Birds – Path Without End

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Sunday again, already? Yes indeed. We were having church last night with some people and we got into our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. What is this higher place Jesus wants to take us? We follow Him into the Infinite, and away from finite.

Somehow, as we pondered the Beatitudes, I found myself sharing the name I have chosen for this little house of ours that is currently in such disarray as we are remodeling it into a House Church. We use to call it “The Little Blue Bungalow”, but in the journey of this transformation, things have taken a distinct turn towards a theme of “Birds”! And I shared last night I have nicknamed this place, “God’s Bird House”. People actually chuckled about that.

When we found a beautiful set of French Doors at a Habitat for Humanity store, and it was actually in our price range, (cheap!), as a bird would say, but we purchased it with great delight and dismay, loaded it in our old truck, and once it was installed, our room suddenly opened up into our small, private, backyard area. And when it did, we got inspired to create a bird sanctuary. It has been a delight. It is still in progress also, and has become the theme of this house.

This should be no surprise to me. Birds and I go way back. I’ve always had a thing about them. I even wrote the story of “Flapless”, which you can access for free in the side bar. And now, I find our ministry being used to inspire God’s people to live by your wings more than your feet! Stop running, slow down, and soar!

“I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Gal. 5: 16 KJV)

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. “ (Gal. 5: 16 NLT)

We are called to live by our wings!

When you look out our French Doors you see this >

It is amazing to me what a small area can be turned into. I’ve seen Jesus turn plain old water into wine so many times! Here’s another example. Our basement on this old house leaks like a cracked tub, so we have always had a sump pump. But where was the water to go? The city has allowed our front ditch to fill in and be of little use, and we’re not on city sewer, so I dug a hole! Just a basic pit for the water from our basement to go into and evaporate or sink back into ground. It was just meant to be a holding place. Well.. it turned into a beautiful small pond!

20200823_101002 The city has checked it and it is clean. The water has filtered through the ground and that is all it is. Our basement pumps it into my hole and it became part of our bird sanctuary. It became an ecosystem of its own and the birds love it! But why am I sharing all this? People of God, we’re meant to live “higher”. And some of you immediately think dollar signs $ when I say that, and you reveal your lack of Spirit!

Remember where this message started? We we’re looking at the Sermon on the Mount, and the Beatitudes. Would the real Jesus please stand up! Because I don’t see many modern churches teaching what Jesus really said and did. Everyone says they love the Beatitudes, but I don’t see many people living them, which tells me they speak with forked tongue, like a snake, not a bird.

Birds are used so often in scripture in describing the Christian life, the life of following Jesus, like a bird on the wing, riding the wind. Of course we all think of Isaiah 40:31… They that wait upon the Lord… and the eagle.

Birds are called to live in the high places. They are the skypeople, and so are we, unless we’re not. Why live as the ground dwellers when you can live by a different set of laws superseding the natural. We are called to soar!

We are in a season of great turmoil and who is to say how long this may be, or where it is going, but are you skypeople or ground dweller? You’re going to need your wings! In our Lord’s Sermon he challenges us with these words… “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matt. 6:26) And I’m one of those people who love feeding them.

We love the Sermon on the Mount, the real Jesus, don’t we? But does this describe our life? So much fear today. So little real faith and peacefulness of soul. So much anger and politics. So much “want” of money and material things. This message actually “begins” with our Lord declaring blessed are the poor! Less is more? Wow. Is it any wonder as we opened these words last night, I found myself sharing the theme and nickname of our little home… “God’s Bird House”? And the transformation slowly continues.

I wanted to share something a bit more inspiring and light of heart today in the midst of all this doom and gloom. Never forget our Kingdom is above! And we but passing through this place. Do we care about the ground dwellers? Yes we do, but we can only do so much. Just like Jesus, we teach the truth of the finite verses Infinite, but we can force no one to believe, receive, and be transformed.

In the end, I watch the turmoil of earthly people who live in flesh rather than Spirit, and I praise God again, over and over, for my wings. I catch the Wind and know peace. I invite others to believe. My wings were freely given and I seek to freely give. But true skypeople are still the minority in this post Christian nation.

Do not follow Esau. Do not trade your birthright for a pot of dirt. Do not live earth bound by fear and lack of peace when you are birthed to soar! Be of good cheer, little bird! Your heavenly father knows what you have need of! Peace be unto you.

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This is my chair and my spot right by the French Doors looking out on the pond, the feeders, our 2 hummingbirds (such a delight), and other birds and small critters, as I pray, ponder, listen, and write.

20200804_180842 The best kept secret in town, they sometimes say. It usually refers to a special place not yet discovered by very many.

Our house is becoming a House church. I have so changed this house you wouldn’t believe it, but now, even though not complete, considerable ministry is growing here, along with our “Bird Garden” sanctuary we have started.

Yesterday we had a couple here for marriage counseling. They did not have to go to some Pastor’s office at the church building, they came to our home. We set up a table and 4 chairs. We had some drinks and easy snacks. Music played in the background. The bird sanctuary glowed through the French doors with all the activity of our small animal refuge. We have 2 ground squirrels, a rabbit, a male cardinal and 2 females, 2 hummingbirds, lots of sparrows, 2 squirrels, a small pond fed from our basement sump pump (lol), and of course the unexpected creatures that visit.

We were not on any schedule. We made a “His” and “Hers” sheet as we helped them communicate about issues. My wife was a big help with the ladies side of things. It was not real professional, but it was personal, cozy, non-threatening, and real. We shared our home with them, and they shared their struggles. I think they have a real good chance of making it. We scheduled a date to play Yatzee at the same table in 2 weeks. We will see how they are doing.

This is our Secret Garden growing. Brian Sanders and his book “UNDERGROUND CHURCH” has inspired me to be more “creative” with ideas for outreach/ missionary outreach, thinking outside the box. We have an idea and we are moving towards it. It involves dogs and young people needing role models in gang ridden areas. We expect to succeed in our target. I look forward to sharing more as it goes, and as it grows. We plan to launch in October.

If you’re looking for the new move of God in this New World coming, I highly recommend Brian Sanders book. I also recommend “The Forgotten Ways” by Alan Hirsch. (I am currently reading.)

God is never surprised, so why has the church been caught flat-footed so many times? Those who move with God are never behind the times, but actually ahead. The New World is coming, and there is a church already preparing for her. Those who don’t “move”, but are institutional, will be caught flat again, indeed, already are. The people of Israel lived in tents so they could stay in the fire and in the cloud. This new wine skin, this new wine, does the same. This next move is full of movement, outside the institutional church, in the streets and in the homes.

Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, Jesus said. Micro-groups, Micro-churches, Home-churches, may be small, but they are hard to target, as was Elijah. Small enough to be hard to target, yet big enough to still be deadly. Jesus is the Alpha of our pack, know what I mean?

Let’s get back to what Jesus actually did, and what the early church actually did. We have come full circle, it is time again. Don’t be caught flat-footed. Take wing!