There are photos at the end of this entry, so keep going to the end!!
A. So... Singapore thus far...
I don't feel very much considered a Singaporean at this stage. I AM a Singaporean.. but when I walk around the country, it just makes me think about what I don't know about Singapore..!
There's been so much changes to Singapore over the past year I was away, and I had difficulty making myself around Singapore, and finding out where I am, especially when I'm in a car.
Dad's car got badly hit in a car accident and that's why I'm now having to take public transport wherever I go. Thank God, He protected Daddy fully during the accident. It was a great miracle my dad came out totally unhurt and having to climb out from the other door.... The car was in a horrible condition though.. it's been about 1 month, and they are still fixing it.
Thank the Singapore government for such a wonderful public transport system. I'd say it's like one of the best in the world. Maybe count Hong Kong and Taiwan in too.. I haven't been around the world as much that I can claim I know which country has the best public transport system!
Anyway, some bits and pictures of the Singapore I've touched and tasted.
First Brisbanites gathering @ Chomp Chomp at Serangoon Gardens for supper on 14th Dec 09
Wen Huey, Jun Hao, Jem, Joe, Jerrine, Veon and I.
Dinner @ Maxwell before the 1st Brisbanites LG on Friday 18 Dec 09
Joe, James, Veon and I.
Met up with Eugene, Ying Hao, Shin Yee, Dan and Veon (she came late) for lunch @ Osaka Town in Raffles City Marketplace on Saturday 19 Dec 09
Met Mum and Dad for lunch @ Mushroom Pot after service today 20 Dec 09
And then embarked on my first escalator trip up Orchard Central...
Scary.... look at the height... that's not all...
Wah!!! Another flight... my legs were already jelly by the time I finished the 1st one.
Finally made it to the top... see my jelly legs?
I guess that's all for the moment... I'll discover more of Singapore next week!
B. God is Real and Working
Our God is not a God that's counting sheep in Heaven, nor is He a God that sits back and allow the world to run on its own. God doesn't sit in Heaven far away and breath in the offerings and worship of men. But God is real and involved in the lives of people - real and upclose.
Why do I say that?
You know, just returning to Singapore has made me simply rejoice when I see the work of God in the lives of my loved ones - family and friends. Friends and family just softening themselves to come to Church and all.... God is good, amen?
In the concerns of time, allow me to just copy and paste (and slightly edit) an email I sent to Judah 6:
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God has been doing so many miracles and moving in the hearts of my friends and family here. My dad finally soften his heart to come with us to Mum's Xmas Evangelistic Lifegroup event! I'm so thankful for that, please continue to pray with me that Dad will soften his heart further to come to receive the Love that Jesus has for him!Amazingly, I also wanna share how I visited my Wushu friends back in Singapore and got a chance to stand firm in Christ when they placed me in certain predicaments. A girl who just returned from Europe got me a 'sexually immoral' gift and when I received it, I didn't feel comfortable. But I didn't know how to reject her. So I placed it in my bag. But during supper, I felt God just gently speak to me, and reminding me of how BIG He is and that if I wanna reject the gift, He will definitely help me! After supper, I took out the gift and in front of everyone returned it to her. It seemed like the whole table was kind of 'prepared' that I was going to give it back. And so the girl gave me another gift..!
I really thank God for the favour amongst them. It seemed like they were testing my convictions and had already prepared another gift for me! We can't be sure how the devil
lay traps around for us to step into, but let us be alert!I thank God for He had earlier prepared me for the event on many ocassions with the verse in 1 Peter 5:8, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
On the same ocassion, another of my Wushu friend approached me with a box of cigarette and asked me, "So now, cigarette, marijuana, or cigar? Pick your choice."
(I wasn't a smoker before.. I think he just wanted to invite me)I thought for awhile and I believe God was helping me at that time in rejecting it nicely.
I managed a gently and joyful response, "I'd like the Holy Spirit."
That made my friend walk away, lost for words and at the same time, my other wushu friends around me were amazed and impressed by my response and instead of responding with sarcasm, they actually laughed and thought it was a good answer.
God is GOOD! Brothers and sisters, STAND FIRM, be self-controlled and ALERT!
I believe that as we stand firm and by being open about our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, God will open doors for us to plant and water more seeds in the hearts of many ones.
I so love my wushu friends, and I pray that they will come to know the un-ending love that God has for them.... pray with me friends... :)
Through that I managed to invite one of my wushu friend to a Chinese Christian Musical - one of her first time picking up the Bible and reading it, and because she is very bad in English, she has never understood much about the Bible. I really thank God for the opportunity to bring my friend's Chinese Christian outreach Musical and through that so many seeds were planted in her life!
I also found out that God has been making His way slowly into the lives of some of my other Wushu friends.... too much to share. I believe that one day, God will be able to touch the lives of all these friends who had once been such a big part of my life as we continue to pray and be the salt and light in their lives...!
Let us pray for opportunities to share God's love during this time. Let's keep praying for our friends and families.. and for the nations we are in! GOD IS GOOD!
Let God use us in this Xmas festive season as we sieze this opportunity to share God's love with everyone!! Don't shun away from people, but let's GO FORTH with the LIGHT that will shine forth from our hearts! :)
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God is good!
Let me show ya some photos of Eleen's Church musical program and also the 2 friends I mentioned in the email. One of them is Hai Jiao and the other one is Elvin. There is just too much to type about God's work in the lives of them, and I believe as God makes all things good in His time, I will get a chance to share a whole entry about it! :)
Elvin, Hai Jiao and me waiting for the program to begin. 19 Dec 09
They picked up an NIV Bible and started reading and I got to share the Gospel and many other things with them!
Elvin, Eleen, Brandon and I having supper after the performance @ Bugis
C. The Great Need For God
So many times I could be tempted to just lay back and chill and take this holiday as a break from all responsibilites and commitments I have in Brisbane, whether in work or church. I'll a full-time employed scientific officer in my company, as well as full-time disciple of my Lord Jesus Christ.
And God has reminded me that whether I'm in Singapore or Australia, I'm stll a full-timer in all that He has placed in my hand.
So instead of slacking off, I did pick up the strength and rebuked any slumber or laziness in my life. It was hard work man.. lol. But yes, I made my way to my mum and bro's disciple class on Tuesday, life group on Friday and devotion before Church on Sunday, and also Hope SG! God is good!
Turning up for both disciple class and life group did send many reminders and God spoke to me in both sessions. The encourage from fellow Hope Brisbanites @ LG was so awesome it gave me the strength to stand FIRM when faced with that earlier confrontation (the immoral gift). God is good and as we continue to remain in His goodness, we will walk in the light, and shine forth pure light to many ones around us.
So, some pictures of LG and Church! :)
1st Hope Brisbanites LG on Friday 18 Dec 09.
Very encouraging life group to see everyone!!
Attended Hope SG with other fellow Brisbanites today 20 Dec 09
I believe there's gonna be so much more of what God will do in my trip here. I'm anticipating... as we bring revival to Singapore... and share forth the relevance of Christmas during this season.
Christmas is SO SO RELEVANT to us... Because CHRIST Jesus made it relevant? How so?
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
- Hebrews 4:14-16
God knows how we feel... There's nothing we are going through that God doesn't understand. Lay down all your burdens to Him....
Because if there is one person who will EVER understand you fully, that is Jesus.
And if there is one person who will ever heal your hurts forever, that is Jesus.
If you're asking, 'Who in the world will ever understand me?" Jesus understands.
And if you are having a problem getting rid of something you can't stop doing yourself, only Jesus can help you.
If you are struggling, stop and let go. Jesus will take care of everything and make it right.
Christmas began because Jesus came to save an give EVERYONE hope.
Jesus cares for YOU and ME.
If there's anyone who would ever care, that is Jesus.
May the Lord bless and touch you this Christmas.
Let's keep praying! And believing... and leave it all to God. GO4GOD!
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