28 April 2013 - ENCS

To conclude the series based on Philippians chapter four

Pastor Charles spoke of the "ode to joy" and a lot more

Joyful Christians who are happy in the Lord, he did say

Make a difference in this world, each and every day

Reading from Philippians four verses four through seven

We should always rejoice in the Lord, who is in heaven

It goes on to say not to be anxious about anything

For our safety and eternal peace the Lord will bring

From prison, this epistle was written by Paul

Acts 16:16-40 has the story, we can read it all

Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises at midnight

After the earthquake, everything ended up right

 

Pastor said that rejoice comes from "chairo" in Greek

To be full of cheer and calmly happy is what we seek

"Merimnao" in Greek relates to worry, anxiety, and stress

This is part of most lives, which results in many a mess

But Paul says we should not fret in any hour

It is true we cannot fight this with our own power

We should not worry about being stressed

God wants to empower us to ace this test

Against stress and its effects, Pastor said the best way to fight

Is to remember to count our numerous blessings every night

Our greatest blessing, Pastor then said with a knowing nod

Is our relationships with loved ones and of course with God

 

Only eight percent of concerns are legitimate, one study did say

The appropriate response to those is to trust God and to pray

Paul says to overcome worry with prayer and thanksgiving

Resulting in a peace which surpasses all understanding

Remember that each situation has some redeeming quality

We can always find a way to thank God, as in Paul we can see

Having joy in difficult circumstances is a testimony so great

Others will see the difference and be impressed with this trait

Then we can say that through Christ, we can do everything

Verse thirteen of Philippians four we should continually sing

 

On how to lead a contented life, some ideas Pastor then did share

We should have a gracious spirit, one that for others does care

Instead of being critical of others, we should have a merciful heart

Lowering our expectations per Robinson Crusoe also plays a part

Remembering all the things that we should be thankful for

That is of course central to Paul's words in Philippians four

 

Pastor closed with a reference to Psalm twenty three

"The Lord is my shepherd" and "still waters" we do see

If we follow Him and do just as He does say

We will have His peace throughout every day

This contentment is what brings us true joy

And allows us our anxious feelings to destroy

21 April 2013 - Galatians 5:16-23

Paul said to "live by the Spirit", that is for sure

And thus not "gratify the desires of the sinful nature"

"For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit"

"And the Spirit is contrary to sinful nature" and what is in it

And because "they are in conflict" there must be a flaw

"But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law"

 

"The acts of sinful nature are obvious" and countless

"Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery" are a mess

"Hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition"

"Factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and dissension"

Paul says that those who like this choose to live

Will not see the treasures in heaven God will give

 

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace", no less

And "Patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness"

Not forgetting "gentleness and self-control"

For those who belong to Christ, this is the goal

 

What a timely reminder this passage is for me

Emphasizing the type of person I am to be

May my actions and words show others this fruit

And in doing so, let God's love in them take root

15 April 2013 - Psalm 118:24

"This is the day that the Lord hath made"

Let this thought from my mind never fade

Then "be glad in it" and "let us rejoice"

Whether in a group or as a single voice

 

Recent messages have focused on the topic of joy

And how this is what the enemy wants to destroy

But turn it on the enemy and you will see

Joy is what will make him from our lives flee

For joy comes from God and lives in our heart

As so many Biblical passages do impart

 

And as an erudite Pastor shared yesterday

To remember what JOY is, here is a way

J is for Jesus, who should be our first priority

O is for others, who we should serve with glee

Y is for yourself, for whom we must take care

We can be joyful in actions, words, and prayer

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

14 April 2013 - John 10:10

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy"

To do this, all sorts of tricks the devil will employ

Jesus said " I have come that they may have life"

"And have it to the full" with purpose, without strife

 

This stark analogy of the devil as a thief in the night

Makes it very clear that he is not operating in the light

And since stealing and killing are his stated intention

We must resist, by calling for Jesus' intervention

Jesus is with us, through good times and bad

So no matter what, we have reason to be glad

 

This is a very timely reminder for me

Far from the thief I must actively flee

He wants to steal my life and my joy

But I cannot let him distract or annoy

For I have a purpose here on this earth

It is from God that I know my worth

So towards God, I want my path to be

For then my joy everyone can see

31 March 2013 - ENCS

The "Back to the Future" series today Pastor Larry did close

Talking about various resurrections, Bible stores everyone knows

With the Easter service more than filling the movie hall

He told us more about the greatest resurrection of all

For without Christ's resurrection, our lives would be pointless

But today He is alive, so we are thankfully not in that mess

Pastor read from Luke 24, verses one to three and six to seven

The women heard that "He is arisen" from angels down from heaven

The story is repeated in each of the gospels four

Thus reminding us of Christ's power and more

He can change us and heal us, Pastor did then say

No matter how much wickedness there appears today

 

The time we live in often seem wicked and dark

And doing the right thing is no walk in the park

We may not have all the answers all of the time

But that is to be expected, it is not a crime

And so when we want to complain about how we feel

And we ask God "why does it take so long for me to heal?'

Remember that our God is both the beginning and the end

When the time is right, answers and healing to us He will send

Pastor referred to Luke chapter eleven, verse twenty nine

Which talks of a wicked generation looking for a sign

As with Jonah and the Ninevites before, there would only be one

For this generation, it was the death and resurrection of God's son

In Ephesians 5 verse 16, Paul's strong feelings on this we can see

"Because the days are evil, make "the most of every opportunity"

In the same way, we need to firmly say

"Jesus is alive and so am I" every day

 

A powerful and moving testimony we did then hear

The lady's sons were both very sick for many a year

Isaiah 60 verses two and three talks of darkness covering the earth

The lesson learned is that God's light will prevail, bringing great mirth

For God wants us to be filled with faithfulness and joys

We will see the difference in our lives, just like her boys

Pastor reminded us again that in His time, God answers our prayers

For through it all and despite our sins, for us He truly always cares

Pastor said that it was time for believers to rise up in unison

Per Philippians 3:10, sharing in Christ's suffering as one

In that way, we can Christ's power know

And attain eternal victory over the foe

He asked us to be Christians by action, not just by name

Believing that our prayers can heal and change and tame

Pastor referred again to one who did so much, the apostle Paul

And asked if we would do likewise, willing to face abuse and all

In Acts 4:13 we read about courage that was clearly heavenly sent

Despite a lack of education, the disciples' bold words were so evident

 

Remember that Jesus did not come to make bad people good

He came to make dead people alive in every neighborhood

Pastor then also spoke of Isaiah 60 verses one to three

We must rise up to allow God's shining light others to see

We should listen to Romans 8:11 and the clarion call

By doing so, others can see that hope is available for all

In the same way that Jesus rose up to give life, Pastor did state

We should open our hearts and rise up to avoid a deathly fate

In each of our hearts, God's spirit can dwell

Thus giving us power and a story to tell

31 March 2013 - PLMC

At Sunrise service this bright and sunny Easter Day

"Do Not Be Afraid" is what Pastor Lynette did say

 

She said that there is a thief lurking through the year

We feel it at night and when darkness is near

It stops our actions because of its words we do hear

Stealing our joy and courage - its name is fear

Although this fear is not something we actually see

It often tells us to swap our integrity for popularity

It taunts us, saying we are unloved and unwanted

Through fear of failure and death, it persists undaunted

Fear's objective is to turn us into cowardly, joyless souls

Removing smiles and taking eyes off Jesus are its goals

 

Pastor then read Matthew 28 verses one through ten

The word "afraid" is repeated again and again and again

"Don't be afraid" appears 365 times in the Bible, it is said

Like a daily reminder from God, call it our daily bread

Pastor pointed out that although Jesus' guards seemed so strong

When the Lord's angel appeared, the guards did not last very long

Meanwhile the two Marys, despite being considered among society's worst

Were given the honour of hearing the angel and then seeing Christ first

They were given this very important part

Because of the attitude within their heart

 

Pastor then highlighted parallels between Christ's resurrection and birth

The circumstances and the words, they must have double the worth

Angels appeared both times, saying "do not be afraid"

We should not live in fear, God's love will never fade

Psalm 46 says "He is our refuge and our strength"

"Our help in times of trouble", no matter the length

Faith gives us strength and comfort, we should not fear

That is the phrase from Lynette we continued to hear

An author said to keep our fears to ourselves, with others courage share

Lynette said to give fears to God in exchange for courage anytime, anywhere

 

Pastor said to remember that the cave is not the end of the story

This is important, especially when things seem dark, dismal, or gory

At both his birth and resurrection, from the cave Jesus did come

We should remember this, for Jesus is waiting for us in His kingdom

For all of us, Christ Jesus went to the cross

That was a transforming event, not a loss

With those still in caves, we need this message to share

Making sure that nobody can say that "God does not care"

 

We may come to Him with fears that do not seem to fade

But remember that Jesus often said "do not be afraid"

He will deliver us to a world of hope no matter how bad things seem

Pastor said that there is no tragedy from which He can not redeem

Easter is about new life, with Jesus leading the way

No matter how good or bad things are on the day

So although we may all at times be gripped by fear

"Our Savior lives, we should not be afraid" we did hear