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

Where do I start? That is the most common question asked when it comes to reading the Bible for the first time. As a young believer, I remember starting to read from the beginning – the book of Genesis but I didn’t last long as I got to the Book of Leviticus. Nevertheless, as my personal relationship grew with God, I was starting to understand preached sermon better and took another try to re-read the Bible.

In my second attempt, I took into the Book of Psalm with full delight and studied the Psalmist’s struggles and prayers with a better discernment. A psalm may start in a tone of despair but as you read on, it always ends in praise and thanksgiving. There are 150 psalms and if we could read five in a day, we would be able to finish the book within a month. Another is the Book of Proverbs with 31 chapters making it a wise choice to read one day for a month.

When we come to God in humility and seek discernment from His Words, we will find strength for life’s battles. It will also help us to stay close to the Lord’s wisdom and assurance of His unfailing mercy and acceptance.

Where do you start? Start by asking God to help you understand what He wants you to learn from your daily reading and be willing to start on your reading wherever you are.
 
Psalm 119:18 - 19
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.
 
-  John W.

Merry Christmas dear blessed ones

To God be the praise and worship,

We thank Him for the blessed days of 2021 and the strength He has abound to us. We thank Him for His protection and provision whether it is tangible or unseen. We choose to believe His faithfulness knows no end and we as the Child of God celebrates the true meaning of Christmas today by thanking our Christ Jesus for coming to this world and being the most amazing gift to all of us who believes. 

Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for being our Saviour.

Amen.

- Hopeful Heart Team

As a kid, I hated electricity blackouts. When the lights and power were cut abruptly, it was so inconvenient but as it is a normal occurrence where I grew up, I got used to blackouts; its darkness and silence.

Those who live without Christ is like those who experiences constant electricity blackouts. They don’t know how important the light is as they are used to its darkness. The touch of God’s presence and grace could illuminate any darkness. There is no space in this world where the grace of our Father cannot go through and there is no force in this world who is in equal to the power of the Father’s love for us.

I am thankful for the constant reminder that the Father is everlasting God who is worthy to be worshipped forever even when the situation is very challenging and it seems that I cannot see the glimpse of light in the darkness. God, He is our light. There is no more darkness if you choose to abide in Him.

1 John 1: 5
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

- Jenni Wang

In 1950, professor Curt Richter experimented with rats to analyse their survival instincts. He plunged a dozen of rats into a large jar filled with water. The rats drowned in an average time of 15 minutes. Richter then decided to save the next set of rats before they give up swimming due to exhaustion; he took them out of the jar, dried them and gave each rats a few minutes to rest before putting them back into the water jar.

The “rescued’ rats lasted an astonishing 60 hours afterwards. Richter concluded that by “saving” the rats, it gave the rats the motivation to swim approximately 240 times longer. He believes the rats have been given a glimpse of hope of “being rescued” and they pushed their bodies beyond what they thought possible.

We as Christian would also agree that hope is the essential ingredient in our own faith journey. Christ has come and given us hope that we have a living Saviour. His Word breathes hope to our inner spiritual sanctuary and it fuels us to stand, to push and believe again with an unsurpassable peace.
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Henceforth, as the Lord encourages us daily, let us extend this hope and encourage people around us. Kind words go a long way and it may be the glimpse of hope they need to push further. Be a bringer of hope as the Lord fans the flame of hope within us.
 
Hebrews 6: 19
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.
 
Zechariah 9:12
Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

- Irene Soon 

Dear blessed friends and families, 

We pray into the year of 2021 that it may bring you abundant favors and beautiful beginnings. May you continue to bring the Lord as the center of your 2021 and let Him lead you in all of your plans.

May you receive fullness in health, joy and love in abundance. Together, we proclaim the blessings of the Lord and may our cups overflow to bless others around us and in this, lead them to the Victory of Christ Jesus. 

In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.

Over the weekend, we decided to go for a picnic to enjoy the beautiful spring day. During the picnic however, we encountered flies buzzing around our food and we constantly find ourselves shooing them multiple times. Flies pose threat in contaminating food with bacteria. Once they touched our food with their little antennae feet, the bacteria will multiply and compromise the hygiene of the food, making it no longer safe to be consumed.
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Isn’t this the same as negative thoughts? When we choose to see the way God wants us to see, we will be able to embrace a godly peace and clarity. The thing that usually limits this result is our way of thinking, the old negative mindset that constantly voices itself inside our head and compromises our positive thinking.

It is a fact that we do not become negative overnight, it is a culmination of negative thoughts over a course of time. The Bible says as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23: 7). Simply put, what you think will affect how you’re feeling. Think negative thoughts and you will feel all sorts of discouraging emotions flooding in.

This is why recalling the goodness of the Lord in the past will shift our victim mentality to a victor mentality.  It is also a wise to replace our negative thoughts with thoughts that are praiseworthy (Phil 4: 8), deal with negativity like the way you deal with flies at a picnic; by shooing them away before they stay on, contaminate and compromise our positive thinking.

To experience a feeling, we must first entertain the thought that produces it. What thoughts you have been entertaining lately? Have you allowed it to compromise your mind?

Philippians 4: 8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

- Irene Soon 

 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." (1 Kings 19:7)

After killing the false prophets, Elijah fled for his life. At one point he asked God to take his life and God said nothing but told Elijah twice, to get up and eat for the journey ahead will be too much for Elijah to bear. God then asked Elijah what he was doing and he told God that he was the only believer left and the rest have been killed.
 
Probably most of us can identify ourselves as Elijah sometimes. We think we have done the right thing for God or that we have done our best but instead of achieving victory or a breakthrough, we felt like we have hit a big boulder or a dead end.
 
Can we listen to God’s voice when we feel exhausted and even to the point of desperation? Can we feel assured that God knows what happened, what you are currently experiencing and what you will experience in the future?
 
Just as God assured Elijah that He knew the journey is too much for him and did not belittle his response to fatigue, we can rest assured that God knows what we are going through. As He provided for Elijah’s sustenance to continue his journey, we also have the assurance to continue our journey in the midst of any uncertainty life may throw at our path. Cry out to the Lord, He is listening attentively and He will provide.  

- Jenni Wang

With social distancing encouraged and big indoor gatherings not allowed, it is easy to cave into our comfort zone and not socialize like we used to during the pre CoVid-19 days. Though churches are doing online sermons and small groups are still engaging in video teleconference, we have the option to disengage and in turn, it may lead to us losing enthusiasm to spend time with God or serve Him. I certainly have days as such and prayers seem to lessen as days go by.

That’s when I heard an old hymn that sings, “Come home, come home , Ye who are weary , come home, Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling…” Realizing the risk of becoming indifferent for God, I repented. I have gravitated towards a self serving attitude that may cause a fall out in fellowship with the Lord. It humbles me to know God is always lovingly and tenderly welcoming us back into His life of mercy and abundant grace.

Has your mind or heart wandered off from God? He is calling you home again, you will never be lost in His daily care, neither does He condemns you.

Psalm 51: 12 ESV
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

​- Irene Soon

​In Corinthians 10: 3 – 5 (ESV) Paul wrote:
 
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
 
What are the strongholds that spiritually imprison people? Arguments and opinions.
What arguments are raging in your mind? What arguments and opinions do you have of God and most importantly what do you know of His arguments and opinions of you? Arguments and opinions are more than just strongholds. They are deadlier than any weapons. Adam and Eve (and us, included) fell to sin because of an argument. They believed the serpent’s argument and stopped believing God.
 
When we stopped believing God, whose argument and opinions do we believe? The argument and opinions of the world? And where do you think they come from? Our enemy, the devil. We do not want to believe his lies, he is a liar and the father of all lies - John 8:44. He is out to kill us with his lies.
 
When we believe wrongly about specific things or issues, emotions such as anger, discouragement, depression, anxiousness, self-pitying, fearfulness or irritation may likely follow.
 
Monitor your emotions as it may indicate what arguments are currently raging in your mind. The devil does not want you think clearly, he wants to keep you confused, unclear, imprisoned and disarmed. Press on and fight, warrior of God. He has overcome the world and in Him, we will find peace. .
 
John 8:31-32
If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. 
 
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.

John 8: 43 - 44 
Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

- Annie Pisca