Down To Earth Faith

God has done something about the evil and suffering in our world.
Over two thousand years ago, He sent His Son into the world's
worst trouble spots, Palestine.  He grew up to become a carpen-
ter, living in a country occupied by foreign troops.

Surrounded by violence, poverty, and disease, Jesus spent His
life bringing the love of God to ordinary people.  He healed the
sick.  He taught people to love those who hated them.  He
showed people how much God loved them.  He turned the
minus of their lives into a glorious plus. ``God anointed Jesus
of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went
about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the
devil, for God was with Him.``  Acts 10:38

But Jesus also made some powerful enemies.  In the end, the
politicians fixed it for Him.  He was arrested, beaten up, and
handed over to the occupation troops.  They took Him to the
local killing ground, and put Him to death.  If there had been
TV then, it might have made the evening news.  ``And we are
witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the
Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a
tree.`` Acts 10:39

Some people say that the Christian faith is out of touch with
reality.  But the life and death of Jesus show that this simply
cannot be true.  A real Jesus was pinned with real nails to a
real piece of wood, and shed real blood.  The cross was a
terrifying, bloody execution.  It was as down-to-earth as
you can get.  ``Him God raised up on the third day, and
showed Him openly, and He commanded us to preach to
the people, and to testify that He is who was ordained by
God to be Judge of the living and the dead.`` Acts 10:40,42

Christianity does not turn a blind eye to human suffering.
Like the bulletins we see on the news, the crucifixion of
Jesus shows us that something has gone terribly wrong
with the human race.  But unlike those bulletins, the
crucifixion also shows us that there is a solution.  It tells
us that God has done something to change it all!  That
is His promise to you and to me today.

Sickness Is Not God's Plan

Sickness in God's good world is like weeds
growing among wheat. But make no mistake,
God sent Jesus, ''who went about doing good
and healing all who were oppressed by the
devil, for God was with Him.'' Acts 10:38
It was the Creator's protest against the
sabotage of His work by the devil.

God planted cures in nature, which medical
research keeps finding. Those cures are ours
today. But the God who heals naturally also
heals supernaturally. Scripture denies that
sickness is God's will, and it credits heal-
ings to God. Today, His hand touches far more
people than many realize. Throughout the world,
many supernatural healings take place every
year, proving that ''Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today, and forever.'' Hebrews 13:8

GOD'S IDENTITY

It is a striking thing that God's identity is
linked to man. He was first known throuth the
life of Abraham, and was called ''the God of
Abraham.'' The world's ideas about God came
first from seeing what sort of man Abraham
was. His life portrayed his God, and served
as a recommendation for him.




When Jacob first fled from home, and from the
murderous threats of Esau, he referred to the
Lord as the ''God of my father Abraham and God
of my father Isaac.'' That is how he identified
God, by how their God has shaped their lives.
This brought a sense of awe upon Jacob. He
resolved that one day, their God would be his
God.

Some people say that ''I believe is my mother's
God'' or ''I believe in Paul's God'' or ''I be-
lieve is Jan's God.'' People talk about present-
ing the Gospel. The Gospel is more then a formula
for getting to heaven when we die. The Gospel
offers life, not just a life belt. The Gospel
show what God is like.

'But you are a chosen generation, a royal priest-
hood, a holy nation, His own special people, that
you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you
out of darkness unto His marvelous hight.' 1 Pet 2:9