Category: 2023

The Hard Consequences of Refusing to Obey-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

Thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and after being freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness- Romans 6:17-18 NASB

I have observed there are a whole slew of words that irritate the decency out of most people. Just having one of those words aimed our way is like the sound of nails on a chalkboard. It generates immediate discomfort and sometimes even provokes a visceral response.  

Those words are:

Submit   

Surrender

Concede

Capitulate

Acquiesce 

Comply 

Conform 

Oddly enough, all the icky words are simply synonyms for the ickiest word of them all: obey.  No one likes to obey other people.  Most don’t even want to obey God (Isaiah 24:20). I am convinced most people don’t reject God because they cannot find evidence for His existence. Most reject God (and use lack of evidence as their excuse) because deep down they simply don’t want to obey God (1st Samuel 15:23, Isaiah 59:12-14) Even most Christians have an aversion to the whole idea of NOT being in complete control of every situation. Choosing to obey anyone— including God means giving up a measure of control because obedience is ultimately acquiescing to the will and authority of another. I get why nobody likes it. I am not a fan of any of those words either. 

However, 

I have learned (mostly the hard way) that when Christians refuse to obey God in any area of their life there are always some super unpleasant unintended consequences (1st Peter 2:8, Hebrews 3:12-19). I have also learned (mostly the hard way) that all (yes all) of God’s commands are for our protection. When we refuse to obey God, we are willfully refusing God’s protection. The unintended consequences of disobedience include but are not limited to:

We feel the full weight of every mistake and misstep-  

Human beings are by nature, prone to all sorts of weird errors. Those mistakes can and often do lead to all sorts of individual, relational, professional and church-related disasters. One of the greatest benefits of obeying God is the extra measure of grace we are given when it comes to the missteps and blunders of life (Hebrews 4:16). God will not bless sin. As a result, when we walk in sin or refuse to repent of a known sin we miss out on the blessing of the Lord. Practically speaking, this means we get to feel the full impact of our own foolishness. Every. Single. Time. Conversely, obedience protects us from the full effects of what could have been a painful, life-altering blunder. 

The voice of the Lord becomes muffled- 

No one is born into this world wise, discerning, prudent or able to make good decisions and avoid the pitfalls of life. In order for use to do or become any of those things we must hear the voice of God speaking to us (John 10:27). God speaks to His people through a still small voice, the Bible, the circumstances of life and wise people (Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 2:1-8, 1st Kings 19:11-13, Psalm 119:105, Proverbs 13:20). Every time we willfully disobey the Lord we move a little further away from God and as a result it then becomes harder to hear Him speak (Hebrews 5:13). When that happens we automatically become less wise, less discerning, less prudent and less able to make good decisions and avoid the pitfalls of life. 

Our desires/appetites gradually change over time- 

When a Christian chooses to walk in step with the Holy Spirit they automatically develop a healthy appetite for spiritually wholesome people, activities and entertainment. Any desire they once had for activities, entertainment and the company of people that may have a negative impact on their moral decision making are naturally diminished. Conversely, the more disobedient a Christian becomes the less interested they are in wholesome people, activities and entertainment. Any Christian who routinely disobeys God in any area or refuses to repent of known sin will begin to crave things and the company of people that will dull their spiritual senses. Sadly, an increased appetite for sketchy people, activities and entertainment set the stage for more spiritual and moral disaster and all the consequences that go along with it (1st Corinthians 15:33). 

We run the risk of hardening our hearts-

Anytime a person deliberately disobeys God or ignores the Holy Spirit their heart becomes a bit harder. If the disobedience goes on long enough their heart becomes fully hardened (Jeremiah 17:9). The net result is the person no longer cares about God or what He has to say about anything. Some of the Bible’s fiercest warnings revolve around the dangers hardening one’s heart (Proverbs 28:15, Ephesians 4:18, Hebrews 3:7-12). It is critical we heed these warnings because Christians are not exempt from the consequences of ignoring them. Furthermore, depending on your theology a hardened heart means: a) you were never really a Christian to begin with (Matthew 7:21-23), b) you were saved and will receive zero rewards in heaven (1st Corinthians 3:12-15) or c) you lost your salvation (Hebrews 6:4-8).  Yikes, yikes and more yikes.

Here’s the thing:

For decades now, Christian teachers have pushed grace-heavy theology.  I for one, love the doctrine of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9, John 10:28, Romans 8:1-39, Titus 3:3-7). Grace is the best, most beautiful reality in all of creation. God’s grace forgives our sin and empowers us to live a godly life (Titus 2:11-12). However, much of the grace-heavy theology taught today simply ignores or glosses over some hard warnings sprinkled throughout the New Testament (Hebrews 6, Matthew 7:21-23, Colossians 1:23, Galatians 6:7-8, Romans 11:21-23, 2nd Peter 3:17). It is the height of foolishness to ignore that many warnings all with the same theme. 

All that being said.

The way to avoid heartache and spiritual trouble is to simply obey God and with that one little choice comes blessings, personal with God and others and a joy filled life.

The Mind-blowing Implications of “God with us”-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

“Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”- Matthew 1:23 NASB 

God with us.

In my humble opinion those three little words are the three most mind-blowing in all of Scripture (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23). 

The very notion the God of the universe, the holy, righteous maker of all things, the God who dwells apart from sin in unapproachable light would leave His home in heaven and visit earth is in and of itself, well, kind of mind-blowing (1st Timothy 6:15-16). It would stand to reason considering the state of this sorry planet that if God were to show up He would shame His creation or punish His creation or at the very least give His creation a sternly worded lecture.  Instead God came to earth to model the right way to live, commune with and eventually die for the sins of a bunch of created beings who were all living in rebellion to Him (John 13:12-17, Romans 5:6).  

What kind of God does that? 

Seriously. 

All that being said, it has not escaped my notice that humans often miss the forest for the trees when it comes the whole idea of God being with us, especially this time of year. The cultural trappings of Christmas are delightful and joyous and I am convinced God loves joy and is delighted to see His children celebrate. Nonetheless, decorating our homes, putting up lights, attending parties, making tasty treats and buying gifts do little to help us remember the God of the universe showed up in our world just to let us know He loves us in spite of our many defects and issues (John 3:16). Truth-be-told, as fun as they are, all the cultural trappings of Christmas are a huge distraction from the mind-blowing truth of “God with us”. Even many of our Christian celebrations fail to capture the magnitude and meaning of those three little words. It’s easy to get so caught up in the songs and stories of Christmas we forget the sweet little baby in the manger grew up to do some big things for us we were totally incapable of doing for ourselves. (Romans 5:8). The first coming of Jesus had a huge impact on human life. Some of the mind-blowing implications of God choosing to be with us are as follows: 

We can be at peace with God- 

The primary reason Jesus came to earth was to broker peace between God and the human race. Our sin separated us from God, making authentic relationship with God impossible (Genesis 3:8). Jesus death and resurrection paid the price for sin (Luke 22-24). However, this does not mean every person on earth automatically has peace with God just because Jesus showed up and died for our sins. Peace with God is a choice each person has to make. We choose peace with God when we place our faith in Jesus and the work He did on the cross. We know our faith in Jesus is the real deal when it is accompanied by a desire to repent of our sin and live for the one who saved us.

We can live at peace with ourselves- 

Without question the toughest thing about being human is having to live with our own shortcomings and the fallout of our own sinful, selfish choices. Becoming a Christian does not automatically remove the consequences of our past choices but it does remove the guilt. Knowing the God of the universe has forgiven us makes it much easier to forgive ourselves (Ephesians 2:1-6, 1st John 1:9, 1st John 2:1) It also makes it possible for us to move on to bigger and better things that bring God glory and personal peace to our hearts (Romans 5:1-2, Galatians 6:8-10).

We can be transformed– 

Perhaps the greatest practical implication of God being with us is that His presence in our lives empowers personal transformation (2nd Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 6:15).  Meaning we can actually change. This is the biggest of deals because prior to the coming of Jesus people could change their actions but not their hearts. Evil and unbelieving people were stuck in their sin forever with no hope of real transformation. Jesus’ coming changed all that forever. Now, because, Jesus’ presence indwells the people who believe in Him, His presence gives everyone who wants it the power needed to change not just our actions but also our hearts. Because of Jesus every day is a new beginning and we can be better people tomorrow than we are today. 

And finally:

God’s people are honored with the best job ever. In a very real sense Jesus left a great deal of work undone before He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9). This was not an oversight or an error. Jesus left the honor of finishing up all that needed to be done up to ordinary Christians (2nd Corinthians 4:7-11). The apostle Paul went so far as to say Christians are “ambassadors” of Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:20) and that God literally makes His appeals for salvation to the unsaved through us. God trusts normal, everyday people to do an eternity-impacting job simply because He loves us enough to save us and work through us. 

Now, that’s something to celebrate. 

The Responsibilities Husbands and Wives Have to One Another in a Christian Marriage-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs. Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you- Ephesians 4:29a and 32 NIV

I recently experienced a low-level existential crisis. 

It all started when a young woman I tend to think of as a spiritual daughter asked for some advice on finding some good marriage books.  I am beyond proud of this girl for the way she is choosing to live her life. I was also honored she would consider me a trustworthy source of information on any subject but especially a subject as critical and personal as marriage. 

However. 

As a general rule, I am reluctant to recommend most marriage books. Mostly because the vast majority of marriage books base all or most of their instruction on the teaching found in Ephesians 5:22-33. There is nothing wrong with the instruction given in Ephesians 5:22-33. It’s a fundamental part of most marriage vows for good reason. The text lays out the roles in a Christian marriage. The husband’s is to lead and love his wife, the wife’s is to submit to and respect her husband.  The problem with relying entirely on this passage to teach about marriage (in my opinion) is that there is more to marriage than just roles.

There is also responsibility. 

Without a thorough understanding of our responsibilities to one another in a Christian marriage the discussion of roles tends to devolve into overly simplistic and sometimes hurtful teaching regarding incredibly complex issues. The best example is found in a popular marriage book that boils all the complexities of the marriage relationship down to love and respect. The book teaches all women want or need is to be loved by their husbands. Conversely, according to the author, all men want or need is to be respected by their wives. If a woman can learn to respect well and a man can learn to love well most marital problems will simply work themselves out. 

It sounds great (because it’s simple). 

However, the book ignores the fact that love cannot exist without respect. No one can sincerely love another person without respecting and behaving in a respectful manner towards that person. When a man is not respectful of his wife any love the woman has for him will die an ugly death sooner or later. It is possible to respect someone without loving (or even liking) them but respect without love always devolves into joyless duty and deep resentment at some point. 

Furthermore.

All Christians (male and female) are obligated to obey and submit to God above every human authority. If a husband instructs his wife to do something God forbids (looking at pornography, putting him above God, bringing another person into the relationship, etc.) then the wife is obligated to obey God—not her husband (Exodus 1:15-20, Acts 5:29, Exodus 20:3, Exodus 20:14). Truth-be-told Christian marriage is meant to reflect the love Jesus has for His people. Therefore, a marriage based entirely on duty or where one person lacks respect for the other is bad for everyone: the wife, the husband and especially the reputation of Jesus. 

Seriously. 

Roles are important in marriage. I would never attempt to argue otherwise. However, understanding our responsibilities as spouses is critical to working out the roles in marriage in way that reflects Jesus and His love for the church (Ephesians 5:25-33). Our responsibilities to one another in marriage are as follows: 

To be kind- 

No one has to like or agree with everything their spouse says, does or wants. Nevertheless, every interaction we have with our spouse should be colored with kindness (Romans 12:10, Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:12). This means we NEVER resort to name-calling, bullying, contempt or meanness, even when we are justifiably angry or attempting to work out a problem (Ephesians 4:14-15, Ephesians 4:26). 

To work to create an atmosphere of mutual cooperation-  

In most cases a marriage is doomed when one spouse always gets their way and the other spouse is always conceding to the other’s will. Marriage works best and is most reflective of Jesus when each person is seeking to cooperate with and please the other (Ephesians 5:21). In order to create an atmosphere of mutual cooperation everyone involved must be willing to compromise on issues like sex, how money is spent, who which family we celebrate the holidays with and how the kids are raised (1st Corinthians 7:2-5). 

To love our partner with the same love we have for ourself-  

Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he answered by giving to two commandments equal weight (Mark 12:30-31). The first He gave is to love God, the second is to love one’s neighbor in the same way you love yourself. No one sane and healthy is unkind to themselves on purpose. Because our spouse is our closest neighbor it can be argued that no one really loves God if refuse to love the spouse God gave them. 

To follow the “golden rule”-

Everyone knows the golden rule: In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you (Matthew 7:12). Following the golden rule in marriage means we do (or don’t do) what we would want done (or not done) to the other person. This means we don’t interrupt or correct our spouse in front of other people because no one ENJOYS being interrupted or corrected in a public setting. It means we let the other person be the center of attention sometimes because we all want to be the center of attention sometimes.  It means both the husband and the wife care for and serve their spouse because everyone likes to be served and cared for.  

When both parties in the marriage seek to fulfill their responsibilities in marriage the issue of roles becomes less central and much less contentious. No one in the history of marriage has ever had to say: “you’re supposed to be submitting to my authority” or “I don’t feel loved” when both parties are kind and caring. No one pulls the submit card or accuses the other of being unloving when they are following the golden rule and seeking to create an atmosphere of mutual cooperation. 

It’s just not done. 

Satan’s Diary- Christmas 2023

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour- 1st Peter 5:8 NKJV 

Dearest Diary,

Truth-be-told it’s a bit dreary in hell these days.  

I have no words for how much I despise the entire Christmas season. None. I literally loathe it. Literally. Every single day of this dismal season is worse than the last. I feel perfectly ghastly from November 25th to January 6th.  Every miniscule aspect of this blasted holiday is just so nauseating and counterproductive for me. The carols, the joy, the community, the Christmas Eve services, the Nativity scenes, the people doing good and reevaluating their self-centeredness and narcissism. 

It’s just so DEPRESSING. 

I have done everything in my power to commercialize Christmas and marginalize the Christ child. I have fought to obscure the meaning of Christmas and keep those silly humans fixated on frivolous inconsequential idiocy such as gift exchanges, cookies, snowmen and Santa. To my credit, I have experienced a measure of success. Few people these days even think about Jesus anymore, even at Christmas. Nonetheless, I have yet to realize complete victory. DRAT! Christmas is still the one time of year when even some heathens pause to ponder God becoming flesh and dwelling among men. 

Insert retching sounds here. 

Nevertheless. All is not lost.  I must focus on the positive to get through this vile season. I know can do this. After all, I am Satan. I just need to work on my self-talk, then everything will fall into place and I will be my old self in no time. 

Okay, so here goes:

People are becoming more vicious all the time. Some are shamelessly feral.  I do like that. The moral fabric of western society is fraying. Which is super good news.  Without a foundation of Judeo-Christian values, it is becoming more and more difficult for people to keep their worst impulses in check. There are those who have convinced themselves it is heroic to become physically violent with those they disagree with. Others are simply so uncivilized they fully enjoy harming their fellow man. I do like that. The ridiculous propaganda I have pushed relentlessly has finally paid off. I have been telling people for centuries it is wholesome and healthy for everyone to be their most “authentic selves”. Thanks to my leadership and the help of pop-psychologists few realize their most authentic self is really just the darkest part of their sin nature. 

This is good. I feel better already.

There is a movement afoot to aid anti-Jewish terrorist organizations. Thanks to my stellar efforts public schools quit teaching history long ago. No one teaches current events anymore. Poorly informed morons are duped by shallow, silly, emotional appeals to support groups bent on the west’s destruction. People fall all over themselves to support groups that despise their very way of life and every value they hold dear. It’s a beautiful thing. The terrorists would cheerfully kill every single one of those protesting on their behalf and the pseudo-intellectual activists are too stupid to realize it. 

SO GOOD.

However, I’m just getting to the best part: it is the presidential political season in America again. There are some who have become so disgusted with the whole bloody mess they have dropped out of politics altogether. They don’t even vote. The majority are Christians and I really like them. Those fools haven’t figured out that refusing to vote in a fallen world is a vote for evil. I just love ignorance and moral smugness over bad choices. 

Then there are those who have (thanks to my efforts) made politics their religion. Those idiots want all of the benefits of living in a Christian world without God. I love them. They are all just so wonderfully well-intentioned and delightfully deceived.  They think freeing criminals will make crime go away, legalizing drugs will eliminate addiction and abortion will ensure no child will ever have an unhappy upbringing. But by far my favorite kind of person are those who believe that if they can just get the “right” person elected everything will snap back into place again. Morality will return, the economy will make a comeback and all the evil in the world will vanish into thin air if the “right person” gets elected.

Ha. As. If. 

These fools fail to understand that the God of the Bible CANNOT and WILL NOT bless the mess they have made with their sinful foolishness. More than half of the voters would rather have legal abortion and “gender affirming” surgeries for children than a politician who champions sound economic policies. It’s reflected in their votes. A nominee who is staunchly pro-life who espouses sound economic policies will have a tough time getting elected even in many conservative areas. This is because most Americans want unfettered access to abortion more than they want economic security. LOL. It’s not as if economic security is a deeply spiritual aspiration. It’s basic and fleshly. 

Even many Christians have yet to figure out that the God they serve will never bless a nation where more than half the people choose abortion as their highest value. 

It’s just not done!

Even if by some miracle they get the person they think they want God will not bless that person’s leadership until the majority gets their priorities in alignment with the Bible. The whole stupid country is doomed unless there is a massive movement of repentance. Ha ha! However, most Christians are not praying for a movement of repentance they are praying for a human leader to get them out the mess they made. 

I love it!  

Well diary. I do feel better. It may be Christmas but all is not lost. As long as I can keep them from repenting and praying for repentance everything will continue to devolve right on schedule. 

Yours,

Satan

The Unintended Consequences of Refusing to Give it up and Repent Already-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins. Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be innocent, And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing- Psalm 19:13 NASB 

For most of us, our biggest fears besides spiders, snakes and germs are:

Fear of being judged. 

Fear of social shame or humiliation. 

Fear of the future. 

Fear we will not get our needs met. 

With all due respect to everyone’s fears, these are all the wrong things to be afraid of. The short-list of things the Bible says we ought to fear are: 

God (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2, Matthew 10:26, 2nd Corinthians 7:1, 1st Peter 2:17). 

Missing out on the grace of God (Hebrews 12:17, 1st Peter 5:5). 

Getting tangled up in some sort of sin (Hebrews 12:1). 

And:

The obstinate refusal to fully repent of a known sin (Jude 1:4, Psalm 19:13, Hebrews 10:26). 

There are all sorts of reasons why Christians choose not to repent. But, truth-be-told almost all of them go back to the list of all the wrong things to be afraid of. Folks resist repentance because admitting wrong (a crucial aspect of repentance) might lead to social shame or change how people see us. Sometimes we fear the confession that might need to go along with our repentance will affect our future or keep us from getting our needs met.  

So. 

 None of the above concerns are entirely irrational. Those are real issues. Sometimes there are consequences for coming clean and getting things right with God and people.  But we have to remember that all Christians sin.  Most Christians sin mostly on accident, a few sin on purpose but all Christians sin (1st John 1:8-9). There is grace for sin (Romans 3:24), but only when we choose to do things God’s way and repent. Choosing not to repent is effectively choosing misery. It will not result in a loss of salvation but it will create all sorts of other painful problems with unintended consequences, including:

We open ourselves up to all sorts of other sins- 

This is a real thing. Anytime we sin and refuse to acknowledge the sin, feel remorse for it and turn away from it our conscience becomes seared (1st Timothy 4:1-3). The human conscience is an oddly delicate thing. Once it is seared it becomes much less prone to feeling conviction and sinning feels like a lot less of a problem. This is why when a Christian is outed for some form of moral failure there is almost always a long list of their sins. They lied AND they cheated on their spouse AND they used drugs, AND they stole money AND they treated people like garbage. Nevertheless, the whole ugly muddle always begins with the very first sin they refused to deal with God’s way (Acts 3:19, Matthew 3:8, Romans 2:4)

We run the risk of making ourselves sick- 

Again, this is a real thing.  If someone is a genuine Christian refusing to repent always leads to feelings of guilt and even self-loathing (Psalm 32:3). Because there is a connection between our minds, hearts and bodies eventually those feelings of guilt and self-loathing create stress that damages our physical bodies. (Proverbs 13:12, Proverbs 14:30, Acts 2:26).  Symptoms of stress eventually affect every part of our bodies. 

It becomes very difficult to us to do ministry and life well–  

All Christians receive the Holy Spirit when they put their faith and trust in Jesus (John 14:16-17, Acts 2:38, Romans 15:16, Ephesians 1:13). Nonetheless, believers in Jesus are also told to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17). A continual filling of the Holy Spirit brings joy, peace, wisdom and insight which empowers us to do ministry and life well (Acts 4:31, Acts 13:8-10, Acts 13:52).  It is possible to grieve the Holy Spirit. We grieve the Holy Spirit anytime we live in a way that runs counter to the biblical truths we have been taught (Isaiah 59:1-2, Isaiah 63:10, Ephesians 4:30). Anytime we refuse to repent we forfeit the spiritual power and sense of peace that comes with having the Holy Spirit operating in our lives at full capacity. The net effect of this foolishness is we do life and ministry in our own feeble strength and power (Philippians 4:13).  This never leads to anything good or life-giving. 

Intimacy with God is broken-

Sin has caused human beings to run and hide from God (metaphorically speaking) since the fall of mankind. This inclination is literally part of our human DNA (Genesis 3:8-10, Romans 5:12). We hide from God because we understand intuitively sin breaks intimacy with God. This dynamic creates all sorts of problems and unintended consequences in our lives. The worst being that we no longer feel we can run to God for help with the problems caused by our sinful choices. The answer is always just give it up and repent already (Acts 3:19). 

Most of the time we hang onto sinful junk because we really want to maintain complete control of any consequences we might suffer. Control always comes at a high price in this life. God graciously gives us the abundant, joyful life Jesus promised when we make a practice of confessing our sin and repenting quickly (John 10:10). Choosing repentance always leads to peace, intimacy with God, a clean conscience and the ability to operate at maximum spiritual capacity. All of those blessings are worth giving up anything we have to give up.  

Nope. The God of the Universe does not owe you a Detailed Explanation for Every Little Thing- Period

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as a stranger in the land of promise, as in a foreign land- Hebrews 11:8-9a NASB

I have observed a rather troubling trend in Church world. 

Let’s say Joe or Jane Christian does not understand a doctrine—or they don’t grasp all the motivations and/or reasons for an instruction given by God. Even just a few years ago Joe or Jane Christian would have said to themselves: “well God is God and I’m not. I will obey anyway”. Times have changed. These days Joe Christian will most likely ignore anything he or she does not completely understand. Sometimes Joe or Jane will even blame God for their disobedience because He didn’t do an adequate job explaining the reasons for the command or doctrine in the Bible. 

This is not good Joe and Jane. 

Far too many Christians have determined it is perfectly okay to completely ignore God if they “don’t get it”. I belong to a couple of online apologetics groups. The members are (for the most part) Christians who routinely study God’s word and have desire to help other people understand the Bible. All-in-all I would say the vast majority of these people take their faith a bit more seriously than the average church-goer. However, even in these groups there are Christians who have decided that if they don’t understand all the ins-and-outs of a particular doctrine (the trinity, tithing, sexual ethics, etc.) they can just throw that issue out the window and do their own thing regardless of whether or not Scripture supports their belief (Judges 21:25).

This is real. 

Creationism is a prime example. Because we live in a culture where Darwinism has been more-or-less accepted as fact by the masses many Christians have niggling questions about creationism. Rather than accept what God says as fact or do some digging into the subject. Some have simply decided because God did not do an adequate job (in their opinion) of clarifying how He created the world they are going to go ahead and accept the evolutionist viewpoint. 

What? 

Pretty much all the commands concerning sexuality are another area where Christians tend to question God’s judgement. We live in a world where the rallying cry of the masses is “love is love” and “you can’t judge me”.  Many Christians do not understand why God would take such a hard line on homosexuality, sex before marriage and adultery. Some reason because God does not explain His “no” well enough in the Bible it is perfectly okay to throw out the biblical standards because those standards do not line up with popular culture or their feelings. 

Again, what? 

Sigh. 

In Luke 18:8 Jesus asks a question:  

When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” 

I cannot help but wonder if this is at least part of what Jesus was talking about. The insistence we have to understand everything about God before we obey God is without question a serious sin of our age and an underlying sign of unbelief. It is already impacting our power to evangelize. The results of obedience to God’s commands always bring blessing and (usually) a more successful outcome. When non-Christians see Christianity working it makes them curious about God. If Christians only obey the itty-bit they understand non-Christians see very little obedience and have zero curiosity about Jesus.

So, a couple of things: 

First of all, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20-26) One of the “works” every single Christian is called to is to obey God in faith without completely understanding all the reasons why we are supposed to obey (1st Samuel 15:22, Deuteronomy 5:33, John 14:23-24, 2nd John 1:6) . It’s faith that pleases God—not picture-perfect understanding of every issue under the sun (Hebrews 11:6). 

Seriously. 

Second, no human, this side of heaven will ever have a complete understanding of God’s commands. We are simply not on the same level as God (Isaiah 55:8). Even being made in God’s image, humans differ from God in significant ways (Genesis 1:27). Our understanding of God, His logic and His choices is probably on about the same level as a dog’s understanding of a human’s logic and choices. It would be insane for me to be okay with my dog peeing wherever he wants to pee just because he doesn’t understand why I don’t want him to pee on my curtains. I have rules and boundaries around my dog’s pee-pee routines because I understand the chaos (and stench) it will create if I allow him to pee willy-nilly. My dog’s understanding of the issue really is irrelevant and so is ours. Faith dictates we accept as fact the hard reality God knows more than we do about everything. Period. 

And finally, 

The more a person chooses to disobey God (whatever the reason why) the less they care about obeying Him. Every. Single. Time. When we willfully disregard God on any issue we make it harder on ourselves to hear His voice or care the things He cares about (Romans 1:18-23, Hebrews 5:11-14). Rebellion always hardens our hearts and makes us obstinate, willful and spiritually dull (Ephesians 4:17-24, Hebrews 3:7-15, Hebrews 4:7). No one who knows Jesus wants that. So, it just makes sense to remember God doesn’t owe us an explanation for every little thing and just obey already. 

What do the “Harsh” Passages in the Bible Teach us about Dealing with Hurt and Pain?

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I call upon You; Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol. Let the lying lips be speechless. Which speak arrogantly against the righteous with pride and contempt- Psalm 31:17-18 NASB

About eighteen months ago I went through a situation that was ugly and unjust by any human standard.

Seriously.

 I will not be spilling the tea on all the details, suffice it to say it was a terrible deal that created a lot of unpleasant ripples in my life.  In the immediate aftermath I found myself completely shell-shocked and heartbroken by a situation I had zero control over.  

So,

I did something I have only done twice in my Christian life and only under the direst of emotional and spiritual circumstances: I cried out to the Lord and asked Him to give me comfort from His word. Then I opened my Bible fully expecting it to open to exactly what I needed in that moment. 

For the record, this is not a method I recommend.  It is certainly not the greatest way to discern God’s will, obtain answers to life’s greatest questions or even get comfort from Gods word. There’s a lot that could go wrong with this technique. The devil could certainly produce all kinds of mayhem with this sort of spiritual practice. Discernment is critical; therefore, this is NOT a spiritual practice I support as standard part of one’s devotional routine. 

All that being said:

 God is good and He deals graciously with His people where they are at in the moment. In that moment I felt overwhelmed, crushed in spirit and in desperate need of comfort. I needed to know God saw me and understood my situation. I wanted more than anything in the world to believe He was on my side. The Bible fell open to Psalm 35. Psalm 35 is a part of a collection of psalms known as the imprecatory or cursing psalms.  Following are the first eight verses: 

Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
Take hold of buckler and shield
And rise up as my help.Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
Let them be like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the Lord driving them on.Let their way be dark and slippery,
With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
For they hid their net for me without cause;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.

Let destruction come upon him when he is unaware,
And let the net which he hid catch him;
Let him fall into that very destruction.

I will not lie.

That psalm was a salve to my weary, confused and broken soul. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I was seen, understood and loved by the God of the universe. At that moment I felt like God got me and He truly cared about the details of my situation. 

However,

It also raised a few questions in my mind. I had read the imprecatory psalms before but never really thought much about what those psalms mean for Christians. Like most Christians I have been taught to forgive, forget, let go of hurt and pain and trust God to deal with things in His way and timing (Romans 12:10, Matthew 6:12, Matthew 18:21-22, Luke 6:37). The whole notion God would be okay with me asking Him to fight for me and bring humiliation on my enemies was a bit appalling even in the state I was in. 

There are a total of twenty imprecatory psalms. The primary purpose of these psalms is to make a an appeal to God for judgment or to call down curses on one’s enemies. The New Testament assumes Christians will have have enemies (Matthew 5:43-44, Luke 19:43). Therefore, imprecatory passages are not unique to the book of Psalms or even the Old Testament. Jesus even quoted two precatory psalms (John 2:17, John 15:25).  Matthew 11:2-24, Matthew 23:33, Matthew 26:24, 1st Corinthians 16:22, Galatians 1:8-9, James 5:1-6 and Revelation 6:10 are all New Testament examples of imprecatory New Testament passages. 

So. Why would the Bible call down curses on people?

These passages have a greater purpose that just calling down curses on the jerks who hurt us. These passages are gift to us. They prove beyond a shadow of a doubt God sees our suffering and pain. There are times when it can feel as if God is AWOL in the most critical of situations. When we are cheated, slandered or hurt by someone and nothing awful happens to the people who harmed us it FEELS as if God is ignoring our situation. The imprecatory passages remind us God SEES everything. There is no act of injustice, unfairness or inequality that is overlooked or ignored by God. The existence of these psalms serve as a much-needed reminder cares about our pain. God cares so much about our pain that He records the tears of the righteous on a scroll and stores their tears in bottles (Psalm 56:8, Isaiah 25:8, Psalm 116:7-9). 

There is a lot of comfort in that knowledge.

Each imprecatory passage reminds us God is not sitting idly by, twiddling His thumbs while terrible people do terrible things. Justice delayed does not mean justice denied. God is the author of justice. When the timing is perfect God will right every wrong and avenge every misdeed (Revelation 20:11-15, Jude 5-7, 2nd Peter 2:4-10). David authored many of imprecatory psalms as he was running from Saul and living as an outlaw. Each one stands as a reminder that God has a way of turning hopeless, painful, awful situations around in His timing. 

Ultimately, I believe the imprecatory passages to give Christians a healthy place to vent our pain to the one who understands it most and is most horrified by it. It’s critical to note, each one of the imprecatory psalms reaches a turning point in the lament where the author moves from cursing his enemies to expressing peace with the situation and faith God will deal with evil-doers appropriately. When read with faith the imprecatory psalms take us to the same place. 

How Does a Christian Make a Difference in a “Day of Evil”?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is- Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV

How should a Christian live? 

 It’s a critical question serious Christians have been asking themselves and each other since the dawn of the Christian age. It’s also a question I have found myself pondering more frequently and with a greater sense of urgency. Anytime I pray about the times we live in and where we are headed two words come immediately to mind. Every. Single. Time.

Short and evil. 

My gut and all indications point to the reality that the time left maybe short and the days we live in are becoming progressively more evil. I don’t know if Jesus is coming back tomorrow, two decades from now or in a century. I do know we are closer now to Jesus’ return than we have ever been (2nd Timothy 3:1-5, 2nd Peter 3:2-3, Matthew 24). It’s simply a fact that the times we live in are more evil and much stranger than they have been since Jesus left the earth (Acts 1:3-9).    

War in the Middle East, economic turmoil, increased barbarity, sexual chaos,  gender lunacy, ceaseless social skirmishes and political machinations all point to a world in rapid and possibly irretrievable decline. Every square inch of our planet is crying out for the redemption Jesus will bring when He returns and restores all things to their pre-fall condition (Romans 8:18-25). 

Until then we are in a war for the hearts, minds and souls of people (Ephesians 6:12-13). I am convinced in the coming days the church will see a great harvest of souls in the midst of growing evil and increasing social chaos. People will come to know Jesus, lives will be changed and destinies will be rewritten. How we choose to conduct ourselves now and in the coming years will greatly impact our level of usefulness to the Lord (Acts 2:16-18). Because we live in such critical times we have a real opportunity to make our lives matter in a significant way for eternity. But, in order to do that we must wake up every day and choose to:

Live as called people-

The Greek word for church is ekklesia. Ekklesia is a compound word with a prefix and a root. The prefix is ek, meaning “out of”.  The root is a form of the word kaleo meaning “to call”. The word church literally means “called out ones”. Christians are called people. We are called by Jesus out of our old way of life into a new life in Christ where our primary function is to tell the world about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus (1st Corinthians 5:17, Romans 11:29, Ephesians 4:1, 2nd Thessalonians 1:10-12). The exact particulars of how we fulfill our calling depends on our giftings and the opportunities God gives us (Romans 12:3-8) Our success or failure in the area of calling depends primarily on how we see ourselves and the purpose of our lives. Are we here to gratify our own desires and to live for our own glory? Or are we called out for the purpose of glorifying God and proclaiming His truth? 

Be ready to give an answer- 

The world is growing darker and scarier all the time. Individuals who have never thought much about God find themselves experiencing anxiety over world events and never-ending social upheaval. Many of these individuals are seeking answers from people they never have before. Christians should be ready to use discussions about current events as a jumping off place to talk about Jesus, where all this is headed, faith in Jesus and what will happen to those who refuse to put their faith in Jesus (1st Peter 4:5, 1st Peter 3:15).  God is opening doors for spiritual conversation. It is up to us to make the most of these opportunities (Colossians 4:5-7)

Leave behind pride and selfishness-

Over the course of the last few years a spirit of competitiveness and kingdom building has taken root in the hearts of Christians and Christian leaders. A spirit of unity is missing in churches. This is simply unacceptable (Ephesians 4:1-3, Colossians 3:13-14). There is simply no place for pride, jealously or selfishness in these times (Galatians 5:13-26). There is too much at stake to waste time on such short-term thinking. 

Live filled with the Holy Spirit-

The Greek word Jesus used for the Holy Spirit in the book of John is parakletos. It means “advocate”, “helper”, “intercessor”, “counselor” and “comforter”.  The Holy Spirit is a gift given at salvation. Its purpose is to teach, help, comfort and guide God’s people as they do His will in this world (John 14:26, 1st Peter 1:12, 1st Thessalonians 1:5). Sadly, many Christians ignore or minimize the importance of the Holy Spirit out of fear of “being weird”. Being filled with the Holy Spirit isn’t weird, it’s biblical (Ephesians 5:8-20). All we have to do is ask and God will give us fresh inpouring of the Spirit (Acts 4:23-31, Acts 13:8-10, Ephesians 3:14-19). Being filled with the Spirit daily gives us invaluable access to God’s wisdom, power, knowledge and insight. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live holy lives and do God’s will in our sphere of influence.

And finally, 

Be available. Our availability is what God wants most from His people right now. Be ready and willing to pray for a friend, hold a hand, answer a spiritual question, fill a need and God will use you for His glory.

Getting Free from the Grip of a Spiritual Stronghold-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness- Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV

One definition of a stronghold is: fortress. A fortress is defined as a place of safety, shelter and protection. A spiritual stronghold is a place of safety (a fortress) in our lives where sin has shelter to grow and flourish. If left unchecked a spiritual stronghold will eventually control much of our lives, destroy our spiritual effectiveness and steal the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:1-12).  Just about any sin can become a spiritual stronghold. Some of the more common strongholds are unforgiveness, lust, jealously, dishonesty, pride, greed, covetousness, insecurity, control and sexually immorality. 

 Christians are susceptible to spiritual strongholds because Christians live life in a place of tension. We are saved (redeemed by Jesus) but also at the same time still very much in the process of being saved. Jesus is our Lord, heaven is our home and the Holy Spirit lives in us. Nonetheless, all Christians still possess a sin nature and are therefore capable of becoming entangled in all sorts of sin (Hebrews 12:1). 

Prior to salvation people are literally powerless over the impulse to sin (Romans 7:21-24). The Bible calls our sinful compulsions “being a slave to sin”. Once a person puts their faith in Jesus they are no longer slaves to sin and do not have to sin (Romans 6:6, Romans 7:25, Romans 8:1-2). Nonetheless, because our sin nature is still very much a part of our operating system, Satan is able to set up shop in particular areas of our life and run the show. The Bible calls this giving the devil a “foothold” or an “opportunity” (Ephesians 4:27). 

Sometimes a person is very cognizant of the spiritual strongholds in their lives. Other times they are almost entirely clueless to their existence.  For example: a Christian who is addicted to pornography is likely very aware they have a stronghold of lust impacting their life in a significant way. However, a person who has a problem with control, fear, pride or insecurity might not even see these spiritual strongholds as problems. We can be so deceived by sin we actually begin to believe our sinful stronghold is somehow a healthy and beneficial part of our personality. Many a control freak has convinced themselves their efforts to control others are “helpful” rather than sinful and harmful to themselves and others. Those who have sinful strongholds of insecurity, covetousness or fear can easily deceive themselves into believing they are watchful, cautious or wise rather than fearful, greedy or jealous. 

Sigh. 

The roots of the strongholds can run deep, often going back to our childhood or early adult years.  Sometimes strongholds take root because we were sinned against in some way. Abusive or neglectful parents can sow the seeds in a child’s life for strongholds of insecurity, mistrust, control and fear. Exposure to pornography and sexually abuse are often the starting point for a stronghold of lust. Being sexually abused, neglected or exposed to pornography is not a sin—we are not responsible before God for the evil or stupid choices other people make (Matthew 18:6). However, few turn to God to deal with hurt or trauma. Instead we turn to sin in an effort to numb our pain and help us cope with life without God. We are very much responsible for those choices.

Strongholds can also be a consequence of sinful choices we make all on our own. A person can have an idyllic childhood and still have a myriad of sinful strongholds in their life. Anytime we willfully chose to do wrong instead of right we harden our hearts, give the devil a foothold and make space for Satan to construct a stronghold in our lives. 

Any stronghold can be broken. 

Christians are never condemned to live a life of sin. John 8:36 is clear: those who the son sets free are free indeed. This verse means no one who knows Jesus as Lord has to be a slave to sin. 

That being said.

 It is critical we understand Satan’s number one goal for all people is to keep them from entering a relationship with Jesus Christ. If he cannot meet that goal, he will do his best to keep Christians bound up in sinful behaviors that limit their effectiveness and steal their joy. Once Satan has been given space to build a stronghold he does not give up that ground easily. All that to say: it is never easy to break a stronghold, but it is one-hundred-percent possible (Matthew 19:36). 

In order to get free from a stronghold we must first acknowledge strongholds for what they are. We cannot make excuses for our sinful behaviors or attitudes by saying or thinking things like:

 “I was born this way” 

“This is just a part of my personality” 

“All abuse victims do this”

 “Everyone in my family acts like this”

Instead we must confess our sin as sin. It does not matter how our stronghold got its start. All that matters is what we do now. Once a sin is confessed to God we must invite God into our struggles through prayer.  We should pray first thing and throughout the day the Holy Spirit gives us the power needed to overcome our strongholds.  Inviting the God of the universe into our battle against sin deepens our relationship with Him and gives us the super natural power to overcome our struggles with sin. 

And finally, if we really want to break a stronghold, we must make no provision for the flesh (Romans 13:12-14). Instead we must do whatever needs to be done to obey God in everything (John 3:36, Romans 6:16), then freedom will be ours. 

How Does God use Persecution Suffering and Trouble for Good?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

We celebrate in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope- Romans 5:2b-4 NASB

Suffering is ubiquitous in this life (John 16:33, 1st Peter 4:12).   Every human irrespective of race, socio-economic status or religious affiliation will suffer in some way. 

Sigh.

The Bible tells us humans suffer because we live in a world that was broken by sin, rebellion and evil. When Adam and Eve chose to blow off God, go their own way and do their own thing they did way more than become free moral agents, they opened the door wide for sin, evil and suffering to enter the world (Genesis 3:1-24). Misery, pain and difficulty have been hard-baked into the human condition ever since. For people who don’t know Jesus suffering just sucks. This life is a whole lot of pain with no real promise of hope or gain. In a good many cases life just sucks and then you die (Ecclesiastes 2:17).  Christians have hope beyond the hardness of this life. God does not cause suffering but He will (if we let Him) use it as a force for good in our lives (Romans 8:28, Romans 8:38-39).  

Here’s how it works:

God uses suffering to take us from one place to another- 

Oftentimes God uses suffering, persecution and trouble to take His people out of a less-than-productive but comfortable spiritual situation into a far less comfortable but much-more-productive spiritual situation.   Such was the case with the early church. The early days of Christianity were in many ways idyllic. The early Christians love for Jesus and each other enabled them to create a beautiful little faith community where everyone was loved and cared for (Acts 2:42-47). Nonetheless, early Christians did little (like no) evangelizing outside of the Jewish community (Acts 2-7).  If it hadn’t been for some really nasty persecution Christianity would likely have remained a small sect of Judaism. It would have likely died out by the end of the first century. The stoning of Stephan and the persecution that followed changed the trajectory of Christianity forever. That awful event forced Christians out of their idyllic existence (Acts 8:1) and as a direct result of their suffering the gospel spread all over the world. If you are a gentile Christian you have directly benefitted from their hardship. God does the same thing today. Oftentimes, persecution, personal tragedy or job loss is a catalyst for change that brings about a whole new level of spiritual usefulness in our lives.

God uses sinful behavior to reveal spiritual truth to the sinner-

 God does not make anyone treat anyone else badly. However, the way people behave reveals a lot about who they really are and what they’re all about. Such was the case with Saul. Saul was rejected by God as King (1st Samuel 15), then over the course of the next ten to fifteen years Saul caused David to suffer horribly by treating him very badly. When it was all said and done everyone (including Saul) knew he one-hundred-percent deserved to be rejected as King.  God uses bad behavior as mirror to help individuals see their sin. What they do with that knowledge is entirely up to them. All we are responsible for in these situations is our own response. We can respond like David did and allow difficult situations to refine us and prepare us for the next big blessing or we can become just like the jerks who hurt us (Ephesians 4:26, Hebrews 12:15, Ephesians 4:30-31). 

Suffering produces wisdom-

Suffering and hardship cuts through the noise of life and makes us aware of all the things that really matter in life.  Suffering, pain and hardship cause us to cry out to God for help and wisdom in a way we just don’t in times of prosperity and ease. Anytime we ask God for wisdom two things happen: He gives it in abundance without finding fault and we grow closer to Him (Psalm 57:1-3, James 1:5, Proverbs 2:3-6)

Our suffering has the power to make us like Jesus- 

Suffering is hard. There is literally nothing fun about it. That being said, suffering is what makes us more like Jesus. In fact, suffering even made Jesus better (Hebrews 2:9-10, Hebrews 2:18, Hebrews 5:7-9) Suffering made Jesus more obedient, more able to sympathize with the pain of others, and more able to comfort the hurting (2ndCorinthians 1:5). Ultimately, it was Jesus’ suffering that gave Him glory in His resurrection (Luke 24:25-26, Romans 8:17) If we let it suffering does the same things for us that it did for Jesus. Suffering makes us better, kinder, more sympathetic and it gives us a better resurrection (Hebrews 11:35-38, Philippians 3:10-11, Revelation 20:6). 

We control how we respond to suffering.

We can shake our fists at God. We can let our personal pain transform us into harsh, angry, haters. Or we can allow God to take our suffering and transform us into something beautiful and precious. Faith is the key to becoming something beautiful in the midst of hardship. Hebrews eleven tells of those who lived by faith. All suffered. All were confused by their circumstances. Some were flogged and tortured. Some were imprisoned. Some even died for their faith. 

In spite of their circumstances the heroes of Hebrews eleven held tenaciously to the belief God is good. God’s assessment of these people is that they were so good and pure and beautiful this world was  literally not worthy of their presence. They trusted God with their suffering and He transformed them into spiritual gold. 

God is still in the business of doing beautiful things with hard situations.