Not Every Reverend

 

 

Not every Reverend

Is a man of God

Because not every Reverend

Is of the called.

 

Such are imposters

If never called

And a simple word for these

Would be fraud.

 

I am not very good

At telling the difference

Since I am inclined to relate

To biblical content.

 

This allows for me

To map out my course

And not be misled by their power

Or rules they enforce.

 

 

A title is just that

And not anything more

If the wearer just has plasters

For a spiritual sore.

 

I expect much more

From a man of God

That has been made aware

He has been called.

 

Called to a purpose

And given a plan

Straight out of God’s Holy Word

For every man.

 

Man being generic

Meaning women too

And since they are two genders,

That means me or you.

 

Male and female

With no in between

That is now so common place

On today’s scene.

 

Not every Reverend,

I must reiterate,

Has been called of the Lord

At any rate.

 

Whether they are many

Or there is a dearth

A Reverend that was not called

Has little worth.

 

Be wise to their tricks

In the light of the Word

And whenever you are in doubt

To the Bible defer.

 

 

Fall not for titles

And they are quite a few,

Reverend is surely one of them

And Apostle too.

 

Stewart Russell © November 14, 2024

 

Defenselessness

 

 

Defenselessness is a defense

A mechanism for trusting God,

Of critical importance to the believer

Absolutely vital to the “called”.

 

This may seem quite nonsensical

To the powerful and the strong

But if like me you are a weakling

On it you would not frown.

 

Cows have horns and goats too,

This is their defense,

Some animals are fleet of foot

And some can jump the fence.

 

Some are huge and frightening

Like the elephant and the bear,

And when you see the lion’s teeth

It is a warning to stand clear.

 

Some deliver powerful kicks

Like the donkey and the mule,

Some make use of camouflage

I find that rather cool.

 

But there are particular animals

To which believers are likened,

They have no defense mechanism

And are quite easily frightened.

 

Defenselessness is their defense

Sheep are the animals I mean,

They are scattered every which way

If the shepherd is off the scene.

 

But their defenselessness is good

They are cognizant of their weakness,

Hence they trust their human leader

And with him they safely rest.

 

So it is with the believer

Our dependence is on Jesus,

We have no defense in ourselves

But in God we quietly trust.

 

 

His strength is perfect in weakness

The weakness of His little lambs

Defenselessness becomes the key

In depending on the Master’s hand.

 

Defenselessness is our defense

We have neither bark nor bite,

Hence, we simply resist the devil

And our Shepherd puts him to flight.

 

Defenselessness is a weapon

Given to the trusting child of God,

Any defenses of his own

Are of the devil, not the Lord.

 

So let us be like the sheep

Which in a shepherd must put its trust,

We are of “the whosoever” will

That put their trust in Jesus.

 

 

Defenselessness is a mechanism

For all that trust in God,

Stand still and see your salvation

All you who are named the “called”.

 

Stewart Russell © September 2019