Upsetting the World

 

 

Is it a bad or a good thing

To upset the world?

Well, depending on who you are,

It could be normal or absurd.

 

Absurd if you are a Christian,

Normal if you are not

And I dare say that in many cases

Christianity is considered rot.

 

If the world is getting upset

At what you say and do,

Chances are my brother, my sister,

To the Bible you’ve been true.

 

For not only here of late

But for as long as I can remember

Christians have upset the world

And those of Satan’s chamber.

 

Any friend of the world

Is seen as “at enmity of God”

Basically because, my friend,

Righteousness is God’s call.

 

Believers are to imitate Christ

And conformed to his image

And not to be squeezed by others

Into this worldly heritage.

 

There is so little in common

Re the Christian and the world,

And that’s why the Christian believer

Is often viewed as absurd. 

 

 

God created one race,

The world has founded many:

The whites, the blacks and coloured,

The intelligent and the dummy.

 

God created two genders

But now there is a daily increase

And given the brilliance of today

This is not likely to cease.

 

To the ‘L’ there was added a ‘G’

To the ‘G’ was added a ‘B’

And since some needed a change

To the ‘B’ was added a ‘T’.

 

And on this trajectory, of course,

It would very soon appear

The coming of yet another gender:

The advent of the Queer.

 

And so, to the ‘T’ was added ‘Q’

And to the ‘Q’ was added ‘I’;

The arranging of a new alphabet

And one difficult to describe…

 

Other than truthfully to say,

It smacks of the very insane

But of course, as you and I know,

That would be upsetting again.

 

The world finds it very upsetting

When believers take a stand

On Biblically defined standards

And what this means for man.

 

 

The fact of the first two humans

And their catastrophic fall

And the process of man’s redemption

Beginning with Abraham’s call.

 

The ministry of Jesus Christ

And his rejection by the Jews

And his now being the only way

Seen as a most outlandish view.

 

It is upsetting, to say the least,

To a world that is steep in sin

And that has gone against the grade

Of who Christians believe in.

 

How can Christians not support

The vices of a deprived world?

Why, that is not only mind-boggling

But it is absolutely absurd.

 

How can Christians not equate

The struggles of these two:

The acceptance of blacks and coloured

And the approval of the LGBTQ?

 

Add to these the other minorities

Under the guise of equal rights

That militantly advance their cause

Every day and every night.

 

 

It’s the Christians against the world

From the advent of the Church

And the disciples of Jesus Christ

Whom the world went out to hurt.

 

Starting with the Jews themselves

That comingled with the Romans

To eradicate every single Christian

They perceived to be a problem.

 

For it was the then perception

They had turned the world upside down

And it was not to be a compliment

Even though it was profound.

 

Yes, those early Church pioneers

Had really upset the world,

Living a life of danger for Jesus Christ

Was what they all preferred.

 

Would you prefer, they asked,

That we obey men rather than God?

For them, that was unthinkable

When Christ had given his all.

 

 

How could they do such a thing

Having witnessed his ascension?

He had upset the world

And such would be their mission.

 

This too is our mandate

Meaning those who are “the called”,

We become public enemy No. 1

Just like Peter, James and Paul.

 

Stewart Russell © November 22, 2022

Three in this Family

  

 

Three in this family:

Fright, Terror and Fear,

Sometimes they come together

At times one appears.

 

One, a sudden jolt,

One will trouble for life,

One is an ominous warning

Of coming strife.

 

One’s on the horizon,

One keeps our company,

One may come without warning

Bringing misery.

 

I will give you a chance

To make the distinction,

To distinguish between these three

With some conviction.

 

 

 

One is a sudden jolt,

One will trouble for life,

One is an ominous indication

Of oncoming strife.

 

Were you able to find

The difference between

Or have you opined that all three

Paint a similar scene?

 

Some interchange them

And will cite overlap

But from a purist’s point of view

This is not a fact.

 

You’ve had all three

At one time or another

But one of them, you will agree

Is a constant bother.

 

 

 

This one is a phobia

Or simply put, a fear,

And it is the one that haunts you

And does not go away.

 

The jolt, if you will,

Can be defined as fright,

Shortest in the family it happens

In the day or night.

 

The touch of a feather

Or a very narrow escape,

This lasts for nigh a few seconds

Quickening heart rate.

 

The third is frightening

Long before it happens

And even the bravest of persons

Will feel threatened.

 

 

 

From June to November

Is a lingering fear

But it becomes a troubling terror

As a storm draws near.

 

Yes, three in this family

Fright, terror and fear,

If by now you know the difference

You can go and prepare.

 

Stewart Russell © February 4, 2026

 

The Ball’s in Your Court

 

 

 

No, it’s not a game

Even though it sometimes seems so,

It’s an expression

Most of us have come to know.

 

It smacks of negotiations

Of one type or another

And given the time that elapses

I wonder why we bother.

 

Like waiting on a response

To some query that was made,

Seriously though, we ask,

Are these people for real?

 

A transaction in progress

And waiting for the next move

But it has been so long in coming

It cuts against the groove.

 

The ball’s in your court

It’s your turn to play it back,

We can go no further in this matter

Unless you get on track.

 

I vividly remember a game

We used to play at Youth Service,

Bible Boxing was its name

And it went something like this.

 

Two candidates would compete

To see who was the better

At reciting Bible verses

Almost to the letter.

 

One would recite a verse

While his opponent would respond,

This was a competitive activity

Of which we were very fond.

 

If the ball was in your court

And you had a memory failure,

Your opponent would grab the chance

To ensure you lose that fixture.

 

 

 

The ball’s in your court

Is a daily experience of life

And it can become so frustrating

It can give rise to strife.

 

It’s a reality for our students

Who have been afforded the chance:

Free education is the proverbial ball

They must play to advance.

 

It defines our justice system

As lawyers submit and retort,

“Cross examine,” oft you will hear,

Meaning the ball’s in your court.

 

So, in myriad disputes,

In our Parliament and Law Courts,

Reminiscent of tennis and volleyball-

The ball’s in your court.

 

 

If you are unable to play it back

You may only lose a game

But in this competition that we call life

It will cause some pain.

 

Some who hold the upper hand

May refuse to play the ball

Causing much frustration to another

And regrettably another’s fall.

 

Amidst the cut and thrust of life

The ball’s in your court is on

And it bears down on humanity 24-7

Meaning from dawn to dawn.

 

Stewart Russell © May 10, 2023

 

Concerning the When

 

What nonsense is this?

What babblers these be?

They appear to be drunk

Was all some could see.

 

Was Peter confused?

Was he also baffled?

Was his a mere explanation

For their obvious puzzle?

 

I dare say not,

Let’s revisit the scene

And to men’s interpretations,

Please do not lean.

 

To whom was Peter speaking?

He was speaking to the Jews

On the Day of Pentecost

And they were quite bemused.

 

Of when was he speaking?

It was that very day

When the Comforter would come

As the Prophet did say.

 

Which prophet do we mean?

The answer is clear:

The Apostle referenced Joel

For all to hear.

“But this is that,” he said,

“Which was spoken by the Prophet Joel;

And it shall come to pass…”

And indeed, it did.

 

Just like Joel prophesied

It did come to pass,

It is clear as ABC!

Why make it a task?

 

Of course, the view of some

Place it at another time

Based on their interpretation

And what’s on their mind.

 

Like some time in the future

Unlike what Peter stated,

And until Jesus returns

This will always be debated.

 

Preterists believe

This prophecy has been fulfilled

 But Futurists argue

It’s to be fulfilled still.

 

More than two thousand years

Since this particular event,

Some behave as though

The Spirit is yet to be sent.

 

Joel was speaking of the future

Many still contend,

He surely was I would agree

But how far did it extend?

 

When Peter stood up

And with the eleven proclaimed,

It was the unfolding of Joel’s prophecy

As Peter back then had claimed.

 

As to when he was speaking

He made it very clear

And to what he was speaking

We still hold dear.

 

The Holy Spirit had come

Just as was prophesied

By the risen Christ and Saviour

Whom they had crucified.

Acts 1:4b-5

 

“Wait for the promise of the Father

Which ye have heard of me.”

 

“For John truly baptized with water;

And concerning the when,

“But ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost

Not many days hence.”

  

Notice Jesus referenced days;

He did not say years

Hence, the imminence of that event

To the hearers was clear.

 

Concerning the when:

It was in Peter’s time,

The future in Joel’s prophecy

Was Peter’s time, not mine.

 

Stewart Russell © August 6, 2021

 

God Cannot Not Be

  

 

Here is a Divine impossibility:

God cannot not be

Since he is a being in Himself

Quite unlike you or me.

 

God is underived

And thus, He is uncaused

And while many pretend to be,

He is the only God.

 

If God does not exist

Then nothing can have existed

For everything came into being

Because He insisted.

 

Atheists are struck down

By ten simple words,

Go to Genesis chapter 1 verse 1

If you’ve not yet heard.

 

Ordinarily,

I would type them here

But please check them for yourself

To be clear.

 

 

 

Following are words

Of an old medieval hymn,

They should bring some clarity

Amidst this world’s din.

 

Thou wast, O God,

And Thou wast blest

Before the world began,

Of Thine eternity possessed

Before time’s hourglass ran.

Thou need’st none

Thy praise to sing

As if Thy joy could fade,

Could’st Thou have needed anything

Thou could’st nothing made.

 

John Mason 1683

 

Herein lies remarkably

The aseity of God:

One contained within Himself

Needing nothing at all.

 

If ever there was nothing

Then nothing exists

For out of nothing, nothing comes,

Dear Mr. Atheist.

 

That God cannot not be

Is ontologically necessary

Or else, how could anything exist

That ever came to be?

 

 

 

An uncaused first cause

Is what God must be,

Having the power of being in himself

Is a logical necessity.

 

A perfect being at that

And not prone to entropy

Or else, His existence too is limited

And not for eternity.

 

In the beginning God…

There’s nothing more to add

Other than all that He has created

And from creation we’ve had.

 

 

 

Here’s another verse

Depicting God’s aseity,

A revelation John Mason must have had

To be able to see. 

 

Great and good God

It pleased Thee

Thy head to declare

And what Thine goodness did decree,

Thy greatness did prepare.

Thou spakest

And heaven and earth appeared

And answered to Thy call

As if their Maker’s voice they heard

Which is the creature’s all.

 

That God cannot not be

Is a Divine impossibility,

Thus, atheists and evolutionists

Argue nonsensically.

 

Stewart Russell © January 25, 2026

When It’s Safe to Die

 

 

I know what you are thinking

I can read your mind;

Not on every single occasion

But at least, this time.

 

You see, I put the thought there

By the very title I wrote

But I beg, lend me your ear,

This is no joke.

 

When it’s safe to die

Is applicable to every life,

Particularly so, my brother, my sister,

Given our current strife.

 

We’re drifting farther away

From the Word of God

And appear increasingly committed

To Satan, the chief fraud.

 

The church is being swayed

Away from the Gospel

And felt-needs are becoming

The appeal to attract people.

 

Prosperity and profitability

Have become the view

And those in this lotto game

Are filling many a pew.

 

The organism is obscured

By the social organization

And the message of such churches

Is not of redemption.

 

Repentance is being retired

And living right is sidestepped,

Levity has replaced gravity

On the emotional trek.

 

Solemnity has given way

To the boom, boom and bum

And the seriousness of lost souls

Is being out-drummed.

 

 

Lost souls are dying

Without the only eternal hope

While many of the living

Are hooked on Satan’s dope.

 

Hence, my questionable sanity

In bringing this title,

Circumstances surrounding us

Determine it is vital.

 

I know it sounds moronic

To bring together dying and safe

But it makes a whole lot of sense

Within the context of grace.

 

I speak of the grace of God

That has brought us salvation:

The glorious message of the church

To be propagated to every nation.

 

I speak of eternal life

That is offered through Christ

By God our heavenly Father

Before exiting this life.

 

Based on the words of Jesus

That he who dies shall live again

And this blessed assurance

Makes dying less of a strain.

 

 

I speak of all the born-again

That ultimately on God rely,

These are the only ones I know

That can safely die.

 

If one is not born again

This is a bad time for him,

What that means my brother, my sister,

You can die in you sin.

 

For you it’s not safe to die

Unless you repent of your sin

And do as Jesus implores you-

That is, to come to him.

 

For any who comes to him

He will in no wise cast away

And then it will be safe to die

Be it night or day.

 

Stewart Russell © May 29, 2023

 

 

Breakthrough for Whom?

  

 

There is much talk

About breakthrough these days

Promised to Christian believers

In myriad ways.

 

Promised from pulpits

From stadia to church

And the people in eager anticipation

Are left in the lurch.

 

Often required to pay

Or rather, sow a seed,

And this seed must be sacrificial

Aka out of their need.

 

The gullible are trapped

Mostly ladies, I dare to say,

And almost all of them still wait

For that coming day.

 

Meanwhile, no change

Everything is as before

And they continue to lose faith

More and more.

 

 

Breakthrough is mouthed

By faith leadership

Who rather than preach the Word

Shoot from the hip.

 

Five break-through

Are recorded in the Word

But to the two in the New Testament

I now refer.

 

Both are in Matthew

In consecutive verses

And from what I have gathered

They are really curses.

 

Beware of treasures

That thieves can steal

Rather, store up treasures in heaven

In the Word revealed.

 

Thieves break through

Moth and rust corrupt

And sooner rather than later

Thieves run out of luck.

 

 

 

Let the light of the Word

Breakthrough in your heart,

This breakthrough none can give

Not even in part.

 

It cost Jesus’ blood

And his death on the cross

And it matters not your millions,

Without it you are lost.

 

Breakthrough is dependent

On the grace of God,

It’s not in money or worldly gain

No, not at all.

 

Breakthrough for whom?

For the one in the pulpit

Making merchandise of the sheep

And getting rich.

 

 

 

Sounds like a wolf

Dressed up like a sheep,

Be careful my brothers and sisters

If you hear him bleat.

 

If he tickles your ears

And make you feel sweet

Next, he will take all you have

And have you for meat.

 

There is one shepherd

That was never a sheep

Yet though a sinless lamb crucified

He now speaks.

 

 

 

Come unto me, he says,

Meaning the burdened

And the breakthrough you’ll get

Is his pardon.

 

The message is the same

To the pew and the pulpit,

Breakthrough is eternal salvation,

Not getting rich.

 

Stewart Russell © February 4, 2026