Love and Marriage Life is not “maintenance” BUT “Investment”.

On last Friday, we were discussingabout love. In that discussion welearned many things about Love fromfew experienced couples. I would liketo share one thing that really openedmy eyes.We often think that, when we are inLove and Marriage life, that means weneed to maintain the relationship.This is what we do. We often thinkthat, we would like to have therelationship as we are having ourinterest in our expensive things. When we buy something, we often think ofthe expenses for the maintenance andhow are we going to keep them. We evenapplied the same philosophy in ourrelationship. At the end we are onlymaintaining the relationship becausewe are married or in relationship.But there is another way of thinkingabout Love and Relationship. It isbetter than “maintenance” philosophy of Love and Marriage. It is called “Investment” philosophy ofLove. Why investing? What would we dowhen we invest certain amount of moneyin big businesses? Are we going tothink of the ways to maintain thebusiness or to get possible ways toget the best profit and revenue out ofthem?
Yes! Of course we would like tohave the best profit and revenue outof our investment in that business.Even in our relationship, we need toinvest love in relationship. We needto invest Love in relationship so thatwe will work hard for the best in ourLove and marriage life. When we investin our relationship, we would like tohave the best outcome and always willbe thinking to do the best for theloved one. If we are thinking tomaintain the relationship, we oftenwant to give enough attentions to keepthe relationship going like we wantour car to keep on moving until itgets rust. In the other hand, if weare thinking to invest in therelationship, we often want to givethe best out of the best attentions toprosper the relationship.Think about it! Whether you want tohave “maintenance” kind of Love andMarriage Life or “investment” kind ofLove and Marriage Life?
God Bless You!
Robert J Agustin

The Eleventh Commandment

During the first college break for this year, I and my other friends went the Theology Camp, which was held in Pattaya, Thailand. One early morning, some students and faculties and I went out to the sea shore to have short morning worship. After the worship, I was sitting there and sarcastically smiled to this girl and she threw a small stone toward me. That stone hit my forehead and as a reflexive action I threw words to her saying, “You see how much she loves me!” during that time her guardians were there too. They are faculties in my college. They heard what I said and both of them responded to me by telling me that, “these girls have eleventh commandment, do you know what that eleventh commandment is?” And they added, “It is…. thou shall not fall in love”. They were also telling me that these girls are not allowed to love any guys. (I hope they kept this commandment as they said {grin}).
This is only an illustration came from my life experience. The faculty who told me that these girls have an eleventh commandment is our Theology Professor. I wonder that day, How could a person who knows the primary essence of Ten Commandment could tell that there is eleventh commandment which says, “Thou shall not fall in love”.
The primary essence of Ten Commandment is Love. That’s what Jesus emphasized in Matthew 22:36 – 40:

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”43 22:37 Jesus44 said to him, “‘Love45 the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’46 22:38 This is the first and greatest47 commandment. 22:39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’48 22:40 All the law and the prophets depend49 on these two commandments.” NET Bible

We can say many things, but at the end without love there is no heaven and earth. Even God talks about love and He is called LOVE. It was funny to hear that this professor said eleventh commandment is not to fall in love, while, the whole Ten Commandments is talking about LOVE. All I want to say here is that there are many people are still ignorance in what they are saying and acting. They are saying something but not acting according to what they said. BUT God in other hand He did and still doing what He said and Promise to us. He said that He loved us even before the foundation of the world and because of that he gave his only begotten son (Jesus Christ) that none should perish but have eternal life. He still loving us and will be loving us forever.

I'm Checking In Today!

I got this story from my friend... So I would like to share it with readers...

A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day,Decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to pray. Just then the back door opened,a man came down the aisle,The minister frowned as he saw the man hadn't shaved in a while.His shirt was kind a shabby and his coat was worn and frayed, the man knelt, he bowed his head,Then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed,each noon time came this chap,each time he knelt just for a moment, A lunch pail in his lap.Well, the minister's suspicions grew,with robbery a main fear,He decided to stop the man and ask him,"What are you doing here?"The old man said, he worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour.Lunchtime was his prayer time,For finding strength and power."I stay only moments, see, because the factory is so far away; as I kneel here talking to the Lord,This is kind a what I say:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN. DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKING IN TODAY."

The minister feeling foolish, told Jim, that was fine.He told the man he was welcome to come and pray just anytime.
Time to go, Jim smiled, said "Thanks."He hurried to the door.The minister knelt at the altar, he'd never done it before.His cold heart melted, warmed with love, and met with Jesus there. As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim's prayer:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP
AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.n I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY."

Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim hadn't come.n As more days passed without Jim, he began to worry some. At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was ill.The hospital staff was worried,But he'd given them a thrill.The week that Jim was with them, Brought changes in the ward.His smiles, a joy contagious. Changed people, were his reward.The head nurse couldn't understand why Jim was so glad,when no flowers, calls or cards came,Not a visitor he had. nThe minister stayed by his bed, He voiced the nurse\'s concern:No friends came to show they cared.He had nowhere to turn.Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up and with a winsome smile;"the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know, that in here all the while \neveryday at noon He's here, a dear frie! nd of mine, you see,He sits right down, takes my hand,Leans over and says to me:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM, HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN. ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY, I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY, AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN TODAY."

GOd's Presence is Always Available... You will never walk alone... for GOd is With You...

Joel Osteen vs. Rick Warren on Prosperity Gospel

Time's cover story, "Does God Want You to Be Rich?" makes no reference to the National Baptist Convention, but it's worth noting that the black denomination spent much of its annual convention last week attacking the prosperity gospel. "Black communities are suffering, while this prosperity-pimping gospel is emotionally charging people who are watching their communities just literally dissolve," Friendship West Baptist Church pastor Frederick Haynes told Dallas's WFAA.

That the prosperity gospel has a hold on a segment of American culture is not disputable. Time quotes its own poll numbers:

17 percent of Christians surveyed said they considered themselves part of such a movement, while a full 61 percent believed that God wants people to be prosperous. And 31 percent—a far higher percentage than there are Pentecostals in America—agreed that if you give your money to God, God will bless you with more money. … Of the four biggest megachurches in the country, three—Joel Osteen's Lakewood in Houston; T.D. Jakes' Potter's House in south Dallas; and Creflo Dollar's World Changers near Atlanta—are Prosperity or Prosperity Lite pulpits.

For Osteen, Prosperity Gospel isn't a pejorative term:

"Does God want us to be rich?" he asks. "When I hear that word rich, I think people say, 'Well, he's preaching that everybody's going to be a millionaire.' I don't think that's it." Rather, he explains, "I preach that anybody can improve their lives. I think God wants us to be prosperous. I think he wants us to be happy. To me, you need to have money to pay your bills. I think God wants us to send our kids to college. I think he wants us to be a blessing to other people. But I don't think I'd say God wants us to be rich. It's all relative, isn't it?"

On the other side is the guy whose church rounds out the "largest four" list:

"This idea that God wants everybody to be wealthy?", [Rick] Warren snorts. "There is a word for that: baloney. It's creating a false idol. You don't measure your self-worth by your net worth. I can show you millions of faithful followers of Christ who live in poverty. Why isn't everyone in the church a millionaire?"

It's smart for Time to make Warren the piece's chief critic of the Prosperity Gospel. (One of his favorite lines, "I don't think it is a sin to be rich. I think it is a sin to die rich," doesn't appear.) And it allows Time to make its most astute observation: one of the reasons that the prosperity gospel has been able to grow is because (particularly white, middle-class) evangelical churches have avoided talking about personal finances or social inequality.

Now, however, white, middle-class evangelical churches are starting to talk about personal finances and social inequality. So the question becomes whether Prosperity Gospel is as ascendant as Time suggests, or whether it's just an aberrant theology that's about to have an unprosperous future.
Ps... I like this article that's why I post it here... I got them from: Christianitytoday http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/137/41.0.html

Primary Way of Marketing Salvation!!

Is there any correlation between the economy of salvation being marketed and the growth rate of the Christian communities at a particular time and place?

There are at least five different economies of salvation that were marketed in the first millennium. In the second millennium, we would include Pope Leo X's, also known as Giovanni de Medici, sale of indulgences and the Puritans’ scaring the hell out of people models.

The church that prays together stays together and all of its communing members go to heaven [Cyprian]. Cyprian believed that those who partake of the sacrament became part of the body of Christ.

All of God’s creatures, including the cynical attorney, will go to heaven [Gregory of Nyssa].

Only members in good standing of my church will go to heaven [Augustine].

Only God knows who will go to heaven.

Among all these ways of thinking and thoughts on salvation there is one primary one... it is the primary way of marketing salvation. CHRIST is the primary way to heaven... and only God knows who will be going to heaven... and we know that we are saved by grace through faith...

People always argue in who is going to be saved... until they forget that, Only God can save us... and it is only through His transforming and saving grace that we are saved.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate way of marketing salvation... and not other things....

Robert J Agustin

Relationship don't thrive because the guilty are punished but because the innocent are merciful...

"Relationships don't thrive because the guilty are punished but because the innocent are merciful".

I'm back again from long break. During this break, I have been travelling and enjoying my life. One day this quote came into my thoughts. It's about Relationship between humans and relationship between God and us. I have been in relationship, still in, and many different kind of relationship. For example: Relationship between family members, relationship between boy and a girl, relationship between friends, professional kind of relationship and etc. In all these relationships, there will be two kinds of people, innocent and guilty one.

Relationship is not successful because the guilty are punished for their mistakes but for the innocents are merciful or gracious. Think for awhile, how many times we have been thinking to punish the one we love, so that, that person will not do the same mistakes again and again. At the end the relationship just end up like that. It is because we have been concentrating too much on punishing the one we love.

I still remember, when I was teenage, at some point of my life I have been rebellious to my parents. I used to have long hair and dyed. My father saw me, and he could have punished me but he didn’t. All he did was to ask me, “son what happen to your hair?” of course as his son, I just smile to him. I could see in his face that he is worrying about me. Every time I rebelled against my parents, they have been merciful to me. Now I know and understand the grace they showed to me all these long. And it was an important source to build our relationship to grow stronger and deeper.

The same experience comes in our relationship between us and our creator. Every time we go against him and do all the silly things. We will be thinking that, He is going to send us thunder… and Zappppppppzzz…. us for all the sin we have done to Him. When I was child and teenage, my Sunday class teachers and youth class teachers will always talk about God’s judgement as it is very scary and life taking event. I even had nightmares about God’s judgement at night when I’m asleep. Until I came here to my college, while I study Bible more, I found out that, God’s judgment’s primary focus is on saving humankind and not to punish them. It is where to show us that GOD is so gracious and powerful to redeem, to heal, to save, and to vindicate us from this sinful world. Some of you might ask about the punishment part. Actually this punishment part is not primary part of God’s judgment. It is only for those who fall short or didn’t repent from all their sins. It is for those who don’t want to be in relationship with God. Our relationship with God is growing or successful because God is Gracious and Loving, and not because of punishment… Punishment is only for those who are outside of HIS relationship.

Most of us will be thinking that, GOD is innocent and that's why we are taking advantage on HIM... But if you think carefully, the relationship doesn’t thrive because the guilty are punished but the innocent are merciful... ... It is because of God’s grace, we have relationship with HIM… when there is no mercy or grace… there is no humankind..

REMEMBER GOD IS GRACIOUS AND BE YE ALSO MERCIFUL TO ONE ANOTHER...

"Relationships don't thrive because the guilty are punished but because the innocent are merciful".

Robert J Agustin

main... new... not burdensome for some ...... 

hmmm... 

Come, Steal me from my self!

Come, Steal me from my self,
Hide me somewhere in your heart,
Don't let me get lost in loneliness,
Don’t let me lose you,
Come to me, take me in your arms...

Come, give me a shy smile,
Steal my heart and keep it safely,
You will be in my heart sincerely,
as I'm in yours always.

Come, Let me in your heart,
I’m searching a hiding place,
Like a runaway prisoner,
Just to be there in your heart.

Come, I’m waiting for you,
Before the dawn comes to me,
Before the evil day comes to me,
Come, before it is too late,
Come to me, take me in your arms...

p/s I need to polish this poem little bit... heheh just wanna post it in my blog.. before I forget it...

Your Eyes will attracted to many things, but your heart only attracted to the specific one..

Yeah! This morning I was browsing in the internet while Naw Thien was there beside me.... I come across with some beautiful girls in my friendster.. She was telling me aiyooooooooo...... this phrase came into my mouth without I'm realising it... I told her... "My eyes might attracted to every beautiful things around me... but there is only one person is attractive in my heart.. Only one..."

Only One can be attractive to your heart....

The Greatest Mistake that couples make...

After reading the title of this article, you might have come across on the idea where couples have other relationships than the one they love can be the greatest mistake that they make. Or maybe something like this might come across in your thinking that sex before marriage can be the greatest mistake that the couple can make. It is when you get pregnant or you are charged and it causes separation or ruin your love life… maybe at some sense can be right. Everyone of use had been through some kind of experience in relationship. You might have loved a person so deeply and truly. Let me come to the point, when we are in love, maybe you might be a boyfriend or girlfriend, or married couples. One thing that we often do when we are in argument, we often tell the opposite sex how regretful you are by marrying her or him. You even bring back all the past stories when you first met her or him… or the failure stories of them… or the weak point of them… I have seen many married couples or boy friend and girlfriend who regret for being with the person whom they love.

One thing I would like to ask all those who are reading this… please don’t you ever say that you are really regret to be with the person you are with now… especially when you tell him or her about it while or not in the arguments and fighting. It is most painful word for the person who really loves you. It is really hurts the person and that person will never forget that words… and it will be inside their heart even though they are not showing it… if you have argument and really angry with the one you love… don’t use words that shows that you are really regret of being with that person… all you have to do is just give the person “silent treatment” when the argument is over… just tell the person in a creative way that you really glad and happy to be with and live with that person… It will make them so special and it will nourish your love life too… Love life is not about one person or selfishness. It is about togetherness until you die… togetherness even though you are different… togetherness even though you have serious argument… It is about your every aspect of your life… you are not alone in this world… when one person is affected in this world, others who are around him or her will be affected too.

THINK WISELY! Do to others as you wish others to do to you! Love one another with nice and lovely words… and not harsh and regretting words…. It is because there are no perfect people in this world… BUT there is one PERFECT GOD and GOD is LOVE… Love one another with whole of your heart and accept them as they are…God Bless You and your relationship…

Love and Grace

Robert J Agustin

The Wounded Healers

With all its imperfections, sins, blemishes, and warts, the Church of Jesus Christ is the intended healer of the world’s wounds. Christians are called to be compassionate, wounded healers.Perhaps, Henri Nouwen, the Roman Catholic theologian, has said this better than anyone else. The author of many books, Nouwen speaks of Christians as "wounded healers" who have compassion. Compassion is not pity. Pity lets us stay at a distance. It is condescending.Compassion is not sympathy. Sympathy is for superiors over inferiors. Compassion is not charity. Charity is for the rich to continue in their status over the poor. Compassion is born of God. It means entering into the other person’s problems. It means taking on the burdens of the other. It means standing in the other person’s shoes. It is the opposite of professionalism. It is the humanizing way to deal with people. "Just as bread without love can bring war instead of peace, professionalism without compassion will turn forgiveness into a gimmick."
Ron Lavin, Alone/Together, Ron Lavin, CSS Publishing Co., Inc.

Anger and Snap Judgments

Anger can make a normally unbiased person act with prejudice, according to a study in the Journalof Psychological Science.Assistant psychology professors David DeSteno atNortheastern University in Boston and NilanjanaDasgupta at the University of Massachusetts,Amherst, randomly divided 81 study participants into two groups and assigned them a writing taskdesigned to induce angry, sad or neutral feelings.In a subsequent test to uncover non-consciousassociations, angry subjects were quicker toconnect negatively charged words—like war, deathand vomit—with members of the opposite group—even though the groupings were completelyarbitrary.“These automatic responses guide our behaviorwhen we’re not paying attention,” says DeSteno,and they can lead to discriminatory acts whenthere is pressure to make a quick decision. “Ifyou’re aware that your emotions might be coloringthese gut reactions,” he says, “you should taketime to consider that possibility and adjust youractions accordingly.”

("http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-","eHNsL2J1bGxldGluLnhzbA==");
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20040209-000025.html

ThunderWear

Here's a slinkier fetishwear holster (as if they all weren't fetishwear anyway) for carrying up to six handguns at a time GAH! I mean "your six-gun," meaning ONE handgun with blast-tastic kablamability: Link, marginally work-safe. If you wanna get it go ahead.. to this link hahahahah have fun with it...

God Won't ask...

1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove, He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
2. God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many you helped clothe.
4. God won't ask what your highest salary was,He'll ask if you gave some to help others.
5. God won't ask what your job title was,He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
6. God won't ask how many friends you had, He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
7. God won't ask in what neighborhoodyou lived, He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.
8. God won't ask about the color of yourskin, He'll ask about the content of your character.
9. God won't ask why it took you so longto seek Salvation, He'll lovingly take you to your mansionin heaven, and not to the gate of hell

have a nice day!

Hair Cut or Car?

A young boy had just gotten his drivingpermit.Heasked his father> whether they could discuss his use of thefamilycar.>> His father took him into his study and said,"I'llmake a deal withyou.> You bring your grades up, study the Bible alittle, get your hair cut> and then we'll talk about it.">> After about a month, the boy came back andagain asked his father if> they could discuss his use of the car.>> They again went into the father's studywhere thefather said, "Son,> I've been very proud of you. You havebroughtyour grades up, you've> studied the Bible diligently, but you didn't getyour hair cut.">> The young man waited a moment and thenreplied, "You know, Dad, I've> been thinking about that. You know Samsonhadlong hair, Moses hadlong> hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus hadlong hair.">> The father said, "Yes, and everywhere theywent,they walked."

Pastoral Cartoons!

I was browsing through the Net until I come across to these cartoons ... It is really hillarious.. have a good day..

It was really interesting day!

Slept around 1:30 am then I woke up at 6 am - pray and went out to gym. After that as usual breakfast then to the Library.... that's all untill now... hope to motivate myself to write more interesting stuff for my blog... until then take care all and bye

Super Robert.. hahahaha(by Nate)

This is really funny... my friend make me laugh by creating this picture... Thanks Nate... Love ya bro...

Love Is Choice- It is your choice

When you love someone, or in love with someone,you will always come across with someone whoare more beautiful or handsome than your lovedone. You even will find someone who is wiser or more knowledgeable than the one you love. Otherthan that, you also will find someone who is more understanding and caring person than the one you love. If I want to tell more, there are a lot of things that I could tell from my observation. The point here is that you still will find someone better than the one you love.This is why I believe that, Love is Choice. It is where you make or made choice to live with and love the person. We are the one making choice here to love someone, and it is where the opposite sex made a choice to accept you. It is all your choice to love someone. It is depend on you and your choice. Human being was given this gift, the gift called freedom of choice. Yeah! Some of you are from Asian cultures may think that it is not your choice to live with and love a person chosen by your parents. At the end you still make choice even though your parents make you to love the person and live with him or her. It doesn’t matter whether it is arranged marriage or love marriage, at the end you are the one making the choice to live with the person and love the person. That’s reality.We are making choice.
Some times, most of you who are in relationship will come into a time when you will see or come across with someone who is better than the one you love. You might not tell it out because you are afraid of being spot by people that you are not loyal to the one you love. Let me tell you, many married people that I met even said the same things. Yeah, they made choice to live with the one they love. Some of them are mature and understood this. That’s why most of the married couples whenever they see someone who are better than the one they love, they always remind themselves that they already made a commitment and made choice to live with and love the one they love. This is what I call mature relationship. If any couples or individual out there can’t get this and can’t understand this they are not in mature relationship. It is when they are not mature in relationship, or in understanding the nature of love and relationship, they can’t stay with the loved one forever. To love someone you need to achieve maturity in mind and heart. At the end it is the choice you make to live with and love someone. When you make this choice you will learn to accept the person as she or he is. This is what I called mature love and relationship.This maturity is continuous development in us. It isyour choice.

Robert J Agustin

Decode the DaVinci

The Christian world have been stired with many latest theological issues. One of them will be the Da Vinci Code. Here I would like to add some interesting webpage to tell you more about how to decode this da vinci code... just visit this webpage and get a free copy of this book in pdf form.
www.thedavincidecode.net

“I AM the CARBOHYDRATE”

Every morning when I go for breakfast, I will find noodles, bread or rice prepared for breakfast for us in the college cafeteria. I like to eat them and I need them to fill my stomach. But I prefer to have “roti chanai”. It is when I eat “roti canai” I feel I’m satisfied and full. I felt like my need is fulfilled.
Something to think about, each and everyone here tend to have our own favourite…. Hmmm …. Let me put it in this way. Every one of us likes to have certain type of meal which will fulfill our needs and also our taste. Sometimes, when we travel to places far away from home and our culture. We tend to not get the food that we used to eat when we were at home land. I’m now living in my campus and I tend to not get certain food that daily offer to me when I was back at home. I still eat the bread, noodles and rice. Rice is still my main food buy I cant live without eating “roti chanai”. It is because I grew up eating “roti chanai” almost every morning. Some of my friends back at home, they can’t live without eating “nasi lemak”. Some of my friends in this campus tend to eat noodles in every meal. It is because they want their need to be fulfilled. In their country, they tend to eat noodles every day, it explains because they are from noodle eating society. My other European friends, they tend to eat bread every morning and they even complaint about it. They complaint about the bread been offered in the cafeteria. They said that this bread is not exactly the kind of bread they eat in Europe. Even there are differences in bread.
In all these differences, there is one truth and also one reality. It is that we need carbohydrate. The main food that we eat, whether it might be “roti canai”, “nasi lemak”, noodles, or bread. In all these, the main nutrition that we need is carbohydrate. Carbohydrate is there in every main and daily food. Human body needs more of this nutrition called carbohydrate. It doesn’t matter in what form they are. The matter is we need to get the carbohydrate in the way we like and used to it.
All that I want to say is this, If Jesus lives now in our time, the term He would use will be “I AM the Carbohydrate, whoever comes to me will never hunger or thirst, and will receive the Living Carbohydrate.” Yes, my friends, WE NEED JESUS and it doesn’t matter in what form we take him into us. It doesn’t matter whether we eat rice or noodles at the end we are getting carbohydrate from this food. An Asian can’t live without rice, since it is his culture and also life style. European can’t leave or will not feel comfortable to not eat bread everyday. It depends on our culture and context. All we need to do is excavate Christ in us and our context. Let Christ be the Carbohydrate in “roti chanai” for Indians, in “Char Keow Teaw” for Chinese, “Nasi Lemak” for Malay and bread for Europeans.
Remember one think before leave this page. Christ is our Carbohydrate.
BY HIS SPIRIT....