Tag: Growth

What Does it Really Mean to “Abide”?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, or the attaining of all perseverance and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light- Colossians 1:10-12 NASB

I have a weird confession that will undoubtedly trigger a little judgment:

For pretty much all of my Christian life the book of John has not been my favorite gospel. TOO MANY WORDS. I get that it is the fan favorite of nearly every Christian in the history of Christianity. However, I have always been more of a Matthew girl. It’s just better suited to my personality and preferences. I’ve read through John a couple of times. It just hasn’t been my jam. I always figured that’s why there’s four gospels, everyone gets to have a favorite. 

Well. 

I made a commitment this year to get to know Jesus better. Part of getting to know Him better has meant reading through ALL the gospels as many times as possible throughout the year. It occurred to me that if I really get to know every story about Jesus I will (hopefully) glean some fresh insights regarding Jesus in the process. So, I’ve been reading through the book of John (again) and truth-be-told, this time around I have kind of fallen in love.  I judged John harshly. He’s wordy (which bugs me) but I have noticed some things I have never really noticed before. He is more mystical and transcendent in describing Jesus. He is also much more straight forward in describing all the sin and ickiness lurking in the hearts of the Pharisees and Sadducees (John 10:25-39, John 11:45-51). Nor does he pull any punches concerning God’s expectations of His people (John 16). I really like all that.

Anyhoo. 

This past week I got to John 15 and the passage on the vine and as a result I have done a lot of thinking about the whole notion of abiding in Christ. What does it mean? How do we do it? Are there things we can do to do it better? I am convinced abiding is not something that just happens. The text seems to indicate it is possible to be a regular church attender and Bible reader and still not abide in Christ. Abiding is a choice we make (John 15:4-11, Romans 11:21-22) and if we choose not to make that choice there are some severe spiritual and practical consequences (John 16:1). In order to abide we must:

Practice spiritual self-awareness-

Spiritual self-awareness means we wake up every day and make an assessment of our behaviors, attitudes and overall spiritual state (2nd Corinthians 13:5). Then we ask the Holy Spirit to show us what needs to change and how to make those changes (John 16:7-8). Spiritual self-awareness is more than just outward goodness. Spiritual self-awareness means we look deep within ourselves and admit we need growth and transformation even if we look okay on the outside.  Spiritual self-awareness means we do level best to know our own hearts so that we can conform more to the image of Christ in our thinking as well as our outward behavior (Romans 8:29, Colossians 3:10). Spiritually self-aware people see the little signs that indicate all is not well in the spiritual health department. Little signs spiritual health is slipping can include (but are not limited to) salty language, telling lies, harshness, judgment, insensitivity, too much worldly entertainment, a lack of willingness to forgive others and an increase of sinful behavior (Galatians 5:18-21, Colossians 3:5-10). If these signs become noticeable the first step is to repent. Repentance begins with admitting to God as well as ourselves that we have done wrong. When we repent, we ask God to give us clean hearts and right thinking. If our hearts our right and our thinking is biblical any desire to sin and wander will be greatly diminished. 

Allow the tough stuff of life to change us for the better- 

The entire end-goal of the Christian life is transformation (Romans 12:2, 2nd Corinthians 3:18). In order to transform we must willingly let go of attitudes and behaviors that keep us from becoming Christ-like. Jesus tends to use the tough stuff of life to reveal what needs to go and what needs to grow (Hebrews 12:10). Every pain we experience, every relational difficulty we encounter, every time we give into anger or some other baser behavior is an opportunity to ask Jesus what we can learn from the situation. Jesus will prune what needs to be pruned whether we ask or not,  but we get more out of the process if we choose to lean into it. 

And finally: 

When we abide we are intentional about seeking deeper relationship with Jesus daily- 

Jesus loves each of us so much that He doesn’t want to be a part of our lives. He wants to be all of our lives. Jesus is always near us. He is always seeking us out in order to cultivate deeper closeness and intimacy with us. Whether or not we have a close relationship with Jesus is up to us. When we learn to hear His voice willingly let go of the junk that holds us back we slowly but surely become holy in all we do (Isaiah 35:8, 2nd Corinthians 7:1, Hebrews 12:14, 1st Peter 1:14-16) Holiness is the key not only to truly abiding in Christ but also to finding true delight in living the Christian life. 

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.  

The Potentially Fatal Gap in our Understanding of Christianity-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body-1st Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV

The Bible is our go-to for understanding God, our faith and how to live out our faith in a way that glorifies God in this world. 

However.

Understanding the Bible is often complicated by the reality that the New Testament writers frequently referenced cultural practices completely foreign to the average Joe and Jane Christian.  Our ignorance of those everyday cultural practices can leave some gaps in our understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. 

There is possibly no better example of this than the term bondservant.

The Greek word for bondservant (doulos) is used twenty-eight times in the New Testament (NASB translation). In all but one of those references (Philippians 2:7) the word bondservant is either used to describe followers of Jesus, or it is the word a follower of Jesus used to identify and describe themselves (Luke 1:38-48, Romans 1:1, Jude 1:1, James 1:1, 2nd Peter 1:1). All the Testament writers, without exception, taught that all Christians, are by their very nature, bondservants of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:17, 1st Peter 2:16, 1st Corinthians 6:19-20, Revelation 1:1, Revelation 11:18). 

Okay, so, here’s the thing:

Our understanding of this one little concept is critical to grasping what it really means to be a Christian—no matter the era or culture. A lack of knowledge in this one little area will leave some big gaps in our understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Some of those gaps could prove fatal. Seriously. It’s that big a deal. 

A bondservant and a servant were not the same thing. The Greek word for servant is diakonos. A dikonos was simply someone who served.  A diakonos could be slave but it was more common for them to be a free person. In the New Testament diakonos described a man or woman who worked in the church, usually in an official capacity such as a deacon or a deaconess (Acts 6:1-6, Romans 16:1, Philippians 1:1, 1st Timothy 3:10). 

On the other hand:

A bondservant was a slave by choice. The sold themselves for a price and in exchange for that price the bondservant forfeited all of their rights. 

All of them.

A bondservant could not purchase property, get married or even do something as basic as leave for the evening, without the explicit consent of their master. A bondservant placed every aspect of their lives in the hands of the person they sold themselves to. The master had all the power in the relationship and they were legally bound by their choice for the rest of their lives. 

 So:

Why on earth would anyone choose to become a bondservant? 

Ultimately, bondservants chose to become bondservants because they believed, after weighing all their options, living life as a bondservant would better for them in every way than running their own life and living as a freeperson. The bond-servant trusted their master to do right by them, usually because the master displayed stellar character and had an outstanding reputation.  

Nonetheless 

 The life of a bondservant was far from easy. A bondservant was a still a slave. By definition their choices were not their own. Bond-servants didn’t debate the rightness or wrongness of the orders given by their master. They were bought at a price, therefore they did what they were told. 

So, what does this mean for Christians?

Well.

First and foremost, it means we have the best Master ever (Psalm 84:11, John 3:16, 1st John 4:10-12, Ephesians 2:4-8).  We have a Master who literally died for the sake of every single one of His servants (Romans 5:5-8, 1stCorinthians 15:33). We have a Master who loves all of His servants as individuals. It means we have a Master who not only wants what’s best for those who serve Him. He also knows exactly what’s best for His people. 

It also means your life is not your own. 

You forfeited your rights in exchange for your salvation. As a bond-servant of the Lord Jesus Christ you do what God’s word instructs you do (Luke 11:28). When you realize you’ve sinned. You stop.  Because your Master calls you to be holy just as He is holy (Romans 1:7, Ephesians 5:3, 1st Peter 1:15-16). If He wants you to love someone. You love them. Because you are called by your Master to love as He loves 1st Corinthians 13, John 13:34-35, Ephesians 4:2).  If your Master wants you to forgive a jerk who hurt you. You forgive. Because you are commanded by your Master to forgive as He forgave you (Matthew 18:21-35). If He wants you to lay down your pride at the altar and ask someone for forgiveness. You do it.  Because you are called to a life of humble service to Him (Romans 12:3, James 4:10, Luke 14:11)

Being a bond-servant of Jesus Christ means you are obligated to do what your Master wants to do and if your desires are in conflict with His commands, He wins. Every. Single. Time.  

That being said:

Being a bond-servant also means, that if we are faithful to our Master, if we carry out His orders. If we allow ourselves to be molded into the image of Jesus, our reward will be beyond anything we can even imagine (Hebrews 10:35, Matthew 25:21, 2nd Corinthians 3:18). 

Ephesus- The Middle Aged Church

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart- Proverbs 3:3 NIV

I have this weird little theory that all Christian churches, denominations and organizations follow the same basic pattern of growth and development.

All ministry ventures begin with a dream, desire or idea God plants in the heart of a person or a group of people.  This dream ultimately produces the birth of a beautiful, new ministry or church (Isaiah 43:19, Acts 2:42-47).

Then comes childhood.  

Childhood is an exhilarating time in a church or ministry. Childhood is all about beginnings and growth. All the activity of this phase is born out of genuine love for Jesus, passion for the mission of Jesus and a desire to honor and glorify Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20).   Leaders are all about obeying Jesus above all else. As a result this phase typically results in an abundance of growth and spiritual fruit (Acts 2:42-47).

The childhood phase is also marked by chaos. Leaders don’t always know what they’re doing. Really important things just don’t get done and it’s not unusual for there to be disputes between key leaders (Galatians 2:11-14).  Because this stage is naturally volatile, if an organization stays in childhood for too long it will die. No ministry or church can endure the disorganization and volatility of the childhood stage for long. 

It’s just too dang messy. 

If the organization or church survives the birth and childhood phase (some don’t). It marches into adulthood. Adulthood is the sweet spot for a ministry or church. There’s still an abundance of enthusiasm and a clear vision for where the ministry is going and what it exists for. The vision is firmly rooted in biblical principles and prayer. The ministry is still very Jesus centered, but there’s more discipline than in the childhood phase. The policies and leadership structure developed in the early adulthood phase provide the stability necessary to keep the thing from flying off the rails. This is typically a very long phase that is even more effective and fruitful than the childhood phase. The organization or church earns a good reputation in the community and it does a lot of good. People are saved, lives are transformed and Jesus is glorified in a big way (Romans 10:9, Ephesians 2:8-10, Titus 3:5). 

Then comes middle age.

If an organization makes it to the middle age stage everything is going super well from an optics perspective. Money is pouring in, volunteers are plentiful and the stated mission is still rock solid. 

However. 

There is a subtle shift that begins with leadership. Leaders become, usually without realizing it, much more focused on building the organization than they are on Jesus and glorifying Jesus. Jesus is still important, but He is no longer the main thing. He’s more of a figurehead at this point. Passion for Jesus and devotion to the mission gets lost in the day-to-day of “doing ministry”, “raising money” and “growing the ministry” (Matthew 28:18-20, Matthew 10:7-9, Ephesians 4:11-16). It not uncommon of for shady behavior and sexual misconduct to become a problem at this point. This is because leaders are much more focused is on how things LOOK rather than on holiness, righteousness and pleasing Jesus, it is also not all unusual for the shadiness and sexual misconduct to be swept under the rug in this phase.   All or most of the ministry work in middle age is centered on programs and fund raising rather than transforming people and glorifying Jesus.  On the surface the ministry activity APPEARS to be people and Jesus centered. However, most of it is focused firmly on keeping the ministry machine going, raising money and justifying the continued existence of the organization. 

This is exactly what where the church in Ephesus was at. 

By the time Jesus addressed the first church in Revelation they were firmly in the middle age stage. The churches love for Jesus and concern for the spiritual and emotional needs of people became lost in their desire to maintain the status quo.

Jesus calls this “losing their first love” (Revelation 2:4-5).

But here’s the thing: 

No one looking at the Ephesian church from the outside would have suspected there was a problem. Even most of the folks who attended the Ephesian church were likely unaware of the problems lurking just below the surface. The leaders were clueless. Leaders at this stage almost always lack any kind of real self-awareness. As a result, they thought everything was fine. And why not? All the externals looked awesome. Those who taught were skillful, polished and well-educated. The doctrine espoused was solid. No one deviated from orthodoxy. The church leadership avoided getting involved with problematic people or divisive issues. The money was rolling in and the attendees willingly suffered hardship for Jesus (Revelation 2:2-3).  

But. 

The people’s hearts were far from God. The people no longer cared about the things Jesus cared about. The Ephesian Church was still very busy kingdom building. It was just the wrong kingdom. It was a human kingdom instead of Jesus’ kingdom.  

Jesus’ instruction to the Ephesian Christians is straightforward: “do what you did at first”.  

Jesus knows that one of two things happens at this crossroad of middle age.

Most of the time the ministry continues a slow drift further and further from the original mission and bit by bit it loses its ability to make a spiritual impact on the world. The church or ministry remains but the power it once had to make disciples and transform the culture evaporates. The people lose their saltiness and the church or organization becomes spiritually worthless (Matthew 5:13). If it endures it morphs into more of a social service agency than an actual ministry. 

Or.

There is a spiritual awaking.  The people who attend and lead these churches recognize the problem. They see the drift. It breaks their hearts and they repent. They fully rededicate themselves to the cause of Christ. Jesus becomes the main thing once again and the church or organization continues to be a vital part of the body and a solution to the brokenness in this world (Revelation 2:7). 

However.

These things rarely (if ever) just happen.  

They happen when we ask God to show us the drift in our lives, our churches and our ministries (Hebrews 2:1). In order to see the drift we must pray daily for wisdom and self-awareness. We have to ask God to give us a heart that’s willing to see the problems in our lives and ministries and our role in those problems.

Most critically, we must be willing to do what we did at first (Jeremiah 17:9-10). We have to fight to go back to that childlike state of spiritual existence where Jesus was our everything and our obedience was a gift we joyfully gave Him.  

What is our Political Landscape Telling us?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming– 1st Peter 1:13 NIV

Okay, so a couple of things:

First, our country is a dumpster fire. 

Seriously. It just is.

Second, I’m pretty dang conservative in my political views. I am not conservative because I believe baby Jesus was born with a copy of the constitution in His teeny-tiny hand.  Nor, am I conservative because I believe a person must think a certain way politically in order to become a Christian. I am a conservative because I believe Jesus would be on the side of individual responsibility and personal accountability. Mostly, because responsibility and accountability lead to healthy outcomes and happy people. I also think Jesus would be on the side of life (because He created it) and I’m pretty sure He would be all-in when it comes to limiting the gender spectrum to male and female because it is the design he chose for this world (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:23-25)  

For most conservatives the last election was a full-scale bummer. It was not what we wanted, or prayed for. I know it could have been way worse. That said, it was still, objectively speaking, extremely discouraging. Who would have thought soaring inflation, layoffs, war, cultural chaos and four-dollar a gallon gas would NOT be punished at the ballot box? But it was not. 

Here’s the thing:

 Christians are commanded to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). One aspect of that command is a call to transform whatever culture we happen to be living in into a better, healthier, more Christ-like version of itself. Because that’s the call, we probably ought to spend some time thinking about this election and what it says about the current state of affairs in this country. We also need to figure out God wants us do about that state of affairs.

So here goes:

It is becoming increasingly more clear that we are living in a post-Christian society. The values Christians have traditionally held dear are no longer a part of the greater cultural narrative.   One illustration of this reality is abortion. Fox News conducted a massive exit poll after the 2022 midterm election. Their goal was to discover what issues motivated voters that election cycle. The number one answer was the economy (not a shocker). However, abortion was a very close second.

It was pro-abortion voters who swung the election.   

 This means at least half of our society cares more about keeping abortion legal than they do about their own economic well-being, safety and future prosperity (Leviticus 18:21, Jeremiah 32:35). At least half the people in this country feel killing the unborn is more important than having a healthy bank account or safety in their streets.

Yikes. Let that sink in.

It’s not good.

Every lefty politician who won in the last election campaigned entirely on keeping abortion as available and unrestricted as possible. Love of abortion is not the only sign our civilization is in trouble. Violent crime against complete strangers is way up. Euthanasia is rapidly becoming a new normal and the possible benefits of infanticide are very much up for discussion. It will undoubtedly be offered as an option for new parents at local hospitals in the very near future.  

Our society is literally hurtling backwards in time towards pre-Christian, heathenish ethics. Most folks are motivated by their individual impulses rather than a desire to build a better future for their children and grandchildren. Our obsession with freedom could actually lead to our own extinction. Literally. A large portion of our population is doing everything possible to keep from reproducing in the name of personal freedom. It could be our downfall.  Human beings are becoming more and more savage as our society has begun to value personal freedom over personal responsibility. Our infatuation with freedom will inevitably lead to less actual autonomy. Governments will be forced to step in and control people if they cannot or will not control themselves (Romans 13:4). 

Sigh. 

All that being said. The current chaos could turn out to be a good thing. The culture will likely get worse. Sometimes bad is good. Hard times cause people to think. Whereas prosperity tends to lead to greater acceptance of whatever the cultural norms are and God knows we don’t need any more acceptance of the current cultural norms.  

So, what is a Christian to do? 

First. 

As strangers living in a strange land (and that’s what Christians are) we must do our level best to live within God’s design for the human race (Genesis 1:27, Hebrews 11:13-16, 1st Peter 1:1-2). Christians should get married, have a bunch of kids, work out their problems and stay married. They should also buy houses, build healthy community and strive to be the kindest, most generous people in their cities and towns (Jeremiah 29:4-8). Living joyfully, well and within the boundaries of God’s design is the first step in “making disciples” in our messy, godless, death obsessed culture.

Then. 

We must be prepared to explain to our friends and neighbors the reasons why we do what we do (1st Peter 3:15). We need to pray like crazy for wisdom and power and boldness. Then we need to open our mouths and tell anyone who will listen about Jesus and the hope He brings to even the most messy and shattered lives. We need to give the world the hope we have received and trust our merciful and good God to bring about the change we need.

Lessons we Failed to Learn From two Years of Misery-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees- Psalms 119:71 NIV

This past week I had a moment of clarity that just sort of led to a whole bunch of other moments of clarity, some good, some profoundly unpleasant.  

It all began when it dawned on me life is back to normal.  Church is back on. Traveling is back on. Eating out is back on. Having friends over is back on.  Concerts are back on. Life is back on.  

I was so happy I celebrated shamelessly for about ten solid minutes. 

It also dawned on me most churches are back to normal as well. Most Christians are doing exactly what they did prior to March 2020.  Churches are doing the same events, preaching the same types of sermons and running all the same programs they did before the world went to hell in a handcart.  The only thing Covid seems to have changed forever was church bulletins. Bulletins are officially dead. 

Anyway.  

If we are collectively doing all the same things we did before the world literally went to pieces it most likely means we did not learn all the lessons God wanted us to learn from the world literally going to pieces. I’m just spit-balling here but it simply makes no sense God would allow all the misery we collectively experienced in 2020-2021 then be okay with His people coming out of it unchanged in any significant way.    

Choosing not to learn is never a viable option with God. He will keep going back to the same lessons over and over again until we get it. He’s relentless.  Trust me. I know. I am convinced there are three things God wants the church to learn from the events of the last two years. We will forget these lessons at our own peril. 

First: 

Community is the core of the Christian experience-

When Christians are deeply connected to other Christians they engage nonbelievers more confidently, absorb the truth of scripture, love each other sacrificially, and grow into the image of Jesus (Acts 2;42-47). It’s just how God designed the whole Christianity thing to work.  Unfortunately, the pandemic unearthed a shocking lack of authentic community in Christian circles. When the going got tough most Christians turned to Netflix, food and their PlayStations instead of the body of Christ for support and comfort. Everyone bemoans the lack of community in churches. There have been volumes written on the subject. However, little has actually been done to deal with the problem. Solving the problem will mean slowing down and stepping out of our collective comfort zones. No one can run from activity to activity in a frenzied fashion and expect to build deep, lasting relationships with other people in whatever time happens to be left over. Stepping out of our comfort zones means becoming a lot more welcoming and open to those who come to our churches. We need be intentional about developing the kind of friendliness that is genuinely curious about others. We need to seek to learn about others instead of simply hoping they will want to learn about us. Building community means inviting others in and making space for another seat at the table, even when it’s inconvenient (Hebrews 13:2). Without genuine community the body of Christ will find itself woefully unprepared for whatever comes next. 

The fear of man is a snare- 

 The pressure to conform to the morals of our time is nearly overwhelming. We have all seen what happens when someone is foolhardy enough to share an unpopular opinion or refuse to tow the party-line on some issue related to morality. As a result, we have all been tempted to keep our heads down and our opinions to ourselves in an effort to stay out of the line of fire. Consequently, evil has gained lot of ground politics, education, sexuality and law. It’s time for the body of Christ to suck it up and start being brave again (no matter the cost) because the fear of man is trap that will steal our spiritual effectiveness and our joy (Proverbs 29:25)

We have to live like the end is near–

Seriously.  

This is the biggie.  I do not know when the end will be. Nobody does (Matthew 24:35-37, Ecclesiastes 8:7). That said, God commands His people to live like the end is going to be tomorrow. If we want to be sincerely obedient to Jesus we need to wake up every day and ask ourselves what would I do today if I knew Jesus was coming back tomorrow? Then we need to do those things (Matthew 24, Matthew 25:1-13, 1st Thessalonians 5:1-3). 

Thankfully, covid is no longer dominating every aspect of our lives. However, our world and the people in it are not (for the part) moving towards better things. Instead, governments are becoming more corrupt, evil is gaining ground, deception is getting stronger and hearts are growing colder. Hard times and evil days give God’s people an opportunity to shine, but in order to do that we must join together, practice bold faith and live like the end is near. 

What is our “Calling” as Christians and how do we get Back to it?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is- Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV

Thankfully the whole Covid-19 mess is, for all intents and purposes, over. 

Between vaccines, therapeutics, a rebirth of common-sense and folks finally putting their collective foot down, for the first time in a long time a mindless virus is no longer running the show. 

However.

That does not mean life is all snow cones and roses. 

The economy is a flaming-hot mess. Thanks to punch-drunk government spending post-covid, inflation is out of control and a nasty recession appears to be hovering over the horizon. Leaders all over the world are openly testing the waters of authoritarianism. These realities do not bode well for the future. Further complicating the whole messy mess, morally we have officially hit the skids. People are stupid with sin. Common sense has vanished into thin air. Our culture is so utterly silly college educated people can no longer tell the difference between boys and girls. Literally anything goes and God help the individual dumb enough to say some behavior, lifestyle choice or manner of identifying is wrong or potentially harmful. A harsh and hasty canceling awaits them. 

Sigh. 

So, what is a Christian to do? There are no easy answers to that question. What the church has been doing clearly isn’t working. The culture is devolving rapidly and the church is shrinking just as rapidly. Most church growth in recent years has not been conversion growth. Some churches are growing because already saved people are going from church to church desperately searching for something healthy and life-giving. The church has been shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic for decades. This has to stop. Churches have to grow again.  The church is called to be a preserving and healing presence in the culture, we can’t do that if we aren’t fulfilling the call to make disciples (Matthew 29:18-20).  In order to get back to that calling some collective self-examination is needed.   As Christians, we are called to transform the culture by living such good lives that we reveal truth and call the people around us to repentance with our actions and attitudes (1st Peter 2:12).  

To accomplish that end leaders must lead well. 

Alas, many Christian leaders have fallen into the trap of believing there is something innately special about them and that’s the reason they’re church leaders. Truth-be-told it is a leader’s obedience and willingness to serve that makes them useful to the Kingdom of God.  If a leader stops being obedient or stops seeing themselves as a servant of Jesus, that leader instantly becomes worthless to the Lord (1st Samuel 13:1-14, 1st Samuel 15:22, Psalm 128:1). Seriously. In these topsy-turvy times it is imperative leaders remember they are only as special as they are obedient.  Leaders cannot use any perceived specialness they have as an excuse to hurt people or skirt the rules. Neither is it okay to use Jesus as a vehicle to build their own kingdom. That kind of behavior is crushing the churches effectiveness.

Christians must think clearly, wisely and most importantly of all: biblically. 

In order to do that we must exercise some common sense about what we put into our minds because what we think about determines how we see the world (Philippians 4:8). We must let go of the ridiculous fantasy that popular culture is harmless for anyone. It’s not and it never has been. Popular culture is meant to distract us from real life and it makes us morally dumb. It’s simply a fact that no one has become more godly or wise watching Game of Thrones, The Office, Disney-plus or any other popular drivel that promotes the very stuff Jesus died to save us from. If you have any doubt about what I’m saying test it: stop watching television for ninety days, replace television watching with something live giving: Bible reading, Christian music, gardening, board games or playing with your kids. I guarantee after three months of not watching garbage you will see what you do watch from a completely different perspective.

Furthermore: 

 Christians must behave in a way that is loving towards those outside the faith (Colossians 4:5).  No one has ever been won over to team Jesus with meanness or judgment. That being said, we have to stop using “love” as an excuse to pander to the culture and keep quiet on matters of right and wrong. Ultimately, moral issues are not matters of personal taste. They are matters of life and death. Christians do no one any favors by keeping quiet or pretending we agree on issues of homosexuality, gender, heterosexual sexual sin, pornography and the child grooming that has become commonplace by transgender activists in public schools. Nor is it acceptable for Christians to use grace (God’s forgiveness) as an excuse for ungodly, unwise or unruly living. “Love” that does not speak truth is functionally hate.

Seriously.

Christianity is ultimately about calling—not so much the individual calling most Western Christians associate with calling. The calling I’m talking about is the corporate calling we all have to be holy (Ephesians 1:4, Ephesians 5:3) and live lives centered around the good of others (Ephesians 2:10, Philippians 2:13). If we refuse to embrace that calling we miss the whole point of Christianity and become powerless to help a dying culture find their way to Jesus. 

The Question we all need to ask-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment


But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God– John 3:21 NIV

Everyone, everywhere wants the THING.

“The thing” is that little bit of knowledge or understanding that will give us an edge, enlighten us and ultimately make us a better version of ourselves. The thing explains why the self-help section of any bookstore is always the biggest and busiest in any bookstore. Everyone wants the magic bullet that will bring transformation.

We all want growth, self-awareness and maturity because those things are the fast-track to everything else everyone wants in life. Things like healthy friendships, successful careers and happy families. For believers in Jesus the thing is the path to spiritual growth and wisdom. Those blessings inevitably lead to deeper understanding of our faith and greater intimacy with Jesus (2nd Peter 1:5-8, 2nd Peter 3:18, 2nd Corinthians 3:18)

Humans are hard-wired to want all those things.

If a person has stopped caring about healthy relationships, career success and a happy family it is likely they experienced some sort of trauma that caused them to give up on a fundamental aspect of what makes us God’s image bearers.  

However. 

Few actually get it. Even most Christians fumble around hoping to find the answers to this longing to become a better version of ourselves. 

The good news is the secret isn’t really a secret. Getting “the thing” is easy. Literally, anyone can do it.  That said, few are willing to do what needs to be done to get it. All it takes to achieve real growth and lasting change comes down to asking one simple question and really wanting to know the answer to that one simple question: 

“What don’t I want to see about me?” 

We all have something we desperately do not want to see about ourselves. It might be that we’re actively running from God, or perhaps we stubbornly refuse to confront sin in our life or the lives of those we love. It might be we have a mean streak or a raging pride problem. It might be an anger issue. Or maybe we always choose to take the easy way out of hard situations. Perhaps we insist on thinking the best of other people even when all the evidence is tells us not too.  Maybe we are unwilling to admit fault or we routinely take more than we give.

Those kinds of issues and sins always lead to problems that appear to be completely unrelated to the issue we don’t want to see. Those problems could include but are not limited to unhealthy dynamics in our closest relationships, a lack of friends, persistent financial problems, poorly-behaved children, a stalling in our professional lives or a stubborn lack of spiritual growth.  

We call the stuff we don’t want to see blind spots. They are not blind spots. A blind spot is something we CANNOT see. The things I’m talking about are all things we simply don’t wish to see. The problem with calling something we refuse to see a blind spot is it neatly removes personal responsibility from the equation. Without understanding and owning our role in the problem nothing will change in our lives. We will be doomed to stunted growth and messed-up personal relationships.   

Sigh. 

The good news in all of this is that God loves each of us more than we will ever understand this side of heaven. God is both working and rooting for us to become the best version of ourselves. He wants us to succeed in everything that matters. Because He loves us and wants the best for us He longs to show us the things we don’t want to see.  He knows that seeing the things we don’t want to see is the first step in the kind of change that leads growth, maturity and self-awareness.  

So, here’s the thing.

If we find ourselves stuck in some area of our life or keep running up against failure it’s not because we had terrible parents, or because we married the wrong person. It’s not the temperament we were born with and it’s not because we lacked opportunities others had. It’s because there is something we refuse (consciously or subconsciously) to see about ourselves. Because God made us and is the ultimate authority in life, solving the problem ALWAYS begins with asking Him the question. 

If we ask AND we actually want to know the answer God will tell us.  Honesty is His jam. He literally cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). The answer might come in a still small voice. It might come in the form of some angry words from a loved one. It might come in the form of a bad review at work. But it will come. 

We just have to be willing to do something about it.

Why every Christian must Become a Voice of Reason in our Unreasonable Time-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world– John 16:33 NIV

We live in an insanely divided time. 

The list of issues dividing citizens is long and growing at a rapid clip. It would include tax policy, the minimum wage, immigration, the number of genders that exist, abortion, who should use which bathroom, sexual orientation, education, critical race theory and how elections ought to be managed.  The vaccinated are still accusing the unvaccinated of being dirty, ignorant, backward, uncaring unscientific super spreaders. The unvaccinated still accuse the vaccinated of being sheep, followers, sellouts, judgmental jerks and silent super spreaders.

 Sigh. 

How do we become a voice of reason in an increasingly unreasonable time? 

Do we keep our heads down and hope for the speedy return of Jesus?

Do we dive into the melee and fight the man? If so, which man? How do we fight?

How do we represent Jesus well while we fight?

Do methods matter?   

There are no easy answers to any of those questions. Christians are expected to do hard things (Matthew 10:8). The methods we employ do matter to God (Philippians 2:14-15, 1st Corinthians 14:26, Hebrews 4:13) and hope is not a strategy. Therefore, simply hoping fervently for the return of Jesus will not make disciples or reform broken systems. God does not call His people to retreat (Genesis 1:28). To the contrary, the uglier the age the more a Christian witness is needed in every sphere of society and life. To be that witness we have to recognize three realities:

There is no distinction on God’s team- 

 1st Kings details the reign of Ahab and Jezebel. Ahab and Jezebel were sinful, horrible, apostate leaders who fought hard to normalize Baal worship in Israel. Part of the normalization process involved oppressing and slaughtering faithful, God-fearing believers without mercy. In chapter eighteen there’s a meeting between Obadiah, an official in Ahab’s court (a politician) and Elijah, a prophet of God.  It’s clear Elijah is openly disdainful of Obadiah, while Obadiah longs for Elijah’s approval.  It appears that Elijah saw Obadiah as a sellout and a collaborator. While Obadiah appears to envy Elijah. On the surface it really does look like one man is better than the other. It appears that one man is clearly more righteous than the other. It seems as if one is taking a much bigger risk for the kingdom than the other. However, that view is simplistic, incorrect and absurdly human. Both were righteous. Both were risking everything for the cause of Yahweh. Both were serving on the same team and doing exactly what God had called them to do. Obadiah was operating covertly (at great risk to himself) within the existing political system to protect the faithful few who refused to worship Baal (1st Kings 18:13). Elijah was working openly (at great risk to himself) within the religious community to bring the wayward people back to faith, obedience and moral purity. Both men were preforming crucial, albeit different roles.  Too often we do what Elijah and Obadiah did, we judge one another (and ourselves) without mercy or grace.  We make arbitrary and unbiblical distinctions between the sacred (religious) and the secular (political). Anytime we make this error, we miss out on opportunities to encourage one another and correct each other’s wrong thinking and actions. When that happens, the whole team suffers. 

Sometimes it is right to fight- 

As a general rule Christians are called to live in peace with others (Hebrews 12:14). This does not make it godly and righteous to excuse ourselves from every fight (Philippians 4:3, 1st Timothy 6:12). We should never ignore societal decay, divisive ideologies or outright lies. Christians should not force their views on anyone.  That being said, neither should Christians ignore acts of evil or philosophies that will clearly lead to evil if left unchecked (Proverbs 24:10-12). Christians should act to protect women, the weak, children, the elderly and the unborn from exploitation and evil.  Protecting the vulnerable is an issue of justice and righteousness—not politics (James 1:27, Malachi 3:5, Deuteronomy 24:17).  Christians should be cautious about acquiescing to evolving ideas on gender (Genesis 1:27). Gender ideology literally places children in danger and causes confused and hurting people to degrade themselves in devastating and sometimes irreparable ways. Christians should fight to protect the God-given rights every human on earth has to life, equal treatment under the law, free speech, and the ability to worship God freely and without fear (Exodus 20:13, Galatians 3:28, Exodus 9:1). We cannot in good conscience concede to the culture on issues of right and wrong just to maintain “peace” (Jeremiah 8:11).  

We have to do all the things but in the right order-

There are two things Christians are called to do. Leading the lost to Jesus is the first thing (Matthew 28:19).  However, discipleship is just as critical. We must begin the process of helping people to align their behavior and politics with the truth of the gospel. But only after their hearts have been transformed by the power of the gospel. Confusing the order short-circuits the work of the Holy Spirit and only succeeds in producing well-behaved heathens. This error is how we got into the cultural mess we find ourselves. 

God is calling His people to better. He has called us to unite around the person of Jesus and support all members of the body of Christ. He’s calling us away from the tribalism of our culture and into a purity of heart and action that might just transform our age of division and discord into a glorious season of spiritual reform and revival. 

How to Grow in a Season of Judgment-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom- James 4:6-9 NIV 

The whole stupid world has fallen under the judgement of God.

Seriously.

Anytime large groups of people fall under judgment life changes dramatically and becomes far less pleasant for everyone. Crops fail, wars break out, birth rates plummet, conflicts increase, the weather gets weird, economies flounder and fail, fear increases, pandemics occur, wild animals become more vicious, leaders make dumb decisions and individuals everywhere just go kind of feral and crazy (Deuteronomy 28:15-64). Judgment is terrible. Everyone in a place under judgment feels the changes judgment brings.

This is where we’re living right now. 

However.

All the terribleness is not without purpose.  God always has two primary purposes for judgment. First, judgment is designed to bring the dead (spiritually speaking) to life in Christ. The hardship and pain that always accompanies judgment can and often does cause people who have rejected God to examine themselves, seek God and repent of their sins. When that happens, a person moves from death to life and all of heaven rejoices (Ezekiel 37:1-14, Luke 15:10).

It’s a beautiful thing.

If enough people repent and turn to God we get revival and change occurs on every level of society.  (Psalm 85:6, Acts 3:19, Acts 19:18-20). God also uses judgement to strengthen the church and make it holy (1st Peter 4:17). The church becomes stronger and holier anytime it encounters persecution. The hardship that comes with persecution draws genuine Christians even closer to God (strengthening the church) and drives non-Christians who think they are Christians away from the church (thus purifying the church).

It’s a win win situation.

  Persecution often accompanies judgment. When unbelievers experience the effects of God’s judgment (crop failure, conflict, disease, weird weather, etc.) they often make rules or laws designed to manage the difficulties of the judgment. The laws they make inevitably end up affecting the churches ability to operate and share the gospel. Secondly, those who are actively rebelling against God despise being told where their rebellion will lead them. People do not enjoy being told there will be more judgment, more personal pain and eternity spent in hell unless they repent. Those who speak the truth in a season of judgment are always persecuted in some way. 

We are in a judgment. 

Therefore, persecution of the church is likely inevitable. This means attitudes and behaviors that have become commonplace in Church world simply will not fly anymore. Following are four of those things:

Marginal commitment levels-

Attending church services weekly, reading the Bible, cultivating a strong prayer life and being actively involved in a church community do not make anyone a Christian. Good habits do not magically transform pagans into saints.  However, participation in these activities do make Christians stronger and healthier from a spiritual standpoint. Christians who have taken the time to cultivate healthy habits are more likely to stand strong when life gets hard and life always gets hard for God’s people in a judgment.    

Fakeness-

Christians are sometimes disturbingly fake. We pretend we are okay when we’re not okay and that we have it all together when we’re really falling apart. We do this for one reason: pride. We want people to think we are healthier, better and godlier than we really are so we fake we are the things we think we should be. This particular form of pride cheats us out of the growth and transformation that can only be achieved by being authentic and transparent with ourselves and God. We can’t grow if don’t admit we need to.  

Legalism-

Legalists want to follow a list of rules related to outward behavior without dealing with the heart issues that caused them to sin in the first place. God does care about what we do. Some behaviors are simply not okay for Christians (1st Corinthians 6:8-10, Galatians 5:19-21).  However, God also wants us to do the right things out of a desire to honor and glorify God rather than a desire to be accepted and liked by other Christians or because we think behaving the “right way” will gain God’s favor. Legalism can look genuine in good times because a person’s heart isn’t tested in good times. However, in times of judgment the true state of a person’s heart is always revealed. Furthermore, legalists frequently become bitter towards God in times of judgment because they feel their good behavior should be rewarded. They don’t understand intimacy with God is the greatest reward. Intimacy with God is a result of clinging to God in hardship.  

Double-mindedness-

Double-mindedness is when we attempt to live with one foot in the world and one foot in the church (1st John 2:15).  This often takes the form of adopting opinions and beliefs that allow a Christian to conform to worldly norms and standards on issues such as: homosexuality, gender, adultery, abortion or justice while still living as a “practicing Christian”. In a time of judgment God always demands that His people choose who they will serve (Joshua 24:15). 

No one gets to choose the events and circumstances of the time they live in. God does that for us. However, we do get the privilege of choosing how we respond to the circumstances of our life. How we choose is never more important than in a season of judgment.