You're So Blessed (Song)

      What's really most important in life? What do we spend most of our time in pursuit of throughout our days? Are we focused on storing up our treasures on Earth or in Heaven? This song expounds on all those questions and offers some things to think on as well. It's kind of inspired by Jesus' parables of foolish rich farmer and the Pharisee and the tax collector at the temple. It's also a reminder that we can't live for both God and money. We will never find satisfaction in seeking to satisfy ourselves. It's ultimately a reminder that we should live life all for Jesus and His glory above all. His words hit like a karate chop to remind us that a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. As Rich Mullins said, "the stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the Giver of all good things." (One of my favourite lines in his classic song, "If I Stand".) By God's grace, let's confess to Him the idols we have made of money, fame and things and find the true blessings that come from walking humbly with The Lord. He is truly all we need.


"You're So Blessed"
(parody of "You're The Best" by Joe Esposito; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 1/14/2022)
(1 Timothy 6:6-12, 1 Timothy 6:17-21, Job 1-2, Psalms 2, Psalms 73:23-28, Hebrews 13:5, Romans 14:10, 1 Corinthians 3, Philippians 3:1-14, 2 Corinthians 8:9, 2 Corinthians 5:5-10, 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, Luke 18:9-17, Luke 18:18-34, Luke 12:13-34, Matthew 6:19-24, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 16:24-28, Matthew 7:24-29, Ecclesiastes 1:9, Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 9:11, Ecclesiastes 2:25, Ecclesiastes 5:5-10, Ecclesiastes chapter 12, Amos 4:1-3)


Try to please Self
'Cause you only live once
Solomon's got a Word to players
Ecclesiastes
12- we're going to dust
For our God, He will judge- obey Him!
History repeats itself
Nothing new sun sees
Allies rout Napoleon
And you stand wavering

You're the best!
Around!
Nothing's gonna ever keep you down
You've been blessed!
And how!
Nothing's gonna ever sweep you now
You're the best!
For now!
Someone's gonna one day beat you out

Midas, my friend
Pause your life for a min.
All the things that you have define you
(Of) what you got, you're so proud
Storing up- what about
When Lord God calls today? Read 12 Luke
Time and chance still whip us all
And one day fire will tell
1 Corinthians 3- Christians there
Unbelievers are in Hell

You're obsessed 
With clout!
None of that will even mean squat now
You invest
Cash cow!
Money's got your heart- it's fleeting now
Hedonists
Will bow
Something's humbled Epicurus now!

Job was best
Around!
Satan wanted to just bring him down
So he'd test
Him out
Nothing that Job had couldn't leave him now
He confessed
Faith now
Nothing come in or we'll leave with now

Christ said life's not
All made up
Of your stuff
Don't thrill to greed- keep guard! (Yikes!)
Pull the thread, camel (Eye!)
Rich men- Who'll save soul?
Forgive your sins?- Leave all to God
He favours meek, not proud

Beat your breasts!
And bow!
Nothing but a Pharisee, fat cow
4 Amos-
Read now!
Publican's cleared by Jesus now
Thorns were pressed
On crown
Blood has covered everything broke now

Lord Jesus
Paid out
Nothing's gonna ever keep us out
Just confess
Pray now!
Jewel's worth it-
Sell everything you've got
He's The Best!
I've found
Nothing but The Lord completes me now!

Death

 Death has been happening a lot lately, it seems. Deaths in the news of people from disease, celebrity deaths- even among family and friends. It seems funny how we often can't even bring ourselves to say the word but use euphemisms like "passed away" or "transitioned". I don't mean to be callous here; I understand why grieving people might prefer those terms at the time.

    I find it funny though how so many just choose not to think about it. We think about death indirectly though through the numerous things we do to try to preserve our lives. We take every precaution, eat healthy, exercise and check in with the doctor regularly. Why do we do so much to avoid our death instead of prepare for it? That's not to say it's bad to do those things. It is bad if we do those things thinking they will extend our lives and ignore the reality that our bodies will one day stop breathing, die and decompose.

    It's better to go to a man's funeral than to celebrate the day of his birth. (See Ecclesiastes 9.) And unless Christ returns first, we will all die one day. It's appointed once unto man to die and then comes the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)

    And we all will exist eternally because our souls are made for eternity. And not thinking about it is an incredibly bad strategy for dealing with eternity. What will you say when you're faced with all the brilliant glory of God and He takes you through a review of your life? What would you answer when faced with this question from God- "Why should I let you into My Heaven?"

     There is only one answer we all would have to give if God had done nothing else. There is no reason at all. We are all deserving of Hell, where the worm and fire never die. That is the wages of sin we have all earned.

    Yet we get so myopically focused on this temporal life that we even have the nerve to blow off the Holy Spirit's conviction. We are so wrapped up in ourselves that we get mad at God for suffering we endure in this life because of our own sin. We act like God is somehow obligated to spare us of all pain, not even considering how we have brought it on ourselves as a species ever since we decided to defy God in the garden. 

    I think we sometimes get the mistaken idea that some have with preventative medicines like vaccines. We think we're not supposed to get sick at all. In reality, we should only expect that the disease will be mitigated as to its effects and we will hopefully be spared hospitalization and death. Of course, when we're in Jesus, we know we will be spared from death in Hell and that He will help us through our trials here on Earth.

    This is an assurance obtained through faith in Christ alone. God loves us all so much that He sent Jesus to pay the penalty of our sins by dying on the cross and rising again. Because He lives, we can live also- both now and forever in Heaven. All we need do is believe in Him and receive His gift of salvation by faith. Then follow Him in repentance. 

     It doesn't matter what you do- death will comes to us all, unless The Lord returns first. Either way, we will all stand before Him in judgment. (See Matthew 25, 1 Corinthians 3, and Revelation 20.) And just like the snow makes the fall look like it's washed clean, The Lord says He can wash us clean too. (See Psalms 51.) As Isaiah 1:18 says, though our sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. 

    What will you say to God to answer why He should let you into Heaven? My answer is that though my sins make me deserving of Hell, Jesus said I could come to the Heaven I don't deserve because He paid for all my sins and I have put all my faith in Him. It is Christ's death and Resurrection alone that pardons and forgives my sins. All my Hope is in Jesus- and I trust that He is faithful to do just what He said. 

     Call upon The Lord now while He may be found, while you are still alive. It is too late after you are dead. We will all be dead one day physically but Christ can keep us alive spiritually for eternity. He has given that choice to us. What is your answer? God bless and guide you as you make your decision.

Silent Lament

 Job's friends are rightly criticized for getting a lot of things wrong in their comfort of Job, but they should be commended for one thing they got exactly right. Sometimes as Christians seeking to comfort others, we need to learn to shut up already. We need to be a listening ear and not offer any sage advice, explanations or promises. "I loathe my life; I will give free utterance to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God, 'Do not condemn me; let me know why You contend against me. Does it seem good to You to oppress, to despise the work of Your hands and favor the designs of the wicked? Have You eyes of flesh? Do You see as man sees? Are Your days as the days of man, or Your years as a man's years,...' " (Job 10:1-5) (Not verses you see quoted and claimed and liked on Facebook too much). Look what Job goes on to say in Job 10:18-22 "Why did You bring me out from the womb? Would that I had died before any eye had seen me and were as though I had not been, carried from the womb to the grave. Are not my days few? Then cease, and leave me alone, that I may find a little cheer before I go- and I shall not return- to the land of darkness and deep shadow, the land of gloom like thick darkness, like deep shadow without any order, where light is as thick as darkness." (Remember that Job is saying all this to God.)

This is the deep despair of a man who has been devastated. In the same day, he has had most all of his cattle and animals (i.e. means of income and food) destroyed and all of his children killed. Then he gets struck with a horrible and painful skin disease on top of that (in a time with little medicine available- no Neosporin to rub on those sores- scraping at them with broken pottery will have to do). And the one person who should have been the most comfort, his wife, only offers this advice- "Curse God and die!" Wow! Thanks a lot, wife. Of course, Job doesn't do this, but he definitely lets God have a barrage of his angry, hurt, pained and torturous feelings, with a lot of feelings of being betrayed and feeling hugely disappointed with God mixed in. Job had just had his whole worldview shattered too. Doesn't God bring good to the good and bad to the bad? I mean, God Himself said Job was blameless and upright! (Job 1:8) But bad befalls us all at times. We can't explain it. Sometimes, like Jonah, we feel angry enough to die! (Jonah 4:9) In the end, hopefully we learn that God never does wickedness and doesn't pervert justice. (Job 34:10-12) And as Job acknowledges, there are some things we just can't understand. Brokenness, pain, suffering and hurting is part of the experience now in this fallen world. And our every cry of "Why?" and every tear is an echo of the feeling that all of humanity shares- there is something horribly wrong in the world and we live in a vastly cruel parody of what this world should be. Of course, ultimately it is a world of our own making and we are the ones who have brought the decimation by our sin. And God has identified with our suffering in the person of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. His Resurrection brings us hope that we will be resurrected through our faith in Him to the life that He meant for us to live- in a new Heaven and new earth where God Himself will wipe away all our tears. (Revelation 21-22). Until that glorious day, while we do live in light of eternity, we also live in recognition of the hurt and pain of our day-to-day life in this world and seek to assuage people's pain and bring them the balm of Gilead that alone can ultimately cure their ails.

     Let's do as Job's friends did. "Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great." (Job 2:11-13) Yes, as much criticism as we can rightly level at these guys later on in the book (which God mentions in Job 42 and they repent of with sacrifices and Job graciously prays for his friends as God commands so they can be forgiven too)- there is one thing they got exactly right. No casseroles and dinners brought for Job (not saying there's anything wrong in offering food to the suffering though), but most importantly, no pithy sayings and no attempts at words of comfort. Instead, they did just what The Bible says elsewhere- they mourned with Job as he mourned. And they suffered in silence together with their friend. May we all learn to show the love of Christ to the hurting in the same manner.

Yes, there is a time to encourage one another and spur one another on toward love and good deeds and help comfort others with the comfort God has given us in our times of distress, but there is also a time to be silent and listen and lament and weep. (as Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 attests. See also Hebrews 10:23-25 and 2 Corinthians 1:1-11).

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." (Romans 12:15)

Standing on the Promises of God

In Matthew 13:24-43, Jesus tells the parable of the weeds, also known as the parable of the wheat and tares. Thankfully, The Lord also offers an explanation of the parable, explaining that the weeds sown among the wheat are sons of the evil one, whom the devil has planted in the church. So this parable indicates that there sadly will be those who may claim to be Christ followers in the church but are really not and who only bring strife and division instead. God's angels will winnow out the weeds into the eternal fires of hell in the end. In light of this passage, there is legitimate reason to be concerned about the possibility of false converts in the church. Of course, this parable also indicates that the church should minister to everyone, preaching the Gospel to all, and let God sort it out in the end. 

     In relation to this, I know there are a number of pastors and evangelists who claim that saying the "sinner's prayer" is unBiblical. Many seem to think that many who said this prayer declaring their faith in Jesus to save them from their sins were not really sincere and thus are merely false converts. They tend to have a strong emphasis on the need for repentance and sometimes makes it seem like they are really preaching a reliance on works along with God's grace. And I also at least sometimes get the feeling like they're speaking with assuredness that they can't possibly be one of those false converts.

      To be fair though, there are other times when these evangelists are speaking where they make it very clear they believe we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. And I don't doubt the sincerity of their faith in Christ or their zeal to see others come to salvation. I praise God for that! I am just stating the impression I get at times.

 I think the point is to emphasize that we can't just flippantly say a prayer that we don't really mean, claim our fire insurance policy and just go on living life as we please.

Of course we have to be careful of that- Jesus warned us in Matthew 7 of the many who will call to Him "Lord, Lord" who never really knew Him.

   But if we confess with our mouths, "Jesus is Lord" and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. (See Romans 10:9) That sounds a lot like the "sinner's prayer" to me.

   If we invite Jesus metaphorically into our hearts to be Lord and Saviour, then we invite Him to metaphorically and literally in some sense as well to rule our lives. We invite Him not only to forgive us of all our sins that left us dead in our trespasses but also to make us into the people He intended us to be all along and do the good He wants us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

   We invite Him into our minds because He gives us the mind of Christ. We don't seem to often think of it in these terms but it's the antithesis of demon possession. Remember that even the demons acknowledge Jesus is Lord but clearly they aren't saved. They lead people to do evil things that hurt themselves and others. Jesus leads us to do good things that help others before ourselves. Ephesians 5:18 commands us not to be drunk with wine for this leads to dissipation but in contrast to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

   If the Holy Spirit is possessing and filling us, then we do as He leads. We become God's extensions on earth to do the righteous deeds He desires that bring Him glory. (To be clear, we don't become a god or God Himself, of course- but we do become His sons and daughters. And children imitate their mother and father, just as we imitate our Father. Thus, His children will look and act and talk more and more like Him every day.)

    Now kids are often given chores to do around the house and maybe they do them to earn an allowance. But they never to do them to earn the love of their parents (or shouldn't anyway) because their parents always love them and they are their children no matter what! Nothing they can do can ever change that! 

  Once God adopts us through our faith in Christ, we are no longer servants but sons! Anyone who sins is a slave to sin. The slave doesn't stay in the house forever but the son stays in the house forever! So if the Son sets us free, we are free indeed! (See John 8:32-36)

   We rest in the Son's completed work at Calvary and the empty tomb! The slaves in the Old Testament in Israel had the 7th. year as the Year of Jubilee when they were set free. Jesus is our Jubilee! (Thanks to Michael Card for that line. :-)) Jesus is our Sabbath rest! (See Hebrews 4)

    And out of gratitude to Him and love for Him, we obey His commands willingly. It makes such a world of difference when we are obeying because we want to out of love and not out of fear.

   As a librarian, I often describe my job as tricking kids into reading books. :-) (Really- I do every contest and promotion I can and so forth to make reading look like a fun game and pastime.) Now, I'm happy to some small degree for kids reading even begrudgingly because their teachers made them. What a HUGE joy it is instead though to see kids who genuinely want to read on their own amd who grow to love reading to the point that they are constantly hounding me about getting their book requests in so they can have more to read! :-)

    This is the same kind of response God wants to see in us with Jesus. We read The Bible because we want to hear from Him not because our pastor made us. We pray because we want to spend time with Him, not because it's like a courtesy call our parents made us make to our grandparents. 

   We go to church, tithe, love our neighbours as ourselves, sacrifice to help the least of these, speak the Truth in Love and share the Gospel with others- not because we have to do all these good deeds to earn our Cub Scout merit badges but because Akela has already made us one of the pack and the call of the Wild in our souls drives us to do these things to show we are His and to please Him. Ultimately, these actions and attitudes are all reflections of the fact that with our transformation by the renewing of our minds, we are conformed to Christ and our calling is confirmed in Christ by these good works, which are done to show that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

   The motivation is always key. We do it because He has saved us- NOT in order to get saved. The latter brings only exhaustion and frustration; the former brings rest, peace and trust.

    I say all this as things I have learned from God's Word and Spirit as one who has struggled numerous times throughout life wrestling back and forth, worrying if I have really been saved. I say it as one who said a sinner's prayer about the age of 5 or 7 and who has sought to follow Jesus ever since. I say it as one who has fended off attacks from the devil to make me doubt at times when I felt I was doing well- and as one who has been hit with accusations when I know I'm in sin. 

    Christians, sadly, often still choose to sin and thus continue to struggle with temptations through the sanctification process. This doesn't mean that we have lost our salvation when this happens. It means we've lost our fellowship with the Father temporarily, just like kids who know they've done wrong shrink in fear from their father who has the belt at the ready for discipline. We fear the rod of correction but we need not ever fear that we have made our Daddy too angry to love us anymore. The same is true with God. We don't need to ever fear that we have pushed His patience too far and that He's lost that loving feeling. We might lose that feeling of being loved but God never loses the feeling of giving love because He is love. It's more than a feeling, whether in Boston or anywhere else in the world. It's the Love of God that unconditionally reaches out to us and holds us forever! 

    This doesn't mean that we sin so grace may abound- by no means! Grace is not a license to sin, like it seems James Bond holds. But we trust that God's Word is His bond and He who does not lie keeps us stirred and not shaken. (Titus 1:2, Haggai 1:14, 2 Thessalonians 2:2, Hebrews 12:26-29) We got salvation for free from Yeshua with love! We can find way more than just a quantum leap of solace in knowing the Superman of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow never dies (again) and because He lives forever, we will live forever with Him! And we continue to use all the Spirit's gifts like Q's Inspector Gadget-gadgets on His Majesty's secret service!

Though of course, while we do keep acts of generosity secret and our Father who knows all secrets and sees what's done in secret rewards us, we should be in the open about letting people know that the reason for the Love, faith and hope they see in us is Jesus! 

    And we have this all because we are resting in His completed work and none of our own! (Matthew 5:17 and 11:25-30) And when Christ becomes our all consuming passion, His commands are not weary or burdensome. We delight in doing them because we want to please our loving, Saviour, Lord and Friend. 

    And that's where I rest. I trust that God is true and that He really does love me. He really loves everyone with an everlasting love! He longs for us all to be reconciled to Him if we'll let Him do it. He has forgiven all my sins because I have asked Him to do so by confessing my faith in Jesus and His death and Resurrection. I have repented of my sins and seek to follow Him but I often mess up and keep repenting of my sins and keep following Him. He picks me back up and keeps me going. As I said before, I have doubted a number of times but I've doubted myself more than I've ever doubted God. I think that was part of the point of praying the sinner's prayer 50 million times over to make sure I was really sincere like Linus' pumpkin patch that time. After spending times literally kneeling naked in the bathroom reading all of 1 John aloud and weeping and praying to God and claiming His promises yet again, I somewhere along the line realized that His promises are true and I really didn't have to try so hard. I believe He heard me the first time as a kid. Those many times of recommitment revealed and reconfirmed to me again how great my sin truly is and how infinitely greater His grace is as well. His grace is far greater than all my sin.

   I ran the 400m and 110m hurdles events on the Track and Field team in high school. Thankfully I didn't knock them down and subsequently fall down myself too often. If it does happen in a race though- it's okay. You can knock every single one down and as long as you get up and keep running and get to the finish line first, you can still win the race. It doesn't count against you in any way. You don't lose your place on the team. When we sin and fall down, Jesus picks up again when we come back to Him in Godly sorrow and repentance and He puts us back on track to run the race with perseverance. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Hebrews 12:1-2) We never lose our place on His team!

    When we are assured of our faith in Him, we can move forward in faith to be all He made us to be. He is still working out His plan for us. Keep trusting Him, keep fighting the good fight in the one day ending war on sin, and enduring and sharing His love with others! As the song says, 'til He returns or calls me Home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand. I love Him because He first loved me. May all I say, think or do bring Him glory. :-)

   

  

  

   

   

All Through Jesus' Rule (song)

 C.S. Lewis said in his classic "The Screwtape Letters" book that there are two errors people fall into about the devils. One is to disbelieve in them and the other is to believe in them with an unhealthy interest and obsession. The devil and his demons are equally pleased with both errors. Thus, it's important to maintain the right balance in our view of the spiritual battle that we are all in as followers of Christ. As Ephesians 6:12 tells us, we wrestle not with flesh and blood but with spirits, forces and powers in the heavenly realms! We don't have to be scared of them though and we don't have to let them push us around. Jesus empowers us to resist the devil and his demons. Through the power of Jesus' Name, we can even command demons to obey in Christ's Name. We need to be aware of the battle going on around us and be brave and bold in standing strong with the full armour of God on us. We only need faith the size of a mustard seed in Jesus to tell a mountain to jump into the sea- and it will be done! Stand strong in faith in Jesus. Do your devo in 1 John 4:4 and you'll find that the One who is in us is greater than the one in the world. He has won the victory!

"All Through Jesus' Rule" (parody of "Through Being Cool" by Devo; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/15/2020)
(1 John 4:4, Revelation 20:10, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, 2 Corinthians 10:1-6, Mark 16:14-20, Matthew 12:22-32, Matthew 12:43-45, Matthew 17:14-21, Luke 11:14-26, Luke 10:17-20, Romans 16:20, Ephesians 6:10-20, 2 Timothy 1:7)

We're through being cool
We're through playing cool
Eliminate the lily-livered bits
You wanna barge ahead?
We're gonna need Jesus!
Christ will show those evil spirits He's God
When one leaves from a fallen house
Returns, brings in seven more too
Want these parasites to be cast out?
Matt. 12- it declares- Look through 29
Luke too- 11 find
Plan strong man to bind first- by Jesus!
Time to clean some house!
Indeed plunder the house!
Waste then is laid to a divided house!

Even if you lack big faith
Only factor's in Whom it's found
Faith of mustard seed-sized grain
Throws mountains all around

Even if you lack big faith
Mighty plants form from seeds now
Faith of mustard seed-sized grain
Throws mountains all around

Corinthians, 2
Look to 12:10, dude
Depend of Grace- Power perfected in weakness
Lord, the demons obey!
We can tread on snakes!
Rejoice that Christ picked our souls to be saved

6 Ephesians- as Paul found,
The fight's unseen- in Heavenly realms
Like Alien, chests that burst out
They're there in the air

We're through being fooled
We're through being tools
2 (Two) Timothy 1:7 verse it says
We're not fear-imbued
Accrued Spirit's tools
Power, love, self-driving through Jesus
Trust Him!
Stand firm! Jesus rules!
We're fueled by Him too!

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.

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

He Holds On (song)

As 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, it's worth doing a heart check every so often to make sure we're really in the faith. We certainly need to make our election sure. In that same vein, it seems we at times go through heartache to heartache, yearning for a reassurance from our General in the battlefield of love and life and levity and everything in between. (Sometimes those heartbreakers are preceded by the Holy Spirit's heart shakers that remind us we've fallen from the path and need to get back on.) Jesus is the stronger man who can not only bend a car, but plunder the strong man's house- and He sets the captive free. And sometimes He has to remind us when we come in repentance that we belong to Him. I'm SO glad to know that He is faithful even when I'm not and He holds on.

"He Holds On" (parody of "We Belong" by Pat Benatar; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/18/2018)
(Galatians 3, Romans 14:8, Romans 11:29, 2 Timothy 2:11-13, Jude 1:24-25, John 6 (particularly verses 35-40), 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, John 3:16-21, John 8:31-36, Mark 9:41, John 10 (particularly verses 27-30), John 1:12, John 6:44, John 15, 1 John 3 (particularly verses 16-24))

Many times The Bible tells you
Baby, Christ's called us His own
Already? I'm surprised how soon you cut out leaving Him to friend zone
Galatians- read in 3 please
You're perfected by flesh? Why'd you give up (The) Ghost so easy?
You may doubt but can't escape from Christ

We belong to The Light, we belong to The Father
We belong to The Son (and) Holy Ghost- we boast in no other
Whenever we deny, His embrace still works- so remember
We belong- no recalls- we belong to Heaven

Hey, we all have times of weakness
When we go so far astray
Baby, we just would all blow it if through our own strength anyway
Though we once were all wrath's kids- well, sin distorts the facts
Irrevocable calling
Now there's no turning back
When You say

We belong to The Christ, we belong to The Father
We belong to Spirit- we're The Lord's- read Romans 14:8
Whenever we deny, let's embrace the words of our Saviour-
All He's called- in faith respond- we belong to Saviour

Close your eyes- pray The Lord to keep now
Souls in Christ (are) held eternally!
Check the lines in John 6 and 10- Christ won't cast out called out sheep
We can't begin, uphold or lose what we didn't earn
I hear Your voice as I read- I see Your face wherever I turn
Still You say-

Read 8 John- 35th. line- The son stays forever!
We belonged to the serpent at first- we're born fallen sinners
Whomever The Son sets free from chains is free for forever!
Read along- seek The Son- come along to Heaven!
He, The Son, gave the right to become kids of The Father
Read in John 1:12- Son gave to those (who) believed (and) received Son there
Whenever (our) hearts decide we're not saved, The Lord's heart knows better
Read 1 John 3:20 on- believe The Son- love others
We're in palms of The Christ- He holds on for forever!

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

The Lake of Fire (song)

"The fear of The Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7) As much as it's important to not be held captive to fear, there is also importance in having some fear- a fear of The Lord. As Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, we should fear the One Who can destroy both body and soul in hell. We are all sinners by nature and all bound to eternal torment in hell because of our rebellion against God. That's a truth you don't want to be a Johnny-Come-Lately to learning- because there is a day it will be too late to do anything about it. (Hebrews 9:27) We will all die one day, unless The Lord Christ returns first. Either way, we will face judgment then. The Good News is that God loves us so much that He paid for all our sins by dying in our place and rising again! If we put faith in Christ for forgiveness and salvation and follow Him, we can have assurance of salvation from hell and the burning lake of fire and entry into Heaven instead. That's a truth you can cash all your chips in on. Cash it all in on Christ today. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Now is the day of salvation!


"The Lake of Fire"
(parody of "The Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash; copyright Nathan Ludwick 1/21/2019)
(Mark 9:42-50, Matthew 10:26-33, Revelation 20, Luke 16:19-31, 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, Romans 10:9-13)

God had rebellion break
And He made a fiery lake
Found by sin's desire
In Rev. 20- the lake of fire

Christ's Book of Life or burning lake of fire?
Written down (or) not found?
In the flames (or) Paradise, yeah?
Will you burn or turn?
The lake of fire's for Christ revilers
(You) might fall into the burning lake of fire
Teeth are gnashed and ground
And the flames won't tire
Forever burns, burns, burns
The lake of fire, the lake of fire

The grace and love of Jesus
Sin-hearts like ours need it
To hell we're doomed at the trial
Oh, but Messiah reconciled

Christ still endured the burning lake of fire
He went down- that's how
Jesus paid our price there
And He returned third morn
Offering was final- all sins (for) all time, there
Devil will stew in burning lake of fire
20:10- it's found
Revelation- right there
Forever burns, burns, burns
Mark 9:48- the worm won't die there
And God yearns- Return!
The cross of Christ's still
Saving from fire
Saving from fire
Saving from fire

Enrapture (song)

A thunderous sermon and exhortation has been given. The strains of Larry Norman's "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" can be heard pulsating in your ears. Hearts are racing, hairs are standing on end and goosebumps run up and down arms. And certainly The Holy Spirit is moving and drawing people to Himself.
    I fear though that someone may have a blondie moment and get caught up in rapture of emotions and have a response much like the seed that fell on rocky soil that sprang up quickly but died quickly because they didn't have a root! This song is addressing this very scenario and is intended to lightly lambaste (even though that's an oxymoron ;-)) the Southern Baptist stereotype of "Turn or Burn" style evangelism and seriously lambaste an evangelism built more on emotion and manipulation solely rather than on evoking the Scriptures and invoking the Spirit to work. (To be clear, I do believe an emotional experience can be part of the Spirit's moving but it's important to remember that God can work with or without it, as a train can run with or without a caboose. The engine of faith keeps things moving. (Thanks to Campus Crusade for Christ and Bill Bright's "The Four Spiritual Laws" for that analogy!)) As Rev. Tim Keller has said, "Truth without grace is not really truth and grace without truth is not really grace."

"Enrapture"
(Parody of "Rapture" by Blondie; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 8/11/2019)
(1 John 4 (especially verse 18), 2 Peter 1:5-11, Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, Luke 8:4-15, Romans 11:29, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, Jude 1:24-25, Philippians 1:6, John 6:35-40)

No one knows
Advancing very close
The unbelieving-
Those folks won't (a-)go
Trumpet call
Thief comes snatch in night
And lost are left behind then
Hang heads and cry- Oh! Snap!-ture
Baptist tack
Scare 'em out of wits
Spine-tingling music
And a riled up pack
Embrace Grace
Sadly some lack roots
Pulls heartstrings, hand-wringing
Emotion manipulating- Oh, Crap!-ture
Rapture ready party- everybody's high
Forsake sinning- get saved by Christ!
Circumstance- Flash- Which's true?
Rejoice- grow fast- But got no root
In Luke 8, (it's) taught by God
Go out to the garden plot
When you get out on the farm, then you find soils "thar" (there)
And you find 4 types defined by Jesus Christ
And seeds come right down and land on the ground
On (the) path come avian seed eaters
Plants are fried by (the) sun on the rocky ground
And the shoots are dead from the seeds that fed
Among thorns- their choking stunts growers
The soil that's just right's seeds are growers
The seeds mate and grow- hundredfold
Some sixty and thirtyfold
Matthew 13- you read also 4 Mark
Then what was sown in hearts
Devil on path dines on seeds and bars what lost people need
What of faith sprang great with speed?
Come undone by persecution
Plants no root, yo...
No room to grow 'cause the plant in thorns' seduced by cars and hedonism
Yeah, all in all, only growers are on good soil
Which one is fear's altar call?
Rapture obscures
Fake from pure, true faith made sure
Retrain your brain- faith's a train
Move the feelings to end of train
Engine won't stop if that's dropped
Well, now faith in facts is running it
Enraptured by our God's beauty
He emancipates hearts from fear that starts when good theology's gone
In 4 1st. John- cast out by Love
And God won't have His call cancelled- 11 Romans states
God don't flip flop; His love won't stop
Just grab on- sure shot!
Election made sure- 2nd. Peter 1:10-
Deeds prove you're
God's now- He always keeps what He starts- just trust!

It's The End of the World As We Know It (Do You Know Christ?) (song)

We all wish for world peace and hope that we might really see the world come together, especially at times like Christmas. Then we turn on the news and that quickly dashes those hopes as we see the cruelty and wickedness of man's heart on full display. Jesus said that we would hear of wars and rumours of wars but the end is not yet. He said to not be alarmed because these things must come before the time of the end. We shouldn't lose REM sleep over it because the God who never sleeps is always watching over all of us. And no matter what happens in world events, He still holds the world in His hands and everything is still running according to His timetable alone. As Ecclesiastes 3 says, there is a time and season for everything under the sun, certainly including the return of the Son. For those of us in Christ, we look forward to that day when He will put a final end to evil and make everything sad come untrue. Until that day, we look to Him in faith and seek to fulfill the Great Commission He gave us, making the salvation from sin and Hell only available through faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection known to all who will hear. It's good to know that God is in control through it all and because of this, we can endure it all, as the book of Revelation commands us so many times. As I've said before when people ask, yes- we are in the end times. We've been in the end times since Jesus ascended to Heaven. With that in mind, we should continue to be about our Father's business and rest easy in Him no matter what happens- and then we can truthfully say, "It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine."

"It's The End of the World As We Know It (Do You Know Christ?)"
(parody of "It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by REM; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/18/2019)
(the book of Revelation, Romans 10:9-13, 2 Corinthians 6:2, 2 Peter 3:8-9)

Revelation starts when God dictates
Words to say to houses of faith
And Johnny dude is much afraid
"I have the keys of Hades, seven stars and lampstands"
Lord Jesus (is) on scene
"Don't desert first love, please
Fear thou not of what you'll suffer- strength!
Balaam's yeast in batter
Nicolaitians strike down- Hike!
Wire Thyatira - and present to all 7 churches
That The Saviour searches all hearts and minds- pays back deeds
Jezebel woman- sins in adultery
Whip up your few believing and repent
Team Philly- keep enduring- fast hold faith- got your crown
Lukewarm that Laodicea
Uh, oh- hot or cold- those I love them I reprove
Let Me just save yourselves- turn yourselves
Rev. verse 3:20- listen to Christ's knock please"
Johnny is enraptured there in Heaven and he writes sights
Four living creatures prostrate falling glorify all time
Him seated enthroned on high

It's written in The Word- they cry "Holy"
Ever is, was, will be- they cry "Holy"
We exist for The Lord- they cry "Holy"- all glory's Thine!

Scroll is locked- Weeping louder- No distraught- The Lion's power
Has opened seals 'cause God's Son is Worthy Lamb
Conquering white horse comes- bright red bloodletting
Black horse holding some scales and pale horse- a fourth exterminate
Five- an altar, cry of martyrs- Sixth- stuff thrown down
All tribes are sealed- 144,000 (one four four oh, oh, oh)
Crowd seen- some here from all spheres- Jesus saves! Here's seventh seal
Opens trumpets of judgments- in turn seven let fly
All these bring destruction- angel, scroll and two witnesses- a mighty sign

A dragon chases this girl's Babe to kill Him [Background vocal: Dragon wanted Christ to be gone]
The dragon's tail did hurl third of angels [Background vocal: They chose their side- demons]
There's a ten horned beast from the ocean- the antiChrist [Background vocal: Time for endurance- be bold!]
Blasphemes Christ! [Background vocal: Gives healing sign]
A dragon-tongued beast rises from earth [Background vocal: Signs done- antiChrist enthrones]
666 (six sixty six)- all the world must take his number [Background vocal: Christ's own will resist it though]
God judges sin of the world- angels tell it- with harps praise God [Background vocal: Time for seven wrath-filled bowls]

Another sign- God's wrath-filled bowls- all torrential plagues inside
Woman sits on a beast- Babylon burns- feast!
Lamb's own marriage dinner- guests are blessed- Thanks!
Riding party- Lord of Lords, King of Kings rules!
He beats beast, et. al. - Takes devil- locks him- 1000 years reign with Christ

The dragon leads the world against Jesus [BGV: Time that ancient snake was gone!]
Armageddon- the war's won by Jesus [BGV: Devil's beat- to fire he goes]
It's the end in sulfur always ongoing in lake of fire [BGV: Line Rev. 20:10 shows]
At the end of the world there is judgment
How we lived in this world is exposed there
And if anyone's name's not in Life book- (they) go to lake of fire [BGV: How'll you stand at great white throne?]
Then beginning new world and new Heaven [BGV: Time to abscond things of old]
It's the end of death, pain and all tears flowing [BGV: Christ makes all things new- Behold!]
Hell burning for the world and they chose it- they denied Christ [BGV: Time we have will soon be gone]
It's Heaven through The Lord for those who know Him [BGV: Christ be praised for all time alone!]
The Spirit and the Bride still are calling [BGV: Sins paid- have faith- Christ died and rose]
At the end of the world, Jesus is coming- please come soon, Christ! [BGV: Christ be praised for all time alone!]
..................................................

Rock of Offense

It's still better to offend people into Heaven than to tolerate them into Hell. (But yes, offend them with The Truth in Love. Ephesians 4:15, 2 Timothy 4:1-8, Revelation 20:15, 1 Peter 2:1-12)
1 John 2:1-2 Jesus' death and Resurrection is the atonement for all the sins of the world. The only way we can avoid Hell and go to Heaven instead is to trust Jesus in faith and follow Him. God loves you and I love you (and that's the way it should be :-))- and because of that, I just want you to know...

"Scandalon" by Michael Card
https://youtu.be/uaVTcVNQxms

Feeling the Slough of Despond? - Faith is the Victory!

I know I have expressed this notion on separate posts, but it's been heart check time again lately. I'm just going to give a full disclosure on some things here. I have been reading "The Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan as part of an online book reading club. I was on vacation for a while and had a lot of time to read at points and so I read through the whole book already a week or two back. I actually also read the second part as well (which details what happens to Christian's family.) This point I'm going to make again hit me recently and so I wanted to note something that hit me from both books and something that encouraged me a lot. "The Pilgrim's Progress" is a journey with Christ and we go through many trials and temptations along the way. And no matter what our feelings may say at times, God is ALWAYS faithful! This is a journey He has wrought and He will get us safely to the end and usher us into His presence for eternity through our faith because we're saved by His grace and His grace alone! His saving work leads us to do the good works He made for us to do all along- and those fruit of the Spirit manifesting in us are evidence of the salvific work He has already done! (Ephesians 2:8-10 and Philippians 2:12-13 say this really well.) There is a character in the second part who feels like he may well be my patron saint at times. (Though I've already claimed Gonzo of The Muppets as my patron saint of weirdos. ;-)) Mr. Fearing is a pilgrim who trembles along the way, struggling with doubts and fears- who ENDURES and is brought all the way to Heaven and released from those fears by The Lord. (Sorry for the spoiler.) ("Endure" is one of my favourite most repeated words in Revelation. Of course, we do this through the Holy Spirit's power- not our own.) I say this as one who first called upon Jesus to save me as a child of about 5 or 7. In growing in my faith in Christ, I have prayed numerous prayers of reaffirmation even after baptism. I have felt like Mr. Fearing as one who has struggled with doubts and fears about the judgment and terrible events of the end times- and about security of salvation itself. Even tonight I wrestled with this again and reread through 1 John yet again and again put my weight and trust fully upon the truth of God's Word, who doesn't lie. I am thankful that I don't struggle with this nearly as much as I did in previous years but it still plagues me at times. I have found a few things that have helped me with this. The truth of God's Word and a right understanding of salvation and the work of Christ- these have been instrumental. I can't lose something I didn't earn and didn't buy- it was given to me and all who will believe as a free gift. God gave it and He will sustain it. My faith is built solely on Christ and His righteousness because I have none of my own. My faith is based on facts- not feelings. Feelings are fickle and lie. I have worried about that before- I didn't have the right "feelings" and experience others said they had when they got saved- thus, I must have done something wrong. Was I really repentant and sorry enough for my sins? Am I just trying to do good works to be saved instead of relying on Jesus' righteousness alone? I read passages like Matthew 7 and Matthew 25 and I know I don't want to be a goat who didn't really love God and people. I don't want to be the one Jesus tells, "Depart from Me- I never knew you!" Believe me- I've carried out 2 Corinthians 13:5's test a number of times. And it in the end drives me back to my knees before Jesus, acknowledging Him alone as Lord and Saviour, confessing any sin to Him and again putting my trust back in Him. And God is gracious and loving and He has given me reassurances many times and I know I've seen Him working in me and changing my heart. The times when I slip back into old sins that I don't want to do- and get callous about it and do it for the pleasure of it even though I know it's wrong- those times can become scary and make me think I must not really be saved when I do those things. Again- the truth is that 1 John 1:9 is in The Bible for a reason. God still forgives me when I repent and come back to Him. He holds me eternally and will never let go! (John 6:35-40) And I fully believe Jesus is exactly who He said He is and that His Word is 100 percent true. As I've said before, I've doubted myself more than I've ever doubted God. The most profound truth in The Bible is still the simplest and sometimes the hardest to believe- "Jesus loves me- this I know for The Bible tells me so." I am thankful for Jesus' love for ragamuffins like me who know that we are all only beggars at the door of God's mercy. And God loves all of us just as we are, not as we should be- because none of us are as we should be. And I praise Him that He's still working to make me the man He wants me to be.

(Shout out in Heaven to Brennan Manning for most of the thoughts in the above paragraph.)
  I don't know if anyone else relates to this but I hope it's helpful for someone. It's cathartic for me to write stuff out, so I hope you all don't mind me gushing on and on here. Some other things that help me a lot are reading good books and listening to good music.
For anyone else that may struggle with legalism and learning to accept and rest in Grace, I have some book recommendations that I have read and cried over many times. I'm a huge fan of C.S. Lewis and so I would include all his books- particularly "Mere Christianity", "The Weight of Glory" and "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Screwtape Letters" and "The Great Divorce" and "The Problem of Pain" and "A Grief Observed" and "Miracles".    But the book that has helped me A TON is "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning! (The paragraph where I mention ragamuffins two paragraphs back is largely taken from his writings.)
I also LOVE Philip Yancey! "Disappointment with God", "What's So Amazing About Grace?", "Vanishing Grace" and "The Jesus I Never Knew" have all been incredible!
Two articles I found helpful just today-
(https://unlockingthebible.org/.../seven-truths-to-fight.../)
and
(https://jdgreear.com/blog/2-ways-to-know-you-are-saved/)
I'll post a few beloved songs below. -I'm a HUGE fan of Chris Rice and he has written a couple of songs about doubts and faith that I have found immensely helpful! In the end, either God is true or a liar. I believe He is true and He will do what He said He will do and thus I simply trust Him with everything. This one is called "Big Enough" and has long been a favourite for me, mainly because he dares to ask some questions- but also admits that he is not big enough- but God is big enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1s1JbM0Bk

"Live by Faith" by Chris Rice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUgUUoqKAz4

"Sam's Song" by Chris Rice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_O7xXyD1Iw  "Smell the Color 9" by Chris Rice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNUmoSHavLc "One of Those Days" by Chris Rice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5V30p-sPww Rich Mullins is still one of my all-time favourite artists and so I definitely have to include at least one of his classics that I LOVE-

"If I Stand"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jj0ZTzgmGM And since July 28 is the anniversary of Keith Green's death and subsequent passage into Heaven, it seems only fitting to post one of my favourite songs from him-

"Grace By Which I Stand"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF2xD2bNkts And a few from another recent favourite for me- Andrew Peterson! (Who is a huge Rich Mullins fan himself!)

This song deals more with grief and sorrow along the way but it's an incredible encouragement too.

"The Silence of God"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvytewIxll0  And this one speaks directly to the issue- "Just As I Am" by Andrew Peterson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csaxuRPitS0 And I could post tons others but I'll just stop with one more from AP- the worship song I've been singing SO much for the last year and a half or so since it first released-

"Is He Worthy?" (HE IS! :-))

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIahc83Kvp4

Up in the Air

Things are all up in the air. And of course, we usually say this phrase with uncertainty and dismay- and the dismay comes generally because of the uncertainty of a potentially bad situation. We like to have that control and certainty- it's very hard sometimes to live in uncertainty- particularly since we know the prince of the power of the air that we once trembled under still works to seek us woe. (Ephesians 2:2) But the prince of darkness grim- we tremble not for him. One little word will fell him.
    Instead, we look to The Lord who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and rules over all. And when we leave things up in the air, it's an act of trust because we know it's really in The Lord's hands. And it's in the air that we meet The Lord by faith. (1 Thessalonians 4:11)
       So while we don't want to put on airs, we do want to air not on the side of caution, but air on the side of reckless abandon in the Creator of air and everything else. I keep trusting Him from here and now all the way through when I cross the air Jordan- and beyond. :-)

Cross Beams

      Maybe we shouldn’t pray for God to take away sinful desires. These continue to plague us in the form of temptation and that won’t go away until the devil is locked away in Hell for good. They also plague us in the form of the spiritual battle between the old man of sin and the new man in Christ. That battle will continue to wage until the day we are in Heaven with Jesus. And until that day, the world will still be here egging us on to accept what God says is wrong. This is the three-pronged war we must fight every day.
      Instead, we should pray for God’s grace and help to stand up under temptation and not give in to it. Pray that He will strengthen us to resist the devil so that he will flee from us. Pray that we will have His power to ignore the world and its evil desires that are passing away, and instead do the will of God- that is the way of life eternal; knowing Christ as Savior through trusting His death and Resurrection for salvation.
       And then we are called to keep walking on the straight and narrow path, though it be beset with painful trials and struggles that we must endure. Yet we keep on, asking Jesus to pick us up and set us right again when we fall, but always moving forward on that path and still seeking to obey God out of gratitude to Him and reverence for His precious sacrifice. It is not a misguided effort to repay Him or earn what He’s already given to us for free- it is rather an effort to fulfill the call and charge He gave to us in Ephesians 2:8-10. We must do the good works He prepared in advance for us to do. And He has warned us that following Him will not be easy. It will be hard and it will demand harsh sacrifice on our part as well. But we can never give more than what God has already given. Our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us on the day of Christ Jesus. No matter how hard our sufferings are, let us boast in our weakness so that Christ may be revealed as strong in us.
      And let us trust God not to lead us into temptation but rather to deliver us from evil. Let us trust that He can and will give us the way of escape when we ask Him for it. Let us endure hardship like good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Let us deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus daily. And as for you brothers, never tire of doing what is right. God bless and Godspeed.

Blind

(Note: This was written in 2018 and my brother's album was released in 2008. I have just recently come across it again and thought it was worth publishing here. And I still LOVE this song and listen to it and others from the album regularly. These are some things I've drawn from books (Tim Keller's "The Prodigal God" for one- which is the book the Sunday School class happened to be reading at the time of this writing, by the way) and other stuff I'd been kicking around for a little while. The pastor preached from 2 Peter 2 last Sunday before I wrote this and in the course of looking in my Bible during the sermon, I noticed 2 Peter 1:9 and I thought it fit perfectly with Kevin's song "Blind". )

This year marks the 10 year anniversary of this release from my brother Kevin.

https://kevinludwick.bandcamp.com/album/come-home

      The song "Blind" is still one of my favourites on it (along with "Come Home", of course.)
I just recently listened to the CD again in my car. :-)
The topic raised is a super important one that I have wrestled with over the years. I have gotten to a place of being settled with it but it still crops up every so often. It seems lately I have been bombarded with the issue of grace/faith vs. works in regards to salvation.
     It came up in a discussion I was having with a friend recently and then showed up again in an article I happened upon and then yet again during Sunday School and church service yesterday and again today in a Bible verse post on Facebook.
      It is important to do as 2 Corinthians 13:5 says and examine ourselves to see that we are in the faith. It's also important to remember Jesus' words in Matthew 7 that not everyone who calls to Him, "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of Heaven- only he who does the will of The Father in Heaven.
     Motivation makes a huge difference. Am I trying to build a resume of "righteousness" so I can impress God with good works and manipulate Him to get what I want? Or have I truly recognized that I have no righteousness of my own and even my good works are as filthy rags before the holy God? (Isaiah 64:6)
     Thus, I repent of both my wickedness and my righteousness because I recognize that there is no good in me. "All we 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." (Isaiah 53:6) (That verse is one of the earliest I remember learning and it was a key one in bringing me to salvation as a young child.)
    Sometimes I used to think, growing up as a MK and PK and hearing the Gospel at an early age and getting saved when I was around 5 or 7, I didn't really have a dynamic testimony like Nicky Cruz or the Apostle Paul. I mean- I wasn't out robbing or killing people. But I knew that I wasn't always truthful or obedient or selfless. And all those sins are equally as bad and offensive before the holy Lord. Thus, every Christian has a dynamic testimony, whether coming to Christ like the prodigal in Luke 15 or (hopefully) like the elder brother. (The parable doesn't say if he repented but he's the image of the Pharisee we can so easily become who needs to repent of supposed righteousness.)
    And I sometimes feel like this is an easy trap to fall into for those raised going to church and knowing about Christ at an early age. (Not that it's bad to have either one of those things in place- it's a great thing!) I've sometimes wondered how I can even know if all the things I've done that I think are good are really a result of The Holy Spirit working in me because I've asked Jesus to save me and I rely on His completed work of death on the cross and Resurrection to pay for my sins- OR that I am really still relying on my good works.
     There's the conundrum right there. Yet I don't have any good works of my own. There are places I've seen growth in my life to be more like Christ, including areas I would not be comfortable or desiring to do on my own. Anything good in me is Jesus Christ, not me.
I believe He's God and He's true and He has done what He said He would and when I die or He returns, He'll take me to Heaven instead of banishing me to Hell (as I deserve)- just as He said He would. That's the beauty of grace believed by faith- which produces the good deeds in gratitude to the One who gave His life to save me because He loves me! I love Him because He first loved me! I thank Him for all He saved me from and even for the doubts and fears that He helps me overcome because they make my faith reaffirmed and stronger.
     I still struggle with these things at times because I know Satan likes to get Christians so messed up and freaked out about their own salvation that they can't very well be used by God to help bring anyone else to Christ. Thankfully, He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world! 1 John 5:13 says we can KNOW we have eternal life because of our faith in Jesus. Habakkuk 2:4 as well and 2 Corinthians 5:7. We walk by faith and not by sight.
     In grappling with this, I have found a number of things helpful- prayer, Bible reading and memorization (particularly of promises that speak directly to this- John 6:37-40, John 6:68, John 8:32-36, John 10:27-30, Galatians 3, the whole book of Romans, Philippians 2:12-13, Ephesians 2:8-10, Jeremiah 31:3 and lots of others), counsel from respected Christian leaders and friends, and writings from Christians and awesome songs.
Here are some articles I found helpful in this recent spate-

https://www.versebyverseministry.org/bible-answers/how_do_i_know_im_truly_saved/

And

https://capmin.org/is-salvation-by-faith-alone-in-christ-alone/

And books like "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning and "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan.

I also recommend awesome songs like this-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfGvXfe9LK8

And

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY06uA9mUlw

And

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

And

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1lfJdDqzbk

And

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axQWC4Y5jTI

And

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMGYk3SLArk

And

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

And, of course- Kevin's song "Blind"- which leads me back to this Scripture to close on. (Particularly note 2 Peter 1:9)

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partners of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:3-11)

This Looks Like a Job for the Son of Man!

Sometimes I feel like Jor-El on Krypton trying to warn the political leaders and other scientists that the planet is about to explode!  Sometimes it feels like, "My joy is gone; grief is upon me, my heart is sick within me." (Jeremiah 8:18)
    I keep trying to share the Word God has given me- the Gospel of Jesus Christ- the Good News that God loves us and even though our sin separates us from Him and condemns us to Hell, He wants to save us from that! That's why Jesus died and rose- to pay for the consequence of all our sins. When we put faith in His completed work for us and follow Him, we have salvation and eternal life! :-)
   Yet so many are still so lost and refuse to see the Lord who could save them and would do so if they'd let Him! (Luke 13:34)
".....I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, 'Violence and destruction!' For the word of The Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. If I say, 'I will not mention Him, or speak any more in His Name,' there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot." (Jeremiah 20:7b-9)
   "But The Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten." (Jeremiah 20:11)

"Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!" (Jeremiah 9:1)
" ....'Return, faithless Israel, declares The Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares The Lord. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against The Lord your God....." (Jeremiah 3:12-13)
   God longs to save everyone if we'll let Him. We have to admit we haven't obeyed Him and turn to the only One who has perfectly obeyed- Lord God Jesus!
And no matter the response, we must keep declaring this Gospel wherever God sends us.

"But The Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth,"; for to all whom I send you, you shall go and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you," declares The Lord." (Jeremiah 1:7-8)

So like Superman continues to fight the never-ending battle, keep fighting the good fight and "never tire of doing what is right." (2 Thessalonians 3:13)
 Some will listen- some won't; that's up to the Holy Spirit. Just as Superman fights for Truth, Justice and the American way- keep fighting for the Truth, Life and the Only Way! He will help you handle whatever action you face in the fray and He will return one day to take those who love Him up, up and away! Until that blessed day, stay strong holding on to the One who's still the Son of Man and Man of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow- the Son of God- and know that The Father holds us firmly in His palms and His plans move forward on course stronger than a locomotive- faster than a speeding bullet and able to leap tall buildings of doubt in a single bound- yet they will all come together in His time and to His plan.
May this brief visit in the Fortress of Solitude give you some respite from the devil's Kryptonite and strengthen you for the race before us. Onward and upward- but always in His strength. This looks like (because it is) a job for the only real Super Man. :-)

Die Here or Recant (song)

In keeping with the theme of persecution in my last post, this song seemed appropriate. Some may doubt the reality of what feels like the year of attacks on Christian faith at times but that may be because they are viewing the world through an American lens. Even the USA and North America in general are experiencing a number of subtle (and some not-so-subtle) acts of persecution and affronts to the faith. The degree is not nearly to the level that brothers and sisters in The Lord face the world over, particularly in China and Middle Eastern countries. That doesn't mean that North America and the Western world will be spared persecution that involves not only loss of rights and freedom but maybe even to the point of death. And as we face such things in the body of Christ, though no one necessarily wants to face that, we know that the weight of glory is worth more and weighs more than any of our light and momentary sufferings. I'll steward God's grace and blessings well enough; I must also steward the trials and persecutions He allows to come. If it comes down to the government vs. God, I choose God above all. Thus, when the choice is to die here or recant, go tell Nero I can't. To live is Christ and to die is gain! (Philippians 1:21)


"Die Here or Recant"
(parody of "Year of the Cat" by Al Stewart; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 9/7/2018)
(Matthew 10:26-33, Matthew 24:4-14, John 15:18-27 and 16:1-4, Proverbs 28:1, Acts 1-12, Acts 5:29, Romans 8, Hebrews 11:32-40, Philippians 1:21, Philippians 3, Revelation 2:10-11, Revelation 5:9-11, Revelation 14:12-13, Revelation 20-22)

With a warning from a bogus jury
In a council that says, "Don't preach Christ"
You go scrolling through Acts now for Pete's retort
In Acts 5:29
Lord God raised up The Son that you killed by hanging (on the cross)
God our Father over men obey!
Our Father gave our Lord exaltation
We must tell you in His Name
That we fear God, not man
"They will not give up Christ!" - "Arrest them!"
But we've locked up behind bars before
And The Lord's angel opened doors of the prison
(They) completely disappeared
It's a futile cause; they're at temple walls
There's no prison door they fear, you dudes
We'll take that Gamaliel's advice
Just like the wicked run but these dudes
(Are) Bagheera the cat!
Signs and wonders, dude- so cool, Steve!
They tell lies that cite the dude's blaspheming!
He wants forgiveness for bad jury
When they stone him- if it's forsake Him for life
To adhere I just can't
More mourning comes when James' killed after
And Jesus said persecutions (would) come!
It won't go away- His voice or cross or mission
So we have to hold on
Until trumpet sounds and in The Light remain!
And the minute persecutors say
"Avow Lord Christ or now go meet Him!"
To live is Christ (and) die is gain!
So tell Nero I can't
There's no recant
.................................................

A Call for Endurance

"Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death." (Revelation 2:10-11)

"Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from Heaven saying, 'Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in The Lord from now on.' 'Blessed indeed,' says The Spirit, 'that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!' " (Revelation 14:12-13)

Let us keep praying for the Iraqi saints and followers of Christ all over the world who are facing such tribulation and persecution that they would be faithful to Jesus no matter what and that they would keep loving their enemies, praying for them, speaking The Truth in Love, and faithfully obeying Jesus. And may we all heed the call to be faithful to Jesus and endure no matter what may come. The temporal life and its pains are temporary, but the celestial life and its joys are eternal. And let's keep praying for those who are so opposed to Jesus who need to know that He loves them too and only wants them to repent, trust Him and live.

The Scriptures here and the situation going on with the persecuted church around the world made me think of a very spiritually true and sound line from "The Dark Knight"- "What would you have me do?"- Bruce Wayne/Batman.... "Endure."- Alfred Pennyworth...... It's just as Jesus said in Matthew 24:13-14, "But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this Gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." ..... So, as Matthew 24:44-46 tell us, "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over the household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes."   Note that the passage clearly tells us that the Son of Man is coming at a time we don't expect-therefore, we must be ready. Ready-not standing around speculating on His return or just bemoaning the state of the world and wringing our hands. We also can't be disinterested bystanders sitting back comfortable in our faith and waiting for our sweet chariot to swing low and take us home. We should be a faithful and wise servant of The Master-we have been set over His household as members of the body of Christ and we are to work together to care for His body and give food to His household at the proper time. This of course includes all of His domain-the whole earth and universe. Speak The Gospel Truth-the Words of Life to edify the church and to throw out the lifeline to resuce the perishing. We must be faithful in obeying Jesus and sharing His love with others that they might come to salvation too. And until Christ does come, we must be the face of His Love on the earth and His agents of change to help keep the peace and show grace and mercy and love to a lost and cold, uncaring world. Keep looking up, for our redemption draweth nigh-in His time, which may or may not be in our lifetime (we don't know and don't need to know and don't need to worry about trying to know)- and keep enduring and being faithful. And don't worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Be faithful with what God has given you today.

New Heaven and Remade Earth (song)

As a Halloween and Reformation Day treat, I thought these next two songs would be appropriate. This is sort of my Hell and Heaven suite. The first one has the devil in the details, detailing his origins, his workings now and his assured eternal destruction. This second one is about the happiest place not on Earth- and that's Heaven! The world also paints a lot of images and ideas about this that place that do not be lending any light on on the subject. Heaven's only entered One Way- through faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection to pay for our sins. This world is in a horrible mess because of sin- it's like a broken car pile in a junkyard. We will never fix it in human strength and make a Heaven on Earth. However, Jesus promises to take us to Heaven if we trust Him to fix us and everything else- and He will one day make a new Heaven and new Earth. And He uses us now to point people to the rebirth that only comes from Him who makes all things new! That's the day we long for! Behold, the One who promises this says He is coming soon. Even so, come Lord Jesus!


"New Heaven and Remade Earth"
(Parody of "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" by Belinda Carlisle; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/30/2018)
(Genesis 1-3, Philippians 1:21-27, Genesis 11, John 6:44, Romans 5, Ephesians 2:8-10, Philippians 2:1-18, Psalms 2, Psalms 16, Psalms 137, Isaiah 66, John 14, Matthew 5:16, Revelation 19:16, Revelation 20-22)

Ooh, hating seems to only get worse
Ooh, Heaven- come invade the Earth
The day when Heaven's Son returns
He'll remake Heaven (and) remake the Earth
New Heaven and a remade Earth

When The Christ calls now
The wait is through and He's come back down
All the world lays eyes on Him now
Babylon finally dies!
And our talk to self-improve
It's all a joke- falls apart- Psalms 2
Adam's sinning cursed the world and us
And You lifted it off by way of the cross

You saved me and each soul- what's our worth?
Ooh, Heaven is a grace undeserved
The Way to Heaven- God draws first
We make Heaven by faith not works
2 Ephesians- we're saved for good works

This world's not my home- I'm just passing through
Psalms 16:11- Home!
Then in John 14- our hearts rejoice
You prepare for me!
In His world, we get new beginning
And now with man again our Lord is living
66 Isaiah- saith The Lord
All flesh come to praise- praise The Lord!

Ooh, praise Him! Make Him Lord while on Earth
2 Philippians says all praise- 10th. verse
Don't waste a second- Love or Curse?
Get saved while living- too late in hearse
Choose Heaven! Put your faith in Christ's work

In His world we'll have no sinning
No hunger and thirst- we're all filled by King of Kings
Babel tower's our way and Hell's door
But Lord God's The Way and only Door

Ooh, Satan- do your gloats for now, jerk
Revelation says your doom's assured
You see 'cause Heaven's Love beat curse!
No wrongs Heaven's embrace can't cure
Ooh! Heaven cures all plagues of earth
Ooh! Heaven leaves no trace of curse
Ooh! Heaven's agents of change on earth
Winds of Heaven and stuff of Earth
Like (in) Heaven, do God's will on earth

Killer (song)

As a Halloween and Reformation Day treat, I thought these next two songs would be appropriate. This is sort of my Hell and Heaven suite. The first one is about one of the scariest figures in The Bible- the devil himself! The world paints a lot of false images and ideas about him, but the world doesn't know jack, son. The Bible gives us information about that old serpent throughout its pages and sometimes thinking about his and his demons' evil workings in the world can be more frightening than reading the latest Stephen King thriller. But even though he is a thief, destroyer and killer, we don't need to fear Him when we're in Christ because we know the One who has defeated sin, death, Hell, the demons and the devil. And in the end, his doom is sure- one little word shall fell him.

"Killer"
(parody of "Thriller" by Michael Jackson; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/31/2018)
(Genesis 3, Revelation 12, Ephesians 6, Zechariah 3, Matthew 4, Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, John 8:32-36, Job 1-2, James 4:7, 2 Corinthians 11:3 and 13-15, 1 John 4:4, 2 Corinthians 4:4, John 8:39-47, Luke 10:17-20, John 10:10, Genesis 4:1-7, 1 Peter 5:8-9, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Matthew 16:21-23, Romans 8:11, Romans 10:9-13, Revelation 20, Romans 16:20, Revelation 20:10)

He's closed in his sights and something evil's lurking in the garden
Pumping half-truth/lies, Lucifer's trying to just sow doubts in hearts
Adam and Eve- what terrors will resound after you taste it!
Now Earth's diseased- with horror, look how you bought all the lies
You're penalized!

'Cause he's a killer, thief and liar!
And God's Son's gonna save you from the beast though His heel he'll strike
You know it's written- Genesis line
3:15 prophesies that Christ will crush the snake's head- that's right!

You read some more- bam! Ezekiel shares from where he did come
"You were in Eden- anointed as a guardian cherub"
You chose thug life- you know that this is just in 28, son
You were exiled when there was evil creeping up inside
You're out on your behind

'Cause you were filled with killer pride
O Day Star, son of Dawn- Isaiah chapter 14 writes
You said, "I will be like Most High"
Your flight has been denied because Jehovah's always Most High

The devil's fall-
12 Revelation gives a pass backstage
Third go with Satan in star wars of Heaven- 4th. line
(The demons' side)
Since the dragon's tail swung wide

They're out to get you- those demons and dragon- 17 line
They will possess you unless you take The Saviour's offer now
Now is the time- go 2nd. Corinthians 6:2- it's there
All through The Christ- He'll save you from the terrors of your sin
He'll make you clean

'Cause He was killed for sinners' plight
And Christ's life was restored by Holy Ghost
Romans 8:11- right!
World, there's a killer, thief and liar!
Won't quit 'til out of time- serpent's a-accuser, tempter, imitator angel of light!

Read in 1st. Peter 5:8- right!
The lion roars at your door- 4 Genesis
The 7th. verse mind
World-roaming killer still at large
So let's read Romans line 16 verse 20- God wins!

(Background vocals: He's gonna school him- that's right!)

(Spoken:)
Dark forces trawl across the land
The midnight hour draws closer at hand
(Since) devil's fall, he's out for blood
To tempt mankind- call evil good
And whosoever shall be found
Without their soul's name written down
In Lamb's Book of Life- they're bound for hell
Those bought by Christ- to joy eternal

(Background vocals: I'm in The Lamb's Book of Life! Will ya be?)

(Spoken:)
Look out! Resist temptings- (and) beware!
He'll run as 4:7 James shares
1 Peter too- Read 5:9- boom!
The God within you's greater too!
And though snake fights to sway your mind
Adversary's marked for Gehenna
For more, read John's Apocalypse
'Cause He will burn forever!

(Ah ha ha ha!)
(Laughter and fade)
...........................................