Dear blessed ones,
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Today Hopeful Heart turns 10 years old. (Facebook page Link)

A decade of journeying in faith and trusting in the Lord daily. We would like to humbly lift praises to the Lord for His grace to sustain this milestone and we are truly grateful of your being with us in this journey to encourage each other.

A powerful reminder for us is found in Zechariah 4: 6 – “Not by might, not by power but by the Spirit of the Lord.” It is the Lord who prepares you for the journey and it is also He who equips you for the journey. The success of any journey is not made through our strength and sheer will alone.

The Lord promises He will never leave nor forsake us (Deut 31: 8). This is a promise He spoke before the Israelites were to cross Jordan river without Moses as their leader. Essentially, the Lord is assuring them that all will be well and a change of leader will not affect their success; it is the Lord that goes before them. This also displays the Lord’s willingness to be involved in their journey actively; this promise still applies to us today.

The Israelites made it to their promised land and witnessed the fall of the Jericho wall through shouting praise to the Lord. Dear blessed ones, the Lord is faithful to His Words and His Omniscience assures us to not fear or be discouraged. He wants to be actively involved in our own journey too.
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We give the glory and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ who sustains us daily and we hope this community of faith will continue to help you to fix your gaze to the One who is the light of the world. Amen. 

Deuteronomy 31: 8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

- Hopeful Heart Team

John 3:16
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
 
Have you ever pondered on this passage? Imagine if it were you sacrificing for your loved ones. What would you want your loved ones to see and gain from your sacrifices for them?
 
Jesus sacrificed His life for us, He sacrificed willingly for us to gain hold of the promise of salvation, healing, peace, provision and abundant joy. In doing so, He demonstrated an incomprehensible love to us as a loving Father, Saviour and a Friend. This is what the Father and His Son want us to see. They gave the best treasure of Heaven and held nothing back to gift us eternal salvation.
 
Equipped with this knowledge, will you press on when the devil is trying to bring you down? Fix our eyes on our loving Saviour continually; fully trusting in Him. How can He who gave up his one and only Son gives conditional love and withheld anything that is good for us? Trust and continually seek His face
 
Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own son but deliver Him up for us a. How shall He not with Him also freely give us all things.

- Annie Pisca

Do you wake up with a heavy feeling; constantly worrying about things? Do you feel alone with your thoughts as if no one is there for you? No one understands you?

​Have you stopped for a second and think that these thoughts would make us susceptible to the devil’s lies? We tend to trust our heart conditions and let it dictate our feelings.
 
Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick, who can understand it. Our loving Father knows of our human trait and when we do not guard our hearts, it magnifies our problem to the point of exhaustion. In Deuteronomy 30:6, God assures us that He will never leave you nor forsake you. He also says that not to worry, He will take good care of you (Matthew 6:26-30). The Word of our Lord uphold the highest credibility as He is a God who doesn’t lie. When He assures us that He will never, He stands by His words to never forsake us.
 
If we human could place our utmost trust to one or few people in our lives to never forsake us and to always be there for us when we are in the lowest valleys, how much more have we belittled our Lord who is capable of an everlasting and consistent care upon us. He loves you so very much, dear friends. Let us reset and trust a little more in our Lord.
 
John 3:16
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

- Annie Pisca

The goodness of God endures continually.”- Psalm 52:1

Good things show up in our lives in many ways: friends and family, health, a roof overhead and food on the table, the enjoyment we receive from music, nature, books and so on. The Bible teaches us that God is the giver of these blessings. “God’s gift to us is the happiness we get from our food and drink and from the work we do. “Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created the heavens.”

These gifts however, as wonderful as they are, are just a small illustration of God’s love. God didn’t have to send His Son; and Jesus didn’t have to lay down His life for our sakes, but He did, and as a result, we are eligible to receive forgiveness of sins and the assurance of an eternity in God’s loving presence.

Without Jesus’ sacrifice, without His sufferings on the cross, without His death, without His resurrection and triumph over the grave, we would not have the promise of everlasting life. Let us take some time to thank God for His gift of salvation. Thank Him for these eternal gifts of forgiveness and redemption.

“Thank You, Lord for sending Your Son, Jesus, to bear the punishment for all my mistakes and shortcomings. Please keep my heart, mind, and life open to You, so that I always remember Your daily goodness in my life.” Amen.

James 1:17 ESV
​Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

- Anonymous 

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.

As we have just celebrated Thanksgiving recently, let it not only be a practice on that one day. A life of gratitude expands goodness that the Lord has provided to us, a smile breeds another and a thankful speech delights another soul. 
  
The Bible shows the miracle of giving thanks when Jesus faced a lack. Jesus did not fret when He did not have enough to feed the multitudes. He did not heed the requests of the disciples to send the multitudes away instead, He gave thanks to His Father in Heaven for the little He had and we knew the rest of the story about the miraculous multiplication that left twelve basketful of food and the 5000 people fully fed.

In another words, Jesus did not listen to the negativity of the disciples, he did not walk away from the trials, instead He focuses on what He already has and He gave thanks. The Bible did not record any lengthy prayers either. Everything God did, He does it with purpose and faith in His Father’s love for Him.

Let us embrace a thankful and grateful approach to all lacks, stir ourselves to praise the all-knowing Lord and avoid complaining or murmuring. Surely, He will not let His children fade away.
 
Psalms 100: 4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

- John W.

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 

We often ask the question, "Why didn't God help me sooner?"

It is not His order. He must first adjust us to the situation and cause us to learn the intended lesson from it. His promise to us is, "I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him."

God must first be with us in the trouble until we step into our own persevering quietness. Then He will take us out of it. This will not come until we have stopped being restless and fretful about it. He desires for us to be in calm disposition and trustful. Then we may find Him say, "It is enough."

God uses trouble to teach His children precious lessons. They are intended to better us. When the good work is done, a glorious recompense will come to us through them. The Lord does not regard trials as difficulties but as opportunities. Without difficulties we cannot have a mercy worth praising God and the glory to see His sovereign power. 

Psalm 91: 15
He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

- Writing of  A. Simpson 

God can only use us while we are trusting Him completely. Satan cared far less for Peter's denial of his Master but more to what he could make to destroy Peter’s faith. So Jesus said to him, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32)
 
It was Peter's faith that Satan’s attacked, and so it is our faith that he contests. The trial of your faith, being much more precious that of gold that perishes (1 Peter 1:7). Let us hold steadfastly to our trust, cast not away therefore your confidence (Hebrews 10:35), and hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end (Hebrews 3:6). And if you would hold your trust, hold your sweetness, your rightness of spirit, your obedience to Christ, your victory in every way. Whatever comes, regard it as of less consequence than that you should triumph and remain steadfast.
 
Accept every circumstance as something God is pleased to allow you to experience. Wave your banner of victory in the face of every foe and guard your faith. Go on, shouting in Jesus' name, Thanks be unto God, which always cause us to triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14)
 
Romans 14:18
Because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval

- A. Simpson 

The Lord has won the fight
He is your redeeming Saviour
He is risen and the enemy has been defeated. 
Praise His Holy Name!

​May the joy and celebration of Easter assures us that the Saviour is always on our side and with Him, we are more than conquerors in all seasons of life.

Amen.