad God can make new what appears to be a lost cause or a hopeless mess in those He redeems?
In
preparing for this
message I consider
an old song by Wayne
Watson that was
popular when we were
just young
Christians in the
early eighties.
Recently Brooksyne
found a framed print
of it at our local
thrift shop and hung
it in our office.
The song tells the
story of an old,
decrepit violin that
looked worthless at
an auction and
nobody showed
interest until an
old man walked to
the front and began
to play it. At the
touch of the
master's hand the
old violin's value
increased
remarkably.We know many people who have tremendous stories of overcoming life's hardships and sin's devastation, experiencing the wonderful truth expressed in the daily verse. Now they are serving the Lord and experiencing the process of transformation. I am always delighted to hear testimonies of how God, in His mercy, is bringing newness and restoration to broken lives.
In ministry we cooperate with the Lord in His work in the spiritual rehabilitation process. He ultimately makes new but we have a cooperative part in teaching the Scriptures, encouraging, being an example, serving in a host of ministries and in many other ways.
The Apostle Paul describes this wonderful change, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul experienced that change in his own life and he rejoiced in the transforming power of God in the people he ministered to.
The list of changed, "new" lives goes on and on and is being added to every day. What miracles result from the touch of the Master's Hand! Are you one of them?
You
know there's many
a man with his
life out of tune,
Battered and scarred with sin and he's auctioned cheap,
To a thankless world, much like that old violin.
Oh, but then the Master comes,
And that old foolish crowd they never understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought,
Just by one touch of the Master's hand.
Battered and scarred with sin and he's auctioned cheap,
To a thankless world, much like that old violin.
Oh, but then the Master comes,
And that old foolish crowd they never understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought,
Just by one touch of the Master's hand.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen and Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, the
question in
the old hymn
asks, "What
can wash away
my sins?" The
correct answer
is "Nothing
but the blood
of Jesus."
Only You can
take a heart
that is bent
toward sin and
completely
turn it toward
godliness.
Thank You for
Your
redemptive
love, seen in
the death and
resurrection
of Your Son,
that forgives
my heart of
sin. You take
away the
sinful way of
thinking that
leads to
sinful living
and replace it
with a
spiritual way
of thinking
that leads to
life through
Your Spirit.
Master, the
touch of Your
hand empowers
me to be
transformed
into newness
of life, for
which I am
eternally
grateful.
Amen.
I
always enjoy
this view from
Wrightsville of
the the
Columbia/Wrightsville
Memorial
Bridge over
the
Susquehanna
River .
Tuesday
morning I
passed these
sheep in rural
Lebanon
County.
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental Resources
"Haven't Seen
It Yet" Video
Danny
Gokey Dedicated to a very good
friend going through a very
hard season of life.
"Touch Of The
Master's Hand" Video
Wayne Watson from 1980
Here are the entire lyrics to "The Touch Of The Master's Hand"
Twas 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
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 "mess of pottage," 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.
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 "mess of pottage," 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.
The Touch of the Master’s Hand was written in 1921 by Myra Brooks Welch who lived in La Verne, California. Her family had always been filled with a love of music, which, as a young woman, instilled in Myra a passion for playing the organ. Myra also loved poetry. So much so that her friends called her “The poet with the singing soul.”
One evening while attending a lecture to a group of students, Myra became captivated by the speaker’s message and, as she put it, "became filled with light". The words were so powerful that she wrote a poem that took just 30 minutes to compose. Believing it was a gift from God, Myra anonymously sent the poem to her church hoping it would be printed in the bulletin the following Sunday.
Not only was Myra’s poetry printed, as if by magic during a day when social media and the internet did not exist, its popularity spread throughout the country. Years later, when the poem had been forgotten, it was read at an international religious convention followed by the words, "author unknown".
Suddenly from the audience a young man rose to his feet and shouted, "I know the author, and it’s time the world did too. It was written by my mother, Myra Welch."
Background story
Finally today:
Brooksyne continues to serve at the Joni and Friends family Retreat.
Brooksyne continues to serve at the Joni and Friends family Retreat.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
We realize there are many fine
ministries and causes requesting support
but if the Lord would lead you we surely need
and appreciate the financial support from our
readers and listeners.Our ministry labor is comprised of approximately half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive compensation. Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each would provide half of our ministry expenses and income.
If you would consider making a donation to our ministry see here for more information.
Please Note:
We also provide this easy option due to the
convenience, for international supporters, and
for those who may not be concerned regarding
receiving an official tax deductible receipt. Click here
to send an offering using PayPal. This
will open to a page that states "Brooksyne
Weber"Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2019 Stephen
C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA