| Caller ID Richard volunteers with prison ministries, and in his work has become friends with the pastor of a storefront church. He told this story: The pastor's church is called "Almighty God Tabernacle. On a Saturday night several weeks ago, this pastor was working late, and decided to call his wife before he left for home. It was about 10:00 PM, but his wife didn't answer the phone. The pastor let it ring many times. He thought it was odd that she didn't answer, but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a few minutes. When he tried again she answered right away. He asked her why she hadn't answered before, and she said that it hadn't rung at their house. They brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways. The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office, which was the phone that he'd used that Saturday night. The man that he spoke with wanted to know why he'd called on Saturday night. The pastor couldn't figure out what the guy was talking about. Then the guy said, "It rang and rang, but I didn't answer." The pastor remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he'd intended to call his wife. The man said, "That's OK. Let me tell you my story. You see, I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, 'God if you're there, and you don't want me to do this, give me a sign now.' At that point my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID, and it said, 'Almighty God'. I was afraid to answer!" |
| Jesus Stories |
| Hopefully these stories will touch you. |
| Wait Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried: Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied. I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate, And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait." "Wait? You say, wait! " my indignant reply. "Lord, I need answers, I need to know why! Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard? By Faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word. My future and all to which I can relate hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT? I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign, or even a 'no' to which I can resign. And Lord, You promised that if we believe we need but to ask, and we shall receive. And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry: I'm weary of asking! I need a reply! Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate As my Master replied once again, "You must wait." So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting.... for what?" He seemed, then, to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine, And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign. I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun. I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run. All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be. You would have what you want~~But, you wouldn't know Me. You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint; You'd not know the power that I give to the faint; You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair; You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there; You'd not know the joy of resting in Me When darkness and silence were all you could see. You'd never experience that fullness of love As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove; You'd know that I give and I save.... (for a start), But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart. The glow of My comfort late into the night, The faith that I give when you walk without sight, The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST. You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee, What it means that "My grace is sufficient for Thee." Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true, But, Oh, the Loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you! So, be silent, My Child, and in time you will see That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me. And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late, My most precious answer of all is still, "WAIT." |
| Bird Cage There was Pastor walking along the street one day when he saw a boy walking towards him carrying a cage with 3 frightened birds huddled in the corner inside it. The pastor approached the boy and said "What have you got there son?" looking down at the cage. The boy looked up and said "Just some old birds." "And what do you plan to do with those birds?" asked the Pastor. "I'm going to have fun with them. First I'm gonna pull out their feathers and make 'em fight and then I'm gonna feed 'em to my cat" replied the boy. The pastor looked down at the bird and smilied warmly. "How much do you want for those birds lad?" he asked. The boy looked up at him and said "Oh sir you wouldn't want these old birds. They're old and ugly, what use would you have for them?" The pastor was persistent, "how much do you want?" he asked. The boy sighed and said "10 dollars" "Done" the pastor said and he flashed out a 10 dollar note, the boy took it and then was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and took it home where he cared for the bird and aided them back to health. At the next church service, the pastor bought the cage into the church and it on the floor by his feet. The people looked at the cage with 3 birds sitting peacefully inside it. The pastor began preaching and he told the story of the boy with the birds. And how it is in most ways related to the story of what Jesus did for us. Heres how he put it... Satan was walking down the street carrying a cage full of people, when he saw Jesus coming towards him. "What have you got there?" asked Jesus. "People, I'm gonna play with them. Teach them how to fight, show them how to kill each other. Teach them how to hate and be evil." Satan replied. Upon hearing this, Jesus looked down and smilied warmly at the people in the cage. "How much do you want for these people?" he asked. Satan looked at him wide-eyed, "You wouldn't want these people, they'd only disrespect you and hate you." But Jesus was persistent, "How much do you want?" Satan grinned evily, "All your blood and tears." And with that, Jesus looked at Satan and said..."Done" Once the pastor had finished the story, he leaned down and opened the cage door and the birds flew out...they were free. |