After McGwire hit 70 home runs in a single season in 1998, collectors scrambled to purchase his 1985 Topps rookie card. Con men were also scrambling. Not to buy cards, but to produce forgeries to sell to the collectors. At $200.00 a card, con men were raking it in.

The best of the fakes were hard to detect. Because they were screened from the original, they are a bit fuzzier, but only slightly.

The real tip off wasn’t the imperfections of the fake, but the perfections. For instance, the fake had sharp 90 degree angles on the borders, the original’s were slightly rounded. The letters USA on the original has some random yellow dots surrounding them, the fake doesn’t.

—Beckett’s Baseball Card Monthly, July 1999, p. 6 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Visual bonus—paid subscribers can download a graphic of McGwire’s rookie at http://www.freshministry.org/illustrations/mcgwire.jpg by typing “member” as the login name and the password you received with you paid your fee in the password box.

How do you spot real authenticity? Sometimes a forgery is easy to spot. Like in 1996 when a Western Union manager became suspicious of a young dockworker who tried to cash a check made out to “Roadway Express,” a shipping company in Dallas. When asked for an ID, the 18-year-old produced an ID with the name Mr. "Roadway V. Express."

The manager asked him to wait while he got him the money. He went in the back and called the police.

—http://www.newsoftheweird.com Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

James 5:12 NASB But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be yes, and your no, no; so that you may not fall under judgment.

A Georgia woman's outrageous attempt at fraud has landed her in jail under charges of forgery. 35-year-old Alice Pike attempted to pay for $1671.55 worth of merchandise at a Wal-Mart with a One-Million-dollar-bill.

When Pike handed the cashier the bill, the cashier refused to take it, and also declined to hand over the $998,000 change. She immediately called the manager, who also refused to take the bogus bill.

Pike reportedly offered $2.32 on a gift card, and then tried to cash the big bill again. At the point the manager called police, who took Pike into custody. Authorities found two more of the seven-figure bills in her purse. Police say Pike claims the bills were a gift from her husband, and she thought they were real. Chief of Police in Covington, Georgia, Stacey Cotton says, "The bill 'looks' real, but of course there's nothing real about this."

The U.S. Treasury does not print a one-million-dollar bill, but several varieties of the large bills are available as toys, novelty gifts, or souvenirs.

—www.nypost.com, Funny-$$ Gal 1 in a Million, by Amit Srivastava, March 10, 2004.

Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

As they always say, if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. When it comes to money, merchants want the real deal. When it comes to the Christian life, the world deserves to see the real deal. People on an authentic journey, working to change the world.

Proverbs 21:27 (NASB) “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, How much more when he brings it with evil intent!”

Blaise Paschal, the French scientist, mathematician and philosopher, was working at his laboratory shortly after his daughter died. A friend dropped by and was amazed by Paschal's sense of peace in the face of tragedy. The friend said, "I wish I had your creed; then I would live your life."

Paschal countered: "Live my life and you will soon have my creed." The faith that frees us is real, practical and experiential.

—Craig A. Loscalzo, Apologetic Preaching pp. 47-48, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Dr. Tom Martin

For more information on Apologetic Preaching, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0830815759/fm082-20

In his book Morph, Ron Martoia defines authenticity as, “the ability to be honest and upfront about strengths and weaknesses, peaks and valleys, victories and struggles—both sides of the coin bring authenticity. The seeds of credibility start with humble acknowledgement of humble strengths, gifts and abilities, as well as honest identification of shortcomings, weaknesses, and areas need working.”

—Morph, p. 65 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

2 Cor. 12:9-10 NASB “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. [10] Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

For more information on Morph, go to: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764424505/fm082-20

In his book, Mission to Oz, Mark Tabb writes, “Living a moral life is the first step toward authenticity, but it barely scratches the surface. The one thing that truly sets followers of Jesus Christ apart is the relationship that they enjoy with Him.”

—Mission to Oz, p. 111 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Following Christ isn’t just about living the right way—it is living in an authentic community with Him and His people.

Mark 12:30 (NIV) “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

For more information on Mission to Oz, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802442935/fm082-20

Sixteen people, including three law enforcement officers suffered minor injuries when the crowd at a Dodge City, Kansas concert became unruly. The deputy police chief said, concertgoers who paid $20 for seats to hear Tejano artist Pedro Fernandez became upset when they did not see the performer they expected. The imposter was exposed when the audience noticed the man posing as Fernandez did a poor job lip-synching Fernandez’s songs.

Authorities said when the crowd realized the Pedro Fernandez on the stage was not the real Pedro Fernandez, they became disturbed and the situation began to get out of control. Law enforcement officials in Dodge City were out-manned and had to call in reinforcements from the local Sheriffs office. Police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd, and several people had to be treated at the scene by emergency medical teams.

Police officials say they are pursuing possible fraud charges against the Denver concert promoter who organized the concert.

—Associated Press, July 17, 2002. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Sometimes, believers do such a poor job of imitating Jesus that the world can see through the ruse. The Apostle Paul urged believers to let the love of Jesus be seen in everything they did.

Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV “Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

The July cover of Redbook boasts a picture of Julia Roberts with the headline, “The Real Julia.” I don’t know if their coverage captured the real Julia or not, but the photograph certainly didn’t. The picture on the cover was actually a composite featuring Julia’s head and somebody else’s body. Hearst, the magazine’s publisher issued an apology saying, “We acknowledge that we may have gone too far.”

—NEWSWEEK, June 30, 2003, p. 21 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

May have? hello? Saying something is “real,” doesn’t make it so. Actually, when it is, nobody has to say anything, because everybody already knows. It is easy to talk about authenticity, but much harder to be authentic.

2 Cor. 1:12 NIV “Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace.”

The state road directorate on the remote Norwegian Island of Svalbard has agreed to make changes to their road signs after tourists and residents complained the signs needed to be more realistic.

The Arctic archipelago, off the coast of Norway, is home to an estimated 2,000 polar bears. The road signs are standard issue depicting a black bear against a white backdrop. The signs have been popular with tourists who like to pose beneath it and take photographs. The sign is the only black bear for hundreds of miles around.

The road directorate says it will make a new sign, reversing the colors to depict a white bear against a dark background to make sure motorists watch for the right type of bear, while visiting Svalbard.

—Reuters, Black Polar Bear Gets Realistic Makeover, Friday, September 5, 2003. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Matthew 5:37 NIV “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’, anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

In his book, "Revolution", George Barna writes, "—we are becoming a society increasingly focused on personal authenticity rather than excellence in performance. As the years go by, the balance of excellence and authenticity will gradually shift to the latter."

Luke 12:1 (TEV) "As thousands of people crowded together, so that they were stepping on each other, Jesus said first to his disciples, 'Be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees—I mean their hypocrisy.'"

In his book, "The Safest Place On Earth", Larry Crabb writes, "At its core the church is a spiritual community journeying together toward God. In a spiritual community people reach deep places in each other's hearts that are not often or easily reached. They discover places beneath the awkwardness of wanting to embrace and cry and share opinions. They openly express love and reveal fear, even though they feel so unaccustomed to that level of intimacy. When members of a spiritual community reach a sacred place of vulnerability and authenticity something is released. Something good begins to happen. An appetite for holy things is stirred. For just a moment the longing to know God becomes intense, stronger than all other passions, worth whatever price must be paid for it"

—"The Safest Place on Earth", p. 22. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Philippians 4:8 (HCSB) "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things."

In their book, "A is for Abductive", Sweet & McClaren write, "Being a little messy profane or unrehearsed is part of the message saying, 'You don't have to be perfect or powerful or polished to be here, because we're barely holding it together ourselves.' Again this isn't the only legitimate way to do things, but it does have a certain resonance with a Savior who shows up in a makeshift crib with no fanfare, in prickly hay and in the presence of manure."

—"A is for Abductive", p. 60. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NKJV) "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Thousands gathered at Australia Zoo in Queensland, Australia to say goodbye to television's "Crocodile Hunter." Steve Irwin died September 4th when a barb from a stingray pierced his heart while filming for a TV show on the Great Barrier Reef. He had said he wanted to be remembered for his passion and enthusiasm.

The hour long service gave the world an opportunity to pay their respects to the star and conservationist. The theme 'He changed our world.' Irwin's impact was seen through the crowds and through the people who eulogized him. Many of Australia's top leaders attended including Prime Minister John Howard. The Prime Minister said Irwin had touched the lives of millions around the world in a special way. Howard said, "He did that because he had that quality of being genuine, of being authentic, of being unconditional and having a great zest for life."

The program included video tributes from Russell Crowe, Justin Timberlake, Cameron Diaz, Hugh Jackman, and Kevin Costner. Costner summed up Irwin's impact by saying Steve Irwin put himself "out there" for everyone to see. Costner added, "He was fearless. He let us see who he was. That is being brave in today's society."

—http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/20/asia/AS_GEN_Australia_Crocodile_Hunter.php. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Matthew 16:24 (CEV) "Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me."

Steve Irwin touched millions around the world, because he was committed to what he believed in and was completely himself—he didn't pretend to be someone that he wasn't.

In "Reimagining Spiritual Formation", Doug Pagitt writes "Authenticity is more valuable to us than slick productions or professional execution. We would prefer to have people speak, sing and create with sincerity than with polish.We are haunted by the image of the falsely friendly sales clerk who calls strangers 'honey' and acts like your best friend even as he swipes your credit card."

—"Reimagining Spiritual Formation", p. 37. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Proverbs 26:18-19 (KJV) "As a mad man whocasteth firebrands, arrows, and death, [19] So is the man thatdeceiveth hisneighbour, andsaith, Am not I in sport?"

Following trends and being novel isn't the same as being real. In his book, Reimagining Spiritual Formation, Doug Pagitt writes, "Since the beginning of Solomon's Porch, we have done things in a particular, and often peculiar, ways.But we have worked very hard not to be peculiar of the sake of novelty.We are more interested in creating authentic practices than interesting or trendy practices.When making decisions about what we will do we regularly ask the questions, 'Does this fit us?' and 'Are we acting in a natural way?' more of than 'is this something that will attract new people?'"

—Reimagining Spiritual Formation, p. 37. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Proverbs 14:8 (KJV) "The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit."

In Seeking the Face of God, Gary Thomas writes, “This honesty means that we do not try to mislead others as to how holy or advanced we are. Just as we are eager to correct someone’s incorrect and negative impression of us, so we should be equally willing to make sure they don’t think better of us than is warranted. To try mislead people regarding our true state is to lie to them-a poor basis for a relationship.”

2 Corinthians 8:21 (AMP) “For we take thought beforehand and aim to be honest and absolutely above suspicion, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men.”

In Seeking the Face of God, Gary Thomas writes, “When we are ashamed about where we are spiritually, we have two choices: We can create a false front and a glittering image (the spiritual-cosmetology approach) or we can be honest before God, ourselves, and others about our weakness and allow transformation to occur. We will not have the energy or resources to do both; we must choose one or the other.”

--Seeking the Face of God, 127. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

2 Corinthians 4:2 (CEV) “ We don't do shameful things that must be kept secret. And we don't try to fool anyone or twist God's message around. God is our witness that we speak only the truth, so others will be sure that we can be trusted.”

For more information on Seeking the Face of God go to: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0736900195/fm082-20

NBA Superstar Lebron James hosted a Nike camp for children and teenagers at the University of Akron. Nike also invited some college students to participate, including Jordan Crawford of Xavier University. After the camp officially finished for the day, James and several college students started a pick-up game. A few freelance videographers stayed after and filmed the impromptu game. During the course of the game, Crawford drove to the basket and James stepped up to defend. Crawford decided to go over James and dunked the ball over one of the greatest NBA stars since Michael Jordan.

As you can imagine, this embarrassed James.

Sponsors of the event confiscated the tapes from the videographers, but a parody reenactment of it has recently emerged on youtube.

http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=smqgBn377OY

Unfortunately for James, the incident caught national attention. Sports analysts smelled a cover up. They dubbed the incident “dunk-gate” And the pressure has been building for James to address the media about his embarrassment.

--www. fearthesword. com/2009/7/9/943358/lebron-dunk-gate-being-blown-out Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Doug Jones

Finally, they released the tape, and really, it’s no big deal. So what, he was dunked on. (see tape on YouTube at http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=d0JDjfEkOSQ )

The cover up is always worse than the crime. The best approach is transparency.

Proverbs 26:18-19 (HCSB) Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows, so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

In The Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal, Charles Swindoll writes, “Even in a culture marked by postmodernism and addicted to consumerism, the church doesn’t need gimmicks to attract people. Instead it needs biblical truth taught in an interesting manner and lived out in unguarded authenticity—in our relationship with our Lord and with one another.“

Proverbs 14:8 (KJV) "The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit."

One of the characteristics that young people look for today in the church is authenticity. How do you know when something is authentic? When going to Panda Express for lunch we assume we are eating Chinese food. Right?

Panda Express is planning to expand into China, where they will find their menu a hard sell. The food we think of as Chinese is often unrecognizable to residents of China. Food writer Jennifer Lee told NPR: “The Chinese food we eat in America is very alien to Chinese people.”

Sometimes the words we proclaim as gospel in the church are unrecognizable to the New Testament.

1 Corinthians 15:1-3 (ESV) (1) Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, (2) and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain. (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

In Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash A Revolution In Your Life in Christ, Peter Scazzero writes, “The Bible does not spin the flaws and weaknesses of its heroes. Moses was a murderer. Hosea's wife was a prostitute. Peter rebuked God! Noah got drunk. Jonah was a racist. Jacob was a liar. John Mark deserted Paul. Elijah burned out. Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal. Thomas doubted. Moses had a temper. Timothy had ulcers. And all these people send the same message: that every human being on earth, regardless of their gifts and strengths, is weak, vulnerable, and dependent on God and others.”

--Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash A Revolution In Your Life in Christ (Kindle Locations 353-356). Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

James 2:22 (CEV) Now you see how Abraham's faith and deeds worked together. He proved that his faith was real by what he did.

An art forger, who gave convincing copies of famous works of art to over 50 museums over the past thirty years, has now become somewhat of a celebrity himself. Mark Lantis disguised as anything from a priest to a wealthy donor, donated copies of Picassos and other famous painters to unsuspecting museums in over 20 states. He created his works in oil, watercolor, pastels, chalk and ink, by copying pictures in auction catalogues and museums that provided dimensions and other important information about the originals. Even though, his works are fake, a Cincinnati museum recently collected Landis’ works and put them on display. The Presentation opened April Fool’s Day and is entitled, Faux Real.” Museum directors say educating people about forgery and what Landis does is the best way to stop him.

Authorities say Landis always donated the paintings and never took money for his fakes, so no charges have ever been filed against him. Several people who have dealt with him, say they became suspicious after he keep changing the subject while being questioned. Once, he told a museum that his mother had left him several painting including Curran’s oil-on-wood painting entitled, “Three Woman.” Landis claimed he only wanted to donate it in her memory. Cincinnati exhibit co-curator Matthew Leininger said he usually tries to convince museums that he is a philanthropist and tells a story about some health concern forcing him to give the painting away. Leininger said, “He has been having heart surgery for thirty years.” Leininger added, “This is the strangest case the museum realm has known in years.”

--Museum Plays April Fool’s Joke on Prolific Forger, http://news.yahoo.com/museum-plays-april-fools-joke-prolific-forger-070539039.html; March 30, 2012, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandal.

Matthew 7:17-20 (HCSB) (17) In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. (18) A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. (19) Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (20) So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.

Police in Tennessee had to apologize to a man after he was arrested for using a $50 bill they thought was phony, but turned out to be genuine. Shelbyville police were called to a convenience store after a store clerk called them after a marker used to detect counterfeit money did not indicate the bill was real. Lorenzo Gaspar insisted the bill was genuine, but he was arrested anyway,

After Gaspar arrest, an evidence technician told the arresting officer that some older bills do not react to the markers designed to indicate fake bills. He suggested the money be examined by a bank. The bank examiner confirmed the technician’s suspicion saying the fifty dollar bill was genuine, just very old. Gaspar was immediately released and received an official apology from police.

--Lorenzo Gaspar Arrested for Paying with real $50, http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/01/tenn-police-arrest-man-for-paying-with-real-50; May 1, 2012, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

1Timothy 1:5 (CEV) You must teach people to have genuine love, as well as a good conscience and true faith.

Premier Health Plans has a new salesperson presenting their insurance plans to the public for purchase. Samantha West is a charming, jovial, and very knowledgeable about insurance plans. The only thing is she is a robot.

She is controlled by people operating a call center who use her to cover up their accents. The object of her existence is to deceive people into believing she is someone she is not.

In a society where we can believe less and less of what we see and hear--Christians need to be the real deal. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) (1) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (2) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

People will counterfeit anything they can get away with, it seems. A New York woman was arrested after she was caught driving with a cardboard license plate that she had made at home. Police caught her when they noticed that she did not have a front plate to match.

Counterfeits are everywhere. Jesus Christ is the real Savior. –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Matthew 24:24 (HCSB)“False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”

In You'll Get Through This: Hope and Help for Your Turbulent Times, Max Lucado writes about a time his wife was transparent when someone asked how she was doing. He writes, “Years ago Denalyn battled a dark cloud of depression. Every day was gray. Her life was loud and busy—two kids in elementary school, a third in kindergarten, and a husband who didn’t know how to get off the airplane and stay home. The days took their toll. Depression can buckle the knees of the best of us, but it can be especially difficult for the wife of a pastor. Congregants expect her to radiate joy and bite bullets. But Denalyn, to her credit, has never been one to play games. On a given Sunday when the depression was suffocating, she armed herself with honesty and went to church. ‘If people ask me how I am doing, I’m going to tell them.’ She answered each ‘How are you?’ with a candid ‘Not well. I’m depressed. Will you pray for me?’”

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured in everything God wills.