The world, the flesh and the Devil's goal is to defeat the gospel. And this is how they are attempting to do it. Unlike Solomon we have cut the baby [aka the gospel] in half. Actually in thirds, the gospel could be equated with the entire redemptive drama under the rubric SALVATION. The first third is regeneration, the second is sanctification and the third is glorification. Or in more street level language, convert, disciple, and entry into heaven. In this way of thinking, the first step into Salvation is becoming a convert, your are reborn, and your entry into heaven is assured. A convert is a new Christian, but not necessarily a disciple. A disciple is a more serious Christian, committed to follow Christ daily, but not necessary for heaven. This line of thought permits discipleship to be optional. It would be like buying a new car, there is the basic car, but there are options such as navigational system, sun roof, leather seats etc. This has been the most common understanding of the gospel for a century, and it has been a disaster. It has created a church that now needs to be evangelized, and a country that has become the world's largest mission field. It makes reaching people with the transforming message of the gospel much more difficult. It is always more difficult to build on another's foundation, to re-school the church in the gospel. We have a gospel that is built on profession of faith, rather than actual faith, a faith that acts, a faith that embraces following Christ. Why is it that so many wonder, " why bother with discipleship?" The reason is because they see so little difference in those who profess to be followers of Christ. It seems just like more church, more study, more work. The aim of discipleship is not the church, it is the world. It is about transformation of ordinary life in ordinary places. Discipleship is the natural response of a regenerate person to follow Christ daily. It is a answer to God's gracious act of giving himself to us. It is not more church, it is more life........ I believe in life after death, but I also believe in life before death, the life that Christ has called us to, one of humility, submission, obedience and sacrifice. Start thinking of SALVATION as one thing, a connected life that begins when we step into a new life of following Christ that will never end. What might of happened on Wall Street if thousands of professing Christians would of been transformed into the image of Christ rather than simply immature professors of Church doctrine? They wouldn't of agreed with Martin Glecko [Michael Douglass] in the film Wall Street , "Greed is good, greed works."
Recent blog posts
- Praying for the Well
- The forgiveness only gospel
- Getting discipleship out of the ghetto
- Discipleship is life long
- What does a materialistic consumer Church have to teach a vibrant church in poverty?
- If Christians were in charge would it change the world?
- The danger of promiscuous reading-or your futile effort to stay current
- Why the Church is the West is now the number one mission field
- What the Church is too impatient and needy to do
- Teacher to the nations
About Bill Hull
Bill Hull’s passion has been to help the church return to its disciple making roots and he considers himself a discipleship evangelist. This God-given desire has manifested itself in twenty years of pastoral service and the authorship of ten books. His first book, Jesus Christ Disciplemaker, is celebrating 20 years with a new edition. The Disciple Making Pastor and the Disciple Making Church are two successive books which make up his popular disciple making trilogy. These books have provided the church with a new paradigm for disciple making.
Syndicate
We all know that the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League have won the best-of-seven World Series against the American League's Tampa Bay Rays, four games to one. To do it, the Phillies prevailed in the first suspended game in World Series history. For the home fans it was surely worth the wait. It’s been several weeks since the Philadelphia Phillies were crowned World Series Champions 2008. Although the Major League Baseball season is over, it doesn’t mean that the baseball action is at an end. Fans of the national game have turned their hearts and minds towards baseball’s free agency period – the “Hot Stove League.” Previously players could be bought, sold, traded or released as management saw fit, without consideration of the player’s family or their livelihood in general. Players fought for years to obtain the rights to ply their trade for the teams they preferred. Similarly, every consumer has the right to seek personal loans where and whenever you want, regardless of what anyone tells you. Personal loan companies should compete for your business as teams compete for the services of players. Low rates would be maintained with more favorable terms in this case. Click to read more on Personal Loans.
What a breath of fresh air your article is. It seems that so many are stuck in splitting up the salvation and making part non-essential. I see the damage that this understanding and teaching brings to the lives of professing Christianians all the time, and it is hard to re-tool or lay a different foundation. More and more I see the need to proclaim a "thick" gospel that is much broader in its effects and application right from the beginning.
Your books have inspired me. Keep living the Life in Christ!
Glenn
Philadelphia Phillies have won their first World Series in 28 years. The last time they climbed to the top of the mountain (1980), Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose and Steve Carlton showed the American League the meaning of spirited, winning baseball. Today, as emotions run high and the city of Philadelphia gears up for celebration of their boys bringing home the Commissioner’s Trophy, pillars of the community like Temple University are preparing for mass rioting. According to Dean of Students Ainsley Carry, “Students involved in vandalism, refusal to disperse, destruction of property, etc. will face both criminal and University disciplinary action. Sanctions may range from fines up to and including immediate suspension. Surveillance – including videotaping – is heightened during the Series on campus and throughout the city.”
I’m all for personal responsibility, which includes showing respect for others and their property. But is the feel of a police state crackdown necessary? Wait, this is Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love. Of course it is necessary.
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David Kernell is the 20-year-old son of Tennessee’s Democratic Representative Mike Kernell, and David got caught red-handed. Based on the CNN account “Democratic lawmaker's son indicted in Palin hacking,” David reset the password of GOP vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin’s personal e-mail account. David allegedly read the contents, took screenshots, and got a hold of other private information. Some of the information believed to be compromised includes Palin’s address book, photos of family and friends, contact phone numbers, and family birthdates among other things. Ironically, although David Kernell turned himself in, he pled not guilty. Why would he plead not guilty after he took the information he hacked from Palin’s personal account and posted it to a public website? Not only did David post Palin’s personal information to the public site, but he posted the new password he created, which made it possible for others to access and view Palin’s e-mail account. As a consequence, David Kernell could serve five years in jail, pay a $250,000 fine, and be subject to three years of supervised release. At the maximum of $1,500 per loan, that fine would require approximately 167 individual payday loans to free himself from the confines of prison
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We all know that the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League have won the best-of-seven World Series against the American League's Tampa Bay Rays, four games to one. The Phillies took the lead for good in their half of the seventh, with third baseman Pedro Feliz knocking in the winning run with a single, after a double by outfielder Pat Burrell. It’s been several weeks since the new World Series Baseball Champion was crowned. Although the Major League Baseball season is now over, it doesn’t mean that baseball action is at an end. Dedicated fans of the national game have turned their focus on baseball’s free agency period – the “Hot Stove League.” Previously, without regard for the player’s family or general livelihood, they could be bought, sold, traded or released upon management decisions. The players fought to obtain the right to ply for the teams they preferred. Similarly, when it comes to things like personal loans, it is your right as a consumer to obtain this option when and where you want, despite what anyone tells you. Lenders should compete for your business as teams compete for the services of players. For personal loans, it would keep rates low and terms more favorable. Click to read more on Personal Loans.
Philadelphia Phillies have won their first World Series in 28 years. The last time they climbed to the top of the mountain (1980), Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose and Steve Carlton showed the American League the meaning of spirited, winning baseball. Today, as emotions run high and the city of Philadelphia gears up for celebration of their boys bringing home the Commissioner’s Trophy, pillars of the community like Temple University are preparing for mass rioting. According to Dean of Students Ainsley Carry, “Students involved in vandalism, refusal to disperse, destruction of property, etc. will face both criminal and University disciplinary action. Sanctions may range from fines up to and including immediate suspension. Surveillance – including videotaping – is heightened during the Series on campus and throughout the city.”
I’m all for personal responsibility, which includes showing respect for others and their property. But is the feel of a police state crackdown necessary? Wait, this is Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love. Of course it is necessary.
Post Courtesy of Personal Money Store
Professional Blogging Team
Feed Back: 1-866-641-3406
Home: http://personalmoneystore.com/NoFaxPaydayLoans.html
Blog: http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/