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What is the Good News? The Good News is:
In 4,000 years, God has
not changed and Jesus has not changed. For those of you that might not
already know, the words "Good News" translated, means - "Gospel".
Throughout many long
years, preachers seem to have worked overtime making the bible boring,
when in truth, the bible is anything but. The bible is actually jam packed
with fascinating facts and good news, but lets start with the "best" of the good news. The Good
News of Jesus Christ, and that can be found in
John
3:16.
John 3:16 -
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Why is this
particular scripture the
best of the good news? Because, it does not just deal with your problems or
time here on earth, but thereafter, It has to do with eternity. Truly the
gift that keeps on giving.
Truly it is very
good news, but who does it apply to? Jesus said it applies to "whoever".
Who is whoever? Who would it be if "you" used the word? If you were a doctor
and told your friend: "take this $100.00 bill into the bus terminal and give
it to whoever.
Would your friend
interpret this to mean, give it to another "doctor" or one who has proven
themselves and saved hundreds of lives? Of course not. Whoever would mean
"you" or "Me" or anyone else who happened to be standing in the bus
terminal.
Your name is "Whoever" and so is
mine! (Thank God)
THE RULES
The son of
God did not come to us with rules and laws to live by as a prerequisite to get into heaven.
Similarly, Jesus did not give us a list of things "not" to do, or go to hell.
The son of God did not
condemn even one sinner during his time on earth. When Jesus arrived here on
earth, there were already 613 old covenant laws in place to cover all that.
These laws were impossible
for any man to live by faithfully. Men were at that time required to make
animal sacrifices to God. A person would pick their very best lamb.
They would kill it and
shed it's blood on the alter. The purpose was, the persons sins would be put
on the lamb and they would be put right with God by doing so. The slate
would be wiped clean for a time, until the next sacrifice.
To fully understand the
Good News of Jesus Christ, you would have to have lived in 33 AD. The Good
News is that we are "set free", but what exactly does that mean? Set free
from what? Set free from who? Again, if you had lived in 33 AD, you would
know what a precious gift this was and still is.
Jesus was the sacrifice
offered up by God himself. The perfect sacrifice. Once done, no other
sacrifice would ever be required. Jesus was therefore called the "Lamb of
God". Jesus was the only person ever to live by, uphold and "fulfill" all of the 613
laws of the old covenant. It was his purpose for coming, to accomplish this.
Matthew 5:18 - "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass
away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the
Law
until all is accomplished.
Now that it has been
accomplished, what happened to the law? It was made null and void! That is
the Good News, and that is what we are set free from! But are we really
free?
Jesus did not condemn
sinners, but he did condemn the church and religious people. Among other
things, It was the
church, with it's strict rules, laws, hypocrisy and hierarchy that Jesus set us free from. The church however, did not like Jesus
disrupting their way of life. They were getting rich keeping people in
bondage.
Mainly bondage to the
tithe! With the 613 laws of the old covenant, they were enjoying the "Rock
Star" status of being "Holy" and Lording it over everyone else. When Jesus
threatened their way of life, they killed him!
Jesus came here with a
specific mission, to fulfill and do away with the curse of the law, and he did. The last
words Jesus spoke before he died was "It is finished".
John 19:30
-
Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said,
"It is finished!" And He bowed His head and
gave up His spirit.
The Church has not changed
very much to this day. People are still kept in bondage and churches are
still getting rich keeping them there. Pastors, Deacons, elders and the more
"well to do" church members still like to display their righteousness like a
trophy.
The theme is the same,
only the laws have changed. Don't drink, don't smoke, give 10% of all your
earnings, don't swear! etc . . You have been set free from these laws and I
might add that drinking and smoking were not even condemned under the old
covenant laws!
A sin is only sin because
God speaks it! Sin means: "Transgression of the law". The more we come to
know God, the more we want and try to control these things that come so
naturally to us, that may be displeasing to God. It is a way of honoring God, and it pleases him.
Find out what pleases God, then
please "God only".
DO YOU FEEL OUT OF PLACE?
Do you feel out of place
in church? Here is more good news. If you are a sinner, if you feel
you are a bad person or if you think for a moment that there is no hope for
you, you are exactly who God wants coming into his house seeking him and
wanting to talk to him!
You are more welcome than
"all" the non sinning, non smoking, non drinking, never said a bad word in
their whole life folks that attend there every week!
You are an honored guest in Gods eyes and are exactly
the one he wants to talk to! (whether you are made to feel welcome by
the congregation or not!)
Luke
15:10 -
"In the same way, I tell you, there
is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
There is "more"
than hope for you! There is a promise! Do you feel you've done something so
terrible that God could never forgive you or accept you? Stealing? abortion?
adultery? even murder?
Maybe you didn't know that
most of the new testament of the "Holy Bible" was written by a murderer!
True! Read it for yourself. (Read the book of
ACTS
9:1 thru 9:22 and beyond)
MORE GOOD NEWS!
The good news
(gospel) was written
for you. Not just for some monk who lives in the mountains and eats tree
bark and enters into trance like prayer 23 hours a day.
God wants a personal
relationship with "you". That's right! The creator of the universe, of
heaven and earth wants to be the most important person in your life. Why
would he bother you ask? That my friends is the great mystery, but none the
less "true".
Once again, Whoever,
means you! (yeah you Smokey) If you believe in him.
John 11:26 - and everyone who lives and believes
in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
(I
do)
God Bless You
Dan Douglass
"help!" |
