Beware the Tics

 

 

Nah, I don’t mean on animals

That provide a safe haven,

They are spelt differently,

Come on, have you forgotten?

 

So, what do you mean?

I am hearing you ask,

Well, bear with me a while

While I finish the task.

 

Not only animals as you know

But words carry tics,

Quite a few as I can recall

But for now, four will fit.

 

Yes, out of some 223 words

I’ll only choose four,

For the purpose of this discourse

I will need no more.

 

Let me say from the outset

They all relate to people,

You and I are among the four-

Sorry to burst your bubble.

 

I will start with the one

That says who I have become,

A skeptic for sure I now am

And I am not making fun.

 

I find it difficult to believe

Much of what I hear,

Most is intentional propaganda

And this I truly fear.

 

News and views went together

Now they are so unrelated

That I sometimes wonder

If the truth is now outdated.

That’s why I am now a skeptic

Not that I want to be

But when I listen to the news

The truth I cannot see.

 

Two sides in a given matter:

Which is right I cannot tell,

If I were to be tested on the truth

I wouldn’t do very well.

 

Skeptics, as far as I can see,

Are the least of these four tics,

The second I now give to you

Which for me is a critic.

 

 

 

Just like the skeptics today

Critics are on the increase,

These know so little about everything

But they talk will never cease.

 

Theirs is always another view

Different from any before

And they are extremely innovative

In giving one view more.

 

They even criticize their view

Yes, their own view they criticize

If an opposer carries the same,

They will feign surprise.

 

In the eyes of too many critics

A solution is never to be found

Since critics tend mostly to look in

And seldom look around.

 

I have a problem deciding

Which of the next two is worse

But I have unilaterally decided

To deal with a lunatic first.

 

 

Lunatics are mad people!

Nothing more and nothing less,

They ebb and flow like the sea

And never are at rest.

 

The moon controls the tides,

At least, that’s what I was told

But being by my new nature a skeptic,

To this I tenuously hold.

 

So lunar, looney, lunatic,

All words that are related

Indicating the magnitude of insanity

In which this era is inundated.

 

Finally, the last of the tics

Is none other than heretic,

This tic is extremely closely related

To its predecessor, lunatic.

 

 

Heretics evade the truth

And they do this at all costs,

Their proselytizing is foremost

As their recruit the lost.

 

The Pharisees were exposed

And censured by Jesus Christ

Whose righteousness they rejected

Feeling theirs would suffice.

 

Heretics are all around us

Trying to obscure the truth

And there are many in the church

That are of living proof.

 

Yes, skeptics and critics,

Lunatics and heretics!

These are in many ways related,

Watch out for their tricks!

 

Stewart Russell © November 11, 2023

 

Under the Sun

 

 

What does it mean:

This phrase under the sun?

29 times in Ecclesiastes,

The rest of the Bible: none.

 

Especially mention #2

No new thing under the sun

And that which is done

Is that which shall be done.

 

A special word emerges

With this interesting phrase

In 10 verses I discovered it

And upon it gazed.

 

That special word is labour

With which we are occupied

Morning, noon and night

In order to provide.

 

 

Food for our tables

And clothing for our backs

With the hope that if we strive

There will be no lack.

 

And all this toil and labour

Is done under the sun

And it all comes to an end

When our day is done.

 

Day in and day out

Generation after generation

Dealing with the vagaries of life

While under the sun.

 

Sleeping, working and playing

Studying and coming of age

The common denominator being

Under the sun at very stage.

 

 

What profit hath a man of all his labour

Which he taketh under the sun?

  

I looked on all the works

That my hands had done

And all was vanity and vexation of spirit

And of no profit under the sun.

 

Yea I hated all my labour

Which I had taken under the sun

Because I should leave it to another

After my work was done.

 

And who knows whether he shall be

A wise man or a fool?

Yet after my labour under the sun,

Over it he shall rule.

 

It is under the sun we labour

Not for ourselves, but another,

So labour on we must

And let it not be a bother.

 

 

We all are beneficiaries

Of another’s toil and labour

So, as under the sun we daily toil,

Thank God for His favour.

 

Stewart Russell © August 29, 2021

 

Mind and Matter

 

Which came first

Mind or matter

And what are your reasons

For the former or latter?

 

Mind is immaterial

This you would expect

However, matter is material,

This you won’t reject.

 

In agreement up to now

Both you and me,

Let’s dig in a little deeper

And see what we can see.

 

Matter has no mind

This is a known fact,

The mind can ponder a matter

But matter is just that.

 

Matter has an origin

But not so the mind,

Mind transcends matter

And even time.

 

It would have to be

If you see what I mean

And this is why I set store

By the Genesis theme.

 

 

In the beginning God,

The eternal mind,

First cause of everything

Even time.

 

The power of mind

That is the mind of God

Is the origin of all matter

And I mean all.

 

There’s nothing new

Under the sun,

A sentiment of the wisest man,

Namely Solomon.

 

“Let us make man”

A concept of a mind,

Not of matter, my friend

And not of time.

 

 

Time is a major factor

In the theory of evolution,

After billions of years

Matter came to fruition.

 

A misguided concept

That pertains to nothing

And that tells you and me

Nothing is something.

 

Nothing is something

And something is matter

And this is probably why

Some chose the latter.

 

Mind or matter?

Matter edges in front,

Surely this is the conceptualizing

Of the mind of a dunce.

 

 

 

Without mind

Matter won’t matter

For how else could we tell

That matter is matter?

 

Mind came first

And mind always had to be,

God is the explanation!

The only one I see.

 

The intelligent mind,

God the Supreme

That always will be

And always has been.

 

The I AM THAT I AM

Is His name,

Yesterday, today and forever

He is the same.

 

If matter created mind

Rather than the other way

Then day is night

And night is day.

 

Down is up

And up is down

Heaven is hell

And a smile is a frown.

 

Alas, this is not so

For we all have a mind,

It’s not just a matter of matter

But it’s God’s design.

 

 

The mind matters 

But matter doesn't mind

And matter never has

At any given time.

 

Stewart Russell © April 21, 2024

 

When Prayer Didn’t Work

 

 

There’ve been times

When prayer didn’t work

And many reasons were given

To address the hurt.

 

The hurt of persons

That anticipated a miracle

Only to be terribly disappointed,

Unrelieved of their trouble.

 

And to add insult to injury

There were many reasons

Not the least of them all being,

“It was not one’s season.”

 

Another excuse was

That it was not God’s will,

Better ensure before you pray

God’s will be fulfilled.

 

Not enough faith

Was another excuse offered,

Too little faith is not enough

Hence, no answer.

 

Sin got in the way

And thus, it caused a block,

Making that one’s prayer effort

An inevitable flop.

 

Not enough prayer

Is one we hear quite often,

When objectives are not met

This reason is given.

 

It goes hand in hand

With too little prayer support,

Too few came out to pray

For God to work.

 

Here is yet another:

He works in mysterious ways,

When prayer didn't work

What else could they say?

 

The timing was wrong

Hence, not the right time.

The water needed to be troubled

Readily comes to mind.

 

God’s working it out

And breakthrough will come,

It’s like, give Him more time

He’ll soon be done.

 

A lesson in patience

Is what I am noticing here,

Yeh, but this is another reason

For unanswered prayer.

 

Or a lesson in trust,

We must learn to trust God,

That’s why prayer didn’t work

When on God you called.

 

Perhaps you did not fast

And this one is biblical,

You may need to pray and fast

Based on the trouble.

 

Wrong motive is another

Maybe you asked amiss,

Or there was double-mindedness;

Add three to the list.

 

A little different from faith

Is that you did not believe,

How can you pray unbelievingly

And expect to receive?

 

Sixteen reasons I’ve heard

For when prayer didn’t work,

Of course, some things we can do

But we’d rather shirk…

 

 

Hiding behind much prayer

Hoping for God to come and do it

But faith without works is dead

Is the biblical remit.

 

There must be a reason

When prayer didn’t work

So, if none of the foregoing apply

Ask a prayer expert.

 

Not powerful enough!

Make that seventeen,

Prayer warriors and intercessors

Must be on the scene.

 

Was there ever a time

When prayer didn’t work?

So, tell me the honest truth,

Did you not feel hurt?

 

Stop with these reasons

For what you can't explain,

At the end of the day God is God

And this He will remain.

 

FOREVER!

 

Stewart Russell © March 10, 2024

 

Not Even Me

 

 

Having said yes to God

He will in no way accept no,

I am dogmatic about this

Because the Bible says so.

 

Born into God’s kingdom

Speaks to permanence,

I became His precious child

Via genuine repentance.

 

According to Romans 8

Verses 35 to 39 to be exact,

I have that assurance

And God’s truth is fact.

 

Being born again

Is the premise I choose,

My "child-of-the-Father" status

I can never lose.

 

Once a child of God

I am always a child of God

Hence, I will not be deceived

Or let Satan defraud.

 

From my natural birth

I was my father’s son

But now I am born again

New life has come.

 

To all that believe

God grants us the power

To be His sons and daughters

From that very hour.

 

Since I cannot not change

My earthly circumstance

Neither do I have the power

To alter what God has advanced.

 

What he has put in place

Is His sovereign will

And I know like you do

What he promises he fulfils.

 

I’ve heard the argument

That I can separate me,

Read Romans chapter 8

And that you won’t see.

It explicitly says nothing

And later implies no one,

Please read from verse 38

And please read on.

 

This is the word of God

I am sure you agree

So read verse 39

And tell me what you see.

 

“Nor any other creature”

Can separate us

From the Love of God

Which is in Christ Jesus.

 

Put my name right there

I hope you can see,

“Nor any other creature”

Can separate me.

 

From the love of God

Nothing or no one

Can separate me from God

Ever since I was reborn.

 

For having said yes to God

I was born again

Hence being a cast off

Will never be my pain.

 

Stewart Russell © July 2020

 

Sounds so Great!

 

 

There are some things

That sound really great

But when they are examined

They are simply fake.

 

Like for example:

Check this following one,

This kind you would expect

To come from a blonde.

 

“When yuh dead

You don’t know

And when yuh know

Yuh done dead!”

 

This sounds so great

And intelligent too

But repeat it again and you’ll find

Only the first part is true.

 

When who knows?

The living or the dead?

Maybe the one reading this poem

Is dead instead.

 

Nobody knows

When they are dead

Unless of course,

They die in bed.

 

At what point does one know

That one is dead?

Apparently at the point

One dies in bed. 

 

Sounds so great

I am telling you

But I challenge anyone

To prove it is true.

 

Like the rusted machine

Clearly not functioning

But jar the official’s response

At the questioning.

 

“It is functional,

It’s just awaiting parts.”

This one really pierced me

Deep in my heart.

 

This official's sense

Had taken leave,

What a lying web we weave

Just to deceive!

 

The machine was idle

And it was so for a while

But he sought to mislead

By using guile.

 

People fell for the ruse

I have no doubt,

After all this was an official

With lots of clout.

 

It's not like he’s dead

He’s just not living,

Just a non-functional corpse

Awaiting burying.

 

It’s like the widower

That never had a wife

Or like an alive person

Who has lost his life.

 

 

 

Sounds so great

Until you think it through

And then you discover

It could never be true.

 

Don't bury him yet

He is not dead!

The fact he is an alive person

Says he is living instead.

 

Politicians have a way

Of talking utter nonsense,

If you are a politician

I mean no offense.

 

The operation was a success

But the patient died,

Just another way of saying

The doctor lied.

 

Don’t blame the doctor

For the patient’s death,

When the procedure he did

Was a great success.

 

Why could it not be

That the procedure failed

But the patient was declared

Hearty and hale?

 

Whatever the outcome

The doc must be praised,

The procedure mightn’t work

But the doc can’t fail.

 

 

Sounds so great!

Doesn’t it?

Lying with great sincerity

Has become a habit.

 

It is consolatory

For those who are blind

But the ones who can see

Are in no such bind.

 

For partisan yard-fowls 

And hen-picked males,

Such nonsensical rhetoric

Can never fail.

For people believe

What people want to believe

From the people

People want to believe.

 

Stewart Russell © April 18, 2024