Daily Links 2-3-14

Good morning. Here is an assortment of links to start off your day: the shortest Bible commentaries, men and food, the case for early marriage, and more.

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This is interesting: commentaries on each book of the Bible limited to 140 characters or less.

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A list of ten television shows that changed the world. Interestingly, all these shows appeared before the advent of cable television which ultimately fractured audiences with its myriad of channel choices. Television does not appear to have the same power to influence our culture that it once did.

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How food helps guys bond:

The reason that “dude food” – and I would add “dude drinks” – have become so important to so many dudes is that they represent something that is solely theirs. It’s exclusive. And it’s overwhelmingly other dudes who enjoy these specific things (or at least, only in the quantity and consistency we would like to enjoy them). If we can’t have smoke-filled cigar lounges, we will have brisket-clogged arteries. 

Now, I’m not attempting to defend all of the over-indulgence that goes on. I am first on the list of dudes who need to show more discretion when it comes to what I consume. But there is something special (and important) about “breaking bread” with other male friends. And when the places for this to happen dry up, when the institutions that previously cultivated male camaraderie in relatively safe environments disappear, we will find means and modes to cut loose in such a manner that girls won’t want to be around for them.

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The inside story of some of the amazing trickery employed by American forces during World War II. We often think that wars are won because of overwhelming military might. But the fact that remains that intelligence operations can be a difference maker.

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Making the case for getting married young. I thought I was old when I got married at 24. But there is a good case to be made for not waiting to get married.

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The problem of the stealth prosperity gospel:

The real devil in the details of the prosperity-type teaching permeating so much of evangelicalism is not really that it skips over the stuff about sin. Sure, it does that too, but the pernicious paradox of this stuff is that it champions “victorious Christian living” yet does not equip believers for sustainable discipleship. It emphasizes feelings and “outlook,” not the power of the Spirit, which is hard for some folks to notice since the latter is often conflated with the former (so that being optimistic or a go-getter is ipso facto being Spirit-empowered). The problem over time is that, going from victory to victory, expecting victory after victory, cultivates a contagious form of spiritual greed. (Is it any wonder that this sort of teaching often goes hand and hand with talk of financial riches and prosperity?) The real stuff of discipleship — what Eugene Peterson calls “a long obedience in the same direction” — involves hard stuff like discipline and the fruit of the Spirit. In pop discipleship discipline is replaced by steps, tips, and amazingsupercolossal breakthroughs.

Daily Links 1-30-14

In this morning's edition: a softer prosperity gospel, should you go to college, why Christians should create, and more.

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Dealing with the problem of the prosperity gospel: In some instances it's easy to spot a prosperity gospel preacher. But there is also a more subtle form of the prosperity gospel that is sometimes a little more difficult to spot. A good rule of thumb is that if anything is being preached other than Scripture it should be cause for concern. This guide of nine marks of a prosperity gospel church can help discern whether a church is in error. Finally, here's a good way to figure out if you're reading a book by a prosperity gospel preacher.

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What's wrong with higher education? It's a matter of trust. The key question is whether college can deliver on what it promises to students. Increasingly, that answer is no. That begs the question of whether a student should go to college at all. Matt Walsh argues that college isn't for everyone and that (at least in  his case) he was better off not going to college at all. (Hat tip: Instapundit) Perhaps we should be shifting our focus from thinking kids have to go to college to whether it's really beneficial for them to do so. After all, with the cost of college skyrocketing we have to look at the costs versus the benefits to decide whether it's the right thing to do.

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Three time management principles to increase your productivity. It's often the simplest of things that can make the biggest impact.

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10 writing tips from acclaimed novelist P. D. James. Some good food for thought.

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Why Christians should create art:

To those of us trying to live out our beliefs, art can seem dangerous because the art of our culture preaches the beliefs of the culture, and many of these beliefs run counter to the Christian values we hold. But our goal should not be to avoid “secular” art and media, or merely take art as it's given to us and try to fix it, but to create our own art that is unique, meaningful and paradigm-shifting. 

Far from sticking to the conventional standards of “Christian” art, Christian artists should be willing to take risks, to express their deep-seated beliefs and convictions in their own ways. For Christians, art is taking part of the material world and making it sacred with our expression of love and devotion to God. The aesthetic isn't what makes it Christian, the artist's purpose does.