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.

Don Henley: "Dirty Laundry"

What a shame we hear so little good news. The motto, "If it bleeds, it leads," is continually followed by reporters and news editors. These days, political enemies of the leftist activists in the press are the ones routinely smeared.

Don Henley had a hit with a song about television newscasters back in 1982. The media landscape has changed but the ethos is the same. "Kick 'em when they're up. Kick 'em when their down."

Listen to this song here:

One sin Christians fall into is gossip. Unlike seeking a way to help a fallen sibling in Christ, folks use their tongues to tear others down while boosting their egos.

Gossips ought to heed Proverbs 10:18 (Bible in Basic English). "Hate is covered up by the lips of the upright man, but he who lets out evil about another is foolish."

God certainly took harsh action against those who murmured against Moses. That generation wandered the desert for forty years. Numbers 14:36 and 37 (BBE) explains, "And the men whom Moses sent to see the land, and who, by the bad account they gave of the land, were the cause of the outcry the people made against Moses, Those same men who said evil of the land, came to their death by disease before the Lord." Only Kalib and Joshua were spared for their good report of the land."

We also receive a stern warning against harmful speech in James 3:5 and 6 (BBE) about how dangerous wicked talk is. "Even so the tongue is a small part of the body, but it takes credit for great things. "How much wood may be lighted by a very little fire! And the tongue is a fire; it is the power of evil placed in our bodies, making all the body unclean, putting the wheel of life on fire, and getting its fire from hell."

James 1:19 and 20 BBE) also reminds us, "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."

In the event that Christ hasn't returned by Monday, I plan on posting about When to obey or disobey government edicts.

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.

Men At Work, "Who Could It Be Now"

 I sure relate to this song. Some folks I've known never seem to understand that people sometimes need privacy and don't often want to chatter late into the night. I've had to be rude to them just to get it through their thick skulls that I wanted privacy.

check out this great song here:

A common proverb people use is "familiarity breeds contempt." In fact, I've even been guilty of doing what Proverbs 25:17 (Bible in Basic English) warns against. "Let not your foot be frequently in your neighbour's house, or he may get tired of you, and his feeling be turned to hate."

Another kind of speech which is no good, and I've been guilty of it as well, is mentioned in Proverbs 14:23 (BBE). "In all hard work there is profit, but talk only makes a man poor."

Likewise, I've had my moments of foolish talk. Unlike some people I know, I did learn from my folly. Ecclesiastes 10:12-14 (BBE) admonishes, "The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction. The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime. The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?"

Furthermore, I struggle with the error of speaking first before I've heard both sides of an argument. Talkative people tend to do this often as well. As James 1:19 and 20 (BBE) reminds us, "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."

And while we should speak out against injustice, a time comes when we must butt out of arguments which don't concern us. As Paul wrote to the congregation in 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12  (BBE), "And, truly, you are lovers of all the brothers in Macedonia; but it is our desire that your love may be increased still more; And that you may take pride in being quiet and doing your business, working with your hands as we gave you orders; That you may be respected by those who are outside, and may have need of nothing."

We also need to have a solitary time each day when we talk with God. As Jesus taught in Matthew 6:5 and 6 (BBE), "And when you make your prayers, be not like the false-hearted men, who take pleasure in getting up and saying their prayers in the Synagogues and at the street turnings so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward. But when you make your prayer, go into your private room, and, shutting the door, say a prayer to your Father in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will give you your reward."

If the Lord doesn't return by Monday, I hope to post about heaven and the weird ideas people have about it.