Proverbs 21:3

 ³ To do what is right and just
       is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. (niv)

 ³ Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors
   mean far more to God than religious performance. (message)

Conviction

Wow. Just reading 1 Corinthians 1. Unreal.

First thought:

I began to think about what I share when I start talking about my belief and more so, what I tell people about God and "Christianity" when I have an opportunity to speak into someones life. Check this out: 1 corinth 1:22-24

²⁰Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²²Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

"But we preach Christ crucified...."
This hit me hard. How often do I miss that fact? The fact that is everything... completely central to who I am, what I am destined to be, and where I will one day be going. Way to often do I shy away from talking about JESUS CHRIST DYING ON THE CROSS. I think I shy away because it's not what people want to hear who are living for themselves: vs18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Obviously I'm not meant to run around screaming at people telling them Jesus died for them like some ridiculous lunatic... But if I miss that fact, I might as well not say anything at all.

Second thought (ch 2)

 ¹When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.^{[a] 2}For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ³I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. ⁴My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, ⁵so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

SHOOOT! Man... I'm always spitting of "so called wisdom" and just talking way to much... How amazing is Paul... "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." That is absolutely amazing. That leaves no room for me boasting about myself... (as subtle as it may be) No room for acting like I have things figured out or have my life together (cause what a joke that is... haha)  WAY to often do I cloud the message of Christ for my fellow man with me. Its that selfishness in me that I hate... that continual sinful nature... that wants to be loved by man, seen in a good light, to be esteemed and applauded... and to be thanked for doing something for them that shouldn't be our job to do. Jesus is the only one who can save lives. As soon as we bring ourselves into that equation in a bigger way than we need to be... not only are we robbing the person we are talking to of Jesus in his fullness and giving them an ill-painted picture of what salvation is... But we are attempting to build ourselves up in our strength.

Benson just showed up I gotta head. This has convicted me bigtime. I almost wasn't going to read my bible... I only had like 15minutes... but thats the power in the Bible. Read it today! Much love,
James

passion drives you to fight for what you believe in. Jesus' way is the only way that is right to believe in you can have the passion for everything and anything and fight for it all you want and it may even seem biblical but if it isn't what Jesus wants or has called you to do... your aren't in the will of God. - Logan R

Luke 22:47-54
7While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, ⁴⁸but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
 ⁴⁹When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" ⁵⁰And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
 ⁵¹But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him.
 ⁵²Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? ⁵³Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns."

I began talking to one of my best friends Logan this morning about some ideas/dreams/vision I've been having lately, and he shared this with me. For me it was exactly what I needed to hear. I have a natural tendency to go all or nothing with life. ie: going to the gym 4-5 times a week for a month, then stopping completely. Lately I've been trying to discover more about what it means to live a full but balanced life. I'm so guilty for finding myself 4 days into a week, in way over my head, and feeling pretty drained. The beauty in spending time resting and waiting on Jesus... I don't think I've tapped into this in the slightest yet.

Alongside spiritual rest and refreshment, I've been learning alot about the brain and how diet and lack of exercise effect our mental and emotional state of mind. As I've said before, I've had an unbelievable past year with -massive- lows and more recently quite the opposite. Another good friend Lisa Milner has tons of personal experience with diet and a good understanding of how the food we take in effects our bodies... even our brains. Swelling in our digestive system causes swelling in our brains... I don't know much beyond that, but I've been getting more intentional about eating little to no dairy, minimal to no processed foods/meats especially. I was on anti-depressants for about 10 months that I've recently come off of and am daily taking omega-3's with borage, fish, flaxseed oil, vitamin D, 5 htp, tons of fruit/veggies and doing my best to get into a regular exercise routine. In the beginning of all this, i'm certainly not expecting 7 days a week of 7am starts, but it's the attitude and desire for change that says 'hey I have an hour, maybe i'll go for a run.'

All of these areas are so complex with lifetimes of research and understanding in all of them... but like anything you have to start somewhere. There was a period of 8 months in 2009 where I was drinking waay to much as well... and I think we all know the effect alcohol has on you brain... at least to a degree.

Anyways... this has been a very scattered blog... I think I started writing it like 3hours ago, and everyonce and a while have come back to it to add a bit haha.
This summer strive to a healthy, full, and balanced life. This attitude begins to bring into understanding what it means to set aside your body as a temple for the holy spirit. After all, we only have one life to live, and this lifetime is incredibly short. Do we even have the right to treat our bodies like trash? I don't think so. I think we have a responsibility to do the opposite. This world needs to hear the heart of Jesus, and we each only have so long to do that. For us young ones... if we start good habits now, who knows, we could be adding an extra 5 years to our life from 80-85. Thats alot of extra time! Time to continue bringing hope and love to the city we live in.

Much love,

Summers Grace

Shneagles! What an awesome weekend... Got some work, chilled with friends, amazing day at church, and the potential for so many good things to happen started today, BUT most importantly, GOD'S GRACE. Check these killer verses out:

He Tore Down the Wall (Eph 2)

 ^1-6It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.  ^7-10Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

Jesus the Great High Priest (Heb 4)

 ¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,^[e] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. ¹⁶Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

The bible says it best, but God's grace has been saving my life on a daily basis, and its so beautiful and absolutely amazing, and I can do nothing to earn it, and can always come back to it no matter how selfish, prideful, angry, sinful I am. We need to know this... like more than anything... need to know his grace, and live in it. I'm still learning it's not about the things I do and don't do, but simply what Jesus has done for me.

⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

On other notes:
1) Getting super excited for

• Street Invaders (A weeklong youth spiritual bootcamp that we're (Lukas, Ad, Ben, Lane) leading worship day and night: first week of July)
• Nanoose Bay Teen Camp (Unbelievable place where God never ceases to amaze me... blessed to be leading worship there with the guys for the 3rd week of July.
• Brain training... hard to explain (check this video out... it's long but super interesting... I'm so blessed, a friend (stephen the same dude who payed for me to go to the mens retreat at capernwray) got me hooked up with the clinic he's working at!)LINK:  http://vimeo.com/7599789
• September!! Going to be onboard with City Youth (@ GT with Evan Allnutt) in a big way and I'm realllly looking forward to it. God's got massive stuff in store that I don't even know of!

So many amazing things happening this summer... it's going to be dope. Jon Brydan is an amazing man!! He's got huge vision for street ministry and the city of Victoria, and I'm so excited for God to work through him and their team in a massive way. God's pursuing our city... watch out if you're not on board, he's got your number!

PS. Go to sunday morning next week at GT, Andy is doing a series called 'forgotten virtues' He spoke about Honor this morning and it was unreal!

Psalm 100

A Thanksgiving Psalm

^1-2 On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence.

³ Know this: God is God, and God, God.
He made us; we didn't make him.
We're his people, his well-tended sheep.

⁴ Enter with the password: "Thank you!"
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.

⁵ For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever.

No more Waiting

Summer is here. 

The sun it shines and the rain it hides as dragonflies clutter your view. Flowers bloom and trees fly high while frogs and crickets sing their tune. Smoke escapes from large black crates; sizzling searing we're smelling hearing. But day escapes and night takes place and the heart it must stay true.

I've been so blessed and watched over the past few years it's incredible. But it's amazing to finally be walking with Jesus again, and this time around I know that he's all I want for the rest of my life... It's pretty exciting knowing that God has the absolute best plans for us... I've been continually challenged day in and day out to give myself up. Everytime I think I have it figured out, or have a grasp on life, I find myself on my own, away from Jesus. This lifelong journey of surrender is the most demanding thing we will ever have required of us. I'm discovering that the extent to which God wants all of is, is more than I've ever understood before.

Ian Green spoke at Adore last night... He is a great man with passion, drive and years of Christ led obedience under his belt. He shared about our calling as people following Jesus. How when we put our 'weight' behind God, he does the same for us. 1 Samuel 2:30 says:  "...the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed."

This entire idea of putting Christ above everything in my life... Is something I desire.. deeply... But something that demands so much. Even in the following weeks after the retreat I went to at Capernwray, I began to plan. Plans to record a full length album, plans to play shows, plans to possibly go to school for music... all good things, but also all of my own things. It's very easy to convince myself that I can do all of those things and honor Christ in them... but when it comes down to it, God isn't calling me to those things right now.

One of my good friends yesterday came up to me after the service and began sharing that I need to stop worrying and planning about the future, but that as I'm obedient to God in the small daily things, he will always bring the next step about. Wow. Talk about a bulls-eye. This is a scary idea... Not knowing what I'm going to be doing in a year from now, not having that sense of financial security... But at the same time it's really exciting. Today God is calling me to love and encourage and challenge specific people, and to seek him with all of my heart.

In the past, I've been a very all or nothing type of guy. And God's been showing me what a life of balance looks like, and priority. What good is being on stage leading in worship, if I spend the rest of my time playing video games and watching movies... That isn't honoring God at all. I'm called first and foremost to Jesus. To his life. To love and worship and adore him with all of my heart, and in everything that I do. That he would be honored in the things that I say, in my daily tasks, in all my time spent. And secondly to people. To love and serve and encourage and challenge and inspire with the same spirit of life that is inside of me. These two things Christ summed up in Luke 10:25-27

²⁵ And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" ²⁶He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" ²⁷And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." ²⁸And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."

"When we have a sense of calling or destiny, we will make it a priority." - Ian Green
"We are so quick to give God our opinions about his call for us, but so hesitant to allow him to give us his opinion on our own plans." - Ian Green

Gracious Living

God showed me something small tonight but beautiful. I've been eager in moving forward in life walking with Jesus, and eager to see my friends there with me, and in it all, I think I've lacked in the grace department. Yes there is a place for solid, firm, 'lay-down-the-law' justice or conviction, or calling people out... But ultimately we are called to love people. And condemnation is only going to bring people pain, confusion and ultimately push them further away and give them a twisted image of Jesus and the christian faith.

I realized very clearly tonight that we are all on our own journey's. Some of us hiding from God, some of us walking with him, some of us think we are walking with him... But are really just fooling ourselves, and some of us are in that painful process of letting God bring us back to him... and sometimes that looks like giving up things that our dear to our hearts, but not good for us. The beautiful act of Christ giving his life for humanity to clean us and bring us life in its fullest is completely free, but will cost us everything. That sounds like an oxymoron, but bare with me... God desires me. He desires you. Because he created you in perfection. Wholly unique and beautiful. And he wants your heart. He wants to show you life to its fullest. He wants to teach you to live in his love. His love that conquered death and satan and fear. So ultimately, its us he wants. Its our full attention, our complete affection, and our utmost dedication and submission. Everything we have. The most amazing thing is... that this is the most fullest, joyful, rewarding, and satisfying life we could possibly live. That with Christ. Mind you, it's far from easy, and will be extremely difficult and demanding at times. So ya... Completely free... but still costs us everything... haha... an interesting concept!!

So something to ponder and most importantly practice: Love first. Love lavishly. Love beautifully. But Love with priority:

^37-40Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them." (Matthew 22. Emphasis added)

You can't lead before you learn to follow.

Restlessness

As God has been reminding me of who I am, a pure and holy beloved child lavished in his grace and love (the same for you if you're saved!!) I've also been at a place of deep disturbance with what my understanding of what it means to be a Christian has been up to this point in my life. I will elaborate on this later.

Throughout my last post I touched a bit on how I've slowly been broken over the past so many years. Now I don't suggest that God brought pain and suffering upon me, because I am fully aware that satan exists for this sole purpose: to kill and destroy mankind. But in Romans 8:28 it says that 'in all things God works for the good of those who love him' or 'works together with those who love him to bring about what is good.' Marcel Marneau said "Jesus isn't all you have, until Jesus is all you need." And I see now the importance of a desperation, a deep reliance upon Jesus, this need that we so rarely experience in our fully self-suffecient western culture. I'm thankful that God allowed me to reach the end of myself before he came and extended his hand. Mind you... there were some close calls.

Yesterday I heard something from a friend. A man had been praying to God for rescue and it seemed as though God wasn't answering. Weeks from his initial prayer an angel finally showed up and said, "Sorry it took so long, we had to fight through many demons to get to you." This got me thinking about how throughout this past year of 'living as my own', often I would pray "God help me... Come rescue me... I need you..." But then continue on living in the sick selfish place that I was at. Filling myself with whatever would bring a temporary relief and satisfaction... Continuing to distance myself from the heart of God... a distraction from the call I know God has called me and all of us as believers too. My lips were saying one thing, but my heart and actions were saying 'God I got this... I'm cool... I don't you right now I got my booze, or my friends, or my video games, or my work...' could be many different things for different people.

C.S.Lewis in Beyond Personality talks about a man who had a powerful experience with God in the desert. He felt him, sensed him, felt his love, his peace and his joy. Lewis then goes on to say how sure that's great, but nothing comes of it. It leads nowhere. "In fact, that is just why a vague religion-all about feeling God in nature, and so on-is so attractive. It is all thrills and no work; like watching the waves from the beach. But you will not get to Newfoundland by studying the Atlantic that way, and you will not get eternal life by simple feeling the presence of God in flowers or music." (ch1 Beyond Personality)

I read through the book of Amos this morning, and my spirit is troubled. So much of what Amos spoke, not only to the surrounding nations but ISRAEL, Gods 'chosen people', I see in our culture today... even in our church culture. The message puts it this way:

^3-6Woe to you who are rushing headlong to disaster!
Catastrophe is just around the corner!
Woe to those who live in luxury
and expect everyone else to serve them!
Woe to those who live only for today,
indifferent to the fate of others!
Woe to the playboys, the playgirls,
who think life is a party held just for them!
Woe to those addicted to feeling good—life without pain!
those obsessed with looking good—life without wrinkles!
They could not care less
about their country going to ruin.

⁷But here's what's really coming:
a forced march into exile.
They'll leave the country whining,
a rag-tag bunch of good-for-nothings.

Amos 6:3-7

^10-12People hate this kind of talk.
Raw truth is never popular.
But here it is, bluntly spoken:
Because you run roughshod over the poor
and take the bread right out of their mouths

Amos 5:10-12

^21-24"I can't stand your religious meetings.
I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That's what I want. That's all I want.

Amos 5:21-24

^4-5God's Message to the family of Israel:

"Seek me and live.
Don't fool around at those shrines of Bethel,
Don't waste time taking trips to Gilgal,
and don't bother going down to Beer-sheba.
Gilgal is here today and gone tomorrow
and Bethel is all show, no substance."

⁶So seek God and live! You don't want to end up
with nothing to show for your life
But a pile of ashes, a house burned to the ground.
For God will send just such a fire,
and the firefighters will show up too late.

Amos 5:4-6

I am so selfish. I am so self-reliant. I am so prideful. I am so far from where Jesus is. God break me.

A Bit of History

Hey guys. So God's rescued me in a huge way lately... from myself. And I've started engaging in life, not just getting by or making it through, but life to the fullest! God's been sharing alot with me, so I want to share it with you!

Well let me back up a bit and give you a little history. Two weekends ago, out of the blue, I got called up by a guy I'd never met who said he was praying and my name came up. He wanted to pay for me to come to this mens retreat on thetis island. So random... but I was at the point where one month earlier I'd reached a crossroads. I 'was my own' for about a year, and it led me to escaping and running away from the hurt and confusion in my soul. God's grace displayed through incredible friends, patient parents and full on miracles led me to this crossroads where I had some clarity in life. A friend sent me an e-mail that challenged me big time, and I decided to sign a contract and get rid of some stuff in my life that was distracting me and attempt to get right with God. Well this month was alright, nothing amazing, but then God came this weekend and just swept me away.

I realized that from a young age (my dad being a pastor...) I associated church with work, and this was a core part of my christian faith. So when I got involved with serving at church around 13, 14... It was all about duty, responsibility and me doing things to please God and fufill what (I thought) he was calling me too. I ended up living a pretty strict legalistic life (which i failed miserably at) and the enemy was on me like mice on cheese. Poor helpless cheese... haha. Long story short, I ran out of life to give and was left so confused, broken and hurting.

At this weekend, God showed me a glimpse of his grace and love that I had never seen before... despite hearing the words thousands and thousands of times, I just never really got it in my heart. I finally was beginning to understand this journey that Jesus wanted to walk with me on... daily coming to him humble... honest... and entering into the new creation that we are when we choose to live in his grace. I honestly felt like a new man. The identity that satan had twisted was built upon so many lies that didn't have an ounce of truth in them, and I had no strength to fight my temptations. It's totally a daily surrender... a daily commitment to holiness which is only possible through an understanding of what Gods grace really means for us. (which I in no way claim to have even the slightest grasp on!) I feel like a new christian all over again! (in some ways... haha)

The biggest thing God wanted from me... was me. Everything I was. He began by pointing out all sorts of different areas in my life that I was holding from him. Relationships. Music. Plans. Dreams. Areas in my heart. He's even challenging the way I think. (I'll get into more of that later) And I realized that unless I was willing to give God everything. (we say it so much...) But really, going into each day with an intention to glorify God in all that we do... He couldn't take me to the places he wants to take me (picture someone wanting to take you on a world cruise... but you won't let go of the x-box controller...) He wouldn't be able to give me this new life (because I was still holding on to the old) and that's now my daily prayer. That God you would continue to show me (down to the smallest thing!) stuff that I'm holding onto. And I think that this is a prayer we're going to be praying for the rest of our lives. But as we release the big stuff to God... it gives him a bit more space to start leading us into the little (but incredible) things he has for us, and eventually into places on that world cruise that we never knew existed.

Well there's a bit of what's been going on... I've got so much going on in my heart and my head, and as well as journalling, I'm looking forward to blogging to get my thoughts out. I hope these encourage you, strengthen you, and challenge you to live lives of relentless surrender to God's ultimate plan... redemption for humanity.