On Wings of Eagles

A Word for the not so Wise

eaglewood — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:18:40 +0000

When pounding out studs in aluminum sheet metal do not place your fingers where missing the stud causes damage and the desire to spit invectives of a most unsavory kind.

Just sayin…

The Christmas Story

eaglewood — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:28:38 +0000

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:1-14

Sometimes Music Says it Better

eaglewood — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 20:27:25 +0000

Words

eaglewood — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:41:44 +0000

It is interesting the words that represent what you write. Thanks Heidi.

Pride Comes Before a Fall

eaglewood — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:58:15 +0000

Writing has been difficult for me of late. I wish I could point to a simple reason of why, but it is never simple. I seem to do better when I have a topic to write on, such as Eric’s question on the resurrection. In fact I thrive on it. But sitting down and simply coming up with a topic has been hard. I am probably whining, but I had to get it off of my chest. It seems this year has been one of blow after blow after blow. Hard to get up and stagger around after all of it. It started with the ministry. Things were going well, the concepts and ideas, kept pouring in. To say the least I was on fire. Then things fell apart around me. The thing is I am not sure how much of it was my own hubris, the enemy’s interference, or Jehovah simply kicking me in the rear to get my act together. I suspect the latter is what is going on right now.

You see a year ago I was CERTAIN of the direction of the ministry, who was going to be involved, what was going to happen, and how. Hubris on my part, I had it all planned out, forgetting that it was not about me. I think that is when I allowed my judgment to be clouded about who I wanted to help. I reached out to people I thought I knew, and learned how much I did not know. In retrospect I think it was a lesson well learned. It has also shown me that just because I am called as a prophet does not mean that I am not subject to my own whims and desires, then attributing them to His plans.

Pride is an interesting sin. I don’t mean that in a good way either. Pride can make you think that you are not proud at all. The most humble of servants, the deception of your own heart. Usually you don’t catch it until it all falls down around you, as it did to me. You see I think I took a certain amount of pride in my calling, that somehow I was better than others because of the nature of my calling. Called to be on the outside of the “leadership” calling that same leadership to a higher more pure relationship with Yeshua. After running, I kind of took a certain pride even in the reluctant nature of my acceptance. Pride to some extent even formed Eagle’s Wings. It was out of hurt, frustration, pride in my calling as a prophet, after getting my teeth kicked in by a more “establishment” ministry that I believed (and still do) could use someone of my talents and calling, I formed the concept for Eagles Wings. Pride said I would show them just how valuable I am, and could have been for their organization. Pride then fooled me into believing I was hearing from Jehovah about whom was to be involved in Eagle’s Wings. That is when I really got my first dose of reality. The enemy took my pride and twisted it to make me doubt everything about my calling. Jehovah has been, interestingly enough, using that defeat to wring out who He wanted all along. This has been done mostly through His favorite foil with me, my lovely wife, Birdie.

What is going to happen with Eagle’s Wings, I am not sure, but I am sure it will not die. Just because I did something in pride does not mean He cannot or will not use it for His will. I have a long way to go, but I am surrendering to His will, His desires for this ministry. Al I ask are your prayers for me and my family, while I allow Yeshua to open my heart and show me what He wants me to do.

The Resurrection

eaglewood — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:14:23 +0000

Eric asked a good question and I will do my best to answer it.

"On Luke’s blog you wrote, “The point is that our faith is in vain without the death and resurrection of Yeshua.”
I believe fully in the resurrection of Christ, but I really don’t understand how that changes anything. A Passover lamb was required to save us from the Destroyer but that lamb was never resurrected. As Yeshua was our sacrifice it was the shedding of His blood that saves us, not anything that happened later. In fact, I have not seen any prophecy stating that he would be resurrected other than the dichotomy of the two different appearances, which again, I completely believe in. Okay, correction, Yeshua himself spoke of it and noted that Jonah was a type, but I am not sure that anyone would have picked that up outside of His showing it, and I am not aware of any other OT prophecy regarding it. Anyways, I don’t think that my faith would be affected if He had not come back to life right away and didn’t until He reappeared or instead came back in an angelic form (for lack of a better term)

So in short, how does the resurrection fit in and why is it really important?"

Lets start with some scripture and then we will work on why I said what I said.

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1 Corinthians: 15:1-4 KJV

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1 Corinthians: 15:10-17 KJV

I am using the KJV here because it uses the word “vain” and my paraphrase used that word. I still like the NASB as it is more literal.

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

12 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised;

14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.

16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;

17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
1 Corinthians: 15:10-17 NASB

The NASB also uses the word “vain” in vs 14 but expounds upon it in vs 17 by using the word “worthless”. So you can see that my statement was in fact scriptural. Paul put a lot of stock in Yeshua’s resurrection, but his statement has more to do with false witness and Yeshua’s statements that He would rise again. If Yeshua did not rise again after his death then He was a liar and He was not the sinless atonement for our sins. It is that simple, and why our faith would be in vain. Paul does make a reference to scripture foretelling Yeshua’s resurrection. That is a little trickier as Paul is not so forthcoming in the location of that scripture as if the scriptures referenced were well known. I did a little research and found that there are no specific scriptures that say Yeshua would be resurrected in the OT. The closest would be Psalms 16 8-11 as referenced by Peter in his first sermon in Acts 2.

29 "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

30 "And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE,

31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY.

32 "This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.

33 "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.
Acts 2: 29-33

There are other more obscure prophecies such as Isaiah 53:10-11, but it varies in text by translation. The fact is that the prophecies were not well understood until Yeshua clarified them for Himself after his resurrection. I hope this helps.

Atheism and the Problem of Evil

eaglewood — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:55:45 +0000

Time for some navel gazing. I mean why do I do it? What is it about people who so desperately cling to the notion that Jehovah does not exist that so fascinates me? Is it because I have been there and I have seen the light? It sometimes seems so utterly futile to go to these places and say anything. I keep asking myself: What is it that they cannot see? I cannot go through my day without seeing the Holy one of Israel everywhere I look.

You are probably wondering where this is coming from. Over the years I have had many fruitless discussions with people who deny the existence of Jehovah. So when Vox has one of his many posts on Atheism I like to grab my popcorn and watch the fur fly. Well today Vox posted the second letter from an atheist who wanted to have a polite and reasoned discourse with Vox on why he is a Christian. One of the main reasons Vox cited was that evil existed and Christianity provided a remedy for it. Ok, well and good, but Luke (the Atheist) made an incorrect assumption on what Christians believe about the nature of evil.

“Or consider Buddhism. Buddhism claims that suffering is the result of desire. Most philosophers today would essentially agree. Contrast this with the Christian concept of evil as a roaming magical force that hunts us down and seeks to destroy us. Which is more plausible?” Lukeprog

He equates evil to the description of Lucifer in the scriptures as a devouring lion. This is simply incorrect. It is a common misconception by those who are either too lazy or to intellectually dishonest to find out the truth on what the Bible says about evil. While it is true that Lucifer is evil he is not the source of evil. There is no one source it simply exists. The very nature that we have a choice brings the capacity for evil into play. In our own hearts lies the source of all evil. We do not need some “devil” to incite us to perform evil, we are quite capable of it on our own. That is not to say that, Lucifer and his minions do not work at providing our evil desires with all manner of “yummy” treats. The fact is that he can not make us do evil, we still have to cross that bridge when we get there.

19

eaglewood — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:32:59 +0000

That is how many years ago Birdie and I made the commitment to join our individual lives into one for the rest of our lives. It is funny but we had everything against us succeeding in this adventure. Short romance ( 6 months? ), we eloped on our lunch hour, we were young, idealistic, and you name it we were statistically the wrong people to get married. So how did we defy the odds? We had the things that other couples in our boat often do not have. The biggest is our faith in the Holy One of Israel. We also have a strong determination ( a stubbornness if you will ) to make it work. Giving up was never an option. Our commitment is just that a commitment, it was not made lightly (even if it was quick), we realized early on that we had mutual goals in life, family, and faith. It is not that we have not had our share of problems over the years. We have faced a slew of them not the least of which is losing two children. Many couple have folded under the kind of pressure we have faced, yet here we are still committed to each other. I can say today that I am more in love with this woman than the day we got married.

I love you Birdie and I know this is just the beginning of our adventure and pray that we will have decades to come to share our love for each other.

Happy Anniversary My Love

Vision

eaglewood — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:03:15 +0000

Luke sent me a link to the blog of one of the regular commenters over a Vox’s. This is a person who has found himself on true hard times and is as of his last post homeless. He has chronicled some of the difficulties of being homeless and the lack of charity found in some charities geared towards “helping” those in need. I am simply flabbergasted. While I should not be surprised, (I know the depravity of man’s heart) I am to see a “Christian” ministry run this way. Unfortunately JQP’s last post was July 27th, so I am not sure what we can do, but it gives a glimpse into the shady side of charities.

The Mission as seen from the eyes of one who is on the receiving end of the "low man on the totem pole" treatment gives me a greater insight into where not to go. Some of the basic fundamental needs are not being met, and is unacceptable especially if this place is making the kind of money JQP claims they are making. The refusal to allow those who are willing among those being helped to work to alleviate the problems is unacceptable, but this is not the reason for this post. I was just venting a little due to my past experience of being on the receiving end of charity that did not meet our needs. I have some problems with this “feel good” kind of charity. It gives the illusion of help (with the ability to sooth ones conscience) while the recipient drowns.

Eagles Wings Family Ministries will not be a “feel good” ministry. While it is still in concept, it is time I take it beyond that concept. Ultimately I have a vision for a place that families in dire need can go to get their lives back in order, but that is the culmination of effort, not the focus. The focus is helping families in their time of need, meeting those needs in full, and I am talking all needs from physical to spiritual. The goal is to help people learn to fly with the wing’s Jehovah gave them. Birdie and Jimmy are right it is time to start doing. I have let this episode rule the day and in the end nobody wins. While I wallow in my self-pity and doubt, I forget that I was called and that has not gone away. I was called to meet people where they are and introduce them to their creator on an individual basis. I forget that Yeshua called me to teach people how to fly. How am I going to do that if I am stuck on the ground because I have limited my vision to the point that I have lost sight of the One who taught me that I have wings?

But 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

Update on JQP: Well I at least know where JQP is staying now. Not sure about the true nature of his SAFETY now (see NO Way This Ends Well), but then if he loses an appendage it is his own fault.

A New Look and a Fresh Outlook

eaglewood — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:41:30 +0000

As some can tell it has been a while since I last updated. I have been struggling with a number of things lately. Not the least of which is my ministry and where it needs to go. I also have grown tired of the look of my blog so I have found a template that looks more sophisticated and updated the look, but that is superficial. What I need is a fresh outlook and that is what I am striving for.

The setback to the ministry hit me hard to say the least. I have asked myself this question so many times that it pains me just to hear myself ask it again. How does a person called as a prophet get something as basic as whom to help with your ministry so wrong? If I was so wrong on that point where else am I wrong in the ministry vision? I think the second question that has had me reeling to some extent. Loosing a second child was a traumatic event as well.

My friends please pray. I know I am called beyond a shadow of a doubt, but my faith is shaken in my ability to understand His vision for my work. I know with your prayers and the help of my loving family I WILL work through this.