The Gospel

 

 

The Gospel is more than

The Christmas story,

It is more than a universal sect

On their way to glory.

 

The Gospel is more than

Some man-made edict

Proclaimed on Sunday mornings

From a sacred pulpit.

 

The Gospel is more than

That feel good elixir

To bring to someone’s difficult day

A brighter picture.

 

The Gospel is more than

The water-down homily

To further enrich the dynasties

Of the already wealthy.

 

 

 

The Gospel is more than

The emotive altar calls

That stress coming to the altar

As if this is all.

 

The Gospel is more than

The sinner’s prayer

Recited by the so-called seeker

For heaven down here.

 

The Gospel is more than

An escape from hell

To which the filthy rich and famous

Are headed pell-mell.

 

The Gospel is more than

Meeting my felt need

By way of some miraculous event

Or righteous deed.

 

The Gospel is more than

 All of the above,

It is really about a gracious God

And transcending love.

 

Known by many names

And quite a few titles

But knowing Yahweh personally

Is extremely vital.

 

It’s lifesaving for the now

And for all eternity

And from old it was proclaimed

To all humanity.

 

 

 

The Gospel is Christological:

Centred on Christ

Who, to redeem us from the curse,

Gave up his life.

 

The incarnate Son of God

Died upon a cross

Crucified by his created subjects

That were eternally lost.

 

To save them from wrath:

The wrath of their Creator,

Who, through their idolatrous acts,

Became God-haters.

 

Judgment was pronounced

And there was no escape

Unless, as was divinely instituted,

One their place did take.

 

Thus entered Emmanuel

Into humanity’s world

Who actually became “God with us”

As shown in the Word.

 

The Word became flesh

And dwelt among us

In the form of God’s incarnate Son,

Christ Jesus.

 

 

 

The Gospel is Theological:

Conceived by God

Who sent His only begotten Son

To redeem us all. 

 

To buy us back as it were

After the great fall

When our fore parents had chosen

To heed Satan’s call.

 

Choosing Satan’s lie

As he deceptively implied

Rather than the direct instruction

Which God supplied.

 

The Gospel is Biblical

From Genesis to Revelation

In which the Father’s promise unfolded

In our actual salvation.

 

According to the Scriptures

Jesus was born, lived and died,

And then the glorious resurrection

After he was crucified.

 

The Gospel is Biblical

Thus, it’s a divine revelation

In which God through Jesus Christ

Secured our redemption.

 

 

 

The Gospel is Apostolic

As in the words of the Apostles,

The core of whom in Holy Scripture

Were Jesus’ disciples.

 

Paul was at the forefront

Ably supported by Peter,

Add to these James, John and more:

Most of whom were martyred.

 

Martyred for the Gospel

Was their highest honour

When they gave their life for the one

For whom they laboured.

 

 

 

The Gospel is Historical;

It is not a fairy tale,

Though legendary, it is not a legend

As in fictional detail. 

 

The characters are real:

The main one being Christ

And the fact that he created time

Should also suffice.

 

The Gospel is Personal

And this is amazing,

That God wants a personal relationship

Is truly liberating.

 

Jesus knows his sheep

And he calls each by name,

Thus, this personal relationship denotes

No two are the same.

 

He invites you and me

To a relationship with him

Such that all who positively respond,

He saves from sin.

 

Via the Holy Spirit

He walks with me and you,

None is more personal than that,

This is true.

 

The ‘whosoever’

Speaks to the individual

That the Father draws to His Son

To make up His people. 

 

The Gospel is Universal:

Meaning the whole world,

For God so loved, the Bible says-

I’m sure you’ve heard.

 

It is to be proclaimed

To all nations and tribes

And any who call on the name of Jesus

Will not be despised.

 

Pertaining to our end

Most of us are concerned,

Thus, The Gospel is Eschatological:

Of such we can learn.

 

Life is the opportunity

To make our election sure,

“Come unto me,” Jesus now beckons

To open our heart’s door.

 

The change that you need

You need look no more,

The Gospel is transformational-

Real change is assured.

 

Now hear the bad news:

We all were born in sin

But The Gospel is the Good News:

Sinners are invited in. 

 

According to the Scriptures

Christ died but has risen

And all that put their trust in him

Will definitely be forgiven.

Forgiven of their sins

Present, past and future,

And none can pluck us from his hand:

Not a single creature.

 

 

 

The Gospel is all this

And I dare say, even more,

Whosoever believes shall not perish,

John 3:16 assures.

 

Stewart Russell © September 16, 2025

 

What a Mix Up!

 

 

I heard something recently

I believe was meant to confuse,

It was about the Gospel message

I was not at all amused.

 

Christ is the heart of the Gospel

That, I was made to understand,

Now, I am hearing something different

That’s not in accordance with this plan.

 

There seems to be some mix-up

Based on what I have been hearing,

This might not be clear to some

And that is what I am fearing.

 

 

“The Gospel is not about Jesus”

Yes, that came out just right,

Please do not ask me to repeat it

It is a colossal lost of sight.

 

But the preacher did not stop there

He had a little more to add

And, what he added, I must add

Was enough to make one sad.

 

“The Gospel is about the kingdom,” he said,

It is not about Jesus Christ,

It’s the Good News about the kingdom

Hence, why Jesus was sacrificed.

 

 

As a matter of fact, the preacher said

That Jesus did not really die,

The Greek meant something different

As if to dare anyone to defy.

 

I know very little Greek, I must admit

So on that basis I cannot argue

But, he said the word means to expire

And this was strike mix-up number two.

 

Die and expire mean the same

That is how it seems to me,

And particularly so in this context,

I have no doubt you can see.

  

  

Christ and the kingdom are the same

He is and represents the kingdom,

Salvation can be found in none other

Jesus was and is and is to come.

 

This preacher made light of the cross

And also the shed blood of Jesus Christ,

Treat to the problem the person has, he said,

And then born again would suffice.

 

These spiritual idiosyncrasies

Are like the foxes that spoil the grapes,

Depending on who the preacher is

They can be seen as the devil’s bait.

 

Be aware there are other gospels

That are not the Gospel at all

But if the preacher has a lot of clout,

Because of his influence, many will fall.

 

 

His name shall be called Jesus

For he shall save his people from their sin,

Anything short of this Gospel fact

Relates to a light that is misguidedly dim.

 

Stewart Russell © December 2019

 

What a Lack!

 

 

 

Listen to gospel radio

Or watch gospel television,

Very few of their broadcasts

Deal with sin.

 

Most of their presentations

Are to the converted directed

And the message of salvation

Is being neglected.

 

It’s not the salvation of souls

But the prosperity of man,

This is in direct contravention

Of God’s redemptive plan.

 

There is dire lack

When dealing with sin

And the audience wants to know

What’s in it for them.

 

I must ask this question

So please hear me well,

How does one respond to salvation

If we another message tell?

 

We are bombarded these days

On how to get rich,

Prosperity is the hot topic

It is the sales pitch.

 

Don’t take my word for it

Take some time, you must,

Scroll through the religious channels

And note what is the fuss.

 

It is about getting power

And about getting rich

Seldom about extricating a sinner

From sin’s overpowering ditch.

 

 

“It is even a sin to be poor,”

Some often say,

Poverty is a sinner walking

In the devil’s way.

 

Sickness too

Is another taboo,

No Christian should have it

That means me and you.

 

But the message of the church

Is left far behind,

It is severely diluted

Or at best, redefined.

 

The golden text of the Word

Is John 3:16

But today what we propagate

Is how to achieve our selfish dream.

 

“Look out for number one,

This is how you get wealth!

Come to Jesus now

To get both wealth and health.”

 

Nothing in there

About man’s deplorable state

And the need for the Saviour

With whom he can relate.

 

 

Nothing in there

About sin and its consequence

And the Christ who came down

And our need to repent.

 

Nothing in there

About God’s wonderful grace

And the sacrifice Jesus made,

No, not a trace.

 

It is about how we can prosper

And get ahead in life,

Nothing about how to resist the devil

In our everyday strife.

 

There is a great need

To emulate our Saviour and Lord,

To walk in his footsteps

And to propagate his word…

 

While keeping in our minds

St Luke chapter 4,

To preach to sin’s captives

Whether they be rich or poor.

 

Our gospel radio preachers

And televangelists too,

Need to revamp their programme

And adopt a different view.

 

And send a strong message

Across the airwaves,

How Jesus is still the only one

Through whom man can be saved.

 

 

To preach the bad news

About sin and about hell,

And then tell the Good News

About the one who makes sinners well.

 

For God so loved the World

That he sacrificially gave

His Son Christ Jesus and our Saviour

Through whom all can be saved.

 

Stewart Russell © February 2020

 

 

Mere Speculation

Are these the last days?

How long do they last?

How much more must we go through?

How long before all this is passed?

Every era since Pentecost

Has claimed theirs was the last

And similarly, this present era,

We are getting there quite fast.

Every major incident these days

We try to connect with the Word,

Some Bible believing Christians

Even push this to the absurd.

 

We look intently on the skies

To see what is happening there

And we try to use that information

To prophesy when Jesus will appear.

“Wars and rumors of wars”

Is the state of our political world,

So, we use this current trend

To interpret God’s Holy Word.

Bible prophecy is like today’s news

As its prophecies are being fulfilled

And with every new development,

There is an exciting thrill.

But it has been shown in every era

That similar things were occurring

Yet, we believe it is more upscale now

Hence, Jesus is soon coming.

 

I have no doubt he will return

I can take him at his word,

But he said that we know not when

So, any predictions are absurd.

Notwithstanding all I’ve said,

That day should not take us unawares,

For the expected and unexpected

A good soldier always prepares.

If these of a truth are the last days

Then we should be upping our pace

At evangelizing and discipling

And telling all of God’s wondrous grace.

Instead, you would observe

That there is increasing neglect

And the propagation of the Good News

Is not pushed as we should expect.

There is little urgency in our steps

And concern for the peril of the unsaved,

If these are truly the last days

It is not showing in the way we behave.

We should be gathering in the harvest

Which is truly plenteous,

We should be making very sure

We’re telling everyone about Jesus.

Like John, the Baptizer,

We should be calling them to repent

But instead, we are hearing these days

Messages of little Gospel content.

We are redefining the Gospel

To make it what it is not

And if you want to be filthy rich

The church will give you your best shot.

 

Yet we say these are the last days

And Jesus will soon be back,

Maybe they are and maybe they’re not

None of us knows for a fact.

It’s speculation, mere speculation

And not what is needed at this time,

Instead, the Great Commission from Jesus

Should now be filling all our minds.

   

Go ye into the highways and byways,

In communities and on the Internet,

Tell them Jesus is the one to turn to

It they have not done so yet.

  

Rather than argue about his return

Tell all about his first advent,

And now commands this same Jesus

That today is the day to repent.

Tell them about their sin:

The bad news they don’t want to hear,

Then tell them of the good news:

Of the one who came our sins to bear.

In him is our hope and joy

Whenever he should come again,

However, now is the time to get on board

Get on board the Gospel train!

Stewart Russell © March 2020

What A Mix-Up!

I heard something recently

I believe was meant to confuse,

It was about the Gospel message

I was not at all amused.

Christ is the heart of the Gospel

That, I was made to understand,

Now, I am hearing something different

That’s not in accordance with this plan.

There seems to be some mix-up

Based on what I have been hearing,

This might not be clear to some

And that is what I am fearing.

“The Gospel is not about Jesus”

Yes, that came out just right,

Please do not ask me to repeat it

It is a colossal loss of sight.

But the preacher did not stop there

He had a little more to add

And, what he added, I must add

Was enough to make one sad.

“The Gospel is about the kingdom,” he said,

It is not about Jesus Christ,

It’s the Good News about the kingdom

Hence, why Jesus was sacrificed.

As a matter of fact, the preacher said

That Jesus did not really die,

The Greek meant something different

As if to dare anyone to deny.

I know very little Greek, I must admit,

So on that basis, I cannot argue

But, he said the word means to expire

And this was strike mix-up number two.

Die and expire mean the same

That is how it seems to me,

And particularly so in this context,

I have no doubt you can see.

  

Christ and the kingdom are the same,

He is and represents the kingdom,

Salvation can be found in none other

Jesus was and is and is to come.

This preacher made light of the cross

And also the shed blood of Jesus Christ,

Treat to the problem the person has, he said,

And then born again would suffice.

These spiritual idiosyncrasies

Are like the foxes that spoil the vine,

Depending on who the preacher is

Some will eagerly fall in behind.

Be aware there are other gospels

That are not the Gospel at all

But if the preacher has a lot of clout,

Because of his influence, many will fall.

His name shall be called Jesus

For he shall save his people from their sin,

Anything short of this Gospel fact

Relates to a light that is misguidedly dim.

Stewart Russell © December 2019