notes from lisa...

 You know, when Constantine decided to get in the "business" of church he made a big mess. We're still trying to disentangle from that conundrum.  The Church was doing just fine following the Commission, that Jesus Christ left us. Every time, we try to mix church and state, we add to the mess. The Church is THE CHURCH and government is of the world . Until the Nicaean Council, the Church was growing--and people came to Christ, because they were drawn spiritually --they CHOSE this Way. The hardships and persecution couldn't keep them away! Those new Christians simply walked out their testimony and loved the way Christ taught us to; and they came in droves. The Gospel was never meant to be a "have to" thing. We have been gifted with free will to choose how we will live our lives, (at, and since) the beginning of the world. That free will has never been rescinded. Even when God was sorry (repented) that He had made mankind, He didn't withdraw it. What H

 I think I must have dreamt about Stephen last night. You know, the first Christian martyr--that Stephen. The name Stephen, means "crown". What a heavy crown to wear, or what a majestic crown to wear; it's all about perspective.  Of course, I had to read about Stephen when I got a chance today. Before I could read about his martyrdom, or even what led to it, I got caught up in the description of this newly appointed deacon. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles says, "...Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit...". I got stuck right there. I've been pondering how to share the Word of God concerning the Holy Spirit (Ghost) for quite some time, so it isn't strange to me that I'd get stuck there. You know, there's something about the Holy Ghost that makes people take notice when nothing else will.  This Spirit that we so often speak of--and claim to possess within, is not simple, or light, or easily overlooked. The Holy Ghost makes His Pr

    Globally, we are so disconnected from anyone who doesn't think, look, or have the same political and religious beliefs that we do.    We have no respect for differences, today. In fact, we have no desire to hear from anyone that has a differing opinion. We choose our news based on our political leaning, rather than looking for news that presents facts and gives us the opportunity to decide what to believe, based on the facts. We're too lazy to think for ourselves; or as Christians, we have become too lazy to check facts and pray. We rely on pundits rather than spiritual discernment and God's Word to direct us, in our decisions. If we're Christians, our choices--all of them, political, churches, what we watch and how we spend our time (and with whom we spend it) should be made based on prayer and discernment.     For Christians, we owe it to ourselves and the world, to seek God before we decide things that have the potential to affect other people. The way to do that

      I hope my friends who support former President Trump won't bypass  this because of the title. I'd really like to share my feelings--all of them, without debate; and in a way so that they can be pondered thoughtfully, if you care to do so.     So, I have three key reasons why and I will explain each of them.  I'm a woman, I'm a minority, I'm a Christian.      The first two won't be as in-depth to explain as the last, but they are still very important.       As a woman, I can't support a candidate who views women as objects. He makes it clear by his statements and behavior that women are either beautiful (then they're fit for his pleasure and can be in his presence), or they're ugly (and he would "never sleep with them", "they are disgusting", "nasty", horseface", "' A crazed, crying lowlife' and 'a  dog'","low I.Q.".  " In a New York magazine profile published in Novembe

    I know exactly what you're thinking, right now. Who is this crazy (or know-it-all) woman who thinks she has the answer to everything?  That would be me, because I do--but I can't take credit for it, at all . All I did was read it and acknowledge its truth, and the simplicity of it.      Here it is: "Ye shall not oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I AM the L ORD your God." [Leviticus 25:17, KJV]. It really is simple, but what we call "human nature" gets in the way (it's really sin, but you can call it human nature if it makes you feel better). The truth is we make it sound like we are without choice in the matter; but that's not entirely so. Each of us has been gifted with free will --no matter how good or evil, we have it; and we can do with it whatever we choose. So, in reality it's not human nature--we weren't created to do evil; that's not the natural thing for created mankind. It is for fallen mankind; but eve

Often, when bad things happen--we find ourselves shocked that the person we knew would do something so heinous. The truth is, there is an explanation for it and it lies in the makeup of mankind. Man is a trichotomy . God intended for us to be a trichotomy--we are spirits , that have souls and bodies . We are made up of all three. We can't exist without all three, but failure of one or the other to function according to the original plan can wreak havoc; and not simply on ourselves, but those who come in contact with us. The intent of God was to have a man and a woman "made in His Image and after His Likeness". God is One ! "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD..."[Deuteronomy 6:4, The Shema]. And that is His plan for us--that we would be one, as He Is One. There is a difference in original nature and the sin nature that exists in every man, woman and child after the fall of mankind. Now, we have the opportunity to be one again, as at the beginning, bu