Category: Being the Church

What if the “Thorn” in our Side is Another Christian?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment


The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than arrogance of spirit. Do not be eager in your spirit to be angry, for anger resides in the heart of fools- Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 NASB

One of the most hotly debated passages of Scripture is 2nd Corinthians 12:7-8. In this passage Paul clearly states that God gave him a “thorn” in his flesh.  Scripture states this “thorn” was a messenger from Satan, something demonic in nature sent to Paul to keep him from becoming excessively prideful. 

Weird. 

No one really knows what Paul’s “thorn” was. I certainly don’t. Nonetheless, a lack of clear understanding has not stopped people from trying to figure it out.  Some believe the “thorn” may have been a particularly alluring temptation the apostle struggled to completely overcome. Others think it may have been poor eyesight; still others believe it was some sort of a physical malady that caused the apostle a great deal of pain. It has been speculated it may have been an embarrassing speech impediment. Some believe it may have been a person who did him wrong (2nd Timothy 4:14). Whatever “it” was made Paul’s life and ministry much more difficult.

We all have thorns. 

We all have issues in our lives that challenge our faith, cause us a great deal of difficulty and make living the Christian life much more challenging. I’m not necessarily sold on the notion that EVERYTHING that falls into this category is from Satan. It is highly likely at least some of the issues that cause us the most trouble are just the unfortunate consequences of living in a fallen world (Genesis 3:17-19, Isaiah 24:5-6, John 16:33). Disease, mean people, kids that go wrong, spouses that wander or financial hardships sometimes are the result of satanic attacks but not always. 

But, what if our thorn in the flesh is another Christian? 

What if the thing generating the most angst, difficulty and chaos in our life is a brother or sister in Christ? What if the person who makes us want to scream and cry and swear is someone, we do ministry with? What if the person we least want to be around is someone we will spend eternity with? 

Yikes. 

It certainly makes things a bit trickier. Interpersonal conflict between Christians happens all the time and is nothing new (Acts 15:36-40, Romans 14:1-23, Philippians 4:2-3, Galatians 2:11).  Truth-be-told, in situations where Christians struggle to find I do believe most of the time Satan is directly involved. I am not saying the person we have a conflict with is some sort of a demonic manifestation sent from Satan to torment us (it might feel that way but it’s not true). However, the friction involved is nearly always a satanic scheme (2nd Corinthians 2:11, Ephesians 6:11). How we handle these situations matters.  Our response to conflict with another Christian can make the difference between ministry moving forward and God being glorified and Christians making Jesus look bad with our interpersonal shenanigans and inability to get along with each other (Psalm 133:1, Ephesians 4:1-3). Some things to remember anytime we find ourselves in conflict with another Christian:

God wants to sharpen you-

There was a time when I thought iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17) meant me hanging out with someone I really liked discussing the ins and outs of our favorite passages of Scripture. I know now that’s just not how it works.  In order for iron to become sharp (and useful) sometimes some sparks need to fly, not for the sake of conflict but so flaws can be revealed (James 4:1-2) and the people involved can become sharper, better and more like Jesus.  Conflict shines light on our issues and the areas we need to grow (2nd Peter 1:3-11). This means that that our first go-to in a conflict (especially with another Christian) should be self-examination (2nd Corinthians 13:5) and prayer for the wisdom to see our own junk. 

Maturity is not automatic-

Becoming a Christian does not automatically make a person spiritually or emotionally mature (Hebrews 5:11-6:3).  This means believers in Jesus can be wrong, codependent, prideful, silly, inflexible, cantankerous, ill-informed and led by worldly passions and attitudes.  We do not give up on these people because we have all been these people at some point in our walk. Instead, we patiently present the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and lovingly model Christian maturity for as long as it takes for God to do His thing in them (Ephesians 4:14-16). 

Not everyone who says they are believer is one- 

Jesus was clear that not everyone in Church or all who profess Christ are the real deal (Matthew 7:16-23, Matthew 13:24-29 and 36-43, Matthew 15:8, Luke 6:42, Luke 12:1). This means that we will bump up against people who say they are Christians but are not. When we suspect we are in one of those situations our role is not to condemn or judge harshly. Instead, we should understand we have a holy obligation before God to pray they will see what they need to see to get right with God. 

And finally,

The bigger picture- 

Eternity is the always the bigger picture for believers in Jesus. This brief little vapor of a life is all about who we become for eternity, who we reach for eternity and how we glorify God for eternity (James 4:14). A little bit of relational effort and willingness to give grace to our brothers and sisters in Christ now goes a long way towards bringing God glory for all eternity.

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Spiritual Survival in a 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 World-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven- Matthew 5:44-45a NASB

Scripture predicts there will come a “day” when the world will be filled with gossipy jerks who slander the innocent without so much as a twinge of regret (1st Corinthians 6:10).   People will be self-obsessed and intent on amassing a large number of followers (Philippians 2:3-4).   Men and women will cut friends and family off without so much as a conversation. No one will be interested in any discussion of forgiveness, reconciliation or interpersonal healing (Matthew 5:23-24, Exodus 20:12, Mark 7:10, Ephesians 6:20). Individuals will be materialistic and thoroughly ungrateful for what they do have, always coveting more (Hebrews 12:28). A large majority will be duplicitous, prideful and unconcerned to the welfare of others (2nd Timothy 3:1-5). 

Sadly, not all of these folks will be unbelieving heathens. Many will be church goers who self-identify as Christ followers (2nd Timothy 3:5). Some will be Church leaders and Christian influencers (Matthew 13:24-30 and Matthew 13:36-43) Many will avoid teachers and doctrine that does not make them feel good about their choices.  Many “Christians” will possess a surfacy goodness but will be lacking the fear of God that makes someone truly godly (Malichi 3:16, Proverbs 8:13, Job 28:28, John 15:14). Many will be led astray, and life will become difficult for the sincerely Christian (2nd Timothy 4:3, Matthew 24:11-12). 

I am convinced the day the apostle Paul predicted would come is here (2nd Timothy 3:1-5). We are living in it.  Things will undoubtedly get worse before the return of Christ, nevertheless we are seeing the first fruits of the fulfillment of Paul’s prophecy in real time. Don’t get me wrong, there have always been evil people, some have even claimed to be Christians.  That being said not since prior to the dawn of the Christian age has evil existed in such a widespread, bold and understated kind of a way. We live in a time when even some “Christians” openly call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).  

We are called to be salt and light to all people all the time, even in a 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 kind of a world (Matthew 5:13). Living as salt and light in a world like ours requires wisdom and a whole lot of help from the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, Acts 1:8).  Prayer is the starting place of both wisdom and the presence of the Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:9, Acts 8:15). Following are some prayers we should pray daily if we want to survive  life in a 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 world:

Pray for wisdom to interact wisely-  

 Paul warns his readers against building close relationships with 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 people (2nd Timothy 3:5). This is unusual, because Paul does not normally shy away from encouraging evangelism (Romans 1:16, Romans 10:14, Philippians 2:15) or Christian fellowship, even with the messy and spiritually immature.  He commands caution because these folks (for the most part) claim to be Christian and yet their behavior does not line up with biblical teaching concerning some critical issues. Consequently, the inherent danger is that their sin and hypocrisy will become contagious and negatively impact our growth.  Therefore, it is critical we understand the indicators of a 2nd Timothy 3:1-5 kind of a person (excessive pride, covetousness, treating sin lightly, calling evil good, unforgiveness, lack of gratitude, an unwillingness to reconcile) and do everything we can to avoid being changed by their behavior (1st Corinthians 15:33). Our call as believers is to love people deeply but develop such an aversion to sin and sinful attitudes that our presence changes the spiritual tone of every situation, we find ourselves in, no matter what’s going on in the room (Jude 22-23). 

Pray we will all feel appropriate conviction- 

One of the worst things that can happen to a human is to lose the ability to feel gut-level conviction over their sin. Once conviction is gone it’s a hop, skip, and a jump to a seared conscience (1st Timothy 4:2). Once a conscience is seared it is almost impossible for a person to care enough about spiritual things to be saved or return fully to the truth they once embraced (Hebrews 6:4-8, Mark 10:27). Therefore, it is imperative we pray everyone (including us) will feel the appropriate level of conviction for sin. 

Pray the wrong influences will be limited- 

Influence is a big deal these days, to such an extent there are people who actually make a living influencing others (how weird is that?) Sadly, the most powerful influencers in our world are seldom godly or wise (Proverbs 13:20). Christians ought to pray routinely that the right kind of influences will have the loudest voices and the worst will be drowned out by truth and wisdom.  

And finally, 

Pray for discernment-

We really do live in the strangest of times. Behaviors and attitudes once considered sinful (unforgiveness, pride, immodesty) are now thought to be a sign of good mental health. Conversely, behaviors society once saw as universally desirable (humility, modesty, meekness, forgiveness, turning the other cheek) are now thought to be a sign of weakness and foolishness. Times such as ours require discernment and a gut-level commitment to doing life God’s way (Romans 12:2). There are no shortcuts to getting discernment. We can only acquire it through prayer, fellowship with other Christians and a commitment to knowing and obeying God’s word (1st Thessalonians 5:16-18, Proverbs 27:17, 2nd Peter 1:3-11)

Changing Your World Through Biblical Resistance-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings- 1st Peter 1:8-9

Resist. 

It’s a word that gets thrown around a lot these days by all sorts of folks who really only understand resistance from a worldly viewpoint (2nd Corinthians 10:4). However, Christians are also told to put up a resistance (2nd Timothy 4:7). If we want to understand what the Bible tells us to resist, it’s useful to begin by defining the word. According to the Cambridge Online Dictionary resist means one of two things:

Fight against something or someone who is attacking you. 

Or:

To refuse to accept or be changed by something.

The Bible calls Christians to resist Satan and the world in both ways. Christians are told to put on their armor and go to battle against the dark forces of this world (Revelation 12:11, Ephesians 6:10-18, 2nd Corinthians 10:3-5). We are also to resist sin and being conformed to the world (Romans 12:2, Hebrews 12:1. Hebrews 12:4). There are at least five ways Christians are called to resist Satan, the world, sin and demonic forces. We should:

Resist by verbally rebuking Satan and demonic forces- 

There are two kinds of people when it comes to the whole issue of verbally rebuking Satan (or demons). There are those don’t like the idea at all. These folks will do anything sort of sin to avoid it. Conversely, there are those who really like the idea, perhaps a little too much. For those who hate the idea of verbally rebuking the enemy, it is critical we remember Christians are commanded to do what Jesus did (John 14:12, Matthew 10:2) and Jesus rebuked demonic forces routinely (Mark 9:25, Matthew 8:16, Matthew 8:28-32). For those who love the idea of rebuking demonic forces it’s critical we remember Christians are cautioned to do spiritual warfare in God’s power and not our own (Ephesians 6:10-11, Jude 1:9). That said, there are times when we must verbally exercise the spiritual authority we have over Satanic forces in Jesus Christ. This is especially important during a long period of what we sense is spiritual warfare. Long periods of spiritual warfare often involve intense trials that do not have their roots in our own foolishness, relationship troubles that seem to come out of nowhere and sometimes financial issues (Job 1:1-22). For the record:  I never verbally rebuke the enemy without taking some time to pray first.  I ALWAYS ask the Holy Spirit to give me the power, authority and prudence necessary to deal with demonic forces well. Going into a verbal skirmish with a demonic force without being prayed up, is a little bit like going into a blizzard buck naked. It is not advised under any circumstances. 

Resist by living a life of holiness and righteousness-

How we choose to live our lives is either a formidable form of spiritual warfare that draws people to Jesus or it’s the way we give Satan and his minions opportunities to create chaos in our life. Living a life of holiness is one of the powerful offensive weapons we have in this world. Holiness allows us to walk closely with the Lord. Walking closely with God prevents us from going sideways spiritually. This keeps the enemy from devouring us (Colossians 3, Ephesians 5:1-21, Philippians 1:27, Galatians 5:16, 1st Peter 5:8). 

Resist by striving for love and grace in relationships-

 Satan loves to attack God’s people through their closest relationships. An unhealthy or contentious relationship with a spouse, child, in-law or friend makes space for Satan to create friction, dissension and brokenness (Ephesians 4:26-27). This does more than simply make us uncomfortable or unhappy. Broken relationships often keep us from passing on the gospel to others. This makes the devil very happy because he knows no heathen in serving a God who lacks the power to help His people love one another (John 13:24-35).  Conversely, healthy, grace-filled, God-honoring relationships leave little room for Satan to create chaos and are one of the best ways to resist his schemes and pass on our faith to those we love most (1st Peter 4:8). 

Resist by making prayer a regular thing- 

Prayer is the engine that fuels the Christian life (Mark 14:38, Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 4:2, 1st Thessalonians 5:17). Without a continuous connection to God through prayer, we will never effectively live a holy life, acquire wisdom, lead others to Jesus or resist temptation. Without prayer anything we do as Christians will be a shadow of what it could have been with prayer. Prayer is not difficult, but it does take a certain level of self-discipline. If prayer is a struggle, ask God for the discipline necessary to pray and then start praying. Doing so, will devastate the enemies plans for your life and the lives of those you love.  

 And finally, 

Resist by spreading the word about Jesus-

The most powerful way to resist Satan (and annoy him) is to tell others what Jesus has done for you and in you. When we tell our friends and family about Jesus, we partner with the Holy Spirit to actively push back the darkness of this world. In the process we get to work with God to change lives (Philomon 1:6, 2nd Timothy 4:6, Matthew 28:18-20).  Pushing back darkness and changing destinies is the ultimate in biblical resistance. 

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. 

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). 

Growing the Heart of a Spiritual Hero-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield- Psalm 5:12 NKJV

The book of Matthew is getting a lot of read time in my life right now. It is the gospel I chose to read in preparation for Resurrection Sunday (Lent). It is also the book my small group is studying together. 

That’s a lot of Matthew. 

 Reading through Matthew repeatedly and studying it with friends has allowed me to see some things I had never paid much attention to before, like the incredibly diverse list of men and women in the genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17). There are Jews and gentiles, some good guys (and gals), bad guys (and gals), some people no one has ever heard of and some people everyone has heard of.  Matthew’s genealogy proves Jesus came for everyone and everyone needs Jesus (Romans 3:23-24, John 3:16). 

This most recent trip through Matthew has also caused me to think deeply about some parts of the story I have never really thought much about, like Joseph. He’s kind of the unsung hero of the New Testament. Joseph was everything we should all hope to be. He did some truly hard things without complaining and sacrificed more than almost anyone for the cause of Christ. He was also willing to obey God even when it made little (no) sense to do so. Even so, there is not a single song written about Joseph, nor are there (to my knowledge) any books written about him. He was an ordinary guy, with little social standing or formal theological training but he’s the primary reason Jesus survived infancy. Joseph was just an ordinary guy who did a bunch of extraordinary things with little recognition or hoop-la. His story teaches us that any of us can do extraordinary things if we cultivate the right heart. His right heart included the following:   

Joseph showed love and care for someone who (appeared to have) wronged him badly-

In a world where virtually all unbelievers and even many Christians feel it’s justified to retaliate against someone who has done them wrong (Matthew 18:21-35, Romans 12:19), Joseph stands out for choosing the high road when he (mistakenly) thought Mary had cheated on him. No one in his world would have thought less of him for publicly disgracing Mary for sleeping with another man. In fact, many people would have cheered him on and thought more of him for calling out her “sin” in a public manner.  However, the God of the universe deemed Joseph “a righteous man” for wishing to protect a woman he had every reason to believe had wronged him.  It says a lot about God’s heart towards those those who choose discretion and kindness over truth practiced with a hard edge.  

Joseph knew God enough to know when He was speaking- 

One of the most extraordinary things about Joseph is he knew when God was speaking (Hebrews 12:25, John 10:27). He never got confused.  He never wondered if a dream was really from God or the result of too much food the night before. He just knew. That kind of understanding only comes from proximity. Joseph spent enough time with God to know when God was communicating a message. Anyone can do the same. 

Joseph obeyed-  

Obedience is probably Joseph’s number one claim to fame and the source of his greatness. When God told Joseph to take Mary as his wife, he did it. When God told Joseph to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt, he did it. When God told Joseph to go back to Isreal, he did it. He obeyed every time, no questions asked, no arguments and no foot dragging. God is clear: He loves obedience more than He loves sacrifice and great works done in His name (Acts 5:22, 1st Samuel 15:22, 1st John 5:1-3). Cultivating a heart of obedience is relatively simple but far from easy. The key is to obey all the time. If we obey when it’s easy (small things) when the hard stuff (big things) comes up, obedience will feel more like muscle memory than a big painful production.  (Romans 2:13). A life obedience is not easy this side of heaven, but it does bring all sorts of blessing in the next life (James 1:12, Matthew 16:27, Deuteronomy 28:1-2).

Joseph was willing to take on shame that was not his to protect another- 

Joseph was a righteous man not just by God’s standards but also by the standards of man in his time (Micah 6:8, Matthew 1:19). Mary was not. As a young woman pregnant before her marriage become official, she was an object of shame and likely even ridicule in her community.  By choosing to take Mary as his wife Joseph took on her shame as his own. He chose to stand with someone who did nothing but dimmish his reputation and standing in the community. It’s a reminder that God’s people are called to stand with the weak, poor, unpopular and unlovely even when there is no obvious benefit in doing so (Proverbs 14:31, Luke 14:13, James 2:1-6).  

Joseph shows us how to be a spiritual hero. 

His life teaches us God sees the things that no one else sees and rewards righteousness done in secret. In this life Joseph was the furthest thing from a big deal a person can get, although I have a feeling that he will be the biggest of deals in the next (Matthew 19:29-30). May we all be so forward thinking in our actions and attitudes. 

Should Christians be Concerned about A.I?

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

I believe each generation of believers is uniquely chosen by God for the time they live in (1st Peter 2:9). That means (among other things) that each generation of believers has all they need “in Christ” to navigate the unique challenges, temptations and satanic schemes of their era (Esther 4:14, 2nd Peter 1:3, Matthew 10:18-20). This is true no matter how weird, crazy or evil their era might be. 

That does not mean Christians cannot be misled by the satanic schemes of their generation or tempted towards the sin that is predominant in their time, Christians can and sometimes are (Matthew 13:14-15). Therefore, it is imperative we understand our times and make every spiritual effort to walk in the Holy Spirit so that we are properly prepared for the unique issues our generation of believers is exposed to (1st Chronicles 12:32). 

I believe we are bumping up against one of those issues in this cultural moment. The issue is artificial intelligence or A.I. According to the online britannica.com artificial intelligence is:

 The ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. The term is frequently applied to the project of developing systems endowed with intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience. 

A.I. is taking our world by storm. Just about everyone including many Christians are using A.I to do all sorts of things. This includes sorting through information, automating chores (like list making and report writing) and making decisions based on data A.I. provides. Many have even taken to using A.I. as a counselor, asking it for advice and seeking comfort from it. Others use it as a spiritual guide; they ask A. I. to interpret the Bible for them and ask it to create prayers for them.  

A.I is novel, convenient, intriguing, and super tempting to use but is it a good or a bad thing? 

Like most things A.I is not all bad and it does have some helpful uses. However, I believe A.I should be approached cautiously (if at all) for the following five reasons: 

A.I. is the new internet-

When the internet came into existence EVERYONE rushed to use it. We all signed up for AOL accounts and encouraged our children to play educational games on the it. We were all kind of amazed with how cool we were (Romans 1:22). When smartphones came along everyone who was anyone got one. Our importance (or lack thereof) was measured by how much time we spent on our blackberry’s. Now we know that was mostly all bad. Human beings are dumber, more depressed and more addicted because of the internet and smartphones. Almost everyone has a tough time putting their phone down and some young people find it very difficult to connect with others without the aid of technology. If A.I. turns out to be half as addictive as smartphones we will be in even bigger trouble because we don’t simply use A.I. to acquire information or entertain ourselves like we do with the internet. We use it to do our thinking for us; the implications are terrifying.  

A.I. is not neutral- 

Nor will it ever be. Every computer is programmed by a fallen and sinful human being with a set of values and bias’s (Romans 3:23, Romans 1:18, Romans 2:12), that likely do not align with the Bible.  That means that any advice or help A.I offers will be at best impersonal and detached from any moral value system. At worst it will be dark, anti-God and anti-life. Christians should be cautious about seeking secular advice from anyone, especially a soulless robot. 

A.I. will make us dumber-

Anytime we outsource our thinking we lose the ability to think for ourselves. If you use a calculator to do basic math problems, it eventually becomes challenging to do math without a calculator. This is because our brains are a little bit like a muscle. The more we use them, the stronger they get. The less we use them the weaker they become. The whole point of A.I is for the machine to think for us. This will inevitably lead to more dumb people. We do not need that. 

A.I. will increase human suffering- 

There have already been several scary episodes where A.I advised a person to self-harm or commit suicide. A.I does this because, unlike God and other humans it has no regard for human life (Luke 12:6-7, Psalm 8:4-5). If a machine has no regard for human life,  it makes sense for the machine to tell a heartbroken or despondent human their life is without meaning and they should just go ahead and die. Furthermore, A.I was designed to decrease the number of jobs human beings do. We are already seeing that most of those jobs will be replaced with lower paying manual labor types of jobs. This will lead to a lower standard of living for many people.  No one should be opposed to work (Genesis 2:15, 1st Thessalonians 4:11, 2nd Thessalonians 3:10) or in favor of more  human suffering (Proverbs 31:8-9). 

And finally,

We may lose the ability to discern right from wrong-

Discernment is the ability to tell right from wrong and good from evil (Philippians 1:9-10, Hebrews 5:14, 1st John 4:1).  We acquire discernment by consistently making smart choices concerning the influences we allow into our lives and the information we feed ourselves (Proverbs 15:14, Psalm 110:11, 2nd Timothy 3:15). Discernment can be lost due to bad influences, lack of willingness to use the discernment we do have and bad information (Luke 8:18). A.I has proven itself to be both a bad influence and a source of bad information. If we make a practice of relying on it for help and wisdom, we will lose the discernment we have. That would be a disaster in a culture where wisdom and discernment are already in short supply. 

Christians should handle A.I with caution always praying for wisdom. 

Four Practical ways to Love the Unlovable Without Enabling Sin-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek what is good for one another and for all people- 1st Thessalonians 5:14-15 NASB 

One of the most challenging aspects of being twenty-first century follower of Jesus is the disparity between how Christians are commanded to behave in Scripture and how the world encourages people to behave. This contrast is especially glaring when it comes to dealing with the unlovable among us.

The message we get from the world concerning this subject could not be more straight-forward and clear. Most non-Christians (including most secular counselors) believe and teach that unlovable people should be ejected from one’s life as quickly and efficiently as possible. If a friend, co-worker, parent, child or spouse is needy, rude, selfish, sinful or even just kind of dumb that person should be given the old heave-ho the second they indicate a lack of willingness (or ability) to change. 

I won’t lie. 

My flesh finds the counsel of the world appealing in this situation.  Life is short and unlovable people are, well, not fun to love. So, why waste time and energy on anyone who is less than awesome or reluctant to change?

Well. 

As much as I like this advice on a personal level, I also find it super hard to rationalize from a biblical perspective. Nowhere in the Bible are we given permission to eliminate unlovable people from our lives. Truly evil people, yes, the Bible has no issue with Christians avoiding truly evil, totally unrepentant people. We are also called to avoid those who might corrupt our character (1st Corinthians 15:33). That being said, Jesus made it abundantly clear that we are to love the unlovable (Matthew 5:44-46, Luke 6:27-32) and even pray (nice prayers) for those who mistreat us, even when they do it on purpose. Jesus followed His own admittedly hard advice. He prayed for those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34) and loved the man who would eventually turn Him over to be crucified (Judas). He forgave Peter for denying Him three times and He forgives US for ALL the really stupid stuff we do. None of us are Jesus. However, God has given us the power (through the indwelling Holy Spirit) do what Jesus did (John 14:11-13, Matthew 7:7, Luke 10:19). Here’s how to love an unlovable person without enabling bad behavior that makes the person even more unlovable:

Set and enforce limits- 

Unlovable people are oftentimes boundary busters. They overstep, ask for more than is reasonable and show little (or no) respect for what other people want or how they feel. This can become a valid source of bitterness for the person whose boundaries are being busted. Bitterness is bad. It should be avoided at all costs (Ephesians 4:30-31, Hebrews 12:15). The answer to this problem is not to kick the unlovable person to the curb. All that does is make the unlovable person bitter. The answer is to set limits for the person who will not set limits for themselves. There does not need to be a lot of discussion around these limits. Just decide what you will and will not do and then stick to your guns. This will keep you from becoming bitter. Getting free from the bondage of bitterness frees us up to love from the heart. 

Forgive as often as necessary- 

Forgiving others is something Christians are straight-up commanded to do (Matthew 6:14-15, Matthew 18:15-35, Mark 11:25-26). However, contrary to popular belief forgiveness is not something we do for other people. Most people we need to forgive do not care all that much about being forgiven. Most unlovable people are more than happy to keep on making other people angry and bitter. Forgiveness is something we do for the sake of our own souls. Forgiving others is truly the ultimate in selfcare. When we forgive an unlovable person God frees us from anger, resentment and bitterness (Ephesians 4:31, Hebrews 12:15). That freedom allows us to love (and forgive) others joyfully, whether they deserve it or not. 

Fight for the good- 

Fighting for the good does not mean putting up with endless abuse, sin or disrespect. In fact, fighting for the good is the exact opposite of putting up with all sorts of sinful behavior in the name of being “loving”. It is not loving to allow people to sin; in fact, it’s the exact opposite of loving someone.  We fight for the good when we lovingly confront sin and refuse (in a kind way) to allow people to sin against us or anyone else (Galatians 6:1-5,1stThessalonians 5:14, James 5:19-20). Paul’s experience with Peter in Galatians 2:11-13 is a perfect example of this in action. The apostle Peter was sinning against Paul and the gentile Christians by refusing to eat with them when the Jews were around. Paul called him out on it and (apparently) Peter repented and started treating everyone the same all the time. If Paul had refused to confront Peter on his behavior it would have surely led to more sin. Not good. 

And finally, we must:

Do the things- 

We must behave in a loving way towards unlovable people whether we feel the desire to do so or not. Showing kindness and love is not optional for believers in Jesus. It’s a command (Ephesians 4:32, Luke 6:35, Colossians 3:12, 2nd Timothy 2:24). It’s also the key to loving the unlovable in such a way they experience God’s love and care for all people. When we love the unlovable from the heart we become the hands and feet of Jesus in a sin-sick world. 

Four Strategies for Being the Light of Christ in “Terrible” Times-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you- Isaiah 60:1-2 NASB

We live in terrible times. 

We just do. I am not being excessively dramatic, just stating an obvious fact. I will not belabor my point with a bunch of examples of how bad things have gotten, although I would have no problem doing so. Instead, I will point you towards 2nd Timothy 3:1-5. It’s pretty much where the whole stupid world is living right now. Paul’s words read like a brutally honest review of the social media page “Am I the A**hole?” or really any other social media page anywhere. 

It says:  

 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,  traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! NKJV

None of this comes as a surprise to God (Psalm 139:4, Isaiah 40:20, Hebrews 4:13).

God saw this whole messy muddle coming (we just read the prophesy). God also knew exactly how hard and discouraging it would be for His people to live in this period of human history (Galatians 6:9).  Knowing our current situation was ordained by the Almighty begs a critical question: 

What does God expect from His people in terrible times? 

Truth-be-told God doesn’t ask a whole lot those who live in terrible times (or any time for that matter). He doesn’t ask us to change the world. Nor does He want us to hide from the world and exist in a bubble surrounded only by church people. He for sure does not want us to live in a La La land where we pretend everything is great when it isn’t. All God really wants us to do is find ways to shine in the darkness (Isaiah 60:1-3, Matthew 5:16, Philippians 2:15). 

That’s it. 

We are to shine the light of Christ in the darkness of our times. That’s it.  We are not called to change anything in our own power. He just wants us to shine His light in all the dark places; He’ll do the rest. We do that our part by 

Refusing to complain or grumble- 

We become a light that shines in dark places when we cultivate a heart attitude that glorifies God and wins people to team Jesus (2nd Chronicles 7:14, Proverbs 4:23, Mark 11:25, James 4:6-7). It’s simply a fact that no one in the history of forever has glorified God or won anyone to Jesus with grumbling, complaining or faultfinding (Philippians 2:12-15). It just doesn’t happen. We must do what God has called us to do (serve others, love others, provide for human needs) with a spirit of joy and love. This is not always easy, and it certainly doesn’t come naturally to anyone.  In order to obey this command, we must choose to walk in the Spirit at all times and in all situations (Galatians 5:13-16). The Holy Spirit gives us all the power we need to live a life of joy in a hard world. 

Loving the jerks anyway- 

All people are sinners (Romans 3:23). As a result, no one is really worthy of God’s love and grace. Nonetheless, God chooses to love people anyway, regardless of whether or not they are worthy of His love (John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 1st John 3:1). Christians are called to be like God (Matthew 5:48). This means loving unlovable people (jerks) is a big part of our assignment as Christians. It is not easy to love an unlovable person; it helps to remember that from a biblical perspective love is less of a feeling and more of a decision. God wants us to show love to people whether we feel loving or not (1st Corinthians 13). Thankfully, God rewards obedience. Therefore, loving feelings almost always follow the choice to behave in a loving manner. 

Choosing holiness in a world that just doesn’t get it- 

Christians are called to be holy (1st Peter 1:15-16, Hebrews 12:14). Holiness can be defined as: being set apart from sin, walking in truth, adopting right behavior and choosing moral goodness (2nd Corinthians 7:1, Ephesians 4:24, 2nd Peter 1:3-11). Choosing to be holy is a challenge in a world that truly believes such things are only for nubs and fools. Nonetheless, when we choose holiness, we purify ourselves, grow in our knowledge of God and point dying people to a holy God that loves them.

And finally, 

We must understand what we’re dealing with in these times-

The times we live in are not terrible because the average Joe or Jane just woke up one day and decided terribleness is where it’s at.  Our times are terrible because we are nearing the end of all things (Daniel 12, Matthew 24, 2ndPeter 3:3). This means that people (unsaved and saved) are literally taking their cues on how to live from demonic teaching (1st Timothy 4:1). People are being told by social media, self-help books and even some clergy and counselors that contempt, hate, estrangement and hostility are all forms of self-care that lead to peace, freedom and personal happiness. The behavior we see is just an ugly byproduct of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18). Christians cannot make a real difference using the weapons of this world (hate, estrangement, hostility, division). We shine in the darkness when we use the weapons of heaven: love, grace, kindness, holiness and truth. 

What Does Trusting God “Look Like”?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you- Psalm 9:9-10 ESV

Life is full of struggles, events and trials no one (Christian or non-Christian) really understands. 

Kids get sick. Politicians lie. Leaders scheme and mislead. Disasters strike out of nowhere, sometimes wiping away a lifetime of diligence. Friends betray friends. Good people die before we think it’s time. People we thought were decent behave in ways that cause us immeasurable hurt and pain. Children who were raised right sometimes go terribly wrong. Spouses who swore before God to be faithful and true “till death do us part” sometimes don’t. 

This gloomy list could go on forever but I will spare you. 

For Christians all these things (and hundreds of others) are more than a long list of things that vex us or stuff that tempts us towards bitterness (Ephesians 4:31, Hebrews 12:15). All of these things (and hundreds of others) are just an opportunity to trust God with things we don’t understand (Proverbs 3:5-6, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Psalm 37:4-6). 

Most folks tend to think of trusting God as a passive undertaking where we do nothing and God does everything, it’s not. Trusting God is more than just sitting back and patiently waiting for God to transform our mess into a message. Trusting God is an active process. Trusting God is a verb not a noun. There are things we can do that both prove we trust God and cause us to trust God. When we choose to trust God with things we don’t understand, we grow as believers. Our faith is proven genuine and our ability to love God and people is expanded (Hebrews 11, 1st Peter 1:3-9, James 1:2-4). All good things. 

All this begs the question: what does trusting God look like? 

Trusting God is more than a commitment. It’s a series of choices we make every day. The tougher the times the harder it is to make those choices. Some of those choices include: 

Choosing the path of transformation and growth-  

The whole aim of the Christian life is to be transformed into the image of Jesus (Romans 12:1-21, 2nd Corinthians 3:18, Colossians 3:1-25, 2nd Peter 1:3-11). This is a process, never a one and done. Transformation is lifelong journey where we cooperate with the Holy Spirit to take off our “old sinful self” (Romans 6:6, Colossians 3:9, Ephesians 4:22) and “put on” new attitudes and behaviors pleasing to God.  Over time with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are transformed into person who looks, thinks and acts more like Jesus (2nd Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 2:12). Anytime we experience hardship or difficulty we are also tempted (sometimes subconsciously) to put the transformation process on hold and essentially stop growing spiritually. Actively trusting God means we choose to pursue holiness and growth in spite of the things we do not understand. 

Choosing forgiveness and letting God deal with people however He sees fit-  

 One of the most basic (but critical) ways we trust God is to give up our right to seek revenge and /or harbor anger and bitterness towards those who have hurt us. It doesn’t matter if they did what they did on purpose or accident. Nor does it matter if they are sorry for what they did. Trusting God means we believe that God will deal with the people who have hurt us in whatever way is most appropriate, when the timing is just right (Matthew 6:14-15, Romans 12:19).

Trusting God means serving God and others even when we feel like retreating- 

Hurt, pain and betrayal can cause us to shutdown emotionally and retreat from living life to the fullest (John 10:10). Trusting God means we continue to live life running full steam ahead serving God and people both inside and outside our local churches no matter how we feel at the moment (Romans 12:10, Ephesians 6:7-8, 1st Peter 4:10-11). 

Continuing to grow in grace-

Trusting God means that we never allow the tough, ugly stuff of life to make us hard, suspicious and/or callous towards people. Trusting God means we choose to grow in grace. Growing in grace means we do our level best to become kinder, wiser, gentler and more loving in spite of the difficulties we encounter along the journey (Proverbs 1:5, Proverbs 4:18, 1st Peter 2:2, 2nd Peter 3:18, Colossians 1:10). 

Never allowing our brokenness to become our identity- 

For Christians the hurt, pain and trauma we experience in this life is not our identity (Psalm 139:14, John 1:12, Ephesians 2:10). If we are followers of Jesus, we are NOT the sum-total of our most traumatic experiences (Ephesians 4:22-24, Galatians 4:6-7). We are not our worst mistakes. Nor our we our darkest moment. We are children of the King. We were created to be over comers and lights who shine in a dark world (Matthew 5:14, Philippians 2:14-16). Trusting God means we choose to live out our God-given identify of wholeness rather than an identity of brokenness and pain.

None of these things are easy. In fact, all of them are impossible when we try and do them in our own power. The only way to trust God fully with things we do not understand is to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).  He gives us the spiritual power we need to trust God with the things we don’t understand.