It's the classic faith vs. works paradox of Christianity. I've struggled with it much too. 1 Corinthians 3 is true- you can't throw that out. But 1 John 4 is true too.
It is primarily about knowing and loving Jesus. When it becomes all about what good works we do for God, it reverts into Judaism, hoping to be saved by keeping the law. But if I'm just loving and knowing God and I'm not doing any good works, am I really saved?
I mean- James 2 is there for a reason too. Well, if loving and knowing God doesn't naturally drive me to do the good works He designed for me to do all along, then yes- I'd question my salvation experience and my real level of love for God and knowledge of Him.
But if I'm always doing good works because I know it's expected and not out of a heart that loves and knows God, then I become a works-based Pharisee.
It's got to be both. But the order goes like this- FIRST- Jesus loves me for no reason I can understand except for just being who I am- God's creation.
Brennan Manning once said that he believed God the Father will ask one question and one question only on Judgment Day- "Did you believe that I love you?" And I think this is why he said that. His love and grace is the foundation for everything else.
It's because I believe I am known and loved by God that I put faith in His salvific work through Christ's death and Resurrection. And that love for Him naturally drives me to want to be like Him and obey Him. If Chewbacca can faithfully follow and obey Han Solo because he owes him a life debt, how much more should we do the same with Jesus to Whom we owe an eternal life debt? But Chewie is not Han's slave- he's his loyal friend who loves him fiercely and deeply first and foremost.
That's a good model of our love relationship with King Jesus. We fall out of fellowship when we sin but the love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13) That's why we have 1 John 1:9 and that's how it is with real true friends. We forgive each other and restore the fellowship.
God doesn't love us for what we can do for Him. John 15:5 says we can do nothing apart from Him anyway. Jesus also says that if we love Him, we'll obey Him.
I know this is true in any good romantic love relationship too. When you truly love someone, you naturally want to know everything you can about them. I can think of a girl that God has blessed me with knowing that I felt this way for and still have a deep philio love for as friends even though the relationship didn't work out. And every time I see anything to do with her home country I get excited. We talked with each other for hours at a time and never got tired of it. There were always new things to learn. I loved to reference her name anywhere I could- just thinking about her made me happy. Just looking at her picture and reading her letters made me smile. I wanted to name drop her everywhere.
The romantic eros love is representative of the desire God has for us and the desire we should have for Him. (Just read Hosea 2.) And when we love God with that kind of passion, we find ourselves not only learning about Him and knowing Him more but desiring to please and obey Him more- and eventually becoming like Him more. As in the relationship with my friend I described, I found both of us becoming like each other in some ways because we know what each of us likes and our particular emotional needs and such. This is of course exactly what happens in the covenant marriage relationship as husband and wife become one unit that works and operates together. The wondrous thing is that their individuality is not diminished but they become more themselves than ever before, much as our union with Christ, as C.S. Lewis explained it.
This brings us to the marriage of faith and works as we see laid out in The Bible in passages like Ephesians 2:8-10 and Philippians 2:12-13. Yes, we are saved by Grace through faith alone. However, as John Calvin said, saving faith is never alone- it naturally brings good works with it. Jesus Himself said in John 8 that we would show ourselves to be His disciples by our fruit. But if it's all about our works, why did He come down on the rich young ruler and tell him he still lacked one thing- he needed to sell all he had and give it to the poor and then follow Him? I think Jesus was trying to get him to do a heart check.
I think the rich young ruler thought he was following God by law-keeping in itself but it wasn't because he really desired God. His reaction of leaving in sorrow proves that he loved his stuff more than God. In Matthew 13, Jesus describes salvation as someone who finds treasure buried in a field and in his joy, the man who finds it, sells all he has to buy the field and get the treasure.
That is a picture if how we are to desire Jesus.
The grace and faith that save us drive us to do the good works that God had already planned for us to do. We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it's God who works in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Thus, it's not an either-or situation, but a both-and situation. The order is always paramount though. It starts and ends with God. He draws us to Himself and saves us. He moves in our hearts to be more like Him. When we fall because we have cut off fellowship with Him, His Spirit draws us back and we repent and the fellowship resumes- but the relationship is always intact.
My parents have often told me an approach in prayer life that is applicable here- pray as if it all depends on God and work as if it all depends on you. I believe God honours our faith and particularly when we demonstrate it by taking action.
This is the great paradoxical nature of the faith and works relationship in The Bible and in our lives. It all comes down to the heart and motives.
We can either fall into two errors, as seen in the two brothers in Jesus' parable of the lost son in Luke 15. One is openly defiant to his father and blatantly lives in sin and then finally comes to his senses and returns in repentance. Note that the Father runs faster than The Flash, Road Runner, Speedy Gonzales and Superman combined to his son as he comes down the robe. The love of the father is totally undignified as he enthusiastically embraces his most likely muddy, smelly, pig slop-covered son and showers him with hugs and kisses before he can get a word of his prepared apology out. Now, make no mistake, the son did admit he had sinned before his father and Heaven and came in humble repentance but the father's love was already there and poured out.
Too many times we have the attitude of the elder brother who is as lost in his righteousness as the younger son was lost in his wickedness. The elder brother cites his years of service and faithfulness and complains that he never got a young goat to barbecue with his friends.
The father explains that he is always with Him and all he has is his but it's fitting to celebrate this lost brother who was found; this dead son who is now alive. It seems both the younger and elder son wanted their father for his stuff- the younger forced his hand in rebellion for it but the elder thought he could earn it through righteous works.
The truth is that it's freely given to all of us- it's The Father's good pleasure to give us the Kingdom! (Luke 12:32)
We must repent of both our errors though. The younger son had to repent of his wickedness and the elder son had to repent of his righteousness. We can't earn God's love or deserve it or pay Him back for it- it's a free gift. (John 3:16-17, John 8:32-36)
We are all desperately in need of it and once we've experienced it, it should so change us that we want to live a life of love to God and others in gratitude, with a heart set free to love and know others in agape love as He has known and loved us first!
P.S. I must acknowledge Rev. Timothy Keller's excellent book "The Prodigal God" for much of the ideas about the parable of the lost son as well as Brennan Manning's incredibly awesome "The Ragamuffin Gospel" book, both of which I highly recommend reading! I have read and reread and reread the latter and cried over it numerous times.
As I have said before, the most profound theologically rich Christian song I know is still "Jesus Loves Me". Rest in that Truth today. :-)
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Thursday, December 27, 2018
We are the Reason for the Season
In the hustle and bustle of this busy holiday season, it's easy to get overwhelmed. There are so many activities and traditions to keep up with at Christmas. It's easy to forget what it's all about and why we do the celebrations we do. But, of course, in the course of it all, we should always remember the reason for the season- us. If not for us, there would be no Christmas- there'd be no need. It might seem weird to say Christmas is all about me and you but in a sense it certainly is just that. In the same way that police and fire fighters and superheroes are out of work without villains to stop and people to save, the birth of Christ would not be necessary except for us. We, the pinnacle of God's creation, went astray like sheep. We have all sinned and are all villains. But instead of sending us to the Phantom Zone, God found a way to save us from our Kryptonite that had killed us. The real life Superman came to earth, rocketed out of Heaven and arriving via the miracle of the Incarnation. He was raised by a carpenter and his wife in a small town, not too unlike Jonathan and Martha raising Clark Kent in Smallville. Joseph and Mary raised Jesus Christ in Nazareth later on after His spectacular birth in Bethlehem, which was reserved for only a few shepherds to first know about and view the manger.
And like the meek and mild-mannered reporter, Jesus humbled Himself and disguised His superpowered self in the form of a bondservant for the planet daily for 33 years. And ultimately, He showed us that He is the one true real Superhero because He did what only He could do for the sake of the people- He gave His life to save all of humanity. He paid the price for all of our wrong deeds once for all time. And then He proved He is God over all ultimately by defeating the great enemy no one else could defeat- He beat death, sin, Hell, the devil and his demons all in one blow! He rose again from the grave!
And He did it all to save us! If we put our faith in Him to save us, He gathers us in His arms and no scheme of Lex Luthor can ever shake us loose. We are saved forever from the sin that had entangled us and we are freed to live for Jesus and have an assurance of eternity with Him in Heaven.
And that's the meaning of and reason for Christmas. Yes, Jesus is still always the reason for the season but as David Meece reminds us, we are the Reason for Jesus coming! He loves us and wants to save us! That's why we can celebrate Christmas and that's ultimately what we celebrate- the advent of our salvation culminating and fulfilled in Easter!
And as we celebrate the joy to the world The Lord's first coming brings, we also look forward to the joy to the world (for those in Christ) that The Lord's second coming brings.
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman- fully God and fully man! The Saviour has come and The Saviour's coming again! Hallelujah!
Merry Christmas and Happy (First and Second) Advent!
And like the meek and mild-mannered reporter, Jesus humbled Himself and disguised His superpowered self in the form of a bondservant for the planet daily for 33 years. And ultimately, He showed us that He is the one true real Superhero because He did what only He could do for the sake of the people- He gave His life to save all of humanity. He paid the price for all of our wrong deeds once for all time. And then He proved He is God over all ultimately by defeating the great enemy no one else could defeat- He beat death, sin, Hell, the devil and his demons all in one blow! He rose again from the grave!
And He did it all to save us! If we put our faith in Him to save us, He gathers us in His arms and no scheme of Lex Luthor can ever shake us loose. We are saved forever from the sin that had entangled us and we are freed to live for Jesus and have an assurance of eternity with Him in Heaven.
And that's the meaning of and reason for Christmas. Yes, Jesus is still always the reason for the season but as David Meece reminds us, we are the Reason for Jesus coming! He loves us and wants to save us! That's why we can celebrate Christmas and that's ultimately what we celebrate- the advent of our salvation culminating and fulfilled in Easter!
And as we celebrate the joy to the world The Lord's first coming brings, we also look forward to the joy to the world (for those in Christ) that The Lord's second coming brings.
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman- fully God and fully man! The Saviour has come and The Saviour's coming again! Hallelujah!
Merry Christmas and Happy (First and Second) Advent!
"We are the reason that He gave His life. We are the reason that He suffered and died. To a world that was lost He gave all He could give to show us the reason to live." ...."He is my reason to live!"
- "We Are The Reason" by David Meece
(Philippians 2, Galatians 4:4, Psalms 98, Mark 4:41, Colossians 1:15-23, Romans 5:6-8, John 1:1-18, John 1:29, John 1:43-51, John 3:13-21, 1 John 4:7-21, Hosea 11:8-9, Hosea 2:16-23, 2 Peter 3:8-9, Revelation 22:16-21) (Action Comics by DC Comics publishing and David Meece's 1980 "Are You Ready?" album from Myrrh Records for all the rest
)
- "We Are The Reason" by David Meece
(Philippians 2, Galatians 4:4, Psalms 98, Mark 4:41, Colossians 1:15-23, Romans 5:6-8, John 1:1-18, John 1:29, John 1:43-51, John 3:13-21, 1 John 4:7-21, Hosea 11:8-9, Hosea 2:16-23, 2 Peter 3:8-9, Revelation 22:16-21) (Action Comics by DC Comics publishing and David Meece's 1980 "Are You Ready?" album from Myrrh Records for all the rest
)Sunday, December 16, 2018
Want A Place Where, Brother, Nobody Does Nobody Wrong? Song (Song)
Are there times when you just feel like giving up? Sometimes the world seems so unfair when we strive to live right for The Lord and all we get for our troubles are more troubles while the unrighteous world seems to thrive in the lap of luxury! It seems crazy to most. Yet God assures us that though we will have persecutions and trials in this life, we always have Him with us to take us through them. And we don't have a God unfamiliar with pain and suffering. Our Lord Jesus suffered alongside us And He can sympathize with us in our sorrows as The Man of all Sorrows. And though we may not ever understand them all in this life, we can trust that God still is good and has a good plan for us in the end and the weight of glory far outscored anything we endure here. Keep your eyes to the skies! We walk by faith and not by sight.
"Want A Place Where, Brother, Nobody Does Nobody Wrong? Song"
(parody of "(Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" written by Chips Moman and Larry Butler, as performed by B.J. Thomas)
(Copyright Nathan Ludwick 9/23/2018)
(Psalms 73, Romans 8, Book of Lamentations, Job 38-42, Psalms 42, Romans 10:9-13, Hebrews 13:5-16)
He's lonely out there crying
And he's reeling from death of wife
4 kids- gone too- where's God?
Well, don't He love everybody? So long, God.
Hey! Won't he say,
"Oh, brother! Some God- He's done somebody wrong, dog..."?
Why pray and keep the law?
When all of this is my payment! Feeling dissed like Asaph
"So please pray for me- it's a sad tragedy"
The man- it did shake his faith in God- Please, Why?
Some real hurting's come- so how could God let it go on?
'Cause I feel justified just like Job
Hey! What's it say? In chapters 38 on- God's God and we're not!
So when you feel like Job
While dismissing your safeties- Repositioned to Saviour!
Lord Jesus received real bad suffering
So bad but it means no one has to die
Our real hurts seem wrong- like how real Love's what we long
'Cause pain is The Lord Christ's megaphone
Hey! Want a place
Where, brother, nobody does nobody wrong, dog?
That place is streets of gold
Well, Jesus is my payment
There suffering finds meaning
(x3)
...........................................................
"Want A Place Where, Brother, Nobody Does Nobody Wrong? Song"
(parody of "(Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" written by Chips Moman and Larry Butler, as performed by B.J. Thomas)
(Copyright Nathan Ludwick 9/23/2018)
(Psalms 73, Romans 8, Book of Lamentations, Job 38-42, Psalms 42, Romans 10:9-13, Hebrews 13:5-16)
He's lonely out there crying
And he's reeling from death of wife
4 kids- gone too- where's God?
Well, don't He love everybody? So long, God.
Hey! Won't he say,
"Oh, brother! Some God- He's done somebody wrong, dog..."?
Why pray and keep the law?
When all of this is my payment! Feeling dissed like Asaph
"So please pray for me- it's a sad tragedy"
The man- it did shake his faith in God- Please, Why?
Some real hurting's come- so how could God let it go on?
'Cause I feel justified just like Job
Hey! What's it say? In chapters 38 on- God's God and we're not!
So when you feel like Job
While dismissing your safeties- Repositioned to Saviour!
Lord Jesus received real bad suffering
So bad but it means no one has to die
Our real hurts seem wrong- like how real Love's what we long
'Cause pain is The Lord Christ's megaphone
Hey! Want a place
Where, brother, nobody does nobody wrong, dog?
That place is streets of gold
Well, Jesus is my payment
There suffering finds meaning
(x3)
...........................................................
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
I Shall Again Praise Him (More Songs to the God of My Life)
(Note: This post is intended as a direct follow-up to the last blog entry.)
Praise The Lord Jesus Christ always! He's always worthy no matter what I'm feeling! (Psalms 42, 43, 137, 103, 149 and 150, Revelation 4:11)
It's always an appropriate response to praise The Lord- in all the bad and all the good. And as Don Francisco reminds us, Jesus is Lord of the way I feel.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NldZCO2ECaw
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cvytewIxll0
("The Silence of God" by Andrew Peterson)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8GiPb6gwuPQ
("After The Last Tear Falls" by Andrew Peterson)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wyWi_dEJEUs
("No More Faith" by Andrew Peterson)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fn8cbI9jFGc
("The Rain Keeps Falling" by Andrew Peterson)
https://youtu.be/3w6BoCvWLtE
("The Far Country" by Andrew Peterson)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5aQq5wOrKk4
("Canaan Bound" by Andrew Peterson)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8fXFIqHS9Ho
("God's Own Fool" by Michael Card)
https://youtu.be/h_cMqqiXZ5Q
("That's What Faith Must Be" by Michael Card)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9fIP_bKxjLs
("Joy in the Journey" by Michael Card)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I-A1u-Zfal8
("Not Home Yet" by Steven Curtis Chapman)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LpXMnY_t03M
("Place in This World" by Michael W. Smith)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5kx3xqmg0
("Better Than A Hallelujah" by Amy Grant)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OfGvXfe9LK8
("Don't Try So Hard" by Amy Grant, featuring James Taylor)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iPsea6m1klo
("Reaching" by Carolyn Arends)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1s1JbM0Bk
("Big Enough" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mFla0ssth0I
("Naive" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xNUmoSHavLc
("Smell the Color 9" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo5BAGWoD7g
("Questions for Heaven" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nOftdxtQgmA
("Live By Faith" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u_zVGsUN2KI
("Hallelujahs" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FPwYyj6uR1U
("And Your Praise Goes On" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p5V30p-sPww
("One of Those Days" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IVzsUCXysCo
("My Tree" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iR7MXFupz6E
("Prone to Wander" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hTRNW6tkv-I
("Missin' You" by Chris Rice) (plus "Cartoons" by Chris Rice :-))
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UFNB2oVcNgg
("Hard to Get" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mEY_UYMvQZ0
("A Place to Stand" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A2arAO8T2j8
("Growing Young" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t4naLg-j4TU
("Elijah" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oEiXrRmtDIk
("Land of My Sojourn" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d9T3tL5U67w
("Hold Me Jesus" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jj0ZTzgmGM
("If I Stand" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fAMRacZ0zHE
("Sometimes by Step" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nBnzAepXOE8
("Awesome God" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HbIYPYBiejM
("Sing Your Praise To The Lord" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UuuZMg6NVeA
("Every Praise" by Hezekiah Walker)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V7eZD3TKn_M
("Shackles (Praise You)" by Mary Mary)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sQTyjatRw5Q
("A Flowery Song" by Five Iron Frenzy)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_tOD5nYF8lw
("Smells Like Thirtysomething Spirit" by ApologetiX)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xrSwEa29xMY
("Save Your Voice (Quiet Down Boy)" by ApologetiX)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OfTQg9whI-s
("Praise The Lord" by The Imperials)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X6WUIBr7Ncs
("Jury Duty" by The O.C. Supertones)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ca9LnzJnpjQ
("Days of Elijah" by Robin Mark)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLejeq2nh0
("A Million Years" by This Train)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OIahc83Kvp4
("Is He Worthy?" by Andrew Peterson)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ttS7FH8X4n4
("He Is" by Aaron Jeoffrey)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tqEa1Uo9UZc
("Oh Lord, You're Beautiful" by Keith Green)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rhGOosxTLrY
("The Color Green" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KTiPg7p2FxU
("Creed" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DXtwPY1Qqug
(Hymn Medley and Doxology performed by Rich Mullins)
Praise The Lord Jesus Christ always! He's always worthy no matter what I'm feeling! (Psalms 42, 43, 137, 103, 149 and 150, Revelation 4:11)
It's always an appropriate response to praise The Lord- in all the bad and all the good. And as Don Francisco reminds us, Jesus is Lord of the way I feel.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NldZCO2ECaw
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cvytewIxll0
("The Silence of God" by Andrew Peterson)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8GiPb6gwuPQ
("After The Last Tear Falls" by Andrew Peterson)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wyWi_dEJEUs
("No More Faith" by Andrew Peterson)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fn8cbI9jFGc
("The Rain Keeps Falling" by Andrew Peterson)
https://youtu.be/3w6BoCvWLtE
("The Far Country" by Andrew Peterson)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5aQq5wOrKk4
("Canaan Bound" by Andrew Peterson)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8fXFIqHS9Ho
("God's Own Fool" by Michael Card)
https://youtu.be/h_cMqqiXZ5Q
("That's What Faith Must Be" by Michael Card)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9fIP_bKxjLs
("Joy in the Journey" by Michael Card)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I-A1u-Zfal8
("Not Home Yet" by Steven Curtis Chapman)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LpXMnY_t03M
("Place in This World" by Michael W. Smith)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5kx3xqmg0
("Better Than A Hallelujah" by Amy Grant)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OfGvXfe9LK8
("Don't Try So Hard" by Amy Grant, featuring James Taylor)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iPsea6m1klo
("Reaching" by Carolyn Arends)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1s1JbM0Bk
("Big Enough" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mFla0ssth0I
("Naive" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xNUmoSHavLc
("Smell the Color 9" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo5BAGWoD7g
("Questions for Heaven" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nOftdxtQgmA
("Live By Faith" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u_zVGsUN2KI
("Hallelujahs" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FPwYyj6uR1U
("And Your Praise Goes On" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p5V30p-sPww
("One of Those Days" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IVzsUCXysCo
("My Tree" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iR7MXFupz6E
("Prone to Wander" by Chris Rice)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hTRNW6tkv-I
("Missin' You" by Chris Rice) (plus "Cartoons" by Chris Rice :-))
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UFNB2oVcNgg
("Hard to Get" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mEY_UYMvQZ0
("A Place to Stand" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A2arAO8T2j8
("Growing Young" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t4naLg-j4TU
("Elijah" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oEiXrRmtDIk
("Land of My Sojourn" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d9T3tL5U67w
("Hold Me Jesus" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jj0ZTzgmGM
("If I Stand" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fAMRacZ0zHE
("Sometimes by Step" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nBnzAepXOE8
("Awesome God" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HbIYPYBiejM
("Sing Your Praise To The Lord" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UuuZMg6NVeA
("Every Praise" by Hezekiah Walker)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V7eZD3TKn_M
("Shackles (Praise You)" by Mary Mary)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sQTyjatRw5Q
("A Flowery Song" by Five Iron Frenzy)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_tOD5nYF8lw
("Smells Like Thirtysomething Spirit" by ApologetiX)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xrSwEa29xMY
("Save Your Voice (Quiet Down Boy)" by ApologetiX)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OfTQg9whI-s
("Praise The Lord" by The Imperials)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X6WUIBr7Ncs
("Jury Duty" by The O.C. Supertones)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ca9LnzJnpjQ
("Days of Elijah" by Robin Mark)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UhLejeq2nh0
("A Million Years" by This Train)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OIahc83Kvp4
("Is He Worthy?" by Andrew Peterson)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ttS7FH8X4n4
("He Is" by Aaron Jeoffrey)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tqEa1Uo9UZc
("Oh Lord, You're Beautiful" by Keith Green)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rhGOosxTLrY
("The Color Green" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KTiPg7p2FxU
("Creed" by Rich Mullins)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DXtwPY1Qqug
(Hymn Medley and Doxology performed by Rich Mullins)
Season for the Reason: Have I Served God All for Naught or Has He Served me All for Naughty?
(Note: This is a piece of writing borne out of a real conversation about the age old question of why the wicked always seem to prosper and the righteous always seem to suffer. Christ calls us to count the cost before following Him and many times after walking faithfully with Him for a long time, we start to feel the weight of that cost. After a while, we don't feel like we have received the rest God promises in Matthew 11:28. It seems like we should have more of our felt needs met and God doesn't seem to be cutting it anymore. What do we do then? Why do the wicked always seem to prosper while all we seem to get for our struggles in following Jesus is just pain and suffering? Is God fair?)
One of the biggest areas of unfulfillment more than anything else felt for Christians is in the area of love and romantic relationships. Though married people feel this at times too, it seems particularly grievous and painful for single Christians faithfully holding to celibacy. Praise God for that testimony of holding true to His standards of sexual purity! That's a very honest confession that not many can make. And I always appreciate honesty, as I know God does. And we can always be totally honest with Him.
But where does that leave me when I feel like God isn't meeting my needs in this area?
I can understand struggling with doubts about God and His promises. I've struggled with doubts numerous times myself. I think every Christian, if they're honest, would admit that. Throughout the Scriptures there are tons of folks who struggled with doubts. Just read the book of Job. Moses and Elijah are also two prime examples. But both those guys also appeared with Jesus on the mountain at His transfiguration! Obviously they made it through the doubts to see their faith become sight.
It's certainly not easy but we are still called to trust God and endure- particularly when it's hard, sad and lonely. (The command to endure is one of the most repeated phrases in Revelation particularly and through The Bible.)
Just read the accounts of Jesus' time in Gethsemane. We are promised to stand with Him in Heaven in the end- and all our trials here will be far outweighed by it! (Romans 8)- but we must stand with Him in Gethsemane and at Calvary first.
I can understand about feeling lonely and sad- I'm an almost 36-and-a-half-year old man who's a virgin too and I've never been married. I'd still like to be married if God grants that and leads me to the right woman but I'm okay with it if God wants me to be single too. As single Christians, we're in good company with Paul and Jesus. :-)
As to God meeting our needs, Philippians 4:19 says God will meet all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. I believe that encompasses companionship needs as well. However, I think we have to be careful how we define our needs. We usually talk of sexual desire, not sexual need. I mean, no one's died from not having sex. That is something we have to surrender to The Lord- along with all else.
You might like to read Psalms 73- a dude named Asaph had some of the same complaints. Habakkuk had similar thoughts too. And in the end, we can remember that the pleasures of this life are fleeting- but the kingdom of God is eternal. And He promises an eternity of joy in Him. He is the One we are made to worship (Revelation 4:11) and when we live in accordance with the way our Maker made us, we find the greatest joy. Everything else disappoints us ultimately- including marriage and sex.
And if we put our hopes in those things fulfilling us- if we put hope in any relationship over the one we have with Christ- we're going to be disappointed. Where else can we go but Christ? He has the words of eternal life. (John 6:68) And He comes to give us life and life more abundant. I believe that starts in the here and now and continues into eternity.
We have to seek Him first and His righteousness and all our other needs will be added onto us. (Matthew 6:33) And if I can trust Jesus with my eternity, surely I can trust Him with my relationships on earth! I am not always the best at this and I fall into wistful whimpering and whining at times too but I have decided that I do not want to wallow in depression and despair because of what I don't have right now! I choose to be happy and joyous in Jesus because of all He's blessed me with in life. May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth like peanut butter if I forget Him and don't make Him my highest joy! You are my one thing, Lord Jesus! May Your praise ever be on my lips. You are always worthy! I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked! (See Psalms 137 and Psalms 42 and 43 and 84 and 103!)
I hope that helps some. Hold on! And I don't claim to have all the answers but I know I have struggled with a lot of these things before and those are the conclusions the Holy Spirit's led me to in The Bible. The marathon comes before the maranatha. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and 1 Corinthians 16:22) But let's be clear too that God doesn't owe us anything! A classic song made famous by Lynn Anderson comes to mind- "I beg your pardon. I never promised you a rose garden." I'm also reminded of the elder brother in Luke 15 complaining about the seeming unfairness of his father when all his years of service didn't get him a fattened calf. Of course, the father assures that all he has belongs to him. In our case, we are given all that God has too! He sent Jesus to die and rise to pay for all our sins so that we might have salvation and be in Heaven with Him instead of in Hell for eternity! The burning hell is what we deserve! As Mark Lowry once observed, anything above burning in Hell is a privilege!
God never promised to meet all our wants but He did promise to meet all our needs- and He is enough for us in the end. (Psalms 73:23-28, John 6:68) Why do I want this world to be perfect (according to my standards) when I have a perfect one waiting? That's where I must put my hope above all else- Christ and His kingdom! (Philippians 3:20) This world is not my home- I'm just passing through.
I pray God continues to encourage you and show you His Love in a special way. Keep enduring. There is a glory coming that far outshines and outweighs anything we face in this life. We must continue to walk by faith and not by sight. It will be more than worth it in the end.
And keep praying and seeking after God even when you doubt His benevolence or care. He is always faithful and delights in you and delights to gather you in His arms of love. Love you in the Lord. I will pray for you too. :-)
I've often found songs to be therapeutic as well. Maybe some favourites that have helped me often will be helpful to you.
I'll post a few here and be done. God bless.
(James 1:17, Ephesians 2, Psalms 149, Psalms 150)
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above ye Heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen!
One of the biggest areas of unfulfillment more than anything else felt for Christians is in the area of love and romantic relationships. Though married people feel this at times too, it seems particularly grievous and painful for single Christians faithfully holding to celibacy. Praise God for that testimony of holding true to His standards of sexual purity! That's a very honest confession that not many can make. And I always appreciate honesty, as I know God does. And we can always be totally honest with Him.
But where does that leave me when I feel like God isn't meeting my needs in this area?
I can understand struggling with doubts about God and His promises. I've struggled with doubts numerous times myself. I think every Christian, if they're honest, would admit that. Throughout the Scriptures there are tons of folks who struggled with doubts. Just read the book of Job. Moses and Elijah are also two prime examples. But both those guys also appeared with Jesus on the mountain at His transfiguration! Obviously they made it through the doubts to see their faith become sight.
It's certainly not easy but we are still called to trust God and endure- particularly when it's hard, sad and lonely. (The command to endure is one of the most repeated phrases in Revelation particularly and through The Bible.)
Just read the accounts of Jesus' time in Gethsemane. We are promised to stand with Him in Heaven in the end- and all our trials here will be far outweighed by it! (Romans 8)- but we must stand with Him in Gethsemane and at Calvary first.
I can understand about feeling lonely and sad- I'm an almost 36-and-a-half-year old man who's a virgin too and I've never been married. I'd still like to be married if God grants that and leads me to the right woman but I'm okay with it if God wants me to be single too. As single Christians, we're in good company with Paul and Jesus. :-)
As to God meeting our needs, Philippians 4:19 says God will meet all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. I believe that encompasses companionship needs as well. However, I think we have to be careful how we define our needs. We usually talk of sexual desire, not sexual need. I mean, no one's died from not having sex. That is something we have to surrender to The Lord- along with all else.
You might like to read Psalms 73- a dude named Asaph had some of the same complaints. Habakkuk had similar thoughts too. And in the end, we can remember that the pleasures of this life are fleeting- but the kingdom of God is eternal. And He promises an eternity of joy in Him. He is the One we are made to worship (Revelation 4:11) and when we live in accordance with the way our Maker made us, we find the greatest joy. Everything else disappoints us ultimately- including marriage and sex.
And if we put our hopes in those things fulfilling us- if we put hope in any relationship over the one we have with Christ- we're going to be disappointed. Where else can we go but Christ? He has the words of eternal life. (John 6:68) And He comes to give us life and life more abundant. I believe that starts in the here and now and continues into eternity.
We have to seek Him first and His righteousness and all our other needs will be added onto us. (Matthew 6:33) And if I can trust Jesus with my eternity, surely I can trust Him with my relationships on earth! I am not always the best at this and I fall into wistful whimpering and whining at times too but I have decided that I do not want to wallow in depression and despair because of what I don't have right now! I choose to be happy and joyous in Jesus because of all He's blessed me with in life. May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth like peanut butter if I forget Him and don't make Him my highest joy! You are my one thing, Lord Jesus! May Your praise ever be on my lips. You are always worthy! I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked! (See Psalms 137 and Psalms 42 and 43 and 84 and 103!)
I hope that helps some. Hold on! And I don't claim to have all the answers but I know I have struggled with a lot of these things before and those are the conclusions the Holy Spirit's led me to in The Bible. The marathon comes before the maranatha. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and 1 Corinthians 16:22) But let's be clear too that God doesn't owe us anything! A classic song made famous by Lynn Anderson comes to mind- "I beg your pardon. I never promised you a rose garden." I'm also reminded of the elder brother in Luke 15 complaining about the seeming unfairness of his father when all his years of service didn't get him a fattened calf. Of course, the father assures that all he has belongs to him. In our case, we are given all that God has too! He sent Jesus to die and rise to pay for all our sins so that we might have salvation and be in Heaven with Him instead of in Hell for eternity! The burning hell is what we deserve! As Mark Lowry once observed, anything above burning in Hell is a privilege!
God never promised to meet all our wants but He did promise to meet all our needs- and He is enough for us in the end. (Psalms 73:23-28, John 6:68) Why do I want this world to be perfect (according to my standards) when I have a perfect one waiting? That's where I must put my hope above all else- Christ and His kingdom! (Philippians 3:20) This world is not my home- I'm just passing through.
I pray God continues to encourage you and show you His Love in a special way. Keep enduring. There is a glory coming that far outshines and outweighs anything we face in this life. We must continue to walk by faith and not by sight. It will be more than worth it in the end.
And keep praying and seeking after God even when you doubt His benevolence or care. He is always faithful and delights in you and delights to gather you in His arms of love. Love you in the Lord. I will pray for you too. :-)
I've often found songs to be therapeutic as well. Maybe some favourites that have helped me often will be helpful to you.
I'll post a few here and be done. God bless.
(James 1:17, Ephesians 2, Psalms 149, Psalms 150)
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above ye Heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen!
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Absorption
To briefly address a few points commonly raised about abortion, I just wanted to point out a few things. Let's be clear on terms first. Abortion is ending the life of a human being. Whether you want to call what's growing in the mother's womb a bunch of cells, fetus or a baby- the being has 100% human DNA. Having 100% human DNA would classify one to be a human being to me.
That is the biggest question regarding morality. If it's not really a human being, then the morality is akin to eating a fried chicken egg- since it wasn't fertilized, you're not killing a chicken to do so.
If it is a human being, then you're taking the life of someone else against their will, also known as murder.
We should at least be honest enough to admit this much.
I have heard a number of concerns raised in favour of abortion and one guiding principle I would say in response to them is that you reap what you sow. And we must all, men and women, be willing to take responsibility for our actions- and the government employs laws to help us do so in some cases.
The best method to prevent many abortions would be to reserve sexual relations only for the bonds of holy matrimony- one man and one woman for life.
(This is of course the original design of God and His command, as laid out in Genesis 2:24 before the fall of man and reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 19. As I am a Christian, I hold to that, but no- I don't expect any non-Christians to do so, though a number of other religions would hold to this too. America is not a theocracy and I don't wish it to be one and thus, I realize you can't force someone to maintain celibacy until marriage.) Nonetheless, the government can pass laws forbidding murder and it has done so (even though those laws are also based upon the Judeo-Christian heritage of faith influence in the US too. But most every country and people of most religious stripes or none accept this.)
To address the Biblical claims mentioned, it cannot be stressed enough that The Bible, like any other book, must be read in context, which means considering the time and place it was written and to whom and recognizing the type of language used, etc. Of course, The Bible is unique in that it is spiritually discerned and thus the mind of natural man does not receive it, as 1 Corinthians 2:14 says. (Thus, it is necessary to be a follower of Christ and have the Holy Spirit inside opening our eyes and minds to the Scripturesto fully understand it.)
2 Kings 15 speaks of some of the Kings of Israel. In reading through this book, one notices a pattern. Some Kings are described as having done what is good in the sight of The Lord. Some are described as having done what is evil in the sight of The Lord. It is true that 2 Kings 15:16 states that Menahem ripped open all the women who were pregnant in Tipshah. If we continue reading through verse 18, we see that The Bible says that Menahem did what was evil in the sight of The Lord. Thus, we cannot conclude from verse 16 that God condoned the death of pregnant women or their children, much less commanded it.
Hosea 13:16 is part of a larger passage where God is bringing an indictment against Israel and Judah for sin. In verse 16, He says that Samaria shall bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. As punishment, the Samaritan people shall fall by the sword; their little ones shall be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.
It is important to note that God did not command anyone here to do these things- He said they will happen as punishment for sin. God is not wantonly allowing death and destruction to happen out of arbitrariness. He has a reason- it is punishment for sin. And as the only Righteous Judge of the earth, He has the power, position and authority to mete out that judgment as He sees fit. He is the Potter and we are the clay and He can do whatever He wants with His creation. And God is consistent to maintain His standards and the consequences He puts in place for when we break His laws. Deuteronomy 27-30 explains God's covenant with Israel quite clearly. God plainly told the people that they would be cursed if they disobeyed Him, some of those curses including the fruit of their wombs being cursed and that they would be destroyed and quickly perish. Exodus 20:5-6 also says that God punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generations but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments. (Note how the outpouring of His love for obedience outlasts the length of His punishment by about 996 to 997 years.
(It's also important to note that many numbers in The Bible have figurative meanings and not all are meant to be taken literally.)
God always keeps His promises and covenants. Hosea 13:16 is evidence of this.
Furthermore, other places in The Bible use this same phrase and clearly identify it as evil. (See 2 Kings 8:11-12 and Amos 1:13. In the verse in Amos, God says that He will punish the Ammonites for the evil practice of ripping open pregnant women.)
(Here is a quick article about this phrase where both the verses mentioned in 2 Kings and Hosea are discussed.
Another worth mentioning is that as a Christian, I also believe those babies would also have gone to eternity with Lord Jesus in Heaven, as 2 Samuel 12 would seem to indicate. But woe to the one who sent them there by slaughtering them! Jesus said if anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble into sin, it'd be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea. (See Matthew 18:1-6) I think Jesus clearly loves children including babies.
He says in Jeremiah 1:5 that before He formed him (i.e. Jeremiah) in the womb, He knew him and set him apart before he was born. Note that it says specifically that God formed him, not his mother. And 1 Corinthians 6 says our bodies are temples of The Holy Spirit and we belong to The Lord (for all who have trusted Jesus as Saviour and Lord.) Romans 14:8 says whether we live or die, we belong to The Lord. Psalms 24:1 says the earth is The Lord's and everything in it! Thus- whether we believe in Him and follow Him or not- we all belong to God as part of His creation.
So if it's anyone's body in pregnancy, both the woman's body and the baby's body belong to The Lord and He has said that we shall not kill. (Exodus 20:13)
Isaiah 66:7-9 further confirm that it is The Lord who causes the baby to come forth in the womb. Isaiah 44:24 reiterates that The Lord is the One who forms us in the womb and Psalms 139 says the same thing.
Proverbs 6 says that He hates the shedding of innocent blood. There are numerous other Bible verses that make clear that God abhors the shedding of innocent blood. In reading the totality of Scripture, I find impressed upon me how much God loves the helpless and weak victims and despises any violence against them.
As I said, there are other passages that could be mentioned, but the main point here is that The Bible tells us how much God loves all people. He doesn't want any to perish but all to come to repentance. That's why Jesus died and rose- to pay for all our sins. If we believe that God raised Him from the dead and confess Jesus as Lord and Saviour, we will be saved! (Romans 10:9-13) And then when we follow Him in obedience, we become more and more like Him and come to see people as He does- people made in His image who are eternally loved whose lives we must protect and preserve rather than destroy them.
How Now Shall We Live?
How do you separate church and state? If The Bible and all other religious books are not utilized to form or at least inform law, then what moral basis is used? Who even defines what morality is and if it's a good thing? Perhaps immorality would be better? Perhaps some things religion has called moral are really immoral and vice versa? Who can say?
I think President Obama was right in recognizing that America does still have a very large Christian population, but there are also Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and other faiths- and people of no faith.
Yet the thing that America has to recognize in its history is that many of its laws in place echo the commands of religious texts, primarily The Bible because there were many Christians who helped found the country, alongside Deists and others who at least had a general respect for The Bible and Christianity, even if they themselves were not Christ followers.
(This is not to suggest that America has had a good record of consistently following The Bible in its decisions because all are sinners and fall short of God's glory. In any case, I don't like the term "Christian nation" because a nation can't follow Christ- only individuals. One of the main points of America's founding is freedom of religion, which allows for anyone to worship God in any faith they choose or to not do so at all. It is always a voluntary choice- never forced upon people by government. In that sense, separation of church and state certainly exists.)
That said, it must be clarified that here I am speaking of people forced to follow a religion, of which there are a number of countries that practice this, with harsh penalties in place for anyone following or promoting anything other than the state religion. Thankfully, America does not have this system in place. Yet there are some laws that certainly comport with Christianity's tenets (along with a number of other religions) that inhabitants are compelled to follow or face consequences.
Laws against theft and murder would certainly resonate with religious texts- should these laws be overturned because of their religious nature? The main value behind such laws is a respect for human life and property of human beings. Why do we regard human life with such supreme value? For the Christian, it's because human beings are made in the image of God and are the pinnacle of His creation. God commands us to respect and value human life because He loves us eternally and holds us in a status of infinite importance in His kingdom. To steal from someone or murder someone would not only be a grave evil to the person, it would also be a besmirchment to God and His creation.
I think most would agree, regardless of their religious status, that these are good laws that should stay in place. I recognize some would offer vastly different reasons for valuing and upholding such laws but we would still be agreed on their worth and need to be in place. Is that the solution then? Should we establish laws by consensus? Perhaps within the election cycle for leaders there should also be moral surveys in place to determine the nation's general consensus on morality.
Otherwise it could just be left to each individual to determine what is right in their eyes and live accordingly.
(Of course, at least one society did that for a while in history and it didn't work out well for them. See Judges 17:6 and 21:25 in The Bible.)
In the end, it comes back to the question, "How should we live?" We must then address the question, "Why should we live that way?" Who is the ultimate authority in governing the affairs of men and women?
In order to build a building, you must have a foundation. If the foundation is not sure, the building falls. The same is true for nations.
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