It’s hard to believe that the Canadian church has wandered so far from its roots.

Back in 1603, a French man by the name of Samuel de Champlain crossed the Atlantic to try and colonise the ‘New World’ and preach Christianity throughout the land.

As a result, the church heavily influenced family, state and culture in Canada.

But only fifty years ago the ‘Quiet Revolution’ swept the country, leading to a widespread rejection of Christianity.

Today, Prime Minister Trudeau continues to push complete acceptance of non-Christian values such as homosexuality and abortion.

Now, less than one in ten Canadians call themselves Bible-believing Christians, and in places like Quebec, it’s as low as 2%.

Things are so bad that Canada is now considered a top priority for missionary organisations, such as the Southern Baptists in the USA.

The decline in the church has worsened as the reputation of the church is damaged through scandals, such as sexual abuse in the Catholic church and the appointment of United Church pastors who are atheists.

From this, countless churches have shut down, leaving many towns without a Christian presence.

Yet, there is a movement of church planting that has swept the country, giving new life to many cities and towns.

Student ministry in universities has had a tremendous impact on people in a stage of life where they often leave the church.

Many churches continue to faithfully serve God, even through trying times. 

Please pray for a new emergence of Christian leaders who will spread the gospel and lead the church with Christ at the centre.

Pray for colleges like Briercrest, which seek to faithfully teach the Bible to university students and train people for gospel work.

DEREK KLUMPENHOUWER

Since I arrived here from Canada three weeks ago it has been interesting to experience a federal election in another country.

The premise of the election is the same, although there are some minor differences such as compulsory voting.

While some Canadians ask the question, “should I vote as a Christian?”, we all should ask the question, “how should I vote as a Christian?”

The first thing we must always remember is that God is in control (Romans 13:1).

God is the true leader and creator of this world and everything goes through Him.

As followers of God it is our duty to choose a leader who speaks and acts out Christian principles.

In order to do this we must be informed on what each party represents and use our judgment to make godly decisions.

Sounds easy enough right? Well, as we all know, parties can promise many different things, some of which follow earthly principles and not biblical principles.

So in order to receive the proper guidance, we must study God’s word, the Bible.

To know what principles God wants our leaders to possess, we need to be in constant study of Scripture. 

For we read, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16)

And we must pray, asking thatour decision will be according to God’s will, and that the leaders will make wise decisions. 

For we are reminded that, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” (James 1:5).

And we must never forget to “pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2-3)

DAN DEKONING

The question of whether or not God forgives those who commit suicide is often asked after a tragic death of this nature.

Throughout Scripture we read that there is only one sin that puts us beyond forgiveness, and that is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:28-29), which refers to when a person continually resists and rejects the call to repentance until death. 

Suicide does not keep a person from going to heaven; only continual rejection of God does. 

Suicide does not hold an ounce of power over the forgiveness we receive from God, for Jesus Christ conquered death when he died and rose from the dead.

By the blood of Jesus, the lamb, we are able to receive the forgiveness that we did not deserve. 

We have all been through times in our lives when nothing seems to be going right, and it is in those moments of weakness that we might contemplate suicide.

For some, taking their own life feels like the only way out.

As Christians, we must be there for each other and continually share God’s love with the people around us. 

Is ending our lives a sin? Yes. Is it unforgivable? No.

Suicide robs us of the gift of life that only God can give us, yet it is not greater than the body and blood of Christ that was broken and shed for the forgiveness of all sins.

Through the grace and mercy of Jesus, our debts are pain in full. 

No matter what you are going through, there is hope found in Jesus Christ.

“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22)

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7)

PARKER WALL