Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Runnin' with the Devil" (Van Halen)

Hello!  It's Tuesday!  We better get started before you begin thinkin' we've gone off the deep end!!!

Welcome to Tuesday!  There is no need to adjust your dial.  This is the same Tuesday's Musical Notes that you've been enjoying for some time now and if you'll hang in there, I really think you'll find something intriguingly interesting about today's adventure. It's not our first venture down this rabbit hole, but promises to be equally thought provoking. (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Sympathy for the Devil")  Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride...

"Runnin' with the Devil" by Van Halen from their February 10, 1978, eponymous debut album

Named the 9th greatest hard rock song of all time by by VH1, "Runnin' with the Devil" was the 2nd single from Van Halen's (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Right Now", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Dreams") debut album.  "Runnin' with the Devil" followed the cover of the Kinks "You Really Got Me" and found itself peaking at #84 on Billboard's Hot 100.  It is said to be inspired by The Ohio Players song "Running from the Devil".   The song immediately got the reputation for being a celebration of the satanic when in reality it is biographical description of the band in its infancy. The song bespeaks of finding the supposed freedom that success and excess would bring to the band as they launched their career.  

Van Halen continues to tour in its current iteration of David Lee Roth (yep, Diamond Dave is back in the fold), Eddie Van Halen, Wolfgang Van Halen (Eddie's son with Valerie Bertinelli), and Alex Van Halen.  The last studio album came in the form of 2012's A Different Kind of Truth.

Here at Tuesday's Musical Notes, we recommend that readers explore the only kind of Truth.  We have found that in the marketplace of ideas that the Bible and its telling of history and His story continue to be compelling, reliable and trustworthy.  This being said, we attempt to provide the following...

In the Art of War, Chinese military leader and philosopher Sun Tsu said: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”  This is sage advice for today's believers.  For if we do not understand who will be challenging our beliefs and ideas, we are ill equipped to succeed in the advancement of the kingdom. Before we can venture into the lies of Eden, the place of the enemy's first deception of man, we must first comprehend why he was on earth in the first place.

There isn't much of an origin story in the Bible regarding the enemy. We do know that the story begins in the presence of God.  

He is a created being.   Ezekiel 28:12-15 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel  describes the dual story of the King of Tyre and God's enemy.  As a created being he will always be subservient to God. Regardless of what he may say or think. 

He was the originator of sin.  The above passage details his creation, his sin, and his expulsion from God's presence.  Isaiah also describes in duality the fall of both the city of Babylon and the enemy:  Isaiah 14:12-14 NASB/The Message/KJV While we do not get the chronology from these passages we see in them that pride is the true original sin.  His sin resulted in his expulsion from heaven.  Sin came to earth as a result of the enemy's rebellion against God.  This removal from God's "senior angel" corps caused his existence to be predominantly on earth. ( 1 Peter 5:8-11 NASB/The Message/KJV   The deceit he perpetuated on Eve and then Adam, would be the root of sin that encompasses the world until God sends Jesus as Judge.  

He has access to God.  In Job 1:6-12 NASB/The Message/KJV we see the enemy is allowed to come along with other angels to give report to God.  This dismisses the idea that he is in hell.   His dominion, according to this passage, is on earth for now.  One only need look around our world to see the influence from the enemy's advances.

His power is limited.  All throughout the Gospels of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) we see his efforts stymied by Jesus and His disciples.  His cohorts are cast from folks whom they have possessed for years and cast into non existence.  Later in Acts and Paul's writings we see time and again the limits on the enemy's power when confronted by Holy Spirit.  He is thwarted at every turn and deemed powerless in the face of God's Spirit.  

The enemy is not victorious.  The prophesy of the enemies demise is early in scripture.  In fact the curse, upon him and the animal in which he possessed, can be found in Genesis 3:14-15 NASB/The Message/KJV.  This is the beginning of the end for the enemy. He has already been given the ultimate defeat by Jesus death, burial, and resurrection.  His eternity is sealed in complete separation from God with those who chose to reject the pleading of Holy Spirit in a place that was never intended for any of mankind to exist.  It is called Hell.  He doesn't rule a demonic legion from there now.  He won't rule anything when he is cast there as eternal punishment.  He will be in torment alongside of those who do not choose Jesus.  That is the enemy's future.  But it doesn't have to be yours.  

Know your enemy.  Your best way to do this is to become more and more like the enemy's Creator.  Taking on the nature of Jesus is the battle plan for defeating the enemy in our day to day skirmishes with him. The battles with the enemy will be numerous if we are attempting to be like Christ.  We have an assortment of weapons that we can use to be prepared when those battles arise.  Read God's Word.  Fellowship and love God's people.  Show that love in dramatic ways to the world. Hold sin and its creator in judgement not people.  Love folks.

You see, in reality, the simple life ain't so simple.  It is filled with the advances of the enemy.  Believers are in a constant battle for the tomorrow's of others.  We have The Captain at the head of our battle lines.  There is only one love, a love you can call real.  It is found in Jesus, Who has already won the victory over the enemy.  We can defeat the enemy in our lives.  When we choose to place our lives in the hands of Jesus we win the most important battle.  And through Holy Spirit's power we can proclaim at the top of our hard rock lungs that we no longer are...runnin' with the devil!!!

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy 

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "She's Always a Woman" (Billy Joel)

Hey there!  Welcome to Tuesday and another edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  We hope you enjoy these weekly excursions in which we embark.  There is always something new to learn and we except the challenge to explore strange new worlds.  To seek out new life and new civilizations.  To boldly...wait that's not our opening monologue!!!  I apologize for the momentary lapse of reasoning.  Let's try that again, shall we?

Welcome to Tuesday!  Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip...stop!!!  No tropics or tiny ships in today's Notes.  One last attempt...

It's time for Tuesday's Musical Notes and we're here to tell you all a story 'bout a man named Jed... I give up...

It's Tuesday.  Here are the Notes.  Don't pay any attention to The Stranger who must have taken over the opening...

"She's Always a Woman" by Billy Joel from the September 1977 album The Stranger

Peaking at #17 on Billboard's Hot 100, "She's Always a Woman" would follow 2 other singles (the #3 hit, Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Just the Way You Are" and the #17 "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" from Joel's breakout album, The Stranger which peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart. 

And now for a Tuesday's Musical Note extra: 

A 35-second clip on YouTube from September 11, 2001, shows the arrangement of today's song by the Frank Chacksfield Orchestra being played on the Muzak that was piping through the World Trade Center prior to its collapse.  World Trade Center - September 11, 2001 - Muzak  Hard to believe that this fall we will observe the 18th year since the terrorist attack.  

We now return you back to your normally scheduled Notes.

Influenced by Gordon Lightfoot (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "If You Could Read My Mind"), "She's Always a Woman" was inspired by Billy Joel's then-wife/manager Elizabeth.  She had taken over Joel's management after several years of poor decision making by Joel and his previous management officials. Elizabeth put his career in a steady financial order and was a part of Joel's team during some of his largest album successes.  Unfortunately, the same could not be said of their marriage.  It ended in 1982 after 9 years. 

Marriages ending was never a part of the original plan.  From the beginning, the creation narrative involved the provision of a forever companion for Adam.  

Adam had been given dominion over all of creation.  He provided the names for all the organisms in which God created.  As Adam was giving out those names, it became quickly apparent that there was no suitable companion/helper for Adam.

God saw Adam as a "very good" creation, God realized that it was not good for Adam to be the only one of his kind.  So after creating the first anesthesia and surgery, God created Eve by taking one of Adam's ribs.  After what one would imagine was appropriate recovery time, God revealed his newest creation to Adam by showing her off to him. The Message paraphrase says that God "presented" her to Adam.   Adam knew full well what had happened and proclaimed her "Woman". "Flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone".  What a statement of excitement and equality!!  

Genesis 2:18-24 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel  

Since this time, men and women have been presenting themselves to each other for the possibilities of a lifelong relationship through the marriage covenant.  Fathers have been presenting young women to their future husbands just as God presented Eve to Adam.  Young men have been leaving the homes in which they were raised to begin a new home with the woman in which they desire to spend the remaining years of their lives.  It is a partnership that is never to be dissolved except by the physical separation of death.   At least that was the plan in Genesis.  

We don't know how long Eve lived. It is reasonable to expect that she lived for most of Adam's 930 years.  That is a pretty long time to be with the same person.  The original plan was for them to be together forever in Eden.  But other factors eliminated that possibility.  More to come...

In our day and age, it seems difficult for a commitment to be made that would last 930 years.  We live in a generation where the physical "giving" of yourself to someone has been minimized to a 1-time occurrence.  This was not the plan of creation and is one of the ways sexual sin of all kinds becomes the most pervasive weapon the enemy uses in battle.  

The Tuesday's Musical Notes perception on this is:  Marriage is to be forever.  Once a physical relationship has been established between 1 man and 1 woman, their individual lives become their collective life.  ANY sexual sin, (including pornography and affairs of the heart) destroys the commitment that is made at the time of consummation of wedding vows.  The Bible calls ANY sexual act outside of the boundaries of 1 man and 1 woman for the remainder of their lives, adultery and fornication.  

Unfortunately, the church is as guilty in this area as the world.  It is past time for us to have a higher standard.  Want to stop divorce?  Make sure both party's relationship with God is restored before entering into a relationship with each other.  Once you are one in marriage, support one another, encourage one another, have a Song of Solomon type experience with each other (Song of Solomon - NASB/The Message/KJV), and most of all pray.  Pray for protection against the enemy's temptations, because they will come. We are only able to withstand those temptations as our relationship is solid and founded on Jesus' example.  

Men, before you leave your home to begin a new home with a woman, be sure that she is the only one in which your spiritual and physical desires will abide.    "...She'll bring out the best and the worst you can be..." 

Women, before you are presented to a man, be sure that he is the only one in which your spiritual and physical desires will abide.  "...she's always a woman to me..."

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

 

 

   

 

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Listen to What the Man Said"(Wings)

Hi there!  Welcome!  Happy Tuesday to ya friend!  You have arrived at your destination.  Well, if you were determined to find a blog that explores popular music that is twisted around and taken in a context you had never considered, you have definitely arrived!  Welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes, a weekly departure into pounding drums and pondering disciples.  We sure are glad you're here!!!  

We live in a fantastic age!  The wonder of it all is that you can join us in Notesland anytime, anyplace at tuesdaysmusicalnotes.blogspot.com as long as you have an internet connection.  Check out the archives!  Today's song marks 368 trendy tunes that have received the Tuesday's Musical Notes treatment.  Listen closely and you could hear the people say that they have found their favorite song or band at Tuesday's Musical Notes.  I don't know but I say those folks are kind...

"Listen to What the Man Said" - May 16, 1975 single by Wings from the album Mars and Venus 

Featuring Dave Mason (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "We Just Disagree") on guitar and Tom Scott (Blues Brothers, et al) on soprano sax, this song from the Paul McCartney led band Wings went all the way to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100.  Wings recorded Mars and Venus in New Orleans.  After laying down the tracks for "Listen to What the Man Said" the McCartney and company felt as if the song needed a little something more.  Someone mentioned that jazz sax player Tom Scott was in the area and wondered if he would be interested in playing on the song.  Scott came quickly and laid down an initial sax layer on top of the mostly complete chart.  The band and engineer were very impressed with Scott's initial track and realized this is exactly what they had been seeking for the song.   Scott recorded several other options at the recommendation of the group, but ultimately, his first recording was the best.  It proved to be exactly what Paul, Linda, and Denny were looking for to complete the song. The rest is woodwind history.  

Today's song could easily be the soundtrack for the Gospel of Jesus according to the disciple John.  However, we would like to look a little earlier in mankind's history and look into a different situation about what this same Man said.  

 Genesis 2:15-17 New American Standard Version of the Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

We have seen an overview of the creation narrative in Genesis 1.  Chapter 2 however, goes into a few more details about the very first week of time's existence.  Specifically, we see God instructing man to name animals and begin utilizing the earth's resources for sustenance.  In Genesis 1 and through verse 14 we see how God is giving positive instructions to Adam.  He is providing Adam with an education in how to navigate in the new creation.  In verse 15 we see a totally different instruction that God gives to man. In reality, it would be the first "don't" or negative instruction to Adam.   God begins positively,  you can eat from any tree, (the conversational tone then makes a change) BUT, you cannot eat of this tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  

Adam had 1 negative rule.  Let that sink in...  1 rule.  

Apples receive a bum rap as the depiction throughout history is that the fruit of this tree was the red delicious.  Truth is, the Bible never specifies,  even more truthful...what does it matter?  The main point is Adam did not listen to what The Man said.  We'll get into the specifics later.  

The point of today's sware' into song and spirituality is that when given instruction by The Man (God, the Father, The Son in the New Testament, Holy Spirit dwelling in the lives of believers) we should abide by that instruction.  To do otherwise is disobedience which the Bible calls "sin".  

Today dear friend, The Man is saying specific things to you.  For some, He is calling you to a restored relationship with Him through Jesus an for others, He is calling you to specific tasks for the propelling of The Gospel in our world.  Please listen to what The Man says...

"Love is fine for all we know, for all we know our love will grow..."  As we find ourselves listening to what The Man says, we will find our love for Him growing.  Through our obedience, we show our love.  Through our listening to the instruction we grow in love.  Through our accepting His guidance people will find the way to go.  This can easily be done at any time, any day.  Doing this consistently will certainly result in people saying things about it as we listen to what The Man says...do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do...the wonder of it all...

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by Serving You,

randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "I'm a Man" (Spencer Davis Group)

Hi there!  How have you been?  Welcome to your weekly adventure combining the history of popular music with the history (past, present, and future) of mankind!  It's Tuesday's Musical Notes!!! The blog that causes you to rediscover pondering as an insightful and creative act buoyed by the soundtrack of some of the best music every imagined. Thanks for coming!  We think you'll like it here!  So let's get started.  Welcome to Tuesday and this week's Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!

"I'm a Man" title track from The Spencer Davis Group from January 1967

and just because we love this band SO much:

 "I'm a Man" by Chicago from the April 28, 1969 album Chicago Transit Authority 

Written by singer Steve Winwood (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "While You See A Chance" and Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Higher Love") and producer Jimmy Miller, "I'm a Man" was the last single as well as the last Top Ten hit by The Spencer Davis Group.  Brothers Steve and Muff (you read that right folks, "Muff") Winwood made up half the group.  When they decided to leave to pursue other interests, (Steve would form the band Traffic and be a part of the supergroup Blind Faith with Eric Clapton.  Muff began producing other artists, including Dire Straits (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "So Far Away", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Walk of Life") eponymous debut album)  Following the departure of the brothers Winwood, Spencer Davis and remaining band member Pete York reformed The Spencer Davis group.  They recorded four additional albums through 1974.  These albums never saw the success of the mid-60s incarnation of the band.  

"I'm a Man" has been most famously covered by the band Chicago (for all of Tuesday's Musical Notes that feature a Chicago song, click here:  Tuesday's Musical Notes - Notes from music by the band Chicago.)  The song got as high as #49 on Billboard's Hot 100 as the b-side to Chicago's rerelease of the edited for radio "Questions 67 & 68" which peaked at #24.  Chicago continues to perform the percussion led number in most of their concerts as it gives their horn players a break for their chops as well as the opportunity for said horn players to show off their diversity by accompanying on percussion instruments.  

The above feature video of Chicago's cover of "I'm a Man" comes in at 7:40 and appears on Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago at Carnegie Hall and Chicago Live in Japan.  The video showcases the original lineup from Chicago, which has not been in existence since the death of lead guitarist Terry Kath in 1978.  

Before reading, please understand one thing.  Tuesday's Musical Notes loves people.  It is sometimes difficult to separate the actions of those people from the people themselves, however, God does just that.  The actions that are contrary to God's will are called sin.  The Bible says that there is no one who is perfect. Romans 3:10 - New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible, King James Version of the Bible parallel  That means that we all struggle with our actions that are in rebellion to God.  Every one of us!  Our desire is to love God, Love Everyone else, and let Jesus do His job of judging when that day arrives.  

Today's Notes is a conversation regarding a particular sin.  We are in no way judging people, for if we do, we are judged ourselves.  Please attempt to understand the separation that we draw between people and their actions.  And now back to The Notes!!!   

"I'm a man, yes I am and I can't help but love ya so..."  

There has been much made about gender identity in the last decade. "Well, my daddy sent this message, got these whiskers on my chin..."   This questioning of basic psychology, chemistry, and biology goes against everything that was put into place in the Genesis account of history.  For if we, by faith, except the fact that God created us, would it not stand to reason that He knows what He is doing when He puts our physical components in place?  The scientific disciplines listed above, some of which have adherents that are at odds with a Biblical worldview, support the notion that it is ok to question your identity as a man or woman.  Much to the detriment of mankind.    "You think that I'm not human, and my heart is made of stone..."  

According to Genesis 2:5-7 NASB/The Message/KJV, God made man before any of the grounds needed tending and before the rain began falling to water those grounds.  He breathed into Adam "the breath of life".  Can you imagine, having God breathe into you?  What must those first moments of life have been like for Adam?  Also, would it not stand to reason that God's intention was for Adam to be eternal, having given Adam His own perfect breath?  But I digress...

Adam had no difficulty with his identity as He was created in the image of a perfect God and placed in a perfect environment.  Adam got his identity from his Creator.  He knew he was a man because that is what God told him he was.  

The rebellion of mankind, as we will see in future Musical Notes, is the instigator of the conversations and confusion regarding identity.  Because you see..."Well if I had my choice of druthers, I'd rather be content Bein' closer to the devil, from where my mind is at..."  

That rebellion can be overcome.  Repentance, turning away, from the things that are contrary to God, and turning to a life of faith in God can help us overcome.  We can be secure in who we are because of whose we are.   

We will read later that men were created first, then women were created by God from man.  There is no confusion between which one was Adam and which one was Eve.  There are beautiful differences between the man and woman.  These differences allow us such great freedom in expressing who we are within those boundaries.  The difficulty lies when we think we know better than God (again, tune back into the Notes, we're gonna cover that one!).  This self-centeredness is a trap by the enemy that results in the relinquishment of our freedom.     

This is not how the Creator planned for man to live in Genesis 2.  He gave man the freedom to do anything inside the boundaries He had placed.  It is only in this freedom, which many claim that they desire, that we live the lives our Creator intended.  It is only in this freedom that we can adequately express love towards one another.  And it is Only in this freedom that the men of our generation can stand up and boldly proclaim...

"I'm a man, yes I am and I can't help but love You so..." (note the capitalization of "You", emphasis mine).  Love is the critical word here...

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy