Don't Eat Like a Bird: Finding Christ before the storm hits

Some more thoughts about the birds and the birdfeeder on our deck… If you haven’t read the other posts, you can read them here and here.

Here are the two pictures I took of the birdfeeder on the deck. Let’s pretend this is a children’s magazine – what do you see that is different between these two pictures?

The first picture is from the article I wrote about the birds eating cat food instead of the food that was intended for them. When I wrote it, the weather was still mild, especially for January. The second photo is from the article about different kinds of birds coming to the feeder. At that time, we had just experienced a snowstorm. In each of those articles I compared the birdfeeder to a church. Just as the birds come to the feeder to be fed, Christians go to church to be fed the truth of the Bible. That truth is available for everyone.

I now have a new thought about those birds. Why do they wait until the storms come in order to come to the feeder? The food was available - ready and waiting - ever since Christmas. (How ironic – that is when the Word became available to us as well.)

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14)

However, this article is about the storms. When a snowstorm hits, the birds come to the feeder. The snow has covered the seeds on the ground, and they can’t find any food. Sadly, we do the same thing. We scrounge for “food” on our own, trying to make it without any help and thinking we are entirely self-sufficient. Eventually, however, the storms do come. During those times we realize we aren’t quite as self-sufficient as we thought we were. We go in search for real food - or real truth. Jesus wants us to come to Him anytime, all the time. We shouldn’t try to work through the problems on our own and then when we finally realize they are bigger than we can handle, turn them over to Him.

As I sit here writing this, forecasters on the radio are predicting record-breaking snowfall during the next 24-48 hours with life-threatening winds. A different kind of storm came this past weekend as life-threatening illness invaded my family. Political storms are raging in Egypt. Spiritual storms. Economic storms. Around the world, they are all growing.

However, the radio message of a massive storm was followed by a different kind of message through the words of Chris Tomlin in his song, “I Will Rise.”

There’s a peace I’ve come to know

Though my heart and flesh may fail

There’s an anchor for my soul

I can say, “It is well”

Jesus has overcome

And the grave is overwhelmed

The victory is won

He is risen from the dead

Click here to read the continuing story in the saga of the bird feeder.

Trapped in Fear

We are in the midst of cold and flu season. A few weeks ago I bought a bottle of cold medicine for my daughters. When the old bottle ran out and one of my daughters needed another dose I started opening the new bottle. I removed a sealed cellophane wrapper from the outside of a box. I broke the glued seal keeping the box closed. I removed a second cellophane wrapper shrink-wrapped to the bottle. I pushed before turning so I could remove the child-proof cap. I peeled off a foil seal over the mouth of the bottle. Only then could I pour out the appropriate amount of medicine for my achy, stuffy-nosed, coughing little girl. I later analyzed the bottle's label and found 24 warnings on how you should or should not use the contained product. I didn't count the actual directions - the expected place to find how to use the product.

I’m all for safety. As a child, I remember the 1982 Tylenol crisis in which seven people died from taking Tylenol capsules that some sick, demented person had laced with cyanide. Tylenol then became the first company to begin using tamper-evident packaging for medicine, although at the time they called it tamper-resistant packaging. That term is now illegal. I don’t know the order that each layer was added, but I’m thinking that the foil seal was one of the first preventive measures. Over time, companies added more and more security to ensure the consumer’s safety.

My concern is not how many layers of tamper-evident packaging I have to peel away. Rather, my concern is how this increase in safety is a reflection of our society.

At what point will we be safe? 

How many warning labels must we write before we are safe? 

How much government legislation must we pass? 

How many safety features do we have to add? 

Each new safety level entraps us more into a life of fear.

We have become a society that lives in fear of what could happen. We live a life of nothingness out of fear of what might happen. We try to control every scenario and outcome for all situations. We pour so much energy into controlling our environments that we never realize one simple fact...

How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?

     How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

Offer right sacrifices

     And trust in the Lord.

Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”

     Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

     For you alone, O Lord,

     Make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:2, 5-6, 8

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner: Choosing who God loves

Last week I wrote an article, For The Birds, about the new birdfeeder in our backyard. I wrote in that article, “In the sixteen days since Christmas, we haven’t seen a single bird use that feeder.” Also, “I’m going to keep watching for the blue jays and cardinals to come eat the food. I’ll keep you posted as to what happens.”

A few days later, I finally saw birds eating from the feeder. The bag of bird food we picked out had blue jays and cardinals on the outside of the bag and since we have plenty of those types of birds in our area, that’s what I expected to see. Instead, I saw what Google has told me is an American Goldfinch.

Watching and photographing those birds made me start thinking again. My article comparing the birdfeeder to a local church where people are fed the truth of God’s Word was still fresh in my mind.

I thought cardinals and blue jays would come to the feeder but goldfinches came instead. I began wondering... how often do we build a church, plan an outreach project, or do a church promotion with a picture in our minds of who it is we think will respond, just as I thought cardinals and blue jays would come to the feeder?

I've been guilty of this.

Of course I’ll go introduce myself to someone new at church (as long as she is about my same age, has children, is dressed nice but not too nice, and has a friendly smile).

Of course I’ll invite someone to visit our church (as long as it’s something I think they may find interesting, they are fun to be around, and they won’t embarrass me by coming).

Of course I’ll go serve food at a homeless shelter (as long as you don’t expect me to hug someone there, because, well, they smell sometimes).

We would never verbalize these thoughts out loud. Perhaps we don’t even admit them in the secrecy of our own thoughts. But I think quite often they are there whether we like to admit it or not.

My husband’s favorite place to be is outside. He has a huge love for God’s creation, especially animals. All animals. When my husband hung the birdfeeder by the deck, he wasn’t thinking, “Only blue jays and cardinals can come eat this food.” He wanted a birdfeeder so any bird who desired to do so could come eat during the cold winter months.

Likewise, Jesus didn’t establish the church and say, “This is only for the Jews.” Or, “This is only for the Gentiles.” Or the Baptists, or the Methodists, or the Blacks, or the Whites, or the Rich, or the Pretty, or the Kind and Good.

“For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' 

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:12-14).

Click here to read the next story in the continuing saga of the bird feeder.

For The Birds: Eating at the table of the enemy

A conversation with my husband, before Christmas…

“I’d like a birdfeeder for Christmas.”

Confused, I answered, “You have one.”

“Where?”

Pointing out the deck door, I replied, “Right there, by the evergreen tree.”

Calmly he explained, “Honey, that’s a birdhouse.”

Oh. As it turns out, I didn’t know the difference between a birdfeeder and a birdhouse. With my mastery of the English language and a moment of consideration, I was able to deduce the difference. A birdhouse is where a bird lives; a birdfeeder is where it gets fed.

Since we have a birdhouse we have plenty of blue jays flying around the back of our house. (Or, are they bluebirds? I always get those two confused, which my daughter finds amusing.) We also feed our cats on the back deck. The blue jays are constantly swooping in to snatch a piece or two of cat food so I agreed that a birdfeeder would be a good addition to the back deck.

While he was at work one day I took our daughters and headed to Lowe’s. The younger two picked out a cute little house, the older two bought a bag of food especially for blue jays and cardinals, and I picked out a stand to hang it all on. We wrapped it, he opened it, and all was well. The day after Christmas he mounted the stand on the deck railing, filled the house with birdseed, and hung it on its hook.

In the sixteen days since Christmas, we haven’t seen a single bird use that feeder.

Notice the delapidated birdhouse below the feeder. How pitiful.

I’ve thought about that birdfeeder and those birds, and I’m thinking people are a lot like those birds.

Just like the birds swooping down into the cat food pan, many of us would rather dive into the realm of the enemy to be spiritually fed, despite the dangers and the fact that we’re being fed the wrong food. The cat food might temporarily satisfy the birds, but they weren’t created for cat food and the cat food wasn’t created for them. Likewise, many of us are temporarily satisfying ourselves with things the enemy offers instead of with the truth of God for which we were created.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

Just as the birds were given the birdfeeder so they can be fed food appropriate for them during the cold winter months, people have been given a place where they can go to be fed appropriately. Granted some churches do not feed people the truth of Scripture, but many do. Hopefully you have a church home where you can hear truth spoken and where grace and mercy abound. I know I do, and I’m thankful for that.

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

I’m going to keep watching for the blue jays and cardinals to come eat the food. I’ll keep you posted as to what happens.

Later Update: Click here to read the next part on the birdfeeder saga.

You know Jesus but have you seen Him?

Which is more intimate – to know someone or to see someone? Many of us would answer to know someone.

Know Him

As I work on my next book, Everything We Need: God's Path to Know Him Better, I am learning that we translate many different Greek words into English as “know.” For example, the Greek word ginosko is based on external knowledge and outward appearances. If I held up a picture of Oprah Winfrey, George W. Bush, or Brad Pitt, you would probably know them immediately. But I’m guessing you don’t really know those people – their dreams, likes, dislikes, shoe size, etc. You only know them by their external appearance. A different Greek word is used for a more internal knowledge.

John used the word for external knowledge in John 14:7. We are to externally know Jesus and the Father. But we live in the 21st century; we’ve never seen Jesus. So how do we have this kind of knowledge?

Well, I immediately recognize a picture of former President Bush. I’d never confuse it with one of Brad Pitt. Likewise, when I read or hear a new spiritual teaching, I should also recognize whether that teaching is consistent with God’s word.

I recently read the following, “In this season of hope and inspiration, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, to honor the message he brought to this world.”

So far, so good; I recognize this as a Christian teaching, consistent with God’s Word.

The paragraph continued, “His message awakens us to the God Spirit within us. The God Spirit is in every living person equally and abundantly and provides for us everything we need to live a comfortable and fulfilling life.”

Whoa! This may have certain characteristics that are consistent with a teaching of God but I quickly see it is not. It is dressed up in spiritual, Christian-type words but because I know God’s word, I know this isn’t consistent with His teaching.

See Him

John 14:7 says we not only know the Father, but have seen Him. This may seem like a regression of intimacy, but a look at the original words reveals the opposite. Like “to know,” there are multiple words for “to see.” I want to compare two of them – blepo and horao. Blepo may sound more like a children’s game but it means the physical sense of vision. It is a purely outward sense. Horao, however, not only means to see with the eyes, but to see with the mind’s eye and to become acquainted with by experience. If I showed you a picture of your loved one, such as a parent, spouse, or child, you would not only know them as you did the picture of Oprah Winfrey, but you would also know them by experience. You could probably tell me their favorite color, the last book they read, or what they ate for breakfast. You may even be able to add their greatest fear, their biggest dream, or their most personal hurts. You see them intimately and know them by experience.

Horao is the word used in John 14:7. We see the Father with the eye of our mind and become acquainted with Him by experience.

How does this play out in our 21st century lives? When I see a teaching, because I not only know Jesus outwardly(ginosko), but also see Him inwardly (horao), my experiences tell me it is true. Here are a few examples that quickly came to mind:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose.”

(Romans 8:28)

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:19)

“But he said to me,

‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,

so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

I am acquainted with each of these teachings by experience. I have seen God work for my good, I have seen Him meet all of our needs, and I have seen His power perfected in my weaknesses. Each time this happens, I have seen the Father.

Don’t just know Him on the outside – see Him on the inside.