The Gospel

The good news concerning Jesus Christ, the Liberator

The Facts of life!

	Fact 1 There is a moral, loving, personal, all-powerful God. He created the whole universe, our world and everything in it. He created it in perfection. "You Lord are God..... did create all things, and by your will they existed and were created", Revelation 4:11. We are a very special part of the creation. Special because God created us to know him and to experience his gift of life.
	Fact 2 The trouble is we have ignored our creator, either intentionally or unintentionally, so now he is distant from us. We don't know him and are unable to experience his gift of life. There is a barrier between us and God. In fact, our whole world is caught up in the mess. It has been shattered because of our rebellion. "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God", Romans 3:23.
	This mess, we find ourselves in, will annihilate us. "Those who do not know God and ....... those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus..... shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord", 2Thessalonians 1:8-9. In fact, in the end, we face the total annihilation of the whole created order.
	Fact 3 God has done the only thing you would expect him to do, he has set about to clean up the mess. Our creator God has done this through Jesus Christ the Liberator. Jesus came to this world 2000 years ago. He gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, life to the dead. He claimed to be: The way to God, the source of truth and the source of life.
	To gain all this for us, Jesus gave his life on the cross and on the third day rose again. "You can't keep a good man down." Because he lives we may live also - set free for life. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.... By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable", 1Peter 1:3.
	Fact 4 So, right now we can experience life in all its fullness. We can experience what it means to live as a child of God - here and now, and forever. We can experience what it means to live the way we were created to live - not to just exist, but to possess life.

There are 5 ways we experience this new life Jesus gives us:

[Image 7] First. A new Friendship with God
It is possible right now to become an intimate friend with the creator of the universe.
We can develop a caring relationship with him, deeper than anything we have ever known. A friendship for eternity.
"Now this is eternal life: that (we) may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent", John 17:3.

[Image 8] Second. A new lifestyle
Right now it is possible to become a new person in Jesus, to slowly experience a radical change in character.
The orientation is from self to others; we begin to become merciful as he is merciful.
"If anyone is in Christ they are a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come", 2Corinthians 5:17.

[Image 9] Third. A new freedom
Right now it is possible to find a freedom from guilt, self and fear.
Jesus has overcome all our enemies.
God is a merciful God and through Jesus we can experience that mercy, we can experience forgiveness, acceptance, and in that acceptance there is freedom.
"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed", John 8:36.

[Image 10] Fourth. A new community to be part of
Right now it is possible to become part of a new group of friends dedicated to Jesus and each other.
When the church meets, Jesus is present and so at that moment we can experience a unity, perception and power beyond the ordinary.
"If we walk in the light, as He (God) is in the light, we have fellowship with one another", 1John 1:7.

[Image 11] Fifth. The hope of a new world
Right now it is possible to be assured of a place in God's new world.
The day will come when Jesus will return to a world in turmoil.
In that day he will gather to himself all his followers.
This new age, this new dimension, can be ours for eternity. It is God's gift to us.
"I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may be where I am", John 14:3.

God's invitation

Fact 5

God calls on everyone of us to respond to this offer of new life in Jesus.
"God commands all people everywhere to turn back to him", Acts 17:3.
Put simply, this is what we must do:
Put our trust in Jesus. Rely on his promise that life eternal is ours for the asking.
Ask him for his gift of life.
A Prayer: "Jesus, I am sorry for ignoring you for so long, but now I ask you to set me free."

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	First. A new Friendship with God It is possible right now to become an intimate friend with the creator of the universe. We can develop a caring relationship with him, deeper than anything we have ever known. A friendship for eternity. "Now this is eternal life: that (we) may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent", John 17:3.
	Second. A new lifestyle Right now it is possible to become a new person in Jesus, to slowly experience a radical change in character. The orientation is from self to others; we begin to become merciful as he is merciful. "If anyone is in Christ they are a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come", 2Corinthians 5:17.
	Third. A new freedom Right now it is possible to find a freedom from guilt, self and fear. Jesus has overcome all our enemies. God is a merciful God and through Jesus we can experience that mercy, we can experience forgiveness, acceptance, and in that acceptance there is freedom. "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed", John 8:36.
	Fourth. A new community to be part of Right now it is possible to become part of a new group of friends dedicated to Jesus and each other. When the church meets, Jesus is present and so at that moment we can experience a unity, perception and power beyond the ordinary. "If we walk in the light, as He (God) is in the light, we have fellowship with one another", 1John 1:7.
	Fifth. The hope of a new world Right now it is possible to be assured of a place in God's new world. The day will come when Jesus will return to a world in turmoil. In that day he will gather to himself all his followers. This new age, this new dimension, can be ours for eternity. It is God's gift to us. "I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may be where I am", John 14:3.