GOD CREATED the heavens and earth. Out of His LOVE , God created Man (humankind) in GOD’S LIKENESS and this entailed giving Man FREE WILL. CREATION was VERY GOOD and included the TREE OF LIFE as well as the TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL in the middle of the garden. Reference: Genesis 1

GOD ALLOWED Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of ANY tree EXCEPT from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But TEMPTED by the SERPENT, Eve and then Adam, did NOT LISTEN to God and ate of the fruit. As a result of their DISOBEDIENCE, God PUNISHED them and drove them out of the garden and His PRESENCE. Adam and Eve did not die immediately as God had said. Instead, out of His LOVE, God reserved JUDGEMENT on humankind till LATER… References: Genesis 2-3

Mankind was DISOBEDIENT to GOD. He was filled with PAIN when he saw the DEATH and DESTRUCTION of His lovely creation. So GOD decided to wash and clean the world with a GREAT FLOOD. But GOD CHOSE a GODLY man called NOAH and made a COVENANT to save him, his family and representatives of all the land animals and birds. Noah had to TRUST GOD and build a LARGE BOAT or ark for his SALVATION. God cleaned the world with a flood but saved Noah and his family as he obeyed God.

There was another man who trusted God at His word. His name was ABRAM. God promised Abram that his descendants will be as NUMEROUS AS STARS IN THE SKY and that through his descendant (ie JESUS), ALL THE WORLD would be BLESSED. God promised this UNCONDITIONALLY to Abram and changed his name to ABRAHAM who became the Father of the Jews and Christians BY FAITH. References: Genesis 12,15-18, Gal 3:6-18

After RESCUING His people (Israel) from SLAVERY in Egypt, GOD gave MOSES the 10 COMMANDMENTS for the people to live by. GOD made a COVENANT with His people (through Moses) that they would be BLESSED if they OBEYED, but CURSED if they did NOT OBEY all the commands. The commandments and laws showed us the extent of God’s GOODNESS, the PUNISHMENT and the SACRIFICE that is required to be RIGHT with GOD – the shedding of BLOOD.

GOD made another COVENANT with King DAVID. God Himself PROMISED that there will be a DESCENDANT of David that will REIGN on David’s throne FOREVER (ie JESUS), who will SAVE the people and establish an EVERLASTING KINGDOM. References: 2 Sam 7, Isa 9:2-7

The nation is divided into the Northern Kingdom of Israel which was exiled to Assyria in 722 B.C. and the Southern Kingdom of Judah which went into exile in Babylon in 586 B.C.

A remnant returns to Jerusalem

While in EXILE, the prophet ISAIAH (whose name meant “God to the rescue”) reminded Israel (God’s people) that God had NOT FORGOTTEN His LOVE and His PROMISES and COVENANTS to their ancestors. GOD spoke through Isaiah to declare that a BRIGHT LIGHT will shine. A BABY will be born to a virgin and His name will be called IMMANUEL (which means “God with us”) and He will RESCUE His people. References: Isaiah 9:1-7; 11:1-5

God revealed His RESCUE PLAN which was made before the world began: That the RESCUER will come as a SERVANT but He will also be a KING in the line of King David. He will not only bring SALVATION for the Nation of Israel but it is clear that it will also be to ALL NATIONS of the earth! Out of His LOVE, GOD HIMSELF came as JESUS - SAVIOR who paid for the SINS of the world by taking all the PUNISHMENT upon Himself. By this ALL MEN can be FORGIVEN and be RESCUED from the DEATH that Adam brought.

God PLANNED His Great RESCUE from the BEGINNING of time when He CREATED the stars and the heavens. Just at the RIGHT TIME in the history of man, when the LIGHT from the STAR at creation appeared on earth, it was seen by the MAGI astrologers who followed it to worship JESUS, the newborn KING. References: Matthew 2:1-12

2,000 years after GOD gave ABRAHAM the promise that through his DESCENDANT all people will be BLESSED, JESUS was to fulfill this promise by His birth and DEATH on the cross for the SALVATION of everyone. 1,000 years after God’s promise to DAVID, JESUS a DESCENDENT of King David was born and OFFICIALLY declared “King of the Jews” by Pilate. References: Matt 1:1-25, Luke 4:1-13, Rom 5:12-21, Matt 1:1-17, Gal 3:6-18, Matt 5:17-18, Luke 16:19-31, Heb 9-10, Luke 20:41-44 ; Acts 2:22-36; John 19

Jesus taught his followers about how to live under His RULE as KING. On the sermon on the mount, Jesus introduces the Kingdom life - one of LOVE, INTEGRITY, PURITY, to be SALT and LIGHT of the world. He says that we can ASK our FATHER in HEAVEN for WHATEVER we need to fulfill his orders and we are PROMISED that we will RECEIVE it in order to OBEY Him and LIVE OUT the Kingdom life.

1,500 years after GOD gave the Covenant to MOSES, JESUS came as a PERFECT SACRIFICE to fulfill the REQUIREMENTS of the Law by paying for our sin by His DEATH on the cross and the shedding of His own BLOOD. 500 years after the PROPHETS predicted the manner of His coming, JESUS came as the SUFFERING SERVANT-KING, to be born to a virgin in a stable, and to die a HUMILIATING and PAINFUL DEATH on the CROSS for our SIN. He then ROSE to LIFE on EASTER to REIGN and INTERCEDE for us.

Although Jesus had to die for us to complete the RESCUE, He did not stay dead. Three days later, Jesus ROSE from the dead and later ascended into heaven. Jesus is ALIVE and currently REIGNING and PREPARING a place FOR US in heaven. References: Luke 24:1-8; John 21:1,14; Acts 1:1-11; Acts 2:14-41

Before Jesus left, he promised his followers a helper, the HOLY SPIRIT to enable them to LIVE OUT the Kingdom life in obedience and also be WITNESSES of the GREAT RESCUE of humanity, undertaken by JESUS. This is how we have the Christian Church, which numbers millions upon missions. References: Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-13