Give in Extravagance

Weird observation of the day- I saw a car today with what looked like a link to use on an app to give someone funds, presumably as a means of aid for college perhaps. I thought the concept of mobile panhandling was interesting and then it struck me that GoFundMe campaigns and such are essentially just electronic panhandling. Sure, we generally deem them to be for a good cause but it's still begging for money. This is just dressed up with perhaps better diction and presentation than the guy on the side of the road holding a handmade sign asking for spare change for a veteran in a rough time.

It's hard to determine who is really genuine or not about their needs. (Though it's interesting that we don't tend to question the online giving campaigns as much as we do the in-person campaigns on the side of the road.) I may get taken for a ride at times but my general rule of thumb is to try to believe the absolute best about someone instead of assuming the absolute worst. I would rather give money when I can in good faith that the person will use it for something good than to withhold from doing good to those in need. If they use it for something evil, that's on their conscience, not mine.

I do believe in being wise with money, of course. And I do tend to offer to buy a meal for those who are hungry and thirsty, which gives me an opportunity to talk further with them and hopefully share The Gospel. I want them to know the One who gives the living water that quenches all thirst and wells up to eternal life- The Lord Jesus!

And I don't say this to condemn anyone for how they approach this. Everyone should cheerfully give whatever The Lord has laid on them to give, never out of compulsion. God loves a cheerful giver! :-) (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)

I take some inspiration from my grandfather, who was not necessarily super wealthy but made good money- and was generous with it and blessed others as God had blessed him. More than anything, I take inspiration from the command of my Lord and Saviour to freely give as I have freely received. I know I am not all I should be on this and I fail many times to give as I should. But more and more I want to unabashedly give it all away and pour out all my treasures to help others, like Mary anointed Jesus' feet with oil. (John 12:1-8)

He has blessed me and given to me in extravagance; I can do no less than to equally extravagantly shower the people I love (family, friends, the household of faith)- and shower the people I don't love as I should- or don't even know- with love and grace. That is what we should strive for as people who have been forgiven for such a multitude of sins with Love that covers and forgives and cleanses from them all!

May we all be weird enough to the world to be known as such lavish givers of benevolence and God's mercy and grace! As St. Francis of Assisi prayed, it is in giving that I shall receive.

And as Lord Jesus said, it is more blessed to give than to receive! Give it all away. (John 1:14-17, Luke 6:38, Luke 4:16-21, Hebrews 13:15-16, Proverbs 11:24-25, Malachi 3, Acts 20:35, Romans 5:8)

After the Sufferin' (song)

 No matter who you are or your position in life, you're going to face hard things in life. Life is hard. We all go through our own sets of suffering at times. Whether you're a cashier at Ingles trying to eke out a living to provide for your family and dealing with unruly customers at the outset of a pandemic or you're Bert being constantly frustrated and annoyed by Ernie- the suffering still comes. The Lord sends His rain on the righteous and the wicked. 

Even when it's hump day and you are trying to make it through a tough week at work at a dinky little job, you can take hope in knowing there's a point to the suffering- and an eventual end to it. And God uses it to draw us closer to Him and make us more righteous. And we know that the glory coming will make these sufferings seem light. And while we're in the midst of trying times, we look forward to Christ's coming- and trust Him to help us move forward in this life while we wait for redemption of our bodies and the freedom from corruption coming after the suffering is done.

"After the Sufferin' "

(parody of "After The Lovin' " by Engelbert Humperdinck; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/16/2020)

(Hebrews 12:1-17, Romans 8:18-30)

Though sin clings oh so deep- cast it off 'cause of

Witness throng that is close- cast off weights

Run with hope and endure- Eye Founder

And Perfecter of our faith

Endured cross, despised shame all for joy set before Him

My own faith- it just seems to go dry

Haven't struggled so much with sin now to the point my veins bleed- Why?

Spankings chasten me (echo: Spankings chasten me)

As a son disciplined by Love (echo: Son disciplined by Love)

And spanking's telling me (echo: telling me) I'm viewed as God's son (echo: God's son)

Though it stings now we'll reap after the suffering

Oh a bushel of fruit- righteous lives (echo: Oooohh!)

Strengthen up, make paths straight and be healed

With God's grace, no one pass by

Make it so that garden isn't springing a bitter root (echo: Ooohhh!)

Oh, and as for this summary, it's all in 12 Hebrews (echo: Ooohhh!)

So I bring you to read chapter 8 Romans 

Can't brush off like hair these hard times (echo: chapter 8 Romans)

But the glory coming when revealed that it makes suffering light (echo: when revealed, it seems light)

And I know creation is still waiting to be renewed (echo: Ahhh!)

Oh, set free from corruption (echo: free from corruption)

Spirit's adoption too

Yes, bodies' redemption (echo: bodies' redemption)

We're groaning, God, for You

Mmm- after the suffering

I'm waiting, God, for You 

In Big Sky Country (song)

Note: Though I didn't really write anything with a Christmas theme for the blog this year, these next three entries were all written in some ways as gifts for others, so consider them as Christmas presents to remember the Giver of all good gifts Who gave us the very best when He sent Christ that first Christmas to save us all from our sins. Merry Christmas! Praise God for His love. :-)

Life is so very hard. Yes, there are times when it has its moments of joy but it also has so many moments of pain. And while we all face our fair share of it all, there are some people groups who have gotten hit so hard and others often don't even see it or ignore. In a big country, it's easy to ignore the plight of others. This song was written as an encouragement for the beautiful Native American people of Montana especially, as well as those throughout America. I had the blessing and privilege to serve these people in helping host basketball camps during the last two summers and in so doing seek to share the love of Christ with people there. There are a lot of hardships that face the people there, largely stemming from the past misdeeds of history- all of which ultimately comes down to the perniciousness of sin that still pervades the whole world. The state of Montana has one of the highest suicide rates in the country and that number is sadly particularly high among the Native American Indian people. I pray that the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine people may come to know the eternal Hope of Christ. If you are interested in learning more and supporting these people groups there, check out Montana Indian Ministries and the work God is doing through Pastor Bruce Plummer there. Give if you feel led, but most of all- pray for God to move and use His servants there to reach many there in Big Sky Country with Jesus' love.

"In Big Sky Country"
(parody of "In A Big Country" by Big Country; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 8/23/2019)
(Jeremiah 1:5, Jeremiah 31:3, Philippians 1:6, 2 Peter 3:8-9, Romans 6-7, Romans 10:8-13, Psalms 139, John 3:16-17, Joshua 24:14-15, John 10:10, John 14:6, 1 John 4:18-20, Isaiah 43:1-7, Isaiah 42:1-4, 2 Samuel 22:30, Psalms 18:29, Psalms 27:13, Deuteronomy 30:15-20, John 6:44, Luke 19:10, Luke 4:14-21, Song of Songs 8:6-7, 1 Corinthians 13, Isaiah 35, Revelation 5:9)

Wake up screaming? Keep on dreaming!

You always seem to look listless- but what's the reason?
Another promise fallen through
Another season passes- life's cruel
Life's often taken smiles away from everybody's face
And there's real desperation- look!
Leads some to suicide- O child!

In Big Sky Country, drinks take our youth
Like our drug of choice tries to satisfy-
They all lie!

I think the painful truth's for things that really matter
You must persevere when every dream or hope in you shatters
I am expecting to grow flowers in the desert
In Isaiah figuratively
We see Heaven in 35

In Big Sky Country dreams can come true
The Creator's voice fills the mountainside
Stay alive!

In a big valley- we can do this too!
You are loved- rejoice! Scale the mountainside!
(Put) Faith in Christ!

Mistakes, life's hooks- so severe! They don't define you
Because they've happened doesn't mean you've been discarded
Put hope in Him 'cause The Lord conquers demons
Christ died for every sin! Creator Sets Free wants you!
Christ's God- The Way, Life, Truth- rising proved that He's Master
His love casts out fear- through everything there's Hope-
Your life matters! Niya!
I am expecting to grow flowers in the desert
And there flow rivers, streams
And see The Son then bring new life!

In Deuteronomy 30- we choose!
God our Father's voice draws us to His side
Please choose Life! (hashtag)
Assiniboine, Gros Ventre- Peace I pray for you
Christ's own blood ransomed folks from every tribe
Rev. 5:9
In Big Sky Country- dreams made like hoops
Through The Lover's choice find in Christ new life
Stay alive!

(Note: "Big Sky Country" is one of the state nicknames for Montana. "Creator Sets Free" is a term for Jesus used in the First Nations Version translation of The Bible, a translation specifically written with First Nation (Native American) people in mind! :-)
"Niya" is a term used by the Lakota people used to refer to the "life-breath". I am using it here to reflect back to the One who gives us both the first life breath with physical life (Genesis 2:7) and a second life breath with spiritual life when we put faith in Christ. (John 20:22))

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!

Cross Beams

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

A Call for Endurance

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

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

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

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

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.

The "Good Ol' Days" and The Glorious Day

       Don't ask, "Why were the old days better than today?" It's not good to ask such things.... (see Ecclesiastes 7:10-18 and chapter 12).... As Acts 17:24-28 tells us, God set men and women in history at exactly when and where He wanted them to be for His purposes.... (which doesn't mean that God won't move you at some point too though ;-))- But part of finding our identity in Jesus as His follower means being happy with who God made us to be- boy or girl, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander, African descent, Indian descent, Caucasian, mixed, etc., Spanish, Trinidadian, American, German, Swiss, South African, Ukrainian, Argentinan, Brazilian, Eritrean, Japanese, Chinese, Australian, Indian, Senegalese, Antarctican, etc.- whatever the social class- whatever other label we put on each other....... God made us above all those things in His image (Genesis 1:26-31). And when we're in Christ, none of those things matter anyway! (Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:1-4, John 13:34-35, Galatians 3:25-29) And as Colossians 3:11 says, "Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."
    We are all infinitely important and infinitely loved by God. (Jeremiah 31:3) And we are all valuable in His kingdom, where the elder learns to serve the younger and the younger cares for the elder- where each thinks of others as better than themselves and each seeks to love each other truly and forgive from the heart...
     No, these aren't the "good ol' days"- but as I like to say, the only good ol' days this planet has ever seen were Genesis 1-2. We won't have any more truly good ol' days until Revelation 21-22 come to pass. But Jesus makes the in-between time more abundant when we follow Him, as John 10:10 says. :-) And during our faith journey with Him, He shapes us to be more and more like Him in character and empowers us with spiritual gifts to bring a touch of The Divine to a fallen world so badly needing of redemption. To be sure, the final Redemption culminates with the coming of The Lord- but until then, we're like the Planeteers with our power rings, sent forth to bring God's restoration to the world through our love and good deeds and sharing of the Greatest Love of all shown to us on the cross and in the empty tomb (Romans 5:8). And way better than Captain Planet, and the Avengers who "have a Hulk"- we have Someone Real Who can do something about our situation (Hebrews 11:1-6)- we have a Savior- Jesus Christ- Whom we eagerly await to come back from Heaven! We have The One Who alone bears the title of King of Kings and Lord of Lords! We have The One God Who holds all things together and by Him all things exist!
    Like DC Talk said, "God is doing a nu thang"- through His followers- His agents of change upon the earth. (Habakkuk 1:5) And as Jesus said in Acts 1:8 (in essence)- The Power is yours! :-) (So use His gifts and be His witness in all the world.)

Tie a Scarlet Ribbon in the Window Please (song)

             If I were to pick one word to describe God's work through The Bible and in the world- His will for all of us- I'd probably want to choose many because I'm no good at picking just one. ;-) But one word I would certainly choose is redemption. The whole picture of The Bible and all of history is moving towards redeeming humanity from our sins. The dawn of grace came with the birth of Jesus Christ in one sense, but God already has always had a totally outlandish outpouring of grace waiting for us since before the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) One picture we get of that in the Old Testament is in the book of Joshua, where Rahab and her family are saved in the destruction of Jericho through her faithfulness to hang a scarlet rope out her window as a sign to the Israelites to spare them from death. Of course, we have the sign of scarlet blood down the cross that spares us from death. And though Rahab was a prostitute, we see that she has fear for The Lord and is changed through grace. And in another picture of grace and redemption, in Matthew 1 we find that she is included in The Lord Jesus' family tree. Thank God for His redemptive grace! :-)
       

"Tie a Scarlet Ribbon in the Window Please"
(parody of "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ol' Oak Tree" by Tony Orlando and Dawn; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 4/29/2016)
(Joshua 2, Joshua 6, Matthew 1:1-17, Hebrews 11:1-6 and 30-31, James 2:24-26, Ruth 2:19-21, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Ephesians 1:7, Titus 2:11-14)

We've come on home- we've done our time
Now we've got to go and win what's Israel's right
Send 2 sneaky spies out there scouting out Jericho's streets
You should go to Joshua 2
And you will then read how they escaped (the) king

Whoa- Hide those fellows, Rahab, on the rooftop please
They don't belong here- use flax stalks please (flax stalks please)
So they won't see us hidden when the king's looking
We'll stay on the run- misdirected 'em- thus, Rahab saved us
We climbed down on a scarlet rope and made a deal, you see

"You spies- Sirs, please look for me
'Cause I'm getting scared to see God fell the city.
So when He deals destruction, spare my loved ones- me and family."
"This simple scarlet ribbon's what you need to set you free."
And the soldiers told her this:

"Whoa, tie a scarlet ribbon in the window please.
Get kinfolk in here- no one will harm thee (But one thing)
If I don't see that ribbon in the window, see
We'll stay all guiltless. If you tell on us, put the blame on thee.
If I don't see a scarlet ribbon in the window, please."

[Instrumental Interlude]

Jericho's slammed down- kept deal then
And that prostitute's redeemed
Her son and a descendant will kinsman redeem
Christ comes by Rahab...mmmm.......

(Scarlet ribbon down Calvary's tree)
(Christ's blood spilling down Calvary's tree)
(Check the women in His family tree)

(Matthew 1- His genealogy)
(Try 11 Hebrews- "By faith" deeds)
(Rahab's listed there and in James 2- read!)

(Scarlet ribbon saved her and family)
(Christ's been given to save you and me!)

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

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!

:-)
:-)

In The Year of Our Lord (Alpha and Omega) (song)

As we wind down another year and get ready to start another one, it seems a good time to review things and remember some history as we consider the present and how to make a better future. For some, 2016 seems to have felt like a zig zag roller coaster ride that's left some sick with all the twists and turns. Of course, I think it all evens out when we consider the course of human history- where we've been, where we are and where we're going. I'm not a doomsayer. However, I do say we're doomed from the start for Hell because of the sin nature of our hearts. We've all been living under the curse of sin that's infected the entire world since the fall of man when Adam and Eve got kicked out of Eden. When people talk about the "good ol' days" of their earlier years, I like to say that the only "good ol' days" this Earth has ever had was back in Genesis 1-2. We won't have any more truly "good ol' days" until Revelation 21-22. And that's the Hope that I continue to hold to through it all. Because of the one God who came into the world, became one of us, died for us and rose again- I know that I have an eternal Hope. My faith is in Jesus Christ, who has promised to forgive me of all my sins and make me into the man He wants me to be and to give me an eternal Home with Him in Heaven. When my life is terminated, I make my exodus from this world into His eternal world of light and love and peace. (Read Romans 10:9 to see how you can do this too! :-)) He's the Alpha and Omega and the Beginning and the End. He's the only One Who makes existence worthwhile. He makes life and life abundant! Though our world has become horribly broken, Jesus still makes beautiful things out of broken things. He still gives us beauty for ashes. He makes all things new! As it's been said before, history is His story! And one day He will come back to make everything right. Until such time comes, may He help us all to live out the redemption He has brought by shining like stars in a dark world and showing others what His kingdom of love looks like to all.

"In The Year of Our Lord (Alpha and Omega)"
(parody of "In The Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" by Zager and Evans;
copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/8/2016)
(Genesis 1-3, Jude 1:20-25, John 13:31-35, Hebrews 10:19-25, 1 John 4:18-21, Philippians 2:13-16, Matthew 5:16, Romans 10:9-13, Esther 4:14, Acts 17:26, 1 John 2:15-17, 1 Peter 5:4-11, 2 Peter 3:1-14, Revelation 1:4-8, Revelation 21-22)

In the year of 1925,
Did man from apes arrive?
Evolution or design?
Monkey trial
And the year of 1939's
When Germany started World War II- took Poland
All bad things- they think Jews to blame
So them they kill- they're dogs, they say

In the year of 1942
Interning Japanese- might be spies, dude
Lot more nice than Nazis did to Jews
Almost Reservations II!

In the year of 1955
Black bodies hanging- lynched by "white pride"
We're segregated in two
Rosa Parks just sparked off a coup

In the year of 1969
Free love don't need 1 husband with just 1 wife
You pick your love, pick your gender too
We're sex objects on a stone walled moon- UFO!

In a year God only knows when
Well, God's a-coming- He's going to make things right then
Baby, you're booked Hellbound if self-sustained
Say yes to Christ- you're from judgment saved!

In the verse 9 in Romans 10
God is gonna save us if we ask Him
We'll either say, "Thy will be done" to Him
Or flip it 'round and hear it from Him
(Whoah!)

Revelation in 21:5
Now God is dwelling with man- New Jerusalem bride
He's making everything that's spoiled new again
And He's made new earth and Heaven
(Whoah!)

When we've been there 10,000 years
No more dying and no more tears
Former things are gone through
Our God reigns always too
And through eternal light
Redeemed kin praise Lord Christ
So, Lord please haste the day
Make me Your instrument today!

In the year right this time, right here then
In Matthew 5:16
Good works done- Light's shining
God's glory sheen!
Like the verse Esther 4:14, guys
Acts 17:26 too- for such a time
Everything we think, do or say
May it be filled with Christ's love and grace

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

Feels Like The First Line (song)

As I'm posting this with the Christmas season upon us, I feel like it's an appropriate choice, even though it may not seem like a natural one to choose at first. (Of course, as it turns out, it's totally natural- it's the fight between the supernatural and natural that I want to start talking about here.) I've noticed that with most Lessons and Carols services at Christmas time, there is a reading from Genesis 3 to start things off. The fall of man is exactly the reason for the rise of Christ. Jesus had to come and die for us and rise again to bring us salvation in order to redeem His creation to Himself. And God promised back in Genesis 3:15, from the very start of everything going wrong, that One would come to put right what once went wrong. Before all that happened, we had perfect union with The Lord in the Garden of Eden. That's the ideal world that Adam and Eve inhabited and one that we will be brought full circle to when Jesus returns and takes us to Heaven- except that Heaven is infinitely better than Eden. Until that time, we who follow Christ live as foreigners in this land. And this song takes a bit of a humorous look at what it was like to be the first inhabitants of a whole new world and the establishment of dating and courtship and marriage in that world. As it turns out, telling a girl that she's the only one for you might be an older line than you think. ;-) However, when it comes to finding the love and fulfillment we desire marriage to bring us, we know it's only a partial picture that's not really complete without a rich relationship with Jesus first. In the end, He's truly the only One for us. I hope that truth is foremost in your heart, soul, mind and strength- and definitely hits you in the feels. :-)

"Feels Like The First Line"
(parody of "Feels Like The First Time" by Foreigner; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 11/17/2015)
(Song of Songs [or Song of Solomon] 4, 6:4-10 and 7:1-10, Genesis 1-3, Matthew 19:1-12, 1 Samuel 1:5-8, Proverbs 12:4 and 31:10-31, Matthew 25:1-13, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and 9:7-10, 1 Corinthians 7, Proverbs 13:12, 13:19, 17:22, 18:22, 19:14, 19:22, 20:6, 21:9, 21:19, 25:24, 26:9 and 29:20)

(Adam singing:)
I'm alive in the Garden
Made of dust- The Lord made me
And guess what He takes out of me?
He chose a rib while I was asleep

(Flesh) of my flesh- He made the woman of you
And brings her to (the) man- that's me
You're bone of my bones- made of my flesh
You're the only girl for me!

It feels like the first line
It feels like the very first line
It feels like the first line
It feels like the very first line

I have named all wildlife
Couldn't find one suited for me
But now that God formed you
Together we'll make history

And I know you'll just be the mother of all
Living- I'm Adam- You're Eve
I know you're my helpmeet now
You're the girl of my dreams

(Eve singing:)
And it feels like the first line
Like you rehearsed this before
Feels like the first line
Like you're hoping pick up lines work
Feels like the first line
What a precedent for men! Sorry, women.

(It feels like the first line) It feels like the first line
(It feels like the very first line)- I know how he feels
(God leads me to the first guy) Whoa! God leads me to the first guy
(Now there's two of every kind)

(Lead singer singing:)
Open up The Book- Genesis 2:24, yeah

Reveals there in that line
(Christ recites in Matthew 19:5)
Man leaves parents for wife
He cleaves to wife then one flesh's derived
The deal's like us and Christ
Congealed in God's marriage design
(Oh, for real) Eden was the first time
Heaven feels like it revived!
(It feels like Genesis' first lines)
.............................................................................

Physical and Spiritual Transformation

     I wanted to offer my thoughts here on a topic that has become of great public scrutiny and debate in America in recent years. It is one that (pun intended) engenders strong emotions on either side of things. As always, I hope to be gracious in talking about sensitive matters and always remember that there are always sinners behind the sin and I am just as sinful and in need of grace as anyone else. I also want to be very clear about what I am discussing here and what I am not saying here. I want to talk about the subject of transgenderism and a Christian response to it, particularly in regards to bathroom usage. One of the clearest verses in The Bible about this issue is found in Deuteronomy 22:5, wherein The Lord forbids men from wearing women's clothing and women from wearing men's clothing. I think any Christian struggling with these sexual identity questions must consider this verse, along with Jesus' words in Matthew 19, wherein He reiterates Genesis 1:26-27, wherein God made people male and female. God has put His design in place and I don't think it is our place to tamper with it.
Also, regarding bathroom usage, I generally feel that those who have a penis should use the men's room and those who have a vagina should use the women's room. However, this still poses a question for those who feel they should have either a penis or vagina. I tend to think that, while it would be preferable for them to have had the surgery performed before they entered the restroom that corresponds to their intended genitalia, they should probably use the restroom they identify with best, provided they clearly present themselves as that gender.
A similar solution would be in place for intersex people since most identify as one or the other gender.
It would probably also be helpful to have more family bathrooms established to eliminate this issue if possible.
And of course, no one should perform acts of rape, sexual abuse, assault and/or invasion of privacy, particularly as aided by the usage of cameras and surveillance devices in any bathroom.
This debate is a thorny issue to be sure, but one that I feel society will continue to address and one that I think Christians should be prepared to speak the truth to in love. God loves everyone and made everyone. I think that, as Romans 3:9-26 talks about, everyone has become corrupt with a sin nature because of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden (as Genesis 3 talks about.) This fall not only separated people from God spiritually (and brought about spiritual death just as God said it would) but that sin also corrupted the entire planet- thorns and thistles grew out of the earth to torment Adam in his work and pain in childbearing grew to torture Eve- both man and woman suffered pain because of sin.
It also caused an imbalance in relations between men and women, as Genesis 3:16 says that the woman's desire will be for her husband and he will rule over her. I believe this set in motion the battle of the sexes that we still see fought to this day. (Note the contrast that we have when we are restored from the corruption through Christ in Galatians 3:28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus.)
I think this corruption is also why we have people born with deformities and diseases. I think it's why some people are born with tendencies to particular sins, as we are all born with tendencies to sin in general, due to our sin nature. For some though, it's heightened in particular areas, whether it's alcoholism (as evidenced by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome), stealing (as evidenced by kleptomania), lying (as evidenced by habitual liars), homosexuality (as evidenced by same sex attractions) or rebellion against God's design (as evidenced by transgender attractions).
The tendencies in themselves can be regarded as temptations; I do not believe they in themselves are sin. However, the reactions to them certainly can be sin. No matter how much a person may struggle with alcoholism, they always make the choice to pick up the bottle, imbibe and get drunk. The same follows for kleptomaniacs and habitual liars, etc. Yes, it does feel near impossible for some with these struggles to resist and with good reason- it is impossible to resist these temptations without the intervention and power of The Holy Spirit, who helps us say "No" to these temptations and choose to follow God instead. That is what the power of Jesus Christ can do. It doesn't mean He will necessarily take away the temptations (though He can do so if He chooses, perhaps in miraculous fashion), but He does promise to not give us more than we can bear and provide the way out so we can stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
I sometimes hear people make the argument that God made them in a particular way to be of a particular sexual orientation outside of the boundaries He has established (male and female sexual relationships held only within the bonds of holy matrimony and that only between one man and one woman for life- see Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19). However, God is not a cruel and vindictive God to where He would make someone helpless to keep from sin and then turn around and condemn them for it. That is to say- I don't believe He made anyone to be a murderer and thus give them an excuse for murdering. Someone on death row may well argue that God created them as a murderer and thus they had to satisfy the need to take other peoples' lives, but they would be dead wrong (pun intended). God condemns and punishes that person rightfully for their sin; it is the same with any other sin. It is not that He made us to be sinners- it is that we chose to be sinners and we must face the consequence of that choice. I think too many people confuse the consequences of the freedom of choice that come with our free will that God gave us (see Genesis 1-2) with God's active will. God has both an active and permissive will. God creating the universe was born out of His active will. His permissive will is for us to suffer the consequences of our sin. He certainly didn't create Adam and Eve with the intention of having them choose to sin by taking of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil- He wanted them to do right and obey Him and enjoy eternal fellowship with Him. But He also wanted them to do that willingly and not because He forced them to do so. Thus, He gave human beings free will- and we've willfully chosen to free ourselves from God with it by choosing sin. Death- eternal separation- is the consequence, the wages of sin.
But thanks be to God! He loves us all so much that He didn't let that be the ending point. He demonstrates His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:8)
The power of the cross frees us from the penalty of sin! (see Romans 6:7-11) And because Jesus rose, we who put our faith and trust in Him for salvation shall rise with Him too. Our faith must be demonstrated by works though, as Jesus makes clear in Matthew 7 and James 2. Jesus Himself said that if we love Him, we will obey Him. The one who obeys Him (not perfectly, as we all still sin and mess up- but Jesus has grace that never ends! And His grace is still greater than all our sins- see 1 John 1:7)- he is the one who truly is Jesus' disciple. (Basically just read John 13-17. But specifically John 15:7-17 for sure.) And to be Jesus' disciple, we must take up our cross, deny ourselves and follow Him. (Luke 9:23) We are no longer identified by our sinful natures (Romans 6:14-23) but we are now identified by Christ in us (Colossians 3:1-3). And we must walk accordingly to our new nature. (Romans 8:1-11, Ephesians 5:8-9, Galatians 5:16-26)

Good Friday (It Is Done) (song)

I'm posting this on "Black Friday", the day after Thanksgiving in America and the day that is so named because many businesses are in the black due to what's essentially the kick-off to the Christmas shopping season. I thought it'd be appropriate to post a song about the blackest Friday of all- when Jesus Christ died a cruel, torturous death for undeserving sinners like you and me. It's also interesting that God finished all His creating work on a Friday and saw that it was good. And just like businesses get out of the red and into good standing in the black on Black Friday, because of the red blood of Jesus, we can get into good standing with God through our faith in what He accomplished in the blackness of death and the light of Resurrection! For that, we can always give thanksgiving. God finished the work needing to be done on this Friday as well, as Jesus testified. And as Isaiah 53:10 tells us, it pleased The Lord to crush His Son for our sake- but He didn't leave Him in the grave, but rose Him up again. Our sins are forgiven through Jesus when we put faith in Him. He is the cure for all our evils. He's in love with us and He proved it on Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Resurrection Sunday! It's good to know that the work is completed- it is done.

"Good Friday (It is Done)"
(parody of "Friday I'm in Love" by The Cure; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 3/27/2016) (song finished on Easter Day 2016)
(Genesis 1-3, Romans 1-3, Colossians 1:11-20, Romans 10:9, Joshua 24:15, Revelation 13:8, Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 53, John 3:16-17, John 6, John 14:6, Romans 5:8)

Christ's there ere Day One, you dudes
Choose this day Whom you will serve
Yahweh or the highway, buster
Christ's The Way- I'm with God

Sunday- God split light and dark
Monday, Tuesday- water, earth, plants
Wednesday- the sun, moon and stars
Fish Thursday- birds above

Next day God creates
All sundry beasts and man in His image
On Friday- then rest Saturday

Sin got there and cursed all that
Calvary- God already countered that
13:8 Rev., Gen. 3- check that!
On Friday- God is done!

Sunday- Jesus crushed his head
Lucifer's end- Hell burning
But Friday- he bruised Your heel- Christ said
On Friday- "It is done!"

Saturday- grave
But Sunday's Resurrection Day
Good Friday- yes, sir- what a name!

(We) messed up God's design
It's a wonder we're alive
You see, He chooses to spare our lives
(We) could be in Hell now
And just writhing in flames bound
Eternally gnashing teeth
(For) sin, His grace abounds!

All was lost with one bite
Sin gushed- 3 Genesis plight
The tree they ate left us riddled with this blight
Eat from Christ's tree to get it off
And drink of His blood
Good Friday
-Read 6 John!

Christ rides in Palm Sunday- cool!
Palms wave- praise- folks change their tune
Friday- they don't care about You
Crucified Son of God

Sunday- tomb saw You depart
Truth, Life, The Way- saved my heart
Sin's stains- Blood washes them out
Good Friday- it is done!
Ohh! Whoa!

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

Hope From Disaster (song)

        One of the many things I love about God is that He is the God of redemption. He takes seemingly hopeless situations and somehow manages to bring good out of them. He takes the vilest sinner and redeems them and uses them for good things when they come to Him in repentance. He even takes unrepentant sinners and still uses them for His purposes. (See Romans 9 for a great review on that as God used the unGodly Pharaoh to accomplish His goals.) Of course, as 1 Corinthians 1 tells us, God delights in using the foolish of the world to shame the wise and the weak to shame the strong. He can take hopeless odds and create victory even out of defeat- so that we know this power comes from God and not ourselves. (2 Corinthians 4:7) Even when someone feels buried in defeat from their own sin, God can take that man or woman from a low place and raise them back up to the heights. This song talks about just such a case, with a sad falling of one of Israel's greatest leaders- King David. And even though he suffered greatly for his sin of adultery and murder- all of which started with lusting after Bathsheba and plotting to kill Uriah- God still used his line to bring the Messiah about- and specifically- through a son David had with Bathsheba after he had taken her as his wife. It doesn't mean God condoned David's actions, but it does mean that God still makes all things work together for good- to the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)


"Hope From Disaster"
(parody of "Copa Cabana" by Barry Manilow)
(parody song lyrics copyright Nathan Ludwick 10/31/2015)
(2 Samuel 11-12, Exodus 20:13-14, Proverbs 5:15-22, Song of Solomon 4:12, 1 Kings 15:4-5, Psalms 51, Matthew 1:6, Romans 1:1-6, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Hebrews 11:32)

Her name's Bathsheba- she let it show, girl
This fellow saw her bathing there; was impressed- caught quite a stare
She was a-married (to) that dude Uriah
And while he's fighting in a war
David just lies with his girl
Of course, a child is formed- Dave worked for days to force
Her husband and her to lie together- Uriah won't while at war

In the book of (uh) 2nd. (uh) Samuel (2nd. Samuel)
The tryst's found 11 through 12 (There)
In The Bible (in) 2nd. Samuel
Choosing their passions, not God's ways- Dave fashioned
(A) final cover- a murder plot

(Like a soap opera drama)

His name was Joab
He led the fighting
He sent hard-core men to their share- left Uriah fighting there
And he was finished just as Dave ordered
Bathsheba then became Dave's bride
And she bore a son in time
How did this Psalmist dude- God's heart he was after, too-
Fall so much? 'Cause we're sinners from start
Jesus still loves you!

It's not over (no) Not by a long shot (Not by a long shot)
The prophet God sent was Nathan- yeah! (yeah)
When he showed up (yeah)- Told a tear-jerker
Using compassion, riled up- Dave's empassioned
For the poor man who lost his lamb
(Nathan told a parable)
(Rich man stole from the poor man)
(You are the man, Dave!) (Ahh! x5)

Bird in the hand's- yeah-
Worth two in the bush.... (Drink from your fountain!)

Lurid lust passions sent David's life crashing

His name is mud, yeah- Lead in the tabloids
While Dave kept dirty deeds shadowed, when Dave's Youtube channel's shown
It'd be a fiasco- wives sleep with others
All Israel is viewing those
David's feathers ruffled?- No
He sits there so contrite- "I've sinned against The Lord"
Though God forgave him, he lost the baby
Then he sought The Lord

So there's hope for (hope) totally all of us (totally all of us)
The Father's wrath poured out on Jesus (He's)
Son of David (read) Matthew 1:6- yeah
Using Dave's actions, God made good despite sin
But the moral's- Don't fall to lust

Don't fall in lust
(Chapter 11)
(Of 2nd. Samuel)
(Don't fall to lust- yeah!)
(Don't fall- Don't fall to lust- yeah!)
(Don't fall to lust- yeah!)(x5)

(and fade)

I can't keep it in- my soul is screaming!

[Note: This is another entry from the archives, which I'm slowly converting all over to this blog. Considering that I've heard some great sermons on God's transformative power today, from Ezekiel 37 and Isaiah 6, respectively- and evangelism has definitely been part of the emphasis today- this blog post seemed particularly appropriate for today. This one I originally posted back on February 26, 2008. It's slightly updated and edited here. Enjoy!] 

"Hey you! I'm into Jesus! I've seen the truth- and I believe!" :-)

(I've been listening to DC Talk's "Supernatural" album again some at work whenever I can- wow, I love this album!)
And of course, as some may know- this is the song I got my email address from. (With a "N" for the initial for my first name- so it still carries the same meaning, but it's like saying "Nathan's into Jesus" :-))
Yeah- Jesus rules! (And I mean that literally!) He's Lord, God and Savior. And He loved us all so much that He died on the cross for us and rose again from the dead. He made the ONLY Way for us to get into Heaven! WOW! I can never praise Jesus enough- or ever stop talking about how AWESOME He is! :-)
Lately, it's something that's been hitting at me. I think witnessing is something every Christian struggles with- and I certainly feel like it's something that I've always felt when I was younger that I wasn't as vocal about Christ sometimes as I could have been- and I've wanted to be bolder for God.
And it's something that we don't have a choice on- Jesus commands us to go! (As a great Keith Green song says- not to mention Matthew 28:18-20!)
And Acts 1:8 tells how to go- first preach in Jerusalem, then move on to Judea and Samaria- and eventually to the whole world! If we take the geographical aspect into mind, we basically have this parallel for us. Start telling people about Christ right where you are in your own neighborhood! Because people everywhere need to hear about God's love. And then you can start reaching out to the rest of the state and all the 50 States that make up the United States of America! (God bless America! Woohoo! Yay for America, its founders and leaders! And while its faults are many, I certainly pray that God will "mend thine every flaw." 'Cause it's still America the Beautiful as far as I'm concered. And God rules over it and the whole world!- yeah, I'm really patriotic- just threw that in there. :-))
And eventually we are called to take the Gospel out to the whole world!
The fields are white with harvest- beseech The Lord of the harvest to send more workers into His fields!
Okay- well, as I'm saying all this, I thought I'd also share a few encounters here. Just the other week I was at a gas station and my bill happened to be $7.77 (not to fill up my tank- wow, I wish! ;-)) Anyway, I just mentioned to the dude that it's the perfect number. (The number 7 in The Bible is associated with completeness and perfection. 7 days in the week, 7 marches around Jericho's walls in 7 days with 7 marches and 7 blasts of the trumpet on the last day- 7 seals, 7 trumpets and 7 bowls of God's wrath in Revelation)- and there's probably other examples. And it's really neat when you get three 7s, because that can also signify the Holy Trinity- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
So I thought it was neat that the dude actually knew what I was talking about and mentioned, "Oh yeah, like in the book of Daniel?" So I told him, "Yeah. It's a good book. Have you read it?" And then he told me that he read The Bible and that he considers himself something of a Christian (it sounded a bit shaky to me, but I think maybe he was just not where he needed to be with God at the moment)- but he did tell me that he went to the charismatic-type church nearby my apartment. So that's way cool. And that was the extent of the conversation, but I prayed for him after I left.
Not a real big deal necessarily- but it was an opportunity to talk about God with the guy. And maybe that little conversation helped give him the spark he needed to get back closer to God. I hope so.
Anyway- this was just to say that God presents us with all kinds of chances to talk to people about Christ- and that's why we have to be ready at all times to share the reason for our hope in Jesus like 1 Peter 3:15 talks about. (in the Greek- apologia- which is where we get apologetics from in English- and where ApologetiX gets their name!)
And interesting that I should mention That Christian Parody Band- because this is kinda where this is all going. Lately I've just been excited to see God moving in the lives of people I've been praying for and I continue to pray and trust that God will work to bring people I care about to know Him as Savior.
(And let me also state that there are plenty of times where I've blown it and felt awful as I'm left thinking- I should have done something more- I should have specifically told them about Jesus.) But share what you can where you can- and definitely share God's Word whenever you can! Isaiah 55:11 tells us that God's Word never returns to Him void but it accomplishes the purpose for which He sent it out! :-)
Ive been reading in Jeremiah lately and this is a great read to show you the compassion and desperation Jeremiah felt for his own people- and the fervence with which he prayed for them and tried to warn them of God's impending wrath and destruction He would bring. And this just got me thinking of how much America (and the world in general for that matter) still needs to hear that message- that God is a God of wrath and will punish sin with finality one day- but that He's also a God of unending love who longs for every single person in the history of the world to be with Him in Heaven- and that's why He paid the price of sin for us by dying in our place!
Look at the all the other religions of the world- there's no other god who's ever been so personal with people that he would die for them to pay for their own sins! Jesus is that personal of a God! He loves us!
Amazing love! How can it be that thou my God shouldst die for me?
Charles Wesley asked that question in a rocking hymn called "And Can It Be?" and wow- that song and question still blows me away every time!

And check out this verse in Jeremiah 20:9
"But if I say, 'I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,' His Word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."

WOW! We've got a message to give to the nations- so let's get busy for Christ! (And remember that witnessing is equally important in the areas of your vocal witness- AND your lifestyle witness! Both have to match up!)