Day 123 Bible Reading – John 3: 34 (ESV)

Joshua 23 and 24, John 3: 22-36, Psalm 69: 13-28

John 3: 34 (ESV)

“For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.”

Verse 34 from John 3 is what John the Baptist said about Jesus. Bible commentaries have said about this verse that John the Baptist is saying that Jesus has in himself the Holy Spirit without measure and that John was also speaking prophetically about the New Covenant which will come by the death of Jesus. This New Covenant will feature an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for those who are joined to Jesus. We will read about this outpouring of the Holy Spirit after the resurrection of Christ later on in the Book of Acts. The Bible commentaries also mention that in the Rabbinical books, the Holy Spirit was only given to the prophets by measure.

We are so fortunate that unlike the prophets in the Old Testament, the resurrection of Christ brings to us the Holy Spirit from God “without measure” which means we have the Holy Spirit in us all the time and as much as we need it. The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity which included God and Christ. The Holy Spirit is our helper, our bridge to God and Christ. The Holy Spirit enables me to hear the word of God when I read the Bible, and when I pray to God.

Day 122 Bible Reading – John 3: 5-6 (ESV)

Day 122 Bible Reading – John 3: 5-6 (ESV)

Joshua 21: 20-45, Joshua 22, John 3: 1-21, Psalm 69: 1-12

“Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

I like verses 5 and 6 from John 3, because I interpret this line as Jesus talking about baptism. When I joined the church I belong to currently, they strongly advised all new members to be baptized with water. I grew up Catholic and I was baptized as a child, something which I do not remember. I must admit I thought it was a little silly to be baptized again, but I agreed to it.

I am so grateful that I made the decision to be baptized. Getting baptized at my church is a huge event. Many people participate and the church members gather and applaud you afterwards when you come out of the water. I loved the whole experience, because I kept thinking of John the Baptist and how he baptized people. Agreeing to be baptized was also my choice and not something that was forced on me as a baby. There is something so primal in coming out of the water because when you are in your mother’s womb, you are floating in water. When you are physically born, you are pushed from womb where you were floating, happy, and fed and brought into world with a slap on your bottom usually.  You didn’t ask to come out, you were pushed out because it was time for you to be born. When you are baptized as an adult, you made the choice to come out of the water / womb and instead of a slap on the bottom you hear applause. My church has live music during the baptism, so there is music as well that you hear. I felt the spirit of God descend on me and feed me as soon as I came out of the water. I didn’t have to wait to be fed or cry because I needed a hug. Holy Spirit was there as soon as came out of the water to feed me and comfort me.

If you haven’t been baptized as an adult, I recommend the experience. It was amazing, primal, and so kinesthetic. All of your senses are engaged in a baptism in water as well as your heart and mind. My one tiny criticism is I wish I could have been baptized in a river or a natural body of water, because that would have felt so biblical. But how many churches are near a body of water? I was baptized in a pool of warm water, which at least created the womb feeling.

Get baptized! You will not regret it.

Favorite Movie Scene - Stolen from my dreams

I just rewatched "Pride and Prejudice", the 2005 version with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden. The scene where Darcy proposes to Elizabeth in the early morning, with him walking through the mists is is one my favorite movie scene. I've had dreams of some man walking through the mists to find me and me, staring at him not quite knowing who was approaching. 

When I first saw this scene, I screamed "they stole that scene from my dream!" I don't think I'm the only woman in the world who hasn't dream of some man walking through the mists towards you. This scene could only have been written by a woman and it turns out the screenplay writer's name is Deborah Moogach.

Here's the scene - Enjoy!

Day 121 Bible Reading - John 2: 10 (ESV)

Joshua 19-20, Joshua 21: 1-10, John 2, Psalm 68: 28-35

John 2: 10 (ESV)

“…“Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

I love verse 10 from John 2 because it shows the power of God’s miracles. Jesus transformed water into win for the wedding because they had run out. When it was tasted, it was considered “better than the wine than the wine that was made for the wedding. God has the power to turn something ordinary as water into something better tasting than the finest wine. This was Christ’s first miracle. Jesus went on perform greater and greater miracles until the last miracle before his death, which was the raising Lazarus from death. We need to remember this verse when we pray and ask God for miracles. God can do everything from turning an ordinary event into something that will please our senses and bring us happiness, to curing illnesses like blindness, and bring life from death. And of course, God’s best miracle, to save us from our sins with the death of his son Jesus Christ so we can have an eternal life with him.