Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Lookin Out My Back Door" (Creedence Clearwater Revival)

Welcome to Summer 2023!!!  Some of my favorite memories are from summers of the past.  Maybe it's because I don't recall the heat or humidity being an issue at that time.  Must have something to do with a child's body makeup.  It seems like we just didn't feel the heat.  Or maybe we were just so involved in either our work or play, we didn't have time to notice sweating.  We only knew that cold garden watermelon was good, corn that we had to shuck tasted better than store-bought, and we chose to shell purple hull peas in the shade as the way to escape the heat and cool down, as well as getting to have great conversations with mom and grandmothers.  

Now don't get me wrong.  That was some of the benefits of the hard work we did.  Hoeing strawberries and push mowing what seemed to be 5 acres of the yard made us appreciate the "work" of gathering those homegrown vegetables and preparing them to be stored for the winter.  Then came washing the cars each week.  At least we were in the water at that point!  It wasn't idyllic, but it is a memory of a summer gone by.  I'm sure you have some of your own.  

We didn't always live in the country.  In fact, we didn't move there until I was in elementary school.  My summer memories of living in the thriving metropolis of Bald Knob, Arkansas are a bit faint, but I do remember them being filled with playing in the yard, occasionally playing in sprinklers when the grass was being watered, and hearing some great music.  

While we were predominantly raised on Country music, Mom wound up being a closet Rock-n-Roller.  It wasn't uncommon for us to hear the popular sounds of the 70s, especially on Saturdays when American Bandstand would be playing until it was time for Dad to come home for lunch.  Don't get me wrong, Dad loved all kinds of music, but his choice to listen to and play at home was Country.  Mom loved and respected his choice enough that she'd play some Rock-n-Roll when he wasn't there, all the while lookin' out our back door for him to come home...

"Lookin' Out My Back Door", July 25, 1970, single from Cosmo's Factory by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Cosmo's Factory was one of those rare records.  It was released on July 8, 1970, and is rare in the fact that it had 6 of its 11 tracks issued as singles.  Making it more unique is that all 6 of those singles went into the top 5 on the charts. (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Travelin' Band" (Creedence Clearwater Revival), "Who'll Stop the Rain", "Lookin' Out My Back Door", and "Long As I Can See The Light" peaked at #2, "Up Around the Bend" and "Run Through The Jungle" came in at #4) The album spent 9 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and was listed 4x Platinum by the RIAA in 1990.   

Cosmo's Factory was the fifth studio album by the Creedence Clearwater Revival, who by this time had been having internal struggles and was beginning to come apart at the seams.  John Fogerty's dominance over the direction of the band was not setting well with the rest of the band members including his brother Tom, who left the band in 1971 after the recording of the album Pendulum.  Despite the friction, the Cosmos's Factory record produced the aforementioned successful singles, including today's featured song, 

"Lookin' Out My Back Door" was the fifth single from the record and became the band's final top 5 hit on the charts.  It is a song that is filled with magnificent imagery that many associate with a drug trip, however, John Fogerty has stated that the song was inspired by his then 3-year-old son.  According to the "Lookin' Out My Back Door" - wikipedia.org article, the parade mentioned in the song is also supposedly inspired by the Dr. Suess book, And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street.  The song also has Americana references like the state of Illinois being mentioned at the beginning and end of the song, and listening to Country Music artist Buck Owens.  

Aside from being used as one of my Mom's classic "wake up" songs, "Lookin' Out My Back Door" was also featured in the 1998 Coen Brothers film, The Big Lebowski.  

But the song's overriding tone is one of making sure that you keep an eye out for any trouble that might possibly follow you home.  Not exactly sure what trouble John was waiting for, other than perhaps the legal entanglements with his bandmates that were fast approaching, but instead of trouble, sometimes what we anticipate could be something really special that shows up while you're lookin' out that back door.  

The Acts of the Apostles as recorded by Luke, a physician, chapter 12m verses 1-9 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/English Standard Version of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

To me, this is one of those comic relief passages in the Bible that you need just at the right time.  Without a doubt, there is much seriousness that is taking place in the life of the early church as persecution is beginning to really take its hold in Jerusalem.  Herod is a title given to a line of rulers in the Judean area around the time of Jesus and the beginning of the church.  This Herod, is Agrippa 1, the grandson of Herod the Great (who had all the males in Bethlehem killed), and the nephew of Herod Antipas, who questioned Jesus. ("Acts 12 – Herod Agrippa I" - by Philip J. Long, February 20, 2019 - readingacts.com, "Who was Herod? (Acts 12:1)" - ebible.com) The oppression of the believers of this time is enacted as a result of the animous towards the Christians among the Jewish population that was an effect of the new movement.  Due to the Jewish dissatisfaction, Agrippa 1 has James, the brother of John and one of the inner circle of Jesus, executed.  James would have been the first of the original twelve apostles to see such a fate. All of the remaining apostles, except John, would also succumb to martyrdom in a variety of ways, "How did the Twelve Apostles die? – Where did the Apostles die?" - neverthirsty.org  The Jews in the area reacted very favorably to James' execution.  Agrippa 1 noticed this and began the process to see that Peter was also provided with a similar fate.  Agrippa 1 was a pseudo-religious Jew and while he had Peter arrested during the feast of unleavened bread, the Bible says that Agrippa 1 delayed  Peter's impending demise as a result of Passover celebrations that were taking place.  

Peter was placed in prison under the guard of 4 squads of soldiers, 16 total. In verse 5 we see intervention was being made on his behalf.  The church in Jerusalem was praying for Peter.  Our passages use the descriptors of "intensely", "persistent", "earnest", and "without ceasing" to indicate the ferocity by which the church was praying for Peter.  Curiously, the Bible doesn't indicate that they were praying "expectantly".   The Bible doesn't say exactly what the church was asking God to do on Peter's behalf, but God answered in a way that seemed to surprise them.

On the evening that Agrippa 1 is about to bring Peter out of the prison to meet what would be sure to be Peter's demise, the prayers of the church were answered.  An angel shows up in Peter's prison room casting a bright light.  Peter must have been pretty tired as the angel's light didn't faze him.  The Bible says the angel had to strike Peter to get him awake.  Seems the praying church wasn't the only one that wasn't being expectant.  Peter gets dressed at the command of the angel and they make their way past the guards, through a closed gate that opens without being touched, and out of the prison into freedom.  Peter thought all of this was a dream, but when he found himself down a street on the outside of the prison, reality set in...quickly.  Peter set out for a house in town that belonged to Mary, the mother of John Mark.  The folks of the church had gathered there to combine their hearts and voices in prayer for Peter.  

Here is where I think the comic relief begins.  Try to visualize the scene.  Peter knocks on the door of the gate.  A servant named Rhoda came lookin' out the back door.  She heard Peter's voice and immediately went back to tell the others...without letting Peter in the house!  Here Peter was, wanted by the ruler of the region, a prison escapee, and he's left standing at the door of the church that had been lifting him up to God in prayer!   When Rhoda told the prayer meeting, they thought she had seen tambourines and elephants playin' in the band.  They thought she had lost her mind.  They didn't know of Peter's welfare at the time, assuming he had also been executed and thought it possibly might be his ghost.  "Look at all the happy creatures dancin' on the lawn"...  The Bible says Peter kept on knocking.  I think if I were him I would have been pounding on the door to make sure I wouldn't be seen by those who were obviously looking for him by this point.  

They open the doors to Peter and the Bible says, "they were amazed".  It's easy to question their amazement at this point.  Wasn't this the very thing in which they had been praying?  God had answered "YES!!!" to their prayers and they were astonished.  Peter didn't want to draw attention so he motioned for them to chill out and told them how the Lord had delivered him.  Peter instructs them to tell James (the brother of Jesus who had become a disciple and was becoming a leader in the church, not the apostle James who had been killed by Agrippa 1) and the brothers all of the miraculous things that had occurred that evening and went on his way.  

When daylight came, there was major trouble to be had.  Agrippa 1 sent for Peter who wasn't there.  After interrogating those who were guarding Peter, Agrippa 1 is not satisfied that the prisoner had escaped and has all 16 of the guards executed.  He just had 16 people killed and the Bible says that he left Jerusalem to go hang out on the coast.  Just like that.  It seems the guards of the day in Jerusalem were as expendable as the red-shirted folks on Star Trek's original series.  

So what do we need to learn from this last account of Peter in Luke's Acts of the Apostles?  There are 3 takeaways that I'd like to visit as we sit down and take a rest on the porch.

First, when we are bold about our belief in Jesus we will be met with pushback.  In The Gospel of Jesus according to Matthew, a tax collector chapter 10, verse 22 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV, Jesus tells us we will be hated by all because of our belief in Him, but in the same passage, He promises deliverance to those who endure. 

Secondly, you never know who may be praying for you.  You never know what the outcome of those prayers may be.  Be obedient even in times when it seems the circumstances are incredulous.  2 Timothy 4:1-2 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV,  The Gospel of Jesus according to John, a fisherman, chapter 15m verse 14 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV  

Finally, we need to pray about EVERYTHING.  Even if those prayers seem like you've taken a ride on a silver spoon to the outside world. Those prayers should be  "intensely", "persistent", "earnest", and "without ceasing" and I would add, "specific" and  "expectant".  Sometimes we don't necessarily get the answers we desire, but we must be faithful to pray.  Philippians 4:6-7 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV tells us that in those times when we don't get the answer we expect, God's peace will be sufficient to ease any disappointment.  

Oh yeah, when you look out and you see or hear the answer to your prayer, don't be surprised or think it's a giant doing cartwheels or a statue wearin' high heals, it's the answer to your prayer...don't leave it standing there, welcome it in and enjoy God's blessings by singin'...doo, doo, doo lookin' out my back door.

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" (U2)

Welcome to Tuesday. You have arrived at Tuesday's Musical Notes, the blog.  Is that what you intended?  

Here at Tuesday's Musical Notes, we attempt each week to bring you the finest in musical fare.  It is our desire that your melodic and rhythmic IQ is increased upon every reading of this, the musicologist's favorite blog.  Each week we write Tuesday's Musical Notes with the profound reality that music touches our lives in a myriad of ways. 

It is our loving endeavor  to bring about a peculiar meaning of your favorite songs with a distinctive bend on their lyrical content.  Sometimes we succeed quite well, other times, well, we confess it's a stretch. Regardless, we take great strides to prevent any opportunity for misunderstanding, and we hope that our reinterpretations never offend.  With that in mind, we would like to offer up our latest selection to the cavalcade which is Tuesday's Musical Notes.  We do this with great...wait for it...Pride, in the name of love...(Sorry, that one was way too easy!!!) 

"Pride (In The Name Of Love)" (U2), sepia - the September 3, 1984 single from The Unforgettable Fire by U2

"Pride (In The Name Of Love)" (U2), Slane Castle

"Pride (In The Name Of Love)" (U2), live

U2 is increasingly becoming a popular band for Tuesday's Musical Notes.  We've made mention before of how we are rediscovering their music as it, as well as we, have aged.  The Notes has featured Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (U2)", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Mysterious Ways" (U2), and Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (U2), as our penchant for all things 80s comes to the fore.  

Released as the lead single for the band's hugely popular, Unforgettable Fire, "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" was written as a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the pastor/civil rights leader.  Bono has acknowledged, and in concert corrected, a slight error in the lyrics.  Regarding Dr. King's assasination the lyrics state,  "early morning, April 4", in the original recording, however, the event actually took place at 6pm in Memphis.   The song received mixed reviews as well as the respectful notice of the lyrical error, but was instantly popular at radio and in concert.  Because of this reception, it has appeared on 3 compilation albums by the band.  (The Best 1980-1990, U22018 Singles, and Songs of Surrender)  

The song came about during a chord progression that lead guitarist The Edge used at a sound check while touring in support of 1983's War album.  Work continued on the track at Bono's hometown of Bray County Wicklow in a "Martello Tower" - wikipedia.org.  Work on the song was completed at "Slane Castle" - wikipedia.org.  It soared up charts in the United Kingdom, peaking at #3.  In the United States, it quickly became popular and peaked on the Top 40 at #33.  Chrissie Hyndes of The Pretenders is credited as a backing vocalist as "Christine Kerr". (She was married to Simple Minds (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Alive and Kicking" (Simple Minds),  Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (Simple Minds)) frontman Jim Kerr at the time)

As evidenced by its inclusion on the compilation records we mentioned, "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" has an enduring legacy.  It was listed at #65 in Spin Magazine's listing of "The Greatest Singles in History".  It came in at #388 on Rolling Stone's 2010 listing of the "500 Greatest Singles of All Time".  Not surprising, given its frequent rotation at MTV and later VH1, it was listed at #38 on the "100 Greatest Songs of the 80's" list by VH1's The Greatest series.  More importantly, "Pride (In The Name of Love)", gave U2 the enduring single that would continue their upward climb to the top of the charts as well as popular music icon status.  It certainly went a long way in establishing their name in the industry and in the hearts of fans around the world.  

Establishing a name can be very important regardless of the endeavor.  As we'll see in today's Scripture reading, a name isn't always meant to be flattering, but can certainly go a long way to support The Way.

The Acts of the Apostles as recorded by Luke, a physician, chapter 11, verses 19-26 New American Standard Bible, The Amplified Bible, English Standard Version of the Bible, King James Version of the Bible parallel   

After the stoning of Stephen, followers of Jesus began to disperse across the region because of the persecution meted out by the pre-conversion Saul and other religious rulers.  As we saw with Peter last week, because of their reverance to the Mosaic Law, these Jews were only telling fellow Jews about Jesus as they were spreading around to places like Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.  Some of the converts, however, were experiencing a homecoming of sorts as they were originally from Cyprus and Cyrene.  These folks were not limiting their evangelistic endeavors to just the Jews but telling their native brothers about Jesus' story of grace, mercy, and redemption.  As they began telling the Gentiles (as the non-Jews were called) some of them came to become followers of Jesus.  The numbers of Gentiles becoming disciples grew at a rapid rate and the word about their conversions quickly drew the attention of the church in Jerusalem, the titular headquarters of the fledgling movement.  

The leaders in the church of Jerusalem were both excited and curious about what was going on with the Gentile converts in Cyprus and Cyrene.  They had heard Peter's reports of the interaction he had with Cornelius and his other new Gentile friends and wanted to investigate further what God was doing among them.  They sent Barnabus to the Greek islands in an effort to find out and qualify what was happening among the Gentiles as well as the Jews as a new church was quickly needing to be established.  Upon arrival, Barnabas, the encourager, was immediately encouraged by how the hand of God was moving among the peoples there.  As we have seen before with Barnabas, he promptly began the work of advising them as well as using his natural skills to support them in their new faith-walk.  The Scripture calls Barnabas, " a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and faith."  This was quite the testimony coming from Dr. Luke as he writes the activities of the apostles.  

Barnabas realizes that the new believers would need some instruction if they are to remain true and faithful with a resolute heart for the Lord.  He sought out Saul, who had been residing in his hometown of Tarsus.  Barnabas brought Saul back to Cyprus and Cyrene and together they spent a year meeting, encouraging, instructing, and guiding the "considerable numbers" who were coming to the church.  One could even say that they took great pride as they led this church in the name of love.   Well, no one has really ever said it, but I needed the tie-in somehow right?

The Bible goes on to say in the last verse of our focal passage, "... and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. This name is used only occasionally in the New Testament (Acts 26:28 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV, and 1 Peter 4:16 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV).  It was never used as a term by Jesus to describe His followers.  It is oftentimes assumed that "Christian" was considered a slur word of its time, when in reality, we don't have a historical or Biblical context by which to construe that particular connotation.  Here is an article that breaks some of that down for us:

"Where The Word Christian Really Comes From" - September 12, 2022, relevantmagazine.com

"One Man come in the name of love
One Man come and go
One Man come, He to justify
One Man to overthrow

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love..."

In our day, we see folks labeled in many ways.  I am of the conviction that there are only 2 things that truly in our day and age of characterizing people.  First, we are all a part of the human race.  That's right there is only 1 race.  The nomenclature so often bandied about is incorrect and we should resist the usage of it.  Yes, we do have CULTURAL differences.  Yes, there is a difference in the color of most everyone's skin.  These differences should never define us as those made in the image of God, the Creator.  The more we stoke the fire of this debate, the more highlighted it becomes and the deeper the divide becomes.  So please, love folks.  Even those folks in whom your culture and skin color do not match.  They are a part of the human race, made in the image of God.

The second characterization is that of Christian.  It identifies you as a disciple of Christ.  Every person, as a part of the human race, will have to make a decision regarding what they believe about the One who came in the name of love.  As a believer in Jesus, a Christian, you attempt every day of your life to emulate Him.  Not the AI Jesus floating around the internetosphere, but the Jesus that leaps from every page of the Bible (questionable during those ancestral lists, but He's still there!).  Begging The Holy Spirit to show you how to become more and more like Jesus, AFTER you have taken the step to accept His leadership in your life.  

That's it.  The only labels in our world of alphabet soup that matters.  Human and Christian.  NOTHING else truly matters in the scope of eternity and are tools of the enemy to cause anger and division.  Please consider this as you interact with your brothers of the human race.

Friend, as a believer, you can take great pride today with this name of love.  You can rest assured that as you carry the name Christian, it is rooted in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world who came to everyone to provide a redemptive restoration with the God of creation.  You can believe with confidence that as you wear this name of love you can do so with great pride as it represents a story unlike any other in the history of mankind, that of ultimate love and sacrifice.  "...Nobody like love, There's nobody like love, nobody like love..."

'Til Tuesday

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Brothers and Sisters" (Coldplay)

Welcome to Tuesday and a blog you should read.  It's all about music and the occasional creed.  It covers the spectrum from Art Punk to Zydeco.  (Music Genres List - musicgenrelist.com) Sometimes we're serious, sometimes, a game show.  We launch with a paragraph, maybe two, maybe three.  To set up the stage, well, you're reading, you'll see.  We then tell the tale of the song as researched.  Paying tribute to those who for hours rehearsed.  Some songs are standards, some well, not so much.  But they work with the topic, the thought, and some such. Music provided via video link.  And then we unpack it, dissect it, and cause you to think.  To think about thoughts from the song or perhaps, some notion about you that fills in some gaps. 

We bring it all home with a idea profound.  One just maybe, you've never quite found.  A challenge and plea, plus some song quotes to boot.  And we finish it off with a point so acute.  The Notes we do hope become your blog of choice.  We thank you and thank you for giving it voice.  And now it is time, the video, Coldplay.  We hope Tuesday's Notes have brightened your day!!!

"Brothers And Sisters" the April 26, 1999 debut single by Coldplay  

Fierce Panda Records produced this very first single from the British Rock Band, Coldplay.  Released after the EP Safety, also from Fierce Panda, "Brothers and Sisters" charted in the top 100 in the band's homeland of the United Kingdom.  3 versions of the song exist, one on the 1998 promo cassette, Ode To Deodorant,  today's feature version as a single, and as the b-side to the song "Trouble" from the full-length, July 10, 2000, Parachutes release, the band's debut on major label Parlophone. At Official Charts, an independent label song ranking, "Brothers and Sisters" peaked at #20 on the April 25 - May 1, 1999 chart.  Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50  

"Brothers and Sisters" is a call to unity for the world.  A favorite in live concerts by the band, the song is reminiscent of the musical culture of the 60s peace movement.  It takes the opportunity to celebrate the moment by spreading the love around.  Yup, that sounds like the 60s to me!  The topic of unity is the building block of what can be a world in which everyone wants to live.   It is also a song with a message that resonates today as it resonated in times past.  Specifically, the time involving the Apostle Peter.

Acts of the Apostles as recorded by Luke, a physician, chapter 10 through 11, verse 18 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/English Standard Version of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

In the early days of the church, culturalism (it wasn't racism then either, we are all part of 1 race, the human race! Everything else is upbringing and melatonin...) existed among the Jews, especially the religious Jews (Orthodox Jews as well as Messianic Jews) and the gentiles (basically everyone else, especially the Hellenistic Romans).  The Jews of the day had been indoctrinated from childhood with the precepts of Deuteronomy 7:1-4 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV, and Exodus 34:11-17 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV.  This prejudice was prevalent at the time of Jesus and the early church. The Jews of the day were taught to not associate in any way with the Romans who were militarily controlling the area of Judea.  The Romans were an anathema to the Orthodox and even were disliked and shunned by the early believers in Jesus.  Even though, as we will see today, there were those on the inside of Rome's dominance of the world attempting to change the culture. 

Ok, here's the obligatory rabbit hole for today. We must be very careful when we carry consternation for a people group, organization, or...well a theme park/entertainment giant.  You can never tell the brothers and sisters who may very well be attempting to change the culture as they share their beliefs with those in the entity.  Boycotts have the opportunity to directly impact the believer's opportunities for the very change you desire, plus it can't be helpful to their pocketbook either.  Ok, there's light at the top of our hole, let's climb out of it and get back to Peter.

The apostle Peter was not oblivious to this teaching of Deuteronomy and Exodus he had received since a child as we will soon see.

Enter the Roman Centurian Cornelius. He was part of the Italian Regiment, a group of Roman soldiers recruited from Italy who were stationed in Judea, specifically Caesarea in the coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea.  The Bible describes Cornelius very much like many folks today can be described, "as one, along with his household, who feared God".  Solomon tells us in Proverbs that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Proverbs 9:10 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV But is that enough?  The Bible even goes so far as to call Cornelius devout, one devoted to divine worship; pious or religious (dictionary.com)  An angel of God appears to him in a vision, yes, this Roman soldier had a vision just like Saul, and the great patriarchs of the Old Testament, setting up the entire following episode.  Cornelius immediately recognizes this as a visit from an angelic being.  Cornelius was lauded by the visitor for his good deeds and his prayers. Yet there was something he still needed to hear. He was then instructed to send some of his men to Joppa to the house of Simon the Tanner.  There they were to find another man named Simon and bring him back to Cornelius.  Cornelius urgently gathered the men, note the Bible says they were like-mindedly devout, men whom Cornelius could trust, and send them to Joppa.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Peter also has an experience while he is on the rooftop praying.  An object like a sheet comes down from the sky.  On it are all kinds of critters from the earth and sky. These animals were all considered "unclean" or "unholy" to the devout Jews of the day as prescribed in Leviticus 11 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV Peter was instructed to make a meal out of them.  Peter, with his Jewish upbringing and newfound faith, wanted to remain as pure as he possibly could within the boundaries of the Scripture we listed above.  "I've never eaten anything unholy or unclean..." Ummm, aren't you the same guy who was a fisherman?  There's a pretty good chance that while at sea, you ate something not prescribed by Moses.  A person can get hungry out there Peter! Also, weren't you the same one who said you didn't know Jesus when it really was crunch time?  Peter may very well have never had anything unclean to eat, but based on his past performance, this might have been a moment of stretching the truth just a touch.  Regardless, Peter is attempting to keep his standards high while raising the defense that he shouldn't eat anything unclean.  However...

"What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”, Acts 10:15. Notice the next verse..."This happened three times..."  There sure are a lot of instances where Peter has things happen to him three times.  The object went back up into the sky leaving Peter dumbfounded as to what had just happened.  His resolution to his perplexity came with a knock on the door.

It is rarely a good thing when Roman soldiers show up a the door of the house in which you are staying.  But when they ask for you by name, panic could very easily ensue. "Break down, break down.  Gotta spread love around, gotta spread love around."   Peter, having been told to go down from the roof because there were men there to see him, went downstairs and told the men that he was the one they were seeking.  They unpack Cornelius' story for Peter and urge him to accompany them back to Caesarea.  They described Cornelius as one who was friendly towards the Jews and told of his angelic encounter.  Peter invites them in and begins conversations regarding the specifics of their purpose.

Meanwhile back at the beach...

The next day, the party leaves the home of Simon the Tanner and journeys to the seashore.  In anticipation of Peter's arrival, Cornelius had gathered his family and close friends in anticipation of Peter's arrival.  Cornelius dropped to the floor and began worshiping Peter upon the apostle's arrival.  Peter quickly admonished him and told him that he was not a deity to be worshiped, he was just a man like Cornelius.  Peter continued making his way into Cornelius' home.  As he did Peter's bias, while not ill-intended, came out as he told the Centurion something of which Cornelius was probably aware.  It was not lawful according to Jewish tradition for Peter to be there in association with the soldier, much less his family and friends.  Peter then inquires about why he was sent.  Cornelius then explains the encounter he had experienced previously in the week.  As he does, one would imagine Peter's understanding meter going off the charts.   

"...Now then, we are all here present before God to hear everything that you have been commanded by the Lord.”   

"...Brothers and sisters feel fine
It's the time of your lives
It's the time of your lives
No sound, no sound
Like this feeling you've found
Like this feeling you've found..."

Without hesitation, without regard for the law he had been taught his entire life, and because of the vision he had, Peter associates with them and tells them the story of Jesus and His Gospel.  He relates what he now understands regarding his own visions and how it applies to not just the Jews, but to all the "Brothers and Sisters".  Peter affirms the stories from Jerusalem that they had heard about Jesus, and the circumstances leading to His being crucified.  Israel is a small nation, word travels fast, even in the 1st century.  Peter tells them of the experience he and the other apostles had with Jesus and the teaching that Jesus had provided in his time on earth.  Peter also relates the command from Jesus that the apostles go and tell others about what they had seen and heard.  Peter explained how the prophets of the ancient writings pointed to Jesus and how he fulfilled the prophecies.  

"...the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message..."  Peter is preaching and the folks are believing.  That is what happens when Jesus' followers are diligent in following His command to go and tell.  The Holy Spirit moves and folks get redeemed, changing their lives forever.  The Bible says that the Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter were amazed as the Gentile Romans began to speak in tongues and were praising God.  Peter didn't miss a beat as he immediately asked where the closest water was so that they could be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.  

The chapter concludes with Peter, a devout Jewish believer in Jesus, hanging out with Cornelius, the devout, first, Gentile believer.  They were now unified as brothers and sisters in Jesus.

Friend today, we live in a world where bias is rampant.  It is masked so many times in the inappropriate word "racism", when in fact it should be more accurately defined as "culturalism".  Regardless of how you know the term, the Bible is clear about the issue.  Without any prejudice, everyone will have the opportunity at one point or another to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed.  The choice after they hear it is to believe, or not to believe.  

What is that Gospel?  Jesus was born to a virgin girl.  He was both God and man.  He was part of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Spirit, that had existed forever.  He came as a man to satisfy the redemption price for the guilt of all mankind which began in the Garden of Eden.  Jesus lived a perfect life.  He gathered learners around Him and taught them the ways of God.  Even though He is the Son of God, he soon was labeled as a traitorous blasphemer by the religious rulers of His day.  He suffered incredible torture and the most heinous form of capital punishment ever created by man, crucifixion.  He did all this so that you and I, dear friend, do not have to spend eternity separated from Him.  His crucifixion paid the price for the bad things you and I do, which are called sins.  His crucifixion brings about the reconciliation with God that we so desperately need to navigate the fallen and broken world in which we live.  After He died a physical death on the cross, He was placed in a sealed tomb, where a huge rock covered the entrance and was guarded by a small contingency of Roman soldiers.  The miraculous occurred three days later as His followers came to the tomb to finalize His burial preparations and found his body gone.  He did exactly what He said He would do and came back to life.  He was then seen, physically alive by his closest followers and over 500 other folks who began testifying to His resurrection.  He promised them that He would one day return.

He paid the price so we could be in heaven with God...forever.  Now we get to choose.  It's called free will.  What do we do with Jesus?  Do we listen intently as believers share what He has done in their lives and believe in Him and His sacrificial salvation ourselves?  I sure hope so!  If we do, we are baptized in water and go about telling everyone we possibly can about His love and His Gospel. "Brothers and Sisters unite..."  Jesus calls everyone to salvation.  "...gotta spread the love around..."

 

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Miracles" (Coldplay)

As we begin today's Notes, we want to pause a moment and reflect on the significance of today's date.  June 6, 1944, plays into some of the events described in today's Musical Notes and is a day to be celebrated and honored, for on this date 79 years ago the Allied forces made their push into Normandy, France, and turned the tide on World War II.  Many lost their lives that day in the advancement of freedom from the tyranny of Nazi Germany.  We must never forget moments like this in history and provide to those who sacrificed, the honor due them by remembering.  We are grateful for those who served in this great conflict and pray that your sacrifice will never be dishonored.

For more about D-Day, click on this link from history.com:  "D-Day" - by history.com editors, updated May 11, 2023, | original article published October 27, 2009

And now we bring you Tuesday's Musical Notes in its entirety...

Here we are.  We find ourselves on the first Tuesday of June!  Most schools have dismissed for the summer.  More candidates are scheduled to announce their intentions of running for President and other offices in an election that is 16 months away. (Get your yard signs today!) College baseball is on its Road to Omaha and the big leagues are defining the "Boys of Summer".  (It's okay to be humming the song right now, we're doing it too!!!)  It's only 88 days until College Football kicks off!!!  Theme parks, campgrounds, and lakes are seeing the summer influx of vacationers needing a break, and a diverse variety of summer camps are populating college campuses and retreat centers.  

We start today's blog with all of the above to ask a simple question:  "Are you ready for the summer?"  (While obscure, this too is a song reference...end credits...1979's Meatballs starring Bill Murray in his first leading role. Rated PG.  That's 1979's PG.  Funny but a bit crude at times)  After the remembrance of those who sacrificed everything for our country, it seems with Memorial Day weekend, folks all across the country declare it to be summertime and start the annual rituals of getting outdoors more often for a variety of things, some of which are much fun, others of which...well, is weed eating...  If you live in the South, you distribute your time equally by enjoying the outdoors and battling the creatures that live in the outdoors.  

Whether you are grilling for the family or determining your next strategy against mosquitozilla, music tends to be a part of what we do outdoors.  From the days of the transistor radio to the current opportunity to stream a gazillion songs on your phone, music has been a part of our summertime fun.  (For a brief history of portable music, click on the link: "Infographic: The Evolution Of Portable Music" by Josh Morrisey, April 9, 2012, thestrut.com) In short, the ability to take our favorite summertime soundtrack of life with us is nothing short of...well...a miracle...

"Miracle", December 15, 2014, single by Coldplay from the soundtrack to the Legendary Pictures release, Unbroken

Written specifically for the Angelina Jolie movie Unbroken,  the Coldplay song "Miracles" was released as a part of the promotional campaign for the film.  While it did receive some airplay and was well-received by music critics, it failed to chart as a single.   

The film, however, is a different story.  It is based on the 2010 book by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken: A World War II Story Of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.  It is the retelling of the true story of Louis (Louie) Zamperini, a combat serviceman in World War II, who prior to his military service, placed 8th in the 1936 Olympics as a runner setting a record for the final lap of his 5000-meter race.  During his service in the war, Zamperini survived a plane crash and 47 days in open water on a raft, and was then captured and held in a series of Japanese prisoner-of-war camps.   The bulk of the film features his struggle to survive the brutality of the camp and one Japanese soldier, Mutshuhiro Watanabe.

The film was critically acclaimed while not in major award areas, receiving three Academy Award nominations in the Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing categories.  Who knew those existed?  Unfortunately, it did not win in any of those categories but was named one of the Top Ten Films of the Year by the American Film Institute,  the New Hollywood Award for Jack O'Connell, the actor who played Louis Zamperini, given by the Hollywood Film Awards, the Top Ten Films list, and Breakthrough Performance Award for Jack O'Connell,  by National Review, Best Action or Adventure Film by the Saturn Awards, and the Outstanding Action Performance by Stunt Ensemble Award from the Screen Actors Guild.  (Nice award...should probably get more props!) Some Christian movie critics argued that the film didn't receive the Major Awards recognition it deserved due to Zamperini's life after his army service ended...it too was something that many consider...a miracle.

 

The Acts of the Apostles as recorded by Luke, a physician, chapter 9, verses 32-43 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/English Standard Version of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

We leave the story of Saul for a time and segue into the adventures of the Apostle Peter.  As we have told the great stories of the Bible in the last couple of years, Peter has been a prominent character of late.  He was one of the 12 original disciples called by Jesus to follow Him during His teaching time on earth.  He also was a part of Jesus' inner circle of three, which included James and John, the sons of Zebedee.  Peter had a reputation for being quick to speak, many times resulting in a strong admonition from Jesus.  

By the time we catch up with Peter in this portion of Acts, we see a maturing disciple who is seeking to be more like Jesus with each day, to have the opportunity to serve others, to preach the Gospel of Jesus, and if necessary to suffer for the sake of the Gospel.  The impulsive Peter that we have come to expect is still around as we will see in the future, but our Scriptural focal point today doesn't indicate that his actions were anything more than one of a man seeking to be like Jesus.

We see in Luke's account of Peter's acts two stories of the miraculous.  Peter has traveled to the town of Lydda, which is modern-day Lod a city northwest of Jerusalem and southwest of Tel Aviv.  As Peter comes into town he encounters Aeneas who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.  Peter speaks the name of Jesus over Aeneas and tells him to "get up and make his own bed", which of course Aeneas does.  Yes, it is a miracle that Aeneas was walking, however, if you're not careful, you miss another miraculous event in the postlude of the story.  Aeneas walking around the streets of Lydda was news for the day and all of his neighbors saw him.  The Bible says that after they witnessed the miracle in Aeneas' life, they received one on their own, as they turned to the Lord.  The Bible says "ALL" (emphasis mine) in this portion of the passage.  An entire region (Lydda and the plain of Sharon) was transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit because of the miracle that occurred in a paralyzed man's life.  

The second story in Scripture today comes from the area of Joppa (modern-day Jaffa, a district of Tel Aviv) and relates the account of Tabitha's interaction with the Apostle Peter.  The Bible describes Tabitha as rich in acts of kindness and charity.  It goes on to say that these acts were a habit that Tabitha had as a part of her life.  This habitually kind lady became ill and died.  Her friends and family prepared her body to be buried and placed her in an upstairs room.   The local followers of Jesus heard about Tabitha's death and sent for Peter whom they had heard was at Lydda.  At their earnest urgings, Peter came to Joppa and went to the room where the women of the area were morning Tabitha (the Bible calls her Dorcas at this juncture in the narrative).  On display were the garments and tunics she had made, the tangible signs of Dorcas' kindness.  Upon his arrival, Peter ushers them all out of the room and prays.  Turning towards Tabitha he said to her "Tabitha arise".  She opened her eyes, saw that it was Peter, and sat up.     Peter gathers the women who had previously been mourning and presents Tabitha to them.  The Bible says that this event also resulted in life change miracles as many in the region of Joppa heard about Tabitha and believed in the Lord.  

"...Sometimes the stars decide
To reflect in puddles in the dirt
When I look in your eyes
I forget all about what hurts..."

The 1998 Winter Olympics (Nagano, Japan) was the scene for another miraculous event in Louis Zamperini's life as he would run a leg of the Olympic Torch Relay close to where the prison camp he was interred in was located.  Zamperini was 4 days shy of being 81 at the time.  

Just like Aeneas and Tabitha, there is a postlude to Louis Zamperini's life that includes a miracle equally as important as his survival.  Director Jolie doesn't quite finish telling the story as Unbroken ends just when Louie's real life is beginning.  Zamperini converts to Christianity upon his return home and becomes an example of Jesus by meeting with several of his captors (Watanabe refused to meet with him) and offering them forgiveness for the acts they had perpetrated against him. The miraculous story of survival he had experienced paled in comparison to the miraculous change he experienced when he surrendered himself to Jesus.   

Aeneas, Tabitha, and Louis Zamperini devoted their lives to God.  They allowed that devotion to spill over into every aspect of their life as the attention came to them as a response to the miraculous events in their lives.   In Zamperini's case, the movie falls short in telling His inspirational story, one that did not rely on his release from a prison camp, it was one dependent on his belief in a man who died to bring him a restored relationship with God.  On July 2, 2014, at the age of 97, Louis Zamperini received the ultimate miracle as he passed from this life into the presence of the One who had provided the only miracle in his life that counted...

Have you had a similar miracle?  You can by believing that Jesus was sent by God to restore the relationship that was broken by mankind in the Garden of Eden.  Jesus provided this opportunity by serving as the sacrifice for all of the wrong things you have done, I have done, and everybody else has done.  His perfection becomes the lens by which God sees us if we believe this.  And that my friend is as true of a miracle as you will ever experience...

If you would like to read more about the miracles that occur in the Bible and that can occur in your life, check out these Tuesday's Musical Notes from the archives:

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "All I Need Is A Miracle" (Mike + The Mechanics)

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

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Miracles" (Jefferson Starship)

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy  

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