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.

Ever Read Ecclesiastes? (Song)

 Meaningless! Everything is meaningless! Does the world ever feel that way? Do you feel driven to despair? Many have felt that way for a long time since things on Earth first fell apart so long ago back in Genesis 3, when sin made everything get hairy. When you get down with these blues and get down to kneel, son- remember to look up to God alone who brings order out of the chaos, adds Life to our days and makes meaning in the midst of mediocrity. Everybody's talking at you saying all kinds of things about how to make your life meaningful. In the middle of all your searching for significance, ever read Ecclesiastes? Listen to what The Lord has to say about life and follow Him and let Him give you eternal meaning and Hope.

"Ever Read Ecclesiastes?" (parody of "Everybody's Talking" by Harry Nilsson; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 10/17/2020)    (book of Ecclesiastes; particularly 1:1-2, 1:9, 1:14, 2:9-11, 2:24-26, 3:1-11, 3:16-22, 4:9-12, 5:1-7, 5:18-20, 6:7-12, 7:1-4, 7:10-13, 8:10-13, 9:7-12, 10:1-4, 10:10-15, 11:1-7, 12:1-8, 12:11-14)

Everything's all vanity

Under sun there's no innovations

Go read Ecclesiastes 1:9

People shopping, striving

I can see they're chasing

Only the wind blows- passes them by

Ongoings have seasons and timing

That The Lord ordains

(We're) going to forever recompose

Breaking's hard for the cord of three strands

So fear God in utter awe please

When living's over we're going by His throne

(Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!)

All toiling under sun- keep smiling

Due to 5:18

Don't call old days better- dude, sin's old!

Banking all on The Lord brings wins

Assails us all- time, whimsy 

Foolishness pours forth but wisdom's a stepping stone 

Ecclesiastes 11:6 reads

Can't know what works- keep sowing 

Only The Lord knows- (so) enjoy Life 

Guys, don't let age leave Lord God behind

'Cause God will judge all deeds

(Whoa!)

Life's found in man's duty- keep God's commands! 

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. :-)

   

  

  

   

   

Pride's Deceit- Downward Leads (Song)

 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth- and things were good. Everything went downward quickly when humans chose to rebel against God. And though we bear our own blame for sin, there's one individual in particular responsible for putting all evil things in motion. He slinks around, prowling for prey like a lion. His pride drove him out from God's presence and he's been on the outs ever since, battling back in a war he'll never win all through the timeline from B.C. to A.D. and to eternity. Lo, his doom is sure- one little word shall fell him. The Lord will ultimately have the victory.

"Pride's Deceit- Downward Leads"

(Parody of "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" by AC/DC; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 8/21/2020)

(Proverbs 16:18, Romans 16:20, Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, Genesis 3, Revelation 12, Job 1-2, Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13, John 10:10, John 8:42-47, Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 18-21, 1 Peter 5:8-9, James 4:7, Revelation 20)

Is. 14- read; Trouble (in) Paradise began

He's given you all jewels

You want to escalate past God and ascend

How cut to ground are you!

Kicked out by God

Pride falls Day Star

Ezekiel line

Just read

Verse 12 in 28 (two eight) (to) finish- Hey!

Defeated by your pride

There in E-den - how sweet!

Holy scene- mountain peak!

Eternal peace- undone so cheap!

Dirty deeds- well, they're now your thing

Luke 10:18- you fell down (like) lightning

You came trawling- Genesis 3:1

New gods age garden plot

The devil's dealing lies as serpent

We sin; the teardrop start from that

Pick up in Job

O'er sphere, you roam

You make a social call

"Don't fence him in!"

Permits it- God's in

We'll have a test here, y'all 

Tragedies come bring grief

Devil thinks Job will speak

Curse but he won't - just read

Verse 2:10, 1:21 - shift scene

Turn to Rev-elation 12- read

The dragon and lady that he wanted gone 

'Cause her Babe's God Jesus!

Mike beat dragon and crew- Fight's end kicks

Demon crew out on butts 

Picked up chase- Won't

Leave her alone 

With Christ you faced off and

Your temptings

He slapped down- just read

In Matt. 4, man

Dirty deeds- God's Word beats

Verses repeat- Sword swings deep

Devil schemes- Son's defeat

Strike the heel- Enters Judas- sees priests, yeah

Thirty pieces (of) silver- one lost sheep!

King of Jews crucified on the tree

Come Day Three

Son's rise- come back- crush snake's head

Sinners redeemed!

Roaring beast

Who's a lying thief who wants our doom

John 10:10- read

Rev. 20

Your defeat 

Burn eternally

Done- you're beat!

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

Sharing Lord Christ 'Til Heaven (song)

 It's been said that everyone wants to go to Heaven but no one wants to die. Of course, death is the door to eternity. Sadly though, many will enter that door to eternal condemnation and suffering separated from God in Hell. Sadder still, there are many who think they will enter into eternal peace and rest in Heaven but they will find they are mistaken and are still on the hook because they put faith in someone other than Jesus. It is only through faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection that pays for all sins that we can escape the Hell we deserve and instead enter the Heaven we don't deserve. 

     The only Doctor who can give us the right medicine for salvation is Jesus Christ. There is no other way. We need to share this Healing Balm with everyone we can. One thing we can't do in eternity is share The Gospel with lost people. We must witness and share The Gospel with all people- that's our Great Commission from The Lord Jesus. So let's make the most of every moment because the days are evil and start sharing Lord Christ 'til Heaven.

"Sharing Lord Christ 'Til Heaven" 

(parody of "Sharing The Night Together" by Ava Aldridge and Eddie Struzick as recorded by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/25/2020)

(Romans 10:9-13, Revelation 20:15, 2 Kings 7:9, Acts 1:6-8, Matthew 7:12-23, Matthew 10:26-33, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 9:42-50, Luke 16, John 15:8)

You're looking at an unholy world

With your Bible unused as you walk through (Yet you claim Christ)

2 Kings 7:9- those dudes

Get a gold mine! Cannot sit on it- they've found food (Must share- Mark 9)

If Christ seems to come on too strong

Christ spoke The Truth- please understand

The lake burning- folks are dying and going

'Cause they don't know Jesus- but they can

That's if we try

Sharing The Light together- Oh yeah!

Sharing The Way to Heaven- Oh yeah!

Sharing Lord Christ

You should read all Christ's warnings, girl

In Luke 16- go Matt. 10

And on the broad road find many hell-bound

That there should change our bent

Matthew line

7:13- destruction! Oh yeah (Background vocals: Share about Christ)

7:14- To Heaven! Oh yeah (BGV: Share about Christ)

Heaven's through Christ

Well, Lord Christ commanded us, see, to go please

All nations- That's The Great Commission, dude

Matthew's last lines- 28:18-20, dude

Disciple and baptize

(In) Father, Son, Spirit Who are Three in One

Teaching them to obey Saviour

He's there with us always- behold!

So we won't be alone- no, never!

Eternal life's at stake so start sharing Lord Christ- (BGV: Share about Christ)(Repeat until end)- for Heaven's sake, yeah

Share that He died for sinners- Rose again

Trust in Lord Christ for Heaven

Romans 10:9 to get there

Sharing's too late in Heaven

(Keep) Sharing about Christ 'til Heaven 

The Simple Gospel

 Every human being has this fact in common- we will all die one day. And when that happens, we will all stand before God and be judged by Him. And we will then spend eternity either in Heaven or Hell. God has a standard for entry into Heaven- absolute perfection. (Leviticus 11:45, Matthew 5:48) None of us meet that standard. We have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory. (Romans 3:23, Psalms 14:3, Psalms 53:3)

    That's why God met the standard for us by sending His Son Jesus to live the perfect life we could never live and die the death we should have died for our sins. And then He rose again to prove He's God and give us a living Hope. We can all avoid the Hell we are bound to by default because of our sins against God and instead be welcomed into Heaven through putting our faith in Jesus to forgive us of our sins and following Him. He offers that for free to whosoever will call upon His Name! (Romans 10:9-13)

    With the eternal weight of the choice given to all humans about what to do with the salvation Christ offers, it is imperative that the Good News of Jesus is shared with everyone! I mean- if you had the cure for Covid-19 or AIDS or cancer, would you keep it to yourself? Those diseases can only kill the body, but the soul lives on for eternity. Jesus is the cure for the disease of sin and He saves our souls for eternity- if we'll let Him.

    And that's what it comes down to- if we're willing to listen to The Father drawing and The Spirit convicting and trust Him. 

   Sadly, too many will let pride and a love for self and evil keep them from coming to God. And God won't force anyone to come to Him. In the end, we either say "Thy will be done" to God and choose to follow Him or He says "thy will be done" to us and lets us choose to reject Him and go our own way instead. There is indeed a way that seems right to a man, but its end is destruction. 

   Logically, we can either be with God or away from God in eternity. To be with Him is Heaven and to be away from Him is Hell. 

    It's appointed unto man once to die- and then comes the judgment.

    We will all die one day. And it won't really matter then what objections people make now or what ridicule is raised in regards to God and The Bible. None of it changes God or the facts about eternity.

    Of course, people will scoff and laugh regardless and raise any number of objections but even so- the facts remain. And the eternal state of every human soul is worth telling everyone about Jesus. Everyone is free to do what they want with this and with Him. That is the choice given to everyone. But everyone will die one day and everyone needs to consider what will happen then and decide what they will do with Jesus and His free offer of grace and love. Jesus loves you- no matter what you've done and no matter what you do in reaction to this information- He loves you more than anything. And I love you through Him because He loved me first. 

  Everyone has to make their own choice on eternity and I respect their right to do so but everyone needs to remember that every choice has consequences. This one has eternal consequences. May God bless and guide you as you make your decision.

Nahum's Woe (song)

      Thirty-three years ago, on May 2, 1987, Larry Bird made one of the greatest, if not the greatest, plays of his basketball career. In game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics were down by one point to the Detroit Pistons. With five seconds to go, the Pistons had the ball at their end of the court and it looked like things were all over for the Celtics. Yet if Pistons fans had started cheering then, they would have been extremely premature, as Larry Bird then made an outstanding play by stealing the inbounding pass from Isiah Thomas and got the ball to Dennis Johnson, who made the game-winning layup!
        Just as it is dangerous to be full of yourself and be calling the game too early in sports, it is infinitely more dangerous to do so in the spiritual realm. Nineveh is a city that had been very wicked, but God had pity on them and sent Jonah to warn them. Half-hearted though it was, Jonah's message of warning got through (eventually- after a stay in an underwater motel inside a big fish) and the people repented and God stayed His hand. Unfortunately, the people of Nineveh in later years reverted to their former wicked ways and then God sent Nahum to let them know that His judgment was coming- and it wasn't going to be stopped this time. God always carries out justice. He is certainly long-suffering and wanting to extend grace, but when people reject His kind offer, there is no recourse left. Only those who take refuge in Him are safe. Learn from Nineveh's example and repent now while there is time. (2 Corinthians 6:2)


"Nahum's Woe"
(parody of "Sussudio" by Phil Collins; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/7/2019)
(book of Nahum [particularly Nahum 1:7], also see book of Jonah, 2 Corinthians 6:2)

There's this book that's been on my mind
Read its lines- Na- Na- Nahum, oh! oh! oh!
Now you know me from Jonah's fame
(It's) No Disney sequel- read just the same
Na- Na- Nahum, yo! oh! oh!
Well, God- He called me to go share
Destruction's coming- Nineveh, beware!
Last century- all was right
Appealed to God- now Nineveh reverts!
Na- Na- Nahum's woes! Just read The Word!
They're do- do- doomed, you know!
God knows those (who) take refuge in Him
With (a) flood brings foes to an end
Na- Na- Nahum 1:7
God's given command- 'cause you are vile
No more will Nineveh
Pass through Judah though- oh! oh!
Ah, get dressed- battle's here from scatterer
The chariots close in as they go through town
And race Ben-Hur rush style- faces grow pale
And they'll feel who don't listen- just take The word-
2:2 Nahum- Yo! Thus saith The Lord
No game like on Yu-Gi-Oh! Whoa!
Woe (to) city bloody- all full of lies
The wheels roll on of God's justice (in) The Word!
Read 3 in Nahum- Go!
The just prey unfurls
Oh - 3:1 Nahum - Woe!
They'll just say the words, "Oh, who- who- who will grieve for her?"
All stay away
3:7 Nahum- Woe! Oh, oh, oh!
Nineveh's burned!
God's justice undeterred- uh!
Just what's deserved
For Nin- Nin- Nineveh (oh, oh, oh)
So Na- Na- Nahum- go! (Go, go, go!)
Review with Nineveh (Woe! Woe! Woe!)
Your sins have doomed you all! (Woe! Woe! Woe!)
No soothing woes! (Oh, oh, oh)
All who hear news- woe! (Woe! Woe! Woe!)
Can't ease your hurt
Wish you had boohooed and turned! (Oh, oh, oh)
Prayed to The Lord, oh
"Please save us, Lord"
But must just say the word!

Setting the Record Straight

            I’m like one of those people with initials in their names.  Not “M.E.” like Quincy or “M.D.” like Doogie Howser, but PK and MK.  And I don’t know what you’ve heard about us, but pastor’s kids and missionary’s kids are not always the miscreants they’re made out to be.  But hey, I’m certainly not perfect because I’ve done and do plenty of stupid things in my life.  And having your dad as your pastor out on the mission field gives you plenty of stories to tell.

            I suppose at this point I should give you a little bit of background so you know where I’m coming from because after all, knowing is half the battle.  (I suppose actually fighting with all those fancy blue lasers and machine guns would be the other half.)  But I really hate doing this part.  Whenever people ask me that usually-simple-to-answer question for most people, I have no easy answer.  “Where are you from?”  Aaargh! There it is!  I don’t know.  I was born in Spain, grew up in Trinidad and now live in the United States. Take your pick.  This is both the frustration and joy that comes with being a global nomad of sorts. 

            I only spent about a year in Spain so I don’t remember anything of that.  I do remember growing up in the 1980s in the Caribbean twin island nation of Trinidad & Tobago.  (I was on the larger island, Trinidad.)  My parents were Christian missionaries and my father worked as the pastor of the church we were serving with in Trinidad.  I remember hearing about Jesus most all of my life!  I first came to know Him as Lord and Savior when I invited Him to live in my heart and take me as His own as a young child.  I had this great book that taught you the alphabet by giving you a verse for each letter.  I remember the first one was Isaiah 53:6.  “All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”  The text of that great hymn, “At the Cross”, was printed next to the verse with a picture of a little boy laying down this big burden from his back next to the cross at Calvary.  And one night during our family devotions I heard a story about a guy who took his pet pig with him on a cruise.  Apparently the pig fell overboard and the man dived into the ocean to rescue his pig from drowning.  This wasn’t a perfect picture by any means, but it drove home to me as a child just how much God loves us so much more than pigs because He sent Jesus to die for all the wrong and stupid things we’ve done and by rising again from the dead, He proved that He is God.  After seeing the good example of my older siblings, I made the decision myself to follow Jesus at the ripe age of about seven.  And that’s something I’ve been more and more thankful for every day since!

            There’re a couple of funny stories I remember from growing up in Trinidad.  There were all the different slang words that I had to get used to hearing.  When someone asks how you’re going, they just mean to see how you’re doing.  My parents, upon first hearing that phrase, once told a bank clerk that they had come by car and were going by car!  And then there’re those trips you take when you’re “going down the road to come back.”  Sounds like a likely plan.  It just means you’re taking a quick trip somewhere. 

And I sure remember some of the sermons.  As pastor’s kids, my siblings and I got to hear some of the messages over again and when we started hearing Dad preach from John 15 about staying in the Vine again, I remember leaning over to my brother and whispering, “Rerun!”  Or there was the oft-lampooned by our family infamous “hermeneutics” sermon series.  It was also known as “How to drive your church down to nothing” series by my family.  My father preached on Sunday nights about how to read and understand your Bible, which is definitely a good thing to learn.  Unfortunately, my father had a tendency to do a “quick review” of last week’s sermon throughout this series.  By the time the review was over and we had actually gotten into the current message, the service was definitely dragging on.  Sunday nights never tend to be a big attendance for many churches, but this series really drove away people.  What got me was when even one of our deacons, who had been coming each night and taking notes, stopped coming- then we knew we had hit the last straw.  There were some services where my whole family was the service!  My dad did the preaching, my mom played the piano, my sister led the worship songs, and my brothers and I prayed and took up the offering!  At the end of each of these messages, my dad would ask if anyone had questions.  My little brother would always crack us up by raising his hand to ask, “Are we finished yet?”  Though much as we joke about it now, I can still tell you to pray and ask God to give you understanding, keep the passage in context by reading what’s before and after it, and analyze the passage by finding the “Who”, “What”, “Where”, “When”, “Why” and “How” of it, when studying the Bible.  But I have to tell you the joke my father would always use.  Here’s how to make a case for suicide in The Bible. The Bible tells us, “Judas went out and hung himself.  Go and do likewise.  What you do, do quickly.”  The message here is to not take verses out of context!  (And I laughed every time at the absurdity of those verses out of context when he would tell this!)

            And let me just clear up this misconception that seems to float around about us PKs and MKs.  We’re not the finest Christians around, and we’re not necessarily the worst of the bunch either.  I am not perfect nor am I even good.  I do stupid and bad stuff all the time and there’s more instances than I care to recall.  The times I’ve lied, cheated, stolen, entertained sinful thoughts, lashed out in anger, fallen flat on my face in pride or said something really, really dumb all slip back into my consciousness from time to time.  And there’s still junk I did as a kid that I can remember that I’m still ashamed of.  On the other hand, I’ve never shoplifted, vandalized, done drugs, drunken alcohol, smoked a cigarette or cigar, and I’ve rarely used foul language.  (There was this one time as a young kid when I repeated a word I heard on television that I quickly found out was not cool like I thought it was!  I don’t believe I’ve ever said it or most any other swear word since.)  Oh yeah, and I’m proud to say that unlike Madonna’s song, I’m not like a virgin, but I am in fact a virgin and will remain so until I marry a Christian woman.  And I will be faithful to her and God alone.  All this I can do through Christ alone who strengthens me because apart from Him I’m nothing.

            So I guess you can say that life has been a bit different for me than many Americans.  I am an official American, but I’ll always be a Trinidadian in my heart.  I have fond memories of that country.  Growing up in a British school system with uniforms and playing cricket and football (soccer) during recess and lunch was great.  It’s also cool to be able to say I went swimming on Christmas Day!  I enjoyed weather from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (or more) most every day!  I could go on about the many cultural differences from America, but I think one key thing I learned from living there is to respect and love everyone.  Everyone has an intrinsic value because “God don’t make no junk”, as the saying goes.  It makes no difference what color or gender you are because everyone is really the same.  And The Bible says that once you’ve committed one sin, it’s the same as doing all of them.  So I’m just as guilty as anyone else and can’t stand in judgment of them.  But Jesus calls us to love one another and be His witnesses and I try to do that as much as possible.  I think these are things I learned from The Bible that living in another country helped reinforce at an early age.  If only we could all learn to forget ourselves and think of others as better than ourselves, we would see that we’re all the same on the inside and God loves us all.  It hasn’t always been a normal and peaceful life, but I can’t think of a better one to have. Wherever He leads, I’ll go.

             

Copyright by Nathan Ludwick March 6, 2007

Missed Moments (poem)

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


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

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

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) 
 

 

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.

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

LifeBlood (story)

Note: This is a piece I have pulled out of the archives. 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 will plan to do poetry readings videos for the rest of week, if anyone's interested (These are specifically available for my family and friends on Facebook.) (I'll still do them to amuse myself even if no one's interested- lol. :-)) The text of this entry and a little introduction is below. (Today's entry is not really exactly a poem but I thought it was fitting anyway!) 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) ................................................................................


This is a story I wrote a few years ago for a flash fiction contest where I had to use no more than 100 words. This is sort of a sci-fi dystopian kind of story with a spiritual message that I hope will be evident enough, particularly on Holy Saturday. We know that blood leaving the body often is a precursor to the end of life, as in hemorrhaging; however, blood leaving the body can also be a precursor to the beginning of new life, as in a transfusion.
The Life is in The Blood.



"LifeBlood" 
(copyright Nathan Ludwick 11/10/2017)
(Leviticus 17:11)

Blood. It oozes and swirls as bodies descend. Every language utters its last gasp. Throats tighten and pulses stop. Consciousness ebbs.  Death reigns everywhere. The stench overwhelms. Awash in red, flesh melts. Bones bathe beneath. Everywhere it seeps. The surge never stops. Veins' vessels vanquish vitality. Streams rush down in an inexorable pull. A planet bleeds from the inside. Darkness envelopes and consumes. Everything reaches a full stop.  Luminosity looms large. The edge of beyond beckons. Infinity and mortality implode. Paradox proffers paragon. Mysteries combine and confound. The bleeding begins anew. A planet bleeds on the outside. Life flows. Blood.

What meaning is meaning what? (poem)

Note: This is a piece I have pulled out of the archives. 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 will plan to do poetry readings videos for the rest of week, if anyone's interested (These are specifically available for my family and friends on Facebook.) (I'll still do them to amuse myself even if no one's interested- lol. :-)) 
The text of the 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)
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This poem employs the language of language itself to make a spiritual point. English major nerds should appreciate this. ;-) (Of which I would totally consider myself part of that number. I minored in English myself.) It's largely inspired by one of my favourite Bible books- Ecclesiastes- and the wisdom found there about The Lord Jesus who truly brings meaning to our life, both here and eternally.


What meaning is meaning what?

(original poem copyright Nathan Ludwick 2/27/2010) 

(Proverbs 25:11, John 10:10, Ecclesiastes 1:1, Ecclesiastes 2:10-11)

Every sentence has a verb for proper meaning.
It seems every sentience has a verb in the meaning of meaning.
Are the well to do the ones who have done well?
Well, to do is what we all seem to strive for.
We're not content to simply just be because
It's not enough of an action word.
The amazing paradox of the vernal equinox
Is having all the time in the world yet nothing to do.
We can mask the panic in our eyes with layers
Of activities and tasks for responsible adult lives.
But when we give ourselves a moment to breathe and not think
We realize we don't know how to do nothing and not sleep.
Boredom and laziness may be bosom buddies
But the problem Is in our bosom beneath that cushion.
We have plans, goals and dreams mapped out for life
But the list of things to do before kicking the bucket
When all accomplished is still just a drop in the bucket
And it's never enough to wash our car, much less our heart.
Love of self is the bacteria that lines the inside
And man's search for meaning makes but a poor bandage
Our verbs still serve only to propel our own renown
We need a modifier to change our life sentence
And the aptly spoken Word sets us back on the street
With a joyous adverb as we narrowly tread from dross to gold.

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Paradise By The Passion Of Christ (song)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God worked there!
He's gotta show right now
The Lord to his little brother
'Cause he loves him
Jesus Loves us forever!
Do you hear me?
He will never leave us!
He will take us to Heaven for the rest of all time!
Will you take Him as Saviour- will you give Him your life?
Dude was sharing!
And then God saved his brother!
Thank You, Jesus!
We both now believe You!
Will You make me the man You formed me to be in my life?
Well, You saved me today and You're always in my life
I had to renew my vows
In order to go any further
I still trust You
And I love You forever!
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But we sleep on it
How He saved me! Let me speak on it!
Oh, how sweet it is!
Need to give all The Answer who are hurting
But we sleep in Light
(Ask Keith Green, yeah) We won't speak of it
Let lost drown in sin
And we believe Christ's The Answer but we hoard Him
And we soak in it
Hey, don't you see? When we keep it in
Then we're deep in sin
Let's give world The Answer- they are drowning!

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

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

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

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

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

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Judgment Day and Justified by Faith

    It's said that when people are in a near death situation, they see their lives flash before their eyes. I don't know if that's true but I do think such situations make us consider the brevity of our lives in the light of eternity. I have seen similar scenarios depicted in some Gospel tracts though I am not sure how accurate they are in depiction of the final judgment. Will we really have a screening of our entire lives before us? Some Scriptures might suggest that. In Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 (which some scholars think may be an account of real people in Hell and Heaven, respectively), we do see Abraham reminding the rich man of the good things he had in life and the suffering Lazarus went through. There are a number of Bible verses that inform us that people will be repaid according to their deeds. (Romans 2:6, 10, 11 and Revelation 2:23)
We have a very clear picture in Jesus' parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. The King reviews the deeds of both the sheep and the goats and rewards or punishes each accordingly.
    It is important to note that judgment is not a matter of God sizing up our good and bad deeds to see if we make the nice or naughty list. Jesus says in John 6:28-29 that the work of God is to believe in Him whom He has sent. Salvation from sin and judgment is through faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection alone. It is through God's grace that any of us are saved. (Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:8-10)
   Yet we often get that image of works being weighed on a scale for judgment, which is totally false. Movies and TV shows help enforce that mistaken idea. (See "Heaven Can Wait", "The Good Place", etc.) If it were up to our good works to save us, we'd all be in Hell because there is no one righteous- no, not one! (Psalms 14:1-3, Psalms 53:1-3, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23)  We all need the righteousness of Jesus- the only One who is perfect and met God's standard of perfection- because He is God. And our faith in Him imputed His righteousness to us! (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
  I actually had a dream last night that was much like the judgment scene I was describing at the start, except for some random things, as dreams tend to go. (For instance, I don't think the judgment takes place backstage of a late night talk show with Jimmy Kimmel hosting, but I'm fairly sure that's what I saw.) And I was apparently there for emotional support because in the dream I was with a woman in a screening room watching key events in her life like a movie, which ended with a review of the pros and cons in her life. And evidently she didn't make the grade. I was able to leave at that point as it wasn't my time or judgment.
As a disclaimer, let me say that dreams are often hazy images culled together from different things in our lives and I don't generally put much stock in them for meaning, etc. And maybe I had such a dream because I was recently reading through "Erasing Hell" by Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle.
   Of course, there were grave theological issues with that presentation, which is all the more reason not to try to make too much of dreams. (Which is not to say God can't use them, as He obviously has throughout The Bible. Just be cautious and ask The Holy Spirit to show you anything you need to see.) To quickly summarize, I believe we will stand alone before God, for one thing. And we will be judged based on what we did with Jesus. For a Biblical picture of Judgment Day, check Revelation 20:11-15 for the Great White Throne Judgment unbelievers will face and 1 Corinthians 3 for the Bema Seat judgment that believers will face. (Note: Believers in Christ's deeds while in Christ are judged in order to determine spiritual rewards from The Lord- NOT to judge about salvation. That is already secure with Christ.)
    Again- it cannot be emphasized enough that good works DO NOT save us! In fact, as Jesus makes clear in Matthew 7, good works can damn us instead! He says many will come to Him on the last day calling Him, "Lord, Lord" and present their resumes of good works that they were pridefully relying on and He will tell them- "Depart! I never knew you." That's a scary and sobering scene! Yet in Matthew 7:21, Jesus tells us who WILL enter the kingdom of Heaven- only those who do the will of His Father in Heaven. Okay- so what's the will of The Father? Jesus tells us in John 6:40. "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." Jesus further clarifies in John 6:63 that the flesh is NO help at all; it is The Spirit who gives life.
        All that said, as James 2 reminds us, faith without works is dead. The good works DO NOT save- only faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection that pays for one time for ALL our sins (Hebrews 10:12) does that- BUT good works naturally follow salvation as an outpouring of God's work in our lives to be more like Him and as a natural response of gratitude to Christ for His saving work. (Ephesians 2:8-10, Philippians 2:12-13) As 2 Corinthians 13:5-8 says though, it's good to do a pulse check every so often and make sure we are in the faith.
      As one who often identifies with Mr. Fearing (John Bunyan's timid pilgrim who struggles with doubts and fears but does make it to the Celestial City in the end because of his faith in Christ), I find myself often going back to John 6:68-69 to say with Peter- "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that You are the Holy One of God." This is one of my favourite expressions of faith in The Bible because it echoes my heart's cry.
       "Lord Jesus- I believe You are real and You are God just as The Bible says and You are the only Way, Truth and Life. I know I've done plenty of wrong in my life and I still fall into sin that I don't want to keep doing but You know sometimes I revel in the illicit pleasure some sins elicit.  Help me in that struggle to hold to You because I know You're infinitely better than sin. Forgive me for my many failings. Thank You for Your death and Resurrection that pays for all sins for all time. Even the good I think I've done is not really good if it's not from You and with Godly motives. I don't have any good deeds to rely on; I simply and wholly trust Your righteousness. Help me to remember that my salvation is based on Your grace in which I put all my faith. Cleanse me with the hyssop branch and I shall be clean. Use Me for Your glory as You see fit. Help me to not be scared or worried but rather to trust You with all my heart and feel assured in Your love and salvation. Thank You for always loving this knucklehead through all my goofiness and open defiance and sinfulness. You are Lord and You are my Saviour and Lord; I love you for loving me first- and for all the Awesome Goodness You embody that our world so desperately needs. I need You and trust You no matter what. Use Me to tell folks about You all the more. Thank You. In Your Holy Name, Amen."
      As one of my favourite quotes from C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" says, “I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia." Puddleglum has this bold statement of faith in "The Silver Chair". Likewise, I'm on Jesus' side no matter what and I'm going to seek to live for Him as His Spirit enables me no matter what. No matter what my fickle fink-le funky feelings tell me, my faith is firm in Father God and I'll trust the facts of His Word.
     "My faith has found a resting place not in device nor creed. I need no other argument; I need no other plea.  It is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me." (Shout out to Lidie H. Edmunds, a pilgrim who went before me in that great cloud of witnesses. :-)) Or as Edward Mote said, "On Christ the Solid Rock I stand- all other ground is sinking sand." Where do you stand? There is a Judgment Day coming we will all face one day. There are two dates that we have no idea when they will come but we know one or the other will happen in our lifetime. Either we will see The Lord Jesus return in our lifetime or we will die one day. Why do we work so hard to avoid our funeral instead of prepare for it? It's easier to forget these truths and the eternity of both Hell and Heaven but it doesn't change anything when we do. As Flannery O'Connor observed, "A Good Man is Hard to Find". That's quite true- only God is good. And sometimes we need a guy with a gun at our heads to keep us honest. What do we say when we really think about these realities if we're honest? Those who worship God must do so in spirit and truth. So be truthful and pray and consider what you need to do as the Holy Spirit leads. "Now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2) While you're gathering ye rosebuds while ye may, grab onto the Rose of Sharon while ye may. Today is the day of The Lord's favour- but the Door will not be open forever.