Scripture:-Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Observation:- This Scripture from Ecclesiastes speaks of unity and teamwork, meaningful of marriage, meaningful of members of a project team, and in various circumstances. Why is two better than one? Because they have a good reward for their labor. It has been proven that two horses combined can pull far more weight than the sum of their individual efforts. In this instance, 2+2 does not equal 4 but 5 or 6! As the saying goes, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Quite often, even in football, we see a team of average players working well together outplay teams with brilliant individual talents but lack of teamwork. In a marriage too, it is important for husband and wife to work together towards a noble common goal and God will reward their efforts.
All of us have bad days, when something gets us down. In those days, we really need a friend to listen to us, to support us, to tell us it will be ok. Depression in loneliness can be very dangerous indeed. This also teaches us the important of being a friend, to our spouse, to our children, to our colleagues and friends.
When two lie together …. Husband and wife come to mind. The warmth is not just physical, but also spiritual. There is a warmth in knowing that the other person is near, that there is someone to turn to, someone who cares.
Finally, in any conflict, having a friend beside is an advantage, and having three makes a strong group. In a marriage, the threefold cord gives us the image of God, husband and wife, united as a team. In prayer, Jesus said “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them”. There is power when even two or three come together to pray.
Application:- In a marriage, commit to be united with your husband and wife towards common goals for the good of the family, with God in the centre always. Be a friend, support each other during bad days, enjoy each other’s care and warmth. At work, be united for the common goal of the team. Be a friend to those who may be in need or having a bad day. Care for one another. Remember the strength of a three-fold cord. Come together often to pray even with 2 or 3.
Prayer:- Lord, bless our family with unity, care and love always, even in bad times. Help us always be a friend to those who need us, and let us always put You in the Centre of our marriage, friendships and work. In Jesus name, Amen.
This Sunday at CDC, we also had two very interesting testimonies.
Firstly, sister Koni shared how she was so touched by the love that sister Siew Han showed her father in Johor. While other siblings continued to be too busy and engrossed in their own lives, only Siew Han regularly came back to see her aging father, week after week, and her father was touched to the point of tears by his daughter’s love. Accompanying Siew Han to minister to her father, sister Koni and team shared many great words of truth from the Word of God. However, most significant of all, much more than words could say was the love that sister Siew Han showed by her actions. When her father asked her how she could love like she did, she smilingly explained “ I love you, dad, just as my Heavenly Father loves me.”
Secondly, we heard a wonderful testimony from sister Tiara, who serves sister Tabitha and family as Ariel’s nanny. Although born of a different religion, Tiara accepted Christ through Tabitha’s ministry, and because of her new gentleness and change in character, influenced her husband and her whole village in Indonesia to such an extent that 30 of them came to know the Lord. This Sunday morning, sister Tiara shared how her father found a thief who had come to steal. Taking pity on him, her father, a new Christian, told him that our Father in Heaven loved him and would provide for him a way to find a legitimate job. The thief was so impressed by her father’s kindness that he stopped being a thief and even came back to the house and followed the family to church. It was another miracle, and all because of our Father’s love.
Most coincidentally, later the same day, at our monthly Gong family service, my aunt Wei Ai shared from the passage of the Prodigal Son which again teaches us about the great love of our Father in Heaven who waits earnestly for any of his wayward children to return to Him that He may receive them with loving, forgiving arms. Just like a new father or mother is so delighted when a child calls them “Papa or Mama” for the first time, so too our Father in Heaven is so thrilled and delighted when we learn to call Him Father.
May the love of our great Father in Heaven always be with us, and help us along our way in being His good, obedient children.
On a beautiful June morning last Saturday, we were most privileged to attend the wonderful wedding service of our lovely cousin Sharon to her dashing groom, David. As their chosen Scripture for this special day, they had wisely chosen the magical passage of love taken from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, and it was on this very passage that Reverend Eddy Ho preached on.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails.
What is love? Love means many things to many people. Magical, mysterious, misused, misunderstood, love is indeed a complicated thing. However, for us who believe in the Holy Bible, there are beautiful descriptions about what love should be like, and it is in learning the attributes of love proclaimed that we only begin to understand what love truly is.
Looking first at the negative view of the passage, we must first learn what love is not:-
Love does not envy:-
Envy is a terrible thing, and an inborn tendency of every human being to greater or lesser extent. We desire for that that we don’t have, and this evil jealousy has dark potential to lead us to great evil. Cain killed his brother Abel because of envy. It is not difficult for some of us to grow to hate another because he or she has better qualities or looks than we have. Even in a marriage, it is possible to be sinfully envious of one’s partner, especially when one partner may earn more, gain more attention or be more popular than the other. To overcome envy, we need to first accept ourselves and thank God for who He has made us, faults, warts and all. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in our own special individuality, specially crafted for the Master’s divine purposes. When we learn to focus on what we can do with what we have rather than on what we don’t have, we will have begun to understand one of life’s critical lessons. Even in a marriage, focus not on our own shortcomings, but aspire to do our best for each other with the strengths that we have.
Love does not boast:-
There is an often heard saying that self-flattery is no flattery at all. Nevertheless, it is also another aspect of human nature to boast, to blow one’s trumpet, to brag about one’s achievements and riches. Often time, boasting will directly or indirectly belittle someone else, and that of course, is hardly loving at all. True love does not demand itself of another because of his own greatness, beauty or achievement. Instead, true love is humble and focuses on the good of the other.
Love is not proud
Pride, another of the seven deadly sins, is perhaps the most difficult weakness that each of us face. We lowly humans always tend to think we are better and deserve better than others. It is pride that became the downfall of Satan, and continues to be a snare to all men, both great and lowly, kings and peasants. As the Psalmist writes:- In his pride, the wicked does not seek God. In all his thoughts there is no room for God. However, the Lord gives grace to the humble. To learn to love, we need first to learn to be humble, not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought, but considering others as better than ourselves. Especially in the marriage, each partner should adopt a humble and gentle attitude to each other.
Love is not rude
There are many ways to be rude, be it in words or in action, in tone of voice or even a rolling of the eyes. Rudeness is disrespect for the other person, and does much to tear down and sow the seeds of hate. Love is definitely not rude, but the whole concept of love is intertwined with respect. How do we show we love God? We respect Him by obeying Him. We need to be disciplined, especially so in a marriage, to be courteous and respectful of each other.
Love is not self-seeking
The whole modern world, and the whole concept of capitalism is based on the principle of greed, and selfishness. Anything we do must first be perpetuated with the question “What’s in it for me?” This is the opposite of true love, which instead seeks for the good of the other person. When we learn to be less selfish and more caring, love will truly begin to flourish in us.
Love is not easily angered
Anger is not a sin in itself. It is, in fact a natural reaction to unfairness, rudeness, selfishness and wrongs committed to oneself. Even the most patient man will become angry eventually in the face of persistent ridicule and abuse. However, the more we love a person, the more tolerant we will learn to be. We are commanded to bear with one another, to suffer long. Love is not immune from anger, but is able to endure much, seeking to understand first before being understood!
Love keeps no records of wrongs
One of the most important attributes of love, is no doubt forgiveness. Especially in a marriage, it is easy to recall with bitter ease the occasions and times when our loved ones have hurt us, and it is a most human reaction to seek revenge in one way or another. However, love keeps no records of wrongs. Love wipes the slate clean. We need to learn to be like God, whose mercies are new every morning. We need to forget the wrongs of the past, but look towards growing together in the future, in God’s grace!
At CDC this Sunday, we were again most privileged to hear a sermon from sister Lydia on the topic: Ruth – Woman of Worth.
First of all, our attention was drawn to the era in which Ruth lived in. It was the time of the judges, a very dark period for Israel, where an endless cycle of moral decline seemed to perpetuate itself. Upon the great conquest led by Joshua upon the land of Canaan, one would naturally expect the Israelites to remain loyal to Yahweh for generations to come, but sadly, this was not the case. In only the next generation, the Israelites turned away from God and became steeped in idolatry and sin. Once trouble came as a result of their sin, they cried out to God, and He sent them a Judge, a Deliverer each time. However, they soon forgot God again and went back to wicked ways. Finally, each one did what was right in his own eyes and Israel remained in a state of chaos. In spite of that, a wonderful love story develops against this drawback, the story of a daughter-in-law, a mother-in-law, a kinsman redeemer and the love that bound them. It was upon these three characters that the sermon was mainly based upon.
Ruth
Born a Moabitess, she was married at a young age into Naomi’s family, but also shared the misfortune of becoming a widow and after only 10 years. Nevertheless, in her time with Naomi, she had come to accept the God of Israel as her own, and even swore by Him and not by any of the gods of Moab. She remained loyal in her steadfast love for the mother-in-law and refused to leave her but was determined to go with her and help her despite the hardship that faced them. These qualities of love, loyalty and compassion by Ruth certainly make her one of the most endearing heroines of the Bible. She was also obedient to Naomi, and trusted her mother-in-law to decide what was best for her. Boaz was an older man, but Ruth was also loyal to maintain the rights of her deceased husband in seeking a kinsman redeemer to carry on his name. The greatness of Ruth in her humility placed her worth of greater than seven sons.
Naomi
As terrible tragedy struck her family and left her destitute and without hope, Naomi still did not forsake the Lord her God, but asked that He bless her daughter-in-laws as she bade them to leave her. Naomi believed that God was helping Israel again and returned to the land despite her sadness that the Lord had afflicted her. In spite of her tragedy, Naomi remained selfless and thought about the welfare of her daughter-in-laws above her own needs. When she saw a ray of hope through a kinsman redeemer, she immediately gave the opportunity to Ruth. The goodness in her heart in spite of her bitterness is apparent throughout this whole book. In the end, she was given the tremendous privilege and joy of caring for her grandson Obed, grandfather of King David, and she was praised and blessed by the women of Israel.
Boaz
Boaz was the son of Rahab, the famous harlot who helped the spies of Israel before the fall of Jericho, thus gaining salvation for her whole family because of her faith in the power of the God of Israel. He was a righteous man, well respected by his workers who were obedient to him. He even called out a greeting to them first, and also honored the law of leaving some of the grains for the poor and the alien. Like Ruth, Boaz was also an honorable man and gave the right of acquisition firstly to the kinsman redeemer nearer than him. Unlike the other kinsman redeemer, he was not afraid of endangering his own property but gladly fulfilled his responsibility to his dead relative in the presence of many witnesses. In a short time, he was honored with a son, and unknowingly established his own name in the great genealogy of the Messiah.
From this great story, may the Lord help us be inspired to uphold the wonderful principles of love, loyalty, righteousness, selflessness and respect for God always.
“If you don’t remember anything else from this sermon, just remember these 3 words, Order, Duty & Grace!” boomed Pastor Dorai from the pulpit on the day of my wedding. These are concepts completely fundamental to the Christian marriage, and more than a year since that day, these three words still remain clear in my mind.
Where there is order, there is peace. God is the God of order. The universe revolves around the laws, the order set by God. The laws of gravity, force, motion, matter all hold the world together, and in perfect balance, all is well, all is in order. Likewise, in the marriage, there is law, there is order. It is God’s will in the vow “till death do us part” and “Thou shall not commit adultery”. Divorce and adultery bring chaos and destruction. Marriage must be a commitment not only between husband and wife, but most importantly, a consecration unto God. Just as Christ is the head of the church, so the husband is head of the household, and he must recognize his position of authority. He must love his wife, as Christ loves the church, and his wife must respect him, and of course he must respect her. When this order is followed, with Christ as the head of the home and the marriage, it is strong, like three cords that cannot be broken.
Then there is duty. The husband must do his best to provide for his family, to protect, and to love. The wife must do her best to respect her husband, to take care of the home, an able partner to her husband. In this age with both genders active in the workforce, it is not uncommon for the wife to earn more than the husband, and sometimes even play the major part as breadwinner of the family. However, work and home are not to be mixed up, and both are to do their part in making their home and marriage strong and faithful to God. The husband in particular must recognize his spiritual authority as head of the home, and realize the power of his prayers in blessing his home and family.
Finally, there is grace. Due to personal differences and upbringing, there is bound to be some degree of conflict in every marriage. This is where grace is so important. Many times we may feel that the other party is unfair, and it is easy to become bitter, and let unforgiveness seep in bit by bit. For the marriage to work, we must learn to forgive, not just once, or twice, but unconditionally. Love keeps no records of wrongs. We may not be able to change our partner in certain ways, but we must still love, we must still forgive, and always pray, pray, pray, trusting God to make it better.
On 14th May 2006, CDC celebrated another beautiful Mother’s day in a wonderful service of thanksgiving to God for all mothers, wonderfully led by Sister Kun Han. This day was also memorable for three marvelous testimonies given by three wonderful mothers.
First up, Sister Koni shared on how God continued to be faithful to her family even when facing great difficulties. Trying to make a living in the ever competitive world of food business, Sister Koni shared how she and her husband Charles were challenged to maintain their integrity and honesty, even if it meant earning less, and how important it is to set a good example in front of their children and everyone else. Truly God honored them when a competitor tried to slander them but instead was rebuked by the boss who rented them their premises.
Secondly, Sister Beng Choo shared on the wonderful testimony of her mother-in-law, who although accepting Christ only late in life, quickly understood the great importance of the power of prayer, and faithfully prays for her grandchildren everyday. She understood that the best way to express her love for her family was to pray for them!
Finally, Sister Tabitha shared how she felt overwhelmed when discovering she was pregnant with her fifth child. It was a critical time when she was so busy managing her two kindergartens, while bringing up two teenage children and two younger children at the same time. Nevertheless, she stood on the promise of God that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and also on the great words of the Lord to Paul “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.” When we are most weak, and most helpless, and we can do nothing but surrender ourselves to the Lord, then only can we see His true power and grace, perfect in our weaknesses.
May the Lord give us all a heart of integrity and a strong desire to set a good example for our children and for others, help us value the importance and power of faithful prayer and help us always remember that we are more than conquerors, able to face all things in Christ, who is our ultimate strength and power in our weaknesses. Amen.
Good morning, brothers and sisters, my name is Jason, and I just became a father this year, so this day, I will be celebrating my first Father’s day. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to share this morning.
On 7th January 2006, at one fine Saturday afternoon, Samuel Jonathan Gong Jong Chen first came into this world. A great sense of joy flooded through me as I saw this little precious gift from God for the first time and I knew at that moment that life as I knew it would never be the same again.
It has certainly not been easy taking care of this little one, especially so for my dear wife, Jou Li, who pretty much has had to tend to little Samuel’s needs 24/7.Every new parent will tell you about the heaps of laundry, interrupted sleep, and frequent bottle washing we all have to endure. However, the great sense of joy in seeing your little child grow, play, laugh and smile certainly more than makes up for it. It is truly a challenging yet incredibly blessed responsibility to be a parent.
I feel that becoming a father has certainly helped me grow as a person and also taught me a thing or two about my relationship with God. Our dear Lord said that only by learning to become like little children will we inherit the kingdom of God. Three things in particular come to my mind thus far, taken from simple observations of little Samuel.
Firstly, little Samuel is completely honest and real as a baby. When he’s hungry, wet or unhappy, he cries. When he’s happy or excited, he smiles and laughs. He acts exactly as he feels. He never hides his feelings or pretends. In my relationship with God, I realize that I need to learn to be more real with God. My deceitful heart naturally tries to hide secret thoughts and motives from God, but God does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart. By looking at Samuel, I am challenged to try to be really honest with God, coming to Him just as I am, and submit myself to Him to change me.
Secondly, little Samuel is innocent and trusting. He does not realize how dangerous this world is. He simply feeds, sleeps and plays in his own little world – he is free from the numerous worries and problems that plague all of us adults. He simply trusts his parents to provide all that he needs. I realize that I too need to be like that, less concerned and worried about problems, not neglecting them of course, but continuing to trust God and facing them with the confidence that all things will work out in the end. In the end, our great Father in Heaven will make all things alright.
Finally, little Samuel knows who to turn to for help. When hungry, wet or sad, little Samuel knows how to cry out for mum and dad. He knows that he needs help, and can’t do it on his own. How often I try to face my problems in life in my own strength, rationalizing with my mind, and thinking of a solution my way. Too often I only run into more brick walls and ceilings. Instead, I should really learn to pray, for then God will make a way.
I would also like to share with you all what Samuel’s name means. On the day I found out Jou Li was expecting, I happened to be reading from 1 Samuel, and although I could not be sure whether the baby was a boy or a girl, I strongly felt that his name would be Samuel. The name Samuel means God Hears, and our prayer is that this truth will be embraced by Samuel all his life, knowing that God Hears our prayers always. Jonathan means gift of God, and indeed, Samuel is such a wonderful gift to us and also reminds us so much of God’s wonderful grace. Gong, our sir name, does not refer to the resounding gong of 1 Corinthians 13.;) Instead, in Chinese, it refers to a mighty river, in my understanding. It is also our hope that the mighty River of God will flow through Samuel’s life always bringing life and blessing wherever he goes. Jong Chen means loyal and sincere and we pray that these qualities will also be part of Samuel’s character as he grows up.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my father, Gong Wooi Sing once again for always being there for me as a loving father and friend. I would also like to thank my grandfather, Gong Ngie Liong, who has been a great visionary and with great love and wisdom, always planned carefully for my future and also the future of the whole Gong family. Both of you have played an invaluable part in making me the man I am today and the father I will continue to be to little Samuel.
Thank you everyone once again, and a very happy Father’s day to every father here this morning and also to our majestic Heavenly Father in Heaven to whom I and my family certainly owe everything. May His grace, protection and favor always rest on all of us, His little children, and May His Mighty Hands make all things alright in the end. In Jesus name, Amen.
This Sunday at CDC, we had the tremendous privilege of Lee Wee Min share with us on laying spiritual foundations for the family. Quite easily, he would be one of the foremost experts on the subject in Malaysia with his extensive work and leadership in Focus of the Family.
Commencing his sermon, brother Lee read from Deuteronomy 6, from Moses’ famous sermon to the Israelites as they were about to enter the Promised Land:-
Deuteronomy 6
1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [a]5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
The mandate Moses gave was not to the leaders of the tribes or clans or Levites but to each and every parent! The most important task of teaching the children falls not on the Pastor or Sunday School Teachers but on the parents. Moses did not tell the Israelites to set apart a certain day or time to teach the children, but to teach them as they go about in life, sitting at home, or walking along the road, while in bed, and when doing chores together. We, as parents have the to be conscious of passing on the truth as part of our normal daily routine, conscious of any opportunity to pass on truth to our children.
A survey done on the main cause of social ills was traced back to the absence of a father figure in the family. Some reasons for this are as follows:-
(i)The focus on the career:- Many fathers are so focused on their career, thinking they do their part in supplying all their children’s educational and material needs. However, they fail to realize their children need the love and time of the father at home.
(ii)No sense of urgency:- Many fathers procrastinate, thinking there will always be time later, and this was perfectly illustrated in the Cats in the Cradle song where a father kept putting off spending time with his son until it was too late, when his son no longer had time to spend with him.
(iii)Illiteracy in God’s Word:- Many fathers do not pass on godly truth because they feel inadequate in teaching the Word of God to their children. However, every Christian will grow if they read the Word and pray, and a better approach is to teach the children as we learn. The best way of teaching our kids is to become more Christ-like ourselves. (E.g. If our kids see us reading the Word, praying and doing good, they too will be inclined to follow us)
In his conclusion, brother Lee laid down five powerful principles which form building blocks for a strong family – labeled AROMA.
(A)Affection – There must be unconditional love at home, where parents love the kids for who they are and no how successful they are in their studies or other things. We must not be afraid to say “I love you” to our children and be affectionate with them
(B)Respect – We must learn to respect our children as individuals. They are growing up in a different era and we cannot expect them to live exactly as we did or like the things we did so many years ago. Rules minus relationship equals rebellion.
(C)Order – Children must know who is in charge at home. Parents must not always give in to the children or they will think they are the boss. Love is not always soft, but also disciplined.
(D)Merriment – It is important for the family to have fun and laughter together. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.
(E)Affirmation – It is also very important to affirm each other. We must not always just scold the kids for their mistakes but affirm them for the things they do well, and the good thoughts and intentions they have.
May the Lord shower His grace upon us that we might grow together as strong, healthy families living according to His will.
This morning at FGA’s Cradle Roll, we had the privilege of listening to sister Jeanette McKee speak to the parents. Among many important things, she encouraged parents to spend more time with their children, eat family meals together and instill in them a love for God’s Word, even from a young age. We were exhorted to see ourselves as shepherds of the children, and look to Jesus as our Chief Shepherd who would guide us in being good parents, quoting Isaiah 40:11 he gently leads those that have young……
Talking about Baby dedications, sister Jeanette explained that it was like the parents who brought their children to Jesus to be blessed by Him in Matthew 19. She further explained that it was not just about Baby Dedication, it was actually also Parents Dedication, for the parents were dedicating themselves to God to bring their child up in the knowledge and ways of the Lord.
A handout that she gave illustrates important verses and passages in respect to God and children.
Children can know God as their Creator
Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"
Children can know God as their Father
2 Corinthians "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
Children can know Jesus as their Good Shepherd.
Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
John "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me
Matthew 18:10-14 "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
Children can know Jesus as their Saviour, Lord and the One who blesses them.
Matthew 18:1-6
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Matthew 19:13-15
Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to lace his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Titus 1:6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.
Children can know Jesus as their Healer/Deliverer
John 4:49-52 Nobleman’s son healed
The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."
Matthew 9:23-25 Jairus’ daughter raised
When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
Children can know God as their Provider/Protector
2 Kings 4:5-7 The Miracle of the Flowing Oil
…. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."
1 Samuel David and Goliath
The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."
Children can serve God
Examples of Jesus, Daniel and friends, Samuel, Servant girl of Naaman, Joash, Josiah, Miriam and David.
2 Chronicles 34:3 In the eighth year of hisreign, while he was still young, Josiah began to seek the God of his father David.
1 Samuel But Samuel was ministering before the LORD -a boy wearing a linen ephod.
Children can pray
2 Chronicles All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.
Children can know God’s Word
2 Timothy 3:14-15 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Isaiah 59:21 "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says the LORD.
Seed of the Righteous will be blessed
Psalm 37:25-26 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.
Psalm 102:28 The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you."
Children can come to know the Holy Spirit as their Teacher, Helper and receive His power and work in their lives.
Joel "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Acts -39 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."
Children can praise the Lord and experience His glory.
Psalm 8:1-2 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise
Matthew 21:15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant.
Luke 1:41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Children can know the grace of the Lord while growing.
Luke 2:52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
1 Samuel And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with men.
On Father’s day, we were privileged at CDC to have brother Soo Ewe Jin give the Father’s Day Message.
Starting off, brother Soo shared with us how he was once given an opportunity few men had, which was to be a full-time father. And his years as a full-time father was indeed his most precious. All his fame and success in his career was nothing compared to that!
Basically, to understand the role of a father, one must first know the role of a husband. God comes first, family comes second, and everything else comes after. The main role of a father is to pass on the spiritual baton. No two children are alike, and it is the sole mission of parents to communicate the real meaning of our faith to our children. It is so important for fathers to train their children. It is they who should set the rules of the house and a father should not leave his responsibilities to others.
Ephesians 6:4 says, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger but train them up. And in the Proverbs, it is written, train a child in the way he should go and in the end, he will not turn from it. Teaching also is not just made up of formal lessons. Quite often, genuine conversation is needed to guide, and help children make decisions. Mothers should fully cooperate with their husbands in setting the rules of the home. Ultimately, the authority of the father goes back to the Fatherhood of God. All authority from heaven will flow down to the submissive father through Jesus!
Now giving a special message to children, brother Soo exhorted them: tell the truth, and obey your parents. Too often in homes, children have to pay too heavy a price for telling the truth. There must be a sense of forgiveness. Fathers are not always perfect, not always right. However, we need to obey them because it is God’s command unless their instruction goes against God’s law. And God promises that if we obey, we will be blessed.
As fathers, it is so important for us to live out our faith, to walk our talk. Are we patient? Do we love others? How is our attitude towards money? We need to be like the Lord who is slow to anger and abounding in love. Finally, we should make it our ambition to be a model father by exhibiting the qualities of love described in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It not rude, it is not self-seeking. It does not easily anger, it keeps no records of wrong. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
On Father’s day at CDC, Michael Lee gave a very personal message on fatherhood. Based on the text of the Prodigal Son, Michael started off by referring to three types of fathers common in the world today, all of which can have detrimental effects on their children.
Firstly, there is the Distant Father. Typical of many Chinese families, the distant father hardly talks or communicates with his children. He sees his main duty as only providing for the family. There’s no real relationship with the children, with only mono-syllabic conversation. He can be in the same room as his son but as distant as another planet. His children may well develop relationship and communication problems in the future with their own spouse and children.
Secondly, there is the Overindulgent Father. He caters for his son’s every need and fancy, and pretty much does everything for him. In the end, he will only raise, spoilt, spineless children who cannot stand up to the challenge when the going gets tough. The best tuitions and teachers may get them the best grades, but life’s true lessons will show who really has the faith!
Finally, there is the Abusive Father. Some are physically abusive fathers, who belong in jail. Most however are emotionally abusive fathers, who abuse their children with demeaning words, insults, and curses. Their children may develop serious self-esteem problems, with high inferiority complex and poor confidence.
Looking now at the story of the Prodigal Son, we are told the sorry tale of how one son demanded his inheritance of his father and squandered it abroad in foreign lands. Broke, and hungry, abandoned by his new found “friends”, the prodigal son decided to return home and seek mercy from his father as a common servant. However, the loving Father ran to meet him even before he could say anything. This powerful picture shows us the great love of God who runs to embrace every one of his beloved Children who come back to him, no matter what they’ve done. The Lord’s forgiveness and love is always open to all who will come back to Him. In our families, we too must learn to be affectionate and loving, not distant and abusive. We need to spend time with our children and be careful that we do not ridicule or put them down. We need to learn to encourage and affirm them.
Another side of the loving Father is seen in his handling of his other son. Although loyal and obedient to his father all these years, he felt aggrieved that His younger brother should get such loving treatment for his “sins” while he never received a reward anything close for his faithful service. The Father exhorted himself in to understand the big picture. What was truly important? Firstly, he was always with the Father, most important was their precious relationship. Secondly, he was heir to everything the Father owned. In view of their close relationship and his great inheritance, there was little reason for the older brother to feel aggrieved, but instead he should share in the joy of his brother’s repentance. A truly loving Father does not merely submit to all his son’s wishes and complaints. A truly loving Father teaches his son what is truly important. In life, we need to learn to carry our own load and teach our children to do the same. A schoolkid should carry his own schoolbag, it is his load to carry…. Love without proper guidance and discipline is not truly love at all.
This Sunday at CDC, we were privileged to celebrate Mother’s Day with Mrs.Lydia Loh as the Speaker. She spoke on 3 important findings that she has seen in her life in relation to motherhood.
Firstly, a Mother’s love is like God’s love.
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” Isaiah 49:15
Having lost her mother from a young age, Lydia did not know who her mother was, and often felt a deep sense of loss especially when seeing other children with their mothers. She often wondered if her mother ever really loved her, and her childhood was filled with much pain. Yet, one day, she found a crumpled note in her mother’s old dress in faded pencil writing. It contained her mother’s dying wish to her father for him to take the children to movies and send Lydia to school. In those days, hardly any girl went to school, but Lydia was most fortunate that she was given the privilege to. From that day, Lydia realized that her mother did love her, and it changed her life.
Later on, when she became a Christian, she realized that God had loved her all along, just like a Mother loves her child.
Secondly, a Mother is not spared from tragedy. Another important event that Lydia experienced in her life was when her father passed away suddenly 20 years ago. A reckless motorcyclist had crashed into him just outside his house, speeding from the wrong side of a one-way street. None of her neighbors saw the perpetrator ever again, and he got away without any punishment at all. This left poor Lydia in great bitterness and unforgiveness as she missed her father terribly. For two years, she lived life like a zombie until one day when she attended a Women’s conference.
She remembered the Speaker’s name then was Ai Leen and she began by saying “I love my name, because I lean on Jesus! Something hit Lydia, and she realized at that point she was leaning on the wrong person. All this while, she had accepted Christ but was leaning on her father as her ultimate source of support. Once she realized that she had to lean on Jesus, she was delivered from her depression, and began to find the joy of the Lord again.
Finally, a Mother needs God’s grace. Lydia remained barren for many years of her life, and it was a source of great frustration and sadness to her. Despite many prayers and medical consultations, she still could not get pregnant, and she dreaded having to attend full moon celebrations. Yet, in due time, the Lord did help her conceive and give birth to a beautiful child, and looking back, she realized that it was God’s grace that was giving her time to be much better prepared to be a mother. She understood God’s Words that all things will work together for the good of those who love Him.
In conclusion, let us know that God loves us, like a perfect mother, and in spite of any tragedy, we can lean on our Lord Jesus for strength! His grace is sufficient for us to face anything in life, and He makes everything beautiful in His time.
