Post by Preacher on Feb 28, 2003 20:01:42 GMT -5
I know it touched me....
AFTER A FEW OF THE USUAL SUNDAY EVENING HYMNS,
THE CHURCH'S PASTOR SLOWLY
STOOD UP, WALKED OVER TO THE PULPIT AND, BEFORE
HE GAVE HIS SERMON FOR THE
EVENING, BRIEFLY INTRODUCED A GUEST MINISTER WHO
WAS IN THE SERVICE THAT EVENING.
IN THE INTRODUCTION, THE PASTOR TOLD THE
CONGREGATION THAT THE GUEST MINISTER
WAS ONE OF HIS DEAREST CHILDHOOD FRIENDS AND THAT
HE WANTED HIM TO HAVE A FEW
MOMENTS TO GREET THE CHURCH AND SHARE WHATEVER HE
FELT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE
FOR THE SERVICE. WITH THAT, AN ELDERLY MAN
STEPPED UP TO THE PULPIT AND BEGAN TO SPEAK.
"A FATHER, HIS SON, AND A FRIEND OF HIS SON WERE
SAILING OFF THE PACIFIC
COAST," HE BEGAN, "WHEN A FAST APPROACHING STORM
BLOCKED ANY ATTEMPT TO GET
BACK TO THE SHORE. THE WAVES WERE SO HIGH, THAT
EVEN THOUGH THE FATHER WAS AN
EXPERIENCED SAILOR, HE COULD NOT KEEP THE BOAT
UPRIGHT AND THE THREE WERE
SWEPT INTO THE OCEAN AS THE BOAT CAPSIZED."
THE OLD MAN HESITATED FOR A MOMENT, MAKING EYE
CONTACT WITH TWO TEENAGERS WHO
WERE, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE SERVICE BEGAN,
LOOKING SOMEWHAT INTERESTED IN HIS STORY.
THE AGED MINISTER CONTINUED WITH HIS STORY,
"GRABBING A RESCUE LINE, THE
FATHER HAD TO MAKE THE MOST EXCRUCIATING DECISION
OF HIS LIFE: TO WHICH BOY
HE WOULD THROW THE OTHER END OF THE LIFE LINE. HE
ONLY HAD SECONDS TO MAKE
THE DECISION. THE FATHER KNEW THAT HIS SON WAS A
CHRISTIAN AND HE ALSO KNEW
THAT HIS SON'S FRIEND WAS NOT. THE AGONY OF HIS
DECISION COULD NOT BE MATCHED
BY THE TORRENT OF WAVES. "AS THE FATHER YELLED
OUT, 'I LOVE YOU, SON!' HE
THREW OUT THE LIFE LINE TO HIS SON'S FRIEND. BY
THE TIME THE FATHER HAD
PULLED THE FRIEND BACK TO THE CAPSIZED BOAT, HIS
SON HAD DISAPPEARED BENEATH
THE RAGING SWELLS INTO THE BLACK OF NIGHT. HIS
BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED."
BY THIS TIME, THE TWO TEENAGERS WERE SITTING UP
STRAIGHT IN THE PEW,
ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR THE NEXT WORDS TO COME OUT
OF THE OLD MINISTER'S MOUTH.
"THE FATHER," HE CONTINUED, "KNEW HIS SON WOULD
STEP INTO ETERNITY WITH JESUS
AND HE COULD NOT BEAR THE THOUGHT OF HIS SON'S
FRIEND STEPPING INTO AN
ETERNITY WITHOUT JESUS. THEREFORE, HE SACRIFICED
HIS SON TO SAVE THE SON'S
FRIEND. HOW GREAT IS THE LOVE OF GOD THAT HE
SHOULD DO THE SAME FOR US.
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER SACRIFICED HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
THAT WE COULD BE SAVED.
I URGE YOU TO TAKE HOLD OF THE LIFE LINE HE IS
THROWING OUT TO YOU IN THIS SERVICE."
WITH THAT, THE OLD MAN TURNED AND SAT BACK DOWN
IN HIS CHAIR AS SILENCE
FILLED THE ROOM. THE PASTOR AGAIN WALKED SLOWLY
TO THE PULPIT AND DELIVERED A
BRIEF SERMON WITH AN INVITATION AT THE END.
HOWEVER, NO ONE RESPONDED TO THE
APPEAL.
WITHIN MINUTES AFTER THE SERVICE ENDED, THE TWO
TEENAGERS WERE AT THE OLD MAN'S SIDE.
"THAT WAS A NICE STORY," POLITELY STATED ONE OF
THE BOYS, "BUT I DON'T THINK
IT WAS VERY REALISTIC FOR A FATHER TO GIVE UP HIS
ONLY SON'S LIFE IN HOPES
THAT THE OTHER BOY WOULD BECOME A CHRISTIAN."
"WELL, YOU'VE GOT A POINT THERE," THE OLD MAN
REPLIED,
GLANCING DOWN AT HIS WORN BIBLE. A BIG SMILE
BROADENED HIS NARROW FACE, HE
ONCE AGAIN LOOKED UP AT THE BOYS AND SAID, "IT
SURE ISN'T VERY REALISTIC, IS
IT? BUT I'M STANDING HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT
STORY GIVES ME A GLIMPSE OF
WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR GOD TO GIVE UP
HIS SON FOR ME. YOU SEE --- I
WAS THAT FATHER AND YOUR PASTOR IS MY SON'S
FRIEND."
Take 60 seconds &give this a shot!
Let's just see Satan stop this one.
All you must do is:
1) Simply say a small prayer for the person who
sent you this,
(Father, God bless this person in whatever it is
that you know he or she may be needing this day!)
2) Then send it on to five other people.
Within hours five people have prayed for you, and
you caused a multitude of
people to pray to God for other people.
Then sit back and watch the power of God work in
your life for doing the thing that you know he loves
AFTER A FEW OF THE USUAL SUNDAY EVENING HYMNS,
THE CHURCH'S PASTOR SLOWLY
STOOD UP, WALKED OVER TO THE PULPIT AND, BEFORE
HE GAVE HIS SERMON FOR THE
EVENING, BRIEFLY INTRODUCED A GUEST MINISTER WHO
WAS IN THE SERVICE THAT EVENING.
IN THE INTRODUCTION, THE PASTOR TOLD THE
CONGREGATION THAT THE GUEST MINISTER
WAS ONE OF HIS DEAREST CHILDHOOD FRIENDS AND THAT
HE WANTED HIM TO HAVE A FEW
MOMENTS TO GREET THE CHURCH AND SHARE WHATEVER HE
FELT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE
FOR THE SERVICE. WITH THAT, AN ELDERLY MAN
STEPPED UP TO THE PULPIT AND BEGAN TO SPEAK.
"A FATHER, HIS SON, AND A FRIEND OF HIS SON WERE
SAILING OFF THE PACIFIC
COAST," HE BEGAN, "WHEN A FAST APPROACHING STORM
BLOCKED ANY ATTEMPT TO GET
BACK TO THE SHORE. THE WAVES WERE SO HIGH, THAT
EVEN THOUGH THE FATHER WAS AN
EXPERIENCED SAILOR, HE COULD NOT KEEP THE BOAT
UPRIGHT AND THE THREE WERE
SWEPT INTO THE OCEAN AS THE BOAT CAPSIZED."
THE OLD MAN HESITATED FOR A MOMENT, MAKING EYE
CONTACT WITH TWO TEENAGERS WHO
WERE, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE SERVICE BEGAN,
LOOKING SOMEWHAT INTERESTED IN HIS STORY.
THE AGED MINISTER CONTINUED WITH HIS STORY,
"GRABBING A RESCUE LINE, THE
FATHER HAD TO MAKE THE MOST EXCRUCIATING DECISION
OF HIS LIFE: TO WHICH BOY
HE WOULD THROW THE OTHER END OF THE LIFE LINE. HE
ONLY HAD SECONDS TO MAKE
THE DECISION. THE FATHER KNEW THAT HIS SON WAS A
CHRISTIAN AND HE ALSO KNEW
THAT HIS SON'S FRIEND WAS NOT. THE AGONY OF HIS
DECISION COULD NOT BE MATCHED
BY THE TORRENT OF WAVES. "AS THE FATHER YELLED
OUT, 'I LOVE YOU, SON!' HE
THREW OUT THE LIFE LINE TO HIS SON'S FRIEND. BY
THE TIME THE FATHER HAD
PULLED THE FRIEND BACK TO THE CAPSIZED BOAT, HIS
SON HAD DISAPPEARED BENEATH
THE RAGING SWELLS INTO THE BLACK OF NIGHT. HIS
BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED."
BY THIS TIME, THE TWO TEENAGERS WERE SITTING UP
STRAIGHT IN THE PEW,
ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR THE NEXT WORDS TO COME OUT
OF THE OLD MINISTER'S MOUTH.
"THE FATHER," HE CONTINUED, "KNEW HIS SON WOULD
STEP INTO ETERNITY WITH JESUS
AND HE COULD NOT BEAR THE THOUGHT OF HIS SON'S
FRIEND STEPPING INTO AN
ETERNITY WITHOUT JESUS. THEREFORE, HE SACRIFICED
HIS SON TO SAVE THE SON'S
FRIEND. HOW GREAT IS THE LOVE OF GOD THAT HE
SHOULD DO THE SAME FOR US.
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER SACRIFICED HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
THAT WE COULD BE SAVED.
I URGE YOU TO TAKE HOLD OF THE LIFE LINE HE IS
THROWING OUT TO YOU IN THIS SERVICE."
WITH THAT, THE OLD MAN TURNED AND SAT BACK DOWN
IN HIS CHAIR AS SILENCE
FILLED THE ROOM. THE PASTOR AGAIN WALKED SLOWLY
TO THE PULPIT AND DELIVERED A
BRIEF SERMON WITH AN INVITATION AT THE END.
HOWEVER, NO ONE RESPONDED TO THE
APPEAL.
WITHIN MINUTES AFTER THE SERVICE ENDED, THE TWO
TEENAGERS WERE AT THE OLD MAN'S SIDE.
"THAT WAS A NICE STORY," POLITELY STATED ONE OF
THE BOYS, "BUT I DON'T THINK
IT WAS VERY REALISTIC FOR A FATHER TO GIVE UP HIS
ONLY SON'S LIFE IN HOPES
THAT THE OTHER BOY WOULD BECOME A CHRISTIAN."
"WELL, YOU'VE GOT A POINT THERE," THE OLD MAN
REPLIED,
GLANCING DOWN AT HIS WORN BIBLE. A BIG SMILE
BROADENED HIS NARROW FACE, HE
ONCE AGAIN LOOKED UP AT THE BOYS AND SAID, "IT
SURE ISN'T VERY REALISTIC, IS
IT? BUT I'M STANDING HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT
STORY GIVES ME A GLIMPSE OF
WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR GOD TO GIVE UP
HIS SON FOR ME. YOU SEE --- I
WAS THAT FATHER AND YOUR PASTOR IS MY SON'S
FRIEND."
Take 60 seconds &give this a shot!
Let's just see Satan stop this one.
All you must do is:
1) Simply say a small prayer for the person who
sent you this,
(Father, God bless this person in whatever it is
that you know he or she may be needing this day!)
2) Then send it on to five other people.
Within hours five people have prayed for you, and
you caused a multitude of
people to pray to God for other people.
Then sit back and watch the power of God work in
your life for doing the thing that you know he loves
