Tuesday's Musical Notes - "We Just Disagree" (Dave Mason)

Welcome to Tuesday!!!

It's time, it's time, did he just say it's time?  Yup!  It's time for another edition of your favorite blog about music and ministry, songs and scripture, chords and culture...it's Tuesday Musical Notes!!!  Thanks for being here!  Strap on the seat belts, it could be a bumpy ride!

Here at The Notes, we are fast realizing the HUGE impact that the decade of music from the 70s has had.  We were recently listening to Sirius 70s on 7 and caught Casey Kasem's American Top 40 countdown for this past week from 1976.  As we got closer to the top, we realized how much we loved all of that music.  (Yes, we even like "Disco Duck", the top 20 hit by later Countdown host, Rick Dees)  As music, so many times does, fond memories of events and friends flowed as the countdown went to the eventual #1, "A Fifth Of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band.  

The music of the 70's tends to get lumped into the "Decade of Disco" stereotype.  But there is so much of the music of the 70s that wasn't anywhere close to KC and the Sunshine Band or Donna Summer.  A case in point is our feature song of the day, "We Just Disagree".  Take a listen....this ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no foolin' around...:

"We Just Disagree" from the 1977 album Let It Flow by Dave Mason

"We Just Disagree" was a #12 hit in 1977 for English singer-guitarist Dave Mason.  While you may not recognize the name, Dave Mason, perhaps you know some of his friends.  Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and even Michael Jackson have been the beneficiaries of Mason's guitar playing.  He began gaining notoriety in 1967 with the supergroup Traffic (Mason, Steve Winwood (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "While You See A Chance", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Higher Love"), Jim Capaldi, and Chris Wood).  He would write the song "Feelin' Alright" that Traffic would record, but later became a smash hit for Joe Cocker in 1969.  He played guitar on Jimi Hendrix's chart-topping "Along The Watchtower" and for a brief time in the 90's was a member of Fleetwood Mac, recording with them on their 1995 album Time.    He was inducted into the Rock-N-Roll Hall Of Fame in 2004 as a founding member of Traffic and since 2005 sits as an honorary board member and official supporter of the group Little Kids Rock, a foundation that provides free musical instruments to children in public schools in the United States.  Little Kids Rock! - promo video  Dave Mason also joins Rock-N-Roll acts that find their origins in the 60s, as he is on the road continuing to promote his music in limited concert dates each year.  

Proving that good music never has a statute of limitations, "We Just Disagree" peaked again in 1993 at #9, this time however on the Country Music charts by Billy Dean.  At the height of Country Music Video storytelling, here's Billy Dean's rendition of today's featured song:

"We Just Disagree" by Billy Dean from the 1993 album Fire In The Dark

 

Disagreement is going to occur in our world.  People will have differing opinions regarding a myriad of things.  Some of these things are important, while others...not so much.  In fact, many of the things that are the source of disagreement are, if given context, very minor in the scope of all that is going on around us.  One has to wonder if the time and energy spent on trying to prove our side of the argument is worth it.  Reality would dictate that in any disagreement, ultimately someone is right and someone is wrong.  There ain't no good guy, there ain't no bad guy...  Followers of Jesus should be among the leaders in holding themselves to a higher standard by being humble enough to admit when we are wrong.  1 Peter 3:8-22 Holman Christian Standard Bible/ The Message paraphrase - parallel

 

Throughout interacting with humankind, perhaps you have had the opportunity to "agree to disagree" with someone.  While this may sound nice at the time, the truth of the matter is that you still have a disagreement with someone.  "Agreeing to disagree", even agreeably is at its very core a deception and distortion of unity.  Dictionary.com defines "unity" this way:  


Unity (noun)

1.  the state of being one; oneness.

2.  a whole or totality as combining all its parts into one.

This sounds very similar to an urgent wake-up call that the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Ephesus: Ephesians 4 - English Standard Version Bible/The Message paraphrase - parallel  Over a dozen times in both the ESV and The Message paraphrase, the word "one" or "One" is used.  Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus (Modern day map of Ephesus) to encourage them to be unified.  To work together as one body so The One will be glorified.  Perhaps this is a letter that applies to the church today.  Have you ever heard of disagreements in the church?  Ever been to a contentious "business meeting"?  If I may be so bold, disunity in the church has been a leading cause for folks not embracing the Gospel.  I am ashamed to admit there have been times that I have been guilty of it myself.  Again, let me boldly say that being a patron of disunity is to be living in disobedience to God.   If one is practicing disunity, their relationship with God is broken and must be repaired by repentance.  Our life should be an attraction to the Gospel.  But because of our selfishness and opinionated plans, there have been far too many seasons in the church of disunity.   The church was not designed to be a place of derision and confusion.  It was designed to be a magnet to attract others to The Gospel of Jesus (The Gospel Of Matthew 5:13-16 New King James Version Bible/The Message paraphrase - parallel, Ephesians 2 HCSB/The Message - parallel).  What would happen in your community if the churches that follow Jesus joined together on the tenants of which they have agreement and then served their communities.  What if they worried less about the "doctrinal" ideologies in which they have disagreement or growth in individual church membership and worried more about people coming to a saving relationship with Jesus and growth in the Kingdom of God?    

In recent days, the church has begun receiving much criticism.  Christians are continually being called upon to defend their convictions.  Gone are the days when followers of Jesus can capitulate to the demands of the world.  As believers, we must disagree with the sin of this world, for if we do not, we will become the world in which we live and will have lost our saltiness and effectiveness in reaching our circle of influence. We must realize that the Christ-following churches that are in our town have commonalities that we can embrace and do the good works we were destined to do.  We can no longer leave it alone when we don't see eye to eye.  There IS a Good Guy.  There Is a bad guy.  If we are followers of Jesus, we cannot disagree...

"Go Light Your World" by Kathy Troccoli from the 1995 album Sounds Of Heaven

 

'Til Tuesday

Serving HIM by serving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Suspicious Minds" (Elvis Presley)

Welcome to Tuesday and Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  We're so honored that you and folks all over the world have joined us today!  In fact, Tuesday's Musical Notes are read every week via email and on the world wide web in countries like Vietnam, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, and here in the United States of America.  We're glad you're here as a community of folks who love music!  We hope each week you learn about your favorite artists and perhaps a little bit about yourself in the process!!!  So let's let the music and musings begin with this week's entry into Tuesday's Musical Notes canon!!!  

Here we go!!!

It seems every day we are bombarded with a cacophony of sounds by talking heads who are having conversations regarding the latest trending topic.   Sometimes it is congenial, other times...not so much.  Why is that?  We are all a part of 1 race, the human race.  (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Black and White") Yes, we come from different cultural backgrounds and different geographical areas but do our discussions have to predominantly be filled with criticism, vitriol, and disagreement?  I think that there is a reason behind all of this.  It boils down to one thing really.  Since the Garden of Eden incident, we as a race of human beings have been caught in a trap...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_RCvsiavuM

The song was originally written and recorded by Mark James whose single was a commercial failure.  It was then handed to Elvis Presley by producer Chip Moman who was attempting to get Elvis to record at American Sound Studio in Memphis.  The ploy was successful as Elvis recorded his From Elvis in Memphis album at the studio in January and February of 1969.  

Released in August of 1969, "Suspicious Minds"  would be Elvis Presley's 18th and last #1 song on US charts. Elvis' release also would be named #91 on Rolling Stone Magazine's Greatest Songs of All Times.  It would come at a time of reentry for Presley as he had stopped touring for seven years to devote time to his movie roles.  The song would come on the heels of NBC's December 1968's Singer Presents...ELVIS (later referred to as the '68 Comeback Special) and cement Presley with a rebirth in the music business.  

Subsequently, Elvis Presley was back in folks' minds with new music and a new tour as he set attendance records in Las Vegas for 4 weeks performing 2 times a day (except Monday).  For his Vegas show's Colonel Parker (Elvis' manager) put together a group that would later become known as the TCB band.  This band would feature some incredible players and backup singers which included The Imperials (later a top-selling Christian Contemporary group) and on bass guitar Jerry Scheff, father of Jason Scheff (bassist and vocalist for the band Chicago from 1985-2016...you had to know if there was a Chicago connection, I'd work it in...)  

"Suspicious Minds," tells the story of a couple who can't seem to get over mistrust in their relationship.  Past associations keep getting in the way of complete assurance in their current relations causing suspicion.  This makes for a disingenuous atmosphere any time they are attempting to be closer.  It escalates to the point that she doesn't believe a word he's sayin'.  

This relationship seems very sad in a myriad of ways.  Sad that because 2018 minds don't seem to be any different than 1969 minds which don't seem to be any different than minds in like...ever!!!  

Suspicion and cynicism run rampant through relationships daily.  This is exacerbated by a media that misses the mark almost as much as they report accurately.  Just about the time we think we have a reliable source for information, we have to slam on the brakes and cry out "Whoa Nelly!!!" and then analyze every jot and tittle of the information for the slightest ounce of impropriety.  The most notable of late is what we see almost daily in "news" outlets, "informational" conduits, and programming.  It has gotten to the point that if we haven't seen information with our own eyes or heard it with our own ears, we call it into question.  I suspect that we have finally seen the anarchy that is the natural result of asking the question "what is truth?"

The melee in which we find ourselves is nothing new.  As stated, suspicious minds started in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve betrayed each other and the rest of the perfect world in which they were the guardians.  Never again, could a human trust another human to be fully dependable in their actions.  

One would expect believers in the perfect Jesus to be exempt from this uncertainty.  But a scanning of the scriptures in the New Testament shows just how quickly even the redeemed can have suspicious minds. 

Welcome back to the stage our friend Paul!

We find Paul in the town of Ephesus (yep, he writes a letter to the church in this town as well, you guessed it...Ephesians).  According to bible.org, he was ministering the Word to the folks in Ephesus when he got the news that there were suspicious minds in Corinth.  He pens a letter of rebuke and encouragement to this group of believers telling them... STOP!!!  

Paul says it much  better: The Apostle Paul's First letter to the Corinthian church, chapter 1, verses 10-31 New International Version of the Bible/The Message Paraphrase of the Bible/English Standard Version of the Bible parallel

You see,  friend, we shouldn't be surprised when folks who haven't yet believed in Jesus fight among themselves in disrespectful and unkind ways.  Paul, however, was surprised to hear of believers acting in this manner.  While believers will never be perfect this side of heaven, they should be striving for unity among all people, especially those who claim Jesus as The Way, The Truth, and The Life.  Paul calls this "cultivating a life in common" (The Message paraphrase, v. 10)  The motivation for cultivating a life in common is realizing that " Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ" (The Message, v. 30)  

So how, as a believer, do we navigate conversations with folks who have a predisposition to having a suspicious mind?  How do we "cultivate a life in common" with those in which we have nothing in common? How can we be conduits of truthful information in a manner that is pleasing to God and is peculiar for our society?  Paul has some more encouragement as he writes to the Ephesian church:  Paul's Letter to the Ephesian Church, chapter 4, verses 30-32 NIV/The Message/ESV  

The Apostle Peter also has some advice:  1 Peter: 2 NIV/The Message/ESV

And in the event you encounter someone (believer or not) who wishes to engage you in an "excitable" debate, here's some counsel based on the experience of Job (In the Old Testament found usually after the story of Esther and before the Psalms):

"Critical Spirit - Confronting the Heart of a Critic" by June Hunt for Hendrickson/Rose Publishing, 2018 Rose Publishing

Disagreement is one of the results of disobedience in the Garden.  There is a colloquialism that suggests that we should choose to "agree to disagree".  I'm not sure I'm down with that.  We should always find ourselves on the side of unity.  We've discussed this before.  Tuesday's Musical Notes - "We Just Disagree"  

The key is how we go about this disagreement and how we go about resolving conflict in a manner that provides for unification.  This can be done through mutual respect, kindness, and civility.  This shows the world WHOSE we are.  This shows the world HOW life can be.  This shows the world what UNITY truly means.  

In our conversations and discussions, we must put on the mind of Jesus, we must have an air of civility and love, and we must strive for unity and fight for relationships because... we can't go on together with suspicious minds and we can't build our dreams on suspicious minds...

Thank ya...thank ya very much!!!

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Human Touch" (Bruce Springsteen)

"Theme from Dragnet 1967" written by Walter Schuman   

Ladies and Gentlemen.  The story you are about to see is fiction.  The names have been changed...well, I'm not sure why we would change the names since the story is fictional.  But we did so let's move on.  The day of the week, Tuesday, the best day of the week. The time, sometime that day. The name just happens to be Tuesday, Sam Tuesday. I work the music beat with my partner Bob Gaudioso.  

It was a cool Spring morning and the sun was shining everywhere but in the recesses of the mind.  We had gotten a call about the possibility of some illegal use of the hands and were sent to investigate.  When we arrived, we witnessed a scene that can only be described as horrendous.  Two executives, both female, were engaged in finalizing a business deal and they...were shaking hands!!!  What's worse is they embraced as they were about to say goodbye!  We queried as to why they would take such steps in the environment in which we live, both replied without missing a beat..."We are after all sisters and we wanted to launch our business relationship with a little of that human touch..."

"Human Touch" title track to the March 31, 1992 album by Bruce Springsteen  

We separated the sisters and began our interrogation.  I totally understood the whole sisters act, but the rest of their reply seemed vague at best.  My response to the sister I questioned?  "Just the facts ma'am, just the facts".  Bob seemed to make 

more headway with the other suspect.  She told him that Randy Jackson (Original American Idol Judge) played bass and Jeff Porcaro (founding member of Toto (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Hold the Line" (Toto), Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Africa" (Toto)), played drums on the album recording of the Bruce Springsteen song, "Human Touch".  Not sure what this had to do with their hugging and handshaking, but realizing that Bob was getting somewhere,  I stepped back and listened as she spilled all the details.  "The song peaked at #16 on Billboard's Hot 100 and was the first single to be released from the album of the same name.  Gaudioso and I were begining to get a feeling that there was something she wasn't telling us, so he stepped up the pressure.  " Girl ain't no kindness in the face of strangers.  Ain't gonna find no miracles here.  Well you can wait on your blessings darlin' but I got a deal for you right here".  She replied, "I ain't lookin' for prayers or pity.  I ain't comin' 'round searchin' for a crutch.  I just want someone to talk to and a little of that human touch.  Just a little of that human touch."  "Bob", I said, "You just broke the case and got a confession!"  "Even though something doesn't seem quite right, Book 'em both!"  And that's how it ended.  All that was left was to do the paperwork on the Case of the Hugs and Handshakes.

"Dragnet 1967 ending credits theme" by Walter Schuman  

The case of the Hugs and Handshakes may seem a bit extreme, at least it would have not too long ago, but today we are faced with serious consequences for seeking a little of that human touch.  I confess to you that I am a hugger, hand-shaker, pat'em on the back kind of guy.  But in the spirit of keeping myself and everyone around me safe and healthy, I have abstained from any human touch since the outbreak began.  We have all transitioned the ways that we interact with each other and some of those ways we now interact may be permanent.  In fact, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House's expert on the virus has said that we should never shake hands again.  White House advisor Dr. Fauci says handshaking needs to stop even when pandemic ends—other experts agree by Jade Sipioni for CNBC.com  It is amazing how well social distancing (a phrase of which I am quickly tiring), working and schooling from home as well as other means of being separated have caused the pandemic to be less severe than anticipated.  While Dr. Fauci's remarks are directed towards a tradition (shaking hands), is there something that he is missing when he makes a blank statement such as this?

In recent years, it seems that inappropriate touch has been a hot button topic.  Laws have been enacted and corporations have created rules to insure the safety of female as well as male employees.  Schools teachers and coaches, leaders at religious institutions, and adults involved in scouting have all come under scrutiny for behavior towards students that should never be condoned by anyone.  While these actions aren't new (look at Greek and Roman cultures as one example) they are a blight on our world and are a result of the brokenness experienced at the fall of man in Genesis.  While these things are agreeably bad, have we swung the pendulum so far in the correctiveness direction that we are causing ourselves another kind of harm?

The benefits of human touch can be very interesting.  If you do an internet search you will find an assortment of author's posts regarding the topic.  Here is one:   Health Benefits of Human Touch March 18th, 2014 by Loretta Lanphier, NP, CN, CH, HHP, Oasis Advanced Wellness Health This article and others suggest that touching can be very health beneficial.  From the time you are born until you are advanced in age, an appropriate touch by another human being can be just what the doctor ordered.  

A more authoritative resource is the Bible.  In the Old Testament especially, we find the Rabbinic laws concerning touching the "unclean".  Here is one example: 

Leviticus 7:21 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel.  

However, in the New Testament we see an different law given.  Jesus comes onto the scene and as he goes about preaching the Good News about Himself, He touches many people and provides healing for their physical bodies as well as an eternal healing for their soul.   These healings and illegal use of the hands are part of what drew the attention of the religious leaders of the day.  Jesus was accused of breaking those laws, when what He was really doing was providing restoration for the broken.  

The Gospel of Jesus according to the Disciple Matthew, Chapter 8, verse 3 NASB/The Message/KJV, 

Matthew 20:35 NASB/The Message/KJV,

 Mark 8:22 NASB/The Message/KJV, 

Mark 10:13 NASB/The Message/KJV, 

Luke 22:51 NASB/The Message/KJV

The remainder of the New Testament contains passage after passage of where Jesus' followers touched and healed folks.  There might just be something to this touch thing after all.  

"You might need somethin' to hold on to.  When all the answers they don't amount to much.  Somebody that you can just talk to

And a little of that human touch."

A former company that I worked for employed a strategy called Quality Service Everytime, QSE for short.  The idea was that we were not going to enforce a rule against 99% of our clientele when only 1% would attempt to take advantage.  Do our current attitudes with regards to touch, pandemic and harassment aside, protect against the 1% who would violate decency?  Is our germaphobia costing us a health benefit we may not even know we can have?  Are we withholding good from others by being too much of an introvert?

I confess that I disagree with Dr. Fauci.  Handshakes are a good thing. An appropriate hug is a good thing.  A pat on the back for a job well done is a good thing.  Let's please remember that when all of this is over, and it will be over or at least managed, we all may need to share a little of that human touch...and those are the facts, just the facts.

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Listen to What the Man Said"(Wings)

Hi there!  Welcome!  Happy Tuesday to ya friend!  You have arrived at your destination.  Well, if you were determined to find a blog that explores popular music that is twisted around and taken in a context you had never considered, you have definitely arrived!  Welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes, a weekly departure into pounding drums and pondering disciples.  We sure are glad you're here!!!  

We live in a fantastic age!  The wonder of it all is that you can join us in Notesland anytime, anyplace at tuesdaysmusicalnotes.blogspot.com as long as you have an internet connection.  Check out the archives!  Today's song marks 368 trendy tunes that have received the Tuesday's Musical Notes treatment.  Listen closely and you could hear the people say that they have found their favorite song or band at Tuesday's Musical Notes.  I don't know but I say those folks are kind...

"Listen to What the Man Said" - May 16, 1975 single by Wings from the album Mars and Venus 

Featuring Dave Mason (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "We Just Disagree") on guitar and Tom Scott (Blues Brothers, et al) on soprano sax, this song from the Paul McCartney led band Wings went all the way to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100.  Wings recorded Mars and Venus in New Orleans.  After laying down the tracks for "Listen to What the Man Said" the McCartney and company felt as if the song needed a little something more.  Someone mentioned that jazz sax player Tom Scott was in the area and wondered if he would be interested in playing on the song.  Scott came quickly and laid down an initial sax layer on top of the mostly complete chart.  The band and engineer were very impressed with Scott's initial track and realized this is exactly what they had been seeking for the song.   Scott recorded several other options at the recommendation of the group, but ultimately, his first recording was the best.  It proved to be exactly what Paul, Linda, and Denny were looking for to complete the song. The rest is woodwind history.  

Today's song could easily be the soundtrack for the Gospel of Jesus according to the disciple John.  However, we would like to look a little earlier in mankind's history and look into a different situation about what this same Man said.  

 Genesis 2:15-17 New American Standard Version of the Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

We have seen an overview of the creation narrative in Genesis 1.  Chapter 2 however, goes into a few more details about the very first week of time's existence.  Specifically, we see God instructing man to name animals and begin utilizing the earth's resources for sustenance.  In Genesis 1 and through verse 14 we see how God is giving positive instructions to Adam.  He is providing Adam with an education in how to navigate in the new creation.  In verse 15 we see a totally different instruction that God gives to man. In reality, it would be the first "don't" or negative instruction to Adam.   God begins positively,  you can eat from any tree, (the conversational tone then makes a change) BUT, you cannot eat of this tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  

Adam had 1 negative rule.  Let that sink in...  1 rule.  

Apples receive a bum rap as the depiction throughout history is that the fruit of this tree was the red delicious.  Truth is, the Bible never specifies,  even more truthful...what does it matter?  The main point is Adam did not listen to what The Man said.  We'll get into the specifics later.  

The point of today's sware' into song and spirituality is that when given instruction by The Man (God, the Father, The Son in the New Testament, Holy Spirit dwelling in the lives of believers) we should abide by that instruction.  To do otherwise is disobedience which the Bible calls "sin".  

Today dear friend, The Man is saying specific things to you.  For some, He is calling you to a restored relationship with Him through Jesus an for others, He is calling you to specific tasks for the propelling of The Gospel in our world.  Please listen to what The Man says...

"Love is fine for all we know, for all we know our love will grow..."  As we find ourselves listening to what The Man says, we will find our love for Him growing.  Through our obedience, we show our love.  Through our listening to the instruction we grow in love.  Through our accepting His guidance people will find the way to go.  This can easily be done at any time, any day.  Doing this consistently will certainly result in people saying things about it as we listen to what The Man says...do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do...the wonder of it all...

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by Serving You,

randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (The Rolling Stones)

Hey there friend, it's Tuesday and time for Tuesday's Musical Notes!!! Today we find our mild-mannered blog attempting to answer the burning questions on everyone's minds...  "Are eyebrows considered facial hair?", "When we get to go back to movie theaters, which armrest is mine?", "Do stairs go up or down?", "If a bunch of cats jump on top of each other, is it still called a dogpile?", "How far east can you go before you are heading west?", and finally "Why are Mick Jagger's lips so big?"

Pondering these things is seemingly useless when there are musical stories to tell and comments to make about Keith Richards' hair waiting.  Besides when it comes to questions like these, sometimes it seems just thinking about them can give you a headache and an exercise in futility as no matter how much you may desire the outcome...You can't always get what you want...

For the little bit of choir geek in all of us!!! - "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (album version) by The Rolling Stones from the December 5, 1969 album Let It Bleed 

and

Let's go to the circus, the rock and roll circus that is:  "You Can't Always Get What You Want" from December 11, 1968, Rock and Roll Circus concert (video released on October 12, 1996)

Believe it or not, the #101 ranked song on Rolling Stone's (the magazine, not the Band) 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list (Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time). peaked at #42 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1973. Wait...what? That's right, this classic by The Rolling Stones (the Band, not the magazine, (this could get confusing...) Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Sympathy for the Devil" (The Rolling Stones)) never made the top 40 in its initial release as a b-side to "Honky Tonk Women" in 1969.  It only hit the Hot 100 after London Records decided to rerelease the single 4 years later in 1973.

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" has proven so popular that The Rolling Stones have used it in almost every concert tour since its release.  It also finds its way onto 8 different greatest hits compilation albums, 5 live albums, and 10 concert films.  2 different television shows have episodes named after the song (WB - Grounded for Life and One Tree Hill) and it was used by Donald Trump's campaigns in 2016 and 2020 until it was pulled due to The Rolling Stones request to cease its use through the performing rights organization BMI.

As we mentioned earlier, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was released as the flip-side to the #1 smash "Honky Tonk Women" which finished at #4 overall for 1969 and was the last Rolling Stone's single of the decade.  With its drug references and dissatisfaction bend, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" would resonate with the war-protesting music buying public as they navigated toward the new decade and realized that sometimes while standing against things in which you disagree with introspection and pondering you realize that many times you have it better than what you thought. 

Numbers 11 New American Standard Bible/The Amplified Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

This displeasure was also the situation our friends the Israelites found themselves in as they continued their journey to the Promised Land.  They began to voice their annoyance with their current situation and God singed the outskirts of the camp. (maybe a bit more than singed...folks got toasted!) As they traveled under God's leadership for direction, protection, and discipline they soon found themselves wishing for the good ol days of fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic (could have stopped at melons for my part) that they had in Egypt.  The one thing they didn't mention in the trip down memory lane...They were SLAVES!  

God was providing a Holy meal to them each day in the form of manna, a coriander seed-like substance that could be used as a bread grain for meal preparations.  But this wasn't good enough.  The Bible says that a few footloose men, "rabble" is what the Bible calls them, stirred the pot of discontent and got the people in an uproar about their food situation.  

And I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singing, "We're gonna vent our frustration
If we don't we're gonna blow a fifty-amp fuse"

Their criticism became so bad that it began to weigh on Moses.  He became so distraught that he asked God, 

"Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have put the burden of all this people on me? Was it I who conceived all this people? Or did I give birth to them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your arms, as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers’? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat so that we may eat!’ I am not able to carry all this people by myself, because it is too burdensome for me. So if You are going to deal with me this way, please kill me now, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my misery.”

My confession to you this week friend is that I have felt the same way Moses did at times in my life.  Why you may ask?  Quite simply, I didn't get my way...  There is a huge difference in the number of folks that Moses was dealing with (approximately 2.4 million) compared to the number of folks that I encounter (How Many People Does the Average Person Physically Meet in a Lifetime? - reference.com - August 12, 2020).  Sure there are also differences in Moses' responsibilities and mine, but the same principles apply...you have no reason to fuss...you get what you need.

Admittedly, the lines between wants and needs can quickly become blurred.  And everyone has different wants and needs.  Take a moment of introspection and seek what God determines is a need versus what you determine is a want...you just might find...Then you might ask God something like this..."God, today as I pursue You, through Your mercy and grace, thwart my sin..."

God instructs Moses to delegate some of his responsibility to 70 leaders.  God pours out Himself on this 70 and tells the entire nation to get ready for another miracle by consecrating (dedicate; ordain; sanctify) themselves before Him.  

I firmly believe this passage in Scripture is where we get the idiom "be careful what you ask for...you just might get it" comes.  The miracle that God gives the Israelites comes in the form of a massive amount of quail (3 feet deep) to go along with their manna waffles and manna bagels ("So, You Wanna Go Back To Egypt?" - the title track from the 1980 album by Keith Green) to satiate their appetite.   So all is great and groovy now right??!! The problem winds up being that men live up to their nature and decide to get greedy.  As they are eating, the greedy, footloose men soon found themselves on the wrong side of God.  God gets so angry with them for not relying on His sufficiency, He causes them to die via plague. Umm...I'll take manna, please...I hear it makes a nice souffle...

It is so easy to be critical of the Israelites in the wilderness.  However, I wonder how we respond to God's sufficiency in the wilderness' we face?  Do we ever cry and whine about not getting/having something that we want?  Do we ever wish for the good ol days that weren't always good? Do we ever proclaim..."I can't get no satisfaction"? (oops, sorry wrong song!) Do we long for that time when we were in slavery to the sin of the world and it seems better than our obedience to God?  Are we so dissatisfied with our current condition that we are blind to the provision of our needs supplied to us by the God who knows what our true needs are?  We all need a reminder that if we'll be patient and open our eyes we just might find...we get what we need.  Isaiah 55 NASB/AMP/KJV  

Oh yeah, Can a hairbrush actually go through Keith Richard's mane?

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

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Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Listen To The Music" (The Doobie Brothers)

Welcome to Tuesday, February 16th!  You've stepped into the best day of the week, and clicked onto the best blog on the net!  It's time for Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  Every Tuesday, we attempt to tickle the trivial music centers of the brain while stimulating the spiritual nucleus of the heart, all in the context and framework of some of the greatest songs every recorded.  Are you beginning to feel a tingling sensation?  Well, let's jump right on in and see if we can get ya'..feelin' good, feelin' fine...let the music play!!!

"Listen To The Music" - from the 1972 album Toulouse Street by The Doobie Brothers

Since 1970 (that's 46 years for you accountants out there...we like to include all kinds here at the notes!) The Doobie Brothers have been spreading their particular brand of love and music all over the world.  The unique partnership and songwriting expertise between founding members Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons continues today as The Doobies continue to record new music, tour to sold out crowds and gain a following among the next generation of adoring fans.  In fact, on August 16, 2016,  The Doobie Brothers will join Journey (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Separate Ways") and Dave Mason (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "We Just Disagree") for a concert at our Verizon Arena in Little Rock.  

Many of popular music's acts have produced album after album without seeing a hit single.  They work really hard for years after forming a band, and sometimes 4 or 5 albums later they get a top 40 hit.  This was not the case for The Doobie Brothers.  With the release of their second album, Toulouse Street, The Doobie Brothers would see not just one, but both singles from the album rise in the charts.  Their second single, "Jesus Is Just Alright" went as high as #35, but it is today's feature song that had The Doobie Brothers in heavy rotations for radio DJs in the early 70's. It continues to be a favorite on "Greatest Hits" stations today. 

"Listen To The Music" was written by founder Tom Johnston as a salute to the utopian idea of getting all the world leaders together listening to music, (as well as some other extra curricular activities that gained popularity in the 70s that The Notes cannot condone, use your imagination...) as means for making the world a better place.  With its positive lyric and its unforgettable guitar licks, "Listen To The Music" continues to endure and inspire the next generation with the idea that the universal language of music can be a bridge by which tensions can be eased and the disagreeable can become more tenable.  It has the similar notion of music as a powerful tool as the great Coca-Cola commercial from the same time frame.  "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" - Coca Cola Commercial 1971 Are you swaying?

Music however has been used as a tool of divisiveness and strife as well.  Mostly because generations of folks want to claim their style of music as the best while not being open to new forms, styles, and instrumentation.  Imagine if you will what Johann Sebastian Bach or Ludwig Von Beethoven would think if they attended the Grammys.  Yikes!!! Quite honestly, anymore, I think I would probably agree with them.  Does that mean I'm getting old...sorry I digress.  What would the great hymn writer King David of the Old Testament think if he listened to the music of Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin?  

Perhaps one or more of your grandparents loved the song "Keep On The Firing Line"  Today's generation has no context of what the song is even about, so how are they supposed to embrace it?  "Keep On The Firing Line" Gaither Homecoming featuring Anthony Burger  What does that even mean?  The converse of this is modern hymn writers that refer to Jesus in terms that past generations reserved for loved ones.  Terms like "beautiful" have no meaning to an older generation who sometimes have difficulty seeing Jesus in this way.  "You Are So Good To Me" by Third Day from the 2003 album Offerings  What does it say to a preChristian world, when those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, argue, fight and in extreme cases, split up the church family, over a self centered choice of songs? The Notes contends that it sends a very poor message, yet  in context, this focus on self message is one even the disciples of Jesus  struggled with...cue flashback music to the time of New Testament...

Jesus had sent the twelve men he had been mentoring out to tell other folks about the Good News of Jesus.  The disciples experienced things during this time that they had never imagined possible.  They had the power of healing the sick and folks were responding positively to the message of redemption through Jesus.  Then human nature kicked in.  The disciples began believing the "press reports" about themselves.  They began discussing among themselves, who was the greatest among them.  Jesus knew what they were discussing and without missing a beat or chastising them, He used an object lesson to answer the burning question of their hearts.  The Gospel of Jesus According to Luke: 9:46-48 New International Version of the Bible/The Message Paraphrase of the Bible parallel.  Later on, Jesus would use the ultimate in examples to teach the disciples about true greatness.  The Gospel According to John: 13 NIV/The Message parallel

You see friend, just like the opening line of the best selling book by Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, says..."It's not about You".   Your preferences are ok to have and they are part of what makes up who we are, but we must be very careful to utilize them in the context of serving others and not allow them to become what we serve.  Our choices in music, message style, liturgy or the non use of it, and even the way we evangelize should all be subservient to how we can use them to serve others and honor God. 

While they may have not intended it to be for the church at least one line of "Listen To The Music" is sure to apply.  The outside world really is "listenin' for the happy sounds" that can and should be emanating from our churches.  Our role is to "let them fly...  Whoa, oa, oa, listen to the music..."

Keith and Kristen Getty - "Creation Sings The Father's Song" from the 2008 album Awaken The Dawn

 

'Til Tuesday

Serving HIM by serving you,

Randy