John Fogerty: "Deja Vu (All Over Again)"

How true it is that the more things change, the more things stay the same. For example, people have been murdering and warring against each other for millennia but it still happens in our supposedly modern world.

John Fogerty sang about this feeling that we've heard it all before in this song. Check it out here:

It's no surprise that the very first family was dysfunctional. We read how it was summed up in 1 John 3:12 (Bible in Basic English) that we should be, "Not being of the Evil One like Cain, who put his brother to death. And why did he put him to death? Because his works were evil and his brother's works were good."

Even squabbles in the family of Christ aren't new. James 4:1-3 (BBE) warns us, "What is the cause of wars and fighting among you? is it not in your desires which are at war in your bodies? You are burning with desire, and have not your desire, so you put men to death; you are full of envy, and you are not able to get your desire, so you are fighting and making war; you have not your desire, because you do not make request for it. You make your request but you do not get it, because your request has been wrongly made, desiring the thing only so that you may make use of it for your pleasure."

We have new concepts in governance but the basic purpose is the same. Note what Paul wrote in Romans 13:1 and 2 (BBE). "Let everyone put himself under the authority of the higher powers, because there is no power which is not of God, and all powers are ordered by God. For which reason everyone who puts himself against the authority puts himself against the order of God: and those who are against it will get punishment for themselves."

Until Christ returns, bad things will continue to happen. As he said in Matthew 24:8 (BBE) about turmoil, "But all these things are the first of the troubles."

If our lord delays his coming past Saturday, I hope to post about cases of mistaken identity.

Saturday Song: Iron Butterfly, "You Can't Win"

1968 certainly was a year of unrest in America. From assassinations to student and race riots, America experienced them all.

This particular song by Iron Butterfly shows the futility of fighting the police. Sadly, many anti-war protesters didn't heed the warning and got busted in more ways than one.

Listen to this psychedelic band's song here.

We Christians are instructed not to fight the powers that be. Paul gives the reason why in Romans 13:1 and 2 (BBE). "Let everyone put himself under the authority of the higher powers, because there is no power which is not of God, and all powers are ordered by God. For which reason everyone who puts himself against the authority puts himself against the order of God: and those who are against it will get punishment for themselves."

Likewise, we read in Hebrews 13:17 (BBE) about the benefits of heeding those in authority. "Give ear to those who are rulers over you, and do as they say: for they keep watch over your souls, ready to give an account of them; let them be able to do this with joy and not with grief, because that would be of no profit to you." By the way, this applies to those in leadership of our churches as well.

We're also admonished in 1 Peter 2:13 and 14 (BBE), "Keep all the laws of men because of the Lord; those of the king, who is over all, And those of the rulers who are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of those who do well."

And as we're reminded in 1 Timothy 2:1 and 2 (BBE), we ought to pray for our rulers. "My desire is, first of all, that you will make requests and prayers and give praise for all men; For kings and all those in authority; so that we may have a calm and quiet life in all fear of God and serious behaviour."

But what if we're commanded to do what God forbids or not to do what God commands? When the temple rulars forbad Peter and John from teaching , they said to them in Acts 4:19 and 20 (BBE), "But Peter and John in answer said to them, 'It is for you to say if it is right in the eyes of God to give attention to you more than to God: For it is not possible for us to keep from saying what we have seen and have knowledge of.'"
On Monday, I hope to publish about why God tests us.