Tag: Lies we believe

How Churches can Overcome a Toxic Culture-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven- Matthew 5:14 and 16 NASB

 Secular culture has always had an element of toxicity to it. 

This is unavoidable because anything (or anyone) that isn’t actively for Christ will always be anti-Christ in some way (1st John 4:3). Nonetheless, until recently, much of secular culture was fairly neutral, some elements might have even been considered somewhat wholesome.

That ship has officially sailed. 

At this point in human history nearly every culture on earth has embraced every evil under the sun and started calling the evil “good” (Isaiah 5:20). Politics are corrupt, people are selfish, cruel and mean, many appear to be going feral, deviant sexual behaviors are embraced and celebrated. Parents are no longer honored, life is no longer held sacred, and marriage is no longer seen as a necessary steppingstone to parenthood (Romans 1:18-32, 2ndTimothy 3:1-5, 2nd Timothy 4:3). Sadly, that list is barely skimming the surface of our world-wide cultural brokenness.  

Sigh. 

Churches tend to take one of several unhealthy approaches in dealing with the ever-encroaching madness. Some mainline denominations gleefully embrace and celebrate the culture. In these churches abortion and euthanasia are viewed as gifts, they believe gender is a choice everyone gets to make and homosexuality, is just another sexual option on a long list of options. Politicians who battle for the “right” to live a life of what the Bible calls “sin” are applauded as heroes. 

 Other churches do their level best to simply ignore the culture. They focus on Jesus and how awesome He is and how awesome He is to those who love Him. These churches will do anything short of sin to keep negativity and ickiness from creeping into their churches.  If something problematic does find its way into the like the death of Charlie Kirk, a gay couple or outspoken political views the whole messy muddle is quickly swept under the rug, and leadership moves on to cheerier topics. 

Others attempt to fight the evil, not with good as the Bible instructs (Romans 12:18-21) but with mockery, condescension and mean-spiritedness. These folks poke fun at anyone who disagrees with the Bible, conservative political views or their expression of Christianity.

The drawback with the first approach is (hopefully) obvious. Embracing sin to win people to Jesus makes almost as much sense as believing someone could cast out a demon with the power of Satan (Matthew 9:33-34). It’s absurd. Celebrating sin just makes  something God expressly forbids feel safe (2nd Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19). This tactic keeps individuals deceived, disobedient to God and trapped in the ugliness and hopelessness of sin (2nd Peter 3:11, 1st John 1:6). 

The problems with second approach are more complex. On the surface this approach feels wholesome and agreeable because it limits offense and controversy and makes Christianity an easy thing for people to accept. However, because churches have remained silent regarding cultural issues an entire generation is mostly ignorant concerning a whole host of biblical issues including (but not limited to) abortion, euthanasia, gender, homosexuality and what it means to honor one’s parents. Furthermore, what you win people with you win them to. Winning folks to a wishy-washy, inoffensive form of Christianity will not form strong disciples able to withstand persecution.  This approach also cruelly ignores the pain of those who have been damaged by the culture. The Church ceases to be a place of healing if no one is ever allowed to talk about anything icky, contentious or hard.  

The third approach sometimes feels the most holy and helpful because it actively calls out sin and heresy.  However, no one in the history of forever has ever been mocked, belittled or shamed into holiness or right thinking. It just doesn’t happen. 

So, what should the church do about the culture? Following are four things we can do: 

Be real without embracing despair or hopelessness-

The culture is terrible. More and more people are choosing to live a life of sin. This damages the sinners and generates untold pain for their families. Politics are divisive and gross. This makes communication and finding common ground challenging. The state of the culture makes life uglier and living out our faith harder. These are realities we have to deal with. However, none of these issues make Jesus any less powerful or God any less good.  We must recognize the realities of our age without losing sight of God’s goodness or power to transform people and situations (Joshua 1:9, Galatians 6:9).

Be a hospital for those hurting from the culture-

Churches cannot ignore the damaged, brokenhearted people in their midst. Churches must acknowledge, love and provide opportunities for healing for those leaving sinful lifestyles including homosexuality and transgenderism. Churches must also come alongside family members (parents, grandparents, siblings) and help them to love wayward family members with the love of Jesus. 

Be like Jesus and not just the Jesus who turned over the tables in the temple- 

There were a lot of sides to Jesus and being like Jesus doesn’t mean we are always milk-toasty, wishy-washy and endlessly tolerant of every stupid thing to come along. It does mean we lead with love even when we have to say hard things and draw rigid lines around what we will and will not do (Romans 6:12-14, Ephesians 4:25, Ephesians 5:11-12). 

And finally:

Choose biblical relevance over cultural relevance- 

Forget about cultural relevance. Our culture is rotting from within; it has nothing to offer but death and sorrow. There’s nothing to be gained from aligning Christianity with death, sorrow and rot. Instead, Christians must choose to align with the Bible and fearlessly declare truth. It’s where life is found (Psalm 16:11, Deuteronomy 30:19) and a culture of death is overcome (John 10:10). 

Four Things Done and Taught in Churches that Harm Christians-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ- Colossians 1:28 NASB 

Fourteen-ish years ago when I began writing this blog, I wrote ad nauseum about problems I saw in Church world. Nearly every week I wrote about some church peeve or irritant I had with how church was being done. 

Then I did this thing I do sometimes. 

I got tired. It felt like I was expending a lot of energy yammering on endlessly about church problems. In more introspective moments, I wondered if I was perhaps overdoing some criticisms. I didn’t want to be one of those people who only complained and never really DID anything to solve problems or make the world a better place.  So, I intentionally pivoted. I began writing more posts focused on doctrine, Bible study and spiritual growth. My hope was that by focusing more on Christian living I would ultimately impact the church community and facilitate much-needed change.

Well. 

This last week it occurred to me as I was listening to some really one-sided teaching on a critical issue that the problems in church world have not gone anywhere. I felt a distinct nudge from the Holy Spirit to revisit some issues that are still impacting the church negatively. Following are four the Lord laid on my heart this week: 

Heretical teachings on grace- 

Grace is the most essential doctrine in all of Christianity. Grace is the foundation of everything we believe about Jesus, salvation, forgiveness and how we respond to those who have sinned against us (Ephesians 1:5-7, John 10:10, Matthew 18:21-35). Without grace there is no prospect of salvation, no forgiveness, no abundant life and no hope for anyone no matter how “good” they appear to be (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:23-25, Ephesians 2:8-9, 2nd Peter 2:18). Period. However, anytime the doctrine of grace is taught without discussing the doctrine of sin it creates very real practical and theological problems. One of those problems includes an attitude Paul warned about in Romans (Romans 6:1-23). It’s the idea that it is okay (perhaps even good) for Christians to sin on purpose because it gives God an opportunity to forgive their sins (demonstrate grace). Therefore, (the logic goes) sin your face off because grace is just a big bucket of forgiveness one can dip into anytime they sin intentionally or unintentionally. This attitude is foolish and spiritually dangerous because it ignores the clear biblical call to repent and become increasingly more holy with every passing day (John 8:11, 1st Peter 1:15-16, 1st Peter 2:5, 1st John 5:1-4). This does not mean there is no room for failure, mistakes and human frailty in Christianity (Romans 3:23, 1st John 1:8-10). It just means Christians are deeply grieved by their own sin and never treat it lightly. 

Salvation without Repentance- 

When I first started writing this blog, I was deeply troubled by the fact that most American churches no longer gave a salvation message. This is an area of growth for the American church; more and more are giving a salvation message. This is very good. However, the whole notion of sin and repentance is sometimes being left out of the call to salvation (Isaiah 1:28, Isaiah 13:9, Matthew 9:13, Luke 13:1-3). People are not always being told that they need salvation because they are sinners who need to be forgiven. Instead, the message being preached in many churches is often a bit fuzzy, i.e. “you need Jesus because He will give you comfort and make you a better version of yourself”. Jesus will do those things but that is not the primary reason we need Jesus. We need Jesus to make us right and holy before a holy God (2nd Corinthians 5:17). 

Bible-lite  

 The Bible is the most beautifully balanced book in all of creation. It is abounding with stories, psalms and theology that reveal and remind us of God’s kindness, mercy, grace and goodness. If one needs a positive reminder of God’s love and goodness they will find it (Isaiah 43:25, Ezekial 36:26, Psalm 23, John 3:16, 1st Corinthians 6:11). However, the Bible also has a lot of passages that serve (metaphorically speaking) as a kick in the backside (Romans 1:18-31, 1st Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21). God designed His word this way on purpose knowing that we need both in equal measure. Without both we quickly lose sight of our on-going need for sanctification and growth (2nd Corinthians 7:1, 2nd Peter 1:3-11).  

Silence concerning the culture-  

The word toxic is overused to the point of absurdity in our world. Nonetheless, our culture is truly toxic. It is a lethal force that damages our souls without our knowledge or consent.   Unfortunately, many pastors and Bible teachers are reluctant to address cultural issues because they want to avoid “being political”. I get it. However, many “political” issues are first and foremost spiritual issues, and many Christians (especially young Christians) are ignorant of what the Bible has to say about a myriad of critical issues including (but not limited to) abortion, how a Christian should treat their parents, cancel culture, poverty and homosexuality. By avoiding “political” issues the church has short-circuited the discipleship of millions to the detriment of the church and the culture. 

Contrary to popular opinion, what a Christian believes matters. 

What we believe matters because our beliefs about doctrine, cultural issues, God’s character and truth all inform and affect our behavior and we will give an account for our behavior in this life (Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12, Hebrews 4:13).

Making Spiritual Sense of Those who Once Professed Christ but no Longer Live for Him-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the [word, immediately he falls away- Matthew 13:20-21 NASB

From time-to-time, I have a conversation with the Lord that goes something like this:

Me: Good morning God!  What do you want me to write about this week?

God: I want you to write about ____________________.

Me: Uh… I’m sorry God, I hate to tell you this but no one wants to read that. It will make people mad. 

God: I know. Write it anyway. 

Me: Sigh. Okay. 

Such was the case this last week. I asked God for a topic. He gave me one. I argued with Him. He won. It’s His thing. 

So.

I work in an arena of ministry with many people who have relatives (usually adult kids, but not always) who are walking a very sinful path. Sometimes these adult kids are so steeped in sin they are walking several different sinful paths all at the same time (trust me it can be done). All these adult children know their behavior is wrong because they were raised to know right from wrong. The folks I work with are looking for some kind of spiritual hope for their loved one. More often than not, they find that hope in a commitment the adult child made to the Lord a long time ago, often in childhood or their early teens. Sometimes the child who is now walking in sin appeared to walk with God for a season. However, that ship has officially sailed. They are now living lives that completely oppose God and everything He’s all about.  Nonetheless, these parents cling to the belief that their child’s childhood commitment was the real deal and “proof” their child is a believer. 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news (truly I do). 

However, this line of thinking is not wise or biblical. It is personally comforting to believe a loved one is saved when they are living far from God. However, it is not in our best interest or theirs to hang all our hopes on a prayer a child (or an adult, for that matter) prayed at some point in the distant past, when there is zero fruit to indicate they have made the journey from spiritual death to spiritual life (Matthew 3:9-11, Matthew 7:16-20, Luke 6:43-44, John 15:4, Galatians 5:19-24). 

 Here’s why:

False hope keeps us from praying rational and compassionate prayers-

The most loving thing one human can do for another is pray for their salvation (Acts 2:21, Acts 4:12, 1stCorinthians 6:9-10, Titus 2:11-12).  Therefore, if a loved one does not live like a Christian the loving and logical thing is to assume they aren’t one and pray accordingly. If we get it wrong, the Lord will sort it out. 

There is very little space in the New Testament for Christians who don’t at least try and act like Christians-

There’s just not (Romans 6:1-23, Romans 7:4-6, Ephesians 2:1-10, 2nd Corinthians 5:17, 2nd Peter 1:3-11). It is normal for new Christians and even seasoned saints to stumble and even fall sometimes. No one this side of heaven is free of their sin nature. We should not assume that just because a Christian screws up (even in a really big way) they are unsaved. That being said, the Bible makes it clear: authentic believers in Jesus do not wallow around in sin for years and years with no apparent remorse or desire to change. Nor do they mock Jesus, Christianity or other Christians. True Christians do not write or speak about how freeing it is to depart the faith and live a life of unfettered sin. Jesus is clear: no fruit (or ONLY bad fruit) no salvation. That doesn’t mean anyone is doomed. As long as a person is breathing there is hope for redemption (John 3:16, Romans 5:7-9).  That said, we must be realistic about their spiritual state in order to help them. 

Children don’t always understand the commitment they made-

It is spiritually risky to assume a child or teenager understands or understood all the ins-and-outs of making a heartfelt commitment to Jesus when many saved adults struggle with the concepts of salvation and sanctification. We must understand that from a developmental standpoint the teen years are a period of life when people “try on” identities and decide who they want to be and how they want to live. If a teen or child “tries on” the identity of “Christian” or goes through the motions of living like a Christian for a season but never REALLY repents of their sin and follows through on a commitment to obey Jesus as the Lord of their life, the whole thing was (sadly) just another phase of childhood and nothing more. Consequently, it’s critical parents ensure children and teens who profess Christ are given a LOT of follow-up care and discipleship. It’s the best way to stack the odds in favor of a genuine commitment to Jesus (John 10:9). 

I am not arguing people “lose” their salvation. However, Jesus made it clear there will be people who make commitments to God who don’t really mean it or understand what that commitment entails. Those people inevitably “fall away” (Matthew 7:13-23, Matthew 25:31-46, Mark 16:16). If those folks die without truly knowing Christ as Lord, they will not make it heaven. We prove our love for these people by praying fervently they will understand their spiritual reality and seek God while He can be found (Isaiah 55:6, Hebrews 4:6-7, 2nd Peter 3:9, Matthew 24:13).  

What Does Trusting God “Look Like”?

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you- Psalm 9:9-10 ESV

Life is full of struggles, events and trials no one (Christian or non-Christian) really understands. 

Kids get sick. Politicians lie. Leaders scheme and mislead. Disasters strike out of nowhere, sometimes wiping away a lifetime of diligence. Friends betray friends. Good people die before we think it’s time. People we thought were decent behave in ways that cause us immeasurable hurt and pain. Children who were raised right sometimes go terribly wrong. Spouses who swore before God to be faithful and true “till death do us part” sometimes don’t. 

This gloomy list could go on forever but I will spare you. 

For Christians all these things (and hundreds of others) are more than a long list of things that vex us or stuff that tempts us towards bitterness (Ephesians 4:31, Hebrews 12:15). All of these things (and hundreds of others) are just an opportunity to trust God with things we don’t understand (Proverbs 3:5-6, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Psalm 37:4-6). 

Most folks tend to think of trusting God as a passive undertaking where we do nothing and God does everything, it’s not. Trusting God is more than just sitting back and patiently waiting for God to transform our mess into a message. Trusting God is an active process. Trusting God is a verb not a noun. There are things we can do that both prove we trust God and cause us to trust God. When we choose to trust God with things we don’t understand, we grow as believers. Our faith is proven genuine and our ability to love God and people is expanded (Hebrews 11, 1st Peter 1:3-9, James 1:2-4). All good things. 

All this begs the question: what does trusting God look like? 

Trusting God is more than a commitment. It’s a series of choices we make every day. The tougher the times the harder it is to make those choices. Some of those choices include: 

Choosing the path of transformation and growth-  

The whole aim of the Christian life is to be transformed into the image of Jesus (Romans 12:1-21, 2nd Corinthians 3:18, Colossians 3:1-25, 2nd Peter 1:3-11). This is a process, never a one and done. Transformation is lifelong journey where we cooperate with the Holy Spirit to take off our “old sinful self” (Romans 6:6, Colossians 3:9, Ephesians 4:22) and “put on” new attitudes and behaviors pleasing to God.  Over time with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are transformed into person who looks, thinks and acts more like Jesus (2nd Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 2:12). Anytime we experience hardship or difficulty we are also tempted (sometimes subconsciously) to put the transformation process on hold and essentially stop growing spiritually. Actively trusting God means we choose to pursue holiness and growth in spite of the things we do not understand. 

Choosing forgiveness and letting God deal with people however He sees fit-  

 One of the most basic (but critical) ways we trust God is to give up our right to seek revenge and /or harbor anger and bitterness towards those who have hurt us. It doesn’t matter if they did what they did on purpose or accident. Nor does it matter if they are sorry for what they did. Trusting God means we believe that God will deal with the people who have hurt us in whatever way is most appropriate, when the timing is just right (Matthew 6:14-15, Romans 12:19).

Trusting God means serving God and others even when we feel like retreating- 

Hurt, pain and betrayal can cause us to shutdown emotionally and retreat from living life to the fullest (John 10:10). Trusting God means we continue to live life running full steam ahead serving God and people both inside and outside our local churches no matter how we feel at the moment (Romans 12:10, Ephesians 6:7-8, 1st Peter 4:10-11). 

Continuing to grow in grace-

Trusting God means that we never allow the tough, ugly stuff of life to make us hard, suspicious and/or callous towards people. Trusting God means we choose to grow in grace. Growing in grace means we do our level best to become kinder, wiser, gentler and more loving in spite of the difficulties we encounter along the journey (Proverbs 1:5, Proverbs 4:18, 1st Peter 2:2, 2nd Peter 3:18, Colossians 1:10). 

Never allowing our brokenness to become our identity- 

For Christians the hurt, pain and trauma we experience in this life is not our identity (Psalm 139:14, John 1:12, Ephesians 2:10). If we are followers of Jesus, we are NOT the sum-total of our most traumatic experiences (Ephesians 4:22-24, Galatians 4:6-7). We are not our worst mistakes. Nor our we our darkest moment. We are children of the King. We were created to be over comers and lights who shine in a dark world (Matthew 5:14, Philippians 2:14-16). Trusting God means we choose to live out our God-given identify of wholeness rather than an identity of brokenness and pain.

None of these things are easy. In fact, all of them are impossible when we try and do them in our own power. The only way to trust God fully with things we do not understand is to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).  He gives us the spiritual power we need to trust God with the things we don’t understand.  

The Latest Trend in Pit-of-Hell Thinking

Lisa M. Price3 Comments

A son will not suffer the punishment for the father’s guilt, nor will a father suffer the punishment for the son’s guilt; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself- Ezekiel 18:20

There are basically three kinds of thinking.  

First, there’s good or wise thinking. Good or wise thinking is aligned with what the Bible teaches. Learning to think biblically does not mean life will always be easy or free of trials (2nd Corinthians 4:17-18, James 1:2, 1stPeter 1:6-7).  However, biblical thinking coupled with relationship with God ultimately leads to peace with God and eternity spent with God (Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 5:1, Romans 12:2).  

There’s also bad or worldly thinking. Bad thinking is not always obviously erroneous. Bad thinking is bad because it is not aligned with the Bible and so it’s off, it’s worldly and therefore lacking in wisdom (Colossians 2:8, Philippians 3:19). This is the kind of thinking Christians end up with when they lean on their own understanding of how to do life rather than God’s (Proverbs 3:5-6). Bad or worldly thinking will not always completely ruin a person’s life, but it will lead them in a less than godly direction and ensure they never quite live up to their God-given potential.  

The final category of thinking is what I call “pit-of-hell” thinking. This type of thinking is literally, and I do mean literally, straight out of the pit of hell. The New Testament refers to it a: “doctrine of demons” (1st Timothy 4:1). Pit-of-hell thinking always has a demonic component to it that makes it very deceptive. Indulging in this kind of thinking ultimately causes an individual to become derailed spiritually, emotionally and morally.

 There’s no scarcity of pit-of-hell thinking in the world today. 

One wildly popular and sinister example of such thinking is a notion that originated with Sigmund Freud (1873-1939). Freud taught that individuals could trace all of their bad behavior, emotional problems and wrong thinking back to something their parents did or did not do to them in childhood. If an adult lacks self-confidence, can’t stand up for themselves, has a tough time making decisions, is angry, hates sex, is addicted to sex, can’t maintain a long-term relationship, allows themselves to be abused, is codependent, drinks too much, uses drugs or is a narcissistic jerk, it is all the fault of that individual’s parents, usually the mom. It is true that we are all influenced by our childhood experiences. Bad parenting is bad, partly because it has a generational impact (Lamentations 5:7). That said, if parents were responsible for all our sin God would have sent us a therapist rather than a savior (Acts 4:12).  

Following are the top four problems with this thinking: 

It prevents individuals from dealing with their problems and sin-

The first step in dealing with a problem or sin is to take personal responsibility for that sin and/or owning our part of the problem (Proverbs 28:13, James 5:16, Psalm 32:3). It is impossible to take responsibility, effectively confess a sin or repent of something that we are blaming our parents for. Conversely, when we take full responsibility for our sin, God forgives that sin and gives us the wisdom we need to move forward in a victorious way that breaks generational curses and sets us free from the bondage of sinful strongholds (Psalm 32:5, Psalm 51, 1st John 1:8-9). 

It leads folks to believe it’s okay to break the fifth commandment- 

Believing the lie that their mom and dad are ultimately responsible for our misery and sin leads us to believe that it’s okay to disrespect or dishonor our parents. This line of thinking is in direct violation to the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12). This commandment is clear, unambiguous and repeated many times throughout the Old and New Testaments (Deuteronomy 5:16, Matthew 14:4, Matthew 19:16-20, Mark 7:10, Ephesians 6:2). It is one of the clearest teachings in all the Bible. God was so serious about this commandment there is blessing promised for keeping it and curses attached to breaking it (including a death penalty). Furthermore, nowhere in the Bible are we given a loophole when it comes to honoring/respecting our parents. It is impossible to honor or respect someone who you blame for all your problems and bad choices. 

It’s at the root of the estrangement epidemic- 

Children cutting their parents out is now a popular trend. Typically, the parents were not abusive just “toxic”. Toxicity is frequently defined as “not being supportive enough” or “not in tune to the child’s needs”.  The bottom-line is that these kids have bought into the lie that all of their problems and issues are the fault of their parents rather than the result of their own choices. This view is at the root of incalculable misery and hurt. No one wins in an estrangement. The parents are left devastated, and the adult child never really grows up and takes responsibility for their own behavior (Ezekial 18)

It’s not biblical– 

It’s just not. There is not a single Bible verse that indicates that anyone is responsible for our choices or sin except us. Period. People are not soulless automatons preprogrammed by childhood experiences. We are influenced by the experiences we have growing up but ultimately each one of us chooses how we respond to what we experienced.  

All parents are sinners, therefore they all make mistakes. Some even sin against their children (Romans 3:23). This does not make abuse okay or excusable (Romans 3:19). Parents who abuse their children will be held accountable for their sin (Ezekiel 18:4, Matthew 18:6, Romans 14:12). That said, no one is responsible for our adult choices except us and taking responsibility for our own junk is the first step in making a better future for ourselves. 

Four Widespread Deceptions that are Literally Wrecking our World-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

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

The Bible is full of promises. 

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

All really great things. 

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

Sin doesn’t matter after salvation- 

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

God’s love is for everyone- 

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

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

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

Perception is reality- 

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

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

Examining the Roots of the Estrangement Epidemic-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

If someone says, “I love God,” and yet he hates his brother or sister, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother and sister whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen- 1st John 4:20 NASB

For much of human history family estrangements were fairly rare. Even the average heathen believed blood was thicker than water and that honoring one’s parents was just something decent people did (Exodus 20:12, Matthew 15:4, Mark 10:19, Ephesians 6:1-3). When estrangements did occur, there was shame in being alienated from one’s parents.

That ship has officially sailed. 

Self-reporting indicates that at least 85 million adults (one-fourth of the population) are estranged from at least one family member (usually their parents). Many are proudly estranged, some even tout estrangement as the ultimate in “self-care”.  

The number one reason given for an estrangement is nearly always “toxicity”. Toxicity is subjective. Toxicity is rarely defined as physical or sexual abuse or even cruelty. Instead, family members are commonly labeled “toxic” for far murkier issues which include (but are not limited to) voting the “wrong” way, offering unsolicited advice, or refusing to celebrate a gender transition. Adult children have also canceled family for attending the wrong church, using the wrong pronouns or having any expectations of the adult child.   

I understand not all parent-child relationships are idyllic. There are parents who were physically or sexually abusive who remain obstinately unrepentant.  There are also parents of adult children who are addicted to drugs, cruel, or abusive towards their grandchildren. In these cases, the adult child should forgive as God requires (Matthew 6:14-16, Matthew 18:21-35, Ephesians 4:32). However, it is also totally appropriate for said child to establish boundaries and honor their parents from a bit of a distance (honoring from a distance might look like text communication, photos, cards and infrequent visits). 

That said

 No one can find a single Bible verse that grants anyone permission to go “low” or “no contact” with family over anything as nebulous as “toxicity”.  Such verses simply do not exist. 

This is an issue that need to be brought into the light.

Many of the children who have gone “no contact” are professing Christians. Many of the parents who have been canceled by their children have no idea why.  Most churches are silent where this issue is concerned. This leaves all parties with no spiritual leadership or comfort when dealing with a family conflict.

The problem of estrangement is huge. It cannot be solved or even completely explored in a blogpost. However, it is possible to shed some light on how we got here. Like most cultural phenomenon the estrangement epidemic has roots. In recent decades there have been dramatic cultural changes in how children are viewed and parented; as well as some profound changes in the value placed on relationships. I suspect much of the cultural transformation was brought on by:

Therapy culture- 

Even many Christians have traded biblical counsel and common-sense advice for secular therapy. A wise and godly counselor is literally worth their weight in gold (Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 24:6). However, a bad therapist is one of the most dangerous forces on earth (Proverbs 12:5). Unfortunately, there are therapists who will gleefully diagnose parents they have never met with serious disorders such as narcissism or borderline personality disorder. Some therapists literally specialize in helping young adults estrange from their families. With this type of therapy there is no goal of reconciliation or mutual compromise. The only goal is separation and conflict. No therapist (no matter how skilled) can effectively diagnose anyone without at least one meeting. Furthermore, any therapist who does not at least attempt to get both sides of the story before recommending estrangement is guilty of malpractice (Proverbs 18:17, Psalm 1:1). Run from such people. 

A pathological refusal to forgive-

Many parents are bad parents in a way that does not constitute physical or sexual abuse. Some parents were/are emotionally distant. Others divorced and lived their own lives with little thought or regard to the needs of their offspring. Some parents yelled too much or were controlling or did not allow enough space for personal expression (Ephesians 6:4).  There are at least a million ways parents can fail and most do in one way or another. However, the commandments that mandate forgiveness and honoring parents are unconditional. God’s word simply leaves no legitimate wiggle room for any course of action except obedience.  Alas, forgiveness is no longer in fashion, even for the smallest of offenses or unintentional mistakes. Instead, many Christians and virtually all unbelievers label the person a who offended them a filthy name and move on. This attitude runs counter to Scripture, ruins those who refuse to forgive and destroys any opportunity for generational healing. 

An idolized view of children- 

An idol is anything or anyone that gets first place in our lives. For at least a generation, parents have been encouraged to idolize their children. Children have been told by parents and teachers they are really special, and their feelings are always super important. The goal has been to make kids feel good about themselves regardless of what they do or how they behave. Sacrificing for a child’s wellbeing has always been a standard of good parenting. However, today’s parents are encouraged to sacrifice so their kids can have luxuries previous generations reserved for adults who had worked hard all their lives.  If an individual is treated like an idol, no one should be surprised when they start behaving as if they are a god who has the right to determine their own destiny.  Is it any wonder that an entire generation has concluded they can determine their own gender and cut people out of their lives without an explanation? 

Christians cannot control what unbelievers do or don’t do (1st Corinthians 5:12). If unbelievers continue to choose the dangerous path of embracing idolatry, hate and division, we have to let them. Our responsibility is to pray they have a change of heart before any more heartbreak ensues. Christians, on the other hand are called to embrace the heart of God (2nd Corinthians 13:11). This means we seek healing, peace and wholeness in every relationship (Romans 12:18, Hebrews 12:15). Churches and Church leaders must ask questions when presented with an estranged family and not assume they know who is at fault. Pastors must return to encouraging healing and forgiveness in families. Refusing to do so will only lead to more brokenness, pain and evil. It will result in the removal of God’s blessing (2nd Timothy 3:1-5). No one sane wants that. 

Four Causes of Spiritual Dullness and how to Fix it-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord- 1st Peter 2:2-3 NASB

I love the book of Hebrews.  

It’s a beautifully written book that has never failed to challenge me.  A recent reread has got me pondering all sorts of issues but mostly the whole notion of spiritual dullness. 

Many scholars believe the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Jewish priests who became obedient to the teachings of Jesus not long after he ascended into heaven (Acts 6:7).  Whoever they were, the original readers started their spiritual journey with an enthusiastic passion for Jesus (Hebrews 10:32-35). However, at the time of the letter’s writing their spiritual enthusiasm had cooled to the point the writer felt compelled to say this about them:

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.For though by this time, you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil- Hebrews 5:11-14 NASB

Yikes. 

It’s a brutally harsh assessment of their spiritual state, and it was all true. The Hebrew Christians who had begun their faith journey with so much promise and potential had somehow become spiritually feeble and dull. The writer of Hebrews desperately wanted them to understand they were in a spiritually precarious position. The whole letter is a long exhortation begging them to get back on track spiritually before they lose their desire to do so altogether. 

So, what exactly causes spiritual dullness to set in? 

Like most spiritual problems dullness is much easier to prevent than to fix. The letter to the Hebrews would never have made it into the New Testament if the warnings in it were not intended for all followers of Jesus in all times (John 17:17, Acts 17:11, 2nd Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12-13).  The writer of Hebrews is clear, spiritual maturity is the antidote to spiritual dullness. However, maturity is not a given, it is something we must go after (Hebrews 2:1, Hebrews 3:12-13, Hebrews 5:11-14, Hebrews 6:9-12). Spiritual dullness does not happen in a vacuum; there are predictable events that lead us to a state of dullness. Some of those are:

Too much exposure to worldliness- 

Worldliness is best defined as being more devoted to the things of this world and its pleasures than to the things of God. God has nothing positive to say about worldliness (2nd Timothy 4:10, 1st John 2:15) and it’s not because He’s a spoilsport who hates fun. God is opposed to worldliness because He knows that the desires we feed grow. If we feed ourselves worldly pleasures they will grow into (best case scenario) spiritual dullness and (worst case scenario) a voracious craving for sin. However, if we limit our exposure to worldly entertainment and pastimes our desire for God and personal holiness will grow (Philippians 4:8-9, 1st Corinthians 9:24-27, 2nd Timothy 2:16). 

Sin- 

This is kind of a no brainer, nonetheless it’s a no brainer that bears repeating. Nothing dulls a Christian more spiritually than sin and disobedience (Isaiah 59:2). Anytime we choose to indulge ourselves in something God has deemed wrong it becomes a little more difficult to hear the voice of God.  Therefore, it is imperative we examine our lives often to make sure we are as free from both intentional and unintentional sin as humanly possible (Hebrews 12:1-12, 2nd Corinthians 13:5, 1st Peter 2:24, Hebrews 12:14).

Unresolved spiritual confusion-  

The recipients of the letter to the Hebrews were intimately familiar with trials, trouble and oppression (Hebrews 10:32-34). The Hebrew Christians experienced suffering from every side. The Jews (their own people) despised them for embracing Jesus, the Roman government persecuted them for the same reason. As a result, they found themselves in constant danger and subject to endless abuse. As a result of their trials, they experienced a kind of spiritual confusion that often accompanies painful spiritual experiences we do not find a way to process. The only way to process these kinds of experiences is through prayer with the knowledge that: A) this world is not our home; we do not fit in here and we never will (Hebrews 11:13-15). B) We are living in Satan’s territory, and He loves nothing more than to discourage us and kick us when we are down (Ephesians 2:1-3, Ephesians 6:10-18, 2ndTimothy 3:12, Revelation 2:9-11). And C) God sees EVERYTHING and He has something uniquely beautiful planned in eternity for those who suffer here on earth because they were faithful to Jesus (1st Peter 3;12, Revelation 3:8-13, Isaiah 43:2-4).  If we do not keep these truths firmly in mind the enemy will use our suffering and confusion to make us bitter and useless to God (Hebrews 12:15). 

And finally, spiritual maturity versus dullness all comes down to: 

The level of attention we pay to our spiritual life–

 Spiritual practices such as church attendance, prayer and Bible reading help us keep our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 2:1, 1st Timothy 4:16, Hebrews 10:24-25, 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18). Anytime we take our eyes off Jesus and the prize of eternity we risk becoming spiritually dull. Making the choice to fix our focus on Jesus daily is a spiritual gamechanger (Hebrews 12:1-3). Focusing our attention on Jesus and the sacrifice He made on our behalf vanquishes spiritual dullness and gives us the spiritual power we need to stand firm no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in.

What are the Fruits of Salvation?

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Those are the ones sown with seed on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much- Luke 8:15 NASB

Doctrinal controversies and theological disputes are not new to Christianity. Early Christians began hotly debating the finer points of the faith shortly after Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 15). Early believers argued endlessly over what role (if any) the Law of Moses should play in Christianity.  They also fought over the nature of Jesus, which holy days should be celebrated and whether there was secret knowledge certain Christians possessed that others did not (Colossians 2).   

Contemporary Christians still debate issues. However, we tend to argue over an entirely different set of controversies.  Contemporary Christians will throw down over things like the role of women in the church, spiritual gifts and Bible translations. But by far, the most contentious argument in the church today is over what role Christian fruit (or works) should play in the Christian life. 

The role works play in salvation is a settled issue. 

 All people are saved the same way. We are saved by God’s grace when we turn to Jesus in faith. Salvation is a gift. No one can earn salvation. No one, no matter how good they are is good enough to earn access to heaven. We are all just too dang sinful (Romans 3:23). Once we humbly accept the reality of our own unworthiness, Jesus mercifully cleanses us from all unrighteousness, and we begin our faith journey (1st John 1:8-10). 

However. 

Bearing fruit, sometimes called “works” post salvation is another issue altogether (Matthew 5:16, James 2:14-18, 1st Timothy 6:18-19). Some Christians believe that suggesting there should be any works post-salvation is nothing short of heresy and an insult to God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). These folks believe freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:1) means freedom from all rules, works and standards of behavior.  This group is well-intended, and not entirely wrong.  We cannot earn our salvation, nor do we have to “be good” to keep it.  If we had to be good to stay saved one would stay saved because we all fail daily. It’s an aspect of our human nature no one can escape. 

However. 

If expecting believers to “bear fruit” or do “works of righteousness” is heresy, then Jesus was a flaming heretic. 

Seriously. 

On numerous occasions Jesus straight-up commanded His followers to “bear fruit” (John 15:2, Mark 4:20, John 15:16) and do good works (Matthew 5:16, John 14:12). Matthew’s last recorded sermon of Jesus (Matthew 24:42-25:46) is really all about the importance of Christians bearing spiritual fruit. Matthew 24:42-25:46 also contains some rather alarming warnings concerning what happens when a follower of Jesus refuses to bear fruit.

 There are at least five kinds of fruit Christians are expected to produce. The first is: 

The fruit of repentance- 

Jesus called for repentance a lot (Matthew 4:17, Luke 5:31-32, Luke 13:1-5, Luke 15:7-10). He also chastised those who refused to repent (Matthew 7:21, Matthew 11:20, Matthew 12:41). Jesus did not forbid His forerunner (John the Baptist) from demanding repentance (Matthew 3:3-8, Luke 3:1-17). Repentance is not simply a change of behavior. Repentance is a process that begins with a change of thinking so dramatic it leads to behavioral transformation (Romans 12:1-2).  Coming to a place in our spiritual maturity where we agree with Jesus about right and wrong, is the first step in bringing our behavior into alignment with God’s will (1st Corinthians 6:9-11, Colossians 3, 1st Thessalonians 4:1-8, Ephesians 4:17-30). When we change our minds about sin we bear the fruit of repentance.

The fruit of obedience- 

Jesus is more than just our savior, He’s our Lord (Luke 14:27, John 13:13, Colossians 2:6, Psalm 86:11). Making Jesus our Lord means we put Him and His will for our lives above our own desires and even all earthly authorities (Exodus 20:3, Matthew 10:37-39, Philippians 2:9-11). When we choose devotion to Jesus above all else, we bear the fruit of obedience. 

The fruit of holiness- 

Contrary to popular doctrinal belief, holiness is not legalism. Holiness is the fruit of gratitude for our salvation. Believers in Jesus are called to be holy just as God is holy (Ephesians 1:4, 1st Peter 1:15-16). This does not mean we live a life of sinless perfection (we can’t). It does mean we choose to honor God by shunning intentional sin. When we do our best to live holy lives we bear the fruit of holiness.  

The fruit of love-

Christians are called to love all people all the time (John 13:34-35). This does not mean Christians should seek to be “nice” all the time. Biblical love is kind and compassionate, but it is also truthful about all things, even hard things. True biblical love always seeks the best for all people.  When we live and love by the standards set in 1stCorinthians 13, we bear the fruit of biblical love. 

The fruit of faith- 

Faith is the foundation of all things Christian, and bearing the fruit of faith is no easy thing. Faith is literally trusting God when it makes zero sense to do so. Faith is believing God will do what He said He would do when we aren’t seeing change. Because faith is hard, faith pleases God in ways that are almost impossible for the human mind to grasp (Hebrews 11). 

Truth-be-told seeking to bear spiritual fruit can easily drift into pride and spiritual smugness. The secret to avoiding spiritual pride is to remember that no one, no matter how good they are can do any of this in their own power. We simply do not have enough inherent goodness in us to pull it off.  The Holy Spirit is our guide and helper in every aspect of the Christian life (John 14:26, Hebrews 13:6). When we fully and completely submit our lives to God the Holy Spirit does the work in us. 

What is a Spiritual “Loin” and how do we Gird Them?

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free- John 8:32 NIV

I am not a Bible translator. 

However.

I do know enough about the Bible and Bible translation to know there are words and phrases frequently misunderstood by readers due to an awkward translation from the original language (Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic) into English.  Occasionally a translation issue arises because there is not a truly suitable English word to use in place of the Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek. Most of the time translation problems occur because the translator really is simply attempting to make a difficult concept easier to understand or less weird for the modern-day reader.

Ephesians 6:15 is (in my opinion) an example of this.  

In Ephesians 6:14 Christians are told to “put on the full armor of God”. The purpose of doing so is to prepare ourselves spiritually to stand our ground against the devil and the various schemes he plots against us. In verse fifteen most contemporary translations tell us the very first step in the “putting on” process is to have: 

 “the belt of truth buckled around your waist”.

Here’s the thing:

I do not like to Monday morning quarterback in a field I am not an expert in.  Mostly because it me makes look like a prideful, dumb jerk. Nonetheless. In my opinion using the word “waist” here lacks accuracy and has led to some confusion as to what the passage is actually saying.  

 In the original Greek, the NASB and a few older translations, it simply says:

“Gird up your loins with truth”. 

There are some really good reasons translators would choose waist over loins. Loins is a weird word. It just is. It makes people uncomfortable and it begs all sorts of questions, such as: 

Does the word loins mean what I think it means? 

How does truth protect my “southern regions”?? 

What does that have to do with any of this? 

For reals. 

The Greek word used in this passage is osphus and it means exactly what you think it means. It means loins, as in loins. As in our inner thighs or to put it more bluntly (and accurately) the part of our bodies that we use to make babies.  

So. 

Here’s some facts we know about our physical loins:

Our loins are the most personal, private place on our physical bodies.  No one (except a few weirdos) shows their loins to complete strangers. Having our loin area exposed is humiliating, so we keep them covered up. Normal people do not make a practice of discussing their loins with anyone. It’s just too weird and personal.  If our loin area gets punched or kicked, it hurts. Really bad. It does not matter if the person is male or female— a blow to the loin area devastates a person’s ability to function, sometimes for a good while. 

Here’s the thing. 

We all have spiritual, emotional and psychological places every bit as vulnerable and sensitive as our physical loins. We all have areas of shame and regret. We have all had experiences we don’t like to talk about—or even think about. When one of those places is exposed or hit in some way (triggered), it hurts like the dickens and we feel broken and shattered. 

These are the places Satan likes to hit the hardest (1st Peter 5:8). 

Satan kicks at our metaphorical loins by reminding us of all the stupid sinful things we have done or have had done to us. He tells us the trauma we have experienced left us damaged beyond repair.  He tells us our past or present sin has disqualified us from ever being used by God in a significant way. Satan tells we are defined by what do and if we don’t do enough or do things the “right” way we are failures. He tells us we are worthless and completely lacking in value. 

All Lies. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. Straight from the literal pit of hell. 

The first verse in this formative passage on spiritual warfare tells us that the very first thing we must do to defend ourselves against the enemy is to protect our most sensitive emotional places WITH THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD (John 8:32). Satan attacks us with lies about ourselves, about God and about other people and what those people think about us (John 8:44)

If we do not know the truth about who we are in Christ, where our true value comes from and what God really thinks of us those lies will shake our confidence in the goodness and forgiveness of God, and make us want to quit Christianity altogether. It will leave us unable to function spiritually. When that happens, we’re done for emotionally and rendered useless for the good works we were created for (Ephesians 4:10) 

The secret to protecting our spiritual loins is to know who God is and who we are in Christ. We have to know deep down in our knower that God is good and kind (Psalm 84:11, Isaiah 63:7, Acts 14:16-17) We have to realize that when we put our faith in Jesus and His resurrection we were at that moment made clean by Him (Hebrews 9:14, Acts 13:38, 1st Corinthians 6:9-11, Ephesians 1:4). We have to believe that when Jesus forgives us it’s a done deal. God does not go back and relitigate our sin every time we mess up or make a mistake. We have to accept that God’s love for us is real,  unchanging and endless (James 4:7)

We have to believe God is who He says He is.