Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Music for our souls

 Psalm 150 1 Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. 2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, 4 praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

I love listening to music, almost all genres, some more than others. I grew up listening to a transistor radio and really came into music around 1968-1969. I was 12-13 years old. Now back in the 60’s the popular music was the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, The Doors, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and many more. 

One of my personal favorites was Tommy James and the Shondells.  You know the songs right? Crimson and Clover, Sweet Cherry Wine, and Crystal Blue Persuasion. Did you know that Crystal Blue Persuasion and Sweet Cherry Wine were songs written about God and Jesus? Yep, me neither until I listened to an interview with Tommy James.

SWEET CHERRY WINE
Tommy James & The Shondells

Come on everyone we gotta get together now
Oh yeah, love's the only thing that matters anyhow
And the beauty of life can only survive
If we love one another
Oh yeah yesterday my friends were marching out to war
Oh yeah listen now we ain't a marching anymore
No we ain't gonna fight
Only God has the right
To decide who's to live and die
He gave us sweet cherry wine
so very fine
Drink it right down, pass it all around
So stimulating, so intoxicating
Sweet cherry wine
To open your mind
And everybody's gonna feel so fine
Drinking sweet cherry wine
Yes they will

Watch the mountain turn
To dust and glow away
Oh Lord, you know there's got to be a better way
And the old masquerade is a no soul parade
Marchin' through the ruins of time
To save us He gave us sweet cherry wine

Sweet cherry wine, so very fine
Drink it right down
Pass it all around
So stimulating, so intoxicating
Sweet cherry wine
Drink it with your brother
Trust in one another, yeah, yeah
He gave us sweet cherry wine
Sweet cherry wine
Drink it right down
Pass it all around
People don't you know the cup is running over
Sweet cherry wine
Sweet cherry wine is the blood of Jesus, am I not right?

Romans 5:9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

Now Crystal Blue Persuasion was written as a follow up to that song. Tommy James was actually inspired by his readings of the Book of Ezekiel, which (he remembered as) speaking of a blue Shekhinah light that represented the presence of the Almighty God, the Book of Isaiah and Book of Revelation, which tell of a future age of brotherhood of mankind, living in peace and harmony.

CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION
Tommy James and the Shondells

Look over yonder
What do you see?
The sun is a'rising
Most definitely

A new day is coming, ooh, ooh
People are changing
Ain't it beautiful, ooh, ooh
Crystal blue persuasion

Better get ready to see the light
Love, love is the answer, ooh, ooh
And that's all right

So don't you give up now, ooh, ooh
So easy to find
Just look to your soul
And open your mind

Crystal blue persuasion, mmm, mmm
It's a new vibration
Crystal blue persuasion
Crystal, blue persuasion

Maybe tomorrow
When he looks down
On every green field, ooh, ooh
And every town
All of his children
And every nation
They'll be peace and good brotherhood

Crystal blue persuasion, yeah
Crystal blue persuasion, aha
Crystal blue persuasion, aha
Crystal blue persuasion, aha

If you know me you know I do not believe in coincidences. God uses all walks of life and all sorts of people to win them over to Him. I now know that God was working on me as child while listening to, what I thought, was just pop music.

Psalm 32:11 Celebrate God. Sing together—everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof!

Listen here to the interview
Tommy James Interview

Listen here to the songs 

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