503 results for tag: blog

Grace and Friendship – by Stuart Segall

Grace and friendship walk hand-in-hand most of the time. As you may know, I speak and write about friendship and so it is good to ponder this similarity when you realize that grace is like friendship. You only know you have either one when you really need it. If you don’t get that, well I pledge to you that you don’t get grace. For some, grace will be their own definition of things like “unmerited pardon,” but for me the richness of grace is about what “amazing grace” is. It is about the father in the prodigal son story. My past experiences, which are rich and many, show and tell me that many don’t even get what that father did ...

Satisfaction When Others Get Their Comeuppance – by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter from August 2017 Eternal conscious torment in hell is an unbiblical, fabricated teaching of Christ-less religion designed to effectively keep its followers in line. “Believers” in such teaching perceive hell as having positive results because 1) the fear of being consigned to the fiery coals of hell keeps the followers of Christ-less religion in tow, as they “toe-the-line,” and 2) it gives those who are religiously devout “hope” that God will see to it those who do not seem to faithfully “toe-the-line” as they do will get what they deserve.  This “hope” of seeing others “get what’s ...

This is a Football – Greg Albrecht

It’s that time again—football season is here! You can’t miss it (even if you try!). There will be high school games on Friday night, college games on Saturday and NFL games all day Sunday, Monday nights and occasionally other nights. Critics of football note that football is as close to religion as some folks ever get. Critics of religion (like me) can only say “thank God” for that. Let’s get close to God, but let’s get as far away from religion as possible. Speaking of God, religion and football, the legendary coach Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers is said to have given a “This is a football” lecture to his team at ...

Attend Church or Else! – by Greg Albrecht

by Greg AlbrechtEditor's Note: Just what it means to "be" and "do" and "go to" church is a controversial topic within Christendom. Of course there are vested interests, so that the discussion is rarely objective. One of our readers/listeners introduced this conversation, as he reported his response to an article by a pastor (in italics) he felt to be manipulative and self-serving (our reader's response in bold type). We invite you to be the judge of that! My wife recently brought home a pastoral newsletter from the church she occasionally attends. I read the lead article and couldn't believe what I was reading. Have I just gone completely nuts, ...

What Are We Really Singing? – by Laura Urista

We praise Thee O God our Redeemer, Creator, in grateful devotion our tribute we bring. We lay it before Thee, we kneel and adore Thee, we bless Thy holy name, glad praises we sing. (Netherlands folk song text by Julia Cady Cory). Those are the opening words to my very first “favorite hymn.” I can remember singing those words at age four, surrounded by my family and hundreds of worshippers at a large church gathering. I still get goosebumps thinking of the shared joy of singing hymns of praise and worship with my parents, brothers and sisters as well as my spiritual “brothers and sisters in the Lord.” This great old hymn remains one of ...

The Jalopy and the Jaguar – Jim Fowler

Belching black smoke and periodically back-firing, the old jalopy rattled down the road. The owner had driven this car for many years, but it was thoroughly worn-out. People were beginning to shake their heads in derision when he drove by—he was a blight to the road. The paint was peeling, the body was full of dents—the car looked like a wounded survivor of a demolition derby. Flat tires were an almost weekly routine. Talk about uncomfortable! The springs poked through the seats and the wind poured through the cracks in the windows. All of this was detrimental to the owner’s mental and emotional disposition. It was so frustrating to try to ...

His Blessed Hope – Take Heart – by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter from August 2022 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Anxiety and fear impact our world. Disturbing and horrific news overwhelms us so that when we do hear good news—such as the good news of the gospel—we can have trouble fully hearing and appreciating it. We are now, once again as in so many hundreds of times since Jesus originally said it, experiencing, in our cities, on national settings and international stages, “…wars and rumors of wars…” (Matthew 24:6). Just a few months ...

Can We Lose Our Salvation? – by Greg Albrecht

Q: Do you believe we can lose our salvation once we are truly saved? My personal belief is that, yes, we can. While God will never take it away, through constant and willful sinning, we can turn our eyes away from God. This will eventually lead to a case of "Pharaoh's hardened heart," a state whereby we can reject God's offer, and create a wall between ourselves and God that even God will not cross—for to do so would be to break his promise to us of free will. A: No, I do not believe we can lose our salvation. Before explaining why, let me say that this discussion, in my view, is not a "make or break" theological perspective. Christians differ ...

“We Believe…” – Greg Albrecht

We believe in the Father—Creator of heaven and earth. We believe in Jesus—the Eternal Son of God, who was incarnated through God the Holy Spirit, fully God and fully human, who suffered, was crucified and buried, who rose again and ascended to heaven and shall come again in his kingdom of which there is no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Counselor, who together with the Father and Son, is one God and who lives within those who believe. We believe in the universal body of Christ, composed of all who are in Christ, whether visible or invisible to one another, a universal body that transcends any and all earthly ...

Out of the Harbor – by Laura Urista

A recent news headline caught my attention – it said “If you have an office job – this is the most dangerous thing you will do all day.” Well, I work in an office so I had to read that article! Guess what it said? The most dangerous thing I do all day is sit. Our bodies were made to move around. We weren’t created to sit all day. The article said that even if you just stand up and move around for a few minutes every hour it can increase your life expectancy. Then I thought of my ancestors. My great grandmother lived to be over 100. My grandma, Olga, lived to be age 98. She was born in the late 1800s on a homestead in North Dakota. I ...

Grace on Trial – by Greg Albrecht (Interview with Steve McVey)

        Greg Albrecht: I'm talking with a good friend, Steve McVey of Grace Walk Ministries. Steve is the president of Grace Walk Ministries. Steve, I've got to tell you that I wish there were more people in this world who are proclaiming radical grace.         Steve: When we talk about grace we're talking about Jesus, and I think folks need to have that firmly in their minds, that grace personified is Jesus Christ. So to those who say, well, that's great to talk about grace but there are other things too, I say, well, what else is there? The grace of Jesus Christ ...

Gracebut – by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter from July 2015 One of the most common objections to God’s grace goes something like: “Sure, we have been saved by grace, BUT…” That phrase is used so often within legalistic religion that it seems like it should be spelled as one word – gracebut with no comma. When used as a G-rated term for the hindquarters of an animal or human, the word is spelled b-u-t-t. It is wise to keep not only our BUTS (objections or opinions) out of God’s grace, but our BUTTS as well.  BUT, with all due respect and political correctness, we must admit that though BUTTS can become large, the BUT used to diminish, devalue ...

Whose Side is God On? – by Greg Albrecht

Have you ever noticed how many individual Christians and incorporated religious institutions assume that God is exclusively on their side? Many seem to think that God is a member-in-good-standing of their denomination. Many seem to assume that God carries the same national passport they do and that he always supports their country in any military altercation. Some even act and talk as if God supports their favorite athletic team and their particular political party. But if you think about the whole idea of God being polarized and politicized for about three seconds, it really doesn't make any sense, does it? After all the Bible clearly teaches ...

“Let the Peace of Christ reign…” Brad Jersak

"Let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts" - Colossians 3:15 This morning I'm feeling peaceful, despite the usual congenital temptation to pick up lurking worries. I've had some outside help... I've been enjoying a coffee on my deck, sitting with my baby grandson (who's singing to me sweetly), and feeding peanuts to some adolescent Steller's Jay visitors. I've also been editing an article titled "The Peace of Thanksgiving" by my friend and colleague Ed Dunn, well in advance of our November issue of Plain Truth magazine.        Ed is reflecting on the apostle Paul's counsel to the Colossians, "Let the peace of Christ reign ...

Lost – by Stuart Segall

Recently, standing in my front yard along the calm, quiet street that I live on, there he came trotting down the road trying to project a sense of purpose like he knew where he was going. The look shouted… “where am I, but I don’t dare let on that I don’t’ know.” However, being the higher intelligent form of life, I knew he was only kidding himself and that he was lost. You see, he had four legs and I had two. He was a young mix of Rottweiler and Lab with a nice collar on and plenty of ID tags dangling. If I could only reach him! First, I pursued on foot hoping to lead him to safety. I coaxed with all the charm I could muster ...

Q&R with Greg Albrecht – “The End Times” – Is Jesus coming back?

Question: My question is about what many call “the end times.” They (many preachers, teachers and churches) say that the upheaval, suffering, disease and warfare in our world is a sign that the Second Coming of Jesus is near. They say his coming is closer than it ever has been.  It seems to me that whether all of this means his Second Coming is near, either way, Jesus will return. What do you think? Response: Of course, it is not breaking news to say that Jesus’ Second Coming is closer than it ever has been before.  I appreciate that many say such a thing in a sensational way, but of course what they say is not a breatht...

The Freedom to Forgive – by Ed Dunn

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17, NIV). Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you – Jean Paul Sartre Freedom lies in being bold – Robert Frost I’ve been thinking about the words Freedom and Forgiveness a lot of late, considering how the two words may both work together and support one another. You see, two close friends of mine have recently had a falling out. These two close friends have had a falling out over a common source of strong opinion and emotional tension these days. Unfortunately, hurtful words have been exchanged and harmful events have ...

“If God…?” – Brad Jersak

“If God…?” I had a wonderful conversation about God.  I suppose that’s already an “iffy” thing to say these days. High risk in some circles and forbidden in polite company. But this exchange was truly special. My conversation partners self-identified across the map—agnostics, pagans, heretics and yes, even a few Christians. Each of us were welcome to express our evolving or devolving faith without any fear of judgment. I heard stories of faith found, abandoned, and adapted. And, however different our convictions, we all shared a humble agreement that who or what God is or is not defies our comprehension. “Ineffable” ...

God-Given Freedom – by Greg Albrecht

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.  Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only ...

Kingdoms and Empires Come and Go – by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter from July 2022 America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great—attributed to “Democracy in America” (published in 1835) by French diplomat/historian Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859). For Canadians and Americans, this month of July brings our national histories into focus: July 1 is Canada Day, a celebration of Canadian confederation in 1867. July 4 is memorialized in the United States as the birth of American independence in 1776. As citizens and Christ-followers, we honor and respect the country in which we live. But we do not worship our country or ...