Wednesday, April 6, 2011

An Easter story

A friend sent this.
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There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak....


"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What do you have there, son?"

"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked.

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."

“But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"

"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"

“Huh??!!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"

"How much?" the pastor asked again.

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.

The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.

Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you are done with them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan declared proudly.

"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.

“Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!"

“How much? He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life."

Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.


The pastor picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.

12 comments:

  1. Came home after my night shift, plopped on the couch, and read this great blog post to my children before school. Thanks for posting it.

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  2. I have to admit, reading this story made me, a grown man, cry. I cried from sorrow for the terrible sacrifice our Savior made for us, but even more so for all the progressive liberals in the world who just don't get it. They don't care. They believe it's all a myth. And some day they will be eternally sorry for their ignorance.

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  3. I will pray for the likes of a George Thomas for a neighbor.



    notutopia

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  4. Beautiful story of redemption.

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  5. Phyllis (N/W Jersey)April 6, 2011 at 12:40 PM

    Kinda says it all, doesn't it?

    Thank you for posting this.

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  6. That is beautiful. It's just what I needed now, too. Two soldiers from our brigade/base were killed on Monday in Afghanistan. I hope and pray they are in Heaven and that their families can find solace in that knowledge.
    KatieJ
    Germany

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  7. Thank you, Patrice, for posting this.

    Christ is my Savior.

    Jan

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  8. I sat down tonight and pulled this up and cried. How awesome is our God. Thank you for posting this. This is a story to carry with you from now on.

    I love the photo of the Pietà. It is one of the most beautiful and moving works of art I have ever had the privilege of viewing. I was only in the 4th grade when I saw it, bathed in a blue/purple light at the New York World's Fair. It made such an impression that I have never, ever gotten over the awe.

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  9. how many people to this day still don't understand why jesus died and that unselfishly giving of yourself so that others may continue to live is all jesus and god wanted us to do. as JAMES WESLEY, RAWLES' book PATRIOTS so pointedly expresses many times (give until it hurts).

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  10. A little bit of theology I hadn't heard before, God & Satan in cahoots over the crucifixion. Poor Jesus didn't stand much of chance then. Astonishing that people take this stuff seriously. . . .

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