11-21-2014

Good Morning All,

       John 3:16; “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

       Do you remember a song by Anne Murray called “A Little Good News”?  It was recorded in the early 1980’s.

There's a local paper rolled up in a rubber band
One more sad story's one more than I can stand
Just once how I'd like to see the headline say
"Not much to print today, can't find nothin' bad to say", because

Nobody robbed a liquor store on the lower part of town
Nobody OD'ed, nobody burned a single buildin' down
Nobody fired a shot in anger, nobody had to die in vain
We sure could use a little good news today.

    It is both sad and ironic that a song that is 30 years old could have been written about today’s events.  The only part that really needs to be changed is that Bryant Gumbel isn’t on the Today show any more.  The truth is that the human condition really hasn’t changed much, if any, since Adam and Eve left the garden.  We see violence, hatred, pain, suffering and sorrow every time we read the newspaper, watch the news or listen to a report.

    While the world gives us nothing to hope for or on, while it gives us only pain; we have hope that is above this world.  It is beyond this world yet it penetrates and permeates the world.  God saw how wretched and hopeless the world’s condition was.  There was no way that we, as humans, could or will ever fix this condition.  So God fixed it for us.  Because of his love for us, he rescued us and restored us into his beloved family.  He sent Jesus to heal the suffering that we experience every day.  The struggles of this life, while painful at times, do not define us, limit us, or contain us.  We live in hope.

    That is our good news, every minute of every day.  God gave his Son because he loves you.  Even with the pain of this sin filled world, we have the certainty of hope that leads us above and beyond the world.  You may never hear this good news on the “Today” show or any other TV news program but God shouts this good news to us every time we open his Bible and hear what he has to say to us.  He has really good news for you today.

Father, in this world we have a lot of pain and many are broken and hurting.  Your grace is our only good news.  Keep us in your loving arms that we may always know the wonders of your mercy.  Bring your good news to those who are in pain at this time.  Brighten their life with the light of your salvation.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret