Category: Life

Some Words to A Worried Church-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him- 2nd Kings 18:5-6a NIV

Most church people would probably agree the outcome of the latest election was not exactly a win. At best, it was a colossal disappointment, at worst it could indicate some tough times ahead.

In the meantime. 

Believers should do a little soul searching and self-examination. Self-examination empowers the Church to move forward from disappointments and setbacks in a way that better equips us for whatever happens to be next on God’s agenda. Christians have historically believed God is ultimately sovereign over the affairs of men and women (Ecclesiastes 3:11, Isaiah 46:10, Revelation 22:13). We believe nothing on earth happens without God’s foreknowledge and the only thing that takes place without His explicit consent is sin. 

Therefore.

The results of this election are no accident. We cannot blame the outcome entirely on cheating and other shenanigans. Cheating is not outside of God’s purview. Therefore, if there was cheating involved then God allowed the cheating to take place. If we believe in the sovereignty of God then we also have to believe the outcome of the election is in the will of God.

Like it or not  Sigh. 

 This turn of events does beg some questions, like: what now? What are we supposed to conclude from this outcome? Does it mean God is on the side of abortion, censorship and a castration of the U.S constitution? Did this occur because God loves socialism or because He thinks court-packing is a good idea or because He wants churches shut down? 

Nothing I have learned about God from Scripture or personal experience would indicate any of those things are true. 

However, sometimes God wants His people to get hold of truth so badly He will bring difficulty into our lives to get us to turn to Him for wisdom and help rather than looking to the world for insight, wisdom or help. There are at least three takeaways God wants His people to glean from the current political situation. If we don’t come to understand these truths quickly we could be stuck in this uncomfortable place longer than any of us would like.  

The first is: 

We cannot depend on government to be our source of security-

 I do not think of myself as a person who places an inordinate amount of hope or faith in the authorities, documents or institutions of this world. If someone had asked me a month ago how much faith I put in the constitution or the president to make me feel safe and secure, I would have smugly replied that my faith is in God alone. Thank you very much. However, after some serious post-election prayer I realized that I felt significantly safer and more secure as a Christian last month than I do this month. There is nothing wrong with wanting a leader who protects our values and way of life. However, it is categorially un-wise to expect real security of any kind in a world broken by sin. It is even more foolish to trust anyone or anything more than we trust God. If you felt safer last month than you do this month it means you’ve put your trust in something or someone besides God. God wants us to ask ourselves what would happen to our faith in God if America ceased to exist. If that would cause your faith to disappear your faith is not really in God it’s in America and the security America provides. 

Even if everything is not okay it will still be okay- 

We all want everything to be okay and for good reason. No one in their right mind actually LIKES difficulties, pain and suffering. That said, knowing Jesus as our Lord and savior means that even if the worst happens we will be okay because to be absent from the body means we will be present with Jesus (2nd Corinthians 5:7-9). It is critical we remember this truth the next time our anxiety about the current situation starts to get the better of us (Isaiah 35:4) Matthew 6:25-34, Philippians 4:6).  

This world is not all there is- 

 This generation is overrun with modern conveniences that provide regular people with luxury and comfort previous generations never could have imagined.   The problem with all this ease and comfort is it’s made life on earth a little too agreeable and most Christians are a lot fonder of this world than our spiritual ancestors were (1st John 2:15, John 12:25). As a result, many Christians love the world more than is spiritually healthy or wise.  I suspect God is using the discomfort and fear many of us feel over our current political situation to remind Christians we are to long for heaven rather than look for a political leader who will create a utopia here on earth.

Barring some sort of a miracle life will not be getting any easier for the body of Christ anytime soon. That does not mean life won’t be good. Life will be good because our God is good. If our faith is in Him, and only Him there is no way we will be shaken.     

Getting Spiritually Healthy-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment


Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test  yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 2nd Corinthians 13:5 NIV 

The last few years have been unlike any other in history. 

Sigh. 

Tough times will obviously take a toll, psychologically, emotionally and financially. Tough times will also begin to affect us spiritually if they go on for too long. It’s not always easy to know when stress has become too much for us and we have stepped over the line into a place of spiritual unhealth. In 2nd Corinthians 13:5 the Apostle Paul encourages Christians to “examine themselves” frequently. Times like ours demand frequent self-checks. Following are five indicators all is not well with our souls. 

Beginning with:  

Prayer is a struggle or worse yet you gave up long ago-

Christians are commanded to pray about everything all the time (Romans 12:12, 1st Thessalonians 5:17, 1st Timothy 2:1-3). God does not need our prayers. God has no needs (Acts 17:24-25). We need to pray because prayer builds connection with God. Ongoing connection with God transforms how we think, feel and behave over time. Prayer also empowers fallible human beings to see people and events the way God sees people and events. Without a regular prayer life spiritual health becomes nothing more than a pipedream. A weak or non-existent prayer life is proof positive a spiritual realignment is needed.   

You have morphed into the worst version of yourself-

Everyone has a unique worst version of themselves. Mine is introverted, distrustful, and weirdly obsessed with minor details. Yours might be dramatic, braggy and fixated on personal pleasure. Another person might be critical, unforgiving, and intolerant of differences of opinion at their worst. It’s vital we know who we are, and have a firm grasp on what our “normal” looks like. When our normal morphs into something different and less than healthy than our best selves it’s a sure sign we need a spiritual readjustment. Pronto.  

Politics take precedent-

Politics are not trivial. There is little in this life not touched in some way by politics. Furthermore, one facet of being a good Christian is being an involved citizen. That means taking our civic responsibilities seriously, which cannot be done without some understanding of politics. (1st Peter 2:13). That said, earthly kingdoms all pass away, eventually. It’s critical we understand politics are strictly an earthly issue.  (Philippians 3:20).  There will be no republicans or democrats in heaven. Therefore God calls His people to adopt an eternal perspective and remember it is only what we do in and for the Kingdom of God that truly has an impact. If you find your attention is entirely focused on the political realm I guarantee God wants to change your focus. 

You’re afraid all the time-

Fear and anxiety are a little bit like the check engine light in a car. Feelings of fear and anxiety are not the real problem. They are just an indicator there is another problem that needs to be found and addressed. Sometimes Christians get far too focused on the emotions of fear and anxiety and don’t stop to ask God why to reveal the real reason those volatile emotions are out of control. Fear and anxiety are almost always a sign there is an area of our lives we haven’t completely surrendered to God. 

Spiritual community is not a priority- 

Spiritual community is not really optional for followers of Jesus (2nd Thessalonians 1:3, Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:25). Christians are called to meet together regularly, care for each other in times of trouble and love one another other deeply and sacrificially. The only way to do those things effectively is in spiritual community. Community is about more than church attendance although church is the place to begin building spiritual community. Spiritual community forms when a group of Jesus followers commit themselves to the good and growth of the rest of the group. There are layers to community. Every Christian should attend a local church. Christians should also have a group of fifteen to thirty Christian friends they routinely fellowship with. Christians also need a smaller group of three to five people we can go deep with and be real with on a regular basis. If any of those layers of community are lacking, there is a problem. 

Any one of the above is a sure sign all is not well with our soul.

Getting back back on track spiritually is all about regaining our mental and spiritual health. In order to do that we have to be willing to make some hard choices with our time and energy. Getting healthy will cutting out or way down on distracting activities that numb us emotionally and spiritually: activities like streaming services, television and social media.

Cutting back on soul-sucking activities helps to make time for the friendships and spiritual community. Spiritual community has a bolstering effect on our emotional and spiritual health. We must be willing to make time for people we love who have the spiritual maturity to help us reset spiritually. Getting back into the word on a daily basis (Psalms is a good place to start in tough times) reminds us of God’s deep love for us and gives us something to meditate on something besides our troubles or feelings. Reclaiming spiritual health is not difficult but it does require a willingness to reset. Spiritual health requires more: more Jesus, more reflection, more family and friends and more willingness to repent of persistent, soul-numbing sin.   

Ending Hate and Violence-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: Scoundrels use wicked methods, they make up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just- Isaiah 32:6a and 37 NIV

I really wanted to write something happy this week. 

Seriously.

I had the happy post half-written in my head but, alas, it was not to be. Just as I was about to begin writing. I tuned into the news and heard about the ambush attack on two deputies in Los Angeles County. I immediately felt obliged to change direction. 

The attack was shocking. It’s always shocking when someone shoots two complete strangers without a reason. The shock value was raised exponentially when it was revealed that a crowd of what can only be assumed were demon-possessed onlookers gathered to shout they hoped the officers would die (Mark 9:29). 

Sigh.  

As appalling as this situation is, it was also entirely foreseeable. The seeds of this tragedy were initially sown five years ago. It started with the lie that police shootings are ALWAYS criminal or at the very least unnecessary. The propagation of that lie prompted overpaid NFL players with an exaggerated sense of their own significance to begin sanctimoniously taking a knee during the national anthem. One of those players famously began wearing pig socks “in protest”. Soon after the chant “pigs in a blanket fry ‘em like bacon” became the rallying cry of the social justice warrior class. Around that same time leaders of certain party began to encourage their followers to harass conservative politicians. This was followed by calls to defund the police. All that led to riots in the streets which led to innocent bystanders being attacked because “enough wasn’t being done” to pacify the mob.  The slippery slope ended in Compton with an unstable person doing what he probably thought leaders wanted him to do.

So, a couple of things:

For the record, any idiot could have predicted we would end up here. The slippery slope is real. One action or decision really does lead to another set of actions and decisions.  The situation we find ourselves in delivers iron-clad proof of that fact.  Second, we must stop kidding ourselves about the whole “peaceful protest” twaddle. There are few (if any) “peaceful protesters” left anymore. There were peaceful protests immediately following the death of George Floyd. However, that ship has officially sailed. The movement has been hijacked. Those “protesting” are politically driven criminals who care little about the issues they SAY they are fighting for. Period. Finally, the situation we find ourselves in is a direct result of deception (Psalm 52:3). Deception cannot be ignored.  Decent people cannot sit back passively and hope the culture gets its act together.  It won’t unless we:

Pray – 

Too often, Christians say “well, I guess all we can do is pray” as if prayer were a silly last resort superstitious dumb people turn to after every other reasonable option has been exhausted. We treat prayer like it’s the spiritual equivalent of going to a witch-doctor after medical treatments for cancer have failed. Prayer is the most powerful thing Christians can do ever, under any circumstances, and without it none of the other things I suggest in this post will have any impact at all. Christians everywhere have a duty to pray for renewal in their own lives, revival in the lives of unbelievers and for truth to be revealed to all people (John 8:32). 

Speak the truth in love- 

Christians have become determined not to offend anyone (Ephesians 4:15). Our silence on moral and spiritual issues has left a void that Satan has filled with evil.  There are two reasons for the silence, the first is intellectual laziness. Many Christians do not know enough about the Bible or the world around them to engage anyone effectively concerning much of anything. Ignorance is a violation of the commandment to love God with our minds (Matthew 22:37).  The second is fear. Christians fear being disliked more than they fear God (Psalm 39:1-3). We must remember that Christians are NEVER to engage anyone in a cruel or nasty way (1st Peter 3:15). However, it is better to speak the truth and be hated by men and loved by God than to remain silent and loved by men and hated by God (Revelation 3:15-22). 

Demand better of our leaders- 

State and local leaders must be held accountable for the violence that’s overrunning many cities. If you live in a city where rioting has become commonplace call and write the mayor’s office and demand the mayor step down unless they get the violence under control. Write letters to the editor demanding state and local politicians get the destruction under control. Encourage friends and family to do the same.   Do not stop until said leaders step down, are voted out or make changes.  

Refuse to passively tolerate hate of any kind- 

Racism is never okay. Hating someone for the color of their skin is weird, wrong and categorically unchristian (Revelation 5:9, Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11). However, hate is just as hateful and every bit as evil when it is directed at a police officer or a conservative politician as it is when it is directed at a random person of color. Hate is hate. Christians rarely hate openly, however sometimes we are guilty of tolerating it passively in ourselves and others. Instead of just letting hateful remarks pass we must look for gentle and respectful but direct ways to call out hate of any kind. 

Finally, if we want to see real and lasting change we must be willing lead by example. This means we must examine ourselves regularly, confess our sins to God and others and repent of sin quickly (Acts 3:19, 2ndCorinthians 13:5, James 5:16).  

Satan’s Diary- September 13, 2020

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil– Ephesians 6:11 NASB 

Dear Diary, 

I love lies! I love politics! I love COVID-19! I love hate! I love Marxist teaching! I love sexual deviancy!  I LOVE 2020! 

But, mostly I love the 24/7 news.

Decades ago I took control of most print and broadcast media. The task was not difficult to accomplish. I had been heavily influencing college professors for decades. Under my watchful eye journalism schools became strongholds of liberal thinking in no time at all.   

It’s been nothing but sunshine and blue skies ever since. 

Thanks to 24/7 news channels most human beings are being gaslighted every moment of every day. Stupid fools never think beyond what my toady’s in the media tell them.  It’s beautiful.  Those who report the “news” insist what people see with their own eyes isn’t truth. Every day, all day, the media tells the public the thugs burning down cities, destroying business, attacking police and harassing innocent bystanders are not the problem. Those people are peaceful protesters. The demonstrators never articulate what kind of change would make them alter their behavior and newscasters tell viewers it’s the police who are the problem. If the police ceased to exist crime would be eliminated and the looters would fade into the woodwork.   

As if!

Even I know most Americans are decent people who welcome immigrants of every skin color and people group. Immigrants give up everything they know to go to America, some spend their life savings getting there. They do it because they know they will enjoy more freedom and economic opportunity there than in any other place on earth. The news media tells viewers those facts mean nothing.  The media has those moronic fools despising themselves for racist attitudes most of them don’t even have! The “everyone’s a racist and doesn’t know it” movement is actually causing the races to become more suspicious and even fearful of each other. 

LOVE! 

Speaking of fear. I just adore COVID-19.

That lovely, little virus has made more people afraid of more than things than anything I’ve seen in a millennium. My pets in the news media have becomes experts at increasing fear over Coronavirus. They do it because they believe it will get and keep their preferred political party in power. Not that I mind, their beloved political party just happens to be my personal darling right now.  Those fools are so delightfully misled and so intent on misleading others!  The media refuses to discuss politicians who refuse to follow their own rules regarding coronavirus. Stupid humans don’t realize that when a politician does anything that’s prohibited for “normal” people to do, like go outside without a mask, get their hair blow dried, or eat indoors at a restaurant they reveal their true beliefs about the dangers of COVID-19. They tell the world with their actions they don’t really believe COVID-19 is as deadly as they insist it is. Legislators wallow in hypocrisy and no one questions their motives for making the rules in the first place. It’s literally the most beautiful thing ever. Seriously.  

Okay, so, politics is good but it’s not actually the most beautiful thing EVER. The most beautiful thing EVER is the normalization of pedophilia! I have been working towards this goal for decades and I am on the edge of success.  A small but vocal minority wants to begin calling perverts and child molesters “minor attracted persons”.  How beautiful is that? I chose it myself. I simply adore how wonderfully clean sounding it is. I have been busy influencing Hollywood producers regarding children and sex. A full-length movie recently came out that sexualizes pre-teen girls and makes conservative parents look like a bunch of abusive kooks. If I play my cards right in another year-or-two there will be a full-length cartoon with a truly delightful child who is “in love “with a “really nice” and “really loving” adult character. By the end of the movie the star-crossed lovers will realize love really is love. Idiots easily swayed by emotional twaddle will soften their stance on “minor-attracted persons” and the kiddies will be more open to adult “love”.  I can hardly wait!  Parents have actually been very helpful to me in this crusade. They purchase phones for their children that give them access to every kind of lie and perversion the world has to offer long before their kids have the wisdom, discernment or self-control to sort through those messages.  Then those chumps trust their kids to never look at anything questionable. They wonder why their kids are so sexualized and such easy prey for perverts, oh, I mean “minor attracted persons”.

Ha! Ha! I literally crack myself up sometimes! 

Then there’s the Christians. Thankfully, most don’t have the slightest clue as to how much power they have to bring about change in the world. They complain about the culture but very few are actually praying about much of anything. Christians are actively consuming the worst of their toxic culture through television and internet; this habit makes it almost impossible for them to live the kind of holy righteous lives that draw the world to their stupid savior and protect them from my deception.

WINNING!

 Half of all Christians have used coronavirus as an excuse to drop out of church and not just the old people. Christians under forty, are mostly healthy and most likely to believe online church is a reasonable substitute for the friendships, community and accountability in-person services provide. The idiots deliberately separate themselves from the body of Christ not realizing that when they do that they become easy prey for my demonic minions.  If they don’t make a daily practice of examining themselves in light of Scripture they won’t pray and they won’t repent. If they don’t pray and repent there’s zero chance of revival. No revival means big VICTORY for me.  😁

Satan

Why Society Believes Some People are Beyond Hope-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety– Leviticus 25:18-19 NIV

Kenosha, Wisconsin is the latest in a long list of cities to erupt in violence after the police shooting of Jacob Blake last week. It has become customary following these occurrences for everyone to pick a side and then defend their side to the death. 

The “sides” tend to fall into three distinct factions:

There are those who feel police shootings are always wrong especially when the shooting involves a person of color. This group believes people make most of their decisions based on biases that grow out of racism, most people don’t recognize their own biases and are therefore incapable of operating outside of them. These individuals would like to eliminate the police all-together.  Then there are those who truly believe the police are incapable of making a poor judgment call. This faction believes police never make mistakes and should never be questioned about anything no matter how shady their choices appear in retrospect. Lastly, there are those who believe society has made it impossible for the poor and people of color to make good choices or live productive lives. They tend to think that because the poor are at a serious disadvantage in our culture, they should be exempt from judgment and consequences. This group believes society must fix itself and provide equal opportunities for all people. Until society is better it’s wrong for anyone to expect individuals who come from less than ideal circumstances to live law-abiding and productive lives. 

The first two views are foolish and naïve in equal but opposite ways. It’s silly and childlike to think anyone could possibly be all right or all wrong all the time. People are a peculiar mix of impulses and behaviors, some good, some bad. Some police officers are racist, evil or have been poorly trained. However, the majority of police officers are honorable people who cheerfully do a thankless job for relatively little pay because they sincerely wish to make the world a better place. Good officers sometimes do stupid and/or sinful things. Truly evil police officers sometimes do good things. 

Welcome to the paradox of being human.  

The third view is gaining momentum with Christians who want social justice. Those folks tend to believe human beings are ultimately held captive by their origin story. A white child who grows up in a good home with devoted and loving parents in a safe neighborhood is more-or-less destined to be a person who makes good choices. Conversely, a kid who is fatherless, the child of an immigrant, born to a prostitute or who lives in a neighborhood where violence is normal is doomed to be a criminal or a prostitute or a drug addict. It is not the fault of the criminal or the addict. It is the fault of the society that did not offer the child of an immigrant, drug addict, alcoholic, prostitute or poor person the same advantages as other children.  

The notion people are prisoners of their backstory assumes men and women are incapable of rising above tragic circumstances. This has become a self-fulfilling prophecy for millions of children. No one expects anything of the poor son of an immigrant or the daughter of a prostitute. As a result, society gets exactly what was expected. Nothing.  Additionally, this notion is actually aiding and abetting the looting, murder, violence and mayhem that has become commonplace in many of our cities in recent months. One of the reasons no one is stopping people from rioting is because ultimately those in charge believe the people rioting are powerless to behave any differently due to their upbringing. 

This idea is unbiblical because it makes God a liar, salvation unnecessary and entire groups of people beyond God’s redemptive reach.  The Bible is clear: ALL people are sinners in need of redemption (Romans 3:23, Romans 5:12, Galatians 1:3-4). God also makes it clear that ALL people are capable of change if they put their faith and trust in Him (Isaiah 1:18, 2nd Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:24). Those who subscribe to the origin story myth BEHAVE as if they Think people who come from good homes don’t need Jesus because they are already good and those who come from bad situations are hopelessly lost unless society changes the way those children are raised and educated. Treating people as if they cannot change runs contrary to the gospel and makes God into a liar. 

Christians can make a difference in four ways.  

First, Christians must boldly declare to our decaying culture that expecting people to obey the law is not asking too much, sad origin stories do not alter that reality. Second. we must shamelessly share the gospel with anyone who will listen (2nd Timothy 2:25). Jesus the only hope humans have for authentic and enduring change. Third, Christians must live out the reality that Jesus changes people. When Christians choose to live like they did before they knew Jesus they reinforce the notion that God is powerless to change people (1st John 1:6, Hebrews 10:26). Finally, we must never forget Christians are called to assist the poor and show love to all people of all races. Christians should be the first to provide practical help, support and encouragement for those who wish to rise above their circumstances.

Period. 

Dumb Things we Learned from the Internet-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments


They sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind– Hosea 8:7a NASB

 This week I had the experience of discovering first hand what sort of cultural junk kids and teens are marinating in.

It is unlike anything previous generations had access to.

Today’s popular culture is much dumber, much darker and much more dangerous than anything in the 1970’s, 80’s or 90’s. The enemy is doing an effective job of using our toxic culture via phones and tablets to lead kids to hell, literally and figuratively. Unfortunately, most parents, even many Christian parents are entirely oblivious to what’s going on right under their noses with the devices they pay for. 

Jesus preserve us.

Following are five attitudes that have become deeply entrenched in our culture thanks to the internet. As Christians we must work hard our tails off to recognize and root these attitudes out of our own lives and the lives of our kids. Each one is spiritually toxic.  They include:

The key to happiness is found marketing oneself well-

All the social media accounts I looked at appeared to have been crafted by a professional marketer to promote a carefully-thought-out image. The photos were carefully chosen. The taglines tended to be subtly suggestive and well-worded. Everything went together. All the photos and taglines vibed into a fascinating aesthetic. All-the-while being mostly empty, frequently sexually suggestive and completely devoid of any actual meaning. Once I saw it, I was appalled by the smoothness and sliminess of it all. Then it dawned on me Christian influencers do the same thing these kids are doing. Furthermore, most of the stuff being produced by the Christian community has the same smoothly crafted quality (only less filthy). Sadly, Christian parents and Church leaders have inadvertently taught the younger generation to worry more about how things look than how they actually are. 

Sex is just sex-  

It is clear that some forms of sexual deviancy have become rather faddish among the under thirty crowd. Being bisexual, gay, trans or even just promiscuous is simply a part of an image people promote to the world now. This is the new normal because sex was effectively separated from morality and now sex is just a thing people do when they think they might like each other, or not (Romans 1:24-27).  We are where we are because Gen Xers and Boomers did the job of separating sex from morality, intimacy and marriage. Millennials took it a step further and removed sex from emotional commitment. Generation Z has taken the whole course to its logical conclusion and detached sex from feelings. Sex is now officially meaningless. Sigh. 

Self is the ultimate arbitrator of right and wrong-

Right and wrong is no longer something most people debate, because most people have concluded morals don’t exist or are silly. Morals have become an antiquated novelty, like telephones with cords that stay connected to a wall. This started when we began teaching that feelings were more important than facts. It was a small hop to “my feelings are the ultimate decider of right and wrong in every situation”. Without an actual standard of right and wrong life has become chaotic and everyone literally does what is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).

If God is real He exists as a tool to be used- 

The name it and claim it movement is to blame for this one. A lot of young people, as well as a number of not-so-young people tend to see God as a tool to be used to get what they want rather than an eternal, far-superior, immortal being who is to be loved, feared and obeyed (Proverbs 1:7, Deuteronomy 10:12). 

Life is about NOW- 

We live in a strange dichotomy. COVID-19 has proven that many are scared spitless of dying. The world remained in lockdown for over a year because of a mostly irrational fear of death.  However, few seem to worry about what will happen to them after they die. This has led to a rather peculiar reality where people want to grasp at experiences that bring immediate pleasure but do not want to think about the possible eternal consequences of choosing those experiences over a different kind of life (Jeremiah 17:4). The church is not exempt from this thinking. Many Christians have chosen to forget God still judges sin so they sin and don’t think anything at all of the eternal consequences doing so (1st Corinthians 6:9, Galatians 5:20-22). 

None of these beliefs materialized out of thin air. Kids today believe what they believe about life and God because they have seen a lighter, slightly less ugly version of the same belief system modeled in the previous generations. The only real answer to the problems this has created is for those of us who do know God to pray for self-awareness and then to repent of any sin God reveals in our lives. 

Are We Living in an Age of Conspiracy?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places– Ephesians 6:12 200426

When the shutdowns began in March I immediately began receiving emails and messages containing countless conspiracy theories. Because I was bored and had little else to do, I went through most of the emails and videos that were sent to me. The conspiracies included (among other things) speculations regarding the origins of Coronavirus, and vaccines for coronavirus. There were theories concerning the strategy behind the national and global power grabs and plots connected to the coin shortage and how it’s being used to convert the world to a cashless society.

 I have been asked on occasion if I believe there is a group of people who have engineered the crisis to achieve a specific end.

 The answer is no.

  I certainly do not judge anyone who has decided we are living in the middle of some weird conspiracy cabal. There is without question sufficient evidence to tip the scale in favor of a sane person believing there is a secret society or group of creepy people pulling strings to move the human race towards their desired end. However, I simply do not believe human beings are smart enough, organized enough or secretive enough to pull off any plot that involves more than an infinitesimal group of people. Mostly because the average human struggles to keep a secret for longer than say five minutes. Most conspiracies intricate enough to make it into my email would involve literally hundreds of people and many layers of secrecy. There is practically zero chance that a single human being could keep literally hundreds of people from spilling the tea on any scheme interesting enough to make a video about it.

 However.

 This does not mean I don’t think SOME of the theories floating around these days are one-hundred-percent true. They are. I just think that it’s highly unlikely that a group of humans working alone could pull off those kinds of conspiracies without a little help from the enemy.

 Satan is always working behind the scenes to bring about the end he desires and he uses foolish, prideful, mostly oblivious humans to get the job done. Most of Satan’s schemes are focused on dehumanizing people and distracting them from spiritual truth. He uses popular mediums like music, television, books and movies to encourage people to participate in behaviors that enslave them to sin and destroy their desire for relationship with God. If for whatever reason a person is not down for wallowing around in sin he attempts to convince them of their own goodness and righteousness so they think they are too good to need a relationship with God (Mark 4:15, 1st Peter 5:8). Satan adores COVID-19 and is using it to spread fear and dissension.  Since the start of the Coronavirus lockdowns, Satan has worked through those in the media to spread fear that keeps people from thinking clearly about what should be done to manage Coronavirus. He has been working on those in positions of power to pass laws that limit human rights and restrict freedom of communication and movement all in the name of protecting public health. He has used the health dangers related to COVID to keep average citizens away from each other and to spread further dissent and conflict between people who once saw each other as being part of the same team.  The Bible is clear that there will come a day when basically the whole world and most of the people in it will be under Satan’s control (2nd Timothy 3:1-5). He will use one man to gain that control. (Daniel 7:21-22, Revelation 13). It is very likely the ground work is being laid for that right now (2nd Thessalonians (2:9).

 Another thing.

Satan doesn’t just use unbelievers. Sometimes he uses people who genuinely love Jesus to do his bidding and accomplish his purposes. Anytime a Christian refuses to examine their own behavior or analyze their beliefs in light of Scripture or prayerfully consider that they might be wrong about something they play into Satan’s hand and run the risk they will be used for evil purposes. We are living in a season of unprecedented deception where Satan has more power over more people including God’s people than he has had at any point since prior to the coming of Jesus (Matthew 24:4-13). In light of this reality, Christians should make self-examination a daily practice (2nd Corinthians 13:5, Jeremiah 17:9).  

 The final thing.

 It is imperative we remember that the people doing evil are not the ones in charge. They think they are but they aren’t. The enemy is and he does not have their best interests in mind. This is why we are commanded to pray for those who are doing the most damage to our country, our churches, our world and to us personally (Matthew 5:43-45, Luke 6:28, 1st Peter 3:12, 1st Timothy 2:1-3). When we pray for our enemies and the politicians who are doing evil it accomplishes several ends. First, we can be assured that God speaks to those people when we ask Him to. He would not command us to pray specifically for something if He did not intend to respond to those prayers (Matthew 5:44). Secondly, it changes our hearts towards those leaders when we pray. Instead of seeing them as the enemy we see them as puppets of an enemy who hates them and is using them, that change in attitude drives us to pray more. Finally, when we pray and the person repents we are blessed because we played a part in their change of heart.  

 The times we live in are unlike any we have experienced before. Life as we knew it may never return but we will grow spiritually stronger and be a part of the solution if we remember who is really at the heart of the conspiracies in our midst. 

 

 

Why Christians Still Need Corporate Church Services in the Age of COVID-19-

Lisa M. Price3 Comments

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching- Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV

 One unexpected result of the Coronavirus pandemic has been the emergence of two distinct viewpoints on the subject of church amongst church people.

 Many, including mega-church Pastor Andy Stanley feel there is little need for churches to meet corporately in light of the health issues our society is grappling with. They believe worship is more-or-less a private matter and online church is a perfectly adequate means for delivering a Sunday morning message. This group is convinced Romans 13:1 is the end-all-be-all in this situation. They believe STAYING HOME is the SAFEST and BEST way to honor God and be a credible witness to the culture at this point in history.

 Others believe CHURCHES SHOULD BE OPEN NOW.  Christians have a RIGHT to be in church and rights are meant to be exercised. Many of these same people feel it shows a lack of faith to wear masks in church or follow CDC COVID-19 guidelines.

 Never has there been a greater need for wisdom.

  If church attendance is a statement of your political values you are attending for the wrong reasons. Period. Furthermore, Christians should not abandon good sense when they meet together. It is not anti-faith to wash our hands and avoid close physical contact with people in the middle of a global pandemic. Seriously.

 That being said.

  Without private worship corporate worship devolves into a hollow exercise. Nevertheless, private worship is not a suitable substitute for in-person gatherings. Church attendance matters (Acts 5:12). When Christians meet together for the sole purpose of honoring God something sacred and beautiful takes place, therefore Christians should not be too quick to accept the online experience as the “new normal”. Christians should seek out some sort of corporate church experience (more on that later) for the following four reasons:

 People do not grow in safe, comfortable environments-

 It is human nature to seek out and create environments we feel completely comfortable in. Church at home is without a doubt the most comfortable church experience on the planet. However, people do not grow personally or spiritually when they stay in situations that are exactly to their liking for too long. God knows this. Therefore, He makes a practice of placing His people in situations that feel super uncomfortable and even unsafe. Joseph, Naomi, David, Daniel, Esther, Elijah, Peter and Paul all flourished spiritually when were thrown into situations they undoubtedly found personally challenging and even terrifying. The early church started as a near-perfect church experience (Acts 2:42-47). However, it did not take long for God to disperse His people into the unknown and uncomfortable.

 Online church and other exclusively private forms of worship give sinful human beings far too much control over their experience-

 In recent years Christians have had more choice about where they attend church and more access to spiritual resources than at any other point in history. Inexplicably, the end result of all this freedom has not been an overwhelming success. Christians are not exactly setting the world on fire. This is because people grow most when they are forced to do things and hear things they don’t want to do or hear. Internet church is fundamentally unhealthy because sitting in our living rooms alone does not require us to make a single concession to anyone else’s needs. It is also way too easy to give in to the temptation to fast-forward through music we dislike or the “boring” parts of the sermon. Corporate church is necessary because it forces us to sacrifice for others and challenges our thinking on critical spiritual issues (Proverbs 11:14).

 The biblical model is primarily one of corporate worship and learning-

 Corporate worship and study are the standard pattern in the Bible. This is true in the Old Testament, the New Testament and the future we are shown in the book of Revelation (Psalm 35:18, Hebrews 2:12, Revelation 7:8-9).

 The Christian life will get harder and community is vital when life is hard-

 Overnight it has become harder to be a Christian. It will not get any easier anytime soon. When life is hard relationship becomes essential. Online community is not wrong. I have formed some valued friendships online with people I will never meet this side of heaven.  However, online communities have some distinct disadvantages over in-person community. Christians who live in communist countries will tell you that online community can be undone in a few brief minutes by a determined government authority. Neither does online community allow for the meeting of other’s physical needs. Furthermore, it is all-too easy to “love” online community members who never have an opportunity to rub you the wrong way.

 Churches that refuse to take reasonable safety precautions do not love their neighbors (Matthew 7:12). They should be avoided. No one who is at high risk place themselves in a mega-church environment. That said, self-examination is key if you feel safe going to restaurants and malls you should stop making excuses, take some precautions and get your keister back in church.   

 Those who cannot attend a church service for legitimate health reasons should seek to create a small group of Christians outside their immediate family and watch the service with them. This should include participating in the worship portion of the service and there should be time set aside to pray for one another’s needs.

 No one should be doing the Christian life solo right now. We must find a way to participate in authentic Church community.

The Real Reason our Freedoms are Disappearing-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love- Galatians 5:13 NIV

 The rights to freely assemble, speak, worship and bear arms are being challenged at every turn.

Politicians from all sides argue the restriction of rights necessary for “the greater good” of society. Individuals have responded to the loss of liberty in one of two ways.  A small but vocal minority is quick to express gratitude. They sincerely believe the loss of liberty is worth the security gained.

The vast majority feel otherwise. 

 Rulers throughout history have tended to view personal freedom as a privilege that can be revoked at a moment’s notice by the will of human authority. However, history has also proven freedom causes human beings to flourish. Without personal freedom the human spirit withers, creativity is choked and discovery is stifled. It comes as no surprise that the countries that allow the most freedom are also the most productive and innovative. Authoritarian governments who relentlessly limit autonomy and freedom inevitably collapse because human freedom is the key to human productivity.

 The Bible presents human freedom as both a gift and a test (1st Corinthians 10:23, Genesis 3). God is the giver of human freedom. He calls freedom: freewill and people can do whatever they want with their freewill. Nonetheless, God makes the rules and He reserves the right to punish people for the sinful and/or selfish use of their freewill (Romans 2:6-8, Romans 6:23, Galatians 6:8, 1st Corinthians 6:9).  In the Bible freedom without obedience always leads to moral ruin and bondage of some sort (2nd Chronicles 29:6-9).  

 Americans have been blessed with a wider variety of freedoms than any people in the history of mankind. Both men and women, regardless of race, creed or social class are free to live where they want, build what they want, associate with who they want, buy what they want and sell what they want. Americans are free to have any kind of relationship they choose to have with anyone they choose to have it with. Americans can raise and educate their children however they see fit and wherever they want to. We can use our free time for any purpose we choose. The only real stipulation placed on these freedoms is that we do not harm others with our independence. No other country on earth has been blessed in this way.

 Are we living lives worthy of these blessings?

 Nope. Nope, and more nope. 

 Rather than using the freedom we have to create a healthier, more just society we have used our freedom to abort millions of children and deprive them of their right to life, liberty and a pursuit of happiness. We have pushed the boundaries of good sense and tested the patience of God by denying reality and insisting gender is a choice we get to make. Our culture has twisted the blessing of sexuality into a multi-billion-dollar industry that enslaves and objectifies millions of women and children. Taxpayer funded-school systems actively seek to corrupt the innocence of children through the implementation of curriculums that introduce ideas and concepts that go way beyond “the basics” of sexuality into a distorted and even creepy parody of sexuality. Rather than expressing gratitude for the abundant material blessings available in our culture full grown adults cry, whine, riot and set things on fire, and demand MORE all the while refusing to work for anything. Some are actively using the racial injustice suffered by some in our society as an excuse to tear everything down and reshape society in their own twisted image (2nd Peter 2:19, 2nd Timothy 3:1-3).

 Many Christians are no better just different.  

 Statistics reveal the vast majority of Americans who identify as Christians do not use their religious freedom to worship regularly on Sunday mornings. Nor, do the majority of Christians share their faith with others, volunteer in their churches or contribute to missions. Churches are some of the most segregated places in the country and Christians routinely show more kindness to unsaved people than they do to saved people.  Christians view porn almost as much as non-Christians, infidelity is far from unheard of in the church and scandals among church leaders have become a routine occurrence.

 Here’s the thing.

 God sometimes judges by removing blessings that are not used responsibly and we have not used our freedom responsibly.

 It’s not too late but it is time for the Church to repent.

 Christians have got to stop being a part of the problem and must seek to be the solution. We must model the reality for the world that genuine freedom is not found in doing anything we want to do. Authentic freedom is found in knowing Christ and being free from bondage to sinful behaviors and thought patterns (Romans 6:6).  We must be intentional about using freedom to do good rather than as an excuse to evil. We must make a practice of examining ourselves daily and searching diligently for sinful attitudes and behaviors that need to be repented of. God has not blessed the Church so we can live for our own pleasure or have everything just the way we want it at the expense of those who are dying without Christ. God has blessed the Church so we can be a blessing, preach the gospel fearlessly and lead the greater culture towards living righteous and holiness.   

 It’s time to get to it.

 

 

The Four Biggest Threats to the Church-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

Be sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame- 1st Corinthians 15:34 NASB

The biggest threats to the Church right now are not oppression and persecution.

Historically persecution and oppression has actually caused the church to grow and become more effective. No healthy, sane Christian wants to be persecuted. Persecution sucks. That said, it’s tough to argue that persecution can not have a positive impact Christians and the growth of the church (Acts 8:1).

Here’s the thing:

 Contrary to popular belief our biggest problems are not coming from a corrupt government, or ungodly influences or even the devil. Christianity’s biggest problems are all coming from within Christianity. Those are all real problems but they are not the biggest problems. The biggest problems are all coming from within Christianity. 

Following are four of the most damaging:

 Christians who refuse to acknowledge the danger of false teachers-

 There are a lot of Christians, including some leaders who blithely quote Matthew 16:18 anytime they are confronted with false teaching, sinful leaders or any other problem that is clearly creating moral and spiritual chaos in lives of Christians. It is true Jesus promised Peter Satan would never defeat the church. However, it is also true Jesus instructed Christians to be on guard against false prophets who would pass themselves off as Christians and lead many astray (Matthew 7:15). Paul warned elders in Ephesus that “ravenous wolves” (false teachers) would infiltrate the Church and destroy the faith of many (Acts 20:28-30).  Jesus prophesied false teachers will rise up and deceive many in the last days (Matthew 24). Jesus and Paul were not chronic worriers with a penchant for overthinking. Therefore, they would not have given those warnings if they did not feel there was a clear and present danger to the Church. The Church will never be defeated. However, that doesn’t mean the church cannot lose its ability to effectively deliver spiritual truth for a season. When this happens, churches stop reaching the lost and everyone loses (Matthew 5:13-16, Revelation 2:5, Hebrews 6:4-8)   

 Christians who refuse to submit to the word of God-

 There are some attitudes and behaviors that are so wrong if they become standard operating procedure in a person’s life they will keep that person out of heaven (Galatians 5:21). Seriously. It’s true. Those sins include, but are not limited to lying, adultery, covetousness, bitterness, all forms of sexual immorality, debauchery, witchcraft, fits of rage and selfish ambition (1st Corinthians 6:9-10, 1st Timothy 9-11, Revelation 21:8). There is a grassroots movement within churches that effectively seeks to minimize the importance of holiness and maximize the importance of “accepting people the way they are”. This has led many within the body of Christ to think they can be a Christian without actually submitting to God’s moral leadership in their lives. Christians who have not yielded every corner of their lives to God always end up fighting for the relaxation of biblical standards. These Christians are leading others astray with the false doctrines of easy believe-ism and cheap grace.  

 Christians who are quick to publicly judge other Christians for all the wrong things-

  The last couple of years has exposed some real ugliness that exists in Church world. Some Christians have a seriously rebellious spirit (1st Samuel 15:23). Other Christians are so gripped with a spirit of fear they have been rendered useless for Kingdom work (Isaiah 41:10). Many believers clearly put more faith in government orders than they do in God (Proverbs 29:25). But by far, the worst is the judgment Christians display towards one another (John 13:34-35). Take the public mask war we endured for two solid years. Half of Christians called the other half “compromisers” and “bootlickers” for wearing a mask.  The other half used some ugly and incredibly condemning words like “selfish”, “unloving” and “anti-science” to describe any Christian who did not cheerfully put on a mask or who dared to question the wisdom of wearing one. Furthermore, nearly every day I come across some stupid social media post where a Christian takes it upon themselves to apologize for all the unkindness of all the other Christians in the world. As if they somehow cornered the market on kindness and moral goodness. Strangely, enough, they never apologize for the prideful, self-aggrandizing tone of their post. Christians are called to love each other. It is biblical to confront a Christian on something that is clearly sinful. However, this should only be done after a time of intense prayer where you ask God to show you clearly if your perception of the situation is wrong in any way. If after you have humbly sought God’s correction and still feel the need to confront the issue it should be done privately and in accordance with Matthew 18:15-17.   

  Christians who foolishly kowtow to the culture–

Being a Christian and being liked by unsaved people can be mutually exclusive (Matthew 10:22, Matthew 24:9, Mark 13:13, John 15:18). Christians should never be needlessly unpleasant or mean. However, there are times when choosing to stick to biblical convictions causes non-Christians to become angry at us because biblical truth makes them feel uncomfortable. Many Christians are embracing organizations, ideas and moral standards that are antithetical to Christianity, because they are persuaded it will help them reach the lost. It won’t. It just muddies the message and leads people to believe they can become Christians without being transformed into the image of Christ. They can’t. Christians must stop fretting about being liked and instead focus on being like Jesus. Jesus loved people but He never compromised truth to reach them (Luke 3:6-8, Matthew 23, Mark 10:16-22, John 8:11)

 The world we live in has never needed Jesus more than it does right now. In order for the Church to be the church Christians have to live holy lives, recognize that spiritual truth matters and stand together in love.