On Tuesdays, our bible study group covers the book of Hebrews; in fact we just finished our third class! Most people would not say that Hebrews is their favourite book, mainly because it is not easy to read and understand. As I much as I lament the dryness of Hebrews and loath reading it, each week I find myself blessed by the group discussions and the sharing by Ps Ben. I am grateful for this study group and I am reminded to not stand over God’s word in judgement. I pray that our hearts will always be ready to open and receive God’s word. If you are also thinking of reading Hebrews but find it hard to read alone, you are welcome to join us on Tuesdays!
Last week during the Home Fellowship (HF), we read the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-41). Our 2 main takeaways:
1. The importance of unwavering obedience in the midst of suffering.
Joseph never lamented about his unfortunate encounters (i.e being betrayed, sold, accused of crime, put in prison and being forgotten by his family) but in our daily lives, we often lament and whine over problems. Joseph’s steadfast love for God reminds us to trust in God’s goodness and sovereignty in time of trials.
It was through these blessings and sufferings that God prepared Joseph for his position as second-in-command within Egypt.
Sandie also shared her testimony on how God prepared her for her role as Centre Manager, well before she even knew she would work there. In order to facilitate food preparation at TAVA, she discovered that she had to be qualified as an Environmental Coordinator. Little did she know, she had already participated in the necessary safety courses in her previous job! This allowed her to continue manage operations without having to take time off to acquire the accreditation. Truly divine! We pray that God will continue to guide her, provide for TAVA and bless the work of her hands.
2. God is sovereign.
The Egyptians worshipped many gods and divine beings. However, even with their distance to God, He was still sovereign over His people and the pagan culture. When no magicians or "wise men" in Egypt could interpret Pharoah's dream, God empowered Joseph and spoke through him. It was God's hand that allowed Joseph to gain Pharoah's trust and become powerful in Egypt.
We are reminded that in situations when all the odds seem to be against us, God has it all in his careful control.
The last thing we wanted to share about was the TBCC (Talent Beacon Community Care) Appreciation Dinner on Sunday. It was a time of thanksgiving; together, we reminisced about the journey started almost a decade ago at Bukit Batok. Our friends from Bukit Batok told stories of how these friendships first formed. It was even more amazing to realise how many of these friendships were because of the consistency in walking with the residents every week. Some of the students under TBCC's AG (Academic Guidance) programme also shared their thank-yous to their teachers. The impact of our friendship with the students is not measured in how many letter-grades they jump, but rather by who they gradually become. The night ended with giving each of our volunteers and their families a power-bank as a gift of appreciation.
It is as Ps Ben shared: our power banks must be charged so that the "power" (of God and his goodness) may be freely dispensed to those around us.
This week has instilled in us a renewed heart of thankfulness. We thank God for his faithfulness as we witness his guidance and provision for TBCC. We thank God for each HF coming together to put up this journal week by week. We thank God for his love, because he first love us so that we can love others and overflow his love from within.
Signing off,
中文小组 (the Chinese Home Fellowship)
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