notes from lisa...

Today, God's people often relegate Him to genie-in-a-bottle status. I'm sure, that most of us don't realize that is what we do. However, to live our lives in constant desire for deliverance from natural circumstances--declaring, demanding and decreeing that God change the atmosphere for us (in this life) is doing exactly that . God has never promised us that we can have whatever we want. The reason we believe that every desire is at our fingertips is due to lack of context. It's easy to manipulate the Word of God into saying anything we want, if we isolate a verse, here and there. Context changes everything--and considering how God moves and deals with His people throughout the entire Bible, will show us that is not His goal for us, in the earth. I'm still amazed that we believe we can call those those things which be not as though they were--when that is not what Paul said. He wrote to us that " ... God , who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things whi...

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 a...

Giving is a major part of Christianity, and its theme runs throughout both the Old and New Testaments. How to give, changes according to God's plan for each age, and His will. One thing is certain--calling ourselves Christians, yet being unwilling to give lavishly, is akin to central air conditioning in Hell--it just cannot be; it is a spiritual impossibility. Giving lavishly, however, has very little to do with the amount given, but more to do with the amount not given. What are we willing to give in service to God? And, more importantly, what do we cling to, rather than giving? Jesus and the apostles had much to say about giving. Not a lot about tithing; perhaps because it was understood that giving cannot be relegated to a mere 10% under grace--but, the Bible tells us, " And all that believed were together, and had all things common;  And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. " [Acts 2:44,45] It wasn't a new con...