The Difference Faith Makes

Psalm 14

1 The fool says in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.

2 The LORD looks down from heaven
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.

3 All have turned aside,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

4 Will evildoers never learn—
those who devour my people as men eat bread
and who do not call on the LORD ?

5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.

6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is their refuge.

7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Bee's Thoughts:

Faith really makes a difference. Without faith, no relationship can last. I have faith in some of my online friends even though I have not seen them in person. With a few of them, I have full confidence that they will keep their promises, I know they are reliable. That's faith!

I find it hard to understand why many people do not believe in Christ/God just because they can't see Him. When I recall the time I accepted Christ, I always marvel at how I could have that simple faith. I guess at that time, accepting a God whom I have not seen is better than accepting nothingness which is a sure way to my destruction. If I never try I will never know, right?

I still have not seen Christ and still have not heard His audible voice... isn't this worst than my relationship with my online friends? At least with some of my online friends I have chatted with them frequently and have heard their voices before, some even have seen me on videos... there are interactions between us in one way or another. Yet, after accepting Christ by faith I slowly experience His reality in my life. This faith grows stronger as days go by though I still don't get to see Christ or hear His voice. But I can feel Him in my heart and read what He wants to tell me in the Bible. This is enough for me... I don't need to see Him physically to believe.

Yes, sometimes I wish I can touch and feel Christ; I wish He can hug and embrace me... but I know it isn't possible now, but it will take place one day when I see Him face to face. I will wait for that day to come... that's faith.


Dear Jesus,
I miss You a lot. I long to see You and touch You. But You asked me to wait. You promised You will come back for me and take me to where You are. I believe in You. I know You won't break Your promise. You won't tell me that it was a mistake after making that promise. I place my hope in You. Come quickly.

I pray for my friends who do not know You that they too will come and accept You by faith. I pray that they can join me in heaven one day when we leave this earth. I don't want them to be left behind. May they experience Your love just as I did.

In Your precious name I pray. Amen.

Tommy's Thoughts:

It’s really sad that almost all my friends do not believe in a personal God or have the same faith as I am. I used to voice out my belief whenever they have the wrong views about God during conversation. But, most of the time, they responded negatively to them.

It’s very true what Psalm 14 said about the whole human race is straying away from God. Mostly due to the self-sufficient nature of today society; the many distractions and busyness in life; the ever increasing evils and suffering in the world. All these lead to the disbelief of atheists on the existence of an all-powerful, personal and loving God. But, to say there is no God is like saying there is absolutely no meaning or significance to our existence.

Without looking so far towards non-believers, we Christian our self are atheist sometime in practice when we rely more on our self than God; underestimating God’s sovereignty, forgetting His promises for us and not loving Him with all our heart and all our soul. Unconsciously, we might also obey Him solely out of fear that we will be punished later.

Dear Lord, search my heart and convict me if I have come to You for the wrong reasons; for my own selfish gain or comfort. Teach me to be honest to You like the psalmists, to tell You what I’m really thinking and feeling during the good and the bad times. I also wanted to pray for all my friends who are yet to know You, to open their heart one day to the truth and come to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Change my heart O, Lord
Make it ever true
Change my heart O, Lord
May I be like you.

You are the potter Lord
I am the clay
Make me and mold me
This is what I pray.


.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

Learn To Teach

Job 2:1-10

Job's Second Test
1 On another day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. 2 And the LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"
Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."

3 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason."

4 "Skin for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life. 5 But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face."

6 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. 8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

9 His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

10 He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Bee's Thoughts:

Hmmn... after going through my recent toothache and the resultant painful swelling of my cheek and neck, the above passage has become more realistic to me. There are some lessons for me in my experience which I could relate to Job's.

1. Satan is always "roaming through the earth" (v2) to look for his victims, especially those who wants to seek God...

So I need to be careful of his tricks on me.

2. "Ruin" or losses may still happen to a godly Christians "without any reasons" (v3). They come from Satan, but with God's permission...

Though I have lost many things in my life, God knows how much losses I can take, and He will not let the temptations be too much for me to bear. Yes, I may not have fully got over my hurt of loss, nevertheless, I am still trusting God and staying close to Him to receive His grace daily.

3. God does not allow Satan to take a Christian's life even though He may allow Satan to inflict suffering on him/her (v6, 7)...

Perhaps that's why I was at the brim of death 2 days ago and yet not dead? It's not time for me to die yet I guess.

4. Suffering is a way to test my faith in God (v10)...

Though feeling drowsy day and night because of the pain killers, I resisted the temptation to take a break from my daily devotion... it's a test of perseverence. Thank God for His strength!


Dear Lord,
Thank You for the lessons I can learn from the life of Job. Thank You that my life is in Your hand and all things happened in my life not without Your purpose and permission. Keep me strong regardless of what happened to me, even when I have to suffer pain and loss. Amen.

Tommy's Thoughts:

God is completely and eternally just and good but He does allow bad things to happen. But, He is in control of all things, both good and bad. Because He is the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 8:1), He knows the eventual outcomes of everything. He often use bad events for a greater good for those who love him (Romans 8:28). Thus, everything happened are ultimately in accordance with His divine plan for His glory and purpose.

God does not promise an easier life when we become a Christian. Sometime through hardship, we will know how genuine and true our love and commitment is for God. If there are no seasons of difficulties, our faith would have no room to grow. Trials also draw us closer to God and give opportunity to build our character.

Dear Lord, You are all-powerful, sovereign and always in control. I know You will never allow me to be tested beyond what I can endure (1 Corinthians 10:13) but teach me to cling tightly to my faith through those I can. Lord, help me to humbly see every trial as opportunities to turn and submit myself to You for strength, trusting You to work Your purpose through me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

Get The Point!

Galatians 2:11-21

Paul Opposes Peter
11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

15 "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

17 "If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. 19 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

Bee's Thoughts:

Often we hear complains that some Christians behave just like non-Christians or even worse. Just like my previous boss, who claimed to be a Pastor, was more unscrupulous in his business dealings and with his employees than any non-Christians bosses I had before. It brought shame to Christ because of such people. I heard that recently he had to close some of his businesses because of debts. People who do such things will never escape the consequences of their wrong doings.

Yes, Christians are to live by faith; they are judged by faith in Christ, not by the law (do this or do that). Yet Jesus said "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them." (Matthew 7:15.16) A good tree will bear good fruits; a rotten tree will bear rotten fruits. Therefore, a person who behaves like the devil, we will know who his 'father' is. So when a person claims to be a Christian, we shouldn't just believe but to look for his 'fruits' of Christ-likeness.

All things said, there are Christians who are weak because they are new, or because they don't read the bible and remain as babes in Christ for many years. Yet even if they do read the bible and are growing spiritually, it's still a process of growth, and there might be many truths they have not learnt yet, like in the above case of Peter (v14 & 15). The difference for a growing Christian is the attitude of willingness to learn and change.

It took so many trials in life for Paul to come to a stage of full surrender to Christ where he proclaimed, ” I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (v20). I understand the meaning of this verse better now after my brush with death... "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me". I am ready to go anytime I feel... perhaps what holds me back is the salvation of people I know?

Dear Lord,
Why didn't I go and meet You yesterday? I always long to see Your face... to see the only One who loves me so much. What is it that You want me to do before I can meet You? To share Your gospel to those who do not know You? Let me live for You then. Let me share Your love around. Amen.

Tommy's Thoughts:

It took me quite sometime to understand the meaning of Christianity’s “salvation by faith” and not through “work or effort” to be good like in all the other religions. I used to criticize and joke about how weak, lazy and absurd Christianity is to base everything solely on faith alone. I thought it was the reason for some bad Christians I met before, to act in improper ways. I was proud of the so-called far superior, strict rules and laws in my old religion. My self-sufficiency blinded me from seeing how helpless and broken a person I was.

It’s only through all the bad experiences I went through, I realized the truth that without faith in Christ, it’s impossible for us to be good; to break free from the chain of sins, wrongful desires and attitudes in our lives. No matter how smart or knowledgeable we are about the laws, it will never keep us from continue to do wrongs. No matter how hard we try to stay or making our self good, we will still fall back to sin. On the surface, we might appear to be good, nice, helpful and charitable, but internally we are filled with flaws and hypocrisy.

But, our loving God provided a way, a perfect way to set us free and make us whole. He sends His Only Son to die for us. When we believe in Him, our sins and old self died together with Christ, we are no longer condemned. We were given a new life with Christ living in us when He rose from the dead. It’s only through this, we’ll gain His power, strength, freedom and hope to change and be transformed, inside out.

Dear Lord, thank You for Christ’s resurrection power that fuels me everyday to fight sin. Help me Lord to regularly and continually crucify any sinful desires I might have that keep me from following Christ. Lord, thank You also for living in me, being my power of living and hope for my future. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

.......the devotion of Bee and Tommy

Loving The Unlovable

Luke 19:1-10

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Tommy's Thoughts:

There are a lot of people like Zacchaeus in our lives. We try our best to stay away from them; we wish they are never around us; never existed in our lives; they annoy and disturb us immensely; the way they behave and the things they say irritate us so much; talking to them is so hard and forceful; we criticize and laugh about them in front of others; we only see the negative sides, faults and weaknesses of these people; we treat others so much better than them; they are just so unlovable to us. But, somehow we are stuck with them around in our lives.

After I’ve accepted Christ; He showed to me how wrong my attitude and thinking were towards these people. Christ as an example himself, teaches me to love and show kindness even to those who are so unlovable to us. Later, I began to ask myself how Jesus would respond when interacting with these people. Through this, I was able to see through their faults, and accept and respond to them with kindness and fairness.

Dear Lord, I know it’s so easy to forget what I have just written above. Help me to remember them always. Lord, teach me to treat these people fairly with no favoritism. Teach me also the love and compassion Jesus has for these people. Thank You Lord for changing my heart, to love even those who are lost and seems unlovable to us. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.


Bee's Thoughts:

It's easy to love the lovable isn't it? But to love the unlovable is difficult, if not impossible. Many good relationship turns sour when at least one party becomes unlovable.

I was at my brim of death today at the dental clinic due to vasoconstrictor effect from the anesthesia. At that moment my mind went blank and I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to die without any close one beside me. Tears just automatically flowed uncontrollably. Not that I fear death, but I thought I have no chance to say "goodbye" to those close to me before I go.

Yes, I did feel angry with the incompetency of the dental officer who did the injection for me. But I do not wish to lodge a complaint against the hospital for not having a specialist to guide her during the process. I don't wish to ruin her career. Thank God that I am still alive to blog here.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for loving me, the unlovable. Thank You for helping me to love the unlovable too. Should I die, let me die without regret. Amen.


.......the devotion of Bee and Tommy

Doing Justice

Exodus 23:1-9

Laws of Justice and Mercy
1 "Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.

2 "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, 3 and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.

4 "If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. 5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.

6 "Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. 7 Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.

8 "Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

9 "Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.

Bee's Thoughts:

It's easy to be tempted by bribery at work, especially when we are holding a certain position of power. But here God told us not to accept bribe and be fair at work. Many companies these days do hire foreign workers. We are not to oppress them but to treat them just like anyone of us.

Dear Lord,
Let me always remember Your principles when working with people... to be fair and just. Help me to recover from my sickness quickly so I can go back to work again.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Tommy's Thoughts:

Rumor and gossip causes all kind of harm and problems. Gossip tends to spread easily when we are chatting with our friends. Sometime, unknowingly, we circulated rumors about others even though we didn’t initiate them. Worst, we even criticize and judge others based solely on what our friends have said about them. We slander them unfairly because they are also someone we don’t like; our ‘enemy’.

We need to watch out for our words because we might be passing along something that is false, unfair or inaccurate; doing injustice and hurting others. We have to remember that God strictly forbid spreading rumors and gossips; no matter how big or small they are.

Dear Lord, thank You for today’s reminder. Lord, let Your fairness and kindness guide my every judgments and words; to be impartial towards others as well as to stand up for those being treated wrongfully. Teach me O Lord to reach out to those in need with kindness and compassion, even if they are my enemies. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.


.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

No Grudges After Sunset

Psalm 4:1-5

1 Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
Selah

3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD will hear when I call to him.

4 In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Selah

5 Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the LORD.

Do not let the sun go down on your wrath.
—Ephesians 4:26

Bee's Thoughts:

The swell on my cheek, caused by my toothache, is getting bigger when I woke up this morning. I won't be attending church today as I looked horrible. The pain killers could only ease some pain, not all, and make me feel drowsy the whole day.

I was somewhat disturbed yesterday when my best friend joked about the swell on my cheek. I was thinking, "Here I am already suffering with pain and looking horrible yet he can joke about it, instead of offering some consolation... and he didn't even bother to ask how I was getting on after taking those pain killers given by the hospital." I won't say I was burning with anger, but definitely it's a grudge that I really didn't feel good about. I even told myself that I don't want to talk to him anymore since he doesn't care when I am suffering, much less to believe he would ever donate an organ if I really need it one day.

Thank God that even if my best friend really don't care, my other good friends do. They care enough to ask about my condition daily and offer some suggestions which could be useful for my pain management.

However, today's devotion is a reminder to me that I shouldn't keep any anger or grudge beyond sunset. I should forgive what others say or do to me that might hurt me, be it intentional or unintentional. That's the best anger management tool -- forgiveness.


Dear Lord,
In my anger let me not sin, and not to think or do things that are not in accordance with your teaching. Search my heart and keep it pure. Let me forgive others just as You have forgiven me of all my sins.

Answer me when I call to you, and give me relief from my distress and pain.. be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Tommy's Thoughts:

My anger brought out the worst side of me. My life was filled with hatred; holding grudges to all those who has wronged and offended me before. I think this has to do with my early childhood, where I was often being accused for things I didn’t commit. Even at a young age, I was feeling depressed all the time; the wound was so deep and I was constantly dwelt in anger, hatred and bitterness. I grew up becoming a very reactive person and always felt being victimized by others; small things can easily infuriate me.

God has changed my old self ever since I accepted Christ into my life. Through His grace and forgiveness, I’ve learnt to forgive and stop hating or holding grudges on others. Whenever I have the urge to feel angry and being reactive, I look upon Jesus; how He has responded to those who tortured Him on the Cross: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34)."

Dear Lord, thank You for Your gift and teaching of forgiveness which allows me to give up condemnation of myself and condemnation of those who have hurt me. Thank You for setting me free from the bondage of victimization through forgiveness of others. Thank You for teaching me to love my enemies and to pray for them. I pray Lord You will continue to mold me to be a person You want me to be, In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

What Makes God Laugh?

Psalm 2

1 Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the LORD
and against his Anointed One.

3 "Let us break their chains," they say,
"and throw off their fetters."

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.

5 Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,

6 "I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill."

7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD :
He said to me, "You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.

8 Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.

9 You will rule them with an iron scepter;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11 Serve the LORD with fear
and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Bee's Thoughts:

God laughs? About what?

As I read the above passage again, it shows me that there are many today who try to prove there is no God. However, these are just foolishness to God... if God can be proven, He is no longer God, isn't it? God laughs at their foolishness.

I was talking to someone the other day and I have come to the conclusion that things or people I can see don't require faith for me to believe. It's when I can't see and yet believe, then that's faith. So I have faith in God though I can't see him. That's why I can have faith in some of my online friends, though I have never seen them before in person. The degree of faith I have on these friends grows through our long periods of interaction with each other online... by msn chat, by phone, by email, etc.

Those who do not first put their faith in God will never be able to experience God... so it's a kind of self-fulfilled prophecy. They don't even dare to challenge God to prove Himself real to them. God says that those to seek Him will find Him.... that's His rule of thumb, His promise to the true seekers.

.

Dear Lord,
Thank You that when I seek You, You have shown Yourself real to me.... You kept Your promise. I pray for those who are not sure if You are God. I pray that they will take the challenge to seek You so that You can reveal Yourself real to them too. Open their spiritual eyes to see Your wonderous work.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.





.......the devotion of Bee

The Greatest Honor

Esther 4:10-17

10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11 "All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king."

12 When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions.

Bee's Thoughts:

God often put us at a place or situation for a purpose, be it to train us, mould our characters, or to prepare us for work He wants us to do in future. Therefore we need to ask God what is His purpose for us at our place of work, or why we go through certain situations/experiences.

I like Esther's attitude, "if I perish, I perish". She is willing to risk her life for something honourable. Will I die for Christ's sake if called upon?

I am experiencing extreme toothache right now. The pain which started yesterday morning is really unbearable even after I have taken the Panadol. My mouth is swollen now with pain. It makes me wonder if I have to be tortured for Christ, can I bear with it? Maybe this is a training for me? It should be the greatest honour to suffer for Christ, yet it takes lots of strength and courage from God to go through it.


Dear Lord Jesus,
The pain I am suffering now gives me a glimpse of what You have gone through when You were nailed on the cross. It must have been many times more painful than what I am experiencing now. Thank You for willing to suffer on my behalf. Now I commit my life to You. If it is possible please remove the pain from me soon. I pray for Your healing hand to touch me.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Tommy's Thoughts:

Yesterday, I met up with some friends whom I haven’t been in touch for more than 10 years. We had a great time sharing interesting each other’s stories. Most felt really glad that they have survived through the “dark ages” of their lives. We shared about all the good and bad decisions we’d made; the dreadful years of examinations and studies; the loneliness of studying and working abroad; the hardship of making sure every ends meets; the realization that money is not everything in life and the sacrifices for the loved ones. Despite all these, we agreed we did made some right but difficult decision at the right time that gave us the lives we have today.

Today passage also talks about how Esther was confronted by difficult decision to save her people. Esther might have continuously remained in silence with selfish excuses like to keep herself safe or that the killing won’t affect her and her family. As Mordecai confronted her with the possibility that it’s not mere accident she became the queen, Esther sensed there was a purpose for things that has led her to her royal position and to make a timely decision. With courage, faith and knowing that there is a fate worse than death, she made the right choice.

Our lives are filled with difficult but significant choices and decisions. A lot of time, like Esther, we tend to have a long list of excuses not to do the right choice at the right time due to selfishness for our own comfort. As Christian, we must trust God’s provision after we have made a decision. When we have God with us, we have the courage to make difficult decisions in our lives at the right time. Whenever we faced with difficult decision, we need to remind our self with what Mordecai said to Esther: “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

Dear Lord, as I looked back into my past, I saw You working in my life, leading me on a path towards You. Thank You Lord for being with me, safeguarding my life from careening away into the unknown. Lord, though I do not know what the future will bring, teach me, ever to trust in Your Divine Providence and making the right decision at the right time to bring glory and honor to Your name. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.


.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

Your Name Is Safe

Revelation 2:12-17

To the Church in Pergamum
12 "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. 14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15 Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

Bee's Thoughts:

I have been having throbbing headache and toothache since this morning. I am not sure my headache causes the toothache or the other way round, or is it due to my new work stress. But I still I want to hear what God has to tell me in today's devotion.

Ah, the Christian life is a constant fighting with Satan. The Bible says, we are to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12-13). This is because Satan is constantly trying to cause us to sin. But "To him who overcomes" God "will give some of the hidden manna" and "also give him a white stone with a new name written on it" (v17). We need to be overcomers if we are to receive the heavenly rewards.

What these rewards are I don't know, but I am sure they are something priceless, honourable and eternal. I guess the "hidden manna" might depict something that sustains me, giving me eternal life.

I like to hear my name being called... my name is my identity. When someone remembers my name and calls me by my given name, it means that person knows me. A "new name"... hmmn, maybe depicts something nice and loving to my ear?


Dear Lord,
Thank You for the "manna" and "new name" You promised to those who overcome. Let me be an overcomer till You come to take me home. Grant me strength and perseverence, Lord. Amen.

Tommy's Thoughts:

Was talking to a friend recently about cohabitation. I realized living together before marriage has become the normative experience today. In fact, they consider it as beneficial for the both parties. They reasoned that everyone is doing it; there’s no harm to it and it’s only a close-minded person will against it nowadays.

It doesn’t take much effort to learn that cohabitation is the training for divorce.But yet, many are still doing it. Like the City of Pergamun, many today tolerate sin by bowing to pressure of being open-minded and also being influenced from people around them.
Despite all these strong negative influences surrounding us today, we need to remain true to God. Do not compromise or conform to the world when we know things are morally wrong. Be faithful by obeying God’s teaching and refrain from unhealthy practices that will leads to hurts, pains and all the other problems we see today.

Know that God is always faithful. He will provide believers who overcome by standing firm to God’s teachings with spiritual nourishment. God has also promised them greater things; a new name, a new heart and an eternal life with Him.

Thank You Lord for keeping me faithful to You by standing firm. Thank you for giving me the strength and wisdom to overcomes the strong pressures and temptations of society; the wrongful desires and influences in the world. Thank You for Your promise of a new name and new heart. I will trust You Lord as the only Truth in my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

Don't Bother Me

Revelation 3:14-22

To the Church in Laodicea

14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Tommy's Thoughts:

I have to admit if it’s not because of trials and problem I would have not drawn close to God. After a year I accepted Christ, the feeling of awe and zeal for God died out slowly. It’s a quiet, slow process how I turned into a lukewarm Christian. It started out by little things like skipping daily bible reading and devotion; then forgetting about prayer and quiet time with God; absent from Sunday services because of tiredness, works and other so-called more critical activities.

And the next thing I know, I didn’t even give a single thought of God in everything I do! Then all those negligence piled up and hardened my heart to a point where Christianity became totally irrelevant to my life. I started becoming more self-satisfied and sufficient. It doesn’t take long before I started dabbling with wrongful things and worst, taunting God with prideful words like “I’m still fine and ok without You!” God would have easily ‘destroyed’ me if He is not patient, loving and slow to anger.

Later, things started to fall apart and turn bad at every corner one by one; and yet I’m clueless and puzzled to what have gone wrong! All those complacency I’ve built up so far evaporated in seconds when all these problems started to surface. Only then, I started to hear the ‘knockings’. But the truth is, Jesus has been knocking ever since day one.

Dear Lord, thank You again for Your forgiveness and the loving discipline You have shown to me in the past, helping me out of my uncaring attitude. Without them, I would have jeopardized everything in my life. Lord, work in my heart and help me to draw near to You again and again through daily devotion, confession, service, worship and studying of Your Word. Father, keep me also aware of the difference between temporarily satisfactions of the world and the everlasting future in Christ’s Kingdom. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.


Bee's Thoughts:




Dear Lord,
I am very tired today from my work. I am having headache now. Yet I still want to open my heart door to You and not give excuse for my tiredness. Please come into my heart and be my strength and my guide. I commit my life, my work, my relationship to You. Renew my strength when I wake up in the morning so that I may have good fellowship with You again.

Please also grant Tommy wisdom in his work tomorrow. Grant him strength too as he rise in the morning. Let him devote his time for You even inspite of his business and tiredness. The same goes for me.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


.......the devotion of Tommy & Bee

Drawn By The Cross

John 12:23-36

23 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!"

Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

30 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

34 The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"

35 Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. 36 Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Bee's Thoughts:

My recent experiences in working with young children in the preschool help me see again how easily children can be drawn to a caregiver who is loving and caring, yet firm with them. They will test their boundary to see how far they can go and look for their 'safety net'.

By being firm yet assuring the children helps make them feel secured. Love is not giving in to their immediate demands that might jeopardise what's best for them in a long run. So even new children to my preschool, who are suffering from separation anxiety when their parents leave the school, are drawn to me when I show them how much I care for them.

Yes, love is a drawing factor to most people, if not all. I, for one, am easily drawn by someone who truly loves me in ways I can see and feel, who keeps his promises, who cares for my soul and well being.

A question suddenly came to my mind: Who will love me enough to donate one of his kidneys or eyes to me for free if I need a transplant? Is there such a person amongst the people I know? I don't know...

The "cross" is where Jesus Christ laid down His life for me and all mankinds. The "cross" is a symbol of love. How could I not response to such love? I did. I was drawn by the cross of love and sacrifice. I love because He first loved me.


Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for dying on the cross for me. Thank You for loving me so much. I love You too.

Let me spread Your love around to those who needs Your love. Let Your love be seen in me and felt through me at my place I work and with the people that come across my path.

I ask all these in Your loving name. Amen.

Tommy's Thoughts:

I do understand the meaning of the familiar verse 25 of today passage, but at times unknowingly some of my actions still show I haven’t really release full control of my life to Christ. There are things that I still strive on my own for advantage, happiness and security. There are also times; I’d even risk losing the life God wanted me to have by trying to save my physical life from the temporal pain, discomfort and uneasiness through ‘shortcuts’ and other ‘methods” created all by myself.

I used to think if I were to allow God to be involved in everything in my life, I’ll surely lose my personality and the real person I am. How wrong and self-centered I was! I realized later that the exact opposite will happen when I give my life to Christ, I will find my true self and the very purpose and meaning of living.

Like how Jesus responded in verse 27, we need to learn to say no to our wrongful human desires in order to obey our Heavenly Father and glorify Him. We are called to obedience and we should do His will and bring glory and honor to His name.

Thank You Lord for teaching me to be genuinely committed to You in everything; pledging my whole existence to Your service lovingly and freely; to be an obedient disciple of Christ; to trust You and to let go of my own ways. Only through this, I would become Your “son of lights”, revealing the truth and pointing people to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.


.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

Burying Our Heads

2 Samuel 12

Nathan Rebukes David
1 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

4 "Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."

5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."

7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'

11 "This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.' "

13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die."


If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.
—Galatians 6:1

Bee's Thoughts:

Someone said the reason God called king David "the man after God's own heart" (1 Sam 13:13-14) was David was always willing to repent immediately when he realized his sins. He has a repenting spirit that always seek to please God. That's why David prayed, "Search me, O God, and know my heart" (Psalm 139:23).

With repentance comes immediate forgiveness, yet punishment or the consequences of sins might be inevitable for certain types of sins, such as murder.

We are very vulnerable to sins, especially when we are not vigilant, even though we may have a heart for God. The important thing is to constantly ask God to search our heart to keep it pure.


Dear Lord, keep my heart pure Lord. Let me not just bury my head in the sand but to face and repent from any known sins. Let me have the spirit of king David to always want to please You.

I am very tired today after work. Help me to catch up with sleep tonight. Thank You that tomorrow is a Public Holiday. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

I had a chance to share with a non-believer friend today. I never thought God will arrange it so perfectly for me to do it at the right time and the right setting. I was prayerfully asking God to help me in words when I spoke because I know I can get really excited and worst being insensitive to how little they know about Christianity. Thank God it was ok.

It’s amazing so much we can learn from the Bible like in today’s devotion. Like what I explained to my friend; if we were to read it slowly even a short passage in the Bible, it can bring so much meaning and wisdom that we can apply into our daily life.

Some of the lesson I’ve learnt from today passages:

Do not rob from others
Like in the Nathan’s story to David, sometime we are too selfish and focus on our own gain and pleasure; we might directly or indirectly stole some thing or someone from others. Like the little ewe lamb in the story, it’s something the poor man hold dearly to and loves the most.

Think twice before criticizing others
There have been many incidences I observed personally that when a person criticizes or condemns another, they are often criticizing their own character flaws. It happened to my own self sometime, unconsciously. Sometime, we become so insensitive to our own flaws that we didn’t realize we are actually exposing them when we criticize others. Whenever we feel like criticizing or changing others because we find it hard to accept their qualities, ask God first to help us to understand their feelings and observe our own flaws more clearly instead.

The Irreversible
Today passage also touches on the consequences of sin. I’m always tempted to make it as an excuse to continue doing wrong knowing God will forgive and accept me back every time. But, like David who child would have to die because of the sin he’d committed; we can’t escape the consequences of our action. It is true God can forgive all our wrongs and restore our relationship with Him, but He doesn’t eliminate all the consequences of our wrongdoing. So we need to stop dabbling in sin because the consequences will not only affect us permanently but also to those close to us. They are irreversible.

Confront Sin with Wisdom, Tact and Gentleness
There were many times I failed miserably in this. My mistake was I didn’t pray for God’s leading in my words to others and ended up being frustrated and discouraged when I was misunderstood. Nevertheless, we need not to bury our heads and giving up doing anything; we need to ask for God’s guidance when we want to make our close one aware of their wrongs. We need to pray for courage, skill and tact; think through before we speak and present our message seasoned with wisdom and express with gentleness.

Dear Lord, thank You for all these lessons today. Help me Lord to always remember and apply them in my life whenever I’m dealing with others. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.


.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

Our Eternal God

1 Timothy 6:13-16

13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time — God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Bee's Thoughts:

I had been labelled as 'bad' and 'useless' when I was a child, and that labelling has caused me to grow up with very low self-esteem and high inferiority complex. As a result, even when others genuinely praised me for the good things I did or for my look, I would not dare to acknowledge them. I became very shy and felt uneasy with compliments. But, gradually I learnt to accept compliments (without feeling proud) when they are said genuinely. I try to accept myself as I am.

However, last night what my best friend said jokingly again triggered my old childhood wound. I felt being 'labelled' like before... worse still when it came from someone close. I don't know why I was feeling so sensitive about it... I felt so hurt again today with some of his remarks, though it was meant to be jokes. Could it be due to the tiredness I have been experiencing these 2 days?

Thank God for today's devotion. It helps me to see how insignificant I am compared to the God I worshipped. What is there for me to boast about myself? None. If there be any, it is because of my God "who gives life to everything". In Him shall I boast.


Dear Lord,
I am so unworthy of Your love. I am so insignificant before You. I am a nobody, but a sinner. Yet You have saved me from the 'dungeon' of my sins and gave me a new life. If I should gain any praise, I give them all back to You, Lord. To You be all glory.

So please help me not feel sensitive and hurt because of what others say about me... for I am Your child now, the princess of the "King of kings and Lord of lords". I find myself in You alone. All that I am and all that I have comes from You. Thank You so much, my Father!

Amen.

Tommy's Thoughts:

Before I’m a Christian, I used to ponder about what will happened after death. I came to a conclusion that I will be fine if I end up dissolving into nothingness. Heaven to me was just an illusion and I thought if it ever existed, it’ll be impossible for me to be there knowing how lousy a person I was. I also thought those who believe in heaven use it as an excuse to treat their current world and people lousily.

I was not being honest. Deep down inside, there was a longing for a longer life, a life that can lasts and not deteriorate like everything else. I came to this realization four years ago when I was at my father’s death bed, seeing him breathed his last breath after struggling for half an hour after we pulled the plug. I saw a single tear fell down his face after that though he was in coma. I felt really helpless and begin to question the whole point and meaning of life, how fragile it is and is it really that’s it after death?

Sometime we are just too busy with busyness that we forget or never think of deep inside our soul there’s a burning question of whether there’s a probability we can live forever? King Solomon said, “God has planted eternity in the human heart.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Rick Warren in his famous book wrote “The reason we long for immortality and feel we should live forever, is that God has wired our heart with that desire.”

Through Jesus Christ, this becomes possible and certain when we believe in Him and accept the gift of an eternal life with our Heavenly Father. I can’t think of a better, more convincing and effective way to be affirmed than to accept Christ as our Savior and allow Him to change and work in us; instead of us trying hard to do things to win God’s approval and favor.

Thank You Lord for Your gift of salvation, a way that I can live with You forever by faith in Jesus Christ. Thank You Father for teaching me to give my life to Jesus, to trust Him in everything, to have a deep abiding faith; to stay with Him always; and to have the patient to persevere during difficult times while waiting for His return.

For all these I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

“The question is not whether we will have an eternal life, but where we will spend our eternity in; heaven or hell?”

.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

Willing To Share

1 Timothy 6:6-10

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Bee's Thoughts:

When we are contented with what we have we will have less despairs. When we are thankful for what we have everyday we will have less complain.

I am beginning to experience the new meaning of contentment this year. With such an attitude, things look brighter to me and I have more joy. Things also automatically workout better, just like in my new job... I am happy that I have a chance to 'polish' my skills in handling children besides the administrative aspects of work, as mentioned in my JOE blog on Contentment At Work.

True, I feel very tired these 2 days after my work, but I am happy and contented though my boss didn't pay me my worth. It's ok, since money is not everything in life.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for the lesson on godliness and contentment. For with that I could feel Your peace and joy within.

Thank You for sustaining Tommy and me in our devotion time with You too. Thank You that we can have like-minded comapanions to 'ran' this 'race' together, to share and to encourage each other. Thank You that You are our strength that carries us through when we are weak at times.

Praise You, Lord! Amen.

Tommy's Thoughts:

I used to be a very selfish person. I was always reluctant to lend a hand to help others. I normally will not get myself into hassle of making the effort to reach out to those in needs. At times, I was stingy by not sharing what I have with others; keeping all to myself.

As I submit myself to God; He showed to me my selfish attitude. Through His grace and mercy, I was able to change and begin to share and help others willingly and happily. The more I gave and share with others, the happier a person I became. All this is possible when I truly trust God to provide all my needs and knowing I can’t store up treasure for myself on earth.

Thank You Lord for teaching me to care and have true compassion for those in needs. Sometime, those might be difficult people in our life; those we have to listen to and understand their predicaments; those who are resentful because of hurt and those who are closest to us but yet the least we speak to.

Thank You Lord again especially for today. Though I don’t consider it as a “good” day, but in a way, You have shown to me the great difference between my past and present; the false god I worshipped and wasted so much time on last time with You today in my life. Now, I understand clearly how meaningless, foolish and harmful those desires were. Dear Lord, thank You for saving me from plunging myself into ruin and destruction. Thank You also for Your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

Mom's Translation

Ezra 9:5-15

5 Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the LORD my God 6 and prayed:
"O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. 7 From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.

8 "But now, for a brief moment, the LORD our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. 9 Though we are slaves, our God has not deserted us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

10 "But now, O our God, what can we say after this? For we have disregarded the commands 11 you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: 'The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. 12 Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.'

13 "What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this. 14 Shall we again break your commands and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? 15 O LORD, God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence."

Bee's Thoughts:

Thank God for the passage... a reminder of God's mercy and kindness to His children. Like what I wrote at JOE blog, "A Very Tring Day", God has shown His mercy on me. I am lost for words to thank Him as I am very tired now.

Dear Lord,
Though I am super tired now, but I still want to say "Thank You". Thank You for 2006, not only You have given me peaceful and contentment, You have also given me a new job so fast. Let me be faithful in all I do, so that Your glory may shine through. Amen.


Tommy's Thoughts:

Ezra gave the best example of how to practice what we have learnt from God’s words into our life. As a sign of total submission and humility, Ezra knelt down for confession and asked God for forgiveness. Ezra also knows well about God through his study of the Law and his close relationship with Him in prayers. He knows God is gracious, loving and slow to anger. By putting into action to what he has learnt, Ezra corrected his people to turn away from living a sinful life.

Thank You Lord for teaching me the importance to take time to read Your words. Thank You also for Bee, my very good and encouraging team member in this daily devotion. Without her I think I would have skipped many, many days! Thank You Lord that through Your words, I’ll be able to strengthen and prepare myself for the coming ‘battles’. At the same time, I’ll be able to encourage, guide and help my brothers and sisters in Christ. In Jesus’ name I pay, Amen.


.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

The Options

Luke 16:19-31

The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

30 " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Bee's Thoughts:

Lives are full of options isn't it?. The choices we made will affect us not only for the present, but also for our future, and even for our next generation of children. Yet these options are only available as long as we are alive. We have to be wise in taking the right options. There is opportunity cost in each option.

Thank God that I came to know Christ when my brother brought me to the Sunday School at a young age. In the Sunday School I listened to the story of Moses and decided to take the God of Moses as my God. That choice I made so many years ago has a great impact on who and what I am today. If I didn't make that choice, I might not even be alive today, or I might live a life full of bitterness or even be insane.


Dear Lord,
By Your grace and mercy, You have saved me from my sins. Thank You for helping me to make that great and important choice of following You, which I have never regretted.

Now I pray that my friends will also make this important choice of following You while they have the chance. For we never know when is the last moment of our life where we can't make anymore choices, and will have to live with the consequences of our last choice. May You be merciful to them too.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen

Tommy's Thoughts:

I used to think Jesus will not come back in my lifetime; and uses it as an everyday excuse to wait of committing myself to Him and to change my ways. But I made the mistake of forgetting the possibility of a day being my last day to live. As I read about this recent tragedy in my country, I can’t help but wonder how easy our lives can be taken away from us. When it really does happen to us, it’s all over. There will be no turning back or second chance if we have yet to do what God wanted us to do.


As I sat down and listen to God, I hear Him telling me to stop procrastinating and take up the Cross TODAY. To turn to Him and accept His offer of forgiveness. To repent and start anew with God leading the ways in everything I do. And He has great things prepared for me when I obey and follow Him all the days I live.

Thank You Lord for Your clear reminder of asking me to make the right option TODAY. Thank You Lord for your forgiveness and faithfulness to be with me always when I fall and picking me up again. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that I’m able to change my old ways and to start a new life with You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

The Perfect Timing & Our Influence

James 1:2-8

Trials and Temptations

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Tommy's Thoughts:

I’m an impatient person.

There’ve been an awful lot of times that even after I’ve prayed for God’s guidance and receiving it, I still rushed into actions that I regretted later. I’m in a way do not fully trust God to give me the best and skipping the essential season of my life to grow in faith and to know His Ways.

Verse 2 of today passage says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds”. Through the years, whenever I’m facing trials, I can’t seem to find any reasons to be joyful about. What I did were complaining and later moving ahead with my own plans and actions. And every time I did that, I failed miserably and regretted of making those moves.

I’m in that situation again now. As I listened to a sermon this evening about “Making the Change NOW” and also today devotion’s passage, I realized God are telling me to let go of my worries and uncertainties; to fully trust Him; to know that He is not a sadist but a loving father who what the best for His children. Since I have prayed, I must believe and not doubt. God might be asking me to wait now or He has something even better than what I can think of. I know God is using this time now to test, mold and shape me into what He would have me be.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your mercy and grace that enable me to persevere during this time. I pray to You for wisdom in discernment whenever my mind is clouded by unworthy and meaningless influences. Lord, help me to be happy and joyful right where You have me. Help me to walk in Your ways and be willing to wait for Your timing in everything I do. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.



Bee's Thoughts:

Indeed, how we live our life and what we say can influence people around us unknowingly. I was surprised when one of my e-friend of 2 years commented at my JOE blog:

"I'll never forget the role you've played in my life to help me being where I am today. I was a person who didn't believe in "e-friend" and this friendship with you just proved myself wrong. So, in the presence of all witnesses here, and to mark the start of this new year, I'd take this opportunity to award you the title of being my longest-ever one and only "THE E-friend Award"! Hope you'll fulfill every of the resolution you have for the new year and hope our friendship gets stronger over the years!"

Ah... I have made a difference in people's life by sharing my own trials in life at my blog? How I handle these heartaches with God's help has indirectly and quietly encouraged others to experience God too. For this reason I "consider it pure joy" whenever I face trials... for not only I can be moulded in the process, but people who knows me can also be touched by the Lord.


Dear Lord,
Let me not murmur when trials come my way.
Let me consider it pure joy and persevere always.
Let me not be double-minded and never ever sway.
Let me ask You in faith each time I pray.
Let me be a good influence in what I say.
Let me be a blessing to others everyday.
Amen



.......the devotion of Bee and Tommy

A Three-Step Conversion

Acts 2:38-47

38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Bee's Thoughts:

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour when I was about 12 years old in the Sunday School. I got baptized in water 3 years later, and was baptized in the Holy Spirit a year later that. But it wasn't an easy road for me...

To my parents, water baptism means I am serious about my Christian faith. So I faced parental objection and persecution when I wanted to be baptized in water. But by faith I went though the baptism. My mum was furious... but gradually my parents accepted the fact that I am serious about my belief. They have seen the change in my life too. Persecution has actually made my faith so much stronger.

I always enjoyed bible study time as it helps me understand the bible better and to have practical Christian living. So going to church and attending home/cell fellowship is always a joy to me. Even when I feel tired or lazy to attend, the Holy Sprit will always prompt me to go.... and I always feel good and strenghtened each time I obeyed.


Dear Lord,
I can't stop thanking You as I looked back on how You have guided my life all these years. I have gone through many trials in my life, yet You have never failed to lift me up again and again.

Thank You for the strength to follow You. Thank You for the teaching of Your words, the fellowship of believers and Your constant Holy Spirit promptings. I pray that You will continue to lead my life and make me a channel of blessings to others, and to encourage them to grow in You too.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


.......the devotion of Bee

Dark Light

2 Corinthians 3:5-18

5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The Glory of the New Covenant
7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

Bee's Thoughts:

Last night, my best friend sms me with the message, "wish u able2 fulfill whatever unfulfill stuff from last year resolution..." But my reply was, "Hmmn... what i want last yr is not what i want this yr..." Why?

Because I have given all my last year's hopes and dreams to God and I want them no more. I just want to be in the will of God. I trust that if God finds it good for me to have those 'stuff', He will give them to me this year. If not, I am happy without them. So I believe I have made the right 2006 resolution.

Today is the 2nd day of 2006 and I have been feeling rather peaceful, contented, and worry-free again like before the year 2005. Did my situation change? No, but my mindset has.

Today's devotion is another good reminder that...

All that I gained
come from God's grace,
there's no credit for me.
All that I am
I surrender to God,
and I shall not complain.
- Bee

Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your reminder again that I am what I am because of You. I shall be what I shall be in 2006 by Your mercy. I shall look at my future hope and glory instead of the present misery. Thank You for being my all in all. Praise You!


Tommy's Thoughts:

I used to believe in lies that filled my days with fear, self-condemnation, doubts and uncertainties. I wallowed in self-pity and negativities.

As the Lord came to open my eyes, I saw that as a Christian, we are called to be bold; to stand tall and straight with confidence in everything we do and to think and speak with authority, conviction and passion. This is possible because the Lord dwells in us. And we can live boldly when we know we are child of God and understand how the Lord wants to use us.

Thank You Lord first of all for being with me; protecting and safeguarding me during my travel trip. Thank You also for using situations to clarify my motives. Thank You for giving me a way to reaffirm my total submission, commitment and obedience to You despite my situation.

Dear Lord, I will continue to put You first in my life and letting You to mold and move me in the right direction. I will trust You to know what’s best for me and believing You are in control. I will remember that You live in me; giving me the strength and freedom to live my live boldly with true confidence. Lord, I pray that You will guide me to live the rest of my life as a reflection of You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy

Into The Unknown

Hebrews 11:8-16

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Bee's Thoughts:

Today's devotion is again a confirmation from God that I need to step into 2006 BY FAITH, just like Abraham did, for I heard the same message about Abraham during this morning sermon in Church.

What shows Abraham's faith?

1. "he did not know where he was going" (v.8)... yet he stepped into the unknown

2. "he lived in tents... whose architect and builder is God" (v10)... for

Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
- Psalm 127:1

3. "he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren" (v11)... he believed in the impossible

4. "longing for a better country—a heavenly one" (v16)... he knew what is permanent and what's not.


Just like Abraham, I am not sure of what 2006 holds for me... I am not sure what I should do, or where I should go, and when these should happen. Just like what I wrote regarding "My 2006 Resolution", all I know is "I want to laugh more, be contented with simple things in life, be innocent again, sleep early and wake up early, don't expect too much from others, to be child-like, be less complicated about life and relationship." I have let go of those things I wanted so much in 2005 but didn't get.

I used to do lots of planning and I charted my own career path, I knew where and when I was going, and I felt proud of my achievements. But now I am learning to walk by faith and not by sight, for God said in Isaiah 55:8-9:

8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Dear Lord,
Thank You again for reminding me to trust in You as I stepped into 2006 by faith like Abraham. Let me not try to be smart to think of my own ways to do things, but to wait upon You for direction in my life and to use Your ways.

I place all my years of education, my years of working experiences and achievements, my skills and knowledge into Your hands. I surrender them all to You today, Lord. I am now just a simple gal who wants to be contented and happy with whatever You give me or withhold. For I know You love me and want the best for me.

Thank You for the courage to step into 2006 by faith. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen



.......the devotion of Bee