The End of Something is the Start of Something New

John 21

Inspired thots:

1) From this scenario of the disciples going back to their fishing after Jesus died, it is common to return to the 'old ways' when the faith is not strong or focused. Perhaps they were still mourning. But Jesus is ever so caring to appear to them again so that they do not feel like 'orphans' left behind to face the world alone.
Truly, there is NONE like Jesus who cares for me!

2) Jesus cares for EACH of His own. He knows each person's needs. He knew what Peter had gone through and took him aside to reassure him of his good standing with Himself. Yes, He restores.
After the denial, Peter must have been waiting to see Jesus again hoping to restore or salvage the situation. He is blessed to be able to 'turn back the clock' though not literally. It will never happen (except for king Hezekiah). All things happen to mature a person. There is no need to 'turn back the clock' if we are wise in our ways. Make EVERY moment worth it!

3) v23 We need to be careful in over-reading someone's words which can cause misunderstanding and rumours. The best strategy I learned is to ask God for the real meaning if I am unsure rather than to conjecture. Only He knows all and He knows Best!
When I take things into my own hands, they go awry.

To God be All Glory for taking me through the book of JOHN! (and Matthew)

It can Happen to You and Me!

John 20

Inspired thots:

The saying goes, 'the early bird catches the worm'.
So it was with Mary Magdalene who was the first one to reach the tomb where Jesus laid. She made a discovery and became an informant of the news to others.

It pays to be patient. Peter and John came and saw and went off. Mary M lingered on... and reaped more. She saw angels, and Jesus. She made another discovery and became an informant of wonderful news again!

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed! v29. Let us live by Faith and not by sight! Learn to be moved by the Holy Spirit instead of what we see.

What Action steered by Which Standard

John 19

Inspired thots:

1) Thank God He is in control! The way the chief priests and Pilate abused or manipulated their authority was unbecoming but it exists even today.
There are many occasions that it is in our 'power' to change the situation but we 'chose' the other way. How sad of human nature. We are so blinded and our hearts are so clouded by the world's standards and our selfish nature.
We can manipulate the facts and situation to suit our logic and convenience.

2) Man tend to act to please man instead of God.

3) Man can react to hurt another easily with no sense of guilt or justice, especially when in authority. One can hide under the cloak of authority and claim 'doing my job'.

4) Fear of Man can put our faith in the back seat. Better 'avoid trouble with the law' by staying low key is most of our attitude, as Joseph and Nicodemus demonstrated.

Whereas Jesus' actions were all for us, according to God's will, motivated by love.

What Motivates an Action or Decision

John 18

Inspired thots:

Jesus knows it ALL.

There is really no reason to 'question' God on anything, except to satisfy our own curiousity or to understand how God works; for who really knows Him?
It is not for me to ask 'Why allow it to happen?' ; (perhaps PRAY for God's grace and mercy in that situation.) The nature of man wants the best for himself, his way but God also gives the best to each of His own, his way of course (Isa 55:8,9)

It is so obvious when one compares Peter with Jesus in this chapter; Jesus offered Himself while Peter shrunk back his association with Jesus to avoid arrest or humiliation. Status conscious. Self conscious. or Just plain fear within. But he was full of indignation and boldness when Jesus was arrested, acted rashly and aggressively. How one can change so quickly. Is this man's innate defense mechanism?

The Jews ...
a> did not want to be associated with the 'unclean' (Roman palace)
b> regarded themselves as 'righteous'
c> wanted to execute Jesus - taking His life (wanting someone dead - isn't that murder?) but did not want to do the 'dirty' job, so they passed on to the Romans.
d> devious in orchestrating the arrest and pushing for a strong penalty
e> insistent in their wicked intentions
f> preferred 'the devil' than the deep blue sea.

One must really be cool and calm with a clear mind and spirit before making any irrational decisions or actions. Results can be quite detrimental.

Everything Jesus does, It's for You and Me

John 17

Inspired thots:

Jesus loves us so much that He was willing to do everything He can for our sake:
1) v2 - He gives eternal life to all who would believe in Him, as sent from God - the Son of God
2) v8 - He gave God's words so that those who hear may believe in God and Himself.
3) v9 - He prays for those who belong to God.
4) v11 - He protects those who belong to God.
5) v13 - He gives them the full measure of His joy.
6) v19 - He sanctifies Himself so that God's people will be sanctified too; through God's word.
7) v20 - He prays for our success that we can be effective in our service and living.
8) v21 - He prays for our unity - with Him and God, with one another.
9) v22 - He gives us His glory as was given Him by Father God.
10) v26 - He made Father God known to His people.

This is better than the TEN commandments; I like it because I am on the receiving end ~ and at God's end too! Fantastic.

Jesus Knows Everything

John 16

Inspired thots:

Jesus fed His disciples with so much information that they couldn't fully take it all in; it was an information overload. Yet, He was going to be taken away from them soon; He had not much time.

I am grateful that I am living NOW... the Lord knows Best! I need His revelation, bit by bit. I am finite and small; I cannot handle too much of Him or His knowledge at any one time; it will be TOO much for me to embrace and digest. The Lord is good... He knows what is Best for me. I must learn to trust Him more and more each day.

Do not ask the Lord for more until He is willing to give; I am my own disappointment.

Only God can grant an understanding of His word. How is it that all the while the disciples could not understand what Jesus was trying to tell them, and... SUDDENLY, (from v29), they Understood! Amazing! It is the work of God - His grace to allow understanding.

True Life is in CHRIST

John 15

Inspired thots:

v1-8
The adage goes, 'no man is an island'; lets take it further.
As God's creation, we cannot function without Him. Just as a tool made but not in the Master's or Owner's hand, it remains useless lying there; so the same with me. I must allow God to use me by remaining with Him, in Him and for Him.

Multi-tasking may be wonderful but it can divert my time and attention and effort to give a better performance on another or truer calling. Help me, Lord to hear where You are calling me to be a good instrument for You.

v9-17
Love ~ most easy word to say but most difficult to act out.
~> When others are so different from me, it is so hard to love them.
~> When others are so closed up, it is so hard to love them, for I cannot get through to them.
~> When others are so 'blur' (they don't get it!), it is so hard to love them, for we are not on the same wavelength.
~> When others are so indifferent, it is also hard to love them, for they dont share my concerns.
~> When I have SO many excuses about others, it is SO hard to love me too!

v18-27
I now know for I have been given understanding; so I now have no excuse.
I now accept what I have learned, so I now must change according to God's words and ways.
I now wait for the Holy Spirit to lead and guide, so I now must be patient at every step.

Only God can Grant Understanding

John 14

Inspired thots:

The disciples had so many questions; there was also a power surge of information of heavenly things: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which were just too much for them to absorb.

Even for me, this is SO much to know, much less understand. I really need God's grace and permission to understand heavenly things.

I cannot be presumptuous of anything unless God shows me.

The Greatest is LOVE

John 13:32-38

Inspired thots:

A new commandment that Jesus gave: that His disciples should love each other. (v34)

So easy to say 'Yes' but quite hard to do; especially for enemies and strangers. But these are the ones the Lord want His people to exhibit His nature to (Matt 25:21-26)

Peter was proof through his quick rash words but opposite actions. Praise God for His mercy!

Safeguarding our Servanthood

John 13:1-30

Inspired thots:

1) v1 ~ Jesus showed His disciples the FULL EXTENT of His love.
Jesus did not hold back at all. He gave His all. Up to the cross (death).
While He was on earth, Jesus did EVERYTHING to bless His disciples, even going down to the nitty gritty of demonstrating the Bottomline ~ serve and not to be served!
Such humility ~ as a leader, one with authority, to perform the menial tasks.
Jesus did not care for accolades. He taught the best way to live our life on earth - serve others humbly.

2) v2,27 ~ the devil really prowls around to devour (1 Peter 5:8,9) Hence, the Scriptures say rightly that Christians must be Self-controlled and Alert! Look what happened to Judas Iscariot. The devil hovers around him, tempting him to betray Jesus as he did Adam & Eve, and then ENTERS into one's soul to corrupt.

Demon-possession happens only when each person is not self-controlled and alert to the devil, and allows him to gain entry. Dont be wishy-washy in your faith. The devil prowls & prances to devour.

The Seeking Nature of Man

John 12

Inspired thots:

1) Mary - sister of Lazarus and Martha
Finally I understand how deep Mary loves Jesus. She has saved her expensive perfume to pour it all out for Him. Perhaps she was really grateful to Jesus for raising her beloved brother back to life. Perhaps it was a spontaneous action as she used her hair to wipe His feet. Whatever it was to man, it was what God had intended.
God is in control. He moves us to do His will, if we are willing.

2) Man is a creature of hindsight. He can't predict the future with 100% accuracy though he tries, but he can look back on events to figure what and why they happen ~ most of the time. Our mind is finite. So much so we need to submit to God, our creator, the Omniscient, who knows all things and plans all things, and who is in control over all.

3) The Crowd - know some and don't know all. This is dangerous knowledge, when we know partially, and base our decision on partial information. Wrong decisions can be made. The crowd 'know' a little about Christ but they could not understand. No proper training? No revelation? No open mind or faith? (Matthew 6:33 ; 7:7) Ask God and He shall reveal.

4) Leaders - love the praises of men more than God's approval. Short-sighted; short-term goals; insecurity within ~ that is the basic nature of man, seeking for approval and self-worth from others because they don't know it all too, and they know it. Thus, they seek people's approval on themselves, and if their superiors are favorable to them, they feel approved and worthy. But again they are myopic to seek only the present and not beyond. They miss out a lot.

Jesus knows Man's TRUE condition

John 11

Inspired thots:

Such an emotional chapter! Jesus was so deeply moved by man's sorrowful spiritual condition; knowing that man will surely die one day, and not an earthly death only, but also a spiritual death, He was really sad for man.

Yes, man is very myopic. He can't fathom the unseen; much less the future or things of God unless he receives by FAITH as God enables him.

But truly, what hope does man have if it is really eternal condemnation that is at the end, if not accepting God's grace and way out through Jesus, His only Son? Some scriptures may be difficult to understand, but God enables when the time is RIGHT.
Astounding truths have been declared by Martha and even the unbelieving high priest, shows how God can reveal Himself and His truths to anyone; it is a matter of believe!

HEARing to believe Than SEEing to receive

John 10

Inspired thots:

The much loved parable ~ the Good Shepherd and His flock.

What's outstanding here to me is that the SHEEP goes by LISTENING to a familiar and safe sound ~ that of its shepherd. The sheep does not follow by SIGHT; not what it SEES but what it HEARS and it is kept safe, following the sound that is proven trustworthy.

Whereas, the unbelieving goes by SIGHT! (v21) They follow what they can SEE and not WHAT they hear (v20) They keep asking to be 'told' but they do not believe what they hear (v24).

Stand Up Strong

John 9

Inspired thots

Such a beautiful chapter; exciting and adrenalin flowing with a heated debate over who Jesus is, standing up for what is fact and truth.

Just one work of mercy can cause such uproar... all because unbelief blocks the path.
Praise the Lord for the healed blind man to stand up on the truth; he was not swayed by the intimidation; he even dared to retaliate in words! Such was the deep impact of the healing on him. Perhaps it was the total blindness to the world since birth that has shielded him from its flaws and influence, that when he was healed, he was unabated to stand up to what he first received. Truly, the first impression makes the greatest impact.

Parents emulate the best example for their children. From this chapter, the healed blind man's parents were also tough nuts to crack; though they may be inwardly worried about their status, they answered logically and stood up to the Pharisees, whom one can see are unreasonable in throwing their weight around just because of their higher status. As Jesus said, 'dont lord over others'.

Humility hurts no one.

Do NOT entertain ACCUSATIONS

John 8:48-59

Inspired thots:

1) Accusations (v48,52)
Accusations are very harsh, especially when they are untruths and distorted. It can bring down the soul and rile up negative emotions. Only Jesus can handle accusations well. Man fails pitifully.
Learning from Jesus, BE QUIET when accused (Matt. 27:12) or ANSWER BOLDLY when sure of God's time to answer.

Accusations happen when one is dissatisfied with the way things are going, usually not to their satisfaction or expectation. It is a reflection of PRIDE within that one has been wrong but unwilling to admit so.

2) Accusations are LIES. When one doesn't know enough to make a firm stand on a matter, we should keep quiet. The more one talks, the more untruths come out of our mouth.

3) Accusations lead to VIOLENCE. When the issue or situation goes out of hand, there will be aggression which does not augur well with self or others.

Self-control should always be exercised. (Galatians 2:20) That's the way to halt accusations. Take time to check and double check before being quick to open the mouth.

Hearing God ~ Making Room for God's Word

John 8:31-47

Inspired thots

God is really great! A continuation of what I shared in CMTT yesterday;
~> Hearing from GOD.

1) Just like baby Jesus had no room available for Him (Luke 2:7), the people heard Him during His earthly ministry but MADE NO ROOM for His WORD (v37).
It is so common and easy to 'crowd' out God's words from our hearts, as we busy ourselves with our lives; we have missed the mark. God's word is TRUTH; and the truth sets us free (v32).

2) One cannot hear to understand if one is not understanding the language. And the language is not understood because it is of one's attitude of shutting out that which is to be received. (v43)
Selective hearing is very crucial in receiving what is heard to mould our character, thinking, and emotions.

3) v47 So simply 'He who belongs to God hears what God says'. ~ Checkpoint. It is not possible to receive God's best to be wasted on this world ~ self-indulgence.

What AM I really...

John 8:12-29



Inspired thots:



It is IMPORTANT to know WHAT I stand for; where I was From and where I am Heading. Only then can my confidence and assurance be built up; when my foundation of Faith is established, just like Jesus.

v15 Yes, man tends to judge others, whereas Jesus wants to judge no one, wishing all to come into the saving grace God has provided for man. I must also learn to judge no one. My Heavenly Father will judge on my behalf, especially when it is of the world... it is not worth my time to judge another.

v27 We either get it or we dont; if I dont get what God is saying, I'd better ask God to reveal so that I can be of the same ground as Jesus. (Matthew 7:7)

There is Always a Better Alternative (God's Way)

John 8:1-11

Inspired thots:

I am sure many today would have asked, 'what did Jesus write on the ground with his finger?'
Was He just doodling while waiting for the self-righteous to come to their senses?
or,
Was He writing 'Judgment' as in the case of king Belshazzar in Daniel 5:25?
'Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin'

To me, it is just a simple form of distraction for self when confronted with a pressing situation;
to make time for self to 'think' or 'be cool' so that no rash judgment or bad action be taken.

Again, God speaks to me with regards to my life situations. There's bound to be regrets when I act rashly; better get a diversion to 'buy time' in order to make better judgments or actions.

Yes, I will learn to wait for God's time ~ the RIGHT time, as Jesus mentioned just in Chapter 7 verse 6. This teaching is really a form of character building ~ testing my patience and submission to God's ways. Help me pass Lord! Help me 'turn the other cheek' for I am not of the world (John 17), thus my thoughts and actions should not be of the world. (Isaiah 55:8,9)

PRAISE THE LORD!

RISE UP to what You Believe

John 7:25-52

Inspired thots:

Man may think he is so wise but he is really a fool; confused by what he hears and sees but unable to put 2 and 2 together. The same in the days of Jesus where many heard Jesus and saw His miracles, yet they questioned if He was truly the Christ. Just because they know of His earthly background, they could not accept His spiritual abode claim, and thus lost out on eternal life.

Yet each has to make his own decision regarding Jesus; what is most important to me? Even I am not spared. If Jesus IS really the BEST for me, all others are second best; then, how should I be directed my life and my faith?

My faith needs to be established deeply so that I will not be cowered by others who treat me condecendingly. "Being Loud doesn't mean Right!"

The guards were intimated; so was Nicodemus. Let us listen to our hearts, instead of others who are like noisy gongs.

Truth is the RIGHT Judgment Tool

John 7:17-24

Inspired thots:

v17,18
When one chooses to do God's will, he is prepared to be a 'servant' or a worker accountable to his superior. He is on a mission; focused on a task; his objective is to complete the assignment as instructed for the one who gave the instructions. His focus is NOT on himself but on the originator of the instructions or task.
That is what makes a person 'nothing false'. He is a 'man of truth'.
This phrase 'nothing false' reminds me of how Jesus addressed Nathanael in John 1:47 - the exact words; a true Israelite. He must've been an honorable man, seeking God and obeying the commandments.
Yet Nathanael was not one of Jesus' 12 disciples; his brother Philip was. (Matt 10:2-4)

v24 Man's way of life is by judging through sight - mere appearances - which one can hide or camouflage the true intents of the heart.
No wonder Jesus commanded 'make a RIGHT judgment' at the end. Truly, only God can make the RIGHT judgment, for He alone knows what is in a man. (John 2:24)

The RIGHT Time ~ God's timing

John 7:1-18

Inspired thots:

Time. Timing. The Right time.

'Time is precious, Guard it with care.
No one has minutes or seconds to spare'
I remember this catchy rhyme since primary school but didn't appreciate the truth of the matter until the Lord spoke to me on John 7:6 '...for you, any time is the right '

Yes, that was how my life was... busy and packing as much as I can and want, making FULL use of the time because time is precious. But, it is different with Jesus. Yes, there are important things to accomplish BUT He waits for God's RIGHT timing; and that is what I needed to learn.
For that means,
1) Be patient and wait, instead of rushing into a task just to get it done and over.
2) Learning to HEAR from the Lord WHEN to do WHAT ~ like now, I learned to pray as the Spirit stirs.

As Jesus said in v16, wisdom can only come from God. It is a choice. The underlying motive is to gain honor... but is it for self or for God? (Matt. 5:16)

Life is not Physical-centred but Spirit-centred

John 6:60-71



Inspired thots:



(v61) Offense is one of man's greatest enemy on himself. When one is offended, it indicates something deep within is stirred. It reflects one's displeasure or unwillingness to have something contrary to the self's beliefs or values. But are our beliefs and values always right? If not, why be offended?



(v63) It is more important to tend to the spirit than to the flesh, which is the physical. Jesus' words are 'food' to man's spirit (Matt.4:4). How can man live physically on words? No, he cant; only his spirit can. We can get hurt by words which cause us to fall into depression or even lose the will to live, or we can be so motivated by words which raise us up to new heights of determination and success. Yes, 'man shall not live by bread alone...'



(v69) Belief and Knowledge go together. One MUST believe AND know what he believes, which establishes his faith. (John 4:42) For as Jesus told the Samaritan woman (John 4:21), that she and other Samaritans have worshiped what they dont know for they have not heard to believe. When one hears and believes, he knows.

The ABUNDANT Promises of Jesus

John 6:30-59

Inspired thots:

Jesus is SO patient with the people, especially the Jews who could not and would not accept Him as the Son of God or the one sent from God or the one who came down from heaven. They were indignant that a MAN whom they know his background could be God.

It is true that being FINITE, man is not able to grasp the heavenly concept, but some things need to be embraced by FAITH. Just like it may be difficult to walk blindfolded, but not impossible if we use our other faculties and instincts as alternatives.

When one OVERLY depends on a faculty, he can be ERRONEOUS.

Jesus repeats the LESSON of truth over and over to help his listeners understand, but they were still refering to the PHYSICAL, to SIGHT for making their decision (v30) instead of through their heart and faith.
Jesus repeated Himself as the BREAD of heaven 11x, that He came down from heaven 6x, inviting all to COME to Him 4x, BELIEVE in Him 3x, LIVES FOREVER 8x, identifies God as His Father 8x.

Jesus' promises:

1. He gives life to the world (v33)
2. Those who come to Him will never go hungry (v35)
3. Those who believe in Him will never be thirsty. (v35)
4. Those who come to Him, He will never drive away. (v37)
5. He shall not lose anyone given to Him by God. (v39)
6. He shall raise up those who believed in Him. (v39)
7. Those who believe in Him shall have eternal life. (v40)

Praise the Lord!

Physical vs. Spiritual

John 6:16-29

Inspired thots:

Firstly, it's amazing how QUICKLY things happen with Jesus; ... v21 'immediately the boat reached the shore...' Wow! Jesus can speed up or slow down time; truly, time is in His hands! (Ps 90:4, 2 Pet. 3:8)

Secondly, the people sought after the PHYSICAL, not the SPIRITUAL. They went looking for Jesus because their tummies were satisfied, not their soul or spirit. Still on the wrong track...

Thirdly, it is the way of life to 'work for your living' in this world; but what is one really working for that is more important than satisfying the Physical?

The Lord spoke a SECOND time to me on verse 28; I had it last night for SG when sharing how a particular verse impacted oneself. This verse was chosen as I led the group to share the verse according to their birthdate (mm/dd) in their favorite bible book. I was led to John 6:28.

"What must (I) do to do the WORKS God requires?"
~> Yes, Jesus gave the answer in v29: BELIEVE in the one (Jesus) HE (Heavenly Father) has sent.
That is just ONE and the FIRST Work.

What other works?
~> Matthew 25:35-40 sprang to mind. I remember God's heartfelt desire in the Great Commission (Matt 28:19) but though 'the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak'. (Matt. 26:41)
~> Ok... I give excuses not 'to GO...'
~> Now, God BRINGS to my path... migrants; OA; MBBs... right at my 'doorstep'... right in front of me. What other excuse do I still give? It will only show ... disobedience... pride... self.

That is why I get into OA ministry... a small small role. Let me get started on Matt. 25:35-40 in a small way... (my way...) :) or :(

I may not be 'feeding the poor' physically; 'quenching the thirsty'; showing hospitality; clothing the needy; tending the sick or visiting those in prison...
I will avail myself in what I can; just need to MAKE TIME... re-adjust my priorities and be more efficient with time management to be more effective while submitting all things to God's hands.

Yes, He will move the mountains THROUGH me and FOR me.
PRAISE THE LORD!

Jesus Wants our Heart & Spirit, not the Physical

John 6:1-15

Inspired thots:

People were still following Jesus because they saw the miracles He did (v2,14). They were planning to make Him king (v15) even if by force....but that is not what Jesus wants; He IS already a king ~ the KING of kings! He IS already THEIR king, yet they did not know it.
The people wanted to make Jesus king because of His miracles, so that they will not lack what they want.
~> Right Action : Wrong Motive

Jesus is KING of my life because... He is God, my creator! I must learn to love Him for WHO HE IS, not what He can do for me.


The Greed of the people
Jesus provided food for the people (v5). They took 'as much as they wanted' (v11); the people had enough to eat (v12) but wasted much as 12 basketful of remnants were gathered.
That is the nature of Man.

Choosing for a Time OR for Eternity

John 5:31-47

Inspired thots:

Jesus really went right to the core of the matter; it is the matter of the heart.

v35 ~ It is human nature to 'choose for a time to enjoy'... it shows the unfaithfulness of mankind; his character. Yes, when it is to our convenience, we 'choose' to accept and do it. Then, when the situation or person becomes inconvenient, we 'choose' to reject or ignore, giving lots of excuses or reasons.

Man likes to choose ~ to his convenience; in his favor.

Not so with God; God did EVERYTHING so that MAN may be saved, even sacrificing His only Son, Jesus, on the cross! (John 3:16)

Yes, man prefers to live by sight, not by faith. If he cant see, he feels out of control; he wont submit to what he doesnt know for sure. That is how we lose out on God.

Man is such a complicated creation. He claims to believe but yet does not what God says. He likes to choose according to his convenience. He strives to seek knowledge and truth, but when he has found them, he does not embrace them; so unlike the parables of the kingdom of God (Matt.13)

We accept the testimonies and praises from man, but we make no effort to accept the testimonies and praises from God. (v44)

Believing through Miracles

Matthew 4:43-5:15

Inspired thots:

Jesus goes to those who are willing to hear and believe;
But many want to SEE before they BELIEVE (v48). Miracles happen to raise our belief and faith in God (v53)

If one takes Jesus' words at it is (v50), it will be done for him/her. How important to READ His words (the bible) so that I can take His word and have it be done for me.

There were SO many infirmed at the pool waiting to be healed by the stirring waters; but Jesus only chose ONE paralysed man to be healed there that day, asking him 'do you want to get well?'
And Jesus could recognise him at the temple later and advised him further. But the healed man feared Man rather than God ~ reporting on Jesus to the Jews.

~> Jesus took the initiatives at both occasions.

There's ALWAYS TWO SIDES to a Coin

John 4:21-42

Inspired thots:

What a contrast! the Jews and the Gentiles. Both had the opportunities to hear Jesus, but what a different response.

The Jews were excited and eager to see more MIRACLES from Jesus while the Chief Priests and Pharisees were skeptical.
The Gentiles heard Jesus' WORDS with their heart and responded in faith and belief.
Perhaps it is a matter of...
When Man doesnt know, and then Man hear or learn - and embrace the new lesson.
When Man thinks he already knows, he tends to shut off anything new or worthy especially if it does not exalt self.
That is the contrast of the JEWS and the GENTILES. (v22)

2) When Jesus reveals or exposes the truth, the Jews rejected it and were offended (2:18); but the Gentiles received the revelation with repentance and acceptance (v29).

Humility must be in place even as one seeks the truth so that when it comes, it will be gladly received. It is like what Jesus said: the stone which the builders rejected has become a cornerstone. If the truth is not accepted, it becomes a hindrance to us; if the truth is accepted, it sets us free (8:34).

3) A testimony is very impactful; the Samaritan woman went back to town to invite others to meet Jesus. Knowing her 'colorful' life, they believed her... she must have been so impacted by Jesus. (v39) Then the Gentiles were wise, they heard Jesus themselves and decided for themselves what is TRUTH; they allowed Jesus' words to impact them (v42).
They had the RIGHT ATTITUDE ~ Humility. Humility leads to Wisdom. Wisdom leads to Understanding. Understanding leads to Life.

All Things in God's TIME

John 4:1-20

Inspired thots:

1) The Lord Jesus never wanted to aggravate the people's discontent which leads to trouble. Upon hearing that having more people baptised (though done by his disciples) than John the Baptist might stir up the Pharisees' displeasure, He moved away to another place. This is 'turning the cheek', avoiding unnecessary confrontation before its time. (v1-3)

2) Jesus was all alone when he spoke with the Samaritan woman. Why did it require 12 people to go buy food? (v8) God has His own agenda. Learn to flow with God and watch Him work.

3) Man is concern with the physical ~ the temporal, while Jesus is concern about the spiritual ~ the Eternal. The Samaritan woman was talking about quenching thirst, while Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit (John 7:39) who leads man into the things of God for our future destination ~ heaven: eternal life.

4) Avoidance is always Man's weapon to deflect the unpleasant. The Samaritan woman used it too when she felt embarrassed with Jesus' true revelation of her. (v17-19)
We need to remember that God KNOWS ALL things; It is better He speaks to us DIRECTLY than through another person which will cause more embarrassment to self. God is so gracious; He doesn't want to embarrass us yet He wants to bring things to our attention that we may acknowledge and confess for better changes. That is God's true intention of revelation.

God gives Each his Portion

John 3:22- 36

Inspired thots:

It seems only John the baptist gets it with the things of God - and that is such a privilege. He does not push himself forward for self, but does what God wants him to, says what God reveals.
No wonder Jesus said no one is greater than John the baptist.
v27 - 'A man can only receive WHAT is GIVEN HIM from heaven'

It is God who gives EACH person what He wants to give; and it is the best for He knows best.

v29 - 'the bride belongs to the bridegroom'
... the friend... waits..., listens..., is joyful FOR the groom. The friend does not take what is not his; what belongs to the groom; he is righteous; he knows his position and acts on it well. His reward is joy. Simple but sufficient.
I must learn simplicity is sufficiency.


v30 - 'He must become greater; I must become less'
Ps RT's favorite verse; and how appropriate for man to keep that in mind, heart and soul. That will keep one humble of his status, for only God is great. Yes, this is a great verse for I am His creation. Only God be exalted!

Letting God Work THROUGH Me

John 3:1-21

Inspired thots:

1) It is an irony that Man thinks he does NOT know, or does NOT want to know, or THINKS he knows ~ but he doesnt.

Previously, the Jews questioned Jesus over His authority to perform miracles; they didnt know.
Now, Nicodemus thinks he knows just because Jesus performed miracles; but the bible did warn us that Christians can be deceived by the devil who can perform miracles too. (2 Thess 2:9) ~ albeit 'counterfeit miracles'.

So let me not be proud of what I can do but only allow God to do it through me...

2) Nicodemus was perplexed at Jesus' statement of being BORN AGAIN. 'How can...?' our common unbelief query; maybe an indication of our limited understanding of the things of God!
It is definitely a case of 2 very different worlds ~ earth and Heaven ~ although Jesus has taught and mentioned them. The things of the world must be kept on the earth while the things of God are heaven-bound; so the case of BORN AGAIN ~ Salvation. Thus, a 2nd birth!

3) Only those of that kind can 'speak of what they know', 'testify to what they have seen' (v11). 'Only the one FROM that place' can tell what it really is like. How true! For example, a Chinese will not really understand a European and vice-versa eventhough each may claim otherwise, unless they were raised up or lived with that culture for a long period. Thus, Christians need to start living with God to know more about Him than the earth which they had been living in. It's like being a migrant!

4) What strikes me MOST is that the man who does God's will, will step out into the light and he shall be seen for what he HAS DONE and that HAS BEEN DONE through God! Our deeds or works are recognizable by others when we allow God to work in us; and if it is God working in us, we shall not hide about it but stand up and out with it; compared to the devil's or self.
Amazing!