Well, if this doesn't beat all- another parody song! :-) Of course, I think that could have been just what the subject of this song was saying too. God told Jonah to go and preach a message. Okay- he was a prophet; he's up for preaching God's Word, of course. But wait- God told him to go and preach to the Ninevites! But they're enemies- they don't even worship The Lord! And God wants him to go preach to them? Doesn't that beat all? Of course, it was a message of destruction for the town. But Jonah knew about God's mercy and His slowness to anger- and He didn't want to see that applied to his enemies. Jonah is an interesting book in The Bible where the message seems to be more about the messenger and what he learned rather than the message he preached. And in the end, Jonah learned more than he thought he knew about God's love and mercy. It reaches to all people- even him in the midst of his sin. Even for times when both he and Nineveh looked like they were going nowhere, man- nowhere but down- God still showed that He had a plan in mind for good and it will be accomplished one way or the other. And though there is an unfortunate sequel where Nineveh was eventually judged down the road (see the book of Nahum)- at this point in history, God saw the people humble themselves and was moved with compassion and stayed His hand. And I know this with this Biblical account about a big fish swallowing a man can be a lot to swallow for some folks. And no matter what kind of seafaring creature it was, it still is definitely a whale of a tale. And it's one that you can't just spit out and aside because Jesus upheld it as a true account. And Jonah is also referenced as an historical prophet elsewhere in The Bible. There are a lot of spiritual lessons we can learn from this book- so dive in, ride it out to the end and sail on with the Banner of Love flying. Jonah, man- isn't he a lot like you and me?
One of my favorite lines in this song: God is not a BIT like you and me- praise God for that!
Lord, help us to be more like You and show Your mercy, grace and love.
"Jonah Man"
(parody of "Nowhere Man" by The Beatles; copyright Nathan Ludwick 1/27/2015)
(The book of Jonah, 2 Kings 14:25, Matthew 12:38-42, Romans 9:14-18, Revelation 7:9-10)
He's a real Jonah, man
Getting out to Joppa land
Making all his Tarshish plans to go by sea
Running when God told him to
Go and share, "Nineveh's doomed"
Isn't he a lot like you and me?
Jonah, man- please listen (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
You won't blow off your mission (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
Big fish, man (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
The Lord has got at command (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
They're as blind as they can be
Nineveh- God has pity
Jonah, man- he don't pity at all
3 days in fish's tummy (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
Prayed inside- Fish hurled thee (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
Preach it now (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
And from the king down- repent and fast (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
The Lord's wrath's appointment's moved
Jonah glares; God loves him too
God is not a bit like you and me
Jonah, man- please listen (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
They don't know right from left hand (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
Jonah, man (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
The Lord's got love for all lands (aaah-ah-la-la-la)
He's for real- Jonah, man
He's the sign from Son of Man
Matthew 12- it is there, man- for all to see
2 [Two] Kings 14:25- in history!
Go read all of Romans 9- God has mercy!
....................................................................................
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Separated- I cut myself clean
[Another (slightly updated) entry from the archives- March 17, 2008 to be exact. Some of the references in here are from one of my previous workplaces- and the experiences related here are fairly typical of me. LOL. :-) And yes- of course that's a DC Talk reference in the subject line. :-)]
Another weekend has ended and another week has begun. Tomorrow is our prayer meeting at work. I always look forward to that! :-) I managed to get lost not once, but twice this weekend!!! LOL- Friday night I wound up driving all through Maudlin and Simpsonville and out towards Belton and Honea Path before I finally turned around and got back home. So that was an interesting drive. Then on Sunday afternoon/evening/night I drove way out towards Marietta and Cleveland (the one in SC, apparently- not Ohio!) and eventually out by Table Rock- which is a beautiful state park, by the way. My uncle and aunt’s family go there for vacation fairly often. And so I wound up going to Rocky Creek Baptist Church Sunday morning and had a great sermon taken mainly from Joshua 23, all about following God’s call to be holy and separate from the world. And then in the evening, in a totally different county (I was somewhere near Pickens or Pumpkintown or something by this point)- I visited at Holly Springs Baptist Church and heard a great sermon taken mainly from 1 Peter 1:13-16, all about following God’s call to be holy and separate from the world. Talk about deja vu, huh?![]()
Wow! I just find it so awesome how God weaves together stuff like that to flow together so smoothly- even though I wasn’t even at the church I’d intended to go to that evening- but instead got way lost and went to a church in another county- and yet both messages I’d heard that day were very much on the same lines of being holy. It was also interesting talking about being separate from the world- note that Jesus said we were to be "in the world- but not of". (See John 17:15-17) We don’t have a choice about being in the world, obviously (I mean, unless you’re dead or you volunteer for that NASA mission to Mars or something ;-)) - BUT, we don’t have to be of the world- and if you’re in Christ, then you’re not of this world! (as Petra pointed out in an awesome 1983 album and song! :-))
In fact, as both sermons talked about, Christians need to be separate from the world and its influence and instead surround ourselves with friends who will help build us up in the faith. But there is a slight caveat here. This verse came to mind during church on Sunday- and I’ve just now been able to track down where it’s located (as I’d been trying to remember and racking through the New Testament)-
"I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world." (1 Corinthians 5:9-10) Right- there’s no way you can fully get away from the immoral people in the world because as it says here, you’d have to leave this world to do that! But if you read on in verse 11, it says to not associate with someone who calls himself a "brother" (i.e. Christian) but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. In fact, it says with such a man, do not even eat. God will judge those outside the church- but expel the wicked man from among you (within the church). But as one pastor pointed out, we should love everyone because God loves everyone. The example of homosexuals was brought up, as it’s continuing to be a big issue in America today- yes, we should love those who identify as homosexual because God loves them [and of course, we should love everyone because God loves everyone] - but we can’t condone their lifestyle because God doesn’t. [i.e. Just to clarify, while I do believe, due to our fallen world, people can be and are born with homosexual tendencies- but the sin comes in when people choose to act on these tendencies and engage in lust, same sex relationships and sexual encounters.] And we should definitely befriend unsaved gay people and all lost people so that we can share the Gospel with them. [Also to note: I specifically mentioned gay people here because of the example raised in the service, but also to address a tendency some Christians have of avoiding those with particular temptations to sins that we perhaps may not deal with nearly as strongly or just don't understand and perhaps feel uncertain of how to relate with them as a friend. Of course, I think this is exactly how we should relate to all people- in a manner of friendship driven by a sincere love of Christ, which in turn drives us to sincerely love one another.] (Now I know my brother Kevin would probably interject at this point- so let me clarify. I don’t think that you should ever establish a superficial relationship for the sole reason of "converting" someone to Christ. People can (and will) see right through that. People are people- not prizes. Establish friendships with people to be friends with them- and through that window, by all means show the love of Christ to them- and as God opens up opportunities- share with them about Christ. And always remember that it’s the Holy Spirit who does the work of converting- we just share the Good News.)
Anyway- I just thought both sermons were great- and that it was cool to hear some of the things that one pastor mentioned- because it’s some that I must admit don’t always get addressed very often in Southern Baptist churches- but at least one pastor went there! We looked at 1 Corinthians 6:17-20 to focus on sexual purity in particular, and also the Biblical prohibitions we have in place via The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17 or Deuteronomy 5:1-21 - it’s in both places!) - And it’s also good to remember that they are prohibitions in some aspects, but there’s also things that we should do as well. And ultimately, the laws enable us to truly live the good life that God wants us to live if we follow them as we should. So they only prohibit us from destruction and woe.
We also hit on 1 Corinthians 8:8-13 (talking about being careful not to be a stumbling block to a weaker brother) and 1 Peter 5:8-9 (watch out for the devil- a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour!)
And we looked at 2 Corinthians 6:14-18- and here, let me get back to what the pastor mentioned that doesn’t always get addressed too often. Smoking is harmful to the body- so don’t do it! God tells us to take care of our bodies because they’re His temple- so smoking, drugs, alcohol and any other substances or lifestyles that are destructive to our bodies should be avoided. (The pastor said- "I know some of you will say, ’I have an uncle who smoked all his life and he lived to be 90.’ Well, he might have lived to be 100 if he hadn’t smoked!"- :-)) And the pastor also talked about gluttony- which is eating too much. And it’s a sin just as much as anything else. Americans are killing themselves because of eating too much. People are getting heart attacks because they’re too fat. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s the truth- and that’s why I need to be careful myself of being gluttonous and making sure to get out and get some exercise!
Well- I know I’ve been going on for a while here- I just thought there was a lot of good stuff in there.
So anyway- be separate from the world- not by "shunning all evildoers"- but by not allowing the world’s influence to be your main influence- that should be God and His Word. Let your life stand out so starkly from the rest of the world that people take notice- and as the Sanhedrin noted of Peter and John, let the world take note that "these men had been with Jesus". I trust that everyone can say of us who follow Christ that we have been with Jesus and are walking with Him
Another weekend has ended and another week has begun. Tomorrow is our prayer meeting at work. I always look forward to that! :-) I managed to get lost not once, but twice this weekend!!! LOL- Friday night I wound up driving all through Maudlin and Simpsonville and out towards Belton and Honea Path before I finally turned around and got back home. So that was an interesting drive. Then on Sunday afternoon/evening/night I drove way out towards Marietta and Cleveland (the one in SC, apparently- not Ohio!) and eventually out by Table Rock- which is a beautiful state park, by the way. My uncle and aunt’s family go there for vacation fairly often. And so I wound up going to Rocky Creek Baptist Church Sunday morning and had a great sermon taken mainly from Joshua 23, all about following God’s call to be holy and separate from the world. And then in the evening, in a totally different county (I was somewhere near Pickens or Pumpkintown or something by this point)- I visited at Holly Springs Baptist Church and heard a great sermon taken mainly from 1 Peter 1:13-16, all about following God’s call to be holy and separate from the world. Talk about deja vu, huh?
Wow! I just find it so awesome how God weaves together stuff like that to flow together so smoothly- even though I wasn’t even at the church I’d intended to go to that evening- but instead got way lost and went to a church in another county- and yet both messages I’d heard that day were very much on the same lines of being holy. It was also interesting talking about being separate from the world- note that Jesus said we were to be "in the world- but not of". (See John 17:15-17) We don’t have a choice about being in the world, obviously (I mean, unless you’re dead or you volunteer for that NASA mission to Mars or something ;-)) - BUT, we don’t have to be of the world- and if you’re in Christ, then you’re not of this world! (as Petra pointed out in an awesome 1983 album and song! :-))
In fact, as both sermons talked about, Christians need to be separate from the world and its influence and instead surround ourselves with friends who will help build us up in the faith. But there is a slight caveat here. This verse came to mind during church on Sunday- and I’ve just now been able to track down where it’s located (as I’d been trying to remember and racking through the New Testament)-
"I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world." (1 Corinthians 5:9-10) Right- there’s no way you can fully get away from the immoral people in the world because as it says here, you’d have to leave this world to do that! But if you read on in verse 11, it says to not associate with someone who calls himself a "brother" (i.e. Christian) but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. In fact, it says with such a man, do not even eat. God will judge those outside the church- but expel the wicked man from among you (within the church). But as one pastor pointed out, we should love everyone because God loves everyone. The example of homosexuals was brought up, as it’s continuing to be a big issue in America today- yes, we should love those who identify as homosexual because God loves them [and of course, we should love everyone because God loves everyone] - but we can’t condone their lifestyle because God doesn’t. [i.e. Just to clarify, while I do believe, due to our fallen world, people can be and are born with homosexual tendencies- but the sin comes in when people choose to act on these tendencies and engage in lust, same sex relationships and sexual encounters.] And we should definitely befriend unsaved gay people and all lost people so that we can share the Gospel with them. [Also to note: I specifically mentioned gay people here because of the example raised in the service, but also to address a tendency some Christians have of avoiding those with particular temptations to sins that we perhaps may not deal with nearly as strongly or just don't understand and perhaps feel uncertain of how to relate with them as a friend. Of course, I think this is exactly how we should relate to all people- in a manner of friendship driven by a sincere love of Christ, which in turn drives us to sincerely love one another.] (Now I know my brother Kevin would probably interject at this point- so let me clarify. I don’t think that you should ever establish a superficial relationship for the sole reason of "converting" someone to Christ. People can (and will) see right through that. People are people- not prizes. Establish friendships with people to be friends with them- and through that window, by all means show the love of Christ to them- and as God opens up opportunities- share with them about Christ. And always remember that it’s the Holy Spirit who does the work of converting- we just share the Good News.)
Anyway- I just thought both sermons were great- and that it was cool to hear some of the things that one pastor mentioned- because it’s some that I must admit don’t always get addressed very often in Southern Baptist churches- but at least one pastor went there! We looked at 1 Corinthians 6:17-20 to focus on sexual purity in particular, and also the Biblical prohibitions we have in place via The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17 or Deuteronomy 5:1-21 - it’s in both places!) - And it’s also good to remember that they are prohibitions in some aspects, but there’s also things that we should do as well. And ultimately, the laws enable us to truly live the good life that God wants us to live if we follow them as we should. So they only prohibit us from destruction and woe.
We also hit on 1 Corinthians 8:8-13 (talking about being careful not to be a stumbling block to a weaker brother) and 1 Peter 5:8-9 (watch out for the devil- a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour!)
And we looked at 2 Corinthians 6:14-18- and here, let me get back to what the pastor mentioned that doesn’t always get addressed too often. Smoking is harmful to the body- so don’t do it! God tells us to take care of our bodies because they’re His temple- so smoking, drugs, alcohol and any other substances or lifestyles that are destructive to our bodies should be avoided. (The pastor said- "I know some of you will say, ’I have an uncle who smoked all his life and he lived to be 90.’ Well, he might have lived to be 100 if he hadn’t smoked!"- :-)) And the pastor also talked about gluttony- which is eating too much. And it’s a sin just as much as anything else. Americans are killing themselves because of eating too much. People are getting heart attacks because they’re too fat. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s the truth- and that’s why I need to be careful myself of being gluttonous and making sure to get out and get some exercise!
Well- I know I’ve been going on for a while here- I just thought there was a lot of good stuff in there.
So anyway- be separate from the world- not by "shunning all evildoers"- but by not allowing the world’s influence to be your main influence- that should be God and His Word. Let your life stand out so starkly from the rest of the world that people take notice- and as the Sanhedrin noted of Peter and John, let the world take note that "these men had been with Jesus". I trust that everyone can say of us who follow Christ that we have been with Jesus and are walking with Him
Sunday, March 8, 2015
The Glory's So Bright, He's Gotta Wear Shades (song)
So I thought I'd give you not just one, and not just two, but three posts in one day! Yeah- this is better than Timbuktu even- it's Timbuk 3! :-)
This is yet another parody song for you- a fairly new one that I finished a while back and have been holding off on posting. This is one of these songs that it helps to have some background on first, so I'm going to try to quickly go over that first- it may get a bit lengthy, so hang with me on this.
Let me set up the scene first- Moses and the Israelites have been in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, after a dramatic and miraculous deliverance by The Lord from the hand of the Egyptians by crossing through the Red Sea on dry land! God rolled the river back up on either side like a scroll and gave them a safe, dry passage to walk through. And in the desert, they didn't remember God's Name. Moses went up on Mt. Sinai to get The Ten Commandments and Aaron and the crew decided to ditch The Lord and make a golden calf to worship instead. After Moses came back and the Israelites faced God's chastisement (which included about 3000 people dying), Moses went back to talk with God again and interceded for the people. God spared the remaining Israelites and renewed His promises to them again. And after Moses spent time in God's presence- and even got to see God's back! (God covered him in the cleft of the rock on the mountain when He passed by, so that He only saw God's back- as The Lord tells us in Exodus 33:20 that no man can see His face and live.)
Moses gets a new set of tablets to replace the original copy of The Ten Commandments that he had smashed in anger during the whole golden calf incident. And when Moses came back down off the mountain, all the people were freaking out because Moses' face was glowing bright. As Exodus 34:29 tells us, Moses' face was glowing because he had been talking with God. God's glory was reflected off his face now and it was so bright, he had to wear shades! :-) (Okay- so he didn't actually wear his sunglasses at night- or at day, for that matter- but he did wear a veil. ;-))
Now fast forward to 2 Corinthians chapters 3 and 4. Paul talks about these events when he, under The Holy Spirit's inspiration, writes to tell us that it's like this with every person in the world. The god of this age (i.e. Satan) has blinded the eyes of unbelievers so that they can't see the Truth of Christ. In fact, 2 Corinthians 3:14-15 says that their minds are hardened and a veil is over their hearts. And it's only through Christ that it's removed and they are able to see His glory and come to salvation. And then they join the ranks of those of us who have put their faith in Jesus after having had the veil removed from our hearts so that we can see Him and know Him. "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of The Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from The Lord Who is The Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18)
I particularly love how Old Testament passages like this that we might forget come up again in the New Testament. The more we read and understand all of God's Word, all the different passages speak to each other and help increase our understanding of The Bible as a whole- of course, we have to be listening to The Holy Spirit's gentle instruction as He leads us into all Truth. :-)
And, as another quick note of reference, my brother Ryan and I have been reading through different books of The Bible together and that's helped fuel this all the more. (Hence the reference at the start of the song, which I used Twitter language to explain, even though I don't really dig all the hash tag stuff- unless it's a tag to indicate where the hash and grits are in the buffet line. ;-)) We haven't studied Exodus yet, but we'll probably get to that one soon enough. :-)
The Glory's So Bright- He's Gotta Wear Shades
(parody of "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" by Timbuk 3; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/5/2014)
(Exodus 34, 2 Corinthians 3 and 4:1-6, Philemon 1:6)
Let's study Exodus, Ryan
(#mybrother#- hashtag)
It's got a famous feature
The Ten Commandments
Things were going great
But they made a graven image
After doing their time
Tablets replaced
The glory's so bright
Moe's gotta wear a veil
He's gotta wear shades
He talked with God stationed
On Mt. Sinai patient
34 is where
Moses just got that glare
He negotiates
And The Lord just set new charter
They do what's right
Get His good graces
They choose sin- those times
God's gotta send plagues
He's gotta send plagues
Well, we're Heavenly blessed
With good things in Christ
In a peeping Tom world, we
Live X-rayed lives
If old glory's great
Then Spirit's glory's that much better
The Spirit gives life
The letter kills, babe
Its glory was bright-
Moe had to wear a veil
He had to wear a shade
Let's study 2 (two) Corinthians
All of 3rd. chapter
World's got a great deceiver-
his ware's dark glasses
Keeps The Gospel veiled
And there's only One Unveiler
It's through Him- Lord Christ
Get His good grace
His glory's so bright
I gotta just praise
I got (an) unveiled face
And God effects change
So I gotta share Grace.
..............................................
This is yet another parody song for you- a fairly new one that I finished a while back and have been holding off on posting. This is one of these songs that it helps to have some background on first, so I'm going to try to quickly go over that first- it may get a bit lengthy, so hang with me on this.
Let me set up the scene first- Moses and the Israelites have been in the desert on their way to the Promised Land, after a dramatic and miraculous deliverance by The Lord from the hand of the Egyptians by crossing through the Red Sea on dry land! God rolled the river back up on either side like a scroll and gave them a safe, dry passage to walk through. And in the desert, they didn't remember God's Name. Moses went up on Mt. Sinai to get The Ten Commandments and Aaron and the crew decided to ditch The Lord and make a golden calf to worship instead. After Moses came back and the Israelites faced God's chastisement (which included about 3000 people dying), Moses went back to talk with God again and interceded for the people. God spared the remaining Israelites and renewed His promises to them again. And after Moses spent time in God's presence- and even got to see God's back! (God covered him in the cleft of the rock on the mountain when He passed by, so that He only saw God's back- as The Lord tells us in Exodus 33:20 that no man can see His face and live.)
Moses gets a new set of tablets to replace the original copy of The Ten Commandments that he had smashed in anger during the whole golden calf incident. And when Moses came back down off the mountain, all the people were freaking out because Moses' face was glowing bright. As Exodus 34:29 tells us, Moses' face was glowing because he had been talking with God. God's glory was reflected off his face now and it was so bright, he had to wear shades! :-) (Okay- so he didn't actually wear his sunglasses at night- or at day, for that matter- but he did wear a veil. ;-))
Now fast forward to 2 Corinthians chapters 3 and 4. Paul talks about these events when he, under The Holy Spirit's inspiration, writes to tell us that it's like this with every person in the world. The god of this age (i.e. Satan) has blinded the eyes of unbelievers so that they can't see the Truth of Christ. In fact, 2 Corinthians 3:14-15 says that their minds are hardened and a veil is over their hearts. And it's only through Christ that it's removed and they are able to see His glory and come to salvation. And then they join the ranks of those of us who have put their faith in Jesus after having had the veil removed from our hearts so that we can see Him and know Him. "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of The Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from The Lord Who is The Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18)
I particularly love how Old Testament passages like this that we might forget come up again in the New Testament. The more we read and understand all of God's Word, all the different passages speak to each other and help increase our understanding of The Bible as a whole- of course, we have to be listening to The Holy Spirit's gentle instruction as He leads us into all Truth. :-)
And, as another quick note of reference, my brother Ryan and I have been reading through different books of The Bible together and that's helped fuel this all the more. (Hence the reference at the start of the song, which I used Twitter language to explain, even though I don't really dig all the hash tag stuff- unless it's a tag to indicate where the hash and grits are in the buffet line. ;-)) We haven't studied Exodus yet, but we'll probably get to that one soon enough. :-)
The Glory's So Bright- He's Gotta Wear Shades
(parody of "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" by Timbuk 3; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/5/2014)
(Exodus 34, 2 Corinthians 3 and 4:1-6, Philemon 1:6)
Let's study Exodus, Ryan
(#mybrother#- hashtag)
It's got a famous feature
The Ten Commandments
Things were going great
But they made a graven image
After doing their time
Tablets replaced
The glory's so bright
Moe's gotta wear a veil
He's gotta wear shades
He talked with God stationed
On Mt. Sinai patient
34 is where
Moses just got that glare
He negotiates
And The Lord just set new charter
They do what's right
Get His good graces
They choose sin- those times
God's gotta send plagues
He's gotta send plagues
Well, we're Heavenly blessed
With good things in Christ
In a peeping Tom world, we
Live X-rayed lives
If old glory's great
Then Spirit's glory's that much better
The Spirit gives life
The letter kills, babe
Its glory was bright-
Moe had to wear a veil
He had to wear a shade
Let's study 2 (two) Corinthians
All of 3rd. chapter
World's got a great deceiver-
his ware's dark glasses
Keeps The Gospel veiled
And there's only One Unveiler
It's through Him- Lord Christ
Get His good grace
His glory's so bright
I gotta just praise
I got (an) unveiled face
And God effects change
So I gotta share Grace.
..............................................
The Saved (song)
With my last post in mind, I thought I'd share a related parody that I did a while back that I thought you all might like.
This one relays the account of two guys in the New Testament who spoke up and led some dudes to Christ. (Philip and Paul) And it also talks about Christ's charge to us to preach the Gospel in all the world as He told us in Acts 1:8
So I hope this will be encouraging to us all.
"The Saved"
(parody of "How to Save a Life" by The Fray; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 2/16/2008)
(Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Acts 8:26-40, Acts 16:22-34, Matthew 6:19-21, Matthew 9:35-38, 1 Peter 3:15, Isaiah 53, Jeremiah 20:9, Isaiah 55:11)
Verse 1
...........
Step One, He says, I need to walk
I walk- He says, Stick now to the chariot
Inside it rides (an) Ethiopian dude
Eunuch of rightly counting dues
What more of a window could you find?
"And He was led" and "He was silent"
Reading the lines (of) 53 Isaiah
I don't even wonder why I came
Chorus 1
............
There before too long, I found a friend
That's where I launched in my witness
And I wound up leading the eunuch to Christ
And I know now he's saved for life
Verse 2
..........
Let him know that we've not left
'Cause after all it means his death
-Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Laid down and this is what he longs
Asking, How to be saved, now Paul?
Pray to God- He hears you
And pray to God- He heals you
Chorus 2
............
There before too long, Paul got a friend
That's where he launched into witness
And he wound up leading the dude to Christ
And his house now is saved for life
Verse 3
..........
As He begins to raise, His voice
Empowers you- commands you one last chore
Wait until the Holy Ghost
Just breaks on the ones who've followed
He will move- a tongue descending
We will witness to everyone
(From) our home base to all surrounding place
Gospel will then to all Earth be proclaimed
Chorus 3
............
Where did I go wrong? I long to mend
Somewhere alone in the wilderness
And I could have spoke up- led you to Christ
Had I known- you would take your life
Chorus 4
............
Why did I prolong? Well, my lost friend
Somewhere he longs for some tenderness
And I should have laid up- Matthew 6, line
Twenty shows what to save in life
(What to save in life)
(What to save in life)
Chorus 5
............
Share before they're gone- it's a Godsend
Look here- how large is the harvest
And I should have read up in Matthew 9
Send out those laboring for Christ
Chorus 6
............
There, before they're gone- the lost befriend
That's where you launch into witness
And God would have you love and do like Christ
Now you know how to save a life
(Vow to share of Christ)
(It's how to save a life)
(Now we're saved through Christ)
..........................
This one relays the account of two guys in the New Testament who spoke up and led some dudes to Christ. (Philip and Paul) And it also talks about Christ's charge to us to preach the Gospel in all the world as He told us in Acts 1:8
So I hope this will be encouraging to us all.
"The Saved"
(parody of "How to Save a Life" by The Fray; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 2/16/2008)
(Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Acts 8:26-40, Acts 16:22-34, Matthew 6:19-21, Matthew 9:35-38, 1 Peter 3:15, Isaiah 53, Jeremiah 20:9, Isaiah 55:11)
Verse 1
...........
Step One, He says, I need to walk
I walk- He says, Stick now to the chariot
Inside it rides (an) Ethiopian dude
Eunuch of rightly counting dues
What more of a window could you find?
"And He was led" and "He was silent"
Reading the lines (of) 53 Isaiah
I don't even wonder why I came
Chorus 1
............
There before too long, I found a friend
That's where I launched in my witness
And I wound up leading the eunuch to Christ
And I know now he's saved for life
Verse 2
..........
Let him know that we've not left
'Cause after all it means his death
-Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Laid down and this is what he longs
Asking, How to be saved, now Paul?
Pray to God- He hears you
And pray to God- He heals you
Chorus 2
............
There before too long, Paul got a friend
That's where he launched into witness
And he wound up leading the dude to Christ
And his house now is saved for life
Verse 3
..........
As He begins to raise, His voice
Empowers you- commands you one last chore
Wait until the Holy Ghost
Just breaks on the ones who've followed
He will move- a tongue descending
We will witness to everyone
(From) our home base to all surrounding place
Gospel will then to all Earth be proclaimed
Chorus 3
............
Where did I go wrong? I long to mend
Somewhere alone in the wilderness
And I could have spoke up- led you to Christ
Had I known- you would take your life
Chorus 4
............
Why did I prolong? Well, my lost friend
Somewhere he longs for some tenderness
And I should have laid up- Matthew 6, line
Twenty shows what to save in life
(What to save in life)
(What to save in life)
Chorus 5
............
Share before they're gone- it's a Godsend
Look here- how large is the harvest
And I should have read up in Matthew 9
Send out those laboring for Christ
Chorus 6
............
There, before they're gone- the lost befriend
That's where you launch into witness
And God would have you love and do like Christ
Now you know how to save a life
(Vow to share of Christ)
(It's how to save a life)
(Now we're saved through Christ)
..........................
I can't keep it in- my soul is screaming!
[Note: This is another entry from the archives, which I'm slowly converting all over to this blog. Considering that I've heard some great sermons on God's transformative power today, from Ezekiel 37 and Isaiah 6, respectively- and evangelism has definitely been part of the emphasis today- this blog post seemed particularly appropriate for today. This one I originally posted back on February 26, 2008. It's slightly updated and edited here. Enjoy!]
"Hey you! I'm into Jesus! I've seen the truth- and I believe!" :-)
(I've been listening to DC Talk's "Supernatural" album again some at work whenever I can- wow, I love this album!)
And of course, as some may know- this is the song I got my email address from. (With a "N" for the initial for my first name- so it still carries the same meaning, but it's like saying "Nathan's into Jesus" :-))
Yeah- Jesus rules! (And I mean that literally!) He's Lord, God and Savior. And He loved us all so much that He died on the cross for us and rose again from the dead. He made the ONLY Way for us to get into Heaven! WOW! I can never praise Jesus enough- or ever stop talking about how AWESOME He is! :-)
Lately, it's something that's been hitting at me. I think witnessing is something every Christian struggles with- and I certainly feel like it's something that I've always felt when I was younger that I wasn't as vocal about Christ sometimes as I could have been- and I've wanted to be bolder for God.
And it's something that we don't have a choice on- Jesus commands us to go! (As a great Keith Green song says- not to mention Matthew 28:18-20!)
And Acts 1:8 tells how to go- first preach in Jerusalem, then move on to Judea and Samaria- and eventually to the whole world! If we take the geographical aspect into mind, we basically have this parallel for us. Start telling people about Christ right where you are in your own neighborhood! Because people everywhere need to hear about God's love. And then you can start reaching out to the rest of the state and all the 50 States that make up the United States of America! (God bless America! Woohoo! Yay for America, its founders and leaders! And while its faults are many, I certainly pray that God will "mend thine every flaw." 'Cause it's still America the Beautiful as far as I'm concered. And God rules over it and the whole world!- yeah, I'm really patriotic- just threw that in there. :-))
And eventually we are called to take the Gospel out to the whole world!
The fields are white with harvest- beseech The Lord of the harvest to send more workers into His fields!
Okay- well, as I'm saying all this, I thought I'd also share a few encounters here. Just the other week I was at a gas station and my bill happened to be $7.77 (not to fill up my tank- wow, I wish! ;-)) Anyway, I just mentioned to the dude that it's the perfect number. (The number 7 in The Bible is associated with completeness and perfection. 7 days in the week, 7 marches around Jericho's walls in 7 days with 7 marches and 7 blasts of the trumpet on the last day- 7 seals, 7 trumpets and 7 bowls of God's wrath in Revelation)- and there's probably other examples. And it's really neat when you get three 7s, because that can also signify the Holy Trinity- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
So I thought it was neat that the dude actually knew what I was talking about and mentioned, "Oh yeah, like in the book of Daniel?" So I told him, "Yeah. It's a good book. Have you read it?" And then he told me that he read The Bible and that he considers himself something of a Christian (it sounded a bit shaky to me, but I think maybe he was just not where he needed to be with God at the moment)- but he did tell me that he went to the charismatic-type church nearby my apartment. So that's way cool. And that was the extent of the conversation, but I prayed for him after I left.
Not a real big deal necessarily- but it was an opportunity to talk about God with the guy. And maybe that little conversation helped give him the spark he needed to get back closer to God. I hope so.
Anyway- this was just to say that God presents us with all kinds of chances to talk to people about Christ- and that's why we have to be ready at all times to share the reason for our hope in Jesus like 1 Peter 3:15 talks about. (in the Greek- apologia- which is where we get apologetics from in English- and where ApologetiX gets their name!)
And interesting that I should mention That Christian Parody Band- because this is kinda where this is all going. Lately I've just been excited to see God moving in the lives of people I've been praying for and I continue to pray and trust that God will work to bring people I care about to know Him as Savior.
(And let me also state that there are plenty of times where I've blown it and felt awful as I'm left thinking- I should have done something more- I should have specifically told them about Jesus.) But share what you can where you can- and definitely share God's Word whenever you can! Isaiah 55:11 tells us that God's Word never returns to Him void but it accomplishes the purpose for which He sent it out! :-)
Ive been reading in Jeremiah lately and this is a great read to show you the compassion and desperation Jeremiah felt for his own people- and the fervence with which he prayed for them and tried to warn them of God's impending wrath and destruction He would bring. And this just got me thinking of how much America (and the world in general for that matter) still needs to hear that message- that God is a God of wrath and will punish sin with finality one day- but that He's also a God of unending love who longs for every single person in the history of the world to be with Him in Heaven- and that's why He paid the price of sin for us by dying in our place!
Look at the all the other religions of the world- there's no other god who's ever been so personal with people that he would die for them to pay for their own sins! Jesus is that personal of a God! He loves us!
Amazing love! How can it be that thou my God shouldst die for me?
Charles Wesley asked that question in a rocking hymn called "And Can It Be?" and wow- that song and question still blows me away every time!
And check out this verse in Jeremiah 20:9
"But if I say, 'I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,' His Word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."
WOW! We've got a message to give to the nations- so let's get busy for Christ! (And remember that witnessing is equally important in the areas of your vocal witness- AND your lifestyle witness! Both have to match up!)
"Hey you! I'm into Jesus! I've seen the truth- and I believe!" :-)
(I've been listening to DC Talk's "Supernatural" album again some at work whenever I can- wow, I love this album!)
And of course, as some may know- this is the song I got my email address from. (With a "N" for the initial for my first name- so it still carries the same meaning, but it's like saying "Nathan's into Jesus" :-))
Yeah- Jesus rules! (And I mean that literally!) He's Lord, God and Savior. And He loved us all so much that He died on the cross for us and rose again from the dead. He made the ONLY Way for us to get into Heaven! WOW! I can never praise Jesus enough- or ever stop talking about how AWESOME He is! :-)
Lately, it's something that's been hitting at me. I think witnessing is something every Christian struggles with- and I certainly feel like it's something that I've always felt when I was younger that I wasn't as vocal about Christ sometimes as I could have been- and I've wanted to be bolder for God.
And it's something that we don't have a choice on- Jesus commands us to go! (As a great Keith Green song says- not to mention Matthew 28:18-20!)
And Acts 1:8 tells how to go- first preach in Jerusalem, then move on to Judea and Samaria- and eventually to the whole world! If we take the geographical aspect into mind, we basically have this parallel for us. Start telling people about Christ right where you are in your own neighborhood! Because people everywhere need to hear about God's love. And then you can start reaching out to the rest of the state and all the 50 States that make up the United States of America! (God bless America! Woohoo! Yay for America, its founders and leaders! And while its faults are many, I certainly pray that God will "mend thine every flaw." 'Cause it's still America the Beautiful as far as I'm concered. And God rules over it and the whole world!- yeah, I'm really patriotic- just threw that in there. :-))
And eventually we are called to take the Gospel out to the whole world!
The fields are white with harvest- beseech The Lord of the harvest to send more workers into His fields!
Okay- well, as I'm saying all this, I thought I'd also share a few encounters here. Just the other week I was at a gas station and my bill happened to be $7.77 (not to fill up my tank- wow, I wish! ;-)) Anyway, I just mentioned to the dude that it's the perfect number. (The number 7 in The Bible is associated with completeness and perfection. 7 days in the week, 7 marches around Jericho's walls in 7 days with 7 marches and 7 blasts of the trumpet on the last day- 7 seals, 7 trumpets and 7 bowls of God's wrath in Revelation)- and there's probably other examples. And it's really neat when you get three 7s, because that can also signify the Holy Trinity- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
So I thought it was neat that the dude actually knew what I was talking about and mentioned, "Oh yeah, like in the book of Daniel?" So I told him, "Yeah. It's a good book. Have you read it?" And then he told me that he read The Bible and that he considers himself something of a Christian (it sounded a bit shaky to me, but I think maybe he was just not where he needed to be with God at the moment)- but he did tell me that he went to the charismatic-type church nearby my apartment. So that's way cool. And that was the extent of the conversation, but I prayed for him after I left.
Not a real big deal necessarily- but it was an opportunity to talk about God with the guy. And maybe that little conversation helped give him the spark he needed to get back closer to God. I hope so.
Anyway- this was just to say that God presents us with all kinds of chances to talk to people about Christ- and that's why we have to be ready at all times to share the reason for our hope in Jesus like 1 Peter 3:15 talks about. (in the Greek- apologia- which is where we get apologetics from in English- and where ApologetiX gets their name!)
And interesting that I should mention That Christian Parody Band- because this is kinda where this is all going. Lately I've just been excited to see God moving in the lives of people I've been praying for and I continue to pray and trust that God will work to bring people I care about to know Him as Savior.
(And let me also state that there are plenty of times where I've blown it and felt awful as I'm left thinking- I should have done something more- I should have specifically told them about Jesus.) But share what you can where you can- and definitely share God's Word whenever you can! Isaiah 55:11 tells us that God's Word never returns to Him void but it accomplishes the purpose for which He sent it out! :-)
Ive been reading in Jeremiah lately and this is a great read to show you the compassion and desperation Jeremiah felt for his own people- and the fervence with which he prayed for them and tried to warn them of God's impending wrath and destruction He would bring. And this just got me thinking of how much America (and the world in general for that matter) still needs to hear that message- that God is a God of wrath and will punish sin with finality one day- but that He's also a God of unending love who longs for every single person in the history of the world to be with Him in Heaven- and that's why He paid the price of sin for us by dying in our place!
Look at the all the other religions of the world- there's no other god who's ever been so personal with people that he would die for them to pay for their own sins! Jesus is that personal of a God! He loves us!
Amazing love! How can it be that thou my God shouldst die for me?
Charles Wesley asked that question in a rocking hymn called "And Can It Be?" and wow- that song and question still blows me away every time!
And check out this verse in Jeremiah 20:9
"But if I say, 'I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,' His Word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."
WOW! We've got a message to give to the nations- so let's get busy for Christ! (And remember that witnessing is equally important in the areas of your vocal witness- AND your lifestyle witness! Both have to match up!)
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