faith Archives - Paula Wiseman

Precious Faith

[S]o that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7

Peter was the most outspoken of Jesus’s followers. He was a blue-collar guy. Hard working, but rough-hewn. So when a guy like that tells you something is precious, it’s worth stopping and considering his words. In his first letter, Peter quickly mentions several things that precious. (Or of great value or great worth, depending on your translation.)

The first is the genuineness of your faith.

More precious, that is more valuable, than gold. Why is this such a great thing? Let’s think about gold for a minute. (And the chemistry nerd in me is going to come out. Just humor me.)

Gold is rare, but when we find it, it usually unmixed with any other compound. It is resistant to almost every acid. It literally passes the acid test. Gold has unique properties. It is able to be stretched and molded. It is extremely resistant to corrosion and it just about the best conductor of electricity that we know of.

Now consider how Peter’s analogy applies to genuine faith.

It is unmixed. We don’t trust in Jesus and … our bank account, our position, our smarts. Or do we?
It resists attack. When our faith is attacked by circumstances or directly by the enemy, we resist it. We marshall our friends to help us pray. We go to Scripture for answers and assurance. We fight back. Or do we?
It is able to be stretched and molded. We undergo hard times and challenges, know that each one is making us more Christlike. Or do we?
It is extremely resistant to corrosion. We don’t allow anything to chip away at our faith. We also avoid things that will cause a layer of impurity to build up. Or do we?
It is a great conductor. We do our best to ensure that the Holy Spirit can work through us, accomplishing our greatest mission of bringing others into the Kingdom. Or do we?

The people reading Peter’s letter back in the first century were forced to flee their homes and homeland because of intense persecution. The proven genuineness of their faith wasn’t just an abstract idea. When I read his words today, they challenge me. Is my faith in Christ more precious than gold? Am I putting it to use? When the refining comes, how will I respond?

Peter knew how his friends would respond – to the praise and glory and honor of Jesus Christ at His appearing. That’s the kind of genuine faith I want. The precious kind.

Next week – precious blood

Journey to Easter: The Locked Room

By Paula

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” John 20:26

For the last several weeks, we have stopped at significant places with Jesus as He moved ever closer to fulfilling His mission. The Upper Room. The Garden. The Chamber. The Judgment Hall. The Empty Tomb. We’ve seen that each stop was purposeful and planned. And if we took the time, we learned something at each location.

Pessimistic. Loyal. Fatalistic. Devoted. Thomas is an interesting character. When Jesus receives word of Lazarus’s death and heads toward Jerusalem, knowing the imminent danger He faced there, Thomas is ready to go die with Jesus. (John 11:16) He wasn’t afraid. He didn’t hesitate. In the Upper Room, he wasn’t much for abstract ideas about going and preparing places, and said as much. Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5)

Like the other disciples, he fled when Jesus was arrested. Like the other disciples, he really didn’t expect Jesus to raise from the dead. In his defense, the other guys were trying to persuade him AFTER they had the evidence. A few hours before, they didn’t believe the women’s reports any more than Thomas believed theirs.

On the eighth day after the resurrection, the disciples were gathered in a locked room. This time Thomas was there. We have all been where Thomas was that day. We have heard the promises Jesus made, but reality and the pain we’ve experienced made those words seem distant at best. We have heard the joyous testimonies of people around us, but struggled to respond with the same faith. Maybe we have wondered what was fundamentally wrong with us. Why don’t we get it? The faith thing seems so easy for everyone else. Maybe the heartache and struggles make the risk of faith too great.

But he was in the room. Notice how Jesus interacts with Thomas. Jesus doesn’t upbraid him for his lack of faith. It’s important to remember that Jesus didn’t shy away from doing exactly that when the situation warranted, like when He calmed the storm, or at Lazarus’s tomb. However, there is a difference between faith in Jesus and faith in our EXPECTATIONS about Jesus. Thomas misinterpreted that faith in his expectations for faith in Jesus Himself. When the expectations weren’t met, a faith crisis resulted.

Maybe you can identify. I know I can.

Thomas teaches us something else. His response wasn’t one of wonder or confusion like Peter and John at the tomb. It wasn’t even joy like Mary after seeing Christ in the garden. Thomas exclaims, “My Lord and my God!” Complete surrender. Genuine faith in Christ brings that. It throws out our agenda and our posturing.

The locked room is where things get real. Pretenses are stripped away and humility is refined. But the authenticity that results opens us up to the kingdom assignment Jesus has for us.

Thomas was in the boat when the tremendous haul of fish was taken a few days later. He was on the mountain when Jesus ascended. He was in the room when the Holy Spirit came. He preached the gospel in a language he had never studied enabling foreigners to hear the gospel clearly. There is strong evidence that he carried the gospel all the way to India where he almost certainly was martyred for his faith.

As you spend some time here with Thomas, consider your own faith. Is it in Christ or your expectations of Him? Are you genuinely surrendered? Are you ready to take on the task He has for you?

When you leave the locked room, your journey beyond Easter awaits!

The Shield of Faith

By Paula

Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Ephesians 6:16

A shield is for defense, for protection.
It is mobile. Big enough to hide behind.
It also bears the marks and scars of previous battles.

It is like everyone else’s,
But yet deeply personal.

No matter how brave,
How strong or
How well-trained,

Only a fool would face the enemy
Without a shield.

So when those fiery darts come…
And they will come
In the coming week, the coming day, the coming moment.
Doubt, despair, desire and more

Don’t be foolish enough to think that
Positive thinking, hard work, good character will be enough.

You must have the shield of faith.
Faith in God who loves you,
Who keeps His promises
Who will never leave you nor forsake you

Faith in a God who sees, who knows,
Who hears and who acts on your behalf.
Faith in a God who empowers, who strengthens
Who refreshes and revives you.

In all circumstances, in every situation, make sure you have your shield.

Three Mistakes Abraham Made in Dealing with an Unbelieving King

By Paula

Then Abimelech called for Abraham and asked him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you that you would bring such a serious sin on me and my kingdom? You shouldn’t have done this to me.” Genesis 20:9 (GW)

For the last few weeks, we have looked at some of the words of unbelievers and what lessons they teach us. Genesis 20 records one of Abraham’s not-so-great moments in his encounter with Abimelech, the king of Gerar. Abraham had already received the promises from God, including the assurance that he would have a son and that his innumerable descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. This episode falls between the promise and its fulfillment. Incidentally, it’s not far from Kadesh, a place where the entire nation would fail to embrace the promise of land God made to Abraham.

In this account, Sarah has been taken from Abraham and added to Abimelech’s harem. (It’s worth remembering that she was likely in her eighties. She must have been amazingly beautiful.) But God reveals Sarah’s true relationship to Abraham. So where did Abraham go wrong in his dealings with the king of Gerar?

Abraham assumed the worst about Abimelech. In verse 11, he explains, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife.” The people in Gerar did not worship Yahweh, but Abimelech immediately acted on the things God revealed to him and displayed some degree of honor. He was deeply offended by the lies and made good, generous overtures to Abraham to ensure things were settled between them.

Granted, there is real evil in the world, and there are truly wicked people out there. However, most of the unbelievers we encounter are a lot like us. They have jobs and families. They worry about paying their bills and what the future may be like. They have hopes and dreams. However, they don’t have Jesus. When we assume we know them, and in turn, assume the worst, we make it difficult to connect with them and reach the place where we can share our faith with them.

Abraham told a wishy-washy half-truth out of fear. In verse 2, he introduced Sarah as his sister. She was his half-sister. But she was his wife. That was a very significant detail to leave out. This is a man who had spoken with God. But when fear overshadowed faith, Abraham said and did a stupid thing. And we are the same way.

When unbelievers ask questions, don’t waver or waffle. Give true, honest answers. That credibility will be crucial to building a foundation of faith.

Abraham led Sarah to be wishy-washy too. In verse 13, Abraham reveals that he had arranged with Sarah to keep the full truth about their relationship a secret. The legal term there is conspiracy, and it is not to be overlooked. We have an awesome responsibility to lead, to be examples, to disciple other believers. What a serious failure it is when instead we lead them to dishonor God and damage their witness before unbelievers.

Thankfully, that’s not the end of the story. There is no question Abraham learned from his mistakes. By Genesis 22, he proves he has an amazing faith in God. But I love the fact that God includes stories like this one in His word. It reminds me that Abraham was human. If he can learn and grow and be a man of unshakeable faith … so can we.

Let These Words Sink Down into Your Ears

By Paula

“Let these WORDS sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying. Luke 9:44-45

Before His death, Jesus spoke very frankly with His disciples about the coming events. He was going to be betrayed, handed over, crucified, but He would rise again after three days. Everyone who heard Him understood the WORDS He was saying, but none of them grasped the reality of them. Even as the events were unfolding before them, the disciples struggled with how things were playing out. Instead of clinging to their faith in Christ, in who He is and what they had already witnessed from Him, that faith gave way to fear for their very lives. They heard the hatred in the mob’s cries and the religious leaders’ hypocritical disdain. They saw the brutality and the scorn of the Romans. That very natural fear led to doubts about this man they had given up everything to follow. Had they misunderstood? Was this the way it was supposed to be?

Surely, some of the longest hours in their lives were those between the Upper Room to the empty tomb.

The Resurrection changed all that. The doubts and fears gave way to the boldness and fire at Pentecost and beyond. The WORDS that Jesus said became real. Things that they struggled to grasp in those hours in between made sense at last in ways that were beyond their imagination.

Even now, with the Holy Spirit living in us, with the completed canon of Scripture readily available to us and with 2000 years of church history to draw upon, we have the same trouble grasping the WORDS of Jesus.

Toward the end of His earthly ministry, He said, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” (Matthew 24:9) And we struggle to understand why culture is so hostile to our values.

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. (Matthew 24:7) And yet we trust treaties and military buildups to protect us and depend on science and technology to fix everything else.

And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12) We’re still shocked at scandals that reveal the depth of our self-absorption and misogyny.

Jesus told us these things would happen, and now we are living in the in-between time like the disciples in those hours between crucifixion and resurrection. We wrestle with questions – Why doesn’t God do something? Is He even paying attention? Why is everything a struggle?

But when He comes again, and He will just as surely as He resurrected, everything will make sense. The questions and the frustrations will melt into worship and affirmation that He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His words will be fulfilled in ways outside the bounds of our imagination.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Peace. He has overcome. We’ll know exactly what those WORDS mean. Just a little longer.

What Martha Knew

By Paula

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” John 11:27

I think it was on a day not unlike the ones we have this time of year. Bright blue skies. Soft green grass blowing in the gentle breeze. The freshness of spring. In contrast to that, there was a family in deep mourning over an untimely death. Before the miracle of restored life, John relates a private conversation between Jesus and Martha. It was Martha’s brother, Lazarus, who had died after the messages to Jesus to come heal him were left unanswered.

Martha gets a bad reputation because the other time we see her in Luke 10, she is stressed, stretched to the limit, and underappreciated. Or, basically how most of us feel on any given day. But I don’t think that’s who she was. We caught her on an isolated bad day. I think the conversation in John 11 proves that.

Even now I know – Her first words to Jesus in verses 21-22 were, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” She was not only convinced that Jesus could heal, but she was certain that Lazarus’s death was not an insurmountable obstacle.

I know he will rise – In verse 24, she confirms her faith in the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises and the hope that even death is not the last word.

I believe that You are the Christ – Finally, she testifies to her confidence in Jesus Himself. He is the embodiment of salvation. A few minutes later she would see Christ’s power over spiritual death displayed through his power over physical death when her brother walked out of the tomb.

Martha was a woman of tremendous, genuine faith. Don’t let the account in Luke detract from that at all. Her caring and skills made their Bethany home a respite for Jesus. That is an immeasurable act of devotion and service.

But here’s where I identify with Martha most of all. Just a few verses after the conversation, she stood at her brother’s tomb with Jesus, while Mary, the disciples and the rest of the mourners looked on. Jesus called for the stone in front of the tomb to be rolled away.

Martha tries to intervene. “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

Martha believed Jesus was the resurrection and the life. She believed He would receive whatever He asked of the Father.

But she believed it in the abstract.

He was Lord of Big, Important Things. She struggled to grasp He was also the Lord of Immediate, Personal Needs.
Yes, He was the resurrection and the life, but not just in a vague, impersonal way. He was Lazarus’s resurrection right now. He was life, her life even, right now.

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40

Jesus says the same thing to me. Believe He is personally involved, personally at work, intimately concerned right now. Resurrection and life are not some far-off events or theological constructs. They are current. Urgent. Watch for the evidence. See His glory.

Precious Faith

Journey to Easter: The Locked Room

The Shield of Faith

Three Mistakes Abraham Made in Dealing with an Unbelieving King

Let These Words Sink Down into Your Ears

What Martha Knew

Encounters Series

Covenant of Trust Series

Foundations Series