WHO HAS YOUR BACK?

On Sabbath, July 12th, 2025, my wife and I had the distinct privilege of worshipping at Maranatha SDA Church in Apopka, Florida, pastored by Dwight Gayle. We heard that Evangelist Randy Skeete would be in town to deliver a biblical message, and we immediately knew it was an answered prayer. In May of 2025, Elder Randy Skeete was the main speaker at Redemption Chapel in New Jersey for a week-long conference. Lineth and I have a few friends in New Jersey, and we made a sincere effort to attend and enjoy the services and fellowship. Despite our best efforts, the Lord did not see it fit for us to be there, and the hope of one day shaking the hand of the preacher of righteousness was delayed a bit longer.

Maranatha SDA Church Livestream | Sabbath Service ft. Randy Skeete

Fast forward to July 2025, God opened a way for Elder Skeete to come to Florida. I was ecstatic and prayed that God would make a way for us to attend—which He graciously did. The kind gesture was reminiscent of the title of the message: “Who Has Your Back?” God definitely does.

To give more context, there are a few preachers God has used to personally influence and enrich my faith since I accepted His calling in 2019. My journal entry titled “The Facade” will provide more insight into that journey soon. Nevertheless, Evangelist Randy Skeete is one of those preachers who has significantly impacted my Christian walk.

During the 2020 lockdown, I was deeply inspired by Evangelist Skeete’s preaching—so direct and full of truth. As I transitioned from the world, I knew by principle that I needed to remove worldly entertainment and replace it with biblical activities. So instead of listening to hip-hop, jazz, or rhythm and blues, I began listening to sermons. Evangelists and pastors like Randy Skeete, Charles D. Brooks, E.E. Cleveland, Jeremiah Davis, Christopher Hudson, Dwayne Lemon, Walter Veith, and Henry Wright, to name a few, became my spiritual mentors through media. I’ve added many of their sermons and presentations to my public YouTube playlist titled “The Spoken Word.”

I have a substantial collection of Elder Skeete’s sermons, and as a creative, God knew I would value both seeing and hearing what it means to be fully surrendered to Christ and used for His glory. Meeting Elder Skeete was never about praising the man, but rather sharing how God used him to help me—giving all credit and praise to God.

I’m humbled that I had the opportunity to briefly share my story and capture a few still images to be used in sharing truth. Elder Skeete asked me if I was a photographer, and I said, “Yes, but this time I get to use my talent to honor God rather than disgrace Him.”

The sermon titled “Who Has Your Back” covered the pillars of our faith and served as a timely reminder that with God, all things are possible. The mountain in our lives, particularly known sin, can be removed by God’s grace—if we believe in Him and do not doubt. God is love, and He is able to save and restore. Through the Bible, we saw that God sanctifies us through His Word. We must spend our time washing our filthy garments in the righteous detergent of Christ’s blood.

I love when Elder Skeete invites the audience to participate by reciting their favorite memory verses or listing the 66 books of the Bible. Elder Randy Skeete is known for his ability to quote both Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy, and he encourages us to do the same. He delights in hearing the pages of the Bible turn and is passionate about obedience to God’s Word.

“That which at first seems difficult, by constant repetition grows easy, until right thoughts and actions become habitual.”

— The Ministry of Healing, 491 (1905)

In addition, it was a pleasant surprise to find out that one of my favorite Seventh-day Adventist singers, Neville Peter—a member of Maranatha SDA Church—would be singing as part of the service and concert. Gale Jones Murphy & Traditions Concert Chorale also shared a few inspiring songs, and to my surprise, Sister Murphy is a retired teacher who taught at FLA, where I am an alumnus. The most impressive detail she shared was that she actually wrote one of my favorite songs, “Sabbath Rest.”

The entire Sabbath experience felt like a glimpse of heaven and motivated me even more to share the good news so that we all can make it to the kingdom.

Pastor Dwight Gayle | Maranatha SDA Church

A special thanks to Pastor Dwight Gayle and the Maranatha SDA Church family, who treated us so kindly. The prayers and the arrangement of a meet-and-greet with Evangelist Randy Skeete and Neville Peter were truly appreciated. I hope to catch a photo with Gale Murphy and visit Maranatha again in the near future.