notes from lisa...

There has to be a difference. Clearly, none of us is instantly perfect at the moment we receive the New Birth, but there must still be something radically different about us--I mean, people should know that something happened. We should be different . Consider that when we are reborn we (come not only in contact with, but) we actually receive a new and divine nature-- God comes in and takes residence in us. That has to create an amazing metamorphosis in otherwise mere mortals. Songs say, "I looked at my hands (feet) and they looked new"--well, no, not really; but if we could see our souls at that moment, imagine the darkest soul changed into the glory of purity--at once. I remember the movie, The Color Purple when Celie arrived at her new--and unkempt home, plastered with filth. As she began to clean, with hard work under the filth was revealed light walls with floral patterns--that just before were coated with thick, black muck--and no hint of that beauty. I guess that...

When those of us who are “born again” speak of “knowing Him” what is it that we mean? What does it really mean to know Him? I had a moment this morning, as I awakened with thoughts of Him; my spirit and my mind spoke those words (as Paul did), I want to know You, Lord, realizing that knowledge of Him entails more than just a cursory familiarity, but an in-depth embrace of the power of His resurrection—and, the fellowship of His suffering. My mind went to marriage—in the earthly sense. No marriage can be successful where either or both parties is satisfied with a surface relationship, that simply has an appearance of love and affection, but it has to be worked on, developed and matured—with patience and endurance. It won’t happen overnight, it takes time, and study of the other individual’s differences, needs and what makes them tick, and also what brings them joy . It is the same with our relationship with Jesus Christ—that is why the Church is so oft referred to as the B...

 " Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, a son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout , saying, Jesus, Son of David, have pity and mercy on me [now]!"  Mark 10:46,47 AMP Jesus had been in Capernaum dealing with the super-religious and the rich. Maybe, He wanted a break from that type before He faced His "Jerusalem experience". He knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem (Mark 10:33,34), and maybe He wanted one more breath of fresh air that didn't contain ritual, a facade of religiosity, pomp and superiority. You see, Jericho is out of the way when going from Capernaum to Jerusalem. It made the trip longer--and more treacherous; that road from Jericho to Jerusalem (where he met Bartimaeus) was filled with bandits and violence. It wasn't the nice part of town--it's the place that Jesus spoke of...

Luke wrote maybe the most important letter recorded in the New Testament, to his good friend Theophilus. Luke was sharing his experience about his (and the other remaining disciples) final moments with the Master--and His instructions to them leading to the New Birth and an explosive world-changing ministry. Luke shared the intimate details--he knew it was important for Theophilus (and us, too) to know exactly the words that Jesus used in His final earthly instructions. He told them what to do, where to go and what to say. He even told them how long they should wait and what the sign would be that they were now prepared to carry out the mission. Every detail that Jesus gave the disciples was important. You see, Jesus knew them--as He knows all of us. Until God prepares us, we are doubt-filled, unfaithful, unskilled, timid and unremarkable just like they were. In fact, if you read Matthew's account in chapter 28, you will see that verse 17 says that "some (no...

I suppose the more accurate question is how sufficient is God's grace, for you? How long does it last--does it have a point at which it is no longer enough? I mean what do you do when God doesn't simply say, "Wait" or "Not yet", but "No!"? Or, like Paul you beseech Him repeatedly hoping for a change of heart, and He says without skipping a beat, "My grace is sufficient for you" just like He said to Paul?  What do you do, how do you respond? I never hear anyone preach that message--or even talk about the subject. It's as if it is taboo. It's wonderful to talk about God responding to us instantly as the check comes in the mail as soon as we needed it, or even how we continued in worship and praise, persevering through hard times, and finally at the appointed time (when it looked like all hope was gone) God delivered us and brought us over that mountain (usually a financial one). However , we don't talk about the praise and...

TIME Time , what is it really—and what is for? We know, depending on our age, that it either flies quickly or, it drags on agonizingly slow. Often, when we are in trouble or facing tests time becomes of paramount importance to us. Basically, we become “clock-watcher’s”. Each second counts. We pray for release and count the days, weeks and sometimes, even years, expecting change to come in time . We expect God to respond according to time—our time. If He doesn’t move instantly, most of us can and will wait longer without becoming disillusioned immediately, but some turn their backs on God as soon as the going gets tough. Jesus explained how different people react in the parable of the sower. Jesus spoke of those who give up at the first sight of  trouble as those who fall upon “stony places” and don’t have any depth [Matthew 13:20]; so when trials come, they are consumed by them. He knows us—each of us, and what we can handle. Most of us, don't do the Job test to...

"Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.     And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.      And he said unto him, `Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.'     And he was angry and would not go in; therefore came his father out and entreated him.       And he answering said to his father, `Lo, these many years have I served thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends.     But as soon as this thy son was come who hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.'     And he said unto him, `Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.     It was meet that...

Today, this is one of the devotionals I read: A Deliberate Trust by Charles R. Swindoll In you, O L ORD , I have taken refuge. Psalm 31:1 Under heaven's lock and key, we are protected by the most efficient security system available---the power of God. There is no way we will be lost in the process of suffering. No disorder, no disease, not even death itself can weaken or threaten God's ultimate protection over our lives. . . . "God stands between you and all that menaces your hope or threatens your eternal welfare," James Moffatt wrote. "The protection here is entirely and directly the work of God." Two words will help you cope when you run low on hope: accept and trust . Accept the mystery of hardship, suffering, misfortune, or mistreatment. Don't try to understand it or explain it. Accept it. Then, deliberately trust God to protect you by His power from this very moment to the dawning of eternity. It really resonated with m...

Often, I hear people say that the only Bible they will read is the King James Version--I've even heard it said (of course, ignorantly) that it is the version of the Bible that the apostles had, so it's good enough for them (or that it is the only "safe" version--mind you, there are some dangerous so-called supposed translations)??? LOL, I really have heard that . I am not poking fun, or calling names by saying "ignorant", because ignorance simply means that you don't know. The King James Version of the Bible came into existence in the 17th century when 47 scholarly men (out of the 54 who had been nominated for the task) convened at the behest of King James (the I of England, and the VI of Scotland--he ruled in both places) at Westminster, Cambridge and Oxford. They were divided into groups and set about the work of translating the Bible into the English language of that day. This was not the first translation of the Bible into English, it had been ...

There was a program on television that I saw with my sister called, “Casting Call”. It depicted (in reality) children who go to Hollywood to have their dreams of becoming actors and actresses realized. Of course, it may be more of a dream of their parents than theirs, but that isn’t really the issue. One of the things that happens when they arrive in Hollywood is that they are strongly encouraged to embrace dianetics, a metaphysical pseudoscience invented by L. Ron Hubbard the founder of Scientology. Scientology is big in Hollywood. Demi Moore, Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Priscilla Presley, Chaka Khan, Isaac Hayes, Kelly Preston, Placido Domingo, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Kirstie Alley, as well as producer Richard Donner, director Tom Mankiewicz and a whole host of other celebrities have embraced the ideology. Many of those in Hollywood who follow Scientology, were once Christians—or at least, were raised in Christian homes or were taught Christian or Judeo-Christian v...