I Shall Rise

I Shall Rise

Be not disdainful towards me should you ever observe me in utter distress.
For the Lord, my God is my Deliverer and He shall pull me out of my mess.
And, by His love I shall rise.

Be careful of judging me as insignificant and irrelevant, writing me off too soon.
In the twinkling of an eye, the Almighty shall light my little star as bright as the moon.
And, by His grace I shall rise.

Be cautious of shamefully setting traps to trigger my slip, to orchestrate my fall.
For, you may temporarily trip me up, but “I AM THAT I AM” will catch and hold me when I call.
And, because of His righteousness I shall rise.

Be wise and attempt not to pull, prod, and provoke me to transgress.
I may falter but my Savior stands ready with compassion, with Him there is forgiveness.
And, by His mercy I shall rise.

Be it known that I may lose social contacts, status, and even worldly substance attained.
Nevertheless, as long as Jehovah-jireh is nigh, I shall ever be maintained.
For by His provision, I shall rise.

Though, my health fail and my body turn against me like my worst enemy;
My trust shall ever be in Jehovah- rapha', the Lord who heals me.
.And by His cure, I shall rise.

My imperfections may cause me to descend to the lowest depth that a living man can go.
Yet, I have staked all my hopes in a crucified, buried, and resurrected Jesus, the only real salvation any man can know.
And, because He is plenteous in redemption, I shall rise.

Christ Jesus, my Redeemer ever lives, so let come what may from day to day.
For God’s goodness sake and by His power even death, hell, and the grave have to get out of my way,
And even though one day I die in Christ-like Christ, by His power I shall rise!!!

I shall rise in spite of Satan’s attempts to produce my premature demise.
I shall rise in spite of the fact that I may never be ‘VIP’ in the world’s eyes.
I shall rise to the high call of God, press toward the mark, and from Him receive my Heavenly prize.
I shall rise for Jesus has filled my inmost being with Himself guaranteeing my ascension with Him into paradise.
I praise God, for I shall rise! I shall rise! I shall rise!!!

Rejoice not against me, O my enemy! When I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteous deliverance.
(Micah 7:8-9 Amp)

And God both raised the Lord to life and will also raise us up by His power.
(1 Corinthians 6:14 AMP)

RevLDReedSr
IOweJesus
3/27/2008

A Living Hope

A Living Hope

There are many things that we complain, debate, march, and even worry and write about, but to what end. Usually, there are others who complain, debate, march, and even worry and write about the opposing view that we hold. To answer the questions of how to sustain life and make it more enjoyable for its participants are the pursuit of many and the topic of most. Knowledge is more accessible, yet many of the same issues still exist that the first humans faced. What is next for our planet and its humanity? Is there life after death? The world has not provided a suitable answer.

The apostle Paul said to the Corinthians, “If we who are [abiding] in Christ have hope only in this life and that is all, then we are of all people most miserable and to be pitied. But the fact is that Christ (the Messiah) has been raised from the dead...” (1 Corinthians 15:19-20 Amplified Bible)

Christians suffer along side everyone else. There are no special supermarkets, which I have seen, with deep discounts for Christians only. I am not aware of any major universities who offer free tuition only for confessing Christians. There are no rules, as far as I know, which prohibits Christian men from going to war to fight and die for our country. Christians have marital problems and many are divorcing. Christians have problems with their children. Christians have careers and financial obligations just as others do. Christians struggle too.

Since God has blessed me with His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, I find that I truly worry and wrestle with far fewer things in and around my life. I have more patience and peace. His love, His word, and His Holy Spirit strengthen me. He has shown me through the eyes of faith that this life is not the end. What man can behold now with his natural eye is not his final family portrait of existence. There is a another frame containing a more splendid picture which is more appealing in every way than anything our eyes have ever seen.

The difference in the life of a true Christian from those who are not is that we have a living hope for a brighter future today and on into eternity. Our hope rests in our faith that according to the scriptures, Jesus Christ-God’s beloved, and only begotten Son-died for our sins; was buried in a borrowed new tomb; and was raised from the grave three days later with all power given unto Him in heaven and in earth.

God is worthy to be praised. His loving kindness is incomparable. He is a God of unsearchable depths of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. His works are righteous, powerful, and innumerable, and His ways are mysterious.

God made this world and everything that is within. He knows all about its troubles. (Proverbs 15:3 KJV) He is aware of sin-how it overcame man and sickened his nature. Sin is man’s greatest and gravest sickness. When sin overtook us, we began to cry under the weight of its burden, its bondage. He heard our soul’s despairing cry. God sent his Son, born of a woman…to redeem… (Galatians 4:4-5 NIV)

God wanted Jesus to identify with us so we could trust Him to be faithful and true and be able to gloriously, deliver us. Jesus experienced life in this world as we do now, but without sin. He met sick people. He healed many. He experienced the hurt caused by religious and government corruption and proclaimed to them truth. He confronted people who were dishonest in their dealings with others. He saw poverty and hunger. He was compassionate and fed multitudes. He had opportunities to indulge in pleasure and make a name for Himself. However, He rebuffed Satan’s temptations to engage in sin for a season. He witnessed how death weighed down the human heart with pain, grief, and fear.

Jesus wanted to please His Father in all things even in facing death. He entrusted His life to His Heavenly Father’s care while living in this world with all of its troubles, in dying on the cross, and in being raised from the dead by God’s mighty power.

Let us do likewise. No matter our trials, let us keep our faith in Christ that He will strengthen and cause us to triumph. No matter our pain, let us keep leaning on His soothing, steadfast love. No matter our faults, let us bring them to Him confessing and truly repentant and confident in His mercy and forgiveness. When death knocks on our door, let us hold on to His promises with hope that will not disappoint.

He spoke to Martha and you and I, “I am the resurrection, and the life: He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.” (Matthew 11:25-26 KJV) He speaks to our hearts through John also, “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelations 1:18 KJV)

It is folly to a fool to believe in the cross and the subsequent empty tomb. Nevertheless, as one who truly believes, I am glad and eternally blessed that He rose. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow; whatever it may bring.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Larry D. Reed, Sr.
I Owe Jesus
4/11/2006

Enchanted Embrace

Enchanted Embrace

My love I thank God for your enchanted embrace.
Your loving arms intertwined with mine form a sweet interlace.

May we more and more, tenderly touch and hold each other close.
Each other’s entire being, let us endeavor ever for joy to engross.

Let us repeatedly reassure one another with a squeeze that pleases.
May, our cuddling be continually a comforting delight that eases.

May, our ears be soothed by the mere sound of each other’s voice.
May, our words be kind, a loving reflection that we are each other’s choice.

Let us constantly thank and praise God for our union; two became one.
Let us faithfully fulfill our vows to each other that we be not undone.
.
The ravages of time with its temptations and trials cannot pull us apart,
If each of us would chastely consider that, we are joined at the heart.

So, let my heart be yours and your heart be mine for all-time,
So, that our love will flourish like the fragrant, fine-looking flowers of springtime.

Our loving embrace is emblematic of the divine love of God demonstrated towards man.
For our sin Jesus died, now He beckons us to connect with Him eternally by clinching, in faith, His nail-scarred hand.

Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving doe, a graceful deer. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love. Proverbs 5:18-19NLT

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
3/7/08

How Is Your Love Life?

How Is Your Love Life?

How is your love life? I trust that you feel loved. If no one else loves you, God loves you. It says so in John 3:16. John 3:16 lets us know that God so loved the world that He selflessly gave His only begotten Son. Now that is love. God spared not His Son, but sent Him to die for you and me. That is love. Jesus loves us, too. He said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Now that is love. Jesus died for you and me. He sacrificed His body for us. That is love.

Now, what about you? Do you love God and if so, how do you show your love to God? I am sure that you have confessed that you love God. Surely, you have sung that song that says, “Oh, how I love Jesus, because He first loved me.” When you love someone, you would like them to show love back, don’t you?

Do you adore God? Surely, if you love someone you would adore them. When you think about God’s goodness does a smile just automatically appear on your face? When you think about His mercy and grace that He has showered upon you does your heart rejoice? Have you ever had an inclination to prostrate yourself before Him? When you feel His overwhelming presence, do you give in and allow His Spirit to lift you?

Do you spend quality time alone with God? Surely, if you love someone you would spend some quality time with them-you know, one on one time. Do you do that? How much time do you spend with Him? Is the thirty second or two minute prayer the extent of your time together each day? Surely, you spend more time with Him than just when you attend church, right? Do you regularly spend time with Him reading His word?

Do you think about God often? Surely, if you love someone you would think about them often. How often do you think about God? Do you think about Him only on Sunday morning, Wednesday night, during revival week, at meal time, or bed time? Or do you only think about Him when you find yourself in a bind that you have tried first to fix and failed to do so?

Do you communicate often with God? Surely, if you love someone you would communicate with them often. When you communicate with God, do you do all of the talking? When is the last time you listened to Him? Has He never asked you to help someone that you may not have if He had not asked you? Has He ever asked you to do something that required you to get out of your comfort zone?

Do you obey God? Surely, if you loved God then you would obey Him. For His word declares in 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.” Jesus said in John 14:15, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” We are commanded to love God. We are commanded to love Him with our hearts, souls, and minds.

So, how is your love life? Are your human relationships suffering because your relationship with God is not where it should be? Or, is your relationship with God suffering because you are more enamored with the people, the pleasures, the positions, or the possessions in your life?

I thought I knew how to love. I later learned that I did not know what love was until I heard the Good News of Jesus' love for me. The sacred and self-sacrificing love He displayed when He died upon the cross for my sin awakened a deeper sensitivity within me, which drew me to call upon Him to save me from my impoverished idea of what love was and save my soul from the wretchedness of my sin.

I, admit, my love life is not perfect, but I rejoice in that He is perfecting me day by day, taking me from glory to glory for His word and His Spirit empowers and compels me to love according to His righteous standards.

If you are not showing love for God, take this time right now to repent and return His love. I encourage you to accept His Son as your Savior and Lord and you will experience what true love is. For God Is Love!!!

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
3/6/08