The hot water that would soften a potato could harden an egg as well as the same sunshine that gives warmth during winter could easily harden the clay. Although in our earthly life, we can’t choose circumstances that can happen to us, God wants our struggles to strengthen us and nurture the perseverance within us. His promises in the Bible encourages us to defend our faith in a living God than to give in to fear that the Lord has the power to conquer for us.

Paul writes, “We can rejoice too.. (Romans 5: 3). Paul spoke of a freedom to choose and if he who has gone through many trials and sufferings with imprisonment could still heed us to rejoice, we too can choose to rejoice during trials. We can because we have the confidence that the Lord is working His purposes in our lives for our good and we are never alone as we have the Holy Spirits within us. So, let us rejoice!
​
Romans 5: 3 – 5 NLT
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

- John W.

In this modern life, we are often served with choices and options but like a clueless sheep, we often gravitate towards what appeals to our flesh even if it will lead us away from the Shepherd’s protective care.

You may say that God has given me the ability to make choices and if it is bad, He will lead me away from it but are you listening to His guidance? We often do things because of our own needs and timelines and if we are being truthful, it may have led us astray far too many times as well. How do we make the right choices then? The ones that will lead us to the path of righteousness?

God has sent Holy Spirit to be our guide in this choice-full life. He may impress certain choices that bring peace to your heart and you will find strength in God’s words and promises in the Bible. Do you take time to seek Him in your quiet time? The one where you listen and not speak out of many requests? The Holy Spirit will instil in you a conscience of right and wrong, a sense of peace and calm amidst the storm. You may ask, “would God want to speak to me despite all the mistakes or wrong choices I have made?” Yes… He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice (John 10: 3 – 4).

Be hopeful in your prayer times, you will know His voice and He will guide your choices to a righteous path. Amen.

- Irene Soon 

Why pray you asked? Prayer is a weapon, why don't you want to invite a victorious Saviour into your situations? Think of the acrostic P-R-A-Y:
​
P – Praise the Lord! Not sure how? Think you’ll run out of words? Not if you use the Scriptures.

R – Repent of your sins. Just as heat forces impurities to the surface so that the metal refiner can remove them, your prayer time will reveal attitudes that must be changed, habits that must be broken, and barriers to blessing that must be removed. It’s not enough to tell God about your sins. He already knows them. You must ask Him to help you turn away from them. This is true repentance.
​
A – Ask for yourself and others. Your prayers invite God into the situations, and your faith actives His power to change it. There’s no distance in prayer, no culture or language barrier it can’t overcome. It’s like throwing on a power switch – things begin to move when we pray. Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven… whatever doors you open on earth shall be open in Heaven (Matt 16: 19 TLB)
​
Y – Yield yourself to God’s will. Declaring the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life is like signing your name to your autobiography and inviting Him to write you life’s story.
 
1 Chronicles 29:11
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.

- Writing of Bob Gass (Word for Today)

In physics, the butterfly effect is a theory that describes on how a tiny momentum or changes i.e such as the flap of a butterfly’s wings could affect the weather thousands of miles away. There will be times when you feel insignificant, metaphorically like a small butterfly and you find yourself saying whatever you do will not matter much when you are facing trials.

As a child of God, there is much you could do. Like the butterfly effect, your words, your faith, your perseverance, your prayers, deeds and kindness could activate the heavenly forces no matter how small they may be. In the Bible, we have seen how the Lord uses things that we consider insignificant to bring miracles, things such David’s slingshot to bring down Goliath, a boy’s lunch box to feed multitudes, Samson’s donkey’s jawbone that slew thousand Philistines. What you do, could bring changes or influences to people around you and your own circumstances.

It is not about the size of seeds or actions you could do but it is about our God who could facilitate that mustard seed faith to grow. It is not about the number of prayers you pray but it is about the Lord who answers prayers of His children, He leaves no one behind and that is the beauty of His grace. He rejoices in your beginnings no matter how small, begin your butterfly effect.

Zechariah 4:10 NLT
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…
 
- John W.

There is a vast difference between happiness and blessedness. Paul had imprisonments, sacrifice and painful sufferings up to the very limit; but in the midst of it all, he was blessed. All the beatitudes came into his heart and life in the midst of those very conditions.

On one of his concerts, Paganini, the great violinist discovered that his precious famous violin has been stolen. On that discovery, he felt paralyzed for a moment and he stepped back behind the stage's curtain looking at the old cheap violin that has been left as the replacement of his stolen violin.

He remained at the back of the stage's curtain for a moment, then came out before his audience and said: “Ladies and Gentlemen: I will show you that the music is not in the instrument, but in the soul.” And he played as he would have with his precious violin. Out of the old cheap instrument, the music poured forth until the audience was enchanted with enthusiasm and the applause almost lifted the ceiling of the building;  Paganini had revealed to them that music was not in the instrument, be it an old or a a precious expensive one but in his own soul.

It is your mission, tested and tried one, to walk out on the stage of this world and reveal to all earth and Heaven that blessedness is not in the conditions, not in things, not in externals but it is through the peace and faith within your soul that trusted the Lord, your Saviour.

If peace be in the heart, the wildest winter storm will be full of solemn beauty. If peace be in the heart.

John 16: 33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

- Charles F Richardson

Dear blessed friends and families, 

Happy New Year 2023

In this new year, we pray that you have the confidence and boldness of David when he penned Psalm 23.

"Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Praise the Lord that always lavishes His mercy and goodness upon us even when we feel we are the most undeserving; He doesn't see us the way we see ourselves; He condemns not. Rejoice, blessed ones, the Lord is always with you and surely, surely you are never without His goodness. Your name is engraved on the palms of His hands - "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."- Isaiah 49: 16

- Hopeful Heart team

Dear families and friends in Christ,

This Christmas, even in the dazzle and sparkles of Christmas decorations around us, the true festivity lies in the miracle of Christ Jesus’ birth. His Light continues to shine and bring joy to each one of us, let our hearts be merry and joyous by the true reason of this season.

May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.

Have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year 2023.

- Hopeful Heart Team

As we listened to mostly Christmas tunes in the shops and radios, you would have come across ‘Silent Night. ‘It’s serene melody portrays a calm bright starry night that’s captivated by a heavenly peace when baby Jesus was born.

As I pondered to its lyrics, our picture of calmness surrounding Jesus’ birth could be far from a silent night as the angel armies sing the glory of Heaven announcing the birth of a Saviour. Not to mention the visitation of the shepherds, wise men, sheep and camels crowding the stable but amidst the commotion, there was baby Jesus. I pictured Him peacefully asleep in the arms of an exhausted young mother and under the watchful protection of Joseph, His father.

As we enter to the days of church, worship, gatherings and festive activities nearing to Christmas day, let’s remember amidst all these commotions and busyness, there was baby Jesus who was peacefully asleep amidst the crowds and noises around him; that there’s peace in remembering our Prince of Peace embracing the heavenly peace meant for this season. Do not let the world busyness take that away from you. Jesus, He is Immanuel, He is with us and He is the Peace to be embraced this season.

Matthew 1: 22 - 23
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us) 

- Irene Soon

​In an old movie, I watched a story about a shrewd businessman who eagerly helped to restore a damaged nunnery during the WWII. When asked why he did it, the unbelieving businessman said, “just in case!” It made me think, aren’t we all like this businessman somehow?

We too, do things for God because of “just in case.” We store our good works like cookie points for the Lord to answer our prayers or needs whilst the businessman believed his good deeds would earn him an eternal place in Heaven if there is a God.

May I respectfully say, “it is foolish to think we could buy our own righteousness or answers to prayers.” If we think of such, we allow pride to bound ourselves to human law and we deny the free gift of salvation including the righteous privileges that Jesus has died for us to have.

Friends, humble yourself before the Lord (James 4: 10) and have faith that the Lord always have your back, He will not forsake you. Jesus do not keep any scores for us to achieve till he unlocks another reward for our good works.

None of us could ever buy our own righteousness and salvation with any good works, Jesus is bigger than that; He gave it for free for us who needs and seeks it. Come to Him in prayers, friends. Jesus loves you. When we invite the Lord into our hearts, we gain in this life a wonderful Counsellor, a loving Saviour, a best friend, a Father and much more I could not fathom. He is the Rock we could lay our foundations on and rely on when the storm hits.
 
James 4: 10 NLT
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Philippians 3:9 NLT
and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

- John W.

Most likely all of us have been through the season of waiting.

In my own season of waiting, I imagine the people of Israelites during the time in Babylon. They might be wondering when it would end. Will it really end just like Isaiah had spoken hundred years before that? Waiting for them probably is a mixture of many feelings summed up through expectation, anxiety, hope, dismay and it may reel them into a cycle of restlessness.

In seasons such as that, I wondered if the Israelites faltered the way I do, did they ever doubt that it was God who spoke to them, or if they have listened well, did they disobeyed God or will God bless them as He said He will? In the midst of my own doubt, God’s powerful message of hope to His people suddenly spoke to me: fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God: I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10).

When I become discouraged in in my own waiting, He has reminded me that even when I am tired and prone to dismay, He has strengthened me daily; help me not to lose sight of Him as His grace and His love envelope me surely. 

- Jenni Wang