Christmas in Sin Junction

Office Tony Samoni was getting ready for Christmas. He celebrated the holiday because of how thankful he was for the reason behind it. Christmas was to celebrate the birth of Jesus though many in Sin Junction used the holiday only as a reason to buy presents for one another. Tony liked to decorate his house so he could use that as a way to explain why he celebrated. He had already put up several festive pictures and had a train running on tracks near the front door. He had lights all over the outside and a cross in the window. He was just putting the finishing touches on the tree when he noticed Triniti and Kaeli Adderson coming towards the house. They had a look of concern as they approached the door. "Come here to help"?, asked Tony.

The girls had actually come for a little help from Tony, the Sheriff of Sin Junction. Triniti told Tony that they had just seen Buford, who had recently repented and trusted in Jesus, and that he was sad. Apparently Buford was sad because he was talking to some of his non-believing friends and was unable to simply convey to them a way to prove God's existence. Triniti and Kaeli did not want to be in the same situation so they came to see Tony Samoni. Tony had the girls look around at all the decorations for a few minutes before finally saying anything. That gave the girls time to see the train, the pictures on the wall, and the ornaments hung neatly on the tree.

He asked the girls what they saw. The girls answered, "Christmas decorations and a train our little brother, Aedan, would love"!
"Let's look a little closer", said Officer Tony. "Look at the train. It's wheels go round and round and the grooves on the wheels help it follow the tracks. You can't see the designer, but it's obvious that the train had one."
Tony went over to the tree. "Do you girls think these ornaments got neatly arranged here by some random windstorm?" "Do you think I just threw them all up at once and the landed like that on the tree?"
"That would be silly!", the girls tried to say through their laughter.
After the two sisters had calmed themselves, Tony continued,"Now take a look at those pictures of Santa Clause".
"I like that one!", Kaeli exclaimed as she pointed to the one of Santa and Rudolph.
"Ya it's nice", Tony answered then asked, "Did it have a painter?"
"Of course", the girls said.
"That's right, the painting proves there was a painter or an artist", Tony said.
"Just like with this house we are standing in. The building proves there was a builder!" Triniti said, excited that she was getting it.

Tony was happy that the girls understood what he was saying. They realized that the world had all of those qualities. The creation proves there was a Creator. The colors that make up the sky and the trees look like art show that there had to be an Artist. The fact that the planets and sun never collide and that there is a perfect amount of oxygen for us to breath prove order. If something is in order, there has to be an Orderer. The design of our body and its functions prove that there was a Designer.

Tony helped the girls that day so that they would be ready to prove to people God exists. They went right away to share what they had learned with Buford and then their family. Now you are equipped to defend your faith in a simple way. Make sure you share with someone who may not know so you can help them too!

Tony Samoni and the Golden Gun

Tony Samoni was making his regular rounds through Sin Junction. Everything was unusually quiet Tony thought to himself. With all of the theft and fighting and all kinds of sin that take place here, Officer Tony was actually starting to think he may need to carry a gun as well as his Bible. He shook off the thought and kept walking.

Officer Samoni was just a few steps from the front door of the jailhouse when his new friend Buford came running towards him with a note. Buford still loves candy(and only gets it if he can afford it now) and is a wee bit out of shape as a result. Buford bent down for a few seconds, short of breath, before handing the note to Tony.

As Officer Tony read the note, Buford finally caught his breath and said exactly what the note did, "please get to the Mayor's office right away!" "C'mon Buford. Take a walk with me", Tony said.

Now Marcus McGee was the Mayor of Sin Junction. He and Tony both believed in God but the Mayor didn't put God first in his life. He let the distractions of his job and the sinful town he lived in(and was sadly in charge of) get in the way. He was a good guy but being good wasn't good enough for God, as Tony Samoni always told him.

As Tony and Buford entered Mayor McGee's office, they both noticed a very nice, decorative box on the mayor's desk. Buford sat as the officer walked around to where Marcus was sitting, head in hands.

"What's going on Mayor?", Tony asked. The mayor looked up and told Tony what had happened. That last night a man dressed in all black came to the mayor's house and said, "offer this solid gold gun to your beloved sheriff and tell him to carry it and to stop carrying his bible. Do this and Sin Junction will prosper beyond your wildest dreams and you will be in control of it for the rest of your life." "The man said his name was Lou", the mayor told Tony.

"Mayor, all the gold guns in the world will not make me stop carrying my bible. I will not trade the Word of God for this idol. If we put anything before God, we will be guilty of breaking His Commandments. In the words of Jesus in Matthew 4:10 "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'

"How can I have been so dumb as to even think about what this guy has to say!", cried the mayor. "Well Mayor McGee, you have put many things before God. The town, it's pleasures, it's people. You have developed your own god in your head that says that all of this is ok. What you have done is you have made a god to suit yourself and that is as much an idol as that golden gun on your desk. God, the God of the bible, has very little room in your life. That's the one true God, creator of Heaven and Earth. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sins, a free gift to all of us sinners. The gift of grace to everyone who has ever lied or stolen or has been guilty of idolatry so that they don't have to spend an eternity in Hell."

The Mayor continued to hold his head in his hands, staring at the golden idol he allowed into his town. "What can I do Tony?", asked the trembling Mayor. "Repent sir. Turn from these things completely and put your faith in Jesus. He will forgive you of all of this and you can go to Heaven when you die." "Thank you Tony. Thank you for always being true to God. I will get rid of this gun immediately. You keep up the good work and keep carrying that bible."

It had gotten late as Tony and Buford left the Mayor's office. It was almost time for the bible study at Tony's house. As they walked, they ran into a group of Buford's friends. These are some of the kids who were usually getting into trouble with Buford before he came to know Jesus. They asked him if he wanted to go do something else besides what they called a "boring bible study." Tony just looked at Buford and said, "you know what to tell them."

Thanks to Tony's faithfulness to God's Word, Buford did know what to tell those kids and hopefully you do too. The boys, like the Mayor, put things first in front of God. They are guilty of breaking the 1st commandment just like he was. Now, they may not have liked what Buford had to say but they now had something to think about.

Theft in Sin Junction

It was a quiet day in Sin Junction. The kids were just getting out of school.
Noah and Gabe, the oldest of the Adderson kids, stood there in the Sin Junction General Store with their sisters Triniti and Kaeli, as well as their little brother Aedan.

The Adderson’s lived at the end of Clifford Road at the North end of town. They were one of the few church going families left in Sin Junction. Thanks to their upbringing they had a great grasp of the concept of right and wrong. That would come in handy in a town like this.

One of Noah’s classmates, known as “Bad” Buford, was in the store also. He was probably up to no good as usual. The group of siblings noticed Buford eyeing some candy. Old Man Guns, the owner of the store, was keeping a keen eye on him as well. Buford waited patiently for the old store clerk to look away or to go in the back so he would have his chance to take the candy.

Old Man Guns, who was called that because of the dual shotguns on the wall behind the counter, took one last cautious glare at Bad Buford before going back to the storeroom. Buford saw his chance and he slipped the 5 cent candy into his pocket.

Noah and Triniti saw this and they confronted Buford. They told him in unison that it was not right for him to take what did not belong to him. He shrugged them off and replied, “What? Will I go to jail because of a nickel?”

Unlike Triniti and her siblings, Buford was not brought up with any kind of sense of right and wrong. Triniti tried to convince him for several minutes to put the candy back on the shelf. Aedan, who had just turned two, kept looking at the candy and saying, “Reach it, reach it!” That’s when the front door swung open and a tall figure stood there. It was the Sherriff, Tony Samoni.

“Jail will be the least of your problems if you steal that candy”, Tony Samoni said with the voice of authority. Not only was Officer Tony the Sherriff of Sin Junction, he was also an expert in God’s Law. He knew the 10 Commandments like he knew the badge on his chest.

Tony Samoni informed Buford that regardless of the value of the candy, he would be seen as a thief in God’s eyes and that no thief would inherit the Kingdom of God. Officer Tony always opted to carry a Bible rather than a gun. He drew his weapon open to 1 Corinthians 6:10 to show Buford where it said that.

Tony went on to explain that if Buford didn’t want his parents to know where he got the candy, he may have to lie to them if they saw him with it. Officer Samoni let Buford know that lying is bad and that the Bible says that liars will end up in a real place called Hell. Hell is where people who disobey God’s Laws are destined to go as punishment.


Tony continued, “Not only that Buford. By doing these things, you will also dishonor your mother and father. So, with this 5 cent theft, you would certainly be guilty of breaking my laws. What’s worse is that you will also end up being guilty of breaking 3 out of 10 of God’s Laws on Judgment Day.”

“I never thought a 5 cent candy would bring so much trouble”, exclaimed Buford. “I’ll put it back Officer Tony. Old Man Guns will never know.” “What about God, Buford? He knows and I already told you His punishment for thieves and liars”, informed Tony.

“Now you might not think a night in the Sin County Jail is bad but I can assure you that you don’t want to go to the place of punishment for people who are guilty of breaking God’s 10 Commandments”, Tony explained.

Buford cried and said, “What can I do so that God will forgive me Officer Tony? I don’t want to end up in Hell. I’m truly sorry for what I’ve done here today! I’m sorry for all the bad things that I’ve ever done.”

“Buford, I can see that you are sorry and I have Good News for you”, Tony reassured. “God made a way for you to be forgiven and to go to Heaven. He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus rose again three days later, defeating death so that we can escape the punishment due to us in Hell.”

Tony continued, “What you have to do is ask for forgiveness. Then repent, or turn from your sins, and put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ.” Buford, in tears, confessed his sins to God right then and there in the General store. He thanked the kids for correcting him and he also thanked Officer Samoni for sharing God’s Law and His grace with him.

Old Man Guns, who had overheard the whole thing from the back, came out and gave the Adderson kids some candy free of charge. He looked over at Buford and said, “You just received something you did not deserve, God’s grace and mercy. If God can do that for you so can I.” He handed Buford a piece of candy as gift and said with a wink, “It’s on the house.”

Buford left the General Store that day a changed young man. He didn’t look at sin the same. He saw even a lie as exceedingly sinful and was so grateful that God had made a way for him to be forgiven. Buford went home and told his whole family the events of the day and how Jesus could help them too. They knew something miraculous had happened. He was definitely a changed boy.

Another day has passed in Sin Junction. Thankfully Officer Samoni and the Adderson kids were there to stand up for what is right. Evil will challenge Good every day and God needs more Ambassador’s like Tony Samoni to take a stand against it. He needs faithful deputies everywhere, not only in Sin Junction. Are you with Him?Junction. Are you with Him?