Since the moment I awoke today I had the urge to eat an egg. Still, I waited the entire day before I actually did eat one. I have just eaten egg on toast, and I actually believe that a whole days wait has increased my egg pleasure no end.
That’s no yoke.
Goodnight.
We just watched ‘War of the Worlds’ (The Tom Cruise version), and now it’s 1:16am, and we’re going to bed.
I hope I don’t dream about tripods. Tripods that kill you dead.
No, I will dream about nice things. Nice safe, non-deadly, un-alien, friendly nice things. Deal.
Although if they do show up, we both still have colds. Colds = Germs. Germs + Ugly Alien dudes = Really dead alien dudes. So that would totally serve them right.
Ok, so goodnight.
Shame about the distortion. I must have had the microphone up too loud, or maybe it’s just Seemic.
Tonight, the wife and I are going to her sisters house to play Wii Sports. Actually it’s her sisters birthday, but that’s just a side issue really, we will be playing Wii Sports.
I like the Wii, and Wii Sports is good. Bowling for example is actually a pretty close approximation to real bowling, which seems crazy, but I would actually think twice about going to a real live bowling place because it’s so expensive these days, when we can play it on the Wii for free. I wonder if one day all of life will be like this.
I would like a decent games console, but on the other hand, maybe it’s not a good idea. I spend too much time on computers as it is. But even worse than that, I fear largely it’s actually just another way to waste your life.
Life is short, and I believe that it’s about Jesus and being satisfied in Him. The problem is there are just so many other things on offer trying to win our attention, offering a promise of satisfaction. They all without exception fail to bring us satisfaction, especially compared to the complete satisfaction that only the creator can offer to the one whom He created.
Games are great, computer games, even better. This is my geek talking. I have grown up with computers, and games. I will always have some affection for 8bit computers, and less than perfect graphics. However, my affection for this needs to pail in comparison to my affection to God, otherwise I am missing the whole point of life.
Missing the whole point of life, and even worse, wasting that life is not something that anyone should wish to do.
Of course it’s not just computer games, it can be anything that we are putting in the place of glory in our lives, and so that’s what has been on my mind the last couple of days.
God needs to be God in my life. We all worship something, that’s how we are made. We were made to worship God. The thing is, if we don’t worship God, we will worship something else, and that is idolatry.
Examine yourself and see what things you count as valuable in your life, when I even begin to do this I realise that often, God is a little way down the list.
I am praying that God gives us grace as we seek to put Him first, and honour Him above everything else.
And Lord, as I play Wii Sports, let it be for you!
When a friend of mine died just over a year ago, they played this song at his funeral. Matt touched so many people, and didn’t waste his life. He left a legacy. He inspired me to make sure I do the same.
Over a year on, I have to ask what I’ve done to make that a reality? I guess I haven’t done enough. It’s not really about ‘doing’, it’s about Jesus, and just how much more I’ve made it a priority to become more like Him.
I love that God is patient with us. I just listened to this song again, and it reminded me of Matt and how he lived, and encouraged me to press on with Jesus. Life is so fleeting, make Jesus a big deal now, don’t wait until later, there might never be a later.
Jesus, I’m fickle and unfaithful
Yet you still love me!
Create within me a clean heart
And a steadfast spirit
Incline my heart towards you
Fill me with passion for your glory
I want to leave a legacy
I want to be like you!
So have your way in me
Chain me to you
Work out your will in me
And start all this, right now
Amen.
I don’t mind if you’ve got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all the who’s who and so-n-so’s that used to be the best
At such ‘n such…it wouldn’t matter much
I won’t lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an “Atta boy” or “Atta girl”
But in the end I’d like to hang my hat on more besides
the temporary trappings of this world
I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to you enough to make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy
I don’t have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthy list of all that I enjoy
It’s an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon destroy
Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, “Well done” good and faithful one
Legacy, Nicole Nordeman
Jenn said it well, there is no doubt.
“For shame, James! BLOG!”
Yes, I do feel intense shame for my lack of blog-type-communication. Grant me repentance, Lord!
Anyway, enough about being a blogging slacker, that’s never interesting talk.
We had this guy come and preach at church last night, he was good, I liked him.
He was talking about how God’s thoughts are different to ours, partially based on Isaiah 55:8-9.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
He went to to say how as humans we value things like power, money, stuff, all that kind of thing. He also mentioned that the human view of weakness is not in line with God’s. Being weak seems a bad thing to us, where God loves weakness in us, it allows Him to show His power.
I think that’s the key really. God’s power, God’s Glory. That’s where humans and God don’t really have the same mind. To know where we are falling short we need to know what God values above all things.
We like to think that God loves us, it’s a nice thought lets face it! He does love us! More than we can comprehend or imagine. We have this watered down view of love, even when we are at our best, which can never come close to God, who IS love.
The problem with this is that often we when focus on the fact that God loves us, it becomes all about us, and that’s the trap, and it’s a problem which if we don’t get our thinking right can cause us much trouble, and cost us much Joy.
So to get to the point; what does God value above all things?
The answer is that He values Himself above all things. His Glory is His top priority.
Perhaps I am totally wrong, but sometimes I think we like to think that God’s top priority is saving us, and loving us. Well, I can’t say it isn’t, God is God, His purposes are indeed higher than ours, and we can’t really do His mind justice with our thinking.
However, not everyone is saved. So He must have a higher purpose.
I could dig in that hole all day, but the point of this is that, if the thing that God value’s above everything is Himself, His Glory, then surely we should value the same thing, above all things.
I never really understood this before I heard John Piper. It felt like God opened my eyes to something awesome, something I had totally missed all my life. It felt like God flipped my head around, from hearing nothing but “God loves you, God came to save you, it’s all about you” to “God is awesome! Look at Him! Be amazed by his power, see and savour the Glory of God, He’s made a way you can be saved so you can look at this Glory, and enjoy Him forever!”.
That’s the difference. Often we want to be made much of, but God want us to make much of Him.
The human heart can feel offended by this. Like, “How sad is God? That He needs our praise? That He wants us to make Him feel good about Himself?!”, but that again is a perfect example of fallen hearts. We are still looking at ourselves, rather than God who is infinitely more valuable.
If someone gives you something valuable, you’re pretty stoked about it, right? Well, God is giving us Himself. He wants us to enjoy Him forever, and through the Gospel, He’s made that possible.
Ok, well I am going to stop there. I haven’t written anything for ages, and I’m not sure I’m getting to the point 
But think about what you value. Think about what you’re priorities are in life, and beyond this life. Do you “enjoy” God? What do you think the point of salvation is? So often as Evangelical Christians it seems like we’re preaching that people need to be saved, and we take it no further. Saved for what? So we can go out and save more?
Be careful not to miss the point. God wants to make our Joy complete and satisfy us with that which is most valuable, Himself. If we look to God for all we need, if we place all our hope in Him, then He will satisfy is, and He will be Glorified.
As John Piper likes to say “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him”.
Make any sense?
Stuff that has happened, is happening, or may happen soon:
I went to Tunisia with my wife, we went, then a little while later, we came back
I went to Alton Towers theme park, with my wife, in the rain. We went, got wet, had some fun, and a little while later, we came back
I read Sex God, by Rob Bell.
I may buy a Apple Mac
I need a haircut. I will call it Haircut 100. Although, I have probably had my hair cut more than 100 times.
Interested?
It’s the weekend.
Make it a good one, people! Rest, laugh, go to church, enjoy God, enjoy each other, and watch less t.v. Eat well too, healthy like, right?
I have lots of things to do, many many things. You wouldn’t even believe it. Actually it’s probably not as bad as that, but I do have a few things I need to get done.
I’ve just updated my diary and stuck a bunch of post-it notes all over it, with all the things I need to do. Things tonight, things tomorrow, etc and so forth. I’ll let you know how that goes! I’m sure you’re very interested.
Anyway, I really should be getting off home to my lovely wife.
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