Happy New Year!!! Welcome to the first Tuesday of 2018!!! I hope your New Year's Eve celebrations were joyous, festive, and safe! I hope that during New Year's Eve, you took a moment to reflect on the previous year. I hope that you awoke on New Year's Day refreshed, renewed, and ready to engage with the opportunity that a new year affords each of us. The reality is that some of the folks you encounter today, may not have awoken feeling refreshed, renewed or ready. Don't be judgemental, be gracious and kind. Because in fact, they may not feel much better than Zombies...
Recorded at Olympic Road Studios and Abbey Road Studios (yes, THAT Abbey Road. It wasn't just for The Beatles) on June 2 and August 15 of 1967, "This Will Be Our Year" was the 9th track of an album that Rolling Stone has placed at #100 on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. An album whose title came about from the art teacher/cover designer's misspelling of the word "Odyssey". The band would, later on, claim that the mistake was intentional to drive sales and bring attention to the album. The band broke up in December of 1967, prior to the release of Odessey and Oracle, which initially was received by mixed reviews and mediocre sales.
After the album gained traction and "Time of the Season" charted, 2 "fake bands" were created by Delta Promotions, who had other fakes for The Animals and The Archies, to tour as The Zombies in 1969. One of those bands was from Texas and included future ZZ Top members Dusty Hill and Frank Beard.
Other than having a cursory knowledge of their biggest hits, the #2 "She's Not There" from 1964 and the 1968's #3 smash, "Time of the Season", most folks don't find The Zombies as a staple to their playlist. Despite this, The Zombies reorganized in 2000 with 2 of its original members and have seen success in the 60's revival tours that continue to pop up all over the world. For the 50th Anniversary of Odessey and Oracle, the four surviving original members joined to tour. In May of 2017, The Zombies were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Today's song never charted but was most prominently heard at the close of episode 2, season 7 of AMC's Mad Men. It was perfectly placed as a closing titles song for an episode set in 1969, refreshing the song, and allowing The Zombies to be exposed to a new generation of musicologists. With this introduction to new fans, Seems like even after 50 years, folks can have a new thing that begins.
The book of Isaiah is filled with prophecies of the "new". dictionary.com defines this word as,
of recent origin, production,
Isaiah speaks of new songs, new things, and of a new sacrifice. As a prophet, Isaiah would have preached want we could call the good 'ol "hellfire and brimstone" messages to the straying nation of Israel. But about chapter 40, Isaiah's demeanor turns to the future and the hope of one who will be that new sacrifice.
God speaks through Isaiah in chapter 42:
Isaiah 42:8-10Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
8 I am the Lord. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to anotheror my praise to idols.
9 The past events have indeed happened.Now I declare new events; I announce them to you before they occur.”
9 The past events have indeed happened.Now I declare new events; I announce them to you before they occur.”
10 Sing a new song to the Lord; sing his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea with all that fills it,you coasts and islands with your[a] inhabitants. (emphasis Tuesday's Musical Notes)
He tells Isaiah of future hope in chapter 43:
Isaiah 43:18-20Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
18 “Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old.19 Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it?Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.
I don't know about you, but that seems to be sound advice for the beginning of a new year regardless what age in which you live!
And finally through Isaiah, God tells Israel that He is in control of everything, including the "new" things they have yet to experience:
Did you catch verse 7?
And that was just the beginning.
I have a lot more to tell you,things you never knew existed.
This isn’t a variation on the same old thing.
This is new, brand-new,
something you’d never guess or dream up.
When you hear this you won’t be able to say,
‘I knew that all along.’ (The Message paraphrase of Isaiah 48:7)
This is a chapter so filled with hope! This is a chapter that lets the pressure off of us because if we consider these passages truth, we will soon come to the conclusion that we have no control over anything! We had no control over the events of 2017 and have no control over the events of 2018. That my friend is a freedom that far too many of us don't allow ourselves the luxury of being in.
Yes, we should consider last year's events, the good and the bad. They were equally outside of our control. Perhaps you have seen the facebook comments regarding folks whose last year wasn't one they considered good. In the context of what we see in Isaiah, last year probably wasn't that much different than any other year. Also in that context, this year will probably be like any other year. The difference is when we allow our thoughts to dwell on God having control of EVERYTHING, our frustration levels, sadness, problems, and worries all seem to diminish in the wake of His presence over our lives. AND we can look forward in joyful expectation to see what "new" things God has in store for this coming year.
The promises of the Bible are proven time and again to be true. They continue to be true in 2018. However, the promises of the Bible must be kept in the context of which they were written. Perhaps you have heard the passage,
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"
Jeremiah 29:11 sounds like a really great promise from God. But, we must also hear what God is saying to us through the entire passage to which verse 11 happens to be the centerpiece!!!
In context, it is plain to see that God is in control, but we must do our part by staying in His will to see His plan fulfilled. When we sin, as everyone on earth does, we create separation from those plans for prosperity. When we sin, we diminish His plans to give us hope. If we do not repent of our sin, we stand the chance of damaging our future.
For this to be our year, we must turn from the sin that so easily besets us, this is called repentance. For this to be our year we must call out to God and pray to Him. He says that He will hear and will answer. For this to be our year we must seek God, seek Him with all our heart, through reading His Word, fellowship/ be making new disciples with His other adopted children and proclaiming the Good News to all who will listen.
In 2018, if we make securing our relationship with God through Jesus a priority, spend the year making sure we continue to reinforce and build on that relationship and then wait in eager expectation for the new God will do, we won't be walking around like Zombies...
But we can sing...
"You don't have to worry
All your worried days are gone
This will be our yearTook a long time to come"
'Til Tuesday
Serving HIM by serving You,
randy
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