Paula Wiseman

Unity – The Most Difficult Thing

Paula — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:18:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I posed a question – What is the most difficult thing about living a Christian life?

I got several responses through the site and Facebook, and I was surprised to see a common thread. In my nonscientific informal survey, the most difficult thing we face as believers is… other believers.

We are each other's biggest difficulty. How does that happen?

We get satisfied.

We lose grace.

We have more self-righteousness than Christ's righteousness.

We become prima donnas, more concerned about being served than serving Christ or others.

We forget what were saved from.

We forget that we are fellow soldiers and not empire builders.

We prize our agenda about the Kingdom.

Or a host of other possibilities…

It reminds me of a poem my husband heard his pastor quote when he was a kid-

To live above with saints we love,

O, that will be glory.

To live below with saints we know…

Now, that's a different story.

In the hours before Jesus' crucifixion, He prayed that we would be one. Not that we would be the same, but that we would be united. Jesus knew all about our foibles when He saved us, and He intended for us put those to work for Him. His own disciples wrestled with this. Simon the zealot belonged to a political party sworn to assassinate guys like Matthew for being Roman collaborators. They worked it out because they bought into a greater vision.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1

Contingency Free for Kindle Feb 1-5

Paula — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:48:18 +0000

For the next 5 days you can download a copy of Contingency for your Kindle for free. Pass the word! Thanks!

If you don't have a Kindle, Amazon has free apps so you can read Kindle books on your tablets, smartphones, laptops or desktops. (And they sync, so you can pick up where you left off when you change devices.)

STT: First Corinthians

Paula — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:13:36 +0000

First Corinthians is an extremely relevant book for believers trying to live in culture that is contrary and hostile to faith. A careful reading of the two epistles leads many scholars to believe that we have two out of four letters. The letter is intensely personal and Paul's pastoral heart shows through each line.

Here are few ideas on how to approach a study of First Corinthians.

The book is roughly divided into three sections:

Paul encourages unity within the church. (1:10)
Paul admonishes the church to deal with sin. (5:1)
Paul answers a series of doctrinal and practical questions. (7:1)

Perhaps the easiest way to study the book is to watch for each of these topics and keep track of what Paul says about each one. The key transition words to note are "now concerning" (Your translation may use "now regarding" or some similar expression.) Occasionally, Paul uses "I do not want you to be ignorant" (or unaware).

Second, the book is filled with quick encouragements and instructions that are worth listing.

Third, some questions to consider:

What are believers' responsibilities to God and to each other?

Do Paul's answers/statements challenge your ideas?

What is your favorite verse or passage in First Corinthians?

Opportunities of Weakness

Paula — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:13:33 +0000

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

I love this.

"My grace" - It's Christ's and He can dispense it as He chooses and He chooses to give it to me.

It gets better.

"Sufficient" – Enough to meet my needs

"Made Perfect" – That's the same Greek word Jesus used on the cross when He cried out, "It is finished!"

The fullness, the completion, the totality of His grace and strength is best revealed in my weakness.

My weaknesses, failures, distresses are all redeemed and turned to opportunities because of His grace.

Sufficient (paulawiseman.com)

Delighted

Paula — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:15:57 +0000

One of my favorite Psalms is number 18. Buried within it, in verse 17 is a line that says "He delivered me from my strong enemy." You see, I have a strong enemy. Its name is depression. It slips in, and usually I don't recognize it until it's settled in and made itself at home. I've struggled with it my whole adult life. In fact I'm struggling now.

The battle is exhausting. It saps my energy and creativity. It distracts me from every good thing in my life. That's its strategy- to pull my focus away until I'm consumed by what I feel. Maybe you can identify.

I've learned a few things over the years. Medication can be helpful. Caring, praying friends are priceless. My husband is a Godsend. But Truth… that's the key.

Here's what I know, also from Psalm 18-

"He delivered me, because He delighted in me." (v. 19)

That's what I'm working on, sometimes hour by hour, immersing myself in that assurance. In spite of what it tells me, depression is temporary. Truth, especially the truth in Psalm 18, is eternal.

Have you or a loved one ever struggled with depression? What helped?

STT: Romans

Paula — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:19:56 +0000

Romans is one of the cornerstones of the New Testament. In it, Paul lays out the key doctrines of Christianity in a logical progression. It's hardly a dry dissertation, though. Martin Luther touched off the Protestant Reformation when he grasped what Paul had written. The truths even make Paul stop and praise God. (See 11:33-36)

So how should you study Romans?

Slowly. Intentionally. Reverently. Just like any other study, right?

The book is roughly divided into three sections- Why we need salvation, how it's accomplished and how we should live as a result. A quick overview should answer those questions.

To go deeper, Romans lends itself to key word studies. Try tracking these words and recording what you learn about each of them:

Sin
Righteousness
Faith/ Believe
Hope
Grace

Another approach is to watch for all that GOD does.

Paul uses transition words like therefore frequently. Sometimes it's helpful to watch for the cause and effect on either side of the "therefore".

Finally, if you like to memorize Scripture, Romans is full of great material.

What's your favorite verse or passage in Romans?