Young People's Group

Reflections On SG50

by Pastor Mitch
August 07, 2015

Thanking God For 50 Years Of God Blessing Our Singapore … Our Home

I was born at a challenging time in Singapore’s history. Singapore had just gained independence two years earlier in 1965. It was a time of great uncertainty and difficulty. And yet today, after living in Singapore for the last 47+ years, I am indeed thankful to God for what Singapore has become; a home for all of us. The Lord has preserved us and protected our nation. He has blessed us from a fledging nation to becoming a 1st world country. As we celebrate SG 50 this weekend, let’s give thanks to God for our leaders and for Singapore.

“And giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority” 
1 Timothy 2:1-2

“Giving of thanks” in the Greek NT has the idea of “Being grateful and thankful for God’s grace”. The Lord God has been most gracious to our country in giving us good leaders to lead our nation these 50 years. I am still thankful for the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew who steered our nation to prosperity with a great team of leaders. I will miss him at our National Day parade this year. God through His grace gave us wise leaders then to establish our nation and good leaders now to lead us forward. Sons and daughters of Singapore, let’s give thanks for them. As we celebrate SG 50, I am proud to be a Singaporean. My heart is filled with gratitude to God for our country…our home.

Making It A Priority To Pray For All Men, For Kings

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority …” 
1 Timothy 2:1-2

Paul knew all too well how false teachings and ideas can cause people to go astray and sin gravely against God. There were those who were lawless and insubordinate, ungodly and sinful, unholy and profane and everyone else who lived contrary to the laws of God and sound doctrine (1 Timothy 1:9-10). As such, he exhorted Timothy and everyone reading his epistle to make prayer a priority. We are to supplicate and intercede for our leaders and nation so that they would lead our nation well. Young people, let’s also make prayer our priority as we seek to pray for our leaders. Let’s continue to pray for the future of our nation.

The Purpose Of Praying – Leading A Good And Peaceable Life

“… That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 
1 Timothy 2:2-4

When we have good leaders and wise people in authority, they would make sure that we would have peaceful and quiet lives. When a country is at peace and there is no internal turmoil, we would have the time to develop our faith and our walk with the Lord. We are to spend our time in growing our faith so that we may live in all godliness and reverence for God. These are things that God sees as indeed good and wonderful. When we seek to live for Him, we can shine as lights in a darkened world. God as Saviour desires all men to come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus. When we live godly and peaceable life as one people, the world may come to believe in the Lord through seeing our oneness (John 17:21-22). Young people, let’s seek to live our life with peace, with godliness and with reverence for God. Let’s be His instruments to reach the world.

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