The Birds

When I was in Oklahoma I lived in the dust bowl. The wind blew all the time. One day in the late fall it was so cold that the wind chill factor was way below zero. Everything was frozen.

I was doing homework in the dining room and looking out the window while I processed Shakespeare. My entire clothesline was lined up with sparrows. It was so cold I really felt sorry for them. I kept looking up and wondering what I could do for them. They could not move much because the wind was so strong and again, it was really cold.

I decided I needed to go get them some birdseed so they would have something to eat at least. This was back when I had nothing. I was going to school and working part time. I looked around for some change and found a little over a dollar so I headed to the closest store to buy some bird seed. I got a dollar’s worth and came home to feed the birds. They are ground feeders so I put out a small dish of water—fairly warm and scattered part of the seed on the ground.

I was freezing. My eyes were watering. It was freezing on my face. I ran in the house concerned about the poor birds. I sat in the house and read Shakespeare while I watched the birds.

By now my kids were involved. They were sitting at the dining table watching the birds shiver on the line. The birds were huddled against each other in a huge long line.

Then it happened, one fell. Jenny squealed, “Mom, one fell off.”

“No, he’s just going to see about the food.” Was my parental reply.

But I looked and he was just lying on the ground not moving. Another one fell and another.

I did not know why this affected me so much but I could not stand it that these birds were freezing and falling off the line. I was praying, "What can I do God?" I could not leave them laying to rot (even though they could not decompose in this cold weather, they were frozen).

I found a shoe box, lined it with paper towels and headed outside. The little birds did not move when I went to the clothes line. Not the ones on the line. Not the ones on the ground. The water was frozen. The bird seed was blowing all over. I could hardly stand up. It hurt to breathe.

I did not even have a coat on and I was freezing. I started picking up the birds. I put about a dozen in the box. The kids and I would bury them when the ground thawed.

My heart was breaking for these poor birds, my tears are freezing on my eyes, my lungs burning with each breath, my fingers so cold they are fumbling and my heart crying out to God for these dumb birds.

I heard the Lord speak. It was not the bold audible voice, but it was a whisper in the wind.

“I saw the sparrows fall. Nothing misses my notice.”

I knew this scripture. Maybe I only know about God and I do not really KNOW His nature. Before I can even process this thought I hear more.

“Sally, I see your heart for these birds. If you can feel this about the birds how much more do you think I feel this about YOU? I know everything about you. I have every hair on your head numbered. That doesn’t mean I know how many you have, it mean more than that. When one falls I know how many hairs have fallen and what number hair it is. Why do you think so little of me that you do not think I know everything about you and love you? I love YOU. I want to do good things for you, just like you want to help these birds. I love your tender heart Sally. Let me care for you. Care for me.”

It was a frozen moment in time.

The intensity of His presence diminished and I sobbed. He loved ME. The revelation of this was overpowering. I had known He loved mankind and therefore me; BUT He loved ME personally. He knew EVERYTHING about me and He still loved me. I never had to worry about anything again.

Time became reality again, I was freezing. I snatched up all the fallen birds and ran back to the house. My kids were still watching out the sliding door and opened it as I approached.

This whole thing had only taken a couple of minutes.

The kids looked at all the dead birds. Jen cried. Then we put the lid on it, talked about where to bury them later and they went back to playing a game at the table while I went back to Shakespeare.

In the midst of memorizing prose I heard some weird noise in the kitchen. I ignored it but it kept on and eventually irritated me so I go up to go see what it was. The box of dead birds was making a noise. I could not figure out what it was…I took off the lid. (Obviously I did not think this through first.)

When I lifted off the lid to see what the noise was a dozen sparrows flew to freedom—at least as much freedom as they could get within my house.

Total chaos ensued. I was yelling for the kids to get the bedroom doors closed. I was running around trying to catch them. I realized this was totally futile. I did not want any of them to get hurt. Then they started flying into the picture window. I hollered for Jason to open the front door and I opened the sliding door—next I got a dish towel and we started “shooing” the birds outside.

The 3 of us were laughing so hard it was hilarious. We got all the birds out uninjured. Having both doors open for 15 minutes in a freezing windstorm meant the house was REALLY cold. We flopped in the living room floor and laughed over and over. We talked about actually thinking before we did things—like bringing birds into the house and then taking the lid off the box. Ok, I was the one who caused it all but there was no reason they shouldn’t learn what mess a person can make of things if they do not think things through.

I got some rubber gloves and started cleaning up all the evidence of the birds. The kids started cleaning up feathers.

I felt time stop again. I knew He was right there. I listened and heard him say, “You thought the birds were dead. So many times you see something that looks dead and you believe what you see. Let me show you the unseen. Even if something appears dead, cover it in intercession, allow it to warm up, bring it into the realm of your love in prayer, and watch me bring it to life. I will bring you things that appear tough. Your tender heart and strong love combined with intercession will change lives. Let me care for you. Care for me.”

It is a crazy supernatural life and I love it.

Time to pray.

Do you hear from God?

Do you hear from God?

Most Christians are hesitant to say yes.  Why is that? Are they ashamed that they don’t? Are they ashamed that they do? Shame being the key item here….

Are they afraid they will make a mistake? Are they afraid God will not really speak to them? Fear being the key here…

Are they concerned people will judge them if they are bold? Are they concerned they will send some one in the wrong direction? Pride being the key here in both areas…..

Many people only claim to hear God when they have to do something “hard” and then they talk about it to 42 (this is a floating number) people to get sympathy with them at how “hard” it is to serve God.  Others seem to serve a “bossy” God. He only talks to them to bark out some order. Others only hear a daddy’s voice talking to a small child with comfort guiding them in their everyday life.

Which is you?

If you are walking in shame it is time to close that door and wash that stuff off yourself with the water of the word.

If it is fear holding you back then it is time to close that door and get yourself full of the Holy Spirit—fear will not reside with Him! Not only that but the Holy Spirit sends 3 friends to make sure you are not bullied with fear any more.  (Power, Love and a Sound Mind in case you were wondering)

If the Lord shares something with you for or about someone and you do not share it without consulting 12 (another arbitrary number) people to get confirmation and make sure you are right, then you need to repent from pride, turn back to God and allow Him to remove the need to make everything about you. We have a hurting world to minister to. If the Lord trusted you enough to talk to you then only pride and disobedience is between you and the other person’s answer. You can make it LOOK like humility but the root is still pride.

If you only hear God when it is something hard then it is time to close that door of old hurts. Time to repent for not allowing Him into your life. If you only hear him as a daddy with a small child then it is time to close that door of immaturity and get into the word making yourself grow up.

He wants to be so many things to the body of Christ. We have to close the door of miniature boxes where we have confined him and be the child, the friend, the lover, the soldier, the ambassador, the prayer warrior, the helping hand, the listening ear, the one who meets the needs,

If you had a best friend who lived around the world and no phone, no internet, nothing…how would you communicate? Don’t be that kind of friend to God. He has given you every means of communication—He is waiting for you!

What does this have to do with intercession?

Time for the intercessors to close the door to the past and rush through the doors of the marvelous future provided. We have to b healed, delivered, strengthened, empowered so we can intercede and throw out those life lines to bring the body of Christ into these end times…..

Time to pray.

How Much Water Do You Drink??? Is it clean?

We have had another storm warning. We were under threat of a typhoon and even though it missed us we still have a lot of flooding, debris, and it is still pouring down rain here.

That doesn't mean I don't get thirsty. No matter how much it rains, I still get up and drink a liter of water before my coffee. I still drink another liter or 2 each day. (plus my diet coke of course). 

I drink the water but it doesn’t quench my thirst like diet coke does….and on top of that I am a diet coke connoisseur: I prefer a fountain soda with a good mix and a non-drip cup.

Let's look at this spiritually. There are a lot of wells to drink at spiritually, even in the church. But Jesus is the Living Water. He is the only thing that can satisfy our thirst. Once you drink at the well of Jesus you will never be thirsty again.

I am even pickier about my relationship with Christ than I am about my diet coke. I do not want a watered down gospel. I prefer a solid word based church. I want pastors that have not exalted themselves about the body and above the word of God. I want to be able to drink clear, clean water.

John 7:38 Whoever believes in Me as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.

Water is the most important resource on earth. (OK, maybe air is just as important but that is another blog) Without water all things would perish

With Jesus we have living water to continually refresh and empower us daily.

What does this have to do with intercession????

People are dying of thirst all around us…in the natural there are companies that go all over the world providing fresh, clean water for people who are drinking disease laden, bug infested water. In the spiritual we need to go (either in prayer or in person) around the world and provide fresh, clean water for people who are drinking demonic, diseased spiritual water.

Time to Pray…

How big of a bang will you make?

from the Lanai in Tumon

from the Lanai in Tumon

I have seen a lot of public fireworks’ displays over the years. I love them!! Fourth of July. New Years. Hogmanay. The fair in Guam—we have a great view from our lanai! 

from the Lanai in Tumon

from the Lanai in Tumon

They are all fabulous, though I do have to admit Hogmanay was the most amazing thing I had ever seen and will be the standard I use from now on for “Best Fireworks Ever”.

Hogmanay

If you are the person in charge of the fireworks there is so much to do to get ready for the explosion. Selection of the specific works. Finding a safe venue. Announcing the event. Advertising. Doing a practice run. 

The same thing is happening in the spirit to get us ready for the explosion of the spirit that is coming. The venue is being prepared and has been for 2000 years. The venue is being prepared as Israel continues to protect their land. The announcements are coming in the spirit regularly. Advertising is being done on the TV, radio, books and in social media as people point the signs of the times. Jesus was the practice run. 

Spectators also get ready for the fireworks display but in a totally different way. They talk about the event. They tell their friends and family. They invite people to come with them. They prepare—picnic, blankets to sit on, etc.

 

The Lord is getting ready for the biggest display ever. We are the fireworks. We are the ones who light up the sky. The world will be the spectators until they too want to be the fireworks. The Lord wants to launch you into what He has for you. Are you ready? Have you invited your friends? Your family?

Working in our lives as we collaborate with Him—a personal experience joining with Him to be everything He called us to be.

The choices are abundant—you are always free to choose but you are not free from the consequences of your choice.

What does any of this have to do with intercession???

Pray for the spectators….

Stop being a Zombie.............

Have a lot of changes in your life? Concerned that God is trying to "teach your something"? Wonder what you should be "learning"? 

Change is not bad, just different. It doesn't mean you did something wrong. It doesn't mean God is upset. It doesn't mean you were given the wrong directions or a bad prophecy or that you heard wrong. You do not need to be confused, ashamed or make excuses.

Maybe you are just growing. Maybe you are just being refined. 

Change is not bad just different.

We celebrate the prophetic foreshadowing of Jesus’ resurrection when we read about Lazarus coming forth from the tomb. We celebrate the resurrection of Christ—the pivotal point that proved he was the Son of God. The supernatural accuracy of the prophecies concerning the Messiah should be enough proof BUT the resurrection was that “final straw” proving his diety so to speak.  

Change is not bad—just different. Maybe it is really growth. Maybe it is refining. Why do we think change is something “bad”?

We talk about raising the dead. We have seen it happen. Some of us have prayed and experienced it. But, what about spiritual death? Partnering with the enemy in your thought processes? Allowing your emotions to rule your spirit man? Are you spending your life swirling in the repeat cycle of negativity, whining, self-pity….

When something happens that is a change in your life, something different from the norm, where do you run? To the word? To His presence? His word? His love?

Or, do you run to the tomb of your sin and take up residence? Do you run to the tomb of death and move in? No one ran into Jesus’s tomb and thought the linen cloths he had been wrapped in were really Him. They knew the cloths were just His covering. Sin was your covering prior to salvation. The linen cloths of your sin, your past are not YOU.

Don’t go look for your sin and stay in the tombs of death—run to the savior and LIFE.

What do this have with intercession?

It is time to imitate Christ and call forth our friends from their tombs of sin and death—but first you need to get out of your tomb.