Paul Revere and The Raiders: "Do Unto Others"

This is one American band which had success during the so-called British Invasion of the sixties. They covered many standards at first but by 1966, they were singing their own songs. Hear one of their greats here:

What a great world this would be if everybody just obeyed what they call The Golden Rule. Nobody would rob, lie, or kill anybody. In fact, crimes of all sorts would disappear.

Better still, people would do good to others because they cared about them. Jesus took that to the max in Luke 14:12-14 (Bible in Basic English). "And he said to the master of the house, 'When you give a feast, do not send for your friends and your brothers and your family or your neighbours who have wealth, for they may give a feast for you, and so you will get a reward. But when you give a feast, send for the poor and the blind and those who are broken in body: And you will have a blessing, because they will not be able to give you any payment, and you will get your reward when the upright come back from the dead.'"

Some folks in Christ's time assumed just keeping the law outwardly would get them into heaven. Jesus set one lawyer straight in Matthew 22:37-40 (BBE). "And he said to him, 'Have love for the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest rule. And a second like it is this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself. On these two rules all the law and the prophets are based.'"

Better still, kindness to poor Christians is kindness to Christ. As he said in a parable about the Judgement Day in Matthew 25:34-40 (BBE), "Then will the King say to those on his right, 'Come, you who have the blessing of my Father, into the kingdom made ready for you before the world was: For I was in need of food, and you gave it to me: I was in need of drink, and you gave it to me: I was wandering, and you took me in; I had no clothing, and you gave it to me: when I was ill, or in prison, you came to me.' Then will the upright make answer to him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you in need of food, and give it to you? or in need of drink, and give it to you? And when did we see you wandering, and take you in? or without clothing, and give it to you? And when did we see you ill, or in prison, and come to you?' And the King will make answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, Because you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"

If that blessed Resurrection event hasn't happened by Thursday, I hope to post about how human pride ruins civilization.

Paul Revere and The Raiders: "Kicks"

This song soared up the charts in the spring of 1967. It's about the danger of seeking thrills for thrills' sake. As the song says, they seem to keep getting harder to find.

Listen to the song here.

The Bible has much to say about overdoing pleasure. One bad effect is that intoxicants and a full belly cause one to forget God. As he said to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 29:6 (Bible in Basic English), "You have had no bread, or wine, or strong drink: so that you might see that I am the Lord your God." Sadly, they were slow learners.

Getting drunk also causes a person to lose their judgement. One monarch in 1 Kings 16:8-10 (BBE) learned that lesson the hard way. "In the twenty-sixth year that Asa was king of Judah, Elah, the son of Baasha, became king of Israel in Tirzah, and he was king for two years. And his servant Zimri, captain of half his war-carriages, made secret designs against him: now he was in Tirzah, drinking hard in the house of Arza, controller of the king's house in Tirzah. And Zimri went in and made an attack on him and put him to death, in the twenty-seventh year that Asa was king of Judah, and made himself king in his place."

And Paul points out that drinking to excess is no way for a Christian to act. Ephesians 5:18 (BBE) admonishes, "And do not take overmuch wine by which one may be overcome, but be full of the Spirit;"

Solomon also reminds us in Proverbs 20:1 (BBE) that, "Wine makes men foolish, and strong drink makes men come to blows; and whoever comes into error through these is not wise."

May you remain sober and watchful for Christ's coming. If that hasn't happened by Saturday, I'll hopefully post about the danger of rumors.