Impeached but Exonerated

 

 

Impeached but exonerated

And I am not talking about Trump,

He would have to deal with that

On his own account.

 

I am talking about me

And what I have been through

And you who are reading this,

What you’ve been through too.

 

I was impeached and found guilty

Simply because I was born,

Most would find that unusual

Because it’s not the norm.

 

What is the crime in being born

Would be the question to ask,

If Adam and Eve were alive

I would give them that task.

 

However, since they are not

I will point you to God’s Word

Even though something tells me

You have already heard.

 

Let us ask the Psalmist

And we will see what he says,

Shaped in iniquity and conceived in sin

That’s how it was way back in the day.

 

So, we were born into sin

That, my friend is the norm,

Consequently, one is counted a sinner

From the very day he is born.

 

Hence the first part of the theme

Impeached from my birth,

Yes, I was impeached

Before I even set foot on the earth.

 

But it doesn’t end there

And I truly thank God for this

And so, I come to the part

That I don’t want you to miss.

 

So as in Adam every man sinned

In Christ every man can access pardon,

Yes! Exonerated in Christ Jesus

Ever since I’ve been forgiven.

 

 

Impeached on Adam’s account

But exonerated through Jesus Christ

Not on any merit of my own

But because of Christ’s sacrifice…

 

When on that first Good Friday

When before the heavenly court

He shouted “Father forgive them!”

Therein is my support.

 

Now being one of the “whosoever”

That believes in Jesus Christ,

I am exonerated through the blood

That will always suffice.

 

Impeached because of Adam

Exonerated in Christ,

If the same can be said about you

I would think that’s quite nice.

 

Stewart Russell © January 25, 2021

 

On Your Ninetieth

 

Ninety years ago today

Our mother saw the light of earth,

Ninety years ago this day

Was the celebration of her birth.

Today we celebrate with her

This remarkable milestone

And give Almighty God the thanks

That she did not make it on her own.

For He has been with her all the way

Even before she walked with Him

So that subsequent to that first birth

The second birth took care of her sin.

Mom, we give thanks today

For the time you have spent with us

But more than that we are grateful

That you point us all to Jesus.

Your life is a wonderful example

Of a life given over to Christ,

No wonder you made it look so easy

Each time you made a sacrifice. 

For the sacrifices were many

That you made for all of us

And what is particularly noteworthy

You did it without a fuss.

No news clippings and fanfare

No cameras, lights and red carpet

But lovingly you embrace us all

And your giving was a daily habit.

Every one of us to a single soul

Votes unanimously on this day

That you are a woman of great virtue

In whose life God holds full sway.

We know that with the passing years

Pains have racked your frail body,

Your independence has turned to dependence

And you have lost much mobility.

You mightn’t recall a lot of things

But we are not very far behind,

While you have taken a long time to reach

We have arrived there in half that time.

In your face we still see the beauty

That attracted the man of your dreams

And how we wish he were here today

But that was not to be part of the scheme.

Together you made a secure abode

In which your children were able to live

And the lessons we learnt from you

Are the greatest gifts that you could give.

We have passed them on to your grands

And the great-grands too are picking up

But be it known to all this day

We were privileged to drink from your cup.

With God you have reared a family

That has stood the test of time,

We salute you Mum on your ninetieth

You are definitely one of a kind.

Like you, our days too are numbered,

We know not who’ll be the next to go

But like you we have Jesus

Who will help to cushion that blow.

So we raise our glasses together

In a toast today to our Mom,

You have weathered the hard times well

And still find time for fun.

Not of the griping, complaining type

But of the grateful and godly kind,

A woman who understands the nature of family

Mom Russell, you are definitely one of a kind.

Let us today bow our heads in prayer

As on God’s blessings we reminisce

And thank Him for this matriarch He has given

And for a remarkable day like this.

Stewart Russell © July 2017

Is an Ex-Christian for Real?

Are you in the business for the show

But the Saviour Jesus you do not know?

In your church are you one its pillars

But being born again does not matter?

Have you claimed to know the Lord Christ

Without acknowledging he paid sin’s price?

Did you fully trust Jesus alone for salvation

Or were you deceived by some clever concoction?

A person may claim he was once a Christian

But now denies the source of that salvation,

An ex-Christian some say but is that true?

He has lost his salvation: is that your view?

O she was among us for quite a while

Check the date in the membership file,

To be involved in church activity was her style

And her list of ministries stretched a mile.

He must have been saved though he isn’t now

He appears to have lost his salvation somehow,

Ex-Christians they have suddenly become

Once saved but no longer of God’s kingdom.

You should have heard him; he could preach

You should have seen her; she could teach,

Bible study sessions were their hallmark

And at prayer meetings were there at the start.

Yet she fell away and she no longer comes

Ask him about Christ and away he runs,

Viewing Christianity an absolute waste of time

He expresses, “It doesn’t even cross my mind.

I am now an ex-Christian and happy it is so

And one day you’ll be too; that I know

And you’ll know when I tell you I used to be

Just wait a little while and you will see.”

Could it be possible that they once were saved

And now this is the way in which they behave?

Having no regard for what was once held as true

They are now ex-Christians even in our view.

  

Maybe an ex-Christian is like dehydrated water

Doesn’t exist now or even in the here after,

Could it be that such a person was never saved

But was simply enthused by the limelight he craved?

For the thrill they join a church and quickly climb

And become involved as if running out of time,

Surpassing all others to reach their pinnacle

Being large and in charge and influencing people.

But did they have an encounter with the Saviour?

If such was the case why their contrary behavior?

Could it be that they were simply among us

But in all reality they never had come to Jesus.

Activities and membership in a choice of church

Do not any poor unregenerate sinner convert,

Salvation is by God’s grace and faith in Christ alone

Let’s cut through the fat and get to the bone.

A person could be a Christian in the name only

But concerning being genuine he is only a phony,

With his lips he praises but never in his heart

Not long and he’ll hear, “I never knew you, depart!”

How could Christ say he never knew someone?

Maybe that someone was never reborn,

A church member, yes and great at ministry

But he never addressed the issue regarding eternity.

For him that comes to Jesus there’s no doubt

That under no circumstance would he be cast out,

Coming to Christ and becoming a church member

Are quite different; the latter could be a pretender.

Being a devout church member is no guarantee

Even though one serves his church sincerely,

The only safeguard is to be born again

Christ as he spoke to Nicodemus made this plain.

Being born again is the second birth

It’s not of the flesh and it’s not of this earth,

Being born again is for keeps, not again and again

Hence saved to the uttermost is the Christian’s refrain.

You see the Father is the one who draws to the Son

And the Spirit implants that one in God’s kingdom,

And one who comes to the Father through Jesus Christ

Is once and for all covered; Jesus paid that price. 

As a man cannot be born of the flesh a second time

Neither of the Spirit one could reasonably opine,

The comparison that was made appears quite clear

And to come to that conclusion to me is flawlessly fair.

Is an ex-Christian for real?  Not according to the Word

For to be born again twice seems rather absurd,

The Spirit bears witness we are children of the King

And every child of God has a right to shout and sing.

An ex-Christian was not a Christian in the first place

And to imply that he was is a spiritual disgrace,

And for him to believe that I will follow in his stream

Means he never placed faith in the One who redeems.

I rejoice my name is stamped in the book of the Lamb

I praise God for the One who sits at His right hand,

Life eternal is mine thanks to God’s redemptive plan

Upon this assurance all born-again believers stand.

Stewart Russell © 2016