The Best News Ever

The opening part of the story is foundational to understanding The Best News Ever. It comes from the oral tradition of the ancient tribes of Israel over 4,000 years ago. It is not myth, nor historical, but told to provide profound answers to perennial questions about the meaning of life. It is about God who created the universe and everything in it which has a purpose. More specifically, it is about God and His unique relationship with humans. They know and speak to one another.

Before you begin the story, imagine a young boy in one of those tribes near the Mediterranean Sea. He is sitting around a campfire one evening and makes a familiar request to his dad, “Tell me again about creation and why God created me.” The dad has told it to him countless times, but he never gets tired repeating it. Someday his son will have the honor to share it with his children. 

You can easily find this oral tradition, which is now written in Genesis, the first book of many in what is called the Bible. Rather than focus on did it really happen this way, allow your heart to be moved by declaration of God’s majesty. More importantly, what does the story tell you about the purpose of creation and the spiritual truth of your relationship with the Author of Life?

So now, read some key verses which are the foundation of The Best News Ever.

       READ: Bible, Book of Genesis, Chapter 1:1-3, 26-27, 31

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Modern science is now pointing to something that is more likely and extremely hard to imagine called the Big Bang theory. Experts claim the physical existence began an exceedingly long time ago when there was virtually nothing.  Or as they explain, the universe started as a microscopic point of matter and then all of a sudden expanded due to the laws of physics. This happened in very small fraction of a second. A "Big Bang!" if you will. And now we can count time, explore the physical, and record history. It is safe to say the cosmos came from nothing or another realm.

So, one can easily ask, "Could the source of the initial explosion of physical matter which set creation in motion be the invisible God? Did the Spirit of Love conceive something from the undetectable to be seen?" Or more astonishingly, "Is this primitive account told in Book of Genesis accurate?"

This makes a lot of sense. It is like faith and reason are orbiting around Truth and they both point to the Almighty One Who willed everything you experience into existence, including space and time. And the most important aspect of this ancient tradition is you are created to be a reflection of your Creator.

God made you out of love to be loved!

A young child of Israel from over 3000 years ago would have understood the importance of the creation story. Now you are hearing it too. Are you ready like that child to claim your fundamental identity of personally being known and loved by God?

If so, this is the foundation of The Best News Ever. If you are not ready to accept this, then your mind might be trying to downgrade these words to mere speculation or something far less. The next part of the news will tell you why this uncertainty is happening.

This critical aspect of The Best News Ever will be hard for you to accept. It is like going in for routine medical tests and finding out you have a life-threatening disease. To understand this part of the news, realize you have been captured by someone who is envious of your relationship with the Creator and is intent on destroying it. The target is your trust in the goodness of God. Rest assured in the big story; this enslaver is only a creature and therefore exists only because the Almighty One allows it for the moment.

Did God make evil? No, it happens when a being with free will, such as a human or angel, rebels and undermines the divine purpose of creation. Angels are spiritual creatures, and your capturer is a mighty fallen angel who led others in a rebellion. He is called the “Evil One.” He and his army are utterly powerless against God. On the other hand, with humans, they are like hungry wolves hunting for lost sheep. Their formidable weapons are Sin and Death.  

This explains why there is evil, and the world can be a messed-up place with such things as poverty, starvation, hatred, and war. Your capturer uses sin and his “end game” is the destruction of human life. Be aware you were born in enemy territory and are subject to spiritual oppression.

If you do not think this is true, it is exactly what the Deceiver wants you to believe. Blind to the bad news, you have been captured, and you are not aware of its deadly consequences. Do not think you are immune to this enslavement. Ask yourself, why do you do things you know you should not? You may even hate doing them, but you do them anyway, right?

In the earlier hypothetical medical situation where you found out something was not right physically; would you seek a doctor who could intervene and save you? Do not ignore your spiritual health which is far more important.

Is this a disturbing spiritual report? Yes, but there is heavenly hope! And this pivotal moment of The Best News Ever is coming soon. You will discover it in the next section.

For now, read more about being captured from the oral tradition of ancient Israel.

Remember, do not be overly concerned about whether if this actually is what happened but listen to the truth revealed in the story.

       READ: Bible, Book of Genesis, Chapter 3:3-7

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If you follow the traditional belief of this story, you are different from all the other physical creatures because you have free will and the capacity to reason through complex situations before you act. If it is true God created out of love and wants to provide everything you really need, why would you not trust and align yourself with His will?

Spiritually speaking, to turn away from your loving Creator means you are listening to the “Father of Lies” and are enslaved by the Power of Sin. You are headed down a path which leads to eternal death.

Recall the young Jewish boy and the earlier creation section? He would also understand the story of the fall. He would realize his inherent ability to choose obedience to God or he would be captured by other voices directing him to pursue his selfish desires. One way is an abundant life, the alternative destroys it.

Your Creator is not hiding, but longs for you to turn around. If you do, and genuinely seek the love you were created for, you will find God. The despair of being captured shall not last. There is hope because God’s “Promised One” is coming.

It is the essence of The Best News Ever. A Divine Warrior is being sent to defeat the power of Sin and Death. This Savior is going to break the binding chains of the Evil One so you can experience true freedom and happiness! 

Before you move onto the “pivotal moment” of The Best News Ever, ponder this question:

“If the Creator loves me and I really matter, do I want God’s help?”

How you answer that question is critical. If you do not think you need or want God’s assistance, then the following words might not make sense. On the other hand, if something is not right in your life and you want help, then you are about to be “Rescued”.

How can you know this foretelling is true? All you need to do is return to the creation story you have been reading. There, your Creator confronts the cunning serpent. God was not really talking to a snake but letting everyone know decisive action is coming to restore creation for those who listen. This pledge of hope has been retold from one generation to the next for thousands of years. Now, you too can hear God’s promise to rescue you!

       READ: Bible, Book of Genesis, Chapter 3:14-15

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Simply put, God is calling out the Enemy and declaring war. Heaven is invading occupied territory. The Divine Rescue Mission involves a young woman who will say “yes” to God and her offspring Who will strike the fatal blow to the serpent.

The really depressing news for God’s people of living in captivity is about to be destroyed by the good news of being rescued. 

And this is how it happened. A virgin gave birth to a boy in a primitive barn. This child was given the name Jesus. In time, He grew in stature and wisdom like no other. Jesus preached with authority and healed all that asked Him. He turned water into wine, stopped a violent storm with His command and brought a dead man back to life. He called out religious hypocrites and forgave sinners. He claimed to be God’s Son and his friends called him the “Messiah.” These actions were not the end game, but a way for Jesus to draw the Enemy out of the shadows.

This was Heaven’s strategy all along and Jesus trusted in God completely. The Spirit led Him to Jerusalem where those in power would kill Him on a wooden cross. Jesus was aware of this vividly and actually sweated blood in anguish the night before being arrested. The Beloved Son out of obedience allowed Himself to be crucified.

This is the “pivotal moment” of The Best News Ever.

It is really two events, yet one decisive moment in God’s time. One without the other and there is nothing newsworthy.

The first event is the Crucifixion of Jesus. The world saw a defeated Jewish man. His friends viewed him as a victim. They would have been right except for one simple fact…. The second event, the Resurrection of Jesus!

It is safe to say without the eyewitness reports of “Jesus is alive”, you would not be reading about Him right now. This is certainly worth repeating.... His words and actions would never have been recorded for the ages if the people who actually knew Him, saw Him crucified, had not encountered their Risen Lord.

An atheist would have a hard time disputing Jesus is the most known and influential human in history. The overall evidence points to this historical fact. Here is the stunning reality. His disciples were willing to die rather than deny they encountered a “risen Jesus” after His death on a cross. Since then, this life-changing news of His resurrection has passed on from one person to the next one by those who have been willing to listen and believe.

God’s only begotten Son was sent to fulfill a promise of love. His Divine Assignment was to bind the Evil One, destroy the chains of Sin, defeat the power of Death, and set captives free. 

In other words, invade enemy territory, seek the lost, and rescue you.

Jesus has crushed the head of the serpent.

Mission accomplished!

Before you dive into the concluding section of The Best News Ever, take a few minutes to reflect about the “pivotal moment” of this story illustrated at the beginning of this website. Imagine you are actually in the scene right after the resurrection. Then, you quietly notice the risen Jesus is standing beside you and you feel moved to ask Him, “What do you want me to know at this pivotal moment?”

(Pause and listen to His response.)

“The One Who created all that is, sent me to let you know our unconditional love for you persists despite your turning away. I, the Lamb of God, sacrificed my life delivering this personal message and my blood was poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.

Then, the power of the Almighty destroyed the gates of Hell fulfilling a promise to raise me from the dead. In turn, I struck the fatal blow to the Evil One. And now, you are free to follow me and leave captivity behind you”

As Jesus finishes speaking, you gaze at the three crosses a short distance away where His crucifixion happened earlier. His wooden cross is the one in the middle. And below it, a short distance away is His tomb with God’s power still radiating from within.

This blinding light which once created the universe billions of years ago is now triumphantly declaring from the tomb, "Christ is Victor!"

Wait, God's story does not end there.... Jesus is now standing in front of you and wants you to focus on Him. His wounds from the metal nails are visible. In the ultimate act of Divine Mercy, He proposes to share God’s love with you for all of eternity. As you make eye contact with Him, you hear His personal invitation He gave His first disciples, “Come, follow me.... I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

(When you read these words, you are hearing the voice of Jesus.)

What is your response?

Depending on how you react, will set the trajectory of your life. You can be honest with yourself. Maybe you think it is not even possible this could happen. And if Jesus is alive, He is not concerned with you personally. Or, if you do follow Him, He will force you to do something, and your life will be miserable. These concerns may seem logical, but they are not coming from God. In fact, to be blunt they are lies. Where they come from is not important at this time but believing them is.

To see Jesus clearly, you must open your heart and inform your mind that it needs to change. This is not an intellectual exercise; it is an act of sorrow that occurs when you realize you are wrong to turn away from God. If this is your genuine response, then ask Jesus to open your eyes so the blindness of your ways will fade away and you can see safely how to follow Him home. 

To grasp the essence of The Best News Ever, realize it is all about God’s love for you. The Son of God knocks on the door of your heart with a love proposal. He yearns for your love more than you could ever imagine. And now you know, He sacrificed His earthly life so you can be set free to choose Him.

Jesus is waiting for your response.

God's perfect love gives you the free will to accept or reject this offer. Be aware you cannot sit safely on the fence with this divine invitation of love. Your mind can easily default to viewing it as a threat against your personal desires or it is simply too crazy to be true. Then, you will do nothing, and this becomes your answer. Eventually, you will convince yourself you have nothing to worry about, and so your life continues down the road of earthly aspirations.

In 1979, there was award winning song titled, “Got to Serve Somebody” which declared a spiritual truth. Whether the songwriter intended it or not, it was a stark reminder to Jesus’ own words, “You can only serve one master.” In other words, you either pursue what this world offers, or you seek the Kingdom Jesus wants to share with you. There is no neutral zone. Period.

Now, you might be confidently rolling the dice with the attitude, I am not a bad person and do a lot of good things most of the time. You might be thinking you will just live your life with this strategy. While on earth, Jesus warned about this dangerous behavior. If you believe He is God’s Son, pay attention to Him. Be aware it is impossible for you to earn your way to Heaven.

No, a healthy relationship with Jesus and following Him is the only safe path on which you can depend. Another perilous route to take is to be fearful of God ruining your life. Logically speaking, it should be just the opposite. You ought to fear a life without your Creator.

Jesus spoke of His relationship with God in intimate fashion. He called God, “Abba!” This is the word Jewish children called their dad whom they completely trusted and adored. Jesus, a descendant of the ancient tribes of Israel, understood this and took great pleasure in describing the intimacy of God’s profound love for you.

And so, this incredible news comes to a critical point for you personally. You are at the crossroads of your life. You must take one path or the other. Be unlike the criminal on the cross next to the crucified Jesus who rejected Him. Be like the one on the other side and tell Jesus you want to be with Him in His Kingdom.

        READ: Bible, Gospel of Luke, Chapter 23:33-43

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Accept the eternal gift of love rather than leave it unopened. Let your response allow your part in God’s story to only get better as you discover why God created you and the amazing life your Creator has planned for you.

It begins today, with saying “Yes” to Jesus, the Son of God Who became human so He could rescue you and show you the Way back to Paradise where your Heavenly Father eagerly awaits to embrace you.

The Best News Ever!