The Gospel

Over the years, our congregation has been blessed by numerous visiting speakers.  When Robin and I were new to the congregation, Jim Woodruff and Terry Smith were invited here to do a seminar on the Gospel—the Good News.

In one of their sessions, Terry made the statement that his friend Jim goes around telling people that “if Jesus was in hell, he’d go there to be with Him.”  Jim’s statement startled Terry at first, but Terry said the more he thought about it, the more he embraced this idea.  In fact, as he thought of the Apostle Paul writing, “I Paul, a prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ,” he began to translate it as, “I, Paul am captured by Jesus…”Aren’t these marvelous thoughts?

Over the years, I have kept Jim and Terry’s ideas close to my heart and I have discovered that this is not only what the New Testament writers are proclaiming to its readers, but I hear this declaration also coming out of the shadows of the Old Testament.  Listen to what a couple of our ancestors have declared:

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for You are with me.  –Psalms 23:4

 If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up form here.

–Exodus 33:15

Your love is better than life… —Psalms 63:3

The Good News is clear to me—Hell is not hell when God is present.  The question to me is, can I sing wholeheartedly with they hymnist, “Anywhere with Jesus will be home, sweet home” with my lips and will my life be a witness and testimony to it?