Special Sunday & HOT-Adventure I

Mar 30, 2025

Praise the Lord for guiding us through the enriching journey of reading the Old Testament in 2025 !

At 11:00am, brothers and sisters joyfully gathered for the special Sunday Service focused on “The Old Testament Canon.” Pastor Gavin, with sister Ivy interpreting, began the sermon during the Refreshing Moment. The Bible, inspired by God over time, reveals His will. Verses in 2 Peter 1:19-21 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 clearly affirm that all scriptures are divinely inspired, representing God’s spoken words.

The congregation then dwelled in powerful praise and worship led by brother Jun, and partook communion in one spirit. Brother Jack shared a wonderful testimony of how God helped him overcome the fear. Despite being under immense pressure due to escalating client demands and a tight project timeline, he found peace from God after prayers. Miraculously, the seemingly impossible deadline was met, manifesting that all things are possible through God. Additionally, he experienced sudden appendicitis that required an urgent surgery. Thanks to God, it was successfully completed and he concluded by sharing John 14:27, highlighting that the peace from Jesus prevents our hearts from being fearful.

The sermon continued by exploring the concept of the authoritative “Canon.” Skepticism through media has confused both believers and non-believers, creating an impression that the selection of books was determined by a council vote in the 4th century. However, through a meticulous examination of Bible verses in Exodus 24:4-7, Exodus 17:14-16, 2 Kings 23:2, and Deuteronomy 31:24-26, the divine authority of the writings were immediately recognized by the nation of Israel without any council voting.

HOT-Adventure

After lunch, Pastor Gavin, with sister Stephanie interpreting, delved deeper into relevant Bible verses to affirm that the scriptures recorded from the time of Joshua to Nehemiah were immediately recognized as divine authority, with archaeological findings to support writing technology well before the early monarchy period. Pastor Gavin concluded the sermon by comparing the Old Testament with the Jewish Bible (Tanakh), noting their different organization but the same contents. Jesus also mentioned these scriptures in Luke 24:44-45. All these pieces of evidence supported that the existence of the Old Testament Canon was before the 4th century.

Followed by a sharing session, brothers and sisters expressed gratitude for the sermon, emphasizing the importance of discerning authentic biblical teachings amid an abundance of online information. Some highlighted the necessity of focusing on trustworthy sources and understanding the scriptures as a means to receive God’s message, allowing others to see Christ through our faith and actions.

Sister Janelle introduced the reading plan for 2025 focusing on the prophecy and poetry books. A reading schedule for the next few months was proposed, starting with the book of Amos and progressing through all the prophecy books until Obadiah along the historical timeline. She also briefly explained the key messages in the prophecy books, highlighting God’s enduring blessings despite Israel’s disobedience.

The event concluded at 5:30pm with a closing prayer led by sister Elaine.

Thank you Jesus for this blessed journey ! Let us continue to grow by following the truth in the Word of God !