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Canada

CANADA SUMMER JOBS AND DISCRIMINATION Life Formation

CANADA SUMMER JOBS AND DISCRIMINATION

Just before Christmas 2017 the Government of Canada gifted a stocking full of coal to Christian charitable groups requesting funding for its Canada Summer Jobs program. Only those non-profit groups that hold the same views as the government on matters of abortion, and sexual moral norms will be eligible to apply. Ideological screening has become the new vogue for groups requesting funding for the program. Canada Summer Jobs Paula Simons, a self-declared pro-choice feminist and I, rarely land on the same side of political issues. I have to give Justin Trudeau’s government all the credit for uniting us on this issue. Simons wrote on January 17, 2018: “I find myself deeply disturbed by a new federal rule that says any small…
Bob Jones
March 7, 2018
FOR TALIYAH AND THE WORLD Popular

FOR TALIYAH AND THE WORLD

My day ended with with thoughts of 5 year-old Taliyah Marsman on my mind. I’d listened to Ryan Jesperson and Andrew Grose field texts and phone calls from irate listeners on an unscheduled 630 CHED radio program in response to the terrorist killings in Nice, France and the discovery of Taliyah’s body. A Pastor And The Death Penalty All Albertans held their collective breath as we waited with hope that Taliyah, missing for four days, would turn up somewhere safe with a caregiver. We took a collective punch to the gut with the discovery of her body and the 1st degree murder charges laid against the suspect. Then the calls flooded in for the death penalty to be re-instated for…
Bob Jones
July 15, 2016
ARE YOU SETTLING? Uncategorized

ARE YOU SETTLING?

"If you can be a Christian in Canada, you can be a Christian anywhere." The words got my attention. The speaker got my respect. He was new to North Pointe and relatively new to Canada. Our meeting was so Tesfaye could help me get to know him, his wife and two young daughters. His Ethiopian accent made understanding his words a challenge but there was no misunderstanding his passion. Tesfaye Debla is a pastor and a church planter in Ethiopia. Adversity's Refining Ability He knows adversity. “When you become a Christian in Ethiopia, you face opposition and alienation from your family and society. You have to think twice to be a Christian for it comes with lots of cost and life…
Bob Jones
April 28, 2016
REVITALIZATION AND MULTIPLICATION Uncategorized

REVITALIZATION AND MULTIPLICATION

The illuminated face of the clock by the bed read, “3:38.” Conscious. Confused. Clear. Awake! O yah, its Thursday and I’m supposed to jet to Vancouver. Belt buckled. Keys in pockets. Shoes on. Groomed! No time for brewing coffee. Grrrrr. Notes? Check. iPhone ticket? Check. Car rental? Check. Ready! Cold and snow blankets everything, delaying but invigorating. Sparse traffic. Silent morning. Slushy roads. Departures! The ripples of 9/11 are reminders that tighter security doesn’t make life feel more secure. Belt off. Pockets emptied. Shoes off. Inconvenienced! The best part of flying. Not. 32,000 feet. 548km/hr -64C Purpose! The planeload empties at almost the identical local time we departed. Rain for snow. Green for white. Mountains for plains. Envious! A rented…
Bob Jones
March 2, 2016
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE: A CANADIAN’S STORY Uncategorized

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE: A CANADIAN’S STORY

Freedom is not free. I should not – I must not forget – that peace is won at the cost of precious life. Flanders Fields, not strawberry fields, remind me of that truth. Free nations must do everything to keep the peace. Where peace is threatened by force, it must be met with force. Canada's role as "Peacekeeper" has been a part of our nation's pride. That role has shifted recently to "Peacemakers" - fighting to win the peace in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. The decision to withdraw Canadian combat support against ISIS is now another change in direction. Lonya D’Orsay is a part of the community of believers at North Pointe. Her husband, Dan, is retired military. He served…
Bob Jones
November 21, 2015
THE FLYING BOW: TREVOR DICK’S STORY Uncategorized

THE FLYING BOW: TREVOR DICK’S STORY

When Trevor was four years old, his dad tragically died in a car accident leaving his mom with seven children to raise on her own. His parents were medical missionaries and had moved to Nigeria from Canada in the 1960’s to plant a hospital, and serve people in a little village called Iyale, deep in the tropical rain forest of central Nigeria. FEAR AND FAITH As a result, Trevor grew up with some deep insecurities and fears: the fear of his future without a dad, the fear of death, and the fear of separation from his family. He was that child who asked the tough questions like: “Why did daddy have to die? “ and “Why did God take daddy…
Bob Jones
November 1, 2015
THANKSLIVING Uncategorized

THANKSLIVING

What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday? THANKSGIVING is one day on the calendar. THANKSLIVING is an attitude in your heart. "Give thanks to God—he is good     and his love never quits." 2 Chronicles 16:34 (The Message) APPLICATION: What are you thankful today? Please leave a comment below.  THANK YOU. I write to inspire people to be real, grow an authentic faith in Jesus, enjoy healthy relationships and discover their life purpose. If this material is helpful to you, please follow me. Subscribe. I’ll put helpful content into your email box on Mondays and Thursdays, as well as upcoming events at North Pointe Community Church, Edmonton, Alberta. Follow on Twitter. I daily tweet info I…
Bob Jones
October 11, 2015
THE GARRATTS: HOLDING ON TO HOPE Uncategorized

THE GARRATTS: HOLDING ON TO HOPE

Canadians Kevin, 54 and Julia Garratt, 53 have been detained under arrest in China since August 2014, accused of being spies disguised as "ordinary citizens." In the mid-80's I met Kevin and Julia in Montreal. They were newly married and envisioning their future. Their dream was to move to China. We've become long-distance friends since then. They are good people, now parents of four children, and looking forward to being grandparents. For three decades, the Garratts lived and worked in China. They are entrepreneurs at heart, initiating projects like, "Kingdom of Hope," which helps special needs children, and most recently operated a café they named after their son, in Dandong. They love China and have poured their energy into making…
Bob Jones
January 11, 2015
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING Uncategorized

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING

There are extreme moments that rivet themselves, forever, into our memory. JFK’s Assassination The Columbia Space Shuttle Disaster 9/11 and The Twin Towers Anyone can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard “the news.” October 22, 2014 – was another one of those days. WHERE WERE YOU? Where were you when you heard the news? I was preparing a message series for Sundays in November entitled, “Operation Impact.” The day before, CF-18’s had taken off from Cold Lake, Alberta, enroute to Kuwait. The fighters were Canada’s “boots in the air” to take on Islamic terrorism in Iraq and Syria. The evening before, Canadian Defense Minister, Rob Nicholson warned, “Canada faces a clear and present…
Bob Jones
October 22, 2014
Rachel’s Story: Thankful For New Beginnings Uncategorized

Rachel’s Story: Thankful For New Beginnings

Rachel Fallah's son, Prince, is married. What an incredibly joyous, vibrant and colorful wedding! (Rachel is in yellow below) Rachel's journey is remarkable given she arrived in a foreign country with nothing and today she has everything. At her son's wedding she was surrounded by friends and family from around the world, however it is her peace-filled spirit - free from bitterness - that she treasures most. Here's her story. REFUGEE FROM WAR In 2002 I came to Edmonton as a refugee from Sierra Leone with my son, Prince. All we had in the world was each other. The war in our home country had taken everything from us – our family, our home, our possessions. Our nation was devastated…
Bob Jones
October 12, 2014