Posts Tagged ‘good news.’

Scripture reading for July 27th: Romans 10:13-11:12

God’s plan for reaching His people, the Jews, was the same as reaching the Gentiles.  “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.”  “How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in?   And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:13-14)  Both Jew and Gentile must believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and One who took their penalty for broken law.  They must call on Jesus in faith and they will be saved.

It is a very simple Gospel message that must be heard by those who need it.  The way God chose to send this message was through those who did believe.  These would go and preach this message to the Jews and Gentiles who did not know about it.  “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.” (1st Corinthians 1:21)

But hearing the message alone was not enough for salvation.  Many Jews heard the message but did not accept it.  Faith comes by hearing the message, but believing is a choice, not something forced upon people.  God sent His messengers throughout the world to preach the message.  Jews heard it, but they were stubborn and obstinate and refused to believe and act on it.  (Romans 10:16-21)  God opened the hearts of the Gentiles and many of them received.

Next, Paul addressed the concern that because of their stubbornness, God had rejected His people.  Paul stated that God had not and that a remnant was saved by grace through receiving the message of Christ.  Those that closed their hearts were made blind and dull.  They could always repent and turn back.  God’s plan was to save the Gentiles and through their blessing, provoke the Israelites to jealousy and a return to faith through Jesus Christ.  (Romans 10:11-12)

The Church should always pray for the Jews and be ready to share Christ with them.  God has not rejected Israel.  They have a blindness that can be cured by faith in their Messiah, Jesus Christ.  We have received the riches of God’s grace because of their stubbornness, but not to boast!  May God bring peace to Jerusalem!  (Psalm 122:6-9)

Scripture reading for March 20th: Luke 4:1-30

The Holy Spirit that came on Jesus at His baptism by John immediately led Him to the desert for a time of testing.  Jesus withstood each test over the forty days by quoting Scripture.  “Man does not live by bread alone” was Jesus’ word to the Devil. (Deuteronomy 8:3)   Jesus returned from the testing in the desert by Satan in the power of the Holy Spirit.  (Luke 4:14)

Jesus then went to his home town of Nazareth and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath.  He stood up to read and the scroll of Isaiah the Prophet.  He unrolled it to find the Scripture He wanted to share with them.  “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19)

The Holy Spirit in a person brings power to witness to God’s love and grace.  Jesus announced in His home town the focus of His life as He was now empowered by the Spirit.  The Spirit anoints a person, just like oil poured over a king brings empowerment to do the work called of them, the Spirit empowers.  The Spirit would empower Jesus to preach the ‘Good News’ to those lost and bound by sin, sickness and disease.  He would open eyes that were blind and enable them to see.  Because of the Spirit, prisoners would be set free in glorious liberty.

The best news was the ‘acceptable year of the Lord’.  This spoke of the year of Jubilee that God had proclaimed in the Law for every fiftieth year.  On the year of Jubilee, land was to be restored to original owners, slaves were to be set free, and debts were to be forgiven.  Each person would receive a new start!  It was a little picture of God’s restoration process in action.  (Leviticus 25:8-54)  Jesus proclaimed that in the Holy Spirit’s anointing, He announced the ‘acceptable year of the Lord’.

This ‘good news’ is something to get in on for yourself.  Jesus is our ‘Jubilee’!   In Him we are set free, healed, and delivered from bondage.  In Him we have an eternal inheritance that cannot be stolen or lost!  The Holy Spirit is the down-payment!

Scripture reading for August 1st: Isaiah 52-57

When you think of beauty, what parts of the body do you immediately think of?  Are the feet the first parts to come to your mind?  Do you give lots of attention to your feet to make sure they are “beautiful” and noticed?  Isaiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, made particular mention of the feet of those who would bring the “good news” of God reigning on Zion. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)  God would Himself come to Zion and lay bare His holy arm and all the earth would see His salvation!  (Isaiah 52:10)

Isaiah saw the servant as “high and lifted up and highly exalted”.  This servant would act wisely, but would be marred and disfigured.  He would not even look human anymore!  In His suffering, He would sprinkle many nations and bring understanding of His salvation to those who did not know!  (Isaiah 52:13-15)  Isaiah saw this servant  as one with no natural beauty that would attract us to Him.  (Isaiah 53:2)  He was actually despised and rejected by men and was a man who knew sorrow and grief intimately from personal experience.  He took our infirmities and carried our sorrows but we assumed that God was punishing Him.  (Isaiah 53:3-4)  In actuality, this Servant was willingly pierced and crushed for our sins and iniquities.  He took wounds for us that brought us healing!

When we think about this amazing description of a willing Servant and what He did for us, we better understand beautiful feet!  Our Savior walked on this earth on human feet!  He willingly walked in total obedience to God so that we can walk in healing, salvation and freedom!  He offered His feet to be nailed to a cross for us!  He was “high and lifted up” on that cross!  Those feet took our Savior to the place of suffering because of us!  What beautiful feet and what great good news He brought to us!

Now, we can have “beautiful feet” too!  We can continue the mission of our dear Savior by obeying Him and taking this message of “Good News” to a lost and dying world.  We may not be much to look at, but the beauty of our feet is that they are obediently walking in the path of Jesus Christ!  “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Greetings on this day of worship and reflection!  God is to be praised for His mercy and long-suffering!  As I think back on the nearly 500 years of history in the Kings and Chronicles, God surely was patient with His people!  He suffered long with their stubbornness.  He waited patiently for them to respond to His prophets and Word.  He punished them, but still His mercy was extended to those who would listen and respond.  They endured wars, captivity, famines, internal bickering and strife while God kept continually offering them His amazing grace!  They only needed to turn to Him in repentance and call on His name and He would hear and answer!  Wow, how long our God bears with us!

As I think about the day we live in, God is still offering the amazing grace of forgiveness!  He is still suffering long and ready to extend His cleansing grace.  All who call out to Him are heard!  He still saves and delivers.  He forgives sin, rebellion and strife when His people repent!  He has sent His people out with a message of good news!  God’s wrath has been satisfied with the blood of His own Son!  Whoever believes can get in on it!  What an amazing display of mercy available to all who will come to Him!

After the trials and tests of this life are over, God promises us full life with Him forever!  This is extreme mercy!  We who were His enemies are now brought near and given a full inheritance!  The same God who foretold the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple, tells us of a new heavens and new earth where we will dwell in righteousness with Him forever!  Go and tell the Good News of God’s amazing mercy!  Have a great week in Jesus Christ!  Love in Him, Pastor John