Tuesday's Musical Notes - "The Boys are Back in Town" (Thin Lizzy)

Hello!  How are you today?  Me?  I'm doing fine!  I'm just rolling into the best day of the week thinking about a great song!  Why is Tuesday so good?  What song am I listening to?  Well, friend, I'm glad you asked!  Welcome to Tuesday and Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!

Since storefronts existed, there has always been a place where people can go to find the latest music. Many times these establishments were the first to become places where everybody knows your name.  (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" (Theme from Cheers, by Gary Portnoy))  Some of those stores later included books and movies to give the entire "entertainment" vibe to their retail environment.  These emporiums were at the mercy of publishers (music and books), and studios,(videos) for when new material would be released to the masses.  For years, the day of the week that the new stuff came out was the third day of the week, Tuesday. 

For the management of such stores (of which I was blessed to be), Tuesdays soon became a highlight of the week.  There always was something new on Tuesday and depending on the release, you could expect sales to fluctuate somewhat. Hence, for this entertainment retailer, Tuesday soon became my fave day!!! 

Music delivery systems have changed significantly since the entertainment industry shifted to a universal street date on Fridays.   Streaming and paying a subscription service has become the hip way to listen to your jams.  Recent years, however, have seen a decline in all forms of music delivery, save one...vinyl records.  This phenomenon among the next generation of audiophiles has been so dramatic, one might even be heard to exclaim...The boys are back in town!!!

"The Boys are Back in Town" by Thin Lizzy from the March 26, 1976 album Jailbreak  

Quickly recognized by its dual guitar opening lick, "The Boys are Back in Town" is the #12 hit by Irish band Thin Lizzy.  It has become their best selling and highest-charting single in the US.  Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak album was suffering extremely slow sales.  So much so, that the band considered calling it quits until "The Boys are Back in Town" got put into super heavy rotation by 2 Disc Jockeys in Louisville, Kentucky.  The song is credited with saving the band and continues that super heavy rotation at "Classic" radio. 

Thin Lizzy was formed in 1969 but didn't hit its stride until the mid-70s with today's featured song.  They continued to tour with a semi-regular lineup of original members until 1983 when lead singer and principal guitarist Phil Lynott, as well as, drummer Brian Downey, left the band.  Lynott would die 3 years later of conditions related to drug and alcohol abuse.  Needless to say, Thin Lizzy never returned to the popularity that they saw in the '70s but the band has migrated around several groups of musicians over the years.  You can still find the occasional "one and done" Thin Lizzy concert, the last one was in 2019.  

Maybe the Thin Lizzy of today has come to the conclusion that it really is difficult to stop "cold turkey" doing things that are your passion when that is exactly what you are supposed to be doing.

Exodus 6:1-13 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel  

The Bible characters Moses and Aaron found themselves in a similar position.  They had just had a wonderful time convincing the leadership of the Israelites that God had sent them.  They also had built up the confidence, through God's prompting and a really great worship service, to approach Pharoah with the proposal of letting the Israelites go into the desert for a really, REALLY great worship service.  The result?  Pharoah figuratively slapped Moses' and Aaron's faces and Israel's workload increased.  

So, what did they do?

Guess who just got back today...

Moses and Aaron found themselves back in the presence of God.  God reassures them that even Pharoah's stubbornness is a part of the plan for Him to reveal Himself to the Israelites as well as to the people of Egypt.  So, the boys are back in town.  This time God had revealed even more of the overall plan and had shown them the miracles that He would perform as proof to the Israelites and persuasion to Pharoah.   Pharoah's gonna think them cats are crazy...

Could you do what Moses and Aaron did?  Think about the familiar story.  Moses goes. Pharaoh says "NO!" Stop. Rinse. Repeat.  Frogs, and flies, and lice...oh my!!!  How were Moses and Aaron able to keep coming back?  In the face of certain ridicule and eventual animosity, Moses and Aaron hadn't changed much, nothing new to say..."Let the people go"  "NO!"  And they keep coming back to town.

The key to their tenacity?  The didn't do the preparation.  God did.

Look back at Exodus 6:13 NASB/The Message/KJV.  It seems that Pharaoh wasn't the only one with a stubborn streak.  Moses continues to make excuses about the Israelites hesitancy, his speaking ability, and Pharaoh's opposition.  God is patient with Moses and reassures him that EVERYTHING is going to plan.  God once again commands Moses to get back and tell Pharaoh the message and leave the outcome to God.  Moses went about doing it because He had faith in the God whom he had seen do the miraculous.  

2 Corinthians 5:7-8 NASB/The Message/KJV  reminds us that most times we won't know the plan, but by faith in things we don't see, we can accomplish what we have been called to do.  Hebrews 11:1-2 NASB/The Message/KJV assures us of the same thing as it serves as a prelude into what many call the "Faith Hall of Fame", examples of Old Testament characters who did the miraculous because they remained faithful to God's calling.    

Moses and Aaron had faith because of the things they were seeing and hearing.  Wouldn't it be nice to see things we consider miraculous to increase our faith? Let's face it though, I'm not sure you want boils and locusts waiting around the corner. (Haven't we been through enough to get your attention in 2020?)  

The period in which we live allows God to speak to us through Holy Spirit.  Our job is to listen as He has much to say about where our passions should lie and what we are called to do to spread the word around.  He says's "Go and tell everyone the Good News", you are obedient and faithful and they still say "NO!"  That can be discouraging, but the Bible tells us to continue to go back to town and tell them again.  

Let's face it, friend, the truth of the Bible is that one day...THE Boy will be back in town and He's going to want to know how you was, where you could be found.  Your answer to those questions all depends on your obedience to what He's been telling you...the nights are getting warmer, it won't be long...

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy 

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Fire and Rain" (James Taylor)

Welcome to Tuesday.  

There are days in our lives that are filled with the brightness of the sun.  They seem like they could go on forever.  Work production is optimized and a sense of accomplishment accompanies our heads as we lay them down for an evening of rest.  Other days, however, are filled with clouds and disarray as we attempt to trudge through the quagmire until exhausted from the stress and strain of the day, we find rest.  Good days and bad days. Fire and Rain.  Sunny days.  They are a part of the existence we get to experience in this world.  

There are also days that are made fuller and better, regardless of the sunshine or the rain,  by certain people we encounter and the influence they have on us.  These folks, by their very presence, have the ability to improve our lives by just being...them.  Many of these people are personalities we don't even get to connect with consistently, but yet we hear of their life, something they said or did, and we are changed for the better or positively challenged through a time of difficulty. 

Today, Tuesday's Musical Notes celebrates such a person.  

"Fire and Rain" by James Taylor from the February 1970 album Sweet Baby James 

"Won't you look down upon me, Jesus

You've got to help me make a stand

You've just got to see me through another day

My body's aching and my time is at hand

I won't make it any other way"

Carrie Taylor was a gifted musical artist, conductor, teacher, and friend.  She passed early Monday morning into eternity after a brief illness.  Carrie was one of the aforementioned folks who leaves behind a legacy of music instruction and influence that will be felt for generations to come.  

Her story is one that will be told by her close friends and family.  Should you know them...ask for one of those stories.  You can currently see the impact she had on thousands of lives as it is being chronicled on social media. Her impact and influence will be felt for all eternity. (To see some of the testimonials please go to the Prayers for Carrie Taylor page on Facebook)  She improved the lives of every person she encountered by motivating them (sometimes with a fiery passion and the rain of heightened instruction as I'm told) to be the absolute best version of themselves.   

Carrie demonstrated the life the Bible teaches us to live.  Her life exuded her belief in Jesus Christ as her hope of eternity in Heaven with God.  How can we know this? You can tell much about a person by watching them...

It has well been said (or if it hasn't it should have been, maybe it's something I heard Carrie say...) that the life one leads is the biggest testimony of where our hearts, soul, and mind are grounded.  That basically means that the evidence of one's belief system is how they live.  The following is a description of the life Carrie Taylor lived:

Galatians 5:22-24 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

How Carrie went about living her life in this manner was easy to see, even from a distance.  She had an abounding adoration of her family and LOVE of her students.  There was JOY that was evident on her face every time she conducted.  PEACE flowed from her quiet demeanor.  PATIENCE...she was a high school choral director...enough said.  There was a KINDNESS that drew people to her, even if they weren't well acquainted.  GOODNESS was showered upon those she could serve.  FAITHFULNESS was evident in the 44-year commitment that she and her husband made to be one in the eyes of God.  In my personal interaction, there was a GENTLENESS in the way Carrie reacted to folks.  While I'm sure there were times of disappointment and frustration, Carrie exhibited incredible SELF CONTROL with the many hats in which she was called upon to wear.  These my friend, were the characteristics for which Carrie Taylor was known.  

Today our hearts are saddened.  Today we grieve with Carrie's family in theirs, and our own loss.  Today we celebrate the incredible impression Carrie Taylor made on lives.  Today we know by the example of Carrie Taylor's life in whom her faith for eternity was placed.  Today we praise God that Carrie Taylor taught music and did it with excellence, but we praise Him even more for what Carrie Taylor taught us about Jesus by the way she lived.  

What does your life say to those around you?

I've seen fire and I've seen rain

I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end

Because of you, I have always had a friend

and I just can't wait to see you again...  

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Sixteen Tons" (Merle Travis/Tennessee Ernie Ford)

Welcome to Tuesday and another edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  Tuesday's are the day we gather as a unified group of music lovers to explore the vastness of our melody filled world.  Today's focus just happens to be on the Folk end of the Country spectrum of that world.  Come along with us as we gather around the radio and listen to a story of the Appalachians and the coal mines that filled them!

"Sixteen Tons" by Merle Travis from the 1947 album Folk Songs of the Hills  

But wait!  Hold your radio tubes just a second mister...I thought the legendary singer Tennessee Ernie Ford did the song "Sixteen Tons"!    What gives?

"Sixteen Tons" as recorded by Tennessee Ernie Ford from his 1955 album Ford Favorites  

You are absolutely right!!!  One of Tuesday's Musical Notes' favorite singers/entertainers, Tennessee Ernie Ford covered the song "Sixteen Tons" after it was recorded and released by its writer Merle Travis, the Country Music Hall of Famer who is credited with coming up with the "Travis Picking" style of guitar fingerpicking.  This method, rooted in the Ragtime style music of the '20s, has the guitarist playing the chords and bass line with his thumb, while the melodies are simultaneously picked by the index finger.  

Obviously, Travis' most famous song is today's feature, "Sixteen Tons".  The 1947 recording by Travis on Capitol records failed to chart, but fast forward 8 years and Tennessee Ernie Ford would take the song all the way to #1 on Billboard Charts.  "Sixteen Tons" tells the story of coal miners, as do many of Merle Travis songs, who are constantly troubled by the balance of needing to work and the hard labor in which they find themselves.   

"Sixteen Tons" has been performed and covered many times.  Artists all over the musical spectrum have taken its somber tone and used it to entertain thousands.  It has been translated into languages all over the world. It has also been used several times in tv and movies including the 1990 Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan film, Joe Versus the Volcano. Watch Eric Burden's version here:  "Sixteen Tons" by Eric Burden opening song feature in the 1990 film Joe Versus the Volcano 

The mining industry has made great advances in the 73 years since "Sixteen Tons" was written.  Labor unions and management have worked together to ensure safer environments.  (Imagine people working together on a common problem to come up with equitable solutions...)  The world's reliance on coal as a fuel source has diminished significantly as well.  Even with these changes, coal mining is one of the most dangerous and hardest physical labor jobs one can imagine. But hard work is really nothing new for folks...

Since the Garden of Eden expulsion, hard work has been at the forefront of man's existence. Genesis 3:17-19 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel This necessity of difficult labor hadn't changed very much by the time Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharoah as messengers from God.  They were instructed to relay the message to  Pharaoh of the impending release of the Children of Israel from bondage.  The story continues...

Exodus 5 NASB/The Message/KJV  

We find Moses and Aaron telling Pharaoh to allow the Israelites the opportunity to go into the desert for a worship service.  Pharoah was astounded that they would suggest such a break in the flow of work coming from the Israelites.  We have seen recently what interruptions can occur when workers do not work.  (Fortunately, we live in a time where we aren't making bricks out of mud and straw, but the disturbance in regularity has been equally distressing.)  Pharaoh would have none of it and in fact, Moses' request caused even more work for the Israelites.  

"Some people say a man is made out of mud..."

The depictions of the plight of the Israelites that we see in the movies like The Ten Commandments or Prince of Egypt probably do not begin to demonstrate the reality of how hard the work conditions were for these folks.  I wonder if sixteen tons of bricks would have been a "light" day for them as they labored in the straw and mud.  Moses' request made it even more difficult as they now had to go and gather the previously supplied straw that they needed, without any let down in output.  

Moses and Aaron wind up in some really hot water.  They had just come out of an incredible worship service with the leadership of Israel, were excited to go about doing what God had told them to do and what happens, they made matters worse.  How can this be?  They followed God's instructions to the letter and it only made Pharaoh AND the Israelites angry with them.  

Have you ever had a moment in your life that is similar?  You have prepared for weeks, followed all the rules, given a brilliant presentation of your work and...everything blows up, nothing goes to plan, and things get bad.  Your solutions are looked upon as causing more difficulty than the problem with which you began.  You start all over while the approaching deadline remains the same.  How can this be?

Let's face it.  We do not live in a perfect world.  In fact, we chose not to live in a perfect world in the Garden of Eden. (see "Don't Know What You Got ('Til Its Gone)" (Cinderella))  Even when we execute God's plan to the minutest detail, there are opportunities for it to blow up in our faces because of the sin that exists in the fallen world in which we live.  

The solution?  Stay with God!  Listen to Holy Spirit as He guides you to the next step (even if that is back to step 1).  Be faithful.  God is perfect and He does not change! Malachi 3:6 NASB/The Message/KJV  Know that His plan will be accomplished regardless of the setbacks that may come your way!!!  Isaiah 55:8-11 NASB/The Message/KJV  Our role as we wait on God? Be ready for the miraculous that He is about to perform.  Exodus 14:13 NASB/The Message/KJV 

"You load sixteen tons, and what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt..." Even during your heavy labor, God is there providing for you.  He gives you strength and comfort for your labor. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB/The Message/KJV Follow His lead and what do you get...His blessings in your life that you cannot even imagine.  

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "What a Fool Believes" (The Doobie Brothers)

Welcome to Tuesday ladies and lads!  It's the week before we celebrate our fathers, our dads! This Sunday remember the discipline received, the love and the laughter, our moments of need.  He was there in a jiffy, without much a tussle, with wisdom, and care, and a bit of his muscle.  So take a moment and call, write, or visit. The times they are short, so you better get with it!!!  

Welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes, where a rhyme just in time might be the medicine you need.  We realize that relationships with fathers aren't always idyllic, and we pray that if you have a good one, you'll praise God for him.  I was fortunate to have a father who taught me many things about many things.  But the most important thing he did for me was to point me toward a Father that would do things for me that he never could.  I hope you have a father like that, and I hope you have engaged THE Father.  Happy Father's Day!!!

Tuesday's Musical Notes is making an effort to retell the great stories of the Bible.  We live in a generation where folks don't learn and study the Bible as much or as effectively as they once did.  The result of this can be seen across the world's landscape.  The stories of the Bible resonate with life principles and provide examples of good and evil.  We learn about good and evil from Adam and Eve, we learn about God's love for right living from Noah, we learn about sacrifice and faith through the life of Abraham, and on and on it goes.

It seems that we live in an era where the differences between right and wrong/good and evil can be blurred significantly.  We need less ambiguousness and more precision in our life.  The stories in the Bible can provide answers to every question of our lives with exacting precision.  Without repeating and regaling in these great stories, we are left to the advice from what fools believe...

"What a Fool Believes" the January 1979 single from the album Minute by Minute by The Doobie Brothers  

Tuesday's Musical Notes have visited with the brother's Doobie on a couple of previous occasions.  Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Minute by Minute" (The Doobie Brothers) and Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Listen to the Music" (The Doobie Brothers)  to be precise.  What we find is a rock-n-roll band featuring founding members Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons with a variety of musicians (most notably Michael McDonald), who continue to tour and as of 2014 are still recording albums.  The Doobie's latest, 2014s Southbound includes backing vocals from some of Nashville's biggest names like Vince Gill and Brad Paisley.   2020 finds The Doobie Brothers being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and attempting a 50th Anniversary tour.  But due to circumstances beyond their control, both events were rescheduled.  (November 7th, 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, 2021 for the 50th Anniversary tour) 

The Doobie Brothers first single from the album Minute by Minute, "What a Fool Believes",  was a welcome rock-n-roll song in an era, the spring of 1979, where disco beats were dominating the charts.    "What a Fool Believes" went all the way to #1 in April of that year.  It received Grammys in the Song of the Year and Record of the Year categories for 1980 and launched The Doobie Brothers into the next decade.  

The song was co-written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "I'm Alright" (Kenny Loggins)).   To make the best of both worlds, a disco version was released by Warner Brothers in 1978 as a 12" single. It was also featured on Loggins' '78 album Nightwatch, making The Doobie Brothers single, technically, a cover.  Loggins made 2 live recordings of "What a Fool Believes" in 1980 (Kenny Loggins Alive) and with McDonald in 1993 (Outside: From The Redwoods).  

The song recounts the woes of former love interests.  One party attempts to rekindle the romance only to find that there was no romantic interest in the first place.  Just goes to show you what can happen when you have preconceived notions about things...

One of the Old Testament's biggest characters is Moses.  We've visited about him the last few weeks here at The Notes.  He spent a little time cruising the Nile River.  He was educated by the finest teachers around, and then he found himself on the wrong end of the law.  He then finds himself low man on the totem pole, taking care of sheep out in what we would call nowhere land.  A brief stint as an advocate for Smokey the Bear,  we now find Moses hanging out with God and developing a pattern of behavior that only a fool would believe. 

Rollback the curtain and let's see what this great Bible story has to reveal.

Exodus 4 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel  

God has instructed Moses in what was to be the next phase of his life.  Moses goes somewhere back in his long ago and begins making excuses, "what if they don't believe what I'm saying?"  God provides a miraculous object lesson.  Moses makes a point about his having a speech impediment.  God, becoming angry (yup, it says that! Exodus 4:14) relents and provides a speaker who just happens to be Moses' brother.  It seemed that every excuse or claim against obedience that Moses had, God kept providing a resolution for the excuse.  What excuses are you making about doing what God has called you to do?  How has God provided a resolution?  (...no wise man has the power, to reason away...)

Moses finally relinquishes his own will to God's.  (I wonder if we ever should do that, perhaps without wasting as much time as what Moses did...I sure don't want God to be "angry" with me!!!)   He gathers up his father-in-law's sheep and takes them back to the base camp.  He gathers up the wife and kids and sets his sites on Egypt.  Oh yeah, Moses took that stick that God turned into a snake with him as well.  (I believe I would too!!!) 

Remember, Moses had left Egypt 40 years prior as a fugitive.  Now, God was sending him back to demand that the king of the land release his slave labor.  I can't imagine that caused any stress...(dripping with sarcasm)

God also had been working in the life of Aaron, Moses' brother.  God instructs Aaron to meet Moses in the wilderness.  They meet, they embrace as brothers, and then Moses tells Aaron what is about to go down.  Having been a slave his entire life, one would imagine that this was welcome news to Aaron.   So he gathers up the leadership of Israel and tells them what is about to happen with Moses as their liaison/captain.   Moses does the first mic drop and the other wonders that God had shown to him.   The result? The Bible says that even with the terrifying prospects of going up against their rulers, the bowed and worshipped God.  

Has God asked you to do something that terrifies you?  Perhaps Holy Spirit is right now, showing Himself to you and drawing you to restore your relationship with God.  Perhaps, the story of Jesus is resonating with you so much that you want to make Him the boss of your life?  Perhaps God has called you to lead in a capacity that only a fool would believe.  Perhaps in the last few months, you have experienced anxiety with the situations taking place around us.  Look around.  God has planted wonderful and miraculous things all around you to show you that He has the power to reason away every excuse you would make to serve and worship Him.  He is waiting to bring you to a place where you too can bow and worship...

Do what only a fool would believe...it is now time for you to pick up that snake...

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" (Chicago)

 Hi there!  Is that a trumpet I hear?  

It's Tuesday and it's time for the "we're one week closer to being done with this thing" edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  Thank you for choosing to read this week's blog about music and our musings that come alongside it.  It's Tuesday and the topic is time so we better get started utilizing it the best we can!!!

Welcome to the first Tuesday in June!!!  We made it!!!  How have things been in your part of the world?  Some days around here have been almost back to a regular routine where other days, well... let's just say that on those days we sound like an echo from October of 1970...(...and we're a go for the horns...I promise the trumpet solo is coming!!!)

"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" by Chicago from the April 28, 1969 album Chicago Transit Authority  

"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" was the first song recorded by the band Chicago for their debut album, Chicago Transit Authority, which spent a record 171 weeks on the Billboard 200 Album Charts.  The album would also garner the band Chicago a 1969 Grammy Award for "Best New Artist of the Year". Even though it was a critical success, sales on CTA were surprisingly slow so no single was initially released from the album.  

With the release of Chicago (aka Chicago II) in 1970, singles began to be demanded by the public and released by the label.   "Make Me Smile"  (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Make Me Smile" (Chicago)) and "25 or 6 to 4" were the first two singles released by the band from the windy city.  On the strength of these 2 hits, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" was rediscovered and released as a single. It soared up the charts peaking at #7 in the US and hitting the top ten in many other countries.  

The question of time seems to be a recurring theme surrounding the song.  The original CTA album track is 4:35 in length.  The first single that was released was 3:20 long and was recorded in mono.  The re-edit of that single was in stereo and was the same length as the mono version but wasn't released until the Only the Beginning greatest hits package.  The radio edit, (yet another length at 2:54) was included in the vinyl version of Chicago IX, Chicago's Greatest Hits, but was not included on the cd version of the album.  A promotional single, which found its way onto The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition, came in at 2:46 in length.  And for the Chicago at Carnegie Hall release, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" comes in at a whopping 10:07 spread out over 2 tracks.  

The length of the song isn't the only time-related quirk. In music notation time signature is the indicator in a song of how many beats per measure, and which kind of note is considered 1 beat.  It is usually found at the beginning of any piece.  The time signature of "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" is very unique.   At the moment the horn intro happens is a very unique mixture.  The time signatures right before Lee Loughnane's trumpet solo are tricky for even skilled players.  It consists of an 8/8 measure, followed by a 7/8 measure, a 9/8 measure, another 7/8 measure, an 8/8 measure which transitions to 5/8 for 6 measures, then Loghnane's solo begins and the 4/4 or "common" time signature takes over for the remainder of the song. 

For you musicians out there who would be hesitant to play in such a time signature convoluted piece,  a conductor of mine provided this encouragement to his symphonic band regarding a piece that had changing time signatures..."You don't speak in 4/4, why should you expect to play in it?"  Thanks, Dr. Bristow!!!

For more Tuesday's Musical Notes based on songs of Chicago, click away:

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "I'm a Man" (Chicago) 

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Beginnings" (Chicago)

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Old Days" (Chicago) 

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Getaway" (Chicago)

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Color My World" (Chicago)  

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" (Chicago) 

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Saturday in the Park" (Chicago)

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Vote for Me" (Chicago)

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Alive Again" (Chicago) 

Ok, so we're a little biased...

 

"Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?  (About time) And so I can't imagine why...."

The topic of time is prevalent in the Bible.  The wise King Solomon even wrote an entire chapter about it in Ecclesiastes.  (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Turn, Turn, Turn" (The Byrds)) Another instance where time and the urgency in using it are of import occurs in  Exodus 3:10-22 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel.

As a shepherd, Moses had spent a lot of time with sheep as his only companionship. Moses was 40 when he left Egypt.  One would imagine that after 40 years Moses would have passed by a particular bush a few times, perhaps even seeing it grow to maturity. After spending all of that time as a nomadic shepherd, he has an encounter with God. Imagine his response upon hearing a voice coming out of that bush while it was on fire, but not consumed.  The message that comes from the bush was not really something Moses wanted to hear either.  In essence, God, who was speaking, says "I Am God, and I'm telling you that it's time for you to get on with it!" (yup...another outstanding paraphrase from yours truly...)  God instructs Moses that it is time for Israel's deliverance from slavery and that Moses would be the earthly facilitator of that deliverance.  

Moses reaction?  "But God, why me?"..."But God, what if the people do not listen?"... "But God, what if I say the wrong thing?"..."But God, I don't know anything about leading a small group!"..."But God, I haven't touched an instrument in a very long time!"..."But God, those folks aren't anything like me!"...(sorry, I got distracted...we now return you back to Moses from my soapbox...) 

But God would have none of it.  Moses was the plan for the redemption of God's people.  God reassures Moses that He will be there as Moses explains to the Israelite leadership what is about to take place.  God relays to Moses what to say that will resonate with the nation of Israel to accept his leadership. "I AM," said "It's time for you to go back" and "Now be on your way"...the God of time had appointed that moment for Moses to be a shepherd in a much larger fashion.  What were the results?  Was Moses always obedient to God's urging to quit wasting time and get on with it?

What about you, friend?  Do you really know what time it is?  Do you care?

Many churches are resuming gathering together in large groups.  Is it time for you to go back?  As a believer, how can you make a larger impact for the Kingdom by participating in that which God has led you? What urging from the Lord have you felt in this "worship at home" time? Is God instructing you to now be on your way to the work in which He has called and gifted you? What have you learned during this "wilderness" experience that will make you a more effective believer in your church and community?

"Does anybody really know what time it is (I don't)
Does anybody really care (care about time)
If so I can't imagine why (no, no)
We've all got time enough to die"  

Dear friend, if you haven't a relationship with the God who created you, He is telling you that it is time for you to get on with it.  It is time for you to surrender all that you are to the One who can make you new.  It is time to believe that Jesus is the only way to have restoration with God and a home with Him in eternity future.  You need only spend a little time asking God to forgive you (forgiveness),  turning away from who you are and turning to Him (repentance), and trusting that Jesus is the only way to be with God in heaven forever (belief).  That dear friend is what time it is, and yes...I do care about your time and I can't imagine why you'd waste your time before you die...  Hit it, Mr. Pankow!

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

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