Page 11 - FLIP BOOK TOPICS (A)

ALWAYS GOOD NEWS

This is the first in a series of writing concerning the myths that have evolved inside the body
of Christ. It will be documentation on the precepts of the gospel what they are and what some
in the church leadership and within the Christian circles have made them become.

The first of these myths is that the gospel is always good news! Let’s start with a saying by
Christ when two of his disciples James and John asked him a favour. Master we want to sit
one on the right hand of the throne in heaven and one on the left side when you come into
glory.

They were asking Jesus to elevate them above the position held by the other ten disciples and
one could see that this was not the time to ask Christ such foolish questions when he himself
was just days away from his own execution.

I do not understand what you are asking of me. Can you drink from the bitter cup I am about
to drink from? To the rest this posturing with Jesus was an act of caprice and was totally

uncalled for.

This was not good news to Christ and it was certainly not good news to the other disciples.
Paul spoke of himself as an ambassador in chains. A prisoner of the gospel of our lord and
saviour Jesus Christ.

How is it that being in prison almost all your adult could be seen as good news? To his son
Timothy Paul wrote and said I am about to be poured out like wine. Here Paul spoke just
days before his beheading by the Romans.

John wrote his last epistle from behind bars on the isle of Patmos. He was old and partially
blind and all alone on the island. Some have called the OT a book of blood. Yet without the
shedding of blood as the book of Hebrews tells us there is no forgiveness of sins.

Christ became our propitiation on the cross. He bled and died a shameful death just so we
could become free from the bondage of sin. His sacrifice was good news his mode of
execution struck fear in the hearts of the disciples.

They went into exile hiding from the Roman Legion lest they too suffer their own
crucifixion. Christ told them that they too would face persecution at the hands of their own
countrymen. Read Matt. 24.

In this chapter Jesus spoke of the things that were about to happen to the city of Jerusalem
and to his own disciples. This is not being pessimistic it’s just telling my side of the gospel
story.