The Most Important Book

 

 

If I were to ask you

What’s the most important book,

Your answer would depend

On your personal outlook.

 

But the most important book

Is not a book at all,

For though referred to as a book,

It is really a record.

 

Maybe I have lost you

On account of not making sense

But I assure you it’s not foolishness

And I mean no offense.

 

Highest on most people’s list

May be the Holy Bible

And I would be inclined to agree

The Bible is not trivial.

 

It is of colossal importance

And should never be ignored

But there’s one of greater importance

Even when life here is o’er.

 

 

The Bible speaks of it

In the book of Revelation

And in this book alone you will find it

On seven occasions.

 

One other place you’ll find

This most important book,

You can go to Philippians chapter 4

And there have a look.

 

I know you’d want me to give

Not only the chapter but the verse

So, let me point you to verse 3

To satisfy your thirst.

 

With that you can check out

The instances in Revelation

Bearing in mind, as I said previously,

There are seven occasions.

 

A daily report is being made

By the God that knows it all,

Don’t expect a book of gigantic size

But an invisible mental record.

 

Of every deed done in the body

Whether it be bad or good

And while none can achieve this task,

God most certainly could. 

 

 

He does not need a computer

Or a gigantic notepad

But He remembers every single deed

Whether it be good or bad.

 

And the books were opened

And then another book

And the dead were judged of those things

That were written in the books.

 

And whoever was not found

Written in the Lamb’s book of life

Was cast in to the fiery lake

Of torment and strife.

 

That Lamb’s book of life

Is the most important book,

For all who’ve ignored it, I adjure you

To take another look.

 

 

Is your name written there?

Inquires a wonderful hymn,

Only the names of the born again

Are entered therein.

 

Stewart Russell © June 3, 2025

 

A Number of Notable Notoriety

 

 

I am thinking of a number

It is just one shy of perfection,

Even though even, it is at odds

Hence, it’s an insightful illusion.

 

Chances are, you already know it

Especially if you are a Christian,

Even today in this modern time

It is associated with a vision.

 

A vision of a future event

Like nothing we’ve seen before

And given the way things are going

It might just be at the door.

 

But if this number is so horrible

It is time that we reject it,

Now that we have the opportunity

Let’s break this terrible habit.

 

 

We abhor this frightening number

But we would buy half dozen eggs,

Would it not be far better

To buy seven eggs instead?

 

Seven would be the perfect number

And would actually last longer too,

Plus, there is no omen in seven;

This is some Christians’ view.

 

This means the Bible lacks some books,

We should add another eleven

And get rid of that horrible number

By making them seventy-seven.

 

Or maybe we should subtract eleven

And then they would be fifty-five

And get rid of that satanic number

So that we all could thrive.

 

 

Isaiah would have some work too

Re the book written in his name,

Either add or subtract eleven chapters

And get rid of the ominous bane.

 

And that ancient nursery rhyme

Sing a song of you know what...

Get rid of the sum of money there

For this number must be stopped.

 

Now picture the number line-

Of course, it is one digit less,

But now we have gotten rid of its nemesis

It certainly looks its best.

 

God took so many days to create

But five days would have been best,

Then we would have been rid of this number

That many consider a pest.

 

Three and twelve would have to go

That’s half of it and twice,

The former is the inner core

And the latter, all the disciples of Christ.

 

I can’t even name the number

As some consider it an omen,

I deliberately left it out of this poem

So as to avoid it happening.

 

As a stand-alone it is horrible,

The number of biblical books shows two

But when you get three of them together,

That is the worst ever view.

 

If you have discovered this number

In any number that you use,

Go one up or even down from it...

Do not suffer its abuse.

 

And remember when you are counting

Be sure to leave it out,

This bane of our number system

Is notorious without doubt.

 

If you are yet to discover this number

You are in a terrible state,

For as some have said the Bible says,

It is connected to a coming fate.

  

Not one or two, but three

You will find of that dreaded number,

Don’t take the mark if you know what’s best

Some believe it bespeaks grave danger.

 

It is a number of notable notoriety

Yet we use it in so many ways,

Such smacks of hypocrisy, if you ask me,

But that is rampant in these days.

 

Stewart Russell © June 2020