Posts from 2024
When Leaders Grievously Sin
The reformed evangelical world has been rocked this week with news of Steve Lawson’s “inappropriate relationship that he has had with a woman.” (You can read the statement from the elders at Trinity Bible Church here or his own One Passion Ministries here.) The response was immediate. He was removed from his church. Ministries like Ligonier and The Master’s Seminary removed him from his position and took down all his content. There is consensus that Steve Lawson has permanently disqualified…
Psalms for Singing
This week we are introducing a new songbook we’ve recently published as a supplement to our hymnal. It is called Psalms for Singing: A Selection of Psalms Ancient and Modern. This new songbook contains 38 psalms set to music designed for congregational singing. A few of the tunes will be familiar but most of the tunes are unique and composed exclusively for each psalm. While this means it will take a little more time to learn a new psalm, it…
Fellowship Meal Revisited
We are restarting our Fellowship Meal this Sunday after a renovation to paint the gym and refinish the floor. Whether or not you are new to our Fellowship Meal, I want you to scan this webpage (https://www.fairviewbaptistchurch.ca/fellowship-meal/) to acquaint yourself with our shared meal on Sundays so that you are prepared with what you need to bring. Beyond the reminders already listed on that page, I want to remind you of a few things. First, the purpose of the meal…
God’s Wrath (and Salvation) Are Here
God’s wrath and grace go together. When God comes to judge, he also comes to save. The judgment of the wicked is the salvation of the righteous. Revelation 19 describes the judgment of Christ upon the nations of the earth. “He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (Rev 19:15). As the wicked are destroyed heaven erupts in praise saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God” (Rev 19:1) 2…
Calgary’s Water Crisis: Give us some leaders who tell the truth
Life in Calgary the past few weeks has produced an eerie feeling of déjà vu. The daily updates and calls to restrict water usage to save our water supply remind us of COVID-era restrictions. The same playbook is in use. Heightened rhetoric, worst-case scenarios, group sacrifice, threats of enforcement action, along with half-truths or outright lies are all fair game to achieve the desired result—coercing the people of Calgary to use less water. More similarities include extending restrictions from a…
Imputed Guilt and Zero-Sum Responsibility
The intersection of human responsibility and God’s sovereignty is a perennial discussion. The Bible teaches both, yet most understand these ideas to be contradictory. It is always a temptation to elevate one and minimize—or “qualify”—the other. We can feel that if we emphasis God’s sovereignty, we necessarily minimize human responsibility, or vice versa. If this is you, it is likely that you misunderstand responsibility. I understand that discussions of this sort can, and often do, get very emotional (and maybe…
Descent Into Hell
The following article is based on the sermon Descent Into Hell which you can watch or listen to here. Christian thinking can be influenced by culture around us. Today, materialistic naturalism is so prominent in the world of ideas that concepts like angels, demons, spirits, and the underworld seem more like fairy-tale fiction than reality. But the Bible affirms that the unseen world is just a real as what is seen. Human beings are certainly more than physical—we have a…
John Owen
John Owen is considered one of the greatest Puritan theologians of all time. He was given the title of the “prince of the English divines.” John Owen was born in 1616 in Stadham, England, the second son of Henry Owen. Henry Owen was a Puritan Anglican minister who taught his son from a young age. John Owen showed a strong desire for learning and entered nearby Oxford University at age 12 and was a proven scholar, who loved the classics,…
Laurence Chaderton
Laurence Chaderton 1536-1640 Laurence Chaderton is a name that may not be known among many Christians, but his impact on Puritanism and Christianity would place him as a theological giant. History tells us that Chaderton was a “superb orator,” and could preach for hours with a captive audience. One time, while preaching a two-hour-long sermon he declared that he had tired the patience of the audience. The audience insisted that he continue preaching, and even one man in the congregation…
Israel, the Church, and the Promised Land
What should Christians do with passages of Scripture that speak about the everlasting covenant God made with Abraham and the nation of Israel? Psalm 105:8–11 says, “[The Lord our God] remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as…
Fixing Canadian Healthcare
The Canadian healthcare system is broken—or at least problematic in many respects. Problems include long wait times for urgent care, long delays for surgery or specialized care,[1] difficult access to certain kinds of care, an increased tax burden, a lack of innovation, and Canadian doctors working in other countries. We know that these are significant issues because in election season our political parties vow to improve and fix Canadian healthcare—yet it is growing worse rather than better. No matter what…
Making Our Cities Safe Again
If you live in a city in Canada—or anywhere in Canada for that matter—you’ll see news headlines about rising crime rates. In Calgary, there are plenty of news reports on increasing crimes, especially in public areas like bus stops or LRT stations. Homeless encampments are routine, bringing along criminal activity. The opioid epidemic continues to claim 100 lives every month in Alberta. Even with stricter gun laws in Canada, violent crimes persist. Public spaces are especially dangerous. During the period…
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