1 February 2015 - ENCS

Pastor Josh started the "Family" series at Every Nation

For the enemy will attack our families, our foundation

He said that marriage is where every family should start

In Matthew nineteen, Jesus said "let no man take apart"

The Pharisees were testing him for no good reason

Focused on divorce not marriage, looking for treason

Jesus said that divorce only arose due to hardness of heart

He referred them to Scripture before a rebuke he did impart

 

Pastor Josh then focused us on Genesis chapter two

And read from verse eighteen what God did say and do

God said it was not good for man to be alone

From Adam, God made Eve from a rib bone

She was to be his helper, or 'ezer' in Hebrew

As a 'neged', she was to be his opposite too

So together their union would make a whole

That was God's plan; each had an equal role

 

Josh said not to look at what actually did occur

For that is not how God's plans we should infer

To attain God's standards we need His grace

The cross bridges the gap to the right place

As woman was created to be by man's side

There should be openness and trust, no pride

But per the beginning of Genesis chapter three

Eve was misled and confused by the enemy

He twists truths and empowers compromise

Leading us down paths wrong and unwise

When on our own understanding we do trust

Into fear, shame, and trouble we are thrust

In Adam and Eve's case, in any Biblical translation

They were cursed with competition, not cooperation

 

Husbands and wives, therefore, must focus on love

As per First Corinthians thirteen, like God above

In order to love others, we must love the Lord

Mirroring that love so marriage can be restored

For the old has passed and the new has come

God's love ensures there is no reason to be glum 

25 January 2015 - ENCS

For the discipleship series, Pastor Arnie delivered the last one

He spoke about being empowered, as in Acts Jesus had done

Between the two people, there must be a good relationship

Our link with Jesus empowers us to testify, Arnie did quip

Both parties involved want the discipleship to succeed

For a disciple to do well, to good teaching he must heed

Effective equipping must be done with the right heart

For in that way, appropriate knowledge one can impart

"Growth with depth" requires a foundation from heaven

As stated in First Corinthians chapter three verse eleven

 

Arnie then delved into Matthew four verse nineteen

"Come, follow Me" from Jesus are the first words seen

To follow we must know who He is, so the Bible we read

For to understand Jesus, more than mere facts we need

"Will make you" is the next phrase Arnie did mention

Our hearts can only be changed with Jesus' attention 

"Fishers of men" reminds us of what we need to do

Constant training ensures that knowledge we imbue

 

Discipleship training ensures that we make right choices

And help others to do the same, amen said the voices

Whether in church or the marketplace, we can be lights

From the day we are born until they say our last rites

For a one-person effort, discipleship is clearly not

Even Jesus had his twelve whom He trusted a lot

The call to discipleship is for all, Arnie did emphasize

With Jesus' strength we do not have to compromise

Per First Timothy chapter two, it is from His grace

That our weaknesses His strength can replace

We are all part of God's plan, an interconnected net

So that more non-believers the church might get

 

Discipleship involves walking alongside others

So all reach their destinies per God's druthers

To the beginning of the series, this does link

With Jesus, our relationship must be in sync

18 January 2015 - ENCS

The discipleship series was continued by Calvin Hong (with the flu)

Matthew chapter twenty eight commissions all disciples what to do

Per verse nineteen, we are to "go and make disciples of all nations"

After encountering God, we are changed from our core foundations

He allows us to change the world while on earth we are alive

To be lights and salt for the world, per Matthew chapter five

Per Ephesians chapter two, we were only saved by faith and grace

Not by works, but to do good works until we reach the eternal place

Calvin said that people are looking for joy, hope, and peace

Even in dark times, we can be a light that does not cease

Per Second Corinthians five, anyone in Christ is a new creation

Reconciled to God, who gives us the ministry of reconciliation

God wants us to be ambassadors, bringing people together

Restoring and reconciling relationships in all types of weather

In Matthew eighteen, Jesus shared the parable of the lost sheep

God does not want anyone to perish, all of our souls His to keep

Calvin then read out verse forty six from Luke chapter six

If we call Jesus "Savior", then all parts of our life He can fix

Then discipleship is being an example, not just mere duplication

We should use our unique talents for Him, through life's duration

Mark chapter twelve tells the story of the demon-possessed man

Doing miracles for large crowds or individuals, Jesus clearly can

About a big storm on the sea, the previous verses did tell

Sometimes God takes us through storms to prepare us well

Jesus clothed the possessed man after setting him free

Everything in the Bible has a purpose, as we oft do see

After the possessed man was healed, Jesus he wanted to follow

But Jesus told him instead to tell his story to all those he did know

God knows our situation, all of our needs, and all of our pain

He cares about each one of us for His love will never wane

There is no such thing as a closet Christian, Calvin did say

We must let God be visibly with us every hour of every day

We witness for God with our actions and words, Calvin did state

For with Jesus, the works we can do will be mighty and great

11 January 2015 - ENCS

The discipleship series was continued by Joy Talavera tonight

She talked about "Expectations" with so much energy and delight

The passage was Luke chapter five, seventeen to twenty six

In the story, some people resorted to "Miyagi moves" or tricks

Joy said that this links to the concept of "raising the roof"

For Jesus, seeing the effort made sufficed as solid proof

 

From all of Galilee, rabbis came to hear Jesus, the real deal

Due to the power of God in Him, Jesus had the ability to heal

A paralytic's friends could not find a way through the crowd

But giving up on their task was not something to be allowed

At times, we might feel paralyzed physically or emotionally

Not having control over events brings despair, not glee

Carrying him to the roof, the friends did all persevere

Then lowered him so in front of Jesus he did appear

Sometimes the crowd prohibits us from a breakthrough

Even ones close to us that we would normally go to

The roof represents hindrances in our lives, Joy did say

Getting others to help raise the roof may be the only way

Nonetheless, we should remember that people will fail us

And the only one who is perfect and never fails is Jesus

To get help and to improve our walk, we need community

As in Hebrews ten verses twenty four and five we do see

When Jesus saw their faith, the paralytic's sins He forgave

The paralytic walked home; praise the onlookers then gave

When a miracle occurs, we should make sure to share

This can also encourage others to go to God in prayer

 

The raise the roof sign is also a sign of surrender, Joy did say

This is something we can do whether it is a good or a bad day

We should also look to help raise the roof for others

Whether they be Christian or not, sisters or brothers

4 January 2015 - ENCS

Talking about discipleship, Pastor Josh did start the new year

About forgetting and remembering the past we first did hear

We should forget our mistakes as well as our successes

Never give up and remember that it is God that blesses

We should remember who God is and what He has done

For the future, He gives us confidence when we have none

But when we forget, some basic principles we must remember

Otherwise 'stuff' will distract us from January until December

We must compare our plans to our core values

And be careful with trade-offs, Josh did muse

 

Among our values, discipleship should be at the fore

Disciples followed their master to learn even more

A good teacher teaches people for themselves to think

So they can make their own decisions and do not sink

Pastor then shared where discipleship comes from

About looking at others, Jesus does not keep mum

Similarly, our priorities in life we should always assess

In Matthew twenty two, Jesus did not make anyone guess

The greatest commandment, he did others remind

Is to love Lord God with all our heart, soul, and mind

We should love others as do we do ourselves, Pastor did say

That is putting philosophy into practice in an obvious way

Per John one, the disciples asked Jesus where he stayed

The relationship matters more than answers, this displayed

 

We can read His Word, open our hearts, and others bless

Pastor said that is how Christians should define success

28 December 2014 - ENCS

At ENCS on this last Sunday of the 2014 year

A double message from pastors we did hear

First from Pastor Larry, who the year did recap

Focusing on positives allowing energy to tap

We cannot put God in a box, Pastor did then say

When we come together, nothing can get in our way

He implored us to 'dream together' for Singapore's jubilee

Believe, intercede, and grow BIG, so success we will see

 

Then Pastor Arnie spoke on Philippians chapter three

In verse fourteen, the words goal and prize we do see

He said our goal for the year comes from verse eight

To draw near and know God, the reward is so great

He referred to Psalm 145:18 and John four twenty four

Of course the Bible is full of similar passages many more

God's Positioning System directs our life's path

Ensuring we get His blessing instead of His wrath

If we try to know, gain, be in, and be like Christ

At the end of life, it will have more than sufficed

 

Arnie then spoke about winning the prize

A life fully committed to God never dies

It is about disciple-making discipleship

To commit and submit helps us to equip

Jesus is our Savior and Lord so we will never lack

But as disciples, we must move forward not back

As Henrichsen said, "destroy avenues of retreat"

For then we can ensure that the enemy we defeat

In conclusion, we can press on and win the prize

For Jesus paid the price and from death did arise

25 December 2014 - KKMC

At a very full Kampung Kapor Methodist Church on Christmas Day

On Luke 2 verses 15-20, Pastor Kenneth Huang had much to say

His sermon was aptly titled "Christmas, Jesus, Me, and You"

The word "reason" in "the reason for the season" he did undo

Breaking it down into "re" "a" "son" makes it extremely clear

Why the shepherds visited Jesus after the angels did appear

 

In the same way, Pastor said we should want to see Jesus too

As what John three sixteen says about God's plan is so true

God so loved the world, which He created in His own likeness

He gave His only son Jesus to pull out us of our sinful mess

And for those who believe in Him, going in the right direction

Eternal life is a certainty, not just an assumption or projection

A short summary of this key verse Max Lucado did give

We repeated, "God loved, God gave, we believe, we live"

 

Several other "REs" with us Pastor Kenneth did then share

RE-align life's priorities, RE-shape life's values he did declare

RE-direct life's goals, RE-deem from our sin were the next two

And finally RE-lease us to live as our Lord God wants us to do

We don't need to prove our worth in front of God even if we could

For none of us is righteous enough, that should be understood

 

We should follow the shepherd's example and accept the good news

Sharing this with others is what Pastor said that we should choose

In doing so, however, to God's script we must always stick

Even - or especially - in the face of challenges thin and thick

According to God's ways and plans, we should never stop living

Because unique plans for each of us God will never stop giving

 

When we do the good that we can, per verses nineteen and twenty

Like Mary and the shepherds, we will end up being blessed a-plenty

We must know Christ and Christmas to respond to the world of today

For whatever we face, peace and favor from God will come our way

God wants each of us to seek Him all the time, in whatever we do

And to praise Him and share the good news with more than a few