Search Results

Good morning. Sometimes when the night skies are clear, a full moon illuminates the landscape, making everything clearly visible. However bright the scene may be, the moon doesn’t emit light but simply reflects it. For followers of Christ, loving others is the same. Jesus said to His followers: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34) Before we can love as Jesus does, we must first receive His love for us. Only then are we able to mirror it to those around us and point them to the One who cares more deeply and abundantly than they could ever imagine. The Lord empowers us to be "reflectors" of His love. "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  (John 13:35) We are then able to put Paul's words into practice: "walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."  (Ephesians 5:2) And when we do, we carry out something grand and glorious, and are blessed as a result. Let's go into the day and reflect His love. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. If you could change your present circumstances, would you? Most of us would say yes. Even if we’re experiencing relatively peaceful and comfortable conditions, we can always imagine a better life. And those of us enduring difficult, painful, or trying situations long to see the burden lifted. But as everyone knows, there are some circumstances over which we have no control. We can’t maneuver our way out, so our only option is to go through them. As followers of Christ, however, it’s important to remember this: we are exactly where God wants us, because His sovereignty rules over all our situations at all times. When we look at Paul's life, even though the Lord brought him into difficult circumstances, His work in and through Paul didn’t stop. A negative aspect of the apostle’s life—being chained to a jailer—turned out to be the means God used to deliver the gospel to the entire praetorian guard and Caesar’s household. God who used Paul’s circumstances for His good purposes can do the same with yours. But like Paul, you may have to go through them trusting that the Lord will comfort and strengthen you to endure. May our testimonies be like that of Paul: "for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance." (Philippians 1:19) Blessings. Mike and Daphne (With acknowledgements to Charles Stanley)

Good morning. David, the psalmist, reminds us why we, as followers of Christ, gather together to worship our Sovereign Lord. "Lord , you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure."  (Psalm 16:5‭) Worshipping God with fellow believers helps us to focus on whom we are worshipping. The reality sinks in that He alone is our portion, our provider and that in Him we feel secure. Spending time in His presence, worshipping Him, we get the sence of the reality of David's words: "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance."   (Psalm 16:6) Have a wonderful time in His presence. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. David, the psalmist, reminds us why we, as followers of Christ, gather together to worship our Sovereign Lord. "Lord , you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure."  (Psalm 16:5‭) Worshipping God with fellow believers helps us to focus on whom we are worshipping. The reality sinks in that He alone is our portion, our provider and that in Him we feel secure. Spending time in His presence, worshipping Him, we get the sence of the reality of David's words: "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance."   (Psalm 16:6) Have a wonderful time in His presence. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Today, around the world, Armistice Day is remembered. On the 11th of November 1918 guns fell silent bringing to an end WW1. The world remembers the millions had died in order to bring peace. 2000 years ago a war was raged on a wooden cross, the consequences of which is immeasurably more significant. It was here that the words silently rang out: "It is finished". It was here that peace was won, not as the world understands peace, but peace that passes understanding. Once and for all peace was available to all the world. Today let us as followers of Christ remember the greatest victory the world will ever know - Christ dying on the cross for the salvation of the world. "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."  (John 3:16) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. It’s hard to admit we struggle with envy because it’s such an ugly emotion. Out of envy we want others to fail, because, secretly, their failure makes us feel better about ourselves. That’s crazy, isn’t it? It’s important to understand that envy is not about having a desire or a dream or a goal. Envy is not about looking forward to something or hoping that something can happen in our life or even wondering if we should have some thing. Envy says we can’t be happy until we get that desire or reach that goal. If we can learn to be grateful for what we have, we can begin to get rid of these feelings of envy. Instead of focusing on what we don’t have and what didn’t happen, we can choose to be grateful for what we do have and what has happened. This doesn’t come naturally, The apostle Paul understands our pain. That’s why he wrote, “I have learned to be content” (Philippians 4:11). Being content is a learning process. The Bible tells us that we already have more than we need and far more than we deserve. Every good thing in our lives is a gift from God, and it is up to Him to decide when and how He blesses us. Let's choose to be grateful and make the most of what we’ve been given. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Peter urges us to trust God when he says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  (1 Peter 5:7)  This is all fair and well, but when we face an urgent need, our prayers become fervent and our desire for a quick answer intensifies. It seems that if the Lord doesn’t intervene soon, the very thing we dread could happen. And without a detectable response from God, we may feel as if He doesn’t care. Picture how Mary and Martha felt after asking Jesus to come heal their brother Lazarus. They knew the Lord loved them, but when He didn’t show up on time, their pain overtook their faith. They voiced their disappointment: “If You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21,32) We’ve all had similar thoughts when God didn’t answer our prayers as we hoped. We have learned that God's ways are not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8) His goal is not to inflict pain unnecessarily but to let Christ’s life shine through us in hardship. It is in times of uncertainty that we build our confidence in God’s goodness, and strengthen our trust in Him. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) As we face all that comes our way today, remember that God is at work for our good, Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We know we should trust the Lord, but it can seem overwhelming at times, can’t it? God doesn’t expect us to instantly have great faith. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus met people where they were. There was Thomas, for whom faith depended on seeing nail marks in the Saviour’s hands. And the centurion, who believed his servant could be healed by a word from Christ. How about Peter, who trusted Jesus enough to get out of the boat but found the wind and waves too mind-boggling to continue. Each time, Jesus displayed only grace and understanding. There are stages of faith. First, there’s little faith, which says, “I know He can but I’m not sure He will.” Next, as God proves Himself trustworthy, our faith grows and we begin to focus more on Him than on our circumstances. As we grow in our faith, as followers of Christ, we get to the point where we say, “I believe what God says, so I’m going to act!” We grow in our faith by spending time with God. We can ask Him to help us trust more. When Peter became afraid of the waves, Jesus immediately reached out and caught him, and He’ll be there for you as well. Enjoy a wonderful Wednesday. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We use the term trinity  to describe God, who consists of three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They’re all eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and immutable, but each one has a unique role. The Father is the Creator. In the His hands rests control of the universe as well as every aspect of our lives. The Father oversees all circumstances so that everything can be used for our good. The Son is our Savior. Jesus Christ became fully man while remaining fully God. He came to earth specifically to die on the cross in our stead. Today, Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand and intercedes for us. The Holy Spirit is our Helper, who resides within every follower of Christ, starting at the moment of salvation.  Holy Spirit gives us wisdom, spiritual gifts, and the power to carry out the work the Father calls us to do. Together, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit love us perfectly and meet all of our needs. No matter where we are in your spiritual journey today, we  can turn to our triune God for love, protection, salvation, and guidance. With our majestic, triune God with us, we can face the day with confidence. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. In times of pain and adversity, we might feel as if God has abandoned us. If He were here, we think, He would have done something by now. There isn’t any circumstance that can remove us from God's love. In fact, our hardships will only help to transform us into Christ’s image Paul writing to the church in Rome has this to say. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-‬39) Nothing we have gone through in the past, deal with today, or encounter in the future can take us away from Christ. He is with us always (Matthew 28:20). No evil entity that tries to deceive us is a match for the Lord, who holds us securely in His grasp. Hardships aren’t an indication that God has forgotten about us. Remember, your Father is with you even when it doesn’t feel like it. He has “inscribed you on the palms of [His] hands” (Isaiah 49:16). So, as we go into the new week, remember, God is with us. Have a good week with the assurance that He has not turned His back on us. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Today we get to worship Jehovah-Sabaoth: the Lord of Hosts / Lord Almighty. We read in 1 Samuel 1 the account of Hannah who went to the Lord of Hosts when she was being attacked by her adversary. The Lord of Hosts rescued her and gave her a son. The Lord of the hosts of heaven will always fulfill His purposes, even when the hosts of His earthly people fail. Who do you run to when you face insurmountable obstacles? Who do you call upon when you are attacked by your enemies? When you have a spiritual battle, do you ask The Lord of Hosts to fight the battle for you? We need to run to this name when we find ourselves failing and powerless. Jehovah-Sabaoth, the One on whom those, who find their resources inadequate in the midst of a struggle, can call. The Lord of Hosts, the Lord Almighty is with you and will hear your cry. Have a good day. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Each gift, no matter the size, is precious to God if it comes from the heart. Thanksgiving is better than material sacrifice in the Lord’s sight. Psalm 69:30-31 says "I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.  This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves." It can be hard to imagine that God could be more pleased with the offerings of our heart than with the gifts that flow from our finances. But David’s words remind us that God’s economy is not like ours. The true value of the tangible things we offer to Him, whether time, talent or treasure, have value only as outward expressions of what’s in our heart. In fact, gratitude is the reason for the gifts we present to our heavenly Father. The question is: what is our attitude when we offer our gifts to God? Paul reminds us that we bring our gifts cheerfully. "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."  (2 Corinthians 9:7) As we prepare ourselves to worship God tomorrow, let our attitude honour Him. Blessings. Mike and Daphne