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Good morning. Thinking about how God has had His hand on each one of us and what our response should be, 2 verses come to mind. "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) "... the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) In the light of this, relax and enjoy your weekend. And remember to say thank you to Him. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Some days the pressures of life can drive us to a point where we just don't know which way to turn. Confusion can creep in and we battle to articulate ourselves to God. In situations like this it is good to know that God is our intercessor. Jesus intercedes for us. "Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." (Romans 8:34) Paul reminds us that "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." (Romans 8:26) Not sure about you, but we are so thankful that intercession is being made on our behalf - verbalizing the exact words that are required at this precise moment. Wow! So much to be thankful for. Enjoy your day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. When we look at the attributes of God, we frequently focus on His grace, His mercy, His provision, His protection - the list goes on and on. Behind all of these we find that the overriding attribute is that God is love. God’s love is so great that He gave His only Son to bring us into relationship with Him. God’s love not only encompasses the world, but embraces each of us personally and intimately. Because of His love we experience all of His attributes. Let you not forget what our response to God's love should be. John writing in his 1st letter reminds us of our responsibility to share God's love. "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:11) Have a wonderful day filled with God's love. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. How confident are you of going into the year ahead? God's Word tells us that He is with us and watches over us - "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:15) The Psalmist talks of the faithfulness of God being our shield and buckler (Psalm 91:4 ASV). A buckler was a lightweight shield strapped onto the left forearm of a right handed person (or right arm of a left handed person) for the purpose of deflecting arrows or glancing blows of the enemy's sword. God is our protector in every situation. For those who have accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour, He is "strapped on" to you to protect you. To answer the question asked upfront this morning, you can go into the year ahead with confidence knowing God is your protector. Have a super day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. The past number of years have been tough for many people. Reduced income, unemployment, sickness, death of loved ones - some of what folk have faced. David's words in 2 Samuel 22:7 - “In my distress I called to the Lord ; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears." This morning we are reminded that God is our Comforter. This attribute of God fills us with assurance that God understands our every situation. Jesus called Holy Spirit the “Comforter,” and Paul writes that the Lord is “the God of all comfort” and "who comforts us in all our trouble". (2 Corinthians 1:3,4) Whatever we are facing, we have the assurance that not only is He with us, He hears our cry and comforts us. When we lean on Him He lifts our heads and puts a smile on our faces. "He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." (2 Samuel 22:20) God bless you today. Lean on the God of all comfort. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Today we focus our thoughts on El Shaddai; God Almighty, the all sufficient God. God introduces Himself as El Shaddai to Abraham in Genesis 17:1 "When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty (El Shaddai); walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”  (Genesis 17:1-2) In the words of the song 'El Shaddai' made famous by Amy Grant, God is honoured as God Almighty, unchanging. She sings,  “Age to age you’re still the same, by the power of the name.” She sings some good theology in this song: "Through Your love and through the ram You saved the son of Abraham Through the power of Your hand Turned the sea into dry land To the outcast on her knees You were the God who really sees And by Your might You set Your children free" "Through the years you've made it clear That the time of Christ was near Though the people couldn't see What messiah ought to be Though Your word contained the plan They just could not understand Your most awesome work was done Through the frailty of Your son" Chorus El shaddai, el shaddai El-elyon na adonia Age to age You're still the same By the power of the name El shaddai, el shaddai Erkamka na adonai We will praise and lift You high El shaddai" Have a good day in the presence of the One who has remained the same through the ages. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Peter writing says, "for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) He is reminding us that God is Jehovah-M’Kaddesh. This name means “the God who sanctifies.” A God who is separate from all that is evil requires that the people who follow Him be cleansed from all evil. This is an almost impossible task for us. We are confronted, daily, with the consequences of life in a "fallen" world. But there is a God in heaven who loves us. He gave His only Son as a propitiation for the sin of the world; who satisfies the wrath of God against sin. Through Christ we are sanctified (made holy). The writer to the Hebrews tells us "Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters." (Hebrews 2:11) Peter reminds us that "you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."  (1 Peter 2:9) Consequently we can face 2024 with confidence because of Jehovah-M’Kaddesh. Have a splendid day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We trust you are well. There is an ad floating on TV at the moment. All the people need to do to get out of a boring/difficult situation is press "Skip" and hey presto, they are in a pleasant place. If only we had skip button to help us through each day. We all need strength to face each day. We don't have a magic button but as followers of Christ we do have Elohim to call on. One of the Names of God recorded in God's Word is Elohim. This name means “Strength” or “Power.” He is transcendent, mighty and strong. Elohim is the great name of God, displaying His supreme power, sovereignty, and faithfulness in His covenant relationship with us. Habakkuk 3:19 reminds us, "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights." God confirms His unshakable commitment to His covenant with us with His promise to Abraham. "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." (Genesis 17:7) The new covenant, sealed through the death of God's Son, Jesus Christ, reaffirms God's unbreakable covenant. Jehovah-Elohim is with us wherever we find ourselves. We can face the future head on in His strength and power. Enjoy your day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. At the outset of the new year it is good to remind ourselves that God is sovereign. "Then King David went in and sat before the Lord , and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?" (2 Samuel 7:18) Jehovah-adonai. God is Adonai. This name means “Master” or “Lord.” God, our Adonai, calls all God’s people to acknowledge His reign as Lord of their lives. In 2024 let us start each day affirming His sovereignty and by acknowledgingthat He has brought us this far and that He holds us and our future in His hands. Jesus Christ is Lord. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. In the last while we have had the opportunity to connect with a number of different people. It has been good to listen to their stories - mainly about God's goodness. God was held high in the conversations. In Exodus 17:8-15 we read the account of Joshua and the Iraelites doing battle with Amalekites . While Moses' hands were held aloft the Israelites were triumphing over the Amalekites. At the end of the day Moses built an altar in remembrance of the victory God had given them. "Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner." (Exodus 17:15) God is Jehovah-nissi. This name means “God our banner.” Under His banner we go from triumph to triumph and say, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). As we serve God wherever we find ourselves  have a victorious day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. When we look around us we do not need an overactive imagination to see that we live in a broken world. Roads, traffic signs, gardens buildings as well as people's lives need fixing. The good news: it is not up to us to fix everything. While there are things we can fix, so much of it is better left to God, Jehovah Rapha (Rophe) – the God who heals. “Heal” is how the Hebrew word “rapha” is usually translated in Scripture, but the heart of the meaning of the word is “to mend, repair, or restore something to its normal or useful state”. God is our healer, both physically and spiritually. He provides the remedy for mankind’s brokenness through His son, Jesus Christ. The Gospel brings the physical, moral, and spiritual remedy for all people. While we salute and thank the frontline medical workers, let us never forget "Jehovah-rophe" we read of in Exodus 15:26. Enjoy your day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. December is time that many people take time off for a holiday. It is also a time when there is not enough time to do everything we'd like to. Often we are busy rushing from pillar to post; from one visit to the next. Instead if it being a peaceful time, tensions rise. In the account of the angel of the Lord calling Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites (Judges 6), God reveals Himself to Gideon as the God of peace. God is Jehovah-shalom.  Through Jesus we are able to know the fullness of God’s perfect peace, His “shalom.” God’s peace surpasses understanding and sustains us even through difficult times. Jesus said: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:27) So, if you feel a little overwhelmed at this time, take a step back and focus on the Prince of Peace. Allow His peace to fill you. Have a peace-filled day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne