Tag: goodnews

By F. G.

After a long day of traveling and a very poor night’s sleep preceding another taxing day at a large hospital while his son had major surgery, Jack was exhausted. It will not surprise the reader, then, that Jack went straight to bed upon arriving in his room at the hotel where he was staying. However, only two hours later he was awakened by screaming fire alarms. Jack stirred, wondering, “Where am I? Maybe this is only a dream.” But no; just then, a commanding voice announced over the loudspeaker, “Everyone should leave the building immediately. Please be calm and everyone will be okay. Exit the building immediately. Thank you.”

At this declaration Jack jumped out of bed; he wasn’t dreaming! Dressed in his nightclothes, he was determined not to appear outside just as he was. “I can come to the Lord Jesus ‘just as I am,’ as a favorite song of mine says,” Jack thought, “but it would be embarrassing to be seen by people without tidying myself, at least a little.” Hastily putting on his shirt and pants, and running a comb through his hair, Jack had the nagging thought that he should be going, especially since he was on the fifth floor and the smoke smell was getting worse. Grabbing his shoes in the darkness, Jack was finally ready.

When he arrived downstairs, one of the last, Jack found everyone assembled in a living room-like lobby. He was smiling to himself as he looked around and thought, “Boy, I’m sure glad I don’t look like these people – crazy hair, funny-looking pajamas – I’m sure they wouldn’t look this way in public if they had a choice. As they stared back at Jack, however, a disturbing realization swept over him: “I never actually looked in the mirror. What if they are thinking the same thing about me?”

It didn’t take long before Jack was relieved to understand that the smoke was, in fact, a result of food left too long in the microwave.

Back in his room, Jack prepared for bed a second time. But first, looking in the mirror, he noticed that the front of his button down shirt looked a little lopsided; he had missed the top button. Then he saw that the shoes on his feet were from two different pairs. Now he was sure that others must have thought his appearance humorous, too!

As Jack dozed off to sleep he thought of the many other people like him. The Bible says “All [people] have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23 kjv), and God must one day judge sinners. Yet, just like Jack thought he could tidy himself to look better before everyone at the hotel, many people think that they can do good things to look better before God and other people. In the end, Jack discovered that he wasn’t any better than the other guests after all.

Everyone who thinks they can “tidy” themselves by doing good things will soon find that they are wrong. You see, “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isa. 64:6). It is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He [God] saved us” (Ti. 3:5). Jesus, God’s Son came to earth and took the judgment for each sinner who will believe in Him. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish [in the lake of fire], but have everlasting life [in heaven]” (Jn. 3:16).

If the smoke that Jack smelled had been the result of an actual fire, he could have lost his life by waiting too long to escape from the building. More importantly, every sinner who waits too long to accept Jesus as his or her Savior will be lost forever in the lake of fire. Have you trusted in Jesus, thereby escaping the fire and judgment from God? Is Jesus your Savior? Are you on your way to heaven? Or, are you delaying, like Jack did, while you try to make yourself look better? Don’t wait any longer – trust Him now! We can tell you more.

By Stephen Campbell

In March 2011 a terrible tsunami devastated the northeast coast of Japan. As the wave approached, 60-year-old Hiromitsu Shinkawa raced into his concrete home for a few belongings. But he had less time than he thought and the sea was stronger than he expected. Within minutes Hiromitsu’s house was broken up. The man found himself flailing underwater before desperately pulling himself up on a piece of his own roof. The water propelled him forward, then it reversed course and sped away from land – finally leaving Hiromitsu adrift on his broken rooftop, alone, ten miles out in the Pacific Ocean.

Many regions of the world experience similar natural disasters. But far more familiar are the calamities of life: health lost, finances upended, family broken, hope gone. Within moments these can transform any ordinary day into an unforeseen tragedy. We find out that we had less time than we thought and the sea of despair is stronger than we expected.

The Bible identifies the source of this despair as the problem of sin. The “sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29 NKJV) has marred God’s creation and propelled mankind away from Him. People honor God with their lips but remain far from Him in their hearts (Mt. 15:8).

Two days after the tsunami, rescuers found Hiromitsu – dehydrated and delirious, but alive. Later he said, “No helicopters or boats that came nearby noticed me. I thought that day was going to be the last day of my life.”

You may also feel abandoned in your gloom. Perhaps no one nearby even notices your misery. But your Rescuer is near! The Savior, Jesus, has overcome the distance caused by sin. He knows what sorrow is, for He Himself has sorrowed. He knows the depths of sin, for He Himself paid sin’s penalty when He died on a cross and accepted God’s judgment on your behalf (1 Pet. 3:18). He knows where you have drifted, and He comes to you at this moment. Trust the risen Savior as your own and accept His tender deliverance from the sea of sin. We can tell you how.

Frequently parts of southern France see great floods. The frightful torrents sweep away everything they find in their path: trees, houses and even entire villages. They come so suddenly that many of those who live in such places are carried without warning to their death.

Near Toulouse, some time ago, a mother with her two innocent children found themselves suddenly caught in the midst of the raging waters. Well knowing their danger, the poor woman searched in vain for some means of rescue. But seeing that there was little hope for her, she dedicated all her energies to protecting the lives of her two children.

She could find no other way than to securely tie them to a board and leave them to the current, trusting the goodness of the Lord to save them. She placed the children on this small ark and released it with a fervent prayer, resigning herself to her own death.

The furious current swept the fragile little lifeboat quickly downstream, but only, to the horror of the mother, to hurl it against the trunk of a tree with such force that the plank shattered. With a superhuman energy the mother managed to reach the tree and, clinging to one of its branches, managed to rescue her two tender children from death.

A feeble ray of hope cheered her: if only the tree, which was now also being swept along by the wild current, could support them they might survive. But soon that hope faded and the tree rolled and its branches creaked – they could not support the weight of the three of them.

But the mother’s love would not allow her to waver. She tied the little ones to the smaller branches and, entrusting them to the One who orders the waves and the winds, she threw herself into the current and soon drowned.

When the waters receded the two children were found safe and sound still tied to the tree.

Oh, the great and wonderful love of a mother! Does not such selflessness move our hearts? Has there ever been a deeper love?

Yes, there is: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you,” says the Lord in Isaiah 49:15 (NKJV).

Yes, there is a love greater than a mother’s. She may give her life for her children, but Jesus Christ, the Son of God, gave His life for miserable sinners who forgot Him and pursued Him to a shameful death. “When we were still without strength (defenseless), in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6).

“In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 Jn. 4:10). “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us … When we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (Rom. 5:8,10).

God is good and merciful, and He still loves sinners. He loves you, friend. Trust yourself to the love of Christ. Come to Him just as you are. Be a sharer in this love that was sealed with the blood Jesus shed for sinners. Tell Him right now that you believe that He died for you, guilty and unworthy though you are. Receive Jesus Christ! We can tell you how.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (Jn. 1:12).

A version of this article is available from us as a tract – but in Spanish only. Ask for Spanish tract #113.

A well-known evangelist used to tell the following story:

Some time ago I went to visit a little seven-year-old girl, named Mary, who was quite ill. She wanted to see me urgently, so I went to her house. They took me to her room and I sat beside her bed.

“So, here I am. Tell me, little one, why did you want to see me?” I asked.

“I wanted to speak to you before I die.”

“But,” I asked in surprise, “What did you say? That you are going to die?”

“Yes, I am going to die.”

“You don’t want to be treated and recover your health?”

“No, sir,” young Mary affirmed.

“But … why not?”

“Because since I have become a Christian,” the child answered with great calm, “many times I have tried to take my daddy to church, but he doesn’t want to go. I think that if I die, you would preach the gospel at my funeral. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, little one.”

“Well, I think that if I die my daddy would have to go to the funeral. I would be willing to die six times over in order for him to hear the gospel.”

Not long after our conversation the little girl died. But just when she was to be buried I was quite seriously ill and it was impossible for me to attend her funeral.

Some time later a gentleman approached me and asked, “Do you know who I am?”

“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know you.”

“I am the father of little Mary – the daddy she died for. I heard that she was willing to die six times over in order for me to hear the gospel even once. This has touched me very deeply and now I want to know the way of salvation.”

Soon after that the gentleman received the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.

“‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach); that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame’ … For the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:8-13 NKJV).

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).

How about you, dear reader? You see that it is as simple as the faith of a little child. Why not join that sweet little one and her repentant father, and receive the Savior and eternal life yourself?

This is available from us as a tract – but in Spanish only. Ask for Spanish tract #101.

By Roscoe Barnes III

“Bruno” had reached the pinnacle of success. He owned his own business, lived in a nice house, drove a fancy car and had a beautiful wife. It seemed that his happiness would never end. But soon problems surfaced and his marriage fell apart. Before long he did something he would live to regret.

I met Bruno when I visited the medical unit of the detention facility where I was chaplain. Bruno was a hulking figure with sad eyes – an expression that told you something was wrong.

“I’ve been trying to reach you for a long time,” Bruno said as he greeted me with a handshake. He then offered me a chair. The 30-year-old man rarely smiled and was often ignored by those around him. He felt that people were either afraid of him or they simply hated him. Either way, most people, including other inmates, would not give him the time of day.

Without any prompting from me, Bruno began to tell me his story as he started to cry. “I can’t believe I’ve ended up this way,” he said with tears coming down his face. “I’d never been in trouble with the law. I can’t believe this is happening.”

He told me that he was at the end of his rope. Loneliness had set in like a heavy sack and all he could see was despair. Eventually, Bruno said that he had started to think of how he would take his own life. As he sat in front of me with his elbows resting on his knees he said he had done the most horrible thing imaginable – he had killed another human being. “I’ve taken a man’s life … and I deserve whatever happens to me,” he said. He wiped his face and paused. Then he looked me in the eyes and asked: “But do you think God can forgive me?”

That question hit me with a wave of emotion as I thought about the Good News of Jesus Christ and how He came to save us from our sins. I eagerly shared the message of God’s grace with Bruno and then asked him a simple question, “Have you trusted Christ as your Savior?”

Shaking his head he said, “No,” and started sobbing profusely. When I asked if he would like to, he immediately said, “Yes.” He then bowed his head and prayed to receive Christ into his life. When he lifted his head he was beaming with a bright smile, and the expression with the sad eyes was no longer there.

Bruno’s life was so drastically transformed that he went from being the most despised and feared man in the facility to the most loved and respected. He found favor with all who worked around him. He accepted what he had done as sin and committed his future to God.

What God did for Bruno He will do for anyone who places his or her trust in Jesus Christ as Savior. God loves us and is more than willing to forgive us of our sins. He said: “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins” (Isa. 43:25 NKJV). “God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him” (Dan. 9:9 NIV). Forgiveness of all our sins is available simply for the asking!

When I think of Bruno’s story, I’m reminded of the apostle Paul who was responsible for the deaths of Christians, but God’s grace made a difference in his life (1 Tim. 1:12-16; Acts 22:4,19-20). For this reason he could say: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Tim. 1:15, NKJV).

It does not matter who you are or what you have done, God’s grace – His underserved kindness – is all you need. Jesus came into the world as a man and He died on the cross for you and me. Jesus shed His blood so that our sins could be washed away: “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His [Jesus’] name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission [forgiveness] of sins” (Acts 10:43). “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 Jn. 1:7).

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and He is alive right now. He longs to save you and to forgive you of all your sins. Will you accept God’s forgiveness? We can tell you more.

By Raymond K. Campbell

During a gospel revival in Scotland, a certain lady became concerned about her salvation. Several of her friends had been saved, and feeling some anxiety herself, she went to a preacher and told him she was unhappy. He replied that he was glad to hear it!

Astonished and somewhat offended, she told the minister what efforts she had made to obtain salvation; how she had read and prayed, but still seemed as far from peace with God as ever. He then told her that it was not by anything that she could do, but by what Christ had done long ago and finished on the cross, that she was to be saved.

This all seemed mysterious to her, so she visited her friend who had recently been converted. She asked her what she had done to obtain the wonderful peace with God of which she spoke.

“Done? I have done nothing! It is by what Christ has done that I have obtained peace with God,” her friend replied.

“That is just what the minister told me, but I cannot understand it,” the lady answered. Then she went home very distressed.

Shutting herself in her room, she fell on her knees, resolving that she would not rise till she found rest and peace. After some time in agony she fell asleep. While sleeping, she dreamed that she was falling over a frightful precipice, but caught hold of a single twig which overhung the abyss beneath.

She clung to this twig, crying aloud for help. Then a voice from below, which she knew to be the voice of Jesus, told her to let go of the twig and He would receive and save her. “Lord, save me!” she cried; but the voice again answered, “Let go of the twig.” She did not dare to let go of the twig, but continued crying, “Lord, save me!”

At last, the One below, whose voice she heard but whom she did not see, said in the most tender and solemn tones, “I cannot save you, unless you let go of the twig!” In desperation she let go and fell into the arms of Jesus; and the joy of finding herself there awoke her.

The lesson forcibly impressed on her God’s way of salvation. She saw that Jesus was worthy of all her trust and it was by holding to the twig that she kept herself away from Christ! So she let go of all her self-efforts and found Jesus all sufficient. Now she enjoyed that wonderful peace with God which is only through the Lord Jesus Christ.

What about you? Are you at peace with God? Do you know your sins are all forgiven? Are you resting in the arms of Jesus and in His finished work on Calvary’s cross? If you are not trusting and resting totally in Christ for salvation, and ceasing to cling to any merits or efforts of your own, you will never enjoy peace with God and never reach heaven.

Listen to the heavenly voice that calls to you, “There is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isa. 45:21-22 NKJV). 

Christ is a complete Savior and the only Savior. If you want to be saved you must let go of every other hope and let yourself fall into His powerful, saving arms. If you are striving, trying and clinging, you are not trusting in His ability to save you and bring you safely to heaven.

Christ did not come to help save sinners. No, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). He must do all the work. Therefore, dear reader – as a guilty, helpless, perishing sinner – you must surrender yourself to Christ and let Him save you! We can tell you more.

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Ti. 3:5). “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

By Victor Coffman

1. What Is Sin?
The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NKJV).

Circle your sins:

Lying	Hating	Disobeying
Cheating	Swearing	Bad Thoughts
Stealing	Fighting	Jealousy

What are other sins that you have done? _______________________, _______________________, _______________________.2. What Did Jesus Do About My Sins?
The Bible says, “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3).
Put your name in this verse and read it aloud: 
Christ died for ________________________________’s sins.

Are you sorry for your sins? Yes No (Check one)3. How Can Jesus Make My Heart Clean?
God says, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Fill in the blanks with the same word (hint: the word is in the verse you just read): 
Jesus makes my heart clean with His ________________________.

A soldier pushed a spear in Jesus’ side and ______________ came out (Jn. 19:34). 
Do you want Jesus to make your heart clean? Yes No (Check one)4. How Can I Ask Jesus To Come Into My Heart?
Jesus says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone [man, woman, boy or girl] hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine [eat] with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

Who is knocking? ____________________

Why is He knocking? ___________________________________________________________

If you want to ask Jesus to come into your heart, you can pray something like this: 
“Lord Jesus, I have done many bad things. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for my sins. Please forgive my sins. Please come into my heart. Please make my heart clean with your blood.”5. I Might Still Sin. What Can I Do About The Bad Things I Do?
The Bible tells us, “If we confess our sins, He [Jesus] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Using what this verse says, fill in these blanks: 
If I _____________ my sins, Jesus will __________________________my sins and ________________ my heart.6. How Can I Know That I Have Eternal Life?
Put your name in the blanks of John 3:16. 
For God so loved _______________ that He gave His only begotten Son, that if _______________ believes in Him _______________ shall not perish but have everlasting life.

When do you have everlasting life? ______________________________________

I hope you have put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, asking Him to come into your heart. I hope you will live wanting to make Him happy. A little chorus says: “Read your Bible, Pray every day, And you’ll grow, grow, grow.”

If you have given your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, Grace & Truth would like to send you some literature to help you grow in Him. Please write to us asking for the “New Believer’s Packet.” We can tell you more.