ANOTHER TALE OF TWO SONS

MY MOTHER TOLD ME A TRUE STORY OF A BOY NAMED TOMMY, ABOUT THREE TO FOUR YEARS OLD. TOMMY SAT ON THE FRONT ROW OF THE CHURCH WITH HIS FATHER WHILE HIS GRANDFATHER TRIED TO PREACH HIS SERMON. TOMMY COULD NOT SIT STILL AND BE GOOD, SO AFTER MANY WARNINGS HIS FATHER TOOK HIM OUT OF THE SERVICE FOR A LITTLE “BEHIND THE WOODSHED” TOUGH LOVE. BEFORE TOMMY AND HIS DADDY PASSED THROUGH THE DOUBLE DOORS AT THE BACK OF THE CHURCH, TOMMY GRABBED THEM AND CRIED, “PRAY, PEOPLE PRAY!”

I HEARD ANOTHER STORY OF A BOY NAMED TOMMY WHO ALSO WOULD NOT BEHAVE. HIS MOTHER KEPT TELLING HIM, “SIT DOWN!” HE JUST COULD NOT DO IT, SO HIS MOTHER SAT HIM DOWN PROMPTLY.

THIS BOY SAID, “I MAY BE SITTIN' DOWN OUTSIDE BUT I'M NOT SITTIN' DOWN INSIDE!”

TWO SONS. TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT IDEAS OF CONFORMITY.

ONE CHOSE TO DO THE RIGHT THING WHEN HE WAS DISCIPLINED. HE PRAYED AND WANTED OTHERS TO PRAY WITH HIM.

THE OTHER CHOSE TO LEAN ON HIS OWN UNDERSTANDING AND DEFIANCE DURING HIS DISCIPLINE, EVEN THOUGH “OUTSIDE” HE WAS GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS.

WE ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THESE BOYS. ISRAEL WAS NOT SO DIFFERENT.

THEY WERE TOLD BY THEIR FATHER GOD THROUGH THE PROPHETS,”I WILL ALSO GIVE THEE FOR A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES, THAT THOU MAYEST BE MY SALVATION UTO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH”.

ACCORDING TO PAUL AND BARNABBAS, THEY WERE OFFERED ETERNAL LIFE AND CHOSE TO WILLFULLY GO THEIR OWN WAY RATHER THAN SUBMIT TO GOD'S WAY. THEY HAVE AND WILL PAY THE PRICE FOR THEIR REBELLION. WE ALL DO...

I GUESS BECAUSE OF MY RADIO AND MUSIC BACKGROUND, SONGS “BURN” ON ME ALOT FASTER THAN MOST. IN OTHER WORDS, I TIRE, AKA,“BURN” OF SONGS REPEATED OVER AND OVER.

FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, THERE HAS A BIG PHARMACEUTICAL AD ON TV THAT SINGS, “GO YOUR OWN WAY!” IT WAS TAKEN FROM A POPULAR GROUP IN MY DAY.

THAT LYRIC LINE MAY BE CATCHY, BUT IT IS DEADLY---ETERNALLY DEADLY.

MAY WE EVER BE PEOPLE OF PRAYER AND OBEDIENCE RATHER THAN WILLFUL DEFIANCE AND STUBBORNESS WHEN CONFRONTED WITH OUR OWN SINFUL WAYS...

WHEN OUR WAYS CONNECT WITH THE FATHER'S, THE WORD OF THE LORD CAN BE PUBLISHED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AS HE COMMANDED. THAT IS THE RIGHT WAY!