The First Resurrection

 

 

Revelation 20:5-6

But the rest of the dead lived not again

until the thousand years were finished.

This is the first resurrection.

 

Blessed and holy is he

that hath part in the first resurrection:

on such the second death hath no power,

but they shall be priests of God and of Christ,

and shall reign with him a thousand years.

 

We are going up,

We are going up,

We are going up in the first resurrection.

We are going up,

We are going up,

We are going up in the first resurrection.

 

Do you recall this old chorus?

How we sang it with gust and fervour!

O, I did too

But now I see a different picture.

 

Then, I saw it as the future

But now, I see it as having passed

When I was wonderfully saved

Having come to Jesus Christ at last.

 

 

Saved from the second death

Over me it has no power,

Resurrected to eternal life in Christ

From that very hour.

 

For they that believe in Jesus Christ

Shall never, ever die,

This is the word of the Lord

And on it we can rely.

 

Jesus was the first fruit

Of the innumerable number that would follow,

That I am therefore one of them

Should not be difficult to swallow.

 

And if you are born-again

Then you too are one of them,

Resurrected to an eternal kingdom

And one of God’s redeemed children.

 

 

And so, the first resurrection

As revealed in the book of Revelation

Are those who have come to salvation

Aka, God’s glorious redemption.

 

That first resurrection is ongoing

Regarding all those of the called,

For every one of them will come to Jesus

As the Gospel is spread abroad.

 

Chosen before the foundation of the world

Elected for God’s kingdom,

Herein is the first resurrection

As the Spirit gathers in God’s children.

 

Blessed is he of the first resurrection

On him death has no power,

The second resurrection is yet to come

And both good and evil await that hour.

 

Stewart Russell © December 6, 2020

 

All Earth’s Joys

 

 

What is the greatest joy

You have experienced on earth?

Whatever that was

Must have brought great mirth.

 

Laughter and excitement

What lasting treasures!

And the unforgettable memories

That brought us pleasure.

 

But all of earth’s joys

Eventually come to an end

And that for all of us

Could be around the next bend.

 

Like our life, they are short lived

As is the withering grass

And regardless of status or position

We are all in this class.

 

All of earth’s joys

Are lined with sorrow

And for every event we enjoy

There is a pending horror.

 

So, what is your greatest joy?

Can you tell it to me?

For whatever it is I can tell you this

Its sorrow lining you will see.

 

Is it a happy marriage?

It will be marred by death,

Did you win the lottery?

Well, you will leave that wealth.

 

Of course, we do understand

It could be the other way around,

The joys set us up

But the sorrow brings us down.

 

Death is the lining of sorrow

That shadows life

In the same way that earthly peace

Is shattered by strife.

 

So whatever earthly joy we seek

After that joy comes the bleak,

Just like the summer and the winter

These changes come even as we speak.

 

It is not so in heaven, though

Whenever that time shall be,

Then will be an eternity of exceeding joy

When our Saviour, Jesus we see.

 

Stewart Russell © January 31, 2021

 

The Hot Spot

 

 

“Everybody cud do the job better

When they are not in the chair.”

Lynelle “Larix” Caines

 

Thanks to Larix, my daughter,

Who inspired this poem,

The above quote from her

Highlights a common problem.

 

In the chair is the hot spot

That many like to shun

Absolving themselves of any responsibility

For any emerging problems.

 

 

It is like looking down on a board

Watching someone play draughts,

Seeing the bad moves of that someone

And having a restrained laugh.

 

But when it is your turn to play

You are unable do any better,

That chair becomes your hot spot

And you become the joker.

 

“Everybody cud do the job better

When they are not in the chair,”

And often it is when you sit down

That this point becomes very clear.

 

I have listened to armchair critics

Watching a game of cricket

And these become the best batsmen

To ever bat on a sticky wicket.

 

“He should have played forward,

Why did he play back?”

Some never even play the game

But they giving the batsmen flack.

 

 

“Everybody cud do the job better

When they are not in the chair,”

But when it was their time to manage

Everything was in disarray.

 

I do not mean to be political

And no one is above criticism

But come on man, “gih me a break”

COVID is a colossal problem.

 

The authorities have made mistakes,

None of us can deny

But whoever was in this hot spot would,

I don’t care how hard they try.

 

 

“Everybody cud do the job better

When they are not in the chair,”

But when we criticize let’s remember

Unjust criticism is not fair.

 

COVID requires a technical balance

That’s based on trial and error

And the authorities need all the help

To deal with this demon-like terror.

 

At times they will get it wrong

COVID is several moves ahead,

Often, they must wheel and come again

Before COVID “kill us all dead”.

 

Criticize if you feel you must

But please, I beg you, also have a heart

For all who have been working hard

From the very start.

 

For all the frontline workers

For the essential workers too,

And for all who adhere to the protocols:

People like me and you.

 

And remember…

 

 

“Everybody cud do the job better

When they are not in the chair.”

This time it’s the Prime Minister’s turn

Gih she some help, wunna hear?

 

Stewart Russell © February 26, 2021

 

A Conversation with COVID

 

 

I needed to speak with COVID

But he bluntly refused,

As I approached him in my mask

He was not amused.

 

He begged me to remove it

I told him I could not,

He referred to the many who did

And I said look at their lot.

 

He spoke of his busy schedule

Regarding people and places,

And said he had no regard for people

Who could not show their faces.

 

He said I was COVID phobic

And there was not much that I knew

But he would get me eventually

And there was nothing I could do.

 

 

I asked if that was the case

Why his concern about my mask,

He turned to walk away

Then suddenly stopped and asked…

 

“Are you afraid of me?”

I found that question strange,

For after all the havoc he has caused

He would have to be deranged.

 

“Who wouldn’t be afraid of you?”

“You’d be amazed,” he replied.

“Crazy party-goers and church people

And many more besides.

 

With such support from these

I will be around for a long time

And even when I am not around

I will still invade your mind...

 

So that life without COVID

Will be a thing of the distant past

But whenever you go out in public

You will still be wearing a mask.”

 

 

He said that with a sneer

Whereupon I brought up the vaccine

But his sneer turned to laughter

And I felt I could scream.

 

It was an eerie kind of laughter

Of the kind associated with a demon

And I got the distinct impression

I was conversing with Satan.

 

Get thee behind me, Satan

Was what I was tempted to say

But I must admit here and now

I was overwhelmed by fear.

Fortunately, I kept on my mask,

And my hands were sanitized

And I had kept my physical distance

Because COVID I despise.

 

By the way, COVID was a friend

That wanted me to hug

But I stoutly resisted the temptation

Whereupon COVID just shrugged.

 

When meeting your family

That are not of your household

Refrain from hugging and kissing-

COVID is both horrid and bold.

 

 My Christian brothers and sisters

Avoid laying on of hands

For COVID slays Christians as well

As part of his plan.

 

You may say I have no faith

But I beg you please open your eyes,

The friend you converse with

May be COVID in disguise.

Converse at a six feet distance

With those not of your household

Or you may become a COVID statistic

In six feet of filled in mold.

 

Stewart Russell © February 24, 2021

Make a Choice

 

 

Make a choice to be happy

Even when things go wrong

And when supports around you fail

Make a choice to be strong.

 

Make a choice to move on

When disappointments come

And never lie down and play dead

When plans come undone.

 

Make a choice to stand up

When many choose to back down

And keep a smile on your face

When others wear a frown.

 

Make a choice to stand out

Especially in this day and age

When most seem to hide away

As though it’s a natural stage.

 

 

Make a choice to be upbeat

In the midst of disconcerting odds,

There are many depending on you

So, don’t you quit the job.

 

Make a choice to be forgiving

It’s an unnatural way of life

But it will help you to soar above

The undercurrents of strife.

 

Make a choice to reach out

Especially to the deprived,

They stand in need of a helping hand

To give them a chance to thrive.

 

 

Make a choice to be loving

In this world that is torn by hate,

In some way it will be reciprocated

And improve your mental state.

  

Make a choice to be stress-free

And not give in to frustrations,

Another reason to take time off

And enjoy some relaxation.

 

Make a choice to be honest

And not to join the dishonest crowd

That con their way through life

And unashamedly feel proud.

 

Make a choice to be encouraging

And not to be pulling down

And keep in mind the Barbadian saying

“What goes around comes around”.

 

 

Make a choice to stand for truth

The one the Bible teaches,

A man is known by the life he lives

And not only what he preaches.

 

Make a choice to be discerning

Not every spirit is of God,

Satan mostly comes as an angel of light

To see who he can defraud.

 

Make a choice to be analytical

Gullibility is for losers,

And many who talk a wonderful plan

Can easily become abusers.

 

Make a choice to be industrious

But be always on your guard,

Be transparent in your business deals

And be prepared to work hard.

 

Make a choice to be genuine

Hypocrisy does not become you,

And always choose the higher road;

In any case, it’s a better view.

 

Stewart Russell © November 22, 2020

 

Uh Get de Vaccine

 

 

Uh get de vaccine

And I didn’t feel a stick,

I wasn’t in no long line

And I didn’t get sick.

 

Uh get de vaccine

And with no side effect,

No fever or giddy head

At least, not yet.

 

Uh get de vaccine

And it was very quick,

It was quicker I tell you

Than pressing a switch.

 

Uh get de vaccine

You don’t believe me?

Do the same thing I did

And you would see.

 

 

Uh get de vaccine

And I didn’t leave home,

My wife was skeptical

So, I get it alone.

 

Uh get de vaccine

You must understand,

Just like everybody else

I get it in my hand.

 

Uh get de vaccine

Yes, the one from India,

Online I registered

For the “AstraZeneca”.

 

Uh get de vaccine

And that is a true fact,

It is easy if you register

On WhatsApp.

 

Uh get de vaccine

And no side effects as yet,

I get the AstraZeneca vaccine

Over the Internet.

 

Uh get de vaccine

It was ZOOM-ed to me,

You could try it too

If like me yuh crazy.

 

Stewart Russell © February 24, 2021

 

New Presupposes Old

 

 

If there is a new

There must have been an old

And when the new comes, out goes the old,

At least, so I have been told.

 

Throughout the Bible

We read of the old and the new,

Perhaps beginning with the Testaments

One Bible divided into two.

 

Premised on this

We have the old covenant and the new,

From the call of Abraham

There is the redemption view.

 

The implication of an old Israel

And the combining of nations in the new,

Hence, the emergence of new Israel

Made up of both Gentile and Jew.

 

 

Ushering in a new creation

Though only spiritual at this time,

Adam, the centre piece of the old

But Jesus, the first fruit of its kind.

 

Thus the old Adam and the new

Of the earth and from heaven,

None are justified by the law

But through grace all are forgiven.

 

And new here means better

As clearly shown in Hebrews

Where there are several references

Differentiating the old from the new.

 

 

The promise of a new Jerusalem

Presupposes there is an old

And in the book of Revelation

We can see this promise unfold.

 

Old Jerusalem is shown as a harlot

The New Jerusalem as a chaste bride,

Christianity acknowledges the Saviour

In the old Jerusalem he is denied.

 

The persecution of the early Church

Came firstly from the Jews,

They rode on the backs of the Romans

And the Christians they abused.

 

 

Starting with the crucifixion of Jesus,

“We have no king but Caesar,

His blood be on us and our children.”

And this fulfillment was not far.

 

God put away the old bride

When He gave her a bill of divorcement

And in the penultimate chapter of Revelation

A new bride is now present.

 

This bride is the Church of Christ

Without wrinkle and without spot,

Having been washed in the blood of Jesus

The new heavens and earth is her lot,

 

Thus a new heavens and a new earth

The first having passed away,

Behold, God makes all things new!

O what a wonderful, wonderful day!

 

Stewart Russell © November 2019