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Arthur Rubinstein, a famous pianist, was invited to church once and his reply was, "Yes, if you can take me to a church that will challenge me to attempt the impossible." I hope our church is that kind of a church, a church that is known for turning impossibility thinkers into possibility thinkers.

There are two kinds of persons in this world: impossibility thinkers, and possibility thinkers. Which one are you? Would you call yourself an impossibility thinker or a possibility thinker?

Thirty years ago, I had one of my first books published, Move Ahead with Possibility Thinking. In the years following itís release, it was translated into various other languages, including Chinese. I just received news last week that this book is now, thirty years later, the number one bestseller in Mainland China, having sold one million, five hundred thousand copies!

In chapter three of Move Ahead with Possibility Thinking, I ask these four questions to help determine whether you are a possibility thinker or an impossibility thinker:

1. Do you look for reasons why something cannot be done, instead of searching for ways in which it can be done?

2. Do you make decisions out of fear or out of faith?

3. Do you move ahead only when you have an answer to all of your questions?

4. Do you have a tendency to demand a guarantee for success before you begin?

We have been discussing, over the past few weeks, eight words that will absolutely, totally, completely guarantee motivation and change in your life (and in mine) if we will live by them. I Am! I Can! I Will! I Believe! I have been challenged to live by these words, even recently.

As many of you may very well know, the "Hour of Power" was the first televised Christian church service in the history of the USSR. We began that endeavor in 1989. However, only a few months ago, our television show was dropped from channel one (which used to be the main station to broadcast to the entire Soviet Union). The channel has come to the edge of bankruptcy and has cut down the number of hours they broadcast each day.

Again, I had to practice what Iíve preached to so many. As I faced what appeared to be an impossibility, it was time to maintain an "I Can" attitude. And Iím glad for that, because this morning Iím able to give a wonderful testimony. Just recently, many private, capitalistic, enterprising television stations have opened in Russia. And fifteen of them have already called us, asking us to air the "Hour of Power" on their stations.

Recently, George Gallup conducted a survey in Ukraine and reported to us that eight million people were listening to the "Hour of Power "every Sunday! Isnít that amazing?

And so, with our beginning again in fifteen cities in Russia, and our success in Ukraine, the "Hour of Power" is now back on the air in the former Soviet Union!

In addition to what is happening in the USSR, the channel that has been televising the "Hour of Power" throughout Europe has been purchased by NBC. NBC has a "No Religion" policy, so we were taken off the air in Europe. However, some powerful people in Europe have put together a new television network. So, as of last Sunday, the "Hour of Power" can be seen, again, in Europe on a new channel, Euro-seven, which reaches from London all the way to the other side of Moscow. Exciting things are happening! I Am! I Can! I Will! I Believe!

Here, in the United States of America, I had the opportunity to visit with some friends in Houston this past week. They asked me about the news they had heard concerning the denial of air time by NBC in Europe. They then informed me that I was also off of the air in Houston (where we previously had air time on the NBC affiliate). I shared with them the exciting news about the new channel in Europe, and then encouraged them that it doesnít matter whether or not NBC will air the "Hour of Power," because anyone who buys a newly-released, miniature satellite dish, can watch the "Hour of Power" anywhere in the United States of America from one of two programmers, USSB or Direct-TV.

I must tell you about this satellite dish. It is something else! It is only about eighteen to twenty-four inches in diameter, and costs only seven-hundred dollars. I just received one as a gift from Stan Hubbard who lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. Many years ago, Stan had said to me, ëBob, I am putting my own pocket money (and he gave me a figure that reached into the tens of millions) into the first direct satellite to Earth telecast. Itís going to happen, Bob, and when it does, youíre going to be able to watch the "Hour of Power" from that satellite." Then he reached out his hand toward me and vowed, "I promise you, Bob, the "Hour of Power" will be aired from that satellite."

So this morning, after taking my two mile jog, I came into the house and flipped on a channel carried on USSB. He had held true to his word. There, to my delight, was the "Hour of Power." For the first time in the history of the United States of America, there is in operation, and available everywhere, direct broadcast satellite (USSB or Direct TV). Every Sunday morning it airs the "Hour of Power" at 8:00 A.M. on the East Coast, 7:00 in the Midwest, 6:00 Mountain, and 5:00 Pacific time. Indeed, wonderful things are happening. I Am! I Can! I Will! I Believe! I am a Christian who knows that if I pray, God will hear me. I can make decisions and choices that support my prayer. I will move ahead with faith. I believe that God will move mountains for me if I hold His purposes in my heart.

This church focuses on what the Bible calls faith. And a way of demonstrating faith is to be an "I believe" person. I learned this from Dr. Dan Poling years ago.

Dr. Poling was a minister at the Marble Collegiate Church for many years. He had a son who was serving as a chaplain in World War II on a naval ship along with three other chaplains. Polingís son and another chaplain were of the Protestant faith, another was of the Catholic faith, and the fourth was of the Jewish faith. When the ship was bombed, it began to sink. Unfortunately, the crew was short four life preservers. The four chaplains gave their life preservers to the fighting men. The last view reported of the four chaplains was the profound sight of them standing together, arms interlinked, praying, while they sank with the ship.

Following the death of his son, Dr. Poling struggled tremendously. I will never forget what he told me. He said, "Bob, the only way I made it was because every morning I would force myself to go to the window and look out. Then I would say out loud, "I believe! I believe! I believe!" I said this every morning, three times, until it was so.

I believe! Two words that will help you face suffering that would otherwise crush you.

As I said earlier, I was visiting with some friends in Houston this past week. My friends are a lovely couple. The husband is eighty-six years old, a wonderful gentleman. He and his wife had wanted to come to hear me speak, but they did not have the strength to get out. Somehow, I got the message and I decided I needed to pay them a visit. I surprised them with a house call. (I am a pastor, after all.)

We had a wonderful visit. I spoke with both of them and their daughter. During that time I asked his wife, "What is your faith?" She answered, "Methodist." So I turned to her husband and assumed, "Well, you must be Methodist too?" And then he said something that was very unusual, because it wasnít really a direct answer to my question. It was as if he had another agenda and my question became his opportunity to pursue it. He said, "You know, Dr. Schuller, I think that I am coming to the end of my life and I donít know if Iím ready for whatever is on the other side." I asked him, "What do you mean?" He answered, "Well, Jesus talks in the Bible about Heaven and Hell. I sure wish I knew what was ahead for me so I wouldnít have to be afraid. But I just donít know." I responded, "I can help you there. Have you ever heard the story of my encounter with Coach Bear Bryant?" He shook his head, "No." So I told him this story.

I was on a plane one day, years ago, when a man came up to me, a cigarette in one hand and a drink in the other. This man said to me, "Dr. Schuller, I want to shake your hand." And he put the cigarette in his mouth, shifted his drink to the left hand, and gave me a friendly handshake. He took hold of his cigarette again and explained, "I never miss you on television. Youíve done a lot of good for me." I invited him to sit with me. Then he introduced himself, "I donít know if you know me, but my name is Bear Bryant. Iím a coach." I questioned, "THE Bear Bryant?" He nodded. I responded, "Well Coach, itís always great to meet another Christian." But he stammered, "Well, I wouldnít say, I mean, I donít think that Iím a Christian." But I challenged, "What makes you say that?" Then he gave me his reasons for not embracing Christianity.

He said, "Well, first off, Christians should have the feeling. And I donít. I talked with Oral Roberts and I didnít get the feeling. I talked with Billy Graham and I didnít get the feeling. Iím talking to Robert Schuller and Iím not getting the feeling. Then thereís the part in the Bible where it says that these boys were teasing a prophet and the prophet called on God and God sent bears to eat the boys. I donít like that." I waited and listened as he continued, "And I know that if youíre a Christian, you donít do anything bad. You donít sin. Look at me. Iím smoking and drinking." I said, "Okay Coach, those are three good reasons. Are there any more?" He looked surprised as he replied, "No. Isnít that enough?" I said, "No. Thatís not enough."

Then I proceeded to answer his arguments, "Number one being a Christian is a matter of faith, not feeling. Weíre not driven by emotion, weíre driven by using our heads. Feelings are important, and usually do come. But it all begins with faith. Number two the old evangelists used to say, Weíre saved by the blood, not by the Book. You donít have to understand and accept everything in the Bible before God can save you. In other words, youíre saved by Jesus and His grace and faith in Him. Reason number three Christians arenít supposed to be perfect. Weíre not sinless. It says in the Bible, in Ephesians 2:8, "We are saved, by grace, through faith, that not of ourselves, it is a gift of God." Then I surprised him, "So, I think youíre ready to become a Christian, Coach." He was silent. He put his cigarette out. He looked at me.

I said to him, "You know, I donít know whatís coming up after this life, nobody does. But I know one thing, Jesus is ahead of me. And Iíll tell you something else, the Bible says in John 6:37, ëAny one who comes to me, I will not cast out.í Coach, I can give you a ticket to Heaven right now." Bear Bryant was curious. He questioned, "You can?" I said, "Yep. Do you have a piece of paper?" He handed me his boarding pass. After taking the boarding pass, I took a few minutes to write, then I put down my pen, looked up at the coach, and handed him the piece of paper. He was cautious, but inquisitive. He took the paper, and glanced down. This is what he read:

MY TICKET TO HEAVEN

"Any one who comes to Me, I will not cast out." Jesus Christ. Jesus said it. He is there. I trust Him. I accept Him.

_______________________________

Signature

"Okay, Coach, thereís the contract. Sign it." But he said, "I donít know if I can." I continued to challenge him, "Iím not sure if this plane is going to land either." He grabbed the pen and said, "Iíll sign it!" And he did.

Suddenly, an amazing thing happened. Bear Bryant got a tear in his eye and said, "Oh, I like that. Can I keep it?" I said, "You bet. Itís your ticket. Iíve got my own." He folded it, then folded it again. He reached in his pocket and drew out his billfold. It was thick with papers and pictures. He stuck that folded Ticket To Heaven in and pressed it in with the other mementos and important papers. It was his secret; his precious secret.

Six months later, I told the story from this church pulpit. It was going to be aired across the nation, the following week. But I was concerned. I thought, "Oh, my goodness, I have to call Bear Bryant and see if he would like us to edit it out of the televised program." I called him, but do you know what he said? He said, "Iím proud of that, Dr. Schuller. Donít edit it out. I still have that ticket. And Iíd be proud to have you tell that story to the whole country." So we did. And the following morning, he dropped dead from a heart attack. We got calls from all of the major sports reporters: ABC, CBS, and NBC. They all wanted to know the facts concerning that story.

Now, I finished telling my Houston friends this story. I looked at this precious man and said to him, "Youíre afraid. I have to be honest with you. I donít know whatís on the other side of this life. But I know Who is there! His name is Jesus. And today, Iím giving you a Ticket to Heaven." And I wrote, in the air, an imaginary ticket. Then I asked him, "Will you sign it?" And he answered with joy, "Oh yes, Iíll sign it." And he signed his name in the air. Then he started to cry. His wife started to cry, and his daughter started to cry. Then the gentleman said, "You know what? Iím not afraid any more."

Where are you today? Connect with God. And start with Jesus Christ, the one Person you can certainly trust. Go on your way today, knowing in your heart:

I Am a child of God. I can accept Godís salvation. I will become a believer. I Believe!

Discover positive power for today and forever.

Prayer: Dear Lord, people are becoming Christians right now, right where they are. As they make this decision, let them hear Your heartbeat. Let them feel Your love surround them. Let the fear disappear. Save them. Heal them. Love them. Let them discover today, the positive power that will take them through life and beyond. That power is You, Jesus. Bless them with Your presence now. In Your name we pray, Amen.