What Odd Creatures God Made

The value of this short Christmas story :    Creation and the Fall

Ariel and Serena were angels.  God gave them all kinds of interesting assignments which they loved doing because they were created by God for the sole purpose of doing his bidding.  But for as long as they could remember, they had never had such an interesting assignment as this one.

“Where are we going?”  Serena complained to Ariel as she drug her out of her angel apartment right in the middle of her nap.

“Listen, we need to hurry.  God is about to do something completely new.  He is going to create a whole new universe and he is going to do it in just seven days.  Not only that but word on the streets of gold and silver is that God is going to create a whole new being, not like angels or anything we have seen before.”  Ariel said breathlessly trying to get her friend to hurry up.  “God wants all available angels there to witness it and create songs of praise about what he is going to do.”

So Serena hurried and they got pretty good seats on the edge of the universe so they could see everything.  “What’s wrong out there?  The whole place looks like chaos.”  Serena observed.

“It is but God is about to fix that.  Watch”.  Then as the two angels watched, the voice of God could be heard commanding “LET THERE BE LIGHT” and there was light.  Then he created sky and the dry land of this new world that was named “earth”.

“See now that’s where I would have done things differently.” Observed Serena.  “I would have made the universe and the stars and suns and all that first and then make the earth last, in some sort of big bang or something like that.”
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“Yeah, well good thing you aren’t God then, Serena” Ariel criticized.  “Because that is a dumb idea.”

There wasn’t much time for discussion because God was moving fast.  “Wow it’s like he had this all planned out” Ariel said with awe.

“Since the beginning of eternity, some say.”  Serena observed.

“How can eternity have a beginning, its eternity?”  Ariel nit picked.

“Stop you are going to hurt my head.”  Serena responded.

God was moving fast.  He created the planets and then the stars and moons and seasons.  It was all falling into place one thing after another.  “I think He is done.”  Ariel speculated.

But God was far from done.  He filled the oceans he just made with fish and whales and a huge variety of living things and then he turned around and did the same thing to the land, populating with a dizzying assortment of animals of every imaginable shape, size and color.

“Wow, God is so creative.”  Serena said with a low whistle.

“Well, he is the creator silly.  Do you think that thing with the long neck is the special creature he is going to make that we talked about?” wondered Ariel.

“No, that’s an ostridge you nut.”  Serena corrected her fellow angel.  “This new creature will rule this world.  Ostridges can’t rule, they spend too much time with their heads in the sand.  Oh look, I think the time has come, God is creating his masterpiece.”

The process of creating this new creature was completely different.  God formed him from the dirt very carefully.  He seemed to be pouring so much love into this new design.  Finally, the shape was perfect and he named this new creature “man”.  But it was still a dirt statue when God did something completely unexpected.  He exhaled his own breath into the figure and it came to life.

“Wow, that means that man has God’s own life inside him.  Not like the other animals or fish or plants.  This “man” thing is a relative to God.”  Ariel said reverently.

It was so much fun to watch Man and then the companion God made for him, Woman, enjoy the wonderful earth and the special garden God made for him.  They seemed to be in paradise.  But something went wrong.

“Look, the woman is talking to that snake.”  Serena said with alarm.  “Get away form him, Eve.”  She tried to call out.  “He is nothing but trouble.”

But it was too late.  The evil one talked the woman and then the man into sinning and all of a sudden, all of God’s perfect creation started going to shambles.  God took his beloved creations, Man and Woman and they were thrown from the garden.  They started knowing disease and old age, and worry and decay and so did the wonderful creation God had made.

Serena was beyond consolation at what had happened.  Ariel had a terrible time getting her to come out of her room she was so upset.  “It’s ruined forever.  This is so tragic.”  Serena wept.

But then, suddenly, they heard the voice of God as he condemned the snake for his role in the Fall.  “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

“Serena, did you hear that?  Do you know what that means?”  Ariel said with a barely held in excitement.

“No Ariel, it was pretty hard to understand.”  Serena answered.

“God is promising to save mankind.  He is giving them a promise that some day, God himself will come to earth and die for the sins of man.  The son of God that we love so much here in Heaven, he is going to go down and bring salvation to all lost men and to the fallen earth and universe too.  And when it’s all over, it will be better than it ever was in the first place because God’s people will know better than to disobey and they will follow God willingly and be his family and that is what God has wanted all along.”

“Well then,” Serena concluded.  “Let’s get busy and help man all we can.  When Jesus brings them salvation, the glory of God will be greater than it ever has been through all eternity.  Come on, Ariel, we have work to do.

Abe and Zack

The value of this short Christian story:  The Story of Abraham and Israel

The following is a modern rendition of when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son.  Keep that in mind as you read it because it will seem somewhat odd to your listeners and you should be prepared to explain it to them if they get confused during the telling.

Abe and his only son Zack loved to camp and fish and hunt.  They usually set aside a couple fall or early winter days for the outing.  This time, they were out just a week before Thanksgiving.  Usually when they hunted, they didn’t care if they shot a bird or just took pictures of one.  But they brought guns because there were bears and large cats in this area of the country.

The first night, Zack hit his sleeping bag early and Abe was enjoying a quite fire in the cool of the evening when he felt God speaking to him.

“God?” Abe said to the inner voice that was guiding him with very specific instructions.  “I am listening.”  He whispered.

“Take Zack to the top of the mountain tomorrow.” He felt the spirit was saying.  “There you will use your gun you will offer him to me to be the special kill that will be used to honor the Lord your God this Thanksgiving Day.”

What an odd instruction.  How could God ask him to kill his own son, a son that God gave him after many prayers and one that God had promised to make into a mighty servant of the kingdom of God?  Should he argue with God?  No.  Somehow, despite a very confused mind, he knew that obedience was the right thing to do.

In the morning, they broke camp and Abe told Zack about his prayer time.  “God wants us to go to the top of the mountain where we will kill a very special prize to be used for our Thanksgiving meal this year.”  Said Abe.

“God said that Dad?”  Zack said skeptically.  But Zack trusted God and trusted his dad with everything so finally he said.  “Ok, if that what God wants, that is what we will do.”

They hiked along quietly with Zack in the lead.  As Abe cradled his gun, he knew it would be so hard to turn his gun on his son who he loved more than even his own life.  Finally, they got to the top of the mountain and Zack crossed the clearing.  “Ok Pop, did God have any specifics about where this special prize was or what it would be?  Is it a turkey or a boar or something else?  You know mom doesn’t like surprises.”  Then Zack turned back toward his dad and froze.  There directly opposite was Abe holding his rifle to his face and pointing it directly at him.

Still Zack did not believe that his dad was going to kill him.  His mind raced.  Abe loved him more than any human in the world and Zack knew that God loved him too and had a wonderful future for him.  So why was his dad pointing that gun at him?  “Uh dad?  Is the kill behind me because you know, I don’t mind ducking.”

“God will provide the kill.”  Abe said solemnly and he brought back the hammer of the gun.  Zack’s head was directly in his sights.  As he began to squeeze the trigger, a powerful anointing from inside his heart surged up from his spirit.

“To the left!” the Holy Spirit said and without a moment’s hesitation, Abe turned the gun to the left and fired.  The recoil of the gun knocked the old man down.  He was afraid to get up but he knew God was in control.  When he sat up, there stood Zack with a huge turkey in his arms killed with one precision shot from Abe’s rifle.

“That was some shot dad.  I didn’t even see you aim.  For a minute I thought that gun was pointed at me and I was all, you know dad, I can clean my room better, no need to get so dramatic but they you fired and….”  Zack's happy voice continued on but Abe just bowed his head and thanked God for honoring his obedience.  Zack did go on to a great career, a ministry that brought salvation to many.  In their old age, Abe finally told his wife about the hunting trip.  Before she could get upset he told her the lesson he had finally come to from that amazing outing.

“God honored my obedience and the obedience of Zack.  Since then I have walked with God as a friend.  But friendship with God is always grounded in obedience.”  He said.

The Finest Gourmet Gift Baskets by Wine Country Gift Baskets

If you are too busy to go shopping or can't think of anything special to give to your friends and loved ones, the Christmas gourmet gift baskets are a preferred choice.

Here are the best five gourmet food gifts from Wine Country Gift Baskets that suited to every taste and budget you can select to send across to your friends for the holiday season:

Bon Appetit

This beautiful gourmet gift basket is one of the best seller gift baskets that contains a lots of traditional Wine Country favorites: Brown & Haley cashew roca buttercrunch toffee, Ghirardelli milk chocolate squares, Tuscan crisp crackers, Bella Campagna salami, La Region des Vignobles brie cheese spread, Napa Valley Mustard Company country style dijon mustard, caramel toffee hard candy, Dolcetto petite all-natural chocolate wafer rolls and a serving plate.

Gift Size: 18" x 8" x 10"

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The Angel Child

The value of this short Christian story:  Angels.

“GLORY TO GOD, GLORY TO GOD, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST” The angel choir sang in the skies above Bethlehem that very first Christmas night.  All of the Shepherds looked on in wonder as they heard from the choir of angels that filled the night sky of the coming of the Messiah, the Christ Child, Jesus who would save his people from their sins.

David watched from the hill not far from the flock and his uncle and dad who were tending the sheep.  He had been coming out with his male relatives to learn how to be a shepherd under their care and teaching.  They had sent him off to find a lost baby sheep that had wandered off.  David knew exactly where the little scoundrel sheep was because he had chased her many times.  He had given the sheep a name, Spunky and it had become David’s special pet in all the herd.

As the Angel Choir finished, David heard Spunky baa not far from where he was sitting.  Spunky liked a little cove where some sweet herbs grew and only she knew about them.  But she must have gotten caught in the brambles.  Sure enough, there she was, all caught up and very unhappy.
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The Great Tiger

The value of this short Christian story:   Blessed are the Merciful.

“What do you mean I do it wrong?  All coyotes hunt.” Rodney defended himself when his best friend George Coyote accused him of being “too cruel” when he hunted.  Rodney was right about one thing.  All coyotes and in fact, every living thing hunts for its food and that is the way God created the world to be for now.  There is a whispered belief in the coyote community that a world will be one day where all creatures would be at peace together and God would provide all the food and nobody would have to hunt or be hunted but that’s not the way it is now so Rodney knew his instinct to hunt was not evil.

But Rodney had a love of the hunt that was far more intense than any other coyote he knew.  He lived for the hunt.  But it wasn’t just hunting that he loved.  He loved to corner a rabbit or small animal and see how terrified it was and make it stay like that instead of using the methods his mother and uncles taught him to hunt quickly and efficiently.  No, to Rodney, the stalking and “playing with” his pray was exciting.

“That’s what I am talking about.”  George said.  It’s kind of gross Rodney so why don’t we hunt separately for a while.

George’s scolding and change so he couldn’t hunt with the pack upset Rodney but he considered them all to be just weak and not as good as hunting as he.  So he hunted alone. “I might as well hunt alone.” He said to himself since he was the only one still talking to him.  “I am the only real expert at it.  Who needs the pack anyway when I WHOOP…………”
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