Musick-al Notes

Musick-al note: # 16
A TIME TO REMEMBER
When you wake to see the morning sun,
Remember that Jesus is the light of the world.
When you dress for your day’s work,
Remember that we put on Christ in baptism.
When you eat your food at your table,
Remember that Jesus is the bread of life.
When you quench your thirst with water,
Remember that Jesus is the water of life.
When you drive on the road to work,
Remember that Jesus is the way to heaven.
When you read the newspaper or a book,
Remember that Jesus is the Word from God.
When you are called on to speak or teach,
Remember that Jesus is the Truth.
When you are sick or have to face death,
Remember that Jesus is Life eternal.
When you travel the road to another town,
Remember that Jesus is the Way to the Father.
When you are tired and have to sit to rest a while,
Remember that Jesus can give rest to your soul. .
When you meet your friends for lunch,
Remember that Jesus is a true friend.
When you meet your mother, sister, or brother,
Remember that God is your heavenly Father.
When you go on vacation,
Remember that God is there and everywhere.
When you return to work – tired, weary and sore,
Remember that God has a work for you to do.
When the days seem many and long,
Remember that there is a rest for God’s people.
When you return home at the end of the day,
Remember that God has a home prepared for you.
When you sit back in your easy chair,
Remember that God sits on His throne.
When darkness falls in the evening,
Remember that no darkness will invade heaven.
When you see the stars shining in heaven,
Remember that the creator placed them there.
When you close your eyes in sleep,
Remember that God’s angels watch over you.
When you pull up the bedding to cover you,
Remember that Jesus blood covers your sins.
When sickness and pain make you miserable,
Remember that Jesus is the Great Physician.
When you have to cross the river of death,
Remember that on the other side is eternal day.
When you recognize His goodness toward you,
Remember to thank God for His constant love for you.

Gordon Musick

Another Musick-al note:                                                   15                    

                                BEWARE OF FALSE TEACHERS

   It is clearly taught in the New Testament that there are false teachers in the religious world.  One would have to look only a little at the teaching of the religious world today to know that this is true.  In every place there are men teaching and practicing doctrines that are contradictory to each other and not found in the Bible.  Such teachings cannot all be right or God would be the author of confusion.  Paul declared that God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33).  With only a little study of the New Testament one can see that many of these doctrines contradict the teachings of Jesus and His disciples.  There are many scriptures that warn of false teachers such as Matthew 7:15; Matthew 24:11; Acts 20:30; 2 Cor.11:13; Gal. 2:4; 2 Peter 2:1 and 1 John 4:1.  Study these carefully and you will see that Jesus and his Apostles foretold of their coming and warned the faithful to not follow them.  John even told how to prove whether one was false or not when he said, “Test the spirits, for many false teachers have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1.  How are we to test these spirits?  By the Word of God of course.  There is no other standard than God’s own Word.  Paul said in Galatians 1:7-9, “some will trouble you and pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an angel from heaven preach to you any gospel other than that which we preached to you, let him be accursed.  As we have said before, so I say again, if any man preach to you any gospel other than that which you received, let him be accursed.”  Do you realize what Paul said?   He said that there would be false teachers and they would pervert or change the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He went further and said that he, himself, could preach no other gospel than which he had preached and no angel could preach another gospel than which he had preached or no other man could preach another gospel than which he had preached without being cursed.  We must recognize that the Lord God will be the one to curse the person who teaches doctrines that are contrary to the Word of God.  Preachers can change the Word of God in three ways (1) by adding men’s doctrine to the Word, (2) substituting a teaching that replaces God’s Word and (3) by simply omitting parts of the Word (Revelation 22:18-18).

Another Musick-al note:                                                                                          8/19/18                     14

                                                       THE CRUCIAL WORDS

      There are no more crucial words in the New Testament than these: “BEING IN CHRIST” for everything that is important to every individual when they leave this world hinges upon BEING IN CHRIST. One may achieve greatness in the world and be esteemed highly by everyone for their work and deeds. They may do magnificent things, be exalted, honored and adored for their exploits, work and heroism.  They may be given devotion and trust by every acquaintance. They may have gained the whole world yet in the eternal sense they have utterly failed (Mark 8:36)!!  Having many abilities, they used them for personal satisfaction without considering the fact that life on earth would end.  They took no heed to the eternity that comes after death not knowing or caring that Judgment would come and that ETERNAL LIFE would depend upon the words – “BEING IN CHRIST”.  

       The New Testament writers reveal very specific words about being in him and doing his will. Note these: John 10:9 ‘I am the door, enter in and be saved’, Matthew 11:28 ‘come to me and have rest, John 15:1-8 ‘live in me and bear fruit’, Acts 4:12 ‘no salvation in any other name’, 2 Corinthians 5:17 ‘in Christ we have new life’, 2 Corinthians 5:21 ‘in him we are righteous’, Ephesians 1:3-13 ‘all blessings are in him’, ‘we are chosen in him’, ‘we are adopted in him’, ‘accepted in him’, ‘forgiven all sin in him’, he has promised to gather us together in him’, ‘God will give us our inheritance in him’, ‘sealed us with the Holy Spirit in him’ and Ephesians 2:18 ‘those in him have access to the Father’ and many other verses could be noted.  Most people would agree and approve of these things.

      The saddest thing is that most people ignore the verses that speak of “HOW” to attain the status of ‘BEING IN CHRIST’ and many preachers refuse to proclaim them!!!  Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, the door, the gate to life and few find it and enter (Matthew 7:13-14, John 10:9, John 14:6) to have life.  The Apostle Paul wrote about how one enters Christ (Galatians 3:26-27).  We are made children of God through faith in Christ by being baptized into Christ to put on Christ.  He also said in Romans 6:3-10 that being baptized meant we have died to sin, were buried with Him and raised with Him to walk in a new life so we must not sin.  Paul himself was baptized to wash away his sins to call on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16).  If preachers don’t peach it and teachers don’t tell it, how can anyone prepare for eternity? If we are to heed the words of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, we must hear and know how to respond to His invitation to come and LIVE IN HIM.

Another Musick-al note:                                                                                        13

                                                          ARGUING WITH GOD

          Will you be among the number who will contend (argue) with the Lord on the judgment day concerning entrance into heaven? Having passed through life thinking that heaven will be their eternal home, yet be set on the left with the goats, one would certainly want to know why and even contend for a right to enter in.  Listen to these in Matthew 7:22, “We have taught in your name.  We have cast out devils in your name. Now why are we being separated from you though-out eternity?”  We can almost hear them adding, “We have given our lives because of you and your promises.  We have gone to other lands and taught others to believe in you and we even suffered ridicule because of you.  We helped the poor and the sick and suffering because of you.  We gave ourselves to doing good works because of you.  Now WHY, Lord, WHY?  Why are we going to be cast away? On and on these will go with their reasoning saying, “We called you Lord, lived our lives for you.  You said that if we would give only a cup of water in your name we would not lose our reward.  But Lord, we have given more!  We have given up houses and lands and families and brothers and sisters because of you.  Why, Lord, are we to be cast out?  We believed we would be able to rejoice with your coming.  Now why this?”  Innumerable will be the reasons given by those on the left, seeking entrance to the heavenly city.

          Listen to the Lord’s answer, “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you”.  Why?  This answer seems so contradictory to the words of the contenders.  Can it be that the Lord is two-faced, that He has respect of persons after all, choosing only certain ones to enter in?  Such would be a terrible thought indeed – that we serve such a heartless and faithless Master.  There is more to this situation than just the above words for the context of these words reveals His saying, “Enter in at the strait gate, for strait is the gate and few will find it.”  Again, he exhorted by the parable of the builders, “The wise builder hears my words and does them.”  This then would cause Jesus to say, “I never knew you” for they (the contenders) never entered the strait gate.  They obeyed only the commands that they wanted to obey and added anything they wished.  They called Him “Lord” but did not obey Him.  They called him “friend” but as an enemy they taught disobedience and disrespect for His Words by teaching the doctrines of men for others to obey and follow.           How will you stand before the Lord?  As a contender or as an obedient child?  You are one or the other by your present obedience or neglect and setting the course of life for its final destination.  When you stand before the Lord, the Lord Jesus will welcome you if you come to Him in obedient faith, but if you deny Him in this world He will deny you in the last day!  

Another Musick-al note:                                                      12

                                 THE TWO PARTS OF SALVATION     

     It should not be a surprise to people that there are two parts to the salvation of our souls.  God formed man in his own image with the freedom to act and choose.  When men believed Satan’s lies, they disobeyed God and lost their fellowship with Him.  God loved mankind and initiated redemption but men continued to choose disobedience and sin.  God continued His plan to save all who would recognize and love Him, finally sending His Son, Jesus, into the world to save lost mankind. Jesus took upon Himself the sin-debt (Ezekiel 18:3, Romans 6:23) of every man and paid its price on the cross for all men (Hebrews 2:9).  We thank the Lord God for accepting His death in lieu of the death of all men. Jesus was raised from the dead and now sits at God’s own right hand offering eternal salvation to all who believe and obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). God’s part is now complete and it remains for man to do his part to save his own soul.

    Every person must accept the fact that they must respond to God’s offer of salvation or be lost forever.  Man must believe that Jesus is the Christ (John 3:16), repent (die to) of every sin (Luke 13:3, Acts 17:30), confess Christ Jesus as Lord (Matthew 10:32-33) and be buried with Him (Colossians 2:12) in baptism (submerged in water), then be raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-10).  It is in the act of baptism that God washes away each person’s sin (Acts 22:16).  Jesus paid the debt of sin for all mankind.  Now the Lord Jesus is the source of salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8-9).  In being baptized, we become children of God (Galatians 3:26-27) and we are added to His body (1 Corinthians 12:13) which is His church (Ephesians 1:22-23).  This obedience to the Gospel of Christ is the beginning of our new life (Romans 6:4) in which we must continue to pay attention to the Words of Jesus that we may do them (Matthew 7:21-27).  Also in obeying the Gospel of Christ we place ourselves in Christ and in His ultimate safety from the wrath of God (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).  It is therefore so very important that we do our part in saving our souls by obeying Him and living for Him.   God has done His part.  Will we do our part?                         

Another Musick-al Note:                                                                11

                                                 BEAUTY FROM GOD

Psalms 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, the earth shows His handiwork.”

          God has given to man many marvelous works of beauty that are hardly noticed and not appreciated by most men who live all of life in sordid existence.  From the first greying of the heavens when the morning stars sing together to the full flow of light from the golden sun upon the earth, God’s works of beauty unfold for human eyes.  In the brightness of day when the shadow of fleecy clouds sooth man’s fevered face or cool winds from lofty mountains and stately trees bring to the grassy valley a remembrance of God’s glory there, man is exposed to the marvels of nature given by the Lord.  Vast areas of flowers, grass, trees, rivers, oceans and mountains give vistas for human eyes.  Even in the evening when the great orb of fire falls beyond human view and the last kiss of light reflected from rose-blossomed clouds, God’s great handiwork is seen to bless man upon his way.  Nor does God neglect beauty when day is done.  Ere the last rays have faded, out of their midst comes to view the bright diamonds of the evening stars appear.   As moments pass, the heavens are studded with glorious light from a million stars, each burning in brilliance to attract the notice of thoughtless man below.  The more brilliantly they shine, the deeper the hues of vast space are revealed to man, drawing his thoughts to eternity and to the throne of God.  The moon also reflects its beauty and every month, its phases move from full to a tiny sliver as it is hidden behind the earth.  From planting season to harvest time, its changes reflect the glory of God who created it.  

        Can God give us beauty so great and reserve no greater beauty for eternity?  I think not.  Heaven will reveal such glorious beauty that as hard as it may be to believe, all this will pale and seem so drab and sordid, men will wonder that we did not desire to leave and be with God.

Another Musick-al note:                                                                                                   10

                                      THE COMMANDS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH          

     Why can’t we follow any of the commands of the Old Testament in living the Christians life? The Bible is divided into two major divisions.  These are the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The Old Testament deals primarily with the history of the Jewish nation and the laws that God gave to them.  The New Testament deals with Jesus Christ and the laws and commandments given to His Church.  Because now (in this Christian Age), God is concerned with the Church that belongs to His Son, men (even the Jews) are no longer under the laws of the Old Covenant because Jesus took the Law away as stated in Hebrews 10:9-10. “Then He said, “Behold, I have come to do your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.  By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”.   Paul said in Ephesians 2:13-16, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility”.   That law with its commandments was the Old Covenant law given to the Jews which was nailed to the Cross (Colossians 2:14).  The new covenant was established by Jesus so that we can be sanctified (Hebrews 10:9-10).  Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me”. (John 14:6).  All men must come to Jesus Christ for salvation from their sins. (Acts 4:12).  The first Will was taken away and we are now sanctified by the New Will or New Testament when we are obedient to the words given by the Lord Jesus and His Apostles.  The Hebrew writer said ‘he learned obedience through what he suffered, and being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Heb. 5:9).   Therefore follow only the will of Christ                                                                                          

Musick-al note # 9       

      God sent his son into the world that He might redeem man.  To that end Jesus gave his life’s blood for all of mankind.  In Hebrews 2:9, the writer states that “He, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man.”  In Ephesians 1:7 Paul said “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”  Does this mean that all men are saved just because Christ died on the Cross?  If they are, why then did Jesus speak of some people being cast away into eternal punishment? (Matthew 25:46).  Why did He and the writers of the New Testament warn about false teachers and their false doctrines that lead to eternal destruction (Luke 14:22, Galatians 2:4)?  Paul said that even Christians will be lost if they follow false teachers (Galatians 1:6-9).  Obviously we need to study more carefully to understand what is taught so that we harmonize the teaching of the Scripture about the death of Christ.      Two verses concerning sin come to mind.  The first is Ezekiel 18:4 “Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine; the soul that sins shall die”. The next is Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.  Both of these verses say that ‘if you sin you must pay the penalty of death’!  Sin holds the debt until it is paid.  That payment is spiritual death – separation from God.  Thank God that He accepted the death of Jesus (who had no sin) for the sin-debt of all men (Isaiah 53:11).  We must accept the fact that we still have our sins until we meet God’s conditions for forgiveness by getting into Christ.  Those conditions are: we must believe (John 8:24), we must repent (Acts 17:30), we must confess him (Matthew 10:32-33) and we must be baptized into Him (Galatians 3:26-27).  Please note: Paul was required to do this (Acts 22:16).  Everyone who is baptized into Christ will receive the free gift of God which is eternal life.  Everyone wants this gift, but not all are willing to meet God’s condition for pardon which is called ‘obeying the gospel’.  God saves all who will come to Him by His Son (John 14:6, Hebrews 5:9).  Those who fail to obey Jesus’ Gospel will die in their sin to suffer eternal punishment (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).  We must be faithful in life and preach the Gospel continually so everyone will have the opportunity to be blessed in Christ Jesus

Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note # 8

       Israel was the chosen people of God.  He chose them for the purpose of bringing the Savior into the world.  God told Abraham in Genesis 22:18, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”  Paul in Galatians 3:16 said, “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.  These verses show that God chose the seed (descendants) of Abraham to bring Christ (the seed) into the world to bless the world with salvation.  That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners is stated as the work of Christ in Luke 10:10.  He did this by living a pure life and giving Himself as a sacrifice for the sin-debt of the world.  He now rules and reigns over His kingdom from the throne above as He offers salvation for those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8-9).  He would have all men to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4) and be saved by obedience to Him.  If Jesus Christ had not died on the Cross of Calvary then no soul could have been saved for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.  God had decreed that every soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:4). Jesus died for every man (Hebrews 2:9). This included the Israelites for they also had sinned.  Paul stated in Galatians 3:22 “The scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”  When a person believes that Jesus is the Christ and obeys His gospel, the Lord adds that person to His church (Acts 2:47).  Every man (including all Jews) who denies Him will be denied by the Son of God when he comes into judgment. (Luke 12:9).  If Christ had not died for you then YOU would die for your own sin.

Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 7        

The very fact that man has the Bible, God’s Word, is sufficient proof that God is interested in man.  He had a plan for man from the very foundation of the world.  Jesus said when He comes into his glory and separates the sheep from the goats, He will say to the sheep, Matthew 25:34 “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”.  Peter said in 1 Peter 1:18-20   You know that you were redeemed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.  He was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake”.  And in Revelation 13:8 “And all who dwell on earth will worship the beast, every one whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain”.   God planned for man to be redeemed by the blood of His Son before the world was made.  Paul said that he was preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ which God had planned from the beginning in Ephesians 3:9-11 “And to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.  This was according to the eternal purpose which was realized in Christ Jesus our Lord”.  In 1 Corinthians 2:7, Paul said that “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory”.  God planned for man to be redeemed in Christ before the world began.  Ephesians 1:4-5 “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will”.  Paul said in Galatians 3:26-27 “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”  We should obey Him and be blessed.

Gordon Musick