Welcome to Tuesday and another edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes brought to you with no interruptions by the Cross & Kin Entertainment network! Have you checked out the latest on the Cross & Kin YouTube channel? The latest episode is a great mash-up of two iconic entertainment offerings that absolutely no one short of your family in the Cross & Kin garage would put together! Go check it out on the "Cross & Kin" YouTube channel.
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Perhaps you have encountered the philosophical types who want to pose the following question to you: What is truth? It's a valid question. There have been so many positions taken about what the answer might be. Seemingly anyone who wishes to will provide an answer to this age-old question. Some answers are profound, some are...well...just silly. Today, Tuesday's Musical Notes attempts to provide some insight and maybe an answer that is palatable to you all wrapped up in a way that only The Notes can. And it all starts with a song...just push play...
The 15th studio album by John Mellencamp (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Pink Houses" (John Mellencamp), Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Crumblin' Down" (John Cougar Mellencamp)) actually had many first-time elements to it. It was Mellencamp's first album recorded on Columbia Records (1 of 3) label and it was the first album named John Mellencamp. (Technically, his 2nd self-titled album if you count John Cougar and why wouldn't you?) This record also continues a string of albums by the Americana Rock and Roller that received a RIAA designation by having Gold record sales. Unique in the fact that it was a self-titled release so late in the artist's career, John Mellencamp would see 2 singles released from its track list (today's featured song and "I'm Not Running Anymore"), neither of which would break into the Billboard Hot 100.
One of those singles, "Your Life Is Now", would break into the top 40 of some of Billboard's other charts, specifically, the Mainstream Rock Chart (peaked at #15), the Adult Contemporary Chart (peaked at #19), and the US Adult Pop Airplay Charts (peaked at #23) (just so you know that there really is a chart for everything). The song's best performance was in Canada where it topped out at #3.
With lyrical themes of raising kids to tell the truth, and the encouragement to make changes in your world "Your Life Is Now" quickly becomes a bold anthem for having pride in who you are and what you believe. It portends a life that always takes the high road and does the right thing and the circumstances that can be brought about by doing so. Unlike some of Mellencamp's other more "gritty" songs about American life, it has a positive vibe that can easily resonate into action as we try to live lives worthy of the time we have. This isn't a new theme, yet one that probably needed to be reiterated in '98 as much as it does now.
With Paul's first entry into the letter collection of the New Testament, we find the apostle instructing the church in Galatia on the true Gospel. The overriding theme of the letter is that the righteousness that believers in the church have is through the shed blood of Jesus and not through anything that they have done. It seems that some have come behind Paul preaching a different Gospel in the church that isn't reflective of Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection being the ONLY way to restoration with God. Paul quickly dismisses this "other Gospel" by reminding the Galatian believers of the ministry to the Gentiles that Paul has had. He uses his experience and the results that came from it as proof that the Gospel in which he preached to them was the only one. He further asserts that the Gospel to which he had presented was affirmed by the apostles in Jerusalem, including James, John, and Peter.
Paul continues his validation by telling of calling Peter out in Antioch because of those with whom Peter chose to eat. Because of this Paul launches into a treatise on justification, the ability to be made right with God by our faith in Jesus, not by the things that we do that are good or our keeping of the Old Testament Law. Paul goes so far as to call the Galatians "foolish" in that they are holding on to the works they are doing for their justification to God. Our "rightness" with God comes about because of our faith, like that of Abraham who was credited with righteousness because of his faith, not the many acts of obedience he performed.
Paul further demonstrates righteousness by comparing our faith to our adherence to the Law of Moses. The Law was revered by the Jews, especially the devout Jews of the time. (Remember Paul was once Saul who was one of those devout Jews and knew the Law in all the ways possible see Chapter 1) Paul writes,
"However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “The person who performs them will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Galatians 3:12-14 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV
Did you catch that? We receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.
Later on, in a letter possibly written by Paul, the letter writer states to Hebrew believers that faith is the substance, or the assurance, or the certainty of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV
Paul begins in chapter 4 writing about our adoption into God's family upon our belief in Jesus. He has a conversation regarding slaves (a different concept than what we think of) and sons and then positions each of these into a climactic statement that qualifies us through the Holy Spirit's enabling us to cry out "Abba, Father!" "Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God." Galatians 4:6-7 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV
Paul begins concluding his letter with exhortation and encouragement. Just as he had begun, Paul exhorts the Galation believers to keep righteousness, justification, faith, and the law all in their proper places. He encourages them to rely on the Holy Spirit's power to discern the true Gospel and to follow in the manner in which they had seen him walk. Paul finishes his letter by contrasting "fruit" (the way you live your life) that comes from living in the flesh (sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry,
Being supportive of brothers and sisters in Christ and how to go about doing that without succumbing to pride is the closing argument Paul makes as he finishes his letter to the Galatians. "Restore an offending brother after they repent", "Bear one another's burdens", "You sow what you reap", and "Don't become discouraged in doing good", "Do good to all people, especially those in the body of Christ" are all themes that Paul uses as he attempts to soften the tone of the letter from his earlier fierceness. Galatians 6 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV
Paul's letter to the church at Galatia reads like a primer on life. He reminds them of the Gospel of Jesus that he preached and encourages them to avoid any other teaching that doesn't rely on Jesus as its foundation. He reminds them "Your Life Is Now" and how living a life in Christ is impactful to all those you encounter, especially fellow believers. Galatians provides things that we should avoid and things that we should embrace including instructions on what right living looks like and how to avoid the pitfalls of being enslaved by submitting to legalism. It tells of the freedom from that law that we experience because of Jesus' salvific acts and how we live by faith in His actions while not relying on our own actions (even if they are good) for righteousness with God. It is a great letter that has many aspects that apply to us congregationally as well as individually as believers. Reread Galatians and realize that all of its wisdom should inform you today, because "Your Life Is Now".
"...Would you teach your children to tell the truth
This is your time here to do what you will do...
...We could shake this world
If you would only show us how
Your life is now..."
If you would only show us how
Your life is now..."
"Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy
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