When Eagles Fly ~ Part Four

Eagles Passing Through Trouble

In the later part of the 20^th Century, eagles in America were close to extinction. After some years of special attention they were removed from the endangered list in 1995 and removed from the threatened list in 2007. As perfect as the picture may look, there are times when trouble comes. Following the last verse of Isaiah 40, about eagles mounting and not tiring, we enter the beautiful chapter of Isaiah 41 where there are problems. Isaiah records the word of the Lord as He says that there are none that are hearing. He also tells how there is no one to proclaim and declare the righteousness of the Lord.

Remember the perfect habitat for eagles is beautiful bodies of water, plenty of fish, and old nesting trees high in the mountains. In contrast, recovery centers behind nets isn’t as beautiful. Also, when there is a lack of fish, they often are compelled to go to landfills and eat out of the trash. When they are on the brink of extinction there are fewer sightings and everyone looses. When eagles are in trouble, recovery and restoration needs to happen.

It is the same way for believers. There are times when we are in trouble and if we choose to remain in that condition, we will suffer great loss. The Psalmist talks about walking through the valley of Baca (see Psalms 84:6). Although Baca isn’t an actual place, it is representative of times when we are in the pit of despair. It is when we experience difficulty in a painful place. We feel hopeless. The Psalmist tells how we must pass through it and also make it a well. We need to pass through our times of despair and leave behind a blessing. We need to pull a blessing out of every bad experience. We must transform deserts into gardens.

There were several reasons the eagle was close to extinction in America. Thinning of the shell of their eggs wouldn’t allow the baby eagle its needed time to hatch as a healthy little one. Pesticides for crops were causing the egg shells to become thin. Pesticides were also causing the eagles to become sterile and unable to lay eggs. There was also illegal shooting. Even the lack of suitable habitat caused problems to arise for the Eagle. But, with new laws to protect them and recovery places the eagles are now out of trouble.

In our spiritual lives we often experience seasons that almost take the life out of us. We need to pass through these seasons. We must resolve to not stay in the valley of Baca too long. Depression, self-pity and feelings of helplessness can cause us to stay longer than we should have. We need to come out of the wilderness leaning on our Beloved. We need to mount up and fly again. If we feel like we have been kept under a net, then rejoice that the net is lifting. Often what happens in the natural is a symbol of what needs to happen in the spiritual. As the eagles have passed through a close call, so have we.

The later part of the 20^th Century saw lots of problems for the Church in America. Exposure of leaders, greed, division, pride, and a list too long to write, described the Church of the last century. Much like the eagle, we were in trouble even if we didn’t know it. We thought we were rich but really we were poor. Often we thought we were going forward with all our new programs when we were actually going backwards. It’s a new season. God has much mercy and grace. There is a new wind blowing. I have never met so many people who seem to be passionate about following Christ. More than ever I hear people talk about intimacy with Jesus Christ. It is no longer a Sunday thing but a life style. We are moving forward. Much like the eagle we are coming out to mount up again and fly. Let’s be encouraged.

When Eagles Fly ~ Part Three

The perfect habitat for eagles is near a body of water where there is abundant food supply. There needs to be some old growth trees for nesting and good visibility. It is here that they find their safety from the things that would disturb the good place they have chosen. It is high in the mountains and it is where eagles fly.

The early pioneers to Appalachia often built higher in the mountains than people do today. They understood that there was a snake line in which poisonous snakes would not pass beyond. Usually, it was about 1200 feet above the level of the sea. The pioneers would work the fields in the valley and build their homes, schools, and churches higher. They lived above the snake line.

Abraham knew what it was like to live above the snake line. His nephew Lot chose the plains and valleys of Sodom and Gomorrah since they looked richer. Abraham resorted to the hill country. In Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s soul was vexed daily. There was much temptation and a worldly type of life. His home was eventually destroyed. Meanwhile Abraham enjoyed the daily presence of the Lord as He communed with Him daily. We might say that Abraham lived above the snake line. He lived like the eagle in a habitat of refreshment from Heaven. He enjoyed abundant food supply from the manna of Heaven. It was here that he raised his family and found much joy and laughter even in old age.

Life is better above the snake line. The Lord is Lord of Heaven and earth, but man has been given dominion of the earth. Somewhere in between satan is prince of the air. The enemy is only able to influence what we give him authority to influence. His voice is usually heard in the air waves that pass through our minds. This is why we need our minds renewed. We need to reject his tempting words and lies. We need to live above the snake line.

As it was with Abraham and Lot, we choose our places of livelihood. Sure, we must work in the valley where the world can easily influence our thinking, but we need a place to nest. We must seek out the cleft of the rock that the Lord has prepared for us. We need the secret place to renew our strength. It will be above the snake line as we climb the high places with God. It is where we will mount and be ready to fly to the valley below to fulfill our purposes as we touch our world. We are called to disciple nations. We are called to the market place. We are also called to the high place of communion with God where we renew our strength. It is our choice and a matter of discipline and wisdom. Will we choose to live above the snake line and fly like eagles fly?

When Eagles Fly ~ Part Two

A recent news article tells the story of how the eagles in British Colombia, Canada were suffering. It was late winter and some of the eagles were falling to the ground weakened because of the difficulty of finding food. Several were taken to centers where they were cared for. They were malnourished, lacking body fat, infested with parasites and in poor health. Why was this happening? Eagles normally feed on salmon but there was a lack of the salmon in the lakes. This caused the eagles to go to the local landfills where they scavenged through the trash. This resulted in poisoning.

In Cherokee Indian writings they describe the perfect habitat for eagles. They love the coolness of the mountains. They love the deepness of the seas and lakes. They love the blueness of the sky. Their nests are high in the mountains where they have a great view. To be forced to go to landfills to scavenge through trash is a complete opposite picture. It holds no majesty.

Most eagles are found near large bodies of open water so there will be an abundant supply of fish. They also need old growth trees for nesting and the trees need to provide good visibility. Their nest for their young is the largest tree nest known. Both male and female spend time incubating the eggs. While one incubates the eggs, the other spends time hunting for food or nesting material. This is a picture of a beautiful and wonderful way of life. This is where eagles fly.

There is much to learn from the eagle. For Believers to fly like eagles, they need the same type of habitat. The rivers, lakes and mountains in scripture speak of refreshment, beauty, and life. We were never made to scavenge through the trash dumps. David spoke of never seeing the righteous begging for bread. If we are weak because of the lack of spiritual bread, we need to lift our eyes to the hills to where our help comes from. It comes from God and He still rains down manna. We need to take flight to the mountains and deep bodies of water. The trash dump holds poison. We must beware of just going anywhere to get our food. There is a lot of poison out there that masks itself as being of God. With more means of knowledge available than any previous generation there is more reason to be careful. We need to ask God for discernment so we can eat only His manna.

The Canadian story is a prophetic picture of our times. We will grow weak if we don’t have the fish. Jesus told His disciples that He would make them fishers of men. There is strength in fishing for men. New converts always encourage the congregation. New energy and life is the result, as these new believers blend in with the older believers. Fishing for men can be an exciting adventure.

Some believers wait for the fish to come to them. They look for them to come to church on Sunday mornings. In the natural, fish don’t come looking for us. Although this may happen occasionally in the spiritual, we are most often called to go out to where the fish are. The body of Christ needs to transition from coming in to going out. We have been inside the church walls for a long time. It is time to go out. Jesus was always sending them out. The farther the river gets from the temple, the deeper the river becomes (see Ezekiel 47). We need to go to the streets, bars, and places where people gather. There we will find the fish. There we will find the nourishment that the modern day church is lacking. There we will find purpose and fulfillment. It is where eagles fly.

When Eagles Fly ~ Part One

One of the most comforting and awesome scripture verses is Isaiah 40:31. It encourages us to wait upon the Lord so that we might mount up like the eagle. It also assures us of the possibility of being able to run and not grow weary. That precious verse is followed by chapter 41 of Isaiah with its promises of strength, help and restoration. I believe that this chapter gives us a beautiful picture of what happens when eagles fly.

Isaiah 41 begins with an encouragement to be silent and listen to God. This action alone will bring new strength. Afterwards, we are invited to come before God for judgment. We often fear judgment because of our sins. However, the more of our sins that we allow to be judged now, the less need there will be to have them judged later.

Paul tells us that as believers we must come before the judgment seat of Christ (see II Corinthians 5:10). This is called the “Bema” in the Greek. Paul also gives some more information on this “Bema Judgment” when he tells us that there are some of our works that will be burned up and others that will remain. Works that are real and precious like gold, silver, and precious stones will remain. Those things that are compared to hay, wood, and stubble will be burned up (see I Corinthians 3:12).

An old eagle will go alone in silence to a waterfall. There he will stand and begin to pluck out his old feathers. Then he may hit his beak against the rock until is breaks off. Standing bare, he lets the waterfall wash over him and waits on the process of new feathers to grow back. Once this happens, he has what would seem to be a second chance at life. It is a hard process but a valuable one.

There are feathers that we need to pluck out and discard. Our beak (mouth) is getting old and needs renewed. We need a second take on life that is refreshing with a renewed mind and soul. But, it can only begin as we go before the judgment seat of Christ. There, we must allow Him to judge our works and the intents of our heart. Those things that are not birthed of Him must be discarded. Those things that no longer have spirit and life in them must be discarded. Those things that we only borrowed from others thinking they were of God must be discarded. Our beliefs, doctrines, and opinions need to be judged of Christ so that we can really live. Many of us are getting older and do not have the time to waste on things that are not precious. The hay, wood, and stubble must go. Life is too precious.

I believe that God is calling us to look at three scriptures that will enlighten us to the judgment of this time. There is not one that is more important than the other or is there any certain sequence. The first is Hebrews 4:12, which tells us that there must be a division of soul and spirit. Soulish opinions and ideas are things that we have birthed. They are usually good ideas and may look like the best way. However, God didn’t birth the idea or the opinion. Spirit ideas are most often birthed in the secret place. They can be tested and found strong in the midst of any storm or test. They are not always something we would think of first but somehow God just breaks through the walls of our mind and gives us a spirit revelation.

The second scripture that we need to look at is I Peter 4:17 which tells us that judgment must begin with the house of God. Believers need to judge themselves instead of the world judging us. Correction needs to happen within the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit will convict and show us many of our sins and wrong attitudes. However, sometimes we need to correct others in a spirit of meekness. If we find ourselves being corrected by others we need to take this before God and prayerfully repent if necessary. We must guard against being offended. A false martyr spirit often can appear. A person that has been corrected feels they have been betrayed and hurt. They find comfort in this false martyr spirit. Martyrdom is real, but until we see some crosses on the hillside or rocks coming our way as crowds gather around us, it is premature to think we are being martyred.

The third scripture is Acts 17:30 and it reminds us that there have been times that God has overlooked some of our actions. However, He is now calling us to repent of these actions. Our times of ignorance cannot go on forever. There are things we may have gotten by with before, but God is calling us to a closer walk in which these things need to be corrected. The feathers that allowed us to fly yesterday are now being plucked out and new ones will replace the old.

When eagles fly it is great to have new feathers. It is sweet to have new strength. It is powerful to walk in the Spirit instead of our soul. It is a joy to receive correction without feeling martyred. It is good to have a new lease on life. The waterfalls are precious as we wait beside them for the new feathers to appear. Deep calls to deep at the sound of God’s waterfalls. It is the place where all the breakers and waves of God roll over us. What an awesome experience it is to fly.

Comedy of the Mountains

Although I cannot remember ever telling a joke in the pulpit, there have been many funny stories. These stories have happened during the thirty-five years of pastoral work in the mountains. Laughter is good medicine. I hope you enjoy them. The names have been changed to protect the guilty.

Ruby was one of the song leaders in one of the first congregations that I worked as interim pastor. She only had one tooth in the front but she had a beautiful voice. When she opened her mouth to sing and looked heavenward with that tooth sticking out…. you just learned to overlook the tooth. She loved the Lord and singing was one of her favorite things to do. She was much older than me, and since I was only nineteen, it was no problem to pick her up on Sundays for the service. She had a boyfriend that walked from a little town called Dante. It was probably fifteen miles away, but he was faithful to come and see her. He had a speech problem and talked much like a child. One Sunday morning they were having relationship problems.

As the service progressed I could tell there was tension in the air. You can tell those things more easily when your congregation is about five people in a large building. Ruby led the songs but you could tell she was not doing her best. However, she was instant in season and out of season and she was determined to go through the motions. After the message, I asked for testimony or prayer concerns. The boyfriend just spoke up in a childlike voice and said Ruby was mad at him. This caused an almost angered response from Ruby who responded, “If I have done anything to him, I will gladly go to the altar and make it right.” Again, he responded in childlike voice, “Let’s go.” They proceeded to the altar where they cried and wept and hugged while the other three people in the congregation watched or just hung their head.

Another older lady that often visited unexpectedly, is the main character in many of my stories. Pearlie Mae was never married but loved to go to weddings whether she knew the people or not. It was one of the hottest summers we had ever had and I had a case of walking pneumonia that summer. One of the young men from the city police force had asked me to do his wedding. It was in another town and would be held at a home out in the country. It was a mid-day wedding and attended by invitation only. I didn’t feel well that morning, but went to pick up my suit at the cleaners. Upon returning home there was Pearlie Mae sitting on my porch recliner. She had on some real short shorts…. much like the length I would wear for boxers. I told her that I had to get ready for a wedding. She said, “I’m going to go with you.” I tried to tell her that it was a private wedding…. but she wanted to go anyway. She said she would just sit in the vehicle while I performed the wedding service. I still didn’t think it was a good idea because it was almost a hundred degrees. There was no persuading her any different.

Heading up the interstate I realized there was some lint on my suit jacket. I had laid it in the seat beside me since it was so hot. She proceeded to take my jacket and hold it out the window to let the wind blow the lint off. I then realized it would probably be a day to remember. Upon arriving at the wedding location, I parked at the bottom of the hill. The wedding would take place at a house up on a little knoll. Pearlie Mae said she would be alright down at the bottom and requested that I bring her back a barbeque sandwich. A couple of hours later I returned with her sandwich. I asked her if she got very hot while waiting. She responded, “Why heavens no, I got out and laid down in the grass. Some of those police came over to see if I was alright. I told them that they didn’t need to worry about me with all the drug problems they had in the city.” And, I am sure she told them that she was with the preacher.

To be continued…..

The Birthing of the Lambs

I have had requests to write more about my childhood experiences with the sheep. Birthing of the lambs was a special time for my Dad and me. It was always uncertain timing and a little messy.

Most lambs were born in the winter and a few in the springtime. On cold winter nights my Dad and I would ride the old farm truck up to an old log barn. This is where my Dad would put the most expectant sheep. He could always tell which ones were closer to giving birth. Some births were natural but several weren’t. When the mother sheep could not deliver in her own strength, my Dad would have to go up in her and pull the lamb out. This was really messy. Sometimes the lamb or the mother would die in the process. If a mother sheep died, we ended up with an orphan lamb. If a lamb died, we would sometimes skin the dead lamb and put it on another orphan lamb hoping the mother sheep would adopt the orphan lamb. The mother sheep wasn’t easily fooled but the skin helped. Otherwise the orphan lamb became mine…. to raise on a bottle. It became what I called…. a pet lamb.

It has been prophesied that a billion youth will be saved in the next few years. This prophecy has been accepted as valid by almost everyone involved in the revival movement of our times. Giving of the prophecy is the easy part. Some of the birthing may be a little messy but most of it will come natural. The goodness of God and the truth proclaimed will lead millions to Christ. The love and compassion of older Believers will also touch the world. The hardest part will be the raising of the new believers. They will need fathers and mothers to bottle-feed and mentor them into full grown sons and daughters of God.

Paul said that there are not many fathers. There was a shortage in his day and there is a shortage today. One billion new souls brought into the kingdom will require millions of new pastors and at least a 100 million small group leaders if we use the ration of one leader for every ten. Where will these leaders come from? When nations are saved in a day, are we ready for them? There is a call for all of us to prepare to become fathers and mothers of the faith.

How to bring children into the world is easily understood, but fathering isn’t. Most of us didn’t know much about fathering when our children were born. We just had to do it. In our western society we have been taught that being a good provider is the key to fathering. It is not. It often leaves children confused and in need of mentoring to guide them into life. Just provision alone will not be enough for the new kids brought into the kingdom of God. Church services and bible classes will not be enough for the new spiritual children that are being born. They will need one-on-one experiences with older believers. They will need small group interaction where they can learn from the experiences of others. This will help them avoid major stumbling blocks and pits in the path before them.

Older believers can begin preparing for this great harvest by allowing God to judge their hearts. Like Paul we can allow them to imitate us as we follow Jesus passionately with all of our heart. We can also ask the Father of all fathers to teach us how to father and mother these new believers that are coming. It is a challenge, but it is exciting. It is the kingdom of Heaven coming to invade the earth. To become like our Heavenly Father is a challenge but it is His ultimate will for us. In the process of fathering we become more like Him.

A few nuggets gained along the way about fathering: first of all they just need to feel loved. They also need someone to believe in them. Their dreams and visions are important and they need encouragement in them. No matter how unique their vision may seem, we must allow them to be trained as such. When we try to bend them towards our desire for them, we can hinder them. Allow the branch to bend the way it needs to bend. Let’s stop trying to make images of ourselves in everyone. Finally, let’s pursue God with all our hearts and grab the young ones to walk with us on this precious journey of faith.

One of the most precious memories of springtime is how the lambs would jump and play in the new green fields. The winter was past. The mothers would just graze on the new grass while the little ones would play endlessly along beside them. The spring days became longer and as the sun would set, the lambs would gather around the mother for the cool nights. The barn was no longer needed because the ground was getting warmer. The warmth of the mother was enough. We can never under estimate the importance fathering and mothering will play in the coming harvest of the lambs. When the barn (church building) is no longer the most important place and the green fields beckon…. where will the fathers and mothers of the faith be?

How They Love

An in-depth study of the twenty-four Elders in the book of Revelation offers us more than just symbolism. Their reaction to all that happens in Heaven is remarkable. Elders hold honorable authority in church-life on earth, but these Elders in Heaven seem to honor and adore the Father on a much higher level.

They sit on thrones and they are clothed in white. Upon their heads are golden crowns (see Revelation 4 and 5). When the creatures of Heaven give honor, the Elders fall down before the Father and give their crowns to Him. When the book of judgment is about to be opened and they have a problem finding someone worthy to open the book, Jesus is found in the midst of the Elders. Jesus enjoys hanging out with these guys. When it is announced that Jesus will open the books, the Elders take up their harps, and golden bowls full of incense. They begin to sing a new song of His worthiness. The angels respond in creation-shattering praise and the creatures say, “Amen.” The Elders respond by falling down again and worshiping.

One definition (in the Greek) describing the word worship, is to respond like a dog licks the hand of its master. It would be safe that the Elders love and honor the Father so much they bow and lick the hand of the Father. If you prefer kiss the hand of the Father that is good too…. I just hope you get the picture. Here are persons of greatest authority sitting on thrones in Heaven and they have so much love that Jesus hangs out with them and they love to kiss the hand of the Father. What great love and adoration is portrayed here! This is a picture of the grace of true authority.

On earth, we seldom see people of authority being approachable or responding with much love. They usually are somewhat reserved and often abuse the authority given unto them. Elders in scripture were in that office because of longevity and faithfulness. It was the highest and most respected office in the early church. They were men and women who had been faithful to the Lord for a long time. However, time had not made them arrogant or prideful. They remained broken and humble before God.

Scripture tells us that the saints will judge the world and angels (see I Corinthians 6:2,3). Paul reasons that since we are given such an important task, we should be able to handle and judge smaller matters while still here in this life. This must take place from a place of love and with the grace of true authority. Our best example is Heaven’s example. Notice the love, adoration, and passion of the twenty-four Elders. Jesus told us to pray that the kingdom of Heaven and the will of God come to Earth. We need some of this kind of love on earth. Where there are seeds of this kind of love, let’s water it so that it reaches maturity. When we are in places of authority in any area of our lives, may we work and live out of a higher love that is so beautifully portrayed for us in Heaven.