Category: Deception

What Does the Bible say About Following our Heart?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered- Proverbs 28:26 ESV

Views on feelings and the role they should play in our lives have changed dramatically in the course of my lifetime. When I was a child and young adult feelings were seen (for the most part) as irrelevant and inconsequential by the vast majority of individuals. Allowing one’s feelings to rule the day (or even a single decision) was seen as a luxury few could afford to indulge.   Parents rarely (if ever) took their children’s feelings into consideration when making an adult decision. Nor would any adult in their right mind have encouraged a child to follow their heart or just do what “felt right”. That sort of nonsense was for fools. Facts were king. 

For better or worse that ship has sailed.

 These days feelings are king. Feelings rule the day and are firmly in control of most situations. “Just follow your heart” is the gold standard for decision making. Facts are viewed with wariness and as a hindrance to personal happiness and even social justice.  In the realms of public policy and law how individuals feel about a given policy, law  or court case is seen as much more important than the facts surrounding the case, law or policy decision. Those who call for jail time or the death penalty in cases of murder are often accused of being cruel and insensitive towards the criminal. Dead victims are irrelevant compared to living perpetrators.  Parents worry endlessly about their children’s feelings and will go to great lengths to keep them from being hurt in any way. 

Feelings are not presented as evil or sinful in the Bible. David and other psalmists routinely shared the rawest, darkest, feelings imaginable. Sometimes even wishing harm and/or death would come to their enemies (Psalm 35, Psalm 55:15, Psalm 69:22-28, Psalm 109:6-15, Psalm 137:7-9). A good chunk of the book of Job is just Job venting his very angry feelings concerning the unfairness of his situation (Job 27:1-6, Job 30:1-31). Nowhere is any of this emotional venting condemned by God. However, it’s important to note that David always came around to the facts he knew about God (Psalm 35:28, Psalm 55:16-19) and the last part of Job is just God setting everyone straight on the facts of the situation (Job 38-41). The book ends with Job coming into agreement with God (Job 42:1-6) not his feelings. 

The biggest problem with feelings from a biblical perspective is that feelings come from our heart rather than the logic or moral center of our brains.   Modern people view “the heart” as the earnest, mooshy, noble part of humanity that always knows what’s best for everyone.

This is not how the Bible sees the human heart. The Bible teaches that while the human heart is not ALWAYS corrupt or wrong (Matthew 5:8, Matthew 22:37, Luke 8:15, 1st Timothy 1:5). It is just not to be trusted. Sometimes the heart wants what it wants. It can be very deceptive when it comes to getting what it wants or thinks it needs (Psalm 14:1, Matthew 9:4, Matthew 15:19, Jeremiah 5:23, Jeremiah 17:9). What the Bible calls “the heart” is probably what we know as the limbic part of our brain. The limbic is the section of our brain responsible for safety, comfort, sex and food. The limbic part of our brain is the most primitive part of us. It doesn’t care about morality, truth, God or even the long-term consequences of acting on our feelings. The limbic system just wants to protect us from undesirable feelings (like remorse) or from experiencing any discomfort, pain or negativity. This reality makes feelings a poor barometer of what’s right and wrong (Isaiah 5:20). We need a moral truth north for that and that’s where the Bible comes in. Following are three biblical principles to keep in mind where feelings are concerned:

We can be empathic and compassionate and still hold others accountable for their actions- 

It is possible to feel compassion for a person due to the circumstances of their life and still know that person must be held accountable for something they have done. The Ten Commandments do not take a person’s backstory into account when they forbid idolatry, murder or lusting after someone else’s spouse (Exodus 20:1-17). No one gets to commit idolatry just because their neighbor does it. Nor do adult children get to discard their parents because they are of no use to them anymore.  Committing adultery does not become acceptable because the neighbor’s spouse is hotter and nicer than their own. It doesn’t work that way because once we start making exceptions to the rules the rules become meaningless, society devolves into moral chaos and justice is lost to real victims (Proverbs 21:15, Isaiah 59:14). 

Christians must learn to run the consequences of acting on a feeling through the logic center of the brain (and God) before we act on anything- 

Anytime we choose to act on a strong feeling (lust, empathy, hate, compassion, disgust, anger, etc.) there will be a cost. Sometimes that cost is clearly worth it sometimes it’s not. Jesus taught that wise people count the cost of all things before they act (Luke 14:28). If train ourselves to use a combination of logic, biblical truth to discern right and wrong rather than our feelings we will rarely go wrong. 

And finally, 

Christians should never allow a godless society to lead us with their feelings- 

There are a lot of strong feelings “out there” in the world right now. Very few of those feelings are based on any kind of fixed moral truth or even common sense. It’s all about feelings and how one chooses to interpret a given situation. All these unfettered, unexamined feelings are literally and figuratively leading our world to hell. Christians should know better and must do better.

What Resisting the Holy Spirit Looks Like in Everyday Life-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law- Galatians 5:18 NKJV

In Acts chapter six the newborn church was flourishing, people were being redeemed, lives were changed and Jews from all over were living together in unity. Jesus was being glorified and it was awesome (Acts 2:44-47, Acts 4:32-36). 

At the same time the church was suffering some intense growing pains. The Greek widows were being overlooked in the daily food distribution.  Because this situation smacked of partiality and even racism (Galatians 3:28) it had the potential to derail the unity of the early church and undo all the evangelistic good being done.  Six men were chosen to right these wrongs and oversee the needs of the growing community. Stephen was one of those six.  He quickly proved he had more than just a gift for solving problems. Stephen was a skillful preacher, fearless truth-teller and a prophetic voice. His giftedness landed him in hot water with Jewish leaders. When brought before the council and questioned about his message, he did not defend himself. Instead, he recounted the entirety of Jewish history beginning with Abraham and ending with the Jewish leaders master-minding the crucifixion of Jesus. Very little of what he had to say was flattering. He definitely focused in on the negative and ugly. Then at the very end (just before they stoned him) he delivers this zinger:

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.”

Okay, so, I won’t lie. 

I found Stephen’s words deeply convicting. Because I (like most Christians) resist the Holy Spirit from time-to-time. Resisting the Holy Spirit never ends well for anyone.  At best it results in a loss of blessing. At worst it leads to a hardening of the heart, that leads to sin. After, dealing with my own junk I asked God to show me what “resisting the Holy Spirit” looks like in everyday life. The following is what God gave me: 

We ignore known facts about living the Christian life- 

This truth is fairly obvious: if we know to do something and refuse to do it, that’s sin (James 4:17). The thing that’s less obvious is the end result of this behavior. Here’s how it works: Joe Christian decides to willfully ignore a known truth about God or sin.  It does not take long guilt for guilt to set in.  In an effort to avoid more guilt Joe (or Jane) looks for a Christian teacher who will tell them their sin is okay or at least not that big a deal (2nd Timothy 4:3). Because we live in stupid times it is never hard to find a “Christian” teacher looking for a following who will tell people something they want to hear, regardless of whether or not it’s biblical.  Once Joe Christian is under the instruction of a false teacher, he begins to adopt more and more beliefs that are false.  One way or another choosing to ignore or willfully disregard one truth easily leads individuals down a rat hole of wrong thinking. It just makes more sense to obey the Holy Spirit in the first place. 

We refuse to honor those we are told to honor- 

There are still places on this planet where giving “honor to whom honor is due” (Romans 13:7, Romans 12:10) is still a thing. This is becoming less common all the time. Most people are incredibly judgmental towards those in authority and deeply individualistic. Many believe leaders (parents, teachers, pastors, politicians) should only be honored for perfection, not simply for the position they hold. God thinks otherwise (Romans 13:1, Ephesians 6:2, 1st Peter 2:17, Titus 3:1, Hebrews 13:17). When a person refuses to honor those to whom honor is due, they walk in disobedience to God and resist the Holy Spirit’s will for their lives. This does not mean an adult child has to obey their parents. Adults are responsible before God for their choices. As adults we don’t have to like every authority in our lives, nor do we have to obey an authority who is asking us to sin (Exodus 1:15-20). That said, all human authority should be respected, if we refuse, we are resisting the Holy Spirit. 

We ignore the still small voice calling us to hard things- 

It’s never easy to do the hard things God calls us to do, even Jesus struggled sometimes (Mark 14:32-37, John 11:35, Hebrews 2:10, Hebrews 5:8). Therefore, it makes sense that fallible, sinful humans would be tempted to take short cuts when it comes to obeying the hard stuff.  However, anytime we choose the easy route over the biblical route we are resisting the Holy Spirit (1st Samual 15:22). 

 And finally, we refuse the Holy Spirit when we:

Refuse to examine and reject the wisdom of the world- 

There’s a lot of worldly wisdom floating around Christian circles. Most of it sounds amazing. Worldly wisdom sounds great because it’s easy and it appeals to our flesh. Worldly wisdom says we can do anything we want with our bodies. It tells us we never have to forgive anyone we don’t want to or tolerate the presence of someone who doesn’t “meet our emotional needs” or “fill our tank”. Sadly, the end result of worldly wisdom is jealousy, selfishness, division and every evil thing (Jude 19, James 3:16). Following worldly wisdom always results in a loss of spiritual power and godly wisdom because we lose the spiritual truth we refuse to use (Hebrews 5:11-13). The only way to get free from worldly wisdom is to make a practice of comparing our attitudes and ideas to the Bible. Initially, this practice results in conviction (which is unpleasant) but, if we lean into the conviction ultimately it leads to life, joy, peace and deeper connection to the Holy Spirit (James 3:17-18). 

False Teachers to Watch out For-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron- 1stTimothy 4:1-2 NIV

I have a love-hate relationship with the internet. 

I love that the internet allows me to keep in touch with friends and family all over the world. I love that I can ask my magic google machine anything—anytime—of the day or night and the internet will give me a response to my inquiry in literally seconds. I love that the internet has made it possible to share the gospel with every tribe and nation on the earth (Matthew 24:14, Revelation 14:6).  There are also some things I hate: I hate that the internet is a safe space for weirdos, evil people, and exploiters.  I hate that bad ideas spread faster than good ones on the internet.  

But more than anything else I hate that the internet has become a safe haven for false teachers and heretics to spread bad/incorrect/stupid ideas about God and the Bible. Recently, I was sent an appalling Facebook page.  Most of it was so off-the-wall biblically it would have been laughable if the stupid page didn’t have fifty-eight thousand followers and the author a book deal with a well-known Christian who really ought to know better.

Such is life in our modern age. 

The good news is the experience got me thinking about false teachers and how to spot them. The Bible teaches there are two basic varieties of false teachers Christians should be on the lookout for. The first is a false prophet. These folks were more of an Old Testament issue, though I suspect there will be a resurgence of false prophecy in the near future (Matthew 7:15, Matthew 24:11, Mark 13:11). 

A false prophet shares made-up predictions concerning God and what He is going to do in the future. False prophets were famous for proclaiming peace and blessing while all the legit prophets were promising devastation and ruin unless there was some valid repentance (Lamentations 2:14, Ezekial 13:9, Jeremiah 8:11-12). It was quite common for the bogus prophets to have more disciples and more prestige than the real deal. 

The other type of heretical teacher is called a false teacher. False teachers are a common New Testament theme. A false teacher is a church leader or teacher who claims to be a Christian but teaches things that causes folks to stray from biblical truth (2nd Peter 2:1, Titus 1:10-11,1st John 4:1). False teachers are typically self-deceived. They believe they have it right and everyone else has it wrong.  False teachers and prophets typically come in in four different varieties, including: 

The omiters-

For the record, I am aware that omiter is not a real word. I made it up to describe a variety of false teacher who only tells half the gospel story. These guys (and gals) have a lot to say about mercy, grace and deliverance but are weirdly silent on the subjects of repentance, holiness and living a life that pleases the Lord (Matthew 3:8, Luke 13:3, Acts 3:19, 2nd Peter 3:9, Ephesians 4:1, Colossians 1:10, Revelation 9:20-21). These pastors and teachers appeal to the flesh by peddling an intoxicating combination of cheap grace and easy believism.  They either openly teach there can be salvation without sanctification and godliness, or more often than not simply omit any mention of those sticky wickets (2nd Corinthians 5:17, 1st Thessalonians 4:3-8, Romans 6:6, Colossians 3:5). Unless someone dies immediately after becoming a Christian, the pursuit of sanctification (holiness) is a requirement of all believers. Anyone who omits this reality is only telling half the story and should be avoided. 

The enthusiasts of novelty- 

These guys (and gals) put a new and much more palatable twist on teaching that has been settled since the days of the early church (Galatians 1:8).  They tell believers it’s okay to be gay or practice some other sort of sexual immorality (Jude 3-4, Jude 17-18, 2nd Peter 2:18-20). They loudly proclaim forgiveness is unnecessary unless the offender is sorry for what they did. They tell eager listeners God has softened His stance on virtually every issue (1st Timothy 4:1-2, 2nd Timothy 4:3-4). Like the omiters, they appeal to the fleshly side of human beings by asserting that God has changed His mind on critical issues or the church has gotten it wrong until they came along. 

The fault finders-

These guys (and gals) can be tricky to identify because on the surface they look more legit than some legit teachers. These folks spend their entire ministry pointing out the faults, sins and false teachings of other Christian teachers. They rarely—if ever go to those they accused of false teaching (Matthew 18:15). Instead, they spend an inordinate amount of time writing long blogs pointing out the sin in other ministries or churches. It is okay, even necessary at times to point out an incorrect teaching., we do not want Christians walking in ignorance or deceit.  However, it is far more effective to teach the truth of God’s word so that people will know how to identify heresy for themselves. If someone criticizes more than they teach there is a problem. 

And finally,

The twisters of scripture-

These folks rarely tell flagrant lies about Scripture. Instead, they twist truth in such a way it becomes both misleading and appealing to the flesh. These teachers always promise an easier path than the one laid out in God’s word (Matthew 7:13-14). They simply mislead the untaught and willfully ignorant. 

It is critical false teaching is identified because wrong thinking and wrong beliefs always leads to wrong behavior. Contrary, too much modern teaching God holds people accountable for what they do and don’t do (Revelation 20:12-13). It is imperative we know the word of God and are able to discern God’s truth from the half-truths and outright lies of the world

The Five Lies Satan Most Wants us to Believe-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

He (the devil) was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies- John 8:44b NASB 

Lies.

There are a million of them out there and for whatever reason human beings are more prone to believe lies than truth. Some lies are relatively innocuous in the grand scheme of life and eternity. All anyone is going to lose trusting an advertisement for a sketchy weight loss product is a little money and maybe some time that would have been better spent at the gym. 

Other lies are far more damaging. 

The lies Satan tells us are the worst (John 8:44). Satan’s lies are the deceptions that keep human beings (saved and unsaved) in bondage and far from God’s plan for their life. These lies cause people (saved and unsaved) to believe things that can derail their life and lead to misery and pain.  Anytime a Christian believes one of Satan’s lies they run the risk of derailing their relationship with God (1st Timothy 1:19-20, 1st Timothy 4:1, Hebrews 12:25). Following are four of the worst: 

God doesn’t care-

This is the lie Satan loves to whisper in our ear anytime life becomes weirdly challenging, or we find ourselves in the midst of some terrible trial that makes zero sense (James 1:1-3, 1st Peter 3:1-7). Even David, a man after God’s own heart wondered from time-to-time if God saw him or cared about his situation (Psalm 13:1-2, Psalm 22:1-2, Psalm 35:17). Anytime we are tempted to believe the lie God doesn’t care or He is uninterested in our pain it’s a good time to pray on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17). The niggling sense God no longer cares about us is ALWAYS a clear indicator the enemy is at work (Ephesians 6:10:17, Daniel 10:12-14). Once you’re prayed up begin looking around for all the ways God is moving because He will be. Satan will try to convince you He isn’t but trust me He is and He is paying careful attention to you and your situation

You’re powerless to change- 

No one who is in Christ is powerless to repent or change. It doesn’t matter how bad the sin or how long it’s been going on (2nd Corinthians 5:17). Freedom is possible. That said, Satan wants to convince Christians they are doomed to live in sinful, self-defeating strongholds that keep them from transformation (Colossians 3:12, Galatians 5:12). It benefits Satan greatly if he can get Christians to believe this particular lie. No one will ever reach their full potential in Christ if they give up on (or never begin) the process of transformation. Change is never easy, even when we are born again.  That said, change is what we were redeemed for (2nd Corinthians 3:18, Ephesians 2:1-10). It helps to understand that change doesn’t start with our behavior. It starts with how and what we think. The first step in creating real and lasting change is to bring our thinking into alignment with God’s word (Romans 12:2). Changing our thinking is not easy because it is more than simple mental agreement to an idea. Changing our thinking is a process that requires time spent in prayer and Bible study with mature Christians with whom we have shared our struggles. As we pray, learn and honestly share, the Holy Spirit works to bring our thinking in alignment with His. As our thinking begins to change so will our behavior. 

What you do in private doesn’t matter- 

It does, because the things we choose to do in secret are almost always wrong.  We know they’re wrong and that’s why we do them in secret. Sin hardens our hearts. A hard heart makes us more willing to sin. Sinning in private gives the enemy an opportunity is door to step into our private world and create sinful strongholds that can become very difficult to break (Mark 9:29, Ephesians 4:27). Therefore, the best policy is to simply be the same person in private as we are in public. Choosing to live a life of transparency and openness blocks Satan from devouring us (1st Peter 5:8). 

God can’t forgive that (whatever that is)-

Satan does not want anyone to actually believe God will forgive their ugliest sins. Believing our sin is unforgivable effectively kills any desire we might have to repent and move towards God and freedom that comes with moving towards God.  God can forgive anything and He will (Isaiah 1:18). All He asks in return is that we have heart willing to leave our life of sin and live in the freedom Jesus promises anyone who repents (Acts: 3:191st John 1:5-10).  

And finally, 

You’re disqualified- 

Satan longs to convince Christians that they are somehow too sinful, too stupid, too old, too young or too whatever to do what they know in their heart God has called them to do. This strategy has kept more Christians off the ministry field than any other lie in the history of lies. It is imperative we remember that if God gives us a desire to see a ministry happen, He wants that desire to grow it into something beautiful and life giving for the body of Christ. Our job is to seek Him for the wisdom, ability and opportunity to make it happen. 

Five Crazy Pants Lies Christians Believe about Sin-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

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

We live in an age of crazy pants lies.

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

All sin is the same-  

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

God doesn’t hear when a sinner prays-

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

Sin is the fault of an outside source or influence- 

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

Intentional sin is no different from unintentional sin- 

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

And finally: 

Our sin is what defines us- 

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

How we Become Empty and Ready to be Filled with all the Wrong things-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment


See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ- Colossians 2:8 NASB

I truly believe God still speaks to His people (Isaiah 55:11, John 16:13, Hebrews 3:7, Hebrews 12:15). 

By far, the most common way God speaks is through the Bible (Psalm 119:105, 2nd Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12). Although, on occasion He does use other methods (Psalm 19:1, 1st Kings 19:12, Acts 2;17). Every once in a while God speaks VERY clearly to me in prayer (John 10:27). Typically, this is simply a strong feeling God wants me to do or stop doing something. Other times it’s a niggling awareness I should pay closer attention to something. Sometimes, God will literally download a Bible verse into my brain that speaks perfectly to the situation I am praying about. Sometimes, the verse is so obscure I have to look it up to confirm it really is a Bible verse I’m hearing and not the outcome of too many tacos the night before. Such was the case this last week, when the following came clearly to mind as I was praying: 

They have walked after emptiness and become empty- Jeremiah 2:5b

Contextually, Jeremiah 2:5 is God speaking to the Israelite people concerning their idolatry problem. The Israelite’s loved idols (the ultimate in emptiness) going after idols left the people empty.  Their emptiness created a spiritual and moral vacuum that caused them to lose interest in and desire for all things godly and good. Satan then stepped into the empty spaces in their souls with a deeper desire for more emptiness. Giving into temptation led to more deception (James 4:7). It all eventually ended with Babylonian captivity. 

Not good. 

This sort of thing was/is not unique to ancient Isreal. It happens all the time, it happens to non-Christians, and to Christians. People of every spiritual classification go after empty, vain, futile activities that leave them empty. The emptiness that results makes their life (and soul) a playground for the enemy (Matthew 12:43-45, 1st Peter 5:8).  It is not my place to judge the choices of non-believers (1st Corinthians 5:12-13. Therefore, I will refrain from yammering on about the choices of the unsaved. It’s pointless. 

However.

That verse gave me a lot to ponder. It occurred to me that a lot of the choices Christians make (me included sometimes) are likely contributing to spiritual emptiness with very real spiritual consequences that include (but are not limited to) a lack of desire for the things of God. It’s also true that spiritual emptiness leaves us just like the ancient Israelites: sitting ducks for even more spiritual deception. This leaves us open to more deception and more temptations, which inevitably leads to spiritual captivity of some sort.  This kind of living also leaves us unable do what God has called us to do (evangelize the lost, train the saved). It leaves us powerless to lead our culture towards health and wholeness (Matthew 5:13-16). It kind of goes without saying (but I’m saying it anyway) that this is the last thing we ought to do in this challenging and difficult period of human history. Following are a couple pursuits and activities that will unwittingly drain us and leave us open to deception and satanic influence, please pray before writing off the following as wild-eyed legalism or crazy talk. Trust me it’s neither…

Witchcraft and the glorification of witchcraft- 

In recent years there has been an explosion of movies, books and television shows with principal characters who are witches or sorcerers.  These all portray witchcraft and sorcery as something benign, helpful to mankind and even kind of beautiful. Many professing Christians love this entertainment and make impassioned arguments for why this stuff noble and even God honoring.  Here’s the thing: witchcraft is clearly forbidden in Scripture (Deuteronomy 18:14, Galatians 5:19-21, Revelation 9:19-20). Scripture does not make space for the notion of “good witches”, “white magic” or “benevolent witchcraft”. The ability to perform witchcraft is an ability given by demons who create spiritual strongholds in exchange for spiritual power. This is not a fun form of entertainment. It is a form of idolatry. God will not share space with demonic forces. Any witchcraft at all in our lives can  leave us spiritually impotent (Nahum 3:4).

Books, movies and television shows that laugh at things Jesus died for- 

Christians are called to be a set apart people (holy). It’s hard to make an argument that we are holy and set apart when we are allowing ourselves to be amused by the very things Jesus died on the cross to save us from (1st Peter 2:9-11). If we would not feel comfortable watching something with Jesus in the room, it should be avoided. 

Too much of anything that causes us to lose interest in God- 

Admittedly, this point is one-hundred-percent subjective and dependent on each individual person. One person might be able to do something that causes someone else to lose interest in God. However, this why the Bible calls us to self-examination and self-knowledge (Lamentations 3:40, Psalm 26:2, 2nd Corinthians 13:5). It is critical we keep close tabs on our spiritual state and do a little detective work any time we sense ourselves drifting away from the faith (Hebrews 2:1). Choosing not to leads to a dangerous form of living that leaves us empty and ready to be filled with all the wrong things.  

How to Spot a False Teacher in the Church-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

 There will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute- 2nd Peter 2:1-2 

Last week, I was scrolling a social media site, and I happened upon a post entitled “twelve false teachers to avoid”.  There were a couple of people on the list I had never heard of but for the most part it was a “who’s who” of popular Christianity. The poster (not someone I know) did not give a list of reasons for placing those folks on their list. It was just a list of names. The comments were passionate. Many disputed the posters conclusions; others felt the poster was spot-on. 

I am not opposed to the notion of identifying false teachers the Church.  The New Testament frequently warns readers to be on the lookout for false teachers (Matthew 7:15, Acts 20:28-30, 2nd Peter 2:1-3, Jude 4). False teachers mislead and sometimes even entice people to sin (2nd Timothy 3:1-8). This makes all Christians look hypocritical, causing unsaved folks to reject Jesus because of the behavior of Christians (2nd Peter 2:1-2).  

Not good. 

Nonetheless, I don’t love the idea of publicly calling out false teachers. Such tactics lack grace, teach nothing and hurt those who may have made a mistake in their teaching and have since repented. All human leaders are fallible. Punishing anyone for immaturity or a mistake is worldly rather than Christian (Titus 3:11). Moreover, it seems to me it is more important for the average Joe or Jane Christian to be able to identify false teachers rather than be given a list of people to avoid.   So, in the interest of education I am providing a list, not of people to avoid but of characteristics to lookout for. The list is not exhaustive, but it’s a good place to start. 

First and foremost:

They are almost always squishy when it comes to sexuality-

This is the most glaring red flag for false teachers today. Most (not all) false teachers take a worldly stand on sexual issues. Oftentimes they openly promote LGBTQ lifestyles in the name of “love” or “grace”. It is neither loving nor gracious to celebrate any behavior God explicitly forbids (Acts 15:29, Romans 1:24-27, 1st Corinthians 6:18, 2nd Corinthians 6:9-11, 1st Thessalonians 4: 3-8). 

Their ministry is about something besides Jesus or living for Jesus- 

Many false teachers center their ministry entirely around the “prophetic word”. These self-proclaimed “prophets” have a fresh “word from the Lord” nearly every day and their predications typically have a very low rate of accuracy.  Other false teachers focus mostly on politics or psychology. They tend to make the Bible secondary in their teachings. False teachers often blend politics or psychology with the Bible explaining away sin in psychological terms or making patriotism a standard of holiness. For the record, I am not opposed to patriotism or psychology as long as we put God first and keep the rest in perspective.  I also believe God speaks to and through people, even today (Hebrews 12:25). Furthermore, the New Testament explicitly cautions readers not to become contemptuous or dismissive of prophecy (1st Thessalonians 5:20-21). That being said, a healthy Christian teacher focuses MOST of their teachings on living a victorious Christian life, understanding the teachings of the Bible and glorifying Jesus, NOT on politics, psychology or the prophetic word.

They resist authority including scriptural authority-

Most (all) false teachers resist any kind of authority and are rarely (if ever) under a denominational covering. Furthermore, they tend to become angry and belligerent when told that their teachings do not measure up to biblical standards. Truth-be-told there is little real spiritual authority anymore, even in many denominations (Judges 21:25). Therefore, it is critical Christians study the Bible for themselves so they can spot erroneous teaching when it is presented (Acts 17:11, 2nd Timothy 2:15).

The fruit is bad-

Most false teachers do not have (for the most part) good fruit. They don’t lead a lot of people to the Lord and when they do those folks tend to fall away. They also tend to lack the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23, 2nd Peter 1:3-11, Colossians 3). Be on guard for those who make salvation secondary and/or talk about Christian virtues but do not walk them out.  

They lack the character required for Christian leaders- 

The Bible sets clear standards for those in Christian leadership. Anyone can have a bad day (or even a bad season) but for the most part a healthy Christian leader should be mature and tested (1st Timothy 3:6). They should also set a good example, be kind, clear minded, able to teach and patient with difficult people.  They should not be pugnacious (fighty), greedy, gossipy or given to drunkenness (Ephesians 4:11-15, 1st Timothy 3:1-13, 2nd Timothy 2:4). If a Christian leader is dishonest, lacking in virtue and/or cannot live in peace with most people most of the time, he or she should not be followed.  

They are motivated primarily by money and attention- 

There is nothing wrong or sinful with having a big ministry or lots of followers, nor is it wrong to raise a lot of money for godly causes.  However, a lot can go wrong when a teacher or preacher tailors their teaching to gain a huge following and raise a lot of money (Mark 8:36, 1st Timothy 6:3-6, Titus 1:10-11).  If a teacher or preacher talks a lot about money but very little about sin and living a righteous life, chances are good they are more interested in a personal following than seeing souls saved and people sanctified. 

Ultimately, false teachers are a lot like the fig tree in Matthew 21:18-19. They tend to be all style with no real substance. They profess to believe all the right things but the more you look the more obvious it becomes that their lifestyle and teaching is a little “off”. The era of podcasts and YouTube has made it possible for false teachers to thrive with little or no real accountability. It’s on the individual Christian to choose who they follow wisely and practice discernment in all things. 

How to tell if a Pastor or Christian Teacher has Gone off the Rails-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

They are from the world, therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. The one who knows God listens to us; the one who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error- 1st John 4:5-6 NASB

Tuesday morning, I read an article about a once-wildly-popular Christian influencer who has gone completely of the rails. This woman claims to be a “big fan of Jesus” and yet she has ditched church, embraced LGBTQ-A ideology and has divorced her husband. She has proudly declared she is experiencing a “sexual renaissance” with a man she is not married to (1st Corinthians 5:9-11). She has also taken to peddling online educational courses. Her website promises that for $69.00 she will teach parents how to best “support” and “affirm” their LGBTQ-A children (Romans 1:18-32, 1st Corinthians 6:9-11).  Another of her courses promises to walk individuals through the process of spiritual deconstruction (becoming apostate).  (1st Timothy 4:1, 2ndThessalonians 1:1-3, Matthew 24:9-10).

Yikes.  

At the risk of coming off as a smarty-pants-know-it-all-I-told-you-so-jerk-face, I totally called this one. Back in January 2020 I wrote a post outlining some concerns I had regarding her theology and views on sexuality. It made me uneasy that conservative evangelicals (one in particular) were endorsing her ministry in spite of some clear indicators all was not well with her from a spiritual perspective.  

This whole messy muddle begs a question: 

How does one tell if a teacher or influencer is about to or has already gone off the rails from a biblical perspective? 

This matters.  There are all sorts of pastors, teachers and influencers with huge followings who are teaching things that bear no real resemblance to traditional biblical doctrine (Acts 20:29-30, Colossians 2:8, 1st Timothy 6:3-5, 2nd Timothy 4:3). Sadly, most of these teachers started out with fairly orthodox Christian views. Nonetheless, they all went off the rails. It’s critical we understand that apostasy does not happen overnight. It’s always a slow slide that typically begins with a teacher or pastor “evolving” on some key issues that make Christianity much more appealing to the average heathen. The evolution ends with a wild, celebratory promotion of every sinful practice popular in our world today. These teachers are, for the most part (in my opinion) unregenerate people who think they are saved (Matthew 7:15-23). Ultimately, ministry is attractive to them because it allows them a way to gain a following and make money (1st Timothy 6:5, 2nd Peter 2:1-3).  Unfortunately, these “teachers” take countless untaught people and those lacking discernment to hell with them. Thankfully, there are always clues teacher or influencer is either apostate or headed in that direction. Following are six indicators all is not well with a pastor, teacher or influencer: 

Their views on sexuality become increasingly more “progressive”-

One clear sign a teacher or influencer is veering from sound doctrine is the decision to embrace LBGTQ lifestyles and sex (gay or straight) outside of marriage. God has not changed His mind on what is or isn’t morally acceptable (Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 13:8, 1st Corinthians 6:9-11, 1st Corinthians 6:18, 1st Thessalonians 4:3-8). It is simply not our place to defy God on these issues. 

Unity is their rallying cry- 

Christian unity is something believers should strive for (Ephesians 4:1-3, Psalm 133:1). As long as they are unified around God and the truth of God’s word (John 17:23).  Teachers who are apostate or flirting with deconstruction tend to teach that unity itself is more important than being unified around God’s standard of truth. 

Psychology is as valid as the Bible-  

 Psychology is a tool.  If psychology is used wisely, it helps us understand the roots of our behavior. When we understand the roots of sinful patterns, that knowledge helps us (along with the Holy Spirit of course) to permanently repent of those sins (Matthew 3:8). Psychology goes bad when it is given the same (or higher) legitimacy that the Bible. Unfortunately, many Bible teachers and influencers disregard biblical mandates and wisdom in favor of psychology that contradicts or undermines biblical instruction.

The world loves them- 

If the secular world invites a Christian on a secular podcast there’s a better than decent chance they are NOT the real deal. Best case scenario, they are likely deliberately dodging some important but hard Christian teachings. People who are dying spiritually do not wish to hear truth (Jeremiah 6:10, Acts 7:52-58, 1st Corinthians 1:18, 2nd Corinthians 4:3-4). Therefore, with a few noteworthy exceptions authentic Bible teachers will not be given prominent secular platforms. 

Their view of God is basic- 

Those veering from sound doctrine love love. Their view of God can be boiled down to “God is love” with zero caveats or disclaimers. God is love (John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 1st Corinthians 13). However, God is also righteous, just and holy (Isaiah 6:3, 1st Peter 1:16, Romans 1:18, Romans 12:1). Any teaching that emphasizes God’s love without giving equal time to holiness is likely false teaching (Psalm 14:34, Isaiah 5:20, Ephesians 1:4-5, Galatians 6:7). 

And finally, 

They avoid the s-word.

Those veering from sound doctrine rarely talk about sin. When they do, sin is nearly always presented in terms of judging people or not showing love to others. There is very little (if any) talk of avoiding certain sins (sexual immorality, greed, jealousy, idolatry, hate, unforgiveness) or repenting of sin. If a pastor or influencer refuses to discuss a subject Jesus didn’t shy away from (Matthew 5:29-30, Luke 13:3-5) there’s a pretty good chance they don’t know Him.  

Spiritually speaking, these are dark times we live in. One key to surviving these times is discernment concerning who’s teaching we choose to follow.  If a teacher or influencer is loved by the world, avoids tough subjects or teaches that anything goes it is best to simply avoid them (1st Timothy 3:1-5). 

A quick note to parents who have children who identify as gay, lesbian or transgender: there are some amazing ministries who will support you and love you. These folks will show you how to love your child WITHOUT celebrating or affirming sin. Please message me if you want info. 

Four Widespread Deceptions that are Literally Wrecking our World-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ- Colossians 2:8 NASB 

The Bible is full of promises. 

Most of God’s promises are awesome. God promises to be with us (Psalm 91:11, Psalm 73:23). He also promises to forgive us (Psalm 130:4), to protect us (Psalm 46:1, 2nd Thessalonians 3:3) and to love us like crazy through the good, bad and ugly stuff of our lives (Zephaniah 3:17, John 3:16, Romans 8:37-39). 

All really great things. 

However, the Bible also promises (prophesies) that some not-so-great things will take place. Deception is one of those things. Deception has always been a part of life in this fallen world. However, both Jesus and the Apostle Paul promised the closer we inch towards the “end” the more deception there will be and the stranger that deception will become (Matthew 24:11-14, 2nd Thessalonians 2:3). I don’t know how close we are to the “end”.  No one does (Matthew 24:6, Matthew 25:13). However, I do know that just because of how time works we are closer now than we have ever been. I also know that there is more deception now than at any time in my lifetime. I have also observed that the deceptions are getting more complicated.  Without question, it’s getting harder to separate truth from fiction. This is because many of the most common deceptions have a seed of truth in them. Therefore, the deceptions sound good but believing them leads to all sorts of chaos including (in some cases) death of one sort or another (Proverbs 14:12). Some common deceptions are mostly unique to church world, others impact everyone. The first deception listed is unique to the church the other three have taken root inside and outside the church. 

Sin doesn’t matter after salvation- 

 This is definitely one of the churchier deceptions. Many church people today believe that God has either (A) softened His stance on sin in general. Or (B) once we are in relationship with Jesus, sin is irrelevant because all sin (past, present and future) is forgiven. A is one-hundred-percent erroneous, God does not change (Jeremiah 4:28, Hebrews 13:8) and He is still taking a solid anti-sin stance (Matthew 5:30, Romans 6:15-18).  B is a little trickier to parse out. Mostly because it is true, all our sin is forgiven post-salvation. God doesn’t stop loving people because they mess up post-salvation (1st John 1:9). However, that does not mean it’s wise to sin intentionally simply because God is gracious and good (1st Corinthians 15:34). This kind of thinking is insanely immature, stunts our spiritual growth, and it stifles intimacy with God. It can also be a sign salvation never actually occurred. 

God’s love is for everyone- 

In one sense God’s love is for everyone because God’s love and promise of salvation is AVAILABLE to anyone. God doesn’t discriminate. Jew, gentile, male, female, rich, poor we are all equal and equally loved by God (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11). In another sense God’s love is not for everyone. God’s gift of salvation (the ultimate expression of God’s love) is for those who choose to do life God’s way. It’s for people who submit themselves to Jesus and obey God’s directives. God’s love is for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22) and then choose to live like they really believe He is Lord (1st John 2:5). The widespread belief in this lie has filled our churches with heathens who think they are heaven bound. 

Constantly looking back at the negative will somehow bring us peace/happiness/wholeness in the present-

It is true that our past oftentimes holds the key to why we are behaving in a particular way in the present. For example: a woman who never felt loved by her Dad will likely grow-up and have an unhealthy desire for male attention. This unhealthy desire could easily lead to promiscuity. Promiscuity is a sin (1st Corinthians 6:18, Hebrews 13:4, 1st Thessalonians 4:3-8). Knowing where her sinful desire “came from” can give the woman the knowledge she needs to change her behavior. However, spending too much time poking around in the past leads to rumination, which can lead to an unhealthy fixation on all the wrong things. Unhealthy fixations often lead to bitterness. Bitterness destroys our ability to live healthy, productive lives that bless others in the present (Hebrews 12:15). We should explore the past enough to get free of its negative impact and then commit to living fully and joyfully in the present. 

Perception is reality- 

 This deception is wildly popular, and it’s taken the whole world straight to crazy town. People actually believe that if they think something is true then it is. No further investigation is needed. The problems with this deception are endless. This belief is at the root of most division and hate.  People who believe this deception hurt other people because they believe (erroneously) that people who are different from them are out to get them (usually with little or no evidence). The idea that our perception is reality leads some to harm their own bodies with drugs or surgeries because they believe their “brain was put in the wrong body”. But perhaps the biggest problem with this deception is that it causes people to shut their brains off and stop thinking. Folks decide that what they believe is true and they stop thinking. This causes people to make decisions based entirely on lies. 

In these last days it is critical we live our lives free deception. The only way stay free of deception is by taking every thought we have and every idea we hear and measuring those thoughts and ideas against the perfect plumbline of Scripture (1st Timothy 3:16). When we do that truth sets us free (John 8:32).