notes from lisa...

We are so mixed up.  Jesus spent His earthly ministry meeting needs —spiritual (first, and foremost), and then natural—in that order. Jesus didn’t supply any luxuries , or lavish unnecessary things on those who came to Him. Clearly, He had the power to; remember when the taxes were due, and He told Peter to go fishing for the money. If He could do it then, certainly He could do it whenever He chose to—or maybe even have it grow on trees, literally--He could have insured that there would be no more beggars in Jerusalem, if they had faith, in Him. The point is, God can, but He doesn’t. That is not His goal or desire where we are concerned— that’s ours .  We see Jesus in His earthly ministry healing those who desperately needed healing, raising the dead, feeding the 5000+, until they were filled, giving living water while meeting emotional needs at the same time that He healed sin-sickness, and casting out devils. It was all about need . When Jesus got finished meeting the need,

WHY BELIEVE GOD? “As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.”     [Romans 4:17, KJV] Why bother believing God—His words, His promises, covenants, Him—H is Essence ?  Abraham was the father of faith. He believed God, when there was (seemingly) no reason to believe—yet, he still believed. He probably got laughed at, on occasion. Noah did (we can be certain that he was—and mocked, too), I’m guessing; out there building an ark to protect himself and his family from rain, when those of his generation had never seen rain (there are a few factors that suggest this)—including him, but he kept building and preaching—and believing God. When I look at these great biblical examples of faith in God and compare them to “faith” as we see and hear it preached today, I see

Spirit and Body or Body and Spirit? “ He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.   Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. ” [Isaiah 53:3-5, AMPLIFIED] It is extremely difficult to live in a physical world and see through spiritual eyes—even to see ourselves, spiritually. The temptation is always to apply spiritual rewards to physical and earthly situations. It’

It seems that for the past couple of years, we have been “losing” church leaders at an alarming rate. Some have been lost in scandal, but many in death—not all have been sick, or elderly, either. It is mind-boggling to me just how often I hear of another death of pastors and leaders in the church—especially, the bishops . Somehow, I don’t think it’s coincidental or accidental. I don’t think there’s anything mystical about it; I think it’s all biblical. It’s scary to me to see the learned men of God who know God’s Word, do the opposite thing that is taught in God’s Word, and seek to rationalize and justify it. There is a pervasive attitude in our churches among leaders that they must not be questioned and that they are in charge and have ownership of God’s people. Among God’s people, is an unwillingness to know God personally—through knowledge of His Word, prayer, study and meditation; choosing rather to be spoon-fed by men who are willing to tell you some Word, but omittin