A New Creation...

I spent the past one week scouring the bible. Yeaps, it's really not my cup of tea (usually) to scour the bible. It's not that God came and spoke to me audibly, but I figured he conjured me to do what I dislike. It started last last cellgroup meeting in CF where we were going through the book of Exodus. 

I don't know about Christians in general, but I've always taught the 10 commandments as important as a child (primary school) cos its printed in colour and graphics fanciful and all on the first page of my Zondervan, NIV Teen Study Bible. Pegs got it for my 11th Birthday.

However for the past 5 years or so in RLC (Renewal Lutheran Church), our senior pastor, Dr.Joshua Yee has always totally disregarded the 10 Commandments. Yeaps, you can say he is a Grace preacher which is kinda weird considering he was raised a traditional Lutheran Pastor. That was why he started 'Reneval' Lutheran Church.

I always felt Pastor Joshua's teaching a tad too extreme for my fancy. Week after week, you'll see signs pasted on the backboards "Your Year of Supernatural Abundance" quoted from some verse in the bible. Next year, Supernatural something and then something and something. But every year, the theme would be something 'abundance' something 'supernatural' or somewhat 'prosperity' sounding.

Every month or so, we'll have this 'anointing' prayer sessions, where entrepreneurs gather for a prayer service to pray for 'favour'. I found it a lil annoying, nevertheless, my mum, being the simpleton that she is, urged me to go for one anointing session to pray for financial assistance from LSE (London School of Economics).

Oh, and generally, RLC is kinda deemed as a prosperity church. Even my sis thinks she didn't really like attending RLC cos of its 'prosperity' teachings.

But, you know what's so funny? Both of us are ardent fans of Joseph Prince who leads a seriously 'prosperity' church in Singapore. (or thats what the Singapore public thinks)

Of course, many months after that, I got a letter from LSE's financial office, offering me a 12080 pounds Bursary, renewable yearly (depending on your grades).

I didn't really think, it's because God poured 'favour' on me just because I asked and I think I almost forgot about the anointing session because shortly after, I was rejected based on academia. So I didn't go to LSE in the end. At the back of my mind, reminding myself not to 'forget' Gods' intended favour, and somehow wanna 'honour' (repay) him.

So I came to Singapore instead to continue studying, and naturally ended up attending NCC (New Creation Church, Joseph Prince's congregation) weekly. Naturally, cos I first liked him from his CDs, I listened intently during service instead of 1/2 sleeping back home to Pastor Joshua. (heys, I like Pastor Joshua kays, but my heart was not right, and God had a plan for me)

And I received much from those Sundays sitting in, listening intently.

Now as I type, I realise how God positioned all these mish mash of things to happen to me to send me the message. Of knowing him, the true gospel of his Grace.

I understand now why the 10 Commandments is irrelevant and why Pastor Joshua always disregarded it (somehow I managed to wake up at the wrong time and sleep past the bible justification bits). I understand now that God does not need me to 'repay' his 'favour' bestowed unto me, and no I won't be cursed for that either. And I understand why people pray for favour. Its not being greedy or conceited. We're coming before him, on our knees asking him to take over our finances, because only him can make us victorious in every area of our lives. It's a surrender rather than 'prosperitism'.

And most important of all, No you won't deliberately continue sinning just because you're 100% forgiven in Christ. When you receive his love and grace, and draw closer to him, you will bear fruit, and this is what I've always missed out on. I need not bear fruit unwillingly on my own, I only need to Focus on Jesus, and naturally, He says I will bear fruit. And I am.

Cheers to our Lord, the Alpha and Omega.

Oh my current favourite song, Rock Productions (yet to be officially released) :

You Are The God Who Loves

written by: Karen

Saviour of the undeserving

You have beckoned me with love

You designed all Heaven's Glory

Yet You came, restored my worth

Majesty stripped of all honour

Man of sorrows on that tree

The God who fashioned nature's wonders

Yet You stooped to rescur me

This is love, spoken through Your brokenness

This is grace - crowning me with righteousness

You are the God who loves

You are the God who gives

Salvation, favour, victory as I stand and see

You are the God I love

You are the God I give

All honour, glory, adoration for eternity

Singapore vs Malaysia, what I think?

This was the latest email I sent to Emily, and I felt compelled to add it into my blog, cos It really accurately describes what I feel about Singapore right now.

Hi,

Yeah, I'm pretty much settled, only that i have to start job application soon.

Which is quite stressful, sucky. But it seems that SIM students are not really highly regarded in Singapore.

In fact, we are treated or looked at as leftovers in society. It seems that if u cant get into NUS, u drop down to NTU and then SMU, then when choiceless, provided your parents cant afford to send you overseas, You come to SIM.

However, I dare say SIM students are not the kind of 'quality' students you would find in NUS o NTU but I dare say they are of quite diverse background, some quite talented actually. Usually they are the smart slacker kind. They dun seem stupid or anything, just lazy lor.

People can't seem to tell I'm not local, in fact they get quite shocked when I say I'm Malaysian. Apparently i dont have a MALAYSIAN accent. What is the MALAYSIAN accent? go figure? i think its supposed to be a cina accent since 80% of chinese in malaysia dont speak english as their first and i figured if you're malaysian and you come to singapore to study and you chose to study in SIM, chances are you are not from KL, prolly JB or some other part of Malaysia, and chances are, cos you couldn't get into NTU or NUS and chances are your English won't be superb? I dunno these are just meaningless assumptions. 

It seems we are the only KLrians at SIM (SIngapore Institute of Management). When it comes to alien and foreign things, and i dare say we PJ or KL english speaking kids speak better english and mandarin than the Singaporeans. It's not that their vocab or grammar sucks, its the pronunciation. They really Singlish everything lor. 

Its like they cut their tongue short or something, like they have a LAZY tongue. I am starting to pick it up and that sucks cos I think I usually speak quite audibly and clearly, like my enunciation is quite good. Now i dunno.

But, really everything is really organised here. One person make a complain to any authority, immediately it is RECTIFIED. I can really feel the difference in the efficiency here. There isn't the tidak apa-ness u often just take for granted in malaysia. ONe thing is for sure, Singaporeans are way more punctual, cos their lives run around the public transport system, so every minute counts, u late one minute, wait next bus, which could jeopardize your whole journey plan. Cos we have those online checkers and SMS thingies to check the exact minute your particular bus will arrive at your particular stop. Its all very techie and gizmo-ish here. EVERYONE has the latest nintendo, or PSP or ipod or Iphone or whatever not la.

Its normal to go for bible study and not see bibles cos people use electronic ones. Almost every tom dick and harry here owns a PDA.

Wifi is really almost everywhere near important, malls, cafes, libraries etc. The best is the national library board (NLB) i mean i think singaporeans are so spoiled, they get FREE access to so much info and content, reading materials and most ppl don't use this access. They take for-granted. Like i PAY 50 bucks for a one year membership. Of course there are tons of libraries islandwide, with diff wide selections of books, audio, visuals, CDs etc. And you can borrow one book from Library A and drop it off 3 weeks later at Library B. Can renew online also for a small fee. But like i said, everything is pretty very predictable here, so it gets kinda boring, like nothing could ever really go very wrong u noe what i mean? u cant like get lost like in KL, driving around.....

Ok i typed too much rubbish about singapore but this is what i feel la of this place. But ppl here are generally very sheltered, hence, very nice and concerned. Helpful lor... of cos where I live is quite up class la. I think if u go west to the industrial side its a diff story. 

Keep in touch my dear emily.

I really miss u guys so so much.

Hope to see u soon!