Waiting

 "But you will receive power when The Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

Amen! Our daily focus for all in Christ. Note that Jesus said this in context to the disciples asking about the times and dates God has set for establishing His kingdom. As we know from Matthew 24:36, no man knows the day or hour of Christ's return. And Jesus says here in Acts again that it's not for us to know that. Instead, what we are to do is to be His witnesses everywhere we go throughout the earth. And while we are faithful in doing that, we can certainly look forward to the day of His glorious return as we pray with John, "Come quickly, Lord Jesus!" :-)

    If I'm honest, sometimes I still have a mixture of anticipation on some days and trepidation on others. I think that's due to my own struggles I've had over the years with assurance of salvation, as well as a desire to see more goals accomplished in life here before that Day comes. And there is also the weight of knowing that so many still need to hear The Gospel and are still separated from God's love and bound to an eternity in Hell.

    As a coworker reminded me though, when Jesus comes and His kingdom is fully established on earth as it is in Heaven, those of us in Christ will experience life better than we could ever imagine! To think of a life free from sin, death, illness, violence, crime, pain and suffering- that's amazing! And that was a hopeful and helpful reminder to me. I know by my confession of faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection to pay for all my sins and my confession of Jesus Christ as Lord of all, I know my life is in Him and He is in my heart. 

And I trust by that faith that I will be with Him forever and His kingdom is so much infinitely better than any Earthly one. Heaven is infinitely better than Earth!

And Jesus is infinitely better than anything else I desire. Whether my earthly dreams and desires are fulfilled or not, God's thoughts and plans for me are infinitely higher and better than my own and I trust Him!

   So as I pray that He will find me to be the wise servant living in anticipation of His arrival, I strive to live each day for His glory in acknowledgement of the surety of His coming in His time. I want to want Jesus and nothing else. Lord, dispel my fears and bind my wandering heart to Thee! May I live each day for Your glory and do all You've called me to do. Thank You for Your promise to return and set everything right. I look forward to the day when everything sad will be made untrue. Help me to find all my joy and fulfillment in You and to do the good works You made to do for Your glory, that many others may come to know You and Your love for them in the time that is left. Whether Your second coming is in my lifetime or not, I join the earth in groaning for the renewal You will bring and I look to be used as an agent of change today to show the world what the kingdom of love and light looks like. Lord Jesus, shine through me and use me however You see fit. Forgive and cleanse me of all my sins and help me to keep living with eternity in mind each day. Please find me faithful when You come. :-)

Stayin' Outta the Fire (Plan in Motion) (song)

 (Note: I'm pulling a few more classics out of the archive. My last post referenced the lines I used in this parody so it only seemed fitting to post this next. I've included my original introduction from 2009 below. Since I had two others that seemed in a similar category of lyric-tweaking that already seemed to be such a good fit to talk about The Lord, I have posted those other two in this post and the previous one.)

    And I've got one more '80s classic for you. And this one I've definitely been thinking of after hearing the pastor's sermon today in church. Some of the passion for this one was definitely burning hot like a certain fire that the Laodicean church was called to get going- or remain cold. But lukewarm gets you spat out of God's mouth! This one was another one that was just begging for some God-centered lyrics that would really help put His plan in motion when we follow His plan in The Bible. :-)

"Stayin' Outta the Fire (Plan in Motion)" (parody of "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by John Parr)
(parody copyright by Nathan Ludwick 10/01/09)
(Romans 10:9, 15:20, Psalms 95, Hebrews 12:29, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, 1 Corinthians 3:12-14, Jude 1:22-25, Jeremiah 20:9, Ezekiel 1-2, Acts 2:1-4, Exodus 40:34-38, Revelation 20:14-15, Matthew 3:11-12, Luke 12:49, Matthew 17:20, Philippians 4:13, John 15:5-7, Revelation 3:15-16, Hebrews 9:27, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 6:2, Isaiah 40:28-31, Hebrews 10:19-25, Luke 15, John 3:3 and 3:16, John 14:6, Daniel 5, Philippians 1:6)

Going's tough- You don't see the writing on the wall
Passing by- Knew He'd save you then- you blew it off
But baby, sometime if you call His name
You'll find you're not alone- everything has changed
Stay the same- you know He won't quit on His lost son
Soldier on- only you can do what must be done
You know in some way you're like Six to me
You're just a Prisoner and you're trying to break free

I can see a new hope rising- all I need is faith in Christ
I'll be where the eagle's flying higher and higher
Gonna heed Your plan in Romans- as I read, I repent and kneel
10:9's where my Savior's Christ- I'm staying outta the fire!

Turning out, don't know just now where that I should go (just now where to go)
Truth be told, go look just a few miles down the road
I will make it- through God I can
He broke the old in me- so He could make (a) new man

I can see a new hope rising all replete by faith in Christ
I'll be where the eagle's flying higher and higher
Gonna heed Your plan in Romans- in 15:20 there reveals
Take me where witness is lacking- send down Your fire!

I can move the highest mountain- faith of a mustard seed
I can feel the Spirit's fire burning in me, burning in me

Just once in this life a man has to die
When my time comes 'round, I'm covered by Christ!

I can hear the music playing as I read Psalms 95
Kneel before God the King- extol Him on high
Gonna be Your man in motion- as I read Jeremiah's zeal
20:9- my heart's on fire by Consuming Fire!

I can see a new hope rising- all complete by faith in Christ
I'll be where the eagle's flying higher and higher
Gonna be Your man in motion- like Ezekiel's pairs of wheels
Take me there in 2 verse 5 and send down Your fire!

I can move the highest mountain- faith of a mustard seed
I can feel The Spirit's fire burning in me!
Burning, burning in me, I can feel it burning
Ooh- burning inside of me...

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

Christ in a Nutshell (song)

(Note: I'm pulling a few more classics out of the archive. My last post referenced the lines I used in this parody so it only seemed fitting to post this next. I've included my original introduction from 2009 below. Since I had two others that seemed in a similar category of lyric-tweaking that already seemed to be such a good fit to talk about The Lord, I will post those other two soon too.)


    I've been wanting to share a few more parodies I've written recently and they most all deal with some things that have been coming up in church lately actually. And they're all really favorite songs of mine, some of which just struck me as being such a good song already that it would only take a bit of tweaking to bring about a really great song talking about The Lord. So I plunged in to it and God helped me bring the ideas into fruition.
    Here's a song that wraps things up nicely and just states really what Christ is about and what our life is about in Him. I loved the second verse so much and it worked so well that I left it mostly intact. Take some time and a sip out of your 70's-style Coke bottle and enjoy. ;-)

"Christ in a Nutshell" (parody of "Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce)
(parody copyright by Nathan Ludwick 10/02/09)
(John 3:3, 3:16, 10:10, 14:6, Romans 8:1-2, 10:9, 2 Corinthians 6:2, 2 Peter 3:9)

If I could state Christ in a nutshell,
The first thing that He'd like to do
Is to save every name for eternity- He just can't wait
Just to spend it with you!

Since Christ can make change last forever
His Word conveys this is for you
Get saved and today
Christ will never condemn
Romans
8 explains- 1 and 2

(Chorus)
But you never seem to think about Christ
You do the things you want to do
But you'll find out
I've looked around enough to know
The only One I want to know is Christ, yes!

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty except for the memory
Of how they were surpassed by You!

(Repeat Chorus)
and fade....

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

Life Goals

(Note: With my birthday coming up in about three weeks, this seems fitting for my sometimes annual reflection.)


   One thing that I think is important spiritually is stopping everything once in a while and taking stock of life. The prudent gives thought to his steps. (See Proverbs 14:8 and 14:15) While running/walking this evening, the thought came to mind for me in thinking about the ongoing struggle with sin and striving to live for Christ, as well as making choices for life's trajectory that are pleasing to Him-
Is my life about me or is it about Jesus? That was a sobering thought to ponder. How many times do I ask that in making a decision? How many times do I center my life around making decisions to do things that bring me pleasure rather than seeking to bring God pleasure and glory?
   If I am crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) and I have died and my life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-4), and God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever and I desire nothing on earth besides Him (Psalms 73:25-26) and The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want (Psalms 23) and a day in His courts is better than thousands elsewhere (Psalms 84:10)- then why do I not always live like it?
    Far too often I identify with Ecclesiastes 2:11 "Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun." In the same book, it says in chapter 3 (verses 1-8) that there's a time and season for everything. The book concludes in 12:13-14 by saying that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. That's also the only place we really derive any meaning in life. As Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 says, apart from God, who can eat or have enjoyment?
    I have often found this with temporary goals on earth. There are things and pursuits that give me much pleasure and I enjoy them. There's nothing wrong with that, provided they are pleasing to The Lord. As Shakespeare said though, all good things must come to an end. I love reading and I can amuse myself with books, but eventually I finish a book series and that pleasure is gone. The same goes for watching every episode of a beloved television show or watching a favourite movie. The same goes for any life pursuit, whether it's marriage and raising children, career building, property acquisition or publishing of some sort. Even altruistic measures can fall into this pattern if the motivation is to make myself feel better and look good. What's the point of me saying something and bragging about something in the hopes that people will remember it and share it in the eulogy at my funeral? I won't even be there to enjoy that! (Which is all the more reason we should say all those nice things to people now rather than save them all up for the wake.)
    As one of my favourite poets, Robert Frost, has said, "Nothing gold can stay." I agree with him to a point. There is one gold thing that can and does stay- the streets of gold. Those are forever. And Heaven is where I want to always have my mindset. As C.S. Lewis has said, it is often those who thought the most of the next life that have done the greatest good in this life. Having a Heavenly mindset should cause me to do more good in this life for the sake of Jesus and others. That's where I find my joy- in The Lord and not in things. I can find fleeting happiness in some things but true joy only in The Lord. This is one reason I periodically do a purge of my belongings, as it helps remove idols from my life and makes sure I am focused on Jesus first.
    There's a certain panic and terror that comes at times when I have a quiet moment by myself to analyze my life. It especially weighs heavily as the clock keeps ticking onward and reminders of its passage come up, particularly birthdays. It feels more so that way to me as a single person. Perhaps this is due to having had an American ideal instilled through movies and TV shows of the American dream that everyone is supposed to have. After you get through school, you're supposed to go to college and get a degree and get a good job that pays a lot and get a house and get married and have children and eventually retire and enjoy your golden years together. I made it through school and got both a bachelor's and master's degree in college and I got a job I enjoy and I have a place of my own to live. But I am nearing the end of my 30s and I still have not gotten married and thus have not had any children.
     It feels bad to say but sometimes it is hard to be happy for the friends and family I have watched get married and have families of their own. I have gone to so many weddings and while I do celebrate with those who are rejoicing, there are twinges of jealousy and regret. I look back at times and think of opportunities for friendships that I pushed away at the time. I think of romantic possibilities not realized that I wish I had pursued more. I was never super interested in dating until my late '20s or so and I wonder if that wasn't partly because of subtle peer pressure when I saw what seemed like everyone around me getting married all of a sudden and it seemed like the thing to do. That's not to say I didn't have romantic thoughts about girls when I was younger and hitting puberty though. There have been a lot of women I have liked but few I have really dated and only one that I feel like I've truly fallen in love with though. And rejection can make you so introspective, desperately reliving every moment and analyzing them to see where a different choice could have been made so that things could have turned out differently and you could still be walking through the city hand in hand with her, feeling an excitement of euphoric exhilaration race through your body!
      Alas, when the relationship doesn't work out as you would like, it's hard to trust that God still has a good plan and knows best. It's hard to let go of that time when everything was right and you both felt like you and she loved each other more than anyone else on earth and that feeling of ecstasy felt so good.
There are moments in time I can flash back to and I just want to stay there for a while. But eventually I get awakened from my reverie by reality and I have to move on. And I wonder if I'll ever love another woman like that again and if I'll ever get married and have children. I do want to have all that for that experience and for the joy of loving someone like that and being loved by her like that and raising my own children. And to be really honest, I want to have sex and experience that beautiful union between husband and wife that is an intimate expression of their love for each other. I want to have that kind of intimacy that is honoured and guarded to the highest degree as my one and only who is my beloved and betrothed to me- and I am fully hers in body and mind and heart.
    It seems cruel at times in having those desires but not being at that place yet and knowing there is no morally correct way of having a release for that sex drive until that time of marriage comes. That's where temptation can hit so hard to give in to sexual fetishes and fantasies and enjoy the erotic pleasures of an erection, which themselves are also fleeting and short-lived, and lead to only shame and guilt afterwards. When I think of those I know who are Christ followers who struggle with homosexual tendencies, I can't imagine what an awful struggle that must be in that same scenario and knowing there is no release on this earth. And if I remain unmarried, then I am in the same place as them in that regard of dealing with the desires of a sex drive that can't be fulfilled. Passages like 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 make this very clear.
    All of this gets back to my original point and question though. Is my life about me or is it about Jesus? If I am to follow Jesus as I say I want to do, then I must lose my life to find it. Jesus says I must take up my cross, deny myself daily and follow Him. (Luke 9:23) I must believe that His lovingkindness is better than life. I must store up my treasures in Heaven because Jesus is my real treasure. Even if I do get married and have children, my real joy can never be found in my wife or kids. Jesus is better than my potential wife and kids. Jesus is better than sex. Jesus is better than possessions. Jesus is better than sin. Jesus is better than anything this world affords today. Would I really rather have Jesus than anything my heart desires? Is Jesus really my number one passion and desire? Is He the ultimate lover of my soul Whom I am so in love with above all others?
I know don't desire God as much as I should but I want to desire Him more. I want to want Jesus and want nothing else. As Rich Mullins wrote, "The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the Giver of all good things." "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ...." (Philippians 3:7-8)
     Matthew 6:33 tells me to seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto me. What things? The things I need- not necessarily all the things I want. As I seek God more, I believe The Spirit will make the things of this earth to grow strangely dim (as the hymn "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" says) in the light of His glory and grace. Psalms 90:12 beseeches The Lord to teach us to number the days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom. To be sure, this of course applies for every follower of Christ. Married couples have to decide how best their union can glorify The Lord. How do the husband and wife help each other grow closer to The Lord and be used more by Him for His glory? There are some advantages for the single person as there is no entanglement with trying to take care of a spouse and children. The time and energy that would be spent in that can be spent in other things. Am I using time just to indulge myself though or am I using it to serve God and others? (See 1 Corinthians 7 for a lot more on this.)
     Jesus gives us the ultimate example. Philippians 2 is such a beautiful picture of how He humbled Himself and put our needs before His own. He gave up His rights and didn't count equality with God something to be grasped but instead took the form of a bondservant in the likeness of men- and humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross! For this reason God raised Him up and gave Him the Name above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. We are commanded to have that same mindset. (1 Corinthians 2:16 indeed says that we have the mind of Christ.) We are to do nothing out of selfish ambition and conceit but in humility count others as better than ourselves! As Philippians 2:21 says, too many folks- and too many times we ourselves are in this number- seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. My interests are to be those of Jesus Christ. I am to look to others' interests before my own.
   Just as Jesus said in regards to the most important commandments, I am to love The Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and love my neighbour as myself. (Matthew 22:34-40) I try to keep those two directives constantly in mind, along with Ephesians 4:15's admonition to be "speaking the Truth in Love." Part of loving God and my neighbour is sharing The Gospel with others as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:18-20. I tell others about God's love that pays for all sins through our faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection and I show others God's love through helping with their physical needs as well. (James 2:15-17, 1 John 3:18)
    What can be said in conclusion then? How is my life demonstrating God's love and grace to others as well as warning about His judgement? How is my life pursuing and displaying the needs and desires of others and ultimately Jesus first? "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of The Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with The Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to The Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God The Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." (Ephesians 5:15-21)
    I must give thanks to God in all things and for everything because it's all His blessings! He has me in exactly the time and place He wants me. (Acts 17:26) His plan for me will come through. (Psalms 138:8)
Thus, I must do all things without grumbling or disputing that I might be a blameless and innocent child of God without blemish, as Philippians 2:14-15 says. As it goes on to say, then I can be shining as a light in the world in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. That is what I want my life to be doing and Jesus is who I want my life to be about always. I quote this next verse often as my writing goal but it's true of life in general: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." (Psalms 19:14) Lord Jesus, may that always be true of me in all I say or do. May I always find my contentment in You because I know godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6)
"For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) 
 

 

Longing to Belong to a World Without Wrong

Do you want a world without dishonesty, theft, rape, murder, hatred and prejudice, greed, selfishness, rudeness, laziness, foul language, demeaning words and name calling, sexual immorality, unfaithfulness, alcoholism, lust, unwanted babies, starving people, poverty-stricken folks, unloved least of these, injustice and to sum it all up in one three-letter word- sin?
   Well, this world isn't it. And everyone fighting on their own battle to change the world for the better is fighting a losing battle. We can't change the world in our own strength- we don't truly have any. We ourselves are the problem. We all like sheep have gone astray; each of us have turned to our own way and The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (As Isaiah 53:6 says.) We and our entire world are cursed with sin.
    There is only one cure and God has provided Him as the verse above says. Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, came and died and rose again so we would never have to face death and separation from God in Hell. When we put all our weight- pin all our hopes and faith on Jesus for salvation- He saves us and leads us so we can follow Him on the straight and narrow path to Heaven.
   Thus, why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain? (Psalms 2:1) They don't know it's all for naught.
     That perfect world we all want does exist- it's called Heaven! God describes it for us in Revelation 21-22, where there's no more tears, no more death and no more pain. The old has gone- the new has come! :-)
As C.S. Lewis said in "Mere Christianity", "If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world." This is precisely the longing that Hebrews talks about in chapters 11 and 13. Thy kingdom come, Lord Jesus! I know You are coming soon but even so- come, Lord Jesus!
 In Christ's Kingdom, "after the last tear falls, there is Love, Love, Love, Love...there is Love, Love, Love, Love- there is Love. And in the end, the end is oceans and oceans of Love and Love again. We'll see how the tears that have fallen were caught in the hands of the Giver of Love and the Lover of all and we'll look back on these tears as old tales...." ("After The Last Tear Falls" by Andrew Peterson)
      That is where we must always have our eternal Hope. And until that Blessed Hope of Glory, Christ Jesus, returns to take His people Home and make all things new- we who know and love Jesus must continue to shine His love upon this dark world, so that the world may see the Light of Life living in us- see our good works- and glorify our Father in Heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16, Philippians 2:14-16, Ephesians 2:8-10)
    Jesus has already started making things new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that anyone in Christ is a new creation! The old has gone and the new has come! And the rest of the chapter calls us to be ambassadors for God, urging people to be reconciled to Him through Christ. We as Christ followers must work to extend grace and seek justice to show people a taste of God's Kingdom. The redeeming work has started and one day will be complete. (Philippians 1:6)
     Keep shining like stars in a dark world and (to briefly quote Peterson again, "All Things New") hold on to the Promise- the stories are true. My Jesus makes all things new. :-) Praise Him forever!

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

How About Them Apples?

     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. :-)

Trading Dreams

(Note: This blog entry is in response to the following article.
https://www.boundless.org/blog/giving-god-control-of-my-failure/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=bt_blog_Mar12&fbclid=IwAR1a0eDtNfntrA98dIilG1p8IwH57viGO5V3Qqyj406x20iuufnnUupUip8
I am largely talking about keeping Jesus our number one passion above all else here but it is particularly addressing disappointment some feel with unwanted singleness.)


   I read the article- good stuff overall. I particularly liked how he talked about giving all our timelines, plans, dreams and desires over to God.
    Proverbs 16:3 is a great promise from The Lord- but don't forget some other verses in the same chapter- 16:9 and 16:33. In the end, even when we throw the dice in the game of Life, God still determines where they land. (Read Romans 9 for an excellent expose on God's sovereignty.)
     I did note that the dude's now happily married and I'm glad for him and his wife. I will admit that I get what he's saying because I've had times when I get sick of congratulating people on their engagements and marriages and children, etc. And then I get sick of me getting sick of that! Why am I going to sit around and whine about what I don't have instead of being thankful for what I do have?
     Marriage is not the perfect life-fixer we've idolized it to be. I'm not saying it's a bad thing- a wife is a blessing from The Lord. But marriage often makes life much harder, not easier. I do think it's worth the hardships but the grass always looks greener on the other side. (As Erma Bombeck used to say, I do believe- if I got the quote right)- that's because it's growing over a septic tank.
    I think too many Americans have bought into the American dream and have hopes set on marriage, kids and successful job in a nice cozy house- none of which is necessarily bad but none of which is necessarily God's plan for our lives.
     As with anything, the question we need to keep in mind with marriage, is asking how best we can bring God glory. How would my marriage to this particular girl best glorify God? I think as a couple, I would need to make sure both she and I can see God's vision for us as a couple.
     And we also have to be ready to trust The Lord and lay down our Isaac on the altar if that's what He calls us to do.
   "Sometimes, to do what's right, we have to be steady and give up the things we want the most- even our dreams."- Aunt May in "Spider-Man 2"
     And even if we feel like we're doing just that, we can trust that God still has the best in mind for us and will provide for all our needs. (Philippians 4:19) And whether He grants what we might desire or not- whether He sends His sun or rain upon us (just as He does for all the righteous and the wicked alike)- He is still always good and has already given us infinitely more than we deserve in Christ!
     I want to want Christ and want nothing else. (Psalms 23:1) Not that I have obtained all this or am already perfect, but I press on toward the goal for the prize for which God has called me Heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)
   I praise God for all the gifts He has blessed me with because the fact that I'm even here on earth to complain about what I don't have in life right now is more than I deserve- 'cause what I deserve is Hell. Anything above burning in Hell is a privilege.
   I know everyone's at different places with all this and I'm just writing for me and where I stand on this. Yes, I'd like to get married if God brings the right woman to my life but it's okay if I don't. Either way, I seek to live for God's glory above all and His desires above mine. He must increase and I must decrease. (John 3:30)
"Whom have I in Heaven but You, Jesus? And what better could I hope to find down here on earth? I could search the most distant reaches of this world but I'd just be wasting my time- I'm certain already I'm sure I'd find- You're my one thing! And the pure in heart shall see God." ("My One Thing" by Rich Mullins- which he based on Psalms 73 and these awesome quotes- "Purity of heart is to will one thing."- Soren Kierkegaard
"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God."- Jesus)
    Again- please don't hear me wrong. I'm not saying anyone desiring marriage and still feeling unfulfilled and wondering why God hasn't granted that yet is necessarily just wallowing in despair and self-pity and not making Jesus their highest joy (just like Psalms 137- may my tongue stick to my mouth like peanut butter if I don't make New Jerusalem and its Lord my highest joy).
I know that I'm not always desiring God like I should because none of us really do. But He keeps drawing us to Him more and more and I desire to be more and more like Him and desire Him all the more!
(Philippians 2:1-18, Romans 8)
   Of course, it's good to know that God loves us as we are and not as we should be- because none of us are as we should be. (Shout out to Brennn Manning for that.)
Walking with Jesus is not always the most comfortable for sure, but it's always the best and "I am beginning to think there are better things than being comfortable." (Diamond in "At the Back of the North Wind" by George MacDonald)

I'm reminded of Thomas Merton's prayer, which I think is a great one to consider in pondering God's will specifically in marriage but also in life in general. The most important thing is to seek Him above all. No one who has given up mother, father, brothers, sisters, husband or wife and children for His kingdom will lose their reward. (See Matthew 19:29 and Mark 10:29 and Luke 18:29)

Author: Thomas Merton
"My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though
I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. "

And for one more quote-
"Dreams come true can kill a man if never graced by sovereign hands."- "Monkey's Paw" by Smalltown Poets

I choose to leave it in God's hands.

I Wish We'd All Been Ready

(Note: I had to use Larry Norman's classic song title for this blog! :-)) 

     I've heard some say that they can't believe in God if such a nice person like so-and-so isn't in Heaven. (And admittedly, there are a number of nice people in the world that did some great, nice things in life- but that doesn't mean they're in Heaven. I had just watched a PBS documentary on John Denver when I wrote this and maybe that's why I was thinking on this. I have some heroes like him and Christopher Reeve and Jim Henson and Karen Carpenter and others that I certainly want to believe they're in Heaven. I love so much of their work, which conveyed some Biblical truths at times. I hope they are there and that everyone will be there, but I know that Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 7 that only a few ever get in, compared to the many on the broad road to destruction.)
     Ephesians 2:8-10 makes it clear that we're not saved by works but rather by grace through faith, both of which are the gifts of God- so no one can boast. Our faith in the completed work of Christ's death and Resurrection to pay for all our sins is what saves us and our obedience is what proves it. If so-and-so isn't in Heaven, it will be very sad indeed- but it will always be Heaven because Jesus is there. Without putting faith in Jesus, we are doomed to Hell. And a Heaven without Jesus is Hell.           God wants all to be in Heaven and I certainly do too (1 Peter 3:8-9, Revelation 7:9). But as Romans 1-3 talks about, everyone has a chance and is without excuse. And God loves us so much, He makes it so easy- just like a child trusting his daddy to catch him coming off the slide- that's the childlike faith we are called to have in Jesus. He's waiting- today's the day of salvation. And when we know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we experience Heaven on earth with an abundant life (John 10:10) until we reach Heaven itself- because Heaven is Jesus. :-)

Look On Up

         I just had an observation today. It's not meant as an indictment against anyone who enjoys watching television and movies, etc. (particularly since this is coming from someone who LOVES watching a ton of [albeit usually older ;-)] television shows and movies). It just is funny to me how branded properties become verbs over time- as in the way that one can now apparently "Google" something (and/or "Wikipedia" something- though one does not seem to too often "Yahoo" or "Bing" something, much less "Encyclopedia Brittanica" something or "various reputable print book, magazine and professional journal sources" something). [1 Thessalonians 5:21-22....but that's a separate post in itself.] And particularly the way that one apparently can now "Netflix" something. This reference works if one actually has Netflix access and/or is aware of how it works.
        Since I currently do not have television access whatsoever, I can definitely say that I haven't missed it. Yes, there are a very select few things I might like to watch- but nothing I can't do without. I was wondering though, why Netflix releases an entire season's worth of shows on one day. I suppose there is some convenience to that and it doesn't necessarily follow that one will or should or must watch them all in one day. (Though some may enjoy such marathons- again, I understand that and I've done some limited television marathons myself.) I guess I'm just saying that I find it a bit disturbing when people speak of terms like "binge watching". It seems there are very few things we should binge on- if anything, why not binge on God's Word and His creation?
Let me reiterate that I say all this as one who struggles with this myself- I'm not perfect or always good at this either. There is a certain pleasure and comfort in getting lost in such bouts of entertainment. But I want to make sure that I'm not so tied to the things of the world that I lose sight of the things of God.
"The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the Giver of all good things."- Rich Mullins in "If I Stand".
          May my heart always be attuned to the only Giver of all good things' heart- and seek Him above anything else. A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions- or in the abundance of his time watching televisions. (Luke 12:13-21) Let's be rich toward God always first- before laying up any treasure for ourselves on earth....some treasure is okay- but as I like to misquote .38 Special- "Hold on loosely to earthly gold- if you cling too tightly- you're gonna lose your soul. First, baby- seek kingdom of Jesus- and all that you need will be given." :-)
Teach me to count the days aright, Lord, so that I may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalms 90:12)
Before I get lost again in the impermanence of the finite, let me remember the infinite and work for that imperishable crown....May my tongue stick like peanut butter to the roof of my mouth if I forget Jerusalem and don't make her my highest joy....The joy of The Lord is my strength. I as your spiritual Gomer to Your spiritual Hosea- keep drawing me back from my whoredoms and let me feast once more on your flesh and blood, as a spiritual cannibal vampire might (even though I know that's a contradiction in terms ;-)). Thank You for Your love and sacrifice and New Life that grants me real life and life more abundant.
Help me and us all to keep looking to You above all- make You our highest joy- and Look on Up. :-)

Relient K | Look On Up (Official Audio Stream)

"Look On Up" from Relient K Get it today: https://rk.lnk.to/look…

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Have Your Way, Lord Jesus (Any Way You Want It) (song)

In this journey of life there are many paths to choose. Of course, all the various paths ultimately follow along only two roads- either the broad one to destruction or the narrow one to Life. There are so many choices to make and often we want to do things our own way. Of course, that's when things all go wrong. There are many plans in a man's mind but it's the Lord's will that prevails. He knows what's best and will work things out for our good in His time. It's so much better to say now to God, "Thy will be done" and leave things in His hands any way He wants it.


"Have Your Way, Lord Jesus (Any Way You Want It)"
(parody of "Any Way You Want It" by Journey; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 3/14/2017)
(Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 13:32-42, Luke 22:39-46, John 18:11, Job 13:15, Daniel 3:16-18, Philippians 2-3, Romans 8:28, Romans 12:1-2, Psalms 16, Psalms 20 (especially v. 4), Psalms 37, Proverbs 16, Romans 9, James 4:13-17, Psalms 73 (especially verses 23-28), Psalms 84 (especially verses 10-12), John 6:68, Luke 9:23, Proverbs 19:21)

Any way You want it
That's the way I need it
Any way You want it

I love to plan
I love to dream
I try everything
Proverbs behooves
God must approve
Entrust to God your dreams

All right! All right!
Oh, 16 writes
You roll dice- hold tight
(The) Lord places rolls right

It lands
Any way You want it
Have Your way, Lord Jesus
Any way You want it
I say, And the way I want it
Might not be how I need it
Any way You want it, (Lord)

Jesus alone
My mind renews
What would God have me do?
They're all just dung
My longings
If not for God my King

All right! Psalms writes
16:6 writes
(The) Lord holds tight- my life
Oh, the lines fall nice(ly)

Any way You want it
Have Your way, Lord Jesus
Any way You want it (oh)
I say, And the way I want it
Might not be how I need it
Any way You want it (Lord)

I said, "Whoa!" "Whoa!"
I'm done! Cross on! Roll on!
(Oh,) (Luke says)
Anyone who wants to
Travel with Lord Jesus
Deny oneself (and) wants- oh, oh!
And cross weighs- you're on it
Luke 9:23-yeah
Walk the way God's calling (Oh!)

He said- And the way you're walking
That's been laid by Jesus
Godly's ways are guarded
37 Psalms, yeah
That's line 23, yeah
Go the way God wants it

Give your way to God then
Trust Him, wait and be still
And your faith's rewarded
'Cause Yahweh you're wanting
That's verse 4- so delight
Your heart craves for God then (Ohh!)

20:4 in Psalms then
Watch the way you read it
Only if God wants it (Ohh!)
Any way you want it?
That's the way we lost Eden
Monkey's Paw and Faust- no!

Any way You want it
Have Your way, Lord Jesus
Any way You want it, (Lord)
Any way You want it..........
...................................................................................

Single-Minded

         "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD." (Proverbs 18:22)
"I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion." (1 Corinthians 7:7-9)
(And just to clarify, I'm speaking as a single man.)
            Marriage is awesome! Of course, marriage is also a ton of hard work! Marriage can actually have some pretty awful, strifeful moments at times and seem horrendous! But the vow of love before God helps hold a man and woman together and a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (as Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 talks about.) If The Lord decides to let me have a wife- cool. If The Lord decides for me to remain single- cool. As Romans 14:8 says, whether I live or die- I'm The Lord's- I live and die to Him.
        As to all the business about being called to be single and such- I know Jesus refers to this some in Matthew 19. And I don't know that I feel "called" to be single (I don't know that I feel particularly "called" to anything other than called to obey God and preach The Gospel, as God commands in His Word in The Bible)- but I do know that whether I feel called to be celibate or not, I sure better be celibate as long as I'm single because sex outside of marriage is a sin.
        So I can understand the despair and discouragement and despondency and depression (wow- a lot of "d" words are rather dreary....) for the unwilling single person- I go through that some at times myself. But I honestly usually don't care- it's not that I particularly desire to be single or whatever- I would like to be married to the right woman someday- but until such time that God grants me a wife, I'll be a single virgin man who seeks to serve Christ with all his heart, soul, mind and strength even though he fails miserably quite often but still keeps trusting Jesus to work in him as Philippians 1:6 promises that Jesus will do until I'm there with Him in Heaven.
         Here's another "d" word that's a bit more cheery- Delight yourself in The Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalms 37:4) Which doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get married. It may mean that you truly do find your joy solely in The Lord (Nehemiah 8:10) and that you're not really all that worried about getting married.
         And let's not make marriage to be more than it is. Our society in the world at large tends to worship it to some degree and elevate it to a wrong status. If we're looking to marriage to fulfill all of our longings and desires for company and companionship, we're going to be sorely disappointed when we finally get it. Jesus Christ is the only One who truly can fulfill all desires of the heart- but even that will not be fully realized until we're in Heaven.
          So I just try to keep my focus on Jesus and not worry too much about marriage and such- there's no marriage in Heaven anyway [in the sense of a man and woman uniting as one before God], so why should I worry about the mistful vapor years I've got on Earth with that when I've got eternity ahead of me with more important things of the Kingdom to consider? (Not to say that marriage on earth is not important though- as I said before, it's awesome! And it can be pretty horrible at times too. It's certainly never easy.) But there is the marriage supper of The Lamb in Heaven, so I'm glad to be on the invitation list for that. And yes- the church is the bride of Christ, but it really doesn't work too well for single men to say Jesus is my husband. wink emoticon But He is my Lord, Savior and Best Friend Forever (yes- He really is my BFF and yes, I really made that cultural reference- lol) :-) and that's the most important thing.
          And I must say I really thank Him for family and friends and brothers and sisters in Christ who remind me of the fellowship that we all enjoy together in Christ now and will enjoy eternally and more so than we've ever experienced here when we all get to Heaven. :-)
           So just remember God loves you and it'll be alright. And take your pain and loneliness to The Lord- Job and David and Habakkuk and Hannah and Naomi and Jeremiah and tons of others sure weren't shy about it- and God knows all of our needs and He will provide for them all according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) He may not provide all our wants, but it may be that He'll help us learn to be content in all situations (as Philippians 4 talks about right before that famous verse in 13- the one about how I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me- the one that might be better read as I can endure all things through Christ who strengthens me.) And don't forget that those who have given up families for Christ's sake in this life will receive 100-fold times in the next. I think sometimes God is saying to us- I want you to want Me. :-) And that's no cheap trick- look at all that God has done for us- He wants us so badly He went to Hell and back for us when Christ died and rose to pay for our sins! 1 Corinthians 10:31 commands us to do everything as unto The Lord and not just unto men. Thus, whatever I do, I want to be single-minded in purpose as I focus on bringing God glory. If I can do that better as a married man, praise God! If I can do that better as a single man, praise God! :-) (God is praised always regardless.)
I know I don't want God as much as I should- but I want to want Him and want nothing else. And I pray as Thomas Merton did that even that in itself is pleasing to Him. And He'll take care of the rest, as Keith Green said.
         Hope those ramblings help someone else who was born a rambling man (or a rambling woman, as the case may be.) Take care and God bless.

Why not? (poem)

To the brothers and sisters of the Dispersion in the time of their exile....

"I will sing His song in the land of my sojourn....."- Rich Mullins

"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. Though Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His Name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." (Hebrews 13:12-16)


Why not?
(copyright by Nathan Ludwick 1/16/2017)
(Job 38-40, Hebrews 11-12, Psalms 73, 84 and 137, the book of Ecclesiastes, Romans 8, 1 Peter 1:17-19, Matthew 13, Psalms 119:19, Hebrews 13:10-16, Revelation 21:5, Revelation 21-22)

Why shouldn't I expect suffering in the world?
What makes me special and exempt?
Why do I expect perfection in a quite imperfect world?
Sometimes I feel so restless- I can't sit down or stand up or lie down
I've got to run around or I'll explode...
Restless legs and a reckless heart
Are a wanderer's trademark
Not all who wander are lost,
but not all who are lost wonder while they wander.
Some trade priceless treasure for their precious things
Some pierce themselves with many griefs in search of so many schemes.
The wind flitters and floats this way and that
We think we're walking on air as we strive and strain for it
But even on Cloud 9, it's still just beyond our grasp
If we ever caught it, we'd find that it's just empty air
Just like the pinnacle of our lives' pursuits have only an empty heir
Vanity, vanity- everything is vanity!
If a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions,
Why do we strive after wind and wind up reaping the whirlwind?
If anything, we should labor like Ruth in the Kinsman-Redeemer's harvest
So that our thorny soil might get pruned and yet bear fruit
Fruit that The Lord of the Harvest can use to sow what He reaps
But rather than grow spiritual cucumbers, the cares of this life
Keep us encumbered instead.
We want our best life now on our terms rather than waiting
for the coming glory.
Why do I want this world to be perfect when I have a perfect one waiting?
Now is the winter of our discontent and rather than bury it in the snow
we must embrace it.
Hug tight all the scars and bruises of this world and flick off
all our rotting bandages.
There's only One who holds all things together and He's still got
the whole world in His hands.
And while we look forward to standing with Him in Heaven
First we must stand with Him in Gethsemane.
Let us weep with Him who weeps rather than just fall asleep.
In our struggles with sin, we haven't yet resisted to the
point of shedding our blood- but He did.
The Father poured the cup of His wrath on His Son
And the blood-stained cross speaks a better word than the blood of Abel or any of us.
Yes, by faith we share His glory in the Resurrection, but first we bear His reproach.
As Moses left Egypt's palace and chose to suffer alongside his people,
So Christ left Heaven's throne and chose to suffer alongside His people.
Thou didst leave Thy throne, O Lord- help me to leave my throne as well.
Like captives in Babylon, we are exiles on this planet- wanderers
looking for a new city- a real home.
May the restlessness in our hearts keep us from ever being
content with poor substitutes on earth.
We're all panning for gold in life, but let us pan the fool's gold that abounds.
Let's sell it all to buy the field and get the real gold treasure we've found.
He is the abundant life that flows in us and reminds us of what
this world was made to be before sin's catastrophe.
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
We all live in our present suffering, but we dream of the restoration coming.
And while we live so that His love might leave others with
the mark of the Divine that points us all back to Christ,
may we all solider on, steady further up and further in-
aliens and strangers on the road that's straight and narrow, all the way to Him!
We must solider on in the land of our sojourn
and fight the good fight, knowing that He's already won the battle.
Even amidst all our struggles and sorrows, we know
The Man of Sorrows knows and feels every one and helps us through them
And one day He will take all those old battle scars and
give them a full healing through and through when He makes all things new!

Jesus, Be Louder to me than the World

       It's been said a couple of different ways. Preacher Roe said, "Some days you eat the bear; some days the bear eats you." John Denver had a beautiful song that said, "Some days are diamond- some days are stone." Some days I want to cry out with the Psalmist- "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. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom You remember no more, for they are cut off from Your hand." (Psalms 88:1-5) "The darkness is my only friend." (Psalms 88:18) - Hello, darkness- my old friend- I've come to talk with you again......
          But like Paul and Simon said by the Holy Spirit- "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. .....My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account." "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 1:21 and 23-24 and 3:7-10) "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:6-9)
          Sometimes I just want to tell all the cares of my personal life- all the demands clawing from all sides- all the chaos and craziness of life- whether it's on a personal and family level or for friends- or stretching nationally and worldwide....Sometimes I just want to tell it all to shut up for a while! Sometimes I just want to block out all the noise and just be still and know that The Lord is God. (Psalms 46:10)
            I just need to hear You, Jesus, tell the winds and waves, "Peace! Be still!" And whether He tells the storm to calm down or He tells me, His child, to calm down- either way, I know He's with me and I ride uncomfortable but safe in His hands. (John 10:29)
           And at those times- and all times- and the times I am not I want to be doing it more- I just want to say again with the Psalmist- "I love The Lord, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long as I live. The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the Name of The Lord; 'O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!' Gracious is The Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, He saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for The Lord has dealt bountifully with you." (Psalms 116:1-7)
           Yes, soul- return to your rest in the tender arms of Jesus, who promises rest for the weary soul. (Matthew 11:28-30) I love how the rest of Psalms 116 goes on to say that God has delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling. I'm gonna walk with The Lord in the land of the living. Yep- all men are liars, but God is true always. His steadfast love endures forever! And He loves me like crazy and with an eternal love! :-) (Jeremiah 31:3) Even though I don't know why He does- I know He does and I know He's always true. And I thank Him for it! I love you too, Lord- help me to love You more! And for the times I can't face this world any more, grant me Your peace that passes all understanding. May I always know Your peace upon me- that You alone give; not as the world gives- Your peace that no one can take away! Keep my mind stayed upon You, Jehovah- and keep me in Your perfect peace. (Isaiah 26:3 and John 14.....)
          Lord, I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not Your commandments from me! My soul is consumed with longing for Your rules at all times. My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to Your word! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in Your ways. My soul longs for Your salvation; I hope in Your word. My eyes long for Your promise; I ask, 'When will You comfort me?' I remember Your Name in the night, O Lord, and keep Your law. This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept Your precepts. The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep Your words. I entreat Your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your promise. When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to Your testimonies; I hasten and do not delay to keep Your commandments.Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments. My eyes long for Your salvation and for the fulfillment of Your righteous promise. I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight. Let my soul live and praise You, and let Your rules help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments.
(all taken from Psalms 119)
           I don't particularly want to die any time soon, and there are a lot of things I'd still like to do in life before that day- or before the day when Christ comes again.....but even though I still have trepidation at times about both those times with the fear of the unknown and all those old fears about salvation and how God can love and even save a messed-up individual like me- I still have faith that calms all my fears and says that I am His and He is mine and I just trust that Jesus will do what He said He will do. And there are some days that I am truly just so longing for my Home in Heaven. There are some days that I am just feeling SO done with life- (to clarify not in a suicidal way)- just in a way that feels like I am so weary of dealing with so many things on and on again and again- and sometimes I just want a change from it all and a release. Sometimes I feel like chilling with Asaph and Habakkuk and Job, crying out- What's the deal, God? How come the wicked get to prosper, but I feel like I try to live for You and get the shaft instead? But One greater than Shaft is here and He binds up the brokenhearted. And He's suffered more than words can say and knows all about pain, betrayal and heartache. And thus, I trust again and leave things to Him. And some days I just long for His kingdom of light and love to come and redeem this old earth, while I wait up on the roof for Him. I know He will come soon in His time (whatever day that might be- and I don't know when it is- if in my lifetime or not)- but one day He will fulfill that promise. Even so, come Lord Jesus! And until that day or the day of my death- help me to be faithful every moment as You lead me on.
          And I love how Psalms 116:7 says that The Lord has dealt bountifully with you, my soul. Or to put it another way- Thank The Lord because He's been doubly good to you. He's blessed me with physical life and spiritual life through faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection. I thank and praise Him for that. I thank and praise Him for all the many other blessings He's given me. And I thank Him for all the hard things He's let me go through that makes me cling all the harder to Him. For all the things that pain me and open my eyes and ears with His megaphone to a deaf world that tells me that He is the only sure thing to hold on to above all else. [Kinda like C.S. Lewis said. ;-)] Where can I go but to The Lord? (as a classic song says- not to mention John 6:68. Jesus alone has the words of eternal life!) God is my portion and the strength of my heart forever! (Psalms 73) Whom I have in Heaven but You, Jesus? And what better could I hope to find down here on Earth? I could search the most distant reaches of this world but I'd just be wasting my time- I'm certain already I'm sure I'd find You're my one thing! (And the pure in heart shall see God.) .....(both Psalms 73 and lyrics from Rich Mullins' "My One Thing" :-))
         And here's another great Rich Mullins song- one that Amy Grant actually recorded and made famous, but one that he wrote. Here's a clip of him actually performing it himself.
Even when I'm not feeling the best about everything, no matter how my life is looking and no matter how bad things may be looking in the world, I just want to say to all the negative forces in the world- I'm going to praise The Lord anyway! Thank You, Lord Jesus! Let everything that hath breath praise The Lord! He is always doubly good to me.

Trending World-Wide: Jesus Christ is Lord of All

“The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the Giver of all good things.”- Rich Mullins

"And all of our hopes and our dreams of worldly pleasure won't amount to anything of any measure. And all the world will fall to its knees- His Name forever. All the world will fall to its knees...And He'll take me Home."- Kevin Ludwick

I was just thinking that I get so tired of seeing "news stories" online about trending topics of transient, banal things. (This is not to denigrate the concerns of anyone, as Philippians 2:3-4 commands me to think of others as better than myself and to be concerned about others' affairs and not just my own.) However, I am not overly concerned about the trivial fluff that seems to make up so many news stories. (I suppose I'm particularly thinking now about some dress with inconclusive color patterns apparently. But there have been plenty of other stupid things that have occupied quite a few bytes of memory on computer screens and phones- and more importantly, brain cells in people's minds and space in their hearts. The shark at the SuperBowl also comes to mind.) I am not against fun at all- some things are just funny and it's okay to laugh about them.
        And I can't say I'm always perfect about keeping my thoughts and mindset on things above and not just below. But Colossians 3:2-3 commands me to set my thoughts on things above and not on the stuff of earth. 'Cause I've died and my life is hidden with Christ in God. According to Romans 8:1-11, if we set our mind on the flesh- that's death. But to set our mind on the Spirit- well, that's life and peace- 'cause then we walk according to the Spirit and when we obey the Spirit of God, He makes peace out of our chaos as we know we are pleasing God and walking with Him. As 1 Timothy 6:20-21 says, "O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called 'knowledge', for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you."
Paul reiterated this in 2 Timothy 2:16-17 which tells us, we must "avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene." Ugh!
        Note that the concern in both cases is that such foolish talk can lead people to swerve from the faith and into ungodliness instead. And with the fickleness of our minds and particularly our sinful human nature, it's quite easy to take a detour on the straight and narrow road of life into the crooked, broad way of destruction. Those off-ramps always look so inviting though! But we have to remember that the road they take us to is a dead end. The only way of life is on that straight and narrow road Jesus told us about in Matthew 7.
        What should we do instead? "But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will display at the proper time- He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen." (1 Timothy 6:11-16)
          But wait a second! Aren't we called to be salt and light in this world? Certainly. Jesus Himself commanded us to do that in Matthew 5:13-16. He prayed for us in John 17 and asked The Father not to take us out of the world but that He would keep us from the evil one. He also clarified that we are not of the world, just as He is not of the world. (see verses 15 and 16). And then see the next verse. Jesus asked God to sanctify us in the Truth; His Word is Truth. And just keep reading while you're at it. Christ goes on to say that as God sent Him into the world, He has sent us into the world. And for our sake, Christ consecrated Himself that we may also may be sanctified in truth.
         That's our daily spiritual bath right there. Christ has already permanently cleansed us through His death and Resurrection and our faith in Him- but that is where the healing started. It is completed when we reach Heaven. (Philippians 1:6) All along the way, we undergo the sanctification Jesus talked about in His prayer. And part of this means unlearning all the old things we had learned. God has to redo our minds, hearts, bodies, spirits and souls- He's power-washing the whole system until we take on His likeness in completion. "As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness." (Psalms 17:15) That's what I want to see; not only when I gaze upon the glory of The Lord in His creation and in His Word- but also when I look in the mirror. Genesis1:26-27 says that He made males and females in His image. We tainted that image in Genesis 3 with sin and the fall of man. Yet God is working to restore that image back to what it was meant to be all along. And it's a continual process working in us, which is ultimately the work of The Holy Spirit in the end. Yet God still calls us to submit to Him in this work and, as our spiritual act of worship, to offer our bodies as living sacrifices and thereby be no longer conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:1-2)
          How do we effectively do this? God does call us to be separate from the world in one sense. "Come out of them and be clean and separate." "'Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord, 'and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.'" (2 Corinthians 6:17)
But we can’t effectively run away and hide from the whole world. And I don’t think that’s what God has called us to do. However, there are some things of the world that we can separate ourselves from- we don’t have to keep up with every trend of the world. We don’t have to keep up with all the entertainment of the world (especially since so very little of it is worth watching. That is a separate matter for each believer, of course, as The Spirit leads them. I’ll just say to check Philippians 4:8 and seek to find entertainment that fits those guidelines. Of course, there are some things that pretty blatantly go against all those guidelines- thus, don’t take this quick summary to excuse things God expressly forbids, like say- looking lustfully at people. That alone might eliminate the vast majority of television shows today.) And we don’t have to be consumed with the same things the world consumes its time with, as we have weightier matters for our concern. We have the eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison that our light and momentary afflictions are preparing us for, as 2 Corinthians 4:17 tells us. And again, verse 18 reminds us to look not to the things that are seen but rather to the things that are unseen. What’s seen is transient, but what’s unseen is eternal. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry echoes in “The Little Prince”: “What’s essential is invisible to the eye.”
            We can’t avoid everything sinful in the world though. We still have to go to school and go to work and go to the grocery store and bank and post office and live life. We have to associate with some people- how else are we going to obey Jesus’ command to take The Gospel into all the world? (Matthew 28:18-20) As Paul instructs the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 5:9-10, we can’t get away from every sin and sinner in the world- we’d have to sign up for that mission to Mars and literally go out of this world to do that! (And of course, if human beings do one day colonize Mars, then we’ll just spread the sickness of sin there since we carry that death in our bodies anyway. Of course, when we’re saved through Christ, then we carry the death of Jesus in our bodies so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our bodies! [see 2 Corinthians 4:10]) Now if we go on to read 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, we will see that Paul is talking about addressing the sin that is within the church- confronting those who claim to follow Christ yet continue in sexual immorality, greed, idolatry, reviling, being a drunkard or swindling, etc. That is a place where we do need to lovingly confront such people and if they refuse to listen, then we need to purge the evil from among us.
            I suppose the thing that frustrates me so much in the labyrinth of distractions and delights that tempt and ensnare us is not the fact that there is so much of it. That is only to be expected in a fallen world that’s blinded by the god of this age because the God of the universe, who is the same from age to age, has allowed us to be free to make choices. (See 2 Corinthians 4:1-6). And that sinful choice in Genesis 3 is still playing out. And it has a final end that will be reached one day. One day the final count will be tallied, the tares and the wheat will be separated, the lambs and goats divided and sent to the right and left and Christ will reign over all. He and His people will enjoy eternal life in Heaven, where there is eternal fullness of joy in His presence and pleasures forevermore at His right hand. (Psalms 16:11) And all those who reject Christ will be in Hell for all eternity. That is the only two destinations. No, the thing that frustrates me is how quickly I and others of Christ’s flock trade those eternal joys for the fleeting pleasures of sin. And let’s be honest- there is some amount of pleasure that comes with sin. And sometimes we even still hide that longing for the forbidden, even as we seek to have our minds retrained and aligned with God’s Spirit- and desire what He desires above all. Indeed, if we delight ourselves in The Lord, then He will give us the desires of our heart. (Psalms 37:4) And we must continue in the struggle- it’s the paradox and balance of Christian life, as Paul described it in Romans 7. The old man of sin continues to battle the new man of the Spirit. And, in moments of Spirit-led clarity, we are reminded that there is no greater joy than The Lord Jesus Himself. May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I forget Him and if I make anything other than Him and His kingdom my highest joy! (To paraphrase Psalms 137:6) C.S. Lewis said it quite well in his classic “The Weight of Glory: "If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (emphasis added)
          Here is a scene I would love to see occur on all the online news sites, social media and on television news shows and the radio programs and newspapers.
 World-wide trending: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save it.” (John 3:16-17)
I’d love to see people posting about how much today they have been enraptured and captured by God’s love. I’d love to see people talking about the majesty and wonder of the God of the universe, Who created everything, yet loves us so much out of all His creation! (Psalms 8). I’d love to see people marveling in amazement at the grace that God has bestowed upon us through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the salvation He has made freely available to all through faith in Him!  “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3)
     And praise God! This is a scene that we will see one day. Philippians 2:10-11 promises that there is coming a day when every knee will bow and every knee will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all, to the glory of God the Father! Even those who deny this now on Earth will one day confess it in eternity- but it will be too late then and they will be taken into judgment in Hell. And knowing this truth and knowing that we serve The soon and coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16), then we should all the more seek to think about Him and His goodness and righteousness and praise Him and declare Him, His love, righteous judgment and salvation to all the world! We can enjoy the pleasures God gives us in this life- our family, friends and the beauty of creation and recreation that He gives us that is pleasing to Him. (As James 1:17 reminds us, every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights.) But let us not become so consumed with the temporary things of this world that we forget to keep our thoughts centered on the eternal- on Jesus and His kingdom. As Matthew 6:33 tells us, we must keep His kingdom and His righteousness first- and then He will add all the things we need unto us.  “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of The Father is not in him. For all that is in the world- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life- is not from The Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”(1 John 2:15-17)  Amen.
     
These two favorite Rich Mullins songs sum up some of what I'm trying to say in this post:

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

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

And this totally awesome song by my brother of the same descriptor also sums it all up very well (This may well be my favorite of his songs):
http://kevinludwick.bandcamp.com/track/come-home

         

Jesus Alone Above All

"Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people who would be happy in Heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there. The Gospel is not a way to get people to Heaven; it is a way to get people to God. It's a way of overcoming every obstacle to everlasting joy in God. If we don't want God above all things, we have not been converted by the Gospel."- John Piper

Wow- challenging indeed, but so true. It brings Psalms 137 to mind for me- it's about the Israelites lamenting being able to rejoice and sing The Lord's song while in captivity in Babylon- and longing for Jerusalem. Of course, what a perfect picture of our residence on Earth, as we long for New Jerusalem. (Revelation 21:2)

"How shall we sing The Lord's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! Let my tongue stick to the roof of

my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!" (Psalms 137:4-6) Oh, may that be true of me, Lord Jesus. You are the Pearl of Great Price, the Jewel that the merchant sells everything to own. "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) "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) Lord, forgive me for making an idol of anything and for desiring anything more than You. Help me to want You and seek You and love You and follow You all the more. You alone are worthy, Lord Christ. You deserve all attention and praise.
You are the hidden treasure in a field. You are the Pearl of Great Price. You are the Prize, the Treasure, the Dream- You alone are above all. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all! (Philippians 2:9-11)
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it." (Matthew 13:44-46)

All to Jesus, I surrender- all to Him I freely give. ("I Surrender All" by Judson W. Van DeVenter)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K2yuZtVfLg

 

Who have I in Heaven but You, Jesus? And what better could I hope to find down here on earth? I could search the most distant reaches of this world but I'd just be wasting my time 'cause I'm certain already I'm sure I'd find You're my one thing! ("My One Thing" by Rich Mullins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aqP-A4tKCA

"Blessed are the pure in heart."- Jesus
"Purity of heart is to will one thing."- Kierkegaard

Jesus, You're my one thing.