On October 27, 2025, in Game 3 of the World Series, the Blue Jays’ relief pitcher, Brendon Little, did not expect to play. He performed poorly in his last outing, and he was losing the trust of the manager. However, the game went 18 innings (tied for most in World Series history), and he was called up as the last pitcher in the bullpen to pitch in the 17th inning against Shohei Ohtani—one of the greatest players of all time. In this same game, the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, who was in his final season of his career, was called up in the 12th inning to face just one batter. He threw eight pitches. That was it. Athletes often say that they must “stay locked in” even if they are not expected to play because they don’t know when they will be called upon to do their part for the team. Likewise, the Bible calls God’s people to stay locked in. Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins in which He teaches us to always be prepared: “And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut” (Matt. 25:10, ESV). Again, 1 Thessalonians 5:2 says that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (unexpected), and that we ought to always stay locked in since we do not know when that day will come: “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober” (5:6). “Staying locked in,” for Christians, does not mean that we ought to constantly be worried about losing our salvation and live a life trapped in legalism. Rather, in the freedom that God has graciously given [...]

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”  (2 Corinthians 1:3-5, ESV)   Here is a promise!  Our God is called the Father of mercies.  What a marvelous title for our great God.  And as the Father of mercies, He comforts us in our affliction.  In His mercy, He not only calls us to share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, but also in comfort.  He is able to console those whose burdens are heavy.  This includes consolation for those who are ill, who are suffering loss, who are grieving, who have been persecuted and those who are impoverished.   As wonderful as these promises are, we sometimes forget the other side of this teaching.  It comes from Jesus.  Luke 6:24 records Him as saying, “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.”  Now of course, being rich in itself does not bring about the curse.  But failure to use the riches in the way our Lord directed does bring about a curse.  Riches can lead to selfishness, greed, and a neglect of the poor.   And this leads me to reflect on the nature of consolation within the Christian faith.  I was recently meditating on C.S. Lewis’ essay entitled “A Grief Observed”.  It is four short chapters.  He was reflecting on his own grief resulting from the death of his wife, Joy Davidman.  There were a few sentences that arrested my thinking.   Lewis said, [...]

Holy. It’s the only word in scripture repeatedly echoed three times, demonstrating the supremacy of its value (Rev 4:8-11). Is Jesus’s holiness worth surrendering our lives for?   Joshua prepared to advance into Jericho at the precise location where God’s people disobediently refused to enter 40 years prior (Josh 5-6). The Commander of the Lord, a pre-incarnate Jesus, enters the scene with His sword drawn directly at Joshua. Joshua asks the Commander if he’ll join him in battle, but the Lord asks Joshua if he’ll fully yield to Him. When Joshua recognizes who stands before him, he falls face down surrendered in worship, asking the Lord what is required of his life. It’s a powerful image of full abandon to God’s authority and will, that challenges us today. Do we ask God to join our plans or fully yield to His? Do we fully surrender to His plans even when we don’t understand or agree?   There are many ways that our sinful hearts convince us to resist surrender and believe that partial yielding to the Lord is good enough. Ananias and Saphira pledged one financial amount yet deceptively held back a portion for themselves (Acts 5:1-11). To prevent God’s ark from toppling in the dirt, Uzzah disobeyed God’s command to never touch it (1 Chron 13:10). They justified their spiritual disobedience with human logic which costs them their lives. Our justifications to resist full obedience can stem from the same pride-filled root – we overestimate our goodness and underestimate His holiness. Our attempts to only partially surrender are fully seen by our all-present God who refuses to let us remain at arm’s length. He desires our full surrender so that we fall into His full embrace.   Throughout scripture, we often see people glimpse God’s glory, which simultaneously reveals [...]

As of 2025, Netflix and Spotify are the most popular streaming services in their respective fields of television/movies and music. Over its 30 years of existence, Netflix has grown to an incredible 301 million paying members, while Spotify has a whopping 696 million active monthly users. Whether it be these or their slew of counterparts (Amazon Prime, Disney+, YouTube, or Apple Music), my strong assumption is that everyone reading this article has some sort of relationship to these services; we live in a world that is completely inundated with entertainment. Whether that variety excites you or locks you into what I like to call “analysis paralysis”, we are faced with the decision of what to do with all of it.   Too often, I believe the stance is taken that what we consume is somehow neutral in its impact on us. The number of times I’ve heard “well Jake, I listen to or watch those things, but they’re not impacting who I am,” or, “I’m simply unwinding after a long day at work.” To that I say, the global spending on digital ads in 2024 was 1.1 trillion dollars. If I know anything, it is that the greed of the corporate world does not throw away over one trillion dollars for nothing. They invest that much because they know it will have an incredible payoff. They know the power of what enters our minds – how it shapes our thoughts, feelings, and desires.   One of the most convicting quotes I’ve heard as of late came from pastor Jonathan Pokluda on his podcast “Becoming Something” as he challenged his listeners to consider if they were “being entertained by the things that Christ died to save [them] from.” I have to admit that hearing that question brought me great pause as [...]

I recently asked my Bible Software program how often the phrase, “Give thanks to the Lord” appeared in the Bible.  I was amazed to find that it appeared 21 times.  And of course, that doesn’t take into account phrases like, “Praise the Lord”, or “worship the Lord”.  Some commands to give thanks to the Lord appear as a command for singing.  Psalm 33:2 (ESV) says, “Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!” Other passages command us to do so in reflection of God’s character.  Psalm 118:1 says, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” Still other occasions include adoration of God along with our requests and the command to declare God’s greatness among the people. The tradition of Thanksgiving is founded on this biblical mandate.  Romans 1 reminds us that failure to thank God is the starting place for spiritual darkness.  And so, Thanksgiving has been a time when local churches often display pumpkins and corn cobs, apples, and bread.  We want to remember that the basics of life come from God’s generous and gracious hand.  He causes the sun to shine on the just and on the unjust.  He has been far more gracious than any of us deserve. It is equally necessary for followers of Christ to make a practice of thanking God for the rich resources that are available to us in our salvation.  But this is often missing from believers.  Yes, it is true that many of us do thank God that we have been saved, but we neglect thanking God for all the various aspects of our salvation.  Even more tragic is the truth that some believers are not aware of all that is provided [...]

It was not that long ago, when I went out to eat at a restaurant, that I found one of the servers was not there.  Not that unusual.  People need time off.  They might also be suffering from a cold or the flu. It’s always good when restaurant servers are looking out for both themselves as well as their customers.  But alas, none of these reasons related to this case.  In this case, the server in question had believed a theory that the world was going to end on that day.  She had, by the reports I heard, been frightened.  I am not sure, but I pictured her cowering under her blanket at home, awaiting the inevitable. I never heard how the matter turned out.  Did 12:01 in the morning strike, and to her amazement, she went to the window to discover the world was going on as before?  Did she show up the next day and announce she was better now?  As curious as I was about the outcome, I still believe that when people make foolish and embarrassing mistakes, one should afford them some dignity to try and recover.   I write these words because, once again, a false rumour had circulated that the rapture would occur on September 23 or 24 of this year.  If you missed it, you also missed an opportunity to again track the gullible and easily misled.  Furthermore, these kinds of predictions now happen with such frequency, one can hardly blame the average person for having lost interest and not take notice.  “Oh, another prediction of the end of the world?”  That is followed by a yawn.  “What’s new?”   When I was a young man, there was a rather persistent belief among not a few evangelicals, who insisted that Israel’s becoming a [...]

In an age of celebrity pastors and social media accounts highlighting what they wear, the question must be asked if God cares about how we dress. Is it necessary, or even possible, to have a Christian ethic when it comes to your wardrobe? Adjacent to my lifelong pursuit of ministry has been a fascination with fashion and how the way in which we dress expresses deeper truths about who we are. Growing up with parents who were officers (pastors) in the Salvation Army, my wardrobe was almost entirely made up of second-hand goods that were well-worn. It was a secret that I held closely as thrifting did not have the positive connotation that it does today; it held a stigma of poverty and desperation. Even at that young age I was aware that, for better or worse, what I wore expressed something about my identity. While I have realized through my life that those unkind judgements did not speak to my value, it remains inevitable that others will make assumptions about my inner values based upon my outer appearance. We live in a watching world, and each aspect of our lives serves as an opportunity to exemplify Christ accurately or wrongly. Believe me, I am aware that we are treading touchy ground here and realize the threat of legalism in creating biblical standards where there are none. My desire in writing this article is not to give you specific rules of how you must or must not dress, but simply to offer a broader ethic of Christian living that seeks to prioritize glorifying God in every aspect of what we do. Are We Faithful Stewards? In James 1:17 we are reminded that every good gift in our lives has ultimately come from God. Every paycheque, good friend or family member, [...]

Everyone looks for something that is lasting. I once carried on a friendship with an atheist. He was on a quest to write a book that would make a major impact, so that he would be remembered after he was gone. It was unacceptable to him that his life would pass away and not one thing of his presence on earth would matter or be remembered. The futility of such an existence was more than he could bear. And in case you are wondering, he never did come up with that book. He failed to reach anything that endured. We want to endure. We can’t fathom the idea that we are simply a passing shadow, or a fad that is quickly gone. Something needs to endure. Quite often, people seek some of that in marriage. They reason that to love someone truly with a love that endures for a lifetime would be meaningful. Of course, even in this, there are many who fail. It ends with the too early death of one partner, or in divorce, or in a disinterested couple who stay together long after the fires of romance and love have left the scene. But even among those who love for 60 years and more, the end is soon at hand, and love does not endure. And this is true about all of life’s endeavours. Whether it is building a business, financial empire, or a building. Something ought to remain when we are gone. Like the pyramids of old, who still stand and give testimony to the builders. I once met a man who had led a research team that successfully created a medication that had saved thousands of lives. It must feel deeply satisfying to have left this earth having brought the betterment of the human race. [...]

What is the storyline of the Bible? I want Christians to understand the Bible story from creation all the way to the new creation. We must understand how the story of the Bible develops, and how each subplot fits into the overall drama.   For instance, where do the following accounts fit into the overall storyline: David and Goliath; Daniel in the lion’s den; Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering servant; or Paul’s injunction of selecting elders and deacons in 1 Timothy 3?   My concern is that we often view the various biblical parts without an understanding of how they fit together into the whole. We can be like the person who opens a box, which contains 3,000 small pieces that, together, make a beautiful picture. But, if we only examine the individual pieces, we will never see the puzzle.   If we are to understand the Bible’s story from beginning to end, in chronological order, it would be valuable to know what the overall picture looks like. It would be like pouring out all those puzzle pieces onto your kitchen table, and then staring at the picture on the front of the box.   Can we do the same with the Bible?   Of course, it is not possible to do that until we have read the story many times. How often have we picked up a contemporary novel, in which the plot of the story is given in the inside flap? In one short paragraph, the reader is made aware of what it is they will be reading.   I have often wondered if just such a paragraph could be given to anyone who begins to read the Bible for the first, or perhaps even for the one hundredth time. Let’s see if we can try to put [...]

In my upcoming book, I have been discussing the wrath of God revealed from heaven against the unrighteousness of men. Romans 1 and 2 discuss specific deeds of sin, and reflect the reality that all men and women are without excuse. But behind those truths stand the larger truths of inherited sin, or that we are sinners in Adam. Romans 5:12 states that sin came into the world through one man. Sin, therefore, is not inherent to the human race, but is introduced to the human race by one man.  But according to the Bible, our guilt is counted against us in three ways.    1) Firstly, we are counted guilty because of Adam’s sin In Romans 5, Paul compares two men, Adam and Christ. He wants to say there is a similarity between the two men. We are counted guilty in Adam, and we are counted righteous in Christ. Romans 5:19 (ESV) says, “For as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” The older English word used to describe this relationship is the word “imputed.” It is an accounting word. Christ’s work has been reckoned, or counted, or imputed to those who are in Christ. In the same way, Adam’s work of sin has been reckoned, or counted, or imputed to all of his descendants. Romans 5:18 adds, “…one trespass led to the condemnation for all men.” This often sounds strange to people. How can I be counted guilty in Adam? The implication is that before I had done anything good or bad, Adam’s sin was reckoned to my debit sheet. It sounds unfair. Imagine the following scenario. You are on a football team playing in the Grey Cup. There are three seconds left on the clock, and you are down by [...]

This is not an article about sexual identity.  Rather, it is an article about our new identity in Christ.  But I do wish to begin with those who identify as either gay or transgender.  Some time ago, I heard a Christian give a presentation.  He said he was a gay Christian, and because of his faith in Christ, was determined to live a celibate life.   To be clear, I was appreciative of his commitment to be faithful to the gospel until death.  But his presentation started a thought process in my head.  And it had to do with identity.  Truth be told, we all have a sin style.  Another way of stating this is to say that there are temptations that are unique to all of us.  Some of us are prone to not just materialism, but theft.  If that is a temptation you feel, might I suggest you not volunteer to be on the team counting the offering each Sunday in your local church.  If you struggle with lust, might I suggest you find an accountability partnership in your viewing habits.  If you struggle with anger, might I suggest you practice patience and thankfulness in all things.  If you struggle with gossip, discipline yourself to speak words of blessing.  Each of us struggles with some sins more than others.  And on that note, some struggle with same sex-attraction, whereas some never do.   But might I suggest that we don’t identify with our sins.  We should not say, I am a Christian luster, or a Christian thief, or a Christian pugilist who has chosen not to practice.  Rather than identify with the sins of the flesh, scripture calls us to identify with the new nature.  Consider what Peter says of us: “But you are a chosen race, a [...]

What drives us to isolation? Across my time in pastoral ministry, I have witnessed many believers struggle with the temptation to distance themselves from both God and people amidst times of trial. It is a curious response, isn’t it? When one is in their lowest moment to separate themself from support. It is an odd behaviour, but far from new. The human tendency to isolate can be seen since the beginning of creation. Adam and Eve “hid” from God in the Garden following their primordial wandering: “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8, ESV).   What was it that caused them to hide? We see just a couple of verses later that they were afraid; afraid that God would see them in their nakedness. They were vulnerable and worried about what would happen when God “discovered” their sin. You see, it was not simply fear that caused them to hide, but a fear that grew out of shame.   The Oxford English Dictionary defines shame as such, “a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behaviour.” Shame is born out of the decisions we make and look back upon wishing we had made another choice. Maybe it was an unthoughtful word, a dishonest business deal, or the fall back into pornography after you had promised yourself that last time was the last time. Shame floods into our hearts and minds.   I clearly remember a young adult man I had a conversation with after not seeing him at church for at least a month. As we sat down [...]

From passages such as the ones quoted, a great many Christians have thought that the law of Moses is no longer valid for us today. But what does that mean? Do we no longer have to keep the 10 commandments?

The call to make disciples of people from every people group on earth was Jesus’ last command to his disciples.  Consequently, Christians have often commented that Jesus’ last command should be among our first priorities. In one sense, the task has been a smashing success.  If we ask the pollsters, there are between two billion to two and a half billion Christians in the world.  Furthermore, as many are telling us, Christianity has, in the last half century, grown to a considerable degree in the global south and in nations that have been highly resistant to the gospel.  If we take these accounts at face value, Christ’s commands have been kept. But we need to remember that the problem with these statements is that they have a poor definition of what it means to be a Christian and how many adherents there actually are.  A few years back, I discovered a website featuring the most Christian countries in the world, and to my surprise, found that they had listed Canada as 67% Christian.  Our neighbours to the South were listed at 71% Christian.  Because I know something of the miserable state of the Christian faith in Germany, I was surprised again when they listed 56% of Germans to be Christian.  My sense is that that might be news to some of the Germans who are listed as Christians. Then again, on the other hand, I was just as surprised to read that they had listed Iran as having less than half a percent of Christians.  And China, which has seen such a massive uptick in the underground church, gave little indication of having any at all! All that to say, the figures are wrong!  But what if we were to change the equation.  What if we asked how many nations [...]

“Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior” (Isaiah 45:15, ESV)   The Power of “Gotcha” Politics has descended into a “blame game.” In place of compromise and co-operation, political leaders use accusations and allegations to build a following and hold on to power. Politics has never been free of such things, but neither have impeachments, denunciations and squabbles formed the primary civic means. It's appropriate to hold power to account. We expect explanation and justification for words and actions. Policy positions should be defended. Judgements need a foundation. Errors or misdeeds deserve exposure. We expect that in politics, business, the courts and education, the public has a right to know what goes on behind the curtains. So, it seems strange to some that the supreme power of the universe is accountable to no one.   Without Explanations In Isaiah 45, God says that he will raise up a pagan ruler named Cyrus and employ him to restore Israel to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity. God calls Cyrus despite his brutality and immorality. Cyrus does not know Jehovah and is blind to God’s intent. If someone questions the means of God, He declares, “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things” (Isaiah 45:7). With a bluntness that is unusual for power, God declares that He alone is the Lord and is not accountable to any. The clay bowl doesn’t question the potter. The child cannot fathom the ways and means of the father. God simply declares what He is doing and doesn’t respond to the microphones thrust at Him for explanations. Perhaps that is why Isaiah asserts that God hides Himself. The prophet doesn’t mean that God is coy, but he admits [...]

Several years ago, I threw out three boxes worth of my kids’ Sunday school crafts. I felt heartless and vaguely evil. But really, one can only store so much Fun Foam in a single house.   Still, there was one piece of art I was compelled to save. My daughter had cut out and coloured pictures of children engaged in different acts of worship, and glued them onto a sheet. (She was three; you were expecting decoupage?)   Bethany had been particularly proud of this assignment because of the gluing part. (I think she may have a future in adhesives.) The day she brought it home, I acknowledged the excellence of the glue-work and then asked her to tell me what the pictures represented. “Praying! Giving! Reading the Bible!” she shouted as I pointed to each scene.   I saved the best picture for last—a boy with his mouth open wide in song. Singing is my favourite form of worship. I knew it would be Bethany’s too, what with her mother being a singer and all.   “Laughing,” said Bethany, when I pointed to the boy with the open mouth.   I stood corrected. Laughing is my favourite form of worship.   I’ve been backing up my laughter-as-worship theory for a while now, collecting various quotes on the matter. I was compelled to stop reading Anne Lamott’s Plan B long enough to shout “Yes!” (complete with fist-pump), and scribble this line on an airplane napkin: “Laughter is carbonated holiness.” And anyone who knows me will understand why I give a hearty amen to this bit of wisdom from Woody Allen: “I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.” (In my case, there was an unfortunate incident involving Diet Coke, and the memory of it gives [...]

I could not number the conversations I’ve had in which the phrase “that is just semantics” has been uttered. Typically, what the phrase suggests is that both parties are making the same point but with different words. On a recent road trip, I was eager to get to the “destination” while the driver couldn’t wait to arrive at the “final stop.” By the end of the day, we had ridden in the car far too long, and the 'Long Drives and Good Times' playlist had lost its charm by the twelfth playthrough, and I had just eaten the last sour cream and onion Pringle. While it might be true that the particular words we choose to describe a road trip have little consequence, too often we show little care for our vocabulary across the board.   For a number of years, I worked at a para-church ministry that served as a shelter and resource centre for vulnerable youth. I was involved in several meetings with other service providers in which we discussed the topic of homelessness. It was always interesting to me that there seemed to be a new term to classify those living on the street at almost every meeting: homeless, houseless, unhoused, unsheltered, person experiencing houselessness. It’s important that we speak of people with respect and dignity. The words being used painted homelessness with gloomy language. Our words shaped our perspective.   At first glance, this might not seem like an issue, but on closer inspection it can become quite problematic. I assume that you do not look fondly upon the problems of your life. They are nuisances, unwelcome situations that frustrate and make daily life more difficult. They are to be overcome. Without intending to sound harsh, the people in those meetings were using language which portrayed [...]