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"David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45‭, ‬47) There are days when it seems like everything is stacked against us; when we feel overwhelmed by what lies ahead of us. We, like Saul's army facing Goliath and the Philistines, shrink back and wonder what we can do in the face of adversity. We plan and scheme as to what we can do. The solution to us overcoming is not found in our plans. It is found in His plans, for the battle is the Lord's. The psalmist reminds us of what our plan of action should be. "Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” (Psalm 50:15) “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you ...’" (Jeremiah 33:2‭-‬3) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Psalm 100 sets the tone for us as we prepare to join with fellow followers of Christ to worship our sovereign Lord today. I (Mike) have added italics to highlight what we should be doing, while verses 3 & 5 remind us of why we are coming together. "Shout for joy to the Lord , all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his ; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." (Psalm 100:1‭-‬5) So, as we come to worship God this morning, let's do it with joy and thanksgiving. Have a wonderful day, enjoying His presence. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Our Father intends for us to have the same sense of security as a newborn baby. Newborn babies have the wonderful ability to fall asleep anywhere, untroubled by worry or fear. But have you noticed how that sense of peacefulness changes by the time babies are toddlers? They often cry over small disturbances and are unwilling to leave a parent’s side. Their situation has not changed. They have the same safety and protection they enjoyed as infants, but they’ve lost their feeling of assurance. Doesn’t this also describe us when we are hesitant to believe our Father's promises? From the moment of salvation, we enjoy a permanent relationship with God. But at times, we struggle to fully understand and embrace this. He wants us to be certain of our relationship with Him through Jesus. Certainty about our salvation doesn’t come from applying human logic. It is a matter of faith. John reminds us that we can have confidence in the finished work of Christ. "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." (1 John 5:13-14) Have a good day. "For we live by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. No one likes to be in need. The Lord uses various instruments to meet needs. He alone, however, is the source of everything. Every financial need is an opportunity to learn to walk by faith in the Lord, trusting Him to be our source. Prosperity can lead to a sense of independence that blinds us to how inadequate we actually are to provide for ourselves. In reality we are totally dependent upon the Father whether we know it or not. We may not see the Lord perform a supernatural work in our finances. However, His Word tells us, “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus ” (Philippians 4:19) The question is - are we focusing on the instrument or the source of our provision? The means God uses may change, but His faithfulness endures forever. Trust Him and live in the adventure and security of a life of faith. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. “'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord." (Isaiah 55:8) God works in both supernatural and ordinary ways, and He determines the method. Elijah ate food miraculously delivered by ravens, but his water supply from a brook was completely natural. (1 Kings 17) When it dried up, the Lord could have made more water spring from the ground, but He didn’t. Sometimes God uses ordinary means to move us in a new direction. The curtailment of Elijah's water supply opened the door for his next assignment. When the Lord withholds miraculous intervention and lets our brook dry up, then He has something else planned for us. The work of God in the everyday aspects of life is just as miraculous as His supernatural intervention. Look for His “fingerprint” in the mundane activities of life. He is there, opening and closing doors, drying up one opportunity but initiating another. Have a good day enjoying all God has in store for you. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Elijah was a man of great faith who believed what God told him. He spent time alone with the Lord and listened carefully to His words. And the prophet could boldly speak with authority because he knew and trusted the One who gave the message. The Lord doesn’t speak to us in the same way that He spoke to the Old Testament prophets, but the process of receiving His message hasn’t changed. It begins with being alone in His presence and listening as He speaks through His Word. But it shouldn’t end there. Spending time each day alone with God in His Word and in prayer, must not become a religious activity. We must listen as He speaks to our heart, believe what He says in Scripture, apply it to our lives, and then be ready to share it with others. When God gives us an opportunity, do not be afraid to share His Word with others. The Father reveals His treasures to us so that we can share them with others. "Preach (share) the word; be prepared in season and out of season ..." (2 Timothy 4:2) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Sometimes when we have problems, we withdraw from normal life and spend all our time obsessing and trying to solve them. All this is unproductive activity When we have problems, it feels counterintuitive to focus on blessing others. But it's not; it's actually a powerful thing to do. It takes our mind off ourselves and our problem. Falling into self-pity, fretting, and talking negatively hinder God from helping us. But trusting Him and persisting in doing good for others enables Him to work on our behalf. Knowledge alone won't solve your problems. We must obey God's Word no matter how we feel. We may not feel like keeping a commitment or doing something to help someone else, but when we do, we see God working on our behalf. "Commit your way to the Lord ; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun." (Psalm 37:5‭-‬6) Blessings. Mike and Daphne (Today's Thought for the Day is inspired by writings of Bob & Debby Gas)

Good morning. To some degree, most of us value appearances, whether it has to do with physical looks or an air of competence at work. Consequently it’s easy to compare ourselves with those around us and falsely conclude that we don’t measure up. But God sees things differently. • God made us in His image and then called what He had created “good” (Genesis 1:27, 1:31). He knitted each of us together in the womb (Psalm 139:13). No one is exactly like anyone else. We are each uniquely made, with both value and purpose. • Our importance to the Father is seen in His Son’s sacrifice on our behalf. Jesus shed His blood and paid for our transgressions so that we might be set free from sin. • God designed man to be in relationship with Him. Adam and Eve lived in the garden and had communion with their Creator. Abraham followed the Lord and was called God’s friend (James 2:23). Through faith in Jesus, we have become children of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17a). True contentment is found when we remember how precious we are to God. Today, ask our heavenly Father to help you comprehend, in both mind and heart, the depth of His love for you. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Israel had not had rain for 3 years when Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” (1 Kings 18:41) I, Mike, wonder whether we have the same sense of urgency, conviction of God's faithfulness to do what He said He would do. Today, once again, we have the opportunity to come and worship the almighty God. "Come, now is the time to worship Come, now is the time to give your heart Come, just as you are to worship Come, just as you are before your God Come" "O come let us adore Him O come let us adore him O come let us adore Him Christ, the Lord" "For He alone is worthy For He alone is worthy For He alone is worthy Christ, the Lord" And as we come to worship Him, come with an expectancy to experience the presence of the sovereign Lord. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Obstacles will come; we can choose to focus on them or trust the Lord for direction. In Ezra 5 & 6 we read the account of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The Israelites had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. They faced opposition from certain quarters. But God took care of the mountain of opposition before them. What that means is, sometimes He will remove the problem; at other times He’ll walk with us through it. But either way, He wants us to depend on Him. This means choosing to: • Patiently love friends and family. • Wisely guide others toward godliness. • Follow scriptural principles about finances. • Have divine contentment in our current circumstances. • Do God’s work His way. Our lives should be characterized by dependence on the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that we should "walk by the Spirit ..." (Galatians 5:16) While that mindset is countercultural, it’s the only way to live as a follower of Christ. Seek out others who follow the Spirit’s leading, and spur each other on to live it out. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Many folk find it difficult to carry out the great commission Jesus gave us: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations ..." (Matthew 28:19) This may be because we do not see ourselves as evangelists. Jesus planted His love in our hearts and wants us to share it with others. So how do we go about this seemingly impossible task? Preach on street corners? Bible punch coworkers at the coffee station? Jesus gave us a simpler approach. In the upper room, shortly before He was crucified, Jesus said: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34‭-‬35) Is there a better example of love in action than Jesus? Speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well; healing the invalid at the pool of Bethesda; going to Zacheus' house; setting Legion free from many demons. We are called to walk in God's love and give it away to all we come in contact with. That is the recipe for carrying out the great commission. You can do it! We can do it. Let's do it. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Listening to folk talk, there is an overwhelming sense of a world battling with so many problems and challenges. It would appear that nobody is immune to the struggles of life. The question is, "what about you?" If we were to ask you what is the one area where you need God to intervene, what would you say? Well, we have good news for you today. Just as He did with the blind man, Jesus is asking, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Luke 18:41) In response to His question, we can, today, bring our problems, challenges, needs and desires to Him. We can ask Him to do a miracle for us, just as He did for the blind man. He knows our longings and secret struggles. He is willing to heal, restore and provide. Respond to His question, "What do you want me to do for you?" Believe He is able to do it! Blessings. Mike and Daphne