I would like to take a moment and thank Pearables.com for allowing me to type and post two of their wonderful stories.  I would highly recommend the pearables books as part of your homeschool and Sunday School class material.  http://www.pearables.com/

The Conquered Village

There was once, in the land of the One True King, a village that was near the border of the Kingdom.  On the other side of the border were foreigner who did not have a King that ruled over them and lawlessness abounded.

The subjects of the King could see that these poor foreigners would be much happier if they would allow the King to rule in their lives.  If they would obey the commands of the One True King, they would find contentment and lives that were fulfilling!  So...they decided to see if they could sway the foreigners into the Kingdom!

The people of the One True King's land were very different from any of the other lands.  Their speech was different, as they were commanded to speak only kind and true things to one another!  Their manner of clothing was different, as they dressed modestly and in a way that they did not call attention to themselves.  In fact, ever since the alchemist left town, the women found that there were far more important things to do then glorifying their forms and face!

Their music was different as it was played to please and give honor to the King!  The way they trained their children was different in that the people of the Kingdom trained their children themselves, to love and follow the ways of the King.

On the other hand, the foreigners sent their children away each day to have others train them up in the lawlessness of their land.

The men of the villiage decided that they would go out and tell all the foreigners that they could find that they could have true happiness if they followed the One True King!...That they could actually belong to the Kingdom if they wanted to!

For the next few weeks, the men told as many foreigners that would listen about their wonderful King and His mighty Kingdom.  Some of the foreigners received this news with joy and immediately moved their families into the land of the King.  Many of those who heard this GOOD news rejected the King and wanted to stay where they were in their own land.  After all, they had lived in their land for many years and didn't want to change their way of life!  They were foreigners to the Kingdom and they would have to learn a whole, new CULTURE!!!

Some time went by and even though the men were telling many foreigners about their King and His Kingdom, not very many foreigners were willing to accept the King and have Him rule in their lives.  The men decided this needed some discussion and called for a meeting in the villiage square.

"There ar enot many foreigners that are wanting to follow the King," one man stated.  All the men murmured in agreement.  "SOMETHING MUST BE DONE!!!"

So the men pondered long and hard over a solution to this very difficult problem.

"I HAVE IT" one man exclaimed.  "You know how much the foreigners love their music!  If WE played the same music as they do, we could draw them into the Kingdom!  They will ahve this music that is the same in their land, and it will make them feel at home!  But, they will still be in the Kingdom!

The men were all enthused over this wonderful plan and quickly set out to put it into action. 

The people of the Kingdom started playing music just like that of the foreigners and soon, some did come...but they came for the music not because of the Kingdom or the love of the King.  The villagers kept the music were content to stay.

Still, the men of the village knew that there had to be a way of getting more foreigners into the Kingdom.  They came up with another idea.  If they all dressed like the foreigners, the foreigners would feel more at ease, and could better relate to the Kingdom!  This would give them an even better reason to move into the Kingdom!  Soooooo... the people of the King put away their own clothing and dressed JUST like the foreigners.

Soon, some of the foreigners truly did feel much more comfortable with the Kingdom and now, BECAUSE of the dress and music, didn't feel they would have that much CHANGE to contend with and moved into the village.

But, there still must be some way of getting MORE foreigners into the Kingdom!!!

If the people of the Kingdom sent their children to the places where the foreigners were training up their children, the children of the Kingdom could then sway the foreigner's children into following the King!

So, they dressed their children up just like foreigners, and sent them off to the foreinger's training centers so they could be with foreigners ALL DAY LONG!!!!

One day, the One True King decided that it was time to go and visit His little village on the border....

To His SHOCK and SURPRISE, He found that FOREIGNERS HAD TAKEN OVER THE VILLAGE!!!!

As He rode through the village square He heard AWFUL music beging played.  He covered His ears with His hands, but still the horrendous sounds filtered through, and... He heard His NAME mentioned!!!  Being sung to this ..."MUSIC"~!!!!

He saw children running in the streets, chasing dogs, hitting one another, and IGNORING THEIR PARENTS AS THEY CALLED FOR THEM TO STOP!!!

He then looked around at the people that were bowed low as He passed.  The people of this village were all dressed as foreigners, but....

He looked closer and then stated, "You may rise!"  As He gazed at each face, He was ASTONISHED to see the familiar faces of His loyal Subjects!

"My People!  Why have the Foreigners overtaken your village?"

A large, burly man came before the King and said with a big smile on his face, "My King!  We are so happy that you have come to see that a wonderful thing has happened.  We have found ways to get the foreigners into the Kingdom and to follow YOU!  We decided to make our village more like the foreigner's land and ever since this has happened MANY of the foreigners have moved into the Kingdom!"

The King's mouth dropped open at this philosophy.

The King threw his arms up in exasperation then said loudly,  "You are NOT to conform YOURSELVES to the ways of foreigners in order to get them into the Kingdom!  If the foreigeners did not come to the Kingdom because of hearing aout the Kingdom and Your King and wanting to obey Me because of LOVE, then you do NOT BRIBE them into the Kingdom by turning the Kingdom into a foreign land!!!

In doing what you have done, truly, the foreigners have swayed YOU into living like them rather than them living like Subjects of the Kingdom!!1  The FOREIGNERS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE VILLAGE!!!!  Please!... Rid yourselves of this foreign music, of the foreigners ways, and start to TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN!!!

"DO NOT CONFORM YOURSELVES TO THE WAYS OF THE FOREIGNERS!!!"

The people of the village rid themselves of the foreigner's ways and many of the foreigners went back to their own land and their OWN customs.  But, there were a few who had come into the Kingdom SOLELY because they loved the King and wanted to obey His ways... And they found true contentment and happiness!

Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."