The Learned

Moms, raising our kids is NOT our purpose. That's our ministry. Don't confuse the two. Our purpose is not our calling or our ministry. That's just our job -- something He has entrusted us with, but we were not made specifically for that. When it comes to calling, we can always be replaced. God did not create Noah to build the ark. He found Noah to be the only righteous man left at that time. Don't mix our calling with our purpose. Many are called but few are chosen. They may not be chosen but that doesn't mean that they will not have a purpose anymore. Worshipping God is not our purpose either. It's what we do -- even the stones cry out -- but we were not created specifically for that -- He didn't just create us so He can have more worship -- He had plenty of angels to worship Him already. Having dominion on this earth is not our purpose either, but it is our responsibility. Our kid's responsibility is to clean their room but we didn't bring them int...

When someone loses a spouse, they tend to fill up that emptiness with stuff. That's what happens when people leave and there's loneliness -- be it children growing up and leaving the nest or someone passing away. Hogging is an unconscious action.  The only way to get rid of it is to fill the house with people again. Do it slowly, one room at a time, have family move in again, whether it is just to visit or to live permanently. Don't leave her alone but give her a reason to declutter and make space for family.

It is completely fine for the worship team or worship leader to bring toddlers on the stage. Sometimes we are so religious that we become just like the Pharisees -- empty white-washed tombs. The church is God's family. And in the family, toddlers are allowed to be with mom anywhere they go in the Father's house. In fact, their angels see the face of God. Matthew 18:10 10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

If your husband is emotionally abusive, and you have given him a chance before and he blew it, you may have a right to leave but remember -- you have every right to stay. If he is repentant and wants to save this marriage, give it one last chance. And get him to do what you dictate -- counselling, no more yelling, etc. Just give it one last shot -- to save your marriage. Luke 13:6-9 The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree 6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ” If you give up now, you have everything to lose. Give it one last shot and if it works...

When I was 14, God sent a vision to my mom of me dead in her arms. She prayed and went into warfare on my behalf. About an hour later, I run straight into a moving car which didn't stop at the pedestrian crossing (could have been the other way around -- the car could have run into me if I was a split second too early). My hands pressed onto the glass window as it sped past, I was shocked and paused for a while but continued running immediately after that. I was fine. But it all happened right in front of my mom.

When I was 13, I told God I wanted to see His face, and I prayed and prayed for about an hour before I randomly opened the Bible to the verse: Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

Sleepover with grandparents at 18 months so Mom and Dad can go on a camping trip is not ok with me. Try to think outside the box so the little boy can tag along. I trust my parents 100% but this is not a trust issue. This will cause separation anxiety because he is too young for this. Trauma like this will make future sleepovers a lot worse, even if he is old enough for it. Try to come up with a solution that you're both comfortable with, like a family day trip or something. Sleepover with grandparents are ok but not at 18 months unless it's an emergency. I wouldn't unless my kids are school aged.

Kid received a present related to witchcraft? Throw it away. Doesn't matter if it's her birthday gift. Mark 8:36-37  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? How much is it worth -- buy her another present of that value. You're just throwing cash into the bin. No big deal. Cash can be replaced.

Q: Need to send my kid to redo kindy after falling behind in Homeschooling. A: I understand the need to keep up. To me, homeschooling is the only way to keep up because then you can focus on their weak subjects. At kindy, they're just going through the system and it may or may not be what they need. It's a standard cookie cutter system. Your child probably just needs to focus more on reading and math. But they will put him through the whole thing again and he is going to grow up being told that his mom failed him. That's not true at all. You just need a month or so and he will keep up very quickly. My kids fall behind during the year but by the end of it, they take a test and I prepare them hardcore for a week before that test and they always pass with flying colours. Just saying. Don't throw in the towel just yet. It's worth saving.

Early to rise, early to bed (Yes, the other way around). The earlier they wake up, the more tired they are, and the earlier they will fall asleep.

Q: Son's friend is a Muslim and my son wants to have a sleepover at his house. They're super sweet. Is it ok? A: From experience: My friend's brother always goes to his Muslim neighbour's house. This neighbour then becomes his godfather when he is in upper primary. Now, this friend's brother who used to be a Christian has officially converted into a Muslim. They converted him secretly without his parents knowledge. His parents only found out years later when he was in his late teens. These neighbours make a super sweet Muslim family. And this is the result you get for spending time with them.

Not all Pentecostal churches are bad.. don't throw the baby away with the bath -- just a couple. I'm not a Pentecostal but seriously, saying all Pentecostal churches are bad is too much. I can name a handful of really sincere Pentecostal churches in South Australia itself: Ekklesia, Adelaide CBD  Ancient Wells, Goolwa Revival City Church, Tailem Bend Field of Dreams, Norwood  Upper Room Church, Elizabeth South Just because you had a couple of bad experiences doesn't mean it is ok to persecute the body of Christ. Among all, the greatest persecutor of the church is the church. Be careful of what manner of spirit these accusers of the brethren are.

As a former English teacher, I would say spelling is the best reading hack. Learn to spell as they learn to read. We got it backwards.

Should Women work? Yes, women are God's keys to the Transference of Wealth:  1. The Proverbs 31 woman The Proverbs 31 woman didn't just provide for her family. She made enough to buy land.  Proverbs 31:16 She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard. She did not just sell cookies -- it wasn't just a hobby job over the weekend when the kids were out. She did not just sell her goods to one or two customers, but was a supplier, not just to one business but to businesses. She was a manufacturer, supplier and distributor of clothes, Proverbs 31:24 She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants. 2. Lydia, the seller of purple Acts 16:14-15 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faith...

Acts 2 13 Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.  Romans 8 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. My dad wrote a whole thesis against speaking in tongues when he was in Bible School. But one night, the Holy Spirit fell on him. He was baptised in the Holy Spirit and he couldn't stop speaking in tongues.  He knew my mom was a Pentecostal so the next day, he went to look for her. "HEY, LEE, YOU SPEAK IN TONGUES, RIGHT?" He shouted.  "Shhhhhhh.... Keep quiet or we'll both get caught." Apparently, pentecostals were pretty rare in that Bible School...

Don't try to change what the church is. It is a place we go to worship God. It is not a social club. The problem arises when we try to replace God -- as if the world steps into the church so we can meet their needs and so that we could be a friend to them. The world steps into the church so that God can meet their needs and God can be a friend to them. We can never replace God.  They try to replace God because they don't have God themselves and they don't expect God to meet the needs of these people or to be a friend to them because they don't have God meeting their needs or being a friend to them themselves.  Don't put anyone in position of influence in a church when that person doesn't fully rely on God or knows God intimately because what they will produce are more non-Christian Christians. When we don't believe that the world can experience God the way that we experience Him, we try to save them by other means -- parties, various themed activities, and s...

Q: My hubby doesn't have time for us as he is heavily involved in ministry, mostly teaching Bible study. I feel that I need counselling. He was involved before my son was born. A: You don't need counselling. You need a good talk with your hubby. He's a father now. And a responsible leader would raise great leaders to replace them. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2 Jesus calls us to raise disciples, which means people who can take over the work instead of being burnt out or worse -- bottleneck.

Q: My 13 year old is confused because someone of the same sex is interested in her. She's never been attracted to the same sex till now. A: Homeschool and refrain. It's normal to feel drawn to people who appreciate you and cherish you. Nothing wrong with your kid. But she has no idea where this will lead to.  1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 2 Tim 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Flee from youthful lusts which war against the soul -- Run. Homeschool immediately. Do not send her back there. You will probably be persecuted for protecting her but at least you won't regret this. Don't take chances. It is our job as mom's to guard their hearts to the best of our ability. She's just 13 -- barely a teen. You need to protect her at all costs.

God created blood in a way where it is possible for one person to give life to another. This is part of His creation when He created blood. It is to teach us the importance of receiving His blood as well. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. John 15:13 NKJV My husband is O blood and he saved a little boy from my church once. If I were to receive any blood at all, I would rather receive from a Christian than one that is not.

There are no verses suggesting that there aren't anymore around. There certainly are. Paul is not the last apostle, but he claimed he was the least of apostles, for having persecuted the church before he was saved: 1 Corinthians 15:8-9 NKJV After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. Ephesians 2:20 says that apostles and prophets are the foundation of the church. This means our church must be built on apostles and prophets, with Christ as the Cornerstone. Ephesians 2:19-20 NKJV 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on t...

Q:  What should I do? He is the father of my child. Some say I should leave because he has repeatedly done this. A: Nobody is perfect. Leaving is the easy way out. Fight for your marriage and don't give in to the devil and don't give his soul up to the devil. Pray and enter into warfare for your family, your marriage and your husband. Q: We are living together, made a covenant together but not legally married because we are still saving up for a wedding. So I can't fight for a marriage - others say there is no marriage to fight for because we are not legally married. A: A covenant before God still requires witnesses for accountability. If you've been saving for a marriage, I propose to use the little you have now and make the most with it. At the moment, it's better than no wedding, if you get what I mean. Plus, it still takes time to make arrangements - 6 months or so. Scale down on quantity, more on quality. Only invite people who matter, instead of pleasing the c...

Why Women Pastors are Biblical In the Bible, pastors are just one of the five fold ministries. There is only one verse that mentions pastors: "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers," Ephesians 4:11 NKJV In the Bible, there are women prophetesses like Deborah and women apostles like Junia.   Romans 16:7 NKJV  "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me." Added to it, the church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, not pastors: Ephesians 2:19-22 NKJV "19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord...