Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Happy House" (Siouxsie And The Banshees)

Tuesday's Musical Notes exists to celebrate all kinds of music!  Sure, we have our favorites around here and sometimes curry to that list for our songs of the week, but if you were to survey most folks, they have their favorites too!  These favored songs tend to be generational and evoke memories of days gone by or times on the extremes of the emotional spectrum.

We all tend to get just a little stuck in our musical eras with those favorite bands and perhaps find ourselves thinking, "Wow, that song really was good and it just came out!" only to discover that 42 years have passed and the lead singer is now 64 years old.  

For those of us fortunate enough to have experienced 80s music firsthand, we must also realize that many of those tunes are celebrating their 40+ year anniversary since release.  NO!!!  

On occasion, we ask our children and grandchildren, "What is it that you are listening to?  It has a groovy beat and I think you could dance to it..."  After they ask, "Did you just say "groovy"?they reply with the title of what will certainly be their generation's record of preference in 40 years.  Regardless of the mind-altering state now induced by such revelations, we continue the choice of listening to our own said favorites, making for the warm fuzzy feelings of familiarity and relaxation even if the track is say...Alternative Punk Rock.  Regardless of the genre, we all have favorites that make for a Happy House...

"Happy House" by Siouxsie And The Banshees from the August 1, 1980 album Kaleidoscope

I was always on the periphery with the band Siouxsie And The Banshees.  There were so many bands that came and went in the 80s and for me this was one of them. To my surprise, from 1978 to 1995 they released 11 studio albums and had 2 singles break into the Hot 100.  As I rediscover one of the pioneering acts of the post-punk world, I find myself gravitating toward the nuances that make this band special.  

"Happy House" is one of those tracks that on the downbeat of one, you recognize as a defining single of the decade.  With it came the addition of 2 new musicians to The Banshee lineup, the drummer Budgie, and guitarist John McGeoch who assisted in creating the sound that would become the band's trademark.  It just has that 80s sound and the above video...well we report, you decide...

While not charting in the states, "Happy House" peaked at #17 in the band's home country UK singles Charts.  "Happy House" is regarded as having started a new sound in the post-punk age and ushered in the 80s sound of other artists like Howard Jones (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "No One Is To Blame" (Howard Jones), Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Things Can Only Get Better" (Howard Jones), Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Life In One Day" (Howard Jones), ) and Talking Heads (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Burning Down The House" (Talking Heads), Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Once In A Lifetime" (Talking Heads)). 

A new decade was being guided in and there was the sense that being ironic would be one of the only ways to navigate what was coming in the future.  Let's face it...there were many changes in the 80s and the music world followed lockstep to provide the soundtrack.  

The cynicism of "Happy House" is reflective of its period as well.  It came along at just the right moment to shout, "maybe things aren't as they seem!" and it exclaimed this mantra with some of the most unique hairstyles ever imagined...however, it wasn't an original thought...

Haggai New American Standard Version/The Amplified Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

If today is your first experience at Tuesday's Musical Notes, welcome!  In the last year or so, we have been taking a chronological view of the Bible and its great stories.   It is alarming that there exists a generation that has not been exposed to the life-changing lessons found in these ancient pages and we hope to bring about an entertaining change to that narrative.  We find ourselves today with the prophet Haggai.

Haggai was one of the Israelites who were taken captive to Babylon during the destruction of Israel by the world power of their time.  He was one of the about 20,000  who found themselves back in Jerusalem after the prophesied 70 years of captivity had concluded (526 BC - 455 BC, here's a great article detailing the prophecy and how it came to be reality:  "70 Years of Babylonian Captivity", Text from Earth’s Sacred Calendar: The Dated Events of the Old Testament by Jim Liles).  Haggai as you can see in the article is also mentioned in the book of Ezra as part of the "ministry team" that would be supervising the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.  

The 2 chapter book of Haggai is a fascinating introspection of priorities gone awry.  Haggai notes that those who had returned were enthusiastic about rebuilding the temple for God, but soon were quickly distracted by making "Happy Houses" for themselves. 

King Darius (yup, the same one from that whole lion's den thing in Daniel, Tuesday's Musical Notes - "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (The Tokens)) allowed the captives that wished to return to go back to Israel.  Some of the folks had made "Happy Houses" in Babylon and decided to stay.  Those that chose to return were given resources to restore the city and rebuild their temple.  Remember to the Israelites, the temple was the place where Yahweh (God) would dwell with them.  If they wanted God to be in their midst, the temple needed to be rebuilt as quickly as possible so the land and its people could be restored to Him.  The folks got started and then...

14 years later Haggai begins commenting enthusiastically, sarcastically, and ironically that they have transitioned to making their comfort a priority over seeking the presence of God.  They had reversed the plan that Solomon the original builder of the temple, had set as an example.    Solomon made sure that God's house was ready to go before construction even began on his residence as king of Israel.  These Israelites determined that they had come to play and waste the day in their "Happy House" making sure their needs were met before making sure the presence of God could dwell with His people.  Priorities anyone? 

Before I can judge the Israelites of Haggai's day, I have a confession to make.   I have gone about my life many times with my priorities askew. My own house was decorated and well stocked with records while the needs of others, including the things God has told me to do, went undone.   I have practiced the Israelite method of making sure that I was comfortable and not ensuring that the needs of others are met and more importantly making sure there was a place for God's presence evident in my life.  And in so doing, I have created a mirage of a "Happy House" similar to the tongue-in-cheek version that Siouxsie and The Banshees sing about.   The immaturity of my walk as a child of God, upon reflection, is regrettable at the least and embarrassing at the worst.   I have convinced myself that..."We've done no wrong with our blinkers on It's safe and calm if you sing along"...well, you get the picture.

So what is the solution?  It really is easy.  If I may be so bold as to borrow from Nike..."Just Do It"!!!

I need to do what God wants.  I need to do what will ensure His presence in my life and among His people.  He speaks your language and His instructions are easy to understand.  Where do you start?  His Word is written out.  He speaks as you read through the Bible, even in some of the genealogies and sacrifices that may not seem relevant to Christians.   Worry less, about your "Happy House" and more about His presence in people's lives.  Making Him the priority ensures that you minimize the irony that may exist in your "Happy House"..." we're happy here..."

The wisest man who ever lived and the original builder of the temple put it this way:  Proverbs 3:1-12 NASB/AMP/KJV  full disclosure...if you read Solomon's story, you will quickly discover that he didn't have a "Happy House" either...

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Our House" (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young)

Have you ever had the sense that you have been here before?  Sometimes it's a good sense, other times it can be an overwhelming foreboding that something wicked this way comes.  Regardless, there is an eeriness that history is replicating itself, sometimes to a perfect nuance of what has gone on before.  The term for this sensation is "Deja Vu"

The great baseball player Yogi Berra is ascribed to having said the funny quote, "It's Deja Vu all over again!".  Here's a great article that breaks down the quote and attributes it to several sources:  "It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again" - quoteinvestigator.com

As you read today's musical notes, you may have that sense of Deja Vu happening.  You see we not only have used a song by this title once but 2 times before.  Hear for your reading pleasure is one of the rare instances whereby Tuesday's Musical Notes has repeated a song... has repeated a song...

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Our House" (Madness) (2018)

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Our House" (Madness) (2013)

To our knowledge, this has only happened one other time.  We'll let you be the arbiters of discovering just what other song we've repeated.  That's right!  Archives to the left...now go!!!

We make every effort to ensure that your Tuesday's Musical Notes playlist includes very few repeats (Hey Sirius XM are you listening?), but on occasion are led to utilizing the same song. I guess since we write the blog each week, and you haven't complained, we can write how we're led...it is Our House anyway...  (tongue planted firmly in cheek, please forgive if the tone seems arrogant, certainly not our intent.  A literary device intended to segue to the video that normally appears at this time and hopefully you're smiling now so we'll just press play...)

"Our House" - from the March 11, 1970 album Deja Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

"Our House" peaked at #30 on Billboard's Hot 100.  It comes from the Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young 1970 album Deja Vu.   Hmmm...that title seems a bit familiar here in Tuesday's Musical Notes land. If you are having that weird sensation we talked about above... Could be because we have visited this album before.  Deja Vu had 3 singles released from it.  "Our House", "Woodstock" and "Teach Your Children" (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Teach Your Children" (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young)) Yup!!!  That's it!  I feel so much better now.

Deja Vu was the first collaboration between the folksy CS&N and the Avant-Garde Neil Young.  The album is certified 7X Platinum, making it the highest-selling record of any of its band members.  It is ranked at #220 in the 2020 edition of Rolling Stone Magazine - "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" (2020)  

Graham Nash penned the lyric to this classic CSN&Y hit.  He wrote it after a morning breakfast excursion with singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Big Yellow Taxi" (Joni Mitchell)) on Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles.  The couple spotted a vase in an antique store and upon arriving home decided to put it to use immediately.  While Mitchell gathered flowers, Nash sat at the piano and says that "Our House" was ready to go in an hour. (Read further quotes about the song from Graham Nash here:  "Graham Nash Has 'Wild Tales' To Spare" - npr.org (2013)  

"Our House" has become a culturally iconic symbol of a more innocent time as reflected in its usage in movies (My Girl 2), commercials (Target, Eckrich), and television (The Simpsons, Cheers, and This is Us ("Our House" (This Is Us, NBC/Universal)) and has been covered by the likes of Helen Reddy, The Onyx, Sheena Easton, and children's entertainers Sharon, Lois, and Bram.  

It is a song that describes the beauty of how a home can be made from a building.  That seems to be another one of those popular themes we've heard somewhere before...we've heard somewhere before...

Ezekiel 40-48 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel 

While we don't hear about any cats in the yard, the final vision of Ezekiel describes a house that has the potential to be a home to everyone who enters. 25 years have passed since the kingdoms of Israel have been taken captive.  According to the prophet Jeremiah (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Welcome To My Nightmare" (Alice Cooper), Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Hooked On A Feeling" (Blue Swede/B.J. Thomas), Tuesday's Musical Notes - "September Song" (Willie Nelson),), the nation has another 45 years left in this captivity.  As we see the final vision unfold, at just the right time, God provides hope.  Hope in form of a building that is so specifically described, there is little left to the imagination about its dimensions, yet much to be imagined about its splendor.

As the measurements of this city are given to Ezekiel, we see at the foundation of it is the temple of the Living God.  Everything in these chapters has as its perspective the temple in this city.  There was enough familiarity with the temple that those who would hear the prophecy could grasp firmly something they had lost and pay close attention.  

I confess that my building skills are lacking.  I'm the guy who brings the supplies and materials to the craftsman who can ply their trade and make wonderful buildings.  That being said, some of the language used in the last chapters of Ezekiel makes my head swim, even more than a sense of Deja Vu.  But, after all of the building jargon, comes clarity.

You don't have to be a building craftsman to understand God coming and going from a place.  In earlier chapters (8-11, Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Can't You See" (The Marshall Tucker Band)) Ezekiel describes God departing the temple as a sign of Israel's demise from their disobedience.  In Chapter 43, we now see God returning to the new temple as He sets up His dwelling place among mankind to forever love and reign as King of all kings.  The perfection of this city and its temple are awe-inducing and difficult for us to imagine.  One can only ponder how the Israelites to which Ezekiel ministered viewed this prophecy.  

After having been in captivity for 25 years, one could imagine the joy the captives felt at having the hope of restoration, especially in a city as described by Ezekiel's prophecy.  The nation of Israel had enjoyed God's presence among them a couple of times before.  God was with them in the wilderness wanderings after they exited Egypt (Exodus 40:34-38 NASB/AMP/KJV) and God's presence was exhibited in the time of Solomon in the temple (2 Chronicles 7:1-3 NASB/AMP/KJV).  This frame of reference, while not fresh on their minds, had been orally told enough that it would have resonated with the captives.  This abounding hope of the familiar being made new, was something they would exist on for the remainder of their time in Babylon.

What about you friend?  Does it matter to you where God's presence dwells?  The Bible says that because of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection (which we just celebrated), God's presence can dwell in us in the form of Holy Spirit.  Maybe you have had a season whereby it has been difficult to sense Holy Spirit and you think that He has left the building.  Trust me when I say, Holy Spirit never leaves us once we have accepted Jesus.  Yes, there are times when that communion between Holy Spirit and you is difficult, but it is still there.  If you have never experienced God's presence in your life (your temple) you need only cry out to Him.  Greg Laurie - "How To Have A Relationship With God"  After this, you can praise God as He dwells in you and you sing together...

"Our house, is a very, very, very fine house...a very fine house..."

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Thunderstruck" (AC/DC)

Do you like storms?  Typically, I do.  There is just something fascinating in the chaos that storms create.  Now don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of the devastating effects of storms, but the wind, the cloud formations, and the sounds of a storm have been an object of wonder for me for years and mankind since the flood.

Perhaps it is the fact that storms are so unpredictable. much to the chagrin of every meteorologist.  Or maybe this fascination with an unstable weather pattern comes from the fact that mankind has yet to figure out a way to control the elements despite their best efforts.  

Maybe it is the adrenaline rush that occurs when something unpredictable happens and you feel that sense of being out of control. Perhaps something like this...

Twister (1996) - Trailer

That?  That's called springtime in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and other states of our region...or Christmas sometimes.  Regardless of the time of the year, turbulent skies are an anxiety maker for some.  But for others, well let's just say they're the ingredients to be... say it with me...Thunder...THUNder...THUNDER...

"Thunderstruck" by AC/DC from the September 21, 1990 album The Razor's Edge

The music of AC/DC is instantly recognizable.  Most of their opening riffs immediately let you know that one of your favorite bands is about to ROCK.  Whether it is their 1980 smash "Back In Black" or today's featured song, "Thunderstruck", one can easily know from the first drum lick that they really should turn the volume on their device to maximum and get their head ready to bob in an uncontrollable metronome-like motion.  

What some may not realize is that AC/DC has been around a very long time. The Australian band was formed by the Young brothers, Angus and Malcolm.  For the most part, AC/DC has operated as a 5 man electrical, surge force with various members coming and going and then returning in some instances.  The death of lead singer Bon Scott brought about notions by many that the band was dying as well, but in walked Brian Johnson who assumed the role and was so vocally close to Scott's voice that it seemed the band never missed a beat.  Oh and just in case you were interested or haven't already done the math, this band will celebrate 50 years next year.  That's right, the musicians who make up the band AC/DC are all 65 years or older.  Johnson is 74!!!  I guess 50 is the new 30 when it comes to rock and roll acts.

The lead single from The Razor's Edge rattled speakers in the fall of 1990.  It launched AC/DC into the decade as a resounding force with which to be reckoned.  The single, while not released in the United States, still managed a #5 peak on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks.  The above video for the song was the first video in the AC/DC catalog to hit 1 billion views on YouTube.  It also hit the 1,000,000 club after its release as a digital download, bolstered by its repeated use in movies and television.  It is regarded as one of AC/DC's best songs and always finds itself in a variety of top ten lists of their compendium of hits.  

As you listen to "Thunderstruck" you get a sense of an ominous presence headed your way.  Almost, like the blitzkrieg the Germans used in World War II as they marched into Poland, or the "Shock and Awe" used during the Iraqi war by the United States Military, you get the sense that "Thunderstruck" could easily be used as an anthem for the engagement of an invading army...or an invading army that is being prophecied about...

Ezekiel 38-39 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

Easily one of the most debated portions of the Bible is the prophecies of Ezekiel in chapters 38-39 of his book. The topics for debate range from when or has this happened to what nation(s) are represented by Gog and Magog to what is the meaning of the outcome of the battle described? Ezekiel launches the urgency of his visions by proclaiming that what is to follow is directly from God.  He then introduces Gog, Magog, and a battle that is worthy of "Thunderstruck" being used as its soundtrack or rallying cry.  

As a blog about music and the Messiah, we confess that our scholarship on the above questions is lacking.  We do hope that we can be an encouragement in your ability to research and allow Holy Spirit to show you conclusions.  But we will delve into this prophecy a bit and unpack the things that we can.

First of all as to when the events of this revelation will occur.  I feel strongly that this is an event that will occur during the last days of the world's existence as we know it. Which I might add, seem to be coming soon.  Israel already has many enemies across the world, but as God's chosen conduit to spread the name of Jesus (as believers we are adopted into that group), Israel is also the most protected by the Creator.  Ezekiel 38 speaks of a time when a "blitz" or "shock" type of engagement comes from the north to wipe out the nation.  God intervenes and the invaders are destroyed.  The destruction is so immense that Israel can fuel their nation for 7 years off of the remains of the weaponry left on the battlefield.  When exactly this battle will occur is unbeknownst to me, but again the way the geopolitical landscape appears presently, this battle could occur soon.

Secondly, the Bible only refers to Gog and Magog as "priests of Meshech and Tubal" (Modern Turkey) (v. 2) which qualifies as "place out of your remote parts of the north" (v. 15)  That's all we know from Ezekiel.  This would make sense in light of how much of Turkey professes Islam as their religious affiliation.  

Finally, the battle itself will be unlike any we have seen.  In the vein of David and Goliath, Israel will face the armies that Gog and Magog as they amass many allies. They will attempt to destroy Israel completely and plunder its resources.  This will be met by "God's zeal and wrath" in the form of an earthquake unlike any seen in the world before (v. 19) as well as "torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone" (v. 22).

God affirms the purpose of Gog and Magog's defeat as He says "So I will prove Myself great, show Myself holy, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord.”  The results of the conflict will be Gog and Magog being led away into captivity and the Israelites coming to the battlefield to take the spoil and make fires from the abandoned weapons and bury the dead. 

In this sequence, we see a series of 7s.  Remember in Biblical numerology, 7 is a holy number, the number of completion.  The first is 7 years.  (c.39, v. 9-10).  This is the amount of time that Israel has fuel from the remains of the weaponry that is abandoned during the war.  The Bible says they do not need any other kind of fuel because the burning of the weapons will last that long.  

Secondly, is 7 months (Ch 39, v. 12).  This is the time frame by which the defeated dead are given a burial.  Remains of anyone found after this time are marked and then placed in the burial area of the defeated army.

Ok, so why does any of this matter?  Well, it plainly describes a time in our future whereby events will occur that will change our world.  Those who are watching for this time, believing in the salvific work of Jesus done on the cross (Celebrated this Friday!) and celebrated by an empty burial site (Celebrated this Sunday!!! Let's go to church!!!) will not be "Thunderstruck" as the events transpire.  They will be rejoicing because this means their redemption is close!  Their restoration is at hand!  And God is about to remove the barriers that exist between Himself and believers as He sets up a new heaven and new earth where He dwells among His people as was originally planned in Eden.  

Why should we believe these visions from Ezekiel will occur?  Go back over the last several weeks of Tuesday's Musical Notes.  Then check your history books about the nation of Israel and the nations who have in the past attempted to destroy God's chosen.  You will soon see that the prophecies that God gave to Ezekiel came true and there is history to confirm it. 

This week of all weeks, please investigate the history of Jesus.  The movie The Case For Christ is a great medium by which to stimulate your research.  The Case For Christ (2017) - Trailer

Read the Gospels:  Matthew (a Tax Collector) NASB/AMP/KJV, Mark (an Evangelist) NASB/AMP/KJV,  Luke (a Physician) NASB/AMP/KJV, John (a Fisherman) NASB/AMP/KJV.  Suspend your unbelief for just one moment and allow Holy Spirit (God in "soul" form) to speak to your heart, mind, and soul.  

Based on the historical record of Ezekiel's prophecies coming true, we should be watchful as these prophecies from Ezekiel are coming soon...

Doesn't all of this leave you just a bit..."Thunderstruck"?

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Them Bones" (Alice In Chains)

Do you ever have those days where you just sit back and wonder?  Your family and friends worry about you because you just all of a sudden are staring off into space.  Is it the early onset of some awful mind ailment?  Or is it that break from reality that folks have been thinking was coming any day now?  

Let's face it.  Sometimes it's just that you're sitting back and wondering!  You allow your mind to rest for just a moment from the noise that is continually bombarding you and there is peace.  Your wondering may have a specific agenda or you could just be having a moment of solitude.  Regardless, there is something healthy in the way we go about getting our "moment".  It is rest for the weary, and peace from the chaos.  It is the wondering that keeps us from having "that other moment".  Something that perhaps looks like this...

"Kirk Meets Bones" - Star Trek (2009)

Regardless of how your "moment" may come, you need the break that comes from them every once in a while to maintain your balance, and to ward off the infection of depression.  Sometimes you need it because it's just good for them bones...

"Them Bones" by Alice In Chains from the September 29, 1992 album Dirt

The 90s was a defining decade in popular music.  You saw a renaissance of sorts with the burgeoning alternative scene and its many derivatives.  Bands like Green Day (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" (Green Day), Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Wake Me Up When September Ends" (Green Day)), Janes Addiction (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Been Caught Stealing" (Jane's Addiction)), and Blind Melon (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "No Rain" (Blind Melon)) assisted in refining the sound and making it one that is easily recognizable some 30 years later.  Uh, yeah...we're 30 years older than when "Them Bones" was released.  Ok...time to wonder again...

Released as the second single from their 4 times platinum album Dirt (1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die edited by Robert Dimery), "Them Bones" allowed for the continuity that Alice In Chains used in their contributions to 90s alternative music.  The single would peak at #24 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart and #30 on Billboard's Alternative Airplay Chart.  Does Billboard have a chart for everything?

"Them Bones" is an unusual song as it is written with a 7/8 time signature segueing into 4/4 at the chorus.  I had an esteemed music professor once comment, "We don't speak in 4/4 all the time, why should we play in it all the time?" (Thanks! Dr. Brent Bristow ("Music Professor Producing Album With A-list Talents" asub.edu/news-information)) 

"Them Bones" was written as a sarcastic look at life and death and how the time in which we live is chaotic at best.  "Them Bones" was written by Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell who says of the song: "I was just thinking about mortality, that one of these days we'll end up a pile of bones. It's a thought for every human being, whether you believe in an after-life or that when we die, that's it. The thought that all the beautiful things and knowledge and experiences you've been through just end when you end scares me, the thought that when you close your eyes for good, it's gone forever."  (Liner notes, Music Bank box set. 1999.)

One wonders if Mr. Cantrell ever had the occasion to explore a certain valley in the Middle East...

Ezekiel 37:1-14 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

Once again we find our intrepid, prophetic hero engaged in a vision.  This time the illusory theme for Ezekiel is a valley of dry bones.  If you have ever had the opportunity to pick up skeletal remains that are old, you quickly understand the brittle, and dry texture of the bones that Ezekiel encountered.  In this vision, God tells Ezekiel to walk around the bones and observe that there was absolutely nothing left to them that would exemplify living creatures.  I don't know about you but I can almost hear the clattering as Ezekiel walks among these last vestiges of human existence.  

As Ezekiel proceeds, God asks what would appear to be an obvious question..."Can these bones live?"  Here is where Ezekiel sets himself apart from the other Israelites.  Their idolatry and sin had kept their faith in God squelched, but not Ezekiel.  Ezekiel states, "Lord, God, You Yourself knows."  Ok, so with all of the other insights we have seen Ezekiel have, this is not too much of a stretch for him to reply in this manner. 

Given this instance, how would you reply?  How do you reply when God asks questions that seem to have an obvious answer in our eyes, but the response is not as obvious when taking God into consideration?  Don't think for a second believing friend, that God doesn't ask us questions like this in our life.

What happens next inspired a song that has assisted anatomy teachers for ages...  

"The foot bone connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone connected to the leg bone, the leg bone connected to the thigh bone, now hear the word of the Lord"  Yup, this is exactly where the song "Dem Bones" came from.  "Dry Bones" by the Delta Rhythm Boys ("Rise of the Delta Rhythm Boys" blogpost on weirdovideo.com)

As Ezekiel obediently prophesied to them bones, they began to come together.  Imagine the sight, kinda like zombies in reverse, as the ruckus of the bones coming together, was accompanied by sinews, tendons, skin, and hair as the bodies were formed.  These were bones of folks who had been dead but were being raised to life as Ezekiel called the winds to enter their bodies for breath.  All of this, to form a great army, an army for the Lord.  

Remember that all of this occurred in a vision that Ezekiel was experiencing, not just seeing.  What did it represent?

Have you ever been so tired that it seemed your bones hurt?  I have.  It seems you can't take another step, your mouth is dry and even breathing seems to be a chore.  This was the state of Israel at this time.  Their devotion and faith were no longer alive but existed like the valley of dry bones that Ezekiel observed.  

In one of the most hopeful prophesies in the book of Ezekiel, God instructs Ezekiel to tell the nation of Israel that even though their love, devotion, obedience, and faith in Him are dead, He as the Creator God who loves them and has a world-changing plan for them, will bring them out of their graves and breath new life into them.  Ezekiel was to explain that their captivity would not be forever and that they would return to Israel one day as a fulfillment of His promise to Abraham.  

Remember them bones we spoke of earlier?  Perhaps you feel like you're all dried up and about to return to the dust from whence you were created.  Perhaps you feel like, at the end of life that is all there is, there is nothing more.  Perhaps your once flame-filled devotion and faith have waned and you've lost the breath that sustains your life.  Regardless of these feelings, based on God's Word today, there is HOPE.

The hope of restoration, the hope of flesh on them bones, the hope of breath in the lungs enabling you to shout, the hope of new life that places you on mountaintops instead of valleys.  That Hope has a name...Jesus.  

If you have drifted and allowed your faith and devotion to grow dry, cry out to Him.  If you have never considered your existence past this present physical environment and you feel like your gonna end up a pile of them bones, cry out to Him. If you have wondered what eternity future might look like, cry out to Him.  If you desire restoration and the breath of life, cry out to Him.

We are about to enter the time where the world celebrates the death, burial, and Praise God, the resurrection of Jesus.  The time for your bones to take on flesh and for your body to have His breath is now.  Won't you come join the army of them bones? Now hear the Word of the Lord...

'Til Tuesday

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy

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