Dear readers, I think you’ve gleaned from the sporadic postings that I only post when something major or a milestone is up. My intention is to start posting frequently after my exams end in early June. But yes, there is something major, amongst other stuff of which I will briefly touch upon. Click the link below for the rest of the post =)
Firstly, I am going to be baptized this coming Easter, the 23rd of March. It’s been a culmination of 3 years of consciously experiencing God for the first time in my life. My knowledge of God was previously limited to what was taught in Sunday School and attending various sermons. You might ask, "What’s the difference between your past and present ‘knowledge’?". Knowledge, for one, can be dead. You could analogize it to academia, where it is useless if you don’t know how to apply what you have learnt. Akin to the chinese phrase of 读死书 (du2 si3 shu1, studying dead text/books). Likewise, knowing the scripture is not enough. There’s this quote by Gipsy Smith that goes, "What makes the difference is not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many times and how thoroughly the Bible has been through you". I could have read the Bible from cover to cover countless times, but if I do not believe and act out my beliefs, then the Bible would really be 死书 (a dead book). To cut short the story, I started to seek and understand who the author of the Bible, God, is. He has been gracious and merciful and has demonstrated his presence and participation in every aspect of my life ever since. I responded to His love by allowing Him to change aspects of my life and now I am proclaiming my faith.
Hebrews 4:12-13
12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Verse 13 talks about being accountable to God, the creator of all. Nothing is hidden from Him. It’s been challenging for me to be conscious of being accountable to God at all times. Sure, I could be a law abiding citizen, a prim and proper person on the outside. But it is what is on the inside that really matters. There are many things I know I’m not supposed to do. There are many thoughts I know I’m not supposed to think. No one knows, no one. But God does.
The 40 days before Easter is called Lent. I quote the following from Wiki:
"The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where, according to the Bible, he endured temptation by Satan. Different churches calculate the forty days differently.
The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial—for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ."
I haven’t been practising, nor have I been in the frame of mind to prepare for Easter, in the period of Lent. Obviously one doesn’t have to, or shouldn’t have to wait till Lent is in season each year to start doing the above. From one perspective it can be termed as a ‘Religious Observance’. It would be an annual affair, out of routine, of practice, of tradition. Just something to mark on the calendar to countdown to a holiday? It would be an Observance, if one stood by and observed and just goes through the rites and motions. However I think the correct way to approach Lent, amongst other ‘observances’, is to see it as a reminder. A reminder of how we are to approach each day and moment of our life. Hence each season of Lent should serve to strengthen, to add upon, how we approach each moment in life; "through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial".
It is 4.30am now. I would really like to elaborate with more detail, but I really need to complete this entry with the gist of what I intend to say. I need to resume the tackling of my 2 Final Year Projects. I intend to complete them by the end of March. This gives me about 1 month to prepare for my Marketing paper which falls on the 8th of May, and just under 2 months to prepare for the remaining 3 papers. How does this tie in with the previous paragraphs? For one, I haven’t been able to make much progress with my projects. I always knew what I had to do, but putting the pen to paper(fingers to the keyboard in this case) is easier said than done. I’ve not been walking closely with God as I want to. I’ve not been setting apart time to spend with Him. Everything seems to be in contention with attention given to God. But I’ve realized that it is precisely this problem, that has been causing me to be stagnant in the stuff I have to do. My spiritual life directly affects my ‘outward’ life. I have hence decided to set apart time to spend time with God. I’m going to approach the remaining days of Lent as a stepping stone to being closer to God.
For the record, I have not read through the Bible even once. My goal for this year is to read through it at least once. The truth is, that even the demons know God’s word. How then can I know what pleases and displeases my Father? How then can I know my Father’s will for me? We are blessed to be born in a peaceful country. But yet there is an ‘invisible’ war raging on. There is spiritual warfare going on at all times. The forces of darkness will try their utmost devious means to thwart the plans of God. Obviously they will not succeed. But yet they will jump at any opportunity to make us stumble. We all have a God-given purpose and meaning in life. And they will try to make us deviate from that purpose.
Ephesians 6:10-18
The Armor of God
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
The Bible is the Living Word. It is mentioned in verse 17, that the sword of the Spirit, is the word of God. Satan will never cease to deceive us with his lies. We need to know how to, together with sword of the Spirit, put on the full armour of God, to be able to fight this battle. The Word, as they say in ghetto-speak, is word.
-drum roll- DONG CHIANG! Today’s Quote of the day: "The Word, is word."