3/5/2022 - A Conversation with Laurence Perry

PNG radio for today's culture and timeless truths come together it's recent relevant content apologetics worldview and answers to the questions that you need to know from Alex McFarland evangelistic ministries welcome to truth for a new generation radio and now the man who preached in states in 50 days speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarland life is a journey and with all journeys. There are things that are memorable. Sometimes there are things would like to forget. Hi Alex McFarland welcome the truth for new generation amazing show. I will going to be visiting with a a Christian sister who is got one of the most amazing life stories that you will ever ever here. I will begin with the Scripture from second Corinthians chapter 1 and verse three of second Corinthians 1 says blessed be God. Even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies, the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. First, the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ notices words in second Corinthians 1, where it says that the God of all comfort comforts us and then someday down the road we can comfort others and I've got with me Lawrence Perry Lorenz.

Forgive me my French is probably not great but where it cares Bible college and meet so many wonderful people I wanted you to give some of your testimony for Solomon say thank you for being untrue for new generation talk about how God has guided you and how the ways that God guided you. You're using to guide others toward Jesus, but welcome to the program and thank you for sharing with us your wonderful story of Jesus Christ.

Thank you. It's nice to be here at the very, much of an honor for me to be doing this with you that you grew up in Belgium right yes I did in a little town called by him the shuttle and did you grow up in a Christian family. My entire family with atheist take nonbeliever God hating Christ bashing very much into science. My many of my grandparents were doctors, so no no Christ at all. How did you find Jesus Christ a coming out of the context of secularism and atheism. But you your dynamic Christian lady, how did you find the Lord actually it's an interesting story, I believe, for myself, that I always had a belief in a higher power, and as I mentioned to you before, as a little child I used to talk to aliens because science fiction was allowed in my house but not religion.

So I spoke to something and I believed in my heart there was something so I had an innate bent for that but my first encounter with Jesus was actually in my early 20s when a friend of mine. I was a martial arts instructor at the time in one of my students was a married father of three bisexual, gay guy and he went to twelve-step programs for survivor anonymous, you know, people have been abused and we had talked about situations that happen in his life and mine and he is the first person who told me about Jesus and he taught me the serenity prayer and told me about this guy Jesus and I decided to go to the groups and I learned interesting things a funny anecdote when I first went to a 12 step meeting.

They all talked about how we needed to surrender a life to the higher power in a higher power could restore life to sanity and I lay truly looked around the room, try to figure out which one of them was the higher power I had no Christian language whatsoever wow isn't it amazing how even through imperfect people and imperfect situations.

God can reveal himself to us so you found Jesus. Eventually, you begin to realize Christ died on the cross for our sins and and what was the situation that led you to invite Christ into your heart. Well, that's another caliber dark story. I went through one day my children's father decided that he wanted to do life with someone else brought up a truck to the house empty the entire house in front of my eyes and in four hours. All that was left of 10 years of marriage was the furniture imprints on the carpet and the stark realizations that I had to bring my little boys to an empty home that night and that happened and I after my kids went to bed. I literally went into the depths of despair.

I feel as though Satan was dancing in the room saying I did I did it I destroyed your life and I wasn't yet a Christian and I mean I knew about God, but I really didn't know a lot, and one of my after despairing until 3 o'clock in the morning I called a girlfriend and she told me that this guy Jesus would help me and that he would never leave me or forsake me, and that he had good plans for me plans to go to me and prosper me and give me hope in the future not to harm me. And I needed that hope and so she took me to the salvation prayer and I think out of sheer exhaustion. Two hours later I fell asleep and basically my whole life changed from that moment on. Well, well, folks, if you're just tuning in the streets for new generation Alex McFarland here were talking with one of the students it cares Bible college Lorenz Perry, who even though your Christian college you've got up enough life to have made a book and a movie and will going to talk about the work philosophy because you got some really good insights about that but I want to continue with your story because some the Lord has led you, and when I hear your story. I think about the second Corinthians 1. That God comforts us and then we are able to comfort others and we can come alongside people and we can say I understand I've been to the bottom of the valley and God was there and God will help you to do you fill Lorenz that a lot of the what you went through was God was preparing you to minister to others. I think that for all of us are life stories is the preparation for whatever ministry will be. I think whether we fully step consciously into that ministry or not we are always every step of the way prepared in the preparation is not for me to have this big great fabulous rich wealthy life. The preparation is to make disciples. How do I turn other people into disciples. How do I make them understanding free gifts that were given by Jesus Christ on the cross and just becoming a Christian doesn't mean that we can have a problem free life doesn't quite the opposite.

Coming from an atheistic background in family and stepping into a Christian life. I've not experienced that that freedom from problems that there's been a lot of problem including allowed persecution. I'm called a Jesus freak do not see the non-my family has all kinds of lovely names for me, yet I am the one who has peace so I do think the gift so Satan will come back on truth for new generation talk about God's great message of salvation, how Jesus has a great plan for you and he'll walk through you to touch the lives of others. Just as is done in the life of friends. Stay tuned back after this brief break wanted to raise your hand during the sermon will use your chance hi Alex McFarland here from the nationalists in the gated radio program explored more than 10 years, Michael Harper and I have taught Scripture and answered hundreds of vital questions.

We've held both of the top 100 Bible questions from listeners of all ages from questions about supposing Bible contradictions to apologetics facts that prove the truths of Scripture. This new book features practical content that will make the Bible come alive for you. Can we really be sure that God exists there contradictions in the Bible block that will help me understand the Bible better. There's so much good content in this book Bible questions and answers published by Broad Street publishers available at your local bookstores and also through resources.AFA.net.

Send your kids to a summer camp that will change their lives for the gospel and equip them to defend the faith truth for a new generation presents the unashamed biblical worldview can go deeper with God at the refuge Of Eastern Carolina July 17-22 through 12th graders will hear from evangelist apologist Dr. Alex McFarland as well as conference speakers, profamily activist and radio host will and Mickey Addison from American family radio as they share with your kids ways to effectively engage and transform the culture. Campers will also enjoy swimming, fishing, soccer, volleyball, archery, and a whole lot great summer Of building G July 17-27 at the refuge Carolina to learn more and to register, visit Alex Farland.com for apologetics, resources, books by Alex McFarland and to find out where Alex is speaking.

Visit Alex McFarland.com program. And the bottom line is the segment folks got his plan. Take the hand of Jesus. God has a plan for you. God will guide you. God will provide for you. God will be with you as well as with Lorenz.

I want thank you for sharing your story.

You become a Christian, your family didn't immediately understand how to God continue to lead you in the journey. I know you've had businesses, you've done a lot of things tell us how God guided and cared for you along this journey. What I've been very blessed to have had a fantastic pastor, Pastor Mike Atkins of River Crossing church and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

He was an amazing gifted teacher, he definitely has the gift for teaching people, and under his care.

I grew and learned so much about Christ and about life with God. I also out of that church made some fabulous friends and I'm a big proponent of mentoring.

I believe that mentoring is a fabulous step in people's life and that we should be mentored and we should mentor back and I am privileged to have been mentored by my best friend who is an 80-year-old woman who basically exudes the love of God and the truth of God, and she has exemplified for me what this thing we hear about what you know. We hear about the agape love of God and for people like me will come from an unbelieving background and a difficult childhood you have no frame of reference mean this. You know fabulous love.

She exemplified that so she has mentored me for the last nine years she has been my best friend. She still is my best friend and that has been an avenue through which I've been able to grow and learn all kinds of things about God and together we put together a women's covenant group and we had eight women who meet every Tuesday we do some prophetic writing little journaling and we watercolor and we had some food, and that has become a massive covenant group where we've literally shared the soul of our lives with one another and four-way man that is just such a great avenue for growth and don't you think everybody I mean, there's so many things that are common to all human beings we all want to feel like we are loved.

We all want to feel like we have value. We all want to make sense of some of our pains and even in the body of Christ.

I mean we come alongside people like the second Corinthians 1.

Who says the God who comforts us that we may be able to comfort others.

Really the hurts and scars and wounds and circumstances of people, it ultimately becomes opportunity for ministry doesn't right it's it's a choice that you get to making a God endowed us with free will and how you use that free will will make a massive different in the trajectory of your life. I chose to use my free will to not hold onto carts and violations and you know wounds. So when you get bumped across life, which happens to everybody. You have a choice to make. Do I hold onto that offense. Do I identify with it. Do I become a do I regurgitated to do. I ruminated and do. I then attack someone else with it or do I just decide to peel it off like a Band-Aid and seeing what I can stick to me this is not me, and I have shared with young people before we struggled through difficult times in their life that this is something I want everybody who's listening to really imprint on their mind. You are not the sum total of what happened to you. What you say that again, this is brilliant. This is so vital folks listen to what this woman is saying because this is wisdom from God say that again please. You are not the sum total of the things that happen to you. You are a different person you have a Christ to give an identity before you were born, he formed you in the warm for those who he formed you, he formed you you before the beginning of time he created you to have an identity and personality and a mission and a destiny the things that happen to us in life. Maybe they be accidental or maybe just be because other people you know you look at the remember, hurt people hurt people. Most of the people will hurt us are people who themselves are hurting and that's actually is the basis of where my forgiveness was able to arise from is to take a look at them as people broken hurt people and they did the best they could with the information that they had out of that came some hurt, but I have a choice. Do I choose to hold onto it or not, and I've chosen to peel that little Band-Aid of the wound off and with my Christian knowledge in life. I stuck it on the big class and I want you viewers to imagine I'm a person who's had many wounds, so I want you to imagine a woman standing in front of you with about 350 Band-Aid stuck on her and need to Band-Aid has a little class on her.

Those are wounds.

Those are offenses that life has given me and probably many of your listeners what I want you to do is peel that Band-Aid off and it has a little cross on it. I want you to tape it to the big class give it to Jesus because that's why he died he died so that you would have to carry those wounds and then you can live out your true identity. As I said before, you are not the sum total of the things that happen to you Lolo which is my nickname is not an abuse hurt, broken, betrayed, whatever person Lolo a something else. So what you say.

This is wonderful because you really can stick it to the cross. You can type just as we take our send of the cross and he saves us and washes his clean and Jesus forgives us we can take our words and our bandages to the cross and the he can restore and heal want one of my favorite verses is Joel 225 that says God restores the years the locust has eaten in the ancient world. The locust were in in second if if the insect destroy the crops you go hungry to the next year, you might starve you might die. And if if the crop is gone. You've gotten the no hope till the next season but note says God is bigger than time God can intervene.

God can restore the years the locust has eaten and and we believe that and I know you know it, but here's my question for you. What if somebody says, well, okay, this happened to me and someone hurt me so I'm just I'm just letting it go mean I'm just saying that it didn't matter that it is not that I may we acknowledge the hurt, but in Jesus were where we are healed and we can move on and moving on doesn't just mean that we disregard it but but we we understand in the cross. That's where our closure comes as an the big misconception that people have or may be a hurdle that Christians have is to assume that forgiveness means forgetting I have not forgotten one single thing that happened to me but I have chosen to not let it torment me and have power to me by forgiving those people. I realize that my foot in your forgiveness and my forgiveness is proportional to the level to which you trust God and his word.

Stick to the right back with more truth for a new generation radio. The apostle Peter wrote first Peter to remind us that Christians have true and lasting hope in their Savior Jesus Christ. Because Jesus conquered death in an incorruptible glorified body we could be sure that our salvation is permanence.

As we walk through everyday life, the Billy Graham training center at the Cove presents Jesus Christ hope that lives hope that lasts for every believer.

A special three day seminar with Alex McFarland. Alex will dig into first Peter to help you gain truth delivered by an assurance to keep going come to the Cove near Asheville, North Carolina July 8-10 for three days of in-depth Bible study fellowship and refreshing Jesus Christ hope that lives hope that lasts for every believer. A study of first Peter with Alex McFarland. Find out more and register@thecove.org are you tired of liberal agendas ruining our country. What you don't know what to do about it. That's why truth and liberty coalition was founded. We want to equip you to take back our country and impact the world. Here's how we do it educate broadcasts conferences in our website resources that form equip and motivate unified by collaborating with like-minded organizations like the family research Council, the family policy in life mobilize by providing practical use to impact your local community as Christians we are called to make disciples together can change the course of joint truth, delivered to connect with believers in organizations not only want to see change in our nation but a community that is actually doing something about it. Join us online for our broadcast scribal relevant updates on our website. Truth and liberty.net in the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism. Alex McFarland is a voice you can trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to the truth for a new generation radio back to truth for a new generation Alex here with Lorenz Perry before we resume our conversation I want to remind you to please go to our website. Alex McFarland.com.

My schedule is there July 8-10 I'm going to be at the Cove, the Billy Graham training center in western North Carolina to be teaching the book of first Peter, how you can defend the faith, warning apologetics, then our youth campus July 17-22. Our theme this year is unashamed building your biblical worldview and so it's great for middle school high schoolers so much more.

Please keep us in prayer.

I'm on the road and were mentoring young people were doing what we can do to evangelize the lost and equip the saved.

Please check out Alex McFarland.com will Lorenz before the break you were sharing and you said something that I want you to elaborate on you said the, the degree to which we can forgive is really proportional to the degree to which we trust God. I think that is absolutely true. That is absolutely true and you as a pastor is a speaker I've sat down with hundreds of people, maybe thousands, and I've talked with people that have have nursed a pain from decades ago and look people of moved on and forgotten. But but people are eating themselves up on the inside because they've not been able to forgive. And like you said.

I mean we forgetting were not forgetting, because we have a memory but we have chosen not to hold animus and anger talk about how do we trust God more so that we can begin to forgive more thoroughly. Well, it's a difficult subject because it's a big subject, and I'll try to explain it in an the way to work for my life. Most of us try to solve our problems ourselves. And so for example I had a very difficult childhood with abuse of all kinds. So as a little child I decided that I was too visible so starting myself becoming anorexic and invisible was the way I tell the problem how many of you know that that didn't solve the problem.

So then, as a teenager I became angry because that's what teenagers do they have great power in hormones and I decided well I need to be able to beat somebody up so I became a 2nd° black belt because I thought that's all solve the problem and solve the problem. So then, as a young mother and and a wife again in a difficult situation. My life is had led to difficulties I decide all you know my problem is I need to make money because if I had some money I could get away.

You need a bus you need an apartment you need you need avenues so I made a whole bunch of money I worked really hard and thought that would solve my problem.

It didn't solve my problem because the problem was. I still felt unsafe and unfulfilled in the world so what's the answer. The answer is when you open that Bible and you read it at first. It's utterly confusing. What are all these crazy words and especially to get the king to how is this supposed to affect my life. All I could tell to your listeners is is.

Maybe start in the New Testament verse of the Old Testament. If you are a newcomer to the faith. But continue to read the word and ask yourself some questions.

Who is God, what is this sentence tell me about who this God is like, what can a person easy a meanie noisy nice who is this God. So that's one question I would ask as you read, and any other question, and I actually paid this little game with myself as I read my Bible because I read it every day is is this about me and so every sentence that I think applies to me. I put a little L next to it and then you can go back at the end of the year and read everything that is in the Bible. That's about you and you just read it from beginning to back and you read every promise every statement, every advice, every turn of event.

Everything that's been said about you doing those two things really help me understand God, not as a mean father as I had experience with fathers, but as this absolutely benevolent person who's in my corner and wants me to win and he gave me the answers in my kids were so great.

My kids helped a lot. Raising children helps you understand that agape love right, I did not understand it until you know it might my baby smacked me and I looked at Emma Maxwell. That's not acceptable, but yet I still love you right. I love you too.

This is just my free hand. That's not acceptable. So, as parents, you learn how to deal with that I get paid love and that you don't always likes what someone does and I think many times in my life. The Lord was grieved with some of my choices and it saddened him and it grieved him, but it never diminished my his love for me just like my love for my children is never diminished.

Even a late on walls with crayons. So all of those things help me and as I go to little story a high read Bible once I understood the character of God and once I understood that it did pertain to me. There was messages in there for me. Everything changed.

And when my kids came up from Bible school in his Bible means I might know basic instruction before leaving earth. And ever since then, I really took it to heart. You know 80s my driver's manual and when I don't know what to do. I go to the Bible.

I had a friend who was struggling last summer and she was having issues of faith and truly believing that this would pertain to her life and I told her let's let's do a challenge.

You and I will listen to proverb seen on YouTube. Let's listen the Proverbs every day.

The entirety of proverb for 30 days and so we did. It was a great little challenge. And you know what she was dealing with a difficult person and then she Should not rebuke a scoffer or to go party for you.

My problem actually in the Bible and so forgiveness comes from understanding more of the word, and it is a hard book to read because it's not in modern English. Many versions but if you understand that it it is about you.

It's a story about who God is and who you are and how you co-laborer in this universe to make something good happen.

That's beautiful.

Let me just say to everyone listening God loves you no matter what you've done. Jesus will forgive you, no matter what is been done to you, Jesus can heal you and there is a purpose. Lola there. There's up if I can use your nickname. One of the beautiful things that the Christian worldview.

There is purpose and good can come out of all of our circumstances, yes, and I would like to be fully closed, is also mentioned that you know the Bible tells us that when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. He's in us were in him and there's no condemnation for us. That was a hard one for me to wrap my head around because many people who caused the harm in my life are questions but guess what folks, there's no condemnations on them either. And if God can forgive them, then why can I not forgive them. With that little book folks: what does God say about my relationship with him. What does God say when it's in English it's in Spanish.

It's on the web. If we can help you in anyway truths for new generation ministries Alex McFarlane ministries just go to our website. Alex McFarlane.com if we can encourage you in your walking witness for Jesus, please don't hesitate to call. God bless you will reconvene very soon in the meantime, stand strong for Jesus. TMG radio is made possible by the friend of Alex McFarlane evangelistic ministry, PO Box 10231, Greensboro, NC 27404.

That's PO Box 10231, Greensboro, NC 27404 call us at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God, and the number one.

Forgive online@alexmcfarlane.com while you're there, listen to program archives. Read Alex's blog invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment, Alex McFarlane.com. Thanks for listening today and join us again next. For more truth for a new generation on TMG radio