The Story
PART 1
I want to tell you a story. This story is from a book called the Bible. Men did not make up the Bible. It is the word of the Most High God. These stories are true and reliable because they are the words of the Most High God.
There is only one God,and He is the Most High God.The Most High God is more powerful than men and kingdoms. The Most High God is more powerful than other gods such as the fire god,sun god,or dragon god. He is also more powerful than idols made by men. The Most High God is the most powerful.
PART 2
In the beginning the Most High God existed. The Most High God is the creator. He created everything on earth and in heaven.
When God began to create things, He just used His words. He spoke and everything came into being. He created angels to worship and serve Him in heaven.
God created everything in 6 days. He created the sky ,land, water, mountains, oceans, sun, moon, stars, all plants and animals. Finally, He created man according to His image. God loved man and wanted him to enjoy all that He had created. God created everything and saw that it was good. The Most High God is the Creator God. His name is Shangdi.
PART 3
God placed man in a beautiful garden to live. They had a very good relationship. He told man to take care of the garden and enjoy everything. He gave man a command:“You can eat from every tree in the garden except one. If you eat from that tree, you will die.”God gave man a woman to be his companion. Man and woman listened to God and had a wonderful relationship with Him in the garden.
Remember the angels God created? One of the angels was very smart and beautiful. This angel became very proud. He wanted to be like God and have the other angels worship him instead of God. Only God deserves all the worship and service. Therefore, God cast the bad angel, Satan, and the other angels who listened to him out of heaven. These bad angels are known as demons.
One day, Satan tempted them to eat the fruit from the tree that was forbidden. Satan lied to them. (Satan said ,“Did God really say that you couldn’t eat from any tree in the garden?”The woman responded,“We can eat from every tree in the garden except we must not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. If we eat from that tree we will die.”Satan said,“You will not die. If you eat from that tree you will be like God.”The woman listened to Satan. She thought that the fruit was good. She ate the fruit. The she gave it to her husband to eat.) They disobeyed God’s command and ate the fruit.
Disobeying God’s command is sin. God is righteous and holy. He must punish sin. The punishment for sin is eternal death. Death means to be forever separated from God.
God cast the man and woman out of the garden and their relationship with God was broken. God and man were now separated forever.
All people have sinned by not obeying God’s commands. We are all separated from God and will be punished forever in hell.
PART 4
Over time, the number of people on earth multiplied. God loved them very much and wanted them to have a relationship with Him. He gave them 10 commandments to follow. God is perfect and holy, so we must be perfect and holy to live with Him. [The 10 commandments teach man how to relate to God and people. Some of the commands were: do not have other gods or make idols; honor your parents; do not lie, steal, murder or commit adultery.]
However, no one was able to obey all of these commands. God is righteous and just. He must punish sin. So, each time they sinned, God allowed them to repent of their sins and offer a blood sacrifice to take place of the punishment they deserved. This sacrifice involved shedding the blood of a perfect, male animal [for example a bull of male goat]. For God said,“There must be repentance and the shedding of blood for forgiveness of sin.”
However, man did not truly repent and kept sinning. The blood sacrifice became a ritual. God was not pleased with the blood of sacrificial animals. God said He’d had enough.
Obeying the commandments and offering of blood sacrifices can not reconcile us to God. What can be done?
PART 5
God still loved man whom He created very much. He was angry that they disobey Him, and sad that they cannot come back to Him. Therefore He gave man the only perfect way to have relationship with Him.
God sent Jesus to show us the way back to Himself. Who is Jesus? Jesus is God’s son, His one and only son.
Jesus is a wise teacher. [Many people would come to hear Him teach about how they could return to God.]
Jesus is a powerful miracle worker.
Jesus calmed the storm. [On one Occasion, He was with His students on a boat. While Jesus was sleeping, a powerful storm arose on the lake. Jesus’students were very afraid. They awakened Jesus and said,“We are going to die!”Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the waves,“Quiet! Be still!”Immediately the wind and waves stopped.] Jesus’ power is greater than natural powers.
Jesus fed over 5,000 people. [On another occasion over 5,000 people came to listen to Jesus teach about God. When evening came they had not eaten and were hungry. Altogether they only had five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus used them to feed over 5,000 people.] Jesus’ power is able to satisfy man’s needs.
Jesus healed a demon_possesed man. [Another time, Jesus saw a man with many demons inside him. The man was very powerful and dangerous. Jesus loved the man and cast the demons out of him.] Jesus is more powerful than demons.
Jesus raised the dead. [Jesus’ good friend became sick and died. Four days later Jesus arrived at His friend’s house. Jesus felt very sad. His friend was already in the tomb. Jesus went to the front of the tomb and said,“Friend, come out.”His friend was resurrected. He walked out of the tomb alive!] Jesus’ power is greater than death.
Jesus performed these miracles proving he was God’s son.
Jesus is the good shepherd. He loves and cares for people.
Jesus is perfect. He never sinned.
PART 6
Jesus is God’s perfect sacrifice.
Many people loved Jesus. They believed in Him and followed Him. However, some leaders hated Jesus were jealous of Him. These men grabbed Jesus and decided to kill Him. They placed Jesus on a cross. A cross is made from two large pieces of wood formed together in the shape of a large shizi (Chinese character for “ten”). They took His hands and His feet and nailed them to the cross. His precious blood flowed from His hands, feet and body. Jesus suffered much pain on the cross.
Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. Jesus was perfect and did not deserve to die. Instead, Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for the sins of all people. Jesus died on the cross in our place. Only through the shedding of Jesus’ precious blood is God able to forgive our sin. Jesus ’death demonstrates God’love towards us. However this story doesn’t end here. On the third day Jesus rose from the dead!
PART 7
Before His crucifixion, Jesus told a story to His followers.
A father had two sons. The younger one said to his father,“Father, give me my share of the inheritance.”So he divided his property between them. The younger son went to a distant country and squandered his wealth in wild living.
After he had spent everything, he began to be in need. So he got a job feeding pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
When he came to his senses, he said,“How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will go back to my father and say to him: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’”
So he went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him,“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
But the father said to his servants,“Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
We are all like the younger son.
PART 8
We all have sinned and because of your sin are forever separated from God. We all must repent and return to God. Do you want to go back to God’s side?
Jesus can lead us back to God’s side. Jesus said,“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”We must go through Jesus to return to God. How can we go through Jesus? You must believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.
God wants you and your whole family to return to Him. To do this, you must go through Jesus. Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. Only through Jesus can your relationship with God be restored. Do you want to go through Jesus to God’s side to be reconciled? Yes or no.
If you want to, you must believe in your heart and confess,“God, I have sinned. I confess that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus is the perfect sacrifice who died for my sins then resurrected. I repent and ask You to forgive me. I accept Jesus as the Lord of my life. From now on, I will follow Jesus.”
Does what I just said represent your heart? In the same way, now you talk to God with me and tell Him that you believe. I’ll say each part and you repeat after me. “God, I have sinned. I confess that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus is the perfect sacrifice who died for my sins then resurrected. I repent and ask You to forgive me. I accept Jesus as the Lord of my life. From now on, I will follow Jesus.”
Great! Now your relationship with God is restored. Jesus has led you back to God.
I know you care about your family. God loves them too and wants them to return to His side. You should go home and tell your family and friends this good news. Are you willing to go and tell others?
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