Sin In and Sin Out

 

How did it all begin?

I mean sin.

Where did it come from?

Why am I undone?

Some time after creation

With Eve and Adam

Into a garden it crept,

So bad I can’t forget.

Ignoring an instruction

Caused real dysfunction,

Man became lost

Satan became his boss.

Driven out of Eden

Man left the first garden

For a world less than perfect,

It gets worse even yet.

Cain disobeyed the Lord

Did not take Him at His word

Slew his brother Abel

Left him where he fell.

Then man got really bad

This made God’s heart sad

He sent a huge flood

For man was up to no good.

Only eight remained alive

For a while these would thrive,

Then it got bad again

But a few called on God’s name.

God created a bloodline

It can be seen through time,

Out of Abraham a Savior came

Jesus is his name.

He lived to show us how

We can know him now,

Then died on Calvary’s cross

To save the penitent lost.

  

At birth was found no room,

At death a borrowed tomb,

In life no where to lay his head

Yet came forth from the dead.

Death was rendered helpless

Now temporary at best,

Jesus triumphed o’er the grave

Now from sin he can save.

Still some do not believe,

In their hearts not yet received

The Christ of Calvary

Who died for you and me.

In their sin they stumble,

Under its weight they crumble,

Day after day they grumble,

Step by step they fumble.

Sin the reason for our blindness,

Sin that ever-bothersome pest,

Sin that brings us much unrest,

Sin that robs us of the best.

Sin that entices and ensnares,

Sin that causes fear and despair,

Sin that severs and separates,

Sin that causes severe heartaches.

For all our sin the Saviour died,

In him we can all confide,

In his love we should abide

And walk with him at our side.

Confess your sins today I plead,

Repent, turn and let him lead,

You’ll not regret you’ve chosen him,

He’s the only that rids of sin.

What is sin? Now answer up!

All unrighteousness its bitter cup,

Appears pleasurable for a time

But quickly gets you in a bind.

All have sin the Bible says,

We ran from God in many ways,

But one way back, not two or three,

Just ‘one way’ back for you and me.

That ‘one way’ is Jesus,

The only way for all of us,

The way to sins forgiven,

The way that points to heaven.

Something you should learn,

Jesus allows “U” turns,

You are his concern,

Do not his love now spurn.

A last chance this could be,

Tomorrow’s sun you may not see,

Why not today?

Tomorrow you may have to pay.

The time you have is borrowed,

None of us has tomorrow,

Today if you hear his voice

Make him your eternal choice.

For once you do

He’ll make it up to you,

He’ll make you over anew,

He’ll even transform your view.

A new life, a new you,

A new hope, a new view,

Sin in now sin out,

Hallelujah, did I hear a shout?

Stewart Russell © 2014

Choices

Life’s choices, choices, choices

And the many voices, voices, voices;

All of them vying for my attention

To push me in a certain direction.

Like sound waves pounding my ear,

Choose here!  No!  Choose there!

Do this!  Do that!  Change your mind,

Voices bombarding me all the time!

Wrong choice, I hear, Go right back!

You should have done this not that!

Oh, you should have known better

Than to get yourself in this matter.

How intruding, confusing, abusing!

Let me think. Another mood swing,

So much of a clutter and a clatter,

I am mixed up like pancake batter.
 

Unable to make a proper decision,

Hearing messed up no clear vision,

Mind lagging and brain overheating,

Intellect suffering a severe beating.

Too much pressing me at this stage,

Just too much at this tender age,

I would rather be roaming free

Or just sit and lime under a tree.

Are you feeling overwhelmed?

A challenge you just can’t stem?

Is there a solution to your problem?

Can I offer you a suggestion?

Life is many questions and answers,

Some you refer and some you defer,

Was never meant to be handled alone,

You really can’t live it on your own.

Some of life’s questions are minor

While there are those that are major;

Hence the need to prioritise

And the urge to regularise.

Really what is it that I mean?

To which of the two should you lean?

Prioritise is to treat as important,

Regularise is put in one department.

And so we run the risk

If we put them all on the same disk,

Not all of them are urgent,

First deal with those that are important.

Grab the following scenario

I am sure this is one you know;

Which picture should I watch tonight?

A horror or one that is rather light?

Which outfit should I wear today?

The cool one or the one out of the way?

Is Cheffettte within my reach?

Or should I visit KFC on the beach?

Should I play cricket or tennis?

Or shout up a friend I really miss?

Should I have a dog or a cat?

Or just keep some pigeons out in the back?

Should I befriend a certain girl?

Or simply leave her out of my world?

Should I help an unpopular classmate?

Or just leave him to up his fate?

We spend much time on little things

Often not issues from which life springs,

Mostly on the body what we should wear,

On outfits, shoes and brand name gear.

Is any one of these worth your soul?

Can any of them really make you whole?

Yet to these we pay much attention

And deny our soul God’s free salvation.
 

The most important thing you’ll ever choose

Is God’s salvation, just don’t refuse,

All other choices will hang on this,

First make sure you are on heaven’s list.

Be guided by His word each and every time

And all other choices will fall into line,

The big ones, small ones and in between

Once given to him will be clearly seen.

For God created you for His own purpose,

Choose to give your heart to His Son Jesus;

It’ll be the best choice you’ll ever make

If you choose him into your heart to take.

Choose Jesus now; yes choose today,

Invite him into your heart to stay,

Make this choice now; no longer delay,

He’ll guide your choices all along the way.

Having a hard time making a choice?

Just listen now to the Saviour’s voice

As he calls to you from heaven’s throne

“My little one come and make me your own.”

Heavenly Father I now repent of my sin,

All my bad choices forgive and come in;

Fill my heart with your love and your grace

Change my desires, my choices my taste.

Stewart Russell © 2014

When Donkeys Monkey Around

That morning was not unlike any other,

My faithful donkey was never a bother,

Slow to pick up and slow on the move

But we all know that’s donkey’s groove.

I knew it would take some time to reach

But a stubborn old ass was hard to teach,

Taking his time he would eventually arrive

So relax even if you couldn’t enjoy the ride.

I sat astride Benji just plodding along,

Each step methodically slow but strong;

He was faithful, I could say no less,

No horse could outlast him at his best.

A donkey is an ass that has no sense

Someone said obviously meaning offense,

But no donkey bothered, none that I know,

They all appeared to be always on ‘go slow’.

Two speeds he had, two only he knew,

One was ‘go slow’ the other was no can do,

For if Benji stopped as sometimes the case

Any amount of whipping was a total waste.

Someone said that was the donkey’s way,

George Orwell agreed each and every day;

In Animal Farm nothing changed for Benji,

Certainly the oldest on the farm, all agreed.

“For none of you have seen a dead donkey,”

He told them in the midst of their spree;

“Long after you’re gone I will still be here,

That is the way of the donkey, have no fear.”

G K Chesterton too did certainly agree

In his biography of the peculiar donkey;

Men of olden times did starve and deride

But the King of all kings on him did ride.

Not only just once but Jesus did so twice.

First in the womb and later as the Christ;

“Fools,” said the donkey as on palms he rode

Into Jerusalem carrying a most precious load.

  

None had ever ridden this donkey before

But the King of glory, Saviour and Lord;

‘Twas the donkey’s one moment in time

As he carried the Creator, most sublime.

Thought I should share a little donkey history

To put in perspective the pending mystery

Of my donkey and his strange behavior

Attempting to hinder me in my endeavour.

All was going slowly until all of a sudden,

Benji engaged his second speed option;

Stopped he did and I really mean stopped,

Behaving as though the path were blocked.

Of all the places to pull one of his tricks,

A narrow path as though he could see bricks;

Couldn’t budge to the right or to the left.

Ignored my urging as though he were deaf.

“Not today!” in great anger I screamed,

‘Twas not a good time for Benji to be mean;

I had business that I meant to complete

But Benji just stood there on leaden feet.

I was determined Benji won’t win this round

When suddenly he just dropped to the ground;

I drew my staff and smote him on the rump,

A solid blow that should have made him jump.

Thrice I struck him more solidly each time

But Benji became more and more disinclined;

I really felt it was just donkey obstinacy

But then I encountered the following mystery.

Benji opened his mouth and talked to me,

I could not believe my ears, a talking donkey!

Not only did he talk but he also took count;

Three times he said was the smitten amount.

“What have I done unto you,” he said to me,

“That you have given me these lashes three?”

I could not believe the words I heard from Benji;

Me, the master, being mocked by a stupid donkey.

I thought to myself, “If only had I a sword,

He would be history and not another word.”

But Benji hadn’t finished having his say,

He meant to show me the error of my way.

On he went reminding me whose ass he was,

And of his faithfulness was his incessant buzz,

And that he had never ever behaved like that;

I was forced to admit that he was stating a fact.

Benji, my donkey, had never monkeyed around,

Though a jackass, his character was sound;

It was then that I found he had more sense than I

For, had he not stopped I surely would have died.

There was an angel blocking the path,

Had it not been so serious I would have laughed;

I had been warned but on wrong was bent,

Thank God for a stupid donkey and the angel sent.

Perhaps even now your path may be blocked

And you believe this is one of life’s hard knocks;

You may be going the wrong way, look again!

This maybe your final chance to avoid great pain.

Or your donkey may just be monkeying around,

With examination you may find as I have found,

A blocked path is sometimes God’s intervention

Of stopping us in our tracks to get our attention.

Stewart Russell © 2015

A Word from The Word

“A man is as good as his word”,

You know the popular saying

By people who try to convince others

Of sticking to their word and never denying.

“My word is my face,” another ventures,

“I have always been true to it,

In all my dealings and transactions

I have always made this my habit.”

Keeping one’s word is important,

We all know this so very well

But often when it comes to crunch time

Where to find us, no one can tell.

Another could also advance

Talk is so very cheap,

It costs us nothing to spread a word

But an awful lot to keep.

And so the world continues to be fooled

By many of the great talkers,

They pontificate and they enunciate

But they have been very poor walkers.

Even in their written contracts

Marked with their signatures and ours,

They ignore their written word

And render it as though without power.

“Isn’t that my signature there?

And isn’t that your signature too?”

“Yes, clearly so my friend,” he says

But your interpretation is not my view.”

And so we have made light of the word

Even by some who will dare tell you

“Do what I say and not what I do,”

When maneuvering between the two.

Let it be known to all and sundry

That practice should accompany talk,

For word is just a lot of hot air

If it is not in accordance to one’s walk.

This point is as good as any other

To turn our eyes upon Jesus;

What it does mean to look in his face

And to turn from our worldly lust.

It means more than just a prayer

Or a calling out to him when in our need,

For whatever he says to us to do

We should be inclined to perform in deed.

It is far, far more important

What he speaks to me, or you,

Than all the combined prayer sessions

That you and I can do.

It took me long to understand

The importance of listening to him

For I was obsess with my own talk

Even though my light was dim.

Essential to achieving our goal

When we go to him in prayer

Is to be rooted in his word…

That really is the fundamental layer.

For faith comes by hearing

And by heeding God’s Holy Word,

And by taking it beyond just prayer

It will strengthen and undergird.

As Psalm 138 verse 2 declares

God’s word is magnified above His name,

It is forever settled in heaven,

Psalm 119 verse 89 articulates that claim. 

“My sheep know my voice,” Jesus says,

“And they follow after me.”

The Living Word and Written Word

Are One and that we clearly see.

No deviation and no degradation,

He remained true to God’s Holy Word,

Always walking as His Father led;

I am sure you have already heard.

And so turning one’s eyes upon Jesus

Is to do as he has done,

That’s living by the word of God

And trusting in Jesus His Son.

It means digging into the Word

And meditating on it day and night,

It means listening to its every call

As it guides our path aright

It is not “What would Jesus do,”

It is what he really did,

As we voraciously read His word

And do all that he would bid.

For all who incline to the Holy Spirit

And boast of His direction

Remember it is through the Holy Word

That He also gives instruction.

There is no extra biblical revelation,

The Word of God is complete

And all who trust in any other word

Is surely flirting with defeat.

So that turning our eyes upon Jesus

And looking in his wonderful face

Is simply a life lived in the Holy Word

Energised and enabled by God’s grace.

Stewart Russell © 2015

It's Your Move

 

 

God made the first move

And He created,

Lucifer pushed back next

And he retaliated.

And thus began the war

On the draughts board of life,

Satan in his deception

Causing more and more strife.

The god of all selfishness

Versus the God of all Love,

Lucifer, son of the morning

Cast from heaven above.

A silly, selfish ambition

Beginning with the pronoun “I”

Saw war occur in heaven,

On earth many would die.

Victory number 1 to God

One-third of the angels fell,

Satan lost his place in heaven

And God created hell.

Satan became real mean

And got stuck in an evil groove,

Meanwhile God created man

 Satan made the next move.
 

He pushed at Eve in the Garden

And got her to disobey,

Again selfishness reared its head

Satan had won that day.

 

Then God made a decision

To ban man from the Garden,

Adam and Eve were banished

Satan had started his kingdom.

And so he pushed and pushed

And God countered by and by,

Cain killed Abel in his hatred

Yet another reason to sigh.

  

But another son was born

He sought the way of God’s word,

And round about that time

Men called on the name of the Lord.

But Satan was not finished yet

He had a few more moves to make,

He moved men to be very evil

And God’s word to forsake.

Every imagination was evil

Oh, they did their very worst,

God’s next move was a flood

For rain this was the very first.
 

For forty days it rained

All but eight souls were lost,

Satan had ruined the day for man

But God was still the boss.

Noah came forth from the ark

And continued to walk the walk,

Even though he got drunk one day

And there was a lot of talk.

Satan was still determined

That he must have the last move,

But God was not sidetracked

He had some things to prove.

For a moment Satan thought

That all was going his way,

But God had moved to Abraham

That was a significant day.

 

God was setting up the devil

And he didn’t even know,

In Genesis 3:15 God prophesied

About the serpent’s fatal blow.

For out of Abraham would come

One that would rescue man,

That was a four-stroke move by God

Delivered by His very hand.

The devil, limited in his sight

Did not understand this play,

And so he continued as before

Thinking all was going his way.

But God was always in control

From eternity He had planned,

The move He would eventually make

To deliver sinful man.

The four-stroke move He made

Removed much of Satan’s sting,

David became the prospect

And now Satan saw God’s king.
 

King Saul had played the fool,

Satan snatched him from the board,

But King David would be a type

Of our coming King and Lord.

God made His greatest move

With the devil’s men in disarray,

The Christ child born in Bethlehem
On that first Christmas day.

On that first Christmas day.

The devil became desperate

And tried his evil worst,

To kill that tiny baby boy

Before he rid us of the curse.

But God was ahead of Satan’s play

And protected Jesus His Son,

Even though Satan thought he’d won

When Jesus died in the crucifixion.

Satan misunderstood the cry he made

When Jesus cried, “It’s finished!”

For Satan that cry had really meant,

“You have lost!  You are diminished!”

In three days time the King of kings

Had risen from the grave,

Satan tried to keep him down

But Jesus vanquished that knave.

 

This game is now all but complete

With the Holy Spirit in control,

Why not open your heart to him?

It’s your move: hell or heaven’s roll.

Stewart Russell © 2014