Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Somebody To Love" (Queen)

Hey Howdy!!!  It's The Notes again neighbor!!!  Tuesday has come again and it is certainly time to get trivial, tuneful and truthful...IT'S TIME FOR TUESDAY'S MUSICAL NOTES...Yay!!!  Can you believe January is gone and we are on the 4th day of February?  In honor of the month of LOVE, we will feature songs with Love in the title each week in February.  You won't want to miss a single week!  But before we begin, we have to mention one programming note:

Tonight at 6pm you will can have the opportunity to see live a debate between Bill Nye, the science guy, and Kenn Hamm, founder of Answers in Genesis.  This is an incredible opportunity to see these gifted and innovative speakers in a debate forum, discussing the differences between evolution and creationism.  Regardless of your world view, you won't want to miss this debate.  It comes to you live from the Creation Museum auditorium and can be seen on The Blaze or streamed live from http://www.answersingenesis.org/.  Don't miss a single minute!!!

Now on with the show:

As we have explored the land of trivia and truth, we have discovered many musical acts.  We've discussed the fact that many of these groups have had a multiplicity of artists come in and out of their organizations.  It is rare to see a rock band, or any musical act, stay with its original lineup throughout its history.  With a few exceptions artists tend to have differing opinions about musical direction or who receives the writing credits.  Sometimes they completely disintegrate as was with the case of The Beatles.  In other circumstances,  you have bands like Styx that fire the disenfranchised musician and hire new folks to replace them.  Rare is the band that from start to finish has the exact same lineup.  

You may not be familiar with the names Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, and Farrokh Bulsara.  Perhaps you know Farrokh Bulsara better by his stage name, Freddie Mercury.  But if you have listened to radio, watched television, or been to the movies, it is a safe bet you have heard music that was created by the band also known as Queen.    Since 1970, Queen has been creating music and rocking stadiums.  It is one of the few bands that continued to tour with its original lineup until the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991.  That same year John Deacon would perform limited engagements with the band and eventually retire.  May and Taylor continue to tour and have featured guests artists on recordings as well as concert tours.  

Queen is known for the harmonies that are created by layering tracks of Mercury, Taylor, and May singing different parts.  The highest charting  examples of doing this were the recordings of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Somebody to Love". (Reaching #9  and #13 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, respectively)  Somewhat ironic that one of these songs mentions beelzebub and the other is a plea to God.  While both use the layering technique to simulate choirs, the choral affect stylistically is dramatically different from one song to the next.  "Bohemian Rhapsody" from the 1975 album A Night At The Opera attempts to reproduce the sound of an English choir,  while "Somebody To Love" opts for the sound of a Gospel choir due much to the influence of Aretha Franklin on the band.  We'll let you judge as to whether Queen was able to achieve the affect of 100 voices as we spin this week's song.  Here is May, Taylor, Deacon, and Bulsara, better known as Queen with "Somebody To Love"

"Somebody To Love" - Queen

 

It would be very easy for this Musical Note to turn into a thesis on the debate regarding homosexuality.  It is doubtful, however, that a simple blog about the cultural impact of music and its relationship to walking in The Way would go very far in changing the landscape of such a debate.  We do not shy away from the fact that the Bible calls homosexuality a sin.    We also acknowledge that the Bible has much to say regarding heterosexual sin.  We encourage you to search the scriptures for yourself.  If you are immersed in any kind of sexual sin, God's forgiveness awaits.   His love is never ceasing and He sent Jesus to die for those sins as well as the other sins in my life as well as your life.  'Nuff said.

It is difficult to go through a day without the word "love" mentioned in your universe.  Perhaps you hear a song about it on the radio.  Maybe you engage in conversation with someone regarding the topic of "love".   When you attend a church it is easy to hear the word "love" bandied about.  The challenge for us many times is to put into practical application the lessons derived from the Bible regarding love.  By putting the Biblical patterns to use, it is not too difficult for us to find somebody to love.  All we have to do is open our eyes.  This was Jesus' mission on the earth.  He demonstrated love, by serving.  He demonstrated love by finding out the needs of others and then fulfilling those needs.  He demonstrated love by sacrifice.  As we read the Gospel accounts of His life, we see that His purpose was to serve.  He served each of us in the ultimate capacity by bearing our sins dying in our place in the most horrific manner known to man.  He met the needs of those around Him, both the physical and the spiritual.  He then challenged us to do the same.  He actively demonstrated His love for everyone He encountered by serving them.  In a very familiar passage, Jesus effectively communicates the rationale for service by consolidating the ten commandments down into two:

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:36-40  (for context please read all of chapter 22)

Most folks would interpret Queen's song as the search for finding that one true love.  That is the easy way to look at this song.  It is much more difficult when we realize that everyone we meet is somebody we can love.  Difficult because we have to surrender ourselves to their needs...difficult but not impossible...so start the chant now and make the decision to serve...

find me somebody to love...

find me somebody to love...

find me somebody to love...

Here's a song to encourage just that:

"Open Your Eyes" - Keith Green

 

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Queen)

You've just tripped into the place of musical meanderings and prophetic ponderings!  Welcome to Tuesday and this week's edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes.  As we enter into this land of hit single exploration and His story extrapolation, we confess that today is gonna be a little different!

But it's Tuesday and as you know in Tuesday's Musical Notes land, ANYTHING can and usually does happen!!!  Thanks again for stopping by, we hope you enjoy today's adventure...it could be considered a bit...bohemian in nature...

For you purists..."Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen from the 1975 album A Night At The Opera

for you Wayne and Garth fans..."Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen from the 1992 soundtrack of Wayne's World

and last but not least, the latest incarnation..."Bohemian Rhapsody" by Pentatonix from the 2017 album PTX Vol. IV - Classics

Told ya it was gonna be different!!!

42 years, 2 Grammys, countless listings on "Top Rock and Roll songs" polls, 2 Movie Soundtracks, a Billboard Hot 100 peak at #9 (1976) AND at #2 (1992 re-release with Wayne's World soundtrack), and topping it all off, this song is closing in on having sold 7 million units.  That,  ladies and gentlemen is how Queen's 1975 smash hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" has become a legacy in musical history.  

From its opening acapella strains, "Bohemian Rhapsody" has become the song that every artist wishes they could have.  It was recorded over a three-week period of time, at 5 different recording studios, utilizing 10 to 12 hour days. It came at the trailing end of the Progressive Rock era.  Following in the epic song footprint of songs like Chicago's "Ballet  For A Girl In Buchannon" from 1970's eponymous album,  and Genesis "The Battle of Epping Forest" from 1973's Selling England By The Pound, the nuances and "Movements" within the overall Suite of "Bohemian Rhapsody" seem to be the swan song of ProgRock's unfriendly to radio, "long song" mantra.

The video for the song was made as a promotional tool by the record label shortly after the single was released.  This was the standard procedure that allowed bands to make television appearances without being at the actual event.  Queen had in fact made several promotional videos for previous singles in their staple of hits.  The most notable music show at the time was the BBC show Top of the Pops.  As one would imagine, Queen found it difficult to perform "Bohemian Rhapsody" live, so the video was sent to help promote the song to the television-watching public.  With the popularity of the video, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is hailed by artists and labels alike in ushering in the age of MTV, which debuted on August 1, 1981.  ( "Ladies and Gentlemen, Rock and Roll...") (ahh...the good old days when MTV played MUSIC VIDEOS!)  

Lyrically confusing at times, "Bohemian Rhapsody" has been one of the most over-interpreted songs ever written.  Freddie Mercury, who wrote the song, never revealed its inspiration to anyone other than Queen bandmates, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon, who kept and continue to keep it their own secret to this day, thus fueling the curiosity behind what the song means.  Some of the success of the song can be laid at the feet of the controversy over the lyric each time the single goes up the chart.  Specifically, there is much concern over the "Beelzebub" reference (more on this a little later).   Regardless of the song's meaning or the rationale behind its success, it has made its way into Rock and Roll history and continues a heavy rotation on radio.

In philosophy, nihilism is the belief in an extreme form of skepticism or a belief in nothingness.  With the "Nothing really matters" idea coursing through the veins of  "Bohemian Rhapsody" it is easy to see how the adjective "nihilistic" would apply.  For an interesting article about those who believe in nothing, "nones" and the interaction believers should be having with them, click here: 

 "Who Are The Unchurched And How To Reach Them" Facts and Trends - April 4, 2017 factsandtrends.net 

We've mentioned the use of today's feature song as the soundtrack to a couple of movies.  But have you ever given the thought that "Bohemian Rhapsody" would serve as an interesting underscore to a book of the Bible?  

You may remember that the book of Ecclesiastes has been used as source material for Rock and Roll icons of the past. (Ecclesiastes 3 was the source material for the hit "Turn, Turn, Turn" by the Byrds, the title track from the 1965 album).  If you've never read this incredible book of poetry, that serves as a commentary on life, take a few minutes and read it.  Go ahead...it's only 12 chapters long.  Even if you've never made a practice of reading the Bible, you might be amazed by the ebb and flow of the narrative...We'll make it easy for you, here's the link:  The Book of Ecclesiastes - New King James Version of the Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible parallel   Did ya read it?  

"Is this the real life, is this just fantasy?  Caught in a landslide, with no escape from reality..."  “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;  “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”What profit has a man from all his labor In which he toils under the sun?"  Are you catching the theme?  As we wander down the pathway of lyrics to these tomes, we soon find that the narrator of both seems defeated and is questioning everything there is about life.  While "Bohemian Rhapsody" seems to detail the struggle of someone who has just perpetrated a heinous crime and finds himself in the midst of a struggle between those who wish to battle for his soul. ("Beelzebub, has the devil put aside for me?"  Think about it.  The enemy of your soul has put aside for everyone that God has created in his likeness.  That has been his goal since he decided to be God, (something he was not ever will be) to put aside for me and you and then leave us in destitution and misery.  This is probably the only true line in the whole song...)   The book of Ecclesiastes seems to say, at least initially that there is no purpose to anything we do.  

Keep in mind that the Book of Ecclesiastes is thought to have been penned by King Solomon.  Solomon was the son of the most venerated King in Jewish history.  He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. (women who cohabited with Solomon who were not his wives,  but were sexually subservient or his mistresses (dictionary.com)) (Perhaps that could explain his attitude...but I digress.)  He is considered to be the author of 3 books of the Bible.  Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes are considered by scholars, secular and sacred alike, to be some of the most beautiful wisdom-filled literature ever written.  But yet, we see in Ecclesiastes a seemingly wise king realizing, in a similar fashion to the narrator of "Bohemian Rhapsody", that worldly pursuits are not the end all be all of this life.   It is no wonder that Solomon would have had such thoughts as:

That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which it may be said,
“See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us.

There is no remembrance of former things,
Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come

By those who will come after.

and,

I hate life. As far as I can see, what happens on earth is a bad business. It’s smoke—and spitting into the wind.

This is where the similarity between the Book of Ecclesiastes and "Bohemian Rhapsody" ends.  While the overarching theme of Ecclesiastes seems to be fatalistic, there are points that are made, while cynically, that provides hope...

Seize life! Eat bread with gusto,
Drink wine with a robust heart.
Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure!
Dress festively every morning.
Don’t skimp on colors and scarves.
Relish life with the spouse you love
Each and every day of your precarious life.
Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange
For the hard work of staying alive.
Make the most of each one!
Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!
This is your last and only chance at it,
For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think
In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.

In the end, Freddie Mercury and Queen contend that we are subject to anyway the wind blows.  Solomon has another thought as he ends his soliloquy of cynicism.  It is a strong command, softened by the undercurrent of hope... 

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.

For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.

Friend, there is so much more to this life.  It is not "easy come, easy go" or "vanity of vanities, all is vanity".  There is incredible hope because of who you are!!  You are made in the likeness of the Creator of everything we see, AND everything we cannot see!  Did we say EVERYTHING?   With that idea it seems to be reasonable to think that You have worth!  

The season we are about to enter is the centrality of that hope.  People around the world will celebrate this Sunday.   Some will celebrate with family, food, and fun hunting eggs placed by a beneficent bunny.  For some, this celebration will be enhanced by the enjoyment of meeting together with folks who love you and want to see you.  They desire to see you for the purpose of celebrating a tomb that is empty!  They desire to see you to join voices with you in praising a God who made a way for you to spend eternity future with Him in heaven!! 

 He desires to meet with you!!  He desires to love you like the Father that He is!!  This Sunday, celebrate with believers all over the world as we gather to venerate our true Savior!!!  Experience Him like never before!!!  He has promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us!!!  This Easter, follow Him...I promise that you will not be left to...any way the wind blows...

"Heaven In The Real World" title track from the 1994 album by Stephen Curtis Chapman

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "On The Road Again" (Willie Nelson)

Good Tuesday to ya!!!  Welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes - the Road editions.  It's the 2nd week of our salute to summertime, vacations and the best "Road" songs from our generation.  So here we go....

"On The Road Again" - Willie Nelson from the 1980 soundtrack to Honeysuckle Rose

It is very difficult to travel anywhere in the United States without someone knowing this great song from the Honeysuckle Rose soundtrack.  "On The Road Again" was written by Willie Nelson specifically for this movie.  It would be the first time Willie Nelson had the leading role in a movie.  The song proved so popular that it soared up the charts.  It not only scored a #1 on the country charts but went as high as #20 as a crossover on Billboards Hot 100.  Released in 1980 the song would be nominated by the 53rd Academy Awards for "Best Original Song" and would receive the Grammy the following year.  It is #471 on Rolling Stone's 2004 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.

It is easy to imagine that most Americans, if not most people in the world, have heard the name Willie Nelson.  He has been going "On The Road Again" for over 50 years.  Constant touring has taken Nelson down many roads.  Some really good and others...not so much.  His Shotgun Willie (1973) and Red Headed Stranger (1975)albums were received with commercial as well as critical acclaim.  He was a Highwayman from 1985-1995 with Country music legends Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Johnny Cash.  While traveling down the road of fame in the music industry, he has also been on a very different trail.  He has been arrested on several occasions for marijuana possession and most famously in 1990 had all of his assets seized by the IRS for unpaid taxes.  Both of these roads held outcomes for the country music star, which have defined him or at least allowed the media to define the persona of who Willie Nelson is.

This past weekend our country celebrated it's freedom.  Like Willie, we have seen our country go down some very successful roads and then find ourselves on some lanes that were quite treacherous.  We hear of the suppression of human rights in other countries and find it a little difficult to comprehend as we have never experienced that in our own country.  We truly have much to be thankful for as we celebrate with fireworks, food, and fun.

There is a much more intrinsic freedom however, that Christians can celebrate.  It is freedom from the wrath of God.  We attain this freedom by belief.  This is a belief in Jesus as the Son of God, the sacrifice for man, and the savior of all time.  The Notes have made the specifics of such belief primary topics in the past and we ask that you explore the Tuesday's Musical Notes  archives for those specifics.

Every person on this planet is traveling on a life path, a road if you will, that will eventually lead to a destination.  This past weekend I witnessed on television the great differences between these 2 roads.  In the biographical special, The Great Pretender, there is an interview with the topic of the biopic, Freddie Mercury. Freddie was the lead singer for the band Queen.   The interview was regarding Queen's release, Made in Heaven.  The Queen front man was asked about his eternal destination.  He replied that he would prefer to go to hell as the people there would be much more interesting...ponder that for just a moment.  It is difficult for me to wrap my mind around that type of attitude.  Contrast this with a replay of a Johnny Carson interview featuring  Jimmy Stewart the star of It's A Wonderful Life and so many other great movies.  He was being interviewed around the release time of the movie The Shootist, starring himself and John Wayne (The only other pictures they made together was How the West Was Won and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance).  Carson explained that he and Stewart had been at a dinner party together and that Stewart had failed to finish a joke that he was telling.  Jimmy Stewart replied, as he began telling the story,  that he couldn't take credit for the joke.  He had heard it from his preacher in church...ponder this as well.

The Notes confesses to being a fan of Queen's music.  We are also are fans of the movie work of Jimmy Stewart.  Being such, we find it interesting to wonder which of the 2 life roads these legends of music and screen might have been on.  The truth of my tv watching experience this weekend is that I have those very kinds of ideologies prevalent around us.  All I have to do is get up in the morning and begin interacting with people.  They are all headed for a destination.  We are all headed for a destination.  

In the 7th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew these roads are very clearly defined.  Chapter 7 begins with an admonishment against judging other people (which was not our  intent in the above illustrations). It then segues into conversations about seeking, the two gates (or roads), prophets, disciples, and finally builders.  Please take a moment and read the entire chapter here:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7&version=NIV

Our final destination is determined by the gate or road in which we choose to travel.  Consider that as you spend your summer...."On The Road Again".

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "One Vision" (Queen)

“Consistency is the true foundation of trust. Either keep your promises or do not make them.”

― Roy T. Bennett - motivational author

“It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It's what we do consistently.”
― Anthony Robbins - motivational speaker

“Consistency and discipline births successful outcomes.”

― Robin S. Baker - writer

Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come. 

- Dwayne Johnson - actor

"Welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes where for the past 10 1/2 years we have consistently brought you great music with a side order of musing." 

- Randy W. Cross - blogger

It's Tuesday and it is definitely time for the most consistent thing I get to do every week!  Tuesday's Musical Notes is here again as we have been for 582 Tuesdays bringing you insight into some of your favorite tunes, and some songs that you, like me, are just discovering.  It is a blog where discovery is as important and consistent as the songs themselves because let's face it, music tends to teach as well as entertain.  

We thank you for joining us each week!  If you have just happened upon Tuesday's Musical Notes, we highly encourage you to check out the archives at the left of the screen.  There is a wide array of music and artists there for which you can choose or you can just start in May of 2012 and read one a day for the next couple of years...

Tuesday's Musical Notes is proud to be a part of Cross & Kin Family Entertainment, which at this time, includes your favorite blog, and our YouTube channel, Cross & Kin.  Check out both of these very unique entertainment options when you have a chance.  And now on with our show...well, our blog anyways.

We go to great lengths here in Notesland to make sure every week is a different song and that they are very different.  In our journey together through the internetosphere, Tuesday's Musical Notes has only repeated a song 1 time. (And we couldn't even find it...can you?  Yup the archives are to the left!)   We have a very distinct message that flows through all of our blogs. In some ways you could say, here at Tuesday's Musical Notes, there is always only One Vision...vision...vision...

"One Vision" the November 1985 single from the 1986 album A Kind Of Magic by Queen

"One Vision" from the 1986 Soundtrack to the TriStar Pictures release Iron Eagle 

Any song that ends with "Fried Chicken" is ok in my book!!!  Released as a single in November of 1985, "One Vision" would be one of the last original songs of Queen's to chart domestically.  The album version would be released as a part of the A Kind Of Magic record in June of the following year.  "One Vision" peaked on the charts at #61 and saw some relative success as a concert staple and opening song for the band's 1986 The Magic Tour.  "One Vision" might have flown under the radar altogether had it not been released as a part of the soundtrack to the 1986 film Iron Eagle, starring Jason Gedrick and Louis Gosset Jr.  It was a dominant part of the film as it was used on multiple occasions throughout the movie, which is rare for popular songs included on soundtracks.  

Unlike many of Queen's hits, "One Vision" was written by the entire band, not just frontman Freddie Mercury.  Effects wise it utilizes many of the technological advances available for recording at its time, many of which seem very old school by today's standards.  The music video also harkens back to the band's 1975 hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Queen)) showcasing the persistence of the band maintaining its signature sound with the song's similar effects wizardry.  This worked to their advantage as even a casual fan would instantly recognize the sound of this stalwart rock and roll band and realize they could trust what was about to be a great song by a great band.  

The Acts of the Apostles as recorded by Luke, a physician, chapter 13, verses 13-43 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/English Standard Version of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

At this point in our Biblical walkthrough (literally for Paul), we find Paul, Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and John Mark in the beginning stages of a missionary journey through a portion of the known world.  This is the first mission trip for the small band of evangelists and today we find them setting out after their encounter with last week's magician and the conversion of Sergius Paulus, a regional governor.  The mission team sets out from Cyprus and traveled to Perga of Pamphylia which is the coast of what is modern-day Turkey.  Upon their arrival, John Mark decides to go back to Jerusalem, a decision that leaves Paul with some level of consternation which he later eludes to in Acts 15:37-39 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV. ("Mark Leaves Apostle Paul" - biblestudy.org) 

The remainder of the team continues to travel until they get to Psidian Antioch, a town at the crossroads of the Meditteranean Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the peninsula of Anatolia.  (Even further inland in modern Turkey).  The Sabbath after their arrival in Psidian Antioch, they went to the local Synagogue to worship.  (Hmm...if it was important to Paul then, shouldn't it be important for believers now?  But I digress...)  They listened to the message from the Law (the first five books of the Bible, written by Moses, or the Pentateuch) and the Prophets (the writings at the back half of most translations of the Old Testament).  This was the standard practice of the worship services in the Synagogues as these manuscripts were their Bibles.  Upon completion of the day's readings, they invited Paul and his companions to speak.  

Paul begins in a manner in which we have seen before. (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Understanding" (Bob Seger))  Paul begins with a brief history lesson of the triumphs and trials of Israel as a nation and their heritage in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Paul proceeds through the time of the judges and then into the Kings.  This provides him with a segue into the introduction of Jesus as Messiah, recounting His trial, execution, death, burial, and resurrection as the final sacrificial atonement for everyone's sin.  Paul told of how many had seen Jesus alive after his crucifixion and that they continued to testify of His existence and the effect He had on their lives.  Through the Law, Psalms, and Prophets, Paul showed them the realities of who Jesus was as the descendent of David who would no longer experience death because He had defeated death and the grave.  

How did the Jewish folks on that Sabbath Day respond?  "...As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people repeatedly begged to have these things spoken to them the next Sabbath.  Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and urging them to continue in the grace of God.  Acts 13:42-43 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV  The congregants on that Sabbath Day enthusiastically received the message of Jesus brought by Paul and his companions.  

While the deliverers (Peter and Paul) and the messages (history, you murderers, His redemption; history, crucifixion, and His redemption) were different between this Sabbath Day and the Pentecost Day in which Peter preached, the theme was consistent (Jesus was Messiah, died as the suffering servant, served as the ultimate and everlasting sacrifice, came back to life after 3 days, and was seen by many who still served as witnesses with their transformed lives).  

You see friend, from "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." to "...He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen."  The theme of the Bible is the same.  No matter who God uses as the delivery servant, the message is Jesus.  The message of Jesus is grace, mercy, healing, and restoration.  The message of Jesus is also the ultimate judgment for sin, destruction of death, and an eternity in the presence of God for those who believe, and testify.  The message of Jesus that Peter preached at Pentecost and Paul preached on that Sabbath Day is..."Hey! One man, one goal. Ha, one mission. One heart, one soul. Just one solution. One flash of light. Yeah, one God, one vision..."

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "The Prophet's Song" (Queen)

Welcome to Tuesday!  It's the best day of the week!  Why? You may ask?  Let me tell you the ways!  It isn't Monday!  It is usually a high productivity, project completion day!  And most importantly, the blog Tuesday's Musical Notes releases every Tuesday featuring music and an idea or two that perhaps you've never contemplated.  So let the music and the musings begin as we launch today's Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  Did you hear the fanfare???

For years now, we have been hearing that our ultimate demise as a world is close at hand.  In the 70s we were going to be destroyed by global cooling, now we can only hear of our destruction coming in the form of global warming...(wow, to my unscientific mind that sure does sound like the definition of a "cycle" to me, which is it?...  but I digress...)  Gloom and doom soothsayers have existed since near the beginning of time (a gazillion years according to some scientists, about 6000 years if you ask others... sorry I digress again!).  These "prophets" rarely provide common sense means of escape, yet want to panic everyone into making decisions we are ill-equipped to make (usually involving spending boatloads of money they can print...STOP!)  It seems like every day we wind up in a different one of the "disaster" films of the mid-70s...wait, this is a blog about music...ok, there were some pretty huge "disaster" songs in the 70s as well, let's run with that..."Oh-oh, people of the earth "Listen to the warning," the seer he said..."

"The Prophet's Song" (lyric video) by Queen from the November 21, 1975 album A Night At the Opera

"The Prophet's Song" by Queen from the November 21, 1975 album A Night At the Opera

Today's featured song is the longest in Queen's catalog that features vocals by lead singer Freddie Mercury. (An instrumental track from their final album (1995's A Night In Heaven)  comes in at 22:32 and is only given the title designation of its track number, "13".) "The Prophet's Song" is 2 minutes and 22 seconds longer than "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Queen)).  "The Prophet's Song" never charted as it was far too long to be released as a single for radio (most radio-friendly singles typically clock in at just over 3 minutes as the standard).  Today's Brian May penned song has, however, achieved a fan following due in part to its prog-rock formula and the success of the A Night at the Opera album (peaked at #4 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart). For those of you who are quantitative qualifiers of success, the videos above have had a combined viewing in excess of 5 million on YouTube.  

"The Prophet's Song" is an anthem urging people to listen to the prophets and seers that attend to their respective generations.  Let's face it.  Every generation has its share of folks who "see" the future.  Also, almost every major religion has its group of prophets in which they refer when needing guidance and direction.  (You can draw your own conclusions as to the validity of said prophets.)  

It is easy to see as the lyric progresses through "The Prophet's Song" where May got some of the source material...some of the symbolism comes directly from the pages of the Bible with its "return like the white dove" ("The Flood Narrative" from Genesis 7-8 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel), its "moonlit stair" ("Jacob's Ladder" from Genesis 28-10-17 NASB/AMP/KJV), as well as its continued use of the aforementioned prophets and seers.  The most prolific of these Biblical prophets was Isaiah.

Isaiah NASB/AMP/KJV

Isaiah is probably the most well-known, in religious circles or outside of them, of all the prophets of the Bible.  His book is the longest of the prophetical canon and his prophecies are some of the most specific.  Isaiah was a contemporary of Hosea, whom we met last week and Micah who we will meet very soon.  Based on history, Isaiah is thought to have taught and preached from 745 - 685 BC.  (Remember the years prior to year 0 (BC, Before Christ) diminish and the years following (AD, Anno Domini ) increase (even though most theologians believe Jesus was born around 6-4 BC, yes, I know...digression) 

Isaiah's message was exclusive to Judah, the southern kingdom of the divided nation of Israel that developed after Solomon's death and the civil war that enveloped the nation afterward.  Isaiah attempted to warn Judah about God's displeasure with their idolatry.  He also assured them of the destruction to come because of that sin.  

But Isaiah was not a prophet of complete doom.  Scattered throughout the 66 chapters of Isaiah are glimmers of hope of Who is to come.  There are at least 20 references to the Messiah in the book of Isaiah that were fulfilled in the man Jesus.  Here is a list that you might find interesting that shows these prophecies and their fulfillment in Jesus.  Isaiah's Prophecies Of The Messiah Fulfilled In Jesus Of Nazareth from agape.com

As you read through the book of Isaiah you soon see that the prophet not only foretold the future that Israel would see because of its sin, but he also instructed the surrounding nations, usually enemies of Judah,  in what their approaching timeline would hold.  Because of their mistreatment of the nation of Israel, these insights into the future were normally disastrous for them.  

While Isaiah did prophesy about the coming occupation of Judah and the surrounding nations, as well as the carrying away of its populace to the conquering lands, he did provide a message of hope as well.  All of the Messianic prophecies we visited above accompanied messages regarding the return of a remnant to Jerusalem.  Yes, there was to be captivity much akin to what occurred during Moses' time, but there would also be another exodus where the Israelites would return to the promised land and begin their lives anew.  This remnant would be inspired by the writings of Isaiah as they awaited the coming Messiah even though that did not happen as they thought it might.

You could really boil down Isaiah's message to Israel in this manner.  "We really messed up and God is going to punish us by having another nation take us to their land in captivity.  But don't despair, that captivity will not last as long as the enslavement that our forefathers experienced.  Ours will last only 70 years, about 1 generation of folks, and at the end of it, many of our families will get to return to our homeland.  As we wait through this time and even after we return home,  we should be on the lookout for the coming King who will bring peace to our land and ultimately all the entire world..  While this King will suffer extreme hardship and be rejected by even some of His own people, He will ultimately be victorious and establish His kingdom on earth.  So have hope.  We messed up.  God is faithful and will restore in ways that we can't even imagine.  Have hope..."  Maybe I should have been Isaiah's transcriber...

So what?  How does Isaiah's version of "The Prophet's Song" relate to us?  Honestly, we aren't any different than those in Judah to which Isaiah was preaching.  Some of the idols we worship in this world are formed out of wood or precious metals.  Others are formed from the lusts of the flesh by men AND women.  My personal favorite is worshiping the idol of time and productivity, I have to repent of this one every day!  You too?  Maybe we should make a Facebook group!  

Whatever gets in the way of your ability to see who God is and what He did for you through the Messiah Jesus is your idol.   "Oh oh, people of the earth Listen to the warning The Seer he said Beware the storm that gathers here Listen to the wise man..."   Listen to the prophet's song and turn away from your idolatry and sin.  Turn towards the God who is waiting to restore you and infuse you with Himself to aid in your daily struggles.  

"... Oh oh people of the earth Listen to the warning The prophet he said For soon the cold of night will fall Summoned by your own hand..."  Please heed the warnings of the prophet's song that says failure to turn away from your sin will result in your own captivity to that sin.  

"...Oh oh people of the earth Listen to the warning the seer he said For those who hear and mark my words Listen to the good plan..."  Grab hold of the hope that the prophet foretells as he describes the King of peace who is to reign forever.  This King comes in the form of a servant who suffers so much for our sake but is willing to do it so that we can be a part of His forever kingdom. 

"...Oh oh children of the land Love is still the answer, take my hand The vision fades, a voice I hear "Listen to the madman!"..."

'Til Tuesday,

Loving HIM by Serving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Understanding" (Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band)

Welcome to Tuesday and the world of Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  Your March Madness bracket has been wiped out if you're like me.  But there are still a couple more weeks to pick a team and cheer for them.  That is of course if you're interested in Men's and Women's College Basketball.  

If you're not, please politely skip on down to the customary music video where Bob and his friends await to entertain you.  

If you do love college basketball and your team either isn't playing or isn't advancing, Tuesday's Musical Notes unashamedly suggest that you support the 8th seed in the West, Arkansas Razorbacks!  Our Hogs beat the #1 team Kansas (hmmm....where have I heard that before...something to do with Liberty and another very close game that involved a football...) to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.  Woo Pig Soouie as we say!!!  We will see what happens this Thursday as our Razorbacks take on the Huskies of UConn in Las Vegas.  Can you tell I am excited?  

Not to be outdone, our Lady Razorbacks also advanced to the round of 16 in the WNIT by beating the ladies of Stephen F. Austin.    They will take on Texas Tech this Friday.  Oh, yeah...spring happened this week.  Isn't March great?

For those of you who are not as amused by spring, daylight savings time, March Madness, or the Razorbacks winning their 49th National Championship in Indoor Track & Field, we hope to provide you today with something that you may desperately, need...just a little understanding...

"Understanding" by Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band from the November 1, 1984 soundtrack of the movie Teachers

Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band join with a host of 80s favorites on the soundtrack to 1984's ode to public schools, the movie Teachers.  John F. Kennedy High School in Columbus, Ohio is the setting of this satirical look at the joys and heartaches associated with public school teachers and the students of an inner-city school.  With an all-star cast, the movie navigates an impending lawsuit against the school, a teacher dying in his classroom unnoticed, and Richard Mulligan (Soap, Empty Nest), in one of his best roles, playing a mental institution outpatient who gets mistaken for a substitute history teacher to effective and hilarious results.

The soundtrack is jam-packed with great songs from artists like 38 Special (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Teacher, Teacher" (38 Special)),  Joe Cocker (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "With A Little Help From My Friends" (The Beatles/Joe Cocker)), Queen's Freddy Mercury (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Somebody To Love" (Queen), Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Bohemian Rhapsody" (Queen)), ZZ Top, and Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band (Tuesday's Musical Notes - Bob Seger posts).

Three singles were released from the soundtrack.  "Teacher, Teacher" by 38 Special (peaked at #25 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart), "Edge Of A Dream" by Joe Cocker (peaked at #69), and today's feature song which was the highest charting song from the soundtrack, "Understanding" by Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band (peaking at #17). 

The song is about coming of age and maturing as you reach a point of understanding the things that you go through in life.  It opens with a familiar Seger line, "It seems like only yesterday..." and reminisces its way into your heart as a love song that completes a segment of a journey.  While the journey is not ended, this understanding completes the lessons needed to go forward and sustains the urgency of wanting to see the travels to their end.  

The Acts of the Apostles according to Luke, a Physician, chapter 2 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/English Standard Version of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

To say that Peter and the other apostles had come to a complete understanding of all they had experienced in the previous 3 years would be a misnomer.  They didn't have a clue.  They stood alone not knowing where to turn... But they were obedient to what Jesus had told them to do.  Their escapades were just beginning and in today's passage, we see God sending the promised Helper for them in the form of Holy Spirit.  Jesus had told them that they should be together and wait for this to happen and in Acts 2 we see the culmination of His prophecy. What happens next?  

The apostles were imbued with power as they had never experienced before.  One I personally think that modern Christians take for granted far too often.  They were so overcome that they began speaking in foreign tongues.  Folks who were in Jerusalem from all over the world celebrating Pentecost were understanding what the apostles were saying in their language.  Not since the tower of Babel had a message been so universal, and oh what a message, the Gospel of Jesus was being proclaimed for the very first time to many tribes and tongues.  The efforts of the Jewish Religious leaders to silence the message about Jesus were being thwarted in front of their very eyes.  

"...Now, suddenly I look around Everything looks new I don't know why, but I think I'm startin' to learn. They call it understanding. A willingness to grow. I'm finally understanding. There's so much I can know... "

Peter, the apostle who had denied knowing Jesus three times, then stands up and uses Scripture to detail to the crowd the ultimate understanding that they needed for their lives.  What happens next is far too important for me to paraphrase.  Let's let Dr. Luke's writings from Acts 2:37-47 declare the understanding...

"Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words, he solemnly testified and kept on urging them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”  So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.  They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe, and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.  And all the believers were together and had all things in common;  and they would sell their property and possessions and share them with all, to the extent that anyone had need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

You see friend, the understanding of your life awaits you in the person of Jesus.  He is the perfect sacrifice for the wrong things you have done in your life that keep you from having a relationship with God.  Today, right now, you can have a comprehension of your life as you have never had before, and on top of that God's Word says that Holy Spirit will dwell with you.  Won't you join with those 3000 that repented and were saved after they heard the Gospel and achieved understanding?

"...You've got me understanding

You've really helped me see
I'm finally understanding
It's meant so much to me

You've got me understanding
You're givin' me surprise
You've got me understanding
You're really on my side..."

Loving HIM by Loving You,

randy

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