29 December 2013 - ENCS

After a video recapping 2013 the congregation did see

Pastor Larry Matsuwaki spoke about Jesus and humility

Baby Jesus was wrapped in linen cloth, Luke 2:12 does say

For the King of Kings, royal robes should have been the way

Jesus humbled himself on earth, per Philippians chapter two

We should adopt the same approach in all that we say and do

 

Remember that as worship leader, Satan was by God's side

But then he fell from heaven because of his immense pride

Per Proverbs 16:17-18, pride comes before the fall

Jesus' message to walk humbly applies to us all

The letter "I" is in the center of both "pride" and "sin"

That is of course where Satan's attacks often begin

At us, he will throw fear, criticism, and sickness

Getting us to say "I can't" and thinking of God less

We need to focus on God and serve one another

For ego-boosting appreciation we should not bother

 

In Matthew 18:1, the disciples failed a basic test

They asked Jesus who among them was the best

Jesus' answer as recorded in verses three and four

Emphasized the importance of humility even more

1 Peter 5:5 talks of the importance of being submissive

Being clothed in humility is thus the way we should live

 

Humility, as C S Lewis' famous saying does clearly impress

Is not thinking less of one's self, but thinking of one's self less

Saint Augustine said pride changed angels into devils

But it is humility that can take men to angelic levels

In summary, Pastor referred to 2 Chronicles seven verse fourteen

If we humble ourselves and pray, our sins will be washed clean

22 December 2013 - ENCS

Pastor Larry said that God brings life to barren places

That fact should be enough to bring smiles to our faces

For if we learn to depend on God when desperate we are

Then He will enable us to do great things near and afar

 

The barren woman was Israel in Isaiah 54 verse one

But it also foreshadowed old Elizabeth having a son

There were in fact miraculous pregnancies twofold
A barren lady and a teen virgin, as Luke one told

This in itself would have been very big news

But more so because their sons God did use

It was God's plans John and Jesus did fulfill

He also wants to enable us to do His will

Pastor then pointed us to Isaiah fifty five verse eleven

Our actions should be based on His word from heaven

 

The sermon title was "Jesus is the greatest gift within you"

Luke 1:37 says that with God, nothing is impossible to do

About Mary, Isaiah seven verse fourteen does say

And her son Immanuel - God is with us every day

Isaiah said that in the midst of a difficult environment

God would deliver for our blessings are heaven sent

Isaiah 40 verse 31 says that those who hope in the Lord

Will renew their strength, more powerful than the sword

But it is important to remember that patient we must be

In His own time, God always comes through, we will see

We must guard what He gives us, per 2 Timothy 1:14

For He has entrusted it to us, for plans often not seen

We should not let the enemy rob us of our confidence

Thanks to Jesus, its sting death can no longer dispense

But when we sin, confidence is precisely what we lose

Until we earnestly repent and God's path we choose

Earlier in 2 Timothy, Paul says to fan God's gift to flame

For the Holy Spirit which lives in us shares His name

Pastor said that with God, nothing happens by accident

His healing and redemption are obviously heaven sent 

 

In conclusion, Pastor asked if for God we would make space

So we can receive Jesus to help us run the rest of life's race

22 December 2013 - Giving and Loving

"You can give without loving but cannot love without giving"

That is a saying I heard this morning that encapsulates living

And as per John 3:16, God loves us so

He sent His only son to vanquish the foe

Similarly, you can obey while understanding not

But with true understanding comes obeying a lot

 

As we are in the midst of the Christmas season

Let me continually remember the real reason

And then, with true understanding and love

Let me freely give and obey my God above

18 December 2013 - 1 Corinthians 6:9-20

I listened to Aussie youth pastor Mark Joy talk Monday night

Using this text, he spoke about how to treat our bodies right

He read from the New King James Version or translation

For this NIV-reader, it required quite intense concentration

Remember that our bodies are temples for the Holy Ghost

Treating them well is a prerequisite to being a good host

 

He said that on tolerance, today's society puts a lot of value

But Paul says not to be deceived, in verse nine we do view

"The unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God", says Paul

He mentions several types of sins and sinners, but that is not all

For although these people will not inherit the Kingdom of God

We should remember that down that road many of us have trod

We had to change the way that we choose to live

In order to get the grace that only God can give

 

And then in verse twelve an important point we do see

All things are permissible but beneficial they may not be

Because our bodies are not for us to do with as we want

This is quite clear no matter what the translation or font

Our "bodies are members of Christ" per verse fifteen

So we should treat them that way, even when unseen

For if "two become one" whether with good or bad

We should opt for Christ, as sin only makes God sad

As such, boundaries are something that we all need

If from the grips of sinful temptation we are to be freed

A sin against our own body is sexual immorality

Other sins are outside the body, in verse 18 we see

 

And because our bodies are temples, bought with a price

They should honor God, doing things not naughty but nice

This applies to our mouths, our ears, our eyes, and our heart

To fully honor God, each part of our body must do its part

And if we look after our own temple of God well all the time

His Holy Spirit will watch and cleanse us from our sinful grime

14 December 2013 - Change

"Plus ca change" starts a French expression of fame

"The more things change, the more they stay the same"
It can of course be taken in a couple of different ways

Some think of it as an existentialist view on our days

Others tend to give "people never change" the nod

I prefer to believe that the only true constant is God

So, yes, the more things change, the more God stays the same

No matter how far we may stray, His love is there for us to claim

 

So dear God, please keep your light shining on my path

I would much prefer that than to face your eternal wrath

I know that on your path I have not constantly stayed

Put more harshly, on many occasions I have strayed

And for every sinful thought, word, and deed

Your forgiveness and grace I definitely need

I thank you for your never-changing eternal truth

And for protecting me even when I was a youth

I know that you have great plans for me even today

So I can change despite what the expression may say

8 December 2013 - Integrity

The Bible talks about the importance of integrity as a trait

When we practice it, we honor our God who is so great

"The man of integrity walks securely" Solomon did state

In Proverbs chapter ten, in the verse after number eight

"The integrity of the upright guides them" we later see

For Solomon wrote this in chapter eleven verse three

 

But at the same time, it is not just about keeping one's word

Remember how John the Baptist's head was offed with a sword

For King Herod, in Luke chapter six verse twenty six

Made good on his oath even though it put him in a fix

Above doing what was right, he valued his oath and his face

So in history's annals he now commands a very low place

 

I guess that integrity is about doing right in God's eyes

By doing so, one obviously tells the truth instead of lies

But it might also mean doing things that to others look wrong

To do so, one's faith in God must be exceptionally strong

 

There are times when I too fall back on "keeping my word"

Even when the logic of doing so has become quite absurd

Dear God, please let me see that yours is the right path

So that I feel your immense love instead of your wrath