Biblical and Christlike

 

 

Called to be both

Not one without the other

For one without the other one

Is a likely bother.

 

For some Christians

The Bible is a big stick

That is used to bludgeon another

Into a biased fit.

 

Some cite the Bible

Often out of context,

They memorize biblical passages

To support their pretext.

 

They spout the Bible

Is another saying

But their attitude is atrocious;

No mistaking.

 

The letter of the Law

Was held by the Pharisees

But they were so far from Christ

They died by degrees.

 

Some strain at a gnat

But would swallow a camel

Just like the blind leading the blind

Right into a well.  

 

 

 

Satan was biblical!

He could quote the Word,

No doubt he knew it inside out

Yet, he was absurd.

 

Biblically truly defined

Is to be rooted in the text,

It is the means to following Christ

Step by step.

 

 

 

Christ is the standard:

The way, the truth and life,

To be biblical without the Christ

Is to encourage strife.

 

One can be biblical

Without being Christlike

But it is impossible the other way

Since Christ is the light.

 

To be rooted in Christ

Is to be rooted in the Word

For how else would anyone know him

Except they had heard?

 

Faith comes by hearing

And hearing by the Word

Thus, to be Christlike and unbiblical

Is to be absurd.

 

Politicians are biblical,

They too quote the Bible

And they do this as the means

To lure Christian people.

 

They politicize Jesus

To attract his followers

And then there is a great divide

Causing a lot of horror.

 

We nationalized the Lord

Who is on the people’s side

And despite our National anthem

We are on a negative slide.

 

We culturized Jesus

And God became a Bajan

So, no hurricane can flatten Barbados;

Just can’t get it done.

 

Strike the last (3) verses:

Such cannot be done,

Jesus will never ever march, do note,

To the people’s drum.

 

His is the standard

By which we must abide

And should any other be offered,

Tell Satan he lied.

 

So, be rooted in the text

And in the character of Christ

For to be like Jesus is to succeed

In this and the next life.

 

Stewart Russell © September 22, 2025

 

We Get to Choose

 

 

The title does not mean

This is really so

But it appears to me

This is where some people go.

 

But get to choose what?

That’s a pertinent question,

By this I mean

The contents of their religion.

 

Maybe we can call it

The carry-over from the Old,

If it fits our agenda

Then, that is our goal.

 

From the Old Testament

To the New Testament

And some even express,

The Old is no not relevant.

 

That is a sad mistake

For anyone to make,

I once held that position

But it’s no longer my take.

 

 

There are things in the old

That are no longer required,

Jesus fulfilled them

The moment he expired.

 

Thereafter,

When he executed his will,

He told us what was required

And that reading stands still.

 

Most are au fait

With the required fundamentals

But many are also

An opportunistic people.

 

Then they are some

That are steeped in tradition,

They dare not release members

To their own volition.

 

You can call it enslavement

If you so desire

But tradition says do

What the Word doesn’t require.

 

 

The Pharisees enforced

Over six hundred laws

And boasted about keeping them-

Spare me the applause.

 

They pushed the letter

Christ introduced the spirit,

The latter spoke to transformation

The former had little merit.

 

One from a stony heart

That showed no mercy,

The other out of a pure conscience

Displaying liberty.

 

The former, regarding giving,

Is a ritual that is enforced,

The latter, a joyous commitment

As a matter of course.

 

I mean cheerful giving

Knowing we can’t out give God

And not the kind we show off

Hoping someone will applaud.

 

A sabbath rest in Christ

That is truly a rest,

That is continuously observed

Even when working our hardest.

 

Not a specific day

Be it Saturday or Sunday,

For those that we accused

We behave in the same way.

 

But doing good for our friends

And our enemies too,

Once we see the need

And it it’s within our purview.

 

Bearing one another’s burdens

Thus, fulfilling the Law of Christ,

Offering ourselves to him

As a living sacrifice.

 

We get to choose

What is honest and pure,

Not a gamut of rituals that suits us

And the rest ignore.

 

Stewart Russell © June 2020.

 

Disillusioned or A Pharisee?

Your View

 

I never do anything wrong

Because unlike you I am strong,

I am not a weakling as you are

You and I are definitely not on par.

I am different from you in many ways,

Ways that you can’t even perceive,

If I reveal to you all I am

You would surely not believe.

There is only one of me

And the mold cannot be found,

Search all you wish across the globe

There is no such mold around.

So what is different you might ask

Well already you see what I mean,

It should have been obvious even to you

But I’m not surprised you haven’t seen.

That’s one thing I thought you knew

You’re even less than I thought of you,

However I trust by the time I’m through

You will have agreed to my point of view.

One primary difference that you will see

Is I am better than you at any task

And my intelligence far surpasses yours

Is another point you’ll need to grasp.

What I have accomplished you have not

And what I’ve forgotten you’ll never learn

For that you would need a few lifetimes,

You cannot achieve it in one sojourn.

By now you are getting tired of me

At worst that is a case of envy

And if perchance it is something else

At best it’s probably jealousy.

It also confirms the point I made

That before I ended you would agree

Between you and me is no comparison,

I’m surprised you so quickly see.

For to compare yourself to me

Is to compare a Gentile and Pharisee,

The massive gap you are trying to bridge

Is bordering on impossibility.

Now I see that you are upset

Having quickly accepted my proof

But be assured that such a reaction

Is your admission to this truth.

There is much more that I could share

But surely this little has sufficed

For given the rate at which you agreed

I didn’t have to say it twice.

Conceited you probably think I am

I have ample reason to be,

Disillusioned? No, not the slightest chance

For I am a Pharisee.

Pharisees know who they are

And certainly what they believe

Unlike the Sadducees and Publicans

They are so easily deceived.

Not to mention the Gentiles

Who do not figure in the mix at all,

Dogs more fit their comparison

As a Pharisee I stand tall.

Disillusioned or a Pharisee?

The former is out of the question

A Pharisee is definitely who I am

All others are disillusioned.

My Response

I agree with your appraisal

You are certainly not disillusioned,

You are too aware of the wrong you do

To enter a plea of utter confusion.

Therefore you are without excuse

When the time of your judgment is come,

All other sinners that truly repent

Will be admitted into God’s kingdom.

Then you’ll be left out in the cold

Or in the heat to be more precise,

No doubt at that coming occasion

You will then regret all your vice.

Your greatest vice was in trying to earn

A place in the kingdom of God

Only to lose that for which you sought

Deceived by the fraud of frauds.

Stewart Russell © 2017