According to pollster George Barna, the number of Americans that agree that there are "absolute moral truths that fit into any circumstance" declined from 4 in 10 to 2 in 10 after the terrorists attacked the Pentagon and the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

—California Southern Baptist, January 2002, p. 15 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

I'm not sure what explains the sharp increase in relativistic moral thinking, my best guess is that the display of such intense evil rocked more than the foundations of our buildings, it also rocked our moral and ethical foundations. Left with more questions than answers, some people lost their bearings and took a step closer to moral chaos.

What is unfortunate is that a step in the opposite direction, a step toward faith would have helped to bring inner peace in the turmoil and calm to the storm.

In her book, Making Your Faith Your Own, Turner wrote, "Amazingly, when we reflect on it, we can see other ways God uses evil to defeat itself and bring about good….God uses the challenges evil brings to draw us to himself and shape us into the kind of people he wants us to be. As Ronald Nash points out, 'Most of what we consider significant with regard to human spiritual and moral development arises as a result of interaction with challenge.' Through such things as danger, disappointment and loss we have the opportunity to choose to become better or worse."

Mark 4:37-40 NASB "And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. [38] And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' [39] And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Hush, be still.' And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. [40] And He said to them, 'Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?'"

—Making Your Faith Your Own: A Guidebook for Believers with Questions by Teresa Turner Vining. Chapter 12, "Contending with a Tragic World," pages 137-148, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Krista Van Gorp-Carnet

For more information on Making Your Faith Your Own, go to: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0830823263/fm082-20

In his book, "Maximum Living in a pressure cooker world", Tim Timmons tells about a man who thought he was dead. His concerned wife and friends sent him to the friendly neighborhood psychiatrist. The psychiatrist determined to cure him by convincing him of one fact that contradicted his belief that he was dead. The psychiatrist decided to use the simple truth that dead men do not bleed. He put his patient to work reading medical texts, observing autopsies, and so on. After weeks of effort, the patient finally said, "All right, all right! You've convinced me! Dead men do not bleed." Whereupon the psychiatrist stuck him in the arm with a needle, and the blood flowed. The man looked down with a contorted, ashen face and cried: "Good Lord! Dead men do bleed after all."

—"Maximum Living in a pressure cooker world", p.10. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Very high up on our Tivo priority list is the Apprentice. For some reason, we, like many other Americans, can't wait to hear the Donald give someone the cobra hand and say, "You're fired!" During a January 2005 episode, a contestant asked Mr. Trump about the truthfulness of an urban legend that's been floating from one email box to another since 1996. As the story goes, a stranger stops to change the flat on a Limo, not knowing who was in it. When asked, Trump gladly allowed the Good Samaritan to change the tire. All the man wanted in return was for Trump to send his wife some flowers. Trump did more than that; along with the flowers was a note that said he and Ivana paid off their mortgage for them. After a slight hesitation, Trump told the contestant that the story was true.

A few things troubled me about the story. One was Trump's hesitation. The only reason I could think of why a person would hesitate to answer that question would be out of modesty. The Donald is a lot of things, but modest? Come on, I don't think so. Then I wondered what limo driver would be able to keep a job who didn't know how to change a flat? Since time is money, I'm sure Trump wouldn't appreciate a slacker driver who hesitated even for a moment.

And then there is the fact that the man's name isn't mentioned, and that the original story was traced back to Trump's media people and that there are various versions of the story, one happening in Michigan when he was with Ivana, and the other in New Jersey with Marla.

Now I'm not going to say that Trump wasn't telling the truth, but I had enough suspicion that he wasn't to check it out at snopes.com, a website dedicated to exposing urban legends as false or verifying that they are true. They called this one "false." Don't believe everything you see and hear. Before we can dwell on the truth, we have to know what is true, and what isn't.

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

Randy Steele, pastor of the Southwest Christian Church in Mount Vernon, Illinois, had planned to spend the day at the home of one the church's longtime members who was dying, comforting the family. A call from the FBI rearranged his day. Steele agreed to meet with agents that afternoon. All day he wondered what someone in the church might have done, and spent time asking the Lord for the right words to say.

When Pastor Steele met with FBI agents, he discovered that they were interested in him, and asked him about a sermon he had preached the previous Memorial Day. At the time, Steel had been in the middle of a sermon series he called, "Life Issues," dealing with controversial cultural issues from a biblical perspective. On Memorial Day, Steele spoke about abortion and drew a comparison between the numbers of people who had died in wars versus the number who had died through "legal abortion" since 1973. Steele said, "I stated that we are in a different type of war that is being fought under the 'presumption of freedom.'" Steele mentioned that a nearby clinic performed as many as 45 abortions each week.

Apparently someone in the congregation that day misunderstood Steel's comments about "a different type of war," and made an anonymous call to the FBI. This person thought the pastor was actually calling the congregation to a physical war against abortion clinics.

Steel says after the FBI agents examined the sermons in question, they realized he was not a threat and apparently dropped the investigation. Steele says he does not plan to stop preaching messages that are culturally relevant. He added, "As a pastor I believe that as Christians we are called to speak the truth no matter what and we have to continue to speak that truth in love to all people and to share the message of Christ because it's the only message that's going to change the lives of people." After the meeting with the two agents, Steele printed off the sermons, gave them to the agents and invited them back to the church hoping that as private citizens they might be interested in hearing the Word of God.

—http://www.bpnews.et (Baptist Press), FBI examines pastor's sermons on abortion & homosexuality, February 2, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Ephes. 4:15 (NIV) "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."

Have you ever heard that dropping a penny from the top of the Empire State Building would cause it to hit the sidewalk below so hard the penny became embedded? Or, if a person walked under the falling penny it would kill them? A cable television show tackles questions like this every week. Mythbusters; Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage, and a team of assistants use scientific methods to explore the stories, urban legends, and fables that abound in our culture. Their stated purpose is to leave no urban myth untested. The Mythbusters test the narratives with experiments designed to prove or disprove the tenants of the story. If the research is based on a true story, they will include that information after confirming the results. If the Mythbusters cannot confirm a story, they may find it plausible, meaning it is possible but not likely. If the facts don't hold up to their scientific scrutiny, the myth is busted and proven impossible. The program offers sound advice for believers today. How often do we take time to check the facts, before we pass on a story we hear? Can our word be trusted?

By the way, the terminal velocity (maximum speed) of falling a penny, based on factors such as wind resistance, gravity, and the weight of a penny, is not fast enough to embed it in the sidewalk, it would bounce off. If the falling penny were to hit a person, it would probably raise a welt, but still is not going fast enough to kill someone. (Episode 4)

—http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

1 Timothy 4:7 (MSG) "Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please!"

Americans were united in denouncing the terrorist attacks on September 11th as the perfect example of evil in action. The response suggested to many that Americans held a fundamental belief in an absolute standard of right and wrong. A new survey by the Barna Institute suggests most people responded based on their feelings, not their beliefs.

The Barna organization conducted two surveys, one among adults and another among teenagers. By a 3-to-1 margin, adults said they believe the truth always depends on the person and the situation. The teens said the same thing by a margin of 83 percent. Only six per cent of the respondents said moral truth is absolute.

The survey asked people to indicate the basis on which they make their moral and ethical choices. The most common answer was, doing whatever feels right or comfortable in a situation. 4 out of 10 teens, and 1 in 3 adults said this was their primary consideration.

The Barna organization says the result is a mentality that values pluralism, relativism, tolerance, and diversity without actually considering the implications of the actions or viewpoints we hold. They state a failure to address this issue at its root, will undermine the strength of the church for at least another generation, and perhaps longer.

—Barna Research Group, February 12, 2002, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Baylor University in Waco, Texas may be the largest Baptist college in the world, but that doesn't mean that it will tolerate those who take the first few chapters of the Bible literally. Professor William A. Dembski is a leading proponent of "Intelligent Design," a school of thought that teaches the universe is a product of mindful planning rather than random chance.

Although he is an evangelical Christian, his work does not name God as the designer of the universe. Dembski used to run Baylor's Center for Complexity, Information and Design, but after a conference on the subject, the faculty senate asked the university president to end all Intelligent Design initiatives on campus.

It wasn't his omission of the name of God that stirred up trouble on campus with his fellow professors, but his deviation from the theory of evolution. Dembski's conference was boycotted by biologists on campus, while others sent out bogus letters from the university "disinviting" scheduled speakers. The backlash has not yet subsided. It is unclear at this point whether Dembski will be able to continue teaching at the university which was founded and is supported by the largest and most conservative evangelical denomination in America.

I guess tolerance in our society ends just as soon as someone challenges a widely held theory like evolution. If man evolved from animals, like the evolutionist claim, couldn't their beliefs stand the light of day? Why not let the students hear another view? What are they afraid of, anyway?

Romans 1:21-23, 25 "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator who is forever praised. Amen."

City officials in Aliso Viejo, California were so concerned about the potentially dangerous properties of a chemical combination that they considered banning foam cups when they learned the chemical was used in their production. The city had to reverse course a short time later, when they learned they had fallen victim to an Internet hoax.

One of city's paralegal researchers found an official-looking website with a warning about the compound. The website warned that dihydrogen monoxide was "an odorless, tasteless chemical" that could be deadly if accidentally inhaled. The City Council quickly scheduled a vote to ban the use of foam containers at city-sponsored events because they were made with a substance that could "threaten human health and safety."

The measure was pulled from the agenda when someone realized, to their chagrin, that dihydrogen monoxide —H2O for short— is the scientific term for water. City Manager David Norman said, "It's embarrassing. We had a paralegal who did bad research."

Getting your facts wrong can be embarrassing, like in this case. But it can also be more than embarrassing—in other words, it does matter what you believe. If you take the wrong path, even if you believe it is right, you will still end up in the wrong destination. That’s why it is important to get your facts right.

—Associated Press, Calif. Officials Nearly Fall for H2O Hoax, March 15, 2004. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

John 14:6 KJV “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Every Sunday school student knows how David killed Goliath. Now the Egyptian government has taken action against Israel's greatest king.

A government censor says the Old Testament story about the battle between the daring young shepherd and the Philistine giant shows Israel in too positive a light. He says the story therefore cannot be used in the production of a children's music cassette.

The Audiovisual Censorship Authority says the story "is not in line with the Egyptian social and political stance on the Palestinian uprising."

While it is sad that over 300 people have been killed in the latest violence in the Middle East, it is just as sad to see censorship keep people from learning the truth because it is not politically popular.

You can't understand the story of David and Goliath without appreciating the situation surrounding this confrontation. David was not standing up as much for Israel as he was standing up for God. When God's people speak up today, they are perceived as being arrogant or exclusive. It was not the stone David threw that's important, but what he stood for. During the Christmas season, it's not the manger scene, but what it represents, God so loving the world that He gave His Son.

Too often, we allow political opinions to keep people from the truth. In America, schools refer to Christmas vacation as "Winter Break." Santa and snowmen must accompany the manger scene in public places to create an appropriate cultural display.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." The meaning of Christmas should not be hidden by political thinking. Christmas can only be appreciated by understanding who Jesus is and what He came to do.

John 14:6 NASB Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

In his speech accepting the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan clearly articulated the doctrine of pluralism when he said, "The idea that there is one people in possession of the truth, one answer to the world's ills or one solution to humanity's needs has done untold harm throughout history."

On face value, Annan's comments seem reasonable, but as I reflect on them, I wonder what he is saying. Is he saying truth cannot be possessed? Is he saying there is no way to find an answer to the world's ills? Is he saying there is no solution to humanity's needs?

If that is what he is saying, then I have to disagree with him. If that is what he is saying, his comments are in direct disagreement with what Jesus said about Himself. He said He is the truth. He said He is the way. He said He is the life. Jesus made an exclusive claim. One that will ultimately usher in peace.

John 14:6 KJV "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

The following story has bounced back and forth across the country through the magic of email for over a decade. The prestigious, if not enigmatic, California Examiner is cited as the source.

Fire authorities in California found a corpse in a burned out section of forest while assessing the damage done by a forest fire. The deceased male was dressed in a full wetsuit, complete with SCUBA tanks on his back, flippers, and face-mask. It was revealed that, on the day of the fire, the person went for a diving trip off the coast some 20 miles away from the forest. The firefighters, seeking to control the fire as quickly as possible, called in a fleet of helicopters with very large dip buckets.

Water was dipped from the ocean then flown to the forest fire and emptied. You guessed it. One minute our diver was making like Flipper in the Pacific, the next he was doing the breaststroke in a fire dip bucket 300 feet in the air.

It's a great story, even though not one word of it is true. According to www.snopes2.com <http://www.snopes2.com/>, a web site dedicated to exposing urban myths, the water intake of firefighting dip buckets is less than one square foot. It is physically impossible for a swimmer to be caught up in the bucket. Moreover, a corpse in a wet suit has never been found in a burned out section of forest. Yet people continue to receive this story in their email box, read it, believe it, and send it on to others. They never stop and question whether it could possibly be true. How many of these same people refuse to believe the claims of Christ because of a supposed lack of evidence?

The organizers of World Book Day, an annual celebration of reading in Britain have found that 2 out of 3 Brits have lied about reading the books they claim to have read. The books lied about most often include classics like George Orwell’s 1984, Tolstoy’s War and Peace, and the works of Charles Dickens. The fourth most lied about book on the list was the Bible, which specifically teaches against lying.

When respondents were asked why they lied about reading a book, the most common answer given was that an individual wanted to impress the person they were speaking to.

--Most Britons have lied about the books they read; http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5244MG20090305; March 5, 2009; Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

1Peter 2:1 GNB “Rid yourselves, then, of all evil; no more lying or hypocrisy or jealousy or insulting language.”

There is no accounting for what some people believe. Police in Nigeria have arrested a goat on suspicion of car theft. While a group of vigilantes pursued a pair of auto crooks, one of the crooks escaped. According to a representative for the vigilantes, the other turned into a goat. So the police are going to hold the animal until they can either scientifically prove the suspected car thief morphed into the goat, or until the goats owner comes forward to claim ownership.

--World Magazine, February 28, 2009, p. 17. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

How do you explain simple truths to people who believe people turn into goats at will? I suppose we could mock these people for their superstitions, but don’t the people who know the truth have the responsibility to tell others about it?

2 Timothy 2:25 (NIV) “Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,”

In his book, Because He Could, Dick Morris writes, “In one survey, I gave voters two ways to describe how they felt about moral and ethical issues, and asked them to choose the one that mirrored their views. The first paragraph read: (A) I believe in a strict code of morality and right and wrong which comes from God’s word and the Bible. I try to live by it. Drugs and illicit sex are wrong so I don’t engage in them. To do so would violate my personal moral and religious beliefs. The second posited a contrasting view: (B) My conduct is governed more by common sense and practicality than by an abstract morality. It is more factors like the danger of AIDS, the possibility of pregnancy, and the importance of a good marriage than morality or religion that stop me from illicit sex. The bad experiences people have had with drugs and the way I have seen it mess up lives is the reason I abstain from them, not some moral judgment that drugs are wrong. The results were fascinating. Those over fifty chose statement A by 54 to 32; voters under thirty-five opted for B by 45 to 40. The younger voters were guided by their life experiences, not their religious beliefs.”

A not so subtle shift has taken place in our culture, life experiences are becoming more authorities than belief systems. One of the things this means is that the church should proclaim Jesus as a person to know, not just a doctrine to believe. After all, that’s how Jesus depicted Himself.

John 14:6 (HCSB) “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

When French composer Maurice Jarre died, blogs and newspaper websites around the world published a quote attributed to the composer in which he spoke of his life as “one long soundtrack” and of the “final waltz that would be in his head at his death.” As it turned out, they all got the quote from the internet encyclopedia, Wikipedia. Only the quote wasn’t authentic. A Dublin University student, Shane Fitzgerald made up the quote and posted it to Wikipedia. He said he did it as an experiment.

In today’s world of vast databases of information how can anyone know the truthfulness of anything they read. Whole websites are devoted to helping people discern truth from fiction. (www.snopes.com; www.truthor fiction.com; and others)

--World Magazine, June 6, 2009, p. 14. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Zechariah 8:16 (KJV) “These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:”

Pastor Steven Furtick says he is diving into topics may other churches won’t touch because he believes people need to hear the truth. Furtick’s message series entitled,
“Cow Tipping” is designed to tackle controversial topics and shine the light of God’s truth on them. Furtick is concerned that many believers, “say that we know Him (Jesus), but we live as if He does not exist.”

The pastor says the church has many “sacred cows,” things they do not like to talk. He began the sermon series with straight talk on abortion, marriage, cohabitation, and “friends with benefits.” Furtick believes Christians are quick to judge those outside their circle, but forget they are held to a standard as followers of Christ.” He says, “We will speak about anything God speaks about in love and grace.” Furtick adds, “We will not sacrifice truth.”

Charlotte Megachurch Goes ‘Cow Tipping”; http://www. christianpost. com/article/20090719/charlotte-megachurch-goes-cow-tipping/index. html, July 19, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Ephesians 4:15-16 (CEV)15 Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head 16 of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love.

A small publishing company has recently come under fire for putting warning labels on documents from American history. The Wilder Publishing company has placed warnings on The United States Constitution, Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation, Common Sense, and the Federalist Papers. The warning states that the book is a “product of its time and does not reflect the same values as it would if it were written today.” The label advises parents that they might wish to discuss with their children how views on race, gender, sexually, ethnicity, and interpersonal relational relations have changed since the book was written.

So far the warning seems to offending more people than the original documents might have. Many people are calling for a boycott of the publisher’s works. Efforts to contact them have been unsuccessful. Weller Cato, senior fellow at the Cato Institute says the publisher might be trying to ensure overly sensitive people don’t pull the works off their shelves, but told Fox News, “Any idea that’s 100 years old will probably offend someone or other.” He added, ”But if there’s anything that you ought to be able to take at a first gulp for yourself and then ask your parents if you’re wondering about this or that strange thing, it should be the founding documents of American history.”

--Publishing Company Under Fire for putting Warning Label on Constitution, http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/09/publishing-company-putting-warning-label-constitution ;June 9 2010, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Psalm 78:2-4 (HCSB)(2) “I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past— (3) things we have heard and known and that our fathers have passed down to us. (4) We must not hide them from their children, but must tell a future generation the praises of the Lord, His might, and the wonderful works He has performed.”

In their book, Conquer Your Fear, Share Your Faith: An Evangelism Crash Course, Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort write, “Studies indicate that 75 percent of American college professors currently teach that there is no such thing as right and wrong.' Rather, they treat the questions of good and evil as relative to ‘individual values and cultural diversity.’"

- Conquer Your Fear, Share Your Faith Kindle Loc. 933-34 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

John 14:6 (CEV) "I am the way, the truth, and the life!" Jesus answered. "Without me, no one can go to the Father.

In 1950, Kathryn Johnston wanted to play Little League baseball. Since Little League was for boys ages 8-12, Kathryn had two strikes against her. She was a girl and she was 14, two years over the age limit.

She solved that problem by going across town where no one knew her or her family and made the King’s Dairy team. She eventually told her coach that she was a girl and was 14, but because of her ability, the coach kept her secrets.

Years later, after officials allowed girls to play, Kathryn wrote to Little League with her story. She held back the part about the age deception. Disney bought the movie rights to her story. Eventually Little League recognized her contribution. She has a place in the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown, NY. Until recently, no one knew she was too old. The truth came out when she was working on a book contract.

Disney never release the movie and she cannot sell the book. There is doubt about her display remaining in Cooperstown. Why? Because she bore a false witness in 1950.

--She Had A Secret, Sports Illustrated, June 20, 2011 pp. 70-77 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Proverbs 12:17 (NASB) He who speaks truth tells what is right, But a false witness, deceit.

Applications for cell phones serve many purposes. Now, apps can help a user avoid an unwanted conversation, or get out of a bad date. A survey by the Pew research group found that 13 percent of cell phone users reported deflecting awkward conversations by faking phone calls. A new app called, Fake-a call, will do that for those people. The description for the app says, “Get out of bad dates, impress your friends, and prank your enemies.” The program will ring the phone at a preset time or at intervals giving the user an excuse to pick up an important incoming call.

Researcher and sociologist Emerson Smith from the University Of South Carolina School Of Medicine said this type of avoidance behavior may further deteriorate face –to face communication skills. Smith believes cell phones and attached earphones send a signal that says, “Don’t bother me.” He said these kinds of applications are part of a growing trend of social media and mobile phones, which allow people to reach distant relatives and friends, but prevent us from dealing with “a lot of the really complex situations that take place in face-to-face interactions.”

--Cell phone users admit faking calls to avoid awkward interactions,http://www.akronnewsnow.com/lifestyle/item/1256-cell-phone-users-admit-faking-calls-to-avoid-awkward-interactions; August 16, 2011, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Ephesians 5:19 (ESV) addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

Researcher in the United Kingdom say they are developing new technology that could help interviewers detect when a person is lying. The technology, developed at the University of Bradford uses a thermal imaging camera to detect variations in facial temperature in response to questioning. The thermal camera, coupled with a standard camera, tracks changes in facial gestures. A computer assess how truthful a respondent has been analyzes the information gathered by the cameras.

Researchers say the areas around a person’s eyes and their cheeks are highly sensitive to temperature rise. Director of the Center for Visual Computing at Bradford, Hassan Ugail says in some cases it is possible to track individual blood vessels. Ugail explained, ”When a person is making something up on the spot, brain activity usually changes and you can detect this through the thermal camera.” He admits there are limitations with current technology, but Ugail believes this device will find a place making airports safer, helping with police investigations, and perhaps even in job interviews.

--Thermal imaging turns up heat on Liars, http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/09/13/lie.detector.thermal.imaging/, September 14, 2011, Illustraton by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Proverbs 12:17 (GW) A truthful witness speaks honestly, but a lying witness speaks deceitfully.

In Lead with LUV: A Different Way to Create Real Success, Ken Blanchard and Colleen Barrett write, “But I think sometimes the most loving thing you can do is to be straight with People when they are getting off course.”

--Lead with LUV: A Different Way to Create Real Success, p. 10. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

James 5:12 (CEV) My friends, above all else, don't take an oath. You must not swear by heaven or by earth or by anything else. "Yes" or "No" is all you need to say. If you say anything more, you will be condemned.

A billboard put up by an atheist group in California got a lot of attention, but not exactly the kind of attention the group had planned. The group, backyard Skeptics put up a sign including a quote about Christianity attributed to Thomas Jefferson. The outdoor ad featured a picture of Jefferson along with the quote, “I do not find in Christianity one redeeming feature. It is founded on fables and mythology.”

The problem with the billboard is experts do not know where the quote actually came from. Experts at the Jefferson Collection at Monticello say they are constantly asked about the quote, but they are not sure where it comes from, or if it is genuine. People often attribute the quote to the former President in a letter he supposedly wrote a Dr. Wood. Experts on Jefferson’s life say they cannot find evidence of any such correspondence.

A member of the Atheist group, Bruce Gleason told a local newspaper he should have done more research before putting the words on a sign. He was not concerned though, because he said the purpose of the sign was just to make people think.

--Atheists’ Billboard Falsely Attributes Anti-Christian Quote to Thomas Jefferson, http://global.christianpost.com/news/atheists-billboard-falsely-attributes-anti-christian-quote-to-thomas-jefferson-59712; October 28, 2011; Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

So as it turns out, the quote, itself is founded on a myth, but Christianity is not.

1 John 4:1-2 (CEV) “Dear friends, don't believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God. Test them all to find out if they really do come from God. Many false prophets have already gone out into the world, (2) and you can know which ones come from God. His Spirit says that Jesus Christ had a truly human body.”

There are times when something everybody knows to be true is not really true at all. Everybody knows that the 300 year old violins crafted by the Italian masters Stradivari and Guarneri have an exquisite sound unmatched by modern violinmakers. One proof of their quality is the high price tag they carry, as much as 3-million dollars. When blindfolded professionals tested three such instruments, they discovered the illusion.

Researchers blindfolded the violinists and they played each of the violins, comparing them to one another. For purposes of the research, they added three new instruments as well. The violinists had no idea which instrument they were playing. They rated them for tone, projection, and general playability. The highest rated violin was one of the new models. The lowest rated violin was the oldest Stradivarius. Even though the three new violins together cost less than $100,000, they consistently outperformed the $10,000,000 worth of old violins.

--The Week, January 27, 2012 p. 19 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

In our faith, the same thing happens. There are things everybody knows are true, but they are not. “God helps those who help themselves.” “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” “You need to be good so you can go to heaven.” None of those, and many others, has any Biblical standing. That is why Paul told Timothy to study the word. People will hear what they want to hear and we need to be ready to point them away from myths to the truth.

2 Timothy 3:16-4:4 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (1) I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: (2) preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (3) For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, (4) and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

During the first week of January 2012 Yahoo! Sports ran two different stories about Tiger Wood’s divorce settlement. The first story reported that his ex-wife received a one hundred million dollar settlement in their divorce. After buying a twelve million dollar home in Florida, she had it bulldozed to the ground to build a new one. The second story clarified that the reason she demolished the house was termite infestation and faulty plumbing.

--http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/golf-devil-ball-golf/why-did-tiger-woods-ex-wife-level-12-171330450.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and John Bohrer

One story gives one impression, the other another. They say a half-truth is a whole lie. Being truthful means, you tell the whole story, if you know it and make a correction when you didn’t.

1 Peter 2:1 (NASB) Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

A deserter from the United States Air Force who has lived secretly in Sweden for the past 28 years has finally come out of hiding. David Hemler and a friend left an Air Force base in Germany after getting involved with a pacifist group and becoming disillusioned with the policies of President Ronald Reagan. Hemler hitchhiked to Sweden where he settled down, registering as a citizen of an unknown foreign country listing his birthplace as Zurich. He says he never intended to hide for so long. At first, Hemler planned to stay a few weeks, and then return home. One thing lead to another and Hemler is now married with three children and is 49 years of age.

At one time Hemler was one of the U.S. Air Force’s eight most wanted fugitives, with both major European police agencies searching for him. When Hemler contacted his family in America recently, they were surprised to hear that he was still alive. He told them he feared being arrested at first, but after he had a child, he did not want to be separated from her. He decided to come forward after his third child turned two and could go to day care, if he were to be arrested. Though the U.S. embassy in Sweden has declined comment, a lawyer working on the case thinks Hemler will not lose his residence in Sweden, nor would he be extradited to the United States. When asked about his hopes, Hemler said, “My dream scenario is that the responsible authorities realize I have already been punished quite severely for my actions…I have been living 28 years in lies.”

--U.S. deserter in Sweden steps forward after 28 years, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/17/us-sweden-usa-deserter-idUSBRE85G07Y20120617, June 17, 2012, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

No one seems to worry about telling a few “white lies” during the course of a day, but research indicates telling the truth improves both mental and physical health. Researchers from the American Psychological Institute recruited 110 adults and asked half of them to stop lying for ten weeks. The participants were not allowed to openly lie, but they could dodge questions, keep secrets or omit the truth if they wanted. The second half of the group were not special instructions about lying, but were asked to keep a record of the number of lies they told each week.

Both groups reported that they decreased the numbers of lies they told, but the group instructed not to lie showed signs of better health. When they told three fewer lies, they reported fewer complaints about their mental and physical health. Participants in this group found themselves being honest about a lot of daily activities. They found they stopped making excuses about being late or failing to do something. They also found that their close personal relationships improved when they told fewer lies. Dr. Bryan Bruno from the department of psychiatry at Lenox Hill Hospital says the average person tells eleven lies per week. He added, “Lying less is not only good for your relationships, but for yourself as an individual. People might recognize the more devastating impacts lying can have on relationships, but probably don’t recognize the extent to which it can cause a lot of internal stress.”– Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Can Telling the Truth make You Healthier?, By Alexandra Sifferin, http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/06/can-telling-the-truth-make-you-healthier; Accessed August 6, 2012

Psalm 51:6 (HCSB) “Surely You desire integrity in the inner self, and You teach me wisdom deep within.”

Polls taken over the past several years have revealed a strange trend in America. While faith in organized religion has dropped to an all-time low, spirituality is at an all-time high. Similar polls have shown that 80 percent of Americans identify with a religious denomination, while 58 percent say they pray at least once a week, while 40 percent attend weekly services. 9 in 10 Americans claim to believe in God, but most of them also say they rank themselves as “more spiritual than religious.” Those studying the phenomenon say they are not certain if the trend is a new form of religion, a threat to traditional practices, or a departure from commonly accepted thinking. Alan Miller, moderator of an event to examine the trend says, “We think also that the idea that there are many ‘truths’ has come to dominate the landscape and that has impacted the idea of an omnipotent universal Truth.”— Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Spirituality Replacing Religion? NYC Panel to Discuss Growing Trend, by Nicola Menzie, http://www.christianpost.com/news/spirituality-synonymous-with-religion-nyc-panel-to-discuss-growing-trend-82303, Accessed September 27, 2012.

2 Timothy 3:5 (HCSB) holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people!

A Colorado pastor wrote a book describing how he has become disillusioned reading the social media messages of high-profile pastors he respected. Pastor Brady Boyd, says he fears the social media has simply became another venue for hype which is creating a church full of consumers. Boyd says the trend dates back 50 to 60 years, when pastors decided the way to attract people was to package the Gospel and the church into an easy to consume product. The Colorado pastor says his goal is to display a passion from having been in the presence of God, which is exhibited in prayer, reading Scripture, and providing spiritual direction to those in need. He says the message he wants to convey in his book is that what matters to God is not what you do, but who you are. He says, “We hyp-ers are setting up our people to expect an experience, instead of teaching them to encounter their Lord.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell,

Colo. Megachurch Pastor: Hype vs. Holy Spirit, By Lillian Kwon, http://www.christianpost.com/news/colo-megachurch-pastor-hype-vs-holy-spirit-83629, Accessed October 19, 2012

Micah 6:8 (HCSB) “Mankind, He has told you what is good and what it is the LORD requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

With the help of a user, Wikipedia recently deleted a story about the “Bicholim Conflict” because it turned out the story was a hoax. For nearly five years, the site had posted an article describing the conflict as a year-long war between Portugal and the Indian Marath Empire which took place in 1640. The hoax was discovered when a researcher decided to look into the battle a little more and could not find it mentioned in any other sources. He discovered several of the cited sources did not exist either. He notified Wikipedia and suggested that they delete the story because even though it had been awarded “Good Story” status, it was not true. Afterward, the founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, warned students against citing an encyclopedia. He said, “Citing an encyclopedia for an academic paper at the University level is not appropriate. You aren’t 12 years old anymore, it’s time to step up your game and do research in original sources.” —Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Wikipedia discovers story is a hoax, by Gregory Ferenstein, http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/06/an-imaginary-war-a-wikipedia-hoax/?
icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl36%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D253341, Accessed January 6, 2013.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

In 2012, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published the results of a study indicating that an increasing number of scientific studies are ultimately retracted because they are wrong. The study found that the majority of the retractions are not due to honest mistakes, but rather the result of some type of misconduct.

Among the falsified papers the study discovered was a Korean scientist who reviewed his own papers using a variety of fake names. He admitted to falsifying data as well, which resulted in 35 of his papers being retracted in 2012. Many other supposedly legitimate studies were also withdrawn after the authors admitted they had made up numbers to make their research sound better including research on cell phones and cancer and stem cell cures for heart diseases. The authors say these false studies create false hope, and tarnish the reputation of the co-authors who were not aware of the unscrupulous methods used.— Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Oops! 5 retracted science studies from 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/science/2012/12/30/oops-5-retracted-science-studies-2012, Accessed December 30, 2012.

Proverbs 10:9 (NASB) He who walks in integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will be found out.

According to a 2012 survey of 23,230 men and women by TODAY.com and SELF.com, 56% of married women and 37% of married men admit to keeping money secrets from their spouse. “At the same time, honesty about money is a value many married men and women say they prize in relationships. Sixty-three percent of men and 70% of women said they think honesty about money is as important as remaining monogamous.”

Part of a good marriage is trust and honesty. Whether the subject is sex, money, or something else, spouses need to be honest with one another. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2012/12/30/secret-spending-by-spouses/1799489/

Ephesians 4:25 (HCSB) Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

When explorers discover an unknown island, it is big news. When researchers “undiscover” an island, no one seems to notice. Researchers from Australia officially removed a mysterious place called Sandy Island from Google Earth, after they sailed to the supposed location of the island and found nothing there but open water. Sandy Island had appeared as a black polygon on computer maps, and was believed to be roughly the size of Manhattan. The whaling ship Velocity first record the island in 1876, and it was mentioned on a British Admiralty chart in 1908. Since then, no one has been able to locate the island and some charts had removed it by the 1970s.

Researchers believe the original sighting may have been a pumice raft, made up of floating rock from an undersea volcano. Others have been sighted in the area in the past. Steven Micklethwaite from the University of Western Australia was a member of the undiscovery team. He told a newspaper that the crew had a good laugh as they sailed through the island depicted on Google. He added, “Then we started compiling information about the seafloor, which we will send to the relevant authorities so that we can change the world map.”— Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

How a fake island landed on Google Earth,By Megan Gannon, http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/04/20/fake-island-landed-on-google-earth/?intcmp=features, Accessed April 20, 2013.

Psalm 135:6 (ESV) Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.

A museum in Iowa was shocked to learn that an African leopard Tortoise they owned might have been stolen. They were more surprised a few days later, when they discovered that a misguided employees had later found the turtles and then lied to keep up the story about ti being stolen. Authorities said, the employee originally thought the turtle had been stolen, but after announcing the news to the public, found the turtle safe in its pen behind some paneling. Instead of admitted the error, the employee placed the tortoise in a museum elevator where it was found later that day. The museum originally announced that a remorseful thief must have returned the prized retile, but retracted the story when the employee came forward and told the truth.

President and CEO of the museum jerry Enzler said the idea that someone would steal a tortoise was so disturbing that people around the nation responded to it. He said the tortoise was in good health, and the employee would be reprimanded. He stated, “The action taken by the employee …..was wrong and not reflective of the integrity of the staff who dedicate themselves to the highest of Museum and Aquarium standards.”— Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Iowa museum says tortoise was never stolen, http://news.yahoo.com/iowa-museum-says-tortoise-never-stolen-201237340.html, Accessed April 5, 2013.

Proverbs 12:19 (ESV) Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

We are told in the Bible that we should be honest in our dealings with others. Yet when you eat fish at restaurants these days you can never be sure of what you are getting. The group, Oceana tested tuna sold at grocery stores and restaurants in the U.S. and discovered that nearly 60% is not tuna but an extremely oily fish called escolar.

The same study found that red snapper was misrepresented 87% of the time. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Proverbs 16:11 (ESV) A just balance and scales are the LORD’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.

I have a couple of riddles for you today. If someone tells you that they’re telling you the truth, should you believe them? Not necessarily, a liar wouldn’t mind lying straight to your face, while claiming to be truthful. Then if someone tells you they are lying, should you believe them? Of course, it would have to be the truth—if it wasn’t, they would be lying, right?

Enough with the riddles, a new study indicates that almost a third of workers surveyed have taken a sick day when they weren’t really sick.

Patricia Purdy, vice president of core benefits with Chicago-based Pacific Resources, an employee absence management company says, “When someone doesn't come to work, bosses have to pay overtime to workers who do, sometimes pay replacement workers, and absorb the costs of lower productivity.” She continued, “On average, employee absences account for 35 percent of an employer's base payroll”—Jim L. Wilson

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-excuses-20131025,0,7884966.story (accessed 10-27-2013)

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

Some people have the ability to recall specific details about dates and events decades after they happened. Research has found that even people with exceptional memory abilities can be fooled by introducing false memories. A University of California team tested 20 super-memory people and 38 other people with normal memory, deliberately using techniques to elicit false memories to see which group was more likely to be fooled. In the test, everyone was asked to read an article about United Flight 93, which crashed in a Pennsylvania field on September 11, 2011. The article falsely stated that video footage of the plane crashing was taken by an observer on the ground. After reading the material 20 percent of the people with extraordinary memory said they had seen the video, and 29 percent of the people with regular memory indicated that they had. When asked alter, ten percent of both groups maintained they had seen the video. Researchers say the results suggest that eyewitnesses can be influenced by police suggestions or news stories about events they witnessed. They said the brain often constructs memories from bits of information and then pieces them together. They point out that the findings could play an important role in court proceedings, adding that “confidence does not equal accuracy.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Even people with super recall tripped up by false memories, study finds, by Brian Alexander, http://www.nbcnews.com/health/emb-3p-even-people-super-recall-tripped-false-memories-study-2D11603596, Accessed November 18, 2013.

Matthew 18:16 (NKJV) But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'

Anthony Rackley called the Oklahoma City Police to tell them that he had escaped from the Maryland prison system more than 30 years ago. Why would he turn himself in? Extortion. A close “friend” Rackley, demanded payment for his silence after Rackley unburdened himself to him. When the demands increased, Rackely “decided enough was enough” the price tag to live a lie was far more than Rackely was willing to pay. —Jim L. Wilson and Rondall Leggett

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/escapee-from-maryland-turns-himself-in-in-oklahoma-after-33-years/2013/11/09

John 8:32 (NKJV) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

In an interview with Time Pastor Rick Warren was asked, “If you could get people to change one thing, what would it be?” Warren’s answer may be the quote of the year.

“I’d get them to stop believing everything they think. We lie to ourselves more than anybody else. Jesus said the truth will set you free—but first it makes you miserable.” --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

John 8:32 (ESV) (32) and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Unmarried women living in Beijing are under great pressure to find husbands. That pressure has created a burgeoning industry in rental boyfriends, especially around holiday seasons when they go home to the countryside to visit their families. Boyfriends cost about a month’s salary for a visit home posing as a suitor. There are some added fees such as $1 per time holding hands, hugs, and kisses. Shopping trips are paid at $10 per hour.

The deceptive practices in order to save one’s honor must present difficulties of its own. This is the stuff of situation comedy; one can only imagine the plot lines. Perhaps truthfulness would be a better option. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Zechariah 8:16 (HCSB) (16) These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another; make true and sound decisions within your gates.

Fred Eckhardt lives in a small town and his dream is to keep the good old days alive. The way he does that is collecting old and classic post cards. His goal is to get a card from every town in Minnesota and South Dakota and that means a lot of stops at garage sales along the way. About thirty years ago, Eckhardt found two unique cards, One had Jimmy Archer of the Chicago Cubs on it, and the other had the legendary Shoeless Joe Jackson, and both were dated 1914. A man at a show once offered him $25 dollars for the cards. Even though he only paid $5 for the cards, Eckhardt waited and kept the cards. When he asked about them, everyone was stumped, so Eckhardt decided to let an online auction sell them. They sold for more than $2,200 dollars, which Eckhardt says was not bad for a 5 dollar purchase. Eckhardt says, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. You never know what you’re going to find in a pile of junk.”—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

Minnesota Man Finds Hidden Treasure In Postcard Collection,
http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/03/05/minnesota-man-finds-hidden-treasure-in-postcard-collection, Accessed March 5, 2015.

Matthew 13:52 (HCSB) “Therefore,” He said to them, “every student of Scripture instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who brings out of his storeroom what is new and what is old.”

The editor of The Lancet medical journal says that up to 50 percent of all scientific papers “may simply be untrue.” Richard Horton says that researchers “too often sculpt data to fit their referred theory of the world or run badly designed experiments that confuse association with causation or inflate modest findings into sensational and unequivocal conclusions.”

Many Americans have a world view that nothing is as true or as honest as science. Theunis Bates writing in The Week magazine declares “we just need to be more skeptical of people in white coats bearing extraordinary data.”

The believer whose world view begins with God and ends with redemption believes that the white robed Savior can totally be relied upon when white coated scientists cannot. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

John 8:32 (NIV) (32) Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

With opportunities for the public to comment on the quality of public services through social media and feedback apps, restaurants become accountable to the general public. They also can be victims of undeserved bad reviews.

While it is usually impossible to prove a bad review is not deserved, the restaurant Lois Eau Des Ducs in Dijon, France recently were the beneficiaries of a court order of 7500 euros. Why? The review was posted before the restaurant opened.—Jim L. Wilson

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/29/452849325/bad-review-of-unopened-french-restaurant-costs-reviewer

Proverbs 12:19 (HCSB) Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue, only a moment.

There remains a warm place in our hearts for truth. NBC Anchor Brian Williams has lost his position with NBC’s Nightly News. NBC relieved Williams when his viewers discovered that he was not truthful in personal anecdotes he told on air about adventures in Iraq and other stories.

Ephesians 4:25 (HCSB)“Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.”

“No Man’s Sky” was one of the most anticipated video games of 2016. However, when it hit the shelves it was met with devastating criticism from the gaming community. What was supposed to be the greatest game of the year turned out to be the greatest disappointment. On Steam, the gaming platform where people can play on PC, players gave it over 75,000 bad reviews. The reason was false advertisement. The company made sweeping promises about game features for everyone to look forward to that ended up not being there and because of it the backlash was huge. Most review articles would actually say the game was okay, in and of itself, just not what was promised. However, when something is falsely advertised, people tend to lash out against it.

As Christians it is our duty to be different from the rest of the world. We must not be hypocrites and actually practice what we preach as well as be forthcoming when we have failed. If we act like we are perfect when we are not we are acting just like the Pharisees and the world will know. —Jim L. Wilson & Miles Hansen

Matthew 23:27–28 (HCSB) “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Speaking to world leaders, the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg advocated for improving Internet access around the world. At the same time, Zuckerberg took the opportunity to address a common concern with social media, false news stories. Zuckerberg said his company is taking measures to curb what he described as a “relatively small” percentage of deliberately false stories. He said this includes using new tools to detect and classify “misinformation” and make it easier for users to report them. He also said the company is considering working with fact-checking organizations to evaluate content. He added, “The bottom line is: we take misinformation seriously. Our goal is to connect people with the stories they find most meaningful, and we know people want accurate information.”—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell.

Psalm 43:3 (HCSB)“Send Your light and Your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to Your dwelling place.”

TRUTH

In 1950, a B-36 bomber carrying a training nuclear weapon crashed in the ocean off the western coast of Canada. The crew jettisoned the bomb before bailing out themselves. For over 60 years the Mark 4 bomb lay undiscovered on the ocean floor. That all changed when Sean Smyrichinsky may have inadvertently found it while looking for sea cucumbers. The bomb had a core of lead, TNT, and non-enriched uranium, and is not considered a nuclear risk.

When a seeker discovers the awesome truth of the Gospel it is likewise an exciting time. Seeking, discovering, and knowing the truth is truly a life changing event. The power of the Mark 4 may be muted, but the power of the gospel is still explosive. –--Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Ephesians 1:13–14 (HCSB)“When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. ¹⁴ He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory.”

While sitting at their second-grade lunch table, Rebecca told her Rachael that she knew who the tooth fairy was. The night before Rebecca was pretending to be asleep when her dad snuck in, took the tooth, and laid a crisp five-dollar bill under her pillow. Rachel couldn’t believe it and she couldn’t wait to get home. She immediately told her Mom she knew who the tooth fairy was. Her Mom was worried that Rachel’s childhood had been spoiled by a know-it-all kid at school. Rachel let her Mom know that Rebecca’s dad, “Ron Loeberfield, is the tooth fairy.” Her Mom was all too happy to let Rachel believe that Ron Loeberfield may dress up like a business man during the day, but at night he was the tooth fairy. —Jim L. Wilson & Andrew DeHart

This American Life: “Kid Logic, ” https://m.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/605/transcript

Acts 17:11 (HCSB)“The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

The US Border patrol will eliminate the use of polygraph tests used in interviewing new applicants. Currently, there are 1800 open positions and the president is seeking as many as 5000 new ones. The border patrol is running into problems. Over 60% of applicants cannot pass the polygraph test. “Not a lot of people are passing,” said Border Patrol Chief Ronald Vitiello.

In a culture in decline, where purity and honesty don’t seem to matter much, the church must continue to preach about the One who is truth, and whose truth sets us free. –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Apple Corporation has always worked hard to use unique designs in their offices. At the company’s new headquarters, they used large panes of glass to mix solo office areas with social spaces. The problem is employees keep running into the nearly invisible walls. Some staff started putting Post-It notes on the doors to reveal their presence, but others felt the notes detracted from the open design and took them down. A spokeswoman declined to comment and it is not clear how many people have collided with the walls. Another person who is familiar with the situation anonymously said there are markings on the glass that clearly identify the location of the walls.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

For nothing is concealed that won’t be revealed, and nothing hidden that won’t be made known and brought to light.

In Shaken: Discovering your True Identity in the Midst of Life’s Storms, Tim Tebow writes, “When your world is shaken, when the plans and dreams you’ve created, perhaps even banked on, get obliterated, when the path on which you walk is moving in an unknown and a particularly unwanted direction, what do you do? Better yet, what do you hold on to? I knew in that moment, I had to hold on to truth. It was the only solid ground I had. I had to remember what God said.” —Jim L. Wilson

In the late 90’s the Matrix debuted and was a commercial success and critical acclaim, receiving four academy awards. Neo, the main character senses that there is more to this life and explores the question, what is the Matrix? As the plot unfolds, Trinity arranges a meeting between Neo and Morpheus. During the meeting, Morpheus presents Neo with a choice of a blue pill and a red pill. Neo faced a decision—take the blue pill and return to his former life or the red pill, which would reveal the truth about the Matrix.

Some decisions are inconsequential. Whether to drink tea or coffee, likely won’t make big difference. Attending the first showing at a movie, or the second, has little consequence. But other choices change everything. Like the red pill, knowing the truth means you can never go back to your former life.—Jim L. Wilson and Bobby Oh

John 1:12 (CSB) “But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name,”

The Institute of Labor Economics found that both males and wealthy people are more likely to pretend to know what they’re talking about, when they really have no clue. In the study the participants were asked to discuss nonexistent mathematical concepts such as “proper numbers” and “declarative fractions.” Males and wealthy people had a tendency to act like they knew about them. –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Ephesians 4:25 (CSB) Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

Archaeologists uncovered a rare stone sign establishing the city limit of ancient Rome in the days of Emperor Claudius around 49A.D. The sign was uncovered when workers excavated a new sewer system and is a huge slab of travertine used to mark off a sacred, military, and political perimeter highlighting the edge of the empire’s capital. At a press conference, Claudio Parisi Presicca, director of the Archaeological Museums of Rome said the stone had civic and symbolic meaning. It marked of an area where it was forbidden to farm, live or build, or even enter with weapons of any kind, known as a “pomerium.” Presicce said the founding act of the city of Rome started with the realization of this area. He said, “The stone features an inscription that allowed archaeologists to date it to Claudius and the expansion of the pomerium in 49A.D., which established Rome’s new city limits.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

https://www.klove.com/news/tech-science/rare-stone-marker-discovered-it-identified-ancient-romes-city-limits-24184