That’s Why It’s Called the Good News
by Gloria Copeland
Nothing will make your faith grow faster than learning about the goodness of God. The more revelation you have about it, the more you can flourish in every area of life. That’s why back in 1998, the Lord specifically told me to preach about His goodness, and not to fear the reproach of men.
He had to add the part about fearing not the reproach of men, because the truth about God’s goodness can be controversial. People have been arguing about it for years. Back in the 1950s, for instance, when Brother Oral Roberts started preaching about it, even some in the full-gospel crowd got upset with him.
Especially those in ministry!
Preachers had spent years developing sermons about Job, and teaching that God puts sickness and poverty on people as a “blessing in disguise.” And Brother Roberts was messing up their sermons.
I remember Kenneth Hagin Sr. telling about some ministers who came to him and complained about the situation. “It makes me mad when Oral Roberts says, ‘God is a good God!’” they said.
“What do you want him to do?” Brother Hagin answered. “Say that God is a bad God?”
“Well, no,” they’d reply, “but he’s giving people the wrong impression!”
The wrong impression?
Brother Roberts was just telling people that God wanted them to be healed and blessed. He was just preaching the truth to them, and he was getting it straight from the Bible. It says in Psalm 145:
"The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them" (verses 8-9, 14-16, 18-19).
26 : BVOV
