view as web pdf NEW WORLD ORDER

God, the Creator of the universe, has a plan for a new world order to rebuild and refresh the world that man has ruined. This is the main theme of the gospel, which is the `good news concerning the Kingdom of God' and the name of Jesus Christ. (Acts 8:12)

This is the very plan that was revealed in outline 4,000 years ago to Abraham, the forefather of the Jewish people. God promised this faithful man:- a) a personal promise ­ `I will bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing.' (Gen.12:2) b) the promise of a family, when he had no child. `I will make you a great nation.' This was a promise about the Jewish people, whose true greatness is yet to come (Gen.12:2) c) the promise of a land for him and his family for ever. `I will give you and your descendants after you the land in which are a stranger.' (Gen.17:8) d) the promise of bringing a world-wide blessing: `In your seed (Jesus Christ) all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.' (Gen.22:18; Galatians 3:8,16).

The True Gospel ­ these divine promises constituted `the gospel' which was preached to Abraham (Gal.3:8) and this is the very hope ­ of a King (Jesus) reigning for God ­ which the apostle Paul called `the hope of Israel.' (Acts 28:20) For God's eternal purpose, in spite of man's folly, has always been as he declared to Moses, that `as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.' (Numbers 14:21). Abraham did not live to see God's precious promises come to pass, but he looked forward in faith to the time when he would see them all fulfilled (Heb.11:13). Mary, the mother of Jesus, anticipated her son's part in fulfilling God's promises to Abraham when she said that `He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.' (Luke 1:54,55.)

Jesus, descended from Abraham, was fully aware of the implications of God's promises to his ancestor. His message of good news ­ the gospel ­ was to urge his hearers to prepare for the time when God's promises to Abraham will be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.

Bro. Ernest Lavuna, (Givungi, Kenya.)


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