Come Down, Lord!

  I’ve been thinking lately about disagreements between Christians and how we ought to think of one another and relate to one another, even in the most difficult of circumstances. I admit that I have made many mistakes in this regard and have written about some of them previously; but I am also learning from those mistakes. Jesus said that the world will know we are His disciples by our love (John 13:35). He even said that they will know the Father sent the Son when they see the way in which we love one another (John 17:21). As I have reflected on my past and on the state of the Church today, I have been thinking specifically about Paul’s instructions on love and how they apply when there are sharp disagreements and even divisions among Christians. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul said that love “beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). We all know that disagreements and divisions exist. But it seems to me th...

  Over the past several days, I’ve been reflecting on the trucker convoy. I remember how thankful we were to hear they were on their way to Ottawa. After months of lockdowns and vaccine mandates, ordinary Canadians had had enough. We had seen pastors imprisoned for gathering their congregations for worship, we had been barred from restaurants and public spaces for refusing the vaccine, and we had witnessed the devastating effects of lockdowns on the sick, the elderly, and our children. So when we learned the convoy was coming, many of us took our flags and lined the 401 to cheer them on as they passed. Some of us went to Ottawa as well. And some of us were there when the police violently cleared the truckers out. I will never forget that day. We had seen the female protester trampled by a mounted officer, and we felt compelled to go. We went peacefully, but we went to stand with the truckers. I saw no protesters acting violently that day - but I did see a great deal of gratuitous v...

Over the course of the last year, I have had plenty of time to privately reflect on what transpired through 2020 and 2021, and I have concluded that on some points I was in the wrong.  I have decided to address those things here.  Some may disagree with what I have concluded, but I write here first and last for Him. First, I believe I was sometimes overly harsh and severe in my writing.  I have since removed several blog posts, which I now believe lacked grace and char ity.  I still believe the churches should have remained open through the lockdowns, but I wish I had written with a better understanding of my own heart and a more charitable view of my brothers in Christ.  I was appalled by what I saw in those days, but in my zeal to speak the truth I sometimes lacked compassion and grace.  Second, when I was wronged by colleagues in the ministry I had a choice.  I could have covered what I believed to be sin, but I chose instead to expose it to the pub...

  A few listeners have requested a pdf of the following sermon, which was preached in November of 2020. I have attempted here to transcribe the sermon as closely as possible with only very minor edits. Quotes from the Bible are taken from the KJV unless otherwise indicated. That morning, following the service, I found the police waiting for me in the lobby. Though I was not fined on that occasion, the timing of the visit struck us all. This morning I want to face the issue head on; but before I do, I want to make a few preliminary comments. So, five preliminary comments. 1. Number one, there are good men — men that I love and admire — who will not agree with my conclusions. On this I am convinced that they are wrong, but my love for them is not diminished in the least. My hope and prayer is that you will all play the part of Bereans, that you will search the Scriptures to see if these things are so. It is sometimes tempting to play favourites, or to go along with the crowd, to be ...