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Good morning. Sometimes in the middle of the mundane, between the spaces of work, routine, and family, we feel like we are in a spiritual desert. We struggle to hear God, to know He is near, and to experience His love. But it’s often in these times of silence that the greatest miracles are taking place. Think about the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. "Yet the Lord says, “During the forty years that I led you through the wilderness, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet." (Deuteronomy 29:5) Not only had the Lord not forgotten them, He was intimately aware of and taking care of their spiritual and physical needs. He walks with us in the desert. More than that, our Father cares for us, He knows our needs, and He will provide abundantly for us. As followers of Christ we have this assurance: "... God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We read in the Old Testament when Moses came away from the presence of God, his face shone with glory. It was a temporary glory. As followers of Christ, the Holy Spirit now lives permanently in us. The Lord calls us to give ourselves heart and soul to his service. The closer we get to Him the better we reflect His glory. As we press in, in our relationship with God, the deeper our relationship with Him will be and the greater we will experience His presence. God had a special relationship with Moses. "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." (Exodus 33:11) Our prayer should be the same as that of Moses:"If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you." (Exodus 33:13) "The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here." (Exodus 33:14-15) May all that we do today flow from His presence with us. Blessings. Mike and Daphne.

Good morning. God has a purpose and plan for each of us. He knows this plan from before we were conceived. At times it seems hard, so difficult, to align our plans with His plans. Holding onto the past or overcommitting to the present can prevent us from focusing on where we are going, on what His plans for us are. We should not let obligations or circumstance dictate what we should be doing. If we make our plans apart from God, these plans will always be “less than” what God truly wanted for us. It is through our relationship with God that we are able to develop a plan and establish goals that align with God’s will for our lives. Proverbs 19:21 tells us that, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” We will only achieve true contentment when we discover and live according to God’s plan for our lives. Paul reminds us that "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will" (Ephesians 1:11) Before we cast our plans in concrete we must stop and ask God whether this lines up with His plans for us and does it honour Him. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. How do you respond when God calls you to do something for Him and His Kingdom? Most of us respond like Moses or Gideon or Jeremiah "But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11) “Pardon me, my Lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” (Judges 6:15) “Alas, Sovereign Lord ,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” (Jeremiah 1:6) God's reply to each was the same. "And God said, “I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12) The Lord answered, “I will be with you ..." (Judges 6:16) "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you." (Jeremiah 1:8) When God calls you to do something for Him, He will be with you. One thing we have learned over the years is that He is with us as His purposes are/will be achieved. While we are still at the beginning of the year make time to spend in God's presence and consciously pay attention to what He is calling us to this year. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Today marks one of the highlights of the week for us. It is Sunday. We get to join with fellow followers of Christ to worship The King. Somehow, worshipping together with other followers of Christ is spiritually exhilarating. Our spirits are reinvigorated and our hearts are lifted up. We get together to worship God, not because there is a law that says we must, rather because we are loved by Him. It is an opportunity for us to look into His face and reciprocate that love. When we come together in worship our hearts and minds are opened to hear from Him and to receive direction from Him. The psalmist put it this way. "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." (Psalm 143:8) As we worship our awesome God this morning let our worship overflow with love and adoration for Him. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. The choice of which route to take before setting of in our cars is important. When planning our holiday route, it is clear that taking the wider and easy route is the popular choice. Or is it the scenic route? If we can avoid as many potential obstacles in the road as possible, we believe our journey will be more pleasurable and hence more fulfilling. When heading off to and from work, knowing where the traffic lights are is an important factor to take into account, especially with all the loadshedding at the moment. Jesus, too, spoke of choosing the right route. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13‭-‬14) We all would like to take the easy, comfortable route. However, Jesus reminds us that when we take this less popular route, where we need to step out in faith and squeeze through the uncomfortable tightness of the narrow gate, our feet are then placed on the pathway to eternal life. The choices we make have eternal significance. So as we enjoy a time to sit back and relax this weekend, take a moment to ponder about life's choices that lie ahead of us. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Jesus ministry began with a simple invitation. "Follow me ." The disciples were privileged to follow and observe a Jesus did. He did not walk wide of human pain and brokenness, poverty and need. He stepped into it: dining with the despised, conversing with the outcast, challenging the complacent. The disciples saw truth revealed, forgiveness offered, and love manifested. Jesus reached into the fray, went to the cross, and shattered the chains of death. In His sacrifice, the work of redemption and the hope of restoration were unleashed. Jesus concluded his public ministry with an instruction. “Wait … and you will receive power” to “be my witnesses.” God does not change. He is the same from generation to generation. So are His invitations and instructions. "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength." (Isaiah 40:31a) Followers of Christ now have the promised Holy Spirit and His power. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Since we have Holy Spirit in us, we now can be doers and not merely observers. We can confidently be witnesses to the world of Christ's amazing saving grace. Go and have a good day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. It seems we are always looking for God to lead and direct us, but it is often so hard to know where we should go. We try one way, then another. It's as if we have ignored God and gone about doing our own thing. Isaiah reminds you that God has not deserted us. "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21) Is it possible that Isaiah is saying that we should focus less on what lies ahead of us. Instead, we are to focus on how God has always delivered us in the past. As followers of Christ, we should walk like this: looking to the past, walking backward into the future, listening for God’s voice “behind us,” and following it as He directs us in the way we should go. He will not lead us to destruction. He is always faithful. He will not let go of you. We can trust Him with our lives. "The Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" (Isaiah 30:18) Have a lovely day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. I (Mike) remember one of my Pastors from my dim and distant past, tell the account of he and one of the business men in our congregation tussling over the bill for the meal. All the while they were tussling the waiter stood there with a big grin on his face. He finally told the pastor to open the Billfold and look at the bill. The pastor immediately looked at the bill which had "PAID IN FULL" written across it. One of the members from our church, who was in the restaurant, had paid the bill on their behalf. That's what Jesus did. He paid with His life when He died on the cross and paid for all our misdeeds and mess-ups; past, present and future. In Jesus’ final moments on the cross, He made a bold declaration when He uttered a single word: “Tetelastai” (John 19:30). Most Bibles translate this single word into the phrase, “It is finished.” But in the original language, it has deeper, richer meaning. It can also be translated as “Paid in full.” In New Testament times, the word "tetelestai" was written on business documents to indicate that a bill had been “paid in full.” And that’s exactly what Jesus did on the cross for us. He set us free from the penalty we were under because of our sin. "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross." (Colossians 2:13‭-‬14) So go live your life today in light of the awesome reality that your sin debt has been “paid in full”! Be joyful, be generous, be exuberant as you walk through your day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. What comes to mind when you think of “eternal life”?For many the concept of “eternal life” is entirely focused on what happens after we die. This is an important dimension of eternal life with Christ. Jesus talks of abundant life in John 10:10. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." So, here's the thing. Eternal life is all about life after death. We were all dead. Dead in sin. We experience “eternal life” from the very first moment we put our trust in Jesus. That’s why Jesus said: "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Eternal life is more than life after the death of our earthly bodies. It is about the quality of life available to us when we put their faith and trust in Jesus, when we accept Him as Lord and Saviour. Jesus describes eternal life like this: "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3) As we live our lives, as followers of Christ, we experience the tender heart of our Father who says: "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord ’s hand double for all her sins." (Isaiah 40:1‭-‬2) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6‭-‬7) As followers of Christ, believing in God is what we do best! We believe in a God who is able to work all things for our highest good and for His glory. When we accept the invitation of Holy Spirit to refuse anxiety and to pray, and give thanks, there is a benefit that comes our way as a result. The peace that is ours through Christ does not come delivered through perfect or serene circumstances, but it is a peace that rules in our hearts when we quietly acknowledge that He is at work in all things for our good and for His glory. (Romans 8:28.) This peace never comes without His presence. The peace of God is a valuable treasure. As we go into a new week let's endeavor focus on Him and not our circumstances. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. "One thing I ask from the Lord , this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple." (Psalm 27:4) David is saying that he longs to be surrounded with God’s presence, enclosed and encircled with holiness. Every time we come together as followers of Christ, our spirit, soul and body gets rejuvenated, realigned and reshaped according to His desire and will. A lifestyle of worship is about this one thing that is to seek Him. This requires consciously making efforts to know Him better and being aware that His presence is above all else. At the outset of 2023 making few right decisions and rearranging our priorities can help us to be consistent in a lifestyle of worship. Let’s make this our one desire. Blessings. Mike and Daphne