The Mountaintop

Finally at the summit

I surveyed the beauty around me,

It was so much different up here

From down in the valley

I had struggled up the mount

But it was surely worth it,

Now I could see for miles and miles

And it boosted my spirit.

It reminded me of life

And the many uphill climbs,

The temptation to throw in the towel

And the many declines.

The hazardous and the precipitous

The grind and the pain,

The frights and anxieties

The days of effort and little gain.

My friends tried to discourage

And my foes relentlessly taunted

But an inner voice whispered,

“Never mind, do not be daunted.”

That’s when I took a deep breath

And with greater resolve

I ignored the demeaning negatives

And all my members involved.

Even before I had started out

I was told that I would fail

And that given my many weaknesses

My efforts would not avail.

Many stronger had attempted

But they did not succeed

And it would be in my best interest

If their advice I would heed.

Had I given into their attempts

I would never have started

But I knew anything worth achieving

Was not for the faint-hearted.

  

I am so glad that I insisted

And as one of the climbers enlisted

And all those naysayers resisted

And from deep within me persisted.

I was not the first to the top

And my time was not the quickest

But I rejoice in my triumph

Even though I was not the fittest.

In any case, I had some help

I do not mean of the earthly type

But from a friend, I truly know,

A friend that is always right.

And so as I stand at the top today

I know they will be other climbs,

They all will start from some valley

Where few things appear to be fine.

Where one’s view is nearsighted

And one’s grasp is very weak

And the taunting and the teasing

Makes the outlook particularly bleak.

Where the forecast is stormy

And the mood is quite downcast,

And where even the fittest of climbers

Will undoubtedly not last.

Unlike the strong, I need help

So in that category I will enlist

And such help is always forthcoming

From Him who will always assist.

The weak are perfect candidates

In whom God’s strength will work,

It’s then His strength is made perfect

And there is no urge to shirk.

So come on whatever the climb

With God, I am up to it,

For as a weakling I trust in God

And this is my daily habit.

If today your challenge is a climb

And difficulties are all around,

Remember it is on the mountaintop

Where the beauty will abound.

No such beauty will be yours

If in the valley you decidedly remain,

But if you resolutely climb with God

That mountaintop you will claim.

Stewart Russell © March 2019

The Open Door

 

The open door represents opportunity

An opportunity of a lifetime,

It’s an opportunity one should grasp,

There is so much on the line.

Life is replete with open doors

And those who grasp them will progress

But failure comes to those who miss

And they are denied much success.

Education is an open door

Therein lie great opportunities

But the one who refuses to enter therein

Will not benefit from its facilities.

Another opportunity is community

The opportunity to live with others

But should such an opportunity be refused

Then life can become a great bother.

A third I will mention is friendship;

A great opportunity is making friends,

Albeit we must be sensible in this regard

Or we can come to a dismal end.

These are but three of the open doors

That are available to a man

And it is to people’s mutual benefit

When they incorporate these in their plan.

But there is an open door of opportunity

That has eternal dimensions

And daily we are seeing the fallout

By those who respond with dissension.

It’s an opportunity far more important

Than the three already mentioned,

It is key to this life but also the next

And everyone should pay attention.

For what profit is it to a man the Bible says

To exchange his soul for the world?

For his soul is of ultimate importance

And this is clearly stated in God’s word.

Turn to Matthew 16 and verse 26

There a rhetorical question is asked

Which suggests quite clearly to you and me

That our soul’s salvation is our primary task.

And so the opportunity of all opportunities

Is about taking the Saviour on board,

The great door of opportunity I speak of

Is taking Jesus at his word.

“I am the door,” he says in his word

While speaking of the soul’s redemption,

And if a man would enter therein

He would receive his eternal salvation.

Referring to the door in another place

Jesus said he is the door of the sheep,

By now you should have grasped the opportunity:

The open door of which I speak.

Time is of the essence my friend

This open door is only during one’s lifetime,

But in safeguarding our eternal destiny

It is the only one of its kind.

I implore the reader of this poem

The neglect your soul you can ill afford,

If you understand your need right now

Please do not ignore the open door.

This open door is not only the Shepherd

But he is also the sacrificial lamb,

Slain before the foundation of the world,

Slain to redeem fallen man.

He stands at your heart’s door and he waits

For you to open your heart to him,

Walk through the door by opening your door

And let the Saviour of life come in.

Stewart Russell © March 2019

Purified or Putrefied?

Purified or Putrefied?

The two nearly sound alike

But there end the similarities,

The difference is day and night.

Note the “T” in the latter

It could actually stand for tainted,

No such “T” in the former

Not as far as I am acquainted.

You might be brighter than I

And you might insert a “T”

But that would be a terrible mistake

In fact, it would be rather silly.

Don’t mistake it for the cross

As some may want to do,

That I must tell you, my friend,

Would be a myopic view.

There is no “T” in purified

No taint or contamination therein,

Jesus’ blood is the cleanser

That washes away all sin.

Putrefied, however, is different

It’s contaminated through and through,

Hence the “T” therein means tainted

It’s not good for me or for you.

As a matter of fact, we were putrefied

Like whitewashed sepulchers we were

But thanks to our Heavenly Father

He drew us to the Saviour.

As a consequence, we are purified

Through no merit of our own

But through the blood of Jesus Christ,

We can now approach God’s throne.

Purified or putrefied

 That is the question one must ask,

The latter, reject; the former accept,

That’s an opportunity all should grasp.

It is provided free of cost

Having been paid for by the Christ,

Jesus, the suffering Lamb of God

Became that ultimate sacrifice.

Stewart Russell (c) March 2019