Alex Chediak | Archive | September, 2009

Archive - September, 2009

What Will We Suffer if We Refuse to Suffer for Christ?

A Christian dies for their faith somewhere in the world at a rate of approximately one every 3-4 minutes (160,000/year). David Sitton writes:

What will I suffer if I refuse to suffer for Christ? What will I lose if I refuse to lose my life with Jesus for the nations? What “glory” (Paul’s word – Romans 8:18) will I miss out on if I shirk suffering for the gospel?
There is something in suffering for the gospel that produces supernatural affection and compassion within you towards those who are harming you. At the same time, when one can praise God instead of denying him in the midst of suffering, unbelievers take notice. Some are inevitably saved, which generates more persecution, which in turn, fuels an even more passionate scattering of the gospel. The result is that whole new regions are quickly populated with believers and churches. This is how suffering and persecution nearly always advances both personal sanctification in the sufferer and the speedier, wide-ranging expansion of the gospel among the persecutors.

Read the whole thing.

September 3, 2009 in Culture, Practical Ministry, Theology | 2 Comments

The Case For Early Marriage – Mark Regnerus

Mark Regnerus, Ph.D., is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Texas, Austin, where he lives with his wife, Deeann, and their three children. He has written a fantastic article for Christianity Today called The Case For Early Marriage. It encapsulates one of the central messages of With One Voice: the biblical association of intimacy with marriage, along with the formative and stabilizing benefits of marriage, suggest that its preferable to enter the lifelong bond early in the adult years, not later. After addressing the devaluing of marriage in our culture (which is a greater problem and probably a precursor to the rising acceptance of same-sex marriage), Regnerus addresses the “elephant in the room”–the relative absence of Christian men:

Among evangelical churchgoers, there are about three single women for every two single men….
Given this unfavorable ratio, and the plain fact that men are, on average, ready for sex earlier in relationships than women are, many young Christian women are being left with a dilemma: either commence a sexual relationship with a decent, marriage-minded man before she would prefer to—almost certainly before marriage—or risk the real possibility that, in holding out for a godly, chaste, uncommon man, she will wait a lot longer than she would like. Plenty will wait so long as to put their fertility in jeopardy. By that time, the pool of available men is hardly the cream of the crop—and rarely chaste…..
Men get the idea that they can indeed find the ideal woman if they are patient enough. Life expectancies nearing 80 years prompt many to dabble with relationships in their 20s rather than commit to a life of “the same thing” for such a long time. Men have few compelling reasons to mature quickly. Marriage seems an unnecessary risk to many of them, even Christians. Sex seldom requires such a steep commitment.
As a result, many men postpone growing up. Even their workplace performance is suffering: earnings for 25- to 34-year-old men have fallen by 20 percent since 1971, even after accounting for inflation. No wonder young women marry men who are on average at least two years older than they. Unfortunately, a key developmental institution for men—marriage—is the very thing being postponed, thus perpetuating their adolescence.

Regnerus notes that though we tell young people marriage is a “big deal” (“don’t rush into a relationship” or “first loves aren’t likely the best fit” or “you have plenty of time”), we fail to mentor them about the rigors that any marriage will invariably face. Young adults therefore underestimate the role that commitment plays, as opposed to romantic feelings, which “may lead us out of a marriage as quickly as they lead us into one.” Citing the troubling statistic that 90% of Americans engage in premarital sex (a number slightly lower among Christians – 80%), Regnerus explains:

Most young Americans no longer think of marriage as a formative institution, but rather as the institution they enter once they think they are fully formed. Increasing numbers of young evangelicals think likewise, and, by integrating these ideas with the timeless imperative to abstain from sex before marriage, we’ve created a new optimal life formula for our children: Marriage is glorious, and a big deal. But it must wait. And with it, sex. Which is seldom as patient.

He then spends the rest of the article responding to five objections to early marriage:
(1) Economic insecurity
(2) Immaturity
(3) A Poor Match
(4) Marrying for Sex
(5) Unrealistic expectations
Read the whole thing. Extremely provocative and an important, timely message.
Regnerus is the author of Forbidden Fruit: Sex & Religion in the Lives of American Teenagers, an outstanding (though somewhat academic) title.

September 3, 2009 in Culture, Practical Ministry, With One Voice | Comment

New Godawa Book – Word Pictures

Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to meet and speak with Brian Godawa, screenwriter of To End All Wars, one of my all-time favorite movies. Godawa is great at making movies and documentaries that are weighty, culturally relevant, and that positively present a Christian worldview. For example, he has a new 60-minute documentary I recently saw called Lines That Divide: The Great Stem Cell Debate that gives a great overview on the problems of embryonic stem cell research and some of the better alternatives (from both a medical and ethical perspective).
So I’m delighted that Mr. Godawa has published a new book with IVP called Word Pictures: Knowing God Through Story & Imagination.
Some of the endorsements:
“Brian Godawa is that rare breed–a philosopher-artist–who opens our eyes to the aesthetic dimension of spirituality. Cogently argued and fun to read, this book analyzes the rich variety of literary genres found in Scripture itself. Godawa shows convincingly that God interacts with us as whole persons, not only through didactic teaching but also through metaphor, symbol and sacrament.”
—Nancy R. Pearcey, Francis A. Schaeffer Scholar, World Journalism Institute, and author of Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity
“Brian Godawa’s book is an exploration of the literary nature of the Bible. It is a spirited and balanced defense of the imagination as a potential conveyer of truth. There is a lot of good literary theory in the book, as well as an autobiographical story line. Pervading all this wealth is a sense of the author’s energetic mind. The thoroughness of research makes the book a triumph of scholarship as well.”
—Leland Ryken, Clyde S. Kilby Professor of English, Wheaton College, and editor of The Christian Imagination: The Practice of Faith in Literature and Writing (Writers’ Palette Book)
Read the publisher’s description or the first chapter.

September 2, 2009 in Culture, Practical Ministry, Theology | Comment

The Paradox of the Protestant Work Ethic

John Piper on the paradoxical connection between a God-dependent theology and focused energy in the service of productivity and industry:

September 2, 2009 in Culture, Practical Ministry, Theology | Comment

Three Events – Three Cities – Three Liveblogs

The White Horse Inn folks highlight a trio of conferences featuring both R.C. Sproul and Mike Horton.
The 2009 Ligonier West Coast Conference in Seattle, WA – September 25-26, 2009.
Theme: Is There Life After Death?
The 2010 Ligonier West Coast Conference in Los Angeles, CA – March 26-27, 2010
Theme: Are We Practicing Christless Christianity?
The 2010 Ligonier National Conference in Orlando, FL – June 17-19, 2010
Theme: Tough Questions Christians Face
As it turns out, I’m slated to live-blog all three of these events. So if you’re there, please come say hello. I may look like I’m frantically typing, but interrupt me anyway.

September 2, 2009 in Practical Ministry, Theology | Comment

Nine Marks Journal – Church Discipline

Church discipline is the subject of the September/October 2009 issue of the Nine Marks Journal.

September 2, 2009 in Practical Ministry, Theology | Comment

Nine Marks Workshop in Riverside, CA

A workshop entitled Building Healthy Churches will be held at Fellowship Baptist Church in Riverside, CA on November 6-7, 2009. The speakers are Mark Dever, Greg Gilbert, and Rick Holland. Register online by October 30. $45 for the general public and $35 for students enrolled in a minimum of 9 credit hours.
Location:
Fellowship Baptist Church
3624 Arlington Avenue
Riverside, CA 92506
Check out the schedule.

September 1, 2009 in Practical Ministry, Theology | Comment

The Influence of Christianity on Civilization

Kevin DeYoung reviews what sounds like a very interesting book: Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 B.C. to 1950. DeYoung quotes from the author Charles Murray:

With regard to purpose, my position does not require that the secular life be a life without purpose. Rather, I argue that it is harder to find that purpose if one is an atheist or agnostic than if one is a believer. It is harder still to maintain attention to that purpose over years of effort. Devotion to a human cause, whether social justice, the environment, the search for truth, or an abstract humanism, is by its nature less compelling than devotion to God. Here, Christianity has its most potent advantage. The incentives of forgiveness of sin and eternal life are just about as powerful as incentives get. The nonbeliever has to make do with comparably tepid alternatives.
With regard to autonomy, I do not see Christianity as its only source. It is easily possible to believe in one’s efficacy as an autonomous actor by holding the secular Greek ideal of the human….Possible–but, as in the case of purpose, harder if one is not a believing Christian. For evidence, look around at today’s intellectual climate in both Europe and the United States. “Unique,” “free,” “rational,” “powers of observation,” “critical inquiry”–every one of those words and phrases is problematic in today’s postmodern intellectual milieu. It is much easier to use them with confidence if one is a Christian, or still clings to the Christian/humanistic synthesis of early modernity.

DeYoung makes other interesting observations from this book. Read the whole thing or check out the book.

September 1, 2009 in Culture | 1 Comment

Obama’s Decline Is Due To Liberal Policies

On August 25, President Obama had a +9.8% spread (approval vs. disapproval) according to a rolling average of various polls. Today, that number is only 8.6%. Two good pieces which explain why:
1. David Brooks (NY Times):

From the stimulus to health care, it has joined itself at the hip to the liberal leadership in Congress. The White House has failed to veto measures, like the pork-laden omnibus spending bill, that would have demonstrated independence and fiscal restraint. By force of circumstances and by design, the president has promoted one policy after another that increases spending and centralizes power in Washington….All presidents fall from their honeymoon highs, but in the history of polling, no newly elected American president has fallen this far this fast.

2. Steve Chapman (Chicago Tribune):

The reason John Kerry lost and Obama won…was not liberal voters…..while Kerry had a 9-point edge over his Republican opponent among moderates, Obama carried them by 21 points. Obama also did significantly better among conservatives than Kerry…….In 1998, 61 percent of Americans said they had confidence in the federal government’s ability to handle domestic problems. On the eve of the 2008 election, only 48 percent felt that way.
Even amid the worst recession in decades, most have not changed their minds. Today, more than half say the president’s policies go too far in expanding the federal government, and his popularity has declined as a result.

September 1, 2009 in Culture | Comment

Sing Praise To The Lord – Dan Goeller

Two things draw me to powerful, Scripture-laden worship songs: (1) Music has always had a profound impact on how I feel and think–my affections, and the object of my affections. (2) We were made to praise that in which we delight. Scriptural and theologically-rich lyrics, set to a worshipful tune, have an inexplicable way of lifting my affections back to God, and putting gospel-oriented thoughts in my mind–thoughts which readily turn to meditations on the One in whom we live, move, and have our being.
It is in that vein that I heartily recommend Sing Praise To The Lord by Dan Goeller. The album contains seventeen (17) marvelously worshipful songs. The instrumentation is diverse and the melodies are both catchy and musically satisfying. The tempo of the songs greatly varies throughout the album; some make use of an assortment of percussion instruments, others are slow and contemplative. Several lead vocalists are featured in the different songs and a few employ the simple reading of Scripture set to music. Others have a choral flavor, with what sounds like a full range of vocalists (from bass to soprano). Best of all, each song, with the exception of two instrumental interludes, is a meditation on a specific Scripture or cluster of Scriptures directly from the book of Psalms. And each song blends naturally into the next, seamlessly weaving together the various musical themes.
1. Shout for Joy (Psalm 100:1-5)
2. My Soul Thirsts For You (Psalm 63:1, 4, 7-8)
3. Be Still (Psalm 37:7, 62:1, 5; 91:1)
4. Rescue Me (Psalm 31:2-4, 9-13)
5. The Lord is My Rock (Psalm 18:1-3; 27:1-3; 5-6; 46:1)
6. I Cry To You (Psalm 40:12; 130:1-2)
7. Search Me, O God (Instrumental Interlude)
8. Have Mercy On Me (Psalm 51:1-2, 7, 10, 12; 139:23-24)
9. Open My Eyes (Psalm 119:10-11, 18, 34, 37, 77)
10. Trust In The Lord (Psalm 19:14, 37:3-6; 55:22)
11. How Majestic Is Your Name (Psalm 8:1, 3-6, 9:1-2)
12. Let Us Sing To The Lord (Psalm 9:1, 19:1, 24:1-2; 33:6, 9; 57:5; 92:4; 95:1-2, 5)
13. My Heart Is Troubled (Instrumental Interlude)
14. Abandoned (Psalm 6:2-3, 22:1-2, 19)
15. Your Promise Gives Me Life (Psalm 34:17-18, 94:19, 119:41, 50, 114; 139:7-10)
16. You Are Always With Me (Psalm 16:1-2, 8-11)
17. Let All That I Am Praise The Lord (Psalm 103:1-4, 6, 8, 19-20, 22, 150:6)
As you can see, the songs have a range of thematic elements (from unbridled praise and adoration to intense supplication). Listen to free samples of every song. Classical music lovers (like me) and those who either sing in or enjoy choirs will particularly like this great album. For everyone else, I encourage you to stretch and expand your musical repertoire by taking time to Sing Praise To The Lord with the help of these songs.
Starting next week, I’ll be interviewing Dan Goeller about his musical training, his theology/philosophy of worship music, his diverse career, and his current projects.