My Biblical Three Step

 

 

Three steps, my friend,

In maximizing the Word,

All three are extremely critical

And not to be deferred.

 

The order is important

Hence, we must get it right

And not underestimate the Spirit

In bringing insight.

 

Commentaries are good

But only for step 2,

However, heed the Holy Spirit

All the way through.

 

For the life in the Word

Is the Holy Spirit

To bring to our elucidation

All that is in it.

 

Step number 1 is:

We must read the Word:

This is of critical importance,

Don’t be deterred!

 

Don’t rush it through

But make adequate time

To read it over and over again

To fill your mind.

 

Memorize it if you can

To aid in your reading

And practice reading chapters

From beginning to ending.

 

 

 

Observe the key words

And the context as well

And on the critical points there,

Be careful to dwell.

 

There is so much

In just reading the Word,

Don’t be too quick to interpret it

Or to commentators refer.

 

Trust the Holy Spirit

To open up your eyes

And reveal treasures of scripture

In surprise after surprise.

 

Meditate on the Word

And let it interpret itself,

This is especially important

For spiritual health.

 

Interpretation is critical

Arising from understanding:

Reading first then interpretation

To see what it’s demanding.

 

Reading is explicit

Interpretation is the implicit,

Interpretation is clearer and clearer

With each successive visit.

 

Sometimes it is needed

To visit another scripture

To clarify one that appears vague

And give a fuller picture.

 

Thus far, number 1 is read

And number 2 is to interpret

But there is still another to come

So, we’re not finished yet.

 

 

Number 3 is application:

It is necessary to apply

What we understand by the Word

And I will tell you why.

 

It’s our manual for life

Regarding our behaviour

And how best to walk in the steps

Of our beloved Saviour.

 

It is the mirror of liberty

In to which we look

To experience wonderful freedom

From this Holy Book.

 

 

And hear a voice say,

This is the way, walk ye in it

Knowing with the full assurance

It’s the Holy Spirit.

 

Yes, three steps, my friend,

In optimizing the Word:

Reading first; interpretation second

And application third.

 

Stewart Russell © March 17, 2025

 

What’s Your Greatest Fear?

 

 

 

What is your greatest fear

If in fact you have any?

When I was much younger

I used to have many.

 

However, they are decreasing

As I get nearer my demise,

The fact I am more comfortable with death

Should come as no surprise.

 

Now into my seventh decade,

I don’t have as long to live

And to be quite frank, I must admit,

I don’t have as much to give.

 

Death used to scare me quite a bit,

It was my greatest fear,

However, it no longer is,

As a matter of fact, not even near.

 

Dying is now up there

In fact, it’s in the top three,

Losing my sight does make me shiver-

Yes, not being able to see.

 

 

Alzheimer’s is on the increase,

For me that’s another fear,

To be alive and not even know you are

To me is a humongous scare.

 

What’s your greatest fear, I ask,

What do you fear the most?

Or, are you the super fearless one

And make such your daily boast?

 

I used to fear being left behind

When the Lord from heaven return

But this no longer is a fear for me

For in Christ I am standing firm.

 

Hell holds no terror for me

Because no child of God will go there,

The Bible is clear on those who will

And as his child I need not fear.

 

 

 

There is something that you fear,

It’s the case with everyone,

Maybe it’s where you will spend eternity

For one day you’ll be gone.

 

Death is an end of sorts

But it is not the final end,

There is a death one ought to fear-

It’s the second death, my friend.

 

Two births and one death

Is what the Bible recommends

And not one birth and two deaths

As is the sinner’s trend.

 

You must be born again

To avoid the second death,

This should be your greatest fear

All you that speak in jest.

 

For hell is no fairy tale

Or horror movie as seen on TV,

It is a real place the Bible tells

Of torment and misery.

 

Heaven is real and hell is too,

Of them both, Jesus spoke,

Depart here without being born again

And of heaven there is no hope. 

 

If you know not the Saviour

Hell should be your greatest fear

And there is no other opportunity

After you depart here.

 

 

 

What is your greatest fear?

I ask this final time,

For after the white throne judgment

Hell is next in line.

 

Revelation 20:15

And whoever was not found

Written In the book of life

Was cast into the lake of fire.

 

Stewart Russell © March 20, 2023

A Coming Still to Come

 

 

 

Every eye shall see him

And also they that pierced him,

Though it sounds very like it

Could this be the second coming?

 

The Bible speaks of two advents

The first was the virgin birth,

Angels proclaimed to shepherd folk

The Saviour had come to earth.

 

Jesus is that Saviour

That the Father had promised to man,

To redeem man from the curse of sin

Was the Father’s salvation plan.

 

Adam and Eve had sold us out

But Jesus came to buy us back,

Hence, the purpose of the first advent:

His death is a historical fact

 

His death was only temporary

For up from the grave he rose,

The evidence of this was an empty tomb

And the grave clothes he disposed.

 

 

There were many who testified

They had seen the risen Christ,

Some days later he ascended on high

Having paid sin’s ultimate price.

 

The culmination of his first advent

Was at his glorious ascension

But he will appear in the second advent

Amidst tremendous exultation.

 

At this time, the Bible says,

All that are in the grave will hear:

Some will come forth to eternal life,

The others to everlasting despair.

 

Turn to Revelation 1 verse 7

For the words in verse number 1,

Is this prophecy yet to be fulfilled

Or, has it already gone?

 

For some it is already gone

For others it is yet to come,

But all are agreed on the central one

Which is Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

 

 

Some believe this visitation

Is the judgement promised on Jerusalem,

Others see it much differently

And with this have a problem.

 

It all depends on how we see

Words like “near” and “at hand”,

 Whether they are explicit or implicit

Regarding the timing of God’s plan.

 

It must be understood my friend

That neither position is salvific

But what is important to you and me

Is that an advent is still futuristic.

 

I could go on and argue some more

On either side of the dispute,

But there is something far more critical

That none of us should refute.

 

We may never come to a conclusion

Concerning our respective positions

But far more critical than that resolve

Is Christ’s Divine commission.

 

 

Go ye into all the world

And preach the glorious gospel,

Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit

And of them make disciples.

 

There is a coming still to come

For the children of the kingdom,

Meanwhile we tell of God’s great salvation

Through Jesus Christ, His Son.

 

Our eschatology might be different

Leading up to the second advent

But far more important than our positions

Is the teaching to repent.

  

John the Baptist preached repentance

Jesus taught it too

And while we wait for him to appear

This we must also pursue.

 

We’ve a story to tell to the Nations

The story of man’s redemption:

How Jesus came and is coming again,

The culmination of man’s salvation.

 

Stewart Russell © November 2019

 

My Christmas Prayer

 

 

Father, thank You for Jesus

That first Christmas morn,

Thank you for the circumstances

Under which he was born.

 

The fulfilment of promise

That was made to Abraham

And through the Lord, Jesus Christ

It has come down to man.

 

We thank you today, Father,

For that wonderful plan

Implemented by Jesus our Saviour

As fully God and fully Man.

 

Glory to God in the Highest

And on earth, peace!

Peace in the midst of earth’s turmoil

That never seems to cease.

 

Thanks for this peace today,

This Christmas Day

For ‘twas on that first Christmas

You introduced the Way.

Come let us go even now

And see what has come to pass,

In essence, what the shepherds said;

These men of lowly class.

 

 

And so too the alert magi

That had journeyed from afar

Led by the light of a heavenly body-

That natal star.

 

The lowest and the highest!

This wonderful salvation is for all

That would respond to Jesus

As he graciously calls.

 

Thanks be to the Father

And to His only begotten Son

And thanks to the Holy Spirit

These Three-in-One.

A Christ-centred Christmas!

That’s my prayer for one and all

As we remember the second Adam-

The one that did not fall.

 

The one who came as Emanuel

Meaning God is with us,

The one we celebrate this day-

None other than Jesus!

 

Stewart Russell © December 25, 2023

 

Immanuel

 

 

Therefore

The Lord himself shall give you a sign;

Behold,

A virgin shall conceive,

And bear a son,

And shall call his name

Immanuel.

 

A prophecy from Isaiah

Fulfilled in the Christ,

Jesus, the anointed One

Does suffice.

 

Yes, he is sufficient

For both you and me

And his once for all sufficiency

Was shown at Calvary.

 

A figure of ridicule

Rejected by his own

Mocked and scorned by Jews

And there died alone.

 

True there were others

But for their crime they died,

But Immanuel, the God-Man,

For us there abide.

 

None was good enough

To pay sin’s ransom,

Only Jesus, the Christ could-

God’s only Son.

 

So, at this festive time

We call the Christmas tide,

As we celebrate his nativity

Note he also died.

 

From a cradle at Bethlehem

To a cross at Calvary,

God in his humanity paid

Sin’s price for you and me.

 

 

Once and for all!

There can be no repeat,

For he triumphed over the grave

And sits in his heavenly seat.

 

Given a name

That is above all names,

The born-again can now say

Our Messiah reigns.

 

On that Christmas morn

When the heavens did ring,

Listen, as the herald angels sang

Glory to the new born king.

 

So, we celebrate a cradle,

A cross and a crown

And thank our Heavenly Father

That Jesus came down…

 

From heaven to earth

That first Christmas morn

And the impossible is possible,

A man can be reborn.

 

 

 

In fact, rebirth is a must

As Jesus told Nicodemus

And this can only be accomplished

Because of Jesus.

 

For God so loved,

That He gave Jesus, His Son,

That the penitent sinner

To Him can come.

 

Come to Him today

At this Christmas tide,

For the promise is to you and me!

In us He will abide.

 

God with us

Says his name, Immanuel,

With Jesus as our Saviour,

All is well.

 

Stewart Russell © December 15, 2023

Two Wonderful Life Tapestries

 

 

Two in one day!

Two graduations I mean,

Two friends of mine:

Both beautiful queens.

 

  

One past one hundred,

The other in her early sixties

Yet they both will be missed

By family, certainly!

 

Both lived a full life

Their courses now complete,

Both virtuous women

Leaving fragrances sweet.

 

One hundred and sixty-three

Between these two

Fulfilling their life-purpose

Doing what they had to do.

 

In their unique corners

Their light shining brightly,

Both led by the Master

Walking uprightly.

 

 

Both: a significant dash

From dawn to evening to night

No doubt lighting thousands

With their God-given light.

 

One was a homemaker,

The other: a teacher and pastor

But both crafted a life tapestry:

Of a wonderful picture.

 

Both were given to detail:

Detail of the most intricate type,

Touching family and friends

Working through the night.

 

Full of imperfections

Made perfect by their Saviour,

Their weaknesses made strong

Manifest by Christian behavior.

 

Reckon not their years

As their total measure,

Rather, reckon their contribution

As they made lives better.

 

 

Building up others

Rather than pulling them down,

A radiant smile painting their face

Rather than a frown.

 

Exuding the fragrance of Christ

As he perfumed their lives

Making them wonderful mothers

And dutiful wives.

 

 

But alas!  The life journey is ended,

Yet, not the fragrance or the light,

We smell and see them still

In the day as well as the night.

 

In our thoughts forever

Forgetting them never,

In fair or foul weather

They will always be a treasure.

 

Stewart Russell © February 4, 2022