More Joy In Heaven

Luke 15:4-7

4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Bee's Thoughts:

Living in this materistic world makes people not so compassionate these days. People also tend to value one's according to one's economic value. It's sad! Sometimes, I also wonder when someone says he loves me, is he considering my economic value too? :(

In the above passage, Jesus said that when a person repents (regardless of the person's status), the heaven rejoices.

I was tested earlier tonight while on my way home from work. A lady in her 50s, looked shabby, asked me for some money to take a train home as she said she had lost her walet. I paused as I wasn't sure she was tricking me for money. Then the Lord impresed upon me to just give... even if she was trying to cheat me, the amount wouldn't be big and I should have compasssion on her.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding me that Your compassion for me never fail and I should do likewise to others. Grant me wisdom as I show Your compassion to people around me. Let me do what is right in Your sight.

Tonight, I pray for best friend that You will heal him from his sickness now. Let him sleep well and be strong and healthy again tomorrow. May You touch him with Your love and compassion.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

Our First Anniversary

I can't believe it! We have crossed our First Anniversary at this devotional blog together! :)

Looking back, I must thank God for helping us to stay consistent in reading the Bible nightly, no matter how busy or tired we have been. It's by God's grace that we could have done that. Praise God!

For me, these devotional times are life to my spirit and water to soul, always bringing me back to sanity whenever my mind is crowded with stressful events or thoughts.

Sometimes I felt like taking a certain course of actions, but God would use His words to tell me not to do them.

Sometimes, I felt down or discouraged, God's words would encourage me again and helped me moved on. As Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says:

9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

Thanks, Tommy, for keeping me company here. Two are better than one. ;)



... the thoughts of Bee

Sowing and Reaping

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.
1 When the LORD brought back the captives to [a] Zion,
we were like men who dreamed. [b]
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."

3 The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

4 Restore our fortunes, [c] O LORD,
like streams in the Negev.

5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.

6 He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.

Bee's Thoughts:

"No pain, no gain and God helps those who help themselves," as the saying goes. Yes, God is always fair, even if we don't see it at first.

In every aspect of life, be it our career or relationship, we need to not just 'sow' the 'seeds' but also to 'water' them and let God provide the 'sunshine' for growth. If we don't put in effort or labour hard, and pray for God's grace, what we do may just be futile pursuits. For "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." (Psalm 127:1).

Yes, the above song of praises came as a result of the labourers.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding me that I need to take time to labour with You in order to see fruits in what I do. I pray that I will always remember to entrust my work and relationship into Your hand and also to work at them. I need to partner with You in these aspects of my life. Forgive me for times I thought I could do things by myself. Now I surrender them to You. Take them and make them Yours.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Tommy's Thoughts:

Without knowing God is able to restore us to joy from our current grief and sorrow; it’s easy to give up and be discouraged. We may even then fall into bitterness and resentment; blaming others and God for our condition.

In today’s passage, we learned from the psalmist that our current condition is not permanent. Our tears now will be seeds growing into a harvest of joy (v6) if we are patient by waiting for God to bring good out of our tragedy.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promises of a great harvest of joy. Lord, I pray that You’ll supply me with the patient and perseverance to endure. By Your grace and mercy, use me to honor, magnify, and glorify your Name. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

From Awe To Adoration

Revelation 1:10-18

17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Bee's Thoughts:

"Then he placed His right hand on me" (v17)

This phrase brings very warm feeling into my heart and I just feel like crying. It's like a child missing her father, and when her father places his hand on her she clings onto him and hugs him tightly.

I missed my late father and my Heavenly Father too. I can't talk to my late father anymore till I see him again in heaven, but I can stil talk to my Heavenly Father now though I can't see Him. I should talk to Him, and tell Him all that are in my heart.

This Father of mine is the Almighty God in whom I can trust and share all my fears and joy. I missed Him because I have not spent enough time talking to Him... I only gave him my residual time every night. It shouldn't be if I love my Heavenly Father. I need to change.


Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for showing me Your glory again through tonight's devotion. Thank You for speaking to me right now and telling me I need to spend more quality time with You. Thank You that I can come to You boldly any time because of the blood of Jesus. Thank You that my life is in Your hand and You know every thought in my mind, every feeling in my heart and every word I like to say. Praise You Lord!

Right now I want to pray for my dearest friend who is away for working trip. I pray You will protect him from all harm. May You give him wisdom at work and be a shining light for You wherever he is. Give him your love and peace. Keep him healthy and protect him from all illnesses. Grant him a peaceful rest tonight and bring him safely home again tomorrow.
I pray all these in Jesus'most precious name. Amen.




Tommy's Thoughts:

Good Out Of Evil

Romans 8:18-28

Future Glory
18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

More Than Conquerors
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Bee's Thoughts:

The passage today is very comforting. Sometimes we become very impatient when waiting for the things we hope to happen. We give up easily when we wait 'too long'.

I remember when I first accepted Christ, I was told that Jesus is coming again. I was full of hope. But year after year, I didn't see Him coming... I started to wonder. But thank God that His word never return to Him void. Whatever He promised will happen, just that His time is different from our time.

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." (v25).

Patience is what we need, No wonder the Bible says love is patient. We we truly love someone, we cant wait.

Even when all things look bad, we still can have the asurance that:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (v28)


Dear Lord,
Thank You for comforting me with Your words. May my hope in You never fail for You don't.
Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

What Now?

2 Chronicles 20:5-17

14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

15 He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

Bee's Thoughts:

Sometimes, I tend to take things into my own hands and fight the 'battle' in my own ways. I may forget to pray and commit things to God. When that happens the 'army' becomes too big for me to handle. Fears and axieties may creep in.

Tonight's devotion is a good reminder that when I leave my cares to God, He will help me win. For He will be with me to see me through.

Dear Lord,
Forgive me for times when I forget to commit my ways to You. Now I like to commit my life and all my concerns to You. I pray that You will give me wisdom in dealing with some of my dilemmas and trust that You will work all things for good to those who love You and are called according to Your purpose. Give me Your peace to move on without fear.
In Jesus' nameI pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

Have we ever failed continuously in our battle against temptation, fear & pressure? Even after we said we’ve submitted to God our struggles, we still find our selves losing every battle coming our way. In today’s passage, God give us a clear way on how to win these battles by first letting God fight for us.

To let God fight for us, first, we need to know the battle is not ours, but God’s. This ensures us wont be fighting the battle alone or with our own strength. Instead, we allow His strength to work through all our fears and weaknesses. We also need to ensure we are pursuing God’s interests and not just our own selfish desires. Lastly, we need to pray for God to help us in our daily battles.

Dear Father, thank You again for guiding me to Your way, helping me to win battles against rulers of this world (Ephesians 6:12). Thank You for assuring me that You’ll be with me, that I don’t have to be afraid or discouraged when facing the struggles ahead. I pray that You will lead me to obey and always pursue Your interests and plan for me; that not mine but Your will be done. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Losing To Gain

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Sowing Generously

6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." 10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Bee's Thoughts:

Jesus teaches us to measure our lives by losses rather than gains, by sacrifices rather than self-preservation, by time spent for others rather than time lavished upon ourselves, by love poured out rather than love poured in.

It's a rule of life: God blesses those who give of their lives and resources (2 Cor. 9:6). Give out the truth you know, and He'll give you more to give away. Give your time, and you'll have more time to give. Set no limit on your love, and you'll have more love for others than before.

- Today's Daily Bread

Many times when we give a lot but don't get in return, we will feel being short-changed. We feel that life is very unfair to us. We question why we are always the givers and others the takers.I have been struggling with this seemingly unfairness of life since young.

Even as an adult it seems I give so much more than I get from others. Sometimes I tell myself to stop giving, yet I can't stop. Perhaps because I didn't have many things in life as a child, and everything I have now as an adult I worked very hard for them (with God's help), and I have the urge to give to others. I don't want them to suffer like I did.

I also have the tendency to give advices out of a good intention, sometimes to the annoyance of certain recipients. To me, I care and that's why I give. But to the recipients I am telling them what to do or trying to run their life. It hurts me to know that my kindness is not appreciated and instead being misunderstood, especially from someone dear. :'(

However, I still must give. Perhaps I need to learn to be wise as to who I should give and who I shouldn't. Even Jesus advised His disciples in Matthew 7:6:

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do,
they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you topieces."I
need God's wisdom to know who will regards my giving as unkindness and will
treat it otherwise.


THE SERENITY PRAYER
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time,
accepting hardship as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it;

trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
and supremely happy with Him forever
in the next.

Amen

Tommy's Thoughts:

God is more concern about how we give than the amount we give. We should ask our selves these questions when we give: Are we trying to get the attention or to impress others when we give? Are we finding our selves reluctant to give or give only under compulsion?

Do we give hesitantly, worrying about not having enough left for our selves when we give generously? Or do we give because we want to gain God’s approval or to please Him?

Our attitude in giving tells a lot about our faith and relationship with God. If we know and acknowledge everything we own and have: our wealth, resources, talents etc. are in fact gifts and blessings from God, our attitude and perception in giving will be different.

We’ll give more cheerfully and with a grateful heart as we see giving to others as a way to give back to God what He has blessed us with. We will also give freely and generously (even ‘ridiculously’) because of our faith and trust in God to take care and provide all our needs.

Dear Father, thank You for all the gifts and blessings You have given to me. Most of all, Your greatest Gift of love and mercy that allow me to reconcile with You. Lord, guide me to always have the right attitudes when giving to You and Your people. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Hurry Sickness

Philippians 3:7-16

Pressing on Toward the Goal

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Bee's Thoughts:

Although we try to forget the past, be they victories or failures, yet we often unconsiously hold on to them. They cause us to fall in one way or another. If past victories, we tend to become proud and take things for granted, thinking it no problem. If past failures, we tend to have phobia and it becomes a self-fulfilled 'prophecy' for another failure ahead.

Paul is a good example for us to follow. He said, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead"... regardless of past victories or failures. Our confidence should be in God, not in ourselves, and all glory be to God.


Dear Lord,
Let me not hold on to any past that will cripple me from moving forward. Let have confidence in You and do what You want me to do.
In Your name I ask all these. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

It’s encouraging and comforting to know that because of our hope in Christ, we can stop dwelling in our past or holding on to any past guilt (v13). Since we know God has forgiven us, we can and should move on to a life of faith and obedience; to become what God wants us to be.

But becoming perfect is not an overnight thing, Christian growth is a life-long process (v12). Trying to be or expecting others to be perfect impatiently will only leaves us and others drained and discouraged. Instead, we should press on in the Holy Spirit’s power to live out what we have already learned and live up to what we already know.

And for those who are demanding quick arrivals and instant results from others, we should instead have the patience and gentleness to encourage others to grow at their pace with God’s guidance. This gives great relief and assurance to them when they are genuinely driven to know, obey and grow in the knowledge of God.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Christ’s provision that I should not be sad or discouraged by my own self or those around me to feel that I am so far from perfect, that I’m beyond help and that I’m ruining my life with my current flaws.

But Lord, I pray that You will guide me not to use this as an excuse of not moving forward, to grow in my relationship with You and to allow You to continue filling in any discrepancy between what I am now and what You want me to be. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Be An Example

1 Timothy 4:12-16

12Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

15Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Bee's Thoughts:

We are to "set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" (v12).

"in speech": be edifying in our words
- "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6, NIV.
- "He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." Proverbs 13:3, NIV.
- "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14, NIV.

"in life": follow Christ's example
- "And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

"in love": loving God first of all, followed by loving others in the biblical way
- "4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails." 1 Cor 13:4-8

"in faith": trusting in God and not our own ability
- "The just shall live by faith." Romans 1:17 AV
- "For we walk by faith, not by sight" 2 Cor 5:7

"in purity": not following the world's viewpoint even if it means weare old fashion
- "keep yourself pure." 1 Timothy 5:22

The following song is a prayer we may use:

Purity, Holiness

Lord, I give my eyes to You,
Guard my sight and all I do.
Help me to honor You each day,
In all my thoughts and what I say.

Refrain
Purity, Holiness,
Seal me Lord—in righteousness.
Not by what I say and do,
But through the grace that comes from You.

Give me desire for Your word,
May only building words be heard,
Through my life be glorified,
Jesus Christ, for me You died.
Repeat refrain

Get thee behind me Satan’s lie,
I’ll do Your will Lord, come draw nigh.
Help me avoid the tempter’s snare,
Dwell in Your loving arms of care.
Repeat refrain




Tommy's Thoughts:

Paul urges us to watch our lives closely; always on the lookout for any influences and temptation that may lead us into sin. Not only that, he said we must also watch what we believe just as closely. Similar to living recklessly, wrong beliefs can easily pull us into sin and heresy.

We should also be on guard of those who would persuade us to put more importance to how we live than what we believe. Instead, we should pray for God’s grace to enable us to persevere in both.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to be on constant guard of both how I live and also what I believe in. Lord, I pray that You will guide me to live rightfully with the Spirit’s leading and to seek to know Your Word deeper. May Your peace and wisdom guide every word I’ll say and every decision I’ll make. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Temporary

1 Peter 1:3-9

Praise to God for a Living Hope
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Bee's Thoughts:


Bee's Thoughts:

People always say "seeing is believing". However, believing in what one can see is no longer called faith. Faith is believing in what he/she has not seen.

Romans 10:17 says, "17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The faith that Christians have in God is not a blind faith. It follows the law of consistency about God. When we read the Bible, we will begin to see the character of God and thereby our faith starts to grow even though we have not seen Him. It's the same as when we say we have faith that someone can do well or he/she will not betray us. We have such faith because we have come to personally know this person by way of communication and have seen the person's consistency in good performance.

Therefore, even when we are suffering we can still havehope and faith in God. For we know that our suffering will not last, only tough Christians do.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding us to have faith in You inspite of sufferings. For such sufferings are only temporal and they are here to test our endurance. May my faith continue to grow each day.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

We can get pretty lost and discouraged by situation or condition in our lives that we thought it is our final experience. Whenever we think our pain or trial will never leave us and continuing to torture our lives, we need to turn to God’s Word where He has promised to always be with us and to supply us with His strength and patience to endure.

God also ensures our suffering is temporal and that He will not allow them to ‘destroy’ us. When we truly submit to Him in times of trouble, we’ll know that God is able to achieve greater good in our lives and provide us with the joy and hope of an eternal life with Christ.

Dear Father, thank You for the joy, confidence and hope You offered to me through Your Word. Lord, forgive me at times for the lack of trust in You when I face difficult problems in life. I pray that You will keep my head up, renew my commitment to You, continue to obey and hold firmly to my faith in You to restore everything perfect again one day. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Done!

John 19:25-30

25Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus
28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Bee's Thoughts:

Dear Lord Jesus,
You have finished the work Your Father has sent You to do, even though it's hard and painful. Thank You!
What is it that You want me to do? When can I also say, "It is finished!"?
I pray that You will show me Your will and let me finish doing it while I am here on earth. I pray that miracles will happen that others will know that You are great. May Your name be glorified.
In Your most wonderful name I pray. Amen,


Tommy's Thoughts:

As I listened to a friend about some non-believers debate on Christianly, I realized it is easy for men to put them selves higher than God and greater than other men, boasting with pride when they believe that their salvation is through their own ‘good’ work and wisdom.

From Ephesians 2:8-9, we know that it is by grace we have been saved, through faith, not from our selves; and our salvation is a gift from God, not by our own works, so that no one can boast. There is also nothing we can do to add to Christ’s sacrifice for our sin. All we can do is to submitting our lives to Him, reaching out to God in faith to receive His gift of an eternal life.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me what Christ has done on the Cross is enough for forgiveness of my sins; that they are all already paid in full. Lord, teach me to submit to You, allowing the Holy spirit to guide my every word and action, saturating my heart and mind with Your Word and coming to You daily with prayers and thanksgiving. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Adjust Your Conscience

Acts 24:10-16

10When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: "I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. 11You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. 13And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. 14However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, 15and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 16So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

Bee's Thoughts:

All of us have a conscience, but after the fall of man our conscience has been tarnished. The only way for our conscence to work in the way it should be is by asking the blood of Christ to cleanse it. Hebrews 9:14 says,

14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[a] so that we may serve the living God!

I found an article very helpful in learning to keep our conscience clear. It says,

1. If your conscience warns you that to do a certain thing is wrong, DON'T DO IT.
2. If you have already done something wrong, CONFESS IT at once and claim the cleansing blood of Christ.

Dear Lord,
Forgive me right now for the sins I have committed and the sins I may not know about. I pray that the blood of Christ will cleanse me from my sins and make my conscience clear. Help me to be obedient to Your Spirit prompting in my conscience, that I may do what is right in Your sight.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

We don’t need to feel intimidated by accusation or criticisms from those who against what we believe. Instead, we can learn from how Paul responded to those who accused him in today’s passage. Paul refuted his accusers point by point and even able to present the gospel message through his defense. This is an example of how we can use every opportunity or situation we face to witness for Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching me to make use of every opportunity to be a good witness for Christ to the world. Guide me to study and know deeper Your Word, to apply them in my daily life; to share and present boldly to those around me Your truths with tact and gentleness. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Peace In The Storm

Isaiah 26:1-4

A Song of Praise
1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;
God makes salvation
its walls and ramparts.

2 Open the gates
that the righteous nation may enter,
the nation that keeps faith.

3 You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.

4 Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

Bee's Thoughts:

Our mind determines many things. It determines our mood. When a person's mind is unstable, he/she is said to be of unsound mind and can do many things that are not normal.

In the above passage, we see that to have a peaceful mind, one needs to to be "steadfast" or firm in trusting God. In spite of our circumstances, we need to just trust God, and that's where His peace will reside in our hearts.

Dear Lord,
I pray that my mind will always be set on You, so that I can experience Your peace in all circumstances.
In Jesus' name I pray.


Tommy's Thoughts:

Problems, stress and anxieties in our everyday lives can easily overwhelm and pull us down; taking away both the peace and joy in our hearts. It may be a simple phone call or news we heard from someone, we become fearful, perplexed and troubled; we then find it hard to concentrate on other things.

If we were to constantly exhibit the above attitudes; easily affected and shaken by our surrounding chaos, we might have yet to devote and yield our selves entirely to God. For if we have devoted to Him, our whole attitude will be steady and stable because we know we are supported firmly by God’s peace, unchanging love and mighty power.

Remember this great promise God has made with us in Philippians 4:6-7:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Dear Father, thank You for Your teaching and Your peace for me today. Teach me Lord to be stable and steady always in spite of the situation at hand. Lord, guide me to fix my mind on You and trusting You to help me with problems and worries through prayers. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Gratitude

Romans 16:1-16

1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant[a] of the church in Cenchrea. 2I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.

16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

Bee's Thoughts:

I found some interesting explanations on "holy kiss" in wikipedia and in Bible Truth Outline #9. Whatever that meant to be, it conveys the message that Christians are to love one another in purity of heart. They are to show gratitude to those who have blessed or helped them in one way or another.

All the more we need to show our gratitude to the Lord for what He had done for us and still do.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for all You have done for me. Thank You for the people You placed in my life too. May You bless those who have shown kindness to me, Your child, and let me not take their kindness for granted.
In Jesus' name I give thanks. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

We can get rather unappreciative at times to those who has helped and made important differences in our lives. Not only we forget giving thanks to them, we forget altogether about them and even the things they have done for us.

We should be like Paul in today’s passage, to take time to think of and thank those people who helped and encouraged us through life. We should then go out and show our gratitude to them through words and action.

Dear Father, thank You for bringing so many wonderful people into my life; people that has made important changes and impact in my life. Without them, I would have not been the person I am today.

Lord, teach me to have a grateful heart always; to appreciate and remember what others had done for me and to reach out to them with similar kindness and compassion. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

God Put You In My Way

Luke 10:30-37

30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins[a] and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Bee's Thoughts:

I like the title of tonight's devotion, "God Put You In My Way". God has put so many people in my way since I made my first cry in the world. Just like what I wrote in my poem, "Memories":

I remember the people I met
Those who made me sad and those who made me glad
How should I feel or what shall I say
They have all played a part
In making what I am today

- Bee (13 November 2003)

Some people have sweetened my life
Some people have made me cry
Some do both till the day I die

God has put you in my way
Be it temporal or here to stay
You are still my neighbour today

- Bee


Dear Lord,
Thank You for those You have put in my way. You have Your reasons for them to cross my paths. Be it to teach me or them something, I pray I can bless them with Your love. Though I may not fully know Your purpose of letting us meet, I pray that I will be a good neighbour to them. Thank You once again.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.




Tommy's Thoughts:

If we were to look closely, we can often find similar ‘wounded man’ around us. In this story, Jesus not only teaches what attitude He wanted us to have when confronting the needs of others, but also the various unloving and unkind attitudes we often have.

Are we like the expert of law, who see those in needs merely as interesting subjects of discussion? Or, are we like the religious men, seeing the man as a problem to avoid? Or, are we like the robbers, who instead of helping, we use and exploit those in dire needs?

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me to help, comfort, care and also to show Christ’s love to those in needs around me. Forgive me Lord for my self-centered and indifference attitude; focusing only on my own concerns. I pray You will guide and lead me to use every opportunities in the future to act with love to meet those in needs. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Tapping The Treasure

Psalm 119:14-24

14 I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.

15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.

16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.

g Gimel
17 Do good to your servant, and I will live;
I will obey your word.

18 Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.

19 I am a stranger on earth;
do not hide your commands from me.

20 My soul is consumed with longing
for your laws at all times.

21 You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed
and who stray from your commands.

22 Remove from me scorn and contempt,
for I keep your statutes.

23 Though rulers sit together and slander me,
your servant will meditate on your decrees.

24 Your statutes are my delight;
they are my counselors.

Bee's Thoughts:

King David is called the man after God's own heart. We can see from the above passage how he is so passionate about God's word. The the strong words used in describing how he felt about God's word.

rejoices (v14)
meditate (v15)
consider (v15)
delight (v16)
longing (v20)

To King David, God's word is like treasure which we can only see when God open our spiritual eyes to see.


Dear Lord,
May I have the same hunger and thirst for Your wordlike King David had. Open my eyesto see the wondrous things in Your word.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

Sometimes, our lives here on earth can be quite intimidating when we have to make all kinds of decision, to discern all the rights from the wrongs and to know what is best for us. Things are not always clear, it’s easy to find our selves stumbled and caught in unnecessary problems through mistakes we made.

Like a traveler in a new town, we can get lost easily by wandering aimlessly without a good map or guide. The Bible is this map and guide while we are here on earth. It guides us to safe routes, obstacles to avoid, traps to evade; leading us safely to our final destination.

Every lesson we want to learn about life is IN the Bible! If we earnestly read and study God’s guides for us, we’ll know and understand the rich, abundant life God has promised to if we would to follow His path and avoiding those that lead to destruction.

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me again to seek and understand You Word deeper. I pray You will guide me to spend more time to study Your Word with an open, teachable and expectant heart. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

The Empathy Factor

Hebrews 4:14-16

Jesus the Great High Priest
14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,[a] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Bee's Thoughts:

It is so comforting to know that the God we Christians believe in is one who can "sympathize" with our weaknesses. He knows all our needs, wants, desires, aspirations, hopes and dreams. Some are good for us but some aren't. He could empathize with us fully because He had been a man before, just like us. Yet, He did not sin though He was "tempted in every way".

Therefore, we are able to come to Him with confidence as we know His grace is sufficient for us. He understands us and is gracious to us when we call on Him for help in our times of weaknesses.

There were many times when unpleasant things happened to me and I asked God why. I would hear a small still voice in my heart telling me that He allows me to go through them for a purpose. That I may be able to empathize with someone else who might be going through the same experience.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your grace and mercy towards me. Thank You for understanding all my needs. Thank You for forgiving me when I go astray. Thank You for teaching me to emphatize with others through the things I been through with Your grace. Help me be an overcomer that I may help others too.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

We often associate temptation with lust and addiction. But, temptation also comes in other forms like the temptation to worry or to have self-pity. Despite what God has promised us and knowing clearly what we should do or feel, we still bogged down by our problems, never move on from our sadness; continuously dwelling in self-pity. We think nobody will understand us or what we’re going through and our problem is so unique that it happened only with us.

Today passage, we learned that Jesus has experienced every single form of temptations throughout his life as human on earth. When we know Jesus himself faced similar temptation, we can take comfort knowing He can sympathize with our struggle. He also gives us the courage the encouragement to not giving in to sin when tempted, just as what He did when facing the seductive lure of temptation.

Dear Father, thank You for the example I can learn from Christ when temptation comes my way. Thank You for always providing me the ‘exit sign’ to all the temptation I have to face, and You’ve promised for not allowing me to be tempted beyond what I can bear (1 Cor 10:13). Lord, I pray that You provide me the clarity, strength and wisdom to fight them victoriously. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Drink Up!

John 4:7-14

7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" 8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

9The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])

10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Bee's Thoughts:

Dear Lord,

I am 'thirsty' tonight. I ask for the living water which You promised to give to those who ask of You (v10). Let me 'drink' so that will not 'thirst' again.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart tonight. Come and fill my being that I may be 'drunk' with my Lord's love and never 'thirst' again for anything else. That I may have the power to do Your will. That Your stream of living water will flow from my life and bless those around.

Come, Lord Jesus, fill my heart with Your love and care. That whatever I do will bring honour to Your name. Let me not be a stumbling block to anyone, especially the one closest to me.

Come, my gracious Father, put Your arms around me. I need Your strong arms to carry me through when I am weak and helpless. Let me see just a pair of footprints and not two. Let me know that You are still here with me when others forsake me.

Thank You Lord, for hearing my prayers in Jesus' name. Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

The life changing encounter with God often begins when we realize only Him can satisfies our souls’ desire. Not only has He satisfied our souls by giving us a new life but He has given us to have it more abundantly and eternally. This new abundant spiritual life is a life that empowered by the indwelling of Jesus Christ; a life lived on a higher plane because of His overflowing forgiveness, love and guidance.

Dear Father, thank You for Your precious offer of an abundant life in You. Teach me not to forget that this life has begun ever since I accepted Christ into my life. Teach me to understand and to live out this richer and fuller life in Christ daily. Lord, I pray You’ll guide me to continue quenching the thirst of my soul by seeking You and Your Word. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Hypocrites

Matthew 23:1-12

Seven Woes
1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

5"Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'

8"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.[b] 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Bee's Thoughts:

It is sad to know that many non-Christians have been stumbled because they have seen many hyocrites in the Church. It is not surprising as there are many church goers who go to church on Sunday but are not born-again in their hearts yet.. they may profess to be Christians just beacuse they go to church. This is nothing new as Jesus had warned us about these group of people in His parable of the weats and weeds Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43.

24Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

The sadder thing is to see politics creeping into the Church as some Christians would try to gain power and fame for themselves in the Church. We have seen so many Christian leaders falling away because of this. "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (v12).

Dear Lord,
Thank You for the reminding that me to becareful not to let pride creep into my heart. I pray that I will do what I 'preach' and just say or promise something without doing. I pray I will not be like the hypocrites mentioned in the passage above. Let my "yes" be yes and "no" be no. I pray You will help me grow to be more like You each day.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

Whenever we read about the Pharisee, we may feel disgusted by their hypocrisy. But often we display similar attitude unknowingly. If we examine any conflict we’ve gone through, we can see our harshness and uncaring attitude often due to our self-centeredness that doesn’t resembles any of the fruits of the Spirit we proclaimed.

Many people today claim they know the Bible and follow Jesus, but they don’t apply what they’ve learned into their lives or live by God’s standard of love. Instead of criticizing others for hypocrisy, we should ensure our words and actions match our beliefs.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me to reexamine my attitudes and matching them with what I believe. Lord, I pray You will continue to mold me to grow in the fruits of the Spirit. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

The Universe Is God's

Psalm 104:31-35

31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works-

32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.

35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Praise the LORD.

Bee's Thoughts:

It's been a long time since I went to the beach or park, hill or mountain. I always feel great, relaxed, and peaceful amongst nature. God's creation always brings me a sense of awe and security. For I know an almighty God is watching over me.

The buzyness of life has robbed me of my time in enjoying God's nature. I need to learn the art of doing nothing and relaxing. I need to hear the chirping of birds, the rustling of the leaves, and roaring of the sea.


Dear Lord,
You are so wonderful and marvelous in the world You have created. They are created for Your pleasure. You are worthly, oh Lord! When I look at Your nature, I just feel Your presence and Your wonder. Let me find time to go and enjoy Your creation again. That I may feel You close and hear Your voice.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

Sometimes we may feel really down and discouraged that we think even God can’t help or sufficient to handle our life’s situations. It’s when we should gaze up at the heavens (Psalm 8:3-5) with a thankful heart to know we have a loving God with supreme, unlimited power over the entire universe that looks and cares after every aspects of our lives. So, whenever we are intimidated by people or dishearten by circumstances, look up and know we have a sovereign God standing right beside us, giving the best for us.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for speaking to me whenever I seek Your guidance. Lord, as I get anxious or troubled over things, teach me to turn to You and rest all my worries in You through my prayers. I pray for the Holy Spirit to lead me to do the right things in every situation, trusting in Your plans for me each day. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Promised Strength

Isaiah 40:28-31

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Bee's Thoughts:

At my working place there are politics at management level. Sometimes, I feel weary having to be one of the 'pieces' in their 'chess game'. Even my immediate boss, a 'fighter', feels so weary that he might quit the 'game'.

At times, I wonder what God wants me to learn or do at my working place. But I can see how He places me in situations where I could share the gospel with people at my work place. His understanding is beyond my comprehension.

It's so sweet to trust in a God who does not grow weary (v28). Not only that, He gives me strength and help me persevere when I feel weary (v29). The secret lies in "those who hope in the Lord" (31).


Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your promised strength. Thank You for knowing You who do not sleep nor grow weary. Thank You for giving me the opportunities to share Your love with people around me. May these people accceptYou as their Saviour too.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

We can get impatient with things in life when we can’t see our future. Our weariness and restlessness while waiting may even drive us to give up our hope in God’s promises for us. But, reading His Word, we know God is like a gentle and caring shepherd (Psalm 23, John 10:11, Hebrews 13:20, 1 Peter 5:4) guiding each one of us personally in life. He has also promised to provide and renew our strength if we were to call upon Him when we are weary and down (Matthew 11:28-30)

Dear Father, thank You for Your care for me, never too tired or busy to help and listen. Forgive me that at times I lack the patient and trust to wait for You. Lord, restore and renew my confidence and faith in You to fulfill all the promises found in Your Word for those who follow and obey You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Pride

Daniel 4:28-37

The Dream Is Fulfilled
28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"

31 The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."

33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.
His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

35 All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: "What have you done?"

36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Bee's Thoughts:

Pride comes before a fall. This is true in the Old Teastament as well in today's modern world.

Sometimes we think we can do many things by ourselves without God's help. We try all means and ways to achieve our aims without prayers. When we failed, we just wonder why. But now we know it's because of our pride that we didn't acknowledge God or let God be our chief planner.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding me that I have to be humble and let You lead me in all my plans - big or small. I want to submit all my thoughts and feelings into Your hands too. Let me feel and think the way You do. May Your will be done in my life. Help me to do the right thing.
In Jesus' name I humbly pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

Like King Nebuchadnezzar, we may not be able to see or remember how God is working when we focus all our attention only to our own lives. Our pride can makes us believe that we are in control of our lives, future and destiny; rejecting God as our Lord.

God often allow problems to come into our lives to humble our prideful self and to show who is really in control. At any moment, He can take away the most precious thing in our lives, or if He chooses, He can restore them back to us as before. Therefore, we should with humility acknowledges God’s power and sovereignty over all things; trusting and obeying all His commands.

Dear Father, I praise, exalt and glorify You for everything You do is right and all Your ways are just; that You are the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Make me always be aware of the danger of pride, recognizing all good things and blessings in my life came from You and not through my own effort. Lord, I pray You’ll teach me to trust and obey You more each day. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Suffering: How Do We Respond?

Job 16:6-17

6 "Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
and if I refrain, it does not go away.

7 Surely, O God, you have worn me out;
you have devastated my entire household.

16 My face is red with weeping,
deep shadows ring my eyes;

17 yet my hands have been free of violence
and my prayer is pure.

Bee's Thoughts:

The cry of Job had been mine too in the past. In my darkest moments, I too questioned God, "why me"? I felt life had not been fair to me... or rather why did God allow me to go through those sufferings? Somehow, I would hear the small still voice telling me that God had a purpose for me in my life. I didnt leave God. I found strength to move on.

I realized that in sufferings, God would mould our character and test our faith in Him. No pain no gain, as the saying goes.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for seeing me through all my sufferings. Thank You for giving me meaning in the things I went through. At times when I felt there is no meaning in livng, You gave me the reason to live. May my life continues to count and makes a difference to someone's life. Let me be a chaneel of blessing to someone today.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

Like Elihu’s explanation to Job’s suffering in latter chapters, suffering is God’s way to teach, discipline, change and refine a person. Through suffering, one’s loyalty and faithfulness to God will be tested. Thus, suffering can either break or make us depends on our reaction towards it.

It breaks us when we see suffering as an unjust act of God based on our own law of fairness that is higher and more absolute than God. We become hardened and reject God altogether with this attitude, closing our selves for changes God wanted to bring into our lives.

It makes us when we acknowledge God himself is the standard of justice that whatever He does is fair according to His moral perfection, even if we don’t understand it. We should respond to suffering by trusting God for who He is, and not what He does.

Dear Father, thank You again for teaching me the right perspective on suffering in this fallen world. Teach me to trust in You knowing that You can bring good out of all calamity.

Lord, guide me also to turn to You for wisdom, understanding, endurance and deliverance. Also, I pray you will make me more aware for those who are suffering, that I’ll be a good comforter and cares for their needs. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Spiritual Understanding

Nehemiah 8:5-11

5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

7 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. 8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear [a] and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.

Bee's Thoughts:

It seems like a"Praise & Worship" session in today's Church service above. Very similar isn't it? Ezra led the people to praise and worship God, followed by expounding the word of God.

It is important that Christians don't just read or hear the word of God but also to seek to understand what the Bible is trying to teach. Only in this way can they be strong and will not fall away or be misled by wrong doctrines.

Dear Lord,
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Whenever I feel lost I have to come to Your word to see Your light. Let my heart be a soft ground where Your word will bear fruits in my life. I commit myself to You tonight.
In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

Like the people in today’s passage, when we truly grasped the meaning of God’s Word, we may have a deep sense of sorrow for our sins and failures. But, as Ezra told the people not to continue dwell in their sorrow, we too should move on and respond joyfully to God's grace and mercy for us.

God brings His powerful Word to us not only to convict us of our sin, but to lead us into repentance and to proclaim to us the Good News of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Dear Father, thank You today for teaching me to understand Your Word deeper and with obedience. Lord, strengthen me spiritually and fill me with joy while I give and serve those in needs. May my every word and action bring glory and honor to You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

When People Pray

Acts 4:23-31

The Believers' Prayer
23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
" 'Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.[a]'[b] 27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people[c] of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Bee's Thoughts:

The power of prayers can be seen today as much as in the time of the Apostles. When believers prayed fervently in faith, things happened. When believers are filled with the Holy Spirit they become bold to share the gospel.

There were many times I experienced God's answers to my prayers almost instantly when I prayed earnestly and in faith. But in most cases, God's answers may not come so fast. When the answers come, they may be "yes", "no" or "wait". In times of waiting, faith, hope, love and obedience are what I need to see me though these periods of silence.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says we are to "pray without ceasing".


Dear Lord,
Thank You for always answering my prayers, be they come instantly or after a long wait, be they "yes", "no" or "wait". Thank You that I am serving a living God whom I can communicate with any moment of my life.
Teach me to continue to pray in every situation and not to lean on my own understandings.
I pray that You grant me wisdom at work, in church and in speaking to people close to me. May I always speak with grace.
In Jesus' anme I pray, Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

What should we do if we sincerely prayed to God to remove our problem but the problem is still there? Do we just give up asking Him to help us by thinking that He’s unable to solve our problems or that He has ‘miscalculated’ things and accident happened to us?

Sometimes God does remove our problem when we ask Him, but we should also know that often He choose to leave those problems in place. Instead, He will supply us the strength and courage to deal with them when we earnestly pray for His help and guidance. We should trust Him that He has very good reason for them.

Dear Father, I praise You for the way You works things out for us, although at times I’m unable to grasp them well or that I’m worrying too much. Lord, I can trust You for I know that all things work together for good to those who love You. I pray You’ll give me the strength and courage to deal with each problem I’ll face and also give me the wisdom to guide my words when I share this truth to others. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Our Sacrifices

Leviticus 23:37-43

37 (" 'These are the LORD's appointed feasts, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing offerings made to the LORD by fire—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the LORD's Sabbaths and [a] in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the LORD.)

39 " 'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. 40 On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths 43 so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' "

Bee's Thoughts:

In the Old Testament, God required the Israelites to bring forth sacrifices of every sort. In the New Testament, God requires Christians to bring forth Living Sacrifices instead.

"1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
(Romans 12:1)

Someone wrote that to be a "Living Sacrifice" is "Dying to Self". The sacrifices that God wants from us are....

"The sacrifices of God are [a] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
(Psalm 51:17)


Dear Lord,
Let my heart not be hardened to Your words but let it be soft and opened to You. Let my heart be willing to do what You want me to do. Let my body be a living sacrifice for You that is holy and acceptable. Let me be like a young child that is pure and innocent in the things that are not right in Your sight.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

As Christian, we often see worship focus only on confession, meditation and introspection. Although our immediate confession of sin and serious reflection of our selves is essential, God also want us to take time to celebrate with joy for who He is and the good things He has brought into our lives. Celebration often bring along to us a renewed commitment to God.

Dear Father, thank You for all the goodness You’ve brought into my life. Teach me to have a balanced spiritual life, taking time for both deep reflection and also simple and joyful celebration anytime with other followers of Christ. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

My True and Only Security

Deuteronomy 33:26-29

26 "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
who rides on the heavens to help you
and on the clouds in his majesty.

27 The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemy before you,
saying, 'Destroy him!'

28 So Israel will live in safety alone;
Jacob's spring is secure
in a land of grain and new wine,
where the heavens drop dew.

29 Blessed are you, O Israel!
Who is like you,
a people saved by the LORD ?
He is your shield and helper
and your glorious sword.
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will trample down their high places.

Bee's Thoughts:

In our cell group tonight we learnt about renewing our mind by putting on the mind of Christ. What does the mind of Christ look like? A mind of humility, sacrifice, purity, love, faith, obedience, and so on.

When we have the mind of Christ we can have faith like what the Psalmist said that God is our "refuge". When in any trouble or emrgency, we can have the assurance that God will rescue us. He is our true security or 'insurance'.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding me tonight to have the mind of Christ and to trust You to be my refuge in times of trouble. Let me be more and more like You each day.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

While we are so busy with our daily works and schedules, we often unknowingly entrust our lives on things like money, career, fame or even a lifelong dream. But we should remember these things can be easily taken away from us any day. In fact, we can lose everything we’ve gain and ‘stored’ in this world in less than a day.

For those without God and entrusted their lives on earthly things, there is a very good reason to be constantly worry and cautious over all the uncertainties in life. With merely one mistake or failure, they may be wiped out totally.

Like Moses and those who declare that God is their only refuge and true security, no storm in life can separate us away from His saving arms. God has promised to catch us when the shaky supports that we trust collapse and we fall.

Dear Father, forgive me that at times I trusted solely on my own abilities to secure my life and future. And I know that’s why I fell badly when bad things happen to me. Lord, teach me to remember this always and to live for You in this world. May my every works and dreams be about trusting You and to bring glory and honor to Your Name.

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholy lean on Jesus name

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord Jesus, my Rock and Redeemer. Amen.

Doing What We Can

1 Corinthians 3:5-15

5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.

10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

Bee's Thoughts:

For those who are architects, just like my 'bf' is, they will know how important the foundation is to a building. Without a good foundation,all building will topple no matter how good it may look.

For Christians, Christ should be their foundation in all the things they do. Otherwise, there will be no difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. Therefore, be it building a career for ourselves or a relationship with others, we need to be sure Jesus Christ is our foundation and basis. We are to do our part in sharing the good news or words of encouragement wherever God places us -- work or friendship.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for being my foundation in the things I build... my career and relationship. I pray that in all I do and with whome I commune with Your name will be glorified. May You grant growth to whatever I do, with the might You have given me.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

We can get so busy with our lives that we lost track of what matters most to us and our future. In today’s passage, Paul gave us a simple and clear way to know and evaluate whether the things we are so preoccupied are based on the right foundation. Are the things we do fit into the pattern provided by Jesus? Is He the foundation in our lives and the reason for being?

We need to reassess everything we pursue today and also the person we think we are to ensure they are based and modeled not on wealth, security, fame or success but on Jesus, the only real and lasting foundation in our lives.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness to be here with me in guiding my every way. Forgive me that at times for being a slow and disobedient learner. But despite my flaws and failure, thank You that You never give up on me and continue to change and mold me to be more like Christ each day. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

The Heart Of Christ

Luke 19:37-44

37When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
38"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"[a]
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

40"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

41As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."

Bee's Thoughts:

Having gone through a rough childhood and many trials in life makes me very sensitive towards children or anyone who have been though similar experiences as I did.

Recently, someone shared with me her story on why she became so withdrawn and quiet. As she shared, I could understand every experience of hers very well. I had compassion on her.

When God allowed us to go through certain difficult experiences, they could be used to encourage someone else later on.

Dear Lord,
Though I am feeling very tired and sometimes wish I could disappeare from this earth quickly, I know my life is in Your hand. Your thoughts are always higher than my thoughts, and Your ways higher than my ways.
I pray that while I am still around on this earth, I will be able to lend good listening ears to those who are in needs. Help me not to be tired of helping others... though I may feel exhausted when this help seems one-way. May Your love abounds.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen,


Tommy's Thoughts:

Do we wept or feel deep sadness likes Jesus when we see those who living in sin, lost and helpless with life’s struggles and sufferings? Do we have true compassion towards these people when we say we want to reach out to them and to help them? Are we sincerely wanted to share the “Solution” with them, motivated by love and kindness?

Dear Father, forgive me that at times I selfishly cares and focus only about my own walk with Christ that I neglect opportunities to share the Good News with those around me. Forgive me also that even as I share, they were not motivated with love or led by You.

Lord, I pray that You’ll teach me the true meaning of love and compassion and how to be truly concern about others; being ready to share Your love and truth through caring words and action.

Humility

Ephesians 4:1-3

Unity in the Body of Christ
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace

Bee's Thoughts:

Paul is able to be humble, gentle, patient, love and stay in peace with others because he had considered himself the "prisoner for the Lord".

We need to learn from Paul to firstly commit ourselves to Christ and be submissive to Him, so that we could reflect Christ's attributes. The way we live shows what we believe.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your reminder that I should stay humble and gentle despite of the situations. I pray that Your love will be shown when I deal with difficult people. May Your peace reigns.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

Sometimes, we can get easily troubled and annoyed by certain people in our lives. Despite trying hard to control our emotion, we tend to become very reactive towards everything the person says or does. It is hard to accept their shortcomings when we really dislike their attitude and behaviors. But, we know that our lives often involve dealing and even living with those difficult people.

As Christian, we should know that no one is ever going to be perfect on earth. We need to accept and love others in spite of their faults and failures just like God has loved us in the first place. Instead of constantly dwelling on the negative aspects of the person, we should pray for them. We also need God to teach us to be more patient, humble and gentle with them. They may even change their way when they see God’s glory reflecting from us through our words and action.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me once again to bear with one another in love. Instead of always looking for faults in others, teach me to be more patient and gentle in words and action. Lord, I also pray that You’ll give me the wisdom and peace when dealing with others that I may glorify Your name. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Our Guide

John 16:1-14

1"All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. 2They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit
5"Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' 6Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt[a] in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

12"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

Bee's Thoughts:

When our loved ones go away we naturally feel sad, like the discipless felt when when Jesus told them He was going to His Father (v6). In our finite mind, we feel we the loss of someone. Yet in Jesus' perfect plan His departure means a blessing in disguise, for He will send the Comforter to be with us and guide us in our life (v7-11). We need to always trust that all things work together for good to those who love God,even if we can't understand.

We need to know that we have a Comforter who will comfort us in times of sorrow. He will show us the way when we feel lost. He will give us peace when we are troubled. He will set us free when we feel imprisoned by ourselves or others. All we need to do is let Him take control of our lives.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for sending the Comforter to be with me. When I was down, He was there to lift me up. Thank You for leading my life thus far.
I pray for my "bf" that the Comforter will lead and guide him into the truth about Your healing power, Your cleansing blood, and Your restoration power. May Your peace reigns in his heart and joy floods his soul.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Tommy's Thoughts:

We make so many decisions in a day and there are those that are not so easy and clear cut. We might have the difficulty to discern the right from wrong. There are also times when our minds so clouded by distractions, wandering thoughts, anxieties and confusion, that we are unable to see the clear solution in front of us.

But, as believers, God never leave us alone to deal with all these complications in our lives. He has given the Holy Spirit to indwell within us: to comfort, teach, guide, reveal and help us in the truth about Christ and discernment in all areas of our lives.

Dear Father, thank You for always being there, never leave or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5-6). Lord, I pray You’ll guide me to always be sensitive to the Holy Spirit promptings and leadings. Teach me to pray seeking His guidance in everything I do. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

''Measure Me''

Ephesians 4:11-16

11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Bee's Thoughts:

When a couple has a child, the sadest thing to know is that their child can't grow. God will be sad too if His spiritual children< Christians, can't grow spiritually.

Growth can't be hidden. It is obvious and measureable. Some of the measurements shown in the above passage are:
1. "works of service" (v12) -- to serve God in ministries in the church or elsewhere
2. "unity in the faith" (v13) -- not fighting with each other
3. "knowledge of the Son of God" (v13) -- through reading the bible and spending time with God
4. "mature" spiritually (v13) -- no longer like "infants" (v14)
5. "speaking the truth in love" (v15) -- truth must be said "in love" and not to hurt

Through such spiritual growth in the body of Christ, the end result is that the church will gow and be built in love (v16).

Dear Lord,
You desire that we grow spiritually.
Help us not to remain as spiritual babe.
Teach us how to be Your disciples.
You have commanded us to take up our crosses and follow You.
Grant us strength to do things Your ways.
In Jesus' name we pray.


Tommy's Thoughts:

The evening service in my church lacks people to lead the congregation. Every week same members take on the same duty during the service. Although most didn’t complain but I can see how tired they are and how they might burn out one day even for doing God’s works. Where and what are the rest of the 2000 church members doing?

In today’s passage, Paul talks about how God calls us to grow from being just infants in the church into serving and working together with other members in the church as the Body of Christ.

By working as members of Christ, we can obey God more fully and accomplish more and greater things for the church and ultimately express the fullness of Christ. And when one member stumbles, the rest of the group is there to pick him/her up and help him/her walk with God again.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me that I can do little if I were to do things all by myself. I pray for my church that more members will come forward to serve for the church, to grow as members of Christ and not to underestimate what we can do as a group.

Lord, I pray for those brothers and sisters in the church to receive help and also rest while they continue in serving Your people and glorifying Your name. In Jesus’ mighty Name I pray, Amen.