Good News
When the music starts you know whether it is happy or sad. Music can determine mood.
I like happy music. Not that I am naïve. I know that Ecclesiastes speaks of a time and season for all things. However, I do not read morning obituaries for a funeral to attend today. Each day is ripe with opportunity. Hope is born with every sunrise.
Yes, I know there are negative minds. "Our world is terrible. People are awful. Can't trust anybody," someone said to me the other day.
I thought to myself: "This person is really poor! They look normal on the outside, but they are miserable and wretched on the inside."
What I said to the person was: "Oh, there have always been good and bad people ever since Adam sinned. However, I prefer to find a place in God's world where I can get others to help make a difference for good. There is so much opportunity to turn things around. I believe people can change. You can make a difference!"
A few years ago movie stars obtained national publicity for raising about $30 million to eradicate poverty in Africa. It was too silly to keep talking about. Thirty million dollars would not feed Africa for a day. Folks in the country where I grew up had a saying: "Shoot at the moon and hit the woodpile." Which is better: Feed a family and get them on their feet; or give one meal to a thousand folks and leave them starving to death.
Life does not have to be lived to the tune played by others. There is choice. We can be happy or otherwise. We can choose the music. We can choose how to approach life. We choose our attitude.
I grew up on a farm. A bad year of weather did not keep the farmer from planting in hopes of a new crop. The Bible teaches sowing in faith so a harvest will come.
I have met folks who wished they could have lived when Jesus was born in Bethlehem and ministered in Jerusalem. Had I been born 2000 years ago I could have lived 100 miles from Jesus and never heard of him. Today I can tap a few keys and have the Bible on a computer screen. Thousands of books about Jesus are electronically available. Trips can be made by car at 60 + MPH. By train 100+ MPH. By plane 600+ MPH. Messages by fax, email, text, etc., can be sent thousands of miles in seconds. Recording machines and cameras allow for easy transfer of messages.
When Jesus lived books were published one at a time–copied by hand. Mail traveled by foot, horse, boat, etc., and could take months–if it arrived.
Had I lived when Jesus was on earth Rome would have been the iron foot crushing whatever was in its path. Life expectancy was low 40's. Medicine was in primitive stages, i.e., doctors had little or no knowledge of the inner workings of the body and did not know about the blood vessels or nervous system. Girls were married as early as age 11 or 12 and were having children by 13 or 14. Fathers had the right to kill their own babies. Wars were brutal with hundreds of thousands dying in days. Disease was unchecked. Cities had little or no control over fire. Even Rome burned.
Oh, I prefer to live now! Now when God is working pouring out the Holy Spirit all over the world. Now on the very eve of the Coming of Jesus. Now when opportunities abound for impacting for good the lives of others.
Even as I write this letter Deborah Ware, Deacon of Covenant Church, is flying to Africa. She will supervise construction of a new church building in Juba for the next 30 days.
Assen Christov is working diligently translating the New Testament into the Roma language, which will serve 40 million people!
These are just two of our Covenant family who are doing outstanding things for God. There are many others. Opportunities abound. The music is sweet and wonderful of the Lord's favor upon those who are seizing opportunities to make a significant and eternal Christ difference in the lives of others!
Good is the news that comes to our ears of the works of our God. Happy are we for the joyful work of our God in the hearts of His people. Excited are we for the doors God is opening to make a difference. Thrilled are we for the growing number of persons who are stepping to the front lines in heart service for Our Lord!
Now is the time!
Pastor Bare
I Corinthians 3:9 "For we are laborers together with God."