PLAYS 11-20

PLAY 11: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO SAY?

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO SAY ON JUDGMENT DAY? will you stand up tall and confidently answer God and Jesus when asked what have you done with the talents given to you? God said to Job in a direct tone, Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me – Job 38:3. Will you be able to thank God for creating you and sending his son Jesus? Then thank Jesus for dying on the cross to forgive your sins so, you can have eternal life? And say I believed Jesus die to forgive my sins and I asked God to save me?

When asked how you used the talents given to you, will you be able to say how you used them to bring glory to God and Jesus? Or did you waste them like the servant who was given just one talent. Read Matthew 25: 14-30. Talents are not just money but also your, time, possessions, healthy body to help others, etc. And it doesn’t matter if, you are a cardiologist or a construction worker. The question is still the same, are you using your talents to bring glory to God? It’s not too late to get started right now. It will be a learning experience to see how you can use your talents to help others. You will have pleasant, not so pleasant, and bad experiences. But do not give up. For your efforts will be pleasing to God.

Like me, my hope is you will realize that you have not been using your talents to glorify God. And you will repent and start doing so.

Galatians 5:13, You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
Galatians 6:7-10, Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Spend more time glorifying God and less time doing the things of this world.

PLAY 12 : KNOW YOUR STORY

hOW YOU CAME TO cHRIST, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED, AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT

Were you perhaps a person who lived life like the characters in the movies Animal House, Wall Street, or Fast Times at Ridgemont High? Doing the things of the world only to be left with an empty feeling? Maybe you started going back to church and learned life is more meaningful not doing the things of the world. Rather simply helping and loving others. And that the goal of life is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Luke 14: 15-24, When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.' "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.' "The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.' "'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'"
Do not be too busy doing the things of the world and miss God’s invitation to his banquet in Heaven.
Share your story and what you have learned with others. Many will not care what you have to say because they are too busy doing the things of the world, just like I once was. Maybe their timing is not right. Or they have not learned chasing the things of the world will still leave them thirsty. But don’t give up and continue to plant seeds.

PLAY 13 : WHY DO YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE?

1st Peter 3:15, …..Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

Apologetics is by definition, reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, typically a theory or religious doctrine. Apologetics is a word derived from the Greek word apologia, which means to give a reasoned or legal defense. I have heard another speaker say it is the legal defense of your faith.

The Bible has been proven to be accurate. It has been stated that if the Bible went to trial, there is enough evidence for it to be proven true. It was written by 40 different authors, written in 13 different countries, 3 continents, in at least 3 different languages, by people in different professions, and over a 1,600+/- year span. The Bible does not contradict itself theologically or historically and the stories are consistent as written by one. Once I read the Bible a few times and listened to many sermons, I realized the Bible is an act of God. Who could think of these amazing stories and not have them contradict each other?

· 2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

· 2 Peter 1:20-21 - Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Predictive Prophecy – I heard a couple of pastors preach there are over 300 predictive prophecies in the Bible. Prophecy is where it is written in one book and later comes true in a different book of the Bible that was written years later. Doing an internet search, according to “The Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy” by J. Barton Payne, there are 1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament and 578 prophecies in the New Testament for a total of 1,817. These prophecies are contained in 8,352 of the Bible’s verses. I also found, Bible prophecies are almost always specific and detailed. Fulfillment of bible prophecies are usually obvious and are always 100 percent accurate. I have to conclude the Bible is true and God breathe because of predictive prophecy alone.

Jesus Christ fulfilled prophecy - Here are 16 prophecies Jesus fulfilled from the Old Testament as provided by Pastor Skip Heitzig https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_IkJFvpnRY . A 100 billion years is not enough time for all these prophecies to be fulfilled without God.

1. Predicted born of a virgin. Isaiah 7:14

2. Born in Bethlehem, Micah 5:2

3. Born into the tribe of Judah, Genesis 49:10

4. His ministry would begin in Galilea, Isaiah 9:1

5. He would work miracles, Isaiah 35:5-6

6. One day enter into Jerusalem on a donkey, Zechariah 9:9

7. Betrayed by a friend, Psalms 41:9

8. He would be sold for 30 pieces of silver, Zechariah 11:12

9. Wounded and bruised, Isaiah 53:5

10. His hands and his feet would be pierced, Psalm 22:16

11. Crucified with thieves, Isaiah 53:12

12. His garments would be torn and lots would be cast, Psalms 22:18

13. His bones would not be broken, Psalms 34:20

14. His side would be pierced, Zechariah 12:10

15. Buried in a rich man’s tomb, Isaiah 53:9

16. He would rise from the dead, Psalm 16:10

These are just 16 of the 300 +/- prophecies Jesus fulfilled. John 14:29 writes, “I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.”

Jesus was resurrected In the book The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, he shares his journey how he went from a non-believer to a believer after he did his search. Mr. Strobel was an investigative journalist and he found the evidence for Jesus Christ so overwhelming that he converted from a nonbeliever to a believer. He concluded at some point you have to look at all the evidence and make a decision. Just like a jury would do. On a broadcast, Mr. Strobel shared his four E’s to why the resurrection of Jesus Christ was real. Execution, Early Accounts, Empty Tomb, and Eye Witnesses. Execution – there is no dispute Jesus was dead. There are 5 sources outside of the Bible that write Jesus was executed. Early – accounts Jesus rose from the dead. There are accounts within 20-years of Jesus death. Some could be as early as 1-6 years after Jesus death. This is considered recent because some acceptable historical documents are considered true even written after hundreds of years of the actual event. Empty Tomb – it was sealed and guarded. Even the enemies of Jesus said the tomb was empty. Eye Witnesses – after his death, Jesus appeared to others over a dozen different times and over 500 people. There are 9 ancient sources (some outside of the Bible) confirming the disciples met and saw the risen Jesus. And the Disciples changed from being cowardly to willingly die for their belief in Jesus.

Many have written about all the proof supporting the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Gary Habermas https://www.garyhabermas.com/ , Josh McDowell https://www.josh.org/ , Shawn McDowell https://seanmcdowell.org/

Changed lives of the Disciples – After seeing the risen Jesus Christ, the Disciples went from doubting and denying Jesus to sacrificing their lives for him. How could Peter go from denying his association with Jesus three times and then die from crucifixion for sharing the gospel? This tells me the Disciples saw and interacted with Jesus after he was raised from the dead.

God Created the Universe - It takes mass to create something. One cannot create anything without mass / materials. So who created the mass? The theory of evolution does not state who created the mass, nor the atmosphere, sun, plants, water, all the necessities for life. But reading Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, we learn God created the mass and everything else. Look at how our planet earth was created for our body to live on, air to breathe, a solar system with a sun for temperature, earth is exact distance from sun so we don’t burn up or freeze, darkness so we sleep and the body rests and rebuilds itself, and the moon’s gravitation pull makes waves in oceans in order to make 70% of earth’s oxygen. The sun is needed to grow the plants that we get food from. The sun is an endless power of energy. Scientist cannot create an energy source like the sun. Our planet earth is spinning at a 1,000 mph at the same time going over 60,000 mph around the sun. In a universe with gravitational pull that works together to create an atmosphere that supports our body and plant life. Science still cannot replicate any of this.

God Created Man - In Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,”. Consider how the human body is conceived. How a sperm and egg are made and then a human body is created. Birth is a miracle that happens every day but is taken for granted. Our body has over 60,000 miles of arteries. A heart that constantly pumps blood, oxygen, nutrients; a brain / micro processor, voice for speaking, muscles for movement, eyes to see, skin to keep fluids in, feeling of touch, emotional feelings, balance, etc. It is an understatement to say the human body is an incredible creation.

God Created Plants – it is a miracle to me how a seed, some dirt, water/rain, temperature, and sunlight can create plants to eat. I have not seen science create a seed or dirt and then have a plant come out that has nourishment for our bodies to live on. God designed plant to grow and feed the body he created in his image. Genesis 1:29, “Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."

Near Death Experiences – show the soul lives after the body dies. Pastor John Burke, Gateway Church in Austin Texas, wrote a book titled, Imagine Heaven. The book has stories of near death experiences. Pastor Burke used to be an engineer who did not believe in Christ. According to the Gallop Pole. 1 in 25 Americans have a near death experience. Where their soul leaves their body. Their soul often sees the doctor trying to resuscitate their earthly body. They tell the doctor what they saw and the doctor realizes their story is true. That the patients soul left their body and was alive. Pastor Burke said he has stories of blind people with similar near death experiences describing what the doctor did in the operating room. Blind people cannot see but apparently their soul can.

Many doctors say they heard their patients, who were dying on the operating table right in front of him. Things like “this is not heaven” while trying to revive their patient. Some doctors became believers after their patients near death experience. One story is of Pastor Howard Storm – who was an atheist until he had a near death experience. He died in the hospital and saw pale humanoid creatures leading him into darkness hurting him. He cried out for the Jesus to save him and then suddenly woke up. He then went to seminary and became a pastor.

Evolution is not true – there is no supporting evidence and even Darwin eventually doubted his theory. https://www.discovery.org/b/darwins-doubt/ The illustration depicting how man evolved from apes is in artist rendering. It is made up! Evolution is offered by non-believers as how man was created. But there is no fossils found showing how any bird or animal evolved into another species let alone into a man. Evolution does not explain where the mass or organic matter came that allegedly animals and man evolved from. It assumes all the materials are given within a perfect sustainable planet and atmosphere. DNA experts would also say that it is impossible for DNA to change from one species to another. Evolution is simply a diversion, so the truth of God’s creation is not taught in school.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) – Scientists have estimated the average human body consists of 30 to 100 trillion cells. Each cell has DNA and “DNA contains the instructions needed for an organism to develop, survive, and reproduce. To carry out these functions, DNA sequences must be converted into messages that can be used to produce proteins, which are the complex molecules that do most of the work in our bodies” https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Deoxyribonucleic-Acid-Fact-Sheet#:~:text=What%20does%20DNA%20do%3F,the%20work%20in%20our%20bodies.

Here is a video titled, “The Wonders of God’s Microscopic Realm” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkUIgXBw_0Y taken from this website: https://nwcreation.net/ . They say information and engines in cells points to an intelligent designer. Not something that happened by random mutation (chance).

Unlike the atheists, creationists see the genetic code as astonishing evidence for a Designer, who created a marvelously complex, efficient “information system” for encoding life. The only reasonable explanation for all the information in DNA is that a Designer put all the information in the original genes—e.g. the “kinds” that He made during the six days of Creation. https://answersingenesis.org/genetics/dna-structure/dna-what-does-it-prove/

“I (Dr. Stephen C. Meyer) was surprised to learn—contrary to what I had read in many text-books—that the leading scientific experts on the origin of life had no satisfactory explanation for how life came about. These scientists, Charles Thaxton, Walter Bradley, and Roger Olsen, had come to the conclusion that all such theories had failed to explain the origin of the first life. Surprisingly, the other scientists on the panel—all experts in the field—did not dispute this critique. What the other scientists did dispute was a controversial new hypothesis that Thaxton and his colleagues had floated in the epilogue of their book in an attempt to explain the DNA enigma. They had suggested that the information in DNA might have originated from an intelligent source or, as they put it, an “intelligent cause.” Since, in our experience, information arises from an intelligent source, and since the information in DNA was, in their words, “mathematically identical” to the information in a written language or computer code, they suggested that the presence of information in DNA pointed to an intelligent cause. The code, in other words, pointed to a programmer.” https://www.discovery.org/m/securepdfs/2021/03/Signature-in-the-Cell-Chapter-One-Meyer.pdf

Is Genesis History documentary present supporting facts of the world flood. The documentary points to the soil strata / layers found in the Grand Canyon and other areas in the United States. For me, just looking at the topography and tributary watershed to the Colorado River, I can see how the flood waters drained and formed the Grand Canyon by erosion. It wasn’t billions of years of erosion. It was a rapid draining of the water from the flood. This documentary points out how certain layers have fossils and other layers do not indicating the animals died in sudden flood event. The soil layers were form by water rapidly depositing the soil. Whereas if there was no flood, then the fossils should be found throughout all soils layers. Which is not the case. There are also no fossils showing how animals evolved from one to another.

What is your conclusion from the evidence? – and are you willing to bet your soul being in Hell or Heaven for eternity? Here’s mine, we live on a planet that is rotating around the solar system around 67,000 mph, at the precise distance from the sun so we do not burn or freeze to death, at the same time the earth is rotating at 1,000 mph providing night and day, the sun provides light for plants to grow, a solar system that has mystical force called gravity to keep earth the precise distance from the sun, gravitational pull keeping everything on earth, ocean and plant life provide oxygen, wind to disperse the oxygen, lungs to breath the oxygen, rain water and sun light to grow plants, digestive system to process the nutrients from plants, a heart for an engine that never stops pumping blood, over 60,000 miles of blood vessels to circulate oxygen and plant nutrients throughout the body, a brain better than a computer, smell, touch, hearing, emotions, etc. All this shows me it is not a coincidence but everything from the solar system, earth, and our body was intelligently designed by creator God to work together with a purpose. If one falters, then humans do not exist. It would be impossible for all these things to fall into place by accident. Our God has divinely inspired the Bible with predictive prophecy to prove it is real, sent his only son Jesus Christ to die for our sins so our souls could have eternal life in heaven, Jesus was resurrected and interacted with people after his death. Some of these people lives were so greatly impacted by this miracle that they went from unbelievers to dying for their belief in the resurrected Jesus Christ.

It takes more faith to believe there is no God - Some put their faith in no faith or others in religions that do not have prophecy or a resurrected savior or any reason on how all things were created. And to me that takes more faith. I’m sticking with my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and the gospel message – “for God so love he world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believeth shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Your goal is to share the gospel first. If asked why you believe what you believe, then be able to give some reasons. Then listen to what one has to say and repeat it so they know you heard them. Do not yell and argue over points. Rather speak with gentleness and respect. If you get stumped, simply say you will have to think about that and get back to them. Respectfully and politely agree to disagree and see what you can help them with, loving on them. Best case is you plant a seed, they consider your points, and later change. Who knows, maybe that person will be the next atheist converting to Christianity. C.S. Lewis was an atheist before he became a well-known Christian author. In the New Testament book of Acts, Apostle Paul, aka Saul of Tarsus, went from persecuting Christians to preaching the gospel, and dying to share it. Read 2 Corinthians 11:21-31 to see how much Apostle Paul suffered to share the gospel.

PLAY 14 : PLANT BASED LIFE

Plant based Life – is better for your Body and the planet. one can “Eat more, weigh less, and live longer”. A longer healthy life means we have more time to glorify God. To share the good news, and love others by helping them. Instead of being crippled by poor health, we can now spend more time doing God’s will.

We read in Genesis 1:29 that the body was designed to eat plants. In Daniel 1:11-17 we learned eating vegetables is better for the body than the Kings diet. It wasn’t until after the flood that God said to Noah he may eat the animal, Genesis 9:2-3, NIV. And there is a reminder that God gave us green plants to eat. Prior to the flooding of earth, man lived hundreds of years. Afterwards, man’s life span was greatly shortened. What changed? Was it the meat that was added to man’s diet that shortened his life? Or was it a curse written in Revelation 22:3? Psalms 90:10 writes, “The length of our days is seventy years or eighty, if we have strength.” Today the average life expectancy for a male is approximately 78 years. A plant based life will give most better health, longevity, and strength to finish life strong.

It’s not your fault that you eat meat and dairy, but it is your problem. We were taught wrong to eat meat for protein and dairy for strong bones. Try going plant based for a while and see how your body, blood work, vital signs, weight loss, energy level, etc. get better. Do your own research to see if, you are comfortable eating plants instead of taking medication the rest of your life. My doctor never told me I had an option of not taking medication simply by eating plants instead of animal products. Was it maybe I would get healed and not have to see him? Or the drug companies and surgeons would not make any money? Do your own research and start watching documentaries and formulate your own opinion. You may learn how the meat and dairy industry severely pollute the planet and gobble up land and water. There are over 385,000 babies born each day. We will run out of land and water to keep feeding the world animal products.

A plant based life allows one more time on earth to bless others while being a good steward of earth, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 2:15

·Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.”
Genesis 2:8-9, “Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
Ezekiel 47:12, “Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”
·And John writes in his Revelation 22:1-3, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.” Note there is no mention of eating animals for healing or food. Just plants like God’s original design for man in the garden of Eden, Genesis 1:29 and 2:8-9.
Here are some websites to check out if you want to learn what eating plants can do to prevent, cure, and reverse many of the chronic diseases that kill or cripple the quality of life.
https://www.ornish.com/ “The only program scientifically proven to reverse heart disease"
https://nutritionfacts.org/ watch Dr. Greger’s video, “How Not to Die” and learn how a plant based diet can cure, reverse and prevent most of the top causes of death. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/flashback-friday-how-not-to-die-the-role-of-diet-in-preventing-arresting-reversing-our-top-15-killers/ or check out his book “How Not to Die” at your library. If you have a concern for cancer, search the word “metastasis” to see what videos and information available. He has medical studies showing what foods appear to alleviate cancer.
https://www.drmcdougall.com/ Dr. John McDougall’s has a plethora of information. I would recommend starting with the success stories https://www.drmcdougall.com/success-stories/. If you want to take the next step, then read through his PDF of “Colored Picture Book”. It shows the foods one should eat more and less of. https://www.drmcdougall.com/articles/information/cpb/ He created this book to teach his grandchildren what foods to eat.
https://www.forksoverknives.com/ - I watched their documentary title “Fork Over Knives” when it was free on Netflix. https://www.forksoverknives.com/the-film/ and apparently it is streaming for free on their website. This documentary started my journey to eating plants. Dr. Caldwell shows how a study stopped cancer growth by limiting the amount of casein (protein found in animal milk). And Dr. Esselstyn showed how heart disease can be cured. Don’t let animal products rob you of your of a healthy life.
If you are an athlete, watch “Game Changers” for free on Netflix. I heard from a different source that kale will boost ones nitric oxide level (for cardio benefits) and is cruciferous.
Let it be known I don’t care what you eat. It’s your body. Others shared this information with me and I am doing likewise. There are a lot of diet fads out there but they are not sustainable. Whatever diet you are trying, research if it has proven to prevent, cure, and reverse many of the top causes of death. Or if there is a “blue zone” population on that diet. Blue zone is where people live to 90-100 years of age and often still have functioning bodies. My hope is you will find a cure for any health problem you may have. Men, let’s be good stewards of our bodies God blessed us with. So we will have more energy to do good works, to live longer doing even more good, and give more glory to God!
< WARNING - If you decide to change your diet and have health problems, consult with your doctor first before doing so>

PLAY 15 : Where is Heaven?

I came to the realization that i was not saved because of this question, “Where is Heaven?” The church i was attending had a Sunday session where one could learn how to eloquently share their faith. but instead of learning how, the Pastor stated we need to pair up so we can start going to places where there are lots of people to share the gospeL. i started asking myself what do i know, how would i share it, and realized / feared if,someone asked me where heaven was, i did not know. I was playing out this scenario in my mind that the person would say, why do i want to be saved? And i would say so, you can spend the rest of your life in Heaven. And the person would ask, where is Heaven? And i would not have an answer. So, i started on my faith journey of what does it mean to be a Christian all because i did not know where heaven was. And strange as it is, i would bet you do not know where heaven is either. Crazy christians, they want to go to heaven but don’t know where it is or anything about it.

In short, most pastors will say they really don’t know. I was amazed to see that these big name pastors did not get taught this in seminary. That they were not more specific on the topic like others are. One pastor stated there are 3 heavens. One in the earths atmosphere where the birds fly, space, and somewhere to the north. Which seems to be the general consensus. Then Heaven will later come down to earth.

In Revelation 21:1-2 we read John saying, “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. Which implies the new Heaven will be on earth but it will be a new earth.

I suspect some, like me, really do not care exactly where Heaven is so long as they know their soul goes there and not to the other place of eternal torment. Do your own study and research where and what Heaven is like. Then set your eyes on it. We will be judge for what we did on earth and rewarded accordingly. So let’s get to work on this and start doing good deeds. Love one another. Give of your time which is your most valuable asset. Here is a link to a website that writes where they believe Heaven is at and at the bottom has other articles to read about this topic. https://the-end-time.org/2015/09/14/what-is-heaven-part-1-abrahams-bosom-and-paradise/

PLAY 16 : FORGIVENESS

We are called to forgive others as taught in the Lord’s prayer, “and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass us”. But forgiving is hard. Because there are bad memories and feelings as a result of being hurt by another.

· Even Jesus said while being crucified in Luke 23:24, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”.

· Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

· Matthew 18:21-22 we learn how many times we must forgive someone, “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Essentially every time.

All these bible verses speak loudly to me but none top the fact that God sent his perfect son to die for my sins. So, me being the imperfect sinner can live in Heaven with Him and Jesus. So, whenever someone wrongs me, I try remember what Jesus did for me. Who was perfect and suffered on the cross to save my soul.

Forgiveness is hard but can be liberating. I have heard stories where people forgave others, and their worries went away giving them peace. To me, time works the best and allows me to rationalize what happened. Also, we are called to forgive but it does not mean we have to forget. I have had people tell me that I’m not a Christian because I don’t want to hang out with them anymore after they hurt me. I tell them I forgive you, but I do not forget the type of person you are. And hopefully over time you will earn my trust back.

I listened to this wonderful sermon from the legendary and wise Pastor Rick Warren on 5/24/22 – The Amazing Power of Forgiveness https://pastorrick.com/player/?id=26885 Pastor Rick gives us a test at the beginning by asking 5 true or false questions:

1. A person should not be forgiven until he asks for it. True or false?

2. Forgiving includes minimizing the offense and pain caused. True or false?

3. Forgiveness includes restoring trust and reuniting a relationship. True or false?

4. You haven’t really forgiven until you forgotten the offense. True or false?

5. When I see someone hurt, it is my duty to forgive the offender. (Somebody else hurt and not by you). True or false?

All 5 of these statements are false. Most people don’t understand forgiveness. So, let’s look at why we must forgive and how do we forgive. These are my notes that I wrote down. If anything is incorrect, I must take the blame.

What is real forgiveness? 1. It is not conditional. There are no attachments to it. It is unconditional whether they ask for it or not. When Jesus said father forgive them for they know not what they do, the people had not asked for forgiveness 2. It isn’t minimizing the serious of the offense. 3. It isn’t resuming a relationship without change. Saying I’m sorry is not enough. Bible says 3 things to resume a relationship when broken. #1 You have to be genuinely repentant (you must say I was wrong and please forgive me – and say what you did wrong) Just saying sorry is not enough. #2 restitution – sometimes you have to pay for your damages. If I burned your house down, I still have to pay the debt of burning your house down. #3 rebuild trust which takes a long time. You have to forgive one over and over but you don’t have to trust them. Most people don’t get this (I agree. Read John 2:24-25 about Jesus not trusting others). Forgiveness isn’t forgetting what has happened and we have heard ‘forgive and forget’. But it is very hard to forget the hurt in your life. Rather look for the good that comes out of it and then thank God for it. Romans 28:8 – we know all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purposes. Bad things that happen are not God’s will. That is called evil.

Taking the opposite position, what are you going to say when you wrong someone? Saying just “sorry” doesn’t cut it. Will you say I’m sorry I did “X” to you? Please forgive me? How can I make it up to you? And when they say never mind are you going to go out of your way to do an act of kindness? Whether buy a gift, send a card, do a favor or be nice to someone else?

When we forgive, we get peace. And when we show we are sorry, the person we hurt sees we are truly sorry for hurting them. Go in peace and serve the Lord.

PLAY 17 : READY YOURSELF, THE STORMS ARE COMING

I pray that you find comfort from the storm you are going through right now. It is probably no consolation knowing that there is pain and suffering in life. In order to get into heaven, our body must die, and that won’t be fun. The God that created us also sent his perfect son to sufer a long painful death. God will challenge us to make us stronger and more complete and to see how he can use us in Heaven. Like all good coaches God is going to push us to be stronger and more complete. Let us set realistic expectations and know we will suffer, be in pain, be challenged, must prepare ourselves, practice, train, seek spiritual nourishment, eat right, get sleep, and put forth a tremendous amount of effort to get through the storms of life. that is just how the game of life is played. No “body” escapes alive.

The fantastic news is our souls will live forever in Heaven, can I get an Amen?!!! Our time on earth will be like seconds in comparison to eternity in Heaven.

· 1 Peter 4:12-13, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

· Hebrews 12:5-11, ……”because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children……………. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

· Acts 14:22, “strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God”

In order to survive the storm we must strengthen our faith. But we have little faith because we do not read the Bible or do any other activity to increase our Christian knowledge. Statistics very depending on the source but it is estimated as high as 90% of alleged Christians have not read the entire Bible. The majority do not regularly read their Bible so, we have to start doing so (it’s the play book). Try reading the Bible every night in bed right before you go to sleep. This routine may help get my mind off the worries of the world and thoughts on God. The last thing to go into your mind for the day are good thoughts. Start listening to sermons while driving to and from work. Different Pastors may delivered a message you heard before but in a different manner that resonates with you. This will take some time because you will be adjusting to new behaviors. One cannot expect to be game ready overnight. It may take a season(s) to improve.

If one has serious problems, then one must seek professional help. And if having suicidal thoughts, one must contact the right sources. I am not qualified to recommend anyone but seek help and you will find it. Ask others for help and it will be given. Someone once told me about https://988lifeline.org/ . Perhaps they can provide assistance.

These items are only suggestions that one may consider and not a substitute for professional help. Now let us consider taking action like Shamgar did. “Start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can.”

Get on your knees & start praying (you should be doing this anyway). Pray when you wake up, pray at your meals, pray when you go to bed. Do not treat the Lord like an ATM. Only going to him when you need something. Rather, try giving God praise telling Him how thankful you are for your blessings. The fact that God created you and brought you into His game is enough to be thankful for. Live your life knowing we honorably and courageously “get” to do this thing called life on earth.
Start putting better things in your mind. Change your media if, you haven’t already. Listen to Christian / uplifting music. Watch better TV or greatly reduce or eliminate it. Try reduce the amount and frequency of your old media that may be causing stress.
Ask yourself how big is the problem? Will it cause you to lose your soul, life or harm a family member? Let’s hope not and maybe you are making the problem bigger than it really is. Do not treat small problems like they are big problems and worry the same on small problems.
Talk it out – try talking to the Lord as you drive to work or walking around in the day. Lord thank you for creating me, help me keep calm and find peace. Lord you are an awesome God. Thank you for these problems because I know perseverance makes me stronger and more complete. And in the end no matter what happens, I will worship you.
Talk to your wife about what is troubling you – yeah, I know this is a hard one to do. Especially if you are like me….not use to admitting to having troubles and have been told you are a little “confident”. But our wife is our teammate and helper. Maybe you will find out your wife is worried about you and wants to help.
Write it out – write down what is troubling you. Write down what Bible verses help explain what is going on and provides comfort.
Pray for the person causing you the problems, this is a tough one. Read Matthew 5:40-48. Acts 7:54-60
Change how you use your time to lighten the load - can any activity be eliminating to free up time to do activities with your family recharging everyone’s batteries? Consider dropping things that are not important. Do you really think your child will get a college scholarship playing sports? Maybe consider Christian activities instead like youth group where you are involved. Spend time with them teaching them life skills such as how to pick a job, how to pick good friends, how to retire, how to take care of your body, how to run a household, do chores with them, fix things, cook, clean, do laundry, start a part time business, etc.. They say just spending time with your children is the best. If you do not train your child up, the world will. Consider checking out https://www.traillifeusa.com/ and or https://americanheritagegirls.org/ signing up your child and getting involved. Just showing up to the troop meetings and helping the leaders is a great start.
Seek wise counsel and ask for help. But realize most are not equipped to help so, do not be discouraged when one is less than you hoped. The ones that are, will be thankful you allowed them to help you. They are looking to do good deeds and are truly concerned for your well being. You will have found a brother and in return you will be helping him. Two are better than one. When one falls down, the other will help you up.
Do your own internet search of Bible verses that deal with the problems you are dealing with. Simply type in the search bar, “bible verses on stress”. Then read them throughout your day. Psalm 27:1 and Philippians 4:13 might be a start.
Exercise – can you take short walks at work while on break or lunch time? Can you talk to the Lord during the walk or prepare for what you are going say at the next meeting? Consider bringing a lunch to work so you have time to walk or practice other copings / mindfulness activities. Going on family walks at night is an easy exercise activity.
Sleep – get more or better sleep by creating a routine like going to bed at the same time, stop eating and drinking at least 3 hours before sleep, turn off all electronic devices 1 hours before bedtime, reading the Bible instead, have cool air in the room, pray, cite your favorite Bible verse or Psalm 23, etc. Refrain from praying about your worries before bed time for they may keep you awake.
Do Good Deeds - Try doing good deeds, sharing the gospel, and saving someone. This may take the focus off your worries and maybe understand more what it means to be like Christ. Who came to serve and not be served. Christ completed the task for which God sent him to do.

The above items are something we can do immediately and not just one at a time. One should consider doing these items as part of their daily routine to be always be ready. If too many changes start causing problems, then slow your roll and remember to seek professional help right away if, you have serious problems.

One can also search reputable websites like Focus on the Family https://www.focusonthefamily.com/ which have many resources available (articles, broadcasts, books, etc) on topics you may be dealing with right now. One can even call their 800-232-6459 number asking for help or direction to the information one is seeking.
Dr. Dobson of Family Talk website is https://www.drjamesdobson.org/ has broadcast where he interviews guest and they discuss topics such as marriage, family, raising children, teens, etc.
Pastor Alistair Begg’s website https://truthforlife.org/ has helpful in sermons, devotions, study guides, etc.
Pastor Skip Heitzig website https://calvarynm.church/connectwithskip/
YouTube videos – some may find sermons that help with the challenges you are experiencing.
Read the Book of Job and see how much he suffered yet Job kept his faith throughout his troubles.

Read 2 Corinthians 11:21-31 and see what problems Apostle Paul dealt with so he could share the gospel. This man did not give up. Philippians 4:21, “to live is Christ and to die is gain”
Read the Book of Psalms – King David had all kinds of worries and wrote them out into a prayers.
Read Ecclesiastes and see how King Solomon tried to find pleasures in doing all the things of the world and later concluded it was all “meaningless”. Try switching out meaningless things of the world with things of importance. We would all be happy if our children were saved, became self supporting, married a Christian, were able to retire, and taught their children these things. Is God telling you to stop doing needless things and focus on His things that will last?
1 Peter 5:10-11, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen
Philippians 1:29, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
By going through storms and suffering, you are now better equip to help others with the problems you just suffered.

No matter what happens, in the end put your trust in the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Why wouldn’t I trust the Lord?! He created me, he created me in his image. And he loves me, he loves me so much that he sacrificed his perfect son so, I can live in Heaven with Him! The Lord has my best interest in mind even if, this means pain and suffering to train me up for His use.