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 Catholic monopoly that separated Quebec from the rest of Canada and obstructed national unity. Donald Wicks presented the issue very [...]
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 most defining feature of his life and ministry. In some respects, it is understandable how this perception has developed; there [...]
After the death of Edward VI Thomas Cranmer (Archbishop of Canterbury) signed several recantations of the Reformed Faith to appease the wicked Queen Mary. In the end she was not happy with a private signing and demanded a public signing and a public humiliation. When he came to sign the document in public he refused. Deviating [...]
“Even when faced with the blinding sting of someone else’s sin, it really is not someone else’s sin that can hurt us. It is our own festering sin that takes the guise of innocence that will be the undoing of us all.” (p. 76) Reading: "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and [...]
“I had learned in a rich and organic way that the Bible webs into all conversations and cultures, like active verbs in sentences or oxygen in the atmosphere. I had learned that Christians need to follow the complex and counterintuitive ways that the Holy Spirit leads. I had learned that being a hero for Jesus [...]
“Assurance of salvation means knowing God’s call on your life—it means knowing in a conscious way that you are his. We know this through both the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives and his call on our hearts. The Spirit’s work in our lives is evident through our obedience to God and our love for [...]
“I have contemplated this statement, thinking about the difference between the call of God on the one hand (as revealed through the Holy Spirit’s work in our conscience) and the call or influence of other people whom we deem powerful or important on the other hand (what Sigmund Freud would call the power of the [...]
“I couldn’t believe how exhausting it was to daily put Christ before me. The old patterns were there waiting for me, and they knew my name.... The only way to effectively ward off the old patterns of selfishness was to put into place intentional Christian ministry” (p. 51). Reading: "Thus saith the Lord, Let my people [...]
“After conversion, every day and every part of the routine of my life was a faith test.... I changed my exercise routine from intense running to active walking. I cleaned my house and my office the way God was cleaning my soul: I pitched things that weren’t honoring to God. I got rid of whole [...]
When Christ asked the Jews in Luke 10:26 how they read the Scriptures He was highlighting the fact that they were missing the point—they had failed to see Christ. The same question could be put to each of us, not just about our Bible reading but also about all of our other reading. I am [...]