A little boy hastened his steps away from the shelter kittens as I saw his mom shifted her gaze towards him. “Dan, did you touch the kittens?” she asked. “No,” the five year old shook his head adamantly and before I looked away, I heard my friend asked again, “Dan, which kitten is the softest?” He quickly pointed to the ginger tabby kitten and replied, “That one and it mewed at me!”

We often smile at such innocent lie but Dan’s lie displays our innate tendency to sin. No one was taught to lie ever since they were a child. Paul recognises this tendency to sin by stating in Romans 5: 12 - when Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.

Adam brought death and sin unto our path but Jesus gave us hope. He has redeemed our sins; Jesus is in favour to lavish us abundant grace instead of the punishments we deserve due to our innate aptness to sin. Adam’s sinful nature manifested to everyone in his lineage but the good news is what Christ Jesus has done for us on the cross has also redeemed us wholly.

Christ’s sacrifice has enabled us to receive a life of abundant forgiveness and grace. Come to the Lord in repentance and in faith and let the Lord strengthens you to win over the hold of any sins in your life.

Romans 5: 12 – 21
Just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead.

- Irene Soon

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

During my recent house-moving, I came to realization that I have become a collector of things. You know those people who seems to buy and store things in their closets or wardrobes and suddenly feel their house is in such clutter.

I believe most of this problem originates from the popular culture of materialism in our society. Whenever we watch TV, browse social media or listen to the radio, we are presented by many advertisements selling us the newest and greatest things we should own. The rapid technological advancement even contributed to a shorter life span of us owning that new piece of thing.

Jesus puts this in perspective when He said, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." If your possessions seems to clutter all your spaces including your mental space, you could decide to give what you no longer need to charity or those who are in need. Remember the golden wisdom that Jesus said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” As we give away our extra or earthly possessions in the spirit of generosity, we accumulate spiritual blessings and joy that no possessions could ever bring to us.​

Acts 20: 35 ESV
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

- John W.

I am reintroduced recently to the old hymn “What a firm foundation” and a contemporary song “Who You say I am” and I am reminded again who and how God sees us. We are indeed sinners, but also saints because of what Christ has done on the cross. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8).
​
In our trouble and distress, He is our refuge (Ps. 46:1). When we are in deep waters, God is with us (Is. 43:2). In our weakness, we find His strength and His grace is sufficient for us (2 Cor. 12:9). When we are weak and there is no more strength in us, He is always sustaining us (Is. 46:4). Even when we are shaken and we feel weak and we doubt our faith as we are overwhelmed with trials and tribulation, He promises to be faithful because He will never leave nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6). Christ has become curse for us ‘just’ to buy us and to pay the full price of our sin (Gal. 3:13-15).
 
I can go on and on, but what I have learned from the songs is more than enough to remind me of who God is, who He is for us and who we are in Him. Most likely we will never be Billy Graham or Mother Teresa or even those people we greatly admire with their long list of achievements or those who have touched many lives and showed God’s love for others, but we are all ‘who I am’ in God.
 
When I feel small and insignificant, or when I feel God is silent and I’m focused on all the negativities around me, I want to encourage everyone (including myself) to take heart and live according to who God is and who we are in Him, not according to who we think we are or what the world thinks of us. May we live as ‘who I am in God through Christ’.
 
Isaiah 46:4
I will be your God throughout your lifetime--until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.

- Jenni Wang

Have you come across a durian fruit before? The prickly greenish-brown husks you see hanging from street vendors at any of tropical Asian countries, when it is in season that is. It is a fruit I have grown accustomed to having or even eating but it is not the same case with everyone.

Some simply find its pungent odour revolting or foul, repelling them the thoughts of even trying it for the first time. The thing with durian is, inside its thick prickly hard shell, there is soft sweet edible centre that many crave and sometimes willing to pay the premium price for the fruit.

Loving people and seeing the good possibilities in people may sometimes be quite similar to knowing a durian as well. Their presence or attitude could repel or prick you. People can be horrible and stinky with the words they say and those barriers add to the challenge of reaching out the soft sweet centre of the person. To reach in, sometimes you have to be willing to be pricked and not let the “bad odour” of their bad attitude repulse you.

​Like me and you, everyone wants and needs to be affirmed for their own self. Be kind and thoughtful in your choice of words as Christ has to us. We too, could be like a durian and it is always such a relief for people not to misunderstand our wrong behaviour in times of our struggles.

Thank you Father for your grace in our life. Help us extend grace to others as You have been to us. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

John 13:34
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

- Irene Soon 

Muhammad Ali was known as the prize fighter who couldn’t be beaten. It was said that his picture was featured in sports magazines more than any other athlete in history, earning him the title – “Sportsman of the Century.” Wherever he went, the camera will follow him. He had it all; recognition, wealth, fame and all that stardom could offer.
​
All that he had couldn’t buy him good health and Ali fell victim to the death grip of Parkinson’s disease.

Gary Smith, a sportswriter spent some time with Ali during this period and wrote on how he recalled Ali escorted him to a dark, damp barn where he saw a board displaying mementos – posters of ‘Thrilla in Manila’, pictures of Ali lifting champion-belts he had won over his heads and pictures of Ali in the ring fighting. What Smith noticed was the pictures were smeared with white marks caused by pigeons’ droppings. Ali picked up the board and Smith heard him mumbled, “I had the whole world but it was nothing. Look at me now.”

​The psalmist wrote,” We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in You.” (Psalm 39: 6-7 NLT). Fame and fortune are may prove to be futile but it is a blessed thing to have our hope set on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

- John W.

Do you ever read Luke 10:38-42 or John 12:2-3 and think - ‘Yes! I’m I know how you feel Martha!’

Like Martha, I have always had the tendency to serve and ‘work hard for God’, rather than to be still and rely on God’s grace. This attitude of mine has its pros and cons. I love to feel like God is using me to build His Kingdom. I love being ‘busy for God’. But sometimes I forget to do tasks with Him.

Sort of subconsciously, I say to God - ‘Don’t worry, I can handle this one’, rather than being still and resting in His presence. And today I had a thought, "would I be happy if I died today to begin eternity in Heaven in the sweet presence of God 24/7, without another opportunity to ‘serve the Lord here on Earth? OR, do I desire working for God more than I desire God Himself?"
 
Philippians 3:14 - I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
 
Being in heaven with Jesus for all eternity is the be all and end all of one's life! It is my purpose, my ultimate calling, and my goal; my one desire. Jesus is my heart’s pursuit and my prize. Healing, provision, miracles etc are all things of God and from God. Just like my Mum’s lasagne is from my Mum. But it’s my Mum herself who I love most of all, not the lasagne.

- Rebecca Ng

Psalm 28: 13 – 14
I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart.

What did David mean by “be a good courage”?
​
The Webster dictionary defines courage as mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. It is strength or the ability to do something that frightens one. It may means having the strength to against all currents; persevering to stand by your God given values, it may means having the strength to say no, having the strength to profess your faith boldly though it intimidates you, it may mean having the strength to keep quiet and not speak hastily due to pride and it may simply mean having the strength to say the first sorry and admitting you are at the wrong .

David urges us to wait on the Lord and be of good courage because he knew that God has been the strength of his heart through it all and the Lord remained David’s only hope in the land of living. Do not lose heart, dear friends.  Like David, let the Lord be the strength of your heart and continue to hope on the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

- Irene Soon