For myself the fact that things like salvation, and faith & deeds can't be explained and grasped with a clear concise explanation, is a picture of how other than us God is. He is other than us, in size, in understanding, in love, in grace, in mercy..etc. etc.. He is something so far beyond our comprehension that the little bit we do grasp is but a grain of sand. (but what a precious grain it is)
So it makes sense that we grapple with things that are from God. I think as we work things like this out in our head, God will point us to Himself, to His Son and the cross, and say "There is your answer."

While understanding our faith/doctrine/theology is important, there comes a point where I just have to smile and point to my Mighty God, who calls me friend and say..."There's your answer."

this is to follow up my last post, and responses (keep in mind this is difficult to cut down to something to write in a blog)

Let me ask you this: Can you in and of yourself mustar up enough faith to save youself?--No you cannot!
The point here in James 2 is that "Faith" is given by God, (Rom 1:17a--"from faith to faith")--It is Christ's faith given to us which saves us. Therefore since faith is from Christ it is Christ who WILL produce fruit (seen by deeds) in our lives. One thing I told the quizzers is that this does NOT mean we will all steadily grow into mature saints instantly. (Don, so I am NOT condemning or questioning your friends salvation) But the fact is, if Christ IS in you, there WILL be change...there must be. (at some level, at some rate---Don you have said you've seen fruit in your friend...though not 'deeds' necessarally....like i said not all will grow and mature at the same rate..that doesn't mean grace is yanked away from them)
This is not saying Christians won't struggle and/or even fail. this is NOT saying faith is NOT enough! It is saying that Faith (a faith given by Christ) WILL produce fruit, at some level. Of course we are saved by FAITH...by GRACE....Works do not save us...But Grace and Faith WILL produce those works, or else it's not faith from Christ. So the emphasis is the FAITH, and it's the FAITH that saves...but that faith will produce Fruit...
I agree with you, this is complex and at times it seems the Bible contradicts itself, but that is because God is Bigger, and more Complex than our simple logic. Just as the Bible says that God chooses those whom He saves, yet it also says whoever believes will be saved. Is one right and the other wrong? NO!! The are both true...HOW you ask....I can't explain....But I also can't explain a God as big and Mighty as my God. Don't excuse something too quickly just because it doesn't stand up to human logic...I stand by what I wrote...Read it again, you might find I'm saying about the same as you, just in different terms.
Lastly...a thought I just had about all this......Answer this question: WHY ARE WE SAVED? my answer would be to Glorify God. Isn't that what it is all about...that God may be Glorified through us?....If this is so, and it's Christ in us who saves us (the hope of glory Col 1:27) than will he not work in and through us so that He will be evident to others through us? hence why I said James (chapter 2 included) is a book about the fruit of grace.----it's all about God's grace...It's all about His glory...these deeds are produced in us..not to prove to God we are saved...but so that God may be glorified through us. makes sense to me....maybe not to you though...then I agree to disagree....Blessings, and to God be the Glory

I challenged ( or at least I tried to challenge) our quizzers Sunday night about what James says in chapter 2 about Faith and Deeds. The fact is that it challenged me as well, and made me think a lot. James says that "faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead" Have you ever really thought about that statement? James asks the question a few verses earlier about faith without deeds: "Can such faith save him?" Well the answer is right there quite clearly in those verses...the answer is a plain and simple NO!
Now the stress must be put at the right place in these verses. In my opinion that is on Faith and not just simply 'faith' but SUCH faith (a faith that does not produce deeds). James' point is this: If your "so called faith" does NOT produce fruit, then you have a DEAD faith.
These verses are NOT promoting a salvation of works. They are promoting FAITH; true faith, which means a relationship with Christ. Anyone who has that relationship with Christ cannot be in contact with Christ and NOT be changed; it is an impossibility.
I have been telling the quizzers that (despite popular belief that James is a book about deeds and works), rather in my opinion it is all about GRACE! The phrase I have come up with is this: "James is a book of the fruit of Grace"....
In other words, if you don't see fruit, if your faith is NOT accompanied by action, then the question has to be, do you have Grace, do you have a relationship with Christ? Grace WILL produce fruit.

it's hard to explain this all in a blog. But hope that gives you an idea of what I am getting at.

If you aren't seeing deeds in your life, it's not about you having to work harder to live up to something God has given you, you have to go back to the source--CHRIST, he is the one who produces the fruit in you.

I should consider taking my sisters advice and get a mosterizer thingy for envelopes....I have licked over 140 envelopes in the last couple days. yuck...but only a few more to go now so I might as well keep going with it.
Today I stuffed more envelelopes, sent letters, talked to a lawyer about missions trip stuff. I'm still trying to figure out accomodations for when we go to Acquire the Fire in Hamilton at the end of October. Also called around about renting vans possibly instead of a bus. But for one of the really really big vans (15 people) you need a bus license which sorta sucks. oh well.
I also went by the highschool today and sorta introduced myself and I am supposed to have a meeting with the principle sometime (haven't been sent to the principle for a while....sorta scarey)
Finally, tonite I had a worship team time with Rachel and Brad. We watch Louie Giglio's talk "Every Glimpse is Grace" (if you have never heard Louie Giglio speak check out some of his talks at www.268generation.com . We discussed that, and what worship is, and why and how we worship and all that good stuff. Then we played some songs. All in all a great night I thought.
OH...and I also got a "Narrow Road" cd!! (Gord Stevenson's country band)...they are awesome!! For people in Chatham you can see them live in December I think!!

Another busy week. Between being on the phone/email with insurance people from Wonderland, to trying to get a hold of lawyers regarding the Missions trip, to licking 73 and counting envelopes and sending them off (they taste really bad) and meetings, and organizing things for the worship team, phoning youth, rearranging events...golf at 6:30am in Brampton....etc. Just a little taste of my last few days....No complaints here. Right now I'm going to start trying to organize some of my stuff...I have notes to myself stuck in all kinds of books and binders etc. I need to work on organization i think....

Despite all the things that happened leading up to this trip, and on this trip, it was a huge success in my books! We had 63 people on the bus!!!!!! Absolutely awesome!! My group got sprayed with hydrulic (sp) fluid on the last ride of the night and stuck on it for 30mins or so because they could use the brake cuz the line broke! Everyone is ok from our group, but people were throwing up all over and having allergic reactions and stuff on the ride cuz they were just covered with oil but the park couldn't get us off the ride until it slowed down on it's own....pretty crazy, Thank God that we were facing the right way and the oil hit us in the back...some people got it right in the face and they were throwing up all over and stuff. I had an awesome group!! they all were really good about it...Casey was feeling a little sick though..but Emma, Kristen, Christine, Casey and Eric were awesome! Couldn't ask for a better group of kids to hang out with all day! Keep praying for this group, that the kids who were there today will keep coming to things...that they would be loved, and cared for in our group. The Christ would become very real to them through our group. Pray for myself and my awesome team that I work with--Tricia, Tara, Jake as well as student leaders like Rachel and Brad. They are all awesome, and they all have such a huge role to play in these kids lives...bigger than I think any of us realize. May God be glorified in everything that goes on here......

Concerts for Wonderland are off....Wonderland trip on, at a different price. Called Mississippi regarding doing a missions trip there. Recieved word from DR saying that they now could put us in for the week they previously said they could not. Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic is on (Mar 11-18th). All this in the last 24 hours....stayed tuned as things seem to be changing by the minute.

well well well....talk about last minute changes for the Wonderland trip. I got a call from Wonderland today telling me that the promoter for the concerts just backed out 30mins before they called. So no more concerts! This after I had just gotten through calling a ton of youth to confirm that they were coming etc. So now what you may ask? Well, that's a good question...got an answer? let me know.
Actually tomorrow I will be calling Wonderland and hopefully they will have more info for me. Hopefully we get a full refund and some really cheap tickets so that we can still go. It all just means a lot of extra work for me, but such is life. so...lots of phoning tomorrow...Wonderland and 50+ youth. Oh, how I love phoning....one of my absolute favorite things.

Well the Canada's Wonderland trip is looking like a hit. All the pre-bought tickets are sold, plus all the people with season's passes. It looks like right now we will have 50+ on the bus. Also I have been saying no to people who have just been asking in the last couple days because we have run out of tickets. I am trying to see what we can do about that.

um, Channy....nope no progress on that....
by the way just to let everyone know...I have the 3 best sisters anyone could ever have! special thanks to all of you for your love and support; from you and my 3 bro in laws too...it means a lot!
thanks for everyone elses prayers and support too, and your encouragement!

well a busy but great day.....Staff meeting, sat in on an accreditation interview at District Office (which was an awesome opportunity for me to see what that is all about, thanks Jake!!) Than dinner with the Stroyan's great food, lots of fun jammin' with the guys there....than tonite we had root cellar (young adults) great discussion on the Eucharist, icons and idols, and the filioque clause [and the Son].
Tomorrow morning I need to be at Jakes at 5:45am to go golfing,....yes it's a tough life indeed.
We have ran out of room on the Wonderland trip (praise God).....the bus is gonna be absolutely packed, which is totally awesome! Pray that the kids who come on this trip will see something different in all us "Christians" and in the bands that will be playing there.

Today (Monday) was my "day off". Spent sometime to just relax. I wanted to get all the labels done for sending off Sonlife letters. So I organized that and then Pam was kind enough to set that up for me on the computer. I went and bought a Djembe today. I was gonna see if the church would pay for one...and we had talked about that. But I decided to buy one myself, and I'll just let whoever use it who needs to. I didn't really have a lot of money for it. But it's gonna be "God's Djembe" so to speak, I'm sure it'll come in very handy this year and throughout my life. Josh loves the Djembe already. (Sorry Paul and Pam, it might get noisy here when Josh has his hands on it) Anyways...thanks to everyone who prayed for my preaching on Sunday, and who prays for me on a regular basis.

have you ever had hiccups so bad that they woke you up at 2am and actually were causing your stomach and chest to hurt. Yeah, me neither until right now! Talk about weird! Those were like rapidfire super strength hiccups! But, they have seemed to have gone away now...hopefully for good, which means that hopefully I can fall asleep again. goodnight!

Great day so far today....Preached today....by all I can tell it went well, but it's the Spirit's work anyways right....Actually just before I went and preached I was talking to one of the custodians at the school who is a Christian and we were talking about how you can use the most eloquent words and speech, and if it's not the Spirit speaking andmoving it's all useless. God also made the sermon and music that was picked completely apart from me fit perfectly. Awesome how God always does that!
today I have a worship team practice with Rachel and Brad. I'm really looking forward to see what God will do in this worship band and in each of our lives through the experience of leading others in song. Ultimately, leading others to see God, as God gives us glimpses of Himself...
Once again....and again...I am blown away by the blessings of God, by the amazing people that God surrounds me with. By the love and care that I receive from so many here! I am blessed!!

"Grace = God at work" (Giglio)
chew on that for a while.....

http://www.268generation.com

Lots to learn in this thing we call youth ministry.....some games just don't work in certain contexts and situations.....prime example tonite. Live and learn I guess. I knew I would fall on my face with something, somehow at sometime.....sure it'll happen again sometime....
Obviously this is a whole lot different than Calgary, and games that would fly there crash and burn here....not to mention the time and place were just not right (something I failed to think of) something I'll need to keep in mind next time I am stuck with games.
This is why I am just the Intern.

Something I read this morning.......
"The continual grubbing on the inside to see whether we are what we ought to be generates a self-centered, morbid type of Christianity, not the robust, simple life of the child of God." (Prayer-A Holy Occupation, Oswald Chambers)

Is Christianity too focused on the "it's all for me" and not enough on "it's all for HIM"?

7:30 am(time I should have been leaving)-just wake up because the power went off and so not alarm clock.
10:15am arrive at West London Alliance- (I'm quite hungry because I have not eaten--Tim Hortons lines were too long)-meeting begins
12pm--still in the meeting
1pm--still in the meeting
2pm-meeting finally done
2:30-3pm--finally lunch.
5:15pm--back in Erin
5:20-5:40pm--phoning kids
now---supper
tonite----sermon prep

welcome to my day!

after being busy and on the go from 7am-7pm pretty much, I went out to the backyard with my guitar and just sang some worship songs. It is soooooo beautiful in the backyard here when you just look out and see rolling hills and trees for as far as you can see. God is an amazing God!

"How great the Glory of your name
How small of voice I humbly bring
Yet with my all I raise a song when I see You
It is a song of love's pure light
The grace reflected in these eyes
The overflow of those who know they have seen You." (Louie Giglio and Matt Redman)

Bad news for Missions Trip the DR. Dates just simply are not working out, so it looks like we are not going to the Dominican Republic. The plan now is Mendenhall Mississippi. Things need to get going very very quickly, amongst everything else. Please pray that God would work things out here!

If you stand in Awe of God, inevitably you will fall facedown before Him. "We can go as far as we can into God...(there is never an ending point)...the only thing stopping us is ourselves."(Giglio)
Sometimes it's easy to miss the deepness, the otherness, just how BIG our God is. Devotions become a routine, God becomes just our "friend", we take nature, friends, family, life itself, for granted. We forget that all of that, everything that becomes so commonplace for us, is really a gift of Grace that we do not deserve. If there is any one thing that I want in this life, is to stand in Awe, to fall down before my God, and never forget just how Great my God is, and how small, how insignificant I am without Him.

Running on just about no sleep right now....Late night at the Stevensons on Saturday (2am) up at 7am sunday...and no sunday nap. Life is good. Jericho walk tomorrow, not too sure how many will show up because there wasn't a lot of annoucements for it, but hopefully it will go well. Some prayer requests for this week: Thursday I go to a youth pastors district meeting in London. Youth Friday. Sunday --Preach AM, Quizzing kick-off PM. and lots of phoning, mailing and arranging to do on top of preparing my sermon etc. It'll be busy but, it should be a fun week. But for now....it's time to catch up on sleep......

This weekend I've had a family in the church open up their house to me while they are away on vacation! What a huge blessing. I didn't really realize it until I got there, but I really needed that time to just relax and spend time with God on my own. Not to mention the place has a hot tub and an amazing view. I just sat in the hot tub last night and stared at the stars, it was great. Lots to do this coming week though. Monday we are doing a "Jericho walk" at the highschool, before school gets going for the year. This sunday I preach, and that night we have the big quizzing kick-off. I cherish everyones prayers and encouragement, it means a lot to me, especially when I am doing a lot of the "small stuff" that doesn't seem so fun at the time.