THE CHILDREN OF GOD
Antioch Junior Youth Fellowship
Church of Christ of Malaya
54 Sophia Road
Singapore 228 150
antioch.junior@gmail.com

For youths age 13 and above,
Sunday school - 8:30 AM
Youth Fellowship - 9:30 AM
Service - 11.30AM


THEME

LOVE ONE ANOTHER
VERSE
John 13:34 (NIV)
A new command I give you:
love one another. As I have loved you,
so you must love one another.


Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

THIS SUNDAY'S PROGRAMME
Date: 29 June 2008 Programme: 联合崇拜 (大堂)

SPECIAL: anshao choir debut!
ANNOUCEMENTS

Worship leader(s): -
Musician: -
Scripture Reading + Sharing: -
Next Upcoming Birthday: Julia (10 July)

INTERACTIONS

YOUTHS FOR CHRIST

our consultants
zixu daoshi - 10 Jan
lihui daoshi -28 April
lijuan daoshi - 14 June
jiyao daoshi - 24 June
zhongming daoshi - 31 July
weien daoshi - 1 Nov

1990
zaneta - 23 Feb
lunsiong - 31 Mar
benjamin - 25 June
kaishan - 6 Aug
junyan - 24 Aug
nicholas - 3 Sept
yvonne - 10 Dec
guangyi - 23 Dec

1991
hengyue - 11 Mar
lihao - 18 May
yeechuan - 21 May
crosby - 10 June
samantha - 20 June
rebecca - 24 June
julia - 10 July
yongxin - 19 Aug
alvin - 21 Aug
joel - 28 Aug
jenalyn - 13 Sep
darrell - 8 Oct
lloyd - 13 Nov
zhiyang - 10 Dec

1992
zhikai - 24 Feb
kaiwen - 3 Aug
sarah - 13 Aug
lucy - 31 Oct
esther - 23 Sep
gerald - 12 Dec
zhonghan - 31 Dec

1993
isabella - 21 Jan
magdalene - 29 Jan
kokkien - 31 Jan
shaun - 11 Apr
meiting - 21 Nov

1994
jolene - 24 Feb
huajie - 3 May
irene - 3 Oct
rachel - 7 Oct
jin - 21 Nov


1995
crystal - 20 Feb
grace - 10 Mar
benedict - 19 May
olivia - 11 Aug
samuel - 3 Oct
zhihan - 21 Dec
ARCHIVES
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
May 2008
June 2008


CREDITS
image: deviantart
brushes: tutorialblog.org
patterns:44suburbia
designer:hope

Monday, June 2, 2008

THE BEST RESTAURANT EVER... (another restaurant story)

I shook my head in disbelief. This couldn’t be the right place.

After all, I couldn’t possibly be welcome here. I had been given an invitation several times, by several different people, and I had finally decided to see what this place was all about. But, this just couldn’t be the right place.

Quickly, I glanced down at the invitation that I clutched in my hand. I scanned past the words, “Come as you are. No jacket required” and found the location. Yes, I was at the right place. I peered through the window again and saw a room of people whose faces seemed to glow with joy.

All were neatly dressed, adorned in fine garments and appeared strangely clean as they dined at this exquisite restaurant. Ashamed, I looked down at my own tattered and torn clothing, covered in stains. I was dirty, in fact, filthy. A foul smell seemed to consume me and I couldn’t shake the grime that clung to my body.

As I turned around to leave, the words from the invitation seemed to leap out at me…”Come as you are. No jacket required.” I decided to give it a shot. Mustering up every bit of courage I could find, I opened the door to this restaurant and walked up to a man standing behind a podium. “Your name, sir?” he asked me with a smile. “Jimmy D. Brown,” I mumbled without looking up. I thrust my hands deep into my pockets, hoping to conceal their stains. He didn’t seem to notice the filth that I was covered in and he continued, “Very good, sir.

A table is reserved in your name. Would you like to be seated?” I couldn’t believe what I heard! A grin broke out on my face and I said, “Yes, of course!” He led me to a table, and sure enough, there was a place-card with my name written on it in a deep, dark red.

As I browsed over a menu, I saw many delightful items listed. There were things like, “peace,” “joy,” “blessings,” “confidence,” “assurance,” “hope,” “love,” “faith,” and “mercy.” I realized that this was no ordinary restaurant! I flipped the menu back to the front in order to see where I was at…”God’s Grace,” was the name of this place.

The man returned and said, “I recommend the ‘Special of the Day’. With it you are entitled to heaping portions of everything on this menu.” You’ve got to be kidding! I thought to myself. You mean, I can have ALL of this?! “What is the ‘Special of the Day’?” I asked with excitement ringing in my voice. “Salvation,” was his reply. “I’ll take it,” I practically cried out. Then, as quickly as I made that statement, the joy left my body.

A sick painful ache jerked through my stomach and tears filled my eyes. Between my sobs I said…”Mister, look at me. I’m dirty and nasty. I am unclean and unworthy of such things. I’d love to have all of this, but, but, I just can’t afford it.” Undaunted, the man smiled again. “Sir, your check has already been taken care of by that Gentleman over there,” he said as he pointed to the front of the room. “His name is Jesus.”

Turning, I saw a man whose very presence seemed to light the room. He was almost too much to look at. I found myself walking towards Him and in a shaking voice I whispered, “Sir, I’ll wash the dishes or sweep the floors or take out the trash. I’ll do anything I can do to repay You for all this.” He opened His arms and said with a smile, “Son, all of this is yours if you just come unto me. Ask me to clean you up and I will. Ask me to allow you to feast at my table and you will eat. Remember, the table is reserved in your name. All you must do is accept this gift that I offer you.”

Astonished, I fell at his feet and said, “Please, Jesus. Please clean up my life. Please change me and sit me at your table and give me this new life.” Immediately, I heard the words, “It is finished.” I looked down and white robes adorned my body. Something strange and wonderful had happened.

I felt new, like a weight had been lifted and I found myself seated at His table. “The ‘Special of the Day’ has been served,” the Lord said to me. “Salvation is yours.” We sat and talked for a great while and I so enjoyed the time that I spent with Him. He told me, me of all people, that He would like for me to come back as often as I liked for another helping from God’s Grace. He made it clear that He wanted me to spend as much time with Him as possible. As it drew near time for me to go back outside into the “real world,” He whispered to me softly, “And Lo, I am with you always.

And then, He said something to me that I will never forget. He said…”My child, do you see these empty tables?” “Yes, Lord. I see them. What do they mean?” I replied. “These are reserved tables…but the individuals whose names are on each place-card have not accepted their invitation yet.

Would you be so kind as to hand out these invitations to those who have not joined us as yet?” Jesus asked. “Of course,” I said with excitement as I picked up the invitations. “Go ye therefore into all nations.” He said as I turned to leave. I walked into God’s Grace dirty and hungry. Stained in sin. My righteousness as filthy rags.

And Jesus cleaned me up. I walked out a brand new man…robed in white, His righteousness. And so, I’ll keep my promise to my Lord. I’ll go. I’ll spread the Word. I’ll share the Gospel… I’ll hand out the invitations.

And I’ll start with you. Have you been to God’s Grace? There’s a table reserved in your name, and here’s your invitation…

“Come as you are. No jacket required.” —— “For by grace are you saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” - Ephesians 2: 8

God's amazing
4:20 PM;

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

video recommended by LJDS (: hope you all find it touching



alternatively, click this link if it loads too slowly:
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cf08faca5dd9ea45513

God's amazing
11:09 PM;

Monday, May 5, 2008






He sits by himself at a table for two.
The uniformed waiter returns to his side and ask.
"Would you like to go ahead and order, sir?"
The man has, after all been waiting since seven o'clock -- almost half an hour.
"No, thank you," the man smiles. "I'll wait for her a while longer. How about some more coffee?"
"Certainly, sir."




The man sits, his clear blue eyes gazing straight through the flowered centrepiece. He fingers his napkin, allowing the sound of light chatter, tingling silverware, and mellow music to fill his mind. He dressed in sports coat and tie. His brown hair is neatly combed, but one stray lock insists on dropping to his forehead. The scent of his cologne adds to his clean cut image. He is dressed up enough to make a companion feel important, respected, loved. yet he is not so formal as to make one uncomfortable. It seems that he has taken every precaution to make others feel at ease with him.



Still, he sits alone.
The waiter return to fill the man's coffee cup.
"Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?"
"No, thank you."
The waiter remains standing at the table. Something tugs at his curiosity.
"I don't mean to pry, but ..." His voice trail off. This line of conversation could jeopardize his tip.
"Go ahead," the man encourages. His strong yet sensitive, inviting conversation.
"Why do you bother waiting for her?" the waiter finally blurts out. This man has been at the restaurant other evenings, always patiently alone.
Says the man quietly,
"Because she needs me."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Well, sir, no offense, but assuming that she needs you, she sure isnt acting much like it. She stood you up three times this week."
The man winces, and looks down at the table,
"Yes, I know."
"Then why do you still come here and wait?"
"Cassie said that she would be here."

"She said that before," the
waiter protests. "I wouldn't put up with it. Why do you?"
Now the man looks up, smiles at the waiter, and says simply,
"Because I love her."



The waiter walks away, wondering how one could love a girl who stand him up three times a week. The man must be crazy, he decides. Across the room, he turns to look at the man again. The man slowly pours cream into his coffee. He twirls his spoon between his finger a few times before stirring sweetner into his cup. After staring for a moment into the liquid, the man brings the cup to his mouth and sips, silently watching those around him. He doesn't look crazy, the waiter admits. Maybe the girl has qualities that I don't know about. Or maybe the man's love is stronger than most. The waiter shakes himself out of his musing to take order from a party of five.


The man watches the waiter, wonders if he's ever been stood up. The man has, many times. But he still can't get used to it. Each time, it hurts. He'e looked forward to this evening all day. He has many things, exciting things, to tell Cassie. But, more importantly, he wants to hear Cassie's voice. He wants her to tell him all about her day, her triumphs, her defeats ... anything, really. He'd just like to know that she cares for him, too. He sips sporadically at the coffee, and loses himself in thought, knowing that Cassie is late, but still hoping that she will arrive.


The clock says nine-thirty when the waiter returns to the man's table.


"Is there anything I can get for you?"
The still empty chairs stabs at the man.
"No, I think that will be all for tonight. May I have the check please?"
"Yes, sir."


When the waiter leaves, the man picks up the check. He pulls out his wallet and signs. He has enough money to have given Cassie a feast. But he takes out only enough to pay for his five cups of coffee and the tip. Why do you do this Cassie, his mind cries as he gets up from the table.


"Good-bye," the waiter says, as the man walks towards the door.
"Good night. Thank you for your service."
"You're welcome, sir,"
says the waiter softly, for he sees the hurt in the man's eyes that his smile doesn't hide.
The man passes a laughing young couple on his way out, and his eyes glisten as he thinks of the good time he and Cassie could have had. He stops at the front and makes reservations for tomorrow. Maybe Cassie will be able to make it, he thinks.


"Seven o'clock tomorrow for party of two?" the hostess confirms.
"That's right," the man replies.
"Do you think she'll come?" asks the hostess. She doesnt mean to be rude. but she has watched the man many times alone at his table for two.
"Someday, yes. And I will wait for her." The man buttons his overcoat and walks out of the restaurant, alone. His shoulder are hunched, but through the windows the hostess can only guess whether they are hunched the wind or against the man's hurt.


As the man turns towards home, Cassie turns into bed. She is tired after an evening out with her friends. As she reaches towards her night stand to set the alarm, she sees the note that she scribbled to herself last night. '7:00,' it says.


'Spend some time in prayer.' Darn, she thinks. She forgot again. She feels a twinge of guilt, but quickly pushes it aside. She needed that time with her friends. And now she needs her sleep. She can pray tomorrow night. Jesus will forgive her. And she's sure HE doesn't mind.


- Kristen Burgees





**I apologise for being lazy and not updating. xP
so, to compensate, i typed this article by myself, got it from my cell group.
i posted this in my blog too!
hope that you guys will be encouraged by this short story and yearn to meet up with God everyday.
don't make Him wait anymore! :D
-Yvonne**


God's amazing
9:13 PM;

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

March 24, 2008
Just Jewelry?

ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Matthew 27:22-26

God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. —Galatians 6:14
Some Christians make it a habit to wear a cross. It may be on a necklace or a lapel pin. It may be worn thoughtlessly as a decoration or prayerfully to let people know of the wearer’s personal faith.

In April 2006, a Methodist church in the city of Dudley, England, found out that it would have to pay a fee to put a cross on its new building. Yes, a fee was required because under British law the cross is an advertisement. It proclaims to the world, whether on a person or a building, that the blood-stained cross of Calvary is our only hope of forgiveness and salvation.

Our Bible reading today tells us of the cross—the instrument of execution used on our Savior (Matt. 27:22-26). The crowd in anger shouted, “Let Him be crucified!” The cross is a sign of His death, and must not be taken lightly. This should cause us to examine what the cross means to us. Is it a witness to our eternal hope in the saving death of Jesus on Calvary?

While wearing the cross may be a challenging mark of discipleship, far more challenging is our Lord’s command that we “take up [our] cross daily” and learn what it means to follow in His footsteps (Luke 9:23). And that includes a willingness to practice costly discipleship. — Vernon C. Grounds

“Take up thy cross and follow Me,”I hear the blessed Savior call;How can I make a lesser sacrifice When Jesus gave His all? —Ackley

Because Jesus bore the cross for us, we should be willing to take it up for Him.

http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml

yeah, so now we know that we shoudn't thoughtlessly wear the cross but prayerfully to let others know our faith (:

hope you all like the article too.

love,
jen

God's amazing
11:35 AM;

Saturday, March 22, 2008

HAHAHAHA, sorry becca and yvonne dears!
go ma fan you two for the user and pass.haha xD

anyway, these are some pics i took during the sheng ri zhou.
abit pathetic, but at least better than nothing.
x)
the cake with candles lighted with a blurred yvonne hahaha :D
grace and...? and yvonne with the cake
zann! yvonne taking pic of cake
somewhat blurred image...
you ocan recognise zan by her tee hahahaha (:
go find ppl!
i think that this pic is VERY NICE cos its ironic, go figure hte ARTISTIC meaning behind it haha xD
aloha! light! from God's love...
smile leh ppl! ;O
comparing shirts...LOL
woots smile le ((:
cheers!
the loong roll of ppl!
pose and be glam!
gahh!


God's amazing
7:37 PM;

Saturday, February 23, 2008

useful BGR advice recommended by lijuan daoshi (:

taken from this link: http://everystudent.com/sg/features/wolves.html

There's a saying that goes, "The best plan is to profit by the folly of others." That's what this article is about. I want to share with you a few things I've learnt -- the hard way -- concerning girls and relationships. Specifically, I've jotted down ten reasons why I'm now waiting until marriage to have sex.

Dating Advice #1:I now know that sex isn't all it's cracked up to be.

When I was in university, I remember having an experience that I referred to as a "love hangover." After being with a girl, the next morning I always felt an emptiness. That's something you won't see on TV or in films, but it happens a lot. There was emptiness, even regret, afterwards.
The "love hangover" was a strange occurrence for me. Mainly because when I was in university, sex was my "god." As a male, it's what I thought about morning, noon and night. So you would imagine that having sex would have been completely fulfilling-- the crowning achievement in the worship of my "god." And yet, there was often a lack of fulfilment afterwards.
Has that been your experience, too? Have you ever had a "love hangover"? If you have, you should stop and consider, "Why is that? Why is it that sex, if it's so important to me, leaves me with an empty feeling?"
I remember being confused by this emptiness. I then concluded: "I just need more [sex], that's all." (We often think this way about stuff we hope will fulfil us, then doesn't. For example, we get the car we've always wanted, but then it's just "okay" after awhile. Instead of realizing that a car can't really satisfy us, we usually make the error of thinking, "Well, I guess that wasn't the right car. A different one will give me lasting fulfilment.")
But the emptiness continued. So, finally, I came to the conclusion that premarital sex wasn't all it's cracked up to be. It gets too much hype. It's not what films make it out to be. If it were, it would be completely fulfiling. There wouldn't be any "emptiness."

Dating Advice #2:I now want to be more honourable toward women.

I've found that girls often don't fully understand what's going on when it comes to sex. That is, their perspective on the whole thing is very different from a guy's. Often a girl will justify sex by saying, "But I love him," even if she doesn't really want to go through with it. Why does that happen? It's been said that, "Girls use sex to get love; guys use love to get sex."
This is how it works: the girl is picturing marrying the guy some day; the guy is picturing everything he wants to do with the girl before he goes back to tell his buddies about it. And while something inside her is telling her it's the right thing to do, something inside the guy is telling him just the opposite, yet he proceeds. Why? For the physical pleasure no doubt, but also, I think, for another reason: it makes him feel like a man. But there is a great irony in that, for what is manly about deceiving a woman?
Something I've discovered is that, when you honour a woman, you are honouring yourself. Why? Because someday you will have regret, and the regret will last much longer than the pleasure. In the film Rob Roy, the main character says, "Honour is a gift a man gives himself." When you honour a woman by doing what you know to be right in your heart (that is, what's in her best interest), you honour yourself and insure that you will have no long-lasting regrets to live with.

Dating Advice #3:That's somebody else's wife.

Here's what I mean: most of the girls I've been with are now married to other men. When I put myself in the shoes of those men, I wish that I hadn't done what I've done. In fact, I might even like to punch myself in the nose for it.
And so it goes without saying that when I get married, I'm not going to like the idea that someone else has had his way with my wife. What about you? Do you like the idea of someone else being with your wife? If you have a girlfriend now and feel that way, think of how much stronger that feeling will be with your wife someday.
You can even take it a step further. That girl is someone's daughter. What if she were my daughter? Or what if she were my sister? Would I want some guy like me taking advantage of her? I now see girls from a different perspective. They're someone else's future wife, someone else's daughter, sister, etc.

Dating Advice #4:Sex has killed my best relationships.

For example, I had a university sweetheart, the girl of my dreams. With her, there was never a dull moment. We totally "clicked." We waited for awhile, then, through my initiation, we started having sex.
Sex soon became the focus of our relationship. I stopped wanting to get to know her on any other level. And so, instead of growing closer together, we actually started drifting apart. That's what I mean by "sex killed my best relationships." People can relate on many different levels -- emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually. But when my girlfriend and I started relating mostly physically, it short-circuited the other parts of our relationship. As a result, the relationship as a whole started to go south. We might still be together today if we (I) had waited.
I've seen this happen with countless relationships, not just others of my own, but those of many other people. And I think there's a reason for this, which I'll explain next.

Dating Advice #5:Sex before marriage ruins the other parts of the relationship.

For me, two things happened once I had sex with a girl. As I look back on it, I can say that they happened literally every time, although I was unaware of these dynamics at the time. The two things were this: 1) I lost respect for the girl (even though I didn't want to); and 2) she began to mistrust me (even though she didn't want to).
I don't know why this happened, I just know that it did. Maybe it's just built into "the system." But one thing's for sure: I'm not alone. I've seen it happen over and over again. I know many people having marital problems because they engaged in premarital sex. They go into the marriage with lack of respect and lack of trust, two absolute necessities for the health of any marriage.
I know a newlywed couple who have sex less than once a month because of this--he doesn't respect her, she knows it, and she doesn't trust him, so she doesn't want to give herself to him. It's very sad, and more common than you might think. But nobody talks about this kind of thing in public. And the film and TV portrayals of couples having sex before marriage never present it either. It's like no one wants to acknowledge that it's happening, even though it is.

Dating Advice #6:Waiting to have sex with my wife will mean better sex in my marriage.

Why? Because we'll go into the marriage with me having more respect for her and her having more trust in me. One thing I've learnt: if a girl doesn't trust a guy, she doesn't want to give herself wholly to him. Deep down, she doesn't really enjoy being with him.
This is how it works. Since "girls use sex to get love, and guys use love to get sex," a couple will have sex before marriage. The girl does this to hold on to the relationship. The guy does it because he wants it even more than the relationship itself. Then, after the marriage, the woman has what she wants: a commitment from the man. So she doesn't need to use sex to get him anymore. And, because she may be harboring resentment because he had sex with her before they were married, she is now not interested in sex. And the guy -- who doesn't treasure his wife because of the sex before marriage -- still wants sex but not as a total bonding experience with his wife. It's just sex, which she figures out. So, there is a lousy sex life in the marriage.
I'm not making this stuff up. Now that I'm out of university and many people around me are getting married, I'm seeing it happen all the time. The antidote: waiting for marriage to have sex will give the man a greater respect for his wife and the woman a greater respect for her husband. And consequently they'll have better and more frequent sex because they respect each other more and love each other more deeply.

Dating Advice #7:Not having sex with other women will mean better sex in my marriage.

Sex is a mysterious thing that causes a deep bond between people, even if we call it "casual." The problem is this: the more I bond with other girls, the less I'll be able to bond with my future wife. It's like a piece of scotch tape -- the more you use it on different surfaces, the less it sticks to things. After awhile, it won't stick to anything.
If I bond with other girls before I get married, I won't be able to bond as well with my wife someday. I won't cherish her as much as I could have, and consequently I won't love her as much as I could have. Each day that passes that I've remained faithful to my future wife means that my relationship with her will be better.
It's a funny thing: our culture decries adultery, yet it freely condones premarital sex, even with multiple partners. That's ironic. Because, if you take the element of time out of the equation, premarital sex is adultery. We can imagine how adultery would greatly injure a marriage relationship, maybe premarital sex actually has nearly the same result. It injures the potential bond between a man and a woman.

Dating Advice #8:I don't have to sleep with a woman to know if we're "sexually compatible."

Sex is meant to compliment a relationship, not be the most important aspect of it. That's what I've found out. It's supposed to be the icing on the cake when all the other aspects of your relationship are working well. I've come to understand that the sex will be good if the rest of the relationship is good. That's why I know I don't have to sleep with my wife to find out if we're sexually compatible. If we get along in every other area, the sex will be fine.
Something else needs to be said here. Another thing I think I've "discovered" is this: when you place sex as the determining factor of the relationship, it will probably result in poor sex. Think about it. If you put your sexual relationship under a microscope, always judging it and judging the relationship by it, it's doomed to fail. It's like being in prison. You're locked in to something that is supposed to be freeing, not incapacitating.
But, when you focus on the other parts of the relationship, and the sex isn't the focus, then you're freed up to have a more enjoyable sex life, with no pressure of having to make it always spectacular. (Because it won't be.) And yet, I don't think that as a university-age adult I was capable of not focusing on sex, that is, unless it wasn't present at all. That's why I think it's best to wait altogether.

Dating Advice #9:I have found something more satisfying than sex.

I know what you're thinking: "Yeh, right." But it's true. And in fact, in a way sex helped me to discover the something that outdoes it. And that something is not really a something, it's a someone. It's God.
Just hear me out on this one, I know it sounds far-fetched, but the whole thing makes sense. God has created us in such a way that we can't be ultimately satisfied by anything except Him. He built that into the human system, and into each one of our individual systems. As one man put it, "Inside every person is a God-shaped vacuum that only God can fill."
That's why we see people change careers, mates, fashions, and more -- because in our search for ultimate fulfilment, we get frustrated with the things (and people) that have not achieved it for us. So we discard them and move on to something (or someone) else, hoping that in them we will find the kind of fulfilment we are all really looking for. But the problem is, we never find it unless we come to God for it, because only He can provide it.
God loves us too much to see us truly satisfied by anything other than Himself. He wants the best for us, and that means Himself. Nothing or no one is more important than God. I know that's true because I found it out for myself. The emptiness I had -- after buying this and buying that, after sexual escapades, after all my efforts to be fulfiled in life -- the emptiness came to an end when I asked God into my life. More specifically, when I asked Jesus Christ into my life. Jesus Christ said, "He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35). Those words came true in my life. When I entered into a relationship with God, the God-shaped vacuum inside me was finally filled. I didn't feel empty anymore. Consequently, knowing God has given me a deeper satisfaction than sex ever did.

Dating Advice #10:God has given me the strength to wait.

It's been years since I've had sex. I wish I could say that I totally waited for marriage, but I can't. I do have regrets (and, as I said before, they have lasted much longer than any momentary pleasures). I have regrets about the way I've treated girls. I have concerns about the stability of my future marriage (if and when I get married). But God has helped me to deal with my past acts and with my concerns for the future. He is in the process of changing me, and has changed me a lot already.
Also, God has given me the ability to wait for marriage to have sex again. Sure, it's been a struggle at times, but God has been big enough to get me through it. All things are possible with Him. And each day, week, year that goes by, I know I'll have a better and stronger marriage someday because I've waited. Too, I have a stronger relationship with God, today, as a result of depending on Him in this vital area of my life as a man.

Where to Start

If you want to be successful in relationships someday -- as a husband and a father -- the best place to start is with yourself. The trick is not in finding the right wife, or having the right children. The key is to start with you. And the most important relationship you can have -- one that will make you a better husband and father -- is a relationship with God.
God is the author of sex, love and relationships in general. He created these things for us to enjoy. And we can enjoy them fully if we follow His design for them. I've come to discover that God is not a "moralizer." He doesn't say, "Do this" or "Don't do this" for no reason. When He says, "Don't do this" (for example, wait for marriage to have sex), He's not saying that to show me who's boss, He's saying it because it's in my best interest. He's saying it because He knows how He's built me as a man, what is best for me, and what will bring me the most fulfilment.

Knowing God Personally
The Bible says that Jesus Christ was God who became man -- "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." He was "the exact representation of His [God's] being." In short, Jesus Christ revealed exactly what God is like. So how do we begin a relationship with Him?
God has a genuine love for us and wants us to know Him...but there is a problem. Currently, what stands in the way of us connecting with God is our sin (our failure to love God and others perfectly).
So Jesus Christ ("God in the flesh") took all of our sin on His shoulders while He willingly died on a cross. He did this so we could be completely forgiven, completely acceptable to Him. He made the great sacrifice of being beaten, humiliated, whipped and crucified on our behalf. Then, after three days, He rose from the dead. He now asks us to respond to His sacrifice by inviting Him into our lives.
Jesus Christ was the most masculine man who ever lived. People don't often give Him much credit for that, but it's true. So, when you ask Him to come into your life, you are asking the one Person who knows more about being a man than any other man. He will help you to become a real man -- not the Hollywood version -- but someone far more fulfiled in life and far more valuable to the lives of others.
What does that real man look like? He doesn't look like a wolf (someone who looks out only for himself). Instead, he looks more like a shepherd -- someone who looks out for the well-being of others. As you grow in your relationship with Christ, you will discover more and more what it means to be a real man. And Christ will change the way you think about women and consequently the way you treat them.
You can begin a relationship with Christ that lasts forever. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that those who believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Belief means trust. When you trust or rely on Christ's sacrifice on your behalf, you can receive eternal life -- a relationship with God that begins now, that you maintain for the rest of your life. If this is now the desire of your heart, the following is a guideline for the kinds of things you might want to say to God in sincerity:

Dear God, I confess that I have sinned against You. Thank You for taking all of my sin upon Yourself on the cross. I want to receive Your forgiveness. I want to enter into a relationship with You. I ask You to come into my life as my Saviour and Lord. Please make me into the man You want me to be.

To gain helpful dating advice and to grow in your knowledge of God, read the sections Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Bible.

God's amazing
9:26 PM;

Thursday, February 14, 2008

valentine's day special! <3

hello i hope everyone had a nice v-day! this is quite unromantic but im gonna recommend 2 books to everyone! why?? obviously cos its about BGR. and of course from a Christian perspective. haha.

(DISCLAIMER: i'm also very inexperienced abt BGR stuff)

1. i kissed dating goodbye by joshua harris

i know the title is weird and maybe you're thinking, ‘huh? how to get a bf/gf i don't date’. but in american context, "dating" is sort of like flirting -- like going out with ppl/becoming intimate with ppl that you're not committed to being in a relationship with. So this guy Joshua harris, who used to be a big flirt, decided when he was 18 that he was gonna stop dating/flirting, until he was sure that he was ready to commit (ie. having marriage as the end goal of his relationship, and not just dating for fun or the excitement). This book is mostly about
singlehood – what it means, why you should not date if you're not ready to commit, and how to prepare yourself to be a godly boyfriend/girlfriend, or husband/wife. Because actually, as a single, we have A LOT to prepare for. It also talks about relevant stuff like crushes, and non-romantic friendships with the opposite gender. sometimes the BGR talks we listen to don’t really deal indepth regarding these stuffs. Anyway I’m sure that for MOST of us, since it’ll be probably be at least a couple more years before we enter a r’ship (i think..), so this book will prepare us well for it, and also teach us how to be the kind of bro-in-Christ and sis-in-Christ that we should be to one another.

2. boy meets girl: say hello to courtship (also by Joshua harris)

The guy wrote this book after getting married, so this book is mostly about
relationship stuffs – like, what a couple should/shouldn’t do in a r’ship. he shares a lot about his own love story and his struggles with lust. While he makes a lot of recommendations on what to do as a couple (i.e. he and his wife didn’t kiss til their wedding day), his focus is on how grow your r’ship in a godly way, what are the important things to be praying about, how to communicate well to each other etc. This book is more exciting ‘cos there are more love stories (haha) but personally, I think the first book is more important.


(this guy is now a pastor and has 3 kids. he's got a website, www.joshharris.com)

I have both books so feel free to borrow from me :) but seems like got ‘waiting list’ forming already..lol.

have a
LOVE-ly day ahead and dont forget to study for bible quiz!

beck

God's amazing
11:32 PM;