“You’ve gone and done it!”          

Shirley leaned down from the top bunk and whispered, “Now remember what we’ve decided! We’re not going to do it!”

Betty replied “No, I told you I wasn’t going to!”

Shirley and Betty were at a camp for girls in the school holidays, and were having a great time. It was the first time that Betty had been to anything like this, and everything was so new. The programme of singing and morning talks, the games and even the way of having meals together with thirty other girls was a novelty.

It was nothing new for Shirley. She had been to camps before and knew what to expect. In fact when her grandfather (who was a devout Christian man) had said he would pay for her to go this time, she had put her foot down and said she didn’t want to go, and wouldn’t go unless her best friend Betty could go with her. She talked it over with Betty who thought the whole idea sounded like a lot of fun. But Shirley’s grandfather said he would pay for Betty too, if Shirley would only go. So it was arranged.

“I know what Grand-dad wants”, said Shirley, “He wants us to get saved. But I’m not going to get saved. You’re not to get saved if we go, Betty”.

“No, no,” said Betty who hadn’t the faintest idea what “getting saved” was, “I’m not going to get saved!”

So here they were. Betty listened to the talks by the leaders and was fascinated by what she heard. She had been to Sunday School off and on when her mother sent her, and had heard the Bible stories that were told there, but none of it made much sense to her. What if David had killed a giant? What did that matter? And what about Jonah running away from God….what was so wrong with that?

But now the stories and talks started to make more sense. Betty could tell that disobedience was sin, and she knew that she had been disobedient to her mother more than once. So that must mean she was a sinner. She had never thought of herself being a sinner, that was only really bad people like a burglar or a murderer.

But even if just telling lies was a sin, then she knew for certain she WAS a sinner, and it began to dawn on her that she needed to do something about it.

The speaker explained how Jesus who was God’s Son, came into the world as a human being to pay for a person’s sin by His death. How such a good person could be taken and killed for just helping people and explaining about God really touched Betty’s mind, and she began to waver in her thinking about “being saved”. She knew now that she had to be saved from her sin.

So when Shirley whispered to her that night, she didn’t reply quite so convincingly as she had the other nights when Shirley asked her.

“You’d better remember what you said”, said Shirley and now it sounded like a threat to Betty.

But after another couple of days listening to the speakers explaining more of what the Bible taught, Betty wavered no longer. She went to one of the lady leaders and told her how she was feeling and was gently shown the way to pray, telling  the Lord she wanted to be right with Him. She felt as though a burden had been lifted from her young shoulders, and it must have shown in her face and footsteps, because that night after the lights were out, Shirley whispered down to Betty, “You’ve gone and done it haven’t you!! Well, I’m not going to!”

Betty had indeed “done” it, and it was a decision that she never forgot or regretted in her whole life, even as an old lady.

    The sad thing about this true story is that Shirley never did “do” it, and she stubbornly refused to listen to God’s voice in her mind until it left her altogether. The Bible tells us that God says He will not always strive (speak) to those who won’t listen to Him, and they will go a lost eternity without God and with no hope at all.

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Jesus IS Coming!

Bobby was a happy little boy who loved animals. On  the life style block  where he lived there was a donkey, two dogs called Skip and Spot, several  calves and a mother cow called Brownie. Bobby loved them all, and spent all  his spare time outside with them. Bobby’s dad milked Brownie each morning  and took the milk inside  for Mother.

Every Sunday the family went to church and the children would go off into their classes. Bobby learned all about Jesus in his class. His teacher told them the most interesting stories. One Sunday she explained how Jesus had been killed by some wicked men and had  come back to life three days later. After a few weeks, He had gone back to heaven while His friends watched. She said they saw angels who said that one day Jesus was going to come again the same way.

Bobby listened to all this and thought that it was alright for grown-ups, but it really didn’t have anything to do with little boys.  At lunch time, his mother asked him about the lesson. Bobby thought for a minute and then remembered it was that Jesus was coming back  one day.

“Does that mean that everyone is going to be with Jesus then?” his father asked.

Bobby thought again. “No”, he said, “Teacher said that only those who love Jesus will go to be with Him”.

“Do you love Jesus?” Father asked. Bobby squirmed. He knew  he loved his animals more than anything else, maybe even more than Jesus.

Bobby soon forgot all this and time went by. One evening at tea-time, Father said, “I’ve been thinking Bobby. Would you like to have Brownie all for your own?”      “Ooh, yes!” Bobby exclaimed.

“Well”, said Father, “ I’ve decided that when Jesus comes back, you can have Brownie all for yourself”.

“Ooh yippee!” cried Bobby, “All for me!”

After tea, he rushed out to where Brownie was munching her hay, and whispered in her ear, “You will be all mine when Jesus comes back!”

Then he suddenly thought, Father and Mother won’t be here though, they will have gone with Jesus.  Sarah and Emma  won’t be here either because they love Jesus and will be with Him too! Maybe it isn’t such a good idea after all! But Brownie gave a little moo and rubbed her head against his shoulder. She was SUCH a nice animal, and she loved him too. He would be able to look after her all the time!

Bobby woke up that night and everything was SO quiet. Perhaps Jesus had come already and everyone else had gone! His heart started to pound, and he sneaked down the passage outside his parent’s bedroom to see if he could hear them. There was no noise! Then he heard a faint snore, and his heart slowed down again. It was alright, his parents were still there!

But he couldn’t get back to sleep again. He knew  he wouldn’t go to be with Jesus because he loved Brownie more. Suddenly Brownie didn’t seem so important. He wanted to be sure he would go with Jesus when He came back. Bobby slipped out of bed and kneeled down beside it.

“Please Lord Jesus”, he whispered, “I  want to love You more than I do. I want to be with You when You come back. Please forgive my sins and help me to know You better”.

He crawled back into bed, and oh the relief that filled him! He knew he would still love Brownie,