Father and Son day at Eco Farm with Homeschooling Co-op Groups

Father and Son day at Eco Farm with Homeschooling Co-op groups.

I'm surprised that J actually handled earthworms, millipede, frog, etc.

It's a sad reality that the lease is going to be up in 2 years' time and our G is taking over for army camp. I feel sad for the farmer and owner who gave 20 years of his life devoting to this farm, advocating organic growth instead of genetic seeds that are common in our present world. He can't continue his passion because the land belongs to our G and he doesn't have so much money to re-locate. 

Most of the vegetables we eat are genetically grown - no wonder so many people have health issues. Even insects don't eat genetically grown plants.

In future, all our local farms will extinct. Our kids can only learn from textbook and videos, but they won't get to see the real deal unless they travel overseas :( 

What would SG be like without farms? #fathering101

Part 18: The Call of God & Identity

Few days ago, I was just reflecting on the call of God. It is widespread for churches to teach their members to find out their calling in life. The "call of God" has been emphasized so significantly that it left many believers confused as they continually seek to discover what they should do in life.

Let me submit to us that the so-called "call of God" is one of the most disastrous teachings. When believers are so focused on finding out what they should specifically do in life, they neglect LIFE itself. 

Even choosing a spouse becomes, "I better find one that will help me to fulfill my call in life. Else she may hinder my call. She may slow me down." That, in itself, is self-focused, self-centred, 'all about me' attitude. Besides, when did the Bible ever say that the spouse is here to help you fulfill your 'call'?

When believers focus on their call, they begin to wonder which 'call' is more significant; which 'call' is better; which 'call' receives more applause from men. That is a distortion from the truth.

Disclaimer: God does indeed have assignments for us in this life. And everyone has a different role to play in the kingdom. But the assignment is not the most important thing. If it were, Jesus and apostle Paul would have talked a fair bit on that.

The call of God, really, is not about assignments. It is not about doing. It is about BEING. The CALL OF GOD is about walking in the fullness of our identity as sons and daughters.

There are too many verses that point to what the call of God really means. These are just a few.

John 20:21 - So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

- Jesus was sent to reveal the Father. We are sent to reveal Jesus. The call of God is to represent Christ in love (which includes power).

Acts 1:8 - But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall BE witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (emphasis added)

- The call of God is to BE His witnesses. In short, represent Christ as sons and daughters.

John 15:5,8 - I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing... By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

- We are not trying to be the branches. We already are. We are sons and daughters. We are called to bear fruit in Christ. The fruit we are to bear is LOVE.

John 13:35 - By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

Ephesians 4:1 - I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.

- Ephesians 1-3 talks about the calling, which is IDENTITY.

Romans 11:28-29 - Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

- The calling of God is irrevocable. It is referring to the election. In context, it is about the Jews. It is about their call as God's sons! Back to identity :)

1 Corinthians 1:23-24 - but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

- Those who are called are IN Christ. Identity again!

1 Corinthians 11:1 - Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

- Paul loved to tell others to become like Christ. Because that's our calling.

Phil 3:14 - I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

- The upward call of God is to lay hold of what Christ has paid for us to walk in (Phil 3:12). That's identity.

1 Timothy 6:12 - Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

- We are called because we have inherited eternal life. Eternal life is not going to heaven. It is knowing and manifesting the fullness of heaven.

The call of God is probably the clearest in Romans 8.

Romans 8:29-30 - For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (emphasis added)

The call of God is for us to be CONFORMED to the image of Christ. If we focus purely on this, we will not be concerned with discovering our assignments. We will not be perplexed.

Because whichever job you do presently, it's about becoming like Christ. Whichever spouse you choose, it's about becoming like Christ. Whether you know assignment or not, it's about becoming like Christ. Whether you serve in church ministry or not, it's about becoming like Christ. Whether you work in full-time church ministry or marketplace or a stayed-home mum, it's always about the latter and not the former. Because you can do the former and miss out becoming like Christ. That is NOT walking worthy of the call of God (Eph 4:1) in our lives.

This is the most important and true call of God in our lives. To walk in the fullness of our IDENTITY. #identity

Tantrum

Tantrum

J wanted to eat his favourite snack just before dinner. After telling him a few times that he needed to have his dinner first, he was upset. He said to me, "Papa, I am angry."

I replied, "Sure. You can be angry."

We have taught him to express his emotions, rather than suppressing them. We have taught him to go to the reflection corner in his room to express his emotions to Jesus and think through. We also taught him to speak in tongues if he couldn't settle with his emotions.

This time, after saying that he was angry, he added, "I'm going to the reflection corner."

I thought it was hilarious for a 4-year old to say that, so I hid behind the wall to eavesdrop. This is what he said to himself and did...

J: I'm so angry! I'm angry that I cannot eat snack.

J: (paused)

J: she ba ka ba she ba ka...

He started speaking in tongues. And it went louder and louder for a short while before everything ceased.

Then he came out of his room and looked at me, saying, "Papa, I'm done."

Me: Are you now ready to eat your dinner?

J: Yes.

Me: Can you finish your dinner before we talk about snack?

J: Yes.

We deal with his tantrum by letting him rant. He knows that when he is done, he has to come back and do what is required. Tantrum won't change the parents' decision, just as tantrum won't bend the hand of God. #fathering101

Part 17: Transformation And Identity

Some people think that our lives are transformed at the altar. They refer to the altar call. Others think that encounters transform us. If this is true, then Jesus and the apostle Paul must be misled to think otherwise. 

Nowhere in the Gospel and the epistles talk about transformation at the altar call. Jesus talked about knowing the truth to bear fruit (John 8:31-32; John 15:5), while Paul wrote about renewing your mind for transformation (Romans 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18). While Paul indeed had an encounter on the road to Damascus, it was what he did with the truth that transformed him (Gal 1:17-18). Else he would not have written Romans 12:2.

There are far too many who go to the altar call and have many encounters over and over again, without any life transformation. Besides, there are also many who don't experience dramatic encounters. If encounters really transform lives, does that mean they cannot be transformed?

I submit to us that the key to transformation lies with mind renewal.

Most believers know how the Father sees them. But that in itself, won't change them. It is not enough to know how the Father sees you.

You need to know how to see yourself the very same way the Father sees you. When you stand and look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see?

2 Corinthians 3:18 says "we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord..."

Apostle Paul was comparing Old Covenant with the New Covenant (from glory to glory). In the Old Covenant, the Most Holy Place was veiled from our face. We couldn't see clearly who Christ is and who we are. But in the New Covenant, the veil was torn (rent open) when Christ died on the Cross. Now we see clearly who He is and who we are.

Because we now have an unveiled face before the Most Holy Place, there is nothing we need to hide or feel ashamed of when we look at the mirror. 

"...are being transformed into the SAME image from (Old Covenant) glory to (New Covenant) glory..."

The Old Covenant glory was the Law = ministry of death = ministry of condemnation. The New Covenant glory is Christ = ministry of the Spirit = ministry of righteousness (2 Cor 3:7-9). 

Thus, what you see in the mirror affects your transformation. Because what you see in the mirror is the SAME image you become. If you can look in the mirror and see yourself the same way the Father sees you --- righteous, holy, blameless, above reproach, pure, loving, patient, etc., you are transformed into that image.

It says in 2 Cor 3:18 that the transformation is "...just as by the Spirit of the Lord..." In other words, it is the Holy Spirit who conforms you into the image of Christ (Rom 8:29), but He can't transform you unless you renew your mind (Romans 12:2 - "...be transformed by the renewing of your mind...") to see yourself in the mirror the same way the Father sees you.

I used to think that we should see Christ when we look in the mirror. But if you look at the mirror and you see a Jewish guy with long hair and white robe, it will be pretty flaky or even scary. Especially if you are a girl. If I look in the mirror, I should see Wilson.

What does that mean? I should see Christ IN me when I look in the mirror. I need to acknowledge every good thing which is IN me in Christ (Philemon 6), because of the New Man He has put IN me (2 Cor 5:17).

When I look in the mirror, I see Christ IN me, the hope of glory.

It is not enough to know how the Father sees us. We need to know how to see ourselves the same way the Father sees us.

So the next time when you look in the mirror, you should go, "Looking good, baby!" #identity #transformation