PROOF AND HOPE- Tonight at Crossfire, Pastor Paris Ragan reads from Mark 16:1-8 & 15-18. He shares the story of Lee Strobel, one of the greatest investigative journalists in history who as an atheist wanted to disprove Christianity, but later finds it to be real believes his findings and gets born again. Like Strobel, before our salvation we were dead in trespasses and sin, but the moment we called upon Jesus, we were translated out of that kingdom, out of that reality of darkness and into marvelous light. He no longer sees our old man, for we are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ. We are buried with Him, and just as Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, we can walk in newness of life. The newly created man we experience when we come to Jesus validates the claim that Jesus rose from the dead. Then the bible comes along and tells us what actually happened to us; His Word validates the transformation when we repent of our sins and say yes to Christ.