39th Birthday

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

I realise that I have so much more to learn in this life. I'm picking up new things from time to time, including going to pick up in-line skating at this age. Well, that's to set an example for my son that whatever I ask him to do, I should do it; and that life-long learning is a MUST.

At this point of my life, I also remember Joshua 1:9 vividly and strongly for me and my household. This was given by God when my ex-girlfriend (who is now my wife) and I came together, for we faced resistance and pressure from many sides. From that juncture, we had been stepping into uncharted waters and the road less traveled. God has been faithful to us in every season, for He is the reason for EVERY season (not just Christmas).

We are a family that might seem aloof, because as we grow older (and hopefully wiser), we find it less important to connect superficially. You just need a few to go after the Kingdom. Less is more. We hardly or almost never sought help from anyone (not even from our own extended family or parents/siblings). This is not because of pride, but we find that each one already has their own responsibility and load to take). God has supplied everything we need whenever we need (including strength).

At the same time, this allows us to step out quickly (without a lot of entanglements) whenever God calls us to.

We are often not with the mainstream, and not of the mainstream, which makes Joshua 1:9 even more powerful for our household. God and us are the majority, since He promises to be with us wherever we go, and have proven to be true in our history with Him.

My quest has not changed. After 8 years, I am more zealous about seeing people healed and set free today than when I first started. Sickness and disease must be crushed. There is no stopping until I see the results Jesus had on earth. I need to be so laser-focused that everything else around me fades in comparison. I have no capacity to minister and help in many other areas, because I must give my full attention and energy to the assignment that God has given me. To say "Yes" to one God-thing, I have to say "No" to other good things.

So if I say "No" to you, it's not because you are not important. It's because I am not God and I don't have the capacity. Yes, you will be disappointed. And I might feel bad. But I don't allow my feelings to move me. I let my assignment move me. God is your Father, so He can and will provide help for you in whatever means. Your eyes should not be on me. I'm not your Saviour. Jesus is.

At 39, I have become less tolerant towards nonsense, lies and sugar-coating words. You only dominate what you don't tolerate. I am for truth. I don't listen to someone just because of their profession. If what you say does not line up with the Word of truth, I will disregard it. So is the present world news that we are listening to. Much of them are nonsense. Period. 

If you know me, you will know my intent and my heart. If you don’t, you can get offended and you have to deal with it because I think that this life is too temporal to be offended by or with anyone. My life is free from offense, so that I can continue to offend the devil.

By the grace of God, the more we get into the Word of truth, the more we can easily expose lies in the world. It's not that difficult. We just need to have the single-minded pursuit of truth.

At 39, I don't know everything and I still have many things to learn (including marriage and fathering). But I know one thing that is more and more important: The WORD OF GOD. You can receive many prophecies; you can be passionate in spending time in songs of worship; you can be zealous in intercessory prayers, you can listen to many sermons and attend many seminars, etc. But the Word of God (aka the Bible) is the only foundation that protects you from deception. It is the only solid ground you can stand on in every circumstance. You cannot be shaken if the Word has taken root in your heart and mind. We need to give ourselves to it.

So on my birthday, I hereby wish you all (including myself) more of the Word-Life. And for my friends who are not believers, I wish you all God's grace and love.

P.S: Creative cake toppers done by my son. It’s the first in my life 🤣❤️

The Pivotal Point

It's great to love and protect your child as a father.

But it's even greater to show him that he is already loved and what he already has so that he can protect himself.

Just as the Cross is the pivotal point where God's love has been established, we need to find a pivotal point where our child can look at and realise that our love for him has been established.

#fathering101 #homeschooling

Take A Stand for The Next Generation

Suddenly, the homeschooling exploratory chat group grew from 2xx to 5xx pax in one day. It’s 3xx members increment within a day.

This is still too little.

If SG parents make a stand, we are the majority. And we can easily decide and do what is right.

Unfortunately, many are still worried and scared about this and that. This is why we continue to give those people a blank cheque.

We have been the “same, lame and tamed” (taken from a pastor’s conference).

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” - Albert Einstein.

If we don’t take a stand, the next generation is finished. This is a call for awakening. You have slept enough.

It’s Time To Fight

It's Time To Fight

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. - Ps 127:3

Fight and break what is necessary to protect the Lord's heritage, not just for your children, but for THE children.

Many will still succumb to it. But we, parents and godparents, both biological and spiritual, must fight because we have a passionate and fiery Love that overcomes all circumstances.

Do not blame anyone else when you hold the final decision and responsibility as parents. Don't expect answers to come from the world when your Master is the Lord.

Honesty & Repentance

J asked me before his Bible writing time.

J: Papa, why do I have to write this everyday?

Papa: You may not understand what you are writing, and you may not think that it’s important. But when you grow up, you will be thankful, because the Holy Spirit in you remembers. You will be ready to face challenges when He brings to your remembrance all that you have read and written.

He’s supposed to copy out 7 verses each day from the Bible systematically.

After writing a few verses, he came to me and said, “Papa, can I tell you something? But please do not scold me.”

Papa: What is it?

J: I have been writing 4-5 verses instead of 7 verses. I didn’t do the full thing for many times.

Papa: So why do you tell me now?

J: Because you told me the reason for writing them.

I gave him a hug, and said, “Thank you for being honest. This is the Holy Spirit convicting your heart. He shows you what is right.”

Tears came down from his eyes.

Repentance and honesty should be celebrated, not shamed.

#fathering101 #homeschooling #holyspiritistheteacher

Roasting Coffee for The First Time

Roasting my first batch of 100g green beans using air fryer.

Medium roast. Now de-gassing.

At $25 per kg, it works out to be 25 cents per cup of joe (Pour Over) or 75 cents per latte (with milk).

That’s right. You can do all things through air fryer which empowers you.

Hao Lian

Swimming class is finally resumed. After his class, he said, “Papa, there are only two of us. The other boy is also wearing level 4 cap, but he couldn’t do proper strokes. I do proper strokes and it’s very fast.”

He added, “I’m not sure why I’m so fast.”

I replied, “Can you not hao-lian?”

He answered, “You said that we should not show off outside. But we can only show off at home. So I’m only hao-lian here with you, not outside.”

Gonna swallow back my own words, cos a man swears to his own hurt and does not lie.

Responsibility

We have a practice at home —- that is, we try not to help J if it’s something which he can take responsibility for. So that he grows to become responsible.

He left abit of green in the basin after gargling his mouth with water after dinner.

Me: Did you leave the green there?

J: Yes, Papa.

Me: Is there a maid to help you clear it?

J: No.

Me: Then who are you waiting for to clear it?

J: Waiting for you to help me clear lor.

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Sowing & Reaping for Christian Businessmen & Salespersons Part 3

Sowing & Reaping for Christian Businessmen & Salespersons Part 3

The context of this sharing can be found in Part 1 & Part 2. 

It's purpose is to stir up more Christian businessmen/salespersons to walk in the ways of the Kingdom and represent themselves with integrity and moral ethics.

In my limited exposure for close to 7 years, I honestly haven't met one top/rich businessman/salesperson who stays true to the King in the ways he/she handles businesses. I would love to connect with one.

In the previous post, I shared that 𝐬𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 keeps you in complete rest, so that your trust is in God, and not your shrewd ability to l̵i̵e̵ ̵a̵n̵d̵ ̵c̵o̵m̵p̵r̵o̵m̵i̵s̵e̵ close deals. 

To me, it's not called 'ability and smartness' if you need to use 'sales tactics' to close deals. Anyone can do that and be a top producer. I encountered a Christian rookie who suddenly became a top producer within a short period. Guess what? He used l̵y̵i̵n̵g̵ sales tactics in front of my client.

Therefore, such top producers (with many awards) in the eyes of men are zero in the Kingdom. I have no respect for them, regardless of their million dollars' achievement and their countless times receiving awards on stage. They have received their reward in full (Matt 6:2)

The principle of sowing and reaping does not just apply to the preaching of the Gospel. It also applies in business deals. When you realise that God is indeed your Provider, you no longer see the deals as your provider. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨. Christians compromise when they think that the deal is 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 to God's providence. So they cannot afford to lose that deal.

In the context of the Gospel, you keep sowing. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐰. Period. You might reap what you sow directly, but you might also reap what you did not sow directly.

The same perspective is to be applied to business deals. Your job is to sow. You might not close the deal that you are handling (sowing) directly. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐬𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐩 (Gal 6:9), even if it is not the deal that you have been sowing. Ask me how I know...

Because it happened so many times in the past 7 years that I began to notice the pattern and the ways of my faithful & loving Father. When He said that 'I will never you nor forsake you', He meant it in the context of Providence (Heb 13:5). He never lies!

You can be working hard (sowing) in one deal, and you don't close it because you stick with integrity and do not compromise. And God will remember your sowing and drop another deal for you to reap in time to come. Because He is your Father who provides. He keeps no record of wrong, but He keeps records of faith. Each time when you trust Him and don't take things into your own hands, He records it as faith. When you believe, you will receive (Mark 11:24).

I have not heard anyone shared this when it comes to business deals before. But this is something that God has taught me as I sought Him. It's a biblical principle that will put you at rest when you represent the King in the business/sales industry. Be blessed and walk in Him!

P.S: In the past, I always didn't want to do any recruitment, because I wasn't a top producer. Recently, I felt God speaking to me to start recruiting, so that I can impart Kingdom values in the marketplace, in a cut-throat industry where many Christians have succumbed to Mammon.

If you are keen to stay true to the King in the midst of businesses, drop me a PM or text, and I'll be happy to connect with you.

Sowing & Reaping for Christian Businessmen & Salespersons Part 2

Sowing & Reaping for Christian Businessmen & Salespersons Part 2

As shared in the previous post, while many Christian businessmen/salespersons say that they trust God to provide, their actions prove that they put their trust in their own flesh.

Foolishness in the eyes of men can be the power and the wisdom of God if we put our trust in Him. I have done a number of foolish things in the eyes of men, including giving up deals in order to protect my value in Christ. I cannot be purchased by money, because I have been purchased by the life of Christ. You can only choose one in the Kingdom.

When one tries to close a deal without adhering to moral ethics, integrity and the laws of the earthly exousia (Romans 13), you can be certain that he/she fails to put his/her trust in God. He/she is using his/her own wisdom & ability to handle/close the deal. 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐞/𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐡 𝐉𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐡, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐉𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐡.

While there are certain laws that might seem challenging to follow as businessmen/salespersons, we must remember that we are first and foremost, Christians (identity). Whether we like it or not, we need to submit to the earthly exousia, as long as it doesn't contradict the heavenly exousia. I expounded on Romans 13 in a series some time back.

'Do it as long as you don't get caught' might apply in national service, but it does not apply to believers. 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐇𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐍 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

Walking before God may sometimes make you feel shortchanged IF you are only looking at the temporal. Because the reality of this life feels more real to you than the reality of the kingdom. But if you would spend time connecting with the Father's world, you will understand what truth really is. The true future is awaiting for you and me.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦. Yes, salvation is free, but reward is not. What we do has a direct impact on eternity, whether you see it or not, and whether you feel it or not.

To be at rest as a Christian businessman/salesperson; to be one who trusts that He is Jehovah Jireh and El-Shaddai, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐁𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑.

While the Kingdom principle is about reaping what Christ has sown, the natural principle of sowing and reaping still applies. It was established by God (Gal 6:7). Since God cannot be mocked, you can trust Him, and not be deceived by the flesh.

In the next post, I will share how sowing and reaping puts you at complete rest when it comes to your business and sales deals.

Sowing & Reaping for Christian Businessmen & Salespersons Part 1

Sowing & Reaping for Christian Businessmen & Salespersons Part 1

In my coming 7 years of encounters with all kinds of Christian salespersons/business people, I have learnt a great deal of what NOT to do, even in the midst of financial challenges. No one except my wife knows it full well.

I started off in this journey pretty affected by them, because they are Christians. I have expectations on Christians. Their lives are supposed to be different. Yet they are living like anyone, sometimes worse than non-believers, because mammon is involved.

Over the years, the wisdom and the peace of God empowered me to perceive and live differently. I refuse to lower my standard to that of those who do not know His way and realise their own value. You can call it stubbornness. It's sanctified perseverance, without which, it would be easy to lose your footing in a cut-throat industry, where many have. 

I am sharing from a life lived in this sales & business industry without compromise in integrity when it comes to money, often at the expense of losing deals. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐲, because while many Christian businessmen/salespersons see their deals as their financial providence, I don't. 

I see God as my financial providence and El-Shaddai, literally. For I have so many face-to-face encounters with Jehovah Jireh. It would probably blow the mind of Singaporean men when I share some of the testimonies, which I don't do so in the public, due to confidentiality.

This post is meant for genuine Christians who are or want to be businessmen/salespersons. When you don't draw a regular income, and when you do not know when is your next income, that is when rubber meets the road. Your true beliefs (good or bad) will be revealed, regardless of your preaching. In the face of competition in the mammon world, you will be put to the test, whether you trust Him or yourself.

It is still too early to say that "I trust God to provide... God will always provide...", until you are placed in that situation. As far as I know, many of us don't really trust Him to provide, apart from our lip-service. The moment when you tell someone, "I'm believing God for this $$ amount of money...", you already show that you don't trust Him.

Rest (trust) comes from revelation. The bigger God is to you, the more you know how to stop striving. The lack of trust is the main reason why Christian businessmen/salespersons try to do things their way and compromise in various areas.

I am resolved to do what is right in the eyes of God as a Christian salesperson, even when it seems foolish in the eyes of men. For I know that the reward on earth is temporal. I'm looking heavenwards for a reward that is eternal.

That said... in the next post, I am going to share a kind of perspective that will put you at rest when you handle business/sales deals. I haven't heard anyone share about it in my limited exposure.

Blessed Dad

Came out from my room and received a card from my son.

This is a precious gift because it comes straight from his heart, since today is not Father’s Day. It’s just a normal day. He just did it because he wanted to. 😍😍😍

I’m a blessed dad.

Lameness

"Papa, I like you because you are very funny. How come you can think of something funny so fast?"

Looks like lame jokes work wonder for all ages.

Moral of the story: Fathering requires you to be lame too. If you need an impartation of lameness by laying on of hands, let me know. By God's grace, I am anointed with it. It is one of the most a̵n̵n̵o̵y̵i̵n̵g̵ important gifts.

Making A Stand

There are some who will speak up and make a stand.

There are some who won't speak up and make any stand.

The former is active and will encounter haters. The latter is passive and live in harmony with all. But the latter has already made a stand BY his silence.

If your beloved child saw a group of bullies continually abusing his friend physically, mentally and verbally, and you tell him, "Boy ah... don't speak up, okay? Just continue to do your own thing and live your life quietly. Be under the radar. Don't get involved with this type of political situation."

Guess what would happen to his friend? Yep. Remain in the cycle of abuse. Like it or not, your beloved child has indirectly contributed to his friend's unjust situation.

Unfortunately, this also happens in the context of church. "Let's just do our own thing, alright. We don't want to get involved. We do not want to make a stand so that we can show love and embrace more people."

That's sensual-love, not God-kind of love. God-kind of love is found in Jesus. Jesus did not remain silent for the sake of harmony (Luke 12:51). He would speak up for injustice (Read: John 8; Mark 15:17). To the degree He loves, to that degree He speaks truth and hates lies and what is on the contrary.

Injustice happens in society when there are more passive Christians (especially Christian leaders) who take a passive stand by refusing to make an active stand.

Perhaps the true pandemic is within the church more than in the world.

Math Question

While doing a difficult Math question, J drew the Math model halfway and came to approach me, as I happened to be there.

He asked, “Papa, is this correct?”

I refused to check as I knew that he’s trying to gain confidence by checking halfway, instead of completing the whole question first.

So I began to declare, “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. You have the confidence and boldness in you. The Bible does not just apply to the devil. It applies to your Math. It applies in everything. You have it. You got it. You just believe it. You know how to do this Math question.”

When I was done, he just walked back with confidence to finish his Math question.

Looks like it works. Yay God.

Cultivating The Fear Of The Lord

Cultivating The Fear Of The Lord

While taking my shower, God spoke, “J played game on his aunt’s iPad earlier when you were not around.” At the back of my mind’s eye, I ‘saw’ balloons in the game.

After bathing, I approached J and said, “Why did you play game on iPad at 2nd aunt’s house earlier?”

(He is not supposed to play with iPad games).

He was shocked. I responded, “Jesus told me when I was showering.”

He said, “Why is Jesus so clear and powerful?”

When I was disciplining him, I reminded him, “Why do you think I always know what you are doing?”

He answered, “Because what I see through my eyes is what God sees. He lives inside me. And God also lives in you. So what I see is what you see.” He learnt this many times.

He asked, “How come Jesus always tells you stuff? Do you know what game I played?”

I replied, “I saw a game related to balloons.”

His eyes were wide open, because the game he played has them.

I had to explain why God would reveal stuff about him to me so that he understands both the love of the heavenly Father as well as the fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord has to be cultivated early for the next generation, not just by teaching and saying about it, but also by demonstrating that He knows all things, and that He speaks.

#homeschooling

Shaking The Dust Off My Feet

For more than a decade, a certain lady had been pestering and persecuting me for a decision that my wife and I did in the past. She had been calling, messaging and tracking me down for more than a decade, since 2008.

My wife and I simply, out of good intention and compassion, reached out to her in 2008 and brought her to a church service for the disadvantaged. For she had hearing impairment at that point and she was a believer. And she didn't really have a community in her church where she felt belonged to.

Yet she accused us of tricking her, and constantly questioning our motives ever since. Regardless of how I had explained to her countless of times, she refused to listen and kept on going on. After that episode, it continued for several years.

For a period of time, it was such a distraction that I blocked her contact from my phone as her messages were very toxic and persistent. But she kept changing her numbers and using other numbers so that she could call or message me.

I felt like experiencing a tiny glimpse of what Paul said about his persecutors, sent from Satan to torment him. No matter how I tried to reason and explain, the accusations never came to an end. This lady had a much deeper root than that ----- one of resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness. She did not really understand His grace, His love, His goodness and the Gospel. The deep-seated issues found a place to vent ------ I became the target.

It was extremely toxic and demonic in nature. I mean... God still loves her because she is not demonic, but she is influenced and controlled by the enemy without realising it. Just like the Pharisees were.

Two years ago, she continued to contact me again with different numbers and I finally relented and thought that I should give her a chance. Unfortunately, she didn't stop her accusations.

During this period, she had asked for help to transcribe her lessons. I was busy but I decided to help her out of compassion. It took me several nights to transcribe word for word for a 2 hours plus' session as I had to keep rewinding to hear what her lecturer was saying (as her English isn't so good).

If you delay in replying her, she would accuse you of breaking your promise, etc, etc. She would track my posts on social media and continually bombarded me with messages. 

The toxic messages are distractions from the enemy. Today, I have just rebuked her as I decided to shake the dust off my feet concerning her. The accusations and lies do not end. The disciples shook the dust off their feet when they couldn't find a person of peace in the place where they preached. Since she couldn't receive whatever I said in truth, I realised that I cannot help her. Neither do I want to be distracted in the Kingdom.

This is the first person in my life that I decided to cut off my connection with, because of an unrepentant spirit that continually seeks after strife. I pray that God will work in her, and that she would come to the place of repentance and experience the love and the power of the Gospel.

Romans 13: Subjection Does Not Mean Total Obedience —- Part 6

Romans 13: Subjection Does Not Mean Total Obedience —- Part 6

In the previous part, we talked about the importance of putting our trust in God, instead of experts, pharmas or doctors. We have the mind of Christ to discern carefully, instead of following blindly. Of course, if you are a carnal Christian, you will just jump straight and listen to the big pharmas.

It is still too early to judge if what the 'experts' are doing is making earth look like heaven, because many things are still unfolding and being brought to light. Romans 13 only applies if the earthly exousia is executing what is in line with the heavenly exousia.

Having said that, neither should we swing to the other extreme and get into rebellion/revolt. As believers, we need to take time to consider carefully before we decide not to follow the earthly exousia.

At this point, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 💉💉💉 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟏𝟑. The governing body only strongly encourages the people to 💉💉💉. Similarly, the governing body has been encouraging child birth because of our low birth rate. In fact, they came out with 'pandemic' baby bonus and various perks/privileges (like they did for the 💉💉💉) to get people to begin parenthood. It is one of SG's top priority, because birth rate has a significant impact on our nation and society.

Did the pulpit preach using Romans 13 to get all the believers to marry early and start having babies? "We should submit to the government and obey by having babies quickly!!!"

By no means! Because parenthood has many factors involved and believers have choices.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚. Don't be quick to put one thing under Romans 13 unless you can put everything under it.

I reckon that fear and self-preservation are the main driving forces that push believers to think that taking the 💉💉💉 is submission to the governing body. 

At this point, Romans 14 applies to believers when it comes to the 💉💉💉. Since everyone is on a different journey in the Lord when it comes to life, healing and health, we must not judge a brother or sister based on the decision they make, 𝐈𝐅 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐧. - Rom 14:23

As long as your decision is of faith (Matt 9:29), you can proceed. For some, not taking 💉💉💉 is a decision of faith. For some, taking 💉💉💉 is a decision of faith. What is important is not the act itself, but 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 for making that decision.

For some took 💉💉💉 so that they can eat in restaurants; some took 💉💉💉 so that they can gather in big gathering, etc. Convenient Christianity will be the cause of downfall when persecution comes. Because if we cannot withstand some restrictions, we won't be able to withstand when the persecution comes.

Should the day come when what is in the dark is exposed in the light, we can then decide if we are under subjection to the King of heaven or the king of the earth.

Romans 13: Subjection Does Not Mean Total Obedience —- Part 5

Romans 13: Subjection Does Not Mean Total Obedience — Part 5

In Part 4, we talked about the immediate context of Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2, where both pointed to the civil governing authorities (exousia). 

Therefore, as believers, we are subject to the earthly exousia as long as it is in line with the heavenly exousia, because the main purpose is to establish His Kingdom on earth.

In light of this, how do we make sense of the current one world’s solution on 💉💉💉? Does it even fall under Romans 13?

Firstly, we need to understand where we should be putting our trust in, when it concerns life and health.

Nowhere in the Bible tells us to put our trust in men, including experts/doctors. Nowhere in the Bible tells us that life, healing and health come from doctors.

Christians who trust doctors more than they believe in the Word of God are simply carnal in this area. It doesn’t matter how many theological degrees, researches and papers you have obtained/written, if your trust for healing and health is not in the God of the Word, you are carnally minded in this aspect. This might offend many, but truth often offends and if we can’t take it, it reveals the level of our maturity.

Many believers will say that they trust God more than the doctors, but their actions reveal otherwise. Some think that the doctors are sent by God, putting them indirectly (subconsciously) on the same tier.

If you can find a verse in the Bible that explicitly says that God sends doctors to heal the sick, I am happy to change the theology. Yes, Dr Luke was a Gentile physician in the early church, but that does not imply that he was sent as God’s healer. He was only regarded as Paul’s companion and a historian. We must not interpret what is not in the Word. Otherwise, it is eisegesis instead of exegesis.

𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐬 (through the Word and prayer). Yet because we don’t always live by His way (either due to a lack of revelation or due to our growth process in mind renewal), there is provision for doctors. 

The root of medical practice is man-made Ancient Greek religion by the way. This is partly found in the Hippocratic Oath where modern doctors take. The law of first mention of physicians is found in Egypt (Gen 50:2) as a pagan nation. It wasn’t until in the book of Sirach Chapter 38 (Apocrypha) that doctors were written as God-sent. Not in the Bible anyway.

Having said this, if not for doctors, many would be in trouble (but many also got into trouble because of trusting doctors). But we must not think that they are God’s way of healing and health.

Yes, we can thank God for the provision. But we must give credit where credit is due. So don’t give glory to God if your healing didn’t come from Him. Give glory to doctors, if they are the ones who help you get back your health.

In light of this pandemic, you don’t necessarily have to trust what the experts/doctors say about the 💉, unless you are a carnal Christian. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐝. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭. You have superior wisdom and you can discern if you should follow the experts or not. No expert is greater than Christ, 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮, unless you are a carnal Christian. A carnal Christian with a Greek mindset will pursue knowledge and put his trust in knowledge instead of the Holy Spirit who knows ALL things.

This is why you see theological scholars living in the flesh instead of the Spirit. Just because one studies textbooks more does not make him spiritually-minded. 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 (1 Cor 2:14-16). We are to love God with our mind but it is about 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 (Rom 12:2) aka the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16), not the natural, carnal mind (Rom 8:6).

Until we have this area of understanding established, we might just jump into Romans 13 and follow blindly, because we think that the experts and the pharmas are absolutely helping the earth to look like heaven in this pandemic. It is still too early to judge because many things are still unfolding and brought to light.

For some, it is not selflessness but self-preservation that led to their decision to 💉💉💉. If it's a personal choice, that's fine. But some are using Romans 13 and the Great Commandment to encourage more (including their flocks) to follow. That is an abuse of the Word and it's called convenient Christianity.

In the next part, we will continue with how we can respond as believers to the 💉💉💉 in light of Romans 13.

Romans 13: Subjection Does Not Mean Total Obedience —- Part 4

Romans 13: Subjection Does Not Mean Total Obedience —- Part 4

In the previous post, we have established the following:

i) As long as what is being executed on earth reflects heaven, we are to be subject to the earthly governing body.

ii) As long as what is being executed on earth does 𝐍𝐎𝐓 reflect heaven, we are to execute 'exousia' as the Kingdom governing body.

Romans 13 does not teach ordination of specific persons; neither does it mandate the type of government. 𝐈𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 '𝐞𝐱𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐚' (authority). We must be clear between the two.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬: 

The Jewish-Roman relations were already pretty bad, which partly resulted in the Jews being exiled by Claudius, for he later feared insurrection due to Jewish-Christian riots over Chrestos (which was likely Christ).

Under Claudius, the Gentile Christians met in houses. The Jewish Christians were forbidden from gathering in synagogues. 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭. Restrictions were removed when Claudius died and Nero came in power.

The Jews then returned to Rome. It would be natural for them to resent the Roman government and the anti-Jewish attitudes against them, which was also reflected among the Christian communities.

It was in this overall context that Paul wrote to 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 among both groups of Christians, as well as 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 from Judaism by it's living example, i.e. do not rebel against the government.

From Romans 12, Paul had been addressing the letter to both groups: Gentile and Jewish Christians. He wasn't specifically addressing the Gentile Christians like he did in some previous chapters. 

Romans 13:1 - "Let every 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 be subject to the governing authorities." The word 'person' means 'every living soul'. It does not merely refer to the Gentile and Jewish Christians. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬.

Since the sons (Christians) are free from the temple tax (Matt 17:26), and non-believers are not obligated to pay it, the 'two-drachma' (temple) tax only applies to the Jews. Therefore, Romans 13:6 is referring to the Roman tax because Romans 13:7 is taught by Jesus (Matt 22:17-21) concerning Roman tax.

In other words, Romans 13 is not about Jewish and synagogue governing authorities, but about 𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬. It is to distinguish the Christians and to exemplify Christ in every way (Rom 13:14).

We let Scriptures interpret Scriptures. 1 Peter was written during the later reign of Nero (𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬), where Christians were unjustly persecuted.

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds... 𝐁𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐬 as sent by him to punish those who do evil... For this is the will of God, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. - 1 Peter 2:12-16 (Read Romans 13 again)

In the next part, we will talk about whether 💉💉💉 falls under Romans 13.

Romans 13: Subjection Does Not Mean Total Obedience —- Part 3

Romans 13: Subjection Does Not Mean Total Obedience —- Part 3

In Part 2, we talked about the purpose of '𝐞𝐱𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐚' and '𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚' ----- to continue God's government and establish His Kingdom on earth.

As believers, the 'exousia' (delegated authority) given to us is meant to fulfill that designated jurisdiction (the Kingdom's government on earth). This is why we have Luke 10:19, Matt 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15-18. We have Christ's authority (exousia) to walk in divine protection and crush every form of darkness.

Since we have been assigned with this designated jurisdiction, we are to execute the 'exousia' in every arena that doesn't look like heaven. This is in the Lord's prayer. In other words, the 'ekklesia' (church, called-out ones, believers, Body of Christ) is God's Kingdom governing body on earth.

How do we reconcile this with Romans 13 on subjection to earthly authorities? It's very simple.

𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧, 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭, 𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰.

For 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐫. Therefore one must be in subjection, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡 but also 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. - Rom 13:3-5

The passage tells us that the earthly authorities (rulers) are set in place to carry out what is good. They are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. This reveals 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, which is the foundation of God's government (Ps 89:14). We are to do what is good (Gal 6:10; Micah 6:8), which is in alignment with heavenly and earthly government.

However, if the earthly governing authorities are executing what does 𝐍𝐎𝐓 look like in heaven, i.e. contrary to the Kingdom of God, 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 of kings whom we are first called to obey and follow. In such scenario, the 'ekklesia', on whom the Kingdom government is delegated upon our shoulders, should execute the 'exousia' (heaven's delegated authority) with the law of the Kingdom.

This is why Christianity was the central figure to abolish slavery in the States in the 19th century. If they simply follow Romans 13 blindly, this might not have taken place.

The Kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy in the Spirit. The earth should reflect that. Where there is law FOR injustice, abuse, slavery, abortion, homosexual marriage, etc, of which none is in heaven, we do NOT be subject to the earthly authorities. For we must obey God, and not men (Acts 5:29). That also means that we must speak up and take action.

Note: Some church leaders say, “I don’t want to be involved in politics and the government. Let me just do my own thing in the church.” That’s not biblical. That’s religion. Religion does not interfere with life on earth. You can be involved in politics without being political. By NOT making any stand, you are already making a stand by not executing your God-given exousia to establish His Kingdom on earth.

As long as what is being executed on earth reflects heaven, we are to be subject to the earthly governing body.

As long as what is being executed on earth does 𝐍𝐎𝐓 reflect heaven, we are to execute 'exousia' as the Kingdom governing body.

In the next part, we will look at the immediate context of Romans 13 as well as 1 Peter 2, and see how Scriptures cannot be broken, because some have taken Romans 13 to the other extreme where they only limit the context to the synagogue leadership between the Jews and the Gentiles.

Romans 13: Subjection Does Not Mean Total Obedience --- Part 2

Romans 13: Subjection Does Not Mean Total Obedience --- Part 2

On the previous post, we have established the foundation of earthly exousia (delegated empowerment for moral authority) set in place as God's ordinance on earth. 

We are to be subject to that "governing authorities" (Rom 13:1-2). While the establishment of leadership is from God, the leaders may not be of God because people have the free will to choose their own leaders.

Why does God tell us to be subject to the earthly exousia? The answer lies in verse 3-5.

For 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐫. Therefore one must be in subjection, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡 but also 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. - Rom 13:3-5

One must read the Bible in context. A text without a context becomes a pretext for a proof text. By reading in context, I do not just mean the context of that chapter or the book itself, i.e. Romans. Because each book falls into the context of a bigger idea, i.e. The New Testament, The New Covenant, the whole Bible, etc.

In other words, if your interpretation for that passage cannot line up with the whole counsel of the Bible (esp the New Covenant), if it is not part of the jigsaw puzzle, then there is a high chance that you need to re-evaluate your interpretation.

In order to understand Romans 13, we not only need to know that Rome was in control at that time (Emperor Nero was in power); we not only need to know that the Jews just came back from exile by Emperor Claudius (Acts 18:2), because the latter feared a potential insurrection due to the disputes between Christians and the Jews.

We not only need to know that Paul was writing the letter to reconcile the Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome, but we also need to know the big idea of what 𝐞𝐱𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐚 and 𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚 is in the Kingdom of God.

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 𝐎𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦, 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐭 and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. - Isaiah 9:6-7

The word 'government' here is the word 'rule' and 'dominion'. Sounds familiar? God's original purpose for mankind is to rule and take dominion on earth (Gen 1:26). Since Adam failed to establish God's government (rule and dominion) on earth, Jesus came and brought God's government (Isaiah 9).

Jesus came preaching and demonstrating the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matt 4:23; Matt 12:28). The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Spirit (Rom 14:17). 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡. In other words, the earth should reflect heaven in every arena. This is why Jesus healed the sick and set the captives free on earth, because there is no sickness and captivity in heaven.

God's original intent for mankind 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓 change. Jesus came to re-present and demonstrate it, before multiplying His seeds (John 12:24) through His death. 𝐀𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (Rom 5:17) and establish His kingdom on earth (Matt 6:10).

This is why we are called the 'church' or '𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚' (the called-out ones from the world into the Kingdom) to set His government in place and establish His Kingdom. We are to enforce the law of the Kingdom of God in areas where there isn't, instead of hiding inside the four walls building ministry laws that only work within the church ministries, but ineffective in making an impact in the world. If the church is not continuing with His government, it becomes hell on earth. This church-bound mindset can be traced back to the Roman empire under Constantine. It’s called religion. Unfortunately, many are still stuck there with no revelation on the Kingdom of God and it’s purpose.

With this big idea of government (rule and dominion) in mind, we will look at the overall picture of exousia (delegated authority) that God has intended for believers in the next part, before we talk about the earthly exousia in the earthly governing bodies.

Romans 13: Subjection Does Not Mean Total Obedience --- Part 1

Romans 13: Subjection Does Not Mean Total Obedience --- Part 1

Since the s̵c̵a̵m̵d̵e̵m̵i̵c̵ pandemic was provided with a one-world-one-way solution, Romans 13 has become a popular debate among believers. I have been reading and studying on this subject more deeply so that I can understand better how I should respond to the governing bodies.

Let every person be 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 to the governing 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬. For there is no 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 except from God, and those that exist have been 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐝 by God. Therefore whoever resists the 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 resists 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝, and those who resist will incur judgment. - Rom 13:1-2

The word 'subject' in Greek means 'under God's arrangement'. In other words, it is to put oneself under God's arrangement, and in this context, the governing authorities. It is to yield to one's advice, which may or may not necessarily mean total obedience.

The word 'authority' and 'authorities' is the word 'exousia', which means 'delegated empowerment for moral authority' in this context.

The word 'institute' means 'to set in place' and the word 'appointed' means 'God's ordinance'.

It is important to note that the phrase '𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝' is used, instead of 'who God has appointed'. In the Greek, it refers to the exousia (authority), which is God's ordinance.

In other words, while the position of governing authority is set in place by God as His ordinance on earth, the leaders in that governing position are not necessarily chosen by Him. Remember: 𝐘𝐨𝐮 (𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞) 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬. Read the book of Kings and you will know that people chose to have their own kings, not God. For the Scriptures cannot be broken. God does not always have His will done when it comes to the appointment of the leader.

Why is knowing this important? It prevents abuse. I have church leaders who told me that the leaders (cellgroup leaders, ministry leaders, etc.) in position are ordained by God and they are the Lord's anointed. That's not biblical. In the New Covenant, only Christ is the Anointed One, and if He is in you, you are anointed as sons and daughters. Anointing is a position of sonship, not leadership.

Yes, God has ordained the idea of leadership. But we must separate leadership from the leaders, because the idea of leadership is of God, but the leaders may not be of God, even if it's a church leader.

Similarly, the governing authority has been set in place by God as His ordinance on earth, but the leaders may or may not be of God.

With this in mind, you will have a clear foundation on why God wants us to be subjected to the governing authorities (exousia), because it has nothing to do with evil or good rulers. What we are submitting to is the earthly exousia, so that we cannot be led by emotions when we look at the ungodly leaders.

In the next part, we will continue to go deeper.

Son’s First Inspired Sermon

As I was preparing a message this week, J came to me halfway through his Bible writing and said, “Papa, I want to write a worship song (influenced by Awaken Gen) and also a sermon like you.”

He first wrote a worship song in the afternoon and sang it to me. And he got me to sing with him.

Then, as I was out last night, he wrote a sermon (his own mini-version) and started preaching to his mum during bedtime and talked about various Bible stories with her.

Here is his own mini-sermon (page 1 of 2), of which I am very proud of 😬😬😬😘 Jesus!

Surpasses

I taught J how to solve the Rubik’s cube. He took a short period to surpass me.

My best timing is 2:07 min. He did it in 54 seconds.

The disciple is apparently above his teacher. So shall my ceiling be his floor.

Greater works will he do because the son must surpass the father.

Father’s Day Surprise Card

Received a surprised Father’s Day card from my beloved son.

The cover page is 🤣🤣🤣

He went through his Bible and chose two verses on his own to give me 😍😍😍. I’m like Wow!

What a blessed father I am!

Drawn To Worship

My son loves the song “Servant King”.

He sang the bridge very passionately, “I will give my life for the cause of Christ... to love like You loved and serve like You served...”

So I questioned him, “Are you sure you will give your life for the cause of Christ? Don’t just sing without realising the meaning.”

We need to challenge our heart, not just our head. Because we know more than we really know. Me included.

That said... I’m still so proud of him to be drawn to the songs of heaven.

P.S: For the past few days, he has been playing “Sound of Revival” everyday. He repeats this one song for at least one whole hour everyday... The HS works in an interesting way, tugging the heart of the little one.

P.P.S: Homechurching refers to a lifestyle of living church instead of a weekend of attending church.

Photo taken in 2017.

Tithing & Firstfruit

Tithing is not Firstfruit. We must study the Scriptures diligently and in context. Simply search through the Bible using Word Study “Firstfruit” and you will find the answer.

Firstfruit in the Old Testament is a type and shadow of the New ——- the literal substance. Christ is our firstfruit (1 Cor 15:23)!

On tithing... many preachers love to quote Malachi 3.

Malachi 1 sets the context for Malachi 3.

Malachi 1:11-12

For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,

My name shall be great among the Gentiles;

In every place incense shall be offered to My name,

And a pure offering;

For My name shall be great among the nations,”

Says the Lord of hosts.

12 “But you profane it,

In that you say,

‘The table of the Lord is defiled;

And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’

Malachi 1:13-14

13 You also say,

‘Oh, what a weariness!’

And you sneer at it,”

Says the Lord of hosts.

And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick

Thus you bring an offering!

Should I accept this from your hand?”

Says the Lord.

14 “But cursed be the deceiver

Who has in his flock a male,

And takes a vow,

But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished—

For I am a great King,”

Says the Lord of hosts,

“And My name is to be feared among the nations.

Question: Who is God addressing in the audience?

Answer: The priests of Israel!

And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. - Malachi 2:1

In chapter 2, God rebuked the priests, who were the leader of His people, because of their wayward lifestyle.

Malachi 3:1-4

Behold, I send My messenger,

And he will prepare the way before Me.

And the Lord, whom you seek,

Will suddenly come to His temple,

Even the Messenger of the covenant,

In whom you delight.

Behold, He is coming,”

Says the Lord of hosts.

2 “But who can endure the day of His coming?

And who can stand when He appears?

For He is like a refiner’s fire

And like launderers’ soap.

3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;

He will purify the sons of Levi,

And purge them as gold and silver,

That they may offer to the Lord

An offering in righteousness.

Questions:

1) Who is the messenger who prepares the way for the Lord?

Answer: John the Baptizer. See also Matthew 3:1-3 and Matthew 11:10.

2) Who came to the temple of God?

Answer: Jesus.

3) Who purified and rebuked the sons of Levi —— the priests?

Answer: Jesus.

4) Who purified the offering so that it is now offered in righteousness?

Answer: Jesus.

Malachi 3:3 says that Jesus will purify the sons of Levi and refine them. Then the offering (3:4) will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in the former years.

Jesus will not be purifying the sons of Levi in His second coming. This happened in the first coming. It’s pointing to the New Covenant offering in Malachi 3:4.

Malachi 3:8-12

Will a man rob God?

Yet you have robbed Me!

But you say,

‘In what way have we robbed You?’

In tithes and offerings.

9 You are cursed with a curse,

For you have robbed Me,

Even this whole nation.

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,

That there may be food in My house,

And try Me now in this,”

Says the Lord of hosts,

“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven

And pour out for you such blessing

That there will not be room enough to receive it.

11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,

So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,

Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”

Says the Lord of hosts;

12 “And all nations will call you blessed,

For you will be a delightful land,”

Says the Lord of hosts.

Since God was addressing the Levitical priests, the tithes which He referred to is the Levitical tithes —— the Law tithe.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. - Gal 3:13-14

Malachi 3 can no longer be used for believers on tithing. It was meant for Israel —— the Levitical priests. The Old Covenant. The Law. All had been fulfilled by Christ and we have been redeemed from the curse of the Law!

Anyone who preaches, “if you don’t tithe, you will be cursed...” tells us very clearly that he doesn’t know what Christ did on the Cross.

Besides, the true Levitical tithe had three parts:

The first Levitical tithe in Numbers 18 for the priests and the Levites; the second tithe in Deut 12 —— they could eat this tithe on their own!!!; the third tithe for the poor and the widows in Deut 14.

It consists of three tithes. The first two are a tenth.

The third tithe for the poor and the widows is once in every 3 years, so it’s 3.3% per year. Technically speaking, the total Levitical tithing is 22.33%!!

If you really want to tithe, you should follow the Levitical tithing of 23.33%, not just 10%!

Of course, some preachers will argue about Abraham’s tithing (before the Law was given) and Hebrews 7. But all of those passages have to be read in context.

In Abraham’s case, God did not request for any tithe. Abraham himself wanted to give to Melchizedek. In fact, Abraham did not give a tenth from his produce. Technically speaking, he was not fulfilling the law of tithing (since tithing is supposed to be from your produce/harvest). He merely gave a tenth from the enemy’s spoils! For the remaining 90%, he kept nothing (Gen 14:22-24) but gave to the King of Sodom. If we want to follow Abraham’s ‘tithing’, then you should give 100% to God, instead of mere 10%.

Note: In Abraham’s days, it was a common pagan practice/custom to give tithes (in varying percentage) to the pagan kings. Abraham lived in a land filled with pagan kings and it wouldn’t be surprised that he adopted the custom when he gave to Melchizedek and King of Sodom.

Next, we look at Jacob. Jacob was not asked to tithe. He gave a tenth because he himself made a vow to God (Gen 28:20-22). We cannot take a passage or an incident and build a whole doctrine around it!

Last but not least, the passage often quoted by preachers is in Hebrews 7:4-10. We need to understand the context of Hebrews before we can interpret this passage.

The whole book of Hebrews lays a big context —— Jesus is BETTER than the Old Covenant and every other thing. The Hebrew Christians in those days were living in both covenants. They were born again, yet they tried to keep the Law. The Temple had not yet been desecrated by King Nero.

The writer of Hebrews wrote the letter to teach them on the New Covenant and Chapter 7 talks about why Jesus, in the order of Melchizedek, is like Melchizedek priest and that His priesthood is way better than the Levitical priesthood and the patriarchs.

The Levitical priests were greater than the people. That’s why they received tithes from them (Heb 7:5).

The Melchizedek priest was greater than Abraham. That’s why He received Abraham’s tithe.

Hebrews 7:6-7 explains that the Greater blesses the lesser: Melchizedek > Abraham > Levi > People of Israel. That was the sequence.

Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. - Heb 7:9-10

 

Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. - Heb 7:8

Mortal men (the Levitical priests) receive tithes and they obviously died. Melchizedek receives, but lives forever —— pointing to the truth that He is greater than all the patriarchs and all the Levitical priests.

Jesus, being in the order of Melchizedek, is the Greatest Priest of all, and He is better than all of them. It points to the flaws of the Levitical priesthood and the need for a New Priesthood, Jesus Christ and the New Covenant.

In a nutshell, Hebrews 7 has nothing to do with the context/principle of tithing. The subject is not on tithing. Tithes in this passage is merely an illustration to establish the greatness of the Melchizedek priesthood. Because in Abraham’s days and in that custom, you only tithe to the king who is greater than you.

Word & Worship - Self-Motivation

Writing out Bible verses while listening to worship songs at the same time.

He turned on the songs by himself as he likes Awaken Generation’s worship music 💪💪💪

#homeschooling #homeworkisWordandWorship

Every Child Can Read

Every Child Can Read

Instead of forcing a child to read and/or sending him to costly enrichment class, every child can read if we allow him to lead.

My smart & brilliant wifey saw that J had an interest in some characters. Immediately, she went ahead to get books on them. 😘😘😘

Since the books arrived, J has been reading it without anyone telling him to.

Is he a born reader? By no means!

A child has to be a trained reader, but we need to empower him to be a leader in his reading choices. This is the power of homeschooling.

If we simply rush through the momentum of reading in order to chase after SG mainstream education, you cannot blame the child for not desiring to read.

Sending them for more enrichment classes will produce results, but it won’t produce passion.

#homeschooling #childdrivenlearning

Empower, Not Feed

Empower, Not Feed

There are always some who stretch out their hands, hoping to receive finances from others. Apart from those who are handicapped or can’t work due to valid reasons, we do more harm than good to simply bless them financially.

Not every human-driven blessing is God’s blessing. It’s simply indulging in their sluggish lifestyle, which is ungodly in nature.

If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. - 2 Thes 3:10 (cross-reference Proverbs 20:4)

Instead, refraining from giving actually empowers them to live diligently (read: The Parable of The Prodigal Son) and responsibly. There are part-time jobs out there that most people can do. If non-believers can step out to do it, what more about believers? The name of God should not be abused or used as an excuse.

Our lifestyle is always based on our own choices and decisions (at least in our first world country). If you decide on a certain way of living, you are responsible for that choice.

On side note, if we truly trust God as our Provider, we don’t have to tell others about our needs (Phil 4:19). That’s my conviction and I have both experienced and walked that out.

J’s Own Version Of His Bible

J’s Bible 😍

Out of the blue, J decided to write his own Bible version. Jeshua chapter 1...

That’s hilarious but at the same time, it warms the cockles of my heart. 😊

The Object Lesson Of Faith & Risk

Last evening at about 7pm, we decided to cycle as a family from Yishun to Springleaf. After crossing two junctions, it began to drizzle. The sky was overcast. Many dark clouds had formed in the whole region. A perfect storm was imminent.

For the past few late afternoons/evenings, it was raining cats and dogs. It looked like the same event would take place.

I asked wifey, “What do you think?” She replied, “We are still very near our house. It’s not too late to turn back. So what do you prefer?”

I paused for a moment, thinking how my wife and my son might be totally drenched in the heavy rain if I make the decision to proceed and it really pours. Next, I thought about how my son was watching me living out my faith.

I replied my wifey, “Let’s continue to cycle because it won’t rain where we go.”

Within a short distance (less than 5 min), there was no more drizzling. The sky was still filled with dark clouds everywhere, but it did not rain.

We arrived at Springleaf, had our dinner and cycled back home. It took about 2 hours. Not a single drop of rain fell.

The whole object lesson was on faith and risk. And J got to see faith at work against all odds. #homeschooling

Self-Entitlement

Self-entitlement and gratitude are hostile against each other. One who has a self-entitlement mentality is also one who does not have a heart of thanksgiving.

Many of the young generation, unfortunately, have this kind of mentality, because of parenting and the culture of our society.

We must not give them what they think they deserve, because they deserve the penalty of sin in the first place (if truth is rightly put in place).

When my son has any thought of self-entitlement, I will make sure he gets disciplined by me. Note: Discipline does not equate to spanking.

The moment when you think that you are entitled to someone's blessing, you just step out of Christianity at that point.

Play-Doh

Hand-made play-doh by the little boy...

Birds & Bees

Birds & Bees

Two weeks ago, I felt prompted to talk about birds & bees with J. I had always wanted to be the one to share with him, instead of having the school to do so. For the law of the first mention is the most important factor.

When I told my wife, she felt that J is too young to know about it, since the school curriculum usually introduces around 10-11 years old.

Nonetheless, on the same day when I brought to her attention, someone passed us a few books while clearing her house. One of them happened to be “Birds & Bees”.

I knew it’s time, for the time is not determined by age, but by the Spirit. However, I did not look at the book. Few days ago, I went Google to search a number of resources on this topic. They were very systematic, yet age-based. I found my eyes on a set of Christian resources on Amazon but decided to put them on hold.

Today, I was suddenly inspired by the Holy Spirit to talk to J about it. No textbook. No resources. I simply opened my mouth and had a heart-to-heart talk with him.

We spoke about the organs (and their names) that define a man and a woman; why they are also known as the private parts; calling a spade a spade; sperms, ovaries, etc. Most importantly, we covered Genesis and the 8 important covenants in the Bible and why marriage is a covenant.

When I talked about how God cut the covenant with Himself in Abrahamic Covenant, J was amazed with the smoke and the burning torch that passed between the pieces of sacrifices. When I pointed that to the New Covenant with Jesus on the Cross, J immediately exclaimed, “I know! Jesus cut the covenant with Himself!” That came straight from revelation.

Finally, we touched on birds and bees in the context of covenant within a marriage where blood is shed. He finally realised how millions of sperms could enter and swim to meet the egg, with one fertilising it.

Note: He kept asking how the sperms could get there, so you have to explain the whole story.

I have come to realise that such education is not an event. It is a process that has to be re-iterated and taken deeper as time goes by. But the law of the first mention is crucial because I could say to him, “If anyone tells you otherwise and what he says is different from the Bible, he is wrong. Because I love you most as your parent, you can trust me.”

Mission a̶c̶c̶o̶m̶p̶l̶i̶s̶h̶e̶d̶ just started. More to come.

P.S: I said, “If anyone says ‘shame shame’ when it comes to body parts, you say, ‘No. It’s not. God created them.’ “