Five Satanic Schemes that Wear Down the Saints-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour- 1st Peter 5:8 NASB

The devil or Satan (his proper name) is an oddly divisive subject in some Christian circles. There are Christians who deny the existence of an actual being who is the enemy of God called Satan or the devil. Expectedly, these same folks are not sold on the whole notion of demons either. These folks tend to view the whole notion of Satan, demons and the spiritual realm as more of a symbol of evil rather than actual evil beings who hate God and create trouble and chaos for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). 

Here’s the thing.

In order to maintain that belief, we must ignore one-hundred thirty-nine references to Satan, the devil and demons found throughout Scripture. We must also choose to believe Jesus was tempted by a symbol in Matthew chapter four and casting symbols out of people in all the references to demon possession found in the four gospels. I just can’t buy into all that. The wiser option (in my opinion) is to understand that knowledge is power and learn what we need to learn about combating evil and living free of Satan’s schemes. One verse that gives a great deal of insight into Satan and his schemes is Daniel 7:25. It says:

He will speak against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One- Daniel 7:25

Contextually this verse is speaking of the last days or the time just prior to the return of Christ. It is also speaking about the man (possessed by Satan) who will be known as the anti-Christ (Matthew 24, 2nd Timothy 3:1-5, 2ndThessalonians 2:1-9, 2nd Peter 3:3). For the record, I do not know if we are in the last days or not (more on that later). However, I do know Satan has schemes he’s been using since the dawn of time to “wear down the saints” (Job 1:6-7, Ephesians 6:11, 2nd Corinthians 2:11). I also know the frequency and intensity of those schemes appears to be increasing. Some of Satan’s schemes are obviously evil, others are more of an attempt to keep God’s people busy with activities that are irrelevant from an eternal perspective but bring exhaustion in the here and now. If God’s people are aware of the following five schemes, they will be less likely to be worn out by them.

 The first is:

Trivial pursuits- 

This is one of Satan’s most successful schemes. This is one of those that is not obviously evil or bad. Most of the trivial things we spend time on (social media, sports, extra-curricular activities, online shopping, entertainment) are not in-and-of themselves bad or evil. They are just trivial and mostly irrelevant. If done to excess, they are exhausting and can become harmful. Entertainment and recreation are not sinful. They can be means of rest (Exodus 35:2). However, if these things are done to excess, they will also leave us without the time or energy for things and people that are essential to our mental and spiritual health.  Satan doesn’t want us involved in things that bring life, peace and flourishing, Things like Christian community, serving in church, Bible study and family time. To prevent burnout and getting worn out it’s critical we prioritize the essential rather than allow the trivial to take over. 

 Relentless drama- 

One of Satan’s preferred schemes is to bring constant and unending problems, difficulties and persecution into the lives of God’s people. The unending difficulties are meant to bring spiritual exhaustion, spiritual burnout and a desire for sin (James 1:13-15, Galatians 6:9). The remedy is to draw closer to God the harder life gets. Leaning into God in the midst of trials intensifies our faith, builds our character, expands our empathy and basically just turns Satan’s scheme back on him (Romans 5:3-4, 2nd Corinthians 4:17, James 1:2-3, James 1:12). It’s a beautiful thing when Satan’s schemes backfire on him. 

Prayerless spirituality- 

Prayer is meant to be the engine that powers every aspect of our Christian existence (Psalm 145:18, Matthew 26:4, 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18, Philippians 4:6-7). Satan loves it when a Christian neglects prayer because without prayer God’s people are forced to operate out of their own power, strength and wisdom. At our strongest we are weak and the best human wisdom is foolishness compared to what the Holy Spirit has to offer (1st Corinthians 1:25). When we make a regular practice of prayer Satan is at an immediate disadvantage because prayer gives us reservoirs of strength and wisdom that make us spiritually stronger, wiser and more discerning (2nd Corinthians 4:17, 2nd Corinthians 12:9-10, 2nd Timothy 1:7).  

Persecution-

Persecution is an obvious act of spiritual warfare. It’s also the easiest and most effective way for Satan to “wear down” God’s people. That being said, when Satan works God works harder. Persecution is also a means God uses to spread the gospel (Acts 8:1-3, Romans 8:28). The best thing Christians can do when is experiencing persecution is to pray for opportunities to share the gospel and trust God no matter what happens. 

Lack of belief in the spirit world- 

No one resists something they don’t in believe in. If we don’t resist the enemies schemes, we are guaranteed to become causalities in the war (James 4:10, Ephesians 6:10-18, 2nd Corinthians 10:4). 

Here’s the thing:

We don’t know if we are living in the end times (Matthew 24:36). The craziness we’ve experienced in recent years might be nothing more than a blip in God’s timeline. However, we do know for absolute certain we are closer to the end than any other generation. As we draw closer to the end it is critical believers trust God, practice spiritual discernment and keep their armor on (Ephesians 6:10-18). 

The Best way to Pray for a Narcissistic Jerk-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

When he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was untrue to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense- 2nd Chronicles 26:15 NASB

Every once in a while, a concept comes along and takes popular culture by storm. The concept (whatever it may be) quickly becomes the thing everyone talks about. Inevitably, many individuals begin to believe they possess expert-level knowledge of the subject. One such concept is narcissism. An individual cannot scroll a social media feed, listen to a podcast, read a self-help book, turn on a television or read a newspaper without coming across an article or program referencing narcissists or narcissism.  

For the record: narcissists are real. 

Narcissists have an unhealthy preoccupation with themselves and a grandiose sense of their own significance. Narcissistic people believe deep down in their inmost being they are better and more important than pretty much everyone else. As a result, they see others as insignificant in comparison to themselves. As a result, narcissists treat people very badly unless they want something from the other person. The most dangerous narcissists are proficient, unrepentant, shameless liars. A narcissist will gleefully distort truth, gaslight and fabricate stories out of whole cloth to make others look bad and paint themselves in a positive light (Psalm 40:4). 

Popular culture typically presents narcissism as an unpardonable sin. Many believe narcissists are so heartless, wicked, malevolent and lacking in self-awareness they are for all intents and purposes, irredeemable. Even many Christians present narcissists as so lost they can never be found. This is simply untrue, no one is beyond God’s reach or so far gone they cannot be saved (John 3:16, 2nd Timothy 2:3-5), not even a narcissist. 

The Bible talks about narcissism at length and warns against it in the strongest possible terms. However, the Bible never uses the word narcissist or narcissism. From a biblical perspective narcissists are just people with a pride problem. A very serious pride problem but a pride problem, nonetheless.  God despises pride because it causes people to become so braggy and self-willed they forget God or write Him off as unimportant and irrelevant (Deuteronomy 8:14, 2nd Chronicles 26:16, Proverbs 16:5). People who sideline God inevitably become manipulative, mean, self-focused and sometimes even violent (Psalm 17:9-11, Psalm 56:2, Psalm 140:5). 

Narcissism is a growing problem (2nd Timothy 3:1-5). 

The further our world drifts away from God the more people become bloated with the sin of pride. Because this is where we are living right now most of us know a narcissist and many love a narcissist (or two). If we want to see narcissists come to know Jesus and be transformed into the image of Jesus it is critical we love them well and pray the following four prayers for them: 

Pray you will love them how they need to be loved-

Loving a prideful, narcissistic jerk is no easy task (Luke 6:32-33, 1st Peter 4:8, Luke 17:3-4). All people need to be loved. Narcissists need to know they have people who love them and will be there for them. However, prideful people also need firm boundaries. Narcissists need people who will love them enough to call them out on their hurtful shenanigans. Narcissists do NOT need people who will make excuses for their behavior or minimize their sin. It is not loving, kind or Christian to excuse away sin, manage others sin or make it easy for people to sin. This is especially true with narcissists. God is the only one who can give someone the strength, wisdom and discernment to love a narcissist well. If you love a narcissist pray daily for the wisdom, discernment and moral strength to love like God loves. God’s love is the personification 1st Corinthians 13:1-7. God’s love always believes the best is possible in a person’s life, but it never devolves into people-pleasing (codependency) or cheap grace (Titus 2:11-12).

Pray they will see themselves as they really are-

All narcissists have a distorted view of themselves. They tend to see themselves as unflawed and the hero of their own story. It is our job to pray that they will begin to see themselves as they really are, warts and all. Seeing our own sin as sin is the first baby step towards salvation. It is also the only thing that makes true personal growth possible. Pray for a spirit of revelation and wisdom to invade the life of the narcissist you love (Ephesians 1:17). If necessary, pray God will bring enough pain into their lives to make them open to the truth about themselves (James 1:2-3). 

Pray they see God as He really is-

One key to a healthy (not overly grandiose) sense of self is to have a clear-eyed understanding of who God is and what He’s all about. God is eternal, perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing and completely free of sin and immorality (Matthew 5:48, Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 19:7). He is also the standard of what is good and bad. When we compare ourselves to other people it is easy to believe we are better than we really are (Ecclesiastes 7:20). When we understand God’s perfection, we automatically have a much clearer grasp of our own sin and moral frailty. 

And finally,

Pray your narcissist will experience godly conviction concerning their pride- 

Godly conviction is a gift (2nd Corinthians 7:10). Godly conviction is simply the voice of the Holy Spirit telling us the truth about ourselves (Romans 3:23, 1st John 1:9-10). If it is responded to properly, godly conviction has the power to make the vilest, most prideful sinner as white as snow and a beautiful trophy of God’s grace and mercy (Isaiah 1:18, 2nd Corinthians 7:11, 2nd Corinthians 5:17). Without godly conviction we would all be lost. 

Loving an Adult Child who has Rejected God-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Foolish children are a grief to their father and bitterness to her who bore them- Proverbs 17:25 NRSVUE 

There is a worldwide epidemic of adult children raised in Christian homes who have defected from the Christian faith their parents devotedly sowed into them. 

Many of these adult children have deconstructed loudly and proudly. This group is openly critical of all things Christian and politically conservative. Many have adopted lifestyles and opinions completely antithetical to biblical Christianity. It is not unusual for young adults in this group to formally estrange from family members for voting the “wrong way” or attending the “wrong church”. Other young adult apostates have taken a less dramatic route and have quiet-quit Christianity. These adult children rarely discuss their decision to defect from Christianity; they just do it. They do not attend church, read their Bibles or pray. If a parent inquires, about their child’s beliefs or church attendance they just kind of shrug their shoulders and change the subject. 

Moms and Dads are understandably rattled by this turn of events. Most were loving and devoted Christian parents. None were perfect (no parent is) but most did their level-best to love their children well, teach them biblical truth and pass on their faith. 

In one sense this turn of events should surprise no one. The New Testament clearly predicts a mass apostasy (defection from the faith) just prior to the return of Jesus (1st Timothy 4:1-3, 2nd Thessalonians 2:3, 2nd Peter 3:3-4). Jesus also made it clear His teachings can bring deep division and conflict to families (Matthew 10:38, Luke 12:53). Moreover, we live in an anti-God, anti-family, throw away anything that “isn’t working for you” kind of a culture.  We are (in my opinion) very likely living in the days of a fulfillment of prophetic Scripture (2nd Timothy 3:1-5, Matthew 24:10-13).   Sadly, knowing these facts doesn’t make it any reality any easier to deal with. 

Thankfully, none of these realities mean all is lost. People change, God is powerful and if a person is breathing there is hope for their soul. Being the parent of a spiritually wayward adult child requires discernment and strategic thinking (Matthew 10:16). It is critical we remember we live in a world embroiled in brutal spiritual warfare (Ephesians 2:1-3, 1st Peter 5:8, James 4:7). Every parent in these situations must put on their armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) and do the following:  

Avoid manipulation and control-

There are a plethora of reasons attempting to manipulate or control an adult child is a terrible idea (Proverbs 28:26). Control and manipulation will not work (it might make things worse). It will breed resentment over time (Ephesians 6:4). It does not recognize or honor an adult child’s agency (Matthew 7:12). In some situations, a parent’s attempt to manipulate or control may even interfere with what God is attempting to do in the child’s life (Luke 15:11-32).  As parents of adult children, we must recognize adult children have the right to be wrong (John 12:48). They also have the right to reject God and His offer of salvation if that’s what they want to do. We must honor those rights. 

Own what you need to own but don’t take more blame than you deserve- 

We live in a culture where parents are expected to be perfect all the time. Many now-grown children have appointed themselves judge and jury of what was and was not perfect parenting. As a result, parents are often despised by their children for what most folks felt at the time was appropriate discipline and solid parenting. This can leave parents of adult kids with crippling guilt over a past they can’t change and choices that made sense at the time. It’s critical parents own what needs to be owned and leave the rest in God’s hands.  All parents make mistakes, many were too harsh, didn’t always listen well, disciplined in anger, took bad advice from experts and just generally acted like flawed human beings (Romans 3:23). If after some reflection and prayer you realize you made a mistake: own it and apologize. However, there is no reason to beat yourself up over things that cannot be changed. Instead, choose to honor God in the present by transforming into a better, healthier version of yourself now (Colossians 3, Romans 12, 2nd Peter 1:3-11). 

Pray for them-

In one sense adult children who have rejected God are no different than any other unbeliever. The number one thing Christians are commanded to do for the unbelieving is to pray for them. It is also important to note that as parents we have intimate understanding of our adult children.  This gives parents special insight into their child’s needs and makes their prayers all the more powerful. Our greatest responsibility is always to pray like a crazy person (1st Thessalonians 5:17, James 5:16, 1st Peter 4:7) and trust God to do what only He can do.

Earn the right to have conversations with them-

One oftentimes valid criticism adult kids have with their parents is that they did not always listen well to their children growing up (James 1:19). It’s never too late to change direction and become a good listener. Doing so will not only earn you the right to speak into their lives, it will also empower you to speak with true wisdom as you do (Psalm 37:30). 

Be faithful in your own spiritual life- 

Because our world is such a flaming-hot mess right now it has never been more important for God’s people to be faithful and do their best to live godly lives (Philippians 1:9-12, Philippians 2:12-15). This is even more true for parents who have adult children who have rejected God. A parents continued fidelity to Jesus stands as a powerful testimony that will speak long after the parent is gone. 

And finally, and most crucially, we must learn to trust the Lord with our kids. It helps to remember that God loves them way more than we do. He also has far more knowledge about how to get them on the narrow path of righteousness than we do (Matthew 7:13-14, Isaiah 55:8-9). When we trust God to do what only He can do we give Him all the space He needs to work on the hearts of our wayward kids (Jeremiah 31:16-17). 

The Real Reasons Christians Don’t Grow-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven- Matthew 18:3 NASB

Transformation and growth are non-negotiables of the Christian life. Christians are saved by faith for the sole purpose of being transformed into the image of Jesus (Romans 3:20, Ephesians 2:8-9). Passages like Romans 12:1-2, 2nd Peter 1:3-11, 2nd Corinthians 3:18, 2nd Corinthians 5:17 and Colossians 3:5 all drive home the notion that Christians are to relentlessly seek Christlikeness in their daily lives. 

Here’s the thing though:

According to Pew Research, sixty-three percent of self-identified Christians only attend Church once or twice a month. Only a third routinely read Scripture. More than half strongly support same-sex marriage. Nearly half (47%) believe there are no clear standards of right and wrong and over half (53%) believe abortion should be legal all or most of the time.  I do not believe Christians get the Christian life figured out and become perfectly obedient to Jesus instantaneously. I suspect many of the people interviewed by Pew are on a trajectory of growth that will eventually lead to greater obedience.  Nonetheless, the above statistics strongly suggest a large number of Christians do not grow or transform post salvation. 

The consequences of refusing to transform or neglecting to grow are spiritually catastrophic. Those who don’t grow are frequently led astray by false teachers and bad doctrine (1st Timothy 4:1). Declining to grow and change leaves believers with a feeble faith that is unlikely to go the distance or be passed on to others (Matthew 13:20-21, Hebrews 5:12, 1st Peter 3:15). Without intentional growth no one will ever reach a level of maturity that allows them to minister to others effectively because you can’t lead where you don’t go (Matthew 5:16). Perhaps the most alarming consequence of a lack of transformation is the reality that maturity and obedience in this life impacts what a person does or does not do in heaven (Matthew 25:14-30, Romans 8:17). The bottom line is without growth and transformation, Christians miss out on all the blessings we were redeemed for. 

Yikes. 

All the above realities are tragic. They are also one-hundred-percent preventable. However, in order to avoid those realities, it’s critical we un understand why Christians don’t grow and transform.  Once we understand the reasons, it’s easy to make changes that move us closer to God and fast-track our growth and transformation. 

The top four reasons we don’t grow are as follows: 

We don’t want to- 

Spiritual growth is tough. If we want to grow, we must submit every part of our life to the will of God. Unfortunately for us, God’s will always involves leaving behind our sin and selfishness (Genesis 4:7, Matthew 5:29-30, John 8:11, Acts 3:19). Sometimes people who claim to love Jesus also love their sin. A lot. If a Christian loves their sin more than they love Jesus, transformation becomes super problematic. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit was given to enable believers to overcome sin and fulfill their calling as Jesus followers (John 14:26, Acts 2:38). Growth begins with a gut level desire to please God. If that is lacking remember that praying fervently for a desire to please God is a prayer God is REALLY inclined to answer. 

We never get at the root or reason for our behavior- 

People rarely do what they do without a reason, this is especially true when it comes to sin. When an individual lies it’s not usually because they enjoy deceiving people. There’s almost always a deeper reason. Maybe, they don’t understand their value in Christ, and they feel bad about themselves. So, they present themselves as more significant or accomplished than they are. Or perhaps, they are caught up in another sin that demands they lie in order to keep the sin under the radar. The fact that there may be a deeper reason for sin doesn’t make the sin acceptable. Sin is sin. That said, understanding what’s going on inside us can help us to change our behavior. Knowledge really is power when it is coupled with a desire to transform. 

We only deal with the surface issue-

Sin is always a problem. However, the biggest problem with sin isn’t the sin it’s the heart that produces the sin (Matthew 12:34, Matthew 15:18-20, Acts 8:20-22). Outward behavior (sin) is just the expression of an inward (heart) problem. People don’t commit adultery because there are too many scantily clad people in the world. They commit adultery because they have never dealt with their lust issue or their need for attention from the opposite sex issue.  Adultery is a sin but it’s also a symptom of bigger issues. Unless the heart problem is dealt with the sin will continue to creep up anytime, we feel weak, stressed or threatened. The solution to the heart problem is taking every sinful feeling and desire we have to God in prayer (2nd Corinthians 10:5) then refusing to feed any and all sinful desires we have (1st Corinthians 9:7). In order to change our hearts deepest desires, we must examine ourselves often, feed ourselves biblical truth, surround ourselves with godly people and avoid godless entertainment that normalizes wrong behavior (Proverbs 1:5, Proverbs 13:20, Proverbs 19:20, 1st Corinthians 15:33, 1st Timothy 4:11-16). 

And finally:

We give up before we get to the good part- 

Becoming fully obedient to God is a life-long process. Sanctification (becoming obedient to God) can be challenging, especially in the beginning of our faith journey. That being said, choosing growth and transformation brings a level of joy, peace and personal happiness that is almost indescribable. We just have to let the process play out to get to the good part. 

How do we Know if our Faith is the Real Deal or a Fraud?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

 Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude- Colossians 2:6-7 NASB 

Faith is the biggest of deals to God. 

Faith in Jesus and His resurrection saves sinful humans from the wages of their sin (John 3:16, John 11:25-26, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:10). Faith enables sinful humans to call a holy God their friend (James 2:23). Faith even impacts the power of prayer (Matthew 21:22, James 1:6, James 5:14-15). The faith of the people Jesus encountered even impacted Jesus’ ability/willingness to perform miracles during His time here on earth (Matthew 13:58, Mark 10:52).

The Bible defines faith as: 

Confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see- Hebrews 11:1

Faith is more than a pie-in-the-sky spiritual ideal we someday hope to attain. Faith is not simply a nice thing to have or something that earns believers spiritual bonus points. God sees faith as a nonnegotiable. 

The Bible also says this about faith: 

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him- Hebrews 11:6 

A cursory reading of nearly any Bible discussing faith points the reader to the idea that the kind of faith that pleases God is more than an intellectual acquiescence to the notion that He exists (James 2:19, Hebrews 10:22-23).  The faith God wants His people to have is much more solid than just simply believing in something in a passive, reflexive or instinctive kind of a way. 

This truth begs a couple of really critical questions:

 What does real faith “look like”? 

How do we know if the faith we possess is the real deal? 

How do we know our faith is the saving faith the Bible talks about (Ephesians 2:8) or something altogether different and less powerful?

How do we get the right “kind” of faith? 

These questions matter to believers in Jesus because no one can please God without faith (1st Peter 1:8-9). Real faith has several distinct elements all woven together that make faith a saving faith. Following are four of them:

Faith does-

Hebrews eleven is sometimes called the “Heroes of the Faith chapter” or the “Hall of Faith”. The writer lists individuals throughout biblical history who had faith that pleased God. All sorts of people made the list: men, women, young people, old people, prophets, warriors, priests, and even a few gentiles. All those folks had one thing in common: their faith got them busy (1st Peter 4:10, Galatians 1:23, Colossians 2:5). They all acted on their faith and did something God-honoring with their lives. Some worshipped, some blessed, some resisted earthly authority, others built, some brought God a better sacrifice and some simply longed deeply for life in the heavenly city. The best of the lot, the individuals God said the world is not worthy of died for what they believed in. They believed in faith their death was not wasted. Each person named or unnamed in Hebrews eleven did something meaningful simply BECAUSE they believed. Real faith is a verb. A person demonstrates their faith in God by living their lives for Him rather than themselves (Hebrews 6:12, James 2:20). 

Faith obeys- 

God does not measure a person’s faith based on their feelings, how demonstrative their worship is or how eloquent their words are or are not. None of that matters to God. God measures faith by a person’s obedience to God and His commands (Psalm 18:25, Psalm 25:10, Galatians 5:6).  Abrham is called “father of the faithful” (Romans 4:11) because he obeyed God. Abrham obeyed when he understood God and he obeyed when he didn’t understand God and because of his belief God credited Abrham’s faith (obedience) as righteousness. God hasn’t changed (Hebrews 13:8). If we really believe Jesus is who He says He is (God) and that He sacrificed Himself for our sins. Then God expects us to do what He tells us to do in Scripture.  Obedience is the fruit of faith, without obedience faith is questionable at best. 

Faith transforms- 

God does not redeem people simply to make them into a heaven bound version their hellish pre-Jesus self (Ephesians 2:10). People are redeemed to be transformed into the image of Jesus (Romans 12:2, 2nd Corinthians 3:18 Colossians 3:1-17, Ephesians 4:22, 1st Corinthians 5:17). If a person identifies as a believer in Jesus here will be some real change including a desire to let go of sinful behaviors (1st Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:19-21) as well as a desire to please God with every part of their lives (2nd Peter 1:3-11, Galatians 5:22-23). If those desires don’t exist neither does the faith. 

Faith trusts- 

Faith that pleases God looks past circumstances and situations. This kind of faith brazenly ignores the obvious and looks at God. Faith chooses to believe God will do what He says He will do even when life is scary and difficult (Genesis 17:1). Because this kind of faith is God’s favorite, He will go to great lengths to grow this kind of faith in His people. Unfortunately, for His people this can mean some scary moments as we learn to trust Him with things that don’t always make sense to us.

Faith doesn’t just happen.

We acquire faith by believing in Jesus work on the cross, hearing the word of God and then doing what it tells us to do (Romans 10:17). Our faith becomes real and saving when we choose to let it change us into something infinitely better.  

How Churches can Overcome a Toxic Culture-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven- Matthew 5:14 and 16 NASB

 Secular culture has always had an element of toxicity to it. 

This is unavoidable because anything (or anyone) that isn’t actively for Christ will always be anti-Christ in some way (1st John 4:3). Nonetheless, until recently, much of secular culture was fairly neutral, some elements might have even been considered somewhat wholesome.

That ship has officially sailed. 

At this point in human history nearly every culture on earth has embraced every evil under the sun and started calling the evil “good” (Isaiah 5:20). Politics are corrupt, people are selfish, cruel and mean, many appear to be going feral, deviant sexual behaviors are embraced and celebrated. Parents are no longer honored, life is no longer held sacred, and marriage is no longer seen as a necessary steppingstone to parenthood (Romans 1:18-32, 2ndTimothy 3:1-5, 2nd Timothy 4:3). Sadly, that list is barely skimming the surface of our world-wide cultural brokenness.  

Sigh. 

Churches tend to take one of several unhealthy approaches in dealing with the ever-encroaching madness. Some mainline denominations gleefully embrace and celebrate the culture. In these churches abortion and euthanasia are viewed as gifts, they believe gender is a choice everyone gets to make and homosexuality, is just another sexual option on a long list of options. Politicians who battle for the “right” to live a life of what the Bible calls “sin” are applauded as heroes. 

 Other churches do their level best to simply ignore the culture. They focus on Jesus and how awesome He is and how awesome He is to those who love Him. These churches will do anything short of sin to keep negativity and ickiness from creeping into their churches.  If something problematic does find its way into the like the death of Charlie Kirk, a gay couple or outspoken political views the whole messy muddle is quickly swept under the rug, and leadership moves on to cheerier topics. 

Others attempt to fight the evil, not with good as the Bible instructs (Romans 12:18-21) but with mockery, condescension and mean-spiritedness. These folks poke fun at anyone who disagrees with the Bible, conservative political views or their expression of Christianity.

The drawback with the first approach is (hopefully) obvious. Embracing sin to win people to Jesus makes almost as much sense as believing someone could cast out a demon with the power of Satan (Matthew 9:33-34). It’s absurd. Celebrating sin just makes  something God expressly forbids feel safe (2nd Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19). This tactic keeps individuals deceived, disobedient to God and trapped in the ugliness and hopelessness of sin (2nd Peter 3:11, 1st John 1:6). 

The problems with second approach are more complex. On the surface this approach feels wholesome and agreeable because it limits offense and controversy and makes Christianity an easy thing for people to accept. However, because churches have remained silent regarding cultural issues an entire generation is mostly ignorant concerning a whole host of biblical issues including (but not limited to) abortion, euthanasia, gender, homosexuality and what it means to honor one’s parents. Furthermore, what you win people with you win them to. Winning folks to a wishy-washy, inoffensive form of Christianity will not form strong disciples able to withstand persecution.  This approach also cruelly ignores the pain of those who have been damaged by the culture. The Church ceases to be a place of healing if no one is ever allowed to talk about anything icky, contentious or hard.  

The third approach sometimes feels the most holy and helpful because it actively calls out sin and heresy.  However, no one in the history of forever has ever been mocked, belittled or shamed into holiness or right thinking. It just doesn’t happen. 

So, what should the church do about the culture? Following are four things we can do: 

Be real without embracing despair or hopelessness-

The culture is terrible. More and more people are choosing to live a life of sin. This damages the sinners and generates untold pain for their families. Politics are divisive and gross. This makes communication and finding common ground challenging. The state of the culture makes life uglier and living out our faith harder. These are realities we have to deal with. However, none of these issues make Jesus any less powerful or God any less good.  We must recognize the realities of our age without losing sight of God’s goodness or power to transform people and situations (Joshua 1:9, Galatians 6:9).

Be a hospital for those hurting from the culture-

Churches cannot ignore the damaged, brokenhearted people in their midst. Churches must acknowledge, love and provide opportunities for healing for those leaving sinful lifestyles including homosexuality and transgenderism. Churches must also come alongside family members (parents, grandparents, siblings) and help them to love wayward family members with the love of Jesus. 

Be like Jesus and not just the Jesus who turned over the tables in the temple- 

There were a lot of sides to Jesus and being like Jesus doesn’t mean we are always milk-toasty, wishy-washy and endlessly tolerant of every stupid thing to come along. It does mean we lead with love even when we have to say hard things and draw rigid lines around what we will and will not do (Romans 6:12-14, Ephesians 4:25, Ephesians 5:11-12). 

And finally:

Choose biblical relevance over cultural relevance- 

Forget about cultural relevance. Our culture is rotting from within; it has nothing to offer but death and sorrow. There’s nothing to be gained from aligning Christianity with death, sorrow and rot. Instead, Christians must choose to align with the Bible and fearlessly declare truth. It’s where life is found (Psalm 16:11, Deuteronomy 30:19) and a culture of death is overcome (John 10:10). 

Five Crazy Pants Lies Christians Believe about Sin-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long- Psalm 25:4-5 NKJV

We live in an age of crazy pants lies.

There are so many lies told concerning so many issues, it can be tricky sorting out truth from fiction. This should come as no surprise to Christians.  Scripture predicts an age of widespread deception in the years prior to the return of Jesus (Matthew 24:4, Matthew 24:11-12, Matthew 24:24). Sadly, church world is not, nor has it ever been immune to lies (Romans 16:17, Timothy 4:3-4, 2nd Peter 2:1). Christians have an enemy that seeks to steal, kill and destroy every good thing in the life of believers (John 10:10, Mark 4:15, 1st Peter 5:8).  Therefore, the enemy benefits from Christians believing lies. There are more lies are told about sin in our age than almost any other issue. Some believe that because our sin is forgiven it is not something Christian’s ought to get worked up over. Others are so legalistic they make zero space for the foolishness and failings of humanity. This leaves those who have experienced moral failure feeling hopeless. Sin is an area that needs the light of truth shone on it. Following are five of the biggest lies we believe about sin.

All sin is the same-  

In one sense it’s true that all sin is the same. All sin is terrible and any sin (no matter how small or insignificant it seems to us) will keep a person separated from God forever (Romans 3:23). However, the whole notion that all sin is exactly the same once a person has been redeemed by Jesus (Mark 16:16, Romans 10:9-13, 1st Corinthains 15:1-5, Ephesians 2:1-10) does not hold up biblically. Some sins carry greater consequences than others. Telling someone their hair looks nice when it doesn’t (a lie) really only hurts the liar. Choosing to lie will make the liar comfortable with lying. Becoming comfortable with sin gives the devil a foothold in a person’s life. This will likely lead to a hardness of heart and even more lying but at the end of the day it is the teller of the small lie who is hurt the most (Revelation 2:8). Other sins like murder, abuse, idolatry and theft damage others, potentially creating life altering ripples in current and future generations (Proverbs 6:27-28). Moreover, the Bible makes it clear there are certain sins that if practiced routinely will keep a person out of heaven (1st Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-20, Ephesians 5:5). That is simply not true of every sin.  One can view this sticky wicket in one of two ways. Either genuinely saved people do not routinely commit those sins (Calvinist theology) or routinely committing those sins causes you to lose your salvation (Armenian theology). Either way it should make us think long and hard about what kind of sin we allow ourselves to get caught up in (Hebrews 12:1).

God doesn’t hear when a sinner prays-

Hogwash. God hears everything. He’s omniscient. God does not tune out prayer simply because it was uttered by a sinner (Romans 3:23). If He did no one in the history of humanity would ever have had a prayer answered. However, the only prayers God routinely ANSWERS from those living in stubborn, unrepentant sin are prayers of repentance asking for mercy, help and grace (Micah 3:4, Isaiah 59:2, 1st Peter 3:7). It’s just one more really good reason to choose to live a life as free from sin as possible (1st John 3:22. 

Sin is the fault of an outside source or influence- 

This lie is as old and persistent as the fall (Genesis 3:12). In John chapter nine Jesus heals a man who was born blind. Instead of marveling at the miracle they just witnessed, the pharisees just wanted to know who sinned causing this man to be born blind. Our generation is remarkably similar. Anytime someone sins (child molestation, abuse, murder, etc.) people look to outside sources to explain why that person became such a heinous sinner. Bystanders are quick to blame bad parenting, poverty and bullying for the sinful actions of the sinner. Ultimately, this tendency keeps people from taking responsibility for themselves and places guilt squarely on those (parents especially) who oftentimes did nothing wrong (Ezekial 18:1-31). The truth is that we all (no matter our experiences) have a choice about whether or not we sin (James 1:13-15)

Intentional sin is no different from unintentional sin- 

 It is true that any sin can be forgiven. It is also true that God understands and makes space for human weakness and stupidity (1st John 1:9-10). That’s what grace is for.  However, intentional sin (sinning on purpose, knowing it’s a sin) reveals a prideful heart that has either strayed far from God or a heart that never knew God at all (Numbers 15:30). Furthermore, those who sin intentionally and arrogantly often feel that God “owes” them forgiveness. These folks are (in my experience) more likely to deconstruct and walk away from the faith altogether (Hebrews 3:11-13). The bottom line in all this is that intentional sin is very bad and spiritually very dangerous.  Anytime we are tempted to sin intentionally we should do some heavy self-reflecting (2nd Corinthians 13:5) and make an effort to figure out what’s going on in our hearts. 

And finally: 

Our sin is what defines us- 

It can be, but only if we refuse to place our faith in Jesus. When we trust Jesus to forgive our sin and choose to repent (Matthew 4:17, Matthew 3:8). Jesus graciously forgives our sin, forgets all about it and makes us (spiritually speaking) white as snow. He then gives us the ability to transform into His image (Isaiah 1:18, Micah 7:19, Romans 12:2, 2nd Corinthians 5:17). This is a gamechanger for anyone who chooses it.  

Four Reasons Why our Prayers Aren’t Answered When and How we Want Them Answered-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Listen to my words, Lord, Consider my sighing.Listen to the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray. In the morning, Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will present my prayer to You and be on the watch-Psalm 5:1-3 NASB 

Christians are instructed to pray about everything all the time, whether we feel like it or not (Luke 6:38, Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 4:6, Colossians 4:2, 1st Thessalonians 5:17, 1st Timothy 2:1, 1st Timothy 2:8, James 5:13-16). Jesus is our model for how, when and why to pray. Jesus prayed constantly. His devotion to prayer was so passionate He often wandered off to pray in seclusion for extended periods of time (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 11:11). 

All that being said: 

Prayer can be tough. Prayer requires self-control, self-denial and perseverance. Therefore, prayer rarely comes naturally to fallen humans, even when the fallen human is redeemed, prayer can be a struggle (Matthew 26:41).  Our desire to pray is often complicated by situations and seasons when our prayers appear to not be “working”. We pray fervently for something we know is God’s will (like spiritual awakening or salvation) and nothing happens; or worse, we pray and the reverse of what we hope will happen happens. The whole messy muddle begs an awkward question: if God is real and He wants us to pray why don’t more of our prayers get answered with a resounding “yes” and “amen”? 

I don’t pretend to know everything about everything. 

What I do know for absolute certain is woefully inadequate. However, one thing I do know for certain is prayer is powerful and it works. When it doesn’t there are reasons why. If we understand those reasons, it helps us to pray more effectively and stay faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12). Following are four reasons for unanswered or slowly answered prayer: 

Freewill-

Nothing tempts us towards spiritual frustration more than praying and fasting for someone we love and then watching them do the exact opposite of what we have been praying they would do. It’s maddening.  Our frustration is often magnified by the fact that when we pray for people, we are most often praying for their salvation, maturity or moral transformation. We KNOW God wants people to be saved and come to a knowledge of truth (Romans 10:13, 1st Timothy 2:1-4, John 3:16). We also know God wants people to live wisely. Idiocy is not God’s will for anyone (Proverbs 8:33, Proverbs 19:20). The number one reason prayers don’t always get answered is because God will not normally overrule the freewill of a human being (Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Ezekial 18: 30-32, Revelation 3:20, Galatians 5:13).  God will allow people to be stupid, refuse God and hurt themselves if that’s what they want to do (Proverbs 12:1, Ecclesiastes 10:3). Unanswered prayers related to salvation are often a clue we should change the direction of our prayers and ask God to bring situations into the person’s life that will cause them to want to seek the Lord. When someone seeks God, they find Him (Jeremiah 29:13) However, sometimes it takes a little hardship to get people there. Once we pray that hard prayer, we must choose to trust Jesus even if our loved one experiences pain or difficulty.

Demonic interference- 

One of the strangest and most enlightening passages concerning unanswered prayer and spiritual warfare is found in the book of Daniel (Daniel 10:1-15). Daniel had been given a series of visions concerning future events then all of a sudden there was radio silence, zero communication from God, so Daniel (in true Daniel fashion) prays harder and enlists some friends to pray with him. In chapter ten an angel (Gabriel) appears to Daniel. The angel tells Daniel in no uncertain terms he is “treasured” by God and that his prayer had been heard and answered immediately. He then explains that the answer was hindered by some sort of extreme demonic interference (verses 12—13). The whole passage is admittedly a bit weird but it along with Ephesians 6:10-18 does help us understand that there is unseen spiritual realm that impacts our world especially where prayer is concerned. 

It’s not time- 

A couple of years ago I had a conversation with a woman and her mother. The woman had severed ties with her parents (her dad was a pastor) as a young adult. For the next THIRTY years she lived as a lesbian, she proceeded to willfully disregard every truth she had been taught as a child. In 2020 she contracted Covid and believed she was going to die. She knew that if she died, she would go to hell. In that moment of realization, she cried out to Jesus and promised Him that if she lived, she would change. She did live and she changed everything. Within a week she divorced her “wife”, gave up some sinful habits, got back into church and reconnected with her parents. Her journey to wholeness and Jesus was a long one (admittedly due to her own stubbornness) but God was faithful in His timing to answer the prayers of her parents and their church community. Would her transformation have been as dramatic and decisive without those prayers? We will never know. But I do know that sometimes God’s immediate answer to prayer “is keep praying”. Then in due time He does things we never believed could happen (Ephesians 3:20-21). 

And finally, 

Sometimes the answer is “no”- 

God knows more than we can ever imagine knowing, as a result He sometimes says “no” to things we think He should He should say “yes”. to In those moments when it looks like the answer is “no” our job is to trust that God really does know more than we do. In those moments we must keep our hearts soft and continue to pray because we never know if the “no” is a “no” or God telling us to wait a little longer and pray a little harder (Luke 18:1-6). 

Four Things Done and Taught in Churches that Harm Christians-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ- Colossians 1:28 NASB 

Fourteen-ish years ago when I began writing this blog, I wrote ad nauseum about problems I saw in Church world. Nearly every week I wrote about some church peeve or irritant I had with how church was being done. 

Then I did this thing I do sometimes. 

I got tired. It felt like I was expending a lot of energy yammering on endlessly about church problems. In more introspective moments, I wondered if I was perhaps overdoing some criticisms. I didn’t want to be one of those people who only complained and never really DID anything to solve problems or make the world a better place.  So, I intentionally pivoted. I began writing more posts focused on doctrine, Bible study and spiritual growth. My hope was that by focusing more on Christian living I would ultimately impact the church community and facilitate much-needed change.

Well. 

This last week it occurred to me as I was listening to some really one-sided teaching on a critical issue that the problems in church world have not gone anywhere. I felt a distinct nudge from the Holy Spirit to revisit some issues that are still impacting the church negatively. Following are four the Lord laid on my heart this week: 

Heretical teachings on grace- 

Grace is the most essential doctrine in all of Christianity. Grace is the foundation of everything we believe about Jesus, salvation, forgiveness and how we respond to those who have sinned against us (Ephesians 1:5-7, John 10:10, Matthew 18:21-35). Without grace there is no prospect of salvation, no forgiveness, no abundant life and no hope for anyone no matter how “good” they appear to be (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:23-25, Ephesians 2:8-9, 2nd Peter 2:18). Period. However, anytime the doctrine of grace is taught without discussing the doctrine of sin it creates very real practical and theological problems. One of those problems includes an attitude Paul warned about in Romans (Romans 6:1-23). It’s the idea that it is okay (perhaps even good) for Christians to sin on purpose because it gives God an opportunity to forgive their sins (demonstrate grace). Therefore, (the logic goes) sin your face off because grace is just a big bucket of forgiveness one can dip into anytime they sin intentionally or unintentionally. This attitude is foolish and spiritually dangerous because it ignores the clear biblical call to repent and become increasingly more holy with every passing day (John 8:11, 1st Peter 1:15-16, 1st Peter 2:5, 1st John 5:1-4). This does not mean there is no room for failure, mistakes and human frailty in Christianity (Romans 3:23, 1st John 1:8-10). It just means Christians are deeply grieved by their own sin and never treat it lightly. 

Salvation without Repentance- 

When I first started writing this blog, I was deeply troubled by the fact that most American churches no longer gave a salvation message. This is an area of growth for the American church; more and more are giving a salvation message. This is very good. However, the whole notion of sin and repentance is sometimes being left out of the call to salvation (Isaiah 1:28, Isaiah 13:9, Matthew 9:13, Luke 13:1-3). People are not always being told that they need salvation because they are sinners who need to be forgiven. Instead, the message being preached in many churches is often a bit fuzzy, i.e. “you need Jesus because He will give you comfort and make you a better version of yourself”. Jesus will do those things but that is not the primary reason we need Jesus. We need Jesus to make us right and holy before a holy God (2nd Corinthians 5:17). 

Bible-lite  

 The Bible is the most beautifully balanced book in all of creation. It is abounding with stories, psalms and theology that reveal and remind us of God’s kindness, mercy, grace and goodness. If one needs a positive reminder of God’s love and goodness they will find it (Isaiah 43:25, Ezekial 36:26, Psalm 23, John 3:16, 1st Corinthians 6:11). However, the Bible also has a lot of passages that serve (metaphorically speaking) as a kick in the backside (Romans 1:18-31, 1st Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21). God designed His word this way on purpose knowing that we need both in equal measure. Without both we quickly lose sight of our on-going need for sanctification and growth (2nd Corinthians 7:1, 2nd Peter 1:3-11).  

Silence concerning the culture-  

The word toxic is overused to the point of absurdity in our world. Nonetheless, our culture is truly toxic. It is a lethal force that damages our souls without our knowledge or consent.   Unfortunately, many pastors and Bible teachers are reluctant to address cultural issues because they want to avoid “being political”. I get it. However, many “political” issues are first and foremost spiritual issues, and many Christians (especially young Christians) are ignorant of what the Bible has to say about a myriad of critical issues including (but not limited to) abortion, how a Christian should treat their parents, cancel culture, poverty and homosexuality. By avoiding “political” issues the church has short-circuited the discipleship of millions to the detriment of the church and the culture. 

Contrary to popular opinion, what a Christian believes matters. 

What we believe matters because our beliefs about doctrine, cultural issues, God’s character and truth all inform and affect our behavior and we will give an account for our behavior in this life (Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12, Hebrews 4:13).

Strategic Keys to Preventing Spiritual Burnout, Backsliding and Deconstruction-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord- 1st Peter 2:1-3 NASB

We all have them in our lives. 

People we love and care about who started the race of faith with a lot of hullabaloo and determination. Nevertheless, something went terribly wrong and they either deconstructed loudly and proudly or burnt-out slowly and left the Christian faith quietly. 

Their condition is sad, befuddling and scary all at the same time. It’s sad because we love them want everyone to experience every good thing Jesus has to offer (John 10:10). It’s befuddling because we cannot help but wonder what on earth happened. Were they never really believers?  If they are believers, will they make into heaven by the skin of their teeth with zero rewards? It’s scary because we don’t really know what the spiritual outcome will be for them.

Sadly, all the above questions are a bit above my paygrade. 

 I honestly don’t know if those who profess Christ and then regress permanently were ever really saved or not. Nor do I know what it will be like for them on judgment day. Jesus made it clear that there are people who appear to be Christians and are not (Matthew 13:30, Matthew 25).  It’s also true we are saved by grace, not works (Romans 3:23-24, Ephesians 2:8-9). However, everyone will receive rewards in keeping with their works (Matthew 6:1-6, Matthew 25:14-29, 1st Corinthians 3:15).

I do know God is gracious and good (Luke 15:11-32, 1st John 1:9, Lamentations 3:22). Therefore, prevention is without a doubt more important than understanding the ins-and-outs of issues that are above our paygrade. The sad reality is regression (or backsliding) can happen to anyone (Hebrews 5:12-14, Romans 1:21). It doesn’t matter if the person has been a believer (or even a Christian leader) for a long time. Nor does it matter how many cool things they have done for the kingdom. Regression happens to every classification of Christian. Because Jesus had nothing good to say about quitters (Luke 9:62) today we are going to look at the most common causes of spiritual regression and how to prevent them. 

Drift- 

The book of Hebrews has a lot to say about the spiritual dangers of drift (Hebrews 2:1-4, Hebrews 5:12-14, Hebrews 10:25). Drift usually begins with a tough season that leads to a low-level spiritual burnout.  Everything in life is hard and deep in our hearts we know God could make things easier on us if He was willing and obviously, He is not willing or the season would be less hard. So, we intentionally or subconsciously slow communication with the Almighty to a trickle. As a result, our Bibles get a bit dusty, church attendance becomes spotty and our prayers are more fleeting and compulsory than passionate and honest.  Before we know it, it’s like “God who?”. The key to preventing drift is accountability to other people and a rock-solid commitment to appropriately dealing with our anger at God (see point four) and trusting Him to do what’s best for us even when the circumstances of our lives are not all we hoped they would be. 

 Ditching church- 

Attending Church doesn’t make a person a Christian, nor does church attendance automatically make an attender spiritually healthy. However, church attendance is a gage of our spiritual temperature.  A desire to ditch church is a clear indicator of a problem. However, attending a healthy, gospel proclaiming church puts us in proximity to things and people that encourage and promote growth like other Christians, solid Bible teaching and prayer (James 5:16). 

Lack of intentional growth- 

Spiritual growth does not happen without effort (2nd Peter 1:3-11).  Choosing to grow means making a daily commitment to pray, learn the Bible and practice holiness (Isaiah 35:8, 2nd Corinthians 7:1). Choosing to grow also means deciding every single day to get up and persevere in our faith even when life gets hard and God feels distant.  It means never giving up or giving into spiritual laziness (Hebrews 6:11). 

Hurt that gets the better of us-

The Bible does not shy away from the reality that this life is full of pain and heartache (Romans 8:18, 2ndCorinthians 1:5). If we are not careful the trouble and tribulation that’s a normal consequence of living in a fallen world can cause us to become bitter towards God. Bitterness can lead to spiritual defection (Matthew 13:21, Matthew 24:9-10, Hebrews 12:15). On the other hand, pain and hurt can cause us to grow and become even more rooted in our faith (1st Peter 1:6-9). Prayer and close Christian friends are the keys to keeping the tough stuff from getting the best of us (Matthew 26:14, 1st Peter 4:7, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Hebrews 10:24-25, 1st Thessalonians 5:11). However, waiting until there’s a crisis to build community or cultivate a prayer life will not do a whole lot for us. Prayer and community should be a priority for every Christian. The tough times will come (John 16:33) it’s on us to be spiritually prepared for those times (Matthew 7:24-27).  

And finally,  

Getting hung up on the stuff we don’t understand- 

No human being is capable of fully understanding why God does what He does (Isaiah 55:8-9). This means that when we come up against seasons of life or circumstances that make no sense. In those moments the only spiritually logical response is to trust and believe God is good and He is diligently working things out for our good (Romans 8:28).