Wake Up Early

Need to break my routine and get up earlier than 7am - otherwise rush rush. Today I got up abit way too early, 4.30am! But manage to sit down for breakfast at 5am, its nice though! Hope to adjust it to about 6am! Then I wont have to adjust so much for some of the early Sundays!

Coolness in the Heat

I really enjoy each time looking out into the greens out our window, even looking into the sunlight, being in the sun ... feeling and experiencing it, I sense the glory of God shining upon us, not giving up on us .. When I sweat, I sweat happily .. as I walked in the sun, I can feel like I am walking in the coolness eventhough I am in the heat! It's been more than a year already but the sight God gave me since He found me, I found Him .. is still so vivid, the colors I see, it's so real now for I was so blinded before - the green seems greener, the blue seems bluer .. the shades of color seems so clear to me ... thank you Lord for giving me eyes to see all these beautiful things of yours ... I love you, for you have first loved me ..

Heaven on Earth

Waking up in the joy of the Lord - as I walk through the lush greenary palms, sending ANA off to her school - it feels like heaven on earth! New every morning .. new every morning ... I thank God that He helped me experience the true joys of all He has made for us .. :)

We Want To Hear God

Deep down inside each one of us, we want God to speak to us directly. We refuse to hear from others - even other Christians, or people who know God or we reject them when they want to tell us about God ... because deep down inside, even before we were born, we are created to have that personal relationship with God himself --- Yes, God wants to speak to you directly too, if you will only sit down, relax and listen with an open heart .... put away everything you have right now, everything you are going through right now ...

God Sees It All

Man looks at people from the outside, but God see through all hearts ...

Finally - Jesus

I've found the person I've been looking for all my life, his name is Jesus. I found Him because He first found me - I love Him because He first loved me. Through Jesus, I have the opportunity to know the One True Living God - Almighty God - the one who created Heavens and Earth, you and me ...

God Surpasses It All

Ever wonder why "Christians" 'who are imperfect in your eyes' keep bugging you to go to church or always wanting to share with you about Jesus? That's the power of God. They know its something "good" (the good news) that eventhough they "are not yet there" they want to share it with you first.

Imagine if you have already tasted one of the best cookies in town, just so out of ordinary, super extrodinary! Then the next time you go get some, you make sure you have it yourself first before you go buy another box for your neighbor. Believe it or not, that's how we live our life today, for most people, 'as long as they are taken care of first', 'as long as I am happy, why bother about reaching out to others', 'as long as I am doing the right thing', 'as long as my conscience is clear' ... 'as long as I eat my own yummy cookie' ... while this is so powerful in the lives of so many people in the world today, the power of God surpasses all that. Even the one who is "not yet perfect in your eyes" cannot hold the good news to himself/herself! The Good News is not dependant on how good a person is first before it is given to you, it surpasses the imperfect, the imperfect professing 'Christian' .. it is so good that even the imperfect Christian would say when she receive her 2nd box of the yummy cookie, "Let me give it to my neighbor first' eventhough in the eyes of their neighbor, they are still filled with flaws and unrighteousness, they feel condemned, or not good enough. God's Good News is not depending on how good a Christian is, for God's work is not dependant on men alone but God himself who is all dependable.

Putting Money To The Test

As I was washing the dishes, this came to me: For people like you and I today, can we really tell between the real and the fake money? Perhaps yes if we studied the flaws thoroughly, also not to forget to thoroughly know exactly all the details of the real money, granted .. but for the usual layman you and I, who's just moving on life day in day out, the best way is to put it to the test. Even if you don't want it, you can't really avoid it because when the time comes for you to use that money (in exchange for something that is of value to you - money is just a paper unless it returns something of value to you at that time) you will have to put it to the test. Use and see if it gets rejected. Sometimes, true yes people do get away with using fake money (although its not your intention) but do you think you can be using fake money all the days of your life if that's really all you have? Surely, one day you'll get bumped ... Dont look at someone who owns fake money and think that is real money. Your eyes may deceive you. Take that money and put it to the test yourself.

Put Aside Religion

It's not about religion. If the Truth is spoken onto a person and religion keeps coming back to take the first place in heart, then people's heart will never be united. It's about God, the God who created you and I. The God who created all the wonderful things you are utilizing right now. If we have God in our heart as our target (not religion) we will be united under the Truth because God is Truth.

If we could just put religion aside, and say from this moment onwards, lets looks for the God who created us, and all these on Earth we can see, it doesnt matter what kinda God I have in me right now, what God you have in you right now, we will eventually be meeting the same God for He is One and Only - if we seek Him first with a heart that is willing to acccept the Truth when it is presented to us. My knowledge and understanding will be perfected and so will yours. By God's grace, we can continue to help each other get closer and closer to the Truth. If we think our knowledge and understand is already perfect than we are only fooling ourselves. If we do not have the desire to seek God, surely we want to continue to believe what we believe and practice what we've been practicing because that is the God of our life, the God we created in our hearts, not the God who created Heaven and Earth.

God gives His sunlight to both and evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust too (Matthew 5:44) The one who does not know God, the one true living God receives from God too. How can one receive a gift from a friend and not acknowledge the giver but only the gift?

Religion may consist of things that are true but the Truth will always be the Truth. "The Truth can always change something that is true because it may be true or false, but what is true can never change the Truth because it is the Truth" (Ps Guest Speaker, NCC)

Who Am I To You?

If we try to understand the things of God, or God Himself, using our human time-frame or human ability, its almost futile. It's like a fish trying to understand the human owner's time-frame, what he/she is up to, the fish can only see and hear so much!

To say God is not doing a good job just because we don't see those who believe in Him live a holy life is using our own time-frame to chit-chat with God and when God says something we cannot even hear Him, its like the fish trying to talk to the human owner and when the human owner tries to explain why He changes the fish tank once a week and sometimes a fornight, sometimes irregularly, the fish says - we think changing everyday is the best and hence our owner is not a good owner.

Christianity has been around and look at these people, how horrible they are. God become so small, we bring Him to our level just because we can only operate that much without our own human eyes. Fortunately, God does not operate in our time-frame eventhough we think of Him so and insist so. God does not need to depend on us. A year to us is a thousand years to God. We may look down on God and say what God's doing in churches is not good (again, we put all the blame on God, again using our own ability to see things failing to understand the laws of nature in which God himself operates in) because we cannot see the results we would say is good (again operating in our own human intepretation of what is good) but the truth is God has a bigger heart than you and I. Eventhough in the midst of all these misconception of God, misunderstanding of God, He still extends His big heart (slow to be angry, quick to forgive, mercy and grace to the undeserving) because He sees what we cannot see.

You may be concern only for your own life or your family, even your friends, but God is concern for all others. Every second everyday, souls are still coming to God, accepting His invitation to be reconciled with Him, receive eternal life- experience Heaven on Earth .. we may give up on God, but God has not given up on us. We may think we are smarter than God, kinder than God, more merciful than God, more a peacemaker than God following whatever religious system we have been following, protecting it like precious diamonds, cutting out from God, but God has a bigger heart than you and I. Just look at Creation and you will see God can do bigger and better things than you and I. Who is the God in your heart? God is asking, "Who am I to you?"

Tree Of Life

Some people believe all religion is good (although not all - put aside cults extremes - cutting hands and such, but generally), no one is more superior than the other.

But that was not the case for me back then. In my heart, I believed Christianity was a religion less superior than the one I had, as a matter of fact, I believed Christians (whatever denomination they can call themselves, at that time I gathered all reported to the same God and called upon the same God) ... I believe they are one of the most selfish group of people in this world ever existed. I remember my Mom telling me, pointing to the TV that it is the religious people who's always fighting, if its not the Christians, its the Muslims, to me, it didn't come close to anything "good". I never wanted to be like them, not only selfish but one of the most hypocritical people because they go to church, some even everyday, they pray and proclaim aloud that God is the most important thing in their life, yet I wonder, what kinda God is that? Certainly not the God that I know! *proudly I proclaim in my heart, though I may not say it* People of other religion appeared so much better, much more peaceful than Christians. Infact they make alot of effort to live peacefully with others in harmony. I can hang out freely with Buddhist or free-thinker friends but I find it so restrictive and hard to hang out with Christians, they have all kinds of "rules" they are following, not rules that I would say good, but rules that were to their advantage most of the time (in my mind). I thought to myself, I am better off without their religion ...

Not until when God stopped me face to face, almost like Apostle Paul at Damascus! And He explained how I have looked at other Christians but He said "I did not say these Christians are the way, the truth and the life" instead He says, "I am the way, the truth and the life, Follow Me". Although I was not capturing people, and killing them like Paul did, but it was the same murder - murder at heart. I may not criticize the Christians outwardsly (as a matter of fact - try to "live in peace with them" in doing so I also appear a much better person, more righteous, following the right path..) my heart looked down on them, judging them and criticizing them. I may not use the swords and knives and what not weapons that Paul used but I used the modern day weapons to criticize them, no difference from Paul, persecuting them. I thank God my sins are forgiven ...

At that point, I find myself still trying to explain to God "But .. you see, this person ..... that person ... see how they ....why would they, how can they ...." but God was gracious, always steering my face towards Him and with His gentle voice telling me that He is actually talking to me, He is concern about me, I do not need to be concern over the others because it's not about others, its about Him and me. Once that is sorted out, everything else will be OK inc. understanding things of the world.

It is true that no one religion (Christianity without a relationship with Christ included) is more superior than the other because religion tells you what is good and what is bad, what to do and what not to do, that is from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which brings DEATH! All will come to the same ending (The wages of sin is death - Romans, who have not sinned?) but to those who receive Jesus, He came so we may have life, He came from the Tree of Life which gives us LIFE! (Ps JO - NCC). Halleluyah!

Perfect People, Need Not Apply

Groucho Marx was famous for saying he wouldn't want to belong to any club that would let him in. If a church must be perfect to satisfy you, that same perfection will exclude you from membership, because you're not perfect! Every church could put out a sign "No perfect people need apply. This is a place only for those who admit they are sinners, need grace, and want to grow." - Rick Warren

I remember not quite long ago listening to one of Ps Tony Evans sermons describing the chuch as a hospital, hospital for the sick. As I further thought, its true those who think they are well, do not go to the hospital, those who think they are good enough in whatever they are doing that all they do doing their best is what matters most will not go to church because they do not need others, they do not need God, they only need themselves, they depend on themselves and whatever resources around them (that too they may not realize it is God who provides), certainly they dont think others need them too because if they knew the hospital is full of sick people and "they want to do good, want to help" they would show up! But they do not know.. and our childhood, media, family, friends, everything we have ever come across that we've been feeding on doesnt help us to know, and so we become dead to such things, let alone respond to it. Not only do people not respond to it, but they add on what they learn from the world to what they believe is what Christ is all about, is all what God is all about ... is what the church is all about. How dangerous can that be .. further taking us away from God, who desires to reconcile with us, giving us the abundant life with the one and only true living God. Another sermon on AM800 last year (LWF if not mistaken, Ps. Adrian Rogers) said something I remember vividly, that Jesus did not come so people can learn to be good but He came so the dead would be alive to God! If we look unto the church or other Christians, what an awful deal it is, almost short-changed - we rather forgo God having a relationship with us just because the sick acted like they were not sick (hypocrisy) or we expect the sick to not act like they are sick but act like they are well when they are sick (unrealistic expectations). That was me until the Lord spoke to me and said, "You're not looking at the right coordinate. Follow me and I'll show you the way" It was purely God's grace, certainly not something I could have caused, created, earned with my own mighty effort or smartness. After all I am nothing but dust from the ground, and if I have something, it was given to me in the first place, by God who loves not only me, but the world.

Source: Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren, pg. 163

7 Churches

The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

To the church in Ephesus
"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

To the Church in Smyrna "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

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

To the Church in Thyatira "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come. To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery'— just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Sardis "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Philadelphia "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Laodicea "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Source: Revelation 1-3, NIV, Biblegateway

Sheeps & Goats

The Sheep and the Goats

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Source: Mattheew 25: 31-46, NIV, Biblegateway

My Job

My job is not to be like Bao Ching Tien (Judge Bao) who decides who is real (faithful to God, saved, or true) and who is not for I cannot see through hearts, not even my own heart at times. That job rightfully belongs to God. As for me, my job is by the greatest commandments of our Lord Jesus (Matthew 22:37-40):

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

What is love? The world gives many creative definitions (what we learn from childhood, through our own relationship with others, via the media etc) but what really matters is to know what love is from the one who is LOVE Himself, in today's understanding we call it, the one who created love. God is LOVE, what God thinks about what love is what matters, and He sent Jesus to demonstrate the unfailing love of God Almighty, a sacrificial love - one that does not depend on how deserving you are, one that gives you what you need without depending on how good you are or what you do, one that thinks in the interest of others continuously supplying that interest without exhausting the source, one that does not worry for our own interest have been taken care of abundantly through faith in Christ Jesus.

Do you really love me? Asked of our Lord Jesus - I do. Do you? I do .... Do you really? You know I do. Then Feed me sheep, feed my lambs, take care of my sheeps, tend to them ... (John 21:15-17) ... Gods desire have now become the desires of my heart by His grace. Above all, Jesus said, when we love our brethren, others will know you are my diciples (John 13:34- Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ("By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.").

Thank you Lord Jesus for being alive yesterday, today and tomorrow, continuously encouraging, guiding and comforting me, giving me such wonderful relationships with my brothers and sisters in Christ. It's a priviledge to be a part of God's family, I love you for it is you who love me first so I may have a chance to love you.

My Brothers & Sisters

So who are our brothers and sisters? In Matthew and Mark:

"Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" .... For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:48-50) "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked ..."Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:33-35) in Luke 8:21 - He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."

So who among my fellow church mates are the ones who put God's word into practice? Having to understand the Parable of Wheat and Weeds with the help of our Lord and consistently througout the Bible, I believe it is not our job to say who is true or not true, it is the Lord who sees all hearts. Honestly we cannot see through hearts, the quiet times, the private confessions, the deepest emotions of people. Even they themselves cannot see all there is in their heart. There are many many many very sincere Christians out there who's seeking God out but like sheeps who's so vulnerable to diseases and easily led astray become victim of the god of the world today. In a way, we can judge to an extent for the skill to judge is also given to us but before we judge anyone, lets ask ourselves, "Are we willing to help?" If not, there's really nothing we need to say or do, if we are, we will find out that once we start to put their best interest in our hearts, God will help us see through their fragile human heart. We are all on the same boat. We all fall short of the glory of God. Let's not go against each other but alongside each other, seeking the one true God. When it comes to who is true and who is not, it doesnt really matter what we think, it is what God thinks who judges fairly. Our job is to love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as Christ have set the example.

Wheat And Weeds

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds

Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’ “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

Source: Matthew 13:24-29, NIV, Biblegateway

Parable Of The Sower

The Parable of the Sower in Matthew, Mark and Luke.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying:

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear."

The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

Source: Matthew 13:1-23 NIV, Biblegateway

Whatabout Me?

(Whatabout me? Have I been faithful? Well it matters very little what you or anyone else thinks) As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but (that isn't what matters) that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.

So (be very careful not to jump into conclusions before the Lord returns as to whether or not someone is faithful) don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.

Dear brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself to illustrate what I’ve been saying. If you pay attention to what I have quoted from the Scriptures, you won’t (brag about) be proud of one of your leaders at the expense of another. For (what makes you better than anyone else?) what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though (you have accomplished something of your own?) it were not a gift?

Sources: 1 Corinthians 4:2-7

Not Up To Us

Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not!

For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” So it is God who decides to show mercy (receiving God's promise is not up to us). We can neither choose it nor work for it. For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.

Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”

No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.

Source: Romans 9:14-24 NLT