God's Good News For A Fake News Generation

GOD'S GOOD NEWS FOR A FAKE NEWS GENERATION

Introduction

Fake news, which has become popular in recent years, is news or stories written

especially to misinform or deceive readers. On the other hand, the Bible contains good

news written to inform people about the goodness of God. How can we detect fake

news and discover good news about God?

I DISCOVER THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD'S SALVATION

Our text in Psalms 40:9,10 speaks about the salvation of God. Authorities tell us that we

can detect fake news by its currency, meaning that it has been written recently, and its

contents have not been researched to test their accuracy. However, God's salvation has

stood the test of time, and millions can testify that God's salvation is good and real.

God's salvation goes back to the time of Adam and Eve, after they had sinned in the

Garden and God provided covering for their nakedness from the skins of animals,

prefiguring the sacrifices for sin later (Genesis 1:21). God's salvation goes back to Noah,

whose family was saved from the flood by the ark God had told him to build. (Genesis

8:15). God's salvation goes back to Abraham whose belief and faith in God was counted

to him for righteousness, which means he was saved (Romans 4:3). Then the greatest

evidence of salvation took place on Calvary when Jesus died that we might be saved

from sin and death and inherit eternal life. However, the best test of salvation comes

from the millions and millions of people down through the centuries whose lives have

been changed by the power of God. They can testify that God's salvation is no a fake,

but is good news for all who will receive it. Other verses about salvation:

a.Saved by God's mercy Titus 3:5

b.Saved by confession and belief Romans 10:9

c.Saved by grace Ephesians 2:8

d Salvation belongs to God Psalm 3:8

e Call on the Lord for salvation Acts 2:21

II DISCOVER THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS

The authorities tell us that we can test fake news by its relevance or importance to our

lives. However, God's faithfulness is relevant because he has promised never to leave or

forsake us. (Deut.3:1:6) God's faithfulness is relevant because he has promised to

supply all of our needs.(Phil.4:19) God's faithfulness is relevant because he will lead us

into the green pastures of his righteousness (Psalm 23) He has promised to do

exceedingly above and beyond all we can think.(Ephesians 3:20) Fake news may not be

relevant to our needs, but God's faithfulness is relevant because with him as our

shepherd, we shall want for nothing.I recently read about a preacher and his wife who

experienced God's faithfulness in supplying their needs in miraculous ways. One day at

dinner he passed around a bowl of liver and gravy to the family and noticed that after

everybody had helped themselves, there was more food in the bowl. Not believing what

he was seeing, he passed the same bowl around one more time for second helpings,

and there was still more food in the bowl. It appeared as if God was multiplying food

before their eyes as he did with Elijah in 1 Kings17:15,16. Another time he was shopping

in the market with no money in his pocket, but when he came to the checkout station,

the clerk told him to go on through. Those incidents may have been miracles, but they

show God's faithfulness in supplying our needs. No wonder Lamentations 3:22,23 says

great is your faithfulness to us! God can not deny himself: if we are faithless, he

remains faithful.(2 Timothy 2:13) Psalms 36:5 says God's faithfulness extends to the

clouds! Other verses on God's faithfulness are:

a He who promised is faithful. Hebrew 10:23

b Faithfully to strengthen and guard. 2 Thess: 3:3

c God is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1:9

III DISCOVER THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD'S LOVE

Authorities tell us that fake news is not true and lack authority. Nothing is more

accurate than the fact that God loves us. The great theologian, Karl Barth said that the

most important thing for him was that Jesus loved him because the Bible told him so.

Someone has said that everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own

facts. The detective on that famous TV show often said, "the facts, madam, give me

only the facts." The fact is that God loves us because he has said so in his Word. It's a

fact that God proved his love for us while we were yet sinners through Christ's death on

the cross. The Bible is our final authority on the love of God. The Bible says that God so

loved us that he gave his only-begotten son that we should not perish but have