Weekly Instant Messages

© by Michael Gordon

“Song of the Redeemed”

August 4, 2021

Music has been a very important part of my life from as far back as I can remember.  My Dad’s best friend was Sam Cooke, the legendary soul singer, so we started singing at a very early age.  I can remember a childhood of singing around the “record player” (You young ones can Google that term to see that ancient relic).  My wife and I have been singing in church choirs, groups, productions, weddings, recording sessions, and on stages for many years.  My sons were a part of the singing group, One Chance, and have toured with numerous artists and signed a recording contract with R&B singer,Usher.  So…. music and singing have been a big part of my life.

I am told that Christianity is the only religion where the devotees sing praises to the object or being they worship.  Think about that… out of all the religions of the world, we are the only people who joyfully sing praises to our God and I believe it is because we have been redeemed!!

“Singing seems to come from the soul of someone who was in bondage, but now has been freed and redeemed!”

We, who are redeemed, can do something that even angels cannot do… SING! (I’ll pause for a moment of silence while you get up from the floor and compose yourself)  I know we have been taught there is an angelic choir and that notion has been further popularized by sayings such as, “She sings like an angel” and songs like “Hark, The Herald Angels Sing.” But, I cannot seem to find any passages in the Bible that say angels sing.  Listen to this well-known passage used in Christmas pageants and plays describing the angelic host announcing the birth of Jesus:

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying [not singing], Glory to God in the highest...” (Luke 2:13-14)

Angels only “say.”  They speak… but there is a good chance they don’t sing.  It seems that singing is the natural response of a joyful soul that has been redeemed from the slavery of sin! 

We have been redeemed from the mastery and the misery of sin… so we can sing!

We have been redeemed and purchased with the blood of Jesus… so we can sing!

We have been redeemed from eternal separation from our God…. so we can sing!/p>

We have been redeemed in order to spend eternity with our God… so we can sing!

“Smile…You’re On Candid Camera!”

August 3, 2021

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good…” (Proverbs 15:3, KJV)

Alan Funt was the star of a popular television show named, “Candid Camera.” The show’s producers placed hidden cameras in various locations and observed people doing and saying things that they would never have done or said if they knew they were being recorded.

For Christians, the lesson to be learned is to be careful and mindful of your speech and behavior because someone will be watching. The bigger and more important lesson is that God is always watching and He is ever present. That is a sobering thought! There is never a time we can hide our thoughts, actions, or presence from God. He is “omnipresent” which means He is present everywhere at the same time!

David, the great king of Israel, understood this divine principle when he said:

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into Heaven, You are there! If I make my bed in hell, You are there…” (Psalm 139:7-8)

God is everywhere! So, think about what you are getting ready to do and ask yourself these diagnostic questions, “Will God be pleased and glorified by what I am doing?” and then ask, “Is God having as much fun and enjoying what I’m doing as much as I am?

Remember to smile… you’re on God’s Camera!”

“Help Is Available… Now!”

August 2, 2021

Have you ever been stranded and felt that there was no help around? I recently had a flat tire and really did not have the tools needed to replace it because they were in my other car. I began to feel really bad and frustrated until my wife suggested, “Just call your brother… he will come and help you.” I promptly called my brother for help, he came quickly, and my tire was fixed in a timely fashion. It was just that simple!

Often, we work, toil, and strive to make something happen in our lives. We put ourselves under stress and duress trying to accomplish things in our own strength and power. But, Jesus, our “Elder Brother,” is saying, “Rest… I got this!” He is also saying, “Come to Me for help… it’s not an imposition… I want to help you.” The Bible puts it like this:

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV)

God, through Jesus Christ, has made the help we need available to us in the form of mercy and grace. And, the good news is we can access that grace and mercy whenever we need it! We must be confident in the fact that Jesus understands and feels our dilemma, that He is powerful enough to handle our situation, and most importantly… He wants to help us!

The Devil will try to convince you that God doesn’t care about your situation and you don’t deserve His help based on past or current failures. Satan doesn’t even want you to ask God for help. Some Christians approach God “sheepishly” with their heads hung low, afraid to ask Him to meet their needs. But, God wants you to come boldly and confidently; being assured that your Daddy loves you and is willing to help you. Just ask Him, because help is available… NOW!!

Michael Gordon, M.A.T.S

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