More Brilliance

This wisdom comes from C.S. Lewis once again.

"All sorts of people are fond of repeating the Christian statement that 'God is love'. But they seem not to notice that the words 'God is love' have no real meaning unless God contains at least two Persons. Love is something that one person has for another person. If God was a single person, then before the world was made, he was not love. Of course, what these people mean when they say that God is love is often something quite different: they really mean 'Love is God'. They really mean that our feelings of love, however and wherever they arise, and whatever results they produce, are to be treated with great respect. Perhaps they are: but that is something quite different from what Christians mean by the statement 'God is love'. They believe that the living, dynamic activity of love has been going on in God forever and has created everything else." (Mere Christianity, 174-75)

I read this after a few interesting challenges that occurred over the last week. The first was reading a friend's comments on the will of God. He reminded us, "We should not be asking, 'What is God's will for my life?' Rather we should ask the question, 'What is God's will?'" The second challenge came during a short devo in which the leader challenged the group to remember that the H.S. (God) has called us each to our individual ministries, whatever they are. It is not the nominations committee or some other person from within the church that has called us, IT IS GOD that called us to our ministry.

Lewis has a wonderful observation about who God is. Three in One, Father, Son, Spirit. All Love. If you need a better understanding of God's love, meditate on the passage found in John 1:1, 3:16; 1 John 4:7-21.

Yep. That's my Bombers

I think the title says it all.

55-10 loss against the Sask. Roughriders.

I have no comment.

(Although to the Byggdin family, i say "Congratulations!")

The Brilliant Mind of C.S. Lewis

Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God"

James 2:14 "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?"

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis has a few chapters that deal with Faith. The following is a short excerpt from the second of those two chapters.

"Christians have often disputed as to whether what leads the Christian home is good actions, or Faith in Christ. I have no right really to speak on such a difficult question, but it does seem to me like asking which blade in a pair of scissors is most necessary. A serious moral effort is the only thing that will bring you to the point where you throw up the sponge. Faith in Christ is the only thing to save you from despair at that point: and out of that Faith in Him good actions must inevitably come.

There are two parodies of the truth which different sets of Christians have, in the past, been accused by other Christians of beieving: perhaps they may make the truth clearer. One set were accused of saying, "Good actions are all that matters. The best good action is charity. The best kind of charity is giving money. The best thing to give money to is the church. So hand us over $10, 000 and we will see you through." The answer to that nonsense, of course, would be that good actions done for that motive, done with the idea that Heaven can be bought, would not be good actions at all, but only commercial speculations.

The other set were accused of saying, "Faith is all that matters. Consequently, if you have faith, it doesn't matter what you do. Sin away, my lad, and have a good time and Christ will see that it makes no difference in the end." The answer to that nonsense is that, if what you call your "faith" in Christ does not involve taking the slightest notice of what He says, then it is not Faith at all - not faith or trust in Him, but only intellectual acceptance of some theory about Him."

Philippians 2:12-13 "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

For a more thorough understanding of the basics of Christian faith might i suggest reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis

Wisdom.

The pastor we currently have at church is old. 73. Don't tell me that's not old. It is. This morning the sermon was entitled "Moses: The Reluctant Prophet", and after the service, i (remember now that i'm 32) went up to him and told him that he had done a good job. I felt weird saying that to him, but at the same time, i know that he knows what i meant. I have learnt so much from him. The wisdom that he has, which he has past down, sometimes without even his knowing, is a remarkable thing to be a part of. Some people go their entire lives without a mentor like that to steer them in the right direction.

And so the reason for this post. 

As the school year looms, with only 1 day until classes start, i find myself questioning things that i have no control over, as well as things that i do have control over. 

I thoroughly enjoy school, and expect that until the day i see my Lord face to face i will continue to be involved in educating myself to some degree, and maybe passing some of that wisdom onto others. I only hope that God will grant me wisdom such as that of my pastor and mentor. 

The Awesome Afternoon Nap!

Today i helped a friend pour a 3000 square foot concrete basement. For anyone who's ever worked with concrete, you know it's a tough job. No i didn't help him with the finishing (which involves a lot more back breaking labour), but raking concrete and moving around the line pump all the time takes great effort. Not to mention the fact that we started at 6:00 a.m! Six! Who starts work at six in the morning? That meant getting up just after 4:00 so i had time to get ready and get to the job site.

Which brings me to the point of this post. I like afternoon naps. Especially after hard work like today. Not only do i like the naps, i like when my body tells me i need to sleep longer than i wanted to. Sure i set my alarm. Sure i hear the alarm. I acknowledge the alarm long enough to turn it off, roll over, and fall right back to sleep.

The Awesome Afternoon Nap. One of the little pleasures in life.