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.

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)

I Trust Myself (song)

It's been said that if we're always looking down on others, we can't see what's above us. This is the original sin that continues to plague humanity- proud eyes that won't look up for help. Even before the disobedience of man in Eden, Lucifer's pride got him kicked out of Heaven. It's only when we can recognize that we're not self-sufficient that we can in humility reach out to God as He's already reaching out to us in Christ. The final solution for sin was given after years of scapegoats that covered sin; instead God sent a Lamb to take away sin through His death and Resurrection. And like the Pharisee and tax collector learned in Luke 18, it's the one humble before God who went away justified. May we all be willing to fall on our faces before Him, beating our breasts begging for His mercy because we are sinners. He is always gracious to us to grant forgiveness when we humbly ask for it. We all need His help.

"I Trust Myself"
(parody of "I Touch Myself" by Divinyls; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 3/13/2019)
(Romans 10:9-13, Luke 6:46, Matthew 7, Proverbs 16:18, Luke 18:9-14, Proverbs 14:12, Romans 3, Proverbs 6:16-19, 1 Corinthians 10:12, Deuteronomy 30:15-20)

Well, God Himself- He wants us to love Him
If I'm real now- I know He's above me
I search for help- I want Him to find me
But forget all that- Don't want you to remind me

Chorus 1:
I don't want anybody's help
All I think, say or do- I trust myself
Ooh, I don't need anybody else
Oh no, oh no, oh no

I'm the one who's made my own fortune
Favourite son- the nation's pride
Ascended how? By my bootstraps, then
I'm always self-reliant ('k)
I close my eyes- won't see Truth before me
Rather would die than choose Life that's before me
"A fool believes there's no God" - I ignore You
I'd get down on my knees if You'd send The Way to see You

(Repeat Chorus 1)

I love myself- I want folks to love me
When I look down, I can't see above me
In church with bells, all income I'm tithing
I fast as well- I thank God I'm not like thieves

Adulterers, unGodly evil
Well, I think I've got virtue- I trust myself!
Ooh- I'll tell God I'm righteous by myself
Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!

18 Luke
IRS agent by myself
Would not link eyes with You- I judge myself
To - ooh be- ee ah ah sin-ner ah!

I so want Holy God's help
When I think of bad I do- I beat my breasts!
Ooh, You're rich in mercy, God- please help!
Confessed humbly to You- I'm justified

-Exalt myself (Background vocals: I don't need)
Adjust that shelf (BGV: Anybody else)
Humbled instead (BGV: 1st. Cor. chapter 10:12)
So watch your step

Humble myself (BGV: I so want)
Adjust that shelf (BGV: Holy God's help)
Exalted instead (BGV: I'm nothing without You)
-It's honestly true!

-Exalt myself (Background vocals: I don't need)
Adjust that shelf (BGV: Anybody's help)
Humbled instead (BGV: 1st. Cor. chapter 10:12)
-It's honestly true!

Humble myself
Adjust that shelf
Exalted instead

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. :-)

A Prayer for the National Day of Prayer

      We have undertaken this voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia (and westward, ho!) for the honour of our King and Country- (and ultimately) for the Advancement of the Christian Faith and for the Glory of God. In the Presence of God and one another, we solemnly and mutually convenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick- for our better Ordering and Preservation and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience. (In other words, we pledge to do unto others as we would have others do unto us, as Jesus told us in Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31. And since He is The One we look to order and preserve us and further those ends we mentioned earlier, we look to obey Him and love Him with all we've got and love our neighbors as ourselves, like He said in Matthew 22:34-40). Signed November 11, 1620 Anno Domini (in The Year of our Lord). IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN.
(Adapted from The Mayflower Compact; agreement between the settlers at New Plymouth)
      Even our earliest historical documents from the founding of America have been, essentially, prayers to God and a resolution to, by His Grace and Strength (Philippians 4:13, Ephesians 2:8-10) follow and obey Him in the establishment of our country and government. William Bradford recorded this for us; I think he would join in that same prayer today.

        Most Gracious and Just Lord Jesus, we beseech You today on this National Day of Prayer to forgive us of our sins, cleanse us anew, restore the joy of Thy salvation and renew a right spirit within us. May Your Love and Truth be evident to all by the presence of Thy Holy Spirit in our lives and thus, may we see You bring many sons to glory through Your working in and through us as You choose. Thank You that You still hold the whole world in Thy hands today and the leaders of the world will ultimately bow to Your will. Even as they plot and scheme, You The Lord Who sits in Heaven laugh- You alone know what is to come. Even as Nebuchadnezzar came to learn, may all our leaders know that You alone are God- no plan of Yours can be thwarted. I give You honor and praise, The Most High God who is glorified forever- Your dominion is eternal and Your Kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. You do as You please with the powers of Heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back Your hand or say to You, 'What have You done?' Everything You do is right- all Your ways are just.
        I put my hand over my mouth for the times when I have spoken of things too great for me to understand- You are God in Heaven and I am just man on earth, whom You made a little lower than the angels- what am I that You think of me? Yet even when we despised and rejected Thy Son, You loved us anyway with an amazing ferocity that leaves us astounded and astonished. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us and rose again. You have proven Your love for us so wonderfully in the salvation You have provided. Thank You for Your justice that punishes evil and Your Love and Grace that forgives us of all our sins when we come in repentance. Sanctify us and set us apart, Lord- may Your Holy Consuming Fire be rekindled within us. Move in us and let us know Your love and presence. 
       I praise You for Your goodness and all Your promises that You surely keep. I believe; help Thou my unbelief. Help me to walk confidently in faith knowing that You never leave me or forsake me. Thank You for always being faithful even when I'm faithless. I know that there is no good in me on my own; my only Good is You. May I continue to become less as You become greater. Shape me to look more like You each day. I trust You. Lord Jesus, I know You will keep me from stumbling and present me perfect in Your glorious presence by Your virtue on that day. Even when I feel distraught and down on myself and worries and fears of past sins and my own foibles and failings come to haunt me, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me- Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. You are always with me. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the House of The Lord forever. I would rather be a doorkeeper in Your House, Lord, than to dwell in the tents of the wicked. 
      With the faith of a child, I believe You and Your Word and thank You for Your blood shed for me and Your broken body that took my punishment. By Thine stripes I am healed. I praise You that You are no longer dead but You are alive forevermore- and because You live, I will live also. Hallowed be Thy Name, Our Father in Heaven. Thy Kingdom come- Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.Give me this day my daily bread and forgive me of my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me.And lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. For Thine is The Kingdom and The Power and The Glory, forever and ever-In the precious Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

(Read The Mayflower Compact here- http://avalon.law.yale.edu/17th_century/mayflower.asp
And read The Bible here- http://www.Biblegateway.com )

:-))

House Cleaning

         A thought came to mind one day when I was cleaning my new-ish apartment. I was thinking about how we clean our apartments and houses so well when we know company is coming because we want everything to be neat and nice for them. It's interesting to consider how social media becomes that way as well- it's like our house that we want to keep clean for others in some regard. (Thus, the sometimes felt obligation to respond to comments with likes and more comments, etc.) Now we should feel free to be ourselves on our own social media account and be our honest selves- and everyone should be able to listen to each other and experience that honesty and either agree or disagree with it, but still respect and love each other. 
          Of course, just as we take care of our physical houses in anticipation of company and our virtual houses as well, we should take care of our physical bodies, which is our spiritual house, if you will. "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) [This is assuming you have given your heart and life to Jesus and made Him Lord of your life personally.] 
           Jesus uses a house as a spiritual picture in at least two places that came to mind for me. In Matthew 7:24-27, He compares those who hear His words and put them into practice to a wise man who builds his house upon the rock and it stands firm against the floods and rains. (Likewise, He compares those who hear His words and don't put them into practice like a foolish man who builds his house upon the sand and the winds and rain beat it down flat.)
          In Matthew 12:43-45 and Luke 11:24-26, Jesus uses another picture of a house. In this case, He talks about what it's like when an unclean spirit leaves a person and passes through water-less places in search of rest but finding none. Eventually the evil spirit says that it'll return to the house from which it came. When this happens, it finds the house empty, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and finds 7 spirits more evil than itself and they enter and dwell there- and the last state of that person is worse than the first. Jesus says so also it will be with this evil generation. Again, we have the same message here. It's one thing to claim faith in Christ and seemingly try to sweep the house clean and get things in order. But if we don't truly put faith in Him and prove it by putting His words into action, then we're actually worse off (particularly when those eight demons come looking for room and board.)
As Jesus asks in Luke 6:46, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord' and not do what I tell you?" (If you go on to read Luke 6:47-49, you will see that the parable of the wise and foolish man is repeated here too.) Also check Luke 6:43-45 - Good trees produce good fruit and bad trees produce bad fruit. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! Of course, none of us are truly good. No one is good but God Himself.
            And that's the whole point of Jesus coming in the first place. None of us are good and none of us can be good. We need the only good One to come and be good for us- which Jesus did by fulfilling all of The Law (Matthew 5:17) and bringing an end to The Law's hold on us (as Romans 10:4 declares) through His sacrificial death on the cross. He paid for all our sins through that. And then He rose again to prove He's God. We can avoid the punishment of sin (which is Hell) when we put our faith in Jesus and follow Him- obey His commands. (I say this to emphasize that salvation entails more than just mental assent to Christ's claims. It involves the surrendering of the heart and life to Christ and putting all faith in His grace given us through the cross of Calvary. Then, we should obey Christ out of gratefulness to Him for the saving work He has already done. But note that the salvation comes through faith alone in His grace alone- it's not by works. However, if we truly have real faith in Christ, the good works should come as a natural outflow of response to Christ- not as a misguided attempt to earn God's forgiveness or pay Him back. We can't and we never have to do so- God loves us all like crazy and He gives us His grace freely! (But to be clear, it cost God plenty- but it is free to us. Therefore, freely you have received, so freely give.)
          Thus, as Jesus told us in John 14:15, if you love Me, you will obey Me. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Praise God for His love! :-) Keep loving Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself. And speak the Truth in Love. God bless. 
            To carry the picture even further, 1 Peter 4:17-19 says, "For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the Gospel of God? And 'If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?' Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good."
            Again, the commandment is there to be doing good, but this is not a prerequisite for salvation. We entrust our souls to a faithful Creator who saves us by grace- then empowers us to do the good works He wanted us to do all along. But if He brings judgment first to the house of God, what will happen for the ungodly and the sinner? We must seek to keep the house of God in order and be holy unto The Lord through His power- and lovingly seek to rescue the perishing, so that they may come to know Jesus' love and grace too.            
               In Luke 12:35-48 (and other places), Jesus gives us the picture of servants called to be faithful to their master while he's gone. They know he will return one day and he will come on a day unexpected- and the servant that is not taking care of the house will be cut in piece and put with the unfaithful. Jesus uses this picture a number of times in warning us to stay awake and be ready for the Son of Man's return, for He is coming at an hour we do not expect.           
               "Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and Godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (2 Peter 3:11-18)(Love how Peter gives a shout out to his brother Paul here. :-))              
               And I love how The Holy Spirit inspired him to write all this down for us and remind us to make every effort to be found without spot or blemish, but at the same time we know that we are growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He's the One who really helps make us with spot or blemish more so every day! (Philippians 1:6) And while we are waiting and watching for Jesus' return, we must continue to be working as well. We seek to keep our houses clean for His glory and out of gratitude to Him, and also so that Christ may be exalted and lifted up in our lives- and Jesus said when that happens, He will draw all men to Himself. It's He who draws us all to Himself to begin with in any case. But He can definitely use us to help draw others to Him. So every day, from here forward to the day of His glorious appearing, we seek to live each day for His glory, loving Him with all we've got and loving our neighbors as ourselves and sharing His love with others, with gentleness and respect. And we trust in His grace always- knowing that His grace saved us, is still saving us and will save us in the end. Praise The Lord!              
               I also wanted to note that a lot of this is inspired at least some by "My Heart- Christ's Home" by Robert Boyd Munger, the basics of which I remember my youth pastor explaining to me in youth group a few scant years ago. That picture still works so well in explaining how Jesus cleans out every single part of us and gives us an extreme makeover because He traded spaces with us on the cross and rose again.  :-)
                I'm so thankful for my youth pastor for the time he took to invest in me and help disciple me in following Christ more. And I'm thankful for all the others God has sent me at times to help expand me in my understanding of what it means to love and follow Jesus and open my eyes to places where perhaps I had turned a blind eye to before. God is really good at making you see all kinds of stuff that you hadn't considered before- probably on account of His thoughts and ways being so much higher than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9)- there is always so much more to learn. That's what the sanctification process takes from here to eternity to complete- but God is faithful and He will do it! He will present us before Himself pure and blameless in Christ one day. He's gonna get us there in His time! (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)
           "By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches." (Proverbs 24:3)"Unless The Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." (Psalms 127:1) It's all through The Lord!

:-)
:-)

God is Good All the Time (And All The Time God is Good)! (Bless The Lord at ALL Times) :-)

We're not quite to the end of the year, but I've seen a lot of people write 2016 off as a loss. (I know it may be in jest at times or it may be a statement of true frustration and exasperation with the outcome of events.) And it's okay to express honest feelings at times, in polite terms.

And we should be honest with the course of events- a lot of bad things have happened in the world- natural disasters, refugee crises, warring conflicts, the sad loss of life for so many- and many other things. (Of course, on a side note with that- I notice that a lot of people mourn for celebrities they've never met and don't really know- which is by no means wrong; it's very sad to hear of their deaths. However, it's weird that we don't mourn for the deaths in every single one of the obituaries in all the newspapers of the world that are published every day as well. Everyone's equally important and it's sad when anyone dies.)

It's really sad to me to see the hopelessness in so many people- especially after the 2016 US election. (And as a qualifier here, let me reiterate again that I did vote, but not for either of the major candidates- and I'm not particularly happy or upset with the outcome. I just have faith that God is in control as always and He will take care of me as always. He allows people to be in power and He also takes them down. His will will be done. "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?.... The Lord in Heaven laughs at their plans. Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve The Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him." (see Psalms 2))

I was rather surprised at the election results and as I said- wasn't particularly happy with them or particularly sad- but I was hopeful and trusting that God knows what He's doing. And since I've been in a mood to listen to a lot of Rich Mullins lately (okay- that's pretty much all the time :-))- I had a time of worship playing some of his classics- "Sing Your Praise To The Lord", "Awesome God" and "Sometimes by Step". It wasn't because I was particularly happy with the results- it was because praising The Lord is always the appropriate response. It's because He is God and He reigns forever and He has done good things and my soul will bless the Lord and forget not all His benefits. He loves me enough to send Jesus to die and pay for all my sins and rise again! He has forgiven me through my faith in Him and He continues to make me more like Him as I seek to follow Him. He has promised me eternity in Heaven with Him! I have every reason to always be optimistic- yes, even in times when I may feel anything but.

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in The Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, The Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer's; He makes me tread on my high places. (To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.)" (Habakkuk 3:17-19) (i.e. Yo! Strike up the music, bro! Let's get some praise on for The Lord Almighty! :-))

Note the verses don't say, "Because all these bad things are happening." They say, "In spite of these bad things, I'm still going to praise God." Just like Job's response- hey, Job- you've just lost all your cattle (i.e. food and wealth), and all your kids- what are you going to do now? "Naked I came from the womb and naked I will depart- may the Name of The Lord be praised!" Do what? You mean you don't want to go with the flow like your wife said and just curse God and die? "Nah, bro- shall we receive good from God and not receive evil?" Even after you just got these awful sores all over you? Yep- even so, it is well with my soul. (Now, to be fair- Job did get pretty bummed (to say the least- he was near suicidal at some points, arguably)- but at the end of the book, God restores all of Job had lost- he has more kids and he gets his cattle and wealth back. In fact, he gets twice as much as he had before. And God points out that Job spoke rightly of Him (versus his three friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar).

Especially with the time of Thanksgiving coming up in the USA- it seems really appropriate to take time to thank Jesus for all He's done and praise Him! :-) 2016 has been a hard year in some ways for my family personally- but that could be true every year. God has also done some awesome things this year for my family- He provided my dad with a new job! He provided my brother and his wife with a new house they recently bought! He provided my other brother a new job! My sister's daughter got baptized this year and my dad was able to perform the baptism! :-) He provided my grandmother with better health. He provided one of my aunts a new job! He provided a new house for my other aunt and uncle! He provided me with a chance to visit some of my dearest friends in the world this summer! And He's provided me opportunities to have medical work done in the last few years and that's been a blessing. He provides for me financially all the time and just in general in life all the time. (As my mom says, He must have like a multitude of guardian angels working overtime with me. ;-))

So yeah- no matter what the situation is- my response is this: "Give thanks to The Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His steadfast love endures forever." (Psalms 136:1-3- by the way, that refrain is stated 26 times in that chapter- and usually that happens in The Bible because God really wants us to remember it! :-))

To the One Who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love- the One who doesn't deal with us as our sins deserve and repay us according to our iniquities- the One Whose love is as great for us as the heavens are high above the earth- the One who removes our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west- the One who shows compassion to those who fear Him- Whose steadfast love is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him- all praise, honor, glory and power be given! "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all." (Psalms 103:19- just read the whole thing.)

I will bless The Lord at ALL times- His praise shall CONTINUALLY be in my mouth! (Psalms 34:1)

So yes- 2016 has had its sad moments- but it's also had its awesome moments! Praise The Lord for 2016 and all other moments of life He allows me to have! I call this to mind and therefore I have hope always:

"The steadfast love of The Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him.' The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of The Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust- there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. For The Lord will not cast off forever, but, though He cause grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love; for He does not afflict from His heart or grieve the children of men. To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth, to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High, to subvert a man in his lawsuit, The Lord does not approve. Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless The Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? Let us test and examine our ways, and return to The Lord! Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in Heaven..." (see Lamentations 3:21-41- better yet, just read the whole chapter and the whole book.)

(Keep in mind that the context of this chapter is of Jeremiah lamenting over the destruction of Jerusalem, which happened as punishment for the people's sins. And there is a time when we need to test and examine ourselves and let God examine us- see if there be any wicked way in us- and repent and let God cleanse us! [see Psalms 139] But there are also times that calamity comes because we live in a fallen world- but even when God might cause grief, He doesn't do it from His heart! He doesn't do it to grieve people! He isn't a sadist! In the midst of it, He has compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love! As Jesus said in John 9, sometimes bad things happen so that the glory of God can be seen in our lives- just like what happened with the blind dude in that chapter that Jesus made see again!)

So yeah- even when things feel like a nightmare and it's like I'm locked in prison- I'll make like Paul and Silas did while in jail in Acts 16:25 and be praying and singing hymns to God! I'll make like Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and say, "Lord, not my will, but Thine be done." And The Lord's will might be that I need to go through some suffering. Even so- I'll count it all joy because I know the testing of my faith is going to produce steadfastness! And boy- do I need steadfastness to be full in effect in my life. And what great joy it is to know that I've got steadfast Love that never ceases that keeps following me everywhere I go! :-) (Seriously- you just can't shake it. Surely goodness and mercy- (or as other translations render it)- steadfast love- shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of The Lord forever. (see Psalms 23:6)

So wait- what was I complaining about again? "The joy of The Lord is my strength." (according to Nehemiah 8:10) It's God's will in Christ Jesus for me to be rejoicing always and praying without ceasing and giving thanks in ALL circumstances. (Word up! 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) (Again- not necessarily for them, but definitely in them- and in the long run, I may even wind up being glad for them because they helped me get somewhere that I needed to be that I wouldn't have been otherwise. It's like the "DuckTales" theme song- "The worst of messes become successes. DuckTales- Woohoo!") And like Romans 8:28 says, "We know that all things work together for good, to the good of those who love God and who are called according to His purpose." So I best be busting out those spiritual songs and psalms and hymns and sing and make some melody to The Lord with my heart- and give Him thanks for everything- just like The Holy Spirit led my man Paul to say over in Ephesians 5:19-20. (Dude man reiterated this whole attitude of being joyful and the command to rejoice in The Lord always- and again I say, rejoice- over in Philippians 4:4. And don't forget that he was doing the jailhouse rock while writing those lines down.)

Check out how back in the day the walls of Jericho came down- when Joshua and his Israelite peeps obeyed The Lord and marched around the town for 7 days (7 times on the last day- and ended things with a shout to The Lord! :-) I daresay they were getting some praise chants on there.)

Jumping Jehoshaphat! He was probably doing some of that and getting down in 2 Chronicles 20, when Jahaziel laid out the game plan for battle and let him know that the battle wasn't his, but rather God's. And so Jehoshaphat put the singers first before the army- and they went out singing and praising The Lord and The Lord brought victory!

What more can I say? If God is for us, who can be against us? (It's a rhetorical question, but the answer is, "No one!") (see Romans 8:31- and read the whole chapter while you're at it and read about the amazing grace and love of God for us that nothing can ever separate us from!)

As Psalms 137 talks about, how can we sing God's praise in a foreign land? ('Cause we are foreigners in this land, but nonetheless- as Rich Mullins called it- it's the land of my sojourn and I will sing His song in the land of my sojourn!) So may my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth like peanut butter if I forget New Jerusalem- if I forget The Lord- and don't make Him my highest joy and praise! How can I keep from singing? Praise God for all His many blessings- the Giver of all good things! (James 1:17) Praise The Lord with singing and dancing! (see Psalms 149)
Let everything that hath breath praise The Lord! (Psalms 150) Our God is an awesome God! :-) (see Deuteronomy 7:21)

"Whom have I in Heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalms 73:25-26) "Make a joyful noise to The Lord, all the earth! Serve The Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that The Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For The Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations." (Psalms 100) "Praise The Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens! Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp! Praise Him with tambourine and dance; praise Him with strings and pipe! Praise Him with sounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise The Lord! Praise The Lord!" (Psalms 150) (Sounds like a heavy metal concert going on there! :-) Or any style music- it doesn't really matter. Just praise The Lord! :-) Praise Him with singing and dancing and with how you live. :-))

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 1:24-25)

The little heading in my ESV Bible calls these verses the "Doxology" section of Jude. So, to reference one of my favorite singers ever again once more, as Rich Mullins was fond of doing at the end of his concerts, let's end this off with the Doxology song-

"Praise God from Whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye Heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen." :-)

Hypocrisy, Honesty and Heavenly Father

"Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him He said, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?' He answered, 'And who is He, Sir, that I may believe in Him?' Jesus said to him, 'You have seen Him, and it is He who is speaking to you.' He said, 'Lord, I believe', and he worshipped Him. Jesus said, 'For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.' Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to Him, 'Are we also blind?' Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind, you would have no guilt, but now that you say, 'We see', your guilt remains.' " (John 9:35-41)
I have been thinking on this passage in relation to a claim that is often levelled at Christians and one which I've seen brought up increasingly now, particularly due to the very sad and shameful Ashley Madison scandal. (That scandal being that such a service even exists and that anyone signed up for it- not that people have now been caught at it. Briefly on this point- for anyone involved with it, God forgives and so must we. See 1 Samuel 11 and Psalms 51 and 1 John 1:9 for great reminders of God's grace and forgiveness, as well as His judgment.)
      Non-Christians are quick to point to such incidents and label Christians as hypocrites whenever they fail in keeping Jesus' commands, especially in such a public way. However, assuming Christians are honest in admitting their faults and struggles and faithful to confess them and repent of sins, I don't see such failures of Christians as hypocrisy necessarily.
It would be hypocritical if any Christian claimed to be perfect and no longer susceptible to falling to sins after receiving Christ. (Though as my father would often say, after receiving Christ as Savior, we need not sin anymore because of the power of The Holy Spirit working in us. That doesn't mean that we won't sin anymore necessarily- we obviously have examples of the New Testament Christians that sinned and were forgiven. See Peter for instance in Acts 10-11 and Galatians 2:1-14.) I think public sins like this just demonstrate the main realization that Christians must come to first in order to receive Christ's forgiveness and love- we are all sinners and we all need God to forgive us of our sins. He has done this through Jesus' death and Resurrection- it is available to us by faith. We must place all our faith in Jesus' work and receive it. (Thus, Matthew 5:48 and Leviticus 11:45 are fulfilled- we are declared righteous because of Jesus' righteousness- not our own. We must be perfect as God is perfect- but we can't do that on our own. Christ had to do it for us- and He saves us, not because of anything we have done, but because of His grace. See Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 2:8-10.)
   Yes, such fallings definitely weaken our witness for Jesus- but they need not defeat it. As I alluded to earlier, King David not only entertained such notions as the members of the Ashley Madison site, but he also acted upon them and committed adultery with Uriah's wife. On top of that, he had Uriah killed and then took Bathsheba as his wife. God sent Nathan the prophet to bring God's judgment to David- the baby wound up dying and David's family life was a wreck ever since then. But God still forgave David and David still got listed in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11- he was a still a "man after God's own heart".
       We may not have such failings in these matters of sexual immorality, but we are just as equally susceptible and guilty in other sin matters. (Romans 2:1-11 and James 2:10) But as God reminds us and invites us in Isaiah 1:18, though our sins be like scarlet, He will make them white as snow- if we will let Him. Praise God! His grace is greater than all our sins.

The Ragamuffin Gospel of Grace!

" 'If we but turn to God,' said St. Augustine, 'that itself is a gift of God.' My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.....The Good News of the Gospel of grace cries out: We are all equally, privileged but unentitled beggars at the door of God's mercy!" - Brennan Manning in "The Ragamuffin Gospel"
"God loves us as we are, not as we should be, for we will never be as we should be."- Brennan Manning
As Brennan Manning preached so beautifully, God's grace is bigger than we can ever imagine and it is poured out on so freely. Why would we ever try to earn God's love by being good? We can never be good enough- we'll never be as we should be until Heaven. (As Philippians 1:6 tells us, He who began a good work in us will continue it until the day of completion in Jesus Christ.) Man looks at the outward appearance, but The Lord looks at the heart. (see 1 Samuel 16:7) "For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:12-13)
As John 2:24-25 tells us, Jesus knows all people and doesn't need anyone to bear witness about man to Him because He Himself knows what is in man. And Jeremiah 17:9 tells us what is at the heart of man- deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it? But God understands and knows the real human condition. In Isaiah 64:6 He tells us that we have all become like one who is unclean and the righteous deeds we think we've done are like filthy rags to Him.
         Yet through it all, God tells us that He has loved us with an everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3) He says that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked; He only wants for them to repent and live! (Ezekiel 18:23) Hosea 11 gives us a beautiful picture of God's love for us, as He leads us with cords of kindness and the bands of love. In the greatest display of love ever, God demonstrated His love in this, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) And Christ died and rose to prove He's God and to give us a living Hope. So why do we spend so much energy trying to be good and worrying about our track record and performance rates when they are worthless and unnecessary in God's economy of mercy? The price has been paid for all sin for all time! (Hebrews 10:12) Stop working yourself into a frenzy with fear and doubt, trying to do good in a vain attempt to coax God into somehow actually loving you and accepting you. God's acceptance and love calls out to you before you even try to do any good works. Just read the parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15- The Father looks down in love for us prodigals even when we are a long way off, covered in filth and pig dung. And The Father's love compels Him to run to us and sweep us up in His arms of love, with hugs and kissing, and rich jewels thrust upon our hands and new, clean clothes put upon us.
        Yes, the call of the Gospel of grace does include the repentance that the prodigal son so obviously displayed in admitting his sins and his desire to come back- but God's grace and love is lavished upon us beforehand. (To be very clear, I am not saying here that God takes us willingly back without any expectation of acknowledgement of sin and rejection of it. And be sure that rejection of His free offer of love and forgiveness will result in eternal punishment in Hell. But God desires for no one to go to that place- He wants all to come to repentance! 2 Peter 3:8-9) But I am saying that the reason for this should be starkly different from that of rote, routine religion of a pious purity and moral code that is no better than the elder brother's resume of righteousness that he presents to his father.
       Accepting God's grace means agreeing with God that we are sinners who are nothing more than ragamuffins in desperate need of His grace- who have messed up more often than we can count, who feel like a vast disappointment to God- but yet, through our tears of repentance and overwhelming wonder at God's love in spite of it all, gratefully grasp firmly God's outstretched hand of love, trusting Him to help us change into the people He wants us to be. We're not as we should be, but by God's grace alone for salvation and our faith in Him, He is making us who we should be in His time! Praise The Lord!
To paraphrase some more of Brennan Manning's "The Ragamuffin Gospel"-
"Thank God! I am wonderfully content with a God Who doesn't deal with me as my sins deserve. On the last day when Jesus calls me by name, 'Come, Nathan, blessed of My Father,' it will not be because Abba is just, but because His Name is mercy."
       We don't need to be good- we can't be good. There is no good in me- any good in me is Jesus. We have to taste and see that, like a doctor's medicine, Jesus IS good for us! (literally and figuratively! :-) Psalms 34:8)
Praise God for His love! :-)

In That Day (story)

[Note: This is a story I wrote a few years back as a sort of writing experiment, trying to do a progressive story with different time periods represented and certain comparisons made. I could summarize some of the main point with a classic Larry Norman song- "Nothing Really Changes". Ever since Genesis 3, we as humanity have been in the same spot- we are diseased with sin and the only cure is the salvation Jesus offers through faith in His death and Resurrection. One day, in Revelation 21-22, Jesus will bring all things to newness and full restoration. However, Ephesians 2:10 makes it clear that the process starts in us now. This story is an attempt to illustrate a lot of these points. In order to do that, there are a number of caricatures in the story. For the purposes of conservation, there are some characters that embody multiple vices. This is not meant in any way to imply that this is true of all such individuals in similar situations, of course, but it also doesn't preclude that it couldn't be true of any one individual. When it comes down to it, we are all sinners with none righteous (Romans 3:23) and breaking The Law at one point leaves us guilty of breaking all of it. (James 2:10) Thus, no sin is any worse than any other. And one day, God will judge all of us. And The Bible clearly warns that eternal torment in Hell awaits all those who reject God's offer of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus. Thankfully, Jesus' amazing grace paid for all of our sins and is greater than them all. Praise God for His love! Heaven awaits all who will put their faith in Him and follow Him.]

 

In That Day

[Copyright Nathan Ludwick 4/21/2015; originally written circa 2002-2003]


Part One: Twenty Minutes Into the Future

 “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator- who is forever praised. Amen.” (Romans 1:25)

                The boy awakens to the insistent ringing of a telephone. Catching the call on the fourth ring, the boy rubs his eyes with one hand in an attempt to make himself fully alert. He listens intently as a cavalcade of emotions are poured out on the other end. As the caller breaks into cries of sorrow, the boy assures the caller that everything will work out somehow. Amid constant tears, the caller finally hangs up after promises from the boy to meet her later, after work. The boy hurriedly prepares himself for his job and rushes off to his business place, ready to work eight hours that evening for minimum wage. As the boy speeds his car down the road, the words of his telephone call resound in his head. He wonders what exactly will be done for the future and how he can prepare himself for it. As he pulls into a parking space at work, he wonders how he will tell his parents the news that his girlfriend will soon end the life of his unborn child.
                In another part of the city, an elderly man prepares himself for bed. He sees about attending to dental hygiene and then goes from room to room, turning out all the lights in the house. He eases himself into a comfortable bed at an hour fairly early in the evening, as he has grown accustomed to doing over the passing years. He holds a pillow, emblazoned with a picture, close to him and thinks about what will happen to her in the future. He speaks not a word, as he gets lost in his own thoughts. He gives a little start at a sudden noise, and relaxes again when it turns out to be only the dog and cat settling down for the night. He lapses back into his train of thinking, and grieves because there is no hope left for his wife and soon she will be taken off of life support at the hospital.
                The college student hastily changes his clothing as he prepares himself for his night out on the town. The weekend has finally come and the student is ready to throw off the scholastic pressures of yesterday and step forward into the carefree future. As he leaves his apartment, he thinks about where he wants to go first. He goes to the nearest singles bar and heads out to the dance floor. After finding a companion for the night, they both order drinks from the bartender. After regaling each other with numerous stories, each story is followed up by a round of drinks. After a while, the two leave the bar and slip into a dark alley to light up a few joints. Finally, after a few hours, the two go off to enjoy the rest of the evening together, after picking up some cigarettes and cigars at a local gas station. At a house far away in another state, the student’s parents hold each other close as they sit on the couch and wonder how their son could abandon his longtime girlfriend because of his desire for an alternate lifestyle.
                A proud father and his expectant wife leave the doctor’s office and discuss their options for their child. Both wonder at the marvel of modern medicine and technology that moves along ever so quickly. They think about all the packages the doctor presented to them and the offers that were made. They consider all the possibilities for their child and dream of how wonderful it will all be in the future. They think of all the chances and opportunities their child will have that many others would not have. The parents look forward to giving their child the very best that their sizable income can buy. They imagine about what it will be like for their child to grow up with absolutely no diseases and blond hair and blue eyes, just like his dad, all thanks to the wonder of biological engineering. They ponder with wonder what it will be like living in this brave new world of advancements.

Part Two: Back to the Beginning

“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” (Judges 21:25)

 
                A man called Ammon makes a terrible wrong choice that he has to accept the consequences for. In order to “extend his borders” he “rips open the pregnant women of Gilead.” The wrath of God is not held back from him. (Amos 1:13)
                A king named Saul runs in the midst of a losing battle. He gets wounded by the arrows of the opponent and may not survive. He does not want to be captured by the enemy’s hand and so he asks his armor bearer to end his life for him. The armor bearer refuses and so the king takes his own life. A man retells this story to the new king and claims to be the one who killed Saul when asked by him to do so. The new king has him executed for “destroying The Lord’s anointed.” (1 Samuel 31:4, 2 Samuel 1)
                All the men of a city come out to greet three visitors. The three men who come to visit stay with a man by the name of Lot. The men desire to have sexual relations with the visitors. Lot refuses and the visitors blind the eyes of the men outside. The visitors reveal themselves to be angels who have come to get Lot and his family out of the city because God has determined to destroy it. Lot’s sons-in-law don’t believe and don’t come and Lot’s wife disobeys the angels and looks back at the city. Lot and his two daughters escape and then “The Lord rains down burning sulfur” on the city and its neighbor. (Genesis 19)
                A man and a woman walk through a peaceful garden and enjoy the beauty of creation around them. Birds and butterflies fly high in the sky, singing their pretty songs. Fish swim along in the river and deer run through the woods. A serpent entices the woman with forbidden fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden. The serpent promises the woman the chance to be like God, knowing good and evil. The woman eats of the fruit and gives some to her husband, who eats of it as well. “God banishes both of them from the Garden of Eden.” (Genesis 1-3)

Part Three: Back to the Future

“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:37)
“…Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27)

                The boy, the girl, the grandchildren, the college student and his friend, and the expectant parents all continue in their lives. Their choices are made. Time marches on and moves forward. They eat, drink, and are merry. They have fun now and do not worry about the consequences of their actions. An appointment looms over them all and on one day, they will all have to keep it. The appointment with death is one that cannot be avoided. And “in that day” (Obadiah 1:8), God will surely judge everyone for all the sins they’ve done. However, there is still time to change things before that day comes. God offers salvation for the asking through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. “Anyone who calls on the name of The Lord will be saved.” (Joel 2:32) The people make their choices and live their lives. They don’t listen to the Word of God and ignore the “knocking at the door of their hearts.” (Revelation 3:20) And “how shall they escape if they ignore such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3) God is both righteous and fair. He does deal out judgment and He loves everyone. He still offers salvation to those who will listen and turn to Him.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says…” (Revelation 2:29)

 

Jonah Man (song)

Well, if this doesn't beat all- another parody song! :-) Of course, I think that could have been just what the subject of this song was saying too. God told Jonah to go and preach a message. Okay- he was a prophet; he's up for preaching God's Word, of course. But wait- God told him to go and preach to the Ninevites! But they're enemies- they don't even worship The Lord! And God wants him to go preach to them? Doesn't that beat all? Of course, it was a message of destruction for the town. But Jonah knew about God's mercy and His slowness to anger- and He didn't want to see that applied to his enemies. Jonah is an interesting book in The Bible where the message seems to be more about the messenger and what he learned rather than the message he preached. And in the end, Jonah learned more than he thought he knew about God's love and mercy. It reaches to all people- even him in the midst of his sin. Even for times when both he and Nineveh looked like they were going nowhere, man- nowhere but down- God still showed that He had a plan in mind for good and it will be accomplished one way or the other. And though there is an unfortunate sequel where Nineveh was eventually judged down the road (see the book of Nahum)- at this point in history, God saw the people humble themselves and was moved with compassion and stayed His hand. And I know this with this Biblical account about a big fish swallowing a man can be a lot to swallow for some folks. And no matter what kind of seafaring creature it was, it still is definitely a whale of a tale. And it's one that you can't just spit out and aside because Jesus upheld it as a true account. And Jonah is also referenced as an historical prophet elsewhere in The Bible. There are a lot of spiritual lessons we can learn from this book- so dive in, ride it out to the end and sail on with the Banner of Love flying. Jonah, man- isn't he a lot like you and me?
One of my favorite lines in this song: God is not a BIT like you and me- praise God for that!
 Lord, help us to be more like You and show Your mercy, grace and love.

"Jonah Man"
(parody of "Nowhere Man" by The Beatles; copyright Nathan Ludwick 1/27/2015)
(The book of Jonah, 2 Kings 14:25, Matthew 12:38-42, Romans 9:14-18, Revelation 7:9-10)

He's a real Jonah, man
Getting out to Joppa land
Making all his Tarshish plans to go by sea

Running when God told him to
Go and share, "Nineveh's doomed"
Isn't he a lot like you and me?

Jonah, man- please listen (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
You won't blow off your mission (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
Big fish, man (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
The Lord has got at command (aaah-ah-la-la-la)

They're as blind as they can be
Nineveh- God has pity
Jonah, man- he don't pity at all

3 days in fish's tummy (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
Prayed inside- Fish hurled thee (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
Preach it now (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
And from the king down- repent and fast (aaah-ah-la-la-la)

The Lord's wrath's appointment's moved
Jonah glares; God loves him too
God is not a bit like you and me

Jonah, man- please listen (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
They don't know right from left hand (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
Jonah, man (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
The Lord's got love for all lands (aaah-ah-la-la-la)

He's for real- Jonah, man
He's the sign from Son of Man
Matthew 12- it is there, man- for all to see
2 [Two] Kings 14:25- in history!
Go read all of Romans 9- God has mercy!

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