When the Worlds Falls, Stay with Me

It’s funny that frequently when there is a problem in my life, I walk away from God. 

My present state of health discourages me. Headlines in the news disheartens me. Entertainment and music become my means of escape from the difficulties of life. 

But What did God make unclear that we are meant to rely on Him for everything? 

If God is God, being all sufficient that He is, then to remain in Him is the safest place for a person to be. 

What irony to see the disciples who urge Jesus to send the masses of people who sat to listen to Jesus away so they can feed themselves. 

Thankfully, Jesus refuses them (Matthew 14:15). Jesus confounds them even more when He says: 

“They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” (‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭16‬ NKJV)

They found five loaves and two fish, but they saw that wasn’t going to sustain a crowd of 5000 men (this number did not include the women and children who were with them). Veins rose from their foreheads as the crowd grew restless.

It’s like the disciples all wore baseball caps that day that they could not see over the bill of their caps.

The answer is right in front of you! 

Jesus performs a miracle where not only feeds everyone there but also fills 12 baskets of leftovers!

God demonstrates His inexhaustible power that magnificently floored human independence. There was no way that any man could feat to feed those countless thousands instantaneously. Stretching a fish lunch would be a joke. 

Jesus did this supernatural wonder for one important reason: 

“I am all sufficient. Stay with Me.” 

At wake of the ills of the world, the failures of man, the decline of health, the ear of disaster, the sense of hopelessness, you can either turn for an escape, turn on others or turn to Jesus. 

If you’re hungry and have no food, don’t leave me to find food. Didn’t I tell you: 

“do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭25-26‬ NKJV)”

At your want to desert Me to bring meaning and satisfaction in your life, did you hear: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst (John‬ ‭6‬:‭35‬ NKJV)”!!!

When the sky folds and when people turn on each other, don’t run for a solace, “STAY WITH ME”! Stay with Christ. 

“Christ is enough for me. Christ is enough for me. Everything I need is in You. Everything I need” (“Christ is Enough” -Hillsong Worship). 

Listen to the song and let it be an anthem to you. There isn’t a resort outside of Christ. 

He is everything you need. He is everything you want. I just need to change the way I think and just “taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (‭Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭8‬ NKJV)”

Look at Him and find that He is the river and you’re the tree. Sink your roots in the bank. Stay with Him. Your leaves won’t wither; in fact, you will prosper and live to produce what you couldn’t think was able to come out of you (See Psalms 1:3). 

Jesus is everything you need. There is no one like Our God! 

Don’t Hold Back from Doing Good

I know it’s a mint. It’s the story behind this mint that I want you to see.

The girl that I sit next to in chapel had a cough. I had this mint in my pocket. I had the thought to give her the mint, but I suppressed that idea of generosity.

A wise man once said:
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so. (Proverbs 3:27 NKJV)

When we have a chance to help someone, however little it is, we should go do it.

I’m glad later in the day, God gave me a chance to encourage someone.

Its been said that you are probably the only Bible most people would ever read.

Don’t hold back. We all know that even a little mint can make a “fresh” difference in someone! (couldn’t help myself but make that pun).

Okay God, Here I Am

Okay God, Here I am. I have loads of reasons why I should feel overwhelmed. But I’ve noticed how You’ve already seen my state, and prescribed some truths from Your Word for me to look at.

I see here from Your child David in Psalm 25:16-17 how I should approach You in my distress:

Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses! (Psalm 25:16, 17 NKJV)

At the price of Your life, I can run to You at Your throne with no restraint of fear. There Your mercy will meet us, and Your grace relieve us at our most needed of times (Heb 4:16).

You even had a remedy for my loneliness. You directed me to Genesis 28:15. Your child Jacob was a fugitive of his brother’s rage, and in his retreat, he has made a stone for a pillow.

You met him there of all places! You marvel him with a spectacular vision of Your fearsome presence among the army of Your glorious angels. He heard Your great promise to bless him beyond his imagination.

What really touch me was when You secured Him of Your company. This is what You said:

Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” (Genesis 28:15 NKJV)

You assured Him You will keep His Word. You’ve also extend this promise to me. You said You will never leave me (Heb 13:5). It’s like we say: “You got my back!

I also recall where You’ve said that I can be confident….that [You] who has begun a good work in [me] will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ [Your return] (Philippians 1:6 NKJV)*

I can relax: I find rest in You. Help me unbelief and amaze me with how You reward those who really come to You (Heb 11:6)

Thank You Jesus. There is no one like You. You are my Only Hope!

*Alterations made.

Brain Tumor Survivor Rescues Slaves in India

Brain Tumor Survivor Rescues Slaves in India.

I Need You = Jesus

Today, my twin brother and I will be hosting my father’s TV program that broadcasts over Antigua every Thursday. Too be honest with you: last week was very successful. We had a great response. So the temptation I’m having is going there tomorrow and hit out of the ballpark again. Only without God’s strength.

In making myself vulnerable for you, it’s easy for me to rely on myself than consult the Lord for help. I mean you only call Him when things go bad right?

Samson was Public Enemy No.#1 among the Philistines. Whenever he went against them, it resulted with massive casualties (he killed 1,000 men with a donkey’s jawbone!). But there came Delilah.

After three failing tries, Delilah finally enticed Samson to reveal his secret which gave him his strength (which was not his hair, but it was the promise not to cut it). The Philistines showed up again to take out Samson, and Samson said to himself, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. (Judges 16:20 NKJV)

You may feel you can do it on your own, but the truth is you are only fooling yourself. What may seem like the most simplest of tasks can spiral into an overwhelming mess.

Truth is we need Jesus – every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year. Jesus said,“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. (John 15:5 NKJV)

We need Him. I can go to the broadcast, and I choke, or we could be driving there and my tire blows out! Life is so blinded from us! But Jesus is El Roi: The God Who Sees!!!

We need Him more than we can imagine.