Happy 49th Birthday! (by Lee Dusing)

 

Today, March 20th, 2009, is my 49th Birthday! Not my original birth birthday, but my spiritual birthday. On March 20th of 1960, which was a Sunday, I attended Crossroads Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana at the invite of my sister and her husband. I decided to go that day, to break a record of attending church more than once a year, usually on Easter Sunday. That day became one that would totally change my life and its direction.

My sister, Sharry, and Joe, her husband, had recently received the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior and had been witnessing to me. We were not raised in a home that went to church regularly, but only taken occasionally. I really had no idea about being a sinner nor about John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." I knew that at 16, I did things that were not right and that there was something lacking in my life.

So, there I was, listening to the sermon by Rev. Charlie Kittrell. As he gave his message I realized that I was a sinner, ("As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" Romans 3:10), there was a penalty for sin and also a gift of salvation (For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23), and that I needed to ask forgiveness for my sins and accept the Lord as my Savior. ("That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation," Romans 10:9-10). When the invitation was given, I went forward and a lady showed me how to accept the Lord, and I did.

For the rest of this: Happy 49th Birthday!

The Stewardship of Resources (Pastor Osborne)

(from Pastor Osborne)

Stewardship of Resources is serious business and God's will is that we give it serious attention. This demands that we have the right perspective on our resources and that is possible if we have the right focus on our Source. Everything we have, every earthly source, comes from a heavenly Source. God is our faithful Supplier and it is His plan that we be faithful stewards.

Our tangible resources fall into two categories: monetary and material. All resources, whether monetary or material, are the result of God's favor and blessing, not one's personal achievements. Therefore, we must consciously dedicate those resources to Him.

Regardless of the amount of money you have, it can be stewarded in a wise and profitable manner. There are three things to do with money:

1. Give it cheerfully to accomplish God honoring purposes.
2. Spend it reasonably to meet personal needs and fulfill God honoring personal desires.
3. Save it strategically in order to extend value and to keep meeting God honoring needs in the future.

Some have been blessed by God with a lot and some have been blessed by God with a little, but we can all give generously, joyfully, and sacrificially.

Birds of the Bible - Foundation #2 (by Lee Dusing)

We will continue with the Foundation from the Word of God (the Bible) about the creation of birds.

If you have not read "Birds of the Bible - Foundation #1" Click Here

By the end of Genesis Chapter 1 the birds (fowls of the air):

• Created by the Lord on Day 5
• Each according to its kind
• Told to multiply and fill the earth
• Were given every green herb for food (vegetarians)
• Placed under the dominion of man
• "God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good."

In Chapter 2, the birds are named by Adam. (v 19-20)

At this point, we know that the birds were at their best, they were eating fruits, seeds, herbs and not each other. The birds had been named according to their kinds by Adam, who was created on Day 6. Their colors and features were at their grandest showing the Glory of God's wisdom and omnipotence. They must have been fantastic to behold.

BUT WE COME TO GENESIS CHAPTER 3
....... For the rest of the article: Click Here

Stewardship Month & April Faith Day 2009 (by Pastor Osborne)

(Author: Pastor Osborne)

We have traditionally made the month of March our Stewardship month. Stewardship month ends on the first Sunday of April which we call April Faith Day. April Faith day is the one sacrificial offering Faith Baptist Church receives each year. Every year we give large gifts to Missionaries or Missionary projects out of our april Faith Day offering. This year we celebrate the blessings God has given to us. Our Capital Campaign draws to a close at the end of March and if all the pledges come in and the property in Lake Wales sells at its appraised value we have a projected total of $2,427,572.44 to the praise of God's Glory. We want to celebrate God's goodness by giving two gifts this year.

• A $10,000 gift to missionary evangelist Patricio Oliva who is doing an incredible work for our God in South America. Patricio along with his interpreter Melody (Dooley) Priest has been in our pulpit and been a great blessing to our people

• A $10,000 gift to Jared Malcolm who is our Faith's 100 Missionary to Brazil. Jared, along with a team of 20 from our church will be traveling to Brazil on June 7 to finish building the house that Jared will be living in (pictured here). this gift would finish the work on the house and furnish it as Jared stays in Brazil to assist the missionaries and Brazilian people by providing a quality working camp facility.
  

With great joy we can sing To God Be the Glory great things He is doing here at home and overseas.

Birds of the Bible - Foundation #1 (by Lee Dusing)

If you read my blog, Impact of the Answers in Genesis Conference, I stated that the Foundation of the Word of God needs to be emphasized. For the last year, the different Birds of the Bible have been introduced. Where did the birds come from? The byline of this blog is "Birdwatching from a Christian Perspective." What does God's Word say about the bird's Creation?

Most birdwatchers know that when they pick up a Bird Guide or Book, one of the first thing we read is:

"Having attained the power of flight more than 150 million years ago, birds might be ..." (Smithsonian Handbooks, Birds of North America, Eastern Region, page 6)

"Feathered Dinosaurs?
For years biologists have half-jokingly referred to birds as "feathered reptiles." In part, it is a ploy to annoy bird lovers with the thought that the objects of their fancy are just singing lizards wrapped in stretched-out scales called "feathers." Yet the phrase reflects an important biological reality: birds are undeniably the modified descendants of reptiles, as their body structure and habit of laying eggs out of water clearly show."
"Archaeopteryx makes an ideal "missing link," showing characteristics intermediate between reptiles and birds.....One view, still held by many paleontologists, suggests that about 200 million years ago its ancestral line split off from a group of reptiles, the thecodonts." (The Birder's Handbook, p. 31-33)

"The Implications of Flight / The central theme of bird evolution is flight. Most avian features can be related back to this fundamental adaptation. The avian forelimbs are dedicated almost entirely to aerial flight, for instance. To meet the diverse demands of survival without hands, birds have been subject to a fascinating evolutionary makeover." ... "Birds have evolved compact...." (p. 15) Section called Origins, Evolution, and Classification states - "Bird Are Reptiles - Before the discovery of Archaeopteryx" ("about 150 million years")," taxonomists had already suggested a close relationship between birds and reptiles because of the large number of anatomical features shared by the two classes of animals." Goes on to mention "missing link" (p. 39, The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior)

On and on it goes. They state as "undeniable facts" many things that come from a "theory."

But the Word of God, our Bible says differently.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Continuing through Chapter 1, you find that God, who is the "self-existent", "three-in-one", known as "I AM", did the creation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3)

Day 1 - Light (Day) and darkness (Night)
Day 2 - Firmament (Heaven) in midst of the waters and divided them
Day 3 - Waters (Seas) gathered together and the dry land (Earth) appeared with grass, herbs and fruit after his kind
Day 4 - Sun, Moon, and Stars
Day 5 - Great whales and all water creatures after his kind and the winged fowls (birds) after his kind

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. (Genesis 1:20-23)

Day 6 - Land animals, cattle, and creeping things after their kind

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:24-26 )

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. (Genesis 1:27-29)

And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:30-31)

Day 7 - God rested and blessed and sanctified all His work

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:1-3)

In Birds of the Bible - Foundation #2, I will bring out some more from the Word of God and articles written about the creation of birds. For now, let me make this observation. If the birds were created on Day 5 and the reptiles were created on Day 6, how did birds evolve from reptiles?

Birds of the Bible - Swallows (by Lee Dusing)

Somehow I overlooked the Swallows on the first go-around of the "Birds of the Bible" series. This blog hopes to correct that oversight.

To the Chief Musician. On An Instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may lay her young-- Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Selah (Psalm 84:1-4 NKJV)

Following are some quotes from Gill and Matthew Henry:

"because it freely visits the houses of men without fear" - (Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible)

"III. His (David's) grudging the happiness of the little birds that made their nests in the buildings that were adjoining to God's altars, Psa_84:3. This is an elegant and surprising expression of his affection to God's altars: The sparrow has found a house and the swallow a nest for herself. These little birds, by the instinct and direction of nature, provide habitations for themselves in houses, as other birds do in the woods, both for their own repose and in which to lay their young; some such David supposes there were in the buildings about the courts of God's house, and wishes himself with them. He would rather live in a bird's nest nigh God's altars than in a palace at a distance from them. He sometimes wished for the wings of a dove, on which to fly into the wilderness (Psa_55:6); here for the wings of a sparrow, that he might fly undiscovered into God's courts; and, though to watch as a sparrow alone upon the house-top is the description of a very melancholy state and spirit (Psa_102:7), yet David would be glad to take it for his lot, provided he might be near God's altars. It is better to be serving God in solitude than serving sin with a multitude. The word for a sparrow signifies any little bird, and (if I may offer a conjecture) perhaps when, in David's time, music was introduced so much into the sacred service, both vocal and instrumental, to complete the harmony they had singing-birds in cages hung about the courts of the tabernacle (for we find the singing of birds taken notice of to the glory of God, Psa_104:12), and David envies the happiness of these, and would gladly change places with them. Observe, David envies the happiness not of those birds that flew over the altars, and had only a transient view of God's courts, but of those that had nests for themselves there. David ... takes notice that these birds not only have nests for themselves there, but that there they lay their young; for those who have a place in God's

courts themselves cannot but desire that their children also may have in God's house, and within his walls, a place and a name, that they may feed their kids beside the shepherds' tents." (Matthew Henry Commentary)

I trust that those of us that are Christians enjoy and look forward to the time we spend in church. In times like these, we need:
1. A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord (John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:18)
2. A place to "study to show thyself approved" and be nurtured by the preaching and teaching of the Word of God (Romans 10:14, 2 Timothy 2:15 & 3:16)
3. A place of fellowship (Acts 2:42)

Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight. (Proverbs 26:2 NKJV)

Like a crane or a swallow, so I chattered; I mourned like a dove; My eyes fail from looking upward. O LORD, I am oppressed; Undertake for me! (Isaiah 38:14 NKJV) (This verse was mentioned in the "Birds of the Bible - Cranes" blog)

"Even the stork in the heavens Knows her appointed times; And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow Observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the LORD. (Jeremiah 8:7 NKJV) (This verse was covered in the "Interesting Things - A Lesson from the Stork" blog.)

Swallows are in the Hirundinidae Family which includes Martins. "Within the Hirundiniae, the name 'martin' tends to be used for the squarer-tailed species, and the name "swallow" for the more fork-tailed species; however, there is no scientific distinction between these two groups.[1] The family contains around 83 species in 19 genera." The subfamilies are: Saw-wings (including Square-tailed, Mountain, White-headed, Black and Fanti), Swallows (many including Barn, Bank, Cave Mangrove, Golden, etc), Martins (Purple, Cuban, Sinaloa, Brown-chested, etc.), Sand Martins (including Brown-throated, Congo, Pale, Banded).

The swallows are found on all continents except Antarctica with the largest diversity of species in Africa. They are found on many islands, as there are quite a few that migrate long distances. God has designed them with short bills, but with a wide mouth that has a strong jaw. This is useful in there hunt for insects which they catch on the wing. With their streamlined body and wings that are pointed, they are very maneuverable at great speeds. Their forked long tail, that has 12 feathers, helps them steer. They can range from 3.9-9.4 inches and weight between 0.4-2.1 ounces.

More information about Swallows can be found at:

Swallow (Wikipedia)
Swallow videos on Internet Bird Collection
Swallows at Britannica Online Encyclopedia

Birds in Hymns - Awake, Glad Soul

Awake, Glad Soul by John S. B. Monsell

Based on I Corinthians 15:20

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (NKJV)

Words: John S. B. Mon­sell, 1857. Music: St. Ste­phen, Wil­liam Jones, 1789 Al­ter­nate tunes: Awake, Glad Soul

Click to hear music

Awake, glad soul! awake! awake!
Thy Lord has risen long;
Go to His grave, and with thee take
Both tuneful heart and song.

Where life is waking all around,
Where love’s sweet voices sing,
The first bright blossom may be found
Of an eternal spring.

The shade and gloom of life are fled
This resurrection day;
Henceforth in Christ are no more dead,
The grave hath no more prey.

In Christ we live, in Christ we sleep,
In Christ we wake and rise,
And the sad tears death makes us weep,
He wipes from all our eyes.


And every bird and every tree,
And every opening flower,
Proclaim His glorious victory,
His resurrection power.

The folds are glad, the fields rejoice,
With vernal verdure spread,
The little hills lift up their voice
And shout that death is dead.

Then wake, glad heart! awake! awake
And seek Thy risen Lord;
Joy in His resurrection take,
And comfort in His Word.

And let thy life, through all its ways,
One long thanksgiving be:
Its theme of joy, its song of praise—
Christ died, and rose for me.

See Also:  Birds in Hymns - In The Garden

Birds of the Bible - Osprey II (by Lee Dusing)

The Osprey or Ospray (depending on which version of Bible) listed in Leviticus 11:13 or Deuteronomy 14:12, gives an interesting challenge. According to my e-Sword Bible Program, an Osprey or ospray is listed in the ASV, BBE, Bishops, CEV, Geneva, JPS, KJV, MKJV, RV, WEB, Webster, and YLT versions. Yet, the Darby calls it a sea-eagle. The ESV, GW, LITV, MSG, NASB, and the NKJV versions call it a type of Vulture. I am not sure why the different versions do that, but most of them call it the Osprey or sea-eagle which is another name used for it. The WhatBird article had this to say about it, "The Osprey, Pandion haliaetus–whose species name is derived from the Greek ‘hals’ (salt or sea) and ‘aetos,’ or eagle–is the only bird of prey that feeds exclusively on live fish."
Smith's Bible Dictionary says, "Osprey. The Hebrew word occurs in, Lev_11:13 and Deu_14:12, as the name of some unclean bird. It's probably either the osprey, (Pandion haliaetus), or the white-tailed eagle, (Haliaetus albicella)."
Faussett Bible Dictionary says, "Ospray
ozniah (Lev_11:13; Deu_14:12). The sea eagle or fish hawk, Pandion haliaetus, the Septuagint. Or the short-toed eagle that feeds upon reptiles. The ossifrage (peres, means "the bone-breaker," the lamergeyer, Gypaetus (eagle and vulture combined) barbatus, "the bearded vulture." "Ospray" is a corruption of "ossifrage." It flies in easy curving lines, and then pounces perpendicularly with unerring aim on a fish."
International Standard BibleEncyclopedia says, "Ospray
os´prā́ (עזניּה, ‛oznīyāh; ἁλιάετος, haliáetos; Latin Pandion haliaetus): A large hawk preferring a diet of fish. The word is found in the list of abominations only. See Lev_11:13; Deu_14:12. The osprey was quite similar in appearance to some of the smaller eagles, and by some it is thought that the short-toed eagle is intended. But the eagle and the gier-eagle had been specified, and on account of the osprey plunging into water for food and having feet bare to the lower leg-joint and plumage of brighter and more distinctive marking, it seems very probable that it was recognized as a distinctive species, and so named separately. Moreover, the osprey was not numerous as were other hawks and eagles. It was a bird that lived almost wholly on fish, and these were not plentiful in the waters of Palestine. This would tend to make it a marked bird, so no doubt the translation is correct as it stands, as any hawk that lived on fish would have been barred as an article of diet (see Tristram, Natural History of the Bible, 182; also Studers, Birds of North America, p. 16)."
Webster says, Ospray
"OS'PRAY, n. [L. ossifraga; as, a bone, and frango, to break; the bone-breaker.]
The sea-eagle, a fowl of the genus Falco or hawk, of the size of a peacock. This is our fish hawk. It feeds on fish which it takes by suddenly darting upon them, when near the surface of the water."


One thing most of them seem to be in agreement about, is that the bird is a fish eater. The Osprey's diet consists almost exclusively of fish and God has created them with specialized feet and behaviors to assist them in their search for food. One of their biggest problems is the thievery of their catch by Bald Eagles. Dan and I have had the privilege twice to witness this event. Once years ago in Punta Gorda, Florida and just last month here in Winter Haven. Needless to say, the Osprey gets very upset, but both times, they lost. Do you think the Eagle knows the truth of Ephesians 4:28? (Replace hands with feet). Let's make sure we don't copy this improper behavior of the Eagle.

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. (Eph 4:28 NKJV)

Original blog about the Osprey was Birds of the Bible - Osprey
Photos are 1-Osprey by Anthony,2-Osprey by Jim Fenton, and 3-White-tailed Eagle-Wikipedia

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For more sources of information about Ospreys see:
Osprey - WhatBird.com
Osprey - Wikipedia
Osprey - BirdLife Species Factsheet
USGS - Osprey
Osprey Videos from the Internet Bird Connection

Birds of the Bible - Falcons II (by Lee Dusing)

I have noticed that many come to my blog looking for information and photos of Falcons. The Birds of the Bible - Falcons introduced the Falcons. This week we will give some more on the Falcons around the world. The Falcon is on the "unclean list" of birds and was not to be eaten. Deuteronomy 14:13 and Leviticus 11:14 provides their name in that list.

the red kite, the falcon, and the kite after their kinds; (Deu 14:13 NKJV)
the kite, and the falcon after its kind; (Lev 11:14 NKJV)

The other reference in Scripture is found in Job 28:7 which refers to it's eye.

That path no bird knows, Nor has the falcon's eye seen it.

The Lord has created the Falcon with another fantastic ability which helps it catch its prey. Notice as you watch these videos, no matter what else they are doing, their eye's are constantly watching for prey. A quote from Steiner Birding about the Peregrine Falcon says, "Sight is developed to a marvelous degree:
They are equipped with full-color vision and with eyes specially adapted to permit rapid adjustment of focus while moving at speed, and from four to eight times the resolving power of the human eye. Hovering may be compared to looking into a field from a car moving at twenty miles an hour or from one which comes to a standstill every few yards. It would be possible for a human being to see an individual rabbit or large game bird at a range of 600-700-yards; a bird of prey, with about four times the resolving power of the human eye, should therefore be able to see it at a range of nearly two miles."

Here is a list of the Falcon's listed at Internet Bird Collection (IBC) (a total of 34) The ones with the * were mentioned in the first blog:

Laughing Falcon - Videos of a Laughing Falcon on a tree and a Laughing Falcon calling continuously
Barred Forest-Falcon
Plumbeous Forest-Falcon
Lined Forest-Falcon
Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon
* Collared Forest-Falcon
Buckley's Forest-Falcon
Spot-winged Falconet - Video
African Pygmy Falcon - Video
White-rumped Pygmy-Falcon P
Collared Falconet - Video
Black-thighed Falconet
White-fronted Falconet
Philippine Falconet - Video
Pied Falconet - Video
Red-necked Falcon
Red-footed Falcon - Video
Amur Falcon - Video
Eleonora's Falcon - Video
Sooty Falcon
* Aplomado Falcon - Video
Bat Falcon - Video
Orange-breasted Falcon
New Zealand Falcon
Brown Falcon - Video
Grey Falcon
Black Falcon
Lanner Falcon - Video
Laggar Falcon
Saker Falcon - Video
* Gyrfalcon
* Prairie Falcon - Video
Taita Falcon - Video
* Peregrine Falcon - Video

See also the my Falcon Pages

Christmas Cantata Highlights

Enjoy this selection from our recent Christmas Cantata.

The Mover from Valley of Vision

O Lord, I am astonished at the difference
between my receivings and my deservings,
between the state I am now in and my past gracelessness
between the heaven I am bound for and the hell I merit
(from Valley of Vision)

Birds of the Bible - Pelicans II (by Lee Dusing)

We were birdwatching at Lake Hollingsworth this week and spotted 11 American White Pelicans on the lake and also 5 Brown Pelicans hanging out with them. Over them were at least 10 or so Osprey circling hoping for some leftovers or fish to be scared up. So, this week we will revisit the "Birds of the Bible - Pelicans ."

In the first article we covered the American White Pelicans and the Brown Pelicans (our North American Pelicans), but there are six more around the world. They are the:

Australian Pelican widespread on the inland and coastal waters of Australia and New Guinea, also in Fiji, parts of Indonesia and as a vagrant to New Zealand. Medium-sized by pelican standards: 5.3-6 ft long with a wingspan of 6–8.3 ft and weighing 9–29 lb). It is predominantly white with black along the primaries of the wings. The pale, pinkish bill is enormous, even by pelican standards, and is the largest bill in the avian world. The record-sized bill was 19.5 in long.

Dalmation Pelican It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia to China in swamps and shallow lakes. The nest is a crude heap of vegetation. The largest of the pelicans, averaging 67 inches in length, 24-33 lbs in weight and just over 10 ft in wingspan. On average, it's the world's heaviest flying species.

Peruvian Pelican The Peruvian birds are nearly twice the bulk of the Brown Pelican, averaging 15.4 lb in weight; they are also longer, measuring about 5 ft overall.

Great White Pelican Also known as the Eastern White Pelican or Great White Pelican, it breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and in Africa in swamps and shallow lakes. The tree nest is a crude heap of vegetation. A large pelican, at 22 lbs, 63 in long and with a 110 inch wingspan. It differs from the Dalmatian Pelican, the only larger species of pelican, by its pure white, rather than greyish-white, plumage, a bare pink facial patch around the eye and pinkish legs.

Pink-backed Pelican A resident breeder in Africa, southern Arabia and Madagascar in swamps and shallow lakes. The nest is a large heap of sticks, into which 2-3 large white eggs are laid. The chicks feed by plunging their heads deep into the adult’s pouch and taking the partially digested regurgitated fish. A small pelican, but the wingspan is still around 7.9 ft with an average weight of 12 lbs. It is much smaller and duller than the Great White Pelican. The plumage is grey and white, with a pink back.

Spot-billed Pelican It breeds in southern Asia from southern Pakistan, Republic of India to Indonesia. It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially shallow lakes. The nest is a heap of vegetation in a tree. A small pelican, at 49-60 in long and a weight of 9-13.2 lbs. It is mainly white, with a grey crest, hindneck and tail. Information taken from Wikipedia

The LORD will be awesome to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People shall worship Him, Each one from his place, Indeed all the shores of the nations. "You Ethiopians also, You shall be slain by My sword." And He will stretch out His hand against the north, Destroy Assyria, And make Nineveh a desolation, As dry as the wilderness. The herds shall lie down in her midst, Every beast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern Shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars; Their voice shall sing in the windows; Desolation shall be at the threshold; For He will lay bare the cedar work. This is the rejoicing city That dwelt securely, That said in her heart, "I am it, and there is none besides me." How has she become a desolation, A place for beasts to lie down! Everyone who passes by her Shall hiss and shake his fist. (Zep 2:11-15 NKJV)

"Judah had been taunted and mocked by the neighboring nations, Moab and Ammon, but God reminded them that he had "heard the taunts" (Zep_2:8), and that the taunters would be punished for their pride (Zep_2:10). At times the whole world seems to mock God and those who have faith in him. When you are ridiculed, remember that God hears and will answer. Eventually, in God's timing, justice will be carried out. To predict the destruction of Nineveh 10 years before it happened would be equivalent to predicting the destruction of London, Tokyo, Paris, or New York. Nineveh was the ancient Near Eastern center for culture, technology, and beauty. It had great libraries, buildings, and a vast irrigation system that created lush gardens in the city. The city wall was 60 miles long, 100 feet high, and over 30 feet wide and was fortified with 1,500 towers. Yet the entire city was destroyed so completely that its very existence was questioned until it was discovered, with great difficulty, by 19th-century archaeologists. Nineveh had indeed become as desolate and dry as the desert." (Notes from the Life Application Bible on Zephaniah 2:8-15)

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See also these links:

Interesting link to Our Daily Bread about the Pathetic Pelican.

Birds of the Bible - Pelicans

Pelicans Page with Pictures and Videos