This Easter Sunday, let us remember the Hope that Jesus has gifted us. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus cancelled the charge of our sins' debt that could condemn us by nailing it to the cross. 

Receiving Jesus' gift of sacrifice for the wrong we have done means we are able to wake with fresh new grace, hope and mercy everyday, free from the burden of sins. He has RISEN, He has beaten death and darkness and oh dear blessed ones, He loves you so very dearly.

Dear Lord, thank you for paying the price of my sins. May Your mercy and forgiveness helps me to extend forgiveness and love to those who needs to know you and of your Love. In Jesus Name, we pray.

Amen.​

Colossians 2: 13 - 14 NASB
And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings

- Hopeful Heart Team

Dear blessed ones, let us take a moment to remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ has done for us at the Cross. Though initially the Cross and Jesus' sacrifice bore wordly sorrow, it opened the way to an incorruptible inheritance and reconciliation to our Father in Heaven that we have a living Hope who unconditionally loves us and call us His children.

His Light could break through any darkness and no death could defeat the power of Christ, His Spirit courses through our body with strength and assurance of victory. This Easter, remember the victorious power of Christ is on our side. Celebrate His Glory, praise His Holy Name! The Lord Jesus Christ loves you!

- Hopeful Heart Team

I often wondered how could Jesus forgive his enemies whilst He hung in pain and grief from the cross and graciously said "forgive them for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34) and for those who put Jesus on the cross, didn't they know they were killing an innocent man?

Perhaps, they were just following the protest where most people yelled "crucify Him" but would they know what was Jesus' crime? If only they knew how much Jesus loves them. Jesus demonstrated His love on the cross by dying for His children and He did not impose any blame unto them. If an earthly parents will never dream of seeing their own children suffer, how much more God will not allow suffering unto His children.

Are you weary and burdened today, let us return to the Cross.

The Lord has died on the cross to set us free from all torments, sins, shame and guilt; He reconciled us to God at the cross. For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more , having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (Romans 5: 10-11). His resurrection then becomes the assurance that the same power that raised Him is available to lead us into a life of victory.

How would our lives be if we have the boldness and hope to live in the overflow of God's abundant love for us? That His Light could break through any darkness and no metaphorical death could defeat the power of Christ, His Spirit courses through our body with strength and assurance of victory. This Easter, return to the Cross, remember the Lord's unconditional love for you and receive His forgiveness. Let Him renew your strength and hope once again, to live wholly and joyfully assured that His mercy and goodness will follows us all of our days.

Psalm 23: 6
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

- Irene Soon 

In Australia, we have a bird called the willie wagtail. Although it is a  different type of bird, I often liken it to the sparrow.

​Perhaps it is just the way they puff their chest or how tiny I see they are. They are however much bigger than the sparrows but the sight of one brings me joy and reminded me of the verse in Matthew 10.

In the Bible, Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s care…So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29 – 31).

Jesus is heeding us to hold on to the faith that the Lord is bigger than any of our problems and challenges. When circumstances threaten us to lose hope, we can find this truth that the Lord who loves the little sparrows are also our Saviour who numbers the very hairs on our head.

He is the Saviour who watches over us; the loving Saviour who remembers every detail of our lives and everyday, every moment, we are always under the Lord’s watchful eyes and loving care. His eyes who are on the sparrows are also on you and me.
​
Matthew 10:29 - 31
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

- Irene Soon 

We are taught the great lesson from the Bible, that to get, we must give; that to accumulate, we must scatter; that to make ourselves  happy, we must make others happy; and that in order to become spiritually healthy, we must seek the spiritual good of others. In watering others, we are ourselves watered.

How? Our efforts to be useful brings out our power for usefulness. We have latent talents and dormant and dormant skills which were brought to light by usage. Our strength for labour is hidden even from ourselves, until we venture forth to fight the Lord’s battles or to climb the mountain of difficulty.

We do not know what tender sympathies we possess until we try to dry the widow's tears and soothe the orphan's grief. We often find in attempting to teach others, that we gain instruction for ourselves. So that watering others makes us humble. We discover how much grace there is where we had not looked for it.

Our own comfort is also increased by our working for others. We endeavour to cheer them, and the consolation gladdens our own heart. He that watered shall be watered also himself. Give then, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and running over.
 
Proverbs 11:25 ESV
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

Excerpt from Charles Spurgeon @Heartlight inc 1996 - 2024

One afternoon, a little girl lingered in front of a thrift shop, studying the items displayed in the window. After taking her time, she stepped inside and shyly asked to see a necklace with a small pearl pendant.

The shopkeeper, Dan, brought it to the counter. The moment she saw it, her eyes sparkled. “It’s perfect,” she said softly. “Could you wrap it for me, please? My sister would love it. She’s been taking care of us since our mom passed away, and I want to give her something special for our first Christmas without her.” Dan looked at her gently and asked, “How much do you have to pay for it?”

The little girl untied a cloth bundle and poured its contents onto the counter. There were stacks of coins, a few folded dollar bills, and a well worn Snoopy watch. “I emptied all my savings,” she said earnestly. “That watch is the only one I have. Will it be enough?”

Dan picked up the necklace and asked her name. “Lily Grace,” she replied.

With a warm smile, Dan disappeared into the back room. He returned moments later with a beautifully wrapped gift box, a Christmas card attached, Lily Grace’s name written neatly inside.
​
Days later, on Christmas Eve, a young woman walked into Dan’s shop holding the same package Lily Grace had purchased. “Do you remember who bought this?” she asked.

“A little girl named Lily Grace,” Dan replied. “She bought it for her sister for their first Christmas.”
“It must have cost much more than she could afford,” she said. “How much is it really worth? I would like to pay the difference.”

Dan gently handed the package back to her and said, “She paid with everything she had. That is exactly how much it is worth.”

This Christmas, may we rejoice in the truth that we are no longer a slave but through Jesus Christ, we receive the gift of adoption of Sonship; we have been gifted Heaven’s Best to redeem us from the condemnation and curse of the law to receive free flowing loving mercy, grace and daily favours. Jesus paid with everything that He had to redeem us, that is how much you and I are worth to Him. Rejoice for we are redeemed by a Good Saviour who loves us unconditionally.

Jesus Christ, He is the greatest gift of all. 
 
Galatians 4: 4 – 7
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
​
- Irene Soon

Growing up, my parents taught us the children on the values of persistence, determination and commitment in all our pursuits and endeavours. Whilst they are good qualities, in my case, it imposes self-generated urgencies.

John 10: 10 tells us that our Lord has come to give us life in abundance opposing to the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy, but what if our self-generated urgencies are stopping us from living the abundant life God has gifted us?

Self-generated urgencies are weights or metaphorically, ‘the stones’ we unknowingly carry. They manifest mentally as a burden that we carry everywhere we go; it constants reminds that you have not done your best, the house is still dirty, your wardrobe is full of junk, you have not lost the weight or that you were passed for that job promotions and the list goes on.  The nagging will only stop if you heed the voices and urgently finish tasks that you think will bring you happiness. Yes, it will give you temporary satisfaction or happiness but it is a never-ending daily cycle that constantly tries to steal your peace and joy.

Dear friends, it is the Lord who gives us the wisdom to know when to lay aside or let go of the self-generated urgencies. The Bible heeds us to cast every burden to the Lord. Could I encourage you to lay every ‘stones’, aspirations, worries, anxieties with prayers to seek strength and wisdom. It is your heritage to receive the abundant life God has gifted you. Learn to let go and deliberately cast the stones that torments you. Let the Lord grant you wisdom that brings clarity; He will take care of you, cast each burden and He will strengthen you to let go of any false self-generated urgencies.
 
Psalm 55: 22 NKJV
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved

Isaiah 54:17 NKJV
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” says the LORD.

- John W.

During my trip to China, I saw barbed wire fence along the border between China and the nation next to it - DPRK, it came to mind a picture of physical oppression. We as follower of Christ are no exempt as we may be under spiritual oppression – oppression of sins making us prisoners of sins.

God reminded me about freedom in Him, that we are no more slave to sin but slave to righteousness (Romans 6: 18). In the Bible, being slave o righteousness means we are fully repentant and committed to the cause of Christ, we strive to be obedient to His calling and seek to do what is pleasing to the Lord in contrast to us serving the sins that engulf and entrap us in cycles of defeat.

When I pray for clarity and guidance in trials, there are times I was met with no answers but am reminded of His promise in the Bible that when I obey, the Lord with strengthen me to continue and when I stray, He will lead me back to the path of righteousness.

This freedom is given by the Lord so we could have a life of living testimony and that we could proclaim the Good News to the poor in the spirit, freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free (Luke 4: 18). Proclaim the Good News of the Lord and set the prisoners free.
 
Romans 6: 18 NIV
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness
 
Isaiah 42:16 NKJV
I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them and not forsake them.

- Jenni Wang

Recently, I saw a car sticker – “not perfect but forgiven.” How wonderful it is to remember that we serve a God who does not look for perfection but able to see the condition of our heart and repentance.

Forgiveness has a tremendous healing power. Do you remember the moment an understanding is cleared or that both parties have forgiven each other sincerely? There is always a sense of relief that releases peace and joy that you are unable to explain but how it strengthens you from within? That is the life that God has come to give to us, a life forgiven, filled with relief, peace and joy to the fullest.

Yes, we are not perfect and so is life but always remember that we are fully forgiven and made righteous by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Christ who is perfect in all His ways has forgiven us so we could follow His ways and extends forgiveness to others.

Dear blessed ones, the Lord highly esteemed you and He forgives all your sins. He is a God who accepts us the way we are and He will work with us when we are willing to grow and be pruned, to embrace honesty, humility and forgiving others as we walk daily with Him.

The Lord forgives us not because we are perfect but because He loves us. Try again and falter not, the Lord is our strength, hope and miracles.
 
Psalm 86:5
You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Romans 8:38-39:
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
- Irene Soon