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Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1. Rebellion on Terra 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 (Mark 12:1-9) 2. When the Fitness Movement Came to Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 (Luke 8:4-15) 3. A Tale of Two Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 (Matthew 21:28-32) 4. Time for Popcorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 (Luke 11:1-13; Luke 18:1-8) 5. Big Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 (Luke 12:13-21) 6. Welcome to Pinkville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 (Matthew 5:13-16) 7. Code Name: Wolf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 (Matthew 7:15-23) 8. Winterizing Your Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 (Matthew 7:21-29) 9. Trouble at the Concession Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 (Matthew 21:12, 13; 23:23-36) 10. Wanna Know What I Did Last Night? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 (Luke 17:3-5) 11. Creatures of the Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 (Luke 11:23-26) 12. No One Will Ever Know‌ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 (Luke 12:39-48) 13. Confessions of a Secret Admirer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 (Luke 15:1-10) 14. Alone on the Porch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 (Luke 15:11-32)

16. The Backstage Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 (Matthew 25:1-13) 17. Passing the Entrance Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 (Matthew 25:31-46)

ASTONISHING TALES

15. The Most Unusual Kingdom of All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 (Matthew 13:24-52; Luke 17:20, 21)

9

CONTENTS

10 18. Second Chances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 (Luke 13:1-9) 19. Joining the Road Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 (Mark 4:26-29) 20. Crying Over Spilled Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 (Matthew 18:21-35) 21. Masquerade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 (Matthew 18:1-6) 22. A Cinderella Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 (Luke 7:36-50) 23. Night of the Virus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43) 24. The Parable of the Good Skinhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 (Luke 10:25-37) 25. Why I Don’t Work at Gonzo’s Anymore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 (Matthew 19:30–20:16) 26. Buried Alive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 (Luke 16:19-31) 27. The Edge of Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 (Matthew 26:36-41) 28. Missing the Meal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 (Luke 14:15-24) 29. Our New Sales Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 (Luke 14:25-35) 30. The Day My Mom Came Home Early (Matthew 28:16-20)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

31. The Bragging Bricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 (Luke 14:7-11; 17:7-10) 32. Decorating the Hotel Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 (Matthew 6:19-21; Mark 8:34-38) 33. The Amazing Healing of a Cheerleader (Luke 17:11-19)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

34. One Strange Day in the Locker Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 (John 13:1-17) 35. Guess What I Got in My Garage? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 (Matthew 25:14-30) 36. The Only Way to Kill a Vampire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 (Luke 11:20-22)

1

REBELLION ON TERRA 5

ASTONISHING TALES

Ambassador Lansing gripped the throttle and jerked his ship back on course. The flight computers were off-line and he hadn’t flown manually since he was at the academy. To make matters worse, the ship had been heavily damaged in his escape.

C’mon! C’mon! You can make it!

Up ahead he saw Phoenix Station quickly approaching. It wouldn’t be long now.

C’mon, baby. Ease in there . . . just a little further . . .

The rear thrusters finally disengaged and his pod began to slow down. He veered sharply toward the left side of Docking Bay 12-C7.

He knew he was coming in way too fast, but he didn’t have a choice.

Not this time.

No . . . It’s not right! . . . The trajectory is too steep!

Everything was getting foggy for the ambassador. He’d lost too much blood. And he was so dizzy—dizziness was one of the symptoms of the Demarian Plague. He’d most certainly been infected. If only he could make it into the docking bay to deliver his message!

He heard the warning blaring from the com device near his ear, but it was too late. As the ship careened wildly to the side, everything seemed to blur together like a dream. Like a nightmare.

15

REBELLION ON TERRA 5

16 You’re not gonna make it! You’ve failed. The Emperor will lose the colonies. . . .

The last thing he saw before his ship exploded in a flash of light was the metal exterior of the space station zooming toward him.

“Sir? Sir? Can you hear me?”

The man lying on the operating table blinked his eyes.

“Your Majesty, I believe he’s coming to!” said Dr. Exeter, Phoenix Station’s chief physician. He leaned over Ambassador Lansing’s body, prodding gently at the artificial limbs he’d just attached.

The Emperor stepped forward. “Excellent. That’ll be all, doctor.

You may leave us alone now.”

Dr. Exeter nodded, bowed twice and quietly backed out of the room.

“What? Where am I?” mumbled the ambassador. “What happened?”

“We pulled you from a nasty wreck, my friend. But the good doctor found enough of you to piece back together. . . .”

The Emperor smiled. “By the way, you dented my space station, Ambassador.”

The man on the table closed his eyes. “My life for my mistake, Your Majesty.”

“No, no. I forgive you. . . .” The Emperor leaned close and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Now, tell me about those burns on your leg and how your right foot came to be severed from your body. . . .

It wasn’t from the wreck, was it?”

There was a long and uncomfortable silence.

“Ambassador?”

“No, sir. It wasn’t from the wreck. I was tortured. It was the rebels.”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed. “The rebels did this to you? To my personal representative!”

“Yes, sir. They refused to listen to anything I had to say. And they wouldn’t hand over the antitoxin. They’re trying to keep it all to themselves, sir.”

“And what about the others—Ambassador Lege? Dr. Akersby?

Sir Magel, the Honorable Envoy from Nebus?”

“Dead, sir. I was the only one to escape. . . . I had to gnaw off my thumbs to twist my hands out of the shackles.”

The Emperor turned on his heels. “You serve me well and you will be rewarded for your loyalty. We’ll speak again soon. For now, rest. I have much to think about. I need to speak with my counselor.”

Ambassador Lansing bent his head slightly and glanced at his new thumbs. Better than the originals, he thought, as the dizziness returned. And then he was asleep again.

ASTONISHING TALES

Four earth hours later, he awoke in a hoverchair. Dr. Exeter was guiding him down the corridor toward the Emperor’s High Chamber. Counselor Pax and the Emperor’s son, Lucan, were already assembled in the council room. The Emperor motioned for them to sit down. Then he turned toward Ambassador Lansing. “Thank you for joining us on such short notice, Ambassador. Could you give us a status report of the rebellion on Terra 5?”

“Of course, sir.” He propped himself up with his arms and addressed the three dignitaries. “The rebels have taken control of the plantations that produce the antitoxin for Demarian Plague. . . .” He glanced at Dr. Exeter.

The doctor looked grim as he added to the ambassador’s report.

“As you all know, it’s highly contagious and . . . quite fatal, I’m afraid. Everyone in the Terra System has been exposed.”

17

REBELLION ON TERRA 5

18 Ambassador Lansing swallowed hard. That “everyone” included him. He cleared his throat and continued. “They’ve refused to turn over the antitoxin. Every messenger that’s been sent has been killed or tortured. . . . As I see it, Your Majesty, we have only one choice. . . .” There really was only one option left—send in a squadron of Elite Force soldiers. Annihilate the rebels, seize the antitoxin and then distribute it throughout the colonies.

But before he could propose this, Counselor Pax cleared his throat. “I suggest you send in Prince Lucan.”

“What?” roared the Emperor. “My son? My only son! You propose I send the one I love more than anyone else to those murderous rebels?”

Prince Lucan stepped forward. “I’m glad to go, Dad. The antitoxin can save whole worlds. Billions of people—your people. I’d gladly lay down my life for them. . . .”

Counselor Pax spoke up again. “Certainly the rebels will respect your only son, sir. And then this entire incident can be resolved peacefully. They wouldn’t dare attack the son of their Emperor.

Lucan will arrive in an unarmed ship. No weapons. Bringing only your undeserved offer of mercy.”

The Emperor gazed around the room. “What do you think, Ambassador?”

Ambassador Lansing shook his head. “Sir, I don’t see the wisdom in it. Knowing the rebels, they’ll try to assassinate your son. They’ll reason that if they can kill the heir to the throne, the entire galaxy will be theirs. I suggest an Elite Force offensive instead.”

Everyone stared at the Emperor awaiting his command. A long moment passed. Then another. “Thank you, Ambassador. Your suggestion is duly noted. But this time I must go with Counselor Pax’s proposal.” He drew a deep breath, and, despite himself, the Emperor clenched his fists in intensity. “But if they lay a hand on Lucan, I will bring them

all to a wretched end. By peace or by force, the antitoxin will be taken from them and entrusted to those who’ll share it willingly with others, rather than keep it only to themselves.”

Ambassador Lansing couldn’t believe it. This is unheard of! Never has an emperor allowed his only son to enter enemy territory in the middle of an uprising! He could be captured! Or even killed!

“When shall I leave, Father?”

“At once. Time is of the essence.”

“But, Your Majesty!” blurted the ambassador. “It’s a suicide mission!”

“Perhaps,” said the Emperor. “But love will prevail in the end.

It’s the only way to save the planet. It’s the only way to save . . . you.”

Prince Lucan turned toward the ambassador. “I’ll be back,” he said, laying his hand on the ambassador’s shoulder. “And I will bring you the antitoxin. I promise.”

Then Lucan nodded to his father and the others, removed his royal sash and robes, laid his weapons on the table and left the room to save Terra 5.

From itself.

Origin Do you think the prince was successful? Read Mark 12:1-9 to find out how the story ends. Notice how the rebels treated the son when he arrived.

Inquiry ASTONISHING TALES

Jesus told this story to upstanding, well-respected Bible scholars who’d done two things—(1) repeatedly ignored God’s messages to them, and (2) tried to keep God’s blessings to themselves.

God won’t put up with that kind of an attitude (see verses 9-11).

Don’t let those verses apply to you.

There’s a surprisingly simple way to discover if you truly love

19

REBELLION ON TERRA 5

20 God: How do you respond when you hear one of his commands?

Do you make excuses and rationalize about the lifestyle you’ve chosen, or do you look for ways to begin obeying what God has said?

Do you share the blessings of knowing God with others, or do you keep the message to yourself?

Relevance Servant after servant went into the vineyard, knowing what had happened to the others. Torture. Beatings. Death. Why did they go?

They went because they loved the orchard owner. And their love compelled them to obey. Are you more like those servants who were willing to die for their master, or the rebels who refused to acknowledge his authority?

Sure, we all mess up and make mistakes. But, what attitude do you have toward God’s messengers? One of rebellion? Or one of submission? True obedience starts in the heart. What changes in attitude and action does God want you to make today?

Meditation God, I’m tempted to make excuses, ignore your commands and keep the news of your love to myself—just like the rebels did. Forgive me!

Help me to be more like the servants and less like the rebels. You want me to share the blessings of knowing you with other people. That means telling people about Jesus. Give me the guts to do it. Not out of obligation, but out of love. Amen.