Looking for God?  Here's some Excellent News!
 
God has a plan that He is in the process of carrying out right now!  His plan is to establish His kingdom on earth and that involves a battle.  All great battles have times when the enemy is advancing and times when the enemy retreats.  God says this:
 

By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.
They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.'" All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. Isaiah 45:23-24
 

This Kingdom on earth will be ruled over by God and the one and only Christ whom God sent.
   

One caution to those who think a long time has passed since Jesus went to the cross.  God's Word says this:
 

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9
 
Which brings us close to the excellent news!  God gave us a way out from the sentence he has imposed upon us because of our sins!  He gave us a way to be reconciled to Himself:  it is through God's only Son Jesus Christ.  He didn't give us many choices here; he gave us only one.  Jesus says this: 

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  John 14:6

and

It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me.  John 6:45
 
Neither did God make any allowances for those who are "good people" and who "try to do the right thing" but who, at the same time,  do not accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  The Son of Man, Jesus, says this:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 7:21

and

Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." John 6:28-29

and

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9
 
My friends, this last scripture about salvation by God's grace alone is so vitally important today.  We can never work our way into heaven!  The canyon between Holy God and sinful man is so wide that man cannot bridge that huge gulf by man's own work.  When Jesus Christ stretched out His arms on the cross and shed His blood for us He became the bridge over that canyon.
Jesus, and Jesus alone, made reconciliation to God possible if we will believe in the one God has sent.
   
  • Jesus, who is God (the Son), came to earth as a man:
     For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form Colossians 2:9

    Jesus has walked in your shoes, feeling the things you feel, hearing the things you hear, seeing the things you see, has been tempted by the same things you have and, yet, has been able to overcome every temptation.
  • Jesus lived a sinless life.  Jesus asked those who were against him the following question: 
     Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? John 8:46

    They couldn't and, my friend,    you   can't   either.
  • Jesus (who frequently referred to Himself as "The Son of Man" - Daniel 7:13-14*) predicted his physical death before it happened in this way:

    'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"
    Then they remembered his words.     Luke 24:7-8

    Jesus overcame physical death by rising from the dead and He promised this same victory to everyone who will believe in Him!  This is such good and great and excellent news isn't it !!!  
    Jesus took your sin upon Him, went to the Cross and paid the price for your sins in full by shedding his blood and paying the price for your disobedience to God.  Before God's eyes, when you are washed in the blood of Jesus, your sins are forgiven and you are restored to fellowship with God Almighty and you become no less righteous than Jesus himself !

    If you believe in the Christ that God (the Father) sent, you will be restored to full fellowship with God and be welcomed back into His family!  When Jesus returns . . . 
    At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.      Luke 21:27
    . . .as he promised, you will be raised to eternal Life!

    This victory by Christ over physical death assures your victory over physical death also but there is one thing you have to do . . .

    You must, through faith, believe In Jesus Christ. That He is who He says he is.  That God raised him from the dead.

    God's Word says this:
    That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
    For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.     Romans 10:9-10
Hear God's words clearly my friends:  this promise is open to everyone.  Everyone !  Everyone !!!  It is for you, right now, this very moment . . .
   
. . .  but you say to me: there is no way that God will forgive me.  You do not know the things I've done; the choices I've made, the hurt I have caused.

You're right.  I don't know.  But you do and God does.  God says this:


"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.  Isaiah 1:18

This means that it doesn't matter what you've done IF you are willing to personally confess that sin before God in the name of Jesus Christ and ask for His forgiveness and be willing to let God help you change the things that you cannot change on your own.  If you ask then the LORD will forgive you and restore you.
   
Which finally brings us to the Promises of God . . .
   
Thank you to J. I. Packer for the inspiration for this piece and his exhortation to tell the complete Gospel (good news).  Mr. Packer spoke at Amsterdam 2000 in the Netherlands on August 1, 2000 at the International Evangelists Convention.
All scripture is quoted from the New International Version of the Holy Bible (NIV)
*. . . there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.  Daniel 7:13-14
This is from the old Testament of the Bible and is the prediction of the coming of the Christ.  Jesus referred to Himself as the "son of man"  thereby saying that He, Jesus, is the Christ who has come in fulfillment of the prophesy of the prophet Daniel.  The "Ancient of Days" here refers to God (the Father).

 
Thank you to J. I. Packer for the inspiration for this piece and his exhortation to tell the complete Gospel (good news).  Mr. Packer spoke at Amsterdam 2000 in the Netherlands on August 1, 2000 at the International Evangelists Convention.

*All scripture is quoted from the New International Version of the Holy Bible (NIV)
  
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