All posts by 5Q

She Spat in His Face

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“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”1

B. Hinn tells the following story about the days of slavery. “During the years when slavery was legal in the United States, a gentleman happened upon a slave-bidding in a crowed street. The man paused to observe the activities. As he watched from the edge of the crowd, he saw one slave after another led to a platform, their arms and legs shackled with ropes as if they were animals. Displayed before the jeering crowd, they were auctioned off, one by one.

“Some onlookers would inspect the ‘merchandise,’ grabbing disrespectfully at the women, examining the muscular arms of the men. The gentleman studied the group of slaves waiting nearby. He paused when he saw a young girl standing at the back. Her eyes were filled with fear. She looked so frightened. He hesitated for a moment and then disappeared briefly. When he returned, the auctioneer was about to start the bidding for the young girl he had noticed beforehand.

“As the auctioneer opened the bidding, the gentleman shouted out a bid that was twice the amount of any other selling price offered that day. There was silence for an instance, and then the gavel fell as ‘sold to the gentleman’ was heard. The gentleman stepped forward, and waited at the bottom of the steps as the young girl was led down to her new owner. The rope which bound her was handed to the man, who accepted it without saying anything. The young girl stared at the ground. Suddenly she looked up and spat in his face. Silently, he reached for a handkerchief and wiped the spittle from his face. He smiled gently at the young girl and said, ‘Follow me.’ She followed him reluctantly. As they reached the edge of the crowd, he continued to a nearby area where each deal was closed legally.

“When a slave was set free, legal documents, called manumission papers, were necessary. The gentleman paid the purchase price and signed the necessary documents. When the transaction was complete, he turned to the young girl and presented the documents to her. Startled, she looked at him with uncertainty. Her narrowed eyes asked, ‘What are you doing?’ The gentlemen responded to her questioning look. He said, ‘Here, take these papers. I bought you to make you free. As long as you have these papers in your possession, no man can ever make you a slave again.’

“The girl looked into his face. What was happening? There was silence. Slowly, she said, ‘You bought me to make me free? You bought me to make me free?’ As she repeated this phrase over and over, the significance of what had just happened became more and more real to her. ‘You bought me to make me free?’ Was it possible that a stranger had just granted her freedom and never again could she be held in bondage and servitude to any man? As she began to grasp the significance of the documents which she now held in her hand, she fell to her knees and wept at the gentleman’s feet. Through her tears of joy and gratitude, she said, ‘You bought me to make me free. I’ll serve you forever!’”2

And, Dear Reader, this is exactly what Jesus Christ did for you and me. He died on the cross in your place and mine to pay the ransom price for our sins so we could be fully forgiven by God and set free from the slavery of sin and its eternal damnation.

Have you accepted God’s free pardon and forgiveness? If not, I encourage you to do that today. For help be sure to read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, how can I ever thank you enough for giving your son, Jesus, to die on the cross in my place to set me free from slavery to sin and its eternal consequences. In the words of the slave girl, ‘You bought me to make me free. I’ll serve you forever.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Exodus 20:2 (NIV).

2. B. Hinn, “The Blood: It’s Power From Genesis to Jesus to You.”

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How to Be Filled with God’s Holy Spirit Part 2

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As noted in yesterday’s Daily Encounter, it is God’s will that every Christian “be filled with God’s Spirit,”2 the evidence of which is P-O-W-E-R. As Jesus said to his disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”3 So the question is: How can we be filled with God’s Holy Spirit? Following are five key steps, and today we will pick up on the fourth point in how to be filled with God’s Holy Spirit:

P

Present your life to Jesus Christ

O

Obey God on every issue

W

Want sincerely to be filled

E

Entreat or ask God to be filled

R

Receive the filling by faith

4. Entreat God for His filling. “Entreat” simply means to ask. Jesus said, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”12 And again, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”13

We can ask God with confidence because we know that it is his will for every Christian to be filled with the Holy Spirit. In fact, God has commanded it, saying, “… be filled with the Spirit.”14 Therefore “ask and you will receive.”

5. Receive the filling by faith. The Bible says, “By this he [Jesus] meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”15 And again, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”16

If you adhere to God’s principles for the filling of the Holy Spirit—Present, Obey, Want, Entreat, and Receive— God will fill you with his Spirit regardless of how you feel. God’s Word doesn’t say that you will receive “good feelings” when you are filled with the Holy Spirit (although you may or may not) but that you will receive POWER. We need to take God at his Word, believe him, and act accordingly.

What is the evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit? The sure-fire evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit, according to God’s Word, is power—power to be an effective witness for Christ, power to serve Christ, power to live a life that is in harmony with God’s will, and power to bear the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”17

Having a gift or gifts of the Spirit are not necessarily evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit because a person may have many gifts of the Spirit but be anything but filled with God’s Spirit.

How to maintain the filling of the Holy Spirit: The filling of the Spirit is not a once-for-all experience. It is a continual action and a daily need. The literal translation of the command to be filled with the Spirit18 is to “be on being filled with the Spirit.” The disciples of Jesus were repeatedly filled with the Holy Spirit.19 Learn to continually abide in Christ who said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”20 We abide in Christ by spending time regularly with him in his Word, in prayer, and by daily maintaining the five key steps.

A suggested prayer for the filling of the Holy Spirit: “Lord Jesus, I surrender my heart and life unconditionally to you. Please take complete control of my life, forgive me for every sin, and fill me with your Holy Spirit and power so that my life will always be lived for you and thereby glorify your name. Thank you for taking control of my life, forgiving me for all my sins, and filling me with your Holy Spirit as you have commanded and promised to all who obey you, ask for, and believe. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

2. Ephesians 5:18 (NIV).

3. Acts 1:8 (NIV).
12. Luke 11:13 (NIV).

13. 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV).

14. Ephesians 5:18(NIV).

15. John 7:39 (NIV).

16. Mark 11:24 (NIV).

17. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV).

18. Ephesians 5:18 (NIV).

19. See Acts 2:4, 4:31, 9:17 and 13:9.

20. John 15:5 (NIV).

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How to Be Filled with God’s Spirit Part 1

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On one occasion the late evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, holding up an empty drinking glass, asked his audience: “Tell me, how can I get the air out of this glass?” One man said, “Suck it out with a pump.” Moody replied, “That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass.” After many impossible suggestions, Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. “There,” he said, “all the air is now removed.” He then went on to show that victory in the Christian life is not by sucking out a sin here and there, but rather by being filled with the Spirit of God.1

As genuine Christians if we are to live a successful Christian life—one that empowers us to overcome sinful ways, gives us a sense of inner peace, and empowers us to live a fruitful life that glorifies God—it is essential that we are filled with God’s Holy Spirit.

In fact, it is God’s will that every Christian “be filled with the Spirit,”2 the evidence of which is P-O-W-E-R. As Jesus said to his disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”3 So the question is: How can we be filled with God’s Holy Spirit? Following are five key steps:

P

Present your life to Jesus Christ

O

Obey God on every issue

W

Want sincerely to be filled

E

Entreat or ask God to be filled

R

Receive the filling by faith

1. Present your life to Jesus Christ. To be filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit for fruitful and dynamic living, it is essential that we daily present, commit and trust our life to Jesus Christ in unconditional surrender—in deed and not just in word. The Bible says, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”4

2. Obey God on every issue. The second step to being filled with God’s Spirit is obedience; that is, obedience to every command and direction of God as found in his Word, the Bible. His Word says, “We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given to those who obey him.”5

We need to realize that, like the laws of the land, all of God’s laws are for our benefit, protection and well-being. They are not to keep us bound in rigid, false-religion legalism. Thus it is imperative to search the Scriptures daily to learn what is essential for living in harmony with all that God’s Word teaches.

Realize, too, that disobedience to God’s laws is sin and this grieves the Holy Spirit which, in turn, breaks communion and fellowship with God.6 Thus all sin needs to be confessed and forgiveness received from God, which God always gives to those who confess their sins to him.7 Should you fall down, get up immediately, confess, ask God for forgiveness, and go on.8

3. Want sincerely to be filled. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst [strongly desire] for righteousness, for they will be filled.”9 This principle also applies to being filled with God’s Holy Spirit. As Jesus also stated, “‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”10

And as Jesus said to the lame man lying by the pool of Bethesda who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years, “Do you want to get well?”11 He didn’t say, “Do you wish to get well?” He said, “Do you want to get well?” So we, too, to be filled with God’s Spirit need to want this with all of our heart and be willing to meet the requirements that God says are needed for to be filled with God’s Spirit.

To be continued ….

1. Lee Tan, Paul, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, Assurance Publishers, Rockville, Maryland 20851, p. 555. © 1979 by Paul Lee Tan.

2. Ephesians 5:18 (NIV).

3. Acts 1:8 (NIV).

4. Romans 12:1-2 (NASB).

5. Acts 5:32 (NIV).

6. See Ephesians 4:30 and 1 Thessalonians 5:19.

7. 1 John 1:9.

8. See Proverbs 24:16.

9. Matthew 5:6.

10. John 7:37-39 (NIV).

11. John 5:6 (NIV).

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Living in Harmony with God’s Will

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“I beseech you therefore, brethren [brothers and sisters], by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”1

A Daily Encounter subscriber poses the question, “Do you want only to be forgiven by God or also blessed by him?” The idea behind this man’s question was, do we only want God’s forgiveness so we can feel free from guilt, and continue living as we please without any concern for the need of God’s blessing on our manner of life, and all the while ignoring his purpose for our life?

Over the years I have asked several hundred seminar participants how many believe that God has a purpose for their life. Almost every hand is raised, but when I ask how many know what God’s purpose for their life is, very few have any specific details. They speak in broad generalities. In light of all that God has done so abundantly for us, serving him with body, mind and soul, as the Apostle Paul points out in today’s Bible verse, is the very least we can do; that is, it is our reasonable service. Doing this comprises the perfect will of God for us.

So what does service to God include? First, it involves living a holy, morally clean and upright life. Second, another aspect is not allowing ourselves to be shaped by the ambitions of the secular world with its materialistic and achievement-oriented goals designed primarily for self aggrandizement. Third, service to God includes action; that is, what we do for God and His Kingdom while we are here on earth.

This is a living sacrifice and it boils down to serving people, and we serve people by using our God-given gifts, abilities, and possessions to help others in need. We also serve God by doing our utmost to share the saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with as many people as we possibly can. As Christ’s commission and command to every one of his followers was and still is that we are to “Go into all the world and preach the Good News [the gospel of Jesus Christ] to everyone.”2 This is one of the greatest needs in today’s world, for without Christ people are lost for all eternity.

When the Apostle Paul uses the word “beseech,” he is urgently and fervently imploring us to serve God with our total being. To successfully do this, we need to be filled with God’s Spirit [the Holy Spirit] who empowers us to serve God and also to experience God’s blessing. For help be sure to read the next two issues of Daily Encounter on “How to Be Filled with God’s Holy Spirit.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to fully understand what your Word today teaches regarding living in harmony with your perfect will so that my manner of life will ‘prove what is your good and acceptable and perfect will.’ So help me God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus name, amen.”

1. Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV).

2. Mark 16:15 (NLT).

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This Lady Drove Me Nuts

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“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”1

“For several years now,” wrote Nancy Streza, “I’ve been the phone answerer for Christian Outreach Week in our area. One year I absolutely hated it because I kept getting phone calls from an Iranian lady named Sahok (name changed). She needed detailed directions for some 15 events … and she would talk and talk and talk, complaining that I wouldn’t give out the phone numbers of the hosts. I thought I was much too busy, so sometimes I would give Kris and Tom the message and they would spend an hour or two on the phone with her, giving her directions.

“Outreach Week came along and guess who showed up at 15 events? Sahok. I met her and talked with her. After the week was over she started calling me again … asking about Christianity … asking about baptism.

“And guess what, today I am going to Sahok’s baptism! Yesterday she called and invited me to come to her baptism at church—a small ‘private’ one—with her family and me. It brought me to my knees!

“‘Forgive me, Lord, for all the complaining I did about Sahok’s phone calls. Thank you, God, for letting me participate in this huge event for a Muslim convert to Jesus! I pray that the transformation in Sahok’s life will impact her family, her community, and her entire world.’”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be sensitive to the needs of every person you bring into my life … especially the ones that drive me nuts. Help me to listen with my heart and be as Jesus to them so that they, seeing Jesus in me, will want you for themselves. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Philippians 2:14-15 (NIV).

2. An E-mail from Nancy Streza. Subject: “A Christian Outreach Week Praise.”

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Casa de Bendición (House of Blessing)

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“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”1

In her book, Open Heart, Open Home, author Karen Mains “distinguishes between hospitality and entertaining. Entertaining says, ‘I want to impress you with my home, my clever decorating, and my cooking.’ Hospitality, seeking to minister, says, ‘This home is a gift from my Master. I use it as he desires.’ Hospitality aims to serve.

“Entertaining puts things before people. ‘As soon as I get the house finished, the living room decorated, my house cleaning done—then I will start inviting people.’ Hospitality puts people first. ‘No furniture—we’ll eat on the floor! The decorating may never get done—you come anyway. The house is a mess—but you are friends—come home with us.’”2

Because where we live is reasonably close to the Mexican border many of the streets and places in our town have Spanish names, so Joy and I have named our house: “Casa de Bendición” (House of Blessing). Our constant prayer is that God will use our home to be a house of blessing “and of hospitality” to all who enter, and that he will use us to be as Jesus to everyone who does. May he use your home to be a house of blessing and hospitality too.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the home that you have given to us especially when there are so many who don’t even have a home. We dedicate our home and our lives to you. Please make our home a house of blessing and true hospitality, and use us to be as Jesus to all who enter in. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 1 Peter 4:8-10 (NIV).

2. Cited on www.eSermons.com.

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Freedom and Gratitude

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“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”1

Today is a day of celebration for U.S. citizens—the day when each year they celebrate their independence as a nation. For those who live in the U.S.A. let us not forget that our independence was bought with a price—the price of blood on the battlefields. Thousands of men, supported by wives, mothers and sisters, fathers and brothers, fought for our freedom, multiplied thousands of whom gave their lives in the process.

No nation in world history has experienced more freedoms, privileges, and opportunities. This nation was founded and built on a solid foundation of liberty and justice for all with a firm belief and trust in God.

Today, however, too many of us are taking our freedom for granted and have forgotten that the “price of freedom is still eternal vigilance;”2 not only militarily, but perhaps even more important, morally. Too many are confusing liberty with license and are wanting personal freedom without personal responsibility and accountability—not realizing that they are being enslaved by their own passions and selfish desires which will erode the very foundation upon which this nation was built quicker than anything else.

For all of us who live in a free country may we ever be thankful to those who gave their lives to give us our freedom and independence and may we guard these freedoms with our lives. And may we also be ever thankful to God for the gift of his Son who died so we could be eternally free and for the wonderful privilege that we can serve him with our lives. And may we never ever forget that “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”3

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, for those of us who live in a free country we give you our never-ending thanks. May we never take our freedom for granted but guard it zealously. And we pray for those people who are enslaved by despot leaders, who are imprisoned and tortured for their Christian faith, and for all who know nothing of freedom—and we especially pray that the gospel will go forth in spite of their situation. And grant that those who belong to you will have peace in the midst of their circumstances and be kept from all harm and danger. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. John 15:13 (NIV).

2. Thomas Jefferson.

3. Psalm 33:12 (NIV).

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Beautiful Feet

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“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”1

According to God’s Word, every one of us, when we come to the end of our life’s journey, will stand before God to give an account of his or her life. Those who never accepted God’s forgiveness for their sins will be required to pay the judgment price themselves for their sins—which is spiritual death, and that translates as eternal separation from God and all love and meaningful life in the place the Bible calls Hell.

The good news is for those of us who have accepted God’s forgiveness by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, will never be judged for our sins. This is because Jesus paid that penalty for us when he gave his life on the cruel Roman cross 2,000 years ago. However, we will be required to appear before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account of our life regarding how we lived for and served God after receiving Christ as our Savior, and be rewarded, or otherwise, accordingly. As the Bible says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”2

I know that when I stand before the judgment seat of Christ, Jesus will not be interested in or concerned about my achievements in the business, academic, or professional world. He will not be concerned in the slightest regarding my physical beauty or lack thereof—except (figuratively speaking) for my feet! Will I have “beautiful feet”? I hope and pray so for if there is one thing I want to have when I stand before Jesus to give an account of my life is to have “beautiful feet”.

And how does one get “beautiful feet” in God’s eyes? It is simply by helping to spread the saving gospel message of Jesus Christ by proclaiming God’s message of salvation.1

If you were to stand before Jesus today, would you have beautiful feet … or would you want to hide your feet?

For simple helps to proclaim God’s message of salvation, see ACTS People Power for Jesus website at: https://learning.actsweb.org/people_power/.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, how can I ever thank you enough for giving your Son, Jesus, to die in my place to pay the penalty for all my sins. And dear Jesus, because you died for me, I surrender my heart and life afresh to you today to live for you for all the days of my life. So help me so to do, and please use me to help proclaim your message of salvation to as many people as possible while I am still able to do this. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus name, amen.”

Note: If you have never accepted God’s forgiveness for all your sins, I urge you to do this today. For help read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian,” at: www.actsweb.org/christian. And if you would like to re-commit your life afresh today to be available for God to use you to help proclaim His message of salvation, please record this at: http://tinyurl.com/007-re-commit.

1. Isaiah 52:7 (NIV).

2. 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV).

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Life Investment

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“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day [in Heaven]—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”1

Roger Perkins of Higher Ground writes: “A few years ago I sat and listened to an eighty-year old man who had retired as pastor of a church in New Jersey after serving there for forty years—his only parish. Ten years before, at age seventy, he and his wife moved to Africa to spend their final years in Kingdom work—much of it in prisons.

“He said to our small gathering, ‘I don’t want to be too harsh, but what are you doing that would cause God to want to extend your life?’

“I was stunned. My old analytical self tried to counter his reasoning, but the Spirit clearly gave me a wakeup call to make every day count by remaining close to God and living out his will. Life is short no matter how long it is.

“The above pastor’s name is Grover Wilcox. He started a church in the inner city of Newark after graduating from Wheaton College and was a pastor there for forty years. He knows about faithfulness. He has experienced planting, sowing and reaping. He’s still going strong in East Africa—he’s about 85 now. And by the way, his denomination wouldn’t ordain him when he got out of Wheaton College because they thought he wasn’t good material or ready for the pastorate.”2

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to carefully examine my life to see if there is any reason why you would choose to extend my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV).

2. By Roger Perkins of Higher Ground. higherground@triton.net.

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It May Be Today

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“In my Father’s house are many rooms … I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go … I will come back and take you to be with me.”1

I remember reading a few years ago about a strange occurrence which I was informed took place in Haiti. A man reported to a gas (petrol/fuel) station owner that he had picked up a hitchhiker who was sitting in the back seat when, as they were driving along, suddenly blurted out, “Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming!” Whereupon the man looked around and his passenger had disappeared.

Even more strange was the response from the gas station owner who said, “You’re the third person who has told me the exact same story.”

Whether this incident was a strange coincidence, the figment of someone’s imagination, or something supernatural I cannot be certain. But of one thing we can be sure, Jesus is coming again. He himself promised he would.

Christ’s first coming is an indisputable fact of history. His second coming is just as certain. He said he would come when we least expect it. The important thing is to be ready by receiving him as our personal Lord and Savior. He is coming again. It may be today. If so, are you ready?

For help, be sure to read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: https://learning.actsweb.org/christian.

Remember, too, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, Thank you for the wonderful hope you have given us that Jesus is coming again so we can all be together forever in heaven. I pray today for all who haven’t received you as their Lord and Savior. Please use me to help share your gospel message of salvation to others around the world, which is now possible with e-Mail and the Internet. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Jesus in John 14:2-3 (NIV).

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