The Gospel

 

 

The Gospel is more than

The Christmas story,

It is more than a universal sect

On their way to glory.

 

The Gospel is more than

Some man-made edict

Proclaimed on Sunday mornings

From a sacred pulpit.

 

The Gospel is more than

That feel good elixir

To bring to someone’s difficult day

A brighter picture.

 

The Gospel is more than

The water-down homily

To further enrich the dynasties

Of the already wealthy.

 

 

 

The Gospel is more than

The emotive altar calls

That stress coming to the altar

As if this is all.

 

The Gospel is more than

The sinner’s prayer

Recited by the so-called seeker

For heaven down here.

 

The Gospel is more than

An escape from hell

To which the filthy rich and famous

Are headed pell-mell.

 

The Gospel is more than

Meeting my felt need

By way of some miraculous event

Or righteous deed.

 

The Gospel is more than

 All of the above,

It is really about a gracious God

And transcending love.

 

Known by many names

And quite a few titles

But knowing Yahweh personally

Is extremely vital.

 

It’s lifesaving for the now

And for all eternity

And from old it was proclaimed

To all humanity.

 

 

 

The Gospel is Christological:

Centred on Christ

Who, to redeem us from the curse,

Gave up his life.

 

The incarnate Son of God

Died upon a cross

Crucified by his created subjects

That were eternally lost.

 

To save them from wrath:

The wrath of their Creator,

Who, through their idolatrous acts,

Became God-haters.

 

Judgment was pronounced

And there was no escape

Unless, as was divinely instituted,

One their place did take.

 

Thus entered Emmanuel

Into humanity’s world

Who actually became “God with us”

As shown in the Word.

 

The Word became flesh

And dwelt among us

In the form of God’s incarnate Son,

Christ Jesus.

 

 

 

The Gospel is Theological:

Conceived by God

Who sent His only begotten Son

To redeem us all. 

 

To buy us back as it were

After the great fall

When our fore parents had chosen

To heed Satan’s call.

 

Choosing Satan’s lie

As he deceptively implied

Rather than the direct instruction

Which God supplied.

 

The Gospel is Biblical

From Genesis to Revelation

In which the Father’s promise unfolded

In our actual salvation.

 

According to the Scriptures

Jesus was born, lived and died,

And then the glorious resurrection

After he was crucified.

 

The Gospel is Biblical

Thus, it’s a divine revelation

In which God through Jesus Christ

Secured our redemption.

 

 

 

The Gospel is Apostolic

As in the words of the Apostles,

The core of whom in Holy Scripture

Were Jesus’ disciples.

 

Paul was at the forefront

Ably supported by Peter,

Add to these James, John and more:

Most of whom were martyred.

 

Martyred for the Gospel

Was their highest honour

When they gave their life for the one

For whom they laboured.

 

 

 

The Gospel is Historical;

It is not a fairy tale,

Though legendary, it is not a legend

As in fictional detail. 

 

The characters are real:

The main one being Christ

And the fact that he created time

Should also suffice.

 

The Gospel is Personal

And this is amazing,

That God wants a personal relationship

Is truly liberating.

 

Jesus knows his sheep

And he calls each by name,

Thus, this personal relationship denotes

No two are the same.

 

He invites you and me

To a relationship with him

Such that all who positively respond,

He saves from sin.

 

Via the Holy Spirit

He walks with me and you,

None is more personal than that,

This is true.

 

The ‘whosoever’

Speaks to the individual

That the Father draws to His Son

To make up His people. 

 

The Gospel is Universal:

Meaning the whole world,

For God so loved, the Bible says-

I’m sure you’ve heard.

 

It is to be proclaimed

To all nations and tribes

And any who call on the name of Jesus

Will not be despised.

 

Pertaining to our end

Most of us are concerned,

Thus, The Gospel is Eschatological:

Of such we can learn.

 

Life is the opportunity

To make our election sure,

“Come unto me,” Jesus now beckons

To open our heart’s door.

 

The change that you need

You need look no more,

The Gospel is transformational-

Real change is assured.

 

Now hear the bad news:

We all were born in sin

But The Gospel is the Good News:

Sinners are invited in. 

 

According to the Scriptures

Christ died but has risen

And all that put their trust in him

Will definitely be forgiven.

Forgiven of their sins

Present, past and future,

And none can pluck us from his hand:

Not a single creature.

 

 

 

The Gospel is all this

And I dare say, even more,

Whosoever believes shall not perish,

John 3:16 assures.

 

Stewart Russell © September 16, 2025

 

A Personal Salvation

 

 

 

I’m a sheep of Christ’s flock

None but I can tell,

Mine is a personal testimony

In me his Spirit dwells.

 

By the witness of the Spirit

I came to understand

That I am a child of destiny

On this terrestrial strand.

 

Destined for heaven

Wherever heaven may be,

Having the assurance of Jesus

For all eternity.

 

It’s a personal salvation

Guaranteed to the born-again

Who by faith accepted Jesus

By believing on his name.

 

Into the body of believers

We each individually came

And consequently, the Holy Spirit,

Entered our hearts to reign.

 

May have been a crusade

Or a gathering of just a few

When the faithful Holy Spirit

Witnessed to me and you.

 

He dealt with us separately

Assuring us of salvation,

And now to the whosoever will

He sends out an invitation.

 

 

If anyone hears his voice

And responds accordingly,

Jesus will in no wise cast out

But save eternally.

 

He doesn’t save in groups,

He saves individually

That man or woman or child

That trusts him implicitly.

 

My fruit can give an idea,

It’s the only sign you’ve got

But otherwise you’re clueless

That salvation is my lot.

 

Oh, I can testify

And in fact, I really should

That I’ve been wondrously washed

In the Saviour’s blood.

 

Meaning Jesus, of course,

The one who died for me

That first horrible Good Friday

On Mount Calvary.

 

 

For the world, God gave,

For whosoever, Jesus died,

Whosoever means you and me:

All who the blood applied.

 

It is a personal choice

This matter of salvation,

Though ninety-nine were safe

One needed attention.

 

That one was once you,

That one was once me

But Jesus sought for both of us

And saved us individually.

 

A precious salvation it is,

A personal salvation too,

Each one must answer for himself,

I cannot answer for you.

 

Stewart Russell © October 26, 2023

 

Personal and Official

 

 

The former is what I feel

The latter is a must

And mixing up the two of these

Can lead to distrust.

 

 

 

As happens very often

Re these two positions,

Officials can be thrown into a spin

By personal decisions.

 

Personal is not official

And should never be mixed

And presenting both the same

Is a deceptive trick.

 

Conflict of interest

This is sometimes called

And this type of gross behaviour

Should be appalled.

 

Using an official position

To satisfy one’s greed

Is tantamount to dishonesty

Whatever the deed.

 

 

Public servants especially

Should guard against this,

Betraying the trust of citizens

Is a criminal shift.

 

Misappropriation of funds

Is an awful practice

And when done to treat oneself

Is a horrid injustice.

 

Never mix up these two;

Keep the funds apart,

If given such a responsibility

Be honest from the start.

 

Money entrusted to you

Though a personal trust

Should be used as officially agreed

And not as a personal must.

 

Personal and Official

 

 

The former is what I feel

The latter is a must

And mixing up the two of these

Has led to distrust.

 

Stewart Russell © December 17, 2024

 

On Being Organized

 

 

Some organize this

And some organize that

But that’s not being organized

I’ll show you the facts.

 

Organization is different

From being organized, you’ll see

But the two go together

Like sand and salt and sea.

 

An organization is a corporation:

Cooperation might be a better rendition

Of persons, a collection,

Working to a common determination.

 

Of course it’s dependent

On each member being organized,

It’s like the chain and the links-

Please don’t ever trivialize!

 

Being organized is personal

It’s not the corporation

It’s planning with a purpose:

A determined destination.

 

It takes into an account

Time’s not an unlimited amount

But with detail and order

Sets its desired borders.

 

 

Focus is important

And must never be ignored,

Going nowhere fast

Is at the wrong open door.

 

Having climbed a ladder,

Having reached the top,

What a disappointment!

It’s not the intended spot.

 

Being organized is not a one-off,

It’s a stringing together

Of aspirations accomplished

Through all kinds of weather.

 

The corporation’s chain

Depends on the organized link,

On being organized

Makes sure it doesn’t sink.

 

So making a personal mark

For oneself or the team

Requires one to be organized-

It’s the flavor in the cream.

 

Often behind the scenes

And often overlooked,

On being organized

Plays it by the book.

 

On being organized

Is more than organizing,

It is specific undertaking

And not mere generalizing.

 

Being organized is a root

From which emerges a shoot,

That shoot becomes a trunk

Laden with branches of fruit.

 

  

Being organized oft hidden

Is cooperation-driven

It is individual-strengthened

But selfish-agenda weakened.

 

On being organized is mutual:

Of benefit to self and team,

Achieving for the two

Their respective dreams.

 

The two are interdependent:

Together they will strive,

On being organized

Will ensure that they thrive.

 

 

This might be a mouthful

But that is what we chew,

On being organized

Will see the plan come true.

 

Stewart © 2015

 

Who Can Tell?

 

 

 

Tell me, how oft have you heard

The following remark

He was saved under my preaching

Or something in that ball park?

 

Preachers often take credit

For seekers at the altar

And such become a notch in their memory

That none can alter.

 

“I remember that night,” they say,

“When the altar was full.

The Spirit was moving

And there was a very great pull.

 

People from all over the church

Just started a moving!

And while the Spirit gets the praise

It was me He was using.”

 

But who can tell

Under whose preaching Dave was saved?

For sure, the Holy Spirit,

And the only other person is Dave.

 

Salvation is always personal,

It is never ever a corporate thing

And it doesn’t matter how long the choir

Or the congregation sings.

 

 

So, a caution to all out there

Who are prone to make such claims,

None can save another:

Not even Billy Graham.

 

It is true, faith comes by hearing

And hearing the Word of God,

And though a preacher must preach it,

It is not the preacher we applaud.

 

I cannot now recount the details

Concerning when I was born again

But I have the witness of the Holy Spirit

That I am saved in Jesus’ name.

 

That was so long ago

When I was still in my teens

And then we went to the altar so often

Because then, that was the scene.

The invitation was the thing

Especially after a very convincing word

And many would run to the altar

Because they felt stirred.

 

While not as often as many others

I too have been a few times

And that is why the exact details

Are not fixed in my mind.

 

So, preachers should be very careful

Regarding such uninformed claims,

And, unless they are absolutely certain,

From such they should refrain.

 

For who can tell how,

Or, even when another was saved?

Instead, let’s thank God for the preachers

And for them that also prayed.

 

Stewart Russell © June 26, 2021