It's Tuesday's Musical Notes comin' atcha with the best that music has to offer and a thought or two that was never intended by the songwriters/performers...but can be construed, at least in Notesland... Today we feature an accident coming from a heavy drinking episode in the studio that resulted in the biggest solo hit for both Lita Ford and former Black Sabbath frontman, Ozzy Osbourne (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Crazy Train" (Ozzy Osbourne)
As stated, this 1988 duet would be the biggest hit for Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne since his departure from Black Sabbath. There can be some confusion regarding the song as most times the remix version of the song (see the single cover above) is used when references to the song are made, however, it isn't a remix in the vane that many consider "remixes" as the only difference between the two cuts are the sound quality editing.
Ford and Osbourne had knowledge of one another as Ford had been engaged to Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and at the time of recording her album, Lita, was also being managed by Osbourne's wife Sharon.
"Close My Eyes Forever" is one of THOSE rock and roll songs. Written in an alcohol, possibly drug-infused blur by two gifted individuals, it would become a signature song for Ford who continues to use it in concerts. It came a year after her #12 hit "Kiss Me Deadly" and would be the biggest track for either of the heavy rockers (peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, essentially keeping Lita Ford one-hit-wonder status and establishing Osbourne's iconic stature into the next millennium). As happens so many times in the world of popular music, seems once they got the track recorded and the video produced, nothing remained the same...
One thing you may have noticed as we have explored the great stories of the Bible is that there is a couple of recurring themes. First, God's plan is for man's redemption and restoration to perfection with Him. Secondly, man tends to buck against God's plan at every turn before God's discipline brings about a spirit of repentance and return. Finally, not to be Debbie downer but it is reality, even the heroes that we have encountered close their eyes forever. With the exception of Enoch, (Genesis 5:24 NASB/AMP/KJV), Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-12 NASB/AMP/KJV), and Jesus (The Gospel of Jesus according to the tax collector Matthew, chapter 28, verses 1-8 NASB/AMP/KJV, The Gospel of Jesus according to the apostle Peter's disciple Mark, chapter 16, verses 1-13 NASB/AMP/KJV, The Gospel of Jesus according to Dr. Luke, chapter 24, verses 1-49 NASB/AMP/KJV, The Gospel of Jesus according to the fisherman John, chapter 20 NASB/AMP/KJV) every person we have explored in the Bible has a point in which they close their eyes forever. (BTW, Easter, Resurrection Sunday's celebration is THIS Sunday. Go love and celebrate with your church family or find a church family to love and celebrate with) But does this closing of our eyes really last forever?
In our focal Scripture for today, we read about the death of Moses. He has followed in the footsteps of the patriarchs of Israel as a leader with whom God has a personal relationship. Much like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, Moses has had a daily encounter with God and while he too made mistakes, Moses' walk with God accorded him with the position to be held in high esteem by the Israelites and God. So much so that when Moses died, God is the One who buried him. The Bible doesn't record any other instance where a man was buried by God in this fashion. Just Moses. But that's not the rest of the story.
We've mentioned in passing that this weekend many in the world will celebrate Easter. This is a holiday where believers, commemorate the fact that after he surrendered to a torturous death and was buried in a sealed tomb for 3 days, Jesus returns to life and conquers death and the grave. The Gospel accounts above all testify to those who saw Jesus physically alive after His crucifixion and burial. Holy Spirit testifies to that fact in the lives of believers every day without our having to see Jesus' physical body. Jesus truly is God with us through Holy Spirit's indwelling in us.
Because of Jesus' resurrection, we think our featured song today goes wrong.
In recent years, I have noticed that I long for the time of day when my head hits the pillow and I can sleep. Getting older perhaps has played into this and I suspect occasional afternoon naps may become a part of the routine in the coming years. Another thing I have noticed, more acutely, is how time passes while my eyes are closed. It seems I no more close my eyes than I'm roused from my slumber to get the day started or get a continuation on the day (naps, remember?). It has caused me to wonder if this seeming immediate passage of time is what the Bible talks about when it refers to death and dying as "sleep/sleeping".
For Moses and everyone else who has ceased to exist in this plain, will it all remain unchanged? For loved ones who are no longer with us, is time passing or does it all remain the same? I am becoming more convinced that this alliteration to "sleep" plays into the fact that time passes in a moment while we are "sleeping" and that when the end of time occurs, we will be roused from our "shut-eye" time to experience either heaven or hell. That time lapse between our physical death and waking up for eternity will seem instantaneous, thus the reason Scripture reflects death as being an immediate transition to judgment or paradise.
Paul puts all of this ideology together in his excellent chapter about resurrection in 1 Corinthians. Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians), chapter 15 NASB/AMP/KJV So you see friend, we don't really close our eyes forever, in fact, it will seem like no time at all to us or those who have gone before us. We either die and seemingly wake up the next instant or Jesus returns and much happens in the blink of an eye.
One of the beautiful and miraculous things about our God is that He doesn't force an eternity with Him on us. He provides the Way, through Jesus, to join Him in the everlasting. We choose. Heaven is in the palm of His hand and He's waiting there for you...what are you going to do with your eternity? We don't close our eyes forever, we will awake and change...
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by loving You,
randy
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