30 August 2010 : Ruth 1

Due to famine, Naomi and husband away were sent
Along with their two sons, to Moab they went
Naomi's husband died and each son married a Moabite
Then her sons died; her future did not appear bright
But back home in Judah the Lord had provided food
So Naomi and daughters-in-law set out in a better mood
Naomi asked the two to go back to where their kin plowed
But they wanted to go with her, and even wept aloud
Naomi was bitter and had little hope
She wanted to go to Judah and mope
After more arguing, one of them did leave
But Ruth continued to hold onto Naomi's sleeve
Ruth was determined to stay until the end
To Naomi's needs she would tend
To Mara Naomi wanted to change her name
For her bitterness remained the same
She blamed the Lord for her afflictions
Ignoring the obvious contradictions
For they arrived as the barley harvest was beginning
If she knew the future, she would have been grinning

Naomi is like so many of us
Focused on minus, not the plus
Ruth on the other hand
Challenges she did withstand
For although Ruth was in a foreign land
With a people she did not understand
She had faith and did what was right
And didn't give up without a fight

29 August 2010 : Christian Life Assembly

We attended Christian Life Assembly today
Pastor Wayde Wilson talked about Judgment Day
It was the last in the "End Time Events" series
Based on Revelations, which generates lots of queries

Pastor said that there will be two judgments at that time
The first - the judgment seat of Christ - is a bit sublime
Believers will be judged on their works and stewardship
How they used the talents with which God did them equip
Their sins will not be taken into account
Because of what Jesus did on Calgary's mount
This will open up heaven's door
And eternal bliss for ever more

The other is the great white throne
Aka the unbelievers' judgment zone
God does not want for us to be there
But He must judge those who about Jesus do not care
Lots of opportunities he gives us
To accept grace and mercy without a fuss
In the end, every sinner will be resurrected
Including all types of people, many unexpected

Four sets of books God will in the end use
In determining how we must pay our dues
The first is the God's word, or the Book of Law
All will fail, as in Galatians 3:10 we saw
Pastor said that the law reveals our sin
While the cross removes it from within
The Book of Works is the second that He reads
About all of our good and evil deeds
There are two Books of Life Pastor said
One for the living and one for the dead
Our names can be removed in three separate ways -
Sinning, rejecting Christ, denying what a prophet portrays

There are only two types of people
And it is not based on the steeple
All of the shades of gray
Will be stripped away
Either we are righteous and pardoned
Or condemned for our hearts hardened
For to keep our name in the important book
We must publicly confess to get off the hook
Otherwise a scary future we will face
For we will not benefit from God's grace
The choice is of course ours to make
His grace is there for all to take

29 August 2010 : Romans 8:1-2

"Therefore..in view of God's mercy" says the first verse
To "offer your bodies as living sacrifices" do not be adverse
"This is your spiritual act of worship"
Into "the pattern of this world" do not slip
"Be transformed by the renewing of your mind"
Then God's will you will surely find
His will is "good, pleasing, and perfect"
On this verse we should reflect

28 August 2010 : Titus 3:1-8

"Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities"
"To be obedient" must be one of the top priorities
"To be ready to do whatever is good"
"To show true humility" we all should
"At one time we too were foolish...and enslaved"
But through God's kindness and love, we were saved
"Not because of righteous things we had done"
"But because of his mercy" that is surpassed by none
"He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal"
By pouring the Holy Spirit on us, it acts like fuel
So that we are "justified by his grace"
And "the hope of eternal life" we embrace
For "those who have trusted in God"
Doing good should not be a facade
"These things are excellent...for everyone"
And the benefits cannot be undone

26 August 2010 : James 5:7-11

"Be patient, then brothers, until the Lord's coming"
This message into our heads the Bible keeps drumming
"See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop"
"And how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains" to drop
"You too, be patient and stand firm" per verse eight
"Because the Lord's coming is near" James did state
"Don't grumble against each other"
"Or you will be judged" a bad brother
"As an example of patience in the face of suffering"
"Take the prophets who...in the name of the Lord" spoke and did sing
"We consider blessed those who have persevered"
To God they have themselves endeared
"You have heard of Job's perseverance"
Despite many a difficult circumstance
You "have seen what the Lord finally brought about"
He "is full of compassion and mercy" without a doubt

Patience and perseverance are important traits
Throughout the Bible this message does resonate
Job was a prime example of this
Even though his life was far from bliss
The prophets and disciples were persecuted
But they did not allow their message to be muted
So putting things into perspective
It is easier in this time in which we live
So I should always remember
From January through December
To be patient and to persevere
And to always keep Jesus near

25 August 2010 - 1 John 4:16-18

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us"
"God is love"; that is not to debate or discuss
"Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him"
There is therefore no good reason to feel grim
"Love is made complete...so that we will have confidence"
When the "day of judgment" does commence
"Because in this world we are like him" per verse seventeen
Even if God's loving face remains unseen
"There is no fear in love but perfect love drives out fear"
"Because fear has to do with punishment" oft severe
"The one who fears is not made perfect in love"
Because he does not have a relationship with God above

This passage takes on special meaning
And is another case of God intervening
As my concern has been tending towards fear
I should remember that God is always near
And there is nothing to fear in His presence
For His Son will always come to my defense
So I will have confidence and peace
For to Him my concerns I will release

22 August 2010 (West Shore Evangelical)

We went to West Shore Evangelical yesterday
About baptism Dr Phil Thorne had a lot to say
From Romans chapter six he did read
Baptism is something all followers need
There were stories of Peter and Paul
In Acts 2, 8, 10 others they did call
In each case, followers were baptized
For to do so, disciples were apprised
An entrance into faith baptism represents
It is a public expression of a turn of events
And an inward commitment of the union invisible
Ensuring that from Jesus, his disciples are indivisible

He then turned to verses five through eight
Being "united with Him" is a disciple's fate
For what Jesus did should have changed our lives
Our sins are forgiven until He again arrives
But baptism itself does not save anyone
It merely reminds us of what we have done
We must then go and live according to God's call
For "faith that does not proclaim is no faith at all"

Of what God will do in our lives, baptism is a picture
We read more about this is the same scripture
We must take our baptism wherever we go
And in our actions, our faith should show

By becoming a new person, our old self we should cut out
Our new self will be with Jesus, of that have no doubt
We might still feel the pull of old sinful desires
But that's when baptism should change our internal wires
For to be a true disciple of Christ, I am gleaning
Is to live out baptism's true meaning

To crucify our old desires we can choose
Doung our old habits we can refuse
For being a real Christian is more than saying a prayer
We need to practice discipline and to show care
For God's spirit is in us, per Luke 9:23
Saying "deny self and take up the cross daily"
About the battalion's baptism we then heard
Keeping their arm dry meant not all was surrendered
But Sam Houston went under fully clothed with his wallet
He dedicated his whole being to the Holy Spirit
Our entire body should in water be immersed
So our entire being is blessed not cursed
"In between" is a dangerous place to be
For we should choose to follow Jesus completely

21 August 2010 - The journey continues

This is a brief poem of thanksgiving
To our God, who brings joy to the living
To university I now bring my dear daughter
And thank God for how far He has brought her
On Thursday I prayed for a clear sign
The key number came in above the line
We had to pack and prepare in eighteen hours
And we had to dodge the massive rainshowers
At the airport family and friends sent her off
There were a few tears as well as a cough
We had a very long flight
And then drove into the night
We have a lot to take care of today and tomorrow
And move-in time will be a mixture of joy and sorrow
But I know this is the right move
And pray that she will soon find her groove
I also pray for my family in Katong Gardens
For I will miss them for days more than two tens
So to God I give all glory and praise
And know He will be with us through the days

19 August 2010 - Psalm 34:12-19

"Whoever...loves life and desires to see many good days"
"Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from" lying ways
Per verse fourteen, "turn from evil and do good"
"Seek peace and pursue it" as we all should
On the righteous is the Lord's eye
"His ears are attentive to their cry"
"The face of the Lord is against those who do evil"
"To cut off the memory of them" and their future kill
"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them"
"He delivers them from all their troubles" but does not condemn
"The Lord...saves those who are crushed in spirit"
For He answers our prayer, as He doth hear it

David wrote this whilst pretending to be insane
From Abimelech his freedom he did gain
And so this psalm encourages me
Perhaps from my troubles I will be set free?
"Perhaps" is the wrong word
As long as I trust in the Lord
Peace to me He will surely give
So that in His radiance I can live

18 August 2010 - 1 John 2:15-17

"Do not love the world or anything in the world", Paul doth state
"If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father" does not await
"For everything in the world", per verse sixteen
Such as cravings, lust, and boasting are unclean
For they "come not from the Father but from the world", Paul did say
Verse seventeen continues "the world and its desires pass away"
"But the man who does the will of God lives forever"
That would appear to be the approach most clever

This verse was mentioned in BSF last night
And although the message is clearly right
And is what Jesus, John, and Paul all say
That does not make it any easier to obey
For the world and its ways are oft so tempting for me
Even though I know God would clearly disagree
So please God help me to be focused on Your will
In that way, Your plans for me I may fulfil

17 August 2010 - Philippians 4:8-9

"Finally brothers, whatever is true"
"Whatever is noble", in what others do
"Whatever is right, whatever is pure"
"Whatever is lovely" (that's for sure)
For "if anything is excellent"
"Think about such things" verse eight went
"Whatever you have learned...from me"
Paul said "put into practice" what you see
"And the God of peace will be with you"
Providing guidance and comfort all the way through

Paul has such a way with a word
It is clear that from God he has heard
Telling me that on praiseworthy things I should focus
Instead of reacting to negatives and raising a fuss
Paul is clearly a great and godly example
His leadership and discipleship were more than ample
And a lot of motivation and strength I therefore derive
Lord, please help me do likewise until you again arrive

16 August 2010 - Psalm 86:6-13

"Hear my prayer, O Lord, listen to my cry for mercy" says verse six
"In the day of trouble I will call to you, for you will" my problems fix
"Among the gods there is none like you"
"No deeds can compare with" ones that you do
"All the nations you have made will come and worship"
"They will bring glory to your name" from each and every lip
"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth"
"Give me an undivided heart" until I am long in the tooth
"I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart"
"I will glorify your name forever", from today I will start
"For great is your love toward me", my life you doth save
"You have delivered me from the depths of the grave"

Like many psalms this one focuses on praise
We should do so on both good and bad days
But two phrases are really apt for me now
I would repeat them if the format would allow
The 'day of my trouble" from verse seven
And an "undivided heart" per verse eleven
For the former, I must pray and have faith
For the latter, I must do as it sayeth
An undivided heart focuses on God's will
In return, God's love it will fill

15 August 2010 - ENCS

"Be The Church" is the new ENCS series
That's a topic bound to generate a lot of queries
Today we heard from Pastor Joey Bonifacio
From the Philippines he brought us a 'hello'
"Purpose to Glorify God" was the title of his sermon
It was based on Ephesians 1 verses 16 to 21

He said that the church is of course not perfect
And for us, God also does not perfection expect
Our aim is to learn how to forgive
And through relationships, live
For if relationships are based on Christ
Prayer in small groups is enticed
And if in Ephesians chapter one we do search
We see that prayer is a powerful tool for the church
It is "communication with God" and a "great mystery"
But is has been "universally practiced" throughout history

The key to prayer is to get to know God better
Not to ask for things, as we would in a Santa letter
In that way, we try to grasp his vastness
And more appreciate his greatness
Remember that God communicates through different media
Be it a movie, a friend, His Word, or an encyclopedia
All too often we are too busy to hear his voice
Having a daily exchange with God should be our choice

For singularly and as a church united
Daily prayer should make us excited
We must listen to God and to be sensitive
Communicating with Him allows us to rightly live
As Christians, we should hear what others won't
And also see what other people don't
Too much time doing, we should be careful not to spend
So we can 'be holy, not do holy' from start to end

15 August 2010 - 2 Corinthians 5:16-20

"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view"
Even "though we once regarded Christ in this way" too
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation"
"The old has gone, the new is come" says the quotation
For God "reconciled us to himself through Christ"
To the "ministry of reconciliation" we should be enticed
God is no longer "counting men's sins against them"
For the "message of reconciliation" does not condemn
"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors"
So "be reconciled to God", Paul implores

Reconciliation is an important theme
One that really has no extreme
For when thinking of what God did for us
It is clear what we should discuss
No offense from others is too great
For us to love instead of to hate
The best way to show our appreciation
Is to befriend all in this nation

13 August 2010 - El Shaddai

Listening to this hymn sung by Amy Grant
Improve on the words I just can't
They were penned fifty years ago by Michael Card
He was clearly quite a bard
For God, El Shaddai is a Hebrew name
God Almighty, it means the same
The lyrics tell of a story great
The tune is also first rate

El Shaddai, El Shaddai,
El-Elyon na Adonai,
Age to age You're still the same,
By the power of the name.
El Shaddai, El Shaddai,
Erkamka na Adonai,
We will praise and lift you high,
El Shaddai

Through your love and through the ram,
You saved the son of Abraham;
Through the power of your hand,
Turned the sea into dry land.
To the outcast on her knees,
You were the God who really sees,
And by Your might,
You set Your children free.

Through the years You've made it clear,
That the time of Christ was near,
Though the people couldn't see
What Messiah ought to be.
Though Your Word contained the plan,
They just could not understand
Your most awesome work was done
Through the frailty of Your Son.

12 August 2010 - Micah 7:18-20

Verse eighteen asks "Who is a God like you"
"Who pardons sins and forgives" things that I do?
"You do not stay angry forever"
"But delight to show mercy" whenever
On us, "you will again have compassion"
That is a gift we do not have to ration
Verse nineteen says "you will tread our sins underfoot"
"Into the depths of the sea" our inequities you will put
"You will be true to Jacob and show mercy to Abraham"
"As you pledged...to our fathers", saying "I AM who I AM"

This passage is very uplifting
I can feel my mood shifting
For it reminds me that it is never too late
To commune with God, who is so great
As per the hymn, 'his love endures forever'
To ignore this would not be clever
I am grateful for His mercy and grace
Every day I long for His embrace

11 August 2010 - Micah 7:8-10

"Do not gloat over me, my enemy!"
"Though I have fallen, I will rise"; you will see
"Though I sit in darkness", I have no fright
For I know that "the Lord will be my light"
Because I have taken a sinful path
"I will bear the Lord's wrath"
"Until he pleads my case and establishes my right"
Only then will "He bring me out into the light"
Then my enemy will see it and be covered in shame
For "where is the Lord your God" she did exclaim
"My eyes will see her downfall" continues verse ten
For "she will be trampled underfoot" yet again

Micah is a book not often read
But he was a prophet who saw what lay ahead
On Israel's downfall and subsequent ascension
It is well worth focusing my attention
For my life can be a parallel
With God's love saving me from hell
And since He is with me, nothing can be against me
So I can have a bright future, I must agree

10 August 2010 - Romans 12:17-21

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil"
"Be careful to do what is right" and civil
"If it is possible...live at peace with everyone"
"Do not take revenge" for what others have done
"But leave room for God's wrath, for it is written"
"It is mine to avenge; I will repay" for the smitten
Instead, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him" without a stink
And "if he is thirsty, give him something to drink"
"In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head"
In this way, "overcome evil with good" instead

This passage takes things one step more
Than just praying for enemies as before
Now we are to help them - with a smile
As if we have been best friends all the while
I have had big problems with this
Preferring to stew in a silent bliss
So please Jesus help me to "overcome evil with good"
And live my life like I really should

9 August 2010 - Romans 12:14-16

"Bless those who persecute you"
"Do not curse" them even if you want to
"Rejoice with those who rejoice"
"Mourn with those" of sad voice
"Live in harmony with one another"
"Do not be proud" in dealing with each other
"Be willing to associate with people of low position"
"Do not be conceited"; instead, show submission

This passage says that to be a good Christian brother
It is important to empathise with each other
This leads into having a humble attitude
And then showing heartfelt gratitude
But the toughest instruction, at least for me
Is to love and pray for those with whom I disagree
I try to remember that these are not just Paul's words
For Jesus said "love our enemies" if we want eternal rewards

8 August 2010 - ENCS

After worship we gave God a standing ovation
Then Pastor Kenneth spoke on "Praying for our nation"
From 2 Chronicles 7:14 and 1 Timothy 2:1-4
God wants us to pray for our leaders even more
So as Singapore celebrates forty five years
The congregation (some in red and white) were all ears

Pastor first asked 'why should we pray for our nations?'
He referred to three separate situations
First, comparing Sierra Leone to Singapore
With similar backgrounds, why is one so poor?
Sierra Leone has corruption and strife
While in Singapore we lead a good life
Leadership makes a very big difference
We should be thankful and pray in this instance
Second, he mentioned the USSR
Which was communism's biggest star
Gorbachev brought perestroika and glasnost
And soon the Iron Curtain itself was toast
But helping behind the scene
Was lots of prayer unseen
For one person's prayer can be heard
Per Kings, like Elijah's word
Third, he talked of Cali, home of the Columbian drug cartel
Every day to murder, many people fell
Then 25,000 people prayed in May 1995
Forty eight hours later, everyone stayed alive
Prayer rallies continued and churches grew
The cartel weakened and corruption declined too
So prayer can change a nation
Even if doesn't receive commendation
And since the destiny of a nation has a direct impact
On the destiny of its people (that's a fact)
We should all pray for Singapore
Or all of us the enemy will devour

Pastor then asked 'how should we pray for our nation?"
Even if this is only an interim destination
We must pray with passion and perseverance
For daily prayer can indeed make a difference
We must pray with the right posture
With humility and repentance that's for sure
If we acknowledge the sins of the country
God's forgiveness and healing we will see
And we must pray in His presence
To hear His voice there must be silence
For it is not true that God rarely doth speak
But we rarely listen even when Him we seek

In terms of 'what do we pray for our nation?'
Pastor gave a long list to the congregation
He also referred to Jeremiah 29:11
'Hope and a prosperous future' from God in heaven
Remember that the enemy is trying to lower our standard
We must live right for God, even if it is hard

So as Pastor finished with a prayer
It was clear that for the nation we should care
But the points also apply, it seems to me
To praying for ourselves and our family
The series 'Praying Effectively" ended with this sermon
But our prayer lives should never be done

8 August 2010 - Romans 12:9-13

Verse nine says that "love must be sincere"
"Hate what is evil; to what is good" adhere
From verse ten, "be devoted to one another in brotherly love"
"Honor one another above yourselves", Paul writes of
Verse eleven tells us to "never be lacking in zeal"
But our spiritual fervor we should reveal
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction"
"Faithful in prayer" and strong in conviction
"Share with God's people who are in need"
"Practice hospitality" should be our creed

Paul is one whom I greatly respect
He proved that sinful ways we can reject
For God has plans for us all
Whether we are short or tall
Paul's words are so instructive
Our lives can be more productive
Love, humility, and zeal
Patience and prayerful are ideal
And share our blessings with others
Especially those who are Christian brothers

6 August 2010 - 1 Peter 1:13-16

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled"
"Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus" you behold
"As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had"
For "when you lived in ignorance" some of your actions were bad
"But just as he who called you is holy"
"So be holy in all that you do", however slowly
"For it is written" continues verse sixteen
To "be holy, because I am holy" says God unseen

These four short verses pack quite a punch
I will be revisiting them, I have a hunch
It is often a challenge to be self-controlled
To reject temptation before it takes hold
But to be holy is that much tougher to do
As it means applying all that I learn sitting in a pew
I cannot pick and choose
And act according to my own views
It is our calling that with God we should walk
That focus must be evident in all I think, do, and talk

5 August 2010 - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

From 2 Corinthians 4, the last part
"Therefore we do not lose heart"
"Though outwardly we are wasting away"
"Inwardly we are renewed day by day"
"For our light and momentary troubles"
"Achieve for us an eternal glory" that more than doubles
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen"
"But on what is unseen"
"For what is seen" will disappear
"But what is unseen" will always be here

Last night I went to hear a Ugandan childrens' choir
Due to AIDS, the outlook for that country appears dire
But as this verse does say
These orphans have a different way
They rejoice in God and sing
And are therefore to us a blessing
From these children, pastor did say
May come new leaders for a new day
And for those of us whose lives are more blessed
Remember that each day can be considered a test
We are given lots of opportunities
With joyful hearts, these we must seize

4 August 2010 - Proverbs 1:20-33

"Wisdom calls aloud in the street"
"She raises her voice" where people meet
"She cries out in the city's gateways:"
"How long will you...love your simple ways?"
"How long will...knowledge" be hated by a fool?
"I would have poured out my heart to you"
"And made my thoughts known" too
"But since you rejected me when I called"
"No one gave heed"; I was appalled
Verse 25 says "since you ignored all my advice"
"And would not accept my rebuke" even once or twice
"I in turn will laugh at your disaster"
"Then they will call to me but I will not answer"
"Since they hated knowledge and did not...fear the Lord"
"Since they would not accept my advice" or my written word
"They will eat the fruit of their ways"
And suffer the rest of their days
"But whoever listens to me will live in safety"
"And be at ease, without fear of harm" says verse 33

The topic today is a 'warning against rejecting wisdom"
For being deaf to sage advice is really dumb
This starts with the word of the Lord our God
But also refers to what we learn around the school quad
Remember that we can learn from anyone
For our education is never really done
This is most true about knowing God's will
Without which our lives' purposes we cannot fulfil

PS. I noticed that yesterday was blog number one hundred
I am thankful for all the kind things that you readers have said

3 August 2010 - Psalm 113

"Let the name of the Lord be praised"
About his deeds we should be amazed
"From the rising of the sun to the place where it doth set"
"The name of the Lord is to be praised"; we should never forget
Verse four says "the Lord is exalted over all the nations"
"His glory above the heavens" and all denominations
"Who is like...our God...who sits enthroned on high"
"Who stoops down to look on...the earth" without a sigh?
"He raises the poor from the dust"
"And lifts the needy" who in Him trust

To yesterday's psalm this is quite a contrast
Beyond today's troubles the author looks past
Our Lord does not slumber let alone sleep
So a watchful eye on us he does keep
And even if don't always yelp
He is there to help
This gives me comfort great
Knowing that He controls my fate

2 August 2010 - Psalm 88

"O Lord, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out", can't you see?
"May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry" says verse two
"For my soul is full of trouble"
"And my life draws near the grave's" rubble
"I am like a man without strength" says verse four
"I am set apart with the dead...whom you remember no more"
"My eyes are dim with grief"
"I call to you...every day" for relief
"But I cry to you for help", that's what I do
"In the morning my prayer comes before you"

Although this psalm is full of despair
The author knows that God does care
We don't know why we suffer
Perhaps it is to make us tougher
But we do know one thing
God's praises we should sing
In good times and in bad
There are always reasons to be glad
To repeat what I said other times
In various poems and rhymes
I must remember to praise God and pray
Every morning and every day

1 August 2010 - ENCS

We heard a special sermon at ENCS today
From Guam the pastor was Mark Benavente
He started by referring to the movie "Inception"
And led us to the performance orientation
The need to be loved and the fear of rejection
Often result from a childhood predeliction
The focus on performance is driven by a false motive
That is not how God wants us to live
For to depression this cycle usually leads
As we can never meet all of other people's needs
By doing more and more, to the point of too much
A "new normal" is created that is out of touch
There is nothing we can do that can impress God
Remember that in his image we were put in our bod
Being a child of God is what He did presage
Jesus came to restore us to that image
From Proverbs, "as we think within ourselves, we are"
Many times, from good we think we are far
But 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says God will sanctify us
Our "whole spirit, soul, and body" without a fuss
Our body is what we are used to seeing
Ephesians 3:16 says our spirit is our inner being
And from 2 Corinthians 1 verse 22
God put his spirit in our hearts, that's true
Which is why Proverbs 4:23 (the first part)
Says that "above all else, guard your heart"

Satan has tried to destroy us over the years
Attacking our hearts with lies and fears
Making us believe that our hearts our bad
But reading Colossians 2:11 should make us glad
Romans 7:23 leads to Romans 8:10
Talking of the Holy Spirit living in us once again
This way we can avoid being like a Christmas tree
Only appearing to be alive, when death is clear to see
Sin dwells in our body but die it should
For God gave us a new heart which is good
Our heart and mind don't always work together
But God wants them to be attached with a tether

We must recognise sin, confess, and repent
Replace our old ways with new ones is what Pastor meant
And don't forget Titus 3 verse 5
Through God's righteousness, we are alive
God has changed our inner essence
He loves us completely, without any pretense

1 August 2010 - Psalm 100

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth”
“Worship the Lord with gladness” that comes forth
“Come before him with joyful song”
“Know that the Lord is God” all the day long
“It is he who made us, and we are his” for sure
“We are his people, the sheep of his pasture”
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise”
“Give thanks to him and praise his name” with voices raised
“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever”
His faithfulness will abandon us never

This psalm comes right to the point
To praise God, who will never disappoint
For He is our one creator
The one who loves us more and more
We should give thanks for so many things
Which is why every Sunday the congregation sings
But our praises should not be restricted to Sunday
They should be constant, as this psalm doth say

I went to Festival of Praise last night
The indoor stadium was full, according to my sight
Planetshakers and Don Moen led the worship
Pastor Che Ahn also mode a very long trip
This year’s theme was “a new day, a new season’
Hope – which comes from Christ- is the reason
The definition of hope includes anticipation
We also said a prayer for the nation
From 1 Corinthians 13, pastor did sayeth
That hope is even greater than faith
The singers and pastor were clearly gifted
After three hours my spirit was really uplifted