If birds could think

That was some rain we had. All that rain made me hungry; I wonder if that person has

any bread for us? (no)

Joh 6:33  For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 

Joh 6:34  Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 

Joh 6:35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 

Randy the goose sits at the edge of the pond, pondering the meaning of life. Sometimes it is just better to live life then to think too much, especially for a goose. Life is a gift.

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

As Randy looks into the pond the bare trees are reflected; the ripples give the image a look of anxiety. Well it is no time for a pity party. This day is so beautiful, with a warm sun, no kids or dogs to chase me, I praise the creator for life and so many blessings. He has kept me going and life is worth the living knowing he is there.

Php 4:6  Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

I returned home and looked out the kitchen window through the blinds to see two ring necked Turtle Doves swooping down into the bird feeder. They are so graceful, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. There is one Holy Spirit, but he is God and can be everywhere at once. The presence of God brings peace. The Spirit needs to be fed too. We need to feed on God's word. The doves are cautious. They do not mind the smaller sparrows who like to feed  there too.

Luke 12:6  Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 

Come my little friends and feast on what has been provided for you and give thanks to your creator and to the food giver.

John 21:11  Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 

John 21:12  Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 

John 21:13  Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 

John 21:14  This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. 

Eaglewings Ministries 

California Winter

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, 

places to play in and pray in,

 where nature may heal and give strength, 

to body and soul" John Muir

California is in a drought, but we are blessed in the north with ponds, the rivers and lakes. The birds receive bread from friendly feeders including the seagulls who sometimes come inland 150 miles from the ocean. I spoke to the young mother, "The sunny day and a breeze are  like the ocean". She responded "yes, but the seagulls catch the bread in the air at the ocean."

Act 2:46  And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 

Act 2:47  Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. 

Cayuga duck stands on the windy shore like a Spanish Conquistador. (A conqueror, like the 16th century Spaniards.) He has conquered the hearts of the mallards on the pond.

1Ch 29:11  Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.

There is a trail through the majestic Valley Oaks. I looked up at their many branches that are empty of leaves. 

1Ch 29:12  Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. 

1Ch 29:13  Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. 

This trail shows the bare trees. Usually when there is rain there would be moss on the trees. It was a beautiful day for a walk realizing that the east coast has had a severe cold spell, with much snow and ice. The weather is usually opposite from coast to coast.

Psa 63:1  A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 

Psa 63:2  To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 

Psa 63:3  Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 

Bland

I made a loaf of bread today from a familiar recipe. I knew the ingredients by heart. It sometimes takes many hours for bread to rise and be ready to bake in the oven. It came out piping hot and lovely. I sliced a piece from the end, tasted it, and then I realized that I had left out the salt. The bread was good, but bland and pasty to taste. It had lost it's savor.

Mat 5:13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 

How do we lose our salt as a Christian? Some thoughts on this; by our bad testimony and willful sins we bring shame to the faith. Often we are fearful and do not speak when we should. Still another thought is we speak but not from God's inspired word. Or when we share the word,  we are dull and lacking the conviction of the Holy Spirit in what we say. The word is alive, so we should be alive when we share it. Speak boldly, with zeal.

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 
Eph 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 
Eph 6:20  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 

Pugilese bread

 My daughter brought home a small loaf of bread. On the label it said it was Pugilese bread, like what is made in southern Italy. This is our recipe for making this dense, moist and spongy bread.

Pugliese bread recipe

Bread and leaven

I have been baking bread. Yesterday I made braided bread. I used to make this when I lived alone in a small cabin rental when I first moved north. It has been over 35 years since I made this kind of bread. I remember coming home from hard work in the cabinet shop and stirring up the bread dough. About midnight it would come hot out of the oven. I put butter on it and would eat a whole loaf. Back then it took longer because the store-bought yeast was not fresh. Leaven is a good thing in making soft bread, but leaven in a person is not good. It just takes a little leaven to permeate the whole loaf. Likewise one wolf or false one coming into a fellowship can permeate it with sin and doubts of the scriptures and strife with divisions. If in a Bible study he will attempt to take over and will bring confusion. When a wolf comes my first thought is to separate him from the sheep. 

The word for leaven, zumē, is from zeō, to boil, to seethe. It permeates the whole loaf. Usually leaven is used for sin or evil intent.

Mat 16:11  How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 

Mat 16:12  Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 

It surprises me how easily a wolf can deceive. Even the disciples were slow to understand when Jesus warned them of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. I suppose that they were fooled by their outward appearance and their confident speaking. Wolves full of leaven can destroy a nation too, because the people have little discernment. Read the Bible and walk in the light, then you will know the true from the false ones.

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

Two Covenants

Deu 8:1 All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. 

Deu 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
Deu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Deu 8:4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
Deu 8:5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.
Deu 8:6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

They were to obey God's commands and he provided manna, food from heaven for body and soul. He provided their needs all the way. Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell from years of walking with him. They were tested to see if they would obey and most failed the test. He had to punish them as a loving father.

Now consider the walk of God's people under the new covenant. God still wants obedience, we are tested by trials and he does provide for us when we follow him.

Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Jesus gave us a sample prayer as a guide for our prayers.

Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

He will provide our daily bread and Jesus is our Manna, the Living Word of God. We are to get up early and gather it, eat it, and meditate on it.

Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Last night in a private chat room twelve of us gathered together for a communion service. First we had to pray to ask forgiveness for any sins we had. Then we took the elements; the unleavened bread, the body of Christ broken for us. We did eat it. Next we took the juice of the grape, symbolizing his blood. We drank it, as a reminder of his blood shed for our sins. What is the difference between the old and new covenant? Jesus gave us grace. He kept all the laws that we could not keep. We still are to obey God, but if we fail, grace keeps us from the eternal punishment of separation from God. Trials and tests will come. He loves us and will make a way for us to escape them (1cor 10:13). He may still correct us as a loving father, but we stay close to him all the way to the eternal kingdom of God.

Shewbread

Lev 24:5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
Lev 24:6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.
Lev 24:7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 24:8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
Lev 24:9 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute.

How large were these shew bread loaves? Each loaf contained from three to four quarts of unleavened flour. One quart is four cups of flour. When I make a one pound loaf of bread, I use two cups of flour. So these loaves were from twelve to sixteen cups of flour for each one. Each loaf weighed from six to eight pounds. There were twelve of these loaves in two rows of six, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. They were placed before the LORD in the holy place of the tabernacle on a gold covered table. Pure frankincense was put on each row probably in plates and burned as a memorial offering to the LORD. This was to be a continual offering for an everlasting covenant. Aaron and his sons were given the bread each week when it was replaced. David ate the bread in a time of need. It is a representation of an everlasting holiness before the LORD. Jesus is the bread of life, our everlasting covenant before the LORD. He is our spiritual provision as our natural or daily bread is required for our bodies.

Mat 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
Mat 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
Mat 12:3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
Mat 12:4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Joh 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.