notes from lisa...

Something awful happened on February 26th. According to reports, an imperfect teenager (aren't they all?) was spending his 10-day suspension from school at his dad's girlfriend's home. I don't know why he stayed there --maybe, she was home during the day and could make sure Trayvon wasn't smoking more marijuana (which is what he got suspended for). I do know that smoking a few joints--or even having an addiction to marijuana is not punishable by death (at least in America). On that fateful day, 17-year old Trayvon, went to the store to buy candy and iced tea. Walking through the gated community in Sanford, Florida on his way back to the home where he was staying, he encountered George Zimmerman. By almost every account, Trayvon became a victim, that day. I question any account that makes him anything other than a victim-- and the heart of the person giving that account; I am being honest (about my judgmental biases). No matter how I look at this, George Zimmer...

"And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage."     (Judges 6:12, AMP) Whenever God's people discuss faith and fear, it seems as if we (people) have a storehouse of faith--or at least we (think we) should; and we should never have any fear or trepidation. Truthfully, and honestly, all humans experience fear--it's apart of what makes us human. Fear is necessary for us to be safe. We won't respond appropriately in dangerous situations, without it. There is something called the "fight or flight response"; and it is our bodies natural (and innate) reaction to any perceived attack, and this response prepares us to react quickly in a potentially hazardous crisis or circumstance. God put this in us. Still, many of us, think of fear as an enemy. We assume, I believe wrongfully, that if God detects any vestige of fear in us, than He cannot or will not work in us or for us, doing any...

" Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that [the murmurs and excuses of] every mouth may be hushed and all the world may be held accountable to God.  For no person will be justified (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His sight by observing the works prescribed by the Law. For [the real function of] the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin [not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character]. But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets,  Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction,  Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glor...

"And He said to them, Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man's life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs." [Luke 12:15, AMP] A couple of years ago, I posted a blog entitled Building Bigger Barns . I never expected to revisit this same passage of Scripture--or this same issue; however, things have gone from "bigger" to "skyscraper" in that time period. In spite of our failing economy, and difficult times, God's people haven't gotten the point that covetousness is wrong . Instead of repenting for our greed then, we have become greedier. We want, we want, and we want some more and we look for ways to justify and rationalize our greed by God's holy Word! His Word clearly declares some very pointed things to us: 1. Jesus taught us to guard our hearts again...

IF ISAIAH COULD "SEE" IT, WE SHOULD BY NOW BE ABLE TO GRASP IT--SINCE IT HAS NOW COME TO PASS. He saw it prophetically; but the actualization, the reality has happened and been recorded for us . WHO HAS believed (trusted in, relied upon, and clung to) our message [of that which was revealed to us]? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been disclosed?    For [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no form or comeliness [royal, kingly pomp], that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.   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 bor...

Everyone wants to be on top--to experience victory, from birth to death. No one likes trouble, pain or hardship. No one likes punishment or chastisement. But, all of us will experience all of them at some point in our lives, as hard as we try to avoid them. HAVE MERCY upon me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to the multitude of Your tender mercy and loving-kindness blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly [and repeatedly] from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin! For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in Your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in [a state of] iniquity; my mother was sinful who conceived me [and I too am sinful]. Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost he...

By the time we read John 1:1 in our Bibles, if we don't get why Jesus came--we don't want to, or something is wrong. I guess, maybe, is just isn't revealed, yet . Isaiah's prophecy began more than 700 years before Jesus came, and lasted about 40 years. Isaiah spoke of Jesus, as if He was a contemporary of Jesus Christ. His prophecies of the coming King were so vivid, it was undeniable--(and is still undeniable) that Isaiah spoke of Jesus Christ --the Messiah, the Son of God. He "saw" the One Who would come to save His people from their sins--he saw their rejection of Him. Isaiah got a glimpse of the Glory of God [St. John 1:14] (the Shekinah), that would be revealed in the manifestation of the Son, Jesus Christ. Isaiah knew that the great I AM Who delivered His forefathers from the land of Egypt--was yet to be born of a woman--a young virgin, who would bear a King. Isaiah saw this Lamb of God, Who would feed His flock, like a Shepherd. Is...