Recipe for Gravel Bread

     The Bible doesn't say what kind of fruit it was that Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and brought sin into the world, but tradition says that it was an apple. (See Genesis 1-3). If that's true, I think it must have been a sour apple. It may have tasted good at first, but in the end it turned sour just as its taste turns stomachs. 
       Satan still packages sin the same way- it always looks good wrapped in pretty paper with a sweet smell, but in the end it rots in your stomach. "Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel." (Proverbs 20:17) In contrast, Scripture calls us to feast on Jesus and His death and Resurrection that has brought us salvation from sin instead. (See John 6:25-59). "Oh, taste and see that The Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" (Psalms 34:8) Chew on that for a while. :-)

God Plans (Trust and Obey) (song)

Note: Here's another old favourite from the archives. Just like one of my favourite hymns says, "Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey."

The Bible says that we are worth much more than the birds that are sold for a penny- we’re worth much more than a flock of seagulls even! So if God thinks of us and takes care of us (Luke 11)- why would we not just simply trust Him and obey Him? Don’t run away- trust and obey!

God Plans (Trust and Obey)
………………………………………………
(parody of “I Ran (So Far Away)” by A Flock of Seagulls) (copyright by Nathan Ludwick 6/9/2013)
(Genesis 1-3, Numbers 13-14, Jonah 1-4, Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalms 33, Proverbs 19:21, Proverbs 16:33, Proverbs 16:25, Proverbs 16:1-3, Proverbs 16:9, Jeremiah 29:11, John 14:1, John 14:23)

I walk alone- Genesis dude
I never thought I’d meet a girl like you
Eve’s the girl I choose
We got ensnared by serpent’s lies
Opened our eyes and realized we’re nude
Heard God striding through

And we scrammed- we panicked and hid away
God just asked- He asked where we were- Hey!
We couldn’t get away

A cloud appears above our heads
And fire by night- both guiding our whole crew
Guides us to subdue
The Lord’s behooving- in Numbers read
The Lord says what is real is Canaan’s through
The Lord will conquer, dudes!

But we ran! We ran from God’s plan- Hey!
Promised Land- we’re banned ‘cause we didn’t obey!
40 year desert stay!

Received command to preach (to) this place
“You go to Nineveh now”- I refused
A big fish stopped my coup
Spat out on land to try again
Been floating in fish three days (and) nights- I’m through
God’s will will come through

When I ran, I ran so far away
I should have just done what’s right- obey!

When God plans, His plans come true always
So don’t run- just go trust and obey!
(Trust and obey!)

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Pre-Fallen (song)

Note: This is another favorite from the archives. I thought it was fitting to pull this one out in tribute to Mr. Tom Petty in light of his recent passing. I hope he truly loved Jesus as he mentions the girl in his "Free Fallin' " song does and I hope he's in Heaven now.

This one is a bit like John Milton’s works. It describes how we got a “Paradise Lost” but it also describes how we can get “Paradise Regained”. Jesus has already done the job! And though we still live in a fallen world, it doesn’t have to be a heartbreaker as the initial outlook was. Rather, Jesus is a heart saver and when we give Him our lives, it’s like we’re pre-fallen!

“Pre-Fallen”

(parody of “Free Fallin’ “ by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)

(parody by Nathan Ludwick 12/31/2010)

(Romans 3, Romans 10, John 7:37-38, John 8:32-36, 1 Peter 1:18-23, Genesis 3, John 1:12, Matthew 11:28, John 14:1-6, Revelation 3:20, Matthew 10:8, Ezekiel 36:25-29)

In a good world, we’d love The Father,

Love Jesus and The Holy Ghost too

In a good world- baby, now sinless

Rejoices- it’s like Eden 2!

(And) it seems long away- living in Laodicea

There’s a tree with flaming sword to guard

What a sad day when we go and eat forbidden

We’ve been bad, boy- it’s breaking God’s heart

(Genesis) 3- the fall of man!

Adam (and) Eve- we’ve all sinned!

And it’s handed all down through Man’s family

Move east now- 1st. Peter 1- read on

And all the bad, oi- it’s planted in the marrow

But The Good Lord can form us brand new hearts

And now, uh- He’s – He’s calling!

Yeah, get a free- overhauling

He’s calling- it’s, uh- Jesus calling and uh,

We’ve fallen, read, uh- 3 Romans and uh,

I want ya right now- read in 10 Romans

In verse 9, get saved by The Christ

We’re gonna be called children of God then

Gonna leave this world far behind

[And we’re free

(Free falling into Jesus’ calling and uh)

We’re all in

(Free falling, I’m really all in and uh)

Yeah, we’re free

(Prefallen- it’s like we’re prefallen and uh)

We’re all in

(Free falling in uh, Matt. Eleven two eight (11:28)) ]

[Repeat above and fade]

(Recall in Matt. 10- free calling and uh)

Yeah, we’re free!

[alternate line for repeats]

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Feels Like The First Line (song)

As I'm posting this with the Christmas season upon us, I feel like it's an appropriate choice, even though it may not seem like a natural one to choose at first. (Of course, as it turns out, it's totally natural- it's the fight between the supernatural and natural that I want to start talking about here.) I've noticed that with most Lessons and Carols services at Christmas time, there is a reading from Genesis 3 to start things off. The fall of man is exactly the reason for the rise of Christ. Jesus had to come and die for us and rise again to bring us salvation in order to redeem His creation to Himself. And God promised back in Genesis 3:15, from the very start of everything going wrong, that One would come to put right what once went wrong. Before all that happened, we had perfect union with The Lord in the Garden of Eden. That's the ideal world that Adam and Eve inhabited and one that we will be brought full circle to when Jesus returns and takes us to Heaven- except that Heaven is infinitely better than Eden. Until that time, we who follow Christ live as foreigners in this land. And this song takes a bit of a humorous look at what it was like to be the first inhabitants of a whole new world and the establishment of dating and courtship and marriage in that world. As it turns out, telling a girl that she's the only one for you might be an older line than you think. ;-) However, when it comes to finding the love and fulfillment we desire marriage to bring us, we know it's only a partial picture that's not really complete without a rich relationship with Jesus first. In the end, He's truly the only One for us. I hope that truth is foremost in your heart, soul, mind and strength- and definitely hits you in the feels. :-)

"Feels Like The First Line"
(parody of "Feels Like The First Time" by Foreigner; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 11/17/2015)
(Song of Songs [or Song of Solomon] 4, 6:4-10 and 7:1-10, Genesis 1-3, Matthew 19:1-12, 1 Samuel 1:5-8, Proverbs 12:4 and 31:10-31, Matthew 25:1-13, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and 9:7-10, 1 Corinthians 7, Proverbs 13:12, 13:19, 17:22, 18:22, 19:14, 19:22, 20:6, 21:9, 21:19, 25:24, 26:9 and 29:20)

(Adam singing:)
I'm alive in the Garden
Made of dust- The Lord made me
And guess what He takes out of me?
He chose a rib while I was asleep

(Flesh) of my flesh- He made the woman of you
And brings her to (the) man- that's me
You're bone of my bones- made of my flesh
You're the only girl for me!

It feels like the first line
It feels like the very first line
It feels like the first line
It feels like the very first line

I have named all wildlife
Couldn't find one suited for me
But now that God formed you
Together we'll make history

And I know you'll just be the mother of all
Living- I'm Adam- You're Eve
I know you're my helpmeet now
You're the girl of my dreams

(Eve singing:)
And it feels like the first line
Like you rehearsed this before
Feels like the first line
Like you're hoping pick up lines work
Feels like the first line
What a precedent for men! Sorry, women.

(It feels like the first line) It feels like the first line
(It feels like the very first line)- I know how he feels
(God leads me to the first guy) Whoa! God leads me to the first guy
(Now there's two of every kind)

(Lead singer singing:)
Open up The Book- Genesis 2:24, yeah

Reveals there in that line
(Christ recites in Matthew 19:5)
Man leaves parents for wife
He cleaves to wife then one flesh's derived
The deal's like us and Christ
Congealed in God's marriage design
(Oh, for real) Eden was the first time
Heaven feels like it revived!
(It feels like Genesis' first lines)
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