Long , long ago and far, far away

Once upon a time, long, long ago and far, far away there lived a self-existent, all- powerful, absolutely holy and righteous Creator God. He was loving and compassionate. In His plan to share His love and glory He created a universe with bright, shining stars and glowing suns and other celestial forms, circling and spiraling through space in constant rhythm, a cosmic dance that brought delight to His angels. They clapped their hands in boundless joy as He spun out colors and brightness and sparkling balls.

He decided to select one of those spheres and place special creatures on it. These creatures would inhabit the sky and sea and land, all domains the God made on the sphere. It was all so very beautiful -- colors in the sky matched colors on the earth and in the sea. More colors than anyone could imagine. Everything was sparkling in its clear beauty.

Then He decided to bring into being a new creature -- a new race of beings that could exercise their own free will and worship Him happily for all His gifts to them. This would bring Him pleasure.

He decided these new creations could have fellowship with Him. He had just one small restriction He placed on them. Otherwise, they could enjoy their perfect home and know the joy of His presence.

But one day they violated His rule. He did not destroy them. Rather, He sought them out and promised to redeem them -- to enable them to come back into His presence. They had to move to a new home. A home that was not as perfect and welcoming as their first home, but still a place where they had plenty of food and water and great beauty to admire. And they could still communicate with Him!

But their children and their children's children became more and more disobedient to God. They even refused to worship Him. They would not even thank Him for His gifts!

But the gracious and loving compassionate God was determined still to redeem them. He gave His special message to one man and to his descendants, purposing that through that one group of people the whole world could be blessed.

He even delivered this group of people from slavery in a foreign land, working great miracles as He liberated them.

But then, once they were freed from slavery they rebelled over and over again.
God never gave up. His love was never-ending. He gave them rules to live by--rules to show them how to live happy lives, how to know Him, how to live in freedom and peaceful joy.

But they didn't like His rules. They kept rebelling. And God kept loving. He sent special messengers to them -- messengers He had given words of wisdom and comfort to. These messengers pleaded with the people to return to worshiping God.

The situation on the planet got worse and worse. The people mocked the messengers. They killed many of them. They refused to listen. At those times when they did listen, they forgot to tell their children how God wanted them to live. And so the children went their own destructive ways.

The people even began to make ridiculous images and idols, hand made them themselves, silly objects of wood and stone, to worship instead of worshiping the God who loved them. (I know this story is hard to believe -- how could people do such awful things to the God who made them and loved them?)

Instead of looking at the truth God gave the people, they started inventing their own kinds of truth. (Yes, I know it is all too incredible to believe, but, remember, this is just a story!)

One day God decided to make the ultimate, the most drastic, act to redeem His wayward children. He sent His Son, Himself, to live in a body like the people, to be with the people. He would look like them, but would lead a life that honored God's perfect goodness.

He would come down to earth to live, not to condemn the people, but to redeem them.

But the people, seeing His goodness, tortured Him and murdered Him. Only a few people received with joy the great message that God loved them!

But God's never-ending love continued. He offered the killers of His Son amnesty, total forgiveness, and the transcendent peace that comes when people are free of all guilt.

And that was not all. He also promised them eternal life, a future life without pain, sadness, sickness, and death. A life of joy in His presence.

All God asked was that the people honor His Son and worship and serve Him alone.

That's all. What a deal! The best deal in the universe!

But some people, even then, said, "God, you haven't done enough!"

I know. This is just a story. And a story that is not believable. One that could certainly never happen. No people would ever be that silly and self-centered.