Good News
1. Good News From A Far Country
As I was thinking and praying about how the Lord would lead for these closing thoughts of 2021. I thought about how hard the year has been for so many. I remembered many reports of bad news that we heard through the year. And God reminded me of Proverbs 25:25 which states, "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." Let's close this year with some "Good News!" We can sometimes get so depressed when all we seem to hear is bad news. Let's look into God's Word and focus on "Good News" to finish out the year.
2. Cold Waters To A Thirsty Soul
As we hear all the reports of bad news from day to day we are reminded that there are a lot of thirsty souls in our land. People go to great lengths to get what they want, what they think will give them wealth or fame, and fill that void in their lives. Many are thirsting and they don't even realize what they are thirsting for. Isaiah was a great prophet and he gave the "Good News" to every one who would listen...
"1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." (Isaiah 55:1-3)
"Hear and your soul shall live." Are you seeking for something to fill your thirst? Jesus said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6) That's a wonderful promise. I close with the chorus of a song written by Marsha J. Stevens titled, "For Those Tears I Died." Come to Jesus and let Him fill your thirsty soul.
And Jesus said, "Come to the water, stand by My side,
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied;
I felt ev'ry teardrop when in darkness you cried,
And I strove to remind you that for those tears I died."
3. God Still Answers Prayer
When I ask someone to help me pray about something I think it is uplifting to God to let that person know when God answers that prayer. Well, a few weeks ago I asked you to pray for three of my sons and their wives who all had hard cases of covid, especially for my daughter-in-law who was expecting her child to be born the week after Christmas. I also asked you to pray for my mother who had pneumonia for several weeks, and for my niece who had been hit by a truck. I am happy and praising the Lord that all of my family who were sick are well and we got to see them all during Christmas. We also were able to see and hold our new grandbaby, who decided to come a week before Christmas, and his Mom and Baby are doing well. My mother is better and was able to have lunch for our family in her home on Christmas Day. The Lord answered all of these prayers. My niece is in a rehab facility that specializes in brain injuries, so we are still praying for that situation. I want to say "Thank You" to all who prayed for my family. Our "Good News" today is that our God still answers prayer! It may not always be in the way that we expect, but He hears us when we call to Him. "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jeremiah 33:3)
4. The Lord Gives Wisdom
Sometimes when I am reading my Bible I will come to a verse that I don't understand. I will write it down in my Bible Study Notebook and sometimes I will search for the answer through commentaries or I may ask my Pastor what he thinks about it. Sometimes the answer comes later in my reading as the Lord gives me new light on the scriptures. And sometimes I don't find understanding for some verses. Some things just aren't meant for us to understand. "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." (Deuteronomy 29:29) The "Good News" we have for today is that wisdom comes from God and He can give us understanding. If you don't have a Bible reading time I would like to challenge you to read from God's Word every day. Many tell me that they don't understand what they read in the Bible. Read with prayer, asking God for wisdom. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5) "For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6) God can open your eyes to His Word and give you knowledge and understanding, and that's good!
5. We Have A Savior!
We have focused on Christmas for a few weeks, but we are looking at those scriptures again because the best "Good News" we have is the "Good tidings of great joy" exclaimed by the angel. "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11) We have a Savior! Jesus came to die, and pay the debt we owed for our sin on the cross, so that we could live! Without Him we would have no hope... afraid to live, and even more afraid to die. But in believing on Jesus, our Savior, we have hope. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:13-14) The angels shared the good news with the shepherds, who went and met the Savior, then shared it with everyone they met. Many people are lost and dying in this world and we need to share the good news, that we have a Savior.
6. My Sins Are Gone
Our "Good News" today comes because of our wonderful Savior. In the Old Testament sacrifices had to be made again and again for the sins of the people.
"3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;" (Hebrews 10)
But Jesus gave Himself as the precious Lamb, to be our sacrifice. After we accept His gift of salvation our sins are gone. We are cleansed by His blood and clothed in the righteousness of Christ. We can rejoice in God our Savior because our sins are gone!
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)
"And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 10:17)
"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:18-19)
"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12)
7. Jesus Is Coming Again!
It was prophesied for centuries that the Messiah would come, and He did. Jesus was born in the fullness of time to be our Savior. It is prophesied that Jesus is coming again. And just as sure as the first time He came, we know that this prophecy is true. Jesus is coming again! And we will spend eternity with Him in heaven! That is "Good News" for all who look for Him.
"1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:1-6)
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (I Thessalonians 4:16-18)
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (I Corinthians 15:52)
