James 4:4 mentions that those who are "friends of the world" are enemies of God. What does that mean to you? Especially in contrast to being a participant of the world.

Friend of the World means pretty much, you condone anything that the world deems is okay.  Being that we are to be in the world not of the world, we cannot avoid exposure to the world.  But we can avoid is choosing to act and think like the world.

I have been studying a lot of different things lately concerning the attributes of God.  One attribute is God's Holiness and Holiness down to it's core root meaning is to be seperate.  An illustration might be of someone cutting meat or vegetables on a cutting board, they cut, then seperate, repeat.  For me I have come to understand that we are to be divorced from everything in the world.  1 John the apostle of love says in 1:6-7 that if we claim to fellowship with Jesus yet walk in darkness we are a liar and the truth is not in us.  The greek word used meant by walking as a style of life.  So if your style of life is one that is compromised to the world, then obviously you lie when you claim to know him.

So basically when it comes to music of television or movies I ask myself "does what I am listening to, or watching, is it contrary to the will of God, to the attributes of God, is the very jokes I laugh at, songs I sing along to, are they the very things that crucified Jesus to the cross?"  A better question is "am I dancing with the devil, then come to church on Sunday and dance with Jesus and then go back out and share my love?"  Many do not take this seriously and they wonder why God is not working in their marriage, why they feel so dead spiritually desiring more, why they are struggling so much with their sin.  Then in their desire they run to people rather then the scriptures, instead of throwing out their T.V. etc.

Read Isaiah 8:19-22, why we trust and let in the wisdom of the world before consulting God and his scriptures, but instead we try 10 steps, how to books and self help books.  Look at christian book stores today, they are filled with quick fix to my problem books.  There is no quick fix, only the living God and when you've lost sight of that and love the things of the world and wonder why spiritually you are not where you want to be, should be.  The answer is obvious, as one brother said, yeah I know this truth I just don't want to hear it, I want to ignore it, but if I do and want change I am only fooling myself.

If you understand that most of your time is to be spent studying the scriptes more then anything else in the world, spent honoring and praising God more then anything else in the world, you see it, you know it, yet when you do and you say something along the lines of "it's a burden" then maybe you should consider wether or not you are even really saved, because God says his way is not a burden.  I am not married to the world, I am married to Christ, Jesus is not working life in me as much as he is working death in me. WHY?  Because it's the only way God can get glory out of me.

I struggled so much with this and I finally came to my sense and am happy today to be free, no longer enslaved to the world and all it's corruption.  And what a burden was lifted and what I am studying now as the attributes of God make me feel as though I am flying with the eagles worshipping my King, the Lord of Glory.  Consider the following passages, for they are among my current favorite I love to read over and over...

NASB Version

Psalm 24, Daniel 4:34-45 and Daniel 7:9-10

Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory be with you