2018-09 EngSep

CONTENTS
• What’s Next?
• Why Can’t I Be
Happy?
THE GOOD NEWS
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8
Most people seem to think that
the world is becoming, or will inevitably
become, a better place in which to
live. It is felt
that through
education, diplomacy,
and
scientific advances,
most
people will live
longer, better,
and more
peaceful lives than any who have lived
before. Is this really what’s next?
Not according to Jesus! Not long
before He left this world about two
thousand years ago He said, “As the
days of Noah were, so also will the
coming of the Son of Man
be” (Matthew 24:37). There are two
very important things in this statement.
First, Jesus reiterates His promise
to return to the world (more about
this later). Second, when He comes,
the condition of the world will be the
same as it was in the days of Noah.
What is said about the world then?
We are told, “The earth was filled with
violence” and “corrupt before
God” (Genesis 6:11). The headlines on
the evening news and in the world’s
newspapers every day show that in
spite of our
“advanced civilisation”
and modern
technology,
these two evils—
corruption and
violence—are filling
the world today.
Places where it was once safe to
walk at night are now the scenes of
crime during the day, and many things
that God has always called corruption
and sin are now accepted as “personal
choices” and “lifestyles.” Note the
words of Jesus again: “As the days of
Noah were, so also will the coming of
the Son of Man be.” By looking
around at events and conditions in the
world today, we believe that “the
coming of the Lord is at hand” (James
5:8).
His coming will occur in two stages,
fulfilling two very different promises.
First, the Lord Jesus Christ will
come to the air with a shout, raise the

P A G E 2
“Will
you
perish in
your sins
or will
you be
forever
with
Christ?”
T H E
G O O D
N E W S
bodies of Christians who have
died, change the bodies of the living
believers, and rapture them all
to heaven, “that where I am, there
you may be also” (1 Thessalonians
4:15-17; John 14:3). Then, later, all
who have rejected Christ will be
judged “when the Lord Jesus is revealed
from heaven with His
mighty angels, in flaming fire taking
vengeance on those who do
not know God, and on those who
do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ”…“because He has appointed
a day on which He will
judge the world in righteousness”
(2 Thessalonians 1:7,8; Acts
17:31).
What’s next in God’s schedule
of events for you? Will you be
among those who “do not know
God,” and perish in your sins, or
will you be among the bloodbought
people of God, and be
caught up in a moment of time to
be forever with Christ?
Knowing God is not believing
that He exists; it is not saying prayers
or going to church or doing
good works. Knowing God is entering
into a personal relationship
with Him through faith in the finished
work of Jesus Christ, who
said “I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father
except through Me” (John
14:6). Jesus Christ has provided
the only way by which helldeserving
sinners like us can have
our sins washed away when He
“bore our sins in His own body on
the tree” and “rose again the third
day” (1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians
15:4).
In order to be ready
for what’s next—the coming of
Christ—you must realise that you
need salvation, “For all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of
God” (Romans 3:23). You must realise
that without Jesus Christ,
there is no salvation, “For there is
no other name under heaven given
among men by which we must
be saved” (Acts 4:12). You must
realise that you cannot earn salvation,
“For 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” (Ephesians 2:8,9). You must
simply trust what Jesus has done
for you, “For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes
in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life” (John 3:16).
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and you will be saved” (Acts
16:31).
Turn in faith to Jesus today
and He will take away your burden
of sin—no matter how great it is.
Only then will you know the One
who holds the future in His hands,
and be ready for what’s next.

Why Can’t I Be Happy?
P A G E 3
The world is filled with so
many unhappy people. Why? Has
society let them down? Is happiness
an impossible goal? Has God
failed them?
There’s no question that society
has failed to meet our
needs—it hasn’t even given us
believable answers as to why we
are here and how to fulfil the
true purpose of our existence.
After all, they try to tell us in
school that there is no God and
that we evolved from some
“primordial soup.” I knew better
and so do
you.
When I
was young, I
longed to be
truly loved
and accepted.
So I
searched for
this in religion, family, friends,
and classmates. I was soon disappointed,
so I compromised my
values and conscience by joining
in with all the drinkers, drug users,
and the immoral for acceptance.
I found out that I had
friends as long as I was providing
the booze and laughs, though all
the while I was slowly destroying
my mind and body.
Lots of people wanted me
to walk the “straight and narrow,”
but many of them were so
hypocritical that I didn’t trust
them. Running after riches, success,
immoral sex, fame, and rock
and roll kept me busy, but left me
unsatisfied. Those things were
just a temporary anaesthesia for
the deep pain that lingered in my
empty, longing soul. Pleasure did
not bring contentment.
Yes, I tried almost everything
a young person could try,
and came up empty and lonely. I
turned to a hypnotist for mind
control to
escape reality
by pretending
that
everything
was OK. It
did not
work; my
conscience
was still saying that something
was not right. Then I wanted
drugs and alcohol to medicate
myself to forget the pain of being
lonely, and the shame and guilt
of my sins. I was really bad at relationships
and longed for true
intimacy, but found that being
real was too painful for me. False
intimacies were so much easier
and less painful, but they never
satisfied.
“I tried
almost
everything
and came up
empty and
lonely...True
happiness and
satisfaction
only come
from knowing
and following
God”
T H E
G O O D
N E W S

Dear reader, does any of this ring a
bell? If so, let me tell you clearly that there
is an answer to the question “Why can’t I
be happy?” Years ago, I asked a Christian
man this question and the answer he gave
me—the answer I’m going to give you—
came as a surprise. He
took me to mankind’s
“owner’s manual”—the
Bible—where it says that
God “satisfies the longing
soul, and fills the
hungry soul with goodness” (Psalm 107:9).
God, our Creator, has designed us and
knows our needs and problems. He has given
each of us the freedom to either love
and obey Him or to turn away from Him.
Sadly, we all have chosen to sin—to rebel
against His commands—and the result is
physical and spiritual death (Genesis 2:17).
Spiritual death ultimately brings separation
from God forever, away from the only
source of everlasting love. In order to have
joy and peace, we must be reconciled to
God!
God has done His part: “God demonstrates
His own love toward us, in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for
us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus Christ suffered the
death penalty for us when He died on the
cross in your place and mine. He rose from
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the dead the third day, and is now alive forever
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
He asks you to come to Him; “Come
to Me, all you who labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew
11:28). God did not let you down. He has
cleared the way for you
to come to Him. He
offers you love, acceptance,
forgiveness,
peace, and eternal, joyous
life with Him.
I tried all the other ways; maybe you
have, too. But now it is time for you to fulfil
your purpose and begin a loving, eternal
relationship with God by seeing your need
of Jesus and trusting Him to forgive all of
your sins. When you do this, you will be
spiritually “born again”, and begin to experience
“life more abundantly” (John 3:3;
10:10; 15:11). For the first time, you will
also be equipped for true happiness and
satisfaction, which come from knowing and
following God—from aligning your will
with His (Psalm 16:11; 144:15).
“For whoever calls on the name of the
Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). The
word call means to appeal to Him. You do
the calling and He will do the saving. Eternal
life is free, a gift from God through Jesus
Christ (Romans 6:23).
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