Keep Looking at the Birds...

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Matthew 6:26. 

Look at this beautiful cardinal - red as blood, wearing a high crown on his head, sitting fat and happy, not the least bit worried, even though it is cold and icy outside. And look at the abundant berries surrounding him - he has an excess of food available. 

Jesus tells us to look at the birds! They don't worry or work for their food, yet every day the Heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you more precious to God than birds? This beautiful picture is a reminder that nature preaches the Gospel message to us every day, whether we realize it or not. All things point to Jesus!

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  John 1:3

When Tragedy Strikes

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:54-57.

Today marks the second time this week that two of my children have truly felt the sting of death in their hearts. One was a much-loved teacher and the other a beloved father of a much-loved teammate. My children are now at the age where the injustice of precious life being so swiftly and unexpectedly snuffed out is felt in the core of one's being. How can this happen? their young minds ask. Why did this happen? How can a person be so alive one day, living life to the full, and the next day be gone to the next world without giving us the opportunity to say good-bye?

These are tough questions that have plagued all of us. All of us probably remember the first time the death of a friend or family member struck us to the core. The shock rocks our world and makes all of us realize we are standing on very shaky ground by living on this earth. Evil, sickness, disease, tragedy and death swirl around us and we never know if or when we will become the next victim. Fear descends on us and puts us in bondage. We look to blame someone, anyone, but many times there is no person to blame. Some will blame the enemy and his demonic forces, others will blame God, questioning His goodness and mercy. Some will even go so far as to say that God brought death as a form of divine plan. All of this leaves many of us terribly confused.

The first thing I told my children is what I would tell anyone who is trying to make sense of a tragedy: God did not do this. We are in the age of the church where John 3:16 is the Lord's mandate -- 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. God is out to save people not to kill them. In Ephesians 6:10-12, the Apostle Paul tells us to not be ignorant of the demonic forces at work in this world.  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in highplaces. Many of the evil and tragic events that have occurred throughout history can be directly attributed to Satan and his demonic principalities. Right now, I'm thinking of the Holocaust and 9-11. We know demonic powers are real because the Bible talks about them in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

"Okay, if that's true, then why didn't God intervene and stop the devil?" many people ask. "God is God - He's more powerful than Satan! He must not be very loving if He could stop a terrible thing from happening but doesn't!" These questions are the toughest to answer because the answer isn't obvious. I don't even attempt to answer this line of questioning, because I don't have the answer and am sure I never will -- not unless the Lord reveals it to me. And yet, I do have a response...

We do not know why God intervenes in some cases and not others. Certainly all of us have heard testimonies of healings, deliverances, escapes, rescues, inward unctions not to go into work on 9-11, and all sorts of supernatural stories where God is attributed as having intervened to save body and soul. And then there are the horrible, freakish tragedies that make no sense at all, leaving us wondering if there really is a God. BUT as believers in Jesus Christ, we are not called to understand, we are called to have faith and believe. This position goes against our flesh and mind, but it is in line with our reborn spirits. We have to renew our minds and believe what God's Word says, not what we experience in this world. We believe that, in spite of circumstances, God is still good, He loves us, and He is for us and not against us. We believe He is blessing us and will continue to bless us. We believe He has a wonderful plan for our lives -- all because of what His son, Jesus, did on the cross 2000 years ago. We believe His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives and in the lives of others throughout the body of Christ. We believe in our savior, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 

Where there is the darkness of death, there is the light of life in Christ Jesus. A day is coming soon and very soon, where death will be swallowed up in victory and the sting of its terrible separation will no longer be felt. We will have new, glorified bodies, and there will be a new heaven and new earth -- we who are in Him will experience an earthly peace, as well as the shalom peace in our hearts that He brings at the new birth. That will be a glorious day indeed!

But until then, keep believing! Don't try to figure everything out! Adhere to God's Word, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and believe in God's love for you. God is still good, He is still love, and Jesus still rules and reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords! Claim the promises of God in the Scriptures and stand firm in your authority In Him. Keep fighting the good fight of faith and don't shrink back in doubt and unbelief. None of us knows the future, other than what the Bible tells us in the Book of Revelation -- Satan is defeated and will one day be cast into the lake of fire. Jesus is victorious, and we who are alive In Him, will live with Him forever. That is a very good future, my friend!

Look at the Birds! The Brown Snake Eagle

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26

Recently, I published a blog about a dream I had where a long line of birds was perched outside my back deck on a tree branch. I remember there was a large, brown, nondescript bird in the middle with fluffy feathers, and then many smaller, very colorful birds on either side, including a beautiful red headed woodpecker. http://neighborhoodbiblestudy.blogspot.com/2013/06/god-provides-look-at-birds.html

As I posted earlier, I knew the message was for me to meditate on Matthew 6:26 and believe for the Lord's abundant provision - especially when a huge and glorious Red-headed Pileated Woodpecker showed up on my back deck about a week later. It truly was the most amazing and magnificent bird I have ever seen.

Well, I continued to wonder about that nondescript brown bird with the fluffy feathers. He was larger than the others and was smack dab in the middle, and I got the sense he was the leader of the bunch. I thought maybe he was a picture of the Lord Jesus, but I couldn't be sure - I decided not to swim in any deeper waters than I was already in, and determined to just let it go.

So this past weekend, my parents came to visit and told us about an encounter they had while traveling in South Africa. While on a safari, they witnessed a Brown Snake Eagle eat a snake whole and even got a picture to prove it! The guide told them he had never seen anything like it! Don't know about you, but I've never even heard of a Snake Eagle!

My curiosity was peeked, so I did some research and immediately recognized this bird as the one in my dream. He is a bird of prey from Africa who feeds on snakes - crushing their heads and eating them all the way down to the tail! Immediately, I thought of Genesis 3:15 where God curses Satan: And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel. We all know that this prophecy was fulfilled at the cross. Jesus is the Seed of Woman who crushed the head of Satan when He took on all sin at His crucifixion (His heel was crushed/bruised on the cross).

I also learned that this bird eats venomous snakes by first secreting the poison from the fangs (deadly power is removed). The only time they are at risk is when attacking a cobra. Cobras are known to spit their venom, thereby blinding the eagle. When I read that, I immediately thought of the millions of us Christians with the authority and power of Christ to take down the snakes in our lives, and yet have been blinded by the enemy to this wonderful truth! But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31.

Well, how's that for a bible study straight from a nature class? I thank the Heavenly Father that He teaches us at night while we sleep, even in our dreams! He is always at work, leading us and guiding us and comforting us with the truth of His Word!

Wash the Dust Off Your Feet!

Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. John 13:10

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: Genesis 3:14.

When Satan was cursed by God in the garden, he was ordered to eat dust all the days of his life. For a long time, I didn't really understand what that meant. Now, we all know that snakes crawl on their belly and do eat things from the ground, but there is a spiritual meaning to this curse God placed on the serpent as well. Jesus gave us a clue when He washed His disciples' feet before the Last Supper. He pronounced all of them clean (except Judas) but directed them to follow His example and wash each other's feet. What does this really mean?

Well, as we born-again/new creations IN Christ Jesus go about our lives on this earth, we will pick up some of the devil's "food" on our feet -- meaning this dust will attach itself to us, because we are still dwelling in these fleshly bodies which have not been regenerated. This spiritual dust has to be washed off spiritually by staying in God's Word and believing in His promises. God's Word is the spiritual bread that we are to live by--the spiritual food of grace and truth in Christ Jesus. 

The devil's dust or food is sin-focused, curse-focused, guilt-conscious, condemning, death-glorifying, and basically man-worshipping. It quickly adheres to us and will cling there until we wash it off spiritually through the Word, prayer, and worship. This washing is a daily discipline that is called the good fight of faith. 

What does this "washing" look like, exacting? It isn't doing good deeds for others (which isn't a bad thing!), but rather staying focused on who Christ is in our lives and what He has done for us. We are to meditate on our new position IN HIM and all the blessings that are associated with being born again. We are to feed on this manna from heaven.

Remember when Satan tempted Jesus and wanted Him to turn stones into bread and eat from that? Matthew 4:4. Jesus refused. He quoted God's Word from Deuteronomy, stating that "Man shall not live by bread alone BUT by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God!" Deut 8:3.  I believe those stones represented the law (10 commandments) and their reminder of sin, curse, death, and damnation--basically, the devil's food. Jesus warned us to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees--beware of those religious folks who pressure you to eat stony dust (where sin and the curse are the main ingredients) and not the fresh manna from heaven, which is the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. Whether these modern-day Pharisees realize it or not, they are doing the devil's work by turning your sights away from grace toward your short-comings, inadequacies and failures! Remember, Satan is the accuser!

Truth:  If you are born again, you now live under God's love and His perfect liberty IN Christ Jesus! James 1:25, 2:8. Anyone who walks in these two laws, knows he or she is clean, righteous and made pure by the precious blood of Jesus. He or she doesn't need a lot of "thou shall nots" to follow God's will. His or her newly reborn spirit will cry out "yes" and "Amen" to the Holy Spirit's leading and guidance. 

Don't let anyone rob you of the revelation of this wonderful truth! Wash Satan's dust off your feet every day by immersing yourself in God's Word--it doesn't take much. Even one little scripture will do the trick! Some of my favorites: Ps 23, Ps 91, Ps 112, John 3:16, all of John 17, Eph 1-2. And there are more! 

Dig into God's Word and wash your feet--every day!

Sin in the Flesh has been Condemned!

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4
Have you ever wondered why people who are born again still sin? If Jesus took all the sins of the world on Himself while He hung on the cross 2000 years ago, thereby achieving forgiveness for us once and for all, AND we have become new creations IN HIM, why are we still struggling with sin?

Well, one reason is because we are taught by well-meaning pastors and teachers that we are still sinners (although saved by grace) and that sinners sin. Actually this is not true. Being a sinner is a spiritual condition, not the result of a specific behavior. If you are born again In Christ, then your spiritual condition is one of a new creation and not a sinner. Yes, you were once a sinner and you have been saved by grace, but you are now new! This is your new and current/eternal spiritual condition - remember that!  To believe anything less than this leaves us with a guilt-ridden conscience causing us to wonder if we truly are forgiven and whether Jesus' work on the cross really is finished. Well, of course it is, because He has said so!

Now to the issue of sinful behavior: basically new creations in Christ still sin. God did not remove the sin nature in our flesh, instead, He condemned it in the body of Jesus. If the sin nature had been removed, there would be no reason to walk in faith, and faith is what pleases God. Hebrews 11:6.

So what does this mean that sin in the flesh was condemned by God? It means that sin in the flesh has been deprived of its power to condemn us and make us feel guilty. God condemned sin in the flesh, thereby depriving it of its power to keep us in bondage to guilt. When we do sin and that sin in the flesh attempts to accuse us, we have an advocate (Jesus) with the Father who intercedes for us and reminds us through the Holy Spirit that we are forgiven! We are convicted that we are righteous in Christ and no longer condemned. We are urged to hold on to a clear, clean conscience because of the work done on the cross. 

This is a novel idea - to walk around this earth constantly knowing we are forgiven and maintaining a clear, clean conscience before God and man! That is a miracle from Jesus! Can you imagine how wonderful our lives would be if we manifested this high and lofty revelation every day of our lives? The church would be much more powerful and would operate in a glorious, supernatural state that the world needs to see. Paul says in Romans that all of creation groans for the manifestation of the sons of God! Romans 8:19. 

So the next time you slip up and fall into sin, keep your eyes on Jesus and remember that the sin in your flesh has been condemned in the body of Jesus and now has no more power over you! Mediatate on that truth until it becomes a reality in your life !

Anointed Music from Darlene Zschech

Go to Darlene Zschech's website to hear anointed music that ministers to the soul. This is a wonderful gift the Heavenly Father has given the church! There are several songs you can listen to for free--all wonderful! My favorite is Victor's Crown. Absolutely from the throne of heaven! Be blessed! 

http://www.darlenezschech.com

A Beautiful Gift

Yesterday I received the most beautiful gift in the mail: a leather bound New Testament from Kenneth Copeland, KJV version. It was a gift given to his partners and is very unique because it includes over a hundred pages of bible study outlines and ALL of his margin notes, highlights, and biblical references! What a treasure!

I have learned so much from him over the years and feel like I've been able to snatch a book off his private book shelf. He is a bold man of God who believes for monumental things. I still find it hard to believe so many nasty things are said about him on the Internet, particularly by other professing Christians. But he doesn't let any of that stop him. He keeps on believing and preaching.

Thank you, Brother Copeland! I will cherish this always!