Felines and Feathered Fowl

FELINES AND FEATHERED FOWL

Although they actually belong to my brother who lives next door, all four of the cats usually spend at least a portion of the day, and sometimes the night, around my house. Usually they are crawling under the shed, drinking from the birds’ water pan, climbing one of the trees in my back yard, taking a nap in the warm sun, or performing some other ordinary cat-like activity. One morning recently, as I was just beginning to eat some breakfast, I looked out the window to check the bird feeder in my back yard. As I had often seen, there were two or three sparrows on the feeder, paying no attention to anything but the task of gobbling the grain lying on the bottom of the feeder. Upon taking a closer look, I also saw the grey cat crouching in the newly grown clover underneath the feeder, staring upwards rather intently at the apparently unsuspecting birds. As I watched, he slowly, cautiously and quietly circled the feeder, all the while keeping his gaze firmly fixed in the direction of the sparrows. It seemed rather obvious to me that, if there were any way possible, he was intent upon having fresh bird for breakfast. It also seemed to me that due to the distance from the ground to the feeder, he was going to go away disappointed. Having stepped away for only a minute or two, I returned to the window just in time to see the previously motionless feeder swinging back and forth on its hanger, although the wind was barely blowing. The cat was still on the ground under the feeder watching it swing, but the sparrows were nowhere to be seen. The only conclusion that I could jump to was this: the cat had made a leap for the feeder and had come up just a little short. He hit it just enough to set it in motion, at the same time scaring the birds away. After sitting under the feeder for a few more minutes with no birds on it, the cat lazily walked over to the front of my shed, where he sat down in a spot he has made use of many times before. Although he looked as though he had given up in defeat, I suspect he was very closely and quietly watching everything going on around him and just waiting for his next opportunity to pounce on some unsuspecting prey. After watching the scene of the determined, crouching cat and the seemingly oblivious but ultimately safe birds play out before me, I couldn’t help but recall the time when the Apostle Peter warned believers in his day to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour…” (I Peter 5:8) He wanted them to be aware of the fact that Satan is always roaming this earth, doing what comes naturally to him. Sneaking up on and devouring birds comes naturally to cats. It’s just what they do. Catching believers in his snares comes naturally to Satan. It’s just what he does. Just as the cat naturally attempts to make a meal out of the unsuspecting bird, Satan naturally seeks to turn a follower of Jesus into an unbeliever. Fortunately for the sparrows, they were able to do what birds do best – they flew away. And, fortunately for followers of Jesus, we have His word which tells us, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31) To that James added the following promise: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) When the cat became convinced that the birds had flown away and were not returning, he left the feeder and went on to other pursuits. When Satan becomes convinced that we are committed to following Jesus, he has no choice but to leave. Cats can’t fly; therefore, birds (which can fly) and cats cannot occupy the same air space at the same time. In the same way, God (who is good), and Satan, (who is evil) cannot occupy the same place at the same time. God gave birds wings which allow them to flee from danger. Go away, birds! God gives us the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit so that Satan will have to flee from us. Way to go, God!

From The Cross To The Throne

FROM THE CROSS TO THE THRONE

TRIED, CONVICTED --

CRUCIFIED --

HANGING THERE UPON THE CROSS,

IN THE GRAVE --

DEAD AND BURIED --

HOPES AND DREAMS A TOTAL LOSS?  

MOURNING, WEEPING --

FRIGHTENED. HIDING --

MARY COMES WITH GREAT GOOD NEWS,

SKEPTICAL --

DOUBTING THOMAS --

SADLY, THEY DON'T SHARE HER VIEWS,  

TOWARD EMMAUS --

TWO MEN TRAVEL --

JESUS JOINED THEM AS THEY WALKED,

QUOTED MOSES --

AND THE PROPHETS --

EYES WERE OPENED AS HE TALKED,  

MANY TIMES --

LOTS OF PLACES --

FREQUENTLY HE CAME TO THEM,

TOUCHED HIS HANDS --

SAW HIS WOUNDS --

FINALLY THEY BELIEVED IN HIM.  

ONE LAST MEETING --

MOUNT OF OLIVES --

ASCENDED TO REGAIN HIS THRONE.

HOLY SPIRIT --

PROMISED TO THEM --

WOULD NOT LEAVE THEM ON THEIR OWN,  

JERUSALEM --

PENTECOST --

WAITING THERE AS THEY WERE TOLD,

BLOWING WIND --

TONGUES OF FIRE --

EACH ONE -HOLY SPIRIT BOLD.  

JESUS CHRIST --

SON OF GOD --

LIVED, AND DIED, AND LIVES AGAIN,

INTERCESSOR --

MEDIATOR --

BETWEEN HOLY GOD AND SINFUL MAN.  

GREAT HIGH PRIEST --

SACRIFICE --

SITTING NOW AT GOD'S RIGHT HAND,

GAVE HIMSELF --

RANSOMED ME --

THIS, I CANNOT UNDERSTAND.  

SIN AND SATAN --

DEATH AND HELL --

EACH OF THESE HE OVERCAME,

GOD THE SON --

AROSE TO REIGN --

IN THE POWER OF HIS NAME.  

OUR ONLY CHANCE --

OUR VICTORY --

REPRESENTED BY JESUS AS A RIGHTEOUS SON,

WHAT A KING --

WHAT A JOURNEY -- 

ON THE PATHWAY FROM THE CROSS UP TO THE THRONE

This is part 2 of a 2 part blog. Part 1 was posted on the previous Wednesday

From The Manger To The Cross

FROM THE MANGER TO THE CROSS

IN A MANGER —

IN A STABLE —

MIDST THE DONKEYS AND THE SHEEP

AT THE INN —

IN BETHLEHEM —

THERE WE SEE THE BABY SLEEP. 

ON THE HILLSIDE —

IN THE DARKNESS —

SHEPHERDS HEARD THE ANGELS SING

PRAISE TO GOD —

CHRIST IS COME --

GLORY TO THE NEWBORN KING.

TIME GOES BY —

MARY'S BABY —

GROWS FROM BOYHOOD INTO MAN,

AT THE JORDAN —

DOVE DESCENDING —

VERIFIED THE FATHER'S PLAN. 

PREACHING, TEACHING —

HELPING, HEALING —

DOING NOW THE FATHER'S WILL,

AMONG THE LEADERS —

TROUBLE BREWING —

ON THE WAY TO CALVARY'S HILL. 

IN THE GARDEN —

KNEELING DOWN —

"FATHER LET THY WILL BE DONE",

SOLDIERS COMING —

NOW ARRESTED —

SCARED DISCIPLES ON THE RUN. 

ACCUSATIONS —

HURRIED TRIALS —

ENCOURAGED BY THE ANGRY MOB,

NAILS IN PLACE —

HAMMERS POUNDING —

ROMAN SOLDIERS DO THEIR JOB. 

HANGING, HURTING —

AGONIZING —

THE SON OF GOD WAS CRUCIFIED,

FOR THE WORLD —

FOR MY SINS —

WILLINGLY, HE BLED - AND DIED. 

FAITHFUL SCATTERED —

HOPES ALL SHATTERED --

EACH ONE NOW GOES ON HIS WAY,

SEAL THE TOMB —

POST THE GUARD —

AND SO ENDS THIS TRAGIC DAY. 

THREE DAYS PASS —

PEOPLE MOURNING —

MAKING THEIR WAY TOWARD THE TOMB,

DARKNESS GONE —

THE SON HAS RISEN —

NOTHING THERE BUT AN EMPTY ROOM. 

PRICE ALL PAID —

PARDON GRANTED —

NEVER DID HE COUNT THE COST,

WHAT A SAVIOR —

WHAT A JOURNEY —

ON THE PATHWAY FROM THE MANGER TO THE CROSS.

This is part 1 of a 2 part blog. Part 2 will be posted on Resurrection Sunday

Painted Bunting

PAINTED BUNTING

It was Saturday morning; the first full day of summer. Not that it mattered, temperature-wise; as we had been experiencing days with highs of over 100 degrees for several weeks. I was sitting on the front porch enjoying my breakfast when I heard the sound of a Painted Bunting somewhere in the trees on the east side of the house.

I was grateful that a few of them had been around for a month or more because to my way of thinking, Painted Buntings are one of the most beautiful birds God ever created. The blue head, red throat and belly, yellow back and green wings make them as easy to recognize as they are to look at.

I had noticed a pattern in the way the bird began and ended his day. Shortly after sunrise, as it was now, and again shortly before sunset, the melodious male would sit at the very top of one of the tallest trees and sing his song. I cannot even begin to describe that sound with words, but once you have heard it, it is easily recognizable the next time.

Scanning the tree tops, I soon found the songster in one of them. This time, however, he was recognizable only by his song and his shape. Being early morning, the sun was behind him, in other words, he was between me and the recently risen sun. This meant that I could see only the dark silhouette of a bird; his bright colors were not evident. As was his habit, he would sing from one tree for a few minutes and then move to another where he would repeat the performance.      

   

On several previous occasions I had been on the porch late in the evening just before sunset and had witnessed this same pattern, but with one significant difference. At that time of the day I was between the bird and the sun and as he sang high up in the trees his beautiful colors were brightly illuminated by the setting sun.

Ever notice how the Son shining on God's human creatures tends to bring out the beauty in them also? In comparison to other objects of God's creation, mankind is recognizable just by his shape and his "song". But it's when Jesus, the Son of God begins to shine on and in a person that he becomes recognizable because of his love, his compassion, his generosity, his caring, etc. Without the Son, the best that any person can be is "not bad", but with the indwelling, enabling presence of the Son, any person can be as beautiful as God intended when He first created Adam in the Garden of Eden.

It's wasn't the size, the shape, or the song that made the difference in the beauty of the Bunting, only the position of the sun.

The same is true for people, it all depends on whether we open our hearts and lives to the Son or we keep Him out, relying on our own beauty to get us by. Without the Son, mankind will never be as beautiful as was intended by the Creator.

Fig Leaves Don't Bleed

The following poem is based on the story found
 in the third chapter of the book of Genesis.

FIG LEAVES DON’T BLEED

Life was good in the garden God made.
In that spot where He chose to put man.
There were creatures and critters and fishes and birds,
And all were a part of His plan.
He put trees bearing fruits of so many kinds
In His garden for His man to eat.
He scheduled a time in the cool of the day
For Him and His man to meet.

But the woman God made was confronted
By satan - the snake slithered in.
With soft-spoken words and tempting ways,
He soon had convinced her to sin.
It had sounded so good when he said it-
So tasty; and they would be smarter.
For Adam and Eve that very first bite
Began to make their lives much harder.

Right after they opened their mouths to partake,
God opened their minds and their eyes.
Their innocence lost – their God disobeyed,
They knew satan’s words were all lies.
They knew right from wrong - they saw good and evil.
They covered themselves and then hid.
When God came to visit and then stopped to talk,
They tried to conceal what they did.

When asked about their fig leaf clothing,
Their excuses all sounded so lame.
He said, “She did this” and she, “the snake did that”-
As each tried to play the blame-game.
God let them know that He already knew
How quickly they had disobeyed.
And their futile attempt to cover their “tracks”
Was insufficient because it was man-made.

So God made a garment to cover their sins;
Not fig leaves, but animal hide.
Right there in the garden where they disobeyed,
An innocent animal died.
Not of old age and not by disease,
Nor for food was this one’s blood spilled.
To save the life of God’s highest creation
One of His lesser creatures was killed.

The fig leaves just covered their bodies,

God’s garments covered their sin.
The fig tree still lived and continued to grow,
God’s animal died giving his skin.
Sinless God still loved His sinful man
Even though he had disobeyed.
And from that day to this the price is the same
But the innocent sacrifice has already been made.

God covered Adam with animal skins
But Jesus has covered us all.
The innocent died so the guilty can live,
So it’s been ever since Adam’s fall.
Today we are saved by Jesus’ shed blood.
That’s all the covering we’ll need.
‘Cause our futile efforts will never suffice,
As Adam learned - Fig Leaves Don’t Bleed.

Done With The Wind

Done With The Wind

It was still a full three weeks until the first day of Spring, but the weather had been so beautiful lately that you couldn’t tell it was still officially Winter. It was early afternoon and I had gone outside to take a couple of photographs of an area where a few days before I had cut down a large Hack Berry tree due to it’s having died in the severe drought of last year. Upon hearing a familiar sound, I began looking upward examining the skies for the flock of geese that I knew was somewhere overhead. It didn’t take long before I spotted a rather large flock circling round and round, taking a break from flying against a strong north wind that was blowing that day. Eventually, they formed a V shape again and proceeded in a northerly direction. It wasn’t long before they again paused and began to circle around. It was obvious that they were having a difficult time making headway against the wind.

Before they got out of sight, another, smaller flock came from the same direction. They too were struggling against the wind. And, then, off in another direction I heard the honking sound again. Turning around, I saw yet a third flock, fighting the wind in order to make slow progress. It was a good 10 to 15 minutes from the time that I first heard the sound until the last goose was out of sight.

Just two days later, I had walked down the driveway and retrieved the mail from the mail box and was starting back to the house when I heard more honking sounds. I spotted a fairly large flock of geese, still to my south, but moving rapidly in a northerly direction. Within about 30 to 45 seconds, they were out of sight. The difference: there was a very strong wind blowing from the south on that day. These geese were riding the wind and barely flapping their wings at all and yet were making tremendous progress in the direction that they wanted to go. I couldn’t see the wind on either day, yet it was easy to see that it was making a big difference in the efforts of the geese flying north.

In the third chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus has a conversation with a man name Nicodemus, in which Jesus compares the operation of the Holy Spirit to the blowing of the wind. Jesus said,

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 5:8)

While I couldn’t see the wind blowing, either from the north or the south, it was very easy to see the effects of the wind on the geese, all of whom were flying in the same direction. There was no

difference in the geese, but there was a tremendous difference in the progress they were making. I had to conclude that the difference was due to the influence of the invisible wind.

In the same way, we can’t see the Holy Spirit as He works in a person’s life, but it is very obvious that changes are taking place. The presence and the power of the Holy Spirit enables a person to be something that he might not otherwise be, or to do something that he did not think he could do, or to understand something that was previously difficult to comprehend (especially when it relates to the person and working of God).

The geese who were flying against the strong north wind and the ones who were flying with the brisk south wind were all striving for the same goal, but there was a tremendous difference in the effort needed to produce the desired result. In the same way, a Christian who attempts to do the will of God, will find that he makes more and easier progress whenever the Holy Spirit is in control; instructing, empowering, enlightening and inspiring the child of God to persevere even though the opposition may be strong.  

The Apostle Paul knew that the Christians living in Rome in his day were facing tremendous opposition as they attempted to live a Godly life. To encourage and instruct them, he said;

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”.    (ROMANS 15:13)

Just as the south wind provided a tremendous increase in the speed of the geese going north, an “overflow” of the Holy Spirit will provide the power and presence that any Christian needs to live the life that pleases God and produces results.

God Bless and Godspeed to one and all.