1796 results for tag: Greg Albrecht

“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 ...

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 ...

What does the Afterlife look like for Unbelievers? – Greg Albrecht

Question: I’ve been reading your site for a few days. I have read your beliefs that God does not punish anyone or turn away from them beyond letting them experience the natural consequences of their actions. In particular, you use the term “hell” to describe depravity and awful environments that humans cause on this earth by turning away from God. You reject the concept of hell as an afterlife of eternal torment for those who did not accept Jesus’ work before their death, and you assert that these unbelievers experience an “afterlife” in which they see God more clearly and still have the opportunity to turn and be welcomed into ...

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...

Whose Side Is God On?

  Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"— Joshua 5:13-14 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 ...

Can We Lose Our Salvation?

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 ...

Grace on Trial

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 is the gospel. Radical grace—I like that. For those who may not know, let's remind them the ...

God-Given Freedom

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 thing that counts is ...

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 ...

July 2022

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Unadorned Clay Pots – pg. 1 Freedom to Forgive – pg. 2 Thanks PTM - Keep On Rockin'! – pg. 5 The Band – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

Fools, Foolishness and Grace – by Greg Albrecht

Friend and Partner Letter From June 2015: The left side of his body appeared to be paralyzed, so that his thin left arm dangled, looking as if it had atrophied. The right side of his body, with the aid of a cane held firmly by his muscular right arm, dragged his inert left side after it. He didn’t walk – he shuffled. Karen and I had just entered our local grocery store, and as we started down one of the aisles the crippled, grizzled man was ahead of us, hobbling along, in the company of a bigger and stronger companion.  As we stopped to select items to place in our cart, we heard him bellowing at his much larger friend and at other ...

“Dark Nights Will End—The SON Will Rise” – Sermon by Greg Albrecht – Excerpt from Spiritual Soup Vol. 3

  1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—   2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.   3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder   4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across ...

Pastoral Perspective with Greg Albrecht: “What should I look for in a church?”

Question: What should I look for in a church?  I am loving your emphasis on the inclusiveness of the Triune God, his love and grace.   Over the past 35 years I have had a long journey through Baptist, evangelical, Calvinist and charismatic churches.  I am feeling more free in Christ than ever before.  Thanks for your great teaching! Response: 1)      For many years I searched official teachings and practices of denominations – at first, I confined my search within the Protestant world.  I parsed through evangelical churches – by the way, many evangelicals call themselves ...

Did all people receive the Holy Spirit on Pentecost?

Q: Does Acts 2:17 mean that “all people” from the Day of Pentecost forward have received God’s Holy Spirit, whether or not they have repented, believed and accepted God? “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). R: The meaning and implications of Acts 2:17 are fascinating. CLICK HERE to continue reading

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 ...