Musick-al Notes

Musick-al Note #  268  

         Some might think this an irrelevant question, “Why, everybody knows what Christianity is!  It’s the following of Jesus Christ!”

         To be sure, Christianity is the following of Jesus Christ but it should be more than a perfunctory answer to elude the fundamental purpose of asking the question.  Consider the manifold divisions among all people who claim to be following Him.  Look at their conflicting doctrines, their attitudes of hate, party spirit and covetousness as well as their acts of lying, stealing, drunkenness and adultery, then you will know why the question is asked.  Can we separate “Christianity” from the lives of the disciples?  Perhaps we can academically but in the reality of life we cannot.

         If we “follow Christ”, there will be no conflicting doctrines taught because Christ is our teacher and He teaches all the same thing.  He does not teach one to do a thing and another to do an opposite thing.  He does not bind upon one a particular command and release another from that same command.  The Lord is no respecter of persons.

         If we “follow Christ”, our attitudes, thoughts and desires will be brought under His control.  We will love what He loved, hate what he hated, work for his desired goals, follow His actions in word, deed and thought, and present ourselves before God as He presented himself.  No more of this party spirit, hatred of God’s creatures,  covetousness of this world’s goods and no more destroying one another through division and backbiting.  God’s people will be ONE in teaching, thought and actions (John17:20-21.

         If we “follow Christ”, our lives will reflect that we have been with Jesus.   We will obey Him and not man.  He is our Lord, our Redeemer and our Savior.  To Him we devote ourselves even denying self for His cause.  We exemplify Christ to the world.  Truly such is Christianity and every believer is capable of attaining the high and holy calling found in Christ Jesus

               Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note # 267

          In Matthew 11:16-19 Jesus gives a stirring illustration of the way so many people act in regard to Christianity and their response to Him.  He said, “It is like children playing in the market, one group calls to another group saying, “We have played wedding music and you did not join us, and we have done everything including mourning but you have not responded to our pleas at all.”  Jesus explained his figure by saying it corresponds to John the Baptist and to Himself, yet the people did not respond.

          So often we are just like that generation.  We do not respond to the great love of God and is Son, Jesus Christ, nor do we respond to the exceeding great and precious promises given to encourage us.  We do not tremble and fear when we hear the awesome warnings that come from the Word of God.  We are simply playing with Christianity and making up our rules as we go.  We fear neither man or God and we shrug off any thought of opposition to our complacent way of life.  We are pretty well satisfied and yet we have no peace – no real joy and no great goal to which we are striving.  Heaven is just a word in our language, an idea that is spoken about in sermons, we do not view it as an eternal home to which we should be going.  If we truly did we would be striving with all our might to go there.  We are not fully convinced that sin will separate us from an eternity of bliss – to be the cause of an eternity of suffering in the fire of Hell which is prepared for Satan and his angels.

          God is – and His Word abides forever (Psalms 119:89).  Jesus also said that the Scripture cannot be broken (John 10::35). Whatever man might do or say in regard one’s salvation will have no weight when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ himself.  The words of the New Testament are given that we might believe that He is the Christ and obey His commands (John 20:30-31, John 14:15, 21). The scriptures include words we must follow also (2 Peter 3:1-2). We must be about His business both in serving and worshipping Him.  He is the savior of all men; without Him we will be lost throughout eternity, having missed the prize for which we thought we might gain by a pretended Christianity.

                     Gordon Musick

Musick-al note # 266                                                         

            Our desire is to teach the Word of God (and only His Word) is to encourage every student to follow Christ Jesus without the encumbrances of denominational teachings and doctrines.  For any person to teach any doctrine, precept or rule of authority for man to obey not revealed in His inspired Word is an affront to the God of heaven.  Why would man do it?  Who began the process of teaching doctrines that differed from God’s Word?  The answer is found in Genesis 3:1-5.  Satan continues to deceive men to believe that there is no wrong in changing God’s Word revealed by Jesus Christ, His authority today (Matthew 28:18).  Have they not read 2 Peter 1:3 who said, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. “They must ignore the many warnings against doing so to continue to promote teachings not found in the Word (1 Timothy 4:1-3, Matthew 7:21-27, Hebrews 2:1-4H ).  Would it not follow that any teaching, doctrine or practice not found in God’s Word is also departing from the faith?  Jesus said that if we love Him, we will obey His words (John 14:23-24).  The faith we are to follow is revealed in the New Testament (Hebrews 1:1-3, John 20:30-31).  Even the Old Covenant has been laid aside for the New Covenant of Christ (Colossians 2:14, Hebrews 10:9-10, Galatians 5:1-4). Therefore it is wrong to follow those laws (Galatians 5:2-4) or any law, tenant or doctrine formulated by man. The final words of the New Testament are a warning to any who would take away from God’s Words or add to them declaring that they will never share in the tree of life or enter the Holy City.  Such changes result in something that Christ Jesus did not authorize.  To be wise we must study and follow the Word of God which Christ Jesus revealed.   

                Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note # 265               

          When God gave His law to Moses concerning their worship, He required the very best animals for sacrifices to Him.  Those animals were to be perfect.  He forbade the Jews to offer an animal that was lame, or blind or in any way deformed. (Deuteronomy 5:21, Malachi 1:8).  Since Christ became the perfect, eternal sacrifice for sin, God has found no pleasure in the sacrifice of a dead animal.  In this New Testament age, He asks for the saint’s body as a living sacrifice. Being true to His nature He wants man to give his best – a living sacrifice that is unspotted and unblemished by sin (Romans 12:1. He taught that sin was not to be allowed to reign in our bodies to have dominion over us but to yield ourselves to God as those who are alive in Christ and use our members for good work (Romans 6:12-13).

          Does God have the right to require such a sacrifice?  YES!  By right of ownership, He is justified in requiring anything that pleases Him.  What, do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?  For you are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

         The body is not for sin but for God.  He teaches us in Titus 2:11-12 to, “deny ungodliness and worldly lust and live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world.”  The enlightened and faithful Christians will offer it without reservation to the will of heaven.  He will not destroy the body which God has given him but will care and protect it against all disease and harm that he may do the work of Him who loved him and saved him from the eternal doom of hell.

                      Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note # 264

         How marvelous to be remembered!  A phone call, a letter or a few moments shared in Christian fellowship makes our outlook on life so much brighter.  We need to be loved and cared for as well as to love and care for others.  This basic need of man should have its greatest fulfillment in the Christian fellowship.  No need to be lonely and no need to feel sad and neglected, yet because we do not give ourselves freely to one another we are lonely at times, sad and forlorn.  Being unselfish and loving, others will enjoy our presence and care for us and show their concern by such friendly visits to us.  We all need that extra attention at times and it is indeed inspirational when some friend just happens to call.

          Let us not forget that we can be that friend who calls or writes or takes a few minutes to call on another.  We ought to remember how good we feel when someone calls on us and then think of another on whom we might all to spread this happiness.  To just sit at home waiting for others to come to us would be foolish as well as disheartening. “It is more blessed to give than to receive”, Jesus said.  Truly in this area, joy and happiness comes to the giver as well as to the receiver.  Let us love one another with a pure heart fervently.  Let us communicate with one another with sincerity and not with avarice for God will judge our hearts. Give joy to someone’s heart and life by calling or writing or visiting them today.

                         Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note #  263

                                          DEDICATION TO THE LORD

          A great deal of time is given to the exposition of themes that have to do with dedication to Christ.  Yet for our much speaking we must have failed to adequately teach the subject so that many are still unlearned or else we have failed to impress your minds the grave necessity of complete dedication so that we give our lives as “living sacrifices” to the Lord.  So much work needs to be done and the workers are indeed few.  So many Christians are like the five foolish virgins who made some preparation for the bridegroom but failed to be adequately prepared when He came.  Have we deceived ourselves by thinking that “obeying the gospel”, attending a few services, and giving a few dollars will make us pleasing to the Lord?  We now have more time, more money, more energy, more opportunities and more abilities than any people have ever had before, yet we are not doing more for the Lord.  In fact, in so many areas, we are actually doing less than those of lesser abilities and fewer opportunities.  We must recognize the fact that it stems directly from our lack of dedication to the Lord.

          Let us re-dedicate our lives to the Lord and use every opportunity to know more about the Lord. Let us quicken our spirits, develop our talents and stir one another up to good work, We need to recognize every opportunity that comes our way and exert our efforts that both we and others will come to know Christ and obey Him willingly and know that we are pleasing Him.  Then joy will come into our lives through service and a brighter hope will lay before us as we journey throughout this life.

          Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note # 262

                                         OPEN LETTER TO THE FAITHFUL

         Much of our writing, preaching, and visiting is directed to the weak and unfaithful.  I wish to reverse that order here and address the faithful. This article is not addressed to you who have to be begged, petted and pampered before you attend the services of the    church and still are absent as much as you are present.  Nor is it to you if you only give to the church your excuses and grumble and murmur at every work being done.  If you are in this category, you may stop reading if you wish for this is not to you, it is to the faithful.

         Words cannot adequately express our appreciation for you because of your faithful attendance, words of encouragement and concern for our welfare.  You who love the Lord are a source of joy for us as we work together in seeking to save the souls of the lost.  You do not take your responsibility lightly, for you do not let the weather, company, distractions of the world or any other thing keep you from serving and working for the Lord.  You make whatever sacrifice necessary that the work may continue to grow.  Whenever a good program is set before the church, no one will ever wonder what your    response will be or if you can be counted on or not because you will support that work to the utmost of your ability to see the job well done.  When you are given a job to do, it is a forgone conclusion that you will see it through.  You don’t flirt with sin or see how far you can go without apostatizing.  You seek to regulate your life in accordance with the will of Christ that you can bring others to the Lamb of God.

         We appreciate you even more because you make no demand for special attention or praise for your service and you do not consider that being regular and faithful to God is a grievous burden or a feat of valor.  You are a good example to the younger Christians and an inspiration to all of us.  You make the work of a preacher much lighter and offer him joy and satisfaction because he works among such Godly people.

         Thank you for being a faithful Christian, for you have a crown of righteousness laid up in heaven.

          Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note # 261

          When one willfully misses worship he is disobeying a plain command of God.  The Holy Spirit directed, “Not forsaking the assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much toe more, as you see the day drawing nigh” (Hebrews 10:25) and there is more, “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries.”  To sin is a very dangerous thing’ to sin willfully is more dangerous.  In the Old Testament, the willful sin found no forgiveness (Numbers 15:30-31).

          One demonstrates very little regard for the church when he deliberately stays away from worship.  Christ loved the church enough to die for it.  The willful absentee shows by his absence that he has precious little love for the church — not even enough to attend the services.  When the professed Christian deliberately misses worship, he is certainly setting a poor example for new converts, for his children, for other children and for all concerned.  A willful absentee says, “Worship is not very important to me; other things are more important.”         When one absents himself from the services, he makes it very clear that he is not interested in his priesthood.  The Christian is a priest; he has a priestly function.  No one can officiate for God in “offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 2:5.          Staying away willfully weakens the soul.  It discourages brethren.  It injures the church.  It disheartens the elders.  It depresses the minister.  It makes it impossible for that one to teach children and neighbors how very important the church really is.  Most importantly, Christ must be disappointed when His disciple fails to appear.  Every disciple has an appointment with the Master.  The true Christian will keep his appointment.  “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).  The great, loving heart of Christ is surely grieved as He beholds the willful disobedience and shameful indifference of many who profess to follow Him.

          In addition to the above, willful absence declares the true state of love within the absentee.  The less one loves the Lord, the less concerned he will be with meeting with the lord.  The more one misses, the less his love for the Master who will be present in the assembly.  Conversely, one who truly loves the Lord will obey all His commands. (Including the one to meet with the saints when He will be present).  If a boy declares his love for a girl, and then spends all his time with another, none would believe that boy’s declarations of love.  The same is true with the disciple of Christ who claims to love the Lord, yet spends all his time with the world.

           Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note # 260
We all know the value our Lord placed on the church. “He purchased it with His own blood.” All the anguish that filled His heart when He was betrayed and denied by friends, and all the pain that cruel minds made Him suffer is involved in this statement. The bitter hours of agony that began when the nails were driven into His body is part of His estimate of the value of the church.
We talk a lot about what the church is worth, but I wonder how much of this is just talk and how much of it we really mean. Is the church worth some effort on your part to see it grow? After all, growth of the church depends upon the efforts of those who are a part of it. What it will accomplish here on earth is in our hands. Is the church worth our efforts to keep it united? The Lord never divided the church. It was one when He bought it and it was His desire that it remain one. We are taught to “speak the same things and there should be no divisions among us (1 Corinthians 1:10). The unity and happiness of the church will be determined by our actions. The Bible says that God hates those who sow discord among brethren. Is it worth your efforts to keep it in unity?
Is the church worth more than our personal feelings? Churches have often been destroyed by people who talked loudest about their great love for it. Sometimes people want something for the church, or want the church to do something that others do not consider best. Rather than to follow the advice of another it is very often we insist on doing things our way, gathering a group around us, and destroying what could be a good work, all the time professing our great love for the church. We are prone to act on the basis that, “If I don’t like something, my friends can’t like it either.” Thus we organize a group and work to destroy that work. Naturally we are “doing it for the good of the church.” It is never our intention to destroy the work of Christ, but when we take-over to stop or the start a work in spite of what others think, we destroy the unity and effectiveness of the Lord’s church. In so doing we may even divide the church, a grave sin indeed.
If the church is worth enough for Jesus to die for it, is its worth to us should be great enough for us to live for it. Certainly, things that are eternal are more valuable than personal considerations. The church is worth more than having my own way or getting “even” with someone I do not like. The church is worth more than expounding my own hobby. Whatever satisfaction I may receive from having my own way here will last but a short while, but the church is eternal. It is the body of Christ and is never to be divided.
Gordon Musick

Musick-al Note # 259
God is greater in power and in understanding than we are. He made us; therefore He knows what we need and what is best for us. He desires that we worship Him and has set forth regulations which are to help us in ordering our worship to Him. God has given acceptable ways or avenues through which we can worship Him and know that our worship will be received by the Lord God. We are to sing (Ephesians 5:19). We are to pray (John 15:7). We are to partake of the Lord’s Supper to commune with Him (1 Corinthians 11:25-29). We are to give (1 Corinthians 1:1-2). We are to study and grow in knowledge of His Word (2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Peter 3:21).
God thought it best for His people to gather together regularly and often for worship. This is not to say that God cannot be worshipped in the privacy of the home or while one is engaged in regular pursuits of the day, but it is to suggest a deep-felt need of man for assembling with others at times so their hearts may be joined mutually in praise of the God of heaven who controls our breath. Meeting together for worship also strengthens us in Christ.
We may lack perfection in our worship and still be acceptable to God, BUT our efforts to praise Him must not be without sincerity. We may go through a form of worship and satisfy ourselves. Our regularity at services may impress our neighbors BUT unless our actions are a sincere response to God from an honest heart it will profit us nothing. We DO NOT have nearly enough opportunities for public worship. It is necessary that we really use what we have to our advantage. Each service would be beneficial to you. Prepare our heart so you can derive the very most good from it. It is an insult to God to comfortably sleep or otherwise misbehave when we have come to worship God.
Gordon Musick