In one of his last speeches before being expelled from the Soviet Union, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn urged his audience of artists and writers not to capitulate to the growing lies of the Marxist system. He exhorted them to take the position, concerning the lies that were foisted on the Russian and other peoples, “Let that come, if it must come, only not by me!” Here is good advice for Christians in taking a stand against the lies that are being foisted on our own nation by academics, the media, and activists of all sorts. But how can we take such a stand? Here are some resources to help:

“Stand Firm in the Faith,” by T. M. Moore
“On Bringing One’s Life to a Point,” by Gilbert Meilaender
“Where Are the Jehoidas?” by T. M. Moore
“Stand Up for Religious Freedom,” by Charles Colson
“Moral Relativism,” by Greg Kouk
“Telling the Truth in the Business World,” by John Brandon
“Question Authority: When Christians Should Disobey,” by Charles Colson

If you have not yet, this would be an excellent time to sign the Manhattan Declaration and join the hundreds of thousands who are preparing to take a stand for Biblical truth in critical areas. Get the book, Bonhoeffer, by Eric Metaxas, from our online store, to see how one man stood for truth at a crucial moment in history.

A conversation starter, especially with your Christian friends: “You know, Christians have been claiming to know the Truth for some 2,000 years. Isn’t it about time we began to stand up and speak Truth into the lies of our present moral and cultural situation?”

God is pleased to be presenting us with many challenges to our faith in these days. Are we ready to engage the world in a winsome and courageous way?  Even if it means opposition or persecution? If we don’ have the courage our Christian convictions require, then how can we be sure those convictions are really ours in the first place? What we’re convinced of, we will defend. What we defend – or fail to defend – is what we really believe. It’s a good time to be looking for exemplars and guidance in preparing to stand up for truth in the public square. Here are some resources that can help:

“Speaking the Truth,” by Charles Colson
“A World without Truth,” by Regis Nicoll
“The Pillar and Buttress of Truth,” by T. M. Moore
“Be Strong and Courageous,” by Charles Colson
“Gospel as Public Truth,” by Alistair McGrath
“Public Morality, Public Reason,” by Robert George

For a deeper consideration of this question, order the book, Bonhoeffer, by Eric Metaxas, from our online store.

A conversation starter: “Important issues of morality and public policy are in the air. As a Christian, I don’t think I should just sit around and wait to see how things work out. I need to speak up. What do you think?”

The immigration crisis appears to be coming to a head as Arizona Governor Brewer looks to the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals and, beyond that, the U. S. Supreme Court, to be able to implement the state’s immigration reform law. Meanwhile the federal government dithers, pontificates about fine points of Constitutional law, and hopes to make it through the fall elections without having to do anything substantial. All the while the grass roots folks are getting hotter and hotter on both sides. This is not an issue that Christians can sit out. We need to be preparing ourselves to participate in the conversation. Here are some resources that can help:

“Immigration: Citizens and Strangers,” by Peter C. Meilaender
“Principled Immigration,” by Mary Ann Glendon
“Immigration: A Brief Analysis,” by Alan Wisdom
“Strangers in our Midst,” by T. M. Moore
“Melting Pot Redux,” by Philip Gleason
“Here for Good,” by Philip Jenkins

Click here to download this week’s ViewPoint study, Strangers and Sojourners,” by T. M. Moore.

For a deeper consideration of this question, order the book, The Immigration Crisis: Immigrants, Aliens, and the Bible, by James Karl Hoffmeier, from our online store.

A conversation starter: “Man, this immigration situation is really getting hot. Do you think there’s any way to reach a consensus that will bring sense and peace to the situation?

“A Time to Resist,” by T. M. Moore

“A Higher Law: When Christians Should Disobey,” by Charles Colson

“America’s Right to Pray: Resisting Unjust Judges,” by Charles Colson

“Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.” by Richard John Neuhaus

“The Bible in American Public Life, 1860-2005,” by Mark A. Noll

“Birmingham 1963: Turning Point of the Civil Rights Movement,” by Tim Stafford.

For a deeper consideration of this question, order the book, A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr., by Martin Luther King, Jr., from our online store.

A conversation starter: “Christians believe that everyone is accountable to God – even civil government. Do you think that should allow them to disobey the government at times?

Americans Christians tend to take for granted our freedom to worship God as we like. In other countries, such freedoms are not acknowledged, and it can be hard going to profess faith in Jesus Christ. We have seen how brutality and violence can run amok when freedom to worship is curtailed: witness the Soviet Union for most of the 20^th century. And today we see millions of people displaced, oppressed, and even enslaved where freedom to worship God is not acknowledged by a dominant religion. We must not take this fundamental liberty for granted, but must stand firm for it as often as we can. Here are some resources that might help:

“The First Freedom: Why Religions Must Be Free, Not Tolerated,” by William L. Saunders, Jr.

“A New Order of Religious Freedom,” by Richard John Neuhaus

“Doing What’s Right: George W. Bush and Religious Freedom,” by Charles Colson

“Defending Our Right to Pray: A Not-So-Quiet Revolution,” by Charles Colson

“Let Freedom Ring: But for Whom?” by Chuck Edwards

“The Diplomacy of Religious Freedom,” by Thomas S. Barrr

For a deeper consideration of this question, order the book, God and Government, by Charles Colson, from our online store.

A conversation starter: “If, in America, we think freedom of religion is so important, why do we turn a blind eye to nations that don’t hold to this conviction? Are we being consistent as a people when we do business with nations that persecute Christians?”

Socrates reminded us that “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Sadly, many people today are living unexamined lives. They have adopted beliefs, values, and practices which they’ve never carefully considered, but which they have simply imbibed or absorbed from the surround culture, from the spirit of the times.

Many of these views and practices are false, and many of them can even be dangerous, if carried out to their logical conclusion – as Francis Schaeffer once put it so aptly in showing the folly of abortion, a deadly choice made primarily for the sake of convenience: “If the fetus gets in the way, ditch it. If the old person gets in the way, ditch it. If you get in the way…” Here are some resources to help in learn how to ask good questions of the people you encounter during the week:

“Quest for Understanding,” by T. M. Moore

“Tough Questions about God, Faith, and Life,” by Charles Colson

“Hope for Generation X: Asking the Right Questions,” by Charles Colson

“Introduction to the Book of Job,” by G. K. Chesterton

“Is That All?” by T. M. Moore

“Defending a Biblical View in School,” by Chuck Edwards

For a deeper consideration of this question, order the book, Handbook of Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions, by Peter Kreeft, from our online store.

A conversation starter: “Things are changing in the world – economies, the environment, even the role of government – and this should provoke a good many questions in our minds. How do you suppose all these changes will affect you? And is there anything you can do to make sure these changes don’t overwhelm you?”