PAULA WISEMAN

Faith and life meet in a story

Home » John » Page 38

Posts that reference the Gospel of John

Q: What Do You Seek?

By

I started reading the gospel of John the other day and my attention was drawn to a question Jesus asked. The question itself was powerful enough, but why would an omniscient God ask questions? To teach us something about ourselves, I think. Meet me here on Mondays and Thursdays to look at the questions Jesus posed, and see what the answers reveal about our own hearts.
In John 1:38, John the Baptist has pointed out the Lamb of God to two of his disciples, and they immediately follow after Jesus. Literally. After several minutes, Jesus turns and asks them, “What do you seek?” It’s significant that Jesus asked the question before he let these guys follow Him very far.
What do you seek? The dictionary says ‘seek’ means to go in search of, to try to discover, to ask for, to try to acquire.
What are you searching for? Peace … Redemption … Belonging …
What are you trying to discover? Your purpose … your path …
What are you asking for? Forgiveness … Answers …
What are you trying to acquire? Validation … Salvation …
Are we following Christ because we believe we can find these things? No doubt. He has the answers that cannot be found anywhere else. So are we following Christ because of what we hope to gain? Maybe not tangible, material things, but spiritual blessings? That’s a tough question for a rainy Monday morning.
Christ is worthy of our devotion because of who He is, not what He does (It’s hard to separate them, I know.) As He loves us unconditionally, it’s only fitting that we love Him the same way. What are you seeking? Christ? Or the fringe benefits He offers?

1063501_23951056I started reading the gospel of John the other day and my attention was drawn to a question Jesus asked. The question itself was powerful enough, but why would an omniscient God ask questions? To teach us something about ourselves, I think. Meet me here on Mondays and Thursdays to look at the questions Jesus posed, and see what the answers reveal about our own hearts.

In John 1:38, John the Baptist has pointed out the Lamb of God to two of his disciples, and they immediately follow after Jesus. Literally. After several minutes, Jesus turns and asks them, “What do you seek?” It’s significant that Jesus asked the question before he let these guys follow Him very far.

What do you seek? The dictionary says ‘seek’ means to go in search of, to try to discover, to ask for, to try to acquire.

What are you searching for? Peace … Redemption … Belonging …

What are you trying to discover? Your purpose … your path …

What are you asking for? Forgiveness … Answers …

What are you trying to acquire? Validation … Salvation …

Are we following Christ because we believe we can find these things? No doubt. He has the answers that cannot be found anywhere else. So are we following Christ because of what we hope to gain? Maybe not tangible, material things, but spiritual blessings? That’s a tough question for a rainy Monday morning.

Christ is worthy of our devotion because of who He is, not what He does (It’s hard to separate them, I know.) As He loves us unconditionally, it’s only fitting that we love Him the same way. What are you seeking? Christ? Or the fringe benefits He offers?

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Study Tip: Nothing But the Truth

By

507091_46504411Here’s another reason to study Scripture–discernment, the ability to tell the difference between truth and lies.

We are surrounded by misconceptions about who God is and how He operates. Colossians 2:23 warns us that a lot of ideas men put forth seem reasonable, and Paul could understand how we could fall for them. They have “an appearance of wisdom,” he said. But in the first chapter of the letter, and most of chapter 2, his focus is solely on Christ.
That devotion to internalizing truth is critically important to our faith in this culture. God reserves special condemnation for those who would twist His truth.  (2 Thes 2:12).
If we are so intimately acquainted with The Truth (John 14:6), we’ll never fall for a half-truth. In John’s letters, nothing thrilled him like knowing his spiritual children were walking in truth.
Just as Jesus Christ is God in human form, the Scriptures are God in written form.  The Father’s heart’s desire is for us to know Him (Eph. 2:7).
Don’t take someone else’s word – Take God’s!

We are surrounded by misconceptions about who God is and how He operates. Colossians 2:23 warns us that a lot of ideas men put forth seem reasonable, and Paul could understand how we could fall for them. They have “an appearance of wisdom,” he said. But in the first chapter of the letter, and most of chapter 2, his focus is solely on Christ.

That devotion to internalizing truth is critically important to our faith in this culture. God reserves special condemnation for those who would twist His truth.  (2 Thessalonians 2:12).

If we are so intimately acquainted with The Truth (John 14:6), we’ll never fall for a half-truth. In John’s letters, nothing thrilled him like knowing his spiritual children were walking in truth.

Just as Jesus Christ is God in human form, the Scriptures are God in written form.  The Father’s heart’s desire is for us to know Him (Ephesians 2:7).

Don’t take someone else’s word – Take God’s!

Study Tip: Go To the Source

By

Bible study… Intimidating? Frustrating? Go to the Source.
The Holy Spirit inspired every word written in Scripture.  He is the One who pulls back the curtain revealing new things each time we study Scripture. In fact the Bible itself underscores how necessary the Spirit is for understanding.
1 John 2:27 He teaches us
Isaiah 11:2 He is the source of all wisdom
John 14:26 He will teach us all things and remind us
John 16:13 He guides us into truth
Nehemiah 9:20 God gave the Spirit to instruct us
1 Corinthians 2:10-13 The Spirit searches and reveals the deep things of God, the things only He can know and teach
1 Corinthians 2:14 Learning from the Spirit is the mark of a believer
Seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance as you read and study.  Let this be your prayer. “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your Law.”  Psalm 119:18

j0385403Bible study… Intimidating? Frustrating? Go to the Source.

The Holy Spirit inspired every word written in Scripture.  He is the One who pulls back the curtain revealing new things each time we study Scripture. In fact the Bible itself underscores how necessary the Spirit is for understanding.

1 John 2:27 He teaches us

Isaiah 11:2 He is the source of all wisdom

John 14:26 He will teach us all things and remind us

John 16:13 He guides us into truth

Nehemiah 9:20 God gave the Spirit to instruct us

1 Corinthians 2:10-13 The Spirit searches and reveals the deep things of God, the things only He can know and teach

1 Corinthians 2:14 Learning from the Spirit is the mark of a believer

Seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance as you read and study.  Let this be your prayer. “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your Law.”  Psalm 119:18

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Purpose

By

God didn’t save us for nothing. He saved us for a purpose, a unique kingdom work that we alone can accomplish. If we don’t fulfill it, it doesn’t get done. (No pressure.) God doesn’t leave out there floundering, or spinning our wheels. He equips us for that purpose.
Jesus says in John 15:16 hours before his arrest, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”
Here’s my paraphrase: I am specifically, individually chosen by Jesus Christ to fulfill a particular kingdom work of eternal significance, and the Father will supply whatever I need to accomplish that task.
This means I have worth.  I have purpose and I cannot fail.
Two disclaimers- 1. I am not special. That verse applies to you as well.  2. My failure is not necessarily a ‘purpose’ failure.
How do you find your purpose? Ask God.
Now ask yourself some questions to bring His answer into sharper focus.
1. What Scriptures really touch your heart? Is there a common theme? A purpose could be in there somewhere.
2. What excites you? Makes you angry? Makes you cry? These are the things you’re passionate about. Purpose doesn’t come without passion.
3. Are you doing anything now that you can’t imagine NOT doing? If I had to give up writing… my sanity would be next to go.
I’ve said ‘a’ purpose more than once, but here’s where I weasel out of it. Our Purpose (with a capital P) is to be conformed to Christ. However, I believe God gives shorter term purposes (little p) that help us get there. Those purposes grow and change as we do. I don’t think writing was my purpose in college. I’m not really sure what it was. I’m pretty sure I missed out on it, though. These days I write all the time. I also teach at church and here at home.
Finally…
There are no BIG purposes and little purposes with God. They’re all equal.
This is not meant to cause stress. If you have peace about what you’re doing, you’re probably fulfilling what God intends. Restlessness and dissatisfaction may be a nudge in another direction.

207291_multi_purpose_knifeGod didn’t save us for nothing. He saved us for a purpose, a unique kingdom work that we alone can accomplish. God doesn’t leave out there floundering, or spinning our wheels. He equips us for that purpose.

Jesus says in John 15:16 hours before his arrest, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”

Here’s my paraphrase: I am specifically, individually chosen by Jesus Christ to fulfill a particular kingdom work of eternal significance, and the Father will supply whatever I need to accomplish that task.

This means I have worth.  I have purpose and I cannot fail.

Two disclaimers- 1. I am not special. That verse applies to you as well.  2. My failure is not necessarily a ‘purpose’ failure.

How do you find your purpose? Ask God. You can ask yourself some questions to bring His answer into sharper focus.

1. What Scriptures really touch your heart? Is there a common theme? A purpose could be in there somewhere.

2. What excites you? Makes you angry? Makes you cry? These are the things you’re passionate about. Purpose doesn’t come without passion.

3. Are you doing anything now that you can’t imagine NOT doing? If I had to give up writing… my sanity would be next to go.

I’ve said ‘a’ purpose more than once, but here’s where I weasel out of it. Our Purpose (with a capital P) is to be conformed to Christ. However, I believe God gives shorter term purposes (little p) that help us get there. Those purposes grow and change as we do. For instance, I don’t think writing was my purpose in college. It’s hard to say what it was then. I’m pretty sure I missed out on it, though. But these days, I write all the time.

Finally…

There are no BIG purposes and little purposes with God. They’re all equal.

This is not meant to cause stress. If you have peace about what you’re doing, you’re probably fulfilling what God intends. Restlessness and dissatisfaction may be a nudge in another direction.

Allergies in the Body of Christ

By

I was sick all last week during my semi-annual battle with my immune responses. 42-16820864We have a spring skirmish and a fall assault each year. The fall one was late- very tricky. However, as I was giving my body a chance to recuperate, sleeping off the antihistamines, I began to wonder if we, as the body of Christ ever suffer from an allergy attack.

An allergic response occurs when the body misidentifies something as an invader and rallies a full immune system response to get rid of it. Do we ever incorrectly identify threats, or invaders? Is our ‘body’ tired, achy or ineffective because we’ve being fighting the wrong things? This is not to say that the body of Christ isn’t threatened from within as well as from the outside. John’s and Peter’s epistle say a great deal about heresy and false teachers. However, we do need some discernment to ensure we’re not at war with something harmless or worse, fighting our own body.

I’m not going to name what I believe have become ‘allergies’ for the church. Our best strategy is to look at Jesus Christ. He had three short years of ministry, so He didn’t waste any time on anything that wasn’t helping fulfill His purpose. How did He minister? What did He address? How did He touch lives?

Go, and do likewise, He said.

Whose words?

By

Words have a power all their own
Image by wa?.ti? via Flickr

I don’t have any profound words today- Just some that God said…

Also, do not take to heart everything people say… (Eccl. 7:21)

But it’s hard not to. However, God’s words are the ones that count and He said “I have loved you with an everlasting love…” Jeremiah 31:3 and “You did not choose Me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16).
Then there’s Isaiah 43:1-3. “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned. Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord you God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

I need to focus on God’s words which are eternal truth.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]