apratt

Practical. The mind controls the body. (Don't believe me... go through a fire walking experience!) What is in the mind will come out. If our thoughts are selfish and corrupted... that will come out. The choice then to do practical things like looking after those who have had their supports cut out from them is one that flows from a mind focused on being Christ-like. The quality of worship and quiet time is subjective. It is interior and personal to us. Religion is lived out in front of and beside others. That makes relationships critical. Angus

Truth - a "real " fact. So how does a message about reality make us new creations? Given the context of v.17 for this message - the emphasis seems to be on the us as God's special creation. It would certainly seem that we have little to do with it. God choses us. Not vice versa. Amazing to be given such an honor by Him.

Morning all, I am enjoying the active participation of so many points of view. "In Two Minds" was a book that I read as a youth. I can't remember the author but the title stuck with me as a way of thinking about doublemindedness or doubt. The picture of have two complete thoughts or visions is clear. Having two things between which you have to choose is life. Louis L'Amour said that "Adventure is a romantic word for trouble." We often say that life is full of troubles. Well in the church we often call them trials or the really bad ones get called tribulations. Perhaps it is a matter of perspective. Maybe life is full of adventure! Paul (in Romans 5) and James agree that trouble leads to one thing and that is the Greek words, upomonen katergaqetai is variously translated "the ablity to endure" or "have patience". Maybe to put it really crassly, "put up with". And that "putting up with" leads to character, what we in the church call faith or trust. So what troubles lead to is this idea of character. And here Paul and James diverge, not disagreeing but they describe the character differently. Paul suggests that it leads to hope. James points out that it leads to maturity. James then goes on to talk about the danger of being in two minds. Is it fair to describe this as making a decision? When we are in two minds, we have a choice, we need to make a decision. Practising making decisions leads to maturity. Moving forward, getting over - through - past troubles requires making decisions. Can anybody else see where James is going? Decisions, honestly made, lead to action. Angus

When I was 17 ( yes it was a lot of years ago) I received an award after two weeks of paddling in Northern Saskatchewan. "Canoeman of the year" I didn't expect it. At all. My paddling partner was the one who deserved it. He was fun to be around, always carrying somebody else's gear as well as his own. Looking for the heaviest loads. When two kids got in a fight on a portage, he stepped in the middle and we took one into our canoe even though he wouldn't paddle. When James talks about this "crown of life" he is talking about something we can be proud of in this life. When I realized that as good as my partner had been, I had been better, I took more pride in that award than a lot of others that I have had. It fascinates me that this reward is clearly after a passage that talks about being humble and the uselessness of being rich. What value have trials had in your life? Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials? Or allowed God to refine you? How have you changed? So when I look back on trials, I have to look at them in the light (I think) of choices that I make. Surely I did the right thing, helping a widow with her computer problems, an elderly man move shortly after he was diagonosed with Parkinsons, meeting regularly with a manic depressive to help him monitor his moods? So when I can hardly meet my monthly obligations where is God? How can I boast of this life when I have to deal with creditors calling? How do I explain to them that it is more important to see young people get a focus on life and living than it is to earn the money to pay for their corporate jet? Yet people who know me comment on the serenity and joy that they see in me, a joy that wasn't there when I worked three jobs, (worked so hard I lost my family), had physical aches and pains that sent me to the doctor and chiropracter on a regular basis? "sola fide" says Luther. Okay.

Angus, and though I was born in Scotland I now reside in Canada, British Columbia. I, too, am looking forward to plunging into James little letter. It has been a long time. In reading the Introduction I was struck again by the contradiction of this letter. While there is some debate about timing (I would suggest that it happened after 70AD and the Diaspora personally) there is no doubt that it was written to counterbalance the tremendous weight that Paul put on faith. I look forward to seeing how we resolve the justification by works or justification by faith controversy. How do we live our faith in the face of current world events or even the challenges of our own neighbourhoods.?