Army Captain Jeff Ryals serves as an intelligence officer with the 3rd Squadron, 7th Calvary Regiment of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. While he served in Iraq, he carried a family heirloom and a symbol of his faith with him in his shirt pocket.

Ryals carried a small steel-covered Bible that his father had in Vietnam, and his grandfather carried during World War II.

Ryal’s father, Jack says he took it to Vietnam in 1970. He says, though the Bible went to Iraq, it still had some Vietnamese dirt on it. Bibles with steel covers were popular during the Second World War. Troops often carried them in the left shirt pocket and said the special Bibles were able to stop a bullet.

Though the Ryals Bible never stopped a bullet, the New Testament is a little worn and tattered, as it headed off to Iraq. When Jeff Ryals left for duty in Iraq, the family inscribed a personal message of encouragement inside. Jack Ryals declined to reveal what the new inscription said, but he added it was directly under the inscription placed in the Bible when he received it over 30 years ago. The inscription that guided Jack Ryals through his days in Vietnam reads, “Different war, same God, and the same blessing goes with you.”

—Associated Press, Florida Family’s Steel-Covered Bible Taken Into Battle Again, April 1, 2003. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Isaiah 40:8 NIV “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

Scholars have discovered that ancient Jewish historical works contain evidence indicating that the first book of the New Testament was actually written by Jesus’ apostle Matthew. As these scholars continue to research the history of early Christianity, they uncover evidence showing the Gospels of the New Testament are more reliable than other scholars once thought.

Since the 1800s, groups of scholars have argued that though Jesus probably was a real person, the four Gospels are likely myths composed by authors who attributed miracles and powers to him that he never possessed. The same scholars concluded the Gospel wasn’t written before 85 AD, and perhaps as late as 135 AD. They reasoned that if the author was not actually a witness, the Gospel became less credible. A recent essay by Israel Yuval of Jerusalem’s Hebrew university reports that a find in the Jewish Talmud appears to show that the book of Matthew was written far earlier than some scholars contend.

Yuval wrote that a leading rabbinical scholar of the time was “considered to have authored a sophisticated parody of the Gospel according to Matthew.” The parody, written by Rabbi Gamaliel is believed to have been composed around 73 AD. A study of the parody’s wording indicates it was based on an earlier existing test, which likely was the Gospel of Matthew.

Craig Blomberg, distinguished professor of New Testament at Denver Theological Seminary, says the earlier Matthew’s gospel was written, the more likely eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life would still be alive who could check and authenticate it. He adds, “One of the reasons that people have not come to grips with the Jewishness of Jesus is that it makes the accounts to Gospels plausible. For the Jewish or Christian believer, it helps them better understand who Jesus was, what he stood for, and what to do with this Gospel.”

—www.kansascity.com, Support for authenticity of book of Matthew comes from an unlikely place, by Neil Altman, June 7, 2003, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Acts 5:34-39 NIV “But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed them: ‘Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if this is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.’”

An alert backhoe operator in Ireland has been credited with finding the first medieval Irish document in nearly two hundred years. The construction worker spotted something while driving the shovel of his machine into a bog. Closer inspection revealed that he had saved an ancient book of Psalms dated between 800 and 1000 AD.

Pat Wallace, director of the National Museum of Ireland said, "This is really a miracle find." He added, "There's two sets of odds that make this discovery really way out. First of all, it's unlikely that something this fragile could survive buried in a bog at all, and then for it to be unearthed and spotted before it was destroyed is incalculably more amazing."

What is even more amazing is that the book was found open to a page relating to current world events. The book was open to Psalm 83 in Latin text, in which the Lord hears complaints of other nations' attempts to wipe out the name of Israel. The book will undergo years of painstaking analysis and restoration before it is put on public display.

—http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=2235055. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Isaiah 40:8 (GW) "Grass dries up, and flowers wither, but the word of our God will last forever."

A recent news story announced the release of a new version of the Bible designed to meet the needs of churches desiring to be more attractive and market-oriented. According to the information, the Bible published by Western Bible Foundation cut out passages such as the Ten Commandments, sections of Isaiah, The Proverbs, and the Sermon on the Mount. In effect, the new version simply leaves out sections of the original text where "radical" actions regarding money, justice or affluence was advocated. The publisher reportedly stated, "Jesus was very inspiring for our inner health, but we don't need to take his naïve remarks about money seriously. He didn't study economics, obviously." The releases added, "After all, no serious Christian takes such texts literally. What if all Christians stopped being anxious, for example, and started expecting everything from God? Or gave their possessions to the poor, for that matter. Our economy would be lost." The Press releases implied that since no one used those verses anyway, no one would miss them.

Though the publisher reported the sale of hundreds of the new Bibles, other clues in the Press Release revealed that it was the work of "Time to Turn," a network of Dutch students which has published other material as jokes before. Chairman of the group, Frank Mulder says they believe God is willing to deliver the world from materialism and injustice. Mulder said, "Many Christians accept the Western lifestyle, including the degradation of creation and the injustice of our trade, and they only take the easy parts of the gospel. But it isn't until we publish this gospel with holes. That they get confused!"

http://www.irnnews.com/news.asp?action=detail&article=14552. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

2 Timothy 4:1-4 (GW) "I solemnly call on you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge those who are living and those who are dead. I do this because Christ Jesus will come to rule (the world). [2] Be ready to spread the word whether or not the time is right. Point out errors, warn people, and encourage them. Be very patient when you teach. [3] A time will come when people will not listen to accurate teachings. Instead, they will follow their own desires and surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear. [4] People will refuse to listen to the truth and turn to myths."

In the Steven Spielberg film, "Minority Report", law enforcement officials handed down judgments before a law was broken based on incriminating evidence from a person's brain scan. Reality may be moving closer to science fiction than we'd like. Recent research using brain imaging to predict activity linked to lying, violent behavior and prejudice has lead neuroscientists to develop a way of looking into a person's brain and reading intentions before a person acts. The controversial research breaks open new opportunities for scientists to probe a person's mind and eavesdrop on their thoughts. A team recently used high-resolution brain scans to identify patterns of activity before translating them into meaningful thoughts, revealing what a person planned to do in the immediate future.

One of the researchers, John Dylan-Haynes from the Max Plank Institute for Human Cognitive and Brian Sciences in Germany said, "Using the scanner, we could look around the brain for this information and read out something from the outside there's no way you could possibly tell is in there. It's like shining a torch around, looking for writing on a wall." Other researchers are cautious about the discoveries. A neuroethics society has been established to consider the ramifications of the research. Barbara Sahakian, from Cambridge University said, "A lot of neuroscientists in the field are very cautious and say we can't talk about reading individual's minds, and right now that is very true, but we're moving ahead so rapidly. It's not going to be long before we will be able to tell whether someone's making up a story, or whether someone intended to do a crime with a certain degree of certainty."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0%2C%2C2009229%2C00.html; Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

It is a scary thought to think that someone will be able to read our minds. But really, when you think about it, someone already can. God knows our hearts and His word judges our thoughts and intentions, not just our actions.

Hebrews 4:12 (GW) "God's word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit meet, the place where joints and marrow meet. God's word judges a person's thoughts and intentions."

June Gunden, who founded the business with her husband Doug, says attention is more than a job description. To her, it's a calling. Gunden says, "Bible readers are less forgiving of errors because they expect perfection in the Bible text." She says with an ordinary book, "You can put up with more because it's not something you're basing your whole life on. It's information, but it's not really life changing information. It's not something you believe to be infallible."

A list hangs in the Gunden's office as a reminder of how much rides on their work. The list is a collection of notorious typos found in the Bible. One prominent error from a 1631 King James Editions says: "Thou shalt commit adultery." Gunden admits that errors like that are good for a chuckle, but realizes proofreading a Bible is serious business.

Employees of Peachtree incorporate their faith into their work, starting each project with a prayer. Doug Gunden says, "If you work on these projects and you don't have an appreciation for this gift that God has given us —His word— it's a little more difficult for you to recognize the magnitude of the project."

—www.aolsvc.news.aol.com, Bible Editors Sweat the Small Stuff, May 19, 2004, by Louise Chu, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

2 Tim. 3:16-17 (NIV) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, [17] so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

A local bank hired Arild Tofte and Kaare Heggdal, who run a recycling business in western Norway, to remove an outdated ATM machine from a gas station. When they arrived the station attendant was a little skeptical, but allowed the men to load the old machine when they explained that it was empty and they had been contracted to haul it away.

Before the two finished their rounds that day, an agitated security guard called them, wanting to know where the old ATM was. Apparently, the ATM wasn't empty as the men were led to believe. After the cash was removed, the bank blamed the incident on a communications mix-up. Tofte said the guard who emptied the machine would not say how much cash was in the junk machine, but told him it was enough to buy a house, take a luxury vacation, and still have money to burn.

—Associated Press, Recyclers Discover Cash-filled ATM, January 12, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Proverbs 2:2-5 (NIV) "turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, [3] and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, [4] and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, [5] then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."

The motion picture, City of Ember, provides an interesting look at the end of the world. With civilization on the brink of destruction, scientists construct an underground city named Ember to ensure the survival of the human race. To make the citizens of the city safer, they decide the residents must not be told about the outside world. The secret of the builders is placed inside a box designed to remain locked for 200 years. The box is entrusted to Ember’s mayor with instructions to pass it on to the next person. The hope was that when it was safe to return to the surface, the people of Ember would have the instructions they needed.

With years remaining before the secret was to be revealed, the connection to the builder’s plans was lost. The instructions were stuffed in a closet and forgotten. When the builder’s instruction’s disappeared, the truth about Ember was also lost. The people of the city grew complacent. As a result many people stopped caring. They saw their city wearing out, but took it in stride. Political corruption, and a “who cares” attitude became the rule. Though people tried to find an escape, most people agreed with the vegetable vendor who said why worry about the outside world, there was plenty to do in Ember.

Two young resident of Ember become the impetus for changing the city’s troubled future. Lina MayFleet discovers the box with the Builder’s Instructions, and shares the information with her, Doon Harrow. Though the city officials try to arrest them, Lina and Doon become the only hope for a dying city.

OPTION 1: Play scene from City of Ember, Scene 39:41 to 41:57, and make application.

Lina is sitting down to dinner with her mother and sister. Lina’s mother asks if she knows her part for the upcoming holiday called the Great day of Singing. Enthusiastically, Lina’s mother says, “Oh, it lifts all of our hearts. How lucky we are.”

Unmoved by her mother’s platitudes, Lina responds, “I don’t feel very lucky lately.”

Her mother tries to reassure her, adding, “There’s nothing to worry about.” Lina responds, “The blackouts worry everybody.” Her mother responds with another platitude. “Help is coming.”

Lina looks up and asks, “Help?” Her mother nods, “Who built our city dear?” Unsure of what to answer Lina stammers, “The Builders?”

“That’s right,” her mother assures her. “And the builders will come again and show us the way.” As if timed with those words, the lights flash and a strange metallic groan is heard in the distant. Lina nods, but says nothing. After dinner, she goes to her room, and gets the box containing the words of the builders. Remembering her grandmother who helped find the chest, Lina whispers. Whatever it is Granny. I’ll figure it out. I promise.” She opens the box and begins to piece together the fragments of paper containing the instructions. Looking over the paper, Lina decides to show it to her friend Doon, because he is also concerned about Ember and works in the city’s piping. Dunn says, “It says pipeworks.” Lina agrees, “That’s why I brought it to you.” Doon looks at the paper and says, “This printing, you know what it reminds me of…” His voice trails off, then grabbing his jacket he says, “Come on, I want to show you something.”

Doon takes Lina to the Mayor’s office. Though they are not allowed, Doon is starting to see a connection. While he picks the lock, Lina asks, “What are we doing here?” Doon says, “The builders left us this book. I read about it in history.” He takes out the sacred book and urges Lina, “Come on, open it up.” She hesitates, “No one but the mayor is supposed to.” Doon flips the book around and opens it, revealing a typeset page. Doon and Lina bend over for a good look as Lina takes a scrap of paper from her pocket, then exclaims, “The builders wrote these instructions! Its exactly the same.” The sound of keys in the lock startles them and they quickly leave before they are discovered.

Once out of danger, Lina says, “Come on there’s something I have to show you.” She shows Doon the papers from the box. “What do you think?” she asks. “I think it’s instructions.” Doon starts reading while Lina continues. “What I don’t understand is why would they have it in a circle? I mean I know it…” Doon interrupts her with his own observation. “Add a ‘t.’” Lina looks at him and asks, “What?” Doon points at the last line of the instructions. Though faded, you can see the letters, “Exi.’ “ E X I T, Exit,” he says. Looking at Lina, Doon asks the question no one has asked in years.

“What if there’s an exit from Ember?” Though many years late, these young people have discovered the builder’s purpose for their lives and everyone living in Ember.

--City of Ember, 2008 Walden Media LLC, Chapter 12, Help will come, 39:47 to 41:58. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

APPLICATION: There is an interesting parallel to the City of Ember and our world. God’s plan and purpose for our lives is often overlooked and forgotten. We see our world falling apart at every turn. Apathy, corruption, and distrust are everywhere. God’s Word offers the only hope for the people in this world. Living by God’s plan and discovering His purpose for our lives is the only way to overcome and change the world.

The first step is choosing to accept the Lord Jesus, the Word of the Master made flesh.

1 John 1:1-2 GNB We write to you about the Word of life, which has existed from the very beginning. We have heard it, and we have seen it with our eyes; yes, we have seen it, and our hands have touched it. When this life became visible, we saw it; so we speak of it and tell you about the eternal life which was with the Father and was made known to us.

Everyday Millions of Americans jump behind the wheel of an automobile, but a new study conducted by GMAC insurance suggest many of them do not understand the basic rules of the road. The insurance company put together 20 questions collected from Department of Motor

Vehicle exams, and gave the test to over 5200 licensed drivers from around the country. The study fund 1 in 5 drivers could not pass a written driver’s test if they took it today.

The study found a lack of understanding regarding what action should be taken when approaching a yellow light or the safe following distance to maintain between cars. Wade Bontrager, senior vice president of GMAC insurance said the test results were very discouraging because they were lower than previous years. Bontrager said, “Driving safety must be a top priority, and drivers just have to aware of the rules of the road at all times.” He said insurance companies deal with people everyday that made mistakes because they failed to follow simple rules. Bontrager believes many accidents could be avoided if people followed those rules. He added, ”Decisions made in a split-second can determine whether or not you’re able to avoid an accident.”

--Study: 1 in 5 Can’t Pass a Driving Test, http://autos.aol.com/article/study-driving-test; June 11,

2010. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Psalm 119:105 (HCSB) “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”

Trying to discover the best foods to eat for our health is not always easy. In the 18th century an Italian physician recommended ice cream as a food for different ailments. Later advertisements touted Ice Cream parlors as alternatives to saloons. In 1921 the Evening Missourian urged readers to eat ice cream daily because “One quart contains the same amount of protein as half a dozen eggs or two pounds of beefsteak.” Now ice cream is making a comeback as research suggests dairy fat is better for us than we once thought.

Ice cream as health food. Not a bad idea. One food has never gone out of style as being good for our health. Jesus says we should live on every word that comes from the mouth of God. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

In 2018, Michael Buble received a star on the walk of fame in Los Angeles, California. There is always a huge party as people are honored for their contribution to the entertainment industry.

Most of the stars on the “Walk of Fame” are worn and broken. Many attempts have been made to fix the problem, but with age the stars start to lose their shine. —Jim L. Wilson and Ken Dillender

While temporal things lose their shine, there are eternal things that will never fade.

1 Peter 1:18–19 (CSB)“For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.”