A new survey suggests nearly half of Americans are not sure if God exists. The survey conducted by Harris found that 42 percent of US adults say they are not "absolutely certain" there is a God. Three years ago, 34 percent of adults said they felt that way. When divided among various religious groups, 76 percent of Protestants, 64 percent of Catholics, and 30 percent of Jews said they were "absolutely certain" there is a God. Of people who described themselves as "Christians" or "Born Again," 93 percent said they felt certain God existed.

—http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061031/lf_afp/afplifestylestylereligion_061031235233. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Hebrews 11:6 (CEV) "But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him"

Derek, 5, came home from kindergarten with a tooth in an envelope. Annette hugged him and told him they would put the tooth under his pillow that night for the tooth fairy. "You really expect me to believe that some funny looking person dressed in a pink tutu comes into my room at night and takes my old tooth and leaves me a dollar?" Derek asked. "I'm in kindergarten now, Mom! I don't believe in baby stories anymore." "Oh no!" Annette said. "If you don't believe in the tooth fairy I guess we'll just throw it away and you won't get anything but a new tooth in its place. I'm so sorry, I thought you were a believer."

Annette walked out of the room and took the envelope with her. A few minutes later she heard Derek talking to Lisa, 9. "Derek, you dummy" Lisa said. "Do you know how many dollars I got from the Tooth Fairy? I got enough to buy a Barbie. Think of all the money you won't get. Think of that new 'Star Wars' toy you want." A minute later Derek came back to Annette and said, "Hey Mom, about that Tooth Fairy thing. I forgot, I thought you meant that other fairy, you know like on 'Oz.' I believe in the Tooth Fairy. I hope you still have my old tooth!"

Some people are willing to believe in anything as long as it benefits them. Real faith isn’t always convenient, sometimes it costs the believer.

2 Cor. 4:8-9 “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;”

For more information on Sibling Revelry, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966300610/fm082-20

A British family’s sailing vacation was cut short when a 10-ton humpback whale jumped out of the water and then pulled their ship’s rigging and mast along with it as it slid down the boat. The 40-foot boat was 10 miles from shore when the incident occurred and the collision with the whale left them without radio equipment or means of propulsion.

Trevor Johnson had chartered the boat and was taking his wife, two sons, and a son’s girlfriend on a 10-day trip around the Whitsunday Islands. He says, “It’s amazing that no one was hurt or killed, but it was a terrifying experience.”

Johnson’s son Mark agreed saying, “It was shedding barnacles from its tummy and caught itself on the rigging. I was very shocked—it was very scary.” The family was finally able to use a cell phone to call for help and were towed back to dry land.

—Reuters, Whale Leaps aboard sailing boat, August 26, 2003. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

1 Timothy 1:18-19 NIV “Timothy my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight of faith, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.”

A severely wounded survivor of the September 11 attack on the Pentagon is telling how God's grace helped him recover. Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell says his faith helped him overcome massive burns that left him in intensive care for a month.

As he recovered in the hospital Birdwell said, "By the grace of God, I'm still here." He said, "[I] Couldn't have gotten to where I am without Christ being in my life. And Mel being my wife."

The couple wrote a favorite Bible verse on an erasable board in Birdwell's room. 1 Peter 5:10 says: "After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

Although Lt. Col. Birdwell still has a long way to go in his recovery, he draws strength from faith. He knows he will make it with help of his Savior.

—http://www.mcjonline.com/news (Maranatha Christian News Service), December 5,

Driving southbound on Interstate 5 in Valencia, CA, the home of Six Flags Magic Mountain, is a large Disneyland billboard with a single word dominating 75% of the space. The word? Believe.

That's the Gospel message: Believe. It is the same word, but with different meanings. Disney is asking the public to suspend their disbelief for a time and enter into their enchanted Kingdom for a day of recreation. They want us to pretend, for a time, that "make believe" is worth believing in. That is not Gospel message. We don't ask people to believe what isn't true, rather, we want them to believe what know to be true!

John 20:31 NASB "but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."

In his book, When God Interrupts, M. Craig Barnes writes: "When we are abandoned by the things we value, when we discover that no matter how much we have gathered we do not have enough, when we realize that even in the currency we value we are very poor, we are ready to start talking to God. Not before. Faith means betting our lives on the grace of God. (page 75)" Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

For more information on When God Interrupts, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0830819797/fm082-20

Romans 8:31-39 NIV "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [33] Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. [34] Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? [36] As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' [37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

In the June 99 issue of Smithsonian Magazine, I read a term I hadn't read since philosophy class: "PASCAL'S WAGER." In the article, John Ross discussed a theory a mathematician had about God. I quote from the article:

"He [Pascal] asked: "God is, or he is not. Which way should we incline?" Reason, Pascal thought, could never establish definitively whether God exists. For Pascal, believing in God could have two outcomes, depending on whether God exists. If God doesn't exist, nothing will happen to the believer. If God does exist, the believer will be blessed with eternal salvation. The nonbeliever also faces two possible outcomes. If God doesn't exist, he will suffer no consequences. If God does exist, the nonbeliever will face eternal damnation. The nonbeliever faces either no consequences or hell; the believer looks at no consequences or heaven. Faced with heaven or hell, Pascal reasoned, it makes sense to open oneself to faith.

While later philosophers have criticized the wager for both its premises and its cynicism, Pascal's logic [according to Ross] remains solid."

Simply put, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by believing. Is that why I believe? NO! I believe because the scripture has, as JB Phillips put it, "a ring of truth." But Pascal's wager makes me ask, "Why would anyone not believe?"

Romans 10:9 KJV "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

Though 41-year-old Steve Cunningham has been blind since the age of 12, he has his sights on setting a new world record. Cunningham wants to be the first blind person to fly an airplane around the United Kingdom. Cunningham has already been recognized as the world's fastest blind man, driving a sports car at more than 147 mph in 1999. A year later he broke the speed record for a blind person in charge of a speedboat off the English coast.

Cunningham's Piper Warrior is equipped with computer software that translates the data from the instruments into spoken words. Cunningham is updated on the plane's altitude, position, and speed at the touch of a button. Though he has a co-pilot, Cunningham is in complete control of the plane. The co-pilot is onboard to keep a look out for other aircraft and to make sure the information from the instruments is correct. He will not be allowed to touch the controls.

Cunningham insists his challenge is not as difficult as one might imagine. He says sighted pilots often fly "blind" through clouds or at night, so his chore is not too different from ordinary flying. He says, "You don't fly an aircraft on what you can see, you fly an aircraft on the information that you are getting back from the control panel."

A spokesperson told reporters that Cunningham has been training toward the challenge for seven years and was looking forward to setting the new record.

—http://news.bbc.co.uk, Blind Pilot on Target for Record, July 12, 2004, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

According to Cunningham, acting on information received, not the act of “seeing” is the key to flying an aircraft. When it comes to Spiritual things, the ability to ignore what we see, and focus on what we know through faith is the key to walking by faith.

Hebrews 11:1 (NASB) “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

While many stores leave bowls of pennies by the checkout counter for anyone to take, and vending machines refuse them, a study has found that a majority of people will stop to pick up a penny from the ground. The study found 79 percent of people, 84 percent of women, and 74% of men will pick up a penny, while 25% per cent of those surveyed said they don't value or keep track of loose change. The 8th annual Coinstar National Currency Poll found that though most people do not value pennies, they do not want to see the copper coins removed from circulation.

Calculations by other organizations have estimated handling pennies costs Americans about $15 billion dollars each year. At the same time, other calculations indicate than removing pennies from circulation would require retailers to round prices up to the nearest five cents, costing at least $600 million dollars a year. Additionally financial organizations estimate at least $10 billion dollars, largely pennies, is gathering dust in piggy banks, and other containers in America. On average, that amounts to nearly $100 per household in out-of-circulation loose change around the country.

Recently, a retired glass plant worker from Ohio turned in over one million pennies valued at over $10,000 because he said he just wanted to see if he could collect a million of anything. In all, the studies and experience indicate that though most people consider pennies to be of little worth, we still hold on to them in large numbers.

—http;//aolsvc.news.aol.com/business, Are you a Penny Picker Upper?, February 23, 2006. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Sometimes, the things we think have little value may add up and become something bigger.

Mark 4:31-32 (GW) "It's like a mustard seed planted in the ground. The mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds on earth. [32] However, when planted, it comes up and becomes taller than all the garden plants. It grows such large branches that birds can nest in its shade."

Terminal cancer has taken 55 pounds, half a lung, and most of Chuck Obremski's hair and energy, but it has not taken his faith. Obreski has been chaplain for the California Angels since 1997. Whenever the Angels have a Sunday home game, he goes to a spare locker room to conduct 20-minute services, one of the Angels, and another for the visiting team.

His battle with an aggressive and mysterious cancer has been a source of inspiration for Obremski. He has chosen to use his condition as "one more thing to use as a lesson to teach." Obremski has been in and out of the hospital over the past several months. At times, he has needed morphine to manage the pain, and currently takes Tylenol with codeine three times a day. He has not missed a Sunday in he pulpit of the nondenominational church where he serves a pastor. Obremski says some people have suggested that he "take six months off and travel or relax. And I say, 'Why?'" He adds, 'If this is the end of my life. I'm going to do what I do till the very end."

Angels' outfielder Garret Anderson says, "A lot of people wouldn't react that way to a life-altering experience. He's practicing what he preaches." At one recent Sunday session, Obremski urged players to make spiritual matter a priority. He said, "When your day comes, it's not going to matter how many hits you had or how many strikeouts you had. What will matter is whether you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior."

—http://www.sbsun.com, Cancer can't steal a man's faith, By Paul Oberjuerge, May 30, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT) "So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. [7] These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."

I have four questions for you to answer. Each of them involves a picture I'm going to flash on the screen. Take out a piece of paper and write 1. 2. 3. and 4 on it down the left column, leaving room to write in your answers.

Question 1: Which square is larger, A or B? Question 2: Which line is longer, A or B? Question 3: Which line is longer, A or B? and finally, Question 4: How many triangles do you see?

OK, let's see how you did. The answer to question 1 is, "neither." They are both the same size. The right square looks larger because it is rotated 90 degrees, but it is in fact the same size as the one on the left.

The answer to question 2 is also "neither." This is the "vertical-horizontal illusion." The vertical line looks longer, but it is the same length as the horizontal one.

As with the first two questions, the answer to question 3 is "neither." This is the parallelogram illusion. Line A looks longer because of its relationship to the parallelogram, but it is the same size as line B.

Now for question 4. The only triangle in this picture is the name of this illusion, "Kanizsa's triangle." There is an illusion of a nonexistent white triangle because our eyes draw lines where none exists.

Perhaps after this exercize you join me in questioning the truth of the widely accepted Latin phrase, Videre est credere, "Seeing is believing."

Hebrews 11:1-3 (HCSB) "Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. [2] For by it our ancestors were approved. [3] By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible."

Though she has made millions with her musical abilities, pop star Mariah Cary says her faith in God has helped her overcome the adversities in her life. In a recent interview Carey said, "My whole life has been some form of struggle that I've had to go through. And I think the main thing is if you're in a good place, you put your trust in God and focus on your spirituality, everything will turn out the way it's supposed to."

—http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=22832. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Proverbs 11:28 (CEV) "Trust in your wealth, and you will be a failure, but God's people will prosper like healthy plants."

The U.S. Mint recently seized 10 Double Eagle gold coins dating from 1933 when a jeweler turned them in an attempt to determine their authenticity. The coins are so rare, their value can not be calculated. Three years ago, a similar coin believed to have come from a collector overseas was auctioned for $7.59 million dollars.

Officials believe Israel Swift obtained the coins from connections at the Mint just before they were melted down in 1937. When Swift died in 1990, his daughter Joan Langbord took over his jewelry business. Langbord plans to file a federal lawsuit to recover the coins. The U.S. Mint claims the coins are public property because they could not have been legally taken from the Mint in the 1930s. 445,500 of the $20 gold pieces were minted in 1933, but never went into circulation because the United States went off the gold standard. As a result, the coins were ordered melted down in the late 1930s. Only a few of the rare coins are known to exist.

David Lebryk, acting director of the Mint said the coins had been taken from the Mint "in an unlawful manner." Lebryk's statement claimed the coins had now been "recovered." In their statement, Mint Officials said they have not decided what to do with these coins. They have no plans to auction them, but say they will consider saving "these historical artifacts" for public exhibits. Other Double Eagle coins seized in the past have been melted down.

—Associated Press, US Mint seizes rare coins from Pa. Jeweler, August 26, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

1 Peter 1:7 (Darby) "that the proving of your faith, much more precious than of gold which perishes, though it be proved by fire, be found to praise and glory and honour in the revelation of Jesus Christ:"

In his book "The Ever Loving Truth", Vodie Baucham tells his readers that he made a choice to believe in the resurrected Lord of the Bible as an adult. He was not raised in the church, in fact, his mother was a follower of Buddha, not of Jesus Christ. His decision to follow Christ led him down a completely different path than he was on. He walked away from a promising football career to become a preacher of the gospel.

Baucham says he believes the Bible because "it is a collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses during the lifetimes of other eyewitnesses. The bible is divine in origin and it changes people's lives."

According to Baucham, the reliability of the Bible isn't even up for debate. He points out that we have more than 5,000 manuscripts or manuscript fragments of the New Testament scriptures, some of them written within 50 years of the events they cover. When you compare that with the 9 or 10 manuscripts of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars and 5 manuscripts of Aristotle's Poetics and 10 manuscripts of the History of Herodotus, with the earliest manuscript being 900 years from the original, the Bible is one of the most documented ancient literary works we have.

Many of the eyewitnesses of the events of the New Testament were willing to die instead of recant their testimonies. Think about that for a moment, would you die for a lie? Perhaps you would lay your life down for something you believe to be true, but no one in their right mind would die for something they know to be false.

This authentic, holy document claims that Jesus died on a cross and rose from the dead on the third day. And it says that if we will confess that the risen Jesus is our Lord and believe that He rose from the dead, we will be saved.

Romans 10:9 (NLT) "For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Scientists say they are getting closer to detecting one of the fundamental building blocks of matter, which has eluded them for years. The hypothetical Higgs boson, often called the "God Particle" is fundamental to understanding the universe, but so far has never been detected. Researchers have searched the subatomic "soup" created when particles are smashed together in colliders, but no sign of the Higgs particle has been found. New data from a particle collider in the United States has given scientists more precise calculations for the predicted mass of the elusive particle. The particle, which is believed to carrier one of the primary forces in matter, is smaller than scientists originally expected. They hope the new findings will confirm or deny the particle's existence within two to three years.

Dr, Mark Lancaster, UK spokesman for the Collider Detector Fermilab from University College London said," These findings narrow down the mass region that we expect the Higgs to appear in. After more than 10 years, we are now homing in on it." Lancaster said researchers should know if the particle is present by the middle of 2009. He added, "And if we don't find it, it is going to be back to the drawing board for particle physics."

—http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6244899.stm. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Though scientists have never detected the "God particle," they continue to search for it by faith.

Hebrews 11:1 (HCSB) [1] Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.

An Italian Judge has ordered a priest to appear in court to prove that Jesus Christ existed to help resolve an ongoing lawsuit. Legal problems for Enrico Righi began when the author of a book titled The Fable of Christ filed proceedings against the priest after he denounced the author and his book in a newsletter sent to church members.

As the suit drug on, the author, Signor Cascioli, issued a challenge saying he would withdraw the legal action if Righi could come up with irrefutable proof that Jesus Christ actually walked the earth, by the end of the month.

Righi plans to use the evidence presented by the gospel accounts, along with the writing of Jewish historian Josephus who refers to Jesus as a "wise man, doer of good works" who "drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles." In addition, Roman Historian Tacitus, who lived from 55 to 120 AD mentions "Christus" in his writings. Many Jewish Theologians regard Jesus as an iterant rabbi who popularized beliefs of more liberal Jews of the time.

Though none of those sources speak to the nature of Jesus, Righi says, "If Cascioli does not see the sun in the sky at midday, he cannot sue me because I see it and he does not."

—http://www.timesonline.co.uk, Prove Christ exists, judge orders priest, by Richard Owen.

Hebrews 11:6 (NRSV) "And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

When asked about President Bush’s religious conviction and what role it plays in his presidency, Bob Woodward, who The New York Times calls the most famous investigative reporter in America, said, “it’s sincere and genuine…he exudes an earthy sincerity that extends to his religious beliefs. I accept it at face value.”

If anyone has the right to be skeptical, it is Woodward. In 1973, he and Carl Bernstein won the Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of Watergate. But the genuineness of Bush’s faith disarms skepticism and causes an investigative reporter to accept it at “face value.”

—http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20020410_wood10.438f65c3.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

James 2:22 NASB “You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;”

Today the debate that began with the Scopes Monkey trial is hotter than ever as theologians, educators, politicians, philosophers and parents are debating whether creationism and/or evolution should be taught in our school systems. Some of you have devoted your lives to the sciences and are well prepared to argue that the theory of evolution is not only bad theology, but is also bad science. You might even be able to show evolutionists that they are wrong and point out their scientific errors, but even if you get them to recant their scientific beliefs, that doesn't mean they will come to believe in God. Lack of faith in science doesn't necessarily lead to faith in God—it could just lead to hopelessness.

In an editorial for tyee.ca, Stan Persky, a philosophy teacher at Capilano College in North Vancouver, B.C. writes, "Rather than snootily saying that there's no controversy because there's no evidence for intelligent design, or that science teachers should stick to science and not discuss theology or philosophy, I think that we teachers (both philosophers and scientists) ought to recognize that it's completely reasonable for people to ask, 'If evolution is true, then what does it mean for our belief in a God and for everything else?' It's reasonable for students, once they get their minds around the notion that 'evolution' is not an agent and does not have teleological purposes, to ask, 'Are we living in a purposeless universe? And if we are, then what's the meaning of our lives?' Since we teachers believe evolution is true, I think it's our responsibility to answer that question."

—http://www.thetyee.ca/Views/2005/09/06/IntelligentDesign/ Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Without faith, there is no hope. The Secularists need to do more than doubt their science; they need to trust in their God. It is only through faith that anyone can believe that God is and that God created the world. Faith is the night vision goggle that allows us to see into the unseen world and find God.

Over the past several weeks hundreds of stiff-jointed Cambodians have been flocking to see a large brown cow whose lick is believed to cure rheumatism and other ailments. Officials say in the last four weeks, as many as 20 people per day have been coming to see the cow.

Ailing peasants in the poor Asian nation offer incense, candles, flowers and water to the beast, which eats the latter and then performs its licking duties on the patient. The cow’s owner, a local teacher says everything started in early September when the animal escaped from its pen and started massaging his leg with its horns. The man claims he was having problems with his leg. After the cow rubbed its horn against his leg, he could suddenly walk fine.

Belief in the magical powers of animals is common in Cambodia, where more than a third of the population cannot afford modern medicines. Authorities say they are keeping a close watch on the cow and its owner to make sure gullible patients, who buy their offerings for the cow from its owners, are not taken advantage of. They say, they want to be sure nobody ends up regretting their bovine faith. One official, Puth Chandarith says if someone is seriously ill, he would urge them to go to the hospital instead of to a magic cow.

1 John 5:3-4 NIV “This is love for God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

I've always been amazed by the different ways two people can view the same event. Some people are the proverbial "little engine that could," while others are "chicken little" whose sky is always falling.

Psychologists say pessimists and optimists have two different ways of viewing life. The pessimist thinks bad events will last a long time and will undermine everything else in life. The effects are permanent and far reaching. On the other hand, the optimist believes the effects of a bad event will be short lived and will not effect other things.

If I had to pick between, the two extremes, I'd choose optimism any day. But really there is a third choice I'd prefer, that is to be a person of faith that may not understand what is going on in her life, but knows God is in charge, and knows, that in the end, everything will work out according to God's plan.

Romans 8:28 NIV "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

The world is looking for a safe place to put their faith. Greed, power, the love of money and doubt destroy lives. The resulting hurt keeps people from trusting each other, and more importantly from trusting in God. The motion picture, “Miracle on 34th Street is a call to come back to a simple basic trust in the Lord through four words, “In God we Trust.” Dorrie Walker is a struggling single mother who works for a financially strapped department store in New York City. While coordinating a holiday parade, Dorrie meets Kris Kringle, an elderly man who becomes a symbol in her life. Kris is a personification of all that is good and selfless in the world. Dorrie’s doubt tells her there is nothing to trust, and nothing worth trusting, not even herself. Seeing the hurt in her life, Kris warns,”If you can’t believe, if you can’t accept anything on faith, then you are doomed for a life dominated by doubt.”

When the selfish actions of others threaten to discredit Kris, Dorrie asks her friend Bryan, a lawyer to represent Kris in a court hearing deciding Kris’ competency. Her faith is being challenged as she tells Bryan, Kris is someone she believes in. As Kris’ case goes to a court and hits the media, it becomes more than just a matter of faith for Dorrie Walker. The question that rocks the entire city is, “What do you believe?” The question has the potential to change everyone’s life, including those of Dorrie and her daughter, Susan.

Option I: Show Clip from Miracle on 34th Street 1:32:15 to 1:35:40, and make application.

Option II: Describe scene from Miracle on 34th Street, and make application.

Judge Henry Harper has the ominous duty of ruling on a case involved Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. His face is grim as he gavels the court into session and prepares to read the decision he has written. Though he knows how he would prefer to rule in Kris Kringle’s case, he cannot find a way to express his faith while representing the state of New York. As Judge Harper struggles for a solution to the inner conflict he feels, the young Susan Walker leaves her seat and approaches the bench. When the surprised Judge stops in mid sentence, she hands the judge a Christmas card, and wishes him a Merry Christmas. He takes the card and thanks her. Harper pauses for a minute to look at the card. Inside he finds a note from Susan and a dollar bill with the words, “In God We Trust,” circled in red.

A smile crosses Harper’s face as he realizes he has found the answer he has been seeking. He crumples the paper with his decision and says, “The young lady who just approached the bench presented me with this Christmas card and this one dollar bill.” He explains the money will be returned, and adds, “By presenting me with this bill, she reminded me that it is issued by the Treasury of the United States of America, and backed by government and the people of the United States of America.” He point out the words, “In God We Trust,” and says “we are not here to prove God exists.”

Relating to the case at hand Judge Harper says, “We are here to prove that a being just as invisible and just as present exists.” He says the government puts its trust in God and does so in faith alone. The faith of the government and the collective faith of the people gave rise to the inscription on the dollar bill. He explains, “If the government of the United States can issue its currency bearing a declaration of trust in God without demanding physical evidence of the existence or non-existence of a greater being, then the state of New York, by a similar demonstration of the collective faith of its people can accept and acknowledge that Santa Claus does exist and that he exists in the person of Kris Kringle.”

--Miracle on 34th Street, Chapter 21, Susan Approaches the Bench, 1:32:15 to 1:35:40. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

APPLICATION: There is obviously a difference between believing in Santa Claus and believing in Jesus, but the point about faith is well-taken. Experience tells us the world is hopeless and there is nothing worth believing in. The only way to escape the trap set by doubt is to place our faith in the Lord Jesus and discover who He is. Faith is not demanding evidence; it is accepting and acknowledging what we cannot prove to be the absolute truth.

James 1:6-8 (GW) “When you ask for something, don't have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea. A person who has doubts shouldn't expect to receive anything from the Lord. A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can't make up his mind about anything.”

For more information on Godly Love, Miracle on 34th Street, go to: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004TS0E/fm082-20

In his book, What bothers me most about Christianity pastor Ed Gungor asks the question, “why would God hide?” As he reflects on the question, Gungor explores the possibility that this is part of God’s plan regarding faith. Gungor writes, “Perhaps God hides because he has chosen to establish a relationship with humanity through the pathway of faith. In order for faith to be faith, God must remain invisible and unprovable to the senses. If God could be seen as plainly as the sun or experienced as unquestionably as gravity, faith would not be required. God’s existence would be an undisputed fact.

The pathway of faith insists that relationship with God is a matter of human free will and not forced or involuntary. Faith can only exist in freedom, where we can choose to believe or not to believe. Because God uses faith as the only modality for connection with him, any relational connection between us has to be the result of choice or free will. He wants authentic relationship with us, so he honors our right to ignore him. Authentic relationships require choice.”

--What Bothers Me Most About Christianity, Howard Books, 2009, Ed Gungor, pg 3-4. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Hebrews 11:1 (CEV) Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.

The motion picture “Faith Like Potatoes” tells the true story of Angus Buchan, a South African farmer who learns what true faith really is. Angus comes to South Africa in the middle of racial turmoil and economic disruption to begin a new life for himself and his family. The hard work of reclaiming an old farm nearly drives Angus to the point of madness until he discovers his greatest need is Jesus.

Angus is challenged to make his new faith evident by telling others about what God has done in his life. In the challenges that follow God answers Angus’ prayers in miraculous ways. He sends rain to put out a fire, and even raises a woman from the dead. The farmer’s greatest challenge of faith comes when a devastating drought threatens the land. Though Angus leads the community in a prayer of healing, the drought persists. One day Angus believes the Lord is challenging him to risk being perceived as a fool for Him. He decides to plant water thirsty potatoes in the midst of the severe drought. The investment is so large that Angus puts his farm on the line for what he believes the Lord is calling him to do.

After Angus plants the field of potatoes, the rains still do not come. The entire community is curious about what will happen and even Angus is concerned. This challenge puts Angus’ motto, “Just Trust God” to the ultimate test. If the crop fails, Angus loses everything. If it comes in, he will be able to pay off the farm, and ensure the survival of his family and the small orphanage they have opened. Though he believes, Angus has no idea what will happen. He has grown corn in the past which is above ground and visible, but potatoes grow out of sight. As harvest time approaches, Angus’ words of hope and trust are on the line. He tells a friend as they look over the dry fields, “The condition for a miracle is difficulty. For a great miracle, it’s impossibility.” Will his faith be rewarded, or will he become a failure because he crossed the fine line between faith and foolishness?

OPTION I: Show clip from “Faith Like Potatoes”, Chapter 28 1:48:26 to 1:52:00 and make application.

The morning the harvest is set to begin dawns as everyone waits with uncertainty. Most remain hopeful, full of faith that the day will bring the fulfillment of God’s promises. Still, no one knows if Angus Buchan will be shown to be a man of faith or simply a fool. Angus walks across the dry field with his friend and coworker, Gibli. The plants are withered and dry, and the men have no idea what lies beneath their feet.

Angus starts by offering his friend an encouraging word. “Gibli, my friend, before we get started, I want to tell you how much I appreciate you, what you’ve done for me and my family. I don’t think we would have been here if it wasn’t for you.” Gibli silently stares back at Angus hanging on every word, not sure what his friend will say next. Angus continues, “I know you love this land as much as I do. I really appreciate you.”Then, Angus takes off his hat, and says, “Come, Let’s pray.”

Angus begins as Gibli removes his hat. “God, thank you for this harvest. Thank you for giving us this land.” He looks around and adds, “We don’t know what’s in this ground, but we pray that you’ll bless it.” After the prayer Gibli takes a pitchfork and sticks into the ground to see what’s there. To his amazement, huge potatoes come up with the dirt. When Angus sees them, he begins to shout praises to God and Gibli joins him shouting in the Zulu tongue, “Potatoes from God!” Angus stops in the middle of his celebration, as he sees the workers and his family and friends coming to help with the harvest. His wife Jill tells Angus, she had faith for the potatoes, as they embrace.

After the harvest, Angus is sitting with a group of the young men from the orphanage. He asks one of the boys to take a potato. Angus says, “Feel this. Smell it!” Then he adds, “Your faith in God must be like that. It must be real! You can feel it. You can smell it!” Turning to the entire group, he adds, “Your faith has got to be like a potato!”

APPLICATION: Angus had seen many miracles in his life, but each time he had to exercise faith. The supreme test of our faith occurs when we risk everything on God. He will not let us down or fail. Each day that we walk with Jesus requires trusting Him completely. Each day is a walk of faith.

Hebrews 11:1 (CEV) “Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.”

The attempts to climb Mount Everest were all failures until Sir Edmund Hillary finally climbed to the top in 1953. Between 1920 and 1952, seven major expeditions had failed to reach the summit. In 1924, the famous mountaineer George Leigh-Mallory had perished in the attempt. In 1952, a team of Swiss climbers turned back after reaching the south peak, only 1000 feet from the summit. Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, a native Nepalese climber who had participated in five previous Everest trips, were the only members of the party able to make the final assault on the summit. At 11:30 on the morning of May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit, 29,028 feet above sea level, the highest spot on earth. But how many have since climbed Mount Everest? Over 1400 have now climbed this “unbeatable height.”

--http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/hil0bio-1 . Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and David Mills

Some things seem unachievable until someone blazes the trail and shows that it is possible. Hillary was the first, but he wasn’t the last.

Have you allowed the defeats of the past discourage you from attempting the impossible? Failure doesn’t have to be fatal—hope finds a way.

The world’s largest particle accelerator failed after only running a week. Two scientist involved in the project are saying the machine may have been broken by time travelers from the future, or even God Himself. Holger Bech Nielsen and Masao Ninomiya published a paper saying researchers had hoped to produce the so-called “God particle” or Higgs boson with the new collider. They speculate the discovery may have been so abhorrent to nature that its creation could have rippled backwards through time and stopped the collider before it could make the elusive sub atomic particle.

The scientists also wondered if God might have shut down the collider to prevent discovery of the particle. They claim the discovery would have been counterproductive because proof denies faith, and ”without faith, God is nothing.” Neilsen added, ”It must be our prediction that all Higgs producing machines shall have bad luck. (God) rather hates Higgs particles, and attempts to avoid them.”

--God sabotaged the LHC, say scientists,http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/44291/181/ ; October 14, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

I’m still scratching my head over this one. Even if scientists find the Higgs boson particle, God created it. They must have faith to believe the particle exists in the first place.

Hebrews 11:1 (CEV) “Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.”

The faithful have long believed that the mysterious Shroud of Turin is the burial cloth of Jesus, and dates to the first century. Science has remained skeptical conducting tests that indicate the Shroud could be a forgery produced using technology available in the 13th and 14th centuries. Now, a Vatican researcher has added another layer to the continuing debate. Historian Barbara Frale claims she has discovered nearly invisible text found on the Shroud suggests it originated in the first century.

Frale says she used computers to enhance images of faintly written words in Greek, Latin, and Aramaic scattered across the cloth. She asserts one inscription appears to include the name, “Jesus Nazarene” written in Greek. Frale says no one in the middle ages would have labeled Jesus a Nazarene without also referring to his divinity, ruling out a medieval forgery. Frale says the text could have been written by a clerk and glued to the shroud to allow identification of the body. Metals in the ink might have allowed the writing to transfer to the linen. The writing was first seen decades ago, but they have never been seriously considered.

A shorter inscription in Latin appears to say “Iber,” which Frale believes could stand for Emperor Tiberius who reigned in Rome at the time Jesus was crucified. Frale told reporters, “I tried to be objective and leave religious issues aside. What I studied was an ancient document that certifies the execution of a man, in a specific time and place.”

--http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iEpbatbYlTMk7i4ydVWEnJ0SU4OAD9C3FOMO0; November 20, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Hebrews 11:1 (CEV) “Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. “

A new poll has discovered that while eight in ten Americans claim to believe in God, only three out of five can say they are “absolutely certain” that God exists. Specifically, the Harris Interactive Poll found 59 percent of Americans are “absolutely certain” there is a God, and 15 percent claim to be “somewhat certain” God exists.

The strongest “absolutely certain” belief in God and other areas came from respondents who claimed to be born again Christians. Overall, the survey also found 13 percent of Americans believe there is no God, and 7 percent said they were “absolutely certain” about those beliefs.

--Most Americans say God exists; fewer are ‘ absolutely certain’, http://www.christianpost.com/article/20091218/most-americans-say-god-exists-fewer-are-absolutely-certain/index.html; December 18, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Hebrews 11:6 (NAB) “But without faith it is impossible to please him, for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

An English Priest recently created a lot of controversy when he told his congregation that shoplifting might be the best option for poor people to make ends meet, as opposed to other illegal activities like burglary or prostitution. Father Tim Jones from York, England told churchgoers they should not steal from small family businesses, but from large national businesses because they will ultimately pass the cost on to every consumer in the form of higher prices. Jones said, “I do not offer such advice because I think that stealing is a good thing, or because I think it is harmless, for it is neither.” He added, “I would ask them not to take any more than they need, for any longer than they need. My advice does not contradict the Bible’s eighth commandment because God’s love for the poor and despised outweighs the property rights of the rich.”

Church officials, local police, and many others blasted Jones’ remark, saying shoplifting is a crime regardless of the circumstances.

--Priest in Britain Advises Congregation to Shoplift, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580807,00.html?test=latestnews;December 21, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Instead of preaching that is OK to break the law, this Priest should have advised the poor to take their needs to the Lord, and place their faith in Him, not in large stores, or the government.

Matthew 6:31-33 (CEV) “Don't worry and ask yourselves, "Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?" (32) Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. (33) But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.”

In Forgotten God: Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit, Francis Chan writes, “God wants the praise for what we do in our lives. But if we never pray audacious, courageous prayers, how can He answer them? If we never follow Him to positions where we need Him, how can He show up and make His presence known?”

-- Forgotten God: Reversing our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit, p. 150. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Matthew 21:21 (NIV) “Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.”

A new survey by the Pew Research Center suggests more Americans are more confused about the religious convictions of President Barak Obama. Overall, the study found the proportion of the American public who believe the President is a Christian has declined, while overall, most of those surveyed say they do not know what religious practices the President follows.

The survey found that one in five Americans now say President Obama is a Muslim, up from 11 per cent in March 2009. One third of adults say the President is a Christian, down from 48 percent in 2009. The interesting result is that 43 percent of the respondents said they do not know what the President practiced.

Though the largest change in view point is seen among the President’s political opponents, even his supporters are less likely to say the President is a Christian. The results also revealed the public sees President Obama as less influenced by religion compared with George W. Bush.
Forty-one percent of respondents said President Obama relied on his beliefs either a great deal or a fair amount, compared with 63 per cent for former President George Bush. Only a small percentage say President Obama mentions his faith too infrequently or that he relies too little on his religious beliefs when making policy decisions.

-- http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1701/poll-obama-muslim-christian-church- out-of-politics-political-leaders-religious?src=prc-latest&proj=internet, August 19, 2010, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Regardless of your political opinions, the question is simple; What do your actions say about what you believe?

James 2:17-18 (CEV) Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead! (18) Suppose someone disagrees and says, "It is possible to have faith without doing kind deeds." I would answer, "Prove that you have faith without doing kind deeds, and I will prove that I have faith by doing them."

A pastor from North Carolina recently preached over six months worth of sermons during a single 24 hour webcast. Pastor Steven Furtick from Elevation Church in Charleston said he was executing what he called one of craziest, most asinine ideas he ever had. He said the webcast was not merely a publicity stunt to showcase his new book, but a call for believers to develop “audacious faith.” Furtick said he really believes the message from the book because it is God’s message.

Furtick said the message was a celebration of what God had put on his heart to share with the world. He wants to encourage believers to dare to ask God for the impossible. He reminded his audience that we serve a God who can do the impossible, and asked why they had stopped believing God for the impossible. Furtick said, “There’s so many people living with the ache of the ordinary, nothing ever seems to happen supernatural in their lives.” He added,”Your belief system, your way of seeing the world, your framework, what you operate out of is either going to be an outlook of faith or an outlook of fear. And the battleground where that all plays out is in your mind.”

--Megachurch Pastor preaches 24 Hours Straight on Audacious Faith, http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100923/megachurch-pastor-preaches-24-hours-straight-on-audacious-faith/index.html; September 23, 2010, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Mark 11:23 (MSG) “and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it's as good as done.”

The parting of the Red Sea is one of the better known miracles of the Bible. A team of scientists from the national Center for Atmospheric research in Colorado now says they think they know how it happened. Using computer modeling, the team combined satellite images, maps and archeological records to recreate a lagoon along the Nile River as it might have looked 3,000 years ago.

Lead Researcher Carl Drew said the simulation matched the Exodus account fairly closely. The team concluded that a strong east wind, blowing for 12 hours could have pushed back water at a bend in the Nile River near a lagoon, creating a land bridge that people could have crossed. Drew said the Biblical account describes a strong east wind, and a wall of water on the left and right as the people crossed. He said the tricky part would be to create walls of water on both sides, but this location allows that to happen. He said “fluid dynamics” provided the explanation, and added, “Wind setdown occurs when wind blows across a body of water and part of the water level drops and so it exposes dry areas. That’s a well-known phenomenon.” The team did not comment on what caused the wind to blow that hard for 12 hours.

--Scientists Propose How Red Sea was Parted, http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100922/scientists-propose-how-red-sea-was-parted/index.html ; September 22, 2010, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Luke 8:25 (CEV) “Then Jesus asked the disciples, ‘Don't you have any faith?’ But they were frightened and amazed. They said to each other, ‘Who is this? He can give orders to the wind and the waves, and they obey him!’"

Ecologists have long wondered what keeps elephants from devastating the trees. They love to eat trees and a herd can quickly ravage a small forest. The answer is ants! When ants inhabit the trees and the elephants began to eat them, the ants swarm into the animals’ tender trunks and bite and sting. The ants defend the tree.

--The Week, September 24, 2010, p. 24 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

God has given us hope that as desperate as things may seem, faith gives us the strength to see through to the end, because God has a better plan. Like the ants in Africa, God’s people, even when vastly outnumbered, have been able to accomplish the impossible.

Hebrews 11:32-40 (NASB77) “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. 39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”

Tourism officials in the city of Jericho hope a new museum will help attract more visitors to the area, because it highlights a tree that could date to the time of Jesus. The Bible records that a tax collector named Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a better of Jesus as he passed through the town. For years a sycamore tree has stood on a side street of the city and attracted a few tourist buses to get a picture of what many believe to be the same tree Zacchaeus climbed. The tree will now be a featured attraction of a Russian-funded museum complex in Jericho. Officials hope the $3 million dollar museum and visitor’s center will encourage more visitors to come to the area.

Local lore has maintained the tree, whose truck measures 7 feet in diameter, is the tree from the Biblical account. It will be ringed with perimeter wall of the museum complex, with a tiled walkway providing access. The Palestinian Tour Director says tests have shown the sycamore tree is more than 2,000 years old, although the exact age cannot be determined because sycamore trees do not have growth rings. The tree does have a rival nearby. In the courtyard of a Greek Orthodox church, the trunk of a dead tree is encased in glass, with a sign proclaiming it to be the tree from the Bible’s account. Anna Boertveit, a tourist from Norway, takes the uncertainty in stride. She says, “Of course, we’ve heard stories from the Bible, and I can image that it would be like this. If it’s really the tree does not matter that much to me.”

--Ancient tree to help turn Jericho into tourism hub, http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i0NOyK___vWLco89kDbEAn0rWwkgD9IJ4R400?docId=D9IJ4R400; October 1, 2010, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

John 20:29 (NASB77) “Jesus * said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’”

Two astronomers from the University of Louisiana believe a previously undetected planet may exist at the edge of our solar system and could be discovered soon. They estimate the unknown planet, which they call Tyche, is up to four times the size of Jupiter the largest planet in the known solar system. Despite the fact that Tyche only exists in the minds of these two astronomers, they believe it will be made up mostly of hydrogen and helium, and might have spots, bands and clouds similar to Jupiter.

The astronomers devised the hidden planet theory to explain why some comets enter the solar system from the wrong direction. They project the gravity from a large unknown planet could generate that effect. Some scientists believe Tyche will be found within two years as recently gathered data from a NASA space probe is analyzed. While some in the scientific community are excited about the possibility, others advise caution, warning that interesting but inconclusive evidence supporting the idea of a new large planet is a long way from proof.

-- http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/02/15/new-giant-planet-may-repeat-may-be-discovered-in-our-solar-system/, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Hebrews 11:1 (CEV) Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.

In Decision Points, George W. Bush writes, “Ultimately, faith is a walk—a journey toward greater understanding. It is not possible to prove God’s existence, but that cannot be the standard for belief. After all, it is equally impossible to prove He doesn’t exist. In the end, whether you believe or don’t believe, your position is based on faith.”

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

A Massachusetts man says an image of Jesus on an old pizza tray changed his life. Josh Mather and his brother had used the tray many times in a brick oven when they owned a sports pub. The bad economy recently forced them to close the business. As a result, the pizza tray wound up stored in Mather’s garage. Mather said he hadn’t noticed it for months.

Just before Ash Wednesday, he went to the garage to get something else. Mather said, “As I opened the two garage doors, this image was right on the left door, looking at me in the face. It totally stopped me.” Mather said he had not been to church in years, but the encounter changed his life. He added, “(I) wasn’t really a believer. I saw this, and I went on Ash Wednesday and got my ashes. It was the first time in 20 years I walked into church on my own, so yeah, it took me.”

--Man discovers Jesus Christ on pizza tray, March 12, 2011, Illustraton by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

While encountering a pizza tray with the image of Jesus won’t really change a person’s life, those who encounter Jesus can experience life transformation.

Acts 10:43 (CEV) Every one of the prophets has said that all who have faith in Jesus will have their sins forgiven in his name.

In Decision Points, George W. Bush writes, “At first I was troubled by my doubts. The notion of a living God was a big leap, especially for someone with a logical mind like mine. Surrendering yourself to an Almighty is a challenge to the ego. But I came to realize that struggles and doubts are natural parts of faith. If you haven’t doubted, you probably haven’t thought very hard about what you believe.”

Romans 10:9-10 (CEV) (9) So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. (10) God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others.

Magdalena is a tortoise hatched in Zilina, Slovakia. Magdalena is actually two tortoises, Magda and Lena, at least they are two heads on one tortoise. Each head has its own brain and nerve system that causes quite a problem. It is a tortoise divided against itself. “The second head sometimes doesn’t allow the tortoise to know where to go,” according to owner Roman Gresak.

James said a person who doubts God is double minded. They don’t know which way to go, like a double headed tortoise. We need to be single minded about our faith in God, trusting him even in difficult situations.

James 1:6-8 (NASB) “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. (7) For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, (8) being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of fame inducted Shock rock musician, Alice Cooper on March 14, 2011. In his prime, Cooper had a macabre stage presence designed to shock audiences. Today Alice Cooper is a believing Christian. In interviews around the Hall of Fame induction Alice Cooper said, “Drinking beer is easy, trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that’s a tough call. That’s real rebellion.”

Jesus warned his disciples that it would sometime be difficult to live for him. Even the famous and popular recognize the difficulty of walking in this fallen world as the citizen of another world.

Matthew 5:10-12 (NASB) (10) "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (11) "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. (12) "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Recently, NASA put several rare artifacts and trinkets from the history of manned space exploration up for auction. Items featured included a letter from Astronaut Neil Armstrong about his first words on the moon, a training glove Armstrong wore, and even the first version of the King James Bible to journey to the lunar surface and back. Most people didn’t know about the bibles because NASA logged them, which were contained on microfilm, as “small microfilm packets.”

The first lunar Bible went to the moon abroad Apollo 14 in February 1971. Astronauts were allowed to take small personal preference kits with them, but strict weight limits imposed on the flights meant the Bible had to be printed on something small like a piece of microfilm. Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Mitchell brought the Bible with him to honor Apollo 1 astronauts Ed White, Gus Grissom, and Roger Chaffee who died in a cabin fire during the early days of the Apollo program. Ed White had always dreamed of taking a Bible to the moon, and Mitchell made that dream a reality. Bobby Livingston, VP of sales with the auction company, said the Bible is an inch and a half square and contains all 1245 pages of the King James Version. Livingston said the words are so small you have to have a microscope to read them. He added, “A lot of astronauts brought religious symbols, like crosses, into space with them. This was just one of the many Bibles that made it down to the surface.”

--Faith in Space: Behind the Mission to Land a Bible on the Moon, http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/09/02/faith-in-space-behind-secret-mission-to-land-bible-on-moon ; September 2, 2011, Illustraton by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Psalm 139:8-10 (GW) (8) If I go up to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in hell, you are there. (9) If I climb upward on the rays of the morning sun {or} land on the most distant shore of the sea where the sun sets, (10) even there your hand would guide me and your right hand would hold on to me.

In The New Republic Leon Wieseltier takes aim at Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s comments regarding the need to face the future on our knees. “This country was not built by people on their knees. It was built by people on their feet, with their hands as they were guided by their minds,” says Wieseltier.

--The Week August 12, 2011 p. 12 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

The biblical truth is neither faith nor works. It is faith and works. The people, who founded our great country, were on their knees, before they got to their feet and did the building.

James 2:14-26 (HCSB) (14) What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food (16) and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? (17) In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself. (18) But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works. (19) You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder. (20) Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? (21) Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? (22) You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected. (23) So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. (24) You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. (25) And in the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route? (26) For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

When faced with a unique challenge, a Tennessee church found they had an opportunity to express their faith in a bold way. In 2010, the church learned that $147,000 that was supposed to been sent as a missions offering had not been received by the Missions Board. Further investigations found that other monies budgeted for their state and local conventions had not been received, and then they found checks stashed in a drawer that were supposed to been written to pay bills. The church employed a forensic audit to look into what they suspected was embezzlement. They discovered that a former financial secretary had diverted more than $1.5 million dollars over a period of several years.

The church’s response was to be open and honest with the congregation when they uncovered the problem. Though they feared members might leave or stop giving, Pastor Dean Haun said they choose to band together “and see God do a miracle in our midst.” They followed Biblical principles when dealing with the former financial secretary, showing her the love of Christ. At the meeting when the problem was revealed, one member stood up and said he would was going to give twice as much to the church, and the congregation applauded. When the meeting was over, Haun says it was evident the church was going to rally, and it did. They recovered over $1 million from insurance, and 2010 was the best year of giving for the church with receipts totaling over $340,000 over budget. They have paid all the money back, and the church is now debt free. Pastor Haun says what the church experienced was nothing short of a miracle. He added, ”God is giving us an opportunity for us to show the difference between the way the world would handle a situation like this and how a Christian should handle it. I have been so proud of our people.”

--$1.5M embezzlement rallies church’s faith, http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=36994 ; January 19, 2012, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Philippians 2:14-16 (GW) Do everything without complaining or arguing. (15) Then you will be blameless and innocent. You will be God's children without any faults among people who are crooked and corrupt. You will shine like stars among them in the world (16) as you hold firmly to the word of life. Then I can brag on the day of Christ that my effort was not wasted and that my work produced results.

When Jennifer Nichols makes her third Olympic appearance in London, she will carry a tiny book of Bible verses in her quiver along with her arrows. Nichols qualified for the Olympics when she won her third consecutive match at final qualifying games. She has never won a gold medal, but says she is training hard for this Olympiad. Nichols shoots between 140 and 250 arrows a day because she has to train her fingers to release the strength in a manner that is very strong and very relaxed.

Nichols’ training involves more than shooting at a target for three to six hours a day. She memorizes scripture while she shoots, and carries the tiny book of verses that she recites while she walks back and forth to the target. She says sometimes she quotes the verse whole on the line to shoot. Nichols says going to the 2012 Olympics is more than about winning a medal to her, it is also about finding her purpose. She said, “I take comfort in knowing that I’m here because the Lord brought me here and having a purpose in what purpose he ahs for me, not necessarily knowing where he’s going to take me, but the excitement of knowing that there is a plan. I’m excited to be able to offer whatever I can to be able to glorify the Lord in what I do.” --Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Inspired by faith, Jennifer Nichols makes third Olympics, http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/archery/story/2012-06-30/jennifer-nichols-olympic-medal-london/55947192/1 ; July 1, 2012,

Ephesians 1:11 GNB All things are done according to God's plan and decision; and God chose us to be his own people in union with Christ because of his own purpose, based on what he had decided from the very beginning.

When agricultural experts from the far away land of Israel arrived in Columbia and explained how the local farmers could make money growing potatoes, nobody believed them. Local farmers from Columbia’s northern desert region, La Guajira told the visitors the land would produce a lot of rocks, but not much else. The northern desert area is known more for mining than agriculture and since potatoes are usually grown in cooler, moist climates, no one expected the experiment proposed by Isaac Gilinski, who currently serves as Columbia’s ambassador to Israeli, would succeed.

Gilinski was convinced that with the proper irrigation equipment, potatoes would grow in the hot, dry climate. He enlisted the help of an Israeli agricultural expert who trained the farmers and helped them build an adequate irrigation system. A year later, hard work and technology paid off, because local farmers harvested 11 tons of potatoes from the normally barren desert. Officials from the Israeli Embassy in Bogota who visited the new potato farms said, “The locals were in shock over this miracle. The farmers here are very conservative by nature, so it was not easy for them to break old habits and try something new. But from their point of view, this was a tremendous success, since a local potato harvest will create a lot of new income.” --Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Israeli Miracle in the Columbian Desert, http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/23264/language/en-US/Default.aspx June 20, 2012,

Isaiah 43:19 GNB Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already---you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.

Researchers with the Barna Group surveyed Christian women and asked them about their top priority and most important role in life. There were many different answers to the poll, but the majority of the women said their top priority was their family followed by their faith. Other answers included health, career, and maintaining a comfortable lifestyle. The majority of the women said their most important role in life was being a parent followed by being a follower of Christ.

Although the matter of faith was not the most common answer for either question, 73 percent of the women said they felt they had a mature faith, and over a third of the respondents said they were “completely” satisfied with their faith. When asked about the results, Lisa Whittle author of the book Whole, said, “I do think it’s both instinctual and a bit of a cultural message to put our kids/family first. So how does the church help us put faith above everything we care most about that sits right in front of us? She added, “We have to help women understand there is a great richness in our roles as wives, moms, executives, ministers, etc., when we put our faith first. When that happens, we stop asking our families, friends, and jobs to be our everything and start enjoying them as a relationship without the burden of defining us To do it this way brings a new freedom.”– Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Do Christian Women Value Family Over Faith?; http://www.christianpost.com/news/do-christian-women-value-family-over-faith-80183; Accessed August 17, 2012.

Proverbs 31:30 (HCSB) “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD will be praised.”

After a fire broke out in the engine room of the cruise ship, Triumph in the Gulf of Mexico, 400-plus passengers and crew endured several days of hardship before the ship could be towed back to port. Joseph and Cecilia Alvarez were among the passengers on that cruise. On the morning the fire broke out, the Alvarez’s were concerned about what might happen, but decided to help encourage others by starting a Bible study. The group gathered on the upper deck and started with a group of 25 people who shared testimonies, prayed, and sang songs of praise along with reading passages from the Psalms. Being part of the group, which was made up of all ages and denominations helped the participants pass the time and keep their focus on the Lord. Mr. Alvarez said the group trusted that God would bring them home safely, and He did. Thinking back on the Bible study, he added, “It uplifted them. You could see it. You could feel it.”
—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Stranded Cruise Passengers Turn to Faith, by Tiffany Jothen, http://www.charismanews.com/us/38295-stranded-cruise-passengers-turn-to-faith?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=
feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Delicious/christianheadlines/positiveheadlines+(Christian+Headlines+-+Positive+Headlines), Accessed February 18, 2013.

Psalm 91:9-11 (ESV) (9) Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— (10) no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. (11) For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

The number of athletes expressing their faith in God before and after games has researchers wondering what impact that is having on the public’s perception of sports and religion. More than half of Americans surveyed said they believed that God rewards athletes who have faith in Him. Even more amazing, is that about one in four also said they believe God plays a role in determining the outcome of sporting events. The view is more prominent in the South where 36 percent of Americans agree that the Almighty plays a role in a game’s outcome. The percentage decreases as you move toward the West Coast. Across the political spectrum, 28 percent of those who claimed to be Democrat and 26 percent of those claiming affiliation with the Republican Party thought that God might influence which team won or lost a game. Researchers say they wonder if this kind of thinking plays a role in responses indicating 76 percent of Americans felt prayer should be allowed before high school football games.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

One in four Americans think God helps decide the outcome of football games, by Rick Chandler, http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2013/01/31/one-in-four-americans-think-god-helps-decide-the-outcome-of-football-games/related/, Accessed January 31, 2013.

Proverbs 16:3 (ESV) Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.

In 1952, 14-year-old- Dave Bell bit into a candy bar, and found a twig inside. He wrote the Pearson Candy Company a letter seeking a replacement bar and included the twig as his proof. He received a letter from George Pearson, the son of one the company’s founders. Person apologized for the twig and explained that it had come from one the peanut vines. Pearson did not send any replacement candy, and Bell promptly filed the letter and forgot it. Sixty years later Bell and his wife moved and he found the old letter. Bell decided to follow-up with the company and sent an email asking about the replacement candy bar. In return, the company sent Bell a collection of their candy products. Christina Czeck, a human resources assistant, said the company’s policy is to send candy if a customer has an issue and it doesn’t matter if the complaint is 60 years old. She said this was the first time she had received a letter about an issue that old, and added, ”I was more surprised he remembered it from that long ago.”-- Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Six decades later, St. Cloud man receives an all-around nutty apology, http://www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013301240011&gcheck=1&nclick_check=1, Accessed January 23, 2013.

2 Timothy 2:13 (ESV) if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

Though scientists cannot fully explain the reasons why, prayer, meditation, and attending religious services appear to have a positive impact on a person’s health. The National Institute for Healthcare Research says that the number of projects examining the relationship have doubled in the past decade. Researchers say they don’t know the exact correlation, but they have found specific health impacts including shorter hospital stays for people who attend church regularly, reduced stress which strengthens the immune system, a lower death rate from cardiovascular disease and cancer, a stronger motivation to help others in similar circumstances, and better coping skills when patients don’t receive what they asked for in prayer.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

7 ways having a little faith may keep you healthy, http://www.pennlive.com/bodyandmind/index.ssf/2013/03/7_ways_having_a_little_faith_m.html, Accessed March 3, 2013.

James 5:16 (ESV) Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Studies have indicated the growth of a new group of Americans in the past few years. This group, referred to “nones,” is those who claim that they are not associated with a particular religious group. Pastor Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv says he believes the growth of this group has more to do with a rejection of certain religious typecasting rather than a growing disbelief in God. The decline in religious affiliation has invited speculation that overall religious belief is also declining, but other studies suggest that is not the case. Twenty percent of Americans said they had no religious preference in 2012, but only three percent said they did not believe in God. That number has on grown by one percentage point in the past 20 years. Groeschel says he thinks the statistics reveal that people are not saying they don’t believe in God, but rather that they don’t believe in religion. In other words, they are not rejecting Jesus, but they are rejecting traditional views of the church. Groeschel said true transformation stems from a relationship with Jesus Christ. He added, ”In order to become a new person, we need Christ. Only through an active ongoing relationship with Jesus can we become transformed and overcome the labels that bind us.”— Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Craig Groschel: ‘Nones’ are Wary of Baggage-Laden labels, by Jeff Schapiro, http://www.christianpost.com/news/craig-groeschel-nones-are-wary-of-baggage-laden-labels-93545, Accessed April 9, 2013.

John 3:18 (ESV) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Many people who live along the Jersey shore took time to attend Easter sunrise services demonstrating their faith is still strong despite the storms they have endured. One pastor who lead a service said tragedy brings people together in ways they normally would not have. Though two iconic crosses in the area were washed away by Superstorm Sandy in the Fall of 2012, many people came out to show that the storm may have damaged their homes, it did not shake their faith. One woman said she thought the storm actually strengthened her faith. Her thoughts were echoed by 18-year-old Sam Plewa, who said he thought Sandy showed God’s grace. Plewa added, ”What it showed us was our mortality. We often feel we are invisible, but for me, it’s a reminder of how much we need God. Without Him things like this are just impossible to get through.”— Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Easter sunrise services overflow with faith after Sandy, By Michele Gladden,
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/31/easter-sunday-sandy-faith/2040045/, Accessed March 31, 2013.

James 1:2-3 (ESV) (2) Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, (3) for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Speaking to a group of college students in the Spring of 2013, former New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow, told the crowd that regardless of what happens with his career, his main goal is to impact lives, whether he is on or off the field. Regardless of the controversy that surrounds him, a survey taken by Forbes.com found that Tebow remains America’s most influential athlete. The NFL player did not answer questions about his release by the Jets or his career possibilities. He was invited to be part of a speaker’s series at the college, and spent the time talking with the moderator about his Christian faith, his competitive nature, his love of family, and his high school and college football careers. When asked about the Forbes survey, Tebow said it was a great honor. He said, “I see it as a great responsibility to be a role model for future generations That’s something I care about more than winning football games. When a kid is a hospital is fighting for his life and I’m trying to win a football game, what really matters? This game isn’t as important as a lot of us make it out to be. If I can give him a little bit of hope, I can do something that matters. That’s what I want my legacy to be about. That’s how I want to be remembered.” When asked about his future, Tebow repeated one of his favorite sayings: “I don’t know what the future holds but at the end of the day I know who holds my future.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Tebow knows 'who holds my future', http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=40304, Accessed May 14, 2013.

James 4:14 (CEV) What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little while before it disappears.

Felix Baumgartner will go down in history for many things, particularly for being the first man to break the sound barrier without vehicular power. That's right - Felix is a stuntman/risk taker to the extreme. His expertise? Skydiving. On October 14, 2012 Felix took a helium balloon up into the stratosphere and jumped to the earth. He is the first man to attempt such a jump. In this midst of his 4-minute plus free fall Felix had to stabilize himself and fight to keep consciousness. The result was a completed goal and an incredible legacy. –Jim L. Wilson and Tessa Johnstone

Felix Baumgartner: Supersonic Skydive 'Like Swimming Without Touching the Water' by Ryan Owens http://abcnews.go.com/US/felix-baumgartner-supersonic-skydive-swimming-touching-water/story?id=17479415#.UJGwIGe4J8E (accessed on October 27, 2012)

God asks us to take leaps of faith to trust him every day. Maybe they are not as intense as falling to the earth from the stratosphere, but sometimes they are risks that feel just as difficult for us. The key to doing this is submitting in faith and trusting in God’s power.

Hebrews 11:6 (HCSB) Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

Baltimore Orioles First baseman Chris Davis says his journey in baseball has taught him some important lessons about life. Davis was originally called up to the big leagues by the Texas Rangers in September, 2010. The Rangers went to the World Series that year, but since Davis was not hitting well, he was not on the post-season roster. He was traded to Baltimore the following season and spent two seasons back and forth between the majors and the minor leagues. Davis was worried about his career in baseball, and says during that time, God taught his some valuable lessons. He was encouraged by teammates to spend more time with God each day. He listened to their encouragement and gained new insight. Davis learned to trust God and to stop wringing his hands over every at bat. He also learned to work hard and still enjoy life. He began to realize that baseball is a game, but life is not. When asked about his recent resurgence as a hitter, Davis credited consistency. He said being in the lineup every day and knowing where he is going to hit has helped him. Davis added, ”Looking back, I’ve grown so much not only as a man but as a Christian, knowing that there are times when it looks like there’s no end in sight, no light at the end of the tunnel, but if you continue to put your faith in God.-- Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

SPORTS: Orioles' Davis strives for godliness, by Joshua Cooley, http://baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=41134, Accessed September 20, 2013.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; (6) In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Though five years have passed since the last major financial crisis, many Americans say they are still very concerned about their job security. U.S. workers say they are most concerned about having their benefits reduced, or their hours cut. A Gallup survey found 43 percent of American workers say having their benefits reduced is a primary worry for them, while between 25 and 33 percent say they still fear being laid off, or seeing a reduction in pay. The polling agency says in most cases the overall level of worry has decreased since 2008 and 2009, but the levels still remain fairly high.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Poll: Americans still worry about layoffs, hours, benefits, http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2013/09/02/Poll-Americans-still-worry- about-layoffs-hours-benefits/UPI-94271378132232/?spt=hts&or=5, Accessed September 2, 2013.

Matthew 6:30-31 (NASB) "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! (31) "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'

A mining company in Belarus has introduced what they say in the largest dump truck in the world. The 27-foot-tall vehicle, known by the number 75710, is powered by two 65-liter 16-cylinder engines and puts out more torque than 17 large Ford pickups. The truck is so big that it must be delivered in pieces, and assembled on the job site. It has a two-axle steering mechanism, but still takes an area equal to half a football field to turn around. The eight wheeled vehicle weighs 750,000 pounds and can carry nearly one million pounds of rocks and dirt in the dump bed.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

World's largest dump truck stakes its claim, http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/10/03/world-largest-dump-truck-stakes-its-claim, Accessed October 3, 2013./

Matthew 17:20 (NASB) And He *said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

When Austrian mathematician Kurt Godel died in 1987, he left behind a theorem based on modal logic stating that God must exist. Godel argued that assumptions which cannot be proven can often be expressed as mathematical equations, which means that ultimately they can be proven. His calculations were very complex, but basically he was saying that since God exists in the understanding of the concept, people could conceive of him as greater if He existed in reality, therefore God must exist. Using an ordinary notebook computer, two German researchers have shown that Godel’s proof was correct. The researchers, Christoph Benzmuller and Bruno Paleo, say the real news is not actually proving the existence of God, rather, they say that by using computers to work on complicated theorems, virtually anything becomes possible. They used Godel’s theorem instead of more obscure math because they thought it was something that everyone could relate to. The researchers said their work might eventually be applied to forms of artificial intelligence, or computer software solutions. Benzmuller said, “It’s totally amazing that from this argument led by Godel, all this stuff can be proven automatically in a few seconds or less on a standard notebook.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Holy Logic: Computer Scientists 'Prove' God Exists,By David Knight, http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/scientists-use-computer-to-mathematically-prove-goedel-god-theorem-a-928668.html, Accessed October 23, 2013.

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

An Associated Press-GfK poll asked Americans how much they trust others in everyday situations and found that most Americans find it hard to trust other people. Some examples include 78 percent of people saying that did not have a lot of faith in people they meet while traveling, and three quarters of the respondents saying they did not trust people driving cars while they were driving, biking, or walking. Two thirds of the people who answered said they did not trust the people who swipe their credit or debit card when they buy something, and 60 per cent don’t trust their “friends” on social media such as Facebook. Not surprisingly, the survey found over 80 per cent of respondents said they trusted government officials to do what is right only some of the time. The National Science Foundation has conducted regular surveys since 1972, and the results of this poll agree with those findings.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

You Can Trust Us on This, but You Probably Won't, by Connie Cass and Dennis Junius, http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/trust-us-21066083, Accessed December 2, 2013.

Psalm 118:8 (NASB) It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man.

Lizzie Velasquez is one of three people in the world who suffer from a rare genetic disorder that prevents a person from gaining weight. She has never weighed more than 62 pounds and she was born blind in her right eye. To make matters worse, right before her junior year of high school, Velasquez discovered a video of herself online labeled, “The World’s Ugliest Woman.” The video had 4 million hits, and even though Velasquez’s parent tried to get it taken down, the person who posted it, refused and stated he would remove it. Rather than turn to misery and self-pity, Velasquez faced the matter head on. She had already talked to high-schoolers about her condition, so she began to speak every time the opportunity arose. She quickly had a worldwide stage, and even wrote three books, including one entitled, Be Beautiful, Be You. Velasquez recently graduated from Texas State University, and says her faith has helped her endure during the difficult times. She said, “It’s been my rock through everything, just having the time to be alone and pray and talk to God and know that He’s there for me.” She added, ”Even when it seems like tings will never get better in the darkest times, if you have faith and continue to push yourself, you can eventually get through anything.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

World’s Ugliest Woman’ Proves That Jesus Makes All Things Beautiful , By Ken Walker, http://www.charismanews.com/us/42243-world-s-ugliest-woman-proves-that-jesus-makes-all-things-beautiful, Accessed December 31, 2013.

Matthew 17:20 (ESV) He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

For centuries, travelers have referred to the Polaris, the North Star, as being a constant beacon to rely on. Recent research has found that the star is actually changing and has gotten brighter in the last few years. Scott Engle of Villanova University in Pennsylvania says the star is not a Standard Candle class object whose known brightness can be used to measure distances in space. Instead, scientists discovered about 100 years ago that Polaris is a Cepheid variable pulsating object. Looking back in history, Engle says the star appears to be more than four times brighter than it was in ancient times. Even though it went through a dimmer period about 20 years ago, Polaris is currently growing brighter. Engle says Cepheids like Polaris have been prized because even though they do pulsate, they remain fairly consistent. He added, ”It is possible that a good bit of Cepheids are undergoing these changes. They might be very, very complex stars, much more than we originally thought.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

The North Star Polaris is getting brighter, By Nola Taylor Redd,
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/02/05/north-star-polaris-is-getting-brighter/?cmpid=NL_SciTech, Accessed February 5, 2014.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV) (58) Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life conducted a survey that states 78% of the adults in America classify themselves as Christian (this includes Protestant, Catholics, Mormons, etc). Only 5.8% of those adults claim religion is "somewhat important or very important" in their lives. That is a scary statistic! The margin between being a Christian and claiming it is important in their lives is too large. –Jim L. Wilson and Joe Lam

James 1:26 (ESV) (26) If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

Bill Gates is considered the richest man in the world, with an estimated wealth of 76$ billion. In 2000, he founded a foundation ranked as one of the most generous in the world, and he has since stepped down from his position as chairman of Microsoft to focus on philanthropy. When Gates was asked about his thoughts on God and the issues facing the world today, he said he and his wife had raised their children in church. When asked if he believed in God, Gates said it made sense to him to believe, but wasn’t sure if that had caused him to make decisions differently. Speaking about other issues in the world today, Gates said, ”Before we really began to understand disease and the weather and things like that, we sought false explanations for them. Now science has filled in some of the realm – not all – that religion used to fill. But the mystery and the beauty of the world is overwhelmingly amazing, and there’s no scientific explanation of how it came about. To say that it was generated by random numbers that does seem, you know, sort of an uncharitable view.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.
Bill Gates Reveals Family Goes to Catholic Church: 'It Makes Sense to Believe in God', By Stoyan Zaimov,http://www.christianpost.com/news/bill-gates-reveals-family-goes-to-catholic-church-it-makes-sense-to-believe-in-god-116166, Accessed March 14, 2014.

John 14:1 (HCSB) “Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.

When it comes to their favorite team winning the championship, most Americans don’t think God or the devil pick will pick the winner, but some will pray or perform game-day rituals just in case. A survey released by the Public Religion Research Institute looked at the link between team spirit and fan spirituality. The survey found that 60 percent of Americans say they are fans of a particular team, and many of them said they would do something to help their team along in an important game. Almost a quarter of those fans will wear special clothes such as a team jersey on game-day and 26 percent said they would pray and ask God to help their team win. According to the results football fans are more likely than fans of other sports to admit praying for their team or performing some ritual before the game, and although three-quarters of respondents said God played no role in a victory, 48 percent said they believed God rewarded faith-filled athletes with good health or success and 47 percent did not believe that.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.
Fans rely on God, rituals to boost favorite team, By Cathy Lynn Grossman, http://www.religionnews.com/2014/01/16/survey-1-4-americans-ask-god-help-favorite-sports-team, Accessed January 16, 2014.

Psalm 20:7 (HCSB) (7) Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of Yahweh our God.

It has been said that your reactions are a better indicator of what you really believe than your actions. Franklin Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham and Fox News Channel host Greta Van Susteren recently found out how true that statement really is. Graham, Van Susteren, and a group of people were riding in an elevator in an old office building when it suddenly stopped, jerked violently, and began to fall. Van Susteren recorded the incident on her cell phone and described what happened after the group was able to pry open the elevator doors and escape the situation. She said she was afraid that the elevator was going to break loose and fall to the bottom of the shaft which would have meant certain death. On the video, the Reverend Graham is heard calmly describing what he felt would happen if the elevator were to plunge to the bottom of the shaft. Graham said, “If it goes down, I’m going up.”—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

Watch The 7 Faith-Filled Words Rev. Franklin Graham Said During Scary Plunging-Elevator Mishap, By Norvell Rose, http://www.westernjournalism.com/watch-7-faith-filled-words-rev-franklin-graham-said-scary-plunging-elevator-mishap/#tFAR9AkjOjxkHcs5.97, Accessed January 23, 2015.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

NBA MVP, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry led his team to an historic championship. Curry became just the sixth player in NBA history to win his first MVP and first title in the same season. He also made waves for a record-breaking 98 three-point shots during the playoffs. Curry often points with his right index finger every time he makes a three-pointer as a way of proclaiming his love and faith towards Jesus Christ. Curry also designed a shoe that had the number 4:13 on the bottom representing Philippians 4:13. He says that verse is on his shoe because, “Each game is an opportunity to be on a great stage and be a witness for Christ. When I step on the floor, people should know how I represent, who I believe in.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Stephen Curry, Christian NBA star, credits God for success, leads Warriors to historic NBA title, Czarina Ong, http://www.christiantoday.com/article/stephen.curry.christian.nba.star.credits.god.for.success.after.setting.record.of.98.3.pointers.in.nba.playoffs/56405.htm, Accessed June 17, 2015.

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) (13) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

An optometrist in British Columbia has invented a surgically implantable bionic lens that could give patients perfect vision and make glasses, contact lenses, and laser surgery obsolete. Replacing your eye lens with this lens would take about eight minutes and your eyesight would not only improve at once, it would be three times better than 20/20 vision. Approval for the lens is still about two years away.

The Bible says we have need of a faith lens as well. This lens helps us to see things with spiritual eyes that our physical eyes don’t see. The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 were able to live by faith because they could see a city of faith that cannot be seen by physical eyes. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Hebrews 11:9-10 (NASB) “By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; (10) for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

Cloaking devices or covers that make objects invisible are common in science fiction. In the real world, it’s not so easy to do, but scientists say they have tested a device that could make invisibility a reality. Researchers said they successfully tested thin invisibility cloak made of microscopic rectangular gold blocks. These blocks conform to the shape of an object and make it invisible using regular light. The cloak wrapped around a three-dimensional object shaped with bumps and dents. The surface rerouted light waves scattered from the object and made it impossible to see. Though the object used in the test was very small, the researchers think it would be possible to make the technology work on a larger scale. The study’s lead author said, “The fact that we can make a curved surface appear flat also means that we can make it look like anything else. We also can make a flat surface appear curved.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Now you see it, now you don't: invisibility cloak nears reality, By Will Dunham,
http://news.yahoo.com/now-see-now-dont-invisibility-cloak-nears-reality-010435775.html, September 17, 2015.

Hebrews 11:1 (HCSB) Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.

NFL Quarterback Tim Tebow got a lot of playing time during the 2015 pre-season, but in the end, he was cut from the Philadelphia Eagles rooster. Coach Chip Kelly said he did was not sure the quarterback was good enough to retain for the regular season. When a reporter caught up with Tebow later, he did not say anything about the coach in return. Instead, he said the decision was “not up to me.” His statement was supported by a tweet, he sent out the next day. Tebow quoted Romans 8:28.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Tim Tebow offers Bible verse in response to Eagles cut,
http://www.breitbart.com/sports/2015/09/06/tim-tebow-offers-bible-verse-in-response-to-eagles-cut, Accessed September 6, 2015.

Romans 8:28 (HCSB) We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

In New York, around 100 people gathered for a meeting wearing buttons “I believe.” This was not a religious gathering, it was a group of people that came together to talk about their belief that Sasquatch exists.—Jim L. Wilson

It is not enough to have faith. You must believe in the right thing. Christian faith is not based on the unreasonable, but on a belief that survives trails and testing.

Faith

When Audrey Martin arrived at a Tennessee church she did not expect to be called onstage, nor did she expect to receive a large tip. When Martin delivered the ten pizzas the church had ordered, the pastor Tony McAfee asked to come on stage and paid her for the pizzas. He then explained that many churches do not tip as well as they should, and challenged the congregation to help give Martin a good tip in the spirit of the holidays. The church collected nearly $1,400 to give as a tip. McAfee said they decided to bless someone because they wanted to show how thankful they were for God’s goodness. Martin is a single mom who depends on her delivery job to make ends meet for her family. She said now she would be able to give her children a good Christmas and a better place for her kids to live. Martin wiped tears away as the congregation came forward to contribute to the tip. Pastor McAfee said he wanted her to know they appreciated her. He added, “One of the greatest ways to illustrate our faith is action. Faith without works in dead.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

James 2:17–18 (HCSB)“In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself. ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works.”

Faith

A California man, who was lost out of bounds at a ski area, says he credits the ski patrol and his faith in God for his rescue. Michael Nessi said that after he became lost, he had intermittent cell service and was finally able to text his wife, but no one knew exactly where he was. While waiting in the cold, Nessi began to recite Psalm 23, reminding himself that the Lord was his shepherd. He tried to follow some tracks in the snow, but they didn’t lead him anywhere. As it got dark, Nessi was concerned he might hit a tree, so he built a temporary shelter and continued praying the Psalm. Around midnight he finally heard voices and saw the lights of rescue crews heading his way. Nessi said the ski patrol did a great job and he was thankful for them. He said one of the most meaningful parts of the Psalm he prayed was, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Skier rescued after spending hours on frigid mountain says his faith helped see him

Psalm 23 (HCSB) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. ² He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. ³ He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake. ⁴ Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff —they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶ Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

Faith

J. I. Packer, the British theologian and author, has macular degeneration, resulting in his inability to read no write. The author of the much loved book, Knowing God, is showing the world that indeed, he does know him.

After calling his condition “a clear indication from Headquarters,’ Packer is experienced enough with God not to doubt him. “God knows what He’s up to,” Packer commented.

This circumstance calls to mind the faith of Stephen, who when he was stoned, asked God to forgive his stoners and receive his spirit. — Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/j-i-packer-89-on-losing-sight-but-seeing-christ

Acts 7:59–60 (HCSB) They were stoning Stephen as he called out: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” ⁶⁰ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin!” And saying this, he fell asleep.

Louis Jordan was on a fishing trip on his 35-foot-sailboat felt when he encountered rough weather, which disabled his boat. While he was missing for more than 60 days, he said his time stranded much longer. Jordan was able to catch fish and use a portable stove to make pancakes and dry the fish. He survived by rationing food and conserving energy. Louis rationed water but began begging God to send rain when supplies began to run out. He said, “And finally, right before I ran out of water, finally the conditions were perfect.” –Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

http://wishtv.com/2016/04/04/sailor-missing-since-january-rescued , Accessed April 7, 2016.

Psalm 37:5 (HCSB)“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act,”

A Bible dating for the battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolution highlights the faith of a soldier who fought at that time. The Bible belonged to Francis Merrifield who was born in Massachusetts in 1735. Merrifield fought in the French and Indian War and served as a sergeant under Captain Nathaniel Wade at Bunker Hill. Merrifield survived heavy fighting which claimed the lives of more than 100 American troops. He was one of the last men to leave the field and later wrote in the cover of his Bible thanking God for his survival. Merrifield thanked the Lord for spring his life and delivering him in the battle. The vice president of collections at the museum that will display the Bible, R. Scott Stephenson said, “This Bible is one of only two known to exist from the Battle of Bunker Hill and is an authentic witness to one of the most iconic moments of the Revolutionary War. It provides an incredible opportunity to showcase the role that religious faith played in sustaining those who were involved in the American Revolution.” —Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Soldier’s faith: rare Bible carried at the battle of Bunker Hill has moving inscriptions, By James Rogers, http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/06/02/soldiers-faith-rare-bible-carried-at-battle-bunker-hill-has-moving-inscriptions.html, Accessed June 2, 2016.

The youth group from Pathway of the Cross Church in Lubbock, Texas raised $7,000 to make the 1,100-mile trip to Louisville, Kentucky, but on the way, thieves broke into their van and took their money, performance outfits, clothes, phones, and wallets. Rather than go home, they continued the trip, unsure of what would happen. When they arrived at their motel, they learned that people who heard of their plight had raised $5,200 to give them. They were able to visit an nearby mall and get what they needed for the week. Youth pastor Drew Medrano said it became a time when each of them experienced God’s provision. He said, “The closer you are to God and the bigger the plan you have to achieve what he has for you, the more you’ll be attacked. But don’t worry about it, the battle is already won, and God’s bigger than anything that will come.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Youth Group Robbed, But Continues Journey in Faith By Dan Van Neen, http://penews.org/features/youth-group-robbed-but-continues-journey-in-faith, Accessed August 16, 2016.

Romans 8:31 (HCSB)“What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”

For those who have faith in technology, a company in Singapore has made rides in a self-driving taxi available to the public. The trial area is limited to a 2.5 mile square in a business and residential district called “one north.” To get a ride, passengers have to use a special app and request the ‘robo-car’ option. Passengers can ride free, but they must be older than 18, book in advance, and sign a liability waiver. For the time being, the cars have a safety driver who can take over if needed and a researcher in the back to monitor the car’s computer system. The company plans to expand their fleet before the end of 2016, and plan to have a fully self-driving fleet by 2018. —Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Hebrews 11:1 (HCSB) “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”

FAITH

A new survey examining American views on theology has uncovered some surprising statistics. The survey conducted by Lifeway Research found that six in ten of those questioned believe that everyone eventually goes to heaven.”–By Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

Romans 10:9–10 (HCSB)“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.”

Mark Zilio’s job was to promote a local costume store, while dressed in a Spider-Man costume. However, when he saw someone attempting to walk off with store merchandise, he did more than play the role of the super hero he sprung into action and saved the costume store from intended theft. —Jim L. Wilson and Daniel Noh

James 2:14 (HCSB) “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him?”

Joseph Reginella recently erected a fake 250Ib monument to the victims of a ferry disaster at the southern tip of Manhattan. The memorial features an image of a giant octopus pulling down a ferry full of people. Reginella got the idea for the monument when he was telling a fake story to his 11-year-old nephew while riding the fairy between Manhattan and Staten Island. It made him wonder how gullible people really are.

Reginella said “It’s definitely an experience when you see people who don’t know about it.” “They get this strange look on their face, they stare out at the water and walk away….”

A dose of skepticism isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Things that are worth believing in will stand anyone’s scrutiny. —Jim L. Wilson and James Whitten

John 20:27 (HCSB) “Then He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and observe My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Don’t be an unbeliever, but a believer.’”

Twenty-five years ago, a jury convicted Howard Dudley of molesting his daughter and sentenced him to life in prison. Today he is a free man. After his daughter retracted her story, a judge overturned his conviction.

Dudley credits his faith for sustaining him through a life of loss. He said, “There were times when my faith wavered. There were times when I faltered, but God was there to pick me up. That’s who I give the glory to.”

His son, Dennis Dudley was just two years old when his dad was sentenced to life. Now, he has a two-year old, and is looking forward to his son being mentored by his granddad. —Jim L. Wilson & Craig Wright

Hebrews 11:1 (HCSB)“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”

Over the holidays, the Klein’s set out for a week of vacation. They decided to visit one of the world’s wonders, the Grand Canyon. On the North Rim, they were stuck on a forest road. The family decided the mom, Karen, would walk to find help. She traveled over 26 miles in the frozen wilderness. Searching for help, she ran out of food, surviving by eating twigs and drinking her own urine. She managed to find an empty ranger station and took refuge, rocking back and forth to not fall asleep. It was Karen’s determination that kept her alive. She said, “I can't leave my son without a mom. I can't leave my husband without a wife. I'm not letting my parents bury me. I was determined that this is not how my life is going to end."

It was this determination that allowed her to keep moving, stay alive, and overcome the situation. —Jim L. Wilson & Jeff DeGiacomo

Romans 12:12 (CSB) “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.”

Samir Singh, the ultra marathon runner from India had set a huge goal for himself, but ended just short of his achieving his dream. Singh, who was called “The Faith Runner,” spent three months running between the slums and business district of Mumbai. He set a goal of running 10,000 km in 100 days when he began his quest April 29, 2017. Each day people from surrounding areas would run along with him, but as his quest continued Singh battled illness and monsoon rains. To reach his target Singh needed to run 150km (93 miles), but his physical condition forced him to stop 36 km short of his goal. Singh plans to try to reach of goal of 40,000 km after he recovers. He said, “I have not met my mother for a while as she would be heartbroken looking at my sunken face.” He added,” But I happy so many people are invested in my story right now.”—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

Hebrews 2:1–2 (CSB) “For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment.”

“For more and more Americans, politics has become a religion,” writes Peggy Noonan. “People find their meaning in it. They define themselves by their stands.” Trevin Wax, in his book This is Our Time: Everyday Myths in Light of the Gospel, agrees with Noonan. He says “Our country is still faith filled; it is just that today our faith is misplaced. Too often it’s directed toward government, not God. And many of our frustrations come when we realize government can’t ultimately save us.” Peggy Noonan attributes much of the animosity in our culture to this idolatry of government. “When politics becomes a religion, then simple disagreements become apostasies, heresies. And you know what we do with heretics.”

The opportunity of the church is to continue pointing people to the true God who can truly save us. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Wax, Trevin . This Is Our Time: Everyday Myths in Light of the Gospel (Kindle Locations 2007-2011). B&H Books. Kindle Edition.

Do not have other gods besides me. Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.

One of the inmates at a low-security federal facility in Colorado is the former governor of Illinois. The judge sentenced Rod Blagojevich to 14 years in prison in 2012 on charges of bribery and corruption. He has had a lot of time to reflect over the past 5 years.

With that much time Blagojevich has begun to read the Bible. “It’s the first thing I do every morning,” he says. In a day devoted to reading, writing, and exercising, reading and rereading the Bible has helped him to understand it better and he claims It has done wonders for his mental and emotional fortitude.

Blagojevich is not the first prisoner to turn to faith in a difficult time. God, His Word, and our faith are always available in the tough times. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Hebrews 11:1 (CSB) “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”

During the 2017 shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX, Pastor Frank Pomeroy and his wife lost 26 members of their church family, including their own 14-year-old daughter. As the nation sat stunned at the news of the largest mass shooting in Texas history, the media requested a statement from Pastor Pomeroy. It was in an interview a day later that he made this profound statement of faith: “I don’t understand, but I know my God does, and that’s where I’ll leave that.” —Jim L. Wilson and Casey Withers

We don’t always know the ‘whys’ of our circumstances, but we do know the ‘who’ of our circumstances. God is in control, and even if that is all we know, it is enough for us to stand firm in our faith. God often gives us our greatest platforms for displaying faith as we face adversity, and Pastor Pomeroy showed that his personal relationship with God was all he needed to carry on. That is faith that glorifies God!

Ruben Enaje has been nailed to a cross every Good Friday for over 30 years as part of a yearly re-enactment of the crucifixion. He is among three men who are actually nailed to wooden crosses in the village of Cutud. Actors wearing Roman soldier costumes attached to Enaje and the others to crosses with two-inch nails soaked in alcohol through their feet and hands, and then hoisted them up in a field filled with sightseers and tourists. Enaje said in the past, he went home injured and limping, but the last few years, he has not felt the same pain. He said he thinks his faith helps him manage the pain and he expects to be part of the ritual for a few more years. Local church authorities said they tolerate the event, but do not support such displays because they are a “misinterpretation of faith.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

In the movie The Lion King, Simba, the baby lion, takes his friend Nala to the Elephant Graveyard. Although this was strictly forbidden by his father, Simba laughs at the face of danger in order to impress his friend. Once there, they are chased by the dangerous hyenas and eventually get cornered. In desperation, Simba tries to roar at the hyenas but only a laughable growl of a baby lion comes out. As the hyenas are encroaching upon then, they taunt Simba to try again. This time, Simba takes a step back and gets ready to roar again with all of his might. To the viewers’ surprise, the thunderous roar of a fully-grown male lion bursts out into the theater. Mufasa, Simba’s father, roared in the background. —Jim L. Wilson and Min Lee

Although in our own strength, our efforts are too weak and useless to make a real impact for God’s Kingdom. However, we are to step out in faith, depending on the power of God as He uses us as channels of His power and glory.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 (CSB)“Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: Not many were wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one may boast in his presence. It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Andrea Gaylord was forced to leave her home in Paradise, California because of the Camp fire. Her dogs, Miguel and Madison spent a lot of time outdoors, but she did not have time to locate them before she left. Fearing the worst, Gaylord checked with local shelters. She learned that Miguel had been rescued by an animal rescue volunteer, but there was no trace of Madison. The worker left food and water outside the home in case the dog returned, but never saw the other dog until the evacuation order was lifted. When Gaylord arrived home, Madison was waiting to greet her. Gaylord was overjoyed to find her dog alive and told a local television reporter, “Imagine the loyalty of hanging on in the worst of circumstances and being here waiting. It was so emotional.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Psalm 100:5 (CSB)“For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.”

FAITH

Kara Tippett took a question posed by Martin Luther, “What will you do in the mundane days of faithfulness?” and intended to write a blog with topics like the daily grind of laundry, screaming kids, and getting dinner on the table. She would write of living by faith through the everyday weariness and joy inherent to motherhood and wife-hood. The blog’s focus quickly took on new meaning when just a few months later she was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer. Her blog became posts concerning living by faith with a terminal illness. She wrote in one of the last posts before she died, “I do not feel like I have the courage for this journey, but I have Jesus- and He will provide it. He has given me so much to be grateful for, and that gratitude, that wondering over His love will cover us all.”

Ready to share with the world how to live by faith being a mother and wife, she became a voice for living by faith in the face of death. She did it well. In the three years from diagnosis to death, she wrote two books, spoke at numerous churches, and maintained her blog. Now a movie about her struggle, The Long Goodbye, is playing on Netflix. Kara Tippett shows the world how God gifts his children with the grace and the faith they need, when they need it. –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (CSB “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

While the coronavirus pandemic spread across America in 2020, a poll taken by the University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated Press indicated the event may have prompted people to look for a deeper meaning. The poll found that believers of all faiths felt the outbreak could be a sign that God was telling humanity to change how they live. The poll was conducted among people who claimed to believe in God, without specifying a specific faith. The degree and nature of protection God provided differed depending on the person, but many felt that the Lord would protect them in some way.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,” the Lord said, “you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

While the coronavirus pandemic spread across America in 2020, a poll taken by the University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated Press indicated the event may have prompted people to look for a deeper meaning. The poll was conducted among people who claimed to believe in God, without specifying a specific faith. Some people reported the virus made them more likely to doubt God’s existence, but most reported a favorable change, and 2% reported they believe in God now, but didn’t before. Kathryn Lofton, who collaborated in the study said, “When people get asked about God, they often interpret it immediately as power.” She said they usually answer the question saying, ‘Here’s where the power is to change the thing I experience.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,” the Lord said, “you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

According to www.medicalnewstoday.com, “the simple presence of religious faith in someone’s life has ties to longevity.” —Jim L. Wilson

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I love stories about the simple childlike faith of children. Here is a sampling of third grade children’s praying from their childlike faith.

“Dear God, how come you didn’t invent any new animals lately? We still have just all the old ones.

Dear God, I bet it is very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only four people in our family, and I can never do it.

Not only are these simple prayers cute, the attitude behind them is critical. We need to learn to come to Jesus like a child. —Jim Wilson and Rodger Russell

Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

As part of a multi-million-dollar roof restoration project at an English Manor house, workers lifted had to remove the floorboard of the attic for the first time in centuries. Archaeologists expected to find a few coins, bits of paper, and other debris that had fallen through the cracks. Instead, they uncovered a collection of more than 2,000 items dating back as far as the 15^th century. They said the discoveries offered a glimpse into the lives and faith of the former residents. Researchers found fragments of 450-year-old handwritten music and an intact 1568 copy of the book, The Kynges Psalms, by John Fisher. They also found strips of Tudor and Georgian silks, wools, leather, velvet, and satin, along with a 600-year-old parchment with gold-leaf and bright blue ink, which contained Psalm 39, from a copy of the Latin Vulgate Bible. Researchers believe some of the materials date to a time of religious persecution during the Elizabethan era. Sir Edmund Bedingfeld built the home in 1482 and descendants of the builder still live in the home. Curator of the British National Trust, Anna Forrest said, “It really feels like [these artifacts] are shining a window on the world of the Bedingfelds from centuries ago. It’s telling us what they ore, what they did in their spare time, what they were reading, possibly even what music they were playing. It’s incredible.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

NFL referee Sarah Thomas said her biggest achievement in 2020 was not reaching the milestone of becoming the first woman to officiate the Super Bowl, but rather the growth she saw because of her faith. During an interview, Thomas said in the height of the pandemic in June 2020, she was out of control, did not even know if she would work, because the NFL season was in doubt. She talked with several friends and her parents, who all encouraged her to keep going and not lose hope. Thomas credited her parents who raised her in a Christian household and helped her build the perseverance and determination. Thomas said her faith was the biggest triumph of the year because she learned to dig in more and not doubt so much. She added, “I grew much stronger in my faith. I will tell you; the Good Lord knew I was gonna be in the Super Bowl, and that’s when He was just saying, ’Be still, Let Me take the wheel.’”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Diver Karl Bly has found other objects while diving near Sacramento California. Recently, he found a gold ring and successfully returned it to the owner. Bly said he could not tell how long the ring had been at the bottom of the American River but he knew someone would want it back so he used social media to track down Adam Papini. Papini confirmed he had lost the ring and said he had been looking for it himself. Although he had not been successful, Papini said he had faith he would get the ring back. When the men met to put the lost ring back on Papini’s finger, he said “I’ll remember this moment for the rest of my life and I could eventually pass this ring down to my grandchildren and share this with them.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/04/15/diver-wedding-band-American-River-Karl-Bly/4881618515105/

A study released by Arizona Christian University suggests there are significant statistical differences between what various generations in America believe about spiritual issues and behaviors. The study found that some of the biggest differences are found in the definitions of success, abortion, biblical practices, and things like karma and horoscopes. Two major findings included 90 percent of older generations believe you treat people the way you want them to treat you, but less than half of millennials would agree. 28 percent of older generations say they are not sure about the existence of God while 43 percent of millennials said they did not know, care, or believe that God existed. The authors of the study reported that there have always been generational differences in what people believe and there is no clear understanding of why that occurs. They said that while God never changes each generation takes a different path toward figuring out what that means.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell