Our bird feeder hangs from the flower bed in front of the window in the dining room.

Not far from it, is a Hummingbird Feeder.

From our den, the view gives quite a story.

Certain types of birds flock around both of them all day.

(Above Photo Credits: John Randolph Harrison http://www.pbase.com/jrandyh)

The Cardinals who always arrive in pairs, dine almost everyday. So do the Sparrows but they come in bunches. The Bluebirds visit occasionally. The Mockingbird doesn’t care much for the menu, but he shows up to make noise and annoy the others who are trying to enjoy a decent meal. The Hummingbirds frequent their feeder quite often. However, these tiny little creatures prefer dining alone; that is sharing the feeder is not an option.

No group exists without a bad apple. Blackbirds are large, obnoxious, arrogant feathered bullies who use their size to eliminate the competition. Not only are they insolent and rowdy they enjoy flying in groups of 2-3, land on top of the feeder while other smaller and less flamboyant birds fly away. Blackbirds then put on a show of egotism by literally crawling in a circle around the pole to the bottom where most of the food is. Consuming the seeds in accelerated fashion, Blackbirds reveal their greed and sloppiness. And, these birds are loud! As they eat, a shrill screech marks their territory. The sound is at times deafening.

Filling the bird feeder requires sitting it on the sidewalk to fill it up. Spilling a portion on the sidewalk is a given but it never goes to waste. The Doves, who also always fly in pairs, come in for a daily landing to clean it up. I love these birds with their quiet maneuvers and peaceful attributes.

Watching the birds has become a daily adventure. Never thought of myself as a “birdwatcher” but we do live in a “Bird Sanctuary.” We are blessed to observe a variety of small and large fowl from Hummingbirds to Egrets to the Golden Eagle.

What I didn’t know is birds have personalities, habits and lifestyles as unique and different as humans.

Depending on their size, discrimination is prevalent.

Fighting amongst themselves is a common thread.

Two are better than one.

Some birds are well liked by each other. Others are considered mean, unfriendly and impossible to get along with.

Enjoying games is a notable past time.

Fear of their predators is instinctive.

Feeding times are much like ours.

Matthew 6: 26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

If I didn’t know better, I would think birds are relics of humans.

Some are beautiful, yet difficult.

Others may be intelligent, but cocky.

Many are colorful, dazzling in appeal and radiance.

Some aren’t as alluring or stylish, but make up for it in their composed and steady characteristics.

So what have I learned about birds?

They may not always get along with each other, but most want the same things in life.

The world may be a wreck but I believe most people no matter who they are, what background they come from or geographical location are no different than the birds.

Why? We all have the same Creator. Red heart

http://samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/i-believe/

http://faith1stministries.com/2013/06/01/the-gospel-changes-everything/

http://terry1954.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/i-felt-your-presence/

http://connectingdotstogod.com/2013/06/01/one-faith-different-vocabularies/

God is really doing something here. Reading this by John Paul Jackson after posting my latest blog it answers exactly what I have been getting at. Did God create evil? The answer is on this page.

http://www.streamsministries.com/

The Obedient Heart

Written by John Paul Jackson

Home > Resources > Discipleship

Did God create evil?

If God is thoroughly good and there is no “bad” in Him, why did He create the angel Lucifer, who later became Satan? Some people look at this equation of good versus evil and conclude Satan must not actually exist, because an all-perfect, completely good God could not have created evil. Have you ever considered this before? What was your conclusion?

My conclusion is that evil was not created. It is the darkest form of the absence of God. Just as darkness is the absence of light, sin (evil) is the absence of God.

If evil were a created substance, like a rock or a plant, then yes—I couldn’t imagine there being a devil because God could not create evil. But evil is not created; it is the absence of God.

If we refuse to do what God wants, evil begins to show its face in our lives. This is a case of simple cause and effect. The closer we are to God, the more we look like Him. The further we are from God, the less we look like Him and the more at home we are with darkness.

Sin and Its Effects on the Earth

Solomon wrote in Psalm 127:1:

Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

God is our protector. We need Him. His hand guides us, disciplines us, protects us, draws us closer to Him and comforts us when we are hurting. When God lifts His hand because we have turned away from Him to serve another god (such as money, power, etc.), we suffer. Every time we yield to temptation, we are obeying Satan. This is exactly what Adam and Eve did. Satan became their god, and God the Father then withdrew His presence from them. The absence of God is painful, and we can see the results of sin everywhere we look, including the earth itself.

Sin disrupts the created order. Disorder causes something not to function as it is intended to function.

For example, plates in the earth that were created to work in harmony now struggle against one another in disunity, and they cause earthquakes, tidal waves, tsunamis and volcanic activity. Jet streams shift and begin to flow where they weren’t flowing before; there are changes in weather patterns.

Sin causes the earth to become a much more dangerous place because it was created to operate in harmony with God. The same is true with our personal lives. Sin causes us to be dangerous beings because we become self-focused. When the enemy has room to attack, he certainly will, and he does so in a multitude of areas.

The Power of Obedience

If sin draws us away from God and His protection, what draws us closer to God? Our obedience.

Many of us talk about wanting to be like Jesus. If we really do want that, obedience is the place to start—because it is the place where Jesus started. We will never be closer to God than the degree of our obedience:

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ~ Philippians 2:8

The truth is, we cannot become like Jesus without an obedient heart.

Jesus told His disciples, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). He did not say this in an attempt to manipulate them into doing what He wanted, nor did He intend it as a threat. Again, it is simple cause and effect. The heart of obedience and submission is the heart of a friend — someone who loves deeply and is deeply loved. God’s commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). His “yoke” is easy, and His burden is light. He gives us rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28–30).

As we spend time with God and truly begin to know Him, the enemy loses the “space” that allowed him to attack us before. Every time we say, “Yes,” to God, we come that much closer to Him. He molds us into His image. He purifies us. We feel His hope even in the deep, hidden parts of our souls. His light increases in our lives, and the shame and desperation of the world are driven away.

If you’d like to learn more about how the earth is affected by sin, John Paul has a 4 CD teaching entitled Matters of the Earth, that explains how the earth responds to both sin (negative) and righteousness (positive). For an in depth teaching on the power of an obedient lifestyle, check out Preparing for your Visitation 3 CD Set. Both teachings are available on CD or MP3 download.