“How did you get out of your cage?” Belinda objected.
“You would like to box up the voice that reminds you of your moral duties but it doesn’t work like that,” the little bird said to her sternly. Belinda didn’t like be lectured, particularly by a bird but she knew he was right. “Tempest is leading you astray from God.” Pete continued. “God knows what is going on so your little secret isn’t a secret and if you develop sin habits with her, they wont be a secret long from your parents and friends either.” He said insistently.
Belinda felt so much guilt and conviction in her spirit because of what Pete was telling her. But she was confused because she wanted it both ways. She wanted to be good and have the respect of God and her mom and dad and the church but the fun things Tempests offered were so hard to resist. Finally, she did start to give in and met with Tempest to try some things.
Tempest laid all of the exciting forbidden things on the table in front of her at Tempests house when nobody was around. There it all was, the cigarettes, the alcohol, the bad magazines and tapes, a connection to the internet already on some naughty sites. All she had to do is reach out and take it and nobody was there to stop her.
Suddenly she looked out the window and saw Pete the Parakeet in the tree out side the window and his eyes were fixed on her. She thought she could hear his voice in her head. But this time he wasn’t lecturing her or making her feel bad.
“None of that will satisfy you Belinda.” The voice said. “All of these things are Satan’s cheap substitute for the perfect joy and love that Jesus gives. Right now Jesus am inside you giving you the strength to get up and walk away from these sins. You can feel him can’t you?” The voice said.
“Yes, I can feel him.” Belinda said out loud.
“What?” Tempest responded. “Who are you talking to?”
“Don’t use your own strength to resist the sins Belinda.” The voice said to her. “Use God’s strength inside you and get up and walk away and go home and have a Bible study with your pet bird.” It helped her.
And that is what she did. She stood up and just turned and walked away. God’s strength inside her even helped her resist arguing with Tempest but instead she just put Tempest behind her and treated her like she didn’t even exists. Belinda had learned an important lesson about resisting the devil and his desire to make you sin. You can too. You are the believer, like Belinda. And you will get temptations, like the ones Tempest brought. But the Holy Spirit’s job is to “come along side and help” you resist temptation, just like Pete the parakeet did. If you look for your own Pete, you will hear his voice and he will help you feel God’s power to resists temptation in you too every day.
Value: An allegory about temptation
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Christmas Stories: Belinda and Tempest (Part One)
Belinda was a good girl. She tried to keep the right kinds of friends and together they tried to stay away from things they knew their parents and teachers would not approve of. Most of her friends were from the church so they listened closely to the sermons, the Sunday school lessons and other instructions they got at church to make sure they knew what was right. Belinda also did as she was taught and read the bible and prayed even though she didn’t always understand what she prayed and if she prayed with her eyes closed, sometimes she went to sleep.
One day daddy brought home a new pet. His name was Pete the Parakeet. For several days, everybody had fun talking to Pete but he didn’t say much. But it was clear that Pete had come to the house to be Belinda’s friend. So he lived in her room.
“Wake up Belinda.” Pete suddenly said as she dozed off reading her Bible.
“Did you just talk to me?” she said to the little bird. She had a hard time believing that Pete the Parakeet would actually speak to her.
“Yes, it’s my job to talk to you. I have been sent here to do this. I am called to be by your side to help when you have trouble like sleeping when you should be reading your Bible.”
Well it was clear that God had sent Pete for a very special mission to help Belinda with her faith, in struggling against her weaknesses and to advise, comfort and teach her. That’s a pretty good parakeet.
One day, Belinda met Tempest. Tempest wasn’t like the other girls, she was new, exotic, kind of exciting. So Belinda wanted to know Tempest more because she felt that Tempest could teach her some of those grown up things that other people would tell her about because they always treated Belinda like a little kid.
Belinda starting finding times to be with Tempest when nobody knew about it. She found her best times with Tempest were always when nobody knew she was around and the thing she was telling Belinda were secrets. Secrets are fun.
“You know most of the things your parents and the church say are bad aren’t bad.” Tempest told her.
“Really? Why would they lie to me?” Belinda objected. “I know they love me.”
“They do love you but they think you have to be protected because they don’t want you to have the fun things they have. God could let you have fun things like smoking and drinking and staying out all night but he knows the adults should keep things fun things all to themselves.” Tempest lied to Belinda. Sadly, Belinda started to believe her. It was so easy to want to be like Tempest and to try to please her.
As Belinda was walking home from spending time with Tempest, she was thinking about trying a few things she liked to do. After all, it was a secret so nobody would know. Plus she would still be a good girl to her friends and family and at church. Her fun times with Tempest would just be a little secret between the two of them. Suddenly Pete the Parakeet landed on her shoulder.
One day daddy brought home a new pet. His name was Pete the Parakeet. For several days, everybody had fun talking to Pete but he didn’t say much. But it was clear that Pete had come to the house to be Belinda’s friend. So he lived in her room.
“Wake up Belinda.” Pete suddenly said as she dozed off reading her Bible.
“Did you just talk to me?” she said to the little bird. She had a hard time believing that Pete the Parakeet would actually speak to her.
“Yes, it’s my job to talk to you. I have been sent here to do this. I am called to be by your side to help when you have trouble like sleeping when you should be reading your Bible.”
Well it was clear that God had sent Pete for a very special mission to help Belinda with her faith, in struggling against her weaknesses and to advise, comfort and teach her. That’s a pretty good parakeet.
One day, Belinda met Tempest. Tempest wasn’t like the other girls, she was new, exotic, kind of exciting. So Belinda wanted to know Tempest more because she felt that Tempest could teach her some of those grown up things that other people would tell her about because they always treated Belinda like a little kid.
Belinda starting finding times to be with Tempest when nobody knew about it. She found her best times with Tempest were always when nobody knew she was around and the thing she was telling Belinda were secrets. Secrets are fun.
“You know most of the things your parents and the church say are bad aren’t bad.” Tempest told her.
“Really? Why would they lie to me?” Belinda objected. “I know they love me.”
“They do love you but they think you have to be protected because they don’t want you to have the fun things they have. God could let you have fun things like smoking and drinking and staying out all night but he knows the adults should keep things fun things all to themselves.” Tempest lied to Belinda. Sadly, Belinda started to believe her. It was so easy to want to be like Tempest and to try to please her.
As Belinda was walking home from spending time with Tempest, she was thinking about trying a few things she liked to do. After all, it was a secret so nobody would know. Plus she would still be a good girl to her friends and family and at church. Her fun times with Tempest would just be a little secret between the two of them. Suddenly Pete the Parakeet landed on her shoulder.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Christmas Stories - Bad Imaginary Friend (Part Two)
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: Lying
“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: Lying
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