Lord, I Believe

Lord, I believe!

Happy Easter

Frohe Ostern

L.O.V.E

Pictures was taken on 5 February 2015 in Zϋrich, Switzerland during #YES2015 excursion to Schiffbau, Technopark

1 Corinthians 13:4–13 (NIV) :

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 

10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

The Most Precious Name Is Jesus!

http://ymiblogging.org/2013/11/odb-that-name/

Philippians 2:5-11

New International Version (NIV)

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God,

    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7 rather, he made himself nothing

    by taking the very nature of a servant,

    being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a man,

    he humbled himself

    by becoming obedient to death—

        even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

    and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father.

"All praise and glory belong to Him, for He is the One who makes everything possible"

Indonesia = Tanah Air Beta

Semakin sering saya bepergian dan mengunjungi tempat - tempat baru, semakin saya sadar bahwa saya makin cinta #INDONESIA. Negara/Tempat lain itu indah tapi tidak ada yang bisa menandingi keanekaragaman, keunikan dan keindahan #INDONESIA. Sing : "#INDONESIA negaraku, Tuhan yang memberikannya, kuserahkan di doaku, pada Yang Maha Esa". #ILoveIndonesia *Thank You Lord Jesus* #ProudToBeIndonesian
Kalimat di atas merupakan status FB saya tanggal 24 Juli 2012. Jadi Indonesia = tanah air beta, no matter what.

Indonesia tanah air beta

Pusaka abadi nan jaya

Indonesia sejak dulu kala

Tetap di puja-puja bangsa

Reff :

Di sana tempat lahir beta

Dibuai dibesarkan bunda

Tempat berlindung di hari tua

Sampai akhir menutup mata

Sungguh indah tanah air beta

Tiada bandingnya di dunia

Karya indah Tuhan Maha Kuasa

Bagi bangsa yang memujanya

Reff :

Indonesia ibu pertiwi

Kau kupuja kau kukasihi

Tenagaku bahkan pun jiwaku

Kepadamu rela kuberi

A Father To Follow

Last month on September 13, 2013, my family and I reminisce the day when my dad passed away 10 years ago on September 13, 2003. It’s been long time since he left us but he is still live in our heart, life and dream…. and will be forever remembered as the best daddy in the world that we ever had in our life. We are proud to have him. I am proud to be his daughter and I promise, I will never disappoint you, dad!

While recall my dad that day, ODB gave such a blessing reading about A Father To Follow, thank you ODB! I believe it is not a coincidence, it can happen because God’s plan. On ODB, I read about how father can be a good example for his children and I am grateful for that, I am grateful to have such a good father. I may live without my biological father these days but my heavenly Father is always with me. Thank you Lord Jesus.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We honor God’s name when we call Him our Father and live like His Son."

READ: 2 Chronicles 17:1-10

[Jehoshaphat] sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments. —2 Chronicles 17:4

When I think of my father, I think of this saying: “He didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and he let me watch him do it.” During my youth, I watched my dad walk with God. He participated in Sunday morning church services, taught an adult Bible-study class, helped with counting the offering, and served as a deacon. Outside of church, he faithfully defended the gospel and read his Bible. I saw him express his love for the Lord through outward actions.

Asa, king of Judah, modeled devotion to God for a season in his life (2 Chron. 14:2). He removed the idols from his kingdom, restored the altar of the Lord, and led the people into a covenant with God (15:8-12). Asa’s son Jehoshaphat carried on this legacy by seeking “the God of his father and walk[ing] in His commandments” (17:4). Jehoshaphat purged the land of idol worship (v.6) and sent out priests and Levites to teach God’s law in all of the cities of Judah (vv.7-9).

Jehoshaphat’s reign resembled that of his father; he faithfully honored Asa’s godly example. Yet even more important, Jehoshaphat’s “heart took delight in the ways of the Lord” (v.6). Today, if you’re looking for a father to follow, remember your heavenly Father and take delight in His ways. — Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Source: Our Daily Bread

Why Should Christians Wait For Marriage To Have Sex?

This is good article, I copied it from YMI Blogging

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why Should Christians Wait For Marriage To Have Sex?

Sex is not only a hot topic in our culture, it’s also on the minds of most couples in love. It’s a natural, God-given desire — a gift intended to give us pleasure and express our intimacy.

But did God have a plan in mind for sex? What are the freedoms and guidelines? Let’s look at Scripture to find some answers to these questions.

First, God intended sex to be enjoyed between a man and a woman in marriage. God created Eve for Adam because Adam needed a mate comparable to him. He needed companionship, relationship, and intimacy. So God chose marriage as a sacred and honorable relationship in which to meet those needs (Genesis 2:23-25).

Second, throughout Scripture we are commanded to avoid all forms of sexual immorality (Acts 15:29 ; Romans 1:29 ; 1 Corinthians 6:13-18 ; Galatians 5:19 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). That God is concerned about sexual purity is clear in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 22). In the New Testament, Paul said that satisfying one’s burning passions before marriage is not an option for the believer (1 Corinthians 7:2,8-9).

Third, when we enjoy another’s body (physically or mentally) for sexual pleasure outside of marriage, we are guilty of covetousness. Exodus 20:17 says, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” To covet means “to desire, take pleasure in, and delight in.” The point is that you may not take what is not yours. You may not take illegitimate delight in what does not belong to you. One must ask, “Am I selfishly delighting in (coveting) what is not mine?” Our bodies belong only to God and to our spouse (1 Corinthians 6:19; 7:4).

Last, as followers of Christ, we must govern all of our behavior, decisions, and thoughts with the principle of love (Matthew 22:37-40). What does it mean to love your date? Loving means to put your date’s welfare, both short-term and long-term, above your own desires. To love is to respect and protect (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). We should test our intentions and actions by asking ourselves some questions: “Am I really seeking to do what God wants me to do?” “Am I placing my date’s welfare above my desires, thus loving that person?” “How does my dating life stand up to the test of love?”

The world wants us to believe that sex outside of marriage is okay. But without the commitment of marriage, sex is a shallow illusion of intimacy. It is nothing more than erotic stimulation and/or a temporary escape from loneliness. It is basically selfish. Consequently, it often becomes a means to manipulate and control others. This easily leads into the strange perversions of sexuality to which we as a sinful, desperate people are prone.

This is far from what God intended for His children. God loves us and wants only the best for us. God has given us all good things to enjoy, sex included (John 13:34 ;James 1:17). So how will we best enjoy our sexuality? Within the security of a committed marital relationship. Within a loving marriage there is assurance, accountability, and a commitment to work on the relationship when times are difficult.

You may wonder, “How far can I go before marriage?” Except for intercourse, Scripture does not specifically outline what is and what is not forbidden. God leaves that up to us to decide, keeping in mind the principles above. However, it is wise to prepare ourselves before we enter into a romantic relationship.

First- Set your standards now! 

Don’t wait for a passionate moment to decide what is off limits. Holding hands, warm hugs, and kissing are all natural expressions of true love and genuine care for a person. If a touch like this does not cause you to lust and it is done out of respect for another, it can be considered an appropriate touch. There are, however, more intimate physical expressions that should be reserved for a married couple. They are designed to stimulate and excite and to culminate in sexual intercourse. These activities should be avoided by a dating couple because their purpose is to prepare the body for sex. Examples of these activities are fondling of breasts or genitals, heavy and passionate kissing, necking, petting, and oral sex. This list is not conclusive, however. If touching another causes you to lust, or if it defrauds that person, it’s time to back off.

Second- Listen to the little voice inside! 

If you are doing something or are in a situation that is causing you to feel uncomfortable, guilty, or violated, listen to those feelings. They are there for a reason. Because there is a natural drive within each of us to protect ourselves, the feelings we have are “early warning” indicators that we may be experiencing personal harm. We need to trust our feelings, speak up, and exercise listening to that “little voice.”

Third- Picture it! 

Imagine that the person you are dating is your future mate. That’s not so difficult. But now picture that person with someone else on a date. How would you want that date to go? How far would you want that sexual relationship proceed? What kind of activities would be off limits then? Now think of the person you are with as someone else’s future mate. How are you going to leave this person? A little used? Is that how you want your potential mate? How do you want your sister to be treated on a date? How do you want your brother to act? This little exercise puts our dating life in perspective, because we all have people so special to us that we want to love and protect them. This is how we should approach the person we are dating — as someone special to be loved and honored.

Waiting for sex until marriage can be difficult. We’re often tempted to choose what will give us instant pleasure. A man and a woman who are tempted to give in to their strong sexual desires will do well to admit their struggle before God, trust Him that He will meet their needs, and use wisdom and self-control to avoid falling into the trap of premarital sex.

Will God still love us if we choose the path that leads away from Him? Will He forgive us if we have not lived up to His standard of purity? Of course — we all struggle with living up to God’s standards. David is a good example of a man who gave in to the temptation of sex outside of marriage (2 Samuel 11:3–12:20). He and Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, had sex. David lied and committed murder to try to cover his tracks. After he was confronted with his sin by the prophet Nathan, he repented and God forgave him. However, David still had to live with the consequences of his choices. He had to live with the fact that he had a man murdered. David’s reputation was irreparably marred, his son died, and his household was thrown into disarray. David suffered greatly because of his choice to have sex with Bathsheba. How will you choose to live?

Taken from Help For My Life

Prisoners

Aha, this is my first posting in 2013, I hope this is going to be a year of writing for me ^-^ 

Every Monday morning on my way from home to office, I've always pass the prison in route 6 and I saw some prisoner outside the building without surveillance or without safeguards, looks like they’re heading to some civilian home who’s pay them to do some job. It is one of the ways to train them to live their life after they get their freedom one day. For a moment they are free, but after that they have to get back to their cell. When I saw them, my heart is full of compassion then my mind can’t stop thinking about what if Jesus didn't die at cross and rise from the dead? We will still become a prisoner of sin and devil. How come we become a free man? So thank you Jesus for your salvation. I don’t want to be a prisoner of sin, I want to be free, so Jesus please rules my life.

Teak

It’s amazing to see how teak tree survive. In the dry season, they turn to brown, dark grey, some black because of the field burned by some irresponsible people and almost die, looks like no hope. Normally, dry season stand for six months but lately it took more than that maybe because of global warming, season became uncertainly. Can you imagine living without water? But in the rainy season they alive, they turn to green and slowly but sure they growing. Every time I pass the road and see the teak tree, I smiled. It’s the moment that I have always been fascinated by. What a life lessons! Sometimes in life we are facing some difficult and trouble but somehow we survive. I believe because of God’s grace that we can pass that situation. If God let the teak tree survive from their difficult situation, are we not much more valuable than they?

Reformation VS Halloween

Reformation Day is a religious holiday celebrated on October 31 in remembrance of the Reformation, particularly by Lutheran and some Reformed church communities.

Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of "All Hallows' Evening"), also known as All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows.

Tomorrow is October 31, it’s pity, on the same day the world is celebrate two different event, Reformation and Halloween, in my opinion Reformation identical with God and Halloween identical with Devil so God vs Devil. While church tries back to the right way in order to worship God, most people were choosing to celebrate the Devil. I never celebrate Halloween, why would you celebrate or make party for devil if you have God Almighty? Why don’t make party for God only?

Why I said God vs Devil? Christians feel concerned about the modern celebration of Halloween, and reject it because they feel it trivializes or celebrates paganism, the occult, or other practices and cultural phenomena deemed incompatible with their beliefs. And it happens.

God said in Exodus :

EX 20:3 You shall have no other gods before me. 

EX 20:4 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 

EX 20: 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 

EX 20:6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

See?

Brilliant

Wiiiihh lama juga absent ngeblog yach, sejak bulan Juni lalu :) sebenarnya sich ga sibuk - sibuk amat tapi rasanya muuuaaaalas banget mau update blog, padahal rencananya mau nulis tentang trip ke Eropa tapi belum terealisasi juga, maybe later but this time I just want to let you know that :

My life is brilliant. GOD works in the way that mostly I didn't expected it and it always marvelous, amazing, incredible, perfect in HIS time and it always make me overwhelmed with gratitude, speechless, teary eyes, goosebumps. Thank you LORD JESUS. I can't imagine how to live without YOU. #FAITH - EMi (6 June 2012)

Itulah yang terjadi dalam hidup saya, brilliant! What a life!

See you soon bloggers! Stay tune because you've just been updated by EMi :) and don't forget to give thanks in all circumstances!

Father's Day

Happy International Father's Day on third Sunday of June! Thank you Jesus for the best daddy in the world, miss you so badly dad! Thank you for being such an amazing dad in my life, you'll always in my heart and will be remembered forever.

*For the incredible dad, Julius Manna, in memoriam*

*Picture, taken from : http://redefiningrebbetzin.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/i-am-a-daddys-girl/

What Makes A Woman Beautiful?

PEN TO PAPER, READ | APRIL 20, 2012 12:02 AM
By Edna Ho, 21, Malaysia

It’s not about you having big eyes or small eyes.

It’s not about your face shape—be it oval, round or square.

It’s not about you having a sharp nose or a flat nose.

It’s not about you having flawless skin or a pimpled face.

It’s not about your skin color, whether you’re dark or fair.

It’s not about your height, whether you’re tall or short.

It’s not about you being slim or plump.

And mind you, a lot of us believe what the world perceives as beautiful to be true. We think that pretty girls must have flawless skin, silky long hair, big eyes, perfect eyebrows, an oval face, a sharp nose, fair, tall, and slim.

No, a woman is beautiful when after the mishaps and past failures is able to still rest in God, trusting that she is in the wonderful hands of the God Almighty. As Stasi Eldredge in her book Your Captivating Heart put it, “A beautiful woman is one who is at rest.” She doesn’t compare herself with others as to who is better or prettier. She is at peace, because she knows that she is the Lord’s beloved daughter.

You are beautiful, because you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). No matter how you feel and no matter what others tell you, God says, “You are my precious daughter.”

*Taken from http://ymiblogging.org/2012/04/what-makes-a-woman-beautiful/

Happy International Mother's Day

"AMSAL 31:10-31 a.k.a PROVERBS 31:10-31" Happy International Mother's Day on second Sunday of May to our beloved mom Maryke R. Manna . Good mothers not only tell us how to live---they show us! Lord, thank you for the influence our mothers have had on us. We too want to touch the lives of others, to point them to You. We know we need Your Spirit's power to do that. Fill us and use us, we pray. - Leni Manna , Dora Manna , Ina Manna Mamacauruz --- YMIblogging

We Love You, MOM!!!

God Of Wonders

Malam ini langit terang sekali karena sinar bulan dan bintang, amazing, beautiful. Jadi terlintas di otak saya bahwa satu hal yang menyenangkan tinggal di desa adalah kadang - kadang kita ga perlu listrik untuk penerangan karena ada sinar bulan dan bintang yang terang sekali seperti malam ini, Thank you Jesus for the light of moon and stars. Jadi ingat juga lagu God of Wonders yang dinyayikan oleh Chris Tomlin, one of my favorite Christian singer. Read the lyric, how amazing our God, isn’t? The universe declares His majesty. I love you, Jesus :*

Lord of all creation

Of water, earth and sky

The Heavens are your Tabernacle

Glory to the Lord on high

God of wonders

Beyond our galaxy

You are Holy, Holy

The universe declares your majesty

You are Holy, Holy

Lord of Heaven and Earth.......

Lord of Heaven and Earth.......

Early in the morning

I will celebrate the light

And when I stumble into darkness

I will call your name by night

God of wonders

Beyond our galaxy

You are Holy, Holy

The universe declares your majesty

You are Holy, Holy

Lord of Heaven and Earth.......

Lord of Heaven and Earth.......

Hallelujah (to the lord of heaven and earth)

Hallelujah (to the lord of heaven and earth)

Hallelujah (to the lord of heaven and earth)

God of wonders

Beyond our galaxy

You are Holy, Holy

Precious Lord,

Reveal your heart to me

Father hold me, hold me

The Universe declares your majesty

You are Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy

Hallelujah (to the lord of heaven and earth)

Hallelujah (to the lord of heaven and earth)

Hallelujah (to the lord of heaven and earth)

Hallelujah (to the lord of heaven and earth)

Hallelujah (to the lord of heaven and earth)

Hallelujah (to the lord of heaven and earth)

*Waitabula, 4 April 2012

Sore ini dalam perjalanan pulang dari Waitabula menuju Waikabubak, saya melihat Pelangi yang spektakuler, sangat indah, bentuk dan warnanya sempurna sekali, sayang saya tidak mengambil gambarnya karena mengendarai sepeda motor. Sekali lagi alam menceritakan akan kebesaran dan keagungan Sang Peciptanya, thank you Jesus. The universe declares YOUR Majesty. What a perfect universe!

Selamat hari raya Jumat Agung dan Paskah!!! No greater love than what Jesus did for us.

*Waikabubak, 5 April 2012

Bolehkah Merokok?

Saya termasuk orang yang benci banget sama rokok dan antek – anteknya maksudnya asapnya, baunya, dll tapi heran sering jatuh cinta (entah beneran jatuh cinta atau hanya sesaat? I don't know) dengan perokok *sigh* tapi untungnya sampai saat ini baru sekali pacaran dengan perokok *waktu jaman dulu kala :D* semoga tidak kejadian lagi atau paling tidak cowok itu harus menunjukkan niatnya buat berhenti merokok dan benar - benar berhenti merokok karena buat saya logika lebih kuat dari perasaan hahaha well, kita liat saja entar ke depannya gimana. 

Saya heran kenapa orang bisa tergila – gila sama benda yang satu ini, ga ada bagus – bagusnya cuma ngerusakin diri sendiri, orang lain dan lingkungan. Dan setiap diingatin bahaya rokok, pasti 1001 macam alasan dikemukan untuk pembenarannya, cape deh!!!

Bukan buat sok – sokan tapi mari kita lihat dari sudut pandang Kristiani tentang merokok, setelah bertanya – tanya ke beberapa sumber Kristiani, inilah hasil googling saya, ternyata banyak juga bertanya – tanya, intinya jawaban mereka sama, semoga bermanfaat yach, TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

1. http://asksophia.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/bolehkah-merokok/

Q :

Bagaimana Kristen memandang “rokok”? Bolehkah orang Kristen merokok? Thanks..Gbu

NN

A : [MC]

Pertanyaan yang cukup menarik, apalagi karena memang di dalam Alkitab sendiri tidak ada ayat langsung yang mengatakan “Jangan merokok”.

Maka, bolehkah orang Kristen merokok?

Jawabannya sebetulnya sangat jelas. Jangankan orang Kristen, orang Non-Kristen pun tidak boleh merokok.

Saat ini kami percaya bahwa hampir tidak ada orang (termasuk para perokok) yang tidak mengetahui bahwa rokok memiliki dampak yang sangat buruk terhadap kesehatan. Bukan hanya kesehatan si perokok, namun juga kesehatan orang - orang yang berada di sekitarnya. Penelitian di Amerika mencatat bahwa kematian akibat penyakit yang berhubungan dengan rokok (baik perokok aktif maupun pasif) menduduki peringkat kedua setelah kematian karena penyakit jantung koroner.

Maka, sekali lagi kami ulangi bahwa jangankan orang Kristen, orang non-Kristen pun seharusnya tidak boleh merokok.

I Kor 6:19-20 dengan jelas mengatakan bahwa tubuh kita adalah Bait Allah dan kita adalah milik Allah. Lebih lanjut lagi kita diperintahkan untuk memuliakan Allah dengan tubuh kita.

Bagaimanakah kita memuliakan Allah dengan tubuh kita? Jelas salah satunya adalah dengan menjaga agar tubuh kita sesehat mungkin, termasuk di dalamnya adalah dengan tidak melakukan hal-hal yang tidak baik bagi tubuh kita.

Bila rokok ternyata merusak tubuh kita, apakah dengan merokok kita dapat mengatakan kita memuliakan Allah dengan tubuh kita?

Matius 22:37-39 memerintahkan kita untuk mengasihi sesama seperti diri kita sendiri. Kita seringkali lupa bahwa dalam ayat ini kita bukan hanya dituntut mengasihi sesama, tetapi juga mengasihi diri kita sendiri.

Apakah dengan merusak tubuh kita melalui rokok berarti kita mengasihi diri kita sendiri? Lalu apakah dengan meracuni orang – orang di sekeliling kita dengan asap rokok adalah wujud mengasihi sesama?

Merokok jelas adalah pelanggaran terhadap hukum yang terutama ini.

1. Kita tidak mengasihi Allah karena kita merusak bait-Nya yang kudus, yaitu tubuh kita.
2. Kita tidak mengasihi sesama karena asap rokok yang kita hembuskan sangatlah beracun dan merusak kesehatan orang - orang di sekitar kita.
3. Kita tidak mengasihi diri kita sendiri dengan membiarkannya dirusak oleh rokok.

2. http://fernando-tambunan.blogspot.com/2011/06/darah-dan-rokok.html

Melalui artikel ini, penulis akan mencoba memberikan pandangan tentang apakah orang Kristen bisa merokok? Dalam hal ini penulis bukan ingin mencoba menghakimi atau melemahkan salah satu pandangan, namun memberikan pemahaman baru bagi setiap pembaca dalam memahami permasalahan yang dibahas. Semoga dengan makalah ini dapat memberikan masukan dan ilmu bagi setiap pembacanya.

Mengenai Rokok

Sekarang ini banyak orang yang telah jatuh dalam candu rokok, ini tidak hanya dikalangan orang awam saja bahkan dikalangan hamba Tuhan sendiri, ironis memang, padaha kita tahu dengan jelas bahwa merokok itu sangat merusak tubuh bahkan sistem saraf di dalam tubuh. Di setiap kotak rokok apapun, selalu terdapat peringatan yang berisikan: "Merokok dapat mengakibatkan kanker, serangan jantung, impotensi dan ganguang pada janin", tapi herannya masih saja banyak orang yang menggunakannya, bahkan data melaporkan bahwa pajak terbesar bagi negara ini adalah bersumber dari rokok.

Alkitab menjelaskan dalam 1 Kor 6:19  "Atau tidak tahukah kamu, bahwa tubuhmu adalah bait Roh Kudus yang diam di dalam kamu, Roh Kudus yang kamu peroleh dari Allah, --dan bahwa kamu bukan milik kamu sendiri?"

Tubuh kita adalah Bait Roh Kudus, yang harus dijaga kesuciannya, sekarang ini banyak sekali orang beranggapan bahwa merokok itu tidak dilarang ataupun tidak tertulis dalam Alkitab. Memang benar dalam Alkitab tidak ada tertulis secara gamblang mengenai larangan untuk merokok tapi jika kita lihat dalam Ayub 20:12-14 mengatakan: "Sungguhpun kejahatan manis rasanya di dalam mulutnya, sekalipun ia menyembunyikannya di bawah lidahnya, menikmatinya serta tidak melepaskannya, dan menahannya pada langit-langitnya,  namun berubah juga makanannya di dalam perutnya, menjadi bisa ular tedung di dalamnya".

Ada beberapa orang yang beranggapan bahwa ini adalah ayat yang menunjukkan kepada Rokok, karena kita tahu bahwa rokok itu manis, disembunyikan dibawah lidahnya dan ditahan pada langit-langitnya. Tetapi itu masih penafsiran saja, yang pasti apapun yang kita lakukan untuk tubuh kita, baiklah kita mempersembahkannya sebagai persembahan yang hidup yang kudus dan yang berkenan kepada Allah, itu adalah ibadahmu yang sejati. Mari kita pakai hidup kita bagi kemulian-Nya.

3. http://www.gky.or.id/buletin/detail/264.htm

Q:

Sebagai seorang ibu, saya menghadapi masalah. Putra saya sejak kelas 1 SMU mulai terpengaruh teman-temannya, sehingga ikut-ikutan merokok. Setiap kali dinasehati, ia selalu berkilah bahwa ia hanya iseng. Suatu hari saya menasehati dengan memakai Firman Tuhan: "Tubuhmu adalah Bait Allah" (1 Korintus 3:16; 6:19), agar ia “takut” dan berhenti merokok. Namun ia menjawab, “Di Alkitab kan tak ada larangan merokok, mengapa orang Kristen tidak boleh merokok? Semua agama kan tidak melarang mereka merokok?”

1. Apa yang harus saya jawab?
2. Bagaimana mencegah agar anak saya tidak menjadi pecandu rokok?

A:

Saya yakin bahwa ibu bukan hanya menghadapi permasalahan anak merokok, tetapi masih banyak hal lain lagi. Ketika anak ibu dinasehati, bantahan belaka yang ibu dapatkan. Permasalahan utamanya adalah ada perbedaan cara berpikir antara ibu dan anak. Mengapa? Saya dan istri menemukan bahwa makin lama cara berpikir kami makin lama makin sama. Hal itu disebabkan karena kami hidup bersama dan selalu menjalin komunikasi yang baik.

Seorang ibu harus menjalin komunikasi yang baik dengan anak. Sayang, banyak ibu yang meninggalkan anaknya sepanjang hari dengan baby sitter, sementara ia sendiri pergi bekerja. Padahal, pada masa-masa balita itulah kepribadian seseorang terbentuk. Cara pikir, emosi, kemauan seseorang terpola pada masa balita. Celakanya, orang yang paling dekat dengan anak pada masa balita justru bukan ibunya. Inilah yang menyebabkan cara berpikir, emosi, dan kemauan anak pada akhirnya jauh berbeda dengan ibunya. Biasanya, hal ini mulai terasa sangat serius ketika si anak memasuki usia remaja.

Mengenai merokok, semua orang tahu bahwa merokok tidak baik untuk kesehatan. Permasalahannya banyak perokok yang sudah kecanduan, sehingga tidak bisa berhenti merokok. Ada dua aspek yang harus kita soroti. 

Pertama merokok tidak baik untuk kesehatan. Ibu melarang anak merokok, tetapi apakah ibu melarang bapak memakan masakan yang mengandung kolesterol tinggi (padahal bapak punya penyakit jantung, misalnya). Kedua masalah ini sama saja, yaitu keduanya tidak baik untuk kesehatan, sehingga tidak dibenarkan oleh Firman Tuhan. 

Kedua rokok bersifat mengikat atau memperbudak. Sebagai orang percaya, kita sudah dimerdekakan oleh Yesus Kristus, kita tak boleh memperhambakan diri pada apapun juga. Kecanduan rokok berarti memperhambakan diri pada rokok. Sebenarnya, selain rokok, mungkin suami ibu memperhambakan diri pada pekerjaan! Atau, ibu sendiri mungkin memperhambakan diri pada kebiasaan menyebar gosip, ketiganya tidak benar. Mintalah pertolongan Roh Kudus untuk melepaskan diri dari segala ikatan yang membelenggu kita. Mazmur 39:8-9 “Dan sekarang apakah yang kunanti-nantikan ya Tuhan? Kepada-Mulah aku berharap. Lepaskanlah aku dari segala pelanggaranku, jangan jadikan aku celaan orang bebal”.

So, pilihan ada pada ANDA!!!

Why The World Doesn’t Need Superman - We have God

I thought it was worth sharing...I really love Superman character which is I've always watching the movie, series, etc. I mean Superman is really true hero in the story, well everybody love him, I guess. When we were kids we always depending on something that we guess it worth, we love to have an idol, we imagine and wish if it is happen in real life but it isn't. I've always asking my self, if Superman is real then we doesn't need God and it is a terrible thing. How come we live without God? No one can be save without God that's why He come to this world on Christmas, so we all have salvation. If we have God, then why we should longed for something that isn't certain? I come to conclusion that I can’t live without God!!! We’ve pass Christmas already but I hope it is never too late to say Merry Christmas everyone, be merry, be blessed! Happy New Year 2012, Immanuel!

This article below taken from "Superman Returns", one of my favorite movie, written by Lois Lane, one of the character in the movie.

===========================================================

Why The World Doesn’t Need Superman

- By Lois Lane

Metropolis. For five long years the world has stared into the sky, waiting, hoping and praying for his return. We’ve spent our days asking where he went, debating why he left and wondered is he even alive. Perhaps he left us for another world, a world in peril, a world in greater need of a saviour. Is it selfish desire him for ourselves? Are we expected to share the man we’ve come to love or did we do something wrong?

Did we take him for granted? Perhaps we did. Maybe we all did, it's not our fault. We are far from super. Yet a mother will accept her children regardless of their misfortunes. Why have you rejected us for ours? Perhaps we’re a lost cause unworthy of help and doomed to continue on a path of self-destruction. He has moved on, helping others with a foreseeable future of peace and harmony.

From the first day he mysteriously appeared we were enamoured. He seemed too good to be true. A man who could fly, see through walls, bend steel with his bare hands. A man who never lied. A man who could do anything he wanted to yet he chose to be a hero. He chose to fight for truth, justice and the American way, And we chose to believe. we put our faith, not in the hands of God, but in the hands of another Lives were not saved by any kind of divine intervention, miracle or act of God. they were saved by one man, and one man only, our Superman. We didn’t question his intentions and other than a few basic facts we didn't question his unbelievable origins. When did he actually arrive? Where did he live? Where did he get that suit? It didn't matter. He was good, and good for us and that was enough.

A new generation of children have grown up idolising this hero, proud to wear a cape and run around the family home. We welcome Superman into our homes and family. He was a quintessential American. A role model for our children and the guardian of their lives. Does a hero walk out on his family? Walk away from his children? After letting us place our hopes on him, his disappearance must be seen nothing short of abandonment. A dereliction of duty. No better that a parent abandoning a child, a doctor walking out on their patient. We must ask our selves if Superman returned would we welcome him back? Could he heal the scars he left behind? The city is in pain, its citizens angry, hurt and unforgiving. We have learned from our bad judgement, and we are not prepared to make the same mistake again.

It would take more than one man to reunite the people. He is lost our trust, he betrayed us. He turned his us back on us and walked away. We would have to question his motives for his return. Why after all this time he would return? From the very beginning we labelled him as a man. We even used the word it his titled - Superman.

Yet he was not a man. He was not even human. We expected an alien to share the same feelings, emotions, beliefs and principles. Were the words truth and justice a second language to him? Perhaps, we were fools to believe he would understand the true meaning of words such as trust, loyalty or love.

What is a hero anyway? Does one has to have superpowers, special abilities or incredible talent to be a considerable one? Well that's what we’ve been led to believe. Superman led us to forget our real heroes. What happened to the firemen, policemen, teachers, social workers or local figure that used to be considered a hero in our communities?

Each and every day of the year, firemen come to the rescue of those in need. They are brave woman and men who serve communities with courage and uncompromising devotion to humanity. These people are not just doing their job, they are the heroes who take each task to heart and each life saved is a victory for their team. Because of their selfless bravery and heroism, many fire-fighters sacrifice their own lives to save others every day. Their actions will never been forgotten.

In cities, towns and villages around the world, legions of teachers spend every day protecting the minds, souls and spirits of children. They commit their lives to the development of the world’s most precious resource. A child's mind thirsts for knowledge. It is this knowledge, the knowledge imparted to the youth that has given rise to the great man and women of history. Knowledge gave birth civilisations and is the foundation of nations including America. Teachers strive daily with little recognition to help each child become the best they can. Teachers are heroes, our future lies in their hands. These are examples of every day men and women. Men and women who are heroes.

Superman was not just a hero. Superman was a superhero. Why isn’t he living up to his name? He was so much more that a mere mortal. Imagine a future with this superhero. A future that was stolen from us. The world welcomed Superman with open arms and why wouldn't we? Day after day we saw the effect he was having. Crime plummeted, natural disasters were prevented, the impossible became possible. What was more remarkable and often overlooked, was that he wasn't just saving peoples lives, he was changing them.

He gave us hope, he set an example and over the years we started following that example whether we realised it or not. Wars stopped, all political, religious feuds set aside, even volunteering and charitable donations increased. For the first time in history we saw the closest thing mankind could call peace. And to think it took an alien to show us what it meant to be human. Unfortunately the one thing that reduces a miracle to the mundane is a world full of them. Once everything is special, nothing is special. In a world where he would suddenly appear to save someone from a fire or divert a flood, there were no miracles. We stopped looking both ways to cross the street. We didn't have to because if a car was about to hit us odds were that he would zip at the last moment and save us. Soon we didn't even remember how to look both ways. We lost our survival instincts. We became careless, which wouldn't have really been a problem, but then he left.

Just as mysteriously he appeared he was gone, without warning, without explanation. We looked to the sky and for the first time in years no one was there. Some panicked thinking the worst had finally come to pass and someone has finally discover a weakness and exploited it. Others held steadfast believing that his sudden absence must have a logical explanation. Perhaps this was a test. Maybe he was watching from above and gauging our reaction. Hundreds, if not thousands of ideas and theories sprang from every expert and government official but no answer could satisfy us. Maybe there was no answer. Maybe he’s just…gone.

In fact maybe it’s better that he is gone. How can we be expected to appreciate the good without the bad? Through suffering do we not gain strength? Having relied on an almost omnipotent saviour for years, we’ve forgotten how to rely on ourselves. He gave us strength, but with it, weakness. In his absence, we must learn to unite and find strength in one another. We must look not to the skies, instead we must look inside ourselves to find trust, love and friendship for one another. Peace is our champion, not a Man of Steel. Alas crime has skyrocketed, stocks plummeted and old wars have been rekindled. The peace he inspired over the years, seemed to end overnight, replaced by fear, confusion and betrayal. Even worse problems once held by our own, now seem insurmountable without his help.

It is one year today that we witnessed one of the worst train disaster in recent history. Among the 236 dead, were 28 school children and a pregnant mother. The nation's press release said that all that was left was a mangled mess of metal and bodies. Recovery workers and civilians united and worked around the clock, in the hope of finding just one survivor, if any. But hope was given up, when 12 hours later they could raise no sound. The train left a huge gorge in the suburban landscape where now stands a tribute to those who died in the wreckage. Among those attending today’s memorial service, is the husband and father of a deceased mother and their unborn child. To this day he is haunted by the memories of the past. Through his suffering he speaks the voice of many Americans: How could he let this happen? Curse you Superman...

These words echo amongst the people, reaching the far corners of the globe. In five years we have seen the oceans rise and kill hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children throughout Asia. We have seen civil wars destroy cities throughout the world and religious feuds wipe our nations. Let the colour of Superman’s cape remind us of the innocent people who have died for it is their blood that is on his hands.

In the past we have turned to God, in times of need we prayed. For five years we have prayed for you Superman, “please bring back our Messiah.” The nation knelt before the alter and begged for your return. We were blinded by your arrival, our faith misguided. For many of us, Superman became our God. We only had to read the motto on our nations currency to be reminded of the truth – In God We Trust.

These words passed between our hands countless times a day, yet we still managed to forget. We put our trust, not in God, but in Superman – In Superman We Trust. We trusted you, we all trusted you…I trusted you. Does he feel remorse, guilt or shame? Does he simply not care? Perhaps the people of Earth are but a distant memory, a single snapshot lost in a mind that is timeless.

Does he cry for the children who have died on his watch? Perhaps he really is a Man of Steel – cold, emotionless and hardened by his own immortality. Would he say sorry?

Ultimately we are better off without him. It is true, we will come to endure hardship in his absence. We will see more famine, environmental disasters, crime, wars and bloodshed. But what is also true, is that the people of America will always, without falter, and without abandoning their posts, continue to strive for truth, justice and the American way.

Leaving the fate of humanity in the hands of one man would have been a terrible mistake. If we don’t learn to settle our grievances on our own we are doomed anyway. We became dependent on someone unreliable, in fact he did us a favour by leaving. Now we can learn to fend for ourselves, learn to work out our differences regardless of whether they are based on race, creed, gender or political view.

Ultimately we will unite and establish peace around the globe. If Superman had stayed we would never accomplish this. Under the surface there would have remained traces of a corrupt society, a seed that would grow if it wasn’t for Superman’s cape blocking the sunlight. Now that he is gone, the seed is left to grow, yet there is hope. For like a rose, we always see the thorns before the flower. We will blossom and when we do, we will have done it alone, we will have a world united.

People have always longed for God, messiahs and saviours to swoop down from the sky and deliver them from their troubles but in the end these saviours always leave and we are faced with the same troubles that were here from the beginning. We wait for our saviour’s return though it will never happen and we realise it was better had he never come at all.

Bagi Tuhan Tak Ada Yang Mustahil

by Sari Simorangkir

KU YAKIN SAAT KAU BERFIRMAN

KU MENANG SAAT KAU BERTINDAK

HIDUPKU HANYA DITENTUKAN

OLEH PERKATAAN-MU

KU AMAN KAR’NA KAU MENJAGA

KU KUAT KAR’NA KAU MENOPANG

HIDUPKU HANYA DITENTUKAN

OLEH KUASA-MU

BAGI TUHAN TAK ADA YANG MUSTAHIL

BAGI TUHAN TAK ADA YANG TAK MUNGKIN

MUJIZAT-NYA DISEDIAKAN BAGIKU

KU DIANGKAT DAN DIPULIHKAN-NYA

This is a great song from Sari Simorangkir, I just watching the video this morning in U Channel TV and I am so overwhelmed with gratitude, sweet Jesus I'm so thankful I found You or actually You've found me, You've created me as written in Jeremiah 1:5  "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." and in John 15:16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name." (NIV)

Anyway...Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Holiday Everyone!!!

October 31 - Hari Reformasi Gereja

Hari Reformasi Gereja adalah hari keagamaan yang dirayakan pada tanggal 31 Oktober untuk mengenang Reformasi Gereja, khususnya oleh gereja Lutheran dan beberapa komunitas gereja Reformed. Ratusan tahun lalu (1517) Martin Luther memakukan 95 tesisnya di pintu gerbang gereja istana Wittenberg. Inilah tonggak gerakan reformasi sebagai bentuk penolakan terhadap penjualan Surat Indulgensia (penghapusan siksa) yang dilakukan pada masa pemerintahan Paus Leo X untuk pembangunan gedung Gereja Rasul Petrus di Roma dan pelunasan hutang Uskup Agung Albrecht dari Mainz (Wellem 1999). Terima kasih Martin Luther!

Sola fide (by faith alone), Sola gratia (by grace alone), Sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone) : ketiga hal inilah yang paling saya ingat kalau bicara reformasi gereja. Semoga gereja-gereja terutama gereja-gereja di Sumba bisa mereformasi diri menjadi lebih baik, semoga gereja-gereja bisa jadi contoh dan teladan di dunia dalam melaksanakan perintah-perintah Tuhan.

*Kalau (mungkin ada) reformasi di lingkup PNS, yang paling saya inginkan adalah reformasi sistem birokrasi dan orang-orangnya* ^^

Soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone)!

A Letter from God

Saat kau bangun di pagi hari, Aku memandangmu dan berharap engkau akan berbicara kepadaKu, walaupun hanya sepatah kata, meminta pendapatKu atau bersyukur kepadaKu atas sesuatu hal indah yang terjadi di dalam hidupmu kemarin, tetapi aku melihat engkau begitu sibuk mempersiapkan diri untuk pergi bekerja.

Aku kembali menanti. Saat engkau sedang bersiap, Aku tahu akan ada sedikit waktu bagimu untuk berhenti dan menyapaKu, tetapi engkau terlalu sibuk. Di satu tempat, engkau duduk di sebuah kursi selama lima belas menit tanpa melakukan apapun. Kemudian Aku melihat engkau menggerakkan kakimu. Aku berpikir engkau ingin berbicara kepadaKu tetapi engkau berlari ke telepon dan menelepon seorang teman untuk mendengarkan gosip terbaru. Aku melihatmu ketika engkau pergi bekerja dan Aku menanti dengan sabar sepanjang hari.

Dengan semua kegiatanmu, Aku berpikir engkau terlalu sibuk untuk mengucapkan sesuatu kepadaKu. Sebelum makan siang Aku melihatmu memandang ke sekeliling, mungkin engkau merasa malu untuk berbicara kepadaKu, itulah sebabnya mengapa engkau tidak menundukkan kepalamu. Engkau memandang tiga atau empat meja sekitarmu dan melihat beberapa temanmu berbicara kepadaku dengan lembut sebelum mereka makan, tetapi engkau tidak melakukannya.

Tidak apa-apa. Masih ada waktu yang tersisa, dan Aku berharap engkau akan berbicara kepadaKu, meskipun saat engkau pulang ke rumah kelihatannya seakan-akan banyak hal yang harus kau kerjakan. Setelah beberapa hal tersebut selesai engkau kerjakan, engkau menyalakan televisi, Aku tidak tahu apakah kau suka menonton televisi atau tidak, hanya saja engkau selalu ke sana dan menghabiskan banyak waktu setiap hari dengannya, tanpa memikirkan apapun hanya menikmati acara yang ditampilkan.

Kembali aku menanti dengan sabar saat engkau menonton TV dan menikmati makananmu tetapi kembali kau tidak berbicara kepadaKu. Saat tidur Kupikir kau merasa terlalu lelah. Setelah mengucapkan selamat malam kepada keluargamu, kau melompat ke tempat tidur dan tertidur tak lama kemudian. Tidak apa-apa karena mungkin engkau tidak menyadari bahwa Aku selalu hadir untukmu. Aku bersabar lebih lama dari yang kau sadari.

Aku bahkan ingin mengajarkanmu bagaimana bersabar terhadap orang lain. Aku sangat mengasihimu, setiap hari Aku menantikan sepatah kata, doa atau pikiran atau syukur dari hatimu. Baiklah...engkau bangun kembali dan kembali. Aku menanti dengan penuh kasih bahwa hari ini kau akan memberiKu sedikit waktu. Semoga harimu menyenangkan.

Bapamu,

ALLAH

*Taken from Unknown, NN

Saya tidak tahu siapa yang menulis artikel/surat ini tapi sangat menegur dan menyentuh, seringkali kita bersikap seperti itu, lupa bahwa ada Allah Yang Maha Kasih dalam hidup kita, lupa berterima kasih untuk anugerahnya luar biasa dalam hidup kita, tetapi sungguh Dia sangat panjang sabar karena itu marilah kita belajar untuk terus makin dekat denganNya, saya bangga punya Allah seperti Engkau! Thank you JESUS :*

Happy

Happy birthday to me! Thank you for all prayer, wish, support, etc for me, kiss and big hug for all of you :* I am getting older, many question comes out from my relatives/friends, when will I get married, what are you waiting for bla bla bla oh come on life is not only about married! They said I’m choosy and alone, too hard to my life, many advice have been given to me, hope my life happy. They said that is the time to find a man because of my age. I’m fine, enjoying my own life, my life is perfect, I’m very happy, chasing my dreams, free to do anything, making friends with anyone, I can’t stop the time, I just want the best in my life, I believe I’ll find my soul mate in His beautiful time and way. I’ll find the right man in right place and in the right time, of course because of God lead me. I believe in HIM. Nowadays I happy with my life, I enjoying everything about by myself, I don’t have to rely on somebody else, etc. I just don’t get it why people such in a hurry to get marry, choose to live together without sacred married, get pregnant and born a baby without married or with married and after that decide to divorce, married because their parents push them to do that, married without love, etc. I mean why don’t make it as a serious journey in life, as God wants us to do it. Well, I respect all their decision and I don’t want to interrupt it but it’s just not mine ^^

Here an article which I got from my cell leader in Bandung on July 2006 while we study bible together about Sex, Love and Married in a group with my best friends Resky and Imel. This article written by Rick Warren, a senior pastor in Saddleback Church, I admire him.

Read and enjoy this article, be blessed in your marriage and for all the single ladies out there, I hope we find the best/true man from God ^^

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Purpose-Driven Marriage

Use these five biblical purposes to give direction to your marriage

By Rick Warren

In his book What’s Wrong with the World, G.K. Chesterton summed it up well: “If we wish to preserve the family, we must revolutionize the nation.” In this exclusive series, we explore five distinct pillars of Christian marriage. Living by these pillars can only strengthen your marriage, but in fact, revolutionize the church and the nation. Here, in our first installment, we look at the importance of incorporating Christ in our marriages.

--The Editors

I suppose you’d expect a man who’s been marriage 30 years to a beautiful, intelligent woman would be able to share with you the intimate secrets to having a perfect marriage.

But I’m going to disappoint you! That’s because my wife and I don’t have a perfect marriage. Kay is without a doubt my best friend, and we have a wonderful relationship—but as far as a perfect marriage, well, there’s no such thing.

What Kay and I do have is a marriage centered on Christ, specifically focused on glorifying God. We remain committed to each other because we remain committed to Christ and his work within us.

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:31-32).

No Easy Road

After three decades in ministry, I’ve noticed that it’s not unusual for couples to float through their first year or two of marriage in a love-blinded bliss.

But, frankly, that didn’t happen for Kay and me. Our first two years together were the most difficult. In fact, we were ready to throw in the towel. If we both hadn’t been committed to Jesus Christ and we both hadn’t agreed that divorce was not an option, we wouldn’t have stayed together. It was simply too difficult. 

Kay even said that in those first few years of marriage, she often wished that one of two things would happen: either she’d be widowed, or God would change his mind and say divorce was now okay!

Since then, we’ve met many couples who were convinced their marital struggles meant there was no hope for healing. We can say from experience that’s not true; there’s always hope!

Part of the difficult for Kay and me is that we were virtual strangers when we got married, but we began finding out things about each other immediately—like the fact that apart from our love for God, we were about as opposite in nature as two couple could be.

We viewed life from two different angles and argued over just about everything. I remember Kay’s father sat us down the night before we were married and said, “There are five areas where marriages usually have conflict: money, sex, in-laws, children, and communication.”

He proved to be prophetic: Kay and I went five for five! We fought over single one of those items.

Not only did we disagree over those things, we couldn’t even agree how to disagree! Kay is an intense person who needs to talk. My preferred method of dealing with problems was just to walk away. That was a volatile combination!

The single factor that kept us married in those early years was that we agreed on one thing: divorce would never be an option for us. You can’t leave the door open even a little bit, or eventually one of you will try to escape.

Because we knew we were in it for the long haul, we were forced to accept each other’s differences. What else were we going to do?

Slowly, over time, God helped us not only to accept our differences, but to appreciate them. Through the process we learned that any successful marriage is built upon the biblical truth that God designed each of us with five purposes in mind: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and missions.

In other words, until you realize you were placed here for God’s purposes, then your life—and your marriage—will be difficult, complicated, and exhausting. But once you understand God’s plan, your life—and you marriage—take on new meaning.

And once you and your spouse both get this—when both of you are living purpose-driven lives—then guess what happens?

Your marriage becomes a purpose-driven marriage!

Balancing biblical purposes

Here are the five biblical purposes you should keep balanced in your marriage:

1. You and your spouse were both planned for God’s pleasure. How would your marriage immediately change it you understood deeply that your spouse was created for God’s pleasure? Or if your spouse understood deeply that you were planned for God’s pleasure?

A man once asked Jesus, “What’s the most important commandment?” Jesus replied, “I can summarize the entire Bible in two statements: Love God, and love other people!” (Matthew 22:36-39). That includes your spouse.

Life is about relationships, not achievements. First and foremost, it’s about developing a relationship with God that will last forever—we call that worship. You also worship God when you love and sacrifice for your spouse (just read through Romans 12 with a view of what its applications would mean to your marriage).

Any time you give pleasure to God, you’re worshiping him, and the Bible teaches that loving your spouse—the mate God gave you for a lifetime—brings pleasure to him.

2. You and your spouse were formed for God’s family. God made an incredible promise about gathering of even just two believers: “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst” (Matthew 18:20, nasb).

So if both you and your spouse are believers, God is already in your marriage working to transform the two of you into a purpose-driven family unit! Isn’t that incredibly great news?

But Jesus wants us to love real people—not ideal people—and your marriage is a lab for learning how to love like Jesus loves.

It seems funny now, but one conflict between Kay and me in marriage was over the really trivial issue of soap! For me, a hot steamy shower is a spiritual experience—right up there with eating fresh cinnamon rolls. I also happen to be a person who gets bored quickly, so I like variety; I don’t want to use the same kind of soap all the time.

One day I told Kay we needed some different kinds of soap. But I said it in a way that sounded as though our marriage was a failure because we used the same kind of soap all the time. Three or four months later at Christmas, to “get back at me”, she wrapped and placed 27 different bars of soap under the tree!

My point is that within marriage, God has created an opportunity for us to develop a true intimacy and authenticity with another human being. God wants for you and your spouse to go beyond the superficial chit-chat that is, unfortunately, so common in many marriages.

To go this deep requires genuine, heart-to-heart, gut-level sharing, where you and your spouse get honest about who you are and what’s happening in your lives. This happens when you both open up to each other and share your hurts, reveal your feelings, confess your failures, disclose your doubts, admit your fears, acknowledge your weaknesses, and ask each other for help and prayer.

3. You and your spouse were both created to become like Christ. As I mentioned, marriage is laboratory for developing God’s love in you. He’ll use your spouse to build his values, attitudes, morals, and character within you.

Once you understand this, a lot of what happens within your marriage will begin to make more sense. When you start to ask, “Why is this happening to me?” The answer is—to make you more like Jesus!

In fact, the Bible teaches that God builds certain qualities within our lives by putting us in situations that make it difficult to show these qualities. In other words, for God to teach you real love, he’ll put you around some unlovely people. For God teach you real joy, he’ll allow you to go through times of grief. To learn inner peace and patience, he’ll allow storms of chaos and stressful situations in your life that test your patience and teach you to trust him.

In his book Sacred Marriage, our friend Gary, makes the case that marriage was not meant to make you happy; it was meant to make you holy. That was an eye-opener for Kay and me. It made such sense. If God’s purpose for each of our lives is to make us look more like Jesus, what better tool could he use than the marriage relationship?

Who better for God to use to chisel you than the person you live with seven days a week? When the difficult times come, you just have to realize you’re being worked on! God is using each of you to shape the other person more and more into the image of Jesus.

4. You and your spouse were both shaped for serving God. The Bible says, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God has made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing” (Ephesians 2:10, ncv).

We serve God by serving others, and we serve God by serving our spouse. God shapes us for service through a variety of methods, including our spiritual gifts, our passions, our abilities, our personality, and our experiences.

In fact, God will use the difficulties in your marriage to shape you into an effective minister to others. Who could better help the parents of a Down syndrome child than other parents with a Down syndrome child? Who could better help somebody recover from the pain of an addiction, a business failure, or a prodigal child than a couple who has been through these things and emerged with godly insights?

Could it be that the part of your marriage you regret or resent most—that which you’ve wanted to hide or forget—is the very thing God wants to use as your ministry to help and encourage others sharing the same struggle? God doesn’t just use your strengths; he uses our weaknesses, and even our failures!

5. You and your spouse were both made for a mission. Your marriage not only involves ministry, it also involves mission. Your ministry is to believers and your mission is to non-believers—allowing God to use your marriage as a means for telling others about his love.

This may take many forms, from being a witness in your neighborhood to going overseas on mission trips together. The fact is, if you want God’s blessing on your marriage, then you must care about what God cares about most. What is that? He wants his lost children found! He wants everyone to know him and his purposes for their lives.

If you want to see how much God cares about the people around you, just look at the Cross. With outstretched arms, Jesus says, “I love them this much!”

Marriage is a life-long process designed to teach you to see the needs of another person as more important than your own. It’s a difficult transition because it’s not natural. It’s not natural for me to look at life from Kay’s point of view, and it’s not natural for her to look at life from my point of view.

To think this way requires an intentional shift that can be made only through the power of God in your life. As you and your spouse make that shift, your marriage will become more and more purpose-driven—focused on the needs of others and balancing the purposes of worship, fellowship, discipleship, service and missions.

The reward is greater than anything you could ever imagine. I’ve often thought what would have happened—or not happened—had Kay and I thrown in the towel many years ago.

There would be no Saddleback Church, no purpose-driven ministry, and no “Purpose-Driven Life”!

God’s plan for you and your spouse—for your marriage—is wider and deeper than anything in your wildest, craziest dreams. May our heavenly Father help you to catch this vision as you chase it into the future.

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern Californis, is best-selling author of The Purpose-Driven Life (Zondervan)