Good News - April 2019

ENCOURAGEMENT 20 APRIL 2019 Good News • South Florida Edition of large amounts of heroin, cocaine and cash, and the arrest of several dozen traffickers from around the world, including two U.S. operatives. One of them pleaded guilty to three counts, each carrying a maximum of 15 years; however, the plea bargain stipulated that he would serve them concurrently, meaning he would only do 15 years. At sentencing, the federal judge asked him if he wished to make a statement, which he did. Unfortunately, the statement included berat- ing the judge for allowing his accomplice to only get seven years for cooperating with us. The judge then took a break and came back shortly thereafter with the sentence; it was exactly the same as had agreed to, except for one caveat. The word concurrent was changed to consecutively. This meant that the defendant was now to serve 45 years while his buddy got away with seven. I remember walking down the courthouse steps much like Al Pacino in the movie. Punishment Since accepting Christ Jesus as my Lord and Savior many years ago, I have been constantly reminded that Our God is a just and gracious God. Yet, it seems that the majority around me use the first descriptive word as the ad- jective and the second as the noun; thus He is just gracious! Many adhere to the lamb of God of the New Testament as a forgiving God, far removed from Joshua with the slaughter of multitudes and the capture of 31 kingdoms under direct orders from The Father. Coming from a convoluted human justice sys- tem, this "double standard" would make sense to a chap like me, until I factored in the Word of God. And after having The Bible "translated" to me by The Holy Spirit, I found that He is a God of Justice...always, and under every circum- stance. And that gives me a sense of peace never experienced in the other justice system. Ananias and Sapphira, as found in the Book of Acts, did not keep a finan- cial promise in front of the early church and died on the spot. The Seals, The Trumpets, The Two Witnesses, The Dragon, The Beast, The Plagues, The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath and The Fall of Babylon are found in the Book of Revelation and far surpass the suffering and destruction depicted in the Old Testament, which points to a just God throughout Scripture. The grace of a just God is so great that He allowed his son to take the punishment due me, and just as I revel in his mercy, I respect and appreciate his justice. We must re- member that in a criminal trial here on earth, the judge may find that the de- fendant is guilty and decide to allow him to walk away free without punishment. I, on the other hand, am guilty before The Father and am not punished for my sins, but, they do not go unpunished; Jesus paid the price on my behalf; that is Heavenly justice. (Continued from page 18)