Posts that reference the Gospel of John

Study Tip Tuesday: I Don’t Know

Many times, my Sunday school kids will read a verse or two, and then I’ll ask them what the verse said. We have a long awkward silence, then they give me any number of blank looks. It’s not just kids either. Scripture is written in English, usually on a 6th to 8th grade reading level depending on your translation, but for some reason, when we read Scripture, the words don’t connect. We read too passively. Most of the study tips I pass on are to help us become active readers, to interact with the text so that not only do we understand it, we remember it. Two weeks ago, we looked at ‘who’s on first?’ and examined all the ‘whos’ in a passage- the author, the folks being addressed or the subject. Last week, we did ‘what’s on second?’ to examine what the purpose, the main idea or event in the story or passage. So this week, we’ll take a look at ‘I don’t know’. (By the way, if you’ve never seen the Abbott and Costello bit, or if it’s just been a while, it’s worth a look.)
Active reading is not like the beach read you skim through. It takes time, and it needs to be done in small chunks. Unless you’re a Pharisee and already know everything, reading should bring up questions. Maybe they’re about factual information, like background, and history. I chase these rabbits often. It helps me picture the events if I have some historical or cultural context. (I also like to compare them to our culture, especially with my kids. For instance, in John 21:7, after Jesus’s death and resurrection, Peter has gone back to Galilee to fish with some of the other disciples. At daybreak, Jesus appears to them from the seashore. The verse says, “[Peter] put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and plunged into the sea.” I told the kids Peter was out fishing in his boxers.
Some of the questions will be a little deeper. 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction , for instruction in righteousness,” (Okay- if you’ve been with me you know that stopping in the middle of a sentence is a bad idea, but for the sake of giving an example, give me a pass. Thanks.) What’s the difference between reproof and correction or between doctrine and instruction? There must be some difference or Paul wouldn’t have listed the four so specifically. The quick answer, at least as I read it, is that doctrine is ‘theory’ and instruction in righteousness is how to put it into action. Reproof is ‘don’t do that’ while correction is ‘do this instead.’
Here’s one from my notes- I never thought of joy and shame being opposites, but the question led to some uplifting realizations.
Isaiah 65:13 “Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed;”
So- is joy the opposite of shame? I would have said “pride”. From what I’ve studied on pride, though- it’s shame wearing different pants- all about the self. Joy is a confidence that is future focused. No matter what happens NOW, I know what will be (through faith, I know it). Shame dwells on the past. Shame says, Because of what happened THEN, I know what I am… (through experience or through someone else telling me, I know it) Joy is to trust God. Shame is to trust man -self or someone else. Joy empowering. Shame is debilitating.
The other implication here – My servants =REJOICE you=ASHAMED
Being one of God’s children cannot co-exist with being ashamed. He removed the shame when the salvation transaction was completed. I’m the only one who can allow the shame back. Satan will carry it, but I have to open the door. Again shame comes from the outside, joy from within.

Time for Pain and for Restoration

By Paula Wiseman

: Image by stage88 via Flickr

Over the course of my books, I put my characters in some difficult spots. That’s good for the plot and good for the readers. However, then I have to come along and put some wise resolution for that character to discover, drawn on or hear from someone else to get them out of that pickle. I strive for a fresh insight, for practical wisdom, something useful not just holy-sounding. This is where the writing gets very humbling because this is where God takes over.
In one situation, I had a character go back to Job. (I just finished reading Job, so it’s fresh in my mind.) The character said although the Lord restored all that Job had, God never took the pain of the loss away. Yesterday, it also occurred to me that the restoration took years. Job didn’t wake up the next morning *poof* with his seven new sons and three new daughters.
So here are two principles about pain or loss (I wish I’d thought of them, but they’re God’s)- Pain fades to the point where it doesn’t consume our lives, but it doesn’t necessarily ever go away. At least not in this life. Sometimes we put unrealistic expectations on ourselves or others about how and when we should be ‘over’ something. Each situation is unique and intensely personal. Grant yourself (or someone else) the grace to walk through it rather than add the pressure of ‘should’. Truth is, God may doing things through the loss that we are completely unaware of- as was Job’s case. Job never knew the full story behind all his suffering.
Second, restoration takes time and it may mean traveling over some ground we’ve already covered. Job had done diapers and toddlers and loose teeth and adolescence with his kids, but he had to go through it all again. In the end, it’s worth it. The last chapter of Job says, “The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than the beginning.”

Pain, suffering and sorrow are a fact of life, but thank God through Jesus Christ, they are only a fact of THIS life. (John 16:33)

Friday Update: Overcoming Burnout

By Paula Wiseman

Friday! I love Friday, even better than Saturday. I especially love this Friday because… *whispering* I made it a whole week getting up early to walk/run. Last Friday, I bought some really cool exercise shirts and shorts… I’m obligated. Plus… I’m really tired of these extra 15 pounds. But I did it, and I lived. BTW, when you run until you think you’re going to die and then have to walk… that’s called ‘interval training’, not ‘wimping out’. However, in the ‘lack of positive reinforcement’ department, the scales haven’t moved. Jon tells me to be patient. I am not. Here’s what else is going on…

What am I writing? Not a living thing this week. I didn’t even plot or plan. Instead, I worked on VBS. It’s next week and I needed to get a handle on it. NEXT week, however, I hope to get started on a new draft. Claire’s book. I also plan to get the newsletter out next week- just a little late. (When I have a staff, this will never happen again, I’m sure.)

What have I learned? This week was ‘computer maintenance week’, electronic housekeeping- almost as much fun as the real stuff. This means next week, I won’t be able to find any files on my computer. I downloaded some audio file editing software from AVS4YOU. It was easy and intuitive. I also downloaded a ringtone maker, but haven’t had a chance to use it yet.

What am I reading? Mad Church Disease: Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic by Anne Jackson. In this book, she is bold enough to shine a light on a reality most folks would prefer to ignore. The $64000 question, “Does working at this church interfere with your communion with Christ?” For whatever reasons, doing the ‘work’ of the church is sucking the life out of the workers. I admit I’ve been there, and not too long ago. Yes, I’ve tried to come down with the stomach flu between 8:30 and 9 a.m. on Sunday morning. Her discussion doesn’t pull any punches, but it’s not an exercise in church-bashing or staff-bashing. She’s quick to point out how we contribute to our own burnout when we lose focus on God whom we are to love with all our heart, soul, strength and mind. Her advice is simple, but not easy and may take a complete realignment in our thinking about how we ‘do’ ministry.

Two things struck me as I read. For a body who claims to depend on Christ’s strength, we are shamefully intolerant of frailties in our brother and sisters. Why would an unbelieving world want to bring their burdens to the foot of the cross when they see how we respond to each other. Perfection is not achieved in this life, period. We can’t expect in ourselves or demand it from others. Which brings me to the second point. Instead of transforming the culture, we have adapted the success-driven model around us, and have fallen into competitive comparison of our ministries. I think we genuinely want to see people transformed by the gospel, but the plan is God’s not ours. It is a very telling thing that minutes before His arrest, Jesus Christ prayed for our unity (John 17:21), not our protection, not our growth, not our success, but our unity.

Oh yeah, I’m also reading In the Wake of the Plague by Norman Cantor. My sister understands 😉

In fact, she got it for me.

What has God taught me? Stay focused… because He gave His life, because He makes me whole, because He strengthens me (because I need it!), because He deserves my total devotion, because my purpose on this earth is give Him my whole being as a living sacrifice.

Gimme a sign

By Paula Wiseman

In John chapter 4, there is a story in which Jesus performs a long-distance healing for the son of one of Herod’s officials. Jesus is on His way home from celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem. John 2:23 tells us many believed when they saw the signs He did, but Jesus knew they were only looking for the spectacular. So now, He’s made it as far as Cana, when this desperate father catches up to Him. A crowd of Galileans had gathered, ready to see what miracle ‘their’ prophet would perform, but Jesus disappointed them. He simply told the man, “Go home. Your boy lives.” Travelling back home, the father received news that his son was healed just as Jesus said, and he believed, and his household.

There are several takeaways from the account about faith and signs-
1. God occasionally provides signs, but they are on His terms and glorify Him.
All of Jesus’ miracles were done to demonstrate His deity and authenticate His ministry.
2. Signs never produce faith. They only strengthen what’s there.
The father in the story had enough faith to come to Jesus, AND enough faith to go back home on Jesus’ word alone. Afterward the father was absolutely sure Jesus was who he thought He was.
3. Jesus expects us to believe solely because of His word.
He wasn’t about to feed the crowd’s lust for drama. He said the boy would live. That was good enough.

I’ve asked signs from God on numerous occasions, all under the guise of ‘wanting to know God’s will’, but in reality they were faithless demands that God prove Himself. He didn’t answer me. I need to remind myself that His word is more than enough. He is completely trustworthy and faithful.

The Empty Tomb without the Risen Lord

By Paula Wiseman

Often our familiarity with Biblical events and truths causes our wonder to fade or be lost entirely. Unfortunately, the two greatest events in human history are the ones that suffer the most from this casual indifference. The birth of Christ is so well known; even ten year olds glaze over at its retelling. The resurrection elicits the same response. We need to remind ourselves that the story is not about the empty tomb, but really about the Risen Lord.

Consider John 20, which begins with the account of Peter and John running to the tomb to check out Mary Magdalene’s claim that Christ was gone. They investigate things carefully. The Greek words translated “saw” or “looked” give the idea that it was a thorough examination of the scene. John even says that he saw and believed. Jesus was gone. They could not deny that. However, verse 10 is the kicker. After seeing, verifying, the truth of the empty tomb, they went home! They were convinced Jesus had risen from the dead, and it was no big deal. Nothing changed. Their lives were not affected by that knowledge or belief.

Mary Magdalene hung around the tomb after Peter and John left. She was privileged not only to see angels, but also to be the first person to see the glorious, resurrected High Priest on His way to atone for all our sins. He spoke her name, assuring her that He was the same Jesus she had known, the Jesus that loved her in spite of her sins, her past, her very self.

Christ was on His way to establish our full access to the Father. We can now approach God, as one of His children, just as Christ does. Atonement means reconciliation, theologically speaking. The covering of our sins by Christ’s blood means a restoration of the broken fellowship of man with God, which came after Adam sinned. Christ’s resurrection means that the offering was accepted, the price paid, the wrath of God appeased.

After seeing the risen Lord, Mary became the first to proclaim the Good News of Christ and her listeners were the disciples themselves. Later that evening Jesus appeared to them. Once they saw Jesus, their lives changed as well. Eleven simple, small-town boys became world changers. Not because of a hole in a rock, mind you, but because of the Lord who rose again.

When the fact of someone rising from the dead becomes a little mundane, I have to stop and think, not about the tomb left behind, but about the Christ who went to His Father and your Father, to His God and mine. Rising from the dead was the easy part. Reconciling me to God… now that was something!

Redeemed… again

By Paula Wiseman

It SNOWED this morning. No accumulation, but still…

We had an ‘incident’ at church yesterday morning, that sent Jon and me home fully torqued off. I was ready to rant this morning. Last night at the evening service, Jon had opportunity to speak to party involved. (It wasn’t planned at all. The other person opened the door, and my husband who has the gift of discernment, walked through it.) This person was crushed by the results and perception of his actions. They were the opposite of his intentions.

It reinforced what God said about David- “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then there’s 1 Corinthians 13:5 – “Love thinks no evil.” Love gives the benefit of the doubt, doesn’t jump to conclusions. And when you put that with John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Anyone can get ticked off, and it seems it especially easy with our brothers and sisters, but the fact is, Christ calls us to a higher standard, a much higher standard. Had I ranted yesterday, not only would I have torn down a fellow believer – even if the person never knew about it- but I would have missed the lesson that came instead. Once again, Christ redeemed my sin.