Daily Encouragement For March 15:

There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town. One Sunday morning he came to the Church caring a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Several eyebrows were raised in response, when 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 bird cage were three wild birds, shivering with fright. I stopped the boy 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 some fun with "em. I'm gonna have a real good time," he answered. Pastor Thomas raised an eyebrow and calmly said, "But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"

"Oh, I got come cats, they like birds. I'll take "em to them," the boy gloated. 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, "$10.00 ?" The pastor reached in
his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill, and 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 his story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan 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 could not 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 drive, and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs, and kill each other. I'm really gonna have some fun!!" Jesus raised an eyebrow and calmly said, "But you'll get tired of those people sooner or later. What will you do then?" "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly!

"How much do you want for them," Jesus asked? " OH Jesus, you don't want those people. They ain't no good! You'll take them and they will just hate you! They will spit on you! And they will kill you!!! You DO NOT want those people!!!...." "How much?" Jesus asked again. Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, “You life!” “IT IS DONE!” Jesus replied.

We were bought with a price, Christ shed His blood, He gave His life to save all who are trapped in Satan's cage. “For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” - 1 Corinthians 7:22,23.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” -Romans 5:8-10.