Destroy This Temple

 

 

We set so much store by temples

Like the Jews of Biblical times

And when we cannot get to church

It really gets on our minds.

 

To the Jews the temple was everything

It was their heart and soul and life,

It was even their reliable talisman

Whenever they encountered strife.

 

It was their signal place of worship,

It was at the centre of their rites

And as long as they had access to it

They felt safe both day and night.

 

So that when its destruction was foretold

For them, this meant the end

And to them it became more ominous

Since it came from Jesus, their friend.

 

Not one stone to be left upon another

Spoke of the temple’s destruction

And with it the disciples’ hope and security

And this brought utter confusion.

 

 

This was where they met with God

And without it they were lost,

Of course, at the time of this prophecy

Jesus had not yet gone to the cross.

 

Hence, they could be excused

For all that bombarded their minds

But we cannot plead such ignorance

Certainly, not in these post Pentecost times.

 

Destroy this temple, Jesus had said,

And in three days I will raise it up,

They thought he meant the Jewish temple

Instead of his coming bitter cup.

 

He would be whipped until he bled

His face, a bloody disfigurement,

He would be spread-eagle on a cross

And suffer beyond human extent.

 

Destroy these temples, the call goes out

Though not in a physical sense,

But consider the temple of lively stones

Though not the physical one resent.

 

We hold the physical in high esteem

To the extent of sacrosanct,

And we build our confidence around them

Almost like some people trust a bank.

 

 

Church came to screeching halt

When in COVID they had to be closed,

And some were so angry with the authorities

That they exchanged verbal blows.

 

These are not the spiritual temples

No!  Indeed, they are not!

Instead, we are the temple of lively stones-

All of us form the “born-again” flock.

 

Jesus is the chief corner stone

And the Word that holds us together

Along with the blessed Holy Spirit

That binds us to one another.

 

God is the Father of us all

That gave for us His Son,

The bridegroom of the bride, his Church,

The pearl of His heavenly kingdom.

 

 

Put these edifices in right perspective

For they are not the Church,

To trust these stones that have no life

Is to leave us all in the lurch.

 

Instead, trust the one that gave his life

Thus, destroying his own temple

But raised it up as he said he would

Not for one but for all people.

 

He is the life of the ensuing temple,

The risen Christ that was seen,

It is not the place where you go to church

But hopefully on Christ that you lean.

 

On Christ, the risen Lord we lean,

Our life, our hope, our destiny,

He, the cornerstone of our temple is

For all eternity.

 

Stewart Russell © April 12, 2021

 

Miracle of Miracles

 

How can it be?

I really must ask

For when I check

I find it a task

 

That any one

Could love me

Wretched, undone

Pure misery

 

Yes, a show

You should see

That I put it on

Just for me

 

It’s projection

They call it

That show is

My usual habit

 

 

Worse it was

Then I was saved

Now I am

Better behaved

 

It’s a miracle

I must agree

Thanks to Jesus

He rescued me

 

It’s a miracle

I must repeat

Jesus performed

Quite a feat

 

Jesus does

The impossible

Have a look

At his miracles

 

Changing water

Into wine

On bread and fish

Thousands dined

 

Brought the dead

To life again

Open deaf ears

Healed the lame

 

Healed the blind

And paralytics

Such was his

Regular habit

 

Calmed the winds

Stilled the waves

Cast out demons

And their rage

 

Walked this earth

Doing good

In the way

Only he could

  

Died on a cross

Was buried

Rose again

In victory

 

 

Saved me

So wonderfully

I am his

For eternity

 

Coming again

For the saved

And together

We’ll be raised

 

In the meantime

We wait

Get save now

Before too late

 

 

Miracle of Miracles

He saved me

Miracle of Miracles

For all eternity

 

Stewart Russell © January 2018

Relationship Is Key

 

 

Believers struggle with fear

Wondering if they will make it

And set store by their works

To become spiritually fit.

 

They concentrate on doing

As opposed to being

And so their works obscure

What they should be seeing.

 

That relationship is the key

Often falls by the way

And their Christianity becomes

A struggle each and every day.

 

My purpose for this poem

Is to highlight relationship,

Two types I will mention

So let’s get right down to it.

 

The first is: God is my Father

And I am His child,

A father and child relationship

In that I must abide.

 

 

My earthly father was great

He was the very best

But if compared to God

He would have failed every test.

 

For there is none to compare

With my Father, God

And He leads me by the hand

At home and abroad.

 

He won’t give me a serpent

If I ask Him for a fish

And a stone won’t be His offer

If bread was my wish.

 

He establishes relationship

He doesn’t leave it up to me,

It is God that first initiated

The concept of the family.

And so, I can start each prayer

With those two beautiful words,

“Our Father” at the beginning

As you have often heard.

 

Sometimes I do not know

What I really want to say

But “Our Father” acknowledges

That relationship everyday.

 

Note the special relationship

God has had with His Son,

That same type of relationship

He has offered to everyone.

 

A father and child relationship

Offered to you and me

And once we accept God’s offer

It’s ours for eternity.

 

Here is the second relationship

It’s the shepherd and his sheep,

Jesus is the loving shepherd

And God’s children are his sheep.

 

They have combined together

Their sheep to always protect

And any that come to them

They would never ever reject.

 

Such is this relationship

That every sheep has a name,

A name known only to the shepherd

On every sheep he has claimed.

 

The shepherd’s sheep are his

Not one of them he will lose

And having given his life for them

Not one will he refuse.

 

 

Are you a sheep of Jesus?

Are you a child of God?

Or are you a goat of the hireling?

Are you following after the Fraud?

 

The latter is a pseudo relationship

There is nothing in it for you,

The former, however, is key

“To be” will influence “to do”.

 

All the credit goes to God

All our merit is in Christ,

It’s Christ who gave his life for us

Relationship hangs on his sacrifice.

 

Stewart Russell © May 2019