My Christmas Gifts to Jesus

I set out on a journey

I knew not where,

Of one thing I was sure, though,

I would know when I got there.

Among the things I carried

Was one parcel of gold,

“Take it along,” I was prompted

For a king that was foretold.

It was a very long journey

But I remained steadfast,

A star, would you believe it?

Was my day and night focus.

After two years of travel

I closed in on my quest,

For the place of his birth, I believed,

A palace would be best.

With me was another traveller

Whom I met on the way,

He had also started on his journey

Exactly two years to the day.

His parcel was frankincense

But not for a king,

He was taking it for a priest

As he was instructed to bring.

There was a third traveller

That had come from afar,

Like us, he had set on this journey

And was also led by a star.

He too had a story to tell

And we listened intently to him

But what he said to us then

Really threw us in a spin.

 

A king, I understood,

Hence the significance of my gold,

Incense for a priest

On that too I was sold.

  

But when he showed us the myrrh

He was making no sense,

Certainly not in the same light

As our gold and incense.

This child that was born a king

Was also a priest,

But one day, as the myrrh indicated,

He would become deceased.

We had a hard time convincing

The king of our search,

It even became worse

When he consulted his experts.

After we left his palace

I understand he became enraged

And sought to kill all male babies

Younger, or two years of age.

As I listened to that traveller

Who gave the baby Jesus gold,

The reason for the first Christmas

Clearly began to unfold.

Those travellers brought gifts

For God’s gift to the world,

The gift of His only Son

That from the beginning is the Word.

God gave to us Himself:

That is what I have discerned,

Hence, the question on our mind should be

What can I give to Him in return?

I can give him gold

Since he is already the King,

And I have a precedent for it

That is what a wise man did bring.

I can give him frankincense

But he is already the High Priest

And myrrh won’t make any sense

Since he is no longer deceased.

O, I know what I would do

From this Christmas and on

For I am very clear in my mind

Just how I should respond.

I would give him my life

Which for me represents my gold,

And my sincerest devotion

Would be the frankincense I hold.

My myrrh would certainly be

My daily dying to sin,

And all of this I assure you

Would be my Christmas gifts to Him.

Stewart Russell © December 2019

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

The Best Christmas Gift Ever

Fear not: for, behold,

 I bring you good tidings

Of great joy,

Which shall be to all people.

The Gospel According to St Luke 2:10

Focus if you may

On God’s redemptive plan,

An infinite gift through Jesus Christ

Given to every man.

The gift of God’s Son

Of inestimable price,

Willingly given for us

As the Father’s sacrifice.

The best Christmas gift ever

An eternal treasure,

Given to you and me

At the Father’s pleasure.

No longer in a manger

But still the world’s Saviour

And the only way

To find God’s favour.

Receive Jesus now

Like the shepherds on that day

And, like the wise men,

Let the Saviour lead the way.

Neither is there salvation in any other

For there is none other name

Under heaven given among men,

Whereby we must be saved.

The Acts of the Apostles 4:12

Stewart Russell © December 2019

The Way

Jesus

Crucified

For you

For me

On the cross of Calvary

For wrongs he did not do

Nailed

To the

Cross

For me

For you

In your

Stead

And in

Mine

Jesus

King

And

Lord

Divine

Come

Via the

Cross

Christ

Calls

For you

It’s the

Least

That you

Can do

Come

Today

Do not

Delay

Come to Jesus

The only way

Stewart Russell © December 2019