Week 32 - Shine For Singapore

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

We have much to be thankful for as we celebrate 48 years of nation building in Singapore. The theme song for the forty-third National Day Parade was “Shine for Singapore.” As Christians, we are asked to let our light shine before men. What does it mean for us to shine for Singapore?

The light of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been shining on Singapore since her founding by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1819. Raffles believed in the power of the gospel to change lives and transform societies. In a letter to his cousin, he wrote, “Instead of three missionaries [in Sumatra], we ought to have 300; and the object of these 300 should be to initiate 3,000 of the natives to act as missionaries to the interior.” Shortly after arriving in Singapore, Raffles gave some land to the London Missionary Society (now Overseas Mission Fellowship or OMF).

We thank God that the early missionaries who came to Singapore established schools, hospitals and churches. These institutions have been a beacon of light to the people of Singapore. God has blessed their ministries such that there is now a vibrant Christian community in our land. Singapore’s population stands at 5.08 million. Those professing the Christian faith number 18.3 percent of the population (as at 2010).

As Christians, we must take upon ourselves the privilege and responsibility to be the light of the world to shine for Christ. How then can we shine for Christ?

Challenges

Shining for Christ begins in our workplace. It is there that we can be most effective in shining for the Lord. When Christians in the civil service, industry, educational institutions and commerce shine for Christ, we can win our nation for the Lord.

The Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World at Sentosa opened for business in 2010. Housed in these two integrated resorts are two casinos. It would be a great challenge for our social workers who may need to deal with gambling-related issues in individuals as well as families. Although the chairperson of the Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore is a Christian, there is no guarantee that the authority can assure that there will be no problem gamblers patronising the casinos. We believe that only the power of God can break the chain of addiction. More Christian volunteers would be needed to shine for the Lord in this new challenging ministry of counseling people caught in gambling addictions.

Missions

Churches in Singapore are now more involved in overseas missions than ever before. It has been said that Singapore is the Antioch of Asia, sending our missionaries to countries near and far. A directory of local churches listed 550 churches in Singapore. Churches in Singapore have sent out some 2,000 short-term and long-term missionaries across the globe — that is a ratio of four missionaries for every church.

Dr Bobby Sng has been quoted as saying that Singapore today is reputed to be the Jerusalem of Asia. He implied that there is a “reverse mission” taking place. The world is coming to Singapore. If you happen to be in the Serangoon Road area on a Sunday evening, you may think you were in India, or in the Philippines if you happen to be in Orchard Road. There has been a growing number of foreign workers in Singapore. Other foreign nationals working in Singapore include those from Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, Thailand and Indonesia. We in Mount Carmel Bible-Presbyterian Church are unable to bring the light of the gospel to every one of them. However, we are glad to be able to minister to the PRC construction workers through our Sunday Evening Mandarin Service.

Another group of foreigners that God has brought to our doorstep would be the international students studying in nearby tertiary institutions. Our OCTOPUS team is gearing up to minister to them.

Let us pray that we may continue to be a blessing to our nation and to the region. Ask the Lord to fill this land with the Father’s glory and flood the nations with His grace and mercy as the song “Shine, Jesus, Shine” suggests. Let this be our prayer for Singapore.