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.

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.

Saturday Song: Harry Chapin, "Thirty-Thousand Pounds of Bananas"

This song about a real event sounds comical but it was no laughing matter for a certain truck driver. He descended the hill going into Scranton, Pennsylvania when his brakes failed.

Ever the storyteller, Harry Chapin immortalized this hapless driver in a song. Listen to it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGldNpngDws

Death is the most-feared event for people, generally speaking. It ranks even higher than public speaking. In fact, most folks would rather not think about their impending demise.

Even so, death stalks us all. As James 4:13 and 14 (BBE) reminds us, "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."

The reason we are all headed for death is because of Adam and Eve's disobedience of God's single prohibition for them. Genesis 2:16 and 17 (BBE) states, "And the Lord God gave the man orders, saying, 'You may freely take of the fruit of every tree of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you may not take; for on the day when you take of it, death will certainly come to you.'"

From that terrible day of disobedience onward, we all dwindle and eventually die. Death is also the payment for the work of sin. As Paul noted in Romans 6:23 (KJV) "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

A day will come when death will be no more. Revelation 21:3 and 4 (BBE) reminds us who have placed our faith in Christ, "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.' And he will put an end to all their weeping; and there will be no more death, or sorrow, or crying, or pain; for the first things have come to an end."

But those who resist God to their deaths will suffer a terrible fate. Revelation 20:14 (BBE) warns, "And death and Hell were put into the sea of fire. This is the second death, even the sea of fire."

On Monday, I hope to publish a post about why Christ is called the Lion of Judah.

Saturday Song: Dr John, "Right place Wrong Time"

This seems to have been the story of my life. Whatever I did often offended others or caused them extra work. I know now that many folks who I offended were selfish and my desires were at odds with their plans. In God's sovereignty, things worked out for his glory and my benefit.

Listen to this song here.

Why do we often end up at cross purposes with others? It's because of incorrect expectations. For example, people in the first century expected Christ to kick out the Romans and establish an earthly kingdom of Israel. Even Christ's disciples were fixated on this notion, as Acts 1:6 and 7 (BBE) demonstrates. "So, when they were together, they said to him, 'Lord, will you at this time give back the kingdom to Israel?' And he said to them, 'It is not for you to have knowledge of the time and the order of events which the Father has kept in his control.'"

Earlier in Israel's history, false prophets were claiming that their captivity in Babylon would be short. Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles, saying in Jeremiah 29:10 (BBE) that, "For this is what the Lord has said: When seventy years are ended for Babylon, I will have pity on you and give effect to my good purpose for you, causing you to come back to this place." It happened, just as he said.

Before that, the king of Asyria sent an official called the Rab-shakeh who came against Jerusalem to besiege it. He bragged in 1 Kings 18:33-35 (BBE), "Has any one of the gods of the nations kept his land from falling into the hands of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena and Ivvah? have they kept Samaria out of my hands? Who among all the gods of these countries have kept their country from falling into my hands, to give cause for the thought that the Lord will keep Jerusalem from falling into my hands?"

But we read in 1 Kings 19:6 and 7 (BBE) what God spoke through his prophet about the fate of this man. "And Isaiah said to them, 'This is what you are to say to your master: The Lord says, "Be not troubled by the words which the servants of the king of Assyria have said against me in your hearing. See, I will put a spirit into him, and bad news will come to his ears, and he will go back to his land; and there I will have him put to death by the sword."'"

We're also warned in James 4:13 and 14 (BBE) about, "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."

So what might seem like the wrong time to us is used by the Lord for his plans.

On Monday, I'll post about the hope in our future.

Why Thank God for Our Accomplishments?

Along with praise, God loves it when we thank him. But what about the things we've accomplished on our own, such as holding down a job or raising well-behaved children? The Bible shows us that we're given the strength and ability to do things like that.

First of all, we don't know the future. The Bible in Basic English renders James 4:13-14 this way: "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."

We tend to glory in our strength but God is the one who gives it to us. Our attitude is as foolish as the examples in Isaiah 10:15 (KJV) which reads, "Shall the ax boast itself against him that  heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that  shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it  up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood."

The truth is that without the power and gift of life from the Lord, we're helpless. Jesus said in John 15:5 (KJV)  "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that  abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for  without me ye can do nothing."

Also, our society despises weakness but God works best through yielded people without the might to do much. Look at what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV). "And he said unto me, My grace is  sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the  power of Christ may rest upon me."

Tragically, the people who mentored me when I was a new Christian didn't understand this. They wanted to wield the power of God for their own aggrandizement and taught me to want the same. My How I Was Razed book shows how futile that was and how the Lord is glorified in our inabilities.