Welcome to the last Tuesday of the year! We are just 2 days away from beginning the year 2016! It is sure to be a year with new innovation, great challenges, and many reasons to celebrate. It is also a leap year! Hooray for February 29th!! (Sad that it isn't a Tuesday...) Welcome to The Notes!!!
"Seasons Of Love" - Cast of the Movie Musical Rent from 1996
So what does your next 525,600 minutes include? Resolutions kept? Resolutions broken? New friends? Additions to the family? Tragically, even losses to the family...Such was the case for the cast of the Broadway musical RENT. Composed and written by Jonathan Larson, the musical would come to its Broadway preview, only to see its creator die the day before. As a tribute the cast performed "Seasons of Love" as an opener to the musical. (It's original position is the opening of the second act). It is a song that speaks to the ups an downs of life as we navigate a fallen world. Ups and downs that are sure to occur as we enter 2016.
As we start this new year, Tuesday's Musical Notes would like to thank you for checking in with us each week. We are grateful for the opportunity to share insights, interludes, and instrumentation with you. In 2016 Tuesday's Musical Notes expects to exceed the 10,000 hit mark since its inception as a blog in 2012. We look forward to sharing that occasion with you as we anticipate many other happenings that are sure to surprise, excite, enthuse, and perhaps even sadden us.
Annually, we take this week to remember some of the most read blogs that are posted to Tuesday's Musical Notes. Here's a reminder of 2014's top ten as we get started with the 2015 countdown:
#10) Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Life's Been Good"
#9) Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Old Time Rock And Roll"
#8) Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Mysterious Ways"
#7) Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Turn The Page"
#6) Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Holiday"
#5) Tuesday's Musical Notes - "The Swing March"
#4) Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Easter Parade"
#3) Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Let My Love Open The Door"
#2) Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Only Time Will Tell"
#1) Tuesday's Musical Notes - "All You Need Is Love"
That
was our recap of the top Tuesday's Musical Notes blogs in all of
Notesland from December of 2014. Now let's get started with looking
back at 2015. Let the countdown begin...
The last couple of years we have listed the top ten based on the readership of ALL the blogs in The Notes universe. With the 2015 countdown, we are using the top ten read blogs from just THIS year (January 6, 2015-December 22, 2015). We will share an overall "Most Read EVER" during this year's recap as an "Long Distance Dedication" later in the blog. The top ten is tabulated by blogspot.com based on the blogs read by you! So YOU determine the countdown! (You may notice that there are 4 songs listed at #10. That is caused by a 5 way tie at #9. So technically we are counting down the top 13 most read blogs from the 2015 Tuesday's Musical Notes year.) Thanks for reading! And now let it begin...
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 New International Version of the Bible/The Message Paraphrase of the Bible parallel
Well,
maybe not that beginning, but this verse does serve as the foundation
for everything that we do here at Tuesday's Musical Notes. It relays
the world view from which The Notes operates and opines. It provides
the context by which everything we do has an explanation. Perhaps this
is different from the view of the world you have. Please read on...
The first song tied at #10 is the song that should bring a little "Spring" (or at the very least Summer) to your step. It is the Carribean inspired, Reggae infused song about eliminating worry...from Bob Marley and the Wailers:
"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them...God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day." Genesis 1:26-31 NIV/The Message parallel
Keeping
with a summer theme, with a little political history lesson thrown in
for good measure, is also a #10 song on 2015's Tuesday's Musical Notes
most read list. Here is our personal favorite band, Chicago, with their
1972 hit,
Our third tied for #10 is the Country smash hit by musical icon Johnny Cash. Nothing more to say than..."Hello, I'm Johnny Cash"...
"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die...When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Genesis Chapters 2 and 3 NIV/The Message
Finally
on our tally for Tuesday's is the hit by one of Rock and Roll's most
talented trios. While upon its release it only went as high as #44,
this song, like the book of the same name, is endeared by millions of
fans world wide. It is also a constant on "classic hits" radio. Also at
#10 (the last one!!!) on our lyrical lineup of most read blogs of 2015,
is the Canadian band Rush with their 1981 hit...
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come." Romans 3:12-14 NIV/The Message parallel
We won't stop 'til we reach the top!
Instrumental
music has touched the pop music scene in a variety of ways. It can be
found on the charts as reinterpretations of classic hits (remember "A
Fifth Of Beethoven" and Hooked On Classics?), instrumentals from
soundtracks (selected songs from Star Wars, the Indiana Jones series, or
anything composer John Williams touches),or original compositions such
as our #9 jazz crossover hit from Chuck Mangione.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son" The Gospel of Jesus According to the Disciple John 3:16-17 NIV/The Message parallel
#8!
2015 saw its share of "farewell" tours. Time
will tell if these artists will indeed hang up their axes and store
their microphone cables to retire and watch as a new crop of wannabee
icons take over. Announcing farewell tours in 2015 were acts, Shania
Twain, Motley Crue, The Eagles, Alabama, Rush, Bone Thugs In Harmony,
and Bon Jovi. But without a doubt the biggest party to close down would
be the farewell tour of this legendary jam band.. With our #8 most
read blog from 2015, here is The Grateful Dead with something we are
noticing in the mirror more and more these days...
Tuesday's
Musical Notes confesses an affinity to the music of the 80's. While we
attempt to feature songs from all decades, there is just something
special about that formative decade of big hair and the introduction of
MTV. One of the biggest bands from that decade was a "solo" project by
one of the founding members of Genesis, Mike Rutherford. The 80's saw
the birth of Mike and the Mechanics and one of their biggest hits was
from 1986. With #7 on the countdown, here is...
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The Letter to Roman Christians from the Apostle Paul 5:8 NIV/The Message parallel
Because
of the tie that we experienced this year at the #9 and #10 spots, we
are now half way through the 2015 list of most popular blogs at
Tuesday's Musical Notes. We'd like to once again thank folks from all
over the world who have checked in, discovered, or stumbled into our
meanderings on music and The Messiah. We hope that you find the
insights here to be informative and life changing. Most of all we hope
that you find them to be God honoring. For that is the reason we
exist. To bring honor and glory to the One who is worthy of a
"thunderous ovation of praise"! As a salute to you, the reader we bring
this long distance dedication. From a Christ follower who loves music
and the folks who listen to it, to you our reader, #3 from last years
countdown and the current all time #1 most read blog at Tuesday's
Musical Notes...
...and the countdown rolls on...
At
#6 is the supergroup, USA for Africa. This one and done album featured
some of the biggest names in entertainment coming together to provide
resources for those hardest hit in the 80's by the major drought in
Africa. Grab a hand and start swaying....
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 NIV/The Message Parallel
We
try our best to not shy away from "controversial" topics here at The
Notes. We pursue opportunities to show grace and love while we attempt
to redeem, not condemn. 2015 saw headlines that amplified the problems
with prostitution and sexual sin that plague the United States and the
world. Those problems have been around for a very long time. And in
1978 a song came out by the band The Police that spoke to the
redemption of those trapped in this lifestyle. At #5 here is the Police
with...
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
...Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
...Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” The Second Letter to Corinthian Christians from the Apostle Paul 5:18-21 NIV/The Message parallel The Gospel of Jesus According to the Disciple Matthew 27:27-31 NIV/The Message parallel The Gospel of Jesus According to the Disciple Dr. Luke 23:34 NIV/The Message parallel
You read 'em... we count 'em down...
Our
#4 most read blog of 2015 features a question that everyone asks at
some point or another. Singing the question, is Linda Rondstadt from
her 1974 album Heart Like A Wheel...
Tuesday's
Musical Notes is read by great people in countries all over the world
like, Malaysia, Mongolia, The Netherlands and Brazil. We even have at
least 1 reader who routinely checks in from Ukraine. Дякую!!!
Now on with the countdown...
"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb
...The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you." Matthew 28 NIV/The Message parallel
A
recurring theme at Tuesday's Musical Notes is time and our use of it.
In March of this year, we learned a little bit about how Steve Miller
and his band wanted to spend their time. It hits the countdown at #3
for the year...
"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved" Romans 10:9-10 NIV/The Message
The
melody from #2 in our blog countdown has its roots in ancient Ireland
and can be traced back to the late 1700's making it the oldest song on
2015's lyrical listing. Featuring a video from the "Celtic Women" and
our annual celebration of St. Patrick's Day, here is the Irish classic
taken from the tune of "Londonderry Air"...
As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:11-13 NIV/The Message parallel
Before
we get to #1, we hope you have read the Scripture passages that have
been surrounding the countdown of blog posts. Perhaps they are not
familiar to you. That's ok. Our intent is to show you something we
discovered some time ago. God exists as 3 in 1 (Father(God),
Son(Jesus), Holy Spirit(Comforter)). God created mankind with an
eternal soul and placed him in a garden of perfection. Everything that
God made during that time He called good. God gave man 1 rule. The man
Adam did not resist the temptation of the evil one and broke that 1
rule. At this point the once beautiful relationship between God and man
was broken.
God cannot exist where there is sin, or evil. Man was
separated from God at that point and placed out of the garden of
perfection into a world where man and the earth now suffer from his
disobedience. From that point every man after has done wrong things.
No matter how hard man attempts to restore the broken relationship with
God by being good, it does not happen.
God however, made a way. He
instructed Jesus to become a man. Jesus experienced everything man
experiences from the helplessness of being a baby to a death of the
physical body. His death was the most horrific torture man had ever
invented and all of the world's evil was placed on Him. He did this
because as God, He loved man so much that He wanted a way for the broken
relationship to be restored. This can only happen as a matter of
faith. Faith in the fact that Jesus loved us this much and that our
relationship with God can be restored through Him.
As we look at the #1
blog for this year, please take a moment and reread the Scripture
listed above. You are an eternal being. You will exist after your
physical body has ceased to function. There only two places of
existence for our eternal beings. Heaven, where God IS, or hell, where
God IS NOT. Click on the links to take you to the full passages and
allow Holy Spirit to transition your heart and change your life! If you
have any questions, you can always email back or post a comment. We
promise to first pray for you and then answer your question to the best
of our ability.
And
now with the most read Tuesday's Musical Note of 2015. #1 features the
band who began making music in 1977 and played their last concert
together in 2002. Their classic hits include, "Sultans Of Swing",
"Money For Nothin'", and "So Far Away". This year's #1 is the only song
that the band Dire Straits has every had featured at Tuesday's Musical
Notes. Here with an assist from their friend Johnny is the #1 read
blog at Tuesday's Musical Notes, it's Dire Straits...
And
there you have it. The most read blogs at Tuesday's Musical Notes from
2015!!! Didn't see your favorite song get the Tuesday's Musical Notes
treatment in this year's countdown? Check out the archives to see if
some of your favorite songs are listed there. Then tell your friends!
You never can tell what might be #1 in 2016!!!
We
look forward to spinning some platters, cueing up the tracks, and
pushing play with you each week of 2016! But for now, this is Randy
letting you know that we are here to Serve HIM by serving you, as we
look forward to each Tuesday with great anticipation. Thanks for tuning
in!!! We'll see ya in 2016!
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me." John 14 NIV/The Message parallel
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
