On May 25, 2001, a set of Dorothy’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” sold for $660,000.00 at an auction of movie and TV memorabilia titled “A century of Hollywood” at Christie’s East. According to an auction house spokesperson, the famous shoes had sold in 1988 for $150,000 at Christie’s. The evening auction brought in more than $1.6 million.

Dorothy’s ruby slippers sold for $660,000.00! Imagine that! In comparison, what is an eternal soul worth? There is no comparison! Obviously, the world thinks much more of earthly fame and material possessions than it does about eternal values.

I wonder how many Christians do the same, at least concerning material possessions. The answer to this question is found in how we spend our money and resources and on what we spend these. I have read that the average church spends 95% of its income on itself . . . and that only 3% of Christians tithe of their income to support God’s work here on earth. What we do and what we give—and to what we give it—speaks volumes as to what we value in life.

Suggested prayer: “Dear Jesus-God, thank you that you valued my soul so much that you gave your life to die on the cross to save me from sin’s eternal damnation. Please help me place the same value on every human soul as you do and live and give accordingly—not just in words but in my actions and in my giving. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Malachi 3:8 (NIV).

I have read how one of Denmark’s leading sculptors had a consuming ambition to sculpt the greatest statue of Jesus Christ ever made. He began by painstakingly shaping a clay model of a triumphant, majestic figure. “This will be my masterpiece,” he stated on the day the model was completed.

However, during the night, a heavy fog rolled into the area and sea-spray seeped into the sculptor’s studio through a partially open window. In the morning he was shocked to see his model. The droplets of moisture that had formed on the statue created the illusion of bleeding. The head had drooped. The facial expression had melted into compassion. The arms drooped and expressed welcome. The artist was horrified and was aghast at having to start all over again.

However, as he kept looking at his statue of the Savior, his thoughts began to take on a different shape. He realized that his image of Christ was much closer to reality. He then wrote his caption and placed it under the figure: “Come unto me!”

Indeed, that is the call of Jesus to each of us today, “Come unto me.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear Jesus, in the words of the hymn-writer, ‘Just as I am without one plea, But that thy blood was shed for me, And that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God I come, I come.’ Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: If you have never come to Jesus and received his forgiveness and his gift of eternal life, be sure to read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian . . . without having to be religious” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

1. Jesus in Matthew 11:28-31 (NIV).

“It was a stormy night,” a personal friend shared, “and we were awakened by an extremely loud clap of thunder. After the initial fright, checking the kids and the house, we went back to bed and to sleep.

“Then came the voice. I was certain I heard someone speaking. “Sit up and take in a deep breath,” it said.

“I only half-awoke and thought I must have been dreaming, so rolled over and went back to sleep.”

“The voice spoke again with more insistence, ‘Sit up and take in a deep breath.”‘

“This is weird,” I thought so again rolled over and went back to sleep.

“‘SIT UP! Take in a deep breath!’ the voice spoke again with great urgency.

“So I sat up and took in a deep breath . . . and smelled smoke!” I was fully awake in an instant . . . awakened my husband . . . rushed to wake the children . . . we had the oldest one phone 911 (for emergency) . . . my husband took over the phone . . . the operator asked if the lights were working . . . my husband said they were going out one room at a time.

“Get OUT of the house immediately,” declared the operator. Your house has been struck by lightning.”

As quick as a flash the family rushed outside . . . immediately the house exploded and burst into flames. It took firemen six hours to put the fire out. The house was totally destroyed . . . but the entire family was saved. Talk about a wake-up call!

Surely this was a God thing. Fortunately this family was committed followers of Jesus Christ and even though they lost their house, their lives were saved.

God doesn’t usually speak to most of us with an audible voice. He doesn’t have to because his “wake-up call” is spoken to us repeatedly in his Word, the Bible. “Wake up!” God says to every one of us, “Flee from the wrath to come” (God’s judgment of sin and evil for the world that has turned from God will be judged and purified by fire). Wake up! “It is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment.” Wake up! “I will come again,” Jesus promised “to take all who believe in me to be with me in heaven forever.”

“Wake up,” Jesus is coming again . . . it may be today. Are you ready? Again Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in. . . .”

Whatever you do don’t miss God’s wake-up call. Have you opened the door of life and invited Jesus, the Son of God, to come into your heart and life as your God and your Savior? If not, may I urge you to do that today . . . right now . . . by praying a simple prayer such as the following:

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I hear your wake-up call as faint as it may be. I confess that I am a sinner and ask for your forgiveness. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross to pay the penalty for all my sins. I invite you to come into my heart and life as my God and my Savior. With your help I repent of and turn from my sinful ways. Thank you for hearing my prayer, for forgiving me of my sins, and for coming into my heart and life as my Savior. Help me to live for you always in all ways. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: If you prayed this prayer, please let us know by clicking on http://tinyurl.com/pgntm and we will send you articles (without charge) to help you in your Christian life. (Be assured that we will never give any information about you to any other person, organization, or business.)

For more help Click ON: https://learning.actsweb.org/christian for the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian—without having to be religious.”

Certainly God still leads, directs and communicates with us today. However, unless the message/direction received is from God’s Word, the Bible, or in complete harmony with it, we can be certain it is not from God.

If we use “God-talk” as a means of getting our own way, such as in the following: “God told me it is to be such-and-such way,” or “God told me you are to be my wife/husband,” etc., etc., you can be fairly certain it is God-talk, and not talk from God. And when we quote Bible verses out of context to justify the point we are making, this is nothing more than Bible-babble.

When we make inappropriate uses of such phrases as “Praise God” when we hit our finger with a hammer (a good old “Ouch” is more like reality), or when we blame God for problems that are of our own making, or quote Bible verses as a means of avoiding personal responsibility, we are expressing meaningless Bible-babble.

Bible-babble may impress gullible people but it’s phony. It’s another defense against facing reality—another form of denial which is always a self-defeating way to live. If there is one thing God wants us to be it is to be honest and real. As his Word says, “God desires truth.”²

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, deliver me from the sin of dishonesty, denial, and phoniness, and help me to be always loving and real. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

1. 1 John 4:1 (NIV).

2. Psalm 51:6.

To be a true follower of Jesus, we are commissioned by him, not just to be a casual believer, but to be a disciple. So what is a disciple?

According to Webster’s Dictionary a disciple is a “pupil or follower of any teacher or school of religion, learning, art, etc.” Pastor Tod Bolsinger takes it a step further. His definition of a disciple is “one who learns what the teacher knows so you can be like, and do, what the teacher knows and does.”

Thus, as a disciple of Christ we are to learn from him, obey his teachings, and do what he does. In other words, we need to be an example of him in the way we live, talk, act, and reach out to others—and to make other disciples. The Apostle Paul said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”² We, too, need to follow the example of Christ so that others, seeing Jesus in us, will want to be a disciple of Jesus too.

Furthermore, to be a disciple of Jesus, we need to count the cost. With God’s help, regardless of the opposition, we need to take a stand for truth as defined by God’s Word, and take a stand for that which is right, for that which is moral, and for that which is just. It also means that we will take a stand against all falsehoods, evil, immorality, and injustice. To count the cost we need to realize that the day is coming—and getting closer all the time—when to take a stand for what God’s Word teaches we may very well be charged with hate crimes that will be punishable by law. The important thing is that we take a stand in love and not in hatred.

Remember, too, that people who don’t take a stand for something worthwhile are just as likely to fall for anything that is worthless. In today’s ever-increasing anti-God morass, there is an urgent need for Christians to stand up and be counted as genuine disciples of Jesus Christ. His call to you and me today is just as relative and equally imperative as it was to his early followers.

If you haven’t already done so, with God’s help will you make a commitment today to be a true disciple of Jesus? Will you stand for truth as proclaimed by the Word of God? Will you discipline yourself to read, learn and understand what God’s Word, the Bible, teaches so you will know how to live for Jesus Christ in your everyday life? Will you commit to faithfully serve God in a church that is true to the Word of God? Will you give to financially support, not only your local church, but also missions that are committed to doing God’s work, to organizations that are spreading the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, and to organizations that are helping the truly needy? Will you also commit to doing what you can to share the gospel with others to help bring them to Jesus? For practical helps to do this please go to: www.actsweb.org/people_power02.php.

If so, will you please pray the following prayer: “Dear God, today I come to you just as I am—warts and all—and, regardless of the cost, I commit my life to you to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. So help me God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you prayed this prayer and sincerely meant it, will you please tell a friend of your commitment to be a true disciple of Jesus, and will you also let us know by filling in the form online at: www.actsweb.org/decision2.php?

Jesus also said, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”³

1. Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV).

2. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

3. John 13:17.

In his weekly American News Commentary Jerry Beavan wrote, “We pointed out that since November, 2009, Mr. Xxxxx and his people have been using the term “Freedom of Worship,” instead of the traditional “Freedom of Religion” as provided in the United States Constitution. In 2009, two clergymen, Dr. Gary Dull and Rev. David Kistler, announced in Washington the formation of The Faith and Freedom Institute (TFFI), to stress the Christian principles which have made America great. . . . TFFI points out that “Freedom of Worship” would force people to practice their faith behind closed doors.”²

“Freedom of Worship” can be extremely deceptive in that it can totally eliminate “Freedom of Religion.” Freedom of worship means we would be free to worship as we please in the privacy of our own home but not necessarily anywhere else. Furthermore, without freedom of religion preaching against certain behaviors that God’s Word condemns and calls sin, could be labeled as hate crimes and, as such, be punishable by law that could include a prison term. Freedom of worship could, in time, prohibit the preaching of the Gospel and Word of God in churches and in any public place or arena throughout the country.

Be not deceived, politicians can be extremely gifted in the use of words to deny reality and deceive the masses. The thin end of the wedge for controlling what churches can or cannot preach in the years ahead is already being forged.

Recently I received an email message from a young man in a Muslim country where there is no freedom of religion. This fellow wanted to know how he could pray to Jesus, telling me that if he got caught, he would get his throat slit. For Muslims, praying means praying out loud and often in public. So I told him that he could safely pray to Jesus in the privacy of his own dwelling if he were alone, or just in the quiet of his mind and heart.

With the ever increasing anti-Christian attitude by so many here in North America wanting to get rid of God and every vestige of Christianity from the public arena, if/when we are forbidden to speak out against and/or preach the full council of God’s Word, will we, like the disciples of Jesus also say, “We must obey God rather than men” and be willing to pay the consequences?

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, no matter what the future holds, please give me the courage to stay true to you and your Word no matter what the cost may be. So help me God. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Acts 5:28-29 (NIV).

2. The American News Commentary, July 28, 2010. To subscribe (no subscription charge), click on: american_news-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Besides revealing himself through creation, God has also shown himself through the human soul. As well as being a physical, rational, and emotional being, man is a spiritual being with a living soul in which is implanted a consciousness of God. This consciousness is made up of a “religious and moral instinct” which acknowledges a supreme being upon whom man is dependent and to whom he is responsible.⁵

Anselm, the famous Italian theologian who lived in the eleventh century, stated that the idea of God in the mind is proof that God exists. Pascal, the French physicist and philosopher who lived in the seventeenth century, spoke about the “God-shaped vacuum in every life that only God can fill.”

Furthermore, if God didn’t exist in the mind of the atheist, why would he feel compelled to disprove God’s existence?

God has also revealed himself to us through his Word, the Bible. The Bible doesn’t seek to prove God’s existence. It accepts it as fact and simply says, “In the beginning God. . . .”⁶

In the Bible God speaks with authority, stating that it is his Word and that he is the one and only God.⁷ It is God’s written message to mankind. Fulfillment of scores of prophecies in accurate detail, some of which were written hundreds of years ahead of their fulfillment, is sufficient evidence to confirm the validity of the Bible.

God can be seen in creation, in the human soul, and in the Bible, but his final and clearest revelation of himself to us is in his Son, Jesus Christ.⁸ Not only is Jesus the Son of God, but also God the Son. Referring to Jesus, John the disciple wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . . The Word became flesh and lived among us.”⁹

When Philip, a disciple of Jesus, asked to see God, Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father [God].”¹⁰

In life we all see and believe basically what we want to see and believe. If we want to see and believe in God, we can. If we don’t want to see him, we won’t. Most people do believe in God but it is an entirely different experience to find and relate to him personally. The only way to do this is through Jesus Christ.

As Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and life; no man comes to the Father [God] except through me.”¹¹

It is our sin that has separated us from God and prevented us from finding him. But because God loved us, he gave his Son, Jesus, to die for us and thereby pay the penalty for our sins, which is death.

To find and know God is very simple. You can do this right where you are. Simply pray and confess your sinfulness to God, tell him that you believe Jesus died on the cross to pay the just penalty for all your sins, ask God to forgive you for all your sins, and invite Jesus to come into your heart and life as your personal Lord and Savior. When you do this, God forgives you for all your sins, cancels your guilt and gives you the gift of eternal life. His invitation is to all who will come.¹²

For help to find and know God, read, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian . . . without having to be religious” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for all the revelations of yourself given to mankind, but most of all I thank you for revealing yourself through Jesus, the Christ, and how he gave his life on the cross as a ransom to pay the penalty for all my sins. Please forgive me for all my sins. I do believe and accept you, Jesus, as my Savior and my Lord. Please help me to live for you always in all ways. Thank you for your forgiveness and the gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you prayed this prayer and truly meant it, please let us know at www.actsweb.org/decision.php and we will send you practical articles to help you in your Christian life—all without charge.

4. John 1:1-3, 14 (NIV).

5. See Genesis 2:7; Acts 17:22-28 and Romans 2:14-15.

6. Genesis 1:1.

7. See 2 Timothy 3:16 and Mark 12:29.

8. Hebrews 1:1-2.

9. John 1:1,14.

10. John 14:9.

11. John 14:6.

12. Revelation 22:17.

As we noted yesterday, one doesn’t need to be a scientist to see and feel the greatness of creation all around us. Vacationing on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, I marveled at the wonders of nature—the grandeur of rolling hills, the brilliance of spring flowers, the majesty of cliffs rising from the sea with the waves crashing rhythmically against them and pounding lonely, deserted beaches.

I watched a sea gull, beautiful and agile, swooping over the waves, tipping its beak into the water to pluck a tasty meal from the sea. I marveled at the grace of a huge pelican, stretching his wings to a span of eight to ten feet as he soared effortlessly above me.

So many marvels to see: a playful porpoise dodging beneath the bow of our boat, gliding with ease through the crystal clear water; a curious fur seal, popping out of the sea in answer to a child’s call; a kangaroo bounding across a distant field; and a koala high in a eucalyptus tree. Later, a million stars shone above to dance in chorus with a brilliant full moon and mirror their beauty in a now calm sea.

I have stood breathless at the sight of millions of gallons of water plunging over the Niagara Falls, and speechless at the splendor of the Grand Canyon. I have walked in amazement in the Yosemite Valley where mountains of granite seem to reach up out of nowhere to stab the sky in unparalleled artistic beauty.

“Did all this happen by chance?” I ask myself. For me it would take more faith to believe that than to believe that our world and universe were created by a Master Designer whose power and greatness are beyond human understanding.

Besides revealing himself through creation, God has also shown himself through the human soul. (To see how be sure to read tomorrow’s Daily Encounter.)

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have revealed yourself to mankind in varied ways. Open the eyes of my blindness so that I can see with my spirit all that you are and have done for me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

For help to find and know God, read, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian . . . without having to be religious” at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

3. Acts 17:26-28 (NIV).

Splashed with bright white paint right across the side of the garbage truck in large, bold letters, a baffled university student had written, “Where is God?”

Most people wonder about this same question at some time or other. If there is a God, how can we know that he exists and how can we find him?

In some ways God is like an atom. You can’t see him with the naked eye but you can see evidence of his presence and power everywhere you look.

For instance, God shows himself to us through creation. As David the psalmist said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world.”²

In My Search for the Ultimate, research scientist Lambert Dolphin Jr. writes, “Confronted every day with the mysteries of space and the atom, I continue to be amazed at the complexity and order of our universe. From the sub-microscopic realm of the atom to the expanding reaches of the galaxies, our universe runs like intricate and well-oiled clockwork according to great physical laws which never change or falter.

“Our sun, which is the nearest star, a hundred earth diameters across, is 93 million miles into space. Each day the sun supplies our solar system with heat, power and light at the rate of a million billion, billion horsepower! Yet it is only an average star.

“Our island universe of stars which we call the Milky Way is 100,000 light years across. If we could travel at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), it would take us 100,000 years to traverse the Milky Way! Yet this is only one of a billion or more such island universes stretched out in every direction from our earth to distances measured in billions of light years.”

However, one doesn’t need to be a scientist to see and feel the greatness of creation all around us. (To see how, be sure to read tomorrow’s Daily Encounter.)

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you have revealed yourself through creation and that the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the vastness of the universe all declare your glory and show that all have come into existence through Intelligent Design and that you are the Master Designer. Thank you for this great revelation of yourself. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 19:1 (NIV).

2. Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV).