Do the Right Thing

 

 

Do the right thing

Come what may,

Don’t let anyone influence you

Any other way.

 

Sell your products

And sell your skills

But never sell yourself

For the devil’s pill.

 

His cure for all

Is a deadening pill,

That makes his patient numb

And insensitive.

 

It affects the eye

The brain and heart

And your power to reason

Just falls apart.

 

Do not be bought

But do the right thing,

Don’t sacrifice your integrity

For a fleeting fling.

 

Be a sore thumb

If it comes to that

But do not sell your soul

And be entrapped.

 

Do the right thing

Come what may,

Don’t let anyone influence you

Any other way.

 

Stewart Russell © February 28, 2025

 

Prophetic or Pathetic?

 

 

So many prophets

Not to mention apostles

And their influence is alarmingly great

Among all peoples.

 

Not only in our country

But also, abroad

And all of them are indicating

That they have been called.

 

Called to this office

And called to that

And the gullible gobbles it up

As unadulterated fact.

 

Even when pathetic

And prophecies go adrift,

The biblically unaware will argue

They still have the gift.

 

Gifts are irrevocable,

God won’t take them back

And so, on this Romans 11 promise,

These prophets speak fact.

 

They may err sometimes

Since it’s human to err

But don’t call them false prophets

For such cannot be fair.

 

There are prophets many

Claiming to be true,

Some give prophesies annually

And some, out of the blue.

 

And when such prophesies

Constantly fail to come true

Their adherents still support them

In whatever they do.

 

 

Prophetic or pathetic?

I will leave you to judge,

I know that the unseeing gullible

Are not likely to budge.

 

For, testing the spirits,

Does not occur to them

And a foundation built on sand

Is a colossal problem.

 

One’s prophetic mark

Should be the Holy Bible

And anything contrary to this

Is damnable.

 

Deem it as pathetic

All prophesies that fail

And hold fast to God’s Holy Word

Lest the adversary assail.

 

Its God breathe truths

Are for our instruction

And the Holy Spirit compass within

Will give us wise direction.

 

Regard it as prophetic

And not as pathetic,

For there is no need to vet it

As in today’s prophet.

 

Stewart Russell © October 13, 2024

 

Indifferent Isn’t Different

 

 

He is an ‘indifferent wretch’

Ever heard this term

Or, somewhat more harshly,

Not even worth the sperm?

 

By the way,

This 'he' here could be 'she',

Not in terms of transgenderism

But speaking generically.

 

I needed to say that

Given the current gender confusion

Where they and them

Allows for inclusion.

 

To be on the safe side

You’d better use they and them

Or you might find yourself

With serious problems.

 

But back to the subject

Indicated by this topic:

Indifferent is not different

Is a wide scale habit.

 

Indifferent is a person

That could not care less,

As long as it does not touch him

To hell with the rest.

 

It used to be the term

That was used long ago,

However, these days it is ‘apathy’

As you and I know.

 

My mother would say

Someone is an indifferent varmint

Meaning useless, or roguish,

Or having evil intent.

 

Today, however,

It is not quite the same

Although, as we know, a rose is a rose

By any other name.

 

Considering these days

There is little ‘black and white’

And I don’t mean the race problem

Which is definitely not right.

 

 

I mean ‘right and wrong’

And ‘evil and good’

Where the lines have become so grey

We’re 'spinning top in mud’.

 

Going nowhere fast,

Or better still, going downhill,

And if one dares to object

It’s a bitter pill.

 

Ignoring the call to be different

We’d rather be indifferent,

Our silence being deafeningly loud

With pretentious intent.

 

A ‘sitting on the fence’

A non-committal either way,

Playing safe, as some would call it

And saving the day.

 

Like a general election

Where there is a low turnout,

No change in the political directorate

Because of mounting doubt.

 

It is, I am not sure anymore

What is black or white,

Everything is becoming greyed out

In the lessening light.

 

Soon it will all be dark

But that will be our light

And given the current trajectory

Wrong will be right.

 

A call to be different

Rather than just being indifferent,

Apathy is just what it is-

It does not make a difference.

 

As a matter of fact

Let me boldly insert here,

Negativity will grow unabated

On account of fear.

 

Fear of doing the right thing

Fear of being different,

As a matter of fact, it appears to me,

That is a cowardly bent.

 

 

Indifferent is not different,

It is more of the same

And particularly so when it is evil

And we are on the hell train.

 

Want to make a difference?

Shed apathy and indifference!

Stand up and be counted!

Be a positive influence!

 

Stewart Russell © April 13, 2023

 

Content and Context

 

 

Which influences which

Regarding content and context?

Turn it the wrong way around

And it becomes a pretext.

 

In the study of the Word

As it relates to many doctrines

There is an abundance of pretext

That gives rise to sin.

 

So, let’s get it right!

Which influences which?

For in so doing, my friend,

What’s wrong can be fixed.

 

Content is denominational:

This is what the Bible says,

As such, context mightn’t matter

It’s where the content lays.

 

Judas went and hanged himself;

Go thou and do likewise,

You can find both in the Bible

But content alone is unwise.

 

 

Context influences content;

As a matter of fact, it should,

It should not be taken literally

When Jesus says drink my blood.

 

 The context here is vital

In understanding the content,

Without the context influence

We lost the content’s intent.

 

With God all things are possible

This is not contextually true,

Regarding God’s nature

Some things, He will never do.

 

Some use the Bible’s content

To okay preferential practices,

If it were in fact practical

I could recount a lengthy list.

 

Suffice it to be stated, however,

That’s not this poem’s intent

But rather, ignoring the vital context

Taints the presenting content.

 

We are careful everyday

Regarding the containers we use

And the nature of the product

Decides the container we choose.

 

 

However, pertaining to the Word,

There is a critical contrast,

Context influences content

Thus, making an easier task.

 

Context influences content:

Not the other way around,

And to expostulate re the latter

Would turn it upside down.

 

Stewart Russell © September 15, 2022

 

Nature and Nurture

 

The former is who we are

The latter is what we become,

Nature is the work in the womb

Nurture is when that is done.

 

But they have their influence

All through one’s life

Though regarding which is stronger

Is an argument that is rife.

 

Some say it’s the former

Others come down on the latter,

Some posit we don’t have a clue

But that’s a different matter.

 

“He just like he father”

A remark we hear quite often,

And this is usually from a mother

When de boy causing problems.

 

Of course, when he is good

His mother’s nurture is applied

But when he becomes problematic

He is his father’s child.

Nature is the hereditary

Nurture is the environmental

But whichever the stronger

Boys are often trouble.

 

Nature is everyone’s origin

While nurturing builds on this,

The good one must always practise

And the bad he must resist.

 

Each one of us is a summary

Of nature and nurture combined

And I certainly have no doubt

That this is God’s design.

 

We were all born in sin

Thus, having the Adamic nature

But when we became born again

It was a different picture.

 

In the born-again believer

The nature of Christ is implanted

Thus, the miracle of salvation

Is Divinely initiated.

The Spirit endues the believer

With the nature of the risen Christ

And the nurturing of the Word

Does adequately suffice.

 

To languish in the Adamic nature

Is a definite cop-out

But in the nurture of Holy Spirit

Is a triumphant shout.

 

Hallelujah, I have found him!

Sin’s nature is dethroned!

In life or death, whichever it be,

With Jesus I am at home!

 

Stewart Russell © November 6, 2021

 

Lincoln Harris My Friend

 

 

Saved by grace, saved by grace,

Lincoln Harris was saved by grace,

Thus, he has gone to be with his Saviour

Having completed his earthly race.

 

Lincoln, Stephen and Beverley,

What’s common about these three?

They are friends of mine only recently deceased

And have had a huge influence on me.

 

  

Another trio comes to my mind

That includes Lincoln Harris again:

Lincoln, Mark and Daniel:

In electronics they made their name.

 

It is here I single out Lincoln

It is here Lincoln became my friend

And it is only after he migrated to Cayman

That our constant meeting would end.

 

 

In the vicinity where I taught

I frequented two repair shops:

One was Olliver Webster’s motor mechanics

And Lincoln et al operated at this spot.

 

They all became my friends

And catered to all my repair needs

But Lincoln and Olliver went beyond

And both became friends indeed.

 

There were many and long conversations

From politics to sports and of life,

And at those times we disagreed

It was always without strife.

 

Lincoln’s main area was football

And about this game he knew a lot,

He had even played for a local team

Which was not far from the top.

 

How many goals he scored I do not know

Or even if he scored at all,

What I do know is he gave it his best

And seldom below this would he fall.

 

Lincoln was committed to what he did

He did so by lip and walk

And I can categorically state,

His walk had matched his talk.

 

He was by no means a hypocrite

But he was who he appeared to be,

This to my mind was Lincoln’s hallmark

And it was never difficult to see.

 

 

One of the things that thrilled me

Was when he became a “born-again”,

Of course, we know that when Jesus comes in

There is an obvious change.

 

Such was the case with Lincoln

From all the reports I had received,

It appears he grew by leaps and bounds

And these reports I believe.

 

He even reached out more to people

And no doubt especially to the young,

And he did this with the backing of church

And this helped to make him strong.

 

I am still very grieved at his passing

As I am for my other two friends

But I am assured by our blessed Saviour

That death is not the end.

 

This for me is a great consolation,

It brings comfort to my soul

To know that my friend, Lincoln Harris,

Is forever within Christ’s fold.

 

For having said yes to the Saviour

He is now and forever secure

And I believe we have that assurance

That we will meet on the golden shore.

 

Thanks to the blessed Trinity

For having given to us Lincoln

And praise and glory to Almighty God

For our eventual heavenly welcome!

 

I thank God for the wife He gave him

She too has become my friend,

I convey to her and the family deepest sympathy

From my wife and family at this end.

 

Stewart Russell © January 22, 2022

 

Where de Public Gone?

 

 

How we gine be a republic

And we en ask de people?

Wuh we frighten ‘bout?

We expecting trouble?

 

I did lying down in my bed

And sudden so I jump up,

De way we doin’ tings dese days

We gine run out o’ luck.

 

If we don’t put in de public

It would only be a Re-

And we leffin’ out de people

So dah’s all it could be.

 

Before sixty-six

We had to bow to de throne

The Queen was we monarch

And Bim din we own.

 

But under Errol Barrow

We decide to get marry,

That meant running we own affairs

Irrespect o’ de Monarchy.

 

De chile had become a man

And he decide to lef’ home,

He tek heself a wife

And he went ‘pon he own.

 

At least dah’s wuh I tought

But he din went ‘pon he own,

‘Cause even doh he did marry

He like he still live home.

 

He din he own boss

‘Cause he mother still hold sway,

Apparently, this was Bim,

Still in de colonial way.

 

 

Well ‘long come Mia Mottley

And she want to brek clean,

So we gine become a Republic

And dismiss de Queen.

 

We gine marry to de people,

De people gine hold de sway

But she en botherin’ to ask dem,

She en gine dah way.

 

So, yuh see wuh I mean

By “where de public gone”?

Wuh, yuh en even start out yet

And yuh lost yuh form.

 

If yuh doan ask de public

Yuh could only be a Re-

‘Cause de public is de people

I hope all yuh see.

 

Sorry fuh de lil bit o’ Trini

But dah’s de influence,

I gine soon shut muh mout

Before dey call me a nuisance.

 

When yuh disregard de public

Yuh gine only left de Re-

And dah gine left yuh wide open

To be a nobody.

 

Re-who? duh gine ask,

Dah could be Trinidad or China,

I know fuh sure

It en likely to be Dominica.

 

So leh we spare a little time

And ask John-public…

But apparently, we don’t intend to

And dah’s why I smell a trick.

 

Stewart Russell © November 13, 2021

 

Apostle or Apostate?

 

 

They start out the same way

But they don’t end alike,

The latter leads you off the track

While the former leads aright.

 

Apostle is more than a title

That someone acquires,

Check out the Bible and note

Apostles were Spirit inspired.

 

They were close to Jesus

In some form or another,

However, concerning Apostates

This is a different matter.

 

 

 

Take the Pharisees, for example,

In Jesus’ time,

They appeared very religious

But they were way out of line.

 

They disregarded Jesus

Leading others to do the same

And accused the Saviour

Of blaspheming God’s name.

 

An apostate is a sinner

But pretend not to be

And often he makes others believe

The only saint is he.

 

 

That is the danger

Of which we all must be aware,

They will talk a good religion

But Jesus Christ they will jeer.

 

They honour with their lips

In the words of the Saviour

But there is a contrasting difference

Between lip and behaviour.

  

The apostate goes to church

Hence, he is no out and out sinner

And I must point out to you

He is no beginner.

 

 

He wields great influence

Especially in the church

And in the false doctrine he preaches

He comes over like an expert.

 

Don’t look among sinners

For your friendly apostate,

You will find him in the church

Displaying Christian traits.

 

He is your wolf in disguise

That bleats just like a sheep

But he doesn’t eat grass,

He relishes meat.

 

 

He may look like an apostle

And even sound like one

But expose those lambs to him

And soon they’ll be gone.

 

Apostle or apostate

Can you tell the difference?

Heed the Shepherd’s voice

And all others dispense.

 

Remember…

 

They start out the same way

But they don’t end alike,

The latter leads you off the track

While the former leads aright.

 

Stewart Russell © October 12, 2020