Musick-al Notes

      Musick-al note # 298

The question has been asked, “Where does Jesus call himself the Son of God?”  Jesus most often called himself the Son of Man to emphasize His relationship with the children of men.  He left the acknowledgement of His Son ship with God for others to confess or acknowledge.  God acknowledged Him to be His Son in the Gospels.  See Matthew 2:15, 3:17, and 17:5. The other writers also give these same acknowledgements.  When on trial before the Jewish court, the high priest commanded, “I adjure you by the living God that you tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”  Jesus answered, “Jesus said to him, “It is as you said.  Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  (Matthew 26:63-64).  Luke records this incident in this way, “As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe. “And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer me or let me go. “Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.” Then they all said, “Are you then the Son of God?” And He said to them, “You rightly say that I am.” (Luke 22:66-70).   Jesus in His teaching said that God sent His Son into the world John 3:16-18.  He said that He was the Son of God (John 3:36-38).  To the blind man that He had healed, He asked if he believed on the Son of God.  The man answered, “Who is He that I might believe?” and Jesus answered, you have both seen Him and it is He that talks to you.” (John 9:35-38).  In the great Lord’s Prayer of John 17, Jesus prayed to the Father and said, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.”  Lastly, the apostle John said in John 20:30-31, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”  All the Scriptures then point to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.

Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 297 

God saves man by His grace which is a gift from Him.  Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”  Paul said that we can obtain righteousness only by faith in Romans 4:16, “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace.” Correctly understanding this verse we know that God offers salvation through His grace and man accepts that grace through faith and in no other way. Salvation will always be by grace – the free gift of God.  However there are many passages such as Heb. 5:9 that show that he is our Savior when we OBEY him.  Paul tells us that “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation unto all mankind” (Titus 2:11), but not all mankind has accepted that grace.  When one accepts the offer of grace on the terms by which it is offered that is in faith, one will obey his commands (Romans 6:17-22).  If you refuse to obey, you refuse his grace.  For example, if you were starving, and a person said, “Come to my house and I will give you all the food you need”, it would be his grace that you have food to eat.  You would not be earning it or meriting it but just receiving it.  If you did not do what he asked to go to his house, enter and sit at his table and eat, you would be rejecting his grace. Obedience does not purchase the free gift of God’s salvation but is rather the acceptance of His grace by one’s faith in God.

          Gordon Musick

   Musick-al note # 295                      

The statement of Jesus in Matthew 8:11-12 says, “And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  There are two distinct things taught here: (1) there will come a time when the redeemed of all earth shall be in the Kingdom of God together.  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all from the east and west shall have entered in and enjoy that fellowship. (2) Those Jews to whom Jesus spoke would not be able to enter in but would be cast out where there would be weeping and gnashing their teeth.  Jesus said in Luke 13:24-30, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  “When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’  But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.  They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”  No one can claim a right to enter the eternal city except those who obey Him (Revelation 22:14).

          Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note # 296      

          If a person takes a package to the Post Office to mail to a friend, the clerk will weigh the package and from his rate book obtain the amount of postage.  You may not be pleased, think the amount is too high, but usually one will pay the amount quoted. It would do no good to take the package to another Post Office in another place for every clerk would weigh the package, obtain the amount of postage from the rate book and it would be the same.  We would expect it to be and would be very surprised if each were different from the others.  Why would they all be the same? Because there is a standard rate for all postage in the United States and all Post Offices will follow the same rate book.  They have the same standard of authority and follow it.

          In religious matters, for instance, when one wants to know the answer to the question, “What must I do to be saved?” and asks two, three or more groups this question, he is likely to receive as many different answers as the number of groups that he asks.  One will say one thing, another something else and another something different.  Why is this so?  To listen to each one’s voice you would think that all follow God and His word.  Yet when answering such a question, one follows a discipline, another follows a church manual, another goes to a creed book, and another goes to the New Testament.  Are all serving God?  They claim to be, but are they following the Bible which is the Word of God.  Obviously not.  Do all have the same authority in religion?  No, for they follow other books or creeds written by men.  It is no marvel that the religious world is divided.  All do not follow the same book of authority in their religious matters.

          Yet, we all could follow the New Testament.  It would mean letting God speak through it without interpretation.  It would mean discarding disciplines, manuals and creed books.  It would mean setting aside prejudice, laws of men and decrees of council, synod and pope.  It would mean a fresh look at God’s Word and with a willingness to follow Him alone, adding nothing to His Word and taking nothing away.  It would mean we all would have the same book of authority and could all answer the question, “What must I do to be saved?” with the same answer given in the first century.  It would mean unity in our day and age.

             Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note # 294               

          Many articles have been written concerning the above heading that ought to bring our minds constantly to this truth.  In every field of endeavor, this truth is known.  In music, the master must constantly use his abilities and continually practice every piece or he will lose his abilities to perform as he ought.  In the field of science, the teacher or researcher must use his knowledge and continually refresh his mind in the basic principles of science or the ability to teach is impaired and the researcher will be unable to develop new frontiers. In the field of language, the linguist who does not  us every language at his command will find that he cannot express his thought adequately to people in their native tongue because he has forgotten those phrases or words that he needs.

          This same thing is true in the church, the individual who does not use his abilities, knowledge and skills will find that he gradually loses them.  The person who memorizes Scripture and ceases to use those Scriptures for a time cannot quote them as he once was able to do.  The person who ceases to teach or pray or sing or any other thing will lose those abilities with the passing of time.  We find another truth connected with this teaching.  Those who are not used in the work of Christ are soon lost to Christ!  Be it a convert of mature age or a child reared in a Christian home. If they are not used or will not accept the responsibilities given to them, they will soon be lost again.  Many guess-timations (statistics without proven facts) have come across my desk that we lose as much as 80 % of our own children and 70% of all converts to Christ.  I ask the question “Why”?  Isn’t it because of lack of nurture and lack of use?  People just will not stay with a cause which has no use for them.  They must work for it or be lost from it. The Lord’s church is large enough and varied enough in its work to accommodate every person on earth.  Their talents, abilities, time and influence can be used.  We need only to have enough vision, wisdom and patience to be able to use them in the work.  If these are used, we will not lose them.

               Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 293

          Sometimes people mutter in objection when asked to do something within the church, “A clique runs this church.”  Sure!  Every church is run by a clique.  This clique is composed of those who are present at every service, respond to every invitation to share responsibility, attend every meeting, give sacrificially, never complain, make suggestions to the proper persons, and pray regularly for the church and its program.  Those who are in the clique read their Bibles regularly, dig down for extra-large gifts when the need arises, offer their services even before they have to be asked, and in general, THEY DO THE WORK!

          The clique which runs the church has often been described as “the faithful few”.  They are the ones you can really depend on at all times.  Attend the midweek service, and you will get some idea of who the faithful few are.  Attend all the services of the church during any one week, and look around … you will see the faithful few.  Attend all the services of a Gospel meeting and there they are.

          Are you a part of the clique that runs the church?  You should be!  And you can be.  Faithful service is the key.  If you are zealous and devoted and dependable in your work, you are part of them.

            Gordon Musick

 Musick-al note # 292   

          The question has been asked, “If the Jews had all believed in Jesus and obeyed the Gospel, would the gentiles (any not Jews) have been saved? This question being posed in such a way indicates that some are teaching that if all the Jews had believed, then the Gospel of Jesus would not have been preached to the Gentiles.  I do not know why one would so teach because  the Scriptures from the very beginning indicated that He had predestined that ALL would be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus (Romans 8:29, Ephesians 1:4-5).  I assume that those who are saying that if the Jews had believed, then the Gospel would not have been preached to the Gentiles have taken their cue from Romans 11:11 where Paul said that “through their fall, salvation is come to the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy”.  However the next verse changes the tenor of such teaching by saying, “Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!  (Romans 11:12).  How much greater the opportunity for all men to hear and obey the Gospel if all Jews had believed and obeyed!  Quite the opposite of saying that only because the Jews failed did the Gentiles have a chance of obedience.  God is desiring that all come to repentance (both Jew and Gentile) that He might save them (2 Peter 3:9).

God has always wanted man to be obedient to Him.  His blessings have always been given to the obedient.  Even when Cain failed in obedient worship, God offered him acceptance if he would repent and do right (Genesis 4:6-7).  Throughout the years of God dealing with the Jews, He continually said they were to listen to His statutes and keep them they would live and be blessed (Deuteronomy 4:1, Joshua 22:5, 1 Kings 2;3-4, Jeremiah 11:1-7, Malachi 4:4-6).  God so greatly desired man to come to Him that He sent His son to redeem mankind. Every person who hears the Gospel of Christ should want to follow Jesus and become a Christian to have eternal life through him.  His love for the salvation of all humanity should cause every Christian to seek the lost from every strata of mankind without prejudice toward anyone. Never should any Christian desire any person to be lost in Hell and be separated from God’s heavenly home.

Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 291     

          Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God?  There are religions in the world that follow other writings and teachings that have been in existence for centuries.  There are many preachers in churches today who claim to be following the Lord Jesus yet only use the Bible as a smorgasbord of religious truth by choosing only the verses they desire and negating the rest.  Just adding a verse to support a statement does not make it a Biblical truth to be followed.  It must not contradict, add to nor omit any other scripture (John 20:30-31, 2 Peter 1:3, Revelation 22:18-19).  Jesus said that man’s life depends upon every word that God has given (Matthew 4:4) so we dare not ignore any of His words for fear that we will miss heaven (Matthew 7:21-24, Luke 6:46, John 14:23-24).

Do you read and study to know what God has revealed in His Word?  If not, can you honestly say “I believe the Bible is truly God’s Word”?  Do you ever compare God’s Word with what is taught and done in your church?  All too often, we listen and accept the words of a preacher as truth for they declare that they are true, yet Jesus himself declared that many false teachers are in the world (Matthew 7:15] Man-made traditions and commandments overshadowed God’s Word (Matthew 24:11-13). It can happen today. I suppose that preachers believe that their teaching is truth for their parents followed it and generations before them followed it, but remember what Jesus said about the Jews (Matthew 15:8-9).  We must know the Word and observe and listen so we will know whether any teaching or action that is given is supported by the scriptures or not (1 John 4:1). If we fail to study and know the Word of God, we will blindly follow any teaching that we hear and thus place our souls in danger of eternal loss if the teaching is erroneous (Matthew 7:21-23, 15:13-14).

          For instance, people have said, “all one needs is to have faith to receive salvation” or “believe that Jesus is God’s Son” to be saved or “say a prayer in faith” to become a Christian.  While a person must have faith and believe that Jesus is God’s Son to become a Christian, the New Testament plainly teaches that there is much more to be done.  Consider one example of becoming a Christian by following the life of the Apostle Paul.  First seen at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58-60), he approved Stephen’s death, then in his zeal to stop the sect who believed in a risen Christ, he obtained letters of authority of the Jewish leaders to go to other places to arrest any he could find.  On the way to Damascus, he met Jesus, was convicted of sin, blinded and led into the city where for three days and nights, he prayed. Was his sins forgiven when he saw Jesus? No. Was his sins forgiven when he prayed those three days? No. When the disciple, Ananias came to him and he received his sight, was he saved then? No. Paul recounted what Ananias told him in Acts 22:16, “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord”.  When Paul obeyed the Lord’s commands, his sins were washed away and he was a saved person who lived a new life in following Jesus the Christ. Paul in writing to the Galatians said that one enters Christ by being baptized and one becomes a child of God (Galatians 3:26-27).  Not by a declaration of faith, not by repentance and not by prayer but by obeying the Gospel one can enter Christ Jesus. To declare another way is the teaching of man, not of God, to be cast away. (Matthew 7:21-23

          Gordon Musick

 Musick-al Note # 290       

          Our efforts to grow spiritually may seem to five such small returns that we become discouraged with ourselves.  Perhaps this comes as a result of not truly recognizing our true position in life and our proper relationship with God.  Sometimes we want to live in a “what might have been” world and confuse our minds relative to the real world of our lives.  We need therefore to truly evaluate ourselves by looking into the “perfect law of liberty”, the New Testament.  Instead of saying, “If only” and “It might have been”, we need to accept ourselves, not only with all our limitations and shortcomings, but also with our aspirations, strengths and capabilities.  We must accept the fact that we have sinned and must be redeemed.  Christ Jesus is the redeemer of those who obey him (Hebrews 5:9). We are made a child of God in obeying Christ (Galatians 3:26-27) and use the good in our lives in service to him while weeding out those things that are destructive.

          God’s Word is a source of strength to all who will make a serious effort to study and understand it.  Prayer to God, the Father, will further strengthen us because we reach the maker of the world, the sustainer of all things who loves every man and gives freely to them.  God continues to be the greatest power in the universe and His interest in us has not lessened.   He answers the prayer of those who truly seek to follow Him.  Our fellow-Christians are also a source of help and strength as we confide in one-another in love..  Mutual help is a must if we are to live faithfully in this life.  One cannot live alone for man has always needed fellowship and he has never changed into a self-sufficient being thus we must give and accept the fellowship of other Christians.

            Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 289

          Anger is a human emotion that rises when one has been wronged or one sees wrong being committed against another.  God does not deny that man gets angry, nor does he command that which cannot be done.  However, one must train himself to control what he does when he gets angry and also to recognize the things that make him angry.  If those things that make him angry is against the will of God, he still should not sin.  When one becomes angry, his ability to think well and wisely is lessened, therefore careful thought in advance of events that make one angry will help that person control his emotion and help him to overcome sin.  Being angry about transgressing God’s will is a right motive for Jesus did this (John 2:13-17).  Even in this one would have to be careful lest he overstep his authority and sin.

Paul said that we were not to let the sun go down upon our wrath (Ephesians 4:26).  We must seek to reconcile ourselves with a brother or sister when something is between us (Matthew 21:3) whether we have done wrong against them or they have wronged us.  We need not carry the weight of sin upon our souls but rather we should cast all our cares upon him (1 Peter 5:7).  Making things right in a short time will give us a better life and help us to live faithfully as Jesus wants us to live (Titus 2:11-14),

          Gordon Musick