Friend
There was a man who had been convicted and was about to be sentenced for horrible crimes he had committed. His friend came to him the night before and said, “I love you so much I will take your place and whatever the courts decide is your punishment I will fulfill it. The only thing I ask of you is that you take care of my home and family while I am taking your place. Provide for their needs physically, financially, emotionally, and visit me and let me know what is happening.” The convicted man was ecstatic and readily agreed to do these things. We will call him Pardoned from now on. Pardoned went to his Friend's house taking groceries, money, fixing up anything that was broken, and playing with the children. He even visited Friend in prison every day. Nothing was too much for him to do for this friend who had freed him from his just punishment for his crimes. But as time went on the visits to prison and his Friend’s house became less and less. Pardoned was forgetting the great debt he owed Friend for taking his place. Pardon would wake up and think “I am just too tired from my own work and family to go and see Friend today, he will understand.” When it came time to go to Friend’s house and take care of the needs there Pardon would make excuses and put off going. He would say to himself, “I have too much to do here at my house and someone else will take care of Friend’s family and make sure all their needs are met.” Soon all that Friend had done for him became a dim memory and he forgot the promises he made to him. One day Pardon was at home and he heard a knock on the door. When he went to the door the Sheriff was there with a warrant for his arrest. It said Pardon had to go to prison and pay the full penalty for his crimes. He stood there in disbelief stuttering, “but-but-but Friend agreed to take my place so I wouldn’t have to go.” “That is right, he did” said the Sheriff. “But what you did not know was the judge put a clause in your friend’s sentence. The clause said that if you didn't fulfill your part of the agreement than Friend was released from his part and you would have to serve everyday of your sentence. Friend called the judge since you would not return his calls to find out if everything was all right. He had not seen you in so long and wanted to make sure his family and you were all right. So the judge did some checking and found out that you had not been keeping up your end of the agreement. Friend’s family was thrown out of their house and had to go to a shelter for food and a place to stay. He found out Friend felt abandoned and hurt because your visits had stopped. So the judge reversed the sentence and freed Friend. You now have to serve everyday of your original sentence. Pardoned pleaded and cried saying he would do better and fulfill his obligations but it was no use, they still took him to prison and locked him up until every day was served.
Matt.7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven."
I John 5:3 "For the [true] love of God is this: that we do His commands [keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and teachings]. And these orders of His are not irksome (burdensome, oppressive, or grievous)."
3/6/14
*This is something the Lord gave me a good while back but I felt Him prompting me to repost this today on GodWhisper.
There was a man who had been convicted and was about to be sentenced for horrible crimes he had committed. His friend came to him the night before and said, “I love you so much I will take your place and whatever the courts decide is your punishment I will fulfill it. The only thing I ask of you is that you take care of my home and family while I am taking your place. Provide for their needs physically, financially, emotionally, and visit me and let me know what is happening.” The convicted man was ecstatic and readily agreed to do these things. We will call him Pardoned from now on. Pardoned went to his Friend's house taking groceries, money, fixing up anything that was broken, and playing with the children. He even visited Friend in prison every day. Nothing was too much for him to do for this friend who had freed him from his just punishment for his crimes. But as time went on the visits to prison and his Friend’s house became less and less. Pardoned was forgetting the great debt he owed Friend for taking his place. Pardon would wake up and think “I am just too tired from my own work and family to go and see Friend today, he will understand.” When it came time to go to Friend’s house and take care of the needs there Pardon would make excuses and put off going. He would say to himself, “I have too much to do here at my house and someone else will take care of Friend’s family and make sure all their needs are met.” Soon all that Friend had done for him became a dim memory and he forgot the promises he made to him. One day Pardon was at home and he heard a knock on the door. When he went to the door the Sheriff was there with a warrant for his arrest. It said Pardon had to go to prison and pay the full penalty for his crimes. He stood there in disbelief stuttering, “but-but-but Friend agreed to take my place so I wouldn’t have to go.” “That is right, he did” said the Sheriff. “But what you did not know was the judge put a clause in your friend’s sentence. The clause said that if you didn't fulfill your part of the agreement than Friend was released from his part and you would have to serve everyday of your sentence. Friend called the judge since you would not return his calls to find out if everything was all right. He had not seen you in so long and wanted to make sure his family and you were all right. So the judge did some checking and found out that you had not been keeping up your end of the agreement. Friend’s family was thrown out of their house and had to go to a shelter for food and a place to stay. He found out Friend felt abandoned and hurt because your visits had stopped. So the judge reversed the sentence and freed Friend. You now have to serve everyday of your original sentence. Pardoned pleaded and cried saying he would do better and fulfill his obligations but it was no use, they still took him to prison and locked him up until every day was served.
Matt.7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven."
I John 5:3 "For the [true] love of God is this: that we do His commands [keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and teachings]. And these orders of His are not irksome (burdensome, oppressive, or grievous)."
3/6/14
*This is something the Lord gave me a good while back but I felt Him prompting me to repost this today on GodWhisper.
