Abe and Zack
Value: The Story of Abraham and Israel
Note: The following is a modern rendition of when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Keep that in mind as you read it because it will seem somewhat odd to your listeners and you should be prepared to explain it to them if they get confused during the telling. JM
Abe and his only son Zack loved to camp and fish and hunt. They usually set aside a couple fall or early winter days for the outing. This time, they were out just a week before Thanksgiving. Usually when they hunted, they didn’t care if they shot a bird or just took pictures of one. But they brought guns because there were bears and large cats in this area of the country.
The first night, Zack hit his sleeping bag early and Abe was enjoying a quite fire in the cool of the evening when he felt God speaking to him.
“God?” Abe said to the inner voice that was guiding him with very specific instructions. “I am listening.” He whispered.
“Take Zack to the top of the mountain tomorrow.” He felt the spirit was saying. “There you will use your gun you will offer him to me to be the special kill that will be used to honor the Lord your God this Thanksgiving Day.”
What an odd instruction. How could God ask him to kill his own son, a son that God gave him after many prayers and one that God had promised to make into a mighty servant of the kingdom of God? Should he argue with God? No. Somehow, despite a very confused mind, he knew that obedience was the right thing to do.
In the morning, they broke camp and Abe told Zack about his prayer time. “God wants us to go to the top of the mountain where we will kill a very special prize to be used for our Thanksgiving meal this year.” Said Abe.
“God said that Dad?” Zack said skeptically. But Zack trusted God and trusted his dad with everything so finally he said. “Ok, if that what God wants, that is what we will do.”
They hiked along quietly with Zack in the lead. As Abe cradled his gun, he knew it would be so hard to turn his gun on his son who he loved more than even his own life. Finally, they got to the top of the mountain and Zack crossed the clearing. “Ok Pop, did God have any specifics about where this special prize was or what it would be? Is it a turkey or a boar or something else? You know mom doesn’t like surprises.” Then Zack turned back toward his dad and froze. There directly opposite was Abe holding his rifle to his face and pointing it directly at him.
Still Zack did not believe that his dad was going to kill him. His mind raced. Abe loved him more than any human in the world and Zack knew that God loved him too and had a wonderful future for him. So why was his dad pointing that gun at him? “Uh dad? Is the kill behind me because you know, I don’t mind ducking.”
“God will provide the kill.” Abe said solemnly and he brought back the hammer of the gun. Zack’s head was directly in his sights. As he began to squeeze the trigger, a powerful anointing from inside his heart surged up from his spirit.
“To the left!” the Holy Spirit said and without a moment’s hesitation, Abe turned the gun to the left and fired. The recoil of the gun knocked the old man down. He was afraid to get up but he knew God was in control. When he sat up, there stood Zack with a huge turkey in his arms killed with one precision shot from Abe’s rifle.
“That was some shot dad. I didn’t even see you aim. For a minute I thought that gun was pointed at me and I was all, you know dad, I can clean my room better, no need to get so dramatic but they you fired and….” Zack's happy voice continued on but Abe just bowed his head and thanked God for honoring his obedience. Zack did go on to a great career, a ministry that brought salvation to many. In their old age, Abe finally told his wife about the hunting trip. Before she could get upset he told her the lesson he had finally come to from that amazing outing.
“God honored my obedience and the obedience of Zack. Since then I have walked with God as a friend. But friendship with God is always grounded in obedience.” He said.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
A Swear Word in Heaven
A Swear Word in Heaven
Value: Foul Language is bad.
In heaven, running and playing was what all the children are supposed to do. Ever since Jesus came and got them, Georgie and his family were blissfully happy in heaven. And for Georgie, there was so many things to see and do and you never had to be afraid or come in after dark or worry about getting hurt or bad people because you can’t be hurt or get sick or meet any bad people in heave because heaven is full of people that love Jesus just like he did. So if he ran screaming in joy through the streets, nobody complained and in fact, the angels and Jesus himself might run into the street and play kickball with him. That is just the kind of place heaven is.
One day Georgie was trying to figure out how old he was. Since there is no getting older or days or months in heaven, he might be a bazillion years old for all he knew. He never worried about it but he was playing with little diamonds that he collected from the streets and using them to count. That’s when he saw it. It was not like anything he had ever seen in heaven. It was very small, maybe a foot high and wide. It didn’t have a head, no wait, in fact, it only had a head. It was just one little round hairy ball in the middle, with ears on the side, no arms, two very thin and scrawny crow like legs sticking out and these two HUGE feet, bigger than ducks feet which is picked up and flopped down with a PLOP PLOP PLOP as it walked down the middle of the street in heaven.
“What is that thing?” Georgie’s sister asked and Georgie sure didn’t know. Just then, his daddy stepped behind the children and pulled them back.
“It’s a swear word.” He said solemnly.
“A swear word?” Georgie said puzzled. “In heaven? How can that be, how did it get in here?”
PLOP PLOP PLOP the swear word in heaven just kept plodding along making slow and stead progress. Behind him, his footprints were green and yucky and smelled bad. Every so often, it stopped and shook and suddenly a big belch of fowl brown smoke oozed out of it and everyone on the street just went “Ewwwwwww”.
All of God’s people were very unhappy about the swear word in heaven and that was bad because nobody was ever supposed to be unhappy in heaven. Everybody knew that nobody knew what to do about it. Georgie ran to the one who always made him feel better. He ran to Jesus. Jesus was sitting on a park bench teaching about 30 people about what it was really like the day he gave his life for their sins so they could be in heaven when Georgie ran up and sat right at his feet. It was ok. In heaven, you can hug God anytime you need a hug. He likes it. But as Georgie was holding Jesus by the ankles, they all heard it.
PLOP PLOP PLOP. The swear word in heave was coming. They heard it before they smelled it but when they smelled it, they remembered why swear word always were so yucky. It rounded the corner and one plop after the other walked up to about five feet in front of Jesus and it stopped.
“Do you know who I am?” The swear word said to Jesus.
“Yes, you are a swear word. I know all about you. I have cleaned you up before.” Jesus answered.
“Well here I am in heaven. And I am going to ruin it for everyone.” It said with a nasty laugh.
“No you won’t. I know that because I know why you are a swear word and not a praise word.” Jesus said with a soft sternness in his voice.
“Nobody knows that. If they did, nobody would let a swear word in heaven, in their houses or anywhere where people are.” The swear word said with a small billow of that awful smoke oozing up.
“There is a door in your tummy, open it.” Jesus commanded and Georgie looked closely. Sure enough, there was a tiny door in the middle of his fat round body, which was really all there was to him, with tiny little hinges and a handle with no lock. Slowly the swear word, raised his huge foot so it flipped the handle and the door swung open. A gasp went through the people of God at what they saw. They saw nothing. The swear word in heave was empty inside. “That’s why you swear isn’t it? Because you are empty inside and you want people to think you are something so instead of blessing them and loving them, you are a swear word which only pushes people away.”
“So what?” The swear word said defiantly. “Nobody can fix my emptiness.” A gasp went up because everybody knew that everybody knew who could fix the emptiness inside of an empty soul. Jesus smiled and from his eyes came that glow that became a light beam of pure love that poured from his divine heart, out his eyes, passed Georgie who stuck his finger in it, just for a little sample and then it poured into the open door of the heart of that empty place in the creature. Just like that the swear word in heaven burst with light that drove all the awful smoke from the air. The hole inside him filled to overflowing with the sweet water of life that every occupant of heaven drank of every single day.
“What happened?” It said with a confused but joyful song in its voice. “What am I now?”
“You are no longer a swear word in heaven.” Jesus pronounced. “You are now a praise word in heaven and here is your family. Rushing down the hills were not three, not seven, not thirty-eight but millions, no zillions, no bazillions of happy glowing praise words that overran heaven every single day. They rushed to their new brother and hugged him with their feet and giggled and the song of praise words that went up carried all of heaven into a concert of praise that lasted for centuries. Georgie watched the joyful celebration of a saved praise word, he still hugged Jesus’ feet and together they watched the happy thing make its way to its new home in heaven where it will never be alone, never lonely, never bored and always full of happiness, joy and fun because in heaven, a praise word is always loved by everyone.
“He will be all right now Georgie,” Jesus told him.
“I know Jesus but one thing I can’t help but notice.” Georgie answered.
“What’s that?”
“It still has awfully big feet.” Georgie answered, and then he ran off to laugh and play some more.
Value: Foul Language is bad.
In heaven, running and playing was what all the children are supposed to do. Ever since Jesus came and got them, Georgie and his family were blissfully happy in heaven. And for Georgie, there was so many things to see and do and you never had to be afraid or come in after dark or worry about getting hurt or bad people because you can’t be hurt or get sick or meet any bad people in heave because heaven is full of people that love Jesus just like he did. So if he ran screaming in joy through the streets, nobody complained and in fact, the angels and Jesus himself might run into the street and play kickball with him. That is just the kind of place heaven is.
One day Georgie was trying to figure out how old he was. Since there is no getting older or days or months in heaven, he might be a bazillion years old for all he knew. He never worried about it but he was playing with little diamonds that he collected from the streets and using them to count. That’s when he saw it. It was not like anything he had ever seen in heaven. It was very small, maybe a foot high and wide. It didn’t have a head, no wait, in fact, it only had a head. It was just one little round hairy ball in the middle, with ears on the side, no arms, two very thin and scrawny crow like legs sticking out and these two HUGE feet, bigger than ducks feet which is picked up and flopped down with a PLOP PLOP PLOP as it walked down the middle of the street in heaven.
“What is that thing?” Georgie’s sister asked and Georgie sure didn’t know. Just then, his daddy stepped behind the children and pulled them back.
“It’s a swear word.” He said solemnly.
“A swear word?” Georgie said puzzled. “In heaven? How can that be, how did it get in here?”
PLOP PLOP PLOP the swear word in heaven just kept plodding along making slow and stead progress. Behind him, his footprints were green and yucky and smelled bad. Every so often, it stopped and shook and suddenly a big belch of fowl brown smoke oozed out of it and everyone on the street just went “Ewwwwwww”.
All of God’s people were very unhappy about the swear word in heaven and that was bad because nobody was ever supposed to be unhappy in heaven. Everybody knew that nobody knew what to do about it. Georgie ran to the one who always made him feel better. He ran to Jesus. Jesus was sitting on a park bench teaching about 30 people about what it was really like the day he gave his life for their sins so they could be in heaven when Georgie ran up and sat right at his feet. It was ok. In heaven, you can hug God anytime you need a hug. He likes it. But as Georgie was holding Jesus by the ankles, they all heard it.
PLOP PLOP PLOP. The swear word in heave was coming. They heard it before they smelled it but when they smelled it, they remembered why swear word always were so yucky. It rounded the corner and one plop after the other walked up to about five feet in front of Jesus and it stopped.
“Do you know who I am?” The swear word said to Jesus.
“Yes, you are a swear word. I know all about you. I have cleaned you up before.” Jesus answered.
“Well here I am in heaven. And I am going to ruin it for everyone.” It said with a nasty laugh.
“No you won’t. I know that because I know why you are a swear word and not a praise word.” Jesus said with a soft sternness in his voice.
“Nobody knows that. If they did, nobody would let a swear word in heaven, in their houses or anywhere where people are.” The swear word said with a small billow of that awful smoke oozing up.
“There is a door in your tummy, open it.” Jesus commanded and Georgie looked closely. Sure enough, there was a tiny door in the middle of his fat round body, which was really all there was to him, with tiny little hinges and a handle with no lock. Slowly the swear word, raised his huge foot so it flipped the handle and the door swung open. A gasp went through the people of God at what they saw. They saw nothing. The swear word in heave was empty inside. “That’s why you swear isn’t it? Because you are empty inside and you want people to think you are something so instead of blessing them and loving them, you are a swear word which only pushes people away.”
“So what?” The swear word said defiantly. “Nobody can fix my emptiness.” A gasp went up because everybody knew that everybody knew who could fix the emptiness inside of an empty soul. Jesus smiled and from his eyes came that glow that became a light beam of pure love that poured from his divine heart, out his eyes, passed Georgie who stuck his finger in it, just for a little sample and then it poured into the open door of the heart of that empty place in the creature. Just like that the swear word in heaven burst with light that drove all the awful smoke from the air. The hole inside him filled to overflowing with the sweet water of life that every occupant of heaven drank of every single day.
“What happened?” It said with a confused but joyful song in its voice. “What am I now?”
“You are no longer a swear word in heaven.” Jesus pronounced. “You are now a praise word in heaven and here is your family. Rushing down the hills were not three, not seven, not thirty-eight but millions, no zillions, no bazillions of happy glowing praise words that overran heaven every single day. They rushed to their new brother and hugged him with their feet and giggled and the song of praise words that went up carried all of heaven into a concert of praise that lasted for centuries. Georgie watched the joyful celebration of a saved praise word, he still hugged Jesus’ feet and together they watched the happy thing make its way to its new home in heaven where it will never be alone, never lonely, never bored and always full of happiness, joy and fun because in heaven, a praise word is always loved by everyone.
“He will be all right now Georgie,” Jesus told him.
“I know Jesus but one thing I can’t help but notice.” Georgie answered.
“What’s that?”
“It still has awfully big feet.” Georgie answered, and then he ran off to laugh and play some more.
A Bad Dream
A Bad Dream
Value: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
“DAD how dare you look in my diary?” Max screamed at his father in fury. Chuck was red with anger at his little boy for what he read in that diary.
“How dare you lie to me? You said you would never smoke a cigarette and right here in this diary, you confess you have. Your promises are no good to me now Max!” Chuck yelled at his young son.
“Well my privacy is ruined. How I can ever trust you again!” Max said crying.
“Me? Its you who lied and I can never trust you again. I wish I never had a son.” Chuck said and right away he was sorry he said that. Max burst into tears and ran out the door to go down the block to his friends house to hide. Chuck slammed his hand down on the counter and hurt it. He hated fighting with his son. Parents hate it when their children are mad at them. It hurts them way down inside but sometimes they are proud and don’t know how to make things are ok.
“That kid drives me crazy.” Chuck fumed thinking of what he read in that diary. “Let him go. I will just take a nap.” And with that Chuck laid down on his sofa and went soundly to sleep.
Chuck woke up suddenly and looked around. It wasn’t his bedroom but some other place. He was on a flat white stone sleeping and there was no furniture and everything was dark all around him.
“Fluffy, where are you fluffy?” Chuck heard a familiar sound.
“Grandpa?” Chuck said as the elderly man walked past him looking for his dog. He said curious of how this could be considering Chuck’s grandfather went to be with Jesus long ago.
“Why hello little Chucky, are you ok?”
“Yes Grandpa, just didn’t expect to see you. Where are we?”
“Well I am in heaven. I am looking for our dog Fluffy. You remember Fluffy? You loved him so much. Well he is here now and he still likes to run away. Where are you Fluffy! Say, I am not sure why you are here. Is something wrong Chucky?”
“Well I sort of had a fight with Max and I guess that is on my mind. Oh yeah, Max is my son, your great grandson. He looks a lot like you Grandpa.”
“Aww, well I am sure he is a spark plug like you and your dad were growing up. Listen, the only regret I have from my life is that I went to heaven with some people who had not forgiven me. You probably don’t know this that when I died, I was not speaking to your mother, my daughter. It was something silly now that I look back on it but I wish I had apologized and got past it so I could have hugged her before….”
“ARF ARF.”
“Oh there you are Fluffy. Gotta run now. I have to get Fluffy home. Grandma is waiting supper on us.” Chuck’s grandfather said and then he was gone. Chuck didn’t know exactly what to make of it when he looked up and a large powerful man walked past him as he sat on the slab. The man walked like he had someplace important to go and did not look to the right or left.
“Dad?” Chuck said with amazement. The big man stopped in his tracks and looked at Chuck curiously.
“Son? Is that you? What are you doing here? Wait a minute. Are you asleep?” The big man asked.
“Well no Dad. Well, ummm, yes, I think so.” Chuck confessed.
“I thought so.” Chuck’s deceased father said with his big barrel laugh. “Ok spill it, what did you do wrong. When you were a kid, you always took a nap when you had done something wrong.”
“Well, it’s Max. He and I had a fight. I read his diary which was wrong but found out he lied to me which made me really mad and now I can’t forgive him.” Chuck told his father, the one guy he could always talk to.
“Chuck do you think you have ever been forgiven?” His Dad asked.
“Well, by you maybe, a few times.”
“Try 10,316 times Chuck. But that’s not what I mean. Who forgave you of everything and made it possible for you to go to heaven?”
Chuck thought for a moment and then he remembered his Sunday school classes when he was a child. “JESUS. That’s it isn’t it? He died on the cross so I could be forgiven.” Chuck said with excitement for getting the right answer.
“That’s right Chuck. God forgave us all of lots worse things than Max has done. And if He was willing to give his life for our forgiveness. It’s the least you can do to forgive Max, ask his forgiveness too. Do it now son, before it’s too late.” And with that Chuck’s dad stood and began to fade out.
“Wait dad, I wanted to ask you about how to build a shed.”
“No time now son. I have to go. Have you seen your Grandpa? He just stepped out to walk Fluffy.” And he was gone.
Suddenly Chuck woke up with a start. He realized he was home now but the visits from his ancestors had not been for nothing. Suddenly he heard the door to the house open. “Max is that you?”
Max entered the room looking very sad and staring down. Chuck stood up and put his hands on his shoulders and just said, “I’m sorry.” To stop themselves from crying (which men don’t like to do), Chuck and Max hugged and Chuck knew he would never let some little issue come between him and his son again.
Value: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
“DAD how dare you look in my diary?” Max screamed at his father in fury. Chuck was red with anger at his little boy for what he read in that diary.
“How dare you lie to me? You said you would never smoke a cigarette and right here in this diary, you confess you have. Your promises are no good to me now Max!” Chuck yelled at his young son.
“Well my privacy is ruined. How I can ever trust you again!” Max said crying.
“Me? Its you who lied and I can never trust you again. I wish I never had a son.” Chuck said and right away he was sorry he said that. Max burst into tears and ran out the door to go down the block to his friends house to hide. Chuck slammed his hand down on the counter and hurt it. He hated fighting with his son. Parents hate it when their children are mad at them. It hurts them way down inside but sometimes they are proud and don’t know how to make things are ok.
“That kid drives me crazy.” Chuck fumed thinking of what he read in that diary. “Let him go. I will just take a nap.” And with that Chuck laid down on his sofa and went soundly to sleep.
Chuck woke up suddenly and looked around. It wasn’t his bedroom but some other place. He was on a flat white stone sleeping and there was no furniture and everything was dark all around him.
“Fluffy, where are you fluffy?” Chuck heard a familiar sound.
“Grandpa?” Chuck said as the elderly man walked past him looking for his dog. He said curious of how this could be considering Chuck’s grandfather went to be with Jesus long ago.
“Why hello little Chucky, are you ok?”
“Yes Grandpa, just didn’t expect to see you. Where are we?”
“Well I am in heaven. I am looking for our dog Fluffy. You remember Fluffy? You loved him so much. Well he is here now and he still likes to run away. Where are you Fluffy! Say, I am not sure why you are here. Is something wrong Chucky?”
“Well I sort of had a fight with Max and I guess that is on my mind. Oh yeah, Max is my son, your great grandson. He looks a lot like you Grandpa.”
“Aww, well I am sure he is a spark plug like you and your dad were growing up. Listen, the only regret I have from my life is that I went to heaven with some people who had not forgiven me. You probably don’t know this that when I died, I was not speaking to your mother, my daughter. It was something silly now that I look back on it but I wish I had apologized and got past it so I could have hugged her before….”
“ARF ARF.”
“Oh there you are Fluffy. Gotta run now. I have to get Fluffy home. Grandma is waiting supper on us.” Chuck’s grandfather said and then he was gone. Chuck didn’t know exactly what to make of it when he looked up and a large powerful man walked past him as he sat on the slab. The man walked like he had someplace important to go and did not look to the right or left.
“Dad?” Chuck said with amazement. The big man stopped in his tracks and looked at Chuck curiously.
“Son? Is that you? What are you doing here? Wait a minute. Are you asleep?” The big man asked.
“Well no Dad. Well, ummm, yes, I think so.” Chuck confessed.
“I thought so.” Chuck’s deceased father said with his big barrel laugh. “Ok spill it, what did you do wrong. When you were a kid, you always took a nap when you had done something wrong.”
“Well, it’s Max. He and I had a fight. I read his diary which was wrong but found out he lied to me which made me really mad and now I can’t forgive him.” Chuck told his father, the one guy he could always talk to.
“Chuck do you think you have ever been forgiven?” His Dad asked.
“Well, by you maybe, a few times.”
“Try 10,316 times Chuck. But that’s not what I mean. Who forgave you of everything and made it possible for you to go to heaven?”
Chuck thought for a moment and then he remembered his Sunday school classes when he was a child. “JESUS. That’s it isn’t it? He died on the cross so I could be forgiven.” Chuck said with excitement for getting the right answer.
“That’s right Chuck. God forgave us all of lots worse things than Max has done. And if He was willing to give his life for our forgiveness. It’s the least you can do to forgive Max, ask his forgiveness too. Do it now son, before it’s too late.” And with that Chuck’s dad stood and began to fade out.
“Wait dad, I wanted to ask you about how to build a shed.”
“No time now son. I have to go. Have you seen your Grandpa? He just stepped out to walk Fluffy.” And he was gone.
Suddenly Chuck woke up with a start. He realized he was home now but the visits from his ancestors had not been for nothing. Suddenly he heard the door to the house open. “Max is that you?”
Max entered the room looking very sad and staring down. Chuck stood up and put his hands on his shoulders and just said, “I’m sorry.” To stop themselves from crying (which men don’t like to do), Chuck and Max hugged and Chuck knew he would never let some little issue come between him and his son again.
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