Born Again

 

 

How many times, I ask,

Can one be born again?

Once, twice, three times, maybe four?

What is your truth claim?

 

Can anyone know for sure

That his or her name is written

In the Lamb’s book of life

Which is held in heaven?

 

What assurance is there

That we are born again

If this event occurs over and over

Again, and again?

 

 

“Rejoice,” stated Jesus,

“Your names are written in heaven,”

By implication meaning

You are also forgiven.

 

Chosen in Christ Jesus

Before the foundation of the world,

Go to Ephesians 1 and verse 4

In case you haven’t heard.

 

Can it be scratched out?

I am referring to a name

And be re-entered into the book

Again, and again?

 

Whether yes or no

Show me from the Word

For if yes is the stated answer

We ought to be disturbed.

 

Jesus knows who are his

And his should know him too

For they bear the Spirit’s seal;

Tell me, do you?

 

Is my name written there

On the page bright and fair?

The question of a beautiful hymn,

Is my name written there?

 

 

One must be born again

Not of physical rebirth

But born again of the Holy Spirit;

Of heaven, not of earth.

 

It is a work of grace,

God’s grace I need to add

And it continues in the Holy Spirit

Minus all manmade fads.

 

Plain and straightforward

As told to teacher, Nicodemus,

“Ye must be born again,”

The very words of Jesus.

 

How many times, I ask,

Can one be born again?

Once, twice, three times, maybe four?

What is your truth claim?

 

 

Once, it appears to me,

Not what Nicodemus thought

And so, as in the natural,

It is only once wrought.

 

I know it is puzzling

Re the saving claim of people

That live somewhat differently

From kingdom principles.

 

But leave it to the Lord,

He knows who belong to him,

Just know if you’ve been born again

You’ve been saved from sin.

 

Stewart Russell © June 14, 2024

 

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

Entitlement

Out of bed I jumped

And to the shower I went

This really was not

My original intent

I felt like staying

A little longer in bed

But a single thought

Came right into my head 

 

It was expressed

In a single word

Entitlement was the thought

Entitlement was the word

That idea was mooted

Only recently

In a way it spoke

To someone’s destiny

It was used to deny

Rather than to confer

In a sense to disqualify

And also demur

But here’s breaking news

That you need to hear

It is authentic news

So you need not fear

There is an entitlement

That can be yours

Simply to Christ

Open your heart’s door

 

He shed his blood

For you and for me

And in that entitlement

Rests our destiny

 

To be born again

Gives one entitlement

A transition from the old

To a new covenant

  

An everlasting covenant

That can’t be reversed

All arguments and disputes

Are instantly dispersed

Entitlement to life

And life more abundantly

Not the natural kind

But spiritually

Entitlement that can’t

Be taken away

Entitlement that’s reserved

For a coming day

Everyone who’s entitled

To that entitlement

 Must be born again

And from sin also repent

God has promised it

In Jesus believe

And through the Holy Spirit

Entitlement is yours to receive

Stewart Russell © May 2018