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. :-)

Dust and a Rib (song)

It happens at some point in all of our lives. Some call it a coming of age experience and some call it a loss of innocence. At some point, we all have an epiphany on some level and realize that life is nothing at all like we thought it once was. All the things we've striven and worked so hard for- they're meaningless glibness. Nothing of our efforts last forever. It all fades and passes away. But just when all seems hopeless, there is still a Light that shines in our darkness. And The Lord Jesus, who is the Light of the world, opens our eyes to the Truth- and if we let Him, He will bring us to salvation through His death and Resurrection when we ask Him in faith. There is a meaning and purpose to it all. Only Christ and His kingdom lasts- that's what really matters. And just like Dorothy's world changed when she let the whirlwind take her to Oz- when we let ourselves ride Elijah's whirlwind that leads to Heaven instead of reaping it, we find that we're not in Kansas anymore. Neither is this song- not exactly, anyway. Like sand in an hourglass, the days of our lives flicker away as dust in the wind. But we're more than just dust and a rib- we're human beings made in God's image- and He says we're priceless. His thoughts for us are more than grains of sand on the beach.We should rejoice in that thought as we marvel at how God loves us- and our eternal gratitude to Him.

"Dust and a Rib"
(parody of "Dust in the Wind" performed by Kansas and written by Kerry Livgren; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/17/2015)
(Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2, Luke 12, Philippians 4:4, Psalms 118:24, Colossians 1:11-20, Psalms 8, Isaiah 2:22, James 4:13-17, Ecclesiastes (the whole book- but especially Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and 16-22, Ecclesiastes 1:1, 1:11, 2:1-11, and 7:13, Ecclesiastes 4, Ecclesiastes 6)

Christ holds our lives- we're here for a moment- then the moment's gone
James 4 reads- What is your whole life?- It's there in verse 14
Just but a mist
All we are is just but a mist

8:4 Psalms- Why does God our Father think of little me?
All we do crumbles to the ground- 2 Ecclesiastes
Chasing the wind!
All we do is strive after wind!
Oh, ho, ho

Now, don't hang on- nothing lasts forever but The Lord's kingdom
Life slips away- and all your money won't another minute buy
Dust and a rib
All we are is dust and a rib
(And we go to dust back again)
Just wait a min.!
(Everyone's made in God's image!)
All we need's Jesus for the win-
Heaven!
(Ooooh! Ooohh! Ooohh!)

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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!