6 June 2019 - ENCS

Pastor Arnie spoke on significance on Father’s Day

That implies a life of meaning and value he did say

It is much more than just survival or even success

Per Joshua one, the intention of the Lord is to bless

We are created to do good works, per Ephesians two

Paul wrote that "God prepared us in advance to do"

Significance is a relay race, involving run and release

Pastor Arnie used the acronym D-A-D to say his piece

Per Hebrews twelve, we need to run the right direction

And do so with perseverance despite our imperfection

Plus ability and strength from God, per Psalm eighteen

By looking to God, in First Chronicles sixteen it is seen

Lastly as Paul wrote in Second Corinthians chapter five

We need desire and motivation to ensure that we thrive

Faith is belief but love is action per a heart transformation

Per Second Timothy one, God’s word provides information

A successful person finds for him or herself the right place

While a successful leader finds for others the right space

To release others,  develop their gifts and affirm their calling

To relate others, developing gifts and affirmation is key

For to live a truly significant life implies leaving a legacy

28 August 2016 - ENCS

Tonight Joy Talavera completed the Generosity Stories series

Focusing on our identity in God, for it is Him we should please

From Second Corinthians chapter nine, she did then quote

God enables us to abound in every good work, Paul wrote

Generosity is the act of being kind, Joy did appropriately say

Determined by security in our identity which we should obey

That our security comes from Jesus Christ is indeed a fact

Importantly, knowing who you are determines how you act

To make her point, from the Bible Joy used examples three

Our identity must hold no matter what circumstances may be

In tough circumstances, David maintained a positive attitude

Per First Samuel sixteen, he was omitted in an act quite rude

King Saul tried to spear him, per Second Samuel eighteen

Yet David praised God, as in Psalm thirty one is clearly seen

David focused on his calling rather than his circumstance

Very famously, he didn’t give Goliath’s size a second glance

From Luke fifteen, Joy then talked about the prodigal son

His father welcomed him back despite what he had done

Despite his good circumstance, he squandered property

For his focus was very wrong and he acted so carefree

The prodigal son’s brother was the third individual named

Upon hearing the party, “unfair" was what he proclaimed

He told his father that for years he had performed like a slave 

Taking this mentality would have burdened him until the grave

Both of the sons were raised in a very blessed circumstance

They had the wrong attitude but were given another chance

In summary, Joy said that before we ask, God knows our need

For if it matters to us, it matters to He who values us indeed

Per Romans eight, for us God treated His son as an outsider

God is Jehovah Jirah, which means that he is our provider

20 December 2015 - ENCS

The “Christmas Foretold” series today Pastor Larry did complete

But the key messages from the last two weeks he first did repeat

Isaiah chapter nine verse six talked of Immanuel, God is with us

Isaiah chapter fifty three verse five spoke of how God saves us

Today’s message of “God anoints us” was from Isaiah sixty one

In Luke four, Jesus said it was fulfilled, in other words it was done

Pastor Larry said that as believers we are anointed to proclaim

Sharing the good news with the poor in spirit should be our aim

Luke chapter two said angels brought "good news of great joy"

“For all the people” so that the enemy our God can fully destroy

That Jesus fulfilled more than three hundred fifty prophecies

Defies all odds of random occurrence, per lots of analyses

In John chapter one, about Jesus did John the Baptist speak

That Jesus would take away the world’s sins, rather mystique

The word of testimony, per Revelations twelve verse eleven

Needs to declare Jesus is Lord, seated with God in heaven

From the Old Testament, proclaiming good tidings we do see

Bringing joy as per First Chronicles sixteen verse twenty three

Pastor Larry said that as believers we are anointed to heal

God mends broken hearts and bones, Isaiah does reveal

To those from broken homes and families, we should reach out

Per First Peter two, words from Jesus can heal, have no doubt

So that he could help so many others, Peter himself was healed

Per Acts three, great power in his words Peter did then wield

Pastor then said God answers us the minute He hears our prayer

We may need to wait, but that does not mean He does not care

Like when the wise men brought Jesus gold, incense, and myrrh

The lengthy and arduous two year journey did not serve to deter

Pastor Larry said that as believers we are anointed to love

Because He loves us so, to earth Jesus came from above

Likewise, in this dark world we are each to be a shining light

Such a love revolution can assuredly make this world right

John thirteen verse thirty five says we are to love one another

For this shows that in Jesus, we are each a Christian brother

Per First John three, we have been called to do God’s work

The fact that God’s glory appears in us is a wonderful perk

In conclusion, we are anointed to proclaim, heal, and love

For these are instructions from our dear Lord God above

4 April 2014 - David: The Shepherd King

Per First Samuel sixteen, for Saul Samuel did still mourn

But God said the next king to Jesse already had been born

To meet Jesse and all of his sons, Samuel did his part

The Lord said to look not at the outside, but at the heart

Through Samuel, God rejected sons one through seven

The youngest was in the field but was chosen by heaven

So Samuel took the horn of oil and did David anoint

For David, the Spirit of the Lord would not disappoint

Saul and the Israelite army in the Valley of Elah did camp

To face the Philistines and Goliath, a nine foot tall champ

Over one hundred twenty five pounds his armor did weigh

Goliath challenged the entire Israelite army every single day

The winner would rule over the nation of whomever died

“Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified”

Despite his age, young David volunteered to Goliath fight

Saul said that he would be no match for the giant’s might

But David had killed a bear and a lion while tending sheep

And was confident that safe the Lord God would him keep

In regards the “uncircumcised Philistine” who did God defy

David was very confident that at God’s hand he would die

Saul’s armor and helmet were far too unwieldy for the boy

So only took his sling and five stones – and God’s joy

David and Goliath approached each other in the field

David solo; Goliath had someone carrying his shield

Goliath saw David was a boy and did him despise

Because he seemed unarmed and due to his size

Goliath insulted David and by his gods did curse

David replied with promises that were not terse

He said that God would let him cut off Goliath’s head

So that all would know the victory was God’s instead

And so it transpired, in line with the plan of the Lord

David killed Goliath and cut off his head with a sword

“One in spirit with David” Saul’s son Jonathan did become

Into his house, Jonathan made David more than welcome

Whatever Saul sent David to do, he did exceedingly well

“This pleased all the people”, chapter eighteen does tell

Women came out to sing and play tambourines with their hands

“Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands”

This greatly angered Saul as the refrain definitely did him gall

He figured that David would end up with the kingdom and all

So from that day forward, on David Saul kept a jealous eye

Saul turned out to be an evil-spirited jealous vindictive guy

Saul told many to kill David in First Samuel nineteen

But Jonathan’s fondness for David was clearly seen

He warned David and told him to go into hiding

He talked with his father, even risking a chiding

Saul listened to his son and promised not to harm David

Then Jonathan called David from the place he had hid

David killed more Philistines when war broke out

They “fled before him” as his force led to a rout

But an evil spirit came across Saul, who had a spear

David eluded Saul and escaped, for his life he did fear

In First Chronicles ten, the Philistines again did attack

Israel was pressured, as David’s strength they did lack

Saul was wounded and his three sons had all died

He asked his aide to kill him because he could not hide

In the end, Saul died when he fell on his own sword

Then the Israelites fled away from the Philistine hoard

“Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord”

So David became king without raising his sword

3 March 2014 - The Ten Commandments (part one)

In Exodus chapter twenty, ten commandments God did list

He spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai all covered with mist

The first one was “You shall have no other gods before me”

For “I am the Lord your God”, who delivered Israel from slavery

David’s psalm of thanks to the Lord is in First Chronicles sixteen

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth” in verse twenty three is seen

David proclaimed God’s glory, splendor, majesty, and strength

And went on to “ascribe to the Lord the glory due” at length

The second was “You shall not make for yourself an idol”

For God is a jealous god; worshipping another is suicidal

He will punish the sins of the fathers for many generations

To those who love Him, He will show love without limitations

Psalm one hundred fifteen says “to [His] name be the glory”

Those who worship handmade idols are in for a sad story

The third was “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord”

Leviticus twenty four says blasphemy cannot be ignored

For “if anyone curses God, he will be held responsible”

He must be put to death by those who are accountable

Solomon said “the name of the Lord is a strong tower”

Per Proverbs eighteen, the righteous run to its power

The fourth was “You shall remember the Sabbath day”

Verse eleven points out that God rested in the same way

By His actions, the Sabbath was made holy and blessed

It is intended for every person to get much needed rest

In Matthew twelve, the Pharisees asked Jesus a question

He said healing on the Sabbath was not a transgression

Jesus said a person would rescue a sheep which fell in a pit

His logic was sound, even the Pharisees would have to admit

The fifth was “Honor your father and your mother”

“So that you may live long”, one year after another

The next chapter says parents should not be attacked

Death is what awaits one who does such a heinous act

Leviticus twenty says the same holds true for curses

This is stated in the midst of several such verses

Proverbs ten says “a wise man brings joy to his father”

Conversely, a foolish son only brings grief and bother

“Listen to your father”, per Proverbs twenty two

“Do not despise your mother” for she bore you

“The father of a righteous man has great joy”

“He who has a wise son delights” in the boy

“May your father and mother be glad”

Let them rejoice instead of being sad

Ephesians six tells children their parents to obey

For from this commandment they should not stray

With a promise comes only this commandment

“To enjoy long life on earth” and to be content

21 January 2014 - The Names of God (part one)

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh”, Moses did God ask

In Exodus three, God said He would be with Moses for the task

Moses asked what name he should use when referring to God

“I AM WHO I AM” came the response, which sounded a bit odd

“Yahweh is the God of your fathers” – of the entire Israelite nation

And that this was how He should be remembered in every generation

For although to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob He had appeared

His name Yahweh to them He had until this time not volunteered

“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed…and in times of trouble”

Psalm nine says that He will not forsake those, even in rubble

Exodus twenty verse seven says not to misuse the Lord’s name

He will punish anyone who does, the commandment does exclaim

We are to praise His greatness, per Deuteronomy 32 verse four

His works are perfect, his ways are just - and there is much more

We are to call on His name, per 1 Chronicles chapter sixteen

And make known to the nations all the wonders that have been

From Proverbs 18:10, the Lord’s name is a strong tower

“The righteous run to it and are safe” because of His power

Similarly, Jeremiah ten verse six does state

That “no one is like you, O Lord, you are great”

King David said to the Lord, in 2 Samuel seven verse twenty two

“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord…there is no God but you”

David also said that God had redeemed Israel as a nation

His “great and awesome wonders” are cause for celebration

God established the Israelites as His “very own forever”

Thus implying that God’s ties to them, nothing can sever

Psalm 68 says that God helps us escape from death

Psalm 70 states that God is our hope in every breath

He will destroy the unfaithful, as per Psalm seventy three

Being near God and making him our refuge is the key

“Lift up your heads, O you gates” says Psalm twenty four

So “that the King of glory may come in” through the door

For He is strong in battle and is the Lord Almighty

This is something on which the psalmists all agree

About angels singing, in Revelation fifteen John did write

“Just and true” are His ways, throughout both day and night

“All nations will come and worship before [Him]” per verse four

For revealed to all will be his righteous acts and so much more

In Job chapter thirty four, Elihu makes a statement quite strong

“Far be it from God to do evil” or “the Almighty to do wrong”

And for what a man and his conduct deserve, God will repay

“It is unthinkable…that God would pervert justice” Elihu did say

“The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power”

But because he does not oppress, we should not cower

Psalm ninety one says that God “is my refuge and fortress”

Acting as our “shield and rampart” will be his faithfulness

“I am the Alpha and the Omega”, said God in Revelation 1:8

“Who is, and who was, and who is to come” He did state

29 November 2013 - Thanksgiving in the Bible

In the Bible there are many verses about Thanksgiving

Which are applicable for every day that we are living

 

We see in Nehemiah twelve verses forty six and forty seven

That the entire nation gave thanksgiving to God in heaven

In Psalm ninety five verses two and three

Again thanksgiving to God we do see

In First Corinthians one verses four and five, Paul did write

We should thank God for grace which makes all things right

In Second Corinthians four verses fifteen and sixteen

Grace leading more people to thanksgiving is seen

In Second Corinthians nine verses eleven and twelve

Into generosity and thanksgiving Paul did then delve

Later in Ephesians one verse fifteen and sixteen

Paul's never-ending thanksgiving to God is seen

In First Timothy four verses four and five

True thanksgiving we do not need to contrive

From First Chronicles sixteen verse thirty four

We should give thanks to God forever more

Psalms seven verse seventeen and twenty eight verse seven

Speak about giving thanks to our righteous Lord in heaven

Psalms one hundred verse four and one hundred six verse one

Talk of praising God for His name and all the things he has done

In Isaiah chapter twelve verse number four

Give thanks for God for his deeds of yore

In chapter thirty three verse eleven, Jeremiah does say

To give thanks to the Lord Almighty forever and a day

From First Thessalonians five verse eighteen

"Give thanks in all circumstances" is seen

 

We all have so much to be thankful for all the time

And that is one of the points of this simple rhyme

But more important than the "what" is the "who"

For God who deserves thanks our whole life through

 

I know and acknowledge that by God I have been blessed

Of course what His Son did for me outweighs all of the rest

But that does not deter me from giving thanks for other things

A loving family, caring friends, even the morning bird that sings

Being able to worship God without persecution fear

Having a house and food on the table year after year 

Dear God, please never let me get complacent about this

For to do so would be very ungrateful and of course remiss

 

So no matter where you may be living

I wish you a Happy Thanks-giving

25 November 2012 - ENCS

Pastor Larry gave the last sermon in the "Next Phase" series

He shared with us God's words, not just random theories

People often slip during phases of transition, he did us remind

But encouragement in Matthew 11:12 we can readily find

It speaks of the kingdom of heaven advancing and forceful men

We all need to grow and expand, he reminded us once again

But God knows that a transition period is something we each need

To prepare for the next phase of growth and to confidently proceed

Pastor then turned to Isaiah fifty four verses one to three

There are four ways to enlarge our tent, we did hear and see

 

The first is to rejoice by singing praises and shouting for joy

Especially when we are overwhelmed, this is a good ploy

By singing, we acknowledge that God is the one in control

For His love can save us from even the darkest hole

This was often practiced by the apostle we know as Paul

But also when shouting brought down Jericho's wall

Paul repeated Isaiah's words from Galatians 4 verse 27

He says that we are all children of promise from heaven

 

The second is to take a risk - to enlarge, stretch, and lengthen

Look at how David, Daniel, and Joseph God did strengthen

God helps ordinary people do extraordinary things

We should not hold back for God can give us wings

Remember the expression that good is the enemy of great

In the same vein, God really does not want us to stagnate

He needs us to be willing vessels to fulfill His plan

Prayer is very powerful for every believing man

 

The third, Pastor said, is for us to take responsibility

We should not hold back when opportunities we see

This is true whether they are for ourselves or another

And also whether the person happens to be a brother

Pastor read from First Chronicles chapter four verse ten

Like Jabez, we should ask for God's blessings again

"Pray like it is all up to God" DL Moody once did say

"But work like it is all up to us" so we can do God's way

 

The fourth and final point is to be ready to fight

Even in the early days, things were not always right

Acts six and eight mention complaints and persecution

Psalm 118:6 says that God's presence offers the solution

For when God is with us, we should not be afraid

With Him, great power and actions can be displayed

19 December 2010 - ENCS

Pastor Joey Bonifacio spoke about Psalm 1 verse 3
How fruit-yielding and unwavering our tree should be
He told us that all trees must start with a seed
The gap between the two is patience, which we all need
Pastor Joey then shared how men of patience we can be
He gave is simple principles - one, two, three

The first principle is that patience is about time
Per Ecclesiastes 3:1, about which I wrote a rhyme
"There is a time for everything and a season" too
This applies to all we even want to do
Three words for time Pastor then shared
All were in Greek, as at the screen we stared

About the passage of time Krones referred
We must use time wisely, as it can not be deferred
Psalm 90:12 says to "number our days aright"
So we "may gain a heart of wisdom" and light
Proverbs 19:11 says "a man's wisdom gives him patience"
If you think about it, this is actually common sense

The season of time is what Kairos is about
Seasons keep repeating, of that have no doubt
We should do different things in different seasons
They are all from God, for different reasons
During the winter, remember that spring will come
Use the seasons to grow, don't be dumb

Plero is about the fullness of time
The point here is a bit more sublime
As an example, per Proverbs 20:21
Riches quickly gained will likely be undone
For if we are impatient, we won't do God's will
Instead, we need to be seasoned and learn to be still
Like the men of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32
They "understood the times and knew what Israel should do"
Galatians 4:4 says only :when the time has fully come"
Did Jesus appear on earth, from God He came from
If the time has fully come, the fruit will taste good
If we manage out time well, prosper we should

Patience is about perseverance is the second principle
We then read James 5 verses seven and eight in full
"Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near"
From "autumn and spring rains" there is nothing to fear
We should trust God, for He is in control
He will help us, if His will is our goal

The third principle is that patience is about God
To 2 Peter 3:8-9 Pastor gave a nod
God is patient and wants us all to repent
That is why His only Son to earth was sent
The more we look to God and spend time with Him
The more patient we become, and it won't be a whim
For as a fruit of the Spirit, patience can not be learned
But once we have it, patience need not be returned

God must be a relationship, not a religion
Do everything with God, not just a smidgen
Per Hebrews 6:12, faith and patience are key
For with them God's promises and inheritance we will see