Happy Alberta Day!

On September 1, 1905, Alberta was formally formed as a province of Canada under the Alberta Act. On July of 2022, the province formally declared September 1 to be Alberta Day, to recognize the province’s heritage and culture.

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The culture of the province is still one of hard work, personal responsibility. Where much of the West has abandoned the concept of liberty, Alberta still works to maintain it, both among its people and in its government. It is fading, but this spirit is still alive.

At present, there are discussions about the future of Alberta, whether it will stay in Canada, or leave Canada. Various Albertans will answer this question in different ways. Various Christians will have different answers.

In light of this, the question I must ask is this: dare we to hope for a better future, regardless of whether we remain in Canada or leave Canada? Many Christians have lost hope, or that hope is limping along. People are discouraged.

Hope is foundational to a thriving society. Fathers must seek to instill their sons with this hope, giving the framework for their sons to do better than them, to lead in the home, the church, and society with greater clarity and courage. Fathers must exemplify faith and courage to their sons, faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, in all that they do, in whatever position they have been called to. I am one of those fathers.

I still see many large families in the Grande Prairie region. Many parts of rural Alberta have large families. The Bible is still read in some homes. Matters of Christianity are not foreign to Alberta. The revolution is not as far advanced here as it is in other parts of our nation, or the West in general.

Yes, the church is suffering, scattered. As it limps along, we see a faithful church rising from the ashes of a century isolation and theological liberalism and compromise.

The cities used to be a centre of the Christian religion especially in the first days following the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, 2000 years ago. We should set our eyes on the cities of Alberta and Canada for revival in the ancient Biblical, orthodox, Christian religion. Edmonton and Calgary, we want you to experience the blessing of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

We need to set our mind on the good of our cities, as a Christian people, as churches. What can we do to bless our cities, towns and counties? There are many ways to bless our cities, our neighbors, our neighborhoods, our communities. Our joy in the midst of dull pounding of anxiety and stress in our culture, is just one among many. There are many projects that I see Christians working on, on both a small scale and a large scale. Even if it is just a Christian woman giving care to her elderly neighbor who has no family. This is something that no one sees, but it delights the heart of God. It is not wealth or power or greatness that we seek, but the blessing of the Triune God, in this province. We pray that Alberta would rejoice before Him, that it would be free to experience true flourishing before Him, and that all men & women would experience the joy of knowing Jesus. In light of that, above all, we must send men into every city and county who are full of the Spirit and wisdom, to administer the Word and sacrament in obedience to King Jesus.

Think of Christian homes as little monasteries. A well-run home will be a blessing to all of Canada. Around the Table, little hearts are nourished by the reading of Scripture, by the memorization of songs of praise. Godly virtues are learned under the leadership of a godly father, work ethic is passed on generationally by a godly father and mother. As the AI revolution sweeps our nation, the written Word and wisdom will be preserved by families who dedicate themselves to the preservation thereof.

Think of churches as another type of monastic unit. The church must be central in the Christian life. Under the leadership of godly clergy, piety will flourish in our homes and businesses and hospitals and schools and in this province again. As men encourage other men, and women fellowship together, holiness becomes contagious. As Christians talk about the gospel, everywhere they go, the knowledge of Jesus will spread.

Just as our Lord lived in the midst of His enemies, so we must live in the midst of our enemies. Our Lord did not become tarnished by evil. When people came to Him for forgiveness, that holiness spread. The same is true of a church that lives in union with her Lord, and is nourished in that union with her Lord in the waters of baptism and at the Table laden with bread & wine. What overcomes the world? Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We can hope for a better future for our province. We have a God who knows the way out of the grave.

In Christ,

Pastor Nathan Zekveld

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Recently, there have been a number of journalistic efforts by the Canadian Mainstream Media to talk about conservative Bible believing pastors and Christians in Canada. The errors and the mischaracterizations have been funny, and a variety of jokes have floated around in my circle. Nevertheless, these efforts have even influenced processes in the legislatures and I would wager that there is an effort here to influence both public opinion and to cast suspicion in the courts. Here is a bit of a summary of these efforts, followed by a Biblical & ecclesiastical analysis.

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Summary of Events

On June 5, 2023, a CBC journalist Jonathan Mon Petit dropped an extensive article entitled “Inside the fundamentalist Canadian movement that wants to remake Canadian politics.” In the header photo, he exhibits a photo of Trinity Bible Chapel in Waterloo ON, one of the churches that stood up against the lockdown of the ministry of the Word & sacrament, headed by Pastor Jacob Reaume. Over the article, he exhibits Liberty Coalition Canada, Michael Thiessen a pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Alliston, Ont, Aaron Rock a pastor at Harvest Bible Church in Windsor ON, Andrew De Bartolo, Matthew Hallick, Michael Clark, the Niagara Declaration, Ezra Institute, the Book Depot, the Hultink Family Foundation, John Hultink, Wilf Wikkerink, Douglas Wilson and RJ Rushdooney. The hot terms in here are Christian reconstructionism and Christian nationalism, and the target is Christian teachings on sexual relations related to Canadian laws that have broken down historic Christian teachings on marriage. The historic context for this article was the pushback against draconian lockdowns, which is only growing today.

On October 6, 2025, for almost an hour, British Columbia MLAs debated the “views and policies of [the] Association for Reformed Political Action.” You can find ARPA’s report on that here. ARPA stands for the Association for Reformed Political Action, representing the views of many churches and Canadians across Canada, especially the ones coming from a Reformed perspective. Nevertheless the views of Reformed churches on sexuality are shared with the Roman Catholic Church, and various Pentecostal, Baptist, Mennonite, Anglican, Lutheran and Presbyterian churches across Canada. The motion from the NDP was this: “That this House condemns the intolerant views of the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA), including its harmful discrimination against transgender people, its belief that homosexuality is ‘immoral’ and its explicit policy goal of restricting abortion access in British Columbia.” MLAs voted 48-3 to condemn ARPA’s “intolerant” views. The Conservative Party in BC abstained from the vote. In light of that, the Canadian churches of the global Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches stood with ARPA and historic Biblical teaching. You can find that here.

On May 30, 2026, Nathan Vander Klippe, a Globe & Mail Journalist published an article entitled: “U.S. church leader Doug Wilson declares strong support for Alberta independence movement.” This article featured Douglas Wilson and yours truly, Nathan Zekveld. It also features comments from Mitch Sylvestre about support for Alberta Independence from Christian churches and comments from Jason Kenney criticizing Albertans.

On June 30, 2026, the Christian Courier, a magazine of the Christian Reformed Churches of North America picked up on the article from Vander Klippe who at least used to go to a Christian Reformed Church in Southern Ontario. The author, John Valk writes: “So does Canadian Pastor Nathan Zekveld, who studied under Wilson. Zekveld wants to “declare Christianity to be the official religion of this new [separatist] nation.” Further, if such a theocracy were realized, according to a CBC interview with Crawford Gribben, a professor at Queen’s University Belfast, it would restrict same-sex marriage, put men in charge and keep women at home with the children. Here we see similarities between the American and Canadian versions of Christian nationalism.”

A more recent article was written by a smaller news outlet called Ricochet Media on August 14, 2026. It is entitled: “‘God gave us oil, God gave us gas’: How Christian nationalism is shaping the push for Alberta’s independence.” It’s focus is on “A growing cross-border network of fundamentalists, oil-industry boosters, and Trump allies has taken an increasing interest in Alberta sovereignty, helping push an American-style political vision into Canada.” It’s focus is on Ezra Institute, Rocklinc, Jonathan Wellum, Michael Wagner, Tim Stephens and others already mentioned. The focus again is “Far-right, anti-trans, oil-loving separatists.” That is a word salad.

Analyzing Intent

I’m not sure what the intent of these articles is. They blend together accusations of political motivations alongside moral questions and concerns and even economic ones. Are Christians super scary? Currently the religion of Canada is secularism, historically it was Christianity, is that why Christianity is deemed such a bad thing? Maybe it is to accuse conservative, Bible-believing Christians of promoting an American Christianity? Regardless, the bias against historic, Biblical Christianity is clear, and that bias has already exhibited itself in the BC legislature. This is the catholic faith that is at stake, friends.

The historic Christian faith is under attack both in the USA and in Canada.

In defending the truth, we turn first to the Word of God, and then to a broad testimony of the catholic Christian church across the ages, in Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, and an increasing presence across the globe in the writings of pastors, theologians, various Christian men & women of differing professions, and the blood of the martyrs. My own communion of churches includes various churches in the States, in Canada, in Brazil, in Poland, in Ukraine, in Russia, in Japan, in the Philippines.

The Historic Christian Faith

Theological liberalism has slain its thousands in Canada. The theological liberalism that has gripped the United Church of Canada and much of the Anglican Church in Canada has been devastating to our national life and the presence of a Biblical, historic, catholic Christianity in this nation. A couple of the reporters above have ties to the Christian Reformed Churches in Canada, a denomination that embraces women’s ordination, and has allowed for varying degrees of confusion on Biblical teachings on sexual ethics in their churches. If you want to read more about the historic roots of theological liberalism, I would recommend to you the book Christianity & liberalism by J. Gresham Machen, a book written in 1925.

You can find a history of the United Church of Canada in this book by Dr. Kevin Flatt entitled After Evangelicalism. Jonathan Van Maren speaks a bit about the failure of the Anglican Church in his history of the life of Ted Byfield entitled Prairie Lion. My own parents left the Christian Reformed Churches of North America with almost 100 churches across the States and Canada in the early 90s. This was due to theological liberalism, a departure from the teachings of the historic Christian Church. The Zekveld name is not foreign to the Christian Reformed Churches. They also have churches both in the States and in Canada.

I encourage my journalist friends to grab a copy of the Dutch Reformed theologian Bavinck, his Reformed Dogmatics. Some of my CRC associated journalist friends will know the name of Abraham Kuyper. I hope they have read his work. Read Owen, Calvin, Baxter, Turretin, Bucer. Read Athanasisus, Augustine, Aquinas, Chrysostom. The creeds of Christendom and the various confessions of the reformation and how the church throughout the ages has wrestled through the matter of church & state and how God’s Word speaks to magistrates. Read moderns like Francis Schaeffer. Grab a copy of Dr. Joe Boot’s book Mission of God, or Pastor Douglas Wilsons books on marriage and family. Read the books that are coming out of the Canadian Reformed Churches. There are various books that have been written and published by theologically conservative pastors across the Canadian landscape in the last 10 year. Read it all.

We still have hundreds of theologically conservative, Bible-believing pastors & churches across Canada, from BC to PEI.

For years, maybe even decades, conservative, Bible-believing pastors have been side-lined through accusations and scared into silence by theological liberals in the churches who neither believe the Word of God, nor understand the historic Christian faith that has been catholicly held throughout the globe. And so when preachers and Christians start to step into the public sphere again with the Bible in hand and the proclamation that “Jesus is Lord”, there is a fear that the lies and compromise will be exposed and the church will be reformed & revived according to the Word of God.

The answer is not nor ever has been politics. There may be some banter around politics, everyone has political opinions that are informed by various beliefs, but these journalists are thoroughly misdiagnosing the issue. The issue is rarely the issue. It is not flesh and blood that we contend against, but principalities and powers in the heavenly places. Our tools of warfare are not of the flesh, and fleshly alliances, but have divine power to destroy strongholds of theological liberalism that are still leaving many enslaved here in our once great nation. Our tools are the Word of God and the administration of the sacraments, and joyful, robust historically Christian worship. If our tools are of the flesh, then we ought to be chastised thoroughly.

Call me a fundamentalist or a Christian Nationalist or whatever term you’ve made up in the last 2 or 3 yrs and is the latest fad that provokes fear in the hearts of Canadians, I’ll happily suffer alongside Bible-believing, theologically conservative Christians in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, in the States and in China and around the globe. This is because God’s Word is true, and we find true liberty/freedom in Jesus Christ.

As historic Christian moral & theological teaching rises to the foreground again here in Canada, as pulpits ring forth with the Word of God again, as men & women pass through the waters of baptism and come to the Lord’s Table, there is a fight that is brewing, because unbelief and faith never mix. Darkness can’t stand the light. Lies will seek to repel truth. Theological liberals will never release their iron grip on whatever power they have achieved, that was achieved through the path of compromise. Contrary to popular opinion in the MSM, Bible-believing Christians in Canada don’t have many resources or much influence or power. We do have the power of God on our side. The way forward then is through cheerful suffering for Christians who believe the Word of God. The way through this is through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The answer to the current chaos in Canada is found in the beauty & majesty of Christ. His forgiveness for repentant sinners. Canadian Christianity is in the grave. We have a God who knows the way out of the grave.

I’ll conclude with words from a great hymn by the German Reformer, Martin Luther in the 1500s: “That Word above all earthly powers / no thanks to them abideth; / the Spirit and the gifts are ours / through him who with us sideth.”

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The West has become decadent. A cesspool of moral depravity. We wallow in our luxury and self-indulgence. Meanwhile, God’s laws are trampled and our own folly comes round circle to crush us.

How much is spent on sports vehicles in Canada? According to MotoCanada, Alberta retail sales of vehicles, parts, and accessories totaled about $283.5 million across on-road motorcycles + off-road motorcycles + ATVs/side-by-sides. How much is spent on sporting goods in Canada? A narrower industry category focused specifically on sporting goods stores (NAICS 45111 — retailing bicycles, camping/exercise equipment, athletic apparel/footwear, fishing/golf/skiing gear, etc., excluding department stores and pure apparel retailers) is tracked in paid reports such as IBISWorld. Nationally, that industry is estimated at around $13.2 billion in 2026.How much is spent on Netflix subscriptions in Canada? Approximately CAD 1.8–2.5 billion per year (roughly USD 1.3–1.8 billion) is a reasonable current estimate for spending on Netflix subscriptions in Canada. Add to that every other subscription, including Amazon and Ad layering on Amazon. (Note: I asked Grok AI for help in finding these and other stats and links).

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We are a society saturated in toys and entertainment. We have debts and payments on everything. I can buy anything on a payment plan these days. Even a couch.

Oe could safely say that some of the basic building blocks of wealth in the Christian worldview is to get married as young as possible, once you have a goal in life, whether that be working in the blue collar industries right out of highschool, or starting off with university. Buying a car is important, and one should take caution in taking out debt on a vehicle (it seems there may be wise ways to take out debt on a vehicle - I personally have not done and don’t plan too do this). Owning a car is necessary for building wealth, it is a tool. A house or land is also necessary for building wealth. It is reasonable to take out a mortgage on a house. Of course, a mortgage should be within reason. To max out the allowed mortgage amount with the bank, should only be done if necessary.

There is nothing wrong with owning toys like a dirt-bike or a quad, but the question is first (1) is it necessary?; and (2) why are you buying it? It can help to sink money into assets so the government doesn’t take your money from you. But the question is - are you living for the present or the future?

This is the motto of our decadent age “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die.” And so we maxx out our credit cards and our loan limits on toys and stuff, stuff, stuff. We want to have fun in our youth, rather than thinking to the future. There is an incipient nihilism here. If there is no God, if there is no life after death, then you gotta party harder. The present is the most important thing. Forget the past. Don’t worry about the future. Live your best life now.

We see this in how the modern man views family. No, I won’t challenge the effeminate man or the butch chick here. That is not where the decadence started, that is the sad fulfillment of the decadence. That is the end of our cultural nihilism.

According to Statistics Canada, in 2020, the average (mean) age at marriage in Canada was 34.8 years overall, while the median age was 31.3 years. Of course, you can immediately see that the best years for child-bearing are over at that point. I was 24 and my wife was 23, so that we pushed the stats down a bit. In the Reformed community, I know quite a few people who are keeping those stats lower. According to the 2021 Census (Statistics Canada), census families with children had an average of 1.8 children. That is families with children, not every family. My wife and I are working on 4, so we are inflating the numbers. Again, many reformed families are inflating the numbers (and other Christian families). Of course, the Muslim communities in Canada are also inflating numbers. Many Canadians are not having children or only one or two. Many Christians are there as well. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), the most recent official figures show approximately 102,705 induced abortions reported in Canada in 2024. I wouldn’t be surprised if those figures were higher.

A society that is having an average of 1.8 children and aborting 100,000 children a year is a suicidal society. The age of marriage, combined with the number of children, again indicates the decadence of a failing society.

We see it all around us. Divorce & remarriage. The number of people who don’t get married, because they are “waiting for something better.” We are a society that is devoid of covenant and the commitment and love that flourishes within the covenant of marriage. We are a decadent society. Whatever we earn, if we have the will to earn it, we earn to spend it on our own passions. The relationship between a man and a woman is reduced to sexual gratification. The relationship between a couple and their children, is no longer for the propagation of the human race, but maybe for a bare sense of knowing that motherhood is good. When things get rough the kids are packed up and sent off to grandma, or to childcare, or sent off into the modern warehouses of modern education aka public schools.

There are various stats available. Often 70–90%+ of men and 40–50%+ of women report lifetime or recent use of pornography in Canadian and North American studies. We are a sex saturated culture. Our decadence is revealed in how many men & women are enslaved to their sexual desires and passions.

Approximately 37–40% of marriages in Canada are expected to end in divorce, based on recent Statistics Canada measures. Those stats could be higher. For first marriages specifically, the figure is commonly cited around 38%. Of course, these are the people who actually get married (probably in their 30s), rather than just rotating through sexual partners. How many of these marriages could have been saved within the framework of good community, godly pastoral counsel, etc? Why get married when it is likely that your woman will take you to court and take all your money? In the States, women initiate roughly 69–70% of divorces in marriages, according to multiple studies (primarily from the United States). Men initiate about 30–31%. There are many theories for why this is and probably more reasons. The covenant of marriage has the value of a discarded toilet paper roll.

God has ordained from the beginning of the world that a woman join a man as a helpmeet in the act of dominion as fellow image-bearers, this also includes the act of child-bearing and raising godly offspring.

This has been set aside to varying degrees in our decadent western society, for entertainment, toys and the like. It has been set aside for drinking, drugs, weed, video-gaming and porn. True, there is real poverty, but many are impoverished by their own foolish debt and spending.

Where there are children, children are lavished with toys, given free reign to do whatever they want, and are often left without discipline, in a world without discipline.

We read a contrast in Philippians 3:19–21: “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

So where is the point of return? Is there hope for our decadent society?

There actually is freedom in obeying God’s order and delighting in His design. In the Bible, children are not a burden but a blessing. In Christianity, the commitment and covenant of a life-long union between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others, leads to life and flourishing. Rather, than reaching their old age to look back at a trail of wrecked relationships, troubled children, the Christian man & woman in Christ look back at forgiven sins, stable children, and empires built by wise money handling. And it is not that they had no fun either. The cheap camping trip, the outing to the river, the walk through the woods was all a blessing, because it was done in the context of covenant and relationship. The process of raising children was not something that you had to grit your teeth through because even in the long nights of children waking up and weeping, you loved your children, and wanted to serve them.

Sure, life is hard and it is getting harder in Canada. The decadence of our society goes all the way from the 32 yr old man who just got married in the suburb, after wasting his money in his 20s, all the way up into the Canadian halls of power. Between inflation, taxation and all the above, it is getting harder to raise a family. But the answer is not to give up, stop working, to leave off marriage and child-bearing. To raise a family in Canada is increasingly becoming an act of faith, of faithful planning, etc.

As Christians, we believe God’s promise that the meek will inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5). This is true because all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Christ (Matt. 28:16-20).

So as Canada continues it’s spiritual, moral, economic decline, as those with money wallow in luxury and self-indulgence, and those without money despair, the Christian must take neither approach. The Christian must commit himself to faithfulness. Be obedient in your earning and spending. Commit yourself to covenant, and to joy in service and self-sacrifice. Constantly think to the future, whether you are 16, 21, or 32. Teach your sons to think to the future. Flourishing is found in covenant.

If the church decides to mirror the decadence of society, scorning children and motherhood, scorning the godly sacrifice of our society, then this society is damned because reformation must begin at the household of faith. The church must develop a love for and delight in these patterns of faithfulness. That will transform society.

I also see a movement happening among young western men. Some of this is leading them into bad & evil ideologies. But some of this is leading them to find their grounding in the church again. There is grace for sinners and men who have spent their younger days in folly. We need not just a trickle, but a torrent of these men coming to Christ, no matter what the cost.

We need fathers in the church again, who can teach young men how to love a wife, how to teach and care for children, how to lay down one’s life daily. We need mothers in the church again, who can teach the young women how to respect their husbands, to discipline children. But we also need a horde of young men and women who want this, who love Christ, who want to live responsible lives before Him in this increasingly decadent society. May God grant us this request.

May God grant us the gift of repentance & faith and give us faithful men in the midst of a decadent age.

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The last couple weeks have been a bit of a flurry of revelations for me in light of questions that remain pertaining to lock-downs, and the ensuing disaster. Much of this, I had already seen, but one must also wait for further proof.

At the full committee hearing for the testimony of Anthony Fauci on July 29, Fauci plead the 5th amendment 111 x (according to the count of some), as he was exhorted to do by his attornies. You can find a link to the whole committee hearing here. He did this after saying in 2022: “I am very happy to testify before any congressional oversight committee. I have nothing to hide. I can explain and validate everything that I’ve done. I’m going to do what I need to do, and that is cooperate fully, because we have nothing to hide at all.” You can find a link to that clip here.

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Of course, Anthony Fauci is in the USA and I am in Canada. Nevertheless, his policies spread to Canada as the Liberal Party of Canada took cues from the States. Theresa Tam would have held a position similar to Fauci and each province had its own Public Health Officer. I remember communicating with authorities during the era of lockdowns and the “COVID merrigoround of responsibility.” Nobody took responsibility. Pastors and elders at large passed over responsibility to the government, the civil authority (an elected position) in turn passed off responsibility to the health officers (a bureaucratic position), and they in turn passed off responsibility to the civil authority. So at the end of the day, the starting question is: “who do we hold responsible?”

There are a couple major class action lawsuits that are happening now via Grey Wowk Spencer law firm here in Canada. You can find all of them here. The first gives a route of appeal if you were affected by Canadian lockdowns & mandates. The second gives a route of appeal if you were affected by vaccine harms. Lawyer also interviews MP Dean Allison here on the Grey Matter Podcast about the upcoming Allison Inquiry, which you can find here. There is also the Sakamoto class action lawsuit that is being handled by lawyer , which you can find here.

The Allison Inquiry will have some similarities to what happened in the States in relation to the testimony of Anthony Fauci. To quote directly from the Allison Inquiry website: “On September 8, 9, 10 and 11, 2026, the Allison Inquiry will be listening to the testimony of Canadians injured by a Covid-19 vaccine. The Inquiry will be broadcast live from Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The Allison Inquiry represents the first time that Canadian lawmakers will be listening to Canadians about their experiences with the Covid-19 vaccines. The Allison Inquiry will be chaired by Member of Parliament Dean Allison and is non-partisan. Members of Parliament and Senators from all parties are eligible to sit as panel members. The Inquiry is being held with the cooperation of the Covid Testimony Association, a not-for-profit set up to assist in running the Inquiry.” It is most notably, a bipartisan inquiry that does not run down political lines. You can donate to the operations of the Inquiry here.

Let’s back-track a little bit to the mix of lockdowns. I struggled to frame the issue somewhat during lockdowns, because there were many unknowns about the vaccine, and I was constantly being reminded that I must “stay in my lane”. It matters little to the discussion here whether I myself am vaccinated or not, because at the time I treated it as a point of liberty. It was a point that should not have divided Canadians or hindered them from their jobs. It was definitely not a point that should have divided any church. While Romans 14:5 is immediately referring to another issue, I am convinced that the principle applies here and to masking: “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” In fact, it can be very dangerous to push Christians on these things as we see in Romans 14:23: “But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” Of course, if something is a point of liberty, then each Christian also has the freedom to look at the potential consequences of taking the shot. Even early on there were those trying to establish a link between the vaccine and myocarditis in young men. Everyone should do the research. Of course, the health system should also do the research as well as give the opportunity to consent with knowledge. That is the issue that lingers in the wake of lockdwns.

If I could go back, I would emphasize that point of liberty and that people should do their research, harder than I ever did.

I did a book review of Dr. Julie Ponesse’s book My Choice: the Ethical Case against COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates. You can find that here. Or in my book on lockdowns here. I argue some of the principles of Romans 14, play out indirectly in the Nuremberg Code, which you can find a copy of here.

You can find principles for liberty on such matters in Romans 14-15 and I Corinthians 8-10 and I Peter 2. Scripture never gives the state absolute authority, especially in relation to debatable issues such as vaccines.

GK Chesterton warned about this many decades ago in his essay Eugenics and other Evils:

“The thing that really is trying to tyrannise through government is Science. The thing that really does use the secular arm is Science. And the creed that really is levying tithes and capturing schools, the creed that really is enforced by fine and imprisonment, the creed that really is proclaimed not in sermons but in statutes, and spread not by pilgrims but by policemen—that creed is the great but disputed system of thought which began with Evolution and has ended in Eugenics. Materialism is really our established Church; for the Government will really help it to persecute its heretics. Vaccination, in its hundred years of experiment, has been disputed almost as much as baptism in its approximate two thousand. But it seems quite natural to our politicians to enforce vaccination; and it would seem to them madness to enforce baptism.”

CS. Lewis writes in “God in the Dock: Essays on Theology (Making of Modern Theology” :

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.”

This radical change of messaging from “trust the science” to “science pleads the fifth” is a sharp reminder of the wisdom of allowing for freedom of decision especially in preventative medicines that could have serious iatrogenic effects. Any coercion in this arena could be potentially deeply immoral.

Obviously those who transfer this principle of freedom of choice in preventative treatments, are fully wrong when they apply this to abortion, for abortion is murder and an assault on the image of God in man. We need to be clear on what is a sphere of liberty and what is murder.

As we see questions arising, it is indeed hard to prove that there is not just a correlation between these new health problems and the vaccine, but that there is actually causation. Nevertheless, the evidence in many cases is blatant, and almost undeniable when one really begins to dig. This is what Lawyers Leighton Grey and Jeff Rath and MP Dean Allison are all working on as people bring their complaints forward and seek some sort of justice.

Some time in the recent past, someone suggested to me that the church would have to work with an increasing number of people who are bitter at the government for duping them into getting an untested vaccine. I agree, and think it will only get worse as time goes on.

It is crucial in pastoral ministry to minister to the bitterness, so that it does not rot a man from the inside out. Bitterness is more dangerous than the Mrna vaccine. But when that bitterness is dealt with, it can be a good thing for that person to go forth and to expose what is being hid in the shadows, so that others can be protected from injustice and from coercion in experimental medical practices.

There are many in denial. Others seem not to have had adverse reactions. Yet, the discussion still needs to happen within society. Even if only 40% are negatively reacting to the vaccine and it can be proven, then the other 60% should respond with compassion and grace.

If we open up these hard discussions in society, we must strive to do so with mercy and grace. My prayer for these court cases and the Allison Inquiry is that all of them would be full of grace and truth, so that relationships can heal.

It needs to happen for the sake of the reconciliation of Christian people and those who are not yet Christian who broke fellowship and relationships over this issue. Major tensions were introduced into families over the vaccine, with some families and even churches ostracizing and even exiling family members and church members over this issue.

Many in society have tried to bury the issue. The issue should be exposed, not as a “get back” time or “I was right all along”, but so that Christians can find reconciliation with one another, and so that those who are suffering from injuries after facing pressure to get the vaccine, can have some resolution in this life. Obviously, if there is no resolution in this life, there will be resolution in the life to come, for those who trust in Jesus. Bitterness goes to die at the cross of Jesus Christ. Yet, it should also be exposed so that governments can be held accountable on their coercive tactics, and so that the hospitals would respect their clients again. We must go back to the principle of do no harm, and where liberty and self-government play a role.

This gets down to a fundamental issue, where life is no longer respected. We see that with abortion and MAiD. These are the major issues in society that in some ways dwarf the issue of vaccine injuries, but do not write them off. We must inquire into all of the above and do justice and love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Yet, the wicked persist in their wickedness and the righteous are often silenced. Yet not all are silenced.

As we see various class action lawsuits, the Allison Inquiry, the disgrace of Anthony Fauci pleading the 5th after all his bold words, it is important that Christians abandon all bitterness and cling to Christ in faith. Pray the Psalms. Breath the Psalms. Do so because they are the Psalms of Christ. Be the change you want to see. Find a Bible-believing church. Reflect deeply on the principles of liberty in relation to God’s Law and Biblical virtue. Pursue reconciliation as much as is possible in you. Point the world to Jesus Christ.

I want to conclude with the words of the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 42:3 as he speaks of the coming of the Son of God in human flesh:

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

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One thing that we must be on guard against as modern Christians who are steeped in the drama of social media battles, and every new trend and fashion, is that our theology does not become shaped by reaction, but by sound exegesis.

When Paul speaks to Timothy, he makes this the duty of a pastor, to watch his life and doctrine: “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (I Tim. 4:16) More broadly, this task was given to every elder in Acts 20:28: “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” This is done by faithful exegesis, expositing the Word of God, as we find in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

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Of course, more broadly, this life of watchfulness is the duty of every Christian in his/her office of believer: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (I Cor. 16:13-14)

Reactionary theology is not a formal school of theology, although it is a way of doing theology poorly. We are all shaped by various backgrounds, whether theological or devoid of theology, and we should be aware of how those things shape us. It is a descriptive term for religious or theological attitudes that primarily define themselves in opposition to modern social, cultural, political, or ecclesiastical changes, often seeking a return to an idealized earlier state. In reactionary theology, we cultivate our system theology, our understanding of God and man and the world in reaction, to problems that we see around us.

Exegetical theology sees truth as grounded in Scripture, and the way in which the church has faithfully interpreted that Word and applied wisdom over thousands of years of church history. It looks at the creeds and confessions as rooted & grounded in the Scriptures. It bears remembrance that the pastors who wrote the Reformed & Presbyterian confessions were steeped in the Scriptures and a knowledge of the catholic church of all times and ages and locations. These pastors were collaborating together and discussing faithful exposition of the Scriptures in their networks and with their opponents. Exegesis develops doctrines from Scripture, as opposed to reading doctrines into Scripture.

Now, with what I lay out below, it should be remembered that it is not wrong for pastors to bring commentary on various modern day events. But that commentary should be grounded in a wealth of knowledge of the Scriptures and Christian history. It should be grounded in the wisdom of the Spirit. In light of that, I myself need to be reminded of this from time to time as I am active on social media, but also more frequently in my local congregation, talking about modern movements, books, public figures, etc. In this both charity and clarity are needed. We must not muddy the waters of Christian doctrine in the name of charity, even as we extend charity to those who muddy the waters of Christian doctrine, all the while being clear on Christian doctrine and love for Christ.

We see various issues that are rising to the foreground in our age. The roles of men & women. The posture of Christianity towards modern Judaism, as well as towards other pagan religions. The relationship of ethnicity & nations. The question of the religious pluralism and democratic inclinations of our age towards truth and morality.

In the mix of this, some among many of the manifestations of a reactionary theology are (1) a strong negative reaction to cultural or institutional change (e.g., post-1960s shifts on sexuality, gender, race, or authority); (2) a nostalgia for a “better” past (ie pre-modern Christendom); (3) a tendency toward embattled or authoritarian postures when the reaction hardens into disdain for contemporary society or the current church; (4) a risk of forming beliefs reactively (opposing whatever “the other side” holds) rather than from positive conviction, which can produce imbalances.

AW Tozer put it this way here: “We act not from a positive conviction that something is right, but from a feeling that the opposite is wrong. We become allergic to certain beliefs and practice and react violently away from them. Thus our reactions become actions–we are driven to our positions by the enemy rather than led to them by the truth.” I will continue with another quote from A.W. Tozer: “Christ does not need our nervous defense. The church must not allow itself to be maneuvered into fighting its enemy's war, letting the unbelieving world decide what it is to believe and where and when it is to act.”

I’m sure that we can all recognize a degree of reactionary theology in ourselves, even if it is just a small amount. As pastors pursue ministry, this form of doing theology should be driven out of them in the training of the local church as well as the seminaries. This is one of the values of seminary education. That is, years of grounding in the Scriptures. This is one of the things that I appreciated about the Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary in Hamilton. It was a grounding in exegetical theology.

As we move on through this article, we could point to a number of spheres that I see men reacting against real evils from the last century. Feminism was a great threat. Dispensationalism is wrong (I know some of my dear friends who are subscribed to this newsletter will disagree here). The liberal pluralistic framework of the last century is wrong.

Joel Webbon, Eric Conn, Brian Sauve, Calvin Robinson would all agree with me here. These beliefs are problematic for the Christian religion.

But the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend. I’m open to friendship, but a a couple thorough conversations would need to be had first, which would have to happen in a trusted American presbytery.

I’m not saying that all the contributions of these men in combatting feminism, egalitarianism, liberal pluralism, dispensationalism have been unhelpful. Many of their contributions have been true. I don’t find them necessarily helpful at all times, even most of the time, either. They’ve taken shots at the right targets a lot of the time, but it is not a Biblical hermeneutic to declare that you have No Enemies to the Right either. Paul told Timothy to rightly divide the Word of truth, to correct those who contradict it, not to only punch left, and at those who promote the post-war consensus (whatever that is).

Thankfully, by God’s grace we are all kept from our excesses, and it may be that they move in a good direction.

Part of the reason I say this is because I grew up in an ecclesiastical milieu that was not without its problems, but that was also opposed to feminism and dispensationalism and all of the above. Dispensationalists were becoming reformed back then too and would go through the full ecclesiastical vetting process in becoming pastors. The aim in that vetting process in the ecclesiastical courts is not that these pastors are “not dispensationalists”, but that they can rightly divide the Word of truth. Nevertheless, the URCNA had its own excesses and flaws, as does the CREC. We have to watch out for these things in every time and place, and anchor ourselves in the wisdom of the church of all times and ages and locations, as the Spirit has worked within her.

Today, the shift from dispensationalist to reformed theology has grown massively as young men have access to the internet and are part of a generation that is asking questions and pursuing truth.

It similar to the New Calvinism of the early 2000s, except it has a different political target, and it is more focused on dispensationalism than the doctrines of grace. The cultural vibe-shift is very similar.

The leaders of this new movement have a very similar character to many of those who led the New Calvinism Movement in the early 2000s. Many have not been vetted by a presbytery or a diocese. They are independent Reformed guys (except for Calvin Robinson, maybe), who don’t have little to no broader ecclesiastical oversight. Part of catholicity in the Reformed tradition is recognizing broader spheres of accountability, rather than settling for the radical individualism of a crack at congregationalist Christendom.

In a presbytery meeting, I can approach another pastor and indicate my disagreement with the handling of a certain issue or text, and they can do so with me, and we can do so as peers. It doesn’t even necessarily have to be discussed on the floor, but it can happen there too. Iron sharpens iron. On the other hand independentist Christianity can’t have that robust dialogue, that discipline of grounding truth in the Word of God, and the wisdom & wonder that arise from there. The few pastors on X become their “presbytery”. There are no covenant bonds to anchor themselves into for accountability. Independentist and social media oriented Christianity that lacks a catholic framework will have a tendency towards reactionary theology and all the lack of nuance that it entails.

As men who have been given the stewardship of the mysteries of God, we must take on the task of exegetical theology with a sense of joy, but also solemn responsibility. There is some level of prophetic responsibility for pastors as we consider the faults of the ecclesiastical structures and figures of our age. But who is going to hold you accountable and ground you in the Word of God?

We have a task to open God’s Word, to preach the gospel, to teach the whole counsel of God, to preach Christ, to contend against error and to correct falsehood. We have a task to expand the church, advance the kingdom, to share the gospel with the lost. All in obedience to Jesus.

In this we must watch our life & doctrine. AW Tozer writes: “The fear of ‘legalism’ has driven some of God's good people to positions so grotesque as to be ridiculous.” We have to watch out that our reactions to bad theology doesn’t become so grotesque as to be ridiculous. For example, the enemies of communism are not necessarily our friends, just because God’s Word and communism are in conflict.

Let us not be so afraid of “dispensationalism” and “feminism” that we are driven to positions so grotesque as to be ridiculous.

As Christians we have a forward looking perspective. We are able to look at the future in hope, not because we are revolting against the last 200 years of church history, but because we have the Word of truth that is sufficient to correct every error and heresy at any time in history. We also have been given the Spirit along with the one holy catholic and apostolic church which has also existed in the last 200 years, although beaten and battered, as it has been at so many times in church history.

Let us instead faithfully divide the Word of Truth in simple and steadfast obedience to the Word of Christ who will one day say to those who looked to Him through all the revolts and revolutions of history: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matt. 25:23)

Since I am a pastor in Boniface Presbytery of the CREC, I’ll conclude with a quote from St. Boniface:

“The Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship, but to keep her on her course.”

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The question has been frequently posed in the Christian world regarding business partnerships between Christians and unbelievers, how far that should go, and what the principles are.

Often, II Cor. 6:14 is a quick “go to” passage for the New Testament Christian, so it is important to understand that passage.

First, I want to share a couple resources from other Reformed pastors, relying on the work of my colleagues.

The Orthodox Presbyterian church has a Q&A on their website. Here, they have dealt with this question of business partnerships with unbelievers. The author here believes that the Apostle’s concern in II Cor. 6:14 is “focused on worship and spiritual union within Christ’s church.”

https://opc.org/qa.html?question_id=264

A PCA pastor, Robert Rayburn, makes the most immediate application of this text to participation in other forms of worship in the city.

This passage about being “unequally yoked” is a reference to the Mosaic Law: “In Lev. 19:19 we read that God’s people were not to mate different kinds of animals, were not to plant a field with two kinds of seed, and were not to wear clothing woven of two kinds of material. In Deuteronomy 22:10, even more precisely the origin of Paul’s remark here in 2 Cor. 6, we read that God’s people are not to plow with an ox and donkey yoked together.”

Pastor Rayburn lays out these principles:

1. He must be cautious and alert to the dangers (certainly should not rush into such arrangements without thought);

2. He must take care of his name and his heart;

3. He must be willing to give up the arrangement if it involves him in sin;

4. If he finds himself in such an arrangement he must see it as his duty to carry himself as a Christian (Daniel, Obadiah did not betray the Lord), though wisely (they didn’t provoke unnecessarily), and to be salt and light (Obadiah and Daniel did both: served their kings well and served the Lord!);

5. And, he or she must take care to make decisions which conform to his or her own circumstances (some associations which would be proper for some Christians would amount to courting temptation for other Christians).

https://www.faithtacoma.org/work/2006-05-21-pm

One might also consider the commentaries of Calvin and Matthew Henry on II Cor. 6:15

https://biblehub.com/commentaries/calvin/2_corinthians/6.htm

https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary/matthew-henry-complete/2-corinthians/6

As a pastor, I would not forbid a Christian business man from going into business with an unbeliever. I don’t think it is that black and white. The main principle of II Cor. 6 most immediately refers to worship in the city, and the purity of the worship of God.

For example, we see King Solomon of Israel go into business with King Hiram of Tyre. The basis of this of course was that Hiram loved King David. Even if it is not a partnership, there is some sort of economic alliance for trade. This is good for the building of the Temple and the advance of the kingdom of God.

Now, eventually, his alliances with foreign women do eventually corrupt Solomon, so even as we see a good economic alliance for the glory of God in ch. 5, we do see an inherent warning as the history advances.

Nevertheless, there are a variety of applications to this passage, that can be argued by good and necessary consequence into the the arena of business and also marriage. It is my duty here to talk about business.

My principles, as I have reflected on the passage could be laid out as such.

1. The Lord Jesus Christ does not want his people to participate in idolatry.

2. Idolatry is often connected to immorality.

3. The Lord Jesus Christ also does not want his people to participate in or promote immorality.

4. Even when working in a pagan society, the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to be in the evil society, but not of the evil society. As Solzhenitsyn once said: “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either—but right through every human heart—and through all human hearts.” A case in point is Obadiah who worked in the courts of Ahab, while hiding faithful prophets. Or Daniel and his friends who worked in the courts of Babylon, but would not participate in idolatry. This is not necessarily a business partnership, but they were men who had to labour in an environment of unregenerate men.

5. If two men go into business together, as equal partners, the question is: (1) Will the Christian businessman be forced to be involved in immoral actions? (2) Will the partner do things in business that will tarnish the name of the Christian? (3) When giving money to charitable causes will the Christian businessman be forced to give to idolatrous or immoral causes or to participate in giving to these causes?

6. This could also be applied within the sphere of Christianity too. You are members of the same church (or another church) as another business owner, you are both baptized in the Triune Name. (1) If your morally compromised business partner participates in or wants to promote idolatry or immorality, will your conscience be bound by your business partner or by the Word of God? (2) A Christian partner can also tarnish your reputation by dishonest actions and unrepentant living, and so it is good to also be cautious in such alliances, and also aware that you ought not tarnish the name of your partner or your church.

7. On the same point as the last, sometimes Christians think that they can offer a poor product, or deal deceptively because “well, we are all Christians anyways.” Being Christian is not an excuse for being unprofessional, or relying on relationships rather than on real Christian integrity and obedience to Christ.

8. Additionally, a believer and an unbeliever will have different definitions of failure & success as well as different perspectives on eternity. It is important to consider these things, also when handling drama in the company and the government thereof.

9. Are you willing to take a financial hit because your conscience is bound to the Word of God? Christians have had to take hits throughout history for the sake of obedience to God. For example, in his writings John Calvin frequently praises men who have taken losses to lands and monies rather than to deny Christ. These types of men and their willing to endure suffering become a visible proof of the message that the pastors at that time preached.

10. The contract has been designed to protect individuals as they enter in and out of agreements with regards to business. A good contract can protect someone. So it would be worthwhile to consider what a good contract looks like and how good contracts could be used in the reformation of society.

I’m sure that I could spend more time on this. What I have laid out above is a good starting point for reflection, for wisdom and discretion in the business place.

At the end of the day, we need more Christian businessmen active not only in the business world, but in medicine, in law, in the oil industry, as well as Christians active in politics, and everywhere else in society. But we don’t just want Christian business men, men who go to church and are baptized, but don’t care about obedience to Jesus. We want holy men planted everywhere in society, willing and ready to love God and neighbor.

The starting point for this is 1 Peter 3:14–16

“But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”

The starting point is to set apart Christ the Lord as holy in your heart. If He is Lord of your heart and your conscience, that will dictate your actions. This happens in the waters of holy baptism, in the weekly attendance of the assembly of the saints, and as you come to the Table of the Lord.

The tendency towards perfectionism can make things difficult.

It is important for a Christian to study the Law of God, to love God, and to do as you please, because what God loves, you will also love. This does not mean that work in the business world will not be marked by repentance. If there is no repentance, you are probably stagnating and moving backwards. If you never look yourself in the mirror, roll your eyes, and admit that you messed up and even sinned, you are probably not looking in the mirror of God’s perfect Law of Liberty enough.

Christian businessmen can truly have fun around money and business because they have submitted to the Lord and His Lordship over their hearts, rather than allowing money to master their hearts. This is where the liberty enters. There is much freedom within the boundaries of the laws of God. The law is a fence so that good men can run free. It’s not that there is no stress or fear that hammers them from time to time, but they are not mastered by emotions, but rather sally forth into the sphere of business, because Jesus is Lord. This is one of the many places that Christians can truly be a light on a hill or a salt and a light as our Lord instructs us to do in Matthew 5.

The key is also recognizing that not every action in the business world is immediately right or wrong. There are also categories in Scripture for the wise and unwise. Wisdom is the ability to take the law and to apply it in various arenas, including business. It is skill in applying the Law. Consider the Book of Proverbs, for example, to be a manual or handbook for the businessman. With the Book of Proverbs in hand, I would wager that any businessman can become more skilled in the art of corporate warfare, negotiations, company politics.

Finally, if a Christian businessman is in need of wisdom, then the starting point of it all must be union with the living and reigning and ascended Christ who died and rose again to deliver men from their sins. Any work in this world as a Christian starts with an act of deliverance in time, no less for the Christian businessman or worker. The holiness of the business man, the labourer, the politician, begins at the cross, and in both the primary act of salvation as well as ongoing covenant renewal with Christ.

As the Apostle says in 1 Corinthians 1:30–31: “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”

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Something that I have been reflecting on for some time now is how easily Christians become divided over slogans. It can be helpful for a group of Christians to get together to talk about doctrines of the covenant and give it a title, for example “Federal Vision.” It can be helpful for Christians to talk about theonomy and Christian Nationalism and Kuyperianism, etc.

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The division often happens in the aftermath when the finger-pointing and blame-shifting begins. The problem is when sloganism meets tribalism. The consequences for unity in the local church and also the broader church can be devastating.

Here is the starting point.

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.” (Phil. 1:27-28)

This is primarily expressed, not in political alliances, not in schools of thought, but in a deeper ecclesial bond. What is the church? The church is the Body of Christ, it is the baptized assembly that has been purchased in the blood of Christ, called out of the sinful world, and together in the midst of this physical world. It is born by the preaching of the holy gospel (I Peter 1:22-25). It is formed in the waters of baptism (I Cor. 1-3) and is knit together at the Table of the Lord (I Cor. 11-12). It’s highest allegiance is obedience to Christ as it seeks to be a blessing in the midst of the empires of the earth.

A wise colleague recently pointed out to me in private conversation that the very act of accepting a label and standing with that party can present its own form of division. Questions of establishmentarianism, Kuyperian, Theonomy, Christian Nationalism, and all the debates within Christendom can lead to division when you simply adopt a slogan.

The most important thing to me is that we are wrestling with HOW, not IF, the Bible applies to the civil realm. This focus should massively increase our range of fellowship and discussion. It means that I might disagree with certain people from time to time, but that our unity runs deeper than slogans and tribes. Our fundamental unity is born in water and the word, nourished by bread & wine.

I have distinguished my views from nationalism at times. Historic and philosophic nationalism is confused on matters of race and ethnicity and can lean to a “right-wing statism”. Many of the writers have not done enough to distinguish between immigration as a prudent policy and mass immigration as a foolish policy. The categories of folly and wisdom are often absent from many of these debates. That said, many good, godly Christian people and sound minds have embraced the terminology of Christian Nationalism, simply because they want to be Biblical. I have now been called a Christian Nationalist in various internet spaces, and at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. As Dr. Al Mohler said recently, "I am unapologetic, and I'm not going to retreat when people say, ‘If you want to see a Christian influence translated into public policy and public truth claims, then you're a Christian nationalist." I am a representative of Christ, and that is the most important thing that matters.

I’ve recently had conversations with Reformed colleagues in California about Kuyperianism. Pastor Rich Lusk and Pastor Doug Wilson are both CREC pastors who describe themselves as Christian Nationalists. We have CREC pastors who would consider themselves theonomists. Others would describe themselves as general equity theonomists. Others who would appeal to Kuyper’s sphere of work. Others who would be more classical confessionalists without the edits that Kuyper imposed on the Belgic Confession. There is a distinction between Christian Nationalism and theonomy, but there is overlap too. Pastor Kevin De Young has been the subject of some mockery from some Christian Nationalists. He too would openly agree I am sure that he wants President Trump to repent of his sins and openly embrace the claims of the gospel, not just in his head, but also in the public sphere.

All these guys that I speak about above love the Bible.

The banner is the declaration that Jesus is Lord, that is the rallying point. The church is the framework within which we rally for the good work of serving the Lord and overcoming the evil one.

That’s the thing. All the best confessional and creedal documents in history have been forged by men who love the Bible. To have the mind of Christ does not mean that you abandon Biblical convictions and sometimes the polemics that attend such conviction. It does mean that the church is not just unified, it is also becoming unified as we come together around the banner of Jesus Christ and His Word.

The only way that we can come to further clarity is to stick together and keep opening the Scriptures.

As we look at Christian political theory and political theology and political operations, it is important then to recognize the deeper unity that Christians find around the Table. As the Christian magistrate leaves the Table of the Lord, pastors should want to see him enter into the sphere of politics with Bible in hand, formed and shaped by sound Biblical wisdom that comes from the pulpit.

“The voice of the LORD cries to the city— and it is sound wisdom to fear your name: ‘Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it!’” (Micah 6:9)

“Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:” (Prov. 1:20-21)

The world will pit Kuyperians against Christian Nationalists, those for Alberta Independence against those who are against it. But the world thinks in a fleshly manner, because their minds have not been enlightened by the Spirit of God.

This is where a robust ecclesiocentrism fits into the spectrum of theology and especially political theology. The church must take its place at the centre of the public square again, as the conscience of the nation, as the voice of wisdom, pointing to Christ and His eternal reign. We can’t do that when we are divided over labels and into tribes. But we must unify in obedience to Jesus Christ. The Bible matters and the work of the Spirit in the church more than whether you are labeled a Christian Nationalist or a theonomist or a Kuyperian or a confessionalist.

So my final word. Subordinate slogans & titles to the truth.

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On just doing things. Or maybe we can call this mini newsletter - the art of the deed done.

The Apostle James writes a compelling case for action and the connection between faith and action in his epistle. We read in vss 22-25:

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he …

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I saw a post recently from the good Rev. Dr. Uriesou Brito where he said this.

Too many here are either too young or too historically naive to see that the fights of the 1980s over theonomy and neo-Calvinism are quite similar to the fights we are having today over the role of government in promoting Christianity, as well as other debates concerning raci…

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