Listen guys,

Just a perspective.

If you don't have a Christian partner you will journey in life alone spiritually even though you're Married as a couple.
and there are many challenges in Marriage, especially when it comes to Finances and the well being of the children. It's no longer about you or your partner.

Trust me, it's very challenging because Satan loves to break up Family. You look at the divorce rate by Today's standard, you will know it's a real threat every couple will face one day. Imagine your partner praying to whatever deity he/she believes in while you praying to the only Living God, How is that not spiritual warfare everyday, giving the enemy some loop hole to attack in any area that's an opportunity. It's very tiring spiritually if your partner is a non believer.

There is Wisdom in 2 Corinthians 6:14. To Me there's no such thing nothing else matter. Because it does matter, really.

Just to throw ideas: Does anybody thinking about dating indonesian Christian ?

indonesia has 150 million populatoin and malaysia only 20 million. Sure have more choices. It may not be so accurate because i don't have breakdown on christian and not christian. But rest assured, you have more choices if you don't limit only to malaysian churches.

How ah? Migrate there? ...

so its true? christian girls are very stringent?

But hold hand also cannot? Declare in a relationship but don't recognise the guy as her boyfriend.

Why so tough? It is not allowing the guy to lead the relationship.

Yeah la, but relationship is the way two people get to know each other, it is not marriage anyway. Why take so long to commit to a relationship?

How ah? Migrate there? I do feel that they are more simple hearted and grateful than the locals here. just my opinion and observation.

I pray whenever I can, but I don't know if I'm praying hard enough.

Oi Oi don't say me la. I never say this is about me. Wah more like you butthurt suddenly so strong reaction. I can see your overdefensiveness.

I notice some close friends who date christian girls memang very stringent. And these close friends are christian guys.

Where got guys push hard for it, i see some of the christian guys try to accomodate everything for the christian girls. Then suddenly 6 months later she broke the poor guy heart by leaving him for a non-christian who recently converted. The guy is a nice teacher christian guy. Yes he is a bit nerdy and not adventurous but when it comes to christian requirements, he fullfil it all.

Then I also notice some christian girls at office reach over 30-40 years old, still like so high standard. Got one who work in a bank, when she was in her 20s, she rejected all the christian guys because not fullfil her requirements. Now she is 36, still acting like she is miss universe, got one christian guy in his 40s approach her also kena rejected. This is what i observe at the church. Really so careful and high requirement, mind as well become celebate better.

Where got guys push hard for it, i see some of the christian guys try to accomodate everything for the christian girls. Then suddenly 6 months later she broke the poor guy heart by leaving him for a non-christian who recently converted. The guy is a nice teacher christian guy. Yes he is a bit nerdy and not adventurous but when it comes to christian requirements, he fullfil it all.

yes, in the end its also about the worldly wants. But yes we are human after all, i accept we got our own human wants. However sometimes i think the girl's stringent requirements are way too far overboard.

Let me give you one example. I know this girl at church, a lot of guys like her. So she was very careful whom she chose, she broke many hearts and eventually settled for this guy who she thought was the one.

She was engrained by the pastors to choose the "perfect godly guy". But she was never educated to attain her own spiritual growth and maturity. As a result she was quite a spoiled and demanding person.

The guy she married is one of my best friend. He is a really nice and down to earth guy. In spite her tremendous carefulness and even they both went through the church's strict marriage courses which includes a private marriage counsellor.

Three years later, they divorced.

My point is sometimes not generally, christian girls are so engrained and careful whom they marry (must be the perfect guy), they never really make any reflection upon themselves to mature spiritually. And its also the fault of most christian guys who just try to change for the partner rather than to choose the partner that is compatible.

Another fact is that we just go and attend churches and they promote bible reading through cover to cover. But never they have any serious bible study. I mean a really really weekly bible study or do it every forthnightly. Granted some churches have bible courses but they only last 4 -8 lessons a year.

I met many christians, they still not understand the church doctrines. Some don't even know about their own salvation. My goodness. Going to Sunday church is important but its not enough to understand your own spiritual needs and growth.

Luke 8:15 (NIV) But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Bible Devotions with UW

Good Soil produce a crop
The Lord gave me a verse this morning to encourage you.

We all want answered prayers, we all want to see the good Lord's working miraculous results in our lives, amen?

And He used this parables, simple but powerful truth.

We all know the Parables of the sower, the seed that fell on the path, on rocky ground, on thorns and finally good soil. We won't go into the rest accept the good soil.
I want to share this with you.

Many times we read it like this. Oh I must have a noble and good heart for the seed to grow. But I have not measured up, didn't do enough righteous deeds.
My friends. 

You can never be righteous by your own deed especially under the New Covenant. So what is this noble and good heart, that the bible talks about and what must I do?

The answer is this:

Hear the word
Retain the word
And Persevere in Faith.

1. Hear the word when you read the Bible, for example when you come to the portion of God's promises; say for example Acts 11:14 (NIV) - He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.'  HEAR IT with your heart.

2. Retain what you heard. Memorize it. That is why I don't encourage you to read long passages and try to remember everything. Not everyone can do this. Short verses are VERY VERY powerful to remember. The one verse that has help me throughout my life is only this and it's not long; "I will never leave you nor forsake you". That so short a verse carries the weight of God's Glory and it has help me through very troubled times. It manifested in answered prayers.

3. Keep on persevering in Faith, believing in that one or two verses that you felt God has spoken to you. Refuse to give up believing! Why many Christians complain so much that God never answer your prayers? Because you give up easily. Be like that Woman who seek justice, be as tenacious as she is in refusing to give up. (Luke 18:1-8)

And our Heavenly Father who delights in giving good gifts promises you a CROP! What is a crop?

The Answer is;

Results!

Which can be answered prayers or manifested Fruit of the Spirit or whatever that you expect from the Lord.

God is faithful. He will deliver his promises, He is not a Man that He should lie.

The Bible promises, ALL OF GOD'S promises is YES AND AMEN through Christ Jesus.

God Bless.

We have bible discussion about this Parable of Sower last week in our Friday bible talk. Nice one. Promises is another fruit. The two 'fruits' I tot of are
- bearing fruit (helping / lead another to be a Christian)
- the character growth 'fruit' as mentioned in Galatians 5: 22-23

her attitude problem and demanding personality.

I pray whenever I can, but I don't know if I'm praying hard enough.

Yes. Haha, christians do divorce due to unreconciable differences. I can say that church belongs to an east malaysian denomination.

I know both of them, they both quite pious one. Sometimes i think the christian girl is too careful and stringent until she forget about the romance of the relationship.

Also its the guy's fault because he tries to be too accomodating. Then after the relationship, when get married, only then he bother to stand firm against her (too late). So in conclusion, all that carefulness go down the drain. Why? Because i see my non-christian friend marriages can last more happier and longer.

I got one non believer friend, his marriage was on the rockers because his wife got attitude problem, so he confronted her and argued with her. I also know she has very bad attitude problem, never change even when my unbeliever friend was boyfriend-girlfriend to her. Then when something big happen during their marriage, my friend was about to consider divorce, to my shock, the wife changed for the better ! When I met his wife recently, she completely changed, she became kinder and more nicer person. My friend decided to stay in the marriage.

But unfortunately some christians are so dogmatic. These are problems they face, they think they got the authority from God to be "right all the time". They cannot be corrected, they think they are unfallable.

So in a christian marriage, the guy got big big ego, he will quote biblical verses during argument with the wife, and she also quote back. They both think they got the dogmatic rights to win the argument. So end up divorce.

I have encountered a lot of big ego christian guys. When I try to suggest something, they just shut me out because they think they been given god given powers to override. I also brought up some issues about how we can improve the church stuff, then it wasn't a big deal, one of the christian leaders, got offended and walked out on me. I check with my other friends about what i said, and they say it wasn't offensive nor questioning authority, just that he overreacted.

Its just so unfortunate, when guys go to church thinking that they got the God given right to steam roll over other people but they forgot that Jesus came down to Earth with kindness and compassion to love. Sometimes when i got to church and when I see lack of love, i just don't think the place is suitable for me. Sometimes I got out yam cha with my non christian friend, he tells me about his suffering, and i feel compassion to help and emphathize with him because I love Jesus then I also must love the people who are in suffering because thesse are the people Jesus love.

I have been to church when a troubled christian guy keep on saying that he wants to commit suicide. He makes statement like tommorow i want to jump down 13th floor. He looks very troubled. He tells these things in our gatherings but the dogmatic leaders listen and just ignore him. Where is the compassion?

So it all starts from the heart. We can be very careful and stringent with our partners but if we don't have a loving and compassion heart like Jesus, we are no where near prepared for a marriage.

So it all starts from the heart. We can be very careful and stringent with our partners but if we don't have a loving and compassion heart like Jesus, we are no where near prepared for a marriage.