Let Us Agree

 

 

Let us agree to disagree agreeably

When we can’t see eye to eye,

Whether it be politics, religion or civics

On our friendship we should rely.

 

It is of no use to lose a friendship

Over some argument

No matter how much you disagree

Or how much another’s view you resent.

 

We must cherish our friendships

If they really matter to us

And let the end of the argument

Signal the end of the fuss.

 

 

Disagreements need not be disagreeable

If you see what I mean

Although I have observed some

In which disputers actually screamed.

 

From a discussion to an actual noise,

From “greeing-in” to “greeing-out”

And one knew that this would happen

When they both began to shout.

 

“One convinced against his own opinion

Is of the same opinion still.”

Winning an argument and losing a friend

Is to my mind a horrible pill.

 

If that’s your version of winning

I beseech you, make a hasty retreat,

If disagreement must spoil a friendship

Then winning must also be defeat.

 

Therefore,

 Let us agree to disagree agreeably

When we can’t see eye to eye,

Whether it be politics, religion or civics

On our friendship we should rely.

 

Stewart Russell © October 20, 2020

 

 

Religion and Revelation

 

 

By which are you walking?

Which is your guiding light?

Which one do you use

To determine what’s wrong or right?

 

Religion and Revelation

Are both prominent in the church,

One will lead you aright

The other could land you in the lurch.

 

Some set store by a religion

In search for spiritual satisfaction

But there is no eternal salvation

To be found in any religion.

 

In the life and times of Jesus

He spoke out against religions,

Even then there were numerous

But none could give salvation.

 

Religion is a human creation

That regulates man’s search for God

But in such there is absolute failure

Along with the human applause.

 

Human leadership thrives on such

They take over the control

And often like the demigods they are,

They can be outrageously bold.

 

 

Religion adds to the Word of God

And subtracts from the deity of Christ,

Some even question his humanity

As well as his sacrifice.

 

It multiplies salvation’s requirements

That’s another thing religion will do,

It divides loyalty between God and leaders

Which obscures their members’ view.

 

Religion is like the Tower of Babel

That was man-made in every sense,

Far from benefitting the followers

God saw it as an offense. 

 

In religion a few mostly benefit

Usually that few is at the top,

You can call them leaders if you like

But in my view, not that lot.

 

 

Revelation on the other hand

Is the revealed word of God,

It is not to be confused, of course,

With lies that come from frauds.

 

The devil heads up religion

I know this may sound quite harsh,

But when religion obscures our view

We are swallowed up by its marsh.

 

Ever sinking and not realizing

Religion thwarts spiritual discernment

And in our quest for spiritual gain

We often end up in torment.

 

 

God’s revelation is solid ground

Religion is cleverly covered quicksand,

It takes revelation to expose religion

And reveal God’s guiding hand.

 

Revelation opens up the eyes

Which religion had shut up tight,

That prevented the genuine seeker

From coming to grips with the Light.

 

Often with much brainwashing

And by coercion and veiled threats

And sometimes too, with promises

Of rewards one never gets.

 

Some mix up religion with revelation

Religion that was revealed to someone,

Usually some venerable leader

Or someone long dead and gone.

 

That is the error that many make

They see men walking like trees

And until they receive the second touch

Their eyes remain diseased.

 

Then there is none so blind

As he with sight but refuses to see,

That leads others to their doom

And the only beneficiary is he.

 

Religion is a mix of truth and lies

With the object to deceive,

The few that doubt it, hide the truth

From the many that believe.

 

Truth mix with lies becomes a lie

Since the truth is purposely obscured,

And none truly benefit from a lie

I trust that you concur.

 

 

So skip to God’s word and dig in today

And grasp its life giving truth,

There, see religion for the sham that it is

As God’s revelation supplies the proof.

 

Stewart Russell (c) October 2019

 

In Search for Life?

 

I went in search for life

It was my primary goal,

If only I could find the source

I would never grow old.

 

I suspected there was a cost

And that cost was in wealth,

Once I had the money

I could enhance my health.

 

In neither the twain I found it

In neither health nor wealth,

After I had achieved the latter

I spent it all on health.

 

 

I tried all kinds of remedies

To bring back the health I’d lost

But that was frustratingly futile

Despite the astronomical cost.

 

Maybe it was the environment

So that I also changed

Moving to a healthier location

That I had my lawyer arrange.

 

I tried a dose of religion

And experimented with philosophy,

For a while they seemed to work

But life still eluded me.

 

In the medical parlance

If only I could find the switch,

I’d turned off that life-limiting cell

And my dilemma would be fixed.

 

 

But search and search I did

Yet no such cell was found

And still it vexed me sore

That soon I’d not be around.

 

Medical science is preoccupied

With finding the life source

For if only this could happen

That would be an undying force.

 

Then I turned to God’s Word

That before, I had disregarded

And on the pages of Holy Writ

I was soon to be rewarded.

 

I found the source of life

Or better still, he found me,

And anyone who believes on him

Will live eternally.

 

In St John, the eleventh chapter

Jesus makes this clear

He raised the deceased Lazarus

For Jesus, death held no fear.

 

 

 

For he is the Lord of life

And for him death holds no terror,

A search for life in any other

Must be seen as a grave error.

 

So, if you are searching for life

Look no further, I implore,

Draw from the eternal source

Who has unlimited in store.

 

Jesus is that eternal source

And he offers life to you,

Become a branch on the life-giving vine…

Do it before this day is through.

 

Stewart Russell © August 2019

 

We Get to Choose

 

 

The title does not mean

This is really so

But it appears to me

This is where some people go.

 

But get to choose what?

That’s a pertinent question,

By this I mean

The contents of their religion.

 

Maybe we can call it

The carry-over from the Old,

If it fits our agenda

Then, that is our goal.

 

From the Old Testament

To the New Testament

And some even express,

The Old is no not relevant.

 

That is a sad mistake

For anyone to make,

I once held that position

But it’s no longer my take.

 

 

There are things in the old

That are no longer required,

Jesus fulfilled them

The moment he expired.

 

Thereafter,

When he executed his will,

He told us what was required

And that reading stands still.

 

Most are au fait

With the required fundamentals

But many are also

An opportunistic people.

 

Then they are some

That are steeped in tradition,

They dare not release members

To their own volition.

 

You can call it enslavement

If you so desire

But tradition says do

What the Word doesn’t require.

 

 

The Pharisees enforced

Over six hundred laws

And boasted about keeping them-

Spare me the applause.

 

They pushed the letter

Christ introduced the spirit,

The latter spoke to transformation

The former had little merit.

 

One from a stony heart

That showed no mercy,

The other out of a pure conscience

Displaying liberty.

 

The former, regarding giving,

Is a ritual that is enforced,

The latter, a joyous commitment

As a matter of course.

 

I mean cheerful giving

Knowing we can’t out give God

And not the kind we show off

Hoping someone will applaud.

 

A sabbath rest in Christ

That is truly a rest,

That is continuously observed

Even when working our hardest.

 

Not a specific day

Be it Saturday or Sunday,

For those that we accused

We behave in the same way.

 

But doing good for our friends

And our enemies too,

Once we see the need

And it it’s within our purview.

 

Bearing one another’s burdens

Thus, fulfilling the Law of Christ,

Offering ourselves to him

As a living sacrifice.

 

We get to choose

What is honest and pure,

Not a gamut of rituals that suits us

And the rest ignore.

 

Stewart Russell © June 2020.

 

In My Opinion

“In my opinion”…

A phrase that is very overworked,

“This is how I see it”

And the relevant information skirts.

Bill Bullard was a politician

He would have known a lot of this

And perhaps in the American Senate

Many such opinions dismissed.

He too might have used the phrase

I guess from time to time

No doubt with an aim to impress

His opinion on someone’s mind.

It sounds particularly scholarly

But it really carries no weight

Unless of course the erudite speaker

Is a colossus from some state.

But both high and low I note

Use it with great emphasis

And so too the educated and otherwise

To show something one has missed.

It matters not the topic

Be it politics, religion or philosophy,

“In my opinion” is a clincher

Usually void of modesty.

It should put an end to the argument

It’s information coming to hand,

It’s like the ace in a pack of cards

It’s the pearl in the oyster clam.

“This is really how I see it

This is just my humble opinion,

I am not asking you to agree with me

After all I am not officialdom.”

“I don’t know much about the topic

I haven’t done much research

But I too have an opinion.”

It could be in parliament or at church.

I have an opinion about your opinion

And this is just my opinion,

Your opinion in my opinion

Lacks both understanding and reason.

In the final analysis my friend

Opinion is rather superficial,

It’s the lowest form of human knowledge

Whether it comes from a novice or official.

Opinion requires no accountability

And no understanding, Bill Bullard states,

So building upon someone’s opinion

Is really playing around with fate.

You had better know for yourself

By investigating the matter thoroughly

Then take my uninformed advice

And submit your findings guardedly.

An opinion is just what it is

An assumption, a feeling or speculation,

It may be the result of composite opinions

Or simply a person’s own suspicion.

I too have had my opinions

They have changed time and time again

And I have no doubt if you’d be honest

Your experience has been the same.

So spare me your opinion

Give me some hard facts instead,

Your opinion is I might be sleeping

But I might just be lying in bed.

One opinion is worth a hundred

They are like spinning top in mud,

However, this is just my opinion

If you can do better, you should.

Stewart Russell © March 2019

“Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge.

It requires no accountability, no understanding.”

Bill Bullard