John 3:27

John 3:27 says, John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. When again asked about his ministry, John said a man can do nothing unless it come down from Heaven, or from God.   Though there are those who think the stars control our destiny, this is not what John was talking about.  He meant we can receive nothing spiritual except from God.  John had a calling to prepare people for the coming of Christ.  He did not aspire to someone else's calling.  We may see someone doing great things for God and get envious, even when we know that is not what we are called to do.  We need to be like John, actively carrying out our task and pointing others to Jesus.  Verse twenty-eight adds, Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.  John reminded his disciples that he had always said he was only the forerunner of Christ.  With crowds following him, it would have been easy to forget that.  We today may let our success in carrying out our calling lead us to forget that we are but witnesses for Christ.  Verse twenty-nine continues, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.  John said that the one with the bride was the bridegroom, but that those with the bridegroom rejoiced with him.  We know that the church is called the bride of Christ, and this is what John was referring to.  Verse thirty concludes, He must increase, but I must decrease.  John knew his role was to listen to and assist the bridegroom.  Our role today is to assist Christ in reaching out to the lost world, and in all things, we must decrease, and He must increase.