The Alan Parsons Project: "The Cask of Amontillado"

This recording engineer for such bands as Wings and Pink Floyd also recorded his own music. Built around the stories of Edgar Allan Poe, the songs express Alan Parson's interpretation of them in music. Check one track from him here.

I've heard that a Chinese proverb says, "Those who seek revenge must dig two graves." Though the character in this song was never found out, God knows every evil thing people do.

The Bible speaks of God's omniscience in verses like Psalms 33:13-15 (Bible in Basic English). "The Lord is looking down from heaven; he sees all the sons of men; From his house he keeps watch on all who are living on the earth;" He makes all their hearts; their works are clear to him."

Neither can foolish people hide their deeds in darkness. It's as futile as hiding behind a barbed wire fence. As Psalms 139:12 (BBE) points out, "Even the dark is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day: for dark and light are the same to you."

People can't even get away with cheating others with deceptive measures. As Proverbs 20:10 (Bible in Basic English) warns, "Unequal weights and unequal measures, they are all disgusting to the Lord." By the way, this doesn't mean fractions or multiples of measurements.

And as Ecclesiastes 9:2 (BBE) reminds us, all people will die sooner or later. "Because to all there is one event, to the upright man and to the evil, to the clean and to the unclean, to him who makes an offering and to him who makes no offering; as is the good so is the sinner; he who takes an oath is as he who has fear of it."

But when Christ returns, we who belong to him will be changed. If that hasn't happened by Saturday, I hope my post about the joy of forgiveness will be up for all to read.

Talking Heads: "A Clean Break"

This is a song which the band never had as a studio song. It's about not taking love to extremes but rather setting the expectations back to zero. Check out this live track here.

We believers need to make a clean break from our past practices. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (Bible in Basic English) Paul rebuked that church for still behaving like carnal people. "Have you not knowledge that evil-doers will have no part in the kingdom of God? Have no false ideas about this: no one who goes after the desires of the flesh, or gives worship to images, or is untrue when married, or is less than a man, or makes a wrong use of men, Or is a thief, or the worse for drink, or makes use of strong language, or takes by force what is not his, will have any part in the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you have been washed, you have been made holy, you have been given righteousness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."

Neither must we give in to the crowd we once ran with. As 1 Peter 4:4 and 5 (BBE) says about those folks, "And they are wondering that you no longer go with them in this violent wasting of life, and are saying evil things of you: But they will have to give an account of themselves to him who is ready to be the judge of the living and the dead."

Hebrews 13:5 (BBE) shows us that we need not fall back on our old ways which seemed better at the time. "Be free from the love of money and pleased with the things which you have; for he himself has said, 'I will be with you at all times.'"

We need to let the change in our natures be seen by the world. As Ephesians 5:17 and 18 (BBE) reminds us, "For this reason, then, do not be foolish, but be conscious of the Lord's pleasure. And do not take overmuch wine by which one may be overcome, but be full of the Spirit;"

Another reason to remain spirit-filled people is given in Christ's parable about the bridegroom. Matthew 25:10-12 (BBE) warns us, "And while they (the foolish virgins) went to get oil, the master came; and those who were ready went in with him to the feast: and the door was shut. After that the other virgins came, saying, 'Lord, Lord, let us in.' But he made answer and said, 'Truly I say to you, I have no knowledge of you.'"

If he who knows us perfectly doesn't come by Thursday, I'll post about how dangerous revenge is.

Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs: "I'm In With) The Out Crowd"

Being popular is one of many human failings. We all want to be appreciated but some folks take it all too far. This sixties band decided to sing about people who didn't care how unfashionable folks were. Check it out here.

Faithful people have never been approved of by the world. As we read in 1 John 3:12 (Bible in Basic English), we're, "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."

Because of this, we read in 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 (BBE) , "For you see God's design for you, my brothers, that he has not taken a great number of the wise after the flesh, not the strong, not the noble: But God made selection of the foolish things of this world so that he might put the wise to shame; and the feeble things that he might put to shame the strong; And the low things of the world, and the things without honour, did God make selection of, yes, even the things which are not, so that he might make as nothing the things which are:"

As a matter of fact, the world isn't our friend. Neither must we emulate its ways. As James 4:4 (BBE) points out, "O you who are false to God, do you not see that the friends of this world are not God's friends? Every man desiring to be a friend of this world makes himself a hater of God."

Jesus never kept it a secret that we would find nothing but animosity toward us from the world. John 15:18 (BBE) tells us, "If you are hated by the world, keep in mind that I was hated by the world before you."

Neither is the world worthy of Christ's martyrs and children. As Hebrews 11:38 (BBE) comments on faithful saints throughout history, they were, "Wandering in waste places and in mountains and in holes in the rocks; for whom the world was not good enough."

If Christ hasn't returned to reward us by Monday, I hope my post about giving the past the slip is up for all to read.

Neil Young: "The Needle and the Damage Done"

This Canadian guitarist wrote a song about people destroyed by addiction to hard drugs. Sadly, this still happens today. Check out this song here.

Sin is like an addictive drug and like babies of drug addicts, we all are addicted. As Ecclesiastes 7:20 (Bible in Basic English) notes, "There is no man on earth of such righteousness that he does good and is free from sin all his days."

We also learn from James 1:13 and 14 (BBE) that giving into sin is our own fault. "Let no man say when he is tested, 'I am tested by God;' for it is not possible for God to be tested by evil, and he himself puts no man to such a test: But every man is tested when he is turned out of the right way by the attraction of his desire."

According to the Bible, religious sinners are the worst as they don't think they need salvation. As Jesus, in John 8:34-36 (BBE), explained to the Pharisees, "And this was the answer Jesus gave them: 'Truly I say to you, Everyone who does evil is the servant of sin. Now the servant does not go on living in the house for ever, but the son does. If then the son makes you free, you will be truly free.'"

We see how Christ makes people free from sin's addiction in 1 John 3:8 (BBE). "The sinner is a child of the Evil One; for the Evil One has been a sinner from the first. And the Son of God was seen on earth so that he might put an end to the works of the Evil One."

In spite of being new creatures, Satan continues to put a monkey on our backs. When we give in, we still can become clean. We read in 1 John 2:1-3 (BBE), "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may be without sin. And if any man is a sinner, we have a friend and helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, the upright one: He is the offering for our sins; and not for ours only, but for all the world. And by this we may be certain that we have knowledge of him, if we keep his laws."

I hope Christ returns soon but if he hasn't come by Saturday, I expect my post about being in with the out crowd will be up for all to read.

Karl Bartos: "Without a Trace of Emotion"

This one-time member of Kraftwerk released an exceptional album in 2013 called Off The Record. It contains musical ideas which he couldn't realize while he was in the band. Listen to one track here.

Just as Karl can't avoid his past from effecting him, we still have events which shaped us. As Paul wrote of his background in Philippians 3:4-6 (Bible in Basic English), "Even though I myself might have faith in the flesh: if any other man has reason to have faith in the flesh, I have more: Being given circumcision on the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in relation to the law, a Pharisee: In bitter hate I was cruel to the church; I kept all the righteousness of the law to the last detail."

Now some folks might wonder about believers being declared new creatures. Shouldn't we be free of our old nature? Paul answered that in Romans 7:14 and 15 (BBE). "For we are conscious that the law is of the spirit; but I am of the flesh, given into the power of sin. And I have no clear knowledge of what I am doing, for that which I have a mind to do, I do not, but what I have hate for, that I do."

While we await the return of our Master, we trust in his saving work. As Hebrews 5:8 and 9 (BBE) reminds us, "And though he was a Son, through the pain which he underwent, the knowledge came to him of what it was to be under God's orders; And when he had been made complete, he became the giver of eternal salvation to all those who are under his orders;"

When we're resurrected, we'll be given bodies fit for the new world. As 1 Corinthians 15:54 and 55 (BBE) tells us, "But when this has taken place, then that which was said in the Writings will come true, 'Death is overcome by life. O death, where is your power? O death, where are your pains?'"

If this hasn't happened by Thursday, I'll post an anti-drug song by Neil Young.

Joni Mitchel: "The Circle Game"

This is one song we can all relate to as it's about life. Additionally, people tend to want to grow up when they're children and then wish to stop the advance of the years once they're grown. Listen to this excellent songwriter's thoughtful song here.

In our lives, the Lord has granted us different seasons. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (Bible in Basic English) reminds us, "For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun."

And to help us with keeping track of the times, Genesis 1:14 and 15 (BBE) reads, "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the arch of heaven, for a division between the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for marking the changes of the year, and for days and for years: And let them be for lights in the arch of heaven to give light on the earth:' and it was so."

Holy days in the Old Testament were also set for various seasons of the year. As God told Moses in Leviticus 23:4 (BBE), "These are the fixed feasts of the Lord, the holy days of worship which you will keep at their regular times."

Our Father in Heaven is also fully in charge of whatever happens. Nothing is beyond his control, as we read in Daniel 2:20-22 (BBE). "And Daniel said in answer, 'May the name of God be praised for ever and ever: for wisdom and strength are his: By him times and years are changed: by him kings are taken away and kings are lifted up: he gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those whose minds are awake:  He is the unveiler of deep and secret things: he has knowledge of what is in the dark, and the light has its living-place with him.'"

But details of future events remain off limits for us, as Christ told his disciples in Acts 1:7 and 8 (BBE). "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. But you will have power, when the Holy Spirit has come on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judaea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

If Jesus hasn't returned by Monday, I expect to have my next blog post up.

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.