The Pain Machine

Acts 24:16

16 So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

Ephesians 4:31-32

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Reflection of Bee:

How can one forgive, be kind, and compassionate when one has been hurt over and over again by the same person? How can one not feel angry or bitter in such situation? Yet the above passage is asking us to do what seems impossible.

Yes, it is really impossible if we do it in our strength. The above passage says we can do it because God has first forgiven us (though we have hurt Him over and over again too). Because of Christ, we can forgive, we can do the impossible just like what the poem, Forgiveness, by Brenda Terrell says.

I do feel hurt and very sad each time I think of the past and present hurts. Yet when I think of Jesus, forgiveness is the word that rings in my heart. Forgive just as I have been forgiven. I can't forgive in my own strength, I have to rely on God's strength to do it.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for forgiving me. Thank You for giving me strength to forgive too. Teach me to release all past and future hurts to You. Teach me to forgive and bless those who have hurt me, betrayed me, and made me miserable.
I raise my hands now to give You all of them. Please take over and do what is necessary that Your name may be praised.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:

God gives each one of us conscience that alerts us of spiritual harm. But, often we find ourselves ignoring it and allow ourselves to be controlled by our sinful nature. We hide ourselves from God for a moment, foolishly thinking He can’t see us for deliberately avoiding His commands and sinning against Him.

Like what Paul mentioned in today’s passage, he always strives to keep his conscience clear before God and man (Acts 24:16). Likewise, we should do the same whenever the Holy Spirit alerts us of our wrongful ways. Ask God for strength and wisdom to obey and allow His reminder to train and produce in us godly character.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your constant reminder whenever I begin to swerve from Your way. Teach me also to confess and repent from any wrongdoing, keeping my conscience clear before You and others. Remind me also that as Your children I can always choose not to sin against You and others, as You have said that You who is in me is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4). I thank You and pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

What is Love?

1 John 3:11-18

Love one another
11This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Reflection of Bee:

What is love?

Love is to "lay down our lives for our brothers" (v16). It is not just words, but actions and reality (v18).

It may not be so hard to love this way for just ONE person, but to do this for everyone may be a tall order, or seems impossible. Yet that is how God wants us to love our "neighbours".

Love needs to grow and build upon something. We can't love anyone overnight. Can we? To love in such a way we need to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Perhaps we can't do it at first since we are born selfish. But the Spirit of God can help us to grow to love one or two persons in this way at first. As our capacity to love expands (when we spend time with God) we will learn to love more and more people in this way.

Dear Lord,
I confess that I can't love everyone in the way You do at the moment. But I will learn to love someone in that way as Your Spirit works in my heart and brings that person to me. I pray that I will learn to love more people in that way as I draw love from You. For You are love.
Guide me to those You want me to love in this way.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:

Sometimes it is easier to say we’ll die for someone than to truly live for them. Making daily decision to care for those in need; putting others’ desires before ourselves; be generous in giving our possession, time and energy in service to others without expecting anything in return.

God often bring people into our life, to teach us how to love and care for them. Real love is more than mere words of kindness but involves proactive action and effort to reach out to others in a selfless and sacrificial manner. So, we need to ask the Holy Spirit daily to guide us and teach us to love others genuinely.

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me never to be a murderer at heart (Matthew 5:21,22) but to truly love others the way You love them. Guide my heart that I may never harbor resentment or bitterness towards those who has wronged me. May I love others selflessly and sacrificially always. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

A Word From The Wise

James 3:1-12

Taming the Tongue
1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt[a] water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Reflection of Bee:

When I was younger I thought losing my hearing is the end of the world for me, 'cos I love music.... I love to listen and to make music. I was in the school band then when I lost my hearing partially. I cried and felt I would rather die then.

But now as a grownup, the most important function I need is seeing. I use it all the time, except sleeping. In a way, I am a visual person. As I mentioned in my blog, Who will be there for me, the losing of my sight will be worse than losing my any other abilities, such as hearing or speaking.

Speaking is the least I need. For I speak little. I speak only when I am compelled to do so to help someone or to refute a wrong statement. I speak only when necessary. I tend to admire those who can speak well effortlessly.

"Silence is golden", as the saying goes. Is it true?

The above passage warns us to control our tongue or speech, not that we should keep quiet. We need to use our tongue for something good, such as encouraging someone or to praise God. We don't use it to destroy someone or to curse. The only way to control this little organ is living a life by the Spirit and have "self-control" over it.


Dear Lord,
Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. May my words be seasoned with 'salt' that would heal and build others. Otherwise, let me be quiet if I have nothing better to say.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Reflection of Tommy:

With the same tongue we praise God, we use it to curse others (v9). When we care less with our speech, we often do great damage to others with what we say. We display our untamed tongue when we use it for gossiping, putting others down, lying, manipulating and cursing others.

We need to allow the Holy Spirit to help us fight this destructive fire of our tongue by asking Him to give us strength and power to monitor and control what we say. We also need to always remember to ask these questions before we say anything- Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me once again to be aware of what I say to others. Forgive me for often out of anger and frustration, responded with hateful and hurtful words to others. Teach me to not only say what is right at the right time, but also controlling the desire to say what I shouldn’t. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Heart For Others

2 Corinthians 11:22-30

What anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Reflection of Bee:

Sometimes the greatest enemy can be those closest to us... from within. Paul was in danger from his "own countrymen" and those who pretended to be "brothers", besides the dangers from without (v27). In spite of those dangers, he was concerned for the churches. He recognized his own weaknesses (v29). Yet he knew that his strength came from God despite of them. Therefore he recognized that his victory came from God.

As I reflect on my life, I too had gone through much sufferings, persecution, enemies within, betrayal, 'desertion', 'abandonment', lost of self-esteem, self-doubt, self-hate, even suicidal thoughts. I have had fair share of weaknesses and sins, just like Paul. But I am what I am today because of the grace and mercies of God in my life. Without God, I may not be here today.

Yes, I may still be human and still need to feel human touch, warm and love. Yet I know that humans will be humans and they can be very unreliable, unless God has transformed their lives. Therefore, the only one I can rely on has to be God.... any one that comes along would be a gift from God.


Dear Lord,
As I read the above passage, it reminds me of how You had saved me and saw me through all my life's trials and temptations. I am weak but You are strong. You have kept me from all wrongs. Let me continue to walk with You, Lord. I pray that You will transform my life even more. That I may be someone who can reach out to another who needs to feel human warm and love, instead of hoping to be loved. May Your love rules my life that I may forgive and bless those who have hurt me.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:

From verse 28-29, we see how Paul not only faced physical threats and dangers; he was also under pressure in worrying about the health of the churches. He was deeply concerned for the members of the churches in their growth and the threats from false teachings that were so prevalent during that time.

If God has bring opportunities for us to lead or guide His people, we should not do it to make us looks better than others, instead do it out of love for them like Paul.

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me to always serve Your people out of love and gratitude for the love You have shown to me. Guide my every words and actions that they are not to glorify myself but You alone; helping and building others up and leading them to Jesus and centering their lives on Him. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Religion Or Christ?

Ephesians 2:1-10 (Contemporary English Version)

From Death to Life
1In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. 2You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God. 3Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.

4-5But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God's wonderful kindness is what saves you. 6God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. 7God did this so that in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. 8You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. [a] This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. 10God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That's why he sent Christ to make us what we are.

Reflection of Bee:

Before we accept Christ, we could not see how sinful we were. But after we have accepted the salvation of God through faith and read His words daily, we could see how sinful we once were. The things we once thought were harmless are actually things the devil used to control our thoughts and caused us to sin.

This salvation comes as the grace of God towards us and not because of our good works, and we have nothing to boast about. Someone has paid the price.... He is Jesus Christ... through His blood.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for giving me Your salvation freely. Let me also share it freely with others that they may also receive Your grace too. I pray that You will guide me in my dealing with people around me that I will use every opportunity to share Your love.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:

From today’s passage, does it mean that as Christian, we have the option to do or not to do good works? Although no action or work can earn us our salvation, but when we accept Christ it will result in us wanting to do good as a respond of gratitude, praise and joy. And we will know then, revealed by the Holy Spirit, that we are saved not merely for our own benefit but to serve Him and others, building up the church.

Dear Father, thank You for revealing all these great truths to me. Thank You for Your unmerited grace that allow a sinner like me to be reconciled with You. Guide me to never stop learning and apply Your Word in my daily life, serving You and others with love for the extension of Your kingdom. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Rivers Of Living Water

John 7:37-44

37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as[a] the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

40On hearing his words, some of the people said, "Surely this man is the Prophet."

41Others said, "He is the Christ."

Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee? 42Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family[b] and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?" 43Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

Reflection of Bee:

It's a promise that Jesus will give us the living water when we come to Him. All He asks us to do is, "come". Sometimes we may feel dry in our spiritual walk. That's the time we need to turn to the living water and drink till we thirst no more.

Dear Lord,
I want to drink of Your living water... quench my thirst now, heal my body, soul and spirit. Let me once again be filled with Your life and overflow Your goodness to those come in contact with me. I need You now.
I pray too for Your living water to flow to my special friend.... to cool his stressful body, soul and spirit. That's he will know Your will for his life and follow Your leading. May Your love, joy and peace fill his soul tonight.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:
There are those who risk their lives for the reason of living life to the fullest. They think that through those activities they will receive true fulfillment. It doesn’t take long for them to realize they are still ‘thirsty’, empty inside. So, they begin another search for new ‘wells’ that might somehow quench their thirst; filling the void inside their heart and soul. Often, these earthly “wells” are destructive; making the drinker more unfulfilled, empty, sick, sad, and sorry. The author of Ecclesiastes called it a chasing after the wind.

In today’s passage, we get to know a well that can truly quenched our thirst. By accepting Christ, out of our heart will flow rivers of living water (John 7:38). This source is the Holy Spirit, who is like a well of satisfaction (7:39) and we’ll have a continual source of spiritual refreshment. Not only that, we will be conduit of God to overflow His blessings to others.

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me to always tap into the right well for true fulfillment and refreshment. Forgive me of easy to find fault in others who drink from bad wells but exhibit similar attitude myself when longing for other fulfillments other than You. Teach me to come back to the right Source, the only Source, Jesus Christ. May I be empowered by the Holy Spirit as I thirst more of You and be used effectively in the great plan for Your people. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

This Is A Warning

Deuteronomy 28:58-63

58 If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God- 59 the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. 60 He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. 61 The LORD will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. 62 You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the LORD your God. 63 Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.

Reflection of Bee:

The God we serve is one who is both compassionate and just, loving and righteous. Because of these opposite attributes in God's character, Jesus has to die on the cross to fulfill both of them. Our sinfulness calls for God's punishment on us because He is righteous. Yet His love calls for Jesus to die on the cross on our behalf so that those who accept His redemption can be saved from the wrath of God.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your love, but let us not forget that You are also a righteous God who cannot tolerate sins. I want to ask that right now You will search me and cleanse me from all my unrighteousness. May all my thoughts and words be acceptable in Your sight.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Reflection of Tommy:

I saw a very good Christian book that day where the author hand-picked and categorized all comforting passages in the Bible as a quick reference when we are in despair, discouraged, worry etc. Although this is a good book but we shouldn’t rely entirely on books like this for our walk as a Christian.

Today passage is one of the ‘harsher’ sides of the Bible that gives us the bigger picture of the Bible as our ultimate source in our walk. It helps us to see that God is not a mere genie in a bottle for us to satisfy all our wishes. It takes true humility to acknowledge God is above all our standards of justice, to be an obedient child to God.

Dear Father, thank You for the lesson today, not to only know how to ask and take all the time from You without showing genuine desire to change and to follow all Your commands. Thank You for letting me know that despite some of Your commands seem difficult, but they are entirely for my own good. May all my words and action be pleasing to you always. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Full Pockets

Ephesians 1:3-12

Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he[a] predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he[b] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

11In him we were also chosen,[c] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Reflection of Bee:

Tonight's passage has reminded me of my position in Christ and His blessings. God has planned for me that I may glorify Him. What is this plan?

When God closes a door He will open another, or even a few, as in my case. I pray that I will know God's will for my life and obey Him as He shows me.

Dear Lord,
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). Speak to me as I read Your word each day. May Your peace rests in my heart when I take the path You want me to go. I pray for Your discernment and wisdom as I speak to others.
I pray too that You will restore back my health soon that I may go to Your house to worship You this Sunday.
I pray too for few of my brothers and sisters in Christ who need Your guidance in their career. May You make Your will clear to them too.
In Your name I pray. Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:
A church member recently shared about how many Christians do not seize and claim all the spiritual blessings God has freely given to us when we accepted Christ in our lives. Many continue living in fear, anguish and bondage; feeling helpless and trapped.

But in today’s passage, we see how Paul clearly said as God adopted children; we have all the spiritual blessings now: peace, hope, wisdom, forgiveness, confidence, relationship with God. We need to start changing our perspective and seeing this as a reality in everything we do daily.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, that we have access to all these eternal blessings. Thank You that You has predestined me to know this great truth and leading me to fully claim them. Continue to be with me, protecting my mind from all distractions that lead me to believe the opposites. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

He Is There

Psalm 139:1-12

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

Reflection of Bee:

Who will be there for me
when I need words of comfort?
Who will be there for me
when I need a shoulder to cry?
Who will be there for me
when I need to pour my sorrows?

Who will be there for me
if I were to lose my vision?
Who will be there for me
if I were to lose my voice?
Who will be there for me
if I were to die tonight?


Dear Lord,
As I look back to my past I see Your hands upon me keeping me all the way. Sometimes You used people to help me along the way. Sometimes You hide Yourself from me so I will learn to live by faith and not by sight.
But now You hide others from me so that I will know that You are the only one for me when others go their ways.
In my sickness, I want to praise you still. For my life is in Your hand. Guide me in the path that I should go.
In Your holy name I pray. Amen.



Reflection of Tommy:
Often we feel the presence of God only during prayer or in church, but the truth is He is always with us, every second in a day, whether we are awake or asleep (v8). How comforting it is to always keep this in our mind during the good and the bad times.

When we know God is presence with us, it helps to change our perception on things and refocus our mind on Him. His presence gives us the courage when we are afraid, confidence when we are in doubt, strength when we are weak and hope when we are discouraged.

Dear Father, thank You for Your presence with me, helping me to see You in everything I’m going through. Teach me to follow You ever closely, keeping all Your commands, obeying You joyfully and trusting You for everything. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Who Is To Judge What’s Right?

Romans 2:12-16

12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Reflection of Bee:

God made us with a conscience. Whenever we are about to do something wrong, our conscience will e pricked so we would pause to think if we should proceed. However, we may also numb our conscience by disobeying it. After sometimes, this conscience might be dead and we will sin w/o even feeling guilty. That's the case for the hard-core convicts.

We need to be careful not to impaired the conscience God has given to us. In fact, for Christian our conscience becomes very sensitive as we let the Holy Spirit fill us. We would have discernment in situations we come across.

Dear Lord,
I pray that my conscience will be sharp so that I may do what is right all the time. I pray that Your Holy Spirit will grant me the discernment to judge right from wrong.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Reflection of Tommy:
General Revelation is given and available to all people at all times and at all places. It can be through nature, human history, or our conscience (Romans 1:20). But through the history of mankind, we see how despite the availably of general revelation, men still did not keep even those standards that their own consciences dictated. We know what is right, but still insist on doing what’s wrong.

We should know that people are condemned not for what they don’t know, but for what they do with what they know. As a first step to forgiveness and healing, we need to admit to ourselves and to God if we constantly fail to live up to our own standards (much more to God’s).

Dear Father, forgive me for so often turn away from what I know from Your Word and do exactly the opposite. Guide me not to merely know about Your commands but to follow them obediently daily. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Fox Trouble

1 John 1:5-10

Walking in the light
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.

8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Reflection of Bee:

Our God is a compassionate God and ever ready to forgive us if only we confess our sins and ask for His forgiveness. Yet we tend to accumulate them, thinking they are too small or too big to confess to God.

Tonight's passage shows us that no one is sinless, therefore it is only normal to come to God for cleansing daily or whenever we sin. He is always faith and just to forgive us.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your cleansing blood. Thank You for Your love and forgiveness of all the sins I may have committed, knowingly or unknowingly. Thank You for the assurance.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.




Reflection of Tommy:

In today’s Our Daily Bread, the writer mentioned that the most deadly sins do not leap upon us, but creep up on us. How often those seemingly small, harmless and insignificant sins in our lives left unchecked. It may be our dishonesty at work, bad-mouthing on others, lying or doing things with hidden agendas. Those little sins will inevitably grow larger and before we know it, we’ll find ourselves in difficult situation bearing the heavy consequences of our action (James 1:15).

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me to walk in the light, as You are in the light (v7). Teach me to confess all my sins to You and be committed not to continue to do them again. Lord, I pray for Your continual strength for me to defeat all temptations coming my way. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Slow Down

Genesis 2:1-3

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [a] from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Reflection of Bee:

The Seventh Day is supposed to be a day of rest God intended for us. Yet some of us just do not know how to rest but continue to work, work, work.... till we collapse one day.

I am also a workaholic and find it so hard to rest on weekends. I still do work on my off days. Such lifestyle is actually a 'time bomb' waiting to be exploded. In my case, it has 'exploded'... I have fallen very ill now because of my accumulated long hours of work and little rest. Stress built up gradually and my immunity level started to drop. I have never been so ill as now with full blown flu and chronic cough.

Thank God that I left my job at the right time. At least I could rest at home now when I am sick and still be paid for this month. I guess God is telling me that I have to "slow down". Whatever is God's plan for me, I want to know and follow.

Yes, Sunday is a day we should rest by going to church to worship God with fellow believers, and also spend time with loved ones whom we are too busy to give attention to during the weekdays. We need to learn to put down our work and relax so we can charge up our energy for work on Monday.

Dear Lord,
Thank You that You know what is best for me. I am learning how to rest on the sabbath day instead of working, which is contrary to what is best for me. I have broken down physically because of lack of rest. I have missed church services 3 times in a row due to my sickness. I pray for a speedy recovery so I can go back to church to worship You again on Sunday.

I pray too for my special friend that he will also learn to rest on Your Sabbath Day instead of working so hard. I pray You will help him complete his assignments soon. I pray he will have Your wisdom in not taking up more assignments than he could complete during the weekdays. Keep him in good health Lord.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.




Reflection of Tommy:

To be honest, I haven’t been resting for years, working for more than 12 hours a day almost everyday! The little rest I had were short and did nothing to refresh or rejuvenate me. Again and again I promised myself to take some time off from my work in the office and at home, but I kept committing to more and more jobs.

Today passage tells about how even our almighty God himself rested from His work, how much more we also need to set aside time to rest. Here God demonstrated that rest is appropriate, right and vital to refresh us for times of service and renewal.

Dear Father, thank You for Your reminder! Guide me to really take the effort to set aside time for rest and spending it with You and others. Teach me to put first things first, managing my works, service, leisure and also myself well and trusting You to take care of all my needs. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

God’s Secret

Romans 6:11-23

11In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness
15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

19I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Reflection of Bee:

The amazing grace of God had saved us from the guilt of sins when we accepted His salvation. After being saved, we need to know that Satan has no more power over us, unless we allow him to control us (v14). "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." —1 John 4:4

The wages of sin is death (v23). This death not only refers to the physical one but also the spiritual death and death to our soul. When we continue to sin our conscience may becomes numb to guilt and therefore will not repent.

We need to learn to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit prompting in our heart so that we will not fall into the trap of the devil.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for the fact that sin has not power over me. Therefore, I can have the choice to be Your 'slave' and do what is right in Your sight. Yes, though there may be struggles in obeying You, yet You always win. Let me be sensitive to Your Spirit and know Your will for me in my life.
I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.



Reflection of Tommy:

There are still many Christians out there who are struggling with sin. They are unable to picture themselves as slave to righteousness as mentioned by Paul in today’s passage. Despite their sincere desire to offer themselves in slavery to righteousness they still stumble continually in the bondage of sin. Is there a way out? Is it really possible for us to freely choose between sin and righteousness?

The solution to this problem can be found in the first and greatest commandment of all: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ (Matthew 22:37). To love Him is to obey Him wholeheartedly and looking at His commands positively. It is also about trusting and surrendering our all fully to Him. Next is to seek Him and His kingdom first. And God will then be able to give us the power and strength to obey Him with all our heart.

Dear Father, thank You for what Christ has done on the Cross and Your gift of salvation. Forgive me Lord for any disobedience and ignorance towards Your clear commands to me. Remind me always that because of my union and identification with Christ that I should regard all my old sinful nature as dead and that I have the choice of no longer obligated to give in to sin anymore. Lord, I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to help me in my daily experience to grow into what You have declared me to be. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

No Longer Young

Psalm 37:23-31

23 If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;
24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.
27 Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;
29 the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.
30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.

Reflection of Bee:

As I learn to live as a Christian from the day I gave my heart to Jesus at the age of 12, I stumbled many times. The stumbling blocks could be others or myself. Yet through all those years I did not fall away from God. God kept my feet firm and my faith strong and upheld me with His hands (v23, 24).

God will watch over His children and will not allow them to become beggars. In fact, God told us not to worry about our future, for He knows our needs. We are more valuable than the lilies or the birds. He will watch over us as we keep our faith in him and obey His words. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Yes, as I grow older and reflect on how God have kept me and supplied my needs, my faith grows stronger each day.

Dear Lord,

Without You I can do nothing.
Without You life is just a dream.

Without You I will stumble and fall.

Without You I may lose my all.

Thank You for keeping me safe.

Thank You for guiding my way.

Thank You for supplying all my needs.

Thank You for the place in eternity.

In Jesus most wonderful name I thank You. Amen.

Reflection of Tommy:
When bad or difficult situation arise, it is easy to lost sight of how God has been faithfully helping us to go through our past trials and tribulations. We sometimes also tend to forget how He has been shaping us through the years.

Instead of feeling discouraged or doubting the care, love and presence of God, we need to remember the countless times He has lifted us up when we stumbled and gave us a new start. Be thankful always for He has promised to protect and bless (v26-28) those who keep His commands and trusting His providence.

Dear Lord, thank You for teaching me to always keep Your law in my heart. Guide me to take time to know Your Word and apply them in everything I do. Keep my feet from slipping and always turning from evil and do good. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Jesus Cried

John 11:21-35

21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,[a] the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

28And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.

35Jesus wept.

Reflection of Bee:

Jesus wept because of the living (v34), not because of the dead. For He knew that Lazarus will resurrect again if he is a believer of Christ (v25, 26).

I also have the tendency to weep when I see others weep. To Christians death is considered "asleep" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). When Jesus comes back again, "the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16). This is comforting for those whose loved ones are dead, if they have believed in Christ before they die.

Dear Lord,
Thank You that You can feel our sorrows. When I was weeping, You wept too. Thank You for the hope that we will be with You when we die. I don't know exactly how heaven will be like, but I know that I will be with You and that's enough for me.
Come quickly, Lord.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:
Someone I know recently lost his girlfriend through a car accident. As I went to her memorial service, I found out how wonderful and nice this person was through the eulogy from her friends. Many shed tears when recalling the times they have spend with this always warm and cheerful person that has touched their lives in many ways.

In today passage, we see how even Jesus wept, thus, it's ok for us to cry and grief while remembering those who has left us. But as Christian, we know that there shall be an end to death, sorrow, crying and pain when Christ returns (Rev. 21:4). We can look forward to that hope; to be reunited once again with our loved ones in heaven.

Dear Father, thank You for Your promise to end all pain and suffering when you create new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13). Meanwhile, teach me to appreciate and love those around me more. May my every words and action be guided by the love of Christ, bringing glory and honor to You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

We belong to God

Job 41:1-11

10 No one is fierce enough to rouse him.
Who then is able to stand against me?

11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?
Everything under heaven belongs to me.

Reflection of Bee:

God has created the heaven and the earth, so all things under heaven belongs to Him. If so, we also belong to God and we need to submit ourselves to Him.

Dear Lord,
Since I belong to you, surely you will take care of me. Once again I want to commit my life, my future, my career ad relationship to You. Thank You for loving me.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen



Reflection of Tommy:

One once said that it takes greater faith to believe all things happened by mere random chance than to believe in a creator God. That’s why it startled me whenever a person can says that they are marveled by the wonders of nature and creation yet denies the existence of God, and even ridicules Him in words. They also regard everything as irrelevant and that nothing matters, giving them excuse living recklessly and selfishly.

But as Christian, we know and acknowledge humbly that “God created every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded" (Gen. 1:21). The more we learn and realize the wonders around us, the more we recognize God’s eternal power and worship Him as Lord of creation (Rom. 1:20).

Dear Father, thank You that You have blessed us with so many great and wonderful things around us. Thank You for giving me the right perspective on who You are and the humility to acknowledge Your sovereignty over everything. Thank You also for revealing Your amazing love to me through Jesus who came to give me a new life with You. Teach me continue to submit to Your loving care and trusting You for all my needs. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Trampling Temptation

Matthew 4:1-11

The Temptation of Jesus
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'[a]"

5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'[b]"

7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'[c]"

8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'[d]"

11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Reflection of Bee:

The devil tempted Adam & Eve (Genesis 3), and then Jesus, in 3 different ways: body (v1-4), soul (v5-7), and spirit (v8-10). Adam and Eve fell into the temptations of the devil, but Jesus overcame all the temptations.

Today, the devil still uses the same tricks to temp us. We need to learn from Jesus how to overcome these temptations.

1. Temptation of our physical needs:
Jesus told the devil that we need to live by God's word (Bible) and He quoted the scriptures to overcome Satan. That means, we need to know God's truth to win the battle.
2. Temptation of our emotional needs:
Jesus told the devil that we should not test God into giving Him what He wants. We must not test God in order to feed our emotional needs, such as telling God that if He is God He will bring us a spouse, etc.

3. Temptation of our spiritual needs:
Jesus told the devil that we should only worship God and no one else. We are not to fall into the trap of worshiping material things and recognize that God is the only one deserve our worship.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for the reminder tonight that I can conquer the temptations of the devil by following Your example. You know all my needs and You will be the One to supply them in Your time.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.





Reflection of Tommy:

Like the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Jesus’ temptations in today’s passage show how true obedience can only be shown when we are given the opportunity to disobey and give in to temptations. Although Jesus was tested and tempted in everyway while in this world, He was always ready to face them and has never sinned and obey God till the end. Similarly, we will also be tested and we should be alert and be ready for it; to remain obedient to God!

Dear Father, thank You for reminding me that temptations may comes in subtle and unexpected ways. Guard my heart and mind that I may recognize and be aware of them. Lead me to spend more time reading and obeying Your Word, equipping me to hold up my conviction to You while facing the pressure and attack of temptation. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Inner Turmoil

1 Samuel 1:9-18

9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple. [a] 10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. 11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."
12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine."
15 "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief."
17 Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."
18 She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

Reflection of Bee:

Who will know and see our inner turmoil, except the Lord God? Even our closest friends may not understand us and may even pass judgment on us in times of needs. Yet we know that we can always cry our to God for what men can't understand or ignored

Dear Lord,
Teach me to pray earnestly like Hannah did that You may answer my prayers and show me your path. Thank You for loving me
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



Reflection of Tommy:
In our lives, we may sometimes face times of ‘barrenness’, where nothing comes to fruition. It may be our career, service or relationships. It can be hard for us to pray in faith when everything seems to be so ineffective all the times. But, we should not be discouraged or giving up hope, instead like Hannah we should bring our problem honestly before God, pray ceaselessly and knowing how our prayer opens the door for God to work (v19-20)

Dear Father, thank You for teaching me the power of prayer and how to fully trust and surrender to You through prayer. Guide me always to come to You first in prayers before relying upon other worldly supports. Guard my heart and mind that I’ll always do things according to Your will, not mine, and that I may bring glory and honor with my words and actions. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

A Family Thing

Mark 3:31-35

Jesus' Mother and Brothers
31Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."

33"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.

34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

Reflection of Bee:

Our life on earth has family ties, both natural and spiritual. At times, we may be closer to our spiritual family than to we our natural family. The reason is that we may spend more times to share and to pray together with our spiritual brothers and sisters who do the will of God. Relationship are formed and develop though spending time together. There is no shortcut to it.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for the big family of God You have given to me. Yes, we want to do Your will to fulfill the Great Commission You have for us. That Your family may get bigger.
Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:

Today’s speaker in my church talked about the absurdity of someone claiming that they love Jesus but dislike the church. As Jesus is the head of the body, the church, and we are His members, how can we love Him and despise the rest in our spiritual family. No doubt there may be a brother or sister in our church that are difficult, burdensome, irritating or even hurtful to us, but God called us to love them anyway just like how Jesus would.

We can do this by first thinking of them as someone who's hurting, rather than just as someone who causes hurt to us. That change of attitude may help us see them in a more compassionate light. It's also important to keep our focus on changing our own heart towards them, rather than on their actions. And, we need to do all these in love and acknowledging how the relationships in our spiritual family are ultimately more important and longer lasting than those formed in our physical families.

Dear Father, thank You for the good fellowship I had with the brothers and sisters in the church lately. I pray that we will continue to spend the time we have in encouraging and building each others up in our spiritual walk. And teach me not to show partiality but to love and care for one another and their needs like how Jesus would be. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

El Roi: You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees

Genesis 16:7-13

7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?"
"I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered.

9 Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." 10 The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count."

11 The angel of the LORD also said to her:
"You are now with child
and you will have a son.
You shall name him Ishmael, [a]
for the LORD has heard of your misery.

12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone's hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward [b] all his brothers."

13 She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen [c] the One who sees me."

Reflection of Bee:

There may be many injustice done to us, be it at home, in school, in church or at work. Sometimes the things that others say about us may not be truth and they hurt badly. Yet the bible says in Romans 12:19-21 (Deut. 32:35; Prov. 25:21,22):

19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[a]says the Lord. 20On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."[b] 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Sometimes I do feel tired of the hypocrisy in life.... the world is like a stage and people are just acting. Who are real and true? who are sincere? I find it hard to detect the truth anymore. There are so much betrayal, even by people whom we trusted. When I heard about others' death, at times I asked, "why not me?"

It's comforting to know that God will avenge us as He sees everything. Our lives are in God's hand. When it's time that He takes us home, we'll be there.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for all the things that have happened to me. Thank You that You are the God who sees and justice is in Your hand. Thank You that You will always be with me in all situations.
In Your precious name I give You thanks. Amen.


Reflection of Tommy:
Even after reading countless times verses where God ask us not to worry (Matthew 6:31-34), many Christians still find themselves struggling with all kind of anxieties. Instead of trusting God, our tendency is to look for earthly securities; to depend and lean heavily on things that are tangible, real and look substantial for relief.

We hope for a change of circumstance or some help from man. We mount on these to runaway from our trouble. In ignorance, we think by mere change in our environment, our weary souls will experience some sort of deliverance. Often these earthly refuge carry us out of one trouble only to land us into another (Amos 5:19).

True deliverance comes to us only when our soul waits upon the Lord (Isaiah 40:31), entirely surrendered to Him, trusting Him perfectly and seeing Him in every details of our lives. When we are able to apply actively these attitudes, our soul will be carried up into a spiritual plane of life, into the “life hid with Christ in God”, which will utterly independent of all circumstances.

Dear Father, thank You that You are always near and you know all that I’m going through. Thank You for Your continual guidance to help me see when I’m lost. Teach me always be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving making all my requests be known to You (Philippians 4:6). In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.