Big Update!!

Big update! A lot has happened in my life and spiritual life (both ups and downs) and I can't tell about all of them right now. Furthermore, school is getting busy (did I mention I'm studying chemical engineering?). However, I hope that I will get to post more about my thoughts and ponderings in the near future.

Plan

Seeing as OIA seems to get me nowhere, I plan to read through the Bible and then start anew following a devotional plan. http://withchrist.org/MJS/HHDevotional.htm

The Green Letters a.k.a. Principles of Spiritual Growth - by Miles J. Stanford

Read it here! http://withchrist.org/mjs/glchapters.htm

It's an incredible read! I've learnt so much mentally, but I look forward to what God will show and let me experience in order to make me grow.

Update

It's been a while. I started reading Psalms without doing OIA. I think it would be better for me than doing OIA all the time. This consumes a lot of time.

Update

No updates due to lots of school work. I know, this is terrible backsliding. I need to do something about this. I plan to make pages on my theological stands about basic Christian things like predestination, etc.

Temptation

I've decided to fast a few days after I get well from my cough. I began to prepare already, trying to reduce my idle thoughts and instead focusing them on God. However, it is consistently clear that whenever I try to do this (I've thought of this before), the devil will always - take note, ALWAYS - find a way to tempt me. Then I think that I'm wrong and say to myself not to do it anymore. THIS IS A BIG PITFALL. Do not think that it is possible to do it on your own. Always ask for the help of the Holy Spirit. It is worthless even if you succeed if you manage to overcome temptation on your own. It will only bloat your pride and you would be giving yourself glory, which is supposed to be given to God. Temptation is very powerful and we should always ask for the help of the Holy Spirit. But when we sin, which is inevitable while we are in this body, we should always confess to God that we have for "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Update

So a lot of things (mostly failures) happened these past two days. Of course they're no excuse to not update this blog. Now I'm back to reality, and I really need focus.

Right now I'm reading about the Bible from http://www.windmillministries.org/IBT.htm, and I learned that the version I've been using (NIV) is a "dynamic equivalent translation." The translation could be subjective. Then I'll be continuing the reading about the compilation of the Bible. Of course, I'll still continue the diary.

Boxes

"Merry Christmas!"

This is what beggars say during this season to ask for money (mostly kids, but even adults do this). People, believing that the spirit of Christmas is in giving and forgiving, take money out of their pockets. These kids then call their comrades and nag (or pest, if I may say) to death these 'generous' men. After a short while - or a long one, depending on how dense/rich - men stop giving. This attitude of kids and adults kills the 'generosity' of good guys out there. Good men are indeed hard to find. This is a huge problem to the society.

Others say that Christmas is about spending quality time with the family and friends. A lot of people become sentimental and often wish that their missing, overseas or dead relatives can come home even just once to celebrate Christmas. There's nothing wrong about this, is there?

Yes there is. The root of the problems lie in a viral misunderstanding of Christmas. It is extremely evident that humanity is doing everything in its power to remove the Christ in Christmas: "X-mas", "Happy Holidays", "Santa Claus", "Spirit of Giving", and hundreds more which I do not have time to mention. Media commercials never mention Christ, perhaps in fear of being branded as biased towards a religion. This gives birth to the current condition of the Christmas season: a time for spending time with the family or a time of giving and receiving, the latter of which is being abused by many. I'm not saying that it is wrong to do either: what I'm saying is that doing all these is worthless without the right reason in which it is done. It is a form without substance, a gift box without a gift. Disappointingly fascinating, people choose this box and throw away the gift that God has given.

To end this, I'd like to share a poem I (with the help of my Dad) made a few years back.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
A man in blue, smiling, handing
A coin or two to a poor lass
He’s happy, with eyes a caring.
For love is the heart of giving
Giving is the art of living

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas.
A boy, caroling, cajoling
From house to house, from bus to bus
And begging with a can of tin
Hopeless, desperate, mirroring
A grim society we’re in

But Christmas is not us giving
It is receiving life endless
It is not candy, nor money
But is God’s gracious gift Jesus
A gift to change each one’s heart
A heart to change society
     For us to say, “Merry Christmas!”

Piracy and Christianity

Intellectual property rights hmm. I don't really know about the law here in my country, but I'll look into it. Meanwhile, another link for reading pleasures. http://www.gotquestions.org/sin-copyright.html

Piracy and Christianity

I've been bothered by me using downloaded ebooks from the internet. I don't really know what to do, I seem to need them for my studies. What do you think?

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/piracy.of.gospel.music.worries.christian.music.ministries/675.htm

Status

Since last year I've been trying to finish the bible from cover to cover. I began with the book of Matthew, and am currently reading Psalms. From now on, I will try to write here what I think and verses or phrases that stick to my mind. I will also try to apply OIA (Observation, Interpretation, Application) to my readings.