Category: Spiritual health

How We Cultivate a Good Heart-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

 As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart– Proverbs 27:19 NIV

The heart. It’s the biggest of deals. 

the Bible teaches that the human “heart” is more than just an organ in our body. It is who we really are. It is the source of all our thoughts, feelings, actions and words (Proverbs 4:27, James 3:14). Because it is the source of so many critical aspects of our character, it is ultimately the determiner of our path in life. If our heart is good and pure, our choices and actions will be (for the most part) honoring to God, good for us and life-giving to those we love. Conversely, those with a sinful, prideful, unbelieving or hard heart are incapable of submitting their lives to God in a meaningful way, no matter how much they SAY they want to do good and honor God (1st Samuel 24:13, Matthew 15:8, Matthew 15:17-19, Proverbs 21:4, Proverbs 19:3). 

The Bible teaches we have a measure of control over the spiritual state of our own heart and the choices we make (Psalm 73:1, Matthew 5:8, 1st Timothy 1:5, 2nd Timothy 2:22, Hebrews 10:22). This is in direct contrast to the worldly belief that our choices (good or bad) are due to how we have been treated or are a result of trauma we have experienced. The Bible holds adults accountable for the choices they make because those choices are a direct result of the state of their heart, not the fault of other people. Wise Christians monitor, protect and deal with the condition of their heart because they understand it is one of the primary tasks of the spiritual growth process (Luke 21:34, Philippians 4:6-8). If one fails at this critical task they will be unable to live the Christian life with any degree of real success.

Sigh. 

No one wants that.

We cultivate a heart that pleases God by making a commitment to the following five action steps.

Taking our spiritual temperature often-  

Our life is full of indicators that reveal the state of our heart. Ww ought to ask ourselves the following questions on a regular basis: What is my go-to for entertainment? Is it full of sex, violence and darkness? Or is it pretty clean? Do I have a problem with lust? What kind of language do I use? Is it encouraging and spiritual or is it full of innuendos and cursing?  Do I routinely pray, read the Bible and attend church?  How and where do I spend my money? If, after asking ourselves these questions we discover our lives are mostly focused on the worldly, carnal and selfish, it is incumbent on us to change direction (Mark 7:21, Luke 6:44-45, Ephesians 5:3-5, 2nd Corinthians 9:6-7). Pronto. 

Choosing to walk in the righteousness of Jesus daily-  

In Ephesians 6:14 the apostle Paul tells his readers to put on the “breastplate of righteousness”. The purpose of a “breastplate” in biblical times was to protect the heart from damage. Paul wants his readers to understand that righteous attitudes and behavior protect our hearts from spiritual damage and moral defilement. There is good and bad news here. The bad news is that none of us (saved or unsaved) have any righteousness of our own. Our greatest acts of righteousness and goodness are like filthy rags compared to the righteousness and goodness of God (Isaiah 64:6). The good news is that Christians do have access to all of Jesus’ righteousness. When we put on righteousness of Jesus we are doing two things, first we are asking Jesus to empower us to walk in HIS righteousness. Second, we are reminding ourselves to act like Jesus instead of our own sinful, rotten, self-involved selves. When we choose to walk in the righteousness of Jesus our hearts are safeguarded from defilement and sin (Psalm 24:4). That’s why it’s called a breastplate of righteousness. 

Maintaining emotional distance from things and people that do not share our beliefs- 

It is perfectly okay to participate in secular activities and have friendly relationships with non-Christians (Matthew 9:9-12). It is impossible to impact the world for Jesus without relationships with non-Christian people. However, it is spiritually unwise to make our greatest emotional investments in people and activities that do not enrich our faith (1st Corinthians 15:33, 1st John 4:5, James 4:4). Anytime we habitually choose the secular over the sacred we run the very real risk of turning our hearts away from the sacred. When that happens loving the world becomes our new normal and our hearts become hard toward the things of God (1st John 2:15-17). 

Feeding our minds and souls good things- 

A healthy soul and a pure heart don’t just happen. We must go after them persistently (Proverbs 2:1-11, Psalm 19:7-14). Intentionality about reading the Bible, spending time with Christian friends, prayer and listening to Christian music goes a long way towards cultivating a healthy soul and a pure heart (James 1:27, Psalm 119:105, Acts 2:42, Matthew 26:41). 

And finally:

Life is full of events, people and situations that can weigh our hearts down with unresolved anger, unforgiveness and just plain old spiritual weariness (2nd Timothy 3:12, 1st Thessalonians 3:3).  If we are not extremely watchful and wise, Satan will use these times to plant seeds of bitterness, resentment and cynicism.  Our responsibility during these painful seasons is to rest in the Lord, trust His plan and be obedient to the things we do understand (Romans 15:13, Ephesians 4:26-27, Matthew 6:15, Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:1-2). When we do that we have a good heart and live a life that pleases, honors and glorifies God (Matthew 5:8, Matthew 25:23). 

It doesn’t get any better than that. 

How to Pull out a “Root of Bitterness”-

Lisa M. Price3 Comments

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery- Galatians 5:1 NIV

Bitterness is literally the worst.

Literally.

Bitterness is when chronic cynicism, resentment and hostility become a constant in a person’s life.  Other indicators bitterness is a problem are a tendency to isolate, a lack of compassion, relentless faultfinding and the inability or unwillingness to see the good in people and situations.  Bitterness hits its peak of awfulness when a person gets to the place where they want to see others suffer the way they feel they have suffered.   

Bitterness is one of those issues we rarely see in ourselves until after it has become an entrenched issue. This is because the emotions that lead to bitterness feel personal and private and more often than not: justified. When we perceive that we have been hurt or wronged it FEELS defensible and reasonable to allow our most negative, ugly emotions to run wild. However, when we let hurt or pain run the show we give the devil an opportunity (foothold) to sow chaos in our lives. One of Satan’s favorite things is a Christian who has been corrupted and hardened by a bitter spirit (Ephesians 4:26-27).   

The writer of Hebrews compares bitterness to a “root”. Feelings like anger, hurt, disappointment, jealousy or resentment create fertile soil for bitter roots to sprout. If left unattended bitter roots grow, spread and eventually choke out everything good, healthy and live-giving in a person’s life. Even more alarming, bitterness not only impacts the bitter person it also defiles (corrupts) the people closest to them (Hebrews 12:15, Ephesians 4:31, James 3:14). 

Yikes. 

It is on us to pray often that God will make us aware of any bitter roots that have sprouted up.  (Matthew 5:30).  Once bitterness has taken hold, the only way to get rid of it is to pull it out (metaphorically speaking). The keys to dealing with bitterness is as follows:

We must fully understand the implications of not dealing with a bitter root- 

Bitterness is no inconsequential thing. Making space for a bitter spirit is the fast track to spiritual uselessness, broken relationships and unanswered prayer (Leviticus 19:18, 1st Peter 3:12, Hebrews 5:7). Refusing to deal with the sin of bitterness is basically just acquiescing to the fact that you will be less spiritually productive than you could be. It also means accepting that your feelings of resentment will ultimately impact your kids, grandkids, church family and friends adversely. None of those realities should ever be acceptable to a follower of Jesus. Furthermore, Christians are commanded by Jesus to bear an abundance of good fruit and be a peaceful presence in the lives of others (Matthew 7:17-19, Luke 13:6-8, John 15:1-8, Colossians 1:10, Ephesians 6:15, John 14:27, Galatians 5:22-23). There is simply no way to fulfill that calling with a bitter heart. 

Stop nursing the dang thing- 

The most efficient way to kill a plant is to simply stop watering it. The same is true with bitterness. If we want to stop feelings of bitterness we must stop nurturing and indulging the feelings that lead to the bitterness in the first place. This means we must stop thinking about or talking about the situation or people who caused the bitter root to spring up. Instead, we must practice self-discipline in our thought life and conversations (Hebrews 12:11, 2ndTimothy 1:7). The easiest and most productive way to make that happen is to simply commit to only discussing the issue with mature fellow believers who are actively helping you to find freedom from the problem 

Bathe it in prayer- 

The most efficient way to kill a bitter root is to cover the situation and people involved in prayer. Prayer is the spiritual equivalent of a powerful weed killer (Philippians 4:6, James 5:16). Prayer is essential to pulling out a bitter spirit because it keeps us from ruminating on the situation or gossiping about the people involved. Gossip and ruminating on our pain are like pouring fertilizer on the bitter root (Matthew 26:41, Ephesians 6:18, 1st Thessalonians 5:17).

Let God be God in your situation- 

Most of the time, people do not become bitter without some sort of reason. There are situations where a very sensitive, immature or prideful person will become angry and bitter about something that wasn’t a big deal (like being called out on their sin or being slighted in some way). However, most of the time bitterness is the result of genuine hurt, loss or disappointment. In one sense bitterness is really just a desire for revenge that’s running amok in a person’s heart. The Bible is clear: revenge is best left to God (Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30). This is because He is far better at it than we are and the desire for revenge twists us up and turns us into a sad parody of what we could have been. Nobody wants that.

And finally,

The only way to totally break free of bitterness is to make the hard, sometimes painful choice to fully forgive those who have sinned against us (Matthew 6:14-15, Matthew 18:21-35).  Forgiveness is rarely easy, nor, is it typically a one and done. It’s a process that takes time. It often requires help from a mature friend, Christian counselor or pastor. Forgiveness is difficult but it’s also worth whatever effort it takes because it frees us from the ugly consequences of a bitter spirit and sets us free to be the people Jesus calls us to be (1st Peter 2:9). 

Who and What have the Power to “cut in” on our Faith?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith- Hebrews 12:1b-2a NASB

 The New Testament is packed with the literary device known as a metaphor. 

A metaphor (for those who have been out of school a while) is when one compares two totally dissimilar things WITHOUT using the words “like” or “as”. The Apostle Paul was especially fond of this particular figure of speech. He REALLY liked metaphors related to athletics. At least nine times Paul compares the Christian life to running a race or participating in an athletic contest (Acts 20:24, Romans 9:3, 1st Corinthians 9:24, 1st Corinthians 9:26, Galatians 2:2 Galatians 5:7).  In his letter to the Galatian church, Paul used the following metaphor to describe their spiritual state:

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? Galatians 5:7

The “who cut in on you” part got me thinking. It is simply a fact that life is full of events, situations and people that have the potential to “cut in on” our faith journey and sideline us spiritually. 

Sigh. 

The most common things that have the potential to “cut in” on our race of faith are:

The trials of life- 

 Trials are painful, frustrating, life-altering events. Some of the most painful trials involve broken relationships and betrayal. Trials can include (but are not limited to) difficulties in or with our marriages, children, careers, families, friendships, health and money (1st Peter 1:6, 1st Thessalonians 3:2-4). When trials pile-up or go on for an extended period of time, they create a sense of hopelessness. Unfortunately, the only way out of most trials is through them. The only way to survive an excess of trials is be intentional about making prayer a regular part of our routine. Prayer will not make a trial go away. However, a robust prayer life does give us the strength to power through the painful stuff of life with our faith and sanity intact (Romans 12:12, Proverbs 28:14). A commitment to trust, obey and stay faithful to God no matter how difficult, painful or weird life gets is also essential because those commitments are faith in action. Without faith we cannot please God, nor will we survive spiritually (Hebrews 11:6, 1st Corinthians 16:13). When we choose faith, we survive the trials of life, and as an added bonus we go on to become better, wiser, healthier versions of ourselves (James 1:2-4).  We also forge a closer connection to Jesus in the process. All wins. 

A spirit of jealousy and/or competition-

Jealousy and its foul cousin, a spirit of competition, rarely get the credit they deserve for the trouble they cause in our spiritual lives. These sins are problematic because Christians are called to unity (John 17:20-23, Ephesians 4:1-3, 1st Corinthians 12:12, 1st Corinthians 3:3). Jealousy and competition make unity in the body of Christ impossible. Jealousy and competition turn our focus entirely onto ourselves and what we don’t have, this leads to thanklessness, covetousness and eventually even idolatry (Romans 1:21-23, James 4:1-3, Galatians 5:19-21). Jealousy, covetousness and/or disunity will cut in on or race of faith. Every. Single. Time. These sins must be dealt with quickly and decisively or moral chaos WILL ensue (Matthew 5:30)  

Bitterness- 

Bitterness is a defiling force in our lives and a fast track to spiritual ineffectiveness and even generational brokenness (Hebrews 12:15, Ephesians 4:31). Sadly, hurt, pain, loss, betrayal and disappointment are inevitable in this life (Psalm 90:10, John 16:33, Psalm 22:11). Everyone experiences these things at one time or another. However, we get to decide for ourselves whether or not we will allow our pain and disappointment to morph into bitterness, cynicism, resentment and hostility.  The keys to preventing bitterness are to choose forgiveness when hurt and to commit to trusting God with the stuff in life we are helpless to understand or process (Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 4:5, Psalm 9:10, 1st Peter 2:6). 

Bad doctrine- 

Many (not all) modern-day Christians tend to think the finer points of doctrine are irrelevant at best and divisive at worst. It feels much kinder and more inclusive to just let people believe whatever they want to believe. Nevertheless, it was bad doctrine that was tripping up the Galatian Christians. Wrong doctrine always leads to wrong thinking. Wrong thinking always leads to wrong behavior. It’s critical Christians know the Bible and do their level-best to live it out (1st Timothy 4:13, 2nd Timothy 3:16, 2nd Peter 3:16). 

Bad company- 

There is nothing wrong with being on friendly terms with immature, unsaved or even shady people. Christians are called to influence, inspire, lead and evangelize all people, not just nice people who follow the rules (Matthew 5:13-16, 2nd Corinthians 5:20, 2nd Timothy 2:15, 1st Peter 3:15). However, we are also called to be very cautious about who we allow to influence, inspire and lead us (Proverbs 12:26, 1st Corinthians 15:33). Those closest to us ought to be people who inspire us to better things in every area. Anyone else will cut in on our race of faith. 

It is up to us as individuals to be aware of the things or people that have “cut in” on our race of faith (Hebrews 2:1). Anytime we sense ourselves becoming less faithful or interested in the things of God we must do some soul searching, repent of any sin we may be harboring and seek Jesus (Proverbs 26:13, Matthew 3:8, 2nd Corinthians 7:10). Then we need to ask God for the spiritual refreshment necessary to get back in the race of faith (2nd Corinthians 13:5, Revelation 2:4-5)

Attitudes that Indicate Serious Spiritual Problems-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother and sister– 1st John 3:10 NASB

According to Merriam-Webster one definition of culture is:

The set of values, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or societal characteristic.

Christianity has a culture. 

The particulars of the cultural practices of Christianity vary somewhat from church to church. In some churches people dress more conservatively than in others. In many denominations raising hands in worship is considered a sign of piety. In others it’s thought to be peculiar. In some churches only certain Bible translations will do, in others all translations (even the kind of sketchy ones) have merit. 

Differences notwithstanding, 

The way Christians dress, relate to one another, conduct themselves in worship services and the even the words Christians use to describe shared spiritual experiences are all fairly universal. What we do and don’t do is deeply rooted in church culture. As a result, one does not have to be around the Church for very long to know what’s okay and not okay. 

This is not necessarily a bad thing. 

God has ordained standards and norms of behavior for His holy people (John 13:34, Romans 12:10-16, Romans 15:7, 1st Corinthians 1:10, 2nd Corinthians 13:11, Ephesians 5:21, Ephesians 5:3, 1st Corinthians 5:11, Hebrews 13:1-8). There is nothing wrong with a community of believers having standards and norms, as long as those standards and norms are biblical, God honoring and life-giving to the people involved. A wholesome, healthy Christian culture creates an environment where God is glorified and people feel welcomed and esteemed. When it’s done right culture is a beautiful thing. 

Unfortunately, the culture of Christianity is also easily mimicked. Spiritual fakery can happen without so much as a smidgen of heart change (2nd Corinthians 5:17) and without any self-awareness whatsoever. Sadly, a person can spend their whole lives copycatting the culture of Christianity without realizing that they don’t actually know Jesus (Matthew 7:21-23, Matthew 25:31-46). Yikes. 

So, how do we know if our Christianity is the real deal or just a cultural copycat? 

Truth-be-told, it’s not always easy to tell who’s who and what’s what in Church world.  Many times, the mimickers have even fooled themselves. However, there are some clues we can look for in ourselves and others. Any of the following five things indicate there are some problems that need spiritual attention (more on that later). 

To the average mimicker…  

Sin is not problematic- 

A genuine Christian detests sin—especially when they see it in themselves. Anyone who is not horrified by their own sin is probably not the real deal (Romans 12:9, 1st John 1:4-6, 1st John 3:6). 

Double-mindedness is routine-

A double minded person lives with one foot in the world and one foot in the church (1st John 2:15-17). They behave like Christians when they are around mature Christians they want to impress or fool, but when they are with immature Christians or non-Christians, the performance ends, then they behave pretty much like any other heathen. Ultimately, double-minded people are inherently unstable spiritually and oftentimes emotionally as well (James 1:6-8). Unfortunately, double-minded people do immeasurable damage to the kingdom of God, immature Christians and the reputation of every serious believer in Jesus (Matthew 13:36-33). 

Repentance is for heathens-

Repentance is not a one and done.  Regrettably, some genuine Christians and all mimickers have bought into the lie that repentance is a one-time admission that one is a sinner with no further repentance required. Nothing could be further from the truth. The entire Christian life is meant to be a life of ongoing repentance. Repentance begins with a change of mind about what’s okay and not okay. Right thinking about sin leads to a renewed mind that leads to behavioral and attitudinal change (Isaiah 30:15, Acts 3:19, Matthew 3:8, Romans 12:1-2, 2nd Corinthians 7:9, 1st John 1:8-10). This does not mean Christians have to go back, remember and repent of every single sin they ever committed. It does mean a real Christian lives a life of self-examination and is quick to repent of any sin they see in their lives (2nd Corinthians 13:5). 

Zero inclination towards the spiritual- 

 Christians love God, the Bible, learning about God and the Bible and spending time with people who love learning about God and the Bible. Christians also want the advice, counsel and guidance of other believers, so much so, that they will go out of their way to avoid worldly advice or counsel (2nd Corinthians 6:14). A mimicker tends to avoid personal Bible study, does not enjoy spending time with mature, godly believers outside of church and has zero discernment when it comes to taking worldly advice. Anytime, a “Christian” lacks an appetite for the things of God it indicates a big problem.  

Here’s the thing:

Christians are not called to be busybody fruit inspectors. It’s not our business to decide who’s saved and who’s not. That’s God’s arena. 

That being said. 

Christians are advised to be careful about the company they keep. Paul cautioned the believers in Corinth to avoid those who claim to be Christians but do not live like it (1st Corinthians 5:1-13, 1st Corinthians 15:33). Jesus frequently warned His followers to avoid the Pharisees (the original mimickers) because their influence was spiritually deadly (Matthew 23:1-3, Matthew 16:5-6, Matthew 23:15). That said. It is absolutely critical we routinely assess our own lives and ask God to reveal signs of spiritual problems. Literally, anyone can take on the cultural behaviors of Christianity without experiencing real heart change. Our lives reveal heart change when we hate sin enough to turn away from it. When we live lives free of hypocrisy and love God, His word and His people. If those characteristics are present in our lives we know we will be spiritually productive on earth and warmly welcomed into God’s kingdom (Matthew 25:23, Luke 19:17)

The Truth about Trials and Hardship-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison – 2nd Corinthians 4:17 NASB

Okay, so.

Unless you’ve been hanging out in a cave with no access to the internet for the last decade or so, you have likely picked-up on the fact that our culture defines love entirely in terms of “being nice”.

Love is not love unless it is expressed in a completely non-judgmental manner. It is no longer loving to show even a smidgen of disapproval. It is categorically not okay to rebuke or criticize anyone, nor, is it okay to ask someone to do anything hard.  

This whole messy muddle has impacted how we understand God. Many Christians see God as the ultimate gentle parent. God is typically presented as sympathetic, mild and super worried about the feelings of humans. Most believe God would never do anything insensitive or harsh. He for sure would not ask anyone to do anything they were not were super ready to do.

Well.

 I definitely had some of those beliefs challenged this week. It happened as I was reading through Matthew fourteen. I came to the story where Jesus (and Peter) walk on water in the middle of a violent wind storm (Matthew 14:22-26). 

Truth-be-told there were a couple of things in this story I had never really noticed before, despite having read it umpteen times.  This first thing that caught my attention is that Jesus made (NKJV, NIV, ESV) or insisted (NLT) the disciples get into the boat. I read it in a bunch of different versions and it’s clear: Jesus didn’t suggest, encourage or recommend their late day jaunt across the lake. Jesus literally compelled (NASB) them to get in and row. 

I also noticed that, after making get onto the boat, Jesus left. He jetted. Seriously. He flew the coop. The text says after getting the disciples settled in the boat He went up to the mountain to pray by Himself. 

As evening rolled around some brutal winds started to toss their little boat around. Jesus showed up sometime between 3:00 and 6:00 in the morning, He apparently just sauntered out onto the lake, scaring the bejeebers out of the disciples and then He (rather ironically) tells them not to be afraid. 

Then Peter, always the showoff, says to Jesus:

“Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water”

So, Jesus commanded Peter to go onto the water. Apparently, everything was cool for a little while, until Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, looked at the wind and got scared. His fear caused him to sink like a stone. The minute Peter asked for help Jesus stepped in and pulled him out of the water. 

However.

Jesus did not do what one would expect a gentle parent to do. Jesus did not give Peter a cookie and a hug and tell him he did awesome in spite of his lack of success. Instead Jesus says:

“You have so little faith,” “Why did you doubt me?” (NLT)

It feels a little harsh Jesus. 

This story got me thinking about all manner of things. 

Mostly, I spent a lot of time wondering why Jesus would force his disciples/friends onto a boat headed for a storm and then criticize them for their fear and lack of faith. After all, I would not classify Jesus as a big meanie, so, there had to be at least one reason for what appears to be a serious lack of compassion.  

I also wondered if there’s some personal application we might glean from this story. 

It occurred to me that because Jesus is God, He knows and knew EVERYTHING.  Therefore, it is logical there is more to the story than meets the eye.  It’s interesting to note that four chapters earlier Jesus explained to His disciples in no uncertain terms that tough times were coming and that they would need to be ready (Matthew 10:17-23). 

Maybe, just maybe, Jesus wasn’t being mean or insensitive or cruel. Perhaps, Jesus was simply preparing the people He loved most for some much harder things He knew were coming. Things like leadership positions in a messy new movement, opposition, jail time, harassment, persecution and even martyrdom (Acts 8:1-3, Acts 10-11). Maybe, as Jesus watched Peter flailing around on the water He was thinking to Himself: “dude, you think this storm is scary? Just wait till you’re standing in front of Nero”.  Maybe, forcing the disciples into a storm really was the best way for them to learn to trust Jesus in the even tougher stuff that was coming? 

Let’s say this is true.

Then the implications for us are fairly obvious. God is not the quintessential gentle parent, that said, He is the best parent ever. He sees what’s coming and he does everything in His power to prepare us for what lies ahead and like a truly great parent God is far more interested in what we become than in our immediate comfort and ease. 

It’s our job to cooperate with God. 

We do that by choosing to view our trials and difficulties as a gift from a loving Father rather than punishment or something to endure (James 1:2-4, 1st Peter 1:5-7, 2nd Corinthians 4:17, 1st Thessalonians 3:3). When we do, we willfully position ourselves to be transformed into someone truly glorious (2nd Corinthians 3:18, Romans 8:28-30). 

The (Somewhat) Surprising Sin on God’s Super Naughty Sin List-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good- Romans 12:9 NASB

Anytime, the God who defines himself as love says He hates something we ought to make a careful note of what that thing is (Deuteronomy 7:9, Joel 2:13, John 4:8, 1st John 4:16). That thing (whatever it may be) is the very biggest of deals and should be avoided at all costs. 

For reals. 

Thankfully, the God of the universe is never shy about clarifying His feelings on any subject. Proverbs gives us a detailed list of all of the things God hates the most. 

It says:

There are six things that the Lord hates. Seven that are an abomination to Him:Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil,a false witness who declares lies and one who spreads strife among brothers-Proverbs 6:16-19 NASB

First on the lineup on God’s naughty list is, “haughty eyes”. “Haughty eyes” is just a fancy-pants euphemism for having a prideful heart (Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 11:2, 1st John 2:16). God is opposed to pride because humans have no justification for getting all caught up in pride. Furthermore, it’s gross and a gateway sin for a whole heap of other really icky sins. 

Ultimately, prideful people consider themselves to be superior to and worthier than others.  A prideful person believes deep in their heart they are special and should be beyond rebuke—no matter how questionable or outright sinful their actions. As a result, prideful people have no issue skirting rules they demand others follow or inflicting emotional pain when it suits them. Prideful, arrogant, haughty people can justify pretty much anything. 

Nor, is it a surprise God is categorically not a fan of people who habitually go around devising evil schemes. All morally sane people agree evil schemes deserves to make the naughty list. It’s also no surprise God has issues with those who shed innocent blood or people who are eager to commit all sorts of evil deeds (Exodus 20:13, Jeremiah 8:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21). Those three issues are the low-hanging fruits on the morality tree. Even a lot of pagans understand why God has a problem those things. 

Perhaps, the biggest surprise (at least to me) is how much God has to say about what we say. Three out of the seven on the super-naughty list all have to do with lying and or strife—the natural fallout of telling lies. 

Which begs the question: 

Why is God so uptight about dishonesty?

Even morally questionable people fully understand God’s issues with big-giant-crazy-pants lies. It’s not difficult to grasp why lying under oath, in a court of law when someone’s life or freedom hangs in the balance is a big deal. It’s easy to understand why God would get bent out of shape over lies that effect someone else’s money, reputation or marriage. 

However.

It could be reasoned, that the vast majority of lies are harmless. What does it matter if I tell someone their hair looks nice when it doesn’t? Why would God have a problem with me telling someone I’m busy when I am not? God’s boundaries concerning this issue feel a bit restrictive to our twenty-first century, post-modern sensibilities. It feels like God is meddling in trivial issues that are none of His concern. 

However, God is not capricious. He does not make up rules for no reason. He knows the end from the beginning. He forbids any and all lying for at least four reasons;

Lying is a gateway sin-

Telling one little lie (even one that feels inconsequential) makes it easier to move on to bigger and more elaborate lies. It also makes us comfortable with other ugly sins that inevitably hurt others and defile us sins like jealousy, slander, hypocrisy and pride (Leviticus 19:16, 1st Peter 2:1, Mark 7:21-23)

If a person lies for long enough about enough stuff the lines between fiction and non-fiction become blurred in their mind-  

I have observed that is a liar lies for long enough, a moral transformation takes place and it becomes very difficult for the liar to know what is true and what is false anymore. Truth-be-told, I do not understand all the why’s and how’s of this process. I suspect it happens because when we lie, we literally affiliate or align with Satan. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and the enemy of our souls. When we align ourselves with Satan in this area he gains a foothold and sees to it we forfeit our ability to discern truth from lies (Ephesians 4:25-27). Yikes.

Lying stunts our spiritual growth- 

Any sin we willfully hang on to will create chaos with our spiritual growth and hijack our spiritual effectiveness. That said, lying is a pernicious and sneaky sin. It’s easy to dismiss lying as a small, inconsequential issue and therefore not a big deal. As a result, the loss of growth and maturity goes unnoticed. Furthermore, partnering with God to accomplish His purposes in this world is the ultimate blessing a Christian can experience. Because, God cannot and will not partner with darkness of any kind, living a life of duplicity makes partnering with God impossible.

And finally,

God is a relational God who loves to see His people living in harmony with one another. Therefore, He hates anything and everything that divides people and creates strife. There is no faster route to creating strife and breaking bonds between people than telling a lie.

The Inside Scoop on God’s Discipline-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it- Hebrews 12:11 NIV 

Is there a difference between discipline and punishment?

It matters because there are times when God’s discipline can feel every bit as unpleasant as punishment. However, there is a monumental difference between the two. The purpose of punishment is to inflict pain and sorrow without hope or relief (Matthew 8:12, Matthew 13:36-50, Luke 13:22-27). Conversely, discipline is intended to teach, correct and train. 

The whole point of discipline is to bring about maturity and to transform a person into something infinitely better. God does not punish Christians. Truth-be-told, God does not punish anyone (believer or unbeliever) prior to physical death. Physical death is the final cutoff for God’s mercy and grace.  Hell is real. It is a place reserved for those who refuse God’s kindness (Matthew 10:28, Matthew 18:9) by willfully rejecting Jesus and the salvation He brings. Discipline can be painful and it can feel punitive. However, the purpose of God’s discipline is to keep people from experiencing punishment. At the root of discipline is kindness, love and concern for the long-term wellbeing of the one receiving discipline (Hebrews 12:11)

God disciplines everyone, Christians and non-Christians alike. For non-Christians the point of discipline is to bring the unbeliever into the family of God. God loves human beings so much He will use anything short of sin to bring someone to faith in Jesus (John 3:16). When all else fails God will use pain, discomfort and trouble to bring people to the end of themselves. When someone comes to the end of their own understanding and ability to cope with the challenges of life they begin looking outside of themselves for answers. This unraveling of self-reliance is frequently the beginning of the faith journey. 

For Christians the purpose of discipline is different. 

For Christians, God’s discipline is all about bringing the believer to a place of obedience so that they can be transformed into the image of Jesus (2nd Corinthians 3:18, Romans 12:2, 1st Peter 1:22-2:4, 2nd Peter 1:3-10). A rebellious, disobedient or carnal Christian will never experience authentic spiritual transformation or become everything God wants them to be.  

It just doesn’t happen.  

For the record, not every difficulty Christians experience is the result of disobedience. Some of the trouble we experience in this life is simply the result of living in a fallen world. Death, becoming a victim of human evil and disease are not God’s discipline. Those painful occurrences are the natural consequences of living in a world broken by sin. God doesn’t use those things to discipline people. Those types of situations all fall under the category of a trial. For a Christian, a trial is a test of faith that has nothing to do with disobedience. Trials are an unpleasant part of life that will (if we allow them to) strengthen our faith, make us more compassionate and draw us closer to Jesus (James 1:2-4). Trials are no fun but they are not God’s discipline.

 The whole point of the Christian life is to become like Jesus. Therefore, God will do whatever it takes to bring a wayward Christian back into obedience. Following are three possible signs a Christian is experiencing discipline. 

A loss of personal peace-

Personal peace is the birthright of every born-again believer in Jesus (John 14;27, Luke 1:76-77, Romans 5:1, Romans 14:17, 2nd Corinthians 13:11, Philippians 4:6-7). Jesus came to make peace between God and humanity and to give peace to those who walk in obedience to God’s will (James 1:2-4, 1st Peter 1:6). Therefore, one of the surest signs a Christian is experiencing spiritual discipline is loss of personal peace. Discipline is always a result of disobedience and disobedience is a fast-track to personal turmoil. If you are experiencing a loss of peace, it is critical you seek the Lord and ask Him to show you how you are living outside the will of God. 

Self-inflicted pain- 

Some of the pain we experience in life is one-hundred-percent outside our control. However, a great deal of the pain we encounter in life is the direct result of our own foolish choices, sin and willful short-sightedness. Anytime we experience a great deal of pain, difficulty or trouble we ought to do a deep dive into the cause of that pain. If the trouble is a direct result of our own choices, there is a really good chance God is trying to get our attention.  We would be wise to heed His voice. 

A rocky path- 

One of the most merciful things God does for His children is to make their path difficult when they choose to live in willful disobedience. Again, this is not punishment, its discipline intended to get us to look upward and ask for direction. If things that were once going well (relationships, work, finances, etc.) are now going poorly, it’s time for some serious self-evaluation and ask God for insight on where exactly the problem lies (2nd Corinthians 13:5). 

In our anything goes world; the whole notion of discipline has some seriously negative connotations. Even many Christians believe the most loving thing a person can do is just leave people alone in their sin. Nothing could be further from the truth.  Sin and disobedience always leads to self-destruction of some sort. A good God cares enough to get us back on track and sometimes that means a little pain in exchange for a whole lot of personal gain. 

Where do you Fall in Matthew Chapter Eight?

Lisa M. Price5 Comments

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple- Luke 14:33 NKJV

There are two kinds of Christians. 

There are Christians who mark up their Bibles and Christians who don’t. I am unashamedly the first kind of Christian. I can tell at a glance how impactful a chapter of the Bible has been to me by the sheer number of highlights, underlines and notes written in the margins.

I am currently working my way through the book of Matthew. The Bible I’m using is new enough that it’s more-or-less a blank slate at this point.  As I finished up chapter eight, I noticed an astonishing scarceness of notes, underlining and highlighting compared to the previous seven chapters. 

It was a little drab and dull in comparison.  

 I decided to go back and take a second look. Matthew eight tells the seemingly random stories of people or groups of people who all had encounters with Jesus. The first encounter is with a leper who is healed by Jesus. That encounter is followed by a story about a Roman centurion whose servant is healed by Jesus long distance (verses 9-13). Next up is the healing of Peter’s Mother-in-law (verses 14-15). 

 There is a departure from the healings theme towards the end of the chapter. Verses eighteen through twenty-two detail interactions Jesus has with a nameless teacher of the law and an anonymous disciple. The teacher promises he will follow Jesus wherever He goes. Instead he makes a bunch of lame excuses and goes his own way.  The unknown disciple also reneges on his initial pledge to follow Jesus (Matthew 13:18-22).

Immediately following those encounters the disciples find themselves in a nasty storm. The fierceness of the storm shakes their faith in a big way.  Jesus finds the disciples and their lack of faith in Him super annoying (verses 23-27). 

The chapter ends with Jesus healing two demon possessed gentiles. The demons come out of the men and after a brief conversation with Jesus, the demons agree to go into a herd of pigs. The demon possessed pigs immediately jump off of a cliff and die. The loss of the pigs ends up costing the locals a LOT of money. They frantically beg Jesus to leave their region because He wasn’t good for their bottom line. 

The end. 

Even after the second reading it still felt like a bunch of random stories. I wasn’t really feeling it.

 Then it hit me pretty much out of nowhere that all the stories had a common theme:

Response. 

The chapter records how different people respond to Jesus. The leper went to Jesus in faith and responded in obedience. The centurion responded to Jesus with such faith and humility, Jesus praised him for it in a way that almost certainly enraged the Jews present (verses 10-12). Peter’s Mother-in-law responded to Jesus’ healing touch with a life of service. The teacher of the law and the nameless disciple are both interesting. Both apparently understood who Jesus was but once they realized following Jesus might mean discomfort and/or a loss of status they responded by going their own way (verses18-22). The disciples are just sad at this point in the narrative. Even after watching Jesus heal scores of people (including some of their own relatives) they still struggled to respond with trust in Jesus when it came to the tough stuff of life (verse 23-27). 

Sigh. 

Then there’s the townspeople. These folks are the genuine sad-sacks of the chapter. They saw Jesus’ power and were so afraid of what following Jesus might ultimately cost them, they responded by begging Jesus to leave them alone. 

It occurred to me we all fall somewhere on the chapter eight spectrum. We might even find ourselves in different places in chapter eight at different points in our life. 

Perhaps you’re one of those individuals who started your journey with Jesus full of child-like faith. You responded to Jesus with a heart of obedience and you’re still keeping on. My prayer is that you have a heart like Peter’s Mother-in-law and you’ve invested your days in serving Jesus with everything you have (Matthew 25:21). 

I hope this is you.

But maybe:

After a long season of hard knocks, you may be questioning whether or not Jesus is worth the trouble.  Perhaps, the storms of life feel unrelenting. Your faith in Jesus and His ability to care for you is being challenged at every turn.  Maybe life feels uncertain and you’re just kind of terrified. 

Or maybe, you’re like those gentile townspeople. You know Jesus is real, but you’re afraid of what following Jesus is going to cost you. You’re just not sure a life of faith is worth giving up that habit, relationship or sin. Maybe you’re so determined to do your own thing you’re willing to risk hell simply to have your own way. 

Wherever you are on the Matthew eight spectrum:

 I know Jesus is worth it (Psalm 34:8, Psalm 84:11). I know He’s faithful, even in the midst of the toughest most brutal stuff of life (Psalm 27:13).  I have also learned that even in the worst moments He is busy working out all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28-29). 

Trust Him today (2nd Corinthians 13:14, 1st John 3:16). He’s got you.  

All the Why’s Behind Philippians 4:8-9

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking- 2nd Peter 3:1 NIV

It’s way above my paygrade.

Nevertheless, sometimes I wonder about the “why” of some of God’s commands. Most of the “why’s” are easy. Thou shalt not murder is self-explanatory (Exodus 20). 

But what about our thoughts? 

God takes a clear interest not just in what His people do, but also in what they think about.  The New Testament is jam-packed with instruction regarding our thought life. 1st Corinthians 13 tells us Christian love thinks the best (1st Corinthians 13:4-7). Jesus instructed His followers to be cautious about what thoughts they choose to entertain and regularly called out wrong thinking. (Matthew 5:28, Matthew 6:34, Luke 5:20-22, Luke 9:46-48). Romans 12:2 reveals the key to pleasing God and walking in His will, ultimately lies in what we think about. The apostle Paul straight-up commands followers of Jesus to think about things that are “pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy”. That command is followed by a promise of blessing for obedience (Philippians 4:8-9). Anytime God promises blessing for obedience we ought to pay special attention to that command. It’s critical we figure out why that issue matters so much to God. 

This one can be confusing because the inside of one’s head is a controlled and confined space no one has access to except the one doing the thinking.  No one is obviously harmed by a mean thought, so why do our thoughts matter so much to God? The answer essentially boils down to four issues. God cares about what we think because: 

Our thoughts are like the check engine light on a car-

Our thoughts can serve as a spiritual warning system. Optimistic, benevolent and compassionate thoughts reveal a healthy spirit and hearts that are probably mostly focused on God, God’s Kingdom and the well-being of others. Conversely, paranoid, lustful, suspicious and distrustful thoughts are often an indicator of a much bigger and more worrisome spiritual problem. At best these types of thoughts reveal a lack of connection to the Holy Spirit, at worst they reveal systemic sins that require deep repentance.

Our thoughts ultimately shape us- 

To ancient Jewish people the “heart” was much more than an organ that pumped blood. The heart embodied all that a person was. The heart was a person’s thoughts and the feelings that were produced by what they thought about. The heart was their inner-person (Proverbs 3:5, Proverbs 4:23), it was the part of the person that determined all of their actions. Jesus said that it is out of our heart that we speak and do evil. In other words, our thoughts have a shaping influence not just on our actions but on who and what we become (Matthew 12:34, Luke 6:45) 

Satan can do a lot with just a little bit of wrong thinking- 

The psalmist begins Psalm 73 by acknowledging that God shows special favor towards those who are “pure in heart” or in the modern vernacular that means: “good on the inside as well as the outside”. His acknowledgment is swiftly followed by an awkward confession: the psalmist divulges he came dangerously close to losing his spiritual direction because he spent too much time thinking on the (seeming) success of the arrogant and wicked.  His observations regarding the apparent affluence of wicked people morphed into wrong thinking about God which nearly caused his “spirit to become embittered” towards God (Psalm 73:21-22). The whole messy spiritual mess started with some thoughts that should have been reined in and prayed over before they had a chance to run wild and give birth to bitterness and hate (Hebrews 12:15, Ephesians 4:30-32). 

Assuming the worst about others creates a spiral that ends in serious sin-

Choosing to think the worst about others without rock-solid proof of wrongdoing is not discernment. It is a choice that gives the devil a foothold. A choice that often leads to fear, paranoia and even evil behavior (Ephesians 4:26-28, 1st Peter 5:8). This is because anytime anyone allows fear and/or paranoia run wild they run the very real risk of losing touch with reality. Such was the fate of King Saul. He basically projected all of the evil of his own heart onto David. This caused him to think the worst of David, his wrong thinking initiated a spiritual death spiral that led to a bunch of murder attempts and ultimately Saul’s insanity. Anytime we find ourselves assuming ill-intent of others without rock-solid proof we run the risk of becoming a Saul. No wants to be a Saul. Saul was a hot mess.

The apostle Paul understood it is impossible to have a pure heart while thinking mean, lustful, anxious, paranoid or suspicious thoughts (Psalm 24:3-5, Matthew 5:8, Matthew 6:25-34). Therefore, a critical spiritual discipline is learning how to take our thoughts captive to Christ (2nd Corinthians 10:5). We take thoughts captive through a process of analyzing what comes into our minds and asking ourselves some questions about those thoughts:

Is this thought noble, pure admirable, kind or praiseworthy?

At the end of the day will this thought produce something wholesome and life-giving?

Am I assuming good intent?

Am I the worst motives in this situation? 

If this thought is permitted to run wild will it produce some sort of death in my life? Such as the death of a relationship, my character, my purity, or my reputation? 

If the answer to question 1-3 are “no” or the answers to 3 or 4 are “yes” the thought needs to be taken directly to Jesus. ASAP. We need to ask Him to cleanse us from our unrighteousness (Psalm 51) and ask Him to help see people and situations through His eyes. Learning to pray through what we think about produces a pure heart and ensures God’s favor in our lives (Proverbs 22:11).  

“Easter Eggs” and Eschatology-

Lisa M. Price7 Comments

A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle- Proverbs 18:19

The term “easter egg” is an expression that refers to a clue, detail or reference hidden in a movie, video game or other media. Easter eggs are designed to enrich the viewing experience and give viewers hints concerning future projects the studio is working on.  The term was coined in 1980 by Steve Wright the-then director of software development for Atari.

With all due respect to Mr. Wright, Atari and all the gaming/movie nerds in the world, it was God who conceived the whole concept of an easter egg. The Bible does not use the term “easter egg”, however it does give us clues and insights into future events, especially end time events. Jesus was clear:  no one knows the day or hour of His return, not even Jesus (Matthew 24:36, Matthew 25:13, Mark 13:32). 

Nonetheless, the Bible does give clues as to what the season of His return will look like. These “easter eggs” are critical to pay attention to because:

  1. Jesus instructs His followers to be ready for His return (Matthew 24:32-33, Luke 12:35-40, 2nd Peter 3:3-10)
  2. Jesus warns many professing Christian will NOT be ready for His return (Matthew 25:1-13, Luke 12:42-48, Matthew 25:31-46). 
  3. There will be a lot of spiritual deception specifically surrounding the return of Jesus (Matthew 24:12, 2ndThessalonians 2:1-12, Mark 13:5-22), making every clue critical. 

Some signs of Jesus return are familiar (earthquakes, wars, famines, rumors of wars, persecution, etc.), others, not so much. Over the course of the next few weeks I will discuss some of the lesser known signs of end time events. The first is found in Matthew twenty-four, a long discourse on the end of the age. It says;  

Many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another- Matthew 24:10 NKJV

Offense or “getting offended” will be a huge issue just prior to the return of Jesus. There are those who believe this verse simply means people will be opposed to Jesus and the truth claims of Christianity. Without a doubt, opposition to Jesus and the Christian faith is growing. However, opposition to Jesus is not new. There have always been those who were offended by the truth claims and moral demands made in Scripture (John 14:6, Hebrews 12:14, 1st Thessalonians 4:3). The real easter egg in this passage is offense.  

This is kind of where we are living right now. Everybody is offended by everyone and everything these days.  Words are thought to be violence. As a result, there are all sorts of words that are no longer okay to say. Some make sense, no one sane would ever advocate for a return of racial slurs or misogynistic speech. 

That’s just gross.

However, there are a lot of folks who want to eliminate words that have been a part of our language for a long time, words like “manhole”, “ghetto”, “hooligan”, “uppity”, and “savage.” These same people want to ban phrases like “peanut gallery”, “food coma”, “long time no see”, and “grandfathered in” simply because they once (long ago) may or may not have been offensive to someone. This unparalleled attempt to control speech is either a clear indicator of widespread mental illness or a pervasive egocentric fixation on controlling other people, or both. 

Sigh.

The proclivity towards taking offense goes way beyond silly people attempting to criminalize words they don’t like. The Bible predicts narcissism will eventually take root in the hearts of the majority (2nd Timothy 3:1-5) and it has. Narcissists lack empathy, are hyper focused on personal boundaries, do not respect others and have no real fear of God, although they may be professing Christians.  Narcissists love themselves and are entirely self-focused. Anyone is entirely self-focused will inevitably be both easily offended and incredibly unforgiving. 

The epidemic of narcissism in our world has led to an rise in people cutting friends and family out of their lives. Sometimes, this means ghosting folks (ghosting is when someone simply stops taking a person’s calls and responding to their texts). Other times this means going “no contact” or “low contact” with friends or relatives. Even some professing Christians have fallen headlong into the offense trap. Ghosting and “going no contact” typically happen without following the biblical standard for resolving conflict found in Matthew 18:15-17 and with zero grace or mercy (Matthew 5:7, Matthew 7:1-2, Luke 6:37).

Picking up offenses is more than just silly, annoying and potentially harmful to personal relationships. According to Jesus it’s dangerous because it makes us susceptible to spiritual deception and can even lead to a loss of faith. Seriously. Matthew 24:11-12 tells us: 

Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold- NKJV

Picking up an offense about anything causes a person to become hyper-focused on feelings. Anytime feelings are running the show the ability to discern truth from error is diminished. If we stay in the feelings zone for long enough, discernment disappears completely and we become a sitting duck for all of Satan’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11, 2nd Corinthians 2:11, 1st Peter 5:8). 

Like, seriously. ALL OF THEM. 

The Bible says the end times will be perilous because people will be awful in ways and to a degree they have never been before (2nd Timothy 3:1-5). Christians must live counter-culturally in these times. This means doing everything in our power to stay free from offense and the sin that comes with it (Proverbs 4:14-16, Romans 16:17-18). Doing so is a powerful protection against deception and it allows Christian to shine for Jesus in a generation that’s rapidly losing its way (Philippians 2:16-17).