Pace 6 - Kissing a Monster

"Barb, Barb! Wake up!! I'm leaving." With her eyes still blurred from sleep Barb rolled over to see a monster hanging over her. She screamed as she saw an antenna rose out of the top of his head from where small flames were coming. It had splotches all over its body like a frog and a big hump on the side of it. Barb flew out of bed and stopped half way to the door when she heard the "THING" speak again.

It said, "Morning honey, I'm off for visitation!!" (To keep this story on a high level, we won't fill in what happened for the next 30 minutes --this part you can write.)

Sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee between two shaking hands, Barb says, "Leo! Don't ever come in and wake me with your fishing hat and fly rods on again!" A few sips of coffee and, "Leo, what did you say about going on visitation? It's 6:30 in the morning, are you loony?! !"

"Barb, work on your coffee there, and I'll explain." Since Timmy is at camp, I invited his best friend, Eddy, to go fishing with me because he doesn't have a dad any more. Believe me, he's up and raring to go, I'm sure. We should be back before supper." Barb kissed her "monster", waved goodbye, looked both directions to see if any neighbors saw her in curlers, and closed the door.

The waves were just high enough to create a lazy lapping sound against the bottom of the boat. The column of bright sunlight, reflecting on the water seemed to be pointing directly at Eddy. The only other time he had ever fished, was at a carnival out in Nebraska. Since the war took his daddy, he really longed for someone he could talk with; someone he could look up to. Today he really felt special as he learned a lot of things that Leo and Timmy had enjoyed together.

"Eddy, we've caught a few fish, but, have you ever heard of a fish catching a man?" "Okay, Mr. Reynolds, What's the joke?" "It's no joke, son. The bible says his name was Jonah and he was disobedient by trying to run away from God and what He wanted him to do. And Ed, just as sure as that dragonfly is sitting out there on that bobber, God directed a great fish to catch Jonah and put him back on the right track.”
 
“Jonah became a mighty soul winner in Nineveh, and God was pleased. Ed, we ought to want to please God because of all He's done for us."

Last month's men's prayer breakfast had really started something. The evangelist had opened the men's eyes as to what visitation really was; not just address cards on Thursday night, but using life's activities with a broken heart, to share your testimony with those around you. The men thought this visitation was going to be fun. Frankie, the welder, was going to have a boy help build a trailer, Barry Jackson, the dairy farmer, invited a teen to help him repair his tractor and Mrs. Jackson enlisted the help of Brenda Thompson, one of the bus kids, to bake some cakes.

I didn't get the whole story, but something about taking a couple of them over to the nursing home with a whole stack of old greeting cards and sewing them together to make baskets, I think. You get the picture anyhow.

Of course, it doesn't matter whether you're a truck driver, beautician, insurance salesman, a hard working housewife, or a pianist; we all have talents that can be used to share the good news that Jesus shed His Precious Blood to buy our salvation, once and for all. The question is:

WHAT DO I ENJOY DOING, WHAT TALENT CAN I USE, TO SHOW SOMEONE HOW SPECIAL

THEY ARE IN GOD'S EYES?? ~~

Pace 7 - “Don’t Bother” Brother

Having finished with the offering, Pastor Robins walks up to the pulpit using one hand to count the fingers on the other. Then again. "One, two, three, four, five," and pointing to open air, "six". He repeated with the same results. Many of the people squinted and leaned forward to see what he was pointing at when he said "six".

With a smile he looked up and said, "I'm pretending I'm Goliath. You see he had a big mouth and God couldn't use him. Second Samuel 21 tells of another reason why he wouldn't be able to follow along in this message. I'd like for you to turn to Luke 15, I want to show you some aspects of visitation from a very familiar story." Again, holding up one hand and pointing to the first finger saying, "We want to look at five paths and determine which one we're on."

The first path, the prodigal son took to town with his inheritance burning a hole in his pocket. Self esteem, even arrogance reigned in his heart. The second path some of you are on right now. Having tasted of this world's pleasures for a season, disappointed and discouraged, you feel hardly worthy to be a "door keeper in God's House, or the lowest of servants."

But the last three paths I want us to take a closer look at. Path number 3 is one of exuberance as the father races to greet his son, now returning home. The heavy and repentant heart must have been lifted as the boy saw his father running toward him. A few short moments tell the son of the forgiveness and love his father wants to share with him. No tongue lashing, 'I-told-you-so's', or stern looks, just complete joy that his son has returned home. "Have you experienced that forgiveness of the Heavenly Father, His Love and the blessings He's prepared for you?"

Grasping the fourth finger, Pastor Robins speaks again, "Now look at verse 20.”And when he was a great way off, his father saw him"... As the father's arms hold his son, as though never to release him again, there is a forth path, the prodigal son may never see. It's the path sewn with tears, hope, and a lot of love; walked every day by the father to the top of the knoll to watch for his son.

As he walked this path, I am sure the father reflected upon many of the wrong things he himself had done and wondered how many of them had caused his son's rebellious actions. That lonely fourth path had produced some cleansing in the old man's soul too. Are you now on the fourth path?"

"Now the fifth path was never traveled. For many hears, I had felt the actions and arguments of the older son were proper (verses 29 and 30), but did you ever notice that verse 12 says that the older son received his inheritance also? What did he do with his inheritance? Nothing.

He had missed the whole meaning of life here on this Earth; to receive forgiveness from the Heavenly Father; then through life's experiences, learn the depth of its meaning and share it with others; so when we spend eternity with Jesus Christ and He speaks of His forgiveness, we will understand what He means -- that's real fellowship."

"As we give the invitation,

WHICH PATH ARE YOU ON TODAY? WHAT'S YOUR DESTINATION?

IS IT GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE?

OPEN YOUR HEART LET HIM EMBRACE YOU AND YOUR SOUL,

RIGHT NOW..." ~~

The Gospel Message