“A new young teacher won over the boys, however, by letting them write the rules for the school—which were very strictly enforced with a rod. For example, cheating would be punished with five strokes of the rod, and stealing with ten strokes, both to be given with the offender’s coat off.

“Everything went well until one day Tom’s lunch was stolen. A frail little boy in hand-me-down clothes that were too big for him admitted his guilt. The school rules demanded that he be whipped. When the teacher called the little fellow up front, he came whimpering and begging to leave his coat on. The pupils insisted he obey the rules and take off his coat. When he did, a deathly silence settled over the room, for he had no shirt on and his emaciated body looked like skin stretched over bones. The teacher gasped and dropped the rod. He knew he could never whip that little boy.

“Suddenly, big Tom strode up and stood between the two. ‘I’ll take it for him, Teacher, for after all it was my lunch he stole.’ He shrugged out of his coat.

“At the third blow the switch broke, and the teacher threw it in the corner and said, ‘That’s all, school dismissed.’

“The frail little boy laid his hand on big Tom’s arm and through his tears said, ‘Thank you, Tom, it would have killed me.’”²

And that’s exactly what Jesus did for you and me when he died on the cross on Good Friday some 2000 years ago—he took your and my punishment for all our sins so we could be freely forgiven and given God’s gift of eternal life.

“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.” Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins and, if so, have you accepted God’s full and free pardon? You can do that right now by praying the following prayer:

“Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and am sorry for all the wrongs that I have done. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me. I invite you, Jesus, to come into my heart and life as 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, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you prayed this prayer, please let us know by going to: http://tinyurl.com/pgntm or for further help read “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

1. John 3:16 (NIV).

2. Cited on www.sermons.com

I can certainly identify with Dr. Paul Brand who said, “I used to think it strange that the Bible keeps talking about the cleansing power of the blood.² It seemed to me that blood was messy stuff. I needed to wash my white lab coats if they became stained with blood. Today, I love the analogy; it is so true of the body. The blood is constantly cleansing every cell, and washing away all the debris that accumulates all the time. I like Paul’s phrase in Hebrews.³ ‘How much more shall the blood of Christ purge [cleanse] your conscience from dead works?’”⁴

God’s Word also says, “The life of the flesh is in the blood.”⁵ When Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday so long ago, he gave his life and shed his blood so we could be cleansed from every sin and stain and made pure in God’s sight—so we would be able to live with him forever in Heaven.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, how can I ever thank you enough for dying on the cross and shedding your blood so I could be forgiven of every sin and stain and made pure in your sight and thereby qualified for Heaven. Because you gave your life and died for me, I give my life to live for you. So help me God to do this. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Note: If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and received God’s forgiveness, please read: “How to Be Sure You’re a real Christian Without Having to Be Religious” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

1. Hebrews 9:14, 22 (KJV).

2. 1 Peter 1:2.

3. Hebrews 9:14.

4. Dr. Paul Brand in God’s Forever Feast, Discovery House, 1998.

5. Leviticus 17:11 (KJV).

“In her memoirs, an anonymous woman writes of her experiences as a field nurse in the Civil War. She worked for the Confederate forces, patching up dozens of wounded, sick soldiers every day. One day at the war’s end, news came that President Lincoln would be visiting this Confederate field hospital. Many of the rebel soldiers were terrified of meeting him. Surely Lincoln was a monster, and he would treat the Confederate soldiers cruelly! But when Lincoln entered the hospital tent, he began to cry. He bent over the injured soldiers’ cots and spoke softly to them. He patted their hands and stroked their hair, just as a father might do. And when he left, the men couldn’t stop talking about what a good man he was. They had expected a tyrant, and found instead a kind and gentle and forgiving leader.”²

In childhood days I used to believe that God was out to get me for any wrongs I might do. And, if I committed big or bad enough sins, he might even kill me. Unfortunately, that came from how I felt about someone who had a profound impact on my early life. Unfortunately, I had mistakenly projected my feelings towards him onto God, the Heavenly Father.

How glad I am to learn how wrong I was. It is true that God is against all sin and wrongdoing, not because he’s out to zap us, but because he is truly a loving Father who wants to protect us from hurting ourselves and others—and to save us from the ultimate consequences of sin which is eternal death, which, in turn, is eternal separation from God, the author of all love and life.

The fact is that no matter what you and I have ever done or have failed to do, God loves us with an everlasting, unconditional love. But he does want us to come to him for forgiveness and to help us live wholesome, meaningful, and loving lives.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you love and accept me as I am, and that you also love me too much to leave me as I am. Please help me to know that I know that my sins are forgiven and that I have accepted your gift of eternal life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

NOTE: To be sure your sins are forgiven and that you have God’s gift of eternal life, click on the link to Know God at http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

1. John 3:16 (NIV).

2. Kemp Battle, Hearts of Fire: Great Women of American Lore and Legend (New York: Harmony Books, 1997), pp. 332-333.

Roger Ray, a minister in Springfield, Missouri, told of a local physician who was driving between hospital calls one evening, exceeding the speed limit rather shamelessly in an attempt to make up for lost time. Suddenly a police car pulled up behind him and turned on the lights. Having some considerable experience in both speeding and getting caught, the doctor picked up his stethoscope and held it up for the policeman to see in hopes of communicating that he was on a medical emergency. Yet the police officer continued in pursuit with no regard to the physician’s signals. Once more the doctor waved his stethoscope in the air, this time more dramatically, in hopes of conveying the importance of his mission. But when the physician looked into his rear-view mirror to see whether the police officer got the message, he saw a smiling officer waving his own symbol of authority in the air—his revolver.

These are the “Oh-oh” experiences in life when we realize we’ve been caught red-handed. And sometimes I wonder if there are certain things I don’t do more from a fear of getting caught rather than wanting to do the right thing.

However, there’s one thing that is certain … no matter how hard I may try nor how much I try to fool myself, there’s no hiding from God. He sees all. He knows all. But he’s not waving his “heavenly revolver” at us nor is he out to get us to punish us for our sins, but rather to save us from punishing ourselves as a result of our sins—the wages of which are death—eternal death.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that no matter where I am, what condition I am in, or what I have done or have failed to do, you know exactly where I am and what condition I am in. Thank you, too, that you are pursuing me, not to punish me, but because you want me to come to you for forgiveness, healing, and wholeness. Help me to stop hiding and stop running except to run to your open, loving, and forgiving arms. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 139:7-8, 11-12 (NIV).

For further help read, “How to Be Sure You’re a real Christian Without Having to Be Religious” at: http://tinyurl.com/real-christian.

Will Jesus come again? From the Bible, God’s Word, we have the promise from almost every prophet in the Old Testament and almost every writer of the New Testament that Christ will come again. We have talked about the promise and the proof of his coming, and today we want to talk about the plan of and the preparation for his coming.

Third, The Plan of Christ’s Return: Only God knows the exact day of Christ’s return, but the one thing he made clear is that on that day, as the Bible says, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”²

In heaven there will be a great time of celebration after which each Christian will receive his or her special rewards based on his or her faithfulness to and service for God here on earth.³

Many Bible scholars believe there will be a time of distress and war on earth the like of which the world has never seen before with the climax at the great battle of Armageddon. Eventually, this world age will then end with judgment of all sin and evil, at what the Bible calls the Great White Judgment Throne of God.

Because God loves us he sent Jesus, his Son, to die in our place to pay for our sins so he could offer a free pardon to all who confess their sins and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior—and to deliver us from the Great White Judgment Throne of God. Tragically, all who fail to accept God’s pardon will have to face God’s judgment of their sin, which is eternal separation from God, the source of all love and life; that is, they face eternal death.

Fourth, The Preparation for Christ’s Return: Christ likened the Kingdom of Heaven to ten virgins preparing for a wedding. When the bridegroom appeared only five were ready. Only these were included in the wedding. The others were left behind. That is how it will be when Christ returns. Those who are ready will be taken to heaven. Those who are not will be left behind. As Jesus said, “I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”⁴

We do not know the exact time of Jesus’ return except that he said, “When you least expect me, I will come.”⁵ The important thing is to be ready for Christ’s return when he comes. If you would like to accept God’s gift of sins forgiven, salvation, and eternal life so you will be absolutely certain you will be ready for Christ’s return, click on the “God’s Invitation to You” button link below, or on this link to “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian—without having to be religious at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9. This will be the greatest life decision you could ever make.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, again I thank you for the promise, the proof, and the plan of Christ’s return. Thank you for your great salvation and the promise of a home in Heaven for all who believe in and have accepted you as their Savior. Help me to be prepared today for Christ’s return by having repented of my sins, asked for and accepted your forgiveness and received Jesus as my Savior. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 24:44 (NIV).

2. I Thessalonians 4:16-17.

3. II Corinthians 5:10.

4. Luke 17:34-36.

5. Matthew 24:44 (Paraphrased).

NOTE: This series has been taken from the article, “Will Jesus Christ Return to Earth?” by Dick Innes at http://tinyurl.com/avesyg.

“Will Jesus Christ come again?” is a question on many people’s lips today. It could be today or it may not be for another thousand years. Only God knows the day and the hour. However the Bible does give us the promise of his coming and we looked at that yesterday. Today we want to look at the proof of his coming.

Second, The Proof for Christ’s Return: One of the great proofs we have for Christ’s second coming is that God always keeps his promises. This is seen in the many prophecies from the Bible that have already been fulfilled.

For example, Christ’s first coming was predicted hundreds of years before it took place. A thousand years before, Samuel declared that Christ would come through the lineage of David,² and he did. Around 700 BC Micah wrote that Christ would be born in Bethlehem,³ and he was. About the same time Isaiah predicted that Christ would be born of a virgin,⁴ and he was, and 600 years before Christ came, Daniel accurately stated the time of Christ’s birth.⁵

David and Isaiah both specifically foretold the sufferings of Christ and the manner of his death hundreds of years before they happened. “They pierced my hands and feet,”⁶ David wrote in the Psalms in a vivid picture of Christ’s crucifixion—a torturous death unheard of in David’s day. And Isaiah prophesied that Christ would be “pierced for our transgressions”⁷ which was also fulfilled when Roman soldiers thrust a spear into Christ’s side when he was on the Cross.

Christ’s first coming, death, and resurrection, were predicted hundreds of years in advance and fulfilled in minute detail. History gives complete evidence of these facts. We can therefore be just as certain that every prophecy in relation to Christ’s second coming will also be fulfilled exactly as the Bible says.

To be continued…

To be sure you are ready for Christ’s return click on the link to “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that every prophecy in the Old Testament regarding the first coming of Christ to die for our sins was fulfilled in minutest detail, and that we can be equally confident that every promise and prophecy regarding Christ’s second coming will also be fulfilled in minutest detail. Thank you for this blessed hope we have to look forward to when you will put down all evil forever, where there will be no more sadness, sickness, sorrow or death for all who believe in you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV).

2. See II Samuel 7:12-16.

3. Micah 5:2.

4. Isaiah 7:14.

5. Daniel 9:25-26.

6. Psalm 22:16.

7. Isaiah 53:5.

When one of my nephews was only five he heard me talking about Christmas being the time when we celebrate Jesus Christ’s coming to earth. He wanted to know if Jesus would come back to earth again.

Jesus Christ’s first coming at Christmas nearly 2,000 years ago is a fact of history. He is as real a person as was Julius Caesar. In fact, the Encyclopedia Britannica gives more space to the life of Jesus than it does to many of the world’s great leaders combined. The secular historian, Josephus, who lived in and wrote about civilization in Bible times, also verifies the historical Jesus.

But one question people have been asking ever since the time of Christ—and perhaps even more so in these days of ever-increasing terrorism, wars, and threats of wars—is the same one my nephew asked: “Will Jesus come back to earth again?”

The only reliable source for an answer to that question is in God’s Word, the Bible, which in the words of Herbert Lockyer, Sr., gives us The Promise, The Proof, The Plan of, and The Preparation for Christ’s Return.

First, The Promise of Christ’s Return: Actually, every prophet in the Old Testament part of the Bible, except Jonah, promises or makes reference to the end of this world age (as we know it), the beginning of which will be marked by the second coming of Jesus.

Jesus himself promised he would return. His disciples were troubled when he told them that he would soon be leaving them, so he assured them with, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” ²

When Jesus left earth, two angels gave the same promise. Imagine the surprise of Christ’s disciples on the day he returned to heaven and two angels appeared saying: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”³

And almost every writer in the New Testament repeats the promise. According to one Bible scholar there are 308 references to Christ’s second coming in the New Testament alone. This promise pulsates throughout the entire Scriptures, right through to the last page and the last word. “Yes, I am coming soon,” Jesus said.⁴

To be continued…

To be sure you are ready for Christ’s return click on the link to “How to Be Sure You’re a Real Christian” at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you not only that Jesus came the first time some 2,000 years ago to die on the cross for my sins, but also for the promise that he will come again to take to Heaven all those who believe in him and have accepted him as their Savior. Thank you for this wonderful hope. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. John 14:1-3 (NKJV).

2. John 14:2-3 (NLT).

3. Acts 1:11 (NIV).

4. Revelation 22:20 (NIV).

We Aussies love to tell jokes all in good fun about Texans. On one occasion I was preaching in a Baptist church in the Los Angeles area. On that particular Sunday there were quite a few visitors from Texas in church. So with great relish I let them know that there was one cattle ranch in Australia that was bigger than the whole state of Texas!

Before the evening service one of the members came to me and said, “I checked your story about that cattle ranch in Australia in an encyclopedia to see if it was true and it was. However, you will be interested to know that that ranch is owned by a Texan!”

According to Alan Smith, “George Washington Truett was a preacher in Dallas, Texas, for 47 years. He once visited a wealthy West Texas rancher and had dinner in his huge ranch home. After dinner, the rancher took Dr. Truett up to a veranda on top of his house, and lit up a big cigar. The sun was setting, and if you’ve ever been to West Texas, you know you can see a long way out there. The man pointed to the south toward some oil rigs and said, ‘I own everything in that direction as far as you can see.’ He pointed east toward some cotton fields and said, ‘And I own everything in that direction, too.’ He pointed north toward a huge herd of cattle and bragged, ‘And, preacher, I own everything as far as you can see in that direction.’ He turned to the west, and said, ‘And I own everything you can see in that direction, except the sun, of course.’

“Dr. Truett turned to the man and pointed straight up the sky and said, ‘And how much do you own in that direction?’”²

Good question for both the rich and the poor.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, please give me the wisdom to keep my heart turned toward heaven and lay up treasures there rather than here on earth. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Matthew 6:19-20 (NIV).

2. As told by Alan Smith, http://www.TFTD-online.com

Chuck Colson in Breakpoint shared the following illustration. “It’s a cartoon staple: Donald Duck is quarreling with chipmunks, Chip and Dale. When Chip and Dale race up a tree, Donald Duck saws off the branch on which the chipmunks are sitting. But the laws of physics operate differently in cartoon land than in real life. When Donald finishes sawing through the branch, it doesn’t fall to the ground; the tree does.

“The cartoon is funny—but in real life, if someone saws off the branch we’re sitting on, there are dire consequences. This is just as true when it comes to the law as it is with trees.”

There’s a great tendency today among many, including some Christians unfortunately, to compromise convictions for convenience especially when we cut off the branches of God’s laws that we don’t like or want.

For instance, I recall an ad on the radio a few years ago reminding us of how many million people up to that date had died of AIDS. The ad pointed out that that was as many people as the entire population of Australia. For a hard-hitting emotional emphasis, the ad then says, “Could you imagine wiping out the entire population of a nation?”

Most of us will agree that help is urgently needed to stop the spread of this dreaded disease. However, while the importance of safe sex is emphasized—abstinence in most circles isn’t—which is the only safe sex outside of marriage. And what about the estimated 45 million babies who have been killed by abortion in the U.S. since abortion was made legal—not to mention the murderous atrocity of partial-birth abortion! Who will weep for these innocent, helpless children? That’s twice the population of Australia—the land of my birth. And I surely thank God that abortion wasn’t legal when my mother was carrying me! And I would dare to suggest that most, if not all, pro-abortionists were also thankful that abortion wasn’t the choice of their mothers.

In reality, can we Americans in particular expect God to deliver us from terrorism without when we legalize it from within? And how long will we justify and excuse irresponsible sexual and other sinful behaviors?

What we fail to realize is that God’s laws were given for our safety, wellbeing, and protection. When we distort or defy his laws to justify and excuse behavior that God calls sin, we don’t merely cut off the branches, we destroy the tree. In other words we ultimately destroy ourselves and the world of our children and our children’s children.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, in your mercy please send—whatever it takes—a great spiritual awakening to our land while there is still time. Help us to see that we cannot defy your laws and live safely and securely—nor establish a safe and secure haven for our children and our children’s children. May we as a people turn back to you, the God who reminds us that “blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord.” Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

1. Psalm 33:12 (NIV).

Clark Strand, a former Zen Buddhist monk, shared how “two years ago, on board a midday flight out of Memphis, Tenn., I suddenly found myself repeating the words, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!’

“This would not have been remarkable had I been a member of the Orthodox Church, which for more than a millennium has used that prayer as its preferred method of contemplation. For that matter, it would not have been remarkable had I been a Christian of any kind. As I was a Zen Buddhist who professed no belief even in God, much less Jesus, it came as a bit of a shock.

“I was on my way back from the bathroom when the plane simply fell out of the sky. My feet kept lifting up off the floor. I hung comically for moments on dangly puppet legs, and then somehow I managed to make it back to my seat. I had just buckled in when my wife turned to me from across the aisle where she was sitting with our two young children and said the four words no one on an airplane ever wants to hear: ‘Do you smell smoke?’ It was the moment we’ve all imagined. You look forward and backward into the faces of the other passengers (complete strangers, all but a few) and read there the selfsame thought: ‘So this is what it means to die.’

“Miraculously, just minutes later we were back on solid ground. The plane, as we later found out, had developed an electrical fire in the control console, and the pilot, not knowing how long he could steer it, had descended as fast as he could, driving her for all she was worth, covering the 25 minutes back to Memphis in just under 10 minutes flat.

‘When all seemed lost, it wasn’t Mu I had cried out, or even Buddha, but of all things, Jesus—in spite of everything else I had ever believed or done.

“Only later that night in the hotel room, with the children in bed, did I remember the moment during the flight when my spiritual life had taken a 180-degree turn and, as it were, headed back to port.”²

Need I say more?