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Good morning. Reading through the Scriptures reveals, among other things, that life is not a bed of roses. Time and time again we read that we are not to be afraid or fear not. The often quoted verse from Joshua is well known. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) So take heart. Jesus reinforces this when He says, "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) In the verse immediately preceding this Jesus talks of Holy Spirit, who is our advocate, our comforter and our teacher. Take heart and be encouraged by the what Daniel says. "Do not be afraid, you who are highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.” When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my Lord, since you have given me strength.” (Daniel 10:19) God is with us in all that we go through. Lean on Him. He loves you. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Over the last while many folk have experienced hardships. Some have been retrenched and had homes and cars repossessed. Some have seen their very own families disintegrating around them. Yesterday we were encouraged to look at the story of Job. He lost his worldly wealth. His children died tragically. He was encouraged to curse God and die. BUT God! Job's response: "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him" (Job 13:15) Andre Crouch in his song "Through it all" says, "I've had many tears and sorrows, I've had questions for tomorrow, there's been times I didn't know right from wrong. But in every situation, God gave me blessed consolation, that my trials come to only make me strong. Through it all, through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God." There is an amazing promise for us in Zechariah 9:12 - "Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you." If you are going through a tough time hang on to Psalm 59:9‭-‬10 which says: "You are my strength, I watch for you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely." Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Today we we honour all the mothers who have tirelessly and very often, sacrificially given themselves in lovingly raising their children. Most of the mothers will tell us that if it were not for God and the strength He has given them, they would not have been able to do it. Their testimony is the same as that of the psalmist. "You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely." (Psalms 59:17) Today let us together salute our mothers. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. When we are facing struggles in life and don't know which way to turn, Proverbs 3:5-6 has the best advice for us. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6) We all get concerned and apprehensive when facing some of the issues in life. We have learned to admit our fears to the Lord and trust Him to work things out according to His will and timing. We need to remind ourselves of God's word: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) With this in mind we can move forward confidently. In all circumstances remember to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Enjoy your day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to fulfill God's two greatest commandments. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37‭-‬39) In our own strength, we will find success out of reach, but the Lord has provided a way for Christ followers to accomplish the impossible. Holy Spirit works to produce His fruit in us (Gal. 5:22-23). The first quality listed is love, and the remaining eight are actually descriptions of how it is conveyed. Love isn’t produced by trying harder to muster good will toward someone who is irritating or hard to get along with. Instead, think of the process more like sap running through a branch on a grapevine. In a similar way, the Spirit flows through us, producing God’s love so we can express it to others. Whenever we demonstrate kindness, patience, or gentleness, it’s God’s doing, not ours. Though the command to love is enormous, God’s grace makes it possible. Have a wonderful day demonstrating His love to those around us. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. God cares for you. His love for you is unending. Since before you were born, He had His eye on you. The Psalmist puts it like this: "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalms 139:15‭-‬16) The words of the song by Deniece Williams / Greg Mathieson remind us that nothing has changed - God watches over us. "Why should I feel discouraged Why should the shadows come Why should my heart feel lonely And long for heaven and home" "When Jesus is my portion A constant friend is He His eye is on the sparrow And I know He watches over me" There is amazing comfort for those who personally experience His blessing and favour. Our response to our awesome God - our provider, our sovereign Lord - should be the the same as that of David, the psalmist, who who says, "But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord ; in you I take refuge ..." (Psalms 141:8) Have a good day secure in His arms. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning Every week churches are filled with people experiencing a wide range of problems. Paul urges followers of Christ to be a "Burden Bearers". "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2) It is worth noting that Paul was writing to the churches in Galatia. The implication is that it is not merely directed to the pastors, elders and leaders. If we are not amongst the folk in our church, we will not be sensitive to their needs. How then will we be able to pray for them or offer some help. We need to ask Holy Spirit to enable us to be "Burden Bearers". It may not be convenient to help someone but as followers if Christ we should be willing to share the burdens of others. We thrive when we make time to be there for others. We are so appreciative when folk step up to help us carry the load. It demonstrates that we are cared for. When we share someone's burden, we are obedient to Christ's command, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:39) Let us demonstrate Christ's love as we bear each other's burdens. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. There are days when we just don't comprehend why we are going through what we are going through. However, of this we are sure, God is in control and He knows what He’s doing. We may well wonder what is going on. Some times it is so hard to grasp that God has our best interest at heart. Isaiah reminds us that God moves in ways that we may never understand when he says: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9) Our part/response is to trust Him who holds us in His hand. As we go into this shortened work week, lean on Him and know that He loves you with an everlasting love. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. D L Moody had this to say about joy: "Happiness is caused by things that happen around me, and circumstances will mar it; but joy flows right on through trouble; joy flows in the night as well as in the day; joy flows through persecution and opposition. It is an unceasing fountain bubbling up in the heart; a secret spring the world can't see and doesn't know anything about." This is a lesson to be learned by all of us. When the chips are down we so easily become unhappy. No doubt all of us, at some time or other, are faced by tough, unpleasant circumstances. Life gets hard. Our attitudes are negatively affected. We find it hard to remain positive. Paul says, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." (Philippians 4:11) But how? We can't conjure up joy with a click of our fingers. The answer is to be found in God. Nehemiah reminds us that "the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10) When we are feeling hard-pressed by life's challenges, look up and fix our eyes firmly on the Source of joy. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. A week ago Richard Preston (a member of the NCMI Translocal Team) speaking to GraceCov church, highlighted that the current trend in churches is to attend church meetings less. People are increasingly settling for convenience. In the past, attendance drove involvement. Now, more and more, we see involvement driving attendance. When we get involved in the church which God has placed us in, we begin to take possession of God's vision for the church. Our involvement is our response to God's love which He so lavishly pours out on us. It becomes an extension of our worship. In the words of the song by Brian Doerksen, "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." Join us in letting our worship of our loving God extend beyond an hour a week. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Over the years we have learned that there is far more to be thankful for than there is to get depressed about. When we feel down, we look up. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (Psalm 19:1) Spending time in God's Word also does wonders for our souls, lifting our spirits and sweetening our day. "The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb." (Psalm 19:7‭-‬8‭, 10) So, "Bless the Lord oh my soul Oh my soul Worship His Holy name Sing like never before Oh my soul I'll worship Your Holy name" (Matt Redman) Take care and have a wonderful weekend. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. When last have you been in a room with folk where their excitement is evident. One or perhaps two folk are so alive with the presence of God. Their joy is evident as they share story after story about what God is doing in them (and through them). Every thing about them seems to revolve around God and Holy Spirit doing things in them. Joy fills the room as you hang onto their words. We are reminded of the words of Psalm 126. "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.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. (Psalms 126:1‭-‬3) The truth is that God is wanting us to experience this joy in our lives. The more we let God take center stage in our lives, the more evident this joy - His joy in us - will be. Our cry to God should be, "Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev. (Psalm 126:4) While it us true that God can do anything He wants to, so much of what He does in our lives depends on how we position ourselves in relation to Him. "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them." (Psalm 126:5-‬6) May we position ourselves in such away that Holy Spirit will move in us and through us so that the joy of the Lord will be evident in our lives. Blessings. Mike and Daphne