God in the Poll Booth

Well, not only am I going to break the old saying about not talking about religion and politics in mixed company (since more than likely there will be disagreements and we can’t seem to amicably handle those situations by agreeing to disagree agreeably), but I’m also going to mix both religion and politics and talk about both here. And yes, with the 2014 U.S. mid-term elections around the corner of the calendar, it seemed appropriate timing.
              Let me point out what I am not going to do here though. I have no intention of ever telling anyone how to vote and who to vote for, as I feel people are capable of making their own minds on that and should, empowered by careful research, follow their own conscience on such matters. I don’t endorse any particular candidate but Jesus Christ and I don’t endorse any particular party except for the one Jesus throws in Heaven with all the angels at just one sinner who repents. :-) I don’t even really endorse any particular ideology other than Christian theology entrusted to and enacted by hearts that have been set free by the crucifixion of Christ on the cross at Calvary and the glorious Resurrection of Christ that brings restoration, redemption and renewal.
                In fact, I will go ahead and lay out my only bit of voting advice. Vote for whoever you think God wants you to vote for. Grammatical issues aside, I think that’s the only issue at hand when it comes to elections. As 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us, we should do everything for God’s glory and as Colossians 3:23 tells us, we should everything as unto The Lord (that is, with our best effort.) Those two verses speak to two major things that should guide our voting. And to be clear, I do think we should take advantage of the right to vote in countries that afford this privilege. [Sadly, this is something to remember too- voting is a privilege as in many countries it is not an option for the people at all.] If we are doing everything for God’s glory, then this includes our voting at the polls. And that should be the guiding principle for everything in our lives, of course. Now I don’t know what this will translate into for anyone else as far as candidates and such goes, but I do know that we should look for candidates who truly represent the values that God holds dear as much as possible. I know that this is not fully possible as we also must acknowledge that we are all miserable sinners who fall woefully short of God’s glory and ultimately, we can only hope to find someone who labors to uphold God’s standards, though obviously they will not be perfect in those efforts. We must extend grace to our leaders and everyone else, for that matter, just as much as we are so quick to extend to ourselves. If God is willing to be gracious and forgiving, then so must we, as Jesus made very clear in His parable of the unmerciful servant. (See Matthew 18:21-35)
                Ah, but the question is raised then- what of the circumstances when we can’t seem to find any leader that holds to and upholds God’s values? What to do indeed? Well, here is where our other guiding verse comes into play. As Colossians 3:23 says, we should everything as unto The Lord and offer our best to Him. (Many other verses make that principle clear- for instance, one of my favorites, Malachi 1:14, says it quite well. :-)) How can we offer our best to The Lord in the way we vote? I think this calls for discipline on our part to do good research on all of the candidates in the running and make informed decisions. As Hosea 4:6 laments, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” How true it is. So let’s make sure to do thorough research to find out, as much as possible, what the candidates really stand for and how it’s been played out in their lives thus far. An important distinction I want to make here is that I personally like to look at candidates and not party affiliations. I do not hold to the Republican party or Democrat party. Or the Green party. Or the Libertarian party. Or the Constitution party. Or the various parties that we tend to forget even exist past the big two. (Again, excuse my grammar there. ;-)) I don’t even hold to the Independent status. I am dependent on Jesus Christ and I hold on to Him above all else- and He is above all else- all political parties, all ideologies and philosophies, all kings and rulers, lords and gods- everything and everyone.
                This leads into one other important point I want to make on politics and leaders and so forth. As much as we should try to think the best of our leaders rather than the worst and give them the benefit of the doubt as much as we give others and ourselves most of all, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hold them to standards. As a leader, they are given greater responsibilities and held accountable by God. In fact, Romans 13 specifies that it is God Who sets them in authority. And He’s The One Who takes them down as well. And because God has set them in power, out of reverence for God, we are called to respect and obey the government authorities that God has put in place. We are also called to love our leaders, as Jesus commands us to love everyone (John 13:34-35), and respect them as well and pray for them. (See 1 Peter 2:9-25 and 1 Timothy 2:1-2) And this means adhering to the rules and yes, paying our taxes. (Jesus gave us the example in Matthew 17:24-27 as He paid His taxes. Of course, He had that cool trick where He could tell Peter to go fishing and that he’d find a coin in the mouth of the first fish he caught. :-) But nonetheless, as Christ provided for Peter’s tax and His own, He can certainly provide for us in everything. And we must remember what He taught in the incident in Luke 20:19-26- “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s [insert the name of your country’s government here ;-)] and to God what is God’s.”
                Now I must also acknowledge that there are times when the government might require unfair taxes from us and times when we may feel pushed to do things that go against God’s Word. And ultimately, if it comes down to the government vs. God, I’m going to go with God over the government. As Peter said in Acts 5:29, “We must obey God rather than men.” Until it is at that point, I think there are times when we as Christians are called to let ourselves be taken advantage of and remember that God sees all that is done and vengeance is His and He will repay people for their deeds. (Matthew 5:38-48, Job 34:10-11) It may also help us to remember the context of the verses that command us to respect and obey the government authority that God has established. First of all, as I said earlier, we particularly obey the government authority and respect it out of respect for God Himself and in obedience to Him, just as we do with our parents, teachers, pastor and other positions of leadership. But think about the people in Peter’s and Paul’s day. They were under the tyranny of Nero, who used Christians for nightlights! In a time when Christians were being thrown to the lions to be eaten for the Romans to enjoy as sport and when Christians were being burned at the stake- all because of their faith in Christ- this is when they are hearing God’s command to respect and honor the government institution of their day- which mean respecting and obeying Nero and the laws his government had established. (Except, of course, as noted before, when it came to laws that directly went against God’s Word.) If Christians then could obey this command and Christians in communist countries that live in dictatorships instead of democracies can obey this command, then I think American Christians and Christians in democratic countries particularly can obey this command. (And of course, our circumstances don’t really matter- we are still commanded to uphold and obey all of God’s Word whether we like it or not and no matter what the circumstances.) [Note: As a caveat here, I realize this last statement could lead into discussions over upholding the spirit of the law over the letter of the law and honoring the greater moral value (key examples being Rahab and the Israelite spies and the midwives serving Pharaoh at the birth of Moses, etc.), but that’s a discussion for another blog, perhaps.] [Also, please note: I am NOT making any comparisons whatsoever of any leaders to Nero. I am just pointing out different circumstances.] And ultimately, it’s all through Jesus’ power- we rely on His strength and His love to work in us to obey His Word and love, respect and honor others- even leaders that we may not totally agree with all the time.
                I know that some say that respect must be earned rather than given freely. However, I don’t feel that this is a Biblical attitude. Though I agree with the sentiment in some regards and I do think people should make the effort to earn respect through their lives, I also think that their seeming virtue or lack thereof (and by the way, we all have a lack thereof- the only virtue and good any of us have is from Jesus, if we are in Him) has nothing to do with the respect we owe them as people made in the image of God and loved eternally by Him. (Genesis 1:26-27, Jeremiah 31:3, Ezekiel 18:23, 2 Peter 3:8-9, Romans 5:8, John 15:12) We are called to love regardless- and love keeps no record of wrongs. And Jesus loved and gave Himself for us when we were yet sinners- and we can do no less for others. This is what we are called to do.
                And as we ponder all these things at the polls, we also know that ultimately God is in control of all these events and He knows what is to come- He laughs while the nations rage. (Psalms 2) He is in control of all things and He is the One we must trust above all else. Stop putting your trust in man, who has just a breath in his nostrils. [Which God gave him to begin with!] Of what account is he? (My quote/paraphrase of Isaiah 2:22). This is why I’m not really concerned too much with who gets elected and who is in charge. I know my King is always on the throne- and He’s King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19:16) And He reigns forever over all. And He will put all things to rights in His time. So take heart- we’re going to have trials and tribulations and of course, death and taxes, in this world- but Jesus has overcome the world! (John 16:33) So put your hope in Him and praise Him- His will will be done. Jesus rules! (And I mean that literally). :-)

Cut It Out!

[Note: Here's another one from the archives- August 28, 2008 or somewhere thereabouts. This is one of the times where I really felt The Holy Spirit showing me new cool stuff in Bible verses I'd read a million times before, and as someone who particularly struggles at times with knowing if God has really spoken to me and such- these kinds of moments are always very awesome to experience and a great reminder to me of Jesus' work in my life. So I hope it's helpful for you. And yes, I totally had to reference Joey Gladstone from "Full House" in the title, so you can imagine the appropriate snipping hand gestures with it too. :-)]

I want to segue a bit into a spiritual matter for a second. I want to post this because I was doing my quiet time on Sunday and I felt like the Holy Spirit had really shown me something new from some familiar verses (He's always doing stuff like that when I'm paying attention ;-)) and I wanted to share with someone- for the moment I wrote it down in my notebook.
     Anyway, I was reading Matthew 5, where Jesus is giving the Sermon on the Mount. I've read all these verses many times before, but Matthew 5:27-30 really hit me. Jesus tells us that to even look at a woman lustfully is the same as committing adultery with her in your heart. And then He goes on to say that if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. (Which is really kind of significant in His Jewish culture there, because for most people in that area of the world, the right hand is their "good" hand. Not in the sense that it's necessarily the hand they write with- but typically the left hand was reserved for one duty only- wiping your butt. Seriously. Thus, the right hand was used for shaking hands and so forth.) Just interesting to note. But Jesus said it's better for you to lose one part of your body and get into Heaven than to have your whole body intact and be thrown into Hell. So yeah, even if you're left with just your poop-wiping hand, it's still better to be one-handed and get into Heaven than to get into Hell with your whole body intact.
         The point is that Jesus takes sin very seriously. I don't think He literally means body dismemberment here necessarily, but perhaps there's other things in our life that we need to cut off completely if they cause us to sin. This can range from movies, TV shows, videos, books, comic books, music- any of it. If it causes us to think impure things or dwell on sinful things- get rid of it! This definitely also applies to habits. It might mean to stop hanging out with certain people and to not go to places of temptation. Whatever you have to do to cut the sin out. (1 Thessalonians 5:22) "Avoid every appearance of evil."
 -Also, this ties in to what Jesus was saying about cutting off body parts because whatever a man dwells on, he becomes! (Proverbs 23:7 KJV- "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.") Thus, it becomes a part of his body when a man sins and since as Christians we are the body of Christ, we have to cut off whatever slows or hinders us or causes us to sin. (Hebrews 12:1-4) We must be perfect and holy because God is perfect and holy. (Matthew 5:48)
And we need to do Philippians 4:8 - think on the pure things of God alone.
       Anyway, I just thought that was a really practical way to put those verses into practice- and when I say all this, believe me- I'm preaching to myself too.

Obscure Clarity (poem)

     This is a poem I wrote a while back that I wanted to post on the blog here as I came across it in my old writings today. [Every now and then I like to repost some of my older writings from previous blogs and such just for archival purposes, and also because they are meaningful to me and I hope God may use them to encourage someone else too. :-)]
    It's kind of making fun of poems that are so deep with their meanings and have all these big words that you have to wade through to try to get to what you think the author meant. And the ambiguity that's almost purposefully put in place sometimes gets me annoyed sometimes- because you need to say what you mean and mean what you say. (Like Jesus said in Matthew 5:33-37) Of course, it's also written in a similar style as part of the joke. But catch the punchline at the end. (Bonus points to catch the references :-))
    Well, thanks to everyone who reads these things for faithfully doing that and for your prayers and God bless us, everyone! Hallelujah! Praise The Lord Jesus- He reigns! :-)

Obscure Clarity
....................
(copyright Nathan Ludwick 8/16/2008)
(Matthew 13:11-15, Proverbs 25:11, 1 Corinthians 1:25)

Insipid, vapid, rapid drips onto my page
Conspired, desired, inspired attempts in vain
What does it mean to glean meaning?
Is the inkwell deep or has it run dry?
Behind every conjured image does a metaphor hide?
Tired, mired, attired phrases to decipher
Incited, recited, invited analysis forms a cipher
Where everything is possible and nothing is as it seems
Enter the labyrinth to find out what it means
And the minotaur is just men who tire
Contrived, imbibed, arrived at what should be
Controlled, retold, untold concealed revealed themes
The world's foolish wisdom in majestic rhyme schemes
The Lord's wise foolishness plain, real and free

Prove 'Em Wrong (song)

[Note: Since I just recently completed a pretty different song parody based on the book of Job, I thought it might be fun to post my earlier song parody that dealt with Job. This one is from the summer of 2007. Enjoy! :-)]

I thought I'd post another writing for your enjoyment (or bemusement or begroanings or whatever ;-))
     When I originally finished this song parody, I really was quite excited with this one.  It's kind of inspired in some ways by the pastor at NewSpring Church (www.newspring.cc) (www.perrynoble.com) (which I attended for a while and was a member there when I lived in the area)
     At the time, I corresponded with the pastor through email every now and then and one time I left him a book called "I'm Not Mad at God" by David Wilkerson (which is really pretty awesome- I might post some from it later on) that I thought he might like.  He liked it and wanted to keep it- and so actually offered to buy me another copy- so I went to get that.  That was pretty cool- and the receptionist at the church let me get a free Coke Zero! Cool :-)
        Anyway, he deals with a lot of critics that object to some of the rather unorthodox things NewSpring Church does (I mean- obeying Jesus- imagine that! ;-))  And since a lot of criticism comes to him through email and bloggers, I put in a line toward that near the end. 
   And of course, I first heard the original song at that church!!!  (Yeah, the church worship band plays some secular music every now and then!  At church there, I've heard this song, that "You Are So Beautiful" song by Joe Cocker, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band (um- the clean version), "Life is a Highway" (as performed by Rascal Flatts in the "Cars" movie), "White Wedding" by Billy Idol, "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye, "Fix You" by Coldplay, and "Hell's Bells" by AC/DC (they didn't sing any lyrics!) )
     Before you get upset about the music, they've used all these songs when they fit with the theme of the service and they generally have worked quite well, I think.  (They also play a lot of modern worship music- Steve Fee, Chris Tomlin, Hill Song United, etc.)- and even some hymns! - like "Amazing Grace" and "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"
    (And hey, over the month of August 2007, they've seen like 800 people receive Christ as Savior- so that's pretty AWESOME!  Apparently the church is doing something right- mainly keeping the focus of the church on JESUS and HIS WORD! :-) I'm sure the numbers are even more now! :-) Praise God for all He's done with that church!)
              Okay- anyway, back to the song.  I had one idea for it at first- and put it aside for a while- and then picked it back up when I heard this great sermon on Job one Sunday morning.  And that was cool.  Job lost most everything he had!  And he still could say, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord." And he didn't sin by accusing God of wrongdoing!  And if you read the end of the book, Job got back all he had at the start twicefold!  And so God gave me a great inspiration for this song with this sermon!  (And of course, He inspires everything I do- and gives me the ability to do anything! John 15:5)
        And this song is also inspired by and I guess dedicated to my younger friends who have been an encouragement and inspiration to me (and I know I've said this some before, but I really do mean it)- the FCA at ol' Pelion High School has really grown since I was there- and I'm glad for that!  It's definitely good to see that many of the **ah-hem**slightly** younger generation fired up for Christ!  NEVER lose that!!!  Don't let anyone get you down and discourage you in your walk with Christ.  I especially think of Relient K's song "What Have You Been Doing Lately?"- I know we all have our moments when we may fall down and God has to pick us up- but I don't ever want to see any of my Christian friends fall away from Jesus.  And don't let the world or the devil tell you this Christian life can't be done.  Jesus came to give us abundant LIFE (John 10:10)- I want to keep that same passion for life and for Jesus flaming every day!  So, just stay strong and keep on!  (I also think of the "Facing the Giants" movie a lot with this song)
   Also, you might like my Chris Rice reference in there- check out his new album! ("What a Heart is Beating For") Sheol is the Hebrew word for the grave- also translated as Hell in some verses.  And don't depress me and ask me what Pong is ;-)
           Okay- enough prattling on my part.  Here you go.
(Fun midi to sing along to-http://www.mididelight.com/midi_files/modern_rock/move_along.mid)

"Prove 'Em Wrong"           
 (parody of "Move Along" by The All-American Rejects; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 08/28/2007)
(Job 1:20-22, 2:9-13, 13:15, 16:1-5, 19:25-27, 42:1-6, 42:10-16
James 5:11, Psalms 7, John 17:15-17,  Hebrews 3:1, 11, 12:1-14, Romans 8:28, Philippians 1:6, James 5:13-15)

Verse 1
Go ahead as you waste these days with thinking
"When you fall, it's 'cause you're bad"
Another day and Job's had his fill of prattling
With his wife telling him,
"Abandon your faith in the Lord,
Things can't be worse in Sheol"

Chorus 1
Seems to me, when all your hopes and dreams are gone
Move along, sing a song like Job chose to do
And even when your world is wrong
Move along and read on- Job 1:22
Moving on! Sing a song!

Verse 2
Though He slay me, I trust the Lord completely
Could be tonight when my life ends
Such a faith that will leave me still believing
In the end my Redeemer
Stands upon the earth
His hands held mine since birth!

Chorus 2
Seems to me, when all you ever see is wrong
You keep on and abscond what the world tells you
And even when you lope along
You stay strong and bank on James 5:11 too!
7 Psalms!

(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
We're in the world and not of, it feels like Pong
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
When everything is wrong, Hebrews 3:1
(E)leven, 12:1, Run on!

When all Job's fragile things were gone
Move along and read on- Chapter 42
And read in 10 how Job got on
El-Elyon poured it on- all Job's stuff times two!

When all your hopes and dreams are gone
Move along, sing a song- like Job showed you to
And even when your world is wrong
You keep on, trust in God- Jesus is holding you!

When all you ever see is wrong
Just stay strong, sing a song- like God told you to
And even when you can't go on
Just hold on and stay strong- God's not done with you!

(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
So much for my sad song
We move along
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
Fight back and stay strong
Now move along
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
When skeptics write a blog
Prove 'em wrong!
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
He'll right back what is wrong
We move along
.........................................
Thus endeth this chronicle. 
Until next time- keep moving on- with Jesus!
:-)
                                           

Some Long-Suffering and Faith Building (song)

This song explains that although sin does indeed come naturally, punishment of it is not necessarily always the reason for suffering. Sometimes we go through hard things simply because we live in a fallen and broken world. But we're never alone in it and need never feel alone again because Jesus has come to restore our relationship with God through His death and Resurrection and our faith in Him. And it's our faith and trust in Christ to move in us that compels us to endure and patiently wait on God.

"Some Long-Suffering and Faith Building" (parody of "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan; copyright Nathan Ludwick 8/30/2014)
(James 5:11, Hebrews 11-12, Habakkuk 2:4, the book of Job [particularly Job 1:5 and 8, 1:20-22, 2:9-10, 2:11-13, 3, 7:11-21, 8, 11, 13:15, 13:23-28, 15:1-16, 16:1-2, 16:7-22, 17, 19:20-22, 19:25-27, 21, 22:21-30, 23, 25, 27:1-12, 32, 33, 34:10-12, 36, 37:14-24, 38:1-15, 40, 41:1-11, 42])

In an Israeli town
A patriarch's feeling pretty well down
He lost his wealth, his kids and health
And visiting friends come 'round
Been clinging to his God
But thrown way, way off
It's an affront to
Everything that he'd ever
Thought he'd known that God's like
Now he's shattered
Wife's urging him to blurt out a curse
What foolishness you're saying! Well, God gives stuff
And takes it up
No point in us complaining
We take evil or good
And praise God on His throne
In Job 2:10- now go read

To think that just the other day
Job who fears God; upright, no blame
Burning offerings for his children too
Thus Job did continually
But this test just knocked him down
There's tragedy all around
And he hurts so much, his friends are hushed
Sat that way for a whole week, yeah
Grieving, Job's in doubt
What about God and His mercy?
Job's bitter soul is in anguish
"Why did He desert me?"
In Job's hour of need
His friends have all agreed
"Well, Job- you've sinned, naturally."

It seems to be that the wicked hearts
Prosper in the world- that can't be fair then
Job 34:10
11, too
They get their dues

[Instrumental interlude]

Another friend comes to speak

Holding back; he's young in years
Then Elihu lets them hear
Now remember you guys Who is justified
In everything, so Him revere
And in 38:1 Job
Gets answered- God questions Job
"Can you understand?- Face Me like a man"
"Where were you when I laid earth's foundation?"
"Singing morning stars"
"sons of God shouted with elation"
"Leviathan- you can't tame him or Me"
Job's words were poorly spoken
And when he prayed ashamed
God restored things twicefold- yay!
So Job and friends saw God's mercy
James 5 commends his patience, see.

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

Some Long-Suffering and Faith Building (song) [intro]

We live in a fallen world. That is the sad fact of the matter. Everything is broken. Evil is rampant. Pain and suffering surround us. It can be overwhelming at times and leaving us feeling alone- again. (Naturally). And that, of course, is key to my point. The natural state of the world is in decay because of Adam and Eve's sin. But the second Adam from above, Jesus Christ, has come to redeem us and restore things to righteousness. (Romans 5:12-21) And though we have to wait for the fulfillment of everything in Revelation for the final healing (when Christ returns and fully restores and repairs everything broken and makes everything sad come untrue)- in the meantime, we have the promise of knowing that God is in control and He does have our good and best interest in mind and at heart. However, though Jeremiah 29:11 promises this, it doesn't necessarily mean that we will have a perfect and rosy life that is problem-free- at least, not in this lifetime and state. Jesus tells us that it is a hard road to follow Him- people will persecute and hate us for His Name and we will have to endure suffering. But Jesus also promises to never leave us and never forsake us- He goes through every pain and suffering with us. And He has already suffered every pain for us on the cross- and His glorious Resurrection means that we will also raise with Him in glory one day. And while we fix our eyes on the eternal and await that blessed Hope of Glory, we remember that our present suffering is not worth comparing to it. And we trust that God is faithful and He will work out His plan for us- and be with us through all the painful sorrows along that plan's path.
          I'm also glad to know that we serve a God who listens to our every cry and never slumbers. (Psalms 121). He invites us to cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7). And once we've done that- leave them there. Leave the worries and cares and pains and sorrows in His hands and trust that the Hands of Grace, Righteous Judgment, Mercy and Love will do what's right and will work all things together to the good of us who love Him and are called by His purpose. (Romans 8:28) Lamenting is definitely part of worship- it's simply being honest with God about where we are right now in this stage of life- emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally, relationally- everything. He already knows anyway, so we might as well come right out and tell Him. Just look at Jeremiah. He's called the Weeping Prophet and I don't think it's just because he was weeping for Jerusalem. (Though he certainly was- his beloved city was going to be destroyed and he couldn't do anything about it. All he could do was be faithful to deliver God's message to the people that Jerusalem was going to burn. And this is a message that God had told him people would spurn and that no one would listen to- but he must be faithful to deliver it anyway. Wow! That's tough. And Jeremiah went through physical suffering as well, at one point being imprisoned in a slimy pit and feeling like he was about to die there!) So yeah- I think he was also weeping for himself some. And through the inspiration of The Holy Spirit, he poured out his feelings in a book called Lamentations. And see also books like Ecclesiastes, Habakkuk and a ton of the Psalms. Even Jesus cried out to God the Father on cross, "Eli, Eli lema sabachthani- Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" [in Matthew 27:46] ("My God, My God- Why hast Thou forsaken Me?"- He was quoting Psalms 22, by the way.) [Of course, as Psalms 16 notes- God didn't forsake Him in the end because He didn't leave His Holy One in the grave to corruption- but raised Him again! :-)]
           And there are plenty of other examples to name of course. Elijah, coming off a huge victory over Baal and his prophets in 1 Kings 18, ran off running scared in 1 Kings 19, convinced that Ahab and Jezebel were about to kill him and that he was so sick and tired that he just wanted God to go ahead and do him in, kill him now and take him Home. But God spoke to him and told him that things weren't as bad as he thought and that He still had 700 folks who hadn't bowed the knee to Baal. He wasn't alone. And then there's Paul, about whom God actually told Ananias that He was going to show him how much he would suffer for Jesus' Name! And Paul certainly did! Just read the book of Acts. Shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned, even stoned at one point- yet, he remained faithful- even to the death! (Biblical scholars tell us that Paul was most likely beheaded for his faith in Christ.) And what did Paul say about his situation? "For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) Writing from a Philippian prison, he told us to "Rejoice in The Lord always! And again, I say- rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4). Of course, Paul is also the dude who, through The Holy Spirit's inspiration, wrote about that Glory that's coming to which all the suffering and junk in this life ain't worth comparing!
           Then we get to the guy this song talks about. (And I know that's a really long intro!) Job may have felt alone, but he wasn't- he did have some true friends. I've always found it funny that though all his kids died, the one family member we do know he was left with is his wife. You'd think this should be some comfort for him- but she was the one telling him, "What? Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" Wow! Thanks for the words of encouragement, dear!
But Job, in one stunning blow after another, lost all his livestock and all his kids. And then he got stricken with an incredibly painful disease that left him scraping sores on his body from head to foot with broken pottery. And that's how Job felt- like broken, smashed pottery. His world had just caved in. Now we're given an interesting picture of the story going on in the Heavenly realms- where God is proving to Satan that Job is indeed faithful and that he truly worships and follows God for God Himself- not for God's stuff. (And that is indeed the attitude we should all have. Of course, that takes having a relationship with Jesus Christ where we acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord and trust Him for His salvation and forgiveness through His death and Resurrection. And it takes a realization that everything we own comes from God- it's all His to begin with and He takes and He gives as He sees fit. And whether The Lord gives or takes, may the Name of The Lord be praised!)
           And though Job doubted God on His plan throughout the book, he never doubted God's position of power and authority. As Job notes in Job 19:25-27, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!" And his friends Zophar, Bildad and Eliphaz didn't really help him on that front. But though those guys get a bad rap over their counsel to Job, they did do at least one thing that is pretty amazing! The Bible says that they saw how great Job's suffering was and in a show of solidarity, they sat with him in silence for seven days! (Job 2:11-13) I give them a lot of props for that- they did utilize quite possibly the best comfort we can offer those who are suffering- suffer alongside them in silence. (Romans 12:14-17)
              Finally, Elihu comes along and sets everyone straight on a lot of misconceptions they've been presenting about God. God is always righteous in all His judgments. And God sometimes allows suffering for different reasons- not always just as punishment for someone's sin. But God has a purpose in it all and even in the midst of horrible suffering and pain, He can still bring a good end to it all and positive things can rise out of the ashes. The fire of pain and suffering is God's finishing tool for forging our refined lives into spiritual masterpiece works of art. (1 Corinthians 3 and Hebrews 12). And as Job acknowledges at the end of the book, after God shows up to answer Job's charges, we have spoken of what we don't know in front of the holy God. As Job said, we should put our hands over our mouths in our ignorance. God tells Job, in effect, "Hey, Job- Man up! Let's have it out. Since you know so much- tell me, can you wrestle down a Leviathan? Do you understand how all the creatures of the earth operate? Did you put the planets and stars in place? Do you command the seasons and tell them when to do what? Do you tell the snow when to fall? Do you tell the tide how far to come? Where were you when I laid earth's foundations?"
               So the answer to the initial question about the pain and suffering and the world and why it's still here comes down to this: our sin. God created man to be upright and we've gone off in search of many schemes. And so evil runs rampant, wicked people seem to prosper for now and the righteous suffer. But as Asaph found out in Psalms 73- the wicked only prosper for a while in this life. Their final destination is eternal judgment in Hell, but the righteous through Christ have the promise of eternal life in Heaven! And as Job found out, there are some things we just can't know and understand now- and that we may never understand. But we can trust that God is good and that He always has our good and best interests in mind and at heart. He is not a sadist. He takes no pleasure in the death of anyone- even the wicked. (see Ezekiel 18:23) He only wants everyone to turn from their wicked ways and live! And sometimes, even as the righteous of God, we are called to suffer and trust that He still loves us and cares for us and is working out a good plan in the midst of it. As David said when he had to go through some pain and suffering (as a consequence of his sin), "Let me fall into the hand of The Lord, for His mercy is very great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man." (1 Chronicles 21:13) Amen. We can always trust the hand of The Lord. His hand does bring justice and judgment but we can also trust Him to remember His love and mercy and grace too and know that since Christ has paid for all our wrongs and endured all the suffering so no one else would ever have to- we can look forward to the coming Glory that will surpass all our suffering in the here and now. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16)
         And as Hebrews reminds us in chapter 11, the great Hall of Faith, faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. Read all the accounts there- these people followed God to places they'd never been, to and through incredibly hard challenges and more- and remained faithful and obedient through it all. They were seeking a better country- our Heavenly one. "And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God has provided something better for us, that apart from they should not be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." (Hebrews 11:39-40 and 12:1-4) And in Hebrews 13:11-13, "For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood. Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured." Notice the key word through these passages- "endured". As we are reminded in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, this life we live is a marathon. Run in a way as to get the prize. We run for an imperishable prize. And in 1 Corinthians 16:22, we see the exhortation for The Lord to come. ("Maranatha!") But remember that the marathon comes before the maranatha.
            And in running that marathon, it is Jesus Himself Who keeps us running, who gives us strength to carry on. It's this patience that God the Holy Spirit provided Job that Job is commended for in James 5:11. It's that patient endurance that we are exhorted to exhibit in Hebrews 11. And it's Jesus' righteousness that gets us the prize- and He's the One who moves our legs all the way through to the finish line. "The righteous shall live by faith." (Habakkuk 2:4) "Now to Him Who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 1:24-25)

Getting A Cold Drink That Lives On (song)

Well, I may get some flack for this, but I guess God has given me a knack for doing parody songs. (If they're actually good- if not, it's all me- lol.) This song talks about something else God gives freely- the gift of living water that becomes a spring of water welling up to eternal life! Jesus offers this gift to all who will believe and trust Him. :-)

"Getting A Cold Drink That Lives On" (parody of "Killing Me Softly with his Song" by Roberta Flack; copyright Nathan Ludwick 8/22/2014)
(John 4)

Chumming around with a stranger
Speaking me life with His words
Sitting there weary in 4 John
"Give Me please some drink"- Ain't it wrong?
Telling my whole life with His words
Giving me mercy- says He's God

A tourist from Judea
He floored me with His style
This Samaritan woman
Did listen for a while
And there I was- this non-Jew
A stranger they despise

(He's) Bumming a drink from a stranger
(I'm) Thinking He's Christ by His words
Living water He gives out now
Welling up life eternally strong
Welling to new life- give me, Sir
Nailing me- Sixteen in 4 John

I asked Jesus for water
Embarrassed by just how
I felt He'd read my letters
And called me out right now
He stated out all my business
But even then Christ loved

Cut to the chase- all those misters
Springer would like (me) for his show
"Call for him," Christ says- "your husband."
Telling Him rightly, "I have none."
"Well, girl you've had five and what's more"
"That man ain't your hubby you're with now"

He spoke truth, yeah- He knew me
In all my dark despair
And when He looked right through me
I knew there's something there
And we just kept on talking
On worshipping Lord God

Coming a time when it's different
(In) Spirit and truth must worship
Telling me God seeks such as those
Telling me God is spirit, hon'
Tell Him I know Christ will explain
Telling me He speaks with you now!

(Oh, oh, oh- la, la, la............)

Coming back then, His disciples
Marveling that Christ's talking to a girl
Leaving my jar there, went to town
Telling the folks to see this Man
(Who's) telling my whole life with His words
Can it be?

They were coming to Him
Yeah, they're believing in Christ
My testimony brought them on
Many more believed when they saw
Hearing for themselves all His words
Winning us over
With His love

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

Maranatha!

         Maranatha! (An Aramaic phrase combo meal [loaded with the good calories for energy though- so it's all cool] which translated can be interpreted as, "The Lord has come!" Of course, this is true- this is what we celebrate at Christmas and Easter. At the Ascension, we celebrate His promise to return. At this celebration, the more recent interpretation would be appropriate, "Come, Lord!"
Just as the last verses of The Bible say- "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen." (Revelation 22:20-21) (This of course, being a seemingly Greek equivalent.)
          However, though in one sense, from God's view, The Lord has come and come again and everything is finished [since He exists outside of time and can see everything all at once- Yeah, He's way cool like that. I try not to think on that concept too long because then my finite little 3 1/2 pounds of brain explode! But I definitely like to think on the concept that The Lord God is awesome and worthy to be praised- and that's just one of the infinitely many cool reasons!].
          But from our limited, time-bound human perspective, though The Lord has come, we haven't seen The Lord come again yet. But He will come in His time- and thus, while we wait and watch expectantly, we must also work wholeheartedly for our wonderful Lord and worry not about such things [or anything] because this is what He commands. (As Jesus summarized- Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. [Matthew 22:34-40] And if you want an even simpler version, Jesus also gave us the Golden Rule- "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31. Note that Jesus says that this is The Law and The Prophets! And as Ephesians 4:15 notes, speak the Truth in Love. :-))
          So, all that was to say- First comes the marathon, then the maranatha. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) But yes- Amen! Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
          And since Wikipedia just informed me that that phrase only appears once in The New Testament (in Aramaic), and it's in 1 Corinthians 16:22, my last statement is even truer than I realized- lol. [Note: While I would not recommend Wikipedia as a source for research papers for school and such, I do recommend the reference links it provides- there are usually some quite interesting ones and I suggest checking the one listed there for further reading.]
        (Also, see this nice article from Compass Bible Church that explains it in more detail.)

 

66 Verses

Hey- here's a "survey" of sorts I came up with.
What's your favorite Bible verse?
Okay, besides John 3:16 (though that is an awesome verse that I can never hear enough :-) )
What's your favorite verse for each book of The Bible?
I've been going through and writing down 1 verse for each book of The Bible that I wanted to learn, so I thought I'd share them.
Try it yourself.  And then memorize them.  And more importantly, do them! :-)

(Now of course, I limited myself to just one verse- and I'm not trying to say that this verse represents the whole book- because it's ALL important!  And I love it ALL!  I just picked out some favorites...for instance, I'm really wanting to include this awesome verse somewhere so I'm gonna stick in here-
"Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what He has made crooked?" (Ecclesiastes 7:13- I LOVE this verse!!!  And God first really showed me how awesome that verse is when I saw it at the start of the 1997 movie "Gattaca"!!!- which is an awesome scifi movie with a great message- when properly edited...)
(So anyway- all of God's Word is important, so keep working at it so you can be like Jack Van Impe and memorize the whole Bible- Genesis through Revelation and even the maps! )
(If you don't quite have 66 verses yet, you can pass this along with at least 1 favorite Bible verse anyway...)

Genesis 1:1
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

Exodus 3:14
"God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "

Leviticus 11:45
"I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy."

Numbers 32:23
"But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out."

Deuteronomy 6:4-5
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength."

Joshua 1:8-9
"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperou and succesful.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified: do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Judges 10:15-16
"But the Israelites said to the LORD, 'We have sinned. Do with us whatever You think best, but please rescue us now.' Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And He could bear Israel's misery no longer."

Ruth 1:16-18
"But Ruth replied, 'Don't urge me to leave you or turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where yout stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will died, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.' When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her."

1 Samuel 15:22
"But Samuel replied: 'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.' "

2 Samuel 22:31-34
"As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; He enables me to stand on the heights."

1 Kings 18:38-39
"Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, 'The LORD- He is God! The LORD- He is God!' "

2 Kings 6:16-17
" 'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, 'O, LORD, open his eyes so he may see.' Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

1 Chronicles 4:9-10
"Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, 'I gave birth to him in pain.' Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request."

2 Chronicles 2:5
"This will be a magnificent temple because our God is an awesome God, greater than any other."

Ezra 10:11
"Now make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the people around you and from your foreign wives."

Nehemiah 9:6
"You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything and the multitudes of Heaven worship You."

Esther 4:12-14
"When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: 'Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?' "

Job 1:20-22
"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.' In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing."

Psalms 1:1-2
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night."

Proverbs 1:7
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

Ecclesiastes 3:11
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) 2:4
"He has taken me to the banquet hall, and His banner over me is love."

Isaiah 45:18
"For the LORD is God, and He created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos."

Jeremiah 33:3
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

Lamentations 3:22-23
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

Ezekiel 18:23
" 'Do you think,' asks the Sovereign LORD, 'That I like to see wicked people die? Of course not! I only want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.' "

Daniel 3:16-18
"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the King, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from i, and He will rescue us from your hand, O King. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.' "

Hosea 2:19-20
"I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness and you will acknowledge the LORD."

Joel 2:12-13
" 'Even now,' declares the LORD, 'Return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity."

Amos 5:14-15
"Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say He is. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph."

Obadiah 1:4
" 'Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,' declares the LORD."

Jonah 4:10-11
"But the LORD said, 'You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousad people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"

Micah 7:18-20
"Who is a God like You, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as You pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago."

Nahum 1:7-8
"The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him, but with an overwhelming flood He will make an end of Nineveh; He will pursue His foes into darkness."

Habakkuk 3:18-19
"Yet I will rejoice in the LORD. I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments."

Zephaniah 3:19-20
" 'At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they were put to shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,' says the LORD."

Haggai 1:2-3
"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the LORD's house to be built.' Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai, 'Is it time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?' "

Zechariah 4:6
"So he said to me, 'This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty."

Malachi 1:14
"Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished offering to the LORD. 'For I am a great king,' say the LORD Almighty, 'And My name is to be feared among the nations.' "

Matthew 19:26
"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.' "

Mark 9:41
"I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in My name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward."

Luke 2:7-14
"And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the LORD appeared to them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the LORD. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' Suddenly a great company of the Heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.' "

John 14:6
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.' "

Acts 4:19-20
"But Peter and John replied, 'Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.' "

Romans 8:10
"But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness."

1 Corinthians 1:25
"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."

2 Corinthians 7:1
"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

Galatians 5:24
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires."

Ephesians 3:20-21
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is a work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Philippians 1:21
"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Colossians 3:23-24
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the LORD, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the LORD as a reward. It is the LORD Christ you are serving."

1 Thessalonians 5:23
"May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ."

2 Thessalonians 3:13
"And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right."

1 Timothy 1:15-17
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

2 Timothy 3:14-15
"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

Titus 3:4-7
"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by Hi grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life."

Philemon 1:4-6
"I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the LORD Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."

Hebrews 4:12-13
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

James 1:22
"Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

1 Peter 3:15-17
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as LORD Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

2 Peter 3:8-9
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the LORD a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The LORD is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

1 John 3:16-20
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything."

2 John 1:12
"I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be made complete."

3 John 1:4
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

Jude 1:24-25
"To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy- to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our LORD, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."

Revelation 22:20-21
"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.'
Amen. Come LORD Jesus. The grace of the LORD Jesus be with God's people. Amen."