The Dominion Podcast

In this episode, we discuss the recent arrest of Pastor James Coates of Grace Life Church in Alberta. Pastor James faithfully executed his duties as a shepherd of Christ's flock, and was imprisoned for it.

Sadly, many Christians have joined the chorus of the world's accusers. This event has further revealed the deep hypocrisy and unbelief in the Canadian Church, as well as muddled thinking and biblical illiteracy.

The bible exhorts Christians to  honour such men, share in their sufferings, and not be ashamed of Christ.

Thankfully, Jesus Christ died for cowards and failures, like the Apostle Peter. He was preserved by Christ, and given a ministry of testifying to the rulers and authorities. 

May God have mercy on us. Pray for Pastor James and his family.

Show Links:

True:

Pastor James Coates preaching from Romans 13 on the Role of Government:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh6nXD4Rtg0

Ways to reach out to advocate for Pastor James:

Searle Turton, MPP ([email protected]) – This is the member of provincial parliament for the region James is in.

Dane Lloyd, MP ([email protected]) – This is the member of federal parliament for the same region.

Here is the contact info for the courts handling James’ case: [email protected].

Here is the contact info for the Crown overseeing James’ case: [email protected].

Good:

'The Amazing Dr Ransoms Bestiary of Adorable Fallacies'
https://logospressonline.com/products/the-amazing-dr-ransoms-bestiary-of-adorable-fallacies/

'Pilgrims Progress'
https://www.desiringgod.org/books/the-pilgrims-progress

Beautiful:

Peter Hitchens reciting 'Into My Heart an Air That Kills' by A.E. Housman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep1ekYaEyMo

God has ordained various 'sphere's of responsibility and authority in culture, and it is the Christian's duty to recognize and uphold them. These 'spheres' are meant to exist in harmony with one another; not in opposition to one another.

We cannot live faithfully, loving both God and neighbour, if we have a deficient or dysfunctional view of the various spheres God has ordained for human flourishing; the individual, family, church, and government. 

We live in a time when all responsibility (and authority) is being delegated to one particular sphere: the government. 

Christians, however, must recognize the limited, God-ordained role of the government, without dismissing the legitimate, God-ordained role of the individual, the family, and the Church. 

Two fundamental questions every person must ask are, 'What is truth?', and 'How can I know it?'. 

These aren't just the questions of philosophers, but every individual seeking to live their daily life. 

We live in a time where truth is no longer objective, but relativized. Christians must hold fast to the fact that truth is objective, rooted in the reality of a transcendent God who has revealed himself to us. He has done so in the created world, and most fully in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus told us that following him would be costly, but worth it:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" - Matthew 16:24-25

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, 'When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die'. 

Join us as we discuss the costly, but rewarding, nature of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

We are living in a 'courage crisis'. 

C.S. Lewis famously commented that "courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point...".  That is to say, courage is necessary for the exercise of any virtue, because all virtue requires courage when tested. 

The Scriptures call us to courage, and condemn cowardice. That is because without courage, there is not real faithfulness. 

Join Alex and Jeremy as they discuss the nature of courage, obstacles that we need to overcome, and ways to cultivate it in our lives. 

Our world is  gripped by ideological thinking. Our public discourse is increasingly marked by polarization, tribalism, hostility, and the inability to have meaningful interaction with those we disagree with. With the aid of social media, we lock ourselves into echo chambers where our beliefs and caricatures of others are simply reinforced. Our public 'education' is increasingly ideological training. 

All of this pattern of behaviour is, in biblical terms, folly. The antidote is wisdom. 

The Gospel is the antidote to ideology, because it is the wisdom of God, and produces wisdom in us. Through the new birth, we are set free from our most enslaving biases, and given the capacity to see the world as it truly is, with Christ at the centre. 

"May he have dominion from sea to sea..."-Psalm 72:8

Jeremy and Alex discuss the central biblical theme of dominion, and why it is foundational to understanding God's purposes in the world, and our role in them.