Do you ever dream about Heaven? Not just in the metaphorical sense, but also in the literal sense- do you ever have dreams of Heaven? I have dreamt about Heaven and the return of Jesus Christ at times. I know that my ultimate Home is there with Christ and that though I take comfort in knowing God is always with me here on earth, I know I am always a wandering stranger and foreigner passing through this alien land gone crazily awry with sin. I know God has taken care of that problem through Christ. I await the better promise of life with Christ in Heaven. And until such time, I live on earth seeking to do His will and be an agent of His change for the world, to show the world the kingdom of God as it reigns now and always has and will in the future. And that calls for endurance on the part of the saints. As James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him." And I know that everything that happens to me is tailor-made by God and is all part of His plan. One day, I will be walking the streets of gold by the sea of glass in eternal peace and joy knowing as I am known and serving The Lord forevermore infinitely better than I try to now- and it's all only through faith in Jesus, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. He died on the cross to pay for all sins for all time and all who put their faith in Him and follow Him have crossed from death to life and can know that they have been rescued from Hell and are instead destined for Heaven. And Jesus makes all things new!
I know that because of Jesus' grace and my demonstrated faith in Him, I will one day be in Paradise in God's time. Of course, there are times in the here and now on earth when I like to think of what it will be like and I'm gone to Paradise in my mind. :-) One day the faith will be sight- praise The Lord!
"Paradise in God's Time"
(parody of "Carolina in my Mind" by James Taylor; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 4/7/2015)
(James 1:2-4 and 12, 2 Corinthians 6:2, 2 Peter 3:8-9, Romans 10:8-9, Philippians 1:21-30 and 3:8-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:49-58, Luke 23:39-43, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 and 17, Romans 13:11-12, Hebrews 12:1-4, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 2:9, Revelation 21-22)
In my mind I'm gone to Paradise- yeah!
Can't you see The Son shine?
Can't you just feel all good inside?
And it's just like the ending line
To "Once Upon a Time"
Yes, I'm going to Paradise, yeah- in God's time
Heaven- read Revelation
First earth passed away and like a bride
New Jerusalem in 21
God wipes all tears away from us
No crying when we're
Gone to Paradise, yeah- in God's time
There ain't no pain and no one's dying
With God, the former things are gone
He makes all things new- verse 5
And we'll praise Lord Christ forever
No dying when we're
Gone to Paradise, yeah- in God's time
And the light is God in Paradise, yeah
We don't need the sun to shine
'Cause Jesus is the Lamp light
Me and Jesus- we've been friends (a) long time
To see Him for first time-
Yes, I'm agog in Paradise (yeah) in God's time
Guarding angels at gates outside
12 tribes inscribed on them by a high, great wall
It keeps outside the dogs and liars
The seers, killers, immoral- won't
Be going- not going
They're gone to lake of fire for all time
With The Holy Ghost just constantly hounding
While I was in darkness and aloof
And I reached to Him, throwing all my sins to Calvary
Jesus forgave me- now I'm up and going to
Paradise, yeah- for all time
In God's time, I'm going to Paradise, yeah!
Can't you see the Son shine?
Can't you just feel all good inside?
And it's just like the ending line
To "Once Upon a Time"
Yes, I'm going to Paradise, yeah- in God's time
Going to Paradise, yeah- all through Christ
And I'm going to Paradise, yeah- for all time
Going to Paradise, yeah- in God's time
Home with God- I'm going!
Take Christ's grace and join me- come and go Home now
Got to carry on 'til last day- then I'm gone
.....................................................................................
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
The Ragamuffin Gospel of Grace!
" 'If we but turn to God,' said St. Augustine, 'that itself is a gift of God.' My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.....The Good News of the Gospel of grace cries out: We are all equally, privileged but unentitled beggars at the door of God's mercy!" - Brennan Manning in "The Ragamuffin Gospel"
"God loves us as we are, not as we should be, for we will never be as we should be."- Brennan Manning
As Brennan Manning preached so beautifully, God's grace is bigger than we can ever imagine and it is poured out on so freely. Why would we ever try to earn God's love by being good? We can never be good enough- we'll never be as we should be until Heaven. (As Philippians 1:6 tells us, He who began a good work in us will continue it until the day of completion in Jesus Christ.) Man looks at the outward appearance, but The Lord looks at the heart. (see 1 Samuel 16:7) "For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:12-13)
As John 2:24-25 tells us, Jesus knows all people and doesn't need anyone to bear witness about man to Him because He Himself knows what is in man. And Jeremiah 17:9 tells us what is at the heart of man- deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it? But God understands and knows the real human condition. In Isaiah 64:6 He tells us that we have all become like one who is unclean and the righteous deeds we think we've done are like filthy rags to Him.
Yet through it all, God tells us that He has loved us with an everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3) He says that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked; He only wants for them to repent and live! (Ezekiel 18:23) Hosea 11 gives us a beautiful picture of God's love for us, as He leads us with cords of kindness and the bands of love. In the greatest display of love ever, God demonstrated His love in this, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) And Christ died and rose to prove He's God and to give us a living Hope. So why do we spend so much energy trying to be good and worrying about our track record and performance rates when they are worthless and unnecessary in God's economy of mercy? The price has been paid for all sin for all time! (Hebrews 10:12) Stop working yourself into a frenzy with fear and doubt, trying to do good in a vain attempt to coax God into somehow actually loving you and accepting you. God's acceptance and love calls out to you before you even try to do any good works. Just read the parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15- The Father looks down in love for us prodigals even when we are a long way off, covered in filth and pig dung. And The Father's love compels Him to run to us and sweep us up in His arms of love, with hugs and kissing, and rich jewels thrust upon our hands and new, clean clothes put upon us.
Yes, the call of the Gospel of grace does include the repentance that the prodigal son so obviously displayed in admitting his sins and his desire to come back- but God's grace and love is lavished upon us beforehand. (To be very clear, I am not saying here that God takes us willingly back without any expectation of acknowledgement of sin and rejection of it. And be sure that rejection of His free offer of love and forgiveness will result in eternal punishment in Hell. But God desires for no one to go to that place- He wants all to come to repentance! 2 Peter 3:8-9) But I am saying that the reason for this should be starkly different from that of rote, routine religion of a pious purity and moral code that is no better than the elder brother's resume of righteousness that he presents to his father.
Accepting God's grace means agreeing with God that we are sinners who are nothing more than ragamuffins in desperate need of His grace- who have messed up more often than we can count, who feel like a vast disappointment to God- but yet, through our tears of repentance and overwhelming wonder at God's love in spite of it all, gratefully grasp firmly God's outstretched hand of love, trusting Him to help us change into the people He wants us to be. We're not as we should be, but by God's grace alone for salvation and our faith in Him, He is making us who we should be in His time! Praise The Lord!
To paraphrase some more of Brennan Manning's "The Ragamuffin Gospel"-
"Thank God! I am wonderfully content with a God Who doesn't deal with me as my sins deserve. On the last day when Jesus calls me by name, 'Come, Nathan, blessed of My Father,' it will not be because Abba is just, but because His Name is mercy."
We don't need to be good- we can't be good. There is no good in me- any good in me is Jesus. We have to taste and see that, like a doctor's medicine, Jesus IS good for us! (literally and figuratively! :-) Psalms 34:8)
Praise God for His love! :-)
"God loves us as we are, not as we should be, for we will never be as we should be."- Brennan Manning
As Brennan Manning preached so beautifully, God's grace is bigger than we can ever imagine and it is poured out on so freely. Why would we ever try to earn God's love by being good? We can never be good enough- we'll never be as we should be until Heaven. (As Philippians 1:6 tells us, He who began a good work in us will continue it until the day of completion in Jesus Christ.) Man looks at the outward appearance, but The Lord looks at the heart. (see 1 Samuel 16:7) "For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:12-13)
As John 2:24-25 tells us, Jesus knows all people and doesn't need anyone to bear witness about man to Him because He Himself knows what is in man. And Jeremiah 17:9 tells us what is at the heart of man- deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it? But God understands and knows the real human condition. In Isaiah 64:6 He tells us that we have all become like one who is unclean and the righteous deeds we think we've done are like filthy rags to Him.
Yet through it all, God tells us that He has loved us with an everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3) He says that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked; He only wants for them to repent and live! (Ezekiel 18:23) Hosea 11 gives us a beautiful picture of God's love for us, as He leads us with cords of kindness and the bands of love. In the greatest display of love ever, God demonstrated His love in this, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) And Christ died and rose to prove He's God and to give us a living Hope. So why do we spend so much energy trying to be good and worrying about our track record and performance rates when they are worthless and unnecessary in God's economy of mercy? The price has been paid for all sin for all time! (Hebrews 10:12) Stop working yourself into a frenzy with fear and doubt, trying to do good in a vain attempt to coax God into somehow actually loving you and accepting you. God's acceptance and love calls out to you before you even try to do any good works. Just read the parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15- The Father looks down in love for us prodigals even when we are a long way off, covered in filth and pig dung. And The Father's love compels Him to run to us and sweep us up in His arms of love, with hugs and kissing, and rich jewels thrust upon our hands and new, clean clothes put upon us.
Yes, the call of the Gospel of grace does include the repentance that the prodigal son so obviously displayed in admitting his sins and his desire to come back- but God's grace and love is lavished upon us beforehand. (To be very clear, I am not saying here that God takes us willingly back without any expectation of acknowledgement of sin and rejection of it. And be sure that rejection of His free offer of love and forgiveness will result in eternal punishment in Hell. But God desires for no one to go to that place- He wants all to come to repentance! 2 Peter 3:8-9) But I am saying that the reason for this should be starkly different from that of rote, routine religion of a pious purity and moral code that is no better than the elder brother's resume of righteousness that he presents to his father.
Accepting God's grace means agreeing with God that we are sinners who are nothing more than ragamuffins in desperate need of His grace- who have messed up more often than we can count, who feel like a vast disappointment to God- but yet, through our tears of repentance and overwhelming wonder at God's love in spite of it all, gratefully grasp firmly God's outstretched hand of love, trusting Him to help us change into the people He wants us to be. We're not as we should be, but by God's grace alone for salvation and our faith in Him, He is making us who we should be in His time! Praise The Lord!
To paraphrase some more of Brennan Manning's "The Ragamuffin Gospel"-
"Thank God! I am wonderfully content with a God Who doesn't deal with me as my sins deserve. On the last day when Jesus calls me by name, 'Come, Nathan, blessed of My Father,' it will not be because Abba is just, but because His Name is mercy."
We don't need to be good- we can't be good. There is no good in me- any good in me is Jesus. We have to taste and see that, like a doctor's medicine, Jesus IS good for us! (literally and figuratively! :-) Psalms 34:8)
Praise God for His love! :-)
Saturday, June 27, 2015
White as Snow (song)
There is a funny contradiction in the world today. On the one hand, some people want to keep insisting that all human beings are essentially good, though some make mistakes at times. But in the end, it's all like a Disney movie with some villians, of course, but ultimately most people are good overall. Of course, it seems that some of the same people who make these claims also shake their fists at God in Heaven and blame Him whenever evil erupts its repulsive ooze over humanity once again- and people suffer and lives are lost. Then the question is raised for me- how could a good people allow evil in the world? And when we're standing there, frozen in shock, maybe that's when we can come to recognize the truth- there is evil in this pervasive world- and we're it. We were all made to be good- made in God's image, Who is perfection itself- but we made the fatal choice to rebel against The Lord through Adam and Eve's sin- and now the world is under the curse of sin. Thankfully, God Himself has provided the remedy for sin. Though it stains us scarlet red, God can forgive our sins and make them white as snow. They've all been paid for by Jesus' death and Resurrection. We must take all our sin and let it go- leaving it nailed to the cross and put our faith in Jesus and live for Him instead. Thank God for His love and forgiveness!
"White as Snow" (parody of "Let It Go" from Disney's "Frozen" by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/29/2015)
(Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 45:21-25, Isaiah 64:6, Psalms 14:3, Psalms 53:3, Romans 3:1-20, Romans 3:23-26, Romans 6:23, Proverbs 20:9, John 1:29, 1 John 3:1, 1 John 1:7, John 3:16-21, John 14:6, John 10:1-18, John 6:35-40, Hebrews 10:10-12, Colossians 1:15-20)
Verse 1
.............
The snow glows white in Wisconsin tonight
What a fitting Christmas scene
The winter brings transformation
The fall looks like it's washed clean
Our sin is howling like a swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep from sin; Heaven knows we tried
Won't let Him in
But think He's pleased
If you're good, girl; boy, always keeping clean
Conceal evil
Don't let it show
Well, on our own...
Chorus 1
...............
We're evil! We're evil!
(I) can't hope to match up to The Lord
Yes, we know we're evil
Turn away and seek The Lord!
Isaiah 64:6 says
All good deeds we've done-
The Lord says they're rotten filthy rags anyway
Verse 2
..............
It's funny how resistance
Makes everything His fault
And we feel He's hidden- if only
He'd let us see Him all
The Christ revealed that wish for you
Jesus- God's image- Way, Life and Truth
He died for wrongs
And rose so we'd
Be free!
Chorus 2
................
All evil
In one go-
Christ has won over sin for all time!
Let Him go
Save your soul
You need to receive Christ
Hear what God says in Isaiah
Let's read 1:18
Bridge
.............
Like how snow flurries through the air into the ground
Our souls can be washed clean though our sin's scarlet- hear God now
"Come use thought- realize this- I can wipe (out) all bad!"
Though all you've known is black, the cross has changed all that!
Chorus 3
................
White as snow!
White as snow!
(My) sins are white like wool thanks to God!
White as snow!
White as snow!
That perfect Lamb of God!
Here I stand- by The Christ I'm saved
Like it says in 1st. John
Behold how The Father's loved (in) 3:1- yay!
"White as Snow" (parody of "Let It Go" from Disney's "Frozen" by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/29/2015)
(Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 45:21-25, Isaiah 64:6, Psalms 14:3, Psalms 53:3, Romans 3:1-20, Romans 3:23-26, Romans 6:23, Proverbs 20:9, John 1:29, 1 John 3:1, 1 John 1:7, John 3:16-21, John 14:6, John 10:1-18, John 6:35-40, Hebrews 10:10-12, Colossians 1:15-20)
Verse 1
.............
The snow glows white in Wisconsin tonight
What a fitting Christmas scene
The winter brings transformation
The fall looks like it's washed clean
Our sin is howling like a swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep from sin; Heaven knows we tried
Won't let Him in
But think He's pleased
If you're good, girl; boy, always keeping clean
Conceal evil
Don't let it show
Well, on our own...
Chorus 1
...............
We're evil! We're evil!
(I) can't hope to match up to The Lord
Yes, we know we're evil
Turn away and seek The Lord!
Isaiah 64:6 says
All good deeds we've done-
The Lord says they're rotten filthy rags anyway
Verse 2
..............
It's funny how resistance
Makes everything His fault
And we feel He's hidden- if only
He'd let us see Him all
The Christ revealed that wish for you
Jesus- God's image- Way, Life and Truth
He died for wrongs
And rose so we'd
Be free!
Chorus 2
................
All evil
In one go-
Christ has won over sin for all time!
Let Him go
Save your soul
You need to receive Christ
Hear what God says in Isaiah
Let's read 1:18
Bridge
.............
Like how snow flurries through the air into the ground
Our souls can be washed clean though our sin's scarlet- hear God now
"Come use thought- realize this- I can wipe (out) all bad!"
Though all you've known is black, the cross has changed all that!
Chorus 3
................
White as snow!
White as snow!
(My) sins are white like wool thanks to God!
White as snow!
White as snow!
That perfect Lamb of God!
Here I stand- by The Christ I'm saved
Like it says in 1st. John
Behold how The Father's loved (in) 3:1- yay!
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Building Down and Up (poem)
(Sometimes) annual reflection. :-)
Building Down and Up
(poem by Nathan Ludwick; copyright 6/1/2015)
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Habakkuk 1:5, Psalms 127, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 3:1-4, Galatians 2:20, John 12:20-26, Luke 6:46-49, Hebrews 13:12-16, Philippians 3:7-20, Luke 14:25-35, Philippians 1:21, Matthew 6:25-34, Proverbs 24:3-4, Proverbs 1:7, Job 13:15, Isaiah 2:22, Genesis 11, Matthew 7:12-14, Luke 9:23, John 6:68, John 14:6, John 10:10)
Thirty-three on the tree
For a life of debris
What a feat of carpentry!
A way of life made a way of death
But that death made The Way of Life
The straight and narrow Way of Life
That only a few ever find
The crossbeams of its firm foundation laid by Christ
The Lord is the Master Builder and Code Inspector
Without Whom the laborers build in vain
A vain tower of Babel
Built of all that man's capable
A towering monument to ill-placed confidence
And it seems the older you get the less sure of things you get
Every day I grow more sure that I'm not sure of anything but one
I put no trust in man who has but a breath and I put trust in God who gives the breath
The rubble of old towers and old dreams seem to be the same material
The material and substance of things hoped for of impermanence
Down goes what came up and down goes the day- like the old refrain- nothing gold can stay
Midas' touch can't touch this one gold thing that does stay
The Carpenter's luminescent streets- the real life yellow brick road I will one day say hello to in time
The only hope for the future that helps me move past the past and present myself to The Father's present for me
And what a present it is to have reached the same years of struggle our Lord endured
Together with Christ in His glory and Resurrection but first in His suffering
And shall I not accept both good and bad from The Lord's hand?
But let me only fall into the hands of The Lord-
The hands that wound and heal are the only ones I trust
Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him
One day I will also be together with Christ in death
Knowing that because of Him I am always with Him in Life.
Both seeds' and dreams' deaths bring much growth
And the suffering is not worth comparing to the glory to be revealed in the new coming.
The former things have passed- all is made new through the Catalyst of soils' and souls' contents.
The stuff of earth still competes for my allegiance but it joins me thirty-three on the tree
Dying to live and living to die daily- all only for Lord Jesus, my best thought.
Be Thou my vision, mission, blueprints, building and foundation- firm forever holding me together.
Building Down and Up
(poem by Nathan Ludwick; copyright 6/1/2015)
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Habakkuk 1:5, Psalms 127, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 3:1-4, Galatians 2:20, John 12:20-26, Luke 6:46-49, Hebrews 13:12-16, Philippians 3:7-20, Luke 14:25-35, Philippians 1:21, Matthew 6:25-34, Proverbs 24:3-4, Proverbs 1:7, Job 13:15, Isaiah 2:22, Genesis 11, Matthew 7:12-14, Luke 9:23, John 6:68, John 14:6, John 10:10)
Thirty-three on the tree
For a life of debris
What a feat of carpentry!
A way of life made a way of death
But that death made The Way of Life
The straight and narrow Way of Life
That only a few ever find
The crossbeams of its firm foundation laid by Christ
The Lord is the Master Builder and Code Inspector
Without Whom the laborers build in vain
A vain tower of Babel
Built of all that man's capable
A towering monument to ill-placed confidence
And it seems the older you get the less sure of things you get
Every day I grow more sure that I'm not sure of anything but one
I put no trust in man who has but a breath and I put trust in God who gives the breath
The rubble of old towers and old dreams seem to be the same material
The material and substance of things hoped for of impermanence
Down goes what came up and down goes the day- like the old refrain- nothing gold can stay
Midas' touch can't touch this one gold thing that does stay
The Carpenter's luminescent streets- the real life yellow brick road I will one day say hello to in time
The only hope for the future that helps me move past the past and present myself to The Father's present for me
And what a present it is to have reached the same years of struggle our Lord endured
Together with Christ in His glory and Resurrection but first in His suffering
And shall I not accept both good and bad from The Lord's hand?
But let me only fall into the hands of The Lord-
The hands that wound and heal are the only ones I trust
Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him
One day I will also be together with Christ in death
Knowing that because of Him I am always with Him in Life.
Both seeds' and dreams' deaths bring much growth
And the suffering is not worth comparing to the glory to be revealed in the new coming.
The former things have passed- all is made new through the Catalyst of soils' and souls' contents.
The stuff of earth still competes for my allegiance but it joins me thirty-three on the tree
Dying to live and living to die daily- all only for Lord Jesus, my best thought.
Be Thou my vision, mission, blueprints, building and foundation- firm forever holding me together.
Monday, May 18, 2015
When God's Children Suffer
I am so incredibly grateful that The Lord included all these verses in The Bible. We can bring our cares, concerns, doubts, worries, fears, and even anger and despair to The Lord. He invites us to bring them all to Him honestly, since He knows our hearts and thoughts anyway. And one day, though it is painful and sorrowful now, we know that the suffering will come to an end and Christ will return and bring all things to restoration! He will make all things new! We who have put faith in His death and Resurrection for salvation will reign with Him in eternal joy in Heaven! Until He comes, may He continue to use us to be His agents of change on the earth and bring His love to all that changes everything. Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't heal.
"For my sighing comes instead of my bread, and my
groanings are poured out like water." (Job 3:24) "Therefore I will
not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will
complain in the bitterness of my soul." (Job 7:11) "Does it seem good
to You to oppress, to despise the work of Your hands and favor the designs of
the wicked?" (Job 10:3) "Man who is born of a woman is few of days
and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a
shadow and continues not." (Job 14:1-2) "If I speak, my pain is not
assuaged, and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?" (Job 16:6)
"Do You work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise
up to praise You? Is Your steadfast love declared in the grave, or Your faithfulness
in Abaddon? Are Your wonders known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in
the land of forgetfulness? But I, O Lord, cry to You; in the morning my prayer
comes before You." (Psalms 88:10-13)
"Vanity
of vanities, says The Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity."
(Ecclesiastes 1:2) "For who knows what is good for man while he lives the
few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man
what will be after him under the sun?" (Ecclesiastes 6:12)
"All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to
dust all return." (Ecclesiastes 3:20) "So I hated life, because what
is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving
after wind." (Ecclesiastes 2:17)
"A good
name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of
birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of
feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to
heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made
glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools
is in the house of mirth." (Ecclesiastes 7:1-4)
"O Lord,
how long shall I cry for help, and You will not hear? Or cry to You,
'Violence!' and You will not save? Why do You make me see iniquity, and why do
You idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and
contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For
the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted." (Habakkuk
1:2-4)
"Righteous are You, O Lord, when I complain to You; yet I would
plead my case before You. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all
who are treacherous thrive? You plant them, and they take root; they grow and
produce fruit; You are near in their mouth and far from their heart. But You, O
Lord, know me; You see me, and test my heart toward You. Pull them out like
sheep for the slaughter, and set them apart for the day of slaughter. How long
will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? For the evil of those
who dwell in it the beasts and the birds are swept away, because they said, 'He
will not see our latter end.' " (Jeremiah 12:1-4)
"Is there
no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the
daughter of my people not been restored?" (Jeremiah 8:22) "Oh that my
head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and
night for the slain of the daughter of my people!" (Jeremiah 9:1)
“My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city.” (Lamentations 2:11)
“My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city.” (Lamentations 2:11)
"Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding: far be
it from God that He should do wickedness, and from The Almighty that He should
do wrong. For according to the work of a man He will repay him, and according
to his ways He will make it befall him. Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
and The Almighty will not pervert justice." (Job 34:10-12)
"Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
and caused the dawn to know its place, that it might take hold of the skirts of
the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it?" (Job 38:12-13)
“I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:2-6)
"Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from Heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that Your right hand planted, and for the son whom You made strong for Yourself." (Psalms 80:14-15) "Then we shall not turn back from You; give us life, and we will call upon Your name! Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let Your face shine, that we may be saved!" (Psalms 80:18-19)
“I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:2-6)
"Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from Heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that Your right hand planted, and for the son whom You made strong for Yourself." (Psalms 80:14-15) "Then we shall not turn back from You; give us life, and we will call upon Your name! Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let Your face shine, that we may be saved!" (Psalms 80:18-19)
“Consider the work of God: who can make straight what He has made
crooked? In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity
consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find
out anything that will be after him.” (Ecclesiastes 7:13-14)
“As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” (Ecclesiastes 11:5)
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under Heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
"Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder!
Because I am doing something in your days—
You would not believe if [d]you were told." (Habakkuk 1:5)
“I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in The Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, The Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.” (Habakkuk 3:16-19)
“Therefore thus says The Lord: ‘If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before Me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as My mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them. And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you,’ declares The Lord. ‘I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.’ “ (Jeremiah 15:19-21)
“O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You have I committed my cause. Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.” (Jeremiah 20:12-13)
“Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of The Lord never cases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of The Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust- there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though He cause grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love; for He does not afflict from His heart or grieve the children of men. To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth, to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High, to subvert a man in his lawsuit, the Lord does not approve. Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord! Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in Heaven.” (Lamentations 3:19-41)
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or bad.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
“And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve Him. That evening they brought to Him many who were oppressed by demons, and He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.’ “ (Matthew 8:14-17)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34)
“Then the Lord answered him, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham who Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?’ “ (Luke 13:15-16)
“Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw Him, she fall at His feet, saying to Him, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept.” (John 11:32-37)
“Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that You sent Me.’ When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’” (John 11:38-44)
“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about Him went out through all the surrounding country. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ And He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ “ (Luke 4:14-21)
Who has believed what he has heard from us?[a]
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected[b] by men;
a man of sorrows,[c] and acquainted with[d] grief;[e]
and as one from whom men hide their faces[f]
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
“As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” (Ecclesiastes 11:5)
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under Heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
"Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder!
Because I am doing something in your days—
You would not believe if [d]you were told." (Habakkuk 1:5)
“I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in The Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, The Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.” (Habakkuk 3:16-19)
“Therefore thus says The Lord: ‘If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before Me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as My mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them. And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you,’ declares The Lord. ‘I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.’ “ (Jeremiah 15:19-21)
“O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You have I committed my cause. Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.” (Jeremiah 20:12-13)
“Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of The Lord never cases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of The Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust- there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though He cause grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love; for He does not afflict from His heart or grieve the children of men. To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth, to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High, to subvert a man in his lawsuit, the Lord does not approve. Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord! Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in Heaven.” (Lamentations 3:19-41)
“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or bad.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
“And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve Him. That evening they brought to Him many who were oppressed by demons, and He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.’ “ (Matthew 8:14-17)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34)
“Then the Lord answered him, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham who Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?’ “ (Luke 13:15-16)
“Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw Him, she fall at His feet, saying to Him, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled. And He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept.” (John 11:32-37)
“Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that You sent Me.’ When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’” (John 11:38-44)
“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about Him went out through all the surrounding country. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ And He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ “ (Luke 4:14-21)
Who has believed what he has heard from us?[a]
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected[b] by men;
a man of sorrows,[c] and acquainted with[d] grief;[e]
and as one from whom men hide their faces[f]
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;[g]
when his soul makes[h] an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see[i] and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,[j]
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,[k]
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
(Isaiah 53)
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit..." (1 Peter 3:18)
“ ‘…You made Him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned Him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under His feet.’ Now in putting everything in subjection to Him, He left nothing outside His control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him. But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that He, for Whom and by Whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brothers…” (Hebrews 2:7-11)
“For because He Himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18)
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7)
"When the days drew near for Him to be taken up, He set His face to go to Jerusalem. And He sent messengers ahead of Him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for Him. But the people did not receive Him, because His face was set toward Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw it, they said, 'Lord, do You want us to tell fire to come down from Heaven and consume them?' But He turned and rebuked them and He said, 'You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man came not to destroy people's lives but to save them.' And they went on to another village." (Luke 9:51-56)
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)
"For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7)
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died- more than that, who was raised- who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, 'For Your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:18-39)
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.' And He who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also He said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:1-8)
"He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen." (Revelation 22:20-21)
he has put him to grief;[g]
when his soul makes[h] an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see[i] and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,[j]
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,[k]
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
(Isaiah 53)
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit..." (1 Peter 3:18)
“ ‘…You made Him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned Him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under His feet.’ Now in putting everything in subjection to Him, He left nothing outside His control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him. But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that He, for Whom and by Whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why He is not ashamed to call them brothers…” (Hebrews 2:7-11)
“For because He Himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18)
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7)
"When the days drew near for Him to be taken up, He set His face to go to Jerusalem. And He sent messengers ahead of Him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for Him. But the people did not receive Him, because His face was set toward Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw it, they said, 'Lord, do You want us to tell fire to come down from Heaven and consume them?' But He turned and rebuked them and He said, 'You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man came not to destroy people's lives but to save them.' And they went on to another village." (Luke 9:51-56)
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)
"For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5:7)
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died- more than that, who was raised- who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, 'For Your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:18-39)
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.' And He who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also He said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' And He said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:1-8)
"He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen." (Revelation 22:20-21)
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Proverbs Woman (song)
I am always ready to talk about Hell and Heaven and how to avoid the former and gain entry into the latter (it's all through faith in Jesus' death and Resurrection- trust and follow Him!)- but today I wanted to do something different and special to honor mothers on Mother's Day! I am so thankful to God for the wonderful mother He blessed me with and I think she fits well the qualifications of Proverbs 31. I'm sure King Lemuel's mom was an inspiration to him when God inspired him to write down the words of that chapter. There are many descriptions of an excellent wife in this chapter- hardworking, takes care of her family, provides food for them, strong, wise, dignified and above all, she fears The Lord. Such a woman is to be praised. And praise The Lord for giving us mothers who do all these things for us and so much more. Happy Mother's Day!
"Proverbs Woman"
(parody of "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/10/2015)
(Proverbs 31:10-31)
Verse 1
Proverbs Woman- 31
Verse numbers 10 through 31
And I know jewels are worth far less- verse 10
A woman who fears The Lord
She'll get praised (and) crowned as her reward
Go and let her husband praise her as do their kids
Chorus
Oh, yes, she is wise
And with wisdom opens to say
Teaches how to be kind
And look how much she gains
And she has food 'cause she is hardworking
She is strong (strong)
And she wears dignity (wears dignity)
Proverbs Woman
Verse 2
Makes linen outfits for Ebay
Clothes her family, serves and takes care
She determines, buys a field and plants and sows
And her arms, she makes them stronger
No idleness ever found in her
While we're sleeping, she is fixing food for household
(Repeat Chorus)
Verse 3
Many women do well, ya'll
But she's standing above all
And she spreads her loving arms out to the poor
She looks well to her household
And she laughs, no fear of snow
I feel God made my mother in her form
(Repeat Chorus)
Oh, Proverbs Woman
Yes, she wears dignity
She is strong
Proverbs Woman
Yes, she is God's blessing
She is strong
Proverbs Woman
............................................................
"Proverbs Woman"
(parody of "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/10/2015)
(Proverbs 31:10-31)
Verse 1
Proverbs Woman- 31
Verse numbers 10 through 31
And I know jewels are worth far less- verse 10
A woman who fears The Lord
She'll get praised (and) crowned as her reward
Go and let her husband praise her as do their kids
Chorus
Oh, yes, she is wise
And with wisdom opens to say
Teaches how to be kind
And look how much she gains
And she has food 'cause she is hardworking
She is strong (strong)
And she wears dignity (wears dignity)
Proverbs Woman
Verse 2
Makes linen outfits for Ebay
Clothes her family, serves and takes care
She determines, buys a field and plants and sows
And her arms, she makes them stronger
No idleness ever found in her
While we're sleeping, she is fixing food for household
(Repeat Chorus)
Verse 3
Many women do well, ya'll
But she's standing above all
And she spreads her loving arms out to the poor
She looks well to her household
And she laughs, no fear of snow
I feel God made my mother in her form
(Repeat Chorus)
Oh, Proverbs Woman
Yes, she wears dignity
She is strong
Proverbs Woman
Yes, she is God's blessing
She is strong
Proverbs Woman
............................................................
Monday, May 4, 2015
"Calling All Humans" (song)
Throughout human history, man has been on a philosophical search for meaning and significance. In all generations, a call has gone out for something greater than ourselves- someone bigger than us to intervene in our affairs. "Call on your god!" the captain exhorted Jonah in Jonah 1:6. Everyone seems to agree that the world is in a sorry state- something has gone horribly wrong from what it's supposed to be and we need help to make things right. Man has looked so long and futilely in so many places for guidance- from his inner self to community to social implementations and reordering to the stars and the creatures of higher intelligence that may dwell there.
"You wrote that the world doesn't need a Savior. But everyday I hear people crying for one."- Superman to Lois Lane in "Superman Returns"
It's undeniable that people have cried out for a savior over the ages to so many places. And it seems invariably that we have long had a fixation on the cosmos and the possibilities of a U.F.O. and alien beings coming to save us all. It's kinda crazy how we are willing to look to the remote possibility of alien beings coming to save us, but we ignore the great salvation provided to us by the one real God who stepped into our world and became one of us. He worked as a carpenter and fully identified with us in facing all the temptations we do- and yet was without sin. And the day He died to pay for our sins is the day the earth stood still- and suddenly everything was changed forever. With the Resurrection, we knew that we were never alone and that we could have the possibility of new life through our Savior. He has been revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. And He's calling all humans to Himself: "The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price." (Revelation 22:17)
"Calling All Humans" (parody of "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognized Anthem of World Contact Day)" by Klaatu, as performed by Carpenters; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 4/21/2015)
(Psalms 135, Jonah 1:6, Isaiah 2:22, John 1:1-18, Acts 17:30, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:43, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Romans 10:9-13, John 3:16-21, John 8:12, John 8:31-32, John 15:18-19, John 18:36, John 10:10, John 14:6, John 17:14-19, John 5:39-47, John 5:24, 2 Peter 3:8-9, 2 Timothy 4:1-5, 1 Timothy 6:20-21, John 10:14-18, Hebrews 4:16, Jude 1:8, Jude 1:10, Jude 1:21-25, Philippians 2:9-11, Revelation 1:17-19, Revelation 19:11-16, 1 John 5:13-15, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Philippians 3:18-21, Colossians 1:11-29, Revelation 3:20, Revelation 22:16-21)
In The Christ you have the access key to God's throne
To teleport messages to The Lord of Hosts!
Please close your eyes and start to pray
Without ever ceasing
For those in hesitation, hear the doubters' plea:
"Calling occupants of interplanetary craft
Calling occupants of interplanetary, most extraordinary craft
Calling out for help, O interplanetary craft!
Come and offer us your interplanetary pact!
Come and rescue us with interpersonal peace, most extraordinary craft!"
"We've been observing our Earth
And we'd like it saved
By contact with you."
- They need our Friend
Calling all humans- it's in 2nd. Peter 3:9
Calling all humans- in Acts 17:30- all are wanted- God seeks
He's been observing our Earth
And one night became
A human like you
He is our Friend
All in Chapter One
of John- The Word became flesh; we beheld His glory- yeah!
Believe and receive- we beseech you
Showed us His Love- Jesus beaten
Our Lord lay there crucified
Third day come, He's risen!
E.T., Heaven's Gate and the Starman
Oh, the unidentified
Flying object
Where they seek rescue
- They need You!
By design, we have ability to choose
We submit to God, "Thy will be done here on earth too"
Else God says, "Thy will be done" to you
In Heaven or fiery lake?
2nd. Corinthians 6:2 declares, "Today get saved!"
Calling all humans- God's intervened on our behalf
Calling all humans- salvation plan's 10:43 Acts
Calling all humans- to enter Paradise through Christ's complete work on Calvary's cross
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Calling all humans
Calling all humans
Calling all humans- Lord Christ's the transporter beam; engage 2 verse 38 [three eight] (in) Acts!
He is our Friend!
.........................................................................
"You wrote that the world doesn't need a Savior. But everyday I hear people crying for one."- Superman to Lois Lane in "Superman Returns"
It's undeniable that people have cried out for a savior over the ages to so many places. And it seems invariably that we have long had a fixation on the cosmos and the possibilities of a U.F.O. and alien beings coming to save us all. It's kinda crazy how we are willing to look to the remote possibility of alien beings coming to save us, but we ignore the great salvation provided to us by the one real God who stepped into our world and became one of us. He worked as a carpenter and fully identified with us in facing all the temptations we do- and yet was without sin. And the day He died to pay for our sins is the day the earth stood still- and suddenly everything was changed forever. With the Resurrection, we knew that we were never alone and that we could have the possibility of new life through our Savior. He has been revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. And He's calling all humans to Himself: "The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price." (Revelation 22:17)
"Calling All Humans" (parody of "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognized Anthem of World Contact Day)" by Klaatu, as performed by Carpenters; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 4/21/2015)
(Psalms 135, Jonah 1:6, Isaiah 2:22, John 1:1-18, Acts 17:30, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:43, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Romans 10:9-13, John 3:16-21, John 8:12, John 8:31-32, John 15:18-19, John 18:36, John 10:10, John 14:6, John 17:14-19, John 5:39-47, John 5:24, 2 Peter 3:8-9, 2 Timothy 4:1-5, 1 Timothy 6:20-21, John 10:14-18, Hebrews 4:16, Jude 1:8, Jude 1:10, Jude 1:21-25, Philippians 2:9-11, Revelation 1:17-19, Revelation 19:11-16, 1 John 5:13-15, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Philippians 3:18-21, Colossians 1:11-29, Revelation 3:20, Revelation 22:16-21)
In The Christ you have the access key to God's throne
To teleport messages to The Lord of Hosts!
Please close your eyes and start to pray
Without ever ceasing
For those in hesitation, hear the doubters' plea:
"Calling occupants of interplanetary craft
Calling occupants of interplanetary, most extraordinary craft
Calling out for help, O interplanetary craft!
Come and offer us your interplanetary pact!
Come and rescue us with interpersonal peace, most extraordinary craft!"
"We've been observing our Earth
And we'd like it saved
By contact with you."
- They need our Friend
Calling all humans- it's in 2nd. Peter 3:9
Calling all humans- in Acts 17:30- all are wanted- God seeks
He's been observing our Earth
And one night became
A human like you
He is our Friend
All in Chapter One
of John- The Word became flesh; we beheld His glory- yeah!
Believe and receive- we beseech you
Showed us His Love- Jesus beaten
Our Lord lay there crucified
Third day come, He's risen!
E.T., Heaven's Gate and the Starman
Oh, the unidentified
Flying object
Where they seek rescue
- They need You!
By design, we have ability to choose
We submit to God, "Thy will be done here on earth too"
Else God says, "Thy will be done" to you
In Heaven or fiery lake?
2nd. Corinthians 6:2 declares, "Today get saved!"
Calling all humans- God's intervened on our behalf
Calling all humans- salvation plan's 10:43 Acts
Calling all humans- to enter Paradise through Christ's complete work on Calvary's cross
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Calling all humans
Calling all humans
Calling all humans- Lord Christ's the transporter beam; engage 2 verse 38 [three eight] (in) Acts!
He is our Friend!
.........................................................................
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