Birds of the Bible - More Value

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

We have mentioned the sparrow many times in the blog and about how God takes care of them, as in the following articles:

Birds of the Bible - God's Care for Birds - Sparrow II - Sparrow I and Eye of the Beholder - House Sparrows

This time, I would like point out the part about being of "more value." In Matthew 10:29-33, the two sparrows are mentioned as being sold for a farthing, a very small amount. According to A. Barnes’ Notes, “The argument is, that if He takes care of birds of the least value, if He regards so small a thing as the hair of the head, and numbers it, He will certainly protect and provide for you. You need not, therefore, fear what man can do to you.”

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.(Matthew 10:29-33 KJV)

Northern Raven (Corvus corax)

Also: "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." (Luke 12:7 NASB); "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?" (Luke 12:24 NKJV) and He said to them, "What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? "How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." (Matthew 12:11-12 NASB)

We see then that "man" has more value than sparrows, ravens, birds, and sheep just from these few verses. Yet, each of them are greatly valued by their creator. Where else are things of value mentioned in Scripture?

David had the opportunity to kill King Saul, but he valued the life of the king more.

May the LORD repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the LORD's anointed. And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the LORD, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation." (1 Samuel 26:23-24 NKJV)

Wisdom and understanding have great value and Job mentions it in Job 28.

But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? "Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. (Job 28:12-13 NASB)

Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? "Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living And concealed from the birds of the sky. (Job 28:20-21 NASB)

Zechariah in his prophecy of the future, tells about the price of Christ the Lord as 30 shekels (pieces) of silver.

Then the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them." So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD. (Zechariah 11:13 NASB)

We are of great value to the Lord, so much so, that He gave His Life for our salvation. If you know the Lord as Savior, then, that "knowing Christ Jesus," has tremendous value.

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, (Philippians 3:8 NASB)

We trust you do know the Lord and realize how much He loves you and cares for you. Much more than the critters, whom he cares for tremendously.

See also Gospel Message

Listen to Dr. Charles Petitt

Dr. Charles Petitt, President of Piedmont Baptist College, was with us this past Sunday evening. He brought a challenging message from the book Ecclesiastes. In his message he made the following statement.

"I'm hoping that you will leave here a little afraid of something you may have never been afraid of before. Most of us are fearful of failure. I'm hoping you will be extremely afraid of becoming a smashing success at something that doesn't matter."

To listen to or download his message, visit our website.

Born into Death but Adopted for Life

This afternoon I finally had the opportunity to sit down and finish Russell Moore's excellent book, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches.

It was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I recommend it to everyone. It will change the way you think about adoption. Throughout the book Dr. Moore connected adoption with the gospel. Adoption is all about the gospel. Notice how he closes his book:

"The reality, though, is that in most ways parenting is parenting, and growing up is growing up. It's always hard. Some unique challenges go along with adoption - challenges related to finding a sense of belonging, to discipline and discipleship, to answering questions about origins. Count these as all joy. They point all of us - not just kids who were adopted - to the gospel. The gospel welcomes us and receives us as loved children. The gospel disciplines us and prepares us for eternity as heirs. The gospel speaks truth to us and shows us our misery in Adam and our glory in Christ. The gospel shows us that we were born into death and then shows us, by free grace, that we're adopted for life." (p. 214)

Seriously, I strongly recommend that you read this book. You are welcome to borrow my copy of the book if you like. Just ask.

Other Posts from the Adopted for Life series:

1. Our Birth Father Has Fangs
2. Develop an Orphan-Protecting Culture
3. All of Us Are Called to Remember the Fatherless
4. Adoption and Communion
5. Born into Death but Adopted for Life

Birds in Hymns - Go Out, My Heart, and Seek Delight

Words: Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676)

Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! (Psalms 105:2-3 NKJV)

An alternative version

Click to Hear Hymn

Go out, my heart, and seek delight

in golden sunshine, summer bright;

rejoice in God's gifts daily.
See all of nature's bright display;
it clothes itself in fine array
for you and me so gaily
for you and me so gaily.

The trees with foliage green are blest,
the earth her dusty face has dressed
in herbage young and tender.
The desert rose and wattle fair
are clothed in raiment far more rare

than Solomon in splendour

than Solomon in splendour.

The wedge-tailed eagle in the sky
surveys the world with questing eye,
in lofty circles winging.
The roaring lark with trilling song
sets mountain gorge and billabong
and all the bushland ringing
and all the bushland ringing.

The strutting emu tends his chicks,

the bower-bird gathers twigs and sticks

to arch his glittering treasure.

The flute-call of the butcher-bird

from towering gum tree may be heard

to voice his morning pleasure

to voice his morning pleasure.

From rock-o'ershaded, rippling pool
the waters trickle, soft and cool,
among the ferns and creepers.
While dragon-flies dart here and there,
cicadas' droning fills the air
and stirs all insect-sleepers
and stirs all insect-sleepers.

The swarming, busy, tireless bees
in zig-zag flight on summer breeze
seek honey-dew so tender,
as scented shrubs and sugared flowers
lift up their petalled heads for hours
their sweetness to surrender
their sweetness to surrender.

The desert quandong, orange, plum,
the passion-fruit to ripeness come;
they urge our glad thanksgiving
to him who all these gifts bestows,
and from whom such abandance flows
to gratify our living
to gratify our living.

I cannot, mighty God, be still,
for all your mighty actions fill
my being with elation.
I too must sing when all things sing,
let praises to the Highest ring
which voice my adoration
which voice my adoration.

What a delightful and fantastic hymn. Paul Gerhardt has several more that will be posted later. The last verse is how I also feel about God's mighty creation and His Love for the critters and especially us.

I cannot, mighty God, be still,
for all your mighty actions fill
my being with elation.
I too must sing when all things sing,
let praises to the Highest ring
which voice my adoration

Photos - Wedge-tailed Eagle ©Wikipedia, Oriental Skylark by Nikhil, Strutting Emu by Ian, Great Bowerbird by Ian

Pied Butcherbird singing and preening


more about "A bird preening and singing softly | ...", posted with vodpod

Birds of the Bible - Storks II

Wood Storks in Top of Tree by Lee

Yesterday, Dan and I went out to the Circle B Bar Reserve for some birdwatchng. I think I would have to call it, "Stork Day." From our photos, I have counted well over 100 Wood Storks and that doesn't count the ones we didn't photograph. It is time to find out some more about the stork.

From the first Birds of the Bible - Stork article,we found out that the stork is on the unclean list of birds that were not to be eaten by the Israelites. (Leviticus 11:19 and Deuteronomy 14:18). Jeremiah 8:7, tells of "her appointed times" (migration) and Zechariah 5:9 mentions the "wings of a stork."

Psalms is going to provide our thoughts for today.

The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. (Psalms 104:16-17)

The Whole Tree

As you can tell from the photos, the storks like to hang out in the trees. The trees were loaded with them. We were out there recently (September 18th) and I did not see any on that visit. Jeremiah was correct, "Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times;" Migration has been underway and these are either resting while on their trip or they are going to be here for the winter.

"Storks (family Ciconiidae) make their nests of sticks, reeds and grass, in tall trees. When the chicks hatch, their thin, featherless skin is extremely vulnerable to the direct rays of the sun. The parent bird has two responses to the high temperature problem — if water is nearby, the stork fills its large beak, returns to the nest, and douses the tiny chicks with cooling water. If this is not sufficient, the parent then performs a most remarkable feat — it stands over the young and spreads its large wings over the entire nest, thus shading the chicks from the sun’s rays! Often it will do this for hours at a time." from "Birdbrains?" at Answers in Genesis

Storks Shadowing Baby in Lakeland by Dan

When the Lord created the Stork, the knowledge to protect their babies was put in them. Our God and Savior has promised to meet our needs. If He cares about the birds, how much more does he care about us?

"Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills, belonging to the family Ciconiidae. They occur in most of the warmer regions of the world and tend to live in drier habitats than the related herons, spoonbills and ibises; they also lack the powder down that those groups use to clean off fish slime. Storks have no syrinx and are mute, giving no bird call; bill-clattering is an important mode of stork communication at the nest. Many species are migratory. Most storks eat frogs, fish, insects, earthworms, and small birds or mammals. There are 19 living species of storks in six genera.

Storks tend to use soaring, gliding flight, which conserves energy. Soaring requires thermal air currents. Ottomar Ansch??tz's famous 1884 album of photographs of storks inspired the design of Otto Lilienthal's experimental gliders of the late 19th century. Storks are heavy with wide wingspans, and the Marabou Stork, with a wingspan of 3.2 m (10.5 feet), shares the distinction of "longest wingspan of any land bird" with the Andean Condor.

Their nests are often very large and may be used for many years. Some have been known to grow to over 2 m (6 feet) in diameter and about 3 m (10 feet) in depth. Storks were once thought to be monogamous, but this is only true to a limited extent. They may change mates after migrations, and migrate without them. They tend to be attached to nests as much as partners.

Storks' size, serial monogamy, and faithfulness to an established nesting site contribute to their prominence in mythology and culture." (From Wikipedia with editing)

An Update and a Thank You

Many have asked and so I thought this would be a good way to provide an update. On Tuesday, my wife left the hospital after a five night stay. She is pregnant with our third child and has suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) with each of her pregnancies. So far, this pregnancy has been the hardest. We are currently about 11 weeks along in this pregnancy.


Hyperemesis Gravidarum
The basic gist of HG is severe nausea & vomiting. With our first two children the sickness lasted up to and during their births. As soon as they were born, the nausea was gone. The constant sickness naturally leads to dehydration which is what ultimately caused the hospital stay. This time our doctor ordered a PICC line. He then prescribed TPN & Zofran through the PICC line. The TPN is a 12-hour feeding that provides the necessary fluids and nutrients. Zofran is a anti-nausea medication that seems to provide some relief. Fortunately we are able to continue these treatments at home with the help of home healthcare nurses. They are teaching Nicki how to do these treatments and we are almost independent of the nurses.

HG is a strange disease. As recently as 15-20 years ago the widespread opinion was that HG was a mental or psychological illness. The common response by doctors and nurses was "just get over it." Sadly, this only made things worse for women suffering from HG. Nicki and I have read many stories of women who felt hopeless throughout their pregnancy because they could find no one in the medical profession who would take it seriously. Fortunately, things have changed. Most people now recognize HG as a serious physical illness. (for more information about HG visit the Hyperemsis Education & Research Foundation website.)

We are so grateful for the care that we have received. Our doctor has been wonderful. He has patiently listened to our concerns and has been proactive in his treatment. The nurses that took care of Nicki at The Regency were fabulous. They were kind and provided excellent care.


Thank You
Most of all, we would like to say thank you to all of you, our church family. It is hard to communicate how encouraging you all have been to us. It has been very humbling to have so many people offer to help us. We appreciate all of the meals, phone calls, visits, cards, and babysitting that you have provided. Most importantly, your prayer on our behalf has strengthened and encouraged us. Thank you for your continued prayer support as we travel through the upcoming weeks and months.

When I Consider! - Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture Tree at Saddle Creek by Lee

We get to see lots of Turkey Vultures in this area. I have seen trees just loaded with them. They are ugly to look at, but are very useful.

The following is the October 6th's "Evidence from Biology" article from A Closer Look at the Evidence, by Richard and Tina Kleis:

"The Turkey Vulture has incredible farsighted vision capable of seeing dead or dying objects several miles beyond what the human eye can detect. Yet it is designed with dull, weak, talons and a thin beak, forcing it to eek out an existence eating rotting flesh or decaying vegetables. Since the vulture eats the remains of animals that have died of disease, it has a digestive tract designed to destroy deadly bacteria (including anthrax!). The Turkey Vulture also has the ability to sanitize itself and its surroundings using a special disinfectant found in its own excrement. The same chemicals which kill the deadly bacteria in its stomach continue to kill the germs outside its body!



Because the vulture's head is usually covered in blood, pieces of rotten flesh, and bacteria, it is especially vulnerable to disease. Therefore, this particular bird was created without feathers from the neck up. As the turkey vulture stands in the sun, the ultraviolet radiation kills any remaining bacteria.

By removing the carcasses of decaying animals, the turkey vulture serves an important purpose of limiting the spread of disease and preventing potential epidemics among both man and beast. One  wonders how the turkey vulture could have evolved all of the specialized characteristics. The creation solution is that they were created with the original vulture-type bird. The survival characteristics needed for our fallen world were either given after the Fall or developed from originally created abilities."

Character Sketches, Vol. III, p. 121-124

The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. (Psalms 145:17 KJV)

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Lee's Extras:
We have mentioned the Vulture many times on the blog and especially in the places below. After all, they are one of the unclean birds that the Jewish people were not allowed to eat. After reading the above article, you can understand why they were off the "menu."

There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen: (Job 28:7 KJV)

Birds of the Bible - Vulture
Vulture
Vulture Photos
Vulture Videos
Accipitridae – Kites, Hawks & Eagles
More When I Consider! articles

Adoption and Communion

Here are some more excerpts from Russell Moore's book, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches.

Dr. Moore points out that to foster an adoption culture, a church needs to create "a vision of the church as a household." (p. 175) His point is that when we go to church we should see brothers and sisters. We should see spiritual fathers and mothers. In a sense, these are all 'adopted' family members. A church that views itself in this way will naturally have an inclination towards furthering adoption.

In developing these thoughts Dr. Moore shares some interesting ideas about how the church should observe the ordinance of communion.

"Our concept of the church as household necessarily entails a recovery of the meaning of the Lord's Table in many of our churches. The Supper that Jesus gave us is itself a living sign of adoption. Table fellowship, after all, is a familial activity. This is why Jesus was so revolutionary when he announced, "Many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 8:11). Why do our Lord's Supper services so often look like the clinical, communal rinse-and-spit of fluoride at an elementary school than like a loving family gathered around a feast table?

Often I'll preach in churches about the Lord's Supper and will call on congregations to go back to using a common loaf and a common cup, with the bread being torn, not daintily picked up in pre-fabricated bits, and with each person drinking the wine and passing the cup along. I don't mind folks disagreeing with me on this. I'm just stunned by the reason they most often give for dismissing this ancient Christian practice: germs. The common cup is, well, gross to many Christians because they don't like the idea of drinking after strangers. That's just the point, though. You're not drinking after strangers. You're drinking after your own flesh and blood, your family." (p. 178)

Other Posts from the Adopted for Life series:

1. Our Birth Father Has Fangs
2. Develop an Orphan-Protecting Culture
3. All of Us Are Called to Remember the Fatherless
4. Adoption and Communion
5. Born into Death but Adopted for Life

Birds of the Bible - Migration 2009

Radar 9-30-09 image at 12:30 AM .

I know that I have written about the migration of the birds before, but this is really interesting. They have been posting radar images of the Florida peninsula on BRDBRAIN, a bird-listing service. Here are the images for September 28th and 30th. The dark spots are the birds in migration being picked up on radar. It is amazing. I have been reading the updates for about a week and the birds are ON THE MOVE!

Even the stork in the sky Knows her seasons; And the turtledove and the swift and the thrush Observe the time of their migration; But My people do not know The ordinance of the LORD. (Jeremiah 8:7 NASB)

9-28-2009 Bird Radar
When the Lord created the birds, he put within them the instinct to migrate. They go for various reasons, but that desire is there and off they go. Some do not make it across the open waters, but most do. As you can see by the radar, they know to fly around the bad weather and go where it is clear. I know here in Polk county, Florida, that the Bald Eagles have been arriving back. I have seen a Bald Eagle on 7 of the last 9 days. I was in different places in the county when they were spotted. Prior to that, I had not spotted any eagles since they left on their northern migration other than the few resident ones.

Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, And spread its wings toward the south? (Job 39:26 NKJV)

"Stretch her wings toward the south? - Most of the falcon tribe pass their spring and summer in cold climates; and wing their way toward warmer regions on the approach of winter. This is what is here meant by stretching her wings toward the south. Is it through thy teaching that this or any other bird of passage knows the precise time for taking flight, and the direction in which she is to go in order to come to a warmer climate? There is much of the wisdom and providence of God to be seen in the migration of birds of passage. This has been remarked before. There is a beautiful passage in Jeremiah, Jer. 8:7, on the same subject:" From the Adam Clarke's Commentary.

A few links to check out are:

http://badbirdz2.wordpress.com/
http://badbirdz2.wordpress.com/2009/09/30/more-migration-over-florida-2/
http://badbirdz2.wordpress.com/2009/09/30/more-migrants-on-their-way/
http://badbirdz2.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/major-migrant-movement-last-night/

See Also:
Birds of the Bible - Migration
Bird Migration Mistakes
Interesting - Migration and Mechanics of Flight
Interesting Things – Amazing Bird Migration
Birds of the Bible – Hawk Migration
Interesting Thing - Lesson from the Stork