God has given to us the most awesome gift of all, yet a lot of the time we are unaware or forget this gift. It's the gift of the Holy Spirit!
 
The real meaning of the Holy Spirit is 'Comfoter', 'Strengthener', 'Counsellor', 'Intercessor', 'Encourager', 'Helper' and 'Friend'! He fights for us, He refreshes us, He teaches and guides us, He prays for us, He tells us of things to come. Most of all, He comes to live in each one of us!
 
He is also a person who can be saddened, pushed aside, ignored or belittled. However, when we look for Him and search to be continually filled by Him , we experience His wonderful power in everything we do. Suddenly, we are aware we don't have to bear the burden alone, He is there; we don't have to make the decisions ourselves, He is our counsellor; we don't have to worry about being in need, He is our helper; when we need wisdom, He guides us and shows us things to come; when we don't know how or what to pray, He intercedes for is!
 
John 14:16-17
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever--The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know  and recognize Him. But you know  and  recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.
 
- Jo Voon-

I had a pretty exciting week this week. It involves being overwhelmed to the point of emotional upheaval, to the brink of insanity (well, not literally but you get me), to a glimpse of God's love for us. 

I wouldn't go into much details about what happened. All I can say is that all the emotional mess, doubts, and insecurities happened the instance I take my eyes off Christ. I began to magnify what I can or cannot do, and I began to magnify the circumstances as my eyes sees it. 

Now here is the cruz. I thought I was being logical and rational. However, that is not how God sees things. We were meant to be warriors of Christ, in His kingdom, advancing mightily such that even the gates of hell cannot prevail against us. We were ordained to be victors and to reign because of what Christ has done and has come to do. Yet, these cannot happen if we take our eyes off Christ.

I see myself as flawed, but God sees me as someone beautifully and wonderfully created. I see myself as unsuccessfully and uncertain of my future, but God sees me many years down the track where I embark on the plans and purpose He has ordained for me- plans that prospers and gives me hope and a future. I see myself as ordinary, with mountains that cannot be removed, but God says to me to have that speck of faith that the mountain shall be removed. Impossibility is not a currency in His kingdom. 

How more self-defeating can I get if I focus on myself? I'm glad our new identity is found in Christ. What about you?

Romans 8
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 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.

-Elizabeth Tan

During my recent trip to Scotland’s Highland, I was frequently asked on my views about the Lochness monster. The locals were fond of re-telling the story of the legendary monster whom they have affectionately call as ‘Nessie’ and they eagerly anticipate travellers to give the myth the benefit of doubt.

Though skeptical, I enjoyed all the tales and stories about Nessie’ first sighting back in 1933.  I enjoy seeing how the locals speak of the tale with enthusiasm; determined to convince non-locals on the existence of Nessie through newspaper clippings and videos.

Doesn’t Christianity work the same way? Some non-believer may call the resurrection of Jesus Christ as a myth but we as believers could choose to believe or we could be sceptical because we have not seen the resurrection with our own physical eyes.

Would you speak of your faith and belief with determination? Are you convinced of your own faith that yes Jesus died for your sins and that you are made righteous through His sacrifice on the cross? If you do, you should be assured that you are free to approach His throne with boldness and that your faith is not surrended to a 'being' who is merely a myth; Jesus is real and your prayers will be answered.

The Scottish choose to re-tell the tale of the legendary Nessie.   With the Bible and your own testimonials as your “newspaper clippings and videos”, would you choose to re-tell the good news about Jesus too?

John 20:29

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

-Irene Soon

“How could one talk about hope to another if she herself could not hope for her own situation and trust God?” Sounds like the practice of a hypocrite, I thought. I told him to just believe, I told her to persevere, I told them to just hope but to myself, I ask “how can I hope again?”

I feel that I have tried almost every possible thing I could do but my breakthrough still seems miles away. Some days feels worse than the day before and those are the days where I just easily let go of my hope and trust in God.

Author Max Lucado shared in his writing, “For if we don’t trust when times are tough, we don’t trust at all.” Joseph trusted God and kept his hope anchored firmly in God, he did not strive to fight the injustice he suffered. He had a dream and he held no bitterness and lose his hope in God when bad circumstances came his way repeatedly. Joseph kept his integrity and trusted God. Eventually Joseph rose to be the man God wants him to be – the right hand of Pharaoh and he was equipped with the right disposition and wisdom to do his job wisely and with favor.

 “When you don’t trust when times are tough, you don’t trust at all.” These words speak truth and this is how I will find my hope again; to trust, when times are tough.

Hebrew 10:23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

- Irene Soon

I am good at giving a hard word when it is needed. If a family member or close friend needs a bit of tough love I am pretty on top of it. I never used to be. There was a time I dreaded giving someone the ‘hard truth’- or receiving it! I was just getting by keeping my opinions to myself and saying what kept them happy. This didn’t get me far.

How do you react when God is giving you a good reality check?

I got a new job and I have to quit my current job. I am not handling having two jobs well but I don’t want to quit. There is a stubbornness that is going against the logical part of my brain that is saying ‘YOU’RE NUTS!’ So I prayed and said “God, if you want me to quit the job you have to make it really, REALLY clear to me.”

So there I was waiting for an answer, waiting for a sign from heaven to grace me at any moment. But it came it a different way. The hard word come through by Pastor; a person that has been appointed to lead me and whom I trust. They said that God woken them up during the middle of the night to tell me to quit! I didn’t want to hear it but I knew it was right and true. I knew what I had to do.

At times we don’t like it when God challenges us. We don’t like it when he is pointing the truth out to us and we don’t want to accept it because it’s either too hard or too painful.

To obey or not to obey, that is the question. By receiving what God has for us and not pushing it aside, we are choosing to grow and to learn and in turn, we become more Christ-like. It may be a painful lesson and instruction but my friend, there is always more fruit to bear in the end.

Psalm 119:57You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to obey your words.  

-Sandra Iliev

A couple of friends I have recently had loved ones or family members which had passed on into eternity.  Eternity – a little word brings profound meanings, yet it is not unknown to each one of for He has already put eternity in our hearts (Ecc 3:11). So what is this eternity? The dictionary defines it has a “state to which time has no application; infinite or unending time”. 

Our memory, as far as it can stretch, is just a drop in the ocean. Our future here in this world, as much, as hard, as clever or with as much wisdom as we can plan is only a speck in the sky! You are called to a wonderful, heavenly and eternal city, whose architect and builder is God.

With this wonderful assurance we have, let’s let go of the business of today or the worries of tomorrow. Our moments in this world is so finite; let’s live to our fullest, let’s take time to smile at a stranger, lend a listening ear, appreciate our family, help out a colleague, forgive and forget a wrong, or just hear His still small voice.

Heb 11:10
Looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Heb 11:13-14
They only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

- Jo Voon-

Do you know just how much our Father, the Almighty God who created heaven and earth, would love to have an intimate relationship with you? 

I thought I knew, based on the bible, but I had a new revelation this week.

For my trip in Sydney, I was to check into a hotel that faces the ocean with a great view. However, since I only paid for a standard room, there will be no ocean view from my room. Yet, my heart continues to desire the ocean view.

Of course, when I checked into the hotel, I got the standard room as paid for, but I remember telling Jesus how nice it would have been if this room has an ocean view. 

Strangely enough, after an incident where my eyes puffed up due to allergy, I was moved to another room the next day by the hotel management who even put in the extra effort to make sure that I wouldn't react to their cleaning agent. Although I expected to receive another standard room, I was given a room double the size of my original, with a balcony (and a couch) that faces the majestic ocean view! 

You see, this is how good our Father is. There is no matters too trivial for our Father. If it matters to you, it matters to Him. If He so willingly gave His one and only Son at the Cross to die for us so that we may be under law no more, imputed with sin no more, how much more will He freely give us all things?

Why did I ever think that an ocean view room is too hard? Why would He withhold healing? or provision? or miracles?

Its not God who needs to be convinced; its us. 

Let us not be destroyed from a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). God's word never return to Him void without accomplishing His desire and purpose (Isaiah 55:11). 

What are you believing God for today? What are you so anxious about? Tell Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). 

Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?


-Elizabeth Tan

When your passion for something fades, the grace to accomplish usually goes with it. Does that mean it’s time to leave what you’ve invested so much into? Here are a few thoughts:

(1) Get away and rest. Stress-filled minds are not noted for coming up with good answers. Spend time with God. He’s already determined your future (Isaiah 46:10).

(2) You’re not the only one involved. If you don’t know how (or you’re unwilling) to pass the baton to someone who can take things to the next level, you lose, they lose and the dream loses.

(3) Don’t just focus on what you’re leaving behind. Think also about what you’re taking with you when you go; e.g self-worth, wisdom, faith for the next challenge and the joy of knowing you’ve done the will of God. Listen, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave Me to do” (John 17:4).

Faith is a ‘substance’. You can take it with you wherever you go. It’ll grow in any climate, thrive in any economy and move any mountain. It’s the voice within you that says, “I can’t wait to see what God has for me next.” It’s the greatest evidence that what you can conceive, by God’s help, you can achieve!

Hebrew 11:1 (KJV)
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

- Bob Gass (word for today)

God who has begun a good work in you will carry it to full completion. The Lord is concerned with everything that concerns you. All that is good but not perfect, He will watch over, care for and carry to full completion.

All that is good but not perfect will be perfected by God’s perfect work of grace. We will never be able to perfect His works with our own effort nor we could persist in trials without His hands upholding us in every situation. If His grace and mercy were to leave us today, we would perish in our ways. But the Lord chooses to watch over us. He will continue to bless us and perfect our faith and character.

He will do this because He who has begun good works in us, will bring it to full completion. God will never leave a work unfinished; He gave us the concerns we have and He knows how to handle and carry each concerns to a perfect completion.

He knows how to accomplish His own perfect plan in us if we would just hold on to His promises and character to bring us out of every trial as a conqueror. This is a great comfort to know, let’s praise our God for His faithfulness.

Psalm 138:8
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands

- Irene Soon
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