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An
Outreach Publication of the Church of Christ at
Creekwood |
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The
Best News The
following story is told in "The Best of Bits
and Pieces": Robert
De Vincenzo, the great Argentine golfer, once won a
tournament and, after receiving the check and smiling
for the cameras, he went to the clubhouse and prepared
to leave. Some
time later, he walked alone to his car in the parking
lot and was approached by a young woman.
She congratulated him on his victory and then
told him that her child was seriously ill and near
death. She
did not know how she could pay the doctor's bills and
hospital expenses. De
Vincenzo was touched by her story, and he took out a
pen and endorsed his winning check for payment to the
woman. "Make
some good days for the baby," The
next week he was having lunch in a country club when a
Professional Golf Association official came to his
table. "Some
of the boys in the parking lot last week told me you
met a young woman there after you won that
tournament."
De Vincenzo nodded. "Well,"
said the official, "I have news for you.
She's a phony! She has no sick baby.
She's not even married.
She fleeced you, my friend." "You
mean there is NO baby who is dying??" said
De Vincenzo. "That's
right," said the official. "Well,
that's the BEST
NEWS
I've heard ALL week," De Vincenzo
said.* What
a beautiful spirit! Commenting
on this marvelous act, Alan Smith states: “De
Vincenzo's attitude is reminiscent of the spirit that
God has shown toward us!
Despite mankind taking God's goodness for
granted, despite our repeated failures, God was
willing to give not just a token amount, but the
ultimate sacrifice of His Son. And He did
so, "For
when we were STILL without strength, in due time
Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die;
yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to
die. But
God demonstrates His OWN love toward us, in that while
we were STILL SINNERS, Christ died for us." (Romans
5:6-8) The
bad
news
is that we ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God (Romans
3:23) and are thereby condemned (Romans 6:23). The
Good
news
(the
Gospel) is that even though He knew many would
reject His offer, God sent His Son to pay the price
for our SIN (Ephesians 1:7).
To accept His GIFT of salvation, we must believe
in Christ (Acts 16:31), turn from our sin in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), be baptized
(immersed) for the forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38), AND
live faithfully to the God who loves us despite our
sins (1 John 1:7-9). The
BEST
NEWS
is when you and I come to receive that Gift on His
terms. This
is truly the BEST NEWS of ALL! God bless you, David A. Sargent / Minister Church
of Christ at Creekwood * Alan Smith, White House Church of Christ, White House, Tennessee, “Thought for Today (3/17/05): Giving With Love.” See www.TFTD-online.com To Subscribe to "Living Water" send a blank e-mail to:
HTML version: subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net Follow this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchsearch.org Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org
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