Welcome back to “The Good News Blog!”
Like many things “new” … we’ve decided to “tweak” this blog… here and there.
EVERYTHING “NEW” WILL COME OUT IN JUNE!!
If you’ve already subscribed… no need to do it again. If you have not subscribed… you can do it on any page on our website at the bottom of each.
If you’ve been following us over the last month or so, you know we’ve added a woman’s voice to our group. If you read Marianne’s first post… She is indeed a welcome addition!
On top of that, we thought it best if we begin anew. You see, the four of us have a desire to “help” spread the Good News given to us all almost 2,000 years ago. Yep, you read that correctly… 2,000 years ago.
Now the first question we need to be asking is: “Can anything that was spoken 2,000 years ago still be relevant in the year 2023 A.D.?”
The second question should be, “Who do these four unknowns think they are, and why should we listen to them?”
Didn’t Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul do a good enough job? “Then throw in all the writers of the Hebrew Scriptures. Again… weren’t they good enough?”
Rhetorical question. Of course, they were.
But the “Good News” here is that although all were inspired and some even walked with the Christ… Disciples are still needed 21 centuries later. Make no mistake ALL of us are His disciples.
And we can tell you for a fact, there are thousands of “disciples” out in our world, doing their part… writing, preaching, singing, composing… all telling the story of a babe born in Bethlehem of Judea in a barren cave... having nothing but a feeding trough for animals to rest his tiny head. His life culminating on a hill outside the walls of Jerusalem, where he was nailed to a tree between two thieves. His last resting place was a barren tomb that belonged to a disciple named Joseph from Arimathea.
Yet, it is the Good News spoken from the lips of that Itinerant Preacher from Nazareth that we recall… that we remember… that we desire to still see the relevance of them.
Before continuing… I’d ask you all to watch this video. Anne Murray sang “A Little Good News,” in 1983 for the first time. The song was written by Tommy Rocco, Charlie Black, and Rory Bourke and was Murray’s seventh #1 hit on the Billboard Country chart. She is seen here 20 years later in 2003 singing the same. Enjoy the lyrics.
See ya on the other side.
Now… I’d like to interject here some of the “Good News” quotes by Yeshua (Jesus’ name in Hebrew) of Nazareth while he walked the streets, hills, and valleys of Israel. Keep in mind He said these almost 2,000 years ago.
I’ll let you be the judge and jury.
Are they still relevant in 2023 A.D.?
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to cast a stone.
For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?
It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”
“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Again… you be the judge and jury. Are some of these saying “tough?”
You bettcha!
The Nazarene did not mince words.
A final pointed question for all of you and to the four of us…
“Aren’t we all, in the era of the 24-hours news cycle, just a little bit sick ‘n tired of ALL THE BAD NEWS?”
Here’s what’s going to happen.
Sometime toward the middle or end of May, we’ll send out another email to you all with how we’ll “reboot” in June.
Bill, Marianne, Fr. Tom, and George are aware that Spreading the Good News of Christ is, indeed, challenging.
We understand that in this secular world… religion and spirituality are shunned by many.
But hey, it’s taken almost 2,000 years for Christianity to get almost 1 billion “subscribers”!
Patience is a virtue.
We’ll end this with the same song… Lyrics only with Anne Murray singing.
Lastly, our goal might be a bit similar to what Anne Murray sang 4-decades ago…
The original Good News was presented almost 2,000 years ago. Hopefully, we can present a modern version of the…
Good News of the Christ…
And give us all a “Little bit of Good News” Today.
Peace.
A pause to reflect. And yet in 2000 years we still don’t heed those words. Let’s be the ones who do and help to bring sanity back. Great message George.