The Truth – My Legacy
August 2, 2018NAME IT – CLAIM IT – PROCLAIM IT
My Birthright
I live in hope of the Light,
It is, therefore, my own.
The illusion of darkness
Is gone from my sight
and my heart belongs to Him!
By Martha L Shaw – © 2014-2018
DIRTY FEET-SMELLY FRIENDS-JESUS’ CHOICES?
July 18, 2017Jesus chose those 12 and surely eyebrows raised then as now. Consider seeing them sitting in the dirt eating fish Jesus cooked for them. Smelly fishermen and others gathered with Him, and Him soiled from prepping the meal for them. . . FOR THEM!?
Sadly, so VERY sadly we are no different today! Those whom we judge are not soiled, OUR OWN HEARTSAND MINDS ARE AND THIS MUST CHANGE! Surely, you noticed the reaction at church to these:
- the single mom with 4 kids
- the lady who coughs so much
- that guy with the cane
- the teenager alone
- the elderly lady with dirty hair
- the old man with a wrinkled shirt
- that odd smell
Do you sit near the pew they select? Welcome Them? Introduce yourself? Hug? Shake hands? Introduce them to others? Escort them to coffee? Jesus was waiting for you by the door!
Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
The “It Tastes Like Chicken” Gospel
April 13, 2017I come from a long line of sensible people. Church going folks. I always assumed the two concepts go hand-in-hand. You know what? I can’t say I’ve ever found the word sensible in the Bible. Okay, so I decided I needed to look that up and since cyberspace provides worlds of opportunity I can tell you that one quick click revealed that the word appears just twice in the entire Bible. Twice! So, since my “sensible” approach to life is no longer working and since it seems the Lord has crazy and amazing (though not entirely defined yet) plans for me, I’m thinking that with just two uses of the word “sensible” that’s not much of an endorsement for MY PLAN. Well, as it happens my sensible approach is no longer working anyway . . . so it’s time to totally trust in the Lord.
Trust. I don’t like that word. When people say “trust me” it usually means “I know you’re not going to like this, but . . . “ You know, it’s not unlike those times someone has tried to get me to taste something I thought looked “funny” and they wouldn’t tell me what it was, but said it “tastes like chicken.” Well, the only thing I care to consume that tastes like chicken is chicken. Seriously. So, back to trusting. Not a fan of trusting humans. Experience hasn’t changed my thoughts on that, but trusting in the Lord . . . hmmm. So, back to my Bible research. As it happens, my results for “trust” were quite a bit different compared to my research on “sensible.” That word appears 164 times. Okay, that’s an improvement of about 98.5 percent!
So, I’m going with trust. I’m listening to the Lord. Seems I’m not the only one in favor of throwing out sensible in favor of something better. Here are a few related opinions on a different approach to life.
“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of
choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing
to be achieved.” — Jeremy Kitson
“In each of us are places where we have never gone. Only
by pressing the limits do you ever find them.”— Dr. Joyce Brothers
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by
the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover.” — Mark Twain
But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” –Psalm 31:14
BASKING IN YOU
January 8, 2017SPREAD THE GOSPEL
December 26, 2016A new flower grows
A mature plant dropped its seed
Grace pours down like rain
By Martha L Shaw – © 2016
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No One Can Come To Me . . .
August 16, 2012In John 6 we read that Jesus said “no one can come to me unless the Father draws him” and at first glance this can be startling. Perhaps it never startled you, but it did me. However, after meditating on it and just being with Him, I came to find that words which sounded as though they were excluding were actually giving me life, ETERNAL life!
We are perhaps, at this moment (well, I am) singing a familiar song in our hearts. This song brings tears to my eyes and sends my heart and soul soaring! For, you see, we were drawn in. We love Him because He first loved us! How amazing is it that with all my flaws and constant mistakes . . . my hurts, my weakness, my stumbling, He chose me for His own? Life is amazing not because I got it right, but because He transforms it, transforms me, and most of all draws me close and loves me!
Are You One in Ten?
March 1, 2012Wow, I woke up tormented today by voices in my head which spoke of gloom and doom and lack of hope. I considered writing about it, but didn’t want to fan the flame, so I read some. As I read, the loud voices in my head continued their firm stand on things, but the voices of heart and soul began to whisper . . .
I quickly began to feel the peace pouring out of that place and the whisper won out over the loud voices. What I read spoke of all that’s real and of being Christlike . . . the truth didn’t need to shout . . . shouting is for the untruth.
I also read that only one in ten in any given group of Christians are truly ready to take on our commission and are willing to do the work. Initially, this sounded discouraging. Not so.
When I was last working, back in MA before a move and a bad economy shifted things, I recall the sales part of my banking career and the truth that our great product was likely to be met with only one “yes” in ten attempts to sell it.
Know what? When those one in ten who want the good and the real and are willing to do what is necessary to be what they truly are . . . when that one in ten who buy the good product at a high cost over the cheap imitation . . . suddenly, the product sales go up, because those one in ten reflect its glory so brightly. Suddenly, the number of those whispering the truth is growing and those who have to shout to make the lie heard? They are growing fewer.
Are you one of the ten?
Monsters STILL Under My Bed!
August 19, 2011“Come unto Me” the Lord speaks to us in Matthew 11:28. In my daily devotional reading today Oswald Chambers offers comforting words as he tells us that the Lord wants nothing less for us than oneness in Him. As I read his teaching I was reminded of my childhood. I can recall going to bed. The house suddenly seemed so dark and quiet. It seemed almost deserted, but then I’d hear sounds which spooked me. The shadows in the room told me with certainty that there were monsters under my bed! My stirring drew my parents close to me as they reassured me that they were near and that everything would be okay. I could finally sleep. I’m thinking of this just now and I can recall how calm I felt, how protected, how safe. The sounds and shadows that caused my fear hadn’t changed. What did change was the nearness of love, and the complete awareness that I was never alone. I might encounter “monsters” but I wouldn’t have to face them by myself. Rest came. How I have sometimes missed those innocent days, and yet when I recall them now I realize that I am even more loved and protected than I’d ever realized as that small child who “knew” there were monsters under her bed. For all the love and protection my parents could offer me, my Lord and Savior offers 1000 times more, 10,000 times more. The challenges I face now are real just as the squeaks and shadows of my youth, but I don’t need to fear because my oneness with Christ reminds me that He never leaves me alone. I can face anything because of His love, His power, His protection. I can rest in Him. The monsters may still be under the bed. It doesn’t matter. I’m loved. I’ll be fine.