 Dear
Friend,
Have you ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle without having
the picture on the box to see what it's supposed to look
like?
Without a picture of the Kingdom of God, that's what
we humans have been trying to do throughout all of our history!
What is this thing called "life" supposed to
look like? In other words, what is the meaning of our existence?
Why were you born? What is God doing in the grand scheme
of things? Where do we fit in? Does your life have a greater
purpose than just to survive for a few years then fade away
into a pointless scattering of dust? How do all of these
important questions—the pieces—fit together?
Most, if not all, of the hundreds of religions exist because
of people trying to answer these issues—each holding
up pieces of the puzzle and claiming that they represent
the big picture! I've often chuckled at one description
I heard, that it's like fleas arguing over who owns
the dog!
God is the sole Owner, the Creator, of the grand plan, and
He has given us a picture of it in His Holy Word. He calls
it the Kingdom of God. When we look into that topic, we see
that the Kingdom of God is the single greatest subject of
prophecy in the Bible. We see that the word gospel means "good
news," and we see that the message of the Kingdom of
God truly is one of a bright future. The gospel shows us
what we need to know about God's purpose for creating
us, and what lies beyond today's world.
We begin to see its relevance for today's world, too,
since the gospel message tells us how to live now in preparation
for that coming Kingdom. It gives us hope in a world of frustration,
courage in an age of fear and a moral compass in a spiritual
wilderness. The more you see of the gospel, the clearer the
picture becomes, and you also begin to see where you fit
in!
Understanding the Kingdom of God not only helps you understand
your future, it helps you understand the world today. Such
insight transcends all politics, nationalities and religions.
It applies to every human being on earth, and this is why
Jesus Christ said the gospel would be preached into the entire
world as a witness before the end of the age (Matthew 24:14).
 In
the pages of The Good
News we are striving to
bring to you insight based on the "Big Picture"—the
Kingdom of God. I hope you'll keep reading and studying
with us because I can guarantee you, the better you see the
picture, the better you will see how all the pieces of life
fit together! If you have not already read our booklet on
this subject, The Gospel of the Kingdom, please
read it online or order your own free copy at www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/GK.
May God be with you,
Clyde
Kilough
President
United Church of God
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