Sunday, December 28, 2014

28 December 2014 - ENCS

At ENCS on this last Sunday of the 2014 year
A double message from pastors we did hear
First from Pastor Larry, who the year did recap
Focusing on positives allowing energy to tap
We cannot put God in a box, Pastor did then say
When we come together, nothing can get in our way
He implored us to 'dream together' for Singapore's jubilee
Believe, intercede, and grow BIG, so success we will see
 
Then Pastor Arnie spoke on Philippians chapter three
In verse fourteen, the words goal and prize we do see
He said our goal for the year comes from verse eight
To draw near and know God, the reward is so great
He referred to Psalm 145:18 and John four twenty four
Of course the Bible is full of similar passages many more
God's Positioning System directs our life's path
Ensuring we get His blessing instead of His wrath
If we try to know, gain, be in, and be like Christ
At the end of life, it will have more than sufficed
 
Arnie then spoke about winning the prize
A life fully committed to God never dies
It is about disciple-making discipleship
To commit and submit helps us to equip
Jesus is our Savior and Lord so we will never lack
But as disciples, we must move forward not back
As Henrichsen said, "destroy avenues of retreat"
For then we can ensure that the enemy we defeat
In conclusion, we can press on and win the prize
For Jesus paid the price and from death did arise

Friday, December 26, 2014

25 December 2014 - KKMC

At a very full Kampung Kapor Methodist Church on Christmas Day
On Luke 2 verses 15-20, Pastor Kenneth Huang had much to say
His sermon was aptly titled "Christmas, Jesus, Me, and You"
The word "reason" in "the reason for the season" he did undo
Breaking it down into "re" "a" "son" makes it extremely clear
Why the shepherds visited Jesus after the angels did appear
 
In the same way, Pastor said we should want to see Jesus too
As what John three sixteen says about God's plan is so true
God so loved the world, which He created in His own likeness
He gave His only son Jesus to pull out us of our sinful mess
And for those who believe in Him, going in the right direction
Eternal life is a certainty, not just an assumption or projection
A short summary of this key verse Max Lucado did give
We repeated, "God loved, God gave, we believe, we live"
 
Several other "REs" with us Pastor Kenneth did then share
RE-align life's priorities, RE-shape life's values he did declare
RE-direct life's goals, RE-deem from our sin were the next two
And finally RE-lease us to live as our Lord God wants us to do
We don't need to prove our worth in front of God even if we could
For none of us is righteous enough, that should be understood
 
We should follow the shepherd's example and accept the good news
Sharing this with others is what Pastor said that we should choose
In doing so, however, to God's script we must always stick
Even - or especially - in the face of challenges thin and thick
According to God's ways and plans, we should never stop living
Because unique plans for each of us God will never stop giving
 
When we do the good that we can, per verses nineteen and twenty
Like Mary and the shepherds, we will end up being blessed a-plenty
We must know Christ and Christmas to respond to the world of today
For whatever we face, peace and favor from God will come our way
God wants each of us to seek Him all the time, in whatever we do
And to praise Him and share the good news with more than a few

Thursday, December 25, 2014

25 December 2014 - A Christmas Poem

People often say that Jesus is the reason
For this festive and meaningful season
Of course that is true but perhaps there is more
About three types of gifts I will briefly explore
 
The first gift is covered in John three verse sixteen
God gave us His Son, the greatest gift ever seen
He did that because He loves us so much
And each of our lives Jesus did then touch
Jesus showed us how to live and conquered death
We should give thanks for this with every single breath
 
The second gift is what God has given each person
He gave us a unique set of talents, not just for fun
Each person on earth God does love for He did create
We each have a mission that we should not leave to fate
Because of our unique talents we each have a unique role
To utilize them for God's glory should be our ultimate goal
 
The third gift results directly from the stanzas above
It happens when we use our gifts to share God's love
By sharing God's love, we can be a gift to others
Whether old or young, rich or poor, sisters of brothers
Gifts of love are shared in many a different way
What we do, what we show, and what we say
 
In conclusion, I guess what I am trying to convey
Is that God's gifts to us are visible every day
Our way of showing thanks should therefore be
Showing His gifts and His love for the world to see