The Perfect Stranger_Supper with Jesus 2005

                     

                     

The Perfect Stranger_Supper with Jesus 2005

you

Nikki    Sara the bus just pulled up and you've got about three seconds

what could possibly take an eight-year-old so long to get ready for school it's not like
           she has….

Sara     now I'm right here
Nikki    here you go peanut wheat bread no mustard there's a big surprise fordessert I mean an apple surprised I packed your warm pajamas and your flashlight and don't talk back to Stephanie's mother even if Stephanie does it I won't have fun you know
how much mommy loves you and I love flying back now go hug your dad bye see you tomorrow
Matt     Tomorrow ? what happened  to this afternoon?
Nikki    Matt I told you three times .she's going to a camp out at the Inman's tonight home well have a good time sweetie so I guess you've also probably forgotten that Sara's going to be gone I thought it would be nice if we met at Peppino's for dinner tonight remember like a date night
Matt     oh I can't tonight honey. See I've got an extra ticket to the Cubs game at 7:00 Nikki          Cubs game yeah?  And when did this come up yesterday his father-in-law

got seats right behind the Doug.  Matt, I haven't seen you all week

Matt     you've seen me
Nikki    oh sure when you get home at 8:30 you exhausted and smelling like Taco Bell
Dad     I think I'm a vice president you knew that was going to mean morehours
Nikki    so I have all day to look forward to a Friday night by myself

Matt     why don't you get out and meet some of the neighbors they've been after you to do something since we moved in Church stuff man they've invited me to do

Church stuff the church stuff can be fun why don't you head on over to the men's

Church wide hook out that sounds like a lot more fun than evolving I know you've

ever been that's why they inconspicuously stuff one of these in our mailbox every Thursday since we moved here now you're being a little overdramatic because I resent the fact that I'm stuck home again on a Friday night and the best you're offering me is what high tea with the Jesus Freak next door
Matt     I've gotta go I'll be home late at Michigan Avenue construction
Nikki    morning Rachel.
Rachel  morning mrs. cominski

Nikki    it's Nikki !  mrs. cominski is my mother-in-law

Nikki    yes Rachel could you come in here please

Rachel             be right there,yesฦ
Nikki                Do you know how this got on my keyboard
Rachel             I didn't see anybody come in here what is it?

Nikki                apparently it's some kind of joke poppyknows it's nice to know Jesus has good taste you sure he's buying look if you're just covering for Les Hudson or

Alison Alex aren't in today
Rachel             I swear I don't know how this got in here

Nikki                okay thanks
Calling her Mom no all it says is you are invited  to a dinner with Jesus Christ

poppy knows seven o'clock

Nikki    yeah I'm scared to death that one of our religious fanatic neighbors snuck in here last night and left it mom you don't know these people they have been

after us for every Peppino's seven o'clock this is matt Peppino's was where i told him i wanted to have a date night and and seven o'clock is when he was supposedly going to this ball game what no things have been just about the same maybe this is a sign that he's getting playful again I just don't get the Jesus part maybe he's just making fun of the neighbors yeah I don't really care what the joke is as long as we can sit down and have a nice evening together yeah I just wish I had time to go home and change first oh well yeah okay well now that the mystery solved Ireally better get back to work okay give Kelly a hug for me alright miss you too

At the restaurant
Waiter              good evening may I help you?
Nikki                no, I mean yes I'm supposed to meet someone and

Waiter              what is the name?
Nikki                Kaminski
Waiter              oh right this way mrs. cominski

Jesus               here we are Nikki hi I'm Jesus.
Nikki                uh-huh Oh where's Matt

Jesus               say, bye now, he's probably sitting behind the dugout at Wrigley enjoy your dinner thanks for meeting me

Nikki                excuse me am I supposed to know you?
Jesus               good question I guess the answer is yes
Nikki                I'm sorry as far as I can remember I've never met you.
Jesus               that's true.
Nikki                okay um let's just start over your name is Jesus
Jesus               my family called me Yeshua

Nikki                your family from Nazareth

Jesus               well actually I only grew up there.it wasn't born there no no that would

have been in

Nikki                yeah okay look this has all been very cute but I've got better things to do than waste my time on some stupid joke just who are you anyway who put you up to this ?

Jesus               I know I'm not quite what you expected

Nikki                Did my neighbors set this up? is this what that church does hire some actor to tell people he's Jesus? is it some creative recruiting tool they use because I gotta tell you pal your costume is not exactly historically accurate

Jesus               I'm not an actor and no, your neighbors didn't send me if you'll just stay for dinner I know it'll mean something to you.

Nikki                who wouldn't find dinner with Jesus meaningful just last week I had

Breakfast with Napoleon and it was a blast look I gotta get home to my family thanks for the invitation

Jesus               please stay what how many chances do you get to come to poppy knows anyway if you just stay for dinner I promise to tell you at the end.you set it all up.

Nikki                you know it just so happens that I got dumped for a baseball game tonight and I have been thinking about Peppino's manicotti all day

Waiter              if you try anything after the wine

Jesus               so think I'll let my friend decide careful some wine

Nikki                you are buying right ?

Jesus               yes I am

Nikki                sure,then I'll take a bottle of the 98 Brunello de grata

Waiter              obviously know your wines. I'll be right back

Jesus               Thank You Carlo

Nikki                so your family called you Yeshua
Jesus               most of them! my brother,James, called me a few other things
Nikki                you turn this wine back into water
Jesus               no problem

Jesus               my friend here's the side she would rather have another glass of water instead of this wine

Waiter              certainly sir

Nikki                never mind very funny
Waiter              thanks Eduardo sorry to bother you

Nikki                you on a first-name basis with the entire wait staff ?

Jesus               yeah, so what are you thinking?
Nikki                thinking I'm a married woman who's crazy for not leaving when she 
                       had the chance
Jesus               I mean about your order
Nikki                oh I'm staying on the manicotti

Jesus               yeah I think I'm gonna try the salmon
Nikki                cuz it's Friday?
Jesus               good one.

Waiter              ready to order ?
Nikki                yes I'd like the stuffed mushrooms the Mediterranean salad and the
                       manicotti
Jesus               and I'd like the tomato and artichoke soup the tortellini salad and the
                       salmon filet.
Waiter              very good
Nikki                meats the bread and wine huh?

Jesus               so tell me about your family
Nikki                I thought you knew everything already

Jesus               why don't you humor me, where's your family from?

Nikki                oh no I'm much more interested in hearing about your family Jesus why don't you tell me about Joseph and Mary

Jesus               all right well growing up in Nazareth wasn't anything like growing up in Cincinnati I can tell you that being it to me foot long hotdogs Riverfront Stadium Joseph was a good father he had a shop right next to the house but he did things a leisurely pace like the only time he ever sped up was when he was trying to finish a project before I could get my hands on it. I didn't realize at the time just how many of his pieces I used to mess up but it eight years old it wasn't exactly what you would call a master carpenter.
Nikki                you're good
Jesus               you want bread?
Nikki                so how about Mary?  I mean wasn't it difficult having such a pious (
                ไพอัส= เคร่งศาสนา)

Jesus       mom?  she was hardly pious more like an outcast ถูกขับไล่ when I was young back then being pregnant before the wedding wasn't exactly what you would call Alicia it wasn't the thing to do
Nikki    you know from all the paintings.I've seen a verse โคลงกลอน she's either nursing the baby Jesus or taking him down off the cross. Did she do anything in-between?

Jesus               I had a great mother.  Faith kept her going but if I started preachingเทศนา is when it really got hard for you seeing her son worshiped นมัสการ one day and then demonized an accidentถูกพรรณนาว่าชั่วร้ายและข่มขู่ I think was harder than she ever imagined it would be.
Nikki                Look!!!  you haven't told me anything that's someone with a Bible and half an imagination couldn't make up you're gonna have to come up with something a little better than these sappy แข็งแรง mom and pop stories.
Jesus               to do what ?
Nikki                you know one night on CNN Larry King said that of all the historical figures ตัวเลขทางประวัติศาสตร์ the one he would most like to interview is Jesus Christ I gotta tell you this uh routine with the retread Bible รื้อฟื้นพระคัมภีร์ stories has been a little less than intriguing ที่น่าสนใจ

Jesus               I don't think there's much I could actually say that would convince you
                      that I'm Jesus

Nikki                well there's one true statement
Jesus               so how about we do this how about you suspend your disbelief ระงับความไม่เชื่อ just for the night and we proceed as if I really am Jesus now you were sitting here with Jesus Christ I know you would have some questions for him
Nikki                The other day I passed a church and the sign out front said no one
                       comes to the Father except through me,signed Jesus! Now that he
                        actually say that ? because if he did I think he's full of it
Waiter              the stuffed mushrooms and your soup sir
Nikki                well you're not going to ask me to say the blessing, Are you?
Jesus               I use like to say we're thanks before meals do you mind

Nikki                No, not at all

Jesus               Father, thank you for always providing for us who you love

Nikki                that's it??
Jesus               I'm sorry there's something else you wanted to say
Nikki                no I think that covered it. So what about that “no one comes to the
                       Father except through me” business
Jesus               why do you think I'm mistaken.

Nikki                well because you've got all these people around the world that believe
                       in different ways of worshipping God and you're saying that only Jesus
                      way is the right one
Jesus               your problem with that is?
Nikki                A lot, I mean who's to say that Jesus Way is any better than
                       Muhammad's or Buddha's or the Hindus
Jesus               do you think Hinduism is true?
Nikki                I don't know I have some friends back home who got into Hinduism  and  it seemed to work for them
Jesus               I didn't ask if you thought it worked I asked if you thought it was true
Nikki                it was true for them.
Jesus                   Before Copernicus(เป็นนักคณิตศาสตร์และนักดาราศาสตร์สมัยฟื้นฟูศิลปวิทยา ผู้คิดค้นแบบจำลองระบบดวงอาทิตย์เป็นศูนย์กลาง 19 กุมภาพันธ์ ค.ศ. 1473 – 24 พฤษภาคม ค.ศ. 1543) most people believed that the world was flat it was false but it worked for them you know why that was
Nikki                I don't think it mattered much back then Before Columbus nobody
                      travelled far enough for it to be a problem
Jesus               what would have happened if someone who tried to go the moon?
Nikki                they'd be in for a big surprise.

Jesus               the point is what people believed worked for them, even though, it was
                       false but it's some critical juncture it was bound to not work anymore.
Nikki                so?
Jesus               You're the one with the master's degree you tell me !.
Nikki                In business law not philosophy.

Jesus               well you still had to think a little.
Nikki                All right what you're saying is that even if a belief system works for someone if it's false it will eventually break down
Jesus               And you don't want what you're placing your ultimate trust ความไว้วางใจสูงสุด
                      in to be wrong. You remember that class you took it you see the one on
                      world religions?
Nikki                How did you?
Jesus               what did that class teach you about Hinduism? how it squares up
                      with? what's known about the universe?
Nikki                if I remember correctly Hinduism teaches that the universe is simply
                       an extension of a universal force called…
Jesus               Brahman
Nikki                Brahman yes the ultimate essence
Jesus               and God is a universe and the universe is God
Nikki                right and there is no one separate creator
Jesus               and how long is their universe existed?
Nikki                According to the Hindus always the universe is eternal
Jesus               And how does that match up with what modern astronomers are
                      discovered?
Nikki                Not very well I guess, I did read an article once that said all the
                       evidence points to the universe having a definite starting point
Jesus               so if Hinduism is true then how did the universe get here?
Nikki                I don't know
Jesus               I don't know either

Nikki                All right how about something a little closer to Christianity like Islam
                      the Muslims claim to worship the God of the Bible so who's to say that
                      their version is wrong and Jesus is right?
Jesus               well that would all depend on whether or not. God actually spoke to
                       Muhammad. It's a lot of weight to put on one man's teachings
Nikki                well you could say the same thing about Christianity it all depends on
                      whether or not God spoke to one guy
คลิปหมอพงษ์ศักดิ์ ยืนยันเรื่อง ศาสนาที่นี่ (นาทีที่ 19.00 )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yd_FWuXf04

Jesus               No the Bible has over 40 authors that span 1500 years all of the same
                       consistent message
Nikki                But who's to say that God didn't speak to Muhammad
Jesus               well if he did he got a few things wrong
Nikki                Like what?
Jesus               well for starters Muhammad wrote that I was never crucified that God's angels rescued me and took me straight to heaven.
Nikki                you mean Jesus
Jesus               that's what I said
Nikki                maybe Muhammad was right

Jesus               No, he wasn't.

Nikki                oh that's right I forgot you were there.

Jesus               But you don't have to ask me. My crucifixion was historically documented by Christians and non-Christians การตรึงกางเขนถูกบันทึกไว้ในอดีตโดยคริสเตียนและไม่ใช่คริสเตียน but that's not the only problem with Islam.
Nikki                what else is there?
Jesus               what's your deepest desire?
Nikki                sure I want to get into that?
Jesus               Let's talk in generalities what do most people's hearts long for?
Nikki                I don't know big-screen TV.  I suppose people's greatest desire is to
                       be loved
Jesus               I don't mean to be too personal Nikki in your experience is another person ever completely fulfilled that need for love
Nikki                that's a good husband's
Jesus               Not what I'm asking
Nikki                no I suppose no one's ever really fulfilled it
Jesus               that's because another person never can only God can!.He created people that way but the Muslims never had that hope! They can't have a personal relationship with Allah he's just someone to worship him serve him far away even in paradise now why would God create mankind with his deep need to be loved and then never meet it
Nikki                maybe the Muslims don't have all the answers. but I don't think anybody does
Jesus               No, they don't. You only think they do.

Nikki                well, nobody has all the answers then maybe may be God doesn't even exist maybe this world really is all there is have you ever considered that
Jesus               well, then your face would explain the design thing
Nikki                what there's no way that it could have happened by accident
Jesus               Do you know by the black hole theory?
Nikki                Pretty much.
Jesus               Do you know the odds calculated by the guy who came up with that theory that some cosmic accent could create such an orderly universe
Nikki                Wo….
Jesus               Take a guess I don't know one in a billion
Jesus               try one in a hundred billion to the 123^rd power and that's just the universe itself he wasn't even taken into account to design a biological life ชีวิตทางชีววิทยา all right so you've managed to poke a couple holes in these other religions you know seems tome every religion Christianity included  they're just different roads to the same place i mean everyone is looking for god really are you as I was saying everyone is looking for God in their own way that's what I liked about my friends church back home they embraced everybody's different beliefs and tried to help them on their path to God it's just one problem with that what there is no path to God once imported leaning so what did you mean there's no path to God every religion claims to teach the way to God there's a way to God and just isn't a path what I mean is this a path and sometimes you travel by your own effort to reach a destination but there's no way that you can work your way to God that path just doesn't exist wait a minute that's what religion is all about trying to get to God how canyou possibly say otherwise do you ever get in trouble when you're a kid are you changing the subject I'll get back to the other thing I don't think this place stays open long enough for me to tell you all the trouble I used to get into that bad huh give me a highlight well one time when we were on vacation I dumped a milkshake on my little sister's head what did your dad do well he pulled over bet me over his knee and gave me the worst spanking I ever had mm-hmm your dad always handle the spankings huh mom just yelled at us but he didn't spank us very often why not well just  wasn't his way of handling things I guess he was bigger on making us understand why what we had done was wrong and apologizing to the other person especially if it was mom so your dad  had a lot in common with God how so oh they both focused on restoring  relationships your dad made you admit that you had hurt someone and then apologized he wanted you to restore that relationship guess I never thought of it that way and that's exactly how it is with God he isn't interested in people performing well enough for him they can't possibly do that anyway God created people to have a relationship with him so they could enjoy his love so why don't they because man as rejected God and severed the relationship God's whole program if you want to call it that is all about putting it back together tell me this  when Sarah does something wrong how many dishes does she have to wash before she can get up in your lap and get a hug again none well then how many aids will she had to make in school that's silly why because she doesn't have to do anything she's my daughter are you so you're saying that we can't do anything to earn God's love a little more sure back to the Muslims who try to earn their way into paradise do you know how many daily prayers they had to perform just to be good enough know you know today they're never sure if they're done enough praying or fasting or making pilgrimages or giving to the poor just ask them to tell you the same thing really and the Hindus never know how many lifetimes it takes to successfully work out their karma Christianity is no different I mean no one can ever really know if they've been good enough to make it into heaven all they can know that for certain the answer's no they can't no one is good enough to make into heaven no matter how hard they try but you're saying that doing all the right things like keeping the Ten Commandments and not cheating on your taxes won't get you into heaven sorry that's right keeping the Ten Commandments won't get you into heaven then why do them well there's great profit no Bane guy just won't get you to heaven man's rebellion against God it's like a huge rip in the moral fabric of the universe with God on one side and everybody else on the other and there's no way you can get to the other side why not there's all god it's big enough to fix a tear would you say is the best person in the world excuse me morally speaking who's the best person you can pick up living or dead either one somebody like Mother Teresa  I guess all right you'll say this is Mother Teresa now who's the worst gosh Osama bin Laden Jeffrey Dahmer Hitler pick one okay Hitler all right  that's Hitler now where would you say that you fall into place on this scale well if I stay with Mother Teresa then I'll appear vain but if I put myself with Hitler then that's well forget it how about here sugar cute what do I win nothing but I am going to show you how you measure up in the eyes of God great now for this would be totally accurate we've had to place these three objects on a road that ran all the way from New York to Los Angeles with you mother Teresa and Hitler in New York in God's moral standard all the way in LA are you saying that to God Mother Teresa and Hitler are essentially the same oh no no Hitler was horribly evil Mother Teresa did many good things what I'm saying is if Mother Teresa for all her goodness was no closer to bridging the gap to God than Hitler was both of them based on their own merits were still a long way from being with God so that's why you said that keeping the Ten Commandments won't get us into heaven right because no one could ever keep him well enough because God's standard is perfection boy that's reassuring and you wouldn't want it any other way what's that supposed to mean would you really want the universe to be run by someone who wasn't all about a perfect system of Justice a perfect brand of holiness why not perfect holiness is the last thing I need to deal with so you would want a universe where crime goes unpunished what where's someone who harms Sarah gets off scot-free where someone like bin Laden isn't held accountable for 9/11 not everyone is as bad as bin Laden no but everyone is arebel against God in their own way just doesn't seem fair that God sees everyone in the same way I mean some people are just worse than others and God will handle them all accordingly but that's just the whole point Nicky on what basis would you stand before a perfect God and say that you've been good enough and I thought God is forgiving with this perfect justice thing you're saying that God can't forgive anyone God is forgiving him more than anything else God wants to forgive people so they can return to him but God's desire to forgive can't override his perfect justice people have to pay a penalty for breaking God's laws and the penalty is death so what has to happen before he'll take us back well God has two options either he could let people try and pay their own penalties which you already said they can't do right there's no way they'd be separated from him forever God's other option is to take the penalty of death on himself how can he do that he's God the Creator is always greater than the creation and for the Creator to take on the penalty of death for himself that satisfies perfect justice but if he's already perfect and holy why would he want to do that let's say when Sarah is 20 years old she falls in with a bad crowd and gets hooked on heroin painting a really cheery picture there Jesus just stay with me now while she's on drugs she murders someone in a sentence to be executed would you take her sentence if you could I'm sure I would why because I love her and she'd have the rest of her life to get straightened out again and be happy don't you think God loves you at least as much as you love Sarah maybe I really don't know well I know that God wants you with him so I made you in the first place it is mm-hmm but you're naturally separated from God because of the bad stuff you do and to make good on the fact that a penalty has to be paid before you can be with God God took your penalty on himself and he died to pay it for you so what's the catch what does he want from me just that you trust him and believe in the fact that he did die to pay your penalty there's one thing I'm confused about the Bible says that Jesus died on the cross not God

Niki I am God

would you excuse me for just a minute please

oh my god this guy just told me he's God

yeah just make sure he pays for dinner

prove it

excuse me

prove that you're God

and just what would convince you

I don't know a miracle or something you couldn't even turn the wine into water earlier

you just assumed they couldn't

so you're saying you could have but chose not to

yeah what if I had done it

well it might have gotten my attention

then what..I'd like to try the strawberry amaretto cake

just bring me a cannoli

so you're having trouble believing that God could become a man wouldn't you maybe depends on what I expect you from God well I don't expect him to look like he just got off work at Merrill Lynch no I guess I wouldn't either and to be quite honest I really don't believe that God just asks people to take a leap of faith that he exists you're right God always gives proof before he expects faith then what proof is there that Jesus was God well for one thing it's exactly what God said would happen when did he say that you read what some of the prophets said yeah some of the Nostradamus stuff but that never we have real prophets ผู้เผยพระวจนะ Nicky sorry you know a guy I dated when I was a freshman actually got me to join a Bible study and I I remember one lesson they were talking about the prophets predicting that a messiah would come but I I don't remember them saying anything about him being God that's because you were obviously more interested in Tommy than the Bible study and how would you know that because I was there all right the prophets predicted that a messiah would be born of a virgin in Bethlehem yada yada yada oh and they also described the crucifixion การตรึงกางเขน so there

well don't you think that was a pretty good tip-off predicting my birthplace 700 years before it happened one man right about crucifixion hundreds of years before the Romans even invented it still all that does not mean that Jesus was God did

you see that special that Peter Jennings did about the historical Jesus I know which one you're talking about well it said that he never claimed to be the Messiah much less God himself it said that he he struggled with his identity and he was killed for political reasons mr. Jennings was only concerned with accuracy in truth I forgave sins I accepted worship I healed the sick I raised the dead I demonstrated my power over nature I said that I existed before Abraham and I was one with the father and the giver of eternal life now who does that sound like to you just because you claim to be God doesn't mean that you are no but it does mean I wasn't just another religious leader you only have three options either I was telling the truth I was lying or I was insane good religious leaders don't claim to be God people distort the truth mainly because they reject this proof they were given and what proof is that that I rose from the dead you're sitting there obviously alive if you claim that you were once dead it would be pretty hard for me to prove otherwise good point so why don't we go by the facts according that Peter Jennings special what does history say about me that Jesus was an actual person all right that he was a teacher with a large following okay and that we know that the Romans executed him which brings us to the resurrection what happened next well according to the disciples Jesus rose from the dead but of course they would say that why is that what they're expecting to happen I'm not sure  the answer's no they weren't even though I told him several times it was going to happen they still didn't believe until they saw me in person isn't it possible that they only thought that Jesus had died so the Roman executioner's would let someone down off a cross it was just badly injured and three days later my recovery was so miraculous that the disciples thought I was God well the disciples did have something to gain by claiming that Jesus was resurrected like what like having the status of starting a whole new religious movement so you're saying that the men who spread the word about me launched a greatest force for good the world has ever known that they did all this base on something they knew was a lie well do you know that each disciple was eventually persecuted and murdered what someone willingly died for something they knew wasn't true what about things like the Crusades and Salem witch trials and the wars between the Protestants and the Catholics I mean doesn't it seem like your followers are always at each other's throats yes it does I can't tell you how sad it makes me these people were only outwardly religious they never really trusted me never live like the new people they were supposed to be that just a little convenient I mean can you honestly say that no real Christians were involved in any of these things the tragedy is no I can't say that it may not be the norm but it has been much too frequent what did you mean by living like new people when someone accepts my gift they get more than just forgiveness otherwise heaven would just be full of a bunch of forgiven sinners still running away from God that's not what he wants so what does he do about it he changes them from the inside there harden their spirit don't want to run from him anymore they want to be with him they wonder the things that he says are good but they don't always do that I see sometimes no they don't a new heart just gets you in the game after that you have to let me be your coach what does that mean it means that you believe in what I did for you but you accepted God's forgiveness and you've allowed him to live inside you allow him to what live inside you it's as close to God as you can get the last thing I need is God looking over my shoulder every minute he's already looking over your shoulder what you need is him living in you every minute why well for starters how are you ever gonna love your family unconditionally I know you want to love Matt better but you just don't know how and even if you did you couldn't only God can love in that special way and he wants to do it through you I try so hard but things just aren't going well with Matt we just get so irritated at one another you know these things are telling me I've never really heard them explained before I know my message got ll jumbled along the way church leadership power structures people were so anxious to reduce God to a set of rules rules what he's all about hardly God's all about joining people to himself that's how people were originally designed to have God's very life within them without it you're like a new Mercedes with no engine it may look good on the outside but it won't work because it's missing the most important part that's what Christianity is all about then why don't the Christians just say so because a lot of them don't really understand they haven't listened to what I've said even though my words are right there in front of them so where do we go from here good question what do you want to do would you care for some coffee yes please why doesn't God just show himself to people and what would you have him do I don't know appear to each person individually no seriously I mean most people don't get a personal dinner invitation I already appeared to everyone I became one of them it's about as personal as it gets that was over 2,000 years ago it's really not a matter of further visual evidence people have all the evidence they need it's more matter of the heart do people want to humble themselves enough to need God how can you say that people have all the evidence they need well the creation chosen that God exists scientists know more about its intricate design now more than ever I came to children what God is like and on top of that they had the message of the Bible speaking of the Bible what about all those contradictions like which ones like I don't know the specifics but they now I'll give you one  gospel account says that I healed two blind men outside of Jericho another account says I healed one well there you go tell me something the other day at work when you were telling last side story about something that had happened to you and Matt when you went to the movies had the two of you thought alone that night Oh Matt's friend Tim was with us so why did you leave that fact out because wasn't relevant to the story I was telling all right you knew I was going to ask this why do scientists have such a problem with the creation theory as opposed to evolution I think the problem is with the in his own image part that would make them accountable to a creator they don't want that is there a hell yes for those who choose continued separation from God there is an existence and it's not an existence you want why does he send people there but father offers forgiveness anyone willing to accept it sometimes people choose separation from God and he respects what they choose why doesn't he just make everyone go to heaven I mean they'd be happier there because love doesn't force relationships if you had somehow forced Matt to marry you that wouldn't have been love God created people with the ability to choose freely and he respects those choices they make so I suppose you would say that for God to allow suffering is the same kind of thing what do you think that humanity suffers because it separated itself from God yes so why doesn't he just make everything right and do it now instead of waiting for some day in the future it's a little hard to answer because you can't see things from God's perspective right now but there is a purpose to the present and one day everything will be made right don't forget God didn't leave you to suffer alone he suffered more than anyone you still angry about your dad God took him away when I was 13 I'd say that's worth being angry about or was that just part of God's plan your dad loved you very much we used to do everything together Reds games bangles he used to coach my softball team when mom divorced him we moved across town and  he never coached me again he's so saw him that every other weekend that wasn't the same he missed you too you know you don't know how heartbroken he was about you it almost killed him to lose you well he didn't live much longer anyway he did he didn't this may not seem true to you but I was heartbroken for both of you yeah you're righ that doesn't seem true you never answered my question was my parents’ divorce and my dad dying part of God's plan you know the story the prodigal son ลูกชายโศกนาฏกรรมanother Sunday School lesson what did it take for the son to return to the father who loved him for life to get really bad in the Pigpen so what sometimes it takes a deep hurt to feel a deep need for God that's God's plan that's what God is willing to use in a broken world your dad's pain drove him to me and without that wound in your heart Nicky you wouldn't be saying you're talking with me either wish I could say it all makes sense now wish I could say that you  more coffee ma'am no this is fine I think we're ready for the pill very good sir even I don't like these things God doesn't like ties I'll note that  for future reference can I have your autograph sir just in case thank you very much sir thank you Eduardo I wonder how much that'll go for on eBay I like Eduardo he's a humble person you kept talking about the gift of eternal life what's heaven like heaven is a really cool place people's senses have been so dull by living in this broken world that you just not gonna believe all the sights and sounds smells colors like you've never seen music like you've never heard there's always a lot of  activity but an overwhelming sense of peace do you remember how you felt when you stood next to the Grand Canyon just too awestruck ประหม่า to possibly take it all in yeah well heaven is like that only infinitely more I feel stupid asking this but are the streets really made of gold you know described in heaven to you isn't exactly easy it's like trying to describe snow to the Aborigines ชาวพื้นเมือง

 there aren't too many points of reference for you to compare to just know that what  the Bible says is true and it's far greater than you can ever imagine and you're saying I don't have to do  anything to get there you're confusing heaven with eternal life I thought they were the same thing they're not I'm not following you eternal life isn't a place it's not even primarily a length of time I am eternal life the Father is eternal life I'm still not sure I'm getting it just as God is the source of all physical life he's a source of all spiritual life - look at it this way God made your body to need food air and water now what happens when you take those things away you die right and the same holds true for your spirit God created your spirit to be joined with him and without him it dies your spirit has no eternal life so when you say the father offers me eternal life he's offering you himself so what's heaven is the place where I am but people don't go to heaven until they die true but you can have eternal life right now eternal life doesn't begin when you die eternal life begins the moment you start trusting me that's when I come to live within you and me  Holy Spirit you know I I never have understood the whole Trinity thing that the Father the Son the Holy Ghost joined the crowd you weren't meant to understand it are you saying I'm incapable of understanding it yes God wouldn't be much of a God if you could fully understand him people still haven't figured out most of the creation thing I'm still not totally comfortable with God coming to live inside me Act I like the forgiveness part but this this other thing is the best part you need someone living inside you who will love you and accept you and want to be around you even when you don't feel good about yourself Sarah wants to be around me this wait till she's 15 you're bored Nick you were made for so much more than this you're so afraid God's gonna steal your fun but you've got it backwards you're like a little kid who doesn't want to go to Disney World because she's having too much fun making mud pies by the curb there is no adventure quite like being hooked up with a creator of the universe and your first step would be to let him guide you out of the mess you're in at work a couple of months ago you found out that some of the partners in your law firm we're cooking the books on the firm's billion hours you're not involved but you know enough that your career would be jeopardized if they were ever caught well you want to leave why don't you I can't quit without my income we probably wouldn't be able to keep living in that house and Matt would kill me if we had to move again there's other law firms maybe not as prestigious but for sure with better hours I don't say I would appreciate that those hours you spent working later hours you'll never get back with her should be fifteen before you know it I know I just I just can't do that right now you need someone to give you the strength to make that decision because it really will work out okay I know it doesn't seem like it right now that's the truth Matt would be furious and then I'd get mad at him for reacting that way and then he would start what if someone lived in you who could love Matt even when he's upset at you yeah that seems impossible not with God it isn't  here let me get this I owe you one Nicky it's a gift I thought they went through your hands yeah these spikes were driven through my wrists to support the weight of my body you ready to go you and Carlo act like old friends we are how long have you been coming to Peppino's first time and now for the million dollar question what did you drive I didn't drive of course well you never told me who sent the invitation suppose this was your idea from the beginning actually was yours you remember when your dad went away and you asked God to come tell you why it happened not really I've been planning this dinner for a long time will we get together for dinner again well that's up to you I'm not sure what that means and me one of your business cards that'll tell you how to reach me you'd best be getting home and that's already asleep on the couch man Oh No the game won't be over for at least I am got sick on the nachos they came home after the fourth inning Sara's there too she got scared in the 10th mrs. Eman brought her home I'm glad you showed up Nikki I've enjoyed our time together I have to remember that's on your side he just hasn't learned how to show it very well yet just give him time and love you Sara big hug for me I will but till next time this capacity crowd is still hanging in there as we look at going into the 11^th inning two out nobody on bottom of the 10th Ramirez takes the mound for just the third time this season slow coming hey I'm really sorry about this morning okay we can talk about it tomorrow I'm gonna go look in on Sara before I turn in and Jesus said Here I am I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into them and will dine with them and they with me  you