Paula Wiseman

Faith and life meet in a story

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Easter was yesterday. What will we do TODAY?

By Paula

Easter was yesterday. What will you do today title graphic

What is different today because Jesus is alive?

And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen. Luke 24:52-53

Jesus Christ rose from the dead!
They saw Him, talked with Him, even ate with Him.
They couldn’t go back to the routine.

What did they do?
They worshiped Him.
Actively. Personally. Corporately.

They returned to Jerusalem.
According to His instructions.
To wait for the next step.

They exhibited great joy.
Not forced or fake. Not mere happiness.
Genuinely overflowing joy.

They were continually in the Temple.
Not squeezing it in amid other commitments.
It was their priority.

They were praising and blessing God.
Publicly. Authentically.
Honoring. Testifying.

Amen.
So be it.

Easter was yesterday.
What will you do TODAY?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Easter, Luke, resurrection

What Nicodemus Teaches Me about Being Born Again

By Paula

What Nicodemus teaches about being born again title graphic

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” John 3:4

For a few weeks now we’ve been looking at the words of unbelievers and learning some valuable lessons from them. Today we’ll look at one of the more famous unbelievers, or pre-believers more accurately, in Scripture. A guy named Nicodemus.

His nighttime conversation with Jesus has been dissected and analyzed by scholars, theologians and the rest of us since it was recorded, yet it still yields fresh insights. Hopefully, we can gain a few today.

You’re no doubt familiar with the conversation. Nicodemus begins, “Teacher we know you are from God.” But Jesus cuts to the chase. “You can’t enter the kingdom of God without being born again.”

Born again. How ridiculous.

Isn’t that essentially what Nicodemus says? “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

Aside from the theological discussion about our sin nature and its needful regeneration, this discussion touches on some points that we as believers still struggle with at times.

Being born again implies not only starting over, but giving up reputation, position, advantage, and progress. It is going back to square one, erasing all our hard work.

Being born again also means we have nothing, no resources, nothing to contribute, nothing to fall back on, and nothing to hide behind. It is an exposure of our helplessness.

Jesus doubled down on this idea later in the gospels. In Mark 10:15, He says, “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

Nicodemus voices our resistance to that exposure and that surrender.

Let’s confess we sometimes operate under the notion that we will eventually reach a point where we don’t need God’s help so much. We figure someday we will have enough practice or experience to handle things, the way our kids eventually learn to feed themselves and tie their own shoes. Yes, we grow in knowledge and understanding. Our relationship with Jesus strengthens and deepens. However, we never reach independence. Being part of the kingdom of God necessitates our admission that we are powerless, that we have no agency and that we are helpless.

Nicodemus didn’t like it when Christ confronted him with that. We don’t care for it much either. But Nicodemus’s protests remind us how much we need Jesus and the power of the gospel to transform us, and not just at the moment of salvation.

Filed Under: Thursday Theology, Uncategorized Tagged With: John, kingdom of God

Completely Covered

By Paula

You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah Psalm 85:2

Covered ALL their sin.
ALL.

Not like cheap paint.
Not like an immodest swimsuit.
Not like a short blanket.
Not like an insurance policy with way too much fine print.
Not like a bad comb-over.
Not like a terrible professor in the final review lecture.
Not like a maxed-out credit card left with the restaurant check.
Not like a lazy sales rep in his territory.
Not like discount store make-up.

We’ve seen the frustration, the embarrassment when something that is supposed to be covered … isn’t.

God’s coverage of our sins is not like that.
It is thorough.
It is complete.
It is final.

Thank you, Jesus.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Psalms

How God kept His promises to Moab, Ammon, and Edom and why that matters to you

By Paula

You must not fear them, for the LORD your God Himself fights for you. Deuteronomy 3:22

Deuteronomy. I love the book of Deuteronomy. Really. In Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, things are very formal, very didactic, but in Deuteronomy, Moses speaks from his heart to Israel. He’s candid, even blunt, but his genuine love for the people he has shepherded is evident in every passage. In chapter 2, he encourages Israel with a recounting of their journey. But there is a story under the story.

  • In v. 5, 12, and 22, God says I have given Mount Seir to Esau’s descendants. There were giants, but God drove them out.
  • In v. 9-11, God gave the land of Moab to the descendants of Lot. There were giants, but God drove them out.
  • In v. 19-22, God gave the land of Ammon to the descendants of Lot. There were giants, but God drove them out.

See the pattern? God made a promise of land and obligated Himself to deliver on that promise, even if it meant dealing with giants on the recipients’ behalf. But did you notice these were heathens? Edom, Ammon, and Moab didn’t follow God or His laws. In fact, later God would say that a Moabite or an Ammonite could never enter the congregation of Israel. (Deut 27:3)

Think about that for a moment … God made and kept promises to heathens. Why would He do that? I think there are a few reasons.

  • God is incredibly gracious. Even those who have no use for Him experience a measure of His grace.
  • God is working out His larger plan on behalf of the people He favors. He raises up and brings down kings and kingdoms.
  • God is teaching Israel about His character.

Israel had just spent 40 years in the desert because they refused to believe God’s promise to them. They needed reassurance and reaffirmation before possessing the land. So God gently explains how things work.

If God will keep His word to unbelievers, if He went before the Ammonites and the Moabites and the Edomites to ensure they receive what He has promised, how much more will He act on behalf of His own people, the people He called out, and redeemed?

As followers of Christ, we are a people God has called out and redeemed. He will keep His promises to us. He will go before us. He will act on our behalf. Let’s resolve not to be like Israel by refusing to believe Him.

Are there promises of God you have trouble believing?

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Thursday Theology, Uncategorized Tagged With: Deuteronomy, Moses, promises of God

Favorite Books of 2017: Updated links

By Paula

(Some readers had trouble seeing the book covers. Text links were added.)

Technically, I suppose this is not a Writing Friday update, at least not on the surface. But writers are also readers. Voracious ones. I don’t get to read enough. But between writing, working, homeschool, and church, I managed to squeeze in about three dozen books in 2017. Granted, some of them are FOR writing or homeschool. Directly or indirectly, they deeply influence what I write both here and in fiction. I thought I’d share a few with you. (And I love book lists.)

Mark Buchanan, The Rest of God

Sabbath is one of my favorite areas of study and if you’ve been around very long you may have picked up on that. Mark Buchanan is one of my favorite writers. I have his book, The Holy Wild in the queue for 2018.

 

 

 

 

Ruth Haley Barton, Sacred Rhythms

I started this one on retreat in 2016 but didn’t finish it until this year. It’s a short book, but best digested in small bites. Invitation to Solitude and Silence is up this coming year.

 

 

 

 

Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson, Counsel from the Cross

I read a lot of counseling books. In fact, they take up at least three shelves in my office. When my son got his reading list for his Introduction to Psychology class, I had half of them already. (I made him promise to let me read the other two when he finished.) Inevitably, the things I learn find their way into the mouths of characters like Phil and Donna Shannon or Neil Craig. This book reinforces the fact that there is no healing apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

 

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

I “finished” this one right after retreat this year. I’m still reviewing and pondering. Because we understand at our core that our salvation comes by grace, we shy away from anything that challenges us to work or to discipline ourselves. But we know from all kinds of experience that we don’t improve at anything without practice and effort. Our spiritual growth is no different.

 

 

What did YOU read that impacted you this year?

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Writing Friday

Jesus, Lover of My Soul

By Paula

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high:
Hide me, O my Savior, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
O receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none;
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, O leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me:
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of Thy wing.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
More than all in Thee I find:
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick and lead the blind:
Just and holy is Thy name,
I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am,
Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure within:
Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity.

Charles Wesley, 1740

Read John 6:60-69

 

(“Thou, O Christ, art all I want. More than all in Thee I find.” Beautiful words in a hymn, to be sure, but they should give us pause. Yes, I want Christ. Is He all I want? Do I find more than that in Him? But it seems we grow through each stanza, more content in Him until eternity.)

 

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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