The Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor … a crown of beauty instead of ashes, [and] the oil of joy instead of mourning (Isaiah 61:1–3).
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To paraphrase Jesus (Luke 4), “God offers good news where only poverty, prison, blindness and oppression existed before.”
Many think Jesus came to earth just to offer syrupy platitudes and help people find ways to be happy and get along. No. No. No!
Yes, He loves it when people are happy and get along, but He came for much more than that. He was born, lived His life, learned carpentry, led His little band of followers around the countryside and in the cities, died on the cross, rose on Easter Sunday, and returned to His Father in heaven, to rescue people who had no hope. That’s the “good news of the Gospel.” The old English called it “Godspell,” which morphed into “Gospel” over the centuries. He came for the “hopeless,” that’s us without God’s merciful intervention. Thank You, Jesus, for bringing hope to our hopeless existence, apart from You.
Adapted from ANGEL FOOD for August 14, by Curtis Alexander. Go to www.drcurtis-alexander.com for more info, including excerpts from PANTS ON FIRE, published by WordsWorth Books, LLC; also BEING LIKE JESUS and JOURNEYS FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, both published by Leadership Books, Inc. You can order all the books on Amazon.com or from the author; email me at ckalex1402@gmail.com for special offers and book bundles.
