FEBC RENOVATIONS DONE!
Praise the Lord that the major renovations at FEBC are completed just on time for the reopening of a new college term tomorrow.
Some of our Singaporean and Indonesian students (from Batam) were recalled to get the premises ready for move-in. Besides washing and cleaning, the students assembled the IKEA study tables and Keter cupboards and shelves. We have a student who is a carpenter and he used the wood from our old library shelves and made 36 bookshelves for our study tables.
The FEBC Hall is all ready for lectures to begin. New Mitsubishi Electric air-conditioners and Tana roller blinds have been installed. The retractable awnings at the back area and side apron outside the FEBC Hall and Mousehole provide the shelter needed for students to dine in wet weather. We now pray for outdoor dining furniture.
The library is now Wi-Fi ready. The librarian has been busy cataloging books donated by the Rev Stephen Khoo. More books to come from the Principal’s personal library.
If you are free, join us tomorrow for the opening day of prayer at 8.30 am.
GRADUATION TESTIMONIES
God Drew Me Closer to Him
I want to take this opportunity to give thanks to God for His goodness toward me, especially these past four years of my studies at Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC). Before I begin, please allow me to read from Psalm 28:6-7, “Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”
I cannot forget how the Lord helped me when I was struggling greatly with my studies and many other things. One of the most unforgettable things is my research paper in the first semester. At that time the lecturer required us to choose a topic and then get his approval. So I chose one, and sent it to him. He replied, “Cannot”, because it was too general. So I changed the topic to another one, and the reply was still the same. So I changed my topic again and again, and even at the seventh attempt, my topic was still not approved. I did not know what to do. I knelt down, and cried unto the Lord with tears. I prayed again and again. I forgot how many times I prayed, but finally I managed to get my topic approved and completed the paper. This was not the only time. I had many such experiences during my years at FEBC. Through this process God drew me closer and closer to Him. I thank God for all these struggles and challenges because they were good for me. It is only by God’s grace and mercy that I am able to complete my studies. When I look back I can see the good hand of the Lord upon me.
Last year when I went back home during the holidays, an uncle whom I have known for some years, told me he wanted me to go to the United States to study for the MDiv, and that his son was studying over there. Incidentally, the principal of that college—Christian Witness Theological Seminary—was in China, and came to our city. So this uncle introduced me to him because he wanted me to study there. But my heart was with FEBC, and I love the good doctrines and teachings of FEBC. So I declined the invitation. In FEBC, I enjoyed all the classes, and the chapel messages every morning. I enjoyed Systematic Theology, Old Testament History, Church History, Greek, and the Christian Education classes. The four years at FEBC were the most pleasant years of my life. My soul was well nurtured and admonished, and the foundation of God’s Word was firmly grounded in my heart. I thank God for all the faithful lecturers in FEBC.
Although I had the chance to study in USA, I chose to upgrade my studies here at FEBC. I am very grateful and thankful to God for True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church and FEBC. Thank God FEBC allowed me to study for another year. I know this is the Lord’s will for me. I pray that the Lord may give me grace and strength to complete my studies successfully so that I may go back to serve Him. I am eager to go now, but the Lord knows that I need some more training. So He allowed me to stay and study here for one more year. All praise and glory be unto God! Zhu Jianwei [Ed: Jianwei who earned his BTh is pursuing his MRE.]
God’s Work Is Spiritual Work
“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Tim 4:16). When I look back at the four years of studies at Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC), I really thank God for His faithfulness and wonderful grace upon me in helping me go through every passing day. Indeed, I have tasted how good God is to me. If it were not for God’s grace, I would never have been able to complete my studies at FEBC. I wanted to quit after the very first week of my first semester. That was because I felt the workload in FEBC was too heavy, and I felt I had no ability at all to do what the lecturers required of me. But later, God through His Word and His faithful lecturers taught me how wrong I was to think of relying on my own to do God’s work.
Now I have finished my course. I can testify that indeed God’s work is spiritual work, and the arm of flesh profits nothing. I discovered that whenever I became self-reliant, the results at the end would not be satisfying. However, when I studied God’s Word devotionally and with much obedience and reliance on God, there would be more joy and delight in God’s Word, and my results at the end also naturally became better. That was really the amazing work of God. I thank God for this learning experience. Although it was never easy each semester, it was good for me so that I could learn to rely on God to live and to study each day.
The training process at FEBC was truly a profitable journey of faith. Besides the studies, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to worship in True Life B-P Church and even to do some necessary tasks. Thank God for True Life for supporting my studies financially, for the loving care of True Lifers, without which it would be impossible for me to continue and complete my studies. Also, I deeply know that I have received so much love from members of True Life, not because I deserve it, but because of the leaders and members’ love for God and His ministry. So I pray that I will never take all the goodness received for granted, but in return render a good service for God after graduation.
I also greatly thank God for all the teachers in FEBC, for their zealous and faithful teaching of God’s Word. I came here with so little knowledge of God’s Word, also with many wrong ideas and practices, but because of the faithful teaching and exposition of God’s Word, I am no more a confused Christian and no longer easily deceived by the false doctrines. I also have a stronger desire to serve God now than four years ago. Praise God.
Lastly, I would like to give thanks to God for training me in His faithful Word in FEBC so that I can be used as a witness and a channel of blessing to my family members. In the last four years, three of my family members (my younger sister, brother, and my grandfather) came to the Lord especially through my parents and my witnessing. My father who was once troubled by certain charismatic teachings and practices is no longer troubled, because I taught him some of the lessons I learned from the course on Charismatism. He saw the truth and rejected Charismatism. God truly has done great things for us. He had been very good to us. I can never thank Him enough. Pray that I will use all the goodness and good doctrines I have received to serve the Lord more zealously and faithfully. Li Shanshan [Ed: Shanshan who earned a BRE is now serving in a Reformed Presbyterian Church in Beijing.]
