Good News

https://odb.org/MY/2021/11/11/good-news-3

I first read about the Good News when I stumbled upon a Malay-English translation of the New Testament in my home library when I was very young. It was one of those books I first read when I started to know how to read in Std 2 to 3. It pinged my interest and although I didn’t quite understand its contents, it started my search for the truth and my quest to be a genuine born again believer. My father’s side were Catholics and thus we identified as Christians. But as we didn’t go to church, I wasn’t sure what being a Christian meant then. Somehow I knew that I was missing out on something big and significant as there was fear in me of the unknown. I also had nightmares every now and then after watching the movie Exorcist (I missed most of the scarier parts; I was watching it through the cracks of my fingers as I cowered in fear). At that time I felt hopeless as we seemed powerless against a powerful ancient demon. After knowing Christ when I was 14, my nightmares disappeared. I was no longer afraid of the unknown. It was like a dark cloud or something lifted from me. It was only later that I learnt about our authority over evil forces and how we could as believers cast out demons like Jesus did in the Gospels.

The point I’m trying to make today is that we must not underestimate the power of the Word in changing lives and thus we should support all efforts in making the Bible (even the New Testament only) available widely like what the Gideons are doing or as undertaken by organisations like Open Doors. I was a by-product of the availability of an old 70s Malay-English translation or version of the New Testament and the memory of reading that book is forever etched on my mind.

The Good News of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, having died for our sins to reconcile us to God but whose body never saw decay as He was raised in a glorified body is the hope of glory that awaits all believers who remain true and faithful to Him to the end of days. We are saved by grace and not works, and by Jesus fulfilling the law on our behalf as with God nothing is impossible.

Share the Good News whenever we are given an opportunity. It could be the testimony of the goodness of God in our lives, the blessings of God in our generation, of God having elevated our social standing and standard of living compared to our forefathers who most probably arrived in this land with only the clothes on their backs. It could be our testimony of us experiencing the power, love and compassion of God healing us of our fears, our past, our infirmities and sicknesses. Share the story of salvation through Christ as we share our life testimony and give away the Bible whenever we can so that more and more lives may be touched and transformed by knowing Christ as He is the living water where we will not get thirsty if we drink of Him – He is the way, the truth and the life, no one goes to the Father except through Him! Amen