None Greater But One

And Jesus questioned them

What went ye out to see?

A prophet? More than a prophet

More than a prophet he be.

He was a wild man

So the religious clergy thought

And when in his company

They felt distraught.

But he was a great man

The greatest born of a woman,

To this testified Jesus

He was fitted for the Master’s plan.

He was God’s messenger

To announce the Christ,

His identification of the Messiah

Was what then sufficed.

“Behold the Lamb of God

That takes away the sins of the world,”

He was a strict adherent

To the Father’s Word.

He stood for truth

Even at the risk of his head

And Herod did not rest

Until he saw him dead.

Herod was a rogue

No two ways about that,

He took his brother’s wife

And that is a fact.

John pointed him out

For the rogue that he be;

The Baptist’s head on a platter

Was for Herod his fee.

Sometime before that

In prison he was placed

And O how he longed

To see Jesus’ face.

  

Being a little uncomfortable

In his troubled mind

He sent two of his disciples

To see what they could find.

His message to Jesus

Was straightforward and clear,

He wanted the Master

To dispel his fear.

“Are you the one? He asked,

“Or should I look for another?”

From the reply that came back

There was no need to bother.

“Go and tell John

Of the things you see and hear.”

Jesus sent this word back

So John wouldn’t have to fear.

“The blind see, the lame walk

The Gospel is preached to the poor,

The lepers are cleansed, the dead raised,”

And there was even more.

He must increase but I must decrease

John said this would be so

Hence Jesus’ appearing on the scene

Meant John would have to go.

In a moment of doubt

John may have forgotten

And so to him

This message was given.

Yes, John was great

But a greater than John had come,

In the flesh was the King of kings

Who came from the eternal kingdom.

John came neither eating nor drinking

But a devil he was called by some,

Jesus came both eating and drinking

And they called him winebibber and glutton.

There’s none greater than the Son

Who came down from above,

His ultimate sacrifice was the cross

On which he demonstrated his love.

Today we have a privilege

Which John the Baptist never had,

He announced the coming kingdom

But as its citizens we should be glad.

Thanks to a greater than John

And a greater than Solomon,

Jesus our redeeming Saviour

Is that eternal one.

Is he your Saviour and Lord?

Are you a child of his kingdom?

If not he is offering you a place

And says to you to come.

Stewart Russell © February 2018

Verminous Attacks

Name a vermin

That we don’t have

And I’ll name an injury

For which there is no salve.

Mosquitoes, we have them

Flies we got them too,

Centipedes and millipedes

More than a few.

Some strange insects

Crawling on the floor

And other peculiar ones

We have never seen before.

Walking on the street

Insects battling the eyes,

Bites on the feet

Nothing but sand flies.

On light skin people

The evidence really shows

And trying to kill them

Causes us blows.

A mosquito on the leg

You will hear a slap,

You will feel the pain

But the nuisance is back.

Slap after slap

As you aim your attack,

Better to get a zapper

And have it zapped.

We’re glad for the rain

But with it comes the pest,

One cause is the bush

Though we try our best.

The grass gets tall

The evidence of neglect,

Several property owners

Showing gross disrespect.

  

It doesn’t bother them

They live elsewhere,

The vermin bother us

But they don’t care.

They disregard the threats

The Government sends,

They couldn’t care less

Who they offend.

In the meantime

We continue to suffer

As the vermin become

An incessant bother.

I know they say

Complaining gets us nowhere,

I know it’s true

It’s happening right here.

In Callenders Gardens

There is a lot of bush,

I wish the property owners

Would clean it in a rush.

There’s another wish

It is for the SSA,

Please come more frequently

To take our garbage away.

I mentioned Callenders

But there are others too,

Save us from these vermin

There’s much you can do.

Stewart Russell © October 2018

Called to Serve

Church elections in the air

It’s that time again,

Will the drought continue?

Or will there be rain?

Will we be available

To serve on the enemy’s turf?

Or will we continue to struggle

On account of the dearth?

Will the leaders come forth

As well as those for the trenches?

Will we be like Nehemiah’s time

And wield swords and wrenches?

Will it be nothing to us

Regarding this magnificent cause?

Will we continue as normal

And put God’s work on pause?

The harvest is plenteous

But the labourers are few,

Tell me my brother and sister

Is it nothing to you?

There’s work in the church

And there is work outside,

Commit to one or the other

My brethren please do not hide.

Jesus is still saving

This we must tell,

There are still springs of living water

Deep in the well.

He is still the answer

For all the world’s problems

And there is still a great need

For believers to tell them.

Go into the whole world

That’s the Divine commission,

There is no escape

If they neglect God’s salvation.

Souls are languishing in sin

And stumbling under despair’s weight,

We must tell them of God’s love

Before it is too late.

Stewart Russell (c) October 2018

A Prayer for Barbados

In these days of economic woes

In these times of downturns and recessions,

We call on You, Almighty God

In the midst our serious situation.

For God, You are our only hope

Even as we try to ride out these times,

Fill our hearts with trust in your leadership

And rid unbelief and doubt from our minds.

Bring us back to our moral moorings

And faith in your proven wisdom,

Help us to walk in your Son’s example

And all unrighteous passions shun.

May we be models for our youth

Which are worthy of emulation,

May they follow us as we follow Christ

And so give you praise and adoration.

Teach us to number our days

And direct our hearts to your wisdom,

To recognize that this life is transient

But yours is an eternal kingdom.

Teach us Lord to set our affections

On things that are high and godly

So that we may rise above selfish greed

And reach up to things that are heavenly.

Give our leaders a sense of direction

May they reach out to you for solutions

To our present and disturbing dilemmas

And seek your way out for our Nation.

Given our current gun violence

And the terror that grips our communities,

We pray Almighty God for your mercy

And peace to bring us a sense of nationality.

That we may become our brother’s keeper

And share in one another’s joys and pain

So that this country, Barbados, under God,

Can become an international beacon again.

  

We ask these mercies in Jesus’ name,

Giving you the Father praise and glory

As we walk in the dictates of the Holy Spirit

In the oneness of the blessed Trinity.

Amen

Stewart Russell © October 2018