31 December 2010 - Mark 7:18-23

Jesus asked his disciples if they were dense
But none of them took any offense
For He was explaining what he said to the crowd
About what types of food the Lord allowed
"Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person"
"From the outside can defile them" or worsen?
"For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach"
"And then out of the body”, never to come back
"In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean"
But it was not just about food that he did mean
For "what comes out of a person is what defiles them"
It is from a person's heart that evil thoughts do stem
Greed, malice, envy, arrogance, and other thoughts vile
"All these evils come from inside and...a person" defile

Jesus' message implores us to once again start
For defilement comes from an impure heart
So dear God as we approach a new year
Please help me your words to clearly hear
And as we enter into two thousand eleven
Please help my eyes to remain on heaven
For I know that I cannot do this alone
As such, I bow before your throne

30 December 2010 - 1 Corinthians 12:27-31

"Now you are the body of Christ"
Into which all have been spliced
Per verse 28, "and God has placed in the church"
Apostles, prophets, and teachers who do research
Paul says that others do miracles or have the gift of healing
Helping, guiding, speaking in tongues are also appealing
Not all can be apostles or prophets, Paul makes clear
Similarly for the other gifts that seem so dear
"Now eagerly desire the greater gifts" Paul did say
"And now I will show you the most excellent way"
This leads into 1 Corinthians chapter thirteen
Where Paul's view on love is clearly seen

Following on from yesterday's poem on gifts
Paul now shares how each one uplifts
The core message is still the same
We are given different gifts, per God's aim
Nobody has them all, that's for sure
But to think we have none is immature
The key is how we use our unique talents
Both proactively and when reacting to events
So dear God, help me be more aware
Of the gifts that you want me to share

29 December 2010 - 1 Corinthians 12:4-14 (The Message)

"God's various gifts are handed out everywhere"
"But they all originate in God's Spirit" Paul did declare
"God's various ministries are carried out everywhere"
"But they all originate in God's Spirit" we should be aware
"God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere"
"But God himself is behind it all" for He helps us prepare
"Each person is given something to do"
"That shows who God is", that is true
"Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits"
The Spirit hands out gifts as to each one befits
"The variety is wonderful - wise counsel, clear understanding"
"Simple trust, healing the sick, miraculous acts" are outstanding
But also "proclamation and distinguishing between spirits"
Last but not least are tongues (and any interpretation that fits)
"All these gifts have a common origin"
They are handed out by the one without sin
"He decides who gets what, and when"
With that, we should all say amen

I like reading this passage from time to time
Even if it a bit difficult to make it rhyme
For it reminds me that we are given at least one gift
That we should all be using to uplift
And whether the gift seems big or small
Or whether others can see it at all
Our talents and gifts come from God above
So I know that they are given with love
So thank you God for what you have given me
Let me use them wisely to glorify thee

28 December 2010 - Psalm 2

"Why do the nations conspire and the people plot in vain?"
Earthly kings and rulers treat God with disdain
But "the one enthroned in heaven laughs"
"The Lord scoffs at them" and their gaffes
Verse five says "He rebukes them in his anger"
"And terrifies them in his wrath" even further
"I will proclaim the Lord's decree"
"You are my son", he said to me
"Ask and I will make the nations your inheritance"
"You will break" the rulers without a second glance
"Therefore, you kings, be wise"
This warning do not despise
Per verse eleven, "serve the Lord with fear"
"And celebrate his rule" far and near

This is a reminder that God is in control
As such, doing His will must be my goal
So dear God, please help me to see
Everything you want me to be

26 December 2010 - ENCS

On 2010's last Sunday, we heard testimonies four
Although I am sure there could have been lots more
Pastor Larry talked about how ENCS did grow
By almost 50% thus year, if you must know
Then Jane spoke about reading John 11:4
Believing that her illness would be no more
For as God healed the water in 2 Kings 2:21-22
When she saw the doctor again, 'benign' she already knew
Fred referred to Genesis 18 verse 9 and 10
His wife heard 2 Kings 4:15 again and again
So when she finally got pregnant, it was not a surprise
For God's promises can often be quite precise
Last up was relative newcomer Mark
He attended a service, in part on a lark
From the worship team, he has been richly blessed
And the spiritual family at ENCS he says is the best
In summary, Pastor reminded us of one thing
That we oft forget God gives us everything

After the testimonies were done
He went on with a short sermon
In ten short minutes, he shared a few words
About Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds
Using passages on the screen we did see
We heard about key messages three
"In times of uncertainty, trust" was first
God is in control and his love is dispersed
Per Matthew 1:20, Joseph did trust and obey
Which is what Proverbs 3:5-6 did say
"In times of impossibility, have faith" was next
From Luke chapter one, we saw in the text
Mary's cousin Elizabeth had been childless
But with a famous son, God did her bless
"In times of mediocrity, share" was last
The shepherds in Luke 2 were not outcast
To a routine life, they made a change
That is what the angel of the Lord did arrange

Pastor then said "Do not fear, Jesus is here"
These words are important for the new year

25 December 2010 - PLMC

Pastor Reuben spoke on this Christmas Day
About a gift God is giving away
And then he went on, with verses, to tell
About the real meaning of Emmanuel
"God with us" is what it doth mean
In Isaiah 7:14 the word was first seen
Christ's birth fulfilled this prophecy
For Mary was in the Lord's favour, don't you see
God's favour is given, not something we earn
If to Him, our faces will turn
Per Luke 4:19, God's favours will abound
For salvation is offered to all who are around
None of us can live up to God's standards
But His grace transcends our actions and words
Per Romans 8:32, God gave us His son
So He will give all things for the price of none
All that we need to do is to believe
If we don't do that, God will grieve
If God is with us, He will give His best
For all of those who are in His nest
And per Acts 3, God wants us all to be healed
If we pray and ask, our relationship will be sealed
The bottom line can really uplift
Just reach out and take God's gift

25 December 2010 - Matthew 1:18-2:23

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about
Mary and Joseph were to marry without a doubt
Through the Holy Spirit, Mary became pregnant
Joseph was righteous but not indignant
An angle appeared to him and told him the story
Which the prophets foretold, without any allegory
So Joseph took Mary to be his wife
The boy was called Jesus his entire life
Magi bearing gifts came from afar
From the east, they followed a star
King Herod was very disturbed and full of fear
When he heard that the King of the Jews was near
Through a dream, the Magi saw through his ruse
They took another route home with no excuse
Then an angle appeared to Joseph in a dream
Warning that it was not as safe as it might seem
So to Egypt, Joseph took Mary and child
Until Herod's death certificate was duly filed
And then a third dream Joseph did see
Telling to return to Nazareth in Galilee
All of this happened according to the prophets' words
Because Jesus is the king of kings and the lord of lords

A blessed Christmas to all from the unknown poet
Given our distance, I don't know how else to show it
May your holiday season be filled with good cheer
And let everyone remember why Jesus came here

23 December 2010 - Twas the night

To an old poem, Sister St Thomas added more than one word
The result is more in line with the birthday of our Lord
I am sure that I could do no better
Even down to a single letter
So although this is early by a day or two
I wanted it to share it with all of you
------------------------------------------------
Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the town,
St. Joseph was searching, walking up roads and down;
Our Lady was waiting, so meek and so mild,
While Joseph was seeking a place for the Child.

The children were nestled, each snug in their beds,
The grown-ups wouldn't bother, there's no room they said;
When even the innkeeper sent them away,
Joseph was wondering, where they would stay.

He thought of the caves in the side of the hills,
Lets go there said Mary, it's silent and still;
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Made pathways of light for their tired feet to go.

And there in a cave, in a cradle of hay,
Our Savior was born on that first Christmas Day!
The Father was watching in heaven above,
He sent for His angels, His couriers of love.

More rapid than eagles God's bright angels came;
Rejoicing and eager as each heard his name;
Come Power, Come Cherubs, Come Virtues, Come Raphael,
Come Thrones and Dominions, come Michael and Gabriel.

Now fly to the Earth, where My poor people live,
Announce the glad tiding My Son comes to give;
The Shepherds were watching their flocks on this night,
And saw in the heavens and unearthly light.

The Angels assured them, they'd nothing to fear,
It's Christmas they said, the Savior is here!
They hastened to find Him, and stood at the door,
Till Mary invited them in to adore.

He was swaddled in bands from His head to His feet,
Never did the Shepherds see a baby so sweet!
He spoke not a word, but the shepherds all knew,
He was telling them secrets and blessing them too.

Then softly they left Him, The Babe in the hay,
And rejoiced with great joy on that first Christmas Day;
Mary heard them exclaim as they walked up the hill,
Glory to God in the Highest, Peace to men of good will!

22 December 2010 - Psalm 38:6-22

"I am bowed down and brought very low"
All day long with mourning I go
"My back is filled with searing pain"
"There is no health in my body" yet again
"I am feeble and utterly crushed" apart
"I groan in anguish of heart"
"My heart pounds, my strength fails me"
Even my eyes can not see
"I wait for you, O Lord"
"You will answer" with Your word
"For I am about to fall"
I feel pain over all
"O Lord, do not forsake me"
From this bondage I want to be free

This is a psalm I must keep in my heart
Especially when things seem to be falling apart
For no matter how bad things may appear
I must remember that God's helping hand is near
For this I should always be glad
Even when my heart is feeling very sad
David wrote this psalm as a petition
Believing it shall be my mission

21 December 2010 - 2 Corinthians 8:7-14

Verse seven starts "but since you excel in everything"
"See that you also excel in this grace of giving"
"I am not commanding you" from above
"But I want to test the sincerity of your love"
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ"
"That though he was rich" and often enticed
"Yet for your sake he became poor"
"So that you...might become rich" for evermore
"And here is my judgment about what is best"
"Finish the work" so that others may be blessed
Verse twelve says "for if the willingness is there"
"The gift is acceptable" just because we care
"Our desire is not that others might be relieved"
"While you are hard pressed" and peeved
"But that there might be equality"
Helping others is what we should see

This continues from the passage yesterday
But gets the point across in a more direct way
Jesus gave up all his riches here on earth
That should make it clear what heartfelt giving is worth
So when we think of the Christmas season
Let us remember what is the true reason
God sent His Son in the body of a man
From God's stated will, Jesus never ran
That is why He gave up so much
With that truth, we should not be out of touch
So as much as Christmas inspires giving
We should do the same as long as we are living

20 December 2010 - Proverbs 28:18-22

"The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe" says verse eighteen
"But the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit" that is unseen
"Those who work their land will have abundant food" to see
"But those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty"
"A faithful person will be richly blessed"
"But one eager to get rich" will have no rest
"To show partiality is not good" says verse twenty one
"Yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread" or a bun
The next verse says that "the stingy are eager to get rich"
"And are unaware that poverty awaits them" in a ditch

This passage starts with how we should walk
In keeping with the words that Jesus did talk
It goes on to encourage us to work hard
Not to be dreamers but to remain on guard
But the most important message relates to greed
Being stingy will paradoxically leave a person in need

19 December 2010 - ENCS

Pastor Joey Bonifacio spoke about Psalm 1 verse 3
How fruit-yielding and unwavering our tree should be
He told us that all trees must start with a seed
The gap between the two is patience, which we all need
Pastor Joey then shared how men of patience we can be
He gave is simple principles - one, two, three

The first principle is that patience is about time
Per Ecclesiastes 3:1, about which I wrote a rhyme
"There is a time for everything and a season" too
This applies to all we even want to do
Three words for time Pastor then shared
All were in Greek, as at the screen we stared

About the passage of time Krones referred
We must use time wisely, as it can not be deferred
Psalm 90:12 says to "number our days aright"
So we "may gain a heart of wisdom" and light
Proverbs 19:11 says "a man's wisdom gives him patience"
If you think about it, this is actually common sense

The season of time is what Kairos is about
Seasons keep repeating, of that have no doubt
We should do different things in different seasons
They are all from God, for different reasons
During the winter, remember that spring will come
Use the seasons to grow, don't be dumb

Plero is about the fullness of time
The point here is a bit more sublime
As an example, per Proverbs 20:21
Riches quickly gained will likely be undone
For if we are impatient, we won't do God's will
Instead, we need to be seasoned and learn to be still
Like the men of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32
They "understood the times and knew what Israel should do"
Galatians 4:4 says only :when the time has fully come"
Did Jesus appear on earth, from God He came from
If the time has fully come, the fruit will taste good
If we manage out time well, prosper we should

Patience is about perseverance is the second principle
We then read James 5 verses seven and eight in full
"Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near"
From "autumn and spring rains" there is nothing to fear
We should trust God, for He is in control
He will help us, if His will is our goal

The third principle is that patience is about God
To 2 Peter 3:8-9 Pastor gave a nod
God is patient and wants us all to repent
That is why His only Son to earth was sent
The more we look to God and spend time with Him
The more patient we become, and it won't be a whim
For as a fruit of the Spirit, patience can not be learned
But once we have it, patience need not be returned

God must be a relationship, not a religion
Do everything with God, not just a smidgen
Per Hebrews 6:12, faith and patience are key
For with them God's promises and inheritance we will see

16 December 2010 - Proverbs 1:1-7

I read this passage again this morning
It contains good advice but also a warning
So I thought I would recycle a poem from before
But to my thoughts, I added some more
It is easy for me to read verses one through six
About wisdom and learning my eyes transfix
But another key is contained in verse seven
"The beginning of knowledge" is the fear of God in heaven
This provides me with a different perspective
For much of my learning could be deemed defective
With those words, I must realign my mind
For to God and His will I must be inclined

The proverbs helps us to attain "wisdom and discipline"
"For understanding words of insight" and avoiding sin
For acquiring a disciplined life without need of repair
"Doing what is right and just and fair"
Verse four continues "for giving prudence" to the fool
"Knowledge and discretion" to those in school
"Let the wise listen and add to their learning"
And guidance give to the discerning
For understanding the parables' guise,
And "the sayings and riddles of the wise"
"The beginning of knowledge" is "the fear of the Lord"
"But fools despise wisdom and discipline" of the Word.

Proverbs is such an interesting book
Every day I should be taking a look
Thanks to God, Solomon was very wise
(Unfortunately he also had lustful eyes)
But if his words we do read
And his warnings we do heed
Then we will live a better life
And the world would have much less strife

16 December 2010 - Psalm 121

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains" says verse one
"Where does my help come from" in the long run?
"My help comes from the LORD" of great worth
Who is "the Maker of heaven and earth"
"He will not let your foot slip" or encumber
For "he who watches over you will not slumber"
"The LORD watches over you" no matter what you have planned
Per verse five, "the LORD is your shade at your right hand"
"The LORD will keep you from all harm" and strife
Verse seven says that "He will watch over your life"
"The LORD will watch over your coming and going"
"Both now and forevermore", for He is all-knowing

This psalm is relatively short
But such truth it does exhort
It comforts me to be thus reminded
For sometimes I tend to be blinded
God is there every night and day
All I need to do is ask and pray

15 December 2010 - James 1:21-25

"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth" that is malevolent
And per verse 22, "the evil that is so prevalent"
"Humbly accept the word planted in you"
Allow it to influence all that you say and do
"Anyone who listens to the word but does not" follow it
"Is like someone who looks..in the mirror" but will not admit
"But whoever looks intently into the perfect law"
"And continues in it", sticking to what he saw
And doing, not forgetting, "what they have heard"
"They will be blessed in what they do" as a reward

This message is consistent with the one yesterday
I repeated it so I did not ignore it by turning away
Dear God, please help me to cleanse my mind
To your will, allow my thoughts to be aligned
So let me read and pray - but never forget
That your Son has already paid for my debt
Because of that, I can move ahead
Trying to do what you have said

14 December 2010 - Luke 6:47-49

Jesus said "as for everyone who comes to me"
And puts my words into practice for all to see
"They are like a man building a house" others cannot mock
"Who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock"
"When a flood came"
The house stayed the same
It could not be shaken
For lots of care had been taken
"But the one who hears my words"
And thinks that they are for the birds
"Is like a man who built a house without a foundation"
When the rain came, it was an abomination

Jesus' words should be the foundation for my heart
For then the enemy's attacks will not start
So dear Jesus, please help me your words to read
More frequently, not just when I am in need
And help me practice what you did preach
In that way my actions may others teach

13 December 2010 - Luke 12:22-31

Jesus said to his disciples in verse twenty two
"Therefore...do not worry about your life, I tell you"
About "what you will eat or...what you will wear"
"For life is more than food", He did declare
"And how much more valuable you are than birds!"
Those are very astute and comforting words
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?"
You cannot do this; nor can you avoid strife
So "why do you worry about the rest?"
For don't you know that we are blessed?
"Do not set your heart on what you will eat"
"Do not worry about it" verse 29 does repeat
"Your Father knows that you need them"
Every day, in both the am and the pm
"But seek his kingdom" verse thirty one does tell
"And these things will be given to you as well"

These are great words to read when I do worry
They make me slow down since I am oft in a hurry
I need to spend more time focusing on God's will
My worrying heart and mind can then be still
For He alone knows my every need
And with Him I can surely succeed

12 December 2010 - ENCS

Pastor Charles ended the "leader" series today
There's no greater one to follow than Christ, he did say
From John chapter thirteen, he used a selection
For being a servant-king was Jesus' predilection
And per verses twelve to fifteen
That is what the disciples had seen
Pastor then referred to Revelation chapter one verse six
Being servant-kings is a goal on which we should transfix
Three ways Pastor Charles then shared
Replicating how for his disciples Jesus cared

The passage talks of Jesus washing the disciples' feet
The physical and spiritual messages are both neat
Jesus' knowledge gave him strength
Allowing him to serve at great length
He was happy to do the most menial task
Before anyone else could even ask
He took off his own garment of glory without resistance
And, for our sake, wrapped himself in human existence
When Peter refused, Jesus did rebuke
(This was in John, but not in Luke)
Pastor said that John 13:9 is a key message for today
Once born again, we are spiritually clean in every way
But like the clean man whose feet get covered in dust
We walk in this world of temptation, sin, and lust
Jesus is waiting to refresh us day and night
By oft forgiving us, He makes things right
We are also to spiritually cleanse each other
Our family, friends, and every Christian brother
Although at times we may not feel strong enough
Jesus is always there when the going gets tough
For as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12 verse nine
Jesus' power is made perfect in any weakness of mine
Peter felt that John was the closest to Christ
But Jesus love for all more than sufficed
We all feel unworthy from time to time
Even when we have not committed any crime
That is why we rely on others to encourage and uplift
And why the Christian community can not afford a rift

With his disciples, Jesus spent lots of time
Per mark 3:14, when He was in his prime
In this way, as Paul said in Philippians 3:10
We can get to know Christ Jesus, amen!

His followers Jesus did commission and equip
To ensure they did His will and did not slip
Per John 20 verses twenty one and twenty two
Jesus was very explicit about what they should do
In the same way, Jesus wants us to go
Into the world, where our actions can show

10 December 2010 - #200

Today marks the 200th poem in my blog
Writing them has been a pleasure, not a slog
I would like to think I've only just begun
Writing poems glorifying God and His Son
For what began as a weekly commitment
Has turned into an almost daily intent

Eighty three sermons have been turned to rhyme
I think the pastors for their effort and time
I've chosen passages from twenty six books
Not surprisingly, Psalms had the most looks

Each of you has blessed me in some way
With encouragement, especially on a rough day
I appreciate all that you say and do
For I have learned from each of you too
And please feel free to send me a request
It will be a pleasure; I will try my best

Over the weeks, some words continued to appear
Such as praise God, have faith, and to persevere
Not to forget prayer and serving each other
Helping out a fellow Christian brother
Throughout it all, one thing was clear
God is with me and He is always near
This gives me comfort and a sense of peace
And allows my troubles to Him release

9 December 2010 - Jude 17-23

Jude's call to persevere is direct and bold
"Remember what the apostles...foretold"
"In the last time there will be scoffers"
"Who follow...unholy desires", building up coffers
"These are the men who divide you"
"Who follow mere natural instincts" too
They "do not have the Spirit" inside
Lacking humility, they have too much pride
"Build yourself up in your most holy faith"
"Pray in the Holy Spirit" Jude sayeth
"Be merciful to those who doubt" says verse 22
"Snatch others from the fire and save them" too
And as Jesus does for us, as we often hear
"To others show mercy, mixed with fear"

Jude's letter is relatively short
But certain truths he does exhort
Be wary of those with worldly desires
They tempt us - at the cost of eternal fires
Stay strong in the Spirit and in prayer
For Jesus listens and forever will care
Show mercy to others, as God does for us
This is His command, there is no need to discuss

8 December 2010 - "Despite"

I was doing some thinking last night
About the seemingly simple word "despite"
Which I often confuse with "because"
Such substitution is one of my many flaws
For instance, I know that because of my sin
Big and eternal trouble I should be in
But instead, I am extremely blessed
Despite my sin, purely at God's behest

And although I am blessed in so many ways
With family, friends, food, and peaceful days
If I were to truly put God at my core
He would bless me many times more
That is true in terms of His eternal worth
But is also true for my time here on earth

So dear God please let me remember
As I begin another day in December
Not to confuse "because" with "despite"
Especially when things seem to be going right
Help me to give credit where it is really due
Not to myself or my efforts, but only to you

7 December 2010 - Matthew 22:34-40

"Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees"
Then got together a group of the Pharisees
"One of them, an expert in the law"
Tested Jesus, trying to find a flaw
"Which is the greatest commandment" of them all?
For this trick, Jesus of course did not fall
"Love the Lord...with all your heart,...soul,...and mind"
Then, "love your neighbor as yourself"; be kind
On these two, all the Law does hang
With these words, He did disperse the gang

It sounds so simple in this verse
But reality is of course the reverse
The first requires complete devotion
The second eliminates negative emotion
The first must penetrate every thoughts, word, and deed
The second is what the world really doth need
So dear Jesus please help me to obey
These two commandments that you did say

6 December 2010 - Isaiah 42:8-12

"I am the LORD; that is my name!" says verse eight
"I will not yield my glory to another" on any date
"See, the former things have taken place"
"And new things I declare" to your face
"Before they spring into being" ends verse nine
"I announce them to you" people of mine
"Sing to the LORD a new song" of great worth
"His praise from the ends of the earth"
"Let the desert and its towns raise their voice"
"Let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice"
"Let the people...sing for joy" per verse eleven
"Let them shout from the mountaintops" towards heaven
"Let them give glory to the LORD"
"And proclaim his praise" with their word

Although from Isaiah, this reads like a psalm
Hearing such words provides a sense of calm
For this reminds all creatures great and small
That our Lord God loves them all
Words of praise should flow from my tongue
Whether I am alone or in a group among
God is great and is worthy of all praise
So to Him my hands and voice I raise

5 December 2010 - ENCS

Pastor Neli spoke about the apostle Paul
Whose letters are read by Christians all
As a leader, Paul was the "marathon man"
From his experience, learn we all can
Per Philippians 3, verses thirteen and fourteen
"Forget what is behind" and focus on the prize unseen
And from 1 Corinthians 9 verse twenty four
We read about the prize some more
About self-control we read through verse twenty seven
So that we can get the everlasting prize in heaven
Paul used the metaphor of a long running race
His endurance allowed him to sustain his pace
He also drew a parallel to a boxing match
The prize is what the winner does snatch

Pastor then ran through five symptoms of decline
That keep us from pleasing our God divine
He used the first five letters of the alphabet
In order that we might remember, not forget
The first is Arrogance, per Proverbs 16:18
Which so often leads to a fall, we do glean
The second is being Blind to what God does see
A good reminder comes from Romans 12 verse 3
And if we want to understand this concept more
Read the 18th verse of 2 Corinthians chapter four
The third word of concern is Comparison
Even the disciples argued about who was number one
But wanting recognition for how we live
Is in God's eyes the wrong motive
The fourth is to Deny warning signs
Even if we have to read between the lines
Exhaustion is the fifth and last symptom
Embracing burdens not ours is rather dumb
For that leads to being both physically tired and weary
Of the latter (being away from God) we should be leery

Pastor then said since God has chosen for us a lane
He will give us the tools to succeed and stay sane
Pastor then gave us clues as to how to endure
Using the next five letters, just to be sure
The first is that we must Face the facts
Look at the real data without being lax
The second is that we must Go the distance
Enduring the process with persistence
The third was Humility and its true worth
For the meek shall inherit the earth
The fourth is to Inspire yourself in God
Remembering God's promises as we plod
For as per Romans chapter ten verse seventeen
God's word inspires us, much more than caffeine
The fifth (and most important) is that Jesus is our prize
Even if we have yet to see him with our own eyes

In conclusion, Pastor said that it is never too late
To say "I won't give up" and to start with a clean slate
For us, God has done so much and never gives up
So we should run the race and drink from his cup

3 December 2010 - James 4:6-8

The passage says "but He gives more grace"
"Therefore He says" to each and every face
"God resists the proud", making them stumble
"But gives grace to the humble"
"Submit to God; resist the devil and he will flee from you"
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you"
"Cleanse your hands, you sinners" we are then reminded
"And purify your hearts, you double-minded"

The words submit and humble are in focus once again
It is not a coincidence, I am beginning to ascertain
For this is what I must really try to do
If to my old self I want to bid adieu

2 December 2010 - Hebrews 4:14-16

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest"
"Who has ascended into heaven", not deceased
"Jesus the Son of God", nothing less
"Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess"
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize"
"With our weaknesses" no matter what the size
"But we have one who has been tempted in every way"
"Just as we are—yet he did not sin" on any day
"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence"
"So that we may receive mercy and find grace" for our defense

This is a good reminder about temptation
Even when we pray, there will be no cessation
For like Jesus, we will all be tempted by the enemy
But it is how we react that God wants to see
If temptation we can find the will to resist
We will obviously make it on to God's good list

1 December 2010 : Psalm 103:1-5

"Praise the Lord, all my soul" without shame
"All my inmost being, praise his holy name"
"Praise the Lord, all my soul" says verse two
"And forget not all his benefits" in what we do
"Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases"
"Who redeems your life from the pit" for He so pleases
"And crowns you with love and compassion"
That overflows, so we never have to ration
"Who satisfies your desires with good things"
"So that your youth is renewed" like the eagle's wings

No matter whether times are good or bad
Knowing that God is there makes me glad
For no matter what life may throw my way
"God is great" is what I should feel and say
There is so much to give Him thanks for
Even when I am feeling beat up and sore
To read His Word, to pray, and to sing
Sure takes care of the enemy's sting