Tuesday's Musical Notes - "One Tin Soldier" (The Original Caste)

Hello.  Today is Tuesday, November 17th, 2015.  For the most part, we have attempted to strike a very positive tone with our musings about music.  You may notice a different feel today as we explore some of the events that have transpired over the course of the last week as well as the last few years.  Many will remember today's song from the anti-war protests of the '60s.  It was one of the most requested songs on the radio in the very early 70's.  It reached the top 40 three times.  It's initial release by the group The Original Caste went to #34 on the Billboard charts in early 1970.  The song was then recorded by Jinx Dawson, lead singer of the band Coven, for the soundtrack to the motion picture The Legend of Billy Jack.  This recording went to #26 in the fall of 1971.  Dawson then recorded the song with Coven for a full length album released in 1973.   This cover again hit the charts making "One Tin Soldier" one of a select number of songs to chart 3 times in 3 separate years.  From the recording by The Original Caste and with animation from the Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, here is "One Tin Soldier":

"One Tin Soldier" The title track to the 1969 album by The Original Caste 

"One Tin Soldier" is the poignant retelling in fable form of what has been the history of mankind.  Since the disobedience of Eden, there has always been war.  Mankind's history is replete of evil people who want to dominate, destroy, and rule in the way their ideology dictates.  These ruthless villains have and will use whatever means at their disposal to deprive others of the flexibility that freedom allows.  Fear and terror, as witnessed in the recent episodes in France, are evil's current modus operandi.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:6 that we should expect "wars and rumors of wars" in our future.  As bold as these attacks may seem, at their heart they are perpetrated by cowards who wish to hide behind the shroud of "religion" to justify their heinous deeds.  Their limits to seeing their ideology propagated knows no boundaries.  They will destroy, again in the name of their religion, anything that is contradictory to their dogma.

While you can't always trust everything you read on facebook, here is an interesting dialogue that parallels today's Notes:

Before Saying "I Support France" Please Read This by Dr. Michael Hurd November 14, 2015 Drhurd.com

Please understand that we support and sympathize with the people of France.  However, we find it somewhat ironic that some of the folks who were willing to boycott eating "french" fries just a few years ago are now some of the most staunch supporters of the "I am France" mantra.  While this smacks at being hypocritical, I find it even more appalling that there are those who want to use this tragedy to indoctrinate our country with the lie that islam is a peaceful religion.  These are the acolytes of an agenda of evil that runs contrary to history in so many different ways.  These pundits attempt to separate the radicals from the "peaceful", normal adherents to this religion.  

The "Allahu" that we have heard so many times in recent years as a rallying cry, is a false god.  When the media report that the translation for this phrase is "god is great" they allow themselves to be used as a propaganda tool of the enemy of the One True God.  

In reality, the only "peaceful" muslims are those who practice their religion with same passion as "nominal" christians.  Both "peaceful" and "nominal" are non sequiturs for those who want to feel they have a form of "religion" yet lack the substance of relationship.  They are neither cold nor hot.  Both are equally destructive.  Both are utilized by the enemy of the One True God to confuse.    

 

Many in this world would negate the history that the Bible plainly explains.  Evil entered the world through deception and continues to ruin and end lives by its constant war against God.  From Genesis through Revelation, this war is depicted.  Post Biblical history is ignored or revised to make the enemies of God more palatable, more humane, perhaps even justified in their attempts to overthrow that which is good and take our world back to the 3rd century where their adherents choose to reside.  This would be the result if compromise with the "peaceful" religion of islam is attempted. 

As Christians, we have a responsibility to love.  In fact we are commanded to love God first and then our fellow man.  Matthew 22:34-40 New King James Version of the Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible parallel  The Notes contends that this love is to be extended for as long a period of time as folks will listen.  When people choose to no longer listen to the Good News or refuse its message outright, they become enemies of God.  Matthew 10:11-15 NKJV/The Message paraphrase  This is a hard truth, yet one we must recognize as we go about doing the good works that God has planned for us to do.  It is a hard truth in the face of the fact that we have a story to tell to the nations.  A Good News message of freedom and liberty from the evil that so easily ensnares this world.  We can't save anyone, only God can do that.  When confronted by the Good News of Jesus Christ, praise God, there will be those who accept His salvation yet sadly, there will be those who respond, "If I go to hell, I go to hell".  Our job is to joyfully go about telling the story of our redemption through love and then let the Holy Spirit convict the hearts of the hearers.  The response is up to them.  

"Savior" by Charles Billingsley 

Thank you for this brief departure of tone from Tuesday's Musical Notes.  We return next week with the atmosphere that you have come to expect from reading this blog that we are thankful to get to write each week.  

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving you,

Randy