God with Man

 

 

Yonder in cattle stall

Lay a baby most fair,

God with man has come to dwell

Among the cattle there.

 

The shepherds as invited

Kneel before his bed,

A crude manger for his body

And dried hay for his head.

 

The animals low in tandem

Sometimes in unison too,

No harmony could be detected

But they never knew.

 

Wise men would visit later

But for now only shepherds came,

Having been told by the angels

In a glorious refrain.

 

 

Glory to God in the highest

And on earth, peace!

Meanwhile the wise men were noting

A peculiar star in the east.

 

When they finally saw him

The baby Jesus, I mean,

He was then resting in a house

This was not the manger scene.

 

I wonder what it was really like

To have been present at his birth,

What a wonder that must have been!

“God has come to earth.”

 

Today I remind my readers

It can be a dream come true,

For the Holy Spirit has come to dwell

In persons like me and you.

 

 

No, not in a manger stall

But in temples as we are,

So we can be near and dear to him

Just like the wise men that came from afar.

 

What a privilege for the highest

And the lowest of all the earth!

We can be one in Christ Jesus

On account of the “new birth”.

 

To be “born again”, as Jesus said,

In his discourse with Nicodemus,

Today that can be you and me

By simply accepting Jesus.

 

There is room for the simple shepherd

And for kings and wise men too,

God’s great gift was sent to all

And if you are a skeptic, even you.

 

Stewart Russell © September 2019

 

The Best Christmas Gift Ever

Fear not: for, behold,

 I bring you good tidings

Of great joy,

Which shall be to all people.

The Gospel According to St Luke 2:10

Focus if you may

On God’s redemptive plan,

An infinite gift through Jesus Christ

Given to every man.

The gift of God’s Son

Of inestimable price,

Willingly given for us

As the Father’s sacrifice.

The best Christmas gift ever

An eternal treasure,

Given to you and me

At the Father’s pleasure.

No longer in a manger

But still the world’s Saviour

And the only way

To find God’s favour.

Receive Jesus now

Like the shepherds on that day

And, like the wise men,

Let the Saviour lead the way.

Neither is there salvation in any other

For there is none other name

Under heaven given among men,

Whereby we must be saved.

The Acts of the Apostles 4:12

Stewart Russell © December 2019

A Christmas to Come

A Christmas to come

Christ will descend

But so different from before,

Angels will be there

And there’ll be fanfare too

But expect a whole lot more.

No baby in a manger

No shepherds in a field

No wise men from afar,

But the King of kings

And the Lord of lords

He will be his own star.

The Light of lights

In splendid radiance

Lumens far exceeding the sun,

Coming this time

But not to Bethlehem

But to usher in his kingdom.

Planned in eternity

Before time began

Planned by the Godhead Three,

To be staged in the air

In that Christmas to come

When every eye shall see.

No room they say

In that first Christmas

No room for the little child,

During that tourist boom

In Bethlehem’s town

Room for Jesus was denied.

’Twas planned that way

In the first advent

But not in the one to come,

The world will know

Without a doubt

At the coming of God’s own Son.

  

A time of great joy

And exceeding sorrow

Depending on whose you are,

All who are redeemed

Will be with Christ

All others will be barred.

No sprucing up

And spring cleaning

No time to do all that,

In a flash

Like the speed of lightning

Prophecy will be fact.

As you celebrate

This yuletide season

The advent of God’s Son

Be prepared

In your heart and soul

For that Christmas time to come.

Confess your sins

And repent of them too

Invite Jesus into your heart,

Walk with the Saviour

Come apart from sin

And there you have your start.

For should that Christmas come

And you’re not saved

You’ll surely not be amused,

Pay attention now

To your heart’s condition

And on this occasion, don’t refuse.

Stewart Russell © December 2017

No Room

No room in the inn for baby Jesus

Not a single room or a spot

Occasioned by an order of a census call

This number of people was really a lot.

Weary after the long journey from home

Mary and Joseph needed a place to rest

But the crowd that thronged the streets that night

Made that an almost impossible test.

Moving from inn to inn they enquired within

Hoping for the remotest chance

Perhaps someone would note her pregnancy

And change this “no room” stance.

For so far all they heard as they had called

Was “no room”; “no room” was all they heard,

It appeared not a single room was available

Or what was left had been reserved.

An eye at last had caught the bulge

And in compassion that ‘inn-keeper’ pronounced

A “no room” with a welcome difference, “But

There is a stable,” the ‘inn-keeper’ announced.

“But as you would imagine,” he went on to say,

“That would not be a fitting place

Given that you are carrying an unborn child

A stable would be a definite disgrace.”

“We have come a long way,” Joseph must have said,

“And the time of my wife draws near

Do allow us Sir to use your stable

For we have heard “no room” everywhere.”

Not much could have been done with a stable

The animals would not have been removed,

But at least room was found for baby Jesus

Though it was a stable that was approved.

From heaven’s spendour with room to spare

God’s incarnate Son had come

To the earth he created at the beginning of time

To hear “no room”, “no room” we have none.

All that could be given to the Prince of Peace

Was a stable with a manger for a bed

Depriving the animals of a feeding trough

So that baby Jesus could lay his head.

Far from the palace one would expect for a king

The King of all kings was born

Witnessed by Mary, Joseph and the animals

On that very first Christmas morn.

“No room” was the response at every door

As the Saviour attempted to enter there

Only a stable, a manger and a little stall

In the inns there was “no room” to spare.

If they could see then what we know now

“No room” would not have been an option

For knowing God’s Son was seeking a room

Every inn would offer accommodation.

“No room” under the circumstances then

Could be considered a reasonable excuse

But given today and all that we know now

“No room” is no excuse if the Saviour we refuse.

“No room” for Jesus is “no room” in heaven

For the one who rejects God’s plea

No room in this life means ample space in hell

Read God’s word and you would see.

“No room,” “no room” said the in-keepers then

But they were only the keepers of an inn,

“No room”, “no room” expressed to Jesus now

And the keeper of that heart retains his sin.

“No room” for the devil means all room for Christ

No room for the ideologies of this world,

“No room” for the devil acknowledges the sacrifice

That Christ made; it’s recorded in the Word.

“No room” in my heart for that old devil

Not a single room or a spot

Occasioned by a call from my loving Saviour

Whose I am and the devil’s I am not.

Stewart Russell © 2016