Lord, You're The Inspiration! (song)

(Note: Another favourite from the archives. It's always a good day to praise The Lord! Psalms 118:24)

This one is a favorite of mine by, by far, the best rock band with a brass section that I’ve ever heard! And Relient K did an awesome cover of the original classic on their “Is For Karaoke” album in 2011. (Which I do believe is what really introduced me to this song, though I had been familiar with the band for much longer.) And The Lord gave me a blessing in getting to visit the namesake of this band the year I wrote this along with some beloved friends. And through it all- He is the One who makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him. And He’s the One who drives me to write, live and do anything. He’s The Inspiration! 

“Lord, You’re The Inspiration”
(parody of “You’re The Inspiration” by Chicago)
(parody copyright by Nathan Ludwick 3/1/2013)
(John 10:1-16, John 10:27-30, John 6:37, Isaiah 61:10-11, Luke 19:10, Psalms 27:10, Jude 1:20-25, John 15, Hosea 1-3, Hosea 11, Jeremiah 31:3, Isaiah 26:3, 1 John 3:16, Romans 10:8-13, John 3:16-17, Psalms 25, Psalms 103, Psalms 19, Psalms 104, Psalms 189, Psalms 73:22-26, 1 John 4:19, Colossians 3:1-4, Psalms 8, Malachi 3:6, Titus 3:4-8, 1 John 3:1)

I know our love is meant to be
The kind of love that lasts forever
And I want You here with me
From tonight on past the end of time 
You sure know everywhere I go
You’re always on my mind, in my heart, in my soul 

Savior- You’re the Meaning in my life (Lord,) You’re The Inspiration!
You bring feeling to my life
You’re The Inspiration!
Wanna have You near me
I wanna have You hear me saying
You know I need You, Lord- yes, I need You! 

And I know, and I know, yes I know- 1 John 4:19
We only love ‘cause You first loved us!
Now I know, now I know, that I need You here with me
I’m with Christ on past the end of time 
You sure know everywhere I go
You’re always on my mind,
(You’re) in my heart, (You’re) in my soul 

You’re The Meaning in my life
You’re The Inspiration!
You bring feeling to my life
You’re The Inspiration!
Gonna have You near me
Gonna have You hear me saying
You know I need You, Lord- yes, I need You! 

Ohhh……. 

Always have You near me
Always want You (to) hear me saying
You know I need You, Lord- yes, I need You!  You’re The Meaning in my life
You’re The Inspiration!
You bring feeling to my life
You’re The Inspiration! (Always have You near me)- [background vocal]
When you love Somebody- Past the end of time
When you love Somebody- Always on my mind
You know I need You, Lord- tonight
When you love Somebody- Past the end of time
When you love Somebody- Always on my mind
(I need You, Lord- tonight)[background vocal] ……………………………………………………………………………….. 

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!  Peace and love of Christ to you. Hebrews 13:20-22 (especially verse 22- you guys know how short I keep these things. ;-)) 

Making Love Based on Nothing at All (song)

Everybody loves love. The entire world's population all has that desire to love and be loved- to have someone to hold and talk to and care for and to know that this person does the same for them. It's been said that we need love like the air we breathe. Yet some find that air supply in the wrong way. Some don't really want love and the lifelong commitment that comes with it in the context of marriage- the union of one man and one woman to each other that God designed. Some people just want sex for their pleasure and want to enjoy it with anyone and everyone and don't want to deal with the consequences that come with sin. This is the ideal generations have grown up with, learning to give out "love" for free, but The Bible makes clear that love always has a price. It costs something of us to truly love one another with the romantic love of eros. It demands a lifetime commitment which we recognize with the ceremony and vows taken in holy matrimony before God and man. And then when our culture is betrayed by the values society has taught us, finding that "free love" also brings abuse and rape and abandonment of parental duties, we seem so perplexed to understand why. When we follow the pattern that Jesus has shown us, we are delivered from so much pain. Let's model our love on the love He showed for us by dying for us to pay for our sins and rising again. (Romans 5:8) Instead of making love based on nothing at all, let's keep love based on the standard God has set. (Philippians 2) It's really He who causes any of us to know true love or to truly love one another at all.


"Making Love Based on Nothing at All"
(parody of "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" by Air Supply; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/31/2017)
(1 Corinthians 13, Song of Solomon [or Song of Songs] 8:6-7, Philippians 2, Hebrews 13:1-8, 1 Corinthians 6-7, Ephesians 5, Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5, John 3, Matthew 5:27-32, 1 John 4 [particularly verse 8 and verses 18-19])

You know just how God whispers
Even though you disavow the Christ
You know just where to find The Answer
But I know you love the lie
You know just how to fake it
And you know just how to scheme
I know just why you hate The Truth
'Cause it exposes your sins- come clean!
And I know that when he touches you
Even though his lines are smooth
I know when he pulls you closer
You don't know when he'll let you loose
And I know it's right hard waiting
In YOLO zeitgeist- live your life!
The world's never gonna give you everything that God will give you
Don't you know nothing really satisfies?
And I know the word "virgin" is
The world's open mark of shame
They ignore all the rules and when sin shows out and breaks 'em
Then they always go and lay out the blame
But it won't go to libido
That's been messed up by The Fall
And I mourn for how they do it

Making love based on nothing at all
Making love when there's no ring that's on
Breaking God's Ten Commandments- The Law!
Taking love out- a sex free-for-all!
Hey, "free love" 's always lying- it costs!
Babe, real love takes commitment- your all!
But your "love" 's based on nothing at all!

And the line 19 in chapter 4 of 1 John says
We love due to God's for us first
And you see love is defined by God, verse 8 says
When Christ died for unright(eous)
Redeeming Love- 1 Corinthians 13 Love
If we're goodniks without love then we're through
You can make like prophets, know all mysteries sought
And burn out like a beacon but if loveless- for naught
'Cause love's not arrogant, rude, envying with boasts
Not wrongdoing- rejoices with The Truth

Its own way denies- stays humble
Irritated it is not
Undertakes every weight, it's hope is found through all things and
Believes all- an all-enduring rock!
Love- verse 8- it lasts forever!
Prophecies (and) knowledge disappear just like tongues
And now faith, hope and love just abide- they all remain
You know the greatest of these three now is Love
But whenever you make love without Truth
What you really want is sex for free- no cost
We're delivered so much pain when first- "I do"

We're in love- matrimony- it calls
Hey, true love waits 'til rings are put on
Babe, real love waits to first tie the knot
Hey, "free love" 's always lying- it costs
Herpes, AIDS, Gonorrhea, et. al.
Maybe not- but STDs aren't all
Taints your love for everyone you hold
You can't love them as your one above all
Chaste, pure love's not a gift you can give
Faking love just like Blanche Devereaux
Making love a slut and open case for all
Shape your love like Dorothy's wise calls
Like her mom, spout truth but lovingly now
Make your love St. Olaf's innocent Rose
Golden Girls- Rose of Sharon beats all!
Proved His love- made Him nothing for all
He is God! Became servant of all
Died for love! Rose up third day, you all
Make your love Philippians 2 style
Make your love based on God's love for all!
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"The Light Has Dawned" (song)

Note: This is the third of three blog posts that are entries that I submitted for my church's Art Exhibit earlier this year and they were first originally published August 5, 2015 in the commemorative booklet detailing all the artists' work. :-) The theme was God's creation.

Man! This may be a low blow, but there is some legitimacy to parody as an art form, I think. (Just ask Elijah in 1 Kings 18 or God Himself throughout Exodus when He sent plagues to parody, in a sense, the pagan gods of Egypt. ;-)) Before you bury your head into your hands in a groan, let me direct you to the One who really writes the songs and everything else good- Jesus Christ.

“The Light Has Dawned”
(parody of “I Write The Songs” by Bruce Johnston, as performed by Barry Manilow; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/13/2015)

(Genesis 1-3, Genesis 3:15, Genesis 18:17, Romans 5:12-21, Malachi 4:2, Psalms 16:10-11, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58, Romans 10:1-17, Isaiah 9:1-2, Luke 1:76-79, Colossians 1:9-20, Ephesians 1 [especially v. 10], John 1:1-18, Job 38-41, Psalms 65, Psalms 77:11-14, Psalms 89:5-18, Psalms 121:1-2, Revelation 13:8, Revelation 21-22)

He’s been alive forever
And He spoke the very first words
He put the world and the Heavenlies together
In Genesis- it’s right in 1:1

He made the earth and Heavens in beginning
And without God nothing was ever made
1:3 in John; He made Heaven and earth
It’s right in Psalms- 121

Day one- light’s first agenda
The dark’s night and light’s day; uno, dos
Second day- sort out waters and sky
God spoke again- made land and seas- son buenos!

Moving right along- He made plants- all day 3!
Made lights called sun and moon and stars to sing
4^th. day was done; God made birds and fish- day 5
Literal ones or millennia

And on day 6, beasts on (the) land
And in His image, God makes us- man
And He gave us plants for food; earth to subdue
Finished work of art
And it’s all real good- How great Thou art!
It’s for me, it’s for you- it’s from God- what a treat!
It’s a world of creativity!

In six days long, God made the whole world- see?
He rested on day 7- made it holy
He made it good- we made it go awry
And all along, God knew we’d fall

He sent His Son through Abe- the world’s blessing
The Son was slain before the world’s founding
16:10 Psalms- Won’t let The Son just die
Son’s rise means all can get right with God

He is Jesus and He rights all wrongs!

Forever Loved (song)

I just very recently completed this song and it's become very fitting for this next post. A dear friend that I've known since childhood succumbed to a battle with cancer and died just the other day. It was interesting to me that it happened I was celebrating my day of birth on that day- and then I also found myself mourning her day of death on the same day. It reminds me of Ecclesiastes 7:2 "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart." A sober reminder indeed.
      But I take heart in knowing that as a follower of Christ, I mourn with hope. I know that my Redeemer lives and He will stand upon the earth at last. He died to pay for all sins and defeated death when He rose again. And because He lives, I know that those who put faith in Him will live too. And I know I will see my friend in Heaven again one day because we both put our faith in Jesus as Savior. Thank You, Lord!
        Thank You for Your eternal love that takes us out of Alphaville or whatever other town we live in and at the end of the ride of life takes us by Your side forever in Heaven. Hallelujah! :-)

Forever Loved
(parody of "Forever Young" by Alphaville; copyright by Nathan Ludwick June 2014)
(Acts 26:14-19, Jude 1:24-25, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 9:27-28, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, James 4:13-17, Psalms 8, 1 John 4:10, Romans 5:8, Romans 10:8-13, Jeremiah 31:3, John 10 [especially verse 10], Zechariah 1:1-6, 1 Peter 1:23-25, Psalms 103, Psalms 136, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58, John 3:16-17)

Life's dance is wild- we dance for a while
Heaven is waiting- we are watching the skies
Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst
When they go and drop the bomb, we're gone
We all die once but want to live forever
We don't have the power but we think science delivers
Flitting away like mist, life is a short trip
The funeral's where the ride ends
Can you but fathom when this race is done
Through the Pearly Gates into Heaven
Praising my Jesus He's getting me in too
My dues are paid by His cross, man

So there with God, I'm going to be forever young
Do you really want to live forever? John 3 verse, 16 yeah!
For God so loved, He sent us Jesus for our wrongs
If you believe- going to live forever
Forever, son!

Mother and father, brother and sister (and) me
We fade to memories and on goes the beat
Sooner or later we all will be gone
It don't take that long
It's so hard to kick goads without our God
You don't have to perish while you fade to dust
New life abundant (in) 10:10 John
Abundant now and forever
Eternity's adventures- more than we can say
As we read on- better than the last page
So trust in Jesus- He's taking all of our blues
In Heaven, they're untrue

Jeremiah- Love! 31:3- Forever loved!
Did you read it? You are loved forever by God the Good Shepherd
So there with God, we can all be forever young
Do you really want to live forever, and ever, in Heaven?
Go there now, bud- You need to read in Romans 10
If you believe Jesus rose by Father, confess Him as Lord, yeah!
Forever God's- you then are saved forever!

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