“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”²

Yesterday we mentioned how Lew Wallace, a distinguished general and literary genius, and Robert Ingersoll, a notable skeptic, agreed to write a book that would prove Christianity to be a myth. However, their research convinced them otherwise and they came to the conclusion that Jesus Christ was who he claimed to be—the Son of God and Savior of the world.

A similar thing happened to one of today’s leading Christian authors and spokesmen, Josh McDowell. His outstanding book that supports Christianity, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, began as his attempt to deny Christianity.

Jesus Christ, however, is not the only religious leader who claimed to be God, but he is the only one who ever convinced a great portion of the world that he is. He is also the only leader who ever claimed that he would rise from death.³

According to historical evidence, he did. He was seen by the women who visited his tomb and found it empty, by the disciples, and by more than 500 other witnesses.⁴

Christ’s resurrection was also recorded by Josephus, the Jewish historian, in his Antiquities. Josephus was a Jew writing to satisfy the Romans, so his report of Christ’s resurrection wouldn’t have pleased the Romans at all. He would not have included it had he not believed it to be true.

Further evidence to support the deity of Christ is seen in the more than 300 prophecies concerning him and his life that are found in the Bible and were written centuries before his birth.

For instance, 700 years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, Micah wrote, “But you, Bethlehem…though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel.”⁵

A thousand years before Christ’s death David predicted how he would die. “They have pierced my hands and my feet,” he wrote.⁶ This happened at Christ’s crucifixion.

This is even more remarkable when considering that, in David’s time, death by crucifixion was unknown. This inhuman, torturous death was first used by the Persians centuries later.

David also predicted that Christ would be betrayed by a friend, that people would “throw dice” for his clothes, and that he would die with criminals.⁷ He also predicted the dying Savior’s cry: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”⁸ All of these predictions came true.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for all the prophecies in the Old Testament section of the Bible regarding the promised Messiah (Jesus Christ), and that all of these have been fulfilled in minutest detail. Please open the eyes of my understanding so that I will know the truth about you, the truth about your Word, the Bible, and the truth about your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

To be continued …

2. Matthew 16:21 (NIV). 3. Matthew 16:21. 4. Luke 24:13-43; 1 Corinthians 15:5-8. 5. Micah 5:2, (NIV). 6. Psalm 22:16, (NIV). 7. Psalm 41:9; 22:18. 8. Psalm 22:1 (NIV).

Almost 2,000 years ago when Caesar Augustus was ruling the vast Roman Empire, Jesus Christ was born in Palestine in very humble circumstances. Until he was 30 he was virtually unknown apart from his immediate family and friends.

However, during a brief three-year public ministry, his impact was such that it changed the world—including the change of our calendar from B.C. to A.D.

H.G. Wells, the famous historian, once said about Christ: “I am not a believer. But I must confess, as an historian, this penniless creature from Galilee is irresistibly the center of history.”

No other person ever made the stupendous claims that Jesus did. He claimed to be the Son of God, the promised Jewish Messiah, and the only way to God for all mankind. He claimed to have power to forgive sins and to give people eternal life. Above all, he claimed to be God, saying, “I and the Father [God] are one.”¹

Socrates once said, “Oh, that someone would arise, man or God, to show us God.” Four hundred years later Christ came and claimed to be that person.

But was Jesus Christ the Son of God? If not, he would have been the greatest impostor who ever lived!

Lew Wallace, a distinguished general and literary genius, and Robert Ingersoll, a notable skeptic, agreed to write a book that would prove Christianity to be a myth.

After two years of research, however, in some of the leading libraries of Europe and America in preparation for writing this book, Mr. Wallace had a transformation of attitude. He was only up to the second chapter when he fell to his knees and prayed, “My Lord and my God.”

After studying the evidence, Wallace became convinced of the deity of Jesus Christ. He then wrote Ben Hur, one of the greatest novels ever written about the times of Christ. Later, Robert Ingersoll had this to say: “In using my speeches do not use any assault I may have made on Christ, which I foolishly made in my early life.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please reveal to me the truth about Jesus Christ so that I can know without any shadow of a doubt whether he is your Son and the Savior of the world or not. And please show me the way to you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

To be continued …

1. John 10:30, (NIV).

Stanley Jones tells of a missionary who got lost in an African jungle, nothing around him but bush and a few cleared places. He found a native hut and asked the native if he could get him out. The native said he could.

“All right,” said the missionary, “show me the way.”

The native said, “Walk,” so they walked and hacked their way through unmarked jungle for more than an hour.

The missionary got worried. “Are you quite sure this is the way? Where is the path?”

The native said, “Bwana, in this place there is no path. I am the path.”²

When it comes to finding the way to God, there are various religions in the world today all claiming to have a corner on the truth and to be “the path” to God.

There are also vast numbers of people who believe that the way to God and the path to Heaven are through good works. Or at least, they reason (as I did in youthful days), “If I do more good things than I do bad things, my good deeds will outweigh my bad deeds, and that will get me into Heaven.” According to God’s Word, the Bible, this belief is also doomed for failure. As the Bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”³

It is true that Christianity makes the claim that it is the ONLY path or way to God and to God’s Heaven. Again, the Bible says: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name [other than Jesus Christ] under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”⁴

The question we need to ask is this: “Is Jesus Christ the Son of God and the Savior of the World?” If he is and his Word is truth, then he is the only way to God and to Heaven. If he is not the Son of God, then he is not a good man nor a great religious leader. He would be a liar, an imposter, and guilty of leading multiplied millions astray.

But how can we know if Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, or not?

We will answer this question in the next three issues of Daily Encounters.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in all the many voices claiming to have the way to you and that of eternal salvation, help me to know the truth so I can be absolutely certain that I am on the ‘Truth Way’ and on my way to Heaven when I die. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

1. John 14:6 (NIV).

2. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com

3. Ephesians 2:8-9, (NKJV).

4. Acts 4:12, (NKJV).

“Hey, what’s all the noise?” blind Bartimaeus asked his friend as they sat by the highway begging. “It’s Jesus,” a passerby informed them.

“You mean Jesus of Nazareth, the fellow they claim can heal the sick and the blind?” Bartimaeus excitedly asked.

“That’s the One,” came the reply.

“I can’t believe it,” shouted Bartimaeus to his friend. “This just has to be my lucky day. I’ve got to get to Jesus. I know He can heal me.”

“Hey, Bart, there He is,” cried Bartimaeus’s friend, “but how will you ever get His attention?”

Seeking to drown out the noise of the crowd, Bartimaeus yelled at the top of his voice, “Jesus, have mercy on me! O Lord, son of David, have mercy on me!”

People tried to silence Bartimaeus but he became all the more determined to get to Jesus. He couldn’t see, but he sure could yell, and cried out all the louder. His voice rang out like a great clarion call, “Jesus, O Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! Jesus, O Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus stood still.

And the crowd stood still

The winds and the waves couldn’t stop the Savior. Neither could angry mobs. Crowds of people couldn’t stop Him either. But the call of a lone, blind beggar did.

And Jesus with His great heart of compassion asked for Bartimaeus to be brought over to Him. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“Lord,” Bartimaeus nervously replied, “please give me my sight.”

And Jesus did. “Go your way,” he said, “your faith has made you whole.”

Immediately Bartimaeus could see and he followed Jesus along the way.¹

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you always hear the cry of every person—rich or poor, young or old—who genuinely calls out to you for help. And thank you that you always hear and answer my prayers according to your will and not necessarily according to my wants. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Question: Have you ever “cried” out to Jesus for his gift of forgiveness and eternal life. If not, I encourage you to do that today. For help read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at www.actsweb.org/christian.

1. See Mark 10:46-52.

Note: Adapted from I Hate Witnessing by Dick Innes, Chapter Nine.

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 “keep 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 and 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.”

Remember P-O-W-E-R.

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).

Adapted from the online article, “How to Be Filled with God’s Holy Spirit,” at: http://tinyurl.com/gods-spirit

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 to be filled.

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.”

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please help me always to depend on your Holy Spirit for guidance and direction in my daily living, and to empower me to be an effective Christian witness. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

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).

12. Luke 11:13 (NIV).

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

14. Ephesians 5:18 (NIV).

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

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit given to empower me to be an effective witness for you and to help me live a victorious and meaningful Christian life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

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).

“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.”¹

A Daily Encounter reader needing help shares, “The circumstances of my birth were not good. My mother, newly wedded, had me by another man. Ever since I found this out in my teenage years (when my parents finally got divorced after a horrible, horrible marriage), I have felt like an outcast, as if I were cursed because I was born in a sinful manner. I know a child of God cannot be cursed because Jesus hung on a tree for us, but it’s hard to shake the feeling sometimes. I’ve often felt as if God had rejected me. Is it possible for God to reject a person?”

Dear Michael (not his real name), thank you for sharing your heart. First, let me assure you that you are not rejected by God. He loves you no matter what your background is or the circumstances of your birth. God’s Word assures us that he loves each of us with an everlasting love. Remember that Solomon in the Bible was the child of a woman with whom King David committed adultery, and that God forgave David, and that Jesus came through the line of David via Solomon. This is a divine example of the grace of God.

When my youngest son was still a teen, on one occasion he was very angry at me about something—something that I can’t remember—but I will never forget his reaction. He blurted out in a very angry voice, “Well, why did you have me anyhow?”

Immediately I replied, “Because you are a part of God’s eternal plan!”

And Michael that is also true of you. YOU, too, are a part of God’s eternal plan. God loves you eternally. Jesus died on the cross for YOU. Please don’t ever forget that. And if you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to do that today. For help, please read the article, “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” online at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

Also, at the beginning of every day I urge you to pray the following prayer: “Dear God, again today I commit and trust my life and way to you. Please guide me in the way that I should go and help me to become the person you want me to be. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

I have prayed this prayer every day ever since my youth and plan on praying it every day for the rest of my life. I encourage you to do the same. This prayer has truly revolutionized my life. If you pray this prayer every day from your heart—not as a ritual—it will, in time, also revolutionize your life.

And to every Daily Encounter reader I encourage you to pray the above prayer every day of your life as it can also revolutionize your life.

1. John 3:16 (NIV).

“J. S. Bach became known worldwide for his remarkable musical talent, but he never ceased to credit his Creator as the one who was responsible for his ability. The pages of his musical compositions could well have been used to satisfy a personal pride as his name appeared on them. But he was determined to give glory to God for his accomplishments. So he always concluded his original compositions with the three letters INS. They stood for the Latin words meaning ‘In the name of Christ.’ At other times Bach began his score with the letters JJ, meaning ‘Jesus help’, and then ended his composition with the letters SDG for the Latin Solo Deo Gloria, meaning, ‘To God be the glory.’”²

The problem of pride is as old as mankind … actually it’s older, for it was Satan’s downfall. “I will make myself like the Most High [God],”³ he declared. It has also been the downfall of many a man. “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall,”⁴ warned King Solomon.

It’s so easy to forget that all that we are and have comes from God—”For in him we live and move and have our being”⁵—and yet so many of us act as if we were the creator of our talents, the maker of our abilities, and the master of our tomorrows—none of which is true.

On the other hand, humility is not putting yourself down. True humility is acknowledging what gifts we have, abilities we possess, and accomplishments we have achieved—but all the while, like Bach, gratefully acknowledging Solo Deo Gloria—to God be the glory.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the gifts that you have given to me. Help me to invest and use these wisely in the work of your Kingdom on earth and always remember to give you the glory. Thank you, too, for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (NIV).
2. Harold H. Lentz, Preaching the Miracles, CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio, 1999. Cited on: http://www.esermons.com/
3. Isaiah 14:13-15.
4. Proverbs 16:18.
5. Acts 17:28 (NIV).

I have borrowed the title of today’s Daily Encounter from Newsmax magazine that, several months ago, wrote an article on this topic and later reported that it drew the largest response from any previous Newsmax offer. This shows that there is a very strong interest in this subject. So the question is: Will Jesus Christ return to earth as he promised he would some 2,000 years ago?

No enlightened person would deny the fact that Jesus Christ was here on earth two thousand years ago any more than they would deny the existence of Julius Caesar. Both were undeniable persons of history. However, Jesus made a claim that no Caesar ever did—or could. Jesus promised he would come back to earth again. Millions of Christians sincerely believe that he will. But is this fact or just wishful thinking?

According to Bible scholar, Mark Hitchcock, “Jesus’ return is explicitly referred to 1,845 times in the Bible—1,527 times in the Old Testament and 318 times in the New Testament.²

“The second Coming [of Jesus] is mentioned in 23 of 27 New Testament books.

“Out of the New Testament’s 260 chapters, there are 318 references to the Second Coming.

“Jesus’ Second Coming is mentioned eight times for every reference to his first coming.

“The final prophecy of the bible deals with the Second Coming of Jesus.³

“People are exhorted [encouraged] over fifty times to be ready for the return of Jesus.

“Jesus Christ himself refers to his return twenty-one times.”^4,5

Jesus IS Coming Again. As every prophecy written (several hundred years ahead of time) about Jesus’ first coming was fulfilled in minutest detail, we can be just as certain regarding his second coming.

What if Jesus should come today? Would you be ready or would you be left behind? As Jesus, referring to himself, said, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”⁶ For help to be sure you are ready for Jesus Christ’s return read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you for the promise in your Word that Jesus is coming again to earth to take all his true followers to be with him forever in Heaven. Help me to be absolutely sure that I am ready for Jesus’ return. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: For more details on this topic read the article, “The climax of History.” at: http://tinyurl.com/climax-history.

1. John 14:1-3 (NIV).
2. See Zechariah 14:3-4 and 2 Thessalonians 1:7.
3. Revelation 22:20.
4. For example see Matthew 24:2-30; 25:31, John 14:3; 21:2-23.
5. 101 Answers to the Most Asked Questions About the End Times, p. 200, Multnomah Publishers, Sisters, Oregon. (c) 2001 by Mark Hitchcock.
6. Matthew 24:44 (NIV).