Ramses Shaffy and Focus: "Watch The Ugly People"

Being a fan of the Dutch jazz-rock band, Focus, I bought a box set of their CDs. It contains their albums from 1970 to 1976, as well as plenty of bonus tracks, live performances, and videos. What a treasure trove for a die-hard fan!

Focus performed with a vocalist named Ramses Shaffy in 1970. This is one of two tracks they recorded together. Listen to one of those songs here.

I believe Mr. Shaffy is singing about mentally and spiritually ugly people. He warns in this song to beware of those who will suck you dry like a spider does to a fly. 

The Bible mentions such predatory people in many places. One of those is recorded in Romans 16:17 (Bible in Basic English). "Now, it is my desire, brothers, that you will take note of those who are causing division and trouble among you, quite against the teaching which was given to you: and keep away from them."

The early churches had  their share of "ugly people" who caused trouble. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:18 (BBE), "For first of all, it has come to my ears that when you come together in the church, there are divisions among you, and I take the statement to be true in part."

This was common among all churches, as it is today. Jude 1:4 (BBE) warns, "For certain men have come among you secretly, marked out before in the holy Writings for this evil fate, men without the fear of God, turning his grace into an unclean thing, and false to our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."

Jesus himself warned the seven churches in what's now Turkey about these sort of infiltrators. One example is his observation of the church in Pergamos. Revelation 2:14 and 15 (BBE) reads, "But I have some things against you, because you have with you those who keep the teaching of Balaam, by whose suggestion Balak made the children of Israel go out of the right way, taking food which was offered to false gods, and going after the desires of the flesh. And you have those who keep the teaching of the Nicolaitans."

Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has used infiltration as his weapon against God. Beware of anybody, even me, who has a "revelation" about some Bible verse. Check it out against the rest of Holy Scripture to see if it matches what God said in other places. Check the context of those verses too.

If Christ hasn't come by Monday, I hope to tell you about a polite robber.

Gary Numan: "Every Day I Die"

Gary Numan started out as a punk rocker but he soon adopted the synthesizer as his instrument of choice. He gained popularity in the UK  in 1979 and broke into the American market a year later with his hit, "Cars."

Check out this live performance of "Every Day I Die" here:

Believe it or not, we're meant to die daily but to ourselves and our worldly pleasures. As Paul wrote about his struggle with the flesh verses the resurrection of the new bodies in 1 Corinthians 15:31 (Bible in Basic English), "Yes, truly, by your pride in me, my brothers in Christ Jesus our Lord, my life is one long death."

Because we are made new in Christ, we have been set free from the slavery of sin. As Paul wrote in Romans 8:1 and 2 (BBE), "For this cause those who are in Christ Jesus will not be judged as sinners. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."

Paul further explained in Romans 8:13 (BBE) that it's sinful ways of thinking and acting which we must exterminate in our souls. "For if you go in the way of the flesh, death will come on you; but if by the Spirit you put to death the works of the body, you will have life."

And though we're free from the bondage of sin, we do occasionally give in to temptation. That's why Paul concluded in 2 Corinthians 7:1 (BBE), "Because God, then, will give us such rewards, dear brothers, let us make ourselves clean from all evil of flesh and spirit, and become completely holy in the fear of God."

And John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, stated in 1 John 3:16 (BBE) why we must slaughter all desires which are contrary to the new life which Christ gave us. "Because everything in the world, the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but of the world."

This is the kind of dying we must do. May the Lord help you die to yourself and its destructive ways.

provided that Christ doesn't return by Saturday, I hope to post about avoiding mentally and spiritually ugly people.

Joe Jones: "You Talk Too Much"

This is one song I can easily relate to. My brother, Roy, has a bad habit of latching onto people and talking their ears off. I'm sure we all have had somebody like that. They never seem to be able to converse normally.

Listen to this novelty song by Joe Jones here:

Holy Scripture has much to say about talking too much. James 1:19 and 20 (Bible in Basic English) reads, "You have knowledge of this, dear brothers. But let every man be quick in hearing, slow in words, slow to get angry; For the righteousness of God does not come about by the wrath of man."

Solomon also had plenty of excellent advice about those who talk more than they should. One excellent verse is Proverbs 10:19 (Bible in Basic English). "Where there is much talk there will be no end to sin, but he who keeps his mouth shut does wisely."

Keeping silent can also save one's life. Proverbs 13:3 (BBE) says, "He who keeps a watch on his mouth keeps his life; but he whose lips are open wide will have destruction."

Nothing gets done when people only talk about their plans. Proverbs 14:23 (BBE) reminds us that, "In all hard work there is profit, but talk only makes a man poor."

And Proverbs 17:28 (BBE) shows us that we can't judge somebody's intelligence if they keep quiet. "Even the foolish man, when he keeps quiet, is taken to be wise: when his lips are shut he is credited with good sense."

Wise folks also avoid tail bearers and gossips. Proverbs 20:19 (BBE) advises, "He who goes about talking of the business of others gives away secrets: so have nothing to do with him whose lips are open wide."

Finally, here's a wonderful bit of advice from Proverbs 27:2 (BBE). "Let another man give you praise, and not your mouth; one who is strange to you, and not your lips."

Because we don't know what tomorrow will bring, I say that if Christ doesn't return by Thursday, I hope to post about the kind of dying all Christians must do.

The Police: "Canary in a Coal Mine"

This is one song I'm sure most of us can identify with. It's about a perfectionist who can't stand things not being done completely correct. They truly are like a canary in a coal mine except that they don't save miner's lives by fainting when there's a lack of oxygen.

Listen to this song here:

We are often reminded in scripture about being strong in the faith. As Hebrews 12:3-5 (Bible in Basic English) reminds us, "Give thought to him who has undergone so much of the hate of sinners against himself, so that you may not be tired and feeble of purpose. Till now you have not given your blood in your fight against sin: And you have not kept in mind the word which says to you as to sons, 'My son, do not make little of the Lord's punishment, and do not give up hope when you are judged by him;'"

Likewise, we shouldn't be fearful when persecution happens. As Paul reminded his readers in Ephesians 3:13 (BBE) regarding his imprisonments and sufferings for the gospel, "For this reason it is my prayer that you may not become feeble because of my troubles for you, which are your glory."

And as in farming and gardening, the harvest isn't immediate. We need to persist in kind acts toward others, as Galatians 6:9 (BBE) reminds us. "And let us not get tired of well-doing; for at the right time we will get in the grain, if we do not give way to weariness."

Jesus also encouraged his followers, and us too, that we must continue petitioning the father. As Luke 18:1 (BBE) says, "And he made a story for them, the point of which was that men were to go on making prayer and not get tired;"

Even in our Christian walk with our Master, we must constantly fight the urge to quit. He gave an example of quitters in Matthew 13:5 and 6 (BBE). "And some of the seed went among the stones, where it had not much earth, and straight away it came up because the earth was not deep: And when the sun was high, it was burned; and because it had no root it became dry and dead"."

Most importantly, we must continue to testify of the gospel to others. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:1 and 2 (BBE), "For this reason, because we have been made servants of this new order, through the mercy given to us, we are strong: And we have given up the secret things of shame, not walking in false ways, and not making use of the word of God with deceit; but by the revelation of what is true, as before God, we have the approval of every man's sense of right and wrong."

And if the anticipated return of Christ hasn't happened by Monday, I hope to post about overly-talkative people.

Chester: Make My Life a Little Bit Brighter

This is another of those Canadian rock songs which received government-mandated airplay back in 1971. Radio stations preferred American music since it was more popular. So the Canadian government made a law that stations must play thirty percent Canadian content. Consequently, fans like me could hear great music from my fellow Canadians.

Listen to Chester's upbeat song here:

Reading through the New Testament, I find many verses expressing how people or a church made the apostles lives a little bit brighter. For example, Paul requested this in Philippians 2:1 and 2 (Bible in Basic English). "If then there is any comfort in Christ, any help given by love, any uniting of hearts in the Spirit, any loving mercies and pity, Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in harmony and of one mind;"

And even though the disciples disappointed Jesus often, he still loved them. John 15:11 (BBE) reads, "I have said these things to you so that I may have joy in you and so that your joy may be complete."

Even testifying about our faith can be a joyous thing. Check out what Paul said in Acts 26:2 (BBE). "In my opinion I am happy, King Agrippa, to be able to give my answer before you today to all these things which the Jews say against me:"

It seems counterintuitive but we can be happy for even being persecuted for Christ's sake. We read in 1 Peter 4:14 (BBE) that, "If men say evil things of you because of the name of Christ, happy are you; for the Spirit of glory and of God is resting on you."

Finally, we must always encourage our fellow believers about Christ's return. As Paul admonished in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 (BBE), "So then, give comfort to one another with these words."

In the event that our Lord doesn't return by Saturday, I'll post about those who quit the faith.

Elvis Presley, "Don't Cry, Daddy"

This is one of the songs Elvis sang during his return to stardom in 1968. After years of bad movies and lackluster albums, he started singing about social issues and recording popular tunes.

Listen to this touching song about a broken-hearted father here:

How true it is that children feel family pain the worst. And during many times throughout history, Christians faced expulsion from their families merely for becoming followers of Christ.

The Master gave his disciples, and us by extension, this wonderful promise in Mark 10:29 and 30 (Bible in Basic English). "Jesus said, 'Truly I say to you, There is no man who has given up house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or land, because of me and the good news, Who will not get a hundred times as much now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land--though with great troubles; and, in the world to come, eternal life.'"

Psalms 68:5 and 6 (BBE) is also a wonderful promise to cling to. God truly is, "A father to those who have no father, a judge of the widows, is God in his holy place. Those who are without friends, God puts in families; he makes free those who are in chains; but those who are turned away from him are given a dry land."

We might be missing family members due to divorce or death but nobody goes missing from Christ's family. 

To Christ, we are his family. As Mark 3:31-35 (BBE) plainly states, "And his mother and brothers came and were outside, and sent for him, requesting to see him. And a great number were seated round him; and they said to him, 'See, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you.' And he said in answer, 'Who are my mother and my brothers?' And looking round at those who were seated about him, he said, 'See, my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's pleasure, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.'"

We also see how secure we are in Christ's family in John 10:27 and 28 (BBE). "My sheep give ear to my voice, and I have knowledge of them, and they come after me: And I give them eternal life; they will never come to destruction, and no one will ever take them out of my hand."

If the Good Shepherd hasn't returned by Thursday, I hope to post about how we can brighten up each other's lives.

Focus: "Why Dream?"

 What a shame that many one-hit-wonder bands go the rest of their careers without more exposure. The Dutch jazz-rock band Focus is one of those. My guess is that the public thought of them as a novelty band with a weird song called "Hocus Pocus."

Listen to this excellent non hit album cut here:

That's a good question. Why dream about the future? Even Christ warned of trouble to come. Matthew 24:7 and 8 (Bible in Basic English) says, "For nation will be moved against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and men will be without food, and the earth will be shaking in different places; But all these things are the first of the troubles."

Furthermore, our scientists tell us we're just another species of animal. Like Ecclesiastes 3:19 (BBE) reads, "Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose."

Furthermore, we chase after money but it never satisfies. Ecclesiastes 4:8 (BBE) informs us, "It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work."

Fortunately for us, we have a saviour who's Christ. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:14 (BBE), we aren't abandoned, "But praise be to God who makes us strong to overcome in Christ, and makes clear through us in every place the value of the knowledge of him."

We have much to look forward to as well. This post would be too long if I wrote all the good things we have already in Christ and the wonders of the new heaven and new earth.

If our Master hasn't returned by Monday, I hope to post about the harm parental fights cause to children.

Hewie Lewis and The News: "Perfect World"

 Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a perfect world? Hewie Lewis and The News sang about dreaming of one back in the eighties. Here's the link to the song:

It's obvious to almost all humanity that this world is far from perfect. Right from the start, one couple's sin doomed all humanity to sickness, grief, and death. 

Genesis 3:16-18 (Bible in Basic English) tells how God sentenced humanity for Adam and Eve's rebellion. "To the woman he said, 'Great will be your pain in childbirth; in sorrow will your children come to birth; still your desire will be for your husband, but he will be your master.' And to Adam he said, 'Because you gave ear to the voice of your wife and took of the fruit of the tree which I said you were not to take, the earth is cursed on your account; in pain you will get your food from it all your life.'"

And hidden in Genesis is the promise of a saviour. Paul wrote about him in 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 (BBE), "And so it is said, 'The first man Adam was a living soul. The last Adam is a life-giving spirit.' But that which is natural comes before that which is of the spirit. The first man is from the earth, and of the earth: the second man is from heaven."

Before the perfect world comes after this broken one vanishes, we must first be perfected. As Hebrews 10:14 (BBE) tells us, it's Christ's sacrifice on the cross which grants us his perfection. "Because by one offering he has made complete for ever those who are made holy."

We know that Christ was perfected by his being part of the Trinity but he also was perfected on the cross. As he told some Pharisees in Luke 13:32 (BBE), he wasn't afraid of what Harod could do to him. "And he said, 'Go and say to that fox, I send out evil spirits and do works of mercy today and tomorrow, and on the third day my work will be complete."

I'm one of many who longs for Christ's return. If he hasn't arrived by Saturday, I hope to post about dreaming of the future.

The Kane Gang, "Respect Yourself"

This might sound wrong to Christians but there is a positive side to respecting yourself. A British group, The Kane Gang, sang about the positive attributes of self respect. Listen to this song from 1984 here.

Having what the Bible calls a good name is crucial for us believers to maintain. As Solomon noted in Proverbs 22:1 (Bible in Basic English),it's a valuable asset.  "A good name is more to be desired than great wealth, and to be respected is better than silver and gold."

Even so, it only takes one act of idiocy to ruin one's reputation. Ecclesiastes 10:1 (BBE) shows this in a graphic way. "Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish."

And as Proverbs 14:31 (BBE) reminds us, "He who is hard on the poor puts shame on his Maker; but he who has mercy on those who are in need gives him honour."

We also see where being reliable can help those whom God has chosen to spread the gospel. When the apostles were still in Jerusalem, a quarrel between the Jews and Greeks about widows not being fed erupted. 

Acts 6:3 and 4 (BBE) shows how the apostles settled the food distribution problem. "Take then from among you seven men of good name, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, to whom we may give control of this business. Then we will give all our time to prayer and the teaching of the word."

Additionally, being a person with godly self respect can help in evangelism. Acts 10:19-22 (BBE) shows how this happened to One Apostle. "And, while Peter was turning the vision over in his mind, the Spirit said to him, 'See, three men are looking for you. Go down, then, and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them.' And Peter went down to the men, and said, 'I am the man you are looking for: why have you come?' And they said, 'Cornelius, a captain, an upright and God-fearing man, respected by all the nation of the Jews, had word from God by an angel to send for you to his house, and to give hearing to your words.'"

If Christ doesn't arrive by Thursday, I hope to post about our imperfect world.

Credence Clearwater Revival: "Door to Door"

This song reminds me of one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. Back in February of 1982, I became an Amway distributor. Lured by promises of wealth and self-employment, I decided to give it a try.

Listen to this song about a salesman here:

I soon found that selling products and gaining my own distributors was much harder than the glowing testimonials and motivational materials made Amway success out to be. As James 4:13 and 14 (Bible in Basic English) warns, "How foolish it is to say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into this town, and be there for a year and do business there and get wealth:' When you are not certain what will take place tomorrow. What is your life? It is a mist, which is seen for a little time and then is gone."

I also should have realized that Amway peddled covetousness with their talk of riches and getting people to sign up under me. As Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 6:5 (BBE) about those who tempt us, their words  are, "Bitter talk of men who, being evil in mind and dead to what is true, take the faith to be a way of making profit."

Though Amway sold products, they were still a multi-level marketing business. Many folks joined to become wealthy without realizing what Christ said in Luke 9:25 (BBE). "For what profit will a man have if he gets all the world, but undergoes loss or destruction himself?"

Many verses in the Bible tell us that honest labour must be rewarded. But as Paul warned again in 1 Timothy 6:9 (BBE), "But those who have a desire for wealth are falling into danger, and are taken as in a net by a number of foolish and damaging desires, through which men are overtaken by death and destruction."

If our Master hasn't come by Monday, I hope to post about the correct self respect we must achieve.

The Electric Prunes: "Circus Freak"

Here's another song we can all relate to. Some female and male bosses are what the King James Version of the Bible calls "froward." Even church elders and school teachers can be control freaks. Such people can't stand not having total control of situations.

Listen to this tune here:

I certainly have met more than my fair share of perfectionists. One church elder continually corrected me. I felt as if she only listened for my mistakes instead of what I had to say.

That woman didn't understand James 3:1 and 2 (Bible in Basic English) and that verse included her. "Do not all be teachers, my brothers, because we teachers will be judged more hardly than others. For we all go wrong in a number of things. If a man never makes a slip in his talk, then he is a complete man and able to keep all his body in control."

People like that woman should consider Job 9:20 (King James Version) which reads, "If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, 'I am perfect,' it shall also prove me perverse."

Hypocrites figure they're right, others are wrong, and that's all there is to it. But Christ blasted the Pharisees for looking righteous rather than being righteous. One of them invited Christ to supper and noted that he didn't wash his hands in the prescribed ceremonial way. We see how picky those religious folks were in Luke 11:38 and 39 (BBE). "And when the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised because he came to the meal without first washing himself. And the Lord said to him, 'You Pharisees make the outside of the cup and the plate clean; but inside you are thieves and full of evil.'"

I pity those kind of foolishly-fastidious folks. They're their own worst enemies. Imagine dining with the Son of God and fussing about an omitted ceremony.

If we don't meet Christ in the air by Saturday, I hope to post about one of my biggest mistakes.

Focus: "Black Beauty)

 What a shame that most folks don't know about this Dutch jazz-rock band's music. It's partly why I'd like to feature this song. The other reason is that it speaks of love forbidden by cultural taboos. While not being as lyrically potent today, we still live with racism and the barriers erected by cultures.

Listen to the song here:

I'm glad that Christianity isn't a "white man's" religion. Paul showed how it transcends all racial and cultural boundaries in Galatians 3:28 (Bible in Basic English). "There is no Jew or Greek, servant or free, male or female: because you are all one in Jesus Christ."

Jesus also wanted his good news to spread to all the world. Matthew 28:19 and 20 (BBE) says plainly, "Go then, and make disciples of all the nations, giving them baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to keep all the rules which I have given you: and see, I am ever with you, even to the end of the world."

Even so, the Jewish Christians wanted to remain in Jerusalem. But God used persecution to scatter them, as we read in Acts 8:4 (BBE). "But those who had gone in flight went everywhere preaching the word."

We also read in that chapter how the gospel entered the African continent. Acts 8:34-36 (BBE) reads, "And the Ethiopian said to Philip, 'About whom are these words said by the prophet? about himself, or some other?' So Philip, starting from this writing, gave him the good news about Jesus. And while they were going on their way, they came to some water, and the Ethiopian said, 'See, here is water; why may I not have baptism?'"

But many Jewish Christians, including Peter, couldn't grasp the universality of the gospel. We read in Acts 10:44-46 BBE) how God gave the Holy Spirit to non Jews as well. "While Peter was saying these words, the Holy Spirit came on all those who were hearing the word. And the Jews of the faith, who had come with Peter, were full of wonder, because the Holy Spirit was given to the Gentiles, And they were talking in tongues, and giving glory to God."

We also read how salvation is for any person from any tribe and nation who desires it. As 1 John 2:2 (BBE) declares about Christ's saving work, "He is the offering for our sins; and not for ours only, but for all the world."

A day will come when we believers will be in heaven, praising the Lord as one people. Revelation 5:9 and 10 (BBE) tells what it will be like. "And their voices are sounding in a new song, saying, 'It is right for you to take the book and to make it open: for you were put to death and have made an offering to God of your blood for men of every tribe, and language, and people, and nation, And have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are ruling on the earth.'"

If Christ hasn't returned by Thursday, I hope to post about how the world views us who follow Christ.