Thursday, December 27, 2018

We are the Reason for the Season

        In the hustle and bustle of this busy holiday season, it's easy to get overwhelmed. There are so many activities and traditions to keep up with at Christmas. It's easy to forget what it's all about and why we do the celebrations we do. But, of course, in the course of it all, we should always remember the reason for the season- us. If not for us, there would be no Christmas- there'd be no need. It might seem weird to say Christmas is all about me and you but in a sense it certainly is just that. In the same way that police and fire fighters and superheroes are out of work without villains to stop and people to save, the birth of Christ would not be necessary except for us. We, the pinnacle of God's creation, went astray like sheep. We have all sinned and are all villains. But instead of sending us to the Phantom Zone, God found a way to save us from our Kryptonite that had killed us. The real life Superman came to earth, rocketed out of Heaven and arriving via the miracle of the Incarnation. He was raised by a carpenter and his wife in a small town, not too unlike Jonathan and Martha raising Clark Kent in Smallville. Joseph and Mary raised Jesus Christ in Nazareth later on after His spectacular birth in Bethlehem, which was reserved for only a few shepherds to first know about and view the manger.
       And like the meek and mild-mannered reporter, Jesus humbled Himself and disguised His superpowered self in the form of a bondservant for the planet daily for 33 years. And ultimately, He showed us that He is the one true real Superhero because He did what only He could do for the sake of the people- He gave His life to save all of humanity. He paid the price for all of our wrong deeds once for all time. And then He proved He is God over all ultimately by defeating the great enemy no one else could defeat- He beat death, sin, Hell, the devil and his demons all in one blow! He rose again from the grave!
      And He did it all to save us! If we put our faith in Him to save us, He gathers us in His arms and no scheme of Lex Luthor can ever shake us loose. We are saved forever from the sin that had entangled us and we are freed to live for Jesus and have an assurance of eternity with Him in Heaven.
And that's the meaning of and reason for Christmas. Yes, Jesus is still always the reason for the season but as David Meece reminds us, we are the Reason for Jesus coming! He loves us and wants to save us! That's why we can celebrate Christmas and that's ultimately what we celebrate- the advent of our salvation culminating and fulfilled in Easter!
      And as we celebrate the joy to the world The Lord's first coming brings, we also look forward to the joy to the world (for those in Christ) that The Lord's second coming brings. 
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman- fully God and fully man! The Saviour has come and The Saviour's coming again! Hallelujah!
Merry Christmas and Happy (First and Second) Advent! 
"We are the reason that He gave His life. We are the reason that He suffered and died. To a world that was lost He gave all He could give to show us the reason to live." ...."He is my reason to live!" 
- "We Are The Reason" by David Meece

(Philippians 2, Galatians 4:4, Psalms 98, Mark 4:41, Colossians 1:15-23, Romans 5:6-8, John 1:1-18, John 1:29, John 1:43-51, John 3:13-21, 1 John 4:7-21, Hosea 11:8-9, Hosea 2:16-23, 2 Peter 3:8-9, Revelation 22:16-21) (Action Comics by DC Comics publishing and David Meece's 1980 "Are You Ready?" album from Myrrh Records for all the rest )

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Want A Place Where, Brother, Nobody Does Nobody Wrong? Song (Song)

Are there times when you just feel like giving up? Sometimes the world seems so unfair when we strive to live right for The Lord and all we get for our troubles are more troubles while the unrighteous world seems to thrive in the lap of luxury! It seems crazy to most. Yet God assures us that though we will have persecutions and trials in this life, we always have Him with us to take us through them. And we don't have a God unfamiliar with pain and suffering. Our Lord Jesus suffered alongside us And He can sympathize with us in our sorrows as The Man of all Sorrows. And though we may not ever understand them all in this life, we can trust that God still is good and has a good plan for us in the end and the weight of glory far outscored anything we endure here. Keep your eyes to the skies! We walk by faith and not by sight.

"Want A Place Where, Brother, Nobody Does Nobody Wrong? Song"
(parody of "(Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" written by Chips Moman and Larry Butler, as performed by B.J. Thomas)
(Copyright Nathan Ludwick 9/23/2018)
(Psalms 73, Romans 8, Book of Lamentations, Job 38-42, Psalms 42, Romans 10:9-13, Hebrews 13:5-16)

He's lonely out there crying
And he's reeling from death of wife
4 kids- gone too- where's God?
Well, don't He love everybody? So long, God.

Hey! Won't he say,
"Oh, brother! Some God- He's done somebody wrong, dog..."?
Why pray and keep the law?
When all of this is my payment! Feeling dissed like Asaph

"So please pray for me- it's a sad tragedy"
The man- it did shake his faith in God- Please, Why?
Some real hurting's come- so how could God let it go on?
'Cause I feel justified just like Job

Hey! What's it say? In chapters 38 on- God's God and we're not!
So when you feel like Job
While dismissing your safeties- Repositioned to Saviour!

Lord Jesus received real bad suffering
So bad but it means no one has to die
Our real hurts seem wrong- like how real Love's what we long
'Cause pain is The Lord Christ's megaphone

Hey! Want a place
Where, brother, nobody does nobody wrong, dog?
That place is streets of gold
Well, Jesus is my payment
There suffering finds meaning
(x3)
...........................................................

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

I Shall Again Praise Him (More Songs to the God of My Life)

(Note: This post is intended as a direct follow-up to the last blog entry.)

Praise The Lord Jesus Christ always! He's always worthy no matter what I'm feeling! (Psalms 42, 43, 137, 103, 149 and 150, Revelation 4:11)
It's always an appropriate response to praise The Lord- in all the bad and all the good. And as Don Francisco reminds us, Jesus is Lord of the way I feel.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NldZCO2ECaw

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cvytewIxll0
("The Silence of God" by Andrew Peterson)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8GiPb6gwuPQ
("After The Last Tear Falls" by Andrew Peterson)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wyWi_dEJEUs
("No More Faith" by Andrew Peterson)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fn8cbI9jFGc
("The Rain Keeps Falling" by Andrew Peterson)

https://youtu.be/3w6BoCvWLtE
("The Far Country" by Andrew Peterson)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5aQq5wOrKk4
("Canaan Bound" by Andrew Peterson)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8fXFIqHS9Ho
("God's Own Fool" by Michael Card)

https://youtu.be/h_cMqqiXZ5Q
("That's What Faith Must Be" by Michael Card)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9fIP_bKxjLs
("Joy in the Journey" by Michael Card)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I-A1u-Zfal8
("Not Home Yet" by Steven Curtis Chapman)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LpXMnY_t03M
("Place in This World" by Michael W. Smith)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5kx3xqmg0
("Better Than A Hallelujah" by Amy Grant)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OfGvXfe9LK8
("Don't Try So Hard" by Amy Grant, featuring James Taylor)


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iPsea6m1klo
("Reaching" by Carolyn Arends)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1s1JbM0Bk
("Big Enough" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mFla0ssth0I
("Naive" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xNUmoSHavLc
("Smell the Color 9" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo5BAGWoD7g
("Questions for Heaven" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nOftdxtQgmA
("Live By Faith" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u_zVGsUN2KI
("Hallelujahs" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FPwYyj6uR1U
("And Your Praise Goes On" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p5V30p-sPww
("One of Those Days" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IVzsUCXysCo
("My Tree" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iR7MXFupz6E
("Prone to Wander" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hTRNW6tkv-I
("Missin' You" by Chris Rice) (plus "Cartoons" by Chris Rice :-))

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UFNB2oVcNgg
("Hard to Get" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mEY_UYMvQZ0
("A Place to Stand" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A2arAO8T2j8
("Growing Young" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t4naLg-j4TU
("Elijah" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oEiXrRmtDIk
("Land of My Sojourn" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d9T3tL5U67w
("Hold Me Jesus" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jj0ZTzgmGM
("If I Stand" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fAMRacZ0zHE
("Sometimes by Step" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nBnzAepXOE8
("Awesome God" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HbIYPYBiejM
("Sing Your Praise To The Lord" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UuuZMg6NVeA
("Every Praise" by Hezekiah Walker)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V7eZD3TKn_M
("Shackles (Praise You)" by Mary Mary)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sQTyjatRw5Q
("A Flowery Song" by Five Iron Frenzy)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_tOD5nYF8lw
("Smells Like Thirtysomething Spirit" by ApologetiX)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xrSwEa29xMY
("Save Your Voice (Quiet Down Boy)" by ApologetiX)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OfTQg9whI-s
("Praise The Lord" by The Imperials)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X6WUIBr7Ncs
("Jury Duty" by The O.C. Supertones)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ca9LnzJnpjQ
("Days of Elijah" by Robin Mark)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLejeq2nh0
("A Million Years" by This Train)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OIahc83Kvp4
("Is He Worthy?" by Andrew Peterson)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ttS7FH8X4n4
("He Is" by Aaron Jeoffrey)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tqEa1Uo9UZc
("Oh Lord, You're Beautiful" by Keith Green)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rhGOosxTLrY
("The Color Green" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KTiPg7p2FxU
("Creed" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DXtwPY1Qqug
(Hymn Medley and Doxology performed by Rich Mullins)

Season for the Reason: Have I Served God All for Naught or Has He Served me All for Naughty?

 (Note: This is a piece of writing borne out of a real conversation about the age old question of why the wicked always seem to prosper and the righteous always seem to suffer. Christ calls us to count the cost before following Him and many times after walking faithfully with Him for a long time, we start to feel the weight of that cost. After a while, we don't feel like we have received the rest God promises in Matthew 11:28. It seems like we should have more of our felt needs met and God doesn't seem to be cutting it anymore. What do we do then? Why do the wicked always seem to prosper while all we seem to get for our struggles in following Jesus is just pain and suffering? Is God fair?)

    One of the biggest areas of unfulfillment more than anything else felt for Christians is in the area of love and romantic relationships. Though married people feel this at times too, it seems particularly grievous and painful for single Christians faithfully holding to celibacy. Praise God for that testimony of holding true to His standards of sexual purity! That's a very honest confession that not many can make. And I always appreciate honesty, as I know God does. And we can always be totally honest with Him.
But where does that leave me when I feel like God isn't meeting my needs in this area?
   I can understand struggling with doubts about God and His promises. I've struggled with doubts numerous times myself. I think every Christian, if they're honest, would admit that. Throughout the Scriptures there are tons of folks who struggled with doubts. Just read the book of Job. Moses and Elijah are also two prime examples. But both those guys also appeared with Jesus on the mountain at His transfiguration! Obviously they made it through the doubts to see their faith become sight.
   It's certainly not easy but we are still called to trust God and endure- particularly when it's hard, sad and lonely. (The command to endure is one of the most repeated phrases in Revelation particularly and through The Bible.)
     Just read the accounts of  Jesus' time in Gethsemane. We are promised to stand with Him in Heaven in the end- and all our trials here will be far outweighed by it! (Romans 8)- but we must stand with Him in Gethsemane and at Calvary first.
  I can understand about feeling lonely and sad- I'm an almost 36-and-a-half-year old man who's a virgin too and I've never been married. I'd still like to be married if God grants that and leads me to the right woman but I'm okay with it if God wants me to be single too. As single Christians, we're in good company with Paul and Jesus. :-)
   As to God meeting our needs, Philippians 4:19 says God will meet all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. I believe that encompasses companionship needs as well. However, I think we have to be careful how we define our needs. We usually talk of sexual desire, not sexual need. I mean, no one's died from not having sex. That is something we have to surrender to The Lord- along with all else.
        You might like to read Psalms 73- a dude named Asaph had some of the same complaints. Habakkuk had similar thoughts too. And in the end, we can remember that the pleasures of this life are fleeting- but the kingdom of God is eternal. And He promises an eternity of joy in Him. He is the One we are made to worship (Revelation 4:11) and when we live in accordance with the way our Maker made us, we find the greatest joy. Everything else disappoints us ultimately- including marriage and sex.
   And if we put our hopes in those things fulfilling us- if we put hope in any relationship over the one we have with Christ- we're going to be disappointed. Where else can we go but Christ? He has the words of eternal life. (John 6:68) And He comes to give us life and life more abundant. I believe that starts in the here and now and continues into eternity.
We have to seek Him first and His righteousness and all our other needs will be added onto us. (Matthew 6:33) And if I can trust Jesus with my eternity, surely I can trust Him with my relationships on earth! I am not always the best at this and I fall into wistful whimpering and whining at times too but I have decided that I do not want to wallow in depression and despair because of what I don't have right now! I choose to be happy and joyous in Jesus because of all He's blessed me with in life. May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth like peanut butter if I forget Him and don't make Him my highest joy! You are my one thing, Lord Jesus! May Your praise ever be on my lips. You are always worthy! I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked! (See Psalms 137 and Psalms 42 and 43 and 84 and 103!)
  I hope that helps some. Hold on! And I don't claim to have all the answers but I know I have struggled with a lot of these things before and those are the conclusions the Holy Spirit's led me to in The Bible. The marathon comes before the maranatha. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and 1 Corinthians 16:22) But let's be clear too that God doesn't owe us anything! A classic song made famous by Lynn Anderson comes to mind- "I beg your pardon. I never promised you a rose garden." I'm also reminded of the elder brother in Luke 15 complaining about the seeming unfairness of his father when all his years of service didn't get him a fattened calf. Of course, the father assures that all he has belongs to him. In our case, we are given all that God has too! He sent Jesus to die and rise to pay for all our sins so that we might have salvation and be in Heaven with Him instead of in Hell for eternity! The burning hell is what we deserve! As Mark Lowry once observed, anything above burning in Hell is a privilege!
     God never promised to meet all our wants but He did promise to meet all our needs- and He is enough for us in the end. (Psalms 73:23-28, John 6:68) Why do I want this world to be perfect (according to my standards) when I have a perfect one waiting? That's where I must put my hope above all else- Christ and His kingdom! (Philippians 3:20) This world is not my home- I'm just passing through.
   I pray God continues to encourage you and show you His Love in a special way. Keep enduring. There is a glory coming that far outshines and outweighs anything we face in this life. We must continue to walk by faith and not by sight. It will be more than worth it in the end.
   And keep praying and seeking after God even when you doubt His benevolence or care. He is always faithful and delights in you and delights to gather you in His arms of love. Love you in the Lord. I will pray for you too. :-)
   I've often found songs to be therapeutic as well. Maybe some favourites that have helped me often will be helpful to you.
I'll post a few here and be done. God bless.
(James 1:17, Ephesians 2, Psalms 149, Psalms 150)

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above ye Heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen!