The Singaporean Life

The Singaporean Life

Parents: We work so hard... It's all for our family. It's for our children to have better lives. We want them to go to better schools, get better grades, get better jobs, and live the American dream.

Parents: We buy them good material stuff. We give them a domestic helper to take care of them. We bring them for great vacations regularly. We give them experiences that require money to buy.

Parents: We do spend time with our children. Just not quantity. We have quality time bringing them to school and fetching them back. We also spend time bringing them to all the enrichment classes on weekends yah.

Children: We cannot differentiate quality time from quantity time. What we know is that we spend more time with teachers, friends and domestic helpers than you. We want more of your presence than your presents. We want quantity time to feel your love and support.

The Singaporean Life of parents comes with a good desire and motivation, but that is not family life. 

We reproduce in our children what we do to them. If we keep going after the "rinse and repeat" lifestyle of a Singaporean, our children will do the same to the next generation and also back to you when you grow old.

It's time to break that cycle. Yeah SG cost of living is very high, but we don't have to follow what the majority are doing. There is a place for enough instead of running the rat race.

Prayer For Leadership

Prayer For Leadership

As believers, we are called to pray for those in leadership, whether it's the leadership of the ruling party, or the leadership of the opposition party. Because our goal of praying is not for them, but for the people in the nation.

I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, godly and dignified in every way. - 1 Tim 2:1-2

They are all leaders, and if we are selective in praying for one party, we are not praying the heart of God for the people.

Missing the main purpose of this prayer for leadership is what causes Christians to be divided in supporting political parties and thinking that there should only be one kind of leadership. Well, this kind of interpreting the Scriptures probably only happens for Singaporean Christians. Because we live with a pretty sheltered worldview in this small island.

I have yet to see a national prayer event praying for the leaders of the opposition to lead wisely. Because we presumptuously think that they are bad and wrong. 

Ask other believers in various nations and they will give you a different perspective.

But 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. - Jeremiah 29:7

The focus on praying for all leaders is to seek the welfare of the people in the nation.

Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐝... For he is the servant of God, an avenger 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐝'𝐬 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐫. - Rom 13:2-4

The kind of governmental system ordained by God is for His kingdom to be established on earth. To do justice to the people --- good to good and justice to the wrongdoer.

In seeking the welfare of the nation, justice is the key. Throughout the Bible, we saw justice enforced. Where there was no justice, the kings/leadership were eventually taken out, so that godly kings/leadership could continue to enforce justice.

For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets — 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 conquered kingdoms, 𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞... - Heb 11:32-33

Praying for leadership in our nation is for the welfare and justice of our people in Singapore. This includes praying for godly leaders (regardless of political parties) and praying for new leadership to take over, should any leadership fail to enforce justice.

Ultimately, God's heart is for the people, not position. Our allegiance is towards no one but heaven's ruling party.

Kingdom-minded for Singapore

The church-minded will see leadership the church way.

The Kingdom-minded will see leadership the Kingdom way.

Both will individually think that they represent the heart of God accurately in praying for our leadership and nation.

On the one hand, the prayer will be about sustenance reflecting patience. On the other hand, the prayer will be about dominion reflecting heaven.

Throughout history, we have seen secular people walking out Kingdom-mindedness so that the nations are transformed. Our founding father LKY was such an example.

Last night, I was moved to tears watching many video clips of his speeches and many of the comments that followed. Many Singaporeans missed him deeply. We missed him as a secular 'kingdom' leader which Singapore is blessed to have had.

Many of us do not realise that LKY started as the Leader of the Opposition in 1950s. It eventually led to the betterment of Singapore.

Christians must not have allegiance to any leadership on earth but the Leader in heaven. In other words, we focus on Kingdom on earth, which has nothing to do with ruling or opposition parties.

We should not be complacent to think that we should live in the past. So many Singaporeans are suffering and struggling now. Compassion is not simply praying within the four walls. There must be passion to take action and push for the Kingdom's reality on earth.

Unfortunately, many non-believers seem to understand Kingdom principles more than Christians. This is why I'm thankful to see Mr Leong (a Christian) fighting in the Parliament. He demonstrates the heart of the Kingdom.

Unless one sees the Kingdom, one remains an institution.

Judging God

Abraham didn't judge God by His promises. He judged God by who He is.

Abraham's faith didn't rest on God's promises. If it was, he would not have offered up Isaac ---- the fulfilled promise of God. Instead, his faith rested on God's faithfulness.

We must not judge God's faithfulness based on His promises, though He has fulfilled them all. Instead, we must judge His promises based on His faithfulness.

When we see Him faithful, He sees us faith-full.

Fathering Work

Fathering Work

Recently, I told my son that I'm always working. He replied, "No, you are not."

I said, "When I'm not working, I play with you. I do housework, etc."

He answered, "Playing with me is not work."

I replied, "Playing with you is fathering work."

For the next few days onward, he introduced this new phrase into his own dictionary.

"Papa, is it time for fathering work?"

"Papa, can I go swimming with you? Because it's part of your fathering work."

"Papa, are you free now? Don't forget your fathering work."

Well, looks like I have created own trouble for myself.

The Gift of The Gab

My son went downstairs for a short 5 min walk. He saw a stranger (about the same age) and asked, "Do you want to play the see-saw?"

And it is done. One liner works.

He came up after 5 minutes and shared that he made a new friend and had arranged to meet him the next day (which is today) to play.

This afternoon, he spent time with this new friend, playing and chatting.

I told my wife that he would have no problem picking girls up next time but I would prefer that God uses him to evangelise effortlessly.

He's 10 and never ceases to amuse me with his gift of the gab because he's so different from both my wife and me.

Sinning Deliberately?

Sinning Deliberately?

What does it mean to sin deliberately? Did the Corinthian church sin deliberately by living in all kinds of sins after believing in Christ?

Context is always King. Without context, a verse is always plucked out for imposition.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. - Heb 10:26-27

If we read the whole context of Hebrews 10, we will know that the writer was not talking about all kinds of deliberate sins. There is only one particular sin where you can expect judgment ----- the rejection of the Saviour (Jn 3:18; Matt 12:31-32).

Since Heb 10:26 begins with 'For' (or because), we must look at the preceding verses.

𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, for He who promised is faithful... and all the more as you see 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫. - Heb 10:23-25

The Hebrew believers were going through severe persecution such that some were thinking of returning to Judaism. The writer (Paul or Barnabas) was encouraging them to hold fast to Christ without shrinking back (Heb 10:36-39).

He reminded them of their earlier days when they came to the faith (Heb 10:32-24) before telling them, "𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, which has a great reward." (Heb 10:35)

In the context of all these, to "𝐠𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲" has nothing to do with habitual sins. It has to do with 𝐫𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭.

Sin deliberately = Rejecting Christ

By rejecting Christ, we are trampling underfoot the Son of God and profaning His covenant.

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝, and has 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 by which he was sanctified, and has 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞? - Heb 10:29

For a believer who believes in Him as your Saviour, you can no longer sin deliberately. You can choose to walk in the ways of the old man instead of the New Man, but that is still not sinning deliberately.