Fat Birds

This morning, I listened to Corey Stark's message on eternal rewards that the Lord reveals to his followers in Revelation, for those 'who overcome'.

This overcoming must happen by partnership with the Holy Spirit, because we are weak in our own efforts, and are dependent on His work in us to remain faithful to Christ/God/his Gospel message to us through our entire lives.

As I listened, I remembered my time at International House of Prayer, and am so thankful for the in-depth teaching from the leadership there. They constantly search Scripture, Genesis to Revelation, praying/speaking with the Lord for understanding, attempt to live out what he shows them, and then share it with others, for my growth.

One of my favorite teachings during my 3-month Intro internship was by Corey Stark on the book of Revelation. Many times, people try to figure out exact countries and timelines and dates, based on current events. That may have it's place. But what I like about Corey's teaching is that he spent many years just listening to audio readings of the book of Revelation, and asked the Lord to give him understanding. Then he would take parts of Revelation and study parallel or similar-referenced passages throughout the entire Bible to put together a fuller picture of understanding of the message within Revelation. So it is a Bible interpreting Bible explanation of Revelation, partnered with the Holy Spirit unveiling connections and giving understanding of what He inspired through these human writers, versus looking at one book and making predictions of the content.

So in this morning's sermon, Corey talked about eternal rewards. He made a clear distinction that salvation, being born again, inheriting eternal life, is completely a gift of God, bought by the work of Christ Jesus on the cross, offered to all mankind, but received by some, rejected by others; their choice, partnered with God's mercy. (God, open our eyes to see your gift of salvation, and let us not pass it by. My mom said, when I invited the Lord Jesus Christ into my life, to forgive my sins, the wrong things I did against God and others, and asked to be a part of His family; receiving freely the gift He purchased for me; that was the most important decision of my life. May 7, just celebrated my spiritual birthday!)

So now that I've received that gift, Corey says Jesus talks about rewards, in addition to salvation, that I can receive based on my obedience to the Lord, with the right heart attitude, often done in secret, for the glory of the Father, and yet I benefit, too.

The teaching awakened a real challenge for me to walk in this light, so that I may receive all that God has available for me. In Revelation 2-3, Jesus tells (not empty promises, but real rewards available) the churches that there are rewards for those who overcome. A few are: to get to eat from the Tree of Life (yes, please); to be given a new name by the Lord (names indicate our character and ability/function: Abraham, father of nations, etc.; some major followers of the Lord in the Bible received new names at significant points in their life; Saul to Paul, Cephas to Peter, Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel; and those were not 'frivilous name changes because they sounded better' but real meaning-functioning-partnering with God changes of name); etc.

Corey encouraged us to research (by looking up cross-references or other places in the Bible that refer to similar concepts or say the same things), to give us fuller understanding of what God offers to us 'who overcome'.

The other thing this does is remind me that I might not overcome, or that it's possible to not overcome. So it gives me A LOT of motivation to realize I really, really need the grace of the Lord to be successful in the Christian walk, following Christ, his example of relating to the Heavenly Father while he walked on earth, as revealed in Scripture (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). So it takes complacency out of the picture and makes me really press in to the Lord and cry out for understanding and help to live His way and not my way (if/where they differ). And I know his way is the best way. He wants me to overcome. I know because He revealed it to me through Scripture. Only Jesus lived a perfect life on earth, and the Father gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who receive the gift of salvation through faith in Christ's death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins; that we might walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit, and thus overcome.

Ok, so back to the fat bird.

While I listened to the teaching, there was a bird who perched on the grill outside my window. And this bird was really fat. It looked like a robin, but it's chest was excessively pooched out, almost looking like it's already tiny legs couldn't hold it too well.

I couldn't get out of my mind how fat this bird was. Why is it this way? Is there some double-meaning that the Lord wants me to know?

At the end of the teaching, I googled, Why are birds fat? And found a blog that shared
Bird fat is GOOD, as a strong source of energy for life, day and night, and when birds get ready to migrate, they need to have enough energy/fat stored.

But bird fat is BAD when it's too much and it keeps them from flying when predators come to attack.

So, God, please help me have the right amount of fat stored on my body, and oil in my spirit. (Fat and oil are similar, as protection, and stored-reserved energy, able to be burned when necessary, so I drew the parallel.) Please allow me to have energy to live the way you want me to, and I'm ready to migrate when you say Go. (Jeremiah 8:7 says, "Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD." God, you've provided everything we need to walk in partnership with you. Please deliver us from fear and keep us from temptation. Let us follow you with all our hearts. Please give me discernment to know how to live and follow you, in my current assignment.)

But please help me not store up too much, if that's possible in a spiritual sense. I don't want to get caught by predators or be hindered in my ability to fly. Excess fat that's not used, but stored . . . Holy Spirit is our constant source of oil, virgins who bought the excess oil was a good thing versus those who did not. God, let me have what I need to have when I need it.

Other parallels? What is your message to me today?

Thank you, Lord, for your leadership, and for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help me to yield to your direction, through fellowship with the Holy Spirit, in my life today. Give me success in you for the plans and purposes you have ordained for me. And help me to access all the rewards you have available, through Jesus Christ. Thank you that you are my exceedingly great Reward. In Jesus' Name, amen!

Here's the link to the blog by Katie Fuller; very helpful article on bird fat:
Blog on Bird Fat = Bird's Friend, until it's too much. 

More, Lord

This morning, I opened my Bible and read Psalm 18:10, "He mounted the cherubim and flew, he soared on the wings of the wind." [Talking about the LORD, my God, in response to David's cry for help.]

Anyway, I thought about the LORD flying on cherubim, soaring on the wings of the wind. I want to fly with you, God. 


My request seemed childlike, maybe childish.

I thought about children, and how they just want more of the good stuff. When they eat something they like, "More!" When they get pushed on a swing, "Higher!" When they get thrown in the air by a fun-loving adult, "Again!"

When I'm the kid, I just want more of what I like. When I'm the adult, I determine how much is enough, usually by 1) me getting tired 2) running out of supply 3) knowing that more will harm the kid or 4) it's time to move on to something else.

So I think about that with things of God.

Sometimes I pray, "More, God. More of you. More of your mercy in my life. Higher, God, I want to know your ways (that are higher than my ways, Isaiah 55:9), take me higher with you."

Will I ever be satisfied? Should I be?

When I'm around a charismatic crowd (believe in Jesus for salvation & operate in gifts of the Holy Spirit), sometimes I hear a phrase, "More, Lord, more," when they're praying, referring to wanting more of His presence, more of what He's doing.

When I first heard that prayer, I thought that sounded kind of greedy or demanding.
But then, if I remember that God is infinite, in His love and provision, and if He wants us to have more of Him - like it makes Him happy to share more of Himself with us, then I want to ask, and keep asking.

I want to keep searching the Scripture, words that He gave to educate us about Him (how He thinks, feels, operates), and Him & us (how we can interact), and us when we're away from Him (what He wants & what happens to us).

I want to walk in His ways for my life. I don't always know what that looks like, but trust He does, and that He can communicate clearly with me when/as I need to know. And trust that He leads and guides me, even when I have no idea He is--because He's good, and I'm His adopted kid through believing in His Son (John 1:11-13).  

More, Lord! Higher! Again! Forever!     

Wisdom = Success

David had great success at everything he did, because God was with him.

I love the account in 1 Samuel that describes David's battle victories.

1 Samuel 18 (www.biblegateway.com)

⁵ Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully (a) that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.

¹⁴ In everything he did he had great success, (c) because the LORD was with him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw how successful (d) he was, he was afraid of him.

³⁰ The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success (f) than the rest of Saul's officers, and his name became well known.

1. 1 Samuel 18:5 Or wisely
2. 
   
3. 1 Samuel 18:14 Or he was very wise
4. 1 Samuel 18:15 Or wise
5. 
   
6. 1 Samuel 18:30 Or David acted more wisely

Each word for success could also be translated as WISE, or wisdom.

God, I want your wisdom, because then I will have success.

Pursuing our Dreams

If a dream stirs in your heart, what should you do?

Mary DeMuth, my mentor in writing, persevered. 

She dreamed of writing and telling stories that wove in her heart. 

She desired to transform lives and make Jesus famous. 

She wrote about the struggle and triumph of pursuing this dream.

Her words are powerful. 

I invite you to read her story . . . 

Mary's Journey

Remember & Trust . . .

Jeremiah prays, "Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts."
[good start]

He keeps praying, "I sat not in the assembly of those who make merry, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because Your powerful hand was upon me, for You had filled me with indignation."
[explaining his feelings; saying his saddess (not rejoice/indignation) came from God.]

And he seems to be frustrated with God, "Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain?"
[Problem: he feels like his pain is perpetual and wound incurable. He wonders if God will be deceive him, fail him, be uncertain.]

God responds and corrects Jeremiah. "Therefore thus says the Lord to Jeremiah: If you return and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair, then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile, cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarrented suspicions concerning God's faithfulness, you shall be My mouthpiece. But do not yield to them. Let them return to you - not you to the people. And I will make you to this people a fortified, bronze wall; they will fight against you, but they will not prevail over you, for I am with you to save and deliver you, says the Lord."

God says to trust him; to 'extract the precious from the worthless' (New American Standard).
He says to remember his faithfulness and to trust . . . then we will live in quiet and safety, be his minister, and his mouthpiece.

We are not to be convinced or swayed by the people around us (or situations) that try to make us believe God is not faithful, trustworthy, or good. They are to be influenced by our trust in him.

God, please help me remember and hold on to your faithfulness Today.

Verses taken from Jeremiah 15:16-20, Amplified version

New Covenant

Jesus said "This is my blood, which ratifies the new covenant, the blood which is being poured out for (on accound of) many."
Mark 14:24 (Amplified)

In Exodus 24, Moses was given commands to write down for the people to obey. They listened and agreed to follow the words. Moses built an altar and had burnt and peace offerings sacrificed to the Lord. Then he took half the blood and splashed it on the altar. The other half he put in a basin. He took the Book of the Covenant (God's words/commands) and read it to the people. They said, "Everything the Lord says, we will do, and we will be obedient."

Moses took the remaining half of the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant wihch the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words."

The leaders and 70 elders went up on the mountain and saw the Lord with a brilliant sapphire foundation under his feet. They ate and drank.

Then the Lord called Moses to come higher up with him and receive the tablets of stone with the law and the commandments.
(summarized from Exodus 24:1-12, Amplified)

Was Jesus sprinkling the blood of the new covenant so that we could go up and see the Lord, eat and drink with him; a parallel action to when the old covenant was given and received by the people?
The old covenant: agreeing to and obeying the commandments.
The new covenant: ?? obedience?? to new commands? new things? Or the old commands, just enabled to follow because of his new life in us?

Father, teach me about your new covenant. What are your requirements? Help me to obey so that I may be covered by Jesus' blood and come up to the mountain so I may eat and drink with you and see you on foundations of sapphire.

Words of Knowledge

Jesus had insight; he could see events not in front of him, but actually going on.
He told his disciples to:
1. Go get a donkey for him to ride on (where to find it, what to say to the owner, and it worked)
2. Go follow the man with the jar, go to the house, ask where the room is for the Passover, and prepare it. Everything was like he said.
(Mark 11:1-7, Mark 14:12-16)

Father, I pray that I would learn to trust you. That I would learn how to listen to your voice, and I would trust you when you say to do something. You know perfectly how things are and how people will respond. Increase my ability to listen to you and follow.