30 August 2015 - ENCS

About “Honouring Leadership” Pastor Arnie did speak today

Since we can influence others, we all lead in a unique way

For that is the definition that first came from John Maxwell

And is consistent with the Great Commission Jesus did tell

In order to lead well, Arnie gave us important points three

Along with sharing several passages for us to read and see

The first is that as leaders we must know who to follow

The answer is God our Creator, as we should all know

He has plans for us, per Jeremiah twenty nine eleven

For we are loved unconditionally by our God in heaven

By following Jesus, according to Matthew four nineteen

He will make us fishers of men, as can be clearly seen

To lead people to Jesus is the core of our mission

He will then bring a change in their lives to fruition

Put another way, leaders should listen to God’s word

And by the Holy Spirit be led, from Arnie we heard

The second is that as we lead, we should always serve

From needs and opportunities we should never swerve

Every day there are numerous chances to others bless

In Acts six, the disciples took action to prevent a mess

Picking seven to serve others, leaving others to preach

Of good repute, full of His Spirit and wisdom were each

We cannot serve unless we have a character very strong

If secure in our identity with Christ, we won’t go wrong

For God uses our weaknesses to show His power

Steven sang His praises even in his martyred hour

The third is that as we lead, we need to demonstrate love

Even small gestures can have a big impact to be proud of

Using Facebook, Skype and other forms of technology

We can span great distance as we share our theology

Pastor Arnie then pointed us to First Corinthians thirteen

For without love, even great acts are nothing, it is seen

And remember that we love because God first loved us

So we should also love others without making a fuss

God shows His love in so many ways, per First John four

Sending His Son as an atoning sacrifice, we cannot ignore

In summary, we are all called to influence and therefore lead

Which means to follow, serve, and love as we do proceed

23 August 2015 - ENCS

Pastor Josh and wife Nani spoke on “Honouring Men” today

Per Ephesians five, wives submitting to husbands is God's way

This naturally brings about female feelings of angst and pain

But is good if put in the proper perspective, Nani did explain

For this relationship mirrors that of Christ and the church

And a godly husband will never leave his wife in a lurch

Submission is like having an umbrella, Nani did then share

Finding a godly husband is worth the wait for they are rare

She said that wives should treat men with honour and respect

Focusing on the potential in their lives instead of any defect

The key to a happy marriage is found in verse thirty three

Husbands loving and wives respecting is always the key

On the topic “What Is A Man?” Pastor Josh then shared his view

To be honoured, being a man of honour is what man must do

He then referred to verse twenty one, which should be read

As it points out that all should submit to each other instead

David told his son Solomon, per First Kings chapter two

To “be strong and prove yourself a man” in all he would do

Pastor Josh then shared about what this really does mean

From many passages, several truths he was able to glean

First is that real men honour God and His Word follow

Living in integrity, loving the Lord, and in His truth go

Second is that real men take responsibility “like a man”

Not shirking away like a little boy who ignores the plan

Third is that real men exert their dominion over the earth

Per Genesis one and two, that role existed since birth

Fourth is that real men acknowledge from God they veer

And that the good news of Jesus is needed to draw near

In summary, or “so how” Josh said in the local parlance

We need to give Roman five more than just a glance

Remember that is was Adam who let the serpent in

And also did not prevent Eve from committing sin

But Jesus’ precious gift to us is worth so much more

So we do not need to live a defeated life as before

And real men also need to focus on real true love

Per First Corinthians thirteen, following God above

Making disciples should be a real man’s key mandate

That is the Great Commission, per Matthew twenty eight

16 August 2015 - ENCS

Pastor Josh continued the “Honour” series today

On “Honouring Women” he had quite a lot to say

Our experiences provide a lens through which we view

in the same way, our intentions can be misinterpreted too

To talk of honour, we must also consider submission

In the Old Testament, there were laws and permission

But we are no longer under the law, per Galatians three

For we are “all one in Christ Jesus” we can clearly see

To God, we now all have complete and open access

In that we are all equal so nobody is worth any less

Of course there are differences we can not ignore

But we should only care in cases God would honour

Still having different toilets for women and men

Is very different than segregated ones back then

In other words, if a difference we choose to highlight

It needs to be to honour others, by doing things right

A careful reading of Genesis one verse twenty seven

Says both man and woman came from God in heaven

Since in His image both sexes were actually created

The obvious differences should not be underestimated

For if the intention was that all humans were the same

There would be no need for individuals, or even a name

1 Peter three refers to woman as the “weaker vessel”

This is obviously true physically, Pastor Josh did tell

The passage says that God will answer a man’s petition

If the man honours his wife without any precondition

Josh said that women tend to be more perceptive

That shows in how men and women tend to live

God intended for us all to exist in partnerships

Genesis three tells of the first of man’s many slips

Covenants are serious, per Malachi chapter two

Marriage is a sacred covenant, that is not new

In terms of how man should honour woman therefore

Josh focused on two important points, nothing more

Man should not rebuke, per 1 Timothy chapter five

With purity, he should view all woman while alive

And per Ephesians four, speak all things in love

For we all belong to the body of Christ from above

9 August 2015 - ENCS

This National Day sermon was shared by Dr Lee Suan Yew

He talked about history, the present, and the future too

The history of the Bible and Judaism are important to know

Understanding their language and culture help us to grow

Relative to twenty five hundred years, Jesus’ story was short

But his three ministry years were impactful, Dr Lee did report

We should also make good use of our limited time on earth

Building up treasures in heaven is the only true store of worth

While money is important to have, Dr Lee warned about greed

During the war years, resourcefulness was what they did need

Thanks to God’s Word, the colonialists Dr Lee eventually forgave

Proverbs chapter three verses five and six tells us how to behave

For it says that if we trust in the Lord with all of our heart

God will then make our paths straight, Solomon did impart

At present, Singapore has diversity, global presence, and green

But when independence came, the Singapore River was unclean

Ephesians five tells us to make the most of every opportunity

It also says we should understand what the Lord’s will may be

To Philippians chapter four verse six, Dr Lee did then refer

We should not worry about anything, from Paul we do infer

Instead, with thanksgiving, to God we should petition and pray

We succeed by setting appropriate priorities, Dr Lee did say

For the nation, hardwork and honesty have led to success

For our leaders, we should of course expect nothing less

In future, we should all aim to learn from our collective past

Through integrity and education, our success can long last

“Mens sana in corpore sano” in Latin Dr Lee did then quote

The English “a sound mind in a sound body” gets my vote

This will help us to help fulfill God’s purpose in our lives

Matthew six states that only eternal treasure survives

Our eyes should have a cross instead of a dollar sign

In this way, our path forward with God’s plan will align

Dr Lee then shared from this morning’s Daily Bread

Reading what Psalm number forty six verse ten said

We should be still and exalt God always, everywhere

And remember that our foundation should be prayer

Per Isaiah forty, even young men tire, stumble, and fall

But the Holy Spirit can renew and is there for us all

In summary, God providence is with us Dr Lee did saith

Miracles can still happen if we just have a strong faith

2 August 2015 - ENCS

A new series on 'Honor', Pastor Josh did today start
To truly honor God, it must come from the heart

With First Peter chapter one, Josh then began
God offers hope and abundant life to all man
An imperishable eternal inheritance, we can get
God builds for the long term, we should not forget
Trials make us stronger and precious like gold
They also serve to purify us, we were then told
In this way, we can more brightly shine
And thus reflect Jesus and His ways divine

No matter what, we can shine for God above
Instead of being a victim, treat things with love
This led Josh to refer to Romans chapter five
About persevering as long as we may be alive
Suffering leads to persevering, character, and hope
Only with God’s love can we persevere and cope
If we have a vision, we will of course make a sacrifice
About our race, First Corinthians nine gives advice

Stop living for self, per Second Corinthians five

To live for Jesus, who died for us, we should strive

For God works for our good, says Romans eight

Being called, justified, and glorified is our fate

Trying to change ourselves is a disaster recipe

Either pride appears, as in Proverbs six we see

Or we quit, as we are unable to get everything done

So only boast in the Lord, per 1 Corinthians one

Not by might or power, per Zechariah four

But by His Spirit, which can do so much more

In John fifteen, Jesus says that he is the vine

If we abide in God, we can most surely shine

Perseverance, power, and presence are key

Because honouring God is meant to be