Good Tuesday to ya friend and welcome to the final political edition of The Notes, Tuesday's Musical Notes Votes!!
It is election day!!! Some states allow some form of early voting or absentee voting. Click here to see the map:
States That Allow Early Voting
But for most Americans, today will be the day that they will go to their respective polling places and decide who they will elect as President of the United States. Senators and Representatives, as well as many ballot initiatives, will be decided upon today as well. After today we should be finished hearing from our computers, radios, and televisions......"Vote For Me."
Chicago "Vote For Me"
The Notes admits to bias when it comes to certain rock bands. Any band that features a horn section is near and dear to the heart of this particular blog. The best, by Notes standards, is the band Chicago. One of the most successful bands in history, Chicago has seen 18 of their 34 albums go to platinum status. They have 21 top 10 singles and 5 albums reach #1 on the charts. They have released 63 singles from their albums. The remainder of songs on Chicago albums are good songs, yet have rarely been given a listen by anyone other than Chicago enthusiasts. One such song is entitled "Vote For Me", from 1977's Chicago XI. It was a song about obtaining the nomination for President. The candidate in the song makes many promises that would probably be difficult to achieve. It seems not much has changed in 35 years. "Vote For Me" was not released as a single, nor did it chart, but it joined a number of politically charged songs by Chicago, including "The Whole World Is Watching", "Harry Truman", "State Of The Union", and "A Song For Richard And His Friends".
Today our country will either
reelect President Barack Obama or elect Mitt Romney as our President.
As we have seen over the last couple of years, many surrogates and the candidates themselves have attempted to describe the role of President of the United States. I think the best way is always through the eyes of a child......cue flashback music:
Schoolhouse Rock "The Preamble"
The President will take the oath of office on Inauguration Day next January. This is a two part oath of office with the first portion being:
"I, (President's Name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the
Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and
domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I
take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose
of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of
the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."
This same oath is given to Senators and Representatives as they are sworn into their new roles in the representative government of our Republic. The President however reaffirms his oath in the 2nd portion of his oath of office that is given at 12pm on the day of the Inaugural:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the
office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my
ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United
States."
You may notice that the Constitution of the United States is the document that the President is sworn to uphold. It includes the Preamble, The Bill Of Rights, and The Amendments and is one of the most revered documents in our nation. In fact, you could say that is a National Treasure:
National Treasure "A Line That's At The Heart Of All The Others"
Let's look at the Preamble to the Constitution to see if it sheds light on what the President as well as each of us as citizens are prescribed by the founders to accomplish......together.
"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union
1) establish justice, 2) insure domestic tranquility, 3) provide for the common defense, 4) promote the general welfare, 5)secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
Do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America."
Our challenge on this very special day, is to determine which candidate has the ability to do those 5 things. We will certainly disagree on the way those things are accomplished, but we must never compromise any one of them. We also have a responsibility as Christians to do the best that we can for the eternal kingdom, regardless who wins the Presidential campaign. A great article that details our reaction to the results of the election is at the next link. It is written by Glenn Packiam, a newly naturalized citizen and writer of the song "Your Name".
5 Reasons why voting matters to me
In this article Packiam references the wonderful teaching of Jesus called the Beautitudes. These are also some very high standards in which to hold all of our elected officials accountable. From The Message paraphrase:
Matthew 5-7 The Message
Today is an important day. Edward Everett Hale, the author of The Man Without a Country wrote something that applies well today:
I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
Time
is over to research the issues and candidates. If you haven't voted,
please do. To not vote, IS to vote. Then as Christ followers let us commit together to pray for the leaders we have elected. As we come to the close of this election cycle we can be thankful that the day has arrived where, at least for 6 months or so, we won't hear the phrase...."Vote For Me."
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by loving you,
Randy
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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Vote For me. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Vote For me. Sort by date Show all posts
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Tuesday's Musical Notes - "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" (Janet Jackson)
Greetings
and Salutations on this fine Super Tuesday!!!! If your state is having
a primary today, make sure that you have exercised your right as a
citizen of the United States and VOTE! Your vote counts! I have heard
so many people say that they would vote for someone, but they didn't
think that someone could win. In essence, they don't want to "waste"
their vote. If you have done your research and prayed over the
decision, NO VOTE IS EVER "WASTED". Sorry about shouting...it's just
sad when we live in the best country in the world and we see folks who
rely on the polls, pundits, and political parties to get the information
they seek on how to vote. All of these sources are biased and
sometimes have done things to manipulate the information they are
disseminating. Do your own research. Check out the candidates for
yourself. Use the incredible organ that is your mind and make a
decision. Even if your candidate does not win the election, you can
rest assured that you have won by doing what was right, based on your
OWN opinion...ok, rant over...
Welcome
to the place where Tuesday is always SUPER!!! It's Tuesday's Musical
Notes with a remix edition from a Musical Note from 2011. Today's
featured song is from the BEST YEAR EVER!!! She said "Yes" and we said
"I Do" in 1986, the same year that Janet Jackson hit the iconic stage
(yep, there was a Janet before the wardrobe malfunction) with the
release of her third album, Control. Her from 1986 and 2011 is Tuesday's Musical Notes - "What Have You Done For Me Lately?"
Michael Jackson may have been a musical genius, but his sister Janet was smart enough to surround herself with people who were genius in their own right. This combination of talent proved good enough to propel her to pop star status in the mid to late '80's. One of those pairings was with noted producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (from the band The Time). This collaboration birthed a song that women have been asking for ages...
"What Have You Done For Me Lately?" by Janet Jackson from the 1986 album Control
"What Have You Done For Me Lately?" went as high as #4 on the Billboard charts in early 1986. The song had been out for a couple of months, but like so many songs of the '80's needed its video companion (choreographed by Paula Abdul) to propel it up the charts. Ahh the time when MTV still actually played music videos......yep...digression. "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" spent 21 weeks on the charts and wound up at #43 for the 1986 end of the year countdown on Billboard. It would be the first of many top 10 singles for Janet from 1986 until 2001.
The song posed the question that many in our society still ask today. It seems that we have a tendency to remember the recent. Many people ask God the same thing as they take for granted the very fact that they were able to rise from their bed. Even in the "Christian community" this mentality has been pervasive. It seems that we haven't read through the Gospels to discover what Jesus said about servanthood.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to the Disciple Matthew:20:20-27 New International Version of the Bible/The Message Paraphrase parallelof the Bible
The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark:9:33-37 NIV/The Message parallel
The Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Dr. Luke: 6:27-30 The Message/NIV parallel
The Gospel Of Jesus Christ according to the disciple John: 15:12-14 NIV/The Message parallel
With these passages in mind, instead of "What Have You Done For Me Lately?", shouldn't the question be, "What Can I Do For You, Today?"
This topic rears its head often in the area of "worship" in the church. Why do we attend church in the tradition that we do? What does the church do for me? I don't mean "tradition" in the vernacular of "that's what mom and dad always did". I suppose style would be a better word for it. Let's face it, there are a myriad of church styles out there. Even in the Southern Baptist Convention there are differing styles or traditions, but they all have denominational foundations that anchor them together. People are attracted to the styles that "do" the most for them. If you are brave enough to broach the subject of worship traditions, you may find yourself in a quandary. I read a recent article that I have copied for your consideration below. I think it does a great job of getting to the point that as Christians, we may have differing traditions of what worship looks like, but there are some Biblical guidelines that we must always remember about what worship is.
7 Things We Regularly Get Wrong About Worship
- Joe McKeever
- Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name (Psalm 29:2).
It's Sunday around noonish. As the congregation files out of the sanctuary heading toward the parking lot, listen closely and you will hear it.
It's a common refrain voiced near the exit doors of churches all across this land."I didn't get anything out of that today." "I didn't get anything out of the sermon." "I didn't get anything out of that service." "I guess her song was all right, but I didn't get anything out of it."
Sound familiar? Not only have I heard it countless times over these near-fifty years in the ministry, I probably have said it a few times myself.
This is like dry rot in a congregation. Like a termite infestation in the building. Like an epidemic afflicting the people of the Lord, one which we seem helpless to stop.But let's try. Let's see if we can make a little difference where you and I live, in the churches where we serve and worship. We might not be able to help all of them, but if we bless one or two, it will have been time well spent.
1. You are Not Supposed to 'Get Anything Out of the Service'Worship is not about you and me. Not about "getting our needs met." Not about a performance from the pastor and singer and choir and musicians. Not in the least.
2. Worship is About the Lord"Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name." That Psalm 29:2 verse atop our article today is found also in I Chronicles 16:29 and Psalm 96:8. It deserves being looked at closely.
a) We are in church to give. Not to get.Now, if I am going somewhere to "get," but find out on arriving, I am expected to "give," I am one frustrated fellow. And that is what is happening in the typical church service. People walk out the door frustrated because they didn't "get." The reason they didn't is that they were not there to "get," but to "give."Someone should have told them.b) We are giving glory to God. Not to man.We know that. At least we say we do. How many times have we recited, "...for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory"? And how often have we sung, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow..."?c) We do so because glory is His right. He is "worthy of worship."This is the theme of the final book of the Bible.
- "Who is worthy?" (Rev. 5:2)
- "You are worthy...for you were slain, and have redeemed us" (Rev. 5:9).
- "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain" (Rev. 5:12).
3. Self-centeredness Destroys All WorshipIf my focus is on myself when I enter the church--getting my needs met, learning something, hearing a lesson that blesses me, being lifted by the singing--then Christ has no part in it. He becomes my servant, and the pastor (and all the other so-called performers) are there only for me. It's all about me.We have strayed so far from the biblical concept of worship--giving God His due in all the ways He has commanded--it's a wonder we keep going to church. And it's an even greater wonder that our leaders keep trying to get us to worship.The poor preacher! Trying to cater to the insatiable hungers of his people, even the best and most godly among them, is an impossible task. One week he gets it right and eats up the accolades. Then, about the time he thinks he has it figured out, the congregation walks out grumbling that they got nothing out of the meal he served today.The typical congregation in the average church today really does think the service is all about them--getting people saved, learning the Word, receiving inspiration to last another week, having their sins forgiven, taking an offering to provision the Lord's work throughout the world.Anything wrong with those things? Absolutely not. But if we go to church to do those things, we can do them. But we will not have worshiped.Warren Wiersbe says, "If you worship because it pays, it will not pay."
4. Evangelism & Discipleship, Giving & Praying, Grow Out of Worship; Not the Other Way AroundThe disciples were worshiping on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit filled them and drove them into the streets to bear a witness to the living Christ (Acts 2).Isaiah was in the Temple worshiping when God appeared to him, forgave his sins, and called him as a prophet to the people (Isaiah 6).It was in the act of worship that the two distraught disciples had their eyes opened to recognize Jesus at their table (Luke 24).
5. We are to Give Him Worship and Glory in the Ways Scripture Commands"Give to the Lord the glory due His name and bring an offering." So commands I Chronicles 16:29 and Psalm 96:8."The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart--these, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:17)Singing, praise, rejoicing. Praying, offering, humbling, loving. All these are commanded in worship at various places in Scripture.The Lord Jesus told the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, "Those who worship God must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). That is, with their inner being, the totality of themselves, their spirit, not just their lips or their bodies going through the motions. And in truth--the revealed truth of how God has prescribed worship to take place. He is not pleased with "just anything" that we claim as worship.We must balance our worship between spirit (the subjective part: body, soul, emotions) and truth (the objective aspect: all that God has revealed in His word).
6. We Are the Ones Who Decide Whether We Worship upon Entering the House of the LordDon't blame the preacher if you don't worship. He can't do it for you.No one else can eat my food for me, love my cherished ones in my place, or do my worshiping for me.No pastor can decide or dictate whether we will worship by the quality of his leadership or the power of his sermon. Whether I worship in today's service has absolutely nothing to do with how well he does his job.I am in charge of this decision. I decide whether I will worship.When Mary sat before the Lord Jesus, clearly worshiping, He informed a disgruntled Martha that her sister had "chosen the good part," something that "will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42). That something special was time spent in worship. Such moments or hours are eternal.Lest someone point out that Martha could have worshiped in her kitchen by her service for Christ, we do not argue, but simply point out that she was not doing so that day.
7. Remember: Worship is a VerbAnd it's an active verb at that.Worship is something we do, not something done to us.In the worst of circumstances, I can still worship my God. In the Philippians prison, while their backs were still oozing blood from the beating they'd received, Paul and Silas worshiped (Acts 16:25).Even if a church has no pastor and has to make do with a stuttering layman or some inept fill-in, I can still bow before the Lord, offer Him my praise, and give Him my all. I can humble before Him and I can bring my offering.What I cannot do is leave church blaming my failure to worship on the poor singing, the boring sermon, or the noise from the children in the next pew. I am in charge of the decision whether I will worship, and no one else.Someone has pointed out that ours is the only nation on earth where church members feel they have to have "worshipful architecture" before they can adequately honor the Lord. Millions of Christians across the world seem to worship just fine without any kind of building. Believers in Malawi meet under mango trees, according to retired missionary Mike Canady, and their worship is as anointed as anyone's anywhere. (What? No stained glass!)
Our insistence on worshipful music, worship settings, and worshipful everything are all signs of our disgusting self-centeredness.
It's disgusting because I see it in myself, and do not like it.
No one enjoys a great choir more than I. I love to hear a soloist transport us all into the Throneroom by his/her vocal offering in the service. A great testimony of God's grace and power thrills me. And of course, being a preacher, I delight in hearing a sermon that you feel is direct from the heart of God.
But if I require any one or all of those before I can worship, something is vastly wrong with me.
My friends, something is vastly wrong with us today.
Dr. Joe McKeever is a Preacher, Cartoonist, and the Director of Missions for the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans. Visit him at joemckeever.com/mt. Used with permission.Publication date: May 24, 2011
Ouch. I don't know about you, but it seems that I certainly have some things to consider and pray about with regards to my worship and perhaps about my service to my fellow man. "Laying down one's life" doesn't always mean dying for your cause. It could mean the sacrifice of time and treasure for the benefit of another. This is difficult for those of us who are born with a self absorbed nature...virtually everyone in the world. But it can be accomplished through the strength of the One who has the power to overcome even our self centeredness.
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,Randy
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Agreement" (Kitaro featuring Jon Anderson (Yes))
Welcome to Tuesday! Thanks for stopping by! This is Tuesday's Musical Notes, a blog that muses about music!!! We are so excited that you are here!
Each week we explore the background of some of the world's favorite music. We tell the trivia as well as the travails that were experienced in the production and release of a focused song. We tend to link to previous blog posts and occasionally share some insight into the artists that so wonderfully produce the soundtracks to our lives. We usually take the theme of the song, sometimes just the title, and bring it into a bit of a different perspective that we hope will cause you to ponder about life and lyric. While we are obviously biased in our opinion, we hope you will find Tuesday's Musical Notes to be one of your favorite blogs. As you read, it is our hope that you will find much in which we have agreement...
Kitaro, born Masanori Takahashi, is one of the leading artists in a style of music referred to as New Age, or Neo-Classical. Since his debut album, 1978's Tenkai, Kitaro has produced 24 studio releases and 14 soundtrack albums. He has 17 Grammy-nominated albums. He won the Grammy for Best New Age album in 1999 for the record, Thinking of You, and won a Golden Globe in 1993 for his soundtrack to the motion picture Heaven and Earth. His latest release is the Grammy-nominated, compilation album from 2017 entitled, Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 5.
The height of Kitaro's recording success came in the late 80s and 90s as many were discovering New Age as a valued form of music for relaxation techniques and meditation. He partnered with The Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Touch of Grey" (The Grateful Dead)) on the 1987 record The Light of the Spirit which saw sales of over two million. He continued his collaborations with Jon Anderson from Yes (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Changes" (Yes)) in 1992 for the also Grammy-nominated album Dreams, which feature's our song of the day "Agreement". With these partnerships highlighting his career, it is easy to see that Kitaro is an artist by which others could find agreement...
This past week, the United States of America experienced the culmination of a tenuous election cycle by casting ballots for officials who will be charged with the task of legislating and leading our nation. There seems to be much difficulty in gaining agreement regarding the results. Tuesday's Musical Notes trusts the process and feels sure that when the dust settles, a President will be elected, a congress will be seated, and we will get on with our lives. We urge those who are elected to abide by #6 of Stephen Covey's Habits of Effective People..."Seek first to understand, then be understood". In other words, find where you can agree and be effective!!!
Agreement is an ancient principle that has been put into practice countless times in the history of man for the benefit of man. When one finds himself agreeing with others, tensions decrease, and much can be accomplished. Just imagine what would happen if agreement occurred between God, the Creator of all things, and man...
Beginning on April 9, 2019, Tuesday's Musical Notes began a journey through the Bible. We are convicted that even those who call upon the name of the Lord and are saved, have missed many of the great stories of the Bible, therefore, missing some incredibly important precepts. You can explore this journey as well as see every other Tuesday's Musical Notes in the archives to the left of your screen. Check some of those out and see if you may have missed something that is earth-shattering!
Today, we find ourselves at the base of Mt. Sinai with the Israelites as they travel. Mt. Sinai is located between Egypt and the Promised Land. And was one of several stops the foundling nation had as they were making their trek across the desert. At Sinai, God had verbally explained the commands for effective living in the Promised Land to them. As one would imagine when hearing the audible voice of God, the Israelites were afraid, they were petrified. So much so, that they begged God to stop speaking to them for fear that their demise would occur in His presence. God agrees and calls Moses up the mountain, but before Moses and the 12 leaders (1 from each tribe) of Israel begin their ascent, we find the Israelites forming an agreement with God based on what they had just heard.
"All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!"
Now, remember, the Israelites were making this statement based on not just the 10 commandments, but the other rules that God had given them in Exodus 21-23 (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Rules for Living" (Blondie)). Their statement in Exodus 24:3 formed the basis of an accord, a covenant, an agreement between the nation of Israel and God. From God's perspective, this was an everlasting agreement. From the Israelites...well, they fudged it a bit from time to time. More on that later.
This seemed like an easy "say" on the Israelites part until they had to put it all into action. Have you ever had a contract, an understanding, an agreement that you have made with someone? Ever make such a statement as "You bet! I'll do everything that we just talked about if you will!" Perhaps you've even heard recently something along these lines..." I promise, if you good folks will give me your vote, I'll end the virus, clean up the climate, eliminate racism, and make sure everyone is paying their fair share in taxes!" or maybe this..." If you vote for me, I'll continue to make the economy zoom, put the screws to China for the virus and their unfair trade practices, strengthen the military, and make America great again!" There's only 1 real problem with either of these agreements...they are made between and by changing, flawed, sinful, unrighteous, people AND God is not part or parcel to any of these promises, except with the occasional mention of His name.
The Israelites soon discovered that their end of the bargain was harder to fulfill than what they thought. They changed. But God never did. His desire was to make them a great nation. Much later on we see that fulfilled in the kingdom of Solomon. Even later in the Bible the prophet Isaiah will speak on God's behalf and implore the nation of Israel with another agreement: "Come now and let us reason together..." Isaiah 1:18-31 NASB/AMP/KJV The ultimate fulfillment of the agreement at Sinai came in the form of a Carpenter who came to seek and to save those who were lost...including you and I.
God never changes. His promises ARE ALWAYS fulfilled. He wants to have an agreement with you today. Tuesday's Musical Notes has a suggestion of what such a conversation regarding this agreement might look like...
God: "Hey there!"
You: "Um...me?"
God: "Yup, you, the one reading that great blog written by one of My children. You know what? I created you to be with Me and I have a heaven where I live that I have made for folks just like you!"
You: "You do?"
God: "You bet! I have it all set. It's waiting for you if you will enter into an agreement with me on something."
You: "Sure thing! That sounds fantastic! I'm in!...um...what's my part of the agreement?"
God: "Turn away from wrong things. Turn towards Me! It is called repenting!"
You: "Really? Ok...so how do I go about this repenting thing?"
God: "Admit that your wrong things keeps you separated from Me. Believe that I sent Jesus, Myself in human form, my Son, to serve as a sacrifice for your sin, your wrong things."
You: "Sacrifice doesn't sound like a good thing...What do you mean by that?"
God: "Because of your wrong things, I should judge you by putting you to death, separating you from Me forever. Jesus took your place. Jesus had to die a torturous death. He paid the price for eternity with Me that you couldn't."
You: "Jesus died?"
God: "Yes, for you! Then after being sealed in a tomb for 3 days, He came back to life and was seen by His disciples!"
You: "Ok, that's great! He did that so I could be with You in Heaven and all I have to do is believe that and turn away from doing wrong things? RIGHT ON! with the belief thing, but that whole turning away from doing wrong sounds hard..."
God: "Not to worry, when Jesus came back to Heaven to sit at my right hand, We sent you Holy Spirit to dwell in you when you believe in Jesus. Holy Spirit is Me dwelling inside of you. He gives you the strength to battle the enemy and the power to overcome the temptation to do the wrong things. What do you think about that?"
You: "That's pretty fantastical! I suppose that whole turning from the wrong things means I need to read the Bible. I've heard about that Bible of Yours! Isn't it a rule book full of "Thou shall not"?"
God: "Yes, my Book has guidelines about the wrong things, but it is also filled with instructions on becoming like Me, the "Thou shalls" if you will. AND, if you are busy doing the "Thou Shalls", you won't have time to do the "Thou shall nots"!!! Regardless, I will be with you all the way. Just believe."
You: "Okay God, while it may be difficult at times, I trust You!!! We have an agreement!"
Well, that might be the way it goes...God is waiting to make an agreement with you today. God knows where you may mess up and He still wants to enter into this agreement with you just like He did with the Israelites in Exodus 24. Will you do like they did and confidently affirm the agreement?
"Watching the world from our window of life
Can we see all there is that is real, that is right?"
Can we see all there is that is real, that is right?"
"All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do!"
Serving HIM by serving You,
randy
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Tuesday's Musical Notes - "My Life" (Billy Joel)
Today's featured song is from Billy Joel's sixth studio album 52nd Street. It earned Joel 2 Grammys, Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance - Male, in 1979. 52nd Street
was a pioneer of sorts for Billy Joel and his record label Sony Music
Entertainment (originally Columbia or CBS). The album was the first of
four Billy Joel records that would top the Billboard Album Chart. It
also became the first commercially released album on the then new
compact disc format in October of 1982 as it went on sale in Japan. You
read it here folks, the cd is officially 34 years old.
"My Life" was released in the fall of 1978 and peaked at #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 in early 1979. Donnie Dacus and Peter Cetera from Chicago (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Saturday In The Park", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Vote For Me", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Alive Again") provided backing vocals for the song as well as singing the "keep it to yourself, it's my life" with Joel on the outro. "My Life" was one of three singles released from 52nd Street to chart. "Big Shot" peaked at #14 and "Honesty" went as high as #24.
While
musically the decade of the 70's is closely associated with Disco, in
reality musical trends were all over the charts. Just like the culture
in which it catered, the 70's tends to be the decade of transitioning
from the "we" mentality of the 60's to the "me" mentality that was
quickly embraced by those of us embarking on our formative years. By
the late 70's, the popular theme of unity that seemed to be the mantra
of the Woodstock and Jesus People movements was waning. Replacing it
was an individualism that, suffice it to say, bordered on the most
selfish, egotistical, and prideful generation the world had ever seen.
Gone were the "Kum ba Yah" moments while singing around a campfire. We
were now experiencing the "My Life" moments that Billy Joel and many
others in the music industry were perpetuating as we listened alone in
our apartments with the headphones on.
The 70's became the decade that hospitality died. We
no longer bought groceries for those "just in case times" of "Who's
house are we going to after church tonight?" Gone
were the days of going to another family's house on the spur of the
moment, without notifying them (gasp!), and playing cards or visiting
until the wee hours of the morning. If we found our friends in the
middle of yard work or other chores, we pitched in and helped so we
could spend as much time together as possible. Sadly, this sense of
community gave way to
the "I don't want someone in my house, because they might judge me"
mindset that settled upon mainstream America and gets worse each passing
year.
As
history reflects,the decade of the 70's would feel the impact of
decisions made in the 60's. One example is prayer being taken out of
public schools. "When Prayer Was Taken Out Of School" Heart of Wisdom blog
The 70's ushered in the ultimate in selfish behavior as the Supreme Court ruled that abortion was legal in Roe v. Wade decision. Women and Men continue to suffer the consequences physically and emotionally as a result of this decision. As of January 2015, 57,762,169 abortions have been performed in the United States. Imagine the lives lost. Imagine the ingenuity and artistic talent lost. And for the more secular minded... Imagine how many social security dollars and tax revenue 57,762,169 folks could have provided. "I don't care what you say anymore, this is my life." Fortunately, there is hope. Many states are taking aim at abortion and limiting its impact. There is much more to be done.
Yes,
followers of Jesus succumb to this selfishness and lack of hospitality
as well. When is the last time you had your pastor over for a casual
evening? For that matter when is the last time you had your closest
friends in your home for a casual evening? I confess for me and my
house...it has been too long. It is much easier to plan a once a month
fellowship with your Sunday School class at a restaurant or other venue,
instead of having the intimacy of the home surrounding us. "Go ahead
with your own life, leave me alone..."
The
Bible says much about the interactions we have with our fellow humans.
The passage with the most impact regarding this is found in Paul's
letter to the Phillipian church:
If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
And with regards to hospitality
Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!
1 Peter 4: 9-11 The Message/NASB parallel
Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!
1 Peter 4: 9-11 The Message/NASB parallel
We
have an opportunity for these trends to change. Today's 20 Somethings
are coming around to a sense and drawing to community. They don't want
a church that meets just on Sunday mornings. They want the children of
God to be together in a less structured, more intimate environment.
They seek the truth in its most organic form. We remember what it was
like, and they desire for it to be that way. How can we make it
happen? Be hospitable. Don't see someone else coming into your
"personal bubble" as an annoyance or interruption. See it as an
opportunity to share Jesus if they don't have a personal relationship
with Him or celebrate Jesus if they do. Meet someone for coffee...at
YOUR house. We still live in a country of abundance. We still serve a
King who is love and desires for His followers to have community. Let's
act like love and community exist in our homes. So...to who's house are
we going this Sunday night after church? Are the preacher and his family coming as well?
'Til Tuesday
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Tuesday's Musical Notes - "For The Love Of Money" (The O'Jays)
Welcome to Tuesday, July 14th, 2015!!! This is your place for insight with inspiration, songs with sanctification, and trivia without trepidation...it's Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!
Today
The Notes explores one of the touchiest subjects we have ever tackled.
There are as many differing opinions regarding our topic's use. Some
consider it as one the most important things in their life, others
consider it a tool to provide for their livelihood, while there are
those who could care less. The Notes contends that the best attitude
towards money is a perhaps a combination of these ideologies and that
your money prioritization depends on your stage in life.
We
must provide a disclaimer at this point. Tuesday's Musical Notes is an
opinion blog. We do not provide money management advice. We confess
to having made plenty of mistakes in our own management of money and
therefore have some opinions that we would like to pass on. The Notes
has a similar attitude towards money as we have mentioned in our
politically laced blogs, Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Saturday In The Park", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Vote For Me", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Mr. President, Have Mercy On The Working Man",
(you really should visit the archives sometime...quite the treasure
trove). As with a Presidential choice, You should do your own research regarding your money, find the best plans/advisory
personnel for you, and then be diligent and consistently patient with
how you manage your resources. 'Cause you wanna do thangs, do thangs,
good thangs with it...
Since
1958, listener's of popular music has been weary of "The Back-Stabbers"
while riding on the "Love Train". You "Put Your Hands Together" while
being careful "For The Love Of Money". All the while proclaiming "I
Love Music" and "Livin' For The Weekend". We comforted our buddies as
they mourned that she, "Use Ta Be My Girl". This soundtrack of our
lives in the 70's was provided by the R&B group, The O'Jays.
What
started out as a 5 man band, dwindled to a pop sensation trio that
would populate the R&B charts of the 70's and crossover 7 times into
Billboard Hot 100 top 20. Hailing from Canton, Ohio, they derived
their name as a tribute to Cleveland DJ Eddie O'Jay.
"For
The Love Of Money" would be their highest pop chart hit (1974, #9) after
hitting #1 in 1973 with "Love Train". It was nominated in 1975 for
"Best R&B Vocal Performance- Duo, Group, or Chorus" at the Grammy's,
but would lose to "Tell Me Something Good" by Rufus. "For The Love Of
Money" continues to be covered and sampled by popular groups since the
early 80's. It was also used as the theme song for the reality shows,
"The Apprentice" and "Celebrity Apprentice." Even though the album
version was over 7 minutes long, it still received considerable airplay
at radio. If the title of the song sounds familiar, it is due to the
fact it was taken from 1 Timothy 6:10 in the Bible. The King James
Version states: "For
the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted
after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through
with many sorrows."
While
the love of money, or to put it bluntly, the idolatry of money, is a
topic of much concern, The Notes would like to approach our discussion
in a little bit more of a positive bend. Welcome to the topic of
thrift!
"The
whole thing of clothes is insane. You can spend a dollar on a jacket in
a thrift store. And you can spend a thousand dollars on a jacket in a
shop. And if you saw those two jackets walking down the street, you
probably wouldn't know which was which."
"The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin." Proverbs 10:16
"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic. "
King Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs:
"The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin." Proverbs 10:16
and Benjamin Franklin:"If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting."
"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic. "
Matthew 25:14-30The Message (MSG)
The Story About Investment
14-18 “It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money.19-21 “After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
22-23 “The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
24-25 “The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’
26-27 “The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
28-30 “‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’
Jesus' life was a lesson in paying a price. In the book of Romans (Romans 6, The Message), the apostle Paul writes about wages and payments, costs and benefits, if you will. He explains that the wrong things we do in our life come at a price, it cost someone something. This a price that someone must pay. We either pay it in the afterlife by being separated from God forever, or we accept the loving, substitutionary payment that Jesus made by enduring torture and death. Colossians 1:13-23 Holman Christian Standard Bible Creator God did this so that we can be restored through Jesus blood. Our part is repenting (turning away) from the evil that we do everyday. Believing that Jesus was who He said He was saves us for eternity, however it does not make us perfect. Only Jesus was perfect. We will still sin, but as believers, this sin is forgiven because of Jesus sacrifice. The debt is paid. When Jesus said "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing.", we were a part of "them". He did it for you and me.
The Bible has much to say about "things" that will come into our lives that will attempt to become "idols", those things that would take the place of our love and devotion to God. Money happens to be one of those things. As a tool, it can be used for great things. As a device of greed, it can be used for bad. I think the O'Jays had the right philosphy:
"Don't let, don't let, don't let money rule you
For the love of money
Money can change people sometimes
Don't let, don't let, don't let money fool you
Money can fool people sometimes
People, don't let money, don't let money change you
It will keep on changing, changing up your mind...money money money"
"Money" by Manic Drive from the 2011 album Epic
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
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