Fly!

“And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:
As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop,
and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:
And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times,
and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.”
Leviticus 14: 5-7.

This was an ancient symbolic ritual that was to take place in commemoration of a leper who had been cleansed from his awful disease.

Two birds were taken along with other items and one of the birds was killed. The living bird was then dipped a little in the blood of the bird that was sacrificed and let go, free to fly… free indeed!

There is of course a significant meaning to what took place here; for the living bird was free to go because of the other who died in its place. And so it is with individual people who acknowledge that Jesus died on the cross in their place. There, on a cruel Roman cross He was suffering, bleeding, and dying as the Substitute for lost sinners to bring us back to God.

When we come to understand what Jesus did in our place, and appreciate the forgiveness freely offered, we ought to appreciate the freedom that we have similar to that of the living bird let go.

Jesus told us: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8: 36.

Oh how wonderful it is to be ‘free indeed'! Perhaps that is as wonderful as it is to fly!

Courtesy of Pixabay.com 

But there is another incredible truth that the Lord brings to us through the metaphor of birds in flight...

“… They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Isaiah 40: 31.

If trusting in the Lord Jesus and His completed work with all of our heart enables a work of God to be done in our hearts to set us free from our sin, then it stands to reason that trusting in Him with all our heart now that we are His, brings to us strength and a liberty we never knew before!

The day we trusted in the Lord Jesus and were reconciled to God was not the end of the story! From that moment on, every moment of every day has brought to us opportunities to get to know intimately the One who saved us by His grace. There is so much about our loving Lord He wants us to discover. One among a multitude of treasures to know is that waiting on Him is a good thing! Perhaps we might smart at such a thought!

But knowing Him the way we ought to, gives to us the firm foundation upon which to build our hope, not only for eternity but for every day. And when we are encouraged in Scripture to wait on Him, then knowing Him intimately makes waiting on Him the most reasonable and common sense thing to do.

The above passage of Scripture tells us that doing so changes our strength and gives to us “wings” so to speak, so that we can fly like the Eagle!

It is not a presumptuous thing to seek to know the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. The Bible encourages us to: “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.” Job 22: 21. And also the Lord Jesus Himself encourages His people to do so, because He wants to reveal His wonderful character to us. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 30-31.

The circumstances in life that would have otherwise brought us low are now the very thermals upon which we ride. And like the Eagle we can sore on higher planes to see things the way they really are.

Knowing Him that well makes all the difference in our homeward bound journey!

Courtesy of Pixabay.com

But there is a promise from the Lord Jesus himself that is echoed several times throughout Scripture that tells us that we have something wonderful to look forward to; an event that is soon to come that we may very well see in our lifetime. The Lord Jesus said ...

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be also.”
John 14: 1-3.

As this sad old world grows darker and deeper into depravity every day, we know that the event that Jesus promised is just about to happen. This world is headed for tribulation; the likes of which it has never seen before. The wrath of God is going to be poured out upon all those who have wilfully rejected Him and the pardon from sin He freely offers. Those who refused to humble themselves before God’s only provision of escape will have to face what is soon to come upon this earth.

Each true child of God has something to look forward to of exponential proportions! Jesus our beloved Lord, Saviour, and Redeemer is going to come as He promised He would. He will call each of his people away from this scene of time into His presence to be forever with Him, delivering us safely from that wrath which is sure to come.

But how are we going to be with Him? How will we get from where we are now to where He will be? The Bible tells us clearly the answers to these questions… 

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17.

We are going to rise up from this earth to meet him in the air. We are truly going to know what it is like to fly! The bodies in which we are living at this present moment of time will first have to undergo a change because we cannot go to be with Him the way we are right now. The Bible tells us: 

"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:
for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
1 Corinthians 15: 50-52.

Perhaps this sounds like some strange fiction, but this is what the Bible tells us is actually going to happen. Every believer has this amazing event to look forward to … very soon! And concerning this incredible event the Bible tells us to “Comfort one another with these words” 1 Thessalonians 4: 18.

This has to be the greatest encouragement one can give to another,
and the greatest event the Christian has to look forward to.

If the Lord Himself is encouraging us to get to know Him more and more, which will enable us to wait on Him more patiently, then surely waiting for Him with the same mindset will enable us to serve Him more faithfully. The more we know Him, the more we will long for Him.

So be encouraged dear child of God, Jesus is going to fulfil His promise one day very very soon.

And be warned dear friend if you find yourself unprepared, trust Him while you may before it is too late. God is merciful and waits patiently for you... but there will coon come a time when He will wait no more! You do not want to be left behind. It is my prayer that you will be among the multitudes of God’s redeemed people who are ...  "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2: 13.

Soon we will fly!

Courtesy of Pixabay.com

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Here's how to know for sure you can be ready for heaven and for the promised coming of the Lord Jesus.
It's as simple as 'ABC'

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