Hidden (Krypto) Treasures

Jesus in the NT :: 2nd John

On January 13, 2012

The book of 2nd John gives us a glimpse of who Jesus is in the New Testament (N.T).

The book of 2^nd John is the shortest of the four single chapter books in the New Testament with only 13 verses, but in these 13 verses are 3 primary or direct references to Jesus

2^nd John 1:3 declares Jesus as The Lord and The Son of the Father and 2^nd John 1:9 establishes that Jesus is The doctrine of God.

Jesus Christ is the doctrine of God, not a cooked up fable, dogma or tradition of man or man’s own interpretations. In fact, this book, in its core is a warning to take heed against such false teachings and counsels us to walk in truth and in love (obey his commandments) lest we fall.

The author in fact commends a lady as the elect lady. She is not identified to us. But the author knows her.
We as the church are the elect lady, the bride of Christ. We are not identified by the world, but the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ, knows us.
The Church must acknowledge that Jesus is the Lord, the Son of the Father and that He is the doctrine of God.

In 2^nd John, Jesus Christ is Lord, the Son of the Father and He is the doctrine of truth and love by whom we must Walk, lest we fall.

Points to ponder:
Are you and I walking in truth and in love (obeying his commandments)?

Jesus in the NT :: 1st John

By Mano Paul

On January 12, 2012

In Christian

The book of 1st John gives us a glimpse of who Jesus is in the New Testament (N.T).

Moving from 2^nd Peter where we encountered false teachers who scoffed and denied the imminent return of the eminent King, Jesus Christ, we now face another strange heresy in the book of 1^st John, where some started to say that Jesus was not a real man and that He was not in the flesh, but merely in the Spirit when he was on earth. This book establishes the fact that in the physical senses, the apostles and others were eye witnesses of Jesus Christ in the flesh; that they heard him, saw him, looked upon Him and touched his hands. Jesus Christ was fully God no doubt but fully man as well.

Genesis 9:6 accounts for the inexplicable love of God – God made man in God’s own image.
Philippians 2:7 accounts for the insurmountable love of God – God made God in the image (likeness) of man.

Nara-hari in Sanskrit means Man-God. Jesus Christ is Nara-hari and there is no other.

In fact, those who deny that this God-man, Jesus is the Christ, is said to be have the spirit of the anti-Christ is what 1 John establishes. (1 John 4:3)

But why was this book written? This book was written so that we may know Jesus and in knowing Him we may have life, for Jesus is LIGHT, LOVE and LIFE (1 John 5:13)

1 John 1:5 states that God is LIGHT and in him there is no darkness. Jesus said, I am the Light of the World (John 8:12). There is no darkness in Christ (1 John 1:5) for in him was found no guile. Jesus dispels darkness as the morning rays of the sun dispels the darkness in the room at dawn.

1 John 4:7-8 states that God is LOVE and since Christ is God, Christ Jesus Is Love. We love Him, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

1 John 5:13 states that in knowing the Son of God, is eternal LIFE. In John 11:25, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: God has given us eternal life and this life is in Jesus (1 John 5:11). He who has the Son (Jesus) has life and he who does not have the Son (Jesus) does not have life (1 John 5:12).

In 1^st John, Jesus Christ is LIGHT that dispels the darkness from our lives, the LOVE of GOD expressed and personified, and LIFE ETERNAL.

Points to ponder:
Is your life in darkness? Do you feel unloved? Are you more dead than alive? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you need Jesus. Ask Jesus to be your Light, your Love and to be your Life and He will not disappoint you.

Jesus in the NT :: 2nd Peter

By Mano Paul

On January 11, 2012

In Christian

The book of 2nd Peter gives us a glimpse of who Jesus is in the New Testament (N.T).

The book of 2^nd Peter is supposedly said to be written in the mid 60s AD, just before Peter’s execution (1:14). The most accept view of Peter martyrdom is that he was crucified upside down in an X-shaped cross. The painting by Italian painter Annibale Carracci called Domine, Quo vadis? Translated whither goest thou, Lord? is the painting of Peter fleeing the persecution of Rome, when He is said to have encountered Jesus Christ, walking toward the city, and Peter asks Christ, Quo vadis, Domine, to which Christ responds, Eo Romam iterum crucifigi, (I am going to Rome to be crucified again.”), Peter got the message, and returns to Rome where he is martyred.

1^st Peter dealt with problems from the outside (spots)
2^nd Peter deals with problems from the inside (wrinkles)

The internal problems were in the form of false teachers within the Church; those who ignorantly or willfully distort the infallible Holy Scripture with damnable heresies, damaging doctrines, and those who deny the Lord and His Word.

The main issue addressed here in this book is that When Jesus ascended into heaven, there was an announcement, that this same Jesus will return in like manner (Acts 1:11). Jesus Himself said that He was going to prepare a place for us and will come back again to receive us, so that we may be where He is (John 14:3), but some false teachers were denying the imminent return of the Lord and the impending judgment that He will righteously execute.

Peter calls these backsliders who are not true to the faith as disgusting dogs returning to vomit and dirty pigs that return to wallow in the gutters of life that this world offers.

In contrast to a true teacher, Peter describes a false teacher as follows:
True teachers – live life as if the future life is the model of the present (selfless)
False teachers – live life as if the present life is the model of the future (selfish and sensual)

Furthermore, 2^nd Peter warns the apostles, pastors, preachers, evangelists or teachers, to be very careful with their words and not privately interpret the Scripture but seek divine revelations of the hidden treasures in it. It also warns the listeners and hearers of the word, to be very careful and strong against wolves in sheep’s clothing that beguile us and blind our minds from the glorious truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now, let us look at Jesus Christ in the Scripture as expressed in 2^nd Peter in the three chapters it has.

In Chapter 1, we see that Jesus Christ is the Giver of POWER, PROVISIONS and PROMISES (2 Peter 1:3-4). 2 Peter 1:3-4 reads According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

In Chapter 2, we see that Jesus Christ is the DELIVERER and DAMNER (2 Peter 2:9). 2 Peter 2:9 reads The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

God did not spare the

Proud angels that sinned
Unbelieving world in the time of Noah
Evil world in the time of Lot

And He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)

Though this may seem hard and harsh to accept, Jesus Christ is the DELIVERER of the Godly (Noah/Lot) (2:9) but He is also the DAMNER of the Ungodly (rebellious angels, pre-flood world, Sodom and Gomorrah)

In Chapter 3, Jesus Christ is the PARDONER and PUNISHER (2 Peter 3:9,15). 2 Peter 3:9,15 reads The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. __ And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;

1 Corinthians 13:8-13 states that there are three things that remain – faith, hope and love.
Someone eloquently said:
Faith in essence is patience with God;
Hope in essence is patience with self; and
Love in essence is patience with others.

The Lord has not returned yet because he does not want anyone to perish (3:9) but those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are reserved for judgment and perdition of ungodly men (3:7).

The Longsuffering of the Lord Jesus is

Pardon for the believer
Punishment for those who refuse to believe

Jesus Christ is both PARDONER and PUNISHER.

In 2^nd Peter, Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Giver (of Power, Provisions and Promises), the DELIVERER of the godly and DAMNER of the ungodly, the PARDONING and PATIENT Longsuffering Lord and the PUNISHER of the ungodly.

Jesus in the NT :: 1st Peter

By Mano Paul

On January 10, 2012

In Christian

The book of 1st Peter gives us a glimpse of who Jesus is in the New Testament (N.T).

While the book of James informs us about the end state of persecution avering that persecution produces patience and patience results in perfection; a character and conduct that is beyond reproach like that of Jesus Christ, 1^st Peter establishes the fact that “Suffering is to be expected; It is a given”. It likens the devil to be like that of a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and likens persecution to be like that of a kin (a relative), counseling us that we must not consider it to be strange when fiery trials try you.

1^st Peter teaches us about the process to adopt as one has to deal with persecution/suffering. There are primarily two ways that we can respond. We can either submit or we can struggle. While, submission to God results in growth, struggling and strife results in grumbling.

The book covers five-fold submission that we need to follow.

Citizens to the Government (King/Lord)
Servant to Master
Wife to Husband
Husband to Wife
Christians to one another

Let us look this five-fold submission briefly as we delve into the Scripture to see who Christ is in the Scripture in the book of 1^st Peter.

SUBMISSION MODEL: Citizens to the Government (King/Lord)
Where is our Citizenship? Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20)
Who is the Governor then? For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace and the Government shall be upon his shoulders and of the increase of His government and peace, there shall be no end. (Isaiah 9:6-7). Jesus Christ is the Governor.We need to submit to His authority and not refuse Him or rebel against Him.
What happens to those who rebel against the Governor?
They are tried for treason and branded as traitors and are usually punished. Those who reject Jesus Christ, are reserved unto Judgment is what the Bible teaches us. Jesus Christ is Governor, He is Lord.
SUBMISSION MODEL: Servant to Master
Not only is Jesus Lord, He is also the Master. In fact, Jesus tells his disciples, as recorded in John 13:13-14; you call me Master and Lord and ye say well, if I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet, ye also ought to do likewise.
Did you notice the purposeful reversal? They called Him Master and Lord, but He purposefully reversed the order when He said, if I then your Lord first and then Master. Jesus is Lord first (to be worshipped) and then Master (to be served).When the devil tried to tempt Jesus Christ and asked him to fall down and worship him, Jesus replied that “Only the Lord your God must thou worship and serve”. (Matthew 4:9-10) See the devil asked the Lord Jesus Christ only to worship him, not serve him, but Jesus put both worship and service together. We cannot worship God without serving Him and we cannot serve God without worshipping Him. Worship and service are two sides of the same coin; inseparable.We must submit as citizens to the Lord in worship and as servants to the Master in service so that when we face Jesus Christ, the MASTER face to face, He will be able to give us the highest accolade one can ever receive, which is “Well done, my good and faithful servant”.
SUBMISSION MODEL: Wife to Husband and
SUBMISSION MODEL: Husband to Wife
The submission of a wife to a husband and a husband to a wife is practically possible only when both submit to the Lord. The Bible says that a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).Cliff Richards the singer aptly sang this
You and me and Jesus, Jesus me and you,
On our own, we’d break, with Him, we will make it through
Jesus, take us make us, what you want us both to be
I give myself to her, She gives herself to me.
We must submit to our spouse, sacrificially with full of Love.
SUBMISSION MODEL : Christians to one another
In other words, we acknowledge each member of the body for which Christ Jesus is the Head, and in humility, considering the other to be better, we submit without conceit or vain glory, being united in Christ, forgiving each other and giving for each other, and serving all saints.

So we have seen so far, Jesus Christ is the Governor (Lord), the Master, the bonding agent of marital relationships, and the Head of the Church. But there is more. In 1^st Peter, Jesus is

the sinless one (2:22)
the submissive one (2:23)
the shouldering one (2:23) who bore our sins
the substituting one (2:24) who gave us life freely instead of the death we deserved
the stripped one (2:24) so that we may be clothed in righteousness
the Chief Shepherd (2:25) that brings his straying sheep back into his fold
the soul bishop (2:25) or the overseer of our souls

And in the book that talks so much about suffering, we see that Jesus is the example, the role model of suffering (2:21). He suffered because He humbly submitted Himself to God saying, “Your will be done.”

Jesus was chosen to suffer (Isaiah 53) but we are called to suffer (4:16) and when we suffer, let us respond by submitting to the Lordship of Christ and asking for His will to be done in our lives.

In 1^st Peter, Jesus Christ is the Governor Lord, the Master, the Bonding agent of marital relationships, the Head of the Church and the Suffering servant.

Jesus in the NT :: James

By Mano Paul

On January 9, 2012

In Christian

The book of James gives us a glimpse of who Jesus is in the New Testament (N.T).

This book is a book of diverse topics but it is predominantly a book which provides an exegesis on Faith. As we look at Christ in the Scripture, in the book of James, we learn that Jesus is the very essence and source of Faith.

The Bible asserts in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. John 1:1 establishes the fact that “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God”. If faith comes by hearing & hearing by the Word of God we can say, faith comes by hearing; hearing Jesus, because Jesus is the Word of God that became flesh and dwelt among men. In other words, Jesus is the very essence and SOURCE of our faith.

James 5:7 says, Behold the HUSBANDMAN (Farmer) awaits the fruit of his harvest. A farmer looks forward to the harvest but you don’t see a farmer reap too early or too late. At the appointed time when the harvest is due, He will return and harvest with his laborers.

When Jesus returns, He will return as a husbandman, as a farmer that will command his angels to reap the Wheat (believers) who have died to self and have been fruitful or who have chosen to live for self and been fruitless, and also the Weeds (unbelievers) who never put their faith in him or who departed from it, rewarding each according to their faith in action. Faith pins one’s HOPE for the return of the Lord.

In James, Jesus Christ is the SOURCE of our faith, and the husbandman who will return for his harvest.

Points to ponder:
Do you have faith; faith in action? Are you ready for Jesus Christ’s return as the husbandman?

Jesus in the NT :: Hebrews

By Mano Paul

On January 6, 2012

In Christian

The book of Hebrews gives us a glimpse of who Jesus is in the New Testament (N.T).

The book of Hebrews is predominantly for the Hall of Faith super stars in Chapter 11, but in the book of Hebrews we see the greatest superstar of all – Jesus Christ as the very author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

In the book of Hebrews, Jesus Christ is the
H – Heir (appointed) of all things (1:2) & High Priest of our Profession (3:1) in the Order of Melchizedek (7:17)
E – Expressed image of God’s person (1:3)
B – Brother of the sanctified (2:11) & look alike brethren (2:17)
R – Reconciler of sins (2:17) & the Resurrected one (13:20)
E – Everlasting One (1:12)
W – Worthy of glory [more than of Moses] (3:3)
S – Sinless (4:15) Savior (7:25) who is Superior/Better than ALL

He is better than
– Angels (Spiritual) for they worship Him (1:4-6)
– Moses (Physical) for He created him/builder is greater than the building (3:1-6)
– Priests (Religious) for His sacrifice was once and for all (chapter 10)
– Law (legal) for He is the mediator of a better covenant (8:6,10,12)

Hebrews 2:14-15 states that Jesus is the destroyer of the devil (the god of this world) and that he has delivered us from the power of the devil, which is the fear of death. The devil is a Lame Duck. Lame duck in political terms is an elected official who is approaching the end of his or her tenure, and especially an official whose successor has already been elected. Jesus Christ destroyed the Devil. He is the one elected of God to reign in this world and the world to come.

In Hebrews, Jesus Christ is destroyer of the devil, the deliverer from death and is BETTER than ALL (spiritual (angels), moses (physical), priests (religious) and law (legal)), He is the author and finisher of our FAITH.

Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)
²Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 2:14-15 (KJV)
¹⁴Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
¹⁵And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Jesus in the NT :: Philiemon

By Mano Paul

On January 5, 2012

In Christian

The book of Philemon gives us a glimpse of who Jesus is in the New Testament (N.T).

Though this is the shortest of Paul’s letters (1 chapter and 25 verses), the very essence of Philemon, which is friendship, forgiveness and restoration, is analogous to what Jesus has done for us. But before we delve into the crux of this account recorded in Philemon, I want to draw you attention to one thing. The word of the Year for year 2009 was “Unfriend” and pitifully it was said to have current and potential longevity. The reason I say this, is because, in this world, we may have the need to Unfriend someone; but in Christ and His people, is not only TRUE friendship spoken of, but TOTAL friendship can be experienced.

Philemon is the account of a friend, who sticks closer than a brother; of forgiveness and restoration. It was written by Paul to one of his fellow laborers (1:1), Philemon, to whom Paul begs to take back Onesimus, a runaway slave, who was converted to be a follower of Jesus Christ by Paul. Paul refers to Onesimus the slave, as his son (1:10) whom he had begotten and beseeches Philemon, stating that though Onesimus was once unprofitable to Philemon, he is now profitable to both Philemon and Paul. Paul tells Philemon, “I will personally be responsible for His debt and if thou regard me a partner, receive Him as a brother of mine, receive Him as myself”

Jesus told his disciples, I know longer call you my servants (slaves) but my friends (John 15:15), but after his resurrection, he told the woman, Go tell my brothers (not just friends) (Matthew 28:10) to go to Galilee where they shall see me.

Philemon 1:25 showcases Jesus as the GRACIOUS ONE. We are the prodigal runaway slaves (of and to sin). Jesus tells God, I am personally responsible for their debt (Father, forgive their debts for they know not what they do) and if you regard me your partner (for you and I are one), then receive them as my brothers [or sisters]; receive them as you would receive me (your beloved son, with whom you are well pleased).

Jesus takes us who are:
– Trash, and makes us His Treasure.
– Unprofitable to man, and makes us Profitable to God and man.
– Slaves to sin, and makes us Sons of God. He makes us Sons (and Daughters of God), so God the Just can receive us.

In Philemon, Jesus Christ is not only a friend who sticks closer than a brother, but our brother, the gracious one, who makes us who are runaway slaves into sons of God.

Points to ponder:
Do you need a FRIEND who will never forsake you nor leave you. You can find that friendship in none other than Jesus Christ.

Jesus in the NT :: Titus

By Mano Paul

On January 4, 2012

In Christian

The book of Titus gives us a glimpse of who Jesus is in the New Testament (N.T).

The book of Titus is a leadership manual with established standards and protocols to follow. It was written by Apostle Paul to a fledgling church in the Mediterranean island of Crete, whose residents (the Cretans) had a personality in the 6th Century, as recorded by their own philosopher Epimenides, which isn’t altogether different from our days, with many of our own personalities i.e., Cretans are known to be liars, beasts (wild animals) and slow bellies (lazy gluttons). And in this context, the Scripture establishes the fact that there is ONLY ONE TRUTH i.e., ONE STANDARD. Jesus said, I am the TRUTH, in other words, He was saying that He is THE STANDARD. See when Jesus said, ‘Anyone who looks at a woman with lust is guilty of adultery or who hates his brother is guilty of murder’, He was not establishing a new standard, instead, in essence, He was expressing that He was the standard i.e., On OUR OWN you and I DON’T STAND A CHANCE.

So as we look at Jesus Christ in the Scripture from the book of Titus, Titus 2:13-14 shows Him as the BLESSED hope (for you and me), the one who will APPEAR gloriously (not only will He appear gloriously, but He will be the glorious one appearing), the GREAT God, our SAVIOR Jesus Christ who GAVE Himself for us (Jesus showed up empty handed to the Sacrifice).

Why did Jesus do this? So that He can REDEEM us from ALL iniquity and PURIFY us (unto Himself as a peculiar people), zealous of good works.

The process of being redeemed and being purified is by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:5-6).
When washed – we are made Clean
When regenerated – we are made New (a new creation; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
When renewed – we are made New each day (for His mercies are new every morning; Lamentations 3:22-23)

First time, Jesus appeared as the Grace of God (our Savior); Second time, He will appear as the Glory of God (our King).

In Titus, Jesus Christ is the Standard, our Savior & soon coming King in glory, who purifies us from ALL sin by making us CLEAN, NEW and RENEWED.

Points to ponder:
Have you been redeemed and purified by the blood of Jesus Christ?
And if you have, we are saved by grace, called to do good works. Are you and I zealous of good works?

Titus 2:13-14 (KJV)
¹³Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
¹⁴Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Titus 3:4-7 (KJV)
⁴But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
⁵Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
⁶Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
⁷That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Jesus in the NT :: 2nd Timothy

By Mano Paul

On January 3, 2012

In Christian

The book of 2nd Timothy gives us a glimpse of who Jesus is in the New Testament (N.T).

The very first verse states that in Jesus is the PROMISE of life 2 Timothy 1:1). In him, is the PROMISE of life, because in him is the PROVISION of life since Jesus abolished death (2 Timothy 1:10). In other words, Jesus is the Killer of the DEATH KILLER, our Savior. He did so by rising from the dead, by the command of God, stripping death of all its power and rendering it futile. But man is appointed to die once and then enter into judgment (Hebrews 9:27), but who will be the judge. 2 Timothy 4:1 states that Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead and 2 Timothy 4:8 establishes the fact that Jesus is the RIGHTEOUS judge.

In 2 Timothy, Jesus is the One in whom is the PROMISE of life, because He is the PROVISION Of life, the DEATH KILLER / Savior and the RIGHTEOUS Judge.

Points to ponder:
2 Timothy is the book that affirms that ALL SCRIPTURE is God breathed / inspired of God’s (2 Timothy 3:16). Question: Has the inspiration of God, inspired you and me?

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life, and he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:24-25). Have you believed to live and never die?

2 Timothy 1:1 (KJV)
¹ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

2 Timothy 1:10 (KJV)
¹⁰ But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

2 Timothy 4:1 (KJV)
¹I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

2 Timothy 4:8 (KJV)
⁸ Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Constant Communion

By Mano Paul

On January 1, 2012

In Christian, New Year's Resolution, Poetic Prompts

O Lord, it is the first of the year
And this, my earnest request, I pray thee hear
That with you, ‘I have Constant Communion
For fruitless will I be, without that union.’

‘Behold, I come quickly’, came your word
And in me, your Holy Spirit stirred
And on this impending Truth, I gird
So please show me each moment, my prayer you heard.

In my family that loves you, I see
That your favor is life for life, and not momentary
And in all of the issues that life deals
We can hold fast, for with your stripes we are healed.

No weapon formed against thee shall prosper, you promise.
And on this, help me have the faith of the centurion, not Thomas.
And in the coming year, anticipating your return, our lively hope
Help me to lean on you at all times, when atop mountains, in valley depth or any slope.

Fixing my eyes on Jesus, let me march into battle
Bridle my tongue, lest I dishonor you by my prattle
In your presence, let my words be few
So I may experience your faithfulness and mercy, each day anew.

O Lord, it is the first of the year
And this my earnest request, I pray thee hear
This one thing, I desire and seek
To love you and be loved by you, I plead.

From the Author’s/Poet’s Desk:
As we arrived at the beginning of a new year, reminiscing on the year gone past and looking forward to the year ahead, this poem is requisition of our hearts, that in the coming year, my family (Sangeetha, Reuben and the one, soon to be born), and I are in CONSTANT COMMUNION with God.

During the watchnight service on December 31st, at the Austin Christian Fellowship of India (ACFI), my wife and I picked promise cards for each one in the family and the cards we picked were as follows:
For Mano: … in his favor is life (Psalm 30:5)
For Sangeetha: … with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5)
For Reuben: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper … (Isaiah 54:17)
For our son (to be born): Blessed be God, … for he has begotten us into a lively hope … (1 Peter 1:3)
This poem references those promises so that it can remind us of God’s promise to each one of us personally. Additionally, by way of voting (poll), the theme that was picked for the ACFI church was “Be Ye Ready for Jesus Christ” taken from Revelation 22:12, which is also referenced in the poem as a reminder.

It is written with pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘we’ to make it personal to the reader. I reckon you substitute your name or your family’s wherever appropriate to personalize this poem for yourself and be edified.

An explanation of the poem in square brackets has been given below. There are some sections of the poem that may need further explanation, and if you need any clarifications or have comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. Your comments and thoughts are most welcome. God bless.

O Lord, it is the first of the year
[January 1, 2012]
And this, my earnest request, I pray thee hear
[Incline thy ear unto me; Psalm 102:2]
That with me, ‘I have Constant Communion
[My new year’s request to Abide in Christ; John 15:5-8]
For fruitless will I be, without that union.’
[For without Christ, I can do nothing; John 15:5]

‘Behold, I come quickly’, came your word
[Revelation 22:12]
And in me, your Holy Spirit stirred
And on this impending Truth, I gird
[The return of the Lord to reign is not only impending but inevitable; 2 Peter 3:9]
So please show me each moment, my prayer you heard.

In my family that loves you, I see
[In Sangeetha, my wife (a favor from the Lord), I see God’s love and forgiveness and my Son, Reuben, reminds me of God’s unconditional presence, provision and protection as a father to me; Proverbs 18:22]
That your favor is life for life, and not momentary
[My promise card – Psalm 30:5]
And in all of the issues that life deals
We can hold fast, for with your stripes we are healed.
[Sangeetha’s promise card – Isaiah 53:5]

‘No weapon formed against thee shall prosper’, you promise
[Reuben’s promise card – Isaiah 54:17]
And on this, help me have the faith of the centurion, not Thomas.
[Prayer for a faith that marvels Christ and not be one who doubts his word; Hebrews 11:1, Luke 7:9, John 20:29]
And in the coming year, anticipating your return, our lively hope
[Reference back to Revelation 22:12 and the promise card that was picked for our son, who is to be born; 1 Peter 1:3]
Help me to lean on you at all times, when atop mountains, in valley depth or any slope.
[Trust in the Lord at all times and lean not on your own understanding; Proverbs 3:5]

Fixing my eyes on Jesus, let me march into battle
[Hebrews 12:2, Ephesians 6:10-18]
Bridle my tongue, lest I dishonor you by my prattle
[James 3:1-10]
In your presence, let my words be few
[Ecclesiastes 5:2]
So I may experience your faithfulness and mercy, each day anew.
[Great is his faithfulness and his mercies are new every morning; Lamentations 3:22-23]

O Lord, it is the first of the year
And this my earnest request, I pray thee hear
This one thing, I desire and seek
[Beholding God’s beauty, until we see him face to face upon his return; Psalm 27:4]
To love you and be loved by you, I plead.
[To love God and to be loved by Him is what makes CONSTANT COMMUNION with him possible, for if we love him with all of our heart, all our of soul, all of our mind, all of our strength; we will obey him and keep his commandments and we will abide in him and be fruitful as he expects us to be; John 14:15, John 15:7-8]

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