Value: The Sabbath Day
“God is going to hear you talking about that Tommy and he won’t like it.” Steve told his best friend as they were going to school Monday morning.
“Well I don’t get it. What is Sunday even good for anyway? I don’t get it. We go to church every Sunday but nobody knows why. Maybe it’s just a bunch of goofy rules the church made up so why should we do it anyway?” Tommy said in a snotty way. Tommy really was a good boy. He loved God and his family and all those things but sometimes he just had questions and he wanted someone to tell him the truth. Lots of us are like that.
“Tommy, be careful. If you keep asking those kinds of questions, well God can hear you.” Steve said but Tommy said “fine” and he meant it. He didn’t care if God did hear him. If God wanted to show him why Sunday was important, that would suit Tommy just fine. Tommy thought about it all day at school. As he walked out onto the playground after school, he noticed that all of a sudden, there were not any other kids around.
As he came around the corner to the bicycles racks, he stopped short. He faced the biggest pair of feet he ever saw. They had sandals and they together were so wide, he had to turn his head to see from one toe to the other. Slowly Tommy’s eyes followed up the massive legs to the edge of a huge white robe, on up the big body to a huge beaming face that was all white with a glow like it has a light bulb inside of it. Behind each shoulder, he saw the edges of a huge angel’s wing.
“Hello Tommy, you ready to go?” The angel said with a deep voice that seemed to fill every inch of the air for miles around.
“Who are you?” Tommy asked feeling it was a pretty good question.
“I am Gabriel. I am the chief Angel of God. Are you ready to go find out why there is a Sunday?” Gabriel answered in a kind but firm voice.
“Where are we going?” Tommy wanted to know.
“You will see when we get there.” The angel answered.
“How will we get there?” Tommy continued.
“Well by comet of course. See?” And Gabriel gestured over to the swing sets where he had tied up to the jungle gym a steaming, flaming, very angry comet that didn’t like being tied up and it wanted to go right now.
“Well I……….” Tommy hesitated but he didn’t have time to finish deciding because in a flash he was holding on for dear life. The comet wasn’t tied to the jungle gym any more, it was streaking through space faster than ten rockets with fire and smoke streaming past as Tommy held on to part of the comet and Gabriel’s toe. He suddenly heard himself going “wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee” but then he suddenly heard Gabriel going “wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee” too. Who knew angels go “wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee”?
Suddenly it seemed like the comet wasn’t moving. Tommy couldn’t see anything but could hear a sound like something out of control below. “Where is everything Gabriel?” Tommy asked.
“Everything hasn’t been created yet.” He said, “Listen” and as Tommy listened, a different voice, a booming and yet endlessly loving voice spoke with more authority than his dad and the principle combined when it said…
“LET THERE BE LIGHT!”.
And so much light exploded, it was like a billion light bulbs. Suddenly things were happening everywhere. He kept hearing that loving voice saying “LET THERE BE…” and more and more stuff happened. Below he saw a huge round thing form when he realized it was a planet and that it was his home, the earth. The sky formed up, really, really fast when that voice told it to and then the stars and the sun and then oceans and plants and plants and animals and then……… and then………
Then Tommy saw a little space of dust. And that voice said “LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE…” and like some invisible hands were making a model, a shape of a person formed in the dirt and then it was like a complete person with a face and fingers and everything but made all of dirt. Then a breeze came to it but not a regular breeze, it came from that voice and when that breeze hit the dirt guy, he sat up and he was a person.
Suddenly Tommy understood and he turned to Gabriel’s toe and then looked up and he said, “Gabriel is this why we have Sunday? To remember when God created the world?”
“This is why we have the Sabbath, Tommy.” Gabriel said, “Let me show you why we have a Sunday.” And the comet took off but moved like a super fast elevator and suddenly Tommy was standing on a hill. He held on to Gabriel’s toe still but he wasn’t home or on the comet. He looked up at a huge signpost in the ground. But it wasn’t a signpost. It was a beam of wood and as he followed it up into the air, he saw a man, up on that wood, his arms out and he was stretched on a beam across. A beam that was like, well, like,….
“It’s the cross!” Tommy said gasping at what he was seeing. He turned to Gabriel to try to understand what he was seeing but when he did, Gabriel was gone. He turned back and the cross was gone but he saw the jungle gym and the swings and his bike in the bike rack and there stood Steve looking at him funny.
“Tommy, where have you been? You look terrible.” Steve said helping Tommy get his clothes back on right.
“Never mind that. I know why we have a Sunday now Steve.”
“You do? Why?”
“Because of the Cross. Because Jesus died for us on that day and every Sunday we worship him for it and it is a holy day this week and every week for ever and ever and ever.” Tommy said reverently.
“Wow, that must have been some trip. Where did you go?”
“I can’t explain it now Steve.” Tommy said. “But here is a souvenir and I will tell you later” he said handing Steve something and walking to his bike. Steve looked down and opened his hand puzzled and wondered even more as he picked up the tiny piece of comet chip and put it in his pocket for later.
Value: Lying
Lots of us have imaginary friends. John had one and he talked to him every day. John’s imaginary friend was named Duncan. Since John was an only child, he had lots of time for Duncan. Whenever mom and dad were too busy, he and Duncan made up lots of fun games together. They would play in the yard and turn it into a wonderful forest full of wild imaginary creatures. Sometimes they were spacemen fighting the evil Lord Gnulle and his army of mutants. Duncan and John always won. Other times Duncan would just get in his jammies and watch movies with John and make funny remarks about the adults.
One day John and Duncan were working on a fort in a part of the yard where nobody ever went. Duncan had already talked John into taking scrap wood from building sites near by even though John didn’t really feel ok about it. “Go ahead.” Duncan said. “Look, they have so much wood. They won’t miss a few boards.” John never let himself he had stolen the boards and Duncan said was ok so he took them.
At home, he got busy building the fort. Duncan said it was ok to use John’s daddy’s tools because they both knew that John’s daddy wanted John to learn to use tools so this was a perfect way. Suddenly as he worked, John cut his finger. It was bleeding pretty badly so he ran crying into the house to have mommy fix it. As mommy was putting the band-aid on she asked, “How did you cut your finger John?”
“Don’t tell her it was on your daddy’s saw.” Duncan whispered. “Tell her you cut it stacking firewood.”
“But that’s a lie.” John answered his friend. Mommy didn’t see the chat happening because parents can’t see what happens with your imaginary friend.
“Don’t worry. I have a magic dust and I will throw it on her to turn the lie into the truth.” Duncan whispered.
“I cut it stacking up some of the firewood like you wanted me to do mommy.” John said feeling really guilty inside and just then, he saw Duncan blow the magic dust.
“Well, I am glad you were doing something good sweetie.” Mommy said. “Just try to be more careful next time.”
Wow it had worked. John’s mom really did believe it and when she did, it almost made it true. Well at least until John went back to building his fort and saw the blood on the saw. So he cleaned it up then the lie became the truth. Duncan and John worked all afternoon but as suppertime came close, it looked like rain.
“We better go in and tell mommy what we want for supper.” Duncan recommended. “I want macaroni and cheese.” He cheered which seemed odd to John because imaginary friends don’t eat.
“Ok, we better put daddy’s tools up or I will get caught and be in big trouble.” John told Duncan.
“Oh leave them.” Duncan said. “We will need them tomorrow to finish the fort and this way it won’t take so long getting them out. Anyway, daddy never uses them during the week so we can clean up on Friday.” So John listened to Duncan and left the tools out. He thought about it later when he was watching TV with his parents and it started to rain but it was too late to run out there now and daddy would know for sure. Then, just like Duncan said, they used the tools the next day and everything was fine.
Saturday daddy found the tools. He called John into the garage. “John, did you play with my tools and leave them out?” daddy said holding his favorite saw. “See? It’s rusting. Was it out when it rained that night?”
“Tell him no.” Duncan whispered. “Tell him that he left them out the last time he worked on the fence and that you found them and put them up for him.”
“But that’s a lie!” John objected to his imaginary friend.
“I will use my magic dust to make it the truth like we did before.” Duncan reassured him. So John said what Duncan wanted him to and when he finished the lie, he heard Duncan blow the magic dust. Daddy stared at John like he could see right through him. John even saw daddy’s eyes shift like he could actually see Duncan and John got really scared. If daddy has magic and knows about Duncan, he will be in big trouble.
“Ok John, we will talk about it later.” Daddy said.
“We did it!” Duncan said triumphantly. “The magic dust worked and changed the lie into the truth.” John still felt really bad in his spirit and the play that day was not so fun.
“John lets talk about the tools.” John’s daddy said coming into his bedroom and sitting on the bed. Then he did something John didn’t expect. He picked John up and hugged him and let him sit on his lap. “Now, you have always been an honest boy and you know you can tell me the truth no matter what, don’t you?”
“Yes daddy.” John said feeling himself close to tears. “Daddy, I left the tools out. I lied to you in the garage.” He said sniffling a bit.
“NO DON’T TELL HIM THAT. WHAT ABOUT OUR SECRETS?” Duncan complained loudly but John didn’t listen.
“Who taught you to lie like that?” John’s daddy asked.
“My imaginary friend Duncan.” John said feeling much better getting it out.
“John, remember in the Bible where the serpent convinced Eve to lie? Well that serpent was kind of like Duncan because Eve hid things from those she loved, first her husband and then God. But God can see in our hearts and knows when we lie because nothing is hidden from him. God knows you and Duncan used lies to cover up things.” Daddy said holding John so he felt safe even though he was being corrected.
“Yes daddy I know. I have felt awful about it all day.” John confessed.
“Well, the Bible teaches us not to listen to spirits that make us sin. If Duncan is making you sin then its time he either met the Lord or you got a new imaginary friend. Maybe one that goes to our church.” Daddy said and then he prayed with John and John repented of lying and of listening to a spirit that told him to sin. He hopped down from daddy’s knee and ran out to have a snack with mommy.
“Oh and John?” His daddy said standing up from the bed. “Tell Duncan his magic dust doesn’t work because I could see him blowing it the whole time.” He said and John’s jaw dropped.
“You could see Duncan? And you knew about the dust?” he gasped. “How much can mommies and daddies see?” he gasped.
“You never know John.” Daddy said chuckling. “You just never know.”
Value: Is Idolatry Bad?
Kimberly loved cartoons. It was a pretty big hobby before but when mom and dad let her have a TV in her room, she really started loving cartoons even more. She loved the old ones a lot like Bugs Bunny, The Roadrunner, Popeye and lots of new ones too. Recently the one she liked best was Roscoe Rabbit. On Saturday nights, they play three hours of Roscoe Rabbit in a row. So Kimberly goes to bed early to curl up for a long fun evening of watching cartoons.
As half hour episode after half hour episode drifted by, Kimberly thought she felt herself drifting off to sleep. She really couldn’t tell the difference between sleep and being awake. Suddenly she woke up feeling a strange shaking sound and a high squeaky voice saying, “Kimberley, Kimberley, wake up, we have a long way to go and a lot to do.”
She felt herself come away slowly and suddenly bolting up staring right into that strange face. “Who are you?” she shouted although she recognized him right away.
“Well, I’m Roscoe Rabbit of course, come on, we have to travel three dozen galaxies to get to Moonblind where you will live forever”
“What do you mean forever?” But before she could get an answer, his white gloved hand closed on hers and they shot out in space like two Fourth of July rockets out into the cosmos and past the sun. Kimberly felt herself changed into just a blur of cartoon steam as she rocketed past stars and planets and comets sometimes doing squiggly patterns and loop-de-loops in space and then THUNK she was standing on a completely cartooned world, holding hands with the cartoon Roscoe Rabbit who was twice as big as her.
“Well, here we are? What do you want to do first?” Roscoe said in that goofy cartoon voice of his.
“I want to go home. How did I get here?”
“Wait, here comes the Bosco Boys!” Roscoe said with a wild giggle and in a flash from horizon to horizon was filled with every size, assortment, species and gender of alien motorcycle riders heads down and racing along at ridiculous speeds right toward them. Before Kimberly could yell, “HELP” she was swept up and holding for dear life to a huge pink and green hairy cartoon animal that kept doing wheelies with his motorcycle.
“Hang on Kimberly, we are going to ZIMZIM CITY” You are going to meet the GRAND ZIMZIM!!” Roscoe yelled as his hat blew from his head and he almost toppled form behind a yellow skeleton with big floppy feet racing his motorcycle with his skinny Skelton bottom shoved high up in the air. When the thousands of motorcyclists hit the gates of ZIMZIP CITY, they suddenly merged into a cycle of cartoon creatures all mixing together into one out of control mess when they were suddenly shot out and landed in a huge room in front of a throne high above them.
Turning to Roscoe Rabbit, Kimberly had to know “Is the GRAND ZIMZIM the president or something?” Suddenly Roscoe slammed to the floor and became flat as a pancake with his long cartoon rabbit arms stretched out before him. His totally flap lips moved when he said “Bow down, Kimberly, the GRAND ZIMZIM is our God!!!”
ALL BOW said another voice that came from a smallish purple cartoon duck with yellow spots. Then it came in, what had to be the GRAND ZIMZIM. The thing that walked in looked somewhat like a cross between an alligator and a petunia. It sat on the throne looking very pleased with itself, until it saw Kimberly.
“You are not bowed down? You better get with it. Cartoon land works badly when someone disobeys. I am the God in this cartoon you know.”
“I am NOT going to bow because first, I am not a cartoon and second, I already have a god and I don’t worship anybody else.”
“Well, “the GRAND ZIMZIM said beginning to pout. “Why not?”
“Well because in the real world there is only one God and we only worship him.” Kimberly insisted.
“Oh please, juts a little worship.”
“NO” Kimberly said and she stomped her feet.
“Ok then, you have a right to your choices, but the penalty for not worshipping the GRAND ZIMZIM is to be dangled above the huge worm tank!!”
There was a cartoon flash and Kimberly first felt her arms over her head, bound by cartoon ropes. “Well I hope your satisfied NOW” she heard to her right where she found Roscoe Rabbit dangling and wiggling above a tank of very nasty multi-colored worms. “All this because YOU couldn’t FOR JUST FIVE MINUTES worship the GREAT ZIMZIM!!!”
“OHYEAH!” Kimberly shouted loosing her temper. “WELL I AM NEVER WATCHING YOUR SHOW AGAIN!” but before the words were completely out, the ropes let go. Kimberly felt herself screaming and falling and falling and falling and……….
‘EEK” she sat straight up in her bed. It was morning and the cartoon channel was selling exercise equipment to her. The first thing Kimberly saw was not all the cartoon posters and toys but in the corner a sweet picture of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She ran to that picture and hugged it crying. “Jesus, I’m sorry I loved cartoons more than you” and she was too. Because before the weekend was over the posters were gone and mom and dad happily took TV from her room and Kimberly knew for certain why she should never consider worshiping another god who is not the one true God again.
Value: Honor your Father and Mother
Brandon and Sean loved superheroes. They loved Superman and Batman and the Fantastic Four and dozens and dozens more. They rooms were overflowing with action figures and comic books of all of the most amazing super heroes in the imaginary world and they knew their names and their stories to the tiniest little detail.
“Tell me the favorite thing you like about a superhero.” Mommy aced them as they settled in for their evening devotionals.
“Well,” Sean started. “They always defeat evil. Evil monsters and people who want to hurt innocent people are always wiped out by superheroes when they use their superhuman powers.” He said making punching thrusts into the air sitting on the couch with mommy in his footy pajamas.
“What I like is that superheroes are never afraid and always know what to do.” Brandon added looking into space like he could see his favorite superhero right there in front of him.
“Well I am going to tell you of a real superhero that you live with. We will call him SUPERDADDY.” Mommy said happily.
The boys burst into laughter. They thought of their daddy as someone who sat at his computer working, a shy gentle man with his hair starting to go away. “Daddy isn’t a superhero!” They said together.
“Well right after you boys were born, daddy and I received Jesus and now Jesus is in our hearts. You know that don’t you.” Mommy said and both boys nodded.
“Well Satan didn’t want us to have wonderful boys like you who would be raised to serve god. One day, daddy got up and in his spiritual eyes, he saw the house was full of evil creatures lurking around trying to find ways to stop God from doing His will in our lives. Suddenly from far away, daddy heard the trumpet call coming from heaven that was going to have war with Satan and his demons to defeat them.
Right away daddy put on his superhero armor. He used the sword of the word of God. And the breastplate of righteousness. Our living room was changed into a huge battleground between Satan and God’s servants. Your daddy led the attack charging forward shouting the battle cry. “IN THE NAME OF JESUS.”
The enemy tired to attack. They swarmed around him. Oh, they were nasty and ugly little evil things. They were angels who fell with Satan and demons and evil spirits like Jesus cast out of people in the Bible.”
“Oh mommy, I would be so scared to see demons like that.” Sean said his voice quivering thinking of how brave SUPERDADDY must have been.
“Well SUPERDADDY was filled with the Holy Spirit so he had the boldness of God in him.” Mommy continued. “He stabbed with the word of God’s word sending the demons howling from the battle. Once an army of evil things tried to attack our family and daddy used the super weapon of praise. Raising his mighty sword into the air, he sang the praises of Jesus and the evil spirits ran in fear form him. The fire of the Holy Spirit like we read about in Acts was shooting from daddy’s sword and the ends of his fingers because he was full of God’s power and anointing to fight evil. Finally, SUPERDADDY stood face to face with the prince of all that was evil himself.
“The devil himself? How could daddy fight him?” Brandon said very frightened thinking of the daddy he loved facing the most evil thing in the universe.
“Well that’s because your daddy is not only brave and strong and full of the superpowers of the Holy Spirit but he also knows who he serves. He knew he could count on his Lord to back him up. He pulled the sword of the word out and declared. “AT THE NAME OF JESUS, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW.”
“Just then daddy stepped aside and knelt putting his head covered with his helmet to his sword. From behind him Jesus stepped up and cast Satan away. Jesus spoke the word of God and banished the evil one from the battle and from our home forever. Then he put a barrier of protection around us so we can live here in peace and worship God and so daddy and I can raise you little stinkers to become mighty men of God just like daddy.” Mommy finished the story tickling Brandon and Sean and making them giggle.
“Oh now, you telling that old story of the battle with Satan again?” Daddy said walking through and smiling seeing his family playing together.
“Daddy we want to be superheroes just like you!” Sean shouted jumping up to him for a hug.
“You learn the Bible and how to pray and all the lessons you will learn at church and Sunday School and Jesus will use you boys to battle evil too. Just you wait and see.” Daddy said hugging them goodnight. The boys watched daddy the superhero walk away. To their eyes, he was just a regular dad, but even then, as he walked off, they thought they saw small flames shoot from his fingers.
Value: Heaven
The scientists at Exedor Laboratories got the strangest assignment they ever saw one day in October. The company specialized in using scientific research to find out the big mysteries of the universe and they had done very well in the last few years. The project they received that day though was the strangest of them all and the customer who ordered the research was very mysterious.
Hector, the lead scientist read the assignment to his research team. All of the scientists put down their microscopes and their special glasses for examining things that need to be examined and buttoned up their white coats to listen.
“This assignment will be the most difficult of all we have done, gentleman.” Hector said in a slight German accent. “We are to research the existence of Heaven. We are to gather information from every source, every religion all around the world and prove scientifically that Heaven exists and then provide to our customers details of what it will be like and how to get there.”
Well, the staff was pretty confused by their assignment but they got right on it. Before long, they were fanning out into the libraries and around the world to find proof of the existence of Heaven. Georgiou found that the Heaven called Nirvana is not really a place at all but an afterlife where you stop existing and get absorbed into a “great nothingness.”
“That won’t do Georgiou. We would have to prove that this ‘Great Nothingness’ exists and how to get there. Besides that sounds more like a recipe for chicken soup than heaven.” Hector responded sarcastically. The big religions all seemed to have similar results where the followers worked for all their lives really hard or over several lives only to get sucked up into some nothingness that had no location and no witness that this place really existed. Then came the silly ones.
“Here is one where after you die, you go to a large roller rink where you play roller dodge ball for eternity.” Philippe reported.
“Here is one where you get your own planet and you get to have hundreds of wives and you become a god yourself.” Sydney read from his clipboard. “Hector I don’t know about this one. I can’t keep up with the wife I have, hundreds just seems silly.” He concluded and Hector agreed.
“Here is one where you where mouse ears and go on rides for eternity.” Reported Reginald.
“That’s not heaven, that’s Disneyland!” Hector objected. Gentlemen, these are all really dopey heavens. I want something we can verify, something that is worthy of a persons eternal soul. Something that doesn’t sound like a comic book. Find me a heaven that can be verified with witnesses.” And he sent his scientists out for another month of research. Finally, they gathered for their final reports and it didn’t go much better. Scientist after scientist presented their report but there was no proof.
“We have to have a witness, someone who has been to heaven and came back to give us the details. Does anybody have such a heaven?”
“I do.” The shy voice from the back. It was Lucy, the daughter of Reginald who was only in the fifth grade. She wasn’t even a scientist but Hector was desperate.
“Then share your findings with the scientific community Lucy, come speak into the microphone.” The little girl walked to the front carrying a mysterious looking book in her hands. Then she spoke.
“It’s all in this book. It’s an ancient book of writings and listen to this. ’Nobody can tell you about heaven except someone who has been there and returned again to take you there.”
“EXACTLY!” Hector shouted with excitement. “Read more little girl.”
“Ok” said Lucy and she read “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” Lucy finished reading.
“Who said these words? This person is the witness of what Heaven is like that we need!.” Hector said frantically.
“It’s Jesus.” Lucy answered holding up the book. “And the book is the Bible that everybody has in their houses. Jesus came down from heaven to take us there. He tells us all about it. Listen to how it will be:” she said and then she opened the book to read again.
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. And it had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written there. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; and the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.”
“This is the proof we all need.” Hector prepared. This little girl has brought the evidence that everyone needs to know that there is a heaven, what it looks like and that there is a witness and how to get there. Wait a minute, how do we get there Lucy?” Hector asked.
“You accept Jesus into your heart and you become a new creature and then when everybody is ready, Jesus will come back and take us all there himself and we will have new bodies and never get sick or die or be sad ever again, forever and ever and ever.” Lucy answered confidently.
“Hector, I vote that we all go to the lab and have Lucy show us how to get Jesus in our hearts so we can go to Heaven for more research.” Philippe moved and all the scientists cheered for joy at the suggestion.
And Lucy did just that. She took them to the chapel instead of the lab but one by one each scientist came to know Jesus and became a new creature and they prepared their report that pointed to the one place we all have but so many of us never look, the Bible with the roadmap and proof that there is a Heaven an that God has a plan for us to live there forever.
Email: info@olusolacoker.com
Website: www.olusolacoker.com
Blog: www.olusolacokerblog.com
https://www.bookrix.com/-ai03db515cad795/
Texte: Dr. Olusola Coker Breakthrough Ministry
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 23.01.2018
Alle Rechte vorbehalten