Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Wind Of Change" (Scorpions)

Welcome to Tuesday, how are you doin'?  Fall has arrived and there's somethin' a-brewin'!  The air it is drier, the temp it is low, it actually feels good to get out and go!!! Autumn brings changes, the weather's just one.  The days they grow shorter, so we see lesser sun.

Another's a pleasantness that comes from most folks.  A change of demeanor, some show different strokes. So we welcome you, friend, grab your mouse, make a click.  We hope for a thought that in you just might stick. Here are the Notes, we think we have range, our feature today is the song...

"Wind Of Change" the January 21, 1991 single by Scorpions from the album Crazy World   

Written by lead singer, Klaus Meine, "Wind Of Change" resulted from a trip to the Soviet Union by the band during the late 80s.  Perestroika was at its height and the Cold War between capitalists and communists was diminishing. Inspired by these changes and the tearing down of the wall between East and West Berlin, Meine infuses the sights and sounds of the time where great hope for the future was resounding.

"Wind Of Change" is the third single from the Scorpion's (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Send Me An Angel" (Scorpions)) 11th studio album Crazy World.  The song quickly became an international hit, going all the way to #1 in the band's homeland of Germany and peaking at #4 in the U.S.. The popularity of the song bolstered its inclusion on three other albums by the Scorpions, Live Bites (1995), Moment Of Glory (with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (2000)), and the stripped-down unplugged album Acoustica (2001).  Russian and Spanish versions of "Wind Of Change" was also recorded.  This assisted the song in selling over 14 million copies, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time and the best-selling single ever for a German band. In honor of the success of the song, the Scorpions presented Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev with a gold record of the single and $70,000 from the royalties which were to be given to children's hospitals in Russia.  

Fast forward to 2022 and the Scorpions continue to use the song in concerts albeit with a slightly different lyric, based on the "Wind Of Change" in our current world...  The opening line..."Now listen to my heart / It says Ukraine, waiting for the wind to change..."

We've stated it before, the only thing constant is change. Sometimes the change is welcome, other times...not so much.  Regardless we see it happening before our eyes in our world and if we are students of history, we read of it happening, well, constantly, if you'll pardon the wordplay.  

One such instance is in the legacy of the Hebrew nation.  During the time of Roman rule of the region, a wind of change was approaching that even some of the most unlikely folks, the Jewish religious leaders, got caught up in the gust.   

The Gospel of Jesus according to the fisherman John, chapter 3, verses 1-21 New American Standard Bible, The Amplified Bible, English Standard Version of the Bible, King James Version of the Bible parallel     

Jesus was drawing the attention of the religious leaders of His time.  Through His teaching and doing the miraculous, some of the leaders were beginning to respond in anger and contempt for Jesus.  Others, while not overtly, were sympathetic to the itinerant teacher who was gaining a following.  One such leader was the Pharisee Nicodemus.

Pharisees were a sect of religious leaders for the Hebrews at the time of Jesus.  They consisted of priests and scribes that accepted the written tradition of the Torah of Moses as law, as well as an oral law given relevance by the prophetical writings that we currently view in the Old Testament.  This oral law came about as contemporary situations were seen as not being covered in the Torah. The traditions laid down in the prophets were utilized and interpreted to bring those new situations under control.  

The Pharisees differed from the other religious sect, the Sadducees who held a strict adherence to the Torah only. Both of these groups were threatened by the teacher Jesus who was creating a wind of change that they found unacceptable. 

Nicodemus' story is one told often in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School at churches.  Nicodemus' story is told only in John's Gospel.   John would have possibly had a relationship with Nicodemus as his family had connections with the Jewish priests and religious rulers.  It is an endearing story as it denotes the wonder by which one must be saved.  The time limits placed on such groups and sometimes the ability to understand the concepts that Jesus teaches Nicodemus, leave us a little short of some of the details of Nicodemus' encounter with Jesus.  The Notes hopes to remedy some of that today.  

As a Pharisee, Nicodemus would have been significantly more susceptible to Jesus' message than his Sadducee counterparts. But because of peer pressure, and the mounting dissatisfaction surrounding Jesus by the Pharisees AND the Sadduccees, Nicodemus comes to visit with Jesus at night.  I don't know about you, but I have had some "night times" of my life when I have approached Jesus too!!!  Nicodemus acknowledges Jesus' authority as a "teacher who comes from God".  Jesus' response to this "teacher" moniker goes right to the heart of why Nicodemus is there. Nicodemus is seeking the kingdom of God and Jesus provides him with the map.  Jesus uses a phrase here that causes Nicodemus to scratch his head.  "...unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God".  This phrase also perplexes many in our day and age. Let's unpack it a bit, shall we?

Immediately, Nicodemus goes to his own frame of reference, the physical manifestations of this world.  He was a student of the Torah and would have known the miraculous that God provided his ancestors, yet he could not understand the ideology of being reborn.  That sounds as if we are being critical of Nicodemus.  On the contrary, we just want to point out that many today, including some believers, have similar doubts regarding the miraculous that can happen in their lives even after they have experienced such encounters. 

Jesus explains to Nicodemus that one must be born of water and the spirit to experience God's kingdom.  He elaborates on the spiritual aspects of who we are and how that spirit can be rebirthed into something that is not corrupted.  Jesus uses the wind and then love as an example of those spiritually accepted things as He emotes His purpose on earth.  In one of the most well-known passages of Scripture in the Bible, Jesus explains that God loves mankind and wants a restored relationship with him.  That restoration however comes at a price.  God provided that price through His Son. 

Jesus uses a story that would be very familiar to Nicodemus.  He reminds Nicodemus about Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness as an object lesson about what He is on earth to do.  Then Jesus unloads on Nicodemus a truth that is so beautiful that it will last into eternity future..."...“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."  Jesus continues explaining to Nicodemus the meaning of all this in terms Nicodemus understands... judgment...light.  Both are physical manifestations of spiritual thought.  

Through this passage, Jesus declares Himself as God's Son.  John doesn't give us Nicodemus' immediate reaction to this revelation, yet later on, in John's Gospel, we see our Pharisee friend a couple of times as he is becoming a gust in the wind of change. The first is John 7:45-53 NASB, AMP, ESV, KJV

Nicodemus here is attempting to aid Jesus by playing to his fellow religious ruler's devotion to their own law. 

The final time we read about Nicodemus is after Jesus' crucifixion.  John 19:31-42 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV  Nicodemus joins Joseph of Arimathea in this passage as they ensure the body of Jesus was properly prepared for burial.   More coming about both of these great stories in the Bible as we proceed through Jesus' earthly life in the coming days. Stay tuned!!!

Maybe you are like Nicodemus.  Being "born again" is a concept that is difficult for anyone to understand until you relate it to the spiritual realm to which Jesus refers.  You see friend, Jesus came in a physical way to make sure that you and I have the opportunity for a restored relationship with God in a spiritual way.  He came to pay a physical price for a broken spiritual covenant promise that was made by Adam and Eve.  He did this because He loves us that much.  Spiritual rebirth happens when we believe that Jesus said what the Bible says He said and did what the Bible says He did.  This can only be accepted as we mature in faith, another spiritual precept.  

Nicodemus, while quietly, became a part of the wind of change for his generation.  That wind ultimately resulted in the development of a movement that holds Jesus as the Savior of all those who believe, which we know as the church.  The church continues to be active in this wind of global change as they go about loving people and becoming more like Jesus.  This is a church that with every day can sing louder and louder "...The future's in the air  I can feel it everywhere   Blowing with the wind of change..."

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Disorder In The House" (Warren Zevon)

Every once in a while Tuesday's Musical Notes will take a deep dive into the depths of musical archeology (say... back to 2003) and come up with a find that must be revealed to the world or put on repeat so the world can rediscover it.  Today is such a day!  Welcome to Tuesday and another edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  What you will find here in our excavation of the lyrical and syncopated are nuggets of musical history and artifacts of wisdom that may be life-altering.

So grab your spade, pick, and brush away the dust carefully as some of these treasures, while important and cared for in their time, are very fragile today and have only been listened to in the deep confines of the most devoted excavator's preparation rituals. A word of caution as we begin.  If proper care is not followed, you could be restricted in your exploration or removed from the dig site alltogether.  Either situation would certainly result in...

"Disorder In The House" by Warren Zevon from the August 226, 2003 album The Wind

Best known for "Werewolves of London", a perennial favorite at Halloween, Warren Zevon became a staple in music circles as a songwriter in the mid to late 60s, eventually breaking out as a solo artist with the record Excitable Boy, the album on which "Werewolves" was released.  He was friends with many of the "classic" artists of the 70s, most notably Linda Ronstadt (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "When Will I Be Loved" (Linda Ronstadt)), all of the band members of Fleetwood Mac (Tuesday's Musical Notes search - "Fleetwood Mac") as well as a "who's who" of musical greats from that period. Many of those artists performed on his last studio album 2003's The Wind.    

The Wind was released two weeks before Warren Zevon died from mesothelioma in September 2003.  The album received good critical reviews and several accolades including being nominated for multiple Grammys.  It won that year's Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album as well as Best Rock Performance (Vocal or Group) for today's featured song, "Disorder In The House", a song describing the state of the world through Zevon's eyes as he approached his demise.  "...Disorder in the house There's a flaw in the system And the fly in the ointment's gonna bring the whole thing down..."  This characterization doesn't seem too far removed from our world situation today or for that matter the world's situation 2000 years ago...

The Gospel of Jesus according to the fisherman John, chapter 2, verses 13-25 New American Standard Bible, The Amplified Bible, English Standard Version of the Bible, King James Version of the Bible parallel

Today we adjust ever so slightly the chronology of the Biblical narrative as we encounter Scripture at an interesting point in Jesus' life where He observes His first Passover since beginning His ministry.  The last Passover that the Gospels attest to is when Jesus was 12 and Mary and Joseph had their "have you got Jesus? No, I thought you had Jesus" moment.  John tells us about Jesus going to the temple to observe Passover when all of a sudden Jesus had what we refer to in the south as a "fit". Jesus fashions a whip out of some cords and starts flogging the merchants in the temple courtyard.  He flings over the tables with money and demands those who are selling sacrifices to leave at once.  We've come a long way from Jesus not wanting much attention at the wedding in Cana to this point.  

Why is Jesus upset?  There are a couple of things to consider when trying to answer that question about this encounter.  First of all, John tells this story before any of the other Gospel writers.  John places this event shortly after Cana at the onset of His three years of teaching the disciples displaying John's focus being elsewhere other than the timeline of Jesus' life.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke all place a "cleansing" event as a part of Holy Week after the triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  This raises the question, did Jesus cleanse the temple twice?  The answer is no.  John's emphasis on the Gospel is not on chronology as much as it is on the message and mission of Jesus.  The other Gospels take a more accurate timeline approach and focus on different characteristics of Jesus and His ministry.

The point being made by John as well as the other Gospel writers is that the temple was for God-honoring worship and sacrifice, not profiteering.  What these merchants were doing was allowed under Mosaic law, but where and how they were doing it was not the manner that Moses prescribed.  They were charging exorbitant prices for sacrifices that they sold to Passover observers AND more importantly, they were profaning the temple by using it as a storefront, selling the sacrifices on the temple ground as opposed to selling outside of the temple mount. Ultimately, they were also profaning what Jesus would be doing by serving as the ultimate FREE sacrifice for all of man's sins, thus eliminating the need for animals at all.   

Secondly, Jesus uses his "righteous indignation" as an object lesson.  "...disorder in the house, time to duck and cover..."  The disciples, as well as the religious leaders of the day, were watching every move the relatively new teacher/rabbi was making.  Jesus takes this opportunity to be the fulfillment of Scripture with His zeal for the temple as well as a conversation starter to those around Him about His purpose on this earth. Psalm 69:9 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV 

Finally, the conversations that were swirling around Jesus at this point were regarding authority as well as prophecy.  The onlookers knew that Jesus was a carpenter from Nazareth.  They became quickly curious as to who had given Him the authority to rid the temple of this "service".  Jesus replied, "tear it down and I will build it back in three days".  The crowd was dumbstruck as it had taken 46 years for the construction of the temple (again theologians differ as to whether the temple was complete at the time of Jesus' cleansing of it). The disciples didn't even understand where Jesus was going with this as they couldn't think past the temporal.  This would have been one of the first times that Jesus begins to elaborate on what will happen in His future as He described His death and resurrection, not another destruction of the temple.  The onlookers, as well as the disciples, were perplexed as they could only see the physical manifestations of what Jesus was saying.

This passage from John is unusual in the fact that he usually writes from the perspective of Jesus' love. For John to show Jesus' wrath is interesting in comparison to the remainder of the narrative of Jesus' life as given to us by John.  We will soon see how Jesus' love informed even the "disorder in the house" as He prepares for the three years of ministry He has ahead.  

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy 

 

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "It's A Miracle" (Barry Manilow)

Hey there!  Welcome to Tuesday and another edition of the musicologists best friend, Tuesday's Musical Notes.  We are gathered here today to support those who have a passion for music and feed the appetite of those hungry for rhythms and rhymes.  This is a place that knows no musical boundaries and promises to reveal something you may not have ever heard about your favorite songs or artists, and maybe even a lesson or two about you!  It's Tuesday and you're in Notesland!  l think you're gonna like it here!!!

Dictionary.com defines the word "Miracle" as, "an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause."  This definition seems very restrictive to me as the miraculous can certainly be defined in any myriad of ways by folks as their experiences and lives differ.  For example, those in the remotest portions of Australia, Africa, and even some spots in the US might find the internet and computers to be miraculous.  While those who dwell in the high rises of New York City, Delhi, or Shanghai would find the sunrises and sunsets of the aforementioned remote regions miraculous in their own right.  I think the miraculous does depend on the person's circumstances and are influenced by their beliefs.  Their culture, if you will, will truly define what one might consider a miracle, a true blue spectacle and something worthy of dancin' in the streets.  

 "It's A Miracle" by Barry Manilow, the February 1975 single from the album, Manilow II

"It's A Miracle" is the follow-up single to the smash, #1 hit single, ballad "Mandy" by Barry Manilow. This second single from Manilow's second album would go as high as #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The release would dance its way to #15 on the disco/dance chart and soar to #1 on the Easy Listening recap of top songs.  With its upbeat rhythm and equally upbeat rhymes, "It's A Miracle" would prove Manilow to be more than a balladeer and solidify his growing throng of fans.

Traditionally, the first song played at a Manilow concert, "It's A Miracle" describes the feeling of coming home to the one you love after an extended period, in Barry's case, being on tour to support your second album.  The miracle is in the rekindling of the romance that has dimmed in each other's absence.  Maybe I'm just not romantic enough, but this only seems miraculous in the "absence makes the heart grow fonder" sense.   Thus, supporting our theorem regarding miracles being informed by one's perspective.  After all, it's not like he's going to a wedding where someone turns water into wine...

The Gospel of Jesus according to the fisherman John, chapter 2, verses 1-11 New American Standard Bible, The Amplified Bible, English Standard Version of the Bible, King James Version of the Bible parallel

John was a fisherman.  He probably had more resources than most of his peers as we later learned that he was connected to some of the priests.  (check back for the rest of the story on that one...)  He was the brother of James and a son of Zebedee.  He was also a disciple of Jesus.  John, James, Peter, and Andrew, were all called to be disciples of Jesus as we saw last week.  

Shortly, after they dropped their nets and followed Jesus, the entire entourage was invited to a wedding.  Jesus' mother, Mary, was there. (Supposition is that Joseph, Jesus' earthly father, had died by this time, as he was not included in this story or any others after the Jerusalem Passover passage we discussed a couple of weeks ago.  Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Takin' Care Of Business" (Bachman Turner Overdrive)  

Mary must have been serving as one of the hosts of the wedding celebration as John tells us that Mary had the distinction of being there while Jesus and the disciples were "invited" guests.  Part of the way through the celebration, Mary came to Jesus to let Him know that the wine had run out.  Having already pondered a great deal about Jesus' and His miraculous life up to this point, Mary felt certain that Jesus would take action to help remedy this situation>  She didn't desire for the hosts to feel embarrassed at their lack of hospitality in running short on refreshments for the wedding party.  Remember, hospitality, was a hallmark of Jewish life during this time.  It was considered an insult to your guests if they were lacking in any way during a meal or party to which you had invited them.  

Jesus response? "So?"  While Jesus' reply to Mary may seem harsh, we must remember, that the time for Him to reveal Himself as Messiah to the populace was not to be that day.  Mary ignores Jesus' reply and instructs those helping with the banquets to do whatever Jesus told them to do.  Jesus tells them to fill 6 waterpots, which would hold about twenty to thirty GALLONS each. (This would equate to about 1000 bottles of wine... Here's a great article about God's abundance that lends a little more insight into this story: "Why Did Jesus Make So Much Wine?" from April 18, 2018, by Erik Raymond at thegospelcoalition.org)  These pots were there holding purification water to observe the cleanliness rites as prescribed in the Mosaic law.  After the servants filled the water pots to the brim, Jesus tells them to take a cup of the liquid in the pot to the person in charge of the wedding.  To the head waiter's surprise, it was the best wine they had tasted all day.  Weddings at the time lasted at least all day.  Sometimes the celebration would go on for a week.  The tradition of the day was to serve the best wine first.  Then when the guests were a little more "lubricated" you could sneak in the lesser quality beverages and they wouldn't know the difference.  The wedding planner was surprised that the best had been saved for that later time of the day.

John records this event as Jesus' first miracle.  Jesus had explained to Mary that it wasn't time for Him to reveal Himself as Messiah, however, the time had come for Him to show His glory to His newly formed band of followers.  John records that as a result of this miracle and the other things they had seen, the disciples "...believed in Him."   

One need not have the chemical composition of water changed to an adult beverage to believe in Jesus.  Reality would dictate that we are surrounded by the miraculous.  The precise position of the sun in proximity to earth is miraculous.  The mixture of gases that we breathe every day is miraculous.  The birth of my children and grandchildren have been miracles in my life.  Take a minute and ponder the miracles of your life.  I know, I don't know you.  I don't know your circumstances or the situation your find yourself in at this moment.  But I do know some universal truths...

The prophet Jeremiah, who lived during a terrible moment in Judah's history was told by God, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you;".  Later on, God tells Jeremiah to inform the folks from Judah who had been taken into captivity with words of assurance.   Jeremiah 29:10-14 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV "...I know the plans I have for you..."

Those universal truths can be found in the above passage of Scripture.  First, God knows you.  That's right!!!  God tells Jeremiah, and us, that He knew us before we even existed!  He knows every cell of who you are.  He knows your personality.  He knows everything about you!  

Secondly, God knows what your potential is.  Yes, the context of Jeremiah 29 is Israel returning from captivity and the assurances that God is giving that nation as they return.  But it equally applies to you today, especially if you aren't a believer.  Whether you are willing to admit it or realize it, you are a captive.  As you read this blog right now, some things are jockeying for position for your attention to drag you away from the truth of the Gospel of Jesus.  Anything that you place above your relationship with God, through His Son Jesus, is holding you captive.

Jesus came to free us all from our captivity.  And just like the Israelites as they returned from Babylon, we return to the God who knows the plans He has for us, as we believe and allow Him to restore our relationship with Him.

One of the most miraculous things ever is that God would provide a way for this restoration of our relationship with Him.  Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden broke the perfect relationship that they had with God.  Since that time, God had a plan to restore that relationship for those who chose to have it restored.  That miracle is Jesus.  He lived a perfect life. And yes, Jesus performed things that were considered miracles.  

He came to willingly die.  He served as THE sacrifice that was needed to allow those who accept His gift to be restored.  Our decision?  Do we choose to benefit from the miracle?  Do we choose to accept the gift that is an extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers?  Do we get free from captivity and surrender to the One who knows the plans He has for us?  

All of this is kind of hard to believe without seeing it for ourselves right?  

Later on in John's Gospel about Jesus, he tells the story of Thomas.  We'll come to the entirety of this story in the coming days, but there is one passage that is prescribed at this point in our conversation regarding miracles.  In John 20 verse 29, Jesus tells His disciples, "...Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."  

Jesus' ministry lasted 3 years.  While He encountered many people, there are many, many more who have not seen Jesus or any of the miracles that are recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Jesus says that these folks who believe without seeing are blessed.  That is called faith.  It is something that the Biblical patriarchs in the Old Testament had regarding Jesus and something those living in the times after Jesus' ascension have as we await His return.  Hebrews 11 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV details the faith of the patriarchs as an example of this belief without seeing ideology.  It tells many of the stories we have explored since taking this journey through the Bible with the Notes.

All of this to say, in the context of Thomas and Hebrews, Jesus' sacrifice and love truly is... a miracle, a true blue spectacle, the miracle is You..ooh, ooh, ooh!!!

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Follow Me" (Uncle Kracker)

 

Hey, there friend!  It's Tuesday!  It's the first Tuesday of September!  You may be thinking, "What significance does this have?"  Suppose you are in some portions of the southern part of the United States. In that case, September marks the beginning of a new season, not necessarily the Autumn you see on the calendar, but a new season nonetheless. 

The temperatures and humidity begin their descent to the icebox of winter, the foliage starts to show the signs of the dormancy that will come, the amount of sunlight in our day is reduced and yes, Oh yes, College Football begins.  (Wooo Pig Soooie!!!, click on the following for more info: "Calling The Hogs" - wikipedia.org, "Do you know the history of the Hog call?" - Laura Monteverdi, THV11 - March 26, 2019, U of A's Calling the Hogs: A Nissan Fan-Fueled Tradition - December 12, 2016)  

The University of Arkansas (Go Hogs!!!) is not exclusive when it comes to having a very excitable fanbase.  For those who follow NCAA Football, there are teams all over the United States that have their faithful fans. In stadiums all over the country, you have some of the most diverse gatherings of people ever and for about 4 hours, depending on how much ESPN wants to talk about any team other than the Razorbacks (but I digress) and TV commercial timeouts, this raucous caucus of folks encourages their team.  Especially in September, each college team whether they win or lose keeps reassuring their fans to...follow me, everything is all right...

"Follow Me" the November 7, 2000 single by Uncle Kracker from the album Double Wide

Featuring lyrical content that could have as much diversity in its interpretation as a college football gathering comes "Follow Me", the debut single from Matthew Shafer, also known as, Uncle Kracker.  "Follow Me" joins the cadre of songs whose meaning is completely left up to the listener, however, it has been suggested that those lyrics mean anything from drug references to infidelity.  You listen, you decide. 

"Follow Me" finds itself on a record that shows as much variety as the lyrical interpretation of its hit song.  Musically, there is something for everyone on the record from country twangs to some phat R&B hooks. Care should be taken to those listening as you may have noticed that this Double Wide has a warning sign on it for explicit language that is unsuitable for most listeners.  Maybe the lack of said language is why "Follow Me" was the most successful track from the album.   

Regardless of the analysis of the message of "Follow Me", it saw success on the charts. Domestically, it peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 while taking the top spot on the charts of 8 other countries.  It is the highest charting single to date for Uncle Kracker who served as a part of Kid Rock's entourage.   

Interpretation of lyrics has been a challenge since the days of the first songs.  Many times the words of the song get personalized by the listener. "Follow Me" to some could be construed as a love song, while others see it as a temptation (see last week's Tuesday's Musical Notes).  If you've read very many Tuesday's Musical Notes blog posts, you know full well that we see things in just a little bit of a different vein.  Some of the content for "Follow Me" sounds very familiar to an invitation we've read about somewhere before...

The Gospel of Jesus according to the tax collector Matthew, chapter 4, verses 18-22 New American Standard Bible, The Amplified Bible, King James Version of the Bible, English Standard Version of the Bible parallel

The Gospel of Jesus according to the evangelist Mark, Chapter 1, verses 16-20, NASB/AMP/KJV/ESV

The Gospel of Jesus according to the physician Luke, chapter 5, verses 1-11 NASB/AMP/KJV/ESV

The Gospel of Jesus according to the fisherman John, chapter 1, verses 35-51 NASB/AMP/KJV/ESV

"You don't know how you met me, you don't know why...Follow Me, everything is alright..."  It's a stretch, but that just might be a pretty good paraphrase of the above passages of Scripture.  

As we see the ministry of Jesus begin in earnest, we encounter Jesus' calling of the disciples. We need to remember a couple of things as we see Jesus' earthly encounters unfold.  First, there is a likelihood that Jesus was familiar to the disciples, especially those who were already following John the Baptist.  Remember that while John was an evangelist, he was also a prophet, making straight the pathways for the Lord as he proclaimed Messiah's arrival.  Andrew was one of those disciples of John and upon his encounter with Jesus, he immediately knew that Messiah was right before him, calling him to "follow Me".  This familiarity makes the following process somewhat more thought through than what Sunday School lessons of the past may have taught.

Secondly, there is a time that elapsed between this moment and the time before the disciples went with Jesus to be with Him full time.  In the Gospel accounts, we see Jesus' calling of these first disciples on at least 2 occasions from their fishing business.  You may also notice the obedience of the disciples each time Jesus prompts them to "follow Me".  Without hesitation, they follow.  When called upon to enter full-time service with Jesus, ultimately all 12 dropped everything for three years to become students of The Teacher. Even the betrayer, stopped what he was doing and followed, albeit his motivations were askew.  

As they answered this call it is reasonable to think that they did not completely understand the ramifications of what they did by following Jesus.  "...All you know is when I'm with you I make you free..."  Their obedience, even in times of their doubting, serves as an example to believers today of the faith they had. The disciples left what they knew, the comfort zone of who they were, to become that by which the Good News of Jesus would be proclaimed to the world.  

Finally, the disciples we read about at this point, are certainly of a different believing maturity level than the same folks we read of later in Acts or the letters that are found in the New Testament.  They had much to learn about what it was to become like Jesus.  They didn't always understand everything He was teaching them, yet they continued to sit at His feet and learn from His Words.  

Click on this link for a brief article that expounds on the disciples and their calling:  "The Calling of the Disciples" by John W. Schoenheit, The Sower Magazine

So what do we do when Holy Spirit calls, "Follow Me"?  His first calling is to salvation through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.  You must answer this call.  If you say "Yes!", you are guaranteed a restored relationship with God and an eternity future with Him.  If you say "No...", you are guaranteed separation from Him in an eternity future that is dismal.  

Later on, there may be other callings to "Follow Me" that take the shape of mission trips, ministry responsibilities, or telling the grocery clerk about what God has done in your life through Jesus.  All of these infuse the maturation process by which we become more like Jesus. We are equipped through Holy Spirit and we learn from the disciple's example as outlined in the Gospels.  

The point is, that once we say "yes" to Jesus' invitation to "follow Me", it is a lifelong pursuit.  We awake each morning with that calling on our lives and the opportunities that may flow from our "yes".  

Uncertain about what is next after saying "yes"?  Pray and ask for God's guidance.  Search God's Word, the Bible.  It is filled with example after example of obedience in following.  Also find a church home, where the Bible is taught and loving believers can invest in you, individually and collectively in a small group, so you may better invest in others and tell them about the one who said to you..."...follow me everything is alright..."

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy

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