12/30/2011

John 1:32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he remained on him.

Here John the Baptist is sharing what he saw as He baptized Jesus. What strikes me about this picture though is that just like Jesus…I have the Holy Spirit living inside of me. This is a comfort to my soul as I think about how much I need wisdom and strength to live like Jesus Christ demonstrated on this earth. Yes, I am human and thankfully I am saved through faith by grace and by not works. But, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me. This is such a comfort to my soul.

God, I thank you for your Helper that you have given each one of us who have our name in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I am so eternally grateful for this gift. Lord, please give me continued strength to walk as you walked offering up “myself “ (my desires and plans) to You as I start a new year tomorrow.

12/28/2011

John 1: 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’

Even though Jesus Christ was revealed in bodily form on this earth, presently as was John speaking, John is aware that Jesus existed before the beginning of time. Talk about incredible faith and communion John had with the Father. Jesus was John’s cousin…human inclinations would want to downplay the reality and possibility of your cousin being the Son of God. Yet, John must have been in deep communication with the Lord to be able to discern this.

To apply this to my life, I want to grow in the knowledge of the things of God. There are many things in this world that my human mind cannot wrap around and yet God knows the truth. However, the only way to receive this insight is to ask.

God, I pray that You would increase my knowledge and discernment into the things of Yourself. Father, You are omniscient and I ask this with a deep desire to know more of You…In your name “Amen”

12/29/2011

John 1:31 “I did not know Him, but that He should be revealed to Israel. Therefore I came baptizing with water.”

At the time when John the Baptist was proclaiming that someone was coming to take away the sins of the world, he did not know who it was. But John the Baptist didn’t just sit around ‘til the Father revealed that to him. Instead, John stayed busy doing what he knew God had commanded him to do…which was to baptize with water.

This spoke largely to me, as I am not sure fully of what my future holds, I need to stay busy at the task at hand. I need to be doing what is before me now…not worrying about the future or just waiting in my mind. I need to stay busy with my hands and heart in the practical: cleaning the church, working with the kids at PFK, or babysitting the McClain’s children.

12/26/2011

John 1:27 (NIV) He [Jesus] is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I [John the Baptist] am not worthy to untie.

Here John the Baptist is telling those sent by the Pharisees that there was someone coming…not yet revealed…whose “thongs” or straps of sandals he was not worthy to untie. I am so amazed by the faith and humility that John the Baptist had. The glory of Jesus Christ had not yet been revealed but John knew who was behind Jesus Christ. This revelation could only come through close communion with the Lord.

 The phrase…”I am not even worthy to untie [his sandals]”…struck me. In Matthew 25:40 God says that what you have done to the least of the brethren you have done to me. Wow!  …So when I do something for someone else…I am doing it to God. This made me think of all the times I have unfortunately in my heart thought something below me.  However, this thinking  is equivalent to saying  that something I am doing for God is to low yet I am not even worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals. This puts a whole new light on the truth and significance of servant hood to others around me.

To apply this to my life, I want to solely look at my acts of service as unto God and not others. I need to have the constant mindset of serving Christ in ALL that I do.

12/27/2011

John 1: 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

“The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world…” The word “Lamb” is used here to describe God combined with His removal of our sin from the world struck me in a new light. To take away the sin of the world is such a huge task requiring supreme authority and power. Yes, Jesus Christ did have power but He did not flaunt this power…no, he took the position of a lamb. A lamb is gentle and submissive…Jesus Christ was gentle with those around him and submissive to the Father walking in obedience to what was asked of Him. Jesus showed an example of meekness: strength under control.

God, I pray that you would give me the strength to walk as you walked power under self-control.                                                                                      

12/22/2011

John 1:21-23 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” he said “I am not.” Are you the prophet?” and he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “ I am… ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord.”’ As the prophet Isaiah said.”

God commands us, believers, to be ready in and out of season to give an answer….I am sure that John the Baptist did not have the Pharisees’ questioning on his agenda for the day so he could plan out how he would respond. Yet, in the scripture, I don’t see any hesitation or pondering before John spoke. He knew exactly what he was called to do and who he was in Christ. In verse 19, it really spoke to me about finding my identity in Christ…but it is not just the mindset that it is important but also having an answer for those who want to learn who I am and what is powering my life? John immediately brings these Levites and priests back to scripture moving the focus off of himself and onto God.

I need to not only find my identity in Christ as a mindset but also have an answer in understandable terms for those who desire to know what I am living for and why I am the way I am.

12/23/2011

John 1: 25-26 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.

The phrase, “One among you whom you do not know”, really caught my attention. Christ was among them but the Pharisees and yet they did not know Jesus Christ. I think of how often I can be in a group of people who I know little about even though they are right there beside me. I was thinking through all the years that I have “known” the Lord, and yet there is so little I really do know about Him. A. W. Tozer said you can never fully know the mysteries of God. He is so deep that the more we are in His presence spending time with Him, the more we will know Him. The idea really struck me that when I am reading the Bible, I don’t want to just read it to see what I can get out of it for my life but I want to also read it to know Him fully and  discover all that He desires to reveal to me.

12/19/2011

John 1: 18 “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

This verse really struck me with idea that no one has seen God. There are numerous times in the Old and New Testament where people were in the presence of God or were visited by the Angel of the Lord, yet NO ONE has seen God. We have seen Jesus Christ who declared who God is but we have never before beheld the full glory of God with our eyes. This gets me so excited for the day in heaven when I will be able to behold the glory of the Lord. It will truly be beyond ANYTHING comprehendible or imaginable…

To apply this verse to my life, I want to be mindful that the amazing things God is doing for me in my life and in the lives of those around me are just glimpses of who God really is. I want to have a renewed mindset that I have barely scratched the surface in learning the things of God…there is so much more to come and I should be eagerly anticipating that moment.

12/20/2011

John 1:19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

Here this verse is informing us that the following excerpt was John the Baptist’s reply to some priests and Levites from Jerusalem who asked him, “Who are you?” I thought that it was quite remarkable that John’s answer in the following verses are all about who Jesus is and the calling God had placed on his life. This is who John was….he was abiding in Christ. John’s identity was solely in Christ…not in the work he did or what experiences he had gone through…no, John was a follower of Jesus Christ.

This spoke volumes to me. I don’t want my identity to be in where I am from, who my family is, what classes I have taken, what countries I have travelled to….no, all of this does not define who I am in Christ. I want my identity to come from Him. This can only be accomplished, however, as I stay faithful in God’s Word and recognizing that I am the Daughter of the King of Kings…this is my identity….not a missionary to Costa Rica or an intern at PFR.  I am the bondservant of Jesus Christ. God, please renew my mindset that I might live it out not only in word but also in my heart.

12/21/2011

John 1:20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am the Christ.”

Here John is clearly stating that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. I thought this incredible because during Jesus’ ministry people had said that Jesus was Elijah or one of the prophets (Mark 8:28) but John is making it clear that even Jesus himself confessed that He was the Christ. The world still today believes that Jesus was a good moral person or a prophet but don’t want to admit to the Deity of Jesus. Did opposition stop John? No, he went right for it.

I want to apply this to my life, by not stopping at disapproval….every day the world draws closer to the day when the Lord calls His bride home. Do I have urgency in me that drives me to share even when I am met by opposition? It should actually encourage me that the other disciples dealt with the same thing and yet they went full force. I have not lived this out and I need to be bolder to share asking God for those opportunities to speak even if it is not received well, it needs to be spoken.

12/16/2011

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.            

This verse is critical to understand that the law was given through Moses but Jesus Christ does not offer the law but instead grace and truth. The law’s sole purpose was for us to see our need for a savior.

Pastor Joe Focht described the law through this example: ….. Someone speeding on the highway doesn’t know that they are breaking the law until a speed limit is posted. Without a standard, the driver has no way of measuring its actions to see if they are right or wrong. The same thing is in our life, the law was intended to reveal to us our shortcomings so that we would be able to see our need for forgiveness from our wrongdoings.

I am so thankful that Christ’s intention is not for us to live under the law but for the law to be used as a tool to bring us to salvation. To apply this to my life, I need to stop myself when I start trying to live under the law “earning” my salvation through works. I need to remember that I can never live up to the law and therefore be encouraged that I need a Savior. God knew from the beginning of time that I would fail and that is why He provided a way that I might receive salvation through Him and Not through myself.

12/15/2011

John 1:16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

In the previous verse, John the Baptist was proclaiming the majesty of God. Now John, Jesus’ disciple, is describing the fullness, completeness we have in Christ. “Grace for grace”….I am so thankful for Christ’s grace because as the majesty of the Lord is revealed through the scriptures, it is very daunting to think about facing the all the all-powerful and knowing God without it. If there was no grace we would be condemned to die, but Christ provided another way through grace. I just learned this acronym from Brooke at discipleship which is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. God’s riches, eternal life, at Christ’s expense…it was an expense to Christ but a free gift to us costing us nothing. As a result, this grace gives us peace in Jesus Christ.

God, thank you so much for your abundant grace that I do not deserve and that you do not base your gift off of who I am but on who You are. I am so thankful that Your love was so deep for me and the world that You were willing to provide this atonement. I pray that I would rest in your peace today because of Your grace and sharing this with the kids at Bible club tonight through my actions and countenance. Amen

12/12/2011

John 1:13 …..who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

As Believers, we were born into the family of God not by blood such as a human father and child nor by what we do in our own strength but it is solely because of God that we are able to be a part of His family.

 Recently, in Romans, I have been discovering in a deeper way what Christ truly did for me on the cross…. When God the Father sees me, He does not see my sin but solely His son’s righteousness. How amazing and spectacular is that! What a blessing and relief to know that being a part of God’s family is not due to what I can bring or offer…. because if that was the case, I would not be able to be a part of God’s family. No one can ever accomplish what it would take to be a part of God’s family through our own strength.

To apply this to my life, I need to realize that everything I do and all that I say is an act of obedience. I will never be any more righteous in God’s eyes by what I do, but I do it out of obedience and love for my Savior for ALL that He has done for me! Praise the Lord!

12/13/2011

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Here this verse is describing Jesus Christ becoming all man and all God and coming on this earth. Jesus Christ even though He became human still had all the glory of the Father illuminating from Him. He was also full of grace and truth....truth.… God is never changing.  He is the same God who raised Lazarus from the dead and appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus. For Hebrews 13:8 says that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And because God is truth we can believe everything He has told us about Himself and His promises are forever true.

As I go through different circumstances in Costa Rica, I want to keep clinging to the fact that God is the same God who encouraged Paul and the disciples as they spread His Word and will never leave me nor forsake me. God is so worthy to be praised and I am so thankful He is unchanging.

12/14/2011

John 1:15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’”

Here John, the disciple of Jesus, is quoting John the Baptist when He was preparing the people for the coming of Jesus Christ. John the Baptist was explaining to the people that not only is the One who was coming greater but He was also here before the beginning of time.

This really struck me in a new way. Part of John the Baptist’s evangelism is proclaiming the glory of God…God was here before the beginning. God is never-ending omniscient and omnipotent. So often, I believe, I downplay the majesty of God when I share the Good News with others. Am I myself fully aware when I am talking to the Lord who I actually I am actually communing with? Do I actually fear the Lord, His power, and His strength?

To apply this to my life, when I pray I want to start being more aware of whom I am actually talking to. Yes, God is a personal God but I do not want to take advantage of that and lose sight of the glory and awe that He deserves.

12/6/2011

John 1:9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

John was called to bear witness to the true light….there is a difference. Evil can disguise itself as light but the true light gives off “radiates” light, pureness to every person. I think this is critical to see how “true” is emphasized in this verse. In this world there are many things that can deceive me and I need to constantly be on guard watching out for the evil in this world by staying consistent in the word of God and putting on the armor every day.

This is critical as I am seeking to do the will of God because Satan (the Great Deceiver)  will try to kill, steal, and destroy; yet God is much more powerful and has already overcome. To apply this to my life, I want to ask God for greater discernment and insight into the things of Him and to put on the armor of Christ faithfully before I begin each day.

12/7/2011

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

How sad it is that the creator of all is so unknown to His creation. This is not due to the choosing of the Creator but rather, as His Creation, we have put relationships with this world over a relationship with Him.

Recently, I have been listening to sermons through Mark and reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Through listening and reading, I am discovering once again how truly deep Christ’s sacrifice was for me that I might receive salvation and have a personal relationship with me. It was painful and Jesus even asked God the Father if there was any other way of redemption for the world that this cup of suffering could pass from Him.

This suffering did not just consist of physical suffering but emotional suffering as well. All the sins of the world were laid upon Jesus Christ. This thought made me ponder about how I feel when I have sinned and the terrible burden it places on my heart … and that is just one sin at a time. As soon as I ask for forgiveness, I am a new creation. However, Christ had all the sins of the entire world placed on Him all at once. This burden is even more significant because Christ is pure and evil is completely opposite of His nature. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was truly the uttermost action of love He could do for us.

To apply this to my life, I want to continually thank God for His unfathomable sacrifice for me that I might have a relationship with Him. This is not something to take lightly but to meditate on that I might more fully understand the depravity of this sacrifice.  It is there for us all freely, all we have to do is be willing to confess that we believe He did it for us, confess our sins, and turn to walk in His ways. God thank you so much for Your profound sacrifice for me personally and the whole world.

12/8/2011

John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.             

This verse is somewhat connected with the previous verse (vs. 10) because it talked about Christ’s sacrifice and now vs. 11 refers to our response. God’s sacrifice was needed for restoration with Him and yet we did not receive Him.

This makes me think of all the opportunities that God has given me, yet how many have I missed because I rejected them due to unavailability or inconvenience. This is huge because Christ has specific things in store for me while I am here in Costa Rica, and I don’t want to miss anything He would desire to teach and bless me with through serving Him.

To apply this to my life, I want to be willing and ready to serve and receive the blessing He has in store for me whenever the opportunity arises. I don’t want my selfishness to steal the eternal riches Christ desires for me.

12/9/2011

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name.

When we accept God’s free gift of salvation and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, we are given the right to become children of God. Children of God, this phrase is so comforting to me. Even the best of parents make mistakes but in Christ, we are able to be under the Lordship of the greatest Father, God.

As I am far from my family during this holiday season, I need to meditate on the fact that I am a child of God. No matter where I am on this earth, God the Father is right there beside me giving me a peace and strength beyond understanding. This also make me  think of all the kids here at PFK and their desperate need to know that even if their earthly parents fail, their heavenly Father will never fail them.

12/5/2012

John 1:8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

Oh, how important it is…John was to remember that he was sent to bear witness of the Light. He was solely a messenger and did not have anything in and of Himself that was of importance except Christ in Him and the purpose he was created for.

I think it is especially important as I am serving here in Costa Rica to realize that I am following the perfect example of the Light and without the Light I am nothing. There is nothing in and of myself that is special and stands out but it is Christ that lives in me that gives my life purpose, reason, and meaning. I need to stay humble keeping my eyes on the one who sent me and NOT on myself.

12/6/2011

John 1:9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

John was called to bear witness to the true light….there is a difference. Evil can disguise itself as light but the true light gives off “radiates” light, pureness to every person. I think this is critical to see how “true” is emphasized in this verse. In this world there are many things that can deceive me and I need to constantly be on guard watching out for the evil in this world by staying consistent in the word of God and putting on the armor every day.

This is critical as I am seeking to do the will of God because Satan (the Great Deceiver)  will try to kill, steal, and destroy; yet God is much more powerful and has already overcome. To apply this to my life, I want to ask God for greater discernment and insight into the things of Him and to put on the armor of Christ faithfully before I begin each day.

12/5/2011

John 1:7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.

This man (John, sent by God,) came to be a witness (sharing)  of the things Jesus did here on this earth because John was a firsthand witness himself living everyday life with Jesus from the beginning of His ministry to His ascension into heaven. God had called John to share these things that others around him might believe in the Good News of Salvation that Christ offers us.

This reminds me of the powerful witness each one of our testimonies is. We are each firsthand witnesses of how God has worked through our individual lives. For my application, I want to be ready at any moment to give a testimony of how and what God has done through my life. I need to continually keep trying to learn as much Spanish as I can so that I am ready to share with someone at PFK or church in Spanish that they might understand.

12/2/2011

John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

This verse really struck me because John was “sent from God”…I know that God has called me here to Costa Rica. God could have directed me to many other avenues that I had searched but instead He led me here. This gives me a lot of peace to know that there is something specific that God wants to either do in my heart or through me to someone else.

To apply this to my life, I want to be ready and prepared whenever He might call me to do something…being attuned to anything He might ask of me. I live for God and to accomplish His will through His strength, and I want to make wise use of my time here as this is where He has placed me and sent me to do.

11/30/2011

John 1:5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

In this verse, we as believers are to be a light “shining” in the darkness, the world. However, because the world is dark, it will not understand why we love reading God’s Word, why we have values on what comes first in our lives, and why we want to be bondservants instead of demanding our own rights. It is beyond understanding for anything to understand something that is completely opposite of itself. This is exactly why God has to open the eyes of unbelievers that they may see and know the truth.

To apply this to my life, I want to remind myself consistently to have patience and understanding with unbelievers who can’t understand why I value certain things in my life. I need to be like Paul not looking at people in the flesh but in the Spirit and what Christ can do through them. God please help me have Your heart for Your people.

12/1/2011

John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

This verse really struck me because John was “sent from God”…I know that God has called me here to Costa Rica. God could have directed me in many other avenues that I had searched but instead He lead me here. This gives me a lot of peace to know that there is something specific that God wants to either do in my heart or through me to someone else.

To apply this to my life, I want to be ready and prepared whenever He might call me to do something…being attuned to anything He might ask of me. I live for God and to accomplish His will through His strength, and I want to make wise use of my time here as this is where He has placed me and sent me to.