15 January 2023 - ENCS

Pastors Neli and Tina Atiga spoke about progress today

Progress is possible and it is also purpose, they did say

Neli and Tina both complimented and complemented

And a very powerful message they jointly presented

Neli referred to Exodus fourteen, verses six to fourteen

The Israelites yearned for where slaves they had been

Egypt was significant for Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac

All three went there at times when food they did lack

But when Moses brought the Israelites to the Red Sea

Moving towards the Promised Land, they did not agree

Akin to lifting weights to gain strength, as we know

We must be broken, rest, replace, in order to grow

But this process of progress should not be feared

Per verse fourteen, the Lord has never disappeared

Tina said we need a new wineskin in order to progress

We have had setbacks, heartaches, and often a mess

But Tina pointed out that we must recognise the pain

Not easy but failure to do so will our progress constrain

We must know our purpose, clearly rooted in our identity

God’s plans for us stand forever, per Zephaniah three

Psalm one hundred thirty nine says to God give praise

For we are fearfully and wonderfully made, to paraphrase

Our words can give death and life, per Proverbs eighteen

Speak positively so as children of God we are to be seen

Remember Proverbs chapter nineteen verse twenty one

We may have plans, but God’s purpose will be done

The Lord chose us because of our future faithfulness

Thankfully not because of our past failures or success

26 August 2022 - ENCS

Pastor Neli Atiga yesterday led a very special worship night

The music, the words, the voices were more than just alright

Bishop Manny Carlos spoke about how God can situations fix

He based his message on Psalm one hundred and twenty six

Being in lengthy exile had been traumatic for the Jewish nation

Returning to Jerusalem was a dream but required restoration

For the city and the temple had both been entirely destroyed

God’s covenant promises people, place, presence - not a void

Manny then highlighted that God can very suddenly restore

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy even more

We should remember that our labour for God is never in vain

God has promised restoration and has begun the process again

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

28 November 2016 - Awaken Generation

Pastor Neli Atiga last night spoke on “The Herd That Heard”

First Samuel one to four formed the basis for his erudite word

Neli said that sheep inherently know the voice of their shepherd

Similarly, we need to know God’s voice, from Neli we heard

Barren Hannah prayed to God and was seen by Eli the priest

He thought she was drunk but her desperation only increased

She promised that her son would serve God is she conceived

God answered her prayer and then Hannah no longer grieved

So Samuel lived at the temple under Eli's mentorship and care

But there was no frequent vision and the word of God was rare

Pastor Neli then spoke to the AG graduating class in a side note

They should create, not just import, worship was his apt quote

Samuel rested in the temple while Eli slept at his own place

Another sign that between Eli and God there was a big space

Neli said that we must be careful and always with God rest

Even doing the work of God can become idolatry he did attest

Samuel heard a voice and eventually realised it was the Lord

Consequences loomed for it was the priestly position Eli adored

With Eli, these dire warnings for his family Samuel did share

Because about God more than man’s view Samuel did care

When he heard about the lost ark of God, Eli met his demise

For he was more focused on his appearance in man’s eyes

Remember that God fills us up to send us out, Pastor Neli did say

To give us the character we need for our platform, we should pray

We should position ourselves to carry out our calling with humility

For it is the heart behind our actions that our Lord God does see

1 November 2015 - ENCS

Tonight ENCS Kallang was blessed as Pastor Neli Atiga was back

With him leading worship, energy was something we did not lack

I was a bit surprised he did not launch into a haka like an All-Black

Before he started on his sermon which was as sharp as a tack

Neli read from Matthew chapter seven, verses twenty one to three

Doing things in accordance with God’s will was his earnest plea

If so many people do not like their jobs, why don’t they just flee?

For avoiding our calling and God’s will merely pleases the enemy

The title of Pastor Neli’s sermon was “For The Sake of The Call”

Only God’s will gives us complete fulfilment, be it spring or fall

Our calling is not just about the gifting that God in us did install

It is bringing God to the people around us, as did apostle Paul

It is not just a platform when God calls us to a specific place

But it is for all of the people with whom we begin to interface

And it is of course not our actions that brings God’s grace

Having a servanthood heart is what matters in life’s real race

Neli asked if we are using our platforms or just building profile

God always saves the lost and blesses worshipers all the while

We should serve others in love, utilising our gifts with a smile

As Jesus laid down His life for us, in the face of crowds hostile

In verse twenty two, they called to the Lord not once but twice

If they knew him well and He knew them, once would suffice

That is the Greek ‘ginosko' and ‘oida’ are different to be precise

We must know God and therefore His heart was Neli’s advice

For once we know the Lord, we know what breaks His heart

And our hearts will in turn break for those are broken apart

In Jeremiah twenty nine eleven, a promise God does impart

From wherever we now are, His plan and purpose do start

27 July 2014 - ENCS

Pastor Neli Atiga gave his farewell sermon at ENCS earlier today

To Every Nation Church in Brisbane he will soon be on his way

 

After we took communion and the congregation had all entered

His sermon continued the series on Colossians titled "Centered"

Our days are numbered so what we focus on really does matter

Pastor Neli laid out three ways to identify our focus on a platter

First is our passion, what we are willing to make sacrifices for

Second is our priority, in other words what we have at our core

And third is people, the ones and the values that surround us

If we are centered on Christ, everything else becomes a plus

Pastor then said that we have one job so need to get it right

The rest of his sermon thus focused on what we need to fight

 

Colossians one verses fifteen to twenty talk of Christ's pre-eminence

We were created by him and for him, his power and glory are immense

But God also dwells in him and reconciled with the world through him

If these four 'hims' were not all true, our future would look quite dim

So Jesus should be our passion and priority, who we try to emulate

By doing so, Pastor said, our walk on God's path will be kept straight

 

Colossians two refers to Laodicea, which sat on the river Meander

Jesus called them lukewarm in Revelation three with much candor

We must avoid meandering and having our faith be lukewarm

So about five potential causes of this Pastor Neli did us inform

First is our image, or how we might appear in others' eyes

If this drives us, our passion dissipates Pastor did advise

Second is trying to improve, for we should want to obey his law

This is what was written in John fourteen verse fifteen, we saw

Third is impulse, giving into the desires of former addictions

We should try to avoid temptation to adhere to our convictions

Fourth is immaturity, wanting others to feed us all the time

Instead, we should be doing things for the church in our prime

Fifth is idolatry, which Pastor Neli said is at the center of all sin

Letting other things take center stage is where problems begin

 

I note that Brisbane's big gain is of course Singapore's big loss

But either way, Neli will still be sharing the message of the cross

We will miss his musical talents, his jokes, his smile, and his size

Along with his ability to always find a way to spring a surprise

Thank Pastor Neli for all you have done for so many people

Go forth, young man, and change lives under a new steeple

30 March 2014 - ENCS

The "A Disciple" series Pastor Neli Atiga today brought to an end

In Matthew twenty eight, the Great Commission Jesus did rend

Verses number sixteen to twenty Pastor Neli did use

To talk about keys if being a disciple is what we choose

First, the disciples went to where Jesus told them to go

An environment of obedience helps a disciple to grow

Second is that some disciples created an environment of worship

Although others created an environment of doubt, Pastor did quip

But as long as, like Thomas, our doubts to God we bring

It is not something that negates the benefit of worshiping

The fourth is Jesus' ultimate authority, per verse eighteen

And lastly is Jesus' presence, as in verse twenty is seen

Effective disciple making must leverage His presence and authority

For we need to lay our lives down if good disciples we are to be

Our bodies should be living sacrifices, in Romans twelve Paul did say

Per Genesis twenty two, for worship there is not just one way

About "proskuneo" and worship, Pastor Neli did then speak

To bow down and worship, proskuneo means in Greek

This means that passion in worship we must show

On Jesus, not ourselves, the focus must therefore go

Ina  true proskuneo state, our own selves we cannot see

And being prostrate, in a perfect position of rest we will be

Pastor concluded by saying we should worship not stress

For we should give our all constantly to Jesus, nothing less

14 April 2013 - ENCS

Pastor Neli continued the series "Ode to Joy"

Philippians two is the chapter he did employ

The passage talks of making our joy complete

By following in the path of dear Jesus' feet

We must be of the same spirit and the same mind

We should have true humility, to others be kind

For Christ humbled himself and served us all

To God, He was obedient until death did call

Pastor said we should not have the spirit of timidity

Putting others before self is the object of humility

 

True joy can only be found in humility's realm

Do not let the zone of entitelement overwhelm

For Pastor made more than one observation

So many opportunities face this generation

But we cannot let our expectations get out of control

About the entitled dotcom generation Pastor did extol

He said that three dotcoms have the church infiltrated

The negative effects of which cannot really be debated

 

The first is that we often tend to com-promise

We cut corners instead of to challenges rise

What others think of us we too frequently care

Our ability to follow God's path we thus impair

But from Numbers 32:23, there really is no doubt

In the end, Pastor said, our sins will find us out

 

The second is that we often do too much com-parison

This leaves us dissatisfied in both the short and long run

We should do nothing from a sense of rivalry

Instead, we should help others in true humility

From a prison cell, Philippinans Paul did write

He spoke of joy that lasted all day and night

 

The third is that we often give in to com-plaining

For true joy, this attitude is very constraining

Philippians two verses fourteen to sixteen do say

Do not complain, for it is not God's chosen way

Do everything to become blameless and pure

We are God's children, Paul's words reassure

We can each choose the life we lead in this nation

In the midst of a 'crooked and twisted generation'

We should be confident and not live our lives in vain

In such a life, there should not be any time to complain

For we can carry joy and environments transform

Making joyfulness, not kiasu-ism, the nation's norm

The Holy Spirit is what in our hearts we carry and host

Thus being a vessel of transformation with the Holy Ghost

So the next time we are tempted to give in to lamentation

Remember that Jesus stayed positive even in his situation

From the joy of the Lord we can draw much strength

This will be visible to others, even from a great length

 

Pastor then left us with other dotcoms three

Focusing on how joyful we can actually be

We can com-mission this generation

Have com-passion in every situation

And fulfill God's plans to com-pletion

So that for His kingdom there is accretion

12 August 2012 - ENCS

The "Champions" series was continued by Pastor Neli
In Joshua 1:2 about treading five points we did see
But first Pastor read about Joshua in verses one to eleven
"Be strong and courageous" came the voice from heaven

Pastor started by referring to "Moses my servant is dead"
With previous generations in mind is how we must tread
For although God uses revelations and with relation
(Testimonies are powerful; we should not act in isolation)
He also tends to build generation upon generation
As with Singapore our forty seven year old nation

The next word mentioned was "arise" from verse two
To tread, sitting down is something we cannot do
In what we believe, we must take a stand
Even if it contradicts all others in the land

"Go over" was the next phrase mentioned by Pastor
Without small steps, walking we cannot master
We should keep stepping out in faith in the same way
We will then gain more confidence every single day

About "you and all the people" Pastor did then talk
With other people is the best way to tread or walk
To walk with us, God often sends others
Young and old, sisters and brothers

The last was "into the land I am about to give them"
Where God places us we should not condemn
For wherever he leads, we should tread
And in that way, His Word we can spread

In conclusion, we must all learn to tread
The alternative is really something to dread

6 May 2012 - ENCS

Pastor Neli returned, his overseas trip done
To talk about Romans 12 verses 1 to 21
He said that the chapter belongs in this place
For it tells us how to respond to God's grace
In reverse order Pastor Neli did then go
For an important point he wanted to show
The sermon title was "Worship - From the Inside Out"
That he loves to worship God, there is no doubt

"How we worship" is covered in verses nine to twenty one
It is about giving our best from sunrise until the day is done
Verses nineteen back to thirteen talk about things to give
ForGIVE, GIVE honour, GIVE selflessly in how we live
GIVE compassionately, GIVE liberally
GIVE fervently and GIVE constantly
A core truth Pastor Neli did then impart
When we give, what matters is our heart
And then Pastor Neli did strongly assert
Like Jesus, we should give until we hurt

He moved onto verses three through eight
With a list of gifts to set us straight
Prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation
Plus leadership, mercy, and contribution
Per verse six, this diversity we should celebrate
For all of them equally valuable does God rate
So don't be conceited in words or even in the mind
Be the measure of faith that God has assigned

Then to the key verses Pastor Neli did reach
"Therefore" refers to earlier chapters, he did teach
For only here about "what is worship" can we read
Even though such knowledge we clearly need
Then of course is the phrase that sounds so nice
To "present our bodies as a living sacrifice"
There are two types of worship that can be inferred
"Spiritual" worship is how most understand the word
But "reasonable" worship is a response most logical
After reading the preceding chapters theological

In summary, Pastor Neli said not to the world conform
Instead, we should let our hearts by God transform
For if the will of our God we really know
We will surely go against the world's flow
By the grace of God, our minds can be renewed
Whether from insecurity, greed, or something lewd
"Worship is our lives laid down", Pastor Neli did say
That is something to remember each and every day

22 January 2012 - ENCS

It was Pastor Neli's turn to preach
He focused on the value of outreach
Christ is Christianity's heart
The gospel is the main part
The center of this is the cross
For our gain came from his loss

Then Pastor Neli did us tell
The four components of the gospel
First is the creation, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made
Remember God's repeated words "It is good" when we are afraid
Second is the fall, for all of us do sin
We must focus on him to rise above the din
Third is the redemption, for God's grace is always there
Jesus was the perfect sacrificial lamb, for God does care
Fourth is the response which we must all do
Even though the temptations are far from few
We must to the cross continually compel
So that our habitual sin we can repel
And as a natural reaction to his glory and grace
We must broaden our horizons and to the world face
Listen to Jesus' last words for all they are worth
Make disciples until the ends of the earth

Pastor Neli then referred to Biblical passages many more
Including from Matthew chapters 24, 9 and 4
When Jesus shared the Gospel, he also did sickness heal
We must likewise with non believers do more than share a meal
For if by Christ, changed has been our life
Then we should be a vessel for change even during strife
For reading Matthew 26: 6-8 leaves no doubt
That the gospel is meant to be poured out
For outreach without the gospel is aimless
But gospel without outreach is powerless

We must want to share the Holy Spirit's fruit
For otherwise, the Gospel in us has not taken root
Remember the story about the defiant Jonah
God used a fish to get him to Nineveh
The alternative is to be like the Samaritan good
Who used a donkey to help when no one else would

I think Pastor Neli's sincere wish
Is for us to use donkeys instead of fish
For only if by the gospel we abide
Can we truly walk on God's side

25 September 2011 - ENCS

With Pastor Neli speaking, “the Race” series did complete
But we first heard about Kah Shin’s ultra-marathon feat
250 kilometres across the Sahara Desert he ran
There was lots of training before he even began
He referred to the core text Hebrews 12:1-2
Running life’s race with perseverance so we do not rue
Then we read Habukkuk 3:19 and Isaiah 40 verse thirty one
The Lord is our strength and renews ours when we have none
Kah Shin’s secret weapon was to meditate on Bible verses
That helped him finish, even though they were tough courses
He mentioned 2 Timothy 4:7 and Psalm 91:7
Fighting the good fight and getting protection from heaven
Pastor Larry then reminded us that we each run a spiritual race
We should learn from Kah Shin to overcome challenges we face

We then watched a video during which Pastor Neli did speak
For our life’s race, what is the meaning we should seek
Our own likes and strengths dictate how we should run
Remember that this is definitely not being run for fun
For how we run determines our eternal prize
Per 1 Corinthians 9:25 which appeared before our eyes
Our life is a marathon, not a sprint at all
There will be times when we “hit the wall”
We should remember that Jesus also ran life’s race
In three years of ministry, many challenges he did face
But he always ran with eternity in his heart
This allowed him to persevere and do his part
The night before he died, he sweat blood and wanted out
But God’s will was very clear so Jesus had no doubt
We can therefore run our life’s race as did he
Our strength from God, Jesus is the prize we will see

Pastor Neli asked what we are running for in our life’s race
From a person’s dreams and nightmares we can actually base
The prize we aim for is what we most glorify
Or what we sacrifice for before we must die
Christianity promises persecution but also blessing
1 Corinthians 9:25 leaves no room for guessing
For if we train hard to get the gold
Our prize is a crown that will not grow old
Disciple and discipline come from the same word
We must be passionate about the prize, Jesus our Lord
Compared to eternity, so meaningless is our time on earth
Instead of being a lukewarm Christian, give it all of our worth
Pastor asked if we become weak on weekdays
We should run with eternity in mind, not in a daze
We can be physically and spiritually weary
Especially if we run the wrong race, oh deary
Pastor shared two indicators about the race we should run
In the end, they reflect the key things we should have done
“Will our life bring glory to God?” was the first of the two
“Will we help others to know Jesus?” by what we say and do

31 July 2011 - ENCS

The "Attention" series Pastor Neli continued
From last week's command, this one ensued
Per 1 John 4, verses seven and eight
Each other we must love not hate
This follows from the importance of loving our God
To the Good Samaritan parable Pastor gave a nod
As Jesus told the lawyer, the way to eternal life
Involves loving others, not just family and wife
Pastor made eight points about this story
It has relevance, as it is not just allegory

The lawyer started by putting Jesus to the test
Jesus responded, putting the topic to rest
Remember that eternal life starts right now
Through Jesus' fulfillment, that is how

By loving God with all our heart, mind, and soul
Loving our neighbour will be an implied goal
The lawyer knew the words in the Scripture
But he didn't fully comprehend, that's for sure
The Bible is about Jesus, future and past tense
A key byproduct of loving Jesus is obedience

Jesus said to do this and you will live
Justification the lawyer tried to give
By asking who was his neighbour
His intent was far from good and pure

With a parable Jesus then did answer
To the points made we must concur
The allegory has multitudes of truth
The holy ones' actions were uncouth

Pastor said one thing we should never do
Is to forget the pain of our rescue
Israel in the Old Testament did oft forget
Are we any different? not really, nyet
Taking forty years after the exodus the desert to cross
Instead of eleven days, as they forgot who was boss

The priest and the Levite went to the other side
Instead of compassion, they were driven by pride
Remember that God is coming back for His church
If we are on the other side, we will be left in the lurch

The Samaritan did the right thing right away
Although he was oft despised in that day
Instead of pity, compassion he did show
Through our actions, others our love will know
Jesus must be evident in us to those we meet
Whether we are in the mall or on the street
Singapore is well placed and very blessed
We should thus be helping all the rest

Dirty the Samaritan's hands did clearly get
Onto his animal the injured man he did set
The parallel for us is clear of course
We need to get off of our high horse
To help the disadvantaged and the poor
Should be a big part of our inner core

The Samaritan also promised to pay the bill
Just as Jesus did for us out of His free will

Pastor Neli then tried to summarise
Living for Jesus, who is the prize
Uncomfortable things we need to do
Every minute of the day, not just a few
An "other side Christian" Pastor said not to be
If eternal life with Jesus we want to see

12 June 2011 - ENCS

The “built to bless” series Pastor Neli did conclude
Talking of life’s dead ends and our resulting attitude
“When Life Doesn’t Make Sense” was the title of the sermon
Three biblical examples show how it should be done
He first mentioned Hannah, Elkanah’s first wife
She was barren and leading a desperate life
To the Lord she then poured out her soul
She later gave birth to Samuel, who played a big role
From Acts 16, Pastor then told of Silas and Paul
On the way to Macedonia following God’s call
For releasing a girl’s spirit, into prison they were thrown
They prayed and praised God; they did not moan
An earthquake came, all the prisoners were freed
Paul and Silas stayed behind to help the jailor in need
The third example was of Daniel’s three friends
We all know how their trip to the furnace ends
They had refused to bow down to an image of the king
But into Nebuchadnezzar’s heart, change God did bring
All of these show that a dead end can be an opportunity
If only the perspective of God’s will we choose to see
Pastor then gave us three rules to follow
When at a dead end our paths seem to go

“Prayer and praise first” was rule number one
For God has been pulling the strings since time begun
We should go to God with prayers of faith
As per what Hebrews 11:1 sayeth
Romans 8:28 talks of God’s purpose and will
His perfect plans are what we should fulfil
In us, an attitude of praise should always be seen
Per Psalm 34:1 and Ephesians 6:18

“Expect God” was rule number two
We should declare his power in all that we do
Then Pastor said to “get the but out of the way”
We should talk as if we know God when we pray
Prayer should be full of expectation
Not filled with doubt or hesitation

“Help others in need” was point number three
In Jesus’ actions this was plain to see
For in Gethsemane when He did pray
Despite stress, submitting to God’s way
Jesus looked beyond his mortal dead end
And to the world’s needs he did tend
And about Jesus’ turning water into wine
The six urns used were far from fine
In the same way, God uses ordinary people
Who are selfless, thinking more of the steeple
In prophetic terms, joy is what wine represents
We can bless others – in the present and future tense

We often pray to be blessed, Pastor did say
There is a need with our name on it every day
We should be careful when life is going too fast
Lest we find that opportunities we have passed
And then from Matthew 6:8 Pastor did unmask
That God knows what we need before we ask
Sometimes when we think we are at a dead end
It is so that to others we can assist and attend
And other times when things seem so dim
It is so that we can fully trust in Him

3 April 2011 - ENCS

The Cross Road series Pastor Neli started
With his usual banter, knowledge he imparted
The title was “While You Wait, Wait a While”
He led worship as well, being so versatile

From John chapter eleven Pastor read
About Lazarus being raised from the dead
Remember that our concept of time and pace
Differ a lot from that which God does embrace
God operates outside of our expectations
We must learn to have lots of patience
All of a sudden sometimes He intercedes
Other times it takes years before He proceeds
So when Jesus took his time going to their house
It was not because their hopes he wanted to douse
In fact, an important lesson he wanted to teach
Only four days after Lazarus died, Jesus did reach
“Jesus wept” tells of His caring heart
Then he had others do their part
After the stone was rolled away in a snap
Lazarus’ burial clothes they did unwrap
In the same way, God wants us to help
Others, whether or not they decide to yelp
Pastor then asked why we worship God
Does ‘who He is’ or ‘what He does’ get the nod?
He referred to Romans 8 and 12 verse 2
Which tell us God’s will is what we should do
We should enjoy the blessor, not the blessing
Even when events lead to lots of stressing
For in reality we need Him, not His stuff
Again, even when things get really tough

Three key points Pastor then shared about waiting
All were valid, there was no need for debating
The first is to slow down while we wait
The importance of this he could not overstate
For if we do not hear God’s whispers in our heart
We move too fast or from God’s path we depart
He referred to Isaiah 40 verse 29 to 31
God can provide strength for everyone
Like eagles, on the Holy Spirit we can soar
Instead of flapping like chickens near the floor
The second is to do what you know to do
For waiting does not mean stopping to stew
But while waiting, we should definitely pray
Which is communing with God, Pastor did say
Walking with God is a measure of success
So we must pray the right way, Pastor did stress
To Matthew chapter six verse six he did refer
God knows our needs, of that we can be sure
To fight going and stopping is the third
Only proceed if His plans you have heard
But giving up is also something we should do not
Remember Daniel’s friends and the oven hot
Their faith was strong and true
No matter what the others did do
For our eternal prize in heaven doth await
Which is far better than any earthly fate

Pastor said that God is all we’ve been waiting for
There really is no need for anything more

23 January 2011 - ENCS

Pastor Neli spoke on "What's In Your Hand?"
In the stewardship series, you understand
He showed a video on the man with the golden voice
About a man's second chance for which he did rejoice
The job offers were many and did amaze
So to God he gave thanks and praise
In the same way, God has given us all a different skill
For us to use them well is clearly God's will

Pastor referred to Exodus chapters three and four
About Moses and how he eventually doubted no more
Moses saw a burning bush and a staff turned into a snake
But God's answers to Moses' objections it finally did take
For excuses Moses then stopped making
And instead, God's path he started taking
Making excuses is something we also often do
Luckily, God gives us chances more than a few
In Moses' case, his power was in the form of a staff in his hand
He walked through the Red Sea towards the promised land
What are we doing with our talents, Pastor did ask
Putting them to good use is our real task
But a warning about talents Pastor did then add
'Living off the gift' instead of 'with God' makes God sad
That is what led to Moses getting rebuked by God
For using his staff on the rock instead of giving God the nod
In closing, Pastor said that God wants all that is in us
If we really love him, we should obey without a fuss

5 December 2010 - ENCS

Pastor Neli spoke about the apostle Paul
Whose letters are read by Christians all
As a leader, Paul was the "marathon man"
From his experience, learn we all can
Per Philippians 3, verses thirteen and fourteen
"Forget what is behind" and focus on the prize unseen
And from 1 Corinthians 9 verse twenty four
We read about the prize some more
About self-control we read through verse twenty seven
So that we can get the everlasting prize in heaven
Paul used the metaphor of a long running race
His endurance allowed him to sustain his pace
He also drew a parallel to a boxing match
The prize is what the winner does snatch

Pastor then ran through five symptoms of decline
That keep us from pleasing our God divine
He used the first five letters of the alphabet
In order that we might remember, not forget
The first is Arrogance, per Proverbs 16:18
Which so often leads to a fall, we do glean
The second is being Blind to what God does see
A good reminder comes from Romans 12 verse 3
And if we want to understand this concept more
Read the 18th verse of 2 Corinthians chapter four
The third word of concern is Comparison
Even the disciples argued about who was number one
But wanting recognition for how we live
Is in God's eyes the wrong motive
The fourth is to Deny warning signs
Even if we have to read between the lines
Exhaustion is the fifth and last symptom
Embracing burdens not ours is rather dumb
For that leads to being both physically tired and weary
Of the latter (being away from God) we should be leery

Pastor then said since God has chosen for us a lane
He will give us the tools to succeed and stay sane
Pastor then gave us clues as to how to endure
Using the next five letters, just to be sure
The first is that we must Face the facts
Look at the real data without being lax
The second is that we must Go the distance
Enduring the process with persistence
The third was Humility and its true worth
For the meek shall inherit the earth
The fourth is to Inspire yourself in God
Remembering God's promises as we plod
For as per Romans chapter ten verse seventeen
God's word inspires us, much more than caffeine
The fifth (and most important) is that Jesus is our prize
Even if we have yet to see him with our own eyes

In conclusion, Pastor said that it is never too late
To say "I won't give up" and to start with a clean slate
For us, God has done so much and never gives up
So we should run the race and drink from his cup

10 October 2010 - ENCS

Pastor Neli read Acts one from verse seven
Jesus' last words before he ascended to heaven
The Great Commission is also seen in Matthew
Three messages on which to chew
The first was that "all authority belongs to God"
"Go" was the second not too subtle prod
"He is with is" was the third
With his spirit and his word

Per Psalm 1, in the Lord we should delight
No matter whether it is day or night
For if Jesus occupies our heart
Nothing else can have a part
Pastor also said not to focus on our appearance
Others' views should not affect our perseverance
With God our hearts need to connect
That is what He has a right to expect
Matthew talks of giving, praying, and fasting
In private, only for the eyes of God everlasting

Per Acts chapters one and two
The disciples prayed about what to do
They praised God at the top of their lungs
In return, they received gifts including tongues
For they loved God, Pastor did explain
By doing the same, we may appear insane
"Seek God first, then get healed"
If we don't, our fate is sealed
"Seek God's face, not his hands"
That is one of the key commands

Then to Revelations 2:4 Pastor did turn
About the church in Ephesus there was one concern
Although about their deeds and work God did applaud
Their love for God had become somewhat flawed
So God (through John) told them to change
Three things that they should arrange
To remember from where they had fallen was the first
The second was to repent and have their actions reversed
The third instruction he did then impart
Was to revert to their works at the start

Pastor said that God is saying "I miss you"
Although his love for us is steady and true
At the end of the sermon today
We sang "I give myself away"
"So you can use me"
As we fell on our knee

12 September 2010 (ENCS)

Pastor Neli talked on the topic of "Respect"
Ephesians 5:18 - 6:9 we did inspect
The world's view of respect is recognition by others
Dictionary.com has two definitions, take your druthers
"Esteem of an ability" or "a particular detail"
From Latin "look back in regard" they entail
Pastor said that in an intersection not to stop
Even if the worldly view is to always be on top
The biblical view turns that upside down
From the bottom, serve all others in town

Pastor talked of four facets of godly respect
All of us must die he did interject
This is important for us to bear in mind
God's respect is more important than that of mankind

To be filled with the spirit was the first
Hannah and David's praise could not be reversed
We should also learn to praise God more
Instead of giving athletes and singers a roar

The second facet was submission
Hidden agendas we should decommission
True submission means being willing to serve
Loving our neighbor, keeping nothing in reserve

Genuine service, not eye service was the third
Don't be a people-pleaser, from Pastor we heard
Serve even when there is nobody observing
Even if this thought is a bit unnerving
So instead of exalting yourself and then being humbled
Be exalted by humbling yourself without a grumble
Instead of saying "check me out"
"Pour me out" is what life should be about

An attitude of sacrifice was number four
Per God's will, the cross Jesus bore
What He did for us was perfect
So He deserves our respect
In the same way, we should aim
To live for God, not for fame

20 June 2010 - ENCS

Pastor Neli continued with the "Just Live It" theme
He said that being different was not all that it may seem
It may be hard for him to find clothes as nothing seems to fit
But he talked about "The Perfect Fit" with his usual style and wit

Before delving into the main message, some verses Pastor asked us to see
1 Corinthians 12:18 says we are where God wants us to be
And if we look to Jeremiah 29 verse eleven
We have a future and hope due to our God in heaven
He also said that to others we should not compare
As God's plans are unique, there's no matching pair
Pastor then talked of synonyms for happiness
He named three - nothing more, nothing less

"Satisfied" was the first word Pastor said
Don't be amused, be biblically happy instead
Per Matthew 5:6, it should be our desire
That God's goal be our inner fire
And then he referred to Psalm 37 verse four
"Delight yourself in the Lord", that's for sure
John Piper said that in us God is most glorified
When in Him we are most satisfied
As an example, look at imprisoned Silas and Paul
Per Acts 16:25, they prayed and sang praises through it all
So no matter what circumstances do to your body and soul
Always remember and be satisfied that God is in control

"Glad" was synonym number two
The opposite of what was felt in Mark 10:22
Instead Isaiah chapter 61 verse three is what we should read
God will give us the crown of beauty and oil of gladness that we need
And also read Psalm 92 verse four
The works of God make us glad some more
In our spirit there should be joy resounding
No matter what is happening in our surrounding
Don't be anxious and don't feel down
It takes less muscles to smile than to frown!

"Fulfilled" was the third one that we heard
Similar to twice saying the "full" word
Romans 14:17 talks of righteousness and peace
Law-driven behaviour really should cease
God has tailor made each of us a garment of praise
All is under control, with Him nothing should us faze
The Hebrew word for peace is 'shalom'
That is God's wish for each and every home

Per 2 Corinthians 5:17 God created us to be a new creation
His spirit fills us so we bless others with an overflowing sensation
'My cup runneth over' per Psalm 23 verse 5
God's spirit fills our cups while we are alive

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY