All The Pieces Matter

Always know that you are beautiful because that is the way that God made you.  You are a divine creation made by the divine Creator, and there is nothing that anyone can do about that.  You  are loved by the one that made you so that means that love is in you so there for you should love as you are loved.  You are blessed because God has touched you and anointed you with the ability to touch others and bless them.  Whether it is with your smile, or with you words, you are the blessing that someone needs, and what a blessing it is to be a blessing!

Good day to you all!  There is someone who needs to know the feeling of hope today.  There is someone who is in the need of love today.  Today is another chance to reach out to someone who needs a you and doesn’t even know that it is you that you need.

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 1 Peter 3:8

If you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle you know that it is so very frustrating to get all the way to end and find out that you have pieces that are missing.  You look at the picture and not matter how you turn your head and look at it, the picture just seems incomplete.  I have spent a lot of time searching for pieces only to find that they either were not in the box, or they had mistakenly been thrown away.  If you were to look at the missing piece you wouldn’t know what to make of it.  It probably had some different colors that made no sense by itself.  But if you were to connect it to the corresponding piece, and that corresponding piece connected to another, the next thing you know you have a completed picture with all of the pieces connecting together. 

Dear Reader I want to encourage you to connect.  Sometime we get so caught up in trying to find the pieces that look like us.  So many times we throw away pieces to our puzzle and then wonder why the picture of our life does not look complete.   Every piece is not the center.  Some pieces are meant to be on the edge.  Some pieces make up the main pictures, and some pieces end up being the background, but Dear Reader all of the pieces are important.  Do not let anyone tell you that you are not an important piece in God’s big picture.  I want to encourage you not to be too quick to dismiss the pieces that don’t look like you.  All of the pieces matter.  You will find that your tapestry will included deeper and richer colors.  The details of your life will be much more defined.  When start connecting with a diverse group of people from all backgrounds you will find that your life will go from being a black and white picture tube television set, to 1280p High Definition with surround sound.  God has got a masterpiece waiting on you, but you have to get connected and don’t throw people away, because Dear Reader, all of the pieces matter.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Wanna Be Starting Something

Never forget that you are loved by someone somewhere.  You are loved whether you are short or tall, big or small.  You are surrounded by an unconditional love that is not worried about how much money you may or may not have.  This type of love is not based on what you can do, or how far you can go.  You have the love of God always, and when you experience this love that God gives to you, you should pass it on.

Good day to you all!  Today you have the opportunity to make someone else better.  Today someone is reaching out to you, make sure that you are able to reach back.

“When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them”-Deuteronomy 20:1-3

You Love To Pretend That You're Good
When You're Always Up To No Good
You Really Can't Make Him Hate Her
So Your Tongue Became A Razor-Michael Jackson “Wanna Be Starting Something”

Everybody knows a trouble maker. Everybody knows someone who gets a thrill out of causing chaos and confusion.  I remember the trouble makers in high school.  They would be the would be the ones that would start the rumors.  They would be the ones that would spread the rumors.  The trouble makers were the ones who would bully the kids who that thought would not fight them back.  The trouble makers were not just the boys, but before there was a bad girls club on television, there were the girls who caused trouble in school.  One thing I found out about the boys and girls in school who were the trouble makers, was that they only caused trouble up to a certain point.  As long as you were frightened of what they might do to you, then they had you right where they wanted you.  However, if you stood up to them and did not back down.  They saw  that you were not a push over.  You didn’t have to fight them at all, most of the time, it was just the fact that you did not back down, that sent the signal that you had something in you that they could not mess with.  They wanted to be starting something, but they did not want to start it with someone who could finish.

Billie Jean Is Always Talkin'
When Nobody Else Is Talkin'
Tellin' Lies And Rubbin' Shoulders
So They Called Her Mouth A Motor-Michael Jackson “Wanna Be Starting Something”

Dear Reader, I want you to know that God is a finisher.  Just because you follow Jesus, read your Bible, go to Bible school, take communion, that does not mean that the enemy is not going to try to start something with you.  I want to encourage you today to remain calm in a crisis.  God is watching over you and everything is going to be alright.  They may have had their way with the rest, but now they are messing with the best.  Dear Reader they wanna be starting something, they gots to be starting something.  I say they wanna be starting something, they gots to be starting something.  But God has surrounded me with His grace and His mercy, and it’s like a wall that too high to get over (yeah yeah) too low to get under (yeah yeah), so now they stuck in the middle (yeah yeah) and the pain is thunder. Some of those same trouble makers that were in school with you have grown up to be adult trouble makers.  They got jobs, as doctors, senators, congressmen, judges, police officers, managers, regional directors, and supervisors. I am a witness to the fact that they have not changed their chaos starting ways.  I am also a witness to the fact that God is still the author and finisher of my faith.  Jesus is the corner stone on which my faith is built.  Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil.  So, if they wanna be starting something, it is not me that they have to deal with Dear Reader.  They have to deal with the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.  I am just a piece of clay in need of the Potters hand.  Don’t be afraid when they wanna be starting something, God has got your back Dear Reader, and you will finish victorious!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Word Up!

I say to you rejoice!  Where you are today is not your final destination, but merely a rest stop on the way to your destination.  In order for us to reach out destiny we have to remove the “y” (why) and replace it with an “ed”.  When you stop wondering about your destiny, and realize that you are destined for greatness your potential will be utilized in ways that you have never imagined.  God’s work cannot be defined by time, so keep the faith, and don’t stop moving!

Good day to you all! There may be rain in your life on occasion, but God is always there to provide you with shelter!  God will calm the storms in your life as long as you have Jesus on the boat!

Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. –Mark 11:23

You are powerful, and you are strong!  Doesn’t that make you smile.  You should be very happy to know that you are powerful, and you are strong.  I am not guessing, nor am I making an assumption.  I tell you that you have a power that you wield everyday and you don’t even realize it.  You have power in your words.  Even more powerful than that, there is power in your thoughts.  If we just concentrate on the words that come out of your mouth, you may not even realize that so much of your world is determined by what you say.  When God created the world He spoke the world into existence.  When God created you and I He formed us with His hands and breathed life into us, and the most important and exciting thing that happened on that 6^th day of creation; He made us in His image!  God spoke the mountains into existence but He hand crafted you.  He had a hands on experience in making you who you are. 

Dear Reader I tell you that you can speak your world into existence.  When you think and speak negative things, you are only bringing negativity closer.  The Bible says that death and life are in the tongue.  I challenge you to change the way that you speak for one week and watch what happens.  Mark gives us the example of the mountain falling in the sea, but I don’t want you to waste any time with things of this nature.  Tell that mountain of debt that is in front of you to move.  Speak to that supervisor who thinks that they have all power, and tell them “peace be still”.  Speak to your situation and have faith.  Faith without works is dead, and I am giving you the strength to walk in the land of the living.  What you are going through right now is directly related to the way that you think about your situation.  If you say that there is no end in sight, then there will be no end in sight.  If you say that you can’t find love, then you will never find love. Dear Reader if you make a slight change in the words that you speak, you will see everything around you get better.  I am praying for you!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

What The World Needs Now

If you can’t find anything to be thankful about, be thankful that you have the ability to give thanks.  If you can’t think of anything that God has done for you, then give thanks for being able to think at all.  The Bible tells us: Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you(1 Thessalonians 5:18). So with that being said you should always have a reason to be grateful, and always have a reason to praise! Lift up a might voice and give God the glory for all that you have and things that you have yet to receive!

Good day to you all!  The weather is changing so there is a feeling of renewal in the air.  Breathe new life into the dreams that you thought were dead.  Don’t give up on those relationships that you thought could not be saved!  Keep on pushing against those obstacles you thought would block your path forever!  God is still working on your behalf!

Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

The above passage from Corinthians is a lot of work.  I must admit that it takes a lot of discipline to walk in love, and speak with love.  There are so many situation that bring out the worst in us, but if we let them get the best of us then we would resolve the issue with love.  I want to encourage you today to speak love.  I want to encourage you today to think love.  I want to encourage you to love someone who does not have anyone to love them.  Spread love.  It may sound insignificant, but I tell you from experience, when you show love to someone who you don’t know, you can change someone’s life forever.

Dear Reader you are empowered to change the world.  Your smile, your thoughtfulness, your laughter could be just what someone needs to get them through the day.  You could be the catalyst for someone to change for the better.  God’s love changed the world.  When God loved you and I enough to send His only begotten Son to die for our sins.  When you surround yourself with thoughts of love, you will notice that you will get love back.  What the world needs now, is love sweet love, and Dear Reader it starts with you!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

We Shall Overcome

Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation. Jeremiah 22:3-5

Good day to you all!  Let not your heart be troubled.  God is on the way!  Stand boldly on your faith!  Allow the Holy Spirit to comfort you when you are in a difficult place!  You shall be made whole!

I come to you with the notion that we shall overcome.  It is not that we “may” overcome.  It is not that we “might” overcome.  The good news that I bring to you today, Dear Reader is that we SHALL overcome.  We shall overcome heartbreak, and fear.  We shall overcome injustice and  despair.  As sure as God see’s all things we shall overcome.

He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord. Proverbs 17:15

Dear Reader, I want you to know today that God has given you everything that you need to make a difference.  Every skill, talent, and resource is at your fingertips.  All you have to do is get up and move towards what it is that you seek.  If you seek justice move towards justice.  If you seek joy, move towards joy.  Don’t sit around and wait on the situation to get better.  I want to encourage you to put on the whole armor or God and move.  As we continue to dream of the day that we sit on the shores of righteousness, and let our feet splash in the waters of equality, when we awake from that dream let us continue to be vigilant in our pursuit of what has been embedded in our American legacy.  The promise of a brighter future, because Dear Reader, we shall overcome.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Coming From Where I'm From

Think about the things that are good in your life.  Rejoice for where you are because where you could be would have been worse!  Today is another opportunity to live, love and laugh.  Don’t waste your precious days worrying about things that you cannot change.  Take time to do something about the things that you can change, and let God take care of the rest.  Live your life to the fullest, and don’t let anyone try to hold you back.

Good day to you all!  I know that the week may seem long, and the answer to your prayers may seem far away, but I tell you to hold on to hope and keep your faith strong.  God has never left you, and your breakthrough is on the way!

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Romans 12:12

Sometimes it gets lonely 
Comin from where I'm from, I'm from 
Thangs aint what they seem to be 
Comin from where I'm from, I'm from 
Sometimes you get a little angry 
Comin from where I'm from, I'm from 
Sometimes you get the best of me-Anthony Hamilton “Comin from Where I’m From”

Where did you come from?  What did God bring you through.  Sometimes people can get caught up in where you are from.  I may not be from where you are from, but I can relate to the pain that you have been through.  I may not have gone on the same journey as you, but you would be amazed at how similar the stories that we would share would be.  In the above lyrics Anthony Hamilton describes a place that we are all from.  There have been times when we have all been lonely, angry, and we have all had times when things were not what they seemed to be. 

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6

Dear Reader I know what it is like to come from a dark place.  We can all relate to someone Comin from Where I’m From.  The good news today is that you can go where I’m going.  You have your path and I have mine, but we can walk in faith together.  Lean on me, when you are not strong, and I will be your friend, I will help you carry on.  Understand that while you are leaning on me, what is holding me up is God’s promise that He will be faithful. You are not on this journey alone.  I will pray for you and I ask that you pray for me.  If I could write my chorus to Mr. Hamilton’s song I would declare that:

Sometimes you got to get down on your knees and pray; Comin from Where I’m From, I’m from; Sometimes you gotta cry in the midnight hour; Comin from Where I’m From, I’m From; But Joy comes in the morning; Coming From Where I’m From, I’m From

I pray that you will rely on God’s strength to get you through.  You have not made it from where you are from to where you now without God being behind you.  Leave the past behind you and look forward to a beautiful future. 

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Stop, Pause

When you take one step towards God, He will make two steps towards you.  That is good news today when sometimes we feel that one step is all that we have left.  Be thankful for the things that you have, and don’t let anyone come between you and your faith!  God has so much more in store for you.  He wants the best for you so everyday try to be at your best.

Good day to you all!  As you make your way through your day try to find as many blessings as possible.  You will be amazed at what you find!

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. II Corinthians 12:9

In both the good and the bad there is a reason to be glad.  In today’s fast paced world sometimes it is good to stop, pause, and look around at what god has blessed us with.  Sometimes it can be easy to take the little things for granted. However, something that you call little may be huge to someone else.  I never really had a grandmother or a grandfather in my life.  I used to listen to classmates who would speak about the relationships they had with their grandparents.  Once I heard someone speak some very unappreciative words about their grandparents and I found myself becoming upset with them.  They were complaining about the meal that their grandmother had prepared for Sunday dinner.  I had to remind them of how fortunate they were to have a grandmother who loved them enough to prepare a meal for them in the first place.  They had to stop, pause, and realize that they were indeed privileged and blessed. 

Dear Reader, I want to encourage you to stop, and pause.  I want you to take a few moments when you are stuck in traffic to get over the fact that you aren’t moving, and thank God that you have transportation.  The next time that you are in the grocery store, don’t concentrate on how long the lines are, thank God that you have money to buy groceries. When you change the way that you think about your circumstances, your circumstances will change. When you are in the middle of complaining try to stop, pause, and look around at your blessings.  You will feel better about your life.  God is with you!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

The Social Network

There is so much left for us to do today!  We have only begun to be the instrument that God wants us to be.  Don’t allow anyway to turn down the volume of your smile.  Do not give anyone the authority to turn your focus away from your vision.  Let today be the day that you dedicate yourself to your ministry and stay the course throughout. You are the wind beneath someone’s wings!  Don’t let them down!

Good day to you all! I am praying that you see your breakthrough soon!  Something big is coming your way, so prepare yourself accordingly!

The way that we communicate with each other has changed drastically over the decades.  There was the breakthrough of the telephone. In the midst of the advancement of the telephone there was the advent of the Caller ID.  We were able to call whoever we wanted to and more importantly we could now see who was calling us.  When we would leave the house, people would call us, but we would miss the call.  Then along came the pager.  All of those means of communication required us to speak to each other.  Fast forward to today when we can communicate with hundreds of people without saying a word.  We have many options for sending out information.  We can post it on Facebook, or we can send out a tweet on Twitter.  If we are looking for someone that is in the same career field that we are in, we can log on to LinkedIn and connect with our peers.  If we want the world to know what is on our minds we can set up a blog and put our point of view out to the world.  Yes, we can effectively communicate without actually speaking a word.

Dear Reader I want to let you know that God is trying to tell you something.  You may not hear His voice every time He talks to you, but God created the act of talking without talking.  I remember looking in the face of a woman who was going through something.  Her face told her story and I was able to read her face like a book.  I could tell her Facebookstatus and she did not have to say a word.  A funny thing happened to that woman. We prayed together and God updated her status again.  He promises us that if we let Him into our lives He will make some changes, so I was happy to give Him MySpace.  It wasn’t enough to just give God MySpace, but in order for me to get a better connection with my peers I had to get LinkedIn to the Word of God. Once I got linked to the word, I found out that if pays attention to the way that the sparrows tweet, so He hears me when I Twitter@everywantandneed  #Godisgood.  When I say the woman that I prayed with again, she told me that God made a turnaround in her life.  She told me that she want to BLOGabout it. She told me that it was by Jesus Blood, Love, andOmnipotent Grace that she was able to smile again.  She was able to see the light.  Dear Reader I want to encourage you to change your social network.  If you make God the center of your life.  If you lean on the rock that will make you bolder, you will see that when you fall there will be a net that works to catch you every time. 

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Outlast Your Past

There is only one you so every day you should strive to be the best you that there will ever be.  Don’t let people who don’t understand your uniqueness control your outcome.  Give your situation to the one that created you and everything will turn out according to the master plan that God has for your life!  You are on the path to your breakthrough, but you can’t get there if you don’t believe in the steps that you are taking!

Good day to you all!  Keep your mind focused on your mission. Remember that a bump in the road was put there to slow you down, but not necessarily to stop you!  Proceed with caution, but never stop!  You are right were God wants you to be!

I was born by the river, in a little tent

And just like the river I’ve been running, ever since

It’s been a long time coming

But I know, a change is gonna come, oh yes it will-Sam Cooke “A Change Is Gonna Come”

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Isaiah 43:18

One thing that I have found when I talk to people is that no matter what level of education they have completed, or what course of study they have taken in school, everyone to some degree is a history major. We all scrutinize our past so much that we become an expert on what went wrong and what went right.  We agonize and analyze everything that we said, and did to the point where we may even lose sleep.  Sometimes it’s easy for us to focus and study everything that went wrong yesterday, to the point that we cannot concentrate on what is happening today.  We end up spending more time in the rearview than we do in the windshield, and that is an accident waiting to happen.

Dear Reader I want you to know that here and now you are great!  Your past is behind you and today is in front of you.  It’s ok to check your rearview every now and then, but when it comes to the what’s in front of you, you need to pay close attention.  There is nothing wrong with learning from mistakes, but I want to encourage you to take what you have learned and move forward.  When you learned all of your lessons in school, you moved on to the next grade.  Sometimes, we learn our lessons, but we love the classroom so much that we keep taking the same tests over and over again. We need to keep advancing until we graduate into Glory!  I want you to be take what looks like a mess and be blessed. When things do not turn out the way that you want them to, that is not God giving up on you.  You are being testing to see if you are eligible to move on to the next level. You have been studying and you know the material so pass your test and move on! You may have been born by the river in a little tent, and you may have been running ever since, but I want you to know on this day that you don’t have to run from your past.  You can stand in your present and know that God is guiding each and every step of your journey forward. The river that you were born by may have dried up, and the tent may have blown away, but you are still here.  Those mistakes that everyone else forgot about but you may be gone, but you are still here.  Dear Reader, I want to encourage you to get up when you fall, keep your eyes on what is in front of you, and you will outlast your past. 

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

U Really Got A Hold On ME

Let the joy of the Lord wash over your spirit on this day because if you do that you will experience a peace that is unlike anything that you have ever felt before.  God has got you right were you supposed to be, but you are not at your destination.  Your future is bigger and better than you could ever imagine so continue to trust that God is constantly painting the big picture so rejoice in the fact that you are His masterpiece!

Good day to you all!  The best decision that you can make, is the decision to trust in God.  When you put your trust in God you will find that the you will be surrounded by resources that you never imagined because God promised to supply all of your needs!  Smile right now because the victory is already yours!  Claim it!

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39

When you are in step with God you will find that you are out of step with the world. When people find out that you are a Christian sometimes you get a strange response.  People don’t know what they can or cannot say around you because they believe that the way that they speak will offend you.  You will find that sometimes when you walk into a room it will either get quiet or people will start to whisper.  As your faith grows you will notice that people will become cynical due to your lack of cynicism, and they will have negative things to say about your lack of negativity.  I can tell you that I have had my belief’s questioned by co-workers because they did not believe that something that I had said or done was Christ like. It’s funny to me that people who never read the Bible can judge the way that a Christian is supposed to act.  At times it will feel like you are giving more love than you are getting.  Sometimes you may feel that people are taking advantage of your kindness.  I tell you today that you will feel mistreated, misused, misunderstood and mistaken, all because  you decided to get on the right path after being miseducated by the world. I want to encourage you to keep your faith strong.  Don’t let anybody come between you and God. 

Dear Reader, here comes the good news: God will never leave you!  There is nothing or no one that can come between you and God. So when you are going through those times when you feel that no one in the world understands what you are going through God has got a hold of you.  When you are going through moments of weakness, just hold on because God has got a hold of you.  You may be out of step with the world, but Dear Reader you are in step with the Saints, and when the Saints go marching in, you are going to want to be in THAT number. Don’t be dismayed when people judge the way that you act. Nine times out of nine they are not aware of the miracles that God performed through man in the books of Judges and Acts.  Don’t worry about a thing because Jesus is a friend that will stick closer to you than a brother.  Don’t forget to acknowledge that God is the one who is holding you up.  When you make it out of a storm, or when God has made a way out of no way, it is ok if you quote the brother Smokey Robinson a say, “My God, You really got a hold on me!” Let the world know that no matter how it might try to tear you out of His mighty grip, that God has really got a hold on you.  Dear Reader, I want to encourage you to let God lead your life and you will be more than a conqueror.  I can tell you from experience because God has really got a hold on me!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Aint Nothing Like Real Thing

Today is another chance for you to praise God!  Today is another chance to make something right that was previously wrong. Today is another golden opportunity for you to let that God that is in you shine through!  The kindness that is in your comes from the Holy Spirit that dwells within, so don’t let the world around you interrupt the peace that is already there. Today is another opportunity to live your life to its fullest potential.  Smile, because there is no better day than today to do so!

Good day to you all!  Keep your thoughts on the good things that are happening in your life, and the good things that are happening in your life will multiply.  Good thoughts multiply rapidly so that means that the good things in your life will over flow! 

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.  One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Acts 13-15

Sometimes people can really pick out some good disguises.  I have seen some wigs, and mustaches that when applied correctly, can make you look like an entirely different person.  Sometimes we can forget who an actor is when we watch them in a movie where the makeup makes them look like an entirely different person.  The 19^th chapter of the book of Acts tells us about the seven sons of Sceva who wanted to prove that like Paul, they too could cast out demons.  The problem came when the demon himself came out and asked them who they were. The demon was able to see through their disguise.  Paul had been following Jesus and performing so many miracles that the demon knew who he was, and the demon knew who Jesus was, but these men, the demon did not know.  They were trying to disguise themselves as healers.  They saw what Paul was doing and thought that it would be as simple as playing follow the leader.  I tell you Dear Reader that you will run into those that will walk, talk and sound like they believe like you believe.  With their disguise they will convince you that they on the same path that you are walking, but real will recognize real.

Dear Reader I am here to tell you today that there aint nothing like the real thing!  When someone tells you that they are a Christian, but they don’t know how to treat people you may want to explain to them that you know who Jesus is, but who are you?  The person that you claim to be would not treat someone that way.  When someone tells you that they are saved and sanctified, but is not interested in helping the poor, you may want to let them know that you don’t recognize the god that they are proclaiming.  Sometimes you don’t need money to help the poor because sometime a person is simply poor in spirit, and they may just need a word of encouragement or just a little hope.  When someone praised God on Sunday, but Monday through Friday they worry and complain, you may need to ask them, “Who are You?” The word spread about Paul, not because of the words that he spoke, but because of what he was able to do through Jesus Christ.  Dear Reader when you are living in the word, and your actions reflect the word then the Jesus that is in you will be recognized.  The love that you show will be recognized, the caring, and the compassion will be recognized.  Don’t worry about the imposter because their wigs will be exposed, and their mustaches will fall off.  They may be able to fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool God at all. Be encouraged today Dear Reader that your spirit will shine through no matter what, so keep doing what you are doing.  It may seem like their disguises are getting them by, but Dear Reader there Aint Nothing Like the Real Thing.  Jesus came so that we may know how we are to treat each other, so we should treat each other well. Recognize the disguises that people will try to use, and continue to walk in the light, because Dear Reader, there Aint Nothing Like the Real Thing!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

Rocky Moments

Let your song be heard from the hilltops to the peaks of the mountains.  Let your spirit of praise be heard through all things that you are going through.  You are God’s greatest creation and you are beautiful. Never let anyone tell you anything other than that.  Sometime people see where you are and they stop right there.  God see’s where you need to be and He keeps you moving.  The race is already won, and you are already victorious! 

Good day to you all! Pray for each other, because if we pray for one another then collectively we will all be better!

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  James 1:12-14

Rocky is a classic movie.  I remember watching the Rocky movies as a kid, and thinking that this was a great character who was unsure of his own ability, but was pushed to his limits to become a great boxer.  From the original Rocky came several other Rocky movies that continued the story of the underdog boxer from Philadelphia.  In all of these movies Rocky had a different opponent.  In the original Rocky his main opponent was himself.  Rocky did not believe that he had the ability to win.  He had to defeat self doubt before he could defeat anyone in the ring. In the second Rocky movie Rocky has seen his success fly away, and he ends up working at a meat packing company, then Apollo challenges him, and he gets another chance to fight again. In the third Rocky movie his former opponent is now in his corner as Rocky finds himself up against an unexpected opponent who was came from out of nowhere.  This opponent is stronger and much more intimidating, and for the first time Rocky must fight without the person that got him started being there with him.  Our hero had a lot to overcome!

Dear Reader, I don’t know which Rocky movie you are in right now, but I want to encourage you to declare your victory. You may be doubting your own ability to get in the ring and fight for your right to be blessed.  God has given you everything that you need to do what He has for you to do.  Don’t let anybody, not even you, tell you that you cannot accomplish what you were put on this earth to accomplish.

You may be having a Rocky II moment where you were victorious before, but life has made you feel like you are less than a champion.  You are walking around with your championship belt, but you are not defending your title. I want you to know that sometime God can use your enemies to bring out the greatness in you!  Sometimes your enemies have to call you out. Now you have to step back in the ring again in order to prove to yourself for once and for all that you are the champion that God made you to be!

Dear Reader you may be having a Rocky III moment where your enemies figure that since they can’t beat you they might as well join you, and it’s a good thing that they did because now you need a someone new in your corner. God does not remove something from your life without replacing it. You are not in this fight alone, and every resource that you need will be revealed. The ones that you never expected to be in your corner will be the ones that are cheering that loudest for you.  I know from experience that God can use the ones that wanted you to fall to help stand you up. 

Dear Reader you may have a lot to overcome, but God is able to put you in a position to win every time.  You may be up against an intimidating boss, or an intimidating financial situation, but I want you to know on this day that God is in your corner.  You can be the best fighter in the world, but if your corner can’t heal you in between rounds then you don’t stand a chance.  However, when God is on your side, and in your corner.  You can stand up to fear, and you can quote LL Cool J, “I’m gonna knock you out, mama said knock you out!” Dear Reader the best part of watching Rocky is that we know how it’s going to end.  No matter how many times we see the movie, we know the outcome because we have seen it before.  When you are in the midst of your struggle don’t fear the outcome because you have seen this movie before.  God has delivered you, and you is faithful to deliver you again.  You are more than a conquer, your victory is waiting on you.  Step in the ring, face the challenge and claim your victory today!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

What a Wonderful World

God created you to be the best you that you can be!  Never tell yourself what you can’t do.  Everyone is not able to make a fair assessment of your talents so don’t worry about people who determine your abilities by what they see on the outside.  If they could see what God has put on the inside they would be speechless.  Know that your abilities are God given, and if God gives them to you then once you use them to glorify Him, you will close the mouths of the lions that were seeking to devour you!

Good day to you all!  Use your energy to lift someone up today!  It doesn’t have to be someone you know, because at some point someone that you do not know is going to lift you up!  You have the ability to make a difference in someone’s life in an amazing way!

I don’t know much about history

I don’t know much of biology

Don’t know much about a science book

I don’t know much about the French I took

But I do know that I love you

And I know that if you love me to

What a wonderful World this will be-Sam Cooke “What A Wonderful World”

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:9-12

If you watch the news for any amount of time, it would not be hard to convince you that we live in a troubled world.  We often hear people talk about today’s day and time, often following up with stories that paint the picture of past days that were perfect. The old school crowd in 2012 like to tell young people about how good it was twenty years ago.  I remember twenty years ago I had people tell me that in the 60’s things were better than they were in 1992.  Every generation has revised the history of when they grew up, because being a student of modern history, I can tell you that each generation had its own problems.  From lynch mobs terrorizing share cropping families, to foreign terrorist attacking American buildings, each generation has been through a lot, but you would have a hard time trying to find the generation that lived in a perfect world.  We have had generational trends in fashion as well as well as music.  My parents who found my rap music unbearable in the 90’s had parents who found Little Richard and James Brown unbearable.  I must admit that personally I like to go back and listen to Sam Cooke sometimes.  When he sings of what a wonderful world it would be if only he knew that the one that he loved, loved him back.  Imagine love being the cure for everything that we see that is wrong with the world.  Oh what a wonderful world this would be!

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  1 John 4:16

Dear Reader I want you to know what a wonderful world this is!  God loves you, and has loved you before you were even formed.  God loved the very thought of you. You may not know much about history.  I confess that I don’t know a thing about Biology. I took French, but I couldn’t tell you a thing about it.  However, Dear Reader, I told God because you loved me first I love you, and I know that if you love me too, that there is nothing that this world can do to me, and this place will transform from a treacherous, nefarious, place to a wonderful world almost overnight.  My mama might not know who Big Daddy Kane is, but me and my mama both know who the Heavenly Father is so we both share in this wonderful world.  You may like Sam Cooke, or you may not, but Dear Reader if we can assemble un the umbrella of God’s favor, then what storm need we fear?  When God is the director of the movie, it doesn’t matter what the actors do because as soon as someone does something that is not in the script, God is going say, “Cut!”    It’s not about who is in the movie, it’s all about the director.  Dear Reader if you let God direct your life, you will find out that He is also a great producer.  I may not know a lot, or have a lot, but Dear Reader I love God, and if God loves me too, what a wonderful world this will be!

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed

The Avengers

Look at where you are today and smile!  You are who you are, and who you are  perfect even with your imperfect perfections!  Do not allow the issues of this world to turn your light out or even make your light dim.  Continue to shine because if we can all shine together, then the glory of God will light up the world! Today is another opportunity for you to shine and be better!

Good day to you all!  Take a moment today and give thanks to God for your salvation.  Thank God for sending Jesus, His only begotten Son to die on a cross to save us all!  Let gratitude be your attitude today!

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21

I am anxiously awaiting the premier of the movie ‘The Avengers’. This is one of those movies that you just sit back with your popcorn and enjoy the special effects, and cheer for the good guys to conquer the bad guys.  I do enjoy documentaries, and I do enjoy biographies, but sometimes I enjoy a work of pure fiction that is out of the realm of reality.  The Avengers is a movie based on the Marvel comic books of the same name. It is about a group of super heroes who combine their powers and fight the bad guys together.  Each Avenger has a different strength or talent. Iron Man can fly and he is bullet proof.  The Hulk has super strength.  Captain America has more endurance and agility than an Olympic athlete. Thor has an expanded lifespan, and his bone density  gives him extreme resistance to being injured.  They are all organized by Nick Fury who is the head of a group called S.H.I.E.L.D. ( I was a comic book nerd back in the day). I know that The Avengers are going to win, but I cannot wait to see how they triumph over the forces that wish to stop them.

For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.  Ecclesiastes 4:10-12

Dear Reader in the real world I need you to join my Avenger team.  I know that we may not be comic book hero’s but there is something super about each and every one of you reading this today.  God has blessed each and every one of you with a particular strength or talent.  My talent may not be your talent.  You may be have a strength that can compensate for my weakness.  I may have bulletproof faith, but your ability to pray may be super strong. When it comes to the criticism that this world may throw you may need someone like Thor who is resistance to injury. A lot of the elders in the church are like Thor because they have been blessed with a long life and their faith remains strong, and only seems to get stronger by the day. You are an important part of Gods plan so it cannot be overstated how much you mean to someone today!

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  1 John 4:16

Yes, Dear Reader, when we assemble together we are much stronger then when we are alone.  God has assembled us together under his shield of grace, and if we look to Him to fight our battles the enemy will feel His fury.  Understand Dear Reader, that our strength is maximized when we use our strength to strengthen each other.  God will fight our battles for us.  God is fighting for you right now.  Never underestimate how the person sitting next to you can be a blessing to you.  Never underestimate how you can be a blessing to someone else.  Together we can avenge heartbreak and despair.  Together we can get rid of loneliness and worry.  If we pray for each other, and with each other we can be the Avengers in the flesh.  Don’t seek revenge when someone has done you wrong. Our power should be used to make each other better, while God promises that He will repay in the way that He see’s fit.  Look to  God’s S.H.I.E.L.D. (Salvation Has Increased Everlasting LifeDivine)of protection and He will take care of the rest.  Dear Reader I know what I am good at and I know what I am not, that is why I am asking you to team up with me so that we can triumph in the end.  With God leading us into our battles we cannot lose.  And if we assemble to lift each other up, then Dear Reader, we are the avengers.

You are beautiful, loved, and blessed

John Reed