Bird Cage
Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>
If this doesn't give you chills, nothing will.
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, trembling 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 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 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.
The pastor picked up the cage,
he opened the door,
and he walked from the pulpit.
- - - - - - -
Notes: Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God
and then wonder why the world's going to hell.
Isn't it funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still
follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God).
Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and
they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages
regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not
send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what
they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to
them. Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other
people think of me than what God thinks of me.
< + < + < + < + < + < + < + < +<
*** Parables for Modern Academia ***
The kingdom of heaven is like a professor who went off on a long sabbatical.
Before he left, he called together his graduate students and gave each of
them projects to work on; to one he gave five projects, to another two, and
to another one, each according to their ability. The one who received five
projects immediately went to work, designing experiments, building
equipment, and analyzing data. She worked long and hard, and eventually she
achieved good results on each project. Likewise, the one who received two
projects immediately went to work, and eventually got results as well. But
the student who received one project was easily discouraged, got distracted
by her coursework, and eventually gave up.
After a very long time, the professor returned to settle accounts with his
students. The first student said, "Professor, you gave me these projects to
work on, and see, here are the results." And the professor answered, "Well
done, good and faithful graduate student. You have been faithful over five
projects. You shall be co-author on five publications and receive a Ph.D!
(And you can expect a good letter of recommendation, too!)" Likewise the
second student showed his results, and the professor said, "Well done, good
and faithful student. You have been faithful over two projects. You will be
co- author on two publications, and receive a Master's degree."
But the third student came and said, "Professor, I know that you are a harsh
man, publishing where you did not labor, and claiming credit where you did
not contribute, and I was afraid. So I kept the lab locked up and I didn't
let anyone borrow any equipment. See, everything is just the way you left
it." Then the professor answered, "You wicked and slothful graduate student!
I will judge you by your own words. So, you knew that I was a harsh man,
publishing where I did not labor, and claiming credit where I did not
contribute; well then, you should have at least gotten a teaching fellowship
so that I wouldn't have had to pay your salary out of my research grants!
Now depart from me and from this institution ... out into the REAL world,
and try to find a job. There you will have weeping and gnashing of teeth."
For to everyone who has, more will be given. But to him who has not, even
what little he has will be taken away. (Matthew 25:14-30)
Have a Blessed Day
Dave and Barbara
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