My Christmas Prayer

 

 

Father, thank You for Jesus

That first Christmas morn,

Thank you for the circumstances

Under which he was born.

 

The fulfilment of promise

That was made to Abraham

And through the Lord, Jesus Christ

It has come down to man.

 

We thank you today, Father,

For that wonderful plan

Implemented by Jesus our Saviour

As fully God and fully Man.

 

Glory to God in the Highest

And on earth, peace!

Peace in the midst of earth’s turmoil

That never seems to cease.

 

Thanks for this peace today,

This Christmas Day

For ‘twas on that first Christmas

You introduced the Way.

Come let us go even now

And see what has come to pass,

In essence, what the shepherds said;

These men of lowly class.

 

 

And so too the alert magi

That had journeyed from afar

Led by the light of a heavenly body-

That natal star.

 

The lowest and the highest!

This wonderful salvation is for all

That would respond to Jesus

As he graciously calls.

 

Thanks be to the Father

And to His only begotten Son

And thanks to the Holy Spirit

These Three-in-One.

A Christ-centred Christmas!

That’s my prayer for one and all

As we remember the second Adam-

The one that did not fall.

 

The one who came as Emanuel

Meaning God is with us,

The one we celebrate this day-

None other than Jesus!

 

Stewart Russell © December 25, 2023

 

A Skeptic

 

 

I am a Christian believer

But a skeptic,

Give me the facts,

No tricks!

 

Bible commentaries

Fraught with views,

Similar with the news media-

Little news.

 

How can I decide

When in so much doubt?

Like the skeptic I am,

I throw it all out.

 

If you want info

Get to the source,

Propaganda is not truth

But a powerful force.

 

It was rife

Re the COVID pandemic

And “we following the science”

Did the trick.

 

Those for the vaccine

And those opposed

All “followed the science”

Though scientific foes.

 

The masses had to go

One way or the other-

A virtual Hobson’s choice,

What a bother!

 

 

The major issues

Of our world today

Are really not about truth,

Propaganda holds sway.

 

What to believe?

I truly do not know

Except, when I am in doubt,

To the Bible I go.

 

Not a commentary,

Not a YouTube link

But the Holy Word of God,

And I think.

 

An open mind-

An absolute necessity

But closed to the Holy Spirit

And his leadership.

 

 

Every single skirmish

And every single issue

Is really little about the news

And more about views.

 

That is why I say

I am a skeptic,

I don’t know what to believe

Either way I’m tricked.

 

Turmoil in my mind,

A tumult at my ear,

I was told only recently

Believe not all I hear.

 

I had been informed

The teachers knew

But this was not the news

Just another view.

 

If two teachers know

Then “teachers” knew,

A few in fact may have known

The others, not a clue.

 

We assume

Everyone shoots for a hit

But knowing the target

Is the trick.

 

Some shoot, be aware,

To actually miss

But they know better than most

Where the target is.

 

 

I am not privy

To a lot that goes on,

Feet move at a hectic pace

Hence, a graceful swan.

 

What’s on the surface

Is different beneath

And an innocent looking face

Does not reveal a thief.

 

Try the spirits

See if they are of God,

This world, fellow believers,

Are full of frauds.

 

There’s a bit of fraud

In every one of us,

If you are the exception

I won’t fuss.

 

You’re not the reason

Why I am a skeptic

But all those in authority

That are up to tricks.

 

Using our children

As virtual blockades,

Lambs to the slaughterers

Trick in trade.

 

Causing them trauma

Though well intended,

Just didn’t think it through

And the plot upended.

 

 

No accountability

And no heads will roll,

Those in authority are as fixed

As the north pole.

 

I have to be a skeptic,

I can’t be otherwise,

There is so much around me

Draped in disguise.

 

If I close my eyes

You can’t see I can’t see,

The wisdom of the ignorant-

What a fool I be!

 

Played for a fool,

Tricked once again,

Fooled me once fooled me twice

I’m the problem.

 

But it was so real

I couldn’t help but panic,

And in the final analysis

I was the one tricked.

 

Now, I am a skeptic,

Every shadow a man,

I am unloading both barrels

Let all be damned!

 

A world by design!

Do you see what I mean?

I am forced to be a skeptic

And learn how to scheme.

 

 

Holding my cards

Very close to my chest,

Not one of you has to know

I’m a traumatized mess.

 

Some students say,

They were traumatized

But it was very difficult to tell

Given all the disguise.

 

Don’t you forget

This was a simulation

And there were many actors

Doing demonstrations.

 

So, why not the students

Getting in on the act?

After all, it is clear, at least to me,

They’re not part of the pact.

 

It’s about them

But they must not know,

Far more important players

Must be on show.

 

Note the thread

That is running through,

I must be a skeptic,

How about you?

 

Stewart Russell © October 14, 2023

 

Envy and Jealousy

Envy and Jealousy

Are very delusional friends,

They always moved together

With a single aim to offend.

Though they never get along

They can never stay apart

And often they find a lodging

In some unfortunate heart.

What turmoil they create

As they argue and fight all day

And even during the night

They continue in the same way.

They like the same very things

And hate to see someone succeed

And nothing makes them happier

Than to cause a heart to bleed

They are like an infestation

Or a cancer if you please,

If they are not exterminated

Your heart will become diseased.

They creep in unawares,

They are known for their stealth

And in no time at all

They destroy a person’s health.

Yet they are allowed to squat,

They are fed each and every day

And for the service we render them

Heartbreak is how they pay.

Though they live together

They hate one another’s guts

And the misery they cause within us

Only gets us into a rut.

Even when one tires of them

They are difficulty to evict,

They are obstinately resistant

And do not know how to quit.

  

If they are your tenants

And you can’t get them remove

Try Heart Specialist Christ Jesus

There’s no better one to choose.

He’ll saturate you with his love,

Envy and jealousy will vacate

And rather than envy another’s success

With that one you will celebrate.

Envy and jealousy

Are opposed to one’s happiness,

And once they find a willing heart

They will never let it rest.

Stewart Russell © January 2019