In today’s world many claim to be Christians because it is the “politically correct” thing to say in certain circles, or because they claim that they are not heathen; or because they attend church; or because they live a moral life, or even because they are religious. But do any of these qualify one for being a Christian? No. Not at all.

If any of the above issues qualified one for being a Christian, then Nicodemus, a highly respected religious leader in Christ’s day, would have qualified, but he didn’t. Besides being a religious leader, Nicodemus was undoubtedly a model citizen—strong in character and a man of integrity. In fact, as good a man as Nicodemus was, Jesus assured him that unless he was born again he wouldn’t even see the Kingdom of Heaven, let alone enter it.

To this good man Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”¹ And again, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”² Jesus then reinforced this imperative by telling Nicodemus that unless an individual is born again of God’s Spirit, he/she “cannot enter the kingdom of God.”³

“You must be born again” is an imperative that applies to every one of us. That is; if you and I are going to see and enter God’s Heaven, there are no ifs, buts, or maybes—we, too, must be born again. No matter how good, famous, rich, poor, or humble we are, we, too, must be born again.

So what does it mean to be born again? Nicodemus was confused, too, and asked the same question of Jesus. Simply put, it means that we need to be born spiritually as well as physically. That is, when we entered the human race we were born physically; to enter God’s Heaven we need to be born spiritually! And how can we be born spiritually? We do this by confessing to God that we are a sinner in his sight; by believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He died on the cross to pay the just penalty for all our sins; and by inviting Him into our heart and life as personal Lord and Savior and asking for His forgiveness for all of our sins.

If you are not sure that you have been born again spiritually, the following prayer will help you to do this: “Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and am sorry for all the wrongs and sins that I have committed. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross to pay the penalty for all my sins. Please forgive me. I invite you, Jesus, to come into my heart and life as my Lord and Savior. I commit and trust my life to you. Please give me the desire to be what you want me to be and to do what you want me to do. Thank you for dying for my sins, for your free pardon, for your gift of eternal life, for the assurance that I have been born again, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer and genuinely meant it, please fill in the brief form at: https://learning.actsweb.org/decision.php and we will send you helpful articles (without charge) to help you grow in your Christian life.

For further help read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian—Without Having to Be Religious” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

1. John 3:3 (NKJV).

2. John 3:7 (NKJV).

3. John 3:5 (NKJV).

God’s Word also says, “But to all who believed him [Jesus] and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”¹⁷ And again, “He who has the Son [Jesus] has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life [in Heaven], and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”¹⁸

The important thing is that you know that have received God’s forgiveness and his gift of eternal life by having accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior—and thereby be absolutely certain that you will go to and be with God in Heaven forever when your life on earth in over.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the promise in your Word, the Bible, that there is a Heaven. Thank you, too, that right now Jesus is preparing a place there for all who believe in him, and have accepted your forgiveness. Please help me to be absolutely certain that I will go to Heaven when my life on earth is over—or should you return for your true followers before I die. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: For help to be sure you will go to Heaven read “God’s Invitation” at: http://tinyurl.com/gods-invitation, or “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian, and/or “Passport for Heaven” at: http://tinyurl.com/passport-heaven. Whatever you do, don’t leave earth without your passport for Heaven. It’s available to all who ask for it and it comes without charge.

15. John 14:1-4.

16. John 14:6 (NIV).

17. John 1:12 (NLT).

18. 1 John 5:12-13 (NKJV).

Heaven is also where Jesus has gone to prepare a place for his followers. As he promised his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house [God's home] has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”⁷

What Will Heaven Be Like? We can’t even begin to imagine what Heaven will be like apart from a tiny glimpse of the new Heaven as found in God’s Word where it says that the “the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”⁸ The Bible also says that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”⁹

Furthermore, in Heaven there will be no more death; no more sorrow; no more crying; no more pain; no more sun or moon, no abominations,¹⁰ and no more hunger, thirst or heat.¹¹ In other words, there will be no more sickness, sadness, crying, death nor loss of loved ones or friends, and no more suffering of any kind, but eternal peace, satisfaction and joy. As King David wrote: “In Your [God's] presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”¹²

Most important of all is that a temple will no longer be needed “because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb [Jesus] are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.”¹³ In other words, the glory of God will be the very center of Heaven for all existence will radiate from and revolve around him.¹⁴

We ask, too, who will go to Heaven, and how can we be certain that we will be included? We will answer this question in tomorrow’s Daily Encounter.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you are not only preparing Heaven for all your true followers, but also for giving us a glimpse of its absolute beauty. Thank you, too, for assuring us that it is a place where all sorrow and suffering are ended, and that we will live in perfect peace and harmony with you forever. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

5. Acts 7:49.

6. Mark 16:19 (NIV).

7. John 14:1-3 (NIV).

8. See Revelation 21:18-21 (NKJV).

9. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT).

10. Revelation 21:4, 23, 27; 22:5.

11. Revelation 7:16.

12. Psalm 16:11.

13. Revelation 21:22-23 (NIV).

14. See also Revelation 7:16-17 (NIV).

But is Heaven Real? In God’s Word, the Bible—in the New Testament alone—there are 276 references to “Heaven” and “heavenly” such as in heavenly places, assuring us that Heaven is as real a place as is earth. Furthermore, the greatest evidence we have regarding the validity of the Bible can be found in the fulfillment of prophecies written hundreds of years in advance. For instance, a thousand years B.C. the Bible said that Christ would come through the family of David.¹ Seven hundred years B.C., Bethlehem was named by the prophet Micah as the birthplace of Christ.² Six hundred years B.C., the prophet Daniel predicted the time of Christ’s coming.³

All of these predictions were fulfilled exactly as stated in the Bible. And hundreds of years before Christ came to earth both David and Isaiah predicted in specific detail the sufferings of Christ and the manner of his death. David, referring to and “speaking for” Jesus Christ, wrote in the Psalms, “They pierced my hands and my feet.”⁴ This is precisely what happened when Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross. We can be equally certain that all the promises and prophecies in God’s Word about Heaven will also be fulfilled in minutest detail.

The next question we ask is, “Where Is Heaven?” which we will answer in tomorrow’s Daily Encounter.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the certainty that we have knowing that you always keep your Word and that every one of your promises regarding Heaven will be fulfilled exactly as you have promised. Please help me to be absolutely sure that I am prepared to go to your Heaven when my life on earth is complete. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Samuel 7:12-16.

2. Micah 5:2.

3. Daniel 9:25, 26.

4. Psalm 22:16 and Isaiah 53.

Of the two kinds of sinners in Jesus’ day, whom did he prefer to mix with? The honest ones—that is, those who admitted their sins, weaknesses, and failures.

As long as I deny my own reality (sins, weakness, failures, and my dark side), I cannot truly relate to other people. This is because I am hiding my real self and pretending to be someone that I am not. As Richard C. Halverson, former chaplain of the U.S. Senate, wrote in one of his weekly letters some time ago:

“Only sinners can relate. Sinners enjoy authentic fellowship. Saints don’t! People who pose as saints aren’t free to remove their masks. Under pressure to project conventional piety, they are unable to open up and share themselves.

“Upholding the traditional religious image, they remain invulnerable in human relationships because they dare not expose their real selves. They major in propositions rather than persons … share their victories but never their failures. Meeting head to head instead of heart to heart, protecting themselves against discovery, they ricochet against each other like marbles.

“The authentic saint is oblivious to his sainthood, deeply aware of his unworthiness, sensitive to his failure, confesses he is a sinner, which makes possible true fellowship. Sinners acknowledge their inadequacy, lean heavily on God’s grace, and identify quickly with need in others.

“Recognizing all men are sinners, unwilling to hide from the truth, they share their weaknesses, confess their sin to one another, and do not fear vulnerability. They come together like grapes, crushed and fragrant, dependent upon each other, and God.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me to be real—to see and acknowledge all my sins, weaknesses, failures, character flaws, and broken parts so I can bring them all to you for your healing and forgiveness. Please me merciful to me a sinner. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Jesus in Mark 2:17.

Note: If you have never confessed your sinfulness to God and asked for his forgiveness, I encourage you to do that today. For further help please read the article, “Forgiveness: The Power That Heals” at: http://tinyurl.com/3bw3q3, and/or “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

“Sometimes I doubt God ever exists,” one person needing help wrote to me.

One of the many proofs we have of the existence of God is the fulfillment of biblical prophecies in minutest detail. Regarding Jesus Christ alone there are many predictions in the Bible about his coming as the Messiah and Savior of the world. One of which was given about him being born of a virgin hundreds of years before it took place.² Another said he would be born in Bethlehem.³ Still another showed he would die for our sins.⁴

In his book, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, Josh McDowell quotes Peter Stoner who, using the modern science of probability, shows that if one took only eight of the prophecies about Christ, there would only be one chance in 10 to the 16th; that is, one chance in 100,000,000,000,000,000 that these eight prophecies could be fulfilled in any one person—unless the prophecies were inspired of God. In 48 prophecies about Jesus Christ there would only be one chance in 10 to the 175th that these could be fulfilled in any one person.⁵

However, all the evidence in the world won’t convince anybody of the existence of God unless he/she wants and chooses to believe. As another has said, “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” The bottom line is that belief in God is a choice—often a moral rather than an intellectual choice. If I believe in God, I realize that I am morally responsible and accountable to him. If I don’t believe in God, I’m not (at least I don’t believe I am) accountable to him, and make myself my only authority. In light of all the evidence of God’s existence this can be a rather ostentatious stance to take.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, even when the sun isn’t shining, I know there is a sun. So when I can’t feel your presence, and am going through a ‘dark night of the soul,’ help me to believe and trust in you, knowing that my life is in your hands regardless of how I feel. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Isaiah 7:14 (NIV).

2. Isaiah 7:14.

3. Micah 5:2.

4. Isaiah 53.

5. Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, p. 175.

Note: For further help read the following articles:

“Where Is God?” at: http://tinyurl.com/where-god and “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

Abraham Lincoln said, “I recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures [the Bible] and proven by all history, that those nations only are blest whose God is the Lord.”

John Marshall, a former chief justice of the Supreme Court, said of George Washington, “He was a sincere believer in the Christian faith, a truly devout man.”

When Washington was close to death, he asked those with him to leave the room so he could spend time alone with God. Later when his secretary, Tobias Lear, returned, Washington said, “‘Tis well.” He then closed his eyes and prayed, “Father of mercies, take me to Thyself.” That was his last prayer.

And former president John Quincy Adams is reported to have said, “I have for many years made it a practice to read through the Bible once a year. My custom is to read four or five chapters every morning immediately after rising from my bed. It employs about an hour of my time, and seems to me the most suitable manner for beginning the day. In what light soever we regard the Bible, whether with reference to revelation, to history, or to mortality, it is an invaluable and inexhaustible mine of knowledge and Virtue.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, again this day I commit and trust my life and way to you and that of (name your loved ones). Thank you for the powerful impact of your Word, the Bible. Please give me a greater love to read and study your Word, trust in its guidance, and live by its principles today and every day. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 119:105 (NIV).

Some years back, Professor John Passmore in speaking about Australia’s capital city, Canberra, said it was one of the most highly planned and well laid out and ordered cities in the world. (It was designed by American Walter Burleigh Griffin.) It was an attempt to build “an ideal urban environment for the future.”

However, in spite of all the best-laid plans of men, Canberra has had [at least in the past] one of the highest suicide rates in the country, the highest unemployment rate, and the highest rate of marriage breakdown.

In our contemporary Western society we have sharpened the mind, strived for technological and scientific excellence, built the greatest means of transport and communication systems in the history of the world. But like ancient Egypt, we have put our trust in our own strength and that of the things we have developed, and have ignored the spirit and not relied on God.

Unless we turn back to God as a nation, we will inevitably go the same way as ancient Egypt and other civilizations who forgot God went.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help us as a nation to remember that ‘eternal vigilance is still the price of freedom’ and ‘blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord.’ Please help me to so live. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Isaiah 31:1 (NIV).

King Duncan wrote how, “In 1976, Indiana University’s basketball team was undefeated throughout the regular season and captured the NCAA National Championship. Controversial and colorful coach Bobby Knight led them to that championship. Shortly afterwards, Coach Knight was interviewed on the television show ’60 Minutes.’ The commentator asked him, ‘Why is it, Bobby, that your basketball teams at Indiana are always so successful? Is it the will to succeed?’

“Bobby Knight replied, ‘The will to succeed is important, but I’ll tell you what’s more important, it’s the will to prepare. It’s the will to go out there every day training and building those muscles and sharpening those skills!’

“Another famous coach believed the same thing. ‘Hurry Up’ Yost was the football coach at the University of Michigan. A player once assured Coach Yost that their team was sure to win on Saturday because the players had ‘the will to win.’ ‘Hurry Up’ Yost answered: ‘Don’t fool yourself. The will to win is not worth a plugged nickel unless you have the will to prepare.’ That is true. Whether we are talking about sports, or education, or science, or business, or any worthwhile endeavor in life, success goes to the person who has the will to prepare!”²

When it comes to serving God, as Jim Wallace said, “It’s better to be prepared and not called, than to be called and not prepared.”

And, most important of all, when it comes to life after death how incredibly foolish it is not to be prepared. While God said to Israel to prepare to meet him, the same principle applies to you and me. If, for example, your life were to end today, are you prepared to meet God? For help, be sure to read the article, “Life After Death,” at: http://tinyurl.com/8brzh.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that your Word, the Bible, shows me how I can be prepared for life after death. Help me to know for certain that I am ready to meet you face to face no matter when that will be. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Amos 4:12 (NIV).

2. King Duncan, www.sermons.com.

According to an article in Restore magazine, Edward Gibbon in his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire said that there were five major attributes that marked the closing days of the great Roman Empire. 1. There was an increasing love of show and luxury; that is, affluence. 2. There was a widening gap between the very rich and the very poor. 3. There was an obsession with s-e-x. 4. There was freakishness in the arts masquerading as originality and creativity. 5. There was an increased desire to live off the state.

The application for today is obvious. Without a doubt our nation needs God. Many well-informed people believe Western civilization is in an accelerating moral decline, which, if it continues, will eventually weaken and cause us to fall.

At the time of King Hezekiah ancient Israel had collapsed morally and spiritually, had turned from God, and had become weak and powerless. The nation was divided and Israel, the Northern Kingdom, had been taken into captivity. King Hezekiah was king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and because he led his nation back to God, God delivered them from destruction in an amazing way. In one night the angel of the Lord put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men of the Assyrian army who were poised to attack and destroy Jerusalem.²

Where do we begin to turn our nation back to God? We do so one person at a time. We do this in our heart, our manner of life, our dedication to genuine worship of God, in serving God by helping others, in our giving, in prayer, and in our witness for Christ.

As it is Federal Election Day in the USA tomorrow, we urge every U.S. citizen-reader of Daily Encounter to accept their responsibility and to vote. Be certain that you know all you need to know about the ones you vote for and do so based on their past performance, not on what they say they are going to do; to vote for men/women of character; and to pray earnestly for God’s guidance at such a critical time in the ever-increasing anti-God and anti-Christian mind-set, and the ever-increasing moral decline here in the U.S.A.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I’m available. Please begin your work in me; make me usable; and use me to be ‘as Jesus’ in some way to every life I touch every day. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. 2 Kings 18:5-7 (NIV).

2. 2 Kings 19:35.