Labels

By Rev. Dr. Charles B. Mayson

Labels by Rev. Dr. Charles B. Mayson is a book of hope for those that have ever felt devalued. It is a light of encouragement in a world that often makes us feel small. Mayson describes the plight of various people in the Bible like Rahab, Ruth, David, and Jonah and how society devalued them. Mayson shares personal examples in which he describes his own suffering while being falsely imprisoned and how he chose to find hope and love in spite of great difficulty.

Dr. Mayson makes it very clear in his text that it doesn’t matter what you have done in this world. God loves everyone, and his grace offers forgiveness to those who believe and trust in Christ. Society will always have labels for people. They can cripple us, causing us to feel worthless. This book gives hope and encouragement. Satan’s labels are lies; God’s promises offer eternal rewards and hope.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728304175

Rev. Dr. Charles B. Mayson

Dr. Charlie B. Mayson is an ordained pastor, with a doctorate from Gardner-Webb University, a Masters of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a B. S. from The Citadel. He was an army helicopter pilot, Corporate Transportation Manager for a large textile company and a small business owner. He has pastored several churches and is the author of several other books. Behind the Glass, When Life Shows Up, I Don’t Want to God! and No Regrets, (written with his late sister-n-law, Angela). Dr. Mayson now lives in Spartanburg, SC where he and his Mom take care of each other.

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© 2019 Rev. Dr. Charles B. Mayson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Published by AuthorHouse  03/13/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-0418-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-0416-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-0417-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019903058

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

This book is dedicated to Betty Vic Hart, Aunt Betty. She was labeled specially-abled during her life. Now she is in heaven and is perfectly-abled and no labels.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1     Are You In?

Chapter 2     Aunt Betty

Chapter 3     Rahab

Chapter 4     Ruth

Chapter 5     David

Chapter 6     Jonah

Chapter 7     The Lady with Perfume

Chapter 8     Jesus, the Disenfranchised One

Chapter 9     Hello My Name Is ________

Chapter 10   Are We There Yet?

Summary of Scripture

INTRODUCTION

It was battered and scarred, and the auctioneer thought it scarcely worth the while to waste much time on the old violin, but he held it up with a smile. Who’ll start the bidding for me? A dollar, who’ll make it two? Two dollars and who’ll make it three? Three dollars once. twice, going for three". But no, from the back of the room a gray-haired man came forward and took the bow, then wiping the dust from the old violin and tightening up all the strings, he played a melody pure and sweet, as sweet as the angels sing.

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 once, and who’ll make it two? Two thousand, and who’ll make it three? Three thousand once, three thousand twice, going and gone! said he.

The people cheered, but some of them said, We do not quite understand, what changed its worth? Came the reply, The touch of the master’s hand.

And many a man with his life out of tune and battered and scarred with sin is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd, much like the old violin. A mess of potage, a glass of wine, a game and he shuffles along; he’s going once, he’s going twice, he’s going and almost gone.

But the Master comes, and the thoughtless crowd never can quite understand the worth of a soul, and the change that is wrought by the touch of the Master’s hand.

Myra Brooks Welch

Many in society would like to auction cheap those who do not look like them or have the same economic or social status. Likewise, those who have been battered by life’s storm. Some do not see the worth of those who, admittedly, even by their own poor choices, have received the scars of life. We are constantly labeling people who are different. Those who had been unfortunate. Those who are admitted sinners, whose sin looks different than ours. We do not allow them to participate, to stand alongside of us. Even if we are doing God’s work in this world, we tend to not allow the disenfranchised to stand alongside us.

The poem at the beginning of this introduction points out the underlying theme of this project: a difference is made in the life of those who have been Touched by the Master’s Hand. Society very well may hang labels on those battered and torn in the combat of life. Status quo folks’ place little value on their life, but God does! Once touched by His hand and drawn into His family, a change takes place. We are delivered from death and hell by accepting His Son’s death, burial and resurrection. A change has taken place and their value is incalculable to God.

Throughout God’s Word, the Holy Bible, there are countless examples of God’s use of the disenfranchised, the broken, those caught in their sin. Society labeled them but God used them in mighty ways. As a labeled, disenfranchised, undervalued child of God, this project is personal. My personal story of being falsely accused, wrongfully imprisoned, subsequently labeled and becoming disenfranchised, will be interwoven throughout this writing.

There are many more like me as well as the folks you are about to meet in God’s Word, who society undervalues. Businesses, Civic Organizations and even Religious Institutions are guilty of labeling or accepting societies labels and undervaluing even those God deems useful. In Luke 12:22-34, He tells us Jesus cares for us and will provide for us. We need not be anxious because it does nothing for us. We have a value to Him. The animals and plants in nature are cared for by God, we will also be provided for. Certainly, if God knows what is going on in this part of His creation, surely, we, His supreme creation, are more important to Him. God knows where we are and what we need. We are His creation and possess value to Him. The labels of society seem inappropriate in light of this information. Nahum 1:7 says, The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him. God cares for us and knows what’s going on in our life. He views us as important assets to His overall plan.

Sadly, society and even the modern church does not place the same value on disenfranchised believers. They get side tracked by political correctness, people’s legal standing and past failures and buying into society’s labeling process. They lose sight of God’s model of using those very same disenfranchised folks. In fact, it has been said, the church is the only organization that kills its wounded.

This project is one meant to bring hope to the disenfranchised, the broken the battered, those who long to be valued by men the same way God values them. In John the Apostle’s book, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, he is greeting the believers in churches in Asia. He is letting them know he has a Word from God and in chapter 1 verse 5 John sends a greeting from God describing Him as the one who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests… How can we treat anyone of God children with anything less than that same value? In Matthew’s Gospel, 10:29, he tells us Jesus asked the question, Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the Father. Matthew continues with Jesus telling us that the very hairs of your head are all numbered (Matthew 10:30). God loves us and knows exactly what has gone on in our life, what’s going on now and what will go in the future and has deemed us worthy of His love and usable by Him in his desire to spread His love and message to the lost and dying world.

Using the acronym L-A-B-E-L-S, I outline traits that those who have been disenfranchised possess. We all have super powers that can be harnessed by God. Where society may try to limit them, God can see clearly how useful we are. He knows that no matter what has happened in our life, these abilities can still be harnessed for good.

It is