Empires and colonies

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There are many reasons why empires were established, but the most lasting ones have always been Gold and Glory. Take a modern empire for example: the United State. If an empire means the relationship of a hegemonial state to peoples or nations under its control, then certainly the United States fit into the description. Speaking in an extremely un-academic manner (I'm sick of doing things in the academic way for the moment), the United States, under George Bush, has truly established an empire, all over the world. Its economic control over the world is certainly a testimony of its imperialistic nature... and isn't it true that they hold an interest in the oil in the Middle East, and sought for glory in the wars recently in the same areas? Anyway, let's drop that topic, I'm not here to argue about that.

But what does empire mean to you? So far, we have been learning about empires in history, under the context of conquest and occupation. It's done by human... And historically, the reasons for empire can be summarised into 3 reasons: Gold, God and Glory. But we are talking about physical empires... so have anyone thought about it before: God is also expanding His empire on Earth, just that we use the word kingdom. And His empire is not of a physical one, but a spiritual one. And his empire also means a certain relationship, that of an all-powerful and all-knowing God to His beloved people, under the authority of His Word. The empire of God started about two thousand years ago in Galilee, after Jesus was being baptised by John the Baptist. From then, God's empire has been ever increasing, thus becoming the largest and the most lasting empire ever seen in human history. And what's the reason for establishing this empire?? Well, there can only be one answer - it's one which I have so frequently discussed in this blog and I dun think I shall go into that now.

Well, do you believe in God-inspired wisdom? I believe. Take for example, I'm currently in the process of doing a mid-term essay which is due next monday. This morning, while I was struggling at starting the essay and coming out with an outline, I decided to pray to God for a breakthrough. After praying, I carried on doing the essay without much progress... but then, suddenly, a spark of wisdom lightened me and I suddenly was able to come out with a coherent outline. After that, all I needed to do is just to expand the points. I believed that it's not just me, but it's actually God who gave me that spark to ignite the ideas within me. And it's not the first time it happened. 21 November 2005, it also happened, though I have not received Christ then, but my to-be CG helped me to pray for my essay, and while I was doing my essay after that, I suddenly got struck down by a bolt of revelation - that my approach has all along been wrong and I was not answering the question. It may be true that these cases may be coincidences, but strange as it is, ever since I started my prayer life, the frequency of these coincidences increased like nobody's business. Now that's what we need to address here. In view of this, I just remember this said from Jesus:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
-Matthew 7:7-8

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