26 November 2017 - ENCS

About Genesis, the seed plot of the Bible, Josh did speak

Into all Biblical themes and principles Genesis does peek

Including blood, storms, God’s purpose and covenants

As a foundation, the book of Genesis has no equivalents

According to Genesis nine starting from verse eighteen

Noah had three sons - Shem, Ham, Japheth -  it is seen

Noah planted vineyards but got drunk and was uncovered

Per verse twenty two, in this nakedness Ham discovered

And about Thanksgiving, Josh’s point was far from murky

The focus should be on praising the Lord, not the turkey

For although God does not require from us any praise

Giving Him praise ends up helping us even on bad days

Returning to Genesis, to his brothers Ham did then share

He did this intentionally, clearly not out of concern or care

Per Proverbs seventeen, he who covers a sin seeks love

Otherwise, it will separate friends and upset God above

Shem and Japheth did not look while covering their dad

What they did was as good as what Ham did was bad

Noah awoke and blessed them and their descendants

But cursed Canaan for Ham’s sin and lack of penance

Blessings last more generations than curses, Josh said

Neither one ends just because the first person is dead

Adam and Eve sinned, thus were shamefully exposed

Their relationship with God was regrettably transposed

Jesus, when faced with the adulteress in John eight

Forgave her in love, even though the sin he did hate

We are to restore a sinner gently, per Galatians one

And definitely not be tempted by what he has done

Like with Adam and Eve, God knows all that we do

Jesus came to cover our sins, heal and make us new

And thus, God’s presence we can once again access

Which means even our descendants He will bless

19 November 2017 - ENCS

On Genesis nine, Pastor Joey based this morning’s dissertation

In terms of Noah’s story, these ten verses were the culmination

Importantly, the key word covenant was mentioned times seven

Reinforcing this was the first such coming from God in heaven

The word covenant actually means to cut a promise in Hebrew

God promised that flooding the earth He would never again do

Pastor said that the Noahic covenant mirrored that of Christ

Per Luke twenty two, on the night before He was sacrificed

Jesus said that the cup was poured out for a covenant new

Which in First Corinthians chapter eleven Paul did review

Reminding us all that communion is not to be taken lightly

Given our sinful state, we should approach it very contritely

But when we reach out to God, He will forgive and cleanse

If we do not, then we end up being under a judgement lens

The apostle Paul then goes on to state, in verse thirty two

God disciplines us so condemnation will not to us accrue

In summary, as long as we commune with God on this earth

He will find ways to bless us because He sees our worth

12 November 2017 - ENCS

Pastor Josh shared on the start of Genesis nine today

Sometimes, even for God, a rebooting is the only way

“Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth”, per verse one

Echoing Genesis one twenty eight, His plan not done

For God’s overarching plans never actually change

Even when circumstances and situations are strange

Humans were then allowed to eat meat, per verse four

But only after there was not blood, or life, anymore

That blood equates to life isbBiblically very important

How to maximise life’s value is a topic quite constant

God now values human life above that of an animal

So partaking of dead animals is actually quite practical

But we should therefore value human life all the same

God created everyone in His image and with a name

Objectifying or degrading any other is clearly not right

Respecting our bodies, all are valuable in God's sight

God repeated what He said in verse one in verse seven

Reminding Noah what was important to Him in heaven

All believers do overcome the world, per First John five

But not necessarily all good times while they are alive

Our mission is to change death to life, darkness to light

Giving others an inheritance of spiritual life that is bright

Per the gospels, enabling everyone to have a new birth

This is how we become fruitful, multiple, and fill the earth

Jesus is the Son of God, per First John and John eight

His Spirit, water, and blood all testify that He is great

Blood of God is more powerful than of human or animal

In Jesus’ blood, there is power which is quite valuable

To heal bodies, cleanse minds, and restore relationships

Per Ephesians two, religious prejudices it can eclipse

Per First John five, our God offers us life that is eternal

All we must do is bring Jesus into a relationship internal

Whoever does not believe in Jesus will not have that life

And will no doubt have a lack of peace and endure strife

But if we have life, we should share it in ways clearly seen

For we are to proclaim the gospel to all, per Mark sixteen

5 November 2017 - ENCS

Pastor Josh spoke on Genesis chapter eight verse twenty two

God said “while the earth remains”, seasons we would view

Akin to summer and winter, we have our individual seasons

We should remember that God does this for different reasons

Webster says that a season is a time that is suitable or fit

The key is to know what season we are in and understand it

Otherwise we get frustrated and God’s plans do not achieve 

His seasons are unique for each of us, we should believe

Know that each season has its own challenges and benefits

Both evident and not evident, as God decides and permits

Per Jeremiah seventeen five, we must trust God not man

Sometimes hardship is part of the Lord's overarching plan

We must work hard during harvest time, per Proverbs ten

Responding to God’s windows of opportunity like wise men

Blessed is he who trusts in God, per Jeremiah seventeen

They will bear fruit in every season, in verse eight is seen

God provides throughout, sometimes more, sometimes less

That is why Chisholm penned “Great is Thy Faithfulness"

Josh said patterns are a reminder of God’s steadfastness

Per James one, if we ask then with wisdom He will us bless

Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, said to preach the Word

To be ready both in and out of season was stated not inferred

In summary, our various seasons we should accept with joy

Doing God’s work while our God-given talents we do employ

29 October 2017 - ENCS

The series on Genesis, Pastor Josh did this evening continue

Per chapter eight eighteen, God did what He said He would do

He delivered Noah’s family and all the animals from the flood

He protected them from harm with no loss of life or even blood

When we get breakthroughs, Pastor asked about our celebration

Or do we tend to focus more on our God in times of desperation

For a lack of gratitude is dangerous, per Romans chapter one

As people’s hearts darkened when God they foolishly did shun

Jesus healed ten lepers, per Luke eleven verses eleven to sixteen

But only from the Samaritan was thankfulness to Jesus even seen

Pastor reminded us that when an illness God does for us defeat 

The first thing we should do is to give thanks and fall at His feet

Having a ‘foreigner’s attitude” so everything is amazing and new

Gives us fresh eyes and into our hearts thankfulness will imbue

This is what Noah demonstrated in Genesis eight verse twenty

Upon exiting the ark, he built an altar and gave offerings plenty

God was pleased and made a promise never to destroy again

Although as a righteous judge, He had to deal with sinful men

His solution involved his only son Jesus, per Isaiah fifty three

Who was offered as a perfect sacrifice, crucified so willingly

What that means for each of us, Pastor Josh did then conclude

Is our response should be thankfulness, worship, and gratitude

We should easily find many things to give thanks for each day

And reflect that in our attitude, not just to God when we pray

22 October 2017 - ENCS

Pastor Josh spoke about Noah and the flood from Genesis seven

As promised, for forty days torrential rain came down from heaven

Noah had followed God’s instructions about the ark, not just a boat

While everything else was destroyed, on the water the ark did float

The flood lifted Noah toward heaven, Charles Spurgeon did state

The ark provided rest and peace, while protecting from a bad fate

For us, true rest and peace can only be found from our God above

Without Christ as our ark, we do not have perfect safety and love

Floodwaters covered everything, per verses nineteen and twenty

We also sometimes similarly feel flooded, overwhelmed a-plenty

Noah was not in control and had to wait for instructions from God

If we do not likewise trust in God, the results will oft be slipshod

Beyond the first forty days, many more months Noah had to wait

Waiting can be uncomfortable and unproductive that we all hate

But like Noah, who God never forgot per Genesis eight verse one

We must patiently wait, not knowing when our storms will be done

The waters eventually subsided as the God’s wind, or spirit, blew

To remind us what matters, storms we must sometimes go through

The ark came to rest on Ararat but Noah's waiting was not complete

It was several more months before on land Noah could put his feet

God was preparing Noah, for results matter less than one's heart

This is consistent with what Jesus in Luke chapter five did impart

Pastor said we are often brought closer to God through desperation

And our relationships with God can dwindle in times of celebration

Over the months on Ararat, Noah sent out a raven and then a dove

He waited more than a year before finally hearing from God above

We need to ask if it God’s will as well as His timing before we act

For if we proceed without both in place, the results will be inexact

"Go forth and multiply” God said in chapter eight verse seventeen

The precise phrase that in Genesis chapter one was initially seen

Pastor Josh said that waiting can allow God our world to reboot

Which as a summary of Noah and the flood is difficult to refute

15 October 2017 - ENCS

The lengthy series on Genesis Pastor Josh did today continue

Per chapter six verse seventeen God knew what He had to do

In order to rid the role of all the corrupt behaviour and violence

Due to all the sin, almost everything on earth he had to dispense

To focus on our relationship with God, for a crisis we cannot wait

For if we don’t know how to hear God by then, it will be too late

God told Noah he would establish a covenant, per verse eighteen

It was God’s first, although until chapter nine details were not seen

“Just trust me and be obedient, Noah”, God was effectively saying

His omnipotence and love are why we should frequently be praying

God said to take a male and female of all species in verse twenty

That would enable them all to procreate and repopulate aplenty

As a side note, Josh asked if we have built an ark for our families

So that when storms inevitably hit, they will feel like a light breeze

Noah did everything that God commanded, per verse twenty two

That is a reminder that knowledge means nothing unless we do

And the greater the crisis, the more important it is to fully obey

For God always has our best interests at heart, Pastor did say

We should set boundaries and discipline our children in love

In the same way we are guided and disciplined by God above

Not disciplining our children is in fact hate, per Proverbs thirteen

As we are God’s legitimate children, the same approach is seen

Proof of how much He values us is seen when He sent His son

To pay the price for all the sinful behaviour we have ever done

God actually protects us by giving us commands, Josh did state

Being able to hear Him and then obey can help avoid a bad fate

Per Genesis chapter seven verses twenty two and twenty three

It is evident that Noah’s obedience affected his family’s destiny

So as we go forth into this world filled with its challenges and sin

Listening to and obeying God's commands should be our linchpin