On the weekend, I did a major grocery shopping run and came home with a car load of groceries. It was a challenge as I attempted to load on and balance as many groceries as my arms could handle just to minimize the trips from the car to the door! Oh how I wished that I had someone to help me with the load!

There are times in life that we may feel burden or loaded down with work, family, relationships, decisions, finances and just the cares of this world. We may just wish for someone to come along side and shoulder the weight!

The great news is that, there is Someone, and although we may not realize it, that Someone has been right there all along! Jesus Christ has borne our pain and suffering on the cross. He was crushed and wounded on our behalf. He has taken our place. He has shouldered our burdens.

What burdens do you carry today? Believe and receive that Christ carries your burdens. Believe and receive His freedom and abundant life!

Isaiah 53: 4-5 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering...But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

John 10:10 I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

-Jo Voon-

Most of us enjoy eating ice cream. Some like vanilla, chocolate, mango or any other flavour of ice cream you can think of. Some have different toppings like, sprinkles, melted chocolate, smarties or strawberries while others prefer to have ingredients infused in them like choc chips, marshmallows, lollies, nuts etc.

Like our preference of ice cream we all express ourselves in our own unique way. You may play piano, but your style may be different from another player, it may be classical, contemporary or jazz. You may even compose your own music, whilst someone else does not have that ability. There are many types of dance, ballet, ballroom, hip hop etc. 

We all enjoy various things, which won’t be the same as the next person. We all express ourselves in different ways and are passionate about different things, writing, dance, research, maths, music, drama, cooking, helping those in need and many other areas.

God is an amazing God. He created each one of us to be unique, with different interests, passions and personalities. How do you choose to express yourself?

Romans 11:36 
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. 

- Zhen Ang

If you were a book, what type of book you would be?

What kind of story you would tell to others? Would you be the kind of book that people seek to read or those left on the shelves untouched? What would you write about yourself?

Our lives could metaphorically indicate what type of book we would be. The front cover represents our birth whilst the back cover represents the end of our earthly lives and everything else in between these two covers represents the past and the present of our lives.

Some books would be thicker than the others; some could offer less but all books have two similarities. Once it is written, the past or the memories created could not be erased but no matter how bad the previous page was written, the next page is always fresh, crisp and new. 

The same applies to our life with Jesus, no matter how grey your past may be, there is a new day for us; new opportunity to do better than the day before. For the rest of your days, you will always be given a new day to start over again; God’s mercy and grace will follow you. 

Don’t let the past or yesterday’s circumstances dictate how you will write your future pages. Yesterday is a history but today is a present; present from God and tomorrow He promises us that it will be a future filled with hope and assurance of His love and provision.

Now, how would you write your story?

Psalm 23: 5-6
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

- Irene Soon

Love is something that is so powerful, it can empower and lift you up, yet the feeling of being unloved can cause someone to feel discouraged and despair.

In the book of Acts, the Lord Jesus reminds us that it is better to give than to receive. This is His principle. We all hope to have a stable career, great family, a  nice home, close friends and a partner/ spouse who loves us, but this is not always the case. 

At one point in your life, you might be given many people and friends who love you and care for you. But there might be a stage in your life where you have to face many difficulties and challenges alone. This is the moment where we have to apply the Lord's principle, lets not demand to receive love from the people around us. Lets be the person who loves first.

Have you paid much attention to the people that He puts around you? There might be some elderly folks who need your help. There might be children who need advice and attention. We become happy not only by being loved,  but by loving others. Lets focus less on ourselves or what we can receive, it will only make us unhappy and disappoint us. Lets focus more on what we can give.

Acts 20:35
..., remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Mark 10:45 
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,and to give his life as a ransom for many.

- Diven

We all know that in order to have a beautiful garden, we need to nurture it. We need to water it, weed it and feed it with nutrients. This is like our walk with God. 

In order to draw close to God we need to spend time with Him, talking to Him, meditating on His word, worshiping Him and praying. We should seek to have a relationship with Him. He is our friend. 

Just like friends, we need to spend time with them, chatting, hanging out with them, listening to them or whatever you do with your friends. God wants to spend time with you; He wants to talk to you. However, at times we do not spend enough time to talk to God and to listen to Him. We are too busy living our own lives and doing our own things. 

God wants to be in every single part of your life, even the seemingly trivial stuff. He loves you and wants the best for you. He wants to speak into your life. What is God trying to tell you today? 

Spend time with Him. As we draw near to Him He will draw near to us.

 James 4:8  
Come near to God and he will come near to you...

- Zhen Ang

Though Jesus is completely God, He was born completely human. He went through temptation after temptation and conquered every one of them. And all that overcoming power is found in His life. And He put that life in you — the life of Christ is in you!

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He conquered sickness, the winds and waves, the powers of darkness and death. It is His life that brings victory over the devil and all his works. And He put that life in you — the life of Christ is in you!

Finally, Jesus went to the cross. And that life in Him put an end to everything that was natural of the Adamic race — sickness, poverty, failures, pains, curses and death. All that was natural ceased to be in that life of His. But all that was supernatural remained in Him. And He put that life in you — the life of Christ is in you!

Then, Jesus rose from the dead. And in that life of His was added the power of resurrection. And He put that life in you — the life of Christ is in you!

After His resurrection, Jesus went back to heaven to His Father. Today, He is seated at the right hand of God, resting in His finished work, occupying a place of the highest authority. And He put that life in you — the life of Christ is in you!

And because Jesus went back to the Father, the Holy Spirit came to indwell you (John 16:7), so that you will live life with His anointing in you and walk in His overcoming power.

All that Jesus is, God meant for you to be. All that He has, God meant for you to have. All the exciting things that you read in the Bible about Jesus, all the treasures of Him hidden in the Old Testament and the unsearchable riches in Him that you find in the New Testament, all of that life of His, is not out there somewhere. God has deposited all of it in you, so that you can live the abundant life that Jesus came to give you!

John 10:10 … I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
 
- Joseph Prince (Daily Devotionals) -

On one night at an outdoor cinema event, I overheard a conversation between a little girl and her father. “Daddy, do you think I can touch the big moon up there in the sky?” “No, I don’t think so, “he replied.

“Daddy, what if I stand on the tip of my toes? Can I reach it then?” 

“You still won’t be able to reach it, sweetheart.”

The little girl went quiet for a moment and then she jumped up confidently and said, “Daddy, maybe if you carry me up on your shoulder, I would be able to touch it!!”

Childlike faith; how precious that is. No hesitation and doubt; just implicit trust with a confident expectation that it can be done. Jesus taught much about faith and throughout the Bible, we read of His delightful response to those who had great faith.

In the book of Matthew, we read of the great faith of the centurion. When the centurion asked Jesus to just “speak a word and his servant will be healed” (8:8), Jesus marveled and said, “I have not found such great faith” (8:10), “Go your way and as you have believed, so let it be done for you (8:13).

When we have faith in God, we will find all things are possible because He is pleased with those who trust Him implicitly and gladly believe His words. Let childlike faith be evident in your Christian walk with God.

Mark 10:15
Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

- Irene Soon 

Sin, shame, guilt, abandonment, anger, sorrow, fear…. As human beings we feel these thing every once and a while. We feel as if we are so riddled with sin that we are no where close to God. As a result we feel shame and guilt for the things that we have done or haven't done. Sometimes in the darkest hour we feel as if God has abandoned us and left us to fend for ourselves. Different situations in life can make us feel angry, sorrowful or fearful.

Do you feel that sometimes you feel more distant and estranged from God because life keeps getting in the way. More obstacles arise; you try really hard to keep your head above your tasks, deadlines, meetings, house work but to no avail.  Maybe you have stepped so far into sin that you don't think that even God can help you now. You think that you're so far gone that you are not even worth saving.

King David's son Absalom killed his sisters rapist. Instead of returning to the palace, to his father, he fled to a different city. All this time (3 years) "...the spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Absalom's death" (2 Samuel 13:39). He didn't want him to stay away or punish himself or ignore what happened. He was his son. Joab , the commander of the army used a wise woman to talk to King David to bring back his son to him, "But God does not take away life, instead, he devises ways to that a banished person may not remain estranged from him." (2 Samuel 14:14)

God makes a way for us to get out of the situation we are in. He don't desert us and leave us to our own mean, but he constantly seeks us and gives us opportunity after opportunity to come back to The King of Kings and sit at his feel with so shame, guilt, fear… and sin-free because of Jesus Christ.

2 Samuel 14:14
Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person 
Isaiah 1:18
Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

-Sandra Iliev

Be careful with the words that you speak, once spoken, you will not be able to take it back. Many times, it will bring either blessing or heart-ache to others as unkind or reckless words can break a heart or a beautiful relationship that has been built for years.

The  word that you speak holds an important role in your relationship with others. 

Proverbs 15 : 1 says, "A soft answers turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
Proverbs 16 : 24 says, "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
Proverbs 12 : 18A says, "Reckless words pierce like a sword."

Let your words are godly purpose driven to carry enough weight to built people up, not to tear people down, to encourage, not to discourage, to bless, not to curse, to bring peace, and not to anger.

Let your words be few, for Proverbs 10 : 19A says , "When words are many, sin is not absent." As God’s children, you are called to make a difference by being a channel of blessing, you can always choose to be a peace maker rather than a trouble maker through the words that you speak, so that it will bring blessing to others.

“ Never underestimate the power of your words and deeds. With a few kind words, you can change a person’s life “ – Pastor John Hagee.

Ephesians 4 : 29 ( NKJV )
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers.

- F.Y

Moses grew up as the grandson of Pharaoh. He was brought up with prestige and wealth. However, when he grew up, he could see that his people, the Israelites were being ill treated. He killed the Egyptian who had beaten the Hebrew slave and out of fear, he fled Egypt.

Moses made a new life for himself in Midian with a wife and child. However, that is not the end of the story. No, God was not through with him yet. Although he had committed murder, God still wanted to use him. No matter what we have done in the past, if we repent and look to God He can still use us.

God spoke to Moses through a burning bush a calling on his life. Moses could have refused or thought maybe the heat had gotten to him and he was hallucinating that a bush was talking to him. He was of course hesitant, asking God, who was he to go and fulfil such a humongous task; Pharaoh was not a force to be reckoned with. The second question Moses asked was, “What if they do not believe me…”

When God calls us, it is no small task. He has a destiny for each one of us. We often feel inadequate like Moses. Who am I God? I am nobody. How could I possibly do that? I don’t have that gifting? I don’t speak well. I can’t do this. I can’t do that. What will people think of me? I don’t have enough finances and the list goes on. But if you take the step of faith to be obedient to God’s calling, He will surprise you. He will equip you for the task ahead. Are you willing to say yes to God’s call on your life?

Exodus 3:12
God answered, "I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain."

Hebrews 13:21
may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

- Zhen Ang