16 June 2024 - ENCS

Pastor Arnie Manzano this morning shared wisdom aplenty

His sermon “Lord Like No Other” based on Matthew twenty

Starting with an important reminder from the chapter before

Many who are first will be last, many who are last will get more 

Arnie said Jesus being The Generous Master is clearly seen

Per the parable of vineyard workers in verses one to sixteen

For expectations develop easily and can go on to breed envy

Comparison is the thief of joy, per the Roosevelt named Teddy

God’s salvation is open to all so we should trust His generosity 

For it is by His grace we are saved, in Ephesians two we see

Jesus The Servant Leader is seen through verse twenty eight

He shared with His disciples what in Jerusalem did Him await

Entitlement breeds expectations but Jesus said to be selfless

Those wanting to be great must serve and then God will bless

Jesus gave His life for many so we must trust Jesus’ sacrifice

Isaiah fifty three had prophecied that Jesus would pay the price

Jesus is The Compassionate Healer per the final eight verses

Two blind men were persistent despite others yelling curses

Jesus hears our cries and He causes change to be revealed

We should trust God’s compassion and to the Holy Spirit yield

10 March 2024 - ENCS

Pastor Josh continued the series on the book of Matthew

Moving from Jesus’ words to the miracles Jesus did do

He referred to events detailed in chapters eight and nine

Which somewhat coincidentally are favourites of mine

About the power of Jesus, Josh did immediately share

For those hit by sickness and disease Jesus did care

In Matthew eight, He healed the leper and the servant

To fulfil prophecies in Isaiah, from heaven He was sent

Jesus had power over storms, from verse thirty three

Great winds and waves the disciples did fearfully see

He rebuked the great winds, saying “ye of little faith"

Remember that trials will oft hit us, Josh did sayeth

Over demonic spirits Jesus also had complete power

In the presence of possessed men, a town did cower

Jesus sent the demons into swine who then did perish

Then for Jesus to leave the area, the townfolk did wish

The compassion of Jesus was also evident in the book

He touched the “unclean” even if others dare not look

He loved the “least” and the “impossible” He did engage

Which means from our sin and pain, Jesus can assuage

In conclusion, how we should respond Joshua did ask

Not with fear and refusal or with false accusation bask

We should humble ourselves and in God fully trust

"Walking by faith, not by sight" as is often discussed

23 January 2024 - The Ghosting Trap

The other morning as I scrolled through my SQ App

There was a devotion entitled "The Ghosting Trap”

Engaging relationships can suddenly just disappear

Like a disconnected internet that becomes unclear

But as written in Deuteronomy chapter thirty one

Abandoning us is something God has never done

And per Isaiah forty one, we should never fear

For the Lord God and His strength are always near

13 January 2024 - ENCS

Pastor Josh shared some thoughts at a get-together

That seem appropriate whether in fair or foul weather

The prophet Isaiah, in chapter sixty three verse seven

Mentions the all-loving kindness of God in heaven

We should remember all of our answered prayers

A testimony to how much our Lord God for us cares

All that God has bestowed on us, Isaiah did continue

Opportunities and talents that help in all that we do

So we thank God for blessings on our life’s trip

As we all pray, meditate, proclaim, and fellowship

7 January 2024 - ENCS

Pastor Josh kicked off a new series on holiness

‘Holy" can be taken in two ways, Josh did express

It can describe God who is above all that is bad

But many view it in a judgemental way that is sad

In chapter six, Isaiah saw God sitting on a throne

The fact that King Uzziah was a kind of milestone

Reminding us that in order to obtain our inheritance

We must at times from our old ways put a distance

Because God is holy, from the world He is separate

Human infirmity, impurity, and sinfulness are our fate

We all fall short of God’s glory, per Romans three

So were dead in our sins, in Ephesians two we see

God's perfect love can make us healthy spiritually

That helps us mentally, emotionally, and physically

Per Romans five, we have been justified by faith

By His grace we have been saved, Paul sayeth

God is holy - separate, sacred, and superlative

We are not holy - sinful and selfish in how we live

God makes us holy - setting us right and free

Enabling us up to do His good works with glee

24 December 2023 - ENCS

Pastor Vicki Tekwani talked about “hope” this Christmas Eve

In Isaiah nine, God made promises while His people did grieve

God said that their exile and suffering would one day cease

Thanks to the Saviour, also known as the Prince of Peace

Vicki then ran through three questions that we should ponder

“What are my eyes fixed on - earth or Jesus?” he did wonder

Next up was “Where am I headed - my way or God’s way?” 

But man’s way leads to death, Proverbs fourteen does say

“What does my future look like?” is not just a personal wish

Per Isaiah nine, there will be no gloom for those in anguish

For we are promised that contempt will be turned to glory

And darkness into great light in that same chapter we see

The work of Jesus Christ starts with turning darkness to light

Light represents salvation, hope, and a path through the night

Per John eight, Jesus is the light of the world and its strife

Put another way, He gives us the gift and light of eternal life

Jesus turns sorrow into joy,  not based on human emotion

That is one reason He should be the centre of our devotion

We also have hope because Jesus turns conflict into peace

And with Him, we have an inner peace that does not cease

This will all be fulfilled through and by Jesus and his kingdom

The eternal riches he offers are superior to any earthly income

God’s Son is called Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God too

Without His presence, we really have no hope to look forward to

There will be unending peace under King Jesus, per Isaiah nine

Remember Jesus’ prayerful words “your will be done, not mine”

God’s will embodies justice and righteousness, making things right

His Kingdom will stand the test of time, as Proverbs does write

It is important to remember that we always have access to God

His love for us has been proven many times, it is not a facade

And if we continue to pray, mediate, proclaim, and fellowship

We will bring light to the world, as we should being His heirship

17 September 2023 - ENCS

About Spritual Quotient, Pastor Joey did today continue

Talking about “The Thief” that in John ten we did view

Our struggle is versus spiritual forces, per Ephesians six

So we pray that the eyes of our hearts on God do affix

Per Isaiah fourteen, the thief is called the morning star

God thwarted his attempted coup and said au revoir

Per Revelations twelve, his name is Satan or devil

Also several other names that we should not revel

About one-third of heaven's angels on his side fought

But omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent he is not

God lets him live so that we can exercise our free will

But his future, per Revelation twenty, torment will fill

God made us a bit lower than angels, per Psalm eight

To overcome the devil, God’s power we can activate

This is very clearly stated in Hebrews chapter two

Jesus will destroy Satan, in First John three we view

The enemy’s names tell us what he is trying to do

As he did with Eve, the serpent will try to tempt you

The devil tries to deceive, telling us all sorts of lies

Satan accuses us - so listening to him is unwise

To stop the enemy from stealing submit to God

For God’s armour Ephesians six gives the nod

Pray against temptation, meditate over deception

Proclaim the gospel, fellowship over accusation

18 June 2023 - ENCS

A new series "Firm Foundations”, Pastor Joey did start

He told us to take Hebrews five verse eleven to heart

Paul said that they needed elementary truths to relearn

They needed “milk not solid food”, he wrote in concern

Winning the Unseen Battle with Death was today’s title

Starting the series off with a topic that is extremely vital

In Genesis two, death will follow eating from the tree

Although obviously Adam and Eve didn't die physically

Romans six clarifies that the death is in fact separation

And eternal separation from God is therefore damnation

Therefore the way to reverse death is through repentance

Sins separate us from God per a Isaiah fifty nine sentence

Repentance is also the way to remove consequences

God sees our heart if we repent and come to our senses

Finally, repentance is the way for our life to be restored

As it leads to forgiveness and blessings from the Lord

Pastor then took some time to say what repentance is not

It is not about regrets as they can never reverse the rot

It is not about resentment or bitterness to self or others

Nor is it about rationalising or justifying sin to our brothers

Repentance is a lifestyle of recognising sin without cessation

Per First John one, confessing our sins leads to purification

Repentance is a state of ongoing remorse for past actions

Godly sorrow produces earnest change without distractions

Finally, repentance is a progressive change in direction

Per Matthew three, producing fruit during this correction

25 December 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Josh shared with us on this special day

A brief message about Christmas, he did say

Per Isaiah nine, to us a child born, a son given

Jesus came here so our sins would be forgiven

Five attributes of Jesus are listed in that book

Wonderful, counsellor of wisdom - take a look

Mighty God, everlasting Father, prince of peace

His leadership means our joy will never cease

Paradoxically His birth was to enable his death

Per Isaiah, he bore our sins with His last breath

Chapter fifty three says that we have all strayed

But thanks to Him, our eternal life is re-made

What this means for us is stated in Romans ten

Confess that Jesus is Lord and will come again

Everyone who believes will not be put to shame

But will be saved when we proclaim His name

18 December 2022 - ENCS

Today Pastor Josh spoke on “Walking in the Darkness"

Jesus is the light of the world, John eight does stress

Darkness can not overcome Him, per John chapter one

For His light is brighter and longer lasting than the sun

His word is a light on our path and a map for our feet

About this Psalm one hundred nineteen is quite upbeat

There will be many times when in darkness we will walk

But about trusting in God’s presence, we should not balk

For His light is ever present and able to be relied upon

Per Isaiah fifty, without it into torment people have gone

Trying to rely on our own strengths will lead to trouble

That is why so many empires have ended up in rubble

Second Corinthians five says to walk by faith not sight

That can be tough when things do not seem to be right

But remember what is clearly stated in Isaiah fifty one

Remember all the things in the past that God has done

Abraham and Sarah are applauded in Hebrews eleven

For their unerring trust in promises from God in heaven

We should LIVE in the light of Jesus Christ our Lord

In His victory over darkness and the light of His word

We should WALK with total reliance on God, Josh said

In trust of His character, not by sight but by faith instead

We should LOOK at God’s faithfulness and His promises

And at God’s face with trust, not as doubting Thomases

23 October 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Josh shared another mental health episode

On how to deal with emotions before they explode

He read from the first book of Samuel chapter one

Hannah was barren, without a daughter or a son

Josh said that barrenness can lead to desperation

Of course Hannah was getting filled with frustration

At times God allows us to go through severe pain

If that prepares us to help others, it is not in vain

In those days, married without children was a curse

Being mistreated by her rival just made things worse

Her husband loved her a lot but still misunderstood

And the priest misjudged her instead of doing good

To God in prayer, Hannah poured out her heart

Praying selflessly, willing to from her son depart

It was clear to the priest that she prayed in faith

“May God grant you what you asked”, he saith

God’s process often starts with some barrenness

The healing process often requires brokenness

For this can lead to an important breakthrough

As with Samuel, who Hannah later gave birth to

After the sermon, Josh shared Isaiah forty three

One of the critical messages resonated with me

On our past mistakes we should not overly dwell

For what we can do in the future God will us tell

21 August 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Josh continued the series on Evil Days Ahead

Passages from several books of the Bible he then read

Ephesians six mentions the breastplate of righteousness

God says to stand firm, First Peter five does profess

The work of righteousness is peace, per Isaiah thirty two

Romans eight states God will always see us through

No weapon formed against us by the enemy will prevail

If, per Isaiah fifty four, of God’s righteousness we avail

Righteousness is reflected and evident in our actions

Rooted in covenants and relationships and reactions

In verse six, God’s words to His people Micah did share

Comparing our righteousness to His, we should not dare

First Thessalonians five says to put on faith and love

As a breastplate to signify we belong to God above

Remember we are all unclean, per Isaiah sixty four

A message repeated in Romans three wit detail more

Righteousness gives us peace, protection, and power

Through right standing, relating, and living every hour

By letting go of self-righteousness and receiving God’s

For believing our hearts are worth it increases the odds

1 Peter 5:8

1 Thessalonians 5:8

Ephesians 6:13-14

Isaiah 32:17, 54:17, 61:1-7, 64:6

Micah 6:1-8

Philippians 3:6-8

Romans 3:10-12

14 August 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Josh Harris continued the “Be Strong” series today

Leveraing what Pastor Joey and Ephesians six had to say

Snowden famously said that truth is first casualty of war

For us to wear the belt of truth, Pastor Josh did implore

If we are falsely accused, according to Psalm forty three

We must seek God’s light and truth to combat the enemy

For the truth will set us free, states John eight thirty two

Otherwise we are slaves to sin because of the sin we do

The answers to “why truth” are thus it gives us direction

And by seeking God, truth also provides us protection

Thirdly, Pastor Josh highlighted, truth buys us freedom

So bottom line, not seeking truth would be a bit dumb

Definitions of ‘what is truth?”, there are a preponderance

Be it logical, experiential, or universal correspondence

Truth is righteously active, as stated in Isaiah eleven

And truth is embodied in Jesus sent down from heaven

To answer the “so how?”, look at Ephesians four and five

Replace our falsehoods with our true identity so to thrive

We should remember to walk and do everything in love

Thus as God's children, we can try to imitate Him above

Ephesians 4:21-24, 5:1-2, 6:13

Isaiah 11:2-6

John 8:32-36,14:6

7 August 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Joey kicked off the “Be Strong” series today

Based on what Paul in Ephesians chapter six did say

We should put on God’s full armour per verse thirteen

'When (not if) the day of evil comes"'is clearly seen

We are in the midst of evil days, Pastor Joey said

Pandemic, poverty, war, pestilence causing dread

The Bible remains relevant and in it we can trust

It is always factual, spiritual, practical, and robust

Five times in Ephesians ‘heavenly realms’ appears

Struggles against flesh and blood are not our fears

But rulers, authorities, and powers of the dark world

How we can combat these Pastor Joey then unfurled

First is to be conscious about the heavenly realm

For that is where Jesus is eternally at the helm

We have been offered a chance to sit with him

Our eternal purpose and mission is not a whim

The evil that was in the heavens, God did displace

With his perfect son Jesus Christ, He did replace

As the lyrics in the song “In Jesus’ Name” stress

God is fighting for us, pushing back the darkness

Second is to be conscious about the evil days

Be careful how we live and be wise in our ways

We should make the most of every opportunity

To watch our steps and the devil’s schemes see

These evil spiritual forces include lust and greed

Envy and pride are bad; even success can mislead

We must not let the sun go down while still angry

For the devil that is a very common opportunity

"Be conscious of the resources we have" is third

All about the ’strength of the Lord’ we then heard

Per Isaiah, strength comes from hope in the Lord 

Paul said in full armour we can stand as a horde

Ephesians 1:3, 18-21; 2:6; 3:10; 4:26-27; 6:10-17

Isaiah 40: 28-31

The secret disciple

On an oft-overlooked man Pastor Mark did speak 

For his actions were critical during Easter week

Joseph was a disciple albeit in secret we do hear

Per John nineteen because the Jews he did fear

From Arimathea, wealthy with a tomb to share

With Nicodemus, Jesus’ body he did prepare

Isaiah fifty three verse nine he did consummate

The early church did therefore Joseph venerate

Joseph is a parallel for many in the marketplace

At times we might operate with a Christian face

But we do not make the reason for my actions clear

Perhaps like Joseph, public reaction we do fear

But when it mattered most, Joseph was brave

Asking Pilate for Jesus’ body to put in the grave

Legend has it that he was then put in prison

But that Jesus freed him once He was arisen

So whether by self or in a group be it big or small

We would do well to remember the pastoral call

At home, in church, at the office, or on a trip

Remember - pray, meditate, proclaim, fellowship

17 November 2019 - ENCS

More on prosperity Pastor Josh Harris shared today

Based on what Deuteronomy twenty eight does say

As Josh said last week, prosperity is more than things

Relationships, vocation, and inheritance God brings

How this really works in our lives is the key question

God’s blessings help us to succeed in our progression

Listen and hear God’s voice, per Isaiah twenty eight

For His word is like a seed that produces fruit great

God instructs and teaches everyone the right way

A wonderful plan and magnificent wisdom, it does say

Deuteronomy says that if we follow God’s commands

Then He will give His “prosperity" throughout the lands

But we are under the power of sin, per Romans three

The law makes us conscious of our sin, we clearly see

Righteousness thus comes not from our works but faith

Though obedience and works follow faith, James sayeth

Through our relationship with God, He can clear our sin

Allowing to our heart His counsel, plans, and wisdom in

We cannot please God without faith, per Hebrews eleven

But it is more than just believing that He exists in heaven

We must believe that He rewards those who do Him seek

Those blessings can be used to bless others every week

If we think of God’s words as seeds intended for our heart

Then how should we live our life and therefore do our part

Pastor Josh repeated “pray, meditate, proclaim, fellowship”

Because each step is critical so none should we daily skip

1 September 2019 - ENCS

On the tenth verse of John ten Pastor Josh did opine

For in this one quote from Jesus is a veritable goldmine

For “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy”

But Jesus comes to bring us life that is filled with joy

About how the enemy steals from us, Pastor Josh did talk

Recognising it is tough to find our path on which to walk

The first area is time or at least how we perceive time

Asking “are we there yet” can become a bad paradigm

Looking to the future is okay, as long as within reason

For per Ecclesiastes three, everything has a season

We should focus on the present and its opportunities

And thus we train so God's future plans we can seize

The second area is when we dwell too much on the past

Memories of both bad and good events should not last

Per Isaiah forty three, the past can muddle the present

In verse nineteen, living in the present is God’s intent

We may have challenges, like streams in the wasteland

But God never fails us, for his promises go as planned

The third area is when we focus on ourselves too much

In Isaiah chapter thirty nine, Hezekiah was out of touch

He cared about his life but not the more important legacy

In Genesis twenty five, Abraham cared for his entire tree

We should each do the same with the next generation

For family, church, and career - build a strong foundation

Thus in conclusion, live each moment as God does intend

And per Second Timothy, fight the good fight until the end

By doing so, we can impact others and create that legacy

And then our rewards will come in heaven for eternity

Remember that we can not take things when we die

Only our relationships with God and people do qualify

9 June 2019 - ENCS

The relationship series today Pastor Joey did conclude

Relationships are critical for we do not live in solitude

But all are different because each individual is unique

Four common principles determine if strong or weak

Trust, love, forgiveness, and today’s topic communication

The key for all of these principles is the implementation

With a blood analogy, Joey does relationships describe

He put this forward extremely calmly, not in a diatribe

The red and white blood cells represent love and trust

Forgiveness, like platelets, heal wounds, he discussed

Plasma is more than half of blood, akin to communication

Per Genesis four, blood has a role in communication

Communication can be defined as a means to exchange

An intent to commune with others, the spirit does arrange

All good communication starts with God, per Edwin Cole

Four basic communication principles the Lord does extol

God’s words always have a purpose, per Isaiah fifty five

Per James one, being quick to listen we should strive

Jesus’ actions as a human many lessons we do learn

Even without words or actions, the Spirit can discern

Joey said relationships become automatic, in summation

If they have trust, love, forgiveness, and communication

19 May 2019 - ENCS

The short series on relationships, Pastor Joey did continue

For our existence and happiness, relationships are the glue

As with a chair, we must trust a relationship’s foundation

Without trust, relationships falter and go into deterioration

For human beings, having trust and relationships is a must

As we are all sinners, we can never be fully trusted or trust

So about what builders trust, five points Pastor did share

As always, looking to God and the Bible helps us to prepare

For per Proverbs three, trust in the Lord with all of our heart

And in all of our ways, from a straight path we will not depart

Pastor used the letters of the word 'trust’ to form an anagram

For some of us, that is easier to remember than a diagram

With four letters in common, truth is the first basis for trust

Truth is tough, as half truths and fake news are oft-discussed

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life per John fourteen

So from Jesus and with Jesus truth we can surely glean

Reliability is another basis, as trust follows consistency

God is always reliable, so we should trust Him completely

His promises always come through, per Joshua twenty one

While His trust in us is dependent on what we have done

The third basis is unity, our words and actions aligned

The level of  consistency is how our integrity is defined

God is perfect unity, per the words in Deuteronomy four

Therefore versus humans we can trust Him infinitely more

Fourth is standards, akin to our building blocks or bricks

God is considered “holy, holy, holy” in Isaiah chapter six

Last but not least is time as per Hebrews chapter thirteen

Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever it is seen

Pastor concluded by talking about how we build this trust

Giving and receiving trust is inherently risky, he discussed

He mentioned that if we can not trust people to be on time

It is hard to trust them with bigger things (but not a crime)

The bottom line is for us to do the right things consistently

Then amazing relationships with God and people we see

19 April 2019 - Good Friday

In the midst of the first Lord’s Supper and Holy Communion

To betray Jesus, the disciple Judas left the sacred union

To Gethsemane, Jesus and the other disciples did retreat

“Your will be done” to God in prayer Jesus did then repeat

Jesus the human was in agony and like blood He sweat

He knew what was forthcoming to pay for our sinful debt

Being crucified would be the Son's ultimate act of obedience

For the Holy Jesus was not allowed a path of expedience

He earnestly prayed for the cup of suffering to be removed

By sending an angel, God’s love for His Son was proved

Strength was provided, as only an angel of the Lord could

For per Isaiah, this anguish would result in eternal good

So as I reflect on this Maundy Thursday and Good Friday

I again realise that obedience to the Lord is the only way

And when facing challenges, I may be tempted to complain

I remind myself of Jesus’ undeserved suffering and pain

Knowing that after two days of the enemy’s celebration

Jesus would be resurrected, offering hope and salvation