To the person who Passes Through

Passing Through said...
My friend, It's all to do with your hormones. It's part of a passing phase and it is during this time that you will feel angry with yourself, your family and all those around you. You may not even like yourself or others. All of us went through this phase. The question is not so much how to control it but how to deal with it as it comes. Just like a solder down in the trenches facing a barrage of artillery fires raining down on him, he is fearful, angry and alone. He could only see the fear, smoke and the destruction surrounding him. But if he would be focus through all that chaos, he would see that there are all his buddies beside him all the time. Your family with you all the time, you may think that they don't understand but they do. You may think that they don't listen but they do. The smoke and fire ragging inside and outside is blocking you from the true view of the situation. And just the barrage of artilleries it would go away. Moods will swing back to normal. The character is build when one learns to disciples and control himself in the mist of this ragging anger and frustration.
8:49 AM

Passing Through said...
Hello Kiddo, Feeling high one moment and depressed at another? Can't understand why you are in such swings of moods?It all part of growing up! No one tells me about this while I'm growing up but it is just like when you encountered a storm. You keep your head down, find somewhere to hide until it blow over. Well, same thing with your raging emotions. Just keep your head down, retreat to your inner side and be still until it blows over. Don't fret, be anxious or angry with yourself, it will soon pass....And as you grow older, you'll find that the spouts of emotional rage will get less and less until you'll find that you can control and manage it instead of it managing you. May the force be with you!!!
12:45 PM

Anonymous said...
Friend, There is a question that goes like this: "When you feel that God is far away, who do you think had moved?" The answer is obvious isn't it not? When the stress starts building up,pressure piling, irritation increasing and temper rising. What do you do? The best reaction is to withdraw into quietness, stop all the activity for a brief moment and pray for God's wisdom to handle the tasks given to you. You will be surprise how God can multiply your efficiency and effectiveness to accomplish what you can't do on your strength. Hand the tasks at hand over to God and ask him to help you with it. Sit back and watch how you fly on wings of eagles. It happen to me and I am sure it will happen to you....God bless and take are, my friend!
Passing Through

Anonymous said...
You know something sonny, I'm sure glad that you are touched by God. But there is an important lesson from the Bible that you need to ground yourself in though. First, Peter deny the Lord three times and yet Jesus forgive him. How about the adulterous Samaritan woman who gave a drink to Jesus? And the parable of the wayward son? All these point to a critical issue, that God will forgive us no matter how what sins we had done when we come before him in humility. And what sins and shame had you bear as compared to these witnesses?And the second point is that the emotional touch from God as he forgives and surrounds you will pass. Feelings will rise and fall like the tide, but the Lord's forgiveness is always there whether you feel it or not. Just acknowledge and thank him always because His Grace is sufficient all the time....
Passing Through

Anonymous said...
Hello friend,Long time since I pass this way. You want to know how a person really becomes humble? It's when you realize how weak, vulnerable and incapable you're! It's knowing that you CAN'T and that you have to bend your knees and hand it over to God who CAN!How can you don't see that???Well, someone says something about infatuation that makes a lot of sense. The reason why a person had to deal with hurts arising from a broken infatuation is because God is doing a work on his/her life to make that person more mature! So, going by that, God is doing a work on that girl's life - not yours!!
Passing Through...

I love you, daddy. All these words of advice have really seen me through those years.

its been sometime since sth like this :D

- Pick your birth month.
- Strike out anything that doesn't apply to you.
- Bold the five-ten qualities that best apply to you.
- Copy to your own journal, with all twelve

I tag:
Nicky (stop writing random crap) :D
Corn
Andrew Tham
Joshua Ang
Nicole Chee
Shermine
Lei Can
Jessica Chow

i cant strike out so ill just use a different font colour. and the bold wasnt too obvious so i used a larger font.

MARCH:
Attractive personality.
Sexy.
Affectionate.
Shy and reserved.
Secretive.
Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic.
Loves peace and serenity.
Sensitive to others.
Loves to serve others.
Easily angered.
Trustworthy.
Appreciative and returns kindness.
Observant and assesses others.
Revengeful.
Loves to dream and fantasize.
Loves traveling.
Loves attention.
Hasty decisions in choosing partners.
Loves home decors.
Musically talented.
Loves special things.
Moody.

weird, its really like describing me.

JANUARY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY:
Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH:
Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL:
Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people's problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE:
Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY:
Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people's feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST:
Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER:
Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people's mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER:
Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn't pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER:
Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER:
Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

in loving God

O God how great you are
and how worthy is your name
to be praised.
My fingers tremble as they
write this, for how unworthy
am i to know of your grace
and goodness. And much less receive
the same grace and goodness.
How great you are O God,
how great you are.

You know both the heavens
and the earth, and life was
birth at the words you spoke.
You know the hearts of man
the deceit that lies within his
heart, and the capacity that he
has to love and to forgive,
for you have created us in the image
of yourself.
How wonderful you are O Lord,
how wonderful you are.

The very Earth you have created
for the sake of mankind.
You set the stars in each of their
places, every single one perfectly
placed. The moon, the sun, all in
alignment. This all done for the sake
of we whom are so undeservingly saved.
How wretched we are O Lord,
how wretched we are.

Yet you have devised life, as a gift
for us to enjoy, in the safety of your
providence, and your purpose.
For you know the future and its uncertainties,
you know every single thing has is yet to happen.
And every single event that
comes to pass, is but
a part in the grandness in your plan.
Everything was destined for
the fulfillment of your will.
Your good, pleasing and perfect will.
How marvellous you are O Lord,
how marvellous you are.

In creating us God, you knew
the darkness that would arise,
for you know we were not like you.
you knew that disobedience would come,
and you have foreseen it, before the
beginning of time. You knew we could be
tempted, and you knew we could be swayed;
for you have given us free choice.
As so we could choose to remain in
your presence, and enjoy your good,
please and perfect will. Yet,
you still gave us life and you resigned
to settling for less than first place,
in the lives of those who revelled in sin;
despite how much you love them
and knew how much better it was for them,
to submit to your will.
How awesome you are O Lord,
how awesome you are.

As they chose sin over you Lord,
your heart never turned against them,
no matter how jealous you were.
You hated their sin O lord,
you hated their sin. But you always
were willing to forgive
as long as they turned from
their sinful ways. You knew
that they were only killing themselves
by turning from you, and creating
idols before you as they flourished.
For who is man to know how to live
his own life, without the guidance of God.
Who is man to know the ways that will
benefit him with his short-sighted
self-staisfying desires.
Yet you still loved them O Lord,
even though they rebelled,
you still loved them.
How merciful are you O Lord,
how merciful are you.

And as their hearts grew numb towards you
through a continual depravation of
their carnal state, you knew that
something had to be done, if everyone
were to come to know you, and experience
your grace and goodness. For they had been
raised in evil by their fathers, and not
knowing what was sin and God.
And you O God, are holy and righteous,
without sin and of a standard that
we can never understand. For what are
the deeds of man compared to the
righteousness of God, but filthy rags.
All this you knew, and all this you
have foreseen. And with a heavy heart,
you took your son, and tied him to a
tree, and there you slaughtered him.
You finished the job that Abraham was
tasked with his own son for your
glory; you did it with yours.
You crushed him, and you were pleased,
for it was for your glory.
How unworthy we are Lord,
how unworthy we are.

And your son, Jesus Christ,
the risen Lord, the lamb that was slain.
He knew that all love and honour,
belong to you O God, he knew.
And he submitted himself to your will,
for he knew that it was for the glory
of the Father, that was deserving of
being exalted high. Despite the pain,
and despite the suffering, he bore the
nails that hung him on that cross.
How lovely are you Jesus,
how lovely are you.

Now with your Holy Spirit living in us,
for the work of Christ has been finished,
the Father's love has been made complete.
We are all reconcilled with Father,
and made heirs in our own rights.
Justified not by deeds, not by the law,
for the law is fallible; but by faith
and by the blood of Jesus Christ, poured
forth in substitute of our own.
How glorious you are O Lord,
how glorious you are.

As I reflect on the goodness of your
hand, indeed, everything belongs to you
O God, everything belongs to you. We are
but stewards of this body that we live in,
struggling with our own desires and seeking
to do your will. You know all this Lord,
you have known it before the beginning of time.
And with unrequited love being show to us,
we know not how to respond, for we are imperfect,
and we do not know anything O God.
How shameful we are O Lord,
how shameful we are.

But you have taught us how we should respond,
in your Word, that you have left with us.
You call for submission of the entire being,
not just in mind, but in emotion, and in spirit.
You call for us to submit,
not only what we want to do,
but our attitudes as well,
and all in reverence to you.
How impossible it is O Lord,
how impossible it is.

But you are there, the Alpha and Omega,
beginning and the end, you have always been.
You have promised that you will fight for us,
and you will never leave us nor forsake us.
And as we seek to do your will,
you will fight for us. Against our our own
wills and desires, as long as he who
puts his hand to the plough,
chooses not to look back. And so come all
who are weary and heavy laden,
for the battle is not ours to fight.
All we need is to remain in God,
to be weak and humble before Him,
and he will fight for us. And how you
desire this O God, that you will remove your
presence, in order that we may recognize
how inadequate we are and in need of you,
that we may return in brokenness.
In our vulnerability, and weakness,
your glory is made most perfect.
And as I think about your name,
I can naught but say this:
How great are you O God,
how great is your name.

what is the gospel?

John 2:23-25

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Remember that the aim of John’s Gospel is that people might believe in Jesus. John 20:31: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” This has been underlined several times in chapters 1 and 2.

John’s Task: Belief in Jesus
In John 1:12, John says, “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” After the miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana, John says, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him” (John 2:11). Then after he drove the moneychangers out of the Temple and said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” John comments, “His disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken” (John 2:22).

So John is on task. He is writing with a view to helping people see the glory of the Son of God, experience his grace, and believe on him as the Son of God and supreme treasure of their lives and have eternal life.

Some Belief Is Not Saving
In view of this, John 2:23-25 has an unsettling effect. What it says, in essence, is that Jesus knows what is in every heart, and so he can see when someone believes in a way that is not really believing. In other words, Jesus’ ability to know every heart perfectly leads to the unsettling truth that some belief is not the kind of belief that obtains fellowship with Jesus and eternal life. Some belief is not saving belief.

So there are two things to focus on here. First is the glory of the omniscience of Jesus. And the second is the discovery that there is a kind of faith in Jesus that he does not approve and does not accept.

1) The Glory of Jesus’ Omniscience
First, then, we focus on the glory of Christ in his omniscience. Remember we are being guided by John 1:14 and 16—“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” This is what John wants us to see—the glory of the only Son from the Father and how, coming down that laser beam of spiritual sight, grace upon grace comes into our lives.

What glory of the Son of God do we see in today’s text? We see it at the end of verse 24 and in all of verse 25: “But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”

Three statements. First, the sweeping general statement in 2:24: “he knew all people.” Second, the specific application of that statement to people’s private, inner life in 2:25: “he himself knew what was in man.” Third, the implication of that in 2:25: “he needed no one to bear witness about him.”

Jesus Knows All About All People
So the doctrine we may draw from this is that Jesus knows all about all people. No person is excluded from his knowledge, and no part of our life is excluded from his knowledge. He knows everybody—and everything about everybody. Here’s what Jesus will say in John 6:64: “There are some of you who do not believe.” And John adds, “For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.” The heart of Judas was open before Jesus. Jesus was not surprised when his betrayal came.

Let this truth about Jesus sink into your heart. If you have ever been impressed with any man’ knowledge about people or wisdom in discerning motives and explaining actions and predicting behaviors—if any character in fiction or person in history or living counselor or scholar has ever impressed you, the knowledge of Jesus should be infinitely more impressive.

No Secrets from Jesus
Perhaps the glory of his omniscience will come home to us more fully if we draw out a few personal implications. It means that there are no complete secrets in your life. You may have succeeded in hiding something all your life from everyone on this earth. But you have not hidden it from Jesus. The person who matters most knows most. The person whose judgment about you is all important knows all. Let that sink in. You are totally known. Totally. There is not the slightest part of your heart unknown to Jesus, at this hour, and every hour.

Therefore, there is always at least one person you must relate to who knows everything about you. You may be able to look at others in the face and know that they do not know certain things about you. This shapes your relationship. But there is one who when you look him in the face sees totally through you. If you relate to him at all, you relate as one utterly laid bare. Utterly known. What an amazing relationship! There is one, and only one, who actually and totally knows you. Nobody else even comes close. Your spouse’s knowledge of you, or your best friend’s knowledge of you, compares to Jesus’ knowledge of you like first-grade math to quantum mechanics. You are fully known by one person, Jesus Christ.

One Human Who Knows
Therefore, you always have someone to go to for help in knowing who you are. One of the great longings of the human soul is to understand ourselves. Who are we? What is our nature? What sort of being are we? What is our deepest thought and feeling? What are our true and deepest motives? What are the relationships deep inside of me between knowing and feeling and willing and doing?

There is one human who knows the complete answer to all these questions: Jesus Christ. Do you recall Peter’s three answers to Jesus’ question after the resurrection, “Do you love me?” Jesus asked him three times, probably because Peter had denied Jesus three times. Peter said the first time, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said the second time, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said the third time, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you” (John 21:15-17). There is always one person who knows your heart perfectly. Knows it better than you do. Jesus Christ.

One Who Is Always Willing to Love You
Therefore, you always have a person who is willing to love you, knowing absolutely everything about you. The reason I say he is “willing to love you” is that Jesus has a special covenant love for those who trust him. He doesn’t love everybody in the same way. Listen to the way he prays in John 17:9, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” In other words, Jesus intercedes for those whom the Father has given him. These are his friends. These are his disciples. These are his sheep. These are the children of God. These are those who are born again. These are those who believe. And are you in that number?

“To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). If you receive him, there will always be one person who will love you knowing everything, absolutely everything about you. You will say with the disciples in John 16:30, “We know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”

I pray that this glimpse of the glory of the omniscience of the only Son of the Father will move you to admire him more than anyone, and love and trust him and follow him.

2) Faith That Jesus Doesn’t Accept
We said there are two things we should focus on in this today’s text: The first is the glory of the omniscience of Jesus. Now the second is the discovery that there is a kind of faith in Jesus that he does not approve. This is the implication of his omniscience that John focuses on. He draws out the implication that when Jesus looks into the heart of those who believed, he sees something other than the kind of faith that makes you a child of God.

Remember John 1:12 says, “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). And here in John 2:23 it says, “Many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.” It seems Jesus should be thrilled. But he’s not. Verse 24 says, “But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people.” This is not the way he treats his own sheep whom he calls by name, his own disciples. When Jesus withholds himself from them, he is saying that they are not believing in a saving way. They are not the children of God. They are not doing John 1:12. Whatever their faith is, Jesus does not approve.

Not All That Looks Like Faith Is Really Faith
John is still on task here. The aim of his book is “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). So it’s crucial that John clarify that not all that looks like faith is really faith. It is unsettling. But that’s the way life is. Better to have Jesus point this out, and help us come to terms with it, than discover it on our own when it may be too late.

What’s wrong with their faith? Are there clues here? Yes, there are. The first clue is the reference to signs and what Jesus says about this elsewhere. And the second clue is that this incident is mentioned as an introduction to the story of Nicodemus that comes next. Nicodemus is probably supposed to represent the people (of John 2:23) who believe in one sense but not in the way Jesus approves.

The Faith of Nicodemus
Take the clue of Nicodemus first. Remember chapter divisions are added later. Don’t pay much attention to them. John 2:25 ends, “For [Jesus] himself knew what was in man.” And the next verses say, “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him’” (John 2:25-3:2).

I think this is the kind of faith Jesus sees in the people: “We know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” (3:2). This is a great statement of faith. It’s what some pious Jews believe about Jesus. It’s what Muslims believe. It is a very high view of Jesus. He is “from God.” God is “with him.” What he does are “signs” of God’s power in him. This is significant faith.

Signs Meant to Point to Jesus
But it is not saving faith. Nicodemus was not born again. That is the point of John 3:1-8. Nicodemus, with all his faith, needed to be born again. Nicodemus had no spiritual life. What he had seen was entirely natural, not spiritual. He was still spiritually blind. He did not see through the signs to the glory of the only Son of God. He only saw the signs, and they were so impressive that the natural mind drew the conclusion they must involve God.

Notice the reference to signs in John 2:23—this is now the second clue about what’s wrong with the faith of John 2:23—“Many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.” They believed when they saw the signs. Signs were meant to point people to the true Son of God and what he stood for. But many saw the signs and did not see what they stood for.

The Faith of Jesus’ Brothers
Take Jesus’ brothers as an example in John 7:3-5. “So his brothers said to him, ‘Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.’ For not even his brothers believed in him” (John 7:3-5).

That is totally surprising! Verse 5 is given as the reason his bothers wanted him to go do his miracles to get some attention in Judea! It was because they did not believe in him. They knew he worked miracles. They believed that. They were excited about it, and they wanted him to go public and get the attention he deserved. That, John says, is unbelief. Why?

The Humility of Saving Faith
The explanation is found in John 5:44: “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” Deep down inside—where Jesus could see and no one else could—his brothers loved the glory of man. And they saw Jesus, the miracle worker, as their chance for a day in the sun. They would ride on his coattails into the limelight of human admiration.

In other words, real, saving faith in Jesus is a humble thing. It’s what broken people do. Not what power-lovers do, or popularity-lovers, or sign-and-wonder-lovers.

The Danger of Sign-Seeking
O how precarious it is to be a sign-seeker. So many people today run from one set of signs and wonders to the next. They crave the spectacular. They follow the latest sign worker. Till he leaves his wife. Or flies away in his jet with everybody’s money. Jesus is warning against this. Here is what he said in Matthew 24:24: “False christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”

They will do real signs. Stunning miracles. And what will the sign-seekers do then? They will fall away from following Christ. But did they not have faith? A kind of faith. That is what Jesus is warning us against here for our own souls.

Attracted Only to Signs and Wonders?
Let’s let the apostle Paul have the last word of Scripture. He describes the end times like this in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10: “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and lying1 signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” There will be signs and wonders in the last days before Jesus comes. They will be real. And they will be lying—full of deception. And many who profess faith in Christ—a kind of faith, and unreal faith, a faith that does not love the truth—will switch that faith from Jesus, the sign-worker (as they view him) to another sign-worker who seems more impressive. And they will perish.

So the issue today (as we bring the two halves of the sermon together) is: Is your faith based on a spiritual sight of the glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth? Do you see Christ and his cross as compellingly glorious? Or are you only attracted to signs and wonders?

The Cross as His Greatest Glory
Let me close with one word about the cross of Christ—the death of Christ. You would think that a man who can see perfectly into the heart of every soul and know what everyone is thinking and feeling and planning—you would think that such a man could move through life by avoiding all human danger. He can simply see all thoughts of ill-will and get out of reach. That’s true. He could. If that was his plan.

But it wasn’t Jesus’ plan. He knew what was in man—including Judas (John 6:64). And so he chose when and where and how and why he would die. And he did it for you. If you see him and his cross as the greatest glory and believe on him, the Lamb of God takes away all your sins, you will have eternal life. He is a glorious Savior. Amen.


1 The ESV’s “false signs and wonders” gives the impression that they are tricks and not real miracles. That’s not the meaning behind the phrase “of lies” in the original (Greek pseudous). The meaning is that they are real but that they lie. They deceive. They lead people astray.

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2009/3487_He_Knew_What_Was_in_Man/#_ftnref1















For all my life spent as a Christian, I am still only beginning to understand the gospel. This sermon helps piece alot of queries into perspective.

Firstly, the gospel is NOT a means to an end, meaning it is not for our own fulfilment. It was never for our own benefit, although the benefits flow richly, it was for God's fulfilment of His will. We believe, not because we can have eternal life, not because we want the blessings from God; it IS because we want to see his will done on Earth as in Heaven. That is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. It is vindictive, because then what rights do we have? What say do we have in our lives then? It is has been argued that our body belongs to us, and is our right to life, but the implication of the gospel Is that we have nothing, own nothing, and are nothing. we r alive for no other reason except for God's will, that is the implication of the gospel. But we accept it because we have none in the first place, being undeservingly saved by grace.

Secondly, the purpose of my love and belief in God has to be God alone. True, He has done many wonderous signs and worked countless miracles. True, he has loved us and given us undeserving grace through the sacrifice of his own son. True, he has been, is, and always will be there for us provided we turn to Him. However, the question still remains: what is my purpose for loving and believing in Him? Is there an ulterior motive, for my own selfish intent - so i will do well in school, socially etc.? I believe that as long as our love for Him is built on a dependency on Him, from an UNDERSTANDING and RECOGNITION of how poor we are in spirit, then that is really loving God for who He is. Many people think of God as a tyrant, because they simply do not understand how wretched and how despicable they themselves are, for the holiness of man are like filthy rags in the presence of God. They do not understand how holy God is and how wretched we are in comparison to Him.

Thirdly, the gospel calls for the surrender of all the entire being. There is always a reason or excuse we can think of to avoid submitting our wills to God's, and it is ALWAYS with selfish intent - I JUST DON'T WANT TO. That is the crux of the gospel. Are we willing to yield our entire beings to suffer just the same way that Christ suffered for us. He, knowing all things, the will of man included, before the beginning of time, how could he not know that he was going to be crucified? Yet he still submitted to the will of the Lord and suffered so that God's will could come to pass. True, we all have free choice, and we all know that we can choose not to. Then the question i pose to you is this: after he has done so much for a wretched person like you, why not you selfish fool?

The bible says that there are only two routes: the narrow path to righteousness, and the wide path of destruction. If we do not choose to submit and surrender, then we have just chosen the path of destruction, for the bible says that not all that calls me (Jesus Christ) Lord, Lord (with a double emphasis) shall enter into the Kingdom of God (Luke 13:22). The only reason why they do not enter the Kingdom of God is because they do not yield their spirit to His, even though they know about His grace and His goodness. Are you actively submitting yourself to God today?