I spend much of my day searching for news in an attempt to grow The Ridgeview News. I also spend a lot of time listening to national news because it’s of great interest to me. But the news that I love more than all is the Good News of Jesus Christ. It stirs my soul, it encourages me and gives me hope. I’m not sure how anyone who doesn’t know Jesus Christ as their Savior survives. I remember clearly my days pre salvation. I think it’s important to remember the days of no hope, because the days of hope become that much sweeter.
My question for today is how do we share and enjoy the hope we’re given in the face of reality?
I have friends who do not watch the national news. I’m not so sure they care for my news, and I totally get it. Reality can suck the life out of you. Knowing it can create anxiety, there’s usually no answer on a local level, and little we can do about the national level. So why am I so drawn into it, and feel it’s necessary for my life? Why do I tell other’s about it? Do you want the bad news or the good news first? Being that you’re not in my living room to answer this morning I’ll start with the bad and then we’ll end on a good note.
Everyone Needs a Reality Check
That’s exactly what bad news does. It’s also what drives me to share the truth of my neighborhood, my nation and my Lord. It’s not always an easy decision and doesn’t always make me popular. Usually quite the opposite, I mean… who wants to be around a negative nelly. I try not to be, but reality is considered a negative subject. It’s also a relative subject and less appreciated when it’s about people we have a relationship with. But knowing the truth should be what we desire. But it’s not for most people.
I cannot help but think of the prophet of Lamentation and Woe, Jeremiah. You know people crossed the street to avoid him. He never had anything good to say. And yet, he’s got his own book in the Bible, so obviously God approved of what he had to say.
Jeremiah 1:1-10 KJV
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: [2] To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. [3] It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month. [4] Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [5] Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. [6] Then said I, Ah, Lord God ! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. [7] But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. [8] Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. [9] Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. [10] See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
From the beginning of Jeremiah’s life (which was before he was born) until the end of his life, God had a plan for him. It causes me to wonder how many aborted babies would God have done an amazing work with if only they were given the chance. I also have to consider how many chances we’ve been ehgiven and failed to use. Jeremiah didn’t ignore reality and he didn’t fail to sound the alarms on the bad news of the day. How else can people be prepared?
Reality has Bad News
The reality of this world is, if you’re not saved you cannot prepare for what’s coming, your mind could not possibly comprehend the evil that will be on the face of the earth when God calls the church home. And if you’re saved, you should know what’s coming and be able to warn your people. But at no point did God say give up. We have job to do until He calls us from this earth and understanding the Prophets who foretold the reality of the future is a very important part of our life’s work.
So lets talk about reality for one paragraph and then I’ll move onto the good news!
There is so much I would like to say, and if I thought you’d read my paragraph for hours perhaps I’d tell it all, but I’ll abbreviate it for now. The majority of the people I talk to do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ (even those who are saved) in which they converse with Him and study His word. They do not discuss the fact that Jesus is going to come back anyone not saved will be in a literal hell on earth. They do not discuss the fact that there are people in our schools, workplaces and even churches that are not serving God’s agenda, but Satans. And by allowing those people to have their say without a response from the children of God is basically saying it’s okay to indoctrinate the people you care about with lies that can send them to Hell. Nobody wanted to hear what Jeremiah had to say, and nobody wants to hear what an outspoken Christian has to say, but it didn’t stop Israel from facing judgement and it won’t stop America either.
Reality has Good News
But you have to embrace the truth of it all. There were people in our community hurt recently because people spoke truth about politicians and it was viewed as contempt. That my friend is a lie of the Devil. He loves it when good people get upset about the truth because for certain they won’t share it, and if anything they degrade it until people don’t listen. Yes politics is ugly. And I long for the day that politics won’t exist. We’ll have one King, Praise God, and there will be no division. But that’s not now. We have people serving a Heavenly King (Jesus) and we have people serving an earthly king (Satan) and even if it’s in positions that don’t seem to matter in the scope of eternity, it does. Because these people are influencing our people. The Good news is that for those of us serving King Jesus, we are given the opportunity to share the truth of Jesus Christ and be honest about the truth of others. If I say “so and so” is a good person and good for a job, and it is know that that person is a scoundrel, why will anyone believe what I say about the Lord? And in the same line of thinking, if I warn you about someone who could do your community harm and it’s proven, will people not take my word when I warn them about the return of Christ? Is there human error on both sides, of course!
James 4:17 KJV
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Living in Reality would Make News!
Jeremiah 52:28-30 KJV
This is the people whom Nebuchadrezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year three thousand Jews and three and twenty: [29] In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons: [30] In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.
Jeremiah’s prophesy came to reality. And so will that of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. For those of us who know Him as Savior, that’s going to be a great day. We need to do more to help people understand that the reality of this world is wicked, but the hope and glory in the Heavenly Kingdom is a reality far beyond what we can imagine here. God put us in this world with purpose, just as He did Jeremiah, let’s live in it!
Start with church on Sunday that is where you’ll find hope for living in today!