26 August 2018 - ENCS

To the end of Genesis fifteen Pastor Joey took us today

It contains the fourth “behold” in the chapter he did say

Like Abraham, we should have a long term perspective

For God’s covenants last for much longer than we live

This means we should think about the future generations

What we do today can often have long term implications

Similarly, it is for future generations that we should build

And of course training them so that they are aptly skilled

For the foundations of the future are put in place today

By what we do, we don’t do, and of course how we pray

Per the last two verses, our boundaries we should know

God promises a delightful inheritance that to us will flow

When we understand God’s covenant and long term view

Our values will change and we will know what best to do

19 August 2018 - ENCS

Pastor Neli visiting from Brisbane did share on Genesis fifteen

From verse twelve on, an impactful dream by Abram was seen

Between the truth of God’s promise and circumstantial reality

In Abram’s life and often in ours, a big gap may appear to be

But most promises require a process before we see provision

Allowing God to strengthen us and to address our imprecision

Per verse thirteen, His promises can refer to future generations

Because His timeline is different from ours, we face frustrations

Remember the Israelites asked for a king and were given Saul

His character was not aligned so he ended up taking a big fall

On Egypt, God promised Abram that he would bring judgement

For the country as well as the world system is what God meant

God builds through us for generations to come, Neli did opine

Although a man of faith, Abram sinned via Ishmael’s bloodline

Abram would live to an old age, verses fifteen and sixteen state 

And in the fourth generation, the Israeli people would repatriate

God builds with us has two meanings, as Neli did give a view

All believers are living stones in God’s house, per First Peter two

And we are also God’s co-labourers, per First Corinthians three

Providing a foundation that others build upon is often our legacy

12 August 2018 - ENCS

On Genesis and Abram, Pastor Joey did the very long series continue

In chapter fifteen, Abram was told to count all the stars, not just a few

God said he had brought Abram from Ur to the land he would possess

How would he know, a believing but dubious Abram did then express

In our lives today, the uncertainty Abram felt we do regularly mirror

We want to believe God’s promises but have doubts and some fear

God told Abram to bring a dove, a pigeon, a ram, a goat, and a calf

So Abram did so and without asking, knew to cut each animal in half

Shedding blood was an integral part of agreeing a contract those days

There was an implied threat if broken is what Jeremiah thirty four says

For a very serious matter a contract or covenant was duly considered

It always contained three main components, from Pastor we then heard

The acceptance of an offer, the terms considered, and parties involved

Walking through a river of animal blood is how agreements were solved

God’s covenant with Noah was based on a promise for all of mankind

This one with Abram was the Lord's first to a single individual confined

Abram never did waver in his faith, per Romans four from verse twenty

He gave glory to God and trusted God would deliver on promises plenty

Pastor said God’s Word is a sacred covenant that we should thus treat

The amount of time we spend with it helps make the covenant complete

To Psalm one hundred three verses two thru five, Pastor did then refer

We should bless the Lord and not forget all the benefits he did confer

Our sins He forgives, our diseases He heals, and our lives He redeems

He crowns us with eternal mercy and love as well as goodness streams

29 July 2018 - ENCS

Pastor Josh continued the Genesis series, still in chapter fifteen

Per verse two, Abram pointed out that a child he had not seen

As happens to all of us at times, he was frustrated and confused

It must have appeared that his greatest dreams were bruised

God had already promised that there would be a great reward

But Abram felt that this promise was somehow bring ignored

His name meant “blessed father” but to others this was a joke

When combined with God’s promise, it probably felt like a yoke

Similarly, there can be much pain and waiting on our journeys

This can cause angst and doubt, often bringing us to our knees

But then the Word of the Lord came to Abram, per verse four

Reminding us that no matter what our dreams, God offers more

For we need the Word of the Lord, not just a one time miracle

Akin to teaching someone to fish, from a perspective empirical

That Abram’s heirs would be flesh and blood, God made clear

Comparing the total offspring to the stars countable in a year 

To look to heaven, God was probably also reminding Abram

This is something we should remember when we are in a jam

Per verse six, Abram believed God and was made righteous

To believe righteousness can come from actions is treasonous

For we all have sinned and even a little sin makes us impure

But Jesus died to cleanse us of our sin, of that we can be sure

Pastor Josh then talked about what we should do while we wait

To Isaiah in chapter forty nine, three prophecies God did state

But God had even bigger plans, for these were "too light a thing”

And Isaiah’s prophecies were later manifested by Jesus the King

In conclusion, Josh said that seeing God made Abram righteous

The lesson about waiting on the Lord should apply to each of us

For in each season we do walk through, we get a new revelation

With an “I am”, our prayers God answers with a holy sensation

Put another way, our fears and doubts God’s Word can destroy

So we walk in righteousness, experiencing God’s peace and joy