WHY THE GOOD NEWS MAY BE THE BEST NEWS YOU NEVER HEARD! Why am I convinced that most people don’t know the gospel? Because they have no joy. Their mouths aren’t filled with laughter and their tongues don’t sing of the great things God has done for them. To paraphrase Shakespeare, the joy’s the thing: But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10) The angel said the gospel would bring great joy to all people. Those who receive the gospel ought to be the happiest, most joyful people in the world. Yet many believers are far from joyful. They may be smiling on the outside, but on the inside they are anxious, insecure, and battling with guilt and condemnation. Fearful of upsetting a touchy God they are trying to do the right thing and make themselves pleasing to the Lord. But since they are never sure if they have done enough they have no peace. Others are running hard after the favor of God but they never seem to arrive. They study the scriptures, fast and pray, and do all they are told to do, but the promised blessings of the Christian life—God’s forgiveness, acceptance, provision and so on—always seem just out of reach. They’re sweating on the hamster wheel of Christian service and going nowhere fast. Squeezed between the demands of a holy God who expects nothing short of perfection and the flawed performance of their own broken lives, Christians can be among the most neurotic people on the planet. Like yo-yos they are up one day but down the next; they are testifying on Sunday but confessing on Monday. Each time they stumble they promise Jesus they will try harder next time but it’s no use. They feel like frauds and wonder what will happen to them when their shortcomings are eventually exposed. Culled from Paul Elliss book out of the jungle
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 14:38:17 +0000
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