Christians Voted Both

 

 

Christians voted Republicans

And Christians voted Democrats,

Didn’t they both seek God’s will

Before they perform the act?

 

If Trump is the Antichrist

Then, Christians voted for him,

You and I should both agree

This was a terrible sin.

 

 

 

If Harris was God’s will

Why did the Antichrist win?

Perhaps God left it to the electorate

Thus, voting can’t be a sin.

 

Who was the lesser evil?

Weren’t Christians really sure?

Could it have been one of those times

They should have prayed more?

 

What about the prophets

That said they heard from God?

Did they tell the full truth?

Did they declare it all?

 

Not all of them were right,

Some were definitely wrong,

And the supporters both parties had

Were in the millions strong.

 

 

 

Yes, Christians voted both

But only one could win,

Those Christians on the losing side:

Did they commit a sin?

 

If the right party won

Then the wrong party lost,

If it should have been the other way

I wonder what will it cost.

 

According to some Christians,

God’s will be done,

The wrong party invariably loses

Thus, the right party has won.

 

Kudos to the Republicans

If that is really so

But given my limited scope in such,

I really don’t know.

 

 

Christians voted both

Thus, Christians won and lost

Let us see what will happen now

With Donald Trump as boss.

 

Stewart Russell © November 19, 2024

 

 

Hearing from God

 

 

Do people hear from God

The way that they say?

Does the Holy Spirit speak

Whenever they pray?

 

“I was deep in prayer

And the Spirit said to me

This is the word for Sunday,

So let it be.”

 

From time to time

Pastors make this claim

Perhaps to reinforce the fact

It’s in Jesus’ name.

 

 

To get the buy-in

From their audience,

Perhaps they use the Holy Spirit

As an advertisement.

 

For sure we will listen

And we will also heed

Once the Holy Spirit ratifies it,

Oh yes, indeed!

 

So, they hear from God

And we hear from them,

That kind of going between

Spells out a problem.

 

There is one Spirit

The Bible makes it clear

Who witnesses to the believer

For the believer to hear.

 

The word one brings

Should be a confirmation

For of two or more witnesses

We have a conviction.

 

 

We hear from God

Through His revelation,

And God speaks to the believer

Via illumination.

 

The word of the Spirit

Is God’s Holy Word

And that is the instrument

To which we must refer.

 

Any urges we feel

Let us put in context,

They must not be dogmas

To suit our pretext.

 

God speaks in His Word

And through His Word

And to live by His Holy Word

Is to honour His Word.

 

Only today I learnt

Of a prophecy

Which seems to me ludicrous

And full of lunacy.

 

God told this preacher

When he will die

And the exact day and year

He also supplied.

 

 

The grand old age

Of a hundred and twenty

Before being whisked away

From his body.

 

It’d be mind-blowing

If it were true

But I have some serious doubts

And I suspect you too.

 

He was prophesying

Regarding 2025,

The year according to him

When we come alive.

 

 

Twenty twenty-six

Will be the big fix

And thirty years afterwards

He’ll be gone in 2056.

 

This, according to him

He heard from God,

Thus, another thirty-two years

Before death calls.

 

Use your brain,

Do not jettison it,

And I urge you my friend,

Make it a habit.

 

Listen to God

As He speaks by His Word

And ignore big-up prophets

Who are clearly absurd.

 

And if you feel led

To perform a task,

As long as it is God’s will,

You don’t need to ask.

 

 

 

Try not to get buy-in

By claiming the Spirit

But speak the Word of God;

Just do it!

 

Stewart Russell © December 20, 2024

 

Fear Vs Faith

 

 

Fear says you can’t

Faith says you can

Fear says I’ll stop you

Faith says not God’s man

 

Fear says you’ll fail

Faith says you’ll not

Fear says I’ll prove it

Faith says that’s rot

 

Fear says the water is rough

Faith says Jesus is my bridge

Fear says you don’t have a hope

Faith says don’t take note

 

Fear says the climb’s too rough

Faith says be glad it’s not smooth

Fear says smooth is easier

Faith says rough provides a groove.

 

Fear says you are hopeless

Faith says there is hope

Fear says not a chance

Faith says you can cope

 

Fear says stop while you can

Faith says reach for it

Fear says see you are slipping

Faith says be strong; don’t quit

 

 

Fear says you have another crisis

Faith says you have Christ

Fear says that’s too much to pay

Faith says Jesus paid the price

Fear says look down

Faith says look up

Fear says you don’t have enough

Faith says Jesus fills your cup

 

Fear says you are a loser

Faith says no you are a winner

Fear says you are fooling yourself

Faith says no Christ is my master

 

Fear says I give up

Faith says that’s your best choice

Fear says I’ll be back again though

Faith says I know God’s voice

 

Fear says worse is coming

Faith says Jesus too

Fear says he won’t be in time

Faith says even fear knows that’s not true

 

O ye of little faith is still some faith

Exercise it as much as you can

Thank God for the measure He has given to you

And let your will be one with His plan.

 

Stewart Russell © October 2017

 

His Word His Will His Way

 

 

Welcome to the New Year

It’s January 1^st, 2023,

I'm giving God thanks and praise

For life and prosperity.

 

For life and prosperity

Come from the hand of God

Even if it appears to be delivered

By Satan, aka King Fraud.

 

“A year of new beginnings”

And we say this every year

But new beginnings come to us

Each and every day.

 

And thus, our goal should be

A daily resolved review,

Not waiting for the New Year

To start all over anew.

 

His word, His will, His way

Constantly before our mind

Reflecting on all of life

In our God-given time.

 

Starting off with His word

For it is the manual of life

That will maximize our sojourn here

Be there peace or strife.

 

Learning of His will

As we study the manual, His word,

And regardless of men’s wisdom

With that manual concur.

 

 

That we may walk in His way

That leads to eternal life

And particularly so in this day

Where evil is onerously rife.

 

“Hath God said?” you’d recall

The words of that talking snake

And ever since that beginning

Evil lies in his wake.

 

And so, as we begin this year

Do not dwell on resolutions

But focus on the living word of God

To rid us of our delusions.

 

Delusions of grandeur, I say,

That obscure the will of God,

That make evil good and good evil

At home as well as abroad.

 

His word, His will, His way,

This is the order that’s correct

And the way the world demands,

We must stoutly reject.

 

We are not now gods

And never will we be

Though this is the mind of many

That through blind eyes see.

 

 

God’s word reveals His will

And His will points out the way,

It therefore behooves us one and all

To walk in His way this year.

 

Happy New Year to you

And thanks for your support,

God’s Word, God’s Will, God’s Way,

Is the law of Heaven’s court.

 

Stewart Russell © January 1, 2023

 

One Hundred Today!

 

He sat across the table

Not as strong as before,

Age was having its effect

More and more.

 

I sat by the side door

And I admired this man,

I am still a benefactor

Of his working hands.

 

We were in conversation

As often was the case

When we would visit the house

And our steps retrace.

 

A past of many trials

But of great successes too,

Compared to the successes

The failures were few.

 

He seemed to have more

Than what then appeared,

But I had come to realize

It was how he shared.

 

  

Together with Mom

They made a great pair

And of their meagre resources

There was much to share.

 

For his eighty odd years

He was still very strong

And appeared certainly to me

To be a hundred bound.

 

His goal was three figures

If it were the Father’s will

And he would have been that

If he were around still.

 

In our conversation then

He actually said to me

He felt good enough for three figures,

But this was not to be.

 

Today we celebrate him

As though he were still here,

Today, February 17, 2022,

It’s his centennial year!

 

Happy one hundred, Dad!

Your legacy survives time,

Your remains are at Coral Ridge

But you live on in our minds.

 

  

Mom is not around

Since she joined you in death

It is almost two years today

She too took her rest.

 

In our memories, though,

You are both still here

And hence, we dare to celebrate

Dad’s one hundredth year!

 

Your children, your grands

Your extended family and fans,

Other relatives and in-laws

Salute you today

From earth’s grand stand!

 

Stewart Russell © February 17, 2022

 

God Is Not A Heavenly Bellboy

 

 

God is not a heavenly bellboy

As some people believe,

Such as, whatever I ask of Him

I must surely receive.

 

He is not a hotel bellboy

To whom one gives the chores

Or present to Him a shopping list

Itemizing what one adores.

 

And while He gives the best service

We should not take Him for granted,

He certainly is not a magic wand

With which we become enchanted.

 

God is not a heavenly bellboy

In a hotel of our choice,

He is not in our employ

To be guided by our voice.

 

We sometimes forget to thank Him

And rush straight to our list

Of things we require from Him

Frequently adding on what we miss.

 

Our praise is often shallow

As though He’s just a convenience,

Not recognizing we need to start

With a heart of godly repentance

 

We treat to God like a bellboy

In the way we pray to Him

With our unending list of sundries,

Seldom repenting of our sin.

 

Prayer warriors are among the guilty

And prayer intercessors too

And they claim enormous power

Saying there’s nothing they can't do.

For God is their heavenly bellboy

That responds to their every test

And whatever they ask of Him,

He will always grant their request.

 

How deluded can Christians get

To treat to God this way

As though He simply exists

To be their modern day sure pay.

 

On the basis of our bellboy

We can demand, declare and decree,

For we determine what’s best for us

And God would just have to agree.

 

Fallacy of all fallacies…

I pray that we understand

That God operates only as He wills

And not in sync with our plan.

 

When this settles down on us

We would certainly know for sure

That God is not our heavenly bellboy

That stands at our hotel door.

 

 

Instead, he is the self-sufficient I AM

That is guided by no man,

It is far better to seek God’s will

And then make His will our plan.

 

Stewart Russell © March 2020

 

Is Praying a Waste of Time?

Is praying a waste of time?

I would think not.

It’s a command from God’s Word

It is the believer’s lot.

Can we change the future?

I would think not.

The future is already written

That is history’s lot.

By the way history is written

And I mean all of it,

It’s in the memory bank of God

And this is no trick.

So why do we pray

Regarding what has happened?

Can we change the past

Which is already fashioned?

I guess based on these facts

One would be inclined to say

We are wasting time and effort

Every time we pray.

If it doesn’t change anything

Why bother to pray?

Prayer is never about outcome

It is following God’s way.

Jesus prayed in the garden

“Let this cup pass from me.”

But he was resigned to God’s will

And that most assuredly.

He knew before he prayed

That nothing would be changed

So why did he pray

If he knew all was prearranged?

Jesus connected with the Father

And he did this in his prayer

This communication is important

As we live out each and every day.

It is about thanking the Lord

For all his benefits to us,

It is about acknowledging God

That sent our Saviour, Jesus.

It is thanking Him for salvation

And for the life everlasting

And knowing he is with us

Through whatever we are passing.

It is about saying to Him

“God what a wonder you are!”

And unceasingly adoring Him

For the bright and morning star.

Jesus is that Light

That faithfully shows the way,

We should thank God for him

Each and every day.

Our requests have already been met

But God wants to hear from us

He regards us as His dear children

Like he regards His Son, Jesus.

But He wants our communication

To be straight from the heart,

To be a token of our love

From which we will never depart.

Not based on the outcomes

As is the case with the World

But because we truly love Him

And trust Him at His Word.

What is there I must ask God for?

The answer to that is nothing.

But there is much to thank Him for

For everything comes from Him.

His care of His children

Is not dependent on their prayers

But is premised on His faithfulness

As a loving Father that cares.

So pray because you love God,

Pray because He cares,

Pray because you like talking to Him

And because He answers prayer.

Pray because He commands it,

Pray because you are on line,

Pray because prayer is a vital link

That God answers every time.

Stewart Russell © July 2018