30 April 2023 - ENCS

Pastor Josh referred to PMPF as how we equip

Praying, meditating, proclaiming, and fellowship

For these habits can help us to encounter Jesus

The more we do them, the his love can seize us

In Second Corinthians three, we were informed

That looking at God is how we are transformed

“The old has gone” per Second Corinthians five

And “the new is here” with a promise to thrive

But why is there such a disconnect to look into

Between what I should do and what I actually do

Jesus acts as the bridge by offering us salvation

Bringing us back to God's path and His nation

Our life should involve a growing understanding

About God’s holiness, our sin notwithstanding

Burnout can result from always trying to perform

The alternative is worse, Pastor did us inform

We try to hide our sin in guilt, fear, and shame

But hopelessness leads to despair just the same

Josh then focused on what we should try to do

We are saved, being saved, will be saved too

That is justification, sanctification, glorification

Justification, per Romans five, is for the duration

In Hebrews ten more on sanctification is seen

Glorification is per First Corinthians fourteen

How to be transformed, Josh did then ponder

Second Thessalonians' advice do not squander

For true freedom is being what you want to be

Not doing what you want to do, Josh did plea

Per Romans twelve, do not confirm to the earth

For transformation follows your mind's new birth

Whenever we think others owe us something

Remember all that was done by Jesus the King

Life is a journey of letting Him play a bigger role

Directly or indirectly, from the human race whole

Humility means asking God our problems to fix

We must believe in the one God sent per John six

23 April 2023 - ENCS

Today Samuel Whitefield did speak about discipleship

He came from the US to Singapore - that's a long trip

The foundational value is based on Jesus’ command

Remember that every day and minute, He is at hand

The goal of discipleship is not learning or transforming

These are admirable tools which are heart-warming

But the real goal is based on the old Jewish tradition

Follow rabbi Jesus and emulate based on fascination

For it is through fascination that transformation is seen

As Paul did state in Second Corinthians three eighteen

In today’s lingo, let Jesus be the influencer we follow

Worshiping Him ensures that our life will not be hollow

As a suffering servant the Lord Jesus came to earth

To be rejected and despised despite his eternal worth

Our fascination with Him should extend to the mundane

In conversing, serving, and worship Samuel did explain

The core of discipleship therefore is this fascination

Discipline and other tools are built on this foundation

The fruits of the Spirit should be evident in what we do

Our fascination with Jesus ensuring we pull through

16 April 2023 - ENCS

Pastor Joey Bonafacio gave us a very clear view

As the good news of Jesus series he did continue

He titled it "Our insatiable appetite for approval” 

Our need for justification, there can be no removal

Our need for approval means we continually search

A historical need for acceptance even with a church

A need to prove ourselves can not be self-attained

And a need to be whole will always leave us drained

There are several problems with self-justification

It is exhausting, often leaving us with nothing to give

It is demanding emotionally, physically, and mentally

A never ending cycle - unsustainable fundamentally

The good news of Jesus through the Bible is seen

We are justified by faith, per Galatians two sixteen

We are also justified to be saved, per Romans one

We are justified to be sanctified, all of us bar none

9 April 2023 - ENCS

Vicki Tekwani shared with us this Easter Sunday

We should understand the meaning, he did say

To answer the question of what Easter is all about

And why we celebrate Jesus day in and day out

Often we keep doing things, forgetting the reason

But our faith is not just rituals through each season

It is based on a a higher power who came to earth

Taking on a human body despite His eternal worth

The world has changed a lot throughout the years

No such thing as “just business as usual" it appears

We face volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity

The pandemic amplified issues, causing more anxiety

Sin in society and our lives is in fact the root cause

That we are flawed and broken should give us pause

The solution can not be a person or a government

Or a process or religious ritual no matter the intent

We need a true leader who has suffered as a human

A conqueror by love and truth, who serves every clan

A sovereign relational being who is a healer and friend

Jesus will never disappoint us, on that we can depend

Christ revolutionised the world, being inclusive for all

Defeating death thus ensuring the enemy’s downfall

Meaningless rituals, Christianity does not in us instil

Nor do we follow blindly, for each of us has free will

Jesus paid the price for our right standing with God

We no longer need to give self-condemnation a nod

About Easter’s importance in John chapter ten we see

He came that we might have and enjoy life abundantly

2 April 2023 - ENCS

From Malaysia, the preacher today was Tim Loh

He said Matthew twenty eight we all likely know

But knowing the Great Commission is not enough

Beyond the words, actually following it is tough

He then referred to Paul in Ephesians chapter six

Surprisingly, he did not pray for his situation to fix

Or even to take care of his numerous bodily pains

But referred to himself as an ambassador in chains

He prayed to declare boldly the gospel’s mystique

Per verse twenty, to speak as he ought to speak

We should also each for Jesus be ambassadors

Whether be at work or home, indoors or outdoors

In the Bible, "ought to” is a phrase so often seen

Per Romans fifteen, Ephesians five, John thirteen

Telling so many examples of what we ought to do

Prayer and testimony can lead to a break through

A caring gesture and even some basic conversation

They do not actually have to be that long in duration

There are dozens of opportunities daily to be a gem

For a small move from us can be a big move in them