Dear Good News Magazine Subscriber,

Perhaps you heard the famous evangelist who blamed the Haitian earthquake victims for their own situation. It was all because of a long-ago pact with the devil, he said.

But what would Jesus Christ say?

In reference to the victims of disasters in His day, Jesus asked: "Do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:4-5).

Instead of blaming a group of victims, Jesus said we are all at fault! And we have all fallen into the devil's trap!

"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do," Jesus said (John 8:44).

Jesus Christ said some shocking things!

Of course we know that Jesus had compassion on the people of His day, and that He loved people of all ages so much He was willing to die for us. He wants us to have compassion for the suffering people of Haiti, and He must be pleased with the outpouring of aid to help Haiti.

But do we take seriously His warnings? When the Bible says the devil deceives the whole world (Revelation 12:9) and Christ warns us to repent or perish, do we assume He was talking about someone else?

When you listen with ears open to hear what Jesus Christ actually said, it can be very sobering—and shocking!

Here's a sampling:

• "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28; the following statement about plucking out eyes is almost too shocking to include here!).
• "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:21-23).
• "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Revelation 3:21).

Wow! Jesus wasn't averse to hitting us right between the eyes. He didn't want us to pluck out our eyes, but He did want to impress on us the absolute necessity to fight sin, to obey His laws and to overcome. But what an incredible promise! To sit with the Creator of the universe on His spectacular throne! (Read Revelation 4 for a mind-blowing description of God's throne.)

If these passages didn't sound shocking to you because you have heard them so often, that's good for you in this increasingly biblically illiterate world. But take the time to look at them with fresh eyes, and the power of Jesus' messages should impress and even shock you.

In that light, let's take a sneak peek at one of the articles planned for the next Good News issue.

Senior writer Jerold Aust interviewed award-winning journalist Joe Kovacs about his fascinating book Shocked by the Bible. (I was so intrigued by this book when it came out that I wrote a commentary titled "Shocked by the Bible?")

In the current draft of the article, Mr. Aust introduces the author this way:

"Journalist Joe Kovacs has written for broadcast, print and online media for more than 25 years, receiving awards for excellence in news coverage from both the Associated Press and United Press International news services. Mr. Kovacs has been executive news editor for WorldNetDaily, a leading Internet news site, since 1999. His strong interest in the Bible led him to write the recent best seller Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts You've Never Been Told. The book documents many surprising facts regarding common beliefs that are and are not supported by Scripture."

Be prepared for some shocks. But know that whenever God shocks us, He has a purpose for it. He's looking for the kind of response Paul had when he was shocked by Jesus Christ on the way to Damascus: "So he, trembling and astonished, said, 'Lord, what do You want me to do?'" (Acts 9:6). For biblical answers to that question, see Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion.

We appreciate your interest, and welcome your comments and questions.

Mike Bennett
Editorial content manager

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