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Tidbits – December 2025

Go Ukrainian

While canvassing for money-saving ideas I came across one appropriate for this season. As many of our readers know, the Dutch traditionally exchange presents on December 5th, three weeks before most other people do it. But did you know that the Ukrainian will exchange gifts on January 7th?

Just imagine how much money could be saved if we did all our shopping in those after-Christmas, Boxing week sales? It seems, to be truly Dutch is to go Ukrainian!

Words will hurt us

Do you say “gay” when you're talking about homosexuality? Jerry Johnson wants you to stop. In a commentary some years back he made the case that the choice of terms used in a debate can determine who will win it.

For example, in the abortion debate the other side wanted to be known as “pro-choice” and wanted us to be called “anti-choice.” But if we had allowed the debate to be about choice, rather than life, well, we would have lost right there – who wants to stand with the anti-choicers? So it was strategically important that we highlighted the truth behind our position and fought to be called “pro-life.”

It is just as important, then, that we make careful use of the right terms in the many other cultural debates we are involved in. Johnson suggests the following alternatives to what we most often hear in the secular media.

Instead of a government “stimulus” to talk about government spending, we need to respond with the more accurate “spending spree.
When mention is made of everyone getting their “fair share,” we need to identify this for what it is: “socialism” or “covetousness.”
We need to stop using the term “gay marriage” and talk instead of “homosexual unions.”

And in his most creative substitution, Johnson proposed an alternative to “regulate.” “When they talk about ‘regulate,’ as in regulations, what they really mean is ‘constipate.’ They want to back-up progress.”

On public schools

“Is there an idea more radical in the history of the human race than turning your children over to total strangers, who you know nothing about, and having those strangers work on your child’s mind, out of your sight, for a period of twelve years? Could there be a more radical idea than that? Back in colonial times in America if you proposed that as an idea, they would burn you at the stake, you mad person! It’s a mad idea!”
– John Taylor Gatto, former teacher, in the 2011 documentary IndoctriNation: public schools and the decline of Christianity in America

The 6 greatest toys ever

Some years back, Geekdad.com blogger Jonathan H. Liu compiled a list of "The 6 best toys of all time." Parents in search of the perfect presents may benefit from his wisdom. His top 6 were:

1. Stick
2. Box
3. String
4. Cardboard Tube
5. Dirt
6. Water

Selective skepticism

In a departure from his usual crime or political fiction, some years back British writer Jeffery Archer wrote The Gospel According Judas. It mimics the style and verse-by-verse layout of the four Gospels, but is told from the perspective of Judas Iscariot, who Archer portrays as misunderstood. What’s intriguing about the book is what Archer leaves in – Jesus still cures leprosy, makes the blind see, and casts out demons – and what he leaves out. He has Judas specifically deny that Jesus ever turned water into wine.

Why the problem with this particular miracle? As Archer explains in the glossary: “if it had been true, Jesus would have changed about 120 gallons of water into wine!”

Archer’s selective skepticism is quite befuddling (Jesus can heal the blind, but 120 gallons of water is too much for Him?) but also quite familiar. In Reformed circles, when it comes to the Origins debate – whether God used Creation or Evolution – there are some who think it natural to believe that God created the Sun out of nothing, but impossible to think that, as Genesis 1 depicts, He created light before the Sun. For them, that is a sticking point, and a reason to doubt that the text is literal. To question a six-day Creation but profess belief in the Resurrection of Christ is to be, like Archer, selectively skeptical. Both events are miraculous and “unscientific” so why believe what the Bible says about the one, while questioning what it says about the other?

Quote of the month

"I am reminded that one old saint was asked, ‘Which is the more important: reading God's Word or praying?’ To which he replied, ‘Which is more important to a bird: the right wing or the left?’”
- A.W. Tozer

Joke of the month

In our culture, husbands and fathers are regularly belittled, which is why "dumb husband" jokes just aren’t funny.

Except this one.

Wife to husband: "Could you please go shopping for me and buy one gallon of milk, and if they have eggs, get a half dozen."

A short time later her husband comes home, carrying several bags.

Wife: "I wanted one gallon, why on earth did you bring home six?"

Husband: "They had eggs."

Adapted from a joke circulating the Internet

Questions for young men

Some years back I heard a wise old pastor pass along 21 questions he might ask potential suitors for his daughters (though both of them are now married). He noted the questions weren’t to be used in a “wooden checklist fashion”; instead he was offering them as a source of inspiration for other fathers. His list can be divided into five categories. There are questions that address the suitor’s:

Spiritual life – “Do you attend worship every Lord’s Day” “When was the last time you read the entire Bible” “Have you ever had a period of spiritual rebellion?”
Relationship with family/parents – “What is your relationship like with your mom?” “Would you agree that this will likely be the way you will be treating my daughter ten years from now?”
Ability to provide + work/financial goals – “What are your debts?” “How much did you make last year?” “What do you believe God has called you to do vocationally?” “What steps have you taken to reach that goal?”
Regard for your daughter – “Describe my daughter to me.” “Why do you think you would be a blessing to her?”
Sexual/moral conduct – “Do you have a problem with pornography?” Live-in girl friend two years before you became a Christian? Live-in girl friend six months after you became a Christian?”

His questions are direct and I suspect few Christian young men have had to face such a barrage. But once the shock wears off, the value of each of these pointed queries becomes evident. Do we want to let polite niceties get in the way of properly assessing the measure of a man looking to date our daughter?

The questions can also serve as a wake-up call to young men, whether or not a girl’s father is involved. They are questions we can benefit from asking ourselves. When is the last time you’ve read the entire Bible? Why do you think you will be a blessing to this girl you want to date? Are you a leader ready to be the spiritual guide in your families? Are you a godly men? These are good and necessary questions. And if we don’t have good answers for them we need to repent and seek God’s help to be the sort of men that godly fathers want for their godly daughters.

Sermons and sleep

The life of a missionary brings with it challenges big, small, and even comical. What follows is from Dr. Bredenhof’s missionary memoir The Gospel under the Northern Lights, which is about his time working among natives in northern BC.

One of the lesser challenges was not having a church nursery at Wit'at Reformed Fellowship. We'd gone through that already with Julie. Now she was okay with sitting in church and we started the process again with Emeline. There were moments that I'd be preaching and Emeline was inconsolable. Rose was trying to keep the two oldest in line and comfort a crying baby. It was impossible for her to do it by herself. One Sunday things were so bad that I took Emeline in my arms and held her against me while I was preaching. There she finally fell asleep. That reminded me of an old ditty by Charles Spurgeon. He said

“It is an ill case when the preacher
Leaves his hearers perplex'd -
Twixt the two to determine:
“Watch and pray,” says the text,
'Go to sleep,' says the sermon."

That was probably the only time I hoped the sound of my words would put someone to sleep. (The Gospel under the Northern Lights can be purchased at lulu.com/spotlight/wesbredenhof.)

Great pro-life slogans

Love lets live – Abort73.com
Kill the patient, not the pain – Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
What if you’re wrong? – as seen on a pro-life billboard
A person is a person, no matter how small – Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who
The answer to a crisis pregnancy is to eliminate the crisis, not the child – Jeannie W. French
Birth before death – Abort73.com

News

Saturday Selections – Nov. 29, 2025

One reason God gives us each other None of us are God, so we aren't going to know it all. And sometimes we aren't even going to know what it is that ...

Assorted

The evil of simplicity

If ever there was an idol thoroughly ripe and ready for a great heaving into eternal hell fire, it has to be the idol of simplicity. This leapt to ...

Articles, Articles, Book Reviews, Entertainment, Movie Reviews

We are not trashcans: how to analyze stories

Why is it important for Christians to understand stories? Obviously, God loves to tell them. Our world is saturated with His stories and the stories o...

News

Bible labelled as hateful by government MP

Liberal MP Marc Miller serves as the chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. On October 30, 2025, he made these ...

Theology

When God goes to war: holiness, judgment and hope

“Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” – Gen. 18:25 We don’t deny God’s wrath. We just don’t talk about it. In Reformed churches, we still hear faithful preaching and clear teaching about sin. But if we listen closely, we might notice something missing: the weight of divine judgment. Grace is front and center – as it should be. But grace without judgment turns sentimental. If we never tremble before God’s justice, how can we truly stand in awe of His mercy? Even in Reformed worship services, one can notice unease – or even embarrassment – when the congregation is asked to focus on the flood in the days of Noah, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the plagues on Egypt, or the conquest of Canaan. At Bible studies, it’s common to steer around the “hard parts” of the Old Testament and gravitate instead toward the Gospels. And even there, we prefer the tenderness of Jesus – His compassion, His welcome, His healing – while downplaying His rebukes and His holy severity. The Jesus who weeps is familiar. The Jesus who judges is quietly set aside. This discomfort isn’t new. But it is deepening. We live in a culture at ease with sin and increasingly hostile to judgment. And when the world forgets God’s wrath, the Church often grows shy about declaring it. In some circles, it’s simply assumed that most people already feel guilty and only need comfort. But what if that’s not true? What if the deeper need is not reassurance, but repentance? Few topics unsettle modern readers – especially younger believers and those exploring the faith – like the violence found in the Old Testament. Why did God command Israel to destroy entire cities like Jericho? Was this true justice – or religious brutality? We must approach these questions with care. Scripture never portrays God as the one on trial – we are. The Judge of all the earth is holy, just, and astonishingly patient. He does not owe us an explanation. Yet in His Word, He reveals enough of His character and purposes that we may speak of Him with reverence, and defend His ways with confidence – even when we cannot fully comprehend them. Before we begin to talk about God's judgments in history, it is wise to bow our heads in worship. The story that troubles many Nothing in the Old Testament provokes modern objections like Israel’s conquest of Canaan. The books of Deuteronomy and Joshua tell of entire cities “devoted to destruction,” of swords raised not only against warriors but against entire populations. Jericho, Ai, Hazor – the battles pile up – and so does the bloodshed. To many ears today, it sounds merciless. Unjust. Even barbaric. But we must not read these accounts in isolation. They are not about ethnic hatred or military conquest. Nor were they Israel’s idea. The command came from the LORD – the covenant God who had rescued His people from Egypt and was now bringing them to the land He had long promised. The conquest was part of God’s own design – not just to give Israel a homeland, but to cleanse a land steeped in corruption. If we want to make sense of these difficult texts, we must begin where the Bible itself begins – not at Jericho, but in the promises and warnings spoken hundreds of years earlier. Only then can we understand the justice, the gravity, and the long patience of God. A long patience before judgment The story begins in Genesis 15. God tells Abram that his descendants will live as strangers in a land not their own for four hundred years. Why such a delay? “Because the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete” (Gen. 15:16). God does not rush to judgment. He gives time – generations of time – for repentance. Yet while He waits, sin accumulates. The wickedness of Canaan grows darker, not lighter. Leviticus 18 lays bare the moral degradation that had taken root in the land: incest, adultery, homosexual acts, child sacrifice, and even bestiality. God declares, “By all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean” (Lev. 18:24). These were not minor cultural quirks. They were systematic, institutionalized violations of God’s created order – acts of defilement practiced and celebrated on a societal scale. Deuteronomy 12:31 adds, “They even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.” The cult of Molech demanded child sacrifice. The shrines of Baal and Asherah were built on ritual prostitution and sexual exploitation (Deut. 23:17–18). Deuteronomy 18:9–12 catalogs even more: sorcery, divination, necromancy, and attempts to summon the dead. This was not an innocent land. God’s judgment was not arbitrary or reactive. It was measured, deliberate, and just. And still, He waited. Four centuries passed while the sin of the Amorites ripened. When judgment finally fell, it was not a sudden outburst of wrath – but a long-deferred reckoning from the God who is “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Ex. 34:6), yet who “will by no means clear the guilty” (Ex. 34:7). Judgment that anticipates the end The reckoning that fell on Canaan was never only about Canaan. It was not merely the clearing of one territory for one nation. It was a signpost – a concentrated preview of something far larger. Jericho, Hazor, and Ai were early eruptions of the judgment that will one day encompass the whole world. In those historical events, God allowed the final verdict to break backward into history. What normally waits for the last day – when every nation will stand before His throne – was, for a time, enacted on the ground. This was not genocide, nor personal vengeance; it was holiness revealed, justice enforced, and a warning sounded to every generation, as we read in Nahum 1:3: “The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.” “Even in Reformed worship services, one can notice unease – or even embarrassment – when the congregation is asked to focus on the flood in the days of Noah, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the plagues on Egypt, or the conquest of Canaan…” Reformed theologians Meredith Kline and Michael Horton call episodes like this “intrusion ethics.” At rare points the future Day of the Lord intrudes into the present: the flood (Gen. 6–9), the fire on Sodom (Gen. 19), the plagues on Egypt (Ex. 7–12), and the fall of Jericho all follow this pattern. Each is real judgment in history, and each foreshadows the greater judgment still to come. These events are sobering. They are meant to wake us up. God does not always wait until the end; sometimes He judges now so that the world will tremble – and perhaps repent – before it is too late. Yet even in judgment, mercy shines. Rahab proves it. As her city braced for destruction, she placed her hope not in walls or weapons but in the God of Israel: “I know that the LORD has given you the land” (Josh. 2:9–11). She tied a scarlet cord in her window, and when Jericho fell, she and her family were spared. Scripture later honors her in Christ’s genealogy (Matt. 1:5) and lists her among the heroes of faith (Heb. 11:31). Her story reminds us that the door of mercy is never shut to those who call on the Lord. The conquest, then, points in two directions: forward to the final judgment and forward to the gospel. Judgment and salvation stand side by side. The God who brings down walls also opens the way of life – and that way is still open today. God judges His people by the same standard The judgment that fell on Canaan was not an isolated case – it was a warning. And that warning echoed forward into Israel’s own future. From the outset, God made it unmistakably clear: if His own people defiled the land with the same evils, they would face the same fate. “You shall keep My statutes and My rules and do none of these abominations… lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.” – Lev. 18:26,28 This was no metaphor. The land was holy because the Lord Himself dwelled there (Lev. 25:23). It had been entrusted to Israel not as a birthright, but as a gift of grace – a sacred space conditioned on covenant faithfulness. But holiness cannot coexist with moral rot. The very sins that condemned the Canaanites – sexual immorality, idolatry, child sacrifice, and occult practices – were explicitly condemned in Israel. Leviticus 20 drives the point home with even more urgency, spelling out specific punishments and warnings. Belonging to the covenant did not exempt Israel from judgment. On the contrary, it intensified the call to holiness. As Amos would later declare, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities” (Amos 3:2). Being God’s chosen people does not mean immunity. It means accountability. And so God waited again. Just as He had waited for the sin of the Amorites to reach its fullness, He waited while Israel wandered. But He would not wait forever. When corruption set in, the land responded just as it had before: it “vomited out” the unfaithful – this time not Canaanites, but the covenant people themselves. The prophets echo the covenant curses The warning in Leviticus 18 is no isolated threat. It belongs to an entire covenant framework spelled out in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28–32. These chapters list blessings for obedience and curses for rebellion: prosperity if Israel walks with God; famine, disease, invasion, and finally exile if they do not. “If you will not listen … I will set my face against you … lay the land desolate … and scatter you among the nations.” Lev. 26:14,17,32-33 “If you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God … you shall be plucked off the land … and the LORD will scatter you among all peoples.” Deut. 28:15,63-64 The prophets did not invent fresh threats; they applied these covenant curses to their own generation. When Hosea, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel announce judgment, they are activating the very sanctions Moses described. Listen to their words: Hosea 8:1 – “Sound the trumpet! An eagle hovers over the house of the LORD, for they have broken my covenant.” Jeremiah 11:8,11 – “They would not listen … therefore I am bringing upon them all the words of this covenant.” Isaiah 24:5-6 – “The earth is defiled by its people; they have violated the laws … therefore a curse consumes the earth.” Ezekiel 5:5-8 – “This is Jerusalem … she has rebelled more than the nations … I will execute judgments in her sight.” These are not poetic exaggerations; they are covenant enforcement. The same holiness that expelled the Canaanites now rises against Israel – on identical grounds. The land that once “vomited out” its former inhabitants is about to do so again. The lesson is unmistakable: God shows no partiality (Rom. 2:11). His covenant is never a license to sin; it raises the bar. “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities” (Amos 3:2). Exile: a reverse conquest The conquest began with walls falling and cities burning; the land changed hands under God’s command. Yet, generations later, the story ran in reverse. Israel – the nation that once expelled the Canaanites – was itself driven out. The sword that had cleared the land now turned against the covenant people, exactly as the Lord had warned: “Just as the LORD once rejoiced to make you prosper, so He will now rejoice to ruin and destroy you. You will be plucked off the land you are entering to possess.” – Deut. 28:63 That warning came true. 722 BC: Assyria erased the northern kingdom. 586 BC: Babylon leveled Jerusalem and burned the temple. The exile was no tragic mishap; it was the covenant curses in motion. Israel had filled the land with idolatry, bloodshed, and injustice. God’s patience, as in the days of the Amorites, finally reached its limit. The biblical record is blunt: 2 Kings 17:7-8, 18 – Israel adopted “the customs of the nations… therefore the LORD removed them from His sight.” 2 Chronicles 36:14-17 – They mocked God’s messengers “until there was no remedy.” Lamentations 1:8 – “Jerusalem sinned grievously; therefore she became filthy.” Ezekiel 36:17-19 – “They defiled the land… so I poured out My wrath upon them.” Israel had become indistinguishable from the nations it replaced, and the land “vomited them out” just as Leviticus had warned. In that sense, exile is a mirror image of conquest. What Jericho tasted, Jerusalem tasted. The covenant verdict had been on the books for centuries; the sentence was finally executed. God’s holiness shows no favoritism: what was true for Canaan was true for Israel – and what was true for Israel is true for every nation on earth today. The nations are not exempt One of the most striking features of the Old Testament prophets is how much attention they give to the fate of foreign nations. These are not passing mentions or political footnotes. They are extended oracles – whole chapters – declaring that the God of Israel is also the Judge of every nation. Babylon, Tyre, Egypt, Edom – the prophetic message is clear: no kingdom is above God’s moral law. This was revolutionary in its own time. In a world that believed in tribal gods and local deities, Israel’s prophets proclaimed something astonishing: Yahweh reigns over all. His authority is universal. His holiness is not a private code for His covenant people – it is the moral fabric of creation. Every people, every government, every culture is accountable to Him. The scope and weight of these oracles is remarkable: Amos 1-2 opens with judgment not on Israel but on six surrounding nations – Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, and Moab – condemned for brutality, betrayal, and injustice. Isaiah 13-23 includes a sweeping sequence of prophecies against Babylon, Assyria, Philistia, Moab, Damascus, Egypt, Cush, Arabia, and Tyre. Jeremiah 46-51 announces God's sentence on Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Elam, and Babylon. Ezekiel 25-32 warns Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, and Egypt in vivid, terrifying detail. Obadiah, Nahum, and Jonah are wholly focused on foreign nations: Edom, Nineveh, and Assyria. What sins are condemned? Not ceremonial infractions – but moral evils: violence, greed, pride, idolatry, cruelty, exploitation, and the shedding of innocent blood. These are not violations of Israel’s covenant – they are violations of God’s image in humanity. As Paul later affirms in Romans 2:14-15, even those without the written law are accountable to the law written on the conscience. In other words, God’s justice is not narrow. It is global. His concern is not confined to His covenant people – it extends to all peoples. When the strong crush the weak, when kings exalt themselves as gods, when nations corrupt His good creation, He sees, He warns and He judges. This truth helps us understand not only the judgment on Canaan but every judgment throughout redemptive history. It is not about divine favoritism. It is about divine holiness. And when we read of God’s acts of judgment in Scripture, we should respond not with suspicion or defiance – but with reverence and awe. As we read in Isaiah 33:5 & 22: “The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness… For the LORD is our judge; the LORD is our lawgiver; the LORD is our king; he will save us.” He is the Holy One of Israel. And the Holy One of all the earth. Judgment fell on Him The covenant story does not end in ruin. Judgment is never God’s final word. The exile to Babylon, devastating though it was, pointed beyond itself. Like the conquest, it foreshadowed something greater. The curse of the covenant would not only fall on a rebellious people – it would one day fall on the faithful Son. Jesus Christ did not come to avoid the curse but to bear it. He, too, was “cut off from the land of the living” (Is. 53:8). He suffered “outside the camp” (Heb. 13:12). He was handed over to the Gentiles and condemned under Roman power. In Him, the fire of Jericho and the desolation of Jerusalem converged. The judgment that Israel had earned and that all humanity deserves, fell on the sinless one. And yet death could not hold the Holy One. His resurrection was the true return from exile – the beginning of a new covenant, a new creation, and a new land. “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope… to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Pet. 1:3-4). All who belong to Christ are welcomed back from exile and secured in a kingdom that cannot be shaken. But the warning remains. God’s holiness has not changed. His judgment is not a thing of the past. To the church in Ephesus, Jesus says, “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (Rev. 2:5). The lesson is as urgent now as it was then: God is patient – but He is not indifferent. And judgment still begins at His house....

News

Saturday Selections – Nov. 22, 2025

Signs and symbols Four rappers team up to take on the tendency among some Christians to look outward for God's direction, rather than turn to His Word. This won't make it onto everyone's playlist, but give it at least one listen-through and you'll find it worth your time. There were no atheists at Nuremberg "When confronted with atrocities of such scale, humanity instinctively appeals to an objective moral standard. Abstract academic debates about relativism sound impressive in seminar rooms. They sound absurd amid the piles of shoes at Auschwitz. Nuremberg stands as a modern vindication of the moral law of God—the natural law.... Atheism and moral relativism are powerless in the face of Nazi atrocities. " Guarding against a conspiracy mindset Christians shouldn't be naive about the reality that conspiracies do happen. We know there is indeed an Enemy working behind the scenes to oppose all that is good and right – Satan is active, and brilliant too. But so often conspiracy theories are akin simply to gossip, tearing down leaders, including godly men in the Church, based on nothing more than mind-reading, what-ifs, and connected dots that could be connected other ways too, if we were charitably evaluating others as we would want to be evaluated. IVF somehow gets worse IVF has far more to do with death than the creation of new life – by some estimates 4 embryonic children are destroyed for every IVF baby eventually born, and another estimate puts that number ten times higher, with 40 babies destroyed for every baby born. And now an already eugenic enterprise looks like it may be more so. As the head of an "IVF screening company" put it: "The vast majority of parents in the future are not going to want to roll the dice with their child’s health. They’re going to see it as taking the maximum amount of care, the maximum amount of love. In the same way that they plan their nursery, plan their home, plan their preschool. … I think it then becomes about stewardship. It becomes about how do I make a responsible choice for my family." She has also said, on many occasions, “Sex is for pleasure...IVF is for having children." Will screening embryos become an expectation? It is sure to become more available and then, for a world already callous about unborn life, it is sure to lead to yet more bloodshed. Christians pro-lifers know that no matter how someone is conceived, they are made in the very Image of God (Gen. 9:6) so we are not dehumanizing children or adults conceived by IVF when we critique how they were conceived. So should Christians have any part in the IVF industry at all? I'd argue, with one exception, no we should not. Even if we use IVF by the least objectionable way possible (and the most expensive, such that it is rarely done this way) in which one child is conceived at a time, never frozen, and implanted no matter what "fitness grading" it might have received, we are still going to be participating in an industry that doesn't normally operate like that at all. This is an industry bathed in bloodshed. The doctors have killed hundreds and thousands, and going to them isn't just akin to having an abortionist as your doctor, it's exactly that. Further, every child who is born by this process becomes PR for the whole process – the children these doctors successfully birth are their legitimization for all the children they destroy. Do we really want to go to abortionists for help with anything? That exception I mentioned? Snowflake adoptions. The callousness of others has led to the imprisonment of hundreds of thousands and quite possibly millions of embryonic children, abandoned by their parents to frozen storage. It is a loving couple who adopts one of these, freeing him or her to be implanted into an adoptive mother's womb for a chance at continuing to develop and grow. May God bless these couples' rescue operations, which reflect God's own greater gracious rescue in adopting us all as His sons and daughters. Does a key verse in Genesis show the Flood was coming in 120 years, or people wouldn't live longer than 120 years anymore? Genesis 6:3 reads: “Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years’...” The controversial answer to the question of "Does child labor help poor children?" When my grandfather was sick, my dad, in his teens, had to work to help support the family. It would have been wonderful if he hadn't needed to – he's a smart guy, and I can only imagine what kind of scholarships he might have earned if he could have devoted himself to just school. But, if a law would have been in place banning him from working, that wouldn't have upped his chances for college. It would only have meant that he and his whole family would have been wondering how they were going to make ends meet. We don't like child labor, but a law banning imports from countries where child labor is allowed wouldn't stop them from working. It would only limit their options, and likely drive them into far less desirable work. The Left acts as if wishing can make things so, on everything from personhood (the mom's decision determine whether it is a child or not) to gender (a boy can be a girl if he wishes it so) to economics (don't judge our jobs program by results, just by our intentions). As Christians we know we have to interact with the world as it is, not simply as we wish it was. And that means that, for countries that aren't yet as rich as we are, families may well need their children to contribute... and we shouldn't hurt those families by getting in the way. ...

Education

If grades are dropping, should we drop grades?

A new trend in Canadian schools ***** Imagine a student who has struggled academically for several years. In the past, their grades would have alerted teachers and parents that intervention was needed. But this student is at a school where there’s been a shift from A’s and B’s to something called a “proficiency scale.” Parents understand percentages and letter grades, but this proficiency scale uses terms that aren’t at all clear. • Emerging • Developing • Proficient • Extending The result? Our imaginary student falls through the cracks in the system instead of being noticed early on. This scenario isn’t just imaginary. I talked to Joanna DeJong VanHof, Education Program Director at Cardus, a Christian think tank, and she explained that this is what’s happening under British Columbia’s new method of assessing students. In 2023, B.C. abolished letter grades for Grades K-9 and adopted a Provincial Proficiency Scale with those four categories. The scale was introduced amid concerns that grades stressed deficits – they emphasized where the student fell short – whereas, with a scale, learning would be regarded as an ongoing process. B.C. is not an isolated case. Their shift was part of a broader trend in Canadian schools away from traditional teaching and grading methods. Schools are replacing quantitative assessments – letter grades and percentage scores – with qualitative approaches, like observations, narrative feedback, and ongoing conversations about student learning. VanHof says this shift is problematic because qualitative assessments measure student performance “relative to their peers” rather than against “actual content.” While intended to support struggling students, the approach raises questions for educators. Is compassion for students being confused with lowered expectations? The BC proficiency scale: a case study Victor Brar, a University of British Columbia professor with expertise in K-12 education, has written on the rationale behind B.C’s proficiency scale. In an article on The Conversation news site, he made a case for the change. He noted that while grades “highlight the deficits of underperforming students,” the scale focuses on the process of learning itself and encourages teachers “to assign equal value to all the learning that happens between tests.” However, eliminating letter grades has left parents confused with what their child’s progress has been. According to the National Post, only 36% of parents could correctly interpret what an “emerging” grade meant. Similarly, educators needed to interpret and translate what the criteria meant, raising concerns around subjectivity. “There's always a sense in which grading is subjective,” said VanHof, but when that subjectivity is taken to the extreme, there are unintended consequences. One of them, VanHof said, is grade inflation where students may have high marks on paper, but “the actual content knowledge that has happened isn’t at the same level as it has been in previous years.” De-streaming: equity or erosion? VanHof drew a parallel between B.C. 's proficiency scale with Ontario’s 2021 “de-streaming” policy, which eliminated separate Grade 9 academic and applied courses for a single course. Previously, the applied math courses focused on the math we need in our every day, like balancing our household budget, while academic courses prepared students for the university level. The goal of de-streaming, like the proficiency scale, was to promote an equitable learning environment. According to Ontario Educators, streaming reinforced economic disparities and racism, disproportionately placing Black and Indigenous students in applied courses and creating a “class system” that perpetuated a “self-fulfilling prophecy” of lower academic achievement. However, Michael Zwaagstra, Senior Fellow at Fraser Institute said that while de-streaming policy “sounds fair,” it does not serve students who may be disinterested in academic coursework, or may be choosing other paths like trades. On the other hand, VanHof criticized de-streaming for the demands it put on teachers to accommodate to a much wider spectrum of abilities. It’s like teaching two classes at once, and to do it properly would require additional resources, like TA assistance, in the classroom. “You can implement a policy. But the capacity and the resources that you have to implement it well is a totally different question,” VanHof said. Since educators were not given additional time or support, the result was that no one was receiving the “targeted instruction and time they needed.” John Wynia, League Coordinator at League of Canadian Reformed School Societies echoed the perspective. “The standards have been lowered in the grade nine class to allow for equity, but then that results in reaching the lowest common denominator.” The bigger picture: declining test scores VanHof’s concern that students are learning less content has been reflected in declining test scores, as seen on the international PISA test (Programme for International Student Assessment). PISA, administered by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), assesses reading, math, and science skills of 15-year-olds. Although Canada has ranked among the top ten countries, since the 2000s its scores have consistently declined. The 2022 PISA test was on mathematics, with Canada’s score falling by 35 points compared to 2003, roughly equivalent to a drop of two whole grade levels according to the Fraser Institute. Some attribute the decline to the COVID school closures, and to the increased screen time kids have had in the last decade. However, B.C. has been restricting phone usage in schools since September 2024, so if phones were a big part of the problem, there should have been a rapid increase in student performance after the phone ban, right? The results are still out on whether that has happened but it will be interesting to see. In the meantime, Canada has experienced a statistically significant decline in all three subjects for over a decade (2012-2022). And that raises questions about our educational policy in the last decade. Is what we’re doing different causing the decline? Math methods matter: what Quebec gets right John Richards, emeritus professor at SFU's School of Public Policy says that the problem extends beyond the shift from numerical assessments and includes a change in teaching methods. For instance, Quebec outperformed other provinces on the 2022 PISA test, and Richards said this was because of how teachers in that province are trained and taught. “Probably the explanation of Quebec is that the math teachers who want to be math teachers in secondary schools have to do a lot more math courses than most teachers.” Richards also referenced Anna Stokke, a mathematics professor at University of Winnipeg. She is a strong critic of “discovery-based education,” where students find solutions on their own instead of being directly instructed. For example, in discovery-based math, a teacher presents students with rectangles drawn on grid paper and ask questions such as, “Is there a relationship between the number of squares in a row and the total number?” Under direct instruction, the teacher explicitly states, “Area = length x width.” Discovery-based learning was introduced with the goal of helping students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills over rote memorization of mathematical formulas. However, Stokke says the approach fails to provide students with the solid foundation students need so they’ll be able to apply critical thinking to complex problems later on. Without sufficient instruction or practice building on concepts – without enough time just memorizing the basics – Stokke says students become confused and fall behind. In response to concerns among educators and parents, the Ontario government promised reforms in 2018 and began implementing a “back-to-basics” curriculum, including direct instruction in math for kindergarteners. Changes are officially in effect since September 2025. However, Fraser Institute has criticized the new curriculum for “doubling down” on its DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) focus, including Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in math where students “work collaboratively on math problems—expressing their thinking, listening to the thinking of others, and practicing inclusivity.” This does not go back to the basics as promised. Meanwhile, declining math scores continue to sound alarm bells for a return to fundamentals in teaching methods. Qualitative assessment: is it all bad? Progressive reforms in Ontario and British Columbia have reshaped both teaching methods and assessment practices like B.C.’s elimination of letter grades. But have all these changes been harmful? Unlike British Columbia which completely eliminated letter grades, Ontario’s 2010 Growing Success policy retained letter grades but expanded qualitative assessments such as observations, portfolios, and self-assessments. The policy also introduced a “no-zero” approach, discouraging teachers from failing students or giving late penalties. Jack Huizenga, Academic Dean at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers College, sees benefits with Growing Success. The policy sees “assessment as not something for the end of learning,” with grades providing a one-time snapshot of student performance. Instead, it regards assessment as “something along the way to help improve learning” with formative and descriptive feedback. “So, then assessment can't just be about a multiple-choice question or true and false question or short answer questions,” Huizenga said, describing how the new approach communicates a fuller picture to parents on the student’s progress. Nevertheless, Huizenga said grades were indispensable since colleges and universities also look for those numbers. “That pendulum has to be somewhere in the middle. I think there's room for proficiency type scales to measure. But there's also going to be the need for grades to communicate where students are at.” Independent schools: a call to higher standards The declining international test scores that accompanied the national trend to remove academic benchmarks would seem to suggest this removal doesn’t serve students. And that challenges independent school educators to balance measurable standards with empathy and support. The Cardus Education Survey has studied schools with a focus on the independent sector in recent years. According to VanHof, the question for independent schools was how they would translate policy “into something that is meaningful for parents,” and even “exceed the standards” of the policy. For example, within B.C.’s proficiency framework, she saw independent educators engaging in meaningful conversations with parents around the criteria. “What does an ‘emerging’ student, what does that actually mean in terms of real objective standards of learning?” VanHof asked. She noted how Christian and independent schools had the “ability to be nimble and to make changes that are in line with their mission and vision.” John Wynia’s time at Hope Reformed Christian School is an example which exemplifies this. He shared how students thought of him as a tough teacher because they had to work hard to achieve good grades. “But they often thanked me for that,” Wynia recalled, “because when they went to university, they were very well prepared.” Within the Growing Success framework, Wynia also continued to assign late penalties, though he was lenient around extensions. “There's a lot of research and a lot of evidence that shows that if you have high expectations for your students, your students will rise to meet those expectations.” Wynia cited the No Child Left Behind Act passed in 2002 under George W. Bush, which targeted the “soft bigotry of low expectations” that assumes some groups are incapable of meeting high standards because of their background or socioeconomic status. No Child Left Behind measured school progress with standardized testing in reading and math and coincided with higher student performance – especially among low-income students. Wynia added that teachers should tell students honestly where they are at – it’s not at all compassionate to hide the truth. VanHof echoed this view. “I think we disservice children by saying policies like this will make learning less stressful,” she said. “It sounds kind and considerate, but we all know that’s not what learning actually is.” VanHof maintained that qualitative feedback has value, but “quantitative assessment has to form the backbone of any education system.” Education as a “formation of persons” Education shapes the society we become, underscoring the critical role of assessment methods in that process. VanHof said that education is more than about ensuring students can enter the workforce. “It is much more than that. It's about the formation of persons,” said VanHof. From a Christian worldview, it is about enabling students to know their Creator and to “help them to live within that world to glorify Him.” To elaborate on this, VanHof referenced Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” As she explained: “That to me speaks so clearly about the fact that education is about the joy of learning, renewing our mind, about being transformed, about understanding who God is, and learning for learning's sake.” But without measurable benchmarks, she said, students were missing out on the sense of accomplishment which comes from hard work, progress, and learning new things. VanHof also referenced Jonathan Eckert, Senior Fellow at Cardus Education who served in the US Department of Education in both the Bush and Obama administrations, and who coined the phrase, “gritty optimism.” “I love that phrase because I think it really captures the fact that education done well is education in which there's hard work involved,” said VanHof, which she said involved both student and teacher. While Canadian schools have adopted models like de-streaming and the proficiency scale to promote equity, they fail to meet students who need the most support. By combining qualitative feedback with measurable standards, clearly communicating with parents, and providing teachers with proper training and resources, schools should help students grow academically and in character, equipping them for real-world challenges....

News, Transgenderism

Parents disrobe to make their point

In what seems to be a bit of a trend, parents have gone to school board meetings and, while presenting to the board, proceeded to disrobe to their underwear or bathing suit. Why? To protest school policies that tell girls they need to be okay with boys in girls’ locker rooms – changing in front of them, and watching them change – when those boys say they are girls. On September 18, 55-year-old mother Beth Bourne wanted her Davis, California school board to feel some of the discomfort they were forcing on the girls in their schools. So, during the public comment section of the school board meeting she spoke while disrobing to a bikini swimsuit. As the LA Times’ Nathan Solis reported it: “‘Right now we require our students to undress for PE class, and I’m just going to give you an idea of what that looks like while I undress,’ Bourne said while she stood behind the lectern and removed her shirt…. ‘So right now, this school district is saying that depending on a child’s transgender identity, they could pick which bathroom they want. Right now we have children self-identifying into different bathrooms,’ she said as she removed her pants…” At that point the board’s vice president gaveled the meeting to recess, making Bourne’s point for her: if the board can’t deal with this discomfort, why are they subjecting girls to it? Then, in October, a man and two women did the same, undressing to their underwear before changing into other outfits. This time it was in Maine, and the spokesman for the group, Nick Blanchard made sure their point was understood: “You feel uncomfortable? Because that’s what these young girls feel like when a boy walks into their locker room and starts unchanging in front of them.” Awkward? Certainly. But is it a sinful way to make a point? After all, God calls us to modesty (1 Tim. 2:9-10). But God has also used immodesty to make a point, having Isaiah walk around naked (or, like these folk, in no more than his underwear) for three years (Is. 20:2-4). God also calls on us to defend our children and take the hit for them (2 Cor. 12:14, 1 Thess. 2:7-9, John 10:11). The school was set on humiliating children, and these parents were willing to be humiliated instead. That’s admirable, and while neither school seems to have listened, these educators’ lack of concern for their girl athletes was now exposed for all to see. Hopefully these brave parents, and the many more they alerted, took matters even further and pulled their kids out....

News

BC private property rights in question after court ruling

News

Arctic sea ice remains steady for past two decades

News

Saturday Selections – Nov. 15, 2025

Women don't belong in combat (5 min) That world won't acknowledge that it is Who made us, and in Whose Image we are made (Gen. 9:6), that makes us va...

News

Fewer young people identifying as “queer” or “trans”

Internet, News

Australia and Denmark restrict social media use by children

In at least two western countries, children under the age of 16 will soon be barred from using many social media sites and apps. The Australian government passed the “Online Safety Amendment Act” back in 2024 to raise the age requirement for many popular social media sites from 13 to 16 – that change is scheduled to take effect December 10 of this year. The Australian ban includes nine of the popular, time-wasting and culturally-influential apps: Facebook, X, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Threads, Reddit, and Kick. The government can fine companies up to $50 million (Australian) that don’t take “reasonable steps” to remove current accounts and prohibit new ones for children under 16. That’s a hefty penalty, even for these extremely profitable companies. In Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced similar restrictions in her opening speech to parliament in October of this year. Caroline Stage Olsen, Denmark’s Minister for Digital Affairs, said that 94% of Danish children under the age of 13 have profiles on at least one social medial platform. The legislation still has a few hurdles to cross before becoming law, but indicates a clear turning away from unregulated use of social media by children. The Bible tells us that the primary responsibility for raising children is given to their parents, not to kings or princes or governments. No doubt then, that Christian parents are already seeking to guide and guard their children’s access to internet resources that can be damaging to young hearts and minds. But just like the government bans on liquor, tobacco, and pornography access for children, it does seem appropriate for the State to restrict social media use by youngsters, since, along with the very little good, there can be very much harm that comes from exposure too early to matters inappropriate for children....

Conferences

“We believe…” 1,700 years ago

Redeemer University conference celebrates the Council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed ***** In times past, scholars and theologians may have found themselves travelling across countries and continents to attend meetings about doctrines of particular importance to the Christian faith. One of the most famous of these occasions was the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, when bishops from all over the Mediterranean gathered to address heresies about the nature of Christ. More recently, theologians met once again in discussion of these same issues – not to write new creeds, but to affirm and celebrate the council and the creed which it produced. They met at Redeemer University, a Reformed Christian university in Southern Ontario, which hosted the conference: “Defending Christ: Celebrating 1700 Years of Nicaea.” Historians, theologians, pastors, and laypeople attended this conference to glean knowledge from one another and re-immerse themselves in the rich theology of Nicaea. What follows are a few of the highlights. On the history of the council The council was called by Emperor Constantine, not primarily to address doctrine, explained Dr. Stefana Liang, but to find solutions for a divided church and empire. The result of the council, however, is evidence of the providential work of the Holy Spirit, and even Constantine recognized it as such. He referred to the council as “great and holy” and “a complete blessing from divine providence.” “It cannot be other than the doctrine of God,” he said. The women of Nicaea A presentation by Reanna Lingley investigated the women behind the Council of Nicaea. While no women were in attendance, figures like Macrina the Elder and Macrina the Younger (respectively the grandmother and sister of brothers Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa) and Nonna (wife of Gregory the Elder) embodied the vision of the Christian life and were active shapers of the theological tradition that raised up the men who participated in the council. Macrina the Elder survived in hiding for seven years during Emperor Diocletian’s persecution and was described as a vessel of theological continuity. Nonna’s persistent faith led to the conversion of her husband, and she spurred her husband and sons on to holiness and service. Instead of regretting the absence of women at the council, Lingley argued, we ought to recognize the tremendous but quiet influence that women did have on the theological landscape of the Early Church. A Nicene AI? Another interesting presentation evaluated the most theologically sound large language models (LLMs). If that’s an unfamiliar term, it’s what makes AI chatbots go, and you can think of the term as almost a synonym for the chatbots. Studies show that increasingly more young people are turning to AI for important questions, so an organization called ChristianBench tested the biggest AI chatbots on their theological stances. Commonly these bots will refrain from giving a pointed answer – they will present all the options as equally valid. But, of course, that sort of relativization of the truth is a strong stance of its own. However, depending on how a question to the chatbot is framed, the LLM can anticipate what kind of answer the prompter is looking for and give an individualized response. (For example, a question about the “natures of Christ” will generate a theological answer that could be solidly in line with the Nicene Creed, whereas a more general question about “Who is Jesus?” will usually result in a more all-options-on-the-table response that provides the user with a variety of answers to consider.) The only chatbot that scored exceptionally high for adherence to the Nicene Creed was a Catholic LLM called Magisterium AI, an AI chatbot that aims to provide answers to questions about the Catholic faith. Art as theological testimony The conference’s main presentation was by Dr. Megan DeVore, and was centered on Christian art during the time of Nicaea. Early Christian artists used pagan motifs which they adapted and redefined to reflect the gospel story. After the Council of Nicaea, depictions of Jesus began to showcase the artists’ understanding of His divinity. Jesus also started being portrayed in Old Testament scenes, like the story of creation, reflecting a trinitarian understanding of God’s work throughout all of Scripture. Christian art in catacombs show something noteworthy about the Christian faith and the doctrines of Nicaea: Jesus’s divine nature provided early Christians with eschatological hope. The depictions of the deceased in Christian catacombs were of hopeful and prayerful believers, in stark contrast with the mournful depictions in pagan catacombs. The art shows that Christians found real, impactful, and lasting hope through the doctrines they believed. Dr. DeVore outlined how early Christian art was characterized by theological declarations rooted in intricate Christological hermeneutics. She asked whether modern Christians are perhaps missing out on a key aspect of theological understanding by overlooking the value of faithful creative expressions through the arts. The use of the creed The Nicene Creed formalized for the church the doctrine of Christ’s divinity. Written in Greek, almost all of the words in the creed are found in the New Testament. The handful that are extrabiblical nevertheless convey strongly biblical ideas and were necessary to clarify the biblical concepts that were debated at that time The Nicene Creed is especially helpful for interfaith conversations today. It lays out a “mere Christianity” that distinguishes orthodox Christians from Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Latter-day Saints. The classical trinitarianism expounded in the creed, argued a paper presented by Matthew Waddell, is the only trinitarian view that can provide proper responses to scrutiny from Islamic apologists. But while encountering Christianity may begin with the Nicene Creed, it cannot end there. Interestingly, as passionate as these scholars at the conference were about the Nicene Creed, all of them agreed that it cannot even be compared to the riches of Scripture. The formal doctrine laid out by the creed is meant to lead us toward biblical doxology (see Jude 24-25). The creed can be seen as a CliffsNotes summary of biblical doctrine; it was never meant to be a substitute for the original text and cannot match its force and power. One scholar likened the creed to a beautiful doorway with magnificent engravings. It may be wonderful, but it is merely meant to provide access to something much greater: the full extent of the biblical witness. THE NICENE CREED We believe in one God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God; begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father; through whom all things were made. Who, for us men and our salvation, came down from heaven and became incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he arose, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified; who spoke through the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins; and we look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. *** Picture at the top (as generated for ChatGPT) is of Athanasius taking it to Arius. Emperor Constantine I (272-337 AD) called the Council of Nicaea so the Church could deal with the dispute these two were having over the nature of Christ. Athanasius proclaimed Christ as coeternal and of the same essence as God the Father, while Arius claimed Jesus was created by the Father and therefore not fully divine. While the Nicene Creed we have today probably wasn’t completed at the Council of Nicaea (and not for another 50 years) it is named after that council, because it professes the truth defended there....

News

Peanut allergies plunge … and they could plunge even more

Not that long ago it was thought that young children shouldn’t be exposed to peanuts, to prevent a dangerous reaction. But, as Prov. 18:17 notes, “The first to put forth his case seems right, until someone else steps forward and cross-examines him.” That cross-examination first began in 2015, when a ground-breaking study found that introducing peanuts to young children actually reduced the risk of getting food allergies by about 70 percent or more. In response, many doctors started changing their advice. An Associated Press piece noted that “About 60,000 children have avoided developing peanut allergies after guidance first issued in 2015 upended medical practice by recommending that caregivers introduce the allergen to infants starting as early as four months.” Now a 2025 study has reviewed the data. According to the AP account, peanut allergies in children aged zero to three decreased by more than 40 percent since the recommendations were expanded in 2017. In spite of the findings from the 2015 study, the AP reported that only about 29 per cent of pediatricians and 65 per cent of allergists say they follow the newer guidelines, suggesting that there could have been far fewer allergy cases still if more children were introduced to potential allergens at a younger age. Dr. Derek Chu, Canadian Institutes of Health Research chair in allergy noted to the AP that this guidance extends to all common allergens, including dairy, soy, wheat, egg, shellfish, and nuts....

News

Saturday Selections – Nov. 8, 2025

The baptism rap battle you never knew you needed This is the best of what A.I. can give us. Here's a rapping, axe-playing, Jonathan Edwards rebutting Charles Spurgeon’s case for adult baptism. Hilarious, and downright insightful too. Old earth vs. young: what are the differences between these two views? (10 min. read) Is the earth less than 10,000 years, or older than 4 billion? This comparison and contrast highlights where young earth creationism, old earth theistic evolution, and progressive creationism land on things like: was there death before the Fall? how was Man created? was the Flood global? If you ask A.I. for marriage advice, it'll probably tell you to get divorced It's vital we understand A.I.'s limitations. What we are getting back from it is oftentimes simply an average of all the answers it finds across the Internet, so if the 'net, as a whole, is wrong about something, that's what you are going to get back. And when it comes to marriage advice, there is a lot of the bad sort. Crime linked to missing dads J. Warner Wallace details here, what can happen when dad disappears: "During my years working the gang detail in Los Angeles County, I met countless young men and women caught up in the world of gangs. Over time, a single theme emerged – one that cut across backgrounds, neighborhoods, and stories. Nearly every gang member I encountered suffered from the same affliction: a profound lack of dad." Stranger things of the OT: Giants "The term 'giant' appears only seven times in most modern translations of these two passages (2 Sam. 21:15–22; 1 Chron. 20:4–8), but in the King James Version it appears over 20 times." (Real Talk recently did an episode that touched on some of the stranger things of the OT too.) Style vs. substance Here's a fantastic musical debate about whether it's most important to say things with flair, or say something important. Or, to let the two combatants frame it: GIRL 1: Who cares if the whole world's watching If you aren't saying something of meaning GIRL 2: Who cares what the crap you're saying If nobody's watching, nobody's hearing I've been involved in 10+ political campaigns, and this struck a chord – I was involved in a Christian Heritage Party campaign where the candidate seemed content to put out important but blandly-presented materials – stuff that got filed into the recycle bin immediately – and I've been part of campaigns where all the candidate was offering was graphically appealing signs and brochures and even swell sounding speeches, but all of which didn't say much of anything at all. They shied away from the real issues our culture is contending with – they refused to talk about God. So, what's the answer then to the style versus substance debate? It's about pairing, not contrasting, the two. God crafted His temple (Ex. 31:1–5), His world (Ps. 19:1), and us too (Ps. 139:13–14) – He is all about style. But what does He use His style to declare? His glory! How's that for substance! ...

News

Government leaves religious and pro-life organizations alone in 2025 budget

Parenting

The importance of risky play

“Make sure you're home by suppertime... and don't get your feet wet!” Mom called out as my brother and I hurried to our bikes. We were about 9 and...

News

Saturday Selections – Nov. 1, 2025

Luther vs. the Roman Catholic church In light of Reformation Day this week: Luther's stand, as a rock opera. A theology of bed Many of us go to...

Articles, Entertainment, Movie Reviews

Reading films: are Christians as discerning as they used to be?

Education

A load of lumber is a wonderful thing

Back in 2007 Ebenezer Canadian Reformed School here in Smithers decided to supply the students with an “imaginative play kit.” What was it? A pile of lumber, fence posts, plywood pieces, shovels, and rope. And since then the students have spent countless hours using these materials to make forts, obstacle courses, bike jumps, and many other creative structures. Over the years pallets and plastic pipes have been added, and the students complemented the supplied equipment with long grass and rocks from the grounds. Since the uses are limitless, the students’ interest has not waned. In fact, it is so popular year-round that a schedule had to be made to ensure that the grades all got their own turns. The entire package was less than $1000 – paid for by the school’s “Helping Hands” committee – an amazing value for the amount of enjoyment over the past 18 years (especially compared to the cost of ultra-safe playground equipment). Yes, many structures have collapsed, students get slivers and scrapes, and there have been minor injuries. But the kids also get to use their imaginations, learn how to cooperate and resolve conflicts, and grow in confidence as they take risks while having lots of fun!...

Interview with an artist

Paula Roth loves painting her studio

Hawkins Pond was painted at sunset to capture light sparkling off the leaves of the trees surrounding the pond. I enjoyed the contrast of the shapes of each type of greenery from spikey and straight, to ribboned and round. It’s no surprise that someone who has lived in as many beautiful places as Paula Roth has, would be drawn to landscape as the subject for her art. This very same landscape has also become a studio for Roth who now takes her easel and paints outdoors to complete her colorful paintings on location. Roth’s life journey includes time in Nigeria, Colorado, Washington State, Michigan, and finally Ontario, where she married a Canadian. Paula and her husband Ray currently live in Tillsonburg, Ontario where they are members of Hope Reformed Church. Paula minored in art in college and graduated in 2003 with a B.A. and B.Ed. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She spent the first 20 years of married life teaching, finding particular fulfillment supporting students with unique learning profiles. “I learned patient perseverance, and hopefully grew in compassion.” Paula has since founded her home-based business, Early Bird Learning Consultant, to support children with learning challenges. Ruts & Paths was painted in August in Oxford County. I am often drawn to roads as they symbolize a journey. Life can feel uphill, and it takes faith and hope to see beauty in the midst of challenge. For Roth, art fulfills a need for creative expression and provides a sense of “balance and well-being.” The youthful dream of being an artist began when she was 9. A watercolor artist/neighbor, (also a Wycliffe Bible Translator), took her to buy her first art supplies. She also helped Roth set up a small studio in an old pioneer milking parlor on the property her family was renting at the time. The start was modest but exciting. The studio spaces have been even more modest since then. During her teaching career, Paula loved to teach art in the classroom setting, and enjoyed making beautiful bulletin board displays. After she left the classroom, to focus on special education, her creative outlets were mostly found at home where she made space for her creative work in corners of bedrooms, on desks, or at the kitchen table. Motivated in part by her parents’ mantra “You can always learn something new,” Paula is a lifelong learner. She has completed many art classes at Dundas Valley School of Art, including classes by mentors Marla Panko and Guennadi Kalinine. In 2008, Paula started illustrating for Open Windows, a Free Reformed publication for children creating collage images with paper. Then, about four years ago she discovered a passion for plein air painting. Currently, she is inspired by rural landscapes in Oxford County, ON. The dream of becoming an accomplished artist still captures Paula’s imagination. “If the Lord wills, I hope to keep taking courses, reading books about painting, and to be out in the field painting as often as I can.” Paula says, “Painting has taught me to be still. I lose all sense of time and am completely at peace. Pausing to observe, interpret, and represent creation makes me feel small and makes the Lord’s world feel gloriously large. When painting outdoors, I seek to capture a special moment in time, a scene that depicts the beauty, essence, and uniqueness of that location. Through my art I hope to share my enjoyment of my rural region and inspire others to appreciate its unique beauty too.” You can view more of Paula’s work at RuralHuesArt.com and Instagram.com/PaulaRoth.RuralHues. Morning Fog on Pigram Line was painted as the crops were ripening in the fall. The golden fields covered with dew and fog were enchanting. The saturated reds and fuchsias have drawn hummingbirds to my palate which makes time stand still for a few seconds....

Conferences

2026 Summit Reformed Young Adult Conference

Why you (or someone you know) should plan to go ***** I once heard a sermon in which the pastor compared faith to salmon. “A dead salmon floats downstream with the current,” he said. “A living salmon, however, must battle upstream, against the flow.” Then he smiled and said, “An imperfect analogy, but you get the point, right?” There is a deep flaw within the young community of Reformed circles; in day-to-day life, we don’t easily talk about our doctrine with each other. And we frequently fail to encourage each other in it. We might not be dead, but too often we seem to be doing little more than floating along. It’s not true of all of us. But it is true of too many of us. Sure, we may know what TULIP stands for, or be able to recite the Apostles’ Creed, but how often do we discuss theology outside of our church’s fellowship hall, or a weeknight bible study? We tend to avoid more personal conversations about faith, and don’t easily share our deep questions with each other, or invite each other into thought-provoking or challenging conversations. We float, leaving that all to the “grown ups.” It is almost as though there is an unspoken taboo: “We’re too young to get serious about that in our free time. Let’s keep things light; if we have questions, we can talk to older people. There’s no need to talk to each other about it.” However, in conversations I’ve had with fellow young believers about this problem, many of them have expressed the same thing: a desire for this mindset to change. Many of us do want to learn better how to grow together and push each other on to deeper faith walks; many of us have a hunger to discuss these important topics. The problem is, we don’t know how to naturally broach them, and we often let the fear of awkwardness keep us from pursuing them. We need help fostering this change and growth. Therefore, I would like to advocate for an event which has greatly helped me and many of my friends in this learning curve: the Summit Reformed Young Adults Conference or RYAC. This past year, I was privileged to be a member of the organization committee for the conference, which takes place every February (est. 2021) in Calgary and is hosted by the Bethel URC. This was my third time attending, and my first time helping organize. It is an extremely edifying event. The richness of it, as always, shed a light on the stark contrast that RYAC offers to the weekly culture of young adult life in our church circles. I had several conversations with attendees who were new to the conference, and many of them expressed a strong appreciation for the experience, often noting how “different” it was in its encouragement and doctrine-focused environment. In hopes of further promoting the incredible spiritual benefits of this event, I interviewed several other members of the organization committee – all young adults themselves, who have now attended the conference several times – to discuss the positive impact this conference has had on our faith lives. Additionally, this past year’s speakers, Rev. Paul Murphy and his wife Julie, also shared some thoughts. Q. RYAC encourages young believers to discuss theology and faith life. In today’s social climate, why is this especially important? Mark G: Young adults, especially young men, struggle to talk about faith and life, and a conference like this gives an organic setting for those conversations to happen. Even apart from the times set aside to discuss our faith, many conversations about faith and life happen, with others beyond your own church, over meals and games that do not happen very often in our everyday lives. John P: As young adults who are just venturing out into the world for the first time, it can be a confusing and challenging environment to navigate. At times it may feel like we are lost in this environment, but coming together with a group of likeminded people who are all in the same battle together not only strengthens you, but everyone in the group together, in the fight against the world and the devil. As Ecclesiastes 4:12 says: “Though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him - a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Q. What would you say are some of the benefits of attending a Reformed conference specifically geared towards your age demographic? Mark M: In recent generations the wider church community in North America has suffered from a lack of sound doctrine. Having active discussions about theology is especially important among young adults, as we are the future of the Reformed churches, and thus it is essential for us to know what we believe, why we believe it, and how that aligns with Scripture as the ultimate authority. This is one of the many things that the Summit RYAC conference is good at. Both times I’ve attended the conference, I’ve had my understanding of the Bible and certain doctrines challenged, and that has strengthened my faith. It is also incredibly encouraging being around people my age who believe the same thing. Julie T: At its core, this conference is about training soldiers for Christ and sending them out as active members of God’s church, wherever they might be located. The conference helps build that sense of Christian unity and community: young adults leave the conference with newfound connections all over the country, knowing not only that their struggles or doubts or temptations are not unique to them, but also that the church of God is so much bigger than just their own little corner of it. Rev. Paul M & Julie M: This age group is often in university or in the workforce, maybe now living away from their parents’ home. These Christians need great friends; ones who live faithfully to their Lord and Savior in every area of life. Iron sharpens iron (Prov. 27:17). We need the benefit of each other’s differing perspectives, thoughts, and experiences. Together they serve as a multitude of counselors in which safety and wisdom are found (Prov. 11:14). Such conversations also serve as correctives to the subtle influences of our post-Christian culture; that is especially important in today’s social climate. As Paul states in 2 Cor. 10:3-5, we are engaged in an ideological warfare, in which Christians are assaulted almost daily by the thoughts and ways of the secular world. We need to encourage and equip one another to be strong and faithful in that battle. In conclusion, RYAC is not merely a fun weekend to meet friends, or find a significant other, or to simply get away on holiday. It is an event that presents incredible learning opportunities, as well as an environment in which to stretch new muscles of the mind and heart. It is an event that provides us with the opportunity to encourage one another forward, just as Timothy was encouraged by Paul: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” For information on how to sign up for the 2026 conference visit www.summitrefcon.ca. Photos, and the video below, are by David Visser and Kyle Vasas from Faith to Film. ...

Politics

Introducing ARPA Academy

A one-month program in Ottawa to sharpen and shape you! ***** RP’s Nov/Dec 2024 issue – the “Get Educated, Not Schooled” edition – described all sorts of opportunities for young people to consider for after they’d graduated from high school. The possibilities discussed ranged from attending university to entering trade school to starting a family. Now ARPA is pleased to offer a new opportunity this coming summer: ARPA Academy! Abraham Kuyper famously said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: Mine!” As Reformed Christians, we believe in the sovereignty of God and His providential rule over all things. What does that actually mean for Canadian law and politics? ARPA Academy seeks to help answer this very question. The 5 Ws ARPA Academy will be a one-month program in Ottawa to prepare young people aged 18-25 for faithful political engagement. Not only will the program be offered at no cost to participants, ARPA will also offer a small stipend to help cover expenses for the month. While participants will be responsible for finding their own housing, ARPA staff will suggest options and assist where necessary. Throughout the month of August, participants will explore biblical and Reformed worldview foundations for political action, learn about Canada’s constitutional history and legal system, study current policy issues, and develop key skills through readings, assignments, interactive sessions, and direct grassroots action. ARPA Academy will address questions such as “What does the Lordship of Christ over the political square look like in a society that largely does not recognize or understand His rule?” and “How does that apply to the wide variety of law and public policy issues?” The focus of ARPA Academy is on education and worldview training, but it also aims to prepare participants to be involved in politics in the future. While in Ottawa, participants will meet with political staff, lawyers, and non-profit leaders to learn about different careers. If a participant wants to pursue a hands-on internship, work on Parliament Hill, or get involved with a local non-profit organization after ARPA Academy is completed, ARPA staff can help make connections to pursue these goals. Some participants may go on to work full time in law, politics, or advocacy. Others may decide to pursue very different lines of work. In either case, participants will deepen their Christian worldview and be better equipped to be engaged and active Christian citizens. Lucas, one of last year’s ARPA interns, had this to say about his time deepening his understanding of politics from a Reformed worldview: “My experience at ARPA gave me a broad understanding of Canadian politics and the functioning of our political system. It also sharpened my worldview, enabling me to think critically about issues from a Christian perspective. This has allowed me to become a more effective citizen and has enabled me to take political action in my community.” Benefits to consider I’m excited about the ARPA Academy because in my own life it’s opportunities like this that helped me immensely. I spent a semester in Ottawa while in university, and that confirmed for me that I wanted to work in political advocacy for the long term. There were three other key components I learned from my own opportunities that I want to share, because they are also a focus for ARPA Academy. First, my time in Ottawa helped me better understand the nature of politics and political advocacy at a worldview and practical level, including a hopefulness because of God’s sovereignty over all things. Second, I had the opportunity to meet and learn from many devout Christians working on and around Parliament Hill, who were seeking to apply their Christian faith to politics for the good of their neighbors and their country. Finally, it allowed me to see what kinds of career options existed in the political and non-profit world and where I could fit into that kind of work. Whether you’re just out of high school, finished university, doing a trades apprenticeship, or between jobs, this is worth considering. This one-month program is an opportunity for Christian youth to engage with Reformed Christian thought and apply it to the world around them. Applications for ARPA Academy will open in December 2025. Check out our webpage for more information about the program and how to apply. If you have any questions, or would like to be added to an email list for updates, contact [email protected]....

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