Across the street from the building I work in, is located a very large and well known Christian church. As I stood outside the other day, my attention was drawn to a large tree on the grounds of this church and a limb from which a bird was hanging upside down, fluttering its wings in an attempt to release its foot from a branch.
For several minutes I watched and prayed, my heart breaking for this poor bird who would certainly die of either exhaustion or starvation if it was unable to untangle itself and fly away. I cried out to Father from the depths of my heart, “Father please! Please release this bird from its entanglement! Help it!” I continued to watch; with sureness in my heart and complete faith that if it was Father’s will the bird would miraculously fly away. Nothing happened.
I went upstairs, my eyes swimming in tears and feeling so much pity and concern for this little bird, wondering what I could do for this bird! Did I call animal control? Our maintenance people? The fire department? I told a friend what I had seen and brought her to the window to look out. The bird was still there and still struggling to get away. I went to my desk and picked up the phone and called the church, figuring that since the tree was located on their property they should be the first to be alerted to the situation. After speaking briefly with the pastor and telling him the situation and hanging up, I went to the window and watched for the pastor to appear; making sure that something would indeed be done. Soon the pastor came out with another man with a ladder and long wooden pole.
It was windy that day, with gusts of 30 to 40mph and it was difficult to reach the bird but also to hold the pole steady. They tried to reach the bird with the pole but the pole was too short. That pole was soon accompanied by a much longer pole with a small hook on the end. All their efforts to help the bird failed and it was determined that they would need to cut the branch. At this point they had the idea to tape a serrated knife to the end of one pole that would be used to cut away the branch it was tangled up in.
I went back downstairs to join the efforts. My friend and her husband were already there. It took all of us working in unison to save this bird. One, the pastor, on a ladder with the serrated knife on the end of a pole. Another man holding the ladder to steady it. Yet another using the longer pole to steady the branch as it was cut. And then there was me, there to catch the bird when it fell from the tree. Across the street a small crowd gathered to watch the goings on and I knew that inside the building I worked in was yet another crowd of people watching through a second story window. It’s not every day that a bird gets caught in a tree and has to depend on the help of humans to release it from its snare.
Once the limb was cut, the bird fell onto the branches below, again caught by another limb. Those of us on the ground called up to the pastor of the church who was on the ladder telling him the bird was caught again as he couldn’t see it. Eventually after some direction he did and the bird was then shaken out of the second branch. As it fell, I watched as the bird spread its wings to break its fall and once it’d reached the ground I leaned down to gather the bird in my hands. I gently picked it up and saw that around its foot was wound a long piece of string and its ankle was bleeding as well. The string was also wound tightly around a small twig from the tree and would have to be cut off. Three of us gathered around while I held the bird in my hands and another gently cut away the string and twig tied to its foot.
I was amazed by this very common and very ordinary little bird. It was a Texas Grackle. Not a bird anyone would normally recognize or consider special in anyway. In fact, the Grackle is a bird with a range of very loud and raucous, cacophonous calls, and is widely considered to be a noisy pest species. The bird seemed calm as we worked away at removing the snare, looking back at each of us and making little if any effort at all to get away. Every now and then I would feel a slight attempted flutter of her wings under my hand as I held her, but it really seemed that this bird knew that we were there to help and not to harm. Eventually the string and the twig were cut away and I turned and gently released her to the ground. She fluttered her wings and quickly ran to a safe spot where I’m sure she could rest and get her strength and bearings back. She was now free of the snare she'd gotten caught up in.
Later that night, as I wrote in my journal and prayed, I pondered the experience. Because there are very, very few coincidences, I knew that there was something to learn from what I’d encountered that day, so I began to think on it more and pray for Father’s guidance in revealing what it was that She wanted to say and for me to gleam knowledge, understanding and wisdom from not just for myself, or our ministry but also for Christ's extended flock.
The Symbolisms of the Bird, The Tree & The Church
• The bird had become ensnared in the tree, just as Dawn Lucifer has ensnared much of humanity with falsehoods and lies.
• The bird was symbolic of the church congregation and all those ensnared by Dawn Lucifer’s lies.
• The tree was symbolic of a tree that bears bad fruit which is also symbolic of false religion.
• The tree was located on the grounds of a church that propagates these falsehoods and lies.
• The bird would have died from exhaustion or starvation. False religion does not provide the proper endurance and nourishment of Father’s truth.
• The pastor was symbolic of false shepherds.
• The pastor could not see that the bird had become ensnared his tree; his attention had to be called to it by those with a clear vantage point, who stand not in darkness but in the light of Father’s truth.
• Those with a clear vantage point were symbolic of Christ’s ministry and those in the light of Father’s truth.
• The bird was a common bird having little value in the eyes of mankind, but it had value in Father’s eyes – therefore it was rescued.
• The rescued bird was also symbolic of Father’s faithful who will be rescued via the 1st and possibly a 2nd Rapture.
The Corresponding Scriptures
Matthew 10:29-31 Aren't two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's consent. But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Don't be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Luke 12:4-7 "And I say to you, My friends, don't fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will show you the One to fear: Fear Him who has authority to throw [people] into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the One to fear! Aren't five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight. Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows!
Matthew 7:15-23 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Hebrews 12:1 [The Call to Endurance] Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us,
Proverbs 27:27 there will be enough goat's milk for your food— food for your household and nourishment for your servants.
Daniel 4:14 He called out loudly: Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it, and the birds from its branches.
Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.
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There was once a little girl named Anne and all her life she felt different from all the other people around her. While she was only eight years old, she would walk down the busy streets of the city she lived near and peek in through the windows, her little hands leaving prints as she pressed her nose to the glass. The people inside never noticed her. They were always too busy talking amongst themselves, drinking, eating or spending money on designer clothes, jewelry and cars to notice the small girl with dirty blonde hair and green eyes. |