1. “Good News in Bad Times!”
Psalm 12

2. A Little Good News I rolled out this morning
Kids had the mornin’ news show on
Bryant Gumbel was talkin’ ‘bout the fighting in Lebannon
Some senator was squawkin’ ‘bout the bad economy
It’s gonna get worse you see, we need a change in policy.
Anne Murray

3. A Little Good News There’s a local paper rolled up in a rubber band
One more sad story’s one more than I can stand
Just once how I’d like to see the headline say
“Not much to print today, can’t find nothin’ bad to say”, because
Anne Murray

4. A Little Good News
Nobody robbed a liquor store on the lower part of town
Nobody OD’ed, nobody burned a single buildin’ down
Nobody fired a shot in anger, nobody had to die in vain
We sure could use a little good news today.
Anne Murray

5. A Little Good News I’ll come home this evenin’
I’ll bet that the news will be the same
Somebody takes a hostage, somebody steals a plane
How I wanna hear the anchor man talk about a county fair
And how we cleaned up the air, how everybody learned to care
Whoa, tell me
Anne Murray

6. A Little Good News
Nobody was assassinated in the whole Third Word today
And in the streets of Ireland, all the children had to do was play
And everybody loves everybody in the good Old USA
We sure could use a little good news today
Anne Murray

7. A Little Good News
Nobody robbed a liquor store on the lower part of town
Nobody OD’ed, nobody burned a single buildin’ down
(fade)
Nobody fired a shot in anger, nobody had to die in vain
We sure could use a little good news today.
Anne Murray

8. To better realize the good news we have in these bad times
Purpose:
To better realize the good news we have in these bad times

9. I The Making for Bad Times
A. Loss of Honesty/Holiness
B. Hypocrisy/Flattery Prevalent

10. September, 1983, then Secretary of Interior, James Watt in announcing his commission for reviewing his coal leasing policies said: “We have every kind of mix you can have: a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple… And we have talent…”
James G. Watt

11. “Jim Watt’s recent utterance was careless, not callus
“Jim Watt’s recent utterance was careless, not callus. It was not said with any bigotry, bitterness or prejudice…”
Ronald Reagan

12. “I can give a lot more credence to certain of Jim Watt’s critics if I hadn’t heard the way they talk in private…”
Paul Harvey

13. With so much fakery, do you know whom to believe and trust?

14. I The Making for Bad Times
A. Loss of Honesty/Holiness
B. Hypocrisy/Flattery Prevalent
C. Just and Holy are Debased

15. “Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey him…?’”
Exodus 5:2
“Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey him…?’”

16. I The Making for Bad Times
A. Loss of Honesty/Holiness
B. Hypocrisy/Flattery Prevalent
C. Just and Holy are Debased
D. Poor/Needy are Oppressed
E. Leaders Promote/Protect Wickedness

17. Proverbs 28:28
“When the wicked rise to power, the people go into hiding; but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.”

18. Proverbs 29:2
“When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.”

19. I The Making for Bad Times
A. Loss of Honesty/Holiness
B. Hypocrisy/Flattery Prevalent
C. Just and Holy are Debased
D. Poor/Needy are Oppressed
E. Leaders Promote/Protect Wickedness
We’ve all contributed to making bad times…

20. II The Making of Good News in Bad Times
A. We Have God to Trust
B. God Will Deal With the Proud

21. Proverbs 16:5
“The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished.”

22. “… God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:6 & 1 Peter 5:5
“… God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

23. II The Making of Good News in Bad Times
A. We Have God to Trust
B. God Will Deal With the Proud
C. God Will Deliver the Oppressed

24. Galatians 4:4
“But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law…”

25. II The Making of Good News in Bad Times
A. We Have God to Trust
B. God Will Deal With the Proud
C. God Will Deliver the Oppressed
D. God’s Word is Solid

26. Conclusion and Summary:
I have a file I keep entitled “Current Trends” subtitled Signs of the Times. Want to share a survey conducted by George Barna Research Group in Sept/Oct, 2000…
The good news is it doesn’t have to be this way. We have God’s good news in the Gospel of Christ…