Single Mama Be Encouraged

Hey Mama, single Miss
Watch how you handle your business
Watch all them stray cats
Acting like they’re where it’s at
You can make it on your own
Be tenacious and all your skills, hone
For dignity’s sake, don’t sell out
With God, secure enduring clout
HE can help you make your house a home
And give you blessed peace—He is Jehovah-shalom…

Psalm 118:8,14-16AMP 8It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man. 14The Lord is my Strength and Song; and He has become my Salvation. 15The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents and private dwellings of the [uncompromisingly] righteous: the right hand of the Lord does valiantly and achieves strength! 16The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly and achieves strength!

Hero

Hero

Salute,
Hail the heroes.
Marching into battle,
Wherever duty summons,
Standing up, speaking out,
With courage and conviction,
Taking action to elevate humanity.
Champions of righteousness,
Fighting the good fight,
From all walks of life,
Seeing the need,
Delivering…

Let the hero in you shine through…

Proverbs 3:27MSG Never walk away from someone who deserves help;
your hand is God's hand for that person.

Galatians 6:9-10AMP
9And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint. 10So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [morally] to all people [not only being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage]. Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith [those who belong to God's family with you, the believers].

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
3/4/11

Different Folks, Different Strokes

Different Folks, Different Strokes

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
One man’s grief is another man’s pleasure.
One man creates joy as another causes pain.
One man hopes as another believes all is vain.
One man risks nothing, another dares to excel.
One man imagines not, another dreams in detail.
One man bears a grudge, another man forgives.
One man merely exists while another truly lives.
One man works deception, another keeps it real.
One man fakes love, another gives love you can feel.
One man’s sin led to another MAN’s death on a tree.
One MAN was lifted that all other men be made free.

Romans 5:19MSG Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right.

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
2/18/11

Again I say, rejoice…

Again I say, rejoice…

Again I say, rejoice.
If Jesus is your choice,
Lift up your voice.
Exhale hearty praise,
With hands upraised.
Despite your trial,
Delight, always, in the Lord.
Do it with a smile.
Do it once; do it twice.
Doesn’t it feel nice?
Lift up your voice.
If Jesus is your choice,
Again I say, rejoice.

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Philippians 4:4

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
2/15/2011

Love, Love, Love...

Love, Love, Love…

Give love, love grows…
Live love, love glows…
Deny love, love grieves…
Apply love, love relieves…
Protect love, love flowers…
Perfect love, love showers…
Attest love, love embraces…
Contest love, love faces…
Inhale love, love exhales…
Avail love, love excels…

Love, Love, Love…

If you possess love,
It is because love possesses you…

…have not love, I am nothing…
1 Corinthians 13:2

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
2/8/11

The Reflection

T h e
R e f l e c t i o n
I looked in the mirror,
To see what I could see.
I examined my reflection,
To see if characterized fitly.
The mirror gave no tall tale,
But set forth truth, perfectly.
The charge was cut and dry.
I missed the mark miserably.
My errors marred my image,
The mirror helped me to see.
Yet, the mirror offered hope,
A rejuvenating opportunity.
A new view stirred my soul.
A change came over me.
No longer bound by my sin,
By grace, through faith I’m free.
I’m walking the way of righteousness,
Spirit led, Word fed, on my way to glory.
All because one day I looked in the mirror,
And to my amazement, the mirror looked in me.

T h e R e f l e c t i o n

James 1:23-25NLT
For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
1/13/11

If I’m Loving You Wrong

If I’m Loving You Wrong...

My Dear,
If I’m loving you wrong,
I pray to get it right.
I pray to love you with
Height and depth—
A special kind of love
That takes away your breath.
I pray to love you
With divine passion—
A passion clearly evident
In my actions.
I pray to love you
From a heart that’s pure—
In such a way as to
Make you feel secure.
I pray to love you,
Come trials of storm or rain,
And hold you so tight,
If we lose all else, you and I remain.
I pray to love you
My whole life through.
And even in the next life,
I want to be loving you.
And, if I’m loving you wrong,
I pray, “Lord, help me get it right.”

Ephesians 5:33AMP
However, let each man of you [without exception] love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly].

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
1/12/11

The Eternal Spring

The Eternal Spring

The reign of bitter shall wane,
No more freezing up, burning out.
With the burst of sin’s curse,
Nothing will fall short of its potential.
With the chill of death stilled,
Life will bud harmoniously, lavishly,
Bare beauty with fabulous fanfare—
Colorful, pure, and free to be…
Divine renewal—life’s fresh fuel,
Shall crown nature and humanity—
Diminishing never, sprouting ever.
Praise Jesus Christ—the eternal spring.

The Eternal Spring

Those in Christ shall savor a future forever fabulous, fragrant, and fruitful.

Wilderness and desert will sing joyously, the badlands will celebrate and flower— Like the crocus in spring, bursting into blossom, a symphony of song and color. Mountain glories of Lebanon—a gift. Awesome Carmel, stunning Sharon—gifts. God's resplendent glory, fully on display. God awesome, God majestic. Isaiah 35:1-2MSG

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
1/12/11

He Went the Distance

He Went the Distance

Out of eternity,
He stepped into time.
The Author of creativity—
Shepherded in a new paradigm.
From glory to bridge the gap,
He descended the depth,
To free us from sin’s death trap,
Revive our soul to eternal health.
He graced the virgin’s womb,
Dignifying, in love, lowly humanity,
To deliver us from certain doom,
Steer us back to sacred sanity.
Birthed to be belittled, betrayed,
Beaten, and crucified in our stead.
Our debt, with His blood, He paid.
He hung on the cross ‘til declared dead.
On our behalf, buried for three days,
Yet, triumphantly, He rose from the grave.
Let us render unto Jesus glorious praise.
For us, He went the distance to save.

We fell short when His will we forsook.
For love, to save us, He did what it took.

He went the distance.

And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people…and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them… Exodus 3:7-8a

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
12/24/2010

The Christmas Presence

The Christmas Presence

For love, at Christmas, He came,
A babe, heralded a Savior, a King.
The Christ, the Repairer of the breach.
From Heaven, He descended,
To lift us up from our low estate.
His right hand extended its reach,
To alleviate our souls’ ails,
Hearten those without hope,
Alter the ending of our life’s tale,
Emancipate sin’s prisoners,
Mend what had been broken...
What shall we then say?
Hallelujah! Our salvation is come—
Jesus Christ, our Lord, our King!
God with us—granting life, His glorious forte…

The caring Heavenly Father’s present to humanity–
The Son to manifest His loving presence…
A present we should all cherish more–
His and one another’s presence…

…name Him Jesus–'God saves'–because He will save His people from their sins. This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term: Watch for this–a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name Him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us"). Matthew 1:21b:23MSG

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
12/16/10

Be Still…

Be Still…

Be still my heart,
Though my troubles be many,
My Lord promised to be with me and take my part.

Be still my feet,
Though strong enemies surround me,
At my God’s word they will all go down in defeat.

Be still my hands,
Though they wound me heartlessly,
I shall remember that vengeance is in my God’s hands.

Be still my voice,
Though the wicked talk of me unwisely,
My God shall put them to silence, for I am His choice.

Be still my mind,
Though chaos close in around me,
God is my strong Deliverer from all snares that bind.

Be still my soul,
Though my life seems as pieces of a broken dream,
Through my God’s love and power, I shall emerge whole.

Be still, I must,
Though uncertainty be before me,
God is my helper; He shall take care of me; He is my trust.

Be Still…

Psalm 46:10-11AMP Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
12/16/10

Praise God with Thanksgiving for Christmas

Praise God with Thanksgiving for Christmas

You can have thanksgiving with no turkey and no other trim.
You can have Christmas without a tree over pretty presents, abrim.
If you consider the tiny treasure wrapped in swaddling clothes,
That grew and gave Himself so humanity could be free and whole.
A wonderful grace gift to all mankind adorned Calvary’s tree,
Wrapped in precious crimson blood for you and for me.
A tree, He made, bore Him for our sin debt He paid out of love.
So, in thanksgiving for Christmas, let us praise the Father above.

You may have and take pleasure in your merry Xmas.
As for me, my joy is in Jesus, the heart of my Christmas.

Luke 2:10-14NLT …the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

RevLDReedSr
I Owe Jesus
12/2/10