Musick-al Notes

Musick-al Note # 126

         The Ephesian Christians had come out of the darkness of paganism into the glorious light of Christ.  However, a grave danger existed.  Because of their proximity to the vices of their former life, it was easy to relax and slip back into well-worn ruts.  Paul admonishes with this startling statement: “Stop giving the devil a chance.” (Ephesians 4:27: Williams). Further reading reveals that the moral and spiritual life of the Ephesian Christians was to be bettered by member participation in those things right and proper.   Failure to function properly is to give the devil an opportunity.  If the lives of God’s children are not filled with gentleness, patience, submission, forgiveness and other attributes of a Christian, there is always present that danger of lapsing into darkness.

         Why give the devil a chance with our children?  Precious jewels have been entrusted into our care.  Shall we handle them carefully and fit them or heaven, or shall we give the devil an opportunity to lead them to hell?  Oh, the anguish of the thought that little boys and girls are growing up without the benefit of real, genuine, Christian parents.  Toys, picnics, families, friends and recreation can never take the place of faith developed by learning the Bible in classes and worship to God.

         Why give the devil a chance with our souls?  If Bible study is good for us, why be absent?  If our presence in worship is necessary to please God and benefit the church, why be away?  If giving blesses the giver and aids others, why be stingy?  If my Lord asks me to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, why should I allow ANYTHING to intervene?  Let us stop giving the devil a chance.

                Gordon Musick

 Musick-al Note # 125

          Jesus teaches us that Christianity is a religion of doing, of working and accomplishing God’s will.  No person regardless of how pious he looks, is acceptable to God unless he is doing God’s will.  In Matthew 7:21 Jesus states, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  We often declare and rightly so that one must obey the commands of God to become a Christian (Galatians 3:26-27), but it is equally true that one must continue to obey God and remain faithful to the end of life (Matthew 10:22, Revelation 2:10, Titus 2:11-12).

          According to Acts 8:4 the disciples of the first century went everywhere preaching the Word, obeying the great commission of the Lord Jesus.  If you are not able to do this great work among your friends, then by your support, you can help those who are able and willing to do so.  While not teaching others yourself, you can surely invite them and make the necessary arrangements that your friends be brought into contact with a teacher of the Word.  You can do this by personal visits, invitations to the services, or arranging home Bible studies either in their home or yours so that you might have a part in their knowing of the Lord and Savior. Jesus desires that all come to a knowledge of the truth that they might be saved (2 Peter 3:9), and you’re working together with Him and others will accomplish that end.

          Paul taught in Galatians 6:1 that we ought to restore the fallen.  We must be about the Lord’s work for He does not desire that any should perish but that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  This work must be done through personal visitation.  If you are not able to teach in this way, then you can support those who are able and willing to do it.  Your support to hold up their hands is most necessary for so often it seems that this is very discouraging work.  Those who are thus weakened are actually worse than babes in Christ.  They have lost their desire, their love and their concern and we must lead then through love and concern for their souls that they remember their Lord and return before they pass the point of no return.

          These two obligations are laid upon us who desire to follow the Lord.  What do you do concerning these works?  What should you do?

                Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 124

        I am sure you have all heard the above statement in class when someone is teaching of God’s goodness and mercy.  His Word is certainly about God’s goodness and mercy not ‘about’ ‘man’ BUT we should understand that His Word is ‘for’ man’s benefit.  From the creation until the end of time, God has loved man and sought to have eternal fellowship with all mankind.  His word to Adam and Eve shows this for He said, “Don’t eat of the Tree of Knowledge’ or you will die.  Even His word to Cain after his error in worship was a call to do right, “If you do well, you will be accepted.  Enoch walked with God 365 years and God took him from the world.  When the world was so full of evil that every thought of man was to do evil, God destroyed the world with a flood that covered the earth, but Noah found favor with God.  God provided a way of escape for Noah and his family.  The Bible continues with the story of God seeking men to hear and obey Him.  The Israelites under oppressive bondage followed the leadership of Moses out of that bondage to follow the Lord. Throughout their history, God entreated them to obey His will.  In the generations that followed, God sent judges to save and lead the people to righteous living.  He sent prophets, teachers and priests to direct man in His ways.  Read the Old Testament carefully and you will see God’s goodness and love directed toward man.  When man rebelled and went his own way into sin, God allowed him to do so, but God destroyed him, yet always saved the obedient ones.  God created man who became a living soul whom He loved, yet He decreed, “The soul that sins will die” (Ezekiel 18:4, Romans 6:23).  God’s final gift of love was sending Jesus into the world to save man from sin (Luke 19:10) but He was rejected and sentenced to die. His death was not the end for in the foreknowledge of God, He gave himself to be a sacrifice for man’s redemption and His death became the ransom for the penalty of all men’s sins.  All have sinned (Romans 3:23) so all men were sentenced to death for their sins, but thanks to God for accepting Jesus’ death in lieu of our death.  The Word not about me but it is FOR me!   AND FOR YOU AND EVERYONE WHO WILL HEAR AND OBEY GOD!

                Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 123      

         A person who studies the Bible must remember that Jesus said “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).  Far too many people forget that He said “EVERY” word which means that we must study all of the Bible and not trust our thinking by ignoring anything that God is written.  Everyone has sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) thus everyone is destined to die spiritually as Adam and Eve died when they ate of the fruit of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16).  They did not die physically but spiritually separated from God who created them.

        God has decreed that those who sin will surely die (Ezekiel 18:4, Romans 6:23).  The penalty of sin is death!  Everyone has sinned.  How shall we escape?  Jesus, who never sinned, died to pay the penalty for everyone!  His death paid the ransom for the penalty of sin (death) note Matthew 20:28 and 1 Timothy 2:6 which show that the ransom was for all people. Many other verses state the fact that His dying was to make it possible to have life in Him (Isaiah 53, Romans 5:6-10, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 2 Corinthians 5:4-5, 1 Peter 3:18).  His death, the death of a sinless person for all the sinners in the world was accepted by the Lord God who sent Jesus into the world for this very purpose.  His death did not eliminate all sin, but did take away the penalty of all the sins of those who come to Him in obedience to His Gospel.   They respond to Him by dying to sin (Romans 6:1) in repentance and burying their old man of sin in baptism will be raised to a new life (Romans 6:1-11).  As Paul was required to do, we must also do (Acts 22:16).  By being baptized into Christ we become children of God (Galatians 3:26-27).  Failure to obey His commands will result in dire consequences (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10). Obedience to Jesus shows that we love Him (John 14:21-24) but disobedience shows that we do not love Him. Remember Jesus said he would save all who obey His words (Hebrews 5:9).

              Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 122        

        It seems as though man has always thought that he could decide that doing something different from the words that God had given and it would be okay.  The Bible relates many instances of man making changes in life which were different from God’s word.  All too often this change occurred because man was deceived by a lie, by fear or by just wanting his own way.  Has man ever considered what God’s reaction to any change would be before beginning any change?  Of course not!  Even today, men continue to make changes without thinking of the consequences as if God doesn’t care.  One of the slogans of the Restoration Movement was: “call Bible things by Bible names and do Bible things in Bible ways” which speaks of giving heed to the written word (Hebrews 1:1-3 and 2:1-3).  Aren’t we being foolish to say, “It makes no difference what the Bible says”?   There are many incidents recorded in the Bible that show that doing what we want to do brings drastic consequences. 

          Consider these instances and the results: (1). Adam and Eve ate forbidden fruit and lost fellowship with God and the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3).  (2) Men built a tower to keep from being dispersed and lost common language (Genesis 11). (3) Pharaoh refused to obey God and suffered the plagues and lost the firstborn throughout Egypt (Exodus 7-12).   (4) Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fire on the altar and lost their lives (Leviticus 10). (5) The people refused to enter the land and suffered 40 years of wandering and death (Numbers 13). (6) Moses disobeyed God at Meribah by striking the rock instead of speaking to it and lost his entrance into Canaan.  (7) Achan coveted and took devoted things from Jericho and he and all his family were stoned, burned and buried.  (8) Solomon turned from the Lord in his old age and the kingdom was divided when his son began to reign. (1 King 11-12). (9) A young prophet was sent to cry out against Jereboam with God’s order to not eat or drink in the land.  While returning an old prophet lied to him, saying he could eat and drink at his house so he did resulting in his death (1 Kings 13), (10) Ananias and Sapphira lied about their gift to the church and died at the feet of the Apostles (Acts 5). We must be diligent to obey the words given by the Lord Jesus (Matthew 7:21-27) because just saying that what we do is pleasing to the Lord does not make it so.

               Gordon Musick

 Musick-al note # 121     

      My wife Betty passed away May 15, 2021 and was buried on Saturday May 22.  I am full of mixed emotions because of losing the love of my life.  The loss of my mate has brought a great empty void to life before me, and I am filled with grief for that great loss. We have known this time would come and we had been praying for God to be with the one left behind.  We did not know which of us might be first, so we prayed for courage, strength and faith to fill our hearts.  Because Betty’s health condition worsened drastically in April and especially the first week of May, it became apparent that she would leave this world before me. It was very difficult to fathom, yet we continued to pray as before.  I did everything I could for her to ease her journey.  As she breathed her last, I bowed and gave thanks to the Lord God for taking her home. To my surprise, I found far more than I expected for God not only gave me strength and courage but also filled my life with the euphoria of happiness and joy.  Yes, the loss is still there but with such great and wondrous joy filling my heart for her achievement of immortality with Jesus in the presence of our almighty God, I cannot be sad nor do I wish to wallow in self-pity and misery. Rather, my aim is to fill the void before me with happiness, joy and goodness.  I ask my friends to no longer weep and mourn her passing but to rejoice and delight in her achieving the reward of salvation.  If we believe the words of Jesus our Lord, we know the outcome of every believing, obedient person (Hebrews 5:9, John 10:28).  Every person who knew Betty, know her devotion to Jesus and her love in service to family, friends and acquaintances as she lived before Him who saves from sin.  People were drawn to her because of her goodness and helpfulness and now she is before the throne of God.  How can I, and all who knew her, keep from rejoicing?   

               Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note # 120             

          The Hebrew writer stated in Hebrews 6:4-6, “It is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they have crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.”

          How shocking is that word “impossible” as Paul uses it here, and how out-of-step it seems when we consider the boundless love and infinite grace of God.  But notice the passage does not say it is impossible for God to forgive, it is impossible to renew such a one to repentance.  Let us notice that one can be so hardened by immorality that it becomes impossible to renew him.  He reaches a point beyond which he becomes so hardened by sin that he will not respond to the invitation to come to Christ in repentance.  Did you ever know an alcoholic who deliberately set out to become incurably enslaved to whiskey?  In all probability, he started out with a first social drink, then thinking that he could take it or leave it, finally to end up in a hell on earth where he could not leave it alone.  You no doubt have seen and rejoice over an individual who had for many years been given over to a life of ungodliness, and perhaps drunkenness; but who responded to the invitation of Christ and humbly asked the prayers of the church.  Everyone seemed so happy; but sadness came when not long after, that brother was seen staggering again.  So far had he gone that he fell again when the temptation came.  God was willing, and no doubt forgave. Jesus said, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:36).  “Every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.  Then lust when it has conceived, brings forth sin; and sin, when it is finished brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).

             Sin hardens one’s heart to the extent that ultimately he “is unable to discern between good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14); not being nourished in the Spirit as he should be.  Paul described the decay to the ancient Romans that sin had caused men to become “vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened” and he said “for this reason God gave them up to uncleanliness, vile passions, and reprobate mind (Romans 1:24).  When a man reaches the point that God gives him us, he has reached the point of no return.

          Many good men have intended to become a Christian for many years, but they have put it off, and probably like Felix, most likely at first they were terrified over their failing to be in tune with God in their lives, but each occasion of putting off obedience they hardened their hearts to the extent that finally they are never to be disturbed with the gospel message of salvation.  In Hebrews it is written, “Today if you shall hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7 “Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Truly, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). As long as a man will repent, God will forgive him, but when a men reaches the point that he will not repent, then he reaches the point of no return and it is impossible to renew him again.

                 Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 119

      In the heart of every man lies a desire to live eternally and great wealth has been spent to assure that man keeps living in this world. Observation and experience teaches us that we cannot live in this world eternally. It is destined that man shall die and then comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27).  How then can that desire of every heart be fulfilled?  Jesus has declared that he will give his followers eternal life! (John 10:26-29). God has provided this answer by providing an eternal habitation for the souls of men (John 14:1-3).  God has established by His power that habitation in a place called heaven.  He has made it both sure and steadfast so that we might have hope (Hebrews 6:19).  The Bible is the revelation of God to give man knowledge of that place and knowledge of how to obtain the goal and satisfy the desire of their hearts.  Those who obey Him will be blessed and enter into the habitation with God (Hebrews 12:25-28).  However, not all men will obey and because the soul needs an eternal habitation, God has provided that those who are disobedient and follow the way of Satan will share his eternal habitation (Matthew 25:46). That which is prepared for Satan and his angels is called Hell – a place of fire and brimstone which burns forever and forever (Revelation 14:10-11, 19:20).  Disobedient ones will go to that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12, 13:42, 22:13).   The blessed will be in heaven to share all joy and happiness forever and forever (Matthew 25:34, 46). Study the Word and obey the Word that you might enjoy the blessings of God.

              Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 118

       One of the most precious gifts God has given to mankind is the ability to see.  Considering all it gives, no one wants to be unable to see so it is understandable that the blind man on the road to Jericho asked Jesus for sight (Luke 18:41).  There is no way to mention all that sight gives to men. There are homes, faces of loved ones, vistas of mountains, prairies, oceans, skies, stars, clouds, seas, lakes, rivers, storms, rain, snow, and sunshine, mornings, evenings and nights.  Countless things can be added by everyone for there is no end to all that sight brings to mankind.  Yet all these things are only a reflection of the nature of God who created us to enjoy all these things.  He who made us in His own image, gave man sight because He has sight.  Who can even imagine the things God sees for He is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient and the creator of all things.

      Oh that men could only see as God sees, to know the spiritual and eternal realm, and to know the potential that lie within every person.  The Apostle John wrote that Jesus did many things that are not written but that the things that are written are given so that every person might believe to the saving of their soul (John 20:31).  On this journey through life, we should be like the blind man on the road to Jericho, cry out, “Lord, I want to see”.  Yes, our spiritual eyes can be opened to God’s truths as surely as the blind man; eyes were opened that day.  Studying the Word with an open heart and acknowledging truth and following its teaching by obedience will open one’s eyes to the blessings available to every man. Yes, we must believe and trust God to know that God will save eternally those who obey Christ Jesus. One must learn that Jesus died on the Cross at Calvary to ransom everyone from the debt of sin (1 Timothy 2:6, Hebrews 2:9, Romans 6:23, Ezekiel 18:4). Jesus rose from death and is now on God’s right hand, offering salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8-9). Yes, I want everyone to see!

                 Gordon Musick

Musick-al note #  117

           What was the significance of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth after she learned that she was to have a baby as announced by Gabriel?   The only account of this visit is found in the gospel of Luke Chapter 1, versus 39-45 which states that Mary went to Elizabeth’s home very soon after accepting the angel’s announcement that she would give birth to Jesus.

           It is not directly revealed why Mary went to visit Elizabeth but that she did. We could surmise many things but still would not know, however we do know that Elizabeth said her baby (John) leaped in Elizabeth’s womb as soon as Mary spoke. Inspired by the Holy Spirit,

 Elizabeth declared in a loud voice that Mary was carrying Jesus, the Son of God.  Mary also acknowledged that God had done this great thing.  Other than this, no conjecture is valid as to why Mary went to visit Elizabeth.

         One great truth revealed in these few verses of Scripture is that both Elizabeth and Mary were carrying children in their wombs. It is evident that God recognizes that when the ovum of a woman is fertilized to begin the development of a new individual it is called a child. While many in our society do refer to a pregnant woman as being ‘with child’.  These words have been forgotten, overlooked, discounted, discredited and repudiated by many in our society today.  Even our dictionary does not attribute the term ‘child’ to a new pregnancy but merely an incipient organism until the beginning of the third month and then call it a fetus (a human organism) until birth.  A large segment of our population has the idea that pregnancy is only an incipient organism that can be aborted at any time without censure and is a practical procedure for any young unmarried girl whose intended husband who thought of separating from her would have been advised and urged to have it done.  

                  Gordon Musick