Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Ghostbusters" (Ray Parker Jr.)

Welcome to Tuesday!!!  Need a distraction from the political season? Who ya gonna call?

Ghostbusters!!

     #1 for 3 weeks on Billboard's hot 100, "Ghostbusters", would be the only #1 hit for Ray Parker Jr.  As a studio musician, he had played with many of the biggest acts from the 70's and 80's , but it would be the 1984 theme song from "Ghostbusters" that would propel him to iconic status in the '80s.   Along with the movie, "Ghostbusters" would elevate a discussion of the spirit world that permeates our entire cultural landscape. 

     Many treasured classics of literature elude to the possibility of a spirit world that is not seen in our physical realm: ghosts, if you will.  William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and Stephen King all have masterfully created characters that have been the bane of children and adults alike who are trying to get a good night's rest, yet keep hearing "bumps in the night".  These spirits trend to the evil side and beget all sorts of havoc on the protagonist of the story as well as reader's imaginations.  "Reality" television has birthed a new generation of ghost hunters and stories that feature the unnatural and unexplainable.  From a business perspective, it is easy to see that the spiritual realm is a money making endeavor.  From voodoo to New Age, from psychics to mediums,  the  "spirit world" and strange occurrences combine to ensure that there is a monetary value associated with making contact with the spirit world.

     This is a worldview that is dangerous for Christians to dabble too closely.  The Bible is very clear that when a person dies, they are done with this world.  (2 Corinthians 5:8)  However, a 2006 George Barna Survey of 4000 teens found that 73% of the youth surveyed had “engaged in at least one type of psychic or witchcraft-related activity, beyond mere media exposure or horoscope usage.” One tenth had participated in séances. Nine percent had visited a supposed medium or spiritual guide."  

Barna Teens and Spirituality

This shows how far the enemy is willing to go to change the worldview of our culture.  It also shows the alarming rate at which we are going down the wrong pathway. The Bible speaks of only 3 kinds of spiritual entities.  A person's soul, angels, and demons.  A person's soul leaves the earthly body at physical death and goes to it's judgement (Luke 23:43, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Hebrews 9:27).  Angels are the forces sent from heaven, while demons are the slaves of the evil one.  The gospels are replete with passages detailing the command Jesus had over the demons that inflicted people of the day.  Remember the story about Jesus casting the demons into a heard of pigs?  I guess you could say He was the ultimate ghostbuster.....If you are wearing chains in the graveyard hood, who ya gonna call?......  Not quite the same effect....  There is only one passage in the Bible that alludes to any person's soul making contact with our world.  You can read about it here:

1 Samuel 28:7-21

In this instance, many theologians agree  the "Samuel" in this passage could have easily been a demon that we read so much about throughout scripture. For more on ghosts in the Bible Answers In Genesis has an outstanding article...just click on the link: 

Do You Believe In Ghosts Answers In Genesis

     In Ephesians 6, Paul details the battles that we will face against the evil one as well as the armaments we can use to defend ourselves. He tells us exactly who our enemy will be as we put on the whole armor of God.  Verse 12 says:  "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."  This battle of the spiritual realm  is detailed entrancingly in Frank Peretti's fictional work This Present Darkness and its sequel Piercing the Darkness.  The Notes recommends that you read these books with caution and during the light of day as they bring the spiritual battle between God's angels and the evil one's demons in such a realistic, thought provoking manner. 

     Realize that this battle is not only for men's souls, but against the worldview that we hold dear as Christians.  That worldview is deeply impacted by the leadership of our country at every level.  As we go through Halloween and the coming week, please take time and measure up those ballot initiatives and candidates for which we will be voting one week from today.  Vote against those things that would cause darkness in this world and cause spiritual wickedness in high places.  Pray and then vote.  And remember:

"if it's somethin' weird and it don't look good, who ya gonna call?"

'Til Tuesday

Loving HIM by loving you,
Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Mr. President"(Have Pity On The Working Man) (Randy Newman)

"Rockin' and a rollin', splishin' and a splashin',  Over the horizon, what can it be?"  Looks like it's going to be The Notes to me! 

Welcome To Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!

Since we've got the song in your head.....go ahead....click the link....you know you want to......

Schoolhouse Rock "No More Kings"

    Welcome to Tuesday, and the political version of The Notes....Tuesday's Musical Notes Votes!!! 

    On September 20, 1975, the "No More Kings" Schoolhouse Rock animated short made its television premiere.  It would be the first of the 10 America Rock/Schoolhouse Rock videos to be aired Saturday mornings on the ABC television network in the commercial breaks of cartoons like Hong Kong Phooey and Grape Ape. These videos would celebrate the history of our nation as well as introduce students to the subject of Civics. (Is that subject even taught in school any more?)  Schoolhouse Rock was a breath of fresh air as it celebrated our country at a tumultuous time in our nation's history when Watergate and Viet Nam dominated the news cycle.
   
    The previous year, an album would be released by a little known piano player.  It would be Randy Newman's fifth album release and would reach as high as #36 on the Billboard 200 album chartr.  While it only remained in that position for 2 weeks, Good Old Boys, would become known as the album that introduced Newman to the world.  It would showcase guest appearances by Glen Frey and Don Hendley of The Eagles on the Huey P. Long (Governor of Louisiana) song "Every Man A King" and would set up Randy Newman for his later success with the quirky tune "Short People".    Primarily written to be a chronicle of life in the South, Good Old Boys would eventually be named as #393 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Times list.  It achieved this without having ANY of its released singles hitting the charts. 

     One song from Good Old Boys however, would be reintroduced to a new generation via a movie soundtrack.  In recent years, this medium has become a very comfortable format for Randy Newman as he has written the score for 6 Disney/Pixar films, (he has earned at least one Academy Award nomination per film), as well as writing music for many other motion pictures.  In 1994, "Mr. President (Have Pity On The Working Man) would renew interest in Randy Newman's music as it was featured in the soundtrack to the hit movie Forrest Gump.  It would be a song directly addressed to the President (Richard Nixon at the time), asking him to help those suffering from poverty in the US.  From 1974 and 1994, here's
 "Mr. President":

Mr. President (Have Pity On The Working Man) Randy Newman

     Edmund Burk is often referenced as the man who said "Those who do not know history are destined to repeat it."  One such book of incredible history is the Bible.   The Bible is cherished by millions around the world.  Not only is it a book of history, but it includes incredible poetry as well as the good news of salvation through God's Son, Jesus.  Historically, it tells the story of Israel as a nation.  The books of 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles show the results of a nation that is led by good leaders and poor leaders.  These books show times of great prosperity as well as times of extreme poverty.  The success of the nation is directly tied to the leader's love for God and the reverence the king of the time shows to the Book of the Law (the Bible of the time) or his deference to the Law of Moses.  One such ruler was the writer of many of the verses found in the book of Proverbs.

     Solomon was a good ruler during the early period of his reign.  He would later deviate from the high standards by which he had lived and Israel would suffer the consequences.  He writes seemingly from both experiences in this passage:  

^" When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan."  - Proverbs 29:2 Holman Christian Standard Bible

    Edmund Burke is also credited for the phrase, "All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing".   As we enter into the final weeks of what has been a seemingly long Presidential election cycle, can we, as good men, commit to doing the following things?  First, let us be diligent in praying for both candidates as well as praying for our nation.  Secondly, let's be about seeking out resources that will inform and challenge our opinions, not just about the Presidential election, but regarding the issues and candidates on our local levels as well.  Finally, let us execute with a "firm reliance on divine providence" that most exquisite duty of voting and together we will choose our next......Mr. President.

Perhaps a man like this.....







'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by loving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "No Rain" (Blind Melon)

Tuesday's Here!!!!  Time for today's exploration into the galaxy of musicology...or for short  Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!

     The album cover was iconic.  In fact, were it not for the video, the band would have probably faded into the annals of the musical unknowns.  There stands a costumed girl, waiting in anticipation to perform for the audience.  She does a short but well executed tap dance in her yellow and black wings and waits for the audience to break into thunderous applause.....  To her horror, just the opposite occurs.....well you can watch it here:  

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qVPNONdF58&ob=av2e

     You could say the little "bee girl" as she came to be known was going through a bit of a dry spell until she met the group of people who were similar to herself.  Then she no longer worried about the fact that there had been "No Rain." 

     The brief success of the band Blind Melon, mirrors so many pop groups in that tragedy struck just after the "rain" of success was beginning to happen for them.  Blind Melon began in 1989, signed with Capitol Records in 1991, hit with "No Rain" in 1993 causing their debut album Blind Melon to go multi platinum, released their second album Soup, and then the rain became a hazy mist. 

     Like so many bands, the lead vocalist in Blind Melon was the driving force and in many ways the more recognizable of the band members.  You may not recognize the name Shannon Hoon, but his vocals are instantly associated with Blind Melon. In 1991 he caught a break by providing backing vocals on Guns 'N Roses smash hit album Use Your Illusion. The success with Blind Melon then came and as with so many instant stars, so did the temptations that can easily derail a career.  13 weeks after his daughter Nico was born, Hoon was found dead of a cocaine induced heart attack aboard the tour bus the band utilized for the Soup tour.   Hoon's trademark vocals were found to be so irreplaceable that it caused the band to break up and reunite many times since 1995.  With each reunion they have difficulty trying to recapture the success of their earlier efforts.

      In the Bible, rain has been used as a tool of punishment for wickedness (go to a children's Sunday School class some time and ask about Noah's ark). It is also given as a promise for obedience, 

Leviticus 26:3-5

³ “If you follow My statutes and faithfully observe My commands, ⁴ I will give you rain at the right time, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will bear their fruit. ⁵ Your threshing will continue until grape harvest, and the grape harvest will continue until sowing time; you will have plenty of food to eat and live securely in your land (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Moses applied rain in the scriptures as a metaphor: 

Deuteronomy 32

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Song of Moses

32 Pay attention, heavens, and I will speak;
listen, earth, to the words of my mouth.
² Let my teaching fall like rain
and my word settle like dew,
like gentle rain on new grass
and showers on tender plants.
³ For I will proclaim Yahweh’s name.
Declare the greatness of our God!
⁴ The Rock—His work is perfect;
all His ways are entirely just.
A faithful God, without prejudice,
He is righteous and true.

     In this text, Moses is nearing the end of his life.  He has given Joshua the leadership responsibility for the Israelites, and wants to leave the nation with words of wisdom.  Notice the vehicle he employs is a song.  The entire chapter of Deuteronomy 32 is that song.  You can find it here:   http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+32&version=HCSB

Moses goes on in chapter 33 and blesses the Israelites by tribe.  In chapter 34, Moses' death is recorded.  The priorities of his final breaths are to praise God and ask for blessings on his friends.  Jesus echoed these sentiments when He said that these were the 2 greatest commandments, love God and love your fellow man.   

     You may have noticed in chapter 32 the passage that reads, "let my teaching fall like rain and my words settle like dew."  Moses is using rain as a metaphor here instructing us to allowing scripture to soak into our lives.   Many of us have had dry periods in our lives where we don't feel a closeness to God or our fellow man.  We are just "out of sorts".  Theologians, Christian Counselors, Psychologists and Psychiatrists have for many years advised people during these times.  Sometimes they hit on just the right phrase or treatment to relieve the doldrums of ones' life.  However, their prescriptions are not permanent cures.  As we live in this world, we all will have those times.  Being around like minded people is a really good cure for these days.  Just like the "bee girl", we tend to be more engaged in life when we are around people in which we have much to agree. 

     Church can be the facilitator for that interaction.  Did you realize that you are a blessing to others with your very presence at your local church?  The tabernacle in the day of Moses was the place the children of Israel worshiped daily.  In Jesus time, the synagogue was the meeting place.  The Bible records Jesus being in the synagogue many times.  The tradition at that time was to go daily as well.  The modern established practice seems to emphasize that 1 morning a week is sufficient to get our worship quotient in.  Congregational worship is a Biblical practice that dates back to the tabernacle which was done on a daily basis, at least twice a day.  The passage in Leviticus reminds us that to get the rain to produce our crops we must "follow My statutes and faithfully observe My commands."  I was raised Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night are the times that were set aside to learn about God's statues and understand how to better faithfully observe His commands.  Perhaps you were raised differently.  Maybe church attendance wasn't part of your younger years.  Please don't think that attending a church equates with going to heaven.  The Bible never says that.  However, our time on earth is made easier by having others in which we can rely when there is no rain in our lives.  It is an instructional tool on God's precepts and allows us the opportunity to be discipled as well as disciple others.  God wants us to meet with Him individually.  But He also understood what we gain when we worship Him collectively.  We have the ability to share in the dry spells of our fellow worshipers and perhaps provide what they need to see the beneficial rain of His teaching.  Whatever the worship tradition of the church you are attending or considering attending, make sure you are there every time the doors are open.  You will receive encouragement and help from others and can relay the same to them.  

     As you make plans for this Memorial Day weekend, include the time you need to meet with other people who love Jesus and want to see His Kingdom increased.   You never know, they may be wearing bee suits too.....

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by loving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Why Can't We Be Friends?" (War)

Hi!.....Hello!!.....Ola!!!....Halito!!!!....Hey There!!!!!......it's Tuesday!!!!!!  Welcome to  another edition of... 

Tuesday's Musical Notes!   
THE ELECTION Edition... or Tuesday's Musical Note's Votes!
part 3 (imaginary fanfare here..)

Some say there is nothing on television tonight......The Notes thinks that's "debatable"......   Speaking of debates, there is one tonight between President Obama and Governor Romney that I am sure will be one more part of your overall research into who the best candidate for you may be. 
     Dateline:.....Tuesday.....Congressional approval rating low...very low...  According to the Real Clear Politics aggregate of polls, the congressional approval rating as of September 23 is 13.8.  The really sad part about that is this number is an increase from recent months.  Why is this important?  I'm not sure if it IS important, but it certainly is ironic.  Individual Representatives and Senators do not have such approval ratings, yet when you combine them together as a unit, they seemingly don't get the job done well enough to earn the approval of their constituents.  Why is this?  Many would say it is the polarizing views of each political party.  Here is a reminder of each party's platforms:

Democrat National Platform

Republican National Platform

     Clearly, there are some differences.  But do these differences of opinion account for the low approval rating or is it something simpler.  What does it take to get something done in the House of Representatives or the Senate?  I'm glad you asked, because Schoolhouse Rock has an answer, with one of it's highest rated shorts.....

Schoolhouse Rock I'm Just A Bill

     Can it really be that simple?  "Listen to all of those congressmen arguing....." .  It begs the question.....

Why Can't We Be Friends?

     Formed in 1969, the band War, really did not live up to its name.  As one of the most racially diverse bands of the period, War would set the standard for the combination of funk, jazz, soul, and pop with hits like "Lowrider", "The Cisco Kid", and "Summer" and its band members got along! Originally conceived by Eric Burdon, of The Animals fame, and record producer Jerry Goldstein, War continues to do concerts as recently as 2011.  Its biggest hits came from one album, a declaration of the band's mantra, Why Can't We Be Friends.  Featuring the title track and the aforementioned "Lowrider", Why Can't We Be Friends would launch War to Rock-N-Roll stardom and eventual consideration for the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame.

     Individuals in many of the bands featured in Tuesday's Musical Notes have relationships that at best would be considered complicated.  Just like the status on Facebook, many artists have relationships with their fellow band mates that are difficult to explain .  Contractual obligations to each other and record labels cloud what were once considered close kinships.   The band War seems to be the exception.  Although there are now 2 bands that sing the music of War (War and Lowrider), litigation amongst band members seems minimal.  Maybe they are living up to their biggest hit.

     People of faith sometimes refer to their relationship with Jesus as that of a close friend.  The song "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" details numerous reasons for such feelings towards our Savior.  Many have used the book of Romans as a springboard to establish such a relationship with Jesus.  This "Roman Road" has been applied countless times as a framework for the transition of a person from the old life they had, with the new life they have.  Perhaps that is a road that you haven't been down. If not, please click on the following links: 

Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
Romans 5:8
Romans10:9

Please let me know if I can answer any questions about these passages with you.  It would be my extreme honor to do so.   I can be reached at rawacr@gmail.com.
    
     Our relationship with Jesus is multifaceted, similar, yet different to our relationships with others.  The Bible has many illustrations about how friends are to interact with one another.  One such passage is found in Romans:

Romans 12:10

Holman Christian Standard Bible

¹⁰ Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor.

     The Notes would gladly introduce any Representative or Senator to this particular passage of Scripture.  "He who has ears, let him hear...", Hearing is one thing....understanding quite another. 

With a similar perspective on our relationships with friends, Paul has this to say to the church at Ephesus and to us today :

Ephesians 4:29-32
New International Version 
²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

     ...Building up others according to their needs so those who are listening may benefit.  Do you think some political action committees could use this advice?  or maybe a congress whose approval rating is 13.8?  or maybe us?  If we took Paul's recommendations from Romans and Ephesians maybe, just maybe, we wouldn't have to ask....."Why Can't We Be Friends".

Don't forget the debate tonight....

'Til Tuesday...

Loving HIM by loving you,

Randy

Have I asked you lately to recommend Tuesday's Musical Notes to a friend?  They can either get it directly in their email box by emailing a request to rawacr@gmail.com or they can go to the blog site tuesdaysmusicalnotes.blogspot.com.  Either way they get to Tuesday!!

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "For What It's Worth" (Buffalo Springfield)

     Hey there!!!  It's Tuesday!!!!  Thanks for checking in with Tuesday's Musical Notes and today's contribution to the Tuesday's Musical Notes election series.....Tuesday's Musical Notes Votes!    The deadline to register to vote is today in many states!  What about yours?  You can find your state's deadline here:

Voter registration deadlines by state


Have you registered?  Did you make sure that those you know who have turned 18 since the last election have registered?  Many offices will be determined on November 6 and each of us has the opportunity to impact the outcome.  What a great privilege we have to vote!  It has been well said that to not vote is to vote.  This representative form of government is unlike any other on the planet and your vote helps to keep it that way.   Just imagine if we lived in a country led by a dictator or our government was a true democracy where the people made all of the decisions.   The results would be chaotic.  Many people mistakenly understand  that we live in a democracy.  In reality we live in a constitutional republic.  This means that we elect people to make governmental decisions for us.  This too can be chaotic at times.  It may even take on the aspects of a circus:

Schoolhouse Rock "Three Ring Circus"


     In 1966 a curfew and loitering law was passed in Los Angeles to slow the increased traffic of the club goers in the area.  Abiding by the 10:00pm curfew law was hard to imagine for those involved in the club scene and as with many laws at the time, a protest group sprung up.  Stephen Stills observed the protests and immediately penned a song that later became associated with another set of protests, those demonstrating against the Viet Nam war.  Still's song has been ranked #63  in Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Rock and Roll Songs Of All Time and it made the band Buffalo Springfield a legend.  For the most part, it is not even known by its title, "For What It's Worth", however its impact in the entertainment world has made the song a musical icon.  Maybe you know it better by its subtitle;
 
"Stop, What's That Sound"

     Perhaps you have been told that as a Christian we are to "be in the world, but not of the world".  This is not found verbatim in the Bible.  It is however expressed in John's Gospel as Jesus is praying to the Father on our behalf.  It is the idea that we are to be familiar with our surroundings without allowing them to become idols in our lives.  Jesus was tempted one on one by Satan and yet He did not sin.  He was intimate with his surroundings while not surrendering to its temptations.  Jesus, in His human form, proved that it is possible to live in this world without falling captive to its trappings.  The flip side of giving in to the world's temptations, living in total disregard to the world, is equally as bad and in our own strength, virtually impossible.  In Matthew 10:16 Jesus gives His disciples some instruction regarding being in the world:

^"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves".  King James Version (KJV)

Jesus is instructing us that as we live in this world we are to pay attention to the things that are going on around us so we can be better equipped to 1) love God, 2) love others more than we do ourselves, and 3) make more disciples.  This isn't always easy, yet as Paul proclaimed to the Phillipians, "I can do all things through Christ's strength!" (paraphrase and emphasis, Musical Notes)

   One of the ways that we interact in our country is to let our Christian perspective be known through our vote.  As we stated before, we have an opportunity on November 6th to impact the direction that our great country is led.  It is incumbent on us to pay attention and then vote based on what the Bible says is right and wrong, not according to the political party to which our families have been affiliated or based on what we hear from political advertisements or the news.  Your vote is too important to leave up to another person's  research, perspective, and possible misinformation.  There is the possibility that your analysis of candidates and issues will not be in alignment with friends or family members.  One of the great things about the way God created us is our ability to come to conclusions on our own when given enough information.  The outcome of our research may mean that we disagree with others.   It is one thing for us to disagree, as long it is done in the right spirit, it is quite another for us to be uninformed because we didn't pay attention or totally understand how those we elect believe on the basis of God's Word.  So within the next 28 days, I encourage you to take the advice from a protest song from the '60s and ......."Stop, what's that sound, everybody look what's goin' down......" 

Don't forget to register to vote.....today is the deadline in many states!

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by loving you,
Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes is available each week in your inbox.  If you are interested in receiving the Notes as an email, please send your email address to rawacr@gmail.com and we'll add you to the list.

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "That's Just The Way It Is" (Bruce Hornsby and The Range)

My Fellow Americans......It's Tuesday!!!!  Time for the Notes!!! 

     Just in case you weren't already tired of hearing about the Presidential election, the Notes would like to submit to you its contribution to the season.   For the next few weeks, music, politics and the forces of the spiritual realm will be combined to provide a break from the seemingly never ending barrage of everything politics.  As a disclaimer, the Notes will not be endorsing any candidate.  It is our  hope that the entertainment value of Tuesday's Musical Notes will provide an island of escape from the political onslaught.... and now here's how the President is elected according to a Saturday morning cartoon from a kindler, gentler age:

Schoolhouse Rock-Electoral College

     In 1986 there was no Presidential election.  It was an off year so to speak.  Some governors were chosen as were some Senators and Representatives.  Many local elections were held that year as well.  Also in the fall of 1986, a new band came on the scene and vaulted their way to  #1 with their very first single.  Bruce Hornsby and the Range blistered the charts with their debut release That's Just The Way It Is.  The title track roared to the top of the charts and became an instant classic.  1986 was only 22 years removed from the civil rights legislation that is spoken of in "That's Just The Way It Is".  The impact of that legislation was still being debated and continues to be discussed to this day.  Lyrically, Bruce Hornsby and the Range joined a long list of musical contributors to the discussion of race.  From 1986:

"That's Just The Way It Is"

     Bruce Hornsby is most famous for the coalescence of talent that is The Range, however, he has been a major part of many groups and has had some success as a solo act.  In fact, from 1988 until Jerry Garcia died in 1995, Bruce Hornsby was the keyboardist for the Grateful Dead, ultimately replacing keyboardist Brent Mydland who died in 1990.  He has since been a part of 2 other groups, most recently partnering with bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs for a bluegrass album and jazz artists Christian McBride and Jack DeJohnette for a jazz album.  His versatility is shown by both of these groups, however none have had the commercial success of his original partnership with The Range.

     Over the years many musical acts have mirrored the success of Bruce Hornsby and The Range.  Some of them stayed together and built a lasting musical legacy, many more however are only remembered in one-hit wonder lists.  There is much that can be learned by the teamwork of musical groups.  Just like the body of Christ, the church, each member has its part to play.  It's a real shame our government doesn't work that way....but .....that's just the way it is.

     You have a part to play in each election that comes around in your community.  We live in a country unlike any other in that we have a voice in choosing who will represent us in our government. This poses the question... Have you registered to vote?  Regardless of your political bend, you should participate in one of the greatest freedoms we have as Americans.  Then as the choices that "we the people" make become evident, we have a responsibility to lift those people and decisions up to God for his blessings.  In 1 Timothy 2, Paul instructs his young protege to do just that:

  "^1-3 The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.

^4-7 He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

^8-10 Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God".  - The Message 

     Notice that last line.  Which attitudes in this passage most closely reflect those we have chosen to represent us? Again, the Notes is not drawing judgmental conclusions, but asking you to consider 2 things.  1) Have you engaged in the process by registering to vote?  and 2) Have you researched how the values and principles of the people who are campaigning line up with your own?  As an aid to your research the following links provide the platforms for both of the major parties that have candidates for President. 

The Political Platform of the DemocratParty

The Political Platform of the Republican Party

Please look at BOTH of the actual platforms and not just the talking points listed on their respective home pages.  Measure them against your worldview and your principles.  Also measure them against God's Word.  How does it line up?

     Our ultimate freedom as Christians is secured in Jesus.  We above all people should understand what freedom looks, sounds, and feels like.  Why should we ever allow ourselves to be shackled in the slavery of the world when we have this incredible gift of freedom.  Far too many times we say;  "That's Just The Way It Is", when The Holy Spirit is crying out....."But don't you believe them."  Election day is November 6.

Loving HIM by loving you,
Randy