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Timmy was only 19 years old, but his life was a mess. It had all started when he was 12. He had fallen into the wrong crowd, and had slipped into petty theft, acts of vandalism and marijuana use. Over the next seven years, his life continued its downward spiral into worse crimes, harder drugs and more desperate times, until one night it all caught up with him.
As Timmy sat in the courtroom he reflected upon the night in question, pondering the events that brought him here. The prosecution had mounted a swift and solid case against him, and they were only too happy to remind him and the jury just what those events were, and when they were.
A tape began playing on the TV screen at the front of the courtroom. It was a black and white surveillance video that showed the front of a convenience store, and the bored clerk at the counter, Roy Michael, whose name had been appearing along with Timmy's in headlines across the nation since the night the footage was captured.
Timmy shuddered as he saw himself enter the store in his big coat with the hidden pockets. The night in question had been bitterly cold, and Timmy found himself in need of money to acquire more drugs. That need had brought him to the convenience store, at 2:04 AM, according to the time on the video.
The clerk behind the counter smiled at Timmy, and asked if he could help. Timmy eyed the clerk and nodded. "Yes," Timmy said as he withdrew the pistol from his coat, "I'll take the contents of your cash register and a pack of menthols."
Roy Michael's hands shook visibly as he opened the register and began laying its contents out on the counter, while Timmy waited impatiently, glancing nervously around the store. As he complied, Roy Michael whispered a silent prayer to GOD for deliverance, and this agitated Timmy, who had long ago given up his faith in GOD. Timmy leaned across the counter and struck Roy Michael in the side of the head with his pistol. Roy Michael recoiled and fell backwards, and Timmy jumped the counter and kicked Roy Michael in the stomach, screaming, "GOD isn't listening! Speak up!"
Timmy began stuffing the cash into his coat while his victim lay on the floor praying. Once he had his loot, Timmy withdrew a knife from his pocket and cut open Roy Michael's trousers and savagely raped him on the cold floor behind the counter, in what was the longest and last five minutes of Roy's life. Upon completing the act, Timmy shot Roy Michael in cold blood, swiped a pack of cigarettes, and ran out of the store.
The tape ended and the room was filled with nothing but the quiet hum of the air vents and the suppressed sobs of the handful of Roy's family who chosen to remain in the courtroom during the showing of the tape.
It was a speedy trial, and Timmy offered little in the way of defense of his actions. On the day the verdict was read, Timmy seemed at peace, despite the fact that his entire family, and the entire nation, expected him to be found guilty and likely sentenced to death. Timmy's family wept as the jury's verdict of "guilty" was announced, and that their recommendation for punishment for this "unforgivable act" was death. But Timmy did not cry, nor look away. He merely stared at the judge, who folded his hands, and spoke, "While it is true that the defendant's actions in this matter were inhumane, unthinkable and cold-hearted, they are only unforgivable if no forgiveness is sought."
The jury and the prosecution looked at each other, but none understood the meaning of the judge's words.
Judge Wellington continued: "The defendant is undeniably guilty. He is undeniably in need of help. And he is undeniably sorry. You see, I know Timmy. I have known him his entire life, and he has assured me that he is very sorry for his transgressions and has promised me to obey the law. He has pledged to do as I say from now on and to always love me as he would love his own father. He is reading his Bible and growing stronger in CHRIST everyday. This court hereby dismisses all charges brought against the defendant. Adjourned."
The sound of judge's gavel was like a gunshot that set off a cascade of objections from the big and powerful lawyers in the room, gasps from spectators, cries for justice from the Michael family, and murmuring from the bewildered jury. Timmy smiled as he stood up and walked out of the courtroom a free man.
Outrage swept the nation and Timmy was further vilified by society. Investigations were launched into the judge's relationship with Timmy. An attempt was even made on Timmy's life. But what the rest of the society, the government, and the world did not understand was sin and grace.
We are all guilty of sin, but like Timmy, we have friends in high places and we can have the charges against us dropped and our records expunged if we will but nurture our personal relationship with the judge who presides over us in Heaven. Nothing, not murder, not rape, not even homosexuality can withstand the redeeming power of the judge's grace once we accept Him.
Won't you be pardoned today?
As Timmy sat in the courtroom he reflected upon the night in question, pondering the events that brought him here. The prosecution had mounted a swift and solid case against him, and they were only too happy to remind him and the jury just what those events were, and when they were.
A tape began playing on the TV screen at the front of the courtroom. It was a black and white surveillance video that showed the front of a convenience store, and the bored clerk at the counter, Roy Michael, whose name had been appearing along with Timmy's in headlines across the nation since the night the footage was captured.
Timmy shuddered as he saw himself enter the store in his big coat with the hidden pockets. The night in question had been bitterly cold, and Timmy found himself in need of money to acquire more drugs. That need had brought him to the convenience store, at 2:04 AM, according to the time on the video.
The clerk behind the counter smiled at Timmy, and asked if he could help. Timmy eyed the clerk and nodded. "Yes," Timmy said as he withdrew the pistol from his coat, "I'll take the contents of your cash register and a pack of menthols."
Roy Michael's hands shook visibly as he opened the register and began laying its contents out on the counter, while Timmy waited impatiently, glancing nervously around the store. As he complied, Roy Michael whispered a silent prayer to GOD for deliverance, and this agitated Timmy, who had long ago given up his faith in GOD. Timmy leaned across the counter and struck Roy Michael in the side of the head with his pistol. Roy Michael recoiled and fell backwards, and Timmy jumped the counter and kicked Roy Michael in the stomach, screaming, "GOD isn't listening! Speak up!"
Timmy began stuffing the cash into his coat while his victim lay on the floor praying. Once he had his loot, Timmy withdrew a knife from his pocket and cut open Roy Michael's trousers and savagely raped him on the cold floor behind the counter, in what was the longest and last five minutes of Roy's life. Upon completing the act, Timmy shot Roy Michael in cold blood, swiped a pack of cigarettes, and ran out of the store.
The tape ended and the room was filled with nothing but the quiet hum of the air vents and the suppressed sobs of the handful of Roy's family who chosen to remain in the courtroom during the showing of the tape.
It was a speedy trial, and Timmy offered little in the way of defense of his actions. On the day the verdict was read, Timmy seemed at peace, despite the fact that his entire family, and the entire nation, expected him to be found guilty and likely sentenced to death. Timmy's family wept as the jury's verdict of "guilty" was announced, and that their recommendation for punishment for this "unforgivable act" was death. But Timmy did not cry, nor look away. He merely stared at the judge, who folded his hands, and spoke, "While it is true that the defendant's actions in this matter were inhumane, unthinkable and cold-hearted, they are only unforgivable if no forgiveness is sought."
The jury and the prosecution looked at each other, but none understood the meaning of the judge's words.
Judge Wellington continued: "The defendant is undeniably guilty. He is undeniably in need of help. And he is undeniably sorry. You see, I know Timmy. I have known him his entire life, and he has assured me that he is very sorry for his transgressions and has promised me to obey the law. He has pledged to do as I say from now on and to always love me as he would love his own father. He is reading his Bible and growing stronger in CHRIST everyday. This court hereby dismisses all charges brought against the defendant. Adjourned."
The sound of judge's gavel was like a gunshot that set off a cascade of objections from the big and powerful lawyers in the room, gasps from spectators, cries for justice from the Michael family, and murmuring from the bewildered jury. Timmy smiled as he stood up and walked out of the courtroom a free man.
Outrage swept the nation and Timmy was further vilified by society. Investigations were launched into the judge's relationship with Timmy. An attempt was even made on Timmy's life. But what the rest of the society, the government, and the world did not understand was sin and grace.
We are all guilty of sin, but like Timmy, we have friends in high places and we can have the charges against us dropped and our records expunged if we will but nurture our personal relationship with the judge who presides over us in Heaven. Nothing, not murder, not rape, not even homosexuality can withstand the redeeming power of the judge's grace once we accept Him.
Won't you be pardoned today?
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