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Culture Clashes

Get out of the game

Christians need to steer clear of sports gambling

*****

When I was a kid, I remember my aunt asking, whenever we were traveling somewhere, “Are we having fun yet?” Of course, we usually said “Yes!”

However, by the time I reached my teens, I thought (briefly) that my leisure activities needed just a little bit more to really be entertaining, so I came up with a way to make a pinball game at the neighborhood arcade more interesting – bet on the outcome. My idea was that whoever had the lower score would pay the other player a certain amount, based on the difference in the scores. Math must not have been my strongest subject at the time, and I wasn’t any better at pinball, because after just one game, I owed my friend six hundred dollars. Thankfully, he was a generous soul, and never did make me pay up.

That is not the case for sports betting online. Countless commercials play up the excitement of being more involved in what’s happening out there on the ice, or field, or track. We’re told we can “get in the game” if only we put money down on the score, or how many points or penalty minutes a player will get, or what minute the first goal will be scored – there are dozens of betting possibilities for every game. But the company on the other end of your bet is not going to forgive you if you get in over your head.

Still, what if you’re not as foolish as I was? What if you bet small, and you even use apps that restrict how much and how often you can bet? Is “just a little” sports gambling online still a problem?

Yes it is. And God’s Word gives us several reasons to stay away from any sports gambling.

1. Christians are called to productivity

An article on ARPACanada.ca titled “Gambling: Value or Vice” points to several risks of gambling, based on Lord’s Day 42 of the Heidelberg Catechism.

Among other reasons, the article notes that in the unlikely event that you do happen to be successful in betting online or any other form of gambling, you are making money without creating anything of value – the exact opposite of the creation mandate of Genesis 1 – and at the expense of others. Any money you won could only come because many others lost. Your gain is their pain.

2. Love your weaker brother

And that pain can be of the life-destroying kind. Saagar Enjeti, an American anti-gambling activist, notes that online sports betting companies make about half of their revenue from about five percent of their clients, because they are targeting the problem gamblers: the addicts. Enjeti cites the notorious example of a man whose wife is suing a sports betting company, because her husband gambled away his salary, his wife’s retirement account, and even the money he got by selling a baptism present for his children.

For a Christian, if you know of any brothers or sisters in the Lord who are gambling addicts in your congregation, this is even more serious, since your (extremely unlikely) success is made at the expense of someone who is not only going into debt, but destroying their family, and even possibly endangering his relationship with God by making money, that next win, their god instead.

In 1 Cor. 8:13 Paul writes, “Therefore if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” When Paul makes this commitment, it is in regard to an activity – eating food sacrificed to idols – that is not wrong in itself. How much worse it is when you continue to indulge a sinful habit that destroys your brother!

3. Don’t be a fool

The same ARPACanada.ca article shares how gambling is just plain old unwise, since “the house always wins.” Saagar Enjeti notes that as foolish as gambling in a casino is, since the odds are stacked against you, sports betting generally offers much worse odds. Our provincial governments look to betting as a major revenue source – they’ve got billions dependent on you losing …and that you’ll eventually lose is still the only sure bet in all of gambling.

4. Do we really need to “get in the game” more?

When I asked an Edmonton-area pastor about sports gambling, he could, thankfully, share that the young people he worked with most (from the pre-confession class) are not, by their own account, involved in any online or sports betting.

However, he did address another, related, issue. In his preaching and catechism classes, he warns against the potential for idolatry in viewing sports. If your team is heading to the NHL finals, there’s a vibe in your city that is hard to describe as anything short of a religious devotion. If you don’t have God, a winning team becomes a stand-in for many. For them, “Hockey is life,” as one t-shirt proclaims.

Obviously, if you are tempted toward an obsession with watching professional sports, the opportunity to bet on them is not going to help you overcome that.

Are we having fun yet?

As I am writing this, “my team” is winning in the second-last round of the NHL playoffs. Obviously, I will not be betting on the results, but the games will be just as exciting.

Just how enjoyable is watching sports when there is money on the line anyway? Even the sports betting companies themselves are, ironically, admitting how corrosive betting is to the real enjoyment of rooting for your team. Slogans like “Your loyalty is real, but so are the odds” and “Sometimes it pays to be a bad fan” speak to how in the world of sports betting, money is the only thing that many fans now care about. Are we having fun yet?

In a recent broadcast of The Agenda on TVOntario, entitled “Is Business Ruining Sports?” Morgan Campbell, from CBC Sports, notes,

“We’ve seen coaches like J.B. Bickerstaff saying that they open up their social media, …their email, and there are these angry fans in here berating them about, ‘You made me blow my parlay’…. And… the specter that’s overhanging all of this is match-fixing…. And so what we don’t want is this idea that this match is fixed, that the outcome is predetermined.”

Are we having fun yet?

With all of the problems that we could criticize in professional sports, there is inspiration in seeing “your team” play with heart. Paul even uses sports as a metaphor for the Christian life, exhorting the Corinthians to emulate the athletic virtues of self-control and self-discipline (1 Cor. 9:24-27), just as the writer to the Hebrews commands them to “run with endurance” (Heb. 12:1). With proper discernment, we can admire honorable, excellent (Phil. 4:8) sports competition, but not if we are focused on the financial payoff for ourselves.

Conclusion

ARPA Canada has more articles on its site about recent provincial responses to sports betting (in Alberta and Ontario), but we do not need to wait for the government to react (wisely or unwisely) to the rise in sports betting to make up our minds. We do not want to test God by placing even small bets, thinking that we can beat temptation. We also shouldn’t want to take advantage of the weakness of others by gaining their money without working for it. Instead of trying to make the game more interesting – whether pinball or polo – let us “flee youthful passions” (2 Tim. 2:22) and follow the example of Christ:

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself….” (Rom. 15:1-3a).

Full Article

News

Saturday Selections – May 24, 2025

Whiter than snow - Jimmy Clifton and Haddon Some high-energy Christian folk coming at you. Kevin DeYoung on why struggling with difficult doctri...

News, Politics

What if we said what we mean? – political party edition

Apologetics 101

Forewarned is forearmed: Seeing through 5 common logical fallacies

Amazing stories from times past

On conmen and other masters of deceit

God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices (Eccl. 7:29) There are vagabonds and there are villains; there are crooks and there are v...

Internet

Is TikTok the ultimate contraception?

The social media app that’s convincing youth that babies are boring, and other such lies. ***** A hundred years before the invention of the television, Danish theologian and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard wrote: “Suppose someone invented an instrument, a convenient little talking tube which, say, could be heard over the whole land … I wonder if the police would not forbid it, fearing that the whole country would become mentally deranged if it were used…” The prescient comment was part of his criticism of the daily press, specifically how the constant stream of news inflates the importance of momentary events in people’s minds. Imagine what he might have said about the evening news on television, once a literal “tube,” which Neil Postman criticized for making us all dumber. In the end, it is the smart phone, along with social media platforms like TikTok, that has finally fulfilled Kierkegaard’s nightmare. The ultimate “talking tube” that goes everywhere with us, the smart phone has proven to be particularly detrimental, especially to young people. The connection between social media use and depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems is now well-established, for all the reasons Kierkegaard foresaw. And now, as it turns out, social media platforms also make users less interested in having children. Recently, Finnish sociologist Anna Rotkirch published an article in the Berlin Review entitled, “The TikTok Baby Bust.” In it, she explains how the introduction of the app coincided with a rise in “anti-natalist values memes,” worsening mental health (especially for girls), and degrading social skills. Specifically, TikTok users became “more likely to embrace the idea that ‘I want to do other interesting things in life besides having a child.’” One way that TikTok discourages fertility is by portraying the childfree life as more fulfilling than parenthood. Another way is by portraying singleness as more fulfilling than marital life. The combination of the device, the platform, and the messages broadcast on them have, as sociologist Brad Wilcox remarked, “. . .proven to be the ultimate contraception.” Though few influencers will outright proclaim, “don’t get married or have babies, it’ll ruin your life,” the platform rewards certain messages. So, consumers consistently hear, subtly and quietly, that “life is about self-expression and public performance,” and “you need to be pretty at all costs,” and “sex is only for pleasure,” and “your fertility is an obstacle to your happiness,” and “there are already too many people on this planet.” I often ask parents and teachers what they would do if a creepy old man were walking around the school whispering awful messages in the ears of their daughters and students. Well, that’s TikTok in a nutshell. The messages common to the platform are damaging enough, and the medium only adds to its power and influence. In A Practical Guide to Culture, Brett Kunkle and I talk about the importance of artifacts in a culture. Any idea that influences or transforms a culture, for good or for bad, requires tangible things to enable the message. The Protestant Reformation would have never happened without the printing press. The sexual revolution would have never happened without the pill and porn. In the same way, the anti-natalism of our age is made possible by the smart phone equipped with social media. Platforms like TikTok make it possible to think about ourselves in radically disembodied ways, with a business model that relies on envy and addiction. The constant, unapologetic demand for screentime catechizes users to reject personal relationships, as if the opinions, experiences, and values of distant strangers selected by an algorithm matter more than the people in their own, real lives. So-called “influencers” are put on a pedestal, where they not only champion bad ideas but reward followers who imitate their lifestyles with the promise that they too can be famous. No wonder that over half of millennials report that their ultimate career goal is to be an influencer. In his book The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt urged parents and educators to get smart phones out of kids’ hands. Exposing young people to the messages common on social media, on a limitless basis, behind closed doors, or during school is simply insanity. A cultural revolution as deep as the TikTok baby bust requires our cooption. Had Kierkegard seen the smart phone, he would have warned of it as well. He understood, as too few philosophers in his day did, that human beings are not brains on sticks. We are creatures of habit, body, and relationships, which means what we believe has a lot to do with what we do. If we are to effectively make the case for why marriage and family matter, why children are gifts from God, and why young people should prioritize these real-life relationships, it will require more than words. In this battle of ideas, we must grasp that the “convenient little talking tube” in each of our hands is one of the things deranging young minds today. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to Breakpoint.org. This is reprinted with permission from the Colson Center....

In a Nutshell

Tidbits – May 2025

Joke o' the month Two cars were waiting at a stoplight. When the light turned green, the man in front didn’t seem to notice. The woman in the car behind him did though, and she started pounding on her steering wheel and yelling at the man to move. But he didn’t. The woman began to go ballistic inside her car, ranting and raving at the man and pounding on her steering wheel and dash. When the light turned yellow the woman let out a long blast on her car horn, flipped him off, and screamed something out her window about “male drivers.” This finally got the man’s attention and, looking up, he saw the yellow light so he put his foot on the gas and scooted through the intersection just as the light turned red. This left the woman practically beside herself with rage – the man had made her miss her chance at getting through the intersection! In mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up to see the barrel of a gun held by a very serious-looking policeman. He told her to shut off her car and “keep both hands where I can see them.” She complied, speechless at what was happening. When she got out of the car, the policeman quickly cuffed her and hustled her into his patrol car. Too bewildered by the chain of events to ask any questions, she was driven to the police station, fingerprinted, photographed, searched, booked and placed in a cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell, opened the door, and escorted her back to the booking desk, where the original officer was waiting with her personal effects. "I'm really sorry for this mistake,” he said, “but when I pulled up behind your car you were blowing your horn, flipping that guy off, and cussing a blue streak at the car in front of you. When I noticed your ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, the ‘No Jesus, No Peace; Know Jesus, Know Peace’ and ‘Follow Me to Church’ bumper stickers, and the chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk I naturally assumed you had stolen that car." Source: Adapted from a joking winging its way around the Internet Where do babies come from? Perhaps one of the best non-explanations ever, from a Waltons episode: little girl: “So where did you find me pa?” pa: “I found you hiding behind one of your mother’s smiles.” Death penalty discussion In a discussion on the death penalty I came across a Reformed Christian who was adamantly against it but only because he wanted to give the convicted murderer as long a time as possible to repent. He was worried that if this killer was going to repent on Wednesday, but was executed on Tuesday then his executioners would have effectively sent him to hell. What this brother was overlooking is what God has taught us about His own power – if God has predestined this murderer to heaven, then nothing that man could ever do would supersede God’s plan for that killer. This Christian was Reformed, but in his argument he was adopting an Arminian view of the death penalty – he denied God’s ability to choose His followers from before the beginning of the world. Not all values are equal "Once upon a time we knew what to do. A British district officer, coming upon a scene of suttee, was told by the locals that in Hindu culture it was the custom to cremate a widow on her husband's funeral pyre. He replied that in British culture it was the custom to hang chaps who did that sort of thing. There are many great things about India – curry, pajamas, sitars, software engineers – but suttee was not one of them. What a pity we're no longer capable of being 'judgmental' and 'discriminating.'” – Columnist Mark Steyn The Bible as a textbook The Siloam Tunnel in Jerusalem is an engineering marvel ahead of its time. Built by King Hezekiah the tunnel burrows a third of mile south to connect a spring outside Jerusalem with the Siloam pool within the city walls, giving the city a secure supply of water they could count on even when besieged. But while the Bible credits Hezekiah with this amazing tunnel’s construction (2 Kings 20:20), for years critics argued that it was built five hundred years later, in about 200 B.C. The Bible’s critics were wrong, of course, and eventually the proof came. In a September 11, 2003 Nature article geologists from Hebrew University described how they had carried out carbon-14 analysis on wood, coal and ash found in the plaster walls of the tunnel. They also ran isotopic tests on the uranium and thorium present in stalactites hanging from the tunnel’s ceiling. The test results corroborated the Bible’s account and left critics look for new ways to disbelieve. Our God is different There is only one real God, so if Muslims worship a being who created the universe and who will judge it, and Christians also worship a God who is both Creator and Judge, does that mean we are both worshipping the same God? No. God is more than just an abstract idea; He is more than his job description. God is a real person – three persons in one, in fact. The Muslims’ god never had a son (they would say it is blasphemous to even suggest such a thing). He never sent that son as a mediator. Their god never humbled himself taking on human flesh, and he most certainly never died on a cross to save them from their sins. So how can their god be our God? Put this in human terms for a moment. Imagine that someone comes up to one of my friends and claims to know me. "I know the editor of Reformed Perspective." "Oh you do, do you? Well what is he like?" "Oh, he has black hair, is three feet tall, and hates basketball." "Sorry" my friend might reply, "You don't know Jon, and the reason I can tell you that is the person you describe is not Jon - Jon is tall, grey-haired, and loves basketball." "But I’m sure the guy I know is editor of RP. Doesn't Jon edit RP?" "Yes he does, but the guy you’ve described is most definitely not the RP editor" God has revealed himself to us and when Muslims describe their god it’s clear they aren’t describing God. They’ve got the wrong person. And it’s up to us to tell them so. As seen on t-shirts and church and protest signs... A faith that demands nothing, and costs nothing, is worth nothing – seen on a church sign There is no God but YHWH and Moses is His messenger – written in Arabic on a t-shirt Let a wife make her husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave – Martin Luther Guns don’t kill people; Abortion clinics kill people – another t-shirt Christians keep the faith, but not from others – church sign Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip – Will Rogers quote For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program – circulating on the Internet Choose life: it’s better than the alternative – should be on a t-shirt Ignorance is bliss? Since terrorists often do what they do to get attention, we shouldn’t even report their names. That’s the thinking of psychiatrist and terrorism expert David Hubbard. In his book Winning Back the Sky, he recounts a number of terrorist incidents and names the pilots, policemen and victims involved, but the terrorists are left nameless or are designated with the letter X. As he puts it, “I believe we must give recognition to committed and courageous people, rather than to those who are destructive.” Egyptian gods take a beating Author James Nickel calls the ten plagues “one of the greatest blessings that ancient Egypt ever received from God.” A blessing for Egypt? Yes, the ten plagues didn’t just show how powerful the true God was and is, but also showed how powerless the Egyptian gods were. The first plague turned the Nile into blood, showing that Khnum and Hapi, two gods associated with the Nile, were powerless. The plague of frogs mocked Heket (Heqt), a goddess with the head of a frog. The plague of darkness strikes at the very heart of Egyptian worship, humbling Ra the Sun god. The final plague, the death of all the firstborn, mocked Pharaoh himself, who was worshipped as a god – he couldn’t even save his own son and heir. So God blessed the Egyptians by bringing judgment on their false gods (Numbers 33:4). And in Exodus 12:38 it sounds like some of the Egyptians took to heart what God was showing them, and joined up with the Israelites. Source: Nickel’s "Mathematics: Is God Silent?" and Logos Quarterly Volume 3, Numbers 3 and 4 Deep thoughts • We live in a society where pizza gets to your house before the police. • Count your blessings! Recounts are OK. • Midwives help people out. • Quit griping about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't belong. • Archeologists make the best husbands; the older you get the more interested he becomes. • Get the last word in: Apologize. "Poem" of the month: Clothes by BarlowGirl Clothes aren't what they used to be They don't seem to fit you and me, anymore Modesty is out the door Flaunting what we've got and more is in Yeah, it's in They're sayin' "Don't ask why, just wear what we say You'll look like a model if you'll only obey To get the attention, just do what we say" Pay so much for clothes so small Was this shirt made for me or my doll? Is this all I get? I looked so hot but caught a cold I was doing just what I was told To fit in We're sayin' "Let's ask why, don't wear what they say Don't want to be a model; they can't eat anyway That kind of attention will fade with the day So, I'll stand up and say… Clothes that fit are fine Won't show what's mine Don't change my mind I'll be fine Did Jesus have long hair? Does the 2nd commandment forbid making depictions of Christ? One of the most popular Christian TV shows of today has no problems with doing so, and the many Christian fans of The Chosen must agree. Can we, so long as we don’t intend to bow down before it, make a picture or image of Christ? To answer that question, I'm going to offer up a practical objection: even if the 2nd Commandment did allow it, how could we actually pull it off? Back in 2004, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ was loved by Roman Catholics and Evangelicals alike, and there was even a seeming uptick in interest in Christianity for a time after the film's release, much as is being said of The Chosen's impact today. But how accurate was the film’s portrayal? It was a brutal film by all accounts, and Gibson's emphasis on Christ’s physical suffering seems to have overshadowed His infinitely more significant spiritual struggle. Some have suffered worse than Christ did physically, but no one suffered more so spiritually. So when the physical is emphasized how accurate is the impression left, of what Jesus actually endured? Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:14 are a good indicator that Jesus did not have long hair: “if a man has long hair it is a dishonor to him.” But what does every film portrayal of Christ do? Portraying Jesus with long hair – especially in the 60s but still today – presents Him as a “peace and love” persona. But is that a fit for the Jesus we read about who had harsh words for the Pharisees and performed a violent cleansing of the temple. And He talked an awful lot about hell too. The Chosen offers a swarthier Jesus, more in keeping with His Middle Eastern heritage, but the actor is still an attractive man, and we have Scriptural reason to think Jesus was not so (Is. 53:2): ""He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him." Worse still, the many paintings and films that show Jesus as a tall Anglo-Saxon, making him more attractive to Europeans (though for all the wrong reasons) but probably less so for people on other continents who may not have liked white men. I've sometimes wondered how purportedly Christian nations could ever have been anti-semitic – how can you hate Jews when your Lord was one? – and I'm left wondering if these misportrayals of Christ might have had a hand in it. If you paint Jesus as white, clearly you've forgotten He was not. So even if the 2nd commandment doesn't forbid depiction of Christ (and to be clear, I think it does), I'll argue that the many ways we keep getting it clearly and sometimes terribly wrong would be good reason to, in humility, steer clear. But by reading Scripture, we can indeed encounter Jesus as He really was and remains....

News

Saturday Selections – May 17, 2025

Micah Tyler's "Praise The Lord" It ain't always easy following God, but His goodness is certain. The daily battleground we often ignore in our therapy culture "In his book on spiritual depression, the late Welsh minister, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, wrote: 'Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?... The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself.'” Common logical fallacies Tackle one a night with your family to become familiar with the bad arguments that the world, and sometimes even fellow Christians, are using. Forewarned is forearmed! IVF and the rise of intentionally single mothers IVF has enabled both same-sex couples and single women to have children without a father, creating and celebrating a situation that would otherwise have been decried as abandonment. And we should never forget what IVF has done to the millions of babies who have been abandoned to cold storage and the millions more that have been aborted in the selection process. 5 red flags to watch for in YA Christian romance fiction It's the books your girls will want to read. But how Christian is it? And how much of it is too much? "Comparative advantage" – economics Christians need to know (4 min) What's this principle of "comparative advantage" and why is it so important to understand in the middle of our tariff wars? As Jacob Clifford highlights, trade allows people and countries to make what they are best at – just as different people have different skills, different countries also have some kind of advantage in their skills, location, or resources that will equip them to produce some products better than other countries can. When we do what we are best at, then we can trade with others for what they are best at producing. This makes everyone more productive and wealthier than if we all tried to make everything for ourselves. Just consider how productive you'd be if you had to do everything yourself, including cutting down and shaping the boards to make your home, manufacturing your fridge, growing your food, building your car, and more. You would likely starve while you were still at the shaping boards stage. Thankfully, you can trade your labor (in whatever role you have) for all these things. So being able to trade freely makes you wealthier. And being able to trade makes our neighbors wealthier, too. Trade enriches everyone! So if we are to love our neighbors (Mark 12:31), then we'll want what's best for them, including in a material sense. That's why we won't want to put unnecessary restrictions on trade... because it hurts both ourselves and our neighbors. ...

Assorted

“It’s only a dollar!” – on bingos and raffles

Some churches hold bingos and sell raffle tickets, so can gambling really be wrong? ***** “I think we should have a bingo night to raise money for our community.” “All you spend is $1.00 on a ticket and you could win $1,000,000!” “Our organization is having a raffle to raise money for the handicapped; will you buy a ticket for only $1.00? You might win a 10 speed bicycle!” “I just won $2,000 in the lottery – isn’t that great?” Often we have friends and neighbors and perhaps even relatives who participate in the lottery, raffles, or other types of games of chance. And among secular and some professing Christian groups, games of chance are popular fundraisers because they are a fairly easy way to raise a large amount of money fast. I once came under quick attack in a neighbors’ meeting for refusing to participate in a raffle. “What do you mean it’s against your Christian principles? St. Whoever’s church at the corner has bingo every week, and raffles twice a year to raise money. How could it be wrong?” It was too difficult on a moment’s notice in a suddenly hostile group to formulate and express my reasons. I finally stated that I was not going to defend myself there in front of an entire group; however I would be willing to explain to them individually at another time just why I was against all forms of gambling. Happily, one Baptist neighbor spoke her agreement with me and the issue ended. It is sometimes difficult to give a quick answer because there are no specific Bible verses which state, “you shall not gamble.” Is it “only a dollar” and therefore unimportant whether we participate? Or are there principles from God’s Word which regulate even this small purchase? Does it become acceptable when the recipient is a worthwhile cause? Furthermore, how do we react to a friend or relative’s big winnings? Though the odds are ridiculously high, you might know a winner from time to time. Should someone feel so generous as to spread his/her newfound wealth in our direction, what should be our reply? (The questions only get harder, for instance: what if a relative won a large sum of money – what about accepting a Christmas gift of a new car?) I spoke with our minister, the Rev. Kenneth A. Kok, concerning how to express an answer to the basic question, “What’s wrong with gambling?” He provided three answers: 1. It encourages a “something for nothing” mentality Throughout the Bible, we clearly find that God expects us to work to provide for our material needs: “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread…” (Gen. 3:19) “He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who pursues vain things lacks sense. The wicked desire the booty of evil men, but the root of the righteous yields fruit.” (Prov. 12:11,12) “He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit; and he who cares for his master will be honored.” (Prov. 27:18) “…give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.” (Prov. 31:13-31) Why would we want to get something for relatively nothing? Aren’t we thankful to God for all He has given us? Doesn’t He provide us with all that we need? And as LD 42, Q 111 of the Heidelberg Catechism states in regards to the commandment “You shall not steal,” here we also learn, “In addition God forbids all greed…” Perhaps we are tantalized with the thought of what we would do if we could only have $1,000, or maybe $5,000, or better make it $10,000, or what if we got a million? With the character Tevye, from “Fiddler On The Roof”, we inwardly pray: Lord, who made the lion and the lamb You decreed I should be what I am But would it spoil some vast, eternal plan If I were a wealthy man? Does this reflect the same sentiment expressed by Paul in Philippians 4:11-13: “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” It is one thing to work hard and have God bless your endeavor. It is another to look for an easy break. 2. It encourages poor stewardship Gambling often encourages the people with the least amount of money to be irresponsible with what they have. Much money is wasted on chances and this money could be put to better use – saved, spent well, or given to a worthy cause. As Heidelberg Catechism question 111 goes on to say, “…God forbids all greed and all abuse or squandering of His gifts.” Numerous references are listed there. By participating in even a small way, we promote an activity which may be weakening the financial status and even the family life of others. Only one or a few win, at everyone else’s expense. Is this loving our brother as we love ourselves? As Question 112 further states, “I must promote my neighbor’s good wherever I can and may, deal with him as I would like others to deal with me, and work faithfully so that I may be able to give to those in need.” Even if the “chances” benefit a worthy cause, we still have the question from point 1 regarding our attitude. In this case, if we want to help, we should simply donate the money and not take the raffle ticket. 3. It encourages seeing money as one’s savior People begin, with the larger gambling items, to see money as their savior. Their hope is placed upon money, rather than God. This is evident in the long, long lines which form as the state lottery “pot” soars to $24 million or more. People call friends in other states requesting the purchase of these tickets for them, just for that chance – that possibility of being one of the ones to win. Conversations at the office turn to: “What will you do with it if you win?” Smiles and sighs. “Pay off all my debts.” “Buy a fabulous house.” “Quit working here.” “Take a trip to Hawaii.” Or perhaps even “Make a large donation to the school/church/hospital.” It seems, in those few moments of dreaming, as though our main problems in life, i.e., financial ones, would be solved. We do not believe the various accounts we’ve read or heard about money causing new problems. But the point here is this: “My God shall supply all your needs, according to His riches in glory” (Phil. 4:19). We must behave as children of God, children who present our needs and desires to Him, who work diligently for them as far as possible, who trust Him to provide, and who accept with thanksgiving, not as a young child asking after Christmas, “Is that ALL I get?” “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant… ungrateful, unholy, unloving… without self-control… reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these” (II Tim. 3:1-5). The next time we are faced with the temptation to “get rich(er) quick,” to spend “only a dollar” with the mostly false promise that we might gain much more, let us ask ourselves, “Why am I doing this? Does this reflect a godly, thankful attitude? Am I looking for a different savior?” God’s Word answers the whole question the best: “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (I Tim 6:6-12). This article was originally published in RP's March 2006 issue....

Theology

Celebrating the Sabbath

“Many people see the Sabbath or the Lord’s Day, as an infringement of their personal liberty – a day that God has taken from them, instead of a ...

Theology

Will animals go to Heaven?

What happens when animals die? The question of whether animals exist in heaven has been debated for centuries. Do people share the same spirit and aft...

News

Saturday Selections – May 10, 2025

Gray Havens' Ghost of a King A lyric video seems a good idea for this, one of their harder-to-understand songs. A little mystery then, accompanied by...

Politics

Who is Mark Carney?

After winning the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, and then leading his party to victory in April’s federal election, Mark Carney has beco...

News

Saturday Selections – May 3, 2025

Be Present Reformed rapper Propaganda with a message that'll hit everyone hard: "I guess you could say I've been through a divorce now – me and my phone are no longer married." p.s. "finna" means "going to" An encouraging message for Canadian Christians after election night The same God who promises to turn everything to our good (Romans 8:28) was sovereignly in control when Mark Carney got voted in. So we know this is right, and to our benefit, even if we don't understand... at least in full. One possible benefit – an evident silver lining – is the 90 pro-life MPs that RightNow says were elected. Pro-life candidates are banned from the NDP and Liberals, so these must all be Conservative, and 90 out of the 144 elected Conservatives is quite the sizeable segment. And being in opposition can be freeing, as it may allow these MPs to speak against government abuses more openly than they'd ever be allowed if they were government. Maybe some will start talking about the unborn, not just to fellow pro-lifers, but to the muddled middle who might yet be convicted of the wickedness of this slaughter. Encouraging coverage of ARPA Canada This week ARPA Canada got to make a presentation in the BC legislature with around 20 MLAs present, and this mainstream media account covered it straight up. Want to improve your life? "Open the Bible at least four times a week." Stop valorizing doubt! (10-minute read) As Trevin Wax notes, "Honesty about our doubt is a virtue, but it’s the honesty that’s commendable, not the doubt itself." Syncretism is a pressing temptation As Pastor John Van Eek notes in the video below, syncretism is the mixing of any two (or more religions) to form a completely new religion. Or to put it another way, Christianity plus anything isn't Christianity anymore. In the past God's people might have mixed their true religion with Baal worship, but today's syncretistic temptation involves a very different religion: secularism. In the public square, the demand is that Christians limit ourselves to sharing a logical, scientific, or maybe "common sense" perspective, but never an explicitly Christian one. Now, Christianity is logical, and lines up with science (when properly understood) so this might seem a demand we could accommodate. But when we understand that the secularism making these demands holds that man's reasoning is the source of all knowledge, including what is good, right, and meaningful, then we can see how secularism is another religion. And then we can also start to see the syncretistic element here. If Christians agree to act and argue as secularists do – with no mention of the God we were created to glorify (WSC Q&A 1) – then even when we are pursuing good ends, like fighting a trans agenda or trying to stop abortion, we are doing so by mixing secularism with our Christianity. And then is that Christianity still? ...

Economics

Work is Worship

Done right, it is an expression of God’s character and beauty **** There we sat under the starry skies, talking faith, family, fun and business. A familiar space. Like many of you, I get to enjoy some nice campfire-convos each summer. But this particular night challenged me. It didn’t take long for the business conversation of this committed Christ-follower and marketplace leader to leave me saddened. “We’ve tried investing in people for years, even hired consultants to help us! At the end of the day, nothing works. We’ve just resigned ourselves that there’s only one reason we’re in business: to make money. At the root of it, that’s what it’s all about.” Similarly, a Christian business owner recently told me the purpose of his business was to simply retire with a healthy nest egg so that he didn’t have to worry. It's a familiar business ploy by the great Deceiver. Skewed view See, many Christians hold a decidedly skewed image of work. Some view it simply as a curse post-Genesis 3. Others make a false distinction between what they perceive as the sacred (God), and the secular (everything else), separating Sunday’s worship from Monday’s work. The problem with these is that these views of work always disappoint. They force us to view God as an evil taskmaster and you just have to buck-up because “that’s your lot in life.” Or, when my identity is not a reflection of God’s character and design, that’s because I’m choosing to run parts of my life on my own, thank you very much. Both these approaches to work will leave you banging your head against the wall – we're hungry for something more, because we’ve left God out of the picture. Work is a gift Work is God’s gift to us. It’s not a result of the fall into sin. In giving Adam and Eve the job of cultivating and caring for the garden, He not only made them the first landscapers, He designed their DNA so that whatever they put their head, heart and hands to is a form of worship. The same is true for us. Made in His image, vocation is an extension of God's work of maintaining and providing for His creation, bringing Him glory and enjoying Him. Hundreds of times in the Bible the Hebrew word “avodah” is used to mean both “to work” and “to worship.” Our work is meant to serve God’s purposes more than our own, which prevents us from seeing work as a means to stock up our coffers, set ourselves up for retirement, or just plod away ‘cause it's a necessary burden. Simply put, work is worship. The Gospel actually gives us new lenses to see work through: we actually work for God Himself! Consider Eph. 6: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people...” Now there’s a reason to get out of bed in the morning! Why does it matter? Martin Luther said that you can milk cows to the glory of God. Why? It's your attitude that says, “God I'm doing it for you.” So whether you’re cutting flagstone or someone’s hair today, your handiwork, even with imperfection, is for God’s glory. Your and my work is an expression of His creativity, because we’re made in His image. That’s a calling. That’s worship! So why does having the right understanding of work matter? Because it is only when we understand it rightly that we can best use it to: GIVE GOD THE GLORY: a response of gratitude for what He did for us REFLECT HIS CHARACTER: made in His image, we get to display this to others SERVE PEOPLE: we are conduits for God’s grace and kingdom to extend GIVE: we earn so we can to give to others MEET OUR NEEDS AND INVEST OUR TALENTS: by exercising God-given gifts He provides for us So, the next time you arrive in your office, on the plant floor or at your client's site, remember who you are, and then consider what you are doing. Your spiritual life is being expressed through your work. Your work is worship. It’s life changing. Col. 3:23 says: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.” It’s my prayer that you will see your work as significant and view that significance in the light of God’s favor and plan. We are created to intimately know God, glorify him and enjoy Him forever. Let’s do that in our work! Deliberate application: How does seeing work as a form of worship change my company’s purpose and values? If I begin doing everything "as though I’m working for the Lord and not for people” (myself or others), how would that change the way I work? Because God loves business and the marketplace, and because we are called to imitate God (Eph. 5:1) let’s consider, how would Jesus do my job? Which people would He serve? What would be His vision or S.M.A.R.T (or specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time) goals? When we finish a job, can we say, “Thank you Father, for making me for this purpose”? https://youtu.be/oqxo3PiIYIU Darren Bosch is a partner at DeliberateU, a group offering business leadership mentoring for Christian business owners in their workplace, families and communities, with the goal of increasing their capacity to grow in both faith and business effectiveness. Their conviction is that God uniquely uses the marketplace to extend His kingdom purpose – to serve others while growing in faith, hope and love. You can learn more at DeliberateU.com where this article first appeared. It was published in the January/Feb 2018 issue of Reformed Perspective....

Interview with an artist

Ruth de Vos is quilting kids and creation

Textile art is perhaps not the typical career choice for someone with both science and engineering degrees, but Australian artist Ruth de Vos says there are “surprisingly many engineers-turned-artists in the world!” A New Thing200 cm by 150 cmThe eucalyptus tree is known by its fruit. A Christian life, too, is one of growth, of maturing in fruit-bearing faith. How beautiful when the transformation from old nature to new nature manifests in ways that cannot be contained internally, like the vibrant eucalyptus blossoms that cannot be contained within their hardwood shells, and burst forth exuberantly for all to enjoy. Ruth has enjoyed arts and crafts, particularly sewing, for as long as she can remember. It was in high school art class that Ruth was introduced to quilting as an art form, and she was hooked. She knew right away that this was something she wanted to pursue further. Ruth recalls, “I think I spent as much time on my art homework as on all my other subjects combined.” But it wasn’t until she became a mother in 2003 that she began playing with quiltmaking techniques more seriously. Children turned out to be a major inspiration and subject for her art as well. “As a mother, I was privileged to experience my little children discovering this wonderful world for themselves, and it often struck me how much joy and wonder they experienced around the little things that we can so easily take for granted as adults. I have put many, many stitches into capturing and sharing that childlike wonder through my artwork!” Ruth also loves to capture the uniquely beautiful Australian flora, where she finds “so much beauty in each leaf, nut and flower.” Not Even Solomon147 cm by 180 cmThese vibrant blossoms were dancing on their pale stems with no regard for the more sombre foliage surrounding them. The frivolity of the blossoms, contrasted with the line and form of the tough and sturdy leaves, displays the beautiful attention to detail in God's creation. It’s clear from the titles and descriptions of Ruth’s art that her view of the world is informed by her faith in Christ. A eucalyptus tree is a jumping-off point to consider fruit bearing in the Christian life. Vibrant blossoms remind Ruth of Scripture verses, and yet another piece reminds Ruth to “embrace the beauty and wonder of the world has made and trust in His provision and care.” Ruth lives with her husband and six children in the beautiful Perth hills of Western Australia, where they enjoy views of eucalyptus trees from every window. She works almost full-time in her home studio as a textile artist, quiltmaker, and illustrator. A drawing table is set up in her lounge. There is a vintage sewing machine, always ready to stitch, in the living room, and a “whole lot of sketching happens poolside while supervising my children during the summer months.” On any given day, Ruth says there are a million ideas floating around in her mind, so the challenge for Ruth is not so much where to find inspiration, but how to decide which idea to run with next. In 2007, Ruth won “Best of Show” at Western Australia’s QuiltWest. A year later, she held her first solo art exhibition. Some ten years after that, Ruth ran her first piecework workshop. More recently, Ruth launched Creative Piecework, a quiltmaking class. Indeed, there’s no shortage of ideas and avenues for Ruth to share her work with others. To find out more about Ruth and see samples of her work, and maybe learn more about quiltmaking, visit her website, or follow her on Instagram. Wind of His Words129 cm by 171 cmThis textile artwork is a response to the final chapters of the Book of Job, where God speaks from the whirlwind, reminding us of His sovereignty over all creation. The imagery of children playing in the rain captures the innocence and joy found in the natural world, even amid life’s storms. Just as God sustains the rain, the clouds, and the wind, He sustains us through every season of life. This piece serves as a reminder to embrace the beauty and wonder of the world He has made, trusting in His provision and care....

News

Saturday Selections – April 26, 2025

Christianity & global warming (10 min) Some Christians think global warming is a scientific, and not a theological, question. To that, Jeff Durbin replies: "I'll approach it as an atheist...As an atheist with an atheist worldview that believes that all of us are cosmic accidents and that our ancestors were bacteria and then into fish and then to African apes into where we are now, I have a question: Why should humans care? Right? Not a theological question? Really?" Your phone habits aren't just about you "The worst thing about collective action problems is that even those who are most resolute in opposing the trend have no choice but to either join it or suffer its effects anyway: if I decide to stubbornly hold out as the one person in the room not bending over my phone, I’ll only have the pleasure of looking at the tops of everyone else’s heads." Ontario's top court rules against a COVID-era gatherings ban "This is the first major court ruling that found COVID-era restrictions on gatherings unconstitutional..." Coming away cold "'The reason we come away so cold from reading the Word is, because we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation.' We must slowly ponder it, we must diligently apply ourselves to it, we must let ourselves meditate upon it until we have grown not only in information but in wisdom." The Golden Rule's 3 impacts on a business's bottom line So many employees hate their jobs. Changing that might be hard but it isn't complicated: follow the Golden Rule. Taking down the arguments for tariffs (15 min) Trudeau, Carney, and Poilievre have all agreed to impose tariffs on the US in response to Donald Trump's tariffs. So what's the other side (Prov. 18:17) you aren't hearing? As British economist Daniel Hannan notes, "Just because somebody else is shooting himself in the foot, the worst possible response is to take aim and blow off a couple of your own toes in order to show them." He notes free trade, rather than tariffs, always makes countries richer. So why isn't free trade more popular? While Hannan says free trade is unpopular, he doesn't go too deep into why. One reason might be because it runs up against our sinful instincts. Those in power seem incapable of, or too arrogant to, consider a problem might be made worse via their active intervention. And citizens facing difficulties likely wouldn't accept their government doing nothing – tariffs might not make economic sense, but hitting back makes great political sense in the midst of an election. In the secular world, government is a God-substitute, and the world wants their god to act. ...

Assorted

If businesses tithed

Christians are familiar with the Biblical principle of tithing, and support many kingdom causes as a matter of course. They apply the principles of Ga...

Parenting

A word for a new mother…as given at her first baby shower

Pornography

How to lock your phone from pornography… 101

A taste of Into the Light Ministries’ TechSafe series ***** “Always lock the doors.” As a boy, this teaching served me well. We lived in a pla...

News

Saturday Selections – April 19, 2025

Embrace reality - brought to you by the letter f This is both fantastic – encouraging a farm hand to embrace reality over his feelings – and fall...

Assorted

Little Free Libraries can be a big deal

If you have a (too) well-stocked home library of good Christian books, but you still want to keep stocking it, start passing along your already-read titles to a local Little Free Library, which invites users to “leave a book; take a book.” What a great opportunity to share your favorite Christian authors with the neighborhood! And if you want to be subversive, the books you take when you leave a book can be the kind that you don’t want your neighbors to read. Take out the trash and leave them the treasure instead. It’s a service too, to put garbage into the garbage can. For instance, in my neighborhood’s Little Free Library, I gave up a copy of A.W. Tozer’s God and Men, in exchange for the bigger, but definitely not better, The Origin of Species – Charles Darwin’s kickstarter for the evolution movement – and dropped the latter into my little free wastebasket. On the other hand, more positively, to be more clearly salt and light in your neighborhood, include a bookmark in each book you donate, with suitable contact information and an invitation to email you, or, even better, to talk with you over coffee, about the book. If you want to start your own Little Free Library, check out LittleFreeLibrary.org....

Being the Church

God loves a cheerful giver

6 ways to restore the joy of giving ***** In one sense, the most faithful givers during the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ were the Pharisees, as He Himself said: “you Pharisees… tithe mint and rue and every herb” (Luke 11:42). However, a fuller look at this passage shows that Jesus was not pleased with their self-glorifying and joyless giving: “But woe to you Pharisees! For you… neglect justice and the love of God” (Luke 11:42). Christ wants us to give from the heart so we should never allow our generosity to become merely a dutiful routine. But it can easily happen. For example, one way to give responsibly to your church is to give by automatic or pre-authorized withdrawal. If you have a stable income, it’s an excellent way to commit to giving your first fruits each month… but it can also become almost invisible, to the point that you barely realize that you are giving at all. Yet, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). So how can we be more heartfelt, God-loving, and cheerful in our giving? Be more intentional – if you invest your time and thoughts, your heart will follow. So here’s a half dozen ways to restore the joy in your giving. 1. See for yourself While our giving shouldn’t be motivated by our pleasure, it can be motivated by knowing the good it is doing. Paul demonstrates this when he shares with the Corinthians the blessing their gift will be for those in need in Jerusalem, and also shares what glory it will give God (2 Cor. 9:12-13). If you are giving faithfully to your congregation’s budgetary needs, invest some time as well. Read over the budget before the annual congregational meeting to see where your money is going. Focus carefully on the reports of the various committees in your congregation to see or hear what they have been doing and hope to be doing in the year ahead. When giving to other Reformed and Christian causes, get informed about them, and be sure to sign up for updates on the work being done by any ministry you are supporting. Visiting the building where an organization does its work can give you a better understanding of the value of, and the need for, its services. For example, when I recently visited Edmonton’s Hope Mission, Ryan Harding, the Mission’s manager of community engagement, told me of one client who had, more than a decade ago, actually threatened Ryan while high on crystal meth, but who was now ministering to others at the Mission. While I was there I saw the Mission was putting up wooden barriers around one end and one side of each bunk, so I asked about it. Ryan explained that many of the men they served had felt a lack of privacy, being exposed on every side – the barriers fixed that, and they also lowered the level of conflict among their clients. However, Ryan stressed that these barriers come with a cost. There’s the financial cost of installing them, and also the expenses involved in the increased need for more supervision because the barriers block staff’s view of the men in the bunks – now it is harder to see if men are using drugs or might be having a medical emergency. Being there, and being able to see and ask questions gave me a good sense of their need for funds and the careful use they are putting them to. And that certainly increases the joy in giving! 2. Let others know Share your newsletters from Christian charities and ministries with your friends and neighbors. Promote those same organizations on social media, being sure to open your posts with acknowledgment that their successes are due to God’s blessing and to His glory. If the leaders of the ministries you support have written a book or two about their work, request a copy, read it, talk about it, and pass it along to your nearest Little Free Library, or lend it to multiple interested people. The Westminster Shorter Catechism tells us, rightly, that “the chief end of man” is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever,” so let the world know how the groups and people are bringing glory to God. “Blessings box” let’s light shine The “blessings box” pictured here has been built by Providence Canadian Reformed Church on the edge of their property in the middle of their residential Edmonton neighborhood. Church members share all kinds of blessings with their neighbors via the blessings box: canned goods (in the summer), dry goods, hygiene items, and, as mentioned in the article, good Christian books. Providence Church supplies stickers with Bible verses to put on the items shared. The church members’ goal is for the neighbors of Providence Church to see it as, by the grace of God, a blessing to their neighbors, and to encourage their neighbors to check out what makes this church so willing to be a blessing. For more information, see ProvidenceReformed.ca/the-blessings-box. 3. Get your hands, or feet, involved Consider giving more than just your money. Put in some sweat equity to, again, have a better idea of what your money is supporting. In your church, volunteer to provide coffee and other refreshments on Sunday; buy supplies for your church’s Little Free Library or Blessings Box; join your church’s outreach to the neighborhoods around the church building; become a member of the church’s Committee of Administration or sound crew; and either step up to allow your name to stand as a candidate for office-bearer or support your office-bearers with hospitality, or errands, or meals to support their families during the busy times of an office-bearer’s term. As far as spending volunteer time outside your own congregation, the idea of regularly volunteering for a particular organization may seem scary or impractical for you. Perhaps you are feeling a mismatch between your talents and the organization’s needs, or maybe you have bigger commitments right now to your church and/or your family. “If so, perhaps you can support others’ efforts: encourage your kids to get involved (and commit to driving them if needed), or help make it possible for your spouse to free up some time to contribute to this cause.” Getting together with others to support your favorite organization spreads the joy, and promotes the glory of God, that much more. For instance, if you only have time to make one visit to see what an organization is doing, you may still be able to bring others with you. Organize a group to tour the headquarters or the sites where the ministry does its outreach. If you can only commit to one afternoon or one evening a year for the organization, see if you can help get a team together, or make a date of it with your spouse for the group’s annual fundraiser. And if that fundraiser is a walkathon, it gets you into the fresh air, gives you exercise, and promotes your fellowship for a morning or afternoon together – win/win! When a number of Canadian Reformed school staff and students organized a team to walk for the Union Gospel Mission in Winnipeg, the competition to raise more funds than the other teams was just plain fun, but it also promoted God’s glory by spreading around the knowledge of what God was doing through the Mission. 4. Follow the money Another way to feel good about your giving is to know that the funds are being used in a stewardly way. So check the accountability of the organizations you are contributing to. Visiting them might be the best way, but you can also look over their public budgets (especially comparing planned spending and revenue to actual spending and revenue), and their online ratings. For example, if the organization is American, you can visit the Ministry Watch 1000 Database to see the financial accountability and efficiency of the one thousand biggest Christian charities in the United States. Ministry Watch has tough standards for financial accountability, and a willingness to report on Christian organizations that are not living up to their Christian mission, or are even involved in actual abuse of those that they are supposed to be serving, but it also highlights Christian organizations that combine Christian ministry with financial accountability. 5. Don’t underestimate the urgency Another way to restore the joy of giving is to realize the ultimate purpose and the urgency of what you are doing. In his article on ChristianStudyLibrary.org, Glenn D. Jerrell reminds us that: “We are the church militant! Do not underestimate the enemy! After all, ‘your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour’ (1 Peter 5:8). The Scriptures also teach us to ‘take every thought captive to obey Christ.’ Your whole life is engaged in this struggle – and that includes your giving. Resources for gospel ministry are needed now! “….The warfare between God and Satan should generate a life-and-death sense of urgency to support and sustain gospel ministry with all the means that God gives us and to do so from generation to generation.” We are in the midst of spiritual warfare! Faithful giving equips our fellow warriors to proclaim how our God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14), and to help see others rescued as well. 6. Remember the chief part of our thankfulness Finally, we need to remind ourselves of the spiritual dangers associated with giving: a sense of self-reliance and self-glorification. We may be tempted to think that we have done so much for God’s kingdom. The best way to avoid those dangers is to bring the organizations God has given us the resources to support before Him, in both thankfulness and supplication for their work (Phil. 4:6). After all, the Heidelberg Catechism says that prayer is the chief part of our thankfulness, and thanking God for His work through Christian ministries, and seeking His help to make their work fruitful, kills our innate pride in our own generosity and brings glory to Him and joy in His work. It is easy to lose track of the ways in which God is working in the world. One way to avoid that is to make a list of everything you are giving to, as well as other worthy organizations, and to put them on your own personal prayer calendar – for instance, intentionally thanking God for, and interceding for, specific ministries each day of the week. Finally, in all your prayer, as the ultimate pride-killer and joy-giver, remember how much more God has done for you in Christ than you could ever do for Him: “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15)....

News

Millions distributed to Canada’s legacy media during election campaign

While the media was covering the federal election, the newly formed Canadian Journalism Collective (CJC) started its first handouts of cash from the enormous pot of $100 million that it is now mandated to give to Canadian news outlets each year. The funding comes from money that Google was required to pay in order to comply with the Liberal government’s Bill C-18, the Online News Act, which passed through Parliament in 2023. As revenue has dwindled for the legacy media, the Liberal government has been very motivated to step in with their own funding, both directly and indirectly. In addition to its $1.4 billion in annual funding of the CBC, it provided about $885 million of other media handouts in the past five years. The Hub, a relatively new media organization which doesn’t support government funding, reached out to Canada’s largest legacy media companies to ask if they received any of this money, how much they got, and whether they would be willing to disclose this during the election campaign. None of the organizations would commit to this. Why does this matter? We can’t serve two masters – if the media is supposed to be the servant of the public, holding the government to account, it can’t also be in the employ of that government. Last year, Reformed Perspective turned down an opportunity to receive substantial funding from the “Special Measures for Journalism” component of the Canada Periodical Fund. By God’s grace, our readers not only covered all our bills, they provided the means for us to grow our circulation and expand our team. Thank you for being the means through which we can continue to celebrate God’s truth, without being beholden to the government....

News

Saturday Selections – April 12, 2025

The Gray Haven's High Enough (4 min) The first story, history, told with tempo, beauty too – something special that'll have even rap and poetry haters take notice. Have you lost your ability to think deeply? "In 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You, Tony Reinke writes, 'God has given us the power of concentration in order for us to see and avoid what is false, fake, and transient — so that we may gaze directly at what is true, stable, and eternal.' As our ability to concentrate is eroded by cheap entertainment, so too is our ability to discern truth and focus on what has eternal value. We’re wasting God’s precious gift." So what can be done? Apologetics without apologizing Christians sometimes fall for our own bad press - the world paints us as simpletons for believing God's Word, and then we encourage their insult by acting as if God's Word is something to be ashamed of, when we never reference it in the public square. But the fact is, "Christianity is the most accurate account of reality and therefore worthy of our saying so." Solar and wind power are expensive The push for renewable energy doubled the cost of electricity in Ontario from 2005 to 2020, though the government hid some of those cost increases by paying for them. But that just meant taxpayers were going to be on the hook for them another way. And Germany, a renewable energy leader, is paying twice that. On a sunny, windy day, their solar and wind provides almost 70% of what their country needs, but on a dark, windless day, less than 4%. This is an article by a gay atheist who believes global warming is happening and man has a role. And he's still questioning what we're doing in our push for expensive unreliable renewables. Families parenting together God blessed us with like-minded Christian neighbors who were a few years ahead of us in parenting and we've been able to learn from their example, and share our own practices with them as well. This author makes the case that this is a blessing worth seeking out! Bonhoeffer's theory of stupidity The German theologian thought that it is more dangerous for a nation to be stupid than wicked. The application is as suitable to our day as it was in Nazi Germany. "In his famous letters from prison, Bonhoeffer argued that stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice, because while 'one may protest against evil; it can be exposed and prevented by the use of force, against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here. Reasons fall on deaf ears.'” ...

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