It was while the jury was out that a sincere lady in the room stepped up to Curly and asked, “So, why all the fuss?” Strings Against the Wind!

“Why go to all these foreign words?” She said, “We don’t use it at home, but I don’t see much wrong with the instrument. Why can’t we just let them believe what they want?” Strings Against the Wind!

“To save souls!” said Curly. “Even to help KEEP Christians saved!” “It is to save souls!” Strings Against the Wind!

*Galatians 2:4-5 “Remember, they are the prosecution in this trial; we are the defense. From THEM comes the charge.” “Although they may not realize it, what they are doing seeks to take away the truth of the all-sufficient Gospel.* And THERE is the danger … for that keeps people in bondage!”*

Strings Against the Wind! “If it were that they believed using the instrument were only unwise, or uncomfortable, that’s one thing.”

“But they have made a Federal crime out of it…with a verdict of death!” “You remember the prosecution’s charge given by the good Mr. Nevermore.” “He said, ‘… It is a matter of Heaven and Hell!’” * *(Full-page advertisement, appearing in The Oklahoman, costing $11,000, March, 2008, ) Strings Against the Wind!

“The problem is they won’t allow ‘others’ the freedom to believe what they have discovered! … Not, and, in their judgment, be ACCEPTED and fellowshipped!” “Or certainly … be saved!” “And THAT is adding to the Gospel!”

“… THAT is stepping into salvation ‘territory!’” Strings Against the Wind! “For, you see, to insist that the instrumental music issue ‘… is a matter of Heaven and Hell … ‘… is a matter of Heaven and Hell …’” “But Whoa! SALVATON ‘territory’ SALVATON ‘territory’ … is GOSPEL ‘territory!’” … is GOSPEL ‘territory!’”

Strings Against the Wind! “And so the question comes, ‘Is the Gospel of Christ all sufficient to save? Or isn’t it?’”

“You don’t add to the SALVATION message, the Gospel, without dangerously placing your own soul in jeopardy!” “When you alter the Gospel, the prosecution becomes the prosecuted! I mean, the very act of prosecuting then becomes the crime!” Strings Against the Wind! “The Galatians were warned about that very thing.” “Remember?” “Oh, no! You don’t mess with Gospel territory!” You don’t mess with Gospel territory!”

“Some Judaizers were coming in among them adding to the Gospel! They weren’t subtracting from it! I mean, they weren’t denying the deity of Christ or denying baptism for remission of sins.” Strings Against the Wind!

“They were saying, ‘Oh yes, the Gospel saves, but you need to add something else!’ “It was the Gospel … … plus one more thing!” … plus one more thing!” “Circumcision “Circumcision !”* *(Actually, to convert to the whole system of Judaism. Then, Galatians 5:1 says “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” “A” yoke! Any yoke! Why leave one yoke only to submit to another? Christ has set us FREE!)

Strings Against the Wind! “Theirs was, ‘You’d better agree with us on our position concerning CIRCUMCISION…’ ‘… or you will be ‘prosecuted!’ “That is, you will not be saved!”

Strings Against the Wind! “And that’s what the prosecution is doing here!” “You’d better agree with ‘“You’d better agree with us on our position concerning INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC …” “… or you will not be saved!’”

Strings Against the Wind! “It’s a haunting ring in my ears, that God in His fury would have the right to ask, ‘ Why are you putting words in My Mouth? I know how to speak for Myself! Especially about man’s salvation!’” * *(2 Timothy 3:16-17)

“He said to them, ‘Woe-hoe, Nellie! ‘But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed*. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.’”** Strings Against the Wind! “And Paul defended the Gospel!” **(Galatians 1:8-9) *anathema

“Changing the Gospel … that is, adding to or subtracting from the Message of Jesus concerning SALVATION, dear ma’am, THAT, according to the Holy Spirit, expressly stated, ‘… is a matter of Heaven and Hell!’” Strings Against the Wind!

“It’s to defend the Gospel! To save souls!” “We don’t want God’s wonderful people to be guilty like the Pharisees when Jesus told them, ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.’* We don’t want ANYONE made a ‘child of hell!’ Strings Against the Wind! * Matthew 23:15 We want older converts to teach the right message … … the Gospel of Jesus! … the Gospel of Jesus! We want new converts to get the right message … … the Gospel of Jesus! … the Gospel of Jesus! “We want the all-sufficient Gospel of Jesus simply allowed to do its job … … to save souls!”

“Dear heart! Defending the Gospel!” “That’s why all the fuss! There’s no animosity here.” Strings Against the Wind! “It is humbly to save souls!”