Listen to the Desperation podcast, search for “Overcome: Kill the Devil” by David Perkins.
Entertainment
Entertainment captivates people. It’s something people pursue. Entertainment is a part of life, we all want to be entertained at some point or another during our day. Some people live for it, while others just enjoy it from time to time. Where does entertainment go from being just something we enjoy, to being an idol, something we obsess over?
I’m not going to say I know that answer, because I really don’t know exactly myself. Entertainment in itself isn’t bad. I like to watch movies sometimes, play games, and the like. There is always a point where too much can become a bad thing, though. There’s a point where it can steal away and blind a people from the things of God, from living our life in positive worship to God.
I enjoy playing video games. Is this wrong? No. Too much time spent playing them can be though. I’m writing to myself tonight. There’s been weeks I’ve spent hours and hours just wasting away at video games. I’m not alone, I’m sure there are other people who spend three and four times as much time as I do playing games. I think many times it’s a way to fulfill a need of just something to do.
I’m, in no way, trying to say spending a little time playing video games is wrong. There are certain games, movies, and music (all entertainment) that I do believe is wrong or can be wrong. I’ve wrote several things about my thoughts on those here.
I’ve been thinking a little bit tonight. I think often times pushes us away from Christ. From a military standpoint, I believe this would be a good idea for an enemy. If there is a way to preoccupy the opposing foe with fun and enjoyment, it will both blind and weaken the enemy. If this enemy is blind to the army all around it that is about to overtake it, it cannot fight (blinded). It cannot attempt to fight if it’s not trained (weakened). It’s a great strategy, and is used in diversions – where the opposing side brings a small force to the diversion front, but then surprise attacks from another direction.
In the same way, I believe, we can be – and are being – blinded and weakened. We spend time entertaining ourselves, while not realizing there’s an enemy at our doorstep. We are weakened by not knowing the Word of God. I think we’re all guilty, and no one can ever fully be prepared. However, we can prepare. We all cave in to sin at times even though we don’t want to, but even so God has given us everything we need for life and Godliness.
Do I know all of the Bible? Of course not. I dislike, and think I’m horrible, at memorization, and honestly take less time than I should at trying to memorize. I still need work in areas. There’s obvious things we can do though, such as limiting our time on the computer, watching TV, and just wasting time with stuff that doesn’t matter ten minutes from that point. I guess what I’m trying to say, is that I need to get more serious. It’s not always easy going through stuff alone. Sometimes it feels like I’m alone, but I know that I’m not alone. There’s always going to be valleys and trials, those are always the times where faith is decided. And we must go through those valleys, because those are the times where character is built.
To sum it all up, we need more of Jesus, less of us. More love for Christ and others, less self-love. There’s a real enemy out there. We, myself included, need to wake up. What are we going to be committed to?
Favorite Music
Someone at church asked me for a list of worship music and all. I put together this somewhat quick list. It’s nowhere near complete, but it’s some of the good music I like. I added Worship, Christian Rock, and Contemporary Christian and split them up on different pages. If someone was looking for some good music, here’s a rough list to start you out. The bolded names are my favorites. Also, I didn’t put full albums all the time simply because I either haven’t listened to all the songs, or I didn’t find the rest of the album that great (sadly). If anyone has favorites not on this list, feel free to add them in a comment.
The New Years Resolution?
Last year I made “A New Years Resolution?” I guess I half kept some of them, and didn’t others. Some of them were a bit narrow minded thinking and I’ve only in the past few months, weeks, and days found that out. There are a few I succeeded in, and also a few I didn’t. I believe I speak a bit more now, and I’m a little more free in my worship to God. The places I kind of slacked up was the finish reading the Bible part. I’m not sure if I’ve finished it or not, actually, because I skip all over the place — but that’s not really the point anyway. I want God’s word to come alive inside of me like never before. I want to see the beauty of God, and behold the purity, holiness, and awesomeness of God.
The other one I “failed” was what I’m glad I failed in. I don’t want any relationship that will hinder God’s work in my life. In the same way, I also don’t want to push things into being when God has a perfect plan. Abram tried to make God’s will happen — it’s a lesson I need to learn. I don’t want any sort of relationship until I’m refined and made into the person God wants me to be. If something comes, then it comes. I like how I heard someone put it on a podcast I listen to: if while you’re running after God you find someone running alongside you, then you never know a relationship may come out of it. I’m willing to wait for someone who God’s placed there, and not someone I just “want” or “wish” to be there. If God has me to walk in the wilderness alone for a while, there’s no other place I’d rather be.
The thing that I’ve been learning lately is just the beauty of God and that God’s love for us is exponentially great, no matter where I’ve been or what I’ve done.
How we’ve put science into explaining the things God has made, while completely discrediting the creator of those things … So many times I completely forget the greatness of God. He’s King above all kings, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End, the Savior, the Holy One, Creator, Healer …
So my Resolution this year, 2007?
I want to be closer to the lover of my soul: the one who loves me more than I could ever know, understand, or imagine. The thing I want most is this. A deeper passion, longing, and desire for the Holy One. The one of perfect purity, holiness. That’s just the deepest part of who I am, who I want to be, and who I’m becoming. I don’t want any part of my life to reflect anyone or anything other than Christ.
Behold His Majesty, the King of every king!
Glorious God, You are Glorious God
He walks on wind and sea, creation joins to sing
Glorious God, You are Glorious GodWaves crash in honor of You
Skies break to make way for You
Worship our Glorious, worship our GloriousMountains bow down at Your throne
Valleys rise up to adore
Worship our Glorious, worship our GloriousSaints who’ve been captured by grace
Rise up as one, take your place
And worship our Glorious, worship our Glorious GodYou are Glorious God, You are Glorious God
You are Glorious God, You are Glorious GodGlorious God (words by Jon Egan)
He’s glorious, the King of every king! He’s wonderful, beautiful, glorious, matchless in EVERY WAY. Nothing can compare the greatness of our God. The light that outshines all light, the author of creation. Our God reigns. He’s matchless in every way, nothing even comes close in comparison to the greatness of our God. Everything fails in comparison.
That’s my only resolution. It’s all that matters, everything else just fades away. I’m not sure where I got this image, but it sums up just about everything, I think. Jesus Christ for Life. Everything else fades away.
Psalm 97
I’ve heard this scripture in a song (I believe by Delirious) quite a good time ago and since I’ve heard it, I’ve loved it. Anyway, here’s the Psalm.
The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
let the distant shores rejoice.Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes on every side.His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.All who worship images are put to shame,
those who boast in idols—
worship him, all you gods!Zion hears and rejoices
and the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments, O LORD.For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.Let those who love the LORD hate evil,
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.Light is shed upon the righteous
and joy on the upright in heart.Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous,
and praise his holy name.—Psalm 97 (NIV)
My favorite line is verse 2, “Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.“
Thoughts and Questions
I’ve not posted much in the past month or so, and I guess I may offer a little explanation here.
Lately it has seemed like there’s a struggle for me to trust God. I think I’ve always been a pretty trusting person (with anyone and everyone), but maybe not with God. Often times I just take someone’s word for things, and trust that they’ll follow thru with what they say. Most of the time it works out that way. There’s been a few times it hasn’t, though. Anyway, I wanted to share that first.
Several weeks ago one of my friends, Catherine, asked me what was one thing I wanted to see before I died. I’m not sure why I was so quick, because normally I would hesitate over a question like that. This time I didn’t. I told her that I would like to see my prayers answered. I wasn’t talking about the selfish “I want a friend” prayers, I meant the ones I’ve prayed over this city. If there’s one thing I want to see, that’s it. I remember many months ago praying over each and every person in my graduating yearbook (all the classes and teachers). What I want to see is each of them see God and his Holiness fully. Not “church” and not “religion”. God. Maybe that’s a selfish want, but I think it’s my only want — sometimes the only thing I live for.
Now, lately I’ve been doubting God. Not who he is, but just that he’s in control. This can be combined with what I talked about first; however, this is a little different because it’s more like the “give up faith (Christianity)” type doubts. Some are even just leave the church I’m in (I like my church).
I’ve been evaluating my negativity on things. Perhaps this ties in with the amount of news I used to take in. Maybe it’s just generational. I’m not sure. But I’ve been evaluating it, but haven’t changed much I don’t think. I want to be positive though. I guess when I think positive, it sometimes seems to worst happens. That’s kind of a positive negative though?
I try not to get as caught up in the news anymore. I remember a few months ago on Fox News Channel, all I saw was mudslinging (by the left) and avoiding of the questions (from the right). It made me sick, and I don’t think I’ve watched an hour of news since then. I still like to see what’s going on, though. I’ve also found out that if I want unbiased news, the best place to look is at the raw data. Media write ups sometimes distort the truth. If I’ve lost faith in anything, it’s unbiased news. Also, never look for anything warm hearted in the news. If they aren’t mudslinging, then it’s not going to be on the news most of the time. Not all news is bad, but getting too caught up in it can be bad.
Along those same lines, I’m disgusted by how people suddenly switch sides when they lose. I’ve heard lately that “Republicans left values voters”, and are now praising Democrats when just a few weeks ago they were touting Republican values. It makes me sick. It’s like a guy hoping his team wins, but when they lose they go buy the other teams jersey so people won’t look at them and pick on him because his team lost. I don’t want to get too political this time, but I’m still a straight ticket-Republican, and unless they became John McCainish, I’ll hope to remain that way until the day I die. The innocent souls that have been murdered by abortion still cry out. Another day without justice.
Next, the Old Testament. Maybe I’m just reading a little too hard, but most of the “old law” is in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). Now, I fully understand the characters in each of the Old Testament books were under the old law, I do not get where people think that God somehow changed between then and now. I’ve saw it often lately, if something is quoted from the Old Testament, everyone wants to get on the bandwagon of “that’s the old law, it doesn’t apply to us”. If there’s one reason why we are where we are today, this might be it.
I think some of the best parts of the Old Testament are 1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Kings. I don’t think you can fully understand who God is without reading those four books. There are so many different themes there, for example about how to fear God, have a heart like God, and the list can go on. The New Testament fully agrees with the Old.
When God left and rejected Saul, why did he do that? He called and appointed Saul to his position. Why did David have a heart of God, yet he went and committed adultery and (to an extent) turned his back on God for a year? Saul pursued God at the beginning, yet when God rejected him he had disobeyed God countless times (in a sense, rejecting God). Did Saul do wrong the entire time? Of course not, God appointed him there. I believe he wasn’t sincere in his repentance, while David was. That’s why David was a man after God’s own Heart.
Why did David kill the man who said he killed Saul? Because Saul was God’s appointed leader. David had a reverent Fear of God. He even had chances to kill Saul, but refused to do so because Saul was God’s appointed leader. God put him there, and David would not speak evil of Saul. This still applies today. There have been several different men of God that’s been in the news over the many years, and I always try to be careful not to speak evil of any of them — even if I don’t agree with what they do. God could have appointed them, but just like Saul, they could have became corrupt.
I remember a few years ago I went to a church and I didn’t feel right there. I went a time or two and just didn’t feel right. However, I went one Sunday and I did feel right. It was different speakers each times. I remember telling my mom I didn’t feel right about it, and she later told me she felt the same way. Now, I passed by where the church was a year or so later and the place was gone. My mom pointed it out, and the person with us asked about it and I said the church was wrong. Almost instantly, I knew I was wrong (and my mom pointed out the wrong too). While the church may have had a false teacher, that didn’t make the people or the other leaders ungodly, nor did it mean that they were not appointed by God.
There are also ways to approach people like this. For this look at Samuel, who was obviously in constant communication with God. Did Samuel go and discuss it with his friends (and thus the world) and say “this man is ungodly”? No, actually he told David he was to be the next King of Israel. I think we should be very cautious in this. Like the man who said he killed Saul, you may also die.
Anyway, there’s just a few things that’s been going on lately that’s been heavy on my heart and mind … and some of the reason why I’ve not blogged much lately …
Updates
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve updated. I’ll try to recap a few things and not make this too long …
Registration for spring semester starts Tuesday. I called to see how I could change my major, and I’ve got to fill out a form. Right now I’m thinking about changing it to Information Systems. It’s sounds more like what I’m interested in. I don’t care for this math major I have now. I’ll update on how that goes later …
After the major change, I’ll need to see a new advisor and figure out the classes I need to take next semester.
I’ve thought about many things lately. And learned a bit too. Or I am learning …
All this stuff I’m doing in school seems down right senseless and useless. That’s probably one of the things I’m learning thought. I love all my classes (minus the computer one; math goes by so quick it frustrates me to want to give up). The literature class is interesting with all the history. I’ll be thoroughly surprised if I ever need the Shakespeare and Chaucer, though. Biology is so-so. All it is is note taking. I can’t hardly read the instructors cursive though. Biology lab is all right. I think I have the smallest group with only one other person. Sometimes we have to combine, and some of the others we combine with are lazy in answering the questions. It bugs me. More work for us later. The computer one is ultra-boredom. The way I’ve heard others talk about the class, they aren’t doing good — makes me feel bad (as I don’t even listen to lectures or read anything and get good test-grades). I guess that’s how people who excel in literature feel when I get the low grade. Maybe. Math is just frustrating.
Last Wednesday, Tim got a new server. Not much downtime. It was better than the previous server moves. This site’s speed is so much better than it used to be.
I guess that’s my update for now … I want to post about other things, but I’ve not come to full understanding of them yet.