From my Laura McCulley Mail Bag -
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 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 and walked from the pulpit.
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grace. Show all posts
Thankful for Second Chances
Thankful for Second Chances
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
God does not sideline us when we fall; we sideline ourselves when we fail to get back up.
The Rijks Museum in Amsterdam is the home of many famous and rare paintings. This gallery holds magnificent pieces by all the great painters of the seventeenth century. One day an unemployed schoolteacher entered the museum, and while wielding a knife, began cutting into one of the gallery's most precious paintings. Over and over again he shredded the painting, running the knife through it before being detained. Oddly enough, a few days later, another man entered St. Peter's Cathedral, and with a hammer began smashing a certain sculpture. He broke off pieces of the face and badly damaged the overall piece before the authorities arrived.
But what happened next surprised many people. Rather than throwing out the sculpture or retiring the painting to a basement somewhere, the owners of the museum and the art gallery hired some of the worlds best painters and sculptors to restore the items. They didn't care what the cost of the project was; they simply cared that the pieces be restored, and set back in their places so others could see them.
These pieces were not discarded because of their mishaps. They weren't thrown out because of their imperfections. The owners of the museum and art gallery went to great lengths and paid dear prices to restore each piece, making sure they were given a second chance.
The same can be said about our Heavenly Father. He went to great lengths and paid a dear price (the blood of His only Son) to save us, and when we fall or mar our lives through sin, He desires to restore us to Himself.
All Christians make mistakes, and everyone falls. Even in the Bible, stories are recorded of believers who made mistakes but were given second chances-everyone from Moses to Jonah to the Apostle Peter. God didn't give up on them, but offered them restoration if they turned to Him.
God doesn't sideline us when we fall; we sideline ourselves when we fail to get back up. God offers us a second chance. He offers us restoration through the forgiveness of His Son, and He desires that we would turn from our sin and allow Him to restore us. But the move must be made by us. If we desire to still be used by God, we must repent of our sin, and seek His restoration.
God never commands you to be perfect. There is no verse that demands Christians live sin-free lives. God understands that there will be times you fall into sin, give into temptation, or make a mistake. God doesn't love you any less because you sin; He stands with arms outstretched, ready to forgive you and give you a second chance.
Is there some area in which you have fallen? Have you sidelined yourself by not getting back up? God doesn't want any Christian to fall by the wayside in the Christian life. He desires that we would all finish our race with faithfulness.
If you have fallen into sin, don't believe the devil's lie that you are worthless. Grasp onto God's truth in 1 John 1:9, and seek His forgiveness and restoration. Take time today to thank God that no matter how many times you fall, He is willing to give you a second chance. You can still finish the race.
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