Two farmers had fields. Each was given the same amount of money. They both went to buy seeds to plant on their fields. One farmer bought the best seeds he could find and the best fertiliser with what he was given. The other, bought more seeds but of the cheapest variety and the cheapest fertiliser. The first farmer grew a better crop that season.

Even though the second farmer thought he was going to get a more fruitful crop, he didn't invest in the right area. He was stingy with the care and quality of what he was sowing. At times we try and get away with just doing the bare minimum and not taking utilising what we have. We become caught up in doing heaps of things without putting time and care into them; they end up lacking in quality.

When it comes to giving or working or studying or whatever it is that you do, God cares about the quality or the heart behind what you do. Whether it’s giving your weekly tithe at church or finishing a project, give your best. This may mean you have to sacrifices something or prioritise you time better. Be generous with what you give of yourself. In this you will reap a generous reward.

2 Corinthians 9: 6-7
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

-Sandra Iliev

I first learnt how to ride a bike when I was about 7. It was long since I outgrew our tricycle and over abused our little bike with training wheels. My parents finally bought a foldable 2 wheel bike, and after countless of falls, bruises and scrapes, I started to find my balance!

At times, we may come across situations where we seem to be going over the same hurdles, taking another fall or asking the same questions. The vision or dream or desires we have seem to stutter or falter or fade just a little.

Be comforted because God is cooking up something wonderful, and the two key ingredients are faith and perseverance or patience! 

Faith is simply the confidence in God and His Word and promises. Yet, faith is a seed which only matures with patience. And how is patience developed? Patience is not about accepting it as is, but it is a characteristic developed through our difficulties or sufferings. It is through the combination of these two ingredients that we inherit what He has promised. More importantly, We begin to take our eyes off our situation and ourselves and we  see the "heavenly country" (Heb 11:14). Then we find our balance and that is when we ride.

Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Romans 5:3  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

- Jo Voon -

Wednesday signifies that I am in the middle of the week. The refreshing weekend of rest I had seemed like a long time ago, and the start of my weekend still a couple of days away. 

It's almost as though I laboured too much during weekdays that weekends became my solace. Yet that does not have to be the case. After all, the bible say that "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). Whatever the Lord makes is good, sanctified, and holy. If the Lord made this day, then surely this day must be good indeed! How can it not be good when Jesus died that we may see good days?  

On this day, I challenge you to begin your day to expect good. Keep your mind on whatever is pure, lovely, admirable and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). Above all else, remember that your Father in heaven is a good Father. 

Psalm 118: 24
 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it

- Jia Lin Ang

Like all believers, we strive to be a faithful Christian everyday. Unfortunately, one of the powerful tools used by the enemy to stray us from God’s promises is discouragement.  Along with that, we too will be attacked with anger, disappointment and fear, just to name a few. Each of these feelings is enough to stir believers to question their own faith and values.

In my Christian walk, I have made wrong choices and decisions to only learn that the company of the righteous is crucial during trials and tribulation. Your chosen crowd will determine your resilience and perseverance towards a setback or failure.

When I heed the worldly wisdom from non believers, I find myself led astray, hurt and mocked by the enemy with constant shame, guilt and fear.

Godly wisdom however, is uplifting. Though your fellow Christian friends may not have all the answers and solutions to your sorrow, they are able to walk with you hand in hand in prayers, speak LIFE unto your circumstances and create an atmosphere of positive faith.

Yes, we fall short and make mistakes every so often but we can always choose the right crowd as the first platform to bounce back from disappointment and continue pressing on unto God’s promises.


Proverbs 11:3
The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them

 - Irene Soon

Waiting is a hard thing to do and I can’t say I’m good at it. We spend alot of our waking hours waiting. We wait for the bus, for our appointment time, for things to happen to us, for God to answer our prayers… Wait, wait, wait!
 
Simply waiting is not only boring, it gets us angry and frustrated because we want things to happen NOW. But there’s waiting…and then there’s waiting with expectancy. 
 
Waiting with expectancy is knowing that what we are waiting for WILL HAPPEN AND we are actively taking steps to PREPARE FOR IT. I heard a story about a woman whose husband walked out on her. She believed that he was going to come back. She prayed, but every evening without fail, she would lay out two placemats in the expectation that he was coming back. 4 years later, there was a knock on the door and there was her husband. She said, “Well come on in, your dinner’s getting cold!"
 
Waiting with expectancy is to MAKE YOUR FAITH SEEN. If you are believing for something, don’t just wait and question and doubt. Change your language and speak out what you want to see happen, act like you are going to get it, and watch God move!

Psalm 37:4-6
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
  
Psalm 37:34
Hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.


- Susanna Tan

This week I learnt how to knit! Both my grandmothers’ are dressmakers and avid knitters so watching them repeatedly wrap the thin wool around the needles and creating something out of multiple balls of wool is pretty amazing. Into every stitch goes thought and care. As the patch grows bigger and bigger it starts to form a shape; even character and style and before you know it, something has been created- it has a use and a purpose.

As I was slowly (very slowly) knitting away I was reminded of Psalm 139:13- For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I believe that in every stitch He had in mind what you were going to look like, your first step, your first word, what kind of personality and character you would have. Everything that you have in you, heart, body, soul and spirit, HE fashioned and put thought into. This means that you weren’t made ‘accidentally’… you were made especially.

Over the weekend I want you to reflect on this: That you were a divine idea; that you have a purpose and the ability to do things beyond your wildest dreams. That God has created humanity so specifically that there are no two the same. You have an amazing future in Christ. Believe it. Know it. Seek it.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” Psalm 139:14

-Sandra Iliev

Lately, At the gym, I have been starting a different fitness routine - interval training. Interval training is where you work out as hard as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, work out for another 20 and rest for another 20. The goal is to achieve better fitness levels within a shorter period of time. During this training, I find my 20 seconds of rest suddenly become immensely valuable since it has been paid at a price of intense effort!!

Life sometimes may resemble interval runs or marathons, leaving us breathless and waiting for that 20 second rest. The Bible, however, talks about a wonderous, miraculous rest we experience. This rest is a rest we can enter into. It is a perpetual, neverending rest we can actually live in! It is a creation of God.

How can we enter in? It is simply by believing in Christ. It is when we cease living according to our Strength and realizing Christ has already won it all. His grace is sufficient for us in every situation!

Matt 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Hebrews 4:3  For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest.

Hebrews 4:10 For he who has once entered [God’s] rest also has ceased from [the weariness and pain] of human labors, just as God rested from those labors peculiarly His own.

- Jo Voon -

I woke one morning with my heart racing. The sudden fear and anxiousness was overwhelming.

I'm not sure how common this experience is, but I remember how paralysing this experience was to me. I’m not quite sure why it happened but what I did know was, it was not a panic attack- it's a spiritual warfare.

As I tried to fall back to sleep, a timely bible verse came to mind - "God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). I'm sure you would have seen this verse before... but have you fully reflected upon what this really mean?

You need not to be afraid NO MORE because HE has given us POWER, LOVE, and a SOUND MIND!

1. Power
Do not be destroyed by a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Know that you have been given great authority and power through Christ. Stand. Remember, God spoke, and things came into being (Genesis 1:3). Speak forth what you want to see, what is in line with the will of God, and what is pleasing in His sight. The tongue has the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21), and what you say to your mountain matters (Mark 11:23)! You know those times when you wish your friend will stand up against the bully? This is it. You have the authority and the power. Use it.

2. Love
You have a great Heavenly Father. HE created Heaven and Earth, and stretched out His hands. Your Father is the Lord God Almighty. He loves you so much and so personally He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to save you from darkness (John 3:16). Through Christ, YOU are His beloved, in whom He is well pleased (Matthew 3:17). He knew you and formed you before you even came into existence (Jeremiah 1:5)! You need not fear because His perfect Love cast out all fear (1John 4:18).

3. A Sound Mind
The bible says that we have the Mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and we have to renew it daily (Romans 12:2). What the world says about you doesn't matter. Stay vigilant and be very mindful of what you let into your mind; what you believe in. Ask instead, what does God say about you? about your circumstances? What are His promises for you? Hold on to them. Tightly. You will always make the right decision with the Mind of Christ.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.

-Jia Lin Ang

Life is full of ups and downs. I was driving home in a storm and it reminded me of life’s storms. Some storms are short, some are long, some are just a learning curve and some are unknown. 

You see, I was driving in a storm, but that storm was nothing compared to the one I had been facing with my health. Some storms can be so hard that hopelessness can creep in.

Right then, turn and worship! Worship is YOU entering in and celebrating all God’s past and future goodness and faithfulness in the present. I have a glimpse of my problem from God's good grand narrative. What a place to rest if you are weary!

God’s promises feel like warm morning light on my cold face. No matter what this day may bring, worship! It will fill you up, because you are entering in with the greatest story ever written, get in on it! You were created to, no matter what!

Psalm 34:8,
"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."

“You awaken us to delight in Your presence and praises; for You made us for Yourself and our heart is restless until it rests in You.”- St Augustine.

- Caleb Allen

I just had a birthday a few days ago and so birthdays are what’s on my mind.

 I love it because it’s a time when we gather together loved ones to celebrate. How great it is to have people get around you! You get a truckload of birthday wishes on facebook, big bear hugs, and awesome presents... Oh and eat lots of cake!! 

But hang on a second…What are we celebrating here? 
 
We are celebrating another year of life. And if life, then the fact that we are still here means that we haven’t finished what we were supposed to do on earth... there's more that needs to be done in us and through us! 
 
We were born with a purpose. Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…”

One thought leads to another and I find myself thinking, over the course of the year, have I grown? Have I accomplished something? Have I been living my life pleasing to Him? We should be constantly asking ourselves these questions as a reminder that we are still alive for a Purpose! 
 
What were you born to do for your Creator? 
Let’s walk each day knowing what our Purpose is and outliving it!

Philippians 1:6  

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

- Susanna Tan