House Cleaning

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

:-)
:-)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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God's Child in The Temple (song)

Childhood is such a creative and imaginative time, full of wonder and growth and learning. Children get plenty of nicks and bruises along the way of learning, but eventually they take those experiences and get shaped to be the grown-ups they become in the end. "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." (1 Corinthians 13:11) In the same way that we grow physically from children to adults, we grow in the faith spiritually from newborn babes to mature believers in Christ. (1 Peter 2:2-3) Just as The Bible tells us through the gilded pages, we must learn to grow more and more like Jesus. And if God's Child's in the temple and in the Scriptures and in prayer, how much more must we be!

"God's Child in The Temple"
(parody of "Hot Child in the City" by Nick Gilder; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/7/2015)
(Luke 2, 1 John 1:6, Acts 4:27, 1 Samuel 2:26, 1 Corinthians 13:11, 1 Peter 2:2-3)

Manger- where they laid down God's own Child
Saviour- dressed in swaddling clothes- meek and mild
Go on, bro- Luke 2 is just what this is based on
Mary and Joseph- they gave Him- for presentation

God's Child's in the city
God smiled on ol' Simeon
Saw God's Child- Anna's on (the) scene
Yeah
God's Child got a blessing

So long! He cut loose out on His own
Young Boy! Feast is done, they take off for home
When Jesus is found, the priests all stop and stare
While search is going down, they gawk- tween Jesus schooled 'em there
Yeah

God's Child's in the city
God's Child has gone missing
(They're) runnin' wild and looking for Him
Yeah
God's Child's in Dave's city

When He's found at God's House, baby- they balk at this stunt
"Knowest thou not My place must be (My) Father's House?"
(Dad's on the brain for Jesus) God's Child's on a mission! God's Child's in the city!
God's Child- He went missing! (Found Child) Found God's Child- just look in temple
(Found Child at the temple) God's Child 's in (the) vicinity!
(God's Child left with family) God's Child left with family
(God's Child was submitting) God's Child was submitting
(Grew wise and in favor) Grew wise and in favour
( (So) God's child- grow like Saviour!) - (So) God's child- grow like Saviour! (Oh!)
(God's Child!)
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The Sunrise Dawns (poem)

Here's a Christmas poem to remember the sacrifice made to save us all- the sacrifice that extended beyond the cross and empty tomb- the sacrifice that started when Thou didst leave Thy throne, Lord Jesus. You stepped down and clothed yourself in human flesh and became a little Baby Boy in Bethlehem. You grew up to be the paragon of human existence, living a perfect life and dying a perfect death on the cross and then having a perfect Resurrection. You are perfection itself. Thank You for loving such imperfect people like me and coming to save us- and make us to be like You.

"The Sunrise Dawns"
(copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/26/2015)
(Luke 1-2, Matthew 1-2, John 1:1-18, Mark 1:1-11)

The Way in a manger
The Truth in a stable rude
The Life descends on a midnight clear
The Word resounds on a silent night
The Light of the world shines in thy dark streets, O Bethlehem
The Prince of Peace born by a pauper's means
The King of Kings crowned with hay for a wreath
The Lord of Lords with no glory to behold, by animals and shepherds adored
The Mighty God a tiny, helpless Babe
The Wonderful Counselor consoles Israel but not Himself
The Everlasting Father becomes the Only Begotten Son
The Seed of the woman planted for a tree
The Second Adam here to erase the curse of the first Adam
The Door of the sheep found only a door for sheep
The Desire of Nations had no beauty that we should desire Him
The Good Shepherd is The Lamb of God fit for the slaughter
The Holy Child comes to us lowly and mild
The Bright and Morning Star made a new star to shine with hope
The Beloved Son grows up to be a despised Man of Sorrows
The Author of Eternal Salvation writes Himself into our story
The Bread of Life is broken for us
The New Wine is spilled as blood for us
The Creator takes the punishment for His created
The Great High Priest becomes a curse for us
The Messiah comes to be our Passover
We find our rest in the New Sabbath
The Son of God becomes the Son of Man as well
So that the sons of earth might become sons of God too
Hallelujah, for The Saviour is born and we can be born again.
The Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings lifts us up as eagles
The Resurrection and The Life resurrects our lives with new life.
The Rose of Sharon blooms forevermore
And one day The Witness will see us witness to the great glory
of The Lord of Glory as we praise the Lord of all forever
All thanks to Immanuel who has made God with us our reality once more.
Let the Amen be raised in praise for endless days.

Temptation Lies (song)

[Note: I'm dusting one off from the archives here. I eventually hope to transfer older writings and songs all to one central location on the blog (as I have a lot of songs and poems and devotional pieces, etc. that I've previously posted in other venues). In keeping with my most recent confessional post, I thought it would be appropriate to post this little parody song I wrote a few years back. It's still one of my favorites. :-) Enjoy this one from the grass roots movement I'm trying to do with this blog. ;-)] And this one is a 1960s classic here. Too many times we let temptation slide in and take over- it looks so good for food and it will make us so wise- or so thought Eve anyway. But Hebrews 12:15 says to see to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Jude 1:12 describes some guys who are uprooted because they turned away from the Gospel of grace and turned it into a license for immorality. Should we sin so that grace will abound? By no means! We must hold to Christ who can deliver us from every temptation because His eyes saw it all and yet He resisted each one- and thus gives us the strength to overcome it too. Sin can look fun sometimes- but temptation lies! “Temptation Lies” (parody of “Temptation Eyes” by The Grass Roots; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 1/9/2011) (Romans 8:37, 1 Peter 2:11-12, Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:9-13, Luke 4:1-13, 2 Corinthians 10:4, Romans 12:1-2, Genesis 4, Romans 7, 1 Corinthians 10:13, James 4:7-8, Ephesians 6, Romans 6:14, 1 Peter 5:8-9, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Hebrews 12:15, Jude 1:12) Secret pet sin That lures my soul And You know- Don’t want to love it And sin lets me down every time Remake my mind In Romans (7:25) seven two five Old me- sin seems so inviting Don’t want to fall- Jesus, help! Chorus ………… Oh, temptation lies Looking for my, my, my soul (Well,) Temptation lies- it’s got me lusting Got to shove it aside (God, please help me escape it- yeah!) Sin’s wide-eyed innocence - A masquerade Cherub’s no saint Instead it’s Satan He’s got a way to keep me compromised It’s just a ride And he’s got Turkish Delight Old me- sin seems so inviting Don’t want to fall- Jesus, help! (Repeat Chorus) (I see it now) It’s right with me Sin and good still fighting Don’t have to fall- Romans 6! (Repeat Chorus) Temptation lies Looking for my, my, my soul (Well,) Temptation lies (1) One Corinthians 10- read 13 tonight ………………………………………………………..

The Itch and Ol' Scratch and the Healing Balm

"Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man." (Psalms 12:1) "The Lord tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Let Him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For The Lord is righteous; He loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold His face." (Psalms 11:5-7) I read these passages today in my daily time with God in His Word and prayer. Sometimes I can really feel the weight of that first verse I quoted there. The godly ones are gone- the faithful are vanished from among man. And it often feels like I'm part of that number. What happened to all those claims of following Christ and trying to live out His Word when you find yourself falling into and even reveling in some of the same sins you struggle with so many times over? And then you really feel like a hypocrite trying to share Christ with someone else who's a seeking skeptic- even though you've repented of those sins and asked for forgiveness. (As you may have figured out, this post is largely an autobiographical one of my day today.) This is not a post to call anyone else out on their sin. (Not that I necessarily try to call anyone specifically out on sin when I post in any case. I just try to speak what God's Word says- and that applies to all of us. We're all called out on sin by God's Word- there's no one righteous, no, not one.(see Romans 3:10-18) Particularly when I post things like this, I'm mainly preaching to myself. Like St. Augustine and Usher said, "These are my confessions." And like Michael Jackson said, "I'm starting with the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways. And no message could have been any clearer. If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change." 'Cause it's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord- standing in the need of prayer. It's not my brother, not my sister- but it's me, oh, Lord- standing in the need of prayer. It's not my mother, not my father- but it's me, oh Lord- standing in the need of prayer. This is a post to confess my sin before The Lord and before others. This is a post to say that when I get lonely by myself or just distracted or bored, my mind can run the gamut of despicable, wicked thoughts. I can find myself saying things I ought not to say or seeing things I ought not to see. And sometimes I have the audacity to push the Holy Spirit's urges aside and indulge in sinful behavior anyway. And I feel like saying with Peter, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (Luke 5:8) That point came home to me today when The Lord showed me something. The urge to sin eats away at us at times and though it's crouching at our doors, desiring to have us- we must master it. And we know what it will do when we give in- we know that it will be harmful. But the insatiable urge tugs at us and we give in once again and scratch the itch. But the itch feeds itself with the scratching. The more we scratch, temporary relief may come, but then we find the itching desire all the stronger. And eventually, we end up with blood oozing out. The scratching just leaves us bleeding and then maybe we finally wake up to the harm that we're doing to ourselves. And then we're frantically trying to blot the bleeding and get things back under control again. And vows are made not to do this to ourselves again. And maybe we really mean it this time. But then, not even a hour or more later, we find ourselves doing it again. And we repeat the process. And maybe somewhere during the day, we finally do stop the cycle when we get out and force ourselves to focus on something else. And God finds unique ways to bring Scripture to mind- to give us a run-in with someone- to make us focus back on Him again and remember the One who died a cruel, torturous death for us to pay for all those sins we found ourselves indulging in today. And then we finally get shaken up again and come back to reading in His Word again- praying with fervency- and trusting Him to help us keep our minds focused on Him and thinking on the things we ought, like Philippians 4:8 talks about. Of course, it's comforting to know that just as Jesus spoke kindly to Peter and told him to fear not because he was going to be a fisher of men from then on and be working for Jesus, He still speaks kindly to me and reminds me that I am still eternally loved even when I am busily grieving my Father's heart. (Jeremiah 31:3) In John 2:23-25, we find that Jesus doesn't need anyone to tell Him about man- He knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men. And the Shadow of the Almighty keeps those who have put their trust in The Lord delivered from evil when we let Him. He is always faithful- even when we're not. (2 Timothy 2:11-13) We can't just go on sinning so that grace will abound though! We can't just go on sinning because we're under grace and not under law though! We must count ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. We can't keep presenting ourselves to sin to be used for unrighteousness, but we must present ourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life! We can't be slaves of sin anymore- we're slaves of righteousness! Yet even though I know these things to be true, I still find myself doing what I don't want to do. I don't understand my own actions. I know the good I want to do and I desire to do it- but I don't have the ability to carry it out! Ultimately I delight in the law of God, but too many times I find myself delighting in sin! What a wretched man I am! Thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord who delivers me from this body of death! (Largely based on Romans 6-7 here. Check 6:1-14 particularly, but basically the whole chapter. And particularly 7:15-25, but the whole chapter is incredible.) "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by Whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him." (Romans 8:1-17) I could basically go on and quote the whole chapter- it's all so good! So we must learn to set our minds not on the flesh but instead on the Spirit! Lord Jesus, please help me to keep my mind set on You! SO many things distract me from the only One I should always be thinking about.Help me to live according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. Thank You for Your adoption that allows me to cry out, "Abba! Father!" Save, O Lord! As a fellow heir with Christ, help me to be ready to suffer with You, Lord, so that I may also be glorified with You in due time. Thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross that makes it possible. Thank You for sympathizing with me in my weaknesses as One who has in every respect been tempted just as I am, yet You are without sin. You bore the full weight of fielding every lie and temptation of the devil for 33 years on Earth- constantly saying, "No" to the devil and self and a resounding, "Yes" to God. "Not My will, but Your will be done," You prayed. Father, please let it be- not my will, but Thine be done. Forgive me for half-hearted promises promptly broken and roaming eyes and a mind that set themselves so quickly onto sin. Forgive me for relinquishing and relishing the sin, even while knowing it sickens and disgusts You and breaks Your heart- so much so that it drove You to take the nails on the cross for me. Thank You that despite Your hatred for sin, You still have a love for me- a covetous old sinner, as Dickens described Scrooge, and You still desire to restore me and reuse me again for Your glory. You amaze me with Your steadfastness and resoluteness. Keep burning away the chaff and let my cries of agony at the pain remind me of the greater pain of not dealing with it. Thank You so much for Your promise to never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5) and to present me faultless before Your throne one day. (Jude 1:24-25) Please take away the itch and help me not to scratch it. But if not, help me to remember that Your grace is sufficient for me and that You are good and a taste of Your sweetness is better than any ill-gotten gravel rock candy I might gorge on otherwise. You alone truly fulfill all my soul's cravings. Keep me near You with my mind stayed upon Jehovah- and may my life be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. O may my little eyes, hands, feet and mind be careful what they do- for The Father above is looking down in love- and I want Him to be pleased with what He sees.

Dust and a Rib (song)

It happens at some point in all of our lives. Some call it a coming of age experience and some call it a loss of innocence. At some point, we all have an epiphany on some level and realize that life is nothing at all like we thought it once was. All the things we've striven and worked so hard for- they're meaningless glibness. Nothing of our efforts last forever. It all fades and passes away. But just when all seems hopeless, there is still a Light that shines in our darkness. And The Lord Jesus, who is the Light of the world, opens our eyes to the Truth- and if we let Him, He will bring us to salvation through His death and Resurrection when we ask Him in faith. There is a meaning and purpose to it all. Only Christ and His kingdom lasts- that's what really matters. And just like Dorothy's world changed when she let the whirlwind take her to Oz- when we let ourselves ride Elijah's whirlwind that leads to Heaven instead of reaping it, we find that we're not in Kansas anymore. Neither is this song- not exactly, anyway. Like sand in an hourglass, the days of our lives flicker away as dust in the wind. But we're more than just dust and a rib- we're human beings made in God's image- and He says we're priceless. His thoughts for us are more than grains of sand on the beach.We should rejoice in that thought as we marvel at how God loves us- and our eternal gratitude to Him.

"Dust and a Rib"
(parody of "Dust in the Wind" performed by Kansas and written by Kerry Livgren; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/17/2015)
(Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 2, Luke 12, Philippians 4:4, Psalms 118:24, Colossians 1:11-20, Psalms 8, Isaiah 2:22, James 4:13-17, Ecclesiastes (the whole book- but especially Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and 16-22, Ecclesiastes 1:1, 1:11, 2:1-11, and 7:13, Ecclesiastes 4, Ecclesiastes 6)

Christ holds our lives- we're here for a moment- then the moment's gone
James 4 reads- What is your whole life?- It's there in verse 14
Just but a mist
All we are is just but a mist

8:4 Psalms- Why does God our Father think of little me?
All we do crumbles to the ground- 2 Ecclesiastes
Chasing the wind!
All we do is strive after wind!
Oh, ho, ho

Now, don't hang on- nothing lasts forever but The Lord's kingdom
Life slips away- and all your money won't another minute buy
Dust and a rib
All we are is dust and a rib
(And we go to dust back again)
Just wait a min.!
(Everyone's made in God's image!)
All we need's Jesus for the win-
Heaven!
(Ooooh! Ooohh! Ooohh!)

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Feels Like The First Line (song)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's here to beat another path straight to your door. Yes, it's yet another parody song lyric and it's another popular tune with a Christian lens on it. I've seen the illustration before where life is presented as two roads- with our preferred version of events and God's plan of events. (I don't want to put the mic, cart or knee before the horse though [particularly since two of those wouldn't make much sense ;-) unless he's Mr. Ed]- Spoiler alert- God's way always is harder; but it pays off in eternal dividends in the end!) Of course, Jesus talked about two different roads as well in Matthew 7. There's the broad way of self-idolatry that leads to destruction that so many people are sadly bound for Hell upon even now. And then there's the straight and narrow road following Jesus, our crucified and Risen Lord and Saviour that only a few ever find that leads to Life- and Life eternal in Heaven with Jesus! As Robert Frost said in his classic poem, "The Road Not Taken", I took the one less traveled by- and it's made all the difference. And all the way, my Saviour leads me. :-)

"The Straight and Narrow Road"
(parody of "The Long and Winding Road" by The Beatles; parody lyrics copyright by Nathan Ludwick 11/7/2015)
(Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 16:25, Jeremiah 10:23, John 10:7-18, Proverbs 1:29-33, Proverbs 21:2, Proverbs 19:21, Proverbs 16:2, Matthew 7:12-14 and 21-29, Romans 6, Psalms 23, John 14:1-11, Luke 13:22-30, Luke 6:46-49, Philippians 2:1-11)

The broad and winding road that leads to our doom
Will never get us where
We think that road will go- It always leads us there
Leads us to hell's gloom

And while we're sinning, Christ became as a slave
Played the fool on a hill dying for our sake

Won't leave us stranded here- The Truth, Life and Way!
Then His rise can be our own- Romans 6:5 outlines
Trust in faith- you bet He knows the many ways we've tried, but
Still they lead to death on the broad and winding road
Choose understanding here- Proverbs 1:29- go!
Don't keep debating here- Jesus is The Door!

(do-do-do) (instrumental break)

Matthew 7- read that- Take The Straight and Narrow Road
You led me to walk there a long, long time ago
You lead me walking here- lead me to Your throne!

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Review of Switchfoot's song "If The House Burns Down Tonight"

"If The House Burns Down Tonight" by Switchfoot

(analysis of Biblical allusions in the lyrics. Lyrics quoted from Switchfoot's 2016 album, "Where The Light Shines Through"- read the full lyrics on the band's site. The Bible verses in parentheses are added by me; these are some verses that came to mind upon hearing the song or are ones that I think add to what the song is saying to me.)
(First- some key theme Bible verses.)

("You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." Exodus 20:17
"For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." Psalms 84:10
"And behold, a man came up to Him, saying, 'Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? And He said to him, 'Why do you ask Me about what is good? There is only One who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.' He said to Him, 'Which ones?' And Jesus said, 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.' The young man said to Him, 'All these I have kept. What do I still lack?' Jesus said to him, 'If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me.' When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus said to His disciples, 'Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of Heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.' When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, 'Who then can be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.' Then Peter said in reply, 'See, we have left everything and followed You. What then will we have?' Jesus said to them, 'Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for My Name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." Matthew 19:16-30)
"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:17-19)

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"Ashes from the flames- the Truth is what remains- the Truth is what you save from the fire and you fight for what you love- Don't matter if it hurts- you find out what it's worth and you let the rest burn......

(2 Corinthians 13:8- "For we can do nothing against the Truth, but only for the Truth.")
("I am The Way, The Truth and The Life. No man comes to The Father but by Me."- Jesus in John 14:6)

If the house burns down tonight- I've got everything I need when I got You by my side- and let the rest burn....

I've given too much of my heart away- my soul's holding on like a house divided

(Matthew 12:25, Mark 3:25 Luke 11:17- "A house divided against itself cannot stand."- Jesus)

Holding you and the wheel, it occurs to me- we're driving down the edge of eternity...

("He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Put your hand in mine and put your heart in driving

("Ye shall seek Me and ye shall find Me when ye shall seek for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13)

- we got everything we need, yeah- we got everything we need, yeah.
Left it all behind us- what we need will find us.

("And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19)

And all those lies that mattered most to me
Were draining me dry, making a ghost of me

("Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun." Ecclesiastes 2:11)

And if the house burns down tonight
I got everything I need, everything I need
There’s a fire coming that we all will go through

("According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw- each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire." 1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

You possess your possessions or they possess you

("And He said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.' And He told them a parable, saying, 'The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.' " (Luke 12:15-21)

And if the house burns down tonight
I got everything I need when I got You by my side

("I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity." Ecclesiastes 2:18
"There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?" Ecclesiastes 2:24-25
"Whom have I in Heaven by You? And there is nothing on earth than I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalms 73:25-26

And let the rest burn

("The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it." Matthew 13:44-46
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." Matthew 6:19-24)

Ashes from the flames- the Truth is what remains"

("And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." John 1:17
"And you will know The Truth and The Truth will set you free." John 8:32
"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me."- Jesus Christ in John 14:6
"...Because of the Truth that abides in us and will be with us forever." 2 John 1:2)