Daily Encouragement ⚫ Jim Reid's Recent Columns

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A very startling, and very surprising question.. why are there so many missing people being reported each day? Sad and very sad. 

Every day this month, there has been a number of reported missing people of all ages, especially females. Last year alone under the age of 21 there were nearly 207,000 people reported missing. 

With close to 150,000 missing females over the age of 21. 78% are females.

 June, July, and August are the highest months a reported missing people. We need to all pray for one another that just stops.

There are many reasons for going missing and many and varied, including mental illness, sex trafficking, miscommunication, domestic violence, and even being a victim of crime. 

Sad times that we are in now not safe to go anywhere without evil taken place. 

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Many of you might recognize Pastor Jim Reid of Swartz Creek by his postings of encouragement on our local Swartz Creek Community page on Facebook. He pastors at Faith Ministries Church in Flint, he’s a Swartz Creek High School graduate and studied psychology, philosophy and physiology at Liberty University. 

Happy Fourth of July to everyone! Let me ask you what comes to your mind when you think of Independence Day? 

For many Americans, 4th of July as a day to watch fireworks, barbecue and have a good time with family and friends. 

There is nothing wrong with having these traditions, it’s important to remember the reason why we celebrate this holiday. Samuel Adams, the father of American Revolution, was very bold in proclaiming his faith.

 To him, signing the declaration of independence meant no longer submitting to Great Britain, but rather, submitting to the Lord. As a result, America would be free from the power of man and able to serve Christ.

What a significant day in history! It’s important to remember what our duties are as Christians. We are called to serve Christ in Christ alone, and it is such a blessing that we can live in a country the greatest country there is where we have the freedom to do so. 

Often times, the enemy will use distractions to keep us from fulfilling our duties as Christians. Being distracted by all that happens on the 4th July can cause us to lose sight of true meaning of the holiday. 

This is dangerous, as it can ultimately cause us to stray away from Christ. So, why is it important to acknowledge the significance of Independence Day, and how can we do so in today’s world? 

Each and everyone of you are a blessing from God. And because of our freedom, we express our faith and boldly share it with others. It’s important to recognize that in many other parts of the world, this is not the case.

The cost of following Christ is much greater for our brothers and sisters across the globe. With this in mind, I encourage you to not lose sight of why we celebrate Independence Day. 

Take time to reflect on the way. God has blessed you in your life life, and make it a goal to not take the freedom we have for granted. 

As you spend this day with family and friends, I encourage you to celebrate the blessing of freedom that was given to us by Christ. Have a safe and happy joyful Fourth of July everyone.

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Many of you might recognize Pastor Jim Reid of Swartz Creek by his postings of encouragement on our local Swartz Creek Community page on Facebook. He pastors at Faith Ministries Church in Flint, he’s a Swartz Creek High School graduate and studied psychology, philosophy and physiology at Liberty University. 

 I grew up southern Baptist. I attended many gospel concerts.

To make  a long story short, the gospel music family lost several members of the famous Nelon family Friday afternoon in a tragic plane accident killing seven people, including the pilot and his wife, and members of the Nelon family such as Jason, Kelly, Amber, Nathan and Melodie. 

Working at WTAC in Flint years ago, I had the privilege of meeting those wonderful Christian singers, who right now are leading the music in heaven. 

Can you just imagine all the many people this family touched through throughout the years?

Prayers, thoughts, and love to the entire family.

 This was a loss for everyone 

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Many of you might recognize Pastor Jim Reid of Swartz Creek by his postings of encouragement on our local Swartz Creek Community page on Facebook. He pastors at Faith Ministries Church in Flint, he’s a Swartz Creek High School graduate and studied psychology, philosophy and physiology at Liberty University.