13 October 2019 - ENCS

About “making bad decisions” Pastor Josh spoke today

Esau married two Hitites, Genesis twenty six does say

This went against instructions that Abraham had shared

As a result of these mistakes, Esau became ensnared

Our internal desires and motives, per James chapter four

End up causing quarrels, fights, sinful action, and more

We should ask with the right motives, per verse three

For friendship with the world leads God to be an enemy

Solomon was extremely wise, as per First Kings eleven

But he didn’t listen to advice from friends or from heaven

Having hundreds of wives and concubines, it was seen

Did ruin him, he foretold in Proverbs five verse fourteen

He also warned against spurning discipline and correction

Instead, we should obey teachers for our own protection

Esau’s choices also did his parents’ lives greatly impact

Rebekah said that she loathed her life as a matter of fact

Our bad choices hurt others both directly and indirectly

For not sharing the word with others is acting incorrectly

Josh said the myth of independence is full of liabilities

People get self-focused and ignore their responsibilities

How we can avoid making bad decisions, Josh did quip

Is if we regularly pray, meditate, proclaim, and fellowship

Per Matthew twenty six, watch and pray to avoid temptation

Humble ourselves and use Matthew six as the foundation

Meditating on the Word leads to success, per Joshua one

As a good work, proclaiming the Word we should not shun

Per Proverbs eleven, relying on counsellors leads to safety

Encouragement and support can be provided by community

20 May 2018 - ENCS

A new series titled “Being Church”, Pastor Josh did undertake

Relationships and community, all humans endeavour to make

Josh said that in order for people to make a quality connection

They look for availability, affirmation, acceptance, and affection

Community was mentioned seventy times in the Old Testament

But only twice in the New, as ‘church” was much more frequent

Church comes from Greek words meaning “called out people”

People called to assemble, not just the place under a steeple

We are all living stones in a spiritual house, per First Peter two

Knowing that whatever we suffer, Jesus already lived through

When we read the Bible, we need our Lord God to bring it alive

By praying for guidance, we glean wisdom and therefore thrive

“I will build my church, said Jesus in Matthew sixteen eighteen

And “the gates of hell cannot prevail” it is subsequently seen

God accepts us as we are but He continues to with us work

Becoming who we can be is an objective we should not shirk

God builds his house with dressed stones, per First Kings six

Serving to remind us that each has different flaws He can fix

In the same way, we each have unique talents and abilities

With a place in His house, the opportunity we should seize

Relationships come from trust, love, dialogue, and forgiveness

Trust takes time to build but only with God do we not guess

With love we show grace and dialogue leads to discipleship

We should be quick to forgive, a sign of good stewardship

The church establishes community with a common mission

Into a royal priesthood and a holy nation without condition

This allows us to bless others and proclaim His goodness

Helping all of our interactions with others to be a success

Per Ephesians four, the whole body is joined, growing in love

Like interdependent ligaments and bones, as Paul did speak of

Pastor said that as long as we focus on God, we should know

Being around those who differ from us actually helps us to grow

6 November 2016 - ENCS

About Proverbs and words of wisdom, Pastor Josh did speak

With knowledge and understanding, wisdom is what we seek

Knowledge is about facts and understanding is implications

Wisdom is proven over time through consistent applications

Nigeria with its abundance of resources, Josh did compare

To Singapore and Botswana with good leaders who care

The difference in economic growth is clear for all to see

Similarly, Solomon asked for wisdom in First Kings three

Solomon said the beginning of wisdom, per Proverbs four

Was to obtain, at all cost, understanding more and more

In Proverbs nine, wisdom also requires the fear of the Lord

The Holy Spirit will ensure our efforts remain aboveboard

Four steps to have integrity and wisdom, Josh then did share

The first is to pray, a two way dialogue because God does care

We should however not use prayer as an opportunity to complain

For Christ went through so much more, enduring all sorts of pain

And if we feel wronged by others, our response needs to be right

For those are the instances where we can truly share God’s light

The second is to meditate on God’s word, so it is on our heart

Often times, this means to read less but think more on our part

The third is to preach, which also reminds ourselves of the truth

The fourth is to fellowship, which is key for parents and youth

In summary, Josh turned to Colossians three from verse fifteen

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” is evidently seen

To “admonish one another with all wisdom” is a good reminder

And to give thanks in all that we do makes us wiser and kinder

24 July 2016 - ENCS

Pastor Josh continued the series on leadership’s 5Cs

Moving from success to significance is one of the keys

Character is what will be known for at our life’s end

It's how we live our life, the result of a long term trend

From Romans five there is a lesson on how to cope

Suffering leads to endurance, then character and hope

Josh said that character is important, per First Kings ten

Although a great leader, Solomon has too many women

He ignored God’s very clear warnings in chapter eleven

And his wives turned his heart away from God in heaven

Josh then said character is a journey, not a destination

David’s sin was a blip that caused much consternation

But his response per Psalm fifty one showed his heart

Unlike son Solomon who from God his heart did depart

Repentance is actually a restoration of true character

In fellowship with each of us, God really does prefer

He knows all of our thoughts, our deeds, and our sin

Per First John one, God’s light over darkness will win

To renounce worldly passions, God’s grace trains us to do

As was written in Paul’s letter to pastor Titus chapter two

Those with good character are zealous to do good works

Leaving no time for bad things is just one of the perks

In conclusion, every great leader has a godly character

Enabling him or her to help others in their walk for sure

26 June 2016 - ENCS

Pastor Josh wrapped up the short series entitled “One Accord”

Highlighting that many people slip after a high with the Lord

Of course when we are desperate and in need, we often pray

But after our prayers are answered, from good habits we stray

Josh said we should be led by relationships, not circumstances

In that way, we can keep the momentum up and make advances

Josh used three Biblical examples to make points numbering three

The first was the Transfiguration, in Matthew seventeen we do see

There was also Moses’ encounter in Exodus chapter twenty four

And Elijah and fire in First Kings eighteen which is the stuff of lore

All three involved a mountain as a centrepiece, not just a prop

As such, the sermon was entitled “Maximising the Mountaintop"

The purpose of the mountaintop is what Josh first talked about

For without a clear purpose, there will be abuse without a doubt

In the Transfiguration, God said they should listen to His Son

God gave Moses a plan to handle what there was to be done

The Lord answered Elijah’s prayers with fire to show his strength

For godly encounters like these, most of us often pray at length

But problems also arise when we come down from the mountaintop

We come down to reach out to others but challenges arise nonstop

Moses got extremely angry when he returned to see pagan worship

Elijah was scared of Jezebel’s threat so he went away on a long trip

We have to recognise that God’s word and plans will be tested

For the enemy wants God’s kingdom’s progress to be arrested

So the real question is how we should respond, Josh did then say

The clear Biblical answer is to turn back to God and fervently pray

God continued to sustain Elijah as he went back to the mountain

Moses went back up the mountain to atone for the people’s sin

Peter, James, and John looked up and saw only Jesus remaining

Reminding us that that single focus ensures our faith is sustaining

28 February 2016 - ENCS

Pastor Larry continued the series on “Heart of the Matter”

About spiritual parenting, from a child’s first pitter patter

There are lots of struggles and even panic for every parent

But through it all, the joy received is of course heaven sent

“Wake Up and Raise Up” was the title of tonight’s sermon

Whether to raise sons or monuments is for us to determine

The Corinthian church wanted knowledge more and more

Paul rebuked them for not sharing, per First Corinthians four

Similarly, if we do not share, we end up building monuments

Larry said focusing on raising kids makes much more sense

He then focused on King David, a man after God’s own heart

Unfortunately, for a long time, as a father he did not do his part

Per Second Samuel three, he had six sons from six different wives

Chapters thirteen and eighteen tell how messed up were their lives

David knew what was going on, then got angry and even cried

But correcting their bad behaviour is not something that he tried

Of course David did not have a good earthly role model father

He was shunned by brothers and even King Saul did not bother

So David loved God dearly but still needed to make some change

Which came about after he and Nathan had a strong exchange

David wrote Psalm sixty eight, as God is father to the fatherless

This is a critical point which Pastor Larry took pains to express

But as can be clearly seen in both Proverbs four and twenty two

With Solomon, as a spiritual father David now knew what to do

He provided instruction from the Lord God as well as discipline

And in First Kings two, David provided guidance to his next-of-kin

Telling Solomon to act like a man and to always God above obey

Then he would be successful in all his efforts, so David did say

In conclusion, Pastor said that to God the Father we can look

For His guidance is worth far more than any self-help book

Elijah wanted to connect fathers and sons, per Malachi four

Or else a complete destruction of the land would be in store

He then showed a trailer from the movie entitled “War Room”

We should pray to God for others we can rescue from doom

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

2 May 2014 - Elijah: The Fiery Prophet

Per First Kings sixteen, over Israel Ahab twenty years did reign

More than any other, he provoked God to anger again and again

Elijah told Ahab that there would be a severe drought

But God would take care of Elijah, there was no doubt

Ravens brought him bread and meat; he drank from the brook

At the Lord's words to Solomon, the people refused to look

For He forewarned them, per Second Chronicles seven

God would heal the land if their pleas He heard in heaven

 

After more than two years, per First Kings eighteen

God told Elijah to return and rain would be seen

Ahab met Elijah and blamed him for all the trouble

Elijah said that Ahab's actions were sinfully double

To gather the prophets of Baal and Asherah, Elijah did instruct

Although one against eight hundred fifty, a test he would conduct

Two fires would be laid but not lit - with a bull on the top of each

"The god who answers by fire - He is God" was the lesson to teach

 

Elijah allowed the Baal prophets to choose and go first

From morning until noon, Baal their god they coerced

There was no response and then Elijah started to taunt

Even at the end of the day, there was nothing to flaunt

Elijah repaired the altar and had water poured on the wood

He prayed and God lit the fire as only the true God could

The people saw this and fell prostrate to honor God

The Baal prophets were all killed for their facade

13 April 2014 - The Kingdom Divides

After being king in Jerusalem for forty years, Solomon died

Per First Kings eleven, his son Rehoboam did then preside

But when the people asked him to lighten their heavy load

He ignored his elder advisers and the people he did goad

By saying he would make their load heavier and with more pain

The people of Israel were upset and did more than just complain

Except for the tribe of Judah, they did against him all rebel

This fulfilled God’s promise, First Kings twelve does tell

The rest of Israel decided to name Jeroboam their new king

Per First Kings twelve, he feared what the future might bring

So he made two golden calves, one in Bethel and one in Dan

Hoping the people would support him instead of God’s plan

The people worshipped the calves and it was indeed a sin

Jeroboam even appointed priests who were not Levite kin

Therefore “this was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led”

“To its downfall and…destruction”, First Kings thirteen said

11 April 2014 - Solomon: Temple and Temptation

When Hiram heard about Solomon, per First Kings five

He was pleased for with David the relationship did thrive

To Hiram, a message about a temple Solomon did send

Saying that to build one for God was what he did intend

For there were no more wars and Israel was finally at rest

It was the right thing to do, for the nation was blessed

Solomon asked Hiram that cedars from Lebanon be cut

Hiram said Solomon was a very wise man, not some nut

Solomon “devoted [himself] to study”, per Ecclesiastes one

While king of Israel, he explored by wisdom all that is done

He said that he had seen all the things done under the sun

And concluded that all of them were meaningless, even if fun

“There is a time for everything”, per Ecclesiastes three

And under heaven, there is “a season for every activity”

“”A time to be born and a time to die”, it does reveal

A time to plant and to uproot, to kill and to heal

To tear down and to build, to laugh and to weep

To mourn and to dance, also to sow and to reap

To keep and to discard, to be silent and to speak

To love and to hate, to be bold and to be meek

“Two are better than one”, it says in Ecclesiastes four

By working together, they can achieve so much more

They can help each other out in times of trouble

For their combined strength is more than double

Per Ecclesiastes twelve, “Not only was the Teacher wise”

“But also he imparted knowledge” to people of every size

He found the right words and “wrote what was upright and true”

Without change, the proverbs he wrote told everyone what to do

“The conclusion of the matter” is that God should be feared

Man’s duty is to keep the commandments that appeared

Per First Kings eleven, Solomon loved women from many a nation

Although doing so broke God’s orders and risked His condemnation

“As Solomon grew old, [to other gods] he wives turned his heart”

Unlike his father David, from God’s ways Solomon did depart

God told Solomon that He was angry that Solomon did not obey

As a result, after his death his kingdom would be taken away

8 April 2014 - Solomon: The Wisest King

As David was ready to die, in Second Kings two

He told his son Solomon important things to do

He said, “Be strong, show yourself a man”

“Keep His…commands” as best as you can

“So that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go”

“If your descendants…walk faithfully”, the kingdom will grow

So then, as per First Chronicles twenty nine

Solomon sat on the throne and did just fine

All of Israel to King Solomon pledged their submission

“The Lord highly exalted Solomon” in everyone’s vision

God appeared to Solomon one night, per First Kings three

The Lord said to him, “Ask whatever you want [from] me”

Solomon was wise and showed great humility on his part

He therefore asked God to give him “a discerning heart”

So he would be able “to distinguish between right and wrong”

God was pleased that he had not asked for wealth or life long

With “a wise and discerning heart” Solomon was thus blessed

God said that in this way, as a king, he would be the best

In addition, God gave him riches and honor and many things

“So that in [his] lifetime [he would] have no equal among kings”

The Israelite people were numerous, per First Kings four

They ate and drank and had a lot to be thankful for

Solomon ruled over all of the kingdoms in the region

“These countries brought tribute” to him that was legion

“God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight”

“He was wiser than any other man”, be it day or night

To all the surrounding nations, his fame did thus spread

He wrote thousands of proverbs and songs, it is said

“Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom”

For he would teach about everything to them who did come

In Proverbs one, Solomon wrote about their purpose and theme

“For attaining wisdom and discipline”, “words of insight” teem

“For…doing what is right and just and fair”

To the simple, giving prudence and care

And to “let the wise listen and add to their learning”

To provide guidance for those who are discerning

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”

True wisdom and discipline are worth more than college

In Luke eleven, Jesus said “this is a wicked generation”

For they asked for signs, but will only get condemnation

“The Queen of the South…came…to listen to Solomon’s wisdom”

But “now one greater than Solomon” to earth has come

5 August 2012 - ENCS

About Second Chronicles 7:14 Pastor Larry did speak
He also referred to Singapore 47th birthday this week
The island nation and its people are so obviously blessed
But it faces economic and moral challenges like all the rest
This was a lead-in for Pastor and a series new
Talking about "Champions" and what they do
Pastor said that victors is what God wants us to be
But not by the cheating ways that we often see
For per 2 Corinthians ten verses three to five
Paul says that although others may connive
We are to "wage war" in a different way
By being obedient to God every day

The title was "Champions Confront Life's Strongholds"
Remember it is through challenges that God molds
Pastor based his sermon on 1 Kings chapter eighteen
About Elijah, one of the greatest prophets ever seen
Any revival requires a remnant to in faith step out
Per verse 21, about God's power Elijah had no doubt

To "recognise a stronghold" is step number one
In Elijah's day, there seemed to be followers none
A stronghold means saying "I will never change"
But we know this is something God can arrange
Strongholds lead to doubt and double mindedness
Plus of course negative feelings and lots of stress
If from James one verse eight we do read
Stability is what double minded people need
But through trials we can develop maturity
If we rely on the Lord as our real security
Strongholds come from sin, culture, and pride
And mean that to God's word we do not abide

Next we should "confront strongholds with action faith"
Look at 1 Kings 18:24 to see what Elijah did saith
And in the same way that the fire God did arrange
From impossible to possible, God can effect change
Pastor talked of family and nation breaking down
We then heard a testimony from a visitor in town
He said that if his dire situation could be reversed
There is no reason that our lives should be cursed

Lastly, we should "confront strongholds with prayer"
Per verses 37-39, the Lord will show that he does care
He will give us what we solely and jointly need
But He is waiting for us to pray and intercede
His fire is to fill us up, not to destroy others
He wants us to enlist more Christian brothers

In summary, Pastor said that we need to be on fire
If we are to take ourselves - and our nation - higher

15 April 2012 - 1 Kings 19:3-9

Elijah was afraid and from Jezebel did run away
And into the desert he did journey for a day
Sitting under a tree, he prayed he would die
"I have had enough" to God he did cry
"I am no better than my ancestors" he did say
He fell asleep under the tree where he did lay
An angel touched him, telling him to "get up and eat"
Warm bread and water were by his head, not his feet
Elijah ate, drank, and again fell asleep as he lay down
"Get up and eat" again said the angel in a gown
Adding that "the journey is too much for you"
Elijah then realised that this was indeed true
Strengthened by the food, he travelled forty days
He then went into a mountain cave to seek God's ways

Elijah was clearly feeling desolate and defeated
But God's work for him was far from completed
So as Elijah asked how he had strayed so far
God replenished him with bread and the water jar
In the wilderness there is often weakness and despair
But we should never forget that God does really care
On the mountain, there is strength as well as hope
It is therefore always worthwhile to walk up that slope