Good News!

The Gospel is God's Good News to all of us!

This is what Paul says about the Gospel in Romans:
Romans 1:16-28 NLT

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

God's Anger at Sin
But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too."

Romans 6:23 ESV:

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

1 Corinthians 15:1-9 NLT

The Resurrection of Christ

"Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.
I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church."

I'd also like to point out that Paul keeps writing "just as the Scriptures said." These Scriptures were written hundreds (and some where > 1000 years) before Jesus was born.

Here's a recap of the Gospel:
1. Jesus came to earth
2. Jesus lived a perfect life
3. Jesus died for your sins (try to think of your sins, specifically)
4. Jesus was buried for 3 days (translation: "he was really, really dead")
5. Jesus was raised to life via the resurrection
6. Jesus ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of the Father with all authority in heaven and earth
7. He did all of this out of His love for the world (John 3:16)
8. If you believe this, you WILL (this is not a crap shoot--it's guaranteed to you!) be saved, having eternal life
Truly believing this will bring the presence of God into you, starting a relationship with the God of the Universe--the God who created the millions of galaxies!

So, do you believe this? If you do, the Bible says that your life will be completely different. If your life is not different, then are you as Paul was referring to some when he said "unless, of course, you believed something that was never true to begin with?" If so, I urge you to consider the Gospel and believe in it.

I can personally affirm that the Gospel has drastically impacted my life! There's an amazing peace that I had never known before between God and myself--even when adversity comes! I get up in the morning and ask God if Jesus is coming today with excitement! I think about the Love that Jesus and the Father displayed by placing Jesus on the cross out of his LOVE for me that it brings me to tears of joy! I hate that I sinned, but His love permeates my heart and I know that if he displayed THIS kind of love to ME, there's nothing in the WORLD that will separate me from him! Oh, how wonderful it is to be loved by the Creator of the universe! He continues to correct me because He loves me and only wants the best for me! He has spoken unspeakable life into the deadness of my soul! He saw me heading for the cliff of hell and He spoke and I believed! Oh, how amazing it is that he worked in me so that I may believe! It's a MIRACLE that I even believed! I cried out and he saved me! I see death as a beautiful door and when I go through it, I will see the Love that died for me! The One that allowed Himself to be ravaged because He loves me will greet me! And I will be with Him forever and ever! YES! Even death is an unfathomable blessing bestowed upon me from God! For it is the entrance to Life itself!
Oh, how I long for this door to open! But not until I have accomplished what He created me for!
Now I stand at the door of His purpose for me and am knocking! Door! What was I created for? What is my purpose, specifically? The Bible says that God created me for His purpose and that I am to glorify Him! How, specifically, should I do this? Hurry! I only have a few short breaths left here! I promise that whatever it is that you have planned for me, I will do it with singing! Singing felt so deeply that my words will be unintelligible to those around me for I will be thinking of your love and mercy and cry! Only moans will be heard by those around me, but you will hear the cry of my heart from which my song comes! I will perform your purpose for me because you are my God and you have no equal! You have planned only the best for me, for You see all things as they are! If there was a more loving way for something to come about, you would be doing it! Use me, Lord! Bring the world to repentance through your son!

How have I received this treatment from God? Is it because I am good? Absolutely not! Is it because I'm smarter than others? No!
Does it have anything to do with me? No!
It is only because I have believed and my belief isn't something that I even had! It was given to me by God because I asked Him!

I urge you to beg God for belief! He will give it to you if you ask Him! And when you do, God will become the absolute center of your universe and you will sing a new song!

Will you do it? Have you done it?  If you have, I want to be the first one to welcome you into God's family and I want to hear from you!

Receiving the Gospel now is the only acceptable time!  You are not guaranteed more than the breath already in your lungs.

Peace and may God bless you all!