THE FATHER'S SACRIFICE

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 accept his offer to rescue you and take a 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."

THE GENTLEMAN & THE BOAT

One day, a very scholarly gentleman, while travelling in India, decided to go across a big river, so he asked one of the village people who owned a small boat, if he would take him. The boatman agreed.

As they started, the sun became obscured by dark clouds, and as the river was large, the gentleman realised that it would take some time. So he started a conversation with the boatman. 

“Did you know that the sun is approximately 93,000,000 miles away, and yet it has provided heat and light, throughout the universe since time immemorial. If it was to shift, even a fraction of an inch out of its orbit, there would be total devastation?” The boatman replied, “My dear sir, I am just a simple man who has had no education, there is no way I could know of such information” “Then”, said the gentleman, “You are 25% fool”.

Some time passed, and as they were coming to the half-way mark, the thunder began to rumble. “Did you know notice the lightening, just before the rumbling sound”, The gentleman asked. He continued. “Do you know how that phenomenon occurs?” “No sir”, replied the boatman. “Its occurrence is due to the expansion of rapidly heated air,” the gentleman exclaimed, “ You are 50% fool.” 

About three-fourth of the way the weather completely changed. It became dark and started to rain heavily and started filling up the little boat with water clearly making it difficult for the boatman. But the foolish gentleman insisted on questioning.

“Do you know how we get rain?” “No sir,” was the reply.” “ The sun evaporates water from the sea, this gets stored in the clouds which then travel by wind power, then when they become full, it lets all the water go, over the land. That’s how we get rain.” “You are 75% fool” said the gentleman, now feeling very smug. 

Suddenly, the gentleman was interrupted from his basqueing by a loud cry from the boatman.

“Oh no! I have lost my oar and now the water is about to capsize the boat, we have no alternative but to swim the remainder of the way, luckily for us it is not very far.”

“But I can’t swim,” cried the gentleman, now seeing his own imminent death.

“Then my dear sir, you are 100% fool”, said the boatman.