From the Pastor's Desk

From the Pastor's Desk

A Moment of Faith

Messages to help you along the way.

THE PROMISES of GOD by Pastor Sheryl A. Reed

December 16, 2021

Gen. 9:13-16

13I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

14And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

15And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more

become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

With so much turmoil going on in the world, it is easy for us to lose sight of what God has promised us. Although He did not promise that everything would be easy, it is important that we remind ourselves of what God says in His Word regarding us. Just as God gave the rainbow to Noah as a symbol of His promise to the earth, we can look to the rainbow to remind us of some of the promises of God.

Red- Promises of love and forgiveness.

John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

No matter how bad we may feel, or how much wrong we have done, God still loves us. He loves us so much that He gave us His ONLY Son to bear the burden of our sins on the cross. Without the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s love and forgiveness would never have been made manifest toward us. Oh what love He has for you and for me!

Orange- Promise of peace.

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The world is constantly changing and introducing us to new and shiny things. What gives us peace one day, can cause us trouble and confusion the next. However, when we look to God for our peace it is a sweet presence that remains constant when we trust Him.

Yellow- Promise of power.

Psalm 27:1-3

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked came against me

To eat up my flesh,

My enemies and foes,

They stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army may encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me,

In this I will be confident.

There is nothing more powerful than putting your trust in God. He gives us the strength and courage to face our enemies knowing that because God is on our side, we are victorious! No matter how bad the circumstances may look, God continues to have us covered. The enemy may come at us with weapon upon weapon, but God keeps us protected….they won’t prosper!

Green- Promise of prosperity.

John 15:5-8

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

In this world, many people strive to be successful. They boast about big houses, fancy cars, name brand clothing, and hefty bank accounts thinking those things are signs they are prosperous. Unfortunately, may believers fall into this way of thinking and forget that all of those things are for not if they do not abide in God. The fruit that God blesses us with is worth more than money and fame. Instead of focusing on the material things, stay focused on the blessings of God.

Blue- Promise of the faithfulness.

2 Timothy 4:16-18

16 At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. 17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!

Isn’t it good to know that we serve a faithful God? While friends and family may let you down during one season or situation, our God remains faithful. His faithfulness is unwavering. He is faithful is giving us protection, strength, and courage amongst other things. Great is His faithfulness!

Indigo- Promise of God’s presence.

Psalm 23:4

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Have you ever felt all alone? Felt like there was no friend or family member you could call on, if for no other reason than to have a friendly chat? God never leaves us alone. Whether it’s early in the morning, in the middle of the workday, or late in the midnight hour, God is always there for us! We don’t have to walk in fear of the unknown things this world may bring our way because the God we serve promises to walk us through every obstacle we may face. His presence in our life gives us the assurance that we don’t have to worry because we are never alone in Him.

Violet- Promise of the victory.

Romans 8:31-32

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

There is nothing we can’t conquer with God on our side! The turmoil of this world is no match for our God. No enemy we could ever face is more powerful than our God! No sickness is stronger than our God! No situation is too complex for our God! There is nothing that we face that God cannot give us the victory in according to His Will and His Word. We have victory in our Father, His Son, and His Holy Spirit!

The rainbow is a whole continuum of colors from red to violet, and even beyond the colors that the eye can see. God’s promises cover us, even when we can’t see it. No matter what we need from God, He has it for us. Whether you need: understanding, joy, comfort, healing, health, grace, mercy, deliverance, safety, or protection you have no further to look than to God. His promises are real and true. There’s nothing like the promises of God! Be Blessed!

ENCOURAGE YOURSELF by Pastor Sheryl A. Reed

December 12, 2021

Psalm 42:5-6

5Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

6O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.

In reading verse 5, I couldn’t help but feel the conflicting emotions of David. In the first portion he is questioning himself because he knows he should not allow himself to be troubled by his current predicament. Then, he beings to talk to himself, and remind himself that despite his present circumstances, he will continue to praise God. He is encouraging himself in the fact that he can always hope in God! He goes on to step out on his faith and praise God now, for what He will do later, instead of waiting until later and wallowing in his circumstances right now. He also took time out to reflect on what God had already done for him.

I know it can be harder sometimes more than other times, but there are times we must question ourselves. We must ask ourselves why we are letting certain situations and circumstances loom over our heads and weigh us down when all we have to do is look back at how far the Lord has brought us. No matter what our past looks like, as Christians, we know it is full of victories because God brought us THROUGH EVERY trial and hard time that we faced! He brought us THROUGH EVERY midnight hour. THROUGH EVERY low valley. THROUGH EVERY shadow of death. THROUGH EVERY weapon the enemy formed against you. God brought you THROUGH IT ALL!

With that said, BE ENCOURAGED! Keep waiting patiently for the Lord because He is sure to incline His ear to you and deliver you from whatever the problem(s) is/are you may be facing in this very moment. God cares and He is concerned about you.

Many times, we let the fear of others knowing what challenges we face to discourage us from seeking help with a situation. This leads us to focus more on solving the problem ourselves as we try to pray our way through it. We sometimes misuse the scripture that says, “Faith without works is dead;” thinking that the more we work at solving the problem, the quicker God will give us the solution. This line of thinking only leads us to a greater amount of stress and very little peace.

We all struggle. We all go through something in this life. We are not alone in our situations. God has given us help, even in the earth realm, our fellow Believers. When we let the Believers and Prayer Warriors closest to us know what is causing stress in our lives, it helps us let go of the situation and not focus on it. Our problems only have power in our silence! There is power and solace in knowing that others are praying for you and with you, and there to comfort you during your time of need. You don’t have to fight alone, and you can’t fix it alone! May God fortify the Prayer Warriors around you right now!

The more you try to fix any situation, the more complicated and stressful it can become. Although it is true that “faith without works is dead,” it does not mean that you have to solve the problem that you have asked the Lord to fix. What that scripture is really saying is that you need to operate in the understanding that your faith in God will sustain you while God works the problem out for you! It means that you don’t have to constantly concern yourself with the details of the problem. Move forward with the understanding that God is taking care of the details and you can praise Him in advance for the delivery. The scripture tells us that there is nothing too hard for God! He is bigger than every problem you may face! He is more powerful than the greatest weapon the enemy can form against you! HE IS GOD ALL BY HIMSELF!

During our trials and tribulations, we need to walk in the understanding that God is in control of everything that His children go through. He is aware of every problem, every need, every hurt, every stressor, and every pain. The Word says in Psalm 121:

1I will lift up my eyes to the hills—

From whence comes my help?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore.

This is encouragement that every answer we need will surely come from the Lord. And we can rest in knowing that until our help arrives, God will keep us safe and secure under His protection.

There are times when your best motivator is YOU. You have to encourage yourself while you go through the struggles of life. You can become so engulfed in your stressful situations that the only words of encouragement that will bring you out of your depressive state are the words that you speak to yourself. The first step to self encouragement is to take the advice of the scripture and look at where your help is coming from. God will never let you down. He will never put more on you than you can bear. You must remind yourself of what God has already done for you in the past, and what He has promised you in the future. In order for you to reach the promised destination, you are going to have to endure some heartache, some pain, and some stress, but BE REMINDED Who is always walking with you. REMEMBER Who is carrying you when you feel like you can’t take another step. RECALL Who was there to wipe away your tears when you were up crying in the middle of the night. RECOLLECT Who will never let you fall. Who is God!?

God is the keeper of your soul! God is the sustainer of your life! God is your Promise Keeper! God is the lifter of your head! God is the forgiver of your sins! God is your Redeemer! God is your Provider! God is your ever-present Help! God is your Strong Tower! God is your Supplier! God is your Anchor! God is your Deliverer! God is the Lifter of your head! God is your Way Maker! God is your all in all! EVERYTHING YOU NEED, HE IS!

Encourage yourself by speaking in the affirmative of what God has done and will do for you. When you feel like giving up, go to God in prayer and ask Him to take away those feeling of doubt and frustration. Believe in God for any, every, and all things. He is a God of promise and hope; just put your trust and faith in Him. Be encouraged today that God will never fail. Be Blessed!

“He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31

BEING SET UP by Pastor Sheryl A. Reed

December 9, 2021

When we are in the midst of dark situations and circumstances, it is often difficult to look up and/or ahead to what God has in store for us. God has promised us that there are blessings awaiting us if we just continue to press forward.

If you read Psalm 23:5 very carefully, you will discover that even though you are in the midst of trouble, God is working on your behalf. Let’s look at this scripture carefully:

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.”

In other words:

God is putting things together right now on an elevated level of balance for you to receive and/or walk into in the future with full support while you are in the midst of those who seek to harm you. God has already chosen to set you apart for His glory with a mark that cannot be washed away with water (i.e., the storms that you face). His coverage starts at the top of your body, where your understanding starts (your mind), so that His anointing will flow down and cover you. He had to cover your mind because your thoughts are not His thoughts! Everything about you has already been claimed for God’s glory. There is a cup that was custom-made for you. No matter how much you drink from it, its blessings will continually spread beyond the natural limits of the cup. God’s blessing are spiritual!

Having discovered this, it is necessary to continue to press forward toward the table that God has prepared for us. It is ours to claim, and none of our enemies can destroy it. The only thing standing between our table and us is our own lack of determination and commitment to seek what God has in store us! Remember that you are going THROUGH the storms, you won’t be in them forever! God is continuing to set us up with blessings; we just need to keep on moving forward in His name. Be Blessed!

DROWNING ON DRY LAND by Pastor Sheryl A. Reed

December 5, 2021

“Help!”

“Help me!”

“I’m drowning!”

“Someone, anyone! Help!”

Unfortunately, when people are actually drowning, they very seldom yell, scream, or wave their arms to signal for help. As a matter of fact, based on what drowning really looks like, many people are drowning on dry land.

You’ve probably seen someone drowning on dry land and didn’t even realize it. It could be your coworker, your neighbor, a relative, your best friend, or even your significant other. They may seem quiet, relaxed, and moving a bit slowly, or they may seem withdrawn, hardly communicating, disheveled in appearance. Where they used to be very talkative, they may refrain from conversations. Where they may have once liked to get out and be around people, they stay at home (maybe sleeping, watching T.V., reading a book, or listening to music, etc.). To someone passing by, their behavior may not seem out of the ordinary. Oh, they’re just tired. They’re taking a moment to relax. They’re unwinding. NO! They could be drowning.

Have you ever felt like you just can’t get a handle on a situation? The more you tried, things just never seemed to get right. Ever felt like somehow you got out deeper than what you could manage? Everything seemed to be going fine, and then all of a sudden everything wasn’t fine anymore. Have you ever felt so overwhelmed it seemed hard to breathe? If you can relate to any of those situations, you have experienced drowning on dry land.

Remember, just because someone has been able to swim through a situation in the past, doesn’t mean they can’t drown. There are times when the Lifeguard must swim out and rescue even the best of swimmers.

Isaiah 43:2 says:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,

Nor shall the flame scorch you.

There are things we go through in life that weigh us down, almost to the point where we feel like we can’t breathe, we can’t move, we can’t make it. However, through the Word of God there is always hope. Isaiah 43:2 reminds us that no matter how overwhelming our situation is, feels likes, or seems to be God is always with us. Just like Peter, we often times begin to drown because we took our eyes off Jesus. No matter how bad our situations may seem, it’s not so bad that God can’t fix it. No matter how deep we may feel buried in turmoil, it’s not so deep that God can’t reach us. No matter how exhausted our present struggle may make us feel, it’s not so far gone that God can’t renew our strength.

God’s Word promises that we will pass THROUGH the waters and the rivers! He won’t let us drown! He won’t let you drown! No matter how intense our problems and struggles get, God says we will come THROUGH the fire, and we won’t come out looking like what we’ve been through!

If you are reading this message today, God wants you to know that He sees you in your struggle. You are not alone. He is right there with you. All you have to do is trust Him to bring you through. If you feel faint, He will give you power. If you feel you have no might, He will increase your strength. You are not the only one going though hard times and difficult situations, but unlike someone else who may be lost in this world, you’ve heard about God. You can get to know God better through your hard times. When you can’t tell anyone else your struggles and your pains, you can always tell God. He is always listening, ever caring, and He knows just what you need. Try Him and Trust Him. Be Blessed!

INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (ICU) by Pastor Sheryl A. Reed

December 2, 2021

Sometimes our conditions in life get so sever that we need intensive care. Most people automatically think of going to the hospital and being hooked up to IV’s and monitors. However, there is another kind of intensive care. It comes directly from God.

When our situations get too hard for us to deal with God gives us a tap on the shoulder and says, “ICU (I see you).” He sees that we are struggling, that we are in pain, that we are depressed, that we are worn out, that we are tired, that we are at the end of our rope. That’s when He steps in and puts us in His Intensive Care Unit. He sedates us under His Holy Spirit, and monitors us under His grace and mercy as He begins to regulate the pressures we are facing.

Once we are under full sedation, God can operate on our situation according to His Will. He doesn't need help from anyone else!

He prescribes His Holy Word to ensure we have the proper instructions for our recovery.

God intensifies our care because Satan is always trying to infect us with his poisonous diseases of anger, depression, loneliness, laziness, etc. Our Heavenly Father has to take us aside and place a hedge of protection around us. He has to put us in a special place so that He can administer the proper care for our aliments. Once we are in that place, the healing begins! We are made anew by God’s intensive care.

Then we can rest in knowing that when God says, “ICU,” He has already diagnosed the problem, and has just what we need…to spend some time in God’s Intensive Care Unit.

Exodus 15:22

And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. (Jehovah Rophe)

His referral program is our testimony! Tell someone about your Jehovah Rophe!