A man was on the side of the road with a large birdcage. 
A boy noticed that the cage was full of birds of many kinds. 
Where did you get those birds?" he asked. "Oh, all over the 
place," the man replied. "I lure them with crumbs, pretend I'm 
their friend then when they are close, net them and shove them into
my cage." "And what are you going to do with them now?" The man 
grinned, "I'm going to prod them with sticks, and get them really
mad so they fight and kill each other. Those that survive, I will
kill. None will escape." The boy looked steadily at the man. What
made him do such things? He looked into the cruel, hard eyes. Then
he looked at the birds, defenseless, without hope. "Can I buy those
birds?" the boy asked.

The man hid a smile, aware that he could be on to a good thing if he
played his cards right. "Well, he said hesitantly, "The cage is
pretty expensive, and I spent a lot of time collecting these birds.
I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll let you have the lot, birds, cage
and all for ten dollars and that jacket you're wearing." The boy
paused, ten dollars was all he had, and the jacket was new and very
special, in fact it was his prized possession. Slowly, he took out
the ten dollars and handed it over, then even more slowly he took off
his jacket, gave it one last look then handed that over too. And then
he opened the door and let the birds go free.

MORAL OF THE STORY The Enemy of the world, Satan, was on the side of
life's road with a very large cage. The man coming towards him
noticed that it was crammed full of people of every kind, young, old,
from every race and nation. "Where did you get these people?" the man
asked. "Oh, from all over the world, " Satan replied. "I lure them
with drink, drugs, lust, lies, anger, hate, love of money and all
manner of things. I pretend I'm their friend, out to give them a
good time, then when I've hooked them, into the cage they go."

"And what are you going to do with them now?" asked the man. Satan
grinned. "I'm going to prod them, provoke them, get them to hate and
destroy each other; I'll stir up racial hatred, defiance of law and
order; I'll make people bored, lonely, dissatisfied, confused and
restless. It's easy. People will always listen to what I offer them
and (what's better) blame God for the outcome!"

And then what?" the man asked. "Those who do not destroy themselves,
I will destroy. None will escape me." The man stepped forward. "Can
I buy these people from you," he asked. Satan snarled, "Yes, but it
will cost you your life."

"For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life."