In The Footsteps Of A Sculptor

By Frank Schwarz

There are times when our faith is tested and we find ourselves blaming God for the misfortunes.

How do you find your faith after losing it through trials?

This story will lead you through the whole magnitude of God's truth and equip you with renewed faith!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798889432197

Book preview

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In The Footsteps Of A Sculptor

Frank Schwarz

ISBN 979-8-88943-218-0 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88943-219-7 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Frank Schwarz

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Preface

Is There Life after Death?

Why Would God Create Good and Evil?

Part 1

Part 2

The Challenge

Part 1

The Test First Book of John the Apostle

The Beginning of My Story

Painful Memories

The Struggle Has Begun

The Storm

Part 1

The Devastation

The Sermon

The Lecture

Question Your Faith

The Facts

The Commitment

Being Deceived

Who Is There Left to Be Blamed?

Facts That Speak Millions of Words

The Stranger

A Word of Hope in Times of Despair

Who Is This Stranger?

The Introduction

Testing of Faith

A Gentle Touch of the Heart

The Testing of a Child's Heart

The Realm of the Unseen

The Aftermath

Be or Not to Be?

Unforgettable Moments

The Word Has Begun

Do Not Let Your Left Hand Know What Your Right Hand Does

The Life Lesson

The Envelope

The Pain-Related Truth

Until Finding Forgiveness, You Must Accept the Truth

The Truth Will Set You Free

Let No One Disqualify You

Struck to the Inner Core

Epilogue

About the Author

In memory of my father, Raimond Paul Schwarz; my mother, Edith Phan Hayntrechx; my friend in memory, Ronnie Lucas Merrimack.

To the ones who have left a mark of gratitude, love, and hope in a world that could not be imagined without them.

As to my daughter, Isabella Rai Schwarz, and my wife, Nancy Stella Correa, I will always treasure the love and support you both have given me throughout my difficult years.

To a friend, with love and gratitude, who stood on my side.

To brother and marine, who has never left me standing on the battlefield unless my wounds were dressed and taken care of. Thanks, with gratitude, to former marine Damion Campbell.

To my sister, who has played the role of a protector and mom in a life I could not imagine without her. To my love and sister Claudia Ingeburg Schwarz.

Preface

Sculptures are hewn out of a rock and carefully examined by the skillful mind of the artist. The artist is the creator, the master planner. He is artistic and plans to capture and fashion the image of an icon that captures and preserves impressions and characteristics for millenniums. You are that icon, created and fashioned in the image of the master planner.

God's passion and love are present inside and around you. He chiseled you with his skillful hands until you were formed and shaped, and then he polished you with the breath of his mouth until you captured his design of perfection.

He displayed you before the foundations of the world existed. You are his priceless possession. He has given you a title before all celestial beings. Not even the beauty of constellations and planets could measure the blueprint of your existence. This title was not given to the protector of heaven and earth. It was given to you. You are priests and kings in the world of the master planner. You alone carry the marks of the creator on your earthly garment.

I wrote this story in dedication to the men and women who have lost their faith and hope in trials, heartaches, sicknesses, or misfortune. Maybe you have lost sons or daughters through tragic accidents, or the retaliation of wars has claimed the lives of your loved ones. Perhaps you are facing health challenges that cannot be cured, and death has become a reality in your life or the lives of your loved ones.

I know that death and heartaches are marking stones that cannot be ignored. It is not just for the poor or the wealthy. It is for all of us. It is just a matter of when, where, or how.

Is There Life after Death?

Maybe we are afraid of the unknown. When we face the irrevocable death sentence, are we willing to give up the things we love the most?

Do you worry about your children or your marital partner?

Maybe your wealth has clouded your mind and you exchanged hands with a family member who is not worthy to receive such a gift. Remember, life is a cycle that is hidden in the realm of the unknown and unseen hand of the master planner.

Many men and women have lost their lives and purpose in the search to find a cure to escape or outwit death that leads to the unknown world of immortality.

Maybe it is in the medical field to prolong life or search for different religions that promise you immortality.

The truth is that the hourglass has been set in motion on the day you were born.

No religion or noble price holder in medicine can stop the cycle of life and death.

The truth and the most reliable fact is that we all are exchange students in the hands of the master planner. The handprint of God's invisible hand deals with you a life in a world of birth and death. We tamper and foolishly play with the designed existence of God's creation.

Scholars and professors have carefully examined thousands of books to determine how the building blocks of human existence, through the mind and spirit, were carefully put together by a force that cannot be explained.

The human mind comprises two elements: good or evil, happiness or unhappiness, blessing or curse, wealth or poverty, and health or sickness.

To keep the balance of creation in this cycle of life as we know it, there must be a balance between good and evil.

That's why the creator of life has imputed these two elements on his creation. The human mind must be charged like a battery: plus and minus. These two circuits cannot exist without each other.

Why Would God Create Good and Evil?

Part 1

The book of Isaiah is very clear about these two components. God formed the light and created darkness. He makes peace and creates calamity (Isaiah 45:7). God's sovereign plan is to redeem the captivity of man's existence in a fallen world to restore all things unto him once more. This extensive question is highly regarded in the minds of intellectuals that have become victims of circumstances throughout their lives. Their hearts have become hardened. They have not outgrown their egocentric mindset. Their egotism will constantly thwart their chances for a lasting relationship with God.

Man is not able to remove God's rod and call for justice. We must acknowledge that as mere men, we have no right to call on God, declare our innocence, or be content with God over his innocence. We believe that we have been wrongfully accused. You believe that your suffering is not deserved due to the extent of your sins. Maybe you have not been able to identify any unconfessed or unrepented sins. Your response is determined in a time of despair to acknowledge your spiritual integrity and serve and obey God with a pure heart and love. In times of testing, God will not cast away the blameless. Remember, trials will produce strengths and faith in days to come.

Part 2

God is not self-seeking or self-serving, nor is he boastful. These three characters are not like the master planner. Remember, God is love. The sad truth is that not everybody knows how to love. How would you know the meaning of unconditional love if everybody loved unconditionally? How would you know God is merciful, kind, and just in everything he does if everybody has these characteristics? God has imputed both good and evil. He gave you free will to operate in his love and goodness.

The Challenge

Part 1

I challenge you to think outside the box about your situation.

We all scramble around the same situation. It is in the palm of your hand. You might think or say, What situation? The situation is called death. We all are going to a place of rest or torment. It is just a matter of when, where, or how.

To Christians, death is called rebirth or, if you like, a new form of life. Brother Paul called it the resurrection of the dead. As believers, we hope to be reconciled unto Christ through our faith in his resurrection and the finished work of the cross to transform mortality into immortality.

I'm sad and troubled in my spirit to announce and proclaim that the promise of the resurrection is not promised to the outsiders who do not share our inheritance and faith in Christ.

I hope my story will enlighten you in your journey of hope and faith in Christ, the Father.

Remember, you are not alone in this crossover business. Many people are small and tall, sharing the same traits and features, just like you and me.

Maybe bad news from your loved ones or your doctor has left you in despair, and you rethink the faith you once shared with many.

Maybe you are old and alone in your own situation, and you hang on to a couple more days on this earth. Whatever your situation might be, remember you are not alone. You have been sealed with the promise of life after death through your faith and right standing with the Lord. Therefore, do not be foolish, but remember that when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible; anything that becomes visible is light. Thus it says, Awake or sleeper and arise from the dead, and Jeshua Hammashiak / Jesus Christ will shine on you (Ephesians 5:14).

Reconsider or use the gift you have received. Your spiritual concern is the grafted tool God has given you to outwit the scams and devices of Satan's lies and deceptions. His plan is for you to lose hope and the promises the Lord has made through his new blood covenant.

You must seek knowledge in times of despair; many people have been destroyed because of a lack of knowledge. Remember, all scriptures are given and approved by God, to ague by you to be victorious on this earthly journey.

I know He is the resurrection and life through all the trials and hardships I have experienced in this life. Whoever believes in him shall never die but have everlasting life.

This sounds too good to be true.

Maybe it sounds foolish to a depraved mind, but for me, it is life unto the resurrection. Because we are fools for Christ, we know that our redeemer lives and shall stand at the latter days upon the earth after my body is destroyed; yet in my flesh, I shall see him (God) for what he is (Job 19:25–26).

If you are not sure if you are saved, maybe you are afraid of the unknown. I recommend you read the epistle of 1 John, the beloved apostle of Christ and the apostle who is testing our right to stand and commit to Christ.

The Test First Book of John the Apostle

It starts in 1:6; 8:10; and 2:4–5, 6–9, 10–11.

He gave us eight life-changing questions or teachings every believer should be aware of. Can you identify yourself, personally, with these questions? Maybe you are not fully grown in your faith; perhaps you are a cloud without rain. You are not a man-pleaser; you must please Christ in all you do. Reconsider your walk with