John Neufeld
Musing About Idleness
I have been thinking about 2 Thessalonians 3:6. “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.” It is the mark of a faithful follower of Jesus,…
Read MoreDefining the Evangelical
I recently became aware of a 2017 survey done by Newsmax, listing what they considered to be the 100 most influential evangelical leaders in America. They included such political figures, such as Mike Pence, Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin. They included the anti-Trinitarian T.D. Jakes. They included word faith teachers such as Paula White and Joel Osteen.…
Read MoreReplacing Groaning with HOPE!
I had a recent conversation in which learned of the great many Christians who are suffering from depression. The pandemic is deepening and we have already been in it for so long. I heard of one Christian who committed suicide. I thought I wanted to say something, in the hope that it might provide solace…
Read MoreWhat Better Time for Revival
I have been thinking about a forgotten word. Revival! I am fully aware that the word has been abused, as when some churches used to have their annual revival meetings. The idea that one can plan a revival makes it a human activity, rather than a surprising work of God’s grace and mercy. The idea…
Read MoreWhy Do You Teach the Bible?
My lifetime of work has been to teach the Bible. In a recent interview with Back to the Bible CEO Ben Lowell, he asked me how I came to be an expositional Bible teacher in the first place. I had to think about it. I wish I could answer in the same way that I…
Read MoreJ.I. Packer is With Our Lord
By now, the glorification of J.I. Packer is well known. I have been grieving our loss. There are three books by Dr. Packer that have influenced me the most. They are, “Knowing God”, “Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God” and “A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life”. Each one reminds me…
Read MoreChurch Services During the Pandemic
I recently received a phone call from a dear friend who is also a young pastor. He simply wanted to bounce some ideas off of me, regarding what to do in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. In British Columbia, churches are now permitted to have gatherings of 50 people at a time. Singing is…
Read MoreReclaiming Canada for Christ
In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 37 talks about the “dry bones.” Led by the Holy Spirit to a valley full of human bones, the prophet asks, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Of course, this vision represents the house of Israel, as the northern kingdom has been taken into captivity, and the Babylonian…
Read MoreWhat is the Christian View of Social Justice? (Part 2)
In my last article, I had argued that the call for justice is as old as the Bible itself. Biblical justice involves two fundamental issues. The first involves the protection of the innocent and the prosecution of the guilty. The second involves justice for the poor and the powerless. In this second case, justice means…
Read MoreWhat is the Christian View of Social Justice? (Part 1)
Very recently, a very dear Christian friend wrote to me to ask just that question. His query came right on the heels of a conversation my wife and I had around the supper table. My wife’s friend had told her that her pastor was being severely criticized by some of the young people in that…
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