Transparent heart icon with white outline and + sign.

Life's busy, read it when you're ready!

Create a free account to save articles for later, keep track of past articles you’ve read, and receive exclusive access to all RP resources.

Subscribe Now! Open envelope icon with @ symbol.
White magnifying glass.

Search thousands of RP articles

Equipping Christians to think, speak, and act

Open envelope icon with @ symbol

Get Articles Delivered!

Equipping Christians to think, speak, and act delivered direct to your Inbox!

Line-art icon representing RP article category
Kids
Line-art icon representing RP article category
Magazine
Line-art icon representing RP article category
Articles
Line-art icon representing RP article category
Book Reviews
Line-art icon representing RP article category
Movie Reviews
Line-art icon representing RP article category
Daily devotional

More of Reformed Perspective!

Search CATEGORY: RP App

Magnifying glass with white border.
Most Recent
Family, Movie lists, Movie Reviews

A century of cinema for your family

20+ great films for you and your kids to time travel through the last 100 years

*****

While most other art forms have been around for centuries and millennia, “motion pictures” have only existed for just over a century. Back in March of 1895, two Frenchmen, the Lumière brothers, had a public screening of their black and white, silent, 46-second-long film Employees Leaving the Lumière Factory. And while that was as boring as it sounds, improvements started coming fast and frequently – later that same year they showed a 40-second comedy of sorts, The Tables Turned on the Gardener. The title character is using a hose to water his plants and when the water pressure drops, he looks down his hose to find out why. And that’s when the boy who’d been stepping on his hose lets the water resume – a first go at cinematic slapstick.

In the decades that followed we got plot, then color, and eventually sound. Cinema brought different art forms together – writing, acting, costuming, cinematography, music, construction, and more – and it took filmmakers about a quarter century to really figure out how to gel them all. So it isn’t until the 1920s that we get films that begin to stand the test of time, and can entertain still.

Now it’s never been that easy to find quality movies for kids, and even less so when you have Christian standards for what your family watches. But if you expand your choices beyond what’s come out in the past year, it does get a little easier.

And if you want to mix some education along with your entertainment, then now might be a great time to introduce your kids to great movies of the past. You can show them the ways the world has changed and the ways it hasn’t, and they can learn that newer is not always better!

To make it easy to do, we’ve created a list of suggestions for you from movies we’ve previously reviewed. Travel backwards in time from today to the 1920s to see a hundred years of cinema history. And by heading backward one movie at a time, you can slowly get your children used to the very different pace and look of the older movies.

All the films that follow are linked to their longer reviews, so if there are any cautions, you can see what they are by clicking the titles.

2020s

Paw Patrol: the Movie
Who hasn’t heard of Paw Patrol by now? But rest assured you don’t have to have watched the show to enjoy the movie. When an incompetent mayor runs amok in Adventure City, the pups have to help clean up the chaos. This film is good old-fashioned fun.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie
If your kids are a bit older, they might enjoy this fun romp through the world of Mario Bros. Mario and his brother Luigi get sucked into a strange and colorful land, where Mario has to rescue everyone from the dreadful Bowser.

2010s

Tangled
This retelling of Rapunzel is a favorite of many. Rapunzel has been told she needs to stay in the tower to stay safe, but when she meets a thief named Flynn, she gets an opportunity to leave and explore the wider world. A highlight is her versatile hair and all the ways she uses it to help her and Flynn get out of tight situations!

The Peanuts Movie
This movie brings in all the silly fun of the comic and leaves out some of the melancholy. Charlie Brown tries a variety of activities to impress the Little Red-Haired Girl, and is helped out by his friends. Will he succeed?

2000s

Pollyanna
Orphaned Pollyanna teaches her aunt and neighbors about the “Glad Game” her father taught her – this game involves striving to find something to be glad about in even the most difficult situations. Throughout the movie, things happen that make it very hard for her to stay “glad” – will Pollyanna stop playing her game?

Chicken Run
This one is for teens and maybe tweens but not younger – a clever claymation homage to the World War II prisoner escape genre, this takes place on a chicken farm, with the hens working together to plan a mass exodus. But they'll have to get past the Nazi guards farmer and his dogs first. This might be more for dads and their lads, but kids with an interest in World War II history should appreciate this.

1990s

Little Women
Four sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, come together through hard times their family experiences, and do their best to grow up into good young women.

Toy Story
All of the Toy Story movies are worth watching, but the first one came out all the way back in 1995, making it a great fit for the 1990s. Andy’s toys – Woody, Mr. Potato Head, Little Bo Peep, and more – all come to life when no people are around. Then a new toy, Buzz Lightyear, arrives to make Woody jealous. Both adults, and children as young as 12, can really appreciate this one (a bully and his initially creepy toys might be too much for the younger crowd).

1980s

An American Tail
Animated films are often assumed to be “just” for children, but the best of them use the art form to showcase stories for all ages – which means this could be a great film for the whole family! An American Tail explores the story of immigration, which is something many of us are familiar with as a result of our own family histories with immigration.

The Fox and the Hound
A fox and a hound meet and become the best of friends... but as they grow up, will their friendship last? They’re told foxes and hounds are natural enemies. This is a classic film with strong lessons about racism contained in it.

1970s

The Hobbit
While the live-action Hobbit trilogy hit big screens in the 2010s, the initial animated version came out in 1977. It has a lot to offer, and is not split into three parts!

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Who doesn’t love Winnie the Pooh? This movie contains several classic Pooh stories, and is a perfect way to introduce children to Pooh and his friends.

1960s

The Incredible Journey
Another classic movie based on a book. In this story, two dogs and a cat have to find their way back to their family, who are over 200 miles away.

Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates
A movie set in the Netherlands! Young Hans has to support his family, but he struggles to afford both food for them all, and medicine for his father. So he enters a 26-mile skating race with a big prize. Will he win?

1950s

Jack and the Beanstalk
Abbott and Costello, the well-known comedy duo from the 40s and 50s, star in this version of Jack and the Beanstalk. It’s slapstick, so some parental explanation might be needed for kids to get the jokes and comic physical humor, but kids will surely enjoy all the zany antics.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
A mysterious “sea monster” is destroying ships in the ocean, and three men are sent out to discover what it is, and stop it. It turns out not to be a sea creature, but a submarine! The three of them are taken aboard and start to learn all about its mysterious captain...

1940s

My Friend Flicka
A classic story of the love between a boy and his horse – a wild colt who needs to be tamed, and a boy who daydreams his way through school. Maybe they can both help each other grow up. A few cautions: for children who love horses, the death of a horse in this movie might be a tough watch, and the pace of this movie is slower, especially by modern movie standards.

Lassie Come Home
A boy is forced to sell his beloved and loyal dog Lassie when his family can’t afford to feed her anymore. Lassie’s new owner takes her to Scotland, but she is determined to find her way home, and goes through some serious adventures on her long journey.

1930s

The Prince and the Pauper
Stories about switched identities are fun, and this is one of the classic versions. A poor boy and a prince realize they look almost identical, and after they switch clothes they’re both mistaken for the wrong boy. Will the wrong boy end up crowned king? This is a black-and-white film, and is slower paced, but many children 9 and up will enjoy it.

The Adventures of Robin Hood
This film is consistently mentioned as the classic version of Robin Hood on screen, which went on to influence all the others. No dark and gritty retellings of Robin here! Our review lists four reasons you’ll never find a better version than this one.

1920s

Sherlock Jr.
We’re getting into movies old enough that some children will find them very, very different from modern movies... that said, most children do enjoy the silent films that are jam-packed with action! This could be a great opportunity to expand their viewing – and yours. Our first recommendation for silent films is Sherlock Jr., which is also free online if you click the title.

Seven Chances
Another silent film! Jimmie has seven chances to find someone to marry that day, in order to fulfill the conditions to inherit his grandfather’s fortune.

Conclusion

And that, then, is a collection of 22 films covering just over a century of cinema. If you do end up working your way through this list with your family, please let us know your thoughts, especially on the older ones. What were your favorites? We hope you find some gems!

To find even more film recommendations, including many films for younger children, be sure to check out our list of 200+ movies King David might watch.

Red heart icon with + sign.
News

Liberal MP reminds journalist who holds the purse strings
Red heart icon with + sign.
News

Saturday Selections – September 14, 2024

Why not raise the minimum wage to $100? Transgender thinking has infected economics too, with politicians applying the same wishes-can-reshape-realit...
Red heart icon with + sign.
Dying Well

The five Ws of funeral planning

I can think of many times I’ve answered the phone at the funeral home and the person on the other end of the line expressed a need to plan a funeral...
Red heart icon with + sign.
News

President Trump runs from his pro-life past

Donald Trump once had the distinction of being the most pro-life president in living memory. In his first term in office, he put into place the Suprem...
Red heart icon with + sign.
Dying Well

Write your own eulogy

Crystalize what’s most important in your life **** My neighbor wrote my eulogy last week, or what I hope will be at least a part of it. It was her daughter’s birthday, and I had popped over with a present. Neither mother nor daughter was surprised when it turned out to be a couple of books, and that’s what prompted the mom to say: “Jon, when you die, I think everyone at the funeral will have gotten a book from you.” I’d like that to be true. I do think birthdays and anniversaries are a wonderful excuse to pass along a good book, and while I haven’t reached near everyone yet, the Lord willing, I do still have time. So, yes, “book giver” is something I’d love to have included in my eulogy. What would you like included in yours? Eulogies are most often written for us by our family after we have passed on, but some years back Dr. Gary North challenged his readers to write their own eulogies. He first wanted them to write up a good resume to detail what they’d already done, and then they were supposed to write their eulogy to lay out what they intended to do. After both were complete, North challenged his readers to focus in on the differences. “How well does your résumé match what you would like said in your eulogy? If there is a big discrepancy, work on both…. There should be more to your life than your résumé. If there isn't, start working on improving your eulogy. Then work backward.” This talk of dying is all about bringing focus to how we can live out our purpose. God created us to glorify Him, and to best do that we need follow just two commands: to first love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and second, to love our neighbor as ourself (Matt. 22:37-39). So writing a eulogy is really just casting our eyes to the future to see how we might go about loving God and Man. Write it when you’re young While North’s proposal was an exercise aimed at everyone, there’s distinct benefits for young and old. Young people writing eulogies? Yes, because there’s benefit in asking, “How would I like to be remembered?” sooner rather than later. The earlier we get to it, the more time we’ll have to live out whatever goals we set. Like to be remembered as a generous donor to missions and Christian schooling? That might be achievable if you start charting this course in your teens. Would you love to be known as a nurturing parent? Best to write that down long before your kids move out. Want to be called a doting grandmother to dozens? It’s more realistic if you’re busy having, and loving, your own large family now. It’s a different twist on goal-setting, because eulogies don’t focus on our typical aspirations. A big house is nice, but have you ever heard that mentioned at a funeral? We’d all love to be able to explore the globe, but who’d want to be known simply as a world traveler at the end of their life? What priority do you want to give to your job? There are all sorts of careers that’d be worth a mention as your son or daughter sums up your time on earth, but only so long as they were a means of serving God, and hadn’t become a god to you. That’s how writing a eulogy early can show you what sort of goals are worth setting. Typing it out when you’re young is also a reminder to not put off what you can do today, since none of us have a promise of tomorrow. In his book Seasons of Sorrow, Reformed pastor and author Tim Challies wrote about his son Nicholas’s sudden death. The young man was just 20 when he died, and at the time was attending seminary and engaged to be married. While those plans were cut short, his father could take comfort in being able to write in his obituary: “ eventually became convinced that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and that he ought to be a follower of Jesus.… All who share his faith commend him for running his short race well and anticipate the day when they will see him again.” Worth doing when you’re old There’s a different value in writing your eulogy when you’re older. It may be less about setting major new goals – limits on time and strength don’t allow a man in his sixties to take on studying to be a doctor, or starting a pig farm. But new ventures are still possible since retirement may bring time to do activities that just weren’t possible before. I know a man who took up painting and got quite good at it, leaving works that adorn the walls of family and friends. When infirmity took that away he turned to crafting poetry, glorifying his Maker in an entirely new way. But in these later years one benefit to writing a eulogy comes in the clarity it brings to revisions that should and could be made. A young man can fool himself into thinking he has all the time in the world to make amends. But once there’s no denying death’s approach, we can’t miss the need to make the most of the short time we might still have. It’s only fiction, but in Where the Blue Sky Begins, a terminal cancer diagnosis is what gives the main character her clear mission – she’s put it off for years but she’s sure God wants her to ask forgiveness of seven people she’s wronged. The very reason we might not want to write our eulogy at this age – all the regrets we don’t want to think about – is a big reason to do it. Sin has stained all our stories and what we’ve done can’t be undone. But it can be forgiven. Ships may have sailed, but course corrections are always possible because our God is merciful. Just think of the thief on the cross. We don’t know how old he was, but we know he had no strength and no time to offer – stuck as he was, he couldn’t do anything other than profess Jesus as righteous. But that was quite the plot twist, and whatever his story’s beginnings, he had such a spectacularly God-glorifying final chapter it was included in the Bible (Luke 23:39-43). Not all revisions are going to be this dramatic, but we all have sins we can flee from. Think of common examples: a stern mother can’t get back those early years, but she may now have time to craft a different entry as a grandma. Maybe you spent too much time watching hockey, or obsessing about the royals, or reading trashy fiction? Whatever our sins, so long as breath remains, we can repent. And then possibilities will exist still to glorify our Maker. For many a faithful saint these final chapters can also be about etching deeper what’s already been put down. My parents have gotten to a stage where getting out of bed has become an accomplishment, but they continue doing what they’ve always done, showing what a great marriage and sacrificial love looks like. It comes out in small ways, maybe bringing another cup of coffee, or holding hands during Jessica Fletcher but it’s more of what’s been going on for half a century now. It was also quite something to see my wife’s grandmother holding forth on her deathbed, still loving on the people gathered around her, more concerned about how they were doing than the pain she was feeling. And knowing she had just hours and not weeks, she took the opportunity to share some pointed advice because it was clear she had no time but the present. When years and maybe decades may still remain, polishing can be done. A good young elder can continue on as an older elder. Retired businessmen can burnish their legacy by mentoring younger entrepreneurs. Paul tells us that older men and women are to teach the younger generation (Titus 2), and Asaph tells us to share with our children what God has done in our own lives (Ps. 78). So long as breath remains, opportunities to honor God continue. Writing a eulogy in our later years can be about adding on an exclamation mark to what we already have down. Conclusion When I first started writing this article, I intended to share my own eulogy as an example. But if this exercise is going to be as brutally honest as it is meant to be, the results aren’t really for public consumption. I will share a couple of broader lessons learned. Like every Christian parent, I want to make it easy for my kids to say about me – to know about me – “He loved his Lord.” And I want my neighbors to know it too. There’s that old joke that goes, “if the government ever brought up charges against you for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Would your neighbors be able to join in on the prosecution side? Maybe like you, I have some work to do here. I’ve also realized, at least at this point of my life, I can most glorify God by being a patient father. There’s all sorts of other things I can work on too, and goals I should follow through on (like a book I’ve yet to start). But right now, every day again – almost moment by moment – I have repeated opportunities to help or to hurt the mood of my household. I can do so either as a harried, slightly grumpy, justice- more than mercy-minded, busy dad, or as a happier, calmer, more patient parent who better reflects his Father in Heaven. This second option is easy enough to write down, but if it’s going to be a goal and not simply a wish, steps need to be taken, and what will that look like? This eulogy-writing is only useful if it leads to concrete actions. So if I’m grumpy because I’m too busy, then I need to either take less on, or take steps to be better at organization. I know I’m a better saint when I’m well rested, so bed time needs to become a priority. If I really want to be remembered as a patient dad, what am I going to do about it, and what am I willing to give up to achieve this goal? That’s what I’ve learned, but now how about you? What are your friends and family going to say about you when you’re gone? And what can you do about it still now?...

Red heart icon with + sign.
News

Saturday Selections – September 7, 2024

The importance of "social trust" What can we do when people stop trusting? One common approach is to outsource trust to the government. Get the government to inspect, certify, and license folks to prove they are trustworthy. The problem here is that this makes trust an expensive commodity: licenses, inspections, and certifications all cost money and time. And it also presupposes that the one entity we can trust is our government, and their competence to be able to assess everyone else. The video supposes we can turn the tide by being trustworthy ourselves. That's a start, certainly, but while that would benefit your customers, it wouldn't benefit your interactions with the rest of your untrustworthy society. What this video is calling for then (though it doesn't know it) is revival. Only God can change hearts en masse! It's a young world after all On offer here, four evidences of a young solar system. 11 things to know when Jehovah’s Witnesses are at the door They might present themselves as Christian, but they believe in a very different God. How do we give hope and help to women who struggle with postpartum depression? Two biblical counselors offer hope in this 30-minute podcast that's also available as a 15-minute read. Are the "5 Love Languages" real? Gary Chapman's 1992 bestseller The Five Love Languages proposed that there are 5 very different ways that people express love, and that we could all get along better if we understood each other's primary love language. I had a friend who benefitted from the book when she realized that while she appreciated physical affection – she was a hugger – her mom just wasn't. But, she'd often buy her daughter presents. Chapman's book helped my friend realize how often her mom was thinking of her, how much her mom did indeed love her, even though her mom never gave her an encouraging hug. So, for some the book was quite impactful. But further study finds that while we might have different tendencies, our "love languages" aren't as distinct as the book made them seem. Even my friend's dear ol' mom, who wasn't a hugger, might have appreciated a hug. Why Christians need to stop using the term "same-sex attracted" English professor and former homosexual Rosario Butterfield explains that we should not identify with our sins. She is not speaking primarily to Christians who are simply using this term for the sin they are struggling with (though she has thoughts for them too). Rather, this is directed more at Christians who, though they might be remaining chaste, are claiming same-sex attraction as a part of their identity. ...

Red heart icon with + sign.
Magazine, Past Issue

Sept/Oct 2024 issue

WHAT'S INSIDE: Write your own eulogy / Why are you grieving? / 7 articles on aging well / Capture the Contrast photo contest results / A tool to counter the religion of death / A funeral is a community event / Will you die well? / The five W's of funeral planning / Seasons of Sorrow: the pain of loss and the comfort of God / This is my body: after death a body remains and a decision has to be made / Books on aging and dying well / Let the little children come: Children can't be sheltered from the death of a loved one. But they can be comforted. / Before the Reformation / In a Nutshell / Come and Explore: Rufus + Gruff / Floyd Elzinga: Creating art out of the new and old / More than the Magazine / Film classic the family will love! / Dressing for warfare Click the cover to view in your browser or click here to download the PDF (9 mb) ...

Red heart icon with + sign.
Adult non-fiction, Book Reviews

A Good Old Age: an A to Z of loving and following the Lord Jesus in later years

by Derek Prime 2017 / 184 pages They say not to judge a book by its cover, but how about by its title? “A Good Old Age,” written by the 86-year-old pastor and seasoned veteran, Derek Prime, reminded me of what the Bible writes about Abraham: “And Abraham died in a good old age” (Gen. 25:8). So yes, this book had me by its title. Perhaps the title also grabbed me because I’m at an age where my parents have/are close to following the Lord Jesus into glory. Witnessing their time in the “waiting room” as they prepare for the last years of their earthly life, I see both the joys and the challenges these years represent and so was keen to see what Derek Prime had to say about the A-Z’s of following Jesus in the sunset years. The book did not disappoint. But it did surprise. I soon realized I needed its wisdom in middle age as much as my parents did in their elderly age. I needed it as preparation for the last lap of my life, which the Bible tells me will come more quickly than I realize as “the grass withers, the flower fades” (Isaiah 40:8). Like Alistair Begg asserts in the foreword: “(This book) needs to be read long before we find ourselves in the senior citizen seats on the train.” So, whether you’re young and want to understand your grandparents and their behaviors more, whether you’re middle aged and giving extra time and love to your parents, or whether you’re nearing the Jordan crossing, this book is for you. In A Good Old Age, Derek Prime goes through the entire alphabet, assigning a letter with its corresponding spiritual priority to each chapter, posing insightful questions along the way for the reader to consider while providing encouraging prayers at each chapter’s conclusion. Although not a deeply theological book, it is an extremely practical one which won’t have you skim-reading over the fluff, because, quite simply, there isn’t any. While written simplistically, its truths are profound and, with the help of the Spirit and through prayer, will prove transforming. Both its content and its font size make for a highly readable book (in good light I didn’t need my reading glasses). The author points out many perils to avoid in old age: Do you tend to compare the present with the past? Do you distrust the motives of those around you? Are you pessimistic? Do you indulge in self-pity? Are you grumpy and demanding? He also points out potentials to embrace while spending time in the waiting room: Do you take the extra time you have to pray for those you love and for those in authority over you, including the minister and elders/deacons? Do you share good and wise counsel that has guided you in life? Do you encourage those around you? Do you speak to others about the hope that is within you, also as you approach the time of your death? Does your obedience to the Word of God shine from your life as a witness to your children and grandchildren? There are several recurrent themes that run through this book and pop up in various different “letters”: seeking God’s approval before man’s approval; the power and importance of prayer as one of the most important things that you can do in old age (something not hampered by physical limitations); living your days in praise and thanksgiving; being an encourager and not a critic; pressing onward toward the goal of following our Savior into glory. To give you a little bit of a taste of A Good Old Age, here are a few of my favorite “letters” (and no, I won’t tell you what “x” stands for – you’ll need to buy the book for that!): A is for Acceptance. Accept the fact that you are old. Accept the truths of aging – loss of a certain amount of independence, increased frustration, more physical ailments. Accept that your children are busy and can’t visit you as much as you would like. C is for Contentment. Be content with your health, finances, family members, friends. Be satisfied in Jesus Christ and witness this by your contentment in the everyday circumstances of your life. L is for Love. When love is in place, everything falls into place. Keep the cross in focus and everything else comes into focus. The more you realize Christ’s love for you, the more you love Him and reflect that love to one another. “Even as well-established fruit trees often provide the best fruit, so older Christians should produce the best examples of Christ’s love in a Christlike life.” Since I started with the letter A, I had better finish with Z. Z is for Zeal. Zeal for the honor of God’s name, zeal for right relationships before we die, and zeal for the coming of God’s kingdom. Derek Prime didn’t know how long he would spend in the waiting room of his sunset years before God called him Home. But God numbered his days, and the author died three years after this book was published, at A Good Old Age of 89. He left behind a legacy to his children and grandchildren of what it looked like to love and follow the Lord Jesus. May the same – by the grace of God – be said about us. This review first appeared in the May 18, 2024 issue of Una Sancta, a magazine “for the Free Reformed Churches of Australia” and it is reprinted with both their and the author’s permission....

Red heart icon with + sign.
News

Saturday Selections – August 31, 2024

Click on the titles to go to the linked articles... Jordan Peterson pressed on whether he is Christian or not (10 min) Jordan Peterson has seemingly...
Red heart icon with + sign.
Internet

On becoming tech-savvy Christians

Technology changes so quickly that we can become bewildered over what to think about all the new products, services and platforms that appear and disa...
Red heart icon with + sign.
News

St. Catharines drops censorship bylaw

Just three weeks before having to appear in court to defend their bylaw that censored pictures of pre-born children, the city of St. Catharines blinke...
Red heart icon with + sign.
News

The Olympics as Utopian theater

It’s all a show in the city of man. ***** Even after the controversy of a bizarre opening ceremony, the Olympic Games showed why it is unparallele...
Red heart icon with + sign.
News

Saturday Selections – August 24, 2024

Abe Lincoln with a lesson on lying The smartest politicians don't break promises; like Abe here, they try not to make any promises at all. Pro-life voters need to watch out lest their votes go to politicians who won't be pinned down as to what they'll actually do for the unborn. Aging peacefully It comes to all of us, that moment when we realize that there's that certain something that we enjoyed before, but we have to let go of now because of age. This is a mom writing, but I think guys will empathize too. An old challenge to old earth assumptions 20 years ago creationists sent coal samples to secular labs to test for Carbon-14, which has a half-life of 5,730 years, and shouldn't exist in coal beds that are said to be 50 million, 100 million, and 300 million years old. And yet, it was found. So either those coal beds are much, much younger or.... Well, two decades later, evolutionists still don't have much of an answer to offer. How to minimize digital distractions in your marriage "Do you struggle with digital distractions? Is it sleeping next to your phone? Watching TV at night to 'wind' down? Most of our time is spent in front of a screen instead of being in front of real people – most importantly, our spouses – who are looking to us for connection." When “helping” kids hurts them Christians should be wary of secular psychology (and any Christian counseling that leans heavily on it) as it understands us as minds but not also as souls. It also doesn't recognize our true purpose and true identity (as created by God to glorify and enjoy Him forever) and so can't offer any sort of corrective to patients confused about these most important matters. It's lack of any firm footing means it's liable to fall for the latest thing, as it has in siding with the transgender agenda, pushing the impossible notion of "transitioning" on already troubled patients. And it also means that, as this article details: "...over 40% of young adults have a mental health diagnosis, twice the rate of the general population. So, the generation most treated for psychological well-being is doing the worst psychologically." More unintended consequences One of the premises behind government-run economies is that people are simple. The socialists don't put it quite that way, of course, but that's what they'd need if their governments were to have any chance at managing the economy: citizen's interests, desires, and actions would need to be easy to predict and easy to direct with just a push or pull of the right political lever. But what this video, and the many others in this series, show, is that leaders is government and industry too repeatedly fail at properly predicting how folks are going to act. And if people are complex, then the best government is going to be the one that recognizes its own inability to know, let alone meet, those less than predictable, desires. ...

Red heart icon with + sign.
Dying Well

Let the little children come

Children can’t be sheltered from the death of a loved one. But they can be comforted. ***** Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matt. 19:14) A year before I was born, my oldest brother Sidney died in a car accident. My parents and nine siblings navigated the visitation and funeral as best they could. In 1984, death and grief were not as openly discussed as they are today. In hindsight, my parents wished they would have slowed everything down a little, giving themselves more time as a family to take in what had just happened and also to prepare my two youngest brothers for the experience. These brothers were kindly babysat by a lady from their church during the visitation and funeral. But now, as grown adults and parents themselves, they still have clear memories of that time and they wish they had been included in the funeral events. Ten years later, when I was eight years old, we lost my brother Justin in a car accident as well. This time, as siblings, we were able to experience things together as much as we wished to be included. Not everyone wanted to go to the accident site, but some of us did. There wasn’t a question of whether we were too young to attend his visitation and funeral; we all attended. From the oldest to the youngest, we shook hands with hundreds of people who came out from our church community to support us. My brother Reuben, who was 11, and I might have taken breaks to run around the funeral home for a bit, even getting in trouble from the funeral director just once. Sidney, Justin, and Jason, three of Diane’s siblings who died young. I share this to be realistic. I strongly believe that children need to be included in all family events in an age-appropriate manner. This starts with being truthful about what has happened. “Grandpa has died, and his soul has gone to heaven to be with Jesus.” We need to steer away from terms like sleeping or resting. Not being honest with a child can cause confusion and even unnecessary fear of what death actually is. Telling them they cannot see their loved one in the casket because “it is not appropriate for kids” only makes their imagination run wild, potentially leading to real fear and avoidance of death or funeral homes in adulthood. I know adults who were made to fear funeral homes and caskets as children, and now they struggle to attend visitations and funerals to support their own friends and church communities. This is unfortunate, as death is a part of life, as God speaks of this in Ecclesiastes 3:1-2: “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.” In 2014, we lost my brother Jason to cancer at 45 years old. Now, as an adult, I had also been a funeral director for over eight years. This was a different grief for me than when I was eight years old. I had this brother my whole life; he was my friend, and now it was time to say goodbye. Navigating the funeral details with my brother’s wife and ensuring his children felt included was crucial. They all came to the funeral home the day after his death to pick out his casket. They stood in the visitation receiving line and attended the funeral. Seeing their young friends come to support these grieving children was so special to see. I am glad that, as a society, we see more and more children coming to support their friends who have lost a loved one. This will help raise young people with a healthy perspective on death and dying and with the understanding that those who are grieving need their support. God has also made it possible for us to share these difficult experiences in a positive way! “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4) Diane Vanderwoude Russell is funeral director at Kitching, Steepe & Ludwig Funeral Home in Hamilton, Ontario. You can email her at [email protected]....

Red heart icon with + sign.
News

Saturday Selections – August 17, 2024

Click on the titles below to go to the linked articles... The wrong folk think God, the Bible, and Christianity are relevant in the political sphere After Trump was shot, a picture circulated showing Christ with a bandage on his ear – they were equating Trump with the Son of God, and that wasn't the first time either! On the Left, California governor Gavin Newsom's campaign paid for billboards to run in Mississippi that read "Need an abortion? California is ready to help" and underneath were the words from Mark 12:31: "Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these." In the clip below you'll see 50 preachers who are taking their talking points from the Kamala Harris campaign, preaching to their congregations that they need to support one of the most pro-abortion candidates ever. This isn't a reason to keep religion out of politics. It is a reason for God's people to speak up more, lest we abandon the public square to blasphemous pseudo-Christians. SUPERCUT: The week after Biden dropped out of the presidential race, I found over 50 churches hyping Kamala Harris during their worship services, clearly using shared talking points. Here we see some of them sharing the good news of the Vice President's fundraising numbers: pic.twitter.com/Z7BPr8x6VZ — Woke Preacher Clips (@WokePreacherTV) August 9, 2024 How long pets live Parents, if your kids are asking you for a giant tortoise, just say no! They might not eat all that much, and be easy to keep up with, but getting one for your family is a commitment that could last 300 years! To find a pet that won't outlast your children's children, click on the link above for a very helpful chart. Conspiracy fact: there really is a brilliant malevolent force working behind the scenes Peter Mead writes on how Christians are "inclined to bury our heads in the sand regarding evil in this world." We'll affirm Satan is real but won't acknowledge his work "in almost every layer of human influence and authority." And the problem with overlooking our spiritual adversary is that we're liable to miss the spiritual nature of the battle we're in – it's all about God's glory. The Devil would love it if he could get the world to follow their feelings, but he'd also enjoy everyone submitting to an objective reality so long as they do so without holding to God as the Author and Creator of it. When we mistake the battle we're in for some sort of merely political or cultural one, then we'll defend it as such, never mentioning God and robbing Him of the glory that is His due... which is the end the Devil was after in the first place. The curious case of the Christian Reformed Church (10 minute read) "'How many denominations have gone this far down the road toward theological liberalism and then put on the brakes in a significant way?' Monroe asked. None." This is a longer piece, but a fantastic overview of the liberal and orthodox twists and turns that have happened in the CRC denomination over the last 40 years, and in particular the last half dozen. On the brink of plunging into all sorts of sexual perversion, the CRC seems to be solidly reversing course. Praise God! Green Greenland was good A headline from the New Scientist this month read, "Fossils show Greenland was once ice-free – and could be again." That has some rather big implications for our climate change catastrophists who hold that it is a crisis for the Earth to be warmer. A shovel dance? (3 min) I'm not going to bother mentioning the title of the old Western this comes from because this is the best scene in it. And boy is it good! ...

Red heart icon with + sign.
News, Pro-life - Euthanasia

State-sanctioned murder now the 5th leading cause of death in Canada

State-sanctioned murder, euphemistically called “medical assistance in dying,” has quickly become one of the leading causes of death in Canada, according to a new study by the Canadian think tank Cardus. Their report noted that MAiD deaths have increased thirteenfold in the short time since it was legalized in 2016 (growing from 1,018 deaths then to 13,241 now). That makes it the fifth leading cause of death in the country, and the “world’s fastest-growing assisted-dying program." Only 3.5 percent of requests for assisted killing are denied, and that number continues to decrease. The study also noted that “MAiD request can be assessed and provided in a single day.” When doctor-assisted murder was first decriminalized, the courts stressed that it had to be “stringently limited” and “carefully monitored.” But those who argued against euthanasia explained that limits would be impossible to maintain once “my body, my choice” is regarded as a sufficient moral justification for murder. If that justifies the assisted killing of someone sick, why wouldn’t it also justify the killing of someone who is healthy? But murder and suicide are wrong precisely because it isn’t our body, so it isn’t our choice. As God notes in Gen. 9:6 the reason murder is wrong is because He made us in His very Image. In a world where the law doesn’t testify to the gift of life like it used to, the Church has all the more calling to share this positive and life-affirming message through our words and, more importantly, through our deeds. We are surrounded by so many neighbors whose hopes are quickly diminishing as their bodies age or they face sickness. May we seize every opportunity to show them the Gospel of Life, which gives hope in this life and the next....

Red heart icon with + sign.
News

Saturday Selections – August 10, 2024

Click on the titles below to go to the linked articles... Red Green's pit crew "You know when a flatbed gets ahead of you in a race it's not going w...
Closeup of a woman's feet in high heels next to a car in the dark.
Red heart icon with + sign.
News

Prostitution laws challenged at Supreme Court of Canada
Red heart icon with + sign.
News, Transgenderism

Transmutilation defender comes to regret youthful tattoo
Red heart icon with + sign.
Dying Well

A funeral is a community event

Your presence alone can be a comfort ***** Not long ago I was directing a funeral, and the service was about to begin. The doors to the sanctuary op...
Red heart icon with + sign.
News

Reformed book publisher changes hands

Reformed book publisher Paideia Press, which has published over 400 titles since it started in the late 1970’s, has been gifted to the Cántaro Institute. Many Dutch Reformed readers will be familiar with Paideia titles like Scout, Journey Through the Night and the well-loved devotional Daylight by Rev. Andrew Kuyvenhoven. After some quiet years, the publisher resurfaced in the past decade, and while S.G. DeGraaf’s fantastic four-volume Promise and Deliverance series might be the only holdover from those former days, they have a slew of new titles promoting “reformational thinking.” Paideia Press was the effort of Niagara-based entrepreneur John Hultink. He has now gifted all the titles and copyrights to Cántaro Institute, which bills itself as a “reformed confessional organization committed to the advancement of the Christian worldview for the reformation and renewal of the church and culture.” The institute is based on the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689). What might be of most interest to our readership is the Institute’s own publishing efforts defending creation which includes titles like Jerry Bergman’s Evolution’s Dangerous Ideas and C.S. Lewis’s War Against Scientism & Naturalism. They have also made e-book versions of Promise and Deliverance available for free, which is a great quick study aid for parents and teachers trying to share Bible stories with children. You can find all four volumes by searching for “Promise and Deliverance” at CantaroInstitute.org....

Red heart icon with + sign.
News

Saturday Selections – August 3, 2024

Click on the titles below to go to the linked articles... Are memories stored in the brain? History shows that the deeper we delve into how wondrously we are created, the more mysteries there are to investigate. This shouldn't surprise us, since we worship a God without end. But I think the arrogance of the evolutionists – the guys who say we are so simple we came about without direction or design – has impacted even God's people such that, with the possible exception of seeing a newborn baby, we don't marvel like we really should when we look across our table at another person created in the very image of our Creator. How fascinating then, to discover that scientists are still working out where our memories are stored. Thought it was the brain and that's that? Not so fast! "There is no question that proper function of the brain is necessary for ordinary memories — that is, the ordinary acquisition of knowledge and its retention. Yet removal of major parts of the brain — including removal of entire lobes and hemispheres — does not usually remove memories. That should not be surprising if we assume that psychological things like memories are not the kind of things that can be cut out with a scalpel." The verse that shuts theistic evolution down Christians are sometimes confused about whether the theory of evolution can be meshed with the Creation account in Genesis 1 and 2. But whereas Evolution says we are continuing to change from one species to the next, Genesis 2:1 tells us that the job is done: "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished." Free books on the "realities of socialism" Socialism is pitched as the compassionate economic system. But in reality it is the envious system, always looking over the back fence and making plans for what our neighbors have. It violates the Tenth Commandment, and because God's commands are also an expression of His love for us, protecting the obedient from self-induced harms, violating them brings real harm. And socialism causes real harm. The folks at the Fraser Institute aren't explicitly Christian, and may not be Christian at all, but they are very familiar with the harms caused by socialism. They've come out with a series of five books on the "realities of socialism" as it was experienced in Poland, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, and Singapore. Power outages bring hurricane of EV buyers' remorse The switch to EV has a downside that is dangerous: when a hurricane takes down power lines, what are EV users going to do to get out of Dodge? Tim Challies on 10 serious problems with Jesus Calling Challies takes issue with a book that millions of Christians have bought and enjoyed. Am I a racist? From the same folks who brought us the fantastic What is a Woman? comes a new film this fall. So, it could be really good - check out the trailer below. ...

Red heart icon with + sign.
In a Nutshell

Tidbits – August 2024

English is a funny language Have you ever seen: • a shoe box? • a kitchen sink? • a ball park? • a home run? • a hot dog stand? • a picket fence? • a square dance? • a hole punch? • a horse fly? 2 AM at the same time everywhere Have you ever missed an online meeting because you’ve gotten confused about the time zones? Sure, the fellow in Ontario wants to meet at 3, but you’re in BC, so does he mean your 3 o’clock or his? And what about the guy in Australia – is his 3 your AM or PM? Turns out there is a solution to this dilemma, a time-zone-free universal clock that results in everyone’s 1 PM happening at exactly the same time, no matter country or continent. If that strikes you as odd, then consider the “universal time” we already have in place: months. Here in North America, December is a snowy month – it’s winter for us. But meanwhile in Australia, December is the middle of their summer. If we were to keep months the way we keep hours, then they should really be having a summer month like June when, halfway around the globe we are having our wintery December. That would allow us to both have wintery Decembers, which would make it a bit easier for Santa and his sleigh to land on their roofs without doing any damage to the shingles. But it would make it confusing to have to wonder what month it is in another country. So I like our universal months. Now we just need to do the same thing for our 24-hour clock so that 2 AM here is happening at the exact moment as 2 AM in China, Australia, the Netherlands and everywhere else. There is already a “Coordinated Universal Time” (with the not quite in the right order abbreviation of UTC) that’s used by airplanes. Way simpler to know when you’ll arrive if you aren’t subtracting all the time zones. Everyone around the world should have the exact same time…at exactly the same time. Then when it came time to schedule a meeting it’d be easy for everyone to know when it’s actually happening. But what about Daylight Savings Time (DST), you might ask? How would UTC work with DST? It doesn’t. But let’s all agree that Daylight Savings Time is annoying, so when we make the shift to UTC, we’ll also get rid of DST and be all the better for it. So what say you? Math that kids will like Children’s picture book author Amy Krouse Rosenthal liked to make word equations. Here are a few of her funniest: • somersaults + somersaults + somersaults = dizzy • (patience + silence) + coffee = Poetry • (patience + silence) + beer = Fishing • blaming + eye rolling ≠ sincere apology • chalk + sitting = school • chalk + jumping = hopscotch • chores ÷ everyone = family If you plant corn… I don’t know Dudley Hall, but I do like his common-sense take on Galatians 6:7: “If you plant corn you’ve given up your options about what the fruit’s going to be. If you plant corn, you’re going to get up corn. And Scripture says, ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.’ “If you sow to the flesh, if you sow to your selfish desires, that’s the fruit. You go I don’t want that fruit; I want a better fruit. Well, you’ve gotta go backwards. You can’t just change the fruit. You have to go back and decide, what do I have to plant to get that?” There is no neutrality in education The Organization of American Historians proclaims itself as the “largest professional society dedicated to United States history.” But what sort of history does it teach? • Getting the Story Straight: Queering Regional Identities • Supporting Pregnant-Capable Students in Abortion-Ban States • Teaching K–12 History in an Educational Culture War: What Scholars Can Do to Strengthen Antiracist Education • Queering Work: LGBT Labor Histories Notable quotables on favoritism “The axiomatic error undermining much of Western Civilization is ‘weak makes right.’ If someone accepts, explicitly or implicitly, that the oppressed are always the good guys, then the natural conclusion is that the strong are the bad guys.” – Elon Musk “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit…. Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits…” – Exodus 23 “Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” – a slogan journalist William Randolph Hearst, and many journalists after him, embraced. Noble sounding, and so much so that many a pastor has claimed it as a good slogan for the mission of the Church. But the pivot point here is on who you think the afflicted are. If you believe the weak, the poor, or the various sexual and ethnic minorities are always the afflicted, and if you’ve already decided Christians, or men, or the rich, are always the comfortable, then it isn’t such a good slogan after all. How many? With our long-lasting LED lightbulbs I wonder if the “how many ____s does it take to screw in a lightbulb?” jokes might go the way of all those old “how many _____s does it take to switch out a buggy wheel?” quips. You sure don’t hear those anymore! So, before they all go dim, here are some of the best bulb bits. How many… • …babysitters does it take to change a lightbulb? None – they don’t make Pampers that small. • Appliance sales men? Just one, but for this week and this week only. • Folk musicians? One to screw it in, and one to complain that it’s electric. • Evolutionists? None – they are sure that it’ll just happen if you give it enough time. • Skateboarders? One, but it’ll take him 100 tries. • Optimists? One, and he doesn’t need a lightbulb – he knows the old one is just screwed in too tightly. • Pessimists? None – they won’t bother, because they’re sure the wiring’s shot too. • How many real men? None. Real men aren’t scared of the dark. Going all Philippians 4:8 on sports In Dean Register’s Minister’s Manual he tells a story about a pastor, Leith Anderson, who grew up as an avid fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers. One year his father took him to a World Series game where his beloved Dodgers were playing their hated cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees. Anderson was sure his Dodgers were going to win, but he was bitterly disappointed when they never even got on base and lost the game 2-0. Years later Anderson had an opportunity to share his World Series experience with another avid baseball fan. “It was such a disappointment,” he told the man, “the Dodgers never even got to base.” “You mean you were actually there?” the man asked in amazement. “You were there when the Yankees’ Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in World Series history? That must have been amazing!” Anderson had been so wrapped up in the rivalry that he missed out on appreciating the most dominating pressure-packed pitching performance ever displayed in the baseball finals! Sportsmanship at its core is about remembering that the guys on the other team are our opponents, not our enemies – fellow human beings made in God’s image. Recognizing that won’t cut into our intensity, but should cut down on our cross-checks. While we’re always going to cheer on our hometown, if we eliminate the hate we’ll also be able to appreciate a brilliant performance by the other team’s guy. Educational viewing? “All television is educational television, the only question is, What is it teaching?” – Nicholas Johnson Saying “I love you” A woman in an adult creative-writing class didn’t quite know what to make of her homework assignment. She had to write different ways to say “I love you,” each of which had to be 25 words or less, and they couldn’t include the word “love.” After she spent ten minutes scratching her head, the woman’s husband came up behind her and started massaging her shoulders. As he loosened up her shoulders and neck she was finally able to start writing. Here is what she submitted to her instructor: • “I’ll get up and see what that noise was.” • “It looks good on you, but you look even better in the red top.” • “Cuddle up – I’ll get your feet warm.” SOURCE: Adapted from joke in the February 1990 Reader’s Digest submitted by Charlotte Mortimer Standing up for the unborn here, there, and everywhere! “If we speak in church, we’re told it’s too political; if we speak in the political arena, we’re told it’s too religious. If we speak in the media we’re told it’s too disturbing; in the educational realm, it’s too disruptive. On the public streets, it’s too distressing for children; in the business world it’s too controversial, in the family, too divisive, and in a social setting it’s just impolite. “So if abortion is wrong, where do we go to say so? The answer is that we have to stop looking for a risk-free place to fight abortion, and speak up in all those arenas. Let’s stop counting the cost for ourselves if we speak up, and start counting the cost for them if we are silent. The pro-life movement does not need a lot of people; it needs people who are willing to take a lot of risk.” – Roman Catholic priest Frank Pavone speaking against those who say they are pro-life, but object to the issue of abortion being raised in a particular “arena.”...

Red heart icon with + sign.
Documentary, Movie Reviews, Watch for free

The Ark and the Darkness

Documentary 2024 / 110 minutes RATING: 7/10 Got doubts about whether the biblical Flood really happened, or really covered the whole of the Earth? Then The Ark and the Darkness is for you. The documentary starts off with a bang, the opening credits showcasing what the world might have looked like as the Flood's waters rose. The most haunting image is the last one, of a wolf bounding up a rocky terrain, trying to find somewhere high enough to escape the rising seas. Then the experts arrive to do the heavy lifting. Much of the Church is embarrassed by the Flood. It's a Bible passage often ignored or even rejected because many Christians think Science has disproven it. The implications go far beyond these few chapters because if someone chooses Science over the Bible here, where does it stop? What about when Science proclaims we evolved? Or that death came before Man ever showed up? Shucks, we now even have Science tellings us guys can become girls. And the kicker is, Science also tells us that the dead don't rise. So if Science is your ultimate guide to what's true, then your Savior did not rise, and your faith is futile (1 Cor. 15:17). So, as Dr. John Sanford puts it, "What is at stake is, Heaven or Hell." But what if God's infallible unerring eyewitness account is your guide? What The Ark and the Darkness sets out to show is that the Bible is trustworthy, and that ideology blinds the scientists who say otherwise. There is more than the secular way to do Science and the facts, as this documentary details, fit well with the Bible's Flood account. Those with eyes to see will be amazed at what Science really says when it isn't being twisted towards godless ends. So, the short CGI scenes, showing the deluge, are striking, but the film's real value is in what the experts are saying. Some of the evidences they present for the Flood include: Polystrate fossils - Some fossilized trees extend upwards right through strata that is said to have been laid down over millions of years. But if it really took that long for the layers to build up and bury the tree, the tree would have rotted away long before. The better explanation is that these layers were put down rapidly over a short period of time during the Flood Bended and folded rock layers representing millions of years - Rocks don't bend; they shatter. So these layers must have still been soft when they were bent, which again doesn't make sense if they were laid down over millions of years. It does make sense if they were laid down rapidly. Elastic tissue in dinosaur fossils – Recently, soft tissue has been found in dinosaurs that are supposed to be millions of years old. That doesn't make sense. It does make sense if the dinosaur tissue isn't nearly that old. Hundreds of Flood traditions around the world – You'd expect an event that reduced the planet to just one family to be talked about and passed on to their children and children's children. And it was: there are worldwide flood traditions in cultures around the world. Lots of things get changed, but the gist isl there. That's just the tip of what they tackle. Caution I was struck by how many times variations of the phrase "...exactly as the Bible suggests..." pop up. The word "exactly" is the problem here, because it gives the impression that we know it happened just so. The followup "suggests" technically takes back that certainty, but still leave much of the same impression. We do know some things for certain: that God created in 6 days, for example. And that the waters covered the Earth. But what went down under those Flood waters? Well, here's a really interesting film exploring all that might have happened. But maybe it wasn't exactly so. So a little more humility would have helped things, with more "might haves"s instead of "exactly"s. There's some irony here, because talking too confidently is the evolutionists' typical sin – secular scientists speak as if they know this and that, when the sort of science they are doing is not the reproducible sort, but is instead more and less informed guesses. Caution #2 also relates to being too certain by half. At around the 95 minute mark, as the film is concluding, three minutes are devoted to a dispensational take on the Earth's last days. It's presented as if that's the one official orthodox Christian take on the end of the Earth, and it most certainly is not. So you may as well stop it at 95 minutes to get the group discussion going a little sooner. Conclusion The picture on the promotional material of a drowning dinosaur had me wondering whether this would be an amazing CGI visual treat showing the Flood liked we'd never seen it before. Turns out, there is a little bit of that, but this is more of a telling film with all sorts of experts chiming in. That makes this a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to know how the Flood might have, in geological terms, manifested. But it also means this isn't really a family movie night sort of show. Too many talking heads. You can buy it on DVD at GenesisApologetics.com/ark or you can watch it for free below. ...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34