God-fearing people, every nation, tribe and tongue, listen...

Salvation is a gift freely offered to you. Since the creation of the world, when God walked with man, then in the life and ministry of Jesus on earth, and here through this present day - God has made a way for relationship with Him!

Here is a summary of the story.

The God of the nation of Israel chose their ancestors and made them multiply and grow strong during their stay in Egypt. Then with a powerful arm He led them out of their slavery. He put up with them trough forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Then He destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to Israel as an inheritance. This happened over the course of about 450 years.

After that, God gave the people judges to rule until the time of Samuel the prophet. The people begged for a king, they wanted to be like all the other nations of the world. This was not God's plan, for we are to have only one King - one Lord - but He chose to oblige the calls of the people. God gave them Saul, son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years. But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a young man about whom God had said, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do." And one of king David's descendants, Jesus, is God's promised saviour of Israel! The Messiah.

Before Jesus came, John the Baptist preached that all the people of Israel needed to repent of their sins and turn to God and be baptized. As John was finishing his ministry he asked, "Do you think I am the Messiah? No, I am not! But he is coming soon - and I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the sandals on his feet."

Brothers and Sisters - children of Abraham and God-fearing people of the earth - the message of salvation has been sent to YOU!

The people in Jerusalem in that day did not recognized Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about, neither did their leaders. Instead, they condemned Him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophet's words that are read at every Jewish Sabath. They found no legal reason to execute Him, but they asked Pilate to have Him killed anyway.

When they had done all that the prophecies said about Him, they took Him down from the cross and placed Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead! And over a period of many days, Jesus appeared to those who had gone with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These disciples became His witnesses to the people of Israel and later, Paul and Barnabas also travelled throughout many countries proclaiming the good news of the Messiah to all people - salvation for mankind; freedom for anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord.

The promise of Jesus was made to the Jew's ancestors, and fulfilled to their descendants by raising Jesus. This is what Psalm 2 says:

"You are my Son. Today I have become your Father." (Ps 2:7)

For God had promised to raise His son from the dead, not leaving Him to rot in the grave. He also said:

"I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David." (Isa 55:3)

Another Psalm explains it more fully:

"You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave." (Ps. 16:10)

This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed. No, it was a reference to someone else - someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay.

People, listen! I am here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in Him is made right in God's sight - something the law of Moses could never do. In fact, religion can never do it either! There is even Christian religion which attempts to make man right with God, but only Jesus can do such a thing.

Be careful! Don't let the worlds of the ancient prophets apply to you. For they said,

"Look, you mockers, be amazed and die. For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it." (Hab 1:5)

It was necessary that the gospel of Jesus was preached first to the Jews, but many of them rejected it and judged themselves unworthy of eternal life, so the message was offered to the Gentiles. However, even in days of old we see that God also accepted those who were not of the nation of Israel. Consider Ruth, or Melchizedek before Abraham, and are we all not descendants of Adam?

(for more on this check out https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/the-gentiles-are-included)

The Lord gave His disciples this command when He said,

"I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth." (Isa 49:6)

But salvation is a free offer for all! If you are reading this today, I urge you to consider the powerful message of Jesus Christ. If you believe in Jesus but have not picked up your cross - today is the day of salvation! For Jesus said "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." Luke 9:23

If you are reading this and you are a follower of Jesus, but like a lamb you have gone astray and wandered from the flock, I urge you to return. For Jesus said "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep....I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." John 10:11, 16

Repent then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out and times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Amen.

Salvation is for every woman, man, child and person - no matter what you've done, no matter who you are. We all need Jesus as much as any other.