12 August 2012 - ENCS

The "Champions" series was continued by Pastor Neli
In Joshua 1:2 about treading five points we did see
But first Pastor read about Joshua in verses one to eleven
"Be strong and courageous" came the voice from heaven

Pastor started by referring to "Moses my servant is dead"
With previous generations in mind is how we must tread
For although God uses revelations and with relation
(Testimonies are powerful; we should not act in isolation)
He also tends to build generation upon generation
As with Singapore our forty seven year old nation

The next word mentioned was "arise" from verse two
To tread, sitting down is something we cannot do
In what we believe, we must take a stand
Even if it contradicts all others in the land

"Go over" was the next phrase mentioned by Pastor
Without small steps, walking we cannot master
We should keep stepping out in faith in the same way
We will then gain more confidence every single day

About "you and all the people" Pastor did then talk
With other people is the best way to tread or walk
To walk with us, God often sends others
Young and old, sisters and brothers

The last was "into the land I am about to give them"
Where God places us we should not condemn
For wherever he leads, we should tread
And in that way, His Word we can spread

In conclusion, we must all learn to tread
The alternative is really something to dread

5 August 2012 - ENCS

About Second Chronicles 7:14 Pastor Larry did speak
He also referred to Singapore 47th birthday this week
The island nation and its people are so obviously blessed
But it faces economic and moral challenges like all the rest
This was a lead-in for Pastor and a series new
Talking about "Champions" and what they do
Pastor said that victors is what God wants us to be
But not by the cheating ways that we often see
For per 2 Corinthians ten verses three to five
Paul says that although others may connive
We are to "wage war" in a different way
By being obedient to God every day

The title was "Champions Confront Life's Strongholds"
Remember it is through challenges that God molds
Pastor based his sermon on 1 Kings chapter eighteen
About Elijah, one of the greatest prophets ever seen
Any revival requires a remnant to in faith step out
Per verse 21, about God's power Elijah had no doubt

To "recognise a stronghold" is step number one
In Elijah's day, there seemed to be followers none
A stronghold means saying "I will never change"
But we know this is something God can arrange
Strongholds lead to doubt and double mindedness
Plus of course negative feelings and lots of stress
If from James one verse eight we do read
Stability is what double minded people need
But through trials we can develop maturity
If we rely on the Lord as our real security
Strongholds come from sin, culture, and pride
And mean that to God's word we do not abide

Next we should "confront strongholds with action faith"
Look at 1 Kings 18:24 to see what Elijah did saith
And in the same way that the fire God did arrange
From impossible to possible, God can effect change
Pastor talked of family and nation breaking down
We then heard a testimony from a visitor in town
He said that if his dire situation could be reversed
There is no reason that our lives should be cursed

Lastly, we should "confront strongholds with prayer"
Per verses 37-39, the Lord will show that he does care
He will give us what we solely and jointly need
But He is waiting for us to pray and intercede
His fire is to fill us up, not to destroy others
He wants us to enlist more Christian brothers

In summary, Pastor said that we need to be on fire
If we are to take ourselves - and our nation - higher

29 July 2012 - PLMC

Today Pastor Reuben finished five years at PLMC
Into Luke chapter ten verses 38-42 we did see
The sermon was titled "One Thing Needful"
Pastor gave us several things over which to mull
As Jesus entered Bethany, Martha invited him in
She loved the Lord, that is obviously no sin
But sister Mary listened, sitting at Jesus' feet
Her focus on Him was utterly complete
Martha's preparatory tasks did her distract
Her complaint to Jesus was valid, that's a fact
"Martha, Martha" in response Jesus did say
This highlighted His very compassionate way
Only two other times did Jesus repeat names in the Bible
To Jerusalem and also to Simon Peter the disciple
Mary chose the good part, which will not be taken away
Communing with Jesus should be a priority every day
For this is time that cannot be replaced or bettered
True fellowship with Jesus is best if it is unfettered

With herself, Martha was seemingly preoccupied
Whilst Mary focused on Jesus who she sat beside
For Jesus, Martha was trying to do something
But Mary focused on the words of Jesus the king
To please Jesus, Martha tried and tried
Mary listened to Jesus could be her guide
For "the good part" is the living word from Him
Allowing the worldly lights to go strangely dim

Was Mary heavenly minded but not earthly good
In reply, read John 12:1-2 Pastor said we should
For washing Jesus' feet with oil and her hair
Was a prophetic act, Jesus did later declare
For when on Jesus our thoughts do fixate
Our earthly deeds will follow and be great
The more time with Jesus that we do spend
The more we love Him and comprehend

Looking at Hebrews 12:1-2, Pastor then did sayeth
We should fix our eyes on the perfector of our faith
Turning to Revelation twenty two verse thirteen
Jesus is the beginning and the end, it is seen
And if John chapter fourteen verse six we do read
He is also the way, the truth, and the life we need
"Christ is all" says Colossians three verse eleven
The truth that will set us free comes from heaven

Pastor said to have this focus, there are things to do
One key is sitting for more than just a minute or two
For sitting is really a picture of rest
That is when our focus can be best
It is never our strength, smarts, or saintliness
Without Jesus, we would achieve far less
Pastor referred to Colossians 2 verses nine and ten
In Jesus we are made complete, it says again
Interestingly, the root word for shalom is wholeness
Implying we want peace from Jesus, nothing less

Be seated and focused on Jesus, Pastor did tell
This was the key message in his sermon farewell

8 July 2012 - PLMC

Today as Paya Lebar Methodist Church turned eighty
Pastor Wee Boon Hup's sermon was simply titled "See"
The passage that was first flashed upon the screen
Was First Corinthians chapter two verses six to sixteen
It talked about imparting wisdom that is real
Through the Spirit, the truth God does reveal
Pastor spoke about three types of sight
On the third he shed much more light

The first is with our naked eyes, which can mislead
Therefore sometimes our eyesight we should not heed
The second is what we see with our mind and heart
Put another way, this is called insight on our part
This goes beyond the physical and leads to understanding
This is a good thing, but often far from outstanding

For the third type of sight, Pastor invented a new word
About "pneu-sight" several perspectives we then heard
"Pneu" is Hebrew for wind, air, spirit, breath, or revelation
Which means that seeing by God-given insight is no aberration
This discernment is ready for us to receive
For it is available to all who in God believe

To understand what God is doing requires special insight
On a variety of topics, our God can shed much light
Whether it be medical, economic, social, or political
Getting answers and guidance from God is critical

We should understand what God has to us freely given
This is God's grace, for it means our sins are forgiven
Note that this is written in the past tense
We don't have to wait for God to dispense
To us, there are many things God wants to reveal
His grace is waiting for us to receive and to feel

Receiving His grace calls for a response and action
We must accept this for it to have any traction
From Ephesians 2 verse 8 Pastor then read
We have been saved by faith, the passage said
And as 2 Corinthians 8 verses 6 and 7 do tell
We should excel in the grace of giving as well

We tend to focus on the best, ignoring all the facts
But we need the full picture so we can do good acts
So along with prosperity, healing, and good health
We should see failure, sickness, and lack of wealth
In this way, as seen in Matthew nine verses 35-38
Having compassion for others is a Jesus-like trait

Pastor said that it is not natural to have pneu-sight
We need the Holy Spirit to provide that special light
When looking at crowds, he asked what do we see
Can we identify an individual who needs to be set free?
Are we able to help struggling and insecure people?
Or do we just focus on those already under the steeple?

To see what God wants, pneu-sight is what we need
Then both power and love are required to succeed
Social services imply compassion with love
Miracles however rely on power from above
Pastor implored us to go and a difference make
We should do that for our Lord Jesus' sake

1 July 2012 - ENCS

Today the "Encounter" series did at ENCS start
Talking about prayer, Pastor Larry did his part
With God, routine is never the way
He performs miracles every single day
Encountering God should make us transformed
Look to Elijah and Moses, we can be reformed
The text today was taken from Exodus 3:1-4
Moses and the burning bush are the story's core
Moses saw the flames and then from God heard
Pastor Larry shared three insights about the Word

First is that God reveals himself in a supernatural way
This often occurs when we stop and earnestly pray
Pastor referred to Acts two verses three and four
The Holy Spirit filled all those who walked in the door
For they had prayed from deep in their lungs
So the Spirit came to them in fiery tongues
Similarly, we should let the Spirit in us burn
For we should never away from God turn
Within us, God and the Spirit always dwell
That is why at all times we know "all is well"
Often we don't listen when God does speak
But we really need to if His path we do seek
Pastor mentioned Moses, Elijah, and Paul
Humans like us, they prayed through it all

Second is that God wants for us to look
That is what Moses did in the Exodus book
To the burning bush, he went over to see
That was much better than turning to flee
From seeking God, nothing should us distract
Distractions are from the enemy, that's a fact
Being too busy is often used as a reason
But putting it mildly, that is akin to treason
He wants for us to look to Him in prayer
He will then respond, do not despair
After Moses went to the bush, God did speak
With God's strength, Moses became unique
To the Lord, the people Moses did draw
Focusing on himself would have been a flaw
Pastor also referred to Daniel nine verse three
Daniel fasted and prayed to God, we did see
In chapter ten, to Daniel an angel did appear
Saying that all of Daniel's words God did hear
We don't have all the answers but should not grieve
For God tells us to pray to Him and in Him believe

Third is that God sees and speaks when we pray
God knows our names and destinies, Pastor did say
And for every child, woman, and man
God has in mind a very specific plan
From verse nine of 2 Chronicles chapter sixteen
God looks for "fully committed hearts", it is seen
Good things will happen when we fervently pray
"Pray incessantly", 1 Thessalonians 5:17 does say
For God will hear us and so often astound
He is able to turn lives and nations around

In summary, Pastor referred to Acts 4 verse 31
The place was shaken after the praying was done
In the same way, he wants our lives to be shaken
When we allow the Spirit within us to awaken

24 June 2012 - ENCS

Pastor Kenneth talked about "The Power of Unity"
He based his talk on Psalm 133 verses one to three
Unity is the state of being one
If Christians unite, the devil is done
For the devil always tries to break us apart
Unity allows God's blessings for us to start

"Why Unity?" was the first question Pastor did ask
Making "all believers as one" is no simple task
He referred to John 17 verses 20 through 22
"So the world will believe" we did thus see
But if the unity is not for God's good, it is hollow
Then, as Babel saw, disaster will surely follow

About the "Benefits of Unity" Pastor talked some more
He went into some detail on benefits numbering four
The first is the "good and pleasant fragrance" of God
To Second Corinthians 2:14-15 he did give a nod
The second is that "unity leads to fruitfulness"
For united people are more productive, not less
Pastor referred to Old Testament passages two
From Genesis and Isaiah, mentions of heaven's dew
The "power of agreement" was point number three
From Matthew 18 verse 19, this is plain to see
If two agree and ask, it will somehow get done
The power of unity can be overcome by none
The sound of unity, known as "sumphones" in Greek
Helps others, especially those who a Godly path seek
The "strength of unity" was Pastor's point number four
If we step forth, we will be joined by more and more

"Achieving Unity" was the third topic of the day
Three simple instructions Pastor did then say
First, to be of one spirit and accept one another
No matter our background, treat all like a brother
He referred to the one hundred twenty disciples at Pentecost
Their diverse unity led to thousands of souls saved, not lost
Second, we must ask for forgiveness and must also forgive
Ignoring offenses, like water off a duck, is the best way to live
Third, we must commit and take ownership
If we own something, our efforts will not slip

In conclusion, Pastor said that we should all know
That it is of course easier to hold on than to let go
But we must let go of the old to get the new
And we don't have forever to decide what to do
God knows where He wants us, Pastor did say
But first we must learn to trust and obey

10 June 2012 - ENCS

This morning Nancy Webb came from Hawaii to speak
"3 Keys to Victorious Living" was the sermon this week
"When the going gets tough", Nancy did loudly say
"Then the tough get praising, each and every day"
John 16:33 says that "in this world you will have trouble"
But Jesus has "overcome this world" and its awful rubble
So in Jesus, we can have peace
Even if our problems do not cease
Then, reading from 1 Thessalonians 5 :16-18
The three biblical keys to victory are clearly seen

The first key is to "always rejoice"
A sacrifice of joy should be our choice
Psalm 27:6 as well as Nehemiah 8:10
Mention the same theme once again
The joy of the Lord should be our strength
The enemy targets that joy at great length
A warning comes from Deuteronomy 28:47
We must remember to serve God in heaven
Or else we will serve the enemy sent
Leading to anger and discouragement
If joy is inside of us, then without question
It can overcome all, including depression

The second key is to praise and pray
A sacrifice of praise is more than okay
Hebrews 13:15 as well as Psalm 34:1-4
Talk about the "fruit of our lips" and more
Remember that God is always there
Praise Him for His constant care
Praise Him even when times are tough
For He will grant us safety enough
The enemy or God, we must obey one
If the former, our lives will be done
Keep our tongues from evil disbelief
That way, we can avoid serious grief
In heaven, there are never any complaints
Only positives come from mouths of saints
We should be a positive testimony at all times
Whether working, talking, or writing rhymes

The third key is a key to blessed living
It is to present a sacrifice of thanksgiving
We see this in Psalm 107:22 and Psalm 100:4
Psalm 50: 14 and 23 repeat it some more
A thankful heart keeps things in perspective
Omitting the complaints is the way to live
A positive spirit also comes from a thankful heart
With the love of God is how we should start
For we should give thanks like Silas and Paul
Thanking God for the good, the bad, the all
Persevere with praise says Hebrews 10:36
A harvest can be reaped, Galatians 6:9 predicts

In summary, remember that God's promises are true
Much bigger than any circumstances that may accrue
The three biblical keys to victory, Nancy did reiterate
Joy, praise, and thanksgiving will keep us straight