From the cross, the Lord Jesus spoke seven extraordinary words that reveal His heart of mercy, obedience, and love. Each utterance-whether expressing anguish, forgiveness, or triumph-calls us to trust God completely, to forgive as we have been forgiven, and to finish the course set before us with faith and grace. In His final moments, Christ demonstrated that even in pain, the will of the Father is perfect and His salvation sure. These “last words” remain a living message about prayer, compassion, and steadfast faith in a world that thirsts for what only Christ can provide.

Automatically Generated Transcript

[00:00:00] Good evening all. My name is Alan. I think there are quite a few Alans in this church. In some Asian countries, they call me Alan. Alan. So if you wish to call me Alan, usually the ministers, then that’s fine with you, with me too. I’m an occasional preacher of this church, retired as a pastor and a Bible school teacher. And because I’m an occasional speaker these days, I promise the Lord that each time I have an opportunity to speak, I will give a little testimony if I can. And I do have one tonight, so here goes. Thursday last week, that means three days ago, I did a stupid thing. I go to a ukulele class, a ukulele session every group, every Thursday, almost every Thursday. And maybe I was feeling a bit, you know, sitting there all the time.

[00:01:07] So instead of running, taking the steps to go up a slope, to walk down to the car park where my car was, I actually run up, it’s just a short distance, a little slope, and then I felt, oh, I damaged something. It was my right calf. It was very painful. And I said, oh, no, this is no good. Because the next day, which is Friday, in this primary school here in Salisbury, there was a grandparents’ day. And of course, we have to go because we have our six grandchildren in the school, for the high school as well. And because it is a very popular day, lots of people going to this special day, we have to walk, we can’t drive. And so it was about one k walk down, and when it’s all done, one k, over half a k back. I tell you, it was torture. Dinner was so bad.

[00:02:03] And then, of course, I have this service in mind, tonight’s service. So we prayed and prayed. It was still painful on Saturday morning, but this morning, whoa, suddenly the pain just went. It’s still very tight, my calf, still very tight, but amazingly, it’s almost gone. We pray a lot, and I’m sure we use ointment and the spray as well, but I think God answers our prayer. So here we go. Here’s a testimony to the Lord who answers prayer. Big prayers, but small, little prayers as well. Now, to our sermon today, Fathers, we open your word. Just pray that you will give us attentive hearts and minds and ears so that we can listen to your voice speaking to us and take on board the things that you want us to do today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

[00:03:07] The last words of a dying person are always very precious and significant. Angelina and I sometimes watch Korean dramas for entertainment. Someone’s smiling, I think. Maybe you watch Korean dramas as well. Unlike many Hollywood productions, they’re mostly clean, and some are actually quite entertaining. Thank you. The one K-drama that I’m following, the king in ancient Korea died, and there was a great commotion in the court. What was his last words? Who did he say would succeed him? Is he going to be the brother? Or is he going to be the son, a little boy, just a child? Which means that the child’s grandfather or the queen’s father would really be the de facto ruler. So it’s quite dramatic as the story unfolds. Well, that is what movies are made of. But we too as Christians have a king who died.

[00:04:31] What were the last words of our Lord Jesus? Do you know? Are you taking them on board? Are you honoring him, his last words? Are you obedient to his last words? Well, today we’re going to look at the last seven words of Jesus on the cross. Just two clarifications before, while we continue. One is that we’re not looking into the last words of Jesus as such. Because post-resurrection, Jesus said a few more words, notably the Great Commission. But we’re looking at the last words of Jesus on the cross as he breathed his last breath. Secondly, the things I share today are my own reflections. So another speaker, perhaps yourself, may have a different take on these last seven words of Jesus. So these are the last seven words from my own reflection.

[00:05:46] And I hope it serves to bless us or challenge us or whatever the Word of God wants to do to us. There are seven such words or utterances of all together. One in Matthew and Mark. Three each in Luke and John. And we look at this in that order. The first one. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? From Mark 15, Matthew 27. And of course, quoting Psalm, the first verse of Psalm 22, which was a scripture reading, which was read to us. Scholars say that 91.5% of Mark is found in the Gospel of Matthew. So 91.5% of the Gospel of Mark is in the Gospel of Matthew. So don’t be surprised that there are lots of identical verses in those two Gospels. But the question here is, was Jesus just reminding his disciples on the cross, what was happening to him was actually predicted, prophesied by David in Psalm 22.

[00:07:11] Was he just doing that, referring, reminding his disciples of Psalm 22.1? Meaning, it was no big deal for him. It was all for ordain. It was no big deal for him to go to the cross and to be crucified there. Or is it really our Lord Jesus Christ was in great, great distress and really felt that the Lord God who has been with him all this time has now abandoned him? So those are the two options to the question. What do you reckon? Was it just a mere reminder when Jesus said, My God, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Ilohi, Ilohi, lama sapatane. Was it just to remind his disciples, it’s all predicted, prophesied? Or was it really he has gone through great anguish? What do you reckon? If your answer is both, that’s a very clever answer, both, then I have to agree with you.

[00:08:26] However, I’d like to remind us tonight that it was really a very huge thing that Jesus went to the cross for us. Israel, his own people, rejected him. Judas, one of his own, betrayed him. Peter, one of his closest, denied him. And then now, on the cross, he felt that his God, his God in heaven, his heavenly Father, has now, for some reason, left him on his own. He was in great emotional stress and strain. And more than that, physically, it was very, very hard. Because crucifixion, if you haven’t read about it, was the most cruel way of killing a person. They nailed you in the heat of the day with your nails on your hands and your feet, and you stayed there until you die. And those people who know better say that when you’re up there in the heat of the day,

[00:09:38] you’re not just coming to you there when you’re thirsty, but also you find it very hard to breathe. Very, very hard to breathe. And the more you try to breathe, the more you find it hard to breathe. Until you just don’t breathe, or can’t breathe anymore. you know sometimes we hear people say Christians, speakers, others salvation is free this is true wonderfully true but do you know that our saviour Jesus literally or almost literally went to hell to secure salvation for us so remember it’s more than just a fulfilment of prophecy when he said my God my God why have you forsaken me referring the disciples to Psalm 22 which is by the way a messianic psalm lots of stuff are fulfilled about Jesus in the psalm remember it is a very big sacrifice of Jesus on the cross then from a devotional approach

[00:10:53] that was more like a theological approach to this particular utterance of Jesus from a devotional point of view don’t be afraid to express your deepest feelings to God even if they are very very negative don’t be afraid to express your deepest feelings to God the psaltery is arguably the best love book in the Bible why? because in the 150 psalms the psaltery 150 psalms we find a full range of human emotions expressed there for example Psalm 54 David said let evil recoil at those who slander me in your faithfulness destroy them he was very angry he was very distressed it was a desperate cry from a victim of injustice expressing deep pain and even anger to God so don’t be afraid as a believer, as a Christian to do that God, Jesus has very broad shoulders he can take it it’s much better that way than to let it go let it out

[00:12:17] on other people especially they say usually your loved ones around you are the ones that suffer most when you when you let out you know you keep things in suddenly burst out so don’t be afraid from a devotional point of view to pour out your extreme feelings to God even if even if it is negative it is okay provided of course you don’t swear to God and burn your Bible and just turn back on God that’s a different story altogether but if you stay faithful to God but you’re going through a very very tough time don’t be afraid to express your true feelings to God we must move on the second utterance of Jesus on the cross is from Luke 23 34 Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing the Bible is replete with references about forgiving others just to mention a few in the Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5 Jesus instructs us

[00:13:36] to leave our offering and go and be reconciled with a brother if there is some problems there leave your offering stop your offering reconcile with a brother or sisters first and then later on in Matthew someone asked Jesus how many times he should forgive an offending brother or sister. And Jesus replied, 77 or 70 times 7. Doesn’t matter which. Either way, it means that we must forgive as often, as often as needed. And then Paul writes in Colossians 3, bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances that you have against each other. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. Some contemporary examples, I think in the morning service, Joey mentioned Corrie ten Bloom. Not sure whether it is in the same book, Hiding Place. But I also read the story of how years later, after the Holocaust, she met someone after church.

[00:14:56] You know, sometimes they linger around after church to talk. She saw someone that she recognized, and he recognized her too. It was a soldier, a German soldier, a nasty guy, a very bad fellow, who’s in charge of the bathrooms of a woman. And she felt that surge of anger in her. But she knew she has to do something. She can’t just avoid this guy who was actually looking at her. So she prayed. And then the Holy Spirit came upon her. And her anger faded away. She went to this guy and said, I forgive you. And maybe give him a hug as well. So it’s not just in the Bible. It is contemporary too. I think closer to home, we were members of a mission organization. We are now retired. But I can still remember when we were with the missionary training college in Tasmania, news came true that one of us,

[00:16:03] a missionary in Pakistan, was killed by the fundamentalist. And then after a few days, we prayed and so forth. We heard the news that the wife, he has a family with children too. The wife went to this guy. He was caught, was imprisoned, and forgave this terrorist who killed her husband in Pakistan, who went there to serve the Lord. And he gave his life up there, lost his life there. More recently, we, Angela and I, attendee, or try to attend a Sunday prayer meeting quite regularly. And Daryl, I think, gave us a sheet of paper. And there was pictures and story of someone only two or three years ago, a drunkard and drug-affected driver who killed seven people, I think it was, three of whom children, and one were the children of this guy, this family called the Abdallahs, in Sydney, I think, somewhere in Sydney.

[00:17:07] And one cousin and three children died. And the picture was, this man, Abdallah, actually had communion in church with this drunkard killer. And then they shared communion together and came out. And all these reporters were taking pictures. So it’s possible to forgive. If it’s not possible, the Lord will surely help us all. I just want to finish this utterance with a quick word about the connections between forgive, reconcile, and forget. That reference from Matthew, the one from the Sermon on the Mount, the word is actually reconcile. If you have something against a brother or sister, leave your offering at the altar and go and be reconciled with an offending brother or sister. Not forgive, but reconcile. Of course, the two are similar. But I would say that forgiving would involve reconciling as well.

[00:18:19] I don’t think there’s such a thing as I forgive you, but I don’t want to be reconciled for you. Yes, it would take some time for us to be reconciled with the brother. When you’re still angry, you forgive, but then it may take a few days or more or weeks before you can go in and be reconciled and restore that relationship again. But forgiveness would include reconciling, even though it takes time. And then the other one is forgetting. That is another thing altogether. You forgive, you’re reconciled, so everything is well. But sometimes the enemy will play tricks on us. He doesn’t want us to be restful at all. And because you have been hurt before, even though the wound has been healed, there’s still a scar. And sometimes things will happen, the enemy is very active, and your scar is scratched, and it does hurt.

[00:19:25] But remember that. Remember that. Spiritual warfare is very rare, and we need the full protection of God, the armor of God to protect us from the wiles of the evil one who always tries to destroy us, discourage us, and do whatever is necessary to draw us away from God. So forgive, as the Lord has forgiven you. The third word is from Luke 23, 43. Today you will be with me in paradise. Where or what is paradise? Surely not the place with lots of lovely maidens that martyrs will go to and marry as many as he’d like. There were two criminals crucified along with Jesus. A repentant criminal and a recalcitrant criminal. It was to the repentant, the penitent sinner, so it’s the criminal, that Jesus said, today you will be with me in paradise. So paradise is the place where the penitent and believers go. In other contexts,

[00:20:58] this place is called heaven. Jesus was just using the lingo of those days when you say paradise. The equivalent is actually heaven. So the point here is that heaven is real. Because our Lord Jesus said so, and his word can always be trusted. Heaven is real. But what is heaven? Is it a place? A location? Or is it a state? Like an environment? Without going into great details, the answer is, heaven or paradise is the very presence of God. To be in heaven or paradise is to be in the very presence of the living God. In the ultimate chapters of the book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, we read God would dwell among his people on a new or restored earth. So new earth, new heaven, may not necessarily mean new new, but restored heaven and restored earth. and perhaps before we move on to the next utterance of Jesus from John,

[00:22:22] perhaps I should say something about the related issue of death, which is a taboo, I guess. We shouldn’t think or say too much about death, but it’s very real. Death, only recently, someone in a congregation of the husband or he too, actually passed away very young at the peak of his health. I mean, he was quite a young man. So death. If there is heaven and Jesus said there is, then Christians did not be afraid of death. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, oh death, where is your victory? Oh grave, where is your sting? For those who died in Christ, like the penitent criminal, we return to the very presence of God who created us. So come, we can be comforted by this fact. Whether you’re young or old, it doesn’t matter. We shouldn’t be afraid of death. And the Lord has always promised us if we remain faithful to him, he will be faithful to us

[00:23:42] and we will live to the full the years that has been given to us, the years that have been allocated to us. In other words, we will not die short if it is his will and we remain faithful to him. We go on to, I think, the fourth utterance of the word of Jesus. Into your hands I commit my spirit. That’s Luke 23, 46. Into your hands I commit my spirit. The Lord Jesus said, as he was facing imminent death, we owe our very existence to God. Life is a great privilege. Have you ever wondered where you would be if God did not give you life? I do, sometimes. Maybe I’m just getting a bit older. Have you ever wondered why or where you would be if God did not give you life? Nowhere. You are nobody. Nowhere. God in the Genesis narrative God made the human body and then breathed into his spirit as God’s spirit into the body

[00:25:06] that’s into the body of man and he became a living soul the words soul and spirit are often used interchangeably But at times, they are separate entities. The main difference between humans and other creatures is that we humans have a spiritual component. We are spiritual as well as physical beings. And this means that we can have a relationship with God, with the living God, because God is spirit. When Adam and Eve sinned, the spirit is quenched. Theologically, dead, spiritually. However, by the spirit of Christ, when we were born again, or the Holy Spirit, same thing, spirit of Christ or the Holy Spirit, we become alive again in the spirit. We become revived in the spirit when we are born again. So because it is God who gave us life and rebirth, life again, if you like, new life,

[00:26:26] we can put our very life, that is our soul and spirit, in God’s hands. Our creator and savior is the most trustworthy person that we can think of. And if you are a believer, if you are not a believer, you are missing out on that relationship. And if you are a believer, a Christian, then don’t neglect, don’t forget to develop and nourish that relationship. It can always be improved. and don’t stay put where you are as a believer or a Christian. Develop and advance your relationship with God. We move on to the next one, the fifth one from John 19. The last three is from the Gospel of John. John 19, 26 to 27. Jesus said to Mary, Mary, woman, here is your son. And then he said to the disciple of John, here is your mother. First, it’s no disrespect for Jesus to call Mary, the mother, woman.

[00:27:51] I think in the English translation it comes across that way a little bit. It is no disrespect in the nuance of their native language. And the other point to make is that it is in the context of Jesus dying for the sins of the world. And he would be, sorry, he would also be a saviour to his own mother, Mary. That’s where Catholics get it wrong. They believe incorrectly that because Mary was the mother of Jesus, Mother Mary, Mary was the mother of baby Jesus, he’s somehow a bit superior than Jesus. And we can pray, or they, they can pray to Mary as well, which is of course incorrect. It’s not right. It’s wrong. I mentioned that Euclidean group that I go to on Thursday. We play folk songs, we play some Christian songs, play and sing, and a lot of 1960s pop songs because that is our generation.

[00:29:05] We were teenagers during those times. And there’s a song, you know the Beatus? Anybody heard about the Beatus? Maybe it’s beyond you. Not your time, the Beatus. There’s a song called Let It Be. And each time they sing the song, I flinch and I stop singing. It goes something like this. Each time I’m in trouble, Mother Mary will come to me, whisper words of wisdom, so let it be. In my age bracket. I just can’t sing. It’s wrong. It’s not right. It’s nonsense. Why Mother Mary? Yes. She is somebody we should esteem. In fact, when Gabriel, the angel Gabriel appeared to her about the birth of a son, actually Gabriel called her, you are highly esteemed. So we need to give the place of honor to Mary, but not to raise her up as another god, like a goddess, even more superior than Jesus.

[00:30:11] So the angel Gabriel called her highly esteemed. Simeon, the old prophet at the temple when Jesus was circumcised, blessed Mary and prophesied, anybody know this one, a sword will pierce your heart. And of course, that came true when Mary saw the son that he loved so much, Jesus, crucified on the cross and died a very cruel death. So we should honor Mary too, but not to the extent of raising you up as a goddess. The time between the cross and the resurrection was only 40 days. But Jesus, even in his dying moments, remembered Mary and said to John the disciple, here is your son. You may ask the question, what about his other children? I think he has at least three other sons and maybe a couple of daughters. What about them? What happened to them? The answer is quite simple. They were not of faith yet. We know for the fact

[00:31:35] that James, Jude and I’m sure other siblings all came to the Lord. But at that point of time, they were not. Believers, they were not of the faith. So Jesus, even though he was dying, actually, was burdened about the welfare of the mother. The mother, seeing the son crucified, a sword, indeed had pierced her heart and she needed that comfort and taken care of. Actually, she has two ladies who will help her. I always call her Naomi, but it is actually Salome. Salome and the other Mary, which is the mother of one of the other disciples. James, the lesser, they call him. Maybe he’s not as big as the other guy, James, the lesser. But here, he wanted a young man, a very likable person, John, to look after the mother as well. So don’t neglect to honour and to care for your parents. I’m aware that some parents do not deserve to be called

[00:32:42] father or mother. That, unfortunately, is the world that we live in today and does not negate the word of God. Jesus picked John to look after his mother. It was the best choice. John is the disciple who teaches love. Most. He called himself the disciple that Jesus loved. Not because Jesus didn’t love the other disciples or love the other disciples less, but because John is the one who really, truly appreciated the love of God and was touched by the love of God in his life. So he called himself the disciple that Jesus loved. You know there are lots of needs in the world today and pastoral care is a very rare gifting. But even though we are not gifted in pastoral care, I think all of us can do our best to provide pastoral care for those we know who need us. And I think the world would be a much better place if we do that.

[00:34:07] Let’s move on to the sixth one, which is John 19, 28. I thirst. Very simple. Just two words. I thirst. Like all crucifixions, Jesus was crucified in the heat of the day from noon. It is no wonder that he thirsted. It’s a funny word. I thought I’m wrong. My grandma is poor. I have to check the dictionary. Yeah, thirst is correct. There’s such a word. Thirst. Funny, isn’t it? He got tired. He got weary. He cried. He wept over Lazarus. When Lazarus died. And just as he felt forsaken by God on the cross, here he felt very thirsty. The point here that I’m trying to make is that it takes a human person to represent humanity, mankind, to die for the sins of the whole of humanity. It would not do for a lamb to die for the sins of people. That is the old covenant, the old testament.

[00:35:21] I like the commentary of a book, a commentary on the book of Hebrews. The title is From Shadow to Substance. From Shadow to Substance. What is in the old T is the, as pastor would say many times, old covenant. A spotless lamb would not do anymore to cleanse sins. So it has to be a human and also a spotless human. And nobody qualifies except for Jesus because he did not sin. He was sinless. I’ve got a reference here. If I can find it. I think it’s in 2 Corinthians 5.12. God make him who had no sin to be sin for us. So that in him we might become the righteousness of God. And Romans, very familiar. No one, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So it has to be a human being to be sacrificed for the sins of the world.

[00:36:36] And it has to be a sinless person like Jesus because the fullness of God was in him. The Spirit of God was in him. And God considered him spotless. A lamb of God which is acceptable by the holy God. That is very important. God is holy. And the sacrifice has to be holy too. A human, a perfect human, son of God and son of man. The second thought I have considering this verse I thirst is that food and water are basic human needs. Well, minister to basic human needs. We can’t last long without food and especially water. So it’s not surprising that the symbol of water dominates the Bible in terms of spiritual needs. Again, just a few references. Isaiah 55. Come, all of you who are thirsty. Come to the water. You who have no money. Come, eat and drink. Talking about spiritual things. Spirituality.

[00:37:53] It resonates with two utterances of Jesus. On the last day of a feast of Tappanacus in Jerusalem, that is in John 7. Jesus said, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink, by which he meant the Holy Spirit. And then he told the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, Those who drink the water I give them will never thirst again. And just one last reference in regard to this point. The Son and the Bride, the Spirit and the Bride, invites those who are thirsty to take free the free gift of the water of life. That’s in Revelation 24. 24. I mentioned earlier on that we human beings are spiritual beings as well as physical beings. So there is a natural thirst for our Creator, for God. Nothing, no one can meet our thirst, this thirst, except that God Himself.

[00:39:02] And the way that our thirst is, spiritual thirst is made is by the Holy Spirit. You know, remember I mentioned Adam and Eve. When you sin, their spirituality is quenched. The Spirit is quenched. And when we receive Jesus Christ, we are saved. We repent. We are saved. And then we are given the Spirit. Another Christ. Another paraclete. Our spirit has been revived and restored, if you are a believer, if you are a Christian. So don’t neglect that. And connect with God. Relate to God. Continue to develop this relationship between Spirit to Spirit. The Spirit that’s in us. And God now revived through the very Spirit of God. That is the deeper significance and meaning of Christianity, which I guess we may not be aware of fully.

[00:40:00] There’s this dimension of spirituality in the Christian faith that we need to make more and more aware in the church and among Christians. Otherwise, there are many people who come to Christ, who believe in crusades and so forth. After some time they say, where is this life that you’re talking about? Where is this abundance of eternal life that the Bible mentions? I don’t feel it. I don’t see it in the church. It’s because they don’t know this meaning, this deep meaning of Spirit to Spirit. How is Spirit meeting with God’s Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, all the same thing. And you can find it from cover to cover in the Bible. The last reference is John 19, 1930. It is finished. In other words, it is done.

[00:41:02] The Lord completed the mission the Father gave him. That’s what the ascension is about. He was welcomed back to the Father 40 days after his death. And I said earlier, another helper, another Christ, I will put it that way, has been given to us. Finish well. Jesus did. Don’t just begin well and plod along. It’s easy to sleep when we are weary, bored, discouraged, or tempted. But we must help. We must finish well. And by God’s help, we will. At Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, If it is possible, take this cup from me. Nevertheless, not by will, but your will be done. And when he prayed, according to Luke, his sweat was like drops of blood coming down from him. He really struggled. Again, that’s how we started tonight. It’s not just a matter of fulfilling prophecy when it was nailed on the cross at Kaori.

[00:42:08] It was excruciating pain and suffering mentally, emotionally, physically. He could have easily, he said, called legions of angels to protect him and to fight against all his people. He could have done that. And God, I don’t know for sure, will probably send the angels to help him. But he didn’t. He just submitted to God’s will because he needs to finish the race, finish the course, the mission that God has given to him. And he did. Three days later, he rose from the day gloriously, appeared to people, about ten, lots of people, to prove that he’s really alive. Then after that, ten days more, fifty days altogether. No, he went back to heaven. And that’s about Pentecost when he came back. So finish well. Finish well. Jesus did. In contrast, Saul, King Saul didn’t.

[00:43:07] I always find the life story of Saul quite fascinating. When they wanted to make him king, he hid behind the baggages. When they anointed him as king, he went to the animal farm, his own animal farm. And then, however, when the Ammonites came and tried to conquer Israel, the Spirit of God was with him. And he lifted up the spirits of the Israelites. They fought instead of surrendering. And they won. He began so well. Because there were people who didn’t like him. He said, no, he’s not going to be our king. And when they won this battle, they came back. The victor said, let us kill those people who spoke against you. And Paul said, no. Nobody will get killed today. Because today, the Lord has rescued Israel. He started so well. But sadly, he fell away. And towards the end, the Holy Spirit,

[00:44:09] the spirit that was in him, actually left him. And an evil spirit entered him. That is the Old Covenant, the Old Testament. But these are written so that we may learn from it, whether we are comforted or warned or encouraged. The narratives in the Old Testament is for us to learn lessons from. We finish that. Make sure that you finish well. By the way, during the end times, that is the last days, we read from Revelation, there will be great tribulations. And we read too, sadly or unfortunately, many Christians will not just backslide, but walk away from the faith. It is predicted in the Bible. Some Christians will walk away from the faith during the end times when there’s the great tribulations. Make sure that you’re not one who walked away. We finish. In conclusion, I ask,

[00:45:15] which of these last seven words of Jesus on the cross speak to you most? Reflect on this question before you perhaps go to bed tonight. Or you get up first thing in the morning and get an early bird? Because this may be just the very thing that God wants you to take on board for this season. So which of these last words and the applications means the most to you, speaks most to you that you’re in your situation, in your own circumstances? One, it’s okay to pour your deepest feelings, even the most negative ones, to God. Do not be afraid to do so. Two, forgive as Jesus forgives you. Three, heaven is real, the very presence of God, not a pie in the sky as someone would tease us, non-Christians. Four, we can trust God with our whole life. No matter what you’re going through, you can trust Him. It will be okay. Five, don’t neglect

[00:46:34] to care for our parents and those who need us, those we know who need us and we can help them. Six, humans have spiritual deeds that only God can meet. And seventh, finish well, complete what God has called you to do. And may the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.