The Law of First Mention

In Bible interpretation, we give weight to the Law of First Mention. Whatever that is mentioned first is significant.

I believe it applies to our children. When we teach them each subject for the very first time, it leaves the strongest imprint and significance in their lives.

Today, J said to me, “Papa, when I grow up, I choose a nice girl like Mummy.”

I took this opportunity to re-iterate what I said to him before.

“A boy must be with a girl. Daddy must be a boy and Mummy must be a girl. There is no other way around it. Every other way is wrong. A boy cannot marry a boy and a girl cannot marry a girl. Two boys can never have a baby. Two girls can never have a baby. It must be a boy and a girl. That’s how God made it.”

And I got him to repeat what I said.

If we don’t give our child the “Law of First Mention”, the devil will. 

Sometimes we Christians are so fearful of taking a stand and try to use the name of Love to keep things under the water. That’s not the Jesus I know. Even Paul was not afraid to confront with truth when he wrote to churches where non-believers were present.

Jesus openly preached the truth, but He walked in Love. He loved people into truth.

Nowadays, we either hide truth and act in love or we preach truth and walk without Love. It is not either or... it is both.

Today, we are so focused on numbers and leading people to say salvation prayer that we don't present the full Gospel. "Jesus loves you and knows you. Would you like to receive Him?" That's not even the full Gospel. I have tried it so many times and almost all want to receive Him. Who doesn't want?

But try adding, "Jesus is the ONLY Way to Father God" and see if they still want Him.

When I presented the full Gospel, some decided not. It's totally okay because not all are ready to receive Him. Sometimes, we want to get a person say the salvation prayer just to add to another new testimony to share with people, instead of truly seeing the person giving his/her life to Jesus. This is why the community that believes in monotheism is the hardest to reach because they know what it means to receive Jesus as God. The rest who believe in polytheism  (like the Chinese) can easily receive Jesus as another god to add to the list of gods they already have, because the more the merrier.

John 6:65-67 - And Jesus said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”

Please don't set our eyes on salvation numbers. No wonder we have plenty of numbers but not real believers. Because if you present a half Gospel, you get a half believer. The early church gave the full message so that those who were saved continued to live out the Gospel. They didn't even have the issue of "is it once saved always saved" or "can you lose your salvation?" Because when they accepted the full Gospel, they gave their lives to Jesus and period. 

The early church started with small numbers and they shook the whole world. Today, we have the largest numbers but the world isn't impacted much. It's the result of a half Gospel. #fathering101

Sight Words

Recently, J kept forgetting certain sight words. He would ask, "Papa, what is this word?"

So I started asking him, "Can you ask Jesus?"

He would pause, talk to Jesus, and immediately recognise the sight words. My wife was amazed by this.

Apparently, the Holy Spirit is not just here to remind you of all things Jesus had said. The Holy Spirit is also here to remind you of sight words.

Colourful Buttons

Cos J saw colourful buttons and he went to pray them to stick on the wall. A creative smiley face. Need to bring him to do street outreach again soon. #noglue #powerofGod #healing

Lesson From The Late Billy Graham

While the late Billy Graham was a hero to the world, he wasn’t to his family in various areas. This is why he regretted at the end of his life. He said he would spend more time with his family and reduced the speaking engagements, if he could do it over again.

It is good to learn from this general of faith both his passion for the Gospel and his mistake of not fathering his children.

It is very natural for men to pursue ministry (often out of the need for recognition and achievement, but masked as passion for Jesus). It’s a very thin line between the two. Because many of us didn’t have fathers who father us, and thus we repeat the same cycle over and over again.

But when we look to the Father above, we will know what truly matters in His heart.

I believe that the highest call of a married man with kids is to be a father. You are not first a pastor, prophet, evangelist, etc. You are first a son of the Most High, and thus you are first a father to your child. Else God would not be called “Father”. The earthly representation is to represent the heavenly.

Taking ministry to the extreme is wrong.

Taking parenting to the extreme is wrong too. There can be a balance.

After one crucial conversation, Ruth recalled about her father Billy Graham, “I saw how important the ministry was to him — and how little the family was. Things had to look right, and divorce didn’t fit.” 

May we learn from Evangelist Billy.

https://www.google.com.sg/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/02/21/divorce-drugs-drinking-billy-grahams-children-and-their-absent-father/

Kingdom Participation

Sometimes, his assistance creates more mess and slows down the whole process of packing. 

This is what the Father in Heaven experiences. He allows us to have the privilege to partner with Him, to participate in His Kingdom work. But often, we mess up His plan and slow down the process. Yet He loves us and still continues to let us participate.  #fathering101 #father #fathering #fatherandson #dadsforlife #dads #dad #fathers #father #parenting #parents #parent #family #families #daddy #baby #child #children #kids #son #sons #babies #kid #fatherhood #love #fatherlove #mum #mummy #mother #blogger

Kids’ Communion With Jesus

Kids commune with Jesus in very interesting ways.

One of the ways is to act cheeky, close his eyes while walking, hold a biscuit, while having some crumbs in his mouth... and wait for Jesus to reveal stuff to him. I like the kid’s way because it is pretty natural.

(And please don’t teach kids to put their hands together to pray).

I like to commune with Jesus with a cup of coffee and biscuit in my mouth. That’s probably the holiest way to approach Him. Because I think He likes the aroma... ahem... I guess those kneeling and prostrating ways don’t really suit me. Did that too often when I was a Taoist. But now... I am set free to have freestyle positions. 😂😂😂🤣

Happy Valentine's Day

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her... - Eph 5:25

We are called to love our wives the same way Christ loved the church. In other words, it's agape and sacrificial love.

Why is this important?

If we can love our wives the same way Christ loved the church, it is true sacrificial love that comes from within, and that will permeate every area of our lives. If we can love our wives that way, we will truly love people outside of our family unit.

But if we love people outside more than we love our wives, it is an indication of self-centred love. It is a kind of love that is not pure. It is a kind of love that is self-seeking. Because we are merely 'showing love', instead of walking in true love.

Merely loving people outside doesn't need to be sacrificial. Because you can 'hit-and-run'. Because you don't need to experience tension. Because you don't need to keep facing the person when issues arise. Because you can easily agree to disagree. Because it is harder to get hurt from people you are not really close with. Because you don't have to lay down your life to serve the same person regardless of any situation.

But loving people inside requires sacrificial love. Because it's 365 days a year; it's 24 hours every day.

"Our role is to love our wives. Christ's role is to love the church." I remember this phrase very clearly, which was shared by Joseph Chean, who was then YWAM Base Director. And he stepped into missions field more than many of us. 

Sometimes, we get it upside down. We step into Christ's role to love the church and we neglect our wives. This is one reason why we see many broken Christian marriages. Because we confuse serving in ministry with loving Jesus. And we put ministry first. That is not sacrificial love. If we search the root, we will come to realise that is self-centred love. It is an identity issue.

Jesus demonstrated amazing sacrificial love, especially for His disciples.

John 13:1 - And as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He loved them to the last and to the highest degree.

And this, Jesus included Judas, the disciple whom He loved, the disciple who journeyed with Him throughout His ministry, the disciple whom He shared His life and intimate moments with, and the very same disciple who betrayed Him to the hands of His enemies.

I cannot imagine how He continued to love Judas to the very end, to the very last and to the highest degree. But He did it. He gave His life for Judas. It must have hurt deeply. But He wasn't hurt by Judas. He hurt FOR him. For He is love.

May we see His love more and more, so that we can walk in His love. And love our wives the same way He loved the church, and gave Himself for her.

For that is true love, that will permeate every area of our lives. We can then truly love people everywhere we go.

Happy Blessed Valentine's Day to all!

Why Can’t I See Jesus?

J asked, “Why can’t I see Jesus now?”

I responded, “Jesus is in your heart.”

J: But why I can’t see Him now?

Papa: Look up to the sky. Can you see the moon now?

J: No.

Papa: But is the moon there?

J: Yes.

Papa: But can you see it now?

J: No.

Papa: That is like Jesus. You don’t see Him now. But He is there. He is in your heart.

J: I can see the moon at night.

Papa: Yes. You can see Jesus in your sleep.

J: Okay.

Phew. 😅😅😅

Dreaming BIG?

Dreaming BIG?

In the past, I read so many books on dreaming big with God. Talk about the Fourth Dimension and you will know the content of the book. I was told that God loves to co-labour with us to create. God is big, hence we need to dream big.

We were told to have big ambition and to dream big for what we want to do for God.

These all sound good, but you can't see it in the bible characters. What you truly see is the faithfulness of God in the lives of simple, normal men. They didn't dream of doing big stuff for God. Check out Gideon. Think about Joseph. Consider Daniel and many more. They were simply doing what they were supposed to be doing in their daily lives. They NEVER started out dreaming of BIG things.

Even David was a shepherd boy. He didn't dream of doing BIG things for God. He stewarded what he was given - being a shepherd, until God made him a king. 

The big dream of kingship was GIVEN by God Himself, not imagined or daydreamed.

This is why so many people get disappointed when they feel that God has left them behind.

God has never called you to dream big things. He called you to become like Christ. 

The early disciples were faithfully preaching the Word because they understood the Great Commission. They didn't dream of having a 100,000-seater church building. They didn't dream of traveling the world by jet plane or something. They didn't dream of being a great evangelist or a mega-church pastor. They were the most simplistic people in their times.

Focus on stewarding what He has given and let Him be the One to take you where He wants you to go.

Stop dreaming big and start stewarding your life with the big God you have.

Every Sin Is Just A Past Habit - Overcoming Sin

Every Sin Is Just A Past Habit - Overcoming Sin

There are so many Scriptures in the Bible talking about our new creation reality. We are a completely new creation. We are no longer sinful. We have been made righteous in Him. In other words, every sin is now a choice, not because we are bound by sin (we have been set free), but because we deliberately act on our past habit.

To sin is to act contrary to who we really are. It's to walk opposite of our true identity, who does not sin. It's to practise the past habit even though we are no longer the same person.

Elephant handlers use small ropes tied to the ground with tiny sticks to keep a big elephant in place. How does this work? When the elephant was young and small, the handlers tie the baby elephant to a huge trunk with large ropes. The baby elephant pulls and tugs and fights until it tires out. Soon it learns that it cannot move when tied up.

The handler then uses increasingly smaller ropes and sticks as the elephant grows bigger, but the elephant never tugs at them. The big elephant, based on the past habit, learnt that it simply cannot move when tied up. However, the reality is this... it could simply and easily use it's strength to break free from ropes and sticks.

This is the same when we believe in Jesus and become a new creation. There are past habits that we have been living in as non-believers with old sinful nature. Even though we have become a new creation, we subconsciously still walk in our past habits.

Every sin, thus, is a past habit. Because the new creation does not walk in sin. The new creation is about learning and walking in new habits of the divine nature. It's about the renewal of mind. When we can subconsciously walk in our new nature, our mind has been renewed.

I saw how my son grew from a baby to a toddler. A baby crawls when he doesn't know how to walk. A baby crawling is likened to his old nature. When he realises that he can walk as a toddler (new nature), he keeps on walking. Even if he stumbles at times, he immediately picks himself up and continues walking. 

He doesn't say, "Maybe I should go back to crawling and stop walking, since I stumble at times", because he sees the possibility of walking. He is excited about his new ability. He keeps learning and practising his new ability by walking in his new nature. The moment he realises that he can walk (as a toddler), he stops going back to crawling (as a baby). He stops his past habit of crawling and continues in the new habit of walking.

Eph 4:22-24 says, "...PUT OFF, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you PUT ON the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (emphasis added)

We cannot put off the past habit by putting off the past habit. We have to put off the old and put on the new. 

Some people may tell you to stop sinning by repenting or by implementing all kinds of "spiritual measures and programme". If it works, you really don't need Jesus.

Jesus didn't come to change you. He came to kill you.

The old man is no longer us. 

The past habit no longer defines us. 

Your sin is no longer you.

You are the new man, created in true righteousness and holiness.

You are righteous and holy.

In other words, we keep learning and practising our new nature EVEN IF we stumble occasionally. We keep walking in our identity EVEN IF we go back to our past habit occasionally. 

We are no longer held in bondage to sin. That's the reality. Every sin is just a past habit. If you recognise that it is a past habit that you don't have to continue (because you are no longer the person of the past), and you keep on taking on the new habit of the divine nature, it is a matter of time you stop the past habit and walk out your identity - who you really are. #identity

It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed]. - Gal 5:1

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. - 1 John 3:9

Through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. - 2 Peter 1:4

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - 2 Cor 5:17

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. - 2 Cor 5:21

Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Rom 6:11

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. - Gal 2:20

One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. - Phil 3:1

The Book of Proverbs - Secrets To Fathering

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life. - Prov 4:10-13

David fathered Solomon so well that the latter became the prototype for wisdom. Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs on what David had taught and instructed him.

David didn't do 'reactive' fathering. He did 'preventive' fathering. Fathering has to be deliberate - by teaching and instructing what is right, even before the child makes any mistake. It is more preventive, than corrective and reactive.

Sit back and relax in fathering now, and we will regret in future. We have been given a very important role as fathers. Hence, we need to be diligent.

As a result of David's preventive fathering, no one was as wise as Solomon (apart from Christ).

Hence, the book of Proverbs contains the principles of fathering our children. Keep reading, if we want to father our child well. #fathering101

Child-like Jesus’ Talk Episode XX

Child-like Jesus’ Talk Episode XX

J: Papa, you know I can see Jesus at night but why I cannot see him in the day?

Papa: You saw Him in your dreams?

J: Yes, but why Jesus doesn’t come out in the day?

Papa: Ok you close your eyes now and you will see Him.

J: No. I want to see Him outside... like here (pointing to an empty seat on the bus).

Papa: Ok. He will honour what you desire. You pray and ask Him to show up.

J: In Jesus’ name, Jesus, appear now. I want to see you because I love You.

J: Papa, why is He not coming out yet?

Papa: Sometimes, it’s immediate. Sometimes, it takes a while. You just keep praying.

J: Oh I know. Jesus will come out in Australia.

Papa: (Huh?!) Why is it Australia?

J: Because I just heard Him say.

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

Ok. Give the child a benefit of doubt. I have learnt to listen to my son when he speaks the weirdest thing spontaneously.

Jesus may really show up in Australia. Hope to take selfie with Him then. 🤣🤣🤣 #fathering101

Readiness of A Child

We were having dinner at the foodcourt when J noticed an Auntie wearing a wrist guard. She was sitting with her friends at the table beside us.

J immediately came to me and whispered, “Why is the Auntie wearing that blue thing on her hand? Can we pray for her?”

I said, “Sure. Let’s do it together.”

We approached the lady and I said, “My son saw that you are wearing the wrist guard and he wanted to minister healing.”

Who would say ‘No’ to an adorable 4-year old boy?

She agreed. Cut the long story short, she removed her wrist guard and tested.

J was exhilarated. He said, “The pain left.”

Love it when your son is sharper than you. Jesus! #lifestylechristianity101 #collectingpayment #sonship #son #fathering101

Integrity - My Earthly Father

Last night, I shared with my friend (also doing property) about my dad and integrity as he gave me a lift home.

Today is my dad’s birthday. I want to honour him for what he has taught me since young. He wasn’t the most involved father as he had to work long hours. But the strongest value he built into my life is integrity. He always said, “Even if you have no money, you must walk in integrity. Live with dignity.”

And he modeled it out for me. We didn’t have much as a family, but we held strongly to this value.

When I first entered real estate industry, I was probably naive. I simply trusted people. As a result, I was pretty shocked to see how believers could serve passionately in church yet didn’t bother about integrity in business transactions. There was a huge missing link. Christianity becomes a religion instead of the Way, the Truth & the Life.

For my non-Christian friends who have encountered such Christians, I am sorry. We as Christians have failed to represent Christianity.

God is good. Not only did He bless me with a father who walks in integrity, He also blessed me with a wife who lives the same way. For I cannot imagine having a wife who values money over integrity. Each time when I make a decision based on integrity over money, she always fully supports my decision, even if my deals are burst (lost count).

Sometimes, she feels that the way I am wired may not suit business industry. I think so too. Yet I chose to step into it, because I wanted to be with my son for his foundation years. God knows what’s next. It’s in His hands.

These two years plus have been quite a journey. Yet I am always thankful that God is always with me. I may not always see His hands, but I trust His heart.

Trusting Him means integrity over money.

Trusting ourselves means money over integrity.

There are many who try to be God and provide for themselves by manipulation. With their lips, God seems to be their Provider. But with their actions, they are their own provider. 

Apostle James said, “Show me your faith BY your works.” In other words, talk is cheap until it is matched by action. We are not called to judge people, but we are told to discern and judge the fruit.

The stories in real estate industry will show you how fallen the Christian world is. The true missing link, I believe, is a lack of true discipleship.

This industry has revealed so much about the hearts of people. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

My father is an honorable man with strong values. His life has been tough and challenging. It depends on his pure diligence and persistence, which is why God is never in the picture. Today marked his 68th birthday. And I pray that he will come to know Jesus very soon. Please pray and stand with me.

You Are Always Pleasing To The Father

So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But YOU ARE NOT IN THE FLESH but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. - Rom 8:8-9 (emphasis added)

To be in the flesh is to be carnal in nature. In other words, you have sinful nature. You can't help but live by the old man, the old self.

The moment you are born again, you are no longer in the flesh. You are in the Spirit. You have divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). You live by the new Man, the new self (2 Cor 5:17).

As believers, because you are in the Spirit, you are ALWAYS pleasing to God.

Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him..."

For too long, we have been teaching about faith that pleases God. But the context is talking about faith IN Him. Without faith in God, it is impossible to please Him, because you are in the flesh (Rom 8:8). The reason you can be born again is because God has put that faith in you and draw you to Him (Rom 12:3; Jn 6:44). As believers, you already have faith in Him. Thus, you are always pleasing to Him.

God looks at you as though He is looking at His Son. He doesn't see you based on your performance. He sees you based on the finished works of the Cross.

My own son is always pleasing to me, because he is my son, not because of what he does or doesn't. Because nothing can ever change his identity as my son, he will always be pleasing to me. Likewise, nothing can ever change your identity as God's sons.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. - Rom 8:12-13

As believers, we are not debtors to the flesh. We are debtors to the Spirit. Hence, we do not live according to the flesh, because we are not in the flesh (Rom 8:8). Therefore we cannot die (Rom 8:13). 

The moment we are born again, we are in the Spirit (Rom 8:9), and we have put to death the deeds of the body, because the body (old man, old self, sinful nature) is dead.

And if Christ is in you, the body is DEAD because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. - Rom 8:10 (emphasis added)

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. - Rom 8:14

This verse is not saying that you are only a son of God IF you are led by the Spirit. If we don't know our identity, we will confuse with the interpretation. Action follows identity. Not the other way round. We are sons of God because we are in the Spirit (Rom 8:8). Hence, we are led by the Spirit. In other words, it is natural for us to be led by the new nature, the new Man, the new self - the Spirit of God.

When you are born again, God sees you as a precious son, who is always pleasing to Him. He doesn't change His opinion about you because He doesn't change His opinion about Christ. Let this be the truth that flows out into everything you do. Because when you know that you are a son who is pleasing to Him, you WILL be led by the Spirit. #identity #sonship #Spirit