Quest to Memorize The New Testament

The previous post which I was inspired for this article is in this link  My Progress in Memorizing Romans (Chapters 4-6).   Philippians 3:13 - Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead   2 Corinthians 5:17-21 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.   Have you watched a movie or heard a story about someone who had amnesia and forgotten all including the bad memories he or she had and turned out to be a blessing for he can start a new fresh life? I had watched many that even those villain became suddenly a good person, or maybe they had found their knight in shining armor who saved them and accepted them no matter what their past was. Well that might be a fantasy but actually we can see that even Paul has not made it himself to forget some unfortunate past....

Since I am too inspired on this Romans memorization, I started earlier than I should but I give myself more grace and just take in a couple of verse a day, so now I have 4 verses memorized roughly. In my last schedule I suppose to start on 13-Oct-2019 but well it just becomes a habit to memorize a new verse at least one a day. For me, when there is a new book that I would like to memorize, I try to research the setting like why it is written, who, when, etc. and all other facts I could get. This video below (if below video doesn't play,  this link  might work, its the same) I find this as good resource, this is first of two parts, I'll post later when I watch the second part. The preacher's motive is to unlock the bible, like a key to understand the book. Now I don't believe in everything  immediately of course, since I know he is a man, all of us may have different insight. He  said will not 'spoon feed' us, we have to do our own work to...

28 Sep 2019 - Saturday I've recorded from Fox TV this movie the 'The Great Wall'. The first time I watched this was when our company has a free movie night - to show courtesy for the effort of the company to bring us together for bonding. I know this movie does not glorify the God I worship and it is a fantasy movie but this reminds me of the real battle Christians are facing. While that movie is war in the natural eyes although its made up, our Christian walk is an unseen battle which takes toll of our real life. So the enemies in the movie were scary 'Tao Tei' - they are like dragon, half crocodile and size of two elephants. They have a queen who gives orders and signals - so similar to the kingdom of Satan, only thing Satan can disguise as an angel of light, well if he looked like these monster he wouldn't easily lure many people. After the initial attack, Matt Damon asked 'will they come back?' the General answered 'yes, all we can do is prepar...

September 26, 2019 While I am in the midst of schedule memorizing the Gospel of John (Chapter 18) I decided for something unusual. For the last couple of days and for this week long, I decided to recite to myself Titus every morning, 10 minutes before I step to my office - after all its just 3 short chapters. Why?, first is because it has become rusty when the last time I review it, and second, I am in dire need to remind myself how to behave myself at work lately. "to speak evil of no one", "to show perfect courtesy towards all people".  (Not that I already totally attained it, I am still not successful sometimes that is why I am trying to memorize and hopefully I can 'own' those words I am storing in my heart). This book (among many others) reminds me I am to the grace of God so it would be easier to extend the grace to others who are not so nice or unfair. I badly need the wisdom of the bible and the strength from the Spirit in my daily li...

April 7, 2019   My schedule for March was to memorize 1 Timothy,  2 Timothy and Titus.  Praise God that now they are in my weekly review.  I'm also now currently memorizing 1 Peter and I notice that all these 4 books have theme for training in godliness. It happens these are what I need now in my situation in my work. April 10, 2019 Thankful to God that I have now memorized 1st Peter. Lately I've been inspired of this one site https://www.preceptaustin.org/memorizing_his_word  which gives me mixed thoughts on what I am doing. It gives me the strong conviction that what  I am doing now, hiding the precious words of my saviour in my heart in a systematic way with a goal - is indeed a well time spent. This is a way I could put the word of truth in my heart in order that I could use it, that I could walk it out. However there was a part of that site that gives a strong warning regarding legalism, from that site it defines it as:   "Lega...

Feb 11, 2019 After memorizing the book of Ephesians, I am still in daily review but I feel I still can take new verses rather than purely reviewing. I remember that when I was reviewing James,  I couldn't perfectly recite it yet but I take in new verses of another book and through out the next few month reviewing I can perfectly recite it. Now I am taking Philippians,  2nd day and I have 15 verses already. It is such a lovely book, full of graceful words which rejoices my heart.   Feb 16,2019 I've finished memorizing Philippians 1 and started in Chapter 2. Ephesians daily review for 7 days is done and maybe I'll review after 3 days if I can safely put it in weekly review.  Feels good to be on track.  I created a new plan of memorizing the new testament with monthly separate tab. Documenting every step so I can repeat the method in every book on the way.   Feb 19, 2019 I am scheduled to finish memorizing Philippians 2 tomorrow.  As always...

Feb 6, 2019   I'd like to emphasize that now that I returned in this practice (about two weeks now),  all the days seemed important, not only weekends which was used to be my favorite. I look forward even to go to work because the dead times are profitable time to complete my goals.  The world has lost its attraction to me,  I didn't need to spend money out to entertain myself or watch tv for hours because of the word of truth reminds me my position in Christ.   I hastily memorize this book before I embark memorizing the Gospel of John.  Because I was too excited to start in John,  I didn't follow my review schedules.  Then comes my long period - two years that I stopped reviewing any books. (it was a very difficult time for me, like a malnourished child from word of truth). As a result,  Ephesians is now difficult to re-memorize,  at least compared to James, which I really spent good time of review. I now learn the lesson of...

Feb 2019 Hiatus means a pause or break in an activity. I didn't realized it has happened to me, as if I left in my home and searched an unknown place - nothing but barrenness and dessert without the constant words of God in my memories. Many reasons, like my change of job , change of systems in our company that needs more re-learning, pregnancy, death of a beloved brother in Christ (Bro Henry) who the Lord helped to lead me to him after I became agnostic. Whatever the reasons are, I am glad I realized how is my life without this activity - it is a blessing in disguise and now I know I will do this forever this time as long the Lord gives me life.    It was a while that I paused memorizing and reviewing my memorized books,  about two years (2017-2018). Those times were the most difficult days of my life since I knew our Lord,  because I seem to forgot the hope to which I was called out of my stress in every area o...

It was fresh in my mind when I posted that something had improved my memorization. Being active, taking a photocopy of the pages I'm memorizing and constant practice. These are all by the flesh but it does work. Lately my focus on my study is to understand the Gospel. To find answers to the questions I had when I was younger, like why did Jesus prayed with blood on the night before he was crucified if He knew from the beginning that all this will going to happen. Also when he was on the cross why did He say "Father, why have you forsaken me". Some sermons by Paul Washer, reading Psalms, bible study, earnest prayer to the Lord to help me understand...these things leads me to somehow grasp a little, if its the "tip of the ice berg" so to say. To understand that it is not the beating that our Lord feared, it was not the nails or the torture, it was the "Cup of Wrath" that God had given to him to drink on that cross, its the full measure of just punishme...

I am glad that I decided to be firm and use back ESV and not change the bible translation for memorization. I could see that I am back to track following my schedule, today I had finished memorizing John 10, though it is still in my temporary memory. The advantage that I was stirred which bible translation to use is that I discovered great insights from an NKJV based bible study "New Spirit Filled Life bible" given a brother who helped me to become Christian. Before, this book gather dust in the shelf but now it became helpful for me in studying the Word. As I am reviewing my old chapters, I cant help but be struck on John 6 the portions when Lord Jesus said "I am the bread of Life". This was the most difficult chapter and longest that I tried to commit to memory. I suppose to finish it by 3 weeks but it took me more than two months. Thanks be to God for giving me grace to continue pressing on this goal, I could not quote it perfectly yet but time wi...

There are instances I knew I could have applied a particular verse in a situation but I vented on the weakness of my flesh instead. For example, someone just spoke harsh words to me and I answered in a harsh manner and the other person end up to become even harsher, the verse Proverbs 15:1 and James 1:19 clings my mind but it was too late ( Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger; James 1:19 Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger). But what is the difference now? I am convicted and not swayed by the deceitfulness of sin. Then I would renew my mind (Romans 12:2 - "Be transformed by the renewal of your mind..") and resolve to have the peace with the person. I noticed as well that usually I would benefit on the verses long after I memorized them, something like when it goes to my veins and bloodstreams that's the time I couldn't help but just use them. I had never regretted all vers...