"Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing." - Luke 15:25

It is our responsibility as Righteous Christians (Baptists) to do our part in leading today's youth toward the straight and narrow path to the Cross. Too many times we are inclined to leave them to their own devices. But this is not right; these precious lambs need guidance and leadership by someone who is young enough to remember what it is like to be a carefree teen. So, naturally when one of the Pastors at my Church asked me to spearhead the "PUTTING THE FUN BACK INTO FUNDAMENTALISM!" youth program, I readily agreed.

We had our first meeting three weeks ago after the Wednesday night supper. I was so excited as I looked into the faces of these innocents and told them that we would plan events that would be pleasing to our Lord and fun for them! Amen. We all gathered in the Youth Auditorium and I opened with a prayer. "Lord, use me as your humble servant to mold these precious minds and bodies before me as we make plans in Your Holy Name. Amen." I then turned to the children and asked them,  "What do you think would please the baby Jesus?" Well, several of the handsome young men and pretty young girls in the front row cried out, "A DANCE!"  I prayed for a moment and then the Lord spoke through me, "If music and dancing in His name is what you want then so it shall be!" Oh, I had just made several hundred young people so happy!

One of the young people, Skylar Mayes, stood and said with a gleam in her eye, "Let's have a rave!" (Well, I knew that "rave" meant,  "to declaim loudly and act with extreme enthusiasm," but I had know idea that these young folk were already accustomed to speaking in tongues!) These Angels brought tears of joy to my eyes. "A RAVE FOR JESUS!" we all yelled in unison. 

Plans were made immediately. Skylar would arrange the music, Roger Hale offered his family's horse farm for the event, and the committees began to see about decorations and a special Rave Punch. (A Holy Punch! Praise the Lord!) All I had to do was show up as a chaperone with a few of the ladies from my Sunday School class. The youth event was to be on Friday night. 

I arrived at 7:00 PM and groups of well-dressed teens were already laughing and mumbling incoherently. Speaking in tongues! The band was playing upbeat Gospel Music and those children were having a ball, I tell you. Little Skylar came up to me and said, "Miss Taffy, Miss Judy, have some punch. Jesus wants you to!". Of course we would! After all the trouble that went into this Godly event, How could we refuse? It was then that I noticed that the Christian students had decorated the room with the cutest banners. One said: "Putting the Christ back in X-Mass. Putting the X back in Christ!"

I tell you, not thirty minutes later, I was feeling flushed and absolutely giddy. Sister Judy O'Christian was just laughing and carrying on so, like I had not seen in years! It was wonderful. "Judy, we shall have to get the recipe to this punch! It is like God, Himself, has given these children the recipe." Judy smiled, took off her sweater, raised her hands to God and said, "Woooo Weeee Praise Jesus!

Praise Jesus Sister!" And we did. We drank punch and we talked in tongues and we got on those big black speakers and we danced, yes, we did. We danced for Jesus! Then a miracle happened. Lights from Heaven in many colors started beaming on us all. The music got faster and someone handed us a little glow-in-the-dark wand. Sister Judy and I began praying and waving that little wand all around. "It is a Jesus stick! I yelled over the music. "Praise The Lord!"

Well, after two hours of dancing with that little Jesus stick, and speaking in tongues, who should appear before me but Jesus himself! "Sister Taffy", he said, "What do you think you are doing out here in this field carrying on so? You look like you are out of your mind!" Well friends, I looked Him right in the eye and I said to Him, "Talk to the praying hand Jesus, I am a'worshiping your Daddy!" (Now, I know that I might have sounded a bit stern but sometimes he can be so bossy.) I handed Him a cup of that Heavenly punch and went on back to dancing on that speaker with Sisters Judy and Edith.

We stayed until after 5:00, I tell you. We were a'hugging everyone we saw and speaking in tongues the whole night. It was simply wonderful! Well, Jesus must have enjoyed Himself, too, because the last time I saw Him, he was on the stage with little Skylar Mayes drinking that punch and waving those cute little glow in the dark sticks in front of each other's faces. Glory! Hallelujah! 

Friends, I can't stress enough how important it is to be a role model for today's Youth. A little Christian leadership and a good old RAVE FOR JESUS can make all the difference in a young person's life. This is good, clean fun! Won't you plan such an event in your church? Jesus wants you to!