January 6

JOHN 1
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” – John 1:43-51

JOHN 1 FOLLOW ME
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When you hear the voice of the Lord saying “Follow Me”
Do you need to have proof that it is your Lord himself?
When you are invited to serve in the kingdom of God
Do you heed without delay or do you have second thoughts?

In this account, Jesus found Philip and asked him to follow Him. There was no delay when Philip heard the call of Jesus. He looked for Nathanael right away and witnessed to him that they had found Jesus of Nazareth. But in Nathanael’s case, it was different. He was calculating and questioned if anything ever good comes from Nazareth. He needed to see evidence of this. But as soon as Jesus spoke something about his background and what he was doing before he was called, he changed his mind.
Why don’t we heed a call from our Lord right away when His Spirit calls us? Why do we doubt and need to be convinced that it is really Him? The human mind can be a hindrance in following God’s invitation. If he calls us, he also gives us the ability to accept it. If we belong to him, we would know his voice and we follow without question.

REFLECTION
• Share your insights when you were called by the Lord to follow him.

January 5

JOHN 1
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). – John 1:35-42

JOHN 1 JESUS’ FIRST DISCIPLES
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Andrew and another disciple of John followed Jesus
They wanted to be his students and they called him teacher
Simon told Peter his brother that they found the Messiah
And he took his brother to the Lord and he named him Cephas.

After some of the disciples of John the Baptist heard him declare Jesus as the Lamb of God, two of them decided to follow Jesus. One of them was Andrew but the other one wasn’t named in this account. According to David Guzik’s commentary, he says “The other of the two is not identified, but for several reasons it is reasonable to think it was John the Gospel writer himself, who appears several times in his Gospel, but is never specifically named.” Guzik further comments on verse 39 of the specificity of the time of the hour that these things happened, so he truly thinks it was John, the actual writer of this account who was the other disciple who was with Andrew.
So, as soon as Jesus invited them over to see where he was staying, Andrew immediately announced to his brother that they had found the Messiah and he came to meet Jesus and he was named by Jesus himself as Cephas meaning “Peter.” These three were the first disciples of our Lord Jesus.

REFLECTION
• What do you think made John’s disciples follow Jesus and leave John?

January 4

JOHN 1
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
– John 1:29-34

JOHN 1 THE LAMB OF GOD
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away our sins
He is the perfect sacrifice to appease God of his wrath
He came into the world so that we might have life
Only through Him can we have freedom: He is light
Believe in him that you may receive eternity
If you don’t believe, you will live in total depravity.

In this account, John the Baptist declares the Lord as the Lamb of God. Let’s look at Leviticus 4:32-35 because this will give us an understanding why the lamb is important as atonement for sins. It says: 32 “If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish 33 and lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. 34 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. 35 And all its fat he shall remove as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on top of the LORD’s food offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven. So, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for the atonement of our sins because he was sinless. Hence, he is called the Lamb of God.

REFLECTION
• Why is it important for us to remember that Jesus is the Lamb of God?

January 3

JOHN 1
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. – John 1:19-28

JOHN 1 MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
John the Baptist was born to prepare the way of the Lord
He was to be a prophet to speak about God among man
He baptized with water to cleanse people from sin
Though he was a great prophet, he didn’t boast about it
When his disciples edified and placed him on a pedestal
He denied he was great since Christ is greater than him.

Isaiah 40:3-4 prophesies about John the Baptist when he said a voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. That prophecy came to pass in these following verses.
At that time, people were expecting that John the Baptist may be the Christ but John denied this and instead pointed out to them that even though he baptizes with water, the one greater than him will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:15-16). He humbly declares that he isn’t even worthy to strap the Messiah’s sandals.

REFLECTION
• What did John mean when he said “Make straight the way of the Lord?”

January 2

JOHN 1
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.14 And 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. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. – John 1:10-18

JOHN 1 REJECTED BY HIS OWN PEOPLE
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
God gave his only begotten Son so we can be reconciled with him
He loved humans he allowed Christ to die on the cross to save us from sin
Jesus became like us so he can appease his Father’s wrath
But his own people did not receive or recognize him at all
They didn’t believe he was God’s Son and rejected him instead
By doing so, they failed to see God’s glory in the Savior he sent.

In this account, John shares to us the revelation of God’s design for all humans. We were all created through Christ and for one reason alone: to bring God the glory. We witness God’s steadfast love to his people when he solved the sinful nature of humans. He gave his one and only Son Jesus Christ so he could erase the gap that was built when we gave in to our sinful nature. If the world was created for the purpose of God being given glory which was ruined by the fall of Adam and Eve, how come we don’t give God the praise?
When Jesus was born, he was conceived in Mary’s womb. Because he was of virgin birth, his coming to this world was not received well. He was rejected by his own people. He came from humble origins and did not assume an earthly kingly position.

REFLECTION
• If Jesus himself was rejected, how should we react when people reject us?

January 1

JOHN 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
– John 1:1-9

JOHN 1 THE WORD WAS GOD
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Before the world began, the Word already existed
The Word was Jesus and He was infinite and eternal
Every part of creation was made through him and for him
Without Christ, everything will be in chaos and in the dark
The Word brings true light that destroys the darkness
In his presence, there are no lies that are not exposed
The Word brings order in the chaos surrounding mankind
He frees all men from the bondage of sin and leads him to life.

Why did John call Jesus as “Word?” Psalm 33:6 David says “The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. According to gotquestions.org John is introducing Jesus with a word or a term that both his Jewish and Gentile readers would have been familiar with. The Greek word translated “Word” in this passage is Logos, and it was common in both Greek philosophy and Jewish thought of that day. For example, in the Old Testament the “word” of God is often personified as an instrument for the execution of God’s will.
It makes perfect sense that God physically manifested himself in Jesus when he became human, who spoke his word so that his will and plan will be revealed to mankind.

REFLECTION
• If the Word was God and he gave us his word, how should we handle it?

December 28

PROVERBS 24
19 Fret not yourself because of evildoers,
and be not envious of the wicked,
20 for the evil man has no future;
the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
– Proverbs 24:19-20

PROVERBS 24 FRET NOT BECAUSE OF EVIL
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As you live in this sinful and corrupt world
You will encounter all kinds of evil around you
Remember that there is a spiritual battle constantly
Guard your heart, mind and soul so you’ll have victory
When you are aware of the tactics of the devil at play
You will not fret over such tricks that come your way
Because Jesus already won the battle on the cross
Be at peace that wickedness will be cut off and not last long.

Solomon reiterates his father David’s Psalm 37:1-6 in these Proverbs. David compares those who do evil to grass that will wither like the green herb. He recommends the antidote to fretting as follows in this Psalm:
• Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
• Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
• Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
• Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
• Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
With all the solutions to fretting that David laid out in this psalm, why do we still fret over evildoers? Should we look into our hearts and uncover the source of such fretting? Couldn’t we instead lean more on God since he is our shield and defender?

REFLECTION
• What possible causes are there for believers to be fretting over evildoers?

December 26

PROVERBS 24
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good,
and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
if you find it, there will be a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
15 Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;
do no violence to his home;
16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,
but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
– Proverbs 24:13-16

PROVERBS 24 THE RESILIENCE OF THE RIGHTEOUS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
The righteous have their Lord as their defender
They are equipped with wisdom and character
Because they have the truth that sets them free
They usually are able to rise up from calamities
Watch out you wicked and evil men!
If you plot evil or prey on the righteous one
You will not succeed because of their resilience
Though they may stumble, watch as they rise up.

Resilience is defined as the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties. Another definition says that it is the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape. In psychology, resilience is the ability to adapt to and overcome challenging life experiences. It involves being flexible and adjusting to internal and external demands, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral means.
When someone is resilient, we witness strength of character. In the book of James, we are advised to be joyful in various trials of every kind since trial produces steadfastness. When steadfastness is complete, a person will be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

REFLECTION
• How would you describe someone who lacks resilience?

December 25

JOHN 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.14 And 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.
– John 1:1-14

JOHN 1 THE WORD BECAME FLESH
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When God created the world, he was with the Word
He made all things for the sake of His Son, our Lord
All things came into being because of Christ
Through him, the whole mankind will have life
It is the Word that saved us from the wrath of God
If we believe in the Word, we will have peace, joy and love.

Those who do not know God cannot understand what true love is. It is the unconditional and sacrificial love of God that is incomparable with any other form of love that humans know. The creation of the world had a purpose, and that is to give glory to God and to his Son. When Adam and Eve sinned, the plan to give glory only to God and the Son was corrupted. Humans could not give glory to God because he wanted glory for himself. This has made God’s wrath stirred. But because God loves his image bearers so much, he couldn’t resist to resolve the sin problem, so the Word became flesh to free us from sin.

REFLECTION
• Explain how the Word and the Son refers to Jesus Christ from these verses.

December 24

PROVERBS 24
10 If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man according to his work?
– Proverbs 24:10-12

PROVERBS 24 SHOW COMPASSION TO THE LOST
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to have compassion
We cannot be indifferent to those who have fallen into temptation
As members of the kingdom of God, we are called to bring the gospel
It is apathetic not to care for those who haven’t heard the good news
Show compassion to those who have been enslaved to sin
They are also created in God’s image; let us show kindness to them.

As servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are expected to follow his footsteps. Jesus never showed partiality to anyone. We have an account in Matthew 9:10-13 that shows that Jesus hanged out with sinners. It says that as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
If Jesus showed much compassion for those who are sinners and are lost, aren’t we also to emulate that kindness to those who have fallen and have lost their way or have never heard the gospel?

REFLECTION
• Why do you think some Christians can be apathetic to the lost and have fallen?