But the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. Luke 2:10 (NLT)
So what exactly is this so called “good news”? And what's so good about it?
Over the years the Christian message of “good news” has been screwed up by many people and groups out there. The good news is been marred by legalistic haters who condemn and despise others who are “sinners” according to their standards. The portray as angry God. Yet they fail to understand the grace and mercy of a loving God they supposedly serve. Because of this the good news doesn't seem very good to me at all.
The real good news is this: God loves all people. ALL. He is for you. He's not mad at you. This week I have been dealing with a large mortgage company that does not seem to be for me, rather against me! (I’m in the process of buying a home). It’s been a huge pain in the...well you can guess. It’s not God’s fault that things are not going well. It’s pinheads that are the issue!
Knowing God is for you will change your whole perspective on your life. You’ll stop thinking of God as someone looking down from heaven, ready to yell, “Gotcha!” anytime you mess up. Instead, you’ll realize God loves you; God is with you; and God is for you! It is God, your Creator, who will measure your success in life, and no one else. Not some boneheads at a mortgage company in California.
This is extremely good news!
It means you don’t need to be afraid of God because God is for you. Yet, some people are so afraid of God they get nervous just talking about him. They feel guilty, and then they start thinking, “If I get close to God, he’s going to lecture me. He’s going to remind me of all the things I’ve done wrong, and then I’ll feel even worse!”
So what exactly is this so called “good news”? And what's so good about it?
Over the years the Christian message of “good news” has been screwed up by many people and groups out there. The good news is been marred by legalistic haters who condemn and despise others who are “sinners” according to their standards. The portray as angry God. Yet they fail to understand the grace and mercy of a loving God they supposedly serve. Because of this the good news doesn't seem very good to me at all.
The real good news is this: God loves all people. ALL. He is for you. He's not mad at you. This week I have been dealing with a large mortgage company that does not seem to be for me, rather against me! (I’m in the process of buying a home). It’s been a huge pain in the...well you can guess. It’s not God’s fault that things are not going well. It’s pinheads that are the issue!
Knowing God is for you will change your whole perspective on your life. You’ll stop thinking of God as someone looking down from heaven, ready to yell, “Gotcha!” anytime you mess up. Instead, you’ll realize God loves you; God is with you; and God is for you! It is God, your Creator, who will measure your success in life, and no one else. Not some boneheads at a mortgage company in California.
This is extremely good news!
It means you don’t need to be afraid of God because God is for you. Yet, some people are so afraid of God they get nervous just talking about him. They feel guilty, and then they start thinking, “If I get close to God, he’s going to lecture me. He’s going to remind me of all the things I’ve done wrong, and then I’ll feel even worse!”
Nothing could be further from the truth of God. Jesus said, “I did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it.” In effect, Jesus is saying, “I didn’t come to scold you, I came to save you.”
Jesus did not come to scare us. That’s why when the angel was telling the shepherds about the birth of Jesus, the first thing he says is: “Don’t be afraid!” There are 365 messages from God in the Bible that begin with a phrase like, “Fear not!” In other words, every single day of the year you can read a message from God that says, in effect, “You don’t need to be afraid. I am for you; I am with you; I love you.”
We celebrate Christmas because of this good news. Merry Christmas.
Do you ever think sometimes that God is against you? Why?
1 comment:
Yes! God is for you and this wisdom came from your frustation about the mortage complany. Wisdom is way more important than a house, wouldn't you say...? Don't worry, you will have both very soon.
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