Why was the First Man created Alone?

By Angelyn

Note from the author: This entry was inspired by my Love who said he wanted to stretch my limits. I praise God for him each and every time I think of him, everyday. He inspires me.

Have you ever wondered why God created Adam before Eve? Let me speak first with the ladies. In some cases that we get to have men open our door, hear them say, “Ladies first” or “After you”… soon thereafter a smile marks our faces, and we’ll be happy to have met one of the few gentlemen left in the planet. But when our God created the universe, the human race, He first made Adam. As I pondered and talked with God, here are some of the reasons:

Men Are Designed To Lead.

Kindly note, designed, it’s not a matter of want. Guys, you’re made for leadership. God wanted you first to know the ins and outs, the structural framework and then you delegate. He knows that you hunger for the adventure, to seek the unknown for yourself and by yourself. And guess what, He specifically designed you to enjoy it.

Yes, two minds indeed are better than one. However, order first has to be established and our systematic God placed men in that authority. And as we all know, leadership comes with great responsibility.

Men Have Priorities.

If you will read in Genesis 1 verse 20-24, God created great creatures of the sea, every winged bird according to its kind, living creatures on the land, wild animals according to its kind and creatures that move along the ground. In v22, it writes God blessed them and said, “Be faithful and increase in number.” But again, for the human race, only a man was created.

In v26, God said, “Let us make man in our image in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

From here, we can say that God created man first for Himself; to do His work and mission for Him. He ought to be fully developed, molded into His likeness in strength and in character. And then after this, God creates his Eve – or should I say, He lets Adam meet his Eve.

And so what are we ladies ought to do? You guessed it right! We are to wait. But not just that, we are to be developed as well. In Proverbs 31 verse 11, it writes, “Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.” Statistics now says that for every man, there are 7 women! So we better make sure that we’re the better choice compared to the other 6, don’t you think?

Women Are Designed To Partner.

There was an enormous task to be done. God had entrusted Adam with His creation. And He placed Eve alongside him to encourage, support and help him carry his tasks. God didn’t particularly specify that Eve should rule over the animals with Adam but He wanted her to be beside Adam. Some of you might think this to be unfair but basing it in Scripture, God placed Adam in-charge and so Eve’s focal was to be there for Adam… to serve him… to accompany him.

We are to trust our God and remember Him to be our Creator and Author of our love stories. He knows even the numbers of hair in our head. He knows the utmost desires of our hearts. Therefore, wouldn’t He know what is best for you? Definitely! But in our waiting, in Him alone, can we find the Perfect Gentleman.

‘You can’t hurry love.’

Men, Adam never asked God he needed a mate. He didn’t question his Master how come all the creatures he ruled over had a partner yet he didn’t. God just knows. In His wisdom, riches and grace, He provided him with his Eve out of his own ribs. And so men, I urge you to work and be developed for the advancement of His Kingdom. And women, wait patiently and expectantly for your Adam. Keep yourselves pure and be steadfast for your man.

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. –Matthew 6: 33.

Your Sex Drive is not the Problem

By Sean

All of us men have been brainwashed into this mindset: The sex drive is something that is leading us to sin. That’s a lie. Your sex drive is something that is designed for you to enjoy the most intimate physical pleasure God has given to man in marriage. Don’t deceive yourself into blaming your genetic design.

This entry has been inspired by the book Every Young Man’s Battle by Fred Stoeker and Stephen Arterburn

Most men have problems with lust, pornography and masturbation. If you don’t, please stop reading this. This is not for you. But if you do have problems with it, then you’re probably like me.

The tendency for us, is we try to blame our downfalls on something other than our area of responsibility. When we fall into the temptation of lust and masturbation, we tend to blame it on our sex drive. We try to justify our conscience into telling ourselves that we’re men. We try to soothe the sin in telling ourselves that it’s natural and it cannot be helped.

The natural sex drive

We are all built with sex drives. It is God’s design. For us men, our sex drive is definitely stronger. Our bodies are designed to desire sex and to be attracted to the opposite sex. That’s normal. That’s natural.

Every seventy two hours, we desire a sexual release. The natural tendency is that we have nocturnal emissions or what is better known as ‘wet dreams’. That’s normal. That’s natural.

The natural sex drive is controllable. It can be pushed aside. You can say ‘no’ to it anytime. It is not able to control you.

The sumo sex drive

Now that we know the natural sex drive and what it’s about, let me introduce you to the sumo sex drive.

When you look at pornography and fantasize about sexually arousing thoughts, your natural sex drive gets bloated up. It gets fed. And unlike any other appetite, the sumo sex drive is insatiable until it is satisfied by a sexual release.

Think of it this way, your sex drive is a sumo wrestler. It oftentimes gets up and provokes you to a sumo wrestling match. You cannot refuse.

Whenever you feed the sumo, you will easily lose and get pushed out of the ring. That is the time you choose to fall into sin and lust and masturbation. He wins.

The only way to win in this sumo wrestling match is to starve the sumo sex drive. And if and when you do starve it, it rapidly loses weight – until you can push it around easily out of the ring.

The thing is, whenever it provokes you and you have to fight, you are also given the choice to either feed it or starve it. It is during those times that you have to make a crucial decision. Your chances of winning isn’t decided when you’re pushing with it in the ring. Your chances of winning is decided when you are given the choice to either feed or starve it.

Go fasting!

Here’s the best way to go: Fasting. You don’t just try to starve the sumo, you try to focus on God. Starving the sumo is a matter of the heart in light of your love for God. If you are authentic in your relationship with Him, you will have no problem starving the sumo each time he provokes you.

Fast your sumo to death.

Thing is, it doesn’t die. It only gets weak.

Besides, you’re gonna want your sumo in marriage. For your wife.

Always remember that your sex drive is not the problem. It’s your discipline in starving or feeding the sumo that’s the problem.

Choose God. Know that He wants the best for you. Starve your sumo sex drive. How?

1) By controlling your eyes just as Job did.

“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.” – Job 31:1

2) By taking captive every thought.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” - 2 Corinthians 10:5

3) By setting your heart on God

“Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” – 2 Timothy 2:22

Practicing these three is developing a habit. Always remember that feeding the sumo is a habit. Impurity is a habit. Likewise, purity is a habit.

Live a life that practices the habit of glorifying God.

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Your Sex Drive won’t wait for you

By Sean

Our bodies are opened up to desire sex as we reach the age of, more or less thirteen.This is because God designed us to manhood as we reached puberty. And as Christians in a world of rampant pornography and lust, suddenly we realize we need help.

This entry has been inspired by the book Every Young Man’s Battle by Fred Stoeker and Stephen Arterburn

These days young men and women are treated as kids

Even when our bodies are already ready for sex because we are designed to be sexual beings, you can always hear other people saying “you’re not ready to get married” or “enjoy your life first, you’re young” or “you still need to be financially stable”. Those people may be right in telling you that, but your body is certainly ready to have sex.

The word ‘teenager’ did not exist before the late 1940′s. Meaning before those times, when you reach the age of thirteen, you are considered a man.

What’s happening today is that we think of ourselves as kids with all our lives ahead of us. We think that we can enjoy and use up our time and life for our comfort and desires. If we viewed ourselves as men and women, who have responsibilities to carry, who have loads to bear, who have limited lives to live – then we would realize that we have to develop ourselves as leaders as soon as we can. We have to develop ourselves to face those responsibilities. We cannot procrastinate because our bodies will not procrastinate.

The heavy load of celibacy

The truth of the matter is, the Bible says that sexual immorality is wrong. I’ve written quite a number of entries about purity and lust. And when our bodies are opened to the world of puberty, we suddenly realize that the years we need to go through before we can settle down and marry is too darn long!

Then this ‘celibacy’ thing that God has called us to, seems impossible.

In fact, a lot of young men today think that abstaining from pornography and masturbation is impossible. They think that no one can do it – because they know that they can’t. And pornography is just a click away. It is so accessible.

Keeping away from sexual immorality and lust ain’t a walk in the park.

This world has much to offer

Instead of carrying the load of keeping focused and desiring to marry in the right age and time, we move our focus to career, business, materialistic pleasure, and so on and so forth. We think marrying and getting settled down is going to be in the way of our ‘enjoyment’ and materialistic pleasure.

We suddenly fear the responsibility in marriage. Because we think we’re still too young and everyone says that we are not yet ready.

We get sidetracked to desiring the pleasures of this world. And since we are sexual beings, we are always tempted to satisfy our sexual desires. The tendency is for us to just buy sex or get into flings and one nighters. It’s cheap, easy and no strings attached.

And we’re young. What could possibly go wrong?

Right?

Age does not separate the consequences

All our sexual decisions today will impact the rest of our lives. The choices you make as a teen will always carry over. The right decisions you make when you’re twenty will impact your decisions when you’re forty. Likewise the wrong choices you make today will impact the choices you make in the future.

Everything that you’re sowing in your life now, you will soon reap. It might not be immediate, but it is surely coming your way sooner or later.

Playing life without concern for your own maturity through choice of responsibility will utterly delay your manhood. It is procrastination of your call as a leader. A procrastination of your call as a man.

Growing older will not free you from sexual impurity. Don’t think that your choice of drowning yourself into sin and lust and sexual immorality now won’t matter because you’re young. Age will not save you. Marriage will not save you. You have to make a choice.

You have to tell yourself “This is it. This is as far as I go. I will go no further. I will stop from sinning and commit myself to following God in the aspect of sexual purity.” Otherwise, you’re going down a slippery slope. And it will get harder and harder to pin your flag down and stop.

Take the baton and run!

We have to realize that we are called to leadership and maturity in an early age. This life is meant to glorify God and nothing else. We have to see ourselves as how God sees us. We have to push ourselves as how God expects of us. Take the baton and run – run hard. Carry the load. Always remember that through this race, God is with you. You just have to decide to finally push yourself into taking that first step.

Getting Back My Life from the World

By Vincent

Note from Sean Si: This is an entry by Vincent Haoson. He is a good friend of mine from CCF. This is his testimony.

Before I start with this post, I’d like to say a very brief intro about me since this is my first time posting here. My name’s, Vincent, I’m 23, a writer/businessman/blogger. I met Sean through last year’s CCF Single’s Retreat: Now Boarding. We became friends since then and basically we got to talk about blogging and stuff since we were on the same line of work (so to speak), and well, the rest is history.

As my first post here, God has impressed me this morning that I should share my life, or rather how I got back my life after

This was the dining area during the retreat

I went of my way as a Christian. To start it all off, I’d like to say first that I was a very active Christian prior to that retreat. I had my own small group, I was part of my church’ LCD team, I was part of our church’ student ministry. So pretty much I was the typical thriving young christian back then. I was 4 years into the faith (became a christian at around ’04)  and my church properly equipped me with all the doctrines and lessons that I would need to live my faith and defend myself against temptation.

However there was a chink in my armor. A desire that I ne

ver really gave to God completely, the desire to have a girlfriend, or to be more specific, the desire to have someone want me.

Of course being active in a church, Love, Courtship and Marriag

e (LCM) topics are a dime a dozen. In fact, in the 4 years I

was in that church, I got so saturated with LCM topics, that I practically knew what to do when one comes to me for advice. I was in control of myself when it comes to pursuing women. The problem was, I was never prepared for the opposite.

Who would’ve thought that someone would be interested in me.

I’m not saying that I’m handsome, in fact I would be lying if I say to you right now that I think I’m handso

me. If me and Sean were standing together I’m sure the girls would look at Sean more than me. I had self-esteem issues. I grew in a home where my mother would put me down and call me ugly (in a joking matter acc. to her, but being a kid you don’t really understand those kind jokes so you take it to heart), during my elementary days I was emotionally bullied by certain people in my class, my High school was easier but I was still harassed a bit by some of the so-called “punks” of our batch.

So you can just imagine someone with that background hav

Big Boi (sean's groupmate), Sean and Me

ing a girl, and a girl that isn’t so bad looking too to suddenly have an interest in me. She was even hinting at me that she likes me too, to which I responded in a wishy washy way.

I was in trouble, no wait, I KNEW I was in trouble.

So to make the long story short, we became a couple during her 18th birthday, just after her debut.

The first few months were rocky to say the least. I even contemplated on breaking up with her bec. I knew she wasn’t a godly woman but I never had the heart to go on with it. So we worked things out. I was still leading a small group and was still playing an active role on our student center. In fact, the first few months of our relationship was good for me spiritually because I was inspired. However, things turned for the worse as our relationship flourished.

I started to compromise. It started with skipping sessions at our student ministry to be with her. After that I compromised on my personal commitments to God. Six months into the relationship, one of the biggest compromise I committed practically sealed me in the carnal trap I have knowingly stepped into.

My christian life was done for. I was on a downward spiral due to sin.

Eventually we broke up, but the residue of that relationship became my reason to shy away from God. I used my work schedule back then to skip church, and even when there was a change in my schedule, I didn’t go to church because I didn’t want to. I lost my small group since my members went to each of their own province. I became less and less involved in the student ministry.

My Group During the Retreat: (from the left) Dennis, Zachary, Glenn (leader) and Johnson (middle)

I became so disconnected with God that I started living my life out as part of the world. I never indulged in the type of sin you would often expect from someone with this story. Well, except for sex. I started hooking up with people who I met over the internet and even some who I personally knew.

I was wallowing in my own mud, dirtying myself more and more. I was indulging on physical pleasure, I kept on asking for more. I was empty and yet I persisted in my own way. Even if I knew I God would be the one who can fill me.

But I refused to come back to Him, at least in my heart. I was still attending the bible study group I was part off in my old church and while I still give insights on certain topics we had all I was doing was providing lip service and never really putting those lessons to heart.

I was two years (more or less) into this kind of life, when my relative who was an active CCF-er invited me to join the single’s retreat where I met Sean. At first I was pretty excited since she told me she could get someone to sponsor me because I was not going to spend money for a trip like that. A few weeks later she told me she wasn’t able to get a sponsor for me so it’s highly unlikely I’ll be attending, plus, the deadline’s already past. So I took that in stride and never thought about it anymore. A week before the retreat my relative called me again and told me she was trying again to find someone to sponsor my ticket. After what previously happened, I didn’t want to hope anymore, even if it was an opportunity to meet other female singles. My heart wasn’t in it anymore and I even wanted to say to my relative to give it to someone else.

I just had to take a boy band-ish shot, I just had to

Now, I can say that I’m glad I didn’t do that and attended the retreat.

It was during the retreat that I finally realized what happened to me. It was during that retreat that I knew I had to get back on the right path and go back to God. It was there that I rediscovered the saving grace of God, the love that endures forever and the fact that he has never let me go even if I strayed.

I felt I was the prodigal son during the retreat, unworthy of his father’s love. I spat at what He did for me, and I went my own way, realizing that I was wrong, that in fact he is still there loving me each day and hurting because I chose my own will over His.

I was teary eyed and grateful for God during those days I was in the retreat. I even hugged my relative who made sure I joined. Even if I know she wasn’t really the touchy-feely-showy type I just could not express through words the relief and thanksgiving I had because God used her to bring me back.

Even as I type this I’m starting to tear up because of how God has held me for so long even if I was a stubborn child. Words fail me as I describe the feeling of being relieved, of being accepted by a God who can easily kill me for what I had done and yet has decided to accept me, cleanse me and purifying me once again.

After that retreat, I have started to tread back into His path. I have learned much during my stray, but that lesson was taught at the cost of my own purity. I can never return to my old self, but I know that God has allowed me to go down this path to serve as a lesson and a reminder for people to always be prepared. To trust Him with everything, to put everything in His hands.

I am now planning to start my own ministry, and to do that I am still trying hard to change myself as to God’s specifications. I cannot say I have completely left my past since there are lingering “demons” that are still haunting me to this day. But I know God is above everything else and He has made sure I will be able to beat the ghosts of my past.

I’d like to end this very long entry (and I am sorry about that but I felt God wanted me to give my full account– well at least most of the details) with this verse:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)

note: incidentally, the single’s retreat was God’s way of telling me that I am not ready for a relationship yet.

Planetshakers Live in Manila 2011

By Sean

Planetshakers is coming to the Philippines for A Night of Worship concert this 2011! Planetshakers will perform live in Manila. The event takes place this March 12, 2011 at 7:30pm in Philsports Arena. Come join Australia’s Planetshakers in their mission to “empower a generation to win a generation”

Ever felt that hype when you’re around God’s people just worshipping His majesty and love? It is an experience like no other. When you know that you are in the presence of God, there is something different. Something unexplainable. This is an opportunity to experience the presence of God amidst thousands of other people with hearts in unison to worship.

A little info about Planetshakers

Formed for the first Planetshakers Conference in 1997, Australian Christian Worship band, Planetshakers is passionate to see generations worldwide unite together to worship God. Their heart is to see people encounter God, be transformed by his presence and empowered to make a difference in their world.

The rock and worship band is a central part of the Planetshakers Christian youth movement, which began as an annual conference in Australia and grew into an international ministry and a large church in Melbourne. The conference was born out of Paradise Community Church in Adelaide, South Australia by Pastor Russell Evans.

Planetshakers’ music is a contemporary style of praise and worship tempered with mainstream rock and pop. The 2003 Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian was also a part of the Planetshakers band for several years, taking both lead and backup vocal parts on the 2002 and 2003 albums and conferences. Many of the musicians originated from Youth Alive South Australia, which also released CDs. Some of the songs written by current band members for the Youth Alive albums, such as ‘Phenomena’ and ‘God of Miracles’ (from Youth Alive Western Australia) have also featured on Planetshakers earlier albums.

In 2004, their CD Open Up The Gates was nominated for Praise and Worship Album of the Year for the Dove Awards. This was also the year when the Planetshakers youth movement expanded and moved to Melbourne to begin a church ministry. The movement also has its own bible college which is located in several campuses throughout Australia.

Planetshakers announced at their 2008 conference that they would begin to release tracks via subscription to the “Planetshakers Revolution” – an online music/resource distribution system designed to consolidate and build upon different products that they had previously offered. “Revolution” was then discontinued on June 2010, with Planetshakers informing users they planned to move to other mediums to distribute their resources.

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Why Marriage Cannot Save you

By Sean

As single men and women, we all look forward to that glorious day when we will be married to the person we love. It is something that we all hope and aspire for. In a world saturated with pornography, sex and indulgence, lust is rampant. And we think that the solution is marriage – isn’t it?

Don't wait for marriage to change you

This entry has been inspired by the book Every Young Man’s Battle by Fred Stoeker and Stephen Arterburn

A sanctuary against lust?

We think that once we get married, lust is not an issue anymore. Hey, we can satisfy our sexual desires in a way that is legitimate and morally acceptable to God in marriage, can we not? Yes, of course we can. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t get tempted with lust anymore.

From a very young age, people now are very vulnerable to getting exposed with pornography. And young Christian men and women struggle with lust ever since they can remember. Let’s face it, one reason why we look forward to marriage so much is because we have this mindset that it will somehow free us from this bondage of lust.

It most certainly won’t. Why? Simply because marriage does not, in any way, change who you are.

A piece of paper

I’m not saying that marriage should be taken for granted. No. Marriage is a piece of paper that testifies to your choice of committment and love to another person. It is proof that you have decided on abiding to a higher law. A law above your feelings and emotions and time. It is a law outside of this world. It is a law of God.

That piece of paper is vital. It is important. Never do business with a person who says otherwise.

But a piece of paper is not meant to change who you are. You are the only one who can change yourself – by making a choice. A choice to love and follow God and reject sin and lust.

That is why so many people wake up and realize that a wedding ring isn’t magic. A wedding ring is not a catalyst to changing who they are. And that is exactly because it is not meant to do so. A wedding ring is meant to be proof that you have decided to love someone unconditionally and nothing else. It is not meant to change you.

Don’t wait ’til marriage

Decide to fight lust now. Look at the truths about lust in the Bible and how devastating it is to just let it run loose in your life. It’s not easy. It takes decision, disciple and the Holy Spirit to help you overcome lust. But the alternative is devastating – living life with an addiction to lustful thoughts and sensuality.

Lust can destroy your marriage. Don’t wait until marriage for you to change. Look at all the adulterous relationships happening in our world. Married men are hooked into adultery,  addicted to pornography and defeated into masturbation. Don’t think that once you’re married, masturbation goes out the window. It doesn’t.

Marriage is not about getting sex. If you make it so, you’re not really committing to love unconditionally. Sex is a part of marriage, not vice versa.

Lust is something that consistently knocks on your door. Marriage is not something that can block it out.

Marriage can’t save you.

Don’t wait until you get there. Make a decision to stand against lust today.