Saturday, October 25, 2014
AFWIS Joins Operation World in Republic of Singapore - Asia
Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
Oct 25: Singapore
Singapore
Republic of Singapore
Asia
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 699 sq kmOne larger and 54 smaller islands off the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia; strategically located for communications and trade. Singapore is Asia’s cleanest and greenest city.
Population: 4,836,691 Annual Growth: 2.54%
Capital: Singapore
Urbanites: 100%
HDI Rank: 23 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 51 (41% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Mandarin (Chinese), English, Malay, Tamil Indian. English is the primary language for education Languages: 31 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Buddhist| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 775,805 | 16.04 | 3.9 |
| Evangelicals | 377,398 | 7.8 | 3.2 |
| Buddhist | 1,949,186 | 40.30 |
Answer to Prayer
The growth of the Church in Singapore has been steady and sustained since 1970. Evangelicals in particular increased 20-fold from 1960 to 2010; 1 out of 13 people in Singapore is now evangelical. Independent and charismatic churches represent nearly half of all new churches, and some of them now attract over 20,000 in weekly attendance. Additionally, the mainline churches such as Anglicans, Methodists and Presbyterians have very strong evangelical components and continue to grow.For an additional 3 Answers to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
Challenge for Prayer
Strategic issues facing the Church include:a) The family under threat. Singapore’s birthrate is one of Asia’s lowest. Many young couples rule out having children to pursue careers instead. The government now offers incentives that promote marriage and family. The challenge is great for Christians to maintain balance of their work, family and church life.
b) Increasing social concerns include broken marriages, family violence, elderly poor, dysfunctional youth, depression, issues of sexuality, drug abuse and gambling addiction.The number and types of social-welfare initiatives that minister to the hurting have significantly increased. Pray for more to be done, especially through the local church with its ready pool of volunteers.
c) Effective Bible and leadership training for prospective pastors and missionaries. Excellent theological training opportunities abound, such as Singapore Bible College, Trinity Theological College, Theological Centre for Asia, East Asian Theological Seminary, Biblical Graduate School of Theology, Asia Theological Centre for Evangelism and Missions and Chin Lien Bible Seminary. Specific mission-preparation institutions include YWAM, Asian Cross-Cultural Training Institute, Discipleship Training Centre, Antioch Missions and Bethany International University. The Haggai Institute provides short-term courses for pastors/Christian workers from around the world, especially Asia and Africa. Many churches run their own theological training programmes. There is, however, an increasing need to balance academic learning with practical training for ministry in the 21st Century. Pray for new initiatives to fill this gap. Pray that continued educational excellence might produce many outstanding pastors, missionaries and theologians for Singapore and for the world.
d) Young people remain the most responsive segment of the population. Among under-graduates, about 35% are involved with student ministry of some kind: FES(IFES), CCCI and Navigators groups, or the growing ministries of some megachurches. But spiritual vitality appears to be cooling as young people face many challenges, such as the high demands of studying and, increasingly, worldly pleasures. Many churches struggle to remain relevant to Singapore’s fast-changing youth culture. Pray for the discipling of a new generation with ministry that is relevant, fresh and full of spiritual power.
For an additional 6 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
More Information
The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Singapore.Exodus 34
Exodus 34 New International Version (NIV)
The New Stone Tablets
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. 3 No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”
4 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”8 Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. 9 “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”
10 Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you. 11 Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. 13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles.[a] 14 Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
15 “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. 16 And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.
17 “Do not make any idols.
18 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt.
19 “The first offspring of every womb belongs to me, including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. 20 Redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons.
“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.
21 “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.
22 “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year.[b] 23 Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. 24 I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God.
25 “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast, and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Festival remain until morning.
26 “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.
“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.
The Radiant Face of Moses
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.
Footnotes:
- Exodus 34:13 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah
- Exodus 34:22 That is, in the autumn
Proverbs 9
Proverbs 9 (New International Version)
Proverbs 9
Invitations of Wisdom and of Folly
1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.
4 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.
5 "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.
7 "Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."
13 The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge.
14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city,
15 calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way.
16 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.
17 "Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!"
18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.
Proverbs 9
Invitations of Wisdom and of Folly
1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.
4 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.
5 "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.
7 "Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."
13 The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge.
14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city,
15 calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way.
16 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.
17 "Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!"
18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.
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