Rachal Watt and her Journey to the Hill Country of Ukambani
“The sun was beaming down in all his tropical power and splendour on that glorious morning in 1893 when we landed at the Arab town of Mombasa, on the eastern shore of the continent of [...]
The Reformation was Missional
In 1544 John Calvin wrote a letter to Emperor Charles V to be presented at the Imperial Diet at Spires. In that letter, he defended the work of Luther and the Reformation and identified a [...]
Did the Protestant Reformation have a Missionary Vision?
It has often been claimed that the Protestant Reformation did not stimulate missions and that the Reformers had no missionary vision. One Italian Jesuit, Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), claimed that the Protestant Church lacked evangelistic zeal which, he said, [...]
From Dining with the Devil to Feasting with the Lamb
Photo credit: Alex Haney on Uusplash Some of the first words that Jesus spoke to Peter after the resurrection were “come and dine” (John 21:12). In recording this incident of the appearance of [...]
Rachel Watt: First Female Missionary to the British East African Interior
Eva Stuart Watt (center) with her sister and mother Evangelical Christians living in Ireland in the early to mid-twentieth century would have been well acquainted with the name of Eva Stuart Watt (b. [...]
The Regular Baptists of BC and the Struggle for a Trans-Canada Fellowship
Introduction On October 21, 2023, the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada (hence Fellowship or FEB) will celebrate seventy years of united gospel witness. The formation of the Fellowship in 1953, had a unique [...]
The Best Way to Study the History of Missions
Somalis watering their camels in a shallow well at Boka Wells in the Tana Region of Kenya Before we get into the history of missions proper, we need to ask first, what is [...]
Dr. T. T. Shields on Roman Catholicism: Pt. 2. “A Powerful International Political Organization”
Two related issues formed the impetus of Shields’ fight with Roman Catholicism in Canada. The first was the theological and spiritual danger of Roman Catholicism which we have previously considered. The second was the Roman [...]
Dr. T.T. Shields on Roman Catholicism: Pt. 1. Theologian and Pastor
On June 15, 1949, an article appeared in Maclean’s Magazine featuring Dr. T.T. Shields of Toronto; the title was “The Battling Baptist.” This perception of Shields as a controversialist, rightly or wrongly, has become the [...]
Genesis Three (Pt.6): The Subtlety of the Serpent
It’s hard to get the hook out when it’s in past the barb—some flesh will need to be sacrificed. When sin gets our attention and gets a hold, it's difficult to remove and detach ourselves from it. This is where the woman found herself. Having captured her attention and locked her in conversation, Satan began to devour her (1 Peter 5:8).
The Majesty of God and a Disabled Child
If God chooses to get glory in sustaining a child with chronic illness or disability, rather than by removing the condition, that is His prerogative and we should rejoice in it. Removing it may make life easier, more pleasant and comfortable for the family. But God does not exist for our happiness—we exist for his glory. God forms babies in the womb that will cause us to fear Him, reverence Him and stand in awe of Him.
Why Does God Allow Children To Suffer?
The suffering of children has been on my mind to varying degrees and at different periods for the past decade. I’ve had to deal with suffering children as a parent, as a pastor, as a [...]
Cross-Cultural Crash Course (First Part) (9-min read)
Being a missionary is not about doing different ministry than you would do at home; it’s about being willing to do it in a different (or foreign) culture.
Pentecost and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit: The Promise of Success in Missions
Moses prayed that “all” the Lord’s people would have the Spirit. Joel prophesied that the Lord would pour out of the Spirit on “all flesh” and Paul tells us that we have “all” been baptized into one body. The repeated gift of tongue throughout the book of Acts proves that this happened and shows that the giving of the Spirit at Pentecost was intended for the Church universal; “all” believers; “for there is no difference” (Romans 10:12).
Why do Pastor’s Kids Go Wild?
"...how similar the Christian life and ministry is no matter where you go in the world. We have the same basic needs; though different on many levels, yet so similar." Monday afternoon class at our [...]
Characteristics of a Healthy Church
It is important to distinguish between a true Church and a healthy Church. Five of the seven churches in Asia minor were “true Churches” but they had serious health problems. Some were dying a slow and [...]
We Are Created to Think
The words of God, “let us make man” (Genesis 1:26) on the sixth day of creation introduce the creation of a being that would be different from every other part of creation. Man became the [...]
Taste and See that the Lord is Good (7 min. read)
One of the challenges of living in rural Kenya is food. I tend to think about food a lot here because we have to plan ahead more. In the first few weeks of living here, [...]
Recovering A Sense of Awe in the Fellowship of the Saints (10 min. read)
The twentieth century was not a good century for what the Apostles' Creed calls “the holy catholic Church: the communion of saints.” In that century the Church witnessed its greatest fragmentation since the Protestant Reformation. Coupled with [...]
The Sin of Ham and the Curse of Canaan
Woodcut after a drawing by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (German painter, 1794-1872). Credit iStock. When Noah stepped off the ark, he stepped into a whole new world of fresh opportunities. He was, in [...]
Preaching from the Song of Solomon
One would have to be spiritually numb to miss the connection between this song and the believer’s relationship with Christ. For Christians, this is the most natural reading of the book, and the received [...]
St. John’s Theology of Overcoming (1 John 5:4-5)
The gospel does not only help me to overcome, it makes me an overcomer. If overcoming faith is real, then the overcoming life will be a reality. The apostle John more than any other New [...]
Rethinking Missionary Giving
If our giving does not demand returns or produce spiritual growth, then we are only propping up the church not building it up, and we are doing the Church a disfavour. Late in August 2018 [...]
Need is the Norm
In asking us to embrace the suffering and the struggle, Jesus is asking us to enter into a deeper trust and dependency on the truth of the gospel. So here we are living at FAME [...]
The God of Impossibilities
We find ourselves now making a home in rural Kenya with an organization called FAME (Friends of Africa Missionary Endeavour). We are located three and a half hours northeast of Nairobi, twelve kilometres off the [...]
Jehovah Jireh: The God Who Provides
So why one more blog? Does the world really need another mommy blog? This is what I have been asking myself for many years as I've been tempted to start a blog about chronic [...]
“A New Song”
The term “new song” appears about ten times in Scripture. It is a label for a victory song; fresh praise for fresh victories. The term “new song” is always found with the indefinite article “a [...]
Five Suggestions for Daily Interaction with the Word of God
Daily devotion is a way of life, not a moment in time. It is, what John Calvin referred to, commenting on Hebrews 4:9, “a sabbathizing reserved for God’s people, that is a spiritual rest; to which [...]
Thoughts on Daily Devotions
The Christian has a threefold duty towards a daily interaction with Scripture; to read, to search (John 5:39; Acts 17:11) and to memorize/meditate (John 15:7-8; Colossians 3:16; Joshua 1:8; Proverbs 2:1-6, 7:1-3; Psalm 119:11). The [...]
March Devotionals—Patrick of Ireland: A Devotional History
In the early part of March considerable attention is given to the memory of St. Patrick in the run-up to the celebrations on the 17th March. St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are now a worldwide phenomenon [...]
The Kingdom of God’s Sovereign Grace
Understanding the kingdom of God (see PDF diagram) is fundamental to our understanding and enjoyment of the gospel. Salvation—the new birth—is an entrance into the kingdom (John 3:3) which we are commanded to “seek first” [...]
A. W. Pink: The Pioneer of a Modern Reformation (Pt. 1: A String of Failures)
The past sixty years in the evangelical church has witnessed a deepening interest in reformed literature and a resurgence of reformed theology; it is, in some respects, a modern Reformation. Much of this has been [...]
Fundamentalism and the New Conservative Evangelical Identity
In previous articles I have tried to address some of the problems with fundamentalism. I have not been—nor should anyone be—afraid to face these hard issues head-on, to admit the difficulties, and to attempt to [...]
R-Rated Religion: Why is the Bible so filled with blood, guts, and immorality?
The film industry is regulated by certain government guidelines. Movies are categorized by a series of ratings indicating what different governing bodies feel are appropriate for certain audiences, usually according to age. In Canada each [...]
Why Salvation by Blood?
Have you ever noticed how often the word blood is found in the Bible? In the Old Testament there’s blood everywhere: in basins, on doorposts, sprinkled in the tabernacle (Leviticus 4:6), and around the tabernacle [...]
Jonah, Jesus and the Resurrection
Jonah’s ministry was characterized by disobedience, reluctance and complaint. He is unique among the prophets of Israel, but not just for this. It is also true, in the grace and providence of God, that Jonah’s [...]
On Open-Air Preaching
In recent years a model of open-air preaching has developed that is controversial in nature, harsh in tone and disruptive. It will no doubt attract a large social media viewing and voluminous discussion, but I [...]
The Valley of Tears between Two Trees
There were two trees mentioned in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). The first tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was forbidden. Disobedience would bring death, and Adam and Eve disobeyed. [...]
How God Dealt with Sin in the Garden of Eden
Genesis three is often referred to as the story of the fall. When you read the chapter, however, the fall happened within a short time—verses 1-6. It is more correct to say that Genesis three [...]
Saved and Secure: A Case Study in God’s Saving Grace (Genesis 3:1-24)
Doagh Coast, Donegal (Aaron Dunlop) Nowhere in the entire Bible (as far as I can find) do we find in one paragraph the story of saving grace displayed in such fullness in the [...]
The Teacher’s Greatest Satisfaction
The Kingston–Rhinecliff Bridge, New York State (Credit: Aaron Dunlop) “Early one morning in the year 1738 a shepherd boy with home-spun clothes and bare feet, stood at the counter of Alexander McCulloch's bookshop [...]