Sin Man (song)

 What do you get for the God who has everything? What can we ever give Him that didn't first come from His hand? Well, the one thing we can give Him that He won't force is our love and devotion. And all we have to bring Him, even the righteous things we think we've done on our own, are no more than filthy rags in His sight. (Isaiah 64:6) As Jonathan Edwards said, the only thing we bring to our salvation is the sin that made it necessary. And when we give those sins over to Him, His grace forgives us through faith in Christ's death and Resurrection and removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. We're saved by grace and not by works. (Our good works done after we're saved demonstrate our faith though.) God took care of all our sin, man! Praise The Lord for His gift!

"Sin Man"

(Parody of "Tin Man" by America; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 6/24/2020)

(James 1:17, 1 Chronicles 29:14, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:4-7)

(Verse 1)

One in James verse 17- all good things are the gift of God- read it yourself

Chronicles- first book- Dave prays to bless God- 29:14- comes from Himself!

(Chorus 1)

Oh, God never did get nothing but our sins, man

That He didn't, didn't already have

And 'cause Lord Jesus defeated all our evils

On the cross and returned from the dead

His peace believers receive

(Verse 2)

Then in 2 (Two) Corinthians 5 down- it's found

For our sake Christ bore our

Sin and so sinless becomes sin 

so we'd be Christ's righteousness

(Oooh! Oooh!)

(Chorus 2)

Oh, God never did get nothing but our sin, man

That He didn't, didn't already have

And John Edwards said the only thing we're bringing 

To salvation's the sin that we have

Which makes it necessary

(Repeat Verse 2)

(Repeat Chorus 1- with last line changed to:

So please believe in Jesus!)

(Oooh! Oooh!)

Isaiah: Mini-Bible (song)

 As the first line in this song says, one book undertakes a gargantuan task in The Bible. Likewise, I undertook a gargantuan task in trying to sort of summarize this book in a short song. Hopefully, this at least gets across some of the highlights. Scholars have called this book a "mini Bible" because it holds a lot of parallels to The Bible, having 66 chapters, just like The Bible has 66 books. Isaiah is by far the most quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament, having been quoted 55 times! (You can read about numerous connections here- http://isaiahminibible.com/) Of course, if I was to try to give you a miniature version of The Bible, it would be the Gospel- The Bible is all about the Good News of Jesus. Our sins are like scarlet but He can make them white as snow when we put faith in the One who had all our iniquities laid on Him. It's no wonder Philip used Isaiah 53 to witness to the eunuch as he was already reading it. Even if he hadn't been, Philip probably would have pointed him there as it's one of the clearest pictures in the Old Testament of the sacrifice Christ made to save us- a prophecy made 700 years in advance! Read all about this and so much more in Isaiah- mini-Bible. 

"Isaiah: Mini-Bible"

(Parody of "I Can't Drive 55" by Sammy Hagar; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 6/12/2020)

(Book of Isaiah; particularly 1:17-18, 2:4, chapter 6, 7:14, 9:1-7, 40:1-9, chapter 53, 55:8-11; also Luke 3:1-6 and Luke 4:16-21)

One book undertakes a gargantuan task- hey!

Well, the news is tragic- judgment's passed, yo!

Eyes are blind- won't just perceive the truth

Isaiah prophesied coming judgment of Judah's sin!

Gonna write it up- 1 through 39

OT's same judgment- similar vibe

Grace next 27- NT's vibe

Isaiah- mini-Bible! Oh yeah!

Uh!

So Isaiah is made up of chapters- 66, hey!

Yeah, it's just like books in God's Word

It's gonna blow your mind- all the book's retweets

Look- chapter 40 lines up with Baptist (in) Luke 3

He said good- Good News!

Evangelize- Is. 40:9

Scroll to place Jesus read Isaiah's lines

Luke 4 writes this- there're more times

Isaiah's in The Bible!

Quoted

How many times? 55!

How many times? 55!

How many times with this guy-

Isaiah? 55!

Uh!

Well- some lines to know- you know each part's revered

In Isaiah first part- 18- sin's washed here

Swords beat to make plowshares- verse 2:4 says. Huh!

In chapter 6, read how prophet saw The Lord- hey!

God sends sign (of) Messiah- 7:14 line

Show's Christ's traits- promised Son born in 9

Pay for all sins- 53 find

Isaiah- mini Bible

Oh! Oh! Oh!

God's mind's higher

(Isaiah 55!)

Point will drive

(Isaiah 55!)

(Isaiah 55!)

(Isaiah- mini Bible)

Missed Moments (poem)

This is a sometimes annual thing of reflection I do around my birthday. It's basically a bit of reminiscing and some lamenting about choices made and consequences that come with them. I have said before that sometimes I regret not being as open to some friendships at younger ages or willing to further pursue possible romantic relationships- but in the end, I have to trust that God allowed things to happen as they did for a reason and He's still worked out His good plan for me moment by moment. This is also a "what if?" musing about spiritual choices, eternity, sin and righteousness.


"Missed Moments"
(Poem copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/4/2020)
(Philippians 2:14-16, Hebrews 3:7-14, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Philippians 3:7-20, Ecclesiastes 9:11-12, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 25:11, Proverbs 27:1, Romans 9, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Ecclesiastes 7:10-14, Romans 8:28, 1 Corinthians 3, James 3, Psalms 90 (Especially v. 12), Ecclesiastes 12:11-14)

A word aptly spoken makes golden moments
How quickly a word ineptly spoken turns them to dross
How many scenes of life could have been so different
If only a different door had been chosen?
The road not taken makes all the difference in the world
Memories meander through time and linger longer than we'd ever expect
Except the good ones seem far too fleeting and the bad ones far too abundant
Why did I say that stupid thing then instead of something else?
Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut?
Words have a deadly power of permanence no matter how much
we might want to retract
The scorpion's sting still burns like fire every time the scab's reopened
Why did I do that back then? Why was I so dumb?
Apologies can be made but consequences must always be faced
What if I could slide down Alice's rabbit hole to another world?
What kind of person would I be if I had studied another subject?
What if I had taken up another career instead?
What if I had been more outgoing and taken more chances on friends?
What if I had kissed that girl and she had become my wife?
So many things replay in my mind that a time machine might fix
But lightning never strikes twice and thunder continues to roil in my soul
Sometimes the pain and sadness are so intense when sitting in quiet loneliness
Regrets haunt dreams and reveries with a parasite's tenacity
There's a desperation in lament that yearns to put right what once went wrong
The sins of commission resound like a gong in time with the sins of omission
Why didn't I take action when I knew what to do then?
Why didn't I speak up and say what needed to be said?
Time relentlessly passes and the moments are lost
Are they gone beyond all hope of recovery?
When the corner is turned and opportunities missed
They never come in exactly the same way again
And when eternal choices are made things are bound that can never be unbound.
Though tears flow like Esau's, the blessing is lost and
The time of God's favour comes to an end.
The past is gone and can't be changed but it can pass on its lessons.
The future still looms with possibilities of whatever we make it.
May The Spirit teach me His lessons in the present
so I can live in the light of each tense like Scrooge on Christmas morning.
The joy only found in Christ somehow sifts through
The wreckage of my life to find a rainbow in the silver lining.
The pangs of past pains hurt my heart but also mold it
to be shaped more like the Saviour's heart.
As He still works to work all these things together for good
according to His master plan,
may He use the missed moments to make my life
both now and in the future what He wants it to be.
His cross and empty tomb redeemed my life-
May He use all that I am in the time that is left
to share His truth and love with all around me.
With past faults behind me, the bad memories make me all the more
thankful for the good memories and they all spur me to
live every day for The One who loves me
and make choices of righteousness to redeem the time so
that His light shines- because Jesus makes the only golden moments in my life.
.......................................................................

My Only Good (poem)

Note: I thought it might be fun to post this during this week as a way to celebrate both National Poetry Month (which is in April) and Holy Week. I have done poetry readings videos for this week, if anyone's interested (These are specifically available for my family and friends on Facebook.) (I still did them to amuse myself even if no one's interested- lol. :-)) The text of this poem and a little introduction is below. Enjoy! Happy Easter! 
In honour of Holy Week and The Lord Jesus, I also wanted to read poems reflecting on the sacrifice Jesus made for all of us when He died and rose to pay for all sins for all time. We can have forgiveness of sins and salvation from the hell we deserve and entry into the Heaven we don't deserve all through our faith in the love God has for us and the salvation He has provided through Christ! (Romans 10:9-13) ................................................................................


Happy Resurrection Sunday! This poem is one I wrote in the late hours of Holy Saturday and finished in the early hours of Easter Sunday. Thank You, Lord God for loving sinners like me even though I do so much wrong. You proved Your love through Jesus' death and Resurrection. He bore the punishment I deserved that brought me peace! This poem is a reminder of what it cost Jesus to bring us salvation. It is also a reminder of how much God loves us and still restores even when we still fall into sin at times and then come back to Him in repentance. He is still sanctifying me and makes it more clear to me all the time how much I need Him. He is my only good. I pray any who don't know Him might choose to call upon Him in faith and trust His death and rise to pay for all sins and follow Him too. Jesus loves you! :-)


"My Only Good"
(original poem copyright Nathan Ludwick 4/12/2020)
(Genesis 1-3, Revelation 20-22, Revelation 19:16, Luke 23:34, Isaiah 53, Psalms 51, Luke 24:1-12, Romans 7, 1 John 1:9, Psalms 19, Colossians 1:17-20, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Romans 5:6-8)

In the beginning it was all good
Then sin had to come and ruin the neighbourhood
God made a perfect world of oceans and mountains and animals and plants
Oh, to travel back in time to perfect fellowship in Eden
You made man in Your image- male and female You created them
And You said everything You made was very good- then we perverted all that
And I can't just blame Adam and Eve or Satan and demons
Every day I grapple with sin and I see more and more how much I love the forbidden
I know it's born of hell and I know it grieves Your heart,
Yet time and again I dive in wholeheartedly with wicked delight and clamp down like a bulldog
I feel I've wrested the title from Paul; I'm in a tribe of sinners and serve as chief of all
I don't want to do the wrong I do but loneliness courts fantasy with guilty pleasures in the dark
But The Spirit brings me back to repentance and the mind of Christ brings a different thought
Every time I sin in the flesh now it time travels 2000 years in the past
Another lustful sexual thought- another brutal lash upon Your back
Another misleading word or flat out lie- another thorn upon Your brow
Another fit of unrighteous rage- another spike of pain through the nails in Your hands
All the sins of all humans for all time laid upon You all at once in unimaginable pain
Yet while gasping for breath You still look at me and everyone else- the source of Your pain
With divine love and plead, "Father, forgive them- they know not what they do."
And You gave up the ghost for such a worm as I- as The Father and The Ghost gave You up
The sinless Son became sin so that I could become righteousness.
And this is all part of God's good plan- it pleased The Father to crush Christ to spare my life
It was very good when You finished creation on Friday and it was very good when You finished new creation on Good Friday.
And now when temptation hits and I lick my lips with lust, may the taste of Your flesh and blood fill me with revile and recoil
As the only true satisfaction of walking with Jesus in service of Heaven comes to my recall
When You first came You had no beauty for us to desire You yet we had no beauty for You to desire us.
Yet You delight in me because I'm Your creation and You love me- so I will follow and love You as You enable.
Love conquers all and You proved it when You rose again and defeated sin, death, the devil and hell.
I praise You, King of kings and Lord of lords- may my life be pleasing to You as I await Your return or for You to call me Home for eternity.
And in the end, it will be all good.

....................................................................

Paradise By The Passion Of Christ (song)

    How excited we get for so many things in life! A birthday party, Christmas, vacation, a visit from an old friend, the big game, the big dance, a date, first kiss, marriage, a new baby- all such wonderful blessings from God! Sometimes though, the extraordinary simply becomes extra ordinary and our enthusiasm goes down to the vegan's for Meatloaf Monday in the school cafeteria.
    Isn't that how it goes in the life of a Christian? Where does the joy of The Lord go when the amazing salvation we have from sin, death and hell for free through Christ's death and Resurrection simply becomes old hat? Our testimonies should never be mundane! For those in Jesus Christ, we have crossed from death to life! That's something worth celebrating every day! Praise The Lord all my soul and forget not all His benefits! :-) Just like the thief on the cross, we can rejoice that our names are written in The Lamb's Book of Life in Heaven, our sins and forgiven and we're free- and we receive Paradise by the Passion of Christ!

"Paradise By The Passion Of Christ"
(Parody of "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" by Meatloaf; copyright Nathan Ludwick 3/17/2020)
(Luke 23 (particularly verse 43), Hebrews 9:27-28, Revelation 20:11-15, Romans 5:1-11 (especially v. 8), Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-13, Romans 8:12-17, 1 John 3:16-24, Hebrews 13:5, Psalms 107:1-3, Psalms 108:1-6, Psalms 150, Psalms 149, Jeremiah 20:9, Psalms 32, Psalms 33:1-3, Psalms 16, Psalms 47:1, Psalms 51, Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 53:6, John 14:6, 1 Peter 3:15, Acts 1:1-8, Colossians 3:1-4, Philippians 1:20-21, Romans 14:8, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Peter 1:12-25, Hebrews 2:1-4, Romans 3:21-26, Ephesians 2:1-10, Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Kings 7:9, Luke 6:20-23, Luke 10:17-20, Luke 12:13-21, Matthew 24:36, Psalms 84:10, Psalms 42:1-2, Psalms 63, Psalms 73:23-28, Psalms 138, Psalms 137:4-6, 2 Corinthians 12:1-6, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Revelation 2:7, Revelation 21-22 (especially 22:20-21))

Well, I remember every little thing
As if it happened only yesterday
Harken to the day when I just got down to the end of life
And remember that the trial
Booked me for the theft I'd been doing
And all the guilt- it's true
It was weighing down on me- that's right
And now two robbers are on a cross with Christ
The other yelled so rude, instead I felt contrite
(And) said, "We're going down to Sheol on account of our crimes
Not coincidental- that verbiage is true for Christ
No wrongs for Lord Christ!
Thy kingdom come- Hold me, Christ!"
Though I stole and only chose belief when about to die
I received Paradise by the Passion of Christ

Ain't no doubt about it- I was eternally blessed
Go read it there- Luke 23:43- share the text
Ain't no doubt about it!
Baby- got to go and shout it!
Ain't no doubt about it!
I am eternally blessed!
'Cause it was there Christ guaranteed to me eternal rest!

Baby, don't you hear my heart?
I got to shout it out 'cause He saved my soul!
I'd been weighed down so long but then the Son of God lifted me with Love
Well, I gotta let you know
No, you're never gonna reach Heaven
By hoping that your life has got less wicked than right
You need Jesus Christ!
Only One Who ain't ever done wrong!
And, no- Nobody comes even close to right
3rd. chapter- check Romans- we're sinners- all but Christ!
And we're going to hell eternal on account of our crimes
Romans 5:8 met all consequence(s) of our crimes
Come on! Go to Christ!
For Heaven- go through Christ!
Though your soul's corroded- sins may be scarlet
They can be snow white- Isaiah 1:18 said
Victorious one gets to eat from the tree of life
(Rev. 2:7) Paradise of God- that's all right!
God's got to do what you can't
Trust The Father- He's your true Life vest
In faith, leap out- won't drown then
You'll be eternally blessed
'Cause it's there- Isaiah 43- Go read verse 3- sweetness!

You wanna know all the places in (The) Bible
That's gonna go and actually say the word "Paradise"?
You're gonna go all the way- that's right
To 2nd. Corinthians- in 12th. chapter's lines
There's (a) guy I know, Paul relays (in) 3rd. line
He got to go all the way into Paradise
He got to go to third heaven's sights
We're gonna go- all who's saved- to Paradise through Christ

Okay, here we go, we got a real testimony going here
True dat! Somebody from nowhere, nomads for Lord Christ
Thus he winds up in Trinidad
A child brought up on mission- locked in sin though
This boy is only five
He's grounded firm theologically learning about God
See, God's setting up his heart
He's got a sister setting example- The Bible's lived by brother
And here comes the call- The Spirit calls
He comes with Isaiah verse
53:6- Wow!
That weight's laid down at the cross' base
This pig really makes things sharpen and get clear
Better stop up and explain- Where's the pig? In a story
And what a love he's got- it's kinda absurd
Man and pet- ship on a cruise- overboard
Gonna drown- pig's in space where saving him's pretty crazy to dare
Man's not caring and he dives to pick him up
A picture lands home there- Christ's love there in devotions
Bowing down- family prays time- he knew defiance and fights are wrong
Deserves hell- Jesus saves- sins all paid on cross- He arose- He's The Saviour God
Boy prays now- He asked Jesus to save him!

God worked there!
He's gotta show right now
The Lord to his little brother
'Cause he loves him
Jesus Loves us forever!
Do you hear me?
He will never leave us!
He will take us to Heaven for the rest of all time!
Will you take Him as Saviour- will you give Him your life?
Dude was sharing!
And then God saved his brother!
Thank You, Jesus!
We both now believe You!
Will You make me the man You formed me to be in my life?
Well, You saved me today and You're always in my life
I had to renew my vows
In order to go any further
I still trust You
And I love You forever!
..................................................

But we sleep on it
How He saved me! Let me speak on it!
Oh, how sweet it is!
Need to give all The Answer who are hurting
But we sleep in Light
(Ask Keith Green, yeah) We won't speak of it
Let lost drown in sin
And we believe Christ's The Answer but we hoard Him
And we soak in it
Hey, don't you see? When we keep it in
Then we're deep in sin
Let's give world The Answer- they are drowning!

They gotta know right now
Jesus loves us!
Jesus loves us forever!
We all need Him!
He will never leave us!
He will take us to Heaven if we give Him our lives
Will you take Him as Saviour and The Lord of your life?
You gotta know- time is now
2 (Two) Corinthians 6:2
To get saved please!
The door's not open forever

What's it gonna be, world?
Come on- only Way is Christ
What's it gonna be, boy?
Yes or No?
What's it gonna be, girl?
Yes or No?

Wanna sleep on it?
Baby, baby- you can't sleep on it
While you sleep on it
May not get to see another night or morning
What if ya go right now?
How will He judge you? (It is permanent!)
Hellbound judged or to Heaven?
(27 in Hebrews 9- check!)
Did you read it?
Hell and Heaven are real, babe!
Well, the judgment is happening (Yeah, Hebrews 9 says)
At the end of our lives
(We're given one death- it's been appointed)
While The Saviour awaits
(We're given a chance here ere His coming)
You oughta know Christ now
Before you go past returning
Dude, He loves you!
Will you trust Him for Heaven?
You can't sleep on it
He still loves you forever
Let Christ Jesus in!
Will you trust Him forever?

I couldn't shake You any longer- Lord, I was saved!
And when doubt feelings come upon me like a tidal wave
My heart's reassured then by God the Holy Ghost's soft way
And I just trust Him with my entire life
I know that He will hold me past the end of time
So now I'm praying while awaiting His time
Please hurry up and arrive
'Cause world is gonna end and Father, my life's in You!
Feels on brink but Christ's coming's in Your time
You never forget Your promise or break Your vow
And God already knows too often I flake out
In praying, "Forgive sin that binds"
Let all I do praise You (oh oh oh)
Saved me, now You sanctify- then I will spend all time with You

Is it long to go? Is it not far away?
'Cause Jesus (is) so much better than afforded today
......................................
Only God can know, well, just how far away (Well, Heaven feels so good 'cause Heaven's Jesus Christ!)
And Jesus' (is) so much better than all sins' dread sway
(His glory's glowing makes all else dull and dim- so turn your eyes) (x4)
...............................................,
Jesus died and rose and sins all were just paid (Get saved from Hell for good to Heaven- trust in Christ)
What Jesus promised robber is then ours to claim (And we are going by the Passion of Christ to Paradise!)
.........................................

How I Met My Saviour

    According to John 6:44, God The Father was drawing me to Himself long before I ever sought Him. He did the saving work about 2000 years ago when Jesus died and rose to pay for all sins for all time. The Holy Spirit did His work in my life millennia after to convict me of sin and show me my need for a Saviour.
    So even as I relay my personal circumstances, it's important to remember that God alone does the saving work. I relay this first because it's part of my story.
    Growing up as both a MK and PK, I got to hear The Gospel constantly in family devotions, Sunday School and church. I got to see the Gospel lived out in my parents and siblings.
   And when I was about 5 or 7 or so, I made a decision to ask Jesus into my heart as Lord and Saviour. There were a few other factors God used. One was an alphabet book that had a Bible verse for every letter. The first one was Isaiah 53:6- "All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way, and The Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all." Next to the verse was an illustration of a boy putting a heavy burden down off his back at the foot of the cross, much like Christian in "The Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan. The text of "At the Cross" was also printed there- "At the cross, at the cross where I first saw The Light and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight and now I am happy all the day."
    In a testament to the power of stories, the other factor that hit me was probably one of the goofiest stories ever written in a family Bible devotions book. (Which seems rather fitting for my generally goofy personality. :-)) It was a story about a man who loved his pet pig and apparently managed to take him on a cruise ship. The pig fell overboard and the man loved that pig so much that he risked his life by diving overboard to save him.
   Even in this simple form, it still got the heart of The Gospel across to me as a young kid. God went way overboard with us when He actually lowered Himself to become human, live among us and bear the same trials and struggles we bear for 33 years, knowing He could call legions of angels at His command and stop this whole shebang any time He wanted- but choosing to give up His superpowers (much like Superman did in "Superman II") just to be near us- and then to die for the sins of the world. That's crazy, dude! Especially growing up in a country surrounded by people with very different conceptions of God that said that man is supposed to work like crazy to appease an angry god and maybe if we're good enough we can hack it into Heaven. Nowhere in the script did it call for the Playwright to enter His own story and and save the whole universe by His own sacrifice! WOW!
    So I decided that night after hearing that story in family devotions to pray and receive Jesus so that He could save me from the Hell I deserve and instead take me to the Heaven I don't deserve.
   All that said, after about 3 decades out from that time, I have struggled a number of times throughout with worries and doubts about my salvation- about whether my pumpkin patch was as sincere as Linus' and if I did something wrong and so forth. As I've said before though, I've doubted myself more than I've ever doubted God. So yeah, there have been times of reaffirmation and renewing my vows and such. (As 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, such heart checks are good to do every so often.) I finally came to a place where I realized salvation is totally dependent upon God and not on me. I put faith in His saving work and just take Him at His Word.
   Though I am very thankful for the Christian family I have and being surrounded with The Gospel, I have also sometimes felt like it can be easy to fall into a cultural faith that becomes built on Pharisaical religiosity. I've felt like maybe at times I was hard-nosed on some things in Pharisee fashion, whether I meant to be or not. I found it extremely helpful reading theology books like C.S. Lewis ("Mere Christianity", "The Screwtape Letters" and "The Weight of Glory" are particular favourites) and Tim Keller ("The Prodigal God" particularly- a book that helped me learn to repent of any righteousness I thought I ever had on my own) and Philip Yancey ("What's So Amazing About Grace?" and "Disappointment with God" are both awesome!)- and definitely Brennan Manning's "The Ragamuffin Gospel". (A book I have read and reread and cried over many times! God loves us just as we are not as we should be- 'cause none of us are as we should be.)
I recognize that there is no good in me- Jesus is my only good.
    And that's where I am now. God is always faithful even when I'm not. When I fall back into sin, I go back to 1 John 1:9. He forgives and restores.
   I also believe, if people are honest, we've all struggled with doubts at some point. I think God uses them to help us have an even stronger faith in the end. 1 John 3 is an extremely helpful passage for that! Even when my heart condemns, God is greater than my heart and He knows everything. He tells me The Truth. He who The Son sets free is free indeed. And when we're adopted as sons and daughters of The King, we're His forever! (John 1:12 and Romans 8:12-17 and 11:29)
    I mentioned the power of stories earlier and I would definitely add reading "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis as a kid was also influential. There is a great line in "The Silver Chair" where Puddleglum declares that He's going to live as a Narnian even if there isn't a Narnia! I felt much the same when it came to dealing with fickle, funny, Funky Winkerbean feelings- I'm going to live for Christ no matter what my feelings say at times. I know Whom I have believed in and He is Faithful and True. As Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright explained in the Four Spiritual Laws, the feelings are like the caboose on a train. The engine of faith drives it with or without the caboose. Thus, my faith rests in the facts of God's Word. My faith has found a resting place not in device or creed-I need no other argument or plea- it is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me.
    And Hallelujah- He rose and He lives and He's coming again! And because He lives, we can live also. :-)
   (Note: I know this may be somewhat long, but I thought someone else might appreciate hearing this, especially in regards to soteriology.) Jesus loves you! Don't ever forget that. God bless :-)

For Just Anyone

 Note: This is an earlier writing I had done but not published anywhere outside of a social media post until now. I am still adding stuff from my archives every so often and I will hopefully eventually have most all my writings gathered here in one place.
 
      Just had this thought come to mind while in the shower. (As I often have random thoughts come to mind then- lol. :-)) You know how it's been said that even if you were the only person on Earth, Jesus loves you so much He would still have died and rose for just you? Well, this is true! God would have provided salvation for just you. (Just see Jesus' parable of the good shepherd who leaves 99 sheep behind to find one missing one! - Matthew 18 and also check Luke 15 for more on how God pursues the lost with relentless love!)
Now read Acts 10 and see how God used a vision to tell Peter not to call unclean what He has made clean. (Wherein God declared all food clean to eat and also declared all people valued and loved by Him!) Then think of your most hated enemy- think of the people you complain about to friends and on social media- think about the people you despise the most and all the most hated people on earth- all the criminals, terrorists, ruthless dictators, corrupt leaders, evil murderers- everyone who has done the most heinous things- and remember two things. There, but for the grace of God, go I. As James 2:10 says, if you break the Law at any one point, you're guilty of breaking it all. As Romans 2 reminds us, we're no better than them because we do the same things! (Maybe we haven't killed anyone physically, but we have with words. Maybe we haven't raped anyone, but we've committed adultery in our hearts by looking with lust at people.- see Matthew 5.)
And remember that whoever your most hated and despicable person is that you thought about, if they were the only person on Earth, Jesus loves them so much, He would have died and rose for just them too! So don't dare disparage and denigrate and demean one made in God's image! (We can deplore their sinful actions, but we are still commanded to love them as we love ourselves because Jesus loves them and wants to save them! Pray that they will let Him do just that.) (John 13:34-35, Luke 6:20-49, Luke 9:51-56- especially see the bit that some manuscripts add in verse 55!)

2 Peter 3:8-9 - God desires ALL to come to repentance!

The "Good Ol' Days" and The Glorious Day

       Don't ask, "Why were the old days better than today?" It's not good to ask such things.... (see Ecclesiastes 7:10-18 and chapter 12).... As Acts 17:24-28 tells us, God set men and women in history at exactly when and where He wanted them to be for His purposes.... (which doesn't mean that God won't move you at some point too though ;-))- But part of finding our identity in Jesus as His follower means being happy with who God made us to be- boy or girl, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander, African descent, Indian descent, Caucasian, mixed, etc., Spanish, Trinidadian, American, German, Swiss, South African, Ukrainian, Argentinan, Brazilian, Eritrean, Japanese, Chinese, Australian, Indian, Senegalese, Antarctican, etc.- whatever the social class- whatever other label we put on each other....... God made us above all those things in His image (Genesis 1:26-31). And when we're in Christ, none of those things matter anyway! (Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:1-4, John 13:34-35, Galatians 3:25-29) And as Colossians 3:11 says, "Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."
    We are all infinitely important and infinitely loved by God. (Jeremiah 31:3) And we are all valuable in His kingdom, where the elder learns to serve the younger and the younger cares for the elder- where each thinks of others as better than themselves and each seeks to love each other truly and forgive from the heart...
     No, these aren't the "good ol' days"- but as I like to say, the only good ol' days this planet has ever seen were Genesis 1-2. We won't have any more truly good ol' days until Revelation 21-22 come to pass. But Jesus makes the in-between time more abundant when we follow Him, as John 10:10 says. :-) And during our faith journey with Him, He shapes us to be more and more like Him in character and empowers us with spiritual gifts to bring a touch of The Divine to a fallen world so badly needing of redemption. To be sure, the final Redemption culminates with the coming of The Lord- but until then, we're like the Planeteers with our power rings, sent forth to bring God's restoration to the world through our love and good deeds and sharing of the Greatest Love of all shown to us on the cross and in the empty tomb (Romans 5:8). And way better than Captain Planet, and the Avengers who "have a Hulk"- we have Someone Real Who can do something about our situation (Hebrews 11:1-6)- we have a Savior- Jesus Christ- Whom we eagerly await to come back from Heaven! We have The One Who alone bears the title of King of Kings and Lord of Lords! We have The One God Who holds all things together and by Him all things exist!
    Like DC Talk said, "God is doing a nu thang"- through His followers- His agents of change upon the earth. (Habakkuk 1:5) And as Jesus said in Acts 1:8 (in essence)- The Power is yours! :-) (So use His gifts and be His witness in all the world.)

A Cry of Praise to The Lord (poem)

      There is a misguided notion that people often seem to get about following Jesus. For some reason, we think that the rest of our life on earth will be not only much improved but also somehow carefree. Sometimes we think everything is supposed to go well for us. After all, Romans 8:28 says that God works everything together for our good, to the good of those who love Him and are called by Him. That verse does mean God can bring bad things together for our good but our definition of "good" is often quite different from God's. Many times we go through some very painful circumstances as followers of Christ in order to bring about our spiritual good whether we can see it right at the time or not- or whether we ever see a good purpose in this life. Jesus Himself told us that we would suffer persecution in this life for following Him. We can still trust that our Father is always good and always has a good plan and purpose in mind. He seeks to help us and never to harm us because He loves us. It can be tough to remember that sometimes when we are struggling with such horrible pain. Yet we know that God Himself endured horrible pain and suffering Himself on our behalf and because we have a God familiar with suffering and temptation, we know He can identify and help us through it when we go through it. It's hard to hold to faith at times when our world is shaken- but it's especially at those times when we must remember that faith in Jesus is all we have to hold on to at all. And if Jesus could still say, "Not My will but Thy will be done" in the midst of His trial, we can still say the same to God and offer praise with Job in the midst of our suffering. "The Lord gave and The Lord has taken away; may the Name of The Lord be praised." (Job 1:21)


A Cry of Praise to The Lord
(poem copyright by Nathan Ludwick 6/9/2017)
(Matthew 5, Psalms 6, 10 and 31, Proverbs 14:10 and 13, Proverbs 15:13 and 16, Proverbs 18:14, book of Ecclesiastes (especially verse 7:13), Psalms 139, Habakkuk 3:17-19, Micah 7:18-20, Proverbs 12:25 and 13:12 and 13:19, Proverbs 14:26 and 30, Proverbs 25:20, Proverbs 27:1 and 14, Proverbs 15:30, Isaiah 53, Luke 22:39-46, Psalms 46:10, Hebrews 11-12 and 13:1-16, book of Lamentations, Joel 1:13-14 and 2:1, Joel 2:12-16, John 14:27, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, John 6:68, Jeremiah 9, Psalms 51 and 88, Psalms 42 and 103, Job 1-2, Job 13:15, Job 42, 2 Corinthians 7:8-13, Revelation 21-22)

Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah! Praise ye The Lord!
It used to be so easy to cheerfully sing those words
With shouts of joy and songs of praise
I'd be at the lead taking the crew to church
But now the praise rings hollow coming from a broken heart
Somehow I keep a smile pasted on when my world's fallen apart
Do you really want to know how I'm doing? If we're real, here's what you'll find
A scream of fury and frustration that could shatter ear drums and souls
A cry of utter misery and sadness enough to rend garments and hearts
But neither of us wants to face the desperate longings of despair trying to hold to Hope
So instead I'll steady myself again and say our calming phrase, "I'm fine."
And that mantra lets us go through the paces in the places we don't want to let go
If I ever do open up, the inside pent up feelings might just explode
Through tears of grief and stammering tongue, this should bring relief to my soul
But my tears are my food and you've poured vinegar on my soda with your words
Miserable lot of comforters- why do your consolations sound so glib and trite?
While you revel in the happiness you are always so quick to share and tout?
Your platitudes and attitudes just leave me disillusioned and jealous of the image you project
Sometimes all I want and need is your listening open ear and your unopened mouth
And I'll try to tell you what's going on, even though I don't always know myself
Why are you downcast within me, O my soul? Where's your hope in God?
A Pollyanna theology is so quickly thrown when met with Job's lament
Yet though He slay me, I will still trust Him- He's the only Hope I've got
So I'll sing a song of praise, racked with pain- to The Lord familiar with pain
Where else could I go? You are the One with the Words of Life
And while I offer the praise ever due His Name, I gasp it out between tears
Awake! Weep all and wail- this is a time to mourn- better mourning than feasting
Ezekiel can't cry for his wife while Hosea's crying for his!
I can't blithely just lip sync songs of praise without telling God of the sadness that
roils inside me like a hurricane
Sometimes I'm awash in its fierceness in the quiet moments when I'm alone
Yet I'm not alone in the grief- we just all learn to bury it so deep beneath
Eden sank to grief and the whole world's been crying ever since
I'm on the run with Elijah from violent men who seek my life
Or I'm on the run with Jonah from The Lord who wants to use me to help save some other lives
I'll grasp the heel and then the side and wrestle with a broken hip until blessing Divine
I'm in the time of Jacob's trouble looking for Jacob's ladder
Clutching the cross like Simon of Cyrene wanting a life that's serene
But the narrow path of blood soaked sweat and tears cuts through my facades of protection
And drive me back to my Lord to weep at His feet and wash them with my hair
Firmly grip the horns of the altar like Adonijah and beg like Haman at Esther's legs
And though the crops have failed just like my heart almost did,
I've got to back it up in another direction- who can straighten what He has made crooked?
Better a broken Hallelujah than none and I think maybe that's the kind He likes best
So I'm trusting that the mourning may last for a night, but joy cometh in the morning
Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted
And even my lament shall be worship to the One whose mercies are new every day!
So I'll sing praise with Job- like the morning stars shouted for joy at Creation!
"The Lord gave and The Lord has taken away- blessed be the Name of The Lord!"
Paul's thorn in the flesh wounds deeply but Your grace is sufficient
Hold the hem of His robe like this daughter of Israel and know that His power's flowing
Even as they nailed You to the cross-
Father, Thy will be done! Mt. Moriah's ram and later Lamb remind me that God knows my pain
Let me mourn like Daniel and Ezra, not just over a ruined city, but ruined hearts
Sin is crouching at my door too- the source of so many souls crushed
The trumpet in Zion sounds- a call to fast and lament
May my eyes be red like Jeremiah's with lamentations for the beautiful cities wrecked
Who is the maker of my woe but the man in the mirror himself?
The old, haggard face that haunts me still when I let the cravings take control
Yet I know that man is dead because he was crucified with Thee on the tree
May that ghost be banished forever by The Holy Ghost-
The struggle is with me now, but I know that day will come
Even as the sadness may engulf me at times and I feel so utterly alone
I know Your Presence is here, Father, whether I feel it or not
And You've never abandoned me once on this journey You've wrought
Let the sorrow for suffering be stretched beyond to the Godly sadness for sin
Good grief! That's exactly what I need
It forces me to see how everything else always fails to satisfy
And it drives me ever closer to my loving Lord God Father who alone meets all my needs
Thank You for tears that tear open the shell I encase myself in
Thank You for salvation that lasts forever- starting here and through eternity
I know the Joy's coming and one day He will be here again to
forever wipe away all tears from my eyes
And until The Glory of Heaven descends from the skies
May His love flow through me to all so we all feel the warmth
And I'll cry tears of sadness for now trusting they'll be one day transformed to joy
And I'll sing His song in the land of my sojourn and forevermore
Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah! Praise ye The Lord!

A Dusting of Stargazing

I'm a bit late for All Saints' Day, but I had been thinking on this earlier and thought it fit well. Evolutionary theory says that we are stardust- that we are literally made of the atoms of exploding stars through the Big Bang and evolution. I've seen this explained in movies where it's made to sound all cosmic and romantic because the sense of eternity that we associate with stars, which can last for so many ages. It's like a touch of The Divine, you could say. And The Bible says that's halfway right. The Divine has made us with eternity in our hearts. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) We are made to be eternal beings. We are made of dust alright- but it's dust from the ground, not the stars. (Genesis 2 explains that God made Adam from the dust of the ground and then made Eve from one of his ribs.) The Bible mentions this a couple of times. Psalms 103:14, in detailing the depth of God's compassion, explains that He remembers how we are formed, that we are but dust. From ashes to ashes and from dust to dust- we are made from the dust and to the dust we will return. (Genesis 3:19 and Ecclesiastes 3:20)
Another passage talks about this, but I think it's one that gets buried in the midst of a super famous chapter about the Resurrection of Jesus and the resurrection of the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:35-49
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Resurrection Body
35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”;[a] the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall[b] also bear the image of the man of heaven.

The evolutionary theory ascribes a divine composition to our bodies without acknowledging The Divine Being Who "infused us with holy". (To briefly quote Chris Rice's "The Final Move") It is true in that sense that we are made of the Bright Morning Star of Heaven (Revelation 22:16). He made us in His image. He is the only reason we can take wonder at our bodies and our creation. The glory is reflected in us the created but it reflects back to The Creator! When we marvel at the beauty of the moon's shimmering brightness at night, in one sense we are marveling at the moon, but ultimately we're marveling at the source of the moon's light- the sun. In the same way, when we marvel at humanity because we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalms 139:13-14), we are really marvelling at the source of our wonderfully made bodies- The Son.
Psalms 8 asks God, "What is man that You care for him?" We are but dust, yet God made us a little lower than the angels. In our search for wonder and meaning in that wonder, we must wonder as we wander about the wonder around us and within us and it should lead us to the One Whose Name is Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God.
And when we realize we are not as strong as we think we are (that's a Rich Mullins reference), we can acknowledge our need for The God Who created the cosmos and everything in it. He's the only One Who can bring new life to dying stars and planets. He Himself came from Heaven to die to pay for all sins. And because the Eternal One of Heaven rose, we know we will also rise in Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:14) Our faith in Him assures us of our place with Him. And then we become complete in Him- our frail forms of dust from the ground are transformed into Morning Stardust instead as we take our place beside The Ancient of Days in the heavens- in Heaven- forever. :-)
Praise God for His amazing love that fills us with wonder every time. Romans 5:8 is forever wondrous to me- Jesus, You are the Wonder and Mystery I seek to behold. May I ever be captivated by Your awesomeness too great for words.

The Rapture (song)

Note: (This is another entry from the archives. I do hope to eventually have all my previous writings (as much as possible) archived on this blog. That's still a work in progress.)

Given one of the recent topics of this blog, I thought this parody was only appropriate to post. I hope it doesn’t have a jagged edge for my Anglican friends (and any other Christian denominations that don’t believe in the Rapture as Southern Baptists particularly are famous for holding to.) I have tried to only mention what The Bible says about the end times events here- read the passages for yourself and let the Holy Spirit lead you as you read for understanding. I know some folks believe in pre-tribulation Rapture, some in mid-tribulation Rapture, some in post-tribulation Rapture and some who don’t believe in it at all. Regardless of what people believe regarding the timing of events, here’s what is clear from Scripture. Jesus will return one day! One day we who have put our faith in Christ will enjoy eternity with Him in Heaven. Those who have rejected Him will have to face God’s judgment and wrath in Hell. (And we’ll either get to either location through either our deaths or His return and judgment.) The only way I know to soften the blow of those truths is simply this- God loves us all so much that He sent Jesus to die for us and rise again- to endure God’s wrath for all of us so that we never have to. God wants everyone to trust in Jesus so they can avoid Hell and go to Heaven instead! And we don’t know when we’ll die or when Jesus will return. So don’t waste any time- today is the day of salvation! Trust Jesus in faith today! :-)

“The Rapture”
(parody of “The Rapper” by The Jaggerz)
(parody by Nathan Ludwick 11/8/2013)
(Hebrews 9:27-28, John 3:16-17, Matthew 24-25, 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 and 5:23-24, Acts 1:1-11, 2 Peter 3, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Revelation 3:20)

Hey world, Christ left but He’s coming back to get us!
He’ll find you unaware if Jesus has been barred ‘cause you won’t make Him Lord!
You’ll stay excluded, having to live through wrath of The Lord!

(Chorus 1)
Rap-a-rap-a-rap- we call it The Rapture
Rap, rap, rap- caught up to hereafter

So read 1st. Corinthians- Go in 15- translation!
Christ says there’ll be two work companions- one’s gone; one gets left, dude
He waits such (a) long time- He wants no one (to) be lost, dude

(Chorus 2)
Rap-a-rap-a-rap- He calls at The Rapture
Rap, rap, rap- Noah’s days encore

He’s made restitution- with His death and Resurrection
“Come up to My place,” Christ is calling, “By faith- on Me.”
He loves you and He wants you- World, you gotta face reality!

(Chorus 3)
Rap-a-rap-a-rap- Don’t know when’s The Rapture
Rap, rap, rap- nobody but Father!

Rap, rap, rap- Christ calls- what’s your answer?
……………………………………………………………………………………

He's Gone (song)

Psalms 126:6 says that those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. I hope this parody song that's hauling oates will bear some seeds for sowing and see sheaves brought about that I and those who let the seed of God's Word grow in them will all come Home with shouts of joy! :-) And this is definitely a song of joy as, though it starts on a dour note, the sour taste of death sweetens into a triumph of life and life eternal over death. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? Jesus has conquered you forever and He's gone from that tomb! And because He lives, we can live also. :-)

 "He's Gone" (parody of "She's Gone" by Hall & Oates; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/11/2016)
(Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 13-21, (particularly John 20), Romans 10:13, Romans 6:1-11, 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Corinthians 6:14)

Everybody's crying- needs consolation
Son of God's dying to save me
But The Christ must bleed, yeah
Receives a drink and He yields His spirit
Now we're scattered sheep, ooh, what will be?

Chorus 1:
He's gone, He's gone
Oh, why?
Oh, why?
I better learn how to face it
He's gone, He's gone
Oh, why?
Oh, why?
I'd say the devil's celebrating
He's gone, He's gone
Oh, why?
What went wrong?

Get up Sunday morning- look in on Saviour
Empty tomb- just linen- Mary's sad
About face and thinking it's the gardener
Woman, why do you weep?
Lord's taken away from me

Chorus 2:
He's gone, He's gone
Oh, why?
Oh, why?
She said, "Sir, where have you laid Him?"
In John, in John
20- Rabboni!
You see, the devil only bruised Him
Praise God! Praise God!
He's alive!
God has won!

Now I'll spend eternity in the Heavenlies
'Cause the cross of the Crucified took my wrongs away
And anybody that will call His Name is saved
Grave- where's your victory? 'Cause Jesus' gone from thee!

Chorus 3:
He's gone! He's gone!
The Christ did rise!
And in our turn, He will raise us!
He's God! He's God!
The Lord Jesus Christ!
One day the devil's gonna say it
Then he's gone
And we're gone
With Christ
In Heaven!

(Repeat Chorus 3)
...................................................................

Hosanna (song)

Note: Here is another entry from the archives, just barely in time for Palm Sunday, depending on what part of the world you're in. :-) And I just thought it might be worth noting- I wrote this song back in 2009 or so and then about 2 years later, I heard ApologetiX release their own take on this same song with the same parody title. (And theirs is a great version too, of course!) But just for the record- I wrote this before I ever heard their version. And if you haven't heard this group- go check them out!

This is a classic early 1980s song. This is a song of praise to Jesus, describing the reaction of one who greeted Him at His triumphal entry on Palm Sunday. God so loved the world that He gave His Son to die for us and rise again! I can never get over God's love for us! It's so amazing! :-) Jesus Christ is worthy of all praise! Enjoy this musical account of the events of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem- how quickly the crowds went from shouts of praise to shouts of "Crucify!" Thankfully, the story continues past there. Like Toto and Dorothy got home at the end of the story, Jesus made it back from the grave so that He could one day take us all Home in the end!

(Note: "bg vocal" just means "background vocal")

"Hosanna" (parody of "Rosanna" by Toto; copyright by Nathan Ludwick circa March 2009)
(Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, John 12, Psalms 84, James 1:17, Luke 6:23)

All I wanna do when I wake up in the morning is feel alive!
Hosanna, Hosanna
I never thought that a God like You could ever care for me- Hosanna

All I wanna do in the middle of the evening- behold Your might!
Hosanna, Hosanna
I didn't know You were looking to be all I could ever need!

Chorus 1:
Not quite a cheer since it meant "Lord, save"- Hosanna, yeah!
Twenty-one Matthew has to say:
Greet You on the way- Greet You Palm Sunday-Hosanna, yeah!
He comes in the Name- Greet You, Son of Dave- Hosanna, yeah!

I can see God's grace still riding through Jerusalem on a donkey's hide
Hosanna, Hosanna
I didn't know that a God like you would take a humble ride- Hosanna!
All I have will praise You- now You'll never ever have to bleed stones dry
Hosanna, Hosanna
11 Mark, 19 in Luke and 12 John- so rad!

(Repeat Chorus 1)

(Instrumental break)

Chorus 2:
Not quite a cheer since it meant "Lord, save"- Hosanna, yeah!
Now read on and I have to say:
Read through all of James (Yeah!)- One, one seven (1:17) says- Hosanna, yeah
He gives all good things (Hoo!)-Give Him all the praise-Hosanna, yeah!
Read Luke 6 today- Twenty-three- it's a Bonanza, yeah!
Leap pews- Jesus saves! Need You all my days- Hosanna, yeah!

........................................................................................

Christ Extends and Tarries (song)

Whether you're in the dawn of your life or the twilight years, one thing holds true for all of us- we all will die one day. (Unless you get a cool deal like Enoch or Elijah where God just takes straight up home to Heaven without dying. ;-)) And one day, we will all meet God and all face His judgment. And none of us match up to His standards of perfection. Thus, the judgment we all face is one of absolute guilt that deserves absolute punishment- eternity in hell. This is not the outcome The Lord wants for anyone- He loves us all so much He sent Jesus to die for us and rise again so that we would have an escape. Jesus met the standard of perfection for us and when we accept the work He's done on our behalf, God imputes Christ's righteousness to us and sees that in us instead and accepts us as His own children. Of course, it is up to us to grab hold of God's offer of love and forgiveness and trust Him, even as He continues to seek us out. One day He will return and time for that will be up. We don't know when that day will come or when we will die, but we do know that The Lord is patient and long-suffering with us- to Him a day is like 1000 years and 1000 years like a day- He has waited 2000 years since Christ's death and resurrection and He's waiting still. He doesn't want anyone to perish but for all to come to repentance. Come accept His offer today while there's still time.


"Christ Extends and Tarries" (parody of "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 1/8/2017)
(Hebrews 9:27-28, 2 Peter 3:1-10, Isaiah 54:8, Jeremiah 31:3, John 3:16-21, John 6:35-50, John 10:27-30, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Romans 10:9-13, Ezekiel 18:23, Romans 2:4)

Heartbeats pass
Count on it- promise it!
Now to the grave
(Do) you stand with God? Well, I'm afraid you'll fall
But what will you stand there on?
Self-righteous doubt? Suddenly goes away as you bow

Once it's over...

(Chorus 1)
Christ has died and been raised- (He's) waiting for you
2 Peter 3:8- with The Lord a day's like a thousand years
Millennium's a day to The Lord!

Christ waits still
Dutifully calls Jesus
"Call on My Name"
I will not have anyone cast away
Whose handed by Father to Me
All He draws- 44 in John chapter 6

Come- you're chosen

(Repeat Chorus 1)

(Chorus 2)
So call upon God- believe- Christ will find you
Christ has got you eternally- He has loved you with eternal love
His love wants to see no one lost

Come, whosoever
God has chosen

(Repeat Chorus 1 and Chorus 2)

.................................................................................................

The Father's Enduring Love

      ( I keep doing this. I read books. And then I get knocked over by The Lord's Spirit and I just want to share the truths He's reminded me of again once more. And then what is intended to be a paragraph or so becomes another blog entry. :-) (That's a good thing in some ways though, as I'm always glad to have more devotional prose to add, if just for variety's sake if nothing else. More so than that, this is also all written on the spur of the moment, straight from the heart.) (Hopefully, not that other pieces aren't- but not everything is composed in the span of one sitting, as this piece was.)
As always, if anything in there is downright awful- it's me. If anything good- it's all God. :-) Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the ability to write and the reason to do so.)         
        I've never been one that's good at picking favorites. But I will say that while I love every single verse of The Holy Bible, these two are some that I particularly love and find incredibly moving and overwhelming every time I read them. First, in a succession of parables from Jesus, we hear about the lost sheep the shepherd goes to find, the lost coin the woman goes to find- and then the lost son the father goes to find. (Jesus mentions the father saw him from a long way off, indicating that he had been looking for him.) And we hear these beautiful words in this parable-
        "And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." (Luke 15:20)
My other Bible verse I want to share gives us the picture of how God did exactly this for us.
        "But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
In these two verses, we get such a great picture of God's amazing grace! That is something that we gloss over too often and let it become so old and comfortable to us that we forget the astonishing wonder of it. If we were to really sit in silence and ponder the intensity of the love God has for every single person, we would and should be truly overwhelmed and bowled over. This is why Charles Wesley's "And Can It Be?" has always been one of my favorite hymns. "And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's love? Died He for me who caused His pain- for me who Him to death pursued! Amazing love- how can it be? That Thou my God should'st die for me!"
        But praise God- it's true! I can't and don't understand it- I don't know why He'd want me or any of us- but somehow He does. No matter how many times we sin and mess up and fall down in the mud and slime again and feel broken beyond repair- before we can even make all our vain acts of penitence and apologies for the trillionth time- God still is the God of the impossible who can put right broken hearts and repair His creation to what we are meant to be all along. (Matthew 19:26- impossible for us- we can NEVER do it in our own efforts- and we NEVER have to. God alone has done it and it's done!)
We need only receive His love shown for us through His death and Resurrection and fall weeping at the feet of Jesus once more. Absolution comes before apology- forgiveness offered before repentance- grace before good works. And any good works we do are really His work in any case. Ephesians 2:8-10 gives us such a wonderful model when we read it together. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
       When His amazing grace and love washes over us and washes us clean, the only appropriate response is immense gratitude which demonstrates itself in a changed life. This is not of our own power- this is a miracle that happens when we are emptied of ourselves, as Christ emptied Himself (see Philippians 2)- and we are cleaned out of all the corrupt, sin-sick encasing that is our old identity and we are filled instead with the wholly pure life-giving Holy Spirit, Who is our new identity in Christ. We have died and now it is Christ who lives in us and through us. (Colossians 3:1-4) God our Father mercifully takes Ezekiel's dry bones and clothes them with flesh again and makes them alive- just as He does with us. (see Ezekiel 37). We're not perfect yet, but we're being made perfect as we progress from justification through sanctification to glorification in Heaven.
         "Ask people what they must do to get to Heaven and most reply, 'Be good.' Jesus' stories contradict that answer. All we must do is cry, 'Help!' God welcomes home anyone who will have Him and, in fact, has made the first move already. Most experts- doctors, lawyers, marriage counselors- set a high value on themselves and wait for clients to come to them. Not God. As Soren Kierkegaard put it,
          'When it is a question of a sinner He does not merely stand still, open His arms and say, 'Come hither'; no, He stands there and waits, as the father of the lost son waited, rather He does not stand and wait, He goes forth to seek, as the shepherd sought the lost sheep, as the woman sought the lost coin. He goes- yet no, He has gone, but infinitely farther than any shepherd or any woman, He went, in sooth, the infinitely long way from being God to becoming man, and that way He went in search of sinners.'
Kierkegaard puts his finger on perhaps the most important aspect of Jesus' parables. They were not merely pleasant stories to hold listeners' attention or literary vessels to hold theological truth. They were, in fact, the template of Jesus' life on earth. He was the shepherd who left the safety of the fold for the dark and dangerous night outside. To His banquets He welcomed tax collectors and reprobates and whores. He came for the sick and not the well, for the unrighteous and not the righteous. And to those who betrayed Him- especially the disciples, who forsook Him at His time of greatest need- He responded like a lovesick father."
(from "Lovesick Father" chapter of "What's So Amazing About Grace?" by Philip Yancey, page 55. Copyright Zondervan, 1997.)
         Praise and thank You God, my lovesick Father, who dares to love and embrace sin-sick, adulterous betrayers and doubters like me. Thank You for continuing to love and be faithful even when I'm not. Thank You for loving this sojourner and wanderer and ragamuffin. Thank You, Lord, for Your everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3) I am overwhelmed every time I think about it and Your amazing grace! As we embark on this Lenten season, may Your incredible sacrifice of love continually be impressed upon our minds and hearts and may Your bread and wine fill us so much that we find contentment solely in You. May Your living water well up in us and overflow to others so they may experience Your love as well. May our ill-gotten gains and evil escapades taste like only the gravel in our mouths that they always are every time. (Proverbs 28:21, Proverbs 30:7-9, Proverbs 27:19-24, Proverbs 26:11, Proverbs 23:1-9, Proverbs 20:17) I am so sorry for the many times I have been what I should not be- but thank You for loving me as I am and not as I should be- because none of us are as we should be. But just like You shaped Rich Mullins and Brennan Manning before me, You're still shaping me too. May Your amazing grace continue to shape all of us Your children into the people of God you want us to be.
          "Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared. I wait for The Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I hope; my soul waits for The Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in The Lord! For with The Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities." (Psalms 130)
         "Whom have I in Heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalms 73:25-26)
           "Simon Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God.' " (John 6:68)
            "For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." (Psalms 84:10)
           Heavenly Father God, Lord Jesus Christ, Counselor Holy Spirit- Blessed Three-in-One -may those prayers truly be true of me and all Your children. I need You every hour and I love You because You have first loved me with such wonderful love, incredible mercy, longstanding patience and amazing grace! Thank You.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLW9egHQWAE

(A song of benediction from one of my favorite Christian songwriters ever. I can't wait to meet Rich Mullins in Heaven one day and be "Growing Young" with him there as we worship The Lord Jesus Christ for eternity together. I must also acknowledge Brennan Manning and thank him for letting the Holy Spirit speak through him in writing "The Ragamuffin Gospel". I can't wait to meet him in Heaven one day as well. And I must give thanks as well to Philip Yancey for letting The Holy Ghost move in him as he wrote "What's So Amazing About Grace?" Whether in exile or exodus, I would love to meet him one day too.)

Christ is the Reason (for the Season) (song)

Here's a late Christmas present for you! (Of course, since scholars think Jesus was probably born closer to April than December, it still seems a fitting time.) Of course, any time is a good time to celebrate Christ's birth. And when it is that time of the season, there are lots of fun things to enjoy- Christmas carols, cookies, church services, presents and family time- but the greatest gift of all is the salvation God sent us through Jesus' death and Resurrection. He paid for all our sins so that when we were wandering through life like zombies- the living dead, as we were dead in our sins- we could have the chance to be truly alive with abundant life in the here and now and eternal life in Heaven instead of hell as we deserve. Just as Jesus came at the right time (as Galatians 4:4-5 say), in that sense Time adopted the Eternal One and Joseph adopted Mary's Son born of the Immaculate Conception through The Holy Spirit's work. (To be clear, I know the "Immaculate Conception" term is used in reference to Mary; while I don't agree with that doctrine, I am using the term here to refer to Jesus Christ being kept free from original sin by His virginal conception. ;-)) And in turn, Jesus redeemed those under the law so that He could adopt us as well! Praise God for His love! Merry Christmas! Happy Easter! God loves you! :-)

(And as a special bonus with this song, my brother Kevin and I have collaborated to provide for an audio file that you can stream or download for free, thanks to Karaoke Version and Tency Music, who provided the excellent karaoke tracks that we used! :-) Stream or download the song for free at Kevin Ludwick's Bandcamp page! And while you're there, check out some other collaborations Kevin and I have done (including original songs) and Kevin's collection of his own original songs.) You can also listen to it from this blog in the player below!

"Christ is the Reason (for the Season)"
(parody of "Time of the Season" by The Zombies; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 8/31/2016)
(Galatians 4:4-5, Romans 5:8, Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2, Mark 1:1-3 and 14-15, John 1:1-29, 1 John 4:19)

(Ah!) (x4) (Repeated after first 4 lines and in-between verses)

It's the time of the season
When God sent Christ
Christmastime- sing and let's be jolly
The light still shines in darkened lands
To save you by The Son for Promised Land
Go 4:19 1 John
It says Christ is the reason for loving

(Ah!) (x4)

Jesus came (Jesus came)
Who's His Daddy? (Who's His Daddy?)
(He is rich) He's the richest King (the richest King)
(But He laid) But He laid it all aside (it all aside)
And though He was God, became servant
Saviour meek and lowly
Showed us how love really ought to go
When He died- that's His reason for coming!

(Ah!) (x4)

What a Name! (What a Name!)
Man of Sorrows! (Man of Sorrows!)
(Yet He's the King) Yet He's the King of Kings! (King of Kings!)
(In Galatians) In Galatians 4:4- Time (4:4- Time)
(And Joe) And Joseph adopted God's Kid

He and Mary obeyed
Christ adopts the redeemed from the law
Christmastime! Happy Easter- God loves us!
.....................................................................................................

released January 15, 2017
Singing, mixing/mastering: Kevin Ludwick
Lyrics: Nathan Ludwick
Music: Karaoke Version (www.karaoke-version.com) and Tency Music (www.tencymusic.com)

Songs to the God of my life

"For You are the God in Whom I take refuge; why have You rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" (Psalms 43:2)
"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God." (Psalms 42:5 and 11)
"O Lord, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before You. Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry! For my soul is full of troubles and my life draws near to Sheol." (Psalms 88:1-3)
"But I, O Lord, cry to You; in the morning my prayer comes before You. O Lord, why do You cast my soul away? Why do You hide Your face from me?" (Psalms 88:18)
"Consider the work of God: who can make straight what He has made crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him." (Ecclesiastes 7:13-14)
I am so glad that The Lord included verses like these in The Bible. There are so many times in life when it might feel like "the darkness is my only friend" (as the end of Psalms 88 says) and that I just am not close to God or I just am not hearing from Him or something. Sometimes I cry out to God and my only answer is the silence of God. Sometimes it feels like He's playing hard to get; of course, I think He and His ways are just plain hard to get. (Isaiah 55:8-9) I'm glad that there is still joy in the journey though- and I do know that in the end, The Lord is always there and never leaves or forsakes me. Instead, He suffers alongside me. I trust in The God Who is not distant- the God Who is always very near- the God Who left His throne to come to earth for me and suffer alongside me. As Moses left the palace of Egypt to suffer alongside his people, so Jesus left His Heavenly throne and palace to suffer alongside His people that He had made who went astray from Him.
"For because He himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted." (Hebrews 2:18)
(See also Hebrews 4:14-16 and all of 11 and 12:1-17 and all of Romans 8.) We have to keep looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In our struggle against sin, we haven't yet resisted to the point of shedding our blood- but He did. Jesus spent the hours leading up to His crucifixion weeping alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, begging God the Father to take the cup from Him if possible- but nevertheless, Thy will be done! His friends couldn't even watch an hour with Him.
And in the horrible suffering Jesus endured- not merely in the physical- but also in the spiritual sense- the moment when He was ripped from the presence of God and felt as utterly cast out as the psalmist in Psalms 88- when He who knew no sin became sin for us so that we might be justified- He suffered incredible pain and loss- but He also overcame it. He rose again and defeated sin, death, the devil and hell- so that none of us would ever have to face eternal punishment. He bought us our salvation at an incredibly high price. "So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood. Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His Name." (Hebrews 13:13-15)
For the moments that I feel faint like Relient K, I know that you should never underestimate my Jesus because He will be strong when I am not. And even when I can't feel Him near and I don't think I'm getting any answers and I feel rejected, lonely, in pain and suffering and all alone- I will still trust and know that He's here. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." (Job 13:15)
Three of my favorite songs express this so well in different ways. (I love how all three of these speak of how we share with Jesus- not just in His glory when we are with Him in Heaven- but also in His suffering.) These are not the kind of songs you sing at church for worship, even though I think they sure can be a form of worship. It's a brazen, raw and honest outpouring of the heart to God- something that I think God loves to see and something I strive to do in prayer. I'm glad to know He's always listening and still giving rest to all those who take up His yoke. (Matthew 11:28-30) Whether I always feel it or not, I trust that that verse is true. And I trust that ultimately, our present suffering can't compare with the glory coming!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fIP_bKxjLs
("Joy in the Journey" by Michael Card- one of my favorite theologian songwriters- an encouraging song that acknowledges the weariness that comes in the journey while we are strangers on this earth in the time of our exile. (1 Peter 1:17-19)) "Who belong to eternity stranded in time and weary of struggling with sin."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2STr5qPlIM
("Hard to Get" by Rich Mullins- one of my all-time favorite songwriters period! And one of my Christian heroes. I love how both this song and Michael Card's song speak of the comparisons between our present state and God's state. "You who live in eternity hear the prayers of those of us who live in time." (1 John 5:14)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvytewIxll0
("The Silence of God" by Andrew Peterson- one of my newest favorites. Andrew Peterson is a huge fan of Rich Mullins as well and it's evident from his songs, though he has his own poetic style as well. He's also a fan of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien! This song speaks so well to the aching and hurt that comes with hearing only the silence of God in response to our cries. But it doesn't mean that God doesn't hear us- "And The Man of all Sorrows, He never forgot what sorrow is carried by the hearts that He bought." (Hebrews 12:1-4)

The Sunrise Dawns (poem)

Here's a Christmas poem to remember the sacrifice made to save us all- the sacrifice that extended beyond the cross and empty tomb- the sacrifice that started when Thou didst leave Thy throne, Lord Jesus. You stepped down and clothed yourself in human flesh and became a little Baby Boy in Bethlehem. You grew up to be the paragon of human existence, living a perfect life and dying a perfect death on the cross and then having a perfect Resurrection. You are perfection itself. Thank You for loving such imperfect people like me and coming to save us- and make us to be like You.

"The Sunrise Dawns"
(copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/26/2015)
(Luke 1-2, Matthew 1-2, John 1:1-18, Mark 1:1-11)

The Way in a manger
The Truth in a stable rude
The Life descends on a midnight clear
The Word resounds on a silent night
The Light of the world shines in thy dark streets, O Bethlehem
The Prince of Peace born by a pauper's means
The King of Kings crowned with hay for a wreath
The Lord of Lords with no glory to behold, by animals and shepherds adored
The Mighty God a tiny, helpless Babe
The Wonderful Counselor consoles Israel but not Himself
The Everlasting Father becomes the Only Begotten Son
The Seed of the woman planted for a tree
The Second Adam here to erase the curse of the first Adam
The Door of the sheep found only a door for sheep
The Desire of Nations had no beauty that we should desire Him
The Good Shepherd is The Lamb of God fit for the slaughter
The Holy Child comes to us lowly and mild
The Bright and Morning Star made a new star to shine with hope
The Beloved Son grows up to be a despised Man of Sorrows
The Author of Eternal Salvation writes Himself into our story
The Bread of Life is broken for us
The New Wine is spilled as blood for us
The Creator takes the punishment for His created
The Great High Priest becomes a curse for us
The Messiah comes to be our Passover
We find our rest in the New Sabbath
The Son of God becomes the Son of Man as well
So that the sons of earth might become sons of God too
Hallelujah, for The Saviour is born and we can be born again.
The Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings lifts us up as eagles
The Resurrection and The Life resurrects our lives with new life.
The Rose of Sharon blooms forevermore
And one day The Witness will see us witness to the great glory
of The Lord of Glory as we praise the Lord of all forever
All thanks to Immanuel who has made God with us our reality once more.
Let the Amen be raised in praise for endless days.

Words, Thoughts and Letters

"Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in His Name when they saw the signs that He was doing. But Jesus on His part did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for He Himself knew what was in man." (John 2:23-25)
"The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)
Jesus does.
"And the Spirit of The Lord fell upon me, and He said to me, 'Say, Thus says The Lord: 'So you think, O house of Israel. For I know the things that come into your mind.' ' " (Ezekiel 11:5)
Jesus knows our hearts and our minds and our souls- everything about us.
"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:33-37)
Jesus knows every single word we've ever said or even thought of saying- the ones we've just whispered under our breath and the ones we've thought but haven't uttered out loud. He also knows every single word we've typed on any online posting and in every text message and letter we've written.
Don't think that any area of life is off-limits for God and that He doesn't know about it and won't deal with it. God deals with all sin and He counts it all as equally wrong.
(Matthew 5:17-19- Whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of Heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.)
How then do we deal with the gravity of these realizations? How then should we live? Thankfully, the wrath of God upon all of our sins has been poured out on Jesus. Through our faith in His death and Resurrection, we know that we can have forgiveness and a new life in Christ- and the hope of eternity in Heaven with Him. But this faith must be one that drives us to repentance. (i.e. This goes beyond mere lip service to God-Jesus also has stern words about those who just call Him, "Lord, Lord" but don't actually do what He says. Check Matthew 7:12-27. Again- it's only faith in Jesus' grace that saves us, but real faith is defined and demonstrated by action. [see James 2.]
So if we have truly been crucified with Christ and have nailed our sins and worldly passions to His cross, then live by The Spirit and walk by The Spirit, so that we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by The Spirit, let us also keep in step with The Spirit. (see Galatians 5:16-26)
Father, forgive me for the times I have been lagging behind and out of step with The Spirit. Help mold me to be more like Your Son every day. Help me to keep my thoughts captive to You and use my tongue to pour out Your praises and not curse my brothers. Cleanse me with the hyssop branch and I will be clean. Thank You for Your longsuffering and grace that refuses to give up on me and continues to work with me, in me and on me all the time. Keep removing the chaff and dross until only the refined remains. May the light of Your glory and grace continue to open my eyes to the dimness of the things of this world in comparison to Your glorious brightness and sunshine. May You always be my treasure above all.

(Note:  I should acknowledge that, while I was recently thinking on some of these things anyway, this was also largely based on the sermon from church at Hampton First Baptist today.)

Back to the Future- Now for Now!

"The future- I gotta check this out, Doc." - Marty McFly on October 21, 2015 in "Back to the Future Part II"
Yay for Back to the Future Day! (Yes, it's finally October 21, 2015! Great Scott! Whoa! This is heavy, Doc. :-)) One of my favorite movie series ever! In Part III, Doc tells Marty and Jennifer that their future hasn't been written yet- no one's has. Your future is whatever you make it- so make it a good one, both of you.
This is kind of a paradox here (hopefully not the kind that destroys the whole universe). Psalms 139:16 says that our future is written because God has written in His book every one of the days that were formed for us. Yet while God knows everything and knows our future, we do not. But we are called to play a role in shaping our future, in which sense Doc was correct. According to Proverbs 24:20, there will be no future for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. But for those who have put faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, we have a future and a hope in Christ as Jeremiah 29:11 says. (Yes, I know that promise is specifically for the Israelites at that particular time in history. Nonetheless, we know from verses like 1 Corinthians 2:9 that no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no heart has imagined what God has in store for those who love Him. As Proverbs 23:17-18 tells us, when we continue in the fear of The Lord, surely there is a future and your hope will not be cut off. Just note that the good God has in mind for us may not be the same good we might think of- we are promised suffering for following Christ( John 16:1-4)- but as Romans 8:28-29 says, God works all things together for good, to those who love God and are called according to His purpose- which is to conform us to the likeness of His Son. So that good might include hard times and suffering- and the good it results in is us being more like Jesus- the only One who is good.) As Lamentations 1:9 laments of Jerusalem, "Her uncleanness was in her skirts; She did not consider her future." (Much like the poor Martin McFly of the 1800s who never considered his future. ;-) Of course, the Marty McFly of 1985 affirmed that when it comes to the future, "I think about it all the time.")
1 Timothy 6:17-19 instructs the rich of this age not to put their trust in uncertain wealth, but rather in God, Who is always certain. They should be generous with their wealth and so store up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. Paul says that a crown of righteousness is laid up for him in the future which The Lord will award on that Day (of The Lord)- and not only to Paul, but to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)
That's how we can determine our own future in a sense. When we put faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection to pay for all our sins and follow Him, we know we have a future forever in Heaven with Him. But don't wait for the future to make that choice (we don't know if we have one!- James 4:14, Proverbs 27:1)
In keeping with both BTTF II and 2 Corinthians 6:2- the future is now! Today is the day of salvation! Call on The Lord while you may be saved! Forever's gonna start tonight (if you put faith in Christ. John 10:10)
"Would that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would discern their future!" (Deuteronomy 32:29)