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Good morning. God is in the business of provision. Out of His love for those who follow Him, He purposefully provides for them. God's provision does not always come as we may expect. In the case of Elijah it came in different ways at different times. • Follwong God's instruction to hide in the Kerith Ravine, he was fed by ravens. • He was fed by the widow of Zarephath. There was supernatural provision for the widow as her flour and oil did not run out while Elijah stayed with her and her son. • After fleeing from Jezebel, when he wanted to die under a bush, an angel of the Lord woke him with the instruction to eat bread baked on hot coals and drink from the jar of water. • The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” As in the case of Elijah, God's provision is not merely to keep us alive. God provides in order for His purpose for us (you and I) to be achieved. We need to stay in tune with God to follow His direction for our lives. If Elijah had not pressed through the difficulties he faced, he would not have passed on his anointing to Elisha. As we go about our work (which may not be in formal employment) see the purpose of God on your life and see His supernatural provision right where you are. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. One of the Afrikaans channels on TV has the slogan "Mense vol lewe". (People full of life) Yesterday we were reminded that the most powerful person is one who is born again. Followers of Christ are "People of Power". Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12) Oh, that we would fully grasp the power that is at our disposal. Mike's friend Paul prays, "that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms..." (Ephesians 1:18‭-‬20) "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." (Romans 8:11) Let us walk in this power and live up to the reality that we are "People of Power". Our very presence at work could (should) have an impact on someone's life. Have a power-filled day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. I (Mike) have been sitting wondering what I can write on this cold winters morning. In a way that is rather strange. After all, "the earth is filled with your love, Lord. " (Psalms 119:64) I am reminded of Paul's words: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” (1 Corinthians 10:26) The beauty of God's creation reflects His majesty. When we take time to sit in His presence and focus on Him we too will sing: "When I look into Your holiness When I gaze into Your loveliness When all things that surround become shadows In the light of You When I've found the joy of reaching Your heart When my will becomes enthroned in Your love When all things that surround become shadows In the light of You I worship You I worship You The reason I live is to worship You" Let us take time to wrap up warm and sit with Him today and simply enjoy His love. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. So where do we place our confidence? Yesterday the wearing of masks was mandatory. Today we don't have to wear masks. Yesterday we had to limit seating in our meetings. Today we can fill our buildings to capacity. As followers of Christ we declare with confidence the words David recorded for us. "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalms 18:2) We have this assurance that God is who He said He is. Furthermore, He will do what He said He will do. Time and time again we see in the Scriptures that this is true. "Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord , and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment." (Exodus 6:6) God did so. "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Acts 2:21) We have experienced this. "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." (1 John 5:14) Let us live our lives with this confidence. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Paul has sound words of encouragement for us regarding life when he says: "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned ..." (Titus 2:7‭-‬8) It is so easy to point to lack of integrity in the world around us. As the storyline goes: "Daddy? Do all fairy tales begin with ‘once upon a time’? No, there are a whole series of fairy tales that begin with ‘If elected, I promise..." We laugh. But the world appears to be suffering from a lack of integrity. As followers of Christ we are called to live lives of integrity. What does that mean to us? Nicky Gumbel puts it this way. "Integrity does not mean being perfect. It means being honest, real and authentic." In all we do, we should endeavor to let God shine through. This happens when we walk uprightly before God. James says, "let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment. (James 5:12 NKJV) As we go about life today, let integrity be our watchword. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. When I (Mike) was a little child I was afraid of the dark. When it was bedtime my parents would leave a light on in my room to bring assurance that all was well. Before we went out knowing we would only arrive home after dark, we would always leave the light on outside the front door as well as in the entrance hall - a practice which we continue to this day. Even when we go on holiday and we are in our accommodation, we leave a light on in the passage so that we will not bump into things should we have the need to get up during the night. Somehow having a light on reassures us that things are okay. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Followers of Christ have the assurance that the light will always be on. For those who do not know Christ as their Lord, the light on the porch beckons you to a place of safety, love and care. Let us walk in His light in all we do today. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. John Lennon penned these words in his song "Imagine": "You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will be as one.” Looking at what is going on in the world - wars, rumors of wars, famines, Covid-19, unemployment, forecasts of food shortages, stakes and riots, political unrest - we can identify with the sentiment expressed by John Lennon. It often feels like life is an obstacle course. It appears to be more difficult than avoiding the potholes in the road. As followers of Christ we can follow the advice given by one Babs Hoffman who said, "Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey” This does not mean that we are immune to what is going on around us. We too have to climb the mountains in life. Moses had to climb mountains to meet with God and have God speak to him face to face as one speaks to a friend. (Exodus 33:11) We too must climb the mountains so we can experience and see what God has in store for us. It is on the mountain top where we can escape the ordinary and experience the awesomeness of God's presence with us. Have a good day on the mountain together with God. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. As we head into a new week, we do so not knowing what lies ahead but we have the knowledge that we do not do it alone. No matter what the days hold for us, the Lord says, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." (Isaiah 43:19) Notwithstanding what the week ahead may hold for us, may we experience the presence of the Lord with us. May we have moments like Joshua, who, when he was surveying the lie of the land outside Jericho, encountered the commander of the Lord's army who instructed him to “take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." (Joshua 5:15) Whether we are at work or at home or away on holiday, we can experience the presence of God with us. So be prepared to have that personal encounter with God who cares deeply for you. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. On a website I (Mike) recently read a post of some characteristics of good fathers. Good fathers are: • leaders • role models • husbands • heroes • providers amongst other characteristics. The truth be known, many fathers struggle with dealing with the pressures of living upto these characteristics while trying to balance the challenges of work and family life. Paul, writing to the church in Corinth says, "Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. (1 Corinthians 4:15) As we celebrate Fathers Day, let us remember that the key to being a great father is the ability to lean on God in every area of life while leading one's family according to God's ways. Fathers, we celebrate you today. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

"The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty Let all the Earth rejoice All the Earth rejoice He wraps himself in light And darkness tries to hide And trembles at His voice Trembles at His voice How great is our God How great is our God, and all will see How great, how great is our God" These words by Chris Tomlin resound with the glory of our God, while at the same time challenging us to see the bigness, the greatness of God. I, Mike, am reminded of the words of Asaph and his associates, who were appointed by David to minister before the ark of the Lord. "Give praise to the Lord , proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place." (1 Chronicles 16:8‭, ‬25‭, ‬27) This is our God! Majestic. Sovereign. Yet loving, compassionate, full of grace and mercy. We can do no other than bow down and worship Him. Have a super day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We trust you are well having endured the cold on Youth Day. The publuc holiday enabled us to relax and not be consumed by life's worries. Some of us head back to the coal face today and will be reminded of some of the pressures we face. The psalmist reminds us that "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble....The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." (Psalm 46:1‭, ‬7) Followers of Christ draw solace from this knowledge which is far more than an intellectual understanding. Followers of Christ have a deep conviction that God is who He said He is and will will do what He said He will do. The psalmist reminds us that God says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10) When we do this, "the Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:11) What the Lord said to Joshua equally apples to us today. "... I am with you as I was with Moses." (Joshua 3:7) No matter what we may face today, God is with us. He is our strength and refuge. Have a good day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning . How old were you when you became a follower of Christ? Statistics reveal that 94% of adult Christians made a commitment to Christ under the age of 18. Some surveys indicate that 93% take place between the 4 and 14 years of age. It is small wonder that Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14) No doubt the young man Timothy accepted Christ and his teachings at a young age as is borne out in Paul's letter to his son in the Lord. "I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also." (2 Timothy 1:5) Reflecting on this, we as adults have a responsibility to talk about our faith in Christ to our children and grandchildren. Paul reminds us of this. "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? (Romans 10:14) So, on this Youth Day in South Africa, take time to share Christ with your children and grandchildren. Let's do it. Blessings. Mike and Daphne