Chuck Berry: "No Particular Place to Go"

I'm sure guys can empathize with the man in this song. The seatbelt, which he called a safety belt, ruined a perfectly good romantic evening. Click here to hear the song.

The warning in James 4:13 and 14 (Bible in Basic English) applies to us all when we expect things to work out like we planned. "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."

Many people who were mentioned in the scriptures made the mistake of boasting about what they'd accomplish. The book of Ester is all about an attempt by Haman to murder all the Jews in the kingdom ruled by Ahasuerus. But every time Haman tried to get rid of Mordecai, who wouldn't bow to him, his efforts backfired.

Esther 7:9 (BBE) tells how Haman's final solution fatally backfired on him. "Then Harbonah, one of the unsexed servants waiting before the king, said, 'See, the pillar fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who said a good word for the king, is still in its place in Haman's house.' Then the king said, 'Put him to death by hanging him on it.'"

Moses supposed his Israelite brethren would understand when he killed an Egyptian taskmaster. As Stephen told his hearers in Acts 7:25 (BBE). "And he was hoping that his brothers would see that God had sent him to be their saviour; but they did not see." So he ran for his life and was in the desert forty years.

Perhaps disobedience ran in Aaron's family. Leviticus 10:1 and 2 (BBE) tells of the tragic deaths of his two sons when they thought to honour the Lord incorrectly. "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their vessels and put fire in them and perfume, burning strange fire before the Lord, which he had not given them orders to do. And fire came out from before the Lord, burning them up and causing their destruction before the Lord."

Mind you, there are also good outcomes, A certain beggar at the temple expected Peter and John might give him a coin or two. Acts 3:6-8 (BBE) reads, "But Peter said, 'I have no silver or gold, but what I have, that I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up on your feet.' And he took him by his right hand, lifting him up; and straight away his feet and the bones of his legs became strong, And, jumping up, he got on to his feet and went into the Temple with them, walking and jumping and giving praise to God."

If Christ doesn't change our plans by arriving on Thursday, I hope to post about how people forget those who are down and out.

Edwin Collins: "Guess We Were Young"

I must admit that today's rock music doesn't appeal to me. It all sounds the same. Neither do singers harmonize much anymore.

Thanks to a UK friend who sent me some free CDs which he found in his Sunday papers, I herd this song which was released in 2019. Check it out here.

Like the young lovers in the song, we all make mistakes when we're starting out in the faith. In my case, it was handing out tracts. Nobody I gave them to wanted to  read them. I wasted a fair bit of money handing those out and having them get crumpled and tossed back at me.

One biblical example is that of Simon who made a foolish request. Acts 8:18-21 (Bible in Basic English) reads, "Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the touch of the Apostles' hands, he made them an offering of money, saying,'Give me this power, so that when I put my hands on anyone he may get the Holy Spirit.' But Peter said, 'May your money come to destruction with you, because you had the idea that what is freely given by God may be got for a price. You have no part in this business, because your heart is not right before God.'" Since he was blind to God's generosity, the Lord blinded him for a season.

As the gospel spread, some folks hadn't yet heard about the Holy Spirit. Acts 19:4-6 (BBE) tells about a group of believers who only knew what John the Baptist taught them. "And Paul said, 'John gave a baptism which goes with a change of heart, saying to the people that they were to have faith in him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.' And hearing this, they had baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had put his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they had the power of talking in tongues, and acting like prophets."

Paul certainly had his hands full with one church. His first epistle to them made them sorry but it also corrected their foolish actions. We see that in 2 Corinthians 7:11 and 12 (BBE). "For you see what care was produced in you by this very sorrow of yours before God, what clearing of yourselves, what wrath against sin, what fear, what desire, what serious purpose, what punishment. In everything you have made it clear that you are free from sin in this business. So though I sent you a letter, it was not only because of the man who did the wrong, or because of him to whom the wrong was done, but so that your true care for us might be made clear in the eyes of God."

If Christ doesn't come to collect us by Monday, I hope to post about the foolishness of overconfidence.

Nilsson: "Jump Into the Fire"

Another rock singer who never enjoyed much fame was Harry Nilsson. Even so, he did release some fascinating music and he had a five-octive vocal range. Check out one of his lesser-known songs here:

Since Harry didn't say what we are never free of, I'll write about it here. Nothing is hidden from God Almighty. As Psalms 139:11 and 12 (Bible in Basic English) tells us, "If I say, 'Only let me be covered by the dark, and the light about me be night;' Even the dark is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day: for dark and light are the same to you."

To we who believe in Christ, this is comforting. But the wicked fear the presence of the Lord. Even when God used the Romans to punish Jerusalem in AD 70, his wrath was frightening.

As Jesus was being led to be crucified, he prophesied this in Luke 23:30 (BBE). "And they will say to the mountains, Come down on us, and to the hills, Be a cover over us."

Likening the Judgement Day to net fishing, Christ warned his audience in Matthew 13:49 and 50 (BBE) about that time. "So will it be in the end of the world: the angels will come and take out the bad from the good, And will put them into the fire: there will be weeping and cries of sorrow."

We also read about the future of wicked people in Revelation 19:20 (BBE). "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who did the signs before him, by which they were turned from the true way who had the mark of the beast, and who gave worship to his image: these two were put living into the sea of ever-burning fire."

We anticipate Christ's return but Satan's people dread it. If our Master hasn't arrived by Saturday, I hope to post about blunders made by people in scripture.

Led Zeppelin: "Your Time Is Gonna Come

This legendary band of the late sixties and early seventies put out some of the finest rock music ever heard. This song is one example of that. It's about a man who warns his girl that he'll leave her if she doesn't stop cheating on him. Listen to it here:

This song reminds me of a cruel supervisor at Jericho Hill School for the Deaf and Blind. After many complaints from us and after the school superintendent found her missing from the dorm one night, she was fired on February fifth, 1970. What revenge that was for all her mean words and heartless actions toward us!

Christ's harshest critics were, of all people, the Pharisees. Instead of recognizing him as the Messiah, they had him crucified.

We read in John 7:33 and 34 (Bible in Basic English) how he told the temple leaders their time would come. "Then Jesus said, 'I will be with you a little longer and then I go to him who sent me. You will be looking for me, and you will not see me: and where I am you may not come." Of course they didn't get his ultimate meaning that he would be in heaven and they would be in hell.

Neither did they figure that Jeremiah 29:13 (BBE) applied to them. "And you will be searching for me and I will be there, when you have gone after me with all your heart." No wonder the Pharisees missed that metaphorical boat.

Judgement Day will be a time of great horror for those who feign belief in our Master. As he described it in Luke 13:24 and 25 (BBE), not all who say his name will spend eternity in heaven. "Do your best to go in by the narrow door, for I say to you, A number will make the attempt to go in, but will not be able to do so. When the master of the house has got up, and the door has been shut, and you, still outside, give blows on the door, saying, 'Lord, let us in'; he will make answer and say, 'I have no knowledge of where you come from.'"

If Jesus hasn't returned by Thursday, I hope to post about how we can't escape God.

It's A Beautiful Day: "White Bird"

This one-hit-wonder group out of San Francisco released this song in 1968. I assume the meaning of this song is that we must "fly," taking advantage of the freedom offered to us. Listen to this beautiful song here.

How sad it is that the gospel is freely available to many people but they ignore Christ's magnanimous offer. John 10:9 (Bible in Basic English) reads, "I am the door: if any man goes in through me he will have salvation, and will go in and go out, and will get food."

In the song, I assume the door of the golden cage is wide open. Otherwise how could the white bird fly?

But like that bird, we hesitate to proclaim the gospel. Paul's protege had his share of timidity. Even so, Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:6 and 7 (BBE), "For this reason I say to you, Let that grace of God which is in you, given to you by my hands, have living power. For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of self-control."

Even so, there are times when we believers are afraid. Psalms 55:5 and 6 (BBE) reads, "Fear and shaking have come over me, with deep fear I am covered. And I said, 'If only I had wings like a dove! for then I would go in flight from here and be at rest."

We need only pray and trust in Christ, difficult though it might seem at the time. As we read in 1 Peter 5:6 and 7 (BBE), "For this cause make yourselves low under the strong hand of God, so that when the time comes you may be lifted up; Putting all your troubles on him, for he takes care of you."

And as our Master gave us an example, we read how to trust in the Father in 1 Peter 2:23 (BBE). "To sharp words he gave no sharp answer; when he was undergoing pain, no angry word came from his lips; but he put himself into the hands of the judge of righteousness:" So must we do.

If the one we trust in hasn't returned by Monday, I hope I can post about how wicked folks will be recompensed.

Stories: Brother Louie"

Racism is evil. I'm certain almost every one agrees. So a group called Stories did their part in 1973 to oppose racism in a song. Check it out here.

We know that the Bible isn't racist, even if some atheists say so. They claim their opinion is true because some racists wrenched Bible verses way out of their context to prove their point.

Certainly we genuine Christians ought not to be racist. As Paul wrote of our salvation 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."

Revelation 7:9 and 10 (BBE) also shows that heaven is filled with people from all over the planet. "After these things I saw a great army of people more than might be numbered, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and languages, taking their places before the high seat and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, and with branches in their hands, Saying with a loud voice, 'Salvation to our God who is seated on the high seat, and to the Lamb.'"

While Paul was waiting in Athens, he told the Greek philosophers about their "unknown god" and how he assigned places for all races. Acts 17:26 and 27 (BBE) says, "And he has made of one blood all the nations of men living on all the face of the earth, ordering their times and the limits of their lands, So that they might make search for God, in order, if possible, to get knowledge of him and make discovery of him, though he is not far from every one of us:"

Though Israelites were told not to mingle with gentiles, it was to protect them from being paganized. But this doesn't apply to us Christians. 

Peter certainly learned that lesson about gentiles in Acts 10:46 and 47 (BBE). "And they were talking in tongues, and giving glory to God. Then Peter said, 'Will any man say that these may not have baptism who have been given the Holy Spirit as we have?'"

If Christ hasn't drawn all races of Christians to himself in the air by Saturday, I hope to post about a beautiful song and how we need to step out in faith.

Talking Heads: "Life During Wartime"

What an interesting song about war this is. Instead of decrying the carnage and brutality, David Byrne imagined what daily life would be like in a failed state. Survivors would be concerned with finding food and keeping safe. Things like records and speakers would be very low on the priority list of people in such a situation.

Listen to this song here:

We Christians are living in wartime but it's a spiritual conflict. After Paul listed the weapons we must put on, he gave the reason we fight in Ephesians 6:13 (Bible in Basic English). "For this reason take up all the arms of God, so that you may be able to be strong in the evil day, and, having done all, to keep your place."

Armies are often commanded to hold their position or to advance. Paul urged his prodigy to keep moving forward in 1 Timothy 6:12 (BBE) when he said, "Be fighting the good fight of the faith; take for yourself the life eternal, for which you were marked out, and of which you gave witness in the eyes of all."

Fighting a war, like competitive sports, takes great effort. As Paul likened both in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26 (BBE), "Do you not see that in a running competition all take part, but only one gets the reward? So let your minds be fixed on the reward. And every man who takes part in the sports has self-control in all things. Now they do it to get a crown which is of this world, but we for an eternal crown. So then I am running, not uncertainly; so I am fighting, not as one who gives blows in the air:"

Neither must we forget the afflictions we suffered before, as Hebrews 10:32 (BBE) admonishes, "But give thought to the days after you had seen the light, when you went through a great war of troubles;

The finish line of faith is also what we must keep in mind. Philippians 3:14 (BBE) is Paul's end goal. "I go forward to the mark, even the reward of the high purpose of God in Christ Jesus."

If we don't reach that finish line by Thursday, I'll point out the stupidity of racism.

Derek and The Dominos: "I Am Yours"

 What a sweet love song this is. People in love feel like an integral part of each other.

Listen to this song by Eric Clapton here:

I'm glad it's Jesus who remains forever a part of us through the Holy Spirit. Christ promised his disciples in John 14:16 and 17 (Bible in Basic English), "And I will make prayer to the Father and he will give you another Helper to be with you for ever, Even the Spirit of true knowledge. That Spirit the world is not able to take to its heart because it sees him not and has no knowledge of him: but you have knowledge of him, because he is ever with you and will be in you."

The Holy Spirit is God's down payment to us until that day when we meet Christ. As Ephesians 1:13 and 14 (BBE) reminds us, :In whom you, having been given the true word, the good news of your salvation, and through your faith in him, were given the sign of the Holy Spirit of hope, Which is the first-fruit of our heritage, till God gets back that which is his, to the praise of his glory."

We also have Christ's promise that we are his. He gave this assurance 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."

God likewise gave his people this assurance of security for those who trust in him. Deuteronomy 32:39 (BBE) reads, "See now, I myself am he; there is no other god but me: giver of death and life, wounding and making well: and no one has power to make you free from my hand."

And lest any one be confused about who owns us, Jesus prayed this in John 17:9 and 10 (BBE). "My prayer is for them: my prayer is not for the world, but for those whom you have given to me, because they are yours All mine are yours, and yours are mine) and I have glory in them."

If Christ hasn't come to gather us to himself by Monday, I hope to post about how Christians are on the front line of a spiritual battle.

Eddie Grant: "Front Line"

 This song from 1979 highlights the violence in African countries as well as other evils. It also has a cool synth riff and solid reggae beat. Check it out here.

We who believe in Christ are on the "front line" of an age-old spiritual war. As we read in 1 Peter 5:6-8 (Bible in Basic English), Christ will protect us but we must still be watchful for Satan's attacks. "For this cause make yourselves low under the strong hand of God, so that when the time comes you may be lifted up; Putting all your troubles on him, for he takes care of you. Be serious and keep watch; the Evil One, who is against you, goes about like a lion with open mouth in search of food;"

Being at the front of the battle, we need Armour to protect us. That's why Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:11 and 12 (BBE), "Take up God's instruments of war, so that you may be able to keep your position against all the deceits of the Evil One. For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against authorities and powers, against the world-rulers of this dark night, against the spirits of evil in the heavens."

Another aspect we must consider is enemy infiltration. As Jude 1:12 and 13 (BBE) warns us, "These men are unseen rocks at your love-feasts, when they take part in them with you, keepers of sheep who without fear take the food of the sheep; clouds without water rushing before the wind, wasted trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots, Violent waves of the sea, streaming with their shame, wandering stars for whom the darkest night is kept in store for ever."

Likewise, Paul warned his readers in Galatians 2:4 (BBE) about these infiltrators from the Devil. "And that because of the false brothers let in secretly, who came searching out our free condition which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might make servants of us;"

With all the trouble we experience because of this spiritual war, it's good to know that it will come to an end. As Paul wrote about Christ's return in 2 Thessalonians 1:8 (BBE) he'll come, "To give punishment to those who have no knowledge of God, and to those who do not give ear to the good news of our Lord Jesus:"

If that hasn't happened by Thursday, I hope to post about those who doubt us when we speak the gospel.

John Lennon: "Mother"

 I'm glad John wrote and sang this painful song. Many children don't have the idyllic kind of upbringing which 1950s television portrayed. John's father left him when he was five and his mother didn't want the responsibility of a child. So he lived with his aunt, the same one who said he'd never make a living from his music.

Listen to the song here:

Though the Bible tells us how to raise children, reality isn't so kind. In fact, even princes had times of trouble. We read in 2 Samuel 4:4 (Bible in Basic English), "Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son whose feet were damaged. He was five years old when news of the death of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and the woman who took care of him took him up and went in flight: and while she was getting him away as quickly as she was able, he had a fall and his feet were damaged. His name was Mephibosheth."

Mephibosheth was fortunate that he wasn't killed, as the sons of some princes were, when a new king came to power.

We see how David avenged the Gibeonites, whom Saul foolishly murdered, in 2 Samuel 21:6 and 7 (BBE). The people said to David, "'Let seven men of his family be given up to us and we will put an end to them by hanging them before the Lord in Gibeon, on the hill of the Lord.' And the king said, 'I will give them.' But the king did not give up Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the Lord's oath made between David and Jonathan, the son of Saul."

Though we might have lived without a mother or father, the Lord still cares for us since he's our heavenly father. Deuteronomy 10:17 (BBE) reminds us both of his greatness and his tenderness. "For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, strong in power and greatly to be feared, who has no respect for any man's position and takes no rewards: Judging uprightly in the cause of the widow and of the child who has no father, and giving food and clothing in his mercy to the man from a strange country."

If he hasn't sent Christ to bring us to himself by Monday, I hope to post about life during war time.

Donovan: "Catch the Wind"

Have you ever had a crush on somebody but that person wanted nothing to do with you? This is what Donovan sang about in this song of unrequited love. Check it out here.

When I was a teenager, an errant church taught me that if I just had enough faith, I could get what I wanted from God. They often quoted verses like Luke 17:5 and 6 (Bible in Basic English) as their proof text. "And the twelve said to the Lord, 'Make our faith greater.' And the Lord said, 'If your faith was only as great as a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this tree, Be rooted up and planted in the sea; and it would be done.'"

what they didn't understand is that God is sovereign. In fact, it's blasphemous to assume that he's obligated to give us anything.

Luke 11:2 (King James Version) tells us who's will must be done. "And he said unto them, 'When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.'"

James 1:6 (BBE) was another verse the elders browbeat me with when my eyes weren't healed. "Let him make his request in faith, doubting nothing; for he who has doubt in his heart is like the waves of the sea, which are troubled by the driving of the wind."

That accusation stung. I did my utmost to quench all doubts. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed never to be enough for God. Consequently, I turned my back on him for nine long years.

Those wicked people never took Ephesians 6:4 (KJV) to heart. ""And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

If Christ hasn't returned by Saturday, I hope to post about John Lennon's painful childhood.

Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young: "Ohio"

This song documents the four fatalities at Kent State University on May 4th, 1970. Accounts differ regarding what cause the National Guard to fire into the crowd of protesters. Even so, it was a sad and shocking day for America.

Listen to the song here:

I'm glad Jesus made no secret that we followers would suffer persecution. As he warned his disciples in Matthew 10:17 and 18 (Bible in Basic English), "But be on the watch against men: for they will give you up to the Sanhedrins, and in their Synagogues they will give you blows; And you will come before rulers and kings because of me, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles."

Christ also warned that some deluded people will figure they're helping the Lord by persecuting followers of the Way. John 16:2 (BBE) reads, "They will put you out of the Synagogues: yes, the time is coming when whoever puts you to death will have the belief that he is doing God's pleasure."

This is nothing new. Right from the start, the haters of the righteous murdered the believers in God. We read in 1 John 3:12 (BBE) that we are, "Not being of the Evil One like Cain, who put his brother to death. And why did he put him to death? Because his works were evil and his brother's works were good. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world has no love for you."

Even Old Testament saints suffered. As Hebrews 11:37 and 38 (BBE) states, "They were stoned, they were cut up with knives, they were tested, they were put to death with the sword, they went about in sheepskins and in goatskins; being poor and in pain and cruelly attacked, Wandering in waste places and in mountains and in holes in the rocks; for whom the world was not good enough."

If Christ hasn't arrived by Thursday, I hope to post about the folly of trying to catch the wind.

The Stampeders: "Giant in the Street"

This group, named after the Calgary Stampeders football team, had a number of hits in Canada during the early seventies. The group benefited from Canadian content laws where the nation's broadcasters had to play thirty percent of their music content from Canadians. Even so, they had solid melodies and great musicianship.

This album cut was on The Stampeders' album "Carryin' On." It's about people believing the evening news rather than being skeptical. Check it out here.

Like that rumored giant in the song, people often believe what they hear rather than investigating the matter for themselves. We see this demonstrated in Matthew 16:13-16 (Bible in Basic English). "Now when Jesus had come into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he said, questioning his disciples, 'Who do men say that the Son of man is?' And they said, 'Some say, John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.' He says to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' And Simon Peter made answer and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Here's an Old Testament example of how a rumor nearly started a war. Joshua 22:11 and 12 (BBE) says, "And news came to the children of Israel, 'See, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have put up an altar opposite the land of Canaan, in the country by Jordan on the side which is Israel's. Then all the meeting of the children of Israel, hearing this, came together at Shiloh to go up against them to war."

Later in the chapter, we find that this altar was a memorial to the two-and-a-half tribes of their faithfulness to God. Once people heard the truth, they calmed down.

We also see in Acts 22:27-29 (BBE) how the Apostle Paul's enemies jumped to conclusions. "And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the Temple, got the people together and put their hands on him, Crying out, 'Men of Israel, come to our help: this is the man who is teaching all men everywhere against the people and the law and this place: and in addition, he has taken Greeks into the Temple, and made this holy place unclean' For they had seen him before in the town with Trophimus of Ephesus, and had the idea that Paul had taken him with him into the Temple."

And if Christ hasn't returned by Monday, I hope to post about the Kent State incident and how Neil Young immortalized that tragedy in a song.