notes from lisa...

Did you know, God likes to use people with issues??? Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were liars--Jacob was a thief, too. Joseph (Old Testament) was a spoiled brat--and subsequently, a jailbird. Moses was a shy, nervous type. Aaron was weak and a follower--and a complainer, too (and his sister, Miriam)! Noah was a drunkard. Eli was a good man, but a bad priest, and used nepotism, and his son's were wicked! Gideon was fearful and suffered from an identity crisis. David, Samson and Solomon had lust issues (times 12, at least--Solomon times hundreds!) Rahab was a madam, in her own brothel. Tamar played the harlot. Ruth was a pagan. Bathsheba was one object of David's lust--and an adulteress. Mary, the mother of Jesus, got pregnant out-of-wedlock (what would you have whispered about her??!!!) Esther was scared and did NOT want to see the king! Nehemiah and Daniel were slaves--Nehemiah was probably a eunuch, too! Isaiah was focused on the king--not the King. Jeremiah was ...

Most of us, have a wrong idea of how to reach the world. We have a desire to see men saved, but our methods aren't effective, and they don't follow the example of Jesus. We suppose that to win the world we must first address their sin. The "world" is aware of its sin, in most cases--maybe, every case. We all have within a us a conscience--saved or unsaved; it's innate. It will tap all of us on our shoulders when we mess up--the Holy Ghost didn't give us a conscience (when we accepted Jesus Christ); we always had one. The Holy Ghost provides the means to respond to sin in our lives--and to avoid sin, before it happens; the Spirit gives us power to say "no" to sin, but we know what sin is, whether we admit it or not. When we attempt to reach the world, our misconception of their lack of awareness of sin (in their lives) leads us down an unwise path. Instead of providing them with the solution, we offer them the problem. We attack. We list their sins ...

I'M SORRY!!! How do YOU say, "I'm sorry"? Often, when we have offended someone, and are aware of it, we apologize--or, at least we say the words. What, though, is the feeling behind the words? Apologies come in many forms and appearances. Some are genuine, some only serve the offender--to appease guilt or to feel justified, some are downright hostile--and not really accepting of any guilt in the matter, and many more are never even uttered , but (supposed to be) assumed by those we have offended. All of us offend. All of us have a duty and responsibility to apologize. It is also a privilege --repentance in any form, is freeing and cleansing. Still, many of us resist honest, straightforward, responsibility-accepting apologizing. Genuine "I'm sorry's" are healing. They open lines of communication, restore trust and make room for unity and love to abound. It is our pride and self-will that keeps us from offering sincere apologies. We are more c...

"And, Who is My Neighbor?" But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Yeshua, "And who is my neighbor?' (Luke 10:29) This is a strange question, if you consider who was doing the asking. Those assembled (If you don't know), are attempting to trick Jesus into condemning Himself, with His own words--this was surely an odd question from such a source (if you don't know what he is up to). Take note--not just anyone was asking this question of Jesus--this person was referred to as a "lawyer", "religion scholar", "expert", "teacher", "expert on the Law", "expert in Moses' teachings", etc. (in various versions). This man knows the Law. He knows all of the Law--surely he knows the 16th and 17th verses of the 20th chapter of what we call the Book of Exodus. (The Law for Jewish people consists of the Torah--and over 600 commands that had to be memorized and kept. If you offended in one point, y...

Most of us are familiar with the evils of the system of Apartheid that existed in South Africa for many years. Even today, many experience the aftershocks of that wicked and damnable system. Under Apartheid, only European whites were completely free, in South Africa. Indians, no matter what their education and accomplishments could not travel freely without "papers" and were still subject to harassment. Blacks suffered far more--being even darker. They were forced to live in crowded townships, only allowed to leave to work for the European whites (who couldn't survive without their labors). When they began to demand their rights as citizens, they were beaten, jailed and brutally murdered--sound familiar? These evils aren't limited to people of color either--remember Adolph Hitler? He was so fixated on creating the "perfect" race of blond-haired, blue-eyed people with no "imperfections". They should all have a particular nose and jaw line, and n...

"RETHINK CHURCH". I had to put that in quotes, because I borrowed that statement from the United Methodist Church commercial, I just viewed. I think they have a point. It is time to "rethink church"! Church, as we know it, is not accomplishing the goals that Christ would have it. It isn't working like the New Testament model. Souls aren't being won--like they once were. people aren't being healed or raised from the dead in our churches. Of course, some would argue, that it isn't for this day--but tell me, what was the cut off date? We are in the same dispensation--Grace, right? So, what changed??? I would surmise, that our problem is relational, in nature--with God, and even more so, with others. Of course, if we have problems with others--our relationship with God becomes fractured, too, soooo.... What can we do about this? The Scriptures give us very clear directions about how we should relate to one another. How to have good and prosp...

NOTHING ELSE WILL MATTER... "1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love." (The Message) "1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everyt...