How to Change a Post-Christian Nation

The following quotes are from the book The Great Evangelical Disaster:

(The United States) is a post-Christian world in which Christianity, not only in the number of Christians but in cultural emphasis and cultural result, is no longer the consensus or ethos of our society. (p. 29)

Christianity is no longer providing the consensus for our society. And Christianity is no longer providing the consensus upon which our law is based. That is not to say that the United States ever was a "Christian nation" in the sense that all or most of our citizens were Christians, nor in the sense that the nation, its laws, and social life were ever a full and complete expression of Christian truth. There is no golden age in the past which we can idealize - whether it is early America, the Reformation, or the early church. But until recent decades something did exist which can rightly be called a Christian consensus or ethos which gave a distinctive shape to Western society and to the United States in a definite way. Now that consensus is all but gone, and the freedoms that it brought are being destroyed before our eyes. We are at a time when humanism is coming to its natural conclusion in morals, in values, and in law. All that society has today are relativistic values based upon statistical averages, or the arbitrary decisions of those who hold legal and political power. (p. 47)

Not only do I find these quotes interesting but I also find the timing of these quotes interesting. They were written by Dr. Francis Schaeffer, a widely recognized Christian author, speaker, and thinker. Dr. Schaeffer wrote this in the same year in which he died - 1984.

I find this interesting because almost 30 years ago Schaeffer declared America a "post-Christian" nation, yet so many have yet to hear it. I believe that when American Christians realize that we are missionaries in a dark land our expansion efforts will improve greatly. Too many believers are interested in changing laws instead of hearts. Too many believers are focused on the White House instead of God's House. Too many believers want to protest instead of pray. Too many believers want to complain about taxes instead of tithe. Too many believers want to legislate morality instead of demonstrate morality.

We are missionaries here. Think about it. Missionaries don't go into foreign lands to change the government. They change nations by demonstrating the love of Christ one person at a time. This is not to say that citizens shouldn't exercise their right to vote and partake in the political process. It IS to say that there is much more to be done besides engaging in the political process.

I'm proud of my church - TrueNorth Church - who stepped up to the plate this morning during our monthly Second Saturday and covered our city with simple acts of kindness and love. From feeding the homeless to painting an inner city school and dozens of other projects in between, TNC is learning how to change lives - from the inside out. Nearly 400 people came out today to show Christ's love in simple ways!

We will see cultural change when Christians get out of the pews and into the streets. We will see laws change when Christian love prevails. We will see Christ change lives when the world around us sees Christ in us.

"That's tragic. What's for lunch?"

The other day I was standing in line at a restaurant when I heard two men ahead of me talking about a brutal murder that was in the news. The first guy was telling the second one all about it since he had not seen the news. It was a gruesome and sad tale. Unfortunately, Guy 1 told the gory details of the crime while Guy 2 and those of us around him were staring at the menu above the fast-food counter quickly losing our appetites.

As Guy 1 continued with the story, Guy 2 was disturbed at what he heard and responded as his friend shared the news with listening cues like, "That's awful," "Oh, my goodness," or "What a shame."

Finally, as Guy 1 completed his story, Guy 2 said, in the same breath, "That's tragic. What's for lunch?"

It took a few seconds for it to register in my brain. What an odd reply. Are we so used to bad news that it rolls off of us like water on a duck's back? Are we so accustomed to hearing about tragedies, calamities, murders, wars, and crises that our response is, "That's tragic. What's for lunch?"

I'm afraid we are - and I am as guilty as anyone. How many times do I scroll through all of the bad news that I see online? How many times do I read the headlines in the newspaper and flip over to the next page with little or no concern? (Yes, I still get a newspaper.)

Our generation receives so much news so fast that genocide in Libya is just another headline and brutal murders are a dime a dozen. We've become numb to tragedy.

Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision, once wrote, "Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God." We may be numb to the bad news around us but I know that these terrible things break God's heart. I know that I can't prevent some of these things from happening. I cannot give enough money to solve all of the world's crises. I am not in a position of power to stop the fighting around the world. I don't have enough time to give to all of the needs around me.

But I can do something. I can pray and I can give what I can. I can't change the world for everyone but I can change the world for someone.

I cannot control the wave after wave after wave of bad news that comes before me each week but I can control my response to it. So I must pray on a regular basis what Bob Pierce prayed, "Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God." May I be sensitive to the needs around me. May I be prayerful as I hear of tragedy around the world. May I be generous when I can be generous. May I empathize with those who need empathy. May I be a bit of positive news in a world full of bad news.

The American Nightmare

Here's a small snippet from an e-book that I hope to make available soon.

In America, we are encouraged to acquire more things in order to achieve happiness. Don't believe it? Watch a few hours of TV commercials and get back to me. We are encouraged to live for the day and spend money today – whether we have it or not. We are led to believe that "charging" our blues away will bring joy and fulfillment.

The culture tells us to buy more stuff, spend time watching mindless entertainment, and worship celebrities. Don't believe that? Eavesdrop on a few conversations the next time you're in a restaurant or standing in line at the DMV.

"Did you watch (enter name of meaningless TV show here) last night?"

"Did you hear about (enter the name of the latest flash-in-the-pan celebrity here)?"

"I got this blouse on sale at (enter the name of the latest clothing store here) last Saturday. It was only $80."

The culture says that we should have a miserable job where we work 50+ hours per week, buy a house, drive late model cars, live for the weekends, take two weeks of vacation per year, and contribute fully to our 401(k) so that we can retire before we turn 70 and buy an RV to travel the country for a few years before our poor health brings us home.

Then you die.

It's called the American Dream.

Or is it a nightmare?

What will you think when you are on your deathbed and you realize that everything the culture said you should do to make yourself happy was wrong? What if you follow the media's prescription for the American Dream only to discover the concoction you've swallowed led to nowhere?

I don't want to die with regrets. I don't think you do either.

Missional Frugality by Craig Ford

Craig Ford is a missionary and blogger in Papua New Guinea. He created a new term called "Missional Frugality." What if American Christians embraced this idea rather than the American Dream?

http://www.moneyhelpforchristians.com/embracing-missional-frugality/


Let me know what you think.

The Story of Stuff

Check out the video here.

Not "Good-bye" but "See You Later"

Russell, my 27-year-old nephew, passed away on Valentine's Day. We had a small graveside service for him yesterday. It was the second funeral we had planned for him. The first one was planned over 10 years ago. Russell was on his "death-bed" in October 2000. The doctors told the family that he would pass soon so we began planning his funeral. The funeral home was on stand by. My brother and I planned the service. My dad offered a plot that he owned in a local cemetary. Everything was in order.

Only Russell didn't die.

He lived 10 more years.

Finally, his enlarged heart was tired and it quit beating Monday morning. We are sad that Russell is gone but we celebrate that we had him for as long as we did. Everyone knew that he would probably die at a young age. We just didn't know when that would be.

So we were always glad to see him. Always welcomed his smile. And we laughed with him often. (He had a great sense of humor and pretty quick-witted.)

As I closed the service yesterday, I reminded our family and friends that because we have the promise of heaven through Jesus we do not say "good-bye" but "See you later." We will see Russell again in a healthy, transformed body. He brought joy to us for 27 years. Now he brings joy to others in a place that is impossible to describe. A place where the Bible says our greatest asset will be used as pavement.

See you later, Russ!

Who Do You Influence?

In his book, Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders tells the story of Dr. John Geddie who went to the South Pacific island of Aneityum as a missionary. He worked there for 24 years. On the tablet erected to his memory these words are inscribed:

When he landed, in 1848, there were no Christians.

When he left, in 1872, there were no heathen.

Leadership is essentially the power of one man to influence another. No man can fathom the difference one life can make. Before all is said and done here, we need to ask ourselves some questions: Who do I influence? Am I leading people to a closer relationship with God? Am I lifting Jesus up so that men will be drawn to him? At the end of my life, I want people to celebrate what God did through me.

How about you?

The Importance of Balance

For years I've heard the analogy that when we have our relationship with God in order (illustrated with a vertical line) our relationships with others (horizontal line) will be in order too. You've probably heard this illustration many times. Recently I was made aware of an interesting thought, i.e., the need for the relationship with God to be balanced. If our relationship with God goes too far either way (fanatical or rebellious) it affects our relationship with others.

In other words, if you are going to be an influence for Christ in the culture and in the lives of those around you then you need to be sure you don't go to any extremes. An extreme devotion (e.g., a monk isolated in a monastery or a radical fundamentalist) has little or no influence on those around him. Let's face it. Most people think they are kooky. A rebellious lifestyle that claims a relationship with God but shows no evidence of a genuine relationship with him (e.g., CEO Christians, i.e., those who attend church on "Christmas and Easter Only") has no influence either.

We must balance our relationship with God so that we can have a solid relationship and influence on others.

Options for Super Bowl Halftime Shows

The Super Bowl halftime shows never do it for me. Last night, for example, there was just too much cheese with those Black Eyed Peas. It made me think - since pretty much the whole country is watching - what else could they do during the halftime of the Super Bowl?

• Let the FBI air the 10 Most Wanted List. They would probably catch at least half of the people on the list. The criminals are probably sitting on a bar stool somewhere watching the game.
• Let the President give his State of the Union address. More people are probably watching and he would have to make it shorter.
• Schedule a space shuttle launch. Nothing is more patriotic than watching our men and women from NASA send a rocket into space.
• Speaking of patriotism, instead of rock stars lip-synching on the field for 25 minutes, let some of our veterans and current troops march on the field and receive some affirmation and applause from the people they are fighting for.
• Show a couple of extended version movie trailers.
• Turn halftime over to Animal Planet and air the Puppy Bowl.
• Show a highlight reel of the greatest plays of the NFL season - and throw in some bloopers too.
• Have a normal 15 minute halftime with a few highlights, some commercials, and then get back to the game.

What are your ideas?

Are You Ready for Battle?

A young man in Bible school offered to help David Wilkerson (of The Sword and The Switchblade) when he was ministering on the streets of New York City. Wilkerson asked him how much time he spent in prayer. The young student estimated about 20 minutes a day.

"Go back for a month and pray two hours a day, every day, for 30 days. When you've done that, come back. I might consider turning you loose on the streets where there is murder, rape, violence, and danger. If I send you out now on 20 minutes a day, I'd be sending a solder into battle without any weapons, and you would get killed."

(Floyd McClung on Apostolic Passion in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, p. 205)

Did You Read?

Which Dream Are You Pursuing?

For over 20 years I've been interested in simple living. I have to say "interested" in it because I haven't always practiced it. In the blogworld, there are many popular blogs about simple and/or minimalist living. I read many of them each week. (I'll give you a sample list of blogs with links at the end of this post.)

I've read dozens of books on the topics of frugality, tightwaddery, and economical approaches to American life. Amy Dacyzyn wrote the classic Tightwad Gazette in the '90's. Amy made herself famous by encouraging people to reuse aluminum foil and teaching people how to put a plastic jug to use after the milk is gone. I've read most of Elaine St. James' books. They were much more practical for me since I identified more with Elaine than Amy. Amy lived on a farm. Elaine was a professional city girl. Elaine wrote books like Simplify Your Life, Living the Simple Life, and Inner Simplicity. All good reads and, though a little dated, worth a look.

Books on simple living with a spiritual side to them have also spoken to me. Richard Foster's Freedom of Simplicity is a classic in my opinion. Also Christopher Heuertz's more recent book Simple Spirituality has spoken to me, Beth, and Bailey (my daughter). Bailey read it first and told us about it. Books like Radical by David Platt and The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns also touch on the need for simplicity and challenge their readers to consider the over-indulgences of Americans.

I mention all of this to say that it has been on my mind a great deal lately. In my reading (books and blogs) over the past year or so, I've become even more convicted and convinced that we Americans (myself included) have too much stuff. I occasionally touch on it with posts here. Since Beth and I have become empty-nesters we've come to a point where we've decided that we don't need all of the stuff that we have. Two of the most liberating days that I've had over the past 18 months were the day I sold my motorcycle and the day I sold our boat. These things were fun for awhile but they eventually became a drag.

Americans are suckers for wanting and "needing" the latest greatest gadget or gizmo. We have fallen for the lie that is the American Dream. David Platt's book is subtitled "Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream." Platt does an excellent job of convincing us that the American Dream is not God's dream. How we ever thought that it was...I don't know. Easy access to stores, generous credit from banks, and even our own boredom and purposelessness, has caused us to have houses and yards full of stuff that may bring pleasure for awhile but eventually collect dust - while we still pay the minimum on our credit cards and look for the next great thing that will bring us temporary pleasure.

We must stop.

This is especially true for Christians (which includes most of my readers here). Why are we doing this to ourselves? This isn't what we were designed for. Do you really think that God will be pleased when all you have to show for your one and only life is that you bought a big house for your family, always kept them riding in a late model car, kept your kids in expensive clothes from the mall, and entertained them with every techno gadget possible?

I have a hard time with that. Sorry. You can click the red X on the corner of your browser now if you want, but I have to be honest.

You were made for more than this.


Which dream are you pursuing? The American Dream or God's Dream for your life?

I want to encourage you to consider what you do with your 3 T's, i.e., your time, talents, and treasures. Don't fall for the marketing ploys on TV and don't assume that one more trip to the mall will make you happy. It probably will - for a short while. Look deeper. Evaluate what you're doing with the blessings that God has given you. You are blessed to be a blessing. Think about it. Pray about it. Ask God how you can live His dream, not just the American Dream.

The sermon is over. Let's pray, sing a hymn, and go home now.

Here's a list of blogs that might interest you. I'm looking forward to unveiling a new website soon that will help readers gain a new perspective on life. More about that later!

BecomingMinimalist
RowdyKittens
mnmlist
TheSimpleDollar
Wisebread
ZenHabits
FarBeyondTheStars

Inside-Out Simplicity

Get ready for a 360 degree approach to the simplified lifestyle. “Inside-Out Simplicity: Life-Changing Keys to your Most Important Relationships” is a brand new e-book that goes beyond external fixes to our complicated lives. Instead, this book dares to focus on the very heart and soul of a simplified life.

It is based on the truth that a simplified lifestyle begins in a person’s soul and will help the reader find an inside-out simplicity by focusing on life-changing principles in their most important relationships.

Healthy relationships are absolutely essential for simplicity. And healthy relationships always flow from the inside-out.

• It is meant to challenge you.
• It is meant to encourage you.
• It is meant to inspire you.
• It is destined to help you find a simpler way of life.

Some of the topics and principles covered in the book will help you:

• Discover why healthy relationships are essential to a simplified life.
• Live intentionally by embracing contentment, gratitude, and humility.
• Promote generosity, kindness, service, and forgiveness as a way of life.
• Find greater simplicity in your marriage by focusing on the essential building blocks.
• Be intentional in your dealings with your children and family.

READ THE REVIEWS

• “An excellent new e-book.” – Leo Babauta, Zen Habits
• “Inside-Out Simplicity is the best ebook I’ve ever read.” – Sam Spurlin, The Simpler Life
• “This book is awesome. If you’ve never read Joshua’s stuff before, I’d start with this book. I’d highly recommend it.” – Stu Gray, The Marry Blogger
• “If you’ve mastered “beginner” minimalism and simplified your belongings and clutter and want to continue improving your mental outlook and relationships with those around you, I highly recommend this book. It discusses many areas that are not being talked about among minimalist bloggers right now and definitely need to be.” – Brett Oblack, Step 1 Minimalist
• “It’s a great read as it covers several aspects that are involved in living a simple life, namely our relationship with things, others and ourselves.” – Corey Allan, Simple Marriage
• “The reason I’m recommending Joshua Becker’s new book is because it’s challenging, it’s engaging, and it really asks some tough questions about why you’re pursuing this lifestyle, and how to maintain your decisions in the long run.” – Everett Bogue, Far Beyond the Stars
• “This book is the perfect reference for someone looking to go beyond the ‘pare down your stuff, stop shopping so much, and head outside on a bike’ mentality that the minimalist movement seems to be adopting. To get beyond that, you need to look inside…” - Robyn Devine, the minimalist knitter

Click here to purchase!

How to Pay Off a 30 Year Mortgage in 12 Years

It's that time of year again. Each January, I adjust my automatic payment plan with our mortgage company so that our mortgage will be paid off sooner. I plan to pay our 30 year note off in 12 years.

There are a lot of good ideas out there on how to pay your mortgage off early.

• Make bi-monthly payments instead of monthly.
• Pay an additional 10% of the payment each month.
• Make an extra monthly payment each year with your income tax refund, Christmas or birthday gifts, or other source.

Doing any of the above will take about 7 years off of your mortgage.

I'm no financial guru or expert. Though I read a good bit on money management and investing, I am no Warren Buffett. (No, Warren is not Jimmy's brother. He is perhaps one of the greatest investors of this generation.) So, if you agree or disagree with this plan, so be it. It is what I've chosen for us to do and so far it seems to be working out great. I have not seen this "strategy" in anything I've read which means it is either a great original thought or a dumb original idea. We'll see.

My 30 to 12 plan:

We refinanced our mortgage in the fall of 2008 when the rates drastically dropped. I was glad to make this transaction but I did not want to have a mortgage hanging over my head for 30 more years so I created a plan.

Beginning with the first payment, I paid $100 in additional principal each month for the first year. Each year one of us usually gets a cost of living increase. I determined that with our small increase in salary, I would increase the additional principal payment by $100 each January. Therefore, at the beginning of the second year I would add $200 to the principal each month. The third year I added another $100 so that my additional principal payment was $300 and so on. By the 10th year, I will be paying an additional $1000 each month toward principal using this strategy.

Because we are slowly adding to our principal payments each year using our salary increases, the additional $100 per month doesn't sting too bad and it doesn't affect our monthly budget. I chose $100 each month. You may do more or less. The point is by adding a little bit each month and incrementally increasing that figure each year, it will dwindle your mortgage balance down quicker than the original terms of the note.


I ran an amortization table and projected out my mortgage payments using this strategy and, in our case, it makes our 30 year note a 12 year note.

Ask me how I did in 2020.

Simplify by Joshua Becker

Two years ago, a typical family of four living in the suburbs made the decision to minimize their possessions, declutter their home, and simplify their life. Since then, they have inspired hundreds of thousands of others to give the new lifestyle a chance.
And now, to help you experience the same freedom, they offer the most important lessons they have learned through the process in their new e-book: Simplify: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life.

Click here to view more details