A PersonJesus came into the world 2000 years ago announcing Good News (Mark 1v1). The word "gospel" means "Good News", and in the New Testament section of the Bible we have 4 "Gospels", written by eye-witnesses, whose whole purpose is to outline what the Good News is all about. It is centred in the Person of Jesus. He is the Good News! Do you know why? Because of Who He is, and what He has done.
The Good News is about:
A PersonNever in history has there been such a wonderful person as Jesus Christ. Tennyson said:
"His character was more wonderful than his greatest miracle."
Napoleon said:
"I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison."
Author H.G. Wells said: "Christ is the most unique person in history. No man can write a history of the human race without giving the foremost place to the penniless teacher of Nazareth."
Malcolm Muggeridge once said after years as an atheist:
"He was, on any showing, the most exraordinary man who ever lived"
The reason? Jesus claimed to be the Son of the living God, but not only claimed it but went on to demonstrate it by His amazing miracles, wonderful teaching and incredible life. This is not fiction but fact. Historians wrote of him (eg Tacitus, Seutonius and Josephus); eye-witnesses described what they saw; hundreds of people witnessed it, and millions have come and experienced Him in their lives today...and so can you.
Yes, the "Good News" is that God has sent His Son into this world and as one the early disciples said:
" Which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim what we have seen and heard."
( 1 John 1v1-3 ).
We are not left wondering if there is a God or what He is like or if He will accept us- Good News - Jesus shouts there is a God and He is personal and loves you. That is why He came.
The Good News is about:
A PowerJesus demonstrated the Power of God. This world is like a gigantic lorry that has got out of control. International unrest, domestic strife, personal turmoil mark this world simply because we have taken life into our own hands and tried to run things without God.
Jesus came announcing that "the Kingdom of God" was here - that God is King and is in control and what it can be like when we let Him control our lives again. He did not just proclaim it in words, but demonstrated it in deeds. He straightened out crippled limbs, unstopped blind eyes, fed the hungry, gave purity to a prostitute, stilled the storm - all to show what God can do in your life if you will let Him.
He came to jump into the "lorry" of your life and with God`s power put it back on course. Many of us have realised that we just do not have the resources left within us to solve our problems or even live as we would like. God tells us none of us have, but He has, and He wants to make His power available. Jesus came to show us that power and just what He can do in a life yielded to Him.
It is Good News of:
A PlanGod`s plan is to make it possible for you and I to be forgiven and changed.
An angel came to reassure Joseph when he had heard that Mary, his future wife, was pregnant. He told him that the pregnancy was by the Holy Spirit, and Joseph was to name Him Jesus,
"Because He will save his people from their sins". (Matthew 1v21)
That was God`s plan - for Jesus to come to be the Saviour of the world. The one thing we all need saving from is our sin. For this to happen, however, meant Him living a perfect life, though tempted just as you and I. Then it required Him to die on our behalf, taking all the wrong of our lives upon Himself and paying for it in agony and pain on the cross, being cut off from His Father. It was the only way God could find for our salvation to be accomplished. Jesus then rose from the dead so that He can come now, by his Spirit, into your life and mine to transform us.
Each of us can experience His pardon, His peace and His purpose for our lives, which we have forfeited by our selfishness and sin. This happens when we respond to Him -when we repent of all the wrong, admitting our need and guilt, turning from our sin, and coming to Him, putting our faith in Him, asking Him to forgive and change us. The moment we do a miracle happens in our lives. We become new people with a new attitude, outlook and future. God comes and lives by his Spirit into our lives and we begin to experience Him personally in a new way. God forgives the past completely, empowers us in the present and gives us a wonderful future. We may have to face many things in our lives and especially as Christians, but He has assured us of His personal love and presence.
This is God`s great plan of salvation which He devised before the world was made, but which was acted out so willingly in the life of His Son.What a wonderful plan it is!
It is Good News of:
A PurposeGod has not abandoned us because we have turned away from Him in so many ways. No! He still has a glorious purpose for us.
When we come and say we are sorry and put our faith in His Son, He starts again with us, renewing that purpose for our lives. He wants to use us in this world. He has gifts He wants to give us for the task. He has a wonderful plan He wants to achieve through us. He will lead you in His own special way, but He says to us, as He said to the fishermen by the lakeside when He called them:
"Follow me and I will make you..." (Mark 1v17)
It is for us to simply follow, and He will do the rest.
It is Good News of:
A ProspectWe receive all this and Heaven too! Jesus says that He has gone ahead to prepare a place for us. He will return one day and bring in a new heavens and earth where righteousness is the motivation and rule. This is not wishful thinking , this is as real as Jesus and his resurrection. Jesus said:
"Because I live you also will live." (John 14v19).
If you have given your life to Him, then you will be a part of that great future. He will wipe away all tears, and give you a new body and a new environment. You will have an unhindered fellowship with Him because all sin, death and evil forces will be done away with.
It is Good News of:
A PassionGod has a passion and that is for you and me. He loves us so much and we are valued by Him. He showed that love for us in giving His only Son so that we could know this wonderful salvation in our lives if only we will believe and commit ourselves to Him.
This love He has for us He has for the whole world, and His passion is to let every man, woman and child know of His love. This is what evangelism is. The word "Evangelism" comes from the Greek word "Evangel" which means "Good News". So evangelism is sharing the "Good News" with everyone throughout the whole world. It requires people; it requires a strategy, but above all is requires that same passion which sees this message as the answer to everyone`s deepest need, and to share it. "God so loved the world that Hew gave..." (John 3 verse 16) We should give ourselves too so that others may hear.
We cannot share it with others until we have experienced it for ourselves. Have you opened your life to this wonderful person-the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you need to know God`s power breaking habits and changing your life for the better? Have you seen all God has done for you in sending his Son to live, die and rise for you, and have you come and put your trust in Him? Do you know that new sense of purpose and direction? Do you know you are loved so intensely that if you had been the only person to have failed, God He would still have done all this just for you?
If you have never responded to Jesus, come now and receive Him into your life.
The Good News gives us:
A PromiseJohn 1v12 says:
"To all who received Him, to those who who believed in His name, He the right to become children of God."
John 3v16 says:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3v16)
These are promises from God to you, but you must believe and receive them. When you do, He keeps every one of them and more...
You must come and respond to Him now. Will you believe all He has done for you and will you receive Jesus, by faith, into your life? Do not wait until you can understand it all, just come in trust to Him now. He will hear and answer and come into your life. Do not wait until you are good enough. That is the very reason He died-because we are not good enough. Receive His forgiveness and cleansing. Do not wait until you think you have the power to keep it up. He gives that power the moment you open your life to Him.
Come to Jesus now in prayer and tell him you are sorry for your sin; that with His help you will turn from it, and that you are committing your life to Him in faith for Him to forgive and change you from the inside out. You need His life, and His peace and you are abandoning your own agenda in favour of His. Tell Him you will follow Him wherever He leads because you are handing the control of your life over to Him.
If you have done that for the first time or if you want any more help in following Jesus or in fulfilling Jesus` great commission to share this Gospel with the world, then please write to us making clear your commitment, so we can help you further.
