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!!!
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.
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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