Story about the cross

J

John14.6

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  • Story behind the Do You See the Nails? Story.

    The end of May, 2013 our youngest granddaughter, 6 years old at the time, had just graduated from kindergarten, and after we attended her graduation ceremony we went to their home to visit for awhile before we drove the 75 mile trip back to our home. While we were visiting with our daughter’s family our 6 year old granddaughter asked me to let her read some stories she had written in kindergarten class. As I listened to her read the 3 stories that she had written in class I was amazed at her reading ability and in her writing skills. Later that night, as we were driving home, I started thinking that I would write a story for her, and I just said a short prayer asking the Lord to give me a story to write for her that would present the Gospel message to her in a way that a child could understand.

    By the time we arrived home my mind was on other things that I needed to do around the house. We had just purchased a 7-year-old house in December 2012, and now that summer was near, I had a lot of things that I planned to do like paint, build a storage building, replace a broken fence post, etc. I’m saying that I forgot about writing a story for my granddaughter and for the next few weeks all I had on my mind was planning, buying materials, and building a storage building in the back yard.

    One day, about 3 weeks later, my wife and I drove to a nearby fast-food place to have lunch. I was parking my truck in my usual parking place when suddenly my mind was being filled with a story about a boy talking to God about Jesus dying on the cross. As we were walking towards the restaurant my wife asked me what I wanted to order. I was trying to talk to her, but I just wasn’t able to carry on a conversation with her, and I know she felt that I was ignoring her, but I could not concentrate on anything other than the story that was flooding my mind. She ordered our usual lunch, we ate, and then I drove home with that story on my mind.

    When we got home, I sat down at my computer, and began to write a story about a young child talking to God about Jesus dying on the cross, and with a special focus on the nails that were placed into his hands & feet. I can’t say for sure that God put those thoughts into my mind, but I just don’t know of any other way to explain how that story came into my mind in a way that I could not block it out or stop it. Therefore, I assume that the story was the Lord answering my prayer.

    ​
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    Now, the story.
    Do you See the Nails?​

    This story is about a boy whose name was “Itzak,” a Hebrew name that means laughter. When Itzak was a little boy his mother took him to church most Sundays where he heard about Jesus. By the time Itzak was almost nine years old his mother, his friends, and everyone who knew him were calling him Itzy.

    One Sunday his Sunday school teacher told his class that if they would say a prayer, asking Jesus to come into their hearts that they would be saved and when they died they would go to heaven. Itzy really wanted to go to heaven because he had heard that hell was the other place and that hell is where all the people go who don’t get their sins forgiven, and that hell is where people burn in fire forever. So Itzy said the prayer. Itzy’s teacher told his mom that he got saved and of course his mom was really happy about that. Itzy was baptized the very next Sunday.

    As time passed Itzy found himself still wondering about where he would go when he died. He thought that he would go to heaven since he had done all the things he had been told to do in church, but for some reason he just wasn’t sure about it. Finally, Itzy decided that, just to be sure, he would pray and ask God to save him again but this time he would keep praying until God showed him that he was saved. So he prayed, and prayed, and prayed, and prayed until finally he fell asleep. After Itzy fell asleep, he had a dream. In his dream God rolled back the sky so Itzy could see into heaven. He could see God looking down at him. Suddenly God said “Itzy, there is something I need to show you."

    In his dream God told Itzy that He was going to take him back in time to the day when Jesus was dying on the cross. Immediately Itzy was standing in front of the cross. God said “Itzy, do you see My Son, Jesus, on the cross?” Itzy said “Yes God, I see Jesus on the cross.” Then God asked him “Itzy, do you see the nails?” Itzy said “Yes God I see three nails, one in each of his hands and one in his feet.” God said “Itzy, those nails are your sins, one nail is all of your sins of your past, one of the nails is all of your sins of today, and the last nail is all of your sins of your future.”

    Itzy asked God “Why are you showing me this, God?” God said “Itzy, you have been begging me to save you and I want to save you, but I can’t save you until you see the cross in the same way I see the cross.” Itzy said “How do you see the cross, God?” God said “Itzy, I’m going to show you the way I see the cross. Are you looking at the cross?” Itzy said “Yes, God, I’m looking at the cross.” Then God said “Do you see the nails?” Itzy said “Yes God, I see the nails.” God said “Tell me, Itzy, why should I save you” Itzy said “Well, I said a prayer because the preacher said if I did then I would go to heaven." God said “Saying a prayer because someone told you that doing so would get you to heaven doesn't save anyone, Itzy, look at the cross again.” Itzy said, “OK God, I’m looking at the cross.” God said “Do you see the nails?” Itzy said “Yes, God, I see the nails.” God said “Now Itzy, tell me why I should save you.” Itzy said “ Well one time in church I went to the altar and confessed all my sins.” God said “You should confess your sins, but you are missing something, Itzy, look at the cross again.” Itzy said “OK God I’m looking at the cross.” God said “Do you see the nails?” Itzy said “Yes God I see the nails.” God said “Now tell me why I should save you.” Itzy said “Well, when I went to the altar at church I promised you that I would serve you the rest of my life because the preacher said we should.” God said “Itzy, I do want you to serve me, but there is something more important, so I need you to look at the cross again.” Itzy said “I’m looking at the cross, God.” God said “Do you see the nails?“ Itzy said “Yes, God, I see the nails.” God said “Tell me, Itzy, why should I save you” Itzy said “One night I got down on my knees and repented of all my sins.” God said “You should repent of your sins, but again, there is something you are missing, so look at the cross.” Itzy said “I’m looking.” God said “Do you see the nails?” Itzy said “I see the nails, God.” God said “Tell me why I should save you.”

    Itzy said “OK, God, I said the sinners’ prayer, I confessed all my sins, I promised to serve you all of my life, I repented of all my sins, I turned from all my sins, I believe in Jesus, and I was baptized, now will you please save me?” God said “Those are things you should do but there’s still something missing, so look at the cross.” Itzy said “God, I don’t get it, why do you keep telling me to look at the cross?” God said “Itzy, you will "get it" when you see the cross the same way I see the cross. Look again, and this time look for something, anything that you might have overlooked before.” Itzy said “OK God, I’m looking at the cross.” God said “Tell me what you see.” Itzy said “I see Jesus on the cross.” God said “Do you see the nails?” Itzy said “Yes, God I see the nails?” God said “Are you sure you can see the nails?

    This time Itzy didn’t say anything. God waited a few seconds then said “Itzy, are you there?” After a long pause, Itzy said “Yes, Lord, I’m here.” God said “Itzy, tell me why I should save you.” Again Itzy didn’t say anything. After another short pause God said “Itzy, why won‘t you answer me?” Itzy said “I’m still looking at the cross, God.” Again God waited a few seconds then said “Itzy, what do you see?” Itzy didn’t say anything. Again God said “Itzy, do you see the nails?” Finally, after another long pause Itzy said “Lord, I see Jesus, but Lord, now I can’t see the nails.” God said “Why can’t you see the nails, Itzy?” A short pause this time, then Itzy said “They’re covered with blood Lord; all I can see is the blood” God said “Now you see the cross in the same way as I see the cross. When I look at the cross all I see is the blood.”

    Then God asked “Itzy, why I should save you?” Without hesitation Itzy said “Because of the blood, Lord, because my sins are covered by the blood.” God said “Wait just a second, I’ll be right back.” Itzy said “OK Lord, I’ll wait.” A few seconds later God was back. God said “Itzy, are you still there?” Itzy said “I’m here, Lord.” God said “Now that you have been saved I just wrote your name down in the book of life.”

    Suddenly Itzy was awakened by his mother, and he told her about his dream. He told his mother that he wanted to read about Jesus dying on the cross in his bible. Itzy and his mother opened their bibles to the Gospel of John and read about Jesus. His mom explained to him how that Jesus died on the cross & that His blood paid the penalty for our sins. Itzy told his mom that he had heard that in Sunday School but that he had never thought about his sins being nailed to the cross with Jesus. Itzy’s mom told him that if he wanted be sure he was saved that Jesus was waiting for him to come to Him just like they had read about in the bible. Itzy made his salvation sure that day and never again did he worry or wonder about whether or not he was saved.

    All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37;KJV)

    ljohnson
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Is it? I have to take most you say with a large grain of salt. I might get around to reading this sooner or later.
 
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