Joseph and Mary (Song)

 There have been lots of famous lovers throughout literature and history. Romeo and Juliet, Marc Antony and Cleopatra, Boaz and Ruth and for the '80s kids out there- Zack and Kelly, Steve and Laura, and Cory and Topanga. There's one famous couple that has the most unique love story of them all- Joseph and Mary. When we read Luke 1-2 and Matthew 1-2 each Christmas, we can see how God worked throughout the events of that first Christmas so that everything turned out as it should in the end. It's like we're sitting in the bleachers watching the game, but Mary and Joseph were in the game themselves as key players. It's quite a different matter to consider how both Mary and Joseph would have taken the news that had been given to them by angels, when they didn't know how things would turn out in the end. They just had to take it on faith and trust that God would do what He said He would do and they just needed to be faithful and obey. Mary was going to have a baby Boy while she was still a virgin by a miraculous work of The Holy Spirit. Joseph finds out she's pregnant and is left wondering what to do. He plans to just send her away quietly so as not to disgrace her, but then he has a dream where an angel tells him that this is part of God's plan and he should go ahead and take Mary as his wife. Both Mary and Joseph obey and trust God and through their faithfulness, we see the birth of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, born of the virgin Mary, who is the wife of Joseph. Joseph takes on the role of playing step-father to the Son of God Himself! And through their faithfulness, the little baby Jesus grows in stature and wisdom and when He's a man, He does just as the angel said in Matthew 1:21 and saves His people from their sins. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the salvation You have brought through Your death and Resurrection that pays for all our sins! And because Joseph told Mary, "Let's get married!" and did his part to ensure Jesus and His mother would be cared for, God's plan moved forward through them. And now The Bridegroom says to His church the bride- "Let's get married!" Merry Christmas! God is with us!

"Joseph and Mary"
(Parody of "Let's Get Married" by The Bleachers; parody copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/27/2025)
(Isaiah 53, Isaiah 7:14-16, Jeremiah 19:4-5, Luke 1, Matthew 1)

The dude's been engaged to be her only
Can he take this babe after her story?
Joseph (and) Mary!

Sit down, breathe and just listen
God gave me baby
He's from God, trust in God- this is Son of God in me
And I know it's bad where you look out
But bad and evil don't enter God's thoughts- no!
Come on and look up in Luke 1- read
This angel from Heaven went to call on Ms. Mary- yeah!
And I know it's hard enough to trust me
But the throne of father Dave's house given
Son of virgin Mary!
You're gonna balk, I know
How can virgins conceive?
I know and I balked also
God's Spirit's on me
God's power works, you know
Elizabeth's conceived
So we won't have to walk alone
Her son's in late age

"Get out! Leave!
I think I know what I'm gonna do- folks won't know nothing
And you know in Matthew 1- look up
His plan's hatched- read on- don't give up your spouse- no!
I'm gonna do right by you, honey
An angel by my bed dropped in- when log sawing's on me- yeah
Says, "Hey Joseph- hearten up- take Mary"
Then I woke up full of faith now thinking
Honey, let's get married!
Don't have to walk alone
Joseph and Mary!
I won't go and walk, you know
You're Virgin Mary
(I) Won't change the status quo
You're pregnant, Mary
Holy Ghost's power worked with no
Intimacy- Hey!

The angels that called us
Outright both charged us
"Name The Son Jesus"
The Lord- He frees us
Child will soon save peeps at high cost
Lord Christ on our cross
Save peeps from Death's grip
Yeah, Rose up in Isaiah 53
Honey- 7 then read
Don't have to walk alone
He's God with us, see
He's Immanuel, you know
He forgives bad deeds
The Son prophets foretold
Joseph just married
Mary- both gonna walk this road
Lord's Son will save- yay!

What Ya Gonna Then Plead- Huh? (Song)

 Throughout history, in all parts of the world, there have always been various beliefs held about the world and how it works. We might classify these views under cultures or worldviews. Ultimately, every human being has to decide what he or she will believe about the big question of life, which is death and the hereafter. What does one believe about God? There are numerous religions in the world that all offer different takes on God and what He's like and ultimately how He relates with the world and us His creation. The major world religions are similar in some respects in that most all promote ideas like showing love to others and helping the poor- essentially, doing unto others as you would have done unto you. There is a stark difference between world religions and Christianity though. It's been said this way before. Religion says, "Do" and Christ says, "Done". This song is a quick comparison of some basic tenets of major world religions to the basic message of Christianity. It's not meant to put down anyone or their beliefs, but rather to contrast the works-based push often seen in religions with the grace found in Christ alone. There is no one righteous- no, not one. We all fall short of God's glory. And perfection is the standard for entry into Heaven. In the end, we all fall short because of our many sins and we all deserve Hell. God loves us so much that He gave us grace by sending Jesus to die for our sins and rise again from the dead. We can escape the punishment we deserve by trusting Jesus' payment for our sins and putting faith in Him and following Him. Ultimately, there is a broad way that leads to destruction and a narrow way that leads to life and to get to eternal life with God, we must go through Jesus. He is the Way, Truth, and Life- no man comes to the Father but by Him.

"What Ya Gonna Then Plead- Huh?" 
(Parody of "In A Gadda Da Vida" by Iron Butterfly; parody copyright by Nathan Ludwick 9/15/2022)
(Genesis 3, Romans 5:8, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 8:1, Romans 5:1-2, Romans 5:9-21, Romans 3:10-25)

In the Bhagavad Gita bodies
Recycle souls- karma's up to you
In the path of the Buddha- suffering's
Gone when soul's in nirvana- greed's gone too
Torah, Talmud Jews read
Works-based faith plan
And in Islam you heed
What's taught in Qur'an
Deeds weighed- good or bad

When you go to Lord Jesus- done deal
Died and rose for sin- God loves you!
In the Garden of Eden- we fell
Lord saves souls through faith by grace- Thank You!

My hope in contrasting
Put faiths on stand
No one's enough holy
But Jesus, man!
By grace we stand

Water Moved (Song)

 Isn't it funny how it's so easy to trust our parents' every word when we're little kids? It seems we sometimes lose that as we grow older and slip into that stereotypical rebellious teenager phase. Of course, when we're older still, we realize how foolish we were then and recognize the wisdom of our parents. When Daddy says he'll catch us when we come down the slide, we can trust him to do just that. And when God our Father, Who says we can call Him Abba or Daddy, says He's got us, then we can trust Him fully even more so! Moses and the Israelites found that to be true in the midst of their exodus from Egypt when they encountered the Red Sea with Pharaoh and his crew fast on their heels in pursuit. It wasn't their defeat like Napoleon at Waterloo though. That was no problem for God. He just had Moses raise his rod over the sea and the water moved! And the Israelites walked through on dry land and then it turned back on Pharaoh and his soldiers and consumed them. When The Lord says He's going to do something, we can trust Him to do it!



"Water Moved"
(Parody of "Waterloo" by Abba; parody copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/28/2021)
(Exodus 14-15, Romans 9)

14
In Exodus, Israelis in a dilemma
Oh yeah!
And they're on edge of the Red Sea in flight after being slaves
God's history speaks for itself
With all His mighty deeds, Israel!

(Chorus 1)
What to do?
Moses, we're fearing we're done- forlorn
What'd you do?
Egypt would (of) have been far better, Moe
Pharaoh's view-
Shouldn't free slaves- Hey, now- what'd we do?
We'll pursue
Romans 9 states how God did use you
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah- God foreknew
Hardening and placing- for glory due!

(Aaaah!)
Pharaoh!
He tried to get us back but God was stronger
Oh yeah!
The cloud's shifting- gives us distance while lighting up the night
And how could I ever refute?
The sea's moved by wind when God moves!

(Chorus 2)
We're walking through!
Pharaoh's defeated- God won the war!
(The) water moved!
Pharaoh still plunged in, as said The Lord
Sea walls have moved
Look! Manta rays and dugongs have moved
Our Father moved
Moses obeyed Him- split sea in two
Wa-Wa-Wa- We're walking through
Dry land we walk then- Egypt pursues

So God clogs their chariot wheels too
They feel all panicked- Let's vamvoose!
Pharaoh's dudes
Couldn't escape though they wanted to
Pharaoh's dudes
Going to graves when the sea resumes
Is- Is- Israel's waterproof
Totally safe first then water moved!
Ooh- ooh, our Father moved
No one remained then of Egypt's troops
Wa-wa-wa-wa Water moved!
Finally safe from that Pharaoh dude!
Ooh-ooh, Marmaduke
I know that Great Dane's a silly end, dude