105 results for tag: gospel

Politicizing the Gospel – Part #3 by Greg Albrecht

In PART 1 of “POLITICIZING THE GOSPEL” we considered the last 100 years of warfare and the way in which politics and religion often intermingle.   In PART 2 of “POLITICIZING THE GOSPEL” we specifically examined ways in which politics and religion are intermarried, particularly in the United States.  In this third and last installment, PART 3 OF “POLITICIZING THE GOSPEL” we will examine five stages in which religious violence can grow, while comparing it with the parallels to political violence. In the wake of recent internal extremism within North America, Canadians and Americans are reflecting about the root ...

Politicizing the Gospel – Part #2 by Greg Albrecht

In PART 1 of “POLITICIZING THE GOSPEL” we considered the recent backdrop of warfare and violence.  In PART 2 we begin to narrow our focus as to the nefarious marriage of politics and religion.  Militant Evangelism and Nationalism: In terms of religion, we must not forget the attempts by Christendom to “evangelize” people all around the world whom it deemed to be pagans (and other pejorative terms).  The historical record is clear about the horrendous bloodletting of several “Christian” empires that attempted to violently colonize not-so-advanced areas of the world in the name of God—places like Africa, India, ...

What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ – Part 3 – Brad Jersak

Part Three: The Gospel of Jesus Preached: To read Part One: What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? To read Part Two: The Gospel Jesus Preached. After his ascension to the right hand of the Father and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the gospel Jesus preached throughout his earthly ministry became the Gospel of Jesus preached by his apostolic proteges and by Paul. Post-resurrection, Jesus’ disciples could finally see how the gospel Jesus embodied in his life is the same gospel fulfilled in an ultimate and universal sense through his death, resurrection, and ascension. That is, the healing and deliverance seen in each ...

Politicizing the Gospel – Part #1 – by Greg Albrecht

In PART 1 of “POLITICIZING THE GOSPEL” we will summarize the violence that so permeates the world of politics and religion today, and set the stage for a deeper analysis of the dark forces that contribute to this evil reality. John 3:19-20: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” It is not exactly breaking news to announce that self-styled wolves in sheep’s clothing attempt to control, coerce and dominate others in the name of politics ...

What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ – Part 2 – Brad Jersak

Part Two: The Gospel Jesus Preached: To read Part One: What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? When we refer to the gospel according to Jesus, we need to speak in two registers: (i) the gospel Jesus preached with reference to the kingdom of God, embodied in his mission and focused on how he came to save; and (ii) the gospel of Jesus preached by his apostles, focused on the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. These were not two different gospels but are one message delivered by Jesus in first-person and by his disciples in second-person accounts. We’ll begin with the Gospel Jesus Preached: Jesus preached, “The kingdom of ...

What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? – Part I -Brad Jersak

Part One: What is the gospel of Jesus Christ? After sixty years, my life-long love affair with Jesus Christ and his Good News for the world still captivates me. The gospel I know today has emerged from my encounters with grace amid my missteps, and in my subsequent reflections on how often my stumbles have been met by mercy. Whatever growth I’ve gained is through glimpses of the expansive love of God for everyone and everything, (ii) through intimate communion with the person of Jesus, and (iii) in gratitude for the liberating mercy the Spirit has shown me. Today, I have more questions. Lots of questions. Questions about the what and how ...

CWR Video – Food Trucks and the Gospel – by Greg Albrecht

We hope that our articles and resources bring comfort, hope, encouragement, and healing to our readers. If you’re experiencing that, please subscribe freely, share freely, and, if you’re able, please consider donating freely toward paying it forward by clicking the blue giving at the top of your screen.

Rethinking Evangelism: “No more yellow pencil religion” – Brad Jersak

This article is about how I moved on from "Attack & Extract" Evangelism.

The Gospel According to A.I.* by Brad Jersak

The Gospel According to A.I.*  (*Artificial Intelligence) Well, I didn’t see that coming! For decades, science fiction has forecast the possibilities and perils of artificial intelligence, from do-it-all Jetsons maids to Terminator robots arising to wipe out the human race. But in real life, the sheer speed of online A.I. advances today are outpacing our ethics and promise to render my analysis obsolete even before I can blink—a quaint relic from yesterweek. I was relatively early to the game of computer-generated images (and their copyright issues). The basic concept is that you feed a verbal description into one of the many ...

August 2024

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Brad Jersak The Gospel According to A.I. – pg. 2 Greg Albrecht "Divine Appointments?" – pg. 5 Ed Dunn Running the Race – pg. 6

Complete Perfection?  Really? – Greg Albrecht

Question: It is amazing to me that some Christians and their denominations actually believe that human beings can be made perfect in this life, without God’s grace and the blood of Christ. Really? It seems crazy how some people miss the gospel.  What do you think? Response: While the teaching of human perfection is not taught openly that much, because it is so obviously unbiblical, this entirely erroneous dogma is still officially “on the books” in many of the more conservative Protestant denominations. Entire sanctification, as it is also called, seems to have arisen from John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, but as the years ...

Spitting Into the Wind – by Greg Albrecht

Call me the "Quester." I've been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I looked most carefully into everything, searched out all that is done on this earth. And let me tell you, there's not much to write home about. God hasn't made it easy for us. I've seen it all and it's nothing but smoke— smoke, and spitting into the wind. Life's a corkscrew that can't be straightened, a minus that won't add up. I said to myself, "I know more and I'm wiser than anyone before me in Jerusalem. I've stockpiled wisdom and knowledge." What I've finally concluded is that so-called wisdom and knowledge are mindless and witless—nothing but spitting into the wind. Much ...

CWR Video – The Gospel in Chairs – by Brad Jersak

Brad Jersak explains the Gospel in Chairs. https://youtu.be/hVmKc_Jv9CE We hope that our articles and resources bring comfort, hope, encouragement, and healing to our readers. If you’re experiencing that, please subscribe freely, share freely, and, if you’re able, please consider donating freely toward paying it forward by clicking the blue giving at the top of your screen.

March 2024

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: New Birth Through the Resurrection – pg. 1 What's in an Anniversary? – pg. 2 Prophecy Pays: The Gospel Frees – pg. 5 Inside and Out – pg. 6 Sidewalk Wrinkles – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

“Who do you say that I am? No, really!” Brad Jersak

Tim Rice’s musical, Jesus Christ, Superstar, was composed over 50 years ago. Back then, conservative Christians of the brand I was raised in were deeply offended. His script didn’t follow our doctrinal prescriptions and it raised uncomfortable questions about who Jesus of Nazareth was and is. In my view, if faithfully portrayed characters like Judas Iscariot and Mary Magdalene and Simon the Zealot wrestling with whether this man was more than a teacher or healer… Was he more than a man or was that just the mob letting their hopes get out of control? And if he was their Messiah, why all the missteps that would lead to a cross rather than a ...

What Does Real Estate Have to Do with the Gospel? – Greg Albrecht

Question: Thanks for your interview with Bishara Awad – posted in a blog on October 29.  His comments as a Palestinian Christian, founder and former president of Bethlehem Bible College, are most helpful and eye-opening.  However, I have a question.  You and Bishara both talked about “the land” and how claims to “the land” lead to all kinds of violence, on “both sides.”  But I thought that God promised the land in question to Abraham.  Can you respond a bit more? Response: Thanks for your comments re. the interview I had with Bishara Awad, founder of Bethlehem Bible College… some years ago, but ...

November 2023

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: 60 Years Later... If JFK Could Talk – pg. 1 The Love of Thanksgiving – pg. 2 Should We Fear God? – pg. 5 A Sickness Unto Death – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

CWR video – by Ed Dunn – “The Great Verb Exchange”

Short 2 minute video with Ed Dunn.

August 2023

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Greg Albrecht: 60 years: He Had a Dream – pg. 2 Brad Jersak: BIPOC Faith 60 Years On – pg. 4 Richard Rohr: Envisioning a New World – pg. 7 Greg Albrecht A More Christlike Justice – pg. 8

The Love that Raises Us from Slavery to Friendship with God – Brad Jersak

I recently stumbled upon an interesting quote by a certain George Calciu, which I'll cite and then follow up with an explanation of why it fascinates me: You have avoided choosing Jesus as your friend for too long... but Jesus has chosen you to hear his voice. He did so long ago: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain" (John 15:16). The choice was made long ago, for Jesus has always loved you, young friend, but now you have responded to his call. In responding you are ordained to go and bear fruit that will remain. To be a prophet of Christ in the world in ...