Tim Challies has put together a helpful series on breaking away from pornography before marriage especially directed towards young men. Here are the links to the articles in the series.
Thanks, Tim, for a helpful and timely series. (Update: The complete series is now available for free download in E-book form. Click here to learn more.)
Related post: Taming the Internet in the Home
Pastor Mark Driscoll responds to the Newsweek article on Christianity declining in America by distinguishing between Christian America and Christendom America. (And he does it on the Fox News website?!)
Christian America is comprised of those people who have had a truly transforming experience with Jesus Christ and are living new lives as practicing Christians. Experts such as sociologist Bradford Wilcox at the University of Virginia have well documented the fact that those who practice Christian faith by reading their Bibles regularly, attending church, praying, and so forth are far less likely to engage in acts such as adultery, divorce, substance abuse, and the like.
Christendom America is comprised of those people who have not had a truly transforming experience with Jesus Christ and are living lives virtually indistinguishable from those who are non-Christians. The confusion is that it was common in Christendom for people who did not practice Christianity to profess Christianity. This was often done for social reasons, such as living in a culture that expected church affiliation, being born into a religious tradition and assuming it was simply part of one’s identity (like a cultural or racial connection), or personally, socially, and vocationally benefitting from being connected, even loosely, to a church or denomination. Researchers such as George Barna have documented the fact that, as Jesus himself said, not everyone who says he or she is a Christian is in fact one.
Subsequently, the Newsweek report simply confirms the fact that, just as Christendom has died in Europe and the major American cities, it is now dying in the suburban and rural areas of America as well. With the social benefits of professing to be a Christian no longer in place and the social stigma of not professing to be a Christian now lifted, those who were part of Christendom America are simply no longer pretending to be part of Christian America.
Since those who professed faith but did not practice faith were confusing to account for, this is actually a good thing. Now, it is more likely that if someone is a Christian or non-Christian, he or she will state so plainly. Therefore, the number of Christians has likely not diminished as much as has been reported, but rather we are seeing an increasingly accurate accounting of actual Christian America.
Jon Meacham wrote the original Newsweek article on The End of Christian America. He defines his terms a little differently, and you can read his follow-up on the difference between Christian America and Christianity here.
HT: Between Two Worlds
Earlier this week I shared a quote from Kevin DeYoung’s book, Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will. Here is another good quote to ponder:
Of the five reasons for our obsession with finding God’s will, this may be the most crucial: We have too many choices. I’m convinced that previous generations did not struggle like we do trying to discover God’s will because they didn’t have as many choices. In many ways, our preoccupation with the will of God is a Western, middle-class phenomenon of the last fifty years … My hunch is that most of our obsession with knowing the will of God is due to the fact that we are overburdened with choice. (Just Do Something, p. 16)
What do you think?
Related post: Just Do Something
Kevin DeYoung has a new book out on finding God’s will called Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will. This looks like a great book, especially for high school or college-age students. Here is a sample quote:
In short, God’s will is that you and I get happy and holy in Jesus. So go marry someone, provided you’re equally yoked and you actually like being with each other. Go get a job, provided it’s not wicked. Go live somewhere in something with somebody or nobody. But put aside the passivity and the quest for complete fulfillment and the perfectionism and the preoccupation with the future, and for God’s sake start making some decisions in your life. Don’t wait for the liver-shiver. If you are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, you will be in God’s will, so just go out and do something. (Just Do Something, p. 61)
On the same topic, I would also recommend the following:
- Decision Making and the Will of God, by Gary Friesen. Friesen’s book presented a new paradigm when it was first published in 1980 and influenced many of the books that followed. This one is longer and more in-depth than the others, a true classic in its field.
- Finding the Will of God, by Bruce Waltke. Waltke does a good job of explaining why some of the more popular methods of finding God’s will are closer to paganism than Biblical Christianity.
- Discovering God’s Will for Your Life, by Ray Pritchard. Pritchard’s book is practical, readable, and Biblical with lots of examples.
Do you know of other good books or resources on knowing God’s will that you would recommend?
Each month ChristianAudio.com offers a free audiobook download. This month’s free selection is Donald Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (run time 9 hours; normally $14.98). I have read a number of Whitney’s materials and found them helpful and clear. Use the coupon code MAR2009 to download the book for free this month only.
Here is a description from the site:
It’s not uncommon for an accomplished musician to be able to sit down in front of a new piece of music and play it through without a hitch. To make it seem easy, as if it required no effort. Yet the “freedom” to play with such skill comes only after years of disciplined practice.
In the same way, the freedom to grow in godliness—to naturally express Christ’s character through your own personality—is in large part dependent on a deliberate cultivation of the spiritual disciplines.
Far from being legalistic, restrictive, or binding, as they are often perceived, the spiritual disciplines are actually the means to unparalleled spiritual liberty … Whitney takes you through a carefully selected array of disciplines that includes Scripture reading, prayer, worship, Scripture meditation, evangelism, serving, stewardship, Scripture application, fasting, silence and solitude, journaling, and learning.
You can listen to a free audio sample from Spiritual Disciplines here.
Lenten Series:
1. What is Lent?
2. Should Christians Celebrate Lent?
3. Should I Give Something Up for Lent?
4. What is Ash Wednesday?
5. What is Maundy Thursday?
6. What is Good Friday?
7. What is Easter?
Many people observe the tradition of “giving up something” for Lent. Is this something that we should practice as Christians, and if so how should we go about it? I must confess that this is not something that we practice in our own home. However, I believe it can be a good thing when done with the proper attitude and a right understanding of the Scriptures.
What is the right attitude in giving up something for Lent? First of all, we should do so in a spirit of love and humility before Christ. It is not a religious requirement, but rather, like fasting, it is something that we do voluntarily in response to God. Also, we should not think that this is a way to gain acceptance before God. Scripture is clear that we are accepted before God by faith in Jesus Christ alone, without any added works of our own. (Romans 4:5)
So what should you give up for Lent? It has been said that the only thing some people give up for Lent are their New Year’s resolutions! If you do decide to give something up for Lent, here are a few guidelines.
- Don’t make it something light or frivolous, something you would never miss anyway. It is an offering to the Lord, and you should consider it sacred. It is a recognition of the price Jesus paid for you. Don’t make a mockery of it. On the other hand:
- Don’t make it something so heavy or burdensome that you cannot follow through on it (food, water, air, etc.). The Bible encourages us to consider our vows carefully before making them. It is better not to vow at all than to make a vow and break it. (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5) Some of us would do better to apportion our sacrifice throughout the Lenten period rather than try to make it through the whole season. You might find some personal fast days between you and the Lord scattered throughout the Lenten season to be very meaningful in your spiritual life.
- Don’t give up something sinful for Lent. It’s not that you shouldn’t give up sin, but repentance is not seasonal. Sin must be rejected daily, all the time, not just given up for a season. Lenten offerings, like fasting, should be the temporary yielding of something good out of love for God.
- Don’t give up something thinking that somehow God will view you as more righteous or acceptable in his sight because of your sacrifice. If you are a believer, you can never be more accepted by God than you already are in Jesus Christ. Always remember, it is Christ’s sacrifice that makes you righteous in God’s eyes, not yours. “To obey is better than sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:22) God wants your heartfelt obedience far more than any sacrifice you may make for him. (Mark 12:32-33)
In the long run, perhaps we should think more along the lines of giving things up for the Lord rather than for Lent. What do you think?
Related post: Giving Up Church for Lent
Stuart Briscoe shares the following wonderful story Captain H. S. May shared with him when Briscoe was preparing to join the Navy at age seventeen.
“The first night in the barrack room I knelt by my bed and prayed.”
“What happened?” I ventured.
“They threw boots at me,” he replied casually, as if this were an everyday occurrence.
“What did you do?” I queried, hardly daring to ask.
Looking at me as if the answer was so obvious he was surprised I should ask, he replied, “I cleaned them and returned them, of course!”
This past weekend was the 2008 Desiring God National Conference. The theme of the conference was on the power of words. Speakers included John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Bob Kauflin, Mark Driscoll, Dan Taylor and Paul Tripp. You can find links to the messages in written, audio or video form here: 2008 Desiring God National Conference
Related post: 2008 Desiring God Pastors Conference
We need to encourage one another daily in this battle against sin. The book of Hebrews tells us:
“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:12-13)
Did you get that? Sin is deceitful. Sin never comes right out and advertises itself or its consequences. Sin sneaks into our lives unawares and takes us down slowly one heart decision at a time. But the cumulative effect of all those decisions can be deadly. It is like hardening of the arteries. It doesn’t happen all at once; it takes place over a period of time and often in places unseen. But the damage is building, the danger is real, and all of a sudden you find your heart hardened towards God.
How do you guard against this gradual hardening of your heart? By the daily encouragement of your brothers and sisters in Christ. “Encourage one another daily … so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13)
(From this past Sunday’s message: Called to Community)
Michael Hyatt (President and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers) shares his thoughts on modesty following the 2008 MTV VMA awards.
It got me to thinking, Where are these girls’ fathers? Has anyone ever taught them the concept of modesty? Or have all the men in their lives simply exploited them as sex objects? Don’t get me wrong; I’m not a prude. But I do think some basic guidelines are in order. These are not rules about skirt length or the amount of cleavage you can show. I’m just not a very good legalist; they are simply guidelines.
I gave these to my girls when they were growing up. Frankly, they haven’t been perfect in following them. Modern culture exerts a powerful influence. Nevertheless, I wanted them to have something that would transcend current fashion and guide their attire once they were older and, perhaps, a little wiser.
Here they are: “Four Guidelines for Modesty”:
- If you have trouble getting into it or out of it, it is probably not modest.
- If you have to be careful when you sit down or bend over, it is probably not modest.
- If people look at any part of your body before looking at your face, it is probably not modest.
- If you can see your most private body parts or an outline of those parts under the fabric, it is probably not modest.
What do you think about guidelines for modesty?
Related post: Women’s Clothing That is Modest and Trendy
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