Everybody Wants to Save the World (Song)

 If there was one goal for villains on '80s cartoons especially, it seems like it was to rule the world! Cobra Commander, Shredder, Lex Luthor and their ilk all had their own plans for the world to give them pleasure. Of course, thankfully superheroes like G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Superman are always there to stop them. It also seems everybody wants to save the world. In a world where our flitting emotions have us constantly trading tears for fears it seems, it's hard to find peace. This was true in the '80s where the guys might have worn a pink tux to the prom and it's true today where it seems like there's constantly a panic at the disco. Yet in this crazy life, The Lord bottles our tears (Psalms 56:8-11) and gives us a faith stronger than our fears. And He has ultimately given us the solution the whole world is desperate to have to cure all the world's ills- His Son Jesus! Christ has died and Christ is risen and Christ will come again. He is our only Hope in this world and the next. We all deal with the spiritual problem of sin and we need the spiritual solution, which is faith in Jesus. When we follow Him in repentance, we are filled with The Holy Spirit and empowered to live as He would want us to live so that we bring glory to Him and be the spiritual change we long to see in the world. Eden sank to grief- and the whole world's been crying ever since. Let The Messiah trade your tears and fears for peace and joy in Him- and endure with patience as we await His return, which will truly wipe away all tears and fears forever.

"Everybody Wants to Save the World" (Parody of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 9/4/2020)

(Psalms 73, Psalms 2, Psalms 137, Hebrews 12:22-29, Romans 5, Romans 10:9-13, 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, 2 Corinthians 6:2, 1 Peter 4:18, John 16:33, John 14:27, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 6:25-34, Romans 8, Ephesians 6:10-24, Haggai 2:6-9, Habakkuk 3:1-6, Genesis 1-3, Revelation 20-22)

Adam, choose your life- there's a curse unpacked

Eden- our lost dream. We will find you

Acting on our best behaviour

Turn your back on baser nature

Everybody wants to heal the World

It's our groaning sigh- This we moan, "Rebirth!"

Help us look inside- Help us take out mote 

8 Romans- where we're set free

Suffering is surpassed- Glory be

Everybody wants renewed, healed world 

Share The Truth- let The Light just shine through

Shaking man's things- it all comes tumbling down

In Hebrews 12, read line 27, dude

So glad God can't be shaken

So sad for (the) mess we made then

Everybody knows it's a screwed-up world

Science can't end hate and division

Buried by a lack of vision

Ideology- man's way to soothe the world

Haystack- we'll never, never find the needle

One has died and rose- Lord Jesus

Reconciling lost to Him- saved world!

All our problems (are) spiritual in nature

Solve them with a spiritual answer

2nd. Cor. 5- God still rules the world 

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Pride's Deceit- Downward Leads (Song)

 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth- and things were good. Everything went downward quickly when humans chose to rebel against God. And though we bear our own blame for sin, there's one individual in particular responsible for putting all evil things in motion. He slinks around, prowling for prey like a lion. His pride drove him out from God's presence and he's been on the outs ever since, battling back in a war he'll never win all through the timeline from B.C. to A.D. and to eternity. Lo, his doom is sure- one little word shall fell him. The Lord will ultimately have the victory.

"Pride's Deceit- Downward Leads"

(Parody of "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" by AC/DC; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 8/21/2020)

(Proverbs 16:18, Romans 16:20, Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, Genesis 3, Revelation 12, Job 1-2, Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13, John 10:10, John 8:42-47, Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 18-21, 1 Peter 5:8-9, James 4:7, Revelation 20)

Is. 14- read; Trouble (in) Paradise began

He's given you all jewels

You want to escalate past God and ascend

How cut to ground are you!

Kicked out by God

Pride falls Day Star

Ezekiel line

Just read

Verse 12 in 28 (two eight) (to) finish- Hey!

Defeated by your pride

There in E-den - how sweet!

Holy scene- mountain peak!

Eternal peace- undone so cheap!

Dirty deeds- well, they're now your thing

Luke 10:18- you fell down (like) lightning

You came trawling- Genesis 3:1

New gods age garden plot

The devil's dealing lies as serpent

We sin; the teardrop start from that

Pick up in Job

O'er sphere, you roam

You make a social call

"Don't fence him in!"

Permits it- God's in

We'll have a test here, y'all 

Tragedies come bring grief

Devil thinks Job will speak

Curse but he won't - just read

Verse 2:10, 1:21 - shift scene

Turn to Rev-elation 12- read

The dragon and lady that he wanted gone 

'Cause her Babe's God Jesus!

Mike beat dragon and crew- Fight's end kicks

Demon crew out on butts 

Picked up chase- Won't

Leave her alone 

With Christ you faced off and

Your temptings

He slapped down- just read

In Matt. 4, man

Dirty deeds- God's Word beats

Verses repeat- Sword swings deep

Devil schemes- Son's defeat

Strike the heel- Enters Judas- sees priests, yeah

Thirty pieces (of) silver- one lost sheep!

King of Jews crucified on the tree

Come Day Three

Son's rise- come back- crush snake's head

Sinners redeemed!

Roaring beast

Who's a lying thief who wants our doom

John 10:10- read

Rev. 20

Your defeat 

Burn eternally

Done- you're beat!

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2020 Reasons to Give Thanks (Or At Least 5)

 In response to a challenge to identify 5 positive things from last year, I wrote down 5 reasons to give thanks, in 2020, 2021 and any year really. There are always good things to be thankful for at all times. Thanksgiving is such a great holiday because it focuses in on that attitude of gratitude. And that's something we should remember every day. That said, here are 5 positives for me from 2020.

#1 Above all- The Lord Jesus Christ. He is always my ultimate reason to be thankful and stay positive. By faith in His substitutionary death and Resurrection that paid for all the sins of the world, I know my many sins are forgiven and I'm delivered from the Hell I deserve and instead given the Heaven I don't. God has shown Himself faithful time and again and I am always ultimately thankful for His love and providence.

#2 Nature - I have long enjoyed exploring God's creation and I did a lot more of that last year and I am grateful for that opportunity to commune with Him there. Every so often, I love to get away to a quiet place outside by myself and spend a good length of time reading The Bible and praying, as well as writing down any insights The Spirit might show me. Those times of sweet surrender have always been good for me spiritually as well as physically in some ways too.

#3 Family - I am always thankful for my family and make an effort to keep up with them. I am thankful for the opportunities I had to spend with family throughout last year, whether just spending time at home playing games or going for walks and hikes or going to church in the park throughout the summer. (I would like that last one to be an option even when there's not a pandemic going on. :-)) I constantly pray God would bless and use me and my family for His glory and I praise God for all of them.

#4 Friends - I am blessed to have some wonderful, loving and caring friends who have stuck by me through the years and I hold them very dear, particularly those who are very close to me. As Philippians 1:7 says, I hold them in my heart. And I pray for them regularly. And I am thankful for the time I got to spend with them, whether in person outside at a distance or just on the telephone or video chat. I am also very thankful for the many options for staying in touch with my friends around the world. (It was particularly neat to be able to message friends on three different continents to ask for prayer in the middle of the night since I knew they'd be up- and they are some of my closest friends anyway, even though they are some of the furthest away. And I felt the power of those prayers and again thank God for answering as He did.)

#5 Finances - I am certainly mindful of those around the world who have had their lives so disrupted by C19 and have lost jobs and loved ones. I mourn for them and pray for them. I am very thankful to have maintained a job and had a steady income from that job and had my needs met. In fact, partially because of opportunities opened by the pandemic, I was able to save some money and earn extra money through working extra hours. I was able to accomplish some long-standing goals of paying off a number of debts! I am still not totally clear of all debt but I am in a much better place financially. I have been able to turn around and use money now freed up to increase what I normally give and be more generous in giving towards ministries and charitable causes. I am glad to be able to serve God more through investing in His kingdom more in that way.

 

There are many more things I could say as well, but those are some things I am grateful for about the last year and in every year, really. Praise God for His faithfulness! I look forward to seeing how He will work and use me for His glory in this year. And, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us- everyone! :-)