Good News for Young People

Introduction

Hello and welcome. What you are about to hear are some of the most important words you will ever hear. It is good news for everyone. You can stop the recording at any time to think about the things you hear.

In the Beginning

In the beginning of time, only God existed. Then God created the heavens and the earth. The world had no form, so God made the earth and He commanded the light to shine. He made the sun and the moon and all the stars. God is good, and He rules over everything.

The Bible is the Word of God and it tells us about God and His ways. God loves all people. What I want to tell you is from the Bible.

God created everything. He said, "Let it be!", and it was as He said. He made the sky. He made the sea. He spoke, and land was formed. Then He created all living things: the fish in the water, the birds in the air, and all the animals. In this way God created everything. God was pleased with all that He made. Everything that God made was very good!

God made the first man and the first woman. He called them Adam and Eve. He gave them authority over everything He had made. God made a special garden for them to live in. There God walked with them and spoke with them. They were God's friends. God gave them permission to eat fruit from all the trees in the garden except one. An enemy named Satan came to them in the garden. He persuaded Adam and Eve to disobey God, and they ate the forbidden fruit. They sinned against God, and they broke their friendship with Him. God sent Adam and Eve out of the beautiful garden. Since that time all people have sinned against God and are separated from Him. This is why we experience pain, sickness and death.

Adam and Eve had two sons. Their names were Cain and Abel. Abel pleased God but Cain did not. Cain became jealous of Abel, and one day he killed him. God punished Cain for doing this terrible thing. God is angry when people sin. God wanted to have close fellowship with people but sin completely separated everyone from God. (Bridge music.)

Noah & The Flood

Many generations went by and Adam and Eve had many descendants. All those people sinned and disobeyed God. The sin of the people became so great that God decided to destroy them by a great flood. There was only one man who loved and obeyed God. His name was Noah. God told Noah to build a big ship so that he could be saved from the flood. It took many years to build the ship. As Noah built it, he warned the people about God's judgment and the flood that was coming. However, the people would not believe Noah's warnings and they refused to turn from their evil ways.

God brought animals of every kind to Noah, and Noah took them into the ship. Then Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives, also entered the ship. There were only eight people in the ship along with the animals. Then God closed the door. After seven days God sent very heavy rain and He brought water from under the ground. In forty days God flooded the whole earth. It was too late for anyone outside the ship to be saved. They all drowned. However Noah and his family were saved because they believed and obeyed God. (Bridge music.)

After many years the descendants of Noah became many tribes. Abraham was one of those descendants. He was a man who loved and obeyed God. God promised Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation. Abraham and his wife Sarah did not have any children, but they still believed God's promise. Abraham had children by other women. One of those children was named Ishmael. He became the father of the Arab nations. However, when Abraham and Sarah were very old, they had the son God promised. They called him Isaac. God promised to bless all people through Isaac and his descendants. (Bridge music.)

Moses and the Commandments

The descendants of Isaac also became a great nation called Israel. Moses was one of the descendants of Isaac. He believed God and obeyed Him. God called Moses to a mountain where He spoke with him. He gave Moses laws to teach the people. Moses came down from the mountain with the laws of God written on pieces of stone. God wants everyone to obey His laws

The laws which God gave to Moses are very good. Anyone who keeps them will receive God's blessing. These are God's laws. We must love, worship and obey only the one true God. Do not make idols or bow down to them. Do not use God's name in a disrespectful way. Set aside one day each week to rest and worship God. Children must obey and honour their parents. Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not lie and deceive others. Do not steal and do not desire the things that belong to other people.

In the time of Moses when a person broke God's laws, he had to sacrifice a lamb to God. The lamb died in the place of the law breaker. This reminded the people that it was wrong to sin against God by breaking His laws. The lamb was also a symbol. It pointed to a much greater sacrifice that would come later. God planned to send His Son Jesus into the world to become that sacrifice. (Bridge music.)

A Saviour Promised

Many years later, an angel from heaven was sent to a young virgin named Mary. Mary was promised in marriage to a man named Joseph. The angel said to Mary, "You have found favour with God. You will give birth to a son and you will call Him Jesus." The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, so the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God." The angel also appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, "Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to give Him the name Jesus."; 'Jesus' means 'Saviour'. Joseph took Mary as his wife.

About that time, the king commanded all people to return to the town of their ancestors to be registered. Mary and Joseph had to travel to the town of Bethlehem. When they arrived, there was nowhere for them to stay except in an animal stable. It was there that Mary gave birth to the baby Jesus. The same night an angel appeared to some shepherds who were watching their sheep in a field nearby. The angel said, "I bring you good news which is for all people. Today a Saviour has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!" Suddenly many angels appeared in the sky, singing and praising God. The shepherds said to one another, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened." When they had seen Jesus, they told everyone what they had heard about Him. Everyone who heard it was amazed.

Jesus grew up in the home of Mary and Joseph. When He was twelve years old, Mary and Joseph took Him to Jerusalem. He talked about God with the teachers and leaders of the people. He listened to them, and asked them questions. They were all surprised at His great knowledge of God. When Jesus was thirty years old, He began to teach the people about God. Many believed His teaching and followed Him. Other people did not believe and they opposed Him. (Bridge music.)

The Life and Ministry of Jesus

Jesus had great power from God. He worked many miracles. He healed the sick and made blind people see. He spoke to dead people and they came back to life. He calmed storms and walked on water. When the people saw these miracles many believed that He had come from God. They were amazed by all that Jesus did and said. Jesus has the power to help us also.

Jesus did many wonderful things, and many people followed Him. He helped many people and taught the ways of God. Jesus came to show God's love, and to bring people back to God. However, the religious leaders were jealous of Jesus. Their hearts were hard, and they did not believe that He was sent from God. They refused to admit that they had broken God's law and that they were sinners. Those leaders told lies about Jesus and they had Him arrested. The soldiers whipped Him. They placed a crown made from thorns on His head and they mocked Him. Remember, Jesus was the Son of God. He had the power to destroy those people, but He did not resist them. He knew this was in God's plan.

The soldiers nailed Jesus to a wooden cross and He hung there until He died. In those days it was the custom to kill law breakers in that cruel way. Two criminals were also crucified with Jesus. However Jesus was not a criminal. He had done no wrong. Jesus was taking the punishment which we deserved. We have all sinned and we should die for our own sins. Jesus became the sacrifice to pay for the sins of all people. If we confess that we are sinful and turn from our sin, God will forgive us. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

The enemies of Jesus thought that they had destroyed Him, but that was not so! After Jesus died on the cross, His friends put His dead body in a cave. They closed the entrance of the cave with a big stone. Two days passed but on the third day Jesus rose from the dead. Some women went to the cave to perform the burial customs. They found the stone rolled away and the body of Jesus had gone. Two angels appeared and told them that Jesus was alive. They said, "He is not here. He has risen!" Yes, Jesus had risen from the dead! He showed that He truly is God. Jesus is alive today and He has overcome Satan and death forever.

After Jesus rose from the dead He appeared to His disciples. He talked with them and ate with them. One disciple called Thomas, was not with them. He would not believe that Jesus was alive again. He said, "Unless I see His nail wounds and touch them, I will not believe." A week later, Jesus appeared again and this time Thomas was there, just as you see in this picture. Thomas fell down on his knees before Jesus and said, "My Lord and my God!" Thomas had no more doubts. Jesus said, "You believe because you see Me. Blessed are those who do not see Me, and yet believe."

After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to many people. They saw Him and they knew that He was alive. Forty days later the time came for Jesus to go back to Heaven. He had finished the work He came to do. Jesus said, "Go and make disciples in all nations. Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you." As the disciples watched, Jesus rose up from the earth and disappeared from their sight in a cloud. Just then, two angels appeared. They told the disciples that Jesus would return one day in the same way that they had seen Him go. Jesus is now in heaven. He is preparing a place for all those who follow Him. Will you believe and follow the Lord Jesus? Will you be ready to meet Him when He returns?

Why did Jesus die on the cross? Jesus died to save sinners from the punishment of sin. Jesus never sinned. The cross reminds us that He died to take away the sin that separates us from God. Jesus is the holy, sinless, Lamb of God. He was sacrificed for us. When we believe in Jesus and turn from our sin, God forgives us. Jesus makes us God's children.

New Life In Jesus

Jesus taught about the way to eternal life. Everyone starts out on the wide road of sin because we all have a sinful nature which we inherited from Adam. The narrow road leads to God and to everlasting life in heaven. Jesus said that we should turn into the narrow road. We enter that way when we repent of our sins and believe that Jesus died on the cross for us. Many people do not want to turn from their sins. The way to heaven is too narrow for them. They go on following the wide road to destruction in hell. Which way will you follow? Why not speak to God now? Say to Him, "Lord God, You are great and holy, but I confess to You that I have sinned. I believe that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for my sin. Please forgive me. Cleanse me from sin and make me one of your children. I want to follow the way of Jesus and live with you in Heaven when I die. Thank you Lord."

Jesus welcomes people from every tribe, nation and language group. They believe in Him and have become the children of God. They are on the narrow way which leads to heaven. The children of God are like one big family. They may be rich or poor, black or white. There are men, women and children. They are all united together by the Lord Jesus.

When Jesus was on earth there was an important teacher of religion named Nicodemus. One night he went to Jesus to ask him some questions. Jesus told him an amazing thing. He said that anyone who wants to belong to the family of God, must be born again. We enter the family of our parents when we are born into it. We enter into God's family, when we are born a second time. The first is a physical birth; the second is a spiritual birth. Through this spiritual birth, the Holy Spirit of God gives us new life. It is the life of Jesus which we receive as we follow Him. We become new people, the people of God.

Before He went back to Heaven, Jesus promised His disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit. Ten days after Jesus returned to Heaven, His disciples were all together in one place. You can see them in this picture. Suddenly, there was a sound like a great wind. Tongues like fire appeared above each of the disciples. The Holy Spirit came and filled them all, just as Jesus had promised. People from many nations were in Jerusalem that day. The disciples received power to speak to them in their own languages. They told them about the wonderful things that God had done. 3000 people turned to Jesus that day. Today the Holy Spirit lives in all who truly follow Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives us power to obey Jesus and to tell others about Him.

The Life of a Christian

Before a person believes in Jesus, he is like the man in the picture who is walking in the dark. He stumbles and often falls because he has no light to guide him. When we trust in the Lord Jesus, we become like the man walking along the road on a sunny day! He can see where he is going. He does not fall when the way is rough. Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world. If a man follows Me, he will not walk in darkness." He gives His Holy Spirit to guide all believers in His way.

Each one who follows Jesus Christ is a new person. He wants to obey the Word of God. He is thankful that God has forgiven his sin and given him a new life. He does not want to do anything to displease God, so a believer in Jesus does not commit adultery or fight. He does not steal and he does not worship idols or other gods. The Holy Spirit gives the believer power to turn away from evil things and to do good.

When a family is truly walking in Jesus' way, the man loves his wife and the woman honours her husband. This is what the Word of God teaches. The husband and the wife help and encourage each other. They teach their children to love God and obey His Word. The family who honour God pray and work together in harmony.

Jesus taught His followers to love all people. We should even love our enemies. Jesus told a story about a man who was travelling along a road. Robbers attacked him and beat him up. A man from another tribe found the badly injured man. He bandaged his wounds. He put the man on his donkey and took him to an inn where he took care of him. He himself paid the innkeeper to look after the sick man until he was better. Jesus said we too should love and help anyone who is in need, even people of other races or religions. (Bridge music.)

Trusting In Jesus

Many people used to worship Satan but now they follow Jesus. Jesus' followers must not worship evil spirits. We do not have to fear them or serve them. The Lord is more powerful than Satan. Believers must get rid of everything that binds them to Satan and evil spirits. Jesus will protect us from them when we ask Him.

Once there was a man who was possessed by many evil spirits. Ropes and chains could not hold him because the spirits inside him were so strong. Jesus commanded those spirits to come out of the man, and they did! That man was freed from the power of the spirits. He went and told all his friends what Jesus had done for him. Jesus delivered many people from spirits. Satan and evil spirits must obey Him. Remember that you belong to God. Satan has no place in your life. Resist him and ask the powerful Lord Jesus to send those spirits away. Ask other believers to pray with you. When you obey Jesus, His power protects you and Satan cannot harm you.

Satan often tries to tempt God's children. He wants them to stop following the Lord Jesus. Satan will try to tempt the believer with things like money, clothes, tobacco, strong drink and immoral living. He wants us to believe that these things will make us happy. But Satan is a liar. He wants to deceive us and turn us against God. Ask the Lord to help you resist temptation. Trust the Lord Jesus and follow only Him. (Bridge music.)

What happens if a believer sins? Jesus told this story: A young man left home, went far away, and did many evil things. Then there was a severe famine. He became very poor and hungry. Then he knew that he had sinned against God and his father. He truly regretted what he had done. He returned to his father. His father loved his boy even though he had sinned greatly. With great joy he received the young man back again and forgave him. If we sin, we must truly regret our sin and turn from our sin. God will then forgive us and He will receive us again like the Father in this story. Jesus said, "There is rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who says sorry to God and lives for Him."

What should God's people do when they become sick? They should first pray to God and trust Him to do whatever is best. God is able to heal the sick person if He wills. God loves us and controls all that happens to us. Jesus is with us to give peace and to help us in times of sickness.

One day we will all die. But what happens to us then? God's Word, the Bible, says that when a believer dies, his spirit goes to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven. The family and friends of the believer in the picture are sad but they are not overcome with grief. We need not be afraid of death. God loves us and has saved us from sin and everlasting death. Unbelievers do not have this hope of eternal life with God. But Christians who are Born again have hope and eternal life with Jesus.

Everyone Has a Part to play in God's family

Each part of our body has its own purpose. The eye is for seeing, the ear for hearing, and the mouth for talking and eating. All the parts of the body work together. If one part is sick or injured, the whole body suffers. God says that believers are parts of one body called the Church. The Lord Jesus is the Head of that body. God has work for every believer to do, for example, preaching, singing, giving, teaching, giving hospitality, helping others. If one believer fails to do his part, the whole body of the Church will suffer. All believers must work together to honour God and serve each other.

Believers meet together regularly to worship God. When they meet they learn from the Bible, pray to God and praise Him in song. They should bring gifts for the work of God. Jesus instructed His followers to remember His death. The bread which they are eating reminds them of the body of Jesus when He died on the cross. As they drink together they remember His blood which was shed to save them from sin. We too should meet and remember the death of Jesus in this way until He comes back again.

Jesus Will Return

One day the Lord Jesus will return to earth from Heaven, just as He promised. He will come suddenly when people do not expect Him. Believers who have died will rise from their graves to meet Him. Those who are still alive, will join them. Together they will meet the Lord Jesus in the air. They will be with Him in heaven forever. Unbelievers will be left behind. They will suffer the judgment of God. We do not know when Jesus will return but we must always be ready and waiting for Him. Would you be ready to meet the Lord Jesus if He returned today?

When we follow Jesus, God's Spirit works in us to produce fruit. The Bible tells us that the fruit of God's Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Jesus said, "I am the vine. You are the branches. If you stay in Me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit." Dead branches do not bear fruit. They will be cut down and burned. Jesus wants His followers to produce much fruit. This honours God and helps other people.

Jesus told His followers that they should go and tell other people about Him. Anyone who believes in Him will be saved from sin, everlasting punishment and death. If you are a believer you must help others to understand this Good News. God's Holy Spirit will give you the courage to live and speak for Him. Use this picture book to tell others what you have learned. In this way many people will come to know the truth about God and our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.