“The B Side…”
Hello, October. Oh, how glad I am to see you. Leaves are changing…everywhere but here in Florida (bummer!). College football is in full swing. The Fall Classic is upon us. The annual family pilgrimage to the apple and pumpkin farms of North Georgia is so close I can taste it…literally! And for all the fans of Inspirational Country Music, the ICM Awards are just days away. And in honor of the ICM’s and Power Source Magazine, both very near and dear to my heart, the theme of this month’s article has an obvious ‘musical inspiration’.
It hasn’t been that long ago that records or albums, the vinyl type played on a turntable, were the way we enjoyed music. I can still hear the 33’s played at 78…chipmunks! Those old enough to remember are laughing in nostalgia. Oh, the pain and anguish you felt when you left a record in sunlight or let it get scratched. We all still have memories of songs that would never end due to a stuck needle and a trip from the other side of the house was necessary to help the needle along so the song would finish. How many of you who remember the beloved vinyls ever found yourself mesmerized by the needle going up and down as a warped record went around…and around…and around on the turntable? Oh, the memories…and how times have changed.
Of course, now we can get individual songs electronically. But back in the day (For those of you over 40 please hang with
me for another 30 seconds) we got individual songs via smaller records called 45’s, records played at 45 rpm’s. The 45’s had an A side and a B side. The A side was always the ‘hit single’ and the B side was another song from the artist’s album, usually not slated to be promoted as a ‘hit’. And even though every now and then it became as big of a hit as its A side counterpart, the B side song was simply a song to fill the back side of a record.
In the life of a new believer in Christ, the A side of the record is this awesome, incredible, eternal new life song with Christ and the decision for Him to be their Lord and Savior. This is the ‘hit’…as it should be. This is the side that receives most of the attention and the ‘airplay’. The B side to this record, however, is equally as important and awesome but a bit scarier, painful, and not necessarily material for the marketing posters. But it is critical to the spiritual life of this new believer that the B side be listened to as well. When someone accepts Christ into their hearts, their life is changed forever. That decision also propels this new Christian right into the middle of an all out war…one where every weapon of the enemy is pointed at, well, them. New Christians, even Christians further along in their faith seeking to get closer to the Lord, pose a serious threat to the devil. Satan will do everything he can, as quickly as possible, to stop this new life direction and choice. That means he will come with everything he has, from all sides and sources. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us “…the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” To use an analogy from the jungle, a baby antelope or an animal that is wounded is much easier prey than one that is older, faster, more experienced, and especially one that is part of a larger group.
As Christians, we need to reach out to, take responsibility for, and be real with people seeking a new or renewed life in Christ. They need to know that a decision to accept Christ as Lord of their life is the greatest decision they will ever make and one that will radically change their life forever. It is one that will bring them into direct and eternal fellowship with the all powerful and sovereign Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Great I Am, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Beginning and the End. They need to know it is also a decision that will bring about an all out spiritual attack intended to stop that ‘life’ before it gets started. However, they can take heart, and we need to remember, that the devil loses (Revelation 20:10), earthly troubles have benefit (1 Peter 1:6-9), Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33), and that believers are heirs to the throne of Glory (Galatians 4:7) and will live forever (1 John 2:17). That rocks…and so does our God!
So if you come across a music store that advertises classic records and music, I encourage you to go inside. Find the 45’s and check out some of the A side titles. Given the resurgence in popularity of music from the 60’s, 70’s, and even 80’s, you will likely recognize some of them…even if you’re a twenty something. But don’t stop there. Turn it over. There is a very good chance there is a great tune on the B side as well. To all those who fill our lives with music, we thank you and celebrate you. More so, however, we are thankful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as He IS the song of our heart. “Let the Word of Christ – the Message – have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives….And sing, sing your hearts out to God!” (Colossians 3:16 MSG). Keep it real…Armor Up…and Don’t Die Stupid! JSS
The above article appeared in the October 2011 Issue of Power Source Magazine, www.powersourcemagazine.com. Click HERE to view the pdf of the actual article.
about dreams…God dreams. I once heard a pastor say that God dreams are always met with opposition, are always greater than our current capabilities and character, and are always for a purpose much greater than ourselves. These three characteristics fit Joseph’s dreams perfectly. In Genesis 37, Joseph shares two of his dreams with his brothers and father. In both dreams, the Joseph was the object of others bowing down to him. That, of course, was met with significant opposition (especially his brothers wanted to kill him but ended up selling him into slavery), was certainly greater than his ability as he was just a shepherd boy, and was certainly for a purpose greater than himself as he would eventually be second in Egypt only to Pharaoh and save millions from starvation because of his plan to gather grain during prosperity in preparation for a 7 year famine.
Jeff Searcy 