Paula Wiseman

Faith and life meet in a story

  • Home
  • Books
  • Posts
    • Read All
    • Monday Meditations
    • Study Tip Tuesday
    • Wednesday Worship
    • Thursday Theology
    • Writing Friday
  • Get News
  • STORE
  • Contact
    • Press
    • Speaking
  • Free Resources
Home » John

Posts that reference the Gospel of John

New Beginnings with Nehemiah: Discernment

By Paula Wiseman Leave a Comment

New Beginnings with Nehemiah Discernment title graphic

We’re continuing to learn from Nehemiah about how to manage a new beginning. Remember, Nehemiah was called by God to oversee the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem. It was a daunting task, no doubt. Perhaps not unlike our own new beginnings. We saw how the seed was planted, and how important resolve is. Last week we saw how Nehemiah faced opposition. There was constant opposition. Today, we’ll see Nehemiah’s discernment determining how best to fight those battles.

Sanballat, governor of Samaria, and some of his political allies had opposed the Jews’ projects from the beginning. They were relentless in their threats and interference with the wall building. In chapter 6, Sanballat sends out an open letter accusing Nehemiah of fortifying Jerusalem so that he can set himself us as king. He also claimed Nehemiah had gone so far as to arrange for prophets to declare that Nehemiah was the rightful king.

The claims were outrageously baseless and insultingly public, on the order of publishing an op-ed in the New York Times. What should Nehemiah do? How should he react? And what can we learn from Nehemiah when our own fresh starts are met with undeserved drama?

Nehemiah responded simply, quickly, and firmly.
Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind” (Nehemiah 6:8). Nehemiah doesn’t go overboard with his response or his denials, but he doesn’t mince words. The accusations are false and Sanballat is the source.

When we take on something new, inevitably some will not jump on board and may even work to undermine our efforts. It may be possible to ignore them for a while, but when they begin to affect others, especially others who look to us for leadership, we have to respond. We can follow Nehemiah’s lead by answering confidently with clarity and using godly discernment to know how and when to proceed.

Nehemiah saw the motives behind the actions.
Nehemiah wisely saw through Sanballat’s actions. For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done” (Nehemiah 6:9a). He understood the accusations were more than a personal attack on him. There was a larger purpose and that was derailing the work God had given Nehemiah and his crew.

It is hard not to take attacks personally. Very hard. But if they come, discernment helps us take a step back and look at the big picture. What might be the opposition’s larger goal?

Nehemiah prayed for strength.
But now, O God, strengthen my hands (Nehemiah 6:9b). Nehemiah’s prayer is interesting because it is not for vindication or for the punishment of his adversaries. He prayed for strength, strength to endure, strength to stay focused.

For every new beginning God lays before us, He also equips us and ensures we have the necessary resources to do it (John 15:!6). These resources are not only physical, but emotional, mental, and spiritual. But let’s be honest, we don’t always ask for them. Let’s be like Nehemiah and discern when we need help and humbly ask for it.

Filed Under: Thursday Theology Tagged With: John, Nehemiah, New Beginnings with Nehemiah series

Resolution: Honor God With Your Relationships

By Paula Wiseman

resolution honor God with your relationships title graphic

It’s a new year. Perhaps you make resolutions. Here’s one more to consider —Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Proverbs 13:20
Resolve to honor God with your relationships.

Your family.
Your close friends.
Those you lean on or who lean on you.
Those you listen to or who listen to you.

How do we honor God with those relationships?
Consider the following questions.

Do we connect with others in a way that honors God?
Are we encouraging, kind, gracious?
Do we pray for God to work in the lives of our friends?
Do we help them see His hand in their lives?

Do we apply ourselves to loving others like Christ does?
Or do we distance ourselves from those who don’t conform?
Do we look for opportunities to reach out to those society ignores
Or do we hope someone else will step in?

Do we look for friends who challenge us?
Are we offended when they tell us hard truth?

Are we easily provoked?
Do we look at others with smugness or self-righteousness?
Do we measure ourselves against others
And thank God we’re not like them?

Do we long to mentor and be mentored?
Do we serve without the hope of recognition?
Do we seek peace and justice and reconciliation?

Are our prayers full of intercession?
Or are we more focused on our needs and desires?

Do we look to culture for the definition of friendship or guidance in our families?
Do we surround ourselves with those who strengthen our faith or with those who tear it down?
Do others see the love of Jesus in us and through us?

Resolve to have the kind of love Jesus had, the kind that would “lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: John, Proverbs, Resolutions series

Why Christmas: Abundant Life

By Paula

Why Christmas Abundant Life title graphic

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Abundant. My Greek dictionary says – superabundant in quantity, superior in quality. It means lavish, or exceeding expectation.

Jesus came AS a baby, but that wasn’t the point. The baby stuff was a means to an end.

There was a purpose behind it.

The amazing thing … the purpose was for us.

To give us Life, and not just air in our lungs and food in our bellies.

Not even health and wealth.

No, life beyond our imagination, beyond our most audacious dreams, beyond our most daring hopes.

The Eternal Savior took on a finite mortal body in order to give us finite mortals an abundant life, an eternity.

Now that’s a Christmas gift.

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: Christmas, John, Why Christmas series

Intercession: For Each Other

By Paula Wiseman

Intercession for each other title graphic

Intercession is going to God on someone’s behalf. It a holy privilege and duty, not to be taken lightly. It is strenuous and it can be messy. But it is one of the greatest ways we can minister and show love to others. We’ve learned we need a BURDEN for others, and we need to identify with the those for whom we are praying. We’ve looked at how to pray for those who are sick, how to pray when trouble comes, and how to pray about our sins and the sins of others. We’ll finish up learning from Jesus how we can pray for each other.

In John 17, we have the longest recorded prayer from Jesus. It is rich in theology and worthy of much study and meditation. We will barely scratch the surface. However, it is significant to consider what Jesus prayed for when He prayed for His disciples and for us. These were the things in the forefront of His mind in these last moments before His suffering.

Jesus first prayed for Himself.

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed (John 17:5). We shouldn’t hesitate to pray about our legitimate needs. Jesus’s prayer for the glory and presence of God is a longing for the plan to be completed. I hear echoes of “your kingdom come, Your will be done,” in it.

We certainly need to pray for God’s will to be done in our lives and that we would work to accomplish it–and not interfere with it.

Jesus prayed for His followers.

I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours (John 17:9). There is no question that Jesus loved and prayed for unbelievers, but on this night, knowing what lay ahead, He prayed for His disciples.

We need to be faithful to pray for each other when facing challenges. To be honest, who among us isn’t facing challenges?

Jesus prayed for our protection.

Holy Father, keep (protect) them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one (John 17:11) and keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15). This is not only physical protection, but more urgently, spiritual protection. The attacks from Satan would only intensify for Jesus’s followers after His arrest.

We and our brothers and sisters are under relentless attack. You see evidence in things like discouragement, conflict, anger, doubt, apathy and even apostasy experienced by believers and the body of Christ. We need to hold each other up and pray protection for us.

Jesus prayed for our joy.

But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves (John 17:13). Jesus knew how much we needed His joy, and He specifically prayed for it.

Pray that we all recover and grasp the joy we have in Christ, in our salvation, in all its fullness. How different things would be if we just realized this.

Jesus prayed that we would be sanctified, set apart, in the truth of His word.

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth (John 17:17). The living Word transforms us, making us more Christlike day in and day out. This is the goal for our life here.

We can pray that we are getting good teaching, that we are spending time in the Word, that we are applying it, that we are meditating on it, that we are bringing our lives in line with it.

Jesus prayed for our witness.

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word (John 17:20).

The gospel wasn’t going to end with Jesus’s return to heaven. Here He prays that God would already be at work in the hearts of those who would hear and believe in the coming days, including us.

We must be vigilant about praying for each other’s witness and testimony. Pray that those around them have soft hearts. Pray for boldness and for opportunities.

Jesus prayed that we would be with Him to share His glory.

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory (John 17:24). Let that sink in. Peter, James and John saw His glory on the mountain. Paul saw it. John saw it again in the Revelation. They were overcome by it. However Jesus prays not just that we see it, but we share it. That is the end of our salvation. Amen!

We can pray that all of keep eternity in focus and that we long for that day when our faith ends in sight.

Over the last several weeks it has become clear that there is no shortage of things to pray for, of ways to pray for each other. May we be faithful to do it.

Filed Under: Thursday Theology Tagged With: how to pray, Intercession series, John, words of Jesus

Is Anyone Left Out?

By Paula

Is anyone left out?

Jesus said to love God.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37.

He said we should love fellow believers.

 “[L]ove one another; as I have loved you.” John 13:34

Jesus said to love our neighbors.

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39

In Luke in the story of the good Samaritan, He explained our neighbors included anybody we came in contact with.

He also said to love our enemies.

“[L]ove your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44

See who Jesus mentioned? Is anyone left out?
Do we leave anyone out?

Filed Under: Monday Meditations Tagged With: faith in real life, John, Matthew, words of Jesus

Into the Wilderness: Communion

By Paula

into the wilderness communion title graphic

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 5:16 (NASB)

We’re winding down our study of the wilderness in Scripture with this next-to-last post. We’ve seen a lot happens in the wilderness. Wandering. It is also a place of transition. The restoration of relationships can happen in the wilderness. Sometimes it is an opportunity for instruction. Last week it was a place of temptation. But if we look closely at the gospels, we’ll see that Jesus regularly spent time in the wilderness. Why? Communion. Not the bread and wine kind, but the sharing intimate fellowship kind.

Jesus is God, and He enjoyed a unity with the Father beyond our comprehension. To redeem us, Christ had to set aside His glory and take on humanity. It is no wonder that He needed, longed for, enjoyed His times of prayer and communion with the Father. Those times left Him focused and energized for the work before Him. Throughout the gospel of John especially, Jesus attests that He is on assignment from the Father and He only does as instructed. (See John 5:36 for example.)

Do we, like Jesus, need and long for those times of intimate fellowship with the Father? We certainly need them. God help us long for them. No doubt, those times would help us regain perspective that God is sovereign and His kingdom work is our highest priority and privilege.

Communing with the Father wasn’t the only reason Jesus headed for the desolate, wilderness places. Look at these verses from Mark.

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place, Mark 6:30-32

Jesus was watching out for His guys. He knew they had just finished an emotionally and spiritually draining mission. Even though they had great results to report and were excited and energized, He knew they needed to decompress and recharge.

We would be wise to see the wisdom in Christ’s actions. He wanted them to take some time away with Him after the great success. Why is this wise? We would keep going as long as things are going well, wouldn’t we? Build on the momentum. Seize the opportunity. Jesus has a bigger picture in mind. He knows He is preparing them to be servant leaders after He returns to the Father. His disciples cannot shepherd His church without close

The other consideration is that this break helps inoculate the disciples against the idea that the success is all their doing. He reminds them in John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.”

Pride is sneaky and regular communion with Jesus, after success as well as failure, can help keep it in check.

One more quick point– the crowds weren’t far behind the disciples during this break. They trekked around the Sea of Galilee, and once they caught up with Jesus and the disciples, it was back to work. Don’t put off those opportunities to get away with Jesus and tell Him everything.

(After teaching the crowds and it got toward dinnertime, the disciples suggested Jesus send them home. Jesus instead challenged the disciples to feed them. You can read more about the feeding of the 5,000 in each of the gospels.)

Next week, we’ll finish our time in the wilderness.

Filed Under: Thursday Theology Tagged With: Into the Wilderness series, John, life of Jesus, Luke, Mark

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 28
  • Next Page »

Encounters Series

From the opening pages of Scripture, no one who has encountered a holy God has come away unchanged. Adam, Abraham, Hagar, Moses and many, many others realized that God is not distant but a God who … Read More

Covenant of Trust rings icon

Covenant of Trust Series

A covenant is a solemn, binding agreement. God chose to unilaterally enter into a covenant with Abraham. No matter what Abraham said or did, God vowed to uphold the terms and bless Abraham. Marriage … Read More...

brick icon for Foundations

Foundations Series

Jesus told a parable about a wise builder and a foolish one, underscoring how important it is to have a solid foundation. He declared that obedience to His word was the surest foundation of all. In … Read More...

(c) 2017 Paula Wiseman & Sage Words · Site Developed by MindStir Media & Paula Wiseman · MindStirMedia.com | Privacy Policy