Tag: faith

The Apostle Peter’s Naughty List-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to the teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will save both yourself and those who hear you-1st Timothy 4:15-16 ESV

Out of all the apostles, the Apostle Peter is probably my favorite. And not just because his blunders and character flaws give me hope for my sometimes-stupid, clueless, big-mouthed self. It’s just one of the reasons.

I also admire the way his brain appears to have worked. It seems to me that he was adept at grasping the bigger picture of life and faith. His writings indicate that he understood how apparently unconnected things are often very much connected to each other. Peter’s writings vacillate between big, beautiful pictures of our future with Jesus and simple lists of instructions that give us a roadmap detailing how we get to that big, beautiful place in the future.

Truth-be-told. I am very fond of lists. One of my favorite lists in the Bible is found in Second Peter 1:3-11.  These verses are basically just a log of traits and behaviors that if followed lead believers in Jesus to do exactly what needs to be done to live a life that takes us to the finish line of faith and a joyful welcome into the Kingdom of God (1st Samuel 26:23, Matthew 25:21, Luke 19:17, Hebrews 11:6).

It’s not the only list in Peter’s writings. 1st Peter 2:1-3 is another lesser-known list.  Unlike 2nd Peter 1:3-11 it gives us a list of negative traits that must be dealt with in order to “grow into our salvation” and become the people Jesus calls us to be.  The passage begins with a “therefore”, so it is critical we understand what the therefore is there for. 1st Peter 1:24-25 basically just tells us life is short (James 4:14). Peter likens human beings to the grass and wildflowers that spring up and are gone in a season. His assessment isn’t intended to be dark or gloomy: just real. Peter is saying that life is short, we neglect our character and spiritual growth to our own detriment.

One key to growth is freeing ourselves from attitudes and behaviors every fallen human is prone to. Interestingly, all the attitudes and behaviors Peter mentions are secret attitudes or heart issues we can easily keep on the down-low from others. Yet these attitudes impact everything we do, especially how we treat others.  The first on the Apostle’s naughty list is malice. In Greek the word malice isn’t just disliking someone. Malice is a secret desire to be sneakily malevolent towards someone or to see evil done to an individual. Malice is often manifested in a desire to harm the reputation of others or to see someone get what “they deserve” (Leviticus 19:18, Romans 12:19). When malice is running the show, an individual will deliberately hurt the reputation of others and go out of their way to cause dissension (Proverbs 10:12, Romans 13:13).

Guile is malice’s scheming partner in crime. Guile is sneakiness, craftiness and deceit that intends to cause others harm. Guile loves to manipulate and mastermind the downfall of others all the while pretending to be friends with the person they hurt with their words (Proverbs 16:28). Malicious people love to twist truth in order to create conflict where none exists.

The next on attitude of the heart on Pastor Peter’s naughty list is hypocrisy. Hypocrites pretend to be better than they really are, they are experts in phoniness and professional fakes. Ananias and his wife Sapphira are perfect examples of hypocrisy (Acts 5). They didn’t do anything evil to anyone. They simply faked being more generous and devout than they really were.  God was not a fan.

Envy and slander finish out the list. Envy, jealousy or covetousness are three words that all mean the same thing (basically). Jealous people want something someone else has (Exodus 20:17, James 4:2). An individual can be jealous of and covet someone else’s looks, bank account, home, spouse, job, accomplishments, children and life.  The principal problem with envy is that if it is not dealt with it twists a person into an ugly version of themselves. Jealousy, envy and coveting are gateway sins that always leads to other bigger sins (Genesis 4:1-10, James 3:16). Slander can be an out-and-out lie but oftentimes it is simply a subtle dig at another person’s character.  Slander implies unkind things about people and lets the hearer fill in the blanks.

The problem with giving definitions of the words on Peter’s list is that it becomes easy for a nice Christian person (such as myself) to dismiss the whole list out of hand. I am not the worst version of any of those words and my guess is you aren’t either. However, Peter isn’t cautioning Christians against becoming the worst version of these words. He is commanding us to completely rid ourselves of all of those attitudes and behaviors. Even a smidge of these attitudes and behaviors will be the eventual ruin of even the nicest Christian. All these sins corrupt our hearts, dampen our enthusiasm for spiritual growth and inevitably lead to more sin (Proverbs 4:23).

Thankfully, Peter doesn’t just tell us the problem.

He also gives some solutions. Getting free of these sins becomes easier when we train ourselves to crave biblical knowledge and are intentional about creating Christian community and accepting accountability. Choosing the path of growth dampens the desire we have for sinful attitudes and gives us a deeper love for Jesus (1st Peter 2:2).

The Hidden Costs of the C-Word

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Our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods nor worship the golden statue that you have set up- Daniel 3:18-19 NASB

Nobody likes to talk about the C-word in churchy circles anymore.  However, we live in a time and place that pretty much openly demands God’s people compromise on the things that matter most to God (Matthew 10:33, Romans 1:16, Hebrews 2:3).  We live in a world where simply having the “wrong” political views can get one canceled by family, friends and coworkers. This makes the temptation to keep one’s faith and views regarding hell, sexuality and the belief in one God and one way to that God on the downlow are greater than they have been since the days of the early church. No one outside of Christianity believes in absolute truth anymore. This means Christians are surrounded on all sides by those who believe in their heart of hearts it is perfectly okay to behave however they please, identify as whatever they please and believe anything they please (2nd Timothy 3:1-5).  None of these folks are okay being told they are wrong (2nd Timothy 4:3-4). This reality intensifies any desires we might have already had to keep unpopular religious perspectives quiet (1st Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:19-20, Ephesians 5:5).  Complicating things further, humans were created by a relational God to be relational beings (Genesis 1:26-27). Therefore, it is hard baked into human nature to want to be liked and accepted by others. Sadly, the enemy of our souls knows this about us. If we allow him to, he will use our desire for to be liked and accepted by others to his advantage by bringing social shame and sometimes even persecution for holding the “wrong views.

That being said.

The stakes are high when it comes to compromise.  There has not been a time since the days of the early church when it was more critical for Christians to be bold in their faith and live lives free from the sin of compromise (Revelation 2:26). We live in a world where the vast majority of people are literally dying from lack a lack of biblical understanding (Hosea 4:6). Those of us who know Jesus were put on this earth to spread truth to those living in ignorance (Matthew 5:15-16, Acts 13:47, 1st Peter 3:15).  Letting go of the desire to compromise to keep the peace or make life less messy is not easy.  It becomes easier when we clearly understand the hidden consequences of compromise.

Loss of spiritual credibility when prayers are answered and people turn to Jesus-

When non-believers finally get to the place where they choose to acknowledge Jesus as Lord, they do not turn to the Christians who worked hard to be inoffensive and milk-toasty about their faith. They tend to ignore those folks, sometimes even viewing them with derision. Instead, new believers run with a spirit of gratitude to the Christians who never failed to hold up a standard of righteousness and truth (2nd Timothy 2:4, Titus 2:1). This does not give anyone permission to be disrespectful, needlessly harsh or unloving in the way they present the gospel (1st Peter 3:15, Ephesians 4:15). The goal of Christianity is to be thoroughly loving in how we approach unbelievers with truth (1st Corinthians 16:14, 1st Peter 4:8, Colossians 3:14, 1st John 4:19). That said, we are also told to be thoroughly honest concerning the consequences of refusing Jesus’ gracious offer of salvation (John 3:18, Romans 1:20, Hebrews 3:12, Acts 16:31). When love and truth are combined with holy boldness we will eventually reap the rewards of a beautiful spiritual harvest  (Galatians 6:9).

We lose opportunities to influence others-

Jesus was crystal clear in his teachings: this life is not really about this life. This life is vapor that is really all about the next eternal life (James 4:14). How we choose to live, who we choose to help and how we choose to influence others with the gospel will all help determine what eternal life is going to look like for us (Matthew 25:14-30, Matthew 25:31-46, Mark 10:29-31). When we choose to compromise on truth for the sake of safety or keeping the peace, we are really exchanging eternal pleasure and blessings for very limited short-term gain.

And finally,

We miss out on the blessings of doing God’s work on earth-

Eternal life is something every Christian should look forward to with joy and anticipation. However, it is not the only blessing we experience as Christians. One of the most profound blessings we experience as Christians is the blessing of knowing we have been a part of someone else’s salvation story. When we share our testimony and lead others to Jesus, we are literally doing God’s most important work here on earth. Leading another person to Jesus is the most satisfying thing a human being can experience in this life. Sadly, spiritual and moral compromise eliminates many opportunities we might have had to share the gospel with others. Even if we do get the opportunity to share the gospel moral and spiritual compromises make us less credible witnesses.

Standing up for what we know to be real and true can be difficult and even a little intimidating. It’s also a key to living a truly satisfying Christian life. Living for Jesus is what we were made for and when we do what we were made for there’s a joy and satisfaction we cannot get any other way.

Getting Our Love Back-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself- Matthew 22:37-39 NKJV

This past weekend some very close friends came in from out of town and surprised my husband and I with concert tickets. The visit was exactly what we needed.  We got some much-needed rest, shared what God is doing in our respective lives, recollected past adventures and made some fun new memories. 

The concert was great. 

The music did what good music does, it transported me back in time and reminded me of all sorts things I had more-or-less forgotten. For some reason, all the old music also made me think a lot about old me. Young Lisa was very passionate about God, life and people. Truth-be-told, young Lisa occasionally lacked wisdom about all sorts of random things, especially people.  Nonetheless, what she lacked in wisdom she made up for in passion and joy. Young Lisa truly believed people, while not always good, were always worth investing in. She believed with all her heart that loving God well means loving people well (1st Corinthians 13:4-7, Matthew 5:44). My love for God is still intact. 

However.

I have experienced enough life to have become a little cynical and even jaded when it comes to people. This is not good. I may have gained a lot of wisdom but in the process of gaining that wisdom I have also learned wisdom can bring with it more than a little pessimism and sorrow (Ecclesiastes 1:18).  I was deeply convicted that I could stand to be a lot more like Jesus in where people are concerned (1st John 1:8, John 3:16, Luke 19:40-42). The sheer number of memes posted by Christians making fun of and pointing out the worst in people tells me I am not alone in my cynicism.  As we drove home in the dark it was Revelation 2:2-4 that came to mind: 

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

No one knows exactly what was going on in the day-to-day life of the Ephesian church.  The text states they had lost their “first love”. Obviously, Jesus is the first love of every believer. However, I wondered if there was more to losing their first love than just a lack of excitement over Jesus and worshiping Jesus.  It occurred to me that perhaps the Ephesian church had just become a bit hardened to the people around them and that impacted their relationship with God as well. Perhaps in all their moral behavior, sound doctrine and do-gooding they had somehow forgotten that loving people well is just as critical as loving God well (Mark 12:29-31, John 13:34, Romans 13:10).  I do know (from experience) that the longer we know Jesus the easier it becomes to lose the passion we once had for Jesus and the people He died for. I also know that fading love for God and/or people is not something that can be tolerated in the life of a believer if we want to avoid the fate of the Ephesian Christians (Revelation 2:5). 

Even after an excess of navel-gazing, I still don’t have all the answers. It’s fair to say we lose our first love for God and people when our passion for life starts to fade, routine takes over and we stop going out of our way for God and people.  Once that happens, we begin to notice more of the bad than the good in the people around us. 

It’s all downhill from there, spiritually speaking.  

If I’m right on this one, then getting our passion for God and people back means we have to find a way to fall in love with life, do what we did at first and choose to see the good in people again. When we love the life we have, we cannot help but love and serve the God who gave us that life. Profound, whole-hearted gratitude for the life we have, gives us a better (and godlier) perspective on everything including the people God puts in our path (even the messy ones). 

In order renew our love for life and God we must choose to slow down and look for  the beauty of life. We need to notice and celebrate the good we see in the world.  Falling in love with means lingering over a sunset, noticing the flowers, marveling at the color of the summer sky, rejoicing in the innocence of a child. It means choosing to rejoice when humans behave well.  It means doing what were called to do for God (Really seeing beauty and noticing the good in the world always leads to worship. True worship (John 4:24) always leads to greater hope, joy, and a renewed love for God and the people He died for.  

Four Choices that Keep us Moving Forward Spiritually-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation- 2nd Peter 3:14b-15a NIV

One morning this last week I woke up late and a lot less than rested. Nonetheless, I was determined to do my regular devotional reading. It just so happened that the only Bible in the room was a chronological Bible. Chronological Bibles aren’t bad, but every book and even some events are in historical order rather than the traditional format. Because everything is in a weird order, I knew it would take me literally forever to find the books I’ve been reading (Luke and Colossians). I simply did not have time for that nonsense. So, in the interest of getting to work on time I chose to employ a devotional technique I don’t actually recommend. I did this thing where I flip open my Bible and whatever I open to is my spiritual food for the day. In the interest of honesty I will admit I totally aimed for the New Testament. Once I attempted this technique without aiming for the New Testament and ended up in Jeremiah fifteen. Not good. Nothing but death and bad news in that chapter. I spent the better part of a day wondering if God was trying to tell me something.  

So anyway. 

My Bible flipped open to book of Hebrews. I was pretty happy because I really like the book of Hebrews. Then I realized I was in the middle of Hebrews five. I ended up reading 5:11-6:12. Truth-be-told, so far as encouragement goes it wasn’t much better than Jeremiah fifteen (this is why I don’t recommend this method). However, there was a lot to chew on (metaphorically speaking) once I leaned into it.  

I have always assumed Hebrews five and six is mostly about the dangers of backsliding. However, after spending a good part of my day meditating on the passage, I really think the author is getting at something a bit deeper. The passage is less about going backwards spiritually and more about what happens when we stop making the effort necessary to go forward spiritually. The consequences of spiritual inertia are never good. We stop producing good fruit, we lose spiritual knowledge and we stop caring about we are called to live in this world (Ephesians 4:1, Philippians 2:14-16, Colossians 1:10, 2nd Thessalonians 2:12, 2nd Peter 1:3-11). If the whole messy mess goes on long enough, we can fall into serious sin, become a disgrace to God’s reputation and even become spiritually useless (Hebrews 6:1-8.) 

Yikes. 

Nobody wants that. In the interest of avoiding all of the above negativity I want to share four choices that will keep us moving forward spiritually: 

Choose discernment and wisdom where relational “experts” are concerned-  

Our culture has reached a weird new low. “Experts” actually teach that animosity, ongoing resentment and unforgiveness is the healthiest emotional option for most people most of the time. This is played out in our cultural obsession with boundaries, estrangement and cutting friends and family off for the filmiest of reasons (rudeness, thoughtlessness, toxicity). Counselors and even some pastors no longer instruct individuals on how to work out their issues or forgive. Because we are ultimately all sinners this teaching feels right and sensible, but it is worldly to the core and horribly ill-advised (Romans 3:23, Romans 5:12). Hanging on to resentment is always a bad idea, because holding on to resentment is a fast track to bitterness. Bitterness is a destructive and defiling (polluting, corrupting, ruining) force in our lives (Matthew 6:12-15, Ephesians 4:29-32, Hebrews 12:15).  

Never forget that faith is a muscle- 

Contrary to popular belief, faith is not something Christians receive fully formed and ready to put into action (Luke 13:19). Faith is more like a muscle that must be used and worked regularly for it to reach its full potential. Practically speaking, this means every situation we come up against in life is an opportunity either for our faith to grow stronger or weaker (1st Corinthians 10:15, 2nd Thessalonians 1:3). Faith grows and becomes more robust anytime we choose to do what God tells us to do (James 2:17-26, Hebrews 11). Conversely, lack of obedience guarantees our faith will be feeble and inadequate when we need it most. 

Lean into the hard things- 

There are some obvious blessings to living in this age. There are there also realities to this living in this age that make life challenging from a spiritual perspective (2nd Timothy 3:1-5). That said, God’s people are called to lean into the tough stuff of life (John 16:33, James 1:1-4, 1st Peter 1:6-7, Revelation 7:14). This is true even though our every instinct we have tells us to retreat when life becomes challenging. Leaning into the tough stuff is how we make a difference in the lives of others. It’s also how we become wise and discerning. Consciencely choosing to seek Jesus and grow through the difficulties we experience is the key to leaning into the tough stuff. Leaning in with a mindset of faith prevents spiritually passivity and keeps us moving forward.

And finally: 

Keep our eyes on the prize-

The prize is more than just eternal life in heaven. Eternal life will be amazing but it’s not the real prize. The real prize will be hearing Jesus say upon our arrival, “well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:20-28).   The real prize comes to those who choose to do the hard work of living a life faithfulness, spiritual forward motion and leaning into every lesson God wants to teach us. 

Biblical Counsel for Surviving “One of Those Days”-

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Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. – Psalm 90:14 ESV

A couple of weeks back, I came across a verse that spoke so perfectly to my situation that day I literally laughed out loud, it said: 

Now on one of those days- Luke 8:22a NASB 

 Every human on earth has days when in spite of their best efforts and most fervent prayers nothing goes the way it’s supposed to go.  Other times one of those days is a day when everything is going along okay, then out of nowhere all hell breaks loose and nothing feels good or secure anymore. The details are different in different situations. However, the bottom line is always the same. One of those days is a day (or series of days) where everything goes bad and we find ourselves stuck in a trial and it feels like there is no way it could possibly end in anything but more pain and trouble (John 16:33).

For the disciples their “one of those days” involved a nasty storm that appeared without warning and a Jesus who seemed to be unaware and even indifferent to their panic. For the rest of us, one of those days can comprise almost any set of icky circumstances: a sick spouse, a wayward child, a difficult coworker, a financial disaster, a painful marriage or a loss that has left a hole in our heart. Those days almost always involve the sense that Jesus is oblivious and/or unfeeling towards our situation. In a world as fallen as this one, those days are an unfortunate and inevitable part of life. That said, how we choose to handle those days will define our life and impact how we live out our Christianity.  Following are five things we should do when we find ourselves in “one of those days”. The first is:

Go to Jesus-

To the disciples’ credit this appears to be the very first thing they did (Luke 8:24). It was also without a doubt the smartest thing they could have done. When our first response in a crisis or a trial is to go to our Savior and ask for His help, comfort and direction it helps prevent panic from setting in and enables us to think more clearly. Going to Jesus first reminds our frail, doubting hearts we have not been abandoned in the trial (Psalm 23:4, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5). Going to Jesus reminds us God is with us. That knowledge gives us the strength we need to make it to the other side of the storm.  

Embrace the reality that the day is no accident-

In 1st Thessalonians 3:3 the Apostle Paul reminds his readers not to become unsettled by trials because “we were destined for them”. No one really likes a trial. However, understanding the purpose of trials does help make them less painful to process.  God allows us to experience trials so that we can learn to lean on God and become more like Jesus in everything we do (Hebrews 2:9-10, Hebrews 2:18). Trials serve another purpose; trials give us the experience we need to help others suffering through similar circumstances (2nd Corinthians 1:1-6). When Christians choose to help the hurting and marginalized our love for one another shows the world just how real our God is (1st Corinthians 12:7, Ephesians 4:12-13). 

Lean on those around you-

Human beings were never meant to do life solo (Genesis 2:18). We were literally made for relationship with God and with one another. In the earliest days of the Church, we see Christians embracing community and caring for one another (Acts 2:42-47, Hebrews 10:24). Meaningful relationships make the Christian life both easier and more joyful. The best way to manage a difficult day or survive a tough season is with our brothers and sisters in Christ cheering us on (1st Peter 4:8). However, the time to cultivate Christian community is not on “one of those days”. The time to cultivate community is in the easy seasons when life is relatively calm. It’s never too early or too late to begin the process of building healthy relationships in the body of Christ. 

Be open to learning whatever needs to be learned- 

God is good even on one of those days. God demonstrates His goodness by working ALL things out for our eternal good and His eternal glory (Romans 8:28). One way He works things out for our good is by using the difficult circumstances of our lives to help us grow into the people He wants us to become for eternity (2nd Corinthians 4:18). This means trials have a purpose greater than just making us miserable or teaching us things we need to learn about ourselves. Trials refine us and make us better. They also make us better suited for life in heaven. However, in order for trials to work out for our good (James 1:2-4) we must be willing to cooperate with God through the trial. This means being open to learning whatever it is we need to learn. 

And finally, 

Look for someone else to bless- 

Those days are called “those days” because they aren’t easy. One counter-intuitive way to make a hard day better is to look for someone else in worse circumstances to help or bless. Blessing others is not magic. It will not make trial go away.  It will take our minds of ourselves and enable another hurting person to feel the love of Jesus.  

Five Signs of Good Spiritual Health-

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A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart- Luke 6:43-45 NLT. 

Here’s the thing:

It is totally possible to be a Christian and be a flaming-hot-mess spiritually speaking (James 1:8).  Unfortunately, salvation does not automatically make one spiritually healthy, wise or able to walk out the commands of Scripture without some help and training. All that comes with sanctification (Romans 6:17-22, 1st Thessalonians 4:1-4). Unless someone is saved immediately prior to death (Luke 23:39-43) sanctification is a life-long process all Christians must go through in order to become holy in their actions and attitudes (Romans 12:1-21, Colossians 3:1-25, 1st Peter 1:13-16, 1st Thessalonians 4:1-8). Because sanctification is so critical most of the Apostle Paul’s letters were written to take unruly and spiritually unhealthy believers to a place of spiritual maturity and holiness (Hebrews 12:14, 1st Thessalonians 5:14). Paul understood that flaming-hot-spiritual messes do not glorify God, lead people to Jesus or become the salt and light they were created to be (Matthew 5:13-15, 1st Peter 1:13-16). 

So, what does spiritual health look like? 

Some would say the answer is found in the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). It’s difficult to argue against that logic. No Christian with an iota of biblical understanding would be opposed to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The apostle Paul was spot on when he said that “against such things there is no law”. However, every fruit is an outward behavior that can be faked. Therefore, unless the fruits are combined with deep spiritual work aimed at heart change those behaviors are just outward goodness absent any authentic heart change (Matthew 7:21-23, 2nd Corinthians 11:13-15). No one wants that. Following are five signs of good spiritual health:

We Understand the waywardness of the human heart-

Scripture teaches even the nicest people have hearts bent towards self-deception (Jeremiah 17:9, James 1:22-24).  This basically means the heart wants what it wants and will do a lot of shady maneuvering to get what it wants. All this can get done with very little (no) sorrow about the choices involved in getting what it wants. Even God-fearing Christian people are capable of an insane level of self-deception.  Self-awareness is key when it comes to our hearts. We must make a practice of ruthlessly examining our motives and thoughts (2nd Corinthians 13:5). When we learn to examine our motives and thoughts for self-deception, we automatically become less prone to sin and therefore more spiritually healthy. 

We seek to align with God on every issue- 

The Greek word for repent (metanoia) does not mean what most of us think it means (Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, Acts 3:19). Most of us have been taught that “repent” means to change one’s behavior and go another direction. In reality, “repent” means “to change one’s mind”. Once our thinking is aligned with God’s heart on the issues then we are to go in the direction God’s word tells us to go in. The meaning of this one little word teaches us one can be truly obedient to God unless they are in alignment with His revealed truth. This means we should ask God daily to reveal areas of our thinking that are out of alignment with God’s revealed truth. Proper thinking on the issues of life is the foundation spiritual health. 

We love others deeply but know that love is more than friendliness or being “nice”- 

Christian love is difficult in a culture that has redefined love to mean “being nice” or “affirming” a person’s choices no matter how stupid or unbiblical those choices happen to be. Authentic Christian love believes the best of people, fights endlessly for the good of others and prays like a lunatic for those who are lost and hurting.  However, authentic Christian love never affirms or celebrates any behavior, or attitude Jesus did not affirm or celebrate (1stCorinthians 13:4-7). 

We have a moral compass informed by Christian truth- 

We live in an upside-down world that has redefined morality. There are many voices teaching abortion is a gift, greed is good, homosexuality is just another relationship option, and gender is a choice mortals get to make. These same people teach that hate is acceptable (even virtuous) so long as the hatred is aimed at those who disagree with the social standards of our time (2ndTimothy 4:3-4, 2nd Timothy 3:1-5). This makes it absolutely necessary followers of Jesus develop a moral compass independent of popular culture and fully informed by the Bible (Psalm 119:105, Matthew 7:24-26, Hebrews 4:12). 

And finally, healthy followers of Jesus must:

We seek to be filled with both grace and truth- 

Grace loves people unconditionally and truth tells them where their actions and attitudes will lead. It is no easy task to do both at the same time. Jesus is our guide when it comes to this issue. One of the first things the Apostle John tells us about Jesus is that He was filled with both grace and truth all at the same time (John 1:14). Our Lord was not filled to overflowing with grace some of the time and bursting with truth at other times. He was always gracious and He was always truthful. Spiritual health demands we strive to do the same. 

Six Ways People Grieve the Holy Spirit-

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Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, [c]by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption- Ephesians 4:30 NASB 

Contrary to popular belief the Holy Spirit is not a force, inspiration or an it. 

The Holy Spirit is a He. The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Godhead (the Trinity) along with the Father and Jesus Christ (the son). The Holy Spirit takes up residence in the heart of believers at the moment of their salvation (Acts 2:38, Acts 5:32, Acts 10:45, John 3:16, 1st Corinthians 6:19). He then acts as a seal or a promise of future eternal life (Romans 5:5, Ephesians 1:13). 

The Holy Spirit is more than just a seal or a promise. 

He empowers believers to comprehend God’s word and hear the still-small voice of God (John 16:13-15). He enables Christians to live a holy life and provides Christians with the supernatural wisdom and insight necessary to do God’s will (Acts 1:8, Acts 4:31, Acts 15:28). The Holy Spirit also acts as a guide and helper for all God’s people (Luke 12:12, John 14:26, John 16:7-11). 

 At salvation all believers are on a level-playing field where the Holy Spirit is concerned (Acts 2:38). There aren’t some Christians who get blessed with more of the Holy Spirit’s power and some who get stuck with less. We are all equal, equally loved and equally empowered by the Holy Spirit.  That being said, the Bible commands Christians to be “filled’ with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8, Ephesians 5:18). This Scriptural command leads me to conclude that in order to access the power, wisdom and leading of the Holy Spirit we must choose daily to do the things that connect us with God (Acts 5:32). These would include (but are not limited to) prayer, acts of charity and kindness, Bible reading and obedience to God’s commands. If a Christian refuses to connect with God, they have less access to the Holy Spirit’s power and influence. Sadly, some Christians are apathetic about working out their salvation “with fear and trembling” as the Bible commands (Philippians 2:12). This explains why some Christians appear to have more of the Holy Spirit’s power than others. 

The Holy Spirit has feelings.

 He loves, feels joy and can even experience profound grief. Because the Holy Spirit lives in God’s people so Christians can grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30). Anytime a Christian chooses to do something that grieves the Holy Spirit, the power of the Spirit is diminished in their lives. Grieving the Holy Spirit is a big deal, it is something we should avoid at all costs. 

We grieve the Holy Spirit when we:  

Refuse to regulate our emotions and control ourselves- 

In Ephesians 4:30 believers told not to grieve the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, all the verses surrounding verse thirty are about self-control and emotional regulation (Ephesians 4:29-32). This means when we give full vent to our rage, hold a grudge, hate, judge unfairly or pridefully elevate ourselves above other people we not only hurt others we also grieve God.  

Commit sexual sin- 

In a very real sense, Christians literally share their bodies with the God of the universe through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1st Corinthians 6:19-20). Practically speaking this means anytime we view porn, commit adultery, have sex with someone of the same gender, lust or have sex outside of marriage, we drag the holy, flawless, sinless God of the universe into our immoral antics. God is categorically not a fan of adultery, promiscuity, homosexuality or any type of sexual impurity (Romans 1:18-35, 1st Corinthians 6:9-11) because sexual sin isn’t just about us. It’s also about who we hurt with our choices (1st Thessalonians 4:1-6). Sadly, when we sin sexually, we hurt others as well as the Holy Spirit. This knowledge should stop us cold if we really do have the Spirit of God living in us. 

Lie- 

God hates lying with such a passion He excludes habitual liars from the kingdom of heaven (1st Timothy 1:9-11, Revelation 21:8). Lying grieves the Holy Spirit because God is truth, there is no falsehood in Him (Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2). When a Christian lies, they do not reflect God accurately to the world because they are doing something God would never do (2nd Corinthians 5:20).  It’s literally our mission to show the world who God really is (1stPeter 2:9, Ephesians 5:1-33). When we lie, we fail to do what were made for. 

Are guided by a desire to self-promote-  

Selfish ambition happens when a Christian uses a platform or gift (church, music, influence) that is upheld as Christian to promote themselves and gain a following. The Holy Spirit hates selfish ambition (Philippians 2:23, James 3:16), mostly because it’s a crafty form of pride. It causes the believer to think (and look like) they are serving God when they are really seeking to glorify themselves as they participate in a super foul form of idolatry (self-worship). 

Refuse to forgive-

Anytime a believer behaves in a way that is in conflict with God’s character they grieve the Holy Spirit. No where is this truer than in the area of forgiveness. God freely forgives the foulest sinner. All the sinner has to do is ask and mean it enough to repent (Psalm 103:2-4, Acts 13:38). Practically speaking, this means we are never more like God than when we choose to forgive someone who clearly does not deserve to be forgiven (Colossians 3:13). Conversely, we are never more out of step with the Holy Spirit than when we hold onto animosity, unforgiveness and resentment (Matthew 6:15). 

And finally:

We grieve the Holy Spirit when we say “no” to God’s agenda for our lives-

The fast track to grieving the Holy Spirit is to refuse God (Hebrews 11:25). We refuse God by saying “no” to His will for lives. There are two ways to refuse God. We refuse God when we willfully decline to do anything He tells us to do in the Bible (1st Samuel 15:22). We also refuse God when we ignore the still small voice urging us to do good and bless others. Conversely, we bring joy to the heart Holy Spirit when we love others well, forgive freely and embrace the calling to glorify God with our lives. 

The Five Lies Satan Most Wants us to Believe-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

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

Lies.

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

Other lies are far more damaging. 

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

God doesn’t care-

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

You’re powerless to change- 

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

What you do in private doesn’t matter- 

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

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

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

And finally, 

You’re disqualified- 

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

Five Satanic Schemes that Wear Down the Saints-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour- 1st Peter 5:8 NASB

The devil or Satan (his proper name) is an oddly divisive subject in some Christian circles. There are Christians who deny the existence of an actual being who is the enemy of God called Satan or the devil. Expectedly, these same folks are not sold on the whole notion of demons either. These folks tend to view the whole notion of Satan, demons and the spiritual realm as more of a symbol of evil rather than actual evil beings who hate God and create trouble and chaos for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). 

Here’s the thing.

In order to maintain that belief, we must ignore one-hundred thirty-nine references to Satan, the devil and demons found throughout Scripture. We must also choose to believe Jesus was tempted by a symbol in Matthew chapter four and casting symbols out of people in all the references to demon possession found in the four gospels. I just can’t buy into all that. The wiser option (in my opinion) is to understand that knowledge is power and learn what we need to learn about combating evil and living free of Satan’s schemes. One verse that gives a great deal of insight into Satan and his schemes is Daniel 7:25. It says:

He will speak against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One- Daniel 7:25

Contextually this verse is speaking of the last days or the time just prior to the return of Christ. It is also speaking about the man (possessed by Satan) who will be known as the anti-Christ (Matthew 24, 2nd Timothy 3:1-5, 2ndThessalonians 2:1-9, 2nd Peter 3:3). For the record, I do not know if we are in the last days or not (more on that later). However, I do know Satan has schemes he’s been using since the dawn of time to “wear down the saints” (Job 1:6-7, Ephesians 6:11, 2nd Corinthians 2:11). I also know the frequency and intensity of those schemes appears to be increasing. Some of Satan’s schemes are obviously evil, others are more of an attempt to keep God’s people busy with activities that are irrelevant from an eternal perspective but bring exhaustion in the here and now. If God’s people are aware of the following five schemes, they will be less likely to be worn out by them.

 The first is:

Trivial pursuits- 

This is one of Satan’s most successful schemes. This is one of those that is not obviously evil or bad. Most of the trivial things we spend time on (social media, sports, extra-curricular activities, online shopping, entertainment) are not in-and-of themselves bad or evil. They are just trivial and mostly irrelevant. If done to excess, they are exhausting and can become harmful. Entertainment and recreation are not sinful. They can be means of rest (Exodus 35:2). However, if these things are done to excess, they will also leave us without the time or energy for things and people that are essential to our mental and spiritual health.  Satan doesn’t want us involved in things that bring life, peace and flourishing, Things like Christian community, serving in church, Bible study and family time. To prevent burnout and getting worn out it’s critical we prioritize the essential rather than allow the trivial to take over. 

 Relentless drama- 

One of Satan’s preferred schemes is to bring constant and unending problems, difficulties and persecution into the lives of God’s people. The unending difficulties are meant to bring spiritual exhaustion, spiritual burnout and a desire for sin (James 1:13-15, Galatians 6:9). The remedy is to draw closer to God the harder life gets. Leaning into God in the midst of trials intensifies our faith, builds our character, expands our empathy and basically just turns Satan’s scheme back on him (Romans 5:3-4, 2nd Corinthians 4:17, James 1:2-3, James 1:12). It’s a beautiful thing when Satan’s schemes backfire on him. 

Prayerless spirituality- 

Prayer is meant to be the engine that powers every aspect of our Christian existence (Psalm 145:18, Matthew 26:4, 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18, Philippians 4:6-7). Satan loves it when a Christian neglects prayer because without prayer God’s people are forced to operate out of their own power, strength and wisdom. At our strongest we are weak and the best human wisdom is foolishness compared to what the Holy Spirit has to offer (1st Corinthians 1:25). When we make a regular practice of prayer Satan is at an immediate disadvantage because prayer gives us reservoirs of strength and wisdom that make us spiritually stronger, wiser and more discerning (2nd Corinthians 4:17, 2nd Corinthians 12:9-10, 2nd Timothy 1:7).  

Persecution-

Persecution is an obvious act of spiritual warfare. It’s also the easiest and most effective way for Satan to “wear down” God’s people. That being said, when Satan works God works harder. Persecution is also a means God uses to spread the gospel (Acts 8:1-3, Romans 8:28). The best thing Christians can do when is experiencing persecution is to pray for opportunities to share the gospel and trust God no matter what happens. 

Lack of belief in the spirit world- 

No one resists something they don’t in believe in. If we don’t resist the enemies schemes, we are guaranteed to become causalities in the war (James 4:10, Ephesians 6:10-18, 2nd Corinthians 10:4). 

Here’s the thing:

We don’t know if we are living in the end times (Matthew 24:36). The craziness we’ve experienced in recent years might be nothing more than a blip in God’s timeline. However, we do know for absolute certain we are closer to the end than any other generation. As we draw closer to the end it is critical believers trust God, practice spiritual discernment and keep their armor on (Ephesians 6:10-18). 

The Best way to Pray for a Narcissistic Jerk-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

When he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was untrue to the Lord his God, for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense- 2nd Chronicles 26:15 NASB

Every once in a while, a concept comes along and takes popular culture by storm. The concept (whatever it may be) quickly becomes the thing everyone talks about. Inevitably, many individuals begin to believe they possess expert-level knowledge of the subject. One such concept is narcissism. An individual cannot scroll a social media feed, listen to a podcast, read a self-help book, turn on a television or read a newspaper without coming across an article or program referencing narcissists or narcissism.  

For the record: narcissists are real. 

Narcissists have an unhealthy preoccupation with themselves and a grandiose sense of their own significance. Narcissistic people believe deep down in their inmost being they are better and more important than pretty much everyone else. As a result, they see others as insignificant in comparison to themselves. As a result, narcissists treat people very badly unless they want something from the other person. The most dangerous narcissists are proficient, unrepentant, shameless liars. A narcissist will gleefully distort truth, gaslight and fabricate stories out of whole cloth to make others look bad and paint themselves in a positive light (Psalm 40:4). 

Popular culture typically presents narcissism as an unpardonable sin. Many believe narcissists are so heartless, wicked, malevolent and lacking in self-awareness they are for all intents and purposes, irredeemable. Even many Christians present narcissists as so lost they can never be found. This is simply untrue, no one is beyond God’s reach or so far gone they cannot be saved (John 3:16, 2nd Timothy 2:3-5), not even a narcissist. 

The Bible talks about narcissism at length and warns against it in the strongest possible terms. However, the Bible never uses the word narcissist or narcissism. From a biblical perspective narcissists are just people with a pride problem. A very serious pride problem but a pride problem, nonetheless.  God despises pride because it causes people to become so braggy and self-willed they forget God or write Him off as unimportant and irrelevant (Deuteronomy 8:14, 2nd Chronicles 26:16, Proverbs 16:5). People who sideline God inevitably become manipulative, mean, self-focused and sometimes even violent (Psalm 17:9-11, Psalm 56:2, Psalm 140:5). 

Narcissism is a growing problem (2nd Timothy 3:1-5). 

The further our world drifts away from God the more people become bloated with the sin of pride. Because this is where we are living right now most of us know a narcissist and many love a narcissist (or two). If we want to see narcissists come to know Jesus and be transformed into the image of Jesus it is critical we love them well and pray the following four prayers for them: 

Pray you will love them how they need to be loved-

Loving a prideful, narcissistic jerk is no easy task (Luke 6:32-33, 1st Peter 4:8, Luke 17:3-4). All people need to be loved. Narcissists need to know they have people who love them and will be there for them. However, prideful people also need firm boundaries. Narcissists need people who will love them enough to call them out on their hurtful shenanigans. Narcissists do NOT need people who will make excuses for their behavior or minimize their sin. It is not loving, kind or Christian to excuse away sin, manage others sin or make it easy for people to sin. This is especially true with narcissists. God is the only one who can give someone the strength, wisdom and discernment to love a narcissist well. If you love a narcissist pray daily for the wisdom, discernment and moral strength to love like God loves. God’s love is the personification 1st Corinthians 13:1-7. God’s love always believes the best is possible in a person’s life, but it never devolves into people-pleasing (codependency) or cheap grace (Titus 2:11-12).

Pray they will see themselves as they really are-

All narcissists have a distorted view of themselves. They tend to see themselves as unflawed and the hero of their own story. It is our job to pray that they will begin to see themselves as they really are, warts and all. Seeing our own sin as sin is the first baby step towards salvation. It is also the only thing that makes true personal growth possible. Pray for a spirit of revelation and wisdom to invade the life of the narcissist you love (Ephesians 1:17). If necessary, pray God will bring enough pain into their lives to make them open to the truth about themselves (James 1:2-3). 

Pray they see God as He really is-

One key to a healthy (not overly grandiose) sense of self is to have a clear-eyed understanding of who God is and what He’s all about. God is eternal, perfect, all-powerful, all-knowing and completely free of sin and immorality (Matthew 5:48, Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 19:7). He is also the standard of what is good and bad. When we compare ourselves to other people it is easy to believe we are better than we really are (Ecclesiastes 7:20). When we understand God’s perfection, we automatically have a much clearer grasp of our own sin and moral frailty. 

And finally,

Pray your narcissist will experience godly conviction concerning their pride- 

Godly conviction is a gift (2nd Corinthians 7:10). Godly conviction is simply the voice of the Holy Spirit telling us the truth about ourselves (Romans 3:23, 1st John 1:9-10). If it is responded to properly, godly conviction has the power to make the vilest, most prideful sinner as white as snow and a beautiful trophy of God’s grace and mercy (Isaiah 1:18, 2nd Corinthians 7:11, 2nd Corinthians 5:17). Without godly conviction we would all be lost.