Today, we see a multitude of different Christian denominations all over the world. In actual fact, their core beliefs are very much the same, yet they have their differences that keep them separated. The question we may ask ourselves then is, why have so many churches arisen from only one Bible?  Have you ever wondered if there is a way to find out which church is really teaching the truth?  Everyone seems to ask themselves this question at some point in life. Yet sadly, many are satisfied to conclude, “With so many different interpretations of the Bible, how will I ever know which one is right?  It must not really matter, as long as I believe that God loves all of us and that I just try to do what is right.”  Choosing which church to “join” then becomes a matter of personal choice and many leave it “up to God” to lead them to a satisfactory place of worship.

My friend, if the Bible really is the word of God, then doesn’t it make sense to compare what it says to what any church is teaching?  Nearly every church teaches that the Gospel must be understood and believed to bring one salvation. So then we must ask ourselves a very important question, “WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?”  We can only find the answer in the Bible – because that is where the Gospel is written for everyone to read. And surely, to find the whole Truth, we must search the whole Bible – the Old Testament and the New Testament – and only believe what is taught within its pages! Therefore to find out what the Gospel really is, we go to the words of Jesus (recorded for us in the Bible), and it becomes clear that his main emphasis was on the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14; Luke 4:43). Even after God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day, Jesus continued to preach about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). The Gospel (meaning “Good News”) that Jesus and the Apostles preached was concerning the Kingdom of God! Therefore, the reader of the Bible who truly wishes to understand the Gospel message must learn all about the nature of the Kingdom of God.  You may ask – Where is this Kingdom to be located? When is it to be established? Why is there to be a Kingdom? Who will be a part of it? What is its purpose?

We can learn a great deal about the Kingdom by reading Acts 1:6. Jesus was asked by his followers, “Lord, will you at this time RESTORE THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL?”. This question provides four interesting pieces of information about the Kingdom: 1) This Kingdom of God must have already existed in Israel in the past and in fact, God first ruled over it, followed by the Judges, and then the Kings who descended from David.  2) The Kingdom of God is NOT in the present. 3) The Kingdom will come in God’s set time. 4) The Kingdom will be established on the earth and will be ruled over by the Messiah (Jesus Christ himself), as he restores the Kingdom to Israel. Why has God chosen Israel to be the place for His future Kingdom to be established? Because God made a promise to Abraham that he would receive the land forever! (read Genesis 13:15-17 and Acts 7:1-5) This hope is also extended to every person who believes that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and put on the saving name of Christ through the waters of Baptism. (Romans 4:24) The promises to Abraham and believers refer to a Kingdom on earth, not in heaven, as many believe (see Galatians 3:26-29; Matthew 5:5; Psalm 37:9,11,22,29). The best part of God’s promise of His future Kingdom on earth in the future, is that you and I have been invited to be a part of it!

Now, you are probably aware that the world we live in is full of crime, injustice, and many other problems. We hear all the time, mention of the rise of crime, inflation, famines, drugs, diseases, etc. Do you ever wonder where and when this escalating crisis will end?  Is there any real solution to the world’s problems?  There is Good News for those who pay attention to God’s word; the Bible tells us quite clearly that a solution to all these problems is on its way! When, you may ask? At the return of the Lord Jesus Christ! Where? Here on this earth with Jerusalem as its capital city (Jeremiah 3:17). Who will be its ruler and leader? The Lord Jesus Christ himself (Luke 1:32,33)! The wicked and corrupt civilization of this world will be over-thrown by Jesus Christ (he is the stone of the Biblical prophecy in Daniel 2:37-45).  All the nations will learn the ways of God, beating their weapons into plowshares, and will not learn wars anymore (Micah 4:1-6). The water at the Dead Sea will be healed, and the fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim to try to catch innumerable fish! (Ezekiel 47:8-10) My friend, the earth will be given a new look with Universal peace, justice, equity, and joy throughout a millennium. That is the Good News! This is the Gospel message in a nutshell!

Hopefully, you will pick up your Bible and read it carefully. If you do,  you will quickly learn that it does matter what we believe concerning the Gospel message. We are always more than happy to share with you what the Bible says and encourage you to test whatever we have to say by the word of God (Isaiah 8:20; 1 John 4:1).