Time Machine co-ordinates VIXXV66932665

 

Man, Boss, I was here and was wearin' shamrocks and stuff, and then Noodle tells me you ain't comin' in last week!  I was bummin'...

Yeah, I'm sorry... I was sick, I was down, and just didn't have the heart for it... But that means this week is gonna be kinda messed up... for one, the Beatles had to be scratched, which is always a shame...

Yeah, ain't it...

And this week it's just me and you, and LAST WEEK'S hits from 1965, and 2 sets of M10 countdowns...

Man, I hate to say it, but we may NEED the Beatles to pull this one off!

Courage, Elvis, courage.  There is one thing I would like to do before anything else.  A couple nights ago, I was informed of the death of classic rocker Michael Stanley- another loss to the demon that is cancer, and with the demon hard at work as well on BJ Thomas, who announced he's in stage four.  Michael, unlike BJ, never got the national notoriety that he warranted, and I want to feature him with one of his best.  It only got to 39 nationally- a lot higher in the Midwest for the Cleveland boy.

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Y'know what sucks, though- we never did anything for St Patty's last week.

That would be the day I worked for a whopping 2 hours and 40 minutes and came home. But never fear- while you were up here whining, I looked at the charts and found the Martin Era 2.0 (1955-1977) songs that were #1 on the years Billboard and Cashbox published their charts exactly on St Patrick's Day!  You will note, though, that out of 4 songs that had that distinction, as they published on all the same days, save once, there is ONE song that was #1 on SPD on BB but NOT on CB!  Your job, is to pick which song was NOT a St Patrick's chart topper on Cashbox!  Was it...

Nelson Riddle, Lisbon Antigua (1956)

The Champs, Tequila (1958)

Bruce Channel, Hey Baby (1962)

or Roberta Flack, Killing Me Softly (1973)!

Oh, wow, you made 'em green!

I just hope they show up on the background!  Anyway, let me get to last week's M10, and... hey, who's at the door?

Hey, it's Ringworm!

RS:  That's Rin-GO, Elvis Parsley...

Nice to see you!  Did you come to help us out?

RS:  No, I think I'm just late... were we supposed to be here last week?  I don't see the other lads...

Yeah, it's a long story.  But since you're here, how about you do last week's M10?

RS:  Sounds like you lot are late as well!  Very good, then...

Last week, Chris's top ten were...

Those lovely boys from Royal Blood with Typhoons at #10, down 5...

Dami Im is up one spot with Abandoned Pincushion...

EP: LONELY CACTUS.  You oughtta leave the jokes to the professionals...

And should we ever have a professional in this place, we'll look into that.  Carry on...

RS:  The debut at #8 is this one by Matthew Sweet...

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Then we have Leon Bridges and his mate with Like A Ship at 7, up 2...

Tommy James and the Shondells have a bit of a tumble, down 4 to #6 with Hold Ont Him... seems they should have held on a bit tighter...

EP:  I have something for you to hold right...

THAT will do, bud!  Carry on...

RS:  Er, yes, the Fratellis move up to 5 with Action Replay...

Weezer holds at 4 with Grapes Of Wrath...

Pale Waves goes from 6 to 3 with You Don't Own Me...  Is this a Leslie Gore cover?

EP:  Are all you guys gonna ask that?  NO!

RS:  No need to twist yer knickers, Parsley...

EP:  It's not Parsley!

RS: Sage?

Moving right along...

RS:  Yes, quite.  The Explorer's Club are up next with Don't Waste Her Time pulling into the #2 spot.

And finally, it seems American Pie has had quite an innings, 6 weeks now and counting.

EP:  Yeah, I'll bet you guys couldn'tna done that...

Actually, I Want To Hold Your Hand was 8 weeks at the top on CB, and Hey Jude was 7....

EP:  Whatever....

Anyway, last week we had 17 songs from 79 stations, including these songs that ended up on the year's hot 100:

Gerry and the Pacemakers, Ferry Cross the Mersey, #82

Beatles, Eight Days A Week, 55- a finalist

Freddie and the Dreamers, I'm Telling You Now, 48

Supremes, Stop In The Name Of Love, 24- a finalist

Herman's Hermits, Can't You Hear My Heartbeat, 22- a finalist

Jewel Akins, The Birds And The Bees, 20- a finalist

Roger Miller, King Of The Road, 17

and Gary Lewis and the Playboys, This Diamond Ring, 15.

And so, you have the four finalists there- Eight Days A Week (which was #1 last week), Stop In The Name Of Love (8), Can't You Hear My Heartbeat (12), The Birds And The Bees (3), plus the Seekers and I'll Never Find Another You (Debuts tomorrow), to choose from.  In the meantime, here's the song that debuts on THIS week's M10 at #10... more Elton John from Jewel Box, this one a b-side to a 1997 hit...

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Just to let you know, the 6D victim would have been the Temptations, with My Girl at #2.  Ringo, would you like to handle the Overseas If You Please...

EP: Oh sure, let him do everything...

RS:  Elvis, just to show what a sporting chap I am, I'll let you do half... Here, let me do England and Australia, you can do Canada and New Zealand...

EP:  That's mighty nice of you!  You go first!

RS:  All right, then, Australia had I'll Never Find Another You, which rather explains its spot in the finals...

EP:  Okay, and Canada had... hey, it was your Eight Days A Week!  You did that on purpose!

RS:  Now, you're being right paranoid!  In the UK, we had Mick and his lot, the Rolling Stones, and The Last Time.  Elvis?

EP:  Yeah, the New Zealand song was... HEY!  This is that year they lost the data to their charts!

RS:  Oh, right... guess that was a bit cheeky of me...

Before he blows a gasket, let's give my big buddy a chance to right the ship by telling which song was a SPD #1 on BB but not CB...

EP:  Uh, yeah, that would be Tequila by the Champs.  Guess that makes sense, being the one year that wasn't spaced away from the rest...

And the big mover last week...

EP:  Sure, that would have been the Beach Boys with Do Ya Wanna Dance, up 31 spots, 74 to 43.

And this week's new M10 chart!

EP:  All right! So, 9 was Hold On To Him, down from 6...

8 was Like A Ship, sinking one spot from 7- see, now that was a joke!

RS:  What was?

EP:  Never mind, you Brits don't understand the subtle stuff.  7 was Lonely Cactus, up 2...

6 was Grapes Of Wrath, down 2 in it's 7th week...

5 was Action Replay again...

4 and blowing up 4 was Blown Away...

RS:  Now, that one I got.  Wasn't funny, mind you...

EP: GRRRR.... Number 3 was You Don't Own Me, again...

OMG!  American Pie is at NUMBER TWO!  Which means the new #1 is....\

...The Explorer's Club with their fifth Number One, Don't Waste Her Time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice job.  Ringo, the finals?

RS:  Of course.  If you took the Searchers or Mr Akins, that will be 7.6 %...

Peter Noone and his lot get you 12.6%...

The Supremes got you 17.7%...

But, no surprise to me, with 35.4%

...why it's me and the Lads, with Eight Days a Week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And there you have it!  God willing, a fresh new TM next week, with the Beatles and 1966!

Wednesday Bible Study: The end of all things- 1 Thessalonians

 

The main of Paul's ending of this letter was a series of instructions, which I could have just broke down verbatim to see another fine set of tools to live by.  But I wanted it to mean a bit more, so I looked to see if that ol' stairstep analysis gave something more.  And it did.

The two bottom rungs are the most direct warnings to us:  Stay sober and awake (v8) and abstain from all evil (v22).  Makes sense that if we are going to climb this pyramid, we have to start there. We can't make a journey to God- which is what this is- without preparing for the climb.

The next set have us encouraging each other (v11) and testing everything, keeping what is good (v21).  As the mission spreads out from ourselves, we have two jobs- encouraging others to come along on the journey, and making sure WE are going the right way.  Both of these first two steps make it clear, you aren't journeying if you just sit in the pew nodding.

Third steps call on us to keep the peace by respecting the authority of our teachers in the Lord (vv12, 13) and to make sure we listen to what they tell us (v20).  So check this out:  The first steps got us climbing; the second steps concerned those behind us; the third concerns those before us!

Fourth set gradually moves us toward the "God" end of things.  We have to both make sure those following us are doing right before God, working with them on their weaknesses IN PATIENCE (v14), while making sure we are listening to the Spirit of God to work on OUR faults (v19), not quenching the Spirit to do the things that are making the others idle, fainthearted, or weak.

Fifth gets us close to God, and it is beginning to show: we begin to abandon the eye-for-eye attitude of men, and actively seek out how to do our enemies a good turn instead (v15), and giving thanks in all circumstances (v18).  Note that this covers our actions with ALL people at ALL times.

This is even better than I thought it would be when I started!  "Use your tools", the Lord says, and you'll be blessed!

Final step is you before God:  Rejoice always (v16) and pray without ceasing (v17).  And now we have made the climb from ourselves to God.  I don't know if Paul ever had it in his mind to see this ending like this, but I can sure see the Spirit's hand on it!

The Better Part, week #12

 

This was a scuffling week; but I am back on the path, and hope what I did get done helps you as well....

The Better Part, Day# 76:

 

Luk 22:31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,

Luk 22:32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." 

 

David Jeremiah made the point that Jesus gave Peter the one thing he needed to overcome this sifting right after- He gave Him a command to pray with Him at Gethsemane. A tool he was "too tired" to use.

And as I listened, I was a bit disturbed in spirit, and asked God how to overcome it. God knew He'd already given me a tool I hadn't been using lately: my BLEST HOW FAVA acronym that walks me through the lessons to be learned from Peter's mistakes.

We need to remember when we feel like we're "on the ropes", Jesus has likely given us the tools to get back up.

 

(NOTE:  That certainly applied this week!)

 

 

The Better Part, Day#77:

 

"Using the tools, part 2"! So it was a day last week, When I asked in prayer for someone to show kindness to, that I heard a news story on the way home. I don't remember if the subject of the report was a criminal or a politician (easily confusing), and I was restraining myself from wishing them ill when I felt Jesus saying, "Here's your chance- pray for them." 

 

Knowing that this was a tool in the box He gave me took till today. Exhausted with about an hour to go in the day, I asked for refreshing. "You have the tools", was the response. Praying for those I might not normally think to pray for- not to mention a few that I would have anyway- did the job! Second wind accomplished, mood improved, day done!

 

 

The Better part, day #78:

 

This weekend, our pastor pointed out several ways that the story of healing the leper in Mark 'flipped' Jesus's entire ministry. I know how my own faith had to 'flip' after 30 years to grow. This morning I got an idea of why. Michael Youseff was having some fun with the Cain and Abel story- ideas like perhaps Cain brought grain because he founded PETA, etc.- and it struck me. Just like the way of this world, Cain had a problem killing animals- but no such problem killing a human... no wonder that to grow in faith, we need to 'flip' our world.

 

 

The Better Part, day#79:

 

This one sin, according to a recent survey by a group involved in recovery from it, has 40 million regular participants in the USA.

This one sin brings in more money than ABC, CBS, and NBC combined.

47% of American homes deal with it.

It is involved in 56% of divorces.

87% of women have done it. 68% of Christian men do it regularly.

Only 7% of Churches have programs to deal with it- maybe because 50% of pastors admit to having the problem.

 

Which sin is it? Doesn't matter. If you aren't in these statistics, you're still a sinner. Tony Evans says it's not an obedience problem, it's a love problem. We fail to obey because we don't put the work into loving Jesus.

Experts tell us you have to work at real love. Should love for Jesus be different?

 

 

The Better part, Day #80:

 

1Th 5:24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 

 

I just had the most amazing look at God's blessings as I typed up my blog's Bible Study for Wednesday. I have mentioned several times the concept of "using the tools Jesus gave you", and in using one of them, I saw a passage open up in the most marvelous way! God constantly awes me with the way He hides the best wisdom in His word; Now, it's time to pray for the application!

Sorry for the glitch, but...

 Today's regular Time Machine post will not be seen this week.  I don't have COVID, but something laid me out Wednesday, and Thursday typing night is not going to be a go.  Tune in next week for what will then be last week's show!

Wednesday Bible Study: The end of all things- Song of Solomon

 

The Song of Solomon is not a favorite to teach on; its intimacy between a man and a woman is what Chuck Swindoll means when he says the Word of God is " sometimes, downright raw."  But one thing I have always known is, you can take this both as a work of beautiful poetry, a guide on love and marriage, and an allegory about Christ and His Church.  But that doesn't make it easier to teach.  Praying for insight on this this week, I heard David Jeremiah ask the question to his audience, "How do YOU read your Bible?"  One thing that struck my mind is to read it like a letter from God, and the implications on this last chapter of SOS became quickly apparent to me.

Every letter written properly contains three parts:  a beginning, an introduction, and a summary conclusion.  And having been poring over this chapter, I saw it had all three.

Introduction

Son 8:1  Oh that you were like a brother to me who nursed at my mother's breasts! If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and none would despise me.
Son 8:2  I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother-- she who used to teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the juice of my pomegranate.
Son 8:3  His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me!
Son 8:4  I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.

The introduction- if we go the allegory route- starts with the absolute devotion of Church to Christ, not in any base sexual way, but as a family, brother-sister level.  A Level that brings Christ into the home, into every intimate part of life- yet with the admonition of propriety, remembering to Fear God.

The Body

Now here I have to step fully into allegory, and remember that of those who say they believe in God, there are two camps that criticize the True Church.  The first come up in the passage that my Bible describes as 'the Kinsman':

Son 8:5  Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother was in labor with you; there she who bore you was in labor.

This would be the "I knew you when" crowd- those who haven't the wisdom to see the difference between one who is a Christian in truth and people who say they are, and commit all manner of atrocities in 'the name of the Lord'.   The Shulamite- the Church- faithfully re-explains her desire for Christ; and then the second group comes in- "her brothers":

Son 8:8  We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for?
Son 8:9  If she is a wall, we will build on her a battlement of silver, but if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.

These 'believers' do not believe the True Church has the proper wisdom or guidance.  Bereft of the "Church fathers" and the interpretations they hand down, they are deemed children who know nothing, and need to be shut behind battlements and walls and not left to seek Christ for themselves.  But she has an answer for these false brothers, as well:

Son 8:10  I am a wall, and my breasts are my towers. And he is satisfied with me! 

Conclusion

Here at last we have interaction between the Shulamite/the True Church and her Beloved/Christ:

Son 8:12  (Her) My vineyard, my very own, is before me; you, O Solomon, may have the thousand, and the keepers of the fruit two hundred.

 
Son 8:13  (Him) O you who dwell in the gardens, with companions listening for your voice; let me hear it. 

Son 8:14  (Her) Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices. 

 

The Church submits her all to Christ; He calls out to her, and she cries out for His return!

And now, a walk

 So today apparently Blogger is celebrating "Put the pictures up in reverse order" day, but it was too nice a walk to worry about such things.

 

 

So here we are later on at the Swamp, where the flock is being quite noisy.

Here at Scrappy's Landing, you can see the river is way down...

That was moments after we arrived at the Duck Pond...

...where I would have already told you, "The last time we were here, the fox must have bagged a couple of geese.  Thankfully, he came back the next night and finished the meal."

Here we are arriving at the Duck Pond.  This is kinda like Time Machine, isn't it?

Winner, first ground hog false alarm picture.

And now, the next six pictures, which I assume will be backwards, as well.

Well, surprise surprise, this is the right order.

Meanwhile, back at the Swamp, let sleeping ducks lie.

Toldja the river was down...

Down enough I had to walk through this to let Misty get her drink.

Here come the last four, God only knows which way they'll be...

Well, there's the clam shell we found, so that's in the right order...

About to barge through a field of geese and killdeers...

I miss the Old Bridge...

Somebody must be going to play Slippery Rock...

The Better Part, week #11

 

The week in Better Part FB posts:

The Better Part, day #70:

 

Jas 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.

When you tear apart the phrase, "Pray fervently", you see how some versions (the literal versions) translated this, "He prayed with prayer". What does that mean? Well, if you contrast with Matt 23:14-

 

Mat 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 

 

-you can see there's a difference between a fervent prayer and a LONG prayer. The phrase in Matthew means just what it says- a prayer with length. In James, it means "wishing forward to God".You pray fervently to God with just enough words to make your wish known- but remembering it is also submitting that wish to the idea that "Thy will be done".

 

 

The Better Part, Day# 71:

 

Me, griping about something, to God: "This thing is a pertinent question..."

God: "Not if My promises are trustworthy."

Me: "You're right again!"

 

 

The Better Part, Day #72:

 

 

So today, David Jeremiah asked, "Do you read the Bible like, 'Well, let's see what God wants me to know today, and how to get what I want'?" I thought to myself that no, I don't do that... but then I asked, "How DO I read it?" God reminded me I should read it like a letter, from Himself to me- with an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. As you will see next week, this was the key to understanding what I am to do with a very difficult Wednesday Bible Study post. Try practicing this method- I know I'm going to!

 

 

The Better Part, Day #73:

 

Me, obviously inspired by Satan: I don't feel like all that prayer today, I need a day off...

God: Oh? A day without My refreshing, without my Strength for the day, without My provision...

Me: This has certainly been my week for stupid comments, hasn't it...

 

 

The Better Part. day #74:

 

A quote from Don Wilton, Billy Graham's personal pastor, in an interview with Decision Magazine:

 

"He always made me feel like I was the important person, that I had the answer, that I was the one who understood what the Bible was saying, that I was the one who needed to be consulted. And the Only way I came to understand this was that I was watching someone who reflected the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus humbled himself to the point that He became the servant...Mr Graham would be most unhappy with me for saying that because he did not see himself that way."

 

 

The Better Part, Day #75:

 

2Ki 23:24 Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

2Ki 23:25 Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.

2Ki 23:26 Still the LORD did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. 

 

We all pray for revival, whether it be in our family group or a nation or a world. And we should live our lives and pray our prayers based on the idea that revival can spring up even in a day as evil as that of Josiah, if the Word is sought and obey. But comes a day when the faith of that one man, or that precious few, is not enough. On one side, I had been hearing a lot of people talking that they felt a day of revival was coming- until 2020, and now it shifts to judgment. In between, we have the truth of the matter- pray for that revival, hope in that revival- but recognize that it won't be enough unless the hearts of ALL the people change, and that this evil people who have self-righteously declared themselves 'post-Christian' may have made it too late for themselves.