October 22, 2025
Dear Friends,
This week, one woman and two men prayed with me according to the pattern of Luke 18:13 & Romans 10:9. One other man was contrary and followed up with much disparagement toward me.
The first was a woman who was also a mathematician and a computer scientist, with whom Miss Louise and I met. She is in her 20s. She wrote:
Hi Dr. James Tour, I don’t believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I would like to get together, so you can share with me why you embrace the resurrection of Jesus.
She had the mannerisms of a mathematician. My sister is a mathematician, as are many of my colleagues over the years, so I am familiar with their idiosyncrasies. She listened mostly quietly, only commenting a couple of times when she noticed determinism as we studied some scripture text. But she was quite open to prayer and in receipt. She agreed to the two assignments of daily Bible reading for 15 minutes each morning, and a 13-week Bible study. Miss Louise will do the follow-up.
The next was a man in his late 60s who had worked in the film industry in California. He is not married and no children. He wrote:
My name is ____________, born Catholic, life long non religious person. I would very much like to hear from you, at your convenience. You have my email address. My phone number is ______________. I once saw a video of you debating Lee Cronin and was very impressed by you.
He further confirmed that he did not believe in the resurrection. We met and he was amazingly open, and he readily prayed aloud. He agreed to the two assignments and Chuck Lloyd is identifying a mentor for him.
The third is a man in his 20s, not married, no children, living in very small town in Canada. He is now building a business that he can do from his home, dealing with technology/data storage. He wrote:
Hey James, While watching one of your videos you have an ad stating you’d talk to those who don’t believe in the resurrection. I’m torn on if I do or not, and lately my faith has been tested. Hope you can chat.
We met and he received. Just like that. He agreed to the two assignments. He is assigned to Burt Brink for the 13-week study.
There was another man who wrote this to me:
Hello James, I’m responding to your contact request regarding the physical resurrection of Jesus. I do not believe it occurred. Let’s get together. Cheers,
He is from New York City, in his 40s, disabled, and working much from his home. He told me that growing up, he was so involved in the Catholic church that he received an award from the Vatican when he was 20. But he drifted away. His father was unkind to him growing up. He is unmarried and has no children.
Every 30 seconds into my presentation, he interrupted me. He was upset that I had come with a presentation rather than set up a dialogue. After 1 hour of constant interruptions and disagreements with anything in the Bible, I thanked him for his time and departed. He then sent me a very harsh email. Trying to be at peace with all men, for as much as it depends upon me, I replied back cordially. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Rom 12:18. Then I got a blistering hot, crude email from him which was too nasty for me to read beyond the first couple of lines of a multi-paged email. I then followed a command which Jesus gave four times in the canonical gospels, and which Paul demonstrated in the Book of Acts 13:51: “But they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them.” Jesus had commanded, as in Luke 10:10-11: “But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’”
I needed to just move on with no further response to his diatribe. I thank the Lord for instructing us not to dwell on abusive behavior, but to just move on.
Mat 10:23
“But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next…”
There is much wisdom in not dwelling on this hurtful treatment and in just pressing on to the next potential soul. I did just that, and the new salvation lifted my spirit.
God bless,
Jim Tour
