Musick-al Notes

Musick-al note # 6 

     God created man and opened Himself to a wonderful fellowship with man.  God gave man the free will of choice (to be obedient to him or follow his own will).  God’s desire was for man to do what was right so that He might continue to enjoy this fellowship.  We must remember that before their sin, God came into the Garden of Eden and visited with Adam and Eve. Their fellowship was pure and complete and I imagine a great joy to them.  However, Satan entered the situation and taught that God did not really mean what He said but was withholding knowledge and position from them (Genesis 3:4-5). They believed Satan and disobeyed God’s command and ate of the forbidden fruit. Their sin destroyed their relationship with God who is sinless.  Their disobedience caused them to die spiritually (separated from God).  They were cast out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:22-24) lest they eat of the tree of life and live in sin forever.  In His decrees God said to Satan “because you have done this that the seed of woman would bruise his head but Satan would bruise His heel (Genesis 3:15).  Satan gave a wound to Jesus in causing His crucifixion, but Jesus gave Satan the mortal wound when He rose from the dead having conquered him.  At Jesus death, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom symbolically showing that the way into the presence of God was opened by Jesus, His Son (1 John 1:3, 7).  In Him we can have fellowship with God again and enjoy eternity in His divine presence.  Man was created to have fellowship with God and with one another but only in Christ can that fellowship be achieved, and it will last throughout eternity.  

Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note # 5

          How unthinking we mortals are!  The God of heaven has offered to us more than we can ever hope to attain and yet we turn aside as though He were seeking to destroy us forever.  Our faith is weak or we have believed the lie of the devil for if our faith was strong in God and we fully trusted Him we would allow nothing to hinder our seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33) that we might attain that which God has offered to us in Christ Jesus. Instead, we seek treasures upon he earth – knowing all the while that moth and rust will corrupt and thieves can break through and steal (Matthew 6:19-21) or that we will leave it all behind when we die to go to our eternal reward (Luke 12:19-21).

          God has promised an abundant life in Christ Jesus (John 10:10).  We want a life full of joy, peace and happiness, where one does not have to worry, fret or guard against loss.  Jesus has promised an eternal life to come which is far greater than all that man can imagine.  Think of the glorious offering to the sons of men!  To man, who is sinful, who has fallen short of the glory of God, who has transgressed His divine will for man, God has dared to offer forgiveness in Christ and all that is best for fallen man.  God would have all men come to a knowledge of Him and come to repentance.  He has even offered to make men His own sons by adoption through baptism into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27).  He has extended to man salvation, if only man will repent, reverence Him and obey His will in this life.  What joy will be those who come into the presence of the living God and hear Him say, “Well done, faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.”  What a gracious offering from the God of heaven!  To love man, His creation, to the extent that He would receive him eternally into His presence to bless man with a life that has no end.  The Lord is very gracious to the sons of men!  Let us then be thankful receivers of the gift of God by obeying His will to enter into Christ and obey Him throughout life.  What tragic loss if we do not know God and refuse to obey the Gospel of Jesus (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).

Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 4

          It could be said without contradiction that God has been disappointed with man whom He has made.  From the Garden and beginning with Adam, man has continually left God out of his life.  Even though man has always suffered because of this fact, it seems that man is prone to not profit from the mistakes of our forebears but expect each generation to make the same mistake and suffer because of it.  That God was displeased with the children of Israel in the wilderness is plainly taught in the Scriptures, both old and new.  With the warnings of God’s word, it would seem that they could have avoided the wrath of God and enjoyed His blessings.  Yet they lusted after the things of the world, but why should we?  They left the true God for the works of man’s hands, but is that any reason for you and I to do the same?  They tempted the Lord and murmured and complained, but should we not rather learn and avoid those same sins?   Verily, we should.  Then why do we seek after the things of this world and hoard them, seeing that this has always brought the wrath of God upon man?  Can we not understand that putting the things of this world first in life is putting something other than the Lord first?  Shall we continue to dwell in sin and the love of sin and expect the Lord to save us in the Last Day?  Shouldn’t we be showing our love by preaching the Gospel of Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4), obeying Him (1 John 5:1-3) then gaining spiritual things first not the things of this world.  To measure by the life of another Christian is not wise for even the best Christian falls far short of the glory of God. In this year, we must determine to live by faith and follow God’s commands or we will fall into the category of the church of Laodicea as recorded in Revelation 3.  Why should we expect God to keep the light of His word here when we do not follow it?  Ought we not therefore to give the more earnest heed to the things we know to be of Christ, lest we be rejected of Him? (Hebrews 2:3) There is not a single way to escape if we reject His teaching, but we can escape the wrath that is to come (2 Thessalonians 1:8) if and only if we obey the God of heaven.  Consider yourself and be wise, not deceiving but with carefulness for one day we will all appear before the God of heaven to give an account of our lives.  A warning to the wise is sufficient but a multitude of prudent words to the foolish is wasted!

          Be wise and not foolish, knowing the will of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Musick-al note # 3 

            In every enterprise everyone who is engaged in that activity must have someone on whom to depend for final decisions concerning problems and policies that must be followed.  In the home, God has vested that authority in the father.  He, with the help of his mate, must ultimately make the final decision for all problems and policies of family life.  Strife will result if he does not take his rightful place in the home.  In the country in which we live, the constitution gives this final authority to the Supreme Court. Their decisions have the effect of final law for there is no higher court to which one may appeal. In religious matters, God himself is the final and supreme authority.  When God declares a decision, there is no one higher to whom we might appeal for a reversal of that decision.  We cannot, however, speak directly to God to receive a voice communication at this time, but God has blessed man greatly in that He has revealed His will for man today (Hebrews 1:1-2).  That revelation is called the Bible, the Word of God.  The Bible then is our final authority today.  When the Word of God reveals a thing, it has the authority of God behind it as though a direct voice had come from God Himself.  For this reason, the Bible is the highest religious authority in the world today. That which harmonizes with it is correct and that which contradicts its teachings is wrong and must be avoided.  Where men have a question of authority in religious matters, strife, confusion and division will result.  When the Bible is looked to for final authority, every question of a religious nature can be and will be answered and all can agree and follow the will of God Himself.  The Bible furnishes us with knowledge of every good work and gives men sufficient instruction to accomplish God’s will among men (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  It is the highest authority in this world to give the answer to every religious question.

Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 2

     Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God and follow the New Testament as their guide.  However many who say they believe this statement also believe that they can add whatever teaching they want to do and it is still acceptable to the Lord.  Every denomination does this and many within the Lord’s church are now doing the same.  Are we free to do so?  Consider such passages as Revelation 22:18-19, 2 Peter 1:3, 1 John 4:1, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 4:6, John 20:31 and Hebrews 2:1-4. It appears that we should consider the written word as our guide to eternal life.

      It is true that Jesus did many things which are not written in the New Testament as recorded in John 20:30.  He also said in John 21:25, “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”  It would be wrong to assert that Jesus did nothing more than what is written in the New Testament, however we cannot assume that just because Jesus “might” have done a thing or “might” have said a thing that we are free to do those things. 

     Our position must be to follow that which is written, obey those commands that are given and worship as authorized in the New Testament.  We must never “assume” that a teaching or act which is not revealed or written in the New Testament will lead us to God.   Usually those who act and worship on the basis of “it is not forbidden” act and worship as they please. A Christian will act and worship on the basis of “what is authorized” rather than “it is not forbidden”.

Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 1

Little girls  it is said, are made of sugar and spice and everything nice.  By the time all the sugar and spice have worn off, they become mothers and all they have left is everything nice, but that lasts forever. ‘Mother’, in any country of the world; in any language known to mortal man; is by far the most beautiful and meaningful distinction that a mortal can know.  She has in her power the means by which to make us as babes feel safe from all harm.  She can by a simple touch of the hand, cause pain and suffering to subside.  When we feel that everything in the world has gone against us, a word or a smile from Mother renews our faith in life and our fellowman.  Yet she is just someone who is always there when we need her.  She is just a part of the house; another fixture, until we need something mended or want to find something we have lost.

Mothers cook, clean, wash, mend, dream, punish, wheedle, improvise, cajole and make things go twice as far as a man could. Children are what they read to, listen for, play with, watch over, think about, pray for, worry with, do without for and brag to the neighbors about.  A bobby pin, scotch tape and Band-Aids are Mother’s kit of tools, intuition is her college degree, and a new hat is her Declaration of Independence.

All mothers, from the Arctic Circle to the equator, have the reputation of being wonderful cooks.  The older we become and the farther we wander, the more convinced we are that nobody anywhere can make quite as good an apple pie as a Mother.  Mothers are patient souls.  Immensely blessed are all of us that a mother’s heart is as boundless as the universe itself.

Therefore, at this time of the year when we memorialize Motherhood by setting aside a special day in May for recognition of our Mothers, both living and dead, let us offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for His thoughtfulness in creating so wonderful a gift to mankind —- Mother

            Gordon Musick