Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Sympathy For The Devil" (The Rolling Stones)

Rules of Civility #14 - "Turn not your back to others, especially in speaking.  Jog not the table or desk on which another reads or writes.  Lean not upon anyone".

Welcome to the Metropolis of melodies, the boulevard of The Book, and the Intersection of the inspired....otherwise known as Tuesday's Musical Notes......(insert your favorite trumpet fanfare here!)  Are you curious?  Well, let's get started!!!

Hopefully, you have been intrigued by the song 'o the week for today's Notes.  There are many urban legends surrounding this song and the band that has made it famous.  Please do not immediately think the Notes are betraying any belief system we have espoused up to this point.  Continue reading and we think you will have things to ponder, for this is the goal of Tuesday's Musical Notes.  Ladies and Gentlemen...The Rolling Stones:

"Sympathy For The Devil" The Rolling Stones

If you have listened to music for any length of time, you realize that The Rolling Stones are not gifted with virtuosic musical skills.  Watch Charlie Watts drumming for any length of time and you quickly realize that he was NOT the inspiration for Neal Peart. (Drummer extraordinaire for the band Rush).  What you do realize is that The Rolling Stones from their inception in 1962 are exceptional showmen.  "Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name...."  Because of or in spite of that, their provocative lyrics and antics onstage and off have propelled them to #4 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists Of All Times" list.  The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and has recorded 24 studio and 11 live albums.  The Rolling Stones celebrated their 50th-anniversary last year with five anniversary concerts. 

As with many Rock and Roll bands, The Rolling Stones have developed a reputation over their 50-year existence.  Mick Jagger's innuendo-laced lyrics continually push the envelope for censors and critics.   Keith Richards struggled with drug addiction. Keith Richards and Ron Wood were arrested outside of Fordyce, Arkansas for reckless driving in 1975.  You can read about it here: The Rolling Stones Arrested In Arkansas.  Vow To Never Play Venues In The State.  (In 2010, Governor Mike Huckabee pardoned Keith Richards for the reckless driving charge.)  These are just a few of the known items that might cause one to wonder if The Rolling Stones didn't have a little "Sympathy For The Devil".
Because of their previous album, 1967's Their Satanic Majesties Request, The Rolling Stones had already been accused of flirting with satanism. As soon as 1968's Beggars Banquet album was released, those questions escalated due to the opening track, "Sympathy For The Devil".    The first-person nature of "Sympathy" fueled the fire that The Rolling Stones were another band that had succumbed to the entreaties of the most evil of enemies.  With the experimentation climate of the '60s at its height, it is easy to see how the back-to-back musical mention of the evil one would spur the legend and at the very least increase interest in the band and its music.   "What's puzzlin' you.... is the nature of my game....."

Good and evil have been at odds since the beginning of time.  For those who do not believe in a Creator God, the battle between good and evil is much harder to explain, yet they try.  Regardless of belief systems, it is easy for most people to see that we live in a world of dichotomies.  There is either truth or lies, black or white, good or evil.  As hard as it is for some to imagine, there really is no "gray" area in our world. It seems that just about the time one side or the other is about to take complete control, the balance gets restored and the battle begins anew.  In light of world history and seemingly more prevalent in recent events, it is easy to see the evil that permeates this world.  Evil by its nature is prideful and wants to be seen as the victor in everything.  The Bible says the evil one has been sent to earth. ( Job 1:6-8 NKJV ) That means he is not living in hell but is loose on the earth to do what he wants.  He will be sent to hell at a later time with those who have "sympathy" for him.  (Revelation 20:9-10 NKJV)

Good tends to be service oriented and not as easily noticed, yet it is incredibly more powerful by its very nature.  In fact, the ultimate good is what abolished the enemy from heaven to the earth and will ultimately sentence him and his followers to eternal separation from anything that is good.  For the believer, this is a place from which we have been saved. (Revelation 21:22-26 NKJV)  This salvation, this hope of an eternity in the Presence of God, the ultimate good, is something that we should help others attain. 
Each day is a new challenge in the battle.  Every decision we make is one for good or evil. Even decisions between two things that are good show which side we are on.  Those decisions pronounce to the world the one to whom we are sympathetic.  No one is perfect.  The Bible says there is none righteous.  This should cause us to evaluate our decisions even more carefully.  Decide today to pray for fellow believers and those who don't yet believe.  Decide today to encourage the people you meet.  Decide today to do good things for those around you.  Decide today to fight against the very nature into which we were born.  Never allow yourself to be in a situation where you could be accused of having "Sympathy For The Devil"...... 

A parable about the decisions we make:
Keith Green "The Sheep And The Goats'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by loving you,
Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (U2)

Rules of Civility # 13 - " Kill no vermin, as fleas, lice, ticks, etc., in the sight of others.  If you see any filth or thick spittle put your foot dexterously upon it, if it be upon the clothes of your companions put it off privately, and if be upon your own clothes return thanks to him who puts it off. 

Welcome To Tuesday and Tuesday's Musical Notes where the only decision that you have to make is whether or not to read it......that's a no brainer, why else would you be here?  Are you ready to chart the course for another musical exploration?  Sure ya are...Let's go!!!! It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

Coming off of their 1985 Live Aid performance and a growing international fan base from 4 previous albums and consequent tours, U2 steamrolled into 1987 with the release of The Joshua Tree in March of that year.  Inspired by the band's exploration into America and it's musical roots, The Joshua Tree quickly became the fastest selling album in British history and stayed at #1 on the Billboard 200 for 9 weeks, bolstered by the #1 singles "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".  From the Rattle & Hum DVD, here's U2:

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"

As you read the Bible, there are many times when characters seem to be looking for something.  Some of those are God inspired, others were searches of a more selfish nature.  The Old Testament (Genesis - Malachi) tells of the Israelites seeking out the Promised land.  Once they established themselves as a nation, they became proud and lost focus on the One who provided the land and their ability to be a nation.  God provided prophets to shepherd and attempt to guide them back to the place they were supposed to be, yet they shunned that leadership and wound up as servants once again to various dynasties.  In The New Testament (Matthew - Revelation) the story continues as the Messiah arrives on the scene.  He is the Promised One and His Name is Jesus.  Once again the leaders of the nation did not recognize the very One they were supposed to be looking for and shunned Jesus.  It seems they weren't satisfied with how God had provided for them in either the Old or New Testament. 

Many times when Jesus was teaching, He used stories or parables to get His point across.  The 15th chapter of Luke is the telling of 3 stories about people who were searching. These stories reinforce each other and the point that Jesus was trying to make.  You can read these parables here:  Luke 15 KJV/HCSB.  Perhaps you can see that as Jesus was teaching, He was directing his message to all of the people around Him.  The "religious" and the "sinners".  Each could relate to the differing perspectives of the characters in Jesus narrative.  Some of them got the point and some....still haven't found what they're looking for. 

It is so easy to judge the scribes and pharisees of Jesus' day. We look back across history and wonder how they missed it.  The question however arises...how about us today?  There seems to be so much dissatisfaction with how God has blessed us.  Recently, we had the opportunity to attend a large sporting event.  Parking was sufficient, but it required either a lengthy walk, or shuttle ride to arrive at the destination.  After the event had completed, our party made the decision to wait on the shuttle to take us back where we had parked.  The wait took a bit longer than we had anticipated and some "sports fans" were not so sporting by the time we got on board.  In fact, they complained when the driver did not take the route in which they had anticipated.  We found it interesting that these people CHOSE to be on the shuttle instead of walking and yet were still complaining about the way they were going.  The event staff had planned on us having a way to our cars, yet it did not fit the "mold" that some of the riders had anticipated and they voiced their dissatisfaction.   

  Are there times when Jesus and The Way are not exactly what we signed on to when we first believed?  Do we actively seek the "lost" that we interact with every day?  Are we judgmental of others that we come into contact with because of the sin we perceive they have in their lives? Are we dissatisfied with the Savior that God has provided for us? If we are to be honest with one another, there are times in all of our lives when the answer to these questions unfortunately is "yes".  These are all tactics from the enemy to cause our walk in The Way to be less effective.  We however have the assurance that like the apostle Paul we can boldly proclaim...."
⁹ But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

As we pray for each other today, pray that we won't be like the scribes and pharisees of Jesus day and fall into the trap of the evil one as they look into the face of the Savior and proclaim:
"I still haven't found what I'm looking for"

On April 16th, the music world lost a true pioneer.  Before Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin, there was Billy Graham and George Beverly Shea.  George Beverly Shea died last week at the age of 104.  He was the principal musician for the Billy Graham crusades and was a part of Billy Graham's ministry team for over 60 years.  With a hymn that he wrote and one of my all time favorites.... from 1965...George Beverly Shea

"I'd Rather Have Jesus"


'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by loving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Silly Love Songs" (Wings)

Rules of Civility #12 - "Shake not your head, feet, or legs, roll not the eyes, lift not one eyebrow higher than the other, wry not thy mouth, and bedew no man's face with your spittle by approaching too near him when you speak."

Welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  Our weekly roam along the border of Musicland and Bible Valley,  our weekly meeting at the crossroads of music and musings, and hopefully, where we use our two favorite passions to strengthen and encourage each other as we go!  Welcome, thanks for coming along!  We're glad you are here!  

And now it's time for Silly Songs with Larry......

"The Yodeling Veterinarian Of The Alps"

Sorry....couldn't resist and no discussion of the silly things in life would be complete without a silly song.  Have you had enough? 

Over the years, John Lennon and many music critics playfully taunted Paul McCartney for his song writing skills.  Their complaint was that McCartney's lyrics were lightweight.  In response, Paul McCartney took to writing a song.  In 1976, he answered Lennon and his critics with this #1 hit from his band Wings.  And now, this request and dedication from Paul McCartney to those who thought his songs were not lyrically deep enough:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh15LOppcWQ

McCartney formed Wings with his wife Linda, and former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine.  In many peoples opinion, the band Wings would never live up to Paul's former band.  You may have heard of them....The Beatles.  Each member of The Beatles had gone their separate ways after legally settling song and royalty rights, and had begun producing music of their own.  McCartney had released  solo albums that were critically and commercially successful as well.  He was notably hesitant to be a part of any rock and roll "group" due to the pressure to follow up on The Beatles success.  But, beginning in 1971, Sir Paul would join Denny Laine and Linda McCartney to form what would be come the very successful musical act, Wings.  From that point Wings literally took off and became a band on the run. (again just couldn't resist).  7 albums and 8 years later, Wings would record their final album together.  In 1980, Paul was arrested for possesion of marijuana at the Tokyo airport and the Wings tour of Japan was cancelled.  This was the beginning of the end for the band Wings.  Paul began work on a new solo project.  Denny Laine left the band over Paul's hesitation to tour following the shooting of John Lennon and the rock and roll flight of the band Wings was over.

Paul McCartney continues to record and tour as a solo act.  He was knighted by the Queen of England for his contribution to music in 1997.  His most recent album, Kisses On The Bottom, went to #5 in the United States and is an album of cover tunes of pop music and jazz.  It even includes a few....."Silly Love Songs".

Another Paul wrote about a silly love song once.  In his first letter to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul writes that The Gospel of Jesus will be foolishness to those who think they are wise.  The Message paraphrase puts 1 Corinthians 1:18 like this, "The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense".  That poses a couple of sincere questions.....  which category of people are we?......is our faith in Jesus strong enough for us to be willing to seem foolish so that The Gospel of Jesus can be told to people who need it?  Take a moment and read the remainder of the chapter:

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

How do your acquaintances treat The Gospel of Jesus when you proclaim it to them?  Are they like the Jews in Paul's day waiting for some miraculous sign before they will believe, or perhaps the Greeks (gentiles) whose intense desire was for philosophical wisdom.  As you read and study the Bible, you see time and again, both of these attitudes on display.  Those who preached or taught the "foolishness" of God were ridiculed, exiled, and even killed for their convictions.  From cover to cover, the Bible tells the love song that God has for his creation, man.  It tells of his intense desire for a perfect relationship with us.  It also tells of the lengths by which He would go to ensure that we can have that relationship.  He would surrender His Holy Son to an unholy world so we can be considered perfect.  To the world around us, which is so totally influenced by the enemy, that makes the Bible the ultimate....."Silly Love Song".

From about the same time comes another song about love:

Keith Green "You Put This Love In My Heart"


'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by loving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Centerfield" (John Fogerty)

Rules of Civility #11 - "Shift not yourself in sight of others nor gnaw your nails"


Welcome to Tuesday....."Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave....."   Play Ball !!!!!!!

"Centerfield" - John Fogerty

Welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes Park as we get ready to see a whale of a game today folks....Make sure you have your hot dogs and beverages bought and you are in your seat for this one, it is sure to be one you won't want to miss one minute of the action......other games on tap for today are:

Toronto at Detroit
LA Dodgers at San Diego
NY Yankees at Cleveland
Chicago White Sox at Washington
NY Mets at Philadelphia
Atlanta at Miami
Tampa Bay at Texas
Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs
Minnesota at Kansas City
Cincinnati at St. Louis
Pittsburgh at Arizona
Oakland at LA Angels
Houston at Seattle
Colorado at San Francisco

We'll have those scores for you as the game progresses....

     More than likely on radio or television today, something similar to the above will happen.  Announcers will be following each of the above listed games, which is the schedule for today, and keeping fans up to date on how their favorite team is competing.  The "Boys Of Summer" are back and ready to get the season started as the fight for pennant races and ultimately work towards the World Series.  A recent study has shown that football has actually replaced baseball as "America's Past Time", however, you would be hard pressed to convince fans of the game that fact actually exists.  So with the bases loaded and the count 3 balls and 2 strikes, here is the Musical Notes tribute to America's game.

     Other than "Take Me Out To The Ballgame", the song "Centerfield" by John Fogerty is played sometime during most major league and many minor league baseball games.  It represents a salute to the game from Fogerty who, when "Centerfield" was released in 1985, had just spent nine years away from creating music.  John Fogerty was the front man for one of the biggest rock bands of the late '60's and early 70's.....Creedence Clearwater Revival.  With their bluesy sound and sometimes provocative, protest lyrics, Creedence became an overnight success.  Fogerty would release 2 albums for Fantasy records after Creedence  broke up in 1972.  He would not release another album until 1985's #1 hit, Centerfield.  Centerfield the album and it's title track returned John Fogerty back to adoring fans and introduced the next generation as well as baseball fans around the world to a voice that was a radio standard in the prior decade. 

     Many people know "Centerfield" by the phrase "Put me in coach".  The player is begging for the opportunity to show his skills at the game.  After many years of training camps, exercise and proper diet, batting and catching practice, and study of the opponent's game, he feels he is ready for the coach to have the confidence in him to put him in the very prominent spot of centerfield.  "I'm ready to play...today!"  The eagerness to use his skills and put them on display for the entire stadium, possibly the world, to see is infectious.  Given the opportunity, he might even reach these standards:

"Ozzy Smith"

     To become skilled at any position on an athletic team, many hours of preparation are required.  It is no different in our Christian life.  We are immediately saved and secure with our eternal destination at the point of our salvation, but we aren't instantaneously prepared to get in the batter's box with the enemy on the mound.  If we hope to achieve skill in any endeavor of our lives we have to put in the time to be prepared when the coach says, "Ok, let's see what you can do!"
There will be times you strike out.  The #1 batting average in Major League Baseball as of today is .500, held by Jed Lowrie of Oakland.  Of his 26 times at bat, he has struck out 13 times.  (For those of you who are "glass half full" types, he has 13 hits).  Of those 26 times at bat he has hit only 3 home runs. (For you stats guys, that's a .115 home run average).  Lowrie has spent most of his life to be prepared for this time of his career and he has gotten a hit on only half of his attempts.  Does this mean he should stop stepping up to the plate?

     In our Christian lives, our success or failure is not easily quantifiable.  In fact, you may not see some of the results of your efforts this side of heaven.  Does that me we shouldn't be prepared?  Does that mean that we should stop going to the plate?  In 1 Peter 3, we read the encouragement to be prepared for when we are given opportunities, even when those opportunities cause us uncomfortable times. 

1 Peter 3:14-16

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed, ¹⁵ but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. ¹⁶ However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame. (emphasis from The Notes)

Paul put it this way when writing his second letter to Timothy:

2 Timothy 4:1-3

King James Version (KJV)

4 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
² Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (emphasis, The Notes)

     How is this achieved?  This article from Lifeway Research provides some insights:

"Spiritual Maturity Comes Through Intentionality"

What it really boils down to is how much effort, how intentional are you when it comes to being prepared to be "instant in season and out of season"?  Sounds like we should be prepared all of the time based on what Peter and Paul wrote. Personal Bible Study and prayer, group Bible Study and prayer, private and corporate worship times, fellowship with believers, and accountability with one another go along way to getting us prepared to be in the game.  It will take the same kind of effort that a baseball player uses to be prepared to play in his game.  Hours and sometimes years will be needed to have us prepared.  The difference for us is that we are already on the winning team and our Coach is always their to cheer us on.....it's the wind up....here comes the ball.....we gotta pray and swing.....watch it till it's going...going...it's gone!!!! C'mon now!

"Home Run" - Geoff Moore and The Distance

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by loving you,
Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "The Beat Goes On" (Sonny & Cher)

Rules of Civlilty #10 - "When you sit down, keep your feet firm and even, without putting one on the other or crossing them." .....the beat goes on....

Luke 24

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Has Risen

24 "On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” ⁸ Then they remembered his words."   ......the beat goes on......

"Grandmas sit in chairs and reminisce
Boys keep chasing girls to get a kiss
The cars keep going faster all the time
Bums still cry "hey buddy, have you got a dime" ......the beat goes on....

Good Tuesday to ya friend!!!  Welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes where.....wait for it.....the beat goes on.....


     If you were the age of 10-21 during the 60's and 70's, you are probably hearing a distinct bass guitar beat going right now to accentuate the thought of the #2 hit song by Sonny and Cher from 1967...."The Beat Goes On".  Backed by the very popular session musicians called "The Wrecking Crew", Sonny and Cher would see their 3rd studio album "In Case You're In Love" peak at #6 on Billboard's album chart, bolstered by the addictive "The Beat Goes On".  Just after the release of "In Case You're in Love", Sonny and Cher embarked on igniting a film career.  Their 2 films were extremely unsuccessful which caused a spillover effect into their music career.  The would not chart again for 4 years.

     Sonny and Cher would reignite their careers with a TV variety show.  It is a shame that there isn't a revival of this type of entertainment on television today.  For years musicians like Andy Williams and Glen Campbell as well as comedians like Carol Burnett and The Smothers Brothers (who were musicians and comedians) would host a show featuring humorous skits and great "Broadway" style musical revues for television.  Sonny and Cher brought their unique '70s style to this format. "La ti da ti de, la ti da ti da...."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to0irFedGqc

     Combined with "cool" musical guests and the believable banter between husband and wife, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour became a smash hit in the early '70s.  The show would receive 15 Emmy nominations and would continue to be in the top ten until the strains of the duos marriage began to affect the production of the show.
Sonny and Cher would go their own ways after their divorce, reuniting on occasion until Sonny's death in a skiing accident in 1998.

     Two days ago, people around the world celebrated an event.  It was an event that was unlike any other.  It has not been nor will ever be duplicated.  It was celebrated in myriad ways from somber suppers to festive egg hunts.  It seems odd that in a world that seems quite antagonistic to anything to do with Jesus that the biggest celebrations and gatherings that the world does are centered on His birth and death.......the beat goes on.....

     From the beginning of time their have been 2 things, sin and a plan for redemption.  When Lady Gaga says "I Was Born This Way" she speaks some truth.  We are all born into sin.  It is our nature.  The difference becomes we are drawn to different sins.  There has been a huge focus lately on sexual sin.  From the internet to the Supreme Court, sexual sin is being debated.  For many this is a hot button topic. The Notes wishes to boldly proclaim that Jesus came for the redemption of sin, sexual as well as non sexual.  For a great article on this debate, click here: http://joeycope.com/2013/03/28/the-problem-with-the-public-debate-of-sin/ 

     Recently, my pastor has gone to saying that we tend to categorize sin based on whether it affects us.  If it isn't a sin in which we struggle, it is easy to sit back and judge those who battle with a sin we know nothing about.  This is not how Jesus modeled relationships with people.  While He held people accountable for their sin, he also forgave. He loved instead of judged.  He rebuked the sin and embraced the sinner.  Because of that love, the ones Jesus encountered wanted to never do their sin again.  That is the biggest difference in the conversations that are swirling around the internet and in the halls of congress even now.  People who want freedom from sin should loathe that sin and never go back to it.  That is an effort that is much easier to type into a blog than to put into common practice, however, Jesus gives us the power to overcome.  He allows others to come along side of us and hold us accountable in a loving way.   We must have the intense desire to turn away, repent, from our sin regardless of the sin.  Here is an article on the "7 Deadly Sins" that The Notes found interesting:  http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-are-the-seven-deadly-sins-and-their-meanings/

     Sin separates us from God.  This was not why we were created.  We were created to have a personal and intimate relationship with God.  Sin destroys that.  Regardless what the sin may be.  Hello, my name is Randy.....I am prideful. Friend what is your name and what is your sin?  Jesus has redeemed me and is transforming me into His likeness every day. That transformation takes time, yet the Bible says that love is patient and kind. Can we join hands and in a loving way, hold each other accountable?  .....the beat goes on.....

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by loving you,

Randy