THE GOOD NEWS MAGAZINE 17TH EDITION

A welcome Note

Welcome back precious friends to our 17^th Good News Magazine Edition. We hope and pray that your family is doing well and God is taking good care of you.  Our theme this time which most of you are familiarized with and can never get to understand it’s deep meaning is, GRACE. I am not sure who came up with this meaning: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense (G.R.A.C.E.) but I must admit that I love that literal meaning and the message it depicts in our lives. Grace, oh how I pray that the Lord will teach us to understand how deep this is. The person I am today is by God’s grace, yes His divine grace. God saw me from the very beginning, He knew me even before I was formed in my mother’s womb. From time to time man has always lived his own life, a life of sin, a life of carnality, a life not worth pleasing to God. God saw the need for us to KNOW Him and bring us back to Him. John 3:16 tells it all.

Despite our rejection of God’s redemptive power and work of the cross, He still stretches out His hand toward us. He still wants us to call upon His Name and get saved.  God’s grace is eminent. The moment we start believing in Him, His grace will carry us through, He will ensure that no matter what we go through, He will give us the grace to carry on, and when our strength is gone out, His strength will be ours. All we need to do is to just call upon His Name and we shall be saved according to the scripture in Romans 10:11-13, For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Look at this again, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. Yes, rich unto all that call upon Him. For us to experience God’s riches in our lives, we have to tap into the reservoir of God's grace. Everything has been laid up for our own good. God’s riches of grace are eternal and this will never run out. The moment we are born again, accept the Lord Jesus as our personal savior and Lord over our hearts, we start experiencing eternity with the Lord.

When God lavishes His grace upon all that believe Him, we receive righteousness in Him; we get freedom from legalism and an unbreakable union with our Father. And God in return desires that we invest time and energy in our relationship with Him. As we open ourselves to the Father, everything He has to offer pours freely into our lives. Our connection with Him makes it possible for us to live joyful, contented lives overflowing with blessings.

Romans 8:17 states that, And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Well, I believe as heirs of God, we have access to everything that God has in store for us. We have access to God's riches, which include unspeakable joy, unconditional love, and peace beyond understanding. God’s riches is for His true children whom He gives freely whatsoever we ask of Him.

True wealth isn't measured by our bank accounts or what we possess. It is high time for us to realize that God’s grace has been given to us freely. Romans 3:24 says, Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:   Justified freely here means, without anything done on our part to deserve. Not any good we did to deserve God’s justification, our works and good deeds as a matter of fact could have amounted to emptiness and separated us forever from God. By His grace it simply means His free love. His love He offers to us all. No man could have done this except our God through His son Jesus. He died for you and for me on the cross that we might be redeemed from our sin. Jesus went through a hard way; He paid the full price for our redemption and salvation. It is free grace, mere mercy; there is nothing in us to deserve such favors. It comes freely unto us, but Christ bought it, and paid the price. And faith has special regard to the blood of Christ, as that which made the atonement. God, in all this, declares His righteousness. It is plain that He hates sin, when nothing less than the blood of Christ would satisfy for it. And it would not agree with His justice to demand the debt, when the Surety has paid it, and He Has accepted that payment in full satisfaction, all this because He so loves us and His mercies are new every morning!

Our faith, our conversion, and our eternal salvation, are not of works, lest any man should boast. These things are not brought to pass by anything done by us, therefore all boasting is shut out. All is the free gift of God, and the effect of being quickened by His power. It was His purpose, to which He prepared us, by blessing us with the knowledge of His will, and His Holy Spirit producing such a change in us, that we should glorify God by our good conversation, and perseverance in holiness. I must say that when you have given your life to the Lord, you have declared war with the enemy. Our enemy is the devil. The enemy’s agenda is to destroy what God has created and deemed good, but I thank the Lord that He came to give us life in abundance. John 10:10 says,  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. What more riches can we receive than the abundance of eternal life in Christ given to us by His grace?

May the Lord help us all to understand God’s mystery of grace. When I reflect on God’s mercies and the grace given to us, I never cease to thank Him. All of us deserved destruction, all of us never qualified for His grace and His mercy, but God in His unending love, by His grace determined to deliver us though the redemptive power of His blood... Colosians 1:14 puts it like this, In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins : He predestinated that we should be conformed to the image of His Son. All that God designed for glory and happiness as the end, He decreed to grace and holiness as the way. God in His boundless love for us, met all the issues of sin for a lost and ruined world, and so perfectly Has He wrought that man need now but believe and thus receive the bounty of His sufficient grace.

Have you surrendered your life to the Lord? Would you like to receive God’s riches which comes by His grace through Jesus Christ? Would you love to be a partaker in God’s Kingdom? May the Lord give you favor. May He show you mercy and bestow His blessings upon you! I sum up this with Philipians 4:19, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Call on Him today for  behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Amen.

THE GREATNESS OF GOD’S GRACE

So many times in our life, without even realizing it, we take God's grace for granted. Most times, it’s because we don't fully understand the entire meaning of God's grace, or perhaps accept with great humility the results of God's grace.

There were some verses that even in my adult life in walking with the Lord that didn't quite touch my life as much as they should or could have because of my lack of understanding of them, which resulted in my taking of God's grace for granted. Not intentionally, but out of ignorance.

Here are just a few of such verses:
Romans 3:25 - Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of
sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

1 John 2:2 - And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours
only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 4:10 - Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved
us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Is there one word that keeps jumping out at you through these verses? There should be.  And that word is "propitiation".  This is the definition that the KJV Bible Dictionary offers as the definition for propitiation;  "PROPITIATION, n.

1. The act of appeasing wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person; the act of making propitious.

2. In theology, the atonement or atoning sacrifice offered to God to assuage his wrath and render him propitious to sinners. Christ is the propitiation for the sins of men. Rom. 3, 1John  2.

Once we understand propitiation, we see GRACE shining through!  I have 3 sons;   Matthew, Jonathan David, and Timothy.   Through Home Schooling our boys, it gave us many teaching opportunities not just through book learning, but through life lessons as well.  I'd like to share a story with you that I'm sure my boys wouldn't mind me sharing with you. 

Our youngest son, at times, would have a habit of tattle telling in his older two brothers.  We realized this was just a part of being the youngest and would eventually grow out of it. However, one day it gave us a great teaching opportunity as well as learning a Biblical truth through experience.  Our youngest came in from outside and told us something the older two had done.  My husband and I had already decided that this is what we would do next time this would occur.  We told him to go get his brothers, that we wanted to talk to them.

Because our bedroom was right off of the living room, I sat with our youngest in the living room, and my husband took the older two boys into the bedroom to carry out the discipline required for disobedience, which was to be spanked after having explained to them what they had done wrong,  that they were being punished because they made the choice to disobey rather than obey, and then punishment was carried out in love, in this case (because of the type of disobedience) by spanking.  As I sat with my youngest on the sofa outside the bed room, he heard a "spank", and then the response his brother made from receiving the spank.  Tears began to fall, and he knew his other brother was going to be next and asked to go to his room.  I told him no, that he had come and told us what his brother's did, and that he would wait with me. 

He started to cry and said he didn't want to hear it... (What he knew was coming next).  I told him I understood, but if he didn't do what they had done, he had nothing to worry about  as long as it was the truth and he did not participate
as well, but it's not always nice to tell on your brothers unless they're in danger , or harming someone else.  And so, just before the punishment on his second brother was to begin, he jumped up sobbing and said, "Let me!"  I asked what he meant by that...and his reply was, " don't spank him, spank me."  I asked if he had done the wrong, and he said no... I then asked if he had lied about what his brother had done...and again, the answer was no.  So I asked him why would he
want to get spanked if he did nothing wrong?  His reply was, " because
I love him and I'll take it for him".  That's when I smiled and said, "Honey, that is what you call, propitiation!  Taking someone else's punishment when they did the wrong, and you did nothing wrong, but out of love for them, are willing to take their punishment.

What he didn't know, was on the other side of the door, Jerry was having a talk with the two other brothers who had disobeyed.  He told them that what they did was wrong, and asked them if they felt they deserved to be punished, to which they both agreed.  Jerry then explained to the boys, that even though they deserve to be punished, he was going to show them mercy.  He explained that mercy is not getting what you deserve.  (The boys were quite pleased with the way this was working out for them!)   

Jerry went on to explain how Jesus Christ shows us mercy each day...and then concluded that when mom comes into the bedroom, we were all going to get cleaned up and go out for ice cream! Jerry asked them if they knew what that was called, and then explained "this is called GRACE!". Mercy is not getting what
we deserve, but grace is getting something special on top of that!

As I came into the room with our youngest, he hugged his brothers, and we discussed what happened...no, the two older brothers were not really spanked, but from behind the door, to their little brother, it sounded like it...which gave me an excellent teaching tool...and yes, he was happy to hear they were not spanked! We were also able to use this as an opportunity to explain his tattle telling had to stop...but then, we were able to explain to his brothers their younger brother's example of willingness to take the punishment and teach them a beautiful example of propitiation, while explaining how the older
brothers learned mercy and grace all at one time...and then it was off for ice cream!  You may not agree with the method which we chose to teach young children life lessons along with Biblical lessons at the same time, and I take no offense to that as we all must train up our children as the Lord leads us.  But this was an opportunity that Jerry and I had discussed in advance and opted to wait for such an opportunity to put into play.  And it was a lesson that was used many
times over as we continued to train up our sons in the ways of the Lord.

Propitiation is just one major manifestation of Christ's grace towards us...the greatest grace of all.  That Jesus, not having committed the sin Himself, with tears of love for us, took our punishment in our place so we would not have to.  And then, in mercy, offered us an opportunity for salvation, and to those who accept that opportunity, by grace we are saved! And that grace is eternity with the Lord and Savior who purchased and paid for our sin debt that we may spend eternity in splendor with Him in Glory.  Praise God for the greatness of His glorious GRACE!

THE IMMEASURABLE GRACE

1Timothy 1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

Recently our beloved country Kenya experienced and went through a turmoil of terror attacks from the ‘Al-Shabaab, a militias group which kill innocent people. As a country we mourned, prayed for the affected families but deep inside me I was groaning with pain. I wondered why God allowed this but then upon looking into His Word I got encouraged. Psalm 136:1 says, O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. And Psalm 23:6 says, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. The thought of the mercy of the Lord just overcame me. The fact that the Lord's mercy endureth forever, means nothing can stop His mercy from flowing freely into our lives!

It is at that time that I started reflecting how my life was before I came to know the Lord. I lived in sin. So deep in sin. Darkness surrounded my life. Life had no meaning. Life offered a short term pleasure. Yes, a time when I had gone away from God and fallen. But a time came, God in His great mercies, He saved me. Oh, how I wish I could put this right. God’s mercies go deeper than our sins. His mercies go beyond than we can expect. No matter how deep we have fallen, His grace is sufficient. It doesn't matter how far we have strayed, His mercies go just a little farther. Only GRACE AND MERCY could do this!

From the opening verses above, we understand that God’s mercies endureth forever. And all of us somewhere in our lives have received mercy or are about to receive mercy. I myself need mercy from God. Our country needs God’s mercy as well. All of us need the mercy of God. None of us deserves to go to heaven. None of us deserves the blessing of God. But through His mercies, He will sustain us to the end.

Have you ever asked yourself why we need His mercies? We need His mercies because sometimes we sin, mess up, speak unkind words, and have unkind thoughts toward our brothers and sisters. Remember the things we've done we shouldn't have done. We can't forget the harsh words we've said when we should have been quiet. We are guilty of envy and covetousness and jealousy, and impatience. But our God is willing to forgive us. He is willing to show us mercy and grace. We deserved the heaviest punishment for our sins. But God took it all to His beloved and begotten son, Jesus. That is why we need to have the audacity but in humility go boldly to God and confess to Him all our sins and wrongs. His mercies are new every morning; He will definitely forgive us our sins and remember them no more.

Through God’s grace the Gospel reached us, we who were gentiles, for Jesus  had come unto His own, and His own received Him not. John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: We never deserved God’s salvation, it belonged to the Jews, and when they rejected the Lord, all these blessings of grace and mercy were given to us . We have received His divine grace, been justified and sanctified. It is not that we were upright, not our own work but upon the sovereign good will and pleasure of God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me (1 Corinthians 15:10). I surely agree with Apostle Paul, we are a result of grace. Grace made us this way. God’s grace will always be immeasurable and His mercy will remain inexhaustible.

May you be encouraged today that throughout our lives the Lord will give us the grace, mercy, and peace we need to live for Him. And finally let’s remember that God Has not required us to fully understand His grace, only to receive it by faith.

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TESTIMONY - By Charles

My name is Charles Eric Rice.   People usually just call me Chuck. I was Born In Atlanta Georgia on October 28th 1966 at Georgia Baptist Hospital, I accepted Jesus as my Savior on June 3rd, 1983 at True Gospel Baptist church in Forest Park, Georgia at the age of 17.

 My pastor’s name was Brother J.C. Chapman... I was saved in a revival meeting on a Wednesday night.  At this service, Brother Tom Hayes was doing the preaching.   Before I was saved,  I was a wild child always getting into trouble  or fighting or cussing people out for no reason  at all.  And if anyone happened to hurt me or belittle me, my first response was to hurt them...physically!

I wasn't raised in a Christian home; I grew up with my parents, along with my 4 brothers and 4 sisters, along with some aunts that lived with us.  We Lived In The City Of Carol City, Florida...  Needless to say, I had my hands full growing up as I was the 7th of the 7 children.

School was very difficult for me.  For some reason, my teachers wouldn't teach me what I needed to learn all through elementary school.  Those were hard years from 1970-1976. I would plead with them to give me work according to my age group and I would do it but the work was so far beneath what I was capable of. Needless to say, this just added to my frustrations. I told them if they refuse to give me work I'm capable of; I will refuse to do the work.  So they tested me...however, they would only let me go so far, and then stop me, trying to convince me that I was "a slow learner". The most frustrating part of it all, was to know that if they would give me half a chance, I knew I could do it...but they didn't have the faith in me that I could do it.

Then, the taunting began.  I was made fun of so very badly for "being slow" by the time I reached Jr. High School.  I was taunted even more because I had no hair.  All this bitterness just built up inside me until I was just a mean, nasty hateful person to most anyone...other school kids, teachers, and even other people.  If you crossed me, I would tell it like it was and not hesitate to use inappropriate names to tell them so!

 We Moved To Jonesboro, Georgia in 1979 to make a change for the better in our lives.  You see, my dad had to retire early from his job at Eastern Airlines when I was in 8th grade which meant starting all over again at a new school, Jonesboro Jr. High/At first things seemed to be going pretty well...a lot better than it was...until a teacher wanted to do some testing with me all of a sudden and at that point started getting baby work.  I didn't understand what was happening until I realized they had received records from my former school in Florida. I refused To do the work.  So they put me in a Special Ed class because I refused to do more testing.
This made me more and more bitter.  I didn't want to listen to anyone unless it was something I like to do, or play.  I was threatened that I wouldn't be promoted to my next grade because they didn't think I could do it, but I proved them wrong, and I DID do it, and was promoted each year...and then I hit high school...I was in for a shock!
I actually had teachers that cared about me and really helped me to overcome a lot of hurt and pain I had been carrying with me from my past.  They wanted me to show them exactly what I was capable of... I amazed them by what I was able to do. I told them about my past and how I was treated by other teachers and all the problems and obstacles I had overcome...so they placed me in my proper level where I belonged.  A very special teacher, by the name of Mr. Pecca and his caring for me and my well being tested me on a higher level.  I never would have made it through high school if it weren't for him.  I did graduate in 1984, the only boy in my family to graduate from high
school!

It was during the summer of 1983, June 3rd that I was saved.  There was a point in my life, when I heard the Spirit of the Lord speaking to me that I needed to be saved.  I didn't hesitate one minute.  I ran from the back door of the church to the altar and fell on my knees  crying, "Lord save me"... I didn't know what else to say... I didn't know how to pray...I just kept saying it over and over asking the Lord to save me.  Then, the preacher knelt down beside me and told me
Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy  mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."  He also shared, Romans 14:11.     "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Also Matthew 10:32.     " Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."  When I got up from that altar, I was a new Born Again Child of God!  Jesus saved my soul from Hell!

I did some work for the state of Georgia in transportation and was a sheriff deputy two  terms, I also worked for a few air freight companies,  Delta Airlines and was a substitute teacher for 5 years. I had been told my entire life that I wouldn't amount to anything. But to God be the glory, He proved them wrong through my life. 

The Lord called me to preach and on May 5th 1987, I've been preaching the King James Bible ever since! So never let anyone tell you you "can't" do something...you CAN if you have Jesus Christ in your heart as your personal savior.

CREATIVE WRITINGS

THE GOSPEL OF GRACE - By Denis Martindale

Through God's riches at Christ's expense

Each sinner will be saved

And once in Christ to find new friends

With all his sins now waived...

To think, that every law God set

Has taught us what was right,

Yet when we've sinned, we've felt regret

That lingers day and night...

Through God's riches at Christ's expense,

A robe of righteousness

And wise is he whose sinning ends,

So God above can bless...

Who knows? Perhaps a healing touch,

Or visions once he's prayed,

Or simply shown God loves so much

With miracles displayed...

Through God's riches at Christ's expense,

God's Revelations came,

To all His Churches He still sends

Us hope in Jesus' Name...

To think, the future there revealed,

Prepares us here and now,

A holy harvest yet to yield

That God will still allow...

Through God's riches at Christ's expense,

Our future King will reign,

The thousand years that God intends

When Jesus comes again...

When Israel calls upon the Lord,

By faith when wisdom dawns,

It's then that Israel stands assured

And thus no longer mourns...

Through God's riches at Christ's expense,

Not by our works at all,

But by God's gift each comprehends

The fruit of Adam's fall...

The choice is Heaven, or it's Hell,

There stands no in-between!

That's why before we say farewell,

God's Son must intervene!

Through God's riches at Christ's expense,

Believe and be baptised!

While Pentecost was quite intense,

Three thousand turned to Christ!

That's how God moved in ancient days,

That's how God's Gospel starts,

That's why our spirits lift up praise

That's borne in joyful hearts...

NEW MERCIES – By Deborah Ann

New mercies each day,

fall from heaven above

sprinkles of eternal hope

raindrops of God’s love.

Showers of grace upon us,

from the skies they descend

with promises one day . . .

to heaven, we will ascend.

New mercies each day,

to replenish and restore

grace today sufficient

tomorrow, will rain more.

In our weaknesses,

new mercies God sends

to heal and to comfort

to repair and to mend.

New mercies each day,

from heaven they flood

washing our sins clean

in Jesus’ precious blood.

When to God we confess,

the disease of our sin

new mercies He sends

to cleanse us within.

New mercies each day,

God’s love showers on us

great is His faithfulness

to those who do trust!

~~~~~~~~~~

Lamentations 3:22-24

“It is of the Lord’s mercies

that we are not consumed,

 because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning:

great is thy faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul;

therefore will I hope in him.”

King James Version

by Public Domain

Copyright 2015

Deborah Ann Belka

 THE GOD OF ALL GRACE - BY J. C. O’HAIR

"The God of all grace" is a wonderful name:

What a privilege it is, His grace to proclaim;

To tell forth the gospel at home and abroad,

To teach guilty sinners the great love of God.

How He planned it in heaven, to send from above

His bosom Companion, the Son of His love,

To live among sinners, to die on the tree,

To receive Divine judgment for you and for me.

What love and what mercy! What infinite grace!

Christ Jesus was willing to die in our place.

Then God sent the Spirit to convict us of sin,

To make us new creatures and abide then within.

Grace excludes boasting, religion or deeds;

Provides for the sinner all that he needs.

In Christ we're accepted, complete in God's Son;

Saved without doing, by the work He has done.

Not by man's wisdom, endeavor or plan;

How utterly futile the best work of man!

Because Christ was sinless God can be just

And justify freely all who will trust.

And all who trust Jesus of glory are sure,

Preserved by God's power, forever secure.

For Christ, in God's presence, appears for His own

And makes intercession as He sits on God's throne.

And sealed by the Spirit who abides all the way,

The believer is waiting for that glorious day;

When the blessed Lord Jesus shall in glory appear;

The day of redemption! We wonder how near!

Then all that is mortal no longer shall be,

In glorified bodies our Lord we shall see.

And if we are faithful, with Him we shall reign,

For our labours in Jesus shall not be in vain.

With such grace abounding, such power Divine!

Why do we falter, doubt or repine?

And why do lost sinners remain in their state

Condemned now already and hereafter such fate?

THE TRUE GRACE OF GOD - Deborah Ann

May the true grace of God,

change you from within

may it set you free . . .

from the bondage of sin.

May the true grace of God,

you put on today

may from worldly lusts

you turn and walk away.

May the true grace of God,

bring about new life

may with temptation

you no longer have strife.

May the true grace of God,

lead you to holiness

may to Calvary’s cross

you come with lowliness.

May the true grace of God,

be not taken in vain

may in your heart and soul

Jesus live and reign!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 Corinthians 6:1

” We then, as workers together with him,

beseech you also that ye receive not

the grace of God in vain.”

King James Version -by Public Domain

Copyright 2015

Deborah Ann Belka

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