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Good morning. "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship." (Galatians 4:4‭-‬5) Louie Giglio wrote the following devotional: "A Savior had been promised to God’s people for centuries. They longed and prayed for rescue. And then on the right day, in the right place, at the right time, Jesus was born. While God rarely comes at our appointed time, He always comes at the right time." "All of us are waiting on something, often wondering if God has forgotten us. In your waiting, let the birth of Christ encourage you. Just because God hasn’t come through (as far as you can see), it doesn’t mean He has abandoned you. To Him a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. This very minute He’s working for His glory and for your good. Though circumstances say otherwise, God is going to come through, on schedule, fulfilling His long-appointed plans for you. Don’t give up before the time is right." "Take hope in the manger and know that you are loved and prized by the God who stepped down from heaven and arrived at the perfect time for you." The second Sunday in the Advent calendar celebrates the virtue if love. Take time today to revel in His love for you. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. God has never been interested in the world’s definition of greatness. Paul told the Corinthians, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” Take Bethlehem for example. In Micah 5:2 we read: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” The small size of Bethlehem magnifies the glory God would receive for establishing the life of His Son there. Where Jesus’ journey began did not determine what He could accomplish for the Kingdom. Isn’t it the same with us? What God can do in someone’s life is not limited by the world's definition of their status. The refrain of Josh Groban's song sums it up: "You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas I am strong, when I am on your shoulders You raise me up to more than I can be" As we move towards Christmas, see yourself through God's eyes and remember that the Advent of Christ is filled with hope. Have a good weekend. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. In Genesis, we read that Abraham and his wife Sarah longed for a child. God appeared to Abraham and promised that Sarah would give birth to a son, and that through this child, He would establish an everlasting covenant between Him and Abraham's descendants. Sarah actually laughed when God said this, because she thought, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure?" Yet Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Abraham named him “Isaac,” which means “laughter,” because God brought Sarah great joy and redemption through what appeared to be an impossible situation. Isaac’s son was Jacob, and Jacob had 12 sons, one of whom was Judah. Out of the tribe of Judah came King David, and because Jesus’ mother Mary was a descendent of David (as was His earthly father Joseph), the Saviour became the fruit of God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah. The hope Abraham and Sarah had came after a long wait. Proverbs 13:12 says: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." In the same way, we need to hang onto the hope we have in God's promises. If you are facing deferred hope today, rest assured that God has redemption for this season. Though you can’t see the purpose in it now, one day, you will. Hold on to God’s promises! Like Sarah, you will experience that, “A longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. When Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden, mankind was separated from God’s presence. This separation broke God’s heart because He loves us more than we could ever know. But God had a plan for our reconciliation with Him. From the very beginning of human existence, Jesus was going to be a part of the story. Christmas marks the beginning of God’s process to restore our relationship with Him through a New Covenant. The world waited thousands of years for God’s promised Savior, and then, finally, He was here. The One who would forever defeat sin and death became God with us. As we enter this Advent season, recognize that God is true to His Word, and meditate on the truth that He loves you so much that He sent His perfect Son to be born so that He could have a relationship with you. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16‭-‬17) Enjoy the day reveling in the presence of the Saviour of the world. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Welcome to the last month of 2021. What a year it has been so far. While it has had challenges, it has also brought opportunities to move forward. This past Sunday marked the beginning of Advent. Advent means "coming," and during the season, Christians prepare for Jesus' coming. The four Sundays preceding Christmas, which is when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, are recognized for four virtues - hope, love, joy and peace. The birth of Christ ushered in hope for the world. Matthew reminds us of this hope. "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) The advent of Christ brings with it reconciliation; man with God - us with the Father. Paul affirms this in Romans 5:11: "Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." For followers of Christ, Jesus Christ is the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) So, as we we enter the time leading up to Christmas, let us be the voice declaring the hope of Christmas. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Anxiety is a problem we all will deal with at one time or another. With the discovery of Omicron, the new Covid-19 variant, the anxiety levels have increased for many people. Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" (Matthew 6:25 RSV) The Greek word for “Anxious” in this passage means “distracted.” It’s a word that refers to uncertainty. It feels like the mat has been pulled out from underneath us and we have no idea if we’re going to fall, how hard, in what direction, or onto what. The word “anxious” is also translated as “worry” in the Bible. For many people, worry has become a way of life. Circumstances don't automatically create anxiety. Anxiety occurs as a result of the way we respond to a problem or troubling situation. Remember, God doesn’t set us up for anxiety. He is always at work to bring us to a place where we’ll trust Him more and receive more of His peace. Trusting God implicitly is the way of peace. It's the road out of anxiety and worry. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. How is your dream for 2022 coming along? Are you dreaming big dreams? Someone once said, "Show me the size of your dream, and I’ll show you the size of your God." So what are you believing God for? Of course, no matter how big your dream is, God is bigger still! James, the brother of Jesus, reminds us, “You do not have because you do not ask God” (James 4:2) Reminding ourselves of the Abrahamic covenant, that we are blessed to be a blessing, how does this fit into our dream for 2022? Blessing is ours for the asking, but the only way to keep it is to give it away. In the words of the martyred missionary Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Acts 2:42-44 reminds us of the normal Christian life. "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common." Let's keep this in mind as we dream and prepare for 2022. Let our plans include being a blessing to others. Have a good week. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Today we join together to worship our sovereign God. Worship is more than a song, it's more than a melody, it's more than music or even lyrics. Worship is the posture of our heart, bowing before God with an attitude of giving Him priority and glory in and through our lives. Solomon defines worship as doing what is right and acceptable to the Lord. "To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." (Proverbs 21:3) To put it simply, he is stating that pleasing God through our day-to-day activities is part of worship. Our songs and music will be meaningless if we are just singing songs without our hearts being aligned to God and His heart. He takes delight in our worship when our hearts are right before Him and inclined towards Him. Enjoy a worshipful day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

2021 11 27 Good morning. God's blessings aren’t one size fits all. Each blessing is custom fitted to you. For example, God's mercy. The writer of Lamentations said that God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23). The Hebrew word for “new” means “different.” In other words, today’s mercy is different from yesterday’s mercy, which is different from the mercy of the day before that. The fact that you are unique - there never has been and never will be anyone like you - is a testament to the God who created you. And the significance of that is this: when we sing a song like “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” we may be singing the same words, but we are singing a very different song. God has been faithful to us in thousands of different ways. (How old are you? New mercy every day!) So when we sing of His faithfulness, we sing out of our unique experiences. It is important to express gratitude and praise to our Father because your praise is irreplaceable Like our praise that is uniquely offered to God, God’s blessings are uniquely fitted to us. Have a wonderful day praising God for His great faithfulness in giving you new mercies each day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Blessing is central to Scripture from start to finish. In fact, God has positioned Himself to bless us from the very beginning God blessing us is not immunity against pain and suffering. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). This promise, however, does not end with “trouble.” Jesus declared, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Some of God’s blessings are simple and straightforward. Others are more difficult to discern. But of this we're certain: the blessing of God is the solution to our biggest problem, the answer to our boldest prayer, and the fulfillment of our bravest dream. God’s blessing is not just about getting. It is also about giving. Simply put, according to the Abrahamic covenant, we are blessed to bless. (Genesis 12:2–3.) In other words, we get a blessing to give a blessing. By doing this, we turn a blessing into a double blessing by flipping the blessing. As we keep in step with Holy Spirit, we will be a blessing those we come in contact with. So, have a great day being a blessing. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Jesus spent a lot of time with His disciples and opened His heart to share many things with them. During His last hours with His closest followers—whom He called “friends”—He talked a lot about the Holy Spirit. He wanted His disciples to know they would not be alone even though He was leaving them. (John 14:16‭-‬18) We have been given an amazing gift. When the Spirit came to dwell in us He infuses us with God’s presence. More than that, He takes up residence in us so we will never be alone. As followers of Christ we can literally sense the presence of the Holy Spirit and as we grow in our faith we learn to hear His comforting voice. We have learned to appreciate the presence of the Comforter when we go through tough times and times of discouragement. Holy Spirit brings us hope. He lifts our head and mixes gentle correction with encouragement. When we are in despair, He reminds us of God’s promises. "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:16‭-‬17) What a comfort that is as we face the day ahead of us. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Have you ever “groaned” in prayer? Most of us know the feeling. We may not feel full of faith when we cry out to God. We may be going through a difficult struggle and not feeling very spiritual. Our prayers may be a series of short phrases such as, “Help me, God!” or “Lord, I don’t know how much longer I can hang in there.” David, the psalmist, knew that God hears prayers when he said: “O Lord my God, I cried to you for help” (Ps. 30:2). It is comforting to know that when we feel frustrated in prayer or don’t know what to say, Holy Spirit, who lives in us, is praying for us. Romans 8:26 says: "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." Have a good day knowing that as followers of Christ we have Holy Spirit with us at all times and who is praying for us. Blessings. Mike and Daphne