The offering message was shared by Ivy
1 John 4:19 on the screen we did see
"We love because he first loved us" it did say
Ivy said there really is no other way
For although one can give without loving
It is impossible to love without giving
And when out of love we give to another
God will bless us, as did Merin's mother
Since he can bless us all night and all day
We should tithe without fear, Ivy did say
---------------------
As I was reflecting on God's word
I thought about something I had heard
That "God is just a prayer away"
Even if I am having a really bad day
This is very comforting to know
As it strengthens me to face the foe
---------------------
Monday, August 8, 2011
24 July 2011 - ENCS
Pastor Josh started a new series titled "Attention"
Jesus' commands matter to God is the contention
Per Romans 10:9-10, if what we believe in our heart
Te be saved, professing this is an important part
Salvation is really fixing our relationship with God
He is perfect and can forgive our sins with a mere nod
None of us is perfect in what we do or what we say
So reconciliation must be through Jesus, who is The Way
By professing pour faith and obedience to Him
Jesus' righteousness covers us through thick and thin
We then looked at Matthew 22 verses 35 to 38
At the commandment Jesus said was first and great
To love God with all our heart and soul and mind
Results in keeping his commands and being kind
For if we don;t love God, obey Him we cannot
John 14:11-15 should clearly not be forgot
Pastor directed us to 1 Samuel 15:22-23
To obey is better than sacrifice, we did see
Remember that arrogance is doings things our way
That is idolatry and rebellion, Pastor did say
Only God can be God, His words are true
This is mentioned many times, not only a few
God is my Father, Jesus did often say
That is how He lived - and how He did pray
"We love because He first loved us", per John 4:19
His love is like 1 Corinthians 13, it is easily seen
And per 1 John 4:8, if we do not love
It is because we don't know our God above
Remember that God's love is a gift
We must have this love to avoid a rift
Galatians says that the fruit of the spirit is love
But again, remember that this comes from above
On God's strength, not our own, we must rely
That is a central tenet of Christianity
God works through us and gets the glory
Pastor Josh then shared with us a sad story
Harrison's drug problems followed his search for love
Instead, he should have surrendered to God above
Jesus' commands matter to God is the contention
Per Romans 10:9-10, if what we believe in our heart
Te be saved, professing this is an important part
Salvation is really fixing our relationship with God
He is perfect and can forgive our sins with a mere nod
None of us is perfect in what we do or what we say
So reconciliation must be through Jesus, who is The Way
By professing pour faith and obedience to Him
Jesus' righteousness covers us through thick and thin
We then looked at Matthew 22 verses 35 to 38
At the commandment Jesus said was first and great
To love God with all our heart and soul and mind
Results in keeping his commands and being kind
For if we don;t love God, obey Him we cannot
John 14:11-15 should clearly not be forgot
Pastor directed us to 1 Samuel 15:22-23
To obey is better than sacrifice, we did see
Remember that arrogance is doings things our way
That is idolatry and rebellion, Pastor did say
Only God can be God, His words are true
This is mentioned many times, not only a few
God is my Father, Jesus did often say
That is how He lived - and how He did pray
"We love because He first loved us", per John 4:19
His love is like 1 Corinthians 13, it is easily seen
And per 1 John 4:8, if we do not love
It is because we don't know our God above
Remember that God's love is a gift
We must have this love to avoid a rift
Galatians says that the fruit of the spirit is love
But again, remember that this comes from above
On God's strength, not our own, we must rely
That is a central tenet of Christianity
God works through us and gets the glory
Pastor Josh then shared with us a sad story
Harrison's drug problems followed his search for love
Instead, he should have surrendered to God above
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Isaiah 40:12-31
Howe Lai spoke of "The Incomparable God" at BSF this week
Per Isaiah 40, through His eyes God we must seek
Looking more deeply at verses twelve to seventeen
God's Incomparable Power and Wisdom are seen
Ten rhetorical questions Isaiah did rapidly ask
Even though ridiculous, the answer can not mask
Remember that God transcends all creation
This is a message we should not shun
"Nothing that God created is worthy of worship"
With God we should have eternal fellowship
Having no relationship with God is a tragedy
So having one, our life's objective should be
TL then asked who we could compare God to
But since God is unique, none of our ideas will do
Remember that God sits above the earth
Life without Him has no value or worth
"Nothing that man creates is worthy of man's worship"
Over our ungodly hobbies don't let us trip
We should not limit God due to our finiteness
During worship, focus on God- nothing less
We should look to heaven for the answer
A septillion stars is a lot, that's for sure
God puts them in order and knows each one's name
For us, He will of course be able to do the same
God's strength holds all the stars in place
So we should not doubt when trouble we face
For God, time is not a limitation we sense
We should have hope, waiting with patience
Looking to God, we will never weary grow
For the line to God is always open, don't you know?
The last principle was that "doubting God's care
Makes one an idolater" - so we must beware!
Per Isaiah 40, through His eyes God we must seek
Looking more deeply at verses twelve to seventeen
God's Incomparable Power and Wisdom are seen
Ten rhetorical questions Isaiah did rapidly ask
Even though ridiculous, the answer can not mask
Remember that God transcends all creation
This is a message we should not shun
"Nothing that God created is worthy of worship"
With God we should have eternal fellowship
Having no relationship with God is a tragedy
So having one, our life's objective should be
TL then asked who we could compare God to
But since God is unique, none of our ideas will do
Remember that God sits above the earth
Life without Him has no value or worth
"Nothing that man creates is worthy of man's worship"
Over our ungodly hobbies don't let us trip
We should not limit God due to our finiteness
During worship, focus on God- nothing less
We should look to heaven for the answer
A septillion stars is a lot, that's for sure
God puts them in order and knows each one's name
For us, He will of course be able to do the same
God's strength holds all the stars in place
So we should not doubt when trouble we face
For God, time is not a limitation we sense
We should have hope, waiting with patience
Looking to God, we will never weary grow
For the line to God is always open, don't you know?
The last principle was that "doubting God's care
Makes one an idolater" - so we must beware!
Monday, July 25, 2011
24 July 2011 - Lighthouse
About "Making Wise Decisions" Pastor Ronny did speak
Into Luke fourteen verses 28 to 32 we did peek
The cost of discipleship is what the passage is about
That is a key decision, of that we should have no doubt
We should ask what is the worst thing that can happen
And look at the best case scenario once again
We should not go down a path if the cost is too high
For instance, think about what will happen when we die
The most important decision is choosing our eternal path
Do we go to heaven or face God's eternal wrath?
The Bible tells us about both heaven and hell
Although some extreme details, words cannot tell
Re heaven, read Revelations 21:3-5
God will be there, making us feel alive
No more crying as he wipes away our tears
We will have a new life without any fears
Re hell, read Mark 9 verse 43 to 48
A place so horrible, the torment and hate
A simple risk-reward analysis helps us to choose
For there is "everything to gain and nothing to lose"
God wants us in heaven, of that we can be sure
He will always protect us if our love for him is pure
The devil wants us in hell where we would burn
He puts up roadblocks any way we try to turn
But the reason Christ came to earth and died
Our sins were forgiven when he was crucified
There is a mansion waiting for each of us in heaven
Don't wait for a minute, let alone an hour or seven
Into Luke fourteen verses 28 to 32 we did peek
The cost of discipleship is what the passage is about
That is a key decision, of that we should have no doubt
We should ask what is the worst thing that can happen
And look at the best case scenario once again
We should not go down a path if the cost is too high
For instance, think about what will happen when we die
The most important decision is choosing our eternal path
Do we go to heaven or face God's eternal wrath?
The Bible tells us about both heaven and hell
Although some extreme details, words cannot tell
Re heaven, read Revelations 21:3-5
God will be there, making us feel alive
No more crying as he wipes away our tears
We will have a new life without any fears
Re hell, read Mark 9 verse 43 to 48
A place so horrible, the torment and hate
A simple risk-reward analysis helps us to choose
For there is "everything to gain and nothing to lose"
God wants us in heaven, of that we can be sure
He will always protect us if our love for him is pure
The devil wants us in hell where we would burn
He puts up roadblocks any way we try to turn
But the reason Christ came to earth and died
Our sins were forgiven when he was crucified
There is a mansion waiting for each of us in heaven
Don't wait for a minute, let alone an hour or seven
Monday, July 11, 2011
11 July 2011 - Malachi 3:11-12
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse"
"That there may be food in my house"
The passage continues with this word
"Test me in this" says the Almighty Lord
"See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven"
"And pour out so much blessing" says verse eleven
"Then all the nations will call you blessed"
"For yours will be a delightful land" above the rest
This is the passage read by Arnie on Sunday
He said to 'trust God' for there is no other way
I must think of tithing not just money but time
It is the latter that is hard, per my infrequent rhyme
But throughout the day many opportunities exist
As long as temptation I do my best to resist
So dear God, please give me the strength and will
To stay focused on You and your wishes fulfill
"That there may be food in my house"
The passage continues with this word
"Test me in this" says the Almighty Lord
"See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven"
"And pour out so much blessing" says verse eleven
"Then all the nations will call you blessed"
"For yours will be a delightful land" above the rest
This is the passage read by Arnie on Sunday
He said to 'trust God' for there is no other way
I must think of tithing not just money but time
It is the latter that is hard, per my infrequent rhyme
But throughout the day many opportunities exist
As long as temptation I do my best to resist
So dear God, please give me the strength and will
To stay focused on You and your wishes fulfill
Sunday, July 10, 2011
10 July 2011 - ENCS
Pastor Larry continued talking about Endangered Species
"Friends" was the fourth sermon in the ongoing series
Friends are ones who often introduce us to church
Friends are ones who never leave us in the lurch
The TV sitcom Friends was very popular for ten years
Man's best friend the dog puts loyalty above his fears
Pastor then read from Proverbs 18 verse 24
A friend is like a brother, but even more
Three key things Pastor then did highlight
In order to be a friend for others, which is right
To "be a friend of God" was the first
Moses prayed so his people were not cursed
As we heard last week, to pray is to communicate
We must talk, listen and often times also wait
Remember that prayer was the source of Jesus' power
He communed with God until the very last hour
Being God's friend also means that we should obey
As Abraham did, per what James 2:23 doth say
Similarly, as Jesus was quoted in John 15:14
From His friends, obedience is expected to be seen
All of this reminds us that we need to read the Word
So that we can glean truth and befriend the Lord
If we know, trust, and obey Him from start to end
He will bless us for being such a good friend
To "be a friend of sinners" was number two
Per Matthew 11:19, that is what Jesus did do
Remember to love the sinners but hate the sin
Be careful else trouble you will also fall in
Pastor then read from 1 Corinthians 15 verse thirty three
"Bad company corrupts good character" it is plain to see
And like spilling spaghetti sauce on a nice white shirt
On a Christian, sin is more visible than a speck of dirt
In the same way, per verse 14 of 2 Corinthians 6
To unbelievers we should not ourselves affix
Don't be emotionally joined to those who pull us away
And don't be wordly minded , as James 4:4 does say
To "be a friend of adversity" was point number three
Proverbs 17:17 Pastor did ask us to see
"A friend loves at all times" the passage does say
Which is especially valuable on a rough day
Pastor said to be a true friend, three things are required
Be truthful, sacrificial, and accountable even when tired
Ephesians 4:15 says to "speak the truth in love"
That is consistent with being part of the body of Him above
Paul even rebuked Peter, per Galatians 2:11
But that was consistent with guidance from heaven
For a Proverbs twenty seven verse nine so clearly does tell
"The pleasantries of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel"
In regards sacrifice, we read John 15 verse thirteen
Jesus did more for us than ever before or after seen
We should be willing to be persecuted for others
Or have reputations attacked for our brothers
Remember Ananias standing up for Saul
And Barnabas doing the same for Paul
Pastor referred to Ecclesiastes 4 verse 10
Talking about friend's helping again and again
True accountability also involves being tough
Asking questions about sin and similar stuff
And per Hebrews 10:25, we should not give up
Keep encouraging others, even while we sup
In summary, Pastor referred to Maximus
From Gladiator, a movie seen by most of us
"If we stay together, we will survive" he did say
Being a friend who others can lean on every day
We then sang Bill Withers' "Lean On Me"
As Pastor encouraged us friends to be
"Friends" was the fourth sermon in the ongoing series
Friends are ones who often introduce us to church
Friends are ones who never leave us in the lurch
The TV sitcom Friends was very popular for ten years
Man's best friend the dog puts loyalty above his fears
Pastor then read from Proverbs 18 verse 24
A friend is like a brother, but even more
Three key things Pastor then did highlight
In order to be a friend for others, which is right
To "be a friend of God" was the first
Moses prayed so his people were not cursed
As we heard last week, to pray is to communicate
We must talk, listen and often times also wait
Remember that prayer was the source of Jesus' power
He communed with God until the very last hour
Being God's friend also means that we should obey
As Abraham did, per what James 2:23 doth say
Similarly, as Jesus was quoted in John 15:14
From His friends, obedience is expected to be seen
All of this reminds us that we need to read the Word
So that we can glean truth and befriend the Lord
If we know, trust, and obey Him from start to end
He will bless us for being such a good friend
To "be a friend of sinners" was number two
Per Matthew 11:19, that is what Jesus did do
Remember to love the sinners but hate the sin
Be careful else trouble you will also fall in
Pastor then read from 1 Corinthians 15 verse thirty three
"Bad company corrupts good character" it is plain to see
And like spilling spaghetti sauce on a nice white shirt
On a Christian, sin is more visible than a speck of dirt
In the same way, per verse 14 of 2 Corinthians 6
To unbelievers we should not ourselves affix
Don't be emotionally joined to those who pull us away
And don't be wordly minded , as James 4:4 does say
To "be a friend of adversity" was point number three
Proverbs 17:17 Pastor did ask us to see
"A friend loves at all times" the passage does say
Which is especially valuable on a rough day
Pastor said to be a true friend, three things are required
Be truthful, sacrificial, and accountable even when tired
Ephesians 4:15 says to "speak the truth in love"
That is consistent with being part of the body of Him above
Paul even rebuked Peter, per Galatians 2:11
But that was consistent with guidance from heaven
For a Proverbs twenty seven verse nine so clearly does tell
"The pleasantries of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel"
In regards sacrifice, we read John 15 verse thirteen
Jesus did more for us than ever before or after seen
We should be willing to be persecuted for others
Or have reputations attacked for our brothers
Remember Ananias standing up for Saul
And Barnabas doing the same for Paul
Pastor referred to Ecclesiastes 4 verse 10
Talking about friend's helping again and again
True accountability also involves being tough
Asking questions about sin and similar stuff
And per Hebrews 10:25, we should not give up
Keep encouraging others, even while we sup
In summary, Pastor referred to Maximus
From Gladiator, a movie seen by most of us
"If we stay together, we will survive" he did say
Being a friend who others can lean on every day
We then sang Bill Withers' "Lean On Me"
As Pastor encouraged us friends to be
Sunday, July 3, 2011
3 July 2011 - ENCS
The Endangered Species series continued this week
On “Intercessors” and prayer Tony Lim did speak
From 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray continually”
Rejoice and give thanks, from verse 16 we see
“The action of intervening on behalf of another” is intercession
Praying for others, organisations, or nations in a session
Tony referred to James 5:16 and 1 Timothy 2:1-2
2 Thessalonians 2:1 and Psalm 122:6 too
He shared three ways to ensure that prayer does not die
As well as six misconceptions – each of which is a lie
The first thing we must do is to always prioritise prayer
To “rejoice always”, not giving circumstances a care
As every relationship is rooted in strong communication
With God, we should pray and read the Bible in dedication
There are so many distractions facing us today
Without prioritising prayer, other things get in the way
Misconception number one is that there is no need for prayer
For God has everything planned, whether her or there
But per 1 Kings 18, James 5, Genesis 18, and Exodus 32
Prayer shapes things, resulting in a much better world too
We should think of a “house of prayer” per Isaiah 56:7
Always communicating with our Lord God in heaven
Misconception number two is that we don’t have the time
We should pray first, like tithing with our first dime
The second thing we must do is to practise prayer
We should “pray continuously” – all the time, everywhere
Rafferty then shared his heartfelt testimony
Using Proverbs 3:5-6, his joy in praying is not phony
Another point that his testimony did show
Is that over time, our love for prayer can grow
Misconception number three is that prayer is complicated
By not being sure of what to pray for, doubt is created
But per Romans 5:26 and Ephesians 1:17
Prayer is the best mobile plan ever seen
To God, we can get through right away
Never being disconnected, we can pray all day
“I don’t have the gift of prayer” is misconception number four
But everyone can pray, as what 2 Corinthians 9:8 had in store
That “prayer doesn’t work” is misconception number five
We read from Daniel 10:12 and Luke 18:1 (when Jesus was alive)
God answers all of our prayers, of that we can be sure
With a ‘yes’, a ‘no’, or a ‘wait for later’ to answer
No matter what, when we pray we must believe with faith
We should never be disheartened, Tony did sayeth
Misconception number six is that “I can pray by myself”
Just by reading from the Bible that is kept on the shelf
But per Matthew 18:19-20 and Ecclesiastes 4:12
The role for corporate prayer emerges as we delve
The third thing we must do is to promote prayer
“Giving thanks to God in all circumstances” is only fair
About God’s grace and love we should testify
So that others’ hopes and prayers He can sanctify
And we should share with others when prayers get answered
So that others get encouraged and do not get deterred
In summary, Tony gave us three steps to take
And addressed six misconceptions many make
We should prioritise, practise, and promote our prayer
This is God’s will, for about us He does truly care
On “Intercessors” and prayer Tony Lim did speak
From 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray continually”
Rejoice and give thanks, from verse 16 we see
“The action of intervening on behalf of another” is intercession
Praying for others, organisations, or nations in a session
Tony referred to James 5:16 and 1 Timothy 2:1-2
2 Thessalonians 2:1 and Psalm 122:6 too
He shared three ways to ensure that prayer does not die
As well as six misconceptions – each of which is a lie
The first thing we must do is to always prioritise prayer
To “rejoice always”, not giving circumstances a care
As every relationship is rooted in strong communication
With God, we should pray and read the Bible in dedication
There are so many distractions facing us today
Without prioritising prayer, other things get in the way
Misconception number one is that there is no need for prayer
For God has everything planned, whether her or there
But per 1 Kings 18, James 5, Genesis 18, and Exodus 32
Prayer shapes things, resulting in a much better world too
We should think of a “house of prayer” per Isaiah 56:7
Always communicating with our Lord God in heaven
Misconception number two is that we don’t have the time
We should pray first, like tithing with our first dime
The second thing we must do is to practise prayer
We should “pray continuously” – all the time, everywhere
Rafferty then shared his heartfelt testimony
Using Proverbs 3:5-6, his joy in praying is not phony
Another point that his testimony did show
Is that over time, our love for prayer can grow
Misconception number three is that prayer is complicated
By not being sure of what to pray for, doubt is created
But per Romans 5:26 and Ephesians 1:17
Prayer is the best mobile plan ever seen
To God, we can get through right away
Never being disconnected, we can pray all day
“I don’t have the gift of prayer” is misconception number four
But everyone can pray, as what 2 Corinthians 9:8 had in store
That “prayer doesn’t work” is misconception number five
We read from Daniel 10:12 and Luke 18:1 (when Jesus was alive)
God answers all of our prayers, of that we can be sure
With a ‘yes’, a ‘no’, or a ‘wait for later’ to answer
No matter what, when we pray we must believe with faith
We should never be disheartened, Tony did sayeth
Misconception number six is that “I can pray by myself”
Just by reading from the Bible that is kept on the shelf
But per Matthew 18:19-20 and Ecclesiastes 4:12
The role for corporate prayer emerges as we delve
The third thing we must do is to promote prayer
“Giving thanks to God in all circumstances” is only fair
About God’s grace and love we should testify
So that others’ hopes and prayers He can sanctify
And we should share with others when prayers get answered
So that others get encouraged and do not get deterred
In summary, Tony gave us three steps to take
And addressed six misconceptions many make
We should prioritise, practise, and promote our prayer
This is God’s will, for about us He does truly care
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