Headlines week 3

Preaching what-ifs
Wesleyan Life - "What if preachers developed a deep reliance upon the Holy Spirit like we did when we preached our first sermon?
What if the words of preachers painted inescapable, unforgettable, and compelling pictures of God's kingdom in the hearts of people?
What if preaching was so brutally honest about the bad news that people craved the good news?"

Martin Luther King Jr.: A Letter to American Christians in 1956 (and Today)

Ed Stetzer - In a 1956 message, Martin Luther King Jr. reads an imaginary letter from the Apostle Paul. I've excerpted it below, but be sure to read the whole message.
"I am impelled to write you concerning the responsibilities laid upon you to live as Christians in the midst of an unChristian world. That is what I had to do. That is what every Christian has to do. But I understand that there are many Christians in America who give their ultimate allegiance to man-made systems and customs. They are afraid to be different. Their great concern is to be accepted socially. They live by some such principle as this: "everybody is doing it, so it must be alright." For so many of you Morality is merely group consensus. In your modern sociological lingo, the mores are accepted as the right ways. You have unconsciously come to believe that right is discovered by taking a sort of Gallup poll of the majority opinion. How many are giving their ultimate allegiance to this way."

Have I grieved thee with an ill kept vow?

Andrew Bale on FSAOF - "Every Salvationist publicly states at the time of their enrolment that they ‘believe and will live by the truths of the word of God expressed in The Salvation Army’s eleven articles of faith.’ In addition every soldier solemnly declares that they “will be true to the principles and practices of The Salvation Army, loyal to its leaders, they will show the spirit of Salvationism whether in times of popularity or persecution.
TSA in the UK has a hard-core clique of Officers and soldiers who are openly dismissing (in both practice and public preaching) the following Army beliefs:
    Doctrine 5 – Original sin
    Doctrine 9 – The possibility of back sliding
    Doctrine 10 – Holiness
    Doctrine 11 – The general judgment and eternal punishment of the wicked"

Franklin Graham about Rob Bell