How to Recognize Good News

I was tossing about for a topic to write about this morning and coming up empty. Last night, I had a plan. This morning, it's gone straight out of my head. I should write about some good news, I thought, and Google'd "good news". 

Much to my surprise, the first hit was "Joe Biden Bid for White House Would Begin in a $60 Million Hole." Really? That certainly isn't good news for Joe Biden or his fellow Democrats. Only Republicans could call that good news. 

The next hit was "Mexican Drug Lord Injured in Recent Evasion of Capture." It's not good news for Mexico that the man is a drug dealer, nor that he recently evaded capture. I'm certain his injury was not good news to him, either, so what is good about this news?

The third hit was equally discouraging. "More die as violence and finger pointing plagues Israelis and Palestinians." As one who regularly prays for the peace of Jerusalem, that supposed good news was another disappointment.

Clearly, we have lost the ability to recognize Good News and Bad News, so I've decided to enlighten us on the difference.

This is Bad News: We are all sinners and we deserve nothing except death and hell. (Romans 3:23)

This is Good News: God sent Jesus to pay for our sin and  give us eternal life for free.

Here are some more examples of Good News:
God has a plan for each one of us and it's for our own good, not for a calamity, to give us a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11)

Jesus binds up the brokenhearted, comforts those who mourn, and turns their ashes into beauty, their mourning into gladness, their fainting into praise. (Isaiah 61:3)

If you put your trust in Him, God will help you deal with whatever trouble comes your way. (Matt. 6:34)

Jesus is in Heaven and preparing a place for us. He's coming back for those who belong to Him and we will spend eternity with Him in Heaven. (John 14:2-3)

The news is full of stories about wrongdoing, but we don't have to listen to the news to find out about the sinfulness of man. Scripture tells us clearly that we are all sinners. Evil is rampant in the world, and has been from the beginning. One day, God will deal with all the evil but, because of His great mercy, He has delayed.

For now, we need to know that there is evil, some of it will be directed against those who love Christ, and some of that evil will be terrible. In the end, Jesus will return, gather His own, and settle the score. 

As disciples of Christ, our job is not to fear evil. Our job is to BE salt and light in a dark and tasteless, perishing world and to love the most unlovely among us.

The news that matters most is that Christ has risen and is coming again. That is truly good news.
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Here are links to similar posts about good news: A Little Good News and The Good News Mail.

In case you missed any of this week's posts, here are the links: Still a Sinner, How to Have a Flood of God-Love, The Wonder Girls Close the Park, Soft drinks, snacks, and airplane takeoff, Yeast in the Flour, and The Problem With Phone Calls. 

The most-read post of the past week: Death is Not the End. 

#GoodNews #Jesusiscomingagain #secondcoming #disciple #JesusChrist

photo courtesy of freeimages.com

Trending Topics and Spreading News (Luke 4:14, 2 Kings 7:9)

... and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. (Luke 4:14 NASB)

Then they said to one another, "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king's household." (2 Kings 7:9 NASB)

It's amazing how fast news can travel, isn't it? A tasty morsel of gossip can spread faster than a virus. The news that Jesus had returned to Galilee was one of these rapidly spreading bits of news. The memory of scandal is long and the questions about Mary and her pregnancy may have been put to rest by her godly life, but it's doubtful it was completely forgotten. With Jesus back in town, and clearly speaking with such power as they had never seen, people probably wondered. Maybe what Mary said was true.  Maybe.  But Messiah? His return was the "trending topic" of their day. As people traveled back and forth between adjacent villages, the talk spread like wildfire and, before long, people everywhere were wondering and talking. Could it be true? Could Messiah have come? 

Centuries earlier, during a time of war with the Arameans, four starving lepers decided to surrender to the enemy hoping to get some food. While they were walking that way, God caused the army to hear the sound of chariots and to be overcome with fear. The entire, ferocious army turned coat and ran. With the deserters gone, the lepers had the army camp, including food, animals, and weapons, to themselves. Like most people, their initial response to the good fortune was to keep it for themselves. They feasted on the provisions and hid a supply of gold. They were, however, soon overcome with conviction. These men who were ostracized because of their disease and totally outside society, decided to go to the king that very night and share the good news. It was too wonderful to keep to themselves!  They didn't waste another minute. 

Those lepers were pretty wonderful weren't they? They had life giving news and they shared it with everyone. Wow. Pretty convicting isn't it?  We, too, have life giving news. Jesus Christ has come, paid the penalty for our sin with His blood, and is risen  again. His Spirit is here with us to help us in every moment of our lives. We look to an eternity in heaven. What great news!!

The challenge for us is to share the joyous news with the enthusiasm of the starving lepers, not keep it to ourselves. Look for an opportunity to tell your good news to someone today. 

As we pray for opportunities, remember to pray for our loved ones to hear the good news of Jesus with fresh ears. Pray, too, that the good news of Jesus will become the trending topic of the day, and everyone they see will be telling of the power of our Savior.