Good News Sense

(We’ve had to disable comments due to excessive spam; we apologize for that because we enjoy interaction from our readers.  We will restore comments when we have successfully addressed the problem)

We’ve al been there. A friend or acquaintance tells us a dreadful story of sin, corruption, injustice, or evil, and we want to assure them of deliverance, redemption, justice, and the victory of righteousness. They ask, “How soon?” We want to say, “Now!” but we cannot. We know too many stories where the desired outcome failed to happen. We’ve been disappointed ourselves. We have our own unanswered questions. We hate to admit it, but we struggle with our own doubts. Like David we ask, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me. Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and thy God” (Psalm 42:5, 11; 43:5).

How do we find hope when we feel so hopeless? How can we believe that things will be right when they are evidently so wrong? It’s not like the stories where the cavalry came over the hill just in time to drive off the savages or when the wise man knows exactly what to say and his words are unerringly accurate.

Some have asked, “How can bad things happen to good people?” but we know that none of us are really good. We want to know why bad things happen to innocents, to children who have never harmed a soul. We want to know why the most evil of men—the Hitlers, Lenins, and Pol Pots—ever get the chance to kill, torture, and maim. How can we have hope when this world seem so hopeless so much of the time?

We who ask such questions should read and mediate upon Psalm 37, often and at length. In it, David urges that those who do evil should neither be envied nor “fretted over.” The brief successes of the wicked may seem unfair compared to the setbacks that the righteous may experience, but in the end the unrighteous will disappear like smoke. Those who do good will know the everlasting blessing of God. We observe these apparent inequities and injustices from this moment in time; God puts things to right from his all-knowing, everlasting perspective, one we will share in the end.

What creates evil in the hearts of human beings? How does a seemingly innocent child become an Osama Bin Laden or a Jeffrey Dahmer? Where does the evil of a man who throws a baby out of a car window come from? How does any child become an adult capable of beheading a victim for religion or drugs? This is a puzzle because good people escape the evil circumstances of horrible families and childhood experiences while the most loving parents and finest homes somehow produce an occasional “black sheep,” some who become anything but righteous. How does this happen?

These two sets of troubling questions are related because we live in a world marred by sin. No one escapes; everyone is affected because every person sins. The affects of human sin corrupt all human culture. Even the creation itself is marked by sin. What we often call “acts of God” are part of this shadow on the impersonal world. As much as they cause pain, the more personal evil causes even greater pain, leading to our asking, “Why? Why? Why?”

In Romans 8, Paul calls them birth pains and adds, “All things work together for good for those who love God…” Does this mean all sunshine and roses and happy endings? We know better. The “good” is for those who love God “to be conformed to the image of his Son,” in other words, to become Christ-like. I won’t overstate the case, but I suspect the explanation is simple. The evil in us requires strong medicine to reshape us into righteous, holy people suitable for the family of God, the household of faith, and the kingdom where Christ reigns.

The good news in this is that even the worst of suffering and pain, evil and wickedness, and pain and sorrow produce good, by God’s plan. We may not understand it now. It may feel wrong. Our minds may not be able to make sense of it. I believe, however, that His promises are real and certain to be fulfilled, and one day we will comprehend and appreciate what He will have accomplished, itself at a terrible price—the death of his own son on a cross.

If you watch, listen to, or read the news regularly, then it is likely you have gained a pessimistic sense of the future. Bad news sells, and bad news is mostly what we get. Worse, we get biased news, heavily slanted, in most cases, against the spiritual heritage and values we treasure. Not real progress, secular progressives seek a future free of God, godly values, and individual freedom, except for themselves perhaps. For such reporters, much of what they see is bad if it hinders their vision of the future.

Immersion in a relentless drone of negativity makes it hard not to accept their assertions. An example might be gay rights. Their view is that preventing people from living as they choose is discrimination and a violation of civil rights. If they could only enjoy all the privileges that heterosexuals enjoy, they could be happy. However, if homosexual behavior is a sin problem, as the Bible teaches, then they will never achieve their goal of happiness, even if they get the legal protections and acceptance they desire. Indeed, many heterosexuals and homosexuals have the same problem, a desire to live faithlessly and enjoy themselves apart from marriage. Legitimized immoral behavior through access to legal marriage has been rejected by virtually all civilized cultures throughout history.

Yet, the barrage of negativity and anti-Christian rhetoric assails us unceasingly. How can we fail to be discouraged? Our very way of life, more than threatened, seems on the verge of disappearing into a world that we don’t recognize and in which we wouldn’t belong. Moreover, recent economic troubles and government solutions that creep toward socialism and away from capitalism threaten our both our freedom and our very livelihoods. Is it any wonder that people despair for the future?

Our President-elect campaigned on hope, but since his election, he hasn’t been using that word. I’d like to believe he meant more than “I hope you will vote for me.” Many of his supporters have been rather unquestioning in their acceptance of his promises, even when they were rather vague. Frankly, I put little faith in the promises of men, especially when they’re seeking votes or money. I might say that I hope he becomes a better President than I expect, but that is a rather vapid use of the word.

Against all that, is true hope even possible? The answer is yes! No matter what men and women think or say, God is God. His promises remain, and He keeps His promises. His word even identified the doubt we see and sometimes feel, years ago in II Peter 3:3, 4, “(I)n the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning…’ ”

Peter continues in verse nine with this encouragement, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The Lord is keeping his own timetable and accomplishing His purposes. Our response, in verses 11 and 12, “(W)hat kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” He suggests we look ahead, hopefully, and live right. The temptation is to give up and live like our unbelieving neighbors; many believers already do. The more we slip into their attitudes and their immorality, the more we will find ourselves filled with doubt, as well as guilt.

God has our eternal future covered, but the principles of living he has given us may powerfully alter the more immediate future as well. The application of Biblical principles created what we call Western Civilization; it is the true source of human dignity, compassionate activities from medicine to homes for orphaned children, individual freedom, and prosperity derived from the hard work of people living freely, often honoring God in all their endeavors. The way of life that secular progressives are bent on changing can be restored by the same manner in which it was created, with the diligent influence of God’s people.

The good news is that God’s ways are better and He will indeed fulfill His promises. However grim things may appear to be, no matter how gloomy the news may seem, the future is bright. If we don’t give up, we may even discover that we have a positive impact on the near future. The world’s ways aren’t better, their “values” are not superior, and our ways, our God’s way, will indeed lead to joy and contentment that they cannot find without Him. That’s my good news sense for today.

For a slogan to be trustworthy, it must be true. Political slogans are notable in their vacuousness, and this one is especially meaningless. Basic English grammar says that this sentence needs a direct object: “Yes, we can what?” Even adding another of the words from the same campaign, we know little more to say, “Yes, we can change things.” If I could, I’d change my bald head into a full head of hair, but I can’t do that. Despite ads to the contrary, so far, male pattern baldness can be covered but not undone.

The people of the United States have remarkable power to change many things politically, but it requires knowledge and a bit of effort. Trusting slick campaigns and glib politicians is not the way. Too many of us have accepted that approach, assuming we can trust our elected officials to take care of our country for us. People, who often wouldn’t trust their own mothers and fathers to manage their affairs (once they’re adults themselves), seem to imagine they can trust strangers with well-crafted celebrity-styled images. Our various representatives serve our interests and carry out our wishes only when we hold them accountable; we do that by voting them out of office for not doing what they promise. Frankly, Americans haven’t been doing that.  Blaming the “ins” for natural shifts in an economy no one controls is mere reaction, not accountability.  Blaming a President for the results of actions taken by Congress is ignorant, as many are.

The news has been especially troubling, of late. As a result, more and more people, including believers, seem to express doubt about the future. While the future is always uncertain, and given that the Lord makes no guarantees to us concerning this world, I find such hopelessness distressing. As believers, we are not powerless. We are intimately connected to the God of power, the One who created and sustains our very existence. As children of God and citizens of His kingdom, we can! We can make a difference, and I have written about that in some detail.

What can we do? I will mention a few things and invite you to add to my list. First of all, we can pray. We have great power in prayer because we pray to the God of all power. Prayer isn’t magic; it is not Aladdin’s lamp filled with wishes. Yes, we may come to God with our needs, problems, and wishes, and he may give what we seek. Often we don’t have because we don’t ask. At the same time, prayer is our line of communication, two-way street. We must listen, seek wisdom, ask for guidance, and respect Him who is, after all, our Sovereign Lord and Heavenly Father. As one song says, “It’s not about me!”

Second, we can love. Without love, we cannot. That’s a big deficiency in most politicians; they love no one but themselves. Their assertions of caring and compassion are a ruse, and not a very good one. Those who often make the loudest claims of caring are frequently those whose personal actions prove the lie. Paul states it plainly; without love, nothing, nada, zilch! A friend sent me a review of a book called Love or Die. Does that sound harsh? It is true, you know. Somehow, we manage to convince ourselves that the Great Commandment is, well, secondary, while we involve ourselves with what’s really important. We delude ourselves into thinking we’ve got it covered, even as we neglect love disgracefully (Isn’t that an interesting word? Fully not grace!) Without love, we cannot. With love we can.

All other sources of individual power—being an example, serving as a mentor, being an agents of change, evangelizing, connecting to our community, and influencing culture—all hinge on love. If we make them mere activities, we are no different from the multitudes of other activists. With love bathed in prayer, we can. Yes, we can! (I realized as I was writing that the idea of love as a key to effectiveness is worth further development. Stay tuned…)

(Originally posted August 3, 2008)

Does God know when we’re struggling, afraid, doubting, guilty, or lonesome? Of course, he does. Jesus promised never to leave or abandon us, and nothing can separate us from His love. No matter where we go or what we do, He is there. No one of us is some distant stranger or anonymous servant; we are his siblings and his friends. He is the very best kind of brother and friend to us; he is aware of our situations, he knows what we need, and he is capable of providing it.

Last night, I decided to look up some Josh Groban videos on the Internet. One of my students’ foster parents had introduced me to his music, and I find it remarkably beautiful and compelling. I bought one CD and then gave it to a friend. I think I have another, some place, but I had to move recently; I have no idea where it may be, exactly. So, I Googled “Josh Groban video” and listened to the first song that popped up (Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up”).

The Lord has spoken to me recently through Madeleine L’Engle’s Walking on Water and Lee Strobel’s The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity, which I picked up at the church library because they “caught my eye.” I have already written about that elsewhere. Now “chance” led me to play this song that was unfamiliar to me. Given the song’s history and popularity, I don’t know how I had missed it till now, but I couldn’t miss it relevance to my life now!

You see, though I have trusted Christ as my Savior for most of my life, like everyone else, sometimes I still have doubts and fears. I have been in ministry of one kind or another for over 30 years, but that doesn’t insulate me from challenges and difficulties, or from heartache and pain. Just because I have chosen to write about “good news,” that I believe is to be found abundantly in Jesus Christ, doesn’t mean I easily or automatically apply what I know, all the time. In fact, the big challenge for me is to get what I know in my head, with absolute confidence, to trickle down to that stubborn heart, just inches away. In that light, the opening words of Groban’s song fit me well:

“When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.”

For me, the stillness isn’t always patience, and the silence is often prayerlessness. My doubt has been less in God than in myself; yet doubting that God cares is doubting God. Yet, while I may be sulking or simply closed within myself, He still comes; indeed, he was always there, just as he promised. The good news, here, the great news in fact, is that we don’t qualify to be raised up by being self-sufficient—good, strong, wise, or confident—we warrant his encouragement and provision by needing it. So, cast all your cares on him because he will take care of you.

“There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.”

Tomorrow, part II will take this on into the redemptive power of love, not just God’s love, but the love of a godly parent, spouse, child, teacher, or friend to “raise up.” Hopefully, you will not only find this song a comfort, as I have, but a challenge. Stay tuned…

(lyrics of “You Raise Me Up” written by Brendan Graham)

(originally posted July 30, 2008)

A blog, short for weblog, can be many things from a personal diary to a commentary on news. As I begin a blog for GNS, the Good News Station, I will probably do both, as a day warrants, but I hope to maintain a sense, always, of the good news that comes through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

A sense of promise, deliverance, and hope should always support and influence how we see the things of our lives, both personally and politically. If one believes, as I do, that God is sovereign over all His creation, then we should see His hand beneath, behind, and around everything that happens. Of course, people, believing and unbelieving alike, have pondered why evil and unfortunate events occur, but we should not allow our questions to obscure the truth. God is good, and He is patient. He hates sin, but He forgives sinners. He tolerates evil, but He has already defeated it. He has made promises that await fulfillment, but He will fulfill them.

Jesus promised never to leave us, yet we still feel alone and apart. He died for our sins, but we still must wrestle with sin’s power. He is, by right, and is not yet king in fact. He defeated death in His resurrection, but death still touches us for a little while longer. The news in this world seems ever more grim; still the good news of his deliverance is our sure and certain hope.

Perhaps, one of our biggest problems is that the incessant and persistent flow of information, increased by the technologies of publishing, radio and television broadcasting, cable and satellite transmission, and now the Internet overwhelm us. Who has the time to read, listen, or watch enough truth to balance those loud, persistent voices?

However, no matter how often we hear lies, truth is stronger. My desire is to supplement and reinforce the truth of the good news that you hear at church, read in the Bible, and perhaps watch on resources like GNS. One of my students recently asked me a question many have asked before, “Why do we only hear about the bad things?” It seems a perverse principle of our fallen human natures that what is ugly, unfortunate, strange, or terrible fascinates us. For many, it is a confirmation of John 3:19 that says, “Men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” As the media have learned and demonstrate: Bad news sells! Praise God that “light has come into the world!“

I hope you will come here often, perhaps even daily, to refresh you mind in the good news. Truly, God has provided us with an abundant source and an unending supply, and I will try to point it out to you. It will be good for me because I am prone to the same weakness, and I hope that it proves to be good for you as well.

* * * * *

Who am I? I’ve been around the area for a long time. I used to broadcast on WUNN, Family Life Radio. I have been a teacher and substitute at New Covenant Christian and Lansing Christian Schools. I was a pastor for nearly 10 years in Leslie, I have preached in numerous area church, and I have served as an interim pastor in several of them. I have been a peacemaker with Christian Conciliation Service and served as executive director, most recently. Lately, I have become deeply involved with tutoring refugees and hope to start a school for immigrants. I post several other blogs, and you can find me on Facebook.