CWR Blog
Christianity Without The Religion BLOG hosted by Brad Jersak.
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 ...
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
October 12, 2024 - Quote for the Day:
“God’s grace patiently helped me to deconstruct bogus perceptions and slowly construct a new reality, the real message of Revelation. My reading, research, and study of this amazing book has taken me all over the biblical and theological map, considering the trail that others have blazed in coming to terms with the message God gave to John. By his grace God has mercifully opened my eyes to the real Revelation, a new (for me) Revelation that helped to explain my experiences in the school of religious hard ...
Remember When… ? by Bermie Dizon
Growing up, I had the mistaken idea that real men don’t cry. Well, I’m afraid I don't agree with that anymore. There are times in my life when I find myself crying in the middle of the night. Most of these moments happen when I’m talking to God after midnight. I think God and I have a standing appointment around 3:30 in the morning (smile). Somehow, I wake up at that time. Most of the time, however, that feeling of despair turns to joy in having a talk with God.
I learned from a pastor mentor / friend years ago that whenever he wakes up at night, he considers ...
Living a Christ-centered Life – A Survey of Colossians Pt 4
We're talking about the ultimate way to be centered spiritually, what it means to be Christ-centered, and how this plays out in our lives -- what it looks like in the flesh.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0383.mp3
The Storms of Life – Special Video – Ed Dunn
Special video from Ed Dunn.
Watch a short video and the message on "The Storms of Life." With so much loss due to recent natural disasters and wars, PTM reaches out in prayer to those who are suffering.
https://vimeo.com/1017991030
We here at Plain Truth Ministries pray for you and many others around the world. If you would like to request prayer, please click here to let us know your prayer concerns.
If this post has helped you, please subscribe and share it freely. We also invite you to help us continue to help others with a donation. ...
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. ...
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
October 10, 2024 - Quote for the Day:
“So, which comes first? Our forgiveness of others, which in turn convinces God to forgive us? Or is it God’s forgiveness, unmerited on our part, which then empowers us to forgive our own debtors?
We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). Because forgiveness is the epitome and absolute power of God’s love, it is also true that we forgive because God first forgave us. According to the Lord’s Prayer, we persist in praying for God’s forgiveness only because we’ve already fully acknowledged our need ...
Living a Christ-centered Life – A Survey of Colossians Pt 3
In this series on the Book of Colossians we talk today about the Apostle Paul's warnings about heretical teachings. Those teachings continue to this day and are counter to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This program is about freedom from human regulations through life with Christ.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0382.mp3
Living a Christ-centered Life – A Survey of Colossians Pt 2
This is the second program of our 4 program series surveying the Book of Colossians. In it we'll see just what the gospel is, how we're rescued and qualified and how we can be Christ-centered.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0381.mp3
See How He Loves Us – by Greg Albrecht
There's a great story about a little boy who was trying to learn the Lord's Prayer. One night he was kneeling down by his bed, and he prayed: "Our Father who are in heaven, how do you know my name?"
St. Augustine, revered as one of the great theologians of the Christian faith, once said that Jesus loves each of us as if there was no one else to love.Time after time we read in the four Gospels about people Jesus met who felt and experienced his radically personalized, individual affection—no one they had ever known had talked to them, treated them and spent time ...
The Four “No’s” of Our Lives in Christ – by Ed Dunn
Do not be afraid…for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32, NIV).
…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2, NIV).
What does it mean to live our lives in Christ Jesus with the Four No's - No Fear, No Shame, No Guilt and No Doubt?
No Fear: Fear seems to be such a common driver, a motivator, and a “come-from” in the world in which we live today. Headlining each day’s key news cycles, the media feeds we the public on an unrelenting diet of what to fear and who to blame for that fear. Our ...
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
October 8, 2024 - Quote for the Day:
“The real Jesus, and the authentic Christianity he gives, are buried, like barnacles on a boat, by layers of religious rituals, rules and regulations.”
Originally published in:
Bad News Religion
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Living a Christ-centered Life – A Survey of Colossians Pt 1
You need to be Christ-centered. That's a major theme of the Book of Colossians and this is the first program in a 4 program survey of the Book of Colossians.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0380.mp3
Are You Out of Your Mind?
Do Christians tend to check their brains at the door of the church? Do we avoid thinking about anything that can't be expressed on a license plate? Are Christians brainwashed? Are we out of our minds? Be sure to catch this program as Greg urges us to think and ponder.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0236.mp3
“Please Sir, I want some more” by Stuart Segall
In the movie “Oliver” young Oliver does the unthinkable and walks up to the master in the house and asks for more soup! After a harmony of gasps, the next words out of the mouths of all the adults are “What?”
Anyone watching the movie would have to have a heart of stone to side with the “adults” questioning the young boys' request. The scene compels the viewer to a heart of compassion for Oliver. Even though it is a movie, you feel like jumping onto the screen and quickly giving him another bowl of soup.
This writer loves this scene in ...
Return of the God Hypothesis – Book Review – Grant Corriveau
Return of the God Hypothesis - Stephen C. Meyer.
Within one lifetime (i.e. my own) the dominant worldview within our (western) culture has shifted from "It is written!" to "Science says!" Our standard assumptions have more from a presupposition of a Creator Being to one where this view is declared Delusional! Worst of all, the strongest proponents of either viewpoint take great umbrage at anyone daring to question the basic 'tenants of the faith.' Happily, heretics have always existed who (despite the very real risks to their professional reputa...
What If? Imagine a Strange…but not Impossible Dream – Greg Albrecht
What if relentless efforts to destroy enemies and vengeful efforts in taking an eye for an eye, came to a grinding halt? What if the spiritual and emotional eyesight of every human being, clouded by hatred, grievances and recrimination as it is, were to be miraculously healed in favor of reconciliation and forgiveness?
What if we moved on from the bitter memories of the Holocaust and the never-ending pogroms before and after? Oh yes, they happened, and if the reality of this world is all we have to live for and count on, we must remember. Never again!
But what ...
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
October 5, 2024 - Quote for the Day:
“The Beatitudes are counter-cultural to an entrenched Christian culture that since the days of Constantine has been hell bent on ‘evangelizing’ through enforced conformity and ultimately subjugation rather than proclaiming the grace of God and the transformation he freely gives, through Christ, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). In a world dominated then and now by the lethal, oppressive combination of warfare and violence on the one hand with the tyranny of fear-based religion on the other, the Beatitudes are the ...
The Book of Judgment – Greg Albrecht
Question:
Would you please give me your perspective – your interpretation – of biblical passages regarding a book of judgment. I am thinking in particular of a reference to names being blotted out/not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life – but of course there are other similar references to judgment in the Bible.
Response:
Thank you for a great question. There are, as you mention, many references in the Bible to books being opened, in the context of judgment. The cultural and literary context of each reference is helpful, beyond that necessary, in ...
Read the Book!
Do you own a Bible? Do you know where it is? When did you last see it -- when did you last open it? In this program Greg offers five reasons to study the Bible.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0234.mp3
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