Paula Wiseman

Faith and life meet in a story

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Something to think about as you start a new week

Monday Meditations are quick posts designed to get you thinking about God. They provide a fresh perspective as you jump into your routine.

 

Jesus Is the Last Adam

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For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22 (CSB)

Adam disobeyed God.
He brought sin into the world.
And we are born sinners because of him.

Because we are born sinners
We are under a curse.
Death awaits us.

Jesus is perfect.
He was the sinless Son of God.
He brought redemption, reconciliation, and salvation.

Because He took our sins to the cross
The curse was reversed.
Eternal life awaits.

Everyone born after Adam will die.
Everyone born again in Christ will never die.

Jesus is the last Adam.

On the Lord’s Side

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Then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the LORD’S side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. Exodus 32:26  

Notice three things about Moses’s call.  

It is personal. No one can make the decision for you.  

It is public. The challenge is issued in front of the entire nation.  

It is active. It requires that we separate ourselves.  

Today and every day, you and I face that same challenge.  

Am I, are you, on the LORD’S side?

The Same Spirit

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The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. Romans 8:11

The same Spirit.

Not some or part. Not a watered-down version.

Lives.

Present tense means now.

Lives is active. At work.

The Spirit of the Creator God, Lord of the universe, who performed the miracle of all miracles, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, lives … in … us. In YOU and in ME.

What more do we need?

He Chose to Pay

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And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 1 John 2:2

We understand that God knows the future, that nothing surprises Him or is outside His sovereign control.

Adam’s sin didn’t catch God off guard or force Him to Plan B …

God knew man would fall, that he would need salvation and that God would have to accomplish it Himself.

At the moment of creation, our creation, God was fully aware of what it would cost Him —

The blood. The suffering. The death.

And He willingly chose to pay that price.

Propitiation means payment. Read more here: Doctrinal Definitions: Propitiation

The Secret to Forgiveness

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Is there a secret to forgiveness? Maybe. Think for a moment how you would react if the following people wronged you…

Your boss
Your best friend
Your mom
The guy in the office across the hall who tells the inappropriate jokes
Your kids
Your teens
The jerk at the so-called customer service desk
Your spouse
Your government officials
Your church family
Your sworn enemy

Which ones would be the easiest to forgive?

I would guess that without exception your answer will be those who are easiest to forgive are the ones you love the most. Because of your love for them, the broken relationship is too steep of a price to pay.

The lightbulb moment comes when you connect the idea that the more you love someone, the easier it is to forgive them. That’s the secret to forgiveness.

Now consider what God does.
He deals with His enemies.
That’s us.

We usually like to think of ourselves as rating somewhere between “kids” and “best friends.”
In Christ, it’s even better than that, but I’m talking before salvation.
Before salvation, we’re enemies.

But Ephesians 2:4 talks about His mercy and His vast incomprehensible love for us.
It’s that love that impelled Him to find a way to satisfy His justice without condemning us for all eternity.

The broken relationship was too great a price.
The death of His son was not.

An Invitation to Worship

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Come.
It’s is an invitation.
An invitation to join the community of believers.
It is an invitation to worship.

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! Psalm 95:6

Let us worship.
There is something about corporate worship.
Something about gathering with others
To exalt, to praise, to thank the Lord.

Let us bow down.
Let us recognize His greatness.
Let us reverence His holiness.

Let us kneel.
Let us submit ourselves.
Let us affirm our subservience.

He is the LORD.
Our God, Our Ruler, Our King.

Our Maker.
Our Creator. Our Sustainer. Our Sovereign.

The invitation has been issued.
What on your calendar could be more pressing,
more urgent,
more important?
Will you respond?

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

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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...

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...