Timely Ifs

 

 

O that it were different

And our “ifs” had come before

And the outcome before contemplated

The act would have been no more.

 

But alas, the act preceded the “if”

And the outcome proceeded as planned,

Damage control was ineffective

Regret continued for a span.

 

“O had I known,” but you did,

Post thought to quell the mind,

If only you had thought before

“If” would still be in time.

 

There’s nothing like a timely “if”

Before we commit an act,

An “if” that’s duly thought over

For the act cannot be taken back.

 

 

Sorry and sorrow may follow

And a contrite heart we may manage

But this pales when compared to “if”

When “if” comes before the damage.

 

“If” is an indication of fear

That something could go very wrong,

This attempt to send a message

May bring a whole lot down.

 

If Judas had really thought it over

Perhaps he would have seen the light

But instead his greed and avarice

Landed him in that plight.

 

 

“If” Peter had remembered

Before the cock had actually crowed

Maybe there’d been no denial

And as a consequence, his load.

 

Of course it could not be different

Since Jesus had prophesied

That both these events would happen

So neither could be denied.

 

But we don’t know the future

It’s in the present that we act

So now is the time to consider “if”

And not right after the fact.

 

Stewart Russell © February 2018

 

Descriptive and Prescriptive

 

 

Do not confuse these two

Regarding the Holy Word,

Because Judas hanged himself,

We don’t have to concur.

 

Descriptive is the narrative;

Prescriptive is the cure,

It’s the two great commandments

We must apply more.

 

A misapplied descriptive

Can be rather dangerous

Particularly if we try to apply it

In our frenzied rush.

 

Like "breaking the Bible"

For our daily devotion

And then without due thought

Deciding on an action.

 

 

 

Judas hanged himself:

Go thou and do likewise:

That you do, do so quickly:

Thus, your demise.

 

Three scriptural texts:

All three unrelated,

Regarding the mere descriptive

Do not be fixated.

 

 

Do not a doctrine build

On biblical one-offs,

These are mostly descriptive:

Not treatment for a cough.

 

It is somewhat trite

Like a denominational fight

Between Mudites and Non-Mudites

Lacking spiritual insight.

 

Two denominations

Based on how Jesus healed:

Both were blind to the message

That was being revealed.

 

 

With mud, one sect argued

Without, the other opposed,

Neither was open to the other;

They were both closed.

 

 

Here is another example

That is: speaking in tongues,

What again had been descriptive

Was interpreted wrong.

 

It became prescriptive

For receiving the Holy Spirit

And this for a Spirit-filled saint

Is now become an edict.

 

Love ye one another

Is certainly prescriptive

But how David loved Jonathan

Is rather descriptive.

 

Herein is the difference,

Understand this much,

For whether with mud or without,

It is Jesus’ healing touch.

 

Stewart Russell © March 12, 2025

 

Who Is This God?

 

Who is this buddy pal god

To whom we often pray,

That we can urge and coax

And make him go our way?

 

Who is this buddy pal god

That gives us all we want

And before whom all our fancies

We dare to flaunt?

 

Who is this buddy pal god;

This genie on the seashore

Whose bottle we rub

And simply ask for more?

 

More of this and more of that,

All we want that we’ve not got

And quote his own word

To get him in our slot?

 

Who is this buddy pal god

That we shout at and nag

And when we get what we want

We strut around and brag?

 

Too blessed to be stressed!

Too appointed to be disappointed!

Filled with the Holy Spirit?

And abundantly anointed?

 

Who is this buddy pal god

That accedes to all our requests,

Like the dutiful godmother fairy

That feathers our nests?

 

 

From rags to riches

From poverty to prominence,

From a nobody to somebody big

From dominated to dominance?

 

Who is this buddy pal god

That indwells our head

That needs our unswerving support

Or else he’d be dead?

 

Where in the Bible is he?

Just show to me the passage

And, if like you I see him,

I’ll surely accept your message.

 

My conviction is, however,

There’s no such buddy pal god

Other than the one we have created:

The up-in-our-heads fraud!

 

From our heads to our hearts

He deceives us all the time

And via our ignorance of God’s Word

He captures our simple mind.

 

 

God is the omnipotent Creator

Jesus is our Saviour and friend,

The Holy Spirit is our constant guide

Whom Father and Son did send.

 

God is no buddy pal god

Like a rubbed-the-bottle genie,

Nor is His Word a Cinderella story

 Featuring the godmother fairy.

 

He is our All in All!

 

In Him we live and exist,

Without Him we can do nothing

And to live without Him

Is life’s greatest risk.

 

Stewart Russell © January 31, 2022

 

Ponder the Following

 

Could Jesus lose a sheep

That was truly his at first?

Because if he really could

Nothing could be worse.

Consider that man

That had a hundred sheep,

One of them was missing 

And for it he went out to seek. 

No doubt he knew his sheep

Perhaps it had his brand

But why he would leave the others

At first I did not understand.

I mean that was only one

He still had ninety-nine,

One gone; the rest are safe

That should have been fine.

Why risk the ninety and nine?

Why go after that one?

Doesn’t make much sense 

Since it wandered on its own.

It must have been in the fold

Where it was safe and sound,

Was it not happy there

And preferred to wander around?

What was the shepherd thinking

To put at risk the other sheep

That he would leave them all

And go after that stray to seek?

The answer to me is simple

Why he was urged that sheep to seek,

After all it belonged to him

It was his very own sheep.

That shepherd could not afford

To lose one single sheep,

They were all very special to him

And after even one he must seek.

  

It carried his very brand

His Father had given him it

And to account for every sheep

This was the Son’s own habit.

Ponder with me some more

What if that sheep were you?

Would it be just another sheep?

Or wouldn’t you change that view?

I am certain that you would

Even for a friend

Even with all the other ones

You just wouldn’t let it end.

Of course if it were not his sheep

He really would not mind,

Another shepherd would deal with it

And would be the one to chase behind.

So it is with Jesus’ sheep

He will not lose a single one,

For each he gave his precious blood

For their sin he did atone.

They will come to him they must

Just like the Father promised,

At his voice they will respond

Once they are truly his.

Only one he has ever lost

That the Father had given him,

Judas Iscariot was that one

He died without hope and in sin.

So say yes to the Shepherd

And leave the rest in His hand,

Don’t despair if you should slip

If you are wearing his brand.

Daily confess your shortcomings

Rely on Christ alone,

By His Spirit know his voice

And show you are his own.

Eternal life lasts forever

Though for us it had a start,

That life the Spirit gave us 

When he first set us apart.

The shepherd walks ahead 

And he leads the sheep along

And even in the midst of trouble 

We can sing redemption’s song.

We are not only saved but safe

And Christ Jesus holds our hand,

We need not fear we won’t get home

Since we are wearing his brand.

Of course you must consider

If you have ever come to him,

Did you have the Spirit’s witness

That you were saved from your sin?

Were you ever under conviction

On hearing the Holy Word?

Did you respond in kind

To the message you had heard?

If not, you can do so now

And receive the Holy Spirit’s brand

You’ll be Jesus’ sheep forever

And he will take you by the hand.

Stewart Russell © April 2018