The word “gospel” means good news—it is the greatest news in all the world—it is the Good News of God’s salvation, without which mankind would be doomed for eternal damnation and separation from God, the author of all love and life.

But why is the gospel God’s Good News?

First, the gospel is not a message about religion but a message about God’s eternal love and purpose for all mankind. Religion wants to fix us from the outside in. God wants to fix us from the inside out. The first can become an impossible burden. The latter is what brings freedom.

Also, it’s important to realize that no matter what we have ever done or have failed to do God loves us with an everlasting love and has a wonderful purpose for our lives—for this life and the next. As Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”² And again, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”³

Second, the gospel is a message about sin, something we are all guilty of. As the Bible says, “We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s standard.”⁴ Sin, however, is not only doing harmful acts. It is anything that falls short of the standard of perfection that God envisioned for us. This includes an unforgiving spirit, pride, jealousy, mixed motives, etc. Most of us, too, are guilty of sins of omission; that is, not doing what we know we should and could do.⁵

However, a common misconception about God is that he is out to punish us for our sins. The fact is we bring sin’s punishment on ourselves because sin has its own natural consequences. If we try to break the universal law of gravity, for instance, we can’t. It will break us. Neither can we break God’s universal moral law. When we try to do so, it breaks us. And besides its painful effects in this life—suffering, sorrow, sadness, sickness and spiritual death—its ultimate and tragic consequence is eternal death and separation from God.⁶

Third, the gospel is a message about God’s remedy. Because sin has separated or disconnected us from God, we have been left with a “God-shaped” vacuum or spiritual emptiness within. As St. Augustine put it, “You have made us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” The world’s many religions are all evidence of man’s endless search to find God and fill this vacuum. However, because God loves us so much, he sent his own sinless Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our predicament.⁷ Christ did this by dying on the cross in our place to pay the consequence of, and ransom price for, our sins—death. Thus, Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our sin. He is the only way back to God and the only door to eternal life.⁸

Finally, the gospel is a summons to faith and repentance. If you were found guilty of a serious crime and were condemned to death, would you accept a free unconditional pardon, if offered? Because Jesus Christ died on the cross in your and my place, God now offers you complete acquittal, forgiveness, and the gift of eternal life. All you need to do is confess and repent of [turn way from] your sinful actions, believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died for your sins, and invite him into your life as Savior and Lord.

The following prayer will help you do this. “Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and am sorry for all the wrongs I have done and the sins that I have committed. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me for all my sins and I invite you, Jesus, to come into my heart and life as Savior and Lord. 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 forgiveness and free pardon, for your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you prayed this prayer and genuinely meant it, please click on www.actsweb.org/decision.php to let us know and we will send you a copy (without charge) of the eBrochure, “How to Grow.”

NOTE: This article is condensed from, “Godspell” on our ACTS web site at: http://tinyurl.com/4896egr

1. Romans 1:16 (NIV).

2. John 3:16 (NIV).

3. John 10:10 (NIV).

4. Romans 3:23.

5. James 4:17.

6. Romans 6:23.

7. See Ephesians 2:8-9.

8. See John 14:6 and Romans 5:8.

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I appreciate the way the Bible opens. No fanfare. No fancy words. Just the simple statement: “In the beginning God.” It is a totally non-defensive statement. God isn’t trying to prove himself or defend his existence. He doesn’t have to. We can take his statement or leave it. It’s up to us. It’s our choice.

In his booklet, The Reason Why, Robert Laidlaw shared how a former president of the New York Scientific Society once gave eight reasons why he believed in God.

“The first one is this. Take ten identical coins and mark them one to ten, place them in your pocket, then take one out. There is one chance in ten that you will get number one. Now replace it, and chances that number two will follow number one are not one in ten, but one in one hundred. With each new coin taken out the chances that it too will follow in the right order are multiplied by ten, so that the chance of all ten following in sequence is one chance in ten billion.”

George Gallup, the famed American statistician, is reported to have said, “Take the human body alone—the chance that all the functions of the individual would just happen is a statistical monstrosity.”

The bottom line is that belief in God is a choice. For some it’s a faith choice. For others it’s a moral choice. I say a moral choice because if we choose to believe in God, we know that we are morally responsible. If we choose not to believe in God, we deceive ourselves into thinking that we are not morally responsible for how we live and, thus, can live any way we like. Whatever choice we choose, the choice we make will make us. It will also determine our eternal destiny. Forever.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the wisdom to know and the desire and courage to always make the right choices—faith wise and moral. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Genesis 1:1 (NIV).

Some years ago Bishop Fulton Sheen was scheduled to speak at the Town Hall in an unfamiliar city. He decided to walk and, on the way, got lost. He saw some boys so asked them the way to City Hall.

“What are you going to do there?” asked one of the boys.

“I’m going to give a lecture,” replied the bishop.

“About what?”

“On how to get to heaven. Would you care to come along?”

“Are you kidding?” said the boy, “You don’t even know how to get to Town Hall!”

Wherever we’re going, it helps to know the way … especially if we want to get through life successfully and go to heaven. Clear directions are available. They’re all in the Bible. For help see the article, “Passport to Heaven” at: http://tinyurl.com/dm472.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, help me to be sure I know the way to heaven and please give me opportunities to tell others how to get there too. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 4:4 (NKJV).

Roberta, a Daily Encounter reader, wrote, “I enjoyed your devotional about rattlesnakes. I live in Arizona and used to be the maintenance director of an outdoor museum, so I have had plenty of experience with rattlers. There is one kind of rattlesnake, though, that doesn’t rattle to warn you of the eminent danger. It’s the Tiger Rattler. This is the most beautiful rattler created, with a soft pinkish tint and tiger stripes across its body. We had them at the museum and had to shut down one exhibit until they were eradicated because of the danger. They strike first, and then rattle, as though to laugh at the stupidity of their prey. Isn’t that much the same as Satan?”

How very true this is.

Today’s scripture is referring to the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, as they were in the Garden of Eden—a place of absolute beauty and perfection. Enter Satan, disguised in the form of a serpent. His goal was to deceive mankind into rejecting God’s plan for them. God created mankind with a free will so they could choose, or choose not, to follow God’s ways. They were given a simple test: they were free to eat the fruit of every tree in the Garden of Eden except for just one tree. If they ate this forbidden fruit, they would be choosing to defy God’s ways and, in so doing, would eat the seeds of their own death—both physical and spiritual.

Satan sowed the seed of doubt in Eve’s mind by saying, “Did God really say?” Then Satan lied saying that they wouldn’t die but become like God knowing the difference between good and evil.” This part-truth was the most deadly lie in human history. What the serpent, Satan, (like the Tiger Rattle snake) didn’t tell them was that if they ate of the forbidden fruit, while they would know the difference between good and evil, they would be forever bound in a state of evil. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, evil entered the human race and all of mankind has suffered ever since.

Satan struck first and has been “rattling his evil tail in delight” ever since. That’s the way he always operates. He deceives by either part-truths or straight out lies always tempting us to eat of life’s forbidden fruits. Furthermore, people who disregard God’s directives and promote what God forbids are Satan’s agents. They, too, strike first and then rattle their proud deceptive tails ever afterward.

The battle between good and evil began eons ago in the Garden of Eden when Satan entered mankind’s domain and it continues to rage today.

Never forget God’s warnings and directives—they are given to protect us from evil, deception, and ultimate destruction. His Word says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil [Satan]. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”² And again, “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”³

While Satan may appear to have won in the first book of the Bible, in the last book and in the end God triumphs. His Word says, “Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”⁴

Suggested Prayer: “Dear God, because you have given me a free will to choose, or choose not, to follow your ways, please help me always to see through the lies and deceptions of the “tiger rattlesnake” serpent, Satan, and the wisdom to always choose to follow your directives as found in your Holy Word, the Bible. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer—gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Genesis 3:1-5 (NIV).

2. 1 Peter 5:8 (NLT).

3. 2 Corinthians 11:14 (NLT).

4. Revelation 20:10 (NLT).

According to Britannica Online Encyclopedia, “Globalization is the process by which the experience of everyday life, marked by the diffusion of commodities and ideas, is becoming standardized around the world. Factors that have contributed to globalization include increasingly sophisticated communications and transportation technologies and services, mass migration and the movement of peoples….”²

In today’s highly sophisticated world, globalization has increasingly become a buzz word, not only at the business level, but also at the political and religious levels. Besides the push for a global economy, we are bound to see in the days ahead a push also for a global government, and a global religion.

According to God’s Word, the Bible, in the end times of this world age when the Antichrist arrives, he will control a one-world government and a one-world religion—besides a one-world economy where people won’t be able to purchase any goods without the mark of the beast [the Antichrist]. With all that is happening in today’s world, it certainly appears that the stage for the coming Antichrist is being set up at an accelerated rate.

Because of this, however, what is needed right now more than anything else is a Global Gospel Outreach. Let us remember that Jesus commissioned his disciples saying, “Go into all the world and preach [communicate] the Good News [the gospel message] to everyone.”¹

Let us also realize that without accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior, people all around the world are lost—eternally. Furthermore, because somebody introduced you and me to Jesus Christ, let us make certain that you and I do everything in our power, with God’s help, to introduce others to Jesus Christ for he is the only hope for saving lost mankind. As Jesus also said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father [God] except through me.”³

One very simple and effective way you can help introduce others to Jesus is to join with us as a “People Power for Jesus Partner.” There is no cost involved and there are many simple helps to show you how you can effectively communicate the Good News of the gospel to every person on your e-mail list, as well as in other simple, non-offensive ways. See https://learning.actsweb.org/people_power/ and then click on the “Tips for People Power People” link in the header. You can also use any of these tips without becoming a People Power for Jesus Partner.

The critical issue is that every Christian becomes involved in an urgently needed Global Gospel Outreach. Please check out the ACTS People Power for Jesus website and prayerfully consider joining with us today to help reach the world for Jesus Christ—one person at a time.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in appreciation for all that you have done for me, today I commit and dedicate my life afresh to you. I am available today and every day to be ‘as Jesus’ in some way to every life I touch, and for you to use me to share the gospel message to others and thereby help introduce them to Jesus. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: You can subscribe/join with us as a People Power for Jesus Partner at: https://learning.actsweb.org/people_power/subscribe.php. There is no charge.

1. Mark 16:15 (NLT).

2. Britannica Online Encyclopedia, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1357503/cultural-globalization

3. John 14:6 (NIV).

This past week a teacher friend of mine attended an extremely sad funeral. One of the younger teachers from his school was on her way home with her two young children. She stopped her car in the driveway at their home to pick up the mail from the mail box. Somehow her car started to run towards the house. She ran to protect her children and got caught between the car and the garage—was pinned to the garage door—and killed. One moment she was alive and vibrant, the next her life was snuffed out.

Life can be like that. One of our ACTS Board members, still in his forties, found out one November that he had cancer. He died in January. Every time I drive on the Los Angeles freeways and see a lunatic speeding driver darting in and out of heavy traffic, I tremble—not so much for him but for myself and/or for someone else’s loved one that, in a split second, he is just as likely to kill or maim for life.

The reality is that not one of us has any guarantee of tomorrow. Whether our life is taken suddenly or if we should live to a ripe old age, it is imperative that we are ready to go because, as God’s Word says, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment”² And again, “Prepare to meet your God.”³

According to God’s Word, after this life we will all appear before God as either our Savior or our judge. It is crucial that we make that choice today. To be sure you are prepared to meet God as your Savior do read the article, “To Know God and be sure you’re a real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that over and over you have warned all mankind in your Word, the Bible, that the human soul never dies in that there is life after physical death either with you in heaven or apart from you in hell (whatever and wherever that may happen to be). Please help me to be certain that when my time is up, I will meet you as my Savior and not my judge. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. See Luke 12:16-20 (NIV).

2. Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV).

3. Amos 4:12 (NKJV).

You may have seen the video about the blind man sitting by the side of the road begging but wasn’t receiving much help. A passerby came along, read the man’s sign and walked on. Then she stopped, returned to the beggar, picked up his sign and re-wrote the message, then went on her way.

The response to the beggar’s sign improved dramatically. All day long passerby people were throwing coins into his lap. Late in the day a lady stopped to talk to him wanting to know how his day went. The beggar recognized the lady so excitedly asked what she did to his sign that made all the difference.

His sign had said, “I’m blind. Please help.” The lady had turned it over and wrote, “It is a beautiful day and I can’t see it.”²

Dear reader, when it comes to God and spiritual sight we are blind and cannot see with human eyes what lay ahead. Let us be sure to listen to what God has to say about heaven. Not only is it God’s dwelling place but right now Jesus is there preparing a place for all his true followers and promised to return to take us there.³

It’s beauty is beyond compare. Here’s a tiny glimpse: “The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.”⁴

Best of all, God will be there and there will no longer be any need for the sun or the moon as the Bible says, “The city [heaven] does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb [Jesus] is its lamp.”⁵ And all of his true followers will be there in their new heavenly body—and there will be no more sickness, sadness or sorrow, no more parting, and no more dying.

Heaven is indeed beautiful. Whatever you do, make sure you get to see it.

To do so be absolutely sure to pick up your Passport for Heaven. Don’t leave earth without it. Go to: www.actsweb.org/passport.php or read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have given your Son, Jesus, to die in my place on the cross to pay the penalty for all my sins, and in so doing you have offered me a full pardon for all my sins and with that a home in Heaven to be with you for all eternity. Help me to be certain that I have received your forgiveness and have accepted your invitation to Heaven. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Revelation 21:1-5 (NIV).

2. See the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzgzim5m7oU.

3. John 14:1-3.

4. Revelation 21:18-21 (NIV).

5. Revelation 21:23 (NIV).

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”² He also created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve—a simple story with profound consequences in that God created mankind with a free will and not as a puppet on a string. God put Adam and Eve to a test to see if they would voluntarily choose to follow his directions or go their own way. The test was simple: they were told that they could eat of the fruit of every tree in the Garden of Eden except for just one tree.³

There was nothing complicated about this choice until Satan, chief of the fallen angels, entered the picture. Ever since Satan attempted to overthrow God and was subsequently “dethroned from his high position in God’s order.”⁴ he has hated God and has used every form of deception possible in his attempt to destroy the apex of God’s creation: mankind! To do this Satan deceived Adam and Eve by telling them a part truth (which can be the most deceptive form of lying there is), and in so doing lured them into disobeying God’s directive and eating the forbidden fruit.⁵ In this act mankind chose to disbelieve God and reject his direction, and believe in and follow Satan’s. This was the entrance of sin and evil into the human race, and the beginning of the battle between good and evil—a battle that has continued ever since and rages as much as ever in today’s world.

This battle increased significantly when Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel, chose to do exactly the opposite of what Adam and Eve did. He chose to believe God and follow his directives. Because of this God chose Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, to be the nation through which he would bring healing for mankind. God did this through the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world.⁶ Furthermore, when Christ returns to earth, he will come directly to Israel, and rule and reign throughout the millennium from Jerusalem.⁷

You can understand why, since the beginning of the nation of Israel, Satan has done and is still doing everything he can to totally destroy this nation.

According to the Bible the climax of world history will be when the nations of the world, headed by the Antichrist (Satan’s emissary), will unite to come against Israel in an attempt to destroy her forever.⁸ This war, the like of which the world has never before seen, is known as Armageddon. At this point Jesus Christ will return to earth from Heaven, will rescue Israel and totally destroy the opposing armies. He will then set up his Kingdom and rule and reign on earth from Jerusalem for a thousand years⁹—after which he will create a new earth and a new heaven.¹⁰

In his first coming to earth, Jesus came as a servant to identify with lost mankind and give his life as a sacrifice to pay the penalty for mankind’s sin and to save all who believe in him from the tragic consequences of sin and evil. Make no mistake, however, in his second coming Jesus Christ will come as King of kings and Lord of lords to rule and reign for all eternity.¹⁰

And Satan, the father of all deception, lies and evil, with his horde of evil followers, will be bound during the millennium and at the end be cast into hell forever.¹¹

Keep an eye on Israel. This tiny nation is without doubt—in God’s plan—the center stage for the world’s final battle between good and evil. Thus, the more we see nations uniting to oppose Israel, the more we need to realize that the setting of the stage for the entrance of the Antichrist is accelerating. At the same time the setting of the stage for the second coming of Jesus Christ also will be accelerating. According to the Bible, Christ’s return will be the end of world history as we know it.¹⁰

In the meantime every individual needs to choose whether he or she is on the side of God and good—or on the side of Satan and evil—which will include being for or against Israel. About Israel, God promised Abraham: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”¹² Beware to all nations who dare to come against Israel, or in the end they will find themselves fighting against God.

There is no neutral ground with God. If we are not for him, we are against him. As Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me.”¹³ And as Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

I urge you today to take a stand for good against all evil; for Israel against all who are anti-Israel, for Jesus Christ against all who are for anti-the-Christ, and for God against Satan. Just as it was with the first man and woman, every individual is called upon to make that choice.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please open the eyes of my understanding so that I can clearly see your purpose for me and for all mankind, and be fully aware of your plan for the climax of world history. Please give me the courage to make the choice to believe in and follow your directives and, in so doing, take an active stand for all that is good and of you, and a definite stand against all that is evil and of Satan, the devil. So help me God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: If you have never taken a stand for God, you can make a start today by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and in so doing, receive God’s forgiveness for all your sins. For help go to: www.actsweb.org/christian.

1. Psalm 121:4 (NIV).

2. Genesis 1:1 (NIV).

3. See Genesis 2:16-17.

4. Isaiah 14:12-15.

5. Genesis 3:3.

6. Matthew 1:1.

7. Zechariah 14:4.

8. Revelation 16:12-16

9. Revelation 20:1-6.

10. Revelation 21:1-3.

11. Revelation 20:1-3; 20:7-10.

12. Genesis 12:2-3.

13. Matthew 12:30.

On a December day back in 1903 at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright, after numerous failures to fly a heavier-than-air machine made amazing history. They achieved something that no man had ever done before. Ecstatic, they sent a telegram to their sister Katherine: “We have actually flown 852 feet. Will be home for Christmas.”

Overjoyed, Katherine ran down to the local newspaper and pushed the telegram—the greatest news story of the new century—into the hand of the editor. After reading it he smiled and said, “Well, well! How nice the boys will be home for Christmas.”

I wonder how often we miss the point when God is doing a work among us. The religious people of Christ’s day who were actually anticipating his coming as their Messiah failed totally to recognize him—and ironically had him crucified—because he didn’t come and didn’t operate in the way that they expected.

And how tragic is it that so many people today are also missing the whole point of Christmas? The point being that on the birth of Christmas Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, clothing himself in an external garment of human flesh, stepped out of the “ivory palaces of heaven” to identify himself with lost mankind and came to earth to die on a cruel Roman cross to pay the penalty for your sins and mine so that we could be freely forgiven by God for all our sins and receive God’s gift of eternal life.

There is no greater tragedy in all of life than to miss out on God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

Whatever you do, don’t miss out on the meaning and purpose of Christmas. Be sure to accept God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life today. For help read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” online at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me understand the true meaning and purpose of Christmas and be sure that I have been forgiven and have received your gift of eternal life and thereby know that I know that I know that I am a true Christian and follower of Jesus Christ. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Jesus in Luke 7:32 (NIV).