Monday, March 28, 2016

Pastor's Ponderings, March 28, 2016

This Is Good News Week

Who are you listening to?  Are you listening to the pundits that are convinced that catastrophe is just around the corner unless you listen to them? Are you listening to the voices that tell you that you are a failure, that you will never accomplish anything in your life and that you will always be a day late and a dollar short.  This American English idiom epitomizes a troubling thought in the world.  Much of the economic gains in the last thirty years have gone to the upper upper class and many of us feel that, “You can't win, you can't break even, and you can't get out of the game!”

Moreover, this thinking is not limited to the economically disadvantaged minorities.  In Psychology Today, May 6, 2013, an article is entitled, “White, Middle-age Suicide Spiked 40% in the Last 10 years.”  These are terrible statistics but we need to focus on what the Bible says about our life.  God so loved us that He gave Jesus to the world (John 3:16).  No terrible headlines, no terrorist acts from across the globe, no strange and exotic diseases, or no financial crises can separate us from the love from God to us through Christ (Romans 8:38-39).  Since we have that love through Christ, we have an abundant life (1 John 5:12, John 10:10).

Our reality is God truly loves us and wants the best for us.  Our reality is that He will take care of our needs as we obey His will for our lives.   Of course, this is not to say that we should do negative or foolish things, but our reality is nothing that begins to form against us will accomplish our destruction (Isaiah 54:17).

We just celebrated Easter weekend.  Jesus is risen in the world!  He is risen in us!  We should listen to and rejoice in the positive message that God says about us!

John 3:16
New International Version (NIV)
13 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 8:38-39
New International Version (NIV)
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 5:12
12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

John 10:10
Amplified Bible (AMP)
10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

Amplified Bible (AMP)
17 “No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn. This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And this is their vindication from Me,” says the Lord.





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