Bended
EarS

A Very
Short Story
. . . with Long Lasting Implications

JASON, you weren't meant to run your own life.   That's why this world is so wretched; too many people ignoring God, trying to run their own lives . . ."    ". . . Jason, don't be listening to no Bible thumping fool.   He gonna eat your brain alive.   He wants to take away your freedom . . ."    ". . . What freedom, Jason?   You call living on the streets, freedom?   You think you own yourself?   The pushers, own you, man.   Go ahead, walk away from them.   You want real freedom?   Jesus said: 'And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free ... If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.'   (John 8:32-36) . . ."    ". . . Jason, I told you, don't listen to that joker!   He got you all mixed up; trying to drag you down with him.   He can't drink, smoke, or trip.   He's misery looking for a roommate . . ."    ". . . Go ahead, Jason, feed your head, trip all you want.   Keep feeding it while you starve to death!   That's right, don't look at me like that.   You know you're starving.   You can't get enough.   Your head keeps crying for more and it don't care if you have to beg, borrow, or steal.   You wanna fill that void for good?   Only one thing can, and it comes from the one who created you.   The same one you're spitting at right now.   Jesus said: 'But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.'   (John 4:14) . . ."

". . . Jason, he's the one thirsting - for a bottle of bud . . . !"    ". . . Sure, Jason, keep thinking that way.   But remember, YOU don't have the freedom to stay dry.   Of course, in your case, the booze hides the pain.   The pain that won't go away, because you won't let God take it away.   You won't repent.   God says: 'Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.'   (Isa. 1:18)   But you'd rather live like an animal, waking up now and then in your own vomit . . ."    ". . . Ah, Jason, he's just trying to trick you.   He's looking for some religious brownie points.   Stay away from him . . ."    ". . . And what are you looking for, Jason?   Find it yet?   Let me save you some time: the only thing worth finding ain't out here in the streets.   It comes from your Creator and it's called: purpose.   That's right, a reason for living.   And Jesus said: 'without me ye can do nothing.'   (John 15:5) . . ."    ". . . Purpose?   You already got a purpose, Jason!   You trying to stay alive, ain't you . . . ?"    ". . . Jason, surviving is not a reason to live.   You better have something more meaningful that that; something you can take with you beyond the grave.   'Cause you're gonna be dead a lot longer than you're alive.   The Bible says: 'For what is your life?   It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.'   (James 4:14)   'behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.'   (2 Cor. 6:2) . . ."    ". . . Jason, there ain't no afterlife.   So get what you can while you can . . ."

". . . Jason, if there's no afterlife, then why are you fighting so hard to stay alive? There must be something on the other side you don't wanna meet.   Fact, I'll show you right now what it is: 'And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:' (Heb. 9:27).   That's right you got an appointment with God. But you can settle with Him, right here and now, if you repent, change your mind, and trust Christ to save you.   That's why, 'God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.'   (Rom. 5:8) . . ."    ". . . He's trying to scare you, Jason!   That Bible thumper's desperate.   Here, take some dose and don't worry about no judgment . . ."    ". . . How about it, Jason?   You can have peace.   Jesus says: 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.   Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.'   (John 14:27)   You can be God's child and He won't let no child of His get flushed down this toilet you call the streets.   'But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,' (John 1:12) . . ."    ". . . Jason, that dude can't offer you no peace.   He can't even score dope for his own head!   Stick with me.   I got all the peace you need right here . . ."    ". . . Okay, Jason, blow it off.   Reject God's offer.   Go ahead and keep doing what you want.   Ignore your Creator.   But when you stand before Him don't complain when He casts you in the incinerator.   What else is He going to do with someone who wants nothing to do with Him?   Jesus warned: 'The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity [SIN]; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.'   (Mat. 13:41-42) . . ." "Hey man, you hear about Jason?   The chump got himself killed; crossed a pusher. That's right, tried to be slick . . . And I wasn't about to cut him any slack."

Dear Reader, Do you have freedom in Christ?   Or does sin have you captive, chained to you like an anchor, dragging you straight to Hell?   Does the following verse describe you?   "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you."   (Rom. 6:17)   Here's the doctrine it refers to:

The Bible teaches that, "your iniquities [SINS] have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."   (Isa. 59:2)   "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Rom. 3:23).   And there is a price to pay for having sinned before God, and that price is death.   "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."   (Rom. 6:23)
"and without shedding of blood [DEATH] is no remission [FORGIVENESS]."   (Heb. 9:22)

Of course, this means that BAPTISM cannot pay for your sins since no one dies while getting baptized, nor can CONFIRMATION, COMMUNION, KEEPING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, CHURCH MEMBERSHIP, SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, or GOOD DEEDS.   Anything other than death CANNOT and WILL NOT pay for any of your sins.   That's why:
"Christ died for our sins" (1 Cor. 15:3).

He paid the price.   He died in our place and if we don't put our trust in His death to save us,
Jesus warned that: "ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he," (John 8:24).   And that means eternity in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:15).   To claim what Christ has done on the cross for you, you must REPENT.   That means: change your mind, and agree with what you have just read from the Bible and place all your trust in Jesus Christ, and Him alone, to save you.   So "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [i.e. REPENT], and shalt believe in thine heart [TRUST] that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."   (Rom. 10:9)

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