Science and Scientists

 

 

We oft confuse the two

And the two conflate

And we set store by the latter

Especially if he is great.

 

Like a Nobel Prize winner

He has to be right!

Thus, in his name

Science we must rewrite.

 

It’s about scholarship

And tested in a test tube,

What better way I ask you

Can we origins prove?

 

 

It must be testable

And observed over time

And it must be so achieved

By a great scientific mind.

 

Like a Darwin for example

Or an Einstein,

Throw a Newton in there

Or another great find.

 

A Richard Dawkins, for sure

In his “The God Delusion”

Of illusions and disillusions

And utter confusion.

 

Scientists study science

And come up with a view,

They are really no different

From me and you.

 

But carried on a name

And associated with a view

It’s us who should know better

That conflate the two.

 

 

Similarly with the Bible

And Bible commentators,

We treat to some of these

Like John the Revelator.

 

Take Jacobus Arminius

Or the great John Calvin,

Their know-how of salvation

Is the be-all of doctrine.

 

Diametrically opposed

Their adherents fiercely contend:

Armenians and Calvinists

One another stem.

 

With the Bible as their basis

For two opposing views,

Both views are argued as correct

And therefore, also true.

 

The Bible and Commentators

Science and scientists,

When we conflate these twosomes

So much we miss.

 

 

It’s like using blinders

To limit the race horse’s view

Such that focusing on the finish

Is all that it can do.

 

Thus, our focus on science

Is a scientist’s view,

Now you see how easy it is

To conflate the two.

 

Science and scientists

Are not one and the same,

It’s time we separate the science

From a scientist’s name.

 

No Nobel Prize winner

Can ever be that great,

Only God, the Almighty Creator

Can such glory take.

 

 

Drink your primordial soup

And chase with Campbell’s

But know it is the supreme God

That made science possible.

 

Stewart Russell © April 19, 2024

Esther

 

 

The book of Esther is not about Esther

God would have us understand,

Rather, it is about God whose name is not,

And His wonderful redemptive plan.

 

God is not mentioned, that you can see

But He is definitely behind the scenes,

Behind every act and every scene involved

The God of the Bible can be seen.

 

Let us note the four principal characters

And the roll each one plays

As they negatively or positively portray

God’s miraculous power to save.

 

Many see it as just a great story

But it can be easily checked for its truth,

The event involves Medo-Persia and Israel

And history supplies the proof.

 

Over one hundred twenty-seven provinces:

From India to Ethiopia Ahasuerus reigned,

Such was the might of the Medes and Persians

Having risen to second world-power fame.

 

 

Haman is the villain as we all can see

And he solicits the support of the King,

His objective is to execute Mordecai

And genocide to all of Israel bring.

 

 

Mordecai on the other hand is a Jew

And he will not take this sitting down,

The King at this time desires a new queen

Hence, a ring and a wedding gown.

 

And here enters the beautiful Esther

A descendant of the Benjamin tribe,

Emerging top of the list of the prospective queens

Esther becomes King Ahasuerus’ bride.

 

This was the scarlet thread for Mordecai

As he put his rescue plan in place,

If he does not counter wicked Haman’s plot

Of the Jews there would not be a trace.

 

Hence, a dangerous job for the new queen,

Before King Ahasuerus she must stand

But in order for her to do such a thing

This must be at the King’s demand.

 

To do such a thing could mean her death

But Mordecai determined that she must,

If something was not done, and very soon,

Every Jew would lie in the dust.

 

Can you not see what that would mean?

There would be no promised Messiah,

Perhaps Mordecai also knew this

And that’s why he persuaded Queen Esther.

 

However, he was convinced if she refused,

Deliverance would come some other way

But that Esther had come to the throne for this

And King Ahasuerus she could sway.

 

 

If I perish I perish, were Esther’s words

And into the king’s presence she went,

He received her with such acknowledgement

You would think that for her he had sent.

 

The king had issued an irreversible decree

On information Haman had supplied,

He knew not that the information was false

And so, every single Jew must die.

 

However, Mordecai had saved Ahasuerus’ life

When he told of a plot to overthrow the king

And while reading his diary one sleepless night

The king came upon this very thing.

 

On this information he sent for Mordecai

And offered to make amends

But because the decree could not be retracted

He could not reverse that trend.

 

Instead, he made a counter decree

That allowed the Jews themselves to defend,

And with that a massive victory they won

That throughout the provinces extend. 

 

 

As for Haman, he died on his own gallows:

The one he had built for Mordecai,

Like Pharaoh, Herod and many others,

Any attempt to prevent the Messiah with them died.

 

So, Esther is not some fairy tale

Around which Hollywood movies are made,

But it takes its rightful place in the Canon

And deserves the highest grade.

 

It appears to be around the same period

As that of Ezra and Nehemiah

And clearly from these two prophets

That’s when the 70-year exile expired.

 

 

They were able to rebuild the temple

And repair the breeches in the walls

After King Cyrus in adherence to the prophecy

Suggested they should no longer stall.

 

However, not all the Jews had returned

From Daniel and Ezekiel’s time

So, Jerusalem was still under Medo-Persia rule

And this we must keep in mind.

 

Eventually, however, most did return

And the city of Jerusalem was reestablished,

The rituals and ceremonies were done again

Just like the devout Jews would wish.

 

The dry bones had come to life again

Just like the prophet Ezekiel saw,

That these events were this prophetic fulfilment

Is the conclusion I now draw.

 

There are still a lot of questions

To which I do not have the answers

But the idea this will occur at some future time,

Now, that’s a different matter.

 

Stewart Russell © August 31, 2021

 

Without Merit

 

 

A gift is never dependent

On the recipient of the gift,

It is actually given in spite of

If you catch my drift.

 

It is surely not a reward

Since a reward is achieved

But one cannot achieve a gift

Whatever one believes.

 

It cannot be an award

For such is given on merit

And an award as we all know

Is premised upon habit.

 

Not so a gift, my friend,

It’s definitely not an award

And since it is without merit

It cannot be a reward.

 

 

Without merit it must be,

Just like the grace of God,

It can’t be bought or worked for

Or delivered by a fraud.

 

No worth in the recipient

Other than the whosoever,

Whosoever believes in Christ

Will share in his treasure.

 

By the recipient’s faith

And through God’ grace,

Without merit I must emphasize

Or even the pride of place.

 

It is not the who we are

But rather, the “whose”,

Not even the prudish or the pious

Like a “goody two shoes”.

 

The prerequisite is love

As in “For God so loved”

That He gave the gift of His Son

Who came from above.

 

 

A commendation of love

When we were unlovable

And when we were vile and sinful,

To make us His people.

 

A people for Himself

With whom He now dwells,

No merit in any one of them

Thus, the Bible tells.

 

This we must not forget:

There is no merit in us

But all we tantamount to be

Is found in Christ Jesus.

 

Without merit I repeat,

And none can make a claim

Unless of course the claim we make

Is in Jesus’ name.

 

Without Merit

 

Stewart Russell © January 18, 2025 

 

Science Is Limited

 

 

Science is limited

What a major difference

Between the God of creation

And science!

 

What is gravity’s purpose?

Does anybody know?

We know that it exists because

Experience tells us so.

 

Science answers questions

Of the physical type

But of purpose and meaning?

Not quite.

 

Science does not answer

The big questions of life,

Neither can it even resolve

The issues of strife.

 

Discoveries in science

Have made life better for us

But none of these innovations

Treats to our greed and lust.

 

Concerning our origin

Science falls flat on its face

And with regards to our purpose

This it can’t even trace.

 

 

Regarding our destiny

Science is profoundly silent,

It needs an additional tool

To even make a dent.

 

This tool is the Bible

The Holy Word of God

That foolish men revile and mock

At home and abroad.

 

Treating it as unscientific

And full of fairy tales and myths

While rejecting God’s love

And His unspeakable gift.

 

Science teaches us nothing

But what we make of it,

I know this sounds contradictory

But just wait a minute.

 

 

Through studied observation

And experimentation

Scientists seek the answers

To myriad questions.

 

The purpose for water

Was not answered by science,

But this was clearly facilitated

By a supreme intelligence.

 

Humans need water,

Yet science didn’t point out this

But there is an innate connection

That none can miss.

 

The need is built-in

In both animals and plants

And humans are no different;

There’s not a chance.

 

Science explains the brain

But cannot fathom the mind,

It can search the human anatomy

But the mind it’ll never find.

 

So too the heart of man-

Not what pumps the blood,

To find the seat of one’s emotions

Science never could.

 

Science is limited

But the Almighty God is not,

It is He that has created us

And given us all we’ve got.

 

The knowledge to do science

Came from Elohim

The God who is the I AM THAT IAM

And thus, always has been.

 

God is the Law Maker

And the Law Giver too

And He controls nature and science

And both me and you.

 

Gravity functions

Because God made it so,

Planted seeds die and germinate

And God makes them grow.

 

 

Science does none of these

It doesn’t have a mind,

And though it helps us make a clock

It cannot tell the time.

 

I could go on and on

To speak of energy of all kinds

But I have had you long enough

And I am out of time.

 

So, if you believe

That science explains away God

Then you have as much sense

As a table tennis ball.

 

Stewart Russell © September 20, 2023

 

Biblical Illiteracy

 

 

None likes to be identified

As being illiterate,

It’s an insult of huge proportions

For those with this trait.

 

Unable to read or write

Was severely life hampering

And such persons had to make an X

When they were signing.

 

An X for a signature

Could cause some trouble,

I guess the signatures for such

Would more than double.

 

Think of one person X

Accusing another person X

Of forging his signature X;

How complex!

 

Once Barbados boasted

Of 98% literacy,

I’ve heard it’s not that anymore;

What lunacy!

 

But let’s turn our attention

To biblical illiteracy

And many of these go to church

Just like you and me.

 

For non-church goers

This can be expected

And for schools outlawing the Bible

It would be exacerbated.

 

But for those in church!

How can this be?

I tell you regarding biblical literacy

This is easy.

 

 

Most people’s knowledge

Comes from the pulpit,

And regarding second hand info,

There is a lot of it.

 

Especially in a day

When preachers extemporize

On pseudo biblical teachings

Cleverly disguised.

 

Like a felt-needs gospel

And financial breakthrough

And motivational talks on how

To be a better you.

 

Little Bible involved

If any at all

And how all roads eventually lead

To the oneness God.

 

Sunday school is exiting

And losing importance

And regarding the Bible in schools

Is meeting resistance.

 

So, looming greater

Is biblical illiteracy:

That is, not knowing the Bible

Even fundamentally.

 

Made fun of

By atheists and agnostics

Who believe a belief in the Bible

Is less than scholarship.

 

Frown upon

By fellow Christians

Who need to do some research

On what is pure religion.

 

Are you biblically illiterate?

You need not be,

The Bible is in circulation

For everybody.

 

Grab one today

And read it for yourself,

You need to take it from the dust

It gathered on the shelf.

 

 

 

There’s treasure within

Its many pages of gold,

There is much spiritual insight

For the young and the old.

 

Read for your ailment

If you are biblically illiterate,

Within the Word is the Holy Spirit

To set you straight.

 

Read it and study it

And then live by it,

It’s a sure cure for biblical illiteracy

And offers eternal benefit.

 

Life everlasting

Is found among its pages

And the offer comes from

The Rock of ages.

 

Jesus is that Rock

We should all build upon

Where all who are born again

Are heirs to his kingdom.

 

Stewart Russell © July 7, 2024

 

All

 

“All” have sinned,

The Bible points out,

None of us has anything personal

About which we can shout.

 

In Romans 3:23

It is clear to see,

To sin we were all slaves;

Not one of us was free.

 

No golden spoon in the mouth

Is another way to put it,

We were born in sin

And its practice is habit.

 

We’ve “All” fallen short

Of the glory of God

Our actions, attitudes and aspirations

Are shaped by Satan, aka Fraud.

 

Keeping God’s perfect Law

Is impossible for us,

Only one achieved this

And that was Jesus.

 

How could imperfect man

The perfect Law keep?

Whether Jew or Gentile

“All” were wandering sheep.

 

Hence,

“All” have broken God’s perfect Law

And even in our pious religiosity

We are still flawed.

 

Without exception

“All” need a Saviour,

None can save himself

Even on his best behavior.

 

“All” are condemned,

That is how we start

And the only way to change

Is with a change of heart.

 

Only the Lord Jesus

Can perform such a work

If you are hearing the Spirit now,

Heed his alert

 

The Lord Jesus is the one

And only righteous man,

It is through him

That we have salvation’s plan.

 

He is the one

And only Saviour of the world

“All” must come through him

As instructed in God’s Word.

 

None can enter in

Except he be born again

“All” must come by the Cross

Is one hymn’s refrain.

 

The way of the cross leads home,

 “All” must pass this way

And like another song instructs,

Be saved today!

 

Stewart Russell © February 2020