1786 results for tag: Greg Albrecht

Who IS, and Who WAS, and Who IS TO COME

by Greg Albrecht The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful ...

The King Who Became a Man

by Greg Albrecht The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood (John 1:14, The Message). During his reign (1910-1936) King George V of the United Kingdom and the British Empire visited Leeds, a city in the north of England. When he was informed that a school was situated next to the railway line, King George agreed to have the train slow down so that he could appear on a platform and wave to the children as the royal entourage passed. When the king came outside the train he wore no outward signs of royalty, but was dressed in a suit, like any other male subject of his kingdom. After the train glided by and the cheers of ...

Q&R with Greg Albrecht – “Is tithing a requirement?”

Question My pastor holds a different view than I do on tithing. He teaches that the Bible says in Malachi 3:8-12 that if we don't tithe (which he stresses is a full ten percent) we are robbing God. He says if we do not tithe at least ten percent we are under a curse and not able to experience the full blessings that God wants to give us. I know from my study of the Scriptures that this teaching is false, for the following reasons: 1. This passage in Malachi was directed to the nation of Israel, which at the time was under the Old Covenant.2. If Christians are to tithe the way Israel was instructed, they would need to keep the entire Old ...

December 2020

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Greg Albrecht: God Is With Us– pg. 3 Brad Jersak: Phenomenal Cosmic Powers– pg. 8 Ed Dunn: The Season of Lights – pg. 10 Laura Urista: Christmas Presence – pg. 12 Richard Rohr: Centered in the Presence – pg. 14 Brad Jersak: Love or Syrupy Sentimentalism? -pg. 15

Q&R with Greg Albrecht – “Is there any significance to numbers used in the Bible?”

Question  In my former church, I was taught a lot about the significance of certain numbers—seven, twelve and so on—and their importance in the unfolding of God’s ongoing work with man. Is there really any essential God-purposed meaning to the occurrence and recurrence of particular numbers in the Bible? Response I believe that there are times when specific numbers used in the Bible have special significance, and that obviously those numbers are used by God’s inspiration. Several factors to keep in mind to maintain a balanced perspective: 1. Not all numbers used in the Bible have a special significance.  The context ...

Christ Alone – the Absolute Center of Our Faith

  Studies of sermon topics and titles reveal that the vast majority of messages given within the churches of Christendom, perhaps up to 80%, are centered on the needs and desires of human beings, rather than on Jesus Christ. 80%! The task of preaching and teaching the real, authentic gospel of Jesus Christ boils down to preaching Christ. The purpose of Christ-centered, authentic Christian teaching, preaching, ministry or church is not to preach the Bible, but to preach Christ. Of course, properly interpreted and understood, the Bible is all about Jesus Christ—he is not only the divine author but he is the subject and theme of the ...

How Can Jesus Be 100% God + 100% Human?

Q: You have said the Bible does not teach a mixture of divine and human natures. Could they be joined in such a manner that it would be possible for Jesus Christ to die as both God and man? It is hard for me to believe these two natures were united in such a manner as to allow only the man in Jesus Christ to die. It is said the Son of God became flesh so he could suffer death for all men. Did God fail? You have also said that Jesus was and is God. "He always was God and always will be God," you once wrote. If the man in Jesus died and the soul of man was commended to God in heaven and the body of Jesus went to the grave, where was the God ...

Don’t Forget

by Greg Albrecht Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my innermost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.—Psalm 103:1-5 Every Friday night Eddie walked down to an old broken down pier on the eastern seacoast of Florida, walking slowly, slightly stooped over while carrying a large bucket of shrimp. The sea gulls flocked to the old man because almost every Friday night he provided ...

When Were You Saved…And Does it Really Matter?

by Greg Albrecht Here's an email I received recently: I said the prayer to be saved when I was ten years old. I don't remember much about it—just that my mom was upset that the church I was attending with my friend would baptize a child (me) who was not really sure what was going on. Many years later, in another church service, I asked Jesus to come into my heart again. The pastor announced to the church that I was rededicating my life. Yet looking back, I feel that God was with me all along. Is it possible that I was truly saved when I was age ten, even though I was unaware of its great importance? I know that God knows my heart and I have a ...

Haunted by Cult Guilt – Q&R with Greg Albrecht

Question  I spent 20 years as a Jehovah's Witness. My problem is that I still have dreams and feelings of guilt for robbing my ex-husband's parents (who are now deceased) of all the holidays my husband and I refused to celebrate because we followed Watchtower teachings. My ex was an only child. Ten years after I became a Witness, he also became one. After his parents died, for various reasons, I left the marriage and am now remarried and a member of a Christian church. My ex is still a JW. I can't get rid of the feeling that I have. His parents were very patriotic and my husband gave up that belief when he became a Witness. Now I am ...

November 2020

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Like Wool on Sheep – pg. 1 Descending to Serve – pg. 2 Thanksgiving for Everyone – pg. 5 Scaredy Pants – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

Q&R with Greg Albrecht – “Can a 2000-year-old book apply to a 21st-century Indian?”

Question I am a third-year medical student writing from India. I have heard it said that the truth of the Bible is absolute – true for all people at all times at all places regardless of culture, ethnicity or nationality. But the Gospels and the Epistles were written to a specific group of people in a specific context addressing specific situations. How does that apply to me, an Indian, separated by 2,000 years from biblical events, by thousands of miles from biblical geography, and most of all by a vast cultural separation from those people to whom it was written? Response According to the Bible, God has revealed his plan to us ...

Just Wondering – Greg Albrecht

I was recently challenged by someone whose religion causes them to believe God the Holy Spirit to be an “it” rather than a divine Person.   Their mannerisms as they “taught me” reminded me of mansplaining - the current term that women use for men who patronize them, adopting a condescending conversational tone as if they are empty headed, immature children.  After I listened to this person “setting me straight” I said I had a few questions – they of course had to allow me to say something, since I had listened to them, and “questions” sounded good because it may have seemed I wanted clarification.  Indeed I did ...

He Cares For You! Greg Albrecht

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). Paul wrote these words when he was in lock-down – the power of the mighty Roman Empire insisted he “stay safe at home.” Paul was social distancing whether he liked it or not.  He was in prison, or at the very least under house arrest. He had good reason to be anxious about everything in his life yet he said, “Do not be anxious about anything…”  Paul was an intelligent man. He had a ...

Will You Get Enough Right Answers? Greg Albrecht

Will You Get Enough Right Answers? My driver’s license is expiring in a few weeks. In the past, my license expired every five years and the state of California automatically renewed it and sent me a new one in the mail.   But now, knowing I have passed the exalted age of 70, and apparently completely oblivious of the legal implications of age discrimination, the good people of California have determined that I and other old codgers like me must have my vision and knowledge tested to see if we are worthy of sharing the road with all the careful, cautious and patient younger drivers we encounter every day. I made an appointment and showed ...

Q&R with Greg Albrecht – “Do I need to learn ‘Christian-ese’?”

Q. I’m finding it hard to communicate with some of the Christians I have met.  No one I know talks the way people do in the church I am attending. Can you help? A. There are several schools of thought about in-house Christian vocabulary. On the one hand, there are technical terms, as with any discipline or endeavor, needed to accurately define Christian belief and practice. Using specific terminology enables us to be concise and accurate, and to avoid misunderstanding.  Here’s a few technical terms that are necessary to accurately explain some of the complexities of the Christian faith: AtonementEschatologyHerm...

Grace Without Reservations

By Greg Albrecht And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, then grace would no longer be grace.—Romans 11:6 Have you ever had an altercation, a conflict or misunderstanding with your wife or husband, adult child or a good friend and wondered how in the world you could patch things up? We've all been there, haven't we? Perhaps we are "there" right now. Let's suppose (and it's a safe supposition, isn't it?) that the mess we are thinking about is a mess that is our fault. We are to blame. After all, at some point in our lives, we have all been in the wrong, haven't we? At some point in our lives we have all been the major ...

Scandalous Grace – Part 2

by Greg Albrecht Our story centers on Jacob's deception, but more than that, it centers on God promising a reversal. God essentially told Rebekah, Jacob and Esau's mother, that Jacob would receive the blessing the older brother, Esau, should have had. Amazingly, the life of Jacob after he had deceived both his father and his brother was an ongoing saga of deceit and conflict. When Esau realized that he had been duped and deceived, Jacob had to run for his life to escape Esau's anger. The story of Esau and Jacob is an illustration of God's scandalous grace, a grace that reaches into the murky depths where right and wrong seem to be blurred, where ...

Scandalous Grace – Part 1

by Greg Albrecht This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, ...

Manipulated by Cunning Craftiness – Greg Albrecht

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed to and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).  Paul employs the word picture of a boat being tossed and driven by a storm, reminding  Christ-followers “the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13) will mature them, helping “then” to prevent them from being “blown here and there by every wind of teaching.” The NEB translates this passage:  “We are no longer to be children, tossed by waves and whirled about with every fresh wind of teaching, dupes of ...