Of Bread and Crumbs

 

 

If it tastes as good as it smells

It’ll take just a crumb,

Just a crumb or two to prove

My assertion is not dumb.

 

The crumb tastes no different

From the entire bread

And if I couldn’t have the loaf

I’d have a crumb instead.

 

Or maybe two or three

As they fall from the table,

After all, bread is the staff of life

That means, it’s a staple.

 

And so, she approached Jesus

With her critical request,

She wanted healing for her daughter

That was not at her best.

 

At first, he ignored her,

At least, that’s how it appeared

But she was persistent

About her daughter’s welfare.

 

The disciples were annoyed

And wished she be sent away

And the answer Jesus gave to her

Said it was not her day.

 

He had come to Israel’s house

And she was of the Greeks,

Most would have gone away

But she continued to speak.

 

 

Ignored the first time

Abruptly brushed off the second,

This time she knelt and worshipped him

Hoping something would happen.

 

The answer Jesus gave her

To me seemed rather harsh

And I must confess if it were me

I’d surely have gasped.

 

Did he call her a dog?

Goodness gracious, but why?

Then again, that he needed rest,

None would dare deny.

 

After all, he was human then

And could crack under strain

And people just kept on coming

Again, and again.

 

This may have been so

For the disciples and all others

But in the case of Jesus

It was a different matter.

 

 

A lesson was truly unfolding

For them and for us,

It was what great faith looks like

As one responds to Jesus.

 

This woman was focused

And to me this is clear

As she demonstrated to all and sundry

A faith greater than her fear.

 

The bread was not for her

The disciples would have said,

And Jesus mirrored their feelings

As the woman pled.

 

You would recall that they said

To send her away

But what hope would she have had

When Jesus is the way?

 

If they learnt the lesson then

I really cannot tell

But Jesus commended the woman

And made her daughter well.

 

She had had a demon

But didn’t we all

Until we put faith in Jesus Christ

And were drawn to God.

 

One way to God the Father

And it’s through Jesus the Son,

For both Jew and Gentile

In one predetermined kingdom.

 

Herein is the lesson

Re the lost house of Israel,

In Abraham’s seed all will be blessed

Meaning all earth’s people.

 

Of Jews, Gentiles and Greeks

And of Syro-Phoenicia too,

Like this woman and her daughter

And like me and you.

 

Jesus commended her faith,

It was of the persistent type

But understand Jesus did the healing

Not some emotional hype.

 

While faith is important

It does not replace God,

God must always be faith’s object,

Beware of Satan the Fraud.

 

 

The bread was for the children

But not merely the Jews

And this miracle sent this signal

Though many Jews refused.

 

They that come to Christ

He will in no way refuse

And it matters not their ethnicity

Be they Germans or Jews.

 

Despise not the crumbs

They’re the same quality as the bread,

I believe not a crumb was wasted

When Jesus thousands fed?

 

Jesus is the living bread

That came to us from heaven

And they that live by his every word

Are eternally forgiven.

 

Stewart Russell © April 29, 2024

 

It Takes a Lot

 

 

It takes a lot, I have noticed

To move the Almighty God,

It’s almost like begging the Government

To respond to an urgent call.

 

A lot of prayer is requested

And nowadays they have to shout

And as if all of this were not sufficient

They must get warriors with clout.

 

Intercessory prayer

Meaning on someone’s behalf

Just like the High Priest in Bible times

Interceded for Israel past.

 

Then they sacrificed animals

To temporarily expiate sin

But now as individuals Jesus invites

All and sundry to come to him.

 

We seem not to understand

Our standing in Jesus Christ

And that his indwelling Holy Spirit

More than satisfies.

 

Thus, it often puzzles me

As to whom we are praying,

It really cannot be God Almighty

Given what we are saying.

 

For oft in the midst of praying

We turn to address the Devil

Commanding him to do this and that

And remind him of his peril.

 

We send him back to hell

From where he apparently came

And demand he remove his filthy hand

From all in Jesus’ name.

 

A conversation with Satan!

Intercessors revel in this

While losing focus of the Almighty God

And lots of benefits miss.

 

Peace of mind, for sure

With the comfort that He gives,

As well as the wisdom and understanding

By which we daily live.

 

 

We go to the intercessors

And then they shout at God,

Meanwhile we stand and noisily agree

And sometimes someone falls.

 

Desperate circumstances

Require desperate measures

Hence, we rant and rave and carry on

To unlock God-given treasures.

 

It really takes a lot

At least, that’s how it appears

To get the Almighty God to respond

To His children and their cares.

 

 

 

It was not so with Eli

Or with Aaron or Samuel,

  It was not so with the disciples

Or any of the apostles.

 

Why must it be so, I ask,

With modern day intercessors?

Why must they come over so harshly

Behaving like oppressors?

 

Somewhat known

For their lengthy prayers

Other services become prayer meetings

Overburdened with cares.

 

Oh, that it could be similar

Regarding the study of the Word,

No doubt many would consider this

Somewhat absurd.

 

 

 

Lord, give us a passion

For your Holy Word

That our prayers would align with you

And with your Word concur.

 

Prayer is very important

And none should deny this

But at no time should it come over

Like a shopping list.

 

Neither should it be a noise

As in quarrelling with God

Demonstrating to all within earshot

God hears when we bawl.

 

 

There will be times in our life

When the heat will be hot

But having an empathetic Father

Is the believer’s lot.

 

Isaiah 65:24

 

And it shall come to pass,

That before they call, I will answer;

And while they are yet speaking,

I will hear.

 

God hears and answers prayer

Is the promise to the born again,

Praise Him in all your circumstances

And bless His Holy name.

 

Stewart Russell © May 22, 2024

 

Who Is Taking Command?

 

 

Permit me, I beg you,

To focus on the following verses

To bring to your attention

Two options or courses.

 

For this specific exercise

We will ignore the context

To ask the following question

That emerges from the texts.

 

Who is taking command

Depends on which course we take

The second course I recommend

It’s better for our sake.

 

Mark 4:36

 

And when they had sent away the multitude,

they took him

even as he was in the ship.

 

Mark 6:45

 

And straightway

he constrained his disciples to get into the ship,

and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida,

while he sent away the people.

 

A call from a friend

With a homework assignment

Which I eagerly received

And expressed my intent.

 

Hence, the verses above

Which I subsequently analysed

But found nothing

With which I could be surprised.

 

Later, when I called him back

To report on my findings

I was glad I was no longer at school

To receive a chiding.

 

It was after he shared with me

What he had discovered

That I came up with the title

For the following picture.

 

Who is taking command

I need therefore to ask

As in our day-to-day struggles

We engage our tasks.

 

 

Notice the first scripture:

Who is taking command?

Apparently, the disciples are in command

At least, from where I stand.

 

They sent the multitude away

And then they took Jesus

Just like how we operate today

Especially in our rush.

 

Later in the ship

When the tempest had arisen,

The command changed hands

As by fear they were stricken.

 

“Don’t you care that we perish?”

They all cried out,

For Jesus had gone to sleep

And that they would drown

There was little doubt.

 

The winds and waves calmed

When Jesus took control

Just like when he speaks peace

To our troubled souls.

 

Notice the second scripture:

Who is taking command?

It is certainly not the disciples-

Not from where I stand.

 

 

Jesus commanded his disciples

To get into the ship

And to go to the other side

As he saw fit.

 

It was Jesus, notice with me,

That sent the multitude away,

Very unlike the previous occasion

When the disciples had their say.

 

Another tempest at sea

That would test the disciples’ spine

And in the midst of it

 “A ghost!” they all opined.

 

He was walking on the water

As he approached their ship,

I could imagine at that time

They must have had a fit.

 

 

As Jesus climbed on board

The wind suddenly ceased

And as he spoke to them reassuringly

Their fears decreased.

 

However,

 

Whether Jesus is in command

Or we take over the helm,

There is still no guarantee

We won’t encounter a problem.

 

But we can be assured

Of a much better outcome

When we give over to the Master

Ourselves and our problem.

 

Who is taking command?

Is it Jesus the Master or is it you?

If it is not the former

You have a distorted view.

 

Stewart Russell © March 22, 2021

 

Our Future or Theirs?

 

 

Revelation 1:7

 

Behold, he cometh with clouds;

 and every eye shall see him,

and they also which pierced him:

and all kindreds of the earth

shall wail because of him.

Even so, Amen.

 

In whose future is this?

The popular view says ours,

Thus, let me share with you

My study of several hours.

 

When studying the Scriptures

Audience relevance is vital,

Not everything that is written therein

Is for every people.

 

As I read Revelation 1:7

In conjunction with Matthew 24

I get the clearest of impressions

It’s their future more and more.

 

Whose future you may ask?

The Future of those Jews

The very ones that Jesus was addressing

In that prophetic view.

 

 

John on the Isle of Patmos

Picks up this very intent

That it’s to his brothers in tribulation

That this revelation was sent.

 

These were scheduled events

That must shortly come to pass,

John was certainly clear on this

And the urgency of his task.

 

Not only would they happen shortly

But the time was at hand,

Note the imminence of the prophecy

This was a short-term plan.

 

In their future not ours,

It was to happen in their time

Or why this intense urgency?

It’s time we disabuse our mind.

  

Written to seven churches then

Not to churches in our time

Though these specified characteristics

Are applicable to yours and mine.

 

There is a message there for us

That we should take to heart

But this would be so in every era

Post Pentecost and from the start.

 

The events of that 1^st Century

Affected the entire world,

Not long after Jesus left

Began the chaotic whirl.

 

The Christians were persecuted

Firstly, by the Jews

And the Romans subsequently joined

According to historic reviews.

 

 

In the Olivet discourse

As in the events of the Revelation

Jesus spoke to the horrid times at hand

Also known as the tribulation.

 

The disciples were apprehensive

Not for us in our time

But for themselves and others,

Fear and distress racked their mind.

 

Remember this is pre-Pentecost

Jesus is still with them,

However, soon he’ll be going away

Herein lies the problem.

 

 

The temple will be destroyed

Jerusalem will be laid waste,

Nothing like this had they experienced

And it was coming with haste.

  

Like an oncoming storm

With little chance of escape,

The disciples understood its imminence

Let us make no mistake.

 

Do not be deceived

Jesus warned his disciples,

That they bear in mind what he said

Was absolutely vital.

 

It was vital to them

Because it would happen to them,

Not in two thousand years

But imminently back then.

 

In their time I must repeat

Certainly not in ours,

The urgency was as clear as could be

Concerning the oncoming horror.

 

 

Then shall they deliver you up

To be afflicted and killed,

The audience that Jesus addressed

Was standing before him still.

 

Many shall be offended

And shall betray one another,

It was of them that he spoke

Hence why they were bothered.

 

When would these things be?

The disciples had enquired,

And Jesus’ response was

Before that generation had expired.

 

When you shall see these things

Know that it is near,

It was the generation that heard him

 Right then and there. 

 

Matthew 16:28; Luke 9:27

 

There be some standing here,

Which shall not taste of death,

Till they see the son of man

Coming in his kingdom.

 

Matthew 24:15-21

 

When ye therefore shall see

The abomination of desolation,

Spoken of by Daniel the prophet

Stand in the holy place.

 

Let them that be in Judea

Flee to the mountain

And let him that be on the housetop

Not come down for anything.

 

Neither let him that be in the field

Return back for his clothes,

All this would befall Jerusalem

In this time of woes.

 

Then shall be great tribulation-

In that time, not now

But for a reason unknown to me

It will be in our day, somehow.

 

Daniel the prophet

Prophesied of this occasion,

Matthew 24 is Jesus’ confirmation

It will happen to that generation.

 

That generation, not ours

More than two thousand years hence,

Read the Scriptures as they are

And I mean no offense.

 

 

Coming with clouds

According to chapter 1 of Revelation

But this does not speak to the end

As in the final consummation.

 

And even if it did

None knows when that would be,

To say it would be in our time

Would be to say so mistakenly.

 

Their future, not ours

Speaks to the end of that age,

The end of the old Jewish covenant-

This was the transitional stage.

 

It speaks to Jesus’ lament

Over the city of Jerusalem

As he bemoaned their rejection

And their coming desolation.

 

Matthew 23:37-38

 

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,

thou that killest the prophets,

and stonest them which are sent onto thee,

how often would I have gathered thy children together,

even as a hen gathereth her chickens under hew wings,

and ye would not!

 

Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

 

Revelation1:7

 

Behold, he cometh with clouds;

 and every eye shall see him,

and they also which pierced him:

and all kindreds of the earth

shall wail because of him.

Even so, Amen.

 

Revelation 22:10

 

 

Daniel 12:4

 

 

Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book:

For the time is at hand.

Very unlike the instructions that Daniel had:

Shut up the words and seal the book was the plan.

 

In their time not ours

Not our future but theirs,

I have given a condensed summary

But I believe the point is clear.

 

Stewart Russell © October 27, 2020