Look At Bad News As Good News By W. Frank Walton (wfwalton@juno.com)
Despite the world's bad news, the Bible has the best news of
hope for mankind.
"It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn
Your statutes" (Psalm 119:71).
Nobody enjoys pain. Yet the psalmist has a positive attitude of
faith that empowered him to cope with painful circumstances. He
didn't sugarcoat reality but optimistically saw the positive good
that came from facing his problems. The bad news of having to
endure trouble gave him an opportunity for learning God's truth.
We need to cultivate this attitude in these troublesome times.
Things are hard to bear can be profitable to remember.
The good news of the Bible is, despite this world's problems and
man's failures, is the encouraging truth that God can bring good
out of bad. "We know that God causes all things to work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are called according
to His purpose" (Rom 8:28). If we love God supremely, no
situation is totally bad. We never have to walk alone. God is
with us and for us, working out His eternal purpose through His
people. The end of His plan of redemption is that no matter what
happens to us on earth, whether pleasant or repugnant, His will
is to bring His faithful children to Himself in heaven. There
eternal joy and bliss await us. All tears and disappoints are
forever forgotten (Rev 21:3-7, 22:3-5)!
1. The Reality of Hell Can Awaken Us. How can hell be good
news? John the Baptist preached about the final judgment of the
Christ: "`His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly
clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn;
but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.' So with
many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people"
(Luke 3:17-18). The saved are kept like good wheat. The lost are
separated and punished like burned, worthless chaff. The Bible
clearly teaches the reality of hell's horrible punishment (Mk
9:43-48). The bad news of hell's reality is part of the gospel
(the good news of salvation from sin)!
If there were no sin, there could be no salvation (deliverance
from sin). We truly appreciate the saving grace of God in light
of the awful wrath of God's justice! Conviction of sin and realization
of God's wrath can motivate the lost yet sensitive soul to seek
out God's mercy in Christ (Acts 2:36-38, 8:20-24). Man must realize
there is bad news without Christ in order to appreciate the good
news of Christ.
2. The Power of Christ Can Help Us. "These things
I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the
world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome
the world" (John 16:33). Jesus encouraged his disheartened
disciples, upset about His departure, with words of hope and comfort.
Jesus our Lord is greater than any problem we face. We can make
it, because He made it!
The world lies in darkness. Instead of cursing the darkness or
feeling sorry for ourselves, we can be a light to others for the
transforming power of the gospel (Phil 2:14-16). Divine truth
is stronger than error. The decline and decay of the world around
us is a great opportunity for the light of Christ to shine through
us. Those seeking souls around us, burdened with life's problems
and sin's futility, will ask us why we have such an uplifting
hope (1 Pet 3:15). People would be more interested in the gospel
if we were more interesting. The lost can be won to Christ!
3. The Opportunity For Faith To Strengthen Us. "Consider
it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing
that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance
have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4). The prophet James tells
us to not whine about our problems as a curse. We should see all
sorts of vexing problems that try our soul as an opportunity to
strengthen our faith! We only get stronger by exercising our faith
muscles. Someone called problems as opportunities in work clothes.
Rightly facing our trials is simply applying what we say we believe.
The bad news of our tribulation is God's quality control. He has
a positive purpose for our long-term good. It tests the depth
and strength of our faith. God allows Satan try us. His hostile
aim is to defeat us. God's refining aim for allowing our testing
is so we might overcome them! How we respond to problems tells
us something about ourselves. Our reaction is God's mirror into
the condition of our soul. We become better, stronger and nearer
to God by rightly facing trials. If there were no trials, there
could be no triumphs (Ja 1:12)! With God's help, the bad news
of worldly trials can become the good news of God's triumph in
any believer. Faith is thereby proven genuine and God is glorified!
Now, don't you feel better already?
"Woe To You When All Men Speak Well Of You" By Norm Lyons
A right life rebukes an evil one, and the general tendency of evil is to deride those that rebuke it. This tendency caused the wicked of Jesus' time to say that He had a demon and He cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub. When our Christian lives draw no reproach from the world, be sure, those lives may not be right in God's sight. A good name is more to be desired than riches; but, we must never sacrifice our fidelity to God in order to obtain those riches. Be assured, if we adhere strictly to the virtues enjoined by Christ, we will find that the world will invent an evil name for every one of those virtues:
So what do you do when you are the object of such unjust abuse and false accusations?
"Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." - Matt. 5: 12
"I Believe God" by Larry Ray Hafley
In Acts 27:25, during a tremendous storm at sea, when "all
hope" was lost that they should be saved, an angel of the
Lord appeared to Paul and assured him that not one would perish,
but that all would be rescued. Paul said of this heaven sent message,
"I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me."
When Abraham was told that he and Sarah would have a child, "against
hope (he) believed that he might become the father of many nations"
(Rom. 4:18). When Mary heard that she would give birth to the
Savior, despite the fact that she had not been intimate with any
man, she acknowledged the reality of it (Lk. 1:38). When Peter
was told to go at the wrong time and to the wrong place in the
Sea of Galilee and catch fish, he, too, believed (Lk. 5:4, 5).
Often, it is hard to believe the promises of God, especially when, from our perspective, we see no way they can be fulfilled. Perhaps the devil's greatest weapon against the child of God is gnawing doubt, a secret skepticism, that is brought on by defeat, disappointment, and discouragement. Elijah fought it (1 Kgs. 19). Paul faced it (2 Cor. 1:8-11). There is indication that Timothy may have felt it, too (2 Tim. 1:7, 8).
Hebrews, with its warnings and exhortations, graphically reveals how the early saints were tempted to give up and to "draw back unto perdition" (Heb. 10:32-40). Peter and James refer to this insidious inner turmoil, this temptress of stress and unbelief (Jas. 1:2, 3; 5:10, 11; 1 Pet. 2:12; 3:13, 16; 4:12-19).
Some succumbed to it. The bleached bones of wilderness wanderers testify to the fact that not everyone looked up and said, "I believe God." They fell, not to the burning sands of the desert 'neath the searing sun, but to the dried spirit of unbelief which scorched their hearts and seared their national conscience.
What tempest threatens your soul today? What fearful doubt has you quivering under the shade and shadow of self pity and insecurity? Away with it! Arouse yourself with the triumphant trump of the trumpet of God which may be heard by the ear of faith (1 Thess. 4:16). One day its blast shall soothe all our fears, stop all our tears, and summon us to eternal glory and endless gladness.
Quotable Quotes (Selected from The Beacon)
"A person who can't lead and won't follow is really only a roadblock!"
"Better to be alone than in bad company."
"A successful marriage is the result of falling in love often -- with the same person."
"He is happy whose circumstances suit his temper, but he is more excellent who can suit his temper to any circumstance."
"Admitting that you've been wrong proves that you are wiser now than you were before."
"Character is not made in crisis -- it is only revealed."
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Our weekly services are held at 1318 Griffin Road, Leesburg, Florida
34748.
Phone: (352) 365-9946 for times of services.
Web site: http://www.careydillinger.com/cocbs/cocbshp.htm
MONTHLY BIBLE READING: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, the Prophets
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BIBLE INSIGHT is published
for the members of, and visitors to, the Church of Christ at Beverly
Shores, Leesburg, Florida, USA.
Carey Dillinger is the editor. He can be reached at the church
address or via e-mail: webmaster@careydillinger.com