Merry Christmas!

Dodger:  Hello there!  Merry Christmas to you!  Lilly and I are really excited about the upcoming holiday and celebration, and we've even brought a friend to help us discuss it, along with how important it is!

Lilly:  Please welcome, Soul, the cat.  She is a fervent blogger, a pleasant feline, and a great lover of Christmas.  We even have a video of her chasing down Santa Claus, or at least, a puppet that looks like him.  Here it is:

Soul:  I was kinda naughty that year, 'cause I didn't get nothin'!

Dodger:  Well, you did beat up Santa Claus.

Soul: That was after I found out I got nothing.

Lilly:  Well, at least you now know Christmas is more than presents, right?

Soul:  I already knew that, but the presents are still nice!

Dodger:  Granted.  But that's not what we're here to talk about.

Lilly:  Soul, would you do us a favor and read us a passage from the scripture?

Soul:  I'm a cat.  I don't read.

Dodger:  But you write a blog!

Soul:  Someone takes dictation for me.

Lilly:  Than how do you type it?

Soul:  Lessons.

Dodger: From who?

Soul:  Are you guys really THIS curious?

Lilly:  Well you just said... oh never mind.  I'll read it.  It's from Luke 2:1-7.  You see, the whole reason we celebrate Christmas is because of Someone's birthday.  His name is Jesus.

Dodger:  If you've been here before you've heard us talk about Him.  Like everyone else, He came into the world as a baby, but with a very special mission.

Soul:  Really?  You know, like one of those people that make brown round chunks of cat food?  I'm sure they're doing something secretive over there.

Dodger: Yes and no.  He did intend to give us something important, even more important than food, actually...why are you looking at me like that, Soul?  Um, anyway, what He was doing was no secret, and it wasn't filled with weird ingredients either.

Soul:  First of all, I already knew that and it was just a joke!  And secondly, don't go knocking around brown round chunks!  Have you ever tasted them?  They're delicious.  Except when Tom eats them.  He makes me lose my appetite.

Dodger:  I'll keep that in mind when I invite you guys over for Christmas dinner.  Anyway, what's the verse say, Lilly?

Lilly: "And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.  Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7 NKJV)

Soul:  I like that story.  Although I have no clue what "swaddling" means.  What, does it mean a cloth waddling about?

Dodger:  Um...

Lilly:  Well...

Soul:  AHA!  From the "1828 edition of Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language": 

"SWAD'DLING-CLOTH, n. A band or cloth wrapper round an infant. Luke 2."

Say, it mentions Luke 2 in there!  How interesting.  Now if I could just know-

Lilly:  That is interesting.  By the way, you can stop speaking in green, Soul.

Soul: What?

Dodger:  Don't worry about it.

Soul: Huh?  I'm no tree-hugger, although I do remember that one time that I ran into a tree, but that's a different story.

Dodger:  Anyway, the important thing about that birth is Who was born that night.

Lilly:  You see, each of us, Soul included, has made mistakes and sinned.  Soul, please look that up in the dictionary for me.

Soul:  Look what up?

Dodger: Sin.

Soul:  Oh.  Okay, well, it was a little bit too long, like a paragraph or eight.  So here's a different definition from Dictionary.com. "any act regarded as such a transgression [against divine law], especially a willful or deliberate violation of some... moral principle." 

Dodger:  Thanks Soul.  You can start talking in black again.

Soul: Huh? 

Dodger: Oh, never mind.  You see, sin separates us from God.  He's holy, and we're not.  Each of us has done the wrong thing.  When I yell at my friends, or Lilly disobeys her mom, or Soul steals her sister's pillow-

Soul:  That was TOM, not me.

Dodger: Okay then, when TOM steals his sister's pillow, that is an act of rebellion against the law of God which He gave us.  Since He's the perfect King and Judge, Who never sins, He can lay down those laws, and when we don't follow them, we have to be punished, and unfortunately, our punishment is an eternity spent away from Him, that is eternity in hell.  But that's where the wonderfulness of Christmas comes in!

Soul:  If you're a Christian (and I hope you are), doesn't that mean you get to go to heaven?

Lilly:  Yes, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.  

Soul: What does that mean?

Dodger:  Google it.  Anyway, the reason Jesus came to earth is so we could live with Him forever! He gave His life on a cross and sacrificed His blood and life to take away our sins.  Then He rose three days later from the dead and is watching you with love.  It all started on that Christmas night, when He was born for us in a manger.  The King of Kings was born in a stable with a bunch of smelly animals-

Soul: WHAT!?!?  What do you mean, a bunch of "smelly" animals?

Lilly:  The cats were probably the cleanest if they were there.

Soul:  Oh yeah, like they couldn't lick themselves.  You know, I don't have baths every two days.  I LICK MYSELF!

Dodger:  Thank you for that.  Anyway, the fact is that if it wasn't for Christmas, there would be no opportunity for each of us to live with Jesus forever.  But He loves us so much, He came for us as a little baby boy.  So now each of us can live with Him.

Lilly:  That's why Jesus' birthday, Christmas, is so important!  That was the day that God sent the Redeemer of every man, woman, and girl and boy to come and live among us.  Now God can live in us too.

Soul:  Yeah, but, I hope you know that nobody else should, 'cause that would be just weird.

Dodger:  So if you've never even heard of this before, now's your chance.  Christmas is more than just presents and cookies.  It's all about God's ultimate gift to all mankind!

Soul:  Yeah, but presents and cookies are pretty cool too.  You know those catnip cookies?   They're pretty AWESOME!

Lilly:  Indeed, but really, none of them would be anything without Jesus.  He's the one that makes Christmas what it is.  After all, it has His title in it, Jesus Christ.  So if you want to accept what He did for you, you can pray now.  In His own words: "Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14 NKJV)  So if you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and live with Him forever, take these words to heart. The Bible says "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9 NKJV)  If you want to do this, you could say a prayer like this:

Dodger:  Dear God, I know I've sinned against you and done what was wrong, but I believe you sent Your Son on that Christmas night so that He could one day die for me and take away my sins.  I believe that You raised Him from the dead, and I confess my faith in Him as Lord and Savior.  I love you God.  Merry Christmas, and Happy Birthday.  Please come into my heart, in Jesus Name, Amen.

Soul:  That's the best prayer ever!

Lilly:  Well, making the decision to accept Jesus is the best decision anyone can ever make.

Dodger:  Hear, hear!  Well,  Merry Christmas to you!  Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change.  By the way, we had a Christmas card made for you.  It's a photo card!

Soul:  I HATE having my picture taken.

Lilly: Feliz Navidad!

(NKJV Means New King James Version)

Definitions: 

sin. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved December 23, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sin

Swaddling-Cloth- 1828 edition of Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language

Setting Up Mileposts

Dodger:  Hi!  I'm glad you're here!  Did you enjoy your week, and Thanksgiving Day?  I had an excellent time.  Lilly did too, I think.

Lilly:  Oh yes.  We went to my grandmother's house.  She lives in another state, and we had to drive for a really long time.  I took a few pictures though while I was riding in the car.  Would you like to see them?

Dodger:  That would be fun.  Go ahead and show them to us.

Lilly:  Alright.   This one is of a church we passed:



And this one is of a different church we passed:


This one is of another church we passed: 

And this is one that I didn't really understand, since my grandmother doesn't live in Australia.  Then again, there was that wrong turn we took...


I always like to take pictures of signs, since they all say something, and usually they help us get where we're going, or sometimes make us laugh.  There's one more sign which isn't so interesting, but which I think is really important.  Here it is:

This sign is called a milepost, and it happens to be one of my favorite kinds of signs.

Dodger:  Why's that, Lilly?

Lilly:  Because it reminds me of a Bible story.  Dodger, can you please turn to the book of Joshua, chapter 3, and start reading from verse 7?

Dodger:  Sure I can. Let's see...here it is. "And the Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.  You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’”  So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the Lord your God.”  And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan.  Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe.  And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”  So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,  and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest),  that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.  Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan." (Joshua 3:7-17 NKJV)

Lilly:  That's a pretty amazing feat, wouldn't you say?  I wish I could make the lake separate to let me pass whenever I wanted.  But did you notice how God told Joshua that He would prove to Israel that He was with him?  Joshua was taking over as leader of the nation after Moses died, and so God was showing Israel that He was with Joshua.  

Dodger:  That's really impressive, Lilly, but what does it have to do with mileposts?

Lilly:  I'll tell you, by reading into Joshua chapter 4. "And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying:  “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe,  and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’”  Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe;  and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,  that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’  Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”  And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.  Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. (Joshua 4:1-9 NKJV)

Dodger:  What were the rocks for?

Lilly:  That's exactly what I want to talk about.  Dodger, do you know what a milepost is for?

Dodger:  Yeah, it's to help tell you how many miles you've traveled, in other words, how far you've gone.  This helps you remember where you are, and not get lost.

Lilly:  Exactly.  That's what the rocks were for.

Dodger:  They were mileposts?

Lilly:  Yes.

Dodger:  What do you mean?

Lilly: Well, look at 4:4-7. "Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’  Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:4-7, boldface added)  The children of Israel were setting up memorials designed to help them remember where they had been and what God had done for them.  This way, they would remember God's faithfulness, and be reminded to serve Him and trust Him, and never give up their hope in Him.  The Israelites where setting up mileposts so that they could forever remember where God had brought them.

Dodger:  But wouldn't it be easy to remember going through a river on dry ground?

Lilly:  For them it probably would be.  But what about their children and grandchildren?  Eventually the people would forget if God did not use something like a memorial to remind them.  Besides, it's still actually easy to forget things even as amazing as that.  God didn't want them to ever forget.

Dodger:  Now I get it.  But what does it have to do with us?

Lilly:  As Christians, we need to set up mileposts for ourselves.

Dodger:  What?  How do we do that?  In fact, when do we do that?

Lilly:  Anytime God does something for us that we should remember.

Dodger:  I see.  So if God does something special like answering a prayer for a loved one, I should make that into a milepost?

Lilly:  That's one good example.  Another might be when He heals you of something or gets you out of a bad place, or delivers you from sin.  There are all sorts of things we should milepost, big and small.

Dodger:  So how do we do it?  Do we have to set up a pile of rocks?

Lilly:  No.  We can write it down, or store it in our permanent memory, or tell others about it, or even blog about it!  There are all sorts of ways to do it, and we can do more than one if we want to.  As long as we keep milepost making, we'll reap the same benefits the Israelites got from it.  Our mileposts give us a piece of comfort when we're discouraged, remind us of God's faithfulness when we're afraid, and strengthen us when we're tiring.  They even help remind us of how far we've come with God's help.

Dodger:  Now I see what you mean.  That's really neat, Lilly.  I'm going to start signposting from now on.  

Lilly:  That's a great idea.  I'm going to do it too.

Wow, look at how time flies!  Looks like we better get going, Lilly.  We still have to decorate your house for Christmas.  Thanks for coming and hanging out with us today!  We're always happy that you can make it.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!

Lilly:  זייַ געזונט!

Discussion Question:

(These are for the fun of it, if you want to hang out with Dodger and Lilly in a group, or simply answer a question based on what they've been talking about by yourself.)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     Has God ever done something for you that changed your life or was really important to you?  What was it?  Why was it special to you?

(NKJV means New King James Version)

The above pictures come from the following webpages, none of which are maintained or necessarily recommended by I-Bulldog Studios:

What Could We Say- http://www.friendburst.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/funny-church-signs-063.jpg
Sign Maker- http://www.r3blog.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/church-sign01.jpg Pirate Church Sign- http://www.edstetzer.com/pirate-day-sign.jpeg 

Kangaroo Crossing- http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000BVj5H55kWJ4/s/898/650/Kangaroo-crossing-sign-on-North-Stradbroke-Island-Australia-with-Car-on-Road-Photo-k002044804.jpg 

Milepost- http://www.arizonaroads.com/pics/az989milepost.jpg

A Courageous Example

Dodger:  Hello there!  So sorry it's been such a long time.  I'm glad you're here.  Lilly and I want to talk about a pretty neat person.

Lilly:  Yes indeed.  Today we're going to talk about a queen named Esther.  She actually has a book in the Bible named after her.  She was really neat for a lot of reasons, but she was most remembered for her courage.  Using her, God saved the Jewish nation from extinction!    Her storyis a great example of what it means to have courage in troubled times.

Dodger:  Today we'll talk about her and what she did, and see how we can learn from her.  We pick up her story starting with Esther 1.  You see, there was a rich and powerful king with a rather odd name: Ahasuerus.  He was having a huge feast and told the queen (named Vashti) to come to him so all his guests could see her, since she was a beautiful woman.  She refused.  So the king got really angry and removed her from her throne and divorced her.  Not the best way to respond.

Lilly:  However, he did find himself wanting a new queen, and this is where Esther comes in.  She's introduced to us in Chapter 2:1-8.  "After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.  Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king: And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them : And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.  Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;  Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.  And he brought up Hadassah, that is , Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.  So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. (KJV)

Dodger:  So Esther was given the opportunity to meet the king, and God blessed her so that she became queen!  "Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.  So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti." (KJV Esther 2:15-17)  So Esther the Jewish woman becomes queen of Persia, though she does not tell anyone she is Jewish, since her uncle Mordecai has told her not to (2:20).

Lilly:  But here's where the story begins to get suspenseful.  We meet a man named Haman.  "After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.  And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.  Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?  Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.  And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.  In the first month, that is , the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is , the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month , that is , the month Adar.  And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.  If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.  And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.  And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee." (KJV Esther 3:1-11)  In other words,  Haman is plotting to destroy an entire race, and e king just gave  him permission!

Lilly: So what happens?  Well, the Jews see what's going to happen, including Mordecai, and they're naturally mourning.  "When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;  And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.  And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.  So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not."  (KJV Esther 4:1-4)  By the way, sackcloth was a kind of cloth worn by Jews to show extreme sorrow and grief.  Esther then sends a messenger to ask Mordecai what the problem is.  He tells her about the decree, and then makes a very difficult request from her.  He asks her to go to the king and beg him to reverse the evil that Haman has done.

Dodger:  However, she's a little worried about doing what he says.  She explains why: "All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days." (KJV Esther 4:11)  She knew that if she went in to talk to the king without his permission, he might quickly have her killed.

Lilly:  This king had rather lousy laws.

Dodger:  It seems that way  to me too.

Lilly:  Oh well.  Here's how Mordecai responds to Esther.  "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.  For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (KJV Esther 4:13-14)  In other words, he tells her that if she doesn't do it, then God will save his people another way, but she will perish.  He asks her if perhaps God made her queen so she could save the Jews.  In the same way, many of us are in unique places and do not know why, but God still has a purpose for us there.  Then Esther decides that she will do what she knows is right even if it costs her her life.  But she asks for help.  Her's what she says: "Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."  (KJV Esther 4:16)

Dodger:  "If I perish, I perish?"  So she was willing to give up her life even if she wasn't sure that what she was going to do would work?

Lilly:  Yes she was.  But she didn't try to do it alone.  She asked for help from God, and those who would pray for her.  They did what she said, and she did what she said she would.  Keep reading.

Dodger: "Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel , and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.  And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre. (KJV Esther 5:1-2)  So he let her in without any penalty?

Lilly:  Yes he did.  She's able to safely talk to the king, a miracle which is clearly from God.

Dodger:  Wow.  That's pretty awesome, so what happened next?

Lilly: "Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom.  And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him.  Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.  And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.  Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is ;  If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said. (KJV Esther 5:3-8)

Dodger:  So she gave them some dinner.

Lilly:  Yes, and Haman was pretty happy with himself, for a while anyway.  "Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.  Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife.  And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.  Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king.  Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.  Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made." " (KJV Esther 5:9-14)

Dodger:  Haman is going to hang Mordecai?

Lilly:  He sure wants to, but don't worry, it won't happen.

Dodger:  That's good.  "So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.  And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.  Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:  For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.  Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?  And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.  And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. (KJV Esther 7:1-7)  So now Haman's the one in trouble.

Lilly:  Yeah, in fact he gets hanged on the same gallows that he made for Mordecai.

Dodger:  Ouch.  So does this mean the Jews are saved?

Lilly:  Thankfully yes.  Esther goes and talks to the king again, and... well I'll just read it to you.  "And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.  Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,  And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces:  For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?  Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews.  Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse.  Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the third month, that is , the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.  And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:  Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,  Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely , upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.  The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.  So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.  And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.  The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.  And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them." (KJV Esther 8:3-17)  And so an entire race of people was saved because one girl determined to do the right thing in spite of the risk, and God blessed her ability to do it.

Dodger:  So what we learn from Esther is that courage is not being unafraid, but rather being willing to do the right thing even when you are afraid.  It's standing for what's right when no one else will or no one else can.

Lilly:  Exactly.  God used Esther's courage to save lives, and who knows?  He might just do the same with you.

Dodger:  Amen to that.  Let's all pray and ask God to give us courage like Esther's.  Well, it looks like we're out out of time for today.  Thanks for coming today!  Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!

Lilly: Goodbye!

(KJV Means King James Version)                                                  

Your Battle is the Lord's

Dodger:  Hi there!  How have you been?  It's good to see you.  I hope you've been enjoying your week.  Mine was fine.  How about you, Lilly?  Did you have a good week?

Lilly:  Huh? Oh...sure, I guess so.

Dodger: You don't sound like you did.  Is something wrong?

Lilly:  I've been struggling for a while in my walk with Jesus.

Dodger:  How so?

Lilly:  I'm trying to keep my mind thinking things that Jesus would think, but I just struggle with it really often.  It's hard too, because I'm having to fight off temptation to think unkindly or be critical or whatever, and I just can't seem to shake it.  It almost seems like my enemy is stronger than me.

Dodger:  I see.  Well, it sounds like you need some of the Bible right about now.

Lilly:  That would help.

Dodger:  Good, in that case I'll tell you about David.

Lilly:  King David?

Dodger:  Yep.  Except that in the story I'm about to tell you, he wasn't a king yet.  It happens in 1 Samuel 17.  I won't be reading the whole thing, but I recommend that you do some time.  It's really good.  Anyway, we pick up the story in 1 Samuel 17:1.  "Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim.  And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.  The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.  And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span." (1 Samuel 17:1-4 NKJV)

Lilly:  I didn't quite understand Goliath's height.  How tall was he ?

Dodger:  Well, he was about 9 feet 9 inches tall.

Lilly:  That's huge!

Dodger:  It is pretty tall.  But he was a bad guy.   Listen to this.   "Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, “Why have you come out to line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.  If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.”  And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”  When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid." (1 Samuel 17:8-11 NKJV)

Lilly:  You mean he had the whole army afraid, just because he was so big and strong and tall?

Dodger:  Yep.  Maybe there was a man in the army who could have defeated him, but no one wanted to try it because they were so scared.  And that's the first thing we can remember about fighting the enemy.  He is dangerous, but he tries to make himself more intimidating than he really is.  In fact, he exaggerates his power and tries to make us feel inadequate to stop him, when in reality we have more power than he does, and he's scared of all Christians. As the apostle John says: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4 NKJV)  He who is in us, being God, is way bigger than the devil, and way stronger.

Lilly:  So the Israelites had more power than Goliath?

Dodger: Of course they did.  They're God's people!  But they could only see the challenge in front of them, and they weren't putting their trust in God.  The enemy tries to distract us from Jesus and His power and instead make us focus on our trouble.

Lilly:  I understand.  So what happened next?

Dodger:  Well, this is where David comes in.  He's introduced to us as the son of Jesse.  He heads to where the army of Israel is parked when his dad sends him out there.  "Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp.  And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.”  Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.  So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle.  For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army.  And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.  Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them.  And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.  So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.” (1 Samuel 17:17-25 NKJV)

Lilly: What's an ephah?

Dodger: It's about 17 1/2 two liter bottles of soda, or 35 liters.

Lilly:  Oh.  So what happened next?

Dodger: Well, David asked questions. "Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26 NKJV)  Later on we read, "Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him.  Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”  And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” (1 Samuel 17:31-33 NKJV)

Lilly: So David is planning on taking on Goliath?

Dodger:  He sure is, but he has a few problems.  Firstly, Saul doesn't think he can do it!

Lilly:  I don't blame Saul!

Dodger:  But listen to David's response. "But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.  Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”  Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” (1 Samuel 17:34-37 NKJV)

Lilly:  Wow.  So he went out to fight Goliath?

Dodger:  Yes he did.  But did you notice how he talked about the lion and the bear?  What he was saying was that God had protected him before, and he knew God would be with him now.  So Saul  let him go, but not before trying to give him help.  Saul's help did not work out too well, though.

Lilly:  What do you mean?

Dodger: Well, he gave him the wrong weapons. "So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail.  David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off." (1 Samuel 17:38-39 NKJV)  You see, David knew that he wouldn't be able to fight Goliath with the wrong weapons.  As Christians, we need to fight the enemy with the right weapons, namely prayer, and the Bible.  We can't fight him by calling him names or trying to do the right thing on our own power all the time.  As the apostle Paul says,  "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV 1984)

Lilly:  So what did David fight Goliath with?

Dodger:  Five rocks and a sling, a weapon used for throwing, not to be confused with a sling shot.

Lilly:  That's it?!?  He chose that to go to battle against a giant in armor?

Dodger:  Yes he did.  "Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.  So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.  And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking.  So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.  And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”  Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.  Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:40-47 NKJV)  David isn't going to let Goliath scare him.  He knows that the battle belongs to God.  The outcome of his fight is up to God.

Lilly:  And that's the case for each one of us as well?

Dodger:  Yes.  None of us must worry about the outcome of our struggles.  Those battles are God's, and He'll preserve us through each one, no matter how many we face.

Lilly:  That's comforting.

Dodger:  Yes it certainly is.  So now I'll get to our ending. "So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.  Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.  Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.  And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.  Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron." (1 Samuel 17:48-52 NKJV)  Although there are some more verses, that's where we'll stop.

Lilly:  I noticed something.  When David won the victory over Goliath, he inspired the whole camp of Israel to stand up and fight as well!

Dodger:  Exactly.  Your success over the enemy will encourage others that, with God's help, they can beat the enemy too.  Remember that the enemy is going to lose.  He gets on our nerves, attacks us, tries to hurt us, and sometimes we even fall for his schemes, but because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we have the victory over the enemy, and all that he does will never make him able to beat us.  So if you're struggling in one place or another, pray about it.  God is right there ready to help.  No matter what the odds, you will win the victory over the enemy in Jesus name and in his power, just like David!

Lilly:  Thanks Dodger.  I feel a lot better, and now I know exactly how to fight future struggles.  I'll do it on God's strength, not my own, and I'll fight with the right weapons.

Dodger:  That's a great idea.  Uh-oh, it looks like we have to get going.  Well, I'm glad you could make it again.  I hope you enjoy the rest of your week!  Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!

Lilly:  ગુડબાય!  (Goodbye!)

(NKJV Means New King James Version)

(NIV 1984 Means New International Version 1984)

Ephesian Living.

Dodger:  Hello there!  How have you been?  Has all been well?  I hope so.  Lilly and I came looked in the mailbox and we found a letter for us.*  It has some questions in it.  Lilly, would you please read it?

Lilly: Sure.  Here, I'll show it to you.

Dodger:  Now technically, that's five questions, not just one.

Lilly:  That's true.  There's a few things we can see in the Bible to answer Inquis I. Tive's questions.  Dodger, can you please look up Ephesians 5?

Dodger:  Sure I can. I'll start at verse one. "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.  And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.  (Ephesians 5:1-2 NKJV)  

Lilly:  That's fairly clear.  We need to be copycats of God and act as He would.

Dodger:  Plus, We need to walk in love.  How exactly do we do that though?

Lilly:  Well, look at 1 Corinthians 13.  Starting at verse 4, it says "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV 1984)  Also, if we look at 1 John 4:8 it says "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." (ESV)  So if we want to imitate God, we do what He does, and since He is love, we should act in the way 1 Corinthians 13 describes.  That's a good way to imitate God.  But that's not all there is.  If we want to live like Christians, we need to keep certain things out of our lives.  Can you read some more Dodger?

Dodger:  Sure I will.  "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.  For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  Therefore do not be partakers with them." (Ephesians 5:3-7 NKJV)

Lilly:  So we shouldn't say foolish or unkind things, or mean or icky jokes.  We shouldn't covet either.

Dodger:  What does covet mean?

Lilly:  Coveting is wanting something that someone else has.  In other words, wanting to have something that belongs to someone else.  God explicitly says that we're not supposed to do this.

Dodger:  Instead of bad words, mean jokes, unkind comments, and covetousness, we need to be praising God.  This also answers the question about whether we should be different than others.  The answer is yes, we should be different.  When others do or say things that we know are wrong, it's our job not to do that.  That's how different we should be.  We must imitate Jesus even when others think it's strange.   Matthew 5:16 says it pretty clearly. "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (NIV 1984)  That's one way in which we must be different from others.  Another way is that we must not allow ourselves to be deceived by people who say things contrary to the Bible.  If it's against God's Word, no matter who says it, it is wrong.

Lilly:  But there's more.  I'll read now.  "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light  (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret." (Ephesians 5:8-12 NKJV)

Dodger:  Before we became Christians, we acted a certain way.  But now as Christians, we need to act a different way.  We need to walk, as the verse says, in goodness, righteousness, and truth.  We can't have any friendship with darkness, or evil, but must instead expose and defeat it.  We need to stand out as lights in a world filled with darkness.  When you accept Jesus into your heart, you are never the same.

Lilly:  That's really true.  We finish up our reading in Ephesians like this: "But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.  Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light.”

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,  giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:14-21 NKJV)

Dodger:  Circumspectly means prudent, or cautious.   So we need to be cautious, wise, and alert in the way we live.  We must speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, always praising God.

Lilly:  So that's how we can answer your question, Inquis I. Tive.  Thanks for writing us.  Always remember, the Bible can answer a question better than anyone.  It's the only book that's never wrong.  No one else can say that, not a math book, a science book, or even books about the Bible that aren't the Bible itself.

Dodger:  That is so true.  But you know what?  It looks like we've run out of time for today.  So remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!

Lilly:  ವಿದಾಯ!  (Goodbye)

NKJV Means New King James Version

NIV 1984 Means New International Version 1984

ESV means English Standard Version

*Please note, the letter in this post was written by the author, not an actual questioner.

Phillip's Principle

Dodger:  Hello there!  How have you been?  Good, I hope.  It's been a great week for Lilly and I, and we were just looking at the Bible.  Have you ever read the book of Acts?  It's a great book that talks about what Jesus' followers did after He went into heaven.  In chapter 8, we read about a man named Phillip.  He has an interesting day.

Lilly:  He sure does.  Let me read it to you.

"Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.  So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.  Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”
 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.  The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth.”

So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?”  Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.  Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”

Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”

And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.  Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.  But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea." (NKJV)

Dodger:  That's a neat story.  I like how Phillip knew how to explain the passage and convince a total stranger of Who Jesus is.

Lilly:  That is pretty cool.  You know, there are a few things we can learn from Phillip.

Dodger:  Like what?

Lilly:  Well, first we can learn to obey God.  Phillip did what God told Him, even though he didn't even know the man he was talking to.  Second, we can learn that we need to know the Bible.  We have to know what God's Word says in order to explain it to others.  After all, you can't talk very well on something you don't know very much about.  Third, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to show us what to say to others.

Dodger:  You're right.  First of all, obedience to God is necessary if we're going to preach the gospel.  Plus, God blesses those who obey Him.  Look at the example of Daniel.  You see, he lived in the time of king Nebuchadnezzar, after the fall of Jerusalem.  He was chosen along with some other people to be trained to serve the king, and one of the privileges he was granted was a really fancy diet. In Daniel 1:5 it says: "And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king."  But Daniel didn't want to eat that food, since he knew it would defile him.  He wanted to obey God's law, so look at what he does. "But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,  “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.  Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.”  So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.  So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds." (Daniel 1:8-17 NIV 1984)

Daniel and his friends did what they should have, and because they obeyed God by not defiling themselves, He blessed them.

Lilly:  That's really cool.  That brings us to the next thing we can learn from Phillip. We need to know the Bible well.  Phillip was able to explain to the official the whole gospel of Jesus, just starting with an ancient prophecy about Him.  We need to know the Word of God too, so that we can do what 1 Peter 3:15 says.

Dodger:  What's that?

Lilly: "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," (NIV 1984)  We need to know what to say when people have questions about why we have the hope that we do, and we also need to be prepared to answer questions about the Bible that anyone may have, just like Phillip was.  In order to do that, we need to study it.  Then we can also do what 2 Timothy 2:15 says.

Dodger: And what's that?

Lilly: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (NIV 1984)  We need to handle God's Word in the correct way so we can help as many people as possible.

Dodger:  Yeah.  And of course we can rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the words to say.  Just as He helped Phillip to know what to say, so He will help us, even if our audience is less friendly.  Jesus Himself promises us this in Matthew 10:17-20.  "Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues.  On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,  for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." (NIV 1984)  One of the great things about preaching the gospel is that we don't have to do it alone.  We always have God with us.

Lilly:  So let's study His Word and be dedicated to serving Him, and who knows what He'll do through us!

Dodger: Amen to that!  You know what?  I think we're out of time for today.  Thank you for coming today.  I hope you had a good time.  We'll see you next time.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!

Lilly: Selamat tinggal!

(NKJV Means New King James Version)

(NIV 1984 Means New International Version 1984)

Destination Known.

Dodger:  Hi there!  How was your week?  Sorry we haven't been in for a while.  I'm trying to keep track of everything that's happened to me this week.  I've been really busy, getting ready for school again.

Lilly:  Me too.  Interestingly enough, I was driving with my mom to go get some pencils and notebooks, when we came behind a car with a bumper sticker.

Dodger:  What did it say?  Was it funny?

Lilly:  No, this one was kind of sad.  It said "Life is a journey, with the destination unknown*".

Dodger:  That's odd.  I wonder why it says that.

Lilly:  My guess is that the person in that car doesn't know where his/her life is going.  That's pretty dangerous.

Dodger:  I see what you mean.  After all, life can only have two destinations, and you have to make the choice as to where you'll arrive.

Lilly:  Exactly.  Unfortunately, many people don't seem to know where they're going.

Dodger:  That reminds me of when I went on a trip with my family last month.  We were driving, and got lost on our way to the highway.  Dad couldn't get the GPS to work right.  We ended up stopping at a gas station for a map, and then we figured how to get to our destination.

Lilly:  That's a great example, Dodger.

Dodger:  Of what?

Lilly:  Well, think about it.  Life is kind of like the trip you were taking.  In order to navigate and make the right decisions, we have to know what we're doing and where we're going.  If we get lost, we need to find someone or something that can get us on the right road again.

Dodger:  A map, for example.

Lilly:  Right.  The Bible is like a roadmap for our lives, and the Holy Spirit gives us directions too, but when we don't know the Bible, or haven't heard it, or don't listen, we're liable to get lost and have no idea where we're going.  The real danger is not as much as when we don't know, as when we don't care.  If you don't care where you're going, you could end up in a really, really, bad place.

Dodger:  I see what you mean.  There's two places we can choose to go, and when we die we'll end up in one or the other.  One's heaven, and the other is hell.  And both are real places.  Neither one is a bad word, unless you use them in the wrong way, but I certainly don't want to end up in hell.

Lilly:  You said it.  In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus actually tells us which path to travel.  He says “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  (NKJV)

Dodger:  What does that mean?

Lilly:  Well, here's how I explain it.  If you want to go someplace, you can't just take any road.  If you want to get there safely, you have to follow directions and signs on the road.  If you don't, you could crash into another car, or jump your car off a cliff.  Sometimes the right road is bumpy and hard to ride on.  But if you follow it, you'll still reach your destination safely.  It's the same in life.  The choices you make will put you one place or another.  If you do something you know is wrong, you'll have to pay the consequences for it, like running a stop sign and hitting another car.  You need to be careful so you don't make bad choices you have to pay for later.

Dodger:  I get it.  But there's one choice more important than all of them, isn't there?  After all, we all make bad choices sometimes, so we can't rely completely on ourselves to get to heaven.

Lilly:  That's very true.  None of us can actually get to the right road without Someone Special's help.

Dodger:  You mean Jesus.

Lilly: You bet I do.  In Romans 3:21-26 the Bible shows us how we can be saved from the sins that would take us to hell.  It says "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (NKJV)  You see, we've all sinned and done wrong, and that's our own fault.  But God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.  But He didn't stay dead, oh no, He rose again on the third day and is alive even now!  The Romans verse makes it clear that we can be saved because Jesus paid the price for our sins so none of us would have to go to hell.  On our own, none of us is good enough to reach heaven.  But when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and our Savior, we can be saved, and know that our destination is heaven.

Dodger:  It's not always easy to do what Jesus wants us to.  Life won't be perfect when we accept Him, at least not right away, but when we reach heaven, it will be the best place we ever see.  So what do you think?  Maybe you're already a Christian.  If you are, good for you!  Keep reading the Bible and pursuing Jesus Christ.  But maybe you've never heard of Him, and would like to know Him now.  Romans 10:9-11 says "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”  You will never need to be ashamed of asking Jesus into your heart.  He already loves you, and really wants you to live in heaven with Him.  If you'd like to know Jesus for the first time and have The Holy Spirit in your heart, say so, and believe that He really rose from the dead.  You can pray to Him, and tell Him "Dear God, I know I've done wrong, and that I don't deserve you.  But I also know that you sent Your Son Jesus Christ to die a very hard death so that I could be saved from my sin.  I believe that You raised Him from the dead.  I confess You as Lord and Savior of my life, Lord Jesus.  Thank you very much.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Lilly:  Did you know that if you were the only person on earth Jesus still would have died for you?  He doesn't play favorites.  He doesn't see anyone as more valuable than you.  In His own words: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16 NKJV)

Dodger:  If you just accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, well done.  You now know where your life is going.  Even though the road isn't always going to be easy, He has promised to never leave or forsake you.  His angels are even throwing a party because of you!

Lilly:  It's amazing how much life is like a journey.  I'm glad that as Christians, we can say "Our destination is heaven".

Dodger:  Hallelujah!  By the way, that means "Praise the Lord!"  Well, it looks like I have to get going.

Lilly:  Yeah, me too.

Dodger:  Thanks for coming today.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not to change!

Lilly:  La revedere!



(NKJV means New King James Version)
* This was based on, but not quoted, from a real bumper sticker.

Two birthdays.

Lilly:  Happy birthday to you!  Happy birthday to you!  Happy birthday, dear Dodger!  Happy birthday to you!

Dodger:  Thanks Lilly.  Oh, hi there!  I'm glad you could make it to my birthday party!  I've had a good one so far.  I wish I could give you some cake, but I guess that this will have to do.

Any way, we've been celebrating for quite a while now.

Lilly: But that's because any birthday is a big deal.  After all Dodger, you wouldn't be here if you didn't have one!

Dodger:  Well actually, I have two.   And the other one is even better than this one.

Lilly:  What?  Dodger, is that a birthday joke?

Dodger:  No, I'm serious.  You see, I was born on August 5th, 2000, but I've also been born again!

Lilly:  What does that mean?

Dodger:  Well, it traces back to the Bible.

Lilly:  Somehow I saw that coming.

Dodger:  We do talk about the Bible a lot.  Anyway, what I'm talking about is in two books, the gospel of John and the book of 2 Corinthians.  First let's look at John chapter three.  In it, Jesus is talking to a man named Nicodemus (there's a name I don't want) and telling him something that Nicodemus doesn't quite understand.  It's in verses 3-4.  "Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (NKJV)  But what Jesus was telling Nicodemus was not that one must be physically born again.  He was telling him that one must be spiritually born again!

Lilly:  Would you explain that further?

Dodger:  Think of it this way.  What was your life like before you knew Jesus?  How did you act?  Did you change when you met Him?  Hasn't your life been different ever since?

Lilly:  Yes.  My life has changed a lot.  In fact I met an old acquaintance yesterday and after talking for a while he told me that I was like a brand new person!

Dodger:  And that ties into 2 Corinthians 5:17.  Look what it says: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (NKJV)  This verse is saying that when you know Jesus, everything that is old leaves and is replaced with the new!  So you get a new life, and a new heart, and a new kind of love, and all sorts of other new!  But you also become born again.  So you get a new birthday too!

Lilly:  So when's your other birthday?

Dodger:  Mine's on December 19th, 2004.  You know what's interesting though?  I don't celebrate that birthday as much, although it's even more important than my physical birthday.

Lilly:  Well this year we're going to celebrate it like never before.

Dodger:  I think that's a good idea.

Lilly:  It's pretty cool to know that God gives us all the new things we need to live His way, instead of us having to get them.  God is pretty generous, isn't He Dodger?

Dodger:  He most certainly is.  His Son Jesus was the best gift I ever received, and He didn't even make me wait until my birthday to get it!  Speaking of which, what did you get me for my birthday, Lilly?  Can I unwrap it now?

Lilly:  Sure.  Here you go, Dodger.

Dodger:  Lilly!  This is amazing.  Can I show our friend?

Lilly:  Of course!  Go ahead!

Dodger:  Look at this!

Lilly:  Happy birthday, Dodger.

Dodger:  Thanks Lilly.  Wow, look at the time.  I guess we better get going.  Thanks again for coming to my party!  Remember, Jesus loves you, and that's not about to change!

Lilly: Ardievas!