I once heard of a ship that was crossing the Atlantic from Europe to South America, and as it neared the end of its crossing, it escaped a close call that would have sent it to the depths and would have taken the lives of many of its passengers.
After departing Dover, the ship had cruised for many days without incident and without mishap. In fact, the crossing had been so smooth and so unremarkable that the crew began to grow lax in their duties. As the ship drew close to the South American coast, the man on lookout nodded off, and as he slept his ship began to approach a particularly rocky and ruinous spot.
But as it happened, there was a cricket aboard that ship. Until that point in the journey, no one had noticed its presence, but as the ship drew close to land, the cricket somehow smelled it or sensed it, and set up a shrill call. The lookout awoke, understood that land was quickly approaching, and stopped the vessel before it blundered into the rocks and was lost.
In this case, something as insignificant as the chirping of a cricket saved many lives. And I sometimes wonder what you and I may accomplish with what seems to be the simplest and least significant of sounds. I wonder what heaven will someday reveal—what we will hear in the soundtrack of heaven.
Maybe the scratching of a pen on a notecard will prove to be the means God used to encourage one of his downcast people and strengthen them for another day of love and service.
Maybe the tapping of a keyboard that sounds the writing of an article or email will be shown to have introduced a skeptic to the gospel and won a sinner to salvation.
Maybe the clank of a spoon stirring a pot will eventually be seen to have been used to feed one of God’s “angels unaware”—to have displayed a distinctly Christian commitment to love and hospitality.
God is the master of transforming the ordinary to the extraordinary, the mundane to the miraculous.Share
Maybe it’s the click of knitting needles as they create a sweater to clothe one who is cold, the crunch of footsteps in the snow as they approach a home for a time of prayer, the sound of a sob as one Christian weeps with another, sharing a heavy burden and so fulfilling the law of Christ. Maybe it’s even the sound of a bell ringing from a church steeple and calling people to turn to Christ that day, that hour, that minute.
God is the master of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary, the mundane into the miraculous. God is the master of accepting little and multiplying it to much. God is the master of taking our little contributions and making them the great means through which he blesses his people and brings glory to his name. And I am convinced we will one day learn that the soundtrack of heaven is made up of the simplest of sounds that God has joined together into the most stirring of symphonies.

This week the blog is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective, and in the post, J. Warner Wallace is inviting you to consider the evidence.

Can the truth about Jesus be uncovered—even without a body or a crime scene?
Tammy Hayes’s disappearance was what we call a no-body homicide case—where a homicide is assumed to have occurred but a body is never found. These cases are incredibly difficult to investigate and prosecute. Few are ever filed with the district attorney because prosecutors must (1) prove the victim was murdered (and isn’t simply missing) and (2) prove that the defendant committed the crime.
The Hayes case had been set aside for nearly a decade before I reopened it. In this case, no scene was ever photographed or recorded in any way. Not a single piece of physical evidence existed. And to make matters worse, we didn’t even have Tammy’s body. Yet five years later, we successfully prosecuted Steve for his wife’s murder. It wasn’t easy, but I took a unique approach tailored to cases that lack a body and a crime scene.
“What explosive event split world history in two? The stunning conclusion of this master cold-case homicide detective’s meticulous research, analysis, and deliberation will leave Christians delighted and skeptics devastated.”
—Gregory Koukl, president of Stand to Reason (str.org), author of Tactics and The Story of Reality
The case for Jesus can be investigated in a similar way. As in the Hayes case, we don’t have Jesus’s body, and we don’t have a “crime scene” to provide us with physical evidence. Despite these limitations, we can still make a case for the historicity and deity of Jesus. We can do it without a body—and without any evidence from the New Testament.
You read that correctly.
If Jesus was truly the smartest, most interesting, and most transformative man who ever lived—if he was truly God—we ought to be able to make a case for his existence and impact, even without any evidence from the New Testament. You’ll learn how to make that case in my new book and video study, Person of Interest.
I’d like to invite you to use the book, and I pray that it helps you make the case to yourself, or to others, for how Jesus changed the world.
Watch the first session for free:
[embedded content]
Learn more and read a sample at:
PersonOfInterestBook.com
Buy the book at:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes & Noble
Christianbook.com
ChurchSource.com
Buy the video at:
Vimeo
Endorsements
“J. Warner’s writing style pulls you into the narrative; you can’t help but join his exploration as a detective. And J. Warner also provides a fresh angle. With its panoramic perspective, this book offers a fascinating journey into some lines of evidence most of us hadn’t even considered!”
—Craig S. Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, author of The Historical Jesus of the Gospels
“Either the foundational details of Jesus life, death, and resurrection happened within history and must be reckoned with, or they did not happen, and Christianity falls apart. J. Warner Wallace demonstrates, by using standard and reliable methods of investigation, that Jesus Christ is who he claimed to be.”
—John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center, host of BreakPoint
 “In Person of Interest, J. Warner does something new and remarkable. He shows why history was divided into two eras by the person of Jesus. This book is comprehensive, the argumentation is convincing, and the delivery compelling. If a skeptic wants to know whether the story of Jesus makes sense, give them this book and they’ll discover that Jesus makes sense of history itself.”
—Justin Brierley, host of the Unbelievable? radio show and podcast, author of Unbelievable?
“Several years ago Jim Wallace burst onto the scene and applied his years of highly successful police detective work, using these techniques to inquire about the truth of Christianity. Add to this that Jim previously had been a card-carrying atheist well into his adult life, and what emerged was a new angle that has excited the world of apologetics ever since. I am more than pleased to endorse fully the excellent research that has resulted, including Person of Interest. What a boost to the field of Christian evidences!”
—Gary R. Habermas, Distinguished Research Professor at Liberty University, author of The Historical Jesus

This sponsored post was provided by Burke Care, and written by Jen Arend , which invites you to schedule care today with a certified biblical counselor.
Is there one Christmas theme that strikes you each year without fail? For me, it is “Immanuel, God is with us” (Matthew 1:23).[1] What is it about this name of Jesus that is so gripping? God became a man, stooping down to this sin-cursed earth, taking on the weakness of human flesh, and humbling himself to the nth degree to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). A stable for a King. Washing dirty feet. A criminal’s death. God is with us… 
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; although He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich.” — 2 Corinthians 8:9
Our God is a God who came near. Jesus, Immanuel, God is with us. Collectively and historically in the birth of Christ, God showed that He is a God who draws near. Immanuel is also incredibly personal and intensely practical, as we live our lives each day. God is with you. 
Think of your fears. Fear needs a person.[2] When a child wakes up in the middle of the night, crying inconsolably, what does she do? There is no peace until she is in the arms of her loving mom or dad. She runs to find them, and even an attuned parent will run to meet her in her distress. The tears may continue, and her heart may still race. But by the comforting embrace of her parents, she is eventually consoled. Peace floods her heart, and she can rest again. Fear needs a person. Immanuel, God is with us.
Where do you turn when anxiety strikes? Most of us struggle alone, as though we are orphans. You are not an orphan. Immanuel, God is with us. You can run to him! He is near, and His nearness eventually quells your fears, giving you that “peace which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). Often, we read Philippians 4:6 out of context, like a band aid that is supposed to help us with our anxiety. “Do not be anxious about anything…” Have you ever noticed what comes right before Philippians 4:6? The Lord is near. The Lord is near. The Lord is near. Immanuel, God is with us.
How might Immanuel change you this season as you face your anxiety? 
1.      Remember, you are not alone. You are not an orphan, crying out in the dark with no one to help. God hears your cry. As the most attuned Father, He runs to help. He is with you.
2.      Remember, you can run to Him. Will he rebuke you in your fears? No! Would a good parent do that to a frightened child? Of course, not! Jesus is a tender Shepherd, beckoning you to come to Him (Matt. 11:28). He will not turn you away in your fears. You have a Father, compassionate and loving, welcoming you with open arms.
3.      In running to Him, you may not find immediate peace. It may take time, even a long season of remembering who your Father is for you. Just as a child will require time to calm down in the presence of love, so too, you may need time in the presence of the Lord. That is okay. Give yourself time, even as you draw near to the Lord. 
In your struggle to believe, remember He is Immanuel, God is with us.
[1] All Scripture references: Holman Christian Standard Bible.
[2] Lauren Whitman, “Every Day Problems in Counseling,” Lecture 10, (Glenside, PA: Westminster Theological Seminary).
Immanuel, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life. (Jn. 6:68)
Immanuel, when I am filled with cares, your comfort brings me joy. (Ps. 94:19)
Immanuel: Do not fear for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand. (Is. 41:10)
Application:
1.      Where do you turn when you are feeling anxious? Do you depend on your own strength to fight your anxiety? Like a child, run to Jesus. Fear needs a person.
2.      Is there a Scripture that brings you comfort in times of distress? Meditate on that truth or even write it on a card to refer to when you are fearful.
3.      When you feel overcome with anxiety, can you begin with a simple, “Help, Lord!”? Turning to the Lord in any way may just bring a measure of unexpected peace, as you turn and reflect on the character of your heavenly Father.
4.      As you pursue deeper fellowship in the local church, is there someone that you can ask to pray for you? Turning to the Lord is best done in community with other believers. Remember, you are not alone.
As you celebrate this Christmas season, remember Immanuel, God is with us. And if we at Burke Care can help you or a loved one draw near to the Lord in this season, we would count that a great privilege.