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Good morning. If you are anything like me (Mike) when it comes to our purpose, you have a strong desire to finish strong. Steve Farrar in his book "Finishing Strong", says that those who finish strong are stayed upon Jehovah and constantly do four things. • They stay in the Scriptures: "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Psalms 119:11) • They stay close to a friend: "See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness." (Hebrews 3:12‭-‬13) • They stay away from other men/women: Keep an appropriate distance in our relationships with whom we work and associate - emotionally and physically. • They stay alert to the tactics of the enemy: "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) As we go into the week, let's put the four "stays" to practice in all that we do and say. Have a good week. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” (Luke 22:8) Jesus sent the two disciples with the instruction to prepare for the Passover meal. They had one purpose, one focus. This got me (Mike) thinking about how we go through the motions of religious activity with little or no thought or preparation. Today we will be joining other followers of Christ to worship God together. Let us prepare ourselves (make ourselves ready) to do so. How? What should we do? Give thought to: • Why we are going to church? • Who we are going to worship? • How can "I" be an encouragement to the body of Christ today? Let us not merely go through the motions of going to church. Let's be intentional and focused. Blessing. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Paul, writing to his son in the Lord, says: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7) I (Mike) am sure that most of us (if not all) would love that said as a tribute to us on our death. It could well happen if we finish strong. One of the keys to finishing strong is to have brothers/sisters who are running with us. It is interesting to read about the heroes of the faith in the New Testament. They did life together. We learn from them that we cannot do it alone. Steve Farrar wrote this dedication in his book "Finishing Strong". "To my brothers, Mike Farrar and Jeff Farrar. We have been running this race together now for over forty years. When one has tripped, there have been two to pick him up. And that's the best part of thus race. We're running in it together. We were given a great start. Let's gave a strong finish. Together. Thank you for your encouragement. It's great to have brothers who are brothers." May we build deep, lasting, relationships that will enable us to "finish strong", the purpose God has called us to. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Can you imagine how the disciples must have felt having been fishing the whole night without catching anything? Sometimes we too feel despondent and bone tired having tried our best but with nothing to show for it. And then on top of it all we get criticized. Is it worth it? That's just where the devil needs us to be. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy." (John 10:10) His style is to get to us when we are feeling weary. On top of this we face negativity, primarily from two sources: from people close to us and from our own thoughts. We allow ourselves to be hoodwinked into believing these negative attacks. When we feel like this we must remind ourselves of of Paul's words: "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:57‭-‬58) And again in Ephesians 6:13 "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. When we look at Peter's life we can learn much from him. Notwithstanding his impulsiveness (John 13:8) Peter discovered that he, like us, need to be vigilant in remaining within our individual purpose that God has for us, because "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12) Fulfilling God's purposes does not place us in a sort of cocoon where life happens effortlessly. For this reason we need a circle of trusted friends with whom we can be real and who are ready to help us through challenging times. Jesus warns us that "the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10) Peter counsels us: "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) James says this: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you." (James 4:7‭-‬8) As we live for God, remain vigilant, always knowing that He is with us. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. James poses and interesting question for us. "Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" (James 2:2‭-‬4) We are so easily sidetracked and derailed from the call God has on our lives when we treat other followers of Christ with contempt. Have you ever heard people being berated because their church service differs from how we "do" church? Paul puts it like this. "The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them." (Romans 14:3) Jesus hanging on the cross treated those who were acting despicably towards Him, with kindness when He prayed: " Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) Let's go and love our enemies until we no longer have any enemies, only neighbours. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. I (Mike) remember a period in my life when my boss would come into my office each morning and tell me how useless I was how badly my department was performing. Early one morning I was reminded by God that I am a child of the most high God and that I did not need to put up with this intimidation. That morning when my boss came into my office, before he started his normal tirade, I told him that I was a child of the most high God and that what he was saying was not true. He turned on his heals and never again came and berated me and my department. From time to time followers of Christ face intimidation for our faith in God. The devil comes to deceive and destroy. Intimidation makes us feel as if we are all alone in our situation. That is not true. Has God not said: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) When we feel intimidated we should remind our selves of the greatness of God. Psalm 89:7‭-‬8 tells us that, "In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord , are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you." As we overcome our feelings of intimidation, we will be like those the psalmist writes about. "When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” (Psalms 126:1‭-‬2) Remember, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) You are an overcomer. You can do it. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. One thing all followers of Christ have in common is that we all want to honour God by living in His purpose for us individually. And when doing so appears unwise when seen through the world’s perspective, we're often faced with criticism. What should we do when faced with such criticism? • Live before an audience of One. Paul asks: "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?" (Galatians 1:10) "For to me, to live is Christ ... " (Philippians 1:21) • Don't get into a slanging match. Proverbs 14:3 says: "A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them." (Proverbs 14:3) We should, however, evaluate the criticism. Some people may well be giving constructive criticism out of care for us. So chew on the meat and spit out the bones. • Adjust our attitude towards criticism. Our reflex response may be pride, anger or indifference, none of which are helpful. "A rebuke impresses a discerning person ..." (Proverbs 17:10) As we do our best to keep God's call before us, remember: "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord . The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord." (Proverbs 21:30‭-‬31) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. The main reason we meet together with fellow followers of Christ is to worship God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We do this in various ways - serving, singing, encouraging. Paul encourages us to do this together. "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts." (Colossians 3:16) The words of the hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" focuses our thoughts on our awesome Saviour. "Fairest Lord Jesus! Ruler of all nature! O Thou of God and man the Son! Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor, Thou, my soul’s glory, joy, and crown! Fair are the meadows Fairer still the woodlands, Robed in the blooming garb of spring; Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, Who makes the woeful heart to sing! Fair is the sunshine, Fairer still the moonlight, And all the twinkling starry host; Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer, Than all the angels heav’n can boast!" Today we have the opportunity to gather with other followers of Christ to worship Him. Let's do so with joy in our hearts. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. In the hustle and bustle of life in the 21st century, one can quite easily feel overwhelmed. We are reminded of the words of Jesus in the parable of the sower: "but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." (Mark 4:19) The question is what should we do when we feel like this? Again the answer us found in the words of Jesus. “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31) It is important for us to do just that. Not merely once off, but regularly, daily, setting time to spend with God. We are reminded of what God said to the prophet, Jeremiah: "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” (Jeremiah 31:25) It is in time spent alone with God, when we we can pour our our hearts to Him, that He puts His arms around us and whispers in our ear, "I've got this." Let's resolve that we will make time, daily, to quieten ourselves down in His presence and enjoy His embrace. Have a peaceful weekend. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Since the onset of the Corona virus pandemic, with most people having to work from home, we have observed a marked increase in the level of tiredness in so many people. It has become very difficult to switch off from work. The boundary distinguishing daily working hours and home life has become blurred or, in many cases, non existent. God is concerned with us getting rest. Rest is essential to recuperating; not only from illness but from exertion. We all need a daily diversion from our work regime. It is not wise or possible to push ourselves hard the whole day. Take a decision ahead of time as to what time your work day will end. "Sleep fully, then work whole heartedly. Focus deeply, then relax completely. Give each phase your full attention."(Purpose manuel) We also need to withdraw weekly. We are thankful that we have a wonderful gift called "the weekend". The forth commandment says: "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work..." (Exodus 20:9‭-‬10) We can use it to reflect and re-invision the week ahead as an opportunity to live out our values and purpose. It is very helpful to have good friends who remind us to take time out to rest. As we head into the coming weekend, will you join us in making and taking time to rest and recuperate. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. There are days when I (Mike) feel worn out; like I have no energy to carry on. I am reminded of the words often spoken by Jim Lamont at relating leaders meetings. "If your outflow exceeds your inflow, then your upkeep will be your downfall." We all have a limited amount of emotional and physical energy to expend. Hence the need to pace ourselves. Proverbs 27:12 says, "The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty." The "Purpose" manual has a few suggestions to help us out of feeling trapped in this state. • Honestly assess yourself. • Assess what's draining you. • If possible, patch up the leaks. • Prioritize the people, places and activities that replenish you. God knows that we will feel drained and worn out. That is why Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) The road to emotional and physical well-being starts with one step. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) Blessings. Mike and Daphne