INSPIRATION Bird Cage There once was a man named George Thomas, a 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. Several 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 you got there son? Just some old birds, came the reply. What are you gonna do with them? I asked. Take em home and have fun with em. Im gonna tease em and pull out their feathers to make em fight. Im gonna have a real good time. But youll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then? Oh, I got some cats. They like birds. Ill take em to them. The pastor was silent for a moment. How much do you want for those birds, son? Huh??!!! Why, you dont want them birds, mister. Theyre just plain old field birds. They dont sing - they aint even pretty! How much? 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 boys 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 the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldnt resist. Got em all! What are you going to do with them? Jesus asked. Oh, Im gonna have fun! Im gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other. How to hate and abuse each other. How to drink and smoke and curse. How to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. Im really gonna have fun! And what will you do when you get done with them?, Jesus asked. Oh, Ill kill em. How much do you want for them? Oh, you dont want those people. They aint no good. Why, you take them and theyll just hate you. Theyll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You dont want those people!! How much? Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, All your tears, and all your blood. Jesus paid the price! The pastor picked up the cage, he opened the door, and he walked from the pulpit. Addendum: 1 Peter 1:18-19 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. THEREFORE CELEBRATE THIS EASTER IN A MANNER THAT WILL GLORIFY THE ONE WHO SET YOU FREE
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 03:22:45 +0000
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