How excited we get for so many things in life! A birthday party, Christmas, vacation, a visit from an old friend, the big game, the big dance, a date, first kiss, marriage, a new baby- all such wonderful blessings from God! Sometimes though, the extraordinary simply becomes extra ordinary and our enthusiasm goes down to the vegan's for Meatloaf Monday in the school cafeteria.
Isn't that how it goes in the life of a Christian? Where does the joy of The Lord go when the amazing salvation we have from sin, death and hell for free through Christ's death and Resurrection simply becomes old hat? Our testimonies should never be mundane! For those in Jesus Christ, we have crossed from death to life! That's something worth celebrating every day! Praise The Lord all my soul and forget not all His benefits! :-) Just like the thief on the cross, we can rejoice that our names are written in The Lamb's Book of Life in Heaven, our sins and forgiven and we're free- and we receive Paradise by the Passion of Christ!
"Paradise By The Passion Of Christ"
(Parody of "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" by Meatloaf; copyright Nathan Ludwick 3/17/2020)
(Luke 23 (particularly verse 43), Hebrews 9:27-28, Revelation 20:11-15, Romans 5:1-11 (especially v. 8), Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-13, Romans 8:12-17, 1 John 3:16-24, Hebrews 13:5, Psalms 107:1-3, Psalms 108:1-6, Psalms 150, Psalms 149, Jeremiah 20:9, Psalms 32, Psalms 33:1-3, Psalms 16, Psalms 47:1, Psalms 51, Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 53:6, John 14:6, 1 Peter 3:15, Acts 1:1-8, Colossians 3:1-4, Philippians 1:20-21, Romans 14:8, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Peter 1:12-25, Hebrews 2:1-4, Romans 3:21-26, Ephesians 2:1-10, Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Kings 7:9, Luke 6:20-23, Luke 10:17-20, Luke 12:13-21, Matthew 24:36, Psalms 84:10, Psalms 42:1-2, Psalms 63, Psalms 73:23-28, Psalms 138, Psalms 137:4-6, 2 Corinthians 12:1-6, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Revelation 2:7, Revelation 21-22 (especially 22:20-21))
Well, I remember every little thing
As if it happened only yesterday
Harken to the day when I just got down to the end of life
And remember that the trial
Booked me for the theft I'd been doing
And all the guilt- it's true
It was weighing down on me- that's right
And now two robbers are on a cross with Christ
The other yelled so rude, instead I felt contrite
(And) said, "We're going down to Sheol on account of our crimes
Not coincidental- that verbiage is true for Christ
No wrongs for Lord Christ!
Thy kingdom come- Hold me, Christ!"
Though I stole and only chose belief when about to die
I received Paradise by the Passion of Christ
Ain't no doubt about it- I was eternally blessed
Go read it there- Luke 23:43- share the text
Ain't no doubt about it!
Baby- got to go and shout it!
Ain't no doubt about it!
I am eternally blessed!
'Cause it was there Christ guaranteed to me eternal rest!
Baby, don't you hear my heart?
I got to shout it out 'cause He saved my soul!
I'd been weighed down so long but then the Son of God lifted me with Love
Well, I gotta let you know
No, you're never gonna reach Heaven
By hoping that your life has got less wicked than right
You need Jesus Christ!
Only One Who ain't ever done wrong!
And, no- Nobody comes even close to right
3rd. chapter- check Romans- we're sinners- all but Christ!
And we're going to hell eternal on account of our crimes
Romans 5:8 met all consequence(s) of our crimes
Come on! Go to Christ!
For Heaven- go through Christ!
Though your soul's corroded- sins may be scarlet
They can be snow white- Isaiah 1:18 said
Victorious one gets to eat from the tree of life
(Rev. 2:7) Paradise of God- that's all right!
God's got to do what you can't
Trust The Father- He's your true Life vest
In faith, leap out- won't drown then
You'll be eternally blessed
'Cause it's there- Isaiah 43- Go read verse 3- sweetness!
You wanna know all the places in (The) Bible
That's gonna go and actually say the word "Paradise"?
You're gonna go all the way- that's right
To 2nd. Corinthians- in 12th. chapter's lines
There's (a) guy I know, Paul relays (in) 3rd. line
He got to go all the way into Paradise
He got to go to third heaven's sights
We're gonna go- all who's saved- to Paradise through Christ
Okay, here we go, we got a real testimony going here
True dat! Somebody from nowhere, nomads for Lord Christ
Thus he winds up in Trinidad
A child brought up on mission- locked in sin though
This boy is only five
He's grounded firm theologically learning about God
See, God's setting up his heart
He's got a sister setting example- The Bible's lived by brother
And here comes the call- The Spirit calls
He comes with Isaiah verse
53:6- Wow!
That weight's laid down at the cross' base
This pig really makes things sharpen and get clear
Better stop up and explain- Where's the pig? In a story
And what a love he's got- it's kinda absurd
Man and pet- ship on a cruise- overboard
Gonna drown- pig's in space where saving him's pretty crazy to dare
Man's not caring and he dives to pick him up
A picture lands home there- Christ's love there in devotions
Bowing down- family prays time- he knew defiance and fights are wrong
Deserves hell- Jesus saves- sins all paid on cross- He arose- He's The Saviour God
Boy prays now- He asked Jesus to save him!
God worked there!
He's gotta show right now
The Lord to his little brother
'Cause he loves him
Jesus Loves us forever!
Do you hear me?
He will never leave us!
He will take us to Heaven for the rest of all time!
Will you take Him as Saviour- will you give Him your life?
Dude was sharing!
And then God saved his brother!
Thank You, Jesus!
We both now believe You!
Will You make me the man You formed me to be in my life?
Well, You saved me today and You're always in my life
I had to renew my vows
In order to go any further
I still trust You
And I love You forever!
..................................................
But we sleep on it
How He saved me! Let me speak on it!
Oh, how sweet it is!
Need to give all The Answer who are hurting
But we sleep in Light
(Ask Keith Green, yeah) We won't speak of it
Let lost drown in sin
And we believe Christ's The Answer but we hoard Him
And we soak in it
Hey, don't you see? When we keep it in
Then we're deep in sin
Let's give world The Answer- they are drowning!
They gotta know right now
Jesus loves us!
Jesus loves us forever!
We all need Him!
He will never leave us!
He will take us to Heaven if we give Him our lives
Will you take Him as Saviour and The Lord of your life?
You gotta know- time is now
2 (Two) Corinthians 6:2
To get saved please!
The door's not open forever
What's it gonna be, world?
Come on- only Way is Christ
What's it gonna be, boy?
Yes or No?
What's it gonna be, girl?
Yes or No?
Wanna sleep on it?
Baby, baby- you can't sleep on it
While you sleep on it
May not get to see another night or morning
What if ya go right now?
How will He judge you? (It is permanent!)
Hellbound judged or to Heaven?
(27 in Hebrews 9- check!)
Did you read it?
Hell and Heaven are real, babe!
Well, the judgment is happening (Yeah, Hebrews 9 says)
At the end of our lives
(We're given one death- it's been appointed)
While The Saviour awaits
(We're given a chance here ere His coming)
You oughta know Christ now
Before you go past returning
Dude, He loves you!
Will you trust Him for Heaven?
You can't sleep on it
He still loves you forever
Let Christ Jesus in!
Will you trust Him forever?
I couldn't shake You any longer- Lord, I was saved!
And when doubt feelings come upon me like a tidal wave
My heart's reassured then by God the Holy Ghost's soft way
And I just trust Him with my entire life
I know that He will hold me past the end of time
So now I'm praying while awaiting His time
Please hurry up and arrive
'Cause world is gonna end and Father, my life's in You!
Feels on brink but Christ's coming's in Your time
You never forget Your promise or break Your vow
And God already knows too often I flake out
In praying, "Forgive sin that binds"
Let all I do praise You (oh oh oh)
Saved me, now You sanctify- then I will spend all time with You
Is it long to go? Is it not far away?
'Cause Jesus (is) so much better than afforded today
......................................
Only God can know, well, just how far away (Well, Heaven feels so good 'cause Heaven's Jesus Christ!)
And Jesus' (is) so much better than all sins' dread sway
(His glory's glowing makes all else dull and dim- so turn your eyes) (x4)
...............................................,
Jesus died and rose and sins all were just paid (Get saved from Hell for good to Heaven- trust in Christ)
What Jesus promised robber is then ours to claim (And we are going by the Passion of Christ to Paradise!)
.........................................
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Wash Out
Exodus 40:29-38
29 And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the LORD commanded Moses. 33 And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys."
- I just read Exodus 40 tonight and finished the book in my daily Bible reading and prayer time with God. This is one of those chapters that some might consider "boring" because it goes into so much detail about the layout of the Tabernacle. (Spoiler alert- the last few chapters of Exodus detail A LOT of information about measurements and sewing and construction and all that was involved in setting up the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting. Mathematicians and scientists and architects and artisans of the fashion variety might particularly enjoy these chapters. :-))
It might seem overkill at times (but just wait- Leviticus is up next! :-))- but that's really the point. As I was thinking about the precautions I'm trying to take regarding washing and cleaning upon entering my home in regards to the current virus pandemic, the Holy Spirit brought to mind the comparisons here.
Think of all the rituals Aaron and Moses and the priests went through to dare enter into The Lord's holy presence! There is a much more insidious disease to deal with besides a virus that can only kill the physical body. We are stricken with the disease of sin that kills the eternal soul!
As we draw closer to Easter, I find it appropriate that I'm reading the Pentateuch in The Bible and being reminded of all the things the Israelites were bound to doing just so that their sins might be covered by the scapegoat. I am thankful that on the other side of the Testaments, in the A.D. era, we have the Lamb of God who was sacrificed on our behalf to take away the sins of the world! The overkill of the Old Testament system of sacrifices is over because the final Passover Lamb was killed for you and me! And thank You, Lord Jesus, that You not only were killed and buried- You were also risen by God The Father. (Romans 10:9) To quote "Godspell", "Long live God!"- eternally long! And because He has risen and lives again, we can also- if we let Him take our sins away and put our faith in the Lamb's completed work. To quote another song- "Are you washed in the soul-cleansing blood of The Lamb?"
Isaiah 1:18- Though our sins be like scarlet, The Lord can wash them whiter than snow. :-)
29 And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the LORD commanded Moses. 33 And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
The Glory of the Lord
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys."
- I just read Exodus 40 tonight and finished the book in my daily Bible reading and prayer time with God. This is one of those chapters that some might consider "boring" because it goes into so much detail about the layout of the Tabernacle. (Spoiler alert- the last few chapters of Exodus detail A LOT of information about measurements and sewing and construction and all that was involved in setting up the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting. Mathematicians and scientists and architects and artisans of the fashion variety might particularly enjoy these chapters. :-))
It might seem overkill at times (but just wait- Leviticus is up next! :-))- but that's really the point. As I was thinking about the precautions I'm trying to take regarding washing and cleaning upon entering my home in regards to the current virus pandemic, the Holy Spirit brought to mind the comparisons here.
Think of all the rituals Aaron and Moses and the priests went through to dare enter into The Lord's holy presence! There is a much more insidious disease to deal with besides a virus that can only kill the physical body. We are stricken with the disease of sin that kills the eternal soul!
As we draw closer to Easter, I find it appropriate that I'm reading the Pentateuch in The Bible and being reminded of all the things the Israelites were bound to doing just so that their sins might be covered by the scapegoat. I am thankful that on the other side of the Testaments, in the A.D. era, we have the Lamb of God who was sacrificed on our behalf to take away the sins of the world! The overkill of the Old Testament system of sacrifices is over because the final Passover Lamb was killed for you and me! And thank You, Lord Jesus, that You not only were killed and buried- You were also risen by God The Father. (Romans 10:9) To quote "Godspell", "Long live God!"- eternally long! And because He has risen and lives again, we can also- if we let Him take our sins away and put our faith in the Lamb's completed work. To quote another song- "Are you washed in the soul-cleansing blood of The Lamb?"
Isaiah 1:18- Though our sins be like scarlet, The Lord can wash them whiter than snow. :-)
Friday, March 27, 2020
A Christian Response to Sexual Assault and Reproductive Assault (Sanctity of Life)
In the discussion around abortion, I have heard this argument made a number of times, which says that as a man, I have no way of understanding what a pregnant woman goes through and thus should have no say on the legality or morality of a woman's choice regarding abortion.
I totally agree that I can never fully understand what a pregnant woman undergoes (and, no matter what modern science might engineer, I never want to). However, to say that I am unable to have an opinion on the morality and legality of an action due to the nature of my genitalia is ridiculous, sexist and totally untrue. As it happens, I don't have an opinion but I have moral precepts that The Holy Spirit has embedded in me through reading His Word in The Bible. And God makes clear that He knows us even before He forms us in our mother's wombs. (Jeremiah 1:5) He also hates the shedding of innocent blood. (See Proverbs 6:16-19)
What's funny to me is the inconsistency I hear with this idea. Some people who don't claim to be Christians will sometimes bring Bible verses to my attention where God authorizes the killing of people, including babies and thus they make the claim that it must be okay Biblically. I then explain that those verses are being read out of context and that those verses are generally either part of God's judgement of sin and/or part of imprecatory prayers. Of course, as 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, people without Christ will not understand The Bible because it's spiritually discerned. So I explain that you need to know Jesus as Saviour and Lord to really understand His Scriptures. (And you can do that by putting faith in His death and Resurrection that pays for all sins and following Him.)
So the irony here is that while I'm being told that I can't judge to say what a woman should or shouldn't do regarding abortion because of being a man- and this position supported by Bible verses taken out-of-context- non-Christian people who tell me this can't understand and judge to tell me what the Scriptures say because of not being a Christian.
As it turns out, you do need the Holy Spirit to understand The Bible, but you don't have to have the Holy Spirit in you to know that murder is wrong. (See Ecclesiastes 3:11 and Romans 1-2)
..........................................................................
Having here addressed one of the common objections to men even speaking on the topic of abortion, I want to further address some other radical claims that have been made in recent years regarding abortion and sexual responsibility in a post from a Mormon mother that famously went viral online. It offers many interesting ideas, some of which I agree with and others I disagree with as well.
Even the terminology used can be off-putting at times. People in favour of abortions as a legal right often speak of the reproductive rights of mothers. I find it interesting to use the term "reproductive rights" because pro-life people are not trying to take those away by any means. Rather, they want mothers to utilize those rights and reproduce rather than kill the baby forming inside them. That said, here is my analysis and response to the aforementioned viral post.
There are a lot of points made on this thread but I'll try to briefly address the main ones that stick out to me. First of all, I totally agree with her that sex outside of marriage is one of the main reasons for unwanted pregnancies! I totally agree that sex should be reserved for marriage and that would eliminate the vast majority of abortions.
Sadly, many choose not to do this and wind up having a baby form due to their sexual activity. The male and female are not married and have no intention of getting married or being parents- and thus, the baby is killed via abortion. The parents might choose to get married and still have an abortion. The parents might just live together and never get married and still choose an abortion. It could be a baby formed through an adulterous relationship and thus abortion might again be employed.
The scenarios could continue but that covers a lot of them.
And there are times when a married couple has a baby form and abortion is chosen because the child is inconvenient for them.
All of those are horrible options that basically amount to abortion as post-conception birth control and it does equate to murder.
The other scenario mentioned, which statistically happens far fewer times as the reason for abortion, is rape.
I agree that the rapist must bear responsibility for this crime and while it may sound harsh, I think either jail and/or castration could be the response to help stop that.
(Though for the latter option, the courts obviously better be as near undeniably sure as possible.)
Rape is a horrible, evil crime- but even then, it still takes 2 people to make a baby. And unwanted pregnancies are not always because of rape.
Scientifically speaking at least along with morally speaking, it's untrue to say unwanted pregnancies are 100% the fault of men. (Though yes, I would concede that the blame should fall squarely on the rapist and the rapist is 100% at fault for rape. I don't care if the woman was stark naked with a "Rape Me" sign on her back, the rapist is 100% responsible for his crime. (And to be clear, women are rapists at times too- I have known men who have been sexually abused by their ex-wives- and in such cases, the rapist there is 100% at fault for her crime.))
To get back to cases of consensual sex, there are numerous pregnancies that occur that are unwanted by either the man or the woman though both wanted the coitus.
With sex comes responsibility. It is like a car in some ways. You can get a licence to drive but you must accept the responsibilities that come with it. A car is not a toy. Sex is not a toy either. Sex is a beautiful expression of love between a husband and his wife- that is who it's reserved for and when it's kept in that context, it's a beautiful thing. Outside of that context, it's an ugly mess. And both the man and woman are responsible for their own actions and thus both men and women are 100% responsible for unwanted pregnancies.
The very rare cases where abortion is performed to save the life of a mother are usually performed in a manner where emergency work is being done to save the mother's life and not purposefully kill the baby. That is sometimes an unfortunate byproduct, but not the desired result. Ideally, doctors should do all they can to preserve all life, both mothers and babies.
I can agree with comprehensive sex education in schools because I know not everyone will choose to employ abstinence until marriage. (Abstinence until marriage is the morally correct route that I would prefer but I know not everyone is a Christian and even Christians sometimes fail too.) Thus, it's good to have this education- that's not a bad thing.
Rape is a horrible, evil act- no one should rape anyone. Rapists should be caught and imprisoned. (As I mentioned earlier, castration is another possible solution.)
And to be clear, I don't think abortion should be done in the case of rape because two wrongs don't make a right. It's still wrong to kill a baby. Don't punish the baby for the father's crime. It's worth noting that, as Matthew 1 relates, Jesus' own genealogy on Earth included people born of rape and incest and adulterous relationships. This doesn't make any of those things right but it does mean God redeems even those horrible deeds when we let Him. And God also forgives us of those horrible deeds when we truly repent.
Sex should be reserved for marriage. That will eliminate the vast majority of abortions that happen.
The focus should be put on both men and women because both are responsible. The baby formed has his or her own body and is not part of the mother's body. It's not the mother's choice- it's always The Father's. (Yes, note the capital letter- God the Father is the One who decides who lives and dies alone.)
Men and women don't have the right to murder and we don't have the right to decide to end a baby's life- that's still murder. And when we do that, we make ourselves our own god- and that's what it all comes down to in the end. It mainly comes down to us doing what's convenient for us and trying to escape consequences. But we can't escape consequences. We must take responsibility for our actions. (And this includes making sure, as best as we can, that we're prepared to handle a baby's birth. But guess what? No one is really totally prepared to handle a baby's birth- yet a man and his wife have babies anyway and they sacrifice to provide for them because that's their responsibility as well as their pride and joy.)
And in all this, remember that God is always willing still to forgive us of premarital sex and adultery and incest and rape- when we come to Him in true repentance. Jesus died and rose to pay for all those sins.
And we must trust Him to help us through in dealing with this unexpected pregnancy and parenthood. And the option of adoption is a wonderful one to employ as well as there are so many infertile married couples- as well as those who are fertile- who would love to adopt these children instead. These babies have a right to live and we have no right to stop them.
I totally agree that I can never fully understand what a pregnant woman undergoes (and, no matter what modern science might engineer, I never want to). However, to say that I am unable to have an opinion on the morality and legality of an action due to the nature of my genitalia is ridiculous, sexist and totally untrue. As it happens, I don't have an opinion but I have moral precepts that The Holy Spirit has embedded in me through reading His Word in The Bible. And God makes clear that He knows us even before He forms us in our mother's wombs. (Jeremiah 1:5) He also hates the shedding of innocent blood. (See Proverbs 6:16-19)
What's funny to me is the inconsistency I hear with this idea. Some people who don't claim to be Christians will sometimes bring Bible verses to my attention where God authorizes the killing of people, including babies and thus they make the claim that it must be okay Biblically. I then explain that those verses are being read out of context and that those verses are generally either part of God's judgement of sin and/or part of imprecatory prayers. Of course, as 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, people without Christ will not understand The Bible because it's spiritually discerned. So I explain that you need to know Jesus as Saviour and Lord to really understand His Scriptures. (And you can do that by putting faith in His death and Resurrection that pays for all sins and following Him.)
So the irony here is that while I'm being told that I can't judge to say what a woman should or shouldn't do regarding abortion because of being a man- and this position supported by Bible verses taken out-of-context- non-Christian people who tell me this can't understand and judge to tell me what the Scriptures say because of not being a Christian.
As it turns out, you do need the Holy Spirit to understand The Bible, but you don't have to have the Holy Spirit in you to know that murder is wrong. (See Ecclesiastes 3:11 and Romans 1-2)
..........................................................................
Having here addressed one of the common objections to men even speaking on the topic of abortion, I want to further address some other radical claims that have been made in recent years regarding abortion and sexual responsibility in a post from a Mormon mother that famously went viral online. It offers many interesting ideas, some of which I agree with and others I disagree with as well.
Even the terminology used can be off-putting at times. People in favour of abortions as a legal right often speak of the reproductive rights of mothers. I find it interesting to use the term "reproductive rights" because pro-life people are not trying to take those away by any means. Rather, they want mothers to utilize those rights and reproduce rather than kill the baby forming inside them. That said, here is my analysis and response to the aforementioned viral post.
There are a lot of points made on this thread but I'll try to briefly address the main ones that stick out to me. First of all, I totally agree with her that sex outside of marriage is one of the main reasons for unwanted pregnancies! I totally agree that sex should be reserved for marriage and that would eliminate the vast majority of abortions.
Sadly, many choose not to do this and wind up having a baby form due to their sexual activity. The male and female are not married and have no intention of getting married or being parents- and thus, the baby is killed via abortion. The parents might choose to get married and still have an abortion. The parents might just live together and never get married and still choose an abortion. It could be a baby formed through an adulterous relationship and thus abortion might again be employed.
The scenarios could continue but that covers a lot of them.
And there are times when a married couple has a baby form and abortion is chosen because the child is inconvenient for them.
All of those are horrible options that basically amount to abortion as post-conception birth control and it does equate to murder.
The other scenario mentioned, which statistically happens far fewer times as the reason for abortion, is rape.
I agree that the rapist must bear responsibility for this crime and while it may sound harsh, I think either jail and/or castration could be the response to help stop that.
(Though for the latter option, the courts obviously better be as near undeniably sure as possible.)
Rape is a horrible, evil crime- but even then, it still takes 2 people to make a baby. And unwanted pregnancies are not always because of rape.
Scientifically speaking at least along with morally speaking, it's untrue to say unwanted pregnancies are 100% the fault of men. (Though yes, I would concede that the blame should fall squarely on the rapist and the rapist is 100% at fault for rape. I don't care if the woman was stark naked with a "Rape Me" sign on her back, the rapist is 100% responsible for his crime. (And to be clear, women are rapists at times too- I have known men who have been sexually abused by their ex-wives- and in such cases, the rapist there is 100% at fault for her crime.))
To get back to cases of consensual sex, there are numerous pregnancies that occur that are unwanted by either the man or the woman though both wanted the coitus.
With sex comes responsibility. It is like a car in some ways. You can get a licence to drive but you must accept the responsibilities that come with it. A car is not a toy. Sex is not a toy either. Sex is a beautiful expression of love between a husband and his wife- that is who it's reserved for and when it's kept in that context, it's a beautiful thing. Outside of that context, it's an ugly mess. And both the man and woman are responsible for their own actions and thus both men and women are 100% responsible for unwanted pregnancies.
The very rare cases where abortion is performed to save the life of a mother are usually performed in a manner where emergency work is being done to save the mother's life and not purposefully kill the baby. That is sometimes an unfortunate byproduct, but not the desired result. Ideally, doctors should do all they can to preserve all life, both mothers and babies.
I can agree with comprehensive sex education in schools because I know not everyone will choose to employ abstinence until marriage. (Abstinence until marriage is the morally correct route that I would prefer but I know not everyone is a Christian and even Christians sometimes fail too.) Thus, it's good to have this education- that's not a bad thing.
Rape is a horrible, evil act- no one should rape anyone. Rapists should be caught and imprisoned. (As I mentioned earlier, castration is another possible solution.)
And to be clear, I don't think abortion should be done in the case of rape because two wrongs don't make a right. It's still wrong to kill a baby. Don't punish the baby for the father's crime. It's worth noting that, as Matthew 1 relates, Jesus' own genealogy on Earth included people born of rape and incest and adulterous relationships. This doesn't make any of those things right but it does mean God redeems even those horrible deeds when we let Him. And God also forgives us of those horrible deeds when we truly repent.
Sex should be reserved for marriage. That will eliminate the vast majority of abortions that happen.
The focus should be put on both men and women because both are responsible. The baby formed has his or her own body and is not part of the mother's body. It's not the mother's choice- it's always The Father's. (Yes, note the capital letter- God the Father is the One who decides who lives and dies alone.)
Men and women don't have the right to murder and we don't have the right to decide to end a baby's life- that's still murder. And when we do that, we make ourselves our own god- and that's what it all comes down to in the end. It mainly comes down to us doing what's convenient for us and trying to escape consequences. But we can't escape consequences. We must take responsibility for our actions. (And this includes making sure, as best as we can, that we're prepared to handle a baby's birth. But guess what? No one is really totally prepared to handle a baby's birth- yet a man and his wife have babies anyway and they sacrifice to provide for them because that's their responsibility as well as their pride and joy.)
And in all this, remember that God is always willing still to forgive us of premarital sex and adultery and incest and rape- when we come to Him in true repentance. Jesus died and rose to pay for all those sins.
And we must trust Him to help us through in dealing with this unexpected pregnancy and parenthood. And the option of adoption is a wonderful one to employ as well as there are so many infertile married couples- as well as those who are fertile- who would love to adopt these children instead. These babies have a right to live and we have no right to stop them.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
How I Met My Saviour
According to John 6:44, God The Father was drawing me to Himself long before I ever sought Him. He did the saving work about 2000 years ago when Jesus died and rose to pay for all sins for all time. The Holy Spirit did His work in my life millennia after to convict me of sin and show me my need for a Saviour.
So even as I relay my personal circumstances, it's important to remember that God alone does the saving work. I relay this first because it's part of my story.
Growing up as both a MK and PK, I got to hear The Gospel constantly in family devotions, Sunday School and church. I got to see the Gospel lived out in my parents and siblings.
And when I was about 5 or 7 or so, I made a decision to ask Jesus into my heart as Lord and Saviour. There were a few other factors God used. One was an alphabet book that had a Bible verse for every letter. The first one was Isaiah 53:6- "All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way, and The Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all." Next to the verse was an illustration of a boy putting a heavy burden down off his back at the foot of the cross, much like Christian in "The Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan. The text of "At the Cross" was also printed there- "At the cross, at the cross where I first saw The Light and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight and now I am happy all the day."
In a testament to the power of stories, the other factor that hit me was probably one of the goofiest stories ever written in a family Bible devotions book. (Which seems rather fitting for my generally goofy personality. :-)) It was a story about a man who loved his pet pig and apparently managed to take him on a cruise ship. The pig fell overboard and the man loved that pig so much that he risked his life by diving overboard to save him.
Even in this simple form, it still got the heart of The Gospel across to me as a young kid. God went way overboard with us when He actually lowered Himself to become human, live among us and bear the same trials and struggles we bear for 33 years, knowing He could call legions of angels at His command and stop this whole shebang any time He wanted- but choosing to give up His superpowers (much like Superman did in "Superman II") just to be near us- and then to die for the sins of the world. That's crazy, dude! Especially growing up in a country surrounded by people with very different conceptions of God that said that man is supposed to work like crazy to appease an angry god and maybe if we're good enough we can hack it into Heaven. Nowhere in the script did it call for the Playwright to enter His own story and and save the whole universe by His own sacrifice! WOW!
So I decided that night after hearing that story in family devotions to pray and receive Jesus so that He could save me from the Hell I deserve and instead take me to the Heaven I don't deserve.
All that said, after about 3 decades out from that time, I have struggled a number of times throughout with worries and doubts about my salvation- about whether my pumpkin patch was as sincere as Linus' and if I did something wrong and so forth. As I've said before though, I've doubted myself more than I've ever doubted God. So yeah, there have been times of reaffirmation and renewing my vows and such. (As 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, such heart checks are good to do every so often.) I finally came to a place where I realized salvation is totally dependent upon God and not on me. I put faith in His saving work and just take Him at His Word.
Though I am very thankful for the Christian family I have and being surrounded with The Gospel, I have also sometimes felt like it can be easy to fall into a cultural faith that becomes built on Pharisaical religiosity. I've felt like maybe at times I was hard-nosed on some things in Pharisee fashion, whether I meant to be or not. I found it extremely helpful reading theology books like C.S. Lewis ("Mere Christianity", "The Screwtape Letters" and "The Weight of Glory" are particular favourites) and Tim Keller ("The Prodigal God" particularly- a book that helped me learn to repent of any righteousness I thought I ever had on my own) and Philip Yancey ("What's So Amazing About Grace?" and "Disappointment with God" are both awesome!)- and definitely Brennan Manning's "The Ragamuffin Gospel". (A book I have read and reread and cried over many times! God loves us just as we are not as we should be- 'cause none of us are as we should be.)
I recognize that there is no good in me- Jesus is my only good.
And that's where I am now. God is always faithful even when I'm not. When I fall back into sin, I go back to 1 John 1:9. He forgives and restores.
I also believe, if people are honest, we've all struggled with doubts at some point. I think God uses them to help us have an even stronger faith in the end. 1 John 3 is an extremely helpful passage for that! Even when my heart condemns, God is greater than my heart and He knows everything. He tells me The Truth. He who The Son sets free is free indeed. And when we're adopted as sons and daughters of The King, we're His forever! (John 1:12 and Romans 8:12-17 and 11:29)
I mentioned the power of stories earlier and I would definitely add reading "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis as a kid was also influential. There is a great line in "The Silver Chair" where Puddleglum declares that He's going to live as a Narnian even if there isn't a Narnia! I felt much the same when it came to dealing with fickle, funny, Funky Winkerbean feelings- I'm going to live for Christ no matter what my feelings say at times. I know Whom I have believed in and He is Faithful and True. As Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright explained in the Four Spiritual Laws, the feelings are like the caboose on a train. The engine of faith drives it with or without the caboose. Thus, my faith rests in the facts of God's Word. My faith has found a resting place not in device or creed-I need no other argument or plea- it is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me.
And Hallelujah- He rose and He lives and He's coming again! And because He lives, we can live also. :-)
(Note: I know this may be somewhat long, but I thought someone else might appreciate hearing this, especially in regards to soteriology.) Jesus loves you! Don't ever forget that. God bless :-)
So even as I relay my personal circumstances, it's important to remember that God alone does the saving work. I relay this first because it's part of my story.
Growing up as both a MK and PK, I got to hear The Gospel constantly in family devotions, Sunday School and church. I got to see the Gospel lived out in my parents and siblings.
And when I was about 5 or 7 or so, I made a decision to ask Jesus into my heart as Lord and Saviour. There were a few other factors God used. One was an alphabet book that had a Bible verse for every letter. The first one was Isaiah 53:6- "All we like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way, and The Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all." Next to the verse was an illustration of a boy putting a heavy burden down off his back at the foot of the cross, much like Christian in "The Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan. The text of "At the Cross" was also printed there- "At the cross, at the cross where I first saw The Light and the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight and now I am happy all the day."
In a testament to the power of stories, the other factor that hit me was probably one of the goofiest stories ever written in a family Bible devotions book. (Which seems rather fitting for my generally goofy personality. :-)) It was a story about a man who loved his pet pig and apparently managed to take him on a cruise ship. The pig fell overboard and the man loved that pig so much that he risked his life by diving overboard to save him.
Even in this simple form, it still got the heart of The Gospel across to me as a young kid. God went way overboard with us when He actually lowered Himself to become human, live among us and bear the same trials and struggles we bear for 33 years, knowing He could call legions of angels at His command and stop this whole shebang any time He wanted- but choosing to give up His superpowers (much like Superman did in "Superman II") just to be near us- and then to die for the sins of the world. That's crazy, dude! Especially growing up in a country surrounded by people with very different conceptions of God that said that man is supposed to work like crazy to appease an angry god and maybe if we're good enough we can hack it into Heaven. Nowhere in the script did it call for the Playwright to enter His own story and and save the whole universe by His own sacrifice! WOW!
So I decided that night after hearing that story in family devotions to pray and receive Jesus so that He could save me from the Hell I deserve and instead take me to the Heaven I don't deserve.
All that said, after about 3 decades out from that time, I have struggled a number of times throughout with worries and doubts about my salvation- about whether my pumpkin patch was as sincere as Linus' and if I did something wrong and so forth. As I've said before though, I've doubted myself more than I've ever doubted God. So yeah, there have been times of reaffirmation and renewing my vows and such. (As 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, such heart checks are good to do every so often.) I finally came to a place where I realized salvation is totally dependent upon God and not on me. I put faith in His saving work and just take Him at His Word.
Though I am very thankful for the Christian family I have and being surrounded with The Gospel, I have also sometimes felt like it can be easy to fall into a cultural faith that becomes built on Pharisaical religiosity. I've felt like maybe at times I was hard-nosed on some things in Pharisee fashion, whether I meant to be or not. I found it extremely helpful reading theology books like C.S. Lewis ("Mere Christianity", "The Screwtape Letters" and "The Weight of Glory" are particular favourites) and Tim Keller ("The Prodigal God" particularly- a book that helped me learn to repent of any righteousness I thought I ever had on my own) and Philip Yancey ("What's So Amazing About Grace?" and "Disappointment with God" are both awesome!)- and definitely Brennan Manning's "The Ragamuffin Gospel". (A book I have read and reread and cried over many times! God loves us just as we are not as we should be- 'cause none of us are as we should be.)
I recognize that there is no good in me- Jesus is my only good.
And that's where I am now. God is always faithful even when I'm not. When I fall back into sin, I go back to 1 John 1:9. He forgives and restores.
I also believe, if people are honest, we've all struggled with doubts at some point. I think God uses them to help us have an even stronger faith in the end. 1 John 3 is an extremely helpful passage for that! Even when my heart condemns, God is greater than my heart and He knows everything. He tells me The Truth. He who The Son sets free is free indeed. And when we're adopted as sons and daughters of The King, we're His forever! (John 1:12 and Romans 8:12-17 and 11:29)
I mentioned the power of stories earlier and I would definitely add reading "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis as a kid was also influential. There is a great line in "The Silver Chair" where Puddleglum declares that He's going to live as a Narnian even if there isn't a Narnia! I felt much the same when it came to dealing with fickle, funny, Funky Winkerbean feelings- I'm going to live for Christ no matter what my feelings say at times. I know Whom I have believed in and He is Faithful and True. As Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright explained in the Four Spiritual Laws, the feelings are like the caboose on a train. The engine of faith drives it with or without the caboose. Thus, my faith rests in the facts of God's Word. My faith has found a resting place not in device or creed-I need no other argument or plea- it is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me.
And Hallelujah- He rose and He lives and He's coming again! And because He lives, we can live also. :-)
(Note: I know this may be somewhat long, but I thought someone else might appreciate hearing this, especially in regards to soteriology.) Jesus loves you! Don't ever forget that. God bless :-)
Sunday, March 1, 2020
He Holds On (song)
As 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, it's worth doing a heart check every so often to make sure we're really in the faith. We certainly need to make our election sure. In that same vein, it seems we at times go through heartache to heartache, yearning for a reassurance from our General in the battlefield of love and life and levity and everything in between. (Sometimes those heartbreakers are preceded by the Holy Spirit's heart shakers that remind us we've fallen from the path and need to get back on.) Jesus is the stronger man who can not only bend a car, but plunder the strong man's house- and He sets the captive free. And sometimes He has to remind us when we come in repentance that we belong to Him. I'm SO glad to know that He is faithful even when I'm not and He holds on.
"He Holds On" (parody of "We Belong" by Pat Benatar; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/18/2018)
(Galatians 3, Romans 14:8, Romans 11:29, 2 Timothy 2:11-13, Jude 1:24-25, John 6 (particularly verses 35-40), 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, John 3:16-21, John 8:31-36, Mark 9:41, John 10 (particularly verses 27-30), John 1:12, John 6:44, John 15, 1 John 3 (particularly verses 16-24))
Many times The Bible tells you
Baby, Christ's called us His own
Already? I'm surprised how soon you cut out leaving Him to friend zone
Galatians- read in 3 please
You're perfected by flesh? Why'd you give up (The) Ghost so easy?
You may doubt but can't escape from Christ
We belong to The Light, we belong to The Father
We belong to The Son (and) Holy Ghost- we boast in no other
Whenever we deny, His embrace still works- so remember
We belong- no recalls- we belong to Heaven
Hey, we all have times of weakness
When we go so far astray
Baby, we just would all blow it if through our own strength anyway
Though we once were all wrath's kids- well, sin distorts the facts
Irrevocable calling
Now there's no turning back
When You say
We belong to The Christ, we belong to The Father
We belong to Spirit- we're The Lord's- read Romans 14:8
Whenever we deny, let's embrace the words of our Saviour-
All He's called- in faith respond- we belong to Saviour
Close your eyes- pray The Lord to keep now
Souls in Christ (are) held eternally!
Check the lines in John 6 and 10- Christ won't cast out called out sheep
We can't begin, uphold or lose what we didn't earn
I hear Your voice as I read- I see Your face wherever I turn
Still You say-
Read 8 John- 35th. line- The son stays forever!
We belonged to the serpent at first- we're born fallen sinners
Whomever The Son sets free from chains is free for forever!
Read along- seek The Son- come along to Heaven!
He, The Son, gave the right to become kids of The Father
Read in John 1:12- Son gave to those (who) believed (and) received Son there
Whenever (our) hearts decide we're not saved, The Lord's heart knows better
Read 1 John 3:20 on- believe The Son- love others
We're in palms of The Christ- He holds on for forever!
...........................
"He Holds On" (parody of "We Belong" by Pat Benatar; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 12/18/2018)
(Galatians 3, Romans 14:8, Romans 11:29, 2 Timothy 2:11-13, Jude 1:24-25, John 6 (particularly verses 35-40), 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, John 3:16-21, John 8:31-36, Mark 9:41, John 10 (particularly verses 27-30), John 1:12, John 6:44, John 15, 1 John 3 (particularly verses 16-24))
Many times The Bible tells you
Baby, Christ's called us His own
Already? I'm surprised how soon you cut out leaving Him to friend zone
Galatians- read in 3 please
You're perfected by flesh? Why'd you give up (The) Ghost so easy?
You may doubt but can't escape from Christ
We belong to The Light, we belong to The Father
We belong to The Son (and) Holy Ghost- we boast in no other
Whenever we deny, His embrace still works- so remember
We belong- no recalls- we belong to Heaven
Hey, we all have times of weakness
When we go so far astray
Baby, we just would all blow it if through our own strength anyway
Though we once were all wrath's kids- well, sin distorts the facts
Irrevocable calling
Now there's no turning back
When You say
We belong to The Christ, we belong to The Father
We belong to Spirit- we're The Lord's- read Romans 14:8
Whenever we deny, let's embrace the words of our Saviour-
All He's called- in faith respond- we belong to Saviour
Close your eyes- pray The Lord to keep now
Souls in Christ (are) held eternally!
Check the lines in John 6 and 10- Christ won't cast out called out sheep
We can't begin, uphold or lose what we didn't earn
I hear Your voice as I read- I see Your face wherever I turn
Still You say-
Read 8 John- 35th. line- The son stays forever!
We belonged to the serpent at first- we're born fallen sinners
Whomever The Son sets free from chains is free for forever!
Read along- seek The Son- come along to Heaven!
He, The Son, gave the right to become kids of The Father
Read in John 1:12- Son gave to those (who) believed (and) received Son there
Whenever (our) hearts decide we're not saved, The Lord's heart knows better
Read 1 John 3:20 on- believe The Son- love others
We're in palms of The Christ- He holds on for forever!
...........................
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