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3 Reach Message The Hidden Hatred in the Hearts of Men Reach Book Review Changed into His likeness Reach Character Practise Hospitality Reach Recipe Matcha and white chocolate cookies Reach Teaser Bible Word Search Reach Testimony A journey like none Reach Testimony A disrupted journey ends in delight Welcome to the 27th issue of REACH. In this issue, we will learn The Hidden Hatred in the Hearts of Men. It is A Journey Like None, to be Changed into His Likeness – A Disrupted Journey Ends in Delight. Practise Hospitality by learning to make Matcha and White Chocolate Cookies.
costs of this protracted conflict were harsh, millions died, civilians and soldiers alike. Cities and towns were badly damaged, agricultural lands were laced with land mines and were unusable. The after-effects of agent orange, the chemical used by the US government to clear the forests for military operations, continue to have its harmful impacts until today - children born with birth defects and illnesses affecting the liver, skin, and immune system.
I could count the number of wars playing out right in front of my eyes on TV, not only wars that happen in other parts of the world, but wars inside homes, on the streets; tensions, distrust, envy, temper spilling out of control. Awful violence on the streets, lives were cut short.
QuachGeoffreyBy
Thedecision.
MenofHeartstheinHatredHiddenThe2022Winter/Reach 4 Reach Message
There are many untold stories of war traumas that many will not comprehend.
One Sunday afternoon, when I was out on the street playing with friends as a teenager, there was an explosion, a land mine left behind as a result of the Vietnam war. A frightening reminder that even though the war had ended, we were not safe. Although I had never experienced what it’s like to be in a war, I had a glimpse of the after-effects of wars: food shortage, economic sanctions, imprisonment to hard labour camps, the attempt to escape by many boat people. These had impressed upon my heart how lives can be turned upside down as a result of men’s
Philip Caputo, a young U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant who landed on the beach near Da Nang on March 8, 1965, as part of the first U.S. combat unit to serve in South Vietnam, explains “the things men do in war and the things war does to men.” We can clearly account for the things that men do in wars but there are many untold stories about what war does to men.
AllowGod.
4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.
In this Bible verse, the focus should always be Jesus but people despise this idea that Jesus gets all the Glory. Why should it just be Jesus who can preach, heal, set free the captives, restore sight….? Because God had anointed Jesus, His own Son, the unblemished one, Christ, to be the Anointed One.
7:29 Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes.
1/ A consistent hatred towards God throughout history
Reach Message 5 2022Winter/Reach
“Names of God Bible” version says “…the corrupt nature has a hostile attitude toward God. It refuses to place itself under the authority of God’s standards because it can’t.” (Emphasis added)
It is in the sinful nature we are born into. The sinful nature and the carnal mind is enmity against God.
Romans 8:6-8 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Emphasis added)
Why do we become so hostile to Him? Because we want to be in control, we want to be gods, we want to build our own security, establish our own kingdoms. One thing I learnt from the Bible is that kingdoms come and kingdoms go but the Kingdom of God will be Ecclesiastesforever.
Each and every one of us, including me, was born with a hostility towards God.
me to share a few thoughts:
We as human try to outsmart God, we think we are better in our thoughts and we seek out many schemes. Insatiable hunger of self-ego drives our hearts further away from how God made us to Lukebe.
What is going on with the world today? Have we not learnt anything from history? How could one human being do this horrible act towards another human being? Why on earth would any human being inflict so much suffering and pain upon other human beings?
Now that I am a Christian, I start to reflect more on the things that are going on in the world. The more I reflect, the more I realise the problems go deeper than the desire to get more power, more resources, by invading countries and using sovereignty land as military strategies and operations. It goes to the heart of men, we are in a world that hates
6 There was a consistent pattern of hatred to all the promises that Jesus had said and done throughout the accounts of the Bible. When Jesus healed the men with evil spirit, people’s response was to ask Jesus to leave (Mark 5:17). When Jesus promised that whoever the Son sets free is free indeed, people’s response was to pick up stones and throw at Him (John 8:36). And ultimately when Pilate asked, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”; people responded by saying “Let Him be crucified!” (Matthew 27:22). Everywhere and at every turn, people’s hearts are hardened towards Jesus, even in Australia today, in 2022.
Without the standards of God in life, men could behave and do as they please. People walking in darkness do not realise that there is no light. If we are angry with God, we will be angry with fellow men. If we are hostile towards God in our heart, we will be hostile towards others.
At one stage, they were marvelled at the gracious words that came out of His mouth (verse 22), but their response to the grace of God:
There is nothing new when we show our wrath, anger and hatred towards God. Yet men continue to resist and show hostility towards God in all facets of life, because men do not want to be accountable to God. We want to be the captains of our own ships and captains of our own destiny. The world continues to eliminate the teachings of the Bible, use His name as a curse word; crucify, persecute and cancel people with beliefs that are different to the trending culture. We drive Jesus out of public, we drive Jesus out of our personal space, we drive Jesus out of our governments, schools and He is nowhere to be found.
Luke 4 tells us a story about an encounter of Jesus and the people.
Reach Message
When we form an organisation such as the United Nations, representatives from all nations come together, supposedly united, but all with corrupt nature and hostility towards God and will not obey God’s standards, we will have men acting according to their own conscience and compromise rather than Godly righteous convictions.
2/ The laws of God hold men accountable which men despised
Judges 17:6b …every man did what was right in his own eyes.
2022Winter/Reach
What we deem is right in our world might not be right to those in other parts of the world. What are we to tell what is right if there is no standards to start off with?
What would it be like if we truly accept the free gift of Grace from Jesus and start living out the Gospel? God is asking us to turn hatred to grace at His own expense. At His own expense of persecution and death, facing the hatred from creation whom He created, He asks us to come to Him through His grace and mercy.
Matthew 22:36-40 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, “’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Without the love of God in our life, there will be no love of neighbours. If only we know how to love others as we love ourself, there will be no
violence in the homes, no racism because we would treat others as we would like to be treated.
The consequence of having a hatred towards God in our heart means that there will be no peace. Real peace comes from knowing the King of Peace which is Jesus Christ. We can either follow the path of men, or yield ourself to God. Our decision will determine our destiny.
John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
Come while we can because one day, judgement will come. Whether we like it or not, the judgement of men through their own selfish actions will intensify. And ultimately, “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). If we continue to have hatred of God and reject the Grace offered through Jesus Christ, we will have life and eternity without God.
So ALL those in the synagogue, when they heard of these things, were filled with wrath (verse 28); they rose up and drove him out of town and brought Him to the hill on which their town had built so that they could throw Him down the cliff (verse 29).
Men refuse to be accountable to God. We pursue what is in it for us, what we can get politically, socially, fame, power and status… Every heart has its own agenda.
Reach Message 7 2022Winter/Reach
3/ Imaginations or Reality
Peace in the world requires more than just the song “Imagine” by John Lennon. The reality of peace from wars will go beyond our imagination. True Peace requires true repentance of our heart turning away from hatred towards God in exchange for the Grace of God.
Millar then dives into discussing the biblical view of change. He highlights bible passages that mention Christians have been changed (2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”) but also identifies passages which show Christians will be changed at the rapture (2 Corinthians 5:2: “We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing” NLT).
which commences upon being born again but will be culminated at the return of MillarJesus.
2022Winter/Reach 8 Reach Book Review
theirIs ways? Is there a framework to get out of being stuck in your current ways? J. Gary Millar, in “Changed into His Likeness”, provides a map towards the biblical theology of personal and corporate Millarchange.starts
also presents case studies of the character of Old Testament heroes from Noah to Solomon and the nation of Israel. He argues that although they experienced tremendous transformation and were used and led by God, on numerous occasions their innate sinfulness came to the fore and they reverted to some of their sinful ways. He then shows how this problem is resolved with the establishment of the new covenant in which the indwelling Holy Spirit brings about both individual and corporate transformation, i.e. the transformation made possible in the Holy Spirit is real, deep-rooted and far-reaching. Only such transformation can stand the test of time and perpetually defeat man’s innate sinfulness.
His Likeness” is a timely reminder of the transformative power that is made available through a genuine relationship with Jesus. In a culture that provides many paths to change, Millar’s work is a vital resource and sheds light on the path to change that is resilient to warring strongholds, cycles of addiction, the grips of sin’s tyranny and our sinful nature. Change achieved through the Holy Spirit working in us leads to conformity to the character of Christ.
Author: J. Gary Miller Reviewed by Gregory Tanyi
He presents a case for a balanced approach to viewing change and presents biblical evidence for real change being a process
Millar further develops an integrated biblical theology of transformation drawing on the works of key thinkers such as James K.A Smith, Calvin and John Owen. Millar points out the risk of over-realized and under-realized eschatology. The former promises perfection now, with all kingdom blessings being for here and now; while the latter shifts too much weight to the future. He argues that a balanced approach is key to being transformed by the Holy Spirit. Such change is a process and relies on God’s sovereignty and timeline, and presents a hope for the future with Jesus. Millar concludes that change comes from our union with God as such the church plays a vital role in driving change, and corporate and individual change are usually tightly
by discussing contemporary psychological approaches to change. He shines light on the trending neurophysiological debates centred on the nature of change. He identifies limited will power, unrealistic goals, lack of support from peers and a culture of blaming others, instead of taking responsibility, as common reasons why change does not last.
“Changedknit.into
Practise hospitality
Impart a spirit of generosity. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. (2 Corinthians 9:11, NLT)
Reach Character 9 2022Winter/Reach
When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. (Romans 12:13, NLT)
If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? (James 2:15‐16)
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? (1 John 3:17)
For if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God? (1 Timothy 3:5)
Trained to keep our household in order.
Aspire to invest in eternal treasure.
Invite those who cannot repay us.
The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:34)
Think of the disadvantaged people in our society.
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)
Practise Hospitality
Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. (1 Peter 4:9, NLT)
Offer practical help.
It is said that ‘hospitality isn’t about your house it’s about your heart’. A Christian with the heart leaning towards God must be hospitable and generous to others.
Help readily.
Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realising it! (Hebrews 13:1‐2, NLT)
Share cheerfully.
But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just. (Luke 14:13‐14)
It is said that ‘hospitality isn’t about your house it’s about your heart’. A Christian with the heart leaning towards God must be hospitable and generous to others.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19‐21)
Learn to love beyond families and friends.
Yield to the spirit of love.
Provide for those who are in need.
10. Use a sharp knife and slice the dough, about 7mm thick. Place in a tray lined with baking paper, leave some space between cookies.
2 cups plain flour 3 tbsps (18g) matcha powder 3/4 cup (185g) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup powdered or icing sugar 1 pinch of salt 2 large egg yolks 1/4 cup white chocolate chips (can add more to your taste)
8. Divide the dough into two parts and shape each one into a cylinder about 4cm in diameter (should have 2 logs).
Method:
12. Enjoy with a cup of hot drink.
2. In a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
Ingredients:
1. Combine flour and matcha and sift. Set aside.
5. Add egg yolks and mix until combined.
6. Gradually add flour and matcha mixture, until just combined.
7. Add white chocolate chips and mix until it is incorporated, do not over-mix.
9. Wrap each log in cling wrap and refrigerate until firm (1-2 hours).
By LyLy Quach
11. Bake at 175 ° C for 12-15 minutes or until the edges become slightly golden brown.
4. Add powdered sugar and beat well until soft and light.
Reach Recipe 2022Winter/Reach 10
3. Add a pinch of salt.
Matcha and white chocolate cookies
BIBLE WORD SEARCH Reach Teaser 11 2022Winter/ReachEPHRAIMDANBENJAMINASHER THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL JUDAHISSACHARGAD NAPHTALIMANASSEHLEVI ZEBULUNSIMEONREUBEN Taken from www.biblepuzzles.com
A Journey like None
By Vernon Smith Akwa
Reach Testimony
2022Winter/Reach 12
It is often said, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step”. What about a journey of 100 miles or a journey of million miles? Do they all begin with a step? Rhetoric for sure. Any objective person will agree that all these journeys begin with a first step, no matter the degree of contrast between them in terms of scale or magnitude. Our lives are made up of subsets of journeys. Most of which a first step has been taken, some have been finalised, some left unfinished, while the rest are still in progress. In all these journeys, the first step is taken, for if it is not, it will not be a journey. This is the story of one of my life’s journeys, which I believe is still in progress, changes and setbacks were endured, but more changes and setbacks are yet to come.
Driven by love, grace and mercy
These interactions became the new drivers of change in my journey. A journey originally driven by pride and regrets is being transformed through the Word of God. Early on in my life, I was a Christian, I went to church, prayed and frequently led and partook morning devotions at home. However, I had no real personal relationship with God. I knew of Him, but I did not know Him. I always thought that I needed to get myself completely right before coming to God, which never worked.
Moving to Australia was a big step considering the constraints involved. Firstly, Australia is far from home. Secondly, I had no family or friends in Australia; and lastly, the cost of living is “out of this world” compared to my home country. Through some “magic” and help from family members, I found myself in Australia with friends already waiting for me. By magic, I mean I had to search for “Cameroonians in Melbourne on Facebook” to know and meet my first friend in Melbourne, whom today I would consider as that “elder brother I never had”. Interactions with this new friend led to more new friends, and eventually, I found myself in Reach Community Church through which I have been richly blessed.
Reach Testimony 13 2022Winter/Reach
There I was, a young man in his mid-twenties, in an environment plagued by conflicts and lack of opportunities, feeling unaccomplished even though I was blessed with a job after graduation. I frequently said to myself, “If only I had taken that first step to pursue my education abroad earlier, I would have accomplished more at this time”. My feelings towards my job did not help. I felt I had the worst working condition ever, working long nights, weekends, and constantly in fear of being fired by the Senior Director whom at that time I had classified as being a “racist”. Driven by pride and regrets, I decided to quit my job and travel abroad to pursue higher education, hoping to secure a more fulfilling professional career. I had two choices in mind, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. None of these choices came to fruition for reasons which may or may not have been under my control. I gave myself a period of mourning and sagging, during which more feelings of regret built up in my heart. Time passed and I remembered someone mentioning Australia and I was like, “Naaaa!!, that’s a million miles away”. But after some time, I was desperate and convinced myself that “Australia is not that bad”. I decided to give Australia a go, and here I am today in Melbourne, one of Australia’s major cities.
Driven by pride and regrets
Reach Testimony 2022Winter/Reach 14
One journey-changing aspect of my plans after graduation was to leave Melbourne after six months if I had not found a professional job that aligned with my career plans. I spent those months applying for every job I could find. Most of my friends and church communities encouraged me and prayed on my behalf, asking God to bless me with a job. I had a few interviews, some of which I did not want to receive an offer, others I was 100% sure to receive an offer, and still others I was not expecting an offer but hoping for one. The saying “our God works in mysterious ways” came alive. I was offered a job that aligns with my future career expectations in terms of the industry and the position. My heart was filled with joy when I received the offer and at that moment, I remembered how I had shared with some friends about the interview process. I told them, “The interview was not my best, only God’s favour and grace could turn something positive out of it”. That moment became a pinnacle in my life, a time when I was completely convinced that God had favoured me.
At my newfound church, I have been exposed to expository preaching, worship, fellowship and prayers through which I am continuously being transformed into a new person. A progressive change that I intend to sustain.
We all face challenges in our lives and this journey of mine is no different. In Melbourne, I had to cope with the exorbitant living expenses and cater for my university tuition. Many will agree that this is an impossible task for an international student. However, with God, everything is possible. It was hard finding work at the beginning and as a result, I was always anxious about the consequences of not paying my tuition in time. I was encouraged by friends to lift everything to God through prayer, meditation and study of His Word. Two years passed and I finally graduated, having paid all my fees in time through income from casual jobs in construction. On reflection of those two years and how I had the strength to work in construction and study full-time at the university, I realised that it was only through the love, grace and mercy of our God Almighty. Not because I prayed deeply enough, meditated on His Word as much as I could, or even stayed aligned with all His principles, but because of His never-ending love and mercy.
Received God’s favour
Reach Testimony 15 2022Winter/Reach
Undoubtedly, my journey has gone through a set of transformations and turbulence, yet I remain standing and hopeful. I look forward to embracing any future challenges and changes that will surface. Unbeknownst to how hard or radical it might be, I know it will be for my good, because God plans to prosper me and not to destroy me, to give me hope and a future, clearly emphasised in Jeremiah 29:10. I encourage anyone reading this to hold firm to true church community to which you belong. These communities are a source of strength and nourishment like none you have tested before. In Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (NIV). This highlights the importance of belonging and holding dear one of such communities. Let us also embrace challenges, knowing that with God, we will triumph over those challenges and come out a better person. I encourage you to join me and meditate on Ephesians 3:14-19. Let us allow our Father to strengthen us by His holy spirit, that Jesus Christ might dwell in our hearts through faith, and that we may comprehend the fullness of His love towards us through Jesus Christ. Let the prayer in Ephesians 3:14-19 come alive in us and let us embrace it with joy and hope. Hoping that one day we will testify again on how our Father has revealed Himself to us.
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:14-19
Readied for future challenges
In early 2021, Melbourne’s lockdowns and restrictions started to ease, house inspections and auctions were back up and running. The after-effects from the extensive lockdown in 2020 saw many people unemployed and businesses forced to close. Many thought that the uncertainty in our economy could bring a drop in property prices, and we were wrong.
People who have purchased a property will tell you that buying a house can be very stressful. From browsing through countless properties, attending endless inspections, to bidding and losing to a higher bidder at multiple auctions. All these occur over the span of a few months, even several years. Alvin and I began our house-buying journey even before we started planning for our wedding.
Disrupted by pandemic
Reach Testimony
16
After spending a year in lockdown, Alvin and I were eager to start house-hunting again, hoping and praying that the house God has planned for us would be just around the corner. We consulted our broker early that year when interest rates dropped, and we were surprised to hear that our purchase price had increased compared to previous years. We dedicated every Saturday to attending inspections and auctions, thinking that we had a good chance of purchasing.
Alvin and I got married in December 2019, when COVID-19 started in Wuhan, China. The virus had not yet reached us and we were in newlywed bliss anticipating our long-awaited honeymoon, whilst also hoping to buy our own house.
A Disrupted JourneyEnds In Delight
When COVID-19 hit Australian shores in 2020, panic and uncertainty were felt across the nation. Melbourne entered into the longest lockdown in the history of COVID-19. Throughout 2020, there was very little activity in real estate as many did not feel the need to sell their property, nor were they able to. With our honeymoon postponed, and nowhere to spend our savings except for trips to the grocery store, we took this opportunity to put our earnings towards our house deposit. During the pandemic, we were fortunate to continue working throughout as our line of work as pharmacists was an “essential service”. Towards the end of 2020, Alvin and I were also blessed to work in Warrnambool for three months and working in regional Victoria helped us to save for the purchase of our house.
By Sophie Qiu2022Winter/Reach
Finding a nice house in a location that we like for a price that we can afford was not easy. In May 2021, we found a house in a nice part of South East Melbourne. It was on a generous block of land with a neatly kept backyard, and within walking distance to train stations and amenities. We attended the inspections, drove around the neighbourhood several times, and after committing everything into God’s hands, we decided to go forth with the auction.
Following this auction, we started to see a drastic change in the housing market. Weeks after weeks, months after months, we attended inspections after inspections, until we realised that what we thought we could afford was no longer within our budget. We started to lower our expectations, compromised on the suburb that we would buy in, and readied ourselves to purchase an old dilapidated house that would require a lot of renovation. Each house we visited looked worse than the previous, and was selling at a ridiculous price. During this time, we were also consulting our broker, but each time were given bad news. The broker had been working with us tirelessly over the years, and it felt like we were just wasting his
the first two years of the pandemic, Alvin and I were living with my mum. Although it may not be what most newlyweds envision in their first two years of marriage, by God’s grace, we were able to all live under the one roof and endured many lockdowns together. We were also blessed to have the master bedroom to ourselves, while also having the privilege of coming home to freshly cooked meals after work. It soon became the norm for us that we were contemplating whether to continue living there as buying our own place was becoming unattainable.
Intime.
Disappointed by losing the bid
In August 2021, Melbourne entered into its sixth lockdown, with restrictions limited to individual house inspections and online auctions. It became apparent that lockdowns were no longer a threat to house prices, but they fuelled the property market. Just as we were about to give up on our search, I was scrolling through the Real Estate Apps for the hundredth time, and stumbled across a new listing that caught my attention. It was in a pocket of Melbourne we had overlooked as the location did not meet our criteria; however, it was situated in a nice neighbourhood with shops and amenities that would be sufficient for us. We decided to go for an inspection.
Delighted by a new discovery
At this point we had attended many inspections and auctions, but had not seen any indication that house prices would be on the rise. Several bidders were genuinely interested in this house, but we were up for the challenge. The first bidder started off the auction but soon dropped out, followed by a couple more bidders, and we soon followed suit. We must have looked inexperienced, to which an agent approached us and prompted us to bid higher. Ultimately, it reached the point where the price went beyond anyone’s expectations and sadly we had lost out.
Reach Testimony 17 2022Winter/Reach
Throughout this journey, there were many disappointments and discouragement when we thought we would never have a place of our own. However, there were also moments of joy when the broker helped us to find the right loan, and when a new listing came up that was to our liking. What really helped us to persevere was reading and meditating on the Word of God. It taught us to never rely on our own understanding, but to put our trust in Him and remain faithful to Him.
We remained in lockdown at the week of the auction. This worked in our favour as we preferred online auctions. Alvin and I prayed about it for many nights leading up to the auction, and we felt more confident this time.
Reach Testimony
The morning of the auction was filled with excitement and jitters. The online meeting allowed us to see how many people were participating and how many were genuinely bidding. When the auctioneer called out that the property was “on the market”, this was our cue to start joining in. We did not need to show our nervous faces, and without the agents interceding, we could comfortably offer bids at our own pace. Towards the end, it was between us and one other bidder who had been strong throughout the auction. Alvin and I had not planned to come this far in the auction, but we hit that enter key for our final bid. We waited anxiously for the next bid, and after what felt like a very long minute, we saw the word “out” from the bidder. We could not believe it - did we just win the auction? Praying that we had made the final bid, the auctioneer called it three times and we knew we had won it.
2022Winter/Reach 18
Delighted by a successful purchase
Reach Recipe
This house ticked most of our boxes as it is north-south facing, with decent sized bedrooms, and two bathrooms. Though old, the house had recently been renovated, and we could readily move in without the added stress of major repair works, which we later learned would be an enormous task for two people who worked full-time.
James 1:2-6 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. Testimony
19 2022Winter/Reach Reach
We would like to encourage all who are going through trying times with this verse that resonates with us:
