Welcome to People to People Ministries
An attitude that is prevalent among Christians today is: “God’s grace gives us the ability to live up to His law.” We recognize that we are saved by grace and would even call someone a heretic who said otherwise. But when it comes to living the Christian life, many think it is done through obedience to the law. What we are doing is commingling law and grace.
You see, God did not intend for us to try to live up to the standards of the law. He knew that it was an impossibility for us. Because we can’t, the law continues to condemn us by showing us our sinfulness. That is what Paul meant when he said in Galatians 2:18, “If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker.” The law condemns us before salvation. And if we try to live up to it as a Christian, it continues to condemn us. That is the law’s purpose.
This was sent to me earlier today. I haven’t read the whole site but what I have read is refreshing. Bob George seems to be a rather remarkable exception to the legalism driven reconstituted-Judaism that passes as Christianity in about 95% of Evangelical churches in North America. (And I’m being charitable at 95%)
He’s clear, blunt, loud, unswerving and he appears to be taking it onto the airwaves — where he’s not flinching as he publicly renders Christians permanently uncontrollable to the pulpits of their former slave drivers.
Now, if we could only find about 5000 more of him in all different nationalities to drown out the noise of Rick Warren, Ted Haggard, Chuck Colson, Steve Arterburn, Doug Weiss and their ilk (And perhaps raise up a lynch mob or two as well…), the conversion of the entire world would be nearly a forgone conclusion. The Gospel is just too good to resist — that kind of love is irresistible…
But, that would require untold thousands of ministers to somehow manage to get over the grief of loosing control of their congregations to Jesus…
January 24th, 2008 at 8:52 am
We would do more good for ourselves as Christians to listen to Bob George’s podcasts, read his books, have home churches and read the shovel.net than to attend traditional evangelical church services where more harm than good is frequently done, even with in most well-meaning of churches.
How, then, with the statistics out there of evangelicals leaving the churches in droves, do these mega-churches with their mega-membership numbers(Willow Creek, et al.) do it? Some type of spiritual brainwashing?
January 25th, 2008 at 3:42 am
Simple — stats show they attract two key groups of people:
(1). Those who never knew Christ and can be drawn in by a good show.
(2). Those who are so sick of the church they are looking for a place to hide as they figure out how to leave as part of the emerging church.
The first group only stays for a while — then they end up in some other church (Often an emergent church is the target unless they just cycle through a batch of churches until they join group #2).
The second group is basically stolen sheep — and there is an immense supply of them to pump through so they always keep the numbers up.
June 1st, 2008 at 7:37 am
It is so sad that so many would turn like wolves on a pastor who has finally let go. But like fresh rain on those whom have been praying for it. I always think of a historical quote by a leader during the american slave trade; “we have the wolf by the ear, but we dare not let him go”…..
It is good to know that Jesus is still in control no matter what.
I say let the wrecking ball smash the building. The chips will fall where they are already falling anyway.
And we can still go to the churches, worship and feel God’s intimacy with others.
And poke when we are drawn to poke. Facebook in the trenches?