Yes! There is Good News! April 28, 2018

What is your take on the Word of God? And by that I mean the entirety of the bible, from Genesis to Revelation. This book is the essential reference work for our lives – and by that I mean every one of us in every aspect of our lives! It is the book of life!

Can you imagine a scientist - say a chemist- trying to formulate some new product in the lab and not having access to any reference works? From carpenters, plumbers and mechanics; to chemists, engineers and doctors, we need to learn our trades and specialties from the works of those whose knowledge has preceded us.
God has not only preceded us, He is from eternity and He is the One who created us. And just as the automotive engineer has written a manual to let us know how the car should be maintained, God has a “manual” to let us know how our lives should be maintained.

So, what is your take on the Word of God? I had an individual once tell me “it’s just a book of one’s own interpretation – you think it means one thing and I think it means something else.” My answer to him was a question: “Have you read the bible?” No, he hadn’t. Well, my friend (he was my nephew), until you read the bible and then tell me that you still believe the way you do, I must consider your view as one that lacks wisdom. And so I must say the same to anyone who has never read the Word of God.

Shall we just pay lip service to our Creator? What did Jesus say concerning this? “You hypocrites, Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men’” (Matthew 15:7-9).

The bible is not an easy read. But one thing I tried to teach my children is that the most worthwhile things in life take the most work; there really are few easy answers. And that is a hard lesson to learn. We live in a culture that teaches us that our comfort and happiness are the most important things to us today. And yet we, who call ourselves Christians, must understand that this world is just a temporary existence to train us and get us ready for an existence that is beyond our comprehension, an eternal existence of glory. What does the Word of God say? “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). “Our light and momentary troubles are preparing us for an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

I leave you with one final scripture, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints and His incomparable great power for us who believe.” Your homework assignment is to find the whereabouts of that scripture!!