“Faith doesn’t always mean that God changes your situation. Sometimes it means He changes you.” Steven Furtick
It was getting rather late by the time Jesus was done teaching. Go figure, a long winded preacher! On this particular day, Jesus did it on purpose to see how His men would react.
5,000 people hung on His every word. And while hanging out with them, the Twelve approached Him and said, “Hey, You’ve got to disperse them now!”
He replied, “Nope, you feed them.” Their stress levels went through the roof.
After checking their pockets, they knew they didn’t have enough money to buy food for all. After checking with their eyes, they knew they didn’t have enough food either.
Jesus did this to test them. Would they resort to handling this challenge on their own or would they look to and trust Him?”
Jesus then put His plan into action. He took what they had – five loaves of bread and two fish – and made enough fish sandwiches to satisfy all 5,000 and more.
We live in very challenging days. Will your stress levels go through the roof because you’re trying to solve each day’s challenges on your own? Or, will you stay calm. Look to Jesus and ask how He wants to solve them?
Keep your blood pressure low. Eat a fish sandwich today made by Jesus.

“When you enter His presence with praise, He enters your circumstances with power.” Unknown
Something hit me while I was reading through Exodus. There was an entrance to the Tabernacle.
Yes, I know this is obvious. Let’s make sure we don’t read over the obvious. The NIV uses the word entrance while the KJV says a door. A door can imply there is something that can be shut to block the opening.
Both translations, though, are based on the a word that means to be wide open. This is important because it tells us something about the the One who lived inside the Tabernacle. He provided access to Him as He wants us to be inside with Him!
At that time, the person who sinned was to bring their burnt offering before this entrance. Blood gave the ability to come inside. This is an awesome picture of what Jesus did for us.
Through His blood, our sins are forgiven so we can have unlimited access to the Father.
The Father wants you to be in His presence 24/7 every day of the year! How often did you stay out of His presence in 2020?
Make the commitment in 2021 to use the access you have to the Father. He wants you to be with Him!

“Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.” Helen Keller
The magi came to Jerusalem to ask where the Messiah or King of the Jews would be born. The Scriptures were searched to discover the city of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
This light of Scripture was both positive and negative. It was positive because it allowed the Magi to find and worship Jesus. It was negative because it allowed Herod to attempt to find and kill Jesus.
I find it very interesting that when Jesus calls His followers “the light of the world” He talks about a light not shining! He says that a city on a hill can’t be hidden. He also said everyday people turn on lights so others can see inside their house.
This talk about lights comes right after His talk about being blessed under persecution. Hmmm. He wanted us to understand that we are to let our lights shine so others can find and worship Jesus, which is super positive.
Yet, He also knew that it would bring persecution from those who want to snuff out our light, which is why we would try to hide our lights.
During World War II, the Japanese attacked at night during certain island battles. The defenders would be forced to fire their weapons where the brief flash of light from their weapons gave away their position!
A tiny match, when lit, shines super bright in a dark room. But it also exposes where it is.
We live in dark times, but isn’t that why the Light of the World came to the little town of Bethlehem to be birthed by Mary?
Love Jesus. Allow Him to change your life; and thus, become a huge light for others to find and worship Jesus.

“God never said that our journey would be easy, but He did say that our arrival would be worthwhile.” Max Lucado
Growing up I heard a commercial jingle, “Good to the last drop.” It was about a certain coffee brand where from the first sip to the last drop falling off the cup’s lip were just as tasty.
But you wouldn’t know it until you sucked out that last drop!
Each of us, the moment we come to faith in Jesus for salvation, has been given a “good work” to do.
That good work begins each day with the initial sip and ends with the last drop falling from the cup.
How many of us actually get the last drop of Spirit-given potential from the good work He has asked of us today?
Ask yourself, “Did I do just enough to get through today or did I listen to and follow Jesus; and then, through His power, do whatever He asked of me to the last drop?”
The Spirit states that in whatever we do, we are to do it in Jesus’ name. Doesn’t He deserve the last drop of our love and devotion?
Thanks to those who’s “good work” was to pray for me. Covid is behind me because of God’s grace and your prayers in Jesus’ name. Thanks for giving Jesus your all. I was just the recipient of your following Him.

“Listening to God is essential to walking with God.” Charles Stanley
For a moment, act like a fly on the wall. You’re listening to a conversation between a father and his daughter.
“Daddy, why do we need to talk to God?”
“Good question. Before I answer, allow me to ask you one, okay?”
“Okay daddy.”
“Would you say that we have a great relationship?”
“Oh yes, daddy.”
“Why is that, do you think?”
“Oh that’s easy daddy. You listen. We talk. We do all sorts of things together.”
There was a huge, dramatic pause as she began to realizing she already had her answer.
“You tricked me!” She said while playfully hitting his arm.
“No, I just wanted you to see that you already had the answer. You can’t get close to someone if you don’t hang out and share with them.”
This fly on the wall has been having lots of conversations with his Father these past 18 days of battling Covid. During many of nights of the battle, if you were a fly on the wall of my room, you could hear me cry out, “Father, won’t you please stop this pain and heal me? You can suck out of my body every bit of this virus that’s wreaking havoc on me.”
“Yes, I can. But, My grace is sufficient for you.”
That was it, but I knew what He meant. I’d heard that line before. I’ve never personally experienced God do an instantaneous miracle – either physical or spiritual (out and out change my life).
He’s always used the biblical process of life change He created in Scripture (the FREEdom process). I know this day to day process of trusting Him and His Word quite intimately. He had me write a book about it.
His grace was definitely sufficient to cover my responses to His response. His grace was sufficient to cover my cries of struggle with Covid symptoms.
His grace has been sufficient to get me to other side of these symptoms; and, it will be sufficient to keep me going as I recover from their side effects.
I know. I’ve been down this road before. And until I see Jesus face to face, I know I’ll go down other roads where I’ll hear, “I love you son, and My grace is sufficient for you.”