511 results for tag: blog

“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 ...

Why are Christians so Divided and Polarized? by Greg Albrecht

QUESTION: Why does it seem so many people (including and especially Christians) are divided and polarized? RESPONSE: Most churches and ministries publish a statement of beliefs – you can find ours under “About” on our home page (www.ptm.org) under the heading “We Believe.” Our statement is short, deliberately, because we believe the focus of our faith and our ministry is Jesus Christ alone, and that there are many non-essential issues (about which we believe people of faith may differ). But when an issue is made of peripheral non-essentials, those topics can end up being exalted beyond and even instead of Jesus Christ. In ...

Giving – the Heart of God by Greg Albrecht

World famous comedian Jack Benny, known for being a tightwad, once related that he had been confronted by a thief on a dark, metropolitan street. The thief gave Benny a choice, “Your money or your life!” Jack Benny didn’t respond immediately, so the thief yelled, “Didn’t you hear what I said?” Benny responded, “Sure I did. I’m thinking. I’m thinking!” Jesus told the rich man (Matthew 19:16-29) that becoming a follower of Jesus Christ involves surrendering both our money and our life. God wants all of us—not just a part of us. When Jesus told the rich man to give away all that he had, he was simply telling the man to ...

The Gathering Storm of Fundamentalism – by Greg Albrecht

It is one of the most explosive issues facing our world in the early years of this 21st century. Political and religious agendas around the world are bullied and coerced, reacting to a virus-like spiritual plague of religious fundamentalism. The Islamic fundamentalist reaction to Western imperialism and decadence is said to be a counter-attack on the "great Satan's" of our culture (materialism, immorality, secularism, humanism, science and technology), all of which are blamed for taking our world to hell in a hand-basket. Though the eyes of the world are currently focused on Islamic fundamentalism, the seeds of radical religious fundamentalism are ...

Standing With the Great or Sitting With the Broken – Stuart Segall

When I was a young man, I craved (for my own ego and self-acceptance) to stand or sit among the "great." Oh my, whether it was church, college, where I worked - I just hoped my lottery ticket would come through and I could sit, dine, have a beer or walk with (you name it). I just wanted to be in that sphere and hope for osmosis. You see, I was hoping I would be transformed into that greatness. Is this just me? Or is there anything in you that resonates with these statements? I realize some people are shy and would never see themselves this way. If so, no problem, but be reassured there are a lot of us out there from coast to coast, and ...

The Religious Version of the Prodigal Son – by Greg Albrecht

The Religious Version of the Prodigal Son   For other video shorts, with Greg Albrecht, Brad Jersak, Lucy Peppiatt, Brian Zahnd, Steve McVey, and others, visit CWRvideo.

The Best Father’s Day Gift – by Laura Urista

Father’s Day has always had special meaning for me. I was born on Father’s Day. At the time of my birth my dad had moved away from North Carolina to Ohio to start a new job. My mom had been advised by her doctor not to travel, so she and my four siblings remained in North Carolina, near most of my dad’s family. The day I was born, Dad’s sister, Aunt Bea, called my dad to let him know he had a new baby girl. But I was born with low birth weight, jaundice, lung trouble and I needed blood transfusions. The doctor was afraid I wouldn’t make it. That was the beginning of a special bond between me, my dad and our heavenly Father. Dad ...

The Real Love Story – by Greg Albrecht

  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.—John 3:16-17         It's been said that love is the most powerful force in the universe because it alone can conquer the human heart. But God's love does not coerce. God's love works in our lives by our consent.         Many people suffer with a warped and twisted view of God's love. They have a perverted idea of God's love ...

Man the Conqueror by Stuart Segall

It is said “God without man is God. Man without God is…nothing”  That is true, but for me, man without God is a world history of problems. Aaah, man! Yes, the natural, ungoverned man loves his power.  In the business world he shoots for the top, and then……goes after it. Man, the hunter often loves the thrill of the conquest. Then there is government.  The guy who wants to be the Mayor, Governor, congressman, senator, all the way up to the president of the United States. Man on his own wants to dominate and lead.  His intentions are sometimes good in these pursuits, but do you think they last long once the ...