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Ow!

Posted on Aug 3, 2021 in "Reed" This, BLOG |

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Ow!

This past weekend I was working in my wood shop. I don’t have air conditioning in the shop, so my shirt was basically soaked because of the heat. I was done and needed to bring some things back into the house. As I walked up the stairs to the back door, I noticed a sizable wasp nest tucked up in the corner of the eave a few feet from the door. I also noticed there were several wasps flying around that nest, so I was trying to get in before they saw me. Unfortunately, the door was locked, both my hands were full, and my key was in my pocket. Thankfully, Debbie saw me and came to open the door for me. Just as she was opening the door, I felt a sharp pain on my back quickly followed by a strong stinging pain. “Ow! Ow! Ow!”, I said as I jumped through the door to set things down out of my hands and reached back to try and swat the wasp that was stinging me, but I was too late. She had already flown off the back of my shoulder, but the stinging venom she left in me was still doing its work. (Yes, it was a female wasp. The males don’t have stingers.) A good ten to fifteen minutes went by before that sting died down. But I was left with a quarter-sized, hot to the touch, red, swelled up spot on my back that throughout the rest of the day would remind me, a little painfully at times, I had been stung. I got to thinking about that wasp stinging me. The first thing I felt was its stinger pricking me. My skin being stabbed was the first pain. Then, I felt the stinging burn of the venom being pumped into me. That was much worse than the stinger prick and was the reason for me crying out, “Ow!” Just like a shot at the doctor, the needle is not bad, it’s the stuff they pump into you that hurts. The difference being the doctor is giving you something to help, not venom.

That was the first time I had seen that nest. I usually will leave a wasp nest alone, as long as no one gets hurt by them. But if one stings me or another member of my family, then I will kill them and destroy the nest. Some of you might say, “But what about the ‘“Vengeance is mine”, says the Lord, “I will repay.”’ verse?” I don’t believe that applies to wasps. I can’t figure out why that wasp felt threatened by me. I was at least six feet away from the nest. Maybe she didn’t like the color of my blueish gray shirt or the fact that it was wet with sweat. I’m sure I will never know.

For the past year or more, it seems that a lot of people are like that wasp. They quickly feel threatened or are offended by the smallest things and are ready to light into someone with stinging words and actions. Maybe we are all tired of dealing with this pandemic and have had too much time to just sit and stew about something. Aggravation with masks and restrictions, racial tensions, and political bickering have been so annoying and unsettling. Whatever has put everyone on edge, no one has the right to lash out at someone else in anger or be rude. As Christians, we need to be like Jesus and only respond in love, keeping control of our emotions, and not letting anger lead to sin. Here are a few scriptures we all need to help remind us how God wants us to be.

“Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper – it only leads to harm.” Psalm 37:8

“People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.” Proverbs 14:29

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

Remember, no one likes to be stung by a wasp. Let’s not be a stinging wasp to someone else with our words and actions. Let’s be the love of Christ.

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Family Heritage

Posted on Jul 27, 2021 in "Reed" This, BLOG |

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Family Heritage

Many of you know, and I guess many of you may not know, I am the youngest child in my family. I have three older sisters and one older brother. Celia is the oldest followed by Becky, who is five years younger. Ruthie was born two years after Becky, followed by John, who was born another two years later, and then I was born two years after him. So, my oldest sister, Celia, is eleven years older than me. I truly enjoyed growing up with so many siblings. We had 15 first cousins on our mother’s side of the family. She was the oldest of four girls born to my grandparents. So, I’m one of 20 grandchildren on the McClure side. On my father’s side, we had nine first cousins between his older brother and younger brother, making me one of 14 grandchildren on the Reed side. Dad had three half-brothers and one half-sister that I remember, but I don’t remember their children as we didn’t see them much. We saw our first cousins quite a lot as they all lived in Oklahoma, except for one of my mother’s sisters and her family living in the Dallas, Texas area and our family living in Arkansas just six miles from the Oklahoma state line. It was only a three-hour drive to Madill, Oklahoma where both sets of my grandparents lived, which was in the south-central part of the state just above Lake Texoma on the Oklahoma and Texas border. Whenever we went to visit one side, we always were able to visit the other side. They were even members of the same church, which, incidentally, was the first place my mother saw my father, therefore we all worshiped together when we were there on a Sunday. The family names were Reed, McClure, Ard, Jacks, Williams, and my great aunt and her son’s family name, Broderick. All these names, which included 51 people, were raised in the church, and were taught to know and love Jesus. That’s three generations of my family. The first of those generations were taught by the previous generations. That teaching carried on into the other two and has been and is being passed down into two more generations.

As my uncle, Darrell Ard, has done a lot of research into our ancestry and I have done a little, I find it interesting that I was the first ordained minister in our family tree. That means that all this strong Christian heritage has been passed down through many generations not by preachers, but simply by lay-people that love Jesus and shared Him with their children. That so encourages me! What an awesome blessing from God! I know that not everyone can say all of this about their family. Someone else may not be able to say any of their ancestors knew the Lord, and that is sad and may be very difficult for that person. But that person can be the first generation that is a believer in Jesus and starts what an ancestor many generations later can say, “That’s when our family began following Jesus.” That’s why I’m writing this. Not to brag about me, but to acknowledge how the Lord has blessed me and to encourage all of us to keep sharing Jesus with our families, and to all the people we can so that their family trees will be full of believers. We have the awesome opportunity and responsibility to share Jesus with our children, our siblings, cousins, and maybe even our aunts and uncles and grandparents. Long ago, God instructed the Israelites to tell their children and generations after them of Him and His ways. That still applies to us today.

“The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:4-7 CSB

I love my family, and I am grateful I can continue to love them as we spend eternity together in heaven. I pray you can say the same about yours. Whether anyone listens or accepts, in love we must continue sharing Jesus. Prayerfully, our family heritage will all be eternal life with Him.

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Sing the Song

Posted on Jul 20, 2021 in "Reed" This, BLOG |

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Sing the Song

We are blessed to have a lot of trees, shrubs, and bushes around our house. Most are natural, but previous owners had put in several different kinds of plants and we have enjoyed all of them, as well as adding some ourselves. One of the benefits of these plants and trees is they attract wildlife. We have enjoyed seeing so many different animals and birds around and many of them have made their homes on our property. Squirrels scamper around and chase one another up and down the trees. Possums can be seen occasionally, along with otters and maybe a mink one time. The racoons are always fun to see, especially when the muscadines are ripe. They seem to really enjoy those. I have seen several bird nests around and every morning we can hear them singing. One type of bird that we hear and see are wrens. These birds are no bigger than my fist, and yet their song is strong, clear, and louder than the other birds. Very often there will be one close to a window or door and they will sing their song loud and strong. I’ve watched them several times as they sing for a minute or so, and then fly about thirty feet to another branch and start their song again. It is quite fascinating to watch and hear. As I was listening to one this morning, I didn’t see it, but I could tell when there was a pause in the sound and then it started again from a different spot. I knew it was flying around to different places to sing its song. One last pause, and then I heard it no more. Its flight around my yard was complete and it had moved on somewhere else. I immediately missed hearing the beautiful song.

As I thought about that, something rather quickly came to my mind. As Christians, God has appointed us to be sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. We not only have been given the opportunity, but also the responsibility to sing His song. It’s a beautiful song of love, forgiveness, restoration, and salvation. And it sounds so good when you hear it. It is amazing. It is breathtaking. It is moving. And it is comforting. The world doesn’t know the song, but they need to hear it. The song of Jesus is beautiful, and it needs to be loud and strong amidst all the noise of the world and its distractions. We need to sing it here and there and everywhere. We need to sing it for this person, then go to that person, and then to the next person again and again until they know the song and can sing it too because they know Jesus. We need to always be singing, taking advantage of every opportunity we have to share, because one day the song will stop. One day we will be gone and there will be no one to sing. The world will no longer hear the beautiful song of salvation and it will be too late.

The possibility of hearing a wren tomorrow morning around my house is pretty good. If I don’t hear one, I will probably hear the other birds and enjoy their songs, but I would miss hearing a wren. As we all hear the birds singing and calling out, may they remind us that we too are to be about the Father’s business. Just as God gave the birds their song and they sing it for His glory, we need to be singing the song of Jesus so others will be saved and God will be glorified.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Rest

Posted on Jul 14, 2021 in BLOG, Letters from Pastor Mike |

Rest

Dear Friends,

I truly enjoy what I do and so I don’t think much about vacations and such. Usually, Amy has to remind me that we need to start thinking about and planning a time away from our normal pursuits. She is always right, of course, because if I don’t plan times to get away and rest, I will go until I find I am having a difficult time functioning or am feeling tired and sluggish. At that point I realize that I have overestimated my stamina and my work/life enjoyment and productivity begins to suffer.

“Rest” is defined as “ceasing work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.” “Relax” means “to become loose or less firm, to have a milder manner, to be less stiff.” The Bible shows us that God takes rest seriously. Beginning in Genesis 2:2-3 we see that God created for six days; then He rested, not because He was tired but to set the standard for mankind to follow. God used one of the Ten Commandments He gave Moses to make resting on the Sabbath a requirement of the Law (Exodus 20:8-11). The requirement to rest wasn’t something new; it had been around thousands of years since creation. God knew we needed it! Now, this command to rest was not an excuse to be lazy. Nope, God said, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work” (Exodus 20:9). That’s a command too. (Personally, I like our 5-day work week!) God even commanded that the land needed to rest (Leviticus 25:4, 8-12). Yes, God is very serious about rest.

I believe that God commanded us to rest because it does not come naturally to us. Today, most people’s lives are built around either their careers or their passions. These are super important to us because they are part of what defines who we are and provides for our nourishment, health, shelter and comfort. To rest and relax we have to put these aside at least for a time. That means we have to trust that God will take care of things for us. We have to trust that, if we take a day off, our world will not stop turning.

As early as Genesis 3 mankind decided that we didn’t want to trust God that much. We collectively decided, through our common ancestors Adam and Eve, that we would start making all the decisions. Since then, stress has been our constant companion and we have become more tense, more violent and less able to relax. Disobedience exiled us from God’s rest, but obedience to Christ here on Earth promises a return to God’s eternal rest (Hebrews 4). Ultimate rest is found only in Christ. He invites all who are “weary and burdened” to come to Him and cast our cares on Him (Matthew 11:28). It is only in Him that we find complete rest from the cares of the world, from the sorrows that plague us, and from the need to work to make ourselves acceptable to Him.

Jesus is our Sabbath rest. He has fulfilled the law on our behalf. However, even Jesus, while He was on earth and subject to the frailties of the flesh, took time to rest. He would go off by himself to pray. He and His disciples would seek out places to get away from the crowds. They also attended weddings and visited family and friends. If the almighty, eternal and infinite God the Son saw the benefit in these times of rest, relaxation and refreshment, we should as well!

Only by Grace!

Pastor Mike

I’m Not Comfortable

Posted on Jul 14, 2021 in "Reed" This, BLOG |

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I’m Not Comfortable

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to go on a trip with Debbie in celebration of our 30^th wedding anniversary. We got married on June 15, 1991, but the first week of July worked out the best for the trip. We decided to go somewhere cooler than southeast Georgia, so we went to Estes Park, Colorado. I had been there before when I was a teenager, but Debbie had never been. I remembered it being a beautiful place and even in July, it was still cool and pleasant because of the altitude. Now, I’ve lived basically at sea level for 25 years and I’m used to a lot of oxygen in the air. Every time I have been to Colorado before, I have driven there, slowly getting higher and higher in elevation. This time, we flew from Savannah straight to Denver. As you know, Denver is known as the “Mile High City” because it is one mile high in elevation, 5,280 feet. The elevation of Estes Park is 7,522 feet. Needless to say, at that elevation, there’s not as much oxygen as here. As we got there late Sunday night, I hadn’t realized it being that different as I was busy getting luggage, getting my rental car, driving up to Estes Park and trying to find the lodge after dark where we stayed so I could finally get some rest after a long day of travel. The next morning, however, I could feel the difference. It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t breathe, I just had to take more breaths than usual. It was the sudden movements and getting up and down from a chair or the car that made me feel dizzy. I didn’t feel sick, just weird and different. After looking up some things on the phone, it was determined I had symptoms of altitude sickness. I’d never experienced this before. I’d been at these higher elevations several times and been fine. A little winded, but never dizzy or uncomfortable.

We feel uncomfortable sometimes when we are in new or different places. It’s not what we’re used to, so we are out of our comfort zones. But, if we just stay in the same place, we just see the same things. We have to go somewhere else, somewhere different, to see something new. In our Christian walk we are used to a weekly and even daily routine. We attend church services, Bible studies, and prayer groups. We participate in activities and help in specific areas in our leadership positions. We do all the normal things and we see God working and can even experience some great things. But when we get out of the normal routine, when we step out of our comfort zones and go and do something new or different, it is then we see God work in new and different ways. We can’t see mountains in southeast Georgia. We have to go somewhere else because there are no mountains here. We can’t keep doing the same things and expect different results in our service to God. He wants us to step out of our routine, do something new for Him, so He can show us even greater things. That’s how we grow. We may not feel comfortable with these new programs, methods, people, or even meeting places, but as God leads, we need to step out on faith and follow Him. As we do this, He is able to reveal Himself in new and greater ways.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 NLT

“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8 NLT

Thanks to the Lord’s strength, we were able to go and do and see everything we had wanted while in Colorado. We were even able to go into the Rocky Mountain National Park up to 12,000 feet above sea level and see and enjoy God’s beautiful and magnificent creation. We never would have seen and experienced the grandeur and awesomeness of everything had we not gone. Pictures cannot come close to the experience of being there. God is truly awesome. But if we never step out of our comfort zones, never step out in faith, we will miss the greater depths of His awesomeness that He wants to reveal to us and wants us to experience with and through Him.

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Storms

Posted on Jul 7, 2021 in BLOG, Letters from Pastor Mike |

Storms

Dear Friends

Storms are such a wonderful metaphor for the times of trial and chaos that we experience in life. Watching a large storm steadily progress across the vast ocean or up along the coast speaks to the great power that is beyond anything mankind can withstand. It is often sobering to think of our smallness and fragility compared to the magnitude of power and size of a large storm.

There are times when life is going well but we can see the storm coming in the distance. That gives us time to prepare for it, to shore up our defenses. Other times storms come upon us suddenly or unexpectedly strengthen in intensity and we are tossed about in the grip of a power greater than our own.

Life storms seek to knock us over—mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Our lives are full of troubles, so at any moment we are probably either in a storm, just heading out of a storm or about to experience one. We are going to experience all kinds of rain and thunder. We will need to navigate floods and blizzards. We will be forced to rebuild after wind and hail. No one is exempt. Both the righteous and the unrighteous are affected by storms.

Wouldn’t it be nice if I could say that following Jesus meant we will never have to face any storms? I wish I could say that following Jesus means that the waters of life will always be calm. I wish I could say that following Jesus means life will be rosy and all of our days will be sweet. But I can’t. Think about the disciples who followed Jesus, they rowed right into storms with Jesus on board! The disciples discovered, as many of us have also discovered, that we can be both in the center of God’s will, and still in a storm. Following Jesus doesn’t offer immunity from troubles. What it does give is the opportunity to experience Him in the midst of trouble.

Storms affect us all. Life comes with troubles. However, when we follow Jesus and build a foundation with His Word, He joins us in our troubles so we need not go through them alone. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We will have tribulation, Jesus says. That isn’t negotiable. But in the midst of every storm, we can find the courage that comes from knowing the one who has overcome the world, who can calm the storm.

God has a purpose for storms. He doesn’t always reveal it when we want Him to. In some cases, we won’t discover what it is until we get to Heaven. But He has promised us that if we love Him, He will use the good, the bad and the ugly winds for our good, His glory and the advancement of His Kingdom.

Only by Grace!

Pastor Mike

When We Fail

Posted on Jun 30, 2021 in BLOG, Letters from Pastor Mike |

When We Fail

Dear Friends,

We all will fail at some point in our life. No one we know is perfect. I would bet that most of us could readily give an account of some past failure that, at the time, seemed like the end of the world. God knows we’re going to fail every once in a while. Yet, He also stands by us and helps us get back on our feet. Is it easy to accept failure? No. Can it make us depressed and feel down? Yes. Yet, God is there to help us work through our predicament. Psalm 40:2 (NIV)
“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

Failing is a learning experience so we can do better next time. There were many Biblical leaders who failed; Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Jonah, Peter and Paul just to name a few. But they learned from their mistakes and kept moving forward. Determination and failure lead to success. We fail and we get up and try again. Eventually we will get it right.

When someone asked about his many failures prior to inventing the incandescent light bulb, Thomas Edison famously said, “I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” He went on to say, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” True failure is not even trying to get back up, but just quitting. We could have been so close, but we decide it’s not going to work and quit.

There are many ways to fail. We can fail ourselves by not achieving our goals. We can fail others by not living up to their expectations or our promises to them. We even fail God by not following His commands, guidance or character. But God is always near and if we fall, He’ll pick us up and set us back on our feet. Of course, that doesn’t mean that there are not consequences for our failures. Certainly, there are! They are part of the process and help us to remember and avoid repeating our mistakes.

Likewise, part of overcoming our failures, particularly when we fail others or God, is owning up to our mistakes. God wants us to acknowledge our shortcomings. That allows healing and forgiveness and enables us to work to better ourselves. James 5:16 (NIV) “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed…” and, 1 John 1:9 (NIV) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Failures need not define us. There is always hope and God stands ready to help us through. We need only humble ourselves, admit our failure and try again.

Only by Grace,

Pastor Mike

What Are You Looking At?

Posted on Jun 29, 2021 in "Reed" This, BLOG |

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What Are You Looking At?

I have one of the most beautiful drives one could ever have each day as I drive to and from the church. As I turn from highway 17 onto the F.J. Torres Causeway and travel just a few hundred feet, I am met with the beautiful marsh grass waving in the breeze with the tidal creeks winding their way through it and in the distance, through the space between two islands, there is the vast Atlantic Ocean. In the mornings, the sun shines brightly before me with its light shimmering across the water with millions of sparkles dancing off the top. And in the evenings, the beautiful sunsets gently bathe the marsh with a golden warmth while an array of reds, oranges, purples, and pinks splash across the sky just above the horizon as the sun sets in the west. These times seem to bring God’s magnificent and glorious creation onto full display and I am in awe every time I see it. I quickly want to praise God for His beautiful creation and the opportunity to see it. I think, “What a wonderful blessing You are giving me, Lord.” Then, I sometimes begin to think about all the life that is out in that marsh area. God has created all of it: the marsh grass, the crabs, the fish, the shrimp, the birds, the water, the soil, and everything else and has put it in motion and every day that creation of His follows the order that He has set in place. Every day I look out and His creation is still there, living and existing as He meant it to be. How wonderful and awesome is our God!

This morning was different. I didn’t see all of God’s beauty that I just described. I was too busy trying to watch the road and all the traffic around me. I was traveling up to speed, yet it was still bumper to bumper. I was trying to get around those who were driving too slowly while begin careful not to run into the vehicles in front of me. There were times when I may have had an opportunity to glance to my right or left to see the marsh and water, but my focus was completely on my driving and making sure I was getting in and through the traffic the best and quickest way I could. My goal was getting on to the office so I could get my work done. But, when I arrived, I felt that I had missed something. I knew what it was because I had felt that way before. I had missed the opportunity to look and see and marvel at the Lord’s creation. I had missed the opportunity to praise and thank Him for the beauty of His handiwork that was right there for me to see and enjoy. My focus was on something else. Yes, I needed to be focused on my driving, I fully understand what you are saying. But I could have done that and still been mindful of praising God. Too many times we get caught up in our lives, the business of work, activities, our goals, our desires, and we miss the simple joys of life as well as Who should be our priority. We neglect to lift up our eyes and see our Creator and all He has done and give Him the praise He is due while we live our lives. If our focus is only on ourselves and our goals, then we need to stop, repent, and ask God to forgive us. Then, we need to put God first and foremost on our minds so our eyes can see and we can be mindful of His presence that is always all around us. We will still be able to accomplish our work and all that needs to be done, and I believe even better than without. We just need to be sure and not miss or neglect God.

I do look forward to seeing God’s beauty each time I drive across the causeway. But even if I am driving or even sitting on Frederica Road because of the traffic, my mind’s eye still needs to be on Jesus and praising Him.

“I lift up my eyes to You, to You who sit enthroned in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God.” Psalm 123:1-2 NIV

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Mountaintops and Valleys

Posted on Jun 23, 2021 in BLOG, Letters from Pastor Mike |

Mountaintops and Valleys

Dear Friends,

In life we all have mountaintop experiences and we all must walk through valleys. We certainly like the mountaintops better than valleys. Up there the air is clean, the sun is shining, and the view is amazing. But the truth is, the only way to reach the mountaintop is to travel through the valleys. It’s inevitable, there’s no way around it.

Jesus warned his disciples and ultimately us about these “life valleys” in John 16:33b (NIV) “… In this world you will have trouble.” Notice that Jesus said, “You WILL have…,” it’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when. Of course, when we look out at the horizon of where our life path might take us, it’s easy to see and look forward to the mountaintops. It’s the valleys that are dark, hidden and unanticipated. There’s no way to prepare or schedule for these valleys of trouble. How many of us are ever able to schedule a layoff or an automotive breakdown, a sickness or death of a loved one?

But be encouraged! Valleys are temporary; they do have an end. Furthermore, valleys have a purpose. God never wastes our pain. Jesus continued in John 16:33c (NIV) “… But take heart! I have overcome the world.” “The world” is used to designate all that is hostile, rebellious, and opposed to God in our human experience. This includes other people, societal, political and cultural ideologies as well as the rulers, authorities, powers of darkness and spiritual forces (Eph. 6:12) that affect and control earthly experience.

Jesus came to conquer and to overcome. He did just that! Just after saying those words, Jesus went to the cross, then He rose from the grave. He has been exalted at the right hand of the Father where He has sent His Holy Spirit down into us. The resurrected, overcoming, King of Kings and Lord of Lords dwells in us individually! His Spirit resides in you! So, no matter how dark the valley, no matter what might dwell in that darkness, we need not fear nor despair. David wrote in Psalm 23:4 (NIV) “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” David refused to be filled with fear in the dark valleys, because God was with him in a very real and personal way.

We are undefeatable! The overcoming, conquering King of all is living inside of us. He is with you! You belong to Him. He is your help. He is your strength. He is your joy. He is your peace. Lift up your eyes and look to Him. He is your hope. He is your victory. He is the one who has overcome and who will help you to overcome that valley you are facing. Jesus is with you! He never asks us to go through a valley alone.

One last thing, it has been my experience that once we go through those valleys, the mountaintops are even more stunning! They are sweeter, more awe inspiring and give us the courage to head down the other side toward another valley, because we know that God has even more and greater mountaintops in our future!

Only by Grace!

Pastor Mike

Who Do You Look Like?

Posted on Jun 22, 2021 in "Reed" This, BLOG |

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Who Do You Look Like?

I recently came across an old photograph. It was one I don’t remember ever seeing, and certainly don’t remember it being taken. It had to have been from late 1986 or early 1987, as I believe it was the last photo taken of my father and me together before he died. We are standing side by side in what looks to be my grandmother’s, his mother’s, kitchen in her house on Wolfe Street in Madill, Oklahoma. From his illness and how he was standing, it’s the only time it looks like we were the same height. In good health, he was a good three inches taller than me. I decided to post that picture on Instagram and Facebook this past Sunday, which was Father’s Day. I thought it would be a nice tribute to him, even though he didn’t look his best due to his cancer treatments at the time. Several people commented on the picture with many of them saying how much my sons look like me, as I was only 18 in the picture, much slimmer, and had no beard. Through the years I have thought many times about the similarities in our facial features and/or build.

We’ve all heard or said, “He has your eyes,” or “She has your nose.” People will look at newborns and try to see the mother or father in them, “Now, who does he/she look like?” Everyone is always looking for those family resemblances. As parents, we are always wondering what our children will look like before they are born, when they are children, and even how they will look as adults. As I was reading the comments about my boys looking like me, I began to think, “Do we look like our Father?” I know we can’t see God because God is Spirit. But as Christians, do we look like Him? When people look at us do they see Jesus? Do they see His love, His compassion, His mercy, His grace? Do they see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control? Those are the fruits of the Spirit (Gal.5:22-23) and they are to be seen in us. Too many times we are caught up in the world and our lives are not displaying these qualities and characteristics. Yet, these are the characteristics of the Spirit, of God, and we are to be like Him. We are to be Christians, “little Christs”, showing that we belong to Jesus and that Jesus has made a difference in our lives. We need to look like our Father. We need to look like God. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5:1-2a, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.” And Jesus says in Matthew 5:16, “Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” When people see us, our actions should point to God because we and those actions ‘look’ like Him. Then, they can praise Him and He will receive the glory.

I enjoy the fact that my boys look like me in some ways. It’s always fun to find the family resemblances. But my prayer for them, as it is for myself, that we all look more and more like our Father in heaven.

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, June 22, 2021