5 is Grace

"5" is the number for grace even as Zerubbabel cried out, "grace, grace unto it" in the rebuilding of the temple. I thank the Lord for His grace, enabling me to finish 5 weeks of lectures. 45 hours in 5 consecutive weeks since the Semester started on 7th January. I also preached twice in the month of January in 2 churches and will be preaching 3 times in a row from next Sunday onward. I could not have survived these difficult weeks of getting up early or staying up late to prepare for lectures or simply taking a breather to relax from constant speaking. Yesterday, we ended the first part of our Semester with a Faculty lunch followed by a Faculty colloquium on "imprecatory psalms." As usual, there was some frank exchange of views among colleagues but all was done in good spirits.

In 5 days' time, I shall be heading home. As much as I would love to make Singapore my home (as a matter of fact I feel very much like a local here following every juicy bit of debate on the population White Paper from Parliament and scouring the newspapers for news and editorials) I know it will be a while depending on a host of factors where I will settle for good. As for now, I look forward to getting back to Kota Kinabalu and I will conducting a seminar on the book of Revelation for the Bahasa speaking churches in the city. And for the first time in 5 years since I left my home church as pastor, I shall be preaching there on a Sunday. How can I forget the emotional farewell service 5 years ago when almost all the members of the church, 400 in all came forward for prayers and mutual encouragement? But this time round, I am just a visiting preacher, a role that I have grown into in my 55 months in Singapore, preaching from church to church on the Sabbaths.