Not Easy at All

 

 

One of the hardest things to do

Is to challenge your own beliefs.

 

I received the above quote

From an influential elder

That played a pivotal role in my life

As both pastor and teacher.

 

I found the quote to be true

Especially regarding my beliefs,

I am what I grew up on

And my religion is chief.

 

What I was taught

Especially from my youth

Became my photo lens

For determining truth.

 

Being very trusting

Of my pastors and teachers,

To accept without question:

Was a desirable feature.

 

Back then it was declared

To be the written Word,

Thus, to question or disagree

Would have been absurd.

 

So, I drank it all up

And passionately preached it too

Just like I was taught

And probably, so did you.

 

Such that when I was forced

Those beliefs to defend,

I was quick to the draw

And only too eager to offend.

 

 

A dispensationalist to the core

And of the pre-tribulation too:

Nothing was ever allowed

To vanquish those views.

 

Jesus was coming soon

Meant of the imminent kind

And for me that definitely had to be

During my lifetime.

 

From 1948 to the present

Jesus was expected to appear;

Israel becoming a nation

Signaled the end was near.

 

 This is over a generation ago

Yet most still hold to it,

Therein lies the problem

When belief becomes an edict.

 

Traditions are so strong

Re the hold they have on us

That when they are proven wrong

In them we still put our trust.

 

It is critically important

Our beliefs stand upon the Word

And not necessarily

What for ages we have heard.

 

Time does not alter fact

Neither can it change the Word,

God’s Word stands forever

Regardless of what you heard.

 

Challenge your beliefs, I say,

In the light of God’s Holy Writ,

Find out if they are biblically based

Or just an uninformed habit.

 

Much of what we believe

We are afraid to put to the test

For fear that if it be found in error

It would rob us of our zest.

 

I could never face my church

If I find out that I was wrong

So, let me hold on to my beliefs

And continue to appear strong.

 

To challenge my own beliefs

Requires me to be honest

And to accept what the Bible says

In the event they fail the test.

 

It requires me to be loving

In how I share that truth,

Not in a condescending manner

Even when displaying the proof.

 

I must also be faithful

To the clarity of God’s Word

And to present it as it truly is

Even if friends are disturbed.

 

It requires me to be humble;

The Spirit must hold full sway,

It is he that reveals the Holy Word

And tells me what to say.

 

One of the hardest things to do

Is to challenge your own beliefs:

However, when one is able to do just that

It can bring tremendous relief.

 

Stewart Russell © August 29, 2020

 

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

 

Stand for Truth!

 

 

Stand for Truth!

 Unapologetically!

For Truth is the only one

That can make you free.

 

And having done all to stand,

Stand!

For truth is the offer

Of God’s proffered hand.

 

I am Truth.

The very words of Christ,

I dare say, to stand for Truth,

Will incur sacrifice.

 

 

Stand for Truth

Of fall for the lie:

The consequence of everyone

Who Truth denies.

 

The Word of God

Aka, the Holy Bible,

The # 1 book of all time

Currently scorned by many people.

 

The moral compass

And the spiritual plumb-line,

Truth that existed

Even before time.

 

The Light of the world

And the way we should go

That teaches us to love

Both friend and foe.

 

Truth that died

On a wooden cross

For the sins of the world

When we were lost.

 

 

Truth that lives

And forever reigns

That on that first Christmas

From heaven came.

 

It’s baffling, I know,

We can’t do as we please

But given these hard times

We all deserve some ease.

 

Let Truth be the guide

And for Truth let us stand

And much benefit we’ll derive

From God’s mighty hand.

 

Stewart Russell © November 12, 2022

 

A Bible Quiz in Poetry

 

 

Noah’s Ark landed on Mt Ararat

Is this true or false?

Before you rush to answer,

I suggest you halt.

 

I recommend you go to

Genesis chapter 8 and verse 4,

There you will find the answer;

Need I say more?

 

Who cut off Samson’s hair?

It was Delilah, of course,

If you are not very sure I suggest

The following source.

 

 

Find the correct answer

At Judges 16 verse 19,

There you will find a replaying

Of this scene.

 

Pride goes before a fall

And a haughty spirit before destruction

Where in the Bible is this

Or aught there to be a correction?

 

Your answer is to be found

At Proverbs 16 verse 18,

Go there now and see if it is

As you had deemed.

 

 

The lion shall lie down…

And most will say, with the lamb,

But could you not be building

Your premise on the sand?

 

If you are not sure

Check out Isaiah 11:6,

This is certain, I can assure you

To be an accurate fix.

 

What a fiery chariot it was

That took Elijah to heaven!

If you want to question this

Go 2Kings 2:11.

 

A surprise awaits you,

Your answer you’ll rescind

For the fiery chariot you expect

Will be gone with the wind.

 

 

Let us revisit the nativity

And count the wise men there,

How many do you see?

Is the number clear.

 

Should be three wise men

From what I was told,

Now go to Matthew 2 verse 11

And see what did unfold.

 

Where in the Holy Bible

Is the number 666?

Stand up if you know the location

And then right after, sit.

 

You will stand for ever

For it will not ever be seen,

If you have any doubts about this

Go to Revelation 13:18.

 

 

Which book tells us most

About the antichrist?

If you could reply in this medium

That would be nice.

 

But since I know you can’t

I’ll tell you what I know,

You won’t find it in Revelation

Though some may think so.

 

John wrote three epistles

In two you’ll find antichrist,

There are four mentions altogether;

This info should suffice.

 

What is the biblical definition

Given for antichrist?

If you could answer this question

That would be very nice.

 

 

Three definitions are given

And they all concur,

1^st John 2:22 and 2^nd John 1:7;

To these I now refer.

 

It’s denial on each occasion:

Two are explicitly so,

In the third it’s negative confession

So, denial implicitly shows.

 

Four mentions of antichrist:

All in two epistles of John,

No other mention can anyone find

In any shape, fashion or form.

 

 

Take nothing for granted

First go and check it out,

Fact-check sources by the Word

If you have a doubt.

 

And even if you haven’t,

It’s still a good thing to do,

I have committed to doing this

So, how about you?

 

Stewart Russell © November 2, 2024

 

 

Hope or Hoax?

 

 

How confusing it is

To hear a God-believing cleric

Publicly denounce the Bible

And be a vociferous critic!

 

Proclaimed as delusional:

That is, the Word of God,

On the airwaves and television

This was spread abroad.

 

If Christianity is a hoax

Then what does he believe?

What does he really teach

Or coax people to receive?

 

If the first 11 chapters

Of the Holy Bible are mythical

Then please tell me my dear cleric

What in there is believable?

 

If creation falls down,

On what can we rely?

Surely the whole Bible becomes

A colossal lie!

 

 

No Adam and Eve,

No Noah or Abraham,

No Moses and no Exodus

And no redemptive plan.

 

No Christ and no Gospel

No dying or resurrection,

No ascension or coming again

And definitely no salvation!

 

No creation and no Creator

It is all a huge scam!

All this preaching about eternity

And a salvation plan.

 

 

Hope or Hoax?

The latter it must be

When even leading church clerics

Preach such heresy.

 

No wonder the world

Appears “going to the dogs”
For the church the world sees

Denies its very God.

 

This is an indictment

On leaders like the noted cleric

That propagate so-called sermons

That are without merit.

 

 

If the Bible’s first 11 chapters

Are to be considered as mythical,

There’s no hope beyond death

For all of earth’s people.

 

Then nothing is absolute

And a man’s truth is only his own

And this augurs well

Once he stays in his zone.

 

However, such is impossible

For social beings,

They must of necessity interact

As their survival deems.

 

So that all who believe the lie

As propagated by this cleric

Are on their way to hell

For heaven they will forfeit.

 

Anyone who comes to God

Must believe that He exists

And without faith in God’s Word

Eternal life he will miss.

 

For if creation is a tale

Then the whole Bible is a myth

And Christ must be denounced

As being the Father’s Gift.

 

There is no Word of God

And there is no Holy Spirit

And ultimately no eternal hope

As implied by this cleric.

  

What is he really doing then

As he stands in the pulpit

When much of what he preaches

He doesn’t even believe it.

 

Stewart Russell © February 24, 2022

 

Can It Be Trusted?

 

 

 

How accurate is the Bible?

How truthful are its claims?

How does it line up with the original?

Is the information the same?

 

Is the OT truthful to the Hebrew?

Is the NT in sync with the Greek?

And must I know one or both of these

To with some authority speak?

 

When I see the word God

What does it really mean?

Is it inclusive, exclusive or neither?

From God what can I glean?

 

Can I trust the English Bible?

Can I trust what is written there?

Or do I need a discerning seer

That is especially prepared?

 

 

To what must I have access

If God’s Word I must grasp?

Must I enroll in Bible Seminary

Or attend some Bible class?

 

For whom was the Bible intended?

For a particular group?

Or, can I with certainty assume,

Everyone is in the loop?

 

Is it the truth referred to

Into which the Holy Spirit will lead?

Is it serious about the Holy Spirit

Or, is it just make-believe?

 

Can I trust the Holy Bible?

Can it stand on its very own?

Or, must I consult another source

Since it cannot stand alone?

 

 

So many commentators

And so many Bible commentaries,

So many varying opinions

And exaggerated complexities.

 

When the Spirit of truth is come

He will guide as Jesus said,

The Bible is the truth about Jesus

That the Spirit teaches instead.

 

O yes!  It can be trusted,

Thus, I dare to earnestly believe

That whosoever is led by the Spirit

Will of its treasures receive.

 

It guides the searching sheep

To the Shepherd’s fold

Where here and the hereafter

There are treasures to behold.

 

 

Dare to uncover its richness

With the lead of the Holy Spirit

And let its God-given directives

Become your daily habit.

 

Extra sources have their place

If based in the Holy Word

But to make them your primary source

Is absolutely absurd.

 

Can the Bible be trusted?

O yes!  It can be trusted,

It will withstand the test of time

And never will be busted.

 

Matthew 24:35; Mark13:31

 

Heaven and earth

 shall pass away

But the Word of the Lord

stands forever.

 

Stewart Russell © November 29, 2021