World Impact Ministries / Peter Youngren

This article was published in the St.Catharines Standard.

Jesus seems to be popping up in the most unusual news stories. I was scrolling the television listings the other day and came by ‘Celebrity Wife Swap’, a show I’ve never watched, but the names Ted and Gayle Haggard caught my attention. Ted and Gayle are acquaintances of mine. After their ‘scandal’ broke (if you haven’t heard about it, I won’ bore you with the sordid details), when most of the church would have nothing to do with them, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours encouraging them, that God is gracious and He gives people a second chance.

This article was published in the St.Catharines Standard.

For decades the “prosperity gospel” has been a hot topic of debate within the evangelical movement. Lately it has caught the attention of the secular media, including the Guardian in the UK and ABC News. As far back as 2006 Time magazine featured the, so called, Prosperity Movement in a piece entitled “Does God want you to be rich?” Lately it is the indictment on fraud charges by Brazilian prosecutors against prosperity preacher Bishop Edir Macedor has caught the attention of the news media.

This article was published in the St.Catharines Standard.

Earlier this month, on a Thursday morning, Linda Gibbons arrived at a Toronto Morgentaler abortion clinic that is “protected” by law from pro-life activity within 500 feet. Linda, who believes women have the right to receive pro-life counsel before having an abortion, began walking back and forth on the sidewalk, quietly and without interfering with anyone, while carrying a sign depicting a baby and the words, “Why mom? When I have so much love to give?” It didn’t take long for two sheriffs and six police officers to surround Linda, and off she went in handcuffs.

This article was published in the St.Catharines Standard.

Mayor Rob Ford is breaking with a 13-year tradition of Toronto mayors marching in the Gay Pride parade. He announced he was going to the cottage for the weekend, and neither Ford, nor his staff, have explained why he doesn’t plan to attend any of the Gay Week activities.

Tomorrow is the day. Billboards around the world have proclaimed “Judgment Day May 21, 2011”. The “prophet” making the prediction is 89 year-old Harold Camping, president of the California-based Family Radio with 150 broadcasting outlets. Camping’s last prediction for the end of the world was September 1994, and we all know how that one turned out.

In this article, Pastor Peter uses a recent political hot potato to show that there is peace and rest in Jesus. This article was written for the Saturday edition of the St. Catharines Standard. - Nathan Thurber

Last week Prince Edward Island’s Transportation Minister suggested that God had struck down the Leader of the Opposition, Olive Crane, after she introduced a bill to allow year around Sunday shopping. As a pastor I’m obviously against Sunday shopping. After all, if people didn’t have the option to go to the mall there might be a higher attendance in church. The alternative, of course, is to have such a meaningful Sunday service that people prefer church to the shopping center.

Best known for her gothic novels, most notably, “Interview with a Vampire”, Anne Rice renewed her childhood allegiance to Christianity ten years ago.  Her memoir, “Called out of Darkness; A Spiritual Confession”, released in 2008, was touted as a testimony of her return to the faith.  A couple of weeks ago Ms. Rice wrote on Facebook, “In the name of Christ I refuse to be anti-gay.  I refuse to be anti-feminist.  I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control…In the name of Christ I quit Christianity and being a Christian, Amen.”

In the late eighties, think the Mulroney government, abortion was a hot political potato. The debate raged with considerable fervor into the nineties, until in this decade it has hardly been an issue that any political candidate with plans to get re-elected would want to tackle. Last time the issue was put to a vote in our federal parliament was twenty years ago, and with both pro-life and pro-choice forces deeply committed to a non-compromise position Canada was left without any abortion law. Right in line with Cuba, China, North Korea and handful of other nations. Even countries with arguably much more secularized populations such as Sweden, Denmark and Finland did not go that far, but retained some laws to protect the unborn in later stages of pregnancy,

Have you noticed how much God is mentioned in the public discourse? Politicians across the board end their speeches, “God bless America,” and some Canadian counterparts have added, “God bless Canada” as a closer. To talk about God or spiritual values is very non-offensive, but it gets a little sticky when Jesus is mentioned. Even then it depends on what aspect of Jesus you’re highlighting. When we speak of Jesus’ leadership skills, His servant-hood, His goal-setting abilities or the golden rule, everyone – atheist or believer – usually nods approvingly.