The Three Things

The Three Things

John shared three things that separate a believer from the world.

1 John 2:16 - For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world.

1) What your eyes see and desire ---- ENVY

2) What your soul and body feel and desire ---- LUST

3) What you have achieved and accumulated ---- POSSESSIONS

In my world of real estate, posting about awards (commission earned) and achievements/accolades falls straight into the category of the pride of life (possessions). John was very clear about it. It is not from the Father, but is from the world.

The three things are the barometer of whether we love the world or the Father. If we keep ourselves away from these three things that will pass away with the world, our hearts will be prevented from lukewarm Christianity.

H2H Talk Over Girls

Had a H2H talk with my son walking down the streets at night.

Was educating him about girls with sexy dresses revealing their cleavage and exposing almost half of their breasts. For he asked me why they would dress this way.

Initially, he said that he didn't like these kinds of girls. But I wanted to know how he genuinely felt seeing them.

He said, "It feels weird. I don't know how to explain it." But he was curious (as he is growing up).

Then I started explaining to him about the Fall, how men, by nature, are drawn to cleavage and breasts. But Jesus has empowered us to live a new way --- by living from the spirit, to the soul and to the body (sight) instead of the normal way of living from the body to the soul and spirit.

Having the Spirit inside us, we now can decide how to live, whether from the spirit or from the body.

Also educated him about ladyboys. When we were taking the train, we saw a ladyboy and I highlighted it to him.

Then I told him to do his devotion on the train, since communion with God can be on the move, even when there are people around.

He shared what he saw in a vision.

"I saw a ring that dropped into the drain. A person tried to search and find it but he couldn't. After trying for a long time, he gave up."

I said, "Can you ask the Holy Spirit what it meant?"

He then added, "It's about a man losing hope and giving up."

I asked, "Can you ask the Spirit who this person is?"

He prayed for a while but couldn't seem to get it.

So I hinted, "Who was the last person you were looking at?"

Suddenly it dawned on him that God was speaking to him about the ladyboy sitting in the train.

I added, "He was straight. But he lost a relationship. It broke his heart deeply. He tried to salvage it but failed. So he gave up hope about a BGR relationship and became a ladyboy. You have heard God correctly."

The Spirit of God is always searching for someone who is ready to listen to Him. Communion reveals His heart and it can be done anywhere, anytime. We just need to lean in and listen.

Fathering work involves Him. The more we allow Him to father us and the more we learn to be His son, the more we learn how to father our child.

Making A Stand

Making A Stand

The heart of homeschooling is to impart life and values to the children where the institution can't. We can't blame the institution because it is impossible to do so in a class of 40 students. It is not their job.

It's the parents' responsibility to grow and nurture their own children. Similarly, it's not the church institution's job to disciple our children. It is impossible to do so in the crowd. It's the parents' own responsibility.

For this reason, we chose homeschooling, so that we can be actively involved in parenting. This also means that we have to make a stand from time to time, both towards our child and other parents.

Recently, my wife had to make a stand regarding some matters as J was constantly exposed to some stuff by other kids in the homeschooling activities.

If we compromise, it would defeat the purpose of homeschooling. We might as well send J back into the institution.

She shared with me, "Sometimes, I guess we have to be ready to lose some friendships when we make a stand."

I replied, "That's totally fine. In life, we have to make a stand from time to time, and if those friendships are not meant to be, so be it."

Jesus never compromised for the sake of friendships. When He made His stand, many left Him. Only a few stood by Him. On the Cross, only John stood near. If not for Jesus making His stand, we would not have been sozo-ed.

Relationships are important, but not at the expense of conviction and truths. Don't build your life around relationships. Build your life around conviction and truths, and those valued relationships will find you.

Homeschooling Exams

Homeschooling Exams

Taking his first academic (MOE) exam in life. Compulsory for homeschoolers from 10 years old onwards.

As a homeschooler, he gets to go for his Karate class, chill in Orchard during the weekend before exams, and he gets to enjoy lunch and play with his friends right after each paper.

***Photo taken after two Math papers while Science and Chinese papers are up and coming.

Academic exams are purely events in life but they are not the proof of life. Life is way more than academic exams.

Real life begins when exams end. Because life encompasses exams which are not events (non-academic) but processes. You get to take them over and over again until you learn to overcome that test of life.

We want our son to walk through the processes needed for his life to become what God wants him to be and do.

Study -> Academic Exams -> Go vacation and play -> Rinse and Repeat every year is NOT the way of life. It might be the general life of a Singaporean child but we have determined in our hearts to give him a purpose in life.

This is why we chose homeschooling to defy the social norms. Challenging, time consuming, yet fulfilling.

Shout out to my wife for teaching him and preparing him for the compulsory event (academic exams) in SG!

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.

Pleasing Others

Pleasing Others

Since it is impossible to please everyone, you will always step on someone's toes. Therefore, it's better to focus your time, energy and resources to please those who matter most to you.

Jesus didn't call us to be nice. Nice is not Christianity. He called us to be truthful and loving, which means that you will offend somebody someday, either because you are truthful or/and because you are gracious.

Religion always takes offence because it needs to be defended. It's security lies in what has been achieved. 

Grace overlooks offence because it doesn't need to be defended. It's security lies in what has been received freely.

The difference between secular men and religious men is only the arena in which they operate in. One is secular, while the other is spiritual. But the problem they both have is actually the same ------ trapped by achievements, whether secular or spiritual. 

"Look at what I have done" is the trophy that they have built on.

But true security lies in "Look at what Christ has done." The moment we look away from that Look, we fall from grace into religion, which is the beginning of the fear of man and the need to please everyone in order to keep that trophy.

God Is Ever Present In Our Lives

Our son woke up and started revising his Science during brekkie, to prepare for his Science revision paper held in the afternoon by the homeschooling community. He's taking his first ever MOE exam this year for homeschoolers.

I said, "Have you spent time with God and done your journal?"

He replied, "Not yet."

I responded, "That is the priority. Put aside your revision and do that first. Hard work can only bring you this far. What you need is God in your life."

Wifey added, "I agree with Dad. Put God first."

We need to show and teach our child that God doesn't just exist on Sundays in church buildings. He exists in our daily lives and in the decisions we make.

He is not only our ever-present Help. He is also ever present.

Sonship Manifested As Fathers

There is no perfect father on earth. Neither can you learn to be a better father through parenting courses and skills.

Fathering has to do with the heart. The heart of the matter lies with the matter of the heart. As believers, God has given you and me a brand new heart so that we can walk out a New and Living Way.

We are not the old trying to become better fathers. We are the new creation (New Man) learning to walk out our true identity in Him, through continual communion with the Father.

Because only fathered fathers father.

This means that our goal is not to become better fathers. We can't. It's not by trying. It's by transforming. Our goal is to focus on being sons of God.

The more we receive from Him as sons, the more we give of ourselves as fathers.

There are alot of people looking for good father figures because they did not experience good fathering. They are just one step from the good Father Who is constantly seeking them.

Alot of the depressive and suicidal cases can be prevented if we receive affirmation and love from the Father above.

When we know who we are in His presence, we will know who to be in our child's presence.

Fathering is a journey and how far we want to go depends on our zeal to know Him more.

The highest call on earth is to be a father. The highest call from heaven is to be a son. When heaven is on earth, sonship will be manifested as fathers.

Happy blessed Father's Day to all of you!

My Life Is Too Good

Earlier in the morning, I told my son, "Your life is too good, because you are not doing this... you are not doing that..."

On second thought, I felt I was operating from Asian parenting mode. So I decided to operate from bible parenting mode.

I told him, "Your life is too good, because you (will) have this... and you (will) have that... My life is too good, because I (will) have this... and I (will) have that...

I continued, "My life is too good, because I lay hands on the sick and they are healed."

My son interrupted, "Me too."

I continued, "My life is too good, because I lay hands on those who are incurable and they are healed."

My son chipped in, "Me too."

I continued, "My life is too good, because I lay hands on the dead in Singapore and they are raised."

My son said, "Me too."

THEN MY SON SAID, "My life is too good, because I lay hands on Lee Kuan Yew and he's raised from the dead to discipline other ministers in Singapore."

Alright... this came from nowhere, and he must have heard our conversations.

P.S: This must be the only reason why you shouldn't home-school your kid, if you want a mainstream kid.