The Good News!

The Good News:

All stories begin with a beginning, but what happened before the beginning? I’m going to tell you a story that began before the beginning. I’m going to tell you a story about a king - not just any king, but THE KING - who has always been, even before the beginning, and who will always be. His name is Elohim, Yahweh, God.

Before the material universe, before time, before anything else, THE ALMIGHTY KING ruled eternity from the throne of heaven in the spiritual realm as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That’s right - 3 distinct personalities, but so perfectly united in love, essence, and purpose that they actually exist forever in perfect community as ONE GOD.

To be ALMIGHTY it means that you have ALL power, ALL knowledge, not just now - but ALWAYS - yesterday, today, tomorrow - ALWAYS.

Elohim, Yahweh, God, the ALMIGHTY TRINITY KING of Heaven decided to created spiritual beings - angels - so that could enjoy the perfect beauty and presence of the ALMIGHTY TRINITY KING. One of those angels, Lucifer, broke fellowship with the TRINITY KING because he fell in love with himself, his own beauty, his own power, and decided to lead a rebellion against the ALMIGHTY TRINITY KING so that he could rule. Lucifer was so powerful and influential that many of the angels decided to reject the ALMIGHTY TRINITY KING and follow him.

But since we know that THE TRINITY KING is ALMIGHTY and knows everything that has - and will ever happen - our KING was not surprised. ELOHIM, the TRINITY KING, banished Lucifer and all his followers out of heaven forever.

Then the ALMIGHTY TRINITY KING created the physical/material universe - the stars, the planets, the earth, the oceans, the land, the trees and plants, and all the animals so that we (humanity) could have a place to dwell with our ALMIGHTY TRINITY KING.

Our KING created a beautiful lush garden called Eden, just North of Africa. Before our KING created the first woman He created Adam, the first man. THE KING told Adam that he could enjoy the fruit from any tree - EXCEPT FOR ONE - the TREE of DEATH. If Adam obeyed then he could dwell in the KING’s presence FOREVER! But if Adam disobeyed - then the consequence would be DEATH - separation from THE ALMIGHTY KING.

Then THE KING knew that Adam needed a friend, a partner, a woman, in order to create a tribe that could ALL enjoy THE ALMIGHTY KING’s presence. So God told Adam that he needed to serve the woman and watch over her by 1) telling her that they were created in the image (perfect community) of THE ALMIGHTY KING, and 2) telling her what God had told Adam (DON’T eat from the Tree of Death)!

Remember Lucifer? The angel who led the rebellion against THE KING and was cast out of heaven? He found his way into Eden... He took the form of a serpent and waited... Lucifer watched and waited and realized that Adam had done a very poor job listening to God and doing what THE ALMIGHTY KING had told him to do. 1) tell Eve they were created in the image (perfect community) of HOLY TRINITY GOD, and 2) telling her not to eat from the TREE of DEATH.

So one day when Adam wasn’t paying much attention - not watching over Eve like THE ALMIGHTY KING had instructed - the serpent, Lucifer, approached. He was funny, charming, and well-spoken. Eventually he convinced Eve that the fruit from the TREE of DEATH was actually the best thing that would ever happen to her and that the only reason why THE ALMIGHTY KING didn’t want them to eat from it was because THE KING knew that they would do a better job, they would be better kings, than God.

So after careful consideration Eve decided to eat the forbidden fruit, and she convinced Adam to eat some too.

Just as THE ALMIGHTY KING was forced to cast Lucifer and all his followers out of Heaven - God was forced to expel Adam and Eve from His presence in the Garden of Eden because of their rebellion, disobedience, and sin - because to dwell in the presence of our perfect and ALMIGHTY KING requires absolute perfection - no stain, no blemish, no mistakes, no rebellion, no disobedience, no sin.

All hope for humanity was seemingly lost and all of Adam and Eve’s offspring, our ancestors before us, you and me, our children, and everyone ever to be born throughout history would now be separated from the glorious life-giving presence of THE ALMIGHTY TRINITY KING forever.

And that’s where our story ends. Hopelessly separated from our perfect and ALMIGHTY KING…

Thankfully, that is NOT where our story ends. Not because we deserve anything better, but because of the likeness (perfect selfless love) of our ALMIGHTY TRINITY KING.

Before expelling them, God made a promise to Adam and Eve. THE ALMIGHTY KING promised them that one day He would personally crush the head of the serpent forever and that Lucifer and all of his wicked, evil, and vile followers would be eternally defeated. THE ALMIGHTY KING also promised to personally restore perfect community (image) with humanity - something we could never be able to do for ourselves.

Throughout history our ALMIGHTY KING has revealed Himself to us - always reminding us of His promise. “I’m coming to restore community and fellowship with you. I’m coming to bring you home to my heavenly kingdom.” THE ALMIGHTY KING did that by revealing Himself to people and giving them the words to write down so that all future generations could know that our ALMIGHTY KING was coming soon! But just like Adam & Eve ignored, rejected, and rebelled against the ALMIGHTY KING in Eden - we have ignored, rejected, and rebelled against him, his prophets, His Word and His story (the Bible) throughout history.

Then, one day, about 2,000 years ago, it happened! But it wasn’t like anything anyone expected. THE ALMIGHTY KING didn’t ride down from heaven in flaming golden chariot. No, our ALMIGHTY KING chose to be born by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT to a simple woman in the most humble fashion - in an animal pen. Our ALMIGHTY KING identified with us so perfectly, so intimately, and completely that He actually became flesh & blood - a real man - named Jesus, the Messiah, Christ, the KING.

THE ALMIGHTY KING began to fulfill His promise to personally restore our perfect community and fellowship with God by stepping down from heaven and becoming a man. Our ALMIGHTY KING knew that our rejection, disobedience, rebellion, and sin in - and after - Eden would result in DEATH - eternal separation from God. He knew that in order to restore / reconcile fellowship with God that He would have to make a perfect payment on our behalf - something imperfect humanity could never do or earn. So our ALMIGHTY KING came to dwell among us.

But even then we rejected Him. He came, just as He said He would, but most of our ancestors despised Him. KING JESUS told them that He alone was the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. He told the religious leaders that they were doing everything wrong - they were making it difficult for people to love and trust the ALMIGHTY KING with countless rules and regulations. KING JESUS said, all that is required is this:

“Everyone who believes, trusts, and has absolute faith in me will have reconciliation and eternal life with Me.”

The selfish kings and religious rulers of the time - who loved their power and wealth - despised and hated Jesus for this simple message of hope and restoration for anyone who would believe in Him. So they plotted to kill Jesus because of His message of life, hope, love, and restoration for humanity.

Criminals thrive in the darkness. One evening when Jesus was in another garden praying - the soldiers came for Him. They arrested THE ALMIGHTY KING, as if he were a vile criminal. King Jesus didn’t resist or fight because He knew what needed to be done. They made up false charges and decided to put King Jesus to death. But first they beat Him mercilessly… tearing away His skin, ripping deep into the flesh of THE ALMIGHTY KING… relentlessly mocking Him all the while… spitting, cursing, laughing… they even dressed Him with a robe and a crown of thorns. Then they gave Him a large wooden cross to carry up the hillside just outside the city. There, they took large spikes and drove them into His arms and feet so that He couldn’t come down - so that He would suffer for several hours - struggling to breath, thirsty, exhausted, tormented physically - and even more so spiritually.

The weight of all our of our rejection, all our rebellion, and all our sin was ALL upon our ALMIGHTY KING. At any moment He had the power and authority to say “ENOUGH!” But, thankfully, He didn’t. He endured for us. He endured for YOUR tribe. Jesus endured for YOU.

While upon the Cross the soldiers, religious leaders, and crowd continued to mock and laugh at Him. Through tears of unbelievable pain and unimaginable sorrow THE ALMIGHTY KING said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” Then, at 3 O’clock in the afternoon, KING JESUS died. There was a great earthquake and the sky turned black. KING JESUS was dead. All that was left to do now was to take His body down from the Cross and bury Him in the empty tomb. And that is where our story ends.

All throughout history there were just a few of us who eagerly anticipated the return/advent of OUR ALMIGHTY KING - so that things would be restored and we could return home with Him to His eternal kingdom - to His presence. Thousands and thousands of years of anticipation, then when KING JESUS arrived He was arrested, crucified, died, and buried in a tomb behind a giant stone.

That’s really not the end of the story you know…

When KING Jesus was alive He told His friends, His disciples, all of these things would happen - His rejection, His arrest, His death... but KING JESUS also told His friends that since HE is THE ALMIGHTY KING - there is nothing - N O T H I N G - that He doesn’t know about, nothing that can stop Him, nothing that will prevent Him from fulfilling His promise to us - not even DEATH. Jesus told His friends that after three days He would rise again - resurrected, glorified, imperishable, VICTORIOUS over Lucifer, over sin, and even over DEATH!

Early on that THIRD day THE ALMIGHTY KING'S friends went to His tomb. They didn’t believe that Jesus would return, but when they got there do you know what they saw? The giant stone had been rolled away and KING JESUS body was gone. Had someone simply stolen the body? No. We know that because the Bible tells us that hundreds of people saw KING JESUS alive again! They even say the scars in His hands and feet!

King Jesus told His friends, His disciples, His followers, that He was going back to heaven to be together in perfect community with the Father - just as God created us to be, and if they REALLY believed in Him - if they really loved Him - that they would go and tell all the world about our sin and separation from THE ALMIGHTY KING, and how He alone is the truth, the way, and the life - and that no one can come home EXCEPT exclusively through faith in HIM. Not by being good, not by trying harder, not by second, third, or fourth chances, but by KING JESUS’ grace through faith in HIM alone.

KING JESUS doesn’t promise us health, wealth, or riches this side of eternity. Our ALMIGHTY KING endured suffering, persecution, rejection, and even death. Do we deserve or should we expect anything better than our KING? No. Just as it has been throughout history - the true friends, disciples, followers, and servants of the ALMIGHTY KING suffer in this life because our reward awaits us back home. Anyone who tells you differently has partnered with Lucifer to deceive you - they are not friends, disciples, followers, or servants of KING JESUS.

That’s why I’m here. I’m a friend, a disciple, a servant, and a follower of THE ALMIGHTY KING - JESUS. I’m here to tell you that you are lost in sin and darkness without HIM. I’m here to tell you that HE loves us, He loves your tribe, He loves YOU so personally, so perfectly, and so completely that He stepped down from heaven, became a flesh & blood as a man, He suffered, died, and was buried FOR YOU and your sin - so that you could have LIFE and HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY!

JESUS is the KING of KINGS and the LORD of LORDS. There is no power, no authority, in all the universe, in all the spiritual realms, anywhere - that is higher, greater, wider, or stronger that OUR ALMIGHTY TRINITY KING.

So now you know who KING JESUS is. You also know that we have an enemy, Lucifer, the ruler of the evil spirits and demonic forces, who will stop at nothing to try and prevent you from believing in, trusting, and following KING JESUS. But remember OUR ALMIGHTY TRINITY KING is all powerful and destroys the chains of rebellion, doubt, disbelief, and sin so that YOU can be FREE, your family, your tribe, can come forward and PROCLAIM faith in KING JESUS!

OUR ALMIGHTY KING has done HIS part at the Cross.

I have told you the gospel - the Good News - of our ALMIGHTY KING and I've done my part.

Now it is your turn to do your part. Proclaim with your lips “Jesus Christ is LORD” and believe in your heart that GOD raised Him from the dead and promises "you will be saved!”

Don’t listen to the lies of Lucifer, surrender to the HOLY SPIRIT of God… come now and accept KING JESUS’ free gift of grace and eternal life!

Come now! Come!

Blessings,

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com