True Friendship

True Friendship

This Sunday at CDC, we had the privilege of our own Chairman and Elder Quah Poh Keat give the sermon on 1^st Samuel 18, based on the wonderful friendship between David and Jonathan. It was a wonderful subject which teaches us about the qualities of friendship:-

-         Our Lord Jesus shows us

-         We can show Jesus

-         We can show to others

(1) The first basis of a truly wonderful friendship – trust in God

The first and most important basis of a truly wonderful friendship is a common love, belief, trust and hope in God. Both Jonathan and David loved God and trusted in Him no matter what the circumstances. It was Jonathan who uttered the famous words “Nothing can hinder God from saving, whether by many or by few” before proceeding to rout an entire Philistine outpost with only his trusted armor bearer at his side. Likewise, David, with only five small stones defeated the giant Goliath, with those immortal words “You come against me with spear and sword and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of all the armies of Israel whom you have defied.” Both David and Jonathan trusted God as the God of whom nothing is impossible, and this common faith bonded them together to be one in spirit.

As we continue to put our hope in trust in our Father in Heaven, we will grow closer in friendship with our Lord Jesus, and also grow in our fellowship with our fellow believers who love God like we do.

(2) The generosity of a friend

Jonathan was completely generous with David. He let David have his most precious things - his armor, bow and sword.

Our Lord Jesus is completely generous with us, giving us all good things, even His life for our sake. We too, need to learn to be a friend to Jesus, giving generously of our time, money and resources to the work of God, and be a great blessing to others.  

(3) Friends stand up for each other.

Jonathan stood up for David against his own father, Saul.

Jesus stands up for us as our great High Priest in Heaven. He is our defender, our advocate, who speaks on our behalf to save our lives from those who condemn us. We too need to acknowledge Jesus before men, and stand up for Him. Likewise, we must also learn to stand up for each other, defending our friends when they are in need.

(4) Friends take risks for each other

Jonathan took great risk in seeking out David in the desert. Any one of David’s men could have mistakenly killed him, and there were also the Philistines and wild animals. Jonathan also took great risk in standing up for David. His father Saul even tried to kill him in his madness. 

Jesus risked and endured rejection, suffering and ultimately death for our sake, because He considered us our friends. We need to learn to take risks for Jesus too, if we really consider Him our friend. Similarly, we need to take risks to help others, even rejection and persecution as we seek to bring Christ to our friends who do not know Him.

(5) True friends are not afraid of their friends becoming better than them, they want the best for their friends

Jonathan knew that David would be king, and that he would only be second place to David. However, he did not mind at all, but wanted the best for David. He was truly a great and humble friend.

Our Lord Jesus, despite being the great Son of God, lowered Himself to be mere man and slave for our sake, that we might be saved. We need to place Jesus as first in our lives. He must become greater, we must become less. In the same way, we need to look to our friends interests, hoping the best for them and helping them, even if it means surpassing us. There’s no room for “kiasuism” in the kingdom of God.

(6) True friends give encouragement in a time of need

David was down and out, hunted as a fugitive in the desert, far from God’s temple and his family. Jonathan sought David out and encouraged him….. David really needed a confirmation that God was still with him, and Jonathan gave that. He was exactly as his name means – gift of God.

Our Lord Jesus encouraged and commissioned Peter, even though he was in despair for denying the Lord three times. Our Lord stood beside Paul and encouraged him in his hour of need. He continues to encourage us today, in spite of our weakness and sin, spurring us on to the right path. We need to remember to bless and thank the Lord for all He does, and also be an encouragement to our friends, always looking out to strengthen and encourage someone who may need it.

(7) Friends stay loyal to the end.

Although Jonathan disagreed with his father, King Saul, he was still loyal to him and fought by his side to the very end. He was loyal to David till the end, and David too was loyal to Jonathan, even beyond his death, for David showed great kindness to Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, even inviting him to eat at the king’s table.

Finally, our Lord Jesus is always faithful and loyal to us. He never turns away anyone who comes to Him. We too need to remain completely loyal to Jesus, and stick by our faith till the very end. Likewise, we also need to be loyal to our friends, and be committed to them always.

God bless,

Jason

New Wineskins

New Wineskins

This Sunday at CDC, we had our own Elder and Chairman Poh Keat give us the message in New Wineskins from the passage of Luke 5.

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. Luke 5:37-38

His message was centred on CHANGE, and indeed, we need to understand that our world changes everyday, with God orchestrating and directing history, everything in line with His good and perfect will. Hence, we need to constantly open ourselves to God to see what He is doing, and how we can join Him in His Creative work.

Firstly, the C in CHANGE stands for Christ. Jesus Christ was a radical, and His teachings shook the foundations of the Jewish religion as all the Jews knew it. Rabbis and Pharisees quoted extensively “It is written…” but Jesus proclaimed “I say to you….” He touched lepers and healed them. He conversed with not only with a Samaritan, but a Samaritan woman, and a sinful one at that. He mixed with tax collectors and sinners. Others judged him as a drunkard and a glutton. He brought powerful change to an old, rigid establishment, teaching people that love and mercy was more important than following all the letters of the law. If we are in Christ Jesus, we are a new creation, for it is no longer we that live on our own, but Christ that lives in us. We need to realize that, and learn to live for Christ, and not just for ourselves.

Secondly, the H in CHANGE stands for Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes and goes like the wind. No one knows where He is coming from or where He is going. The world goes after natural things, selfishness, ambition, money and personal glory. However, the mind of the Spirit seeks to honor God. We need to learn to listen to that small, quiet voice of the Holy Spirit, and be careful not to quench the Holy Spirit by persisting in our own sinful ways.

Thirdly, the A in CHANGE stands for Anxiety. Great men and women of God throughout history experienced great anxiety when they were asked to move out of their comfort zones and go forth in faith. Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David, and the Lord’s disciples all felt anxiety as they stepped out to follow God. However, they trusted in God for strength and deliverance, and leaned upon Him. Today, perhaps some of us may be feeling anxious as we set on a new job, a new opportunity, or a new home. We would do well to learn to “Cast our cares upon the Lord, for He cares for us.”

Fourthly, the N in CHANGE stands for New. Our wonderful God of limitless creativity and beauty makes everything new, just as our church theme for the year quotes from Revelation “I am making everything new…..” The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, and His mercies are new every morning. His grace is new every morning, and we see God’s goodness in new, marvelous ways every day.

Fifthly, the G in CHANGE stands for Growth. Just as we are destined to move from glory to glory as we are in Christ, we are destined to move to new areas of ministry and influence all according to God’s wonderful timing.

Finally, the E in CHANGE stands for Example

A most powerful example of CHANGE is Joseph, who moved from trustworthy son of his father Jacob, to trustworthy servant of Potiphar, to trustworthy head of prisoners and finally, trustworthy Prime Minister of all Egypt, all in God’s perfect timing. Furthermore, Elder Poh Keat shared the incredible story of his friend, Julian, a top Christian partner in KPMG UK who was called by God to leave his occupation and start his own internet business. In faith, he set out on this new venture, but just shortly after, the dotcom bubble burst…. He had promised that both he and his wife would not receive a salary until the company became financially stable, and because of that, they received no salary for 3 years. One third of the time, they lived off their savings. The second third, they re-mortgaged their home. The final third, with nothing left, they scraped through miraculously, sometimes finding money slipped under a door, and during one month, receiving a tax refund for over-deduction from KPMG. However, through this time, their prayer life strengthened immensely, and they instituted a prayer meeting at work every day involving all employees. Today, with God’s blessing, the business has boomed and is seen as a role model for others to follow

May the Lord enlarge our territories and lead us to new, fresh, exciting destinies as we serve Him together.

God bless,

Jason

Psalm 37:Life is Unfair

Psalm 37:Life is Unfair

This Sunday, we were privileged to have our Chairman and Elder Quah speak on the message “Life is Unfair” from Psalm 37.

Starting from verse 1, “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong” Elder Quah drew our attentions to four important points that he had picked out from the acronym FRET.

FRET NOT

REALITY CHECK

EXTEND YOURSELF

TRUST GOD

Firstly, FRET NOT. David reminds us that God is against the wicked lest we be angry and allow our anger to eventually lead to evil.

Secondly, REALITY CHECK. Sometimes, the downfall of the wicked can be painfully slow. It is not easy not to take matters into our own hands.

Thirdly, EXTENDING YOURSELF. Sometimes, we may seem to suffer deprivation when the wicked flourish and it is not easy even to turn away from evil when we are wronged. However, Jesus calls us to do even more: to bless our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us.

Finally, TRUST GOD. When we spend time with God and pray to Him, we will learn to be still and trust Him even in the worst circumstances. When we keep His ways and not our ways, we will see that although life is sometimes unfair, in the end, God is faithful!

David himself lived these truths literally. When Samuel came to the house of Jesse, no one had even considered David, but God chose him and he was anointed as king. From then on, things quickly became promising when David killed Goliath and achieved instant fame. He never planned to be king, but King Saul saw him as a serious threat and sought to kill him. And because of this evil man, David lost everything, his job, his home, his wife, everything! He was forced to run into hiding as a fugitive and even had to send his family to the Moabites for their own safety. He even lost his mentor, Samuel, and most importantly, the privilege of going to the temple to worship God! And David waited 14 years before he became king.

Taking a REALITY CHECK, we see that David did stumble. He lied to the priest Ahimelech and King Saul killed dozens of the Lord’s priests as a result. He lied to the Philistines and pretended to be a madman to save his life. He continued to live a lie in his service to the Philistines, pretending to attack Israelites when he was actually plundering others. Worst of all, David later had Uriah murdered to cover his own shame.

Yet, David EXTENDED HIMSELF. When he had the opportunity to kill King Saul twice, he did not. Later, David showed kindness to a grandson of King Saul,  Mephibosheth and even had him sit at the king’s table. David was able to let God deal with Saul in His own time. Time and again, David found strength in the Lord His God, even at his darkest moment when enemies had plundered and taken away his family and the families of his men. At that time, even his own men had been ready to stone him.

Jesus Himself understood what it means to be treated unfairly. Born in a smelly manger, and dying the worst kind of death on the cross, Jesus was rejected by the very people He came to save, and all his disciples deserted Him. Elder Quah referred again to the story of Jonie, the diver who became paralyzed in an accident. She appeared to have lost a lot of things, but God met all her needs, even her fear of never being able to be married. In the end, she married her physical trainer, a strong man. She learnt to paint with her mouth, and became an inspirational speaker of hope, touching the lives of hundreds of people. Her accident was a turning point in her life, but it all turned out for the best, as the Word says “All things work out for the good of those who love Him”.

In closing, Elder Quah asked two our own members to share their testimonies of how God turned what seemed unfair into a great blessing. Sister Evelyn shared how she was terrified when her newly born son was found have several defects. She watched helplessly as he struggled for his life, and persevered year after year in bringing him up as best she could. Looking back, sister Evelyn realized that the experience really humbled her and enabled her to enter a deep and meaningful relationship with the Lord, making her a much better person than she would have been otherwise. She learned to treasure life, and enjoy even the simple things that her son could do. Brother Loh shared how he was very unfairly sidelined despite excellent service in his work for the government. Still, looking back, he shared how he found strength in God and continued to have great hope for the future, inspired by the many heroes of faith in the Bible.

Let us all indeed not fret because of evil men, but be patient and sow love where there is hatred, and pardon where there is injury. In the end God will make all things right.

God bless,

Jason

Joseph – Overcoming Temptation

Joseph – Overcoming Temptation

On Sunday, 4^th November 2007, we were privileged at CDC to have our own Chairman and Elder Quah Poh Keat give us the message on “Joseph – Overcoming Temptation” as we continued our series into the life of the great Joseph.

This week’s sermon brought us to the famous episode of how Joseph resisted the advances of Potiphar’s wife because of his loyalty and commitment to God but suffered greatly for it when she turned on him with vengeance and got him thrown into prison because of her lies.

In a very wise message, elder Quah taught us 4 R’s that we would do well to remember to overcome the temptations of our lives.

Firstly, we were exhorted to Rationalize Not. Joseph was well-built, handsome and successful-the man in charge of the whole household. He was a performer, a worthwhile target. In these circumstances, it was so easy for Joseph to rationalize and say “Why not?” Other slaves were probably doing it with Potiphar’s wife. He could easily blame her like Adam did eve by saying “She started it”, or “I had no choice, she’s the bosses wife” or “If I don’t do it, she’ll make life hard for me”. He could rationalize, “since God has been so unfair to me, why should I follow his laws?” He could even say “It’s in my genes”, referring to the episode of Reuben and his father’s concubine. Judah also had a habit of cavorting with prostitutes. Adam was the first to rationalize but God did not accept his excuse. Daniel and his friends did not rationalize when taken as slaves to a foreign land. They would not touch defiled food, and were prepared to pay the price for it. Joseph chose not to rationalize, but to stand firm. We too should do the same.

Secondly, we were taught to Reject it now. Joseph rejected Potiphar’s wife’s advances from the very beginning and kept away from her. He did not linger near her and let the temptation grow stronger. Sin always starts small, and then grows and grows and grows, leading to more and more sin. Finally, the sinner will be completely in bondage, a slave. Drug addiction always needs another fix. Are we in sin now or slipping down towards more sin? Reject it now and start over! Tomorrow may be too late. God will punish the sinner. We need to remember that only he who does the will of the Father will make it to heaven. We who are responsible for driving away people from the Lord will be punished even more severely. Because of Osama bin Laden, anyone named Osama is immediately stigmatized. Have we caused the name of Christ to be stigmatized because of our actions? Sin also saps our anointing, as happened to Samson. Some think they can ruin their own life while still serving, but they will gradually lose it. It is our sacred duty not to squander God’s anointing. Sin will find us out one way or another, and God will bring every deed to judgment. We need to heed Jesus’ warning that it is better to have an eye or a hand thrown into hell than to have the whole body burning there. We have to be ruthless with sin, regarding what we see or do or speak. Like Balaam’s donkey, sometimes God sends roadblocks along our paths to stop us from sinning. We need to heed the warning. Joseph was prepared to forego his cloak. Sometimes, we just have to flee from the place of temptation. David chose to stay, to look at Bathsheba, and his sin eventually brought misfortune on many his whole family members.

Thirdly, we were told to Regret Not. Poor Joseph ended up being thrown in prison. He may have been disappointed with Potiphar, disappointed with God. It is interesting to note that although Potiphar burned with anger, it is not written that he was angry with Joseph. He might quite easily have killed him, but perhaps Potiphar knew his wife better but had no choice regarding the matter to save his own face. God understands the true motives behind our hearts. Later, Joseph did not take revenge on Potiphar or his wife. He realized that it was all part of God’s plan.

Finally, we were exhorted to Repent Now. When we repent, God forgives us and purifies us from our sins, and there is no longer any condemnation when we receive the Spirit of life! Even Ted Haggard, the leader of 40 million Evangelical Christians fell because of sin. We must not think of ourselves more highly than we ought but always check ourselves in humility and repent before God. We can’t stop a bird from flying over our heads but we can stop it from building a nest on our heads. We must set our boundaries and recognize our weaknesses. David repented and Saul rationalized. Peter repented, but Judas hung himself. We need to have some fear, to learn to fear God.

May God help us take these lessons to heart, to rationalize not, reject sin immediately, regret not for standing up for righteousness and repent earnestly that we may walk rightly with God.

God bless,

Jason

Jesus’ Power over Death

Jesus’ Power over Death

This Sunday, we were privileged at CDC to have our own Elder and Chairman Quah Poh Keat give us the message on “Jesus’ Power over Death”, based on the famous account of the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter from the dead.

Elder Quah summarized today’s sermon in four D’s. It all starts with the first D, a Dilemma. Jairus was the leader of a local synagogue in Capernaum. He was rich, influential and respected but he had a major dilemma – his daughter was at the point of death. In those days, the scribes and teachers of the law despised Jesus. It demanded great desperation and humility for Jairus to bow down before Jesus, the wandering teacher. Perhaps he wondered if Jesus would reject him for his peers had all rejected Jesus. However, he would take the risk of his own humiliation because he loved his daughter. Elder Quah drew a comparison here to the men of Spartacus who were willing to give their lives for their leader and the Christians arrested during Operation Lalang who were willing to be imprisoned for their faith. Dilemmas bring out the need to make a choice and it is not always easy to do the right thing.

The second D stands for Delay. Jairus waited desperately at shore for Jesus to come back. Once Jesus came and agreed to go to his daughter, the woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus and He took the time to heal her and speak with her. Jairus must have wondered if Jesus understood the severity of the situation. And then people came to tell him that his daughter had already died… Sometimes we may be drowned with anxiety because of the problems we may face. However, sometimes Delay is part of God’s plan. King Saul could not wait and lost his kingdom. Delay sometimes teaches us, preparing us for our next level of service. We need to continue trusting God’s timing is perfect. The delay was necessary for Jairus. Perhaps the miracle with the woman had actually increased his faith that all things are possible with God!

The third D stands for Death. Many times in life, dreams die. Joni Eareckson, a young talented diver became paralyzed from the neck down in a diving accident. She thought her life was over but a friend encouraged her, telling her that Jesus too could not move when He was pinned to the cross. Jesus understood her suffering. She decided to trust God and amazingly became a world renown speaker and author. In the end she even married her physical instructor. A close friend of elder Quah, Siew Hoon was a courageous mother who refused to have an abortion even though the doctors told her she would most likely lose her sight. She is always bubbly and caring, chopping vegetables and ironing clothes, sacrificial and kind even though she cannot see physically. After a major mining accident, a young clergy sought to help the poor people of a town, selling all he owned to meet their basic needs. In his poverty, he ended up walking around in torn clothes and when his superiors came to see him, they were ashamed of him, removing him from the clergy. In his sorrow, he still did what he could to help and started sketching pictures. His name is Van Gogh, and he became one of the world’s most renown artists of all time. It is always darkest before the dawn. There is always hope for tomorrow for a Christian. Elder Quah became acquainted with death personally when the first of his classmates passed away. In the end, we all have to face death, the only question is when? However, if we stay true to God, we are secure for precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints. We have great hope indeed for a bright and eternal future. Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus back to life and one day, He will also raise us to life!

Finally, the fourth D is Destiny. In the end, our deeds will follow us, and all that we did and thought and spoke will be made known. Life is only a testing ground for eternity. In closing, Elder Quah encouraged us to seriously ask ourselves “Do I invest my time for eternity? And “Do I follow the Lord wholeheartedly?”

May we prove to hold true to Jesus to the end and fulfill our destiny to be God’s children in the end.

God bless,

Jason

I am making everything new

“I am making everything new…..”

This is CDC’s theme for 2007, taken from Revelation 21:5, and it was fitting that the first message of the year was given by our own Chairman and Elder Quah Poh Keat.

Starting off, our Chairman brought our attention to the story of Naomi. Beginning life in Judah, Naomi and her family left for Moab when a severe famine hit the land. However, in the foreign land, far away from God’s people, misfortune after misfortune hit her as her husband and sons died in a short time. Bitter and lonely, she set out to return to God’s land with her daughter-in-law, Ruth, and her life begin to change dramatically for the better………. Soon, she had found her Ruth a kinsman redeemer, a rich and good man, who took care of them very well. Ruth gave birth to a son, an ancestor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Himself, and others praised Naomi, saying “Naomi has a son”, and she has a daughter worth more than seven sons! God had restored every blessing to Naomi, and provided much more for her than she could ever hope or imagine! God indeed, made everything new for Naomi again!

Today, some of us perhaps have strayed far away from the Lord because of trouble that has come upon our life, but it is not too late! As long as we have breath in our lungs, we have hope, for we have a good and compassionate God who is merciful and mighty. The Psalmist writes “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies are new every morning!” God is ready to accept us back like the loving father accepted back his prodigal son! We only need to turn and start going back to God, and His blessing and providence will come, all in His good time! He will certainly return the years that the locust have eaten!

In the course of his struggles, our Chairman found this wonderful verse:-

For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. Proverbs 5:21

We need to ask ourselves constantly in our Christian walk “What is God teaching me to do?” and “What is God’s purpose?” When we avail ourselves to God’s purpose, we will certainly be amazed at the power and meaning it will bring to our lives!

Many times he prayed “I don’t know how to work it out, God, but please work it out!” and it did work out. Indeed, with God, all things are possible.

As we kick off Year 2007, may the Lord truly make our lives new, giving us new purpose, new passion, new love and a new vision.

God bless,

Jason