Purchased and Delivered

 

 

Jesus didn’t just die to purchase it

But he lives to deliver it,

That is, the believer’s salvation,

Is God’s eternal edict.

 

This brings us to God’s will

And identifying with the same,

It’s he that does the Father’s will

By believing on Jesus’ name.

 

“Jesus died for our sins”

The same is a solid, biblical truth

But there is more that’s being done,

Let me supply the biblical proof.

 

If Jesus had only died

He would still be interred today,

Hence, he’d be no different from all

That have gone death’s way.

 

By his blood we are saved

Though by his life we are made alive,

And in that he lives, we live in him,

And by his life we shall survive.

 

Purchased and delivered

To every born-again believer,

Of God’s wonderful, glorious salvation,

There are numberless receivers.

 

As of the sands on the seashore

And as numberless as the stars,

God’s kingdom is forever and ever

And none other comes on par.

 

Signed in the Saviour’s blood,

Stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit,

Now, not a chance of being lost

According to God’s Holy Writ.

 

 

Thus, I serve a risen Saviour,

The evidence is in my heart

Where also lives the Blessed Trinity

Who’s been there from the start.

 

Yes, Jesus purchased my salvation

And he ever lives to deliver it,

And, as its Author and Finisher,

The way he leads is well lit.

 

Jesus didn’t just die to purchase it

But he lives to deliver it,

Such that, in this is my confidence

That he will not allow me to quit.

 

Stewart Russell © March 19, 2023

 

Two Churches Yet One

 

 

 

Only two churches

And these two are one:

The church militant which is now

And those that are gone.

 

The church militant

Is yet here on the earth,

It comprises every born-again believer

Aka of the new birth.

 

Those that are gone on

Are the church triumphant

Who, when they were on earth,

Were the church militant.

 

 

Neither is a dead church;

There is no such church

For the church of the Living Christ

Is a living church.

 

It comprises the born again

Who are infused with new life

That cannot ever be terminated

By this earthly strife.

 

The body will die

But the spirit will live on

As inferred by the Lord Jesus Christ

Regarding them gone.

 

“So that even though one dies

Yet he lives”

Is the assurance of Jesus Christ

That he assuredly gives.

 

Yes, two churches they are

Yet only one:

The saints which are now living

And those already gone.

 

A great crowd of witnesses

And witnesses at present

Summed up in the church triumphant

And the church militant.

 

 

Two churches yet one,

Both witnesses still

And the church militant yet here

Is of the Father’s will.

 

Stewart Russell © April 21, 2025

 

Nevertheless

Nevertheless is a critical word

That helps us to see both sides,

Be that as it may or nonetheless

Are two other definitions supplied.

In addition to what I have said before

Let me give you just two more,

Notwithstanding is one of those

And yet gets right to the core.

You may wonder why nevertheless

So I will tell you in a while,

It helps to shape the decisions we make

As we confront the enemy’s guile.

Satan is a shrewd strategist

He’s an experience war campaigner,

Nevertheless Jesus is captain of heaven’s hosts

And he is also our Redeemer.

Be that as it may we must be on guard

Whenever the tempter comes,

A contrast Satan will always present

But nonetheless we must heed God’s Son.

There is an occasion in the Holy Word

When this contrast was presented,

Jesus uses the word nevertheless

To show what he had always intended.

Turn to St Luke chapter 22 and verse 42

And pay attention to the words of God’s Son,

Father if you be willing remove this cup from me:

Nevertheless not my will but yours be done.

Two paths before the Lord Jesus Christ

And both going in opposite directions,

Nevertheless he focused on his Father’s will

And on the wonderful plan of redemption.

If only there was another path

Better and different from that of the cross:

Nevertheless there was no better way

That God the Father could redeem the lost.

  

I draw your attention to an occasion

When sorrow filled the disciples’ heart,

In John chapter 16 we understand

That Jesus was getting ready to depart.

“Nevertheless,” Jesus said to them,

“It is expedient for you that I go away.”

For if he went not away as in fact he did

The Spirit could not be in us as he is today.

An interesting word is nevertheless

A very interesting word indeed,

Not withstanding we were condemned to death

Yet Jesus wonderfully met our need.

Stewart Russell © February 2019

When God Doesn’t Understand

I am sure you have been here

“Where?” You ask.

Right where you are now

Facing a real up hill task.

And they say God is around

“Where?” you ask once more.

Right where you are now

Just like He always was before.

“Don’t kid me,” you say.

“I’m not in the mood for joking,

‘Cause if He is

He lacks genuine understanding.

He sure doesn’t understand

If indeed He has a plan

And it can’t be anything grand

If it can’t relieve this man.

What good is God to me

If He cannot understand

Or even show that he does?

Why, He is no more than a man.

For right now the way I feel

Is that God lacks understanding

And certainly can’t grant to me

What my situation is demanding.”

Cool your heals my brother,

The mere fact you’re still here

Shows that God understands

Or you would long have disappeared.

See that talk you just put down

And the fact that you’re still around!

It is enough to make God frown!

You would have to be a clown…

To have said all you just said

And still here ‘cause you’re not dead;

This says God understands

And that His heart is not made of lead.

  

If anyone had a reason

To believe God didn’t understand

Surely it must be Jesus, His Son

When He came to earth as a man.

As a matter of fact you’d recall

He even cried to let the cup pass

But resigned to Father’s will

And to a cross was nailed at last.

Like you he could have said

God doesn’t understand

But he knew only too well

That this was God’s divine plan.

Man’s wisdom is folly to God

Who sees all and knows all,

The whole picture lies bare before Him

And he never makes a wrong call.

While it seems He doesn’t understand

That is only in the mind of man

Whose shortsightedness regarding life

Is a defect common to the human clan.

If we understood all that God does

We would be just like Him

But alas this could never be

Because of the awful state of sin.

Sin is exacerbated by selfishness

Which blinds us to the need of others,

Putting ourselves first in everything

And nothing else becomes a bother.

Such that we don’t understand

But eventually blame God

And such an accusation

Is spurted on by Satan, the Fraud.

The truth be told God understands

He must; after all He is not a man,

Back in eternity He devised a plan

And implemented it on a set time span.

Creation was at the beginning

God’s judgment comes at the end

So if you feel God doesn’t understand

You are sadly mistaken my friend.

One last thing I should tell you

Something I am sure you know,

There is no better friend than God is,

My Bible tells me so.

While I may not understand

He has worked it all out for me,

All I need do is trust Him

And on Him depend totally.

My misunderstanding will pass away

With the coming of the end

There and then I will understand

Why He chose to call me His friend.

In the meantime I’ll ride it out with Him

For there is no better choice

And as I face the storms ahead

I’ll listen calmly to His voice.

That voice that soothes me in my anger

That cools me during the heat

And tells me all I need do with my problems

Is to place them at His feet.

He doesn’t understand I hear you say

In Him you need to trust,

In trusting the way becomes quite clear

When God takes away our fuss.

You’ll understand it better by and by

God understands it all today,

From the beginning He saw to the end

He is qualified to lead the way.

Stewart Russell © September 2017