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

Kind to the Ungrateful and Wicked

 Here's a poem for National Poetry Month! It is largely inspired by the account of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount that is given in Luke 6. I am particularly moved by The Lord's radical command to not only love those who love us but to go beyond that and love our enemies and pray for them! Just as God our Father is kind and merciful to the ungrateful and wicked, so we must be too. And it's even easier to do that when we realize that so often we ourselves are the ungrateful and wicked. Yet God's rich mercy and grace still reaches to us despite this and brings us back to restoration when we return to Him in repentance. We who are forgiven so much must be willing to forgive others as well. Let us follow our Lord's example and command to show love to all, especially those we think deserve it least.


Kind To The Ungrateful and Wicked
(poem copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/12/2022)
(Genesis 1:14-19, Genesis 1:26-31, Psalms 8, Psalms 139, Psalms 118:24, Matthew 5:38-48, Luke 6:27-38, James 1:17, Colossians 1:13-17, Job 38-42, Psalms 90, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Romans 5:8, John 15:12-17, John 13:1-20, Matthew 5:13-16, James 1:19-20, Romans 2:1-4, Ephesians 4:29-32, Ephesians 5:1-2, Revelation 19:11-16, Luke 7:40-50, Psalms 103, Psalms 150, Matthew 7:12, Romans 13:8-14, Romans 12, 1 Peter 2:9-12, Malachi 4:2, Galatians 6:2, 1 Peter 4:8, 1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 3:16-22, 2 Thessalonians 3:13, Jeremiah 31:3)

Welcome to My morning- welcome to My day
The blue sky and sunshine a backdrop to birds' refrain
The morning dew on each petal like a mint on your hotel pillow
Everything about today's been prepared for you in advance
Blink your eyes open in bed, roll down the window and stick out your head
Take in a big breath of fresh air- the same breathed since ages past
Go forth to face the day made for you and written before time
Filled with its share of toil mingling with peace and rest
Carefully arranged by The One Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
How many walk oblivious to the obvious blessings that surround them
Every breath that fills their lungs a fresh gesture of grace
Every heartbeat is one more that they weren't obligated to receive
And people go on their merry ways with nary an upward gaze
Choices are made in twenty four hour spans with after effects that still send shock waves for days or maybe years
Some even echo in eternity, bathed in blackness or light
The Eternal Time Keeper watches it all play out on Earth
As He holds everything together and intervenes with Divine authority and supreme knowledge both here and across the universe
The Giver of all good gifts makes every day like Christmas
The Gift given that day can still be unwrapped afresh each new day
Though sadly some stubbornly refuse but this never sways His mood
His eyes still look eternally with love on them through tears
He sends the sun each dawn to shine on the wicked and righteous alike
He sends the rain in its season on both the good and bad
Yet the ugly is in all of humanity and only The Beautiful One can transform it
The Beauty became the beast after Snow White bit the poison apple
The silver bullet crisscrossed His heart to render Him dead to pay for all misdeeds
Grace personified walked out of the grave with a real life fairy tale ending
All those who give themselves over to endless Love's entreaty
Can live each day with joy looking forward to living happily ever after in Love's kingdom
And in each staggering step of this race that inches ever closer to eternity's edge
Mercy's transformed miscreants must administer mercy to all just like The Father of Mercy
For even though the ungrateful and wicked spurn His open arms with sneers
He exudes kindness on them relentlessly throughout life and beyond
Even in eternity, His kindness won't force folks to be with Him who reject Him
And in the time allotted before the final breaths are lent to frames of dust and rib
Every moment is the time for lovingkindness to lavishly wash each other's feet
No matter the response, the seeds must still get water and sunshine that they might yet grow
Only God decides on the growth in accordance with the willingness of human beans
And as His kindness brought us to repentance who grow in His vine
May we continually extend olive branches of love that overwhelm all like a flood
Those who are forgiven much also love both God and man much
Man's anger accomplisheth not God's righteousness- and man can't control outcomes
Faithful obedience calls for trust in The Faithful and True one who is always good
Let Mercy lead us to never respond to hostility in kind- but in tireless kindness
That the world might know and give thanks to the embodiment of Good
Who still welcomes us each morning to the new day He has made that we 
Should rejoice and be glad in it and shine like the Sun of righteousness
That the world might see our good deeds, love and kindness and glorify the
Author of all Good and Love and Joy Whose heart is wonderfully kind.

Civil War (of Words) and Peace Speech

I had a few thoughts percolating through my brain today somewhat related to freedom and Independence Day and all like that but also relating to other important issues. I really hate that it seems like it's almost impossible to have a civil discussion anymore- at least online, where you have people that don't all believe the exact same things as you. I saw a post online on a page I follow and its message seemed to be a bit ambiguous so I did what I often do on such posts- I asked a question for clarification. (I learned on Sesame Street that that's the best way to find out stuff.) Unfortunately, because social media seems to bring out the absolute worst in us people- and perhaps the feeling of relative safety of exchanges that are not in person adds to this- everyone tends to naturally assume that a sincere question is really just someone looking to upset others and pick a fight, hence earning them the title of "troll". And then it is assumed that the post in question should and must be blindingly obvious to everyone. Thus, if you must ask such questions, you are deemed to evidently be "part of the problem". (Never mind that "the problem" can never seem to be pinpointed or explained.) And such responses shut down conversation and thus disallow further understanding to occur. The nicer shutdown of conversation is the explanation that social media is generally not the best place for delicate conversations. This is essentially a reiteration of the old adage about not talking about religion or politics in mixed company. The problem with this notion is that this means serious conversations that need to happen can never happen because we can't seem to lovingly and respectfully talk about potentially controversial topics without attacking each other for daring to think differently than we do on something. That is very sad when meaningful discussion and debate can't be conducted. In contrast, I had a nice conversation with a gentleman today who was exercising his First Amendment free speech rights by holding up a sign on the sidewalk where passing motorists and pedestrians could see his campaign to boycott some companies with whom he had grievances. (I don't want to get into specifics because that is besides the point of this post much like the ending parantheses bracket is to this point.) I am not sure if I totally agreed with his cause but I could agree that he had a valid point. I wished him well in his cause and rejoiced that he was a fellow believer in Christ, even if we hold to some different denominational views. This is not to say that I am the best at having civil discussions, particularly those with whom I disagree. This is to say that it is possible and it's what the right to free speech should entail. We don't have to hold all the same views in order for me to respect and love you and respect your right to your views. I have a number of friends who hold very different views from me. Some are on different ends of political views and religious stances. Some claim no faith and some claim a different one. It is okay for them to have their views and I respect their right to hold them. And I try to be respectful to listen to them. It is a great exercise to try at times. Read something from a totally opposite point of view. See what you can learn from it. Even if you wind up discarding all of it wholesale, at least you are now better informed so as to understand the way others view things. As Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers." Let's make peace instead of grief when we disagree. My personal guide is of course The Bible, which is God's Word. And He commands us to make a righteous judgment in John 7:24. In 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, we find my guiding verses for discerning truth as I assess various sources of information. "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid all appearances of evil." In doing this, I also make a point to point out to the person I'm speaking with the points I can heartily agree with them on first. I try to compliment them on the good things I see in their speech. And then I gently but firmly point out where I differ and that is where we have to agree to disagree agreeably, as my dad would say. Another wise thing he often said when we were overseas on the mission field often comes to mind for me too. "Different is not necessarily wrong- it's just different." To bring this back to the theme of Independence Day, I will say this specifically about the United States of America. As one who was not "Born in the U.S.A." (which is why my mom says I can't sing the Bruce Springsteen song of the same name ;-)), I have a bit of a different view of America as a foreign country that I also regard as home to some degree. To some degree, I will always regard Trinidad & Tobago as home as well since I still am at least partly a Trini at heart. (Trini 2 De Bone! :-)) To a smaller degree, I feel some loyalty to Spain as the land of my birth. (This is why it's really hard for me to say where I'm from. ;-)) And having lived in different cultures, I can see things that these countries do and believe that I can hold to and agree with, while there are other things I would have to discard. (Just like 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 ;-)) And I'm glad for and proud of my Spanish, Trini and American heritage. I praise God for the Blessings of Liberty in all three homes. God shed His grace on all three- just as He did on the whole world when He sent Christ to die and rise to pay for our sins. (Titus 3:4-7) May God mend thine every flaw for the whole world. That's the process He is doing as His Spirit moves in us who are Christ followers to share The Gospel around the world and live out the kingdom of God so that His will is done here as it is in Heaven. We are God's agents of change spreading the sweet aroma of Christ that overpowers people like bees overcome with the allure of nectar or cats with catnip. We do that best when we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength- giving Him all the glory rightfully due His Name alone- and when we love our neighbour as ourselves. That is what I want to be about as I seek to speak The Truth in Love. (Matthew 22:34-40 and Ephesians 4:15) And as Ephesians 4:29-32 talks about, I want to be kind to others, tenderhearted, forgiving as Christ forgave me- giving grace to all who hear me so that others are built up with my words and never torn down. Every single human being is made in God's image and is worthy of love and respect. They are infinitely important and valuable and eternally loved! Please forgive me for any time I have ever said or done anything to make anyone feel any less. I dare not say anything to besmirch or belittle His creation! The grace and love of Jesus compels me to show His love to others in extravagance, as He has done for me and all of us. (John 3:16 and Romans 5:8) Thank You, Father God, for freedom of speech, assembly, peacefully petitioning of the government for a redress of grievances, the press and religion. I am glad to live in a country that recognizes those rights and acknowledges that all men and women are created equal and endowed by You with these rights- along with the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I am also thankful to You eternally that I have found my happiness in You because You are the source of all joy! Your love pardons and forgives all sin for all who come in faith and repentance to You. And I thank and praise You that my ultimate Home is with You in Heaven because You have saved me from the Hell I deserve for my sins and instead given me the Heaven I don't deserve. Your grace and mercy are amazing and overwhelming! May Your graciousness overflow in me to all I meet in pointing them to You. I thank You for making me a citizen of Heaven. (Philippians 3:20) Whatever gain I had, I count it all as loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and Saviour. (Philippians 3:7-14) Help me to keep pressing on beyond the past to what You have lying in wait for me in the future, doing all You have called me to do in the present. And may all I do be done in Love. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

Slam Dunk Sin

"Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:1-11)

 I wanted to offer some commentary here but first I thought it better to let the Scripture speak for itself and I didn't want to distract from it, so that's up front and center.

    I read through both 1 Peter and 2 Peter recently and some convicting words hit me in 1 Peter 4. Christ has suffered for us to reconcile us to Him. Now that we have come to faith in Him through accepting His death and rise to pay for our sins, we must live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but instead for the will of God. The time that is past suffices for all the stuff the world wants us to do- we've already spent more than enough time in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. The world is surprised when we don't join them in debauchery and thus they malign us; but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 

   To be sure, we will all stand before Lord Christ's judgment seat, but those not in Christ will be judged on their deeds in the body and found guilty of sin that only Christ can forgive and erase- and thus rightly receive the punishment of the Hell they chose by rejecting God's offer of love. Those of us in Christ will be judged for the deeds in the body after receiving Christ, to determine what rewards we should receive, like the unfading crown of glory mentioned in 1 Peter 5:4.

     With the end of all things at hand, we suddenly seem to get a lot more serious about the way we live. Though none of us knows the day or hour of Christ's return, we know He will come and we will be in His presence that way or we will die one day and pass into eternity and in His presence that way. One of those two events will happen in our lifetime. Whichever comes first, we must be good stewards of God's varied grace. Be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of our prayers. Above all, keep loving each other earnestly! Love covers a multitude of sins! Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. Use the gifts God has given us to serve one another- so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ! To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen!

    In other words- we've spent enough time goofing off and making errors and turnovers. It may be fun to clown around like the Harlem Globetrotters for a while but the first half is over. The pep talk from Coach Jesus in the locker room is to let Him ice up your sores and wounds and then get your head in the game! We have to work and play as a team and keep our eyes on the prize for which we have been called Heavenward. We already know the Coach has won the game for us! He's got an unfading championship ring (for the purposes of this metaphor :-)) waiting for us! We need to play hard until the clock runs out though and be faithful to play the best game we can, not only looking to sink baskets for our stats, but to make assists to help the team's stats as a whole and ultimately give all the credit back to our Coach! And let the way we play the game be reflective of His coaching so that others want to join the team! :-)

    The best part about this team is that there are no try outs- it's entirely a team of walk-ons. And no one ever gets cut once they're called by the Coach to join the team. :-)

     So keep playing a good, steady D (1 Peter 3:15) and no trash talking (also 1 Peter 3:15 ;-)), and keep dribbling and making good passes and taking good shots as the Coach leads. And make like Jesus in Mark 8 when He healed the blind dude at Bethsaida- make sure to dribble but no double dribble! ;-) If that happens, call a time out and you may even have to sit out a bit as a reminder to play the game right but then get back in there when the Coach trades you and the sixth man back out.

   Like Hebrews 11, we've got a great crowd in the stands cheering us on. And like Pistol Pete, Larry Legend, Magic, Air Jordan, etc. (insert your favourite B-baller here ;-)) on a hot streak, we've got the Holy Spirit setting us on fire to make the plays that He has called for us to make, according to our Playbook, all along. Follow His lead and make good passes and take good shots, and we will see some baskets drop, knowing we win in the end! :-)

    Slam dunk! 

Sin Man (song)

 What do you get for the God who has everything? What can we ever give Him that didn't first come from His hand? Well, the one thing we can give Him that He won't force is our love and devotion. And all we have to bring Him, even the righteous things we think we've done on our own, are no more than filthy rags in His sight. (Isaiah 64:6) As Jonathan Edwards said, the only thing we bring to our salvation is the sin that made it necessary. And when we give those sins over to Him, His grace forgives us through faith in Christ's death and Resurrection and removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. We're saved by grace and not by works. (Our good works done after we're saved demonstrate our faith though.) God took care of all our sin, man! Praise The Lord for His gift!

"Sin Man"

(Parody of "Tin Man" by America; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 6/24/2020)

(James 1:17, 1 Chronicles 29:14, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:4-7)

(Verse 1)

One in James verse 17- all good things are the gift of God- read it yourself

Chronicles- first book- Dave prays to bless God- 29:14- comes from Himself!

(Chorus 1)

Oh, God never did get nothing but our sins, man

That He didn't, didn't already have

And 'cause Lord Jesus defeated all our evils

On the cross and returned from the dead

His peace believers receive

(Verse 2)

Then in 2 (Two) Corinthians 5 down- it's found

For our sake Christ bore our

Sin and so sinless becomes sin 

so we'd be Christ's righteousness

(Oooh! Oooh!)

(Chorus 2)

Oh, God never did get nothing but our sin, man

That He didn't, didn't already have

And John Edwards said the only thing we're bringing 

To salvation's the sin that we have

Which makes it necessary

(Repeat Verse 2)

(Repeat Chorus 1- with last line changed to:

So please believe in Jesus!)

(Oooh! Oooh!)

Isaiah: Mini-Bible (song)

 As the first line in this song says, one book undertakes a gargantuan task in The Bible. Likewise, I undertook a gargantuan task in trying to sort of summarize this book in a short song. Hopefully, this at least gets across some of the highlights. Scholars have called this book a "mini Bible" because it holds a lot of parallels to The Bible, having 66 chapters, just like The Bible has 66 books. Isaiah is by far the most quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament, having been quoted 55 times! (You can read about numerous connections here- http://isaiahminibible.com/) Of course, if I was to try to give you a miniature version of The Bible, it would be the Gospel- The Bible is all about the Good News of Jesus. Our sins are like scarlet but He can make them white as snow when we put faith in the One who had all our iniquities laid on Him. It's no wonder Philip used Isaiah 53 to witness to the eunuch as he was already reading it. Even if he hadn't been, Philip probably would have pointed him there as it's one of the clearest pictures in the Old Testament of the sacrifice Christ made to save us- a prophecy made 700 years in advance! Read all about this and so much more in Isaiah- mini-Bible. 

"Isaiah: Mini-Bible"

(Parody of "I Can't Drive 55" by Sammy Hagar; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 6/12/2020)

(Book of Isaiah; particularly 1:17-18, 2:4, chapter 6, 7:14, 9:1-7, 40:1-9, chapter 53, 55:8-11; also Luke 3:1-6 and Luke 4:16-21)

One book undertakes a gargantuan task- hey!

Well, the news is tragic- judgment's passed, yo!

Eyes are blind- won't just perceive the truth

Isaiah prophesied coming judgment of Judah's sin!

Gonna write it up- 1 through 39

OT's same judgment- similar vibe

Grace next 27- NT's vibe

Isaiah- mini-Bible! Oh yeah!

Uh!

So Isaiah is made up of chapters- 66, hey!

Yeah, it's just like books in God's Word

It's gonna blow your mind- all the book's retweets

Look- chapter 40 lines up with Baptist (in) Luke 3

He said good- Good News!

Evangelize- Is. 40:9

Scroll to place Jesus read Isaiah's lines

Luke 4 writes this- there're more times

Isaiah's in The Bible!

Quoted

How many times? 55!

How many times? 55!

How many times with this guy-

Isaiah? 55!

Uh!

Well- some lines to know- you know each part's revered

In Isaiah first part- 18- sin's washed here

Swords beat to make plowshares- verse 2:4 says. Huh!

In chapter 6, read how prophet saw The Lord- hey!

God sends sign (of) Messiah- 7:14 line

Show's Christ's traits- promised Son born in 9

Pay for all sins- 53 find

Isaiah- mini Bible

Oh! Oh! Oh!

God's mind's higher

(Isaiah 55!)

Point will drive

(Isaiah 55!)

(Isaiah 55!)

(Isaiah- mini Bible)

It's in Titus (song)

 Everyone needs someone to help them in this life. No man is an island, as John Donne said. (Though I do still like to think of myself as an island mon, who is dependent on God and others. :-)) Some of the great heroes had sidekicks to help them. The Lone Ranger and Tonto. Batman and Robin. Paul and Silas. Of course, Paul had chosen Titus to help establish the church in Crete. And through the Holy Spirit's inspiration, he wrote a letter to help him with choosing qualified elders to help in the church and to assure sound doctrine was being taught and to be wary of false teachers. He also reminded Cretan believers that some of the top picks on the list of the best ways to live for Christ include living Godly, upright self-controlled lives so that others can see the grace of God through us. If you want help in God's Word in these things, pray and ask Him for help and read this letter- it's in Titus. 

"It's in Titus" 

(Parody of "Kiss on my List" by Hall & Oates; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/11/2020)

(The book of Titus; especially Titus 1:2, 1:15, 2:5, 2:10-14 and 3:5-7)

My friend, son of mine I call you 

Paul's true child in common faith

Please don't be deceived; fakes lead some Cretans astray

Appoint elders- you need help; above reproach kinda guys of 1 wife

Bishops/overseers- not given to violence or pride

No greed to be rich, but holy, disciplined

Holds sound doctrine

So they can go show fakes Truth, rebuking them

Their minds' defiled- nothing's pure- to pure, all things pure

Read what Titus, Titus 1:15 prints

You must silence professing hypocrites

The false prophets teach Jewish myths but Jesus never lies!

Because Titus 1:2- it tells us this

From false prophets you keep social distance

Teach what keeps with all sound doctrine- then you'll turn down the lies 

Well, God's grace has come bringing salvation for all the peeps

Live upright and wait up for Christ- gave His all to redeem

Sober minds, steadfastness in older men; In older women, reverence is sought

Train up girls when young to be pure, kind women of God 

To husbands submit and love him and kids

2:5 Titus

If you want to know what the reason is

No one reviles word of Christ when our lives align 

Likewise, young men- goodness is on my list

Teach with soundness- no one can condemn this

Because witness adorns doctrine of Jesus- 2:10 line

So bondservants submit in all Boss says

Pleasing service, not given to arguments

Because goodness is our witness we're reborn now in Christ

Now read Titus 3, babe

Because us kids were just all once foolish

Slaves to passions, malice, disobedience

But when goodness, lovingkindness of Jesus came- verse 5

We're saved because Your gift paid sins- His mercy's rich

Because our righteousness- it can't do this

Washed by Spirit- Grace justifies- we've eternal life!

You can trust this, Titus, on this insist

Because goodness profits Christians- ya dig?

Because foolish rifts, arguments are worthless and divide

Ohh- please come! Nicopolis- my snowbird nest

Zenas- please come!

After the Sufferin' (song)

 No matter who you are or your position in life, you're going to face hard things in life. Life is hard. We all go through our own sets of suffering at times. Whether you're a cashier at Ingles trying to eke out a living to provide for your family and dealing with unruly customers at the outset of a pandemic or you're Bert being constantly frustrated and annoyed by Ernie- the suffering still comes. The Lord sends His rain on the righteous and the wicked. 

Even when it's hump day and you are trying to make it through a tough week at work at a dinky little job, you can take hope in knowing there's a point to the suffering- and an eventual end to it. And God uses it to draw us closer to Him and make us more righteous. And we know that the glory coming will make these sufferings seem light. And while we're in the midst of trying times, we look forward to Christ's coming- and trust Him to help us move forward in this life while we wait for redemption of our bodies and the freedom from corruption coming after the suffering is done.

"After the Sufferin' "

(parody of "After The Lovin' " by Engelbert Humperdinck; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/16/2020)

(Hebrews 12:1-17, Romans 8:18-30)

Though sin clings oh so deep- cast it off 'cause of

Witness throng that is close- cast off weights

Run with hope and endure- Eye Founder

And Perfecter of our faith

Endured cross, despised shame all for joy set before Him

My own faith- it just seems to go dry

Haven't struggled so much with sin now to the point my veins bleed- Why?

Spankings chasten me (echo: Spankings chasten me)

As a son disciplined by Love (echo: Son disciplined by Love)

And spanking's telling me (echo: telling me) I'm viewed as God's son (echo: God's son)

Though it stings now we'll reap after the suffering

Oh a bushel of fruit- righteous lives (echo: Oooohh!)

Strengthen up, make paths straight and be healed

With God's grace, no one pass by

Make it so that garden isn't springing a bitter root (echo: Ooohhh!)

Oh, and as for this summary, it's all in 12 Hebrews (echo: Ooohhh!)

So I bring you to read chapter 8 Romans 

Can't brush off like hair these hard times (echo: chapter 8 Romans)

But the glory coming when revealed that it makes suffering light (echo: when revealed, it seems light)

And I know creation is still waiting to be renewed (echo: Ahhh!)

Oh, set free from corruption (echo: free from corruption)

Spirit's adoption too

Yes, bodies' redemption (echo: bodies' redemption)

We're groaning, God, for You

Mmm- after the suffering

I'm waiting, God, for You 

Till We Have Facebooks of Love

 I think it's important sometimes to remind ourselves that social media is not real life. It's more like those Christmas cards you send out with little updates on your family where everything is picture perfect and rosy. We don't usually like to air all the dirty laundry and put the nitty gritty out there. But the funny thing is that this isn't always true. That's one extreme people can go to with maintaining a veneer of peaceful bliss, while hiding away the chaos- and thus not really being honest. (Reference Eleventyseven's song "MySpace" for more on that idea. Yes, the platform is different but the attitudes are the same. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SX2fv2KhMqs)

This harkens back to the social rule of not discussing religion or politics in mixed company. It's meant to avoid arguments but I've never liked that rule. Why can't we challenge ourselves to speak on those topics in mixed groups without losing tempers or friendships? I have seen far too much of both those two possibilities happen in online discussions. I just saw it again today, which prompted me to post this. And it's funny to see how the Pendulum has swung to the other extreme, where people unload everything on you without holding back and feel some sort of security in anonymity on the Internet or just the safety of distance where you don't have to worry about having the guts to something to someone's face and you don't have to worry about getting a black eye. (Not that you should have to worry about that even when in person.)

    It's good to have people with different views in your life just to help you keep open to different points of view and not get locked into your own echo chamber. And that even includes people with ideas you might consider immoral and/or repulsive.

    I'm sorry that to see people terminate their friendship- especially when it seems to be a reaction to finding that they have diametrically opposing views with someone else. And while I can understand trying to avoid negative influences, I don't think the mere fact of having a different opinion should be a reason to cut off a friendship.

    We need to be understanding and loving towards those with whom we disagree. Look for the places where you can agree and affirm their statements and them- and then talk calmly about places where you will have to agree to disagree.

   Loving people in the Name of Jesus and keeping the door open to share The Gospel- and actually sharing the Good News of God's love for all us hellbound sinners proved by Christ's death and Resurrection which provides salvation and entry to Heaven for all who put faith in Him and follow Him- are infinitely more important than winning arguments with them. I firmly believe no one has ever been argued or bullied or belittled into believing in Christ- or into even accepting a different point of view, for that matter. And they're definitely not won over by our stupid, insulting name-calling and memes. Why would God bless sinful methods? It's God's KINDNESS that leads us to repentance! (Yes, I am overemphasizing that here because I think it's a reminder we all need to hear.) It doesn't matter what rude or mean thing someone has said to us- our response is always to love and be kind and pray for them! We need to always be gracious- because God is infinitely gracious to us undeserving, ungrateful people. (Cue one of my favourite newer Apologetix songs- "A Loan For You".

https://youtu.be/7H1J6WbzYXk)

Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. (Just read all of Romans 12, really.) And speak The Truth in Love. (Ephesians 4:15)

Nahum's Woe (song)

      Thirty-three years ago, on May 2, 1987, Larry Bird made one of the greatest, if not the greatest, plays of his basketball career. In game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics were down by one point to the Detroit Pistons. With five seconds to go, the Pistons had the ball at their end of the court and it looked like things were all over for the Celtics. Yet if Pistons fans had started cheering then, they would have been extremely premature, as Larry Bird then made an outstanding play by stealing the inbounding pass from Isiah Thomas and got the ball to Dennis Johnson, who made the game-winning layup!
        Just as it is dangerous to be full of yourself and be calling the game too early in sports, it is infinitely more dangerous to do so in the spiritual realm. Nineveh is a city that had been very wicked, but God had pity on them and sent Jonah to warn them. Half-hearted though it was, Jonah's message of warning got through (eventually- after a stay in an underwater motel inside a big fish) and the people repented and God stayed His hand. Unfortunately, the people of Nineveh in later years reverted to their former wicked ways and then God sent Nahum to let them know that His judgment was coming- and it wasn't going to be stopped this time. God always carries out justice. He is certainly long-suffering and wanting to extend grace, but when people reject His kind offer, there is no recourse left. Only those who take refuge in Him are safe. Learn from Nineveh's example and repent now while there is time. (2 Corinthians 6:2)


"Nahum's Woe"
(parody of "Sussudio" by Phil Collins; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/7/2019)
(book of Nahum [particularly Nahum 1:7], also see book of Jonah, 2 Corinthians 6:2)

There's this book that's been on my mind
Read its lines- Na- Na- Nahum, oh! oh! oh!
Now you know me from Jonah's fame
(It's) No Disney sequel- read just the same
Na- Na- Nahum, yo! oh! oh!
Well, God- He called me to go share
Destruction's coming- Nineveh, beware!
Last century- all was right
Appealed to God- now Nineveh reverts!
Na- Na- Nahum's woes! Just read The Word!
They're do- do- doomed, you know!
God knows those (who) take refuge in Him
With (a) flood brings foes to an end
Na- Na- Nahum 1:7
God's given command- 'cause you are vile
No more will Nineveh
Pass through Judah though- oh! oh!
Ah, get dressed- battle's here from scatterer
The chariots close in as they go through town
And race Ben-Hur rush style- faces grow pale
And they'll feel who don't listen- just take The word-
2:2 Nahum- Yo! Thus saith The Lord
No game like on Yu-Gi-Oh! Whoa!
Woe (to) city bloody- all full of lies
The wheels roll on of God's justice (in) The Word!
Read 3 in Nahum- Go!
The just prey unfurls
Oh - 3:1 Nahum - Woe!
They'll just say the words, "Oh, who- who- who will grieve for her?"
All stay away
3:7 Nahum- Woe! Oh, oh, oh!
Nineveh's burned!
God's justice undeterred- uh!
Just what's deserved
For Nin- Nin- Nineveh (oh, oh, oh)
So Na- Na- Nahum- go! (Go, go, go!)
Review with Nineveh (Woe! Woe! Woe!)
Your sins have doomed you all! (Woe! Woe! Woe!)
No soothing woes! (Oh, oh, oh)
All who hear news- woe! (Woe! Woe! Woe!)
Can't ease your hurt
Wish you had boohooed and turned! (Oh, oh, oh)
Prayed to The Lord, oh
"Please save us, Lord"
But must just say the word!

Christ in a Nutshell (song)

(Note: I'm pulling a few more classics out of the archive. My last post referenced the lines I used in this parody so it only seemed fitting to post this next. I've included my original introduction from 2009 below. Since I had two others that seemed in a similar category of lyric-tweaking that already seemed to be such a good fit to talk about The Lord, I will post those other two soon too.)


    I've been wanting to share a few more parodies I've written recently and they most all deal with some things that have been coming up in church lately actually. And they're all really favorite songs of mine, some of which just struck me as being such a good song already that it would only take a bit of tweaking to bring about a really great song talking about The Lord. So I plunged in to it and God helped me bring the ideas into fruition.
    Here's a song that wraps things up nicely and just states really what Christ is about and what our life is about in Him. I loved the second verse so much and it worked so well that I left it mostly intact. Take some time and a sip out of your 70's-style Coke bottle and enjoy. ;-)

"Christ in a Nutshell" (parody of "Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce)
(parody copyright by Nathan Ludwick 10/02/09)
(John 3:3, 3:16, 10:10, 14:6, Romans 8:1-2, 10:9, 2 Corinthians 6:2, 2 Peter 3:9)

If I could state Christ in a nutshell,
The first thing that He'd like to do
Is to save every name for eternity- He just can't wait
Just to spend it with you!

Since Christ can make change last forever
His Word conveys this is for you
Get saved and today
Christ will never condemn
Romans
8 explains- 1 and 2

(Chorus)
But you never seem to think about Christ
You do the things you want to do
But you'll find out
I've looked around enough to know
The only One I want to know is Christ, yes!

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty except for the memory
Of how they were surpassed by You!

(Repeat Chorus)
and fade....

.............................................................................

Perfection? - Perfect Son

   Everyone usually seems to desire the best in everything. We look for perfection and it seems there are two main choices for finding this. Some seem to be convinced it is still locked away within humanity and can be brought to the surface with enough work and innovation. And then others look beyond humanity to anything and everything else.
    But they never seem to think about Christ- they do the things they wanna do, but they'll find out. I've looked around enough to know the only One I wanna know is Christ, yes. He is perfection personified and though we are fallen, He can perfect us when we put our faith and trust in His death and Resurrection that has paid for all our fallings and failings.

(See Psalms 73:23-26, Psalms 146, Leviticus 11:45, Philippians 1:6)

The Power of Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

     A lot of people have a wrong view of Christianity as a list of "do's and don'ts" and because of this they wind up making their identity about things they do for Christ instead of finding their identity in Christ alone and what He has done for us. We can never do enough good and avoid enough bad to measure up to God's standard. His standard is perfection. (Leviticus 11:45, Matthew 5:48) That's why we all need Jesus because He met the standard of perfection for us- because He is God's perfect son and He is perfection. He is God. His death and Resurrection pays the price for all sins- the punishment of Hell we all deserve Christ paid for us. When we put faith in Him, He saves us because He loves us and He keeps His Word. And His Spirit dwells in us to guide us into all truth and draw us closer to Himself.
     I was thinking on this some as I read about Hawk Nelson's lead singer who has sadly fallen away from his faith in Jesus. :-( Among other questions and doubts, this is one of the concerns he raised. He felt his faith was more about obligation and "do's and don'ts" in some legalistic pretense of The Gospel.
    But that's not The Gospel at all. The Good News of Jesus is that the work is done! The good we could never do has been done for us. When we put faith in Jesus, we enter into a covenant much like that of marriage. (Our relationship with God is even described in those terms in Ephesians 5 and Revelation 21:2.) A husband and wife united as one in the holy bonds of matrimony are not seeking to do things to impress each other. They do things for each other because they love each other! There is a relationship there that is real and active and it's driven by love! There's a reason husbands and wives tend to even physically look like each other over the years as they become so united in body, mind and spirit. They accept each other and come to enjoy even activities they may not have previously liked or cared about solely because their spouse enjoys them! Anything that reminds them of each other brings them joy!
     The song I have linked came to mind for me because I think it captures that feeling of ecstasy so well that comes with being in love for the first time. I think it's a great picture of the love relationship that develops between us and God. We want to get to know all we can about Him just as I would for my wife (if I had one.) We want to spend time with Him in the same way. We pray to Him constantly and we read and reread and reread over and over again His love letter to us in The Bible. We love saying His Name and thinking about Him. We love seeing acts of love and kindness that remind us of Him. We love to do those things that we know please Him- even things that we previously may not have liked because being with Him changes us. We hate the things He hates as well because we are of one mindset with Him.
    Our attitude should be like David's in the Psalms where he pours out his love for The Lord! In Psalms 119:2, we are to seek God with our whole heart. (And verses 9-12) In verse 14, I delight in God's testimonies as much as in all riches. In verses 15-16, my eyes are fixed on God's ways and I won't forget His Word and statutes. I hope in His Word in verse 81 and I meditate on it all the day in verse 97. The entire chapter says over and over again how much David delights in The Lord and His Word.
      Jesus is the treasure hidden in a field worth selling everything I have to buy the field and get the treasure! Jesus is the pearl of great price worth selling everything I own in order to buy the precious pearl! Of course, I don't have to pay anything to have Jesus- God gives Him to me for free! (See Matthew 13)
In coming after Him, I deny myself, take up my cross daily and follow Him. I lose my life for His sake and He saves it. (Luke 9:23-24) There's no profit in gaining the whole world and losing my soul. (Matthew 16:24-28) But for me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21) Jesus is better than anything else my heart desires. (Psalms 73:23-26 and 84:10) The love relationship I have with Him naturally makes me to be more like Him each day and naturally makes me fall deeper in love with Him all the time as I understand more and more the depths of His love for me. (Romans 5:8, Romans 8:38-39)
     That's the power of His love and The Gospel. It's not rote religion- it's reinvigorating relationship! It's the power of being "seized by a great affection", as N. Gordon Cosby put it. As Lifehouse put it, it's like "feeling alive all over again" and "being in love for the first time". That's the power of Love that wilt not let me go! It's believing wholeheartedly, whether I always feel it or not, that God is there and that He loves me beyond all my imagining and understanding and loving Him for who He is because He's worthy of all worship- and knowing that I'm right where I'm supposed to be in His arms forever and seeking to let everyone know about Jesus and His love. :-)
 
Lifehouse- "First Time"
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J0YvWQNWEJA

Andrew Peterson- "The Power of a Great Affection"
https://youtu.be/_dtBVvMmHnY

Life Goals

(Note: With my birthday coming up in about three weeks, this seems fitting for my sometimes annual reflection.)


   One thing that I think is important spiritually is stopping everything once in a while and taking stock of life. The prudent gives thought to his steps. (See Proverbs 14:8 and 14:15) While running/walking this evening, the thought came to mind for me in thinking about the ongoing struggle with sin and striving to live for Christ, as well as making choices for life's trajectory that are pleasing to Him-
Is my life about me or is it about Jesus? That was a sobering thought to ponder. How many times do I ask that in making a decision? How many times do I center my life around making decisions to do things that bring me pleasure rather than seeking to bring God pleasure and glory?
   If I am crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) and I have died and my life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-4), and God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever and I desire nothing on earth besides Him (Psalms 73:25-26) and The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want (Psalms 23) and a day in His courts is better than thousands elsewhere (Psalms 84:10)- then why do I not always live like it?
    Far too often I identify with Ecclesiastes 2:11 "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." In the same book, it says in chapter 3 (verses 1-8) that there's a time and season for everything. The book concludes in 12:13-14 by saying that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. That's also the only place we really derive any meaning in life. As Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 says, apart from God, who can eat or have enjoyment?
    I have often found this with temporary goals on earth. There are things and pursuits that give me much pleasure and I enjoy them. There's nothing wrong with that, provided they are pleasing to The Lord. As Shakespeare said though, all good things must come to an end. I love reading and I can amuse myself with books, but eventually I finish a book series and that pleasure is gone. The same goes for watching every episode of a beloved television show or watching a favourite movie. The same goes for any life pursuit, whether it's marriage and raising children, career building, property acquisition or publishing of some sort. Even altruistic measures can fall into this pattern if the motivation is to make myself feel better and look good. What's the point of me saying something and bragging about something in the hopes that people will remember it and share it in the eulogy at my funeral? I won't even be there to enjoy that! (Which is all the more reason we should say all those nice things to people now rather than save them all up for the wake.)
    As one of my favourite poets, Robert Frost, has said, "Nothing gold can stay." I agree with him to a point. There is one gold thing that can and does stay- the streets of gold. Those are forever. And Heaven is where I want to always have my mindset. As C.S. Lewis has said, it is often those who thought the most of the next life that have done the greatest good in this life. Having a Heavenly mindset should cause me to do more good in this life for the sake of Jesus and others. That's where I find my joy- in The Lord and not in things. I can find fleeting happiness in some things but true joy only in The Lord. This is one reason I periodically do a purge of my belongings, as it helps remove idols from my life and makes sure I am focused on Jesus first.
    There's a certain panic and terror that comes at times when I have a quiet moment by myself to analyze my life. It especially weighs heavily as the clock keeps ticking onward and reminders of its passage come up, particularly birthdays. It feels more so that way to me as a single person. Perhaps this is due to having had an American ideal instilled through movies and TV shows of the American dream that everyone is supposed to have. After you get through school, you're supposed to go to college and get a degree and get a good job that pays a lot and get a house and get married and have children and eventually retire and enjoy your golden years together. I made it through school and got both a bachelor's and master's degree in college and I got a job I enjoy and I have a place of my own to live. But I am nearing the end of my 30s and I still have not gotten married and thus have not had any children.
     It feels bad to say but sometimes it is hard to be happy for the friends and family I have watched get married and have families of their own. I have gone to so many weddings and while I do celebrate with those who are rejoicing, there are twinges of jealousy and regret. I look back at times and think of opportunities for friendships that I pushed away at the time. I think of romantic possibilities not realized that I wish I had pursued more. I was never super interested in dating until my late '20s or so and I wonder if that wasn't partly because of subtle peer pressure when I saw what seemed like everyone around me getting married all of a sudden and it seemed like the thing to do. That's not to say I didn't have romantic thoughts about girls when I was younger and hitting puberty though. There have been a lot of women I have liked but few I have really dated and only one that I feel like I've truly fallen in love with though. And rejection can make you so introspective, desperately reliving every moment and analyzing them to see where a different choice could have been made so that things could have turned out differently and you could still be walking through the city hand in hand with her, feeling an excitement of euphoric exhilaration race through your body!
      Alas, when the relationship doesn't work out as you would like, it's hard to trust that God still has a good plan and knows best. It's hard to let go of that time when everything was right and you both felt like you and she loved each other more than anyone else on earth and that feeling of ecstasy felt so good.
There are moments in time I can flash back to and I just want to stay there for a while. But eventually I get awakened from my reverie by reality and I have to move on. And I wonder if I'll ever love another woman like that again and if I'll ever get married and have children. I do want to have all that for that experience and for the joy of loving someone like that and being loved by her like that and raising my own children. And to be really honest, I want to have sex and experience that beautiful union between husband and wife that is an intimate expression of their love for each other. I want to have that kind of intimacy that is honoured and guarded to the highest degree as my one and only who is my beloved and betrothed to me- and I am fully hers in body and mind and heart.
    It seems cruel at times in having those desires but not being at that place yet and knowing there is no morally correct way of having a release for that sex drive until that time of marriage comes. That's where temptation can hit so hard to give in to sexual fetishes and fantasies and enjoy the erotic pleasures of an erection, which themselves are also fleeting and short-lived, and lead to only shame and guilt afterwards. When I think of those I know who are Christ followers who struggle with homosexual tendencies, I can't imagine what an awful struggle that must be in that same scenario and knowing there is no release on this earth. And if I remain unmarried, then I am in the same place as them in that regard of dealing with the desires of a sex drive that can't be fulfilled. Passages like 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 make this very clear.
    All of this gets back to my original point and question though. Is my life about me or is it about Jesus? If I am to follow Jesus as I say I want to do, then I must lose my life to find it. Jesus says I must take up my cross, deny myself daily and follow Him. (Luke 9:23) I must believe that His lovingkindness is better than life. I must store up my treasures in Heaven because Jesus is my real treasure. Even if I do get married and have children, my real joy can never be found in my wife or kids. Jesus is better than my potential wife and kids. Jesus is better than sex. Jesus is better than possessions. Jesus is better than sin. Jesus is better than anything this world affords today. Would I really rather have Jesus than anything my heart desires? Is Jesus really my number one passion and desire? Is He the ultimate lover of my soul Whom I am so in love with above all others?
I know don't desire God as much as I should but I want to desire Him more. I want to want Jesus and want nothing else. As Rich Mullins wrote, "The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the Giver of all good things." "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ...." (Philippians 3:7-8)
     Matthew 6:33 tells me to seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto me. What things? The things I need- not necessarily all the things I want. As I seek God more, I believe The Spirit will make the things of this earth to grow strangely dim (as the hymn "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" says) in the light of His glory and grace. Psalms 90:12 beseeches The Lord to teach us to number the days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom. To be sure, this of course applies for every follower of Christ. Married couples have to decide how best their union can glorify The Lord. How do the husband and wife help each other grow closer to The Lord and be used more by Him for His glory? There are some advantages for the single person as there is no entanglement with trying to take care of a spouse and children. The time and energy that would be spent in that can be spent in other things. Am I using time just to indulge myself though or am I using it to serve God and others? (See 1 Corinthians 7 for a lot more on this.)
     Jesus gives us the ultimate example. Philippians 2 is such a beautiful picture of how He humbled Himself and put our needs before His own. He gave up His rights and didn't count equality with God something to be grasped but instead took the form of a bondservant in the likeness of men- and humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross! For this reason God raised Him up and gave Him the Name above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. We are commanded to have that same mindset. (1 Corinthians 2:16 indeed says that we have the mind of Christ.) We are to do nothing out of selfish ambition and conceit but in humility count others as better than ourselves! As Philippians 2:21 says, too many folks- and too many times we ourselves are in this number- seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. My interests are to be those of Jesus Christ. I am to look to others' interests before my own.
   Just as Jesus said in regards to the most important commandments, I am to love The Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and love my neighbour as myself. (Matthew 22:34-40) I try to keep those two directives constantly in mind, along with Ephesians 4:15's admonition to be "speaking the Truth in Love." Part of loving God and my neighbour is sharing The Gospel with others as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:18-20. I tell others about God's love that pays for all sins through our faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection and I show others God's love through helping with their physical needs as well. (James 2:15-17, 1 John 3:18)
    What can be said in conclusion then? How is my life demonstrating God's love and grace to others as well as warning about His judgement? How is my life pursuing and displaying the needs and desires of others and ultimately Jesus first? "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of The Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with The Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to The Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God The Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." (Ephesians 5:15-21)
    I must give thanks to God in all things and for everything because it's all His blessings! He has me in exactly the time and place He wants me. (Acts 17:26) His plan for me will come through. (Psalms 138:8)
Thus, I must do all things without grumbling or disputing that I might be a blameless and innocent child of God without blemish, as Philippians 2:14-15 says. As it goes on to say, then I can be shining as a light in the world in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. That is what I want my life to be doing and Jesus is who I want my life to be about always. I quote this next verse often as my writing goal but it's true of life in general: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." (Psalms 19:14) Lord Jesus, may that always be true of me in all I say or do. May I always find my contentment in You because I know godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6)
"For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) 
 

 

Preach The Gospel to Yourself-and Stay and Watch with Jesus

   There's a saying that goes like this- "Sometimes you need to preach The Gospel to yourself." That's what the one minute video I've posted here talks about well.
I have had to do that at times, particularly whenever I struggle with doubts and questions about faith. Those who know me well probably know I've talked a lot about this before and wrestled with worries and fears about my salvation and Christianity in general at times. What if it's all untrue? That's a question some don't like to deal with much or at all. Yet The Bible itself deals with it. In a famous passage in 1 Corinthians 15:12-28, Paul under the Holy Spirit's inspiration tells us that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, then our faith is futile and we're still in our sins. All of Christendom rests on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
    That is a question along with many others that are worth pondering. I've usually had more soteriology questions than anything else though- and they usually have to do with my salvation experience. I've talked about this before but I want to try to address another aspect of this here. Though I have had passing thoughts before wondering if other religions are true rather than Christianity, as I've said before, I've doubted myself more than I've ever doubted God. I have come to realize something through all this. I think a large part of the problem is having so many competing voices, whether through jeers and accusations from non-believers along with genuine questions or from sincere insistences on denominational doctrinal teachings from different Christian voices. I find myself comparing my experience to that of others and if they don't seem to match up, I find myself panicking that somehow I didn't do something right in the salvation process, like I took a wrong turn on the Romans road. (And that would be a problem because the straight and narrow road doesn't have turns.) There are questions of having the right motives, really repenting "enough", or having an emotional experience. I'll admit that fear of the punishment of hell is what first me drove me to Jesus. I think He can still use that and deepen our experience and relationship with Him from there.
    It seems there are two extremes of polarity that people go to with faith in Christ. Either the life gate is swung open for all no matter what you do with Christ or it's locked so tight that it's only opened when perfection is achieved. Of course, both of those views are heresies. Somewhere in between those two extremes, you have liberal progressive views closer to one end that seem to make grace a license for sin and offer what is derided by others as "cheap grace" and "easy believism". One need only trust that Jesus Christ is Lord and God and that He died and rose to pay for our sins. This is commonly expressed in what's known as the "sinner's prayer". (And to be fair, Romans 10:8-13 sounds a lot like that prayer. And Ephesians 2:8-9 certainly says we're saved by grace through faith- and not of works.) The need for repentance seems to be mitigated and the very need for a Saviour- our status as people dead in our trespasses- is lost in an effort to soften the blow. (Jude 1:3-4 particularly speaks expressly against this, along with other passages like James 2 and Romans 6.)
     Closer to the other end are those who insist that repentance is a necessary act for salvation and decry the idea of the "sinner's prayer". This group insists that too many simply say a prayer like a magic spell and think they are then granted eternal life by simply agreeing with God that we are sinners who can't save ourselves and believing Jesus died and rose to pay for pur sins. Yet then they go on with their lives and nothing seems to have changed! There is certainly a danger here as Jesus said there are many who will do just this and say to Him on the Last Day, "Lord, Lord- didn't we do all these things in Your Name?" And He'll tell them, "Depart from Me. I never knew you!" (See Matthew 7) That's an eternal tragedy we can't afford to get wrong.
    After all, Acts 2:38 says we must repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and then we'll receive The Holy Spirit. (And here, things get extrapolated even further by some groups that insist you must be baptized in order to be saved and still others that insist you must speak in tongues as enabled by The Holy Spirit just as the disciples did in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost!)
     I want to be careful here to say that I am not trying to castigate any denomination for their beliefs, even if I may personally disagree on some. I am generally a fan of ecumenism in the sense of seeking to learn from brothers and sisters in Christ and be one church in Christ as Jesus prayed in the High Priestly prayer in John 17. There are some minor, non-salvific issues of faith that are really not worth arguing about. Rather, I just look to Philippians 1:18 and say praise God that the Gospel is being preached through them. And even though I disagree with them on some things, there are important truths I agree with all of them on and things that I learn from them and I am glad for that.
    With that said, I think I can say that constantly hearing from these different approaches and stances can leave me rather spiritually schizophrenic at times. As well meaning as all these groups may be, sometimes I find I need to get away from what others think about Jesus and The Bible and just dive into The Word myself and pray and wait to hear straight from God Himself. When I do this, things become more clear. There is truth in both sides of the matter. Yes, salvation is easy because Jesus makes it easy so that it takes only the faith of a child. Yes, salvation is hard in some ways because we have to let go of all pride and all our "good deeds" (which are as but filthy rags to the holy God - Isaiah 64:6) and realize that we are wretched sinners who can do nothing to save ourselves and need God to save us and change us- to help us repent from our sins and follow Him.
    I suppose what particularly rankles me is when the Gospel presentations seem to be so bent on beating that idea of depravity into someone via an examination of how closely one has followed the Ten Commandments. (Spoiler alert- we've broken all of them so many times over. James 2:10 says even breaking one part is like breaking them all.) I agree that people need to be aware of their sin and acknowledge it in order to turn to Christ for salvation from it. Where I feel things slip into legalism is when it seems like the people saying such things come off like they've arrived and seem to suggest that "real" salvation must include instantaneous repentance of all sins on the spot and immediate holiness from there forward. (Part of the confusion here may stem from the fact that some groups do believe people can lose their salvation but that's a whole other conversation.) Expectations of holiness with a "holier-than-thou" attitude make me think of Jesus' words to the Pharisees in Matthew 23 about being those who lay heavy burdens on others but don't lift a finger to help them carry it. The problem with this idea of repentance involving utter holiness going forward is that clearly there are examples in the New Testament that show the disciples of Jesus still struggled with sin even after being saved. Peter denied Jesus three times and was restored! He also later dealt with racism in regards to Gentile believers, which Paul confronted him about to correct. (Luke 22, John 21, Acts 10-11, Galatians 2)  Paul himself admitted to struggling with coveting. (Romans 7)
    Clearly, being saved by Christ does not mean we automatically become made holy. If that were the case, Jesus could just take us to Heaven after salvation. However, I think we are left here instead to grow closer to God through the sanctification process (which Philippians 3 talks about with the desire to forget what lies behind and press on to what lies ahead toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.) We are also here to be Christ's witnesses to the ends of the earth. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8) We are justified and declared righteous when we're saved though because of what Jesus has done and our faith in Him- not from anything we've done. (Romans 3-4) We go through the sanctification process until we reach Heaven (either through death or Christ's return- whichever comes first) and then we are given glorification with new bodies. (1 Corinthians 15)
   To the other side of things, I also get upset at the watering down of the Gospel that seems to neglect mentioning sin or can't seem to call sin what it is- sin. The Gospel that makes every allowance for the flesh rather than putting it to death is very problematic indeed, as this isn't Biblical either. (Romans 6) Grace is not a license to sin- as Brennan Manning described it, grace is a reason not to sin! There has to be a balance between the two extremes. Jesus made it clear that we will show ourselves to be His disciples by our fruit! (John 15:8, Matthew 5:17-20, Matthew 7:15-20) This is also what James 2 clearly demonstrates- faith without works is dead!
     What is the solution? I think the two concepts meet beautifully at the cross. God's justice and His mercy crisscross in the beams of the cross as they meet there in Christ. Christ fulfilled The Law's demands for us and declares us righteous. He became sin for us so that we could become God's righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:16-21) This is all the work of God- The Father draws us, the Son saves us and the Spirit indwells us. (John 6:44, Romans 5:6-11, Romans 8:1-11) Yet it does seem paradoxical in nature when we read passages like Philippians 2:12-13. We're told to work our own salvation with fear and trembling but right after that we're told that it's God who works in us to will and work for His good pleasure. Ephesians 2:8-9 is a famous passage that tells us we're saved by God's grace through our faith- it's God's gift and not from our works so none of us can boast. Yet verse 10 yells us that we're God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. And all of these verses are true, of course. The order is extremely important though. God does the saving work in us first and gifts us faith enough to even trust in Him and He works in us so that we do the good works He made us to do all along. The good works are a result of salvation- not a cause of it. Galatians 5:16-26 offers some good lists, both of bad qualities we should no longer display as well as good ones- namely, the fruit of the Spirit that should be manifest in our lives as a result of salvation. And God will keep working to make our lives align with those verses as time goes on in our walks with Him. And when we do fall, He's ready to restore us to Him when we repent and confess our sins to Him. He is always faithful- even when we're faithless. (1 John 1:9, 2 Timothy 2:13) And Jesus will never let go or lose those who are His own! (John 6:35-40, John 10:10-30)
   To circle this back around to my starting point, I had a session of preaching The Gospel to myself for a few hours through the night the other night. Besides my usual Bible reading and prayer time, I also read aloud to myself 1 John and portions of Romans and Philippians and Galatians, most of which I've quoted already here. In a reflection of God's timing, note how things were orchestrated to be on my mind at the right time. I had just finished reading a book called "Sightings of the Savior" by Rick Ezell. The last chapter dealt with doubts and used the account of Thomas' moment of doubt about Jesus' Resurrection, which soon became a great declaration of faith when he was confronted with the evidence. With Thomas, I declare of Jesus Christ- "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:24-31) As the book notes, doubts can often arise from insecurity and disobedience (among other sources.)  I feel like I've seen insecurity combine often when I fall into a spate of sin, particularly one that I have struggled with often, with moments of victory and far too many moments of defeat. It's easy to think that this sin is so horrible that God can't possibly know me fully as He says He does in Psalms 139 and still love me and be willing to forgive me when I return to Him. Yet He's always true and always there with arms of love that I collapse into in a puddle of tears. I believe I have heard God speak to my heart before and tell me that He knows me and who I am- the sinful man that I so often am, as Peter confessed, but He also knows the man I can be in Him and that's who He's making me to be. I trust Him to do that. And hearing a sermon on "Doubting Thomas" yet again the Sunday after I spent hours pouring my heart out to God over this and other issues is just more confirmation and assurance of God's timing and presence.
   The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 13:5 that it's necessary and good to do a heart check every so often and make sure we're in the faith. This is part of preaching The Gospel to ourselves. We remember who we are before God and the extent of our depravity. We remember what Jesus did for us because of how much He loves us! We reaffirm our faith in Him and we are reminded of the awesomeness of His grace. As Elizabeth Cecilia Douglas Clephane wrote in her great hymn "Beneath the Cross of Jesus", "From my smitten heart, with tears, two wonders I confess- the wonders of His glorious love and my unworthiness."
    As Jesus did in Mark 1:35, going out to a desolate place early in the morning to pray, I try to do the same during these times. I highly recommend this experience as often as you can. I will admit I'm not the best about getting up early in the morning, but thankfully any time is a good time to pray. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) As it says in Psalms 63:6, I remember God upon my bed and meditate on Him in the watches of the night. "At midnight I rise to praise You, because of Your righteous rules." (Psalms 119:62) I'm glad I'm in good company with Biblical night owls. Either way, I enjoy taking times to go by myself in the woods or a lonely park or perhaps at a quiet beach or on a mountain trail- anywhere in the midst of God's creation. I love to enjoy God's beautiful wonders outside! Of course, the other night I just did this kneeling down in my bathroom. Alone, I could read the Scriptures out loud to myself in the mirror and pray aloud to The Lord and wait for Him to answer as the Spirit brought other things to mind.
It's so good to spend this time reading God's Word in The Bible, praying, and sometimes singing songs of praise as well and perhaps taking notes with pen and paper or working on writing songs or poems of praise as well.
   However God might prompt you to spend times of renewal with Him like this, do it! These are great times of refreshing for the soul as well as laying bare the soul before the Creator and being totally honest with Him about everything on your mind and heart. He is our assurance when our hearts condemn us; He's greater than our hearts and He knows everything. (See 1 John 3:16-24) Jesus says in Matthew 7 that only do those who do the will of His Father will enter the kingdom of Heaven. What is the will of His Father? He says in John 6:40 that it's that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life and Jesus will raise us up on the last day. That belief in Him and His saving work is proved by the love we have in us for God and each other. We are set free by the Son and made a part of God's family forever. (John 8:32-36, John 1:12) We're joint heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:10-17) And nothing will ever separate us from His love! (Romans 8:38-39) Preach The Gospel to yourself and believe it- especially in times of doubt. Lean on the Everlasting Arms and trust what God says wholeheartedly. Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disappointed. The stories are true.

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. :-)

The Lake of Fire (song)

"The fear of The Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7) As much as it's important to not be held captive to fear, there is also importance in having some fear- a fear of The Lord. As Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, we should fear the One Who can destroy both body and soul in hell. We are all sinners by nature and all bound to eternal torment in hell because of our rebellion against God. That's a truth you don't want to be a Johnny-Come-Lately to learning- because there is a day it will be too late to do anything about it. (Hebrews 9:27) We will all die one day, unless The Lord Christ returns first. Either way, we will face judgment then. The Good News is that God loves us so much that He paid for all our sins by dying in our place and rising again! If we put faith in Christ for forgiveness and salvation and follow Him, we can have assurance of salvation from hell and the burning lake of fire and entry into Heaven instead. That's a truth you can cash all your chips in on. Cash it all in on Christ today. (2 Corinthians 6:2) Now is the day of salvation!


"The Lake of Fire"
(parody of "The Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash; copyright Nathan Ludwick 1/21/2019)
(Mark 9:42-50, Matthew 10:26-33, Revelation 20, Luke 16:19-31, 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, Romans 10:9-13)

God had rebellion break
And He made a fiery lake
Found by sin's desire
In Rev. 20- the lake of fire

Christ's Book of Life or burning lake of fire?
Written down (or) not found?
In the flames (or) Paradise, yeah?
Will you burn or turn?
The lake of fire's for Christ revilers
(You) might fall into the burning lake of fire
Teeth are gnashed and ground
And the flames won't tire
Forever burns, burns, burns
The lake of fire, the lake of fire

The grace and love of Jesus
Sin-hearts like ours need it
To hell we're doomed at the trial
Oh, but Messiah reconciled

Christ still endured the burning lake of fire
He went down- that's how
Jesus paid our price there
And He returned third morn
Offering was final- all sins (for) all time, there
Devil will stew in burning lake of fire
20:10- it's found
Revelation- right there
Forever burns, burns, burns
Mark 9:48- the worm won't die there
And God yearns- Return!
The cross of Christ's still
Saving from fire
Saving from fire
Saving from fire

Enrapture (song)

A thunderous sermon and exhortation has been given. The strains of Larry Norman's "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" can be heard pulsating in your ears. Hearts are racing, hairs are standing on end and goosebumps run up and down arms. And certainly The Holy Spirit is moving and drawing people to Himself.
    I fear though that someone may have a blondie moment and get caught up in rapture of emotions and have a response much like the seed that fell on rocky soil that sprang up quickly but died quickly because they didn't have a root! This song is addressing this very scenario and is intended to lightly lambaste (even though that's an oxymoron ;-)) the Southern Baptist stereotype of "Turn or Burn" style evangelism and seriously lambaste an evangelism built more on emotion and manipulation solely rather than on evoking the Scriptures and invoking the Spirit to work. (To be clear, I do believe an emotional experience can be part of the Spirit's moving but it's important to remember that God can work with or without it, as a train can run with or without a caboose. The engine of faith keeps things moving. (Thanks to Campus Crusade for Christ and Bill Bright's "The Four Spiritual Laws" for that analogy!)) As Rev. Tim Keller has said, "Truth without grace is not really truth and grace without truth is not really grace."

"Enrapture"
(Parody of "Rapture" by Blondie; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 8/11/2019)
(1 John 4 (especially verse 18), 2 Peter 1:5-11, Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, Luke 8:4-15, Romans 11:29, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, Jude 1:24-25, Philippians 1:6, John 6:35-40)

No one knows
Advancing very close
The unbelieving-
Those folks won't (a-)go
Trumpet call
Thief comes snatch in night
And lost are left behind then
Hang heads and cry- Oh! Snap!-ture
Baptist tack
Scare 'em out of wits
Spine-tingling music
And a riled up pack
Embrace Grace
Sadly some lack roots
Pulls heartstrings, hand-wringing
Emotion manipulating- Oh, Crap!-ture
Rapture ready party- everybody's high
Forsake sinning- get saved by Christ!
Circumstance- Flash- Which's true?
Rejoice- grow fast- But got no root
In Luke 8, (it's) taught by God
Go out to the garden plot
When you get out on the farm, then you find soils "thar" (there)
And you find 4 types defined by Jesus Christ
And seeds come right down and land on the ground
On (the) path come avian seed eaters
Plants are fried by (the) sun on the rocky ground
And the shoots are dead from the seeds that fed
Among thorns- their choking stunts growers
The soil that's just right's seeds are growers
The seeds mate and grow- hundredfold
Some sixty and thirtyfold
Matthew 13- you read also 4 Mark
Then what was sown in hearts
Devil on path dines on seeds and bars what lost people need
What of faith sprang great with speed?
Come undone by persecution
Plants no root, yo...
No room to grow 'cause the plant in thorns' seduced by cars and hedonism
Yeah, all in all, only growers are on good soil
Which one is fear's altar call?
Rapture obscures
Fake from pure, true faith made sure
Retrain your brain- faith's a train
Move the feelings to end of train
Engine won't stop if that's dropped
Well, now faith in facts is running it
Enraptured by our God's beauty
He emancipates hearts from fear that starts when good theology's gone
In 4 1st. John- cast out by Love
And God won't have His call cancelled- 11 Romans states
God don't flip flop; His love won't stop
Just grab on- sure shot!
Election made sure- 2nd. Peter 1:10-
Deeds prove you're
God's now- He always keeps what He starts- just trust!

By Faith (song)

Note: Though I didn't really write anything with a Christmas theme for the blog this year, these last three entries were all written in some ways as gifts for others, so consider them as Christmas presents to remember the Giver of all good gifts Who gave us the very best when He sent Christ that first Christmas to save us all from our sins. Merry Christmas! Praise God for His love. :-)

It seems that Christianity has some paradoxes that we will just never fully understand even though both are true. The age old question of faith vs. good works is one that has long confounded me in the course of my walk with Jesus. Of course, I know that we are saved by grace through faith and it's not of ourselves- it's all God's work so no one can boast. Of course, the very next verse where all this is stated (over in Ephesians 2:8-10) says that we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do the good works He intended us to do all along! So, let's be clear- good works don't save anyone because none of us have enough good works to meet God's standard of absolute perfection. (Leviticus 11:45, Matthew 5:48) Jesus Christ is the only One who has met that standard- because He is absolute perfection. Of course, once He saves us by His grace, we will naturally start to do good works because we are being molded into the shape of our Saviour- and the fruit of the Spirit is just who He is! Naturally, we're going to start looking like our Father. Good works show that we belong to God and that He is working in us to make us more like Himself all the time. But we lean wholly for our salvation on the good work that Jesus performed by dying and rising to pay for our sins. We don't do anything to earn salvation and we can never pay God back for what He's done. We can only humbly accept it with gratitude and praise Him for eternity for His amazing grace and love for us! I have struggled with assurance of salvation time and again throughout my walk with Christ, but as this song mentions- He sent me a special friend named Carmen (just as the original song speaks of a Carmen!) who reminded me of a simple truth that is sometimes hard for me and others to accept- God loves me for me! I don't have to be anything special or do anything special to make Him love me- He already loves me because I am His creation. And His love came down at Christmas so that He could save us all on Good Friday and Easter. I am very thankful for my friend who has been so helpful to me in reminding me of these truths. And I am eternally thankful that the weight of my sins is on Jesus who has paid for them all and has adopted me into the band of followers like Martin Luther (whom I reference in the song) and so many others who enter Heaven one way- through Jesus by faith.


"By Faith"
(parody of "The Weight" by The Band; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 10/29/2018)
(Isaiah 64:6, Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 61:1-2, Ephesians 2:1-10, Ephesians 3:14-21, Hebrews 8-11, James 2, Luke 15, 1 John 2:15-17, John 6:40, Luke 4:16-30, Leviticus 11:45, Matthew 5 (particularly v. 48), Deuteronomy 18:13, Deuteronomy 30-33, Luke 6:20-49 (particularly v. 36), Galatians 3, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 5:17, Romans chapters 1-7 (particularly 3:21-31; basically, just read the whole book), Jude 1:24-25)

He pulled into Nazareth- was reading out battle plan
He just reads the place where Isaiah- it says
"Lord's Spirit is upon Me- (to) share Good News and free oppressed"
Jesus then just shook them up- Yo! "Fulfilled," He said

61 Isaiah- take the scroll to read
It foretold His ministry- Covenant of Old- Christ completes

Like Nicodemus, I was looking not to grace, but pride
Got that flaw in garden with the devil- bought in to pride to life
God sent me Carmen- lightened the load of self-doubt
She said, "Our God loves us- 3 Ephesians- good works aren't how."

(You) take a load off, Nathan- Christ loves me for me!
Take a load off, Carmen- and we put the load right on Jesus!

I'm down with Moses- ain't under Law but Grace
It's 8 Hebrews- our new High Priest of the Covenant of Grace
6 Luke, Matt. 5- what about Deuteronomy?
He said, "You need My perfection (perfect Son)-
Once you're saved by Me- can't you see? It's done for thee!"

Take a load off, weary- in Matt. 11 read
Take My yoke on- easy
And you get a load light from Me.

Christ- He gestured "Follow Me" and He sought me when I was lost
Said, "I will trade your ash for beauty, Nate My dog"
I said, "Wait a minute, Master- You know I can't pay You back"
He said, "That's okay, boy- It's a free gift- no strings attached."

Take 3 Romans and read- Take Galatians 3
Take a note of James 2- saved by faith alone for good deeds!

Catch the prodigal's bro- Luke 15- such was I
My rags are stinking though- when I do "good deeds" it's a lie
Take me back, Jesus- Lord please! You know You're the only One
Who's sinless here- it's Your righteousness I rely on

Take a load off, Martin- Christ's reformed you- see?
24 in Jude and 1 Thessalonians 5- read!

Season for the Reason: Transpirings and True Transforming

Note: This was written in response to a claim sometimes made in regards to choices about sexuality. If people see orthodontists to straighten crooked teeth and eye doctors to correct impaired vision, why should someone not also seek to have surgery to alter one's sexual identity on a physical level to match one's internal sense of sexual identity for those struggling with gender dysphoria?
      To be clear, as 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 says, "what have I to do with judging outsiders?" Everyone is free to do as they wish. Those outside of Christ will not consider themselves bound to The Bible and thus wouldn't be following it anyway. While of course I think they should, first I think they should get saved by Jesus as they won't be able to fully understand or adhere to His Word otherwise anyway. There is of course much more that could be said on this but this is my concise summary of some of what The Bible says on this. This is an attempt at a Biblical view of the subject and why I believe it's best to accept the sexual identity God has given us rather than fight it.
..............................................................................

    A trans person 18 and over is free to do as he or she wishes with his or her body, in regards to body modification via reassignment surgery.
   I don't think a child should be allowed to make such a life-altering decision as a child is still mentally developing and may have a change of feelings down the road.
   In regards to the common rejoinder mentioned earlier here, I would say this. God did not make anyone with bad vision or crooked teeth. When God saw His creation on the 6th. day, He said it was very good. (Genesis 1:26-31)
Ecclesiastes 7:29 says that God made man to be perfect but man has gone off in search of many schemes.
   When man sinned and rebelled against God, the whole was cursed with sin and subjected to futility, as Romans 8 explains. (See also Genesis 3.) This is when bad vision and crooked teeth and other ailments started cropping up. I believe this is also where proclivities toward forbidden sexual relations came up as well. (It's important to note here that being born with a particularity proclivity for a particular sin is of course beyond any person's control. Temptation itself is not sin; acting upon it is though.)
   For the other example, if God made someone a brunette, then that person is a brunette. Dying hair to make it blonde does not make that person a blonde. Eventually the dye wears off and the natural roots will grow back out.
   The same is true with transgenderism. A person can change outer and inner genitalia and hormone levels but this doesn't change who that person is ultimately. The chromosomes are still the same. Their identity doesn't change in God's eyes.
   That said, I don't think it's wrong to dye hair (though I have no desire to do so, particularly because I believe I should be happy with what God has given me in hair color. That is something God gives me. The moral weight of changing sex is quite different from changing hair color, as I don't think there is any for that.) Fixing bad vision and bad teeth is an attempt to temporarily address products of the fall that will one day permanently be fixed with a new body in Heaven for all those in Christ.
   The distinction with transgenderism is that God has forbidden sexual relations with the same sex. (Romans 1 is a particularly good passage for this but note also Jesus' words in Matthew 19.) A transgender person engaging in sexual relations with his or her birth sex after transition would thus be violating the command against homosexual relations.
   And in Deuteronomy 22:5, The Bible also forbids cross-dressing. Thus, it would follow that a transgender person wearing clothing of the opposite sex, even after having had transitional surgery, would still be violating this command.
   This is simply not God's design and trying to rebel against it simply continues to subject transgender people to futility. Note what God says in Romans 9:20-24. Does He not have the right as Creator to make His creation as He sees fit? The clay can't tell the potter that it doesn't like the design- the clay has no say in the matter.
   2 Corinthians 4:7 says we have this treasure- that each person made in God's image is- in jars of clay. The surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. Jesus says we can find rest for our souls in Him. (Matthew 11:28) Ultimately, He is the One we can and should take our dsyphorias in life to so we can have that rest in trusting our lives to the hands of our loving Creator.
     In the end, when we are saved through faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection, we'll find the restoration and satisfaction we desire through Him in Heaven. Until we get to Heaven, He helps us along the way here in the far country in dealing with these groanings. There is a day coming when all shall be well eternally and that's what I look forward to in the midst of this present suffering, knowing that the weight of glory coming far outweighs anything I go through here.

(For further reading, I found this article from "Christianity Today" extremely helpful and gracious in talking about and understanding a Christian response to this topic.

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2015/july-august/understanding-transgender-gender-dysphoria.html )