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Tag: Faith without works

Sine Verbis (Without Words)

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On January 1, 2017

In Christian, New Year

sineverbisAs the darkness wanes, and a new year dawns,
God’s resolute Spirit, we pray, in us, He spawns
a clean, contrite and submitting heart that loves him above all
to speak volumes sine verbis, heeding His call.

To speak volumes, sine verbis, came your word to me,
to harness my tongue, fear not, stand firm and see
me fighting your battles victoriously
and to declare your Salvation by actions, sine verbis.

For faith without action is dead;
and You vowed to make crooked places straight, to my beloved,
going before her, cutting in sunder iron bars and breaking gates of brass. 
Let her speak volumes sine verbis, lead her en masse.

Our firstborn’s plans you know, you say
plans to prosper him and not harm, along life’s way
giving him a future and a hope, so his fears allay
so he can be Your witness, speaking volumes, sine verbis, we pray.

Be blessed by the Lord, and be given increase
was the word, our secondborn received
and as he grows, may he have The Creator’s peace
growing in the fear of the Lord, speaking volumes, sine verbis.

To your people you declared, Be Still and know that you alone are God;
exalted you will be above all, comforting us, our staff and our rod
Lead us, Our Soul’s good Shepherd; we are your sheep,
besides still waters, to speak volumes with our lives, sine verbis.

As the darkness wanes, and a new year dawns,
God’s resolute Spirit, we pray, in us, He spawns
a clean, contrite and submitting heart that loves him above all
and to love man, speaking volumes sine verbis, heeding His call.

From the Author’s/Poet’s Desk:
As we arrived at the beginning of a new year, thinking about the year gone past and looking forward to the year ahead, this poem is an expressions of our hearts, that in the coming year, my family (Sangeetha, Reuben, Ittai and me), focus solely on the Lord God and live our lives with actions and not merely words. In other words, we seek to serve God by practicing what he teaches us and not merely preaching. During the watchnight service on December 31st, at the Austin Christian Fellowship of India (ACFI), we picked promise cards for each one in the family. The poem is written by compiling the verses from our promise cards, as a personal reminder to us, but we pray that you personalize this for yourself by replaced the pronouns and words like “our” with “me” or “my” and any personal pronoun with your name or “I”.

The promise  cards picked for 2017.
For Reuben (our firstborn): 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
For Ittai (our secondborn): 14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children. 15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth. (Psalm 115:14-15)
For Sangeetha (my beloved): 2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: (Isaiah 45:2)
For Mano: 13 Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. (Exodus 14:13-14)

2017 Promise Cards - The Paul Family

A line-by-line exegesis of the poem [in square brackets] is given below:

As the darkness wanes, and a new year dawns,
[January 01, 2017]
God’s resolute Spirit, we pray, in us, He spawns
[Psalm 51:10]
a clean, contrite and submitting heart that loves him above all
[Psalm 51:10, 17; James 4:7; Matthew 22:37]
to speak volumes sine verbis, heeding His call.
[Psalm 51:10, 17; James 4:7; Matthew 22:37; 1 Samuel 3]

To speak volumes, sine verbis, came your word to me,
[Promise verse for Mano – Exodus 14:13-14]
to harness my tongue, fear not, stand firm and see
You fighting my battles victoriously
and to declare your Salvation by actions, sine verbis.
[Exodus 14:13-14]

For faith without works is dead;
[James 2:26]
and You vowed to make crooked places straight, to my beloved,
going before her, cutting in sunder iron bars and breaking gates of brass.
[Promise verse for Sangeetha – Isaiah 45:2]
Let her speak volumes sine verbis, lead her en masse.
[Ruth 1:16]

Our firstborn’s plans you know, you say
plans to prosper him and not harm, along life’s way
giving him a future and a hope, so his fears allay
[Promise verse for Reuben – Jeremiah 29:11]
so he can be Your witness, speaking volumes, sine verbis, we pray.
[Matthew 5:16; Acts 1:8]

Be blessed by the Lord, and be given increase
was the word, our secondborn received
and as he grows, may he have The Creator’s peace
[Promise verse for Ittai – Psalm 115:14]
growing in wisdom, stature, in favor of God and man, speaking volumes, sine verbis.
[Psalm 34:11; Luke 2:52]

To your people you declared, Be Still and know that you alone are God;
[Psalm 46:10]
exalted you will be above all, comforting us, our staff and our rod
[Psalm 46:10; Psalm 23:4]
Lead us, Our Soul’s good Shepherd; we are your sheep,
[Psalm 46:10; Psalm 23:1,4; 1 Peter 2:25]
besides still waters, to speak volumes with our lives, sine verbis.
[Psalm 23:2]

As the darkness wanes, and a new year dawns,
[January 01, 2017]
God’s resolute Spirit, we pray, in us, He spawns
[Psalm 51:10]
a clean, contrite and submitting heart that loves him above all
[Psalm 51:10, 17; James 4:7; Matthew 22:37]
and to love man, speaking volumes sine verbis, heeding His call.
[Psalm 51:10, 17; James 4:7; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30-31; 1 Samuel 3]

7 Steps in Christian Life :: Step 5 – Act

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On December 7, 2012

In 7 Step Program, Christian

Christian life begins with Christ and continues with Christ, but as we live for Christ, what are some of the steps one has to take.

To abide in Christ and to be aligned with his will, falls short in the Christian life, when one does not act. God is very explicit about this as one of his disciples, James makes it clear that “Faith without action is dead.” (James 1:17; James 2:26) The founder of Jeet Kune Do, Lee Jun-fan (known to many as Bruce Lee) is attributed to have quoted “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.” To will to do God’s will without doing is not enough. Jesus was not only known for the things he preached but also for the mighty acts he did (Luke 24:19). We must be ACTive for Jesus Christ.

Step 4 in Christian life is to Act – act in accordance to his will, in service to him. What kind of service are Christians called to? We are called to serve one another, but not merely as servants, but soldiers as well.

To be a servant of Christ Jesus does not necessarily mean, being a slave to him (although being called a bondservant (slave) of Christ would indeed be one of the highest accolades, active Christians can be honored with). It is not a sign of weakness but a sign of meekness and power, because as a servant of Christ, Christians are not called to be a doormat to be trampled upon, but they are called to bear the mighty weapons of God as soldiers for Christ. We are enlisted in God’s army and we serve behind enemy lines, fighting not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces, because the god of this world (the devil) has blinded the minds of many. The spirit of the antichrist is already in the world denying the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in flesh (1 John 4:3) and so when Christian act in service to Jesus Christ, claiming his birth, death and resurrection, it is diametrically contrary to what the devil uses his servants to proselytize, and only logical for the battle to get into full swing. As Christians, we need to be put on the full armor of God, so that we may be able to withstand and stand. We must fight without fighting against flesh (people), and fight without ceasing against spiritual forces, so that the casualties of warfare are not those who are under the bondage of the adversary (the devil), who used to have the power of death, but is now a lame duck (Hebrews 2:14). We must fight hate with love. We must fight by obeying and submitting to God for the battle and victory belongs to the Lord (1 Samuel 17:47; Proverbs 21:31) and our God shall fight for us (Nehemiah 4:20).

Points to ponder:
On one hand, as servants of Jesus, we need to do his work (serving him) and on the other hand, as soldiers of Jesus, we need to carry the mighty weapons of God to tear down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Nehemiah 4:17). We must Act to be in ACTive duty for the Lord so that when we face him face-to-face, he who sought to find faith in this world, would find our faith alive and not dead. Stand up for Christ Jesus and act by serving him as servant and soldier.

The first book after the gospels in the New Testament is appropriately named ‘Acts’ (of the followers of Jesus Christ). If one was to write your acts (not just your words/messages/preaching) for the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, what would they write? There is a time for everything and we were made for such a time as this … this is the time to act!

Nehemiah 4:14-20 (KJV)
14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.

James 1:17 (KJV)
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

1 John 4:3 (KJV)
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

According – to faith, to commandment

By

On October 17, 2012

In Christian

When Paul introduces himself in his letter to Titus, he introduces himself as an servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, not based on his own works, but according to the faith of God’s elect (Titus 1:1) and according to commandment of God his Savior (Titus 1:3). Unfortunately, today we see many who claim to be “called” to serve God, but in their modus operandi reflect little to no faith, in word or action, or any obedience to God as a response to his commandment to be his ambassadors of reconciliation (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:20).

Points to ponder:
When we function as servants of God and apostles of Jesus Christ, let us make sure that it is not motivated because of some personal emotion or on our works, but let it be according to faith, in God, which makes God our Savior and let it be according to the commandment of commission that we receive from God and God alone. It is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6) and obedience to be commandment.

Titus 1:1-3 (KJV)
1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness
2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

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