The Real Good News
Goodness gracious, sakes alive, friend, come pull yourself up on this here ol’ front porch an’ let’s sit right over here where the cool breeze is findin’ its way to spread the sweet honeysuckle perfume. Now, hurry an’ git yourself settled in real good ‘cause Acts 8:35 is ‘bout to sparkle an’ shine like a lil’ ol’ Banty rooster’s pride when he’s finally figured out which direction the sun risin’ from. This verse says, “So, beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.” Now that there’s a verse that lands with the gentle thump of a fat ol’ raccoon dropping out of an apple tree he had no business climbing up in the first place. It reminds us that when you know the Word of God, you can share it anywhere, anytime even if someone surprises you faster than a lil’ ol’ rabbit that’s darting out from under the woodpile when the farmer gits too close.
Every now and then you hear stories about folks pretendin’ to be doctors when they couldn’t tell a stethoscope from a garden hose. Their “treatments” end up doin’ more harm than an ol’ raccoon that got loose in a feed room. An’, friend, as wild as that sounds, spiritual malpractice is just as real. There are folks out there preachin’ messages that sound sweet as molasses, but they leave out the very heart of the gospel. If the Good News don’t include the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then, it’s ‘bout as helpful as a woodpecker knockin’ on a metal pole.
The gospel is actually real simple. Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, died on the cross for our sins. He paid the price for every wrong thing we’ve ever done. An’ after conquerin’ sin, He rose again to conquer death. That’s the real message that saves. That’s the real message that heals. That’s the real message we’ve got to carry.
But sometimes we git ourselves all tangled up like an ol’ goat caught up in a fence. We chase arguments, use clever comebacks, and “gotcha” moments hopin’ to be outsmartin’those unbelievers. Yet, the Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15 to correctly handle the word of truth. Not to juggle it. Not to decorate it. Just know it as it is and share it as it is.
Philip didn’t need a debate manual or a stack of index cards. He simply knew Scripture. So, when the Ethiopian official asked a question, Philip stepped right in, calm as a turtle slidin’ into a pond, and shared Jesus from the very passage the man was readin’. That’s what happens when the Word is stored in your heart. Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” The more Scripture we tuck away, the more the Holy Spirit has to work with.
Friend, your heart can hold more Scripture than a lil’ ol’ chipmunk can ever find a way to cram into its cheeks. Fill it up. Treasure it. Let God use it.
Father, help me know Your Word so well that it rises up in me at just the right moment. Give me courage to share Jesus simply and clearly. Fill my heart with Scripture and my mouth with truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I’ll tell you what, friend, let this truth git real settled into your spirit the way a wise old hoot owl settles onto a sturdy branch high up in that there big ol’ oak tree over there. Now, let it steady you like a tall pine that has stood through a dozen storms. Let it remind you that you don’t need any real fancy words; you only need a faithful heart. An’ as you journey back into the busyness of your day ahead, walk forward ready to share Jesus when He calls on you anywhere, anytime, an’ in any way with confidence, clarity, and joy, knowin’ the Good News is powerful enough all by itself. So, God’s crystal-clear two-thousand-year-old message to you is to simply be prepared with Scripture an’ willin’ to share, so He can do all the rest!
With joy,
Gwen
