The Scorpions: "Wind of Change"

August of 1991 was a pivotal time for the former Soviet Union. Communists tried to take back the reigns of government but the people rose up as one person to oppose them.

This hard rock band from Switzerland memorialized the scene in Moscow in this song. Check it out here.

For ancient Israel, the wind of change blew through Egypt. The Lord liberated them in one eventful day. In preparation for that, God said in Exodus 11:1 and 2 (Bible in Basic English), "And the Lord said to Moses, 'I will send one more punishment on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go; and when he does let you go, he will not keep one of you back, but will send you out by force. So go now and give orders to the people that every man and every woman is to get from his or her neighbour ornaments of silver and of gold.'"

Another wind of change happened when the Israelites demanded a king. We read God's encouragement to his heartbroken prophet in 1 Samuel 8:7 (BBE). "And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Give ear to the voice of the people and what they say to you: they have not been turned away from you, but they have been turned away from me, not desiring me to be king over them.'"

Likewise, the Israelites realized that the seventy-year exile in Babylon was about to end. As we read in Daniel 9:1 and 2 (BBE), "In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldaeans; In the first year of his rule, I, Daniel, saw clearly from the books the number of years given by the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah, in which the making waste of Jerusalem was to be complete, that is, seventy years."

By the first century A.D., the Jews expected the Messiah to arrive. When John the Baptist was born, we read Zacharias' prophecy in Luke 1:76-79 (BBE), "And you, child, will be named the prophet of the Most High: you will go before the face of the Lord, to make ready his ways; To give knowledge of salvation to his people, through the forgiveness of sins, Because of the loving mercies of our God, by which the dawn from heaven has come to us, To give light to those in dark places, and in the shade of death, so that our feet may be guided into the way of peace."

When Christ arrives, everything will change. If that hasn't happened by Thursday, I hope to post about how children often grow up to be like their parents.

The Flying Machine: "Smile a Little Smile"

Here's a hit from another one-hit-wonder group from the sixties. It's about a friend cheering up a woman whose boyfriend hurt her feelings. Listen to the song here.

North American Christians baffle me. From the devotionals I've read, believers are of all people the most miserable. It's like my siblings in Christ find even the tiniest of difficulties an overwhelming burden.

Throughout redemptive history, people were called by the Lord to be brave. One classic example is recorded in Joshua 1:6 and 7 (Bible in Basic English). "Take heart and be strong; for you will give to this people for their heritage the land which I gave by an oath to their fathers. Only take heart and be very strong; take care to do all the law which Moses my servant gave you, not turning from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may do well in all your undertakings."

Gideon was another man God chose and gave him the job of fighting for Israel. Judges 6:11 and 12 (BBE) reads, "Now the angel of the Lord came and took his seat under the oak-tree in Ophrah, in the field of Joash the Abiezrite; and his son Gideon was crushing grain in the place where the grapes were crushed, so that the Midianites might not see it. And the angel of the Lord came before his eyes, and said to him, 'The Lord is with you, O man of war.'"

Though Gideon hesitated and asked for signs, God reassured him of his mission. Once he knew what he had to do, he performed the Lord's commands.

One sin every Christian makes now and then is in not trusting God during trials. Israel demanded a king but God was angry with them. That's why we read this in 1 Samuel 12:20 (BBE). "Then Samuel said to the people, 'Have no fear: truly you have done evil, but do not be turned away from the Lord; be his servants with all your heart;'"

Even New Testament people had their doubts. Paul wrote this 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."

If Christ hasn't come to rescue us from difficulties small or great by Monday, I plan on posting about how we should handle changes.

T.Rex: "Metal Guru"

This was the follow-up to "Bang a Gong," both songs being released in 1972. This song wasn't as big a hit but people in North America still liked it. Of course fans in the UK loved Marc Bolin's sound and poetic lyrics. He also launched the Glam Rock style of popular music in the early seventies.

Listen to this song here:

One BBC announcer once asked what a metal guru was. To me, it's a computer. I certainly rely on it for research and advice on many matters.

But just as we can't rely on every bit of information people put on the Internet, so we must discern which doctrines we hear are correct and which are satanic lies. Many preachers today claim to be prophets with divine revelations. But Deuteronomy 18:22 (Bible in Basic English) makes it clear regarding these false folks. "When a prophet makes a statement in the name of the Lord, if what he says does not take place and his words do not come true, then his word is not the word of the Lord: the words of the prophet were said in the pride of his heart, and you are to have no fear of him."

But what if the false prophet is right about a prediction? Deuteronomy 13:1-3(BBE) holds the answer. "If ever you have among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams and he gives you a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder takes place, and he says to you, 'Let us go after other gods,' which are strange to you, and give them worship; Then give no attention to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God is testing you, to see if all the love of your heart and soul is given to him."

Therefore, we must know our scriptures and what they say so we won't be misled. As Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:15 (BBE), "Let it be your care to get the approval of God, as a workman who has no cause for shame, giving the true word in the right way."

If the Lord hasn't returned by Saturday, I have a post about spiritual maturity and the lack of it in North America.

Neil Diamond: "Brooklyn Roads"

I identify with this autobiographical song. Like Neil, I was a daydreamer. My fantasies kept away the misery of being in a residential school five hundred miles from home.

Check the song out here:

I also identified with the Israelites when they were slaves in Egypt, though I wasn't overworked and beaten. I was far from the land I loved.

And just as God heard my tearful prayers, he heard the agonized cries of Jacob's descendents. As Exodus 3:9 (Bible in Basic English) reads, "For now, truly, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me, and I have seen the cruel behaviour of the Egyptians to them."

The Israelites also were deported to Babylon for seventy years. As they sang in Psalms 137:1 and 2 (BBE), "By the rivers of Babylon we were seated, weeping at the memory of Zion, Hanging our instruments of music on the trees by the waterside."

And as I finally left that residential school six years later, the Israelites returned home. Daniel 9:1 and 2 (BBE) explains, "In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldaeans; In the first year of his rule, I, Daniel, saw clearly from the books the number of years given by the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah, in which the making waste of Jerusalem was to be complete, that is, seventy years."

Even so, we Christians await our inheritance of the good things God promised to his people. That's why Ephesians 2:19-21 (BBE) is such good news for us. "So then you are no longer as those who have no part or place in the kingdom of God, but you are numbered among the saints, and of the family of God, Resting on the base of the Apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief keystone, In whom all the building, rightly joined together, comes to be a holy house of God in the Lord;"

If our hoped-for saviour hasn't returned by Thursday, I expect to post about precious wisdom.

Negativeland: "Time Zones"

This sound collage deals with the Soviet Union which spanned eleven time zones. It occupied a sixth of the earth's land surface. A broadcast from Radio Moscow was used by the group leader to begin this piece. I had to laugh when I heard the announcer refer to "the Commy people." Hear it for yourself here.

History shows that empires rise and fall. And no scripture passage shows this better than Daniel 2:37-42. The Bible in Basic English renders it this way.

"You, O King, king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory, Wherever the children of men are living; into whose hands he has given the beasts of the field and the birds of heaven, and has made you ruler over them all, you are the head of gold. And after you another kingdom, lower than you, will come to power; and a third kingdom, of brass, ruling over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom will be strong as iron: because, as all things are broken and overcome by iron, so it will have the power of crushing and smashing down all the earth. And as you saw the feet and toes, part of potter's work and part of iron, there will be a division in the kingdom; but there will be some of the strength of iron in it, because you saw the iron mixed with the potter's earth. And as the toes of the feet were in part of iron and in part of earth, so part of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will readily be broken."

Babylon fell, just as Daniel prophesied, to the Medes and Persians. That empire was conquered by Greece. It in turn was conquered by Rome. Rome split in half and both parts later fell.

Theologians differ about the feet of iron and clay in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Some say it represents a world government made of ten, or many, countries. Others say the feet represent the Catholic church. I believe the feet are the governments around the world which all hold the same blasphemous and idolatrous doctrines from the four previous empires.

I'm glad that an empire is coming which will blow all the rest away and never collapse. Daniel 2:43 and 44 (BBE) tells us this encouraging prophecy. "And as you saw the iron mixed with earth, they will give their daughters to one another as wives: but they will not be united one with another, even as iron is not mixed with earth. And in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will put up a kingdom which will never come to destruction, and its power will never be given into the hands of another people, and all these kingdoms will be broken and overcome by it, but it will keep its place for ever."

If King Jesus hasn't come to usher in this everlasting dominion by Monday, I hope I can publish about one of Neil Diamond's introspective songs.

ManfredMann: "Machines"

This band and its leader were popular during the British Invasion of the sixties. They had a following in the UK but they achieved only a few hits in North America. But Manfred Mann wasn't content with love songs so he penned this science fiction song about machines running our lives. Listen to it here.

It seems odd to me that God had to impose rest on the Israelites. After all, today's people feel that two days off is too short. Even so, rest is necessary for any people group.

Exodus 20:9 and 10 (Bible in Basic English) reads, "On six days do all your work: But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on that day you are to do no work, you or your son or your daughter, your man-servant or your woman-servant, your cattle or the man from a strange country who is living among you:"

So God set one day in seven for people to worship him and enjoy respite from their labours. But the Pharisees took the word "rest" to extremes. They invented so many regulations on every little detail of people's lives that the Sabbath became a burden.

One example of this was recorded in Luke 13:14 (BBE) when Jesus healed a woman who couldn't stand upright. "And the ruler of the Synagogue was angry because Jesus had made her well on the Sabbath, and he said to the people, 'There are six days in which men may do work: so come on those days to be made well, and not on the Sabbath.'"

Jesus had the perfect answer to those rule bound leaders when the disciples plucked some grain heads. Mark 2:27 (BBE) says, "And he said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath;'"

So enjoy the God-given reward for your work. As King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:22 (BBE), "So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work--because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?"

If Christ hasn't given us rest from this evil world by Saturday, I hope to post about the empires of this world and how they'll all fall.

Lenny Kravitz: "Fear"

I'm sure that if this song was put on a cassette and brought back in time to 1970, nobody would guess that it had been recorded more than twenty years in the future. This solo artist has mastered that 1970 vibe which you can hear in this song.

We who believe in Christ mustn't live in fear but faith. As Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:7 (Bible in Basic English), "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of self-control."

This is why I oppose some Christians' morbid fascination with figuring out whom the Antichrist will be. Not only is it a waste of time but non Christians scoff whenever predictions of "Armageddon" fail to happen.

I believe that doomsday prophets abuse the last book of the Bible. Revelation 1:1 and 2 (BBE) explains the purpose of the book. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave him so that his servants might have knowledge of the things which will quickly take place: and he sent and made it clear by his angel to his servant John; Who gave witness of the word of God, and of the witness of Jesus Christ, even of all the things which he saw."

To those who figure the Antichrist will come in our near future, I pose this question. How could first-century Christians know whom the twenty-first century Antichrist would be?

Please take note of Revelation 1:3(BBE) about when these things predicted in the book will happen. "A blessing be on the reader, and on those who give ear to the prophet's words, and keep the things which he has put in the book: for the time is near." The only event yet to happen is Christ's return.

Some preachers claim that the word "near" means two millennia. Why then is this letter sent to seven first-century churches if all the horrors written in it would happen to us?

Remember also that these strange creatures and disasters reference Old Testament verses. Believers back them knew the references, just as we understand references to modern events. For example, before 2001, 9 1 1 was merely the emergency phone number.

If the great return of our King of Kings hasn't happened by Thursday, I'll post about machines and how they seem to run our lives.

Joe South: "Walk a Mile in My Shoes"

The sixties was a decade when people became socially conscious of societal wrongs. Judging people by their hair length or skin colour suddenly became a topic of conversation.

Listen to Joe South's scathing indictment of hypocrisy here:

It's a pity that non Christians hear Matthew 7:1 and accuse us believers of hypocrisy. The Bible in Basic English renders the verse this way. "Be not judges of others, and you will not be judged."

Jesus was addressing the Pharisees in that verse. They were the ultimate hypocrites. As Matthew 23:1-3 (BBE) reads, "Then Jesus said to the people and to his disciples:' The scribes and the Pharisees have the authority of Moses; All things, then, which they give you orders to do, these do and keep: but do not take their works as your example, for they say and do not.'" Then he listed some of their grievous acts.

Hypocrites lack empathy and the understanding of a person's situation. As Luke 13:15 and 16 (BBE) recounts, Christ was angry at their picky Sabbath rules. "But the Lord gave him an answer and said, 'O you false men! do you not, every one of you, on the Sabbath, let loose his ox and his ass and take it to the water? And is it not right for this daughter of Abraham, who has been in the power of Satan for eighteen years, to be made free on the Sabbath?"

So when and how may we judge? Hebrews 5:12-14 (BBE) holds the answer. "And though by this time it would be right for you to be teachers, you still have need of someone to give you teaching about the first simple rules of God's revelation; you have become like babies who have need of milk, and not of solid food. For everyone who takes milk is without experience of the word of righteousness: he is a child. But solid food is for men of full growth, even for those whose senses are trained by use to see what is good and what is evil."

James 1:19 and 20 (BBE) sums the matter up nicely. "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."

If the judge of all the earth hasn't come by Monday, I hope to explain why we mustn't live in fear of the future.

Jimi Hendrix: "Belly Button Window"

Here's a song that's way ahead of its time. Back in the late sixties, abortion was a topic not to be mentioned in polite circles. Yet Jimi Hendrix tackled this subject from the point of view of a foetus, which you can hear in this cover of the song.

What we know from the Bible is that God knew us before we were born. As Jeremiah 1:4 (Bible in Basic English) shows, "Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,' Before you were formed in the body of your mother I had knowledge of you, and before your birth I made you holy; I have given you the work of being a prophet to the nations.'"

We likewise read of another prophet whom God chose for his purpose in Isaiah 49:5 (BBE). "And now, says the Lord, who made me his servant when I was still in my mother's body, so that I might make Jacob come back to him, and so that Israel might come together to him: and I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord, and my God became my strength."

We also read in Genesis 1:26 and 27 (BBE) how humanity is the image bearer of the Almighty. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, like us: and let him have rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every living thing which goes flat on the earth. And God made man in his image, in the image of God he made him: male and female he made them."

Some folks claim that we're just another kind of animal. If that is so, why are we the only ones whom God created to have fellowship with him? Revelation 21:3 (BBE) explicitly states that we, not animals, will commune with God. "And there came to my ears a great voice out of the high seat, saying, 'See, the Tent of God is with men, and he will make his living-place with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God."

Furthermore, Christ came as a human baby. Hebrews 10:4 and 5 (BBE) tells us why animals weren't good enough for God's redemptive purpose. "Because it is not possible for the blood of oxen and goats to take away sins. So that when he comes into the world, he says, 'You had no desire for offerings, but you made a body ready for me;'"

If Christ hasn't returned by Saturday, I expect to tell you about empathy toward others.

Donna Summer: "I Feel Love"

Believe it or not, today's electronic dance music owes its form to a black American woman and a white Italian man. This song they recorded soared up the charts in August of 1977, boosting Donna Summer's career into the stratosphere. Hear it here:

What a feeling being in love is! We've all felt that way from time to time. I certainly fell in love with this song when it first came on the radio. It sounded like Kraftwerk with a femail vocalist.

Of course that state of euphoria doesn't last, more's the pity. Jesus spoke of folks who gladly receive the gospel but don't stay faithful for long. Mark 4:16 and 17 (Bible in Basic English) explains one of the four types of human hearts. "And in the same way, these are they who are planted on the stones, who, when the word has come to their ears, straight away take it with joy; And they have no root in themselves, but go on for a time; then, when trouble comes or pain, because of the word, they quickly become full of doubts."

How then can we maintain that condition of joy in our hearts? We read how in Jude 1:24 and 25 (BBE). "Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to give you a place in his glory, free from all evil, with great joy, To the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, let us give glory and honour and authority and power, before all time and now and for ever. So be it."

Studying the scriptures also brings us joy. We read this in 1 John 1:4 (BBE). "And we are writing these things to you so that our joy may be made complete."

But can we feel joy even when we suffer for our faith? The apostles certainly esteemed it an honour. After being whipped, Acts 5:41 and 42 (BBE) tells us what they did next. "So they went away from the Sanhedrin, happy to undergo shame for the Name. And every day, in the Temple and privately, they went on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."

We who suffer for righteousness have much joy to look forward to, as 1 Peter 4:13 (BBE) explains. "But be glad that you are given a part in the pains of Christ; so that at the revelation of his glory you may have great joy."

If that longed-for event hasn't happened by Thursday, I expect to post about a song expressing the perspective of a fetus.

Bread: "Guitar Man"

David Gates, who wrote the song, said that everybody has either wanted to play guitar or has played guitar. It's an instrument he said that anybody can relate to. Listen to the song here and see if you agree.

Guitars didn't exist in Bible times but worshippers certainly praised God with stringed instruments. As Psalm 33:2 (Bible in Basic English) exhorts, "Give praise to the Lord on the corded instrument; make melody to him with instruments of music."

Israelites also used music to give solemn praise to the Lord. As Psalm 92:1-3 (BBE) reads, "<A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.> It is a good thing to give praise to the Lord, and to make melody to your name, O Most High; To make clear your mercy in the morning, and your unchanging faith every night; On a ten-corded instrument, and on an instrument of music with a quiet sound."

On that disastrous day when King David put the Ark of the Covenant on a cart, 2 Samuel 6:5 (BBE) reads, "And David and all the men of Israel made melody before the Lord with all their power, with songs and with corded instruments and instruments of brass."

Moreover, certain Christian sects assume it's wrong to use instruments to praise God. But 2 Chronicles 15:16 (BBE) plainly says, "And David gave orders to the chief of the Levites to put their brothers the music-makers in position, with instruments of music, corded instruments and brass, with glad voices making sounds of joy."

And David's skill as a harpist earned him a royal gig. We read how it happened in 1 Samuel 16:15 and 16 (BBE). "And Saul's servants said to him, 'See now, an evil spirit from God is troubling you. Now give orders to your servants who are here before you to go in search of a man who is an expert player on a corded instrument: and it will be that when the evil spirit from God is on you, he will make music for you on his instrument, and you will get well.'"

In my book How I Was Razed: A journey from Cultism to Christianity, I wrote about how I was grudgingly granted a chance to play guitar. I couldn't read the song lyrics in the hymn books but I could play chords along with the accordionist. It was my way of contributing to the worship service.

And if Christ doesn't return by Monday, I plan to post about the exhilaration of being in love.

The Bee Gees: "I Started a Joke"

This is one of many songs I related to when I was at Jericho Hill School for the Deaf and Blind. Whatever I said or did seemed to go wrong. I could write whole chapters on the consequences of my well-intended actions. My classmates certainly latched on to any mistake I made. Children can be especially cruel with their teasing and particularly their bullying.

Listen to this song here:

Psalms 141:3 and 4 (Bible in Basic English) is one set of verses I pray. "O Lord, keep a watch over my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Keep my heart from desiring any evil thing, or from taking part in the sins of the evil-doers with men who do wrong: and let me have no part in their good things."

This foot-in-mouth trend carried on into my working life. I'll never forget the time I was sent by my supervisor at work to take an award plaque to be framed. As I walked, a blond prostitute sidled up to me and asked, "You want a date?"

Before my brain processed the question, a shop-worn comedy phrase slipped out of my mouth. "No thanks, I'm trying to cut down."

Later on, I had to laugh at the total look of incomprehension on her face. Of course the feeling of embarrassment took longer to fade.

No wonder then that Solomon said in Proverbs 17:28 (BBE), "Even the foolish man, when he keeps quiet, is taken to be wise: when his lips are shut he is credited with good sense."

Often times, our pride gets the better of us whom Christ has saved. The charismatic house church I joined made a big deal about speaking in tongues. I now know that we merely jabbered but we thought it was real.

Even so, we didn't ask for an interpretation as we should have done. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:28 (BBE) something even today's charismatics forget. "But if there is no one to give the sense, let him keep quiet in the church; and let his words be to himself and to God."

How wonderful it is that God makes use of our mistakes and foolishness. Someday we'll see the reasons for what we went through and give our Father endless praise.

If Christ hasn't returned by Saturday, I hope to post about the wish to be famous which we all have had.

Aerosmith: "Chip Away at the Stone"

This band rocked the seventies with many great songs. One of those was about a determined man trying to win over a woman he fancied. She wanted nothing to do with him but he kept up his charm offensive in hopes of winning her over. Check the song out here:

The world's most well-known scripture verse is the Lord's mission statement to humanity. John 3:16 in the Bible in Basic English reads, "For God had such love for the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever has faith in him may not come to destruction but have eternal life."

We also find in Scripture that God is a heart-transplant expert. Ezekiel 36:26 (BBE) explains, "And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you: I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh."

Of course there is surgery we must also perform. Deuteronomy 10:16 (BBE) reads, "Let your circumcision be of the heart, and put away your pride."

Naturally this heart operation is a spiritual one. When Israel demanded a king instead of having god as their sovereign, 1 Samuel 12:20 and 21 records what he said through his prophet. "Then Samuel said to the people, 'Have no fear: truly you have done evil, but do not be turned away from the Lord; be his servants with all your heart; And do not go from the right way turning to those false gods in which there is no profit and no salvation, for they are false.'"

God is still chipping away at hardened hearts. As Hebrews 3:15 (BBE) points out, "As it is said, 'Today if you will let his voice come to your ears, be not hard of heart, as when you made him angry.'"

A day will come when our Master will return and pronounce judgement on the wicked as well as bring rewards to the righteous. Christ said in Matthew 13:47-50 (BBE), "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net, which was put into the sea and took in every sort of fish: When it was full, they took it up on the sands; and seated there they put the good into vessels, but the bad they put away. 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."

If that hasn't happened by Thursday, I hope to post about unintended consequences.