Sunday, December 29, 2013

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

Monday, December 23, 2013

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

Sunday, December 22, 2013

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

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

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

Saturday, December 14, 2013

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

Sunday, December 8, 2013

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