The Moabites and Ammonites waged war against Jehoshaphat
Fortunately, Jehoshaphat asked God what to do about that
He proclaimed a fast and the people sought help from the Lord
The king stood up and prayed before taking up the sword
“Lord, are you not the God who is in heaven?”
“No one can withstand you” (before verse seven)
“The descendants of Abraham…will cry out to you”
“And you will hear us and save us” without further ado
The Lord said “do not be dismayed or discouraged” by what is seen
“For the battle is not yours, but God’s” per verse fifteen
“You will not have to fight this battle”, just have a firm stance
“Take up your positions” and the Lord will give you deliverance
In praise and worship, all of the people of Judah fell down
Joined by Kohathites and others from Jerusalem town
Jehoshaphat said “have faith in the Lord…and you will be upheld”
“Have faith…and you will be successful” he compelled
The Lord set ambushes against the hordes of men from the enemy
Resulting in a desert filled with dead bodies from their army
Per verse thirty, the “kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace”
“For his God had given him rest on every side”; war did cease
Pray, praise, believe, and have faith
That is what these words sayeth
So dear God, please let me remember this way
And then I am sure things will turn out okay
For even though I am plagued by fear and doubt
And it may seem that there is no way out
Throughout the Bible your power is often seen
So I know that at the right time you will intervene
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
26 June 2011 - ENCS
The "Endangered Species" series was continued by Rachel Ong
She spoke about servants after we prayed and worshiped with song
The main passage was Matthew twenty verses 26 and 27
Have a servant's heart in order to glorify God in heaven
For in order to make a difference and be great
We must start by serving, even those we may hate
Rachel told us three ways to start
If we are to develop a servant's heart
The first was the "desire to serve with no expectations of return"
We need to be humble, giving, and of course willing to learn
"Perfect hospitality", as mentioned in Luke 14: 12-14
Means inviting those from whom repayment will not be seen
By giving to those who cannot pay us back
God will bless us and ensure we never lack
And per Isaiah 2, we should not forget aliens in our land
For hospitality draws others to Christ, Rachel does understand
A true servant has no expectations, she then said
At least not from others, trusting in God instead
Per Psalm 62:5, in God alone we should find rest
For "hope comes from Him" who should be blessed
To "determine to serve with all diligence" was number two
We should put complete effort into all that we do
For if we strive to be excellent and diligent
God will notice and blessings will be sent
Rachel's company has benefited from this phenomenon
A small firm getting contracts where only big ones have gone
She also spoke of "A Message to Garcia", a movie based on fact
Where Col Rowan's diligence and obedience were never off track
Rachel contrasted this with many workers today
There is a lack of independent action, she did say
She asked if we are diligent and dependable
Even if the sacrifice seems quite formidable
The third was having a "purpose to give God glory"
Rachel shared Hobby Lobby's rags-to-riches story
David Green did everything his first boss did ask
Even if it was a menial and thankless task
His stores are always closed on Sunday
To allow staff time to rest and to pray
Good work can become great when God blesses
This should encourage us when faced with messes
For a servant, a test of fire is indeed won
By responding well when treated as one
From Psalm 119:165 we then all saw
"Great peace have they who love" God's law
In summary, to Jesus the servant-king she did point
He came to serve, but as our King we should anoint
She referred to Matthew 20:28 and Philippians 2:7
Jesus humbled himself, following orders from heaven
We should be "dying to self" in the same way
Humbly submitting to God and man every day
She spoke about servants after we prayed and worshiped with song
The main passage was Matthew twenty verses 26 and 27
Have a servant's heart in order to glorify God in heaven
For in order to make a difference and be great
We must start by serving, even those we may hate
Rachel told us three ways to start
If we are to develop a servant's heart
The first was the "desire to serve with no expectations of return"
We need to be humble, giving, and of course willing to learn
"Perfect hospitality", as mentioned in Luke 14: 12-14
Means inviting those from whom repayment will not be seen
By giving to those who cannot pay us back
God will bless us and ensure we never lack
And per Isaiah 2, we should not forget aliens in our land
For hospitality draws others to Christ, Rachel does understand
A true servant has no expectations, she then said
At least not from others, trusting in God instead
Per Psalm 62:5, in God alone we should find rest
For "hope comes from Him" who should be blessed
To "determine to serve with all diligence" was number two
We should put complete effort into all that we do
For if we strive to be excellent and diligent
God will notice and blessings will be sent
Rachel's company has benefited from this phenomenon
A small firm getting contracts where only big ones have gone
She also spoke of "A Message to Garcia", a movie based on fact
Where Col Rowan's diligence and obedience were never off track
Rachel contrasted this with many workers today
There is a lack of independent action, she did say
She asked if we are diligent and dependable
Even if the sacrifice seems quite formidable
The third was having a "purpose to give God glory"
Rachel shared Hobby Lobby's rags-to-riches story
David Green did everything his first boss did ask
Even if it was a menial and thankless task
His stores are always closed on Sunday
To allow staff time to rest and to pray
Good work can become great when God blesses
This should encourage us when faced with messes
For a servant, a test of fire is indeed won
By responding well when treated as one
From Psalm 119:165 we then all saw
"Great peace have they who love" God's law
In summary, to Jesus the servant-king she did point
He came to serve, but as our King we should anoint
She referred to Matthew 20:28 and Philippians 2:7
Jesus humbled himself, following orders from heaven
We should be "dying to self" in the same way
Humbly submitting to God and man every day
Thursday, June 23, 2011
23 June 2011
Dear Lord God, I am nothing without you
But with you, there is nothing I cannot do
Without you, Lord, life so often humbles me
But humbling also results when your Word I see
Job was an amazing man with great faith in You
That same trait should serve me in every job that I do
So let me be humble with great faith
Drawing strength from what the Bible sayeth
Life can be challenging, tough, and confusing
Even when it is Your path that I am choosing
But I know deep down in my heart
That my role is just one small part
For Your plans are awesome and great
And that with you, safe is my eternal fate
So let my time be spent in productive and godly ways
And let me be a shining light for others all of my days
But with you, there is nothing I cannot do
Without you, Lord, life so often humbles me
But humbling also results when your Word I see
Job was an amazing man with great faith in You
That same trait should serve me in every job that I do
So let me be humble with great faith
Drawing strength from what the Bible sayeth
Life can be challenging, tough, and confusing
Even when it is Your path that I am choosing
But I know deep down in my heart
That my role is just one small part
For Your plans are awesome and great
And that with you, safe is my eternal fate
So let my time be spent in productive and godly ways
And let me be a shining light for others all of my days
Sunday, June 19, 2011
19 June 2011 - ENCS
Pastor Larry started a new series
It was entitled “Endangered Species”
Appropriately on this third Sunday in June
He spoke about fathers until it was noon
Pastor referred to Malachi 4 verses five and six
Onto children, the hearts of fathers must affix
And then in 1 Corinthians 4:15-16, from the apostle Paul
“In Christ…I became your father in the gospel” was his call
Pastor used D-A-D to show where intervention was needed
So that fathers’ love and role are not reduced or impeded
To “Demonstrate honour” was the first point of three
Honour and long life are linked, from Japan we can see
To honour one’s parents is a commandment with a promise
Leading to a long life that is fulfilling and far from godless
This comes from Deuteronomy 4:16 and Ephesians 6:3
On a related point, Mark 6:4 Pastor asked us to see
If we do not honour our parents, we will regret
For God’s full blessings we will not get
The second of his points was to “Always forgive”
Unlocking bitterness allows us to really live
Per John the Baptist in Luke 1 verse seventeen
To turn the hearts of fathers, he was keen
We then heard a testimony from Pastor Mark
With his father, ten years passed with not a remark
When he went through the forgiveness process
An email arrived, asking to meet him no less
He said that forgiveness opened a window for him
Allowing reconciliation from a relationship that was dim
Pastor Larry said that if we don’t forgive we cannot be healed
For the promise of generational curses will then be sealed
But if we obey God, our sins we will not be judged
This is a view from which Pastor cannot be budged
Psalm 68 : 5 says God is father to the fatherless
So about earthly concerns we should not stress
Pastor’s third point was that we must “Declare love”
In order to likewise receive love from God above
He read 1 Corinthians 13: 1 and 1 John 4: 7-8
Even John the son of Zebedee was set straight
And then reading from 1 John chapter three verse one
The love God lavishes on His children is never done
In conclusion, about the prodigal son Pastor Larry spoke
Our Father welcomes us back with open arms and a cloak
As fathers here on earth we should likewise do
We have a very important role to pursue
It was entitled “Endangered Species”
Appropriately on this third Sunday in June
He spoke about fathers until it was noon
Pastor referred to Malachi 4 verses five and six
Onto children, the hearts of fathers must affix
And then in 1 Corinthians 4:15-16, from the apostle Paul
“In Christ…I became your father in the gospel” was his call
Pastor used D-A-D to show where intervention was needed
So that fathers’ love and role are not reduced or impeded
To “Demonstrate honour” was the first point of three
Honour and long life are linked, from Japan we can see
To honour one’s parents is a commandment with a promise
Leading to a long life that is fulfilling and far from godless
This comes from Deuteronomy 4:16 and Ephesians 6:3
On a related point, Mark 6:4 Pastor asked us to see
If we do not honour our parents, we will regret
For God’s full blessings we will not get
The second of his points was to “Always forgive”
Unlocking bitterness allows us to really live
Per John the Baptist in Luke 1 verse seventeen
To turn the hearts of fathers, he was keen
We then heard a testimony from Pastor Mark
With his father, ten years passed with not a remark
When he went through the forgiveness process
An email arrived, asking to meet him no less
He said that forgiveness opened a window for him
Allowing reconciliation from a relationship that was dim
Pastor Larry said that if we don’t forgive we cannot be healed
For the promise of generational curses will then be sealed
But if we obey God, our sins we will not be judged
This is a view from which Pastor cannot be budged
Psalm 68 : 5 says God is father to the fatherless
So about earthly concerns we should not stress
Pastor’s third point was that we must “Declare love”
In order to likewise receive love from God above
He read 1 Corinthians 13: 1 and 1 John 4: 7-8
Even John the son of Zebedee was set straight
And then reading from 1 John chapter three verse one
The love God lavishes on His children is never done
In conclusion, about the prodigal son Pastor Larry spoke
Our Father welcomes us back with open arms and a cloak
As fathers here on earth we should likewise do
We have a very important role to pursue
19 June 2011 - Job 42:1-6
After Job faced many trials (but not the sword)
He had these words to say to the Lord
“I know that you can do all things” Job did report
Plans of yours, it is clear that nobody can ever thwart
“Surely I spoke of things I did not understand”
I did not know but all were as you planned
God says to listen when he doth speak
And answer when asked, don’t be meek
Job concluded that his eyes had now seen
What his ears had heard since he was a teen
“Therefore I despise myself and repent” Job did conclude
“In dust and ashes”, resulting in humble solitude
To me, Job’s words ring so very true
They should encourage when I am feeling blue
For Job went through many a trial and tribulation
But he never did succumb to the frustration
For in the Lord our God, complete faith he had
He remained positive even when events were sad
Dear God, from Job let me draw strength and learn
That You are the only to whom I should turn
He had these words to say to the Lord
“I know that you can do all things” Job did report
Plans of yours, it is clear that nobody can ever thwart
“Surely I spoke of things I did not understand”
I did not know but all were as you planned
God says to listen when he doth speak
And answer when asked, don’t be meek
Job concluded that his eyes had now seen
What his ears had heard since he was a teen
“Therefore I despise myself and repent” Job did conclude
“In dust and ashes”, resulting in humble solitude
To me, Job’s words ring so very true
They should encourage when I am feeling blue
For Job went through many a trial and tribulation
But he never did succumb to the frustration
For in the Lord our God, complete faith he had
He remained positive even when events were sad
Dear God, from Job let me draw strength and learn
That You are the only to whom I should turn
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
14 June 2011 - Global Day of Prayer 2011
Attending the Global Day of Prayer Sunday night
Thousands of believers – what an awesome sight
“To the coming generation” was the theme
Based on Psalm 145 verse 4 it did seem
“I will exalt you, my God the king” David wrote
“I will praise your name for ever” he did emote
“One generation will commend your works to another”
They will tell of your mighty acts” to every brother
About two aspects of the Great Commission we then heard
From Matthew 28 and Psalm 22, stated not inferred
First is “all nations” or geographical
Second is “all people” or generational
“Passing of the Faith” was the first corporate prayer
Skipping church the Seaward children did not dare
From Proverbs 22:6, “Train up the child”
So he will choose the right path, not go wild
Related to families and healing was the second corporate prayer
David’s house provides many bad examples – so we best beware
Unfaithfulness, a lack of discipline, rebellion, and unforgiveness
Instead of reconciliation, respect, and one-togetherness
The first assembly prayer focused on our nation
Moral decay and materialism cause consternation
From Proverbs 14 verse 34 read Bishop Moses Tay
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach’ it does say
The third corporate prayer focused on fathers and men
For they have a key role to play, we heard again and again
The leaders read from Luke chapter one verse seventeen
“Turn the hearts of the fathers to the children” we did glean
The last corporate prayer was for the rebirth of youth ministries
On the raising up of mentors and teachers the leaders did seize
From 2 Timothy 2 verse 2 they did read
Reliable, qualified people are always in need
The third assembly prayer was for the Holy Spirit to outpour
Into our generation and land, more and more
The leaders read from Acts four verse thirty one
Telling stories of what the Holy Spirit had done
The last assembly prayer focused on missions from here
Targeting unreached peoples both afar and near
And referring to Isaiah 60 verses one to three
Perhaps like Antioch Singapore can be
And so concluded Global Day of Prayer two thousand eleven
We all know that our prayers will be heard in heaven
For at the end of the third hour
We could all feel prayer’s strong power
Thousands of believers – what an awesome sight
“To the coming generation” was the theme
Based on Psalm 145 verse 4 it did seem
“I will exalt you, my God the king” David wrote
“I will praise your name for ever” he did emote
“One generation will commend your works to another”
They will tell of your mighty acts” to every brother
About two aspects of the Great Commission we then heard
From Matthew 28 and Psalm 22, stated not inferred
First is “all nations” or geographical
Second is “all people” or generational
“Passing of the Faith” was the first corporate prayer
Skipping church the Seaward children did not dare
From Proverbs 22:6, “Train up the child”
So he will choose the right path, not go wild
Related to families and healing was the second corporate prayer
David’s house provides many bad examples – so we best beware
Unfaithfulness, a lack of discipline, rebellion, and unforgiveness
Instead of reconciliation, respect, and one-togetherness
The first assembly prayer focused on our nation
Moral decay and materialism cause consternation
From Proverbs 14 verse 34 read Bishop Moses Tay
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach’ it does say
The third corporate prayer focused on fathers and men
For they have a key role to play, we heard again and again
The leaders read from Luke chapter one verse seventeen
“Turn the hearts of the fathers to the children” we did glean
The last corporate prayer was for the rebirth of youth ministries
On the raising up of mentors and teachers the leaders did seize
From 2 Timothy 2 verse 2 they did read
Reliable, qualified people are always in need
The third assembly prayer was for the Holy Spirit to outpour
Into our generation and land, more and more
The leaders read from Acts four verse thirty one
Telling stories of what the Holy Spirit had done
The last assembly prayer focused on missions from here
Targeting unreached peoples both afar and near
And referring to Isaiah 60 verses one to three
Perhaps like Antioch Singapore can be
And so concluded Global Day of Prayer two thousand eleven
We all know that our prayers will be heard in heaven
For at the end of the third hour
We could all feel prayer’s strong power
Sunday, June 12, 2011
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
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
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