1786 results for tag: Greg Albrecht

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 Satans" 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 ...

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 because of religious deception, because of a distorted idea of God they have been given by someone who ...

He Wants You – Dead and Alive – by Greg Albrecht

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no ...

What’s So Bad About Religion? – by Greg Albrecht

Some of our readers and listeners can't bring themselves to believe that religion is as bad as we say it is. They say things like, "you spend too much time talking about the negative things and too little about the good things." One person said, "What's so bad about religion? If you had more grace you wouldn't harp on religion so much." If you have ever visited a prison, you walk away realizing it's a horrible thing to be incarcerated. When you are locked up, you are a slave, you have no freedom. If you know anything about institutionalized incarceration you will also know that inmates learn to depend on and work the system. The system gives them ...

What’s So Bad About Religion? – by Greg Albrecht

      Some of our readers and listeners can't bring themselves to believe that religion is as bad as we say it is. They say things like, "you spend too much time talking about the negative things and too little about the good things." One person said, "What's so bad about religion? If you had more grace you wouldn't harp on religion so much."       If you have ever visited a prison, you walk away realizing it's a horrible thing to be incarcerated. When you are locked up, you are a slave, you have no freedom. If you know anything about institutionalized incarceration you will also know that inmates ...

Freely Have You Received, Freely Give – by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter from June 2022: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers ...

June 2022

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Greg Albrecht: THIS is God – pg. 2 Ed Dunn: A Father's Gift – pg. 5 Brad Jersak: Does God Have Enemies? – pg. 7

Grace and Cookies – Three Lessons – by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter from May 2016 In a “Dennis the Menace” cartoon, Dennis and his pal Joey are seen leaving next-door neighbor Mrs. Wilson’s house loaded up with a plate full of cookies. Joey says to Dennis, “I wonder what we did to deserve this?” The forever-in-trouble, always-in-hot-water Dennis, well aware that he is far from perfect, astutely advises Joey, “Look, Joey. Mrs. Wilson didn’t give us these cookies because we’re nice, but because she’s nice.” The first lesson of grace (at least in this letter!) is this: We don’t deserve God’s love – God is not obligated to give us cookies because we think we ...

Forgiveness…Who First? – Greg Albrecht

Wouldn’t it be great if you or I could hit a delete button and send the memories of all our hurts and pains somewhere far away, into the most remote recesses of our minds, and never, ever have to think of them  again? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the hard drive in our brain suddenly crashed, and no bad memories survived? As painful as our memories of being hurt are, they can fester and grow into resentment and hatred of those who either hurt us or had some part in our pain. Nasty things can and do happen when we throw a pity party, swimming laps in a pool of resentment, endlessly replaying painful moments from our past. Mo...

The Mother of Us All by Greg Albrecht

Back in 1990, after the Iraqi army was evicted from Kuwait, Saddam Hussein, then the President of Iraq, told his people to prepare for what he called the “mother of all battles” against the American-led coalition forces. Though Hussein did not invent the phrase, since that time the phrase “the mother of all...” has spread through the English language and is often used to define not only the origin or source of something, but also the significance or the greatest example of something. Two Mothers In Galatians 4:21-31, we read the story of two mothers. The historical background to Paul’s lesson is recorded in Genesis 16 and 21. ...

What Does ‘We Are Not Under the Law, but Under Grace’ Really Mean?

Many professing and church-going Christians fail to realize what "we are not under the law but under grace" means. Most agree that it's God's grace and not anything we can do that will make us right with God. Most realize and accept that Christians don't follow the rites and rituals of the Old Testament but they are often confused about the Ten Commandments. They believe that the Ten Commandments (except seventh-day Sabbath-keeping) are valid and required norms of behavior. Here's the Christ-centered perspective we need. When Jesus died on his cross, he completed all the terms of the old covenant. He had kept its terms perfectly, and on his ...

What is the Gospel? Part 1 – Greg Albrecht

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written, "The righteous will live by faith."—Romans 1:16-17 Paul 1) categorically states that he is not ashamed of the gospel, 2) defines the gospel as the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, and 3) asserts that the gospel inherently includes a righteousness from God—a righteousness by faith—precluding any sort of righteousness which may come, or seem ...

10 Percent Grace and 90 Percent Law? – Greg Albrecht

Recently I was asked about a church pastor who preaches 10 percent grace and 90 percent law. Apparently this church has a clock counter on its website to show how fast people are getting to hell. This church believes that one of the methods of "saving" people is to expose their sins, and (by embarrassing them) guilt them into obeying God. This church is but one of many which believes that the Ten Commandments (and at times other portions of the old covenant) must be preached to sinners to prepare them to accept Christ. The idea is taught in several different ways: 1) People must be convinced that they have a problem (that they are sinners) ...

What is the Gospel? Part 2 – Greg Albrecht

When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does ...

Jesus Is Our Center – by Greg Albrecht

Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and you are willing to kill to get it.  You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.  (James 4:1, MSG)   If you have not noticed, our world today is as divided and at odds as it has been for a long time.  The divide is not just nationalistic between nations who are either rattling sabers or perhaps openly at war, the divide is not just political between political parties, ...

Love Is… And Love Is Not – by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter from May 2022 Love IS patientLove IS kind.Love is NOT envious.Love does NOT boast.Love is NOT proud.Love is NOT rude.Love is NOT self-seeking.Love is NOT easily angered.Love does NOT keep a record of wrongs.Love does NOT delight in evil, rather it rejoices in truth.Love protects.Love trusts.Love hopes.Love perseveres.Love never fails.—1 Corinthians 13:4-7 The ultimate and sublime demonstration and example of love is the Cross of Christ. There is NO GREATER LOVE than Jesus’ voluntary self-sacrifice for us. When the Cross of Christ was buried in the soil of this earth, Jesus was lifted up (John 12:32). When Jesus ...

“You Can Sit Here…” – Greg Albrecht

It was the first day of school for Forrest Gump.  As he walked down the aisle of the school bus his peers noticed the braces on his legs – on Forrest’s first attempt to take an empty seat, the occupant on the two-person bench seat spread his hands out, saying that seat was “taken.” As I recall this happened several times until finally, near the back of the bus, Forrest paused next to an empty seat, receiving a beautiful smile from a lovely young lady seated by the window.  Her name was Jenny and she welcomed him, saying “you can sit here…”  Jenny became, as those of us who have seen “Forrest Gump” know (in my ...

May 2022

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Closer Than You Know – pg. 1 Reflecting on Grace – pg. 2 Scared Prayers – pg. 5 Memories & Mercies – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

Just Fans…Or Members of His Team? by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter from April 2014 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” – 1 Corinthians 15:54 Death has been swallowed up in victory is our victory song! Choirs in heaven sing praises to Jesus, our risen Lord. Here on earth we also sing praises to Jesus and we joyfully remind each other that he is risen! Resurrection Sunday is the grand finale climactic tribute to Jesus because of his triumphant, all encompassing, once and for all – once for all – victory over death and the ...

Victory Through Christ by Greg Albrecht

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:57 Victory! Unless your favorite sports team just won an important game, victory is not a word in high demand over the past few years. So much in our world previously defined as successful and prosperous has changed over the past few years. Of recent dates, instead of progress and growth we have seen and endured much more chaos and upheaval. So many of the routines of daily life are new or at least modified, completely unlike the world before COVID. Physical life can seem to be running smoothly and efficiently until it doesn’t. We all know, ...