The Cubs were leading 3-0 and were five outs away from their first trip to the World Series in 58 years when a Florida Marlins pop-up in the eighth inning of game six sealed their fate. Cubs fielder Moises Alou said he had a chance to catch the ball, but a fan tried to grab it and it bounced into the seats and out of play. The team collapsed at that point allowing eight Marlin runs in the inning, helping the Marlins win that game. Florida went on to win the deciding seventh game, and then defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Though Umpires ruled there was no fan interference, the man who deflected the ball was showered with abuse. He had to be escorted from the stands for his own safety, and is still ridiculed on many websites.

The baseball blamed for stealing the hopes of Chicago Cubs fans during the 2003 pennant chase was ceremonially "executed" in late February during a gathering benefiting juvenile diabetes. Devotees watching in person, and on cable television cheered as the ball exploded inside a clear protective container. A special effects explosive charge shredded the ball that some believe cost the team their first trip to the Baseball's Fall Classic in 58 years.

The Cubs fan that bobbled the ball out of play during the National League Championship, Steve Bartman, was not present at the "execution." Bartman, a lifelong fan issued an apology saying he had no idea the ball was playable and he would not have done anything to stop the Cubs from getting into the championship, since they had not won a World Series since 1908.

—Reuters, Baseball Fans Say Goodbye to a Bad Ball, February 27, 2004. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Hebrews 10:21-22. NIV "And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."

Bernard Madoff is the former Chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange and the admitted operator of the Ponzi scheme that might be "the largest investment fraud in Wall Street history." In March 2009, Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 felonies and admitted to turning his wealth management business into a massive Ponzi scheme that defrauded thousands of investors of billions of dollars. Madoff said he began the Ponzi scheme in the early 1990s. However, federal investigators believe the fraud began as early as the 1980s.

On December 11, 2008 authorities arrested Madoff. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Madoff)

As the SEC inspectors carried out probe after probe of his business, Madoff said in an interview after he was imprisoned, he was “worried every time” that he’d be caught. “It was a nightmare for me,” he said. “I wish they caught me six years ago, eight years ago.”

Madoff, 71, pleaded guilty in March. He is serving a 150-year sentence in federal prison.

--http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/1542062.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Randy Langham

No one gets away with sin. Guilt from the Holy Spirit hounds people even if they evade detection by others.

Psalm 32:3-4 (NASB) “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. (4) For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.”

Guilt drives people to do strange things. Camelback High School in Phoenix just received a $1000 money order along with two books. The anonymous package was from a former student. The student was paying a fine for the late return of the two books which he, or she, had checked out of the High School library in 1959.

--World, December 5, 2009 p. 13 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Some of the things guilt drives us to are not bad. That is especially true when our guilt drives us to the cross. Jesus came to pay for our sin and leave us guiltless.

Romans 8:1 (NASB) “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

People have tied a lot of tricks to get out of traffic tickets, but for a University of California physicist, a four page explanation of why he was not guilty of running a stop sign did the trick. The judge dismissed the ticket after Dmitri Krioukov submitted a paper entitled, “Proof of Innocence.” In his dissertation, the physicist used mathematic equations, and colorful graphs to prove his ticket was the result of the officer being fooled by an optical illusion. Krioukov outlined three possible scenarios in which an officer could perceive a car as not having stopped when it actually had. He also claimed he had sneezed as he was applying the brakes, which made him step on the pedal harder and stop very quickly.

Krioukov said the officer was approximating his angular velocity rather than his linear velocity. He compared it to the way an approaching train appears to moving slowly when far away, but appears much faster as it speeds past. He said despite the observations, the train’s speed never changed. Krioukov said he understood the officer’s dilema. He wrote, “This mistake is fully justified. The O’s perception of reality did not properly reflect reality.”

--Dmitri Krioukov, Physicist, Writes Four Page Paper To Avoid Paying Traffic Ticket, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/16/dmitri-krioukov-physicist_n_1429545.html?
1334614033&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D152572 ; April 16, 2012, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

1 Corinthians 2:13 (GW) We don't speak about these things using teachings that are based on intellectual arguments like people do. Instead, we use the Spirit's teachings. We explain spiritual things to those who have the Spirit.

Christopher Moore broke into a Texas home and found himself facing the homeowner and his son, both pointing guns at him.

He called 911. Help me! “I’m out in the country somewhere and some guy’s got a gun on me.” Police arrived and both saved and arrested the burglar. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Matthew 14:30 (HCSB) But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

A theft in Michigan spent a lot of time thinking about their misdeeds. The person, who took $800 dollars from a store in the 1980s, apparently felt so bad about what he had done that he felt returned the money with interest. A local television station, and the Barry County Sheriff’s office received the same letter from the thief, only the copy sent to the authorities also contained $1,200 in cash. Part of the letter said the burglar knew he did a very bad thing and was ashamed of what he had done. The sheriff was able to locate the original owner of the store who had sold the business in 1988. The authorities say they will not be looking for the person because the statute of limitations for the crime ran out a long time ago. Undersheriif Bob Baker said he thought the burglar had learned a lesson and has made amends. He said part of the letter including an apology which read, “I was a foolish stupid man when I did that and I am sorrie (sic).”— Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Guilt-Ridden Burglar Returns Stolen Money 30 Years Later, By Melissa Knowles, http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/guilt-ridden-burglar-returns-stolen-money-30-years-182320540.html, Accessed March 19, 2013.

Psalm 25:7 (ESV) Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!

Ten years have passed since NFL-player-turned Army-corporal; Pat Tillman was killed in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan. One of the three Army Rangers who opened fire that day says he cannot get away from the fact that Tillman’s death might be his fault. In a television interview Stephen Elliott said therapy has helped him cope with the incident, but he wanted to offer hope to others who are living with the same types of feelings. Elliott said the incident was his first firefight and even if forensic science identified someone else as having fired the fatal shot, he still feels responsible. He said he has not spoken to the other soldiers involved, nor has he spoken with Tillman’s family. When asked what he might say, Elliott replied, “You just want to tell them how sorry you are and how completely inadequate those words feel.” He added,
“I still fired on a friendly position and that wouldn’t change my sense of responsibility.”--Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Soldier who may have killed Pat Tillman haunted by remorse, http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-pat-tillman-soldier-10-years-remorse-20140420,0,4004238.story#ixzz2zXf77jy0, Accessed April 20, 2014

Psalm 25:11 (HCSB) (11) Because of Your name, Yahweh, forgive my sin, for it is great.

Guilt is a real emotion. Sometimes it is more than we can bear and we have to do something about it. 70 years ago a 10-year-old boy realized he didn’t have enough money to pay for his meal at The Lambs Grill in downtown Salt Lake City. The bill was $1. After all this time, the man’s daughter went in the lambs Grill and gave the server five dollars to cover the 73-year-old check.

While a five dollar restitution is not very much one can only imagine the relief from guilt the elderly man has experienced. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Psalm 38:4 (HCSB) (4) For my sins have flooded over my head; they are a burden too heavy for me to bear.

A study from Northwestern University centers on a brain wave pattern linked to memory that could be a way to tell if a person is lying. The unique electrical signal is called the P300 and electrodes show that P300 waves become measurably larger when subjects were asked about and recognized specific people, items, or locations they have experienced. Criminal investigators think this may prove to be a better tool for cracking criminal cases than a conventional lie detector. Though the practice is not recognized in the United States, law enforcement officials in Japan use a simple form of the test and are getting good results. Keith Sullivan, a New York lawyer says he thinks the test will be widely used in the future. Sullivan said, “We know so little about the brain and its operation and this type of testing is advancing those studies in leaps and bounds.’ He added, “The day will come where [this test] will be sued in a criminal case, perhaps to show familiarity with a known accomplice or victim or unknown facts of a case.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Guilty Conscience? Brain Wave Breakthrough May Reveal Crooks, By Bill Briggs, http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/guilty-conscience-brain-wave-breakthrough-may-reveal-crooks-n210191, Accessed September 24, 2014.

Proverbs 21:8 (HCSB) A guilty man’s conduct is crooked, but the behavior of the innocent is upright.

When Pastor Michael Brooks answered the phone at his church one evening, he never expected to hear the story that unfolded. The man, who called had blocked his identity, explained how he and two friends had broken into a soft drink machine at the church 40 years earlier and had each grabbed a handful of quarters. He explained how he felt guilty all this time, and how he wanted to make restitution. The unknown man also explained how he had become a believers a few years after stealing the money and knew it was wrong to steal. He said Brooks could share the story anyway he liked, but asked that his identity be kept a secret. When the check actually arrived on Christmas Eve, Brooks used it as an illustration of how the man’s story was an illustration of how forgiveness came through Christ’s birth. He said though his sin had haunted the man for years, and how now he was free of the unconfessed sin. Brooks said the man said that perhaps telling the story would help others who were facing decisions about right and wrong in their lives.—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell
Man finds redemption 40 years after theft, By Grace Thornton, http://www.bpnews.net/44193/man-finds-redemption-40-years-after-theft, Accessed February 9, 2015.

Luke 19:8 (HCSB) But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord! And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much!”

Police in Trenton, New Jersey say Dwaine Whitaker turned himself in to them after he appeared on a surveillance video trying to hold up a business at gunpoint. They say a friend apparently told Whitaker about the video, and after watching it, he turned himself in.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Police: Armed man tries to rob business, later sees surveillance video, turns self in,
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/07/17/police-armed-man-tries-to-rob-business-later-sees-surveillance-video-turns-self, Accessed July 17, 2015.

Psalm 51:3 (NIV) (3) For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

Portland State University doesn’t charge late fees for overdue library books. That is quite a relief for the person who recently returned two books that were checked out in 1963. The library says someone returned books entitled,”Basic Principles of Speech” and “Preface to critical reading.” A note that was attached said the person had “borrowed” the books for a 1963 high school speech class. They said the books had moved many times, but now it was time for them to go home. Librarian Joan Petit said “If it were me, the guilt would have been relieved by returning them.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Overdue library books returned to PSU 52 years late,
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Overdue-library-books-returned-to-PSU-52-years-late-332849111.html, Accessed October 14, 2015.

Proverbs 21:8 (HCSB) A guilty man’s conduct is crooked, but the behavior of the innocent is upright.

An Ohio man chose to wear a sign proclaiming that he was a thief, rather than go to jail for his crime. Greg Davenport pleaded no-contest to theft charges for shoplifting at a local Wal-Mart. A municipal judge found Davenport guilty and gave him the option of wearing the sign outside the store eight hours a day for ten hours, or spending 30 days in jail. Davenport chose to wear the sign, which said, “I am a thief. I stole from Wal-Mart.” He said he thought the sign was better than being in jail, and he just wanted to finish his punishment.—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell.

http://www.klove.com/news/2016/03/24/man-chooses-to-wear-i-am-a-thief-sign-over-going-to-jail.aspx, Accessed March 24, 2016.

Ephesians 4:28 (HCSB) “The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.”

Thirty years later, a guilty conscience led someone to return a large metal sign to the police department in New Smyrna Beach Florida. Officials say the sign reading, “New Smyrna Beach says No to Drugs,” came in the mail, along with a $50 money order and a note asking officials to use the money to reinstall the sign. The anonymous person also asked for forgiveness for what they called “a fit of youthful exuberance.” In a public statement, officials said the act gives them hope that people can do the right thing, even if it takes 30 years. –Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/04/08/stolen-city-sign-returned-30-years-later-with-apology-note-50.html, Accessed April 8, 2016.

Psalm 25:11 (HCSB) “Because of Your name, Yahweh, forgive my sin, for it is great.”

Shoshan, an Israeli man, has requested a restraining order against God. He says that he is fed up with the Almighty interfering in his life. He told the court that God, “started to treat me harshly and not nicely” three years ago. Even though God did not appear in His defense, the judge denied the request.

When God intervenes in a life, it is for the good. Sometimes the guilty do not want God involved because they don’t want to change. In Shoshan’s case however, the judge said, “Shoshan needed the kind of help the court could not provide.” –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

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.”

The banker in a small town in New York was charged with driving while intoxicated. To keep his arrest from becoming known he purchased all 1000 copies of the local paper for $1.25 each. Now, not only do the people in his town know about it, it has been published in national magazines.—Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Numbers 32:23 (HCSB) “But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you.”

A study by LifeWay Research suggest that people worry more about avoiding shame than they do about guilt or fear. Scott McConnell, executive director at LifeWay Research, said they wanted to know if guilt was a major issue of Americans and if the church was addressing issues that concerned Americans most. Thirty-eight percent of Americans said they wanted to avoid shame the most, while thirty-one percent said they hoped to avoid guilt, thirty percent sought to avoid fear. McConnell said, “What’s surprising is not that personal freedom, ambition, and doing the right thing are valued by Americans. It’s the risk to our reputation that matters most.” He added, “What’s our biggest cultural fear? Shame.”——Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Americans want to avoid shame, make their loved ones proud, By Bob Smietana, http://lifewayresearch.com/2017/05/23/americans-want-to-avoid-shame-make-their-loved-ones-proud, Accessed May 23, 2017.

U.S. Olympic doctor Larry Nassar has been accused and found guilty of molesting hundreds of underage girls as both the Olympic Gymnastics doctor and a doctor and professor at Michigan State University. The first girl to allege publicly that Nassar was a child molester was Rachael Denhollander. She was the last of 156 victims that spoke to Nassar in the courtroom before he was sentenced. She noticed that he had brought a Bible into the courtroom. Here were her words.

“If you have read the Bible you carry, you know the definition of sacrificial love portrayed is of God Himself loving so sacrificially that He gave up everything to pay a penalty for the sin He did not commit. … Should you ever reach the point of truly facing what you have done, the guilt will be crushing. And that is what makes the gospel of Christ so sweet. Because it extends grace and hope and mercy where none should be found. …I pray you experience the soul crushing weight of guilt so you may someday experience true repentance and true forgiveness from God.”

I am not sure I could verbalize the value of guilt and the amazing grace of God any better. I too pray he will experience it. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

The police department in Minersville, Pennsylvania recently received a letter containing a $5 bill and note explaining that the sender wanted to clear their conscience. Police Chief Michael Combs said the note read, “Dear PD, I’ve been carrying this ticket around for 40 plus years. Always intending to pay. Forgive me if I don’t give you my info. With respect, Dave.”

Chief Combs said the ticket was issued in 1974 to car with Ohio license plates, so the department could not trace it. The fine was $2 and the person included $3 for interest. The same ticket today would be $20. Combs said the return address was, “Feeling Guilty, Wayward Road, Anytown, Ca.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now, please take away your servant’s guilt, for I’ve been very foolish.”

Carlotta Flores, owner of the El Charro restaurant in Tucson, said a former employee sent them $1,000 and an apology for stealing from them years earlier. The letter came from a woman who said she worked at the restaurant while attending school in the 1990s. The woman said a waiter encouraged her to “forget” to ring in some items and pocket the cash. She said she grew up in church and knew better and still carried a load of remorse over the incident. The letter said the woman had not stolen anything since and she wanted to make it right. Flores said the letter came at a good time because it restored her faith in people. Flores said, “I had my purse stolen and this sort of renewed the faith we had a lot of good people out there.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2018/08/01/Former-waitress-sends-eatery-1000-apology-for-stealing/1751533139070/?sl=19

In his book, The Emotionally Healthy Leader, Peter Scazzero writes, “It’s important to distinguish shame from guilt. Guilt is about something I do. . . . It is one mistake I made, not a reflection of my entire person. Shame on the other hand is about who I am.” —Jim L. Wilson