His Grace Magazine

Grace Magazine His

February 2022

Photo by Donna Wood

WOOD

"But He answered and said, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" Ministries

Matthew 4:4

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Table of Contents His Grace Magazine!

February 2022

"But He said, 'More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!'"

Luke 11:28

Comic.................................................................................Page 3

From the Pulpit.................................................................Pages 4-7 Book in Review..................................................................Page 8 Poetry.................................................................................Page 9

Getting to Know Pastor Brad Peters...............................Pages 10-11 Your Health........................................................................Page 12 Entertainment News.........................................................Page 13

World News.......................................................................Pages 14-15 Sports News.......................................................................Page 16 Survey News......................................................................Page 17

Athletes for Christ.............................................................Pages 18-19 Timeless Truths.................................................................Pages 20-21 Recipe.................................................................................Page 22 Prayer.................................................................................Page 23

Bible Study.........................................................................Pages 24-25 Movie in Review................................................................Page 26

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His Grace Magazine!

February 2022

Smells really good up here!

I hope they like what you're cooking!!

They told me this was the pool!

They should,they both like meat!!

Let me out of here!

Isaiah 55:2

“Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.”

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His Grace Magazine!

February 2022

The Word of God!

is Truth and should never be Mocked or Changed, EVER! Owner/Publisher: Rob Wood

A

s I was sitting in our office last week wondering what I should write in this month's From the Pulpit, I felt the Lord saying to me, 'Write about My Word and how it is the Truth and how everyone should follow My Word; write about the Bible and how it is the book everyone should read and follow all that I have in there, for it is My Will for your life.'

So let me ask you some questions ... Do you read the Bible?

Do you believe in the Bible? Do you believe that the Bible is God's Will for your life? Do you believe that His Word is Truth? I know these are a lot of questions, but let's just think about them for a few minutes; think about

meditating on God's word every day. It will change your life and build you into a better Christian and give you a better relationship with God. I remember when I was a kid, I was excited when my show came on TV; it came on Sunday mornings. I can't remember what the show was, but I know that I was excited.

Well, this one Sunday, I couldn't find the show; every station had church shows on.

Back then, I believe it was a church in Kitchener, Ontario. I was so disappointed that they were on instead of my show.

When mom asked me if I found the show, I said, "No mom, but there is so much darn church stuff on, I want to scream." Well, let me tell you, that did not go over very well with my mom. I was told that you should never put down church

or anything to do with God, then I was sent to my room for awhile to contemplate what I had just said. The more I sat there, the more I felt sorry for what I had said. Not just because I was sent to my room, but because of the consequences from what I had said.

But how many of us say awful things about God or say and do awful things with the Bible everyday and think nothing of it? I came across a story about Thomas Jefferson that I didn't know. He was the 3rd President of the United States of America.

Thomas Jefferson was known to people as an inventor and someone who liked to tinker with things.

But he tinkered with something that he should not have touched, and millions of people hold this to be sacred to them.

You see, President Thomas Jefferson

would painstakingly go through his Bible and with a pair of scissors, cut out all the scripture that he didn't like. Then the aging President created a New Testament of his own, a Bible that no Christian would recognize. Jefferson's Bible focused on Jesus, but not His miracles. He took out all the major things, such as the resurrection, the ascension to heaven, the miracle of turning water into wine, where He walked on the water and so much more. President Jefferson instead, focused on Jesus as a man of morals, a teacher where His truths were revealed without showing any of His miracles or all the supernatural powers of God. President Jefferson, who made this 84page Bible for his own private use, managed to keep it a secret for years.

February 2022

He lived out his life doubting any religion and near the end of his life, prepared what is now known as the Jefferson Bible. This Bible includes no signs of Jesus' divinity.

President Jefferson had edited out all of the biblical scripture that he considered a little over the top or the ones that offended him. He left behind a vision of his Bible that he thought matched his own strained relationship with Christianity.

One reason why President Jefferson's Bible was kept a secret was that he thought that a person's religion should be between them and their gods.

President Jefferson wrote in 1813, "Religion is a matter between every man and his maker, in which no other, and far less the public, has a right to intermeddle."

How sad, really, that anyone would do that to the Bible, knowing what the Bible says about changing the Word of God, and yet here I read and wrote a News article on

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The Word of God!

China who began to write a new version of the Holy Bible in 2019, where they are deleting key points on what Jesus had done and making Him out to be a sinner, changing scripture to where He stoned the woman to death and said that He too, was a sinner.

This is very dangerous territory to be in. For one thing, the Bible states at the end of Revelation 22:18-19, "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

Do you read your Bible? If so, how often? Reading your Bible is one of the most important things you can do every day.

We need to know His Word inside and out,

because if we don't, that makes us easy prey for the devil to come in and start messing with us. Before you know it, you will be falling into sin.

When do you read your Bible? Whenever you feel like it? When you have time? Or is it just sitting there collecting dust? I pray that you read your Bible every day. One thing you can do is what Donna and I do every morning: We read five Psalms and one Proverb; then every night, we follow a guide that helps us to read the Bible from cover to cover in one year. You can just read the Bible on your own as well...By reading your Bible just 15 minutes daily, you will read the whole Bible in a year, or you can read 30 minutes a day and finish it in six months. Either way, I challenge you to do this every year; yes, that is right...every year. Start reading your Bible with Genesis 1 on January 1st and finish your Bible on December 31st with Revelation

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22, then start all over again. You see, when you continue reading every year, you come across things that you didn't see the previous year. This is because it is a living Book, unlike any other book, and I find when you are going through something in your life at that time, that is what you will see in the Bible to help you through.

Also, reading your Bible will help you grow in understanding God's word, get to know Jesus personally and develop a relationship with Him. The Bible can't save your soul, but only by having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ you're saved. He is the only way that you can be saved.

The Bible also tells us how we can go to heaven; you can't get to heaven by being good or by being baptized. There is only one way and that is through a relationship with Jesus Christ; there is no other way, and Jesus said this Himself in the book of

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John 14:6:"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" Also, with this scripture, God's Word shows us just how much God loves us.

John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Just remember that the more we read our Bibles and the more we pray, the closer we will come to Jesus, because we then have that connection, that relationship we need to have for Him to work in our lives and to have Him listen to our prayers, because unless we have a relationship with Him, He won't hear our prayers. John 9:31 says, "Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him."

Do you believe that the Bible is God's Will for your life? It truly

His Grace Magazine!

February 2022

The Word of God! is; you see, God's Will for your life is living your life according to His Word. We are to change the way we live to become more like Jesus everyday.

That is called bearing fruit; it may take time to change, but if you look back to the way you were, and how you are now, you should see a change.

You should see fruit in your life. The fruits are in Galatians 5:2223: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Against such there is no law."

God's will for our lives is to obey His living Word, and it is impossible to live in His Word if we are not reading our Bibles. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

The Bible is God's word that He gives to us as 2 Timothy 3:16 says: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable

for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness."

There are also so many questions that have been asked and God has answered them for us in His scriptures. Some of these questions are: 'What is the purpose of my life? Where did I come from? Is there life after death? How do I get to Heaven?

Why is there so much evil in this world? Why is it such a struggle to be good?' These are all questions that are commonly asked and the Bible does answer them; all we have to do is read and study it and all the answers are there.

The Bible also gives really good practical advice in areas such as: 'What should I look for in a spouse?

How can we have a great marriage?

How can I become a good friend? How can I become a good parent? How can I change my life?'

We should read our Bibles because God does not change and His Word does not

change at all; it is as relevant for us today as it was when it was first written and will be for all the days in the future to come.

While technology changes every day, when we read the pages of biblical history, we discover that whether we are reading about oneon-one relationships or everyday life of characters in the Bible, nothing really is new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, "That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun."

And while mankind still continues to seek love and satisfaction in all the wrong places, God, our good and loving Creator, tells us what brings everlasting joy.

The Bible is so important to us that Jesus said in Matthew 4:4: "But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

February 2022

We should read our Bible and study it because of all the false teachers out there now. The Bible provides us with the Word so we can distinguish the truth from false teachings.

The Bible tells us who God is and what He is like. This is so important because so many people out there today think that He is only love and anything goes, which is so false. He is love, but He cannot and will not tolerate sin of any kind. He is holy, righteous, a judge and so much more. To have the wrong impression of God is no better than worshiping something that God is not, and then this becomes nothing but an idol or a false god. A lot of churches out there today are no better then a rock concert.

Now I'm not saying that you should not sing; singing is part of the worship and it can be so beautiful. What I'm saying is that a lot of people are just going to church to hear the music. They play

His Grace Magazine!

The Word of God!

their band on stage for most of the service, then when the Pastor comes up to give his sermon, it's only a feel good sermon, nothing that will really make you think all week.

Their church is only a Rock Concert. When there is no substance to the sermon, it leaves people empty, NO MANNA, and eventually the people walk away from the church and from Christ.

Do you believe the Bible is Truth? Now this is where so many people I talk to just don't believe. You see, God is absolute Truth, He cannot lie. The Word is Truth; the Word is Jesus Christ, as John 1:1 says: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." And John 1:14 says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we behold His glory, the glory as of the only begontten of the Father, full of grace and truth." The Word is Jesus Christ and He came down to be with us, so we

can go up to spend eternity with Him. The Bible is fun to study, all the books from Abraham to Joseph to King David and of course, Jesus Christ. We can apply it to our lives. The Bible is God's Word, and it is binding just as the laws of nature are. We could ignore and disbelieve it if we choose to, but no matter how you much you don't believe in the Bible, it doesn't make it any less real.

I have had people come up to me and say, "So you read the Bible?" I say to them, "Yes I do." They say, "Well I have too, but

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it doesn't do anything for me; my life didn't change at all." So I would ask them, "Well, how often do you read your Bible?

Their response would be, "I only read it here and there, because I really don't have the time to read it anymore than that."

So I say to them, "No wonder things are not working in your life!"

If you don't apply the Bible to your life, don't blame God for the way things are going for you. All your answers are in the Bible, everything we need to live our lives on earth and to be more like Christ.

WOOD Ministries Publisher/Sales/Graphic Designer/Writer: Rob Wood wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com

Editor/Writer: Donna Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com

Writer: Lynne Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com

Owned and published by Rob Wood of Wood Ministries.

Contact us @ 905-380-4489, or email us at wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com

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February 2022

Where do we go from Here?

How Tomorrow's Prophecies Foreshadow today's Problems

Book by: Dr. David Jeremiah Written by: Lynne Wood

W

here do we go from here? That is a very good question; it's the title of Dr. David Jeremiah's book. He said he has never written a prophecy book like this one, and I would have to agree. This book is so interesting and informative. If you like anything to do with prophecy, you will enjoy reading this book.

There are ten chapters, each one pertains to things that are actually happening today and halfway through each chapter he talks about where we go from here with what the Bible tells us.

In chapter one, he talks about a cultural prophecy - Socialism.

It's hard to believe that in 2020, 40 percent of Americans view socialism as good and 47 percent of millennials feel the same way; hard to understand why.

Venezuela was the wealthiest nation in South America, then oil prices crashed in the 1980's and again in the 1990's. In 1998, they elected Hugo Chavez as their President. Once in power, he started to use the same rules as the Soviet Union, China and Cuba and he turned the country to socialism.

Eventually, the government owns everything. Today, people are fleeing in record numbers trying to get into the United States. Now socialist views are being talked about in the United States. Where do we go from here: We must

remain true to the truth. Resolve to follow Christ, not just admire Him. Jesus said, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." (John 15:19). So to keep going when talk of socialism seems to be increasing, we have to decide to give everything we are and have to God because He is in control of our lives, not the government.

We must also remember that if a government tries to make us give up our biblical beliefs, then it is our responsibility to speak up.

In this book, he also talks about the falling away; many Christians are leaving their faith and falling away from Jesus. So many pastors, musicians and ordinary people are turning their backs on Jesus for something different.

The Bible mentions this: "Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let now one deceive you by any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition." (2 Thess.

2:1-3). As children of God, we shouldn't worry when we see certain things happening in our world today. These things must happen before Christ returns. When we follow Jesus, we must walk in the light, as we know where we are going, He has prepared the way.

Jesus will return and bring us to live with Him forever.

"And behold, I am coming quickly and my reward is with Me, to give everyone according to his work. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."

(Revelation 22:12-13).

February 2022

His Grace Magazine!

Spiritual Healing

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Whether it be a relationship, A loved one or our life, The thought of loss hits us Like a double-edged knife.

We become disillusioned; Thinking we're in control Of the course that life takes, The way we think it should go.

As days flow into nights, And winter into spring, The love of God embraces us; On His promises we cling.

With hearts open to challenges, We see and experience love; Through living, we relate to dying; Our clouds of struggle dissolve.

God fills us with peace and clarity That only He can give; Through pain comes deep healing; Not by sight, but by faith, we live.

(James 5:15) “And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

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February 2022

Pastor Brad Peters

"A Likely Story"

met Brad in 2002 as we both worked for a daily newspaper called the 'Niagara Falls Review.' I worked in the pre-press department, and Brad was an editor.

Where did you start your career? Brad grew up in Orono, Ontario, went to school in Oshawa, Ontario and when he graduated from journalism school, he moved to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan for his journalism internship.

In 1996, Brad landed his first job as a journalist, but once he and His wife, Michelle, were ready to start a family, they moved back to Cornwall, Ontario to be close to their families. In 2002, he started working at 'The Review' in Niagara Falls and worked there until 2011. During that time, He became an interim part time pastor at a church in Niagara Falls.

Why did you move to Peterborough? When Brad began working at 'The Review,' his daughter was only 2 years old and his son was just over 6 months old.

In August of 2017, at his last year pastoring in Niagara Falls, Brad was getting the sense that the Lord was preparing him to move. But he didn’t know how to mention it to his wife, Michelle. A friend of his mentioned to him that a church in Peterborough was looking for a pastor and that his friend thought that Brad would be a good fit for that position and he suggested that

Brad contact this Peterborough church. When Brad mentioned it to Michelle, she started laughing because she was getting the same vibes from the Lord. So once the posting came up, Brad called the

church and their first meeting was online. They connected right away, and it was the easiest move because the Lord’s hand was in it.

When they moved, his daughter was just going into grade 12; his son into grade 10, but neither one of them wanted to move. However, they moved at the end of July. It was a pretty miserable summer for the kids, but after about three weeks in school, they started to

love it. They began to flourish, earned scholarships and made new friends. It was the best move for everybody. Both kids are now at Trent University in Peterborough getting their undergrad to become teachers.

Brad’s church in Peterborough is primarily an older church, but they are beginning to see a bit of a turnaround. It helped to make an awareness of foundational stories. Brad states, “We can’t take anything for granted… build from the basics. God has built it in such a way that when we go back to the basics, growth happens.

Healthy things grow. The church is a living thing, but the reason why it isn’t growing is because it isn’t healthy enough because we don’t know the stories. We let weird agendas into our theology and we’ve deviated from our first true love. We make the same mistakes over and over. We just need to let God be God and let Him shepherd us. And let’s recognize that Scripture was not written to us specifically, but they were written for us. We need to be still and listen, because God still speaks.”

Tell us about your book? The book, “A Likely Story,” came out the first week of November, 2021. “The reality is, when I was a kid, everybody had a church connection. I was raised Catholic, up to my high school time. But now we are about 5 generations

February 2022

away from the church. We are not in the Christendom church any longer, but we are still influenced by it. So these foundational things are still there, but not everybody knows the back story to how the first generation of naturally born people could go so wrong so quickly. There’s a lot of stuff in the Bible and so much importance in these stories; they are relevant and they resonate still.

So we need to reintroduce these biblical life lessons to people who don’t have a solid biblical knowledge.

Every family has family issues, so what does the Bible say about this? We live in the most egocentric era of history ever… we share the most mundane things, because we’ve all bought into this thing that we’re the star of the show, that it’s all about us! But this is just not ever been the way it’s been modeled.

So where do we look for an example of that? Moses was the focal point and out-in-front man, but Aaron, his brother, was fundamental in everything that happened. So how did Aaron deal with that?”

Brad challenges his congregation fairly regularly with the parable of the talents, where, ”We are given so much, and what did we do with it? Did you take the talent that I gave you and bury it, did you use it for TikTok? Or porn? Did you

His Grace Magazine!

Pastor Brad Peters

make much of it? What is your return on your investment? It’s the spiritual gifts and evangelism technologies that we have. We will be called to respond to our Master when we are called home, to answer, “What did we do with our talent?”

Available on Amazon at amazon.ca Kindle Edition $5.99, Paperback $10.00

While Brad was still in seminary, he pledged that he wasn’t going to preach anything that he didn’t need to hear. He still writes a faith column, but he was moved one day when he thought that he had been given the platform to write, but what was he doing with it? He needed to use this opportunity to take advantage of it. “We never know what the Spirit will use to trigger someone some day, and maybe some day, someone will think differently about the gospel.”

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So frequently when he’s delivering a sermon, someone will come up to him and say that the message was meant for them.

The Spirit knows what a certain person needs to hear, and he’s hoping that the same thing will happen with the book, especially with the importance of the cross. The last chapter, 'Love Wins,' focuses on our Lord’s death and resurrection as the greatest love story ever told, and he hopes it speaks to someone who needs to hear that message. God has given him this opportunity and he will use it. And someone on the other side of the planet may be moved by something that the Spirit had him write; that is our God and that is phenomenal!

“The book ends with the great commission; Jesus doesn’t ask us to go to the ends of the earth, preaching, teaching and baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit; He commands us to do those things. We need to recognize this sense of engagement and we need to equip people to do this. “A Likely Story” helps people to get acquainted with the stories in the Bible so we can all share the deeper truth. The book is grounded in the Word and each chapter ends with a prayer. So many generations are unchurched and because of this, many people don’t know how to pray. If we can take these stories in Scripture and see how they apply to our own lives, we can all learn to pray.”

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His Grace Magazine!

February 2022

Food Obsession

Foods with Sugar and Flour are addictive ~ How we can break free from those foods?

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reaking that cycle of never ending food addictions can seem so difficult and at times overwhelming to any of us, although one doctor says it's avoiding certain kinds of foods that is the key and we have that power in us to stop the obsession.

Dr. Susan Pierce Thompson, founder and CEO of Bright Line Eating, said people who suffer from obesity and poor eating habits are risking their health.

She said, "Obesity rates keep skyrocketing, but of course with COVID among us, obesity is an independent risk factor for serious outcomes and even death from COVID. So, just in the last couple of years, the risks of obesity have become even more extreme."

Dr. Susan Thompson then explained that she even suffers from such food addictions and falls into depression, and this despite having such success in college and in her career. She said, "For me, the excess eating and the

weight gain definitely went along with depression, low mood, excess sleeping and feeling really sluggish.

When I finally adopted the solution that I reach people with now, and changed my eating habits, all that melted away. The depression melted away and my energy skyrocketed. It was really the eating that was keeping me down."

Dr. Thompson also said, "Food addiction is a manageable addiction in the sense that we can still succeed in our careers. I was using food to manage the stress of the success I was having in life, the stress of the

responsibilities.

With the acceleration of food use, I was able to succeed in life and just keep using that food as a crutch. That was sort of the bafflement that I had, was why can I be successful in so many areas of my life, but not tackle this weight problem, and it's because of addiction."

Dr. Susan Thompson also indicated that the need of specific foods is an important element in the cycle of addiction. She said, "We are really talking about processed foods. I like to alert people to sugar and flour. Because it's really foods made of

sugar and flour, those highly refined, highly processed foods, that if you think about it, they are made in the same way that heroin and cocaine are made.

You just take an inner essence of a plant, refine and purify it into a fine powder and that's where you get the drug." Dr. Susan Thompson then added, "Food also is addictive is the sense that even eating is addictive. One of the reasons it's the hardest is that it's both a substance addiction and a process addiction and we can get addicted to the process of eating."

The thing is, a lot of people know what foods are not good for them and to avoid them; the issue is applying these healthy habits.

Dr. Susan Thompson said, "The issue is applying it in our real lives, execution over the long term. Especially on Friday night, when we want to have beer, pizza, and wings with our friends. That's when our willpower is going to break down."

February 2022

His Grace Magazine!

Nathaniel Buzolic

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A star of the movie 'Hacksaw Ridge' fearlessly shared the Gospel of Jesus: He came to Save

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he star of the movie, "Hacksaw Ridge," Nathaniel Buzolic has publicly shared the Gospel recently in his Instagram post: Seeking Jesus, the healings of the Bible and how important it is to be "transformed on the inside by the Word of God." Nathaniel posted a picture of the Sea of Galilee and added a question about the book of Mark, why Jesus had instructed the people He healed not to tell anyone that He had healed them.

Nathaniel said, "Jesus didn't want people to proclaim Him as the healer, simply because this wasn't Jesus' primary purpose for His visitation among men." Nathaniel pointed out that Jesus had told us that He came to spread the Truth and to Save. He said, "The more famous Jesus became for

healing, the less people wanted to hear about the actual Good News of the Kingdom of God that Jesus had come to

would remember that Jesus came for the "renewal of the mind, to be transformed on the inside by the Word

proclaim."

Nathaniel continued saying that God loves to heal and said that of all the examples of healing that Jesus did, he prayed that fans

of God so that His people would trust Him, despite our current circumstances, trials or tribulations. This world has many illnesses, but the greatest of these is a

sickness of the heart to be hardened towards the one true God." Nathaniel continued with the Gospel message by saying that the truth will set people free.

He highlighted the significance of believing in the true oneness of Jesus as God, and that when people fail to realize this, then they will "die in their sins."

Nathaniel said, "Jesus came into this world to save sinners. We have set our hope on Him." Nathaniel's Twitter profile is loaded with biblical content, proclamations and material to get people thinking in the right direction.

This is a great way to use your social media, whether it's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Tik Tok. Start sharing the Gospel today to help engage people's minds towards God.

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His Grace Magazine!

February 2022

Financing Cut Off!

President Biden has cut off Western Financing and Condemns Putin's invasion of Ukraine

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resident Biden's administration is calling Valadimir Putin's for entering into areas of Eastern Ukraine, beginning an invasion and is answering with severe sanctions put against Russian banks, businessmen and lawmakers. President Biden said, "He bizarrely asserted that these regions are no longer part of Ukraine and their sovereign territory. To put it simply, Russia just announced that it is carving out a big chunk of Ukraine."

George Thomas with CBN is in the region and he is reporting that those provinces are now having a heavy escalation of fighting. "Now that Russia has rolled its tanks into parts of Donbas region, attacks against Ukrainian postions have been spiking. Since Monday's invasion, there have been more than 5,000 ceasefire violations, the overwhelming majoirty of them committed

by Russian forces.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is calling up some 250,000 reservists, as new satellite images show Moscow deploying more troops to Belarus and western Russian."

It was the Russian lawmakers who gave approval to Putin's request to use military force on the outside of

Russia in the Ukraine.

United States' reply from President Biden was, "We've cut off Russia's government from western financing. It can no longer raise money from the West."

Sen. James Lankford (Rep. OK) was recently on the Jay Skulow show and he said what the sanctions will mean to

the Kremlin. He said, "Russia has a smaller GDP (Gross Domestic Product) than the state of Texas has. They're basically a gas station that's selling oil and natural gas to Europe and to Asia and whoever wants to buy it. If we cut that off, Russia's economy collapses, and Putin faces real consequences."

The European Union has also imposed sanctions with Germany freezing a major new Russian natural gas pipeline called the Nord Stream 2.

The United States has also sent 800 extra soldiers, along with fighter jets and helicopters are being relocated in areas to help NATO members in the Baltic states.

The sanctions that have been put onto Russia are going to have an impact here as well.

Gas prices have already jumped 20 percent over last month's prices and if Russia's taps are shut down, those prices could jump even higher.

February 2022

His Grace Magazine!

China's changing Bible?

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China has been rewriting the Holy Bible, they are calling Jesus a 'Sinner' and much more

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hina's Communist Party is on a mission to start rewriting the Holy Bible through a communist lens. Their mission has reportedly created astonishing twisting of scripture and the Gospel truth.

Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), who is a persecution watchdog serving all Christians around the world, said the Chinese government has had an ongoing effort to rework the Bible.

"This is a project that the Chinese Communist Party announced in 2019. At the time, they said it would be about a 10 year process, to release a new translation of the Bible, noting it would include Confucian and Buddhist principles, among others. This new translation would really support the Communist Party."

Todd Nettleton talks about all the shocking Bible translations that they have done as well as the wider religious freedom issues that are going on in China.

The VOM has shared a reworked version of the Bible. One of the changes to the Bible is the popular story that focuses on Jesus and His love and compassion with the woman that was caught in the sin of adultery. The VOM said, "The Chinese Communist Party announced plans to update the Bible to 'keep pace with the times.' The revisions will include adding 'core socialist values' and removing passages that do not reflect communist beliefs. In a textbook for high school students released in September 2020, the authors included a passage from John 8, as revised in their new version."

Now before we look at the revised communist version of the Bible, let's look at John 8 as it is written in the original Bible.

As a popular forgiveness story, the Pharisees had brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They then challenged Jesus, saying, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. What do you say?" Now the Bible observes that the Jewish leaders were trying to trap Jesus so they could accuse Him. But Jesus just started to write on the ground with His finger.

John 8:7 says, "So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."

The Chinese has a different version for their bible, that is totally anti Bible.

The Chinese bible says, "When everyone went out, Jesus stoned the woman himself, and said, 'I am a sinner.'"

One thing that is shocking to Todd Nettleton is that they are directly attacking Jesus' divinity in their bible. He said, "In one sense, it's just like so arrogant to think, 'I'm going to rewrite the story of Jesus...but then you think about denying the deity of Christ. If Jesus is a sinner, then He's not God." He also said, "The issue for the Chinese Communist Party is control. It is always about control. And they see the Christian message as something that would take control away from the communist party."

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His Grace Magazine!

February 2022

The Kupps Glorify Jesus

After winning the Super Bowl, the Kupps have Prayed to have a chance to Glorify Jesus

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nna Marie Kupp, is the wife of Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, has put their Christian faith up front for all to see the week before the Super Bowl as the couple hugged on the field after the Rams beat the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC Championship game at SoFi Stadium.

Anna Marie said, "This moment, these moments!!!

Thanking God for every one of them. We have prayed for a season to glorify our Savior Jesus Christ and you are doing just that my lovey @ copperkupp.

SURREAL!!"

Anna wrote on her Instagram bio, describing herself as a "Child of the King.

Football Wifey."

Before the playoffs started, Cooper had become the fourth player in NFL history to become a triple crown winner with 145 receptions, 1,947 receiving yards,

and 16 receiving touchdowns, which were all lead in the NFL by wide receivers. Cooper has also helped his team with outstanding catches and touchdowns to win all their playoff games, sending them to the Super Bowl.

Cooper had said that if it wasn't for his wife, Anna, he is pretty sure he wouldn't be playing right now in the NFL. Cooper and Anna, who met in high school, have depended on each other and their Christian faith since Cooper began his football career. Cooper said, "We just were so aligned in terms of what our goals were and what

we wanted to do moving forward and what we wanted to be about as a couple, and the belief that football was the community, the place that I was supposed to be, that we were supposed to be, and that's where God placed us."

While the Kupps went to Eastern Washington University, Anna worked at a restaurant, which helped pay their expenses as they went through college. Cooper had become really tired from working at his job and trying to play his best at football. Anna said," I supported us monetarily through college. I was working full time so that

he didn't have to worry about that so he could focus."

Cooper shows his appreciation for Anna for pushing him to work really hard.

He said, "Without a doubt, there's no doubt in my mind, not only would I not be here where I am today without her or accomplishing the things that I would be doing, I really believe I may not be in this, I may not be in the NFL if it wasn't for her and what she has imspired in me and pushed me to do."

Cooper and the Los Angeles Rams won the Super Bowl by beating the Cinncinnati Bengles 23-20. It has been truly a magical season for Cooper. He won the Triple Crown; he also won the Super Bowl MVP. Jerry Rice is the only Wide Reciever in the NFL history to win all of those awards in his carreer, but Cooper did all of that in a single season.

February 2022

His Grace Magazine!

Why is prayer declining?

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Less than half of Christian Americans pray daily, and some say they just don't pray at all

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ore and more Christians are not praying. This is another disturbing trend that is starting to raise its ugly head as some Christians seem to be moving further from God everyday.

The latest survey reveals that less than half of adult Americans still pray daily as many church members are continuing to drop, as the unaffiliated religious churches are increasing, says Pew Research Centre, who published this study.

The data from the National Public Opinion Reference Survey that was conducted by Pew Research Centre, found that 45% of United States adults had said they pray daily in contrast to 58% that prayed in 2007 and 55% of Christians that prayed in 2014.

There are some Christians, 32% of them, that say they very seldom or never pray at all. This is very close to the 29% of United States adults that call themselves the

religious "nones." They are people that describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or people that don't believe in anything at all.

These religious "nones" are actually now 6% higher than they were five years ago. This shows that it's a growing movement of secularism.

Christians are still the largest group in the United States, but they now only make up a combined 63% of the adult population. When Pew Research Center started keeping track of religious groups back in 2007, Christians had outnumbered the

"nones" at a percentage of 78% to 16%.

This study said that there's a steady reduction in the number of Christians in the United States; the numbers have fallen by 10% in the past decade and in the past five years it fell by 4%.

There has been a drop in the Catholic Church as well. It fell between 2007 and 2014 by 21% of the adult population, but that number still is the same today.

There were some Catholic churches that fell even further as just 35% attended on a monthly basis.

Political scientists,

David E. Campbell and Geoffrey C. Layman, both of the University of Notre Dame and John C. Green, who is from the University of Akron, wrote a book this year called, Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics. It shows the joining of politics and religion, between conservatives that created a powerful religious right that had led some people to leave their Christian faith and join the secular ranks.

But whatever the reasoning for not praying as much as Christians used to, this needs to change. Not only does God want us to pray to Him, but we need that connection with Him; it is our lifeline with Him. It is what helps us keep the loving relationship with Him going strong.

So I plead with all Christians today to not only pick up you Bibles and read them, but to also start praying more, on your own and with your families; strengthen your prayer lives now, before it's too late.

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His Grace Magazine!

February 2022

Prince Amukamara

From Super Bowl Champion to a Faithful Christian

P

Prince Amukamara with the Chicago Bears from 2017-2019

rince Kelechi Amukamara was born on June 6, 1989, in Leominster, Massachusetts. He recently retired from football, a former Super Bowl Champion with the New York Giants in 2012, as they beat the New England Patriots by a score of 21-17.

Prince played the position of cornerback.

He was drafted in the first round in 2011 by the New York Giants of the NFL draft; he was picked out of the University of Nebraska. He was picked unanimously to the first team All American in 2010 and with the Big 12 Defensive Player twice in 2009, 2010 of the Year Awards.

It was Prince's rookie year of 2011 when his dream came true; he won the Super Bowl in his first season in the NFL. Unfortunately, injuries hampered Prince's first two seasons with the New York Giants, but when Prince was healthy, he became the starting cornerback

during his third season in the league. Prince battled leg injuries; this is a common injury in football.

It was a recurring problem for Prince during his entire career.

After Prince spent five years with the New York Giants, he decided to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016 as a highly sought after free agent cornerback. In Jacksonville, he was the starting nickelback on a strong tough defense.

During the 2017 season, Prince decided to sign with the Chicago Bears, where he spent the next three seasons from 2017 to 2019. With the Chicago Bears, Prince had his best three seasons. This included an interception on Russell Wilson on Monday Night Football.

During the 2018 season, he was given the 9th highest grade of any cornerback that season from Pro Football Focus. Unfortunately, the NFL being a business like any other sport, Prince was victim of the salary cap after the 2019 season.

Prince would spend the next two seasons with three other teams. In 2020, he played for the Las Vegas Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals, before finishing his football career with the New Orleans Saints in 2021.

His career NFL statistics are: 477 total tackles, 6 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 80 pass deflections, 10 interceptions and 1 defensive touchdown.

February 2022

His Grace Magazine!

Prince Amukamara

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Prince was married to Pilar Davis in 2014. Prince is a Christian; he stays away from alcohol. Prince has talked about his faith; he says, "My faith is my life. It makes up everything about me. Christ is the most important part of my life. The feeling of winning the Super Bowl went away pretty quickly. I don't think about it much unless people remind me, but to be a Christian, that's a daily thing and that's what I think about the most."

Prince is an ambassador for Up2Us Sports; it is a national non-profit organization that is dedicated to supporting underserved youths; they provide them with coaches trained in positive youth development.

Prince is a part of the Chicago Bears' tradition of the "Home Team Hand Off" program. It's where Chicago players can purchase some season tickets and donate them to a charity of their own choice. Prince decided to donate to "The Other's Program."

Prince Amukamara of the New York Giants from 2011-2015

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February 2022

Take 5!

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Whatever Happened to a Day of Rest?

s it just me, or does it feel like time is speeding up? I mean, there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to do everything that needs to get done anymore. Take my own life, for example; for five days a week, I get up early, go to work, come home around 6 p.m. and fix dinner, then clean away from dinner. If I'm lucky, I'll do the treadmill for 30 minutes, then get ready for bed, unwind in my recliner with a cuppa tea and watch Bible Discovery or Robert Jeffress for an hour. Then off to bed I go, only to do it all over again the next day!

If you're a part of the 9 to 5 working class, then your story is probably similar to mine; maybe there's a few kids thrown into the equation, which makes it even more challenging, but it always seems to be a juggling act. We live in a fast paced world, getting caught up in work, society, families, and even social media.

So how do we take our busy schedules and

make it work for us, so that by the end of the week we still have a little fuel left in our tank?

Well, have you ever

taking a day of rest: 1.

To improve relationships - Quality relationships are vital to life. Time is needed

thought about slowing down and taking a day of rest? A day of rest is important for the mind, body and soul. It could be the one thing that can keep you going, not just longer, but more effectively! In Hebrew, Sabbath means "to rest from labor." Today, it is impossible to function properly and excel without adequate rest.

Mark 2:27-28 says, "Jesus said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

So, here are a few reasons why we should consider

to enhance these relationships. A rest day allows for family gatherings, chats with neighbors and friends, and time to get to know new people. Time is a key factor to having better relationships.

Without it, relationships suffer. John 13:34 says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."

2. Better physical health - Taking better care of our bodies is paramount to living a quality life. Our bodies are God's temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, "Do you not know that

your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own."

A day of rest gives our bodies a chance to heal from physical stress, injury and disease. It's a great opportunity to catch up on sleep, spend some alone time meditating, and reading. 3 John 1:2 says, "Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul."

3. Mental rejuvenation - We tend to suffer from burn-out from time to time, which takes a toll on our mental health and can lead to severe stress.

We absolutely need a mental break from life's daily grind. It improves overall well-being to leave you feeling more positive and ready to tackle what's ahead.

A rest day attacks mental exhaustion, anxiety and stress.

By taking a break from regular activities, it gives you time to focus on spiritual things which helps combat mental

His Grace Magazine!

February 2022

fatigue.

Psalm 42:11 says, "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." 4.

Increase in productivity God wants us to prosper in what we do for a living.

Whether it's a stay-athome mom, a surgeon, or a bus driver, a day of rest will boost our positivity level and allow us to refocus and prioritize - Distractions causes us to lose focus of the important things and forget about what really matters in life.

5. It's God's 4th commandment Exodus 20:8-10 says, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant

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Take 5! or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you."

The Sabbath in the Bible is Saturday, the seventh day of the week, from Friday evening at sunset until Saturday evening at sunset. In the New Testament, Jesus observed the Sabbath and never suggested a change to Sunday. But He did reject a strict legalistic interpretation of the Old Testament commandment.

However, the very first Christians, who came from among the Jews, worshiped as Jews and observed the Sabbath.

But because Jesus arose from the dead on the first day of the week (Sunday), those early Christians called it the "Lord's Day" and also regularly met for their Christian worship on Sunday (Acts 20:7) (1 Corinthians 16:2).

About 49 A.D., Paul, Peter, James and other church leaders met at the

"Council of Jerusalem" and decided, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that it was not necessary for Christians to observe the Sabbath rules and other aspects of Jewish Law. In the early centuries of Christianity, all the Christian communities of the world were under control of the Roman Empire.

Constantine was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. In 321 A.D., he proclaimed Sunday a legal day of rest and ordered all people to rest on that day instead of Saturday. By this time, the Christian Church had lost contact with its Jewish roots, and hostility had built up between the Christians and the Jewish people; so much so that the Christians were expelled from the synagogues.

In about 363 A.D., a regional Church council in Asia Minor, the Council of Laodicea,

“So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.”

(Colossians 2:16)

declared that Christians must not rest on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, and honor the Lord's Day (Sunday).

God knows what's best for His created beings.

He commands us to rest by ceasing from work and regular weekly activates. Sabbath was designed to help us grow spiritually. Most Christians today follow the tradition of holding worship services on Sunday, but some believe that Saturday truly is the proper day of rest.

Christ accomplished everything we need to be justified before God. We are freed from the restrictions of the law through faith in Christ.

We are members of a new creation that isn't impeded by food laws, Sabbath day rules or the keeping of set feasts days.

We are to live as Christ lived and to love as He loved, for love is the fulfillment of the law.

WOOD Ministries Written by: Donna Wood Photo by: Stock

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His Grace Magazine!

Salmon Patties

February 2022

• 2 cans Salmon • 2 Eggs • 2 green Onions • 1/2 c Panko bread crumbs • 1/2 c Parmesan Cheese • 1 tsp Dill Weed •1/2 tsp Cilantro • Juice from 1/2 Lime • 4 tbsp oil • Drain salmon, combine with eggs, onions, bread crumbs, cheese, spices and lime juice • Form into 8 patties using hands • Heat skillet, add oil • Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown • Flip and cook until other side golden brown

Luke 11:11

"Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?."

February 2022

His Grace Magazine!

Freedom

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Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your plan of salvation Which paid the full price for my sins And the sins of the whole world.

Thank You that I am no longer Under the curse of the law but have become Part of a new creation in Christ.

Help me to live as Christ lived, And to love as Christ loved And to do only those things That are pleasing in Your sight.

In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law.”

Galatians 5:1

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I

His Grace Magazine!

Proverbs 9:10

February 2022

'Fearing God - An Attitude of Reverence'

n the book of Proverbs, King Solomon is giving wise advice to his son. He implores his son to seek godly wisdom, the same way one would search for riches or gold.

Through Solomon's search for fulfillment in his life, he discovered that all things are 'vanity' (Ecclesiastes 1:2). In his search for pleasure and fulfillment in the wrong places, he determined that life doesn't consist of how wealthy you are, how popular you are, the things you own, or the things you may accomplish in life. He learned that striving for the things this world has to offer is like striving after the wind.

The apostle Paul, in Ephesians 5:16, exhorts Christians to put off foolishness because of the state of the world we live in: "Look carefully how you live; not as unwise, but wise; make the best use of time, because the days are evil."

Jesus also depicted the world to be a foolish place, but He imparts true light and wisdom

to those who seek Him. Foolish people do not consider the truth of God and the light of Christ, and they lose their soul because of it. Proverbs 27:22 says, "Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain; yet his folly will not depart from him."

The more we become immersed in the uncompromised Word of

of wisdom: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Due to sin, we all lack wisdom and only those who acquire a fear of the Lord can obtain wisdom.

Sometimes we think we're smart enough to handle all the curveballs that life throws at us. We need truth and wisdom to figure out how to deal

God, the more we come to a knowledge of the Holy One and the greater we discover the enormity of His plans and purposes for those who love Him. Jesus knows all truth and will reveal the truth to those who ask Him. To know Jesus our Lord is to know God Himself, for they are One. Proverbs 1:7 shows us the necessity

with these experiences in a fallen world. So we seek wisdom, but more often than not, it isn't from God. There is so much in this world that passes for wisdom, but it isn't godly wisdom.

Worldly wisdom is a man-centered view of the world. Worldly wisdom would ask, "How can I make the most money so that I can live a

comfortable life? Godly wisdom asks, "How can I make money so that I can give generously and live sacrificially to further the gospel of Christ, yet still provide for my family according to scripture?"

God requires us to be separated from any secular world view to a godly purpose and mindset.

During Job's trials, he asked his friends, "But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?"

Job says that such wisdom cannot be bought with money, nor is it found in the land of the living.

It needs to be sought through diligent study of God's Word, because God alone has the wisdom we need and He implores us to pray for it. In order to grow in wisdom, we need to pray and ask God to increase it in us. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Wisdom helps us know the right direction, bringing with it peace and joy. Only godly wisdom

His Grace Magazine!

February 2022

and understanding will provide the fulfillment in life we all seek.

The fear of the Lord is a powerful concept and it will empower us to a different way of life. It is best understood as an attitude of reverence.

It is important to know who God really is, a God of love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, patience, justice, holiness and righteousness. He is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. Having knowledge of the Holy One gives us insight, and remembering God's

Proverbs 9:10 attributes helps us to understand that this world is corrupt, but realizing at the same time that God is in control throughout.

Wisdom starts with a God's-eye view of the world. When we see the world through God's eyes, we realize how very limited our understanding is - even our wisest moments are like foolishness to God. Psalm 147:5 says, "Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite."

Since our understanding is limited

"But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil."

Proverbs 1:33

and God's is infinite, we must adopt the perspective that He reaches us in His Word.

So where is wisdom to be found? Through the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of God, we may know the truth of our existence as well as the ultimate meaning of life. It is found in Christ, revealed by the Word, received by faith, through the Holy Spirit. Wisdom teaches and encourages sinners to fear the Lord and to depart from evil.

Wisdom inspires us to worship God and to love

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Him as our Heavenly Father. His love leads us to know and do what is right and good in specific circumstances.

When we learn to perceive the world through God's eyes, we avoid idolatry by not giving attention or value to things that are not of God. We learn to walk in God's will and God's ways, which are the pathway of life.

Proverbs 9:10: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

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February 2022

American Underdog

“Some dreams become reality”

T

he movie, American Underdog, is a faith based football drama that is inspiring and is about the loved and extremely revered quarterback, Kurt Warner, his wife Brenda and stepchildren.

American Underdog is heartbreaking at times. It shows a lot of problems in life that Kurt went through. It has very strong Christian faith and values.

As for the plot of this

movie, it is the Erwin brother's best movie, hands down.

American Underdog starts off with a young Kurt Warner watching a football game and saying to himself that he wants to be one of the good football players, like some of the famous quarterbacks on TV. Young Kurt is practicing in his backyard, trying to be that great football player

that he dreams of being.

Once Kurt went to the University of Northern Idaho, he joined the University football team and he was noticed as a talented quarterback, but he doesn't trust his front linemen and he stays in the pocket and this just makes his coach mad.

On one of the nights out, his friend ends up taking him to a cowboy bar where there is line dancing. Kurt sees a woman named Brenda and is immediately stricken by her. Kurt then asks his friend to teach him on how to line dance.

When Kurt actually dances with Brenda, it is immediately clear that they are made for each other. While they were both in the parking lot, Brenda tells Kurt that a relationship wouldn't work between them because she is divorced with a couple of children.

As Kurt is approaching his graduation, his goal is to be drafted by one of the NFL teams. He then receives a call from the Green Bay Packers, but he only lasted one day before he was cut.

Brenda's Christian dad asked Kurt if he would

marry his daughter and provide for her, so Kurt decided to get a job at a grocery store, stocking shelves. Now he is depressed about his career and being cut

by Green Bay and not playing football.

Then the man who started Arena Football asked him to be a quarterback for Iowa.

Kurt said that Arena Football is a circus. The man replied that people like circuses. He then leaves Kurt a lot of money.

Kurt, after a long cold winter and no money to heat the house, loses hope. At that point, he decides to join the Arena Football League. Kurt quickly finds out that it is a different type of football. He learns that he has to move fast and pass even faster; he finds the fans hard as they mock him. After awhile, the St. Louis Rams gives Kurt a call. The offensive coach thinks that Kurt is too old to play quarterback, but the head coach started playing after 14 years, and believes in Kurt.

Can Kurt make it as the quarterback of the St. Louis Rams? Will Kurt and Brenda get married?

February 2022

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And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:25

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February 2022

G GOD O D IS

PLEASE SHARE GOD'S LOVE