Christians Aren't Getting the Job Done

Christians Aren't Getting the Job Done by Bill Wilson

As a prophetic people living in a prophetic time, we Christians should be focused on the commands of Jesus rather than self-indulgent, extra-biblical and emotional activities that are distractions from The Great Commission.

Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."

In Mark 16:15, he said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

Are we effective witnesses? Are we as a whole obeying and serving Jesus? According to a recent poll by the American Culture and Faith Institute, we have some work to do.

 

Executive Director and Founder George Barna developed a measure that evaluates if a person has confessed their personal sin, asked Jesus Christ to save them, and believes they will live eternally in Heaven only because of His grace toward them.

Barna reports that the "proportion of adults who meet the born again criterion has been on a downward trajectory since 2010. For the 15 year period from 1991 through 2005, an average of 40% of the adult population qualified as born again. That average rose slightly, to 44%, during the five years from 2006 to 2010. Since that time, however, the mean has plummeted to just 36%, with 2017 producing the lowest proportion of born again adults since Barna began the tracking process in 1991."

 

According to Barna's research, the 2017 average indicates that just 31% of adults are born again. Barna says this trend is not likely to reverse itself,

An analysis of faith by age group indicates that America's two older generations are more likely to be born again than are younger adults: 33% of those 65 or older and 37% of people 50 to 64 are born again. In comparison, 31% of those in their 30s and 40s are born again while only 23% of adults under 30 fit the criteria.

As older Americans pass away, the population proportion of younger adults will increase, continuing to drive down the born again proportion in the years to come. Children and teenagers are exhibiting a lower likelihood of becoming born again, too, further limiting the possibility of the growth of this segment."

 

Barna noted, "Fewer churches emphasize and equip people for evangelism these days, and the results are obvious and undeniable. The implications of ignoring gospel outreach - especially among children, who are the most receptive audience to the gospel - are enormous.

All the 'church growth' strategies in the world cannot compensate for the absence of an authentic transmission of the good news of what Jesus Christ has done for humanity." 

Herein is the problem in my opinion, the vast majority of churches are teaching doctrines of self improvement rather than service and obedience to God. Many have lost sight of the importance of being born again and the subsequent enthusiasm for serving the Lord and spreading the good news.

Believers in Christ need to prayerfully consider these trends

Government Ponzi Scheme

Government Ponzi Scheme

A woman died at age 65. She paid into the system for almost 50 years and collected NOTHING?  Keep in mind all the people that die every year who were paying into the system and got nothing!

And these governmental morons mismanaged the money and stole from the system, so that it's now going broke.

BEAUTIFUL! and they have the audacity to call today's seniors "vultures" in an attempt to cover their ineptitude.

DISGRACEFUL!

The real reason for renaming our Social Security payments is so the government can claim that all those social security recipients are receiving entitlements thus putting them in the same case as welfare, food stamp recipients.

F.Y.I.  By changing the name of SS contributions it gives them a means to refute this program in the future.  It's free money for the government to spend under this guise.

 

The Social Security check is now (or soon will be) referred to as a *Federal Benefit Payment*?  I'll be part of the one percent to forward this. I am forwarding it because it touches a nerve in me, and I hope it will in you.

  

The government is now referring to our Social Security checks as a "Federal Benefit Payment."  This isn't a benefit. It is our money paid out of our earned income!  Not only did we all contribute to Social Security but our employers did too. It totaled 15% of our income before taxes.

If you averaged $30K per year over your working life, that's close to $180,000 invested in Social Security.  If you calculate the future value of your monthly investment in social security ($375/month, including both you and your employers contributions) at a meager 1% interest rate compounded monthly, after 40 years of working you'd have more than $1.3+ million dollars saved!

This is your personal investment. Upon retirement, if you took out only 3% per year, you'd receive $39,318 per year, or $3,277 per month.

That's almost three times more than today's average Social Security benefit of $1,230 per month, according to the Social Security Administration. (Google it – it's a fact). And your retirement fund would last more than 33 years (until you're 98 if you retire at age 65)! I can only imagine how much better most average-income people could live in retirement if our government had just invested our money in low-risk interest-earning accounts.  Instead, the folks in Washington pulled off a bigger *Ponzi scheme* than Bernie Madoff ever did.

They took our money and used it elsewhere. They forgot (oh yes, they knew) that it was OUR money they were taking.  They didn't have a referendum to ask us if we wanted to lend the money to them.  And they didn't pay interest on the debt they assumed. And recently they've told us that the money won't support us for very much longer.

Isn't it funny that they NEVER say this about welfare payments?  But is it our fault they misused our investments?  And now, to add insult to injury, they're calling it a *benefit*, as if we never worked to earn every penny of it.

Just because they borrowed the money, doesn't mean that our investments were a charity!

Let's take a stand. We have earned our right to Social Security and Medicare.. Demand that our legislators bring some sense into our government.

Find a way to keep Social Security and Medicare going for the sake of that 92% of our population who need it.

Then call it what it is: Our Earned Retirement Income.

What Garrison Keillor and Jay-Z Have in Common

What Garrison Keillor and Jay-Z Have in Common by Dr. Jim Denison

Another day, another bombshell.

Garrison Keillor, the former host of A Prairie Home Companion and longtime cultural icon, says he's been fired by Minnesota Public Radio over allegations of improper behavior. And rapper Jay-Z admitted that he has cheated on his wife, Beyoncé.

This after Matt Lauer's firing yesterday by NBC News stunned America. The list of powerful men facing allegations of sexual misconduct continues to grow by the day.

Media coverage has centered on these men and their actions. However, I have seen much less attention given to women who are the victims of such abuse. As a result, I will focus on them today.

As a man, I cannot comprehend what it is like for women to experience and disclose sexual abuse. But I can offer three biblical responses to their pain.

1. Your courage is to be applauded.

Megyn Kelly's response to Lauer's firing was especially powerful. After showing video of Today show anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb responding to the news, she replied: "I see the anguish in my colleagues' faces. When this happens, what we don't see is the pain on the faces of those who found the courage to come forward. It is a terrifying thing to do."

She explained: "We don't see the career opportunities women lose because of sexual harassment, or the intense stress it causes a woman dealing with it when she comes to work each day. I am thinking of those women this morning, hoping they are OK.

"The days to come will not be easy. We are in the middle of a sea change in this country, an empowerment revolution, in which women who for years felt they had no choice but to simply deal with being harassed at work are now starting to picture another reality, to feel that change is within their grasp."

Kelly called recent disclosures of sexual abuse "a sign of progress, of women finding their voices, their courage, and of the erosion of a shameful power imbalance that has been in place for far too long."

To those who choose such courage: know that your sacrifice is making a real difference. God wants you to "not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). He invites you to "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might" (Ephesians 6:10).

2. You deserve to be treated with dignity.

Chris Legg is lead pastor at South Spring Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, and a professional Christian counselor. He and I corresponded yesterday on our topic. Here was his response, a paraphrase from Gavin de Becker's book, The Gift of Fear:

"The most common greatest fear for women is being assaulted by a man. Most women make dozens of decisions a day to avoid putting themselves in a situation to be physically harmed by men.

The most common greatest fear for men is feeling rejected by a woman. Most of us make many decisions to avoid feeling like the women in our lives are rejecting us."

Here's how I would apply Chris's insight to today's subject: If a man fears rejection by a woman, he might act inappropriately out of a need to feel wanted. His action then substantiates her fear of abuse, causing her to withdraw further from him and exacerbating his fear of rejection. He then responds even more forcefully and the cycle continues.

This pattern helps explain why some men behave so inappropriately toward some women. Since such abuse is rooted in masculine insecurity, we are not surprised to find it throughout human history. From Absalom's rape of Tamar (2 Samuel 13) to today's revelations, this is a recurring and tragic pattern.

As a result, we need to say loudly and clearly: women deserve dignity. Every woman. Every day. Every time.

God created women in his image (Genesis 1:27). Husbands are to "love their wives as their own bodies" (Ephesians 5:28). We are to esteem our wives as "far more precious than jewels" (Proverbs 31:10).

3. Unwanted advances or inappropriate behavior of any kind is always wrong. Always.

God knows and cares.

Abuse victims often feel isolated and alone. But you're not alone. The Lord of the universe knows your suffering (Proverbs 15:3). He grieves as you grieve and hurts as you hurt.

No matter how people treat you, your Father will always love you as his child. In fact, he often calls us his "adopted" children (Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:14–17, 23). In the Roman empire, adopted children could never be disinherited. They would belong forever to their fathers.

So it is with you. The God of the universe applauds your courage, honors your dignity, and loves you unconditionally.

The Kindest Personality Type

The Kindest Personality Type

Old souls come in every personality type, from wildly extroverted to deeply introverted and shy. But one thing they all have in common is that they're good company for themselves, even if they also enjoy the company of others.

"I almost always prefer time to myself than packing my calendar with social events," says Rachel D., a project manager at a digital agency. "Some of my favorite activities are going for a stroll, people watching, going to a concert/coffee/meal alone."

Here's why old souls feel comfortable in solitude: In addition to perspective and empathy, old souls tend to have pretty decent imaginations. If you've always been good at entertaining yourself, whether you're a bookworm or an artist or an enthusiastic collector, you already know what we're talking about.

Perhaps one of the kindest personality types in the entire Myers-Briggs personality set is the ISTJ — and that’s why we all love them.

Being an ISTJ is a great thing. In fact, many of the most well-liked people in society are members of this personality type. George Washington, Queen Elizabeth II, and Warren Buffet are all examples of this personality type.

ISTJ stands for Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judgment.

These are qualities that an ISTJ personality is heavily known for, and they’re qualities that often end up propelling them into managerial positions as a result.

ISTJs are the most common personality type in the world, and if you ask us, that’s great! Ever wonder if you’re one of the quiet, kind, and mellow people who belong to this personality type? Here’s the signs you need to check out, and what they mean for you.

1. People have actually called you “an old soul” or told you that you are old-fashioned.

ISTJs are as old school as they come — and that’s a great thing. They value tradition and often will stick to the “tried and true” paths of building a good life rather than venture out into unknown (and possibly dangerous) territories.

2. Your idea of a nice day is spent inside, at home.

You might enjoy baking cookies, or having a dinner with the fam, but really, not much else. ISTJs are known for being homebodies and introverts who just want to relax after a hard day’s work.

3. Everyone tends to go to you when they want someone to be realistic and responsible.

With ISTJs, responsibility is always the name of the game. You’re the one they’ll approach when they need advice on insurance, taxes, or even something like childcare. Why? Because they know you won’t be doing something crazy or be unrealistic with your advice.

4. It’s the little things in life that thrill you.

Making a new craft out of a Mason jar? Sweet! Seeing a nice day in the park? Also perfect. You don’t need things like clubs and bottles of bubbly to get you going if you have an ISTJ personality.

5. At work, you often end up in a managerial position.

You might also be an accountant or a scientist. Numbers are kind of your thing in many cases. Because ISTJs are notoriously hard workers who focus on getting things done well and on time, it’s safe to say that finding a job is rarely ever a struggle. You’re what bosses call “the Golden Employee.”

6. You tend to take badly to change, imperfection, or unpredictability.

Stability and regularity is what makes you as an ISTJ feel safe. If you feel a job isn’t done properly, or if you feel you can’t predict people well, it will end up causing you to get irate. The word “perfectionist” gets thrown around a lot with you.

7. You often end up caring more about being right than making the other person feel good.

This is also a leading cause of relationship problems with ISTJs. Their need for logic and correctness can get so thorough, they may even alienate those around them.

8. Honesty is the best policy with you.

ISTJs are often honest to the point of blunt. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on what you end up doing.

9. People have called you “safe."

You know what that means, and it’s not a bad thing. It means they know they can depend on you.
'
10. You’re known for making it your personal duty to keep friends and family happy.

To a point, ISTJs are known for being people pleasers. They will often go the extra mile to keep people around them happy, simply because they feel it’s the right thing to do. They may even blame themselves for things that are not in their control because of this.

11. Overall, you’re a very calm and practical person.

You’re all about realistic goals and slowly reaching them.

Anxiety doesn’t really happen unless you’re thrown for a loop, and even then, it’s almost always temporary.

12. The only time you’ll see an ISTJ be spastic is if they are perfectionists.

This is probably the biggest Achilles’ heel of the ISTJ personality type. For ISTJs, everything has to be perfect, especially at work. For everyone else, dealing with an ISTJ who takes this too far can be a nightmare.

Prayer Initiative

Prayer Initiative

Citizens/Voters

Suggested Scriptural references ...

Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart. Proverbs 11:11

I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds...  Hebrews 10:16

Like a trampled spring and a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.  Proverbs 25:26 

We will no longer be immature like children.  We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching.  We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.  Ephesians 4:14 

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting...  James 1:5-6

Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.  Romans 13:7

Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."  Mark 12:17

Suggested prayers ...

Teach us, Lord, to value our role as citizens.  Awaken in the electorate a desire to know the true principles upon which this country was built, and draw us to Your vision for the restoration of our beloved country.

 

Let us never take for granted the free land You have given us.  Please show us, Lord, how to do our part to secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and those to come. 

 

We ask for leaders and a citizenry who truly understand our accountability before You for every vote we cast, or do not cast.  Help us to wisely evaluate every candidate and policy against your Word.  We ask for the wisdom to vote as You would have us vote.

We ask You to grant our citizens the wisdom to discern truth from spin and deception.  Give us radar to know when a candidate or policy is counterfeit to the true founding principles and Constitutional roots of this land, borne out of faith in You and Your word.   

Move our leaders and our citizens to rightly divide the responsibilities of government vs. the responsibilities of citizens as defined by You.  

God Almighty, we plead with you to guide, guard, convict and correct all candidates, campaigns, consultants, political operatives and staff members.  We ask You to draw them to integrity before the citizens of this country.  Give them the will to honestly place their values and visions before us, free of manipulation and deception.  We ask You to expose and defeat those who lie. 

We pray, Lord, against the voter fraud that has so crippled our confidence in the electoral process.  We ask You to expose and bring to justice those who would undermine free and fair elections.  Please help us to restore integrity to the election process in America. Rid our system of corruption, we pray.

O Lord, give me the wisdom and the courage to confidently and winsomely take a stand for Your Truth with my fellow citizens.  Use my voice, Lord, I pray.

~~~

“Now more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature...If the next centennial does not find us a great nation...it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.”   President James Garfield

Today in History

Today in History1994

Achille Lauro Sinks Near Somalia

The Achille Lauro cruise ship caught fire and sank to the bottom of the sea near Somalia on this day in 1994. The large luxury liner had a checkered history that included deaths and terrorism prior to its sinking.

The construction of the Willem Ruys by the Royal Rotterdam Lloyd Line took more than 10 years. The completed ship, which weighed in at 24,000 gross tons and was launched in 1947, was used to carry passengers and cargo back and forth from the Netherlands to the East Indies.

In the 1960s, it was primarily used to carry immigrants to Australia. In 1965, the Star Lauro company bought the ship to add it to its cruise line.

In 1971, the ship, re-named Achille Lauro, rammed an Italian fishing boat in the Mediterranean Sea, killing one person. Ten years later, a fire on board the ship killed two people. The most infamous incident in the history of the Achille Lauro, though, occurred in 1985, when it was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists who shot and killed an American passenger, Leon Klinghoffer.

In 1994, the Achille Lauro was carrying 1,000 passengers near the Horn of Africa when a fire broke out on board. The lifeboats were launched as the fire caused the huge ship to list to the port side. A tug boat was sent to bring it back to shore, but as the tug was trying to connect to the ship, there was a huge explosion. Two people died and the Achille Lauro sank to the bottom of the ocean.

The survivors in the lifeboats were picked up by the USS Gettysburg. The Achille Lauro‘s two sister ships, the Lakonia and the Angelina Lauro, also fell victim to on-board fires.

Excerpt from...

Excerpt from Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography by David Michaelis.

In 1952, the introduction of Charlie Brown and the comic strip Peanuts, with its clean drawings and psychological orientation, made for a stark contrast with both the clutter and vaudeville-gag orientation in other cartoon strips of the time:

"Most cartoon drawing is about distraction: popular masters like Walt Kelly and Al Capp crowded their panels with characters and activity; Pogo and Li'l Abner are dense wi...th what actors call 'business.' Peanuts, full of empty spaces, didn't depend on action or a particular context to attract the reader; it was about people working out the interior problems of their daily lives without ever actually solving them. The absence of a solution was the center of the story. 

"The American assumption was that children were happy, and childhood was a golden time; it was adults who had problems with which they wrestled and pains that they sought to smooth. Schulz reversed the natural order of [things] ... by showing that a child's pain is more intensely felt than an adult's, a child's defeats the more acutely experienced and remembered.

Charlie Brown takes repeated insults from Violet and Patty about the size of his head, which they compare with a beach ball, a globe, a pie tin, the moon, a balloon; and though Charlie Brown may feel sorry for himself, he gets over it fast. But he does not get visibly angry.

" 'Would you like to have been Abraham Lincoln?' Patty asks Charlie Brown. 'I doubt it', he answers. 'I have a hard enough time being just plain Charlie Brown.'

"Children are not supposed to be radically dissatisfied. When they are unhappy, children protest -- they wail, they whine, they scream, they cry -- then they move on. Schulz gave these children lifelong dissatisfactions, the stuff of which adulthood is made.

"Readers recognized themselves in 'poor moon-faced, unloved, misunderstood' Charlie Brown -- in his dignity in the face of whole seasons of doomed baseball games, his endurance and stoicism in the face of insults. He ... reminded people, as no other cartoon character had, of what it was to be vulnerable, to be small and alone in the universe, to be human -- both little and big at the same time."


Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography
Author: David Michaelis

Words to Ponder

1. Words to Ponder
   The BIBLE
   "...a prophet is not without honor but in his own country, among his own people." Mark 6:3,4
2. 
   
3. Quotes of Presidents
   "To reach a port, we must sail - sail, not tie at anchor - sail, not drift." Franklin D. Roosevelt
4. 
   
5. Wise Words
   "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not certain about the universe." Albert Einstein
6. 
   
7. 
   

Saudi Arabia Hosts Counter-Terrorism Summit

Saudi Arabia Hosts 41 Muslim Countries for Counter-Terrorism Summit by News Staff

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman vowed to "pursue terrorists until they are wiped from the face of the Earth."

(Saudi Arabia)—[JNS.org] Government officials representing 41 Muslim countries convened in Saudi Arabia last Sunday for the first Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

At the conference, the crown prince vowed to "pursue terrorists until they are wiped from the face of the Earth," and further stated, "In past years, terrorism has been functioning in all of our countries ... with no coordination. This ends today, with this alliance."

The alliance categorizes itself as a "pan-Islamic unified front" and was initiated with the crown prince's backing in 2015.

The group is predominantly comprised of Sunni states. It excludes Syria, Iraq, Qatar and Saudi Arabia's arch-rival, the Shi'a power of Iran.

Qatar, which was originally included in the alliance, was not invited due to its dispute with Arab states over Doha's sponsorship of terrorism and cooperation with Iran.

Saudi Lt. Gen. Abdulelah al-Saleh denied that the aim of the alliance is to create a Sunni bloc to counter Iran.

"The enemy is terrorism. It's not sects or religions or races, its terrorism," said Saleh.

Mom Begs Holy Spirit

Mom Begs the Holy Spirit to Bring Her Son Back After He Was Submerged in Icy Waters for Nearly 15 Minutes By Bill Hallowell, Senior Editor, CBN News

One mom learned the power of prayer in the most incredible of ways after her teenage son accidentally fell through some ice at a Missouri lake, was submerged for nearly 15 minutes — and was subsequently declared clinically dead.

But Joyce Smith refused to give up hope, as she let out a heartfelt prayer for healing inside of her 14-year-old son John’s hospital room. Suddenly, his heart started beating again, as the stunning miracle shocked friends, family and physicians, alike.

Smith, who recounts the harrowing ordeal in her new book, “The Impossible,” recently told Faithwire all about the January morning in 2015 when John fell through the ice and nearly died. She recalled how she spoke on the phone with John about the family’s plans for the day just before he walked out onto the ice.

Minutes later, Smith said she was reading her devotions when the phone rang and a friend delivered the heartbreaking news that no mother ever wants to hear.

“She said, ‘The boys were out walking on the lake in the ice and John fell through and they’ve just pulled him out of the water and he doesn’t have a heart beat,” Smith said. “It was that telephone call you never wanna get.”

Smith quickly rushed out of her house in a panic, calling and texting her husband, friends and family as she sped to the hospital. In the midst of her pain and uncertainty, she turned to God for help.

“All of a sudden I just started praying … I was having a very loud conversation with the Lord,” she said. “John’s adopted from Guatemala. And I said, ‘This is the child we prayed for 17 years well you can’t take him away from me, please Lord.'”

Smith said that her church was doing a Bible study at the time called “Believing God” by Beth Moore. With that in mind, she started fixating on the truths embraced by that study, including the fact that “God is who he says he is” and “I can do all things through God and through Jesus Christ.”

Those messages sustained her, as she became resolute that her son would survive the horrific circumstances.

“I [didn’t] care that he didn’t have a heart beat, that didn’t matter to me,” she said. “I just had an assurance that God was not going to take John away from me.”

Looking back, Smith’s unwavering faith in light of the circumstances at hand is pretty remarkable, as police reports indicate that John was without a heartbeat for nearly an hour.

In fact, doctors had been waiting to call a time of death before Smith arrived at the hospital. Rather than give up on CPR, though, the doctor decided to keep working until she arrived. What followed, she said, was a “tapestry of miracles.”

“I walked [in] and sat down in the room at the end of the bed and I could see [the doctor] phasing back and forth and he finally came over and sat down next to me … and goes, ‘Joyce, you can go up to the end of the bed and talk to John,'” she recalled. “Which I thought was very strange, again not knowing they’re wanting to call time of death. And there was a very large young man who had been doing CPR on John for a long time and he was soaked in sweat. You could tell he’d just been really working on John.”

Then, she took a closer look at John and realized just how dire the situation had become.

“I walked up to the end of the bed and I got a hold of his feet and they were cold and they were grey and I just knew that was that moment that I had to get a hold of God,” Smith said. “So, I reached over a hold of his feet and I just prayed and I thought I was praying very quietly, but everyone in the emergency room could hear me and I prayed, ‘Holy spirit, please come and bring back my son.”

That prayer changed everything. Seconds later, Smith heard someone say, “I got a pulse,” as everyone in the room stood in shock.

Here was a mother who had appealed to God for what seemed to be the impossible and, seconds later, her wish was apparently granted. Smith was thankful to God, but doctors were still skeptical that recovery was possible, as John had been without a heartbeat for so long.

Smith recalled being frustrated when another doctor who specializes in hypothermia and drowning delivered a dire prognosis. She simply wasn’t willing to embrace it.

“He angered me because to me I felt like God had already answered my prayers and John was going to be okay and he just needed to get on board with this.” she said. “And I just got up from my chair and I told him, ‘Here’s the deal. I said, ‘I hear you’re the best so I just want you to do your job and do it to the best of your abilities and my God will do the rest.'”

Again, Smith wouldn’t give up. Even when negative information came along, she, her friends, family and church community chose to believe that John would be healed. And her defiance was warranted, as John woke up on the third day and, from then out out, experienced a miraculous recovery. In fact, John is now living as a normal teen.

“God has just totally restored him,” she said. “There is nothing that has been left over from the accident … God has totally restored and healed John and brought him back. And he’s an amazing young man.”

Smith said the experience was so transformative that John is now looking to go into ministry as a result of all that unfolded. And she’s hoping that the family’s story as told through her book “The Impossible” and a movie slated to come next year will inspire the masses to believe in the power of hope — and miracles.

“God is still the same yesterday, today and forever,” Smith said. “He is still the God of miracles. There is still nothing that is impossible with him.”