Become a Follower of Jesus

posted by admin on Feb 17

April and her friends often met at the ice cream shop after school to talk and hang out and have fun. Their parents didn`t mind because the ice cream shop is near the elementary school and they could pick them up there. Today they were all excited about the discussion they had in history class when the teacher was talking about the presidents of the country. After they had their lecture and video the teacher had a game called “If I were president? where everybody said what they would change if they got a chance to be president.

“Well that was a fun game all right.? April said as she slid into the booth at the ice cream shop after school. “But if I were president, I would spend all my time on stopping wars.?

“Not me.? Ginger interrupted. “In fact, I would need more power than just a president has to get what I want. I would have to be God. Yeah, that`s a better game. What would you do if you were God? I know what I would do. I would make sure there was never any more mosquitoes. Ewww I hate those things.? She laughed.

“Well if I were God, I would get rid of all the governments and have one government run by me.? Susanna said staring off into space. “And if anyone didn`t obey, I would just wipe out their country. That would put an end to all the wars and that stuff.?

Just then, April`s little brother Stevie walked in which meant their mom had dropped him off and would be back shortly to take April and Stevie home. Stevie was seven years old. He sat down and listened to the game.

“I think if I were God, since I would have the power to do anything at all, I would first stop all the sickness and old age and bad storms and earthquakes so people all over the world wouldn`t suffer so much.? Added Kimberly who always had a soft heart for suffering people.

“Well I don`t know. It seems to me that if everyone was a believer, we wouldn`t have so much trouble with sin so maybe if I were God, I would just force everyone to be a believer and then there would only be one world religion.? April said daydreaming about how that would be.

“Don`t you think God would do that if he could, April?? Ginger said.

“But God is all powerful, I wonder why he puts up with lost people and just doesn`t wipe them off the face of the earth in one wave of His hand and end all the sin and killing and awful sins people do.? April responded knowing she was unsure of what she was talking about and trying to remember if the answers to these questions had been covered in Sunday school.

“Well my uncle was lost until he received Christ last month. If God had wiped all the lost people before that, he would have gone to hell but now he is going to heaven so I am glad God didn`t do that and maybe that is why he is waiting.? Ginger said emotionally because she loved her uncle and all of her family.

“Well if God had forced your uncle to get saved before he wiped out the rest, then he wouldn`t have gone to Hell.? Susanna added.

“I am glad God didn`t force me to get saved. When I gave my heart to him, I wanted to. If he forced us, it might be like when mom and dad forces you to clean your room. You do it but you resent them for pushing you around. I don`t think God pushes people around.? Ginger said.

“Well he could if he wanted to.? April reminded everybody.

“You know what I think God would do if he was God?? Stevie suddenly interrupted and everybody laughed because of how he said that. “I think he wouldn`t be all bossy and make anything change but I think he would come down from heaven and become a human so he can save the lost people because he created them to be his family and I know mommy and daddy would do anything to save us if April or I were lost. They would even give their lives to save ours.?

Everybody stopped talking and just stared at Stevie. He may not have even known it but he hit on exactly what God would do to save his children.

“Not only is that what God would do Stevie,? said Kimberly, “that`s what he did do.?

“What do you mean? I was just playing the game.? The little boy wondered.

“She means that is what God did, when he came down as Jesus. He gave up His throne and of His powers and all of His kingship to become a poor human baby. Then he grew up here and became a teacher to teach us about Heaven. And then he went through everything we go through so we know he understands it all. And then he let people kill him so we could be h is family and then he rose again to take us to heaven.? Kimberly continued.

“Wow, I feel foolish for thinking He would do anything else. I should have known that.? Ginger said softly and humbly.

“Me too.? Susanna added looking down at her ice cream. “Stevie how did you know all that??

“Well,? Stevie said not knowing he had said anything smart at all. “I do listen in church and Sunday school.?

“Well girls,? April laughed. “Sounds like we need to do less gossiping and flirting and giggling in Sunday school and do some listening.?

“Yeah April.? Susanna agreed. “Then maybe we won`t find ourselves being shown up by a seven year old about how God really thinks and feels about things.

April and Stevie`s mom came and they went home to think about the conversation but Stevie walked out feeling about seven foot tall because he learned something about God and it was right.

posted by admin on Feb 16

“What do you mean you aren`t pretty?? Terrance asked his friend Horace. Terrance was a toucan and since he was pretty sure he was very pretty, he felt sure everybody thought that they were pretty. But in his private thoughts, he did think Horace was pretty awful looking. Horace was a hippo.

“Well my mom always said I was pretty but then again, she was a hippo too. Terrance, hippos are just not pretty. Not like giraffes or peacocks at least.? He said jealously.

“Ok, well if you could pick one thing about a giraffe that you would want, what would it be?? Terrance said. Terrance, like all toucans, could cause wishes to come true for the people who they love or like a lot. That`s why people like having toucans for pets. It isn`t because they are nice birds. It’s the dream granting thing that makes them great.

“Well if my neck was long and elegant, why all the pretty giraffes would love me and I would have tons of friends then.? Horace said his voice full of envy.

“Ok, it`s yours.? Terrance said, he flapped his wings wide and then said ‘BAKKAH!? which is the spell.

“Hey, HEY what`s happening?? Horace said in a panic as he felt his big hippo head begin to shoot high into the sky under the most beautiful giraffe neck that was growing from his hippo body. When stopped, Horace stood there not really knowing what to do with this much neck. Then, slowly at first and then faster, his head began to sway back and forth like an out of control carnival ride. His big hippo head was too heavy for that tiny neck. All of a sudden, it toppled downward. All around the jungle, the animals heard Horace yelling for help as the ground grew closer and closer and then WUMP! It hit the ground.

“Murmph mr murtle mu? Terrance heard his friend say.

“Just a moment, let me get your head out of the sand.? The toucan said and he pulled Horace`s head back until it popped back into the air and he laid it on its side with that big giraffe neck just winding everywhere back to his body.

“This isn`t working Terrance. Not only is it dangerous, I think I look foolish with this huge neck attacked to my big fat head.

“BAKKAH? Terrance squawked and Horace was himself again.

“I still want to be pretty. Like the Pelican with those beautiful long legs. They can even sleep on just one leg. I wish I could do that,? he said lifting one of his squatty hippo legs and then putting down before he fell.

“Ok, let`s try that.? Terrance said and out went his wings “BAKKAH?. Said the bird and the spell took effect.

“Here we go again.? Horace said gasping as he shot into the air with his legs growing long and skinny under him. When he stopped, he was standing tall enough to see over the grass. He peered down at his four pelican legs quivering trying to hold up his massive hippo weight. “Wow, Terrance, my legs are so pretty.? Horace said with admiration and he started to walk toward the marshes where the other pelicans stayed. But the pelicans didn`t see Horace as pretty because of his long legs.

“Yikes!? many screamed and took flight thinking it was some kind of monster. Other`s laughed thinking Horace had come up with a strange costume. Others ran to him with Band-Aids thinking he was the scene of a terrible collision between a bird and a hippo.

“Oh Terrance, nothing is working.? Horace said bitterly.

“BAKKAH? Terrance said flapping his wings and Horace was back to normal.

“How will I ever stop being ugly?? He said with great sadness in his heart.

“Horace I told you before, you are already pretty. When you say you are ugly, you insult God our creator. Way back in the beginning of time he made hippos. He made toucans and pelicans and giraffes and even humans and each of them was perfectly made for what God wanted them to be. We are not made to look pretty to each other. Look to your friends, the hippos and be at peace that you are what God made you to be. Envy is a way of saying ‘God you did a bad job` and that makes God very sad indeed.? The wise bird counseled his friend.

“Well I don`t want God to be sad. I want to be all He made me to be, not what he made someone else to be. I want to be the best Horace the Hippo he ever made.? Horace said his big hippo chest sticking out proudly.

“Oh Horace?? Horace and Terrance both heard a melodic female voice sing out. Just then, Henrietta Hippo stepped from behind the grasses. “Will you take me to the waterfall today?? she said looking at him with big eyes that were full of admiration.

“Wow, she is pretty.? Horace said to Terrance and then he waddled her way doing a dance to make himself more pretty to her. Off they went as Terrance looked on in amazement.

“Thos are two ugly hippos,? he said to himself. Then he flew back to his tree to see if there was a pretty toucan there who might like a trip to the waterfall too.

posted by admin on Feb 15

Hi. My name is Roscoe. I`m a pig. No, no, don`t get upset. I don`t mean I am just messy. No, I am actually a pig. I know it`s a little weird talking to a pig but hey, get used to it, lots of weird things happen around here. You probably heard someone tried to tell the story of me and my brothers. I think they called that story The Three Little Pigs or some such nonsense. Well here is what really happened.

See me and my brothers, Gidney and Cloyd, well, just like you know, we all decided we wanted separate houses. Not that living together was that bad but Gidney snores so you know. So we made a game of it and all went to the market and got the building materials. Now the truth is we all used basically the same stuff to build our homes so all that stuff about straw houses and such, well, sometimes people get a little frisky with the truth if you get my meaning. No, for better or for worse, Gidney and Cloyd and I pretty much knew what went into a new house. But the putting together part, now that`s what stumped us.

Gidney loves to hang out at the at night clubs. He is a good mostly but he likes parties and all that goes with it way too much. That is where he met Fat Wally but we will get back to him. So naturally, since all of Gidney`s friends were people at the night clubs, they all promised him and swore on whatever they could find they would be there on building day. So he got his materials and tools and aprons and big tubs of lemonade and he was already that Monday morning to get that house put up before the winter came.

Well, it turned out that winter was not really the problem. See Fat Wally was one of the guys Gidney met at the club and, well to be honest, Fat Wally was a wolf. Yes Wally Wolf, that`s right. And they didn`t call him FAT Wally for nothing. He got fat on lots of silly pigs that didn`t know how to pick their friends. Wolves, as most of you know, eat pigs pretty often and Wally thought this was a good chance to pick up a piggy stew if he got the drop on Gidney.

Well building day came and about an hour late, Gidney`s friends from the club were there but they only knew how to party. Oh, they talked like they knew what they were going but big talkers are not often good workers. They slung together the most shoddy, shaky house you ever did see. Gidney was so disappointed in what he had when it was all over with and all through the day, he could see Fat Wally watching from the woods. That night Cloyd and I came over to play Bible Racko with Gidney and we could barely deal the cards when that house started to go.

“Hey Piggies.? Fat Wally yelled from the woods. “Pretty bad job on the house. No problem. I will help you clean it up when it falls and then I will eat you.? He yelled. Big talker.

“NO CHANCE FATSO!? Gidney yelled back. I know, he should have said “not by the hair of my chinny chin chin? but the house was falling. He had to make it fast. We made it out the window and down the pathway before it fell. It crashed and we could hear Fat Wally looking for our bodies in the rubble.

Cloyd wasn`t quite the partier but he went to a church that didn`t believe in Jesus and taught something about a spaceship landing and taking them all to a planet that was kind of like heaven or something like that. They were pretty spooky but Cloyd hung out with them and just like the party people, they were sure they could help Cloyd with his house. But they showed up and started lighting candles and trying to talk to dead people and do spells that went nowhere and by morning the only thing up was one room because Cloyd and Gidney did that. Gidney had time on his hands what with no house left after all.

Fat Wally liked the look of this real well. Sure, the spaceship people saw him but they were sure the aliens were going to come down, kill the wolf and finish the construction so they didn`t have to worry. They sure were confident in the spaceship people. Well the time came and they started chanting in a circle waiting for the spaceship to land. Well when they opened their eyes, were there aliens in the circle? You guessed it, Fat Wally was in the circle and he chased them for what seemed like hours. They ran every which way knocking down that badly done shack and sending everyone screaming into the woods. Amazingly or maybe Fat Wally is just a really terrible hunter, he didn`t catch anyone so he was pretty hungry by then.

Gidney and Cloyd both were pretty scared when they met me at the Methodist Church for Wednesday night worship. Afterward we made plans for my house and they would live with me which isn`t that great because after all, Gidney snores but we already talked about that. I had about twenty of my good Christian brothers lined up to help and they were there right on time. We got that house up and it was rock solid. Fat Wally watched nervously from the woods but he knew this was his last chance with us.

He waited until we had finished and were having snacks in the living room of my wonderful new home.

“Hey piggies, how about a snack for Fat Wally? One of your fat friends would be a nice treat.?

“NO CHANCE FATSO.? Gidney yelled out.

“Gidney, shush? I said. “No need for that. We have God`s blessing on this house. The evil one cannot harm us here.? So Gidney, Cloyd and me and my church brothers and sisters began reading the bible and having so much fun discussing the word of God, everyone almost forgot about Fat Wally.

But I heard him coming. Step Step Step. He was trying to sneak in for an attack. He was hoping for panic like he got from the spaceship people. He didn`t get it. We just joined our hands and started singing.

“Jesus loves me this I know?? we sang getting louder and louder until all of a sudden.

“OW OW OW.? The fat old wolf started howling. “I can`t stand it. I just can attack you when you are praising God like that!? Fat Wally went howling into the woods holding his big ears, crying and bumping into trees. And I expect as little as he got to eat that day, he probably is now known as Skinny Wally.

Well so you know, Gidney gave up night clubs and Cloyd quit the spaceship people church and we all worship Jesus now. We got their houses up and learned a really important lesson. We learned that your Christian brothers and sisters are who you would depend on and spend time with and we learned that the evil one cannot hurt us when we are in unity in the faith and are serving and worshiping Christ together. So when you are having fun with your friends in Sunday School, keep your eyes open for Fat Wally. If you see him, remember don`t yell NO CHANCE FATSO at him. Just worship Jesus and he can never hurt you.