Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Pilgrim’s Progress (11)

Leave a comment

              Beware!

It was a cold wet Sunday evening, and Bobby put some more wood on the fire. Uncle Jeff was with the family for tea again, and when the dishes were cleared off the table they all gathered around to hear more story. Even Mum and Dad had got interested by this time and wanted to hear more of Christian’s adventures along the road of life.

“Well, we left Christian and Hopeful starting on the next stage of their journey”, said Uncle Jeff, “and as they went along, Christian remembered hearing a story about this part of the journey they were going on. ‘You know Hopeful,’ he began, ‘this is where Little-faith nearly lost his way to the Celestial City. He lay down under a tree somewhere here as he was so tired, and went to sleep. He woke up to see three robbers coming up on their horses, but by the time he had got off the ground they were upon him. They robbed him of his money, and one of them clubbed him on the head. Just as they were about to search him more thoroughly, they heard another traveller coming on a horse so they took off. They didn’t know that it was the Prince who was coming, because He has promised that He will never leave His people, no matter how weak they are or how foolish they have been.’                                             

 ‘What a great story!’ Hopeful exclaimed, ‘It gives me courage to carry on. We have certainly been silly sometimes, and yet the King is always with us even if we can’t see Him! Did the robbers get Faint-heart’s jewels?’ ‘No’, said Christian, ‘He had them hidden over his heart, and his soul was safe. But there is one thing that we have to remember, and that is to always have our sword ready and our shield as well, because our enemy is always lurking around ready to take a swipe at us’. ‘Oh, I will’, said Hopeful.’

“I know what that means”, Betty piped up, “It means that we always have to learn verses so we can say them, and to remember everything that God has done for us other times!” “That’s right,” said Uncle Jeff, “If we stand firm when the devil attacks us, he will run away from us. He is really a big coward!” “Doesn’t the Bible  say something about always wearing the armour of God too?” Sarah asked. “That’s right, that is the only way we can resist the devil and use our sword against him,” Uncle Jeff replied. “ Do you remember what the sword is in the armour that we have?” “Isn’t it the Bible?” Sarah asked, “I seem to remember something about it being the sword because it is the Word of God.”

“Yes,” said Uncle Jeff, “And that’s why it is so important to fill your mind with memory verses, so even if you don’t have your Bible with you, you can remember verses to keep you from temptation and displeasing God. Anyway, our friends went on a little further, and then they came to a fork in the road. ‘Which way shall we go?’ Hopeful asked. They stood there looking at the roads for a bit, and neither way seemed better than the other. ‘Let’s go this way’, said Christian, ‘There’s a man over there, we’ll follow him’, and off they went, catching up with him.  ‘Hoho’, the man said, ‘You look like two nice fellows, come and join me on my travels.’

So Christian and Hopeful followed him. He kept telling them how lucky he was to have such nice fellows to walk with and how good they were to keep him company.     They had completely forgotten what the shepherd had told them about a man called Mr. Flatterer, and so they listened to his nice talk as they went along, and he kept telling them what good fellows they were!  But they never noticed that the road they were on had turned right around and was now facing the City of Destruction once more. They kept following him without ever once looking at their book of instructions, and never noticed where he was taking them until they found themselves all tangled up in a large net that was lying in the way. ‘Haha!’ laughed Mr. Flatterer, ‘you’ll be lucky to get to the Celestial City now! Haha!’ and he laughed again and then vanished.

‘Oh, oh’, cried Christian, ‘what shall we do? Oh, I’ve taken you the wrong way again Hopeful! Can you ever forgive me?’ ‘Of course I forgive you’, Hopeful said, ‘Even if you make mistakes seventy times seven!’

But this didn’t help them get out of the net. They spent a miserable night feeling sorry for themselves, and when it came daylight, they could see an angel there hovering nearby. ‘How did you come to be tangled up in this?’ he asked, ‘Didn’t the shepherds give you a map with directions on which way to take? Why didn’t you read it?’ Christian looked at the ground in shame. ‘I forgot’, he muttered. ‘Well,’ said the angel, ‘You will have to suffer the consequences of your foolishness. Here is a small hook to undo all those knots and get out of this mess’, and he passed them a small hook each. It took them almost all day to undo those knots, and their fingers were covered in blobs of blood by the time they finished and were free once more”.

“That’s just like us when we do something silly without thinking”, Bobby said, “We might get out of trouble but then we have to put up with what follows. Like the time I went outside when I was told not to. It was raining and I got wet and cold, then I ended up with a bad cough for days”. “That’s right”, said Uncle Jeff, “Sometimes God has to let us suffer for our foolishness to teach us to obey our parents and to not forget to read His Word!” “What happened to them next?” Sarah asked. “When they eventually managed to undo all the knots and get free, and  they carried on the road again, going in the right direction this time. But we’ll have to leave our story there for this time, ” Uncle Jeff said, “I’d better  have that cup of tea now  and then I’ll have to go”.

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Pilgrim’s Progress (10)

Leave a comment

In REAL Trouble This Time.

    Uncle Jeff walked in one wet Saturday afternoon. “I figured it was time we caught up with a bit more story”, he said, “And seeing it’s a wet afternoon, it’s a good time to do this”. “Ooh goody”, cried Betty, “Come on Bobby, more of Uncle Jeff’s story!” Sarah came into the room with the others and settled down to listen as well.

“What was the big mistake that Christian and Hopeful made?” Uncle Jeff asked. “They left the narrow way of the King, and went over the stile for an easier road”, said Bobby, “They were following Cocky who thought he knew best, and then they all got lost in the dark”. “I know what that’s like”, Sarah said, “It’s like when we think we know what’s best for us instead of doing what the Bible says. When we get the huff with someone who has been mean to us, and then won’t forgive them!” “Yes, and now they find themselves in a real mess. Without knowing where they were going, they had wandered off the right track and were now in the grounds of a large castle called Doubting Castle that belonged to Giant Despair.

He was going the rounds the next morning to see what damage the storm had done, and what should he see but Christian and Hopeful asleep in his shed by the track.   He picked them both up by the backs of their necks as though they were little kittens, and took them off to his castle where he threw them into a stinking  dungeon. It was dark and smelly inside. Our friends picked themselves up off the floor and they shook their heads trying to see what their prison was like. They were left there without anything to eat or drink for three days. Christian especially was feeling bad because it was his idea to go over the stile the easy way.

   The giant’s wife was as cruel and mean as he was, and tried to get him to kill them. But he went back the next day  to see them and gave them both a beating  instead. They were feeling so sore for the next day or so, and when the giant came back again, he had a bottle of poison and a rope in his hand. ‘There’, he said as he threw them down on the floor, ‘You can either take the poison or hang yourselves. Nobody ever gets out of here alive!’    The two men were so weak and sore, that they actually talked about taking the poison. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea’, Christian said, ‘But I was the one that got us into this mess!’ ‘Not really’, said Hopeful, ‘But I don’t think the King would like us to be talking about killing ourselves’. They lay down again and tried to rest their sore backs and legs. When they woke up, Christian suddenly said, ‘Oh! I’ve been such a dope! Look what I have here!’ and he put his hand inside his shirt pulling out a large key wrapped in his handkerchief. ‘What is that?’ asked Hopeful. ‘The girl where I got the armour from gave it to me just as I was leaving and said that if we were ever in real trouble to use this key of promise and prayer. She said that it would unlock any door of any size!’

     So that night after dark, Christian went to the door and put the key in it. Sure enough, it unlocked easily. They went through it and came to the second door. This was a much bigger door, but it too opened with no trouble. The final door led to the outside and it was heavy and rusty. The key could not unlock it so they both turned it with all their might. Suddenly it flew open making a dreadful clatter. The Giant’s wife heard it, and pushed him out of bed saying, ‘Those prisoners are running off. Go and catch them!’ Giant Despair ran after them, and almost caught them as they got to the outside gateway. But what with the effort of waking up suddenly and being a bit dizzy, one of his fits came upon him and he fell down on the ground.

‘Quick’ said Christian, and they ran through the gate slamming it behind them. They kept running until they could run no more and were well clear of Giant Despair’s land. After they climbed back over the stile, they said, ‘Let’s put up a notice to warn others of the dangers of leaving the King’s Highway’. They found a large smooth piece of wood and carved a warning notice on it with an arrow pointing along the narrow way they had left.  It said, ‘This is the way, only walk this way!’

A little further along, they came to a beautiful meadow with plenty of green grass and shepherds looking after some sheep. ‘What is this place called”‘ Christian asked the shepherds. ‘This is the place of rest beside the still waters’, they said, ‘The Chief Shepherd leads his sheep here, and gives them a full table to eat from. He restores their  souls  and  anoints  their  heads with oil until their cup runs over with joy. Why don’t you stay here and recover from all your aches and pains. It isn’t much further to the Celestial City from here’ “, and Uncle Jeff paused. “Did they do that?” Bobby asked. “I guess it’s like us taking a break after a tough time”, Sarah said. “What happens next?” asked Betty impatiently. “Well,” said Uncle Jeff slowly, “They decided to do just that. They stopped there until they felt fit enough to carry on. The names of the shepherds there were Knowledge, Experience, Watchful and Hope. Whenever we have gone through tough times, we come out of it knowing more and having all those experiences behind us. We know to be more watchful like Christian was now, and filled with hope for better days ahead.

The shepherds went with them to the end of the restful plains, and then after climbing a small rise, they handed Christian a pair of binoculars to look across to the hills with the bright  glow behind them.  ‘There’s the Celestial City over there’, they said, ‘behind that bright gateway’.  Hopeful too, had a look and it made him feel glad at the very thought of being there. ‘Whatever you do’, the shepherds said, ‘Beware of a man called Flatterer, and don’t stop on the Enchanted Ground.’ ‘Watch out for the robbers too’, called out Knowledge as they went on their way.

 So Christian and Hopeful went on their way, feeling rested and with a song in their hearts. And we’ll leave it there for now”, Uncle Jeff said. “I think the rain has stopped, so let’s go outside”.

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Pilgrim’s Progress (9)

Leave a comment

                                                More Temptations on the Way.

“Can we go around to Uncle Jeff’s place this afternoon?” asked Bobby one Saturday. “If all your chores are done we’ll think about it after lunch”, said Mum, “So you’d better run along and get them done!” Needless to say, the chores all got done in double quick time, and when they got to Uncle Jeff’s place, they all settled down for the next part of the story.

“Where did we get up to?” Uncle Jeff asked. “Christian got away from the wicked town where Faithful was killed”, Bobby said. “Yes, and that man called Skitey Pants wanted him to go to that place where nobody told the truth”, Betty piped up. “That was the place called Fair-Speech”, put in Sarah, “and now he had Hopeful travelling with him”. “Right”, said Uncle Jeff, “I think you’ve got it all sorted, so here goes…..

After a while Christian and Hopeful came to a plain that was called Easy, and they soon got across it with no trouble. As they came to a small hill on the other side, a man came out from a cave there. This hill was called Silver, and there was a silver mine there. ‘Hoho’, said the man whose name was Demas, ‘Come and have a look at this mine. You might even see some bits of silver on the ground that you can take!’

Hopeful thought he might like to look, but Christian wouldn’t have a bar of it. ‘No, no’, he said, ‘I’ve heard how too many people fall for the love of money and do all sorts of evil things to get it. I’m not going to risk it’. So Hopeful decided to give it a miss too, and they carried on. Just behind them another man called Money-love  came up and Demas got him to go and have a look at the silver mine. He was very keen but he got too close to the edge of it and fell to his death into the pit below.

    As they went further along, they saw a white statue beside the edge of the road. ‘Whatever is this?’ Hopeful asked. They walked around it and then noticed a sign at the bottom of it. It read ‘Remember Lot’s Wife’. ‘Oh’, said Christian, ‘I remember that story. This is the woman that was supposed to escape from Sodom when God was going to destroy it for being so wicked, but she turned around and looked back behind her, and then turned into this white pillar of hard salt.’ “

Mum came into the room just then with a drink for each of them and a plate of cookies. “Here you are”, she said, “Take a break and have a drink”. “Ooh goody,” said Betty.  “Thank you Mum”, said Sarah and Bobby together as they reached for a cookie each.

“The two friends went on their journey”, Uncle Jeff continued, “and now the path was beside a smooth running river called the River of Life. The water was fresh and sweet and the two men were glad to be able to drink from it. Along both sides of the river were beautiful fruit trees and they were able to eat the fruit when they were hungry. They were able to get a good rest each night as it was perfectly safe to sleep here without any worry of being disturbed. They were able to take time to read from their books that the King had provided, and had many a good conversation about what they were reading. It was a very delightful and restful part of the trip.

   But after a while, the path turned away from the river and became stony and rough and went up a hill again. It wasn’t nearly so pleasant as the part they had just travelled over. The track levelled off a bit, and there was a stile on the side of the road in the middle of a hedge that the road was going by. Christian looked over the stile, and saw a sign saying ‘By-Path Meadow’.

‘This track is a lot easier than what we are going on here’, he said, ‘Look, there is someone else just ahead of us here, let’s follow him!’ ‘But weren’t you told at the beginning of this journey, to make sure you always stayed on the narrow path without getting off it?’ Hopeful asked. ‘We’ll follow this man and make sure he doesn’t get into trouble’, Christian said, ‘This way is much easier! Hey, there! ‘ he called out, ‘What is your name and where does this track go?’ ‘My name is Cocky’, the man said, ‘And this track goes to the Celestial City!’ ‘See!’ said Christian to Hopeful, ‘We’ll be OK if we keep him in sight’.

So they followed him all afternoon, and then it began to get dark. They kept on following him until they couldn’t see him any more. Suddenly they heard him cry out, ‘Help, help’, and then there was silence. There was a sudden flash of lightning, and then another one. Our two friends could see that there was a deep pit just ahead, and this was what Cocky had fallen into.

‘I wish we hadn’t left the other path’, Hopeful said. ” Please forgive me’, Christian said, ‘Let’s go back’. So they stumbled along the best they could in the heavy rain, getting more tired and discouraged all the way. Another flash of lightning showed them an open shed by the path so they went in there and lay down, falling asleep in spite of being wet and sore.”

“Ooh, what happened to them then?”  Betty asked shivering in anticipation. “You’ll have to wait until next time to see”, Uncle Jeff said, “We’ve had enough for now”. “I think I can see what this part is all about”, said Sarah thoughtfully, “It’s like when we leave off our morning readings, or going to church when things get a bit rough or when we are busy, and we find things getting really tough, and maybe make some big mistakes and know it is all our own fault”. “That’s right”, said Uncle Jeff, “We have to be on our guard all the time. It’s no use thinking we can stand and handle things ourselves without God’s help, because that is when we will fall for sure! Come on, let’s go outside.”

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Pilgrim’s Progress (8)

Leave a comment

                                                Beelzebub Tries Again.

      Bobby and Sarah were sitting snuggled up to Uncle Jeff . “Do you want more story?” Uncle Jeff asked as he settled down. “Oh yes please!” they chorused. “Please!!!” said Betty as she came in to the room.

So Uncle Jeff began his next story….     “Christian and Faithful were carrying on with their journey, and had already been warned that the next town was a dangerous place   ‘I wonder if there is another way to the Celestial City rather than through this town?’ Christian said to Faithful as they carried on their way, ‘If it’s as bad as Evangelist says so, you’d think the King would make a by-pass for His people to travel through’. ‘Well, you know our Book says we are to count it all joy when these fiery trials come to us’, Faithful said, ‘So it must have a good effect on us after we’ve got past this place, and then we’ll come out shining like pure gold’. ‘Yes,’ said Christian, ‘We have to remember to be careful what we say and keep our mouth clean and not say anything that would displease the King’.

By this time, they were approaching the town of Vanity Fair, and it was a motley looking collection of buildings. As they went down the main street, they could see that there were a lot of markets selling all sorts of useless junky things. There seemed to be a lot of pubs and bars there too, and beggars were whining for money as they went along. Men were fighting each other outside the pubs, and there didn’t seem to be any sort of law and order anywhere. Their language too, was very bad and our two pilgrims hadn’t even heard a lot of the words that people were saying.

‘Come and buy’, the girls at the market stalls would call out as they went by. But nothing there attracted Faithful and Christian at all. People were fighting outside the pubs, and they had to dodge the buckets of slops that were being thrown out on the streets. ‘What will you buy?’ another girl called out. ‘We aren’t interested in anything but the Truth’, Faithful said. ‘What is the Truth?’ asked someone else with a sneer, ‘No-one tells the truth here! We grab what we can by saying anything that comes into our heads!’

By this time the whole Market was in a turmoil. This one was shouting one thing and someone else another. The Master of the market pushed his way through the maddening crowd, ‘What’s going on here?’ he shouted, ‘What are you fellows doing?’ When Christian and Faithful told him they were on their way to the Celestial City, the whole mob rose up and threw dirt on them , grabbed them and threw them into a cage locking the door behind them. People would make fun of them there, and spit on them through the cage wires. ‘Don’t be afraid of all this’, Faithful said to Christian, ‘this is how they treated our Prince when He lived  here on earth. The servant is no better than his Master’.

   The next morning, the officials took the two prisoners out of the cage, and tied big chains to their ankles and then dragged them up and down the main street of Vanity Fair, until their skin was all grazed and bleeding. Some of the better people of the town, started to feel sorry for them, and left town after this making their way to the heavenly city themselves. Our two friends were put back into the cage to wait for their trial, and when the time came, they found their Judge was the one called Lord Hate-Good.

‘I don’t think we’ll get a fair trial with this judge’, Faithful said to Christian, ‘He’s known for turning good evidence into bad, and bad into good’. The judge called for witnesses, and to their dismay, three were called…Envy, Superstition and No-Good. As each one was called to give evidence, they couldn’t say one good thing about the two friends. Everything they said was lies, and the judge believed what they said. ‘Besides all this,’ Envy said, ‘They have spoken against you my Lord, and against Beelzebub our Master, I heard them myself!’

At this, all those in the courthouse started to call out and make a great noise. ‘Order!’, the Judge called out banging his hammer on the desk with great force, ‘These two men have been found guilty of causing the disturbance in town, and must be punished. Take them out into the town square, and thrash them, then burn them at the stake’.    So they were dragged out by their feet and Faithful was tied up first with Christian sitting on the ground with his arms over his eyes. Christian could hear the thrashing going on and then the noise of matches striking and finally hear the flames burning and Faithful’s grunts of pain”.

“Ooh, how could people be so cruel!” cried Betty as Uncle Jeff paused for a minute. “That’s what they are doing in some countries now, isn’t it Uncle Jeff?” Sarah asked. “Yes, they are”, said Uncle Jeff, “Let’s get past this bit of our story quickly…..

“Christian managed to crawl between the people who were busy watching what was happening to poor Faithful, and then get up and carefully walk until he was out of sight of the crowd, when he ran as quickly as his sore legs and back would let him until he was well clear of the city.    After a bit, he heard someone else coming up behind him walking more quickly than he was. He tried to go faster, but it was useless. The man caught up with him and said, ‘Can I come with you to the Celestial City? I was watching what they did with you and your friend back there and I want to leave such a cruel place’. ‘If you really mean it’, said Christian , ‘It will be good to have company again’. This man’s name was Hopeful, so they went on together, talking as they went. After a while, they caught up with another man, and asked him where he was from. ‘I’m from the town of Fair-Speech’, he said, ‘It’s a place where people only say good things about everything that happens’.

‘It’s a very wealthy town isn’t it?’ asked Christian, ‘Yes, it is’, the man said, ‘And I’ve got a lot of rich relations there too. We never disagree with anyone there, especially in the matter of religion’. ‘Oh?’ said Christian, ‘What if they’re wrong in their ideas?’ “We believe that everyone’s idea is as good as the others’, the man said, ‘Everyone will get to the Celestial City in the end’. ‘Well, that’s not what the King’s book says’, Christian said, ‘It says that ALL have sinned and that only those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved and get there. By the way, isn’t your name Skitey Pants?’ ‘That’s what those who don’t like me call me’, he said, ‘But it’s not my real name’. ‘We believe what the King’s Book says,’ said Hopeful, ‘and if you don’t go along with it, we’ll carry on, on our own’. ‘Oh, very well then’, said Skitey Pants huffily, ‘Just as you please. Someone else will catch me up yet’, and he turned around and went back the way he had come. So we’ll leave him there for this week,’ Uncle Jeff said, “and catch up with him next time”.

  He got up and went out into the kitchen. “Who wants something to drink?” he called out. “Me!” Betty and Bobby said together. “Yes please,” said Sarah as she followed him out, “That’s a really good story Uncle Jeff, and I can see the points of it too”.

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Pilgrim’s Progress (7)

Leave a comment

                               More Setbacks in Christian’s Way.

“Dad, can we go round to Uncle Jeff’s place this afternoon?” Bobby asked one Saturday. “Well, you’ll have to make sure you get all your chores done this morning then”, Dad said, “And as it turns out, Mum and I want to go shopping this afternoon so we can drop you off on our way and pick you up when we get back”. “Ooh, goody!” said Betty who had been listening, “I want more story!”

   So later on when they were left at Uncle Jeff’s place, they all settled down nibbling at some nuts that Uncle Jeff had on his little table by the couch. “Well, we left Christian and Faithful walking along together enjoying chatting as they went. They were talking about the goodness of the King, and what they expected to find when they got to the Heavenly Land. They were so busy talking as they went that they didn’t see the tall man coming up behind them.

 ‘Hoho,’ he said as he caught up with them, ‘How is the travelling going?’ ‘Where are you off to?’ Christian asked, ‘We are going to the Celestial City’. ‘So am I!’ said Talkative ( that was his name, and also what he was) Come and walk with us then’, said Christian ‘and we can enjoy talking as we go along’. ‘Nothing would suit me better’, said Talkative, ‘I can talk about all sorts of things you like to bring up’. ‘We’ve been talking about the Celestial City’, said Faithful, ‘and the things that we will find there’. ‘There are better things to talk about than that’, said Talkative, ‘Why no-one has ever come back from there to tell us what it’s like. Now I prefer to talk about things I can see around me….’ and he kept on talking and talking as they went along. Christian strode along ahead and the other two started to lag behind, as Talkative was so busy talking, he started walking slower. Finally, Faithful caught up to Christian and said, ‘Why don’t you join in with us back here?’

‘I don’t think so’, Christian said, ‘I remember what he was like when I knew him back in the city of Destruction. Wherever he was, he talked to suit those who were there. You should have heard what he was like in the pub! People said he was a saint when he was out and a devil when he was at home!’ ‘Really?’ said Faithful, ‘How can we get rid of him then?’ ‘Just ask him what made him want to come to the Celestial City, and tell him how good God is to have called us like He did!’    Faithful began to talk to him about these things, and it wasn’t long before Talkative said, ‘I’ve just remembered  something, I’d better go back and attend to it!’ and he turned around and went back where he had come from.”

“It’s funny that,” Sarah said, “The kids at school who don’t go to Youth Club don’t like to hear us talk about things we do there either. They say we are sissies for taking notice of that sort of thing!” “Silly things!” said Betty, “They don’t know much do they?” “What happened next, Uncle Jeff?” Bobby asked. “The path was going through a dry rough place where nothing much was growing, in fact it seemed like a wilderness with no green grass and nothing very nice to look at. Just like Talkative’s talk was, dry and pointless. As they were about to leave this area, another person was hurrying up behind them. Christian turned around, and exclaimed, ‘Oh look, here comes our old friend Evangelist, he’ll have something worthwhile to say to us!’

   And so it was. ‘ Peace be with you!’ Evangelist said as he caught up with them, ‘May the Lord be with you….how are you doing now you are this far on your trip?’ ‘We were just saying that if it weren’t for your encouragement back in the city of Destruction, we might never have started on this journey. We are so thankful for your preaching and teaching in past days! By the way, did you see anything of Twisty after he got back to city of Destruction? I thought he was going to stay and be a good friend to me on the way, but he said the road was too hard’.

‘Yes, he is back where he started from, and harder than ever. He is saying now that it was all a big mistake and he found that it was just a load of rubbish! I think he was one of those people who start off with great enthusiasm and then when hard things happen, they change their minds and turn away from the things of God’.”

“I know a girl like that at school”, Sarah said, “She seemed really keen at the Easter Camp, and went forwards to talk to the leader, and even got up at the testimony time, but to listen to her now, she has changed right back again”.

“Yes, you find that happens sometimes”, said Uncle Jeff, “Well, while they were walking along, Evangelist started to look very sad. ‘What’s wrong, Evangelist?’ Christian asked. ‘The King has given me a message that as you pass through the next town called Vanity Fair, one of you is not going to get past there, but will die’. Christian and Faithful looked at each other with sad faces at this news. Evangelist said, ‘I know this is very sad news, but the one who will be taken will be better off than the one that is left because he will reach the Celestial City first, and will be saved from many hard times in this world before the other one gets there. But for the one who is left, let me say in the words of our Master, ‘Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’. And now I must leave you and go back to continue my work of pointing more pilgrims to this way’.    With that, he turned around and sadly walked away, while the others carried on forward towards this town of doom.”

Uncle Jeff got up and stretched. “I think that will do for today”, he said, “It won’t be long before your Mum and Dad come back….let’s go outside and fill the wheelbarrow up with firewood for tonight”.

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Pilgrim’s Progress (6)

Leave a comment

                                     Christian’s Greatest Trial Yet.

     A few days had gone by, and the children hadn’t seen Uncle Jeff. “Mum, when is Uncle Jeff coming round again?” Bobby asked one day after school, “I want to hear more of that story!” “You are really enjoying that aren’t you?” Mum asked, “Have you noticed that each story has a meaning to it?” Sarah came into the room in time to hear what Mum said. “Yes, I had noticed that”, she said, “Sometimes it even has Bible verses in it. It seems just like things that happen to us when we feel like giving up our Bible reading and learning our verses”. “That’s right”, Mum said, “And I guess there’ll be more of that in the next session too”.

Uncle Jeff called in a few days later, and Bobby couldn’t wait to say, “What happens to Christian in the next part of the story, Uncle Jeff?” So they all settled themselves down, and Uncle Jeff said, “Well, you all remember where we got up to don’t you? Christian had stayed in Mr. and Mrs. Hospitable’s place and was having a good rest after all his frights on the road. What do you think that is like for us?” “Well, I guess you could say it’s like us having a good time at a camp or Youth Group”, Sarah said thoughtfully.

“Yes, that’s right”, Uncle Jeff said, “We get all fired up with hearing all the stories and learning new songs, and then we leave and feel we could convert the world! Well, Christian was like that too. He stayed with the family for a few days before leaving and they showed him all sorts of wonderful things they had collected over the years. There was a little basket like Moses would have been in when he was a baby, and there were some slings like David would have used when he killed the giant, and a collection of clothes that the priests would have worn in the tabernacle. Just before he left, the girls took him into a large dressing room with a great collection of armour.

‘Now, you must put these on to protect yourself on the road’, they said, ‘Here is the helmet of salvation, and the breastplate of righteousness, and you mustn’t forget to take the sword of God’s Word and the shield of faith’. Christian thought this all seemed too much…’Do I really need all these things?’ he asked ‘Yes, you can’t afford to go without any of them’, the girls told him,  “You never know what you are going to meet on the road’.

    They went down the driveway to the main gate with him and said goodbye as he stepped out onto the road again. Christian looked across the valley and the views were beautiful…there were lovely green fields in the distance and far away over the mountains in the distance he could see a very bright light shining. ‘What is that light away over there?’ he asked as he left. ‘That is the light of the Celestial City where this road ends’, the girls said, ‘That is where the King lives in the mansions He has prepared for His people. You must always keep remembering that is your goal. But first of all the road leads down into this valley and that is where you are going to need your armour, but you must be on your way before it gets any later… goodbye!!’. So Christian headed off down the hill with a light heart and singing one of the songs of Zion as he went.    The further down the hill he went, the darker it got. He forgot the lovely view of the distant mountains, and worse still, he could see a dim figure coming towards him in the fog which seemed to be in the valley. He stopped singing and began to feel afraid. Who was that coming? Then he heard a sweet sound above him…’Don’t be afraid, for I am with you right to the end’.

    He pulled his book out and began to look at it, and this is what he read… ‘the angel of the Lord is round about all those who love Him’.    Christian began to feel better straight away…why should he worry when he could tell the King all about his troubles? He felt a great peace come over him, and he strode along with great purpose.

     Further along, he saw a large fearsome looking creature coming towards him. Somehow he knew this creature’s name was Apollyon. ‘What shall I do?’ he thought, feeling  full of fear. Then the thought came to him…’stand fast and resist the devil and he will flee from you’, so he kept on going firmly, waving his sword as he went. Apollyon started to belch out smoke and make horrid noises, but even though Christian was still afraid, he kept on going. Apollyon lifted his blow gun to his mouth, ready to blow some darts at Christian, but he held his shield up in front of him. Suddenly Apollyon turned and backed off. He knew he was no match for the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit that Christian had.

    The valley was still foggy and dark, but Christian kept going as fast as he could. The track was very narrow and he was afraid of tripping over and toppling into the horrid smelling mud on the side of the path. The thought came to him as he walked along, ‘Even though I go through the valley of the shadow of death, I won’t be afraid, for the King is with me’, and on he went.

   It started to get lighter and he could see plainly, and as he went a little further, he could see someone ahead of him. ‘Hey’, he called, ‘Wait for me!’ The man turned around to see who it was that was calling him, and Christian could see that it was someone from his home town, a man called Faithful. ‘Oh, it’s you Christian!’ Faithful said, ‘I didn’t recognise you under all that armour. Where did you get that?’ So Christian told him all that had happened since he had been travelling towards the Celestial City, and how the foul creature in the valley of the shadow of death had  tried to hinder him as he went. ‘You know, if I hadn’t had this armour to protect me, I don’t know how I would have got on,’ he said, ‘Did you meet anyone as you came along the road?’

‘I sure did’, said Faithful, ‘And they all tried to turn me back. There was Mr. Discontent who was full of complaints about how hard the road was and kept asking why I didn’t go with him and have some fun. Fun! I would sooner carry on to the Celestial City no matter how hard it is.

    Then there was Shame….a miserable looking creature he was! He kept telling me what a shame it was that I had decided to take this road, and how shameful it was to be seen reading my Book. He said it was a shame to sing the songs of Zion and to repent of my sins. I got fed up with him in the end and told him he could go back by himself, I didn’t want to hear his talk any more!’ ” and Uncle Jeff paused for a minute.

“I’ve heard kids at school saying things like that,” Sarah said thoughtfully, “But they are so full of mean things they say about other people, I don’t want to be like them!”

“One boy at school asked if my parents went to parties or ever got drunk, and when I said no, they said, ‘Don’t they ever have any fun?!’ ” said Bobby, “I don’t think they know what REAL fun is!!”

“No”, said Uncle Jeff, “You wouldn’t feel like taking the family fishing on a Saturday morning either if you had a big head after drinking all night would you!” “Yes, we have lots of fun, don’t we?” Betty had to have her say.

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Pilgrim’s Progress (5)

Leave a comment

                                      Christian’s Next Test.

   ” What happened to Christian while he was going up the steep hill?” Bobby asked the next time he saw Uncle Jeff.

“Well now,” Uncle Jeff said, “he got slower and slower and more tired as he kept going up the hill. Then he saw a summer-house on the side of the road that the King had built for His people to rest in. It had a comfy couch and a couple of copies of the same book that he’d been given at the Cross. Christian sat down thankfully, lay back and opened his book at the place where it described the armour that the King provides for His people. He shut his eyes, and when he finally opened them again, he found it was getting late in the afternoon. He seemed to hear a little voice saying in his mind, ‘Go to the ant you lazy fellow, watch what she does and become wise’. ‘Oh dear,’ said Christian out loud, ‘I’ve wasted nearly a whole afternoon. I’d better hurry and make up time’.

   Suddenly he saw two men racing down the hill towards him looking frightened out of their wits. One was called Scared and the other was Timid. ‘Why are running so fast and where are you going?’ Christian asked. ‘Oh,’ said Timid, ‘we found this way too hard. The further we went, the harder it got. There are even lions in the way!’ ‘Yes’, said Scared, ‘the lions saw us and started to roar, so we turned around and ran away before they grabbed us!’

   Christian began to be afraid after they ran off down the hill. ‘What shall I do?’ he asked himself, ‘Where’s my book? It might tell me what to do’. But he couldn’t find it anywhere. ‘I wonder if it’s back where I went to sleep?’ he thought, ‘I’d better go back and find it’. So he had to go all the way back, and sure enough, there it was where he had been lying down. ‘I’ll have to be more careful’, he thought, ‘and not be too lazy to pick it up next time I stop’.”

“What did that mean?” Bobby asked, “Most of the things in this story seem to mean something”. “That’s right Bobby,” Uncle Jeff said, “It means that we must not be too lazy to have our morning reading each day, or it will get too easy to just forget it altogether”. “I’ve got a book for my morning readings”, Betty piped up. “That’s good “, said Uncle Jeff, “Then you won’t be like Christian who got so frightened when he got a bit further and heard the lions begin to roar. It was getting dark too, and he couldn’t see the way very clearly. The lions roared more loudly, and kept pulling at their chains. Christian ran as fast as he could, keeping to the  middle of the path, and fell down by a gate that he could dimly see in the half light.

    A man came forward to meet him. ‘My name is Watchman’, he said, ‘and I help people through this gate’. He rang a bell, and a young girl came to open it. ‘Here you are Wisdom, take this man and give him something to eat and a bed for the night’. “Yes, Watchman’, she said, ‘and I’ll introduce him to the rest of the family too’. She went ahead of Christian and led him inside. She called her parents, Mr and Mrs. Hospitable,  and her other two sisters, Lovey and Prudence, and said, ‘Here’s a man who is on his way to the Celestial City and he needs a bed for the night’. ‘Oh thank-you so much’, Christian said, ‘but why are the lions on the side of the road outside?’ ‘That’s a test for people coming this way,’ Mr. Hospitable said, ‘Did you see anyone else as you came up the hill?’ ‘Yes, I did,’ said Christian ‘and they nearly persuaded me to go back with them’.

‘You must never do that,’ Mr. Hospitable  said, ‘The King says that those who put their hand to the plough are never to look backwards’. ‘Yes,’ said Lovey, ‘You must always keep on going. The lions can never touch you no matter how much they rant and roar’. ‘That’s right,’ said Prudence, ‘You always have to be watchful and careful, and make sure you read your book every day’. ‘Thank-you so much ,’ said Christian, ‘and thank-you for giving me a bed for tonight too’. ‘We do this for all the Christians that come our way’, said Wisdom, ‘The King has given us this home and we are to share it with others as they need it, and encourage them on their way the next day’.”

   Uncle Jeff got up and stretched. “Well, that’s enough for today”, he said, “We don’t want you to get tired of this story, it has so many great meanings in it. We’ll have more next time”.

Grandma's Stories, Stories for Teens

Pilgrim’s Progress (4)

Leave a comment

Pilgrim’s First Test…..     Sarah came in from school and threw her bag on the floor. “Sarah”, Mum said sternly, “How many times have I told you to put your bag on the counter and unload it before you put it on the floor?” “Sorry Mum”, Sarah said as she picked it up again and started to do as she was told. “When do you think we will see Uncle Jeff again?” “Well, we are going over to his place tomorrow to get some firewood”, Mum said. “Ooh goody”, Sarah said, “I hope he has some time to tell us some more story!” “I thought you weren’t all that interested in it,” Mum said. “Aw, it’s alright”, Sarah said, “Bobby likes listening to it anyway!” Mum smiled to herself as Sarah busied herself putting her things away.

   The next day, the family loaded up their trailer with wood at Uncle Jeff’s place and then went inside for a cup of tea. While the other grown-ups were busy talking in the kitchen, Bobby said to Uncle Jeff, “What happened to Pilgrim after he lost his back-pack, Uncle Jeff?” “Yes, what happened?” Betty piped up. “Well, come and sit down over here, and I’ll tell you some more”, Uncle Jeff said. Sarah quickly came over and sat down beside them.

“Well, you know good things don’t always keep happening to you, especially after something specially good has happened,” Uncle Jeff said, “And this is what happened to Pilgrim. He felt so light-hearted and happy after his back-pack had gone. Somehow he knew that he was different, and that he was already thinking differently. He even told himself that he would call himself by a new name…he would be called Christian from now on.

   While he was walking along quietly singing to himself, he spotted three men lying down asleep on the side of the road. He could see that they were each one chained to a peg there. ‘Hello, my good fellows’, he said cheerfully, ‘why don’t you get up and come with me? I’m going to the Heavenly City and it’s a bit dangerous to be sleeping on the side of the road like this’, and he held out his hand to the first one. ‘What’s your name?’ he asked. ‘My name is Simple,’ the man said yawning, and he rolled over, ‘I can’t see any danger here’, he said and snuggled down again. “Well”, said Christian as he prodded the next man, ‘What’s your name my good fellow?’ ‘My name is Lazy’, he said, “Don’t disturb me, I can’t be bothered moving’.

Christian shrugged his shoulders and went over to the third man whose name was Know-all. He was snoring loudly and Christian had a hard job to wake him up at all. ‘Would you like me to help get the chain off your leg?’ Christian asked. ‘There’re no chains on our legs,’ Know-all said sleepily, ‘There was nothing there when we lay down’. But when he looked down he could see that they were indeed, chained. ‘I think the enemy has done this while you were asleep’, Christian said, ‘Don’t you know that he walks around like a roaring lion, seeing who he can tie up?’ ‘Oh, go away and leave us alone’, the three of them mumbled, so Christian went on his way, not quite so cheerful as he had been before.

   The road was now going past a high stone wall, but Christian’s head was down and he didn’t see two guys climbing up from the other side and balancing on the top of the wall. Suddenly they lost their balance and fell down on top of Christian, knocking him to the ground.” “Silly man”, said Betty, “He should have been watching what was happening!” “That’s right’, said Uncle Jeff, “But sometimes we are like that too, and we don’t watch out for things that can knock us over. Things like something happening to our Mum and Dad’. “Yes”, said Sarah, “That happened to Leila at school last week, her mum and dad were in a car accident and ended up in hospital!”

“What happened then, Uncle Jeff?” Bobby wanted to know. “Christian asked them what they thought they were doing and what their names were.  ‘I’m Double- Minded’, said the first one, ‘and he’s Perfectionist. We’re going to the Celestial City’. ‘So am I’, said Christian, ‘but didn’t you know that you’ve come in the wrong way? There’s only one way to the Celestial City and that’s through the Gate and past the Cross. Anyone who tries to get in any other way is a thief and a robber’. ‘Who do you think you are?’ they asked rudely, ‘Our way is just as good as your’s!’  And they flounced off pushing past him while Christian carried on going up the hill.

   As Christian went over the hill, he saw them at the creek at the bottom on the other side having a drink. He soon caught up to them and had a quick drink before heading on up the road which was called Difficulty. ‘Is that the right way to go?’ called out Double-Minded. ‘It is for me,’ said Christian, ‘because it is the straight and narrow way and it is the way my Book told me to go.’

‘Well,’ said Perfectionist, ‘there’s this other road around the bottom, and I’m going that way’. ‘And I’m going this way,’ said Double-Minded, ‘and we’ll all meet around the other side of the hill’. ‘Well, I hope we do,’ said Christian ,’but I’m sticking to the straight and narrow road’, and he set off up the hill.    Perfectionist set off on his road which was called Danger, and ended up in the middle of a big bush where he got lost and wandered around until he died of hunger and thirst. Double-Minded took the other easy road which was called Destruction and he ended up in a large rocky area where he fell down a cliff face and died from his injuries.

Meantime, Christian carried on up the hill singing a song as he went. And that’s enough for today”, said Uncle Jeff, “I’m wanting my cup of tea now and you’ll have to wait for another day for some more of the story!”

See what God has to say to YOU.