Testimonies for Ladies’ Bible Retreat 2019
Hannah Yeow
I thank God that I was able to attend the Tabernacle Ladies’ Bible Retreat. Before attending the camp, I did not expect myself to understand much from the messages because I thought they would be more relatable to the older ladies. However, I have learnt many fruitful lessons from the messages.
We were studying from the book of Malachi. Although it is a short book, but it has much to learn from. I learnt that it is an honour to receive the love of God because we as sinners, are not deserving of God’s love. God had also loved us even before we were born. Since God loves us so much, we should devote our time to God and not just give Him the remaining time that we have. He has shown great love to us. I also learnt that God chastises us because we are His children. We are all deserving of God’s judgment but instead, He took the penalty for us, by dying on the cross for us. This shows how much He truly loves us. We have to fear God and strive to obey all His commandments.
Not only did I learn much from the book of Malachi, but I also learnt many lessons from the morning devotion messages as well. The morning devotion messages have taught me how to be a virtuous woman for the Lord. A virtu-ous woman is one who fears the Lord and she has to be trustworthy, disci-plined, diligent and faithful. We have to be witnesses for Christ and every-thing we do has to be for the glory of God and not for ourselves. God has given us duties, but are we doing our duties grudgingly or willingly? We ought to do our duties with a contented and sincere heart. Proverbs 31:30 tells us that, “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.” This verse has taught me that the fear of the Lord leads us to be virtuous women.
I have also learnt much from the workshop on ‘Faithfulness to Our Calling.’ It teaches me that a calling is a God’s plan for us — it is what God wants us to do and become. We will also have to pray and seek for God’s will to find our calling. Our personal desires do not mean it is God’s calling for us. It is also not for us to decide whether to leave our calling or not, and we should let God lead us.
I really thank God for this opportunity to go for this three days two nights camp. I am thankful that I was able to learn a lot throughout this short period of time. I am also grateful for the people in the camp. They had been patiently guiding and caring for me.
Karis Lim
I thank God for another opportunity to learn His Word through the Ladies’ Bible Retreat. I am also thankful for our speakers Dr Jose, Brother David Chew and Sister Xiao Wei, and various sisters in serving in this retreat.
In this retreat, I am reminded of God’s love for me, that Jesus Christ died for me and have redeemed me from eternal condemnation. One verse that spoke deeply to me was from Malachi 3:8, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings”. There are many ways that I am robbing God, not just in tithes and offerings but also my time and willingness to serve Him too. God gave me His unconditional love, yet I took Him for granted. Another verse that I learnt from is Malachi 3:14, “Ye have said, it is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts.” It is also a good reminder that it is my privilege to be able to serve God and it is never a waste of time to be serving Him.
1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.” Pray for me to be able to serve Him faithfully in truth and to be reminded of His love for me. I pray that more ladies in our church will also join the monthly Ladies’ Bible Study.
Dawn Chow
I had been looking forward to the Ladies’ Retreat ever since I registered for it. As the date for my first Ladies’ Retreat drew nearer, I was unsure if I could attend as many sessions as I would like, while still meeting prior commitments to my dad and ensuring that Owen is being taken care of. By the grace of God, I was able to attend 2 morning sessions and 1 workshop. Those moments of learning and fellowship were most fruitful.
Dr Jose Lagapa’s exposition of the Book of Malachi stirred up much thoughts in me. Among which, 3 points stood out: I have not done much for Him yet He still loves me; I have not relied wholly on Him ofttimes, yet He still loves me; I have not sought Him and obeyed Him at all times, yet He still loves me.
What have I done for Him since the day I called Him my Lord & my God? I struggled to find a handful as I reflected on my thoughts, words and deeds for Him. Could I have done more to share the Gospel? I could, but I confess that I had thoughts to hide behind others during every evangelism occasion. Could I have better conducted myself so that others may see Christ in me? I could, but I confess that my emotions sometimes get the better of me, only to regret my actions and spoken words thereafter. How have I fallen short of my dues to Him! Yet I am reminded of God’s tender and reassuring love for such a wretched sinner in me.
Have I relied on Him at every crossroads of my life and have I always put Him first in every decision that I had to make? I wanted very much to say ‘Yes’, but I remembered shamefully the many anxious and rushing moments, when I instinctively relied on my own wisdom to decide what should be done, and had followed through foolishly and naively. As I thought on those moments after sitting through the preacher’s exposition, I was appalled at how little I had acknowledged God’s Hand in everything that had happened in my life and my personal walk with Him.
I am thankful for the few sessions that I had attended, and am much encouraged to seek HIS will consciously, to share the Gospel at every occasion that the Lord provides, to obey His Word without doubt, and to walk by faith, trusting that the Lord will uphold me with His Hand.