God's Great Grace

If this doesn't give you chills,
nothing will.....

This message is very true.
Hope you are all as blessed
as I was from this story.

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 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,"
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?"

"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 
andgently 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 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 get done with them?"
Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared 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.

I Asked God

I asked God for Strength ...
And He gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked God for Wisdom ...
And He gave me problems to solve.

I asked God for Prosperity ...
And He gave me brain and brawn to work.

I asked God for Courage ...
And He gave me danger to overcome.

I asked God for Love ...
And He gave me troubled people to help.

I asked God for Favors ...
And He gave me opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted ...
And I received everything I needed.

- Author Unknown