Today I want to chat with you about two topics - liberty and democracy. You are a proponent of libertarianism, which in my estimation seems to blend these two things together. What is libertarianism and how does it relate to democracy?
Thanks, David. Although not impossible, libertarianism and democracy rarely walk hand in hand, but let me first speak to libertarianism, as most know very little about it. Libertarianism holds that proper use of force is only justifiable in defence or retaliation, typically regarding individual property, including one’s body. Not because the value of property outweighs the individual, but because individuals contribute to and partly ensure their well-being by protecting their property. This seems straightforward enough, but sadly, society doesn’t reflect this thanks to increasing government size and coercion to enforce endless laws. It’s also important to note that “libertarianism” is an umbrella term that houses several different sub-philosophies regarding the legitimacy and scope of government – something I might be hard-pressed to elaborate on given this format. Moreover, some confuse the term with libertinism, akin to nihilism, an entirely self-serving existence free of any moral absolutes. This is not libertarianism. As for democracy, it’s merely a system of governance. Therefore, it’s possible to democratically elect leaders to govern by libertarian principles, but it has rarely transpired and is not required. The system of monarchy, for example, could be just as effective. Although un-elected, a ruler holding libertarian values could choose to respect each subject’s right to life, liberty and property. I’m not holding one system above another, just clarifying that it’s the respect for private property, proper usage of force, and little else, which grease libertarianism’s wheels. How would voting and government look in a truly libertarian country? This question brings us back to the differing philosophies I just mentioned. The method of governance and how society arrives there isn’t the issue; it’s whether or not elected, or un-elected authorities choose to respect individual property rights and how they engage in the use of force. Libertarian principles seemingly flourish best under the banners of classical liberalism, minarchism (or the night-watchman state) and anarchy. Anarchy is a highly charged word that conjures up much negative imagery but reduced means a voluntary society, absent of a state. Christians often struggle with this concept based on their understanding of human depravity, making it difficult to imagine a world strictly built on social trust and cooperation. Under anarchy, the free market provides all goods and services. Minarchism, a minor form of government, creates a state authority that offers policing, national defence and the courts to protect both individual property and the threat of foreign invasion: that’s it. Classical Liberalism goes one step further by including the provision of roads and fire services. But as the list of services grows, so does the size of government, burden of taxation and the state’s ability to coerce. In a libertarian society, personal responsibility and voluntary cooperation between individuals are a requirement for individual and collective flourishing. There is no redistributed wealth to fund social programs, little to no government services and, as a result, next to no taxation. Individuals, communities and enterprises are incentivized to become charitable in thought and deed to promote economic growth and ensure lasting peace. Governments are drastically reduced, and their opportunities to infringe on our lives significantly diminish. Liberty is a truly Christian principle. Can you share with me how libertarianism seeks to protect liberty? By seeking to protect every individual’s right to life, liberty and property via the most minimal form of government. The protection of life implies protection from bodily harm, and although some libertarians view it differently, many extend that right to the unborn. The right to liberty can also be expressed as the freedom to use our faculties. Faculties represent our skills and ability to make a living. This includes the freedom to move about and relocate if required. This is another point of tension within libertarian theory as some advocate completely open borders, while others advocate the right to refuse entry: an extension of property rights. Political ideas rarely bring people into a total agreement, which is also true of libertarianism. Lastly, the protection of property. This includes land, dwellings, and personal belongings–everything enabling us to grow in wealth and security while incentivizing free people to work hard as they reap the benefits from their labour. Libertarianism’s building blocks mirror countless scriptures. Verses speaking to the sanctity of life, loving one’s neighbour, the legitimacy of private property, and the requirement for personal responsibility and hard work, consequences of the garden event. Other political philosophies expand far beyond these arcs and trample our liberties in the process. A government professing to give us rights makes an illegitimate claim: fundamental rights are ours, to begin with. To act legitimately, and this is where some debate exists, the government merely exists to protect our freedoms. You have been writing about liberty and libertarianism over the last few years. What led you to first write about this topic? After holding politically conservative aligned views for many years, I experienced a philosophic change. While vacationing during the summer of 2018, I began reading the book “Called to Freedom,” which explores the intersection of Christian faith and political freedom. Before this, I had been one of the many Christians solely using Romans 13 to direct my political thinking. The second chapter of the book, written by Jason Hughey, completely dismantled my previous understanding of the relationship between church and state. As I read, I slowly began to lose my long-standing party affiliation, effectively leaving me politically homeless. A short time later, convinced that libertarianism represents the closest expression of Christian political thought, I began a blog, partly to organize my thoughts, grow, and spread the word about a primarily unknown political ideology. As you write, how does your knowledge of God influence or govern the way you understand the topic? Being made in the image of God, and sharing specific attributes with Him, demonstrates the importance of every individual. The government aims to protect minorities; however, they govern at the expense of the smallest minority: individuals themselves. It’s not selfish to desire personal liberty when that desire extends to include others. Unless someone behaves in a way that threatens life or property, I think they should be left alone to the extent that it's possible. I don't have to agree with their personal choices, but beyond me witnessing to them, that's ultimately between them and God. Government laws and their use of force extend far beyond the biblical mandate of punishing those who do evil. Suppose Jesus' ministry had taken place today. I'm sure He would have plenty to say about the levels of government coercion now present in many areas of our lives: the church included. It’s a vast overreach. Human beings will always look to forms of governance, so governments aren't likely to disappear. But a morally superior model might be establishing covenant communities and promoting voluntary interactions to safeguard personal and community welfare. This better respects the sanctity of every individual, allowing them to enact their God-given free will as they make personal choices. As we come to an end of the interview, from what you have seen and experienced in Canada how has democracy been corrupted and how can we as citizens protect liberty? We don't live in a liberal democracy. Democracy in this country only occurs on the days we head to the polls. Many will deem that a radical view, so let me unfurl it. The system itself doesn't function democratically. Members of Parliament (MP) are supposed to represent their constituents. Still, once they get to Ottawa, the Canadian political party system runs so that MPs merely toe their party line. They don't vote by their constituents will. If they vote against their party, their party whip (an actual position) disciplines them. If the MP feels compelled to un-align themselves with a particular party view, the MP is instructed to take a "long lunch" and abstain from the vote not to hurt their party's chances of carrying it. There is very little room to vote with conscience or represent your constituents' views. This is undemocratic and smells of oligarchy. Moreover, there is nothing "liberal" about our main federal parties. The word liberal comes from "liberalism," which has been steadily declining in the west for decades. Many think of the Liberal Party of Canada when they see or hear the word liberal, but the two are nothing alike. Federally speaking, the closest thing we have to Classic Liberalism in this country is the People's Party of Canada, although they also roll in aspects of Conservatism. Note - this is not an endorsement; I'm merely speaking to ideological differences. All of this to say, we have severe issues in this country. Sadly, if you’re a proponent of free speech, free markets, and individual property rights, including bodily integrity, things haven’t looked too good for some time. As for what we can do, great question. After many years of being highly political, I find myself in a different place these days. I’m abiding in Jesus more than ever, trying to develop more freedom in my life through personal choices and focusing heavily on educating our homeschooled children. It may take a generation or two before things get better, if at all. I’m not sure the global battle can be won, but that won’t deter me from teaching my children to stand on principle and God’s word, love their neighbour, and hopefully one day, we will all hear the words, “well done, good and faithful servant.”
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Who are you, where are you from, and what are your passions in life?
My name is Joshua. I am 31 years old, and I was born in Vancouver, BC, to a North African Father and Mennonite-Scottish Canadian Mother. I am a good old-fashioned Canadian “melting pot.” I moved to the Okanagan Valley of BC with my mom as a toddler and grew up here and mostly lived here from then on. I have also lived for short times in Ontario (GTA), Mexico, Scotland, and South America. My first and foremost passion in life is worshiping, exalting, and proclaiming the Holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who sovereignly rescued me while I was dead in my sins. After Him comes my beautiful and strong wife, Chantelle. We have been married since 2013. We have our 4-year-old daughter, Abigail, and our 3-year-old son, Jesse. I have a burning passion for loving my wife and children Biblically as I lead my family in submission to Christ and His Word. My other main points of interest are riding my motorcycle in the beautiful mountains of BC, hiking, swimming, playing baseball, snowboarding, and travelling. I have been blessed to have been able to travel to 40 countries so far in life, 36 of which were with my wife. You have gone through some suffering in your life related to injuries. Can you share with my readers a bit about that? I have always been into sports and exercise, but at the age of 19, I began to really get into weightlifting. It made me feel good mentally and physically. I continued to become more dedicated to it as I entered my 20’s. By the age of 25, it had become an obsession, or better said, I had become my obsession. I was very strong for my size and had built an attractive physique. My pride began to swell more and more until it was all that drove me. “Never big enough, never strong enough.” That was the theme of my thoughts. What had started as something good, as physical exercise in and of itself is not bad (1 Tim 4:8), had consumed my every waking thought and motivation. I was idolizing my physical prowess over others, and it felt VERY good. I would appear humble as others would praise my strength and looks, but inside it was feeding the fire with gasoline, so to speak. All this culminated to the point of hours a day spent in the gym, six days a week, worshiping. I pushed my limits as hard as I could, and I felt completely invincible doing so. One day, however, as I was at the end of my daily ritual at the gym in the oil sands camp I was working at in Northern Alberta, God’s sovereign plan was at work. As I was performing my last exercise of the day on the decline bench press, I felt and heard a loud pop from the area of my right shoulder. My arm quickly gave out, and I dropped the weight on the floor, knowing something bad had happened. I tried to play it off as no big deal, but I was in denial. Something major had happened. Somewhere around that time, I injured my back quite badly, to the point I could not do physical labour anymore or go to the gym. The Holy Spirit broke me and convicted me of my wicked pride and self-worship, but I wanted nothing to do with it. I became bitter, angry, entitled, and hard-hearted. This all stemmed from the false view of God I held at the time. I thought that He owed me. I threw my heart at other idols and became involved in folly and grievous sin to the point of almost losing my marriage and my family. All of this was my doing. Thank God that this is not how the story ends. Suffering of any kind is something that many try to avoid. Yet we are told that maturity comes through suffering well. How have you grown in your faith as a result? To say that I have grown in my faith as a result of physical suffering, which I still endure daily, by the way, would be a true statement indeed. However, it only begins to encompass the incredible work that the Holy Spirit has done in my heart and my mind as only He can do. I gave God every reason to leave me to my own devices and abandon me to my sin and eventual death because of it. But in His mercy and grace, He worked through my sin and wickedness to break me not just physically but spiritually as well. Through all this, God got ahold of me. I mean He really got ahold of me. To the point where I questioned everything, not about His existence, just like the demons I always believed He was real, but about my own life, my own salvation, my own future. Something my pastor said in the past has always stuck with me; “It doesn’t matter exactly when you started breathing, but that you are breathing now.” Whether I was actually saved before or not is beside the point but believe me when I say it was a major turning point. The seeker-sensitive emotionalism I had grown up in was no longer attractive. I was sick of milk, and I was craving something that would sustain me. All of a sudden, all I wanted to do was be obedient to Christ. Only a true work of the Holy Spirit revives a heart that is dead in sin (Eph 2, Ezekiel 37). In what way has your pastor and fellow Christians discipled you through your time of suffering? What did you find helpful? I can not say enough about my pastor and the small group of true brothers God has placed in my life. They had done nothing less than stand on the supremacy and sufficiency of Scripture (2 Tim 3:16-17), even when I did not, as they humbly gave of their time to pour into me the truth of God’s Word. About my pastor, specifically, words can not describe how grateful I am for him. He is a true disciple-maker and faithful servant of the Lord. As I look back on the past couple of years since meeting him and then joining the local church he pastors, I can not help but have tears well up. I have never had someone lead me in submission to the Word with such fire and passion, and truly cherish my heart as he does. I am forever grateful to God for Pastor Jordan. If I had to make the point form version to answer your question, the most helpful thing was bold men who pointed me to the Word, explaining and teaching while not spewing their own opinions, but standing on what God has clearly spoken through the Holy Scriptures and exhorting me to learn, believe, and submit to God’s perfect commands. A true work of the Holy Spirit through faithful men where Soli Deo Gloria is the only thing these men are concerned with. When we chatted last, you had mentioned that you hadn’t always had a sound view of suffering. Can you share with me how a poor theology of suffering impacts how people deal with it? I did not just have a terrible view of suffering. My self-entitled view on suffering I mentioned earlier was a symptom of a much deeper problem, an incorrect and unbiblical view of God. I thought that because I was smart enough to realize God was real, somehow He owed me something. I grew up being told essentially that “Jesus died for you cause you’re awesome and He needs you to be with Him.” Like it was me doing Him a favour by gracing Him with my presence. Now try and find that in the Bible! Some of the teaching I grew up in also taught that if you’re suffering in whatever way it may be, that means that you don’t have enough faith - because, of course, God “always wants to heal you.” Passages like Isaiah 53, which speak of healing from the deadly disease of sin, were twisted to mean that because of Jesus’s “stripes,” there is no reason why He wouldn’t heal you right here right now, every time. That is simply not the case (2 Tim 4:20, 2 Cor 12:7-9, 1 Tim 5:23), and it is a dangerous and false doctrine that hurts people who are in the midst of suffering. A quick look into Church history sees all the Apostles, apart from John, executed for their proclamation of Jesus Messiah, Christians sent to the coliseum to be torn apart by wild beasts for the sake of entertainment, Nero lighting Christians on fire as lamps, Reformers and Puritans being hunted down and executed by their governments. I could go on. Scripture and Church history tell a story of suffering for Christ that is antithetical to a lot of the mainstream teaching we have in the west. Philippians 4:13 has to be one of the most common verses that are taken out of context that I have seen. When Paul stated, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” he was not talking about “claiming his healing”; he was speaking of being content in all circumstances no matter what, which is clearly indicated by the context given in the preceding verses. Sin! Sin is what Jesus’ stripes ultimately heal. So whether we live our lives in perfect health or not, our ultimate purpose is to bring glory to the name of Jesus through our suffering. And to teach or believe that suffering and illness should not come our way if we are Christians is to grossly ignore what the Bible says. (John 16:33, 1 Peter 4:12, 1 John 3:13). Jesus, Himself said that anyone who wants to follow Him has to deny themselves and take up their cross daily (Matt 16:24). The cross is indeed a place of healing and victory, but not in the sense that we hear and see twisted in our evangelical culture. If we are in Christ, we have assured victory and everlasting healing because Jesus agreed to save us by being crushed under the full wrath of the Father! (John 10:17-18). As he drank every single drop of that cup and finally exclaimed, “It is finished,” our true healing was secured. We are healed from the death we deserve and ultimate poison of sin through the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, who accomplished what we never could, a life perfectly submitted to the Father’s will, without sin of any kind. So if you are in Christ, then no matter what happens to you on this side of eternity, you will be with Him in eternal life with no death, mourning, or pain! (Rev 21:4). That is true biblical healing! That’s Isaiah 53! Today many churches are willing to close and stop ministering to people in person because of the possibility of sickness. What does this indicate about the state of the church? Where is “God always wants to heal” now? I think we have seen the true colours of the lack of sound doctrine and theology in the majority of Churches in this country - forsaking the biblical to command to gather (Heb 10:25), giving lacklustre and weak exegetes of Romans 13, and wanting to look “nice” instead of standing for biblical truth and against blatant lies and tyrannical control being shoved down our throats by a demonic self-worshiping government. The church, for the majority, does seem to be in a sad state in this country, BUT, our Lord Himself said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt 16:18, emphasis added). The true church will flourish. Why? Because Jesus said so. As we come to the end of the interview, I want to focus on those who may be suffering today because of injury and sickness. What would you say to encourage them on their path to finding help? If you are in Christ and you are reading this, and you are suffering in any way at all, which I am sure you are (if not at this moment in time, just wait), God has not abandoned you. It is not due to your lack of faith (2 Tim 2:13). He humbled Himself and came to earth to live as a man, and He suffered immensely. He knows what it is like to suffer (Is 53:3). He loves you, and He died for you specifically (Eph 1). He was rejected and crushed, so you do not have to be, even though you deserve it. Your healing is secure, and even if you spend the rest of your life in pain, it will be but a blip on the radar in the face of eternity in the presence of the all-sufficient Son of God. Suffer well (1 Peter 3:17, James 1:2-4) and bring glory to the name above all names, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I will end with this, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” - Romans 5:3-5 You have been blogging for 5 years and have been featured by a number of many ministries. What motivated you to start this ministry?
I actually developed an interest in blogging 13 years ago. I wrote a series of articles on Facebook Notes explaining why I left the prosperity gospel movement. The articles attracted attention from Christians all over the world. That helped me understand how impactful and helpful blogging can be. But it wasn’t till 6 years later in 2015—during the original Black Lives Matter riots in Fergusson, Missouri— that I created my blog. Just like I did with the prosperity gospel movement, I created SlowToWrite so I could explain why I reject the Black Lives Matter movement. Recently you have written a curriculum about the dangers of CRT. I want to focus on that, but before we dig into it, can you share a brief summary of what CRT is for those who may not be aware? The curriculum hasn’t been released yet. It will be released in a few months, Lord willing. Critical race theory is essentially a race-centric version of Marxism and post-modernism. Critical race theory suggests the essential conflict in society is racism. It suggests white people (and Western nations) oppress non-white people, especially black people. And the only possible way to limit or end that oppression is to change our legal system and cultures into an “anti-racist” system that would discriminate against white people in order to create “equity” (or equality of outcome) for non-white and especially black people. What are some practical ways we see the influence of CRT here in Canada? There are many examples. The most obvious is Canada’s relationship with its Indigenous people. Justin Trudeau has repeatedly said: “no relationship is more important to Canada than the relationship with Indigenous Peoples.” The Canadian government is committed to prioritizing Indigenous people at the expense of all Canadians, including Indigenous people. The federal government’s Black Entrepreneurship Program is also another example. The program promises up to 265 million dollars in investments for only black entrepreneurs in an attempt to produce “equity” for black Canadians. And last year, Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation in Halton Region changed their rules so that non-white union members would have their votes weighted more than white members. And then, of course, Ambrose University—a supposedly Christian school in Calgary—denounced me in a public letter last year for rejecting the concept of systemic racism in a talk about racism for black history month. From what you have learnt, what are the dangers that CRT poses and who is most vulnerable to its agenda? Though critical race theorists call themselves “antiracists”, they’re actually just anti-white racists. That’s one of the dangers of critical race theory. It’s fundamentally racist against white people. As Ibram Kendi says in How To Be Antiracist, racial discrimination against white people is good if it creates “equity”. But critical race theory isn’t just racist against white people, it’s racist against all people, including non-white and especially, black people. By categorizing all black people as members of an oppressed group, critical race theory promotes the soft bigotry of low expectations for black people. Another danger of critical race theory is its opposition to, as one of its founders—Richard Delgado—says “the very foundations of the liberal order, including equality theory, legal reasoning, Enlightenment rationalism, and neutral principles of constitutional law.” By labelling everyone who disagree with them as racists, everyone is vulnerable to its agenda if they’re not ready to be called racists for rejecting their ideology. I'm a young father and am concerned about the world that my daughter is growing up in. How can we best prepare her when she encounters CRT? Our public education systems from kindergarten to universities have completely embraced critical race theory. So I encourage parents to consider alternative forms of education for their children. Other than that, parents should teach their children what the Bible says about race, ethnicity, racism/partiality, and justice. Our ignorance on what the Bible teaches on these things is why so many Christians—especially young Christians—have embraced critical race theory. Public school has become an indoctrination center, and many parents have opted to homeschool their children instead. From your own perspective, do you think that there should be a different approach to preparing our children based on whether we have decided to homeschool them or enroll them in public school. If so, what approach should be taken? I wouldn’t encourage a parent to send their children to public school. As you said, they have become indoctrination centres for critical race theory and other anti-Christ ideologies. Homeschooling is the best option. However, some single-mothers—like my own mother when I was a boy—may not have any other option. For those parents, I encourage them to participate in the parent-teacher meeting and school board meetings. I also encourage them to examine the public school’s curriculum and assignments. That way, when they discover harmful teachings from the school—they could inform their children about the unbiblical or unhelpful nature of curriculum. As we come to an end of this interview I'd like to ask one final question, how do we as Christians fight against CRT and bring clarity and hope to our world? We should simply teach what the Bible says. Knowing that as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 suggests, the Bible is sufficient in making Christians complete and equipped for every good work—including every good work against critical race theory. The Bible is sufficient, and it’s words are wiser than our own. So we should simply repeat what it says. Tell me a bit about yourself and where you are from.
My name is Jeff Schoneveld. I am from Digby, Nova Scotia and live on a small blueberry hobby farm with my wife and two small children. I have been a professional long-haul transport driver for 12 years now, running Canada/US. My father and brothers are drivers as well. You are part of the "Convoy for Freedom". Not surprisingly our Prime Minister and the media has been trying to smear what's happening. Can you share from your perspective why they are actively doing this? I believe the reason Trudeau is trying to smear us is for one - he is so disconnected from Canadians and their true feelings. They do not listen unless it is their narrative and their way only. Any other way is hateful and racist, they would claim. They seem to be on an agenda that has their own best interests in place and not Canadians. What goal are you hoping to achieve by going to Ottawa to protest? My original goal to do this convoy protests changed from day one! It was for truck drivers losing their US runs and lanes. Some losing everything. But the morning of our departure from Barrington, which was at 3 am, people started showing up at 2:20 am! So I jumped out of the sleeper in the truck and got dressed. As soon as I opened my door, the money, food, and most importantly, the peoples' stories started about how we were their hero's! Some had lost jobs, lost family, lost their right to love freely. I almost broke down a couple of times, and I'll tell you I'm not an emotional person. It just continued from there for the rest of the trip. So the convoy and protests became about all the people that were, and had, suffered in so many ways I could easily write a book about!! We became their voice. I don't want to take too much time away from your travels. So one final question. How does your faith impact this decision that you have made to join the protest? My faith impacts every decision my family and I ever make, so this one was no different. We prayed about it and consoled with many godly friends and family and was hearing the same thing - go, go, go! So how could I not go! And the prayers have been so powerful through this trip. And I believe very strongly we are on the right side of history!! We know what happens. In the end, God always wins :) Tell me a bit about yourself and where you are from.
My name is Jody Newell. I live on the south shore of NS. I was raised around the Trucking industry and currently run a Trucking business started by my Dad (Harold Newell and Son Trucking Ltd). I am married to a beautiful woman named Jennifer, and together we have 7 children You are part of the "Convoy for Freedom". Not surprisingly our Prime Minister and the media has been trying to smear what's happening. Can you share from your perspective why they are actively doing this? Yes, it is very evident that the Prime Minister and his followers are actively trying to smear what's happening, as you put it. I'm not sure what Trudeau's agenda is. Your guess is as good as mine. One thing is certain he is not open-minded at all, and he seems to be suffering from some type of cognitive dissonance. If anything has happened in the last 2 years that made sense it wasn't related to Covid 19 and the "pandemic". If he is trying to ruin the country, he is sure heading it in the right direction. What goal are you hoping to achieve by going to Ottawa to protest? The final straw was when he pulled the rug out from us in the Trucking industry by blocking us from border crossing without this "vaccine," if we can even call it that. Trudeau's agenda certainly isn't looking out for the health of Canadians. He isn't promoting a healthy lifestyle or vitamins or proper diet. He is pushing a lab-made drug that isn't working. For that reason, I refuse to be vaccinated. My company was left with 20% of our drivers vaccinated, so I have a bit of meat in the game. I could lose 40% or more of my business because we will not be able to cross the border. Currently, we are brokering out loads and are struggling to get them picked up and when we do, they are usually late. The driver pool is already limited with a shortage of drivers and this just makes it worse. I decided not to strong-arm any employees into taking an experimental drug. I was always told to just say no to harmful drugs, and so I could not in good conscience ask anyone to do something I wouldn't do. I always send my drivers on the road and assure them I would not ask them to do anything that I wouldn't do. Therefore I would not ask them to do this either. Too many people have lost their livelihood because of Trudeaus dictatorship mandate, including health care workers. This is not fair especially since we went from hero to zero in a really short time. I mean, just imagine your going to fire health care workers during a pandemic, let that sink in. On the subject of health, my wife has needed an operation for 2 years and has been consistently denied because surgeons were paid to stay home and not perform surgeries during this "pandemic " The doctors now want us to buy drugs that could cost $6-700 per month that will only band-aid the problem at best. I want to see lots of changes in this country. The mandates lifted is just the beginning. I don't want to take too much time away from your travels. So one final question. How does your faith impact this decision that you have made to join the protest? How has my faith been impacted? Overall I'm disappointed in the church. Being on this journey, I've seen a lot of love and unity. I've seen people lend a hand and support for each other. I've seen a lot of positive things. I've heard stories of hope. For too long, this agenda of fear has been pushed, but now people have been given hope. We certainly have seen hope for people who had lost all hope. We have seen people crying and brokenness and we were able to give them hope. To be honest, a lot of hope I have seen from many Christians was counterfeit hope. It was hope with no feet. It was going nowhere, but in this convoy, I have seen renewed hope. I just hope the truckers can add to all this perseverance. I believe that this battle will really be won on our knees. When we humble ourselves and pray, we can see a difference. Scripture says the King's heart is in the hand of the Lord. Christians need to pray because God is sovereign, and just like he hardened Pharaoh's heart until he never, the same will go for Trudeau; he will remain where he is until our God removes him. Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. I believe we have a gigantic task ahead of us to gain back our freedom. To change the mind of a corrupt leader is something only God can do. So even though the task is enormous, we serve a big God. He can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, and when we come out victorious (and we will) to God alone be the Glory. Soli Deo Gloria. I've known you for a few years now. You are a thoughtful lady God has used in many people's lives. For those who don't know you, can you share a bit about who are you, where are you from and what are your passions in life?
Certainly, I would be happy to. I am a wife and mother of five children. I have always lived in Nova Scotia's beautiful Annapolis Valley. My husband and I have been married for 27 years, and our children range in age from 14 to 27. My current passions include reading my Bible, learning ancient languages (I have been studying Koine Greek for going on three years now and Latin for a year-and-a-half), homeschooling my 14 year old twin girls, making sourdough bread and knitting whenever I get a spare moment which admittedly is not as often as I would like. Today I want to chat about logic and the need for it in our education. Can you explain what logic is and why it is important to use it to understand our world? Logics' purpose is for evaluating arguments. I'm not using the term argument to mean some ugly quarrel between angry people. In logic, an argument is a reason to believe something. The Latin noun argumentum, which is where we get our English word argument, means evidence or proof. The Latin verb argiuo means to prove or reveal. In the ancient mind of Greeks or Romans, an argument was not necessarily an emotional disagreement but rather an attempt to reveal what was true on the basis of evidence and reason. Logic is the discipline that shows us how to judge whether an argument is good or bad, whether it fits properly together or not. Evaluating the arguments of others is one of the most important skills that any person can have. This perhaps is more true today than it ever has been. The world bombards us with all sorts of recommendations about what to do and believe. Politicians and advertisers often find it easy to manipulate people's emotions or convince them by misleading them or confusing them. In addition to evaluating the arguments of others, we sometimes need to make our own recommendations to others about what to do, to believe or maybe even to buy. Learning logic helps us to craft our own arguments with integrity. It means avoiding manipulation and deception. Logic helps us build arguments the right way. You have recently introduced me to the classical education method, which involves teaching logic. What motivated you to teach using this method? God has led my husband and I on quite a journey with the education of our children. Our children begin their education at the Kings County Christian School. When that no longer was an option for us we began to explore the option of homeschooling. Initially, homeschooling for us looked like doing what was done at the Christian School only at home, which is common for many parents. As time went on and I believe by the leading of the Holy Spirit, I began to research different methods of education. This research eventually led me to an essay called "The Lost Tools of Learning" by Dorothy Sayers. This essay is available for free online if it is of interest to any of your readers. In this essay, she talks about something she calls the trivium. The three stages of the trivium are grammar, logic and rhetoric and Dorthy Sayers points out in her essay that these three stages of the trivium correspond to the three stages of child development. Her essay sparked a desire in me to learn more and as I continued to research classical education. I became more and more convinced this was the path I wanted to take with our children. I talked to my husband about it, and here we are many years later, still educating classically and loving it. What benefits have your daughters been given by being taught logic? Well, honestly, I believe the benefits that my girls have received from learning logic are the ones I referred to in question two. It has been very rewarding seeing them able to think and reason through everything from TV commercials and election campaign ads to conversations they have had with friends and family. They have sometimes even caught and pointed out an error or two in my reasoning. I have heard that you have taken real-life events to teach your children about logic. I think it was great that your girls got excited for the leaders debate during the election for Prime Minister in September. They were pretty excited to point out all the logical fallacies. What are the common ones you and your girls noticed? Oh my David...fallacies in the election debate. I can safely say they were numerous. I think some of the common ones that we see regularly are Ad Hominem Abusive, Circular Reasoning, Sweeping Generalization, lots of Loaded Questions between the party leaders. The leaders debate this past election sadly was more a game of "Count The Fallacies" than it was a lesson in analyzing good arguments. I sometimes wonder if more Canadians were taught the skills of evaluating arguments and were able to recognize the fallacies taking place in these debates, would the people then hold our leaders to higher standards. If anyone wanted to pursue the topic of logic further, what books would you recommend them to read? For book recommendations on logic, I would recommend the "Fallacy Detective" and "The Thinking Toolbox" by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn. They are great for a variety of ages and an excellent place for all people to start. If anyone is interested in finding out more about classical education "The Well Trained Mind" by Susan Wise Bauer is an excellent resource. I've been slowly learning that education isn't merely to grow in knowledge but to grow in our understanding of who God is. As we come to an end of this interview, can you share with me how learning logic helps you and your children understand God better? The Bible teaches that God is a God of knowledge (1 Samuel 2:3; Romans 16:27). Being eternally omniscient, God is not only the source of His own knowledge; he is also the source and determiner of ALL truth. That which is true is true because God thinks it so. The laws of logic are the way He thinks. God is the author of logic. God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). He is a rational being, the "LORD God of truth" (Psalm 31:5). In John 1:1 λόγος (Logos) is translated "word," but this is also the root word for our English word logic. λογιζομαι (Logizomai), which uses the root λογος (Logos), is translated "I think" in English. Jesus Christ is the "Word" and the "Logic" of God: "In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God" John 1:1 emphasizes the rationality of God the Son. Christ is the logic of God. He is Reason, Wisdom, and Truth incarnate (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30; Colossians 2:3; John 14:6). The laws of logic are the way God thinks. God and logic cannot be separated. Times are increasingly becoming difficult for the church. How do we prepare our family well for persecution? Read what Brad Bredenhof, Elder at Grace Life Church in Edmonton, has to say.
Before we dig into the topic I want to explore today with you, please share with my readers a bit about who you are, where you are from, and what your passions are in life. My name is Brad Bredenhof. I have been married to my wife, Fenna, for 14 years. We have seven children, five boys and two girls. We live on 80 acres about 40 minutes west of Edmonton. On this land we raise meat goats, chickens and rabbits. I also work on my Dad’s dairy farm; milking cows for him. I am an elder at Grace Life Church of Edmonton. For about 11 years my wife and I have done some mission work in Cuba to support and help the churches there. I enjoy working with animals, studying history, preaching and spending time with my family. I have a passion to see Biblical churches planted in our province and country. Today I want to chat with you about preparing our families for persecution. You have not only been studying this topic for lessons you will be teaching in Grace Life, but you have experienced it as well. Now as you know, there are many Christians who believe that the church in Canada is not being persecuted. I blame this on a limited view of what persecution is. Having spent time studying this topic, can you share with me what a biblical understanding of persecution is? Last February, after Pastor James was imprisoned due to resisting the orders from the government which restricted the capacity of our worship services, I had the opportunity to teach Sunday School for our church. I started with teaching two lessons on persecution to help and prepare our church. I agree that many Christians don’t have a clear understanding of what persecution is. Let me share some verses from Scripture that I think will give us a very clear and simple definition of persecution. Matt 5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me." 1 Peter 2:20 "For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God." 1 Peter 3:13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. 1 Peter 4:14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. I have highlighted how in these passages the authors define persecution. Persecution is suffering ill treatment because of doing what is right in the eyes of Christ. If, in our obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, we suffer from others, then we are experiencing persecution. With this definition, you can see that we could even suffer persecution because of other immature or misguided Christians. The Bible teaches that if we belong to Jesus that we will suffer. It's not a matter of if, but when. Often time we want to retreat from persecution, yet the Bible teaches that we are blessed when we are persecuted. From your own experience, what blessings have you received as a family? Yes, we have been blessed as we have faced persecution. I believe persecution has drawn us nearer to our God as the fountain of all joy, help and comfort. It has brought us nearer to our church family and deepened our relationship with them. Persecution has refined us. It has made us evaluate our motives and desires. Am I living for heavenly purposes and goals? Persecution has produced a greater longing for heaven so that we are less bound to the things of earth. We are given assurance of our faith as we suffer for doing right as we see the quality of our faith as it continues to trust and obey God in the midst of persecution. I think its safe to say that the persecution that the church is experiencing today is only the start. It will get worse. As a young father I'm concerned for my daughter. How can I prepare my family for difficult times? I understand your concern. I have children too and I often wonder what life will be like for them. The way we expected our society to function for so many years is changing drastically. The future looks scary and dark. The suffering our country could go through may be terrible and horrifying. Just study the history of the Soviet Union or Communist China for a possible preview. Yet I know that Christ is sufficient for even the worst this life can bring. A Christian can be full of joy and be content even in the midst of persecution and suffering. My children need Christ. They need a new heart to enjoy Christ. So, our children need to hear the gospel. They need to be called to repent and believe that only Jesus Christ can forgive their sins. Explaining the gospel to our children is the best way we can help them prepare for difficult times. Good theology is vital to going through difficult times. It is important for our and our children’s peace to know who our God is and what He has done for us. Our children need to understand a theology of man and his sinful nature. They need to understand why there is persecution and the spiritual war that is going on. Our children need to know Biblical theology, for even if they are not interested, it will impact their thinking and God may use that knowledge in the future to convert and comfort them. Having daily devotions in which we read the Scriptures, pray and sing is a great way to teach our children good theology. Don’t skip over difficult parts. Remind them of the reality of what this sin-cursed world is like. Tell what the cost of following of Jesus is. We also can prepare our children for difficult times by getting them to memorize Scripture and even good hymns. I would add that knowing church history is helpful, especially biographies of God’s servants who have suffered much. We can see how God has worked in the lives of others in the midst of suffering to accomplish His purposes. We can see how He comforted and strengthened them. Our God doesn’t change and He will operate in a similar way in our lives. Part of my worry is that I may not always be there to protect my daughter. How do you prepare yourself to trust God when you can't be there for them? The sovereignty, wisdom and goodness of God will be such a comfort in those times when we are helpless to protect our children. So, the best way to prepare for such a time is to learn to trust God now. Know who your God is. Walk in daily fellowship with Him so you can know Him by experience. If something happens to the ones we love and we can’t do anything about it, we can rest in the truth that we know our God is good in all He does; all He does is wise and He loves our children or loved ones more than we can. We can be assured that He is doing what is best and trust Him with our loved ones. As we come to an end of this interview I want to touch on one last thing. As I see it, part of preparing children for persecution is understanding that God is still good, trustworthy and in control even when the worst happens. How do you share these truths to your family in the midst of suffering? Yes, our comfort in suffering comes from knowing who our God is. Hopefully those truths are firmly imprinted on our minds before suffering comes. It is much easier this way. Having to work through our theology while we are suffering is difficult. There is wisdom needed to share truth with our family while they are suffering. When people are grieving and suffering deeply, giving them a lecture or sermon on God’s goodness or sovereignty isn’t going to go over well. We need to show compassion and grace. We need to grieve with those who grieve. We will need to look for a good opportunity to see how they are doing and to help them if they are struggling with any doubts or questions. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. What are some sources that you would recommend for further study on this topic? I found some of the books by Richard Wurmbrand, like “Tortured for Christ” And “Preparing for the Underground Church” to be helpful. I was blessed by “Tortured for his Faith” by Haralan Popov. Brother Andrew’s books are beneficial. There are many different biographies about saints who suffered much which would benefit the Christian, such as the autobiography of John Paton or Corrie ten Boom. John Macarthur has a book called “The Power of Suffering” and John Piper has a book called “Suffering and the Sovereignty of God” which should be good resources. I haven’t read these books but I am familiar with the authors’ teaching on this subject. We have known each other for a few years, ever since we attended the same post-secondary school. For those who don’t know you, can you share a bit about who you are, where you are from, and your passions in life?
Well, I’m an ever-humbled husband of 12 years to my wife Betsy and a father to a soon to be 2 year old beautiful son Jeremiah (we gave him that name so he for sure goes to heaven) that we adopted when he was a half hour old. I have been a Pastor for 7 years and was sent out by a Church in Calgary to plant a church in Penticton BC, Canada, in the same valley where Betsy and I grew up. This church planning road is extreme in the highs, and the lows and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Some Passions: I love to be a husband and a father; I love to hike, hunt, fish, motorbike, mixed martial arts, preach, mountain bike, play board games, develop skills to live off the land, volleyball and I’m sure some more that aren’t coming to me. My main passion in life is for God to be glorified for who He is. What is biblical fellowship and how does it differ from what we have seen over the last few years? Jesus, our High Priest, Lord and Saviour finishes one of His prayers with a picture of what true fellowship in His body looks like when He says, “I do not ask for these [His 11 disciples who were in the upper room with Him before His crucifixion] only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” Jn. 17:20-21 [Brackets mine for context]. Here we see that true Fellowship starts in and is modelled by the Godhead, that because they are in each other, they are one. So it follows that if we claim to know and be known by God we must be in Him, and thus we will be one with others who are in Him. It is the Father that animates and quickens our oneness with His Son through His supernatural drawing (Jn. 6:44) and the changing of our hearts (Jn. 3, “Born From above”). Then Jesus explains in John 15 what it actually will look like if this has truly been done to us using the summary word “Abide.” If we have truly been made new (2 Cor. 5:17) we WILL abide in Christ. This “abide” is an ever-continuing reality actualized and sustained by the Godhead. In the languages of scripture, “being in” or “abiding in” is not talking anatomically, like saying “I am in a house” but ultimately in regards to adoption. Either I have been bought at a price and given the family name with all of its benefits or, in the case of a false convert, I am committing Identity fraud; claiming I am in Christ, but I’m really a child of Satan, and he has never been forced to give up possession of me based on the blood payment of Christ on my behalf, and ultimately, I will die “in” my sins. Now, If I am in Christ, my heart has been changed to love Him, and if my new heart beats for Him, if I truly love Him, I will follow His commandments (Jn. 15: 10) and His greatest commandment concerning His body, the church, is that we love one another as He has loved us, that is, giving ourselves away (laying down our lives, Jn. 15:13) to each other. Finally, concerning the end of this verse which is where we find the purpose of the church, that is, that the world may know and glorify the One who was sent to the world from the Father to save them from their sins (my transliteration of Jn. 17:21b). All that to say this: The fellowship of the Saints and their mandate supersedes all earthly authority because it is not what she (the Bride of Christ) does; it’s who she is, for true belief is never void of faithful action. The Apostle echos this truth by his description and charge to the church, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” (1 Cor. 1:10). In no way can those who claim to be in Christ’s Body uphold this Apostolic charge of oneness if we are tossed to and fro by every wave of earthly government dictates that they try to impose on the house of the Lord. The church has one head, one government. When it comes to its tenets, only Jesus can write them, and those who are in Him will follow them no matter what. I am so thankful for the last few years; for the longest time in the history of the professing church, nothing has revealed more the true authority of those who occupy the pulpit and the pew. Why is it important to be involved in the life of a church and not simply just a Sunday morning pew-sitter? We have a strange notion in the professing-only church today that should be called to account by all those who have been made to abide in Christ. That notion is that somehow, even though the Godhead itself is a community, that Christ walked day-in and day-out with His followers, that faithful shepherds throughout history were desperately intimate with their flock, that individualistic and narcissistic fellowship with God is okay. There is one thing our sin hates more than anything else - it’s God. Why? Because we know that if there is a God, we are accountable to Him and deserve judgment. So what have we done to combat such a nuisance while at the same time not having to actually follow Christ? Those who pollute the office of Elder have allowed into Christ’s house a culture of no accountability resulting in no church discipline, which caters to those who wish to stay at peace with their sin. These seat warmers are allowed to keep face in front of “the church” but will never be able to keep face in front of its King. No one more than these “elders” will be held accountable for such atrocities, for they use the guise of the church to comfort souls to hell by representing a form of following Christ that doesn’t demand one being all in. A way to combat such a culture is to do what Jesus did. Jesus never rushed anyone into salvation; in fact, the opposite is true. Jesus was very clear that before you claim to want to follow Him, you’d better count the costs. Access to Jesus was kept broad, but He wasn’t intimate with the masses. He was only intimate with those who were true to paying the costs. And intimacy with Christ is the only thing that saves. Christ’s Under-Shepherds do themselves a service when they clearly lay out and hold all those who would profess Christ accountable to the high costs, so as not to cheapen the value of the High Prize. Motivating someone from being a pew-sitter to becoming an active member in the church is difficult work. As a pastor, how do you encourage and ensure that biblical fellowship is taking place in the church? Unfortunately, some Elders get hired into churches where the previous Elders allowed pew-sitters. So you gotta do the work of weeding, which doesn’t tend to make one very popular this side of heaven. This can be one of the real beauties of church planting. That is, church planters who are more concerned with making disciples than just making converts can lay out clearly what it means to follow Christ and then there’s no surprises to the new member when we aren’t interested in playing church. They won’t be shocked when they are biblically rebuked or when we cater to the truth more than feelings (and so on). When you throw actual biblical fellowship on a churchgoer of 20+ years for the first time, you’d better bring your shield. Christ never allowed “pew-sitters”; in fact, He said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62). You claim to be a Christian, but you don’t have fruit? You don’t serve? You aren’t known as not your own? You don’t joyfully give? All this and more is to say you don’t love Christ. To which the faithful Pastor responds, “Actively repent or leave. This house is for the Saints!” As a follow up to that last question, what biblical authority have you been given by God to ensure that biblical fellowship is taking place? Controversial these days to say, but there is no biblical local gathering without Elders. We are called to submit to our Elders because they watch over our souls and will be judged greatly by how they carry that responsibility out (Heb.13:17, 1 Thess. 5:12-14). It’s remarkable how we just pass over this foundational office when most of the New Testament was written to Churches with established, tested and true Elders (Acts 14:23). The foundation was laid by the Prophets and the Apostles but inside of the house is under the authority of the Elders who, and no one else, will stand before God and give an account by how they honoured the ways of His word. If one chooses not to submit, nay, if one doesn’t desire greatly to joyfully submit to biblical local Elders then they say to Christ, “I love you, just not your ways.” They, in turn, will die in their ideas of who they think God should be like and that god can’t offer salvation. Only Elders can beget Elders. No biblical Elders in your area? Move! The kingdom is of much more concern than all the other things (Matt. 6:33). How has the “crisis” over the past two years shaped your understanding of the church? I think we have all been challenged by this invasion of Caesar in the last couple of years. But more than just being challenged to revisit our ecclesiology, we have been revealed. We’ve all hopefully ran to the scriptures again and again to seek, but who’s will have we sought? Some have exegeted and were given the spine and perseverance of Christ. Some have eisegeted and attempted to justify their weak spine and hollow professions, to which stepping down and repentance would need to follow in order to continue in the office at another time in the future. Many pastors have not only hindered fellowship but outright cast it aside. What would you say to encourage them to open their doors regardless of restrictions? Disqualified and dishonourably discharged. Some churches in Canada that have stayed open has grown substantially in size because of Christians finding a place to worship. This has led to different problems, such as difficulty in providing spiritual care to everyone in the church. What would you suggest that these pastors do to address this issue? We are not dealing with a subset theology in this situation, like the culture somehow forced men to make some decision in a vacuum void of their beliefs. Decisions are made way before decisions are made. Again, we are dealing with allegiances or horrible hermeneutics, both of which disqualify one from the office. It is the Pastor’s duty to find the answer to the question of all those that transfer, “Would you have stayed at your old church if your church didn’t close?” Suppose the answer is they wouldn’t have transferred. In that case, you are either dealing with a very young Christian or an unbeliever because there would have been way more signs of an unhealthy church before any restrictions came out. This is to say that the fact that the church closed is the least of the issues with that church. That means these transfers either don’t know how to see these obvious things (and need to be taught them and asked to submit to them) or they could care less about the larger issues and thus reveal their true heart. In the vast majority talks I have had with transfers, even at other open churches, they transferred because it’s their rights the government is taking, not because they wish to honour Christ. If their desire was truly to honour Christ, they would’ve transferred a long time ago because the shutting down of a Church is just a small symptom. This is just the symptom they decided to act on. All that said, if people transfer because their past church shut down, they are complete babies or lost pew-warmers looking for a new seat to heat. For these churches that are doubling in size from these transfers, if they are solid churches, most transfers should only last about a month unless they come to terms with the true doctrines and theology that has inevitably resulted in the church staying open. Not all churches that have stayed open stayed open for solid reasons. Those ones will tend to keep lots of the transfers because they expect about the same as the transfer’s last church…which isn’t much. Churches that have closed do not possess a biblical spine because of either poor hermeneutics or poor profession, so they, in turn, wouldn’t expect either of their congregants. Solid churches, based on the biblical costs of following Christ, mandate expectation, so the moment they call the transfers to step up, most will leave. The ones the Father called to Christ will stay. However, you cannot faithfully do this without a correct number of qualified Pastors to hold the gates through being intimate with the entire flock. If your numbers have doubled, but your Pastorate has not, there’s no way you can faithfully Shepherd those who are coming because we are called to the public (pulpit) AND the private (this is where you actually get the smell of sheep on you) proclamation of the Gospel. Either the gates will be overrun with rampant unchecked heresy in the pews, or the Pastors will have to somehow find a clear conscience and be okay with Pastoring a Church that has no ability to march together. I pray Pastors will never think they have the ability to find that clear conscience by pretending they are faithfully Pastoring in such ways. “Oh happy the church of Christ, where the labourers are able and faithful and so proportioned to the number of souls that they might be able to take heed unto all the flock.” - Richard Baxter Thanks for your time. As we come to an end of the interview, is there anything you would like to add? This is such a beautiful time for the church! For so long, the Refiner’s fire has been held at bay, but the Church the Spirit indwells will stand arm in arm in the furnace because they know they don’t walk in it alone. Their King lives! Oh how beautiful are the feet of Jesus! Thanks for having me David. Good day everyone, Sam and Beth here from Scribbler News. This week we’ve taken over the interview portion of the Church Awake blog to give you a closer look into the mind of its author.
Let’s start at the beginning: who are you, where are you from, and what are your passions in life? My name is David Hanson. I am a husband of an amazing and smart wife and the father of a beautiful, almost 2-year old toddler girl. For the past four years, I was a pastor/missionary serving with Village Mission – that was until July of 2021. I grew up in Alberta, but I currently live in Nova Scotia, where I work as an office admin/salesperson for a local company. I have a few passions in life. First, I am passionate about learning and teaching God’s word to others. This is what led me to be a pastor, and ironically what led to me stepping down from formal pastoral ministry. Second, I am passionate about my family, which has led to me learning what has been happening in my country. Things are happening in Canada that will affect my daughter, and my wife and I want to prepare her to face them as we raise her to know God. Since this Spring, I have become passionate about speaking out about moral and political issues in our land – being convinced that this is what the Bible instructs us to do. The description for your blog, called Church Awake, says that your desire is “for the church of North America to become aware and begin to think biblically of what is happening around them in society.” What woke you up to this issue in the church and made you want to start writing about it? This was a process. From an early age, I was encouraged to think biblically. My father wanted us to understand not only what we believe but why we believe it. So part of the credit goes to my parents’ influence. As a pastor, I saw the lack of involvement in engaging in political and moral issues. Some people in the church I served desired to get involved in different issues like abortion and human trafficking, but we didn’t take any action. Though I would preach on general moral issues, I refrained from becoming too specific. The reason is that I was taught by my seminary and the organization I was with to “not be political.” When I went to Binscarth last year in September, I had that same philosophy - especially when it came to the issue of the virus and government restrictions. The first month and a half, we gathered as a church until the government restrictions made it impossible to do so. The board decided to adhere to the mandates and go online. I was uneasy with this but continued to go along with their decision. The fact of the matter is, I didn’t have the biblical fortitude and boldness to confront this issue. I hadn’t been prepared to deal with this matter and hadn’t taken the time to wrestle with what the Bible taught. Selfishly, I also believed that I was still able to preach, so I didn’t want to rock the boat. As time went on, I saw the firsthand result of virtual church. There was no real connection and fellowship. In fact, my wife called zoom church a mirage. And each Sunday, she was left in tears at the end of the “service.” If I was a wise man, I should have clued in then. But we continued. Partly because I still hadn’t wrestled with Romans 13. Things changed for me when James Coates was arrested. And this was especially sped up when Deena Hinshaw was given an extended time to “gather the evidence” for the court case. I remember at that point being assured that the restrictions were not done for medical reasons but for political ones. When this happened, I was moved to learn what the Bible taught concerning how the church was to respond in this season. My wife sent me messages by James Coates, Jacob Reaume and Aaron Rock, and I would listen to them as I drove back and forth from Yorkton to Binscarth to get groceries. My understanding of Romans 13 and our role as a church to engage on moral and political issues began to reform and strengthen. I was convinced not simply through these men but also through studying the Bible that we could not stay closed and that we must confront current issues in our nation. I was also reading the book of Jeremiah at this time during our family worship time and was convicted by the passage about the false teachers who said “Peace, peace” when there was no peace. I feared I had become one of those teachers, and it was time to repent and embrace what the Bible taught. My new stance was met with displeasure with the board. There were multiple meetings between myself, the board, and the organization. With each meeting, I dug more into the Bible, listened more to sermons by faithful pastors, learned more about what the church is called to do, and grew more convinced that this was the right thing to do. This was when I began to write my blog. There’s more to say about what happened but let’s just say that my stance led to my resignation as their pastor. Covid 19 and government overreach are the two biggest topics of discussion today. However, you’ve discussed issues such as human trafficking, abortion, and Christians in politics. Are there any other issues you believe the church should be addressing? The church ought to address ALL moral issues in the nation. It’s been said that “as goes the pulpit, so goes the nation.” God has entrusted and deposited the truth to the church (1 Timothy 3:15; Jude 4) and has commanded us to go out and teach it to others (Matthew 28:18-20). It’s our responsibility to be the voice of truth in our nation, calling others to repentance so that they may do what is right and be blessed. If we aren’t going out and teaching others to observe what God has instructed, our nation will continue to plummet spiritually, and we will continue to be a nation under judgement. All political issues are moral issues. When a politician makes a law, they are essentially determining what is right and what is not. They are making moral judgements and enforcing that a nation abides by those judgements. There’s a huge problem with this – we are not the ones who have been given the authority to define and determine what is good and evil. That solely belongs to God. And He has already given us the instructions containing what is wise, good and right. One thing that the church needs to address first is the church’s role in the nation. There’s an erroneous belief based on a wrong view of separation of church and state that we are to keep separate from what is happening in our country. This has gotten us into the situation we are in today. Second, we need to know what it means to live righteously and be a blessing to our nation. Having said all that, I believe that there are some specific and pertinent issues we should be addressing today. The church needs to address issues on sexuality, censorship, and Marxism. You’ve been interviewing a lot of different believers. What would you say are some important things you’ve learned from this? These interviews have been one of my highlights of the week. I learn so much from them – even practical things like how to ask good questions (which is an art). Now, of course, there are specific things I have learned from each interview. One of the recent ones informed me of the concerns and ineffectiveness of the V from a scientific peer-reviewed view. That interview, in my mind, turned out to be a great resource article. Each interview provides something new, but some overarching things tie them together. First, a community of believers are waking up to what is happening in Canada. They are being motivated by their faith to stand firm and speak out against the immoral and unjust policies and laws being made. It is interesting to observe that this community is not united by denominational ties but their belief in the supreme sovereign authority of Jesus over the church and world. They understand that Jesus is king. Second, this community consists of all sorts of people – nurses, computer software designers, authors, pastors, bloggers, and even politicians. We are all attempting to be a voice wherever God has placed us. And this voice is getting louder. Finally, I’ve observed that nearly everyone I have interviewed is concerned for the spiritual wellbeing of their nation and desires to see Jesus glorified. They are using their knowledge and gifts to help others. For them, it seems to not be about making a name for themselves. We’re so grateful that you’ve allowed us to interview you, and we look forward to working with you more in the future. In closing: is there anything else you would like to say? Thank you for this opportunity. It was a pleasure to share a bit, and I look forward to working with you more in the future as well. One thing I’d like to say is that though we are experiencing some dark and discouraging times here in Canada, God is using this for our good. I believe he is waking us up and showing the church the result of not standing for His Word and engaging our nation by teaching others to observe it. Hopefully, more will wake up and begin to push back against the immoral and unjust policies and laws being made by proclaiming what God demands and calling people to repentance. And as we do that, let’s remember that we serve the One who can change hearts and save souls! As Christians, we are on the winning side of history. Hey faithful readers, its the Christmas season! Merry Christmas! This week's written interview is with Rhys Demman from God Keep Our Land Podcast. Go check them out after you've finished reading.
Over the past 18 months we have seen the government become increasingly tyrannical. We are now into the Christmas season. Do you see any hope ? It’s important to avoid the temptation to do “newspaper exegesis.” It’s easy for us to look at our current circumstances and try and determine God’s plans for the future based on that. When we look at the way our particular corner of the world is without considering the broader historical and biblical picture, we are bound to have trouble with hope. We have a government that is increasingly tyrannical, but this is not a new thing. Christians throughout the ages have experienced corrupt governments, and the world didn’t end. In fact, every tyrannical government that has ever existed has been short-lived. So in that sense there is hope. But I would point to the Scriptures, at the very time when our Saviour was born. Consider Matthew 2. In this chapter we have the horrendous story of King Herod (a tyrannical overlord) sending law enforcement to Bethlehem to commit genocide against the infant boys of that town. Now, if you were a citizen of Bethlehem and knew nothing about the redemptive realities of the events there, what do you think your perspective would be about whether there was hope for better days? But these events took place at the very time when hope was being born into the world in human flesh! The tyrannical dictators and the oppression people faced during the birth of Jesus had no impact on God’s ability to carry out his plans. The reality of an oppressive government cannot be a means of determining the timeline of the last days. As Christians in a very well-off nation entering the Christmas Season, we have to stop being so self-centred in our thinking. Of course there is hope! No tyranny can last. Jesus is on His throne ruling the Cosmos and He must reign until he has placed all of his enemies under His feet. As we know, Christmas is about the birth of Jesus. How does His birth free us from tyranny? Jesus sets us free in many ways. First, he sets us free from the tyranny of sin by his atoning death and victorious resurrection. But to answer your question on his birth specifically, I would point to Isaiah 9. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” This passage clearly shows us that Jesus’ reign from the time of his birth is a holistic reign. The Government is on His shoulder. Of the increase of His government there is no end. He sits on David's throne (David ruled on the earth, meaning his throne carries authority in the physical earth. Jesus’ reign is not merely spiritual, it is also physical), He upholds it with justice and righteousness. This is what Jesus is doing through his life. Since His birth, He has been King over the earth. His resurrection was His coronation. Afterward he says that “all authority” has been given to him. He has been recognized formally as the King he has been all along. Like earthly Monarchs, whose reign doesn’t begin at their coronation, but rather at the appointed time (usually the death of the previous monarch), Jesus was King before the resurrection, but received formal recognition after the resurrection. So Jesus’ birth is the beginning of his earthly reign. Those who have citizenship in heaven may be under temporary tyranny in this life, but in reality our King is Christ. He is no tyrant, and He will place all tyrants under His feet. One of your most recent podcasts on God Keep Our Land was about optimism. To be straight up with you..it was a bit convicting. It's easy to complain and be bitter about what is happening. So, how can we be optimistic this Christmas as things are not as they have been before the pandemic? The first pitfall to avoid is a forced optimism. Let’s not be optimistic because we are uncomfortable and want to put a happy face on. I think we have seen that a lot since the beginning of all the nonsense. We want to be happy and optimistic so we will just laugh through the pain. The kind of optimism that I am advocating for is a Bible-centred and Christ-centred optimism. We are, as I have already said, prone to do newspaper exegesis. We are prone to constantly look at the “signs of the times” and think that the world is ending because our nation is going in an ungodly direction. The kind of optimism we need is found in believing the promises of God in His Word. He has promised that He will never leave us. He promises that He is reigning now, and that all things work together for our good. This means that even when our country is in rebellion, God is working it for good. It says in Psalm 2 that when the rulers of the earth set themselves against the Lord and against His anointed, the one who sits in the heavens laughs. Be of good courage, our God is not losing. Our God will use this evil time to show off the folly of being against Him. What if this time of struggle is a warning to future generations of what happens when Atheism and Secularism is allowed to run its course. It’s a mistake to think that we are the most special generation. We are one of God’s chosen generations but we are not the only ones. Let’s think rightly about God and think rightly about ourselves. This will help us to keep all things in perspective, and give us optimism that God will, through His people, overcome the ungodliness of this present time. Over the past year or two you have embraced postmillennialism. It seems to me that people who hold to this eschatological view tend to be more optimistic, why is that? Postmillennialism has a bad reputation because people have made overly simplistic characterizations of what we actually believe. People will say, “Postmillennialists think that the world is just gonna get better and better until Jesus comes back! Don’t they have eyes in their heads? Look around, doesn’t seem so great to me!” This is a mischaracterization of postmillennial theology. Here’s what it is at the core: Jesus is ruling over earth and heaven (physical world and spiritual world) right now. When He ascended after the resurrection, He was given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18). What this means to Postmillennialists, is that we believe that God never gave a command that we were unable to follow. When Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” we believe that He really thought we would accomplish that. By the power of His Spirit, over the course of many centuries, maybe even a few millennia, we would actually disciple all the nations. Notice that I use the word “disciple” not “evangelize.” To make the nations into disciples is to do more than simply preach the bare gospel to them, it is to bring them under the Lordship of Christ in every area of life from culture and politics right down to work and home life. This is done by the power of God’s Holy Spirit at work in His Church, not by human might nor by earthly power nor by the sword, but through God and His word. In this way, we do believe in a sense that the world will “get better and better,” but not in a “sunshine and lollipops” sort of way. We believe that as time goes on, the foolishness of antichristian worldviews will be exposed and that all institutions and states will acknowledge the Lordship of Christ. We believe that the vast majority of the world will be Christian when Jesus returns. We believe that Christians will win by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us. This is where optimism comes in: we will win. Maybe they will kill a lot of us before we win, but in the end the Church wins. It's hard to be pessimistic when you believe you’re winning. The problem with Christians today is that we have a loser’s mentality. When we expect to fail it’s hard to try. I played a lot of football in High School, and when we expected to lose we did. When we expected to win, we still took hard knocks, but we were a force to be reckoned with. It’s true that sometimes you’re outnumbered, so a battle is lost. But God is always making reinforcements for us from the ranks of the enemy soldiers. In this way we have the advantage, and in the end we will overwhelm them. Besides being more optimistic, how does your eschatological view shape the way you view and engage with the world? When we believe that God is winning through the church and is transforming the world, we find motivation to step out against the culture. I view the world similar to other Christians, with an important distinction: I believe that Jesus is going to renovate the world rather than burn it down and start over. If you were to hire a construction company to build a house for you, and you told them that very soon it would all burn down, do you think that they would do their highest quality work? Would every edge be straight? Would all the plumbing work flawlessly? Would the paint be done well? Not likely. But if you told the construction company that the house needed to stand for five hundred years, they would be far more diligent to make it flawless. As Christians in the culture, we have to stop thinking that it’s all going to burn down. We will not do our best work. In Romans 8, Paul writes that the creation itself will be set free from it’s bondage to corruption. Who ever heard of someone being set free by being set on fire? The Scripture teaches us that Christ is making all things new and that He is ordering everything according to the counsel of His own will. This means that when I step out and engage the culture, or preach the Word, or go for coffee to encourage a friend, I can expect that my work will stand for ages to come as part of the great house that God is building. Maybe all I’m doing is putting in a few nails, but it’s work that contributes to the glorious purpose of Christ in the world and it is work that will last. As we come to the end of this interview, what is one thing that you would like to share with us to encourage us this Christmas? Remember that when Jesus was born, it was good news of great joy for “all the people.” All people everywhere are blessed through Christ and His people. Don’t have a loser’s mentality! Jesus is winning! Just because you can’t see it as clearly where you are, that doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Consider other places in the world. Zambia is exploding with an incredible missionary movement. China’s underground church is growing so quickly that all efforts to stomp them out are only helping them get bigger. Empires, Kings, Rulers, and Authorities have been attacking the church for a long time. They are all under Jesus’ feet. Roman emperors used to kill Christians in the colosseum. We can stand in it’s ruins with a Bible in our hands without fear, because Jesus always wins. One day, if Canada continues to stand against Jesus, Christians will stand in the ruins of the parliament and marvel at the power of God to break down strongholds. Be strong and courageous Church, and make sure you find an underground Christmas Eve service this year and sing your heart out! |