Noah was a man who did the unusual. He lived at the times where it had not rained before. Yet when God told Noah that it was going to rain, Noah obeyed and he began building the ark even at the cost of being ridiculed everyday. The usual thing to do is to ignore God since it had never rained but Noah did the unusual and he brought salvation to his whole household.

Mary, the mother of Jesus was a woman who did the unusual as well. She was told by the angel Gabriel that she would become the mother of the Son of God. The usual would have been not to believe and worry what Joseph and others may think. By law, they would have had to stone her but she did the unusual; she believed God and God blessed her. Till today generations still calls her blessed.

There are still many more characters in the Bible that did the unusual, not forgetting David, Daniel, Joseph, Jeremiah and many more. These people obeyed the word of God and reaped an unusual harvest.

Are you doing all that you know God wants you to do? As you read God’s Word, put what you have learned into practice; that could be your unusual doing in today’s society that works the opposite way of the Bible. The value of the Bible is not learned through just merely knowing it but the depth of its knowledge is found in obeying it too and God’s blessing will come as we continue to obey Him.

Let us bring a closure to this wonderful 2013 by obeying God and doing the unusual for a great harvest in the coming 2014.

James 1:22
Be doers of the Word and not hearers only.

- Irene Soon

Opportunities to give are all around us, at this time of the year more than at any other. Do you feel a pang of guilt if you receive a gift and don’t have one to give in return? In general, most people tend to expect their giving to be reciprocated - “Why give if we have nothing to gain?”

God, however, has a very different perspective on giving because divine love is different. Christlike love gives unselfishly and expects nothing in return. Yet because we love God, we want to respond to His gifts. There is no way we could repay all He has given to us, but we can give to others our talents, energy, time and money to demonstrate God’s love in our lives – to pay it forward.

To whom and how will you pay forward God’s unselfish love this season?

2 Corinthians 9: 7 – 8
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. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Unknown Author – (The promise of Christmas is Jesus) 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come; 
Let Earth receive her King.

We wish you a wonderful and blessed Christmas during this festive season.
May the Joy and Peace of the Lord be with you and your loved ones. 
Be blessed and may His love continues to shine in you for others to see!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2014.

- Irene

Instead of reading and scrolling through facebook or twitter this evening, Worship instead! Oh the power of Christmas Carols!

Here, let me help you out :-)

"O come all ye faithful joyful and triumphant
Oh come ye O come ye to Bethlehem;
come and behold him born the King of angels;
O come let us adore him Christ the Lord.

God of God light of light
Lo he not the virgin's womb;
Very God begotten not created:
O come let us adore him Christ The Lord.

Sing choirs of angels sing in exultation
Sing all ye citizens of heaven above;
Glory to God in the highest:
O come, let us adore him, Christ The Lord

See how the shepards summoned to his cradel,
leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear
we too will thither hend our joyful footsteps;
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given;
word of the Father, now in flesh appearing:
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

Read more: Christmas Carols - O Come All Ye Faithful Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Merry Christmas and God Bless!

-Sandra Iliev

In Hebrew 10:22, God assures us to hold fast to the confession of our hope. His invitation is grounded in the promise that He is our faithful and unchanging Lords and Saviour; His love for us will never waver.

We can therefore hold fast our hope in our powerful risen Saviour. Our God will stand unshakeable; He is the anchor of hope for our soul.

As the days are approaching Christmas, may our hope in Christ Jesus influence our outward joy, words, thoughts and actions that others may see the love and favour of our Saviour is in our life.  May we then have the opportunity to share the story of Christ’s birth and the reason for our hope in Him.

Psalm 119:89-91
Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.

- Irene Soon

Have you ever lost or misplaced something and then to find it? Or had something stolen, then had it returned?

Just last week, I bought my mother a lovely christmas gift (which took me forever to find), only to discover that when I got home, I just could not find it for the life of me! I searched high and low but to no avail. Without much hope, I muttered a frustrated prayer asking God for help. And surprise surprise, after a couple of days, the present I was looking for suddenly appeared on the floor of my lounge!

We may discover that we have lost things, relationships, hopes and dreams along our journey in life. But God is more than able to heal, to bring life, and to cause us to find what has been lost or stolen, and to restore double for our trouble! Instead of giving up, or looking high and low, let's stand firm, look to Him and believe He can and He will do it! 

Psalm 71:20 -21 
Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.

Isaiah 61:7 - 8 
Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them."

-Jo Voon-

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 
Isaiah 7:14

Immanuel does not mean “us with God.” It means “God with us.” Where will He be with us? In the eternal home he is preparing for us.

It’s sometimes said, “This world is not our home.” It’s true, but it’s a half truth. We should qualify it to say, “This world—as it now is, under the curse—is not our home.” But we should also say, “This world—as it was originally was our home.” And we should add, “This world—as it one day will be, delivered from the curse—will be our home.”

When we die and go to live in the Present Heaven, we’ll be with Christ, and we’ll be full of joy. But it won’t be our permanent home. It will be a layover, not our final destination. Those now with the Lord are looking forward to their bodily resurrection and relocation to the New Earth, where Christ will reign forever.

(Adapted from Randy Alcorn's Immanuel: God with Us Forever.)

A Thought to Keep
The incarnation of our Savior should remind us that we will be with Christ forever. Live each day pointing others to Him.

(Taken from Beyond Sunday Weekly Devotions)
-Sandra Iliev

Every Christmas reminds me of my family and come to think of it, I have only spend few Christmas away from home and but it did not change my family’s love for me. 

There is a love so powerful that it reflects through our family to love us even in our absence and everyone deserves to be loved like that. 

There is a love that never changes with seasons, it is eternal, and it is a love for all mankind. Yes, it is God's love for you and me; it is incomprehensible so believe and receive it. 

Romans 8:38-39
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.

- May Inu

Christmas season is here. Cities and churches prepare eagerly for the season’s celebration; making the Christmas atmosphere so vivid and lively. The question is do you believe Christ has sacrificed His life for you for a life of joy and sure salvation?

Theological questions have been asked by believers and non-believers since the beginning of time regarding the creation, the sin and the salvation. Though I’m less than qualified to analyse or even comment on this subject with such infinite depth, I could share what I have with others – my joy.

My mind and heart believes that Jesus was born in this world to be crucified at the cross to redeem me of my sins and your sins. Some people may say it is a suicidal mission but I believe it to be a sacrificial mission.

The motive and the fruit are two things that distinguish a suicide from a sacrifice. Sacrifice is love-driven, and love alone. The fruit of God’s sacrifice is an assurance of salvation. The Bible said it clearly that there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood (Hebrew 9:22) thus the difference of God’s sacrifice lies in His love for us and the assurance of free salvation as He became the atonement of our sins.

Therefore with joy, I believe Christmas is a celebration of faith that a little baby is born to be a sacrificial lamb. The sacrificial lamb who couldn’t be hold down by death, is risen and He reigns as our Lord and Saviour. If you ever doubt about your salvation like how I did before, pray to God for wisdom and He will give it generously (James 1:5).

Let this Christmas lights the hope in our hearts that because Jesus’ sacrificial mission brings us the ultimate joy for the season.

Luke 2:30-32
For my eyes have seen your salvation, that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for the glory to your people Israel.

- Jenni Wang

When God created man, He gave man authority to have dominion over everything on earth. (Genesis 1:26) But when man sinned, he gave this authority to Satan. And when man’s authority was transferred to Satan, Satan brought in diseases, poverty, strife, bitterness, pain, loss and death. He messed up everything on earth for man.

“Pastor Prince, why didn’t God just grab the devil by the neck and throw him out of the garden?”

God did not do that because He is a judicial God. It was a man who gave away his authority to Satan. So it had to be a man who would legally take it back. And God has done this through a Man. His name is Jesus!

By His death on the cross, Jesus righteously restored all that man had lost. That is why, just before He went back to heaven, He said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore…” Those words tell us that He has transferred His authority to us. The same authority that He had over the storm, evil spirits, sicknesses, diseases and even death is now ours to use.

So when there are reports of a flu epidemic and of young children falling sick in the media, know that you have dominion over the epidemic. Declare, “By the authority given to me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, this flu virus will not come near my children. I plead the blood of Jesus over them.”

If you have been told that your family has a history of heart disease, take dominion and declare, “By the authority given to me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I destroy every form, manifestation and hereditary cause of this disease. By His blood, my family has been redeemed from this and every other curse.”

My friend, the authority which has been restored to us is not just the authority on earth which man had before the fall, but Jesus’ unquestionable and complete authority in heaven and on earth!

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:18, 19 NIV)

Excerpt from Joseph Prince (Daily Inspirations)

-Jo Voon -