1755 results for tag: Greg Albrecht
The Walking Wounded
by Greg Albrecht
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.—Psalm 34:17-18
When we think of the term "walking wounded," we usually consider warriors who served their country, whose wounds are visible and known, as well as those whose wounds are not as apparent.
Most recently, we are familiar with The Walking Wounded who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. While one of the tragic consequences of any war is The Walking Wounded left in its wake, one of the most publicized examples goes back a generation. You ...
Getting or Being Saved?
by Greg Albrecht
Are you saved, brother?" the intense young man asked me. He continued, "If you're not saved, you need to get saved!" When the young evangelist cornered me, I surmised he was hoping to save another soul from the eternal torment of hell-fire. I responded, "Before I reply, may I ask you to tell me what it is you believe I need to be saved from?" The earnest young man didn't miss a beat (as I suspected, he rattled off the stock answer he'd learned in Saving Souls 101) "if you don't get saved, you're going to hell."
I locked eyes with him and asked him another question: "So, let me get this straight—I need to 'get' saved so I won't ...
Attend Church Or Else!
by Greg Albrecht
Editor'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 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, am I ...
The Ministry of Death — or The Ministry of Life?
God speaks to us, through Paul, in 2 Corinthians 3:6-8. We have a choice: dead religion — formulaic, the same-old, menu-driven spiritual rituals and ceremonies— or — dynamic, exuberant relational life in Christ? Which will it be?
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 ...
A Storm, a Ship and a Harbor
Come with us on a journey — a storm, a ship that encounters the storm and the harbor that awaits the end of a turbulent voyage. It’s all about your relationship with God.
The Safety of Religion — OR The Risk of Relationship?
Are you settling for religious bondage when you could have freedom in Christ? Are you choosing the mirage of safety in religion — or are you accepting Jesus, and the risk, as we humans might see it, of relationship with God?
The Gift of Time
In Jesus God embraced time, becoming one of us, in our time. Jesus will help each of us to tell time, to understand time, to use time, and to see beyond time.
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 ...
Love Is Something We Do
As humans we learn to love by being loved — as Christians we are able to love others because God has first loved us. If we have not accepted God’s love, then we can do and do and do — and we will still never produce God’s love.
Elijah and Fire From Heaven – Greg Albrecht
Question from the United Kingdom:
You often make the excellent point that God is not nearly as mad at us as many religious leaders say, nor is he the God of wrath as they so characterize him. I agree, but what’s your take on the story of Elijah calling down fire from heaven to consume army captains and 100 soldiers? If it’s not an act of God, then how did Elijah accomplish this?
Response:
My take on this story. My faith is centered in and on the Cross of Christ. The symbol of my faith is the Cross, not the ashes of the bodies that resulted from the story related in the first chapter of 2 Kings. I do not wear a symbol ...
“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 ...
Renewal for the Weary
The Bible tells us God not only created the universe, he manages and maintains it with what we would describe as effortless ease. But many of us find ourselves perpetually tired. We are reminded we can exchange our weakness for God’s eternal strength.
Forgiven of Things You Can’t Forget
The woman on the phone couldn’t forgive herself of a secret — something she had done many decades before — she was sure God would never forgive her. Today we ask God to join us in our secret places, where skeletons of our past hound us.
The Gift of God
God doesn’t want us to walk far behind him in fear, nor does he want us to grovel at his feet. God wants us to be in close and intimate relationship with him.
Death – A New Beginning
Greg notes the one letter difference between the words “grave” and “grace” — a reminder to us that God’s grace transforms the “final” resting place of our body from decay and defeat into victorious, eternal life.
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 ...
Aging Grace-Fully
Aging grace-fully means walking more by faith than by sight. Aging grace-fully can mean that we realize that we cannot do all that needs to be done via our own strength.
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 ...
Plain Truth Ministries | Box 300 | Pasadena, CA 91129-0300
