“REED” This

Procrastination

Early this past January I was driving down Gloucester Street one morning and ran over something in the road. Very soon after, I began to hear a tick, tick, tick as I was driving and realized whatever I ran over had stuck to my tire. As I drove a few more blocks and turned left toward my destination, I felt the back of my truck move in an unusual way. One more block and I pulled over to the curb, opened the door and looked back at a flat left rear tire. Changing a tire is never too fun, but I tried to make it a learning experience for my son, Connor. I had a full-size spare to put on, but what worried me was it was the original spare and had never been used. My truck is twenty-one years old, which means that spare was a twenty-one year old tire that had been sitting underneath the bed of my truck the entire 298,000+ miles I had driven it. The tread looked great, but the small cracks in the sidewall concerned me. After putting it on and lowering the jack, it definitely needed some air, but it was holding up. I drove to the nearest gas station and filled it up and the truck rode just fine. Later that day, I took it to a tire place to get repaired, but the four-inch metal object that had pierced the tire had done too much damage and the tire could not be repaired. I would have to buy a new tire. They only had one tire in stock that was the right size, but it was a different make. I don’t like having one odd tire. I was told the spare was actually in pretty good shape, so I decided to wait and see if the company I had bought the tires from originally could get me a matching one. After all, there should still be some warranty left on that set. The trouble then became the original tire place had shut down and the nearest existing store is an hour away. I would need to set up an appointment with the other store and make sure they had tires that matched mine in stock. Several times I meant to call and set that up, but things kept hindering me. I had to deal with Covid for a couple of weeks, and then I needed to help this person or that person do something and things kept happening that prevented me from taking care of it. All the while, the spare tire was staying aired up and working just fine. That is until last Wednesday.

This past Wednesday I was driving to work as usual. I did drop by and pick up Cameron to ride with me. As I got onto the island, I needed to run a quick errand off Sea Island Road, so I was stopped at the light and sitting in the left lane. After the light turned green and the cars in front of me finally started moving, I let off the brake and began to move forward. It was then I quickly realized I now had a flat tire and proceeded to pull off to the side of the road. Sure enough, the left rear tire was flat and looked as if it simply was falling apart. I was immediately thankful I hadn’t had a blowout going 50+ miles per hour across that causeway and that the tire gave out while I was stopped and waiting for the light to change. And as I had thought before, my predicament now was the spare had given out and I did not have another spare. I needed help. Thankfully, Pastor Mike was able to pick us up. I grabbed the wheel from the original flat back in January and took it to get a new tire put on it and brought it back and changed it. That took the entire morning. Thankfully, I was finished in time to wash up and make it to lunch.

As we were waiting to be picked up, I told Cameron, “Well, here’s another ‘“REED” This’ article.” He said, “On procrastination?” I laughed and agreed with him. I’d said all along that I needed to get that done but kept putting it off. My procrastinating ended up costing me a good bit. It cost me the inconvenience of changing a tire on the side of the road; a little soreness from having to get down under the truck to set up the jack in the right place and pull the tires off and on; a little embarrassment as people drove by and saw my predicament; and a lot of time that was set aside for study and preparation, therefore the Bible study was not ready for Wednesday night. And it cost Cameron time in the office, as well as Mike’s morning having to drive me to Brunswick and back to get a new tire.

We are warned many times in scripture to not delay in our decision to follow Jesus. We don’t know when our life on earth will be over, either by death or Christ’s return. Jesus said in Matthew 24:36-44, “No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son Himself. Only the Father knows. When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

We need to be ready. Don’t put off your decision to receive Jesus as your Savior. Your procrastination could cost you a lot more than the inconvenience of a flat tire.

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

“REED” This

Life Is Short

This past Sunday was a beautiful day. That evening was also nice and enjoyable to be outside. Debbie and I had the opportunity to walk around the Wesley Memorial Gardens. We wanted to see the azaleas and were hoping to catch them blooming at their peak. Unfortunately, we were a little late for peak, but there were still a lot of nice blooms, and even some still in buds. It is so relaxing to slowly walk around those gardens and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation all around. This time of year is especially nice because of the variety of colors that dot the green background of the leaves. However, as I got closer to the blooms that were dying, I could not describe them as pretty. Some of the color was still seen, but the petals were shriveled and traces of brown and black were seen. Several blooms had already fallen to the ground and were losing their prettier colors and getting lost in the brown leaves and shades of gray dirt. Those dying or dead blooms were not enjoyed. One might could describe them as being ugly.

No one likes that part of the life cycle of a flower. We anticipate the budding and anxiously await the opening of the bloom. We love to look at the vibrant colors and markings of the flower and enjoy taking note of all the detail. We take pictures so we can look back and remember it even better than just the memory of it that is in our minds. But then, the time quickly comes when the colors begin to fade. Their vibrancy is no longer there, and the bloom begins to wilt. Soon it will fall off the plant or even be cut off because it isn’t pleasant to even look at anymore. It decomposes and is never seen again. What was once so highly anticipated is quickly cast aside when its time is over and forgotten.

No one enjoys death. Many don’t want to even think about it. Yet, death is a part of life. Like all living things, we too will die one day (Hebrews 9:27). But we don’t have to fear death (John 14:1-3). For the Christian, death is simply passing from this life on earth to our eternal life with Jesus in heaven. In a way, that is when our carefree life begins. No more sorrow. No more pain. No more sin. No more death. We will see Jesus face to face and live forever with our Heavenly Father. And as we have placed our faith and trust in Him, we know we will be with Him there. Jesus said in John 14:1-3, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. There is more than enough room in My Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am.” Those are the comforting words our Savior shared with His disciples while He was still on this earth. And they apply to us today as well.

The life of a flower is short. Our life is short. Maybe not as short as a few days like a flower’s, but short in light of eternity. While we live this life, we first need to make sure we have believed in and received Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Then, we need to spend the rest of our short life telling others about Jesus. We don’t know how much time we have left.

“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog – it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” James 4:14

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, March 8, 2022

“REED” This

Golf

The modern game of golf is understood to have been developed in Scotland in the 1400’s. There is some debate as to similar games being played in Europe many years before being the actual origins of golf, but most agree the game we now know to be golf came from the Scots. Basically, the game is played with a small ball that is hit with a stick with a crook on one end. A player tries to hit the ball with the stick into a hole across a field, with the desire of hitting the ball the least number of times as possible. A full game consists of eighteen holes, with each hole varying in length and difficulty. When the ball is hit, it is called a stroke. Each hole is given a set number of strokes that a player is expected to need, called the par, for the ball to get in the hole. Adding the pars of all eighteen holes gives you the par for the course. This is usually seventy to seventy-two. When a person plays a course, he/she is essentially playing against that course. The player is trying to hit the ball the exact number of times as the par number. Thus, the average score for professional golfers is seventy-two. Of course, when someone’s score is less than the par, they basically beat the course. Now, that may happen more with professionals, but a lot less with amateurs. The average score for an amateur golfer is one hundred. That is basically needing one and a half more strokes than par on each hole in a round of eighteen. Most golfers would not consider that to be a good score. Yet, depending upon the golfer, how many years they have played, their physical condition being considered and other things, that may be a great score.

I had the opportunity to play this wonderful game of golf earlier this morning. I’m happy to say my score was under the average for amateurs. However, it wasn’t the best score for me personally, but not too bad since I haven’t played in several months. I still enjoyed it. A golf course can be a beautiful work of art with its wonderfully sculpted fairways and greens, wonderfully manicured grass and sand traps, beautiful ponds and lakes, and challenging layouts of doglegs and hole placements. Add in the natural beauty of God’s creation and scenery that is all around the course, along with wildlife, and it can be quite pleasing to the eye. The game itself is challenging and frustrating, yet it is enjoyable and rewarding. It amazes me that many times I will stand on a tee box and look out onto the beautiful fairway in front of me where there is a lot of short, green grass and after I hit, the ball still goes off to the right or left in taller, thicker grass or in the brush and trees along the side. That’s called the rough, by the way. And if you go too far, it’s called out of bounds. Even though it may be a bit narrow, there’s plenty of room in the fairway where the ball could land safely and I have a clear, unobstructed view to the green for my next shot, but for some reason it’s hard to keep it in that area. I try to keep the clubface square upon impact and swing correctly, but my lack of regularly playing shows as my shots are inconsistent in landing and staying in the fairway. In order to be consistent in one’s golf game, one must be consistent in playing. Once every four or five months won’t help my game. If I want to be better and play more consistent, I need to be playing much more regularly.

As Christians we want to stay on the straight and narrow, sort of like staying in the fairway. We don’t want to veer to the right or left where we can get into trouble. It’s easy to veer if we don’t stay consistent in our daily Bible readings, study, and prayer. When we spend time with God each day, it is much easier to live our lives in accordance with His ways. If we’re not consistent in spending time with Him, we forget things and our focus is on the world and our own desires instead of on the Lord. The focus of our minds and hearts needs to remain on God and His Word. As we do that, the Holy Spirit keeps bringing to our remembrance God’s Word and how it applies throughout the moments of our day. Galatians 5:16 says, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” Then verse 25, “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” When we remain consistent in spending time with God in His Word and in prayer, the Holy Spirit is able to fill us with His knowledge and wisdom and we are ready, with His strength, to walk the straight and narrow path of righteousness.

Having a good golf game takes time to develop and you must play regularly. Living a Godly life takes regularly spending time with our heavenly Father. And when we stay on that straight and narrow fairway of the Christian life, it’s definitely a great day.

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

“REED” This

2-22-22

Today’s date is one of those days that rarely happens. The same number is used and repeated for the month, day, and year. When these days occur, many people get excited, simply because of the repeating numbers. It seems special. Others try to read something mystic into the day because of the oddity, even adding the time of day in to make it a special moment. Some have already implied that at 2:22 this afternoon something extraordinary will happen. Others have set wedding dates and times for these rare occurrences to bring “good luck” for their marriages. Such times and dates could be: 2:00 on February 2, 2002; 7:00 on July 7, 2007; 10:00 on October 10, 2010; and so on.

While these repeating numbers of months, days, and years can be fun, they certainly don’t contain any magic or mystical powers. It just so happens that the numbers align in a neat way. Unfortunately, there are many people that are grasping for something good, direction for their life, or an understanding of the world and they will read into anything to try and find that special answer. You can hear it in their conversations and in their responses to questions on life and what it’s all about. They are lost and are not being led to the truth. Many times, the people they are listening to and following are leading them into mystical garbage that Satan has disguised as ‘enlightenment’.

As I thought of today’s numbers, I quickly remembered 2 Timothy 2:2. Much like today’s date, the scripture reference has a lot of “2’s” in it. That verse reads, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Paul is instructing Timothy to take what he has learned in the faith from Paul and teach it to others so they can then teach it to even more people. It is spreading the gospel! Notice that Paul says to “entrust these to faithful men”, indicating that these people will need to be careful to keep the message pure and not change it. Our responsibility as Christians, as God’s children, is to share the gospel with everyone. As we do, we help others to be able to share and teach it as well. All the while we keep it pure, not compromising it in any way, and not allowing it to be tainted by any false teachings coming into it. That’s what the world needs. That’s what these people who are searching for something in their life need. They won’t find life and its meaning in some mystical hogwash the devil is trying to give them. It can only be found in Jesus, and we are responsible to tell them. 2 Timothy 2:2 in the New Living Translation (NLT) reads this way, “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” We understand that Paul is wanting Timothy to train and build up more teachers in the church. This is part of equipping the saints. This is building up the church in the truth of God’s Word. And it is truth. It needs to be taught. The truth needs to be shared so everyone can know the joy of knowing our Savior, Jesus Christ. Then they can rest in knowing the meaning of life. They no longer will be aimlessly searching and grasping for something. They will know life is Jesus.

2-22-22 or February 22, 2022, however you want to say or write it, is just another day. But, it is another day we have to share Jesus with others. May we be about our Father’s business.

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

“REED” This

Taco Tuesday

Most of us have probably heard the phrase “Taco Tuesday”, as many restaurants use it to try and encourage people to come into their establishments and get some cheap tacos for lunch or dinner on that day of the week. There is a certain establishment just down from the church in Redfern Village that has such specials each Tuesday. I, and some others, have enjoyed going there each week to enjoy some very good tacos. One thing I have often wondered is if the waiters and waitresses look forward to us coming. In my mind I’m thinking they are saying, “Oh boy, here come those guys that only come on Tuesdays to get cheap tacos and eat a bunch of our free chips and salsa.” Hopefully they are not saying this, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they did. Tuesday is the only day I usually think about going and eating there. They are good tacos, but if I go on another day, I’m not sure I want to spend the extra money for them since it’s not Tuesday. They are the same tacos on all the days, so why should I have to pay more just because it’s a day other than Tuesday? I’m sure the phrase is used and the special given to encourage more people to eat there. But I would also think it is used to encourage people to come back on other days as well. Yet for me, that seems to never happen. I only go there on that day of the week.

Good food that is cheap is always fun to find. I’m sure most of us try to find a bargain with anything we purchase. It’s good stewardship. I love the “Buy One Get One” special at the grocery store. But it’s not only for food. Why pay $50 for a shirt when you can get it for $25? Or why pay $75 for a pair of shoes when you can get them for $50? We all want to find good deals, no matter how or for what we are spending our money, as long as the product is good quality. There’s another phrase that we’ve all heard – “You get what you pay for.” Now, most of the time this phrase stands true, but there are many occasions where it has been proven wrong. It’s almost like Newton, the traveling salesman on The Andy Griffith Show, who said, “I happened to be at the right place at the right time.” Unfortunately for him, the furs he got and sold were not good quality. However, there are many ways to find good quality merchandise at very low prices. It just takes a little more work and searching, and possibly waiting for the sales to begin.

There is something of the highest quality that we never have to work at or search for or wait for to do. That’s spend time with our God. He is always ready to sit down with us and spend all the time we want to spend with Him, and it is always quality time well spent. He’s always listening and right there when we simply call His name. He is even already listening when we simply begin speaking to Him in our minds. He knows our thoughts and our needs before we ask (Ps.139:2, 4). And the quality of what we receive from Him can never be matched. God is always with us. He is always waiting to spend time with us. He is always wanting to spend time with us. He is always ready to give us His very best. And He has already paid the price for us to have that relationship with Him. It cost Him His Son on the cross, yet He was willing to pay that extremely high price because of His love. And His desire is simply to have a relationship with us. Our cost as His children is so minimal compared to all He has done. We simply turn to Him and answer His call.

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”  Revelation 3:20 NLT

We all need to spend more time with the Lord. We get caught up in all that’s going on around us that we forget to stop and commune with the One who is truly most important. I’m not going to say He is a “bargain” or a “good deal” because that cheapens who He is. Even though our salvation cost us nothing, we certainly didn’t “get what we paid for”, we got much, much more from Him. And the next time you see or think about “Taco Tuesday”, don’t just think about cheap tacos, let the phrase remind you of the great sacrifice God paid so you could have a relationship with Him. Then, spend more time with Him.

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

“REED” This

Digging

I had an opportunity to use my metal detector this morning. It has been quite some time since I last used it. In the past, I have had a lot of fun discovering things around the island, on the beach, and especially on our church property on Marsh’s Edge Lane. Finding the pre-revolutionary war relics there was very exciting. Today, I was running the detector over a pile of dirt. The dirt had recently been dug up next to Cameron’s house as he unfortunately had to have some pipes replaced. I was curious as to what we might find since the house was built in 1920. At the top of the pile was dirt that had been three to four feet down in the ground. Whatever was in this part of the pile would probably be the oldest. I was hoping for some coins or something that would be dated back to the early 1900’s. Unfortunately, we only found one penny and it wasn’t that old. What we did find was a lot of bent nails, bolts, and other old pieces of iron. Some of which were so brittle they easily broke in my fingers. Along with the metal objects were a mixture of broken pieces of old clay pipe, old bricks, and broken glass. Some interesting things were a marble, a game dice, and a small wheel that had broken off a child’s toy. The most unusual find was a bride and groom cake topper. He first thought it might be a bone, but after digging it out and realizing what it was, Cameron said it was a little creepy.

Digging into the ground around an old house can bring up all kinds of stuff. A lot of the things that haven’t seen the light of day in a while could tell some interesting stories. A coin simply fell from someone’s hand as they walked by while bringing it out of a pocket. The bent nails may have been from the original carpenters who hit them wrong and simply tossed them away to grab another nail as they were nailing the boards onto the house. The broken pipes were simply the old ones that were replaced years ago, and the workers decided to just leave them buried. The toys were accidently dropped or left outside after they had been played with by children who used to live in the house. There’s really no way of knowing exactly how the objects got there, but they show that someone has been there before. People have walked, worked, and lived in that area at one time or another in the past. Those objects are signs left that they were there. Why they were there and what they were doing there are questions we can only ponder. What was their life like? Who were these people and what did they do?

Today also happens to be my father’s birthday. If he were still living on this earth, he would have been 83 years old. There are many questions I would like to ask him that I can only ponder now. I do know some things about his life. He shared with me some of the stories of him growing up and playing with his brothers and some of the crazy things they used to do. I know he was a chiropractor and enjoyed his work. He enjoyed hobbies like gardening, playing cards, fishing, playing sports, and painting. There are still a lot of little things I would like to ask him, but that most important question, I know the answer to that one. I know he was saved, and I know he is with the Lord, as scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:8.

We see and meet a lot of people and we don’t know much about them. With them here, we have the opportunity to ask them questions. And as the Spirit leads, we may have the opportunity to ask them that most important question, “Do you know Jesus?” We need to get to know people and ask them that question before it’s too late. Jesus said in John 4:35, “You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.” We must take advantage of the opportunity we have now. People need Jesus and they are ready to hear about Him. We simply need to share.

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

“REED” This

Something

This last month has been a little crazy. I got Covid and had to endure that as well as week or more regaining my strength. Then, I’ve had writer’s block these past two weeks following my recovery. I can’t really say that it is Covid Brain because I’ve been able to think and do other things, but writing this is different. I’ve started three or four different times only to get a paragraph or two in length before I deleted everything and started over. I’ve had several experiences that I think would be good for a “’REED’ This” only to find out when writing them they don’t go anywhere. And I don’t want to just give a bunch of hodge-podge information that doesn’t lead to some kind of conclusion or grand spiritual thought. Yesterday was my granddaughter’s second birthday. Today is the birthday of a great friend. Tomorrow is the birthday of a former pastor I served with that has served as mentor to me. You’d think I could write something pertaining to at least one of them, especially my precious granddaughter. For some reason, nothing is coming to me. A spark of inspiration just isn’t there to ignite the fire. Why? I wish I knew.

There are a lot of things on my mind, I guess, and actually for all of us. This is a big transition time in our church. We are getting ready to relocate, to start afresh and anew in a new building that has been prayed for by all of us. Some have been praying for this for over twenty years. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel as it seems to be getting so close and we are so ready to be there. One thing some are realizing is when we get there, it certainly won’t be a time to sit down and relax. On the contrary, I believe we will all have opportunity to get a little busier. But, it will be for the better because it will be for the Lord.

Well, this has gone on a little longer than expected and about as far as most the other ones have gone that were ultimately deleted. However, I believe I’ll go ahead and keep these ramblings and send them on to you. Maybe you’ve gotten something out of them.

What I wanted to get around to saying with all of this is – be sure and read Pastor Mike’s letter. It’s important and has much more substance than this.

“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”  Hebrews 13:17 NIV

Bro. Paul Reed

Tuesday, February 1, 2022