Teenagers Losing the Gospel

The article below is alarming and yet typical of reports and surveys I have read the last few years about the decline of Christian beliefs among teens. I did not want to post this article without offering some sort of help and the best I have seen in this area are the books Josh McDowell has written over the last 15 years. You can find them at my online bookstore here and here. You'll find some other helpful books there like one called Growing Up Christian which is more focused on helping Christian parents and teens who grow up in church discern if they are truly converted. The main thing to keep in mind here is being able to connect with teens relationally and in the context of meaningful relationship truth can be communicated and take root. Let's pray for a God-sent revival among our parents and youth!

The following is posted with permission from Kairos Journal (kairosjournal.org).

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently instituted a new minor for its students: “Christianity and Culture.” Sociologist Christian Smith,1 the faculty member who spearheaded the change, indicated that the “program is neither ‘devotional nor antagonistic’ toward Christianity.” It operates under the assumption that students who fail to understand Christianity in general and evangelicalism in particular will fail to fully understand the West. Smith, an Anglican, admits there are dangers to learning about evangelicalism in an academic environment. However he explained that the genesis of his campaign for the new courses was rooted in his discovery that incoming evangelical students often know little about Christianity. Hypocrisy is more than the pretense of righteousness—it can be the pretense of knowledge as well. Though Christian teenagers identify themselves as believers, in too many instances they actually believe very little about God and His work in history.2

Some well-intentioned youth ministers have encouraged this hypocrisy by coating Christian discipleship in a varnish of entertainment. One expert explains, “Young people are drawn to excitement. They enjoy being involved in activities that are fun.”3 This may explain why another expert was led to announce at a conference, “Young people today will not listen to a message longer than seventeen minutes.”4 Their attention spans have been amused into submission. This has produced a teenage culture that is heavy on flair but light on substance.

Smith described the problem facing so many teenagers who profess to be Christians today. They have adopted a new religion: “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.” Their beliefs are worldly, not biblical. According to Smith this faith consists of five basic tenets: First, God created and watches over human life. Second, God wants people to be nice and fair. Third, life’s ultimate goal is for each person to be happy and to feel good about himself. Fourth, God does not need to be intimately involved in anyone’s life—He is just there for emergencies. Fifth, good people go to heaven. Who is this God? Smith asks. He is the God of “Leo Buscaglia, Oprah Winfrey, and Self magazine. Times change. So must God, it seems.”5

Instead of Christ being the sovereign Lord to whom everyone, including teenagers, is called to submit, He becomes an instrument of personal growth. Teenagers may still profess Christ is Lord, but their lives and the ministries to which they belong betray a different perception altogether. Religious hypocrisy is encouraged when Christianity is seen as a panacea instead of a cross:

Given such instrumentalist assumptions about religious faith, youth ministers are ever obliged to be entertaining, religious youth activities always need to be great fun, Sunday-school teachers must be interesting and ‘relevant’ in ways that do not always comport well with the actual interests and priorities of religious traditions, etc. . . . It is difficult to have it both ways.

To the extent that churches are encouraging this “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism,” they are their own worst enemies. They are promoting hypocrisy, for this is not simply a watered-down version of the Christian faith. It is no faith at all. “It is not-Christianity.”7

The Church has its own, sacred calling: to teach its children God’s commandments and to remind them of His covenant faithfulness (Deut. 6). Jesus said those who love Him have and keep His commandments (John 14:21). Not to be lost in the din of youth group concerts and ski trips is the majesty of Christ and the substance of the gospel. The church can too easily produce religious-knowledge hypocrites at a very young age, individuals who are able to say just enough to profess faith but know in fact very little about the faith they profess. Even worse, if the Church is not careful, it can produce a generation with a Christian veneer that is actually devoted to the church of Oprah.

Footnotes:
1 Now at Notre Dame.
2 Jamie Dean, “Classroom Christianity,” World Magazine, January 27, 2008, http://www.worldmag.com/articles/12617 (accessed March 24, 2008).
3 Nido Qubein, What Works and What Doesn’t in Youth Ministry (Colorado Springs, CO: Meriwether Publishing, 1996), 121.
4 Quoted by Alvin L. Reid, Raising the Bar: Ministry to Youth in the New Millennium (Grand Rapids, Kregel, 2004), 57. Reid’s argument counters the entertainment-driven youth ministry that is so popular.
5 Christian Smith, “Is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism the New Religion of American Youth? Implications for the Challenge of Religious Socialization and Reproduction,” in Passing on the Faith: Transforming Traditions for the Next Generation of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, ed. James L. Heft (New York: Fordham University, 2006), 65. Buscaglia was a professor at the University of Southern California and a bestselling author of books about love.
6 Ibid., 62.
7 Ibid., 67.

The Reason for God

Tim Keller is pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. He has recently published The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. His book answers some of the most common objections against belief in God in general and Christianity in particular. Here are the topics Keller addresses:

• There Can't be Just One True Religion
• How Could a Good God Allow Suffering?
• Christianity is a Straitjacket
• The Church is Responsible for So Much Injustice
• How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
• Science Has Disproved Christianity
• You Can't Take the Bible Literally

Tim Keller's book is much welcomed as we have seen some popular books being published lately attacking belief in God. Keller's book is written for anyone who doubts--that would be non-Christians and even Christians. "Christians?!" you say? Yes. Even Christians have doubts. If you are a Christian and never have doubts, it may be because you aren't thinking very deeply about your faith. It's okay to have doubts. Often we are afraid to express them because we fear that others will think less of us. Keller encourages believers to go ahead and ask their questions and allow them to force you to seek the answers. Keller's book is a good place to begin.

Recently Pastor Keller gave a presentation at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA, to discuss his new book. At the end of Keller's presentation he takes some questions from the audience.



You may be interested in purchasing his book for a friend or yourself. You can order it for 40% off list price at my Frontline Fodder bookstore here. Come to think of it, it would be good to order several to give away!

You can also downloand the original sermons the book was based on here.

Christianity is intellectually defensible and Tim Keller's book is a good one to demonstrate that.

Go see Expelled this weekend!

Don't forget that this Friday, April 18th is the opening of the "Expelled" movie. Be informed and entertained (yes, there is some very good humor here) and send a message by going to see this movie the opening weekend. You can find the official trailer and some clips here. That link also includes helps for pastors, youth workers, and study groups. You can also get a FREE ticket if you purchase at least $25 worth of resources from the online Answers in Genesis store here.

The Church of Oprah Exposed

For a long time I have been concerned about the worldview promoted by Oprah through her enormously popular TV show. Most discerning Christians have recognized for years that she denies the Baptist faith she was raised in and espouses a New Age belief system. But now she is intentionally spreading her false teaching through her partnership with New Age guru Eckhart Tolle. It's time we no longer view her as a joke, but as a serious spiritual leader who is deceiving millions worldwide.

Take a few minutes to view this short video to learn more. If you know people who are viewers of her show, you may want to research more and begin to show them her error. You can find more research here.

New Expelled Movie is a "Must See!"

I just returned from a pre-release showing at Southern Seminary of the new Ben Stein movie "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed." This film documents the intentional and hostile opposition to the intelligent design theory or even the questioning of Darwinism. Many credentialed scientists were interviewed who were fired or forced to resign from various positions of influence simply because they didn't tow the Darwinian party line. Darwinism is tenaciously held not because of the evidence, but because it provides a theory that supports secular humanism. Ben Stein does a good job of revealing the worldview bias on both sides. One's worldview forces one to interpret the data in a way that supports the worldview.

While this is not a Christian film (Ben Stein himself is Jewish), it does a good job of raising awareness of the suppression of any non-Darwinian ideas in the scientific academy and opens the door for further conversations and investigation of the evidence. Take some time to see this film with your atheistic or evolutionary friends. It opens in theatres April 18. Learn more about the film at www.getexpelled.com.

Here's an interview with Ben Stein by R.C. Sproul.

Women Helping Women Study Guide

This study guide is written by my wife, Kimberly Lorenzini, as a supplement for personal or group study of the book on biblical counseling called Women Helping Women edited by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Carol Cornish. The various authors bring their experience and wisdom of Scripture to help us be prepared to counsel women that God brings into our lives. Biblical counseling is the process in which one believer (the counselor) verbally communicates with another believer (the counselee) with the intent of helping her overcome personal sin and grow in the Christian life according to God’s Word.

This study covers how to biblically counsel from God’s Word those who face such difficulties as struggling marriages, infertility, divorce, addictions, life dominating sins, singleness, dietary habits, rebellious teens, single parenthood, marriage to unbelievers, facing death, and more.

You can order a print copy or download a e-book version here: http://www.lulu.com/content/2278938.

By the way, in the last couple of weeks I've also added a student version of the Witnessing Without Fear evangelism training manual and the study of Mark's Gospel. You can check out all the different books here: http://stores.lulu.com/massimobooks.

Sow God's Word into the Heart of Your Child

If you are a Christian parent or grandparent, no doubt you are always on the lookout for resources to teach God's Word to kids. Something I have found effective is to have my girls listen to audio Bibles or Bible stories, usually at bedtime. I have found two that are very good and recommend to you. The first is a series of Bible stories read by a grandmotherly lady. These are basically paraphrases of the Bible text. Not only is the quality superb, but the price is even better--FREE! Yes, free. You can download the mp3 files here: http://www.ccwonline.org/joelee.html. If you have the slightest bit of computer skills or willingness to try, you can easily download these files and burn them to an audio CD to play on any CD player (I used Windows Media Player to do it). The mp3 can play on a computer or mp3 player (some newer CD players can now play mp3 files also).


Another resource I really like is the Kidz Bible (mp3) produced by Hosanna. These are fully dramatized and are word-for-word readings of the NIrV Bible. The New International Readers Version is the NIV with shorter sentences and limited vocabulary designed for young readers or those who are learning English as a second language. This resource has most of the Bible with the gospels harmonized. The quality is outstanding with different voices for the different characters and songs thrown in occassionally that are related to the text. This resource is not yet on their web site but you can visit it to find ordering information (sorry this one is not free, but it is worth it nonetheless): http://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/faith-comes-hearing-network.

We have a responsibility to pass on our faith by teaching the Word of God to our children. Audio Bibles are one way that can create a love for God's Word in your child. Make the effort to get these resources and use them consistently.

The word of God is living and active. It is sharper than any sword that has
two edges. It cuts deep enough to separate soul from spirit. It can separate
joints from bones. It judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart (Hebrews
4:12, NIrV).

Funny Vids

If you need a good laugh, check these out.

glumbert - The Man Cold

New Catechism Book

I managed to publish one more book. Here's the description I gave it on the store front:

To “catechize” means to teach biblical truth in an orderly way. This book
contains a revision I did of “The Baptist Catechism” first published by Baptists in 1693 in London, England. It is patterned after the well-known reformed Westminster Shorter Catechism. Also included is a lengthy and detailed confession of faith and a theology-driven philosophy of ministry. This book is sent forth with the prayer that God would use it to establish contemporary Christians in the foundational doctrines of biblical faith and practice.

You can preview or order the book here: http://www.lulu.com/content/2101505. I also lowered the prices on the other previous books which you can find at: http://stores.lulu.com/massimobooks.

I wrote a lengthy and detailed introduction to the catechism that includes an apologetic for the use of the catechism. You can find this introduction online here: www.frontlinemin.org/valcat.asp.

New Evangelism and Apologetics Books by Massimo

Though I'm "chompin' at the bit" to complete some new writing projects (an evangelistic book for non-believers and a book on the role of the man), I remain busy with seminary reading and assignments. I did, however, manage to squeeze out some time to put some writings I already had into new format thanks to Lulu.com. In the near future I also plan to add a book that includes a detailed outline of doctrinal beliefs and a revision of the Baptist Catechism.

You can review the current books at http://stores.lulu.com/massimobooks. There is a price break for quantities above 25 that increases with the quantity.

Review of Faithful Witness

Timothy George, Faithful Witness: The Life and Mission of William Carey. n.p.: Christian History Institute, 1998. 202 pp.

Introduction

William Carey is considered to be the founder of the modern missions movement. In Faithful Witness, Timothy George offers a sympathetic and detailed biography complete with photos, cast of characters, family tree, list of biographical highlights, and index. Included as a separate appendix is Carey’s famous “Enquiry,” Carey’s only published work in English, which was catalytic in forming the missionary society that sent Carey to India. (Incidentally, this edition of the book is a special reprint of the original 1991 edition that is a companion to a full feature film about William Carey titled Candle in the Dark produced by Christian History Institute/Vision Video.)

Summary

In the preface, George announces his two-fold purpose in writing the book as a commemoration of the 200th anniversary of William Carey’s departure to India from England and also to encourage Christians today to catch Carey’s vision for proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the world (xvii-xviii). More than a simple re-telling of the story of Carey’s life (more than 50 biographies of Carey have been published), George intends his book to focus on “Carey’s early life, his motivation and calling as a missionary, and his historic role in awakening the church of his day to the great challenge of world evangelization” (xviii).

William Carey was born in an obscure village of 800 inhabitants in the Midland region of England. As a young boy, Carey was fascinated with stories of faraway places whether it was stories of his Uncle Peter’s adventures in the British Army or those he read of Captain Cooke’s adventures in the South Pacific. Carey was also an avid naturalist with an insatiable curiosity. He especially appreciated plant life and became an expert botanist later in life. At age seven, Carey developed severe allergies and a skin disease that forced him indoors. His parents found a shoemaker in a nearby town who agreed to apprentice young Carey.

Though raised in the Church of England, Carey was converted through the persistent witness of a fellow shoemaker apprentice who was a dissident. He immediately became a fervent witness for Christ, associated with dissidents and eventually become a Baptist pastor. Carey was a faithful shepherd and truly loved the two churches he served. His zeal for God’s glory turned his interest to the nations that had yet to know about Jesus Christ. Because of his burden for the nations he gathered as much information as he could about the worldwide spread of the gospel and the demographics of the nations of the world. He wrote his famous treatise, the first missiological study, titled An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians, to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens, in which the Religious State of the Different Nations of the World, the Success of Former Undertakings, and the Practicability of Further Undertakings are Considered.

The Enquiry, as it became known, had a major influence for the cause of missions. The Northamptonshire Baptist Association, after stalling a few times, eventually consented to form the Baptist Missionary Society which commissioned and sent Carey to India along with John Thomas, a surgeon. Carey, with his family, endured many hardships and moves in the first few years in India before finally settling in Serampore where he enjoyed a very fruitful and long ministry.

Along with his colleagues William Ward and Joshua Marshman, Carey’s ministry at Serampore included translating the Bible into forty languages (including portions of the Bible), founding dozens of schools including a college, helping to legally abolish the practice of sati (burning widows with the bodies of their dead husbands) and infanticide, and preaching Christ throughout the region. Carey was a man wholly devoted to the Savior and the Savior’s cause. He lived a life of intense self-discipline that resulted in extraordinary productivity, yet was always looking at what more could be done for God and for the lost yet to hear of Christ.

Evaluation

I found Timothy George’s treatment of William Carey to be very balanced in terms of the biographical details of Carey’s life along with the theological, cultural, and political issues that surrounded the origins of the modern missions movement. There is much to be learned from this book about engaging in international missions. For example, in chapter four, George highlights three major factors that led to the forming of the Baptist Missionary Society that I believe are instructive for us today: 1) The call to prayer; 2) theology of missions; 3) a plan of action.

The movement towards prayer began with John Sutcliff’s 1784 address to the ministers and messengers of the Northamptonshire Baptist Association to begin a concert of prayer once a month. The writings of Jonathan Edwards were the single most important influence on the English Baptists who launched the missionary movement. The one book that particularly influenced the prayer movement was Edwards’ “Humble Attempt.” The influence of Edwards’ was also seen in the theology of missions. Hypercalvinism had stifled the interest in missions among the English Baptists. Andrew Fuller was influenced by Edwards’ Freedom of the Will which affirmed that evangelism and Calvinism could be reconciled. “The failure to believe stemmed not from any physical or ‘natural inability,’ but rather from a ‘moral inability’ which was the result of a perverted human will. Edwards’s [sic] distinction between natural and moral inability was the key which unlocked the mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility for Fuller” (55). In 1785 Fuller published his treatise The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation which expounded his argument for “duty faith,” that is, sinners were obliged to repent and believe in Christ, and along with that, Christians were obliged to preach Christ to the unconverted.

Carey’s plan of action was provided in his Enquiry. The Enquiry consisted of the Great Commission, historical precedents, a world survey, obstacles to missions, and the Christian’s duty to promote the cause of missions. Carey found it necessary to correct the common misunderstanding that the Great Commission did not apply to contemporary Christians because it was directed to the apostles and was already fulfilled in the early history of the Church. Carey gave lucid arguments to show that such a view was not possible since, for example, that would mean other parts of the Great Commission are no longer applicable such as the command to baptize and teach, and that the promise of Christ’s presence would no longer apply. Carey answered other objections such as that nothing should be done until divine providence justified it. Carey responded that the argument was really one of waiting for a miracle (i.e. to be supernaturally transported to some other place) and not providence since many providential openings were being presented and should be acted on. Another objection was that “we have work enough at home,” to which Carey responded that while need exists at home other peoples do not even have the resources to hear of Christ that exist in Christianized lands (i.e. Bibles, churches, preachers, etc.).

After highlighting the spread of the gospel in church history, the centerpiece of Carey’s treatise was his survey of “the present state of the world.” Carey compiled demographic and religious information about all the known nations of the world. Carey did not view this information as mere statistical data, but a “great Niagara” of souls perishing daily. In the fourth chapter, Carey answered the practical objections such as dangers to the missionary, difficulties of travel, living, and language learning. The closing section climaxes with a plea to pray, plan, and give to the cause of missions.

In 1792, the same year of the publishing of Carey’s Enquiry, he preached his famous “Expect great things. Attempt great things.” sermon before the Northamptonshire Baptist Association. That year saw also the forming of the Particular Baptist Society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Heathen in by the Northamptonshire Baptist Association meeting in Kettering. Carey and John Thomas were appointed the first missionaries the following year in 1793 to India.

Each of these three factors (prayer, theology, plan of action) is indispensable to continuing and expanding the missions movement in our own day. The dwindling interest and engagement in missions today can be addressed by consistent application of these three factors. For example, most churches no longer have prayer meetings at all, much less earnestly pray for God’s work in the world. Many of the theological underpinnings of missions are doubted or denied (e.g., reality of hell, exclusivity of Christ, etc.). Also, most Christians and churches are not planning to be involved in missions in any significant way. William Carey and his associates are great examples for how Christians today should seek to follow Christ in missions.

Conclusion

Faithful Witness is a stirring examination of one of the truly great Christians of history. I found no significant weaknesses with the book. Carey’s passion for the glory of God and his compassion for people as manifested in his life of faithfulness is such a powerful testimony that Timothy George really just needed to stay out of the way and give the reader a clear look at Carey’s life that we might be compelled to give of ourselves in like manner. George successfully told Carey’s story and it is one that every Christian should become familiar with. In a day when most Christians are ignorant about missions and our children need to be introduced to great heroes of the faith, Faithful Witness is a book that belongs in every Christian’s library.

Why Christians Should Minister in the City

As a center of cultural influence, the city is without equal. As the city goes, the culture goes, therefore, as Christians we must reclaim a commitment to urban ministry.

Cities are places where culture is developed through the influence of people who are working hard to excel. The constant pressure to stand out from one’s peers in a given vocation brings out the best and the worst in people. This makes cities both exciting as well as difficult places to live. With all the competition, lawyers, teachers, merchants, musicians, entrepreneurs, mechanics, and doctors are all challenged to do their very best.

Cities are places of refuge for immigrants, ethnic and religious minorities, the homeless, and those practicing deviant lifestyles. The density within cities is conducive to diversity. Dominant majorities often dislike cities, but the weak and powerless need them. Cities provide economic resources and opportunities and a place for minorities to be welcomed and established.

With the diversity and drive to excel in the city, citizens are confronted with new ways to think and their creativity and hard work is rewarded. All of this activity is the breeding ground of culture that eventually spans out to influence regions and even other cities.

If we want to see the transformation of culture, we will go to the cities. Those in the city who are converted through the preaching of the gospel, become salt and light their city and begin to see their values expressed in the culture. Many of these will likely be in or rise to the elite class in the city. But even if the elite of the city are unreached with the gospel, the gospel can still affect the culture. The ordinary citizens of the city tend to get their values reflected in the culture.

From a biblical and historical perspective we see that the city is central to the spread of Christianity. The Pax Romana of the ancient Roman Empire made travel and communication easier than it ever would be again until the 19th century. The missionary strategy of the early church was urban-centric. It was from the international hub of Antioch that Paul and Barnabas set out on their first missionary journey. They then concentrated their efforts on cities to the effect that when the church was established in one city, that church could then evangelize its surrounding areas.

In Acts 16 Paul received the Macedonian call and promptly set out to preach in Philippi, “the foremost city of that part of Macedonia” (v. 12). The gospel was taken to other cities like Athens, Corinth, Thessalonica, Ephesus, Rome, and many others.

Why do we take the gospel to the city? If you want to reach the most amounts of people and the most influential people, you go to the city. In the last 100 years, urbanization has skyrocketed. One hundred years ago fifteen percent of the world’s population lived in cities. Today it is over fifty percent.

The city is where the spiritual battles are won or lost. In the city, people are more open to new ideas than the more conservative rural people. Cities usually have a dominant language the can allow the gospel to more easily spread, but also have many minority ethnic groups that can in turn take the gospel in their own language back to their various nations. City dwellers typically have more cultural clout. A teacher in the small town can be won to Christ, but the teacher in the city can influence other teachers and impact the teaching profession.

Cities are not only trend-setters for culture, but often have many social problems as well. Once Christianity gains a foothold in a city, it can work to address the social ills. Not only that, but Christians who are active in their communities also begin to help create a new, redemptive culture with founding of schools, hospitals, orphanages, and homeless shelters. The presence of Christians in a city also helps to raise the standards of morality, offering a prophetic voice against the vices of a city. The city is also transformed as more and more citizens are impacted by the gospel and live according to biblical moral standards.

A biblical model for a Christian attitude toward the city can be found in Jeremiah 29. God used Nebuchadnezzar to judge Judah’s waywardness and, through Jeremiah, God instructed the exiled Jews in Babylon to at once avoid assimilating into Babylonian culture while avoiding isolation from it.

4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters--that you may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace (Jer 29:4-7, NKJV).

God’s will for the Jews was that, while remaining undefiled from the sins of Babylon, they would identify with their new home in such a way that their prosperity would be dependent upon the prosperity of Babylon.

It is not enough for the church to counter the values of the dominant culture. In the words of New York City pastor Tim Keller, “We must be a counter-culture for the common good.” We are to be radically distinct from the surrounding culture, and out of our distinct identity we are to work for the “peace of the city” knowing that “in its peace [we] will have peace.”

Augustine wrote about the city of God and the city of man. He urged Christians not to identify too closely with the city of man as it is fallen and susceptible to destruction as Rome was. The city of God is that new community of the redeemed who will forever dwell in the city “whose builder and maker is God” (Heb 11:10). This is the city God is seeking to populate with people “out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev 5:9) and will culminate in the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21 and 22.

The church on earth is the city within the city. We do not place our security in the city of man, but in the city of God. The city of man can be broken and destroyed. The city of God cannot suffer harm. The church in the city seeks the good of the city. The church blesses and prospers the city.

Jonah was sent to preach to the city of Nineveh, “that great city” (Jonah 3:2), because God loves the city. God loves the city because that’s where the greatest concentration of his most cherished of His creatures live—people. Too often, modern Christians resemble Jonah’s attitude. They may not explicitly say they hate the people in the city as Jonah did, but their actions show that the effect is the same when they do all they can to avoid contact with the city, much less love the city and minister to the city. New churches pop up in suburbia like weeds, while urban churches are left to die a slow and certain death. As God’s people, we are called and empowered to do better than that.

The gospel gives us security and a hope that transcends this world. Knowing we are accepted and loved in Christ, frees us from the fear of man and allows us to serve others who may misunderstand us or even reject us. The best way to love the city of man, is to find your identity in the city of God. When you are freed from the psychological entanglements of the city by the hope of the gospel, then you are in a position to love the city and help lift it up. The only way to help someone out of the quicksand is to stand outside of it.

If we seek our identity and security in the city of man, we become dependent on it. If we seek our identity and security in the city of God, by His grace, we are empowered to bless and serve the city. It takes great faith and love to work for the good of the city and our identity in the gospel alone can propel us forward in this otherwise impossible task. Let us forsake the fleeting mirage of security in this fallen world and labor for that eternal city, the New Jerusalem, that it might be populated with those redeemed by God through our faithful service. To God be the glory.

A New Year, A New Bible?

I love Bibles. I know there are many people who disparage the proliferation of translations and editions of the Bible. I'm not one of them. I say, the more the better! I admit, it can be confusing for someone to go to a bookstore to purchase a Bible and be confronted with the myriad of versions. So, it takes a little research to choose one. Would any of us wish there were only one or two types of cars on the market to avoid the confusion of having to choose one? Would any of us wish that restaurants only served one choice of entree each day so we wouldn't have to consider what we will eat? Of couse not. Having a variety to choose from is a good thing. This is not to say that all the options are equally good in each case. When someone asks me what Bible version I recommend, I ask, "For whom and for what purpose?" Perhaps you have someone you'd like to purchase a Bible for and you don't know which one to choose. I'd be happy to make a recommendation for you. Just email me the details and I'll suggest something.

Maybe you are interested in a new Bible for yourself. Let me recommend getting one of the top-quality Bibles in the Frontline Fodder bookstore. I've compiled the very best editions in a variety of translations. There is probably no better quality than a Cambridge Bible. In addition to those, you'll find others in calf skin leather (the most supple) that also use superior paper and binding designed to last a lifetime. All of these Bibles are discounted, some of them heavily discounted. So take a few minutes and look over the selection here. Feel free to email with any questions you might have.

It's Time for Christians to Come out of the Anti-Intellectual Closet!

Have you ever wondered how naturalism came to replace Christian theism as the dominant worldview in Europe and America? Have you ever wondered why evangelical Christians are not permitted to appeal to the Christian faith as a basis for any public policy? Have you ever wondered why so many young people walk away from Christianity in college? Then you must read Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey. This is a ground-breaking book explaing why Christians have accepted the secular/sacred distinction and don't take the role of the mind seriously in their Christian discipleship. You can read a review of this book I just wrote here: www.frontlinemin.org/totaltruth.asp. This book will enlighten you as you come to see the Christian faith as "total truth" and it will motivate you to work to see all those you care about learn and live the Christian worldview.

Do We Need Fathers?

This is one of the most insightful books I have ever read. It is based on sociological research rather than ideology and overwhelmingly establishes the necessity of fathers as well as defines what fatherhood is all about. This is a must read and to give you a taste I've copied a paragraph from a book review I just wrote on it below. Follow the link at the end to read the rest of this detailed review.

In Fatherless America, now considered the “Bible of the fatherhood movement,” Blankenhorn demonstrates that the United States is increasingly becoming a fatherless society. A generation ago most children could expect to grow up with their father in the home. Today most children can expect not to (at least for part of their childhood). He is concerned about this trend and posits that men are necessary to healthy family life and the successful upbringing of children. In fact, Blankenhorn argues that fathers are indispensable and unless we, as a society, recapture the idea and value of fatherhood, our society will continue to disintegrate with devastating consequences for all. By investigating vast amounts of sociological research (81 pages of footnotes document his research), Blankenhorn seeks to find out why fatherhood is declining and what can be done about it. In his own words, Blankenhorn identifies the thesis of his book: “A good society celebrates the ideal of the man who puts his family first” (5). Read More...