Short Christian Stories and Stories

Christianity will go away. It will dry up and disappear. There is no point in arguing with this, I am right and my rightness will be proven. Now the Beatles are more popular than Christ. It is not known what will go first: rock'n'roll or Christianity. (John Lennon)

On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed by a Beatles fan.

I have heard for quite some time that 12 people founded a new religion, but I have the pleasure of proving that it only takes one to eradicate religion forever. (Voltaire)

Now Voltaire's Parisian house houses the warehouse of the British Bible Society. _______________________

I thought that I should do a lot against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This is what I did in Jerusalem: I imprisoned many saints and killed them, and in all the synagogues I repeatedly tortured them and forced them to blaspheme Jesus and, in excessive rage against them, persecuted them even in foreign cities. (Pharisee Saul)

But, having met Jesus, Saul said in awe and horror: “Lord! What will you have me do?” This is how the Apostle Paul was chosen. _______________________

At the end of time there will be only two classes of people: those who once said to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God will say, “Thy will be done.” (S.S. Lewis)

One climber dared to conquer the peak, which was considered one of the most difficult to climb. Wanting to take all the glory for himself, he decided to do it alone.

But the summit didn’t just give up. It was starting to get dark. The stars and moon were covered with clouds that night. Visibility was zero. But the climber did not want to stop.

And then on one of the dangerous ledges the climber slipped and fell down. He would definitely have died, but like any experienced steeplejack, our hero made the ascent with insurance.

Hanging over the abyss in complete darkness, the unfortunate man shouted: “God! I pray, save me!”

And suddenly a clear voice said from heaven: “Cut the insurance.”

However, the experienced climber only grabbed the rope tighter, continuing to hang helplessly. So he did not dare to cut it.

The next day, a rescue team discovered the body of a frozen climber, clinging to a rope, hanging only HALF A METER FROM THE GROUND.

CUT YOUR INSURANCE AND TRUST IN THE LORD...

Butterfly

One man brought home a butterfly cocoon and began to observe it. And in due time the cocoon began to open a little. The newborn butterfly struggled for several hours to get out through the resulting narrow gap.

But everything was to no avail, and the butterfly stopped fighting. It seemed that she had crawled out as far as she could, and she had no strength to get out any further. Then the man decided to help the poor butterfly, he took small scissors and cut the cocoon a little. The butterfly now came out with ease. But for some reason her body was inflated, and her wings were shriveled and twisted.

The man continued to watch the butterfly, believing that its wings were about to spread out and become strong. So strong that they can hold the butterfly’s body in flight, which will take the correct shape from minute to minute. But this never happened. The butterfly was forever left with a swollen body and shriveled wings. She could only crawl; she was no longer destined to fly.

In his kindness and haste, the man who helped the butterfly did not realize one thing. The tight cocoon and the need to fight to get out through a narrow gap - all this was planned by the Lord. This is the only way the fluid from the butterfly’s body gets into the wings, and when the insect is free, it is almost ready to fly.

Very often, struggle is what benefits us in life. If the Lord allowed us to go through life without trials, then we would be “crippled.” We wouldn't be as strong as we could be. And we would never have known what it was like to fly.

Astrology

...so that when you look up to heaven and see the sun, the moon, and the stars and all the host of heaven, you are not deceived and worship them and serve them, since the Lord your God has allocated them to all the nations under the whole heaven. Deuteronomy 4:19

Everyone knows that astrological forecasts are made depending on what constellation a particular person was born under. Let's think about this.

It seems ridiculous to say that all people born under the same constellation have similar characters.

Will the lives of two children born on the same day and in the same hospital be similar? Of course not! One of them may become rich in the future, and the other poor.

What will astrologers say about twins or premature babies?

Why does everything in astrology depend on the moment of birth, and not on the moment of conception?

What should astrologers do with the Eskimos, whose homeland is located beyond the Arctic Circle, where the Zodiac constellations are not visible in the sky for months?

What about the southern hemisphere, where people live under completely different constellations?

Why do only 12 constellations of the Zodiac influence a person’s life, and not others?

For a long time, the theory of astrology was based on the works of Ptolemy. Relatively recent astronomical discoveries of the planets Uranus (1781), Neptune (1846) and Pluto (1930) led to the fact that horoscopes calculated using Ptolemy's methods began to be considered incorrect.

The next paragraph is for the most erudite.

The imaginary large circle in the firmament along which the visible annual movement of the Sun occurs is called the ecliptic. At certain times of the year, the Sun, moving along the ecliptic, enters a certain constellation in the sky. The twelve constellations falling on the ecliptic are called the constellations of the Zodiac. For centuries it was believed that the ecliptic, like the earth's axis, is motionless. However, astronomers have discovered the precession of the earth's axis. As a result, each constellation of the Zodiac moves back along the ecliptic by about one degree every 70 years. The result is an interesting picture. A person born during the time of Ptolemy, for example, on January 1, fell under the constellation Capricorn. In our time, this person is already born literally “under the constellation Sagittarius.” If you wait another 11,000 years, then January 1 will fall in the constellation Leo! This shift of the zodiacal constellations will continue until the earth's axis completes a full circle in its precession after 26,000 years, and the seasons fall under the Ptolemaic signs. Interestingly, astrologers take this into account in their forecasts?

Belief in astrology contradicts Biblical teaching that prohibits star worship (Deut. 4:15-19, 17:2-5). Astrology encourages people to rely on the “stars,” thereby leading them away from the living God who created these stars.

In these last days, the moment is approaching when believers in Christ will be caught up into heaven to dwell with God forever. Therefore, the devil tries to deceive people by offering them an alternative in the form of UFOs, so as not to think about God.

Below are several statements that debunk the extraterrestrial phenomenon hoax.

There are several dozen cases of military aircraft opening fire on UFOs, but no one has ever managed to shoot down or damage the mysterious aircraft.

No radar has ever recorded the entry and stay of a UFO in the Earth's atmosphere.

Despite hundreds of stories of UFO abductions, there is no material evidence to support the claims of people who have allegedly actually been on board extraterrestrial aliens.

When comparing descriptions of UFOs, we can conclude that each time they look completely different. It makes no sense to assume that any other space civilization builds a new spaceship every time in appearance and uses it only once.

Even if there were thousands of advanced civilizations in the Universe, the chance for an expedition from any of these civilizations to stumble upon a small planet located on the edge of the Galaxy seems negligible. However, reports are spreading about literally thousands of UFO sightings (the closest star to us is 4.2 light years away).

The aliens live quietly in our atmosphere without any breathing apparatus.

During close contacts, the behavior of extraterrestrial beings does not in any way correspond to what would be logical to expect from highly developed intergalactic wanderers (attacks, kidnappings, murders, attempts to engage in sexual contact).

Extraterrestrial beings with UFOs very often bring anti-Biblical messages, calling for the occult, rejecting the teachings of the Bible about Jesus, God, salvation, etc.

The psychology and actions of supposedly extraterrestrial beings fit very well into the description of demons or fallen angels with their fallen, old, but in no way technically advanced and highly rational nature. These are not biological creatures from another world in the depths of space, but the ghosts of demons living in the spiritual world, who are just looking for how to deceive people.

From the book “UFO Facts” by J. Ankerberg

My father returned home from the war in 1949. In those days, all over the country you could find soldiers like my father voting on the highways. They were in a hurry to get home and see their families.

But for my father, the joy of meeting his family was overshadowed by grief. My grandmother was admitted to the hospital due to kidney disease. Although she received the necessary medical care, she required an immediate blood transfusion to save her. Otherwise, as the doctor told her family, she would not be able to live until the morning.

The transfusion turned out to be problematic because my grandmother had a rare blood type - III with negative Rh. At the end of the 40s, there were no blood banks yet, and there was no special service for its delivery. All members of our family donated blood to determine the group, but, alas, no one had the required group. There was no hope - my grandmother was dying. The father, with tears in his eyes, drove from the hospital to pick up his relatives to bring them to say goodbye to his mother.

When my father drove onto the highway, he saw a soldier voting. Heartbroken, he wanted to rush past, but something inside made him press the brakes and invite the stranger into the car. They drove in silence for some time. However, the soldier, noticing tears in my father’s eyes, asked what had happened.

With a lump in his throat, the father told the stranger about his mother’s illness. He spoke about the necessary blood transfusion and about futile attempts to find a donor with blood group III and a negative Rh factor. My father continued to say something while his fellow traveler took out a soldier’s medallion from his bosom and handed it to him to look at. The medallion stated “blood type III (-).” Within seconds, my father's car was speeding back to the hospital.

My grandmother recovered and lived another 47 years. No one in our family was ever able to find out the name of that soldier. And my father is still wondering whether it was an ordinary private or an angel in military uniform. Sometimes we are not even aware of how the Lord can sometimes work supernaturally in our lives.

One rich man once called an architect who worked for him and said: “Build a house for me in a distant country. Construction and design - I leave everything to your discretion. I want to give this house as a gift to one of my special friends.”

Delighted with the order he received, the architect went to the construction site. There, a wide variety of materials and all kinds of tools had already been prepared for him.

But the architect turned out to be a cunning fellow. He thought: “I know my business well, no one will notice if I use second-rate material here, or do something of poor quality there. In the end, the building will still look normal. And only I alone will know about the minor shortcomings. This way I can do everything quickly, without any special worries, and I’ll also get a profit by selling expensive building materials.”

The work was completed by the appointed time. The architect informed the rich man about this. Having examined everything, he said: “Very good! Now the time has come to gift this house to my special friend. It is so dear to me that I spared no tools or materials for its construction. This precious friend for me is you! And I give you this house!”

God gives each person a task in life, allowing him to complete it freely and creatively. And on the day of resurrection, each person will receive as a reward what he built during his life.

An ordinary pastor arrived in a small town to serve in one of the local churches. A few days after his arrival, he went from home on business to the city center on a city bus. Having paid the driver and already sat down, he discovered that the driver had given him an extra 25 cents in change.

A struggle began in his thoughts. One half of him said, “Give me back those 25 cents. It’s a bad thing to keep them from yourself.” But the other half objected: “Yeah, okay, it's only 25 cents. Is this a cause for concern? The bus company has a huge turnover of funds, they don’t even care about such trifles. Consider these 25 cents a blessing from the Lord, and move on calmly.”

When it was time for the pastor to leave, he handed the driver 25 cents and said, “You gave me too much.”

With a smile on his face, the driver replied, “You’re the new pastor, aren’t you? I was wondering if I should start going to your church. That’s why I decided to see what you would do if I gave you extra change.”

When the pastor got off the bus, he literally grabbed the first lamppost to keep from falling and said, “Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.”

Heroic Feat

“For hardly anyone will die for a righteous man; maybe someone will decide to die for a benefactor. But God demonstrates His love for us in that Christ died for us while we were still sinners” (Rom. 5:7-8)

Such an incident occurred in one military unit. The sergeant major went out onto the parade ground during drill training and threw a grenade at a platoon of recruits. All the soldiers rushed to their heels to escape death. But then it turned out that the sergeant was throwing a dummy grenade to test the reaction speed of young soldiers.

After some time, reinforcements arrived in this unit. The foreman decided to repeat the trick with a dummy grenade, asking those who already knew about it not to show it. And when he threw a dummy grenade into the crowd of soldiers, everyone again scattered. But one of the new arrivals, not knowing that the grenade was not real, rushed and lay down on it in order to shield others from the fragments with his body. He was ready to die for his fellow servicemen.

Soon this young soldier was nominated for a medal for bravery. This was a rare case when such an award was not given for success in combat.

If I were in the place of this recruit, I would probably run away with the others to hide in cover. And I wouldn’t even have the thought of dying for my comrades, not to mention people who are strangers to me, and maybe not even very good. But our Lord wished to die for the very last sinners, saving us with His body on the cross!

Chain of love

One evening he was heading home along a country road. Business in this small Midwestern town moved as slowly as his beat-up Pontiac. However, he had no intention of leaving this area. He has been unemployed since the factory closed.

It was a deserted road. There haven't been many people here. Most of his friends have left. They had to feed their families and achieve their goals. But he stayed. After all, this was the place where he buried his mother and father. He was born here and knew this city well.

He could blindly go down this road and tell what was on each side even with the headlights off, which he easily succeeded in doing. It was getting dark and light snow flakes were falling from the sky.

Suddenly he noticed an elderly lady sitting on the other side of the road. Even in the light of the approaching twilight, he noticed that she needed help. He stopped in front of her Mercedes and got out of the car. His Pontiac continued to rattle as he approached the woman.

Despite her smile, she looked worried. No one had stopped to offer her help in the last hour. What if he hurts her? His appearance was not trustworthy; he looked poor and tired. The lady was scared. He imagined how she might feel right now. Most likely, she was overcome with chills caused by fear. He said:

- I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car? Would you be much warmer there? My name is Joey.

As it turned out, the car had a flat tire, but that was enough for the elderly woman. While looking for a jack stand, Joey injured his hands. Dirty and with injured hands, he was still able to change the tire. After finishing the repairs, the woman began a conversation. She said that she lives in another city and was passing through here. She was incredibly grateful that Joey had come to her aid. In response to her words, Joey smiled and closed the trunk.

The woman asked how much she had to pay him. She was ready to pay any amount, because... she could already imagine the horror of what could have happened to her if Joey had not stopped to help her. Joey never had to think twice about money. His action was not a job for him. He provided the help that another person needed. How many people in his own life had given him a helping hand in the past. Joey has always lived with these beliefs and has never had to act in any other way. He told this woman that if she really wanted to thank him, then the next time she sees someone who needs help, she should help that person, after which he added: “... and remember me.”

Joey waited until the lady started driving and drove away. It had been a hard day, but now, heading home, he felt good. After driving a few miles, the woman saw a small cafe where she stopped to have a snack and warm up before driving the last leg of the way home. The place looked gloomy. Outside there were two old gas pumps. The surroundings were alien to her.

The waitress came and brought the lady a clean towel to dry her wet hair. She had a sweet, kind smile. The lady noticed that the waitress was pregnant, about eight months, but that the heavy workload did not change her attitude towards work. The elderly woman was amazed how it was possible, with so little, to be so attentive to a stranger. Then she remembered Joey...

After the lady had eaten and the waitress went to the cash register to get change for the lady's large bill, the customer quietly walked towards the door. When the waitress returned, she was gone. The waitress rushed to the window in surprise and suddenly noticed the inscription left on the napkin. Tears appeared in her eyes when she read:

-You don't owe me anything. I was in a similar position once, and one person helped me a lot. Now it's my turn to help you. If you want to repay me, do this: don’t let the chain of love break.

The waitress still needed to wash the tables and fill the sugar bowls, but she put it off until the next day. That evening, when she finally got home and went to bed, she thought about the money and what the woman had written. How did this woman know how much their young family needed money? With the baby due in a month, it was going to be even harder. She knew how worried her husband was. He slept next to him, she kissed him tenderly and whispered tenderly:

“Everything will be fine, I love you, Joey.”

People with roses

John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his army uniform and began to peer intently into the crowd of people passing through the central station square. He was waiting for a girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he had never seen, he was waiting for a girl with a rose.

It all started thirteen months ago in a Florida library. He was very interested in one book, but not so much by what was written in it, but more by the notes made in the margins. The dull handwriting betrayed a deep-thinking soul and a penetrating mind.

Having made every effort, he found the address of the former owner of the book. Miss Holis Meinel lived in New York. He wrote to her about himself and invited her to correspond.

The next day he was called to the front. The Second World War began. Over the next year they got to know each other well through letters. Each letter was a seed falling into the heart, as if onto fertile soil. The novel was promising.

He asked for her photo, but she refused. She believed that if his intentions were serious, then how she looked didn't really matter.

When the day came for him to return to Europe, they made their first meeting at seven o'clock. At Grand Central Station in New York.

“You will recognize me,” she wrote, “there will be a red rose pinned on my jacket.”

At exactly seven o'clock he was at the station and was waiting for the girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he had never seen.

This is what he himself writes about what happened next.

“A young girl was walking towards me - I have never seen anyone more beautiful: a slender, graceful figure, long and blond hair hanging in curls over her shoulders, big blue eyes... In her pale green jacket, she resembled spring that had just returned. I was so amazed to see her that I walked towards her, completely forgetting to see if she had a rose. When there were a couple of steps left between us, a strange grin appeared on her face.

“You are stopping me from passing,” I heard.

And then right behind her I saw Miss Holis Meinal. A bright red rose glowed on her jacket. Meanwhile, that girl in the green jacket moved further and further away.

I looked at the woman who stood in front of me. A woman who was already well over forty. She was not just full, but very full. An old, faded hat hid his thin gray hair. Bitter disappointment filled my heart. It seemed that I was torn in two, so strong was my desire to turn and follow that girl in the green jacket, and at the same time, so deep was my affection and gratitude to this woman, whose letters gave me strength and support during the most difficult time of my life.

She stood there. Her pale, plump face looked kind and sincere, her gray eyes shone with a warm light.

I didn't hesitate. In my hands I clutched a small blue book, by which she should have recognized me.

“I am Lieutenant John Blancherd, and you must be Miss Maynel? I'm so glad that we were able to finally meet. Can I invite you to dinner?"

A smile appeared on the woman's face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, son,” she replied, “but that young girl in the green jacket who just left asked me to wear this rose. She said that if you come up and invite me to dinner, then I should tell you that she is waiting for you at a nearby restaurant. She said it was a kind of test."

John and Holis got married, but the story doesn't end there. Because to some extent this is the story of each of us. We have all met such people in our lives, people with roses. Unattractive and forgotten, unaccepted and rejected. Those whom you don’t want to approach at all, whom you want to get around as quickly as possible. They have no place in our hearts, they are somewhere far away in the outskirts of our soul.

Holis gave John a test. A test to measure the depth of his character. If he turned away from the unattractive, he would lose the love of his life. But this is exactly what we often do - we reject and turn away, thereby refusing the blessings of God hidden in people's hearts.

Stop. Think about those people you don't care about. Leave your warm and comfortable apartment, go to the city center and give a sandwich to a beggar. Go to a nursing home, sit next to an old woman and help her carry a spoon to her mouth while eating. Go to the hospital and ask the nurse to take you to someone you haven't seen for a long time. Look into the unattractive and forgotten. Let this be your test. Remember that the outcasts of the world wear roses.

What I was afraid of happened

“But as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37).

(this happened a long time ago. Once upon a time there lived one man, and his name was either Simeon or Simon. Because of the long history of times, it is difficult to establish for sure now. We will call him Semyon.

This man was good, but everyone considered him a little strange. While everyone was interested in what was under their feet, Semyon was more interested in what was above his head. Often he went into the forest to be alone, to dream, to look at the sky, to think about the meaning of life. Maybe that's why Semyon was left without work. His wife Klava grumbled at him, food supplies were running out, it was unknown what to do next.

And then one morning Semyon went into the forest and, filled with thoughts, went as far as he had never gone before. Suddenly his stream of thoughts was interrupted by a knock. What is this? Drawn by curiosity, Semyon headed in the direction where the sounds were coming from. Who could have gotten that far? After a short search, Semyon came out into a large clearing and froze in surprise: in the middle of the clearing stood a strange structure, reminiscent of a huge wooden house without a foundation with a huge door and small windows just under the roof. Several people worked at the construction site. One of them, noticing Semyon, left his work and went to meet him. Semyon was scared, but when he saw the face of the approaching man, he calmed down. It was a gray-haired old man with radiant eyes. His gaze simultaneously pierced you through and inspired peace and tranquility.

- Glad to see you, young man. Why did you complain? - asked the old man.

- My name is Semyon, I was walking in the forest and came across you. Who are you and what are you doing here?

- My name is Noah. Come with me, I'll tell you everything.

Noah led Semyon to his building, sat him down on a bench under a canopy and began to talk. The more Noah spoke, the more interesting it was to listen to him. Semyon was surprised to find that he was receiving answers to questions that constantly arose in his mind. For example, why does this world look so uncomfortable and people so unkind? He listened to every word of the elder. True, now it no longer seemed to him as ancient as at first glance.

When Noah finished speaking, there was silence.

“You say interesting things, Noah,” Semyon finally said, barely hiding his excitement. - God, rain, flood, ark... Will no one be saved?

“Stay with us, you will help us build, and together we will be saved.”

- Can i?! — Semyon’s heart almost jumped out of his chest with joy.

- Of course, if you really want to be saved.

- Yes I want it very much! I don't like the world I live in. Only... Can I run home first and warn my people? Maybe they'll want to join in too!

Noah looked intently and sadly at Semyon.

- Go, of course... But, I’m afraid you won’t come back here again.

- No, I will definitely come! Together we will build the ark!

Semyon, inspired by the prospect of a new life, so real, rushed home, thinking as he went how best to tell Klava what happened to him. But the closer he got to home, the less enthusiasm and courage he had. A treacherous thought pierced my heart: “If I tell everything as it happened, they won’t believe me, they’ll call me crazy again. We need to present a more cunning case.”

Entering the house, Semyon shouted from the threshold:

- Klava, I found a job!

- Finally! I thought this would never happen. So what kind of work?

- A carpenter. At Noah's.

- Amazing. How much will he pay you?

- To pay? Well... we haven't talked about that yet.

- Well, you didn’t ask about the most important thing? Oh, Semyon, I’m no longer surprised by anything.

- You see, this is an unusual job...

And Semyon frankly told everything that he saw and heard from Noah. Practical Klava listened carefully to her husband and shook her head doubtfully:

- And you think that all this is true? Suppose it was indeed God who commanded Noah to build the ark. And all the same, the worker deserves a reward.

He should pay you for your work. This is what I think: go to our priest and consult with him. Maybe he knows something about this Noah.

Semyon did not like his wife’s advice, but he decided to please her and went to look for a priest. He rarely entered the temple, because there he experienced a mixed feeling of admiration for the beauty of its decoration and bewilderment at the absurdity of what usually happened here. And now a certain solemn event was taking place in the temple, the cook Semyon did not understand the meaning. He waited until the end and, when the people had dispersed, he turned to the priest in a magnificent robe. The priest listened to him carefully and spoke in a velvety bass:

“It’s very good, my son, that you are so interested in the will of God, for only its fulfillment contributes to our good.” But be careful, for Satan is cunning and walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. He takes the form of an angel of light and is therefore easily mistaken for a servant of God. Look,” and he raised his hand to the magnificently painted dome, “the Lord God is here with us.”

I don’t think you have to wander through forests and swamps to find Him. Better come here. Here in God's house you will gain true knowledge. And the truth is that God is love. How could you believe that the One who created such a beautiful world would destroy it with a flood? This is a heresy, son, a dangerous heresy. And you better not tell anyone about this... what's his name? Yes... Noah... We care about unity here, but this... uh... Noah brings anxiety and division into society. Is it God's will for there to be strife among His children? Well, that's the same. Go. And come to the service next week. God bless you.

Semyon got upset and walked away, thinking heavy thoughts. What if the priest is right? And his dreams of a new life are stupid, and Noah is a dangerous eccentric? Suddenly he was brought out of his thoughts by a heavy blow on the shoulder.

- Hello old man! Why are you walking, hanging your head, not noticing your friends? How are you?

Semyon looked up and saw Arkashka, an old friend, we studied together at school.

- What's wrong with you? You don't look like yourself. What happened? Semyon looked at Arkashka - so prosperous, respectable, moving in the highest spheres. Educated. Seems to be an expert in public relations. Maybe consult him? And he told about Noah. He also mentioned the conversation with his wife and the priest.

“It’s interesting,” thoughtful Arkashka thought, “this Noah of yours is a strange person.” Well, just think about it, why build a ship in a deep forest, where there is no sea or small river?! If he is as kind as you say, it would be better if he built a hospital or a soup kitchen - there are so many people in need today! Who needs his ark? Besides, brother, remember what we were taught at school: water cannot fall from the sky, it is contrary to the laws of nature. So no flood is simply impossible. And if anything happens, scientists would warn us. In general, throw nonsense out of your head and live like all normal people. Although it is difficult for you, I know you, a dreamer. But try your best, you have a family! Well, bye, friend, I have to go. I was glad to meet you. Hello wife.

Semyon was completely saddened and headed home, although the last thing he wanted was to see his wife now. Opening the door, I heard voices. Guests! Their beloved grandfather visited them - what a surprise!

“Hello, Semyon,” grandfather hugged him. - So, I decided to see how you live here. Klava told me about your adventures. Could this really be Noah? I met him... Let me remember... About fifty or sixty years ago he walked the streets of our city and preached. He called on everyone to repent, otherwise, they say, God will send rain from the sky, and it will be destroyed by water. Well, have you ever seen rain? Noah, let me tell you, is a fanatic. Or a sick person. Which, however, is the same thing. I don’t think you need to communicate with him, much less work for him. I'm sure you can find a good job here in the city.

Grandfather’s words destroyed the remnants of Semyon’s faith. And he resigned himself to the idea that he should not return to Noah.

***

Days passed, weeks flew by. Semyon began to forget about the amazing meeting in the forest. He found a job and tried to “live like other people.” And only sometimes in his dreams did he see Noah’s radiant eyes, the all-knowing and kind gaze. When he woke up, he forbade himself to think about this madman. And the reproachful dream visited him less and less often.

One day, when Semyon came home from work, his wife greeted him from the doorway with a question:

-Have you heard what people are talking about?

- No, what happened?

“Everyone is talking about Noah and his ark!”

- Why did they remember him? Aren't you tired of gossiping about a crazy fanatic with delusional ideas? Is that what they say?

- No, listen, people saw that the forest animals, and the field, and the birds were gathering together and going, flying there, to him, to his clearing!

- Animals? To the clearing to Noah? Is it really true…

- Semyon, let's ask our neighbor what he thinks about all this? He is a learned man.

“Yes, the event, frankly speaking, is extraordinary,” the learned neighbor scratched his head. — This doesn’t happen often, although it is theoretically possible. When the moon enters the fourth phase, a strong magnetic field is created, enhanced by the special arrangement of the constellations, and this has a specific effect on the brains of animals, so that they become inclined to cluster together and migrate. Well, the fact that they moved towards the clearing of the ark was most likely a mere coincidence. Yes, the phenomenon has been little studied, but I think over time we will figure it out. So sleep well, neighbors.

But Semyon could not sleep that night. As soon as it was dawn, he got up and went into the forest to Noah. I made my way through the thicket for a long time and finally came to the place - here it is, the ark! But what is it? Silence, not a soul around - no people, no animals, no birds are visible... The construction seems to be completed, and the huge door leading to the ark is tightly closed.

Semyon became scared. What would all this mean? Maybe Noah came to his senses, abandoned his ridiculous idea and went to the city? Semyon turned back to look for Noah and his family. His heart was heavy. What if he doesn't find them in the city? What if they had already locked themselves in the ark in anticipation of the flood? Semyon looked at the sky - it was clear, the sun was shining brightly. Will water really come from there? It's all strange!

The next morning the sun was shining again. Forecasters did not promise any changes in the weather. And the next day the weather was also good. Seven days passed, clear and fine. Semyon gradually calmed down and stopped thinking about Noah and his ark, when suddenly a dark spot appeared in the sky. People ran out into the street to gawk at the unusual atmospheric phenomenon. The wind grew stronger, and soon the sky became cloudy. The first drops began to fall from the sky. People raised their heads, trying to understand what was happening, pushing and fussing. Suddenly someone remembered Noah. People shouted in despair:

- It's a flood!

A wave flashed through the crowd: “Noah, the ark...”

The panic began. Many rushed into the forest. Among them was Semyon.

It was difficult to escape - the hurricane wind knocked us off our feet. When people reached the clearing, the raindrops turned into downpour. It became difficult to breathe. Entire lakes had already overflowed in the lowlands, and the water continued to rise; here and there, fountains of water with mud and stones began to gush out from under the ground. The ark stood like an island in the middle of the waves, and people tried to climb onto it, but there was nothing to grab onto, and they fell into the water. “Noah, take us to your place!” - they called for help. But the door of the ark was tightly slammed shut, no one was in a hurry to save them. Semyon, escaping from the water, climbed a tall tree at the edge of the clearing. He saw how the ark came to life, the water tore it off the ground and carried it away. Swinging majestically on the raging waves, Noah's giant ship was moving away, caught by the wind. Water and wind tore the tree to which Semyon was clinging from the ground. The last thing Semyon managed to think was: “What I was most afraid of happened to me.”

“But as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37).

https://www.lepta.net/hristianskie_istorii_rasskazy.html

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Fascinating stories from the lives of Orthodox people

Lyalin Valery Nikolaevich - Orthodox writer. His stories are distinguished by the valuable experience of spiritual life that the author gained during the difficult decades of apostasy and persecution of believers.

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Content

Altar Boy Stories

A story about an unsuccessful attempt to secretly enter the nuclear testing center in Sarov to worship St. Seraphim of Sarov. Blessing of the confessor. I cut through the barbed wire with wire cutters and then it all started... I escaped. The second miraculous salvation from electric shock. Appearance of Seraphim of Sarov to two hippies. The Monk Seraphim beat them with a stick, after which one of them was baptized and became an altar boy.

Nativity of Christ at junction 809

A story about the life of a lonely, pious railway lineman and his dog Zhuchka. Life and work of a trackman, wolves. Christmas post. A prayer that warms lonely life. Meeting with prisoner Rustam, who fell out of the train and broke his arm. Healing. Positions that oblige a person to work even on major holidays. Sleep, church on the way. The fulfillment of a dream is a road church in a carriage. Festive liturgy in the carriage church.

Holy remnant

A fascinating story about the life of a pious village, which, during the time of dispossession, fled, led by a priest, to Siberia and there survived persecution to this day.

Bride of Christ

A story about the fate of the girl Matryonka, who suffered from spinal tuberculosis and was hunchbacked for this reason. Attempts at treatment by conspiracy and traditional methods. Matryonka’s youth in the service of a Jewish family. Jewish life. Repression of the family in 1937. The beauty of Moti's soul.

Chronicle of monastic life

Chronicle in letters. 1945, placement in a monastery after passing the blockade. The story of the Larionov family, who left their housekeeper Pasha to guard their apartment during the blockade. Pasha died of hunger, leaving behind a diary during the siege. A terrible punishment befell the prosperous and prosperous godless Larionov family. Their entire family was exterminated. The stern old man Paphnutius. Tonsured. Difficulties of monastic life. The elder's teachings on prayer. Help in exorcising demons. Ordination to hieromonk. Pilgrimage to Mount Athos and Jerusalem. About the Wrath of God.

Unexpected joy

A doctor's story. Unsuccessful treatment of osteomyelitis of the leg brought me almost to the grave. Escape from St. Petersburg. Studying at medical school. Work as a pathologist. Experiences when meeting the dead. Meeting with Archbishop Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky). Miraculous healing through the prayer of the saint.

In the great host of the chosen ones of Grace in the new centuries of Russian life, there are several such persons who, by the will of Christ the Savior, walked an extraordinary path. These were long-term sufferers who, in the face of a serious, painful illness, showed marvelous patience and thereby taught others to humbly bear their cross. Mikhail Ivanovich Bezrukov was such a chosen one of God, about whom we will say further what became known about his life from true eyewitnesses of this asceticism, great in his patience and humility.

In the middle of the last century, in the Ufa province, in the village of Makarov, among the Osorgin serfs, the peasants Ivan and Ekaterina Bezrukov lived. These were illiterate villagers, but pious, modest, hardworking people. They spent their time working in corvée labor and meekly bore the lies of their rulers. Humble, they were friendly and welcomed every poor person. They had two sons and three daughters in the family. In time, the children grew up and were settled. The eldest son got married and his father set up a separate household for him: he started living in his own house. Gradually, all three daughters were married to good people. The gentlemen loved Ivan, who often served as best he could in the manor's house. Only the Lord did not bring his youngest son to arrange for Ivan. He died peacefully when his youngest son was 14 years old.

The youngest in the family, Mikhail, was born in November 1846. Obviously, from an early age there was something special about this boy. Like his father Ivan Vasilyevich and his mother Ekaterina Semyonovna, all his neighbors loved Mikhail: he involuntarily endeared himself to everyone with his welcoming, quiet disposition and willingness to serve everyone modestly, honestly, unselfishly. Remaining young after the death of his father, Mikhail put all his strength into not losing his father’s household and from early morning until late at night he worked around the house, going to the temple of God on holidays, although not always: he was so captivated by his care and work. He was strongly built and handsome. When he turned 18, his mother and relatives decided to marry him and chose a good bride for him, named Evdokia, a girl from the same village.

Evdokia, a stately, beautiful, God-fearing, chaste girl, willingly married Mikhail.

With all her heart and with all her young soul she loved her fiancé and, in firm devotion to God's will, stood with him down the aisle. The mother rejoiced, seeing the happiness of the children. Three gratifying years of a happy life flew by unnoticed: after all, in happiness, time flies unnoticed.