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!

Kind to the Ungrateful and Wicked

 Here's a poem for National Poetry Month! It is largely inspired by the account of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount that is given in Luke 6. I am particularly moved by The Lord's radical command to not only love those who love us but to go beyond that and love our enemies and pray for them! Just as God our Father is kind and merciful to the ungrateful and wicked, so we must be too. And it's even easier to do that when we realize that so often we ourselves are the ungrateful and wicked. Yet God's rich mercy and grace still reaches to us despite this and brings us back to restoration when we return to Him in repentance. We who are forgiven so much must be willing to forgive others as well. Let us follow our Lord's example and command to show love to all, especially those we think deserve it least.


Kind To The Ungrateful and Wicked
(poem copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/12/2022)
(Genesis 1:14-19, Genesis 1:26-31, Psalms 8, Psalms 139, Psalms 118:24, Matthew 5:38-48, Luke 6:27-38, James 1:17, Colossians 1:13-17, Job 38-42, Psalms 90, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Romans 5:8, John 15:12-17, John 13:1-20, Matthew 5:13-16, James 1:19-20, Romans 2:1-4, Ephesians 4:29-32, Ephesians 5:1-2, Revelation 19:11-16, Luke 7:40-50, Psalms 103, Psalms 150, Matthew 7:12, Romans 13:8-14, Romans 12, 1 Peter 2:9-12, Malachi 4:2, Galatians 6:2, 1 Peter 4:8, 1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 3:16-22, 2 Thessalonians 3:13, Jeremiah 31:3)

Welcome to My morning- welcome to My day
The blue sky and sunshine a backdrop to birds' refrain
The morning dew on each petal like a mint on your hotel pillow
Everything about today's been prepared for you in advance
Blink your eyes open in bed, roll down the window and stick out your head
Take in a big breath of fresh air- the same breathed since ages past
Go forth to face the day made for you and written before time
Filled with its share of toil mingling with peace and rest
Carefully arranged by The One Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
How many walk oblivious to the obvious blessings that surround them
Every breath that fills their lungs a fresh gesture of grace
Every heartbeat is one more that they weren't obligated to receive
And people go on their merry ways with nary an upward gaze
Choices are made in twenty four hour spans with after effects that still send shock waves for days or maybe years
Some even echo in eternity, bathed in blackness or light
The Eternal Time Keeper watches it all play out on Earth
As He holds everything together and intervenes with Divine authority and supreme knowledge both here and across the universe
The Giver of all good gifts makes every day like Christmas
The Gift given that day can still be unwrapped afresh each new day
Though sadly some stubbornly refuse but this never sways His mood
His eyes still look eternally with love on them through tears
He sends the sun each dawn to shine on the wicked and righteous alike
He sends the rain in its season on both the good and bad
Yet the ugly is in all of humanity and only The Beautiful One can transform it
The Beauty became the beast after Snow White bit the poison apple
The silver bullet crisscrossed His heart to render Him dead to pay for all misdeeds
Grace personified walked out of the grave with a real life fairy tale ending
All those who give themselves over to endless Love's entreaty
Can live each day with joy looking forward to living happily ever after in Love's kingdom
And in each staggering step of this race that inches ever closer to eternity's edge
Mercy's transformed miscreants must administer mercy to all just like The Father of Mercy
For even though the ungrateful and wicked spurn His open arms with sneers
He exudes kindness on them relentlessly throughout life and beyond
Even in eternity, His kindness won't force folks to be with Him who reject Him
And in the time allotted before the final breaths are lent to frames of dust and rib
Every moment is the time for lovingkindness to lavishly wash each other's feet
No matter the response, the seeds must still get water and sunshine that they might yet grow
Only God decides on the growth in accordance with the willingness of human beans
And as His kindness brought us to repentance who grow in His vine
May we continually extend olive branches of love that overwhelm all like a flood
Those who are forgiven much also love both God and man much
Man's anger accomplisheth not God's righteousness- and man can't control outcomes
Faithful obedience calls for trust in The Faithful and True one who is always good
Let Mercy lead us to never respond to hostility in kind- but in tireless kindness
That the world might know and give thanks to the embodiment of Good
Who still welcomes us each morning to the new day He has made that we 
Should rejoice and be glad in it and shine like the Sun of righteousness
That the world might see our good deeds, love and kindness and glorify the
Author of all Good and Love and Joy Whose heart is wonderfully kind.

Civil War (of Words) and Peace Speech

I had a few thoughts percolating through my brain today somewhat related to freedom and Independence Day and all like that but also relating to other important issues. I really hate that it seems like it's almost impossible to have a civil discussion anymore- at least online, where you have people that don't all believe the exact same things as you. I saw a post online on a page I follow and its message seemed to be a bit ambiguous so I did what I often do on such posts- I asked a question for clarification. (I learned on Sesame Street that that's the best way to find out stuff.) Unfortunately, because social media seems to bring out the absolute worst in us people- and perhaps the feeling of relative safety of exchanges that are not in person adds to this- everyone tends to naturally assume that a sincere question is really just someone looking to upset others and pick a fight, hence earning them the title of "troll". And then it is assumed that the post in question should and must be blindingly obvious to everyone. Thus, if you must ask such questions, you are deemed to evidently be "part of the problem". (Never mind that "the problem" can never seem to be pinpointed or explained.) And such responses shut down conversation and thus disallow further understanding to occur. The nicer shutdown of conversation is the explanation that social media is generally not the best place for delicate conversations. This is essentially a reiteration of the old adage about not talking about religion or politics in mixed company. The problem with this notion is that this means serious conversations that need to happen can never happen because we can't seem to lovingly and respectfully talk about potentially controversial topics without attacking each other for daring to think differently than we do on something. That is very sad when meaningful discussion and debate can't be conducted. In contrast, I had a nice conversation with a gentleman today who was exercising his First Amendment free speech rights by holding up a sign on the sidewalk where passing motorists and pedestrians could see his campaign to boycott some companies with whom he had grievances. (I don't want to get into specifics because that is besides the point of this post much like the ending parantheses bracket is to this point.) I am not sure if I totally agreed with his cause but I could agree that he had a valid point. I wished him well in his cause and rejoiced that he was a fellow believer in Christ, even if we hold to some different denominational views. This is not to say that I am the best at having civil discussions, particularly those with whom I disagree. This is to say that it is possible and it's what the right to free speech should entail. We don't have to hold all the same views in order for me to respect and love you and respect your right to your views. I have a number of friends who hold very different views from me. Some are on different ends of political views and religious stances. Some claim no faith and some claim a different one. It is okay for them to have their views and I respect their right to hold them. And I try to be respectful to listen to them. It is a great exercise to try at times. Read something from a totally opposite point of view. See what you can learn from it. Even if you wind up discarding all of it wholesale, at least you are now better informed so as to understand the way others view things. As Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers." Let's make peace instead of grief when we disagree. My personal guide is of course The Bible, which is God's Word. And He commands us to make a righteous judgment in John 7:24. In 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, we find my guiding verses for discerning truth as I assess various sources of information. "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid all appearances of evil." In doing this, I also make a point to point out to the person I'm speaking with the points I can heartily agree with them on first. I try to compliment them on the good things I see in their speech. And then I gently but firmly point out where I differ and that is where we have to agree to disagree agreeably, as my dad would say. Another wise thing he often said when we were overseas on the mission field often comes to mind for me too. "Different is not necessarily wrong- it's just different." To bring this back to the theme of Independence Day, I will say this specifically about the United States of America. As one who was not "Born in the U.S.A." (which is why my mom says I can't sing the Bruce Springsteen song of the same name ;-)), I have a bit of a different view of America as a foreign country that I also regard as home to some degree. To some degree, I will always regard Trinidad & Tobago as home as well since I still am at least partly a Trini at heart. (Trini 2 De Bone! :-)) To a smaller degree, I feel some loyalty to Spain as the land of my birth. (This is why it's really hard for me to say where I'm from. ;-)) And having lived in different cultures, I can see things that these countries do and believe that I can hold to and agree with, while there are other things I would have to discard. (Just like 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 ;-)) And I'm glad for and proud of my Spanish, Trini and American heritage. I praise God for the Blessings of Liberty in all three homes. God shed His grace on all three- just as He did on the whole world when He sent Christ to die and rise to pay for our sins. (Titus 3:4-7) May God mend thine every flaw for the whole world. That's the process He is doing as His Spirit moves in us who are Christ followers to share The Gospel around the world and live out the kingdom of God so that His will is done here as it is in Heaven. We are God's agents of change spreading the sweet aroma of Christ that overpowers people like bees overcome with the allure of nectar or cats with catnip. We do that best when we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength- giving Him all the glory rightfully due His Name alone- and when we love our neighbour as ourselves. That is what I want to be about as I seek to speak The Truth in Love. (Matthew 22:34-40 and Ephesians 4:15) And as Ephesians 4:29-32 talks about, I want to be kind to others, tenderhearted, forgiving as Christ forgave me- giving grace to all who hear me so that others are built up with my words and never torn down. Every single human being is made in God's image and is worthy of love and respect. They are infinitely important and valuable and eternally loved! Please forgive me for any time I have ever said or done anything to make anyone feel any less. I dare not say anything to besmirch or belittle His creation! The grace and love of Jesus compels me to show His love to others in extravagance, as He has done for me and all of us. (John 3:16 and Romans 5:8) Thank You, Father God, for freedom of speech, assembly, peacefully petitioning of the government for a redress of grievances, the press and religion. I am glad to live in a country that recognizes those rights and acknowledges that all men and women are created equal and endowed by You with these rights- along with the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I am also thankful to You eternally that I have found my happiness in You because You are the source of all joy! Your love pardons and forgives all sin for all who come in faith and repentance to You. And I thank and praise You that my ultimate Home is with You in Heaven because You have saved me from the Hell I deserve for my sins and instead given me the Heaven I don't deserve. Your grace and mercy are amazing and overwhelming! May Your graciousness overflow in me to all I meet in pointing them to You. I thank You for making me a citizen of Heaven. (Philippians 3:20) Whatever gain I had, I count it all as loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and Saviour. (Philippians 3:7-14) Help me to keep pressing on beyond the past to what You have lying in wait for me in the future, doing all You have called me to do in the present. And may all I do be done in Love. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

Confessions of a Forgiven Hypocrite

 Do you ever feel like such a huge hypocrite? You get hit with something out of nowhere- you know exactly where that road goes- and you get on it anyway and make it even worse- and before you know it, you're sinning up a storm over the weekend. And you know it's wrong because you blow off Bible reading and prayer for the day because you're definitely not in the right frame of mind for that. You're having way too much fun with sin right now- you can't face God right now. And it gets to the point where you feel like such a failure and jerk heading off to church.

   (Confession: This was a good portion of my weekend, except that this portion was anything but good. For a single guy striving to follow Christ but failing a number of times, while seeing victories at others, the battlefield of the mind and maintaining sexual purity there is such a struggle oftentimes. Even if it's not straight up pornography, there are a plethora of images readily available online that help satisfy curiosity for a time. The problem is the eyes never get their fill of seeing. - Ecclesiastes 1:8 

As James 1:12-18 tells us, sin always grows exponentially into more and more with a neverending appetite for destruction, even if it seems like Paradise City at the time.)

     When you feel like that, don't run away; run to God. Go to church anyway. You're not a hypocrite- you're a sinner admitting your need for Jesus The Saviour and Lord. And you'll find that you haven't messed up beyond the measure of grace after all. When you come in faith and repentance, you'll find The Lord is right there waiting for you with open arms, ready to forgive and absolve you of all sins once more. The Father is always watching for us. 1 John 1:9 is still true for Christ followers who have run off that narrow trail over to the hollow pursuits of the broad way and gotten sick on its short-lived pleasures. He puts us back on the path, clears the guilt from our consciences and restores to us the joy of our salvation in Christ once more and reminds us how much infinitely better Jesus is than sin!

      It's crazy how the worship music and the sermon was targeted right at me today at church and spoke to just what I needed. (Not so crazy- hat tip to The Holy Spirit for His work. :-)) The pastor quoted from "Love Lifted Me" and we sang "How Great Thou Art" at the end, both of which I could happily sing after confessing my sins to God, asking His forgiveness and help to not do it again. And we also sang this beautiful, new-to-me worship song I have linked below. The lyrics are amazingly powerful and just what I needed today, along with the sermon from Ephesians 4:17-24, reminding me to put off my old self that's corrupt through deceitful desires and to instead be renewed in the spirit of my mind and put on my new self, created after God's likeness in true righteousness and holiness. That's what He has called me to do and that's what I want to do all the time.

    I am sorry for the many times I fail God in so many ways. I confess that I am far too often a lazy, undisciplined, gluttonous, lustful, lascivious, prideful, jealous, wrathful, fearful, lying, cheating, thieving, covetous old sinner- and likely much more could be named if everyone saw the depths of my heart and soul like The Lord does. For those of my friends who see the man of God I want to be on here and in my life, please know that I have no place to be on any pedestal or to cast any stones. I struggle with the old man of sin constantly and while I know Jesus has won the war already, it still hurts to lose battles along the way. Yet I continue on in the fight knowing it's not I but Christ through me. There is no good in me of my own. Any good in me is Jesus. Pray that I might continue to fling aside the garments stained by the flesh and instead put on the garment of praise that is the new robe of righteousness God The Father gives His prodigals who repent with an amazing Grace and love that overwhelms me.

     May this encourage you to keep standing with God, even enduring mistreatment over the fleeting pleasures of sin, as Moses did. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. (See Hebrews 11:23-28) Let's also go to Christ outside the camp and gladly bear the reproach He endured as we look for the lasting City to come! (See Hebrews 13:10-16)  And when we fall and start to sink like Peter, let us immediately turn our eyes back unto Jesus and cry out to Him for salvation- He's always there to pull us back up and set us on the narrow path again because He loves us with an everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3) And He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west! Bless The Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- He forgives all our iniquities when we ask! He heals all our diseases and redeems our lives from the pit! Praise God for His love and forgiveness! If you don't know this kind of Love, put faith in His death and Resurrection that pays for all sins for all time and follow Him in faith and repentance to receive His Grace and salvation today! If you do know Him and His love, be encouraged today as we traverse the narrow road together, fellow brother and sister pilgrims. Be blessed, be a blessing and most of all- be God's. (Romans 14:8) :-)

https://youtu.be/zundjUFazfg

("Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me" by City Alight) 

Sin Man (song)

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

"Sin Man"

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

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

(Verse 1)

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

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

(Chorus 1)

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

That He didn't, didn't already have

And 'cause Lord Jesus defeated all our evils

On the cross and returned from the dead

His peace believers receive

(Verse 2)

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

For our sake Christ bore our

Sin and so sinless becomes sin 

so we'd be Christ's righteousness

(Oooh! Oooh!)

(Chorus 2)

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

That He didn't, didn't already have

And John Edwards said the only thing we're bringing 

To salvation's the sin that we have

Which makes it necessary

(Repeat Verse 2)

(Repeat Chorus 1- with last line changed to:

So please believe in Jesus!)

(Oooh! Oooh!)

Jesus Reinstates Me (song)

 It's amazing how we can go from high to low so easily. We make bold declarations of faith and then soon find ourselves quickly abandoning them. Peter had a moment like that when he was lying and all about knowing Jesus, which he so wished he could take back later. And even though he was three times a traitor, he still repented three times and Jesus reinstated him. Peter went on to become one of the main leaders of the early church. Where sin ran deep, God's love ran deeper. Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

"Jesus Reinstates Me"

(Parody of "Three Times A Lady" by Lionel Richie and performed by The Commodores; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 6/22/2020)

(1 John 4:7-21, 1 Peter 5:1-4, Luke 22:31-34, Luke 22:54-62, John 21:15-19)

Crank out the sign that You've given me

The memories are all in The Bible

And now that it's come true

I'm in tears- the cock crowed

He's turning- Jesus saw me now

(Chorus 1)

I'm once, twice, three times a traitor

And Christ told me!

Yes, I'm once, twice, three times a traitor

Can You love me?

I snubbed You!

Betrayed then by me; my Lord's in pain

Betrayed Lord Christ just as He foretold

By the guy who would give his life away with Him

I'm in grief, bitterly moaning, crying too

(Repeat Chorus 1)

When we ate together

Restorement over fish

"Feed My sheep" three times imparts

"Do you love Me?" "You know I do."

"Follow Me- I'll lead you."

"You're still going to glorify God."

(Chorus 2)

God's love abides in Jesus my Saviour

Lord, I love You!

21 John- three times reinstated

Lord, I love You!

Yes, God's love abides in Jesus my Saviour

I love You!

He loves you!

Till We Have Facebooks of Love

 I think it's important sometimes to remind ourselves that social media is not real life. It's more like those Christmas cards you send out with little updates on your family where everything is picture perfect and rosy. We don't usually like to air all the dirty laundry and put the nitty gritty out there. But the funny thing is that this isn't always true. That's one extreme people can go to with maintaining a veneer of peaceful bliss, while hiding away the chaos- and thus not really being honest. (Reference Eleventyseven's song "MySpace" for more on that idea. Yes, the platform is different but the attitudes are the same. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SX2fv2KhMqs)

This harkens back to the social rule of not discussing religion or politics in mixed company. It's meant to avoid arguments but I've never liked that rule. Why can't we challenge ourselves to speak on those topics in mixed groups without losing tempers or friendships? I have seen far too much of both those two possibilities happen in online discussions. I just saw it again today, which prompted me to post this. And it's funny to see how the Pendulum has swung to the other extreme, where people unload everything on you without holding back and feel some sort of security in anonymity on the Internet or just the safety of distance where you don't have to worry about having the guts to something to someone's face and you don't have to worry about getting a black eye. (Not that you should have to worry about that even when in person.)

    It's good to have people with different views in your life just to help you keep open to different points of view and not get locked into your own echo chamber. And that even includes people with ideas you might consider immoral and/or repulsive.

    I'm sorry that to see people terminate their friendship- especially when it seems to be a reaction to finding that they have diametrically opposing views with someone else. And while I can understand trying to avoid negative influences, I don't think the mere fact of having a different opinion should be a reason to cut off a friendship.

    We need to be understanding and loving towards those with whom we disagree. Look for the places where you can agree and affirm their statements and them- and then talk calmly about places where you will have to agree to disagree.

   Loving people in the Name of Jesus and keeping the door open to share The Gospel- and actually sharing the Good News of God's love for all us hellbound sinners proved by Christ's death and Resurrection which provides salvation and entry to Heaven for all who put faith in Him and follow Him- are infinitely more important than winning arguments with them. I firmly believe no one has ever been argued or bullied or belittled into believing in Christ- or into even accepting a different point of view, for that matter. And they're definitely not won over by our stupid, insulting name-calling and memes. Why would God bless sinful methods? It's God's KINDNESS that leads us to repentance! (Yes, I am overemphasizing that here because I think it's a reminder we all need to hear.) It doesn't matter what rude or mean thing someone has said to us- our response is always to love and be kind and pray for them! We need to always be gracious- because God is infinitely gracious to us undeserving, ungrateful people. (Cue one of my favourite newer Apologetix songs- "A Loan For You".

https://youtu.be/7H1J6WbzYXk)

Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. (Just read all of Romans 12, really.) And speak The Truth in Love. (Ephesians 4:15)

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!

Don't Let The Sun Go Down Angry (Song)

Note: This is an entry from the archives that I started thinking on again recently after hearing the original song again. Since the singer, Sir Elton John, recently had a successful biographical movie ("Rocketman") come to theatres, it seemed like a good time to bring this one to the light of day again. Of course, it's all about dealing with things in the light of day- and not letting anger linger into the night but instead dealing with it while it's still called today. Don't let the sun go down angry- but let The Son shine on you and cleanse you of unrighteousness.
.....................................

Okay! And now for a serious one and one of my favourite ones! This one was actually largely inspired from a Sunday sermon that I heard when I wrote this. The title was just there and just perfect for one of the Bible verses I heard almost verbatim! And it’s from yet another favorite ‘70s song- though the pianist continues to make hits today of course.
But this song is all about ending each day on the right note and not letting the sun go down angry- but rather, making peace.
(Note: In an effort to be poetic and because it just seemed to fit the rhyme scheme of the song best, this song is actually sung from the point of view of anger personified.)


“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down Angry”
Copyright by Nathan Ludwick 8/4/2011
(parody of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John)
(Ephesians 4:26-32, Ephesians 5:8, Proverbs 19:11, Proverbs 29:11, Ecclesiastes 7:8-9, Romans 12:19, James 1:19-21, Colossians 3:7-9, 1 Corinthians 13, Hebrews 3:13)

I can’t light no more of your darkness
Read the Scriptures- Ephesians 5:8- stay in the light
You’re growing tired and time instills abhorring
Satan’s there on the ladder of your life

Your hate enslaves yourself to falling
You seek vengeance- it changed your peace to strife
If you’d just read Ephesians 26 verse (in)
Chapter 4 and left me binded by The Christ

Chorus:
Don’t let the sun go down angry (Don’t let the sun)
You only hurt yourself and all while someone else is free
Christ disallows a fragment of your life to writhe and seethe
But choosing your sulking is like the sun going down on me

Eleventh line- oh, it’s right- Proverbs 29 [two nine]
Fools seethe full brunt but see the wise conceal
Go on, discard me hon’ because it grieves Spirit of God
Now these cuts you have- they need God’s Love (to) help them heal

(Repeat Chorus twice)
……………………………………………………………………………..
  For now, keep redeeming the time for the days are evil- but don’t get angry and complain and don’t curse out your brothers while blessing Christ’s name. Rather, keep showing the love of Christ to everyone each day and make the most of every day that God has given us for His glory.
May His face shine upon you and give you peace. God bless. :-)

Stuff Christian Culture Likes- and Stuff Christian Culture Needs to Repent From

I find it so sad to read through posts on the "Stuff Christian Culture Likes" Facebook page and see how so many people have been hurt by the Christian church and the Christianese culture that some people fall into that often does not really reflect the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I can't say I always agree with all the criticism leveled, but I can certainly admit there is validity to many of the points made and it's something all Christians and churches should consider. Whether you agree with everything or not, if you're a follower of Jesus, you should listen to what people have to say and take it to heart because there are many places the church so often fails and needs to address.
     It is some of these things that make the world see Christians as hypocrites and the church as an abusive manipulator rather than the loving solace it is supposed to be- a safe harbour for all people. It is a place where sinful people who have been transformed by the amazing grace of Jesus- demonstrated through His death and Resurrection to pay for all sins and save all who put faith in Him and follow Him- can congregate and help each other and not tear each other down. (see Ephesians 4:29 and 1 Corinthians 14:26. Use your spiritual gifts to build each other up and help them pursue holiness. Yes, there is a place to lovingly and humbly confront Christian brothers and sisters about sin in their lives- Jesus spoke about that in Matthew 18:17. But He also said that we better get the plank out of our eye before we try to help get the speck out of our brother's eye. [see Matthew 7:1-6])
      And above all- while speaking The Truth in Love (Ephesians 4:15), we must Love undergird all we do. "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good." (Romans 12:9) (Genuine love is reiterated in 2 Corinthians 6:6 and 8:8 too) "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." (Romans 12:10) 1 Corinthians 8:1 says that love builds up. As 1 Corinthians 16:14 says, "Let all that you do be done in love." Galatians 5:13 says that through love we should serve one another. And as 1 Peter 4:8 says, "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." I'm glad that God has covered me with His love and removed and forgiven my multitude of sins. As Jesus said- Freely you have received; freely give.
      When people don't see this, they can quickly become calloused with hardened hearts due to their hurts. It's easier to protect your heart than let it get broken again. I don't know the spiritual background of everyone on this site, so I'm not saying this about anyone in particular.
But I have found it to be an interesting linguistic observation that it's only one space away between an atheist and a theist. And the only way to make that space in their heart so it can be open to trusting God is through the Holy Spirit working- and He works through His children who seek to live out His love. So it's like Pete Townshend said, with a slight modification- Let Christ's Love open the door to your heart!
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxryzVVxFHI

Unrighteous sinfulness and Sinful righteousness

An oft-repeated scene in the New Testament- Jesus is sitting down to dinner with an assorted group of people and He insists on hanging out with those tax collectors and sinners.... The Pharisees and scribes bust in with grumbling asking Jesus and His disciples why they keep doing this. In Luke 5:31-32, Jesus tells us His reasoning- "And Jesus answered them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." (See also what Jesus said in Matthew 21:31)
      This is precisely the point Jesus was trying to get across with His parables in Luke 15- The Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Coin and The Parable of the Lost Son. (Also known as The Parable of the Prodigal Son). That parable would be better called The Parable of the Lost Sons, for both the younger and elder brother were lost and needed Father's forgiveness.
      And the Good News is that God our Father offers us absolution absolutely free- before we do anything. He gives us amazing love and grace for free. It's there for the taking. To be sure, the repentance follows afterwards- but it never precedes the accepting of God's hand-out of amazing grace. But the two brothers had two different things to repent of in the parable.
The younger son needs to repent of his unrighteous sinfulness and the elder son needs to repent of his sinful righteousness. (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10-11, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, Romans 10:9-13)

(* I would be extremely remiss if I didn't acknowledge Rev. Tim Keller and his book "The Prodigal God" for informing and inspiring these observations. This post is largely the crux of his book. Do yourself a favour and go read it! :-))

For Just Anyone

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

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

Daily Struggle

       Do you ever have that experience of going from a spiritual high to almost immediately after a spiritual low? I mean, just after reading The Bible and spending some time in prayer and really being wowed and excited by the passage I read, I find myself slipping into totally the opposite direction with flipping through Youtube video clips from shows that can generally be clean but also slip into foul territory at times unfortunately.... 
        That's one of the worst problems with having literally millions of video choices at hand, between the Internet in general and all the many channels on cable, etc. There is always a responsibility to be careful of what we take in and one I continually have to keep guarding myself on. I do generally try to be cognizant of this and steer clear of things I know are not wholesome at all, but I also know there are times I've allowed myself to watch things that I've immediately regretted and never desired to see anything afterward. And I have gone to Jesus in repentance and asked His forgiveness and I know He's faithful to do it- but I hate to keep running into this scenario so many times in life....
         The spiritual answer behind this is defined for us in The Bible, of course. It's just like Paul talked about in Romans 7:15-25- I know the good I want to do, but it's the bad I don't want to do that I wind up doing. I still need The Holy Spirit to keep working in me and guiding me to the right thing. As Ephesians 6:12 makes clear, the struggle is real. ("For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.")- That's exactly why we need the armor of God strapped on each day for spiritual warfare. (Ephesians 6:13-18 go on to tell us more about this- the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes prepared with the Gospel of peace, the shield of faith to extinguish those fiery darts of the enemy, the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit [i.e. the Word of God] and we need to be praying at all times in the Spirit.
       What else can we do in the fight? Certainly pray without ceasing and ask for God's help in standing firm- and resist the devil, as James 4:7 and 1 Peter 5:8-9 teach. And when we do fall, remember God's promise in 1 John 1:9 to be faithful and just and forgive us and cleanse us of all our sins when we confess them to Him. "I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16)

It's Mercy Over Blame

(Note: This is a devotional writing from the archives, first published February 23, 2011. Eventually, I hope to get all of them transferred to this blog.)

    Oh, the wonderful dichotomy of Christianity! The amazing power of paradox that opens our eyes and blinds those who say they can see. It’s crazy how two seemingly diametrically opposed ideas can prevail at the same time and both compete for the title of truth- and yet both already be Pilate’s answer. The Bible seems to be full of these. How God became a man and was fully a man, tempted in all the ways we are, yet was without sin! How was this possible? Because He was also fully God at the same time.
      The Jewish Shema tells us that there is one God. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) Yet Matthew 28:18-20 refers to God The Father, God The Son and God The Holy Spirit. There’s a Triune Godhead there. Don’t try to think on this too hard- our minds can’t take it all in. It’s kind of like thinking about it would be possible to have no sickness, death or pain or crying in Heaven and how we can just keep going on living forever and ever and ever, ad infinitum, in Heaven if we know Jesus as our Savior. It’s when I think on those kinds of thoughts too long that I fear my already strained brain might explode within my head not unlike a scene from “Scanners” (random retro reference to something I haven’t even seen- sorry, couldn’t resist.)- and at some point I have to shut down cerebral functions and switch to cereal functions (I can handle that a lot easier ;-))- and just trust that it’s all in God’s control and I like it. :-)
    There are other examples of course, but I mainly wanted to focus on one.
How does it work that God can possibly have forgiveness upon us and instead of doling out the punishment, judgment, condemnation, and pain and torture that we so much deserve – instead, He decides to shower us with blessings, blessings so rich with His grace and mercy that it totally envelopes us and when truly considered and taken in, at least to some degree that we can take it in, leaves us absolutely astounded, astonished and amazed- and silenced in front of the Holy God and His love that can only leave us speechless with wonder and praise.
     It’s really the simplest message ever but so incredibly profound in its mystery. Jesus loves me, this I know- for The Bible tells me so. God proved that- He demonstrated it for while we were yet sinners- while we were yet separated from God and while we were yet haters of God- Christ died for us. Not only did He die, but He rose again from the dead!
(Romans 5:6-8)
        How can I keep myself from singing? What more appropriate response is there other than to willingly, joyfully and rejoicingly take Jesus at His Word and confess Him as Lord, believe that God raised Him from the dead and experience His salvation? (Romans 10:9) What response should we have other than what 2 Peter 3 talks about- seek to be spotless and blameless before the Holy God- not out of a fear of not truly having His salvation and having to earn it. You don’t need to- He’s already given it to you for free! All the “good” we do is really nothing more than filthy rags in any case. (Isaiah 64:6) We can never do enough so just stop trying. And because God lovingly gave us salvation as a gift, there’s no need to pay Him back. Again- we can never do enough good things to pay Him back. We may feel like Wayne and Garth telling Alice Cooper, “We’re not worthy”- and yes, we’re not worthy at all. What is man that God should be mindful of us? After all, all we are is dust in the wind- and to dust we shall return. (Psalms 8 and others)
      And just like boys love to do, God likes to play in dirt- in Genesis 2 and John 8- and He made man and then played the first game of “Operation” and made Eve out of one of Adam’s ribs. (Although one wonders about the Adam’s apple- did that come after he got some of Eve’s apple and the veins in his neck started throbbing after got through warning Eve and all before he broke down and sinned too? Oh well- separate topic there, I guess.)
          Okay, I think the point I was trying to get to is that sometimes I feel like there gets to be an amount of bravado and bluster in the Christian church which just really has no place there whatsoever. Don’t you ever just get mad at these folks who seem like they’ve gotten it all together and they’re so on track with God? And with all the signs they claim they see and feeling the will of God for their lives or having God speak to them and all? Okay- maybe this is bad to feel like this sometimes- I don’t know. But I know I’ve gotten kinda mad sometimes and maybe it’s just jealousy or enviousnessy (or maybe even envy) – I don’t know. I kinda wonder if maybe it’s just people are thinking that they should be hearing from God if they’re truly a Christian and so any particular choice that is made must be the leading of God or maybe it just gets interpreted that way so that it’s easier to make reassurances for themselves that they feel God’s Spirit moving in their lives.
      And one thing I’ve concluded on this is this- Martha, Martha, why are you so worried about this? Mary has found the best thing and it won’t be taken from her. God speaks to different people in different ways- perhaps that includes audibly, perhaps that includes strong impressions on the heart or a peaceful easy feeling that lets you mount up on wings like eagles. Or maybe it’s a quiet voice in your head that says you should do this thing and you wind up debating it but eventually go do it and find yourself the better for doing so. I think maybe God speaks through our decisions informed by His Word, prayer and perhaps through a word from other Christians. And maybe when we come to make those decisions that we can later look back on and realize that we would never have made unless Jesus was directing us to do so- maybe that’s where we can see God speaking to us and directing our paths.
         And we just have to be careful to listen for The Spirit and not quench Him. And ultimately we read enough in The Bible and pray to God enough to know Him and His character better and know what He would have us do as He reveals things to us. And we shouldn’t begrudge or judge anyone on how they feel God communes with them and they commune with God (within the confines and context of Scripture of course)- if we are, maybe it’s coming out of a cry from our spiritual despondency and our need to be more built up in The Spirit and connecting with God better. Keep seeking God and you will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:11-13 and James 4:7).
        Okay- and that went a good ways off from what I was trying to say- but the point is that it really is mercy over blame when it comes down to how God judges us. When He sees the blood of Jesus that covers us, He passes over. Yes, He can come off sounding like The Punisher in The Old Testament and Mr. Rogers in The New Testament but we forget Ezekiel 18:24, Lamentations 3:22-33 and the Psalms and the book of Revelation that show that God is both in both places. (Another one of those paradoxes! Great Scott! Yeah, I know- this is heavy, Doc.) But it’s ultimately Jesus’ grace that gives us salvation through our faith in Christ! Now here comes the kicker- James says that if we’re going to say we have faith in Christ, we have to show our good works to back it up. But though the good deeds God prepared in advance for us to do help prove an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ- they never predicate it. They are a symbol in a way of what’s already happened. Good deeds are the fruit of the change in someone’s heart that Christ brings.
        And Jesus’ salvation through grace and faith frees us from God’s wrath because of Christ’s death and Resurrection. In gratitude for His amazing love and grace that is greater than all our sins- even though we keep messing up and falling back on Christ and desperately begging Him to remain Lord of our lives and ruling as Savior once more- and we work out our salvation with fear and trembling. But it’s really God working in us – so it is us, but it’s not really. It’s Christ in us and that’s what it comes down to you. Do you have Christ in you? If so, we realize that we are nothing without Him and so we don’t think highly of ourselves. Rather, we realize that we are not worthy to even unlace His Nikes and it’s Jesus who must increase and we who must decrease. As Matthew 5:3 reminds us- “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” Our intense sense of need keeps us very much dependent on God always and well aware of our spiritual poverty and spiritual richness that Jesus brings. So we should be all the more thankful and relieved and wrapped in love to fall on Jesus’ everlasting arms and His most wonderful kindness.
          A few things have hammered these points home to me recently- “The Ragamuffin Gospel” by Brennan Manning, “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan and Rich Mullins’ music. This is essentially what I shared about recently at an Upward basketball game, along with my personal testimony of putting faith in Jesus as a child and continually holding on to it and Him every day now. What a mighty God we serve! Praise God for His love!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5RWve3yD1o&feature=fvsr
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNYtYRbH6aI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKFld_ZY9D0&feature=related
         I picked up a great VHS tape of one of Rich Mullins’ last ever concerts on video- it runs about 2 hours long and it’s incredible! I love it! Take a moment and look at the videos here, some of which are pulled from the video. It’s not just his songs that I love- though those are certainly incredible- but it’s the life of straining after God and seeking to please Him that I love. It’s how he was humble enough to be honest about his failings, and to admit his need for God so freely. And in such a freeing way to fling off the trappings of life and seek after God with such abandon that it’s infectious. He was a huge fan of St. Francis of Assisi and I admire both of them. Rich Mullins also had this habit of being on stage with a plain white T-shirt, jean shorts, unshaven face and barefoot. He also left a lot of his concerts while the audience was singing the Doxology, so that he slipped out of the spotlight and instead people were left focusing on worshipping God- as it should be.
         I know Rich Mullins was just a man too and certainly by no means perfect- he suffered with doubts and struggles of his own and felt free enough to share many of them on stage. And I love his efforts to reach out to Native American children and bring them music and more importantly, the love of Christ.
          I want to be an arrow pointing to Heaven like Rich did and continue to witness wherever I can.
          This gets into a bit of some personal sharing experiences here that I may just briefly mention. Suffice it to say that I did feel like God was leading me to talk with someone who I typically avoided and maybe even snubbed some on the inside though I never said anything. So I had to get down and talk with him- and when I did it turned out to be the brother of a student I had shared with before at my work. And it turned out to be a great opportunity to share the Gospel with the guy and to pray for him. It’s amazing the opportunities God brings to you when you are willing to obey Him and follow Him wherever He leads- even to the “creepy, weird dudes.” Maybe they’re not so creepy and weird. Like everyone else- they need to know the love of God. And we need to show it to them.
      Anyway- that’s all I have right now. I’ve completed some parodies lately and maybe I’ll post some soon enough. But this is pretty much what I wanted to share for right now. I’m just continuing to cling to Jesus and seek His will for my life and try to follow Him every day. And that’s all there really is to say- Jesus loves you and so do I. Keep being awesome and stay cool. And as Rich Mullins told us, be God’s. :-)

Want A Place Where, Brother, Nobody Does Nobody Wrong? Song (Song)

Are there times when you just feel like giving up? Sometimes the world seems so unfair when we strive to live right for The Lord and all we get for our troubles are more troubles while the unrighteous world seems to thrive in the lap of luxury! It seems crazy to most. Yet God assures us that though we will have persecutions and trials in this life, we always have Him with us to take us through them. And we don't have a God unfamiliar with pain and suffering. Our Lord Jesus suffered alongside us And He can sympathize with us in our sorrows as The Man of all Sorrows. And though we may not ever understand them all in this life, we can trust that God still is good and has a good plan for us in the end and the weight of glory far outscored anything we endure here. Keep your eyes to the skies! We walk by faith and not by sight.

"Want A Place Where, Brother, Nobody Does Nobody Wrong? Song"
(parody of "(Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" written by Chips Moman and Larry Butler, as performed by B.J. Thomas)
(Copyright Nathan Ludwick 9/23/2018)
(Psalms 73, Romans 8, Book of Lamentations, Job 38-42, Psalms 42, Romans 10:9-13, Hebrews 13:5-16)

He's lonely out there crying
And he's reeling from death of wife
4 kids- gone too- where's God?
Well, don't He love everybody? So long, God.

Hey! Won't he say,
"Oh, brother! Some God- He's done somebody wrong, dog..."?
Why pray and keep the law?
When all of this is my payment! Feeling dissed like Asaph

"So please pray for me- it's a sad tragedy"
The man- it did shake his faith in God- Please, Why?
Some real hurting's come- so how could God let it go on?
'Cause I feel justified just like Job

Hey! What's it say? In chapters 38 on- God's God and we're not!
So when you feel like Job
While dismissing your safeties- Repositioned to Saviour!

Lord Jesus received real bad suffering
So bad but it means no one has to die
Our real hurts seem wrong- like how real Love's what we long
'Cause pain is The Lord Christ's megaphone

Hey! Want a place
Where, brother, nobody does nobody wrong, dog?
That place is streets of gold
Well, Jesus is my payment
There suffering finds meaning
(x3)
...........................................................

I Shall Again Praise Him (More Songs to the God of My Life)

(Note: This post is intended as a direct follow-up to the last blog entry.)

Praise The Lord Jesus Christ always! He's always worthy no matter what I'm feeling! (Psalms 42, 43, 137, 103, 149 and 150, Revelation 4:11)
It's always an appropriate response to praise The Lord- in all the bad and all the good. And as Don Francisco reminds us, Jesus is Lord of the way I feel.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NldZCO2ECaw

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cvytewIxll0
("The Silence of God" by Andrew Peterson)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8GiPb6gwuPQ
("After The Last Tear Falls" by Andrew Peterson)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wyWi_dEJEUs
("No More Faith" by Andrew Peterson)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fn8cbI9jFGc
("The Rain Keeps Falling" by Andrew Peterson)

https://youtu.be/3w6BoCvWLtE
("The Far Country" by Andrew Peterson)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5aQq5wOrKk4
("Canaan Bound" by Andrew Peterson)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8fXFIqHS9Ho
("God's Own Fool" by Michael Card)

https://youtu.be/h_cMqqiXZ5Q
("That's What Faith Must Be" by Michael Card)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9fIP_bKxjLs
("Joy in the Journey" by Michael Card)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I-A1u-Zfal8
("Not Home Yet" by Steven Curtis Chapman)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LpXMnY_t03M
("Place in This World" by Michael W. Smith)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5kx3xqmg0
("Better Than A Hallelujah" by Amy Grant)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OfGvXfe9LK8
("Don't Try So Hard" by Amy Grant, featuring James Taylor)


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iPsea6m1klo
("Reaching" by Carolyn Arends)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1s1JbM0Bk
("Big Enough" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mFla0ssth0I
("Naive" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xNUmoSHavLc
("Smell the Color 9" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo5BAGWoD7g
("Questions for Heaven" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nOftdxtQgmA
("Live By Faith" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u_zVGsUN2KI
("Hallelujahs" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FPwYyj6uR1U
("And Your Praise Goes On" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p5V30p-sPww
("One of Those Days" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IVzsUCXysCo
("My Tree" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iR7MXFupz6E
("Prone to Wander" by Chris Rice)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hTRNW6tkv-I
("Missin' You" by Chris Rice) (plus "Cartoons" by Chris Rice :-))

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UFNB2oVcNgg
("Hard to Get" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mEY_UYMvQZ0
("A Place to Stand" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A2arAO8T2j8
("Growing Young" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t4naLg-j4TU
("Elijah" by Rich Mullins)

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

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d9T3tL5U67w
("Hold Me Jesus" by Rich Mullins)

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

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fAMRacZ0zHE
("Sometimes by Step" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nBnzAepXOE8
("Awesome God" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HbIYPYBiejM
("Sing Your Praise To The Lord" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UuuZMg6NVeA
("Every Praise" by Hezekiah Walker)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V7eZD3TKn_M
("Shackles (Praise You)" by Mary Mary)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sQTyjatRw5Q
("A Flowery Song" by Five Iron Frenzy)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_tOD5nYF8lw
("Smells Like Thirtysomething Spirit" by ApologetiX)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xrSwEa29xMY
("Save Your Voice (Quiet Down Boy)" by ApologetiX)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OfTQg9whI-s
("Praise The Lord" by The Imperials)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X6WUIBr7Ncs
("Jury Duty" by The O.C. Supertones)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ca9LnzJnpjQ
("Days of Elijah" by Robin Mark)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLejeq2nh0
("A Million Years" by This Train)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OIahc83Kvp4
("Is He Worthy?" by Andrew Peterson)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ttS7FH8X4n4
("He Is" by Aaron Jeoffrey)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tqEa1Uo9UZc
("Oh Lord, You're Beautiful" by Keith Green)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rhGOosxTLrY
("The Color Green" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KTiPg7p2FxU
("Creed" by Rich Mullins)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DXtwPY1Qqug
(Hymn Medley and Doxology performed by Rich Mullins)

Absorption

To briefly address a few points commonly raised about abortion, I just wanted to point out a few things. Let's be clear on terms first. Abortion is ending the life of a human being. Whether you want to call what's growing in the mother's womb a bunch of cells, fetus or a baby- the being has 100% human DNA. Having 100% human DNA would classify one to be a human being to me.

That is the biggest question regarding morality. If it's not really a human being, then the morality is akin to eating a fried chicken egg- since it wasn't fertilized, you're not killing a chicken to do so.

If it is a human being, then you're taking the life of someone else against their will, also known as murder.

   We should at least be honest enough to admit this much.

   I have heard a number of concerns raised in favour of abortion and one guiding principle I would say in response to them is that you reap what you sow. And we must all, men and women, be willing to take responsibility for our actions- and the government employs laws to help us do so in some cases.

   The best method to prevent many abortions would be to reserve sexual relations only for the bonds of holy matrimony- one man and one woman for life.

    (This is of course the original design of God and His command, as laid out in Genesis 2:24 before the fall of man and reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 19. As I am a Christian, I hold to that, but no- I don't expect any non-Christians to do so, though a number of other religions would hold to this too. America is not a theocracy and I don't wish it to be one and thus, I realize you can't force someone to maintain celibacy until marriage.) Nonetheless, the government can pass laws forbidding murder and it has done so (even though those laws are also based upon the Judeo-Christian heritage of faith influence in the US too. But most every country and people of most religious stripes or none accept this.)

  To address the Biblical claims mentioned, it cannot be stressed enough that The Bible, like any other book, must be read in context, which means considering the time and place it was written and to whom and recognizing the type of language used, etc. Of course, The Bible is unique in that it is spiritually discerned and thus the mind of natural man does not receive it, as 1 Corinthians 2:14 says. (Thus, it is necessary to be a follower of Christ and have the Holy Spirit inside opening our eyes and minds to the Scripturesto fully understand it.)

   2 Kings 15 speaks of some of the Kings of Israel. In reading through this book, one notices a pattern. Some Kings are described as having done what is good in the sight of The Lord. Some are described as having done what is evil in the sight of The Lord. It is true that 2 Kings 15:16 states that Menahem ripped open all the women who were pregnant in Tipshah. If we continue reading through verse 18, we see that The Bible says that Menahem did what was evil in the sight of The Lord. Thus, we cannot conclude from verse 16 that God condoned the death of pregnant women or their children, much less commanded it.

   Hosea 13:16 is part of a larger passage where God is bringing an indictment against Israel and Judah for sin. In verse 16, He says that Samaria shall bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. As punishment, the Samaritan people shall fall by the sword; their little ones shall be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.

It is important to note that God did not command anyone here to do these things- He said they will happen as punishment for sin. God is not wantonly allowing death and destruction to happen out of arbitrariness. He has a reason- it is punishment for sin. And as the only Righteous Judge of the earth, He has the power, position and authority to mete out that judgment as He sees fit. He is the Potter and we are the clay and He can do whatever He wants with His creation. And God is consistent to maintain His standards and the consequences He puts in place for when we break His laws. Deuteronomy 27-30 explains God's covenant with Israel quite clearly. God plainly told the people that they would be cursed if they disobeyed Him, some of those curses including the fruit of their wombs being cursed and that they would be destroyed and quickly perish. Exodus 20:5-6 also says that God punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generations but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments. (Note how the outpouring of His love for obedience outlasts the length of His punishment by about 996 to 997 years.

(It's also important to note that many numbers in The Bible have figurative meanings and not all are meant to be taken literally.)

God always keeps His promises and covenants. Hosea 13:16 is evidence of this.

   Furthermore, other places in The Bible use this same phrase and clearly identify it as evil. (See 2 Kings 8:11-12 and Amos 1:13. In the verse in Amos, God says that He will punish the Ammonites for the evil practice of ripping open pregnant women.)

   (Here is a quick article about this phrase where both the verses mentioned in 2 Kings and Hosea are discussed.

https://claudemariottini.com/2014/06/19/ripping-open-pregnant-women/)

   Another worth mentioning is that as a Christian, I also believe those babies would also have gone to eternity with Lord Jesus in Heaven, as 2 Samuel 12 would seem to indicate. But woe to the one who sent them there by slaughtering them! Jesus said if anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble into sin, it'd be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea. (See Matthew 18:1-6) I think Jesus clearly loves children including babies.

He says in Jeremiah 1:5 that before He formed him (i.e. Jeremiah) in the womb, He knew him and set him apart before he was born. Note that it says specifically that God formed him, not his mother. And 1 Corinthians 6 says our bodies are temples of The Holy Spirit and we belong to The Lord (for all who have trusted Jesus as Saviour and Lord.) Romans 14:8 says whether we live or die, we belong to The Lord. Psalms 24:1 says the earth is The Lord's and everything in it! Thus- whether we believe in Him and follow Him or not- we all belong to God as part of His creation.

So if it's anyone's body in pregnancy, both the woman's body and the baby's body belong to The Lord and He has said that we shall not kill. (Exodus 20:13)

Isaiah 66:7-9 further confirm that it is The Lord who causes the baby to come forth in the womb. Isaiah 44:24 reiterates that The Lord is the One who forms us in the womb and Psalms 139 says the same thing.

   Proverbs 6 says that He hates the shedding of innocent blood. There are numerous other Bible verses that make clear that God abhors the shedding of innocent blood. In reading the totality of Scripture, I find impressed upon me how much God loves the helpless and weak victims and despises any violence against them.

   As I said, there are other passages that could be mentioned, but the main point here is that The Bible tells us how much God loves all people. He doesn't want any to perish but all to come to repentance. That's why Jesus died and rose- to pay for all our sins. If we believe that God raised Him from the dead and confess Jesus as Lord and Saviour, we will be saved! (Romans 10:9-13) And then when we follow Him in obedience, we become more and more like Him and come to see people as He does- people made in His image who are eternally loved whose lives we must protect and preserve rather than destroy them.

How Now Shall We Live?

     How do you separate church and state? If The Bible and all other religious books are not utilized to form or at least inform law, then what moral basis is used? Who even defines what morality is and if it's a good thing? Perhaps immorality would be better? Perhaps some things religion has called moral are really immoral and vice versa? Who can say?

    I think President Obama was right in recognizing that America does still have a very large Christian population, but there are also Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and other faiths- and people of no faith.

   Yet the thing that America has to recognize in its history is that many of its laws in place echo the commands of religious texts, primarily The Bible because there were many Christians who helped found the country, alongside Deists and others who at least had a general respect for The Bible and Christianity, even if they themselves were not Christ followers.

   (This is not to suggest that America has had a good record of consistently following The Bible in its decisions because all are sinners and fall short of God's glory. In any case, I don't like the term "Christian nation" because a nation can't follow Christ- only individuals. One of the main points of America's founding is freedom of religion, which allows for anyone to worship God in any faith they choose or to not do so at all. It is always a voluntary choice- never forced upon people by government. In that sense, separation of church and state certainly exists.)

    That said, it must be clarified that here I am speaking of people forced to follow a religion, of which there are a number of countries that practice this, with harsh penalties in place for anyone following or promoting anything other than the state religion. Thankfully, America does not have this system in place. Yet there are some laws that certainly comport with Christianity's tenets (along with a number of other religions) that inhabitants are compelled to follow or face consequences.

    Laws against theft and murder would certainly resonate with religious texts- should these laws be overturned because of their religious nature? The main value behind such laws is a respect for human life and property of human beings. Why do we regard human life with such supreme value? For the Christian, it's because human beings are made in the image of God and are the pinnacle of His creation. God commands us to respect and value human life because He loves us eternally and holds us in a status of infinite importance in His kingdom. To steal from someone or murder someone would not only be a grave evil to the person, it would also be a besmirchment to God and His creation.

    I think most would agree, regardless of their religious status, that these are good laws that should stay in place. I recognize some would offer vastly different reasons for valuing and upholding such laws but we would still be agreed on their worth and need to be in place. Is that the solution then? Should we establish laws by consensus? Perhaps within the election cycle for leaders there should also be moral surveys in place to determine the nation's general consensus on morality.

Otherwise it could just be left to each individual to determine what is right in their eyes and live accordingly.

(Of course, at least one society did that for a while in history and it didn't work out well for them. See Judges 17:6 and 21:25 in The Bible.)

   In the end, it comes back to the question, "How should we live?" We must then address the question, "Why should we live that way?" Who is the ultimate authority in governing the affairs of men and women?

In order to build a building, you must have a foundation. If the foundation is not sure, the building falls. The same is true for nations.

A Response to Grace

(Note: This was written in reaction to reading an excerpt from "Vanishing Grace" by Philip Yancey, so consider it a book report of sorts. :-))

Beautiful post here! What a great reminder of how The Gospel of Jesus Christ has so radically transformed individual people's lives and entire nations for the better!

   This is a very helpful reminder for me because I often have discussions with a friend who most often seems to see the ugly side of Christianity and rarely acknowledges any of the good. In having apologetics discussions with people about the reputation of Christianity in the world, I prefer to redirect people to Christ. I am well aware that there are people who may have been genuinely Christians while also being genuinely mistaken about interpretation of The Bible's commands who brought about much evil in the world. (It's hard to forget the large number of Christian American settlers who helped wipe out so many Native Americans and kidnapped Africans and enslaved them....and the examples can go on.)

   And some might combine history like this with the difficult passages in The Bible regarding slavery and laws regarding sexual behaviour and so forth and conclude that slavery and rape are acceptable practices in Christianity.

    Of course, the Christian church today steadfastly condemns such actions. And part of the reason why is because we look to the person of Jesus Christ as the ultimate model for human behaviour. And as you mentioned, we can see how Jesus embraced and empowered racial minorities and women and truly lived out His mission to preach Good News to the poor. And He ultimately fulfilled this mission on the cross of Calvary and in the empty tomb. The Good News Jesus brought us is that we can have forgiveness of sins and be reinstated in His family. All are welcome! The rich and poor are on equal footing in His kingdom. There are no races in Him- no slave or free- no male or female- we are all one in Christ Jesus. This is the way His kingdom operates in opposition to the world that assigns value to some things and people and decides others to be worthless. In a paradox described in Psalms 8, we are both utterly worthless and infinitely important and valuable at the same time. "What is man that You should think of us, Lord?" writes the Psalmist. "Yet You made us a little lower than the angels."

    Isaiah 53 says that Christ had nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him, yet our fallen state had nothing in it that He should desire us! But The Desire of nations desires all nations to come to repentance and into His kingdom! Of course, there is only one reason that explains the reason for this paradoxical pursuit- Love! Love all excelling- Love Divine! Love of course makes absolutely no sense and I think sometimes that may be the surest way to know we are truly acting in Love when our actions make absolutely no sense in the world's eyes. This is the power of The Gospel and truly the power of Love. Love pours abundant grace on us by absorbing our guilt and enduring our punishment. And of course, as Song of Songs 8:6-7 tells us, Love is stronger than death. So of course, Love conquered the final enemy and opened the way for us to enter His presence as we triumphantly ascend from death's sting into the presence of The One who took away death's power.

    Jesus Christ, Lover of my soul and body- the embodiment of Love (1 John 4:8-10), provides for both my soul and body. In John 10:10 He said He came to give us life and life abundant. I think it is His example exactly that moves us as His followers to bring comfort to the needy and afflicted and poor and poor in spirit in the world. We must freely give as we have freely received. Matthew 25 gives a practical way of soothing the hurts of this world with The Balm of Gilead. Give the hungry food. Give the thirsty water. Shelter the stranger. Clothe the naked. Visit and aid the sick. Go and comfort the prisoner.

    These are all ways we love our neighbour as ourselves and in so doing we demonstrate our love for God, Whom we love with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength. And we always speak The Truth (John 14:6) in Love. (Ephesians 4:15) May I ever do these three in tandem, reaching a hand out in Love to all and especially the least of these.

    Of course, the aid and Love is given despite the response. Jesus healed all 10 lepers who came to Him though only one returned to thank Him. We must do no less in offering help to all regardless of the response. The response is always the responsibility of The Holy Spirit in any case.

     That is the vision I want to see my life continuing to grow in every day I walk with Jesus. I trust that He is continuing to shape the saint out of the sinner. I trust that He is helping me to have the faithfulness of the elder brother without the judgment and bitterness as well as the penitance of the younger prodigal brother. I recognize that I am nothing more than a ragamuffin beggar at the door of God's grace. Praise God that He gives generously to those who don't deserve it, can never earn it or repay it and can only appropriately bow in gratitude and humbly share Grace with others.

I know I am far from perfect in doing that and I seek to be better by His power every day.

I believe God has been doing that work in me over the years of my walk with Him ultimately through the working of His Spirit in Scripture reading, prayer, church service and encouragement and rebuke of the brethren and sisters. I believe He has also used a variety of Christian people and the artistic gifts He's given them to help me in that process. I could name numerous writers and musicians and missionaries and pastors and other laymen and laywomen. Of course, I think it's most often the lowly of this world (by worldly standards) that have been some of my dearest friends who continue to remind me of God's heart for the vain things of this world. (1 Corinthians 1:18-31) They continue to soften my heart and make glad my heart.

Of my favourite artists though, I must say that among others like Brennan Manning, George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, A.W. Tozer, Henri Nouwen, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Corrie Ten Boom, Jim Elliott (the anniversary of his martyrdom and entry through Gates of Splendor is today, January 9, by the way), Joni Eareckson Tada, Watchman Nee, Voddie Baucham, Mister Rogers, Martin Luther, Charles Wesley, Keith Green, Larry Norman, Chris Rice, Carolyn Arends, Andrew Peterson, Rich Mullins and many others still- including many personal friends whose names are not known by the world at large (but of course God knows all these names quite well), Philip Yancey has quickly entered that pantheon and I am very grateful indeed for his writing. I appreciate the writing that acknowledges the reality of God's wrath and judgment without minimizing the incredible extent of His amazing grace! Fellow Christ followers like these and more have helped me realize more and more this truth. God is way more intolerant and punishing of our sin than we often realize and He's way more gracious and loving than we can fathom. It is both truths at once that we must embrace. And praise God that through Christ, mercy triumphs over judgment!

   Books like "Disappointment with God" and "The Question That Never Goes Away" and "What's So Amazing by Grace?" continue to remind me so often of these truths and bring me to my knees weeping in both grief for sin and in tears of joy for God's grace that is greater than all my sins! I feel sure "Vanishing Grace" will do the same when I read that next. So thank you again for letting God use you to bless, convict and encourage so many hard hearts and heads. (While I believe my head went soft ages ago ;-), I pray my heart will ever grow softer before The Lord as He keeps working.)

May The Lord continue to bless you and your family and use you for His glory richly. :-)

Blog in Your Eye

I wish I could get as passionately outraged and morally indignant at my own sins first as it's so easy to become at others'- and then learn to show more mercy and grace and let God handle the judging.
(Psalms 139:23-24, Matthew 7:1-6, Matthew 5:7, Romans 7, James 4:11-12, 1 Peter 4:8, James 2:12-13, Philippians 3:18-4:1, 1 Timothy 1:15-17)
(Note: Yes, there is a place for rebuke within the church and we should do that with love and humility. Titus 1:13-16, Ephesians 4:15, 1 Corinthians 5, Philemon- particularly verses 1:8-9) As two of my favourite songs say- "I'm starting with the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to make a change. And no message could have been any clearer- if you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change." ("Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson- his best song, in my opinion)
But we must do this by The Holy Spirit and His power in us, not by our own strength. (Galatians 5:16-26)
And before we look to judge other Christians and help them with that speck, let's remember the log in our own eyes.
"It's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord- standing in the need of prayer! ....It's not my father, not my mother, my sister, not my brother- but it's me, oh Lord- standing in the need of prayer." (Classic Sunday School song)
Thankfully, Jesus is there to help us. His death and Resurrection paid for all sins for one time and He has forgiven me because I've put my faith in Him and His righteousness because I know I've got none of my own. And He's still working on me and sanctifying me more each day (Philippians 2:12-13, Ephesians 2:8-10) and in the end, He'll lead me Home to Heaven with Him. :-) (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
Thank You, Lord. Help me to love more, judge less and when I do make a judgment- to make a righteous one, never forgetting that we are all equally in need of Your grace.