How did God perform the miracle of the Red Sea? By shutting His people in on every opportune side so that there was no way out but by the supernatural  way. The Egyptians were behind them, the sea was in front of them, the mountains were on both sides of them.

There was no escape but from above.The devil can wall us in, but he cannot roof us over as we can always get out at the top. Our difficulties are but God's challenges, and many times He makes them so hard that we must get above them or go under.

During such trial, it presents us with highest possibilities to build the muscles of our faith. We are pushed by the very emergency into God's best inteference. Friends, this is God's hour. If you will rise to meet it you will get such a hold upon Him that you will not be in extremities again; or if you are, you will learn to call them not extremities, but opportunities.

Like Jacob, you will go forth from that night at Peniel, no longer called Jacob, but as victorious Israel. 

2 Corinthians 4:9
We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

- Writing of A Simpson

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.

Oh, how it helps and comforts us to remember that we have a Saviour who spent the first thirty years of His life swinging a hammer in the carpenter shop at Nazareth, he was covered with sweat and grimy dust, physically weary as we often are, and without a doubt, able to understand all our experiences of drudgery and labor of daily lives.

Moreover, He still loves to share our common tasks and equip us for our difficult undertakings every day every hour. Yes,  He will help you at the kitchen and the house as gladly as at the hour of prayer. Yes, busy laborer, He will go with you and help you to swing the hammer, or handle the saw. You will be a better mechanic, a better student, a successful worker at the office because you take His wisdom for the common affairs of life.

There is no place or time where Jesus is not able and willing to walk by our side, to work through our hand and minds. In this way He proves Himself to be our all-sufficiency for all things. Prayerfully lay your task to the Master and let Him guide and strengthen your every step with His loving peace. Find His promised rest in your souls.

Matthew 28:20
Jesus said, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

- 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 

​We have come to that time of the year again, making New Year’s resolution that is. This time, I’m going to think small, yes you read it right, “think small.” Despite it sounding counter intuitive to the popular belief of think big, it is actually a healthier progression to thinking big.

We do not fail overnight. Simply said, failure is making repeated poor thinking and erroneous judgement/action everyday. In short term, these errors do not make much difference but the danger of such deludes us to drift from day to day repeating the same errors and wrong choices. Over time, these consistent bad actions will bring a series of failures in our lives.

The good news is the formula to success is also a similar process but instead of repeating daily errors, we choose to take good disciplined action every day. Over time, small positive choices will lead us to a series of successes and eventually, a major positive change in our new year. Ready to think small? Commit your plan firstly to the Lord and let’s think small.

Perhaps you resolve to read a full Bible this year. Make your timeline plan but instead of pressuring yourself to devour chapters within deadlines, aim to read your Bible five minutes longer than usual, daily. You can do better than five? Great, do ten minutes then. Grandiose resolution tends to intimidate and our motivation will fuse out quickly if we don’t see an immediate result or fail our goal but when we find ourselves achieving small goals daily, we are motivated to do better. Here is to your New Year and resolution making!
 
Proverbs 16: 3
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.
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- John W.

Recently, my relative responded to a distressed neighbor’s call. Together, they found another neighbor who has just committed suicide and the scene left them scarred in ways they would never forget.
 
This reminded me on how peace could be an elusive element in today’s society. Ephesians 6:12 clearly states that we are in a war-zone, whether we like it or not, we are in a war. This war is cosmic in proportions. It involves the big league, bigger than we what we can see. Everyone alive is enlisted, God is in it, so are the angels and demons.
 
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12
 
These battle in our everyday lives can be chalked down to pressure of life; work, financial issues, relationship problems, health concerns and the list goes on. However, where is the actual battle? It’s in waging aggressively in our mind.
 
Jesus has promised His peace for us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14: 27).

When the pressures of life harangue you to the ground, do not give up. Remember the promises of God that He has given us peace not as the world gives. This is a spiritual fight where we need to stand our ground and involve God in every aspect of the battles. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not let fear reign in your mind. The Lord is our victory.

- Annie Pisca

The best evidence of God's presence is the devil's growl. So once wrote Charles Spurgeon in The Sword and the Trowel.

That little sentence has helped many a tried and tired child of God to stand fast and even rejoice under the fiercest attacks of the enemy. We read in the book of Second Samuel that the moment David was crowned at Hebron, "All the Philistines came up to seek David. And the moment we get anything from the Lord worth contending for, the devil comes to seek us.

When the enemy meets us at the threshold of any great work for the Lord, let us accept it as "a token of salvation" and claim double blessing, victory and power. Power is developed by resistance. The cannon carries twice as far because the exploding power has to find its way through resistance. In the powerhouse, electricity is produced by the magnetic resistance of the revolving armature. Even so we shall find some day that Satan has been one of God's agencies of blessing.
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Philippians 4:12-13
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

- Writing of Charles Spurgeon

As the days are leading to Christmas, it has been a leading to share what has been the core heart of Hopeful Heart. Hopeful Heart started on a mundane night of August 2011 where God has been speaking much about hope unto our seasons.

Hope through Christ has been such a key message we delight in sharing to believers. When we as believers speak of hope, it resonates deeper that any earthly desires but it is an affirmation that our hope is made certain and it rests on the finished work of Jesus to bring us forgiveness, eternal salvation and reconciliation of humanity's brokenness in a fallen world. We are not left in this world to fight our own battles, Christ is the anchor of our soul, He has come to this world to be a Saviour and a secure hope in times of need and hopelessness.

Through the coming of Jesus, He has secured us hope in many ways. We are able to hope for the future; that we will be redeemed through the free gift of salvation, we could hope in the present that we are sustained, upheld and loved by a God who loves unconditionally. We are also enabled to hope for reconciliations over the scars and consequences of past mistakes; failures are no greater than God’s restorative power.
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As we were led to the verse of Hebrew 16: 20 about hope, it brought about the name of Hopeful Heart. The word Heart is derived from Proverbs 4: 23 NLT. It instructs us to guard our heart above all else as it will determine the course of our lives. So dear friends, as we anchor our hearts in Christ Jesus our Saviour and Redeemer in this month where Christ needs to be celebrated more than gifts and festive activities, we will find His Words to continually guard our hearts through the providence of insightful wisdom and deeper Biblical understanding. May you always find hope in Christ, your living hope and continue to spread His Good News. Jesus is the real reason for Christmas, it is because of His birth, we have Christmas; let Him be at the center of it.

Hebrew 16: 20 NIV
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf...

- Irene Soon