An e-mail forward I got today......

This photo is from Touchtone picture's movie "The Guardian" (Kevin Costner & Aston Kutcher) It's an appropriate image for this post. The movie, as a side note, was awesome.






I received this as a forward in my e-mail and thought I'd share it:

The Church's Pastor slowly stood up
after the worship time was over, walked
over to the pulpit and, before he gave
his sermon, he briefly introduced a guest
Pastor who was in the service.

In the introduction, the Pastor told the
congregation that the guest Pastor was
on of his dearest childhood friends and
the he wanted him to have a few moments
to greet the Church and share whatever
God laid on his heart. 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 elderly man hesitated for a moment,
making eye contact with two teenagers who
looked somewhat interested in his story.
He continued with his story, "grabbing a
rescue line, the father had to make the
most excruciating decision of his life:
to which boy would he 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 their seats,
anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of
the elderly Pastor'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 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 elderly man turned and sat
back down in his chair as silence filled the room.
After the service was over within minutes the two
teenagers were at the elderly man's side. "That was
a nice story," politely stated on of them, "but I don't
think it was very realistic for a Father to give up
his son's life in hopes that the other boy would become
a Christian." "Well, you've got a point there, "the
elderly 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."