Prior to Casey Kasem’s weekly radio program America’s Top 40, Dick Clark was host of the original show Dick Clark Countdown America. Before the Internet and You Tube, teenagers would listen to their radio and wait in anticipation to see who moved into the number one spot this week. When I listen to Reliant K, their music reminds me of popular pop rock songs of the 1980’s and 1990’s.
Jesus said to her, Mary! Turning around she said to Him in Hebrew, Rabboni!—which means Teacher or Master. 17 Jesus said to her, Do not cling to Me [do not hold Me], for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brethren and tell them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God, John 20:16-17.
Reliant K is a crossover group, playing both fun secular songs as well as spiritual songs with touching lyrics. If you were wondering, the band is named after guitarist Hoopes’ automobile, a Plymouth Reliant K. Depending upon the album, Reliant K is a mix of alternative, soft rock with a bit of punk to wake you up. I hope you enjoy listening to Reliant K this week.
While I don’t follow Professional Wrestling like I did in high school, a friend informed me that today’s featured group had some of their songs featured at live events. Like any group with eight albums, Thousand Foot Krutch has evolved over time. Although some of their early songs which became popular are soft rock, modern Thousand Foot Krutch combines hip hop with nu metal.
Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power! 2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness! 3 Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp! 4 Praise Him with tambourine and [single or group] dance; praise Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes! 5 Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) – Psalm 150:1-6
One of my favorite songs of Thousand Foot Krutch is This is My Call which reminds me of a couple of my former students who lost their lives after battling cancer. While each album contains a few memorable songs, the one that gets the most airtime in my car is The End is Where We Began. As you listen to the attached You Tube, I hope that you appreciate the songs on this album.
While there is only one Anne Wilson, the former lead singer of the secular group Heart, my former students at Red Lion introduced to a Christian girl band. Although I didn’t embrace every artist encouraged for me listen to, I soon began to collect ZOEgirl albums. My favorite album is the Ultimate Collection which is a two CD set. Since I wasn’t able to find this on You Tube, my second choice was Different Kind of Free which is attached above.
In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off], Galatians 5:1.
Since my parents loved to travel each summer, I found myself listening to soft rock stations along with Casey Kasem’s America’s Top 40 until we arrived. This is where I was introduced to many songs from Heart. After rededicating my life to the Lord in college, I longed to find a crossover group with a similar sound to Heart. There may be a better match out there, but for now ZOEgirl has filled my spiritual void for a Heart like Christian band. I hope you enjoy listening this week.
Each summer that I lived in Delaware as a child, the neighborhood kids would eventually make their way over to my back deck, listening to WSTW, the local radio station just down the street. Back then, music was limited to the radio as the daily play list often repeated the same songs every hour. As Music Television debuted in 1983, I went over to a friend’s house to get instant access to a variety of artists and groups. Yet, those long summer car rides going to and from vacation is where I was introduced to Simon and Garfunkel thanks to my parent’s favorite soft rock station.
Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [[e]and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord, 20 At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father, Ephesians 5:19-20.
Thanks to friendly Christian bookstore owners like Jackie Johnson from Delaware, I spent countless hours in college asking a similar question, “do you know of anyone who sounds like this secular artist or group?” This is how I discovered Crumbacher and Duke who possess that late 70’s/early 80’s soft rock sound. There’s nothing like falling to sleep with this classic style of music playing in the background. While there are many albums of Crumbacher and Duke to choose from, I hope you enjoy listening to the Worlds Away album this week which contains my favorite Desert Lightning.
Back in the 1980’s, movie soundtracks played a big part in selling albums as well as growing the brand of secular artists. Following the popularity of Pretty Woman in 1990, Wilson Phillips’ debut album sold over 5 million copies two years later in part due to the hit song Hold On. As I expanded my Christian music collection in college, I came across an artist, Linda Elias, who has a similar sound as Wilson.
And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him, 1 John 4:16.
The music of Linda Elias spoke to a number of my Christian friends at the University of Delaware. While Linda is usually overshadowed by her husband Rick, a founding member of Rich Mullins’ Ragamuffin Band, they each sing backup on their spouses’ solo albums. If you just want to have fun by singing out loud to music with friends, the Meaning of Love album contains several memorable songs to shout out in public. May the lyrics of Linda Elias music touch your heart this week like it’s moved me the past 30 years.
If I ever wanted to be depressed as a teenager, all I had to do was listen to one of Chicago’s ballad, the popular soft rock band of the late 1970’s and 1980’s. Perhaps, band members were inspired by breaking up with their girlfriend, singing about the anguish, emotions and pain of saying goodbye to someone you once loved. If I want to get depressed as an adult, all I have to do is watch five minutes of cable news to see how bad things have gotten on planet earth.
And [Abraham] said, Behold now, I have taken upon myself to speak [again] to the Lord. Suppose [only] twenty shall be found there. And [the Lord] replied, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake. 32 And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again only this once. Suppose ten [righteous people] shall be found there. And [the Lord] said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake, Genesis 18:31-32.
Perhaps, if CNN went through a complete transformation to PNN, the positive news network, I wouldn’t feel as bad. Unfortunately, positive news doesn’t sell so death, sex and violence tend to be the leading stories. Of course, there are always plenty of segments on corruption, deceit and lies which makes me wonder if there is anyone righteous left in the world. According to the apostle Paul in Romans 3:9-12, my gut feeling is correct as human nature has led everyone astray.
The people of the land have used oppression and extortion and have committed robbery; yes, they have wronged and vexed the poor and needy; yes, they have oppressed the stranger and temporary resident wrongfully. 30 And I sought a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none, Ezekiel 22:29-30.
One Old Testament prophet asked a similar question in the passage above. As Ezekiel looked at the signs of his time on earth, everyone seemed self-absorbed. Rather than following the JFK doctrine, “ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what can you do for your country,” a me first sentiment took over. Like a politician who says one thing in public and does the complete opposite privately, look to those who demonstrate, 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12. While your search may turn up empty, God’s remnant is out there, focused on God’s will.
The gravitational force is theweakest of thefourfundamentalforces of nature. Newton’s law of gravity refers to the force between two bodies in proportion to its mass and distance. This pull is invisible to the naked eye unless of course you are doing something like skydiving. Another pull also exists, a tug of war between the human flesh and the Holy Spirit.
For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want, Galatians 5:17.
The Christian group Curious Fools sings about the passage above in their song entitled Pull. This soft rock classic has inspired drama teams to illustrate the message of the lyrics in the attached you tube. Whether you are disciplined, focused or organized, anyone is susceptible to the pull between the cravings of the flesh and prompting of the Holy Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit, Romans 8:5.
The apostle Paul examines what goes on within human beings as this pull commences. The mind is like a trigger, leading you in one way or the other. Thoughts serve like a steering wheel, guiding you in the direction of your desires. Perhaps, this may explain Paul’s obsession with the heart and mind in his letters, Colossians 3:1-3. If you don’t want to be pulled the wrong way any longer, begin by taking your thoughts captive, making them obedient to Christ.
I grew up in the soft rock era as nearly every album contained a minimum of one ballet per side. During the 1980’s, radio stations played the same 12-15 songs in a loop. Except for all request lunch hours or evenings with Delilah, individuals waited in their cars, on their deck or listening to a stereo as depicted in Tom Hanks’ film That Thing You Do. Groups like Air Supply sang about being lost without their significant other in All Out of Love. However, when it comes to theories about falling apart, no one compares to the band Chicago. While I loved their music, their songs are filled with break up lyrics, trying to recover from one broken relationship after another.
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me, John 15:4.
Canadian Rock band Thousand Foot Krutch continues to expand upon theories about falling apart. In their video of the song Falls Apart, TFK uses ropes like strings on a puppet. The lyrics suggest that everything falls apart when they walk away from their girl. However, beyond the obvious is a spiritual message. Whenever a person of faith walks away from God, their life begins to slowly fall apart. Like Bette Midler’s famous song, the Lord is the Wind Beneath Our Wings. Thus, any type of absence, departure or period of prodigal journey will weaken the human soul.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing,” John 15:5.
In a private meeting with his disciples, Jesus gives one final theory about falling apart. The Lord compares himself to a vine, the source of life. God plays the role of a gardener, pruning those areas of life that are unproductive. By staying connected through Bible Study, prayer and worship, spiritual nourishment is provided. However, the moment you become disconnected, removing God from the equation, emptiness replaces the Giver of Life. Therefore, if you feel like you’re on the verge of falling apart, tap into a higher power to rejuvenate a thirsty soul.
An old camp fire song suggests it only takes a spark to get a fire going. Yet, what happens if your heart is like damp and wet fire wood? Or how can you rekindle hope if you feel so cold and distant from God? These are the moments in life where I pray for God to reveal His love to me.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another,” John 13:34-35.
In their song Reveal Your Love, Esterlyn addresses this issue on their album entitled Lamps. The lyrics of this soft rock ballad implies that you can’t be the person God wants you to be until this prayer is answered. Subsequently, as you begin to sense and experience God’s love, the spiritual fire within you begins to rub off on others in the form of subtle acts of kindness.
Let all that you do be done in love, 1 Corinthians 16:14.
However, for those of you still on the outside looking in, the fire inside is growing dim. This is where we find Elijah, petrified from the death threat he receives from King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel. Depression caused this prophet to lose his will to live. With suicidal thoughts entering his mind, God appeared to Elijah in a still small voice. May this encouraging encounter with God motivate you to press on, waiting for God to reveal His love to you as well.
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