The Gospel Of Judas

2 Timothy 4:1-5

1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Reflection of Bee:

Tonight's devotion is a reminder to me to beware of professing 'Christians' who would use the bible verses only to "suit their own desires" instead of practicing actual truth (v3).

I have heard of cases where some 'Christians' claimed that they wanted to seek God or serve God and therefore deserted their family or loved ones who need them. Such actions clearly contradict God's character of love and His greatest command to love Him and our neighbours. How can they claim that they love God when they can't love their "neighbours"? If strangers can be our neighbours, what more those who love and care for us? Yet to these 'Christians' they are being 'spiritual' to 'spend time with God' and no time or little time with people close to them. No wonder many people turn away from God as a result of such people.

I also feel affected by such people at times. However, the above passage reminds me that no matter what happen, even if people whom I care for or love were to turn away from the truth of God I should keep my head up (v5) and stay strong. Not only that, I should "do the work of an evangelist", that means to share the love of God with others despite all these and continue to serve.

Whatever we do must not contradict the Character of God and what the Bible teaches. For God doesn't contradict Himself.


Dear Lord,
Sorry that at times I feel very affected by people whom I look up to, trust, love and care, when they do things that contradicts what I learnt of Your character. In times like these, I may have many questions and negative thoughts that are not right in Your sight. Thank You for reminding me that I should stay strong no matter how these people treat me.
I commit these into Your hands. Please guide and lead them to all truth through Your Spirit.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

How Long?

Psalm 13

For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

Reflection of Bee:

The Psalmist asked a question which I have been asking God too, "How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?" Sometimes I thought they were gone when I was busy, but whenever I had free moments or saw certain things that remind, those thoughts and sorrows returned.

Christians are still humans and have struggles in life too. The only comfort we have is that when we couldn't take it anymore we can cry out to God. Then His assurance comes again to console us and recuse us from destructions. Only God's love is "unfailing". He doesn't leave us when we needed someone to be with us most, unlike humans. We can trust in Him.

All things said, we should grow to be like the Lord in terms of comforting others instead of making the excuse that we are humans, therefore can be selfish and desert our friends when they need encouragements. We are to reflect the characters of God if we have spent time with the Master.


Dear Lord,
Thank You that You understand what I have gone through. Thank You for Your sustaining power. In all these sorrows I want to trust in Your unfailing love. Let Your joy rules my heart despites of the things that make me sorrowful. Praise You for always coming to my rescue.
In Your name I praise You. Amen.

Searching For A Rare Jewel

Proverbs 2

Moral Benefits of Wisdom
1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,

2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,

3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,

4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,

5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7 He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.

9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.

10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.

Reflection of Bee:

I have lots of negative thoughts this morning when I woke up. I felt that I could not forgive someone who have hurt me too deeply, to the extend that I don't want to go to heaven if he is going to be there. I felt that I don't want to be with a 'hypocrite' in heaven.

How silly was my thought to give up my salvation because of a person. God would be the judge to decide who should be in heaven, not me. He will deal with this person in His own way and in His own time.

"If" we do the things stated above, "then" we will receive what followed. Wisdom and the fear of the Lord goes hand in hand, so is the knowledge of God and understanding.

I need discretion and understanding in my dealing with people. I need to learn the fear of the Lord in every aspect of my life. I need to ask the question, "Is God happy with what I am about to do?" before I do it.


Dear Lord,
Forgive me for the negative thoughts I have this morning. You know that what was done to me was very painful to me and I am finding it hard to forgive without a proper conclusion. I want to commit this matter to You and asked that You will let Your love and reconciliation takes place so that the devil cannot accuse us before anyone.
Now I am putting this chunk of pains and hurts into Your hands. I ask that Your love will help to cover a multitude of sins and Your forgiveness reigns. I pray for Your peace to be in my heart.
I pray for this person too that You will reveal to him what he has done wrongly and that he will right what's wrong.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Heaven File

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

The Coming of the Lord
13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Reflection of Bee:

Tonight is the first time in my Christian life that I don't feel excited at the thought that I will be meeting the people I knew in heaven. Perhaps there is no one I really want to meet now except Jesus Christ. This is a strange feeling. Perhaps I have experienced the illusion of love and have no more 'loved ones' so to speak. I wondered why God allows us to experience such inferior love on earth. Perhaps this will help us love Him even more and thirst after Him?

Heaven is heaven to me when I can be with Jesus... that's all I want.


Dear Jesus,
I don't know when You will come
I only know I want You all the time.
I don't know how it will be like
I only know You will be my delight.
I don't know who I will meet
I only know You are the One I need.

- Bee

The Pain Of Falling

1 Corinthians 10:1-12

Warnings From Israel's History
6Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.

11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!

Reflection of Bee:

There are many examples in the Bible for us to either follow or take heed. Yet very often we may repeat after them and suffer much. God is warning us that if we don't take heed we may have to face the consequences of our disobedience.

Dear Lord,
I pray that I will learn from the mistakes of others and not do them myself. Help me be vigilant at all time. Let Your words keep me from the snares of the devil and from falling.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Scorpion’s Sting

Proverbs 6:20-35

Warning Against Adultery
20 My son, keep your father's commands
and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes,

26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread,
and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap
without his clothes being burned?

28 Can a man walk on hot coals
without his feet being scorched?

29 So is he who sleeps with another man's wife;
no one who touches her will go unpunished.

34 for jealousy arouses a husband's fury,
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

35 He will not accept any compensation;
he will refuse the bribe, however great it is.

Reflection of Bee:

Can a man accept a woman who has been raped as his gf or wife? In a show I watched yesterday, the male character couldn't face the fact that his gf was raped and finally they broke off. Jealousy can be strong as death... something we must all remember, especially for men. Once again, men are warned not to fall for the external beauty of a women or they may be asking for trouble.

The strong warning in the above passage is important for us to take heed. We can't play with fire and not be burned.

Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding me to be careful of any pitfall in relationship that may not honor Your name, which is not good for me. I pray that You will protect me from all harm and danger. Keep me pure in Your sight always.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Great Comforter

John 16:5-16

The Work of the Holy Spirit
12"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

Reflection of Bee:

Unless the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to us, we will never know or understand any spiritual truth. We may read the bible or listen to sermons yet they are just like as history or additional knowledge to us. Only the Holy Spirit can quicken our inner spirit and help us know the mysteries of God.

Thank God that we can have a Teacher and a Comforter to be with us on earth while Jesus has gone to heaven to prepare a place for those who love Him.

Dear Lord,
Thank You that You did not leave me alone, but send Your Holy Spirit to stay with me so that He will show me the things You want me to know. I pray that I will live according to Your will. Guide me in my work and in my dealing with people around me.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Looking Ahead

Proverbs 24:13-20

13 Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.

14 Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul;
if you find it, there is a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.

15 Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house,
do not raid his dwelling place;

16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but the wicked are brought down by calamity.

17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,

18 or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from him.

19 Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of the wicked,

20 for the evil man has no future hope,
and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

Reflection of Bee:

Instead of staying at where we fell, we should rise up and move on (v16).
Instead of rejoicing in the bad things that happen to our enemies, we should pray for them (v17).
Instead of taking vengeance on our own, we should leave it to God (v20).
Instead of telling me to forget the past, please tell me to depend on God for grace and strength to live one day at a time for Him.

In another word, instead of focusing on the negatives, we should focus on the positives which will naturally help us overcome the negatives unknowingly. The more we try to fight with the negatives the more we are losing. Just like a good way to do transfusion is to top up the vessel with more of the desired liquid till it overflows and replaces the unwanted one. Likewise, we should overcome evil with good and let the Holy Spirit fills us in our life instead.

Dear Lord,
Though I am weak but You are strong.
Please keep me from doing wrongs.
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit everyday.
That I may bring You glory in all I do and say.
In Jesus' name I humbly pray. Amen.

Why Love Each Other?

Leviticus 23:16-22

17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD.

22 " 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.' "

Reflection of Bee:

Not only are we told to give our "firstfruits"to the Lord (v17), but also to leave some for those who lack (v22). This is the same principle found in Matthew 22:37-40:

37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
38This is the first and greatest commandment.
39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

As I searched to understand more on these two greatest commandments, I came across the article, Love Your Neighbor as Yourself, Part 1, which captured my attention so much that I read it in one breath. In summary it says,

"Love for God comes to visible manifestation when we love others. Or you could say, our love for God is "fulfilled" when we love others."

God's Word to Us This Morning

God's word for us this morning is that we take with tremendous seriousness this season of dealing with love at Bethlehem. That we let this picture stun us and remake our priorities. That we get alone with him and deal with him about these things. That we not assume that we fully know what love is or that it has the proper centrality in our lives. He is saying: All of Scripture, all of his plans for history, hang—HANG—on these two great purposes: that he be loved with all our heart, and that we love each other as we love ourselves.

(read part 2 here)

Dear Lord,
Thank You for making Your message so clear to me tonight on Your purposes in my life - to love You and others. Your love for me compels me to love others, which is my debt to pay. Thank You for giving me strength to show Your love in a way which at times hurts me for a while but in a long run will turn out good. I ask not for understanding nor praise, I ask not for gratitude nor reciprocation from my recipients. I only ask that they will know the magnitude of Your great love for us.
Praise You in Jesus' name. Amen.

God Knows Our Needs

Matthew 6:25-34

Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?

32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Reflection of Bee:


It is not wrong to have needs and desires, for our Father knows we need them (v32) and wants us to have them (v33). All He asks of us is to seek His kingdom and righteousness first, then all that we need and desire will be given to us. Worrying does not help us get what we need or desire (v27).


Dear Father,
Thank You for reminding me that You know my needs and wants to give them to me. But before that, I should focus on seeking and doing Your will and not worry about anything else. Yes, I want to trust in Your providence that never fail all these years in my life. Praise You Lord! Amen.

On Purpose

2 Corinthians 3:11-18

11And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect[a] the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Reflection of Bee:

Being Christians, does not mean we have become like robots, without any feeling of pains. It does not make us high and mighty or floating in the cloud. If any 'Christian' tells you that he /she has no feeling of pains or frustrations, he/she is lying to you or to himself/herself.

I have been a Christian for many years, yet I still could feel much heartaches for things that happened in my life. Due to certain broken relationship, I had been tossed to and fro frequently as if someone is pulling my left arm, while another is pulling my right arm. It seems that whenever I looked at something that reminded me of certain past events in my life I felt very hurtful, depressed, and I just felt like crying. Yet as I did my devotions and read God's words I remembered the purpose of my existence on earth, the hope of glory I will will receive... and they encouraged me once again.

This struggle never ends though I may temporarily forget in my busyness. Sometimes I just feel that this "thorn in my flesh" is allowed by God to keep me humble and reliant on Him. It's like a 'drug addict' who needs regular doses to keep going for another day. In this case, my 'doses' are the daily word of God.

Today is no different, sadness filled my heart just a while ago. So I quickly turned to the word of God for comfort. Yes, I found my comfort in tonight's devotion. I can have "freedom" (v17), whenever I turn my eyes upon Jesus instead of on myself (v16). He is my 'painkiller'.... I can't live without Him.

"The purpose of our lives is to let others see what God is like as they watch and experience His love through us."
- Joe Stowell, Today's Daily Bread

Yes, Christians, even matured ones, do experienced much struggles like anyone else (including the Apostle Paul). The only difference is how they handle these struggles in life through the Lord Jesus Christ.


Dear Lord,
I need You to be my 'painkiller', my strength, my guide, one day at a time, to go on this journey till I see You face to face. Thank You for keeping me, for not letting me go, for staying with me, for loving me.
May Your love be spread to many who also need comfort and rest. May my life be a testimony of Your goodness.
In Jesus' name I thank You. Amen.

He Wants More

John 17:1-8

Jesus Prays for Himself
1After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6"I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

Reflection of Bee:

"They were yours" (v6) are such comforting and assuring words that the Lord Jesus proclaimed. If we belong to God, then we shall have no fear, no lack, no want...

Then God gave us to Jesus... that means we also belong to Jesus. God is our Father and Jesus is our Friend, what more do we want?

Dear Lord,
Thank You for your revelation tonight that I belong to You. There is none I need besides You, for You are everything I need. I pray that this truth will sink into my heart so that I will always feel joyful in You no matter what happens to me.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Give Thanks!

Psalm 92

A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.
1 It is good to praise the LORD
and make music to your name, O Most High,

2 to proclaim your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,

3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.

4 For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD;
I sing for joy at the works of your hands.

5 How great are your works, O LORD,
how profound your thoughts!

Reflection of Bee:

"Love in the morning" and "faithfulness at night" (v2)... isn't this something we all hope to receive from our loved ones? We wish that they truly love us and are faithful to us all the time. Yet, we heard and saw many broken relationships instead. However, God loves us and is always faithful to us when we put our trust in Him.

Sometimes we may not understand how God works. Recently, I was wondering why God allows us to experience all kinds of relationship, e.g. spouses, children-parents, siblings, friends, etc, when there won't be such relationship anymore when we go to heaven. What is the purpose of all these? I don't understand His thoughts in this, it's too profound for me. However, I trust that I will know the answer by and by when I see Him face to face.


Praise You Lord,
for Your love and faithfulness to me,
for Your Your profound thoughts though I don't understand,
for always see me through in all my down moments.
Thank You in Your most wonderful name. Amen.

Wage or Gift

Romans 4:4-8 (Contemporary English Version)

4Money paid to workers isn't a gift. It is something they earn by working. 5But you cannot make God accept you because of something you do. God accepts sinners only because they have faith in him. 6In the Scriptures David talks about the blessings that come to people who are acceptable to God, even though they don't do anything to deserve these blessings. David says,

7"God blesses people
whose sins are forgiven
and whose evil deeds
are forgotten.

8The Lord blesses people
whose sins are erased
from his book."

Reflection of Bee:

If we are paid for what we did for a person, then he/she does not owe us anything. However, if we are not paid for it, then he/she owes us something. In the Chinese culture, it is not nice to owe anyone anything and the debtor will always tries his best to pay off his debt as soon as possible. This is quite scriptural as the the bible says,

"Let love be your only debt! If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands." - Romans 13:8

Similarly, our faith in God is the only way for God to accept us, and no there is no other form of 'payment'. Therefore, the salvation we receive from God is a gift and not a wage. That means, we don't earn it... we can't work for it. We get it by faith.

" For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" - Ephesians 2:8

Dear Lord,
Thank You for the greatest gift in my life... Your love and salvation. Let me share them with those who cross my path.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

He Sympathizes With Me

Hebrews 4:9-16

9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

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

Reflection of Bee:

I felt the pain again when some past events flashed across my mind tonight. I asked the Lord,

"Why didn't You remove my pain completely?"

I wept, but He said nothing. Then I read tonight's devotion. The Lord seems to answer me,

"You do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with your weaknesses, but you have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin."

"You really mean in every way? Have you ever been deserted or jilted by someone You loved so much?", I asked the Lord.

"Yes, my child. I loved so much and even died on the cross for the ones I loved. Yet many do not accept my love but seek after other gods. I know your pain, and I can sympathize with you. Come to me and enter my rest. Stay with me always and I will soothe your pain away."


Dear Jesus,
Perhaps You allowed me to go through such pain so I could understand what You have been through. By experiencing such pain also helps me understand the pains others are experiencing. When I read what some of them wrote on their heart brokenness, I felt so sorry for them. For I know exactly how they felt when they shared about their miseries. The only difference is I have You, Lord, and they don't. How I wish they will come to know You and let You soothe away their pains instead of torturing themselves with all kinds of unhealthy activities to drown their sorrows.

I pray for these who are feeling so miserable because they have been jilted by people they loved. I pray that they will come to know You one day to experience Your eternal love, just like how You always soothe my pain each time it comes upon me. Thank You for loving me, Lord. I love You too.
Thank You for hearing my cry in Jesus' name. Amen.

Innocence

Mark 10:13-16

The Little Children and Jesus

13People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Reflection of Bee:

One main reason I chose to study and work in the field of early childhood education was because I had been deprived of love in my childhood. As a child, and later as a teenager, I used to admire my peers who have got loving family. I told myself that I would like to do my best for young children and give them what they deserve... love and care. Thank God that my wish came true when I became a preschool teacher. Now I could train teachers and principals on how to nurture the little ones.

I had simple faith when I accepted Jesus into my heart at the age of 12. I thank God that He has kept my faith, kept me simple when it comes to the things of God, though I am a very complicated person in other areas of life. Jesus said in Matthew 10:16, "be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves". This is how we should behave, to be an adult in doing what's good but to be a child when it comes to doing what's bad... i.e. wise and innocent. Sadly, the reverse is true most time.


Dear Lord,
Please keep my heart pure and keep my thoughts innocent. May I do what is right in Your sight even if others think I am stupid. I need not fear for You will avenge for me if anyone tries to take advantage of me or harm me. Yes, You surely will, for I have seen that happened before.
I pray that I will have the chance to help Your little ones to know You at a young age.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Through the Eyes of Jesus

John 4:27-36

The Disciples Rejoin Jesus
27Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"

28Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ[a]?" 30They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

31Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something."

32But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."

33Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"

34"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.

Reflection of Bee:

My church is involved in doing oversea mission works. As members, we are encouraged to take turn to go with our mission core team to help out whenever possible. However, some members who have never been there before when being asked to help up, their replies were usually "I don't feel called to do mission".

Hmmn... didn't Jesus command us in Matthew 28:19-20 to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"? Didn't he also said in Matthew 9:37, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."?

Tonight's devotion shows why many Christians still do not see the need to share the love of God, either locally or in oversea. It's because their spiritual eyes are closed and they don't "look" through the eyes of Jesus (v35). May God open their eyes to see the "harvest" and have the compassion for the lost souls around.

To Jesus, sharing salvation to the woman at the well is more important that physical food which is essential in life (v35). What about us?


Dear Lord,
Tonight I pray for more labourers to work in Your ripen field. I pray that our spiritual eyes will be opened so that we could see what You saw and feel how You felt. Give us compassion and love to for the lost and the desire to obey Your great commission in our life. Lead me to Your harvest field, Lord.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Just For Show

Matthew 23:1-12

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

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

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

Reflection of Bee:

Last night's devotion reminds us to focus on a woman of substance or character instead of one of mere external beauty (Prov 31:30). Tonight, again we are reminded that we should not behave like a hypocrite who focuses on putting on false front without inner conviction. We are not to exalt ourselves, but rather humble ourselves like a servant. Jesus is a very good example of humility and is exalted on high by God.


Dear Lord,
I know I am nothing without You. I would be lost and sinful if not for Your saving grace. May my life be one that will bring honour to Your name and blessing to those who cross my path. May others know more about You as I share Your works in my life with them.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Influence Of Godly Moms

Proverbs 31:10; Proverbs 31:25-31

10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

29 "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

31 Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Reflection of Bee:

Most man I know would go for external beauty of a woman, before they would even consider her inner beauty, when seeking for a gf or wife. It's sad... and we see many divorces thereafter.

However, God's criteria of a good wife and mother for a man is very different from the world's view as shown in the above verses. From God's point of view, the character of the woman comes first, which includes her fear for the Lord (v30). In fact, "charm" and "beauty" is non-essential in God's criteria in a praise worthy woman, which He calls them "deceptive" and "fleeting". For only the inner beauty of a woman can stays with her till old...


Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your reminder again that beauty is fleeting and that I should seek to be the woman who fears You instead. I want to pray for all my sisters in Christ now that they will be women who seek Your face and fear You. I also want to pray for all my brothers in Christ too, that they will go for a godly wife instead of chasing after beauty. May all mothers who are in Christ be blessed today.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

No Need To Panic

1 Peter 4:12-19

Suffering for Being a Christian
12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And,
"If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"[a]

19So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Reflection of Bee:

There are many reasons for our sufferings. We may suffer for doing the wrong things (punishment) or suffer for standing up for a truth (persecution). So if we suffer for doing what is right (according to God's will), then we should take heart to know that God is faithful to us and everything is under His control. We should continue to do what is good (v19).

Dear Lord,
I acknowledge that at times I feel very discouraged by how people, including Christians, treat me when I do the things that I believe is right in Your sight. Thank You for reminding and encouraging me to continue with my good works and commit everything to You. Give me strength daily to go on to do Your will. When I feel down,please lift me up again.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Displaced

2 Samuel 15:13-26

David Flees
19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. 20 You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your countrymen. May kindness and faithfulness be with you."

21 But Ittai replied to the king, "As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be."
25 Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the LORD's eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. 26 But if he says, 'I am not pleased with you,' then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him."

Reflection of Bee:

Today I learned what it really means to surrender to God. If He wishes to take away what is most precious to me, what will I do?

I will cry, I will feel the pain, will will wonder why, I will doubt myself, I will feel I have done something wrong.... and many more. Yet I will say, "though He slays me, yet I will trust Him. The Lord gives, the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.


Dear Lord,
My life is in Your hand. Do to me what seems right to You. May I continue to be strong no matter what happens to me. You give and You take away.... blessed be Your name. I surrender myself to You again.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Right Answer

Matthew 16:13-17

Peter's Confession of Christ
13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

14They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ,[a] the Son of the living God."

17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

Reflection of Bee:

Many non-Christians, and even Christians, struggled to understand what is said in the Bible. They may find certain sayings in the Bible ridiculous. One good example is found in John 6:51-66:

Jesus said:
51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

The Jews' (non-Christians') reaction:
52Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

The disciples' (Christians') reaction:
60On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

Jesus' response:
61Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? 62What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit[a] and they are life. 64Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

The disciples deserted Jesus:
66From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.


To be able to discern correctly about spiritual things needs the revelation from the Holy Spirit (v17). In order to have such revelation we need to have the hunger for truth and seek God for the answer.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for revealing Your truth to me as I seek Your face. Thank You for speaking to my heart and teaching me about You and Your desires. I pray that I will be sensitive to You and Your leading and not to doubt You or dessert You when I don't understand, but to stay on and wait for Your answers.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Truth About Sin

1 Kings 15:1-5

Abijah King of Judah
1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah [a] became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. [b]

3 He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. 4 Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. 5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

Reflection of Bee:

No matter how close we are to the Lord, we still have our weaknesses as we are humans. Yet, the question is not whether we are perfect but rather how do we react when confronted of our sins. Do we repent or do we try to hide?

David is known as the man after God's heart, though he sinned "in the case of Uriah the Hittite" (v5). This is because he immediately repented when God showed him his sin.

May we response like David did.

Dear Lord,
Search my heart again tonight and show me where I have gone wrong. I pray that You will forgive my sins and I shall repent before You.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Adventure

Esther 4:13-17

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.

Reflection of Bee:

When I accepted the challenge to help startup a particular organization I felt like Queen Esther felt. On the one hand I felt honored and was glad that I was highly esteemed, yet on the other hand, I was a little apprehensive if I could shoulder such a heavy responsibility.

Then what Mordecai said to Esther came to my mind, "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (v14). Yes, God has allowed me to learn so many things in my career to prepare me for this day, I felt. It's time to serve God by putting what I learnt to good use before my time runs out. So "if I perish, I perish" too. All I need is trust God's blessings will be upon the things I do for His purpose.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for encouraging me through the story of Esther. I want to commit my work, study, and life into Your hand. I pray that I can accomplish what You want me to do. May Your name be glorified in my life.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

SPEM Prayer

Ephesians 3:14-21

A Prayer for the Ephesians
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Reflection of Bee:

Paul prayed for the Ephesians:
- to be strengthened in their inner being (v16)
- to be rooted in love (v17)
- to grasp and know the intensity of God's love (v18,19)

We can model after Paul's prayers to pray for our fellow Christians. To stand firm in Christ, we need to be strong emotionally (inner being) as we become rooted and know God's love for us.

We mustn't underestimate God's ability and willingness to do more than we could imagine or ask for. He is always willing when we ask.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your great love for me. Help me to fully grasp and know Your love, so that all other love becomes secondary. As I rest tonight, may Your love surrounds me.
I pray for Your healing power to be upon Tommy too. May he sleeps soundly to night and wake up fresh in the morning.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Source Of Gladness

2 Corinthians 6:3-10

Paul's Hardships

3We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Reflection of Bee:

"Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on Jesus."
- Today's Daily Bread

I like the above quote. I will add on: "sadness depends on circumstances, joy depend on experiencing God's love".

I was very much saddened and hurt today when someone I respected said something unappreciative to me, then followed by discovering what another whom I cared much about did to me. I wept. Yet in my sadness a voice seemed to say to me, "God loves you, don't let what others did to you rob you of your joy."

Can we be "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" like Paul (v10)?

Yes, Apostle Paul experienced much hardship and accusation by his own fellow men, yet in all those things he remained strong in the Lord and always rejoice in Him. Nothing can separate him from the love of God as shown in Romans 8:38-39:

38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Dear Lord,
You know how hurt I felt when people whom I respected and cared much did something not nice to me today. You saw my tears. Yet in all these I want to thank You and is sure that You will make all things work together for my good. Nothing will separate me from Your love. May Your joy remains in my heart through Your Holy Spirit.
In Your holy name I pray. Amen.

Talent Search

Isaiah 6:1-8

Isaiah's Commission
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Reflection of Bee:

God is not seeking the most qualified or talented; rather, He is seeking hearts that are surrendered to Him. He is seeking those who are available, dependable, and willing to be used. In those lives, God will show Himself strong, and He will be glorified.

Are you available? —Bill Crowder, Daily Bread

Yes, Lord, send me though I may not be ready.
But I know Your hands will strengthen me.
You will open my eyes and let me see,
What You want me to do and all Your glory.
Give me grace to obey You fully.

Your child, Bee
Amen.

Fake Christians

Matthew 15:1-9

Clean and Unclean
1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"

3Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, 'Honor your father and mother'[a] and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.'[b] 5But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' 6he is not to 'honor his father[c]' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8" 'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.'[d]"

Reflection of Bee:

It is not surprising to know that many "hypocrites" are found in the church since they were there during Jesus' time.

How can we tell them apart from the genuine ones? It may be hard for us to detect just like the weeds and tares but our God looks into the hearts of men. He will know who are His true followers and who aren't. Perhaps one tell tale sign is to see if they follow traditions or follow God's principles found in the bible. Anyway, it isn't for us to judge but to leave it to God. He alone knows best.

Dear Lord,
I pray that I will not become a hypocrite in any way but to follow Your command closely. Search my heart each day and keep it pure and true. I want to pray for Your protection, sanctification and unity for those who called upon Your name. I pray that we will all live up to Your name and not become hypocrites.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Bold Persistence

Matthew 15:21-28

21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

26He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

27"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

28Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Reflection of Bee:

I like the way the woman answered Jesus in v27. It shows she knew her ground and the principle of how things work. That was the basis of her "great faith" (v28). Her faith wasn't based on nothing. She knew her right.

In order for us to have faith and boldness to ask from God we need to know the basis of our asking. That means we need to know what God has already said in the bible. We need to spend time to read God's word daily so that our faith is based on the foundation truth in God's word.


Dear Lord,
Thank You for Your reminder that I can come boldly before Your throne of grace to ask of You. Your word has promised me that ask and I shall receive. Right now I want to pray for Tommy, his mum and his brother, who are sick with cough. I pray for Your healing hand to be upon them now. I pray that they can experience Your healing power and give glory to You tomorrow.
Because I ask these in Jesus' name. Amen.

A Boost Of Courage

Hebrews 12:1-11

God Disciplines His Sons
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."[a]

7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Reflection of Bee:

Christian life is liken unto the athletic life, as running in a spiritual race. As they run, there are many distractions and hindrances to stop them from finishing the race or doing their best (v1). In order to run well, they need to throw away all weights. Not only that, they need to fix their eyes on the finishing line, for Christian it is Jesus (v2). They also need to go through vigorous training and discipline in order to do well (v6,10).


Dear Lord,
Thank you for reminding me to be disciple and not to allow anything to hinder me from my spiritual race. I pray that I will always fix my eyes up Jesus so that I will not lose focus or lose heart in what You want me to do. In all I do, may I bring glory to Your name.

I also pray for my friend, Tommy, that You will heal him from his sickness and guide him to serve in the right ministry You want him to serve. may Your peace be his guiding light.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The World Wide Web

Proverbs 4:5-13

5 Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or swerve from them.

6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
love her, and she will watch over you.

7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, [a] get understanding.

8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.

9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."

10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.

11 I guide you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.

12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.

13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.

Reflection of Bee:

"But knowledge is not the same as wisdom... Wisdom is the application of knowledge. Don’t get caught in a web of knowledge without true wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7; 9:10)."
—Mart De Haan, in Today's Daily Bread

Tonight's devotion has just answered one of the thoughts I had today. I was thinking whether I should further my studies by doing a Doctorate degree. With the above passage in mind I should ask myself what is the purpose of me doing a Doctorate degree and how will that help me be the person God wants me to be.

Many people, including myself, do find the world wide web fascinating. There are so much to extract and learn from the web... it's a bottomless library like what the author mentioned in tonight's devotion. I am so caught up by it and wish I could just scan in all the details into my brain. Well, knowledge without wisdom to apply it is useless. Yes, knowledge puffs up, love builds up.

"knowledge without wisdom is like marriage without love" - Information Overload

Dear Lord,
Thank You for speaking to me. I pray You will guide me as to whether I should further my studies. If I do, I pray that it will be for Your glory, not mine.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.