A STRANGE TALE

Ricky had just graduated from high school and was preparing himself for college. A few of his friends had been telling him about a new friend they had met a few weeks earlier out in the woods just south of town. This was not a man, but a strange creature with strange powers, but soon, Ricky’s friends talked him into going to meet this stranger.

At first, Ricky was afraid, but his friends assured him that the creature would not harm him. He promised Ricky joy and happiness and vowed to make every part of his life better than it had ever been before.

The creature was strange, yes, but very fascinating. After Ricky got to know it, he was no longer afraid and began to spend more and more time with it. By the end of the Summer, they had become best friends. By this time Ricky had his own place on the College campus and his best friend had moved in.

When Ricky was feeling bad, his friend was always there to make him feel better. When he was feeling down, he could always count on his friend to cheer him up. Ricky soon discovered that his best friend had a strange power. When he couldn’t sleep, his friend would work his magic, and before long Ricky would be in dreamland.

After some time enjoying this perk, Ricky started noticing something strange happening. The creature began to take control, and started putting Ricky to sleep when he needed to be awake, and would keep him asleep long after he needed to wake up.

Ricky was missing appointments, and he wasn’t keeping plans he had made with family and friends. He was late for classes and his on-campus job way too often, and he was unable to do anything about it. The creature was now in complete control of his life.

Eventually, he lost his friends, and his relationships with his family members were on the rocks. He lost his job at the school and his grades were suffering severely. All he had left was his friendship with this strange creature who was now controlling his life. He now saw this creature as a demon, instead of the magical, fun-loving, happy-go-lucky pal he had met only a short time ago.

He wanted out. He wanted to go back to the time before he had met the creature and get his life back, but it seemed impossible. He seemed to have no power over his own life. What could he do? How could he ever escape?

As Ricky sat thinking, trying to find a solution, he remembered his grandmother, and something she had always told him. She knew a man who could help people in any situation. Ricky knew he needed help. He knew he couldn’t do this on his own. With one last act of desperation, he knelt down to pray, and ask Jesus to help him defeat this monster that had taken over his life.

As he prayed, he felt a peace come over him. He knew everything would be alright now. Jesus would be by his side every step of the way. He knew Jesus would help him overcome this demon. And he did. Today Ricky is free from the power of that monster that many call alcohol. He has a wonderful life with a great family, and he’s truly happy.

If you’re a slave to alcohol, drugs, or anything else, Jesus can help you. He can set you free from addiction and give you a new life. All you have to do is ask him. You can trust him. He has set millions free from addiction. He did it for me, and he can do the same for you. In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said, “Ask, and you shall receive.”

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© 2017 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @ 
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GOING HOME

I’ve always found it interesting that one thing can remind us of another so much that it makes us say, Wow! That happens to me quite often. I was studying the Bible a while back and came to the story where the people of God were taken by force from their home and relocated to Babylon. Immediately I was reminded of a time in my life when I was taken by force from my home and relocated to another place.

I was eight years old when two of my sisters and I were taken from our home and put into foster care. Two of us were placed with the same family, while our youngest sister, at the time, was placed with another family on the other side of town from us. When we were older, I found out that we were there for less than two months, but back then, it had felt like an eternity.

Like the captives of King Nebuchadnezzar, we were not happy to be torn away from all we had ever known, moved to a place where we had never been, and where we knew no one.

Like those Jews, we did enjoy some freedoms, but things weren’t all roses. Everything was so different there. We were in another town. We were with people we didn’t know, and we were sent to a different school. We were totally cut off from our family and friends, just like the Children of Israel when they were taken captive.

I know some of those Jews trusted God without any doubts, like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but I can imagine some of them were just as afraid as we were and felt just as helpless as we did. We were so sad. I remember crying at night and calling out to God. I prayed every day and begged Him to rescue us and take us back home.

One afternoon when we got off the school bus at our foster home, a man was waiting there for us. I’ll never forget the joy I felt when he told us he had come to take us home. We grabbed our things as quickly as we could and got in his car. We drove to the other side of town and picked up our sister, then we were on our way.

When we arrived, our grandmother was waiting for us with open arms, and she showered us with hugs and kisses. We were so happy to see her again. We were so glad to be back home.

Our world has been captured by Satan and his forces, and we are his captives. When we recognize there is hope for us to be rescued, we call out to God and he saves us. Not because we’re good, and not because we deserve anything good, but simply because he loves us. God is so good, and I look forward to the day when he comes and takes us to our heavenly home so we can truly be free. He said he would someday. In John 14:2-3, he said,

14:2 There is plenty of room in my Father’s house. If not, I would have told you. I will go and prepare a place for you.
14:3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to myself, so that wherever I am, you may be also.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says,
16 Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and those who are dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who remain alive will be taken up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will be with the Lord forever.

In verse 18, Paul tells us to comfort each other with these words. Jesus is coming back to take us home. That’s something to look forward to. I’m looking forward to that day with great anticipation, and I don’t believe we’ll have to wait much longer. Are you ready? If not, don’t wait. Get ready now. He could return at any time. As the words of the old song say, “In a little while we’re going home.”

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https://teddylynn.blogspot.com
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© 2016 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Lynn/e/B01MZDB6L6

SACRIFICE

I love John 3:16. It has been one of my favorite Bible verses for as long as I can remember. It was the very first scripture I ever committed to memory. It says,

John 3:16
16 Because God loved the world so much, that he gave his only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

I also like verse 17. It was the second Bible verse I memorized as a child.

John 3:17
17 Because God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.

Actually, this entire chapter is awesome. Here Jesus beautifully explains the plan of salvation to Nicodemus, the Pharisee. He reveals the story of an all-powerful God who loves us so much that he was willing to sacrifice his only Son so he could have us with him for eternity. He desires to spend time with us, just like he did with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden before they sinned. Jesus left his home in heaven, became a man, and gave his life on the cross, so we could be free from the power of sin, and live in God’s presence once again. But freedom is never free. To secure freedom of any kind, a sacrifice has to be made by someone.

A few years ago, as I was going door to door offering Bible studies, a lady asked me how much I was charging for them. When I told her they were free, she said, “nothing is free.” After thinking about it for a while, I came to the conclusion that she was right. Nothing is free. Someone, somewhere, at some time, has to pay something for whatever is being offered for free. Someone sacrificed their time to write those study guides. Somebody sacrificed the money it took to print them, and I was sacrificing my time to present them, but they were offered to this lady, at no cost. The Salvation that God offers us cost him everything, but he offers it to us free of charge.

In Romans 6:23 we saw that “the wages of sin is death” but that’s only half of the verse. Here’s what the second half says.

Romans 6:23b
23 …but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

He offers the gift of eternal life to every person on earth. If you have never accepted that gift, it’s yours for the taking. No matter what condition you’re in right now, no matter how bad you’ve sinned, no matter what you’ve ever done in your life, he willingly offers it to you, free of charge. You don’t have to wait until you get your life straightened out, or until you become a better person, or until you get back in church. You can come to Jesus just as you are, anywhere you are, and he will change you into the person you need to be. Look at 2 Corinthians 6:2 and let’s focus on the second half of the verse.

2 Corinthians 6:2b
2 Behold, NOW is the accepted time; Behold, NOW is the day of salvation.

Now is the time. Today is the day. Make the choice, and come to Jesus today, accept his free gift, and be saved so you don’t have to suffer, and die for your sins. We face many choices in life and, unfortunately, we don’t always make the right ones, but whether or not to accept the free gift of salvation is the most important choice any of us will ever make. It literally means the difference between life and death.

Don’t wait. Life is short, and we are not promised tomorrow. The sacrifice has been made. Come to Jesus today, accept his free gift, and be saved so you don’t have to suffer the penalty for your sins.

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My Blogs
https://teddylynn.blogspot.com
https://teddylynn.wordpress.com

© 2015 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @ 
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Lynn/e/B01MZDB6L6