Andy Gibb: "I Just Want to Be Your Everything"

The Bee Gees' little brother released this track in the summer of 1977. With the help of his older siblings, Andy had his first hit. His brothers also sang harmonies on this song. Listen to it here.

We know that nobody on earth is able to be all things to all people. Even so, the Apostle Paul did try. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:22 (Bible in Basic English) that, "To the feeble, I was as one who is feeble, so that they might have salvation: I have been all things to all men, so that some at least might have salvation."

Be that as it may, the only person who can be all things to us is Christ. As he said in John 10:10 (BBE), "The thief comes only to take the sheep and to put them to death: he comes for their destruction: I have come so that they may have life and have it in greater measure."

Likewise, Christ said in John 12:46 (BBE), "I have come as a light into the world, so that no one who has faith in me will go on living in the dark."

And as we work for our Master, we know he'll be with us all the time in the spirit. Matthew 28:19 and 20 (BBE) reminds us to, "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 if we forget some things, we still know that Christ will help us testify through the Holy Spirit. As we read what he said in John 14:25 and 26 (BBE) to the disciples, "I have said all this to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will be your teacher in all things and will put you in mind of everything I have said to you."

So if he whom we adore hasn't returned by Saturday, I'll feature a sweet song by Joni Mitchel.

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.

Saturday Song: Klaatu, "We're Off You Know"

The new year always brings the promise of fresh adventures and opportunities. Though everything outside is more or less the same as last year, it's natural to feel an inward optimism.

A Canadian band named Klaatu recorded an optimistic song on their second album which was released in 1977. Hear it here.

When Christ lived in the flesh, a new era was ushered in. And for this new epoch of history, he changed the focus of The Ten Commandments. John 13:34 (BBE)quotes Christ as saying, "I give you a new law: Have love one for another; even as I have had love for you, so are you to have love one for another."

Jesus also sent out his disciples in order to train them in evangelism. Matthew 10:5-7 (BBE) reads, "These twelve Jesus sent out and gave them orders, saying, "Do not go among the Gentiles, or into any town of Samaria, But go to the wandering sheep of the house of Israel, And, on your way, say, The kingdom of heaven is near."

We also see this new era proclaimed in the words of Christ himself. Luke 16:16 (BBE) quotes him as saying, "The law and the prophets were till John: but then came the preaching of the kingdom of God, and everyone makes his way into it by force."

When Christ rose from the dead, he sent his disciples on the greatest earthly adventure of all. Matthew 28:19 and 20 (BBE), called The Great Commission, tells us about this. "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."

But the greatest adventure awaits all of us who have placed our trust in Christ. We see it explained in 1 Corinthians 15:51 and 52 (BBE). "See, I am giving you the revelation of a secret: we will not all come to the sleep of death, but we will all be changed. In a second, in the shutting of an eye, at the sound of the last horn: for at that sound the dead will come again, free for ever from the power of death, and we will be changed."

How exciting it will be for us who anticipate our Lord's return. The epoch of human government will be ended for good and a new eternal era of the Father's rule will begin.

On Monday, if Christ doesn't return before then, I'll post about whom hell is intended for.

Why is Discipleship so Important?

This sounds like such a silly and unnecessary question for any believer to ask. We know that Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV), "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

But for some newborn Christians, they were never mentored. Like motherless lambs, they search for sustenance wherever they can find it. Cults seek after such easy prey. These naive followers of Christ are told that they can find deeper knowledge, secrets, power, and other enticing things at their particular gathering place. Little do they know that they're in a cult and getting out of it will take courage and determination.

I was one such stray lamb. When I gave my life to Christ in 1969, the vacation Bible School teacher dismissed us without giving each of us a Bible. Neither did she personally encourage us to go to church but just assumed we'd know where to go. Consequently, I turned to radio preachers for spiritual sustenance.

One of those men was Garner Ted Armstrong. His World Tomorrow program sounded so much more advanced than what I heard from the other preachers. I knew about salvation but only he gave me what I thought was discipleship.

While boarding with a family, I was introduced to a cultic house church. The doctrines taught by their charismatic leader were the same sort which I had heard from Mr. Armstrong. Additionally, he taught heretical lies such as God not being omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He even claimed that we were once space aliens and that we were born here so we could get uncontaminated bodies to live in. Revelation 12:7, according to him, was an ancient nuclear war.

I wrote about how the Lord eventually rescued me from their baleful influence in a book called How I Was Razed. Read more about this awesome testimony at Amazon.