The Feast
The table was set with the finest cuisine,
Delicacies and décor I’d never seen…
I graciously set down beside the Queen…
I bowed humbly, but I wanted to scream…
With sheer delight, I’m a guest of the King, tonight!
A multitude of beaming smiles I see, each nodding all to greet
Wondering how this could even be…
We were guest of the King!
Trumpets sounding; there’s a holy roar, we stand to our feet…
The King majestically takes His seat…
In one accord we bow, making His entrance complete…
The chalice is lifted and now we can eat…
Long live the King, we all repeat…
The clinking of glass is heard all around
Being filled with new wine, we’re given bread
Pheasant and spreads…soups of the most delectable kind…
Lamb and goose, chicken and moose, things that boggle the mind…
Veggies galore…I doubt there could be more…but wait; they’ve saved the best for last
Honey glazed apples, cobblers and cakes, pies piled high on three tier plates…
There’s pineapple, grapes and dates…
Pomegranates and crepes…
Eat and be merry, there’s no need to wait,
Take your place, enjoy, and celebrate…
Exuberant cheers explode in the atmosphere…
Fireworks cover the starlit sky…
Sounds of music fill the air…
Gasps heard, Oh my!!!
Sit down at the table there’s room for more…
When you’re related to the King He restores…
Life in the garden, where death was met…
A life for a life there is no regret…
The King is alive; eternity set…
A robe of white linen is your attire
A ring and a crown for all to admire…
No longer a servant, you are royalty…
Tonight you dine with the King!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill May 15, 2019
Revelation 19:6-9 New Living Translation (NLT)
Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder:
“Praise the Lord!
For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice,
and let us give honor to him.
For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb,
and his bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.”
For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”
Mother
A young woman barely twenty carries a child within her womb…
But what does she know about being a mother, she kneels by the bed in her room…
Lord, what do I know about being a mother? How do I even begin to nurture this child I carry within? He’s a tiny person that you’ve given…so help me Lord on my journey to love and comfort him…
Daughter, you’re already a mother, I see it each time you gently caress the place where your child rests…I hear it in your tender prayers, wanting only the best, ten fingers and ten toes, he’ll have all of those…don’t worry, for you are more than blessed…
A mother is a word, to honor a life that’s spent…serving those who God has lent, until they are grown. She loves unconditionally, works tirelessly, prays endlessly for her children to be safe and content.
Nine months she’s carried him, loved him, sang songs to him, prayed for him, and would die for him, that’s what loving mother’s do…
No matter how far they are from her, no matter how old they get…a mother is like no other, even when she is bent…she carries them within her deepest soul…they can never outgrow…the love is intertwined within her and so…a mother always knows…
From the first time they call her…ma-ma…to mommy, to mom…or mum…a mother’s heart is always open they know they can come…
To her and she will listen, sometimes advice is given and sometimes she prays silently and they never know…but God in his great wisdom, hears and understands…he created mothers to love like no other…she’s one of His best plans…forty-five years since the girl of twenty birthed a son, then another, and another and another…and through these years she’s carried the heart of a loving, caring, praying, devoted mother.
~~~
I love my babies…thank you God for the gift of being a mother!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill May 8, 2019
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3 New International Version (NIV)
Tear Down the Wall
Artist Unknown
I’ve been in a dry place ever since my challenge with my heart “stuff.” I found it difficult to pray. I prayed but there was no feeling…I was simply praying by faith…no frills, no chills no thrills…I couldn’t feel anything…I’d talk to God and it seemed as though he was a thousand miles away…which I know isn’t true because he cannot lie…and he said, he would never leave me nor forsake me…it felt as if I was engulfed in a tomb…brink walls surrounding me…I remember my grandmother telling a minister one time… “Lord, tear those brick walls down.” And he did…
I remembered the saying, “The teacher is always quiet during the test.” So I’d say, Lord I know you are here but I can’t feel you. Please help me pass this test. We don’t go by feelings we walk by faith not by sight. But still it bothered me. I’d try to worship, sing, pray, read my bible, but all desire had come to a standstill and I did not like that at all!
It was awful…then on Friday I began to have a bit of a breakthrough…I was driving and I screamed…MOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No matter how old you get, you still miss your mom…well most people do! I miss mine every single day. All I can do is keep living one day at a time.
Then I remembered that while I was at my son Abram’s house I was sleeping, Bob was away for a job and I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Everything is going to be OK, BE STRONG!” Well that set off a bunch of alarms…what do you mean Lord…is something “bad” going to happen…is Bob going to be OK? Are my children safe? All the doubts started flying through my brain…but I had to give it to the Lord and not let fear or anxiety take over…that’s just what the enemy would want…I wasn’t going to fall for that one…
Last Friday I remembered what the Lord had said…then I got it…OH, that’s why you were warning me to be strong…he knew I was going to be going through the test…
Last night I could not sleep so I got my kindle and began to read different things…one was a book about the power of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues…now I know some of you don’t believe in speaking in tongues and that’s OK I’m praying for you. LOL! But I know what I have is real, at the age of 11/12 praying for the gift and Jesus saying to me, seek the giver of the gift not the gift…I was a kid what did I know…and 3 ½ hours later still praying in heavenly languages…I know He’s real…so a person with an experience has nothing to fear from someone with an opinion…or so the saying goes…any-hoo…I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, “Pray in the Spirit!” Pray in your prayer language…so I did, quietly so not to disturb Bob who was sleeping like a baby…bless his heart he has to get up early and go to work…let me add he is a good man and I love him dearly!
Then I read some more…it was about 2:30 in the morning…and still sleep would not come…but God was showing me some things…and I didn’t fight it…finally I was getting somewhere and it was heavenly…number one, I had to repent for letting distractions come in and take me away from drawing close to the Lord. Not just microwave repentance…I had to humble myself, get real with God and really mean what I was repenting about it has to come from deep within the heart and soul…God is God and he knows when we are just trying to get by with something…one thing about God is you can’t fool him…He knows us all too well…
I read one book about antichrist and it talked about Artificial Intelligence, (AI). For the first time in history we are living in a world where AI is used and now because of this the antichrist could come from that. But I’m not going into that right now.
I thought about the Holy Spirit, and that He is Holy that’s why he’s called Holy Spirit…and how we so often, as people, just take for granted who He is…then there’s people who are afraid of Holy Spirit but it’s because of ignorance and lack of getting to know Him…He is the most gentle, loving, kind, person of God that you would every want to know. He’s the teacher, counselor, guide, healer, deliverer, and so much more!
I perceived a person standing in front of an angry, hungry LION (the devil) he’s roaring about to devour the person and they, supposedly, a Christian, full of God on the prayer team of their local church, a pillar in the community and outstanding Bible Scholar, mature in the Lord and devoted husband/wife; looks at the Lion and says…in a weak, lowly voice, “now you just go on your way, don’t eat me, I belong to God!” One gulp and the person is devoured…where was the anointing? Where was the power? They had been taught that the power of the Holy Ghost had gone out with the early Christians…wait…what? That’s another lie of Satan.
We are living in the most critical time of history…Satan is real…Hell is real…Heaven is real…God is real…but in today’s society what’s more real to people is their Superhero’s…crying so hysterically over a fictitious character that a woman has to be sent to the hospital…people fighting over a movie spoiler with such hate because someone told them the outcome of the movie, and these are character’s that are not even real…now I’m not saying you can’t watch a movie or get excited about it and I don’t like to know what happened either before I see it…but when the movie is more important than showing kindness to others, and it becomes more real than the true and living God, something is really wrong…
Where are our priorities? Where are our hearts? I’m talking to the body of Christ…do we even know the difference anymore between what’s real and what’s fake? No wonder our world is broken…who will stand up and be bold and say…God Has said…? Who will tarry in the altars for the in filling of the Holy Spirit and Fire? Who will pray, with anointed, delivering prayers that sets people free from addictions, and heals marriages, and saves souls from destruction and lies? Who will stand in the face of the enemy and shout… “I rebuke you Satan you have to GO in the name of Jesus.” Not in our own strength but in the authority of Jesus Christ, he will back us up…and the angry, hungry LION will turn and run in fear!!!!!
So as I was listening to the Holy Spirit he said, “Antichrist” means against the anointed…
Christ (Greek) means, (the anointed one) anointed…anti (Greek) means, against…
The Holy Spirit will teach you, equip you. He will give you discernment to do the, what, when, where and how…don’t let the devil bully you. Put on the full armor of God…and stand child of God…knowing you are not standing alone…you’ve got the Creator of heaven, His Devoted Son and Fire of the Holy Spirit backing you up…and the Holy angels…so do not fear…do not be afraid…know the WORD OF GOD and walk in the Holy Spirit and you will overcome!!!
And next time you hear antichrist…know this is the spirit, that blasphemes God…it is against the anointed one.
Yeshua is coming…go, tarry in God’s presence until you are filled with the Holy Spirit and Fire…He has the Power by His Spirit to cast out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead…preach the Good News in every tribe and nation…fan the fire children of God…Rise Up and Be For the Living God…He is the best superhero you could ever encounter…because He is Real!!! Amen and Amen!!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill May 6, 2019
(John said) I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Matthew 3:11 KJV
“I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you. Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.] John 14:25-17 (AMP)
And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. Isaiah 10:27 KJV
The Empty Box
This is for you, I heard him say…
It was an unexpected gift…
Thank you, I said, but why, it’s not my birthday.
Just open it and you will see, he turned and slowly walked away…
I opened it curiously, wide-eyed and confused, I found it was empty.
I looked up and before I could inquire as to why,
I saw tears of contentment in his eyes…
He turned, waved his hand, and said, soon you’ll understand…
Holding the empty box I had no choice
So, I waited, and then, I heard this still small voice begin
The little box is empty, but only if you remain
Fixed on the world and its material gain
You can put within it many things…
Tares will grow in the garden, weeds will multiply
When you get distracted and focus on what you, want, in life
The gift of tears will overflow; there will be lots of troubles and sorrow…
Oh your box can have valuable trinkets, gold, money, and fame…
You can fill it with toys and cars and homes and live your life in vain
The box will still remain…empty…
I listened to His words and pondered them with great care
Then I put the box in my pocket to keep it safe there…
Then I prayed…
Lord,
Fill this empty box with your gift of love to share
Fill it with peace that I can give to others who are tormented with cares…
Let me sow seeds of kindness, in this empty box please fill
Giving away hope, and in your presence, let me be still…
And when I give this empty box to someone else one day…
Let it be full of blessings I received along the way…
No longer, an empty box, but overflowing let them find…
Gifts from heaven, of the rarest kind…
Wisdom, to build their house on, pure and strong
Truth, to set them free, saved by thee
Love, that’s without measure
A crown of life to treasure…
Fill the empty box Lord with desires to be…
Found worthy, and grateful to believe…
Deciding what to put inside the box that’s empty…
Will be your greatest accomplishment
A heart that’s dark and empty will grow darker still
But a heart that’s loved and cherished will,
Be a life that’s fulfilled!
Standing in the throne room where God’s presence dwells
He handed me a box that was filled with melodious bells…
They were souls, for His kingdom; each name written down
The empty box given to me long, long, ago…I found…
This was more valuable than rubies or gold
Priceless faces, I now behold
My empty box was laid down; I was given a jeweled crown
A new box was filled to overflowing; there were no more tears,
No hopelessness, no anger, no sickness, no anxiety, no fear…
I opened the box and discovered…
All I had hoped for, lived for, grieved for, prayed for,
Restored…
I found home!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill May 6, 2019
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26
Bird-Song
I listen to the bird-song as she sweetly sings to me
Not knowing there’s an audience underneath her tree
Peace and reassurance float gently on the breeze
Little bird, singing her song, just for me…
Reflecting on life’s memories, I breathe,
Thank you God for giving life and a bird-song sung tenderly
Life has been difficult that’s the way of things…
But this bird-song made me stop and think,
We live in moments, which turn to years
Some happiness and some tears…
But through it all, on the early morning breeze
We’ll hear a bird-song floating through the trees…
And if we’re wise we’ll realize…
God sent a bird-song to lift us from our knees
Little bird…you’ll fly away,
But today~
I heard your song and sung along!
Marla Shaw O’Neill May 3, 2019
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Psalm 55:6 KJV
The Longing
Artist unknown
Holy Father, I implore you
Don’t take your Holy Spirit from me
Let me know you,
Let me see you,
Let me be near you…
O Holy God
Take this longing, I am giving
Wrap me in your arms again…
Holy Father, blessed Jesus,
Let me feel your love begin…
When I fall, don’t let me stay down
When I cry, lift me up…
Cast these burdens…that I carry
From this broken, dirty cup,
As far as the East is from the West,
Holy Father, I surrender
Help me pass this test…
Let your grace pour over me…
Your presence, Lord, is all I need
Without your presence I am wasted…
Like a desert I’m parched and dry…
Without your living-water to sustain me,
Precious Savior, I’d surely die…
Without your presence, I cannot survive…
Blackest, darkness tries to grab me…
But it can’t have me…for my life is hid in thee
Holy Spirit, send your fire; dust to ashes;
Create in me, a new spirit, with a new heart,
Draw me closer to your side…
There, blood and water, poured out to save me
Your presence gives me…
New life!
I’m meek and lowly, I’m new born, I’m free
Let me see you face to face…
Let me hear your voice of grace…
Wrap me in your presence Lord
For it’s in this sacred place…
I find my peace and rest…
Jesus, your blessedness…
Breathe in me…
~Marla Shaw O’Neill April 29, 2019
God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit. Psalm 51:10-12 HCSB
Now Faith Is
Faith is not a feeling
Faith is not your will
Faith is not wishing for life to be still
Faith is substance, concrete and real…
A knowing, that no matter what, you know, God will…
Faith is not pretending
Faith does not break
Faith stands through the storm
Faith gives, it doesn’t take…
Faith says, I surrender all that I believe
Into the mighty hands of God, then I receive
It’s trusting in the one that we cannot see
Faith is God’s amazing gift living inside of me…
It burns with confidence in the one who sets men free…
Faith pleases God…
Faith brings victory…
Faith says, if you do, or do not, I will believe…
Holy breath, breathe on me…
Walking on water…
Stepping out of the boat
Casting out demons
Giving hope
Healing the sick
Raising the dead
Preaching the gospel, telling what Jesus said…
Feeding five thousand with fishes and bread
Faith is living without misery and dread…
Faith is the key that opens the door
To unknown mysteries…when we walk with the Lord
For we walk by faith and not by sight
Don’t listen to doubt; don’t give up the fight…
Faith is God’s word, that when we walk by faith, everything will be alright!
No fear of falling into the abyss,
Faith is God’s greeting with a heavenly kiss…
Walking by Faith is God’s promise…
Invisible to visible, blessedness…
Now Faith Is!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill April 29, 2019
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Behold, the Lamb
Artist unknown
The shepherd watched as his sheep grazed in an open field
Unaware of their purpose, they ran and jumped and played
Little lambs, perfect in every way…
No fear of predator or foe…they did not know
That soon they’d be taken away…
Away from their mother where they nuzzled and supped
Away from the shepherd who would pick them up,
Stroke their head and carry them awhile…
Over rocky places for many a mile…
Lead them to still waters and green pastures to graze…
The little lambs would be taken today…
Baa, baa, said the little lamb
Frightened he shook, he didn’t understand…
Where is my mommy? Where is the shepherd?
Why am I here with this strange-looking man?
The priest took the lamb and held him tenderly
Laid him on the altar for God to see…
No spot, no wrinkle, no blemishes were found
Accepted as perfect; baa, baa, was the only sound
Feet bound, he killed the lamb
Another lamb was sacrificed, in Jerusalem, today
Jesus the Lamb of God, perfect in every way…
Baa, baa, said the lamb…
Blood spilled, from the great I AM…
No sin was found in Him…
He is, the perfect lamb
~Marla Shaw O’Neill April 17, 2019
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 ESV
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Exodus 12:5 NKJ
“Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.” Exodus 13:2 NLT
The Creator
Painting by Jeremy Winborg