Friday, March 6, 2009
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The One Cut Cross
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The One Cut Cross
Story behind the one cut cross: (Story 1)
(See below for story#2, which is much quicker)
Once there was a Christian who lived in the woods. He loved Jesus so much he promised Him that no matter what God asked him to do he would do it, and no matter where God sent Him he would trust Him to protect him.
There was a nearby town where everyone hated God and there was not one single person who loved God. One day God asked the Christian to go to that town to tell the people about Jesus, and how He had died on the Cross for them.
Although he was afraid, he did as God asked, trusting Him to take care of him. But when he arrived in town, and began to tell others about Jesus they had him arrested and put in jail. The man wondered How God could allow this to happen, wasn’t He protecting him?
The Christian was called before the judge. The judge looked down from his seat and asked the man if he admitted he was telling others about Jesus. The Christian said he was telling others the truth about Jesus and His cross.
The Judge rubbed his chin and looked thoughtful. “There is a law in this town that anyone caught telling others about Jesus may be put to death. However, you seem to be a bright and honest young man,” the judge said. “I tell you what. Since I am the law in this town, and since you seem so convinced of this Jesus you talk about and the cross He died on, I will put you to a test. If you can take a single sheet of paper, and without making more than one straight cut on it, construct your cross, I will let you stay in our town and tell others about this cross and this Jesus who died on it. If you can’t then your God is false and I will have you immediately killed.”
The Christian was given a single sheet of paper, like this one here.
(show the kids the paper, but do not let them see the pictures on the other side, even while you are folding it…
)
The one cut Cross – Folding Monolog
God created man in His own image. The man was named Adam, and he was without sin, like this piece of paper is without a spot on it. Let’s pretend the top of this page is God’s level of perfection.
Then Adam sinned.
FIRST FOLD – Sin is like a slippery slope, like this piece of paper. We sin, and it brings Death:
(slide finger down the slope and off the end)
(James 1:14-15 KJV) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
(Rom 6:23 KJV) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
No one escapes from this trap, because ALL have sinned.
(Rom 3:23 KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
SECOND FOLD:
God’s Holiness is a mountain, a mountain we can’t climb. Remember, God’s perfection is up here…
(Psa 24:3-4 KJV) Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
(Prov 20:9 KJV) Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
(Rom 3:10-11 KJV) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
THIRD FOLD:
Those of us who try to live a good life, do all that we can to please God, doing good things for others, may do well, but will never reach God’s level of perfection. Trying to live a good life in our own power is like climbing this slippery slope, only to eventually die Far short of God’s standard, which is perfection. Only the perfect and sinless will enter into heaven.
(Rev 21:27 KJV) And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
(Titus 3:5 KJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
FOURTH FOLD:
Let this Number One, Remind you that there is Only ONE way to Heaven. since we could not get there through our own dead works, God came down here to the earth and became man in the form of Jesus. He came here to die for the sins of Adam, and for each of us as well (John 14:6 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
. Remember, the Wages of Sin is Death…
CUT THE FOLD…
… But the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Show the pieces,…)
(Fold the cross into a heart, by folding the outside arms in, so that Jesus’ face shows in the center, while saying, )
If you have never repented of your sins, and asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior, you have never experienced the Peace of God which passes all understanding. You are not experiencing God’s mercy,
but God’s patience and longsuffering. (2 Pet 3:9 KJV) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Jesus said, (Rev 3:20 KJV) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Jesus may be knocking at your heart’s door tonight. If you would like to let him come in, I want you to go and see your leader as soon as we are dismissed.
Alternate Story, much shorter form:
Two boys were very good friends, and shared everything together. One day one of the boys went to church, and when the preacher told him about Jesus and his death on the cross to pay for his sins, his heart was changed and he received Jesus as his savior. An angel came to him there in church and handed him a sheet of paper, saying, this is your ticket into heaven, new Christian! The boy folded it and put it in his pocket (carefully fold the ticket as shown in story 1)
When he went home, his friend wanted to know what was different about him, and he told him about Jesus and how he had changed him, and about the angel that had given him a ticket to heaven.
“Why don’t you share your ticket to heaven with me?” asked the friend.
“If you ask Jesus to forgive you of YOUR sins, and to be Lord of your life, He’ll give you your OWN ticket!”
His friend was not willing to accept Jesus, but he pressed the new Christian so much that finally he said, “okay, tell you what, I’ll cut it in half and give you half.” (cut the paper in half, make sure the Christian gets the single cross piece, and that the friend gets ALL the other pieces)
That afternoon the Christian’s mom took the boys in the car to go to the store to get ice cream. But on the way there a car swerved into their lane and killed the two boys.
When they got up to heaven’s gate, an angel stopped them and said, “Do you have your ticket?”
The Christian said, “I had it, but I gave half to my friend.”
The angel said, “Let’s see what you have.” (Unfold the cross) “The cross is your ticket into heaven. Noone may come to the Father except through the Cross of Christ. Enter in to the joy of the Lord.”
His friend came up and handed the pieces to the angel. “Here’s my ticket, let me in too!”
The angel said, “let’s see what you have.” (Unfold the pieces and lay them out carefully, they spell HELL.) “I’m sorry, your ticket is for a different gate.”
With tears in his eyes the boy was led away to spend eternity in hell.
This boy thought he had a lot of time to make his decision, but little did he know that that day was his last. Now, your life may not end tonight on the way home, but none of us are promised tomorrow. Each day in itself is a gift from God, a sign of His love.
(Fold the cross into a heart, by folding the outside arms in, so that Jesus’ face shows in the center, while saying, )
If you have never repented of your sins, and asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior, you have never experienced the Peace of God which passes all understanding. You are not experiencing God’s mercy,
but God’s patience and longsuffering. (2 Pet 3:9 KJV) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Jesus said, (Rev 3:20 KJV) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Jesus may be knocking at your heart’s door tonight. If you would like to let him come in, I want you to go and see your leader as soon as we are dismissed.
(Pray)
http://www.associatedcontent.com/slideshow/5691/make_a_paper_cross_with_only_one_cut.html
aaron chua thanked jesus at11:23 PM